The Leagues of Votann are always on the lookout for valuable resources, and as the most widely travelled of the Kin, the Hernkyn are often the first to plant their flag on a suitable find. It’s up to them to defend their claims from predatory onlookers until a larger force can arrive to secure them – and while some mount up on magna-coil bikes to reach far-flung caches as quickly as possible, the elite Hernkyn Yaegirs travel on foot, using infiltration, sabotage, and assassination to disrupt anyone who might intrude on their prize.
Compared with their Hearthkyn comrades, Yaegirs are lightly armoured, wearing flexible void suits that prioritise mobility over durability. They don distinctive longcoats over their armour, which insulate them against the many unpleasant environments they have to explore – and double up as a handy place to stash the ammunition, explosives, supplies, and equipment they need for extended operations in hostile territory.
This specialist gear gives the Hernkyn Yaegirs a unique look, exemplifying the survivalist spirit that pervades the Leagues of Votann. They also contrast sharply against the Brood Brothers facing them in Kill Team: Termination, pitting rugged outdoorsmanship against surprisingly clean and professional troops (for the Tyranids).
Short-ranged bolt weapons and plasma knives are the tools of their trade, as Yaegirs often find themselves fighting in dense terrain or bombed-out ruins. They are not without options in open firefights, however, and it’s common practice for the squad’s best marksman to shoulder a heavy magna-coil rifle for accurate sniper fire.
Other Kin load their longcoats with explosives and useful tools, so a single squad can surmount any obstacle they come up against – be it animal, vegetable, or mineral.* Ironbraeks are masters at laying deadly minefields and shoring up defences, while Trackers hunt hidden infiltrators with ease thanks to their pan-spectral visors and handbows – which launch specialised bolt shells silenced by miniaturised force field technology.
Such specialist skills and independent minds make Hernkyn Yaegirs invaluable assets for dangerous spec ops missions, but once the larger host arrives they are equally able to pitch in with the wider offensive. In games of Warhammer 40,000, they put their scouting expertise to good use as close-range skirmishers who infiltrate enemy lines before unleashing a bolt shotgun barrage and melting away from reprisal.
You can enlist your own crack team of Hernkyn Yaegirs when Kill Team: Termination goes up for pre-order this Saturday, and if you can’t wait to add them to your Leagues of Votann army for Warhammer 40,000, you can get a head start with your planning by downloading the updated Leagues of Votann index below.
* Or fungal, for that matter.