Give the Kharadron a Mech, GW
We had one of those very important hobby discussions recently: what could Games Workshop actually add to the Kharadron Overlords if they go beyond another box set and give the army some genuinely new toys?
And, honestly, the answer came almost immediately.
Give them a mech.
Why this even feels right
Kharadron Overlords already sit in a very specific corner of the Age of Sigmar setting. They are airborne duardin merchants, privateers, engineers, and profiteers wrapped in brass, rivets, aether-gold, and industrial nonsense of the best possible kind. Their whole identity is built around:
- sky-faring fleets,
- advanced technology,
- heavy firepower,
- and a very practical approach to war, trade, and survival.
So when we started throwing around ideas for possible future units, a few obvious directions appeared.
The most likely directions for new KO units
1. A bigger airship
This is probably the most obvious one from a lore perspective. The Arkanaut Ironclad is already the iconic centerpiece, but it is also currently the ceiling. If GW wanted to push the fantasy further, a larger flagship-style vessel would make perfect sense.
Something like:
- a true flying dreadnought,
- a command ship for fleet coordination,
- or a brutal boarding vessel that delivers troops straight into the fight.
It fits the faction cleanly. If Kharadron are all about sky supremacy, then “even bigger ship” is a very believable next step.
2. A Kharadron mech suit
This is where our hearts immediately went.
The idea is simple: KO already have powered gear, engineering suits, and all sorts of aether-tech contraptions. So why not scale that up into a full duardin war machine? Not a clanking joke unit, but a proper heavy exosuit or walker — something that looks like a mining platform and a gun battery had a child.
Lore-wise, it works beautifully:
- it could be an industrial exosuit repurposed for war,
- a prototype used by the wealthiest sky-ports,
- or a brutal answer to the faction’s need for something that can hold the mid-board and punch back.
And aesthetically? It would be perfect. Big brass plates, exposed pistons, pressure gauges, aether-powered cannons, giant fists, maybe a harpoon or drill arm. Basically everything that makes Kharadron cool, just concentrated into one glorious stompy silhouette.
As end3r summed it up in the only correct way:
dawać mecha!
And honestly, yes.
Why the mech idea hits so hard
What makes this one especially fun is that it doesn’t just sound cool — it also feels like it fills a real thematic gap.
Kharadron Overlords are famous for mobility, ships, and shooting, but a mech would add a different expression of their technology. Instead of another flying hull, we would get something more grounded, more physical, more aggressive. A machine that says: yes, we are still businessmen, but we have also built a walking financial argument with cannons.
It could be:
- a melee-and-shooting hybrid,
- a heavily armored brawler,
- a support platform for nearby engineers,
- or even a prestige machine reserved for the richest captains and most powerful sky-ports.
From a lore angle, that opens up a lot of fun possibilities. Kharadron society is built on contracts, profit, hierarchy, and technological advantage. A mech suit could easily become a status symbol as much as a weapon — a mobile display of wealth and industrial dominance.
Other ideas we liked
The mech was the favorite, but not the only one.
Elite boarding troops
This also feels extremely natural for the faction. Kharadron are privateers. Boarding actions should be a huge part of their identity. A dedicated unit of close-quarters specialists dropping from ships with grapnels, shock weapons, and reinforced armor would fit the lore really well.
Heavy Endrinriggers
A bulkier engineer support unit is another solid possibility. If standard Endrinriggers are already maintaining ships in the middle of battle, then a heavier variant with more armor and more industrial hardware is easy to imagine.
Sky-pirate mercenaries and exiles
This one is especially fun from a narrative point of view. The Kharadron Code is strict, but strict systems always create outcasts. Exiled crews, rogue captains, and profit-first sky pirates could show a dirtier, less respectable side of Kharadron culture.
That would be a great way to expand the faction’s lore beyond the polished official face of the sky-ports.
The real hobby truth
Of course, all of this is speculation. We are not breaking news here, just enthusiastically staring at the faction and asking what would feel right.
But some ideas are more exciting than others.
And this one definitely landed.
When the image dropped into the chat, the reaction was immediate:
grałbym jak pojebany
Which, translated into proper hobby terminology, means: this would instantly move the faction higher on the “maybe we should start this army” list.
Final thoughts
If GW ever decides to expand the Kharadron Overlords range in a meaningful way, a new airship is probably the safest bet.
But the thing we want most is absolutely the mech.
Because it fits the lore. Because it fits the aesthetic. Because it gives KO a new kind of presence. And because giant steampunk duardin war machines are simply too good an idea to leave on the table.
So yes, our official position is now clear:
Give the Kharadron a mech, GW.