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Goatboy’s Warhammer 40K Hot Mess: Ork Killa Kans

4 Minute Read
Jan 9 2024
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Goatboy here. A Killa Kan is a weird little Ork baby dreadnought. So what do we need to do to make these sad little ones worth taking?

If you are an old time player like me – you probably got a box of Killa Kans somewhere.  Heck I think I have a few now that I remember from one of those old Ork vs Space Wolves boxed sets that had a set of 3 in them.  It’s still a really nice kit too and right now it just doesn’t feel like – it’s really worth to take them let alone buy/build/paint them.

A Killa Kan is supposed to be a Gretchen driving this little belching robot around that shoots a bit better than an average or but doesn’t punch nearly as well.  It is really hard to swing a single giant chainsaw army around when you are a gibbering little Grot driving this robot of death and destruction.  I think it is a damned shame, and we should think of how we could fix these things and let them be cool once again.

Killa Kans Need to Dish Out More Damage

Ok, this idea to fix this revolves around the whole group being like a gang. A gang of crazy Grot toddlers given access to robots of destruction and how they would basically run roughshod thru the house until you take each piece out.  A gang of hooligans bent on destroying as much as they can.  Thus I think we need to add a simple little rule keyword called “Gang” to the mix.

This keyword would give these guys bonuses based on how many of their friends are still around them, egging them on.  Things like for each Killa Kan after the first, each Killa Kan gains an extra attack.  Yes, this would make a 6 man unit pretty nutty, but I would just change the unit to a maximum of 3 and call it a day. This would give each of these robots 2 extra attacks, and while not game-breaking, it would allow them to be a bit more of a pain in the butt if you saw them across the tabletop.

On top of the close combat bit you can also have Gang do things like give their weapons an almost blast-like option that lets you do more hits if you have more guys in the unit.  Things like after the first additional model they gain Lethal Hits and for the second additional one they gain Sustained hits.  Nothing like a group of fruit snack-obsessed toddlers who get ahold of Nerf guns and shoot mommy and daddy (the opponents).

Sneaky Gits!

They also need a rule where as long as one of the Killa Kans are on the objective, they count as all on it for OC rules.  This way, they are more than an offensive unit. They can actually be a board control option with a simple tweak.  These guys are still Grots, and they are good at holding stuff like the old days and scoring points for the Big Mek.

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Expand Killa Kan Upgrades!

These guys need to have more Mek-based upgrades, too, as they are still close to their favorite machine-obsessed Ork.  These could be things like special bonus’s to Orks shooting near them, as they have sensors and stuff to help out.  Or how about one of the Killa Kans being driven by a Squig like some kind of demented Groundhog from Groundhog Day.  Lots of tiny weird upgrades to help them feel unique.  Heck, GW should make these Killa Kan enhancement for a Grot Revolution Detachment army, sit back, and and see how fanatic players build and craft these crazy jerks.

FREEEEDUM!

The Killa Kans are just a sweet weird unit that never really got its chance beyond one edition’s cheap offering.  They need their time in the sun and need to be feared on the tabletop.

I shouldn’t just have them sitting around and waiting for a terrible conversion idea.

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