Chickens ride axolotl dinosaurs into battle in new Warhammer 40K reveal

OK, so that wasn’t on our predictions list for 2024

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The Kroot are quickly becoming one of my favorite Warhammer 40K armies, mostly because they consistently pump out weird little guys that don’t make a lot of sense.

Gorilla lizards? Sure. Flesh-eating chicken shamans? OK. And now, we’re adding axolotl dinosaurthingsto the Warhammer 40K mix, which was already one of thebest board gamesand is now quantifiably 100% better. Considering howWarhammer 40K fans are losing it over the new Kroot army already, I imagine this will get a similar response.

Called the ‘Lone-spears,’ these cavalry units ride what can only be described as bizarre axolotl horse dinos called Kalamandras. Thanks to antenna coming from its head and chin, it looks like a spikier, grizzlier version of the water-dwelling salamanders we know and love. The Kroot (affectionately known as ‘chickens’ by fans) riding it wields an explosive-tipped javelin that can be hurled at tanks in a swift hit-and-run attack.

Not that they have to kick it medieval style, of course. These warriorscanopt for a sniper rifle instead, giving players options.

Either way, they make use of a special rule called ‘Advanced Scouting’ that helps out fellow Kroot in a match of Warhammer 40K. If a Lone-spear hits a target, other models can re-roll Hit rolls against the same model for the rest of the turn.

There’s no firm release date yet, but apparently the Lone-spears and Kalamandras will arrive in the second wave of Tau releases. (The first wasrevealed during the Las Vegas Open 2024and comprises an army box with a special edition of the new Tau Codex.)

For something to keep you busy until then, be sure to check out the topboard games for adultsor thebest tabletop RPGs.

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As the site’s Tabletop & Merch Editor, you’ll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news. I’ve been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and can normally be found cackling over some evil plan I’ve cooked up for my group’s next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

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