+ inload: Hearthkyn Salvager specialists for Kill Team +

+ Oathband of Trym-Eena +

+ Six weeks(ish) to go, and progress on the Squats for Kill Team is ticking over nicely. +

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Played a very enjoyable game to test out the new Kill Team, with Bob Hunk commanding his Flesh Eaters (using the Angels of Death Kill Team) and me trying out the Hearthkyn Salvagers. Alas, defeat for the first game – but probably deserved, as my models weren't painted!

With a game under my belt, and a bit more of a sense of how things worked, I've been trying to finalise the composition of the team – and more importantly, come up with silly names. Hailing from the Irnståv Dominion [+noosphericexloadlinked embedded+], part of the Mjalnar League, are the Oathband of Trym-Eena:

• Theyn with bolt revolver and plasma weapon – Albus Irnståv
• Field Medic with bolt revolver and plasma knife – Ketil Beinbrót
• Gunner (Ironkin) with HYLas auto rifle – J33VS
• Gunner with ETaCarn plasma beamer – Tomb
• Gunner with HYLas rotary cannon – Håndeld Bluetooth
• Kinlynk with Autoch-pattern bolter – Okkâ Sharpear
• Lugger with Ion blaster – Lûgs Portr
• Lokâtr with Autoch-pattern bolter – Cnut Carespelt
• Warrior with Autoch-pattern bolter – Sven Ovnîn
• Warrior (Ironkin) with Ion blaster – WSTR

This bunch of likely lads will be facing off against a range of foes, including from Myrry's Murderers, Lucifer216's Night Lords, the 'Excommunicables' of Omricon, Warmtamale's Vespids, LordBloodtheHungry's Beastmen. That's on top of the Space Marines Bob Hunk and Stuntwedge are bringing, so a nice range.

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A tap of his heavily-gloved hand opened his helm, the visor swinging back noiselessly. His face, already wrinkled, scrunched further as the whiff of distant manufacturing reached him, but his eyes were already fixed on the device in his hand. 

He ignored the cold, corrupted air of Tundrine Har as he ignored the nearby gunfire. The rising whine of WSTR and Portr's ion blasters punctuating the heavier crack-pops of the rest of Trym. 

'When you are ready, Okkâ.' The Theyn's reproving tone was distorted by patch-crackle. To all appearances, Okkâ Sharpear ignored his leader, too. The soft white underlighting from his comms device lent his craggy face an eerie glow as he paged through the intelligence.

There. 

Satisfied, he gave a small nod, tapped a few thick buttons on his forearm, and looked up. Trym's other Ironkyn gave him a jaunty thumbs-up, which – as always – annoyed him no end. Its projected face  cheerily rotated to its front, and the Ironkyn and Sven Ovnîn disappeared round the corner. Sharpear muttered to himself under his breath, then jogged up to the corner Sven had vacated, and readied his own boltgun.

From around the corner, the sound of gunfire redoubled briefly, before a sharp cry of pain rang out abruptly. Sharpear peeked round the corner.

The two Kin stood looking pleased with themselves, much to Okkâ's inward disapproval. Too much vim in the young these days, he thought to himself. He sauntered over to join them, rolling his eyes as he saw J33VS congratulate his partner with a pat on the back.

'Think that was the last, Sharpear.' Said Sven, his own helm retracted completely. The young warrior scratched idly at the stubbly base of his beard where his inner suit began. His face, leathery and star-tanned, wore an expression that bordered on the smug.

'I'll be the judge of that, young Sven.' He looked about briefly, scowled, then voice-patched the Theyn.

'Albus? The way is clear. You can bring the rest of Trym round now I've sorted things out.' 

The only reply was an amused grunt. Kin wasted nothing; even words.

After giving J33VS and Sven Ovnîn another admonishing scowl, Okkâ closed his visor with a tap on side of his helmet, hefted his boltgun, and motioned to them. They wore acquisitive grins on their faces; skin and metal alike.

'Toil earns, you two. Time you stopped playing at soldiers and learn something from your betters.'

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+ Kin is kin +

It's been fun exploring and reading around the Leagues of Votann. I'm very impressed with how the GW writers have re-integrated the old squat material, and included lots of clever ways to square circles to have in-universe nods to the real world absence of the squats.

The list above includes most of the figures from the previous inload, but I've swapped out some of the basic warriors for more specialists.

Pictured here is J33VS, an Ironkin with HYLas repeater; Lûgs Portr, a Lugger with an ion blaster; and WSTR, an Ironkin warrior, also with an ion blaster.

I confess that I didn't like the Ironkin idea at first, and fully intended my theoretical army (and thus this Kill Team) to include none, but after reading the background they've really grown on me. I like the sense that they are automatons in the old-fashioned sense – and that they're purely a modelling thing. GW have shown some rare restraint in not having different rules for the Kin and Ironkin.

Pictured at the top of this inload are the same figures, plus the Theyn. I've used the leader from the other squat kit (the modern take on the Engineer's Guild) as I liked the greatcoat. I'll have fun painting that up to look a bit like the Steel Legion.

You'll also see Tomb, the heavy gunner. With a heavy heart, I'm swapping out the heavy bolter for one of the other options. This Thunderkyn model is going to count as my third Gunner, but as I've already got the HYLas rotary cannon on Håndeld Bluetooth, I needed to pick another option.

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