Warhammer 40K: Armored Walkers of the Grimdark
The Sisters are getting into the put your armored dude (or lady) inside an armored dude. They have plenty of company!
One of this weekend’s big reveals was an all-new Soroitas armored walker. The Paragon Battlesuit is here. But let’s spend a few minutes today taking the time to appreaciate all the brave heroes of the Grimdark who suit up, step up, and strap themselves into their walkers to do battle.
Some Ground-rules
So first of all we need some basics as Warhammer 40K is full of all kinds of contraptions. For the purpose of our list we are talking about:
- Machines that are driven by separate pilots. (this means you can get in and out of them, rather than being a permanent part of them – sorry Dreadnoughts)
- They must be walkers. (this means obvious legs, which STILL leaves a couple of models in a grey area)
- The pilot must be inside/on the vehicle. (but being visible is not needed)
Ok, make your mental lists now, and away we go:
Sororitas: Paragon Warsuit
The new kid on the block. It’s svelte, and nimble looking for a human machine. It’s loaded down with guns and interestingky enough has the external arm controls making it very similar in layout to its bigger brother…
Grey Knights – Dreadknight
The bigger, badder, with a bigger sword walker for the scions of Titan. These models have a lot in common the more you look. Once upon a time it was rumored that some xenos technology was traded for by the Grey Knights to Great these. That leads us straight to…
Tau – All the Suits
The xenos with the most mans-inside-a-walking-mans are clearly the Tau. From the small Stealth Suits up through the Crisis Suits all the way up the big Riptides and Stormsurges, the blue aliens are all suits all the time. Everyone else are pretenders to the warsuit throne.
Space Marines – Warsuits & Centurions
The Marines have a couple entries into this category. On the new Primaris side, we have the Invictor Warsuit, while the Classics have the smallest entry – Centurions!
Astra Militarum – Sentinel
It takes bravery to be a Sentinel pilot. No arms! But they can still carry a potent gun, and get into and out of trouble faster than the footslogging Guardsmen. So it could be worse. Speaking of no arms…
Craftworld Eldar – War Walker
I think the Warwalker is the Italian convertible of the lot. It’s sleek, it’s fast, it’s open-air with a giant windshield. Then you get an energy shield to protect you, and apparently, it’s quiet. Quiet enough to be sneaky. Then you get the guns. It’s amazing they let Guardians drive these things. How is not an Aspect Temple?
Adeptus Mechanicus – Ironstrider / Dragoon
It’s just so weird, you have to love it. Some have guns, some have lances, but they are tall, quick, sand striding contraptions with maybe the creepiest servitor up front to keep them running. I would expect no less of Mars. Giddy-up!
Orks – Kans – Deffdreds
Rise up my grot brothers – today you are FREE! Maybe the sweetest job a grot can get – I just love everything about these machines from the OBVIOUS disregard for pilot safety to the anything-goes weaponry, and the ded-killy look. Fire up the boilers and get clanking!
Necrons – Triarch Stalker (Maybe)
Ok, we are still arguing in the BoLS office about this one. It is a “true walker”? It clearly has a pilot, so it’s not a construct. But are there just too many legs? If so what’s the limit? Three, four, or more? If it’s allowed, what about the AM Onager? I’m putting it in the list, but you can argue for or against it in the comments.
And there you go. I’m sure we missed some, so put them in the comments.
The big question is which one would you choose to pilot in real life?
