Hearthguard

New League of Votann Einhyr Hearthguard with Exo-Armour, now looking less like humpty dumpty and more like ripoffs of Starcraft Marines. To be fair though Starcraft stole their stuff from 40k first!

HAPPY EASTER MOTHERFUCKERS!

Hearthguards are the elite Squat troopers and bodyguards of a Squat Warlord. Equivalent to Space Marine Terminators, Hearthguards were drawn from the Lord's most loyal retainers, who formed an aristocratic class in Squat Strongholds. Of high status, Hearthguard were lavishly decorated in ornaments, diamonds, and gold jewelry. Furthering their wealth, it was traditional for a Squat Warlord to present a Hearthguard with a gift in recognition for their loyalty, usually specially crafted by the Lord himself.

Because of their richly decorated equipment and trophies, Hearthguards were very individual in their appearance and did not usually wear any kind of standardized uniforms. They are sometimes mocked by their Exo Armor, which are as tough as Terminator Armor but more goofy. Expect lots of jokes on how Squats field power-armored eggs with legs.

For a more modern rendition spiritual lookalike, there is the Primaris Captain in its Terminator-esque Gravis Armor which resembles a Hearthguard put on a stretcher and is clearly a homage to these warriors. That or it must have been one heck of a 'coincidence'.

Overview

Hearthguards first and foremost, are equipped with Exo Armor that has the same stats as Terminator Armor. The extensive protection it affords the wearer is especially useful when fighting in confined spaces where movement is restricted and it is difficult to avoid concentrated enemy fire. Exo Armor has a 2+ saving throw.

They are close combat specialists, often coming equipped with Power Axes and Power Shields. They are often a tough nut to crack (Quite literally in this case) and require powerful anti-tank weaponry to bring them down. Although the Hearthguard can swap the Power Axe with a Bolter.

With the return of the Squats as the Leagues of Votann, they've been revamped as the Einhyr Hearthguard with Exo-Armour, they come equipped with a shoulder-mounted grenade launcher, a Vulkanite Disintegrator, and either a Power First with a retractable plasma blade or a Thunder Hammer for close quarters combat. Their armor also has built in micro gravity field generators to help keep their aim steady allowing them to fire on the move.

Gallery

• 

  Hearthguard without Exo Armor. Looking more like a Munchkin than anything else.

• 

  Aaaahhhh...that's more like it.