Everyone was hoping GW would add something like the Men of Iron to Warhammer 40k, but it’s good to see the Leagues of Votann Ironkin confirmed!
It wasn’t that long ago GW revealed some lore that got us thinking about the Men of Iron in the Leagues of Votann. Well, it looks like that is basically coming true, however, GW is naming them the Ironkin, but mentions they don’t want the Imperium to know they have them.
Warhammer Community unveiled the new mini along with some lore, let’s check out what we’ve already seen (but if you want to see their data cards rules, you can check that out here), then jump into the new stuff!
The First Warhammer 40k Leagues of Votann Rules!
As promised, we can now dive into the new rules previewed for the Leagues of Votann, aka the Squats, from Warhammer Community.
Could this be due to a rigorous martial tradition, or a bit of technological assistance from the Votann? The answer is likely somewhere in between.
Combined with solid void-hardened armour and their knack for sticking around in close combat, these guys march in squads of up to 20 with high-tech guns blazing before charging in to mop up survivors.
Right out the gate, these new guys are pretty similar to Primaris Assault Intercessors as far as statlines are concerned, with the only major difference being -1″ movement and -1 wound in comparison.
Additionally, there are clear hints from GW about an ability to stay in close combat longer than you’d expect for a 1 wound model, so it’ll be interesting to see the squad’s abilities!
The Theyn is the Squad leader of the Hearthkyn and with an extra wound, attack, and leadership he is exactly what is respected of a squad leader! It’s slightly better, but still squarely in the same realm of power level as the rest of their squad.
New Leagues of Votann Ironkin Men of Iron Revealed by GW!
Each Ironkin consists of a Cerebral Unit – woven with microfield generators that make it very hard to destroy – and a unique mechanical body. An Ironkin’s body isn’t just some component to be replaced – it’s deeply personal, as much as the bodies of their fleshy cousins, and designed to fulfill a certain niche, such as mining support units, cargo luggers, combat pilots, or shock troopers. Some Ironkin even serve as Wayfinders, whose accelerated logic-cores help them cogitate probable paths through the warp.
The purpose of the Ironkin is to support the Kin in every aspect of their lives, but it’s important to know that they’re not held in servitude, nor treated as lessers. They’re simply designed to want to be helpful. However, as artificial beings, they can only imitate the emotions of their biological fellows – it’s rare (but not unknown) for an Ironkin to possess ambition, or seek to become a leader.
The model itself is pretty interesting, and we’ll compare it to the Men of Iron below as this is an interesting way (maybe, or maybe the name and design were too hard to claim IP on) to bring them back but with a new flair. Plus, they do say some want to be leaders, so it would be cool to have a special character or something who could lead an army of them!
On the battlefield, Ironkin combatants fight alongside Kin warriors in pursuit of the goals of the Leagues. They often accompany the Brôkhyr Iron-masters as assistants alongside the less complex COG robots, offering technical support and pitching into combat in a pinch.
From the sounds of it, they might be able to join a retinue and really keep your machines running on the battlefield. Plus, it’s a robot, so it has to be good at fighting to some degree.
Leagues of Votann Ironkin Compared to the Men of Iron
In a previous post, GW mentioned the Age of Strife many times, and the paint scheme between the two models is very “similar”. Furthermore, they mention more than once that the Squats have a very shaky alliance with mankind. However, there are some certain differences, but still, the lore is too close and there were rumors from last summer about them coming to the faction from B&C by way of Valrak.
Unlike their superstitious Human cousins, the Leagues emerged from the Age of Strife with far more of their ancient technology intact, including some infamous advances the Imperium would consider extremely heretical.
And while there’s no love lost between the Leagues of Votann and Humankind, the resurgence of Chaos and ascendent xenos hordes mean there are usually more pressing concerns than fighting each other.
So while they are somewhat different, we know what you’re doing GW…
If you love everything Squats, check out the latest on the new Leagues of Votann below.
- New 40k Squats Leagues of Votann Rules & Rumors
- Leagues of Votaan Squat Trikes Are Back!
- What the New ‘Votann’ Are in Warhammer 40k
- Leagues of Votann Miniatures & Rumors
Here’s the most up-to-date list of new Games Workshop bits from preview models that we should watch out for. Click on the gallery above to see dozens of Rumor Engines with new models still left to be revealed!
All the Newest GW Model & Rules Previews For 2022
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
