Hernkyn Pioneers
Its datasheet changed in a BSData update since we rated it; SWORD, SHIELD and the letter are from before, until we rate it again.
SWORD: what Hernkyn Pioneers kills
Damage for its points
per 100 pts spent
Its 85 pts kill ~54 pts in one activation.Typical shooter: 44 per 100
Best against hordes, weakest against heavy vehicles and monsters
Into each enemy type
SHIELD: how hard Hernkyn Pioneers is to kill for its points
Toughness for its points
per 100 pts spent
Its 85 pts take ~298 pts of enemy units to kill.Typical shooter: 298 per 100
Units near it by SHIELD
In Leagues of Votann
Across the game· shooters
What reviewers say
8 reviewers- Cheap fast scorers that win objectives late 6 of 8
- Farseekers sharpens their shooting and movement 4 of 8
- The threat of a turn-one strike warps deployment 2 of 8
- A third unit costs extra 3 of 8
- Little use when the mission isn't about scoring 1 of 8
Compare
| Unit | Letter | SWORD | SHIELD | Lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hernkyn Pioneers85 pts | S | Top 16% | Top 28% | 132of 154 |
| Sagitaur85 pts | A | Top 37% | Top 13% | 94of 154 |
| Hearthkyn Warriors90 pts | B | Top 32% | Top 8% | 95of 154 |
How we got these numbers
What we ran
Hernkyn Pioneers, 3 models, 85 pts, with 3 Bolt revolver, 3 Bolt shotgun, 1 HYLas rotary cannon, 3 Magna-coil autocannon, 3 Plasma knife, in Hearthband. On its own: no leader, no stratagems, no other units' auras. Counted as dice: the army rule and the detachment's rule.
SWORD
Enemy points it kills in one activation, per 100 pts of its own, against a mix of targets weighted like top tournament lists.
85 pts → kills ~54 pts → 63 per 100SHIELD
Enemy points it takes to kill it, per 100 pts of its own: the points of the cheapest units from top lists that kill it 80% of the time. It's per point, so a costly unit has to be much tougher to score the same.
~298 pts → 351 per 100Top and bottom %
Where each number ranks among the game's 407 shooters. How we score.
The letter
The average of 9 reviewers' newest Leagues of Votann tier lists: VotannVersus40K (meta watches, Aug to Oct) (22 Oct), Goonhammer (Tabletop Battles): faction pack, points, the July to September balance updates, Competitive Innovations (20 Oct), Auspex Tactics (29 Aug), Grimdark Breakdown (two videos, with a Votann player guest) (3 Jul), Vanguard Tactics (with its Votann player) (15 Jun), Love & Wargames (two videos, a tournament player) (25 Jul), Black Crow Gaming (WTC lists) (22 Aug), Miniatures Rundown (8 Jul), Thex Specter (two videos, a casual player) (27 Aug). A reviewer who would rather not be counted: tell us.
Lists
154 public Leagues of Votann tournament lists, September – November 2026, from grimstat-corpus (CC BY 4.0). Also from Listhammer. Organisers and players: ask us and we'll take a list or an event down. Numbers run 2 Nov.