Kill Team: Return to the Pariah Nexus (?)

 

Today is a day of speculation about the upcoming Kill Team Season.

But let’s start from the beginning and give credit where it’s due.

A few hours ago, Valrak published a video on his channel where he hinted at some information about the first box of the next Season (which will be the second of this edition).

Specifically, the rumor hints at the name of the box: Dead Silence.

Now, this article is based on two assumptions:

• A few months before the release of Hivestorm, the name of the core box was indeed leaked. So let’s pretend the name really is that.
• Since last time, with the prediction of the Tyranid invasion on Volkus, I (almost) got it right—why not give it another shot?

DEAD SILENCE

I think many people, like me, as soon as they heard the word “Silence,” thought of the Sisters of Silence.

It would make sense, considering that a Talons team hasn’t been seen since the 2021 Compendium, and that GW has been giving the faction some attention (for example, with the second episode of the The Tithes series and the latest trailer for the next edition of Horus Heresy).

However, thinking about it a bit more, the word “Silence” reminded me of something else.

Lore enthusiasts will know that this word is associated countless times with the War Zone: Pariah Nexus in almost all its variations.

• The portion of space involved in the Necron conflict is precisely called “the Zone of Silence” due to the numerous Blackstone structures that have a Warp suppression effect.
• The “stilled” are those who have fallen victim to the malaise known as “The Stilling” a plague that spread among humans in the War Zone, caused by the effects (similar to those caused by the presence of a Null gene individual) of the Blackstone pylons.
  Note: In Italian, The Stilling is translated in a way that’s closer to the word 'silence'. Something that in English would sound like 'The Silencing'.
• There’s also the presence in the War Zone of Szarekh, also known as “the Silent King”.

It’s also worth mentioning that the War Zone has been EXTENSIVELY covered by GW in recent years in various ways and formats.

In no particular order:

• The Edge of Silence (booklet included in the Indomitus box)
• Psychic Awakening: Pariah
• Kill Team: Pariah Nexus (2018 edition, released in 2021)
• Crusade: Pariah Nexus
• Flashpoint Argovon (White Dwarf)
• Flashpoint Nephilim (White Dwarf)
• Warhammer: Pariah Nexus (series on Warhammer TV)
• The Tithes – episode 1

And surely more that I can’t recall right now.

As a result, one might think that the subject has already been covered too much and that an entire Kill Team Season focused on this War Zone may not be necessary.
Or, one might think that the next Season is exactly what’s needed to finally define the conclusion of the conflict with the progression of the lore.

THE FACTIONS

In the video, Valrak suggests two possibilities.

The first is a Space Wolves Scout team, but I personally would exclude this for several reasons.
The main one being that there is already a Scout team in Kill Team, released between December 2023 and January 2024.As a result, it isn’t even subject to the “team rotation” scheduled for September this year.

The second hypothesis concerns a Necron team, and this one convinces me more.
Obviously, because if the Season is set in the Pariah Nexus, it makes sense that the first box features the home team.
Also, the current Necron team (Hierotek Circle) rotates out of competitive play in September 2026, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a new team from the same faction released a year before the current one retires.
We already have a precedent (Kommando -> Wrecka).

The second faction in the box could really be anything.
Across all the publications dealing with the Pariah Nexus, countless factions have been involved in the conflict.
So right now, it’s really just a guessing game.
Maybe an indication could come from the official list of warring forces found in Flashpoint Nephilim.

Personally, reading through this information, I might say Sisters of Battle or Talons.

The first for two reasons:

• The Novitiates team rotates out of competitive play this September, so having a replacement team ready for that date would be useful.
• The Sisters of Battle are one of the few Imperial forces able to effectively resist the effects of "The Stilling” thanks to their faith.

Talons of the Emperor is another good candidate due to the possible presence of the Sisters of Silence.
Both for the reasons mentioned earlier and because their name is similar to the box name.

All we can do now is wait for more information.