The new season of Kill Team is so close we can scent it – the massive Into the Dark boxed set goes up for pre-order this weekend, reintroducing two factions who’ve barely been touched for two or even three decades. The Kroot Farstalker Kinband are the first new models for their mercenary race (except a certain Blackstone Fortress adventurer) since 2001 – while the Imperial Navy Breachers only ever really earned concept sketches shown in White Dwarf way back in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Both are now back with a vengeance, and they’re looking amazing! We spoke to the Citadel Design Team about what went into sculpting such eagerly awaited and storied kill teams.
First up we got the low down on the skilful trackers and hunters that comprise the Kroot Farstalker Kinband.
“This Kinband is not currently working for the T'au,” they explain. “As such, they are proper mercenaries – you can hire their services in exchange for weapons, jewellery, credits… or even a couple of fingers.
“It’s one of the many Kinbands led by Kill-brokers leaving the homeworld of Pech on a pilgrimage to explore the galaxy, develop their skills, and consume a lot of different prey to absorb different genes and become ‘perfect’ Kroot, with a stable and diversified genome. Once the Kill-broker is satisfied, he will lead them back to Pech to be ritually sacrificed and eaten, thus sharing their genetic material among the tribes.
“The Kroot Hounds were redesigned to have more features in common with their Kroot kin – they are not pets but devolved Kroot. The design work started with an actual Kroot which we posed, distorted, and tweaked until we got the new Kroot Hound. In this way you can still see glimpses of their humanoid* counterparts' anatomies, especially the feet and shoulders.”
This Kinband is more technologically advanced than previous Kroot, with bionics and advanced weaponry, and this is a deliberate choice the team made.
“We played with the mercenary theme, one of exploring the galaxy and encountering different cultures and people, cultures who could also provide bionics and prosthetics. Kroot trust their skills and Kinband more than their equipment – they like practical, easy-to-maintain gear so their bionics are very simple and mechanical rather than robotic. We like to think some of those missing limbs or eyes were not lost in combat but offered for consumption to the rest of the Kinband to make them stronger. Sharing is caring…
“And who doesn't like a good poncho? Dahyak Grekh from Blackstone fortress certainly does. This figure served as an inspiration. We liked the way his attire told a story and painted a character straight away. This Kinband uses their dress and ornaments as a mark of status – bits of equipment gathered on missions or traded. They’re often paid in jewellery and equipment and they display rings as a demonstration of their efficiency. A few of them are posed with a certain swagger – they’re ready for anything.”
The Breachers, meanwhile, were “definitely inspired by the original illustrations”, state the designers.
“We went through a whole phase of new concept art. The boots were designed to be magnetic technology to allow the Navy to operate in zero-G environments. This also informed some of the equipment, such as magnetised packs and equipment bundles, and a heavily armoured feel while embodying elements that are associated with the Imperial Navy such as a uniform coat. The weapons are recognisably Imperial but designed to look heavier and made specifically for close quarters.
“The entirety of their equipment is designed to operate inside or outside a spacecraft. They are the perfect unit for operations in and around a space hulk – We emphasise the use of magnet technology, which is unique to them.”
“Their battlefield role and the equipment they use make them individual and unique, while there are a lot of characterful bare heads in the set, all looking like navy officers with a stern look and tight haircuts.
“Our favourite though, is the Demolition Specialist. we like his attitude, the padded blast-protection, and his helmet which makes him look like a bomb-disposal expert.”
You can pre-order these two historic kill teams from next Saturday when the Kill Team: Into the Dark set hits the Games Workshop webstore.
*Or should that be Krootanoid.