The Squats first arrived on Necromunda around 10,000 years ago – and two years ago on the tabletop, as a smaller gang contained within the Book of the Outlands. Now promoted to a full gang with the gear, bikes and roster to match, they’re getting their own book, entitled Halls of the Ancients. An arrival this momentous requires an interview to match, so we asked the Necromunda team for their thoughts.
Background
In Halls of the Ancients we were able to give the Ironhead Squats the ‘house of’ treatment and really shine a light on their origins and their mining clans. It all started when the Squat Lord Oryith Ironeye, leader of the Confederation of Urlish, led 13 bastion vessels to Necromunda after the Norgyr League informed her of a unique opportunity on this blighted world. Though the Squats were not known for making deals with humans, Oryith saw the potential of Necromunda and struck a deal with its rulers – she would help rebuild the planet in the wake of the galactic civil war in exchange for permanent mining rights.
Fast forward ten thousand years and the Squats of the bastion ships have become the mining clans, and the people of Necromunda have come to know them as the Ironhead Squats, after old Oryith Ironeye. In Halls of the Ancients, we delve into each of these mining clans, from the largest of the Western Hemisphere – the Anglish, Tapferkeit, Svardhol and Scragfrid, to some of the smaller clans such as the Helmaeth who sail the sump seas, the Snorrag who live deep in the underearth, or the Trocken who dismantle whole dead hives…
Along with some info on the clans, we were able to cover a host of interesting topics, like the fate of the Ironhead Ancestor Core, why they hate Ash Wastes Nomads so much, and the massive land trains that crawl across the face of Necromunda and form a mobile fortress, known as a Laager, when their destination is reached!
Rules
This also gives us the opportunity to expand the range of Squat gangers. Following the same patterns as the Clan Houses, Ironhead Squats have access to the Exo-kyn, a Prospector equipped and trained to utilise their equipment to clear dangerous mines and tunnels of threats as well as survive the harsh environments. These fighters are led by a new Champion, the Exo Master, and accompanied by custom-built Techmites, which add dangerous close combat fighters to the gang, ideal for fighting, and winning, in cramped tunnel battles on Zone Mortalis battlefields.
We couldn’t miss the opportunity to add a new vehicle, and what could be more appropriate than the classic Squat trike reimagined for Necromunda? This adds some fast and hard-hitting firepower, and the twin meltaguns are ideal for dealing with enemy vehicles!
Faction rules
It is not just new units the Ironhead Squats are gaining – they also get rules for Ancestry abilities. Your gang could be descended from one of the great mining clans, opening up exciting and flavourful new post-battle actions for your Leaders and Champions to perform, though for those wishing to forge their own legacy, there are guidelines on creating your own personalised splinter mining clan.
Miniatures
This set of new releases was an opportunity to expand the range and consolidate a new aesthetic. Their heavy armour, with its rounded panels, rivets and bolts, is reminiscent of 19th-century diving suits. At the same time, we wanted to give them more depth and show how they have evolved in isolation compared to the rest of the Squats since their last appearance in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
Designing the Exo-kyn was a very interesting way to create continuity in the range’s visual language. They allowed us to bridge the gap between the Ironhead Squat Prospectors and the Vartijan Exo-Driller, as the exo-suit borrows elements from both. We even took the opportunity to nod to the classic Squat Exo-Armour with the overall egg shape of the suit.
One of the important aspects is the weapons, which are derived from mining tools, but have been engineered and refined to face any foe they could encounter. Their heavy armour and industrial weapons offer a nice contrast to the Prospectors, while still leaving room for the Exo-Driller.
The Scout Trike is meant to survive the harsh environments of the ash wastes, so we took the opportunity to give it a bit more sturdiness. Reinforced panels and a wheel frame were added, as well as a sprinkling of all the flavour from the Ironhead Squats: curved panels, reinforced plates, bolts, rivets, and heavy weaponry!
