<![CDATA[Latest posts for the thread "What exactly are squats?"]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/31.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net What exactly are squats? 40k. However I wanted to know what there role was in the universe and most impotently why GW removed them.
]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6370270.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6370270.page GMT What exactly are squats? iirc, they found them to be a little ridiculous, even by 40k standards. The joke got old, as it were.

Basically, they were abhumans who were very good at building big war-machines. They were also space bikers.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6370292.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6370292.page GMT What exactly are squats?
They were done away with largely because the Design Studio felt that Squats no longer fitted the 'grimdark' aesthetic of 40K that they were aiming for post 2nd Ed.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6370303.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6370303.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats? http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6370834.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6370834.page GMT What exactly are squats? 40K universe wasn't fully developed back then and the fluff of Great Crusade wasn't really even a thing yet, so the way the Imperium was sorta "allied with" the Squat homeworlds may seem a bit anachronistic, and it is.

However, 2nd Edition's transition to what we can think of as "Modern 40K' meant they basically didn't have a niche anymore. Essentially the designers at GW couldn't figure out how to keep the old Squat background, but bring them into the game as a unique army. It's easy to overlook, but every army in 40K has its own aesthetic and play style. Squats kinda fell into this gap between Orks and Imperial Guard, where they didn't have their own identity. While Orks as an army was able to fully embrace being the comic relief by the very essence of their fluff, Squats were "too serious".

Squats were basically short Imperial Guard. In Rogue Trader they were armed principally with lasguns, and used Rhinos and Land Raiders as transports, which so did the IGuard. This was before the introduction of the Leman Russ or Chimera. But they also had bikes, trikes, and exo-armor (which was basically terminator armor for Squats).

Ultimately, Space Marines were the heavy armor faction, Orks were the silly Mad Max army, and IGuard were the stalwart bog-standard infantry faction. And those three stole everything that made the Squats unique. You can't really remove Space Marines, Imperial Guard, or Orks from the setting, so the Squats ended up on the chopping block.


What was GW's chief, and almost criminal, mistake, was eliminating the army completely. Hence the term "Squatting". What GW should have done was make Squats an option for the Imperial Guard, which would give the Squat players at least the opportunity to use some or most of their models. Instead they blew players off for around ten years before throwing a tantrum and just flat out pretending Squats never existed, lol. It's one of the more amusing facets of GW history. That basically they screwed over a segment of their fanbase, writing them entirely out of the game and invalidating all of the models they'd purchased, then pretended like that was okay.

But they did learn their lesson. You can see the way they handled the Sisters of Battle, who despite not having received a new GW model in almost ten years, received rules for both 5th, and now 6th edition. This allows them to essentially abandon a model line that, for a variety of reasons, they aren't continuing, without screwing over their players.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6371031.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6371031.page GMT What exactly are squats? GW suffered at the hands of Squat players (and quite a few people who just liked trolling at Games Day) GW decided to never drop another army from the game. Though it may take a decade or more, every existing army gets a new codex eventually, because of Squats. Even though Ork players haven't seen a new codex for 3 whole editions of the game, they know they will get an update eventually. Not because Orks are popular (as far as GW is concerned, only things with 3+ armor saves and boltguns are popular), but because: Squats.

Squats were the most noble of all of the 40K factions, because they died to ensure that every other faction would live forever.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375552.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375552.page GMT What exactly are squats?

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375565.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375565.page GMT What exactly are squats?
squidhills wrote:
The Squats are the reason Tau players have a new codex. Ditto for Sisters of Battle and Necrons. After the backlash GW suffered at the hands of Squat players (and quite a few people who just liked trolling at Games Day) GW decided to never drop another army from the game. Though it may take a decade or more, every existing army gets a new codex eventually, because of Squats. Even though Ork players haven't seen a new codex for 3 whole editions of the game, they know they will get an update eventually. Not because Orks are popular (as far as GW is concerned, only things with 3+ armor saves and boltguns are popular), but because: Squats.

Squats were the most noble of all of the 40K factions, because they died to ensure that every other faction would live forever.

Wise words.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375678.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375678.page GMT What exactly are squats?
squidhills wrote:
Even though Ork players haven't seen a new codex for 3 whole editions of the game, they know they will get an update eventually.

Let's see.. 3 whole editions...
5th is one

Whoops, guess not.

edit: Updated, thanks Poly!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375683.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375683.page GMT What exactly are squats? http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375749.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375749.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats? TL;DR: Dwarves in SPESS!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375771.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375771.page GMT What exactly are squats?
They rule their own worlds and have thier own armies but are tied in the the Imperium at a high level.

Squats still understand their technology and don't form part of the Cult Mechanicus, squats dont pray to machines they understand physics and engineering instead. Marines and tech priests go to them for training and have cultural relations problems because the squats clearly know what they are doing while complete ignoring all rituals of the machine cult.

Squats have very few psykers, those they do have live a very long time and are known as living ancestors.

Squats have their own unit structure their guard-like armies include exo-armour which are essentially terminators. Some of their termies ride bikes. Squats also have more access to heavy weapons than other races and can equip some whole squads with heavy bolters.
Not much else was developed except standard infantry before they were withdrawn.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375788.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6375788.page GMT What exactly are squats?
And then they got eaten by Tyranids, and now all of those things are gone.

They were dwarves in space who rode motorcycles. When RT moved to 40K proper, and lost a lot of its apparent silliness (becoming, instead, silliness underneath a thick layer of grimdarkness), the Squats had to go. The creative team at the time simply could not do anything with the concept that was not a retread of another faction, or was simply not silly as hell. So they were dropped.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6376061.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6376061.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats? 40k universe [see Inquisitor by Ian Watson] but then GW lost it's sense of humour and had to make this game of toy soldiers REALLY SERIOUS, I keep flrting with the idea of starting a Squat army but that way lies madness [and an empty wallet].]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6376925.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6376925.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats? 40k. Genestealer Cults and Chaos Cults were a massive part of the old fluff and they got swept under as well they were the reasons Hive Fleets and Chaos Warships in the Warp Could find planets to attack. Wish we had em all back not just use a codex that kinda works for them.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6381225.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6381225.page GMT What exactly are squats?

Automatically Appended Next Post:
 tyrannosaurus wrote:
see Inquisitor by Ian Watson.

Worst books ever written in the history of books. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6381264.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6381264.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats? http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6381280.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6381280.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats?
 Field Marshal Wiley wrote:
Sorry didnt see how old the thread was just browsing


I do not think he was referring to your "Bump" but the book Inquisitor by Ian Watson.

2 months is considered threadomancy, from what I read, not 2 days.

Squats was made as Dwarves in Space but then realised by 3rd Edition they covered no unique playing style and they started with a pretty sub par storyline.

Pretty much everyone has listed their origin of being Pre 30k Humans who lived in Mineral rich but low/no atmosphere planets and thus moved underground.
Upon joining the IoM, they did all mining work while the IoM protected them. Explorations since then probably just involved them working with the AdMech or IG.

Game Play wise, it is really just IG allied with SM Terminators and Bikers.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6381801.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6381801.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats? GW could have easily re-released Squats with the mechanics of the Tau and called them Demiurg. The Kroot could even have instead mechanically been some sort of unit of "Slayers" in space, considering how they originally were in close combat. The Crisis suit variants could have looked more like Dwarven warjacks from Warmachine, or Mantic's Iron Ancestors.

Hmmmmm.......I still play games of 4th edition, which uses that era of Tau Codex (for the Kroot in their original CC version))....with the Forgefathers from the Deadzone kickstarter's second survey coming soon, I could imagine a counts-as conversion army forming.............. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6382205.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6382205.page GMT What exactly are squats? RT/2nd ed era (even Epic) bemoan their loss as the greatest wrong GW have ever committed.

Objectively they were not as popular in RT as they were in Epic.

2nd ed had the writing on the wall for the dwarfs in Spaaaace trope.






]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6382257.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6382257.page GMT What exactly are squats?
They would have made a far more interesting 2+ save faction than the Grey Knights, that's for sure.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434402.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434402.page GMT What exactly are squats?
DrDuckman wrote:


They would have made a far more interesting 2+ save faction than the Grey Knights, that's for sure.


I cannot exalt you enough for this!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434480.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434480.page GMT What exactly are squats?
Discuss. :-)]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434512.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434512.page GMT What exactly are squats?
 Veteran Sergeant wrote:
But they did learn their lesson. You can see the way they handled the Sisters of Battle.

Not really the same thing, though. They did try to make models for the SoB, and didn't actually want to discontinue them.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434542.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434542.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats?

Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Boggy Man wrote:
Theory; squats are actually related to one of the lost primarchs, that's why everyone gets so antsy when they are brought up.

Discuss. :-)


Not sure of the validity of thät, but I sense cross-over relevancy with the 'How Tall were the Primarchs?' thread.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434616.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434616.page GMT What exactly are squats?
They got eaten by grue. I mean, the nids.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434632.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434632.page GMT What exactly are squats?
 Melissia wrote:
They were mutants, basically dwarves in space, from a high-gravity mining world, with some crazy mining-based tech and power armor and etc.

They got eaten by grue. I mean, the nids.


Just to clear up, is that actually referenced in any printed material? I though it was just head-cannon from someone on the design team on the GW forum.

In any case, the Eldar got "eaten" by Slaanesh, and they're still around, albeit in greatly diminished numbers. I see squats as they same way, except dwarves don't spend all day moping and actually know how to <BLEEP> correctly so I wouldn't worry about them. In fact they're probably much more likely to survive the Imperium falling, given their low profile. (Plinkettlaugh; HAHAHA /Plinketlaugh)]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434780.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434780.page GMT What exactly are squats? http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434828.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6434828.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats?
knas ser wrote:
They were also their own faction in Epic where perhaps they carved out more if their own niche.

Pretty sure that Jervis even said this himself. He said that they fit better into Epic because they could focus more on their vehicles. Though obviously that wasn't enough.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6435009.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6435009.page GMT What exactly are squats? 40K of the time. Vehicles and heavy armor were not as prevalent, especially not the huge land-trains the Squats had.

Bike armies were covered with 2 or 3 other Codices already, and the lighter, tanky Squat vehicles were done (and done better) in IG armies.

So you were left with biker-dwarves with shotguns and a few guys in heavy pseudo-power armor.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6435044.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6435044.page GMT What exactly are squats?
 Psienesis wrote:
That, basically, was what killed Squats in standard 40K of the time. Vehicles and heavy armor were not as prevalent, especially not the huge land-trains the Squats had.


The land-trains! How could I have forgotten the land-trains! In their own bizarre way they were one of the most gonzo ideas in the WH40K setting. Aside from the bizarre name which implies non-land trains, it was essentially exactly what it sounds like: a colossal train with guns poking out of the carriages that required no tracks.

I think you guys are right - a race big on tech and heavy vehicles could work in Epic, but in standard 40K, they just couldn't do their thing.

In all honesty, I'm kind of glad they were dropped. Both orks and Eldar outgrew their fantasy-in-space schtick, but the squats were always just dwarves in space and nothing more.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6435201.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6435201.page GMT What exactly are squats? 40k becaise they were much more developed and had a lot of unique gear and equipment.

They looked fine on the battlefield and tiny squat bikes and trikes really were not all that out of place anymore than marine bikes or IG roughriders.

Second edition orks were far, far sillier than the squats of the same era.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6436447.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6436447.page GMT What exactly are squats?
 Boggy Man wrote:
team on the GW forum.

In any case, the Eldar got "eaten" by Slaanesh, and they're still around, albeit in greatly diminished numbers. I see squats as they same way, except dwarves don't spend all day moping and actually know how to <BLEEP> correctly so I wouldn't worry about them. In fact they're probably much more likely to survive the Imperium falling, given their low profile. (Plinkettlaugh; HAHAHA /Plinketlaugh)


Even after they got eaten by the Nids, Jervis has always stated that there could still be some small pockets of them around and gave ideas for what to "count as" them in an Imperial Guard or Ork army if you wanted to field your models, still.

It's confirmed canon that some of them are still around in 6th Edition, as they're listed as a surviving abhuman species in the BRB. Not enough for them to be an independent faction though, assuming no retcons from Jervis' explanations (and assuming you take his word as part of the "canon" since it was casual correspondence. But eh, it's a suitable and logical explanation anyways)]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6437433.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6437433.page GMT What exactly are squats?
DrDuckman wrote:
It's a shame, I really like what Mantic did with their Forgefathers, which is basically high tech squats.

They would have made a far more interesting 2+ save faction than the Grey Knights, that's for sure.


Dark Angels are already in 40k and a better 2+ army than GK. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6437454.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6437454.page GMT Re:What exactly are squats? GW makes a tau allies supplement that includes durmeiug (who are squats reborn, but with ion weaponry).]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6437475.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6437475.page GMT What exactly are squats? IG codex. Something to fill up the Elites list with even more abhumans. I think they'd be right at home with Ratlings and Ogryns. To say nothing of the fact that by including them, GW would be saying "here they are... there's not enough for a separate faction, but they still exist, please buy WHFB dwarf models and convert them because we will never make a kit for them, but we don't hate them and we don't hate the people who like them."

I mean, they brought back the Jokaero.

The Jokaero. The orange ape guys who make high-tech stuff. The guys who absolutely NO ONE wanted to see again.

Surely they could toss in a Squat unit entry, right?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6438325.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6438325.page GMT What exactly are squats?
squidhills wrote:
GW would be saying "here they are... there's not enough for a separate faction, but they still exist, please buy WHFB dwarf models and convert them because we will never make a kit for them, but we don't hate them and we don't hate the people who like them."

Sorry, probably won't happen, at least not like that. GW doesn't make units without specific models for them, these days. Not since a court case went a bit bad for them. So if the Squats were to come back, they'd need their own models.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6438426.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6438426.page GMT What exactly are squats?
 Troike wrote:
squidhills wrote:
GW would be saying "here they are... there's not enough for a separate faction, but they still exist, please buy WHFB dwarf models and convert them because we will never make a kit for them, but we don't hate them and we don't hate the people who like them."

Sorry, probably won't happen, at least not like that. GW doesn't make units without specific models for them, these days. Not since a court case went a bit bad for them. So if the Squats were to come back, they'd need their own models.


Awww.... now I'm sad, because I know that'll never happen. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6438480.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6438480.page GMT What exactly are squats? GWs eyes with Squats to bring them back. Not to say that the way they retcon stuff doesn't mean they couldn't somehow.

That being said the Demiurg are the successors for the dwarf archetype in 40k. It wouldn't be impossible to roll some of the unique "Squat" concepts into the Demiurg if they were to develop them more one day. Stuff like underground weapons, exo-armor, exo-armor bikes (terminator bikes!), etc from the Squats would work well with Demiurg concepts like robots, shields, ion weapons etc.

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6453401.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/569776/6453401.page GMT