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Warhammer Magic

2023-05-18T03:48:41Z

2600:387:9:9:0:0:0:27: Warhammer magic is risky & downright ugly.

[[File:Warhammer Lore of Magic.png|center|]]
Magic is a very important, fluffy and epic part of ''[[Warhammer Fantasy]]'' (40k now gets to taste some of it, sort of. Psychic powers + sheer epicness = Warhammer Magic).

Fluff-wise, magic is a wind, which flows from great Chaos Rifts on Warhammer World's poles. It flows out as dark and chaotic Dhar wind, but later splits into eight winds, each of which governs a certain aspect. The greatest wizards in the world (namely, High Elves, Wood Elves and Slann) can then weave the winds back into a single force - Qhaysh, or High Magic. The winds are fickle and their flow may wax and wane multiple times during the same battle. The winds are unpredictable and hard to control, so wizards trying to harness too much power at once tend to invite unpleasant surprises; the rampant energy can burst outward, incinerating allies, scar the mind and soul of the wizard (robbing him of magical power), or just obliterate the wizard outright. Magic is a powerful and dangerous force. The winds now constitutes the eight realms of the [[Age of Sigmar]].

Crunch-wise, each magic phase a player rolls 2d6 to determine the strength of the winds, gaining that many dice to cast his spell. His enemy also gains the highest of the two dice to try and "dispel" (i.e. counterspell) the spell. Each wizard also may "channel" for additional dice, rolling a die and adding a die to the pool on a roll of 6. Number of dice in either pool may not exceed 12 at any point.
Casting the spell basically involves rolling a deliberate amount of dice from those available to try and beat the casting value of a spell, with wizard's level added to the roll result. Dispelling involves rolling dice to try and beat the caster's result. Rolling two or more 6's on casting attempt results in the wizard drawing upon too much power at once, which goes out of control, causing Irresistible Force and Miscast. The spell goes off no matter what, but the wizard (or those nearby, or every other mage in the army) suffers pretty unpleasant consequences.
Almost all lores have a ''lore attribute'' - a passive effect or an active component that is added to each successful casting of that lore's spells. In some cases (ahem, Life, ahem) lore attribute is so powerful it makes the actual spells matter not so much.

There are 8 "Lores of Battle Magic", which are common among most races, though most have some limitations (Bretonnian Prophetesses cannot draw upon powers of Death, Vampires, abominations against nature, cannot draw upon Life and so on). Many races have certain racial magics, such as Necromancy of the Vampires, Skaven Lores of Ruin and Plague and the like. Most of them won't be covered here (instead they are covered on their respective race pages). However, certain racial lores are shared by multiple races (notable example being High Magic), which will be described here.

All spells are divided into following types:
* Magic Missile - basically, shooting attacks, with all shooting restrictions (need line of sight, no firing into melee, no firing in combat, etc), which hit automatically and distribute hits as per shooting.
* Direct Damage - has no such limitations, but generally has shorter range. Direct damage spells usually target ''models'' as opposed to ''units'' and make great character killers. Template damage spells are also in this category.
* Hexes and Augments are basically non-damaging spells that either help or hinder their targets (buffs and debuffs or boons and conditions, if you are into vidya). They ''can'' deal damage, but it is mostly conditional.
* Magical Vortices - round templates, that move across the battlefield in certain direction, RAPING up things they touch. Are among the costliest and the most powerful spells in the game.

All damage dealt by spells counts as magical (yeah, some people had doubts about it). Armour saves ''can'' be taken against spell damage, unless stated otherwise. Magic Resistance (X) improves unit's Ward Save by X when saving against spell ''damage'' (even if just one model has it, whole unit has it; it only works against ''damage'' and instant death, like any other save - it has no effect on hexes/augments; it only works against spells, and spells alone - it is useless against regular magic attacks; if the model has no ward save, it creates one).

Lastly, each regular wizard generates a number of spells, equal to his level (1-4) from his selected lore. He can swap any spell for the "signature spell" (the first spell after attribute in every lore). Loremaster just knows all spells from his selected lore. No two wizards may have the same spell in a single army, unless it is a signature spell or it is just ''granted'' to the wizard (due to a special rule or Loremaster rule).

Magic plays a big role in the [[Storm of Magic]] expansion, where you can wield even bigger and deadlier magics. More on the subject can be found on that page.

With the third books of [[The End Times]] out, magic has undergone a notable revamp, with what are presumably new rules (such as all wizards knowing all the spells for their lore instead of randomly generating) and the addition of [[End Times Spells]].

[[Age of Sigmar]] backed off from the eight Lores of Magic, instead granting most factions their own unique spell lores. The Malign Sorcery expansion reintroduced the classic lores; however, they are only accessible if you're playing a game within their corresponding Mortal Realm. This is justified in the fluff as the Arcanum Optimar allowing wizards to easily draw upon the dominant wind of their Mortal Realm, however, every realm still has every wind of magic inside besides the one its named after, its just that the main wind of each realm will be stronger than the others, so for example if a bright wizard was to cast a fireball spell in Ulgu it would be a normal spell, but if he were to cast it in Aqshy, the realm of fire, the wizard could create a fireball as big as a city, this comes with dire consequences, as the wizard is closer to his dominant wind he becomes closer to, in the best case scenario, blow himself with magic, and in the worst case, unleash an endless spell as he dies.

==Endless Spells==
A new addition for [[Age of Sigmar]]'s second edition. Nagash's plans in Malign Portents have fundamentally altered the nature of magic. Normally most spells dissipate on their own after a time, but now a small handful of spells take a life of their own, roaming the realms and growing increasingly powerful. These spells have their own models and remain on the board to cause whatever effects are associated with them unless dispelled successfully by a Wizard.

Endless spells are moved at the start of each battle round after determining who gets the first turn, with players taking it in turns to pick a spell to move, starting with the player that has the second turn that round. The catch? Endless spells can be moved by ''either'' player regardless of who cast them, which means a damaging (or "predatory") endless spell can easily be turned against its caster.

===The Curse of Tzeentch & Others ===

Unlike [[isekai|other fantasy settings]] where robe wearing madmen breaking the laws of nature is seen as [[fail|a totally normal thing]] in warhammer you as a magic user always have a chance to pay the price for your [[heresy|blasphemy against nature]]. All magic is tainted by chaos so by flowing said unholy energies into yourself you are risking not only your life but [[grimdark|your souls eternal damnation]].

The Curse of [[Tzeentch]], is how this risk manifests in game from the practice of arcane magic. The more magical energy a wizard channels to cast a spell, the more likely it is that something unexpected will happen. Tzeentch's Curse takes effect when you roll a critical success or critical failure as part of the spellcasting. Tzeentch's Curse takes effect when you roll doubles, triples, or quadruples on your Casting Roll. [[derp|The more d10s you roll, the more deadly Tzeentch's Curse becomes]].

Divine casters are "protected" from this curse by their faith in their god but also face their own equivalent to it known as divine wrath these events can be seen by believers as punishments for lapses of faith. The overuse of said powers can corrupt just like arcane magic as the energies used do not differ from those used by [[wizard|heretical witches]].

[[Dwarfs_(WFB)|Dwarf]] runesmiths do not channel magic through their body evading the curse by redirecting it into an object though just like a mortal can break when affected by magic low quality items can be destroyed by an overly greedy runesmith. On the other hand [[Chaos_Dwarfs|chaos dwarves]] ignore said rules against taking [[chaos|magic]] into themselves and slowly go insane before turning into stone.

==Classic Lores==
===White: Wind of Hysh, Lore of Light===
Kinda egyptian/semitic in flavour, with Light Wizards often wielding snake-headed staves and wearing pharaoh-like headdresses. In fluff this lore is also associated with geomancy for some reason, but this isn't reflected in any of the spells. Once was a signature lore of the "good guys", but now Tomb Kings, Dark Elves, Vampires (with certain gimmick) and Wood Elves (whoever calls them "good guys" gets a tainted arrow in the gut) can use it.
A great support lore, best used to augment slow (whether in I, WS or M department) units or annihilate "tainted" creatures.
It is worth noting, that most augments in this lore can be boosted to affect all allied units in certain radius, so Light mages often stand in the middle of their forces, like shining paragons.
Take this lore if you run a lot of slow heavy infantry or play against Undead/Daemons.

Available to: Empire, Vampires with Forbidden Lore, Tomb Kings, Lizardmen (Slann only), all Elves, Bretonnia (Fay Enchantress only).

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Exorcism:''' The cleansing power of the Light is especially damaging against Daemons and Undead. ([[Tomb Kings]], [[Vampire Counts]], [[Chaos|Daemons of Chaos]], and select things from [[Beastmen]] and [[Warriors of Chaos]]), causing damaging spells to deal 1d6 more damage to them. Take it if you are playing against those aberrations and troll away.
*'''Shem’s Burning Gaze:''' A holy fireball which can pumped with more casting dice to have a very far range and deal more damage. Not bad especially, for a signature spell. Against Undead or Daemons it's a fast moving middle finger that'll crush what it hits most likely. Has flaming attacks, so is kinda cool against Tomb Kings.
*'''Pha’s Protection:''' Summons the image of some kind of diving thing to protect the wizard and the people around it. You are less likely to get hit in fight and even by cannons, and you can spread that in a lovely 12 inch bubble of cannon freedom. This would be really great for [[Warriors of Chaos|Warriors of Chaos Knights]], but that's the drawback to eating babies and raping flowers I guess.
*'''The Speed of Light:''' You know these Ogres/Saurus which have really nice stats but a shortcoming in WS and I? You know High Elves hitting you on a re-roll 3? If you said yes, you will LOVE this spell. MAX WS and I for one Unit or everything in 12 inches, turning a re-roll 3 into a not re-roll 5, easy one of the best buffs in Warhammer magic. Just hope those pointy-eared bastards didn't take it too.
*'''Light of Battle:''' [[Tau|Ethereal-style]] happy thoughts straight from the Warp and gold colored. Making one unit Unbreakable is not always what you want, but most times what you need. Also it makes the target instantly rally if it's fleeing. Basically a butt-saving spell for dire circumstances.
*'''Net of Amyntok:''' Summon a giant sparkly magic net woven by a god. Makes the enemy unit test for S when moving, shooting, casting, going to the toilet, everything except close combat. Failing the test, the unit can't do that AND takes some damage. Neat. Cast this on a unit with [[High Elves|Teclis]] and see how well he can cast with his S2 (bear in mind that the ''unit'' makes the test, not the ''model'', so it'll probably be at S3- but still good odds). Or cast on a Necromancer and laugh as his casting attempts incinerate him with Exorcism.
*'''Banishment:''' Shem's Burning Gaze, but cranked up to the max. It's a magic missile that deals 2d6 S4 hits with an additional 1S for each spellcaster with Lore of Light nearby (yours or your enemy's). In addition, the target must re-roll ward saves it passes so you are looking at the ultimate daemon killer, which its name of course implies.
*'''Birona’s Timewarp:''' The top spell in Light, makes the laws of time stop applying for a short amount of time (it's magic, that isn't supposed to make sense). Makes your Unit or for increased casting value everything in the 12 inch bubble move Matrix-style. The units double in speed, get ASF and one more attack so cast this whenever you feel like it, and whenever you can muster the power dice. Cast this on Saurus Warriors and [[RAPE|have a little skirmish with those elves]].

===Gold: Wind of Chamon, Michael Jackson's favorite lore, Lore of Metal (and Alchemy)===
Yep, alchemy; turning whatnot into gold and stuff, a shame it can't buy you additional points with said gold but never mind. Mainly deals with high-armour target and is pretty much a lore to murder enemy elite units. Take it against Warriors of Chaos, Empire, Lizardmen and Dwarfs.

Available to: Empire, Chaos Warriors (unmarked or Tzeentch) and Daemons (Tzeentch only), Vampires with Forbidden Lore, Lizardmen (Slann only), all Elves, Bretonnia (Fay Enchantress only), Grand Cathay (Alchemist units only), Legion of Azgorh.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Metalshifting:''' All (read: both. There's only two) of your damaging spells are flaming attacks and have no strength - instead they wound the enemy on his armour save roll, with no armour saves allowed. Virtually useless against armourless enemies. And yes, Scaly Skin counts as armor for all purposes. Logic? Bleh.
*'''Searing Doom:''' Shoot little white-hot slivers of metal out of your hands. Standard 24 inch range magic missile causing d6 hits, but does 2d6 if you bump up the casting level. This is the reason why solo Lords carry around a Dragonbane Gem. This spell alone will decimate heavily armored units.
*'''Plague of Rust:''' Better than fielding a [[Rust Monster]], disintegrates the enemy's armor reducing a specific model's armor save FOR THE REST OF THE GAME by one point. You can CONTINUE CASTING THIS ON THE SAME MODEL to further reduce their armor. Even when said model is in combat! Because there's nothing funnier than a naked [[Archaon]] running from a unit of [[Skaven|Skaven Clanrats]] for dear life (Skaven can't take the Lore, so how would this happen? Warlord with wizard hat (he's fun, try it!)). Keep in mind, it makes target more resistant to your own spellcasting (it does not, as Metalshifting explicitly uses the target's unmodified armor save).
*'''Enchanted Blades of Aiban:''' Wizard magically sharpens the weapons of everyone around him. Target unit gets +1 bonus to hitting with shooting or melee attacks for a turn. Makes them magical AND Armor Piercing. Pretty nice spell when you're running big units, or your favorite unit is meeting its equal on the battlefield.
*'''Glittering Robe:''' Caster makes everyone who's his friend some really gaudy magic cloaks of pure metal. Gives a unit, or all friendlies in a 12 inch bubble if boosted, a serious hard scale armor (Scaly Skin (5+)). Largely useless if you play [[Lizardmen]] of course since that's like putting alligator skin clothing on an alligator (it's only an improvement for units with a regular Scaly Skin 6+), but +2 to your armor save is fantastic for literally anything else.
*'''Gehenna’s Golden Hounds:''' Caster whips a gold whistle out of nowhere and two giant robot dogs appear and kill the fuck out of whatever the caster points at. Spell deals d6 hits to the chosen model, but it gets a Look Out Sir! roll. Basically, it is inferior to Searing Doom, unless the target receives no LOS (e.g. a mounted Chaos Lord in a unit of Chaos Warriors or a Hydra). Against regular characters in units, signature is better.
*'''Transmutation of Lead:''' Makes the enemy's weapons and armor much heavier for a short time. 24 inch range hex, target model has a -1 to WS, BS, and armor save for a turn. Powered up version has a 48 inch range. Lets you cripple an enemy by a bit. Unlike Plague of Rust it's a one-turn effect, but also unlike Plague of Rust this spell makes them hit weaker too. Good for a dangerous model already in close combat or firing at your troops. Good deal to make elite things mediocre and normal things weak.
*'''Final Transmutation:''' Here you have it, transforming things into gold and living things on top of that. Choose a unit within 18 inches. Roll a d6 for each model in it, for things with 1 wound on a 5+ it instantly dies. More than one wound only a 6 will kill it. Turning 1/3 of an enemy unit into gold without any kind of save is not bad, and you can even kill enemy heroes with luck. Oh, and the next round every enemy unit within 12 inches of the one that was hit has to test for stupidity on the next turn to avoid running for that unit to carry some of their dead friends away to pawn. It is the most unconditional of all the kill spells, not relying on a characteristic test or anything and disallowing any saves at all. Granted not the BEST of the final spells in the lore choices, but there's just something really fun about using it. If you're really an asshole you can buy some models that you know the opponent has, dip them straight into the gold paint well, and bring them along to put on the field as casualties (unless it's a [[Dwarf]] player at which point they'll probably already have said models).

===Jade: Wind of Ghyran, Lore of Life===
The first druid lore. It is a sort of D&D druid, tree-hugging hippie gardener, who calls upon the power of daisies to smite the baddies.
This is the most commonly used Lore by lord level mages, and probably most common lore at all. Ideally, you need 4 level or Loremaster at best because you need the third spell, the Throne to really rock with this Lore and of course other spells so that they can grow stronger. This Lore will make your units tough as hell, is easy to cast and is indeed eco-friendly. Incredible defensive lore, but mighty boring.

Available to: Empire, Lizardmen (Slann only), all Elves, Bretonnia.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Lifebloom:''' Whenever a spell from this lore is successfully cast, a single model within 12 inches of the wizard may regain 1 wound (doesn't raise dead though). Incredibly awesome attribute, often making it worthy to take/keep/cast a useless spell just for some healing. It is often useful to have a level 1 Life wizard stuck in some tarpit, spamming Earth Blood just to heal nearby Dragon/Lord/Monstrous Infantry.
*'''Earth Blood:''' 5+ regeneration (4+ if Throne is in play) for the mage's unit makes it kinda weak, but is sometimes useful on Slann (a regenerating horde of Temple Guard is something that will not die under nearly any circumstances), Damsel or Branchwraith. In any case, it is a nice cheap spell to spam for the attribute.
*'''Awakening of the Wood:''' Make trees grow so fast they punch the enemy in the dick. It's crap as long as it's not buffed by Throne AND the enemy is hiding in the woods. Still, it's even cheaper than signature and can be used to spam attribute heal.
*'''Flesh to Stone:''' Classic "Stone Skin" spell, grants a unit a big bonus to toughness. Cast this on elves so that they are hard as Stone, cast this buffed up on heavy cavalry to make them as hard as a diamond in an ice storm, get an ally cast this on a Necrosphynx to... oh my god...
*'''Throne of Vines:''' One spell to buff them all, one spell to ... oh wait wrong universe but hey, this spell gives the whole Lore its meaning by seriously buffing most of the other Life spells (except Dwellers). Oh and you get a special 2+ save negate any miscast effects. Less explosions so less fun but probably safer for your 500+ point Slann or the likes. Incredible spell.
*'''Shield of Thorns:''' Looks really bad in this incredible lore, but not so bad on its own. Target unit deals some S3 hits to enemies in base contact. Still, has its uses, easy to cast and can be taken on your level 1 healer if his unit has no use for Regen.
*'''Regrowth:''' While your attribute can only heal, not resurrect, this spell does right that. Target ''unit'' regains wounds, reviving dead models. Do not forget to wear your biggest trollface when you unleash a buffed version on your nearly-dead elite unit.
*'''The Dwellers Below:''' Here is your one-spell-solves-all-problems-spell. Cast it on a unit and see everything taking strength test, and when they fail they are dead without any save, because little Dwarves crawl out of a hole in the ground and take them with them. Yes those badass mages, and those funny Commanders (which get +3S while attacking) are all for naught and their unit with them. Easily one of the most devastating spells.

===Celestial: Wind of Azyr, Lore of the Heavens===
A mixed bag lore, it contains some pretty good buffs/debuffs, some nice damage and good utility, but excels at nothing. A good lore, but often outshone by other lores. Can be good if you want a monster/lone character-hunting mage, but don't want to go Death.

Available to: Empire, Ogres, Vampires with Forbidden Lore, Lizardmen, all Elves, Bretonnia, Grand Cathay (Astromancer units only, at least for now). (Aaaand Warriors of Chaos through Sayl the Faithless(forgeworld mage) worth a mention too)

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Roiling Skies:''' Spells targeting enemy flying units deal bonus damage to them, not super-useful, but not bad, especially with the rumors of new flier rules in the next edition and most races getting some sort of fliers.
*'''Iceshard Blizzard:''' Blinding your enemies with snowflakes, making him fail more often (includes a 50/50 chance of a targeted cannon not firing), because he can't see. Oh and he can't see his pals so his LD is taking a little dump. Not the most devastating spell, but for a cheap price and a signature spell really working well.
*'''Harmonic Convergence:''' You know how you have these super-awesome-heavy-cavalry-rapetrain-unit? You attack and only roll 1s and you need only 2s? That is no problem. This spell let you re roll every 1 your unit rolls for a turn, so give it to your elite units and don't fear the ones.
*'''Wind Blast:''' A magic missile which pushes enemy units around. Ultimate when you have a Mage on flying mount to mess up the enemy movement phase, but worth it every time, though not terribly competitive. Use against Goblin Fanatics, commence trollface.
*'''Curse of the Midnight Wind:''' You read the Harmonic convergence? This is the other way around. The enemy unit has to re-roll all 6s it rolls, so no poison or killing blow, or even wounding your monster with T6 while having S4. Everything is fine with this and it comes with a bubble version.
*'''Urannon’s Thunderbolt:''' Calls down a bolt of lightning dealing a few high-strength hits. Use it on enemy monsters, lone characters or very small, very elite units (e.g. Blood Knights).
*'''Comet of Casandora:''' Perhaps the most damaging spell out there, it calls a comet at target spot, dealing somewhat random damage in somewhat random radius after somewhat random number of turns. Very unreliable and easy to dodge, but with right planning it can be utterly devastating. Useful for area denial- you see your opponent's battle line marching toward you? Drop this in their path and force your opponent to make a tough decision. Also, one of the few means to deal S10 damage in the game. Can be boosted to obscene levels.
*'''Chain Lightning:''' THIS is how you play Palpatine or Thor or any other kind of crazy thunderbolt thrower, potentially shooting a thunderbolt at every freaking enemy unit on the field. Perhaps you should say something like "come to the dark side or perish" while you do this, even if you play high elves. Basically, it is Thunderbolt which makes you roll a d6 after it hits - on 3+ it hits another unit, rinse-repeat until you roll less than 3 or run out of units to hit (can only hit a unit once per casting). Due to a low number of hits and high cost, it is not as powerful as it may seem, but still awesome. Wipe whole armies' worth of MSU in a few casts, it can.

===Grey: Wind of Ulgu, Lore of Shadows===
Shadow Magic is a great support lore, rivaling even Life. Where life is defensive and reactive, Shadow is versatile and proactive, afflicting an enemy with a variety of hexes and debuffs, softening an enemy up and making him weaker all round.
Damage spells are just a little bonus and aren't why you are taking this lore, but they are powerful in their own right. They are basically templates with Initiative tests, making them extremely powerful against slow units (wiping out hordes of ghouls or entire units of temple guard) and they scale really well with signature spell.

Available to: Empire, Beastmen, Chaos Warriors (unmarked or Slaanesh) and Daemons (Slaanesh only), Vampires, Lizardmen (Slann only), all Elves, Bretonnia (Fay Enchantress only).

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Smoke and Mirrors:''' When a Shadow spell is successfully cast, the wizard may swap places with another friendly character (of same unit type) in range. Useless most of the time, but can be useful to escape close combat, while bringing a melee powerhouse into the fray. Especially fun when your level 2 Chaos Sorcerer teleports away so a beatstick Chaos Lord can take over...
*'''Melkoth’s Mystifying Miasma:''' Signature Spells are bound to be good most of the times and this one truly is. It reduces one or all (if boosted) of the following: M,WS,BS,I of a enemy unit for d3. Incredibly useful and versatile. Even better when used in conjunction with the damage spells in this Lore. It is often worth it to take a level 1-2 Shadow wizard just for the sake of spamming this spell.
*'''Steed of Shadows:''' Casting your own shadow Horse, you'll probably feel like the Ghostrider or something. Sadly its not as useful as it was in previous editions.
*'''The Enfeebling Foe:''' Making your enemy weak. Really, really weak, with a bit of luck. This spell is so nice to reduce the danger to your units and it even stays in the game, so your enemy has to waste power dice dispelling this or decide to never make a kill with this unit.
*'''The Withering:''' Other way around, making your enemy not weak but less tough until even a gnoblar can club him down. Like his counterpart staying in the game so your enemy will have to dispel this and don't have the dice to do the same to you in his magic phase. A must-have spell for S3 units, ESPECIALLY archers with S3 bows, ESPECIALLY Wood Elf archery lists.
*'''The Penumbral Pendulum:''' Swinging a big, albeit almost invisible, pendulum into the enemy lines. First damaging spell, it hits all models in a line. Line is of random length, so consider exploiting lore attribute to quickly get in range, fire it off and blink away. BTW, it is a use for the Steed of Shadows!
*'''Pit of Shades:''' Second damaging spells. Small (or large, boosted) template of DOOM!. It scatters and stuff, but against hordes of Saurus or Undead it is just brilliant. Ogres and other low I, high cost units will cry.
*'''Okkam’s Mindrazor:''' The greatest buff (if not the greatest spell) in the game. Basically, target unit uses LD for wounding instead of Strength. See even Dragons and Chaos Knights falling like flies before you. Does not stack with S bonus so no great weapons, but hey, if you are in general's bubble, you likely have Ld 9-10 anyway! Tip: cast it on swarms. Their S2 becomes S10!!!

===Amethyst: Wind of Shyish, Lore of Death===
Focuses mainly on single character or monster slaying, although it has some nice support spells.

Available to: Empire, Beastmen, Ogres, Chaos Warriors (unmarked and Nurgle) and Daemons (Nurgle only), Vampires, Tomb Kings, Lizardmen (Slann only), all Elves, Bretonnia (Fay Enchantress only), Legion of Azgorh.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Life Leeching:''' Basically, you get power from killing. For every wound caused by your spells, you have 33% chance to gain a power dice. Meaning you have to roll a 5+ for each unsaved wound caused by a single spell in order to get said power die.
*'''Spirit Leech:''' Both caster and target roll a D6 and add their unmodified leadership values. For every point the caster wins by the target loses a wound, with no armor saves allowed. Generally not the most reliable character-sniping spell, but great against monsters and warmachines. Bye bye Stegadon.
*'''Aspect of the Dreadknight:''' Grants the target Fear, or Terror (when boosted). Incredibly cheap and can be used to make a unit ignore enemy's Fear/Terror.
*'''The Caress of Laniph:''' Summoning a ghost gurl that wants to know the enemy target a bit better (winkwink), and while she's at it she steals his life force ... So pretty much just like any other woman. Target suffers a number of hits equal to 2D6 minus his own strength. Hits from this spell cause a wound on a 4+ with no armor saves.
*'''Soulblight:''' Your mage slaps the shit out of the soul of the enemy making him less strong and tough. When boosted, it works in a freaking 24 inch bubble so it can hit the whole enemy army, making even Chaos Knights into mere humans (at least on S and T). Very good, but often loses to more specialized Shadow hexes. Still, not a bad substitute to Withering when dealing with high-toughness foes. This effect lasts until the caster's next magic phase.
*'''Doom and Darkness:''' Cast this on the enemy general to take the LD bubble away. Specifically to give said enemy a -3 on their Leadership. Make sure to cast on enemy with Okkam's Mindrazor and have them flip a table. Combine with Spirit Leech by rolling dice with one hand and holding out the FAQ with the other as a shield for incoming fury.
*'''The Fate of Bjuna:''' The last sniping spell and it's the strongest as the target suffers hits equal to 2D6 minus it's Toughness. The bastard is gonna laugh until he explodes (and if it miscasts the casting player may laugh until ''he'' explodes...) If target survives they get teh stupid for the rest of the game. <s>Cegorach's</s> Loec's favourite spell, I bet.
*'''The Purple Sun of Xereus:''' Also known as the Purple Sun of [[Anal Circumference|Prepare your Anus]], the Purple Sun of Xereus is a big purple ball of [[RAGE|FUCK YOU]] that floats around on the battlefield semi-randomly, and anything that touches it takes an Initiative Test or DIES. Period. Just like that. Very difficult to cast, but when you pull it off correctly it can murder entire armies of [[Lizardmen]], [[Dwarfs]] or [[Orcs]]; this spell will make Ogre players (what few there are) consider quitting the game. Cast with your last dice and laugh maniacally as it refills your dice pool with lore attribute! If you're a girly elf player, take 2 units of warlocks, take Khaine magic rules, take vanguard, take as many power dice as you can muster, take double purple sun down the enemy's line from both ends in turn one, take shrugging off pesky miscasts, take your opponents tears and DRINK DEEP (then take the extra power dice you generate and try it again for lolz).

===Bright: Wind of Aqshy, Lore of Fire===
You know these D&D mages always throwing fireballs at everything? You wanna be one of them? This is your chance. A pure damage lore inflicting tons of firey hits on pretty much anything.

Available to: Empire, Chaos Warriors (unmarked only), Vampires with Forbidden Lore, Lizardmen (Slann only), all Elves, Ogres, Bretonnia (Fay Enchantress only), Legion of Azgorh.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Kindleflame:''' All of the Lore's spells are considering "flaming" (no shit, right?). Each subsequent damaging Fire spell cast <s>sets your Amazon Kindle on fire</s> at the same unit in the same phase is easier to cast. Not great, but if you plan on destroying a big fat horde per turn - can be nice.
*'''Fireball:''' Your one-for-all damage spell goes from "easy to cast and not so hard to hit" to "hard as hell to cast and roasting a mammut ... herd". You '''always''' want this spell, because you can use it against nearly everything. From flaming a little flanking unit or flaming away this regeneration from this Hydra to turning entire Swordmaster units to ash or softening up this big big horde of core units. When you want Fire magic you want it because of this spell. Also, keep a level 1 Fire wizard. If your Wizard Lord somehow dies, pump all your useless dice into super-fireball each turn.
*'''Cascading Fire-Cloak:''' A defensive spell only working on the mage and his unit. Not really worth it, since you don't want your mage in combat, except perhaps for Firebelly or Dragon Mage.
*'''Flaming Sword of Rhuin:''' The second best spell in this Lore, because it helps your little, weak elves/humans/anything to wound better and by the way ignore the regeneration of the enemy, especially good for all elves, but generally not a bad spell. One of the few spell to help archers overcome their S3 bow weakness.
*'''The Burning Head:''' Your Mage throws a burning and screaming head on the enemy. Mediocre damage in line and causes Panic... which is kinda weak in the current edition.
*'''Piercing Bolts of Burning:''' Fancy fireball, with number of hits scaling off target unit's ranks. Basically a spell to annihilate Goblins, Skeletons, Skavenslaves and Zombies.
*'''Fulminating Flame Cage:''' So now you imprison your enemy in flames and if he moves, he is toast. Again against really big units it's great, against heavy cavalry its lame. But it's always funny to see a light flanking unit destroy itself in the charge because of this spell, or at least to stop them from flanking, so that you can win against the enemy in front. Note, this is a hex, so doesn't work with lore attribute. If you're a mega-douche, cast it on a unit in combat and then issue a challenge. Oh, you accept do you sir, good show! Now come closer, move into base contact with me.. that's right.... BAM, whole unit counts as moving! (yeah it's weird but check the FAQ). Take those hits baby! Take 'em. Oh... wise to it now are we? Refuse the challenge then... go on... move to the back. BAM!
*'''Flame Storm:''' Yeah big plates to throw, but only S4 and not really with sniper precision, so no thanks. Still, the name is cool.

===Amber: Wind of Ghur, Lore of Beasts===
The second druid lore. This is a kind of druid/shaman with sacrificial knife, covered in pelts, horns and skulls of sacrificial victims.
The Lore for everyone who wants to buff his units, especially the heroes. The Lore Attribute will mostly affect you if you play Beastmen or Bretonnia, but even then it's not so much of an effect.

Available to: Empire, Beastmen, Ogres, Vampires with Forbidden Lore, Lizardmen, all Elves, Bretonnia.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Wildheart:''' Basically, your spells are easier to cast at cavalry, warbeasts or Beastmen. Can be nice if you are playing Beastmen (duh), Bretonnia or run a cavalry High or Wood Elf list. But still sub-par.
*'''Wyssan's Wildform:''' The signature spell and WHAT a spell this is! It will make your measly humans go and win against other units and it will make your Bestigors or Minotaurs go rapetrain against nearly everything for one round. Another spell it is worth taking level 1 wizards for.
*'''The Flock of Doom:''' Yeah ''doom'' sounds nice, but it's only doom if your enemy is afraid of birds. It is like a new episode of hitchcocks "the birds" with a few crows pecking on the enemy unit, good enough to make this stupid harpies go away but there are better options. Useless spell. ''It's one of the cheapest spells in the game, and has a decent range (and range is boostable). Sure, S2 is terrible... but 6s always wound. Can be cast on one die (don't forget the Wildheart bonus when applicable) to deal with annoying chaff units. With some lucky 6s, you could even destroy a cannon. That said, you're still probably better off dropping this for Wildform.
''
*'''Pann's Impenetrable Pelt:''' Make one or more heroes harder to wound, it won't save your unit, because the enemy can hit something else most times, but if your hero is currently challenging a dragon or so this spell will make his chance to survive go over the 0%.
*'''The Amber Spear:''' Magic, auto-hitting bolt thrower with pretty good damage. Can be boosted to start with S10 doing D6 wounds. Awesome? Yes. Use in any situation you would normally use a bolt thrower (monsters, elite units, etc).
*'''The Curse of Anraheir:''' Making your enemy stumble over roots and die, is one funny thing to do, especially against these tree-loving wood elves (except that they have Forest Strider so they don't take Dangerous Tests from forests...). Also it makes your people harder to hit, what more do you want? Awesome spell.
*'''The Savage Beast of Horrors:''' Yeah now we're talking. Giving one or more heroes way more strength and attacks and he will rip entire units in two. Really if you have a lot of cheap heroes and can make this spell hit them all at once its good-bye for your enemy. Especially awesome with the new end times rules: build an army out of characters, have one person cast panns impenetrable pelt and the Savage Beast (And stack wildform if it is a unit) and you will just win. Everything. 100% of the time. ++ for casting on the Incarnate host.
*'''Transformation of Kadon:''' What was that about more strength and attacks? Forget it, this will turn your mage into a fricking MONSTER, what do you want? A Hydra? A Dragon? A Chimaera? Everything is possible. Ok it prevents your mage from casting (and also temporarily negates any gear carried- so byebye Talisman of Preservation!), but you will only ever cast this in cc so who cares? Just remember - it can be dispelled, possibly leaving your mage in close combat, and all wounds are carried over - two wounds may not seem a lot for Chimaera, but will kill a hero-level mage. Oh and it can be boosted, in case you want a statline that informs a star dragon it can fuck off and die.

==Uncommon Lores of Magic==

===Qhaysh: all eight winds woven together, Lore of High Magic===

Previously a High Elf-only lore, it is now available to Wood Elves and Lizardmen also. It is a nice, balanced lore, with enough support, defense and damage spells.
Notably, it has separate attributes for each race and it has two signature spells (you can choose either or both).

* ''High Elf Lore Attribute:'' '''Shield of Saphery:''' Successful High Magic spell casts grant the wizards and his unit +1 to ward save (caps at 3+). Stacking. Stick a mage into a phoenix guard unit and they will never die.
* ''Wood Elf Lore Attribute:'' '''Ancients' Protection:''' Successful High Magic spell casts grant the wizard's units a protection token. When an unsaved wound is taken by the unit (or wizard), discard the token to prevent that wound. It's like proactive Life attribute!
* ''Lizardmen Lore Attribute:'' '''Contemplation:''' Successful High Magic spell casts allow the wizard to forget the spell he just cast and roll for a new spell from any allowed lore (including High Magic; yeah, he can just pick a signature instead). Very interesting and versatile option. You can start with High Magic Loremaster and quickly learn all the cool signature spells you want!
*'''Drain Magic:''' The first signature spell. An interesting spell. It dispels all active spell effects from the target unit (friend or foe) and can be boosted into a bubble. Pretty nice against high-cost spells, which are hard to dispel conventionally or to clear away the mess that Shadow wizard dumped upon your elite unit.
*'''Soul Quench:''' The second signature spell. A most basic magic missile, 2d6 S4 hit, but can be boosted to 4d6 S4 hits, which should cause some concern for your target.
*'''Apotheosis:''' Now we're talking. Restores 1 wound to the target (d3 wounds if boosted) and is extremely cheap (even when boosted). Also grants the target Fear, but who cares about that?
*'''Hand of Glory:''' Basically, reversed Melkoth's Mistifying Miasma. Boosts WS/BS/M/I or all four by d3. Nice, cheap, etc.
*'''Walk Between Worlds:''' The target gains Ethereal and may immediately move 10 (20, boosted) inches. Not the worst spell ever, but overshadowed by almost everything here.
*'''Tempest:''' Large round template, S3 hit, S4 against fliers, scatters d6 inches. Also, the target gains -1 to hit with all attacks and template weapons need a 4+ roll. Not bad, though nothing special.
*'''Arcane Unforging:''' Wounds like Lore of Metal spells (roll on armor save), hits a single model, causing single wound. What is best, if it hits, one of target's magic items is randomly destroyed on a roll of 2+!!! Ghal'maraz, Banner of the World Dragon (if the initial hit gets through the ward save, that is), Armour of Destiny, any of Archaon's or Teclis's gimmicks - anything!
*'''Fiery Convocation:''' If you thinks you've seen horde-killing spells already, think agains. This beauty (or horror, depending on your perspective) causes a S4 flaming hit on ''every. single. fcking. model. in the target unit.'' And it will hit again at the end of ''every. single. fcking. magic phase'', until dispelled- and it has a pretty steep casting value, so your opponent's gonna be using a few dice. Cast it at the unit of Skavenslaves or Goblins and make sure that person will never ever play against you again.

===Dhar, the raw Wind of Magic, Lore of Dark Magic===
Technically, it is the same magic Vampires use in their lore, but different spells.
Despite the fact it has two hexes and even an augment, this lore has just one purpose - to blast the almighty freaking crap out of anything and everything.
Once it was only available to Dark Elves, but now Wood Elves learned it too. Like High Magic, it too has separate lore attributes and two signature spells.

* ''Dark Elf Lore Attribute:'' '''Spiteful Conjuration:''' Successful Dark Magic spellcasts cause 2d6 or 3d6 bonus S1 hits to the enemy target if the casting roll contained any doubles or triples. Not bad. More damage is always nice.
* ''Wood Elf Lore Attribute:'' '''Wrath of the Wood:''' Successful Dark Magic spellcasts put a vengeance token on the target. Damaging Dark Magic spells cast at the target consume these tokens to increase number of hits inflicted by d3. Not only does it simply boost damage, it also acts a sort of deterrent - the enemy may think twice before moving his precious elite unit with vengeance counter into your wizard's range.
*'''Power of Darkness:''' The first signature spell. Awesome name, awesome effect. First of all, it grants the mage and his unit +1S, which is just a fluffy bonus - what the hell is your mage doing in melee? (although it may be nice with Sisters of the Thorn and their javelins). Secondly, it generates d3 dice. If 3 dice are generated, the wizard takes a wound with no armor save. Now, on levels 1-3 it ain't easy to cast it with 1 dice (casting value 8), but on level 4 it is always worth a try. It is always nice to get more dice <s>and get your sorceress killed</s>. Always take it on level 4 wizard.
*'''Doombolt:''' The second signature spell. Every magic missile's big brother. It deal 2d6 or 4d6 S5 (!) hits and is capable of wiping entire units outs. Pure DOOM! Though it ain't cheap for a signature.
*'''Chillwind:''' A weak (S2), cheap magic missile. Nice part is - it gives the target -1 to BS. Cast it with your last dice at those Waywatchers or Maiden Guard and laugh.
*'''Word of Pain:''' By Sigmar's balls, oh the horror! First of all, this cheap monstrosity gives the target -d3 to ''both'' BS and WS for 1 turn. Secondly, it can be boosted (for a minimal increase) to give -3 to S and I! It basically turns absolutely any killing machine into a hamster for 1 turn. And now imagine dropping elite unit's WS to 1 and then slapping them with Bladewind...
*'''Bladewind:''' Every model in the target unit must make a WS test or take S4 AP hit. Don't bother casting it at elves - use it on gobbos, slaves or undead and watch them get ripped to bloody shreds by a storm of flying swords.
*'''Shroud of Despair:''' Target of this hex cannot benefit from general's or BSB's bubble, and any leadership check it fails causes a -1 penalty Ld for 1 turn. Not brilliant, but cast it on greenskins or beastmen and watch the fun! (And no, Skaven don't care for their general so much, they get their LD from their ranks. They love BSB though...)
*'''Soulstealer:''' A small plate of S2 hits with no armor saves. Seems useless? Wait for the nice part. For every unsaved wound inflicted, this spell grants the wizard a wound on a roll of 4+, up to a maximum of 10. Now you can spam Power of Darkness all you want. In melee, if you want. Against enemies with multiple wound weapons, if you want. Vampires wish they were so immortal.
*'''Arnzipal's Black Horror:''' To quote another member here "''Oh baby. This thing is crazy. Like warpstone-laced cocaine.''" It is basically the Purple Sun from Lore of Death, with all the gimmicks - remains in play, moves randomly, etc. Starts with small template, can be boosted to large. There is one major difference with the Purple Sun. PSoX tests I, which has most variable values among different units. ABH tests Str, which has low variance (though few units have S lower than 3). Generally, ABH is more reliable.

===Lore of Undeath===
Introduced with Nagash and now oficially FAQ'd into BRB.

Spells in this lore all have pretty short range (12 inches). Summoning spells summon units from [[Warhammer/Tactics/8th_Edition/Undead_Legions|Undead Legions]]. Note that summoned units can take any upgrades listed in their army books (apparently, including any magic banners, magic items, mounts, etc.), but are still limited by unit size (no summoning 3 Blood Knights, for instance). Under new undead rules, there's no more crumbling from dead general, so summoned undead are safe. However, they have to be within 12" of the general to march (unless they're vampiric).

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Raising the Dead:''' Basically, every time you successfully cast a spell from lore of Undeath, you get a counter. When casting summoning spells from this lore, you can choose to consume any number of counters to increase the point value of the summon by 10.
*'''Ryze - the Grave Call:''' Cast on 9+, this spell summons a unit of infantry worth up to 50 points. Boosted version summon has a 100 point limit and requires 12+ to cast. Even more boosted version summons monstrous infantry, has 150 points limit and requires 16+ to cast.
*'''Morkharn - the Breath of Darkness:''' Cast on 6+, restores 1d3+1 wounds to the target undead unit and if its not in combat, it can make a normal move. Pretty nice spell to both replenish forces and provide mobility.
*'''Sulekhim - the Hand of Dust:''' Coming back from the dead (hah!), this spell is cast on 7+ and affects only the casting wizard. While under its effect, he can forgo making all of his attacks, instead making a single attacks, which automatically wounds if it hits, causing multiple wounds (1d6) with no armor saves allowed. If this spell kills a character in a challenge, the player gains 1d6 Raise Dead counter. Take it on high-WS vampire lord and watch the fun! You can even one-shot a Chaos Lord, if you are lucky!
*'''Khizaar - the Soul Stealer:''' Cast on 8+, this spell makes you roll 2d6+2 and compare the number to target's leadership. For every point the roll exceed the Ld, the target takes 1 wound with no armor saves allowed - this is basically Casket of Souls in spell form. If at least one wound is caused, you gain 1d3 counters for the lore attribute. With low casting value, it easy way to ramp up some counters for summoning, though this is offset by its short range.
*'''Razkhar - the Abyssal Swarm:''' Cast on 10+, this spell summons 75 points worth of Warbeasts or Swarms. Boosted version summons Monstrous Beasts (only), has point limit of 150 and requires 16+ to cast.
*'''Kandorak - the Harbinger:''' Cast on 10+, this spell summons a character worth up to 65 points. Boosted version summons a single Monster, Chariot or Warmachine costing up to 200 points, requiring 24+ to cast.
*'''Akar'aran - the Dark Riders:''' Cast on 16+, this spell summons a unit of cavalry, monstrous cavalry or chariots, with a maximum cost of 150 points. Not boostable.

===Lore of Tzeentch===
The lore of the God of Hope. Followers of Tzeentch - both daemon and mortal - are able to harness spells from this lore, although each with different attributes. Despite Tzeentch's apparent inclination towards subtlety and planning, all but one spell from this lore is dedicated to devastating enemies with multicolor lightning bolts and brightly-hued firestorms.

There are a few things to note about spells from this lore. All the damaging spells (i.e. magic missile and direct damage) have the Warpflame special rule. This rule causes a toughness test to be made on the unit a spell has wounded - if the unit fails, they take d3 wounds with no armor save; if they pass, they get a Regeneration save of 6+ or +1 to their existing Regeneration save. Keep in mind however, that you take a characteristic on the highest value within the unit, so be mindful of where you are aiming your Tzeentchian fires. Also, you take the Warpflame test ''at the end of the phase'' and not for each spell cast.

Warpflame is also not flaming, so it won't negate the regeneration you're giving your target. This means that Tzeentchian damaging spells are generally best against smaller units that can be cleared out quickly or simply devastated past the point of usefulness rather than big blocks that can take some casualties and happily gain regeneration for everyone else on top of that.

* ''Warriors of Chaos Lore Attribute:'' '''Boon of Magic:''' When a spell is successfully cast, for each 6 rolled on the power dice, the wizard gets to add a power dice to his pool. Kinda useless considering if you roll multiple 6s, you are miscasting (and will probably lose more dice than you gain, not to mention the other effects...).
* ''Daemons of Chaos Lore Attribute:'' '''Fires of Change:''' Each wound caused by a spell from this lore has a chance to add models to a nearby unit of Pink Horrors (on a roll of 4+) or Screamers (on a roll of 6) near the caster, even going beyond their starting number. These extra models do not grant extra victory points.
*'''Blue Fire of Tzeentch:''' The Tzeentch signature spell. A 24" magic missile that deals d6 strength d6 hits. Can be upgraded to 48". Very random, so it could either be destructive or ineffective. It has a very low casting cost (even the upgraded version), so your Pink Horror units can feasibly get this off on one or two die. Good against low toughness chaff (e.g. Goblin Wolf Riders, Ellyrian Reavers, etc.).
*'''Treason of Tzeentch:''' This is a very potent hex that targets the enemy's leadership. This forces the hexed unit to use the lowest Leadership value and prevents the unit from using the General's Inspiring Presence or the BSB's Hold Your Ground! special rule. Could be used to great effect with Terror charges with all the monsters Chaos has access to. Still effective against Undead and Daemon armies, because of crumbling and Daemonic Instability respectively.
*'''Pink Fire of Tzeentch:''' A teardrop template that has d6 strength and goes a distance equal to a roll on the artillery dice. Arguably better on a highly mobile caster, such as a Lord of Change or a Sorcerer on a Disc, than a footslogger, because you really need a flank to maximize the damage on this spell.
*'''Bolt of Change:''' A direct damage spell that acts much like a bolt thrower, but imagine it shooting energy that causes spontaneous mutations on the enemy. Like a bolt thrower, it penetrates ranks, ignores armor, and does d3 multiple wounds. It however has a strength value of d6+4, so it is strictly more reliable than the other spells from this lore. This is a valued spell as it answers the question of highly armored units.

*'''Glean Magic:''' You and an enemy wizard roll off, adding your wizard levels to the result. If you lose, aside from being disappointed, nothing really happens. If you win (or draw) you get to punch the wizard with a strength 3 Warpflame hit, he loses a wizard level (along with a random spell that wizard knows), and your caster gets to steal that spell. Tactically speaking, target your opponent's lower level wizards to ensure you win the roll-off- especially if it's a token Fire mage, so you can steal a fire spell and negate the regeneration caused by Warpflame.
*'''Tzeentch Firestorm:''' Rain fabulous fire on your enemies. Uses the blast template and scatters d6". Could be upgraded to the larger template, in which case it scatters 2d6". Be very wary of casting this on large high toughness units. You really don't want to cast this more than once on the same unit, as you run the risk of giving them resilience in the form of 5+ or lower Regeneration saves.
*'''Infernal Gateway:''' The wizard opens a portal to the Realm of Chaos, exposing the target to the very face of magic itself. It is a direct damage spell that deals 2d6 strength 2d6 hits. If you roll an 11 or 12 on the strength, the hits become 3d6. This is a very powerful spell that ruins large units and utterly destroys small ones. It is also a very potent monster killer. Do not be discouraged by its variable nature as rolling average means that you're still doing 7 strength 7 hits. Keep in mind that it is a direct damage spell, so you only need your target to be not in combat. Aim at warmachines hiding behind units and watch those stone throwers and cannons melt.

===Lore of Slaanesh===
The lore of the God of Obsession and Excess. Daemons and Mortals who follow Slannesh are able to harness spells from this lore, although each with different attributes. The spells of Slannesh focus heavily on Hex spells and befitting a god of temptation a lot of the spells use the enemies leadership value when determining if it works or not.

* ''Warriors of Chaos Lore Attribute:'' '''Bliss in Torment:''' For every unsaved wound caused by a spell roll a D6, on a 6 the wizards WS, I and A are increased by 1 till your next magic phase. Not great as you won't be able to get him into close combat before your next magic phase unless you expect his unit to be attacked by an enemy unit next turn first. Where this really shines is on a Daemon Prince, especially if he can charge a unit and fire off the boosted Cacophonic Choir to hit multiple targets...
* ''Daemons of Chaos Lore Attribute:'' '''Born of Damnation:''' Each wound caused by a spell from this lore has a chance to add models to a nearby unit of Daemonettes (on a roll of 5+) or Fiends (on a roll of 6) near the caster, even going beyond their starting number. These extra models do not grant extra victory points.
*'''Lash of Slaanesh:''' The signature spell of Slaanesh. A 24" inch direct damage spell were a line from the wizard to a point 24" away is drawn and any model in between takes a strength 3 hit with armor piercing. Not the best as it is limited by the number of models it can hit and its low strength. Would be better if it could be upgraded to 48".
*'''Acquiescence:''' Hex with a range of 24". Can be upgraded to 48" Gives the unit the Always Strikes Last rule and Random Movement (D6) for a turn. Useful against high speed units like elves as it takes away their Always strikes first and units that are looking to set up a charge; also bear in mind that Random Movement will force a Move or Fire unit (such as a cannon, or a unit dwarf thunderers) to move, meaning they can't fire. Less useful against slow enemies with large weapons. Overall pretty good.
*'''Pavane of Slaanesh:''' Direct Damage with a range of 24". Can be upgraded to 48". Targets a single model that has to take a leadership test with 3D6 and if failed takes a would with no armor save. Decent sniping spell but since most characters have high leadership it will still be difficult to wound them. Good to target command models with.
*'''Hysterical Frenzy:''' A unique spell that is really two spells in one. You can use it as a Augment or a Hex spell depending on who you target. Both have a range of 24". As an Augment spell the unit gains the frenzy special rule that can't be lost if the unit is defeated (if the unit already has Frenzy, then the Frenzy gives +2A instead of +1). Cheap for a spell that grants an extra attack and Immune to Psychology but does come at a cost as the unit takes D6 strength 3 hits at the end of the casters magic phase. Not bad though but less useful for Daemons as they only get the extra attack. As a Hex spell it also grants the unit the Frenzy rule (including the +2A if they are already Frenzied) and does D6 strength 3 hits at the end of each magic phase. It would be a bad idea to give frenzy to those Black Orcs over there but as a hex spell it is more useful to target units that specialize in long range attacks like archers so they won't be able to shoot at you (assuming they fail their Ld test to restrain- and in the current edition, it's usually pretty easy to pass).
*'''Slicing Shards:''' A Magic Missile with a range of 24". Does D6 strength 4 hits with armor piercing. Right after however the unit must then take a leadership test and if failed the unit takes another D6 hits with the same rules and must continue this until a leadership test is passed or the unit is wiped-out. Not good against high leadership units like elves and dwarves but can destroy the lower leadership hordes of goblins and undead out there.
*'''Phantasmogoria:''' A hex with a range of 24". Can be upgraded to hit all enemies in 24". the target unit must use an additional D6 with ever leadership test and discard the lowest for a turn. Kind of like a reverse cold blooded and very useful if used in conjunction with one of the other spells that use leadership or if you got a big monster with terror.
*'''Cacophonic Choir:''' The caster seems to channel the noise marines as the caster unleashes a sonic scream for this one. A hex with a range of 12". Can be upgraded to hit all enemies in 12". Acts as an upgrade to Acquiescence as the target unit takes 2D6 hits that wound on a 4+ with no armor saves allowed and if just one wound is made the entire unit has the Always Strikes Last rule and Random Movement (D6) for a turn. Works better as a direct damage spell with the 50% chance to wound and no armor save (but remember as a hex it can be targeted at enemies in close combat) and if you want to slow the enemy Acquiescence works better. Works really good if you can get the caster in the middle of a bunch of enemies and have magic dice to burn.

===Lore of Nurgle===
The lore of the God of Despair it is fitting that most of the spell are about spreading the sickness around. Daemons and Mortals who follow Nurgle are able to harness spells from this lore, although each with different attributes. The spells of Nurgle focus heavily on Augment spells and most of his damaging spells focus on the enemies toughness.

* ''Warriors of Chaos Lore Attribute:'' '''Bloated with Disease:''' Every time a wizard successfully casts a spell it rolls a D6. If a 6 is rolled the wizard's toughness and wounds are permanently increased. Really useful if you can spam a low cost spell and especially useful with a Daemon Prince.
* ''Daemons of Chaos Lore Attribute:'' '''Children of Nurgle:''' Each wound caused by a spell from this lore has a chance to add models to a nearby unit of Plaguebearers (on a roll of 5+) or Nurglings (on a roll of 6) near the caster, even going beyond their starting number. These extra models do not grant extra victory points.
*'''Stream of Corruption:''' The signature spell of Nurgle. A direct damage spell that uses the teardrop template. Models under the template take a toughness test and if failed take a wound with no armor saves. The spell has potential but a lot is holding it back. It has very short range as the template must touch the wizard and doesn't move forward and once you get a wizard that close they are vulnerable and the wizard or unit should be getting into close combat. Another major problem is that high toughness is pretty common in many armies so it will be harder to wound with this spell and as a direct damage spell it can't target units held up in combat. This spell would be much more useful if the wizard could use it like a breath weapon in close combat.
*'''Miasma of Pestilence:''' An unusual spell in that it is an augment spell that acts like a Hex spell. Any enemy units in base contact with the augmented unit lower their WS and I by 1 for a turn. The upgraded version lowers WS and I by D3. Useful in that as an augment spell the enemy until does not need to take any characteristic tests to see if they are effected, they just need to be in base contact with one of your units.
*'''Blades of Putrefaction:''' Augment with a range of 12". For a turn the units attacks are poisoned and if they already have poisoned attacks they now auto wound on a 5+. Good spell for little pay. One of Nurgle's best. Ironically, is probably best used on a unit like daemonettes, which have a lot of attacks (and probably ASF for rerolls) but poor S.
*'''Curse of the Leper:''' Like Slaanesh's Hysterical Frenzy this spell can be used as either an Augment or a Hex. Range of 18", 36" when upgraded. As an Augment it increases the targets toughness by D3 for a turn. As a Hex it decreases the targets toughness by D3. If you are planning to use your Nurglite wizard offensively this spell is basically a must have.
*'''Rancid Visitations:''' Magic Missile with a range of 18". Target takes D6 strength 5 hits. And right after must take a toughness test and if failed takes another D6 strength 5 hits and so on until it passes or is killed. Really good against low toughness units but less against those with toughness 4 or above.
*'''Fleshy Abundance:''' Augment with a range of 18". Can target all units within 18" if upgraded. the unit gains regeneration 5+ for a turn. Really good for Warriors with their high armor saves and toughness but useless for Daemons unless they got a greater locus of Nurgle.
*'''Plague Wind:''' Like Stream of Corruption this spell has potential but is held back too much. Works like other vortex spells but when it passes over a model it must take a toughness test. Unlike the Purple sun or ABH the model just takes a single wound with no armor saves. So once again good against goblins and such but against Ogres and such not so much.

===Lore of Khorne===
There is just one spell in the lore of Khorne - whack that enemy with anything sharp or heavy. Very effective.

Also during a Storm of Magic if a caster screws up one of the super spells from one of the other Chaos Gods Khorne throws a brass skull onto the battle field aimed at the offending wizard. Not a real spell but the closest there is for him.

==Unique Lores of Magic==
While the main flavours of Warhammer magic comes as those above and you will most likely face an average wizard using one of them, many races have their own unique lores as well. A few spells are not given any lore. Lord Kroak's only spell is descrbied in detail in the Lizardmen army book, but is not given a specific flavour. If it had, it would probably be High Magic or some unknown Lore of Ancient Doom and Cheese.

===Lore of Da Big Waaagh===
Used exclusively by the orcs. Orc spells are loud, brutal and unsubtle (just like the caster) and get stronger the more orcs are stuck in da fightin'.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Power of Da Waaagh!:''' Any spells from Da Big Waaagh! with a Strength value (or granting a Strength bonus) gains +1 Strength if there are more friendly units in combat (anywhere on the table) than there are fleeing.
* '''Gaze of Mork:''' The signature spell. A Direct Damage spell that draws a line 4D6” (8D6” when boosted) from the caster’s base. Any models touched by the line suffer a Strength 4 hit.
* '''Brain Bursta:''' A Strength 5 hit on a single model within range. A basic character-sniping spell.
* '''Fists of Gork:''' Gives the Shaman +3 Strength and +3 Attacks, and a 6+ ward save. Remains in Play.
* '''The Hand of Gork:''' Moves the target unengaged friendly unit up to 3D6" (5D6" when boosted), though cannot be used to charge.
* ''''Eadbutt:''' Targeting an enemy wizard within 4D6" (8D6" when boosted), inflicts a Strength 4 hit doing D3 wounds and ignoring armour saves. The second sniping spell, though more restricted since it can only target wizards.
* ''''Ere We Go!:''' An augment spell that affects all Orc units within 2D6", and grants rerolls to hit in close combat for one full turn.
* '''Foot of Gork:''' Uses a unique foot-shaped template, and scatters D6". Models touched by the template suffer a Strength 6 hit, doing D3 wounds. If boosted, Foot can stomp multiple times. Rolling a D6, on a 1 the opponent can choose one of your units to be hit, on a 2-3 the spell ends and on a 4+ an enemy unit is hit.

===Lore of Da Little Waaagh===
Used exclusively by the goblins. Goblin spells are much sneakier and spiteful, focusing on bringing the enemy down to the goblins' level for a good backstab.

*''Lore Attribute:'' '''Sneaky Stealin'''': Upon successfully casting a spell of da Little Waaagh and resolvin it, roll a 1d6. On a 5 or 6, you steal a dispel die from the opponent and put into your possession.
*'''Sneaky Stabbin'''': The signature spell. It gives Armor Piercing to one unit's close combat attacks until the next Magic Phase. This unit also re-rolls all to-hit and to-wound rolls when in close combat against an enemy unit's flank or rear.
*'''Vindictive Glare''': Blast the enemy with 2d6 S3 attacks from your shaman's eyes. Can be boosted to make 3d6 hits, but this makes the spell harder to cast.
*'''Gift of the Spider-God''': Gives Poisoned Attacks to one unit's close combat attacks until the next Magic Phase. If the model already has Poisoned Attacks, it can now trigger on a to-wound roll of 5 or 6.
*'''Itchy Nuisance''': An enemy unit suffers -1d6 to their Movement and Initiative (Units with random movement take -1d3 to their rolls) as they start developing rashes.
*'''Gork'll Fix It''': An enemy unit must re-roll any to-hit or to-wound rolls of 6 in the shooting and combat phases until the next Magic Phase.
*'''Night Shroud''': The caster and any unit they're attached with now count as being in soft cover until the next Magic Phase. Anyone that tries to charge them must test for dangerous terrain. This can be augmented to cover anyone within 12" of the caster, but this is more difficult to cast.
*'''Curse of Da Bad Moon''': Summon a small pieplate sized vortex that moves 4d6" (3d6" in later turns) in a single direction. Anyone the vortex passes over must test a randomized characteristic test (1-2 Strength, 3-4 Toughness, 5-6 Initiative) or take a wound. This can be augmented to make it summon a large pieplate blast and select what characteristic to cast, though casting it becomes harder in this case.

===Lore of Hashut===
Used exclusively by the Chaos Dwarfs. Has a good variety of spells that range from an augment granting Hatred, hexes that reduce Ld and cover the enemy in burning ash (with penalties to hit with missile weapons and movement, may only cast spells on itself, and becomes Flamable), and numerous ways to light things on fire.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Killing Fire:''' Magic Missiles and Direct Damage spells from this lore gives +D3 to cast against Flammable units.
* '''Breath of Hatred:''' The signature spell. Range 12”, Augment, Remains in play, Unit has Hatred. Can be boosted to a 12" bubble.
* '''Burning Wrath:''' A short-range, high-strength Fireball.
* '''Dark Subjugation:''' A Range 24” Hex, take a Leadership test at -3 or permanently lose 1 Leadership.
* '''Curse of Hashut:''' Direct Damage, target single model (can be in a unit), 2D6-Toughness hits, which wounds on 4+ with no armour save allowed. A good sniping spell.
* '''Ashstorm:''' Hex, affects target unit until start of casters next magic phase, -1 to hit in close combat, -2 to hit with shooting, can’t march, fly or charge, takes dangerous terrain test if moving, Wizards cannot cast spells unless on themselves, and the unit is Flammable. The most powerful spell in the lore, useful in nearly every situation.
* '''Hellhammer:''' In a straight line like a cannonball, direct damage with 3D6 range. Each model takes a S6 hit with Multiple Wounds (D3), if the unit suffers a wound, take a panic test.
* '''Flames of Azgorh:''' Direct damage like a stone thrower. Small round template, scatter D6, every models touched suffers a S6 hit with Multiple Wound (D6). Model directly under the hole takes a Toughness test at -2 or is slain outright without any saves. Can be boosted to a large template.

===Lore of Nehekara===
Used exclusively by the Tomb Kings, raises dead, buffs for your units, debuffs for the enemy, and a generic vortex.

*''Lore Attribute:'' '''The Restless Dead''': Any time an augment spell from the Lore of Nehekara is cast on a Nehekaran Undead unit, that unit recovers 1d3+1 wounds worth of models. Animated Constructs can only recover one turn each turn.
*'''Khsar's Incantation of the Desert Wind''': All unengaged Nehekaran Undead units within 12" can make a free move. This can be augmented to let all Nehekaran Undead units within 24" move.
*'''Djaf's Incantation of Cursed Blades''': Bestow Killing Blow on one unit's close combat attacks. If the unit already has Killing Blow or Heroic Killing Blow, they instead trigger on a 5 or 6. This can be augmented to target a unit within 24".
*'''Neru's Incantation of Protection''': One unit within 12" now has a 5+ Ward save for this turn. This can be augmented to grant a Ward save to everyone within 12".
*'''Ptra's Incantation of Righteous Smiting''': One unit within 12" gains +1 attack and gains the Multiple Shots (2) rule if they have bows or greatbows. This can be augmented to grant this to all Nehekaran Undead within 24".
*'''Usirian's Incantation of Vengeance''': One enemy unit suffers -d3 to Movement and now counts as always under dangerous terrain for the turn. This can be augmented to increase the range.
*'''Usekhp's Incantation of Dessication''': One enemy unit suffers -1 to Strength and Toughness. This can be augmented to instead inflict a penalty of -1d3 to Strength and Toughness.
*'''Sakhmet's Incantation of the Skullstorm''': Summon a small pieplate using an artillery dice. If it rolls a misfire, it's centered on the caster, otherwise it moves that direction multiplied by the caster level while a direct hit sees it not move from where you put it. After this, it moves using the artillery dice, though a direct hit sees it stay where it is and a misfire destroys the vortex. Any model the vortex passes over takes an S4 hit. This can be augmented to summon a large pieplate vortex.

===Lore of Plague & Ruin===
Used exclusively by the Skaven

====Spells of Plague====
Used exclusively by the Skaven to inflict disease, crumble buildings, and topple empires. Mainly a [[Clan Pestilens]] thing, but Moulder occasionally dabble in it.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' No Lore Attribute. This is an older lore which wasn't updated for 8th edition. So no lore attribute and no boosted casting values.
* '''Pestilent Breath:''' The signature spell for Plague Priests. Places the flame template from the base in front arc, S2 hits with no armour saves allowed for every model touched. Can be cast in close combat and then inflicts D6 hits (similar to breath weapons).
* '''Bless with Filth:''' Friendly unit in 12" has poisoned attacks. Increases to 5+ if unit already has poisoned attacks.
* '''Wither:''' Enemy unit in 12" has -1T. Remove as casualty if T drops to 0.
* '''Vermintide:''' Large round template moves 4D6 from caster, cannot cross impassible or water terrain. Units touched suffer 3D6 S2 hits. Can be cast in close combat against one unit, no template.
* '''Cloud of Corruption:''' Roll a dice for every unit (friend or foe) in 12", even in close combat. D6 S5 hits with no armour save for every enemy unit on 2+, friendly unit 4+, Clan Pestilens on 5+.
* '''Plague:''' Enemy unit in 18", even close combat. Each model makes toughness test or suffers wound with no armour saves. Affects both units (friend and foe) in close combat. Roll D6, backfires on 1 and the opponent can either end the spell or choose any other unit in 12". Spell ends on 2-4. Casting player can end spell or choose any other unit in 12" on 5-6.

====Spells of Ruin====
Used exclusively by the Skaven to inflict disease, topple buildings and crumble empires. Most of the spells are extremely cheap, and with the Warlock Engineers being so cheap too you can really pump out spells.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' No Lore Attribute. This is an older lore which wasn't updated for 8th edition. So no lore attribute and no boosted casting values.
* '''Skitterleap:''' One of the signature spells for the Grey Seers. Targets a friendly infantry character within 12”, target is immediately teleported anywhere on the table, although not into combat. Can be used to get characters out of combat and to safety, or to move a character into a position to attack. A very cheap spell with potential.
* '''Warp Lightning:''' The signature spell for Warlock Engineers. A D6 S5 magic missile. On the role of a 1, the caster takes the hit instead. Super useful spell, especially when you can guarantee to get it.
* '''Howling Warpgale:''' Affecting the entire battlefield, it forces Flyers to use their ground movement, and adds a -1 penalty to enemy shooting that rolls to hit. Mostly going to use it for the shooting debuff than the grounding Flyers, its usefulness depends on what army you're up against and if you have high-value shooting targets.
* '''Death Frenzy:''' Affects a friendly unit within 18”. The unit gains Frenzy, except that the models get +2 Attacks instead of the normal +1. The unit takes D6 wounds with no armour saves at the end of each friendly turn. The spell remains in play until the unit loses combat the same as Frenzy. Balance between choosing high-strength units that don't want to lose D6 wounds or lower strength but more numerous units.
* '''Scorch:''' Place a small blast marker within 24”, and everything touched by it taking a Strength 4 hit. If the unit takes an unsaved wound, it must take a panic test. A good damage spell, for taking out units that aren't good targets for Warp Lightning.
* '''Crack's Call:''' Draw a line out 4D6” from the caster, models touched by the template must take an Initiative test or be removed. War Machines and Chariots must roll a 5+ or be removed. If a building is touched by the line, on a 5+ it collapses and all models contained within must take an Initiative test to avoid being crushed.

====The Dreaded Thirteenth Spell====
A unique signature spell to Grey Seers and Verminlords, it's not really a part of either Lores of Ruin or Plague.

* '''Curse of the Horned Rat:''' Targets an enemy Infantry unit within 24" and within line of sight. The caster rolls 4D6, and if that number equals or exceeds the number of models in the target unit, the whole thing (characters and all) is removed and replaced with Clanrats under the control of the casting player. If the number rolled is less than the number of models in the target unit, it instead kills that many models outright, with no saves of any kind possible. The only bad thing about this spell is it needs 25+ to cast. Yes, this the most powerful and ridiculous spell in the game. No tests or saves, just gone. All players should watch out for this spell and try at all costs to dispel it.

===Lore of the Great Maw===
Not really traditional magic, Gut Magic is the magic of the shaman/religious figures the Butchers of Ogre society. They channel the power of their god the Great Maw into acts which produce effects just like magic.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' '''Bloodgruel:''' Successfully casting a spell using the Great Maw's magic is both rewarding, and fraught with danger. Roll a D6, and anything but a one, your ogre Wizard just gained back a wound and adds +1 to the next casting or dispel attempt. Frickin' sweet. What about rolling a 1? Take a S6 hit, loser.
* '''Spinemarrow:''' The signature spell. It's... okay. Cheap, and makes a unit Stubborn. Boost it for cheap to reach out further to help. Helpful since Ogre units tend to have crummy leadership and thick skulls.
* '''Bonecrusher:''' Just like everyone else's first magic missile option, it is cheap, and does a lot (2D6) of weak (S2) hits. No armor saves, since it snaps your bones, but you can reach out and touch someone across the board if you boost it. Make hordes less big with this. Ogres love pre-tenderized snackies.
* '''Bullgorger:''' Ogres are big on making themselves better. And stronger. Make a unit stronger by +1, or if you pump it up, make everybody in 12" stronger. As if your Mournfang Cavalry with Great Weapons really needed to be nastier. Or throw a bunch of S4 Gnoblars at your enemy that you buffed with Wyssan's Wildform, and watch their mouth go slack like they choked on a bone.
* '''Toothcracker:''' Minotaurs got you down? Keep augmenting your lads by making them even tougher. Since everything but the Gnoblars is at least T4, you can make your units tough nuts to crack. Boost it and make everyone around you tougher. A T7 Stonehorn is a crime against nature. Perpetrate some crime.
* '''Braingobbler:''' Not as cheap as the buffs, because Ogres aren't good at getting in people's heads. Their own are so empty, it's hard to tinker with what you lack. Make units Panic from across the board if you boost it, but Immune to Psychology puts the kibosh on it. Take Spinemarrow unless you've got some low leadership hordes you want to send stampeding through their own lines.
* '''Trollguts:''' This is the Ogre money shot. Cream your Gonblar-flavored twinky if you get the boosted version off. Everyone inside a foot regenerates. Having a single regenerating Death Star of Iron Guts for a 12+ cost, though? Say goodbye to whatever was in their way.
* '''The Maw:''' Might as well call on their God directly and feed it once in a while. Slap down a template and watch it hurt everyone it hits, whether they pass the initiative test or not. S3 hits aren't bad, but if you get a big, slow target, that S7 hit with Multiple Wounds (D6) is going to chew them up and not spit them back out. Just don't misfire, or you opponent gets to slap that template on you. Go big, and buy the large template for extra gnashing of teeth. Lizardmen and Dwarves ought to fear this more than any Thundertusk.

===Lore of the Wild===
Used exclusively by the Beastmen, essentially a corrupted version of the Lore of Beasts. Summons various monsters and tides of venomous insects. The single word to describe this lore is ''situational''. There are no hexes and only 1 augment, with a focus on close range damage spell.

* ''Lore Attribute:'' There is no Lore Attribute for the Lore of the Wild
* '''Bestial Surge:''' The signature spell. It allows all friendly units within 6" to move D6+1" towards an enemy unit, or straight forward if there are no visible enemy units. Units cannot charge with this spell. A very situational spell, can be useful if you are facing a gun line and you need to quickly close the gap or if you want rush a unit forward to block an enemy charge.
* '''Viletide:''' A magic missile, 5D6 S1 hits. Since you'll be wounding most units on 6s anyway, targeting high toughness and low armour units is the best use. Great for taking out war machines.
* '''Devolve:''' All enemy units within 12" take a leadership test and lose wounds equal to the amount they fail by. Useless against high leadership armies, and made worse if the enemy general or BSB is nearly. Has its uses, but very situational.
* '''Bray-scream:''' A friendly character within 12" to make a S3 breath weapon attack, ignoring armour saves. In the right circumstances it could be good, but getting a character into a good position will be difficult.
* '''Traitor-kin:''' A very unique and hard to explain spell. Targets all enemy models (not units, but the individual models within those units) within 12” of the caster, provided that they have mounts of some kind. Also affects chariots and monsters with handlers. The mounts attack the riders, with as many automatic hits as the mount has attacks, and wounds with its base Strength. The rider or crew do not get any save bonuses from the beast or any barding it may be wearing against these attacks. Best used when there are strong mounts about, for example Demigryph Knights or Lords mounted on monsters.
* '''Mantle of Ghorok:''' My personal favourite spell of the lore. A character within 6" gains D6 Attacks and Strength (rolled separately). If either of the dice rolls a 6, the character also takes a wound with no saves. Turns weak characters into decent fighters, and medium to strong characters into combat monsters.
* '''Savage Dominion:''' Summons a Giant, Ghorgon or Jabberslythe, which is placed anywhere on a board edge. Every time the beast suffers a wound the Shaman must take a Toughness test or suffer one as well, with no saves allowed. The shaman cannot cast any other spells once the monster is in play, and the monster vanishes if the Shaman dies. As you can probably guess, it's situational. Gaining an extra monster is always useful, but you'll have to decide if losing control of your shaman is worth it and if the possibility of them failing their Toughness tests is too risky.

===Lore of Vampires===
A corrupt version of the wind of death used by necromancers and vampires. This lore is what makes the undead powerful and is all about raising hordes of minions to fight for you and stealing the souls of your enemies. Crunch-wise, it is about summoning and buffing with some moderate direct damage spells (vortex, magic missile).

* ''Lore Attribute:'' The wizard or a friendly character in 12" recover one lost wound for every successfully cast spell
* '''Invocation of Nehek:''' The classic signature spell. All friendly undead units in 6" regain wounds. Infantry gets D6 + wizard level (roll separately for each unit), everything else 1 + wizard level. Vampiric, ethereal or large targets only 1. Can be boosted to all units in 12" or 18".
* '''Vanhel's Danse Macabre:''' One friendly unit in 12" re-rolls failed to hit rolls. If not engaged in close combat, immediately can make move up to 8". Can be boosted to affect all units in 12".
* '''Hellish Vigour:''' One friendly unit in 12" re-rolls failed to wound rolls. Can be boosted to affect all units in 12".
* '''Gaze of Nagash:''' 24" magic missile with 2D6 S4 hits. Can be boosted to 48".
* '''Raise Dead:''' Set up a new unit of 2D6+3 Zombies within 18". Can be boosted to raise a unit of Skeleton Warriors.
* '''Curse of Years:''' One enemy unit in 18" rolls a D6 for every model in the unit. Suffers wound on 6+. Remains in play, next phase suffer wound on 5+ and so on until roll of 2+. No Armour Saves.
* '''Wind of Death:''' Magical Vortex, uses small template, moves Artillery dice x3. Every unit touched takes D6 S3 hits for every rank, no armour saves. Can be boosted to use large template and S4 hits.

==Historical Lores==
These lores were squatted, either alone or with their respective army books.

===Lore of Athel Loren===
The magic of the Wood Elves, using the power of the forest of Athel Loren itself. The spells were about creating advantages for the wood elves, often in forest conditions (make sure to have some tree scenery then wood elf players!). Got replaced with High and Dark magic, and the signature Tree Singing was turned into a most useless magic item ever.
Alternate take: Wood elves gain a lot of benefits from being in forests, so being able to move a forest to where you need can help you hold a position to defend your archers. Especially one of those poison thickets. Also, wood elves lack ranged high strength hits. However, while this may be situationally useful and only costs 20 points, generating one less spell in order to have the tree singing spell is usually not worth the cost. It might be better if it gave the wizard the option to take tree singing as another signature spell instead, after you roll for your lore of magic, but sadly it does not do that.

*'''Tree Singing:''' Allows you to target any patch of woods within 18" and move them D3+1" in any direction, although it stops when it touches an enemy modal. If an enemy unit is in said forest, instead of moving it deals D6 Strength 5 hits. This cannot be cast on an enemy unit in combat though.
*'''Fury of the Forest:''' Direct damage spell that targets an enemy unit within 18". Deals D6 Strength 4 hits, or Strength 5 hits if they are within 6" of a wooded area. With all the trees you should be getting, this can be at full strength a fair amount of the time.
*'''The Hidden Path:''' Allows a unit to ignore terrain and non-magical missile attacks for a turn. This augment breaks if you enter close combat, but by then it shouldn't matter. Good for getting your shooters away and into safe territory, with the added bonus of ignoring many shooting and magic attacks.
*'''The Twilight Host:''' An augment that gives a unit Fear, or a Fear-causing unit Terror. Not terribly exciting.
*'''Ariel's Blessing:''' An augment that gives a unit Regeneration. Depending on what you are facing, this is either a decent augment or largely useless. If your opponent has a bunch of flaming attacks this is a waste, but if not giving an entire unit Regeneration can greatly increase your saving throws in combat.
*'''Call of the Hunt:''' Another augment that does one of two things. If your targeted unit is in combat, it gives each model an additional attack. If they are not in combat, they move 2D6" towards the nearest enemy, which can only react by taking a hold action. If the unit comes into contact with the enemy, it counts as a charge. Very useful, essentially giving you an extra 2D6" in charge distance for a unit. Very good for close combat as well, giving each unit an extra attack.

===Lore of Ice===
Used exclusively by the people of Kislev, it is described as the magic of their land. Had some interesting spells, but got cut along with Kislev army book. A shame, really. The most annoying thing about this lore, however, is that Kislev didn't have generic ice mages, so the only unit in the game who could take it was Tsarina Katarin.

*'''Shardstorm:''' Standard direct damage spell causing 2D6 Strength 3 hits. The flavor of this one is a rain of ice shards set upon your opponents.
*'''Freezing Blast:''' This one is a break from the norm. It can be used to freeze any body of water, treating it as normal terrain, or can be used on an enemy unit to make it treat all movements as difficult terrain. If an enemy unit happens to be in a body of water you target, each model in the water takes a Strength 2 hit with no save allowed. To top it all off, this one doesn't require line of sight.
*'''Form of the Frostfiend:''' An augment spell that transforms the caster into a mythical Kislev ice beast. You lose all effects from your magical items, but gain Fly and becomes Strength 5 with 4 attacks. This would've been nice if you had a level 1 wizard, but has a very limited use since you only have one wizard in the army.
*'''Invocation of the Ice Storm:''' Summons an ice storm anywhere on the table. You nominate a spot on the table and roll the artillery dice, doubling the result. Everything within that many inches of the spot must pass a leadership test at -2 to shoot until next turn. If you roll a misfire, then it affects the entire table. It also cannot be dispelled.
*'''Midwinter's Kiss:''' Strength 5 breath attack, although it cannot be cast in combat. It does cancel out all armor saves though, so it can be quite useful. If you have this and Form of the Frostfiend you can breath attack a unit getting too close and then transform for fun and excitement.
*'''Glacial Barrier:''' Allows you to place a 1" x 5" ice wall within 24" of the caster. This does require line of sight. Once placed, the ice wall is considered impassable terrain and blocks line of sight. Units can charge it like a building and it is automatically hit and destroyed by a Strength 5 attack or any Flaming Attack. Units that do so, however, cannot overrun, making it a great way to stop a unit within charge or shooting range from getting any closer.

===Lore of the Serpent===
Magical lore used by the Amazons of Lustria. Appeared on a single unit from White Dwarf 307, the Amazon Serpent Priestess, back in Sixth Edition.

*'''Singing Wind:''' Strength 3 breath attack. Fairly weak considering most breath attacks are Strength 4.
*'''Serpent's Strength:''' Augment spell that grants a unit +1 Strength until the start of your next turn. Decent and somewhat useful, if not terribly exciting.
*'''Wendala's Maelstrom:''' An augment that can be cast on the priestess. It prevents any missile attack from being made on any Monster on the same side of the board as the priestess and reduces the movement of all such monsters by 1.
*'''Shield of Thorns:''' An augment that can be cast on the priestess only. It gives her a form of Blazing Body, causing a Strength 4 automatic hit to any modal that comes into base contact with her. Good to use when on the defensive and expecting a charge.
*'''The Living Jungle:''' Direct damage spell that deals 4D6 Strength 2 hits. Likely will produce more hits then most any spell, although at Strength 2 you're not wounding much. Can be useful against weaker, horde forces, but otherwise not very useful.
*'''Siren's Dream:''' Hex spell that reduces the Strength and attacks of an enemy unit by 1, to a minimum of 0, until your next turn. Probably her best spell.

==Appearing only in [[Total War: Warhammer]]==
These are lores that only appear in the total war games. some were implied to exist in some lore snippets but never before got rules on the tabletop.

===Lore of The Deep===
Created specifically for Total War: Warhammer II's Vampire Coast, the lore is centered around dealing damage, disruption, augmenting, and summoning. There are no rules for it for tabletop (since it's exclusive to Total Warhammer II). Not to be confused with the Lore of The Deeps used by the Idoneth Deepkin in Age of Sigmar.

===Lore of Stealth===
Created by Clan Eshin based on Cathayan magic, this lore can disrupt enemy formations, make units stealthy (up to and including Hell Pit Abominations), and debuff enemies in a variety of ways. As with the Lore of The Deep, this has no tabletop rules, although it does appear in the WHFRP Children of the Horned Rat book.

===Lore of Tempest===
Not much is known about this one yet, but it will be one of the two lores available to Kislev in Total Warhammer III, the other being the Lore of Ice. It seems to be blizzard and similar cold weather-related though.

=== Lore of Yin ===
Cathayan magic lore centered around ancestor spirits, shadows and other enigmatic stuff. Moon Empress and [[Miao Ying]] prefer it over Yang. Can be used only by Dragon-Blooded.

=== Lore of Yang ===
Another type of Cathayan magic, now centered around unit shielding and big explosions. Big D himself use it, as well as [[Zhao Ming]]. Can be used only by Dragon-Blooded.
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Age of Sigmar]]

Communism

2023-05-09T17:46:16Z

2600:387:9:9:0:0:0:27:

{{flamewar}}
{{Fail}}
{{Heresy}}
{{Sick| Fucking Communists}}
[[Image:Communismleaders.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Contrary to western propaganda, this is how communism has always worked]]

{{topquote|Under [[capitalism]], man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.|Anonymous radio host from Soviet Armenia; also attributed to Yakov Smirnov}}
{{Topquote|MASH THE DIRTY RED SCUM! KICK THEM IN THE TEETH WHERE IT HURTS! KILL! KILL, KILL! FILTHY BASTARD COMMIES! I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM! AH! AH!|Ordo Xenos Inquisitor John Cleese, responding to the threat of the Damocles Crusade}}
{{topquote|Communism is the corruption of a dream of justice.|Adlai Stevenson I}}

'''Communism''' can refer to two concepts: the society where the economy is collectively managed and organised government is replaced by local communes (hence the name), and the (usually) authoritarian ideology that seeks to instate such a perfect society. Communism in the first sense had been tried in various villages through the early nineteenth century before fizzling out or being suppressed by authorities, but most people are only interested in the second sense, due to its enormous impact on the twentieth century. Communism the ideology is generally associated with oligarchic rule of the "vanguard party" and a degree of central planning; it was the state ideology of the Soviet Union and its satellite states, as well as a few minor powers such as Yugoslavia and Vietnam, during the Cold War. It is still, albeit in a very modified form, adhered to in a few countries today, such as the People's Republic of China, North Korea and Cuba.

In many ways, it is the opposite of [[capitalism]], both of them along with [[nazi|nazism]] are considered by some historians as diverging branches from [[humanism]].

==Overview==
[[Image:Boris_Yeltsin_in_Texas.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Boris Yeltsin visits a Randall's in Houston.<br>Two years later the Soviet Union was dead.<br>Communism < Jello Pudding Pops]]
The ideology of communism is highly diverse, as numerous thinkers have proposed different definitions and pathways to a communist society, yet most modern communists, in one way or another, derive their ideas from the writings of Karl Marx: hence, it is Marxist communism that will be discussed here. Even then, a full explanation is far beyond the scope of this wiki, so [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism Wikipedia] might be a better bet if you want to get into the philosophical and economic details.

Most non-Marxist communists are more anti-authoritarian (e.g. Kropotkin, Makhno), so they are sometimes classified as [[Malal|anarchists]] instead. However, even Marxist communism is not homogenous, ranging from the more extremist (Hoxhaism, Stalinism aka Marxism-Leninism) to more moderate (Titoism, Kadarism, classical Marxism), sometimes mixed with nationalism (Juche), liberal capitalism (Dengism) or - ironically given communism's recurring [[Imperial Truth|anti-religion]] tendency - ''Catholicism'' (Liberation theology). Perhaps the reason why there are so many different variations of communism is because Marx and Engels' blueprint is so vague in many places (it didn't help that Marx died before finishing ''Das Kapital'') that it lends itself to a dizzying array of interpretations, for better or worse.

Marxism originates with the work of (newsflash) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: Engels was the working son of an industrialist, while Marx got a PhD in law and spent much of his life in academia and radical politics; this arguably makes them the world's first [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee|socialist justice warriors.]] These two developed their economic theories as a response to the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Marx observed that while the mechanization of production was a good thing since it generated a lot of wealth, he believed it was [[Rage|grossly unfair]] since said wealth was accumulating in the pockets of only a few [[Games Workshop|fucking rich pricks]] and most other people lived in Victorian poverty. He further saw this as another step in a long historical trend in which a class that owned the means of production (i.e. factories, land, etc.) exploited and dominated a lower class that had to sell its labor power to survive (by working in said factories, land, etc.) even though they had no say in how the means of production could be used and had a better claim to it on account of being the class that actually used the means of production.

Marx viewed society as being on a very clear cut path of social evolution with clearly defined phases, based on his interpretation of Hegelian philosophy (we suggest you look that up yourself, it's much too complicated to make into a pithy explanation here). Every phase represented a different form of economy and social hierarchy, and, while starting out "progressive", would eventually [[Imperium of Man|fall into degradation]] as it exceeded its limits. At this point, this decayed socio-economic system would have to be overthrown and replaced with a more just and advanced one, starting a new phase: Marx considered the Fall of the Roman Empire (transition from individual slavery to land-based feudalism) and the revolutions of the 19th century (transition from feudalism to industrial capitalism) to be the moments when such a transition occurred. He believed that capitalism was rapidly approaching its own collapse and replacement.

The new social order, Marx believed, would be collectivist, atheist and classless: as industrial production required people to work together on a large scale, so too would the new system of government. The new society would start out more authoritarian (socialism) before its government would eventually dissolve (communism proper). The economy would be controlled by the workers rather than by individual shareholders, competition would be discouraged in favor of a more cooperative and collective-oriented mindset, and religion (which Marx considered an obsolete "opiate of the masses"- although contrary to popular belief he did not actually oppose its existence) would fade away when it was no longer needed to distract people from the poor conditions they lived in. Most importantly, the new order would end the traditional state of affairs in which one class dominated all others through its control of the means of production and allow for true equality and prosperity for everyone. It is for this reason that no Communist party has claimed it has actually ''created'' a communist society, as according to their ideology they are simply guiding society through its socialist phase until true communism can be achieved at an unspecified future time.

However, Marx and Engels never gave a clear outline of how such a society could be created or what it would look like, either because they believed the workers would decide that or [[Profit|they had no idea or plan for how to achieve it]]. The the first one to put it into practice on a national scale (Vladimir Lenin) gave it a distinctly authoritarian spin which only got worse with Stalin. It should not be surprising that even in Marx's own time there were many opposing views of how a communist society would be created and maintained since he failed to give a method to accomplish it.

As a whole, most forms of Marxism are highly skeptical of liberal democracy (albeit supportive of the democratic process itself and direct democracy in particular), as it is considered to be corrupt and easily manipulated by the wealthy (even if you take the role of the media and its ability to influence public opinion into account, the old stereotype of politicians serving their richest donors rather than the people they allegedly represent didn't exactly spring out of a vacuum); similarly, they dismiss the process of slow reform advocated by social democratic ideology as a mass of half-measures intended to preserve a broken system instead of replacing it. In its place, communists propose the "dictatorship of the proletariat". Before you jump to conclusions, Marx considered all forms of government to be a form of dictatorship in that one class held absolute power over all others; in this case, the class in question would be the workers, who would use the innately authoritarian power of the state to ensure that a worker-controlled democratic decision-making process would not be opposed by reactionary elements attempting to re-establish the old order (also, keep in mind that back in Marx's day even the most democratic societies restricted the vote to male property owners). According to Marx, this dictatorship would last only long enough to eliminate the differences between classes- as the state's existence is due to said class differences, this would eventually lead the state to dissolve when it was no longer needed...somehow.

One of Marx's most prominent socialist rivals, Mikhail Bakunin, made the prediction that a dictatorship of the proletariat wouldn't "wither away" as Marx expected, but instead would serve as the foundation of a new ruling class that would dominate and exploit the proletariat just like the capitalists did: rather than class differences leading to the creation of the state, it was the state itself that allowed those class differences to exist in the first place. As a result, using the power of the state to end class differences would only perpetuate them further.

In Leninism, Marxism-Leninism, and their offshoots, the dictatorship of the proletariat takes form of the "vanguard party", consisting of the most "class-conscious" individuals. This party would be given near-absolute power over society and economy, so that transition towards socialism and eventually communism would proceed properly. As such, most communist states using the Marxist-Leninist model and its relatives have been dictatorships, headed either by charismatic despots (Lenin, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot), or by the party oligarchy (modern China, late USSR). While other forms of communism exist that do not follow the vanguard party model, they are too lacking in influence to have ever been implemented on a national scale so we can't really say what they'd be like. It should also be noted that Marx and Engels themselves doubted the idea that a small revolutionary party could represent the will of the working class, an idea originally espoused by one of his other contemporaries (Blanqui, if you're curious).

===Issues===
One of the (many) major flaws in communist ideology is that its economic theories simply cannot be translated into the real world. For all the bullshit and genuine problems that happen in the free market (or the corporation-dominated form that exists today, at any rate), it still has the advantage of solving what economists call the ''economic calculation problem''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_calculation_problem .] To make a long story short, free markets work by allocating resources to where they are most needed and will produce the most value for people, and they are able to do this through ''price signals''.

Consider: Games Workshop wants money. You have money. So they make little [[Space Marines|metal figures]] that you want and so you buy them, and [[profit|they make money]]. Then they decide they want to make more money. So they try making a [[Manta|big honking model that costs a lot of money]], but you don't buy it because you're poor. By doing this [[Age of Sigmar|over]] and [[Primaris Marines|over]] again, GW eventually figures out what will and won't sell at what price, and you come to regard them as a money grubbing lawful evil because they're making a thing you want and charging you close to the highest price you're willing to pay to get it.

In a free market, nobody really needs to know what the whole economy looks like or how much steel the country will need in a given year; people only need to know how ''their own'' business works: what their customers want and what they'll pay for it. Under planned economies, by contrast, decisions are made by politicians and bureaucrats who have no understanding of how anything works and who pay no price for being wrong, leading to massive malinvestment and waste. Even nominally Communist governments were forced to implement some capitalist policies after learning this the hard way, though the degree to which they did so varied from country to country, with China being among the most capitalist and North Korea being the least.

Furthermore, Bakunin's predictions about the dictatorship of the proletariat turning into a dictatorship ''over'' the proletariat have proven to be consistently correct, with party bureaucracies quickly assuming the same exploitative practices that their capitalist precursors used and claiming the means of production for themselves rather than passing them onto the workers. Often, they actually made those practices worse and suppressed labor movements more aggressively than the capitalists they had overthrown.

Liberal philosophers like Karl Popper on the other hand took a more fundamental approach to their critique; Popper in particular had the major criticism that history doesn't run on predetermined rulesets and laws, like Marx thought, and that such a line of thinking, especially when paired with the promise of a socialist utopia, would ultimately just serve people like Lenin and Mao Zedong, who would abuse this ideology to create authoritarian nightmares that only serve themselves. Seeing how the Socialist dream always ended in stagnation, dictatorship and misery, he was ultimately proven to be right about a lot of things. Sociologists like Didier Eribon formulated another criticism on how Marxism views society; mainly that the working class, especially in our day and age, is not a uniform monolithic bloc that can be rallied to join a revolution or even a cause. While sharing common interests, how these interests manifest themselves in any individual can range wildly and also how the influence of social background often unconsciously makes people act against their own interests.

Even in an ideal universe where the bureaucracy running a centrally planned economy wasn't corrupt or inept, the technology to monitor and plan any sort of national economy has yet to be invented and what we have now can't keep track of everything well enough to make it work; the average economy is incredibly complex and not even the most advanced computers that currently exist can predict every possible variable that might affect how the economy functions (let alone predict the long term effects of a plan), so mistakes will inevitably occur and snowball with dangerous consequences. As a result, a centrally planned economy invariably destroys the countries in which it is attempted due to drop of quality in consumer products, and eventually, food sources. Countries like China use the international market to get around this, but this is only delaying the inevitable. It gets even worse when you factor in the further increased complexity demanded by globalization. Technological advancements in the future might be able to mitigate this issue or even solve it outright, but they may not happen for a very long time.

Other types of planned economies exist too, but they are much less common and tend to exist on smaller scales so we can't really tell how well they'd work on a national level, let alone an international one. They do seem to function surprisingly well on a regional/municipal scale though, especially those which are decentralized and use little to no top-down authority when making decisions. Only time will tell if they work on larger scales too, assuming that they are not forcibly ended by their rivals first.

The economic failures of Socialist countries can also be found in Communist ideology itself; if your state says that it's heaven on earth, then said state won't do a whole lot to potentially improve things it has apart from occasional repairs or inventing new things that aren't necessary for its own survival. The downfall of the USSR and its aftermath is a good example of this; WWII destroyed a lot of stuff in Russia, so the government increased funding for sectors essential to rebuilding the nation. Productivity remained high until the late 70s, when, paired with party cronyism, the job of rebuilding Russia was finished and productivity started to stagnate on a high level. The only sectors that saw regular innovation and new invention were the arms and nuclear weapons industry. So it came to be that the West ultimately shot waaaay past the USSR in terms of productivity and wealth and ultimately defeated it.

That being said, mixed economies combining elements of communism and capitalism (e.g. Keynesianism and the "Nordic Model") have consistently proven to be functional enough to not destroy countries, albeit these successes have much more to do with cultural factors than with any success of communist ideology, the latter of which has steadily been abandoned over the last few decades. As mentioned above, these mixed economies are typically viewed by socialists to be more closely related to capitalism than communism, and most of them believe that the welfare systems they depend on are likely to be privatized in the absence of a stronger shift away from a capitalist economy. Several of these economies have indeed been abandoning their socialist elements over time in favor of a more capitalistic system, due in no small part to economic stagnation and near-collapse due to socialist economic policies, although one could also point to major corporate and capitalist interests undermining said socialist policies as a cause of both of those. We're not in a position to say which of those explanations is more likely to be true, so we'll leave it at that.

Furthermore, Communist governments tend to move away from the tenets of Marx and Engels in an attempt to force their ideas to work in situations they were never intended to function in. Marx believed that the shift to socialism and then communism could '''only''' work in an advanced industrial capitalist society with an established working class and that any attempt to make it happen before that point was doomed to backfire (and as Venezuela has since shown us, even THAT prediction was clearly wrong), and one must also remember that while much of what he said was prescient, he had no idea how capitalism would develop past his own era.

Lenin got around this by claiming that he could "telescope" the capitalist and socialist revolutions into a single event with the aid of the aforementioned vanguard party and proposing an alliance with the Russian peasantry to compensate for the undeveloped presence of the working class. Even then, Lenin tentatively allowed a shift back to private ownership for the Kulaks just so the Soviet economy could get back on its feet, before Stalin purged them all as class enemies and triggered a widespread famine known as the Holodomor (which the vast majority of historians suspect was intentional on Stalin's part).

Mao Zedong took this to an even further extreme by forcing the revolution in the primarily agrarian China and then trying to kick-start industrialization with the "Great Leap Forward". It was a total failure for several different reasons, and Mao's hamfisted attempt to retain control of the Communist Party afterwards gave rise to the Cultural Revolution and all the bloodshed that came with it. Somewhat like Lenin, Mao's successor Deng Xiaoping ended up implementing capitalist policies (while leaving all the other oppressive elements intact) in response to the earlier economic crises. While it did salvage the economy, it also ended up producing a system that arguably combines the worst qualities of both capitalism and communism that survives only by constant pandering to nationalist sentiments.

Because of the legacy of the Cold War and everything mentioned above, mass famines among numerous communist countries, and widespread human rights abuses from the regimes of communist leaders, communism is about as "loved" as fascism; there's good reason why people occasionally put Stalin and Mao, and communism/socialism, on equal footing with [[Nazis|Hitler]] and Imperial Japan in terms of evilness. Even the forms of communism that originated independently of the Leninist traditions are generally poorly regarded at best due to guilt by association. This is ironic, given that Lenin (and later Stalin) spent a considerable period of time trying to wipe out the forms of communism that diverged from Leninism.

As an interesting closing note, some people claim that the rise of automation (robotic and algorithmic) has the potential to bring about a society that resembles what communism tried to achieve. Today, most farming is done either automatically, or by a single dude riding a combine and doing the job of hundreds of farmers in a single day, manufacturing has also similarly gone through a wave of automation which has seen many factories reduce the number of their workers from hundreds to mere dozens, and the recent bastion of human labor - the service sector - is slowly seeing the penetration of algorithms and in rare cases robots into the fold. What all this means is that humanity needs to do less and less work while the automated systems do it just as well if not better, these 'means of production' can be (in theory) easily nationalized and the usual problems of people slacking off due to everyone being paid equally is eliminated since both the neurosurgeon and waiter who are 'paid the same for their effort' are robots. Add to that the rise of 3D printing which may act as poor man's Star Trek replicators (eliminating the need to buy a smörgåsbord of stuff) and theoretically we could be on track towards "fully automated luxury gay space communism". However, none of these advances do anything about the economic calculation problem. They do not tell us how many robots to build or whether those robots should farm corn or assemble 3D-printed guns. More relevant from a communist perspective is the fact that these robots are still ''privately owned'' and so fail to address the core issue with capitalism in that the workers do not control the means of production and still have to sell their labor to live. All of this automation merely reduces the demand for human labor in some parts of the economy, pushing workers into whatever sectors of the economy are still hiring humans and leaving them destitute if they can't find anyone to sell their labor to. In fact, the original Luddite movement was a reaction to this very issue: it was composed of textile workers who had lost their jobs as a result of machinery eliminating the need for their skilled labor. (Contrary to popular belief, they didn't oppose technology itself so much as the fact that said technology was being used by employers to put weavers out of work and offered the ones that remained employed nothing in return but lower wages.) As always, only time will tell if automation can live up to its hype but historical precedent thus far is not promising.

=== Note ===
It also is notable that Communist is often used as a dismissive snarl in modern first world politics against the left wing, even when actual Stalinist-style communists (or "tankies" as other communists and socialists call them, a reference to the Soviets' sending in tanks to suppress the Hungarian Revolution of 1956) are a small minority on the fringes. There is also a distinction between Revolutionary Communists like the Bolsheviks and the Democratic Socialists such as the German SPD, which believe that the transition to socialism and then communism does not necessarily require an outright revolution and can be implemented through peaceful means. Ironically, it is the latter that more closely resembles classical Marxism. Democratic socialism in turn is not to be confused with social democracy, which is a form of liberal democracy whose capitalist economic system is paired with regulation and social welfare programs to mitigate the excesses of capitalism (with varying degrees of success as described above).

==Communism in Traditional Games==
In general there are three ways communism is used in fiction and board games:

1: '''Filthy Godless Red BASTARDS!''': Dangerous, faceless enemies, ripped straight from the wettest dreams of the Cold War-era American John Birch society. These communists are the enemy; a vast, brutal, godless horde determined to take over the world that our heroes must resist. Nowadays, this attitude is usually played for comedy, as in ''[[Paranoia]]'' where Friend Computer's glitched-out personality has made it a paranoid wreck obsessed with a largely-imaginary adversary (while creating some actual communists in the process). Others have played it seriously, especially in works produced during the Cold War (such as the 1984 film ''Red Dawn''). By the way, if you want an example of literal CommuNazis, the East German Stasi are a good place to start, although the Nazi part is mostly aesthetic and the Communist ideology is what was dominant (for CommuNazis as an ideology, Nazbols are basically that, combining far left economic policy and far right cultural party). Red Alert 1 is a /v/idya example, totally starting with a massive Tabun gas attack on the Polish city of Torun with ''children'' being discussed as dying the easiest.

2: '''Champions of the Proletariat''': The other side of the coin to what is listed above. These are either rebels against corrupt corporate overlords (frequently cyberpunk heroes) or a body of workers and soldiers fighting against fascist invaders (any game from the Russian perspective in WWII will count). Occasionally this show up in Medieval settings as anachronistic peasant revolts or other politically-radical types out to pull down the social parts of [[Medieval Stasis]]. Red Alert 3 has this a smidge between the lines, moreso in Uprising where they avenge innocent Russian citizens being frozen and crushed alive for fun by bloodthirsty Allied mercenaries.

3: '''GLORIOUS COMMUNISTS''': Somewhere between the other two and generally played for laughs. Communist regimes are oppressive and ponderous, but also able to do great things through sheer force of Industrial Might, Soviet Super Science, Stalinist Architecture and Will-Of-The-People and can be heroic just as easily as villainous. See Red Alert-II(more of it) and III(less of it), and to a lesser extent a few parts of the [[Imperium of Man]]. As close to real communism as you can get, comrade.

Communism has also provided us with the Russian army, which is an awesome gaming resource and reference, either in a drunken, drown-your-enemies-with-bodies-and-artillery sort of way (World War II), or a send-in-the-hardened-and-manly-Spetsnaz-and-tanks way (Cold War). It is a sacred law of [[/tg/]] alternate history [[/tg/'s homebrews|homebrew]] settings that there must be at least one communist faction and it must control at least 50% of the world's total landmass. Even [[Warmachine| Khador]] draws on the imagery of the Soviet armed forces, despite being more analogous to Tsarist/Imperialist Russia politically, aside from their Manifest Destiny "Why can't everyone else just roll over and let us conquer them?!" ideology that has... [[Nazi| other roots]].

Like all radical ideologies, communists are all over [[Shadowrun|the Sixth World]], mostly among the poor and disenfranchised who can't help looking up at the big fancy megacorp enclaves and wondering how ''that'' makes any kind of just sense. The Berlin Flux State was probably the biggest and most successful anarcho-communist enclave in-setting for a while, before it became such an embarrassment to the megacorps insisting they should be the only game in town that many of them (including the one run by the great dragon Lofwyr) had it dismantled somewhere around second or third edition.

People like to call the [[Tau]] communist. There's ''some'' truth to that, given they're a highly-collective society that generally values group achievement over personal accomplishment, but they're also a largely class-stratified society, with only the assurance that their leaders are theoretically cooperating for the [[Greater Good]] to keep them from being out-and-out feudalists with castes. This system is actually very similar to Italian and Spanish ''[[Nazi|fascism]]'', where the economy was split between several large trade-based corporations, where the workers and the bourgeoisie were supposed to talk out their issues together (under the benevolent guidance of the party elites of course).

There was also the [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee]], a parody of the kinds of communist guerrillas of previous decades, who are armed grots out to demand equal treatment from their Ork masters with comical results. The Imperium, being a decentralized feudalistic empire, undoubtedly has many worlds that have communist governing bodies and economies, and maybe even a few where things worked out okay.

As Communism is ultimately an ideology built on ''class hatred'', any human Communist uprising in 40k almost inevitably would fall to [[Khorne]], the god of hatred. Conveniently, whey won't even need to repaint their flags. That's unless its leadership is hijacked by [[Tzeentch|manipulative bastards who are only in the revolution for personal power]]. Or as the revolution results in [[Rotigus|famine]] and [[Hive|rotting Commieblocks]] followed by a sense of despair, it's easy to see a [[Nurgle|certain fat fuck gaining a following]]. Indeed, a lot of Chaos cults canonically started as pretty much communist revolutions in all but name.

In '''Pariah: Ravenor vs. Eisenhorn''', Alizebeth Bequin (The clone) was seen hunting for relics from a collector. There, she came across [[wat|an ancient children's toy in the shape of a rocket with the marking of C.C.C.P (aka '''оюз Советских Социалистических Республик''' (Soviet Union))]]. Although it was obvious that 40k sets in the far future of our real world, it none the less confirmed the existences of Soviet Russia and communism in the setting. Btw, neither Bequin nor the collector knew what CCCP meant, considered much of the ancient Terra history were lost in the far future, but at least they remembered ancient humans on Terra made their ''first step'' to space using chemical rockets.

[[Pathfinder Roleplaying Game|Golarion]] has got a semi-hemi-demi communist nation in-setting: Galt, land of insane, constant revolution where the only winners are the ''final blades''. It represents the "messy revolutionary" kind of communism rather than any of the three flavors above, though there's some obvious mixing with the principals of the French Revolution that was its more-direct inspiration.

The [[Harpers]] of Faerun are semi-communists in outlook. They strongly favor removing power from single governments and shifting leadership to individual communities. This can make them heroic when unseating despots but significantly less so when assassinating anyone who tries to unite the city-states.

[[Khador]] in Warmachine takes the Glorious Soviet Russia identity and wears it like a badge, even though its actual government resembles Tzarist Russia.

''[[Star Trek]]'' is complicated. On the one hand, the Federation has essentially a communist economy and they have the humanist element down, but their advanced technology has created a post-scarcity economy, so it can be interpreted that the producers thought this would be a natural product of a society where everybody was self-sufficient. Conversely, their chief rivals, the Klingons and the Romulans, are transparent analogues of the USSR and Maoist China seen through the pre-détente eyes of an American lounge lizard. Similar post-scarcity communists are common in ''[[Eclipse Phase]]'', though with a much stronger anarchist bent. They are largely and uncomplicatedly perfect due to the game designers' raging stiffy for that kind of thing.

Any WWII or quasi-WWII game worth its salt will have a communist faction, including the classic ''[[Axis & Allies]]'' and the modern wargame ''[[Flames of War]]''. Additionally, many classic board games have attempted to tap into the forty-five year struggle for dominance between America and the communists. The most famous and best is probably ''[[Twilight Struggle]]''. [[TSR]] also released an RPG set during the Cold War called ''[[Top Secret]]'', though, like most non-''D&D'' TSR products, no one under thirty-five has ever heard of it.

{{BLAM|This article has been marked as containing treasonous capitalist road sentiments. Please report to your local commissariat for re-education through labor.}}

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:AK-47.jpg|Glorious Soviet Industries could be used to produce huge numbers of reliable and effective things which are still in high demand after a half a century...
File:Lada 1200.jpg||...Their cars are not on that list.
File:Communism and the NTS Fallacy.png|Still a better track record than the Nazis (not pictured, Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro and more)
File:Space marine commie.jpg| Do your duty comrade
File: Stalin space marine.jpg| This is how some people think World War II actually went
File: Space marine revolution.jpg| The cure for [[Chick Tracts]] ("something something worse than the disease")
</gallery></center>

==See Also==
* [[Imperium of Man]] as it too was based on a revolutionary progressive ideal that gave way to despotism, with the big question being if this was a natural consequence of the ideal or a complete perversion.
* Come to think of it, most failed utopian societies that /tg/ loves probably borrowed from the history of Soviet Russia in some way, especially from the revolutionary to Stalinist era.

[[category:Not related]]
[[Category:history]]

Leagues of Votann

2023-05-09T14:25:36Z

2600:387:9:9:0:0:0:27: â

{{Infobox 40k Nations
|name=Leagues of Votann
|image=[[Image:‎NewLeaguetemplogo.jpg|300px|center]]
|Capital=Decentralized, Greater Thurian League being most powerful
|Official Languages= Squat Lexicon, High Gothic, Low Gothic
|Power=Great Power
|Size=Galactic Core, a third of Segmentum Solar, several thousand Mining Worlds, many Holds of various sizes
|Head of State=Decentralized, [[Votann|Votanns]] act as Head of State
|Head of Government=Votannic Councils (Hearthspake)
|Governmental Structure=Confederated Gerontocratic Supranational Union
|State Religion/Ideology=Ancestor Worship<br>Achievement Ideology<br>Mercantilism<br>A variation of Familialism
|Demographic=Kin ([[Squats]], Ironkin)
|Military Force=Kinhost Forces, [[Leagues of Votann Fleet|Prospector Fleets]]
}}
{{topquote|Right after Mankind’s colonization of the galaxy came its first true golden age. Reared by machine prophets, the survivors of the Oedipal plagues built civilizations that equaled and even surpassed their Solar forbears.| CM Koseman, ''All Tomorrows''}}
{{topquote|Better a soulless clone... than a souled roach.|David Mitchell, ''Cloud Atlas''}}
{{topquote|This is very simple. We don't want your liver, your coin, or that junk you call technology. We want your world. We want the riches you didn't even realize you had, and that you definitely don't deserve. Leave while you have the chance. Or don't. Either way, we're coming to claim what's ours.|Ultimatum delivered by the Cthonian Guantlet Consortium, ''Codex- Leagues of Votann''}}
{{topquote|Rock and stone to the bone!| Warchant of the deeprock league}}

The '''Leagues of Votann''' or otherwise known as the '''Squat Homeworlds''' (Or if you're in /tg/; as the '''Domain of Squats, Squat Territories, [[Dwarf Fortress|SPESS DORF FORTRESS]]''' & '''Deeprock Galactic''') is the areas in which one can find our beloved space midgets in the early days of 40k and its current modern reboot.

Back in the [[Rogue Trader (Sourcebook)|good old days,]] the then-named Squat Homeworlds, unlike other Imperial-aligned entities in the galaxy, enjoyed a significant degree of autonomy. Whilst de jure, the Squat Homeworlds were part of the [[Imperium of Man]], de facto as is its own self-sustaining and self-sufficient society unlike places such as [[Ultramar]] or the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] which has an interdependent and semi-autonomous relationship with [[Terra]].

Of course, we all know how the Squats were Squatted soon after making the debut, with the [[Tyranids]] [[Derp|''SOMEHOW'' targeting <u>'''''only'''''</u> the Squat worlds whilst leaving the rest of the Imperium-controlled space right next door to the Squats largely untouched.]] This is ridiculous when taking into account that the territories of the Squats weren't some small specks like the [[Tau Empire]], but rather, a significantly large domain that took up half of the entire Galactic core. This is made worse when taking into consideration that [[Lolwut|it was completely out of character for the Imperium to stop and do nothing against such a large incursion of Tyranid forces in an area considered Astro-strategically important for them.]] [[Games Workshop|Games Workshop's]] [[Fail|shitty excuse/explanation in removing the Squats from cannon]] [[Rage|had never really stood well within the community,]] [[RAGE|much less among the Squat players.]]

However, their reintroduction as the Leagues of Votann has somewhat radically changed their origins whilst still keeping some old lore modernised. The '''Leagues of Votann''' (also known as the [[Squats|Unsquatted Squats]]) is now a [[retcon|""new""]] faction in the [[Warhammer 40,000]] universe. They are gatherings of short abhuman clones called the Kin (more commonly known as Squats by the dirty Necromunda gangers), bound together by the [[Votann]], super-cogitators from the [[Dark Age of Technology]]. Kin originate from far space and no knowledge remains about their origins [[Belegar Ironhammer|though they are increasingly approaching the idea of sending out expeditions rediscovering it]]. Each League has its own Votann, and are organized in strongholds around it. [[Powergamer|They used the data stored to survive among the stars and maintain their culture across generations]]. Of course, since some [[Adeptus Mechanicus|factions]] are touchy about AI, the Leagues are very cautious when dealing with [[Imperium of Man|its closest ally]], hence their secretive lifestyle.

However, because of the [[grimdark|setting]], everything is not that simple. Since Dorf Windows is not regularly updated anymore and issues that have arisen from having remained active for literal millennia, the Votann began to deteriorate. If they want to repair their computer, <s>[[Dwarf Fortress|they must wage war with other shitcoin miners for more processing power]]</s>, the Kin have to once more brave a galaxy full of danger. Aside from that they have a culture valuing wasting nothing, which is a fun way of saying they drain suns of energy and cooled minerals and at best economically enslave indigenous groups while at their worst they’ll mine your planet to dust around you and respond to resistance with military force. Imagine if Italian Corporatists, the Monopoly Man, and the Evil Mining Heads in fiction were merged with the seven dwarves.

==Rogue Trader Era Fluff==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Given the sheer extensive history between the old and the new. This section will contain all the fluff from the old Rogue Trader days. For the sake of preventing page bloat, this entire section will be put in a collapsible page.
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===Historical Overview===
[[File:Squat-logo_banner.png|300px|right|thumb|The original emblem of the squats]]

The Squat Homeworlds were all worlds filled with rich mineral resources, which led the Human ancestors of the Squats to lay down, settle and mine the shit out of. Most of these were located within the galactic core where unique and rare minerals were found in abundance in exchange for being sterile and barren of life of course. But for the early Human colonists, it was a gold mine as [[Terra]] ran out of all of its resources, so the search for raw materials was needed. Their planet's gravity is great, usually two or three times that of Terra. Their atmospheres are either thin or non-existent. Even those planets with atmospheres are blasted by tremendous storms. But hey? Who gives a shit about all of that when you have all the resources to make you rich, and rich the Squats got.

Like the Gulf States, the Squats quickly took a monopoly on these minerals and started to get wealthy, and with money comes an increase in development and technological advancements. These planets became Mining Worlds and with the coming [[Age of Strife]], the Squats got themselves the good end of the stick by both inhabiting hostile worlds and cranking up the technological kazoo when the rest of humanity plunged into a galactic-wide [[shitstorm]].

Squat history can be split into several eras.

====Age of Founding====

The first is the Age of Founding, which is the Squat equivalent of the [[Dark Age of Technology]]. This is not technically the first period of the Squats as they had yet to evolve, but it is the time of the founding of the colonies that would become the Squat Homeworlds. Almost twenty thousand years ago contact between these planets and Terra was almost continuous, testament to the importance of these colonies. Terra also kept the worlds well supplied with that which they could not produce for themselves in adequate amounts, primarily food. This period lasted until the [[Age of Strife]].

====Age of Isolation====

The Age of Isolation corresponds with the earlier part of the Age of Strife - around eighteen thousand years ago. The galactic core was cut off from the rest of human space by the devastating Warp storms of the Age of Strife. Many worlds were swallowed by the Warp and disappeared forever, others were trapped in stasis and became lost. Most survived although they were separated from Earth and all contact was lost with the rest of the galaxy. During this time of isolation and danger the Squat worlds still in contact with each other began to organize for their mutual defense. It was at this time that the Squats began to refer to their worlds as the Homeworlds.

The Homeworlds remained isolated for thousands of years and their inhabitants learned to survive in a universe that was becoming increasingly hostile. Those that survived grew and prospered. Settlements were enlarged and fortified into impregnable Strongholds. They soon developed alternative technologies to make up for the lack of supplies from Earth.

During the isolation the complex system of Engineer Guilds developed. These Guilds were responsible for preserving technical knowledge and skills as well as training technicians, miners and other specialists necessary for the Strongholds. The Guilds transcended the Strongholds, allowing every Stronghold to benefit from the preserved knowledge as well as new advances in technology.

During this age the Leagues first began to develop from Strongholds allied for trading and defense purposes.

====Age of Trade====

The Age of Trade took place during a slight abatement of the warp storms during the Age of Strife and led to the Squats encountering other races, including [[Orks]] and [[Eldar]].

At the beginning of the Age of Trade, some strongholds were attacked, but the aliens quickly realized that the Squats [[RIP AND TEAR|were armed to the fucking teeth and prepared to go down fighting]], and that trade was a more practical arrangement. [[Just As Planned|The Squats took full advantage of their tremendous mineral wealth, which they traded for weapons, foodstuffs and high-technology systems.]] To this day, Squat hydroponic plants, [[Heresy|developed with Eldar help]], are among the most efficient food sources in the Imperium. The Squats remained carefully neutral in the numerous conflicts between Eldar and Orks, maintaining trade links with both sides. There were inevitably small wars from time to time, but for the most part the Squats' complex structure of treaties and trade agreements maintained a stable peace.

====Age of Wars====

The Age of Trade lasted for nearly three millennia, but finally collapsed when an enormous Ork battle-fleet, under the command of Grunhag the Flayer, attempted a full-scale invasion of the Homeworlds. Losses on both sides were astronomical, with vicious tunnel-fights through the mine workings and bloody pitched battles in the Squats' underground settlements. The Squats appealed to their Eldar trading partners for help against the invading Orks, but none was received.

The Age of Wars, as it became known, is regarded by the Squats as the blackest chapter in their history, and the double betrayal by Orks and Eldar gave rise to a cultural enmity which still persists. Many strongholds were wiped out by the Orks, and the traditional epic ballad known as The Fall of Imbach commemorates one such destruction. Even today expeditions are mounted from the Squat Homeworlds in search of lost strongholds, and these expeditions are often accompanied by Adeptus Mechanicus priests, eager to rediscover lost Squat technology to [[Blood Ravens|'burrow from'.]]

====Age of Rediscovery====

The Age of Rediscovery was the most recent phase of Squat history, corresponding to the Great Crusade and the current Age of the Imperium. As the Imperium recovered from the Age of Strife and began to reunite the scattered worlds of humanity, the Squat Homeworlds were rediscovered and contact with the Imperium was established.

The Imperium found that a distinct culture had developed on the Homeworlds, and that the Squats had moved outwards through the galaxy, extending their domains. Often they settled harsh planets similar to their own Homeworlds, but they also occupied more conventional worlds able to support normal Human civilization.

====Age of the Imperium====

The current phase in Squat history. It essentially details the various treaties between the Squats and the Imperium.

The experiences of the previous millennia has left the Squats with a strong sense of cultural unity and a fiercely independent nature, and instead of rejoining the Imperium as subject worlds, the Homeworlds negotiated a series of treaties which enabled them to keep their independence. The racial character of the Squats - hard-working, tenacious, honorable, and inimical to alien races - was almost perfect from the Imperial point of view, and the Imperium was content to allow them a great degree of self-government.

A detailed description of their relationship can be read below.

===Squat-Imperium Relations===
[[File:Squat-homeworlds-800px.jpg|480px|right|thumb|Galactic map of the Squat Homeworlds.]]
First contact with the Squats by the Imperium began during the [[Great Crusade]] as the Emperor's forces reached the worlds near the galactic core. Many of these worlds were the Squat Homeworlds and, Squats being Spess Dorfs and Spess Dorfs being just regular Dorfs with tech, conflict became inevitable. Suffice to say, the [[Space Marine]] legions [[Rape|got their shit kicked in]]. Who would have wondered, that 8-foot tall supersoldiers would have trouble trying to fight in 5-foot by 5-foot tunnels with no cover whatsoever. Here's a fun hint, Empy's forces got creamed so hard it led directly to the development of the Mark 3 [[Power Armor]].

The Emprah with all his infinite wisdom, decided that being on friendly terms with midgets all armed with D-Cannons and rapid-firing plasma machineguns is probably a good idea rather than engaging a war that might as well be the Imperium's Vietnam. So a treaty was signed to sweep the whole 'first-contact shenanigans' under the bus and get back to business.

The Squat Homeworlds as aforementioned, have long been part of the Imperium, but enjoy a level of autonomy greater than the ordinary self-governed Imperial world. Hell, the Squats are so autonomous that not even the [[Administratum]] can touch them. Instead, Squat Homeworlds are ruled by strongholds of leagues.

Nonetheless, the Homeworlds, while governing themselves without interference from the Adeptus Terra, are expected to follow Imperial policy on wider issues. Both the Imperium and the Squats benefit from this arrangement: the Homeworlds provide troops for the [[Imperial Guard]]. The Imperial Guard also provides military support to the Homeworlds when necessary, as they would any other threatened Imperial worlds (Space NATO). Additionally the Squats trade their mineral wealth exclusively with the Imperium in return for some sweet, sweet moolah. The [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] are highly interested in the Squats and the Homeworlds for several reasons: Squats possess a high level of technical expertise which seems to come naturally to the race. Additionally, the Homeworlds as a whole possess the greatest amount of surviving [[STC]] equipment in the Imperium. The Squats are said to allow the Adeptus Mechanicus free access to Squat technology. However it is also said the Squats keep their technology from other races, regarding the Adeptus Mechanicus as little more than sorcerers mired in superstition.

The relationship between the Homeworlds and the Imperium is therefore generally peaceful, although through history has been punctuated by bouts of war and bitterness. The Squats and the Imperium trade to their mutual benefit. Both races also share many enemies, especially [[Orks]], making it in their best interests to cooperate. The Squats do not follow the Imperial Cult, rather they revere their ancestors. Squats fighting alongside the Imperial Guard often adopt the Emperor into their beliefs, as a guardian of their ancestors.

Squat technology is based upon the heavy mining equipment they brought with them to the Homeworlds. During their isolation from the rest of humanity they adapted it for other uses, notably exo-armour which was engineered from heavy mining suits. Squats continued to innovate and invent while humanity sank into a Dark Age. As a result, the Squats have developed technologies such as [[Wat|neo-plasma]] and warp cores far in advance of anything the Imperium owns. Some Squat technologies were absorbed into the Imperium, especially tunneling vehicles and weaponry such as the [[Tunneling Transport Vehicles#Termite|Termite.]]

===Strongholds===
Strongholds are Squat settlement centres. They were generally founded during the original colonisation and those produced later are known as ''Newholds''. Strongholds also often join together under Leagues to form defensive pacts.

Generally a Stronghold develops around a mine and its associated living quarter although some later developments were not associated with mining. A hereditary Lord ruled each stronghold and was protected and supported by the [[Hearthguard]]. The [[Hearthguard]] were the elite of a Squat army and the servants to the Lord while also protecting the Lord when he went to war. Each Stronghold had a group of [[Squat Trooper|Brotherhood or War-Brethren]] which formed the core of the Squat armed forces for the Stronghold. Every Squat had an obligated 30-70 year service period although they may not be called upon to fight until they had sired two sons and raised them to maturity. This helped protect the continuity of the race from the Stronghold's military activities. A Squat could then retire from active duty with his honor and probably some wealth and take up a position of responsibility in his family's business.

The Brotherhood was often also seen as a mercenary force. In times of peace warriors were traded for resources to either fight for the Imperium or for other strongholds. Another member of the aristocracy was the [[Squat Warlord|Warlord,]] a close relative of the Lord who was there to be placed in control of the Brotherhood in order to prevent Lords from wielding too much power and sending their troops into battles they should not be fighting. Other Lords would send their Brotherhoods on expeditions which range from locating other ancient and lost strongholds to a campaign against an alien race or piracy. Some Brotherhoods had totally turned to piracy and become known as Squat Reavers. When they returned to their stronghold they distributed the booty between the pirates and the Lord of the Stronghold.

Squats had a requirement to provide forces for the Imperial Guard and this often took the form of a detachment of the Brotherhood.

===Leagues===

So what are Leagues? Well, in a nutshell, they are groups of strongholds working together for a common purpose - usually mutual defense - trade or dealings with the Imperium. Leagues varied greatly in size, the smallest consisting of four Strongholds and the largest consisting of over three thousand. The League of Thor was the most powerful and influential, including over 300 strongholds. The League of Norgyr was the league closest to Holy Terra. Now, under the new lore there exists the [[Leagues of Votann]], each formed around a [[Votann]] ancestor core. Votann-equipped leagues seem to be the only survivors as full scale polities in the Imperium, but at least some clans are known to have survived, usually working as engineers, miners and mercenaries.

A League usually encompassed the Strongholds on more than one planet with the latest extant being 700 known Leagues total. Each League was led and dominated by a single Stronghold. As some Leagues were virtually nations with distinct cultures, Squats often identified themselves with the League their Stronghold belonged to.

The Squats had a strong sense of mutual preservation, as it had been known for rival leagues to go to war with each another. Such occasions could lead to lasting enmity, as Squats were inclined to remember deeds of infamy for many generations much like the Book of Grudges from [[Warhammer Fantasy]]. The League of Thor and League of Grindel fought an unusually bitter war around 2,000 years ago when settlers from both sides clashed over the exploration of the Lost Stronghold of Dargon. The war that followed resulted in the destruction of several Strongholds and many key victories for the League of Thor including the capture of two other Leagues. Peace only came with the huge Ork invasion of Grunhag the Flayer which obliged all the Leagues to unify against their mutual foe. Although the war ended with the rout of the Orks, the two Leagues remained distrustful rivals and both sides considered the other side owing them debts of blood and honor.
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==Reboot Fluff==
This section details the new and updated fluff from 2022 onwards. This deals with the Leagues and their similar but new background for the modern 40k narrative.
===History===
[[File:Votann meeting.jpg|500px|thumb|right|[[Star Wars|200,000 clones are ready with a million more well on the way.]]]]
Even though the oldest living Kin don’t remember what their earliest days were like, some undeniable “First Truths” remain constant in the Votanns’ data tracks. One such truth is that the First Ancestors departed from ancient Terra prior to the Unification Wars to harvest the untold riches of the galaxy with the first holds being settled near the galactic core. What became of these Ancestors is unknown, but curiously when the Ancestors begun to fade away…the Votann are first mentioned.

A second First Truth is that the Kin have always been a cloned people. The Ancestors used genetic systems called “cloneskeins” to [[Transhumanist|manipulate and modify their race’s molecular structure]], and continue to define their overall division of labor. Over time the Kin became squatter, denser, and stronger, growing no more than five feet tall max. They’ve even been able to artificially neuter their [[psyker|psychic]] footprint to avoid the attention of [[Chaos]], in a not too dissimilar fashion to how the [[Tau]] souls work. Other examples of this engineering can be seen in the Hearthkyn Warriors, who often are also engineered with particular cloneskeins that allow them to specialise in combat – heightened senses, improved stamina, and the ability to see better in the dark, to name but a few. In contrast, others augment their bodies for battle with mechanical limbs and synthetic organs, with members of the powerful Cthonian Mining Guilds being noted as extensive users of these body modifications. This is not that unexpected as that particular guild (which is noted as being a particularly extreme embodiment of the usual belligerent acquisitiveness of the Kin) is willing to fearlessly locate, secure, and harvest resources for their race from environments so dangerous that even other Kin would balk at their hazards leading to a need for extensive augmentation on their part. Because of all the above, some fans are now speculating that GW is tying the [[Men of Stone]] thread to the modern Squat civilization (either to the Squats themselves or to the Votann) given the [[Men of Gold]] and [[Men of Iron]] have already been speculated to be [[Perpetual]]s and [[Machine Spirit|abominable intelligence]]. It is also revealed the Leagues also have the “Iron Kin,” their fully-mechanical and true AI robot social class, who were designed with a prerogative to help their meaty cousins. This along the mention in some Kin myths of a “group of gleaming golden figures” relative to the first Votann (sometimes referred to as the the Gilded One), means this theory of the Kin being the Men of Stone could bear all the more weight.

At some point during the reconstruction after the Horus Heresy, the ancestors of the Ironhead Squats arrived from the Leagues to help with rebuilding efforts on Necromunda. However they somehow lost their Votann ancestor core in the process and so they ended up having to stay on the world long after the rebuilding was done so they could try and track it down, a search which still continues to this day and has resulted in them regressing technologically in the mean time. Maybe someone should tell them to go search Van Saar's basement.
On many other Imperial worlds, the Kin have even been states to show up in pre Imperial records, truly showing that the Leagues are a deeply ancient set of orders with even deeper roots that spread all across the galaxy.

With the formation of the Great Rift, the Leagues had lost a few holds and trade routes, pressuring them into expanding and gaining new trade routes, endorsing new colonization efforts, and slowly withdrawing from their semi isolated state.

During the events of the Arks of Omen, Ark Infernal Threnody was ruthlessly picked apart and dismantled by the Kronus Hegemony league after a failed voyage into the galactic core. Around the same time, one of Abaddon's battlefleets under Lady Maeve of House Grendyl, arrived in the Polyhadra system with the expectations of easily conquering a world and acquiring a key fragment from the hands of a ramshackle Ork empire. The Greater Thurian League had instead long beaten them to the punch, to the point of having a thriving enclave in the system. Anything resembling ork occupation was reduced to wreckage bolts floating in the void, and the world they sought for was long sliced apart by the Kin. The key fragment itself had already vanished into the churning machineries of the Kin's colossal mining ships, with the fragments psychic spoor leading into the galactic core. Before she would pursue the fragment however, Maeve's twisted honor code demanded she punish the Kin for their interference. And soon, savage battle raged across every surviving world in the Polyhadra system.

===Culture===

[[File:1657022781779.jpg|300px|thumb|right|I NEED MOAR]]

{{topquote|So, we're talking about space dwarfs who need more RAM for their gods?|Anon}}

In the modern day of the 41st Millennium, the culture of the Kin seems very egalitarian, with no distinction between male, female, machine or otherwise amongst its members. [[Greater Good|United in the guidance of the Votann, the Leagues of the Kin operate with seeming unity, with the Kin working in unison for the betterment of their Kindreds, or so it would appear to outsiders.]] The truth however is a little more complicated than that though.

The Leagues are semi unified conglomerates of "family states" (a cross between nation states and extended family) called Kindreds, guilds, Freelancers, and kinhost armies. While the Leagues are very communal and chummy with their fellow kin, this does not stop the dark influences of a past long gone from seeping into their civilizations.

Entire planets and even systems with ecosystems and civilizations stripped to the bone, regardless of the ethics. Global magna extraction and tectonic delving allows the Kin to harvest whole worlds, populated or not. Evacuation may be offered, but not always. Ferocious competition between Guilds and freelancers, who have taken on the mantle from dark age corporations, merc groups, independent contractors, and cartels and follow the philosophy of "When someone has what you want, why not take it." While the Kin do live to serve their fellow kin, their societies, and their ancestors, they are also filled to the brim with society-wide greed and hunger. As individuals, they may or may not have such hungers, but as communities they will devour entire worlds. Not even the universe itself will be enough for their wants. Negotiation is an alternative when dropping anchor and starting the harvesting would incur more cost in resources from defeating local resistance than a contract would entail, and the Kin have relocated species, traded technology, or taken more careful approaches to resource collection (read: not just shattering the planet and picking through the space dust for the minerals) in the past.

This does not mean they are the type to cut corners. Far from it. [[Grungni|Like their many Dwarven counter parts in other media, one of the things they appreciate is fine ass Craftmanship]]. No planned obsolescence, shoddy piss water, and easy to break communicators here. Only the best in quality is acceptable (or at least, the best they can make). And this is not even such a difficult feat for them. High quality mass produced goods is the norm for League society, with their high technology and industrial society. Many of their holds are even live-in factories, constantly churning out master crafted items at a constant pace. The Leagues overall conduct resource extraction, industry, and technology developments on a vastly larger scale, making the Imperium look puny in their developments by comparison. And unlike the imperium, they don't dig for the ore required, wasting time and lives (unless of course they actually have to occupy a world, then they'll mine, extract, manufacture, and bunker down to their hearts content on whatever occupied planetary body they are on). The Kin instead sees that whatever asteroid or world they are working on can just be torn apart, and the remnants plucked out the wreckage

But despite all their comforts, riches, and conveniences, they are still a hardy people who revere their ancestors and promote the importance of sacrifice throughout their society, willing to do whatever is needed for their Kin and ancestors.

===Morals and Virtues===
{{topquote|The stars are ours, bequeathed by the ancestors to us millennia ago. It is our duty, to all those who came before us, to reach out into them and stake our claim. No other race can fashion their resources into the technological marvels we can. It is a waste of their potential for any others to possess them.|The Kin}}
The Kin are a highly conservative race who are extremely focused on preserving their territories and secrets, as well as the survival of their entire species. This is the primary driving motivation for the majority of all Kin. They can be implacable enemies and valuable allies, but securing their aid, let alone getting them to change their minds on a subject, is fairly difficult. If they deem the motivation of another group to go against their interests, they will be more likely to treat them as foes rather than make friends.

The ancestry of the kin as void-bourne miners has led them to develop an unforgiving moral code. They have no tolerance for laziness, wastefulness, or incompetence. In the cold darkness of space, a filter changed too late, a weak seam missed, or a leaking water tank could kill an entire crew. Despite all their technology, the Kin have retained this perfectionist worldview, and such behaviors are treated as deadly sins. Furthermore, the Kin have adopted an extreme survivalist mindset. Leaving resources unharvested is seen as another form of waste, and they would would rather pause to strip a stellar body bare than leave it behind for someone else to find. This has gained them a reputation as selfish hoarders among some other species, but for the kin its simply prudent.

The Kin prize efficiency, and this can be seen in the way they coldly and quickly dispatch targets on the battlefield. [[Book of Grudges |Yet, paradoxically, they will go to extreme lengths in an effort to settle a grudge, as happened during the Five Hundred Years' War against Waaagh! Morbok. The Kin don't see this as a waste, as leaving a particularly hated or dangerous foe alive is not only a danger to the entire race but an affront to the ancestors.]] While far less touchy than [[The Grudge Of Drong|their Fantasy kin can be]] the key to surviving with the Kin is to [[Thorgrim Grudgebearer|offer enough resistance to be worth talking to]] but [[Ungrim Ironfist|not successful enough to warrant permanent deletion from the universe.]]

The Kin are natural explorers, and their culture compels them to return new information to the Votann. The Hernkyn fulfill this duty by plunging into the dark and undiscovered portions of the galaxy. These acts allow the Kin to find new resources to exploit as well as threats to neutralize before they become a danger. Others travel beyond the Galactic Core in search of opportunities for trade or profit.

The Kin's hatred of wastefulness means they see preserving ammo as a priority. As such, weapons such as the HyLas Rotary Cannon, which consumes a vast amount of power to use, is only given to the most trusted Hearthkyn.

===Technology===
{{topquote|I saw their ships grind up an entire asteroid cluster in a few hours. I've seen them reduce stars to nothing but the echoes of once-existent radiation. Before my eyes have their armies boiled up Ork tribes, cultist hordes and Tyranid swarms. Yet there is one thing I cannot understand - what in the Emperor's name is it about their systems that lets them tolerate Brü without chucking it all up again? One sip made me feel as if a super-heavy tank was driving over my stomach.|Some Rogue Trader}}
Let's not beat around the bush here; League technology is almost always a clear upgrade over the Imperium. While they didn't retain everything after the collapse of the golden age, they kept far more than their Imperial counterparts, to the point where they can at least echo DAoT society and its tech. While much of the Leagues' tech is reminiscent of the Imperium's in form and function, it is generally far more advanced, reliable and ubiquitous.

Kin gene-technology allows them to make stable mutations, psykers and even alter their souls. [[Cyberpunk|Cybernetic implants and genetic modification is the norm; advanced helper AI citizens walk the streets as equals.]] They have [[T'au|advanced ion weaponry]], something that terrified the shit out of the Imperium to the point where they just straight up [[Derp|banned it.]] Their guns hit harder and faster, so that even their basic infantry can prove to trouble for your average space marine. And unlike the Imperium's physically and politically unstable hive worlds with their overcrowded, polluted and crime-ridden hive cities, the League's Holds should be considered closer to actual fortified arcologies. Agri-worlds? Why grow your food using primitive farming methods when you could just grow your [[Meatbread|foodstuffs]] in factories, labs and indoor facilities?

[[Doom|Even Chaos avoids their territory.]]

Much of the kin arsenal makes use of exotic material not found outside the galactic core. This includes extremely hazardous materials like dark-star ore; the universal dampening field the material emits can halt all mechanical and organic functions making [[Grimdark|even the mildest of wounds lethal]]. Because of its inherent dangers, the material is mined and shaped with exceptional care and only wielded by those who can be trusted with such [[Plasma|tactically valuable yet dangerous weapons]]. Even their teleportation technology is almost flawless, standing in stark contrast to its incredibly risky Imperial counterpart and allowing Kin to be deployed [[Reasonable Marines|safely and tactically]].

Many kin weapons are augmented with HunTR modules, which connect to their neural implants to help [[Ork Snipers|bring about the best possible firing solutions.]] Their Brôkhyr have mastered the manufacturing of focusing lenses and other components necessary to produce a sustained stream of energy, leading to focused beam technology that can be used on and off the battlefield, such as their mining and excavation industries. Their exclusive Volkanite weapons are similar to imperial [[Volkite Weaponry|Volkite]] (and may even be closer to the ''original'' technology), with the key difference that they appear to be [[AWESOME|not only more powerful but also more common.]]

Ancestor Cores are so [[Bear Lore|big-brained]], in fact, that they actually shine in the warp, fulfilling a similar role to the astronomicon (albeit on a far smaller scale). The Leagues' warp drives and gellar field are also superior to those of the Imperium, but since they don't dive quite so headlong into the Warp their ships are generally slower than their Imperial counterparts. However, the kin's methods of warp travel are far safer and more predictable, which they feel outweighs the slower travel speed. And their ships are FUCK HUGE, to the point where they [[Dwarf|dwarf]] even the largest of the Imperium's interstellar vessels.

Shielding developments are also prevalent in the physical realm. Unlike conventional [[void shields]], weave-field generators employ techniques to overlap differing energy fields, interlocking over a range of frequencies and exotic energies. Weave field generators are compact, efficient and scalable, and can be used either as personal shields or projected onto entire areas, the latter of which which is useful for mining.

Other amazing devices include pan-specular scanners, which allow the Kin to find an enemy’s location not just physical objects, but through the warp. Even the most terrifying of galactic phenomena are reaped through atom-delving and transotheric resubstantiation; [[Tyranids|stellar siphons drain the stars themselves, as the cthonic mining guilds take whatever resources they need.]] They can even [[Necron|move entire planets.]]

Unfortunately, despite holding on to far more dark-age technology than most of humanity's other splinters, what the Leagues did lose was typically their knowledge of [[Golden Throne|how to make and maintain the really good stuff]] - things like the Votann themselves. Due to this, while they're closer to the technological pinnacle of dark-age humanity than the Imperium, the ongoing decay of the Votann cores threatens to sink them back to levels similar to their emperor loving cousins, while already slowing down much of their R&D to a crawl. As a result, they are stuck behind the Eldar and the Necrons technologically. But hey, at least they aren't on the Imperium’s level of decay, and are straight the Tau's supplier of Ion weaponry and other technologies.

Ironically, in comparison to both the adeptus mechanicus and their [[Thorek Ironbrow|Fantasy Counterparts, the Kin don't have a cultural problem with innovation and research,]] but rather a technical one thanks the Votann decaying and overloading. The traditions of the kin can be traced back to the dark age of technology, a time that was stated to have science as its god. As a result, their traditions call for more innovation and development, not less. Stubborn in favour of progress, not stagnation.

They also have variety of beverages called Brü, which range from mainstay nutro-rations for soldiers and miners, to [[Josef Bugman|devastatingly alcoholic recreational beverages]]. None are recommended without a Kin constitution.

===Aspects of League society===
*'''Leagues:''' Conglomerates of family states united for better economic and defensive potential. Competitive, but not to the point of self destruction and to the point where it gets in the way of productivity. Looks down on the Imperium, but trades and sometimes even works with them. Distrusts the Eldar because they are entitled bastards who are bad for business. Some are business partners with the Tau and gives them ion guns and other goodies. Loves their Votann to point of self sacrifice. Their numbers greatly outnumber the populations of the upstart tau and the dwindling Aeldari, yet their population is still far fewer than the Imperium's obviously (they are still described as having formidable and vast interstellar empires however). Loves their Galactic core due to its crazy amounts of wealth and minerals, and it being quite inhospitable to the other races but quite comfy for the Kin, as they were made from the beginning to live in it. There is no exact number of known Leagues, as the Kin see no use in keeping track of all of them. Can often be in nomadic fleets or living in spacefaring holds. Currently trying to fix up their broken trade routes after the Great Rift appeared. The Leagues are named in honour of the Votann themselves, who are also known variously as the Primal Ancestors, the Gilded Ones, or the Stoneminds. In some Kin myths, Votann was not one being but many, and is sometimes depicted as a group of gleaming golden figures, or a wheel of graven stone faces. In other myths, the Votann fashioned the first crucibles, then raised the Kin up and sent them sailing into the dark void - before oceans of fire and flesh rose to swallow the. Some myths speak of Votann as eldest and wisest of the First Ancestors, themselves shadowy presences ill-defined and shown in many different forms - both humanoid and otherwise - where they are depicted at all. With typical pragmatism, the kin accept that their myths are too contradictory, allegorical, and suspect to be cited as possessing a definite basis of fact.
*'''First Ancestors:''' The DAOT colonists (engineers, miners, etc) who journeyed to the galactic mineral-rich core in generation ships as part of a large colonization effort from old Terra. The first ancestors are cited to be agents of change, and held responsible for the majority of the stable mutations - collectively known as cloneskeins - that run through the kin gene pool. Why did they not return to the heartlands of their race is unclear. From the fact that so many Kin fleets plunged into the galactic core within a period of only a few centuries, it might be inferred that a deliberate choice was made. It is during this period that the last references to the first ancestors can be found. Not much else is know about them besides the fact they disappeared when the Votann first appeared...
*'''[[Votann]]:''' Super-cogitators, which contain Gestalt repositories of unimaginable inherited wisdom and knowledge, along with [[Spirit stone|Ancestor Cores]] with their self-organizing datastacks and quantum infocores. They communicate with the Kin via a tangle of arcane technology called a "Fane" and through the special class of Kin psyker priests called the Grimnyr. All members of the Leagues after they pass on are returned and recycled by the ancestor cores in somber ceremonies, both mind, and body. Even the ironkin are not immune to this fate, as while they are long-lived, they will eventually slow down to a crawl and breakdown. The minds and uploaded data are kept in the Votann, while the bodies are recycled to make new kin. They are currently breaking down and developing [[Machine Spirit|"personalities"]], with calculations that normally took hours taking decades, if not centuries to complete. However they can still be modified by the Kin (often at the Votann’s request). Curiously, they also serve another purpose of acting as mini [[Astronomican|Astronomicans]] for the Leagues, due to their vast intellect literally shining in the warp. Has been stated that the "Votann belong to the Kin as Kin belong to the Votann". Often act more like advisors and repositories (none of them have been leaders). Due to their degradation and age, some of the Votann have even lost the ability to produce more Kin (Brokhyrs and Ironkin Guilds can produce more ironkin, but they are of lower quality than what the ancestors could create). The ancestor cores have also been stated to have been on the first generation ships.
**'''Fane:''' The grimnyr interface in Arcane technological structures called Fanes. A space of timeless devices and quiet contemplation, at the heart of which lies a complex tangle of machinery that is part altar, part interface. It is said that these machines were simply nodes through which the wisdom of the Votann flashed with the speed of thought from one voidcraft to another. They still fulfill this practical purpose. Culturally though, Fanes have taken on a greater spiritual significance to the Kin, so that now they are viewed as places where one stands in full regard of the Ancestors, and where the presence of the Votann lies heavy and Sombre. Indeed, through arcane technological processes that even the Kin do not fully understand, there have been instances recorded of fanes miraculously developing artificial intellect in their own right, and joining the ranks of the Votann themselves. These occurrences of miraculous self awareness are cause for great honour and celebration amongst the Kin in whose Hold they occur. By comparison though, more than one Votann has degenerated in recent centuries until they have become little more than Fanes themselves. To witness such a decline is a terrible tragedy for the Kin.
*'''Grimnyr:''' Kin psykers that wield massive amounts of power. Capable of accessing "empyrically archived" Votann wisdom. They are probably deeply tied to the Votann and represent them in their wing of the Leagues governments. <s>Probably</s> <s>Definitely</s> confirmed to have very long beards.

*'''Votannic Council:''' A League’s ultimate ruling body. Stubborn, and are slow to change their minds or come to decisions. Elections in the Leagues generally are extremely heated. Needed for full on wars (local conflicts excluded). The Votann are generally treated as part of the council, and they and their Grimnyr often serve as advisors. Every Kindred governs itself in a huge spherical chamber known as the Spakerönde. The ruling councils are called Hearthspake. The Hearthspake sees little of the politicking or self interested maneuvering that typifies man species political arenas. The Kin might be hard headed, but they are almost always earnest and honest in their desire to guide their kindred well.
**'''Guild Masters:''' Guild Leaders who have worked their way up through the Leagues meritocracy. Note that there can be multiple guild masters on the council.
**'''Brôkhyr Forge-Master:''' The absolute cream of the crop from the forges of the Leagues, they not only have proved their ability to create technological marvels,but over see their development as well. They also bring the fury of the Forge to the battlefield, delivering council to the warriors on the field as well.
**'''Lord Grimnyr:''' The ultimate representative of the Grimnyr, who embodies wisdom, guidance, and insight. The Lord Grimnyr acts as the voice of the Votann itself, acting as a walking conduit for both their lore and gestalt might. This role is not purely a ceremonial or advisory role, for it is incumbent upon the Lord Grimnyr to walk the battlefield as the eyes, ears, and voice of the Votann, dispensing wisdom to friends and allies, and unleashing the wrath of the Ancestors. It is not known how they are selected for the position.
**'''High Kâhl:''' The ultimate military commanders of the kinhost militaries. To be named High Kâhl is both a tremendous honour and a awesome responsibility. To be elected a High Kâhl, the incumbent must go beyond just a tremendously capable warriors ,and a indomitable battlefield leader. They must master the cruel calculus of war itself.
*'''Kindreds:''' A combination between nation state and extended family, essentially the societies that make up the Leagues. Generally lives in holds (although it's population is encouraged to go travel throughout the galaxy and make their ancestors proud). They are very communal in nature, and their populations range from a couple dozen to the millions. Each one is governed by a Votannic council. Every kindred generally follows one of a handful of naming conventions. Generally, they are either named after the kindred's Votann or famed member, a geographical aspect of their home world, the kindred's primary purpose or business, or are simply numerical in their designation. Kindred of Naruun, the Iron Canyon Kindred, Orkbane Kindred, and Kindred Six are examples of each of these. In addition, every kindred shares foundational aspects which are called the Four Pillars:
*# Hearth: “the heart of the hold,” literally the heat and light their forges, recycle air, and let the kin thrive
*# Forge: Here everything the Kindred needs is built, from weapons to life-support systems
*# Fane: Where the Grimnyr interface with the Ancestor Cores
*# Crucible: Where new flesh and blood Kin are made, if not from a more natural method.
*'''Hearthspake:''' In a given hold, the Hearthspake is the governing body, no matter how big or small. They are a council comprised of Guild representatives of particular commercial groups, the hold's attendant Grimnyr, as well as the leaders of the hold's Kinhost, such as the Kahl.
*'''Kinhosts:''' The militaries/militias of the Leagues, made after the kindreds united and combined their militaries. Soldiers are typically drawn from the civilian populous, but are not restricted to kinhosts only, as depending on their decision (after they completed their oath of service to their Kâhl), the soldier may return to civilian life after they have done their service. Objectives range from protecting colonization efforts, protecting resources extraction operations and other guild/kindred interests, and overall defense to annihilating entire worlds because they know too much. Has a slightly overall civilian look to them (but are still more deadly than Imperial forces). The forces within the kinhosts militaries (called oathbands), are extremely flexible on what they consist of. Some of these oathbands can even consist entirely of mercenaries.
**'''Kinhost commanders/senior Officers:''' The military leaders of the Kinhost militaries that rank below the High Kâhl.
*'''Guilds:''' The overall backbone of the Leagues. Independent commercial groups. Builds holds and everything else. Regulates and manages almost everything, and oversees fair competition (but are not necessarily overbearing). Does not like cutting corners. Very competitive and ruthless in general. Is unofficially apart of the government. Typically doesn't leave their own holds. Does not like Freelancers and outcasts (and the occasional rival guild). Every aspect of life and production is affected by the guilds. Clonskin guilds exist and work to improve upon and stabilize cloneskins. Ironkin Guilds exist as well.

*'''Freelancers:''' Independent contractors, mercenaries, traders, explorers, plumbers, etc. Does the same thing as the guilds except with less political influence and resources. Not too fond of guilds

*'''Holds:''' The homes of the Leagues and its organizations and populous. Typically enclosed and fortified, holds vary in type and size. Can range from underground tunnels and narrows, to fortified bunkers and live in factories, to hive cities and ecumenopolises. Also comes in the form of space stations, asteroid colonies, and ships. Industrial and high tech in nature, yet typically very cozy with a lot of empasis on community, closeness, and interaction. Essentially hive cities except not shit and on steroids. Contains "Hearths", which act as the hearts of the holds, providing heat, light, and recycled air, and overall let the kin thrive. Hearths also act as reactors for the Kins holds, powering up all their electrical needs.

*'''Kin in general:''' The general population of the Leagues. Mainly consists of ironkin, fleshkin, and clonekin (although, there could be more). Tough as nails, and artificial in nature. Comes from "crucibles" (which they prefer due to regular reproduction diluting the genetic quality of offspring. Generally enhanced by both biological and cybernetic means. Very intelligent and industrious. Loves their ancestors to death. Loves their Kin and kindreds. Loves making their master crafts. Loves living in their fortified holds (but will go out into the galaxy to serve the ancestors, their guilds, and their communities). They get to pick their own names (excluding their family names, which they get from the names the crucibles has attached to it, and its considered rude to change), and gain more throughout their life from fellow kin like "Orkslayer". Loves their individuality and mutations (although some cloneskin templates and mutations can actually lower the lifespan of a clonkin, along with [[Star Wars|clonekins who had their production accelerated]]). Far from uncommon for them to get plenty of physical alterations. They were also made to resist and endure the warp and its corruptions, dampening their souls (note: they are masking their souls brightness, not actually dimming down their souls) for better protection. They also have high amounts of white blood cells, which allows them to greatly resist disease, imbibe higher amounts of alcohol, and heal swiftly. Some can see in infrared.

*'''[[Ironkin]]:''' The League have [[Men of Iron]] now, or at least true AIs. Appears to be comparable to a Servitor, although distinctly described as being treated as equal to the fleshy Kin. The Ironkin can mimic their living counterparts’ every behavior and demeanor, but display no sense of ambition and are hard-wired with a desire to be helpful. Their bodies are all built for a unique purpose and cannot be easily replaced should they be damaged. One such purpose are the Wayfinders, which are the supercomputer, squatty equivalent of Imperial [[navigator|navigators]], allowing the Kin to traverse the Warp without the need of psykers, and thus reduce the threat of daemonic incursions. All ironkin have a CU, or Cerebral Unit, and a mechanical body, both of which are unique to each individual ironkin. The CU's themselves are nigh indestructible (with microfield generators woven into the structure of the unit), and can send out distress beacons. Since Kin are Kin, these are high priority for recovery.

*'''[[COG|COGs]]:''' Are essentially the lower forms of AI, automata, and algorithms the Leagues possess. Akin to tau drones (yet still more advanced). Does much of the menial jobs and such in the Leagues, along with being utilized in combat as well, and overall helps automate the Leagues of Votann. Probably still treated better than servitors (especially considering they look like ironkin).

*'''Outcasts:''' Hippies, lone wolves, academic heretics, illegal experimenters, and other scourges of bureaucracy. They're either those who have had their entire faction [[Blackshield|wiped out]] or have been cast out of League society. Seeing how the philosophy and religion of the Leagues involve all Kin experience live before returning in mind and body to the Ancestor Cores, it's considered a death sentence the same way the Path of the Outcast and the Path of Damnation are to the Craftworld Aeldari.

===Known Leagues===
[[File:VotannMap.jpg|450px|right|thumb|Leagues of Votann Astrography of the Galactic Core.]]
*'''The Major Leagues:''' These are the ones represented the most in the codex, earning unique rules and wider sections of lore. i.e., they're the pre-built subfactions one can choose when mustering an army.
**'''Greater Thurian League:''' One of the original founding Leagues and the poster boy League. Has a teal color scheme. Largest of the Leagues, spreading over a wide expanse of the galactic core and very influential on the other Leagues. Includes over 200 allied kindred holds, and it contains the biggest guild. Very wealthy and expansionist, they have a lot of military might and resources at their disposal and they want to expand their reach. Their members think they epitomize what it means to be Kin. Are uncompromising with their mercenary attitude. Apparently, their grim, methodical pragmatism is an inspiration to other Leagues. The Kin’s special character Ûthar the Destined hails from this League, as does the Legends character Yoht Grendok.
***'''Known Kindreds:''' [[Deep Rock Galactic|Deep Rock Kindred]], a kindred belonging to the GTL, and participating in War Zone: Orgvayr; the Kindred of Vortun, Uthar the Destined's very own home, and therefore also part of the GTL
***'''Known Holds:''' Obsyd Gate, belonging to the Kindred Vortun, and the birthplace of Uthar the Destined; Grand Hall; Hold Silver Six; Demmak's Haven; Crimson Gulf, known for its size and indomitable walls.
**'''Urani-Surtr Regulates:''' A determined League constantly being invaded by groups of Orks, Tyranids, and Necrons, despite this the League is determined to fight to the last person standing. Their colors are greens and brown. Their kin live on the minimum and are currently at war with the Necron Dynasty of Samnokh. Are stoic, pragmatic, and abhor waste like most other Leagues, though they are noted for being less concerned with the cost of lives and material for battle to prevent giving up ground. Likes to keep their population counts high for their oathbands. [[Slayers of Karak Kadrin|No kin admitted to the Urani-Surtr Regulates has ever left.]]
**'''Trans-Hyperian Alliance:''' The most puritanical in their worship of the Ancestors. Sacrifice has more importance to them than the other leagues. Their colors are mostly orange and white. They enjoy collecting data and new info for their Votanns. They are a nomadic league, spread out not only across the galactic core but beyond, into far space with their 3 Votanns being stored in heavily armed ships. Their prospectors are known for venturing the width and breath of the galaxy in search of resources, and the League’s Hernkyn Pioneer riders are extremely skilled and considered genuinely exceptional by the other Leagues. This lifestyle is driven by the requirement to enrich their Votanns, which for the Trans-Hyperian Alliance is a reward in and of itself.
***'''Known Kindreds:''' Nothka's Kindred, which is based outside of three planets that got slammed into each other, which is metal as fuck; Kindred of Liminus Crag, famous shipwrights who produce swift voidcraft and atmospheric gunships; Ukulak's Kindred, where every member has served at least a decade as an honored Hernkyn.
***'''Known Holds:''' Sunder Stair, home of Nothka's Kindred.
**'''Kronus Hegemony:''' Also known as Kôrynn’s Kindred they are the most militaristic and aggressive league (to the point of being aggressive even to other leagues). Their color scheme is yellow and black. They are a relatively new league formed less than millennium ago. [[Awesome|Ork WAAAGH!s, Tyranid swarms, and many other threats have been broken by the mighty kinhost of the Kronus hegemony]]. They are known for having a harsh reputation, due to their strictness and quotas. The formation of their league was due to their League’s Fane (computer systems) achieving self-awareness and transforming into a full blown Votann which has subsequently been demanding the Hegemony should always be gathering resources; Kindreds that join have to pay a hefty price to join and then have to pay hefty tributes through conquest. They also already pissed off the other Leagues in territorial disputes. Despite their reputation, they are still seen as a boon for the other Leagues due to their defensive capabilities.
**'''Ymyr Conglomerate:''' A massive and ancient power bloc. Has a red color scheme. Few value quality craftsmanship more than the Ymyr conglomerate. They have long ventured beyond the core trading and operating all over the galaxy. They are the richest League, having the best living standards to boot. Even for the other Leagues, they appear decadent. They also have a higher amount of high-quality weaponry and equipment for their kinhosts.
***'''Known Kindreds:''' Orkbane Kindred, known to have harnessed super intense spectra from their host star to power their forges, resulting in uber powerful weapons.
***'''Known Holds:''' Brokhfyre, on the world of Tamakh, and owned by the Orkbane Kindred.

*'''The Lesser Leagues:''' These are the ones that exist in the background lore, likely never receiving anything more than the occasional few lines of text and implications to the wider lore.
**'''Seran-Tok Mercantile League:''' Has risen to prominence and profited greatly from trade with the T’au Empire. <s>Probably</s> confirmed to be the Demiurg.
**'''Grand Orion Compact:''' Their Votann was destroyed by Orks from WAAAGH! Morbok resulting in a grudge against the greenskins and starting a 500 year long war of extermination against the members of that WAAAGH! Known to contain the Hold of Oriakh's Irongate Kindred, which was also destroyed by the WAAAGH!
**'''Emberg Agnir Bloc:''' Destroyed by Tyranids. Their Votann absorbed their biomass to deny the Tyranids their prize as revenge, which drove the Votann mad, turning it into "The Mad Core", which causes fluctuations in the Warp impeding travel near their former hold, which brings up a lot of fluff questions of its own. How exactly does a mechanical supercomputer ''assimilate'' an entire hold/league? Was it something like [[Forge World|Lucius]], where the Mechanicus holed themselves up underneath the surface, [[Tomb World|using teleportation to send their forces up and retrieving the shatted out mechanical bits back later]]? Or is this some weird techno-vore thing [[Grimdark|where all the dorfs jumped into an acid vat so their biomass could be used by their god?]] Either way, their Votann may have been one of the few Cores left able to react quickly, not that it'll be of much use now. Probably a callback to the original demise of the Squats.
**'''Ghulo Industrial Complex:''' This League is forever adding new systems and planets to their impressive holdings, and are skilled in transforming even the most barren of worlds into productive and valuable assets. Pours almost all of their time and energy into maintaining trade routes, and keeping their convoys of heavy haulers and escort ships moving along them. This League contains several extremely large and powerful Cthonian guilds, whose influence in the Hearthspakes is such that they're virtually the defacto rulers of the Ghulo Industrial Complex as a whole. Also owns the hold of Delvegard.
**'''Typhon-Styx Protectorate:''' A League that is renowned for their indomitable fortifications. Their oathbands lean towards steady and relentless strategies, advancing from one position to the next, and allowing waves of enemy counter attacks to smash themselves apart against swiftly-raised ramparts and tanks, dug in as temporary bunkers. Their holds are exceptionally [[Imperial Fists|fortified]].
**'''Grendl Dominance:''' An overly warlike League.
**'''Jotun-Erydani Combine:''' A League that is renowned for their Craftmanship and forging. Is a strongly meritocratic and Brôkhyr centric society.
**'''Kapellan League:''' Had their ancestors degenerate into Fanes. Spent years mourning.
**'''Balor-Attal Conglomerate:''' Had their ancestors degenerate into Fanes. Spent years mourning. Is in the process of disintegrating.
**'''Tehys Expanse:''' A extremely wide spread League. It's Kindreds [[ComStar|maintain contact by means of a singularity potent interstellar communications network, whose proprietary technologies they will only lease to other Leagues for a substantial fee.]]
**'''Sigma-Drakoni Union:''' [[Saim-Hann|A martially inclined League that prizes honorable combat greatly. It's Kinhosts are held to a strict code of conduct at all times, and take an unusual degree of pride in their heraldy and decorative insignia.]]
**'''Pan-Telluric Commonwealth:''' A exceptionally egalitarian society.

===Kin Space===
As previously stated, the section of the galaxy most dominated by the Leagues of Votann is predominantly in and around the galactic core, where black holes, dense gravity worlds, and freshly-born stars are frequent. There are many aspects of Kin space that need to be listed, but due to page bloat, they'll get condensed so as to be be precise with the knowledge.
*'''Unaffiliated Kindreds:''' Khald's Star Breaker Kindred; Kindred Crimson; Skalfi's Kindred; The Kindred of Narunn; Vykat's Kin; Kindred of Echodark; The Thousand Stars Kindred; Iron Canyon Kindred; Star-Delver Kindred; Kindred of Ork Slayers; Yoht's Black Pillars Kindred; The Kindred Stoic of Nightgulf; Kindred Six; Kindred Eleven-D; the Void Striker Kindred (Destroyed by Maelstrom Orgvayr); Lakhryr's Kindred (destroyed by Maelstrom Orgvayr); Karkyr Stellar Nursery; Yenna's Kindred; Kindred of Aarnok; Sylakh's Kindred, who are rivals with Kindred Six.
*'''Holds:''' Broken Triplets (three hold worlds); Sunder Stair Void station hold; Tamâkh; Brôkhfyre; Crimson Gulf; Cynder Span;Delvegard; Demmâk's Haven; Grandhall; Hold Silver Six; Hyvôk's Kindred; Jâluk; Obsyd Gate; Ûrvymm's Bulwark; Vônyk's Hall of Hammers; Ymus-Solaryn.
*'''Known Mining Worlds:''' Törg, Darkstar Mines
*'''Known Guilds:''' Cthonian Mining Guilds, Yngvary Combined Logistics, Star-Rider Mercantile Confederation, Cthonian Guild of Kadokh.
*'''Enclaves:''' Human enclave of New Catachan

===Regions/Warp storms===
To most species, the galactic core is uninhabitable. Only the hardiest of species and civilizations could ever dream to live here. But should they survive, the great riches of the core will open to them.

In contrast to the Imperium, the Kin do not recognize the name "The Great Rift", believing it would lend further superstitious menace to a already menacing threat. The appearance of these warp storms has caused much havoc in the galactic core, from swallowing up entire kindreds, to aggravating local core xenos. Some refugees from these swallowed up kindreds were able to make it out thanks to pan-spectral arrays, which gave some small warning to said kindred refugees. Those who escaped told of holds falling into complete madness, and right on their heels were hordes of ravenous Chaos war fleets. These storms have made the already extraordinarily dangerous core even more deadly. Each warp storm within the galactic core is named after a translation of an archaic Terran monster. Örgvayr, meaning "ogre" in low gothic, is the largest and most notable of them, and is located on the north-eastern fringe of the Greater Thurian League's territory, consuming both the Void Striker and Lakhryr's kindreds. Other warp storms are Cölosyk, Gëirokh, Töroll, Öggh, and Cyklöp.

===Xenos in/near League territory===
*'''Orks:''' The Orks have long-been an enemy of the Kin, their own species-wide durability and sheer refusal to go away making them perhaps the only other species able to comfortably withstand the crushing weight of the galactic core. Being the main neighbors of the Kin, coupled with Orks being Orks and wanting a good punch up, has resulted in their species perhaps being the only thing the Kin consider to be an arch-enemy. With the Five Hundred Years war with WAAAGH! Morbok resulting in the destruction of a Votann, the stellar fleets of Bogg da [[Freebooterz|Freeboota]] King invading in the lieu of some warpstorms, and the neighboring Ork Empire of Morzag, all these things have solidified the Orks as constant pebble in the Kin's boot.
*'''Tyranids:''' "The Bane", as the Kin know the Tyranids as, has become somewhat of an intense threat/material opportunity for the Leagues in recent millennium. Hive Fleet Leviathan wiped out the entirety of the Emberg-Aegnir Bloc, resulting in the Mad Votann, and so earning the ire of the species. But at the same time, the Leagues hunt down hive fleet tendrils to harvest them for organic materials (likely their bio-metals and acids). Ultimately, they're treated more as a hazard than a direct enemy to fight with.
*'''Minor Species:''' The typical one-off species that exist to pad out the Galactic Core to make it less empty. Nothing is known about them other than their names and that they are taking the Great Rift as an opportunity to get antsy. They include the Septeryx, the Chrobdyr Ferrophagites (rust monsters lol) and the ominous Cult of Ohn.
*'''Other Big Players:''' With the Great Rift opening and swallowing a shit ton of Holds, many Kindreds and some Leagues have opted to scarper out of the Galactic Core and find new steading elsewhere. This vacuum has allowed an opening for the Imperium, the T'au Empire, and the Craftworld Eldar to move in on the territory, kicking up dust as they do and transgressing on the Kin's holdings.

===Noteworthy Kin===
*'''Ûthar the Destined:''' A great Kâhl from the Greater Thurian League that has a mysterious objective and destiny, prophesied to complete a great task. He’s a ruthless warrior armed with masterfully wrought weapons, including the legendary Blade of the Ancestors (which he got literally the day he was born on), and has a gift for assessing enemy foes.
*'''Yôht Grendok:''' An eager young up-and-coming Kâhl also from the Greater Thurian league. Yôht is armed with a unique, belt-fed Autoch-pattern combi-bolter and a forgewrought plasma sword. His gear is also noted as being decorated with fine gems, and topped by an ornate rampart crest decorated with leonine imagery. His miniature was among the exclusive merchandise released to commemorate the anniversaries of Games Workshop's Warhammer Stores in 2023 and Warhammer Legends rules allowed you to use his particular loadout in open, narrative, or matched play – or you could field him as a standard Kâhl.
*'''Kôrv Grudgekeeper:''' A kâhl of the Leagues of Votann's Greater Thurian League. He is known to be highly contemptuous of all the other intelligent species of the galaxy. This is largely because Grudgekeeper, as his name implies, keeps a [[Book_of_Grudges|list of grudges]].

===Relationship/interactions with other factions===

{{topquote|Alright listen to me, you mechadendrite molesting piece of shit. If you go any further with that rust stained trashcan lid you call a face, I'm gonna recycle your arse so hard, you won't be able to get hard in front of a toaster! I'm gonna shove my foot so far into your exhaust pipe, my foot is gonna have a free shoe polishing. Then I'm gonna shove that red hood in your face, and call you a hobo-copper. I will disassemble you with my fucking beard. And then I will reassemble you without your human parts! Because your flesh is weak, you twat!"<br>"... Sniff. That was uncalled for.| A typical Kin's greeting to a Mechanicus Skitarii}}

'''Galactic relations in general:''' The Kin will leave most of the denizens in the galaxy alone, so long as they aren't getting in-between what the Kin want. The Leagues of Votann trade outside the core through a range of names, though these are rarely of their choosing this has caused confusion and misunderstanding over who these mercenary adventurers really are. To those who are in their way however (unwillingly or not), the Kin are a tough nut to crack. Even far from the more secure area that is the galactic core, the Kin are a armoured, fortified, bunkered down, advanced, and tactical juggernaut. More often than not, the Kin succeed in their conflicts, and even the more major players of the galaxy find them difficult. On occasion, a resistant population may be deemed too strong for any conflict to be worthwhile, but most of the time any resistance will be swept aside or ignored. The Kin have no compunctions about tearing open the crust of a world whilst the population still dwells upon it, however sometimes a evacuation can be negotiated. To those on the kins good side, they are invaluable business partners. To those on their bad side, they are a force of ruthlessness and greed. As for the more esoteric side of things, the Kin look at the Emperor, Khaine, and the Chaos Gods in the same lens: “not my horse, not my race”.

'''Ironhead Squat Prospectors:''' See each other as distant cousins who can share a pint in the pub and complain about the Aeldari.

'''Tyranids:''' In the Imperium of Man, the Tyranids hunt ''you'', in the Leagues of Votann, the League hunt ''Tyranids''. Known to the Leagues as “The Bane” the Kin are wary of the Nids and have gain a grudging respect for their effectiveness and adaptability. Whilst the Nids still view the Kin as biomass ripe for devourment. the nids' themselves also stay clear away from them as the Leagues are known to scout out and hunt down ''entire Tyranid hive fleets'' to harvest their resource bounties. Moreover, the high technological levels and large presence of automatons makes fighting the League a sunk-cost fallacy for the Tyranids such as in one example with the Northstar cluster, where the bioforms exhibited an odd nesting behavior not seen elsewhere. They have proven difficult to eradicate and have brought devastation to the Urani-Surtr Regulates. The Kin see the danger of the Tyranids they pose to their territories, following the destruction of the Emberg Agnir Bloc. It was made up of a few dozen kindred and found themselves in the path of hive fleet Leviathan. The League was wiped out. The Votann was left untouched. It absorbed the bodies of its fallen Kin to deny the Tyranids the biomass, and was driven mad, becoming the mad core, and causing fluctuations in the warp that disrupt travel. Nevertheless, such endeavors still prove too risky for the Tyranids and, given the League's habit and skillful speacialty of hunting their fleets down like giant whalers; the Hive Mind has put the League on the same level as the Necrons in terms of GTFO or DIE!.

'''Tau:''' The Spess Dorfs are the China to the Tau progressive imperial japan. They view the Leagues as grand benefactors and business partners of the Greater Good and the Tau Empire - although they could certainly improve their viewpoints and dedication to the cause. They are also really happy with their new technology they received from the Leagues, with their ion technology being extremely popular among the Tau's forces. The Leagues see the Tau as a very naïve and young people, although they appreciate the value of the greater good as it shares similarities with their own philosophy, values, ethics and principles like putting the Kin first. The Tau is more than happy to pay the Leagues, though the Kin rarely share their more advanced tech and resorces. As an example, the Kin's ion tech is superior and far more compact than the Tau's. Thanks to the extreme naivety of the tau, the Tau actually think the few ships they see from the Leagues are all that is left of the Kin, following a invasion from the Tyranids. These rumors have been rebuffed by the Kin, much to the confusion of the Tau. The Kin see no value in enlightening them in this regard so long as they can continue to profit from trade with the naïve civilization. With the advances of the empire in the Chalnath expanse, there have been some minor clashes with the various factions of the Kin, which may have somewhat soured some local relations. Kind of. Nothing that money can't fix, though. Gold settles Grudges as easy as blood, even in space.

'''The Imperium of Man:''' View the Leagues as useful and good enough for trade, yet they think they are sketchy devianted abhumans who stray too far from the holy human form and are probably heretics, though they don't seem as quick or eager to put these ones down nor whip out any Exterminatus moves on them. On the world of Necromunda at least, they are looked down upon as Squats despite all they've done for the world. Likewise, the Leagues view the Imperium as a bunch of disappointing dumbfuck competitors - although they're still good enough for trade. Will surprisingly be honest about their usage of AI if pressed on it enough to come out and admit it (which of course it naturally pisses the Imperium off especially among the priesthood of the Mechanicus). On some Imperial worlds like Necromunda, the Kin have been there since their Imperial records started. Rogue traders are more than happy to deal with the Leagues, though their extravagant lifestyles are considered wasteful by the kin, and deals are made with governors of Imperial worlds and systems, for a suitable fee. The more zealous of the Imperium deem the Kin as entirely sovereign independent state of abhumans, if not Xenos. And at one point, the Demiurg had an automated mining facility that was infiltrated by the alpha legion. Overall, the Kin treat them as misguided cousins barely above other species.

'''Aeldari:''' [[Elf|Guess]]. They like to keep their meetings brief few and far between as the knife-ears aura of xenophobia, arrogance, pretentiousness and entitlement pisses the Kin off to no end, a humorous opinion given how the Kin can be just as greedily entitled towards “their resources” as any Eldar (See the ultimatum at page top).

'''Drukhari:''' [[Dwarf Fortress|Guess again]]. Unlike the Tau who were dumb enough to trust the S&M gimp suit wearing weirdass sick fuckheads at one point, the Kin are smart enough to not have wanted anything to do with the perverted pasty sweat goblins.

'''Harlequin:''' Weird creepy murderous chaotic clowns that are to be avoided if they can.

'''Aeldari Exodites:''' [[Avatar|Guess thrice]]. Although, the Kin actually do respect them for their more practical nature. Still more than happy to invade for resources though.

'''Necrons:''' The Necrons consider the Kin to be another upstart race, though with a level of trepidation. Not only are they considered remarkably dangerous foes to fight, but the Kin also delve deep into their worlds, breaking into tomb complexes, and plundering the rich harvest within. To the Kin, the metallic aliens are easy pickings while they sleep, and vicious foes when roused. Typically shoot on sight levels of diplomacy. They already war with the Urani-Surtr Regulates for control over one of its main worlds. The involved Necrons is the Samnokh dynasty.

'''Orks:''' The Orks are the Leagues most hated Foe, as not only are they pervasive, but they are also endlessly wasteful, fighting, destructive, mindlessly violent and ravaging what the Kin have built, and The Leagues have been as successful as every other civilization in eradicating the Orks. The Orks are not stopped by the dangers of the core regions, and Ork pirate raids are a particular concern, with Orks like Bogg Da Freeboota king and his numerous fleets pestering the Leagues. The Orks tendency to use whatever scrap they can get has led to the creation of the saying "a prize for a Ork", used to describe things or ideas that are worthless to the Kin. The 500 years' war was fought against WAAAGH Morbok after they overran the Grand Orion Compact's Hold of oriax iron gate kindred. The Votann in the hold was torn to pieces, the most widespread grudge in the history of the Kin was called, and the Compact spent the next five centuries hunting down every single Ork from WAAAGH Morbok.

'''Beastmen:''' Despite their Abhuman heritage, the Kin despise the Beastmen. The Kin see them in a similar vein as the orks, destroyers and defilers of their technologies.

'''Chaos:''' They find the Leagues to be a major pain in the ass as they actually have at least some ideas on how to deal with chaos unlike their Imperial counterparts. They dimmed their souls, use soulless A.I. to pilot through the warp, have top notch security, and live high quality and comfortable lives in their holds. They see little to even no chaos corruption in the Leagues and will probably see more losses than wins with them. The Kin of course are absolutely disgusted by them, and have little time for their gruesome and foolish activities.

'''The Adeptus Mechanicus:''' A series of mental breakdowns and cybernetic overloads occurs when Mechanicus members encounter the Leagues. Whether it's due to them seeing Heresy in the Leagues, or due to the many shinies the Leagues have, it doesn't matter. They will see the Leagues as major competition regardless of the reason and move to claim the shinies for themselves. To the Leagues, the Adeptus Mechanicus are rats scurrying around a scrap heap. Superstitious tech cultists living on the successes of their ancient betters whose ignorance makes them dangerous. The Kin avoid them whenever possible and are swift to eradicate them when needed, but only if deemed absolutely necessary. Considering incidents such as that with the ai of the spirit of eternity, this is a viewpoint that has quite a bit of validity to it (with very few known exceptions).

===Speculation/Theories===
The LoV being as new as they are, there's a lot going on about them that we don't know about. Particularly, how can certain aspects of the setting be connected to them to better help them conform to the whacky-tobaccy universe that is 40k. Until we get lore confirmations, various speculations and conspiracies will be listed here.
*'''Votann out in the Wild:''' As the biggest part of the Leagues and their lore, the Votann naturally draw a lot of attention to themselves, especially since some parts of the lore can now be comfortably assumed to be a Votann.
**'''The Van Saar STC:''' A bit of speculation around the Votann is if anything else in the setting will be retconned into/explained as being one. The most obvious candidate is the [[House Van Saar]] STC, described as being "large building" sized and "damaged" in that it's spewing out radiation, similar to the disrepair some Votann are said to be in albeit more extreme, and if it was a Votann it would explain why Squats are on Necromunda.
**'''The Votann are fueled by alcohol:''' Naturally, being dorfs, the dorfs need to fill the dorf computers with dorf juice in order for them to give dorf advice. How else are they supposed to run? Fission batteries and solar energy? That's [[elf|leaf-lover]] hippy dippy shit.
**'''Basis of the Cult Mechanicus:''' Considering how old the religion of the Adeptus Mechanicus is, as well as the age of the Votann themselves, its not too far of a stretch to assume that the concept of the Machine God could have sprouted from a Votann built and buried on Mars.

===Influences/Mythology/Aesthetic/Complaints===
*'''The greater rage:''' The 2001 release of the [[Tau]] was spurred with anger, confusion, and revulsion. Even to this day in the year 2022, you'll still see swathes of the community that seethe at the mere mention of the Tau, deeming them as "weaboo space communists who aren't grimdark enough", or simply "another vile xeno who is irrelevant". And like its predecessor, the LoV is reaching similar levels of division and anger. But much like the decade that it was revealed in, the Leagues bring in a new scale of chaotic and unprecedented changes. This section is to help boil this down, and address complaints and confusion.
*'''Twentieth century futurism:''' There have been quite a few who have claimed that the LoV is "generic sci-fi" and "inconsistent in its design". To be quite frank, this is a bunch of nonsense hullabaloo. Anyone who has enjoyed enough fictional settings like that of [[Fallout|Fallout]] is going to tell you that the Leagues is full of [[Isaac Asimov|mid-centrury futurism]] and [[Arthur C. Clarke|classical sci-fi]], with the atv looking like a 1960s moon buggy, and the Hernkyn chopper looking like a mid-century 60s bike ([https://youtu.be/ySxEFuUrdio|for god's sake, look at its trailer]). While you will find some of dieselpunk in the LoV and its not entirely just mid-century aesthetics, [[atompunk|atompunk]] has asserted its dominance here, Giving them a more civilian look. This also includes the look of the Ironkin (and to a certain extent [[UR-025]] and the [[Kastelan Class Battle-Automata]] which look like mid-century robots). Fact is, the LoV is a love letter to classic sci fi. But that's not all.
*'''Western/wacky sci-fi:''' If you haven't noticed from the bolter revolvers, the abundance of words like "Pioneer", "frontier", "rugged", and "hardy", along with the fact that the first revealed ironkin looks a lot like a western blacksmith, the amount of "simple" practical tools the Kin often carry, the Leagues have a lot of western influences. They also seem to still retain an air of comedic relief from their previous Squat forms. Expect future [[Firefly|Firefly]] references, and a Votann answering with [[Approved Literature|"42"]].
*'''Mass produced goodness:''' Unlike their many Dwarven counterparts, the Leagues are by no means the top industrial powerhouse of the galaxy (the Necron and the Aeldari have them beat, along with most of the other species from around the time of the old ones). To be quite honest, they are more about industry as a theme rather than being the most industrious. However, one could say they are still the top non-prehistoric industrial in the galaxy. They could also be said to be the top powerhouse in the galaxy that is both operating at its full capability (Necron sleepiness), and still actively lives and colonizes the galaxy (Eldar and their hidey holes). And in comparison, to their "competitors", they are probably the most easily accessible due to them generally not wanting to instantly butcher you the second they even glance at you, or just tell you to get lost. As for the lower powers? The Imperium, while it's very industrial, is also incredibly inefficient and often...dumb with its capabilities in general (Agri-worlds, under use of auto loaders, crappy servitors). And the Tau, while smarter than the Imperium with their industrial capabilities, has far less potential with what they have.
**Moving on from their position in the galaxy, why the industrial aesthetic? Well, first off, they're dwarves. Second off, as mentioned above, the other industrial factions are either too insufficient to carry out certain ideas and concepts or are too hidey. The Leagues are in the perfect position to introduce potential new concepts to the universe, like not crap hive cities, dyson spheres that don't belong to the Necron, megastructures, and potentially much more. it's a nice change of pace to see an actually efficient industrial that isn't controlled by ancient aliens.
**Thirdly, you need a little grime and practicality to that atompunk, and efficient industry is the perfect way to do it. Doesn't mean you can't have your cleanliness (and I'm pretty sure they'd prefer to not have pollution in their holds), just adds a tad bit of realistic imagery to it.
*'''Cleanliness, kin, and old world blues:''' Besides the reasons above, there is a reason the Leagues look so clean, organized, and sleek. This comes from the more grimdark and evil side of the Leagues (which is a little weird and unique). As previously stated before, the Leagues are a meritocracy overseen by guilds, wise long-bearded psykers, military commanders, and the mighty moai heads themselves. Said guilds are very competitive and will not hesitate to strip to the bone entire planets with civilizations and ecosystems just to stay ahead.
**So are they capitalist? Maybe. But while they've shown how they can easily have conflicts with themselves, one of their mottos is "Kin are kin". They also seem to be very egalitarian within their societies. On top of this, we've had previous examples of society reaching post scarcity levels of comfort, including even some Imperial worlds, and the friggin lower tech tau. They also seem to put high importance on community and fellow kin. Even the guilds wouldn't be caught dead cutting corners and making shoddy products (they regulate much of League society).
**So socialists? Maybe. But really, the answer may be in-between (somewhat). Would certainly suggest looking up the guilds of post classical, classical, and pre-classical history to get a better perspective.
**Perhaps mercantilism? A pre capitalist economic system would be closer to their ideal they defend their economic interest via specialized guild like organizations and strive to keep their exports above imports while using military force to guard their trade secrets and business partners.
**But we do know that they generally have a comfortable life and are very egalitarian. The guilds are competitive, meritocratic, regulate much of League society, and still come to blow with each other. What we can tell is that Leagues inner society is generally at least decent for its citizens. As for those who are outside of League society...
**Expect to see a lot of neocolonialism, colonialism, client states, banana Republics, puppet states, potentially narco states, banana wars, and the 1893 overthrowing of the kingdom of Hawaii except 10x worse (and with more planetary genocide). As with their holds: dirty on the outside, clean on the inside.
*'''The mythological and the fantastical:''' This one is a total mashup. You got Celtic, Greek, Nordic, and other mythologies mashed in. The Leagues are named after Greek titans, and Nordic gods. The Votann are based off [[Odin]]. The Kin are Geri and Freki, odins greedy wolves. The leadership is based off odins ideal leadership (with the grimnyr being based off one of his disguise names).
*'''Too Human similarities:''' Way back in 2008 the now defunct game company Silicon Knights released a game called “Too Human” for the Xbox 360 after over a decade of it being stuck in development hell. The game was based on reimagining Norse mythology through a cyberpunk lens. While the game flopped miserably (so miserably in fact that Silicon Knights tried to sue the engine devs for sabotage, only for that lawsuit to backfire so hard that Too Human had to be deleted from existence) due to its clunky control system, some of its design elements seem suspiciously similar to the Leagues of Votann aesthetic including: exoskeleton-equipped berserkers, combat transports that resemble the Hekaton Land fortress, the whole mega corporation of the Aesir, and the fact that Odin was reimagined in the game as an AI called the “Organic Distributed Information Network” which bears a striking similarity to the idea of the Votann. Maybe someone in GW played the game and used it as inspiration for the Leagues? It wouldn’t be too surprising.
*'''[[Deep Rock Galactic]]:''' Similar to the above, the game "Deep Rock Galactic" may have spurred on GW's decision to reinvent the squats in some areas. Notably, the game is based on a company of the same name, which uses actual dwarves as their mercenary-miners to plunder a planet of all its wealth while fighting bugs. Themselves a corporatist, mercantile faction that prefers wealth over civility. Now, this game was released in alpha in early 2018, so it could be a little bit of a stretch to say if it's fully influenced much on the LoV, considering the lengthy design process GW has. It hasn't stopped WarCom from throwing in some tongue-in-cheek, potential references to the game, though. Plus, with all the "Rock and Stone"s and "For Kahl!"s that players will throw out, it probably won't matter anyway. Though the codex does mention an offshoot of the Greater Thurman League known as the Deep Rock Kindred
*'''Starcraft:''' Seriously their Hearthkyn armor looks like a mini ripoff version of Terran Marine armor. The Einhyr Exo-Suits make that comparison even more blatant.
*'''Transformers:''' their faction symbol looks like the Autobot logo and they worship giant godlike AIs that would probably get along quite well with Primus…less so with Unicron, despite doing his shtick themselves frequently.
*'''[[Dwarf]] technology & craftmanship:''' the Leagues represent a 40k take on the standard fantasy dwarf archetype which more often than not includes them having technology or at least craftmanship superior to all other factions save for “elder/precursor races“ if they are present, so it is no surprise that only the [[Eldar]] and [[Necrons]] beat them with the [[Tau]] being close contenders. Speaking more specifically of [[Warhammer Fantasy|the sister game]] the Dwarfs were the source of the better magic of the [[High Elves (Warhammer Fantasy)|Elves]] and the technology of [[The Empire|The Empire]], have a culture revolving around settling all slights [[Slayers|with blood or gold]], have such reliable magic that they can make doors/walls that even the strongest Daemons can't pass and Tzeentch himself cannot see through and can [[Arianka|can imprison a Chaos God in a box]], literally use the word human ("Umgi") as a description for inferior quality, and [[Chaos Dwarfs|even Chaos has to go to them for the good gear]]. In regards to weapons, just ask Warhammer Fantasy players with big expensive models how they feel about Dwarf <strike>sniper missiles</strike> Cannons.

===Forces of the Kin===

*'''[[Kâhl]]:''' Taking the place of [[Squat Warlord]]s as leaders in their species’ military roster, they’re experienced battle hardened Generals who proudly wield the Leagues advanced weaponry, and are the final authority over an individual Oathband in the Kinhost militaries, they’re subordinate only to their Kindred’s ruling Votannic Council. Their most important role is to cast the Eye of the Ancestors over their foes — marking out priority targets and ensuring the most dangerous enemies are the first to feel the wrath of the Kin. Equipment wise they carry nifty ornate armor and weapons like the Kin equivalent to storm bolter, plasma axes, and Volkite equipped power fists. FOR KARL!!

*'''[[Squat Thunderers|Brôkhyr]]:''' The [[Guildmaster|engineers]] and lead craftsman of the Leagues, named after the dwarf of Norse mythology, Brokkr, who built Mjolnir. They just blow tech priests out of the water on every level, as not only do their (creatively named) A.N-vyl Terminals (just picture a 3D printer but for guns) have MANY full STCs inside that make all their guns all that and a bag of chips in comparison to those of the Imperium, but they're also not limited by dogma and orthodoxy when it comes to technological advancements, meaning they actively upgrade their shit. That being said while their specialty lies in engineering these folks are also more than willing to throw down with the best of them. When the Oathbands head to battle, the Brôkhyr will strap on powerful exo-frames to become the mighty Thunderkyn. Although not quite as scratch-resistant as the Einhyr Hearthguard’s exo-armour, since the powerful suits they wear were initially adapted from rugged engineering rigs, they can still take a hell of a pummeling and allow the Brôkhyr Thunderkyn to heft the heaviest man-portable weapons the Leagues can muster with ease. Hordes of their enemies fall before salvos unleashed from bolt cannons, while heavy infantry find themselves pierced by the unstoppable lances of SP conversion beamers, prospects that have made more than one enemy think twice before attacking them.

*'''Brôkhyr Iron-master:''' The Brôkhyr are the Leagues’ highly skilled techno-artificers, and the Iron-masters are the cream of their crop. They head into battle with a dutiful Ironkin assistant and a knack for repairing even the most beaten-up vehicles. Helping them are a gaggle of E-COGs – hardy combat and repair drones, lacking the intellect of a true Ironkin.

*'''[[Living Ancestor|Grimnyr]]:''' The predominant psykers of the Leagues, dressed like [[weeb|fucking wizards]] in an army full of voidsuits and armor. Wearing robes over their Power Armor to the point that [[Dark Angels]] themselves looks like normies. The Kin now name their dwarf wizards after the false identity Odin took while on a bet from Frigg, from Norse Mythology (or ripping off the WHFB dwarf god [[Grimnir]]). Are essentially the Votanns eyes, ears, limbs, mouth, etc. They are able to access directly the data stores of the Votann using psychic powers, and communicates its will and guidance to their Kindreds and Leagues. They are the closet you will see to a priest in the largely secular Leagues. They also use barrier tech to help them harness the raw power of the immaterium in battle – such as summoning two mechanical CORVs that often hover alongside them as familiars (very similar to the ability of the gene stealer cults to summon familiars). Essentially mystical wise old sages.

*'''Embyr:''' Mentioned in the codex as a sworn order of warriors who protect the gene-wombs of a hold's Crucible. In essence, they guard the Cloneskeins, and therefore, the next generation of kin. They're also marked as being another example of kin who are integrated with barrier tech, like the grimnyr, and are therefore psykers. We don't know to what extent, however.

*'''[[Squat Berserkers|Cthonian Berserks]]:'''Hailing from the Cthonian mining guilds which are noted for venturing to environments even other Kin fear to tread, these furious and heavily augmented murder machines are a sci-fi reimagining of [[Slayer]]s from WHFB. These frontline fighters originally began as Kin who enhanced the physical capabilities of their cloneskeins with cybernetic upgrades and cyberstimms, all the better to extract precious minerals from rad-plagued nebulae, explosive asteroids, and fathomless ocean depths. Now tasked with dealing with their people’s enemies they charge into battle with modified advanced mining gear like heavy plasma axes, concussion mauls, and power fists all while wearing little or no armor besides that which their cyborg augmentations provides. They also have mole mortars/ grenade launchers (for mining purposes of course). The most augmented and hardiest of the Cthonians are known as "luggers", who compete with each other to see who the most cybernetically jacked are. Think Wilhem from Borderlands, and you have an idea.

*'''Hearthkyn Warriors:''' Because replacing i's with y's is so sci-fi and trademark friendly. The [[Squat Trooper|Hearthkyn]] are essentially identical in terms of origin as the [[Guardian|Guardian Defenders]] of the eldar, in that they are the core infantry force of the Leagues' military that were conscripted from their civilian populations. However, rather than being a militia roused during times of conflict, the Hearthkyn are instead closer to real-world militaries, in that the soldiery serve for an extended period of time before going home to their civilian professions. Serving in the Hearthkyn, anyone can enlist: male, female, flesh or metal, as Kin are Kin, after all. The units themselves are equipped with all manner of hullabaloo Squat guns depending on their specialization, on the lighter end there are the Autoch-pattern bolters used for assault and laying down covering/saturation fire, there are also bolt shotguns, and bolt revolvers. On the heavier side there are volkanite disintegrators, ion blasters (whose technology the Kin apparently gave to the Tau much to the Imperium’s ire) and HYLas auto-rifles all of which are used to sunder the defences of heavily-armoured opponents. Finally there’s also specialized heavy weapons such as L7 missile launchers, EtaCarn plasma beamers, Graviton blast cannons, and magna-rail rifles. All these ranged weapons are supported by smart tech integrated into Kin battlegear. The haptic utility nerve transmission recalibrator modules – HunTR for short – interface with their neural augmetics to establish a feedback loop between firearms and their users. This system projects minute gravitational pulses to maintain a stable firing platform even while running at full pelt – or zooming along on a flying trike. For close combat they got plasma blades, plasma axes, and concussion weapons like gauntlets, hammers, and mauls that amplifies the kinetic energy behind a Kin’s strike enough to launch an Ork boy into the air. As for protection they wear their own brand of power armor called Void armour comprised of hardened jointed segments which are hooked into a void suit beneath. The suit is fashioned from magnaferrite weave, and often reinforced with adamantine and enhanced with microfield generators for a level of protection that any Imperial Guardsman would give their left gonad to have!
**'''Theyn:''' Sci-fi spelling for the old Anglo-Saxon Thegns/Thanes (Fantasy Dwarfs had Thanes as heroes, so another connection there). They are experienced warriors that serve as [[Squat Thunderers|squad leaders]] in Hearthkyn and Einhyr Warrior squads of 10 to 20 warriors and are able to arm themselves with a variety of hand-to-hand combat weapons, including brutal concussion gauntlets, plasma blades, and vicious plasma axes in addition to high quality ranged weapons. Theyns communicate with their squad with the aid of cybernetic implants – relaying strategic instructions from the commanders of the Oathband to their units, and can be differentiated from the other kin by the fancy animal headed crest mounted on the back of their armor which can grant them special abilities like acting as a teleporter.

*'''Hearthkyn Salvager:''' Masters at the art of recovering prized artifacts and locating precious resources in the depths of hulks and wrecks. They are scouts and explorers foremost, trained to identify items of value, extract as much as possible, and survive – all before clocking out. Each salvager is a hardened warrior, well-acquainted with the dangers of space hulk exploration, and the team also carries a wide assortment of survey equipment to help identify cost-efficient targets. Salvagers often wear heavy armour with in-built "gellar ramparts" and are tethered to their ship by warp-shielded cables, which allows them to scavenge space hulks in the warp. A regular operation in which the Kin loot space hulks is called a Hulk-skim, which involves lasers cutting away large parts of a hulk.

*'''Einhyr [[Hearthguard]]:''' Named after the Einherjar of Valhalla, they are the newly-christened [[Hearthguard]] Terminators of old, being the honored warriors selected from a Kinhold's most accomplished fighters, clad in [[Exo-Armour]]. They're armed with a shoulder mounted grenade launcher, a hand-held Volkanite Disintegrator, and either a power first with a retractable plasma blade or a Thunder Hammer. Like regular Hearthkyn Void armor the Exo-armor also has the HunTR system of micro gravity field generators built in to help keep their aim steady allowing them to fire on the move.

*'''Einhyr Champion:''' Those who climb the ranks of the Einhyr that eventually became Champions. These warriors are clad in modified exo-armour fitted with mass-drivers for jump purposes and armed with vicious close combat weapons. They function as living battering rams, pulverising anything that gets in their way.

*'''[[Hekaton Land Fortress]]:''' A 300 point HECKA CHUNKY Heavy support tank that can also serve as a defensive emplacement and troop transport. This vehicle packs overwhelming firepower onto a rugged frame. Transport numbers vary depending on the nature of the troops inside. For instance it can lug around a hefty 12 models of Hearthkyn or Cthonian Berserks on the higher end, but only 6 of the more heavily armored Einhyr, and just 4 troops with the Exo-frame keyword like the Brôkhyr Thunderkyn. Still it can go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest and best battle tanks in the 41st Millennium thanks to its durable void armour. Weapons wise it can be equipped with a variety of hefty weapons for its main gun– from a cyclic ion cannon, to the very nasty heavy magna-rail cannon, or the devastating SP heavy conversion beamer. If needed a missile launcher with 3 different possible classes of devastating warheads (one kind for vehicles, one for bunker busting, and the last for dealing for infantry) can be added in exchange for removing the craft’s default pan-spectral scanner, though it will lose the ability to ignore light cover when firing. And if all that wasn’t enough it also has a rear mounted MATR autocannon, plus 4 bolt cannon ball turrets around the hull for dealing with swarms of smaller foes that can be swapped out for ion beamers if the user desires. As a side note the Hekatons are also mentioned to sometimes draw carriages in the codex.

*'''[[Magna-Coil Bike|Hernkyn Pioneer]]:''' THE [[Squat Trike|TRIKES]] RETURN! [[Skub|AS HOVERTRIKES!]] And with a [[-4 Str|female]] driver. It looks like a spider-tank tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell fucked a [[Squat Bike|Harley]] and their baby came out a hoverbike. Hernkyn Pioneers are 35 point vehicles ridden by independently minded Kin who serve as scouts and outriders for the Kinhosts. They exchange the heavier armor of the Hyrthkin for lighter void suits backed up by armored trench coats, an old style pilot’s cap, and when necessary a gas or oxygen mask. Before you make the mistake of thinking they’re outlaw bikers though it should be noted that they are not seen like that at all amongst their own people. Rather in eyes of the Kin the Pioneers willingness to go off alone is considered courageous and selfless as they are putting their own lives at risk for the sake of their families, in effect making them the equivalent of the WFB Dwarf rangers. Anyway, to ensure they can keep riding for as long as possible the Pioneers make sure to carry any all equipment they might conceivably need with them at all times, from bedrolls to digging tools strapped to their rides. To aid them in scouting their trikes come equipped with multiwave comms arrays and pan-spectral scanners which are all quite useful for picking up strategically important data. Weapons-wise the riders can be armed with a bolt pistol, or a bolt shotgun, plus concussion grenades and a plasma blade for backup, while the Trike itself was equipped with a magna-coil autocannon mounted on the front. In addition if the rider is willing to take along a passenger then it’s possible to mount a heavy weapon on the back of the vehicle in the form of a rotary Hy-Las (high yield laser) cannon or an ion beamer. These weapons are linked to the driver and passenger’s implants via the HunTR system so they can fire on the move.

*'''[[Sagitaur ATV]]:''' A 130 point six wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, that takes its name from the centaur shaped constellation Sagittarius, the Sagitaur is used for surveying inhospitable alien terrain. The Sagitaur is a rapid-response ATV suited to scouting operations and lightning-fast armoured offensives alongside Hernkyn Pioneers. Its armoured carapace is durable enough to shrug off everything from rockslides to plasma blasts. Sagitaurs usually operate in pairs and are remarkably heavily-armed for their size, with a nose-mounted twin bolt cannon complemented by a swivelling turret weapon, such as a HYLas beam cannon, L7 missile launcher, or MATR autocannon. Once they’re right up in the enemy’s lines they will disgorge their troops in the form of 5 troops from a 10 man squad of infantry with the other half being carried by a second vehicles. These can then go on to seize vital objectives. It should be noted though that the troops the Sagitaur Carrie’s cannot have the Exo-frame keyword so using them for things like Thunderkyn is a no-go unlike with the Hekaton.

*'''Colossus-class war engines:''' were briefly mentioned in a Warcom article where it’s stated the Ymyr Conglomerate Holds can wield more of them then any other league due to the Holds large number of skilled Craftsman and Engineers. Sadly we don’t have a stat line, nor do we have an image to confirm if these are indeed the same thing as the old Squat [[Colossus War Machine]].

*'''[[Ironhead Squat Prospectors]]:''' An offshoot of the Kin that set up shop on [[Necromunda]] right after the Horus Heresy, and are busy doing dwarrowesque things, while also dealing with the locals that sometimes try to loot their stuff. While they're only distantly related to the Leagues with no direct affiliation, they're said to get along. There is a small but not high chance the'll be options on the table top as well since Kill team has a precedent for a small unit from one box being an option like the sister novitiate, at the very least make a good proxy/conversion.

*'''[[Cargo-8 Ridgehauler]]:''' the Squat land trains return! Well they have on Necromunda at least. These huge transport trucks with multiple trailers and strapped on weaponry are used by Squat prospectors and regular human folk to cross the ash wasteland and protect valuable shipments. They aren’t quite up to the standard of the old land trains but at least it’s something.

*'''Chronos Pattern Ironcrawler: '''a gigantic tracked APC/pickup truck hybrid that’s favored by both the Ironhead Squats and the local Necromundans. The vehicle is even more heavily armored than the Ridgehauler and the cab is sealed to protect against radiation and ash storms. It comes standard with a cargo winch, two pintle mounted turrets, and numerous firing ports in the transport cage behind the cab so any extra troops it’s ferrying can fire on any nearby enemies.

*'''[[Demiurg]]:''' Outright stated in the League of Votann Codex to be Kin Prospect fleets that have been misidentified by Imperial and Tau observers alike to be a separate race. It’s also a common mistake for Imperial xenologists as said Prospect Fleets have also been misidentified as Grome, Gnostari, or Kreg species. Heck, even the Eldar known them as the Heliosi Ancients instead of their proper name. WarCom confirmed that the Tau received their ion weapon technology from the Kin, whereas in Battlefleet Gothic they claim that it was from the Demiurg, ''another'' race of dwarf space-miners. Logically, the term "Demiurg" is just be what the Tau call the Kin, with the Demiurg may be another offshoot culture of the wider kin race like prospectors above. After all, their clones-kin’s capability in stressing divergent phenotypes means visibly different strains could possible (like different breeds of dogs or cats). One example is the Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues that decided to throw in their lot with the upstart T'au Empire rather than being in the bottom of the Imperium's to-do list.

*'''Space Craft:''' While a full list of space assets hasn’t dropped yet, the retcon regarding the nature of the Demiurg means we have some idea of what kind of vessels the Kin have. In addition to smaller autonomous mining craft that can be reconfigured as [[Automated Fighting Drone|fighters]], [[Automated Bombing Drone|bombers]], and [[Automated Barge Drone|assault boats]] the Leagues also wield two classes of rather impressive warp-capable ships that many fans have noted look like giant flying hammers. The first class is the [[Bastion-class Commerce Vessel]]s which seems to be an enormous asteroid mining vessel that can also act as a cruiser, though its firepower is enough to let it hold its ground against an Imperial battleship. They are typically manned by a single large clan/brotherhood and their robot navigators. Less common are the larger [[Stronghold-class Commerce Vessel]]s which are typically manned by two or even three clans/brotherhoods and the previously mentioned robot navigators. These massive crafts both serve as stately battleships and factory/processor ships for the Kin mercantile clans. The mining lasers on both craft while short-ranged are noted to be incredibly powerful, something which is to be expected given they were originally used to cut through asteroids. They derive their power through the use of electromagnetic fields around the prow of the ship that serves as a Bussard Scoop that will absorb interstellar hydrogen. This hydrogen then undergoes fusion and whatever energy or particles isn’t used for powering the laser is then accelerated to the rear of the vessel to speeds near that of the speed of light to provide motive force similar to a ram-jet. As a side benefit the complex radiation shielding this process requires evidently produces numerous other defensive benefits for the starship and adds to its protection. The Mechanicus is noted to be very interested in getting their tendrils on this tech, but despite their best efforts they have yet to get a chance to examine it.

==See Also==
*[[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Leagues of Votann(9E)]]
*[[Kharadron Overlords]], their closest Age of Sigmar counterpart
*[[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)]]
*[[Chaos Dwarfs]]

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:VotannTrike.jpg|They see me dworfin, they hatin', Patrollin', and tryna catch me ridin' dirty.
File:CNiuMZPWWNpatQNt (1).jpg|dorfy thicc dorfy brick
File: FW1NodbWYAA-Gzh.jpg|‘[[StarCraft|Ye want a piece a' me, lad??]]’
File:Sagitaur ATV.jpg| Sagitaur ATV, the perfect vehicle for dropping off some Hearthkyn at the pub for some brewskies on a moons surface.
File:LeagueHold.jpg|One of the many holds in the Leagues, in all it's industrial might
File:Ironkin.jpg|A humble Ironkin, ready to serve for their civilization
File:Getbackintheironkinchen.png|"[[Weeb|UWU.exe]]: I wonder if [[Adeptus Mechanicus|our new friends]] will enjoy these muffins I baked for them? I should head over and see what they're up to!"
File:Votann Fanart by 流星R.jpg| Even space Dwarves can be cute.
File:CthonianBerserks.png|[[Cyberpunk 2020|Just another day of cyberstimms and Cyberpsychosis...]]
File:Wrathoftheancestors.jpg| [[Primaris Captain|Where have I seen that before?]] [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Captain1.jpg Oh.]
File:Kâhl.jpg|Pictured: The '''real''' Space Vikings.
File:Hekaton_Land_Fortress.png|Bunker on wheels + half-a-dozen guns + half-a-dozen pissed space dorfs = a VERY bad day for you.
File:Gangoftrikes.jpg|If Mad Max had discovered hovercraft technology
File:VotannPioneer.jpg.webp|A Kin Pioneer negotiating with a Imperial
File:Leaguemining.jpg|It ain't no trick to get rich quick If you dig dig dig with a shovel or a pick
File:Leagueanvil.jpg|Remember Brokyr, the Ancestors are Always Watching
File:Thunderkyn.jpg|"Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer and that means I solve problems..."
File:LOV Army Shot.png|A Kin Oathhost about to tell the Black Legion to gtfo their lawn
File:Votann Grimnyr.jpg|Finally, the [[Space Wolves|fucking furries]] don't have the monopoly on sweet beards
File:LoV_shortstack.jpg|Shortstack lovers rejoice!
File:Power_armor_Kin.png|Gender equality sure look good, eh laddies?
File:Leagues-of-Votann-Codex-art.jpg|Channeling that good 'ol IoM energy, but now with 100% more dorfness.
File:Clone Mutant Ninja Dwarfs.png|[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|Yaldi-bunga, dudes!]]
File:Legotann.png|Color schemes GW wish they'd have thought of.
</gallery>

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