Kharadron Overlords Arrive with Fleet and Fanfare
The Sky-Dwarves are here and their airships are almost as magnificent as their theme music…
The Kharadron Overlords may well be the best iteration of dwarves to come out of GW. Possibly elsewhere too–they’re different, but they still feel very dwarven. Having seen just a few of the preview images and models, I was already on board.
But then, on top of that, GW goes and releases this video full of sweeping music and arch narration that seems to capture their character so perfectly you can’t help but feel drawn into this world of an “Iron Sky.” Take a look:
The first thing that grabbed me was the statement: “There are those among the Duardin that do not relish life in the deepest dark, hidden away form the mortal realms. They do not shelter in strongholds of iron and stone beneath great mountain ranges, emerging only in pursuit of ur-gold.
The Kharadron Overlords have turned their backs on their ancestors’ squalid subterranean traditions, instead founding a life in the skies of the mortal realms, taking their place as the rulers above the clouds.
What’s not to get excited about–these are dwarves who are trying something new. Not just in terms of their living situations, but their character. They aren’t just isolated miners and grudge-bearers, they are adventurers and traders.
But then on top of that, they also live in awesome skyfortresses that they created. Which, I’ll grant, may be a little too similar for some people’s tastes. After all if you keep to yourself in isolated mountain fortresses or keep to yourself in isolated sky fortresses, you’re basically still the same. But then there’s the talk of the Kharadron code…
Which is more what you’d call guidelines than an actual code
So I’m curious to see how their faction works out. They’re an Order faction, which makes sense, though I think given their reputation as “sky-pirates and profiteers” it might have been neat to see them represent a different, maybe neutral faction in Age of Sigmar.
I mean you clearly get the sense that these guys do what they want. Their skyships afford them a sense of freedom–it’s just as easy to picture them moving one of their skyfleets away from a chaos incursion as it is to picture them fighting it. And when their skyfortresses carry them away to skysanctuary (skysorry), what’s to compel them to fight?
I think that tension is interesting for the faction. They don’t necessarily have to fight, but they choose to do so.
At any rate. There’s a lot to unpack about this faction–but it was enough to not only make me take renewed interest in Age of Sigmar, but in dwarves in general. They’re honestly a little boring otherwise, but these guys grab elements of the Dwemer (of Elder Scrolls fame) and mix them in with some Age of Sail and a healthy dose of Castle in the Sky to make an exciting dish that I’m eager to dig into.
If they keep going at this rate–I can’t *wait* to see what the Elves are like. What do you think they’ll look like? Certainly their beard armor won’t be nearly as glorious…
