40K: Mini Factions For Many Factions
The Rogue Trader expansion for Kill Team brings a lot to the game, including two minidexes for full fledged 40K support. With two new factions released, what else could we see?
So unless you’ve been living under a rock–and a rock that has no wi-fi access at that–you’re doubtless are that Kill Team is getting a new expansion pack, Rogue Trader, which introduces new models and a slew of new starship interior terrain to the game. All in all this looks amazing, but the most exciting thing–to me at least–is the mini codexes included in the set.
These introduce two new(ish) factions to the game, which is pretty exciting, because these are factions we don’t often see. The Rogue Trader and friends, for sure, but even the Gellerpox Infected put a new spin on Nurgle. And if you look elsewhere in the specialist games, you can see that the GW Team clearly has a lot of love for the unexplored, or only hinted at corners of the 40K Galaxy. Whether it’s Squats or Thunder Warriors Adeptus Custodes, 40K is getting, I wouldn’t say bigger exactly, but getting a little more filled out.
So with that in mind, let’s go through what’s out there so far and see what makes a good candidate for another mini-faction.
Abhumans
Abhumans have been getting a lot of love in Necromunda. But I’m not so sure these acceptable mutants and beastfolk should be relegated to background characters on a Hive World somewhere. After all if you look back in the fluff, you’ll find that Beastmen used to be in the Guard, even if you don’t see them too much these days. We’d lvoe to see an Abhuman Kill Team/Mini-Faction. And with Kill Team getting the big personalities of a Rogue Trader, bringing some of the Bounty Hunters from Necromunda over as a faction seems like the perfect fit. After all it’s the Prime Time Team Up everyone wants.
Hrud
Mass migratory space monsters who infect entire starships, Hrud are known to live in the areas between life. Whether it’s deep within mines, or in the space between decks on Imperial Naval vessels–if you’re looking for a way to bring these guys to the foreground, having a team of these, maybe called “The ____ Migration” show up to cause problems could be fantastic. Now placing them in the larger 40K game would be interesting, but given that the Imperium claims all within its soup, that’s probably who they’d end up working for.
Inquisition
Speaking of the Imperium–now I know that the Inquisition, theoretically already exists within 40K. But not really. And up until now that makes sense, an Inquisitor and her retinue are more like a Rogue Trader. But now that the Elucidian Starstriders are here, it seems like easy pickings to find or invent an Inquisitor, give them a retinue of ragtag heroes, villains, and maybe a few heretical allies–and BAM, new mini-faction and you don’t even have to put out a Codex for them. But that’s enough Imperium for now. Let’s check out a little further afield.
Fourth Sphere T’au
These are the T’au that got separated from their ethereals and went a little–well not crazy, but let’s just say we wouldn’t be surprised if they started collecting skulls for the skull throne. Without updating their codex entirely, a mini-dex could be a great way to bring in Chaos Tau Fourth Sphere Auxiliaries to change up the way the army plays a little while exploring the narrative of a Galaxy beset by Chaos on all fronts.
Ancient Tyranids
One of the more intriguing parts of 40K to me is the presence of Tyranids long before the Hive Fleets of the Great Devourer were drawn towards the Astronomican like an all-consuming moth to an unsuspecting flame. Whether it’s the Genestealers of Ymgarl or other predatory beasts, such as the Catachan Devil or the Fenrisian Kraken, Tyranids are hiding out in the Imperium, cut off from their Hive Mind. They have aberrant traits and personalities–enough so that it’d be real interesting to see what these “rogue” Tyranids do, divergent as they are from the regular Hive Fleets.
And those are just a few examples that are already lurking near the foreground of the Lore. There’s a TON out there to explore and find its way into the game.
What would you want to see added?
