Warhammer 40K: The Death Korps of Krieg Are The New ‘Cadians’
Games Workshop is bringing the Death Korps of Krieg into the spotlight. With their new kits they are basically the new Cadians of 40k.
The posterboys and girls of the Astra Militarum have been the Cadian Shock Troopers for a long time. Their faces have been all over the art work and they have been on the covers of the codexes for multiple editions now. But that’s all about to change. The Death Korps of Krieg are taking over with the new edition. Maybe it’s a sign of things to come.
Rise of the Death Korps
It’s no surprise now. The Death Korps of Krieg had their big showcase and it’s impressive. GW told us all that they were coming and based on the preview, GW has delivered! Not only are the Death Korps getting unique units to bring but they are also going to be on the cover of the codex.
Saying they are getting a “push” from GW is a bit of an understatement. The Astra Militarum is also going to be the first codex for 40k in 2025. That’s a BIG deal. But why the Death Korps of Krieg?
That’s a great question that we might not get an straight answer to for a long time. At least not an official one. Personally, I think it’s because they look a lot more “Grimdark” than Cadians do. Let’s be real: The Cadians are a bit too clean and contemporary; they look like they are soldiers from our time. If their lasguns were replaced with modern weapons from our era, they wouldn’t look that far out of place.
Are they from 40k? Absolutely! But if you removed some of the 40k weapons and squinted a bit… they might not be. The Death Korps of Krieg on the other hand? They scream Grimdark:
There’s no mistaking the look of the Death Korps of Krieg line now. They have that “Grimdark trench warfare” look nailed down. And say what you want, but there’s just something disconcerting about their heads. Maybe its the helmets or the gasmask…or the combination of both. But they look dehumanized in a really sinister way. I think that’s what makes them perfect for the Grimdark universe of 40k.
Not Their First Rodeo
Another factor I like about the Death Korps becoming the new “posterboys” for the Astra Militarum is that they aren’t coming out of no where. They’ve been around for a long time. They used to be an alternative resin army option from Forge World. You could get legions of Death Korps of Krieg miniatures from Forge World — if you wanted to pay for them.
But now? They basically got their entire line converted to plastic — and then some. I’m here for it! The Kill Team might have kicked it off but GW really opened the flood gates with this preview.
Not only are we getting alternate heavy weapon teams/options, we’re also getting Combat Engineers, new Artillery Team, and a Command Squad to really round things out. Honestly, between the Command Squad and Heavy Weapons, GW had the basics covered. I think the Death Riders and the Artillery Team are really the cherries on top.
Most of the Astra Militarum Tanks look like they are Cadian. However, I think with the right paint job and hobby options, those same tanks would fit in perfectly with the Death Korps of Krieg.
I’m hoping that GW has thought of that, too. I really hope we get some sort of Death Korps upgrade kit or something. I want to see Death Korps bits that can be added to the various tanks of the Astra Militarum. But also we need bits to swap out the crews of the Field Ordnance Battery or other Cadian-themed units.
Hopefully, we’ll get the “basic infantry” box for the Death Korps of Krieg released along side the Codex. Also, I hope we get another box full of Death Korps crew members to swap out for the tanks and heavy weapon teams. I really don’t want to buy extra Heavy Weapon teams just to use the crew on other kits.
Cadians will always have a place in my head as an iconic part of 40k. But I think the Death Korps of Krieg are the future of the Astra Militarum in terms of design direction. Plus, their planet didn’t get blown-up…so they got that going for them.
Too soon?
