Warhammer 40K’s Squats are back with a full army later this year

Warhammer 40,000’s infamous space dwarves, originally known as Squats, are returning to the miniatures wargame as a new faction called the Leagues of Votann. The announcement, officially made on Saturday by publisher Games Workshop, was preceded by a video trailer on April Fools’ day which many took for a gag. The new rules and model line will be announced later this year.

There is a rich and long history of The Squats in 40K. It all dates back to the very first edition. They were originally cast as an aggressive, pangalactic biker group. However, they were ultimately dropped from 40K and most of their history was wiped from it’s deep lore. A 2004 forum posting appears to be the reason.

Image: Paul Bonner/Games Workshop

Games Workshop

Games Workshop

Paul Bonner’s line drawing, published in White Dwarf #111 (1989), is the best-known piece of Squat Faction artwork. The original sold for £950.00.

“The reason that the Squats were dropped,” writes former Games Workshop designer Jervis Johnson, “was because the creatives in the Studio […] felt that we had failed to do the Dwarf ‘archetype’ justice in its 40K incarnation. From the name of the race (Squats – what *were* we thinking?!?!) We had turned what used to be a noble, proud, literary race, Warhammer or any other forms, to a humorous, 40K race with a bikers theme. We only fully realised what we had done when we were working on the 2nd edition of 40K.”

Fans of Squats lived for more than 10 years by having their own armies of dwarf space models. These were legal under different factions’ rules. Games Workshop introduced the race back to canonical lore in 2018 with one miniature. NecromundaA small-scale skirmishing game. It was a surprise to many that it turned out so well.

Squat’s new army is a return to the original legend of the dwarven races as they were first created, except that it has dropped the leather, bikes and chains. It is replaced by a small, futuristic warrior in pale armor who carries what seems to be an effective little plasma weapon.

Games Workshop announcement:

The Leagues of Votann share common roots to Humanity but have a difficult relationship with Imperium of Man. The Leagues of the Votann, unlike their more superstitious Human counterparts, emerged from Age of Strife with much more of their ancient technology intact. This includes some famous advances that the Imperium might consider. Extremely heretical.

They are skilled warriors with a knack for science and strong nature. This is evident even in this basic trooper. 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 Most oftenMore pressing matters than fighting with each other.

Overall, we’re not sure what to expect from this incarnation of the Squats. Perhaps the faction will be a glass cannon, with expensive but powerful weapons more in line with the T’au faction than the Space Marines. Perhaps they’ll be more mechanized, with a mix of flyers ground units. I have a hunch that they’ll be a hybrid force, one capable of being fielded in multiple formats like Kill Team and Necromunda You can also eat the whole fat 40K wargame. In the coming months more information will be available.