Some armies in the Iron Kingdoms like to announce their battlefield presence with pomp and fanfare. The Kithguard prefer to let the ground split open, and the hail of gunfire do the talking.
Today, Captain Tarja Grimtusk begins sharpening her rune blades and requisitions fresh arms from the armoury for her platoon. Trouble’s on the way. And the Kithguard Core Expansion is preparing to face it head-on.
Get the intel on the Kithguard’s rugged reinforcements today when Core Expansion rules land later in today’s Warmachine App update — soon you’ll be able to dig into the Kithguard’s dirtiest tricks.
Captain Tarja Grimtusk: fury with a blade
Tarja Grimtusk came to Alchiere an orphan, arriving angry, unmoored, and ready to fight. She found her purpose in the militia, discovered her warlock gift when a jungle troll mirrored her knife drills, and was later trained by Mailis Wroughtmourn to channel that fury into something devastating.
He’s a maniac, maniac in troll form
Chomper is Tarja’s towering dire troll companion, and he approaches battle as if it were an all-you-can-eat buffet. Once loosed on the enemy, he blasts and tears through lines of enemies, wading through wreckage and gore without slowing down.
Tailor-made for a firefight
The Kithguard Infantry are the backbone of the army and by far its largest service branch. These lightly armoured ground-pounders fight in small squads with heavy military rifles and bayonets.
Better still, the Kithguard Infantry can tailor their firepower to the mission at hand, choosing a mix of support weapon troopers with flamethrowers, mortars, or sluggers to suit your plan.
Somebody has to keep this lot in check
The Kithguard follows a structure close to trenchers, with squads led by sergeants. That makes the Kithguard Sergeant feel like the glue between line infantry discipline and the army’s more aggressive allies.
In practice, this command attachment helps the unit bite harder and operate cleanly when the ambush is sprung. The Kithguard may love a dirty fight, but somebody still has to bark orders.
Try not to bleed on the uniform
When the fighting turns ugly, ugly is exactly what you need. These little pyg Medics keep the line going, patching up the wounded and shoving them back toward the battle before they can start begging for morphine.
The gremlins under your feet were not imagined
The Tunnel Rats are one of the Kithguard’s greatest battlefield assets, a distinctly pyg strike force born in the jungles of Alchiere. Small, strong, and manically enthusiastic, they can dig out whole trenches and tunnel networks in no time, then lurk underground until it’s time to strike.
One minute, your enemies' fortified defenses are standing tall. Next, the ground trembles from below as what was once a rigid defense collapses into the ground below, leaving nothing but dissipating smoke and echoes of raucous laughter.
Thunder from the tree line
The Mortar Team is another staple Kithguard support weapon, usually crewed by a pair of pyg artillerists who are every bit as delighted by explosions as you’d hope. These are soldiers who drill so relentlessly with their mortars that the kit apparently has to be confiscated just so everyone else can get some sleep.
Trained in trenches, refined in war
Captain Logan Grindstone is a former trollkin Trencher, a decorated officer, and a tactical savant who eventually traded formal service for mercenary work in Ord. After that career ended badly enough for the Ordic Crown to call it banditry, he fled south to Alchiere, where he turned his talents to training raw recruits into proper soldiers.
Even without the warlock talent, he’s become one of the Kithguard’s most effective battlefield captains.
Tarja’s next assignment: Assemble the troops.
Want to see where Captain Tarja Grimtusk can take her Kithguard platoon? Check back this Friday for tips, tactics, and a 100-point list from Fraser McFetridge of the Warmachine gameplay team.
Prepare to strike
The Southern Kriels Kithguard Core Expansion packs in a brilliant cross-section of what makes the kithguard tick: hard-bitten leadership, boisterous support crews, disciplined infantry, savage tunnel fighters, and a warlock who looks at a battlefield and sees an invitation to hone her talents.
The Kithguard are on the move. Best watch where you’re standing.
