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		<title>Archaon</title>
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		<updated>2019-08-22T00:38:00Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: &lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;div&gt;[[Image:Archaon Book.jpg|570px|thumb|right|A wallpaper version of his solo [[Black Library]] novel cover art.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-size:1.10em;font-weight:bold;font-style: FFF Tusj ;font-family:serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&#039;color:&lt;br /&gt;
#A57164;font-size:100%&#039;&amp;gt; I AM THE TRUE CHOSEN OF CHAOS!&amp;lt;br&amp;gt; - Archaon teaching [[Abaddon|a certain armless failure]] on how to actually be kick ass&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|Fear me, mortals, for I am the Anointed, the Favored Son of Chaos, the Scourge of the World. The armies of the gods rally behind me, and it is by my will and by my sword that your weakling nations shall fall.|Archaon the Everchosen, Lord of the End Times}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|My hatred is a thousand times more powerful than all your good intentions.|Jim Goad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|Everyone, deep in their hearts, is waiting for the end of the world to come.|Haruki Murakami}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Archaon the &amp;lt;S&amp;gt;Overchosen&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Everchosen&#039;&#039;&#039;, formerly known as &#039;&#039;&#039;Diederick Kastnar&#039;&#039;&#039;, also known concurrently as &#039;&#039;&#039;The Three-Eyed King&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Lord of the End-Times&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Kingslayer&#039;&#039;&#039;, and various other titles besides is the supreme Chaos Lord of [[Warhammer Fantasy]] and its successor, [[Age of Sigmar]], as well as in [[Total War: WARHAMMER]]. He is the current direct successor of the Kurgan High Zar Asavar Kul, who previously held the title of Everchosen before getting shived in the back by his subordinates. Archaon, on the other hand, managed to successfully destroy the world during the [[End Times]] and defeated Grimgor in single combat (while the latter was high off becoming the Incarnate of the Wind of Beasts, no less) and, more importantly, wrestled with Sigmar Heldenhammer himself before falling with him into a Chaos Portal to fight over the titular Warhammer for which the settings of Fantasy and 40K are named, which he just barely lost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Supposedly, his name is Tilean, meaning &#039;Warhammer Rome&#039;. Because GW Latin fetish. Depending on how you look at him, he&#039;s either a badass legend of Chaos and terrifyingly powerful, or a lameass Gary Stu and the obnoxious conclusion of GW&#039;s recent Chaos fapfest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This is, of course, his newest iteration. Archaon&#039;s been around before and was the titular Lord of the End Times during the Storm of Chaos, though both the event and his character were retconned and brought back with heavy modification for 8th Edition. See the End Times article itself for skub surrounding that.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[http://myglobalmind.com/2015/08/25/interview-with-archaon-from-norwegian-death-metal-band-1349/ Also moonlights as a guitarist for Norwegian Black Metal bands].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a84RoIMa1Q In the latest of a long line of cool by GW, Archaon&#039;s sword, the Slayer of Kings, HAS BEEN MADE IN REAL LIFE].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Legend==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Grimdark|Archaon was born to a Nordland townswoman after her home was paid a visit to by a raiding party of bloodthirsty Norscan Chaos Marauders where the leader of said party, a Marauder Champion, proceeded to rape her viciously before leaving her for dead amidst the burning husk of his village.]] Of course, the village woman [[Indrick Boreale|did not die, no,]] but was found clinging to life by her husband and children and later gave birth to the raider&#039;s bastard son. This child was left to wolves of Laurelorn before being found by a Sigmarite priest, adopted as a page for the local church, and named Diederick.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As it happens, this fisherwoman was named Viktoria Rothschild in &#039;&#039;Archaon - Everchosen&#039;&#039;. [[/pol/|Anyone interested enough in making the reach would claim this essentially makes Archaon an evil Jew bent on world domination.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Diederick grew up to a vigorous and devout lad, strong in the ways of Sigmar, and became a squire for the knight Sieur Kastnar. When the Sieur Kastnar ran afoul of some foes and died, Diederick, being a man of honour, took it upon himself to deliver the knight&#039;s ancestral sword to House Kastnar. The lady of the House, having been disregarded and despised by her husband, was touched by the young squire&#039;s dedication and integrity, and adopted him to her house, bequeathing the sword of Kastnar to him, along with the dead knight&#039;s horse Orberon. With her sponsorship, Kastnar then entered into the prestigious Order of the Twin-Tailed Orb, becoming the greatest warrior of the Order on account of his (unbeknownst) Northern bloodlust and a paragon of the Order&#039;s knightly ideals. [[Grimdark|Which essentially means he was a Black Templar level fanatic who didn&#039;t think twice of killing children if they were born with the taint of Chaos]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Later on his career, while questing about and slaying whole tribes of Beastmen single-handed, Diederick came across a group of the Sisters of Sigmar who were transporting a heretical tome. This tome would turn out to be Liber Celestior itself, penned by Necrodormo the Insane under the direction of Be&#039;Lakor himself, and said to hold the prophecy of the Everchosen of Chaos, the final champion who would herald the End Times. The tome was to be transported to the Grand Cathedral of Sigmar in Altdorf, where it would be kept protected from a warband of Chaos Warriors intent on using it to find the Everchosen. This warband being the Swords of Chaos.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course, young Diederick had not even seen the prophecy for himself. And indeed, for so many years, had been much too fanatical and thick in the head to realise that he fit the perfect profile of a Norscan warrior, not an Imperial knight. This also did not come fully to him when his own Order of the Twin-Tailed Orb began hunting him, despite him having been the greatest exemplar of their Order&#039;s religious and military ideals. Diederick, being a &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;complete badass&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; fucking Mary Sue, made quick work of the knights and also managed to evade the Swords of Chaos, seeking refuge at the Kastnar estate only to find it having been burned to the ground. There, he conferred with the Sister of Sigmar and the priest who had fostered him as to the reasons for which the Empire had declared him a heretic and why the Swords of Chaos wanted to suck his cock. They came to the conclusion that he fit the bill as the Everchosen based on the fact that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A). He was obviously of Norscan descent (fucking racists...)&lt;br /&gt;
* B). He was a knight of the Empire, like the Everchosen was foretold to be.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s essentially it, really. It&#039;s a pretty fucking vague prophecy. But in fantasy worlds, this is often convincing enough, and so Diederick, on the advice of his foster father, journeyed to Altdorf to gain some confirmation of his dark destiny at the Grand Cathedral of Sigmar. Of course, this was after he succeeded in hanging himself because he couldn&#039;t live with the truth. Ballsy of him, but the Chaos Gods went &#039;lolno&#039; and brought him back to life to get on without. They really wanted the End Times to happen, the little shits. So, after dragging his depressed ass to Altdorf and praying before an altar to Sigmar to give him some sign or indication that he was not forsaken by the God-King and not damned to a fate he did not choose and did not want, and receiving stone silence in return (&amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;and remember, this is a setting where magic and the direct presence of gods is not unheard of&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;, unfortunately Sigmar was quite busy being stuck in the wind of Azyr, courtesy of Tzeentch.  Though that doesn&#039;t explain why ANY other Human, Elf or Dwarf God didn&#039;t appear to prevent End Times) [[Awesome|Archaon went batshit and managed to take down the entire knightly garrison of the Sigmarite Cathedral]] and even managed to break the Grand Theogonist&#039;s limbs and hold him hostage.  Interrogating the Grand Theogonist by breaking his fingers individually, Diederick demanded to know how exactly the Knights of the Twin-Tailed Orb were so sure that he was the Everchosen; after all, there countless half-Norscans running about in the Empire, and there were countless knights of the Empire who had fallen to Chaos.  The Theogonist revealed that they weren&#039;t sure at all.  They had been hunting people with his profile throughout the Empire. The clincher was that the true Everchosen was prophesied to travel to Altdorf and ask that exact question.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So yes, if Diederick had &#039;&#039;not&#039;&#039; gone to Altdorf to find this out, he would not have fulfilled the prophecy. [[Just as Planned]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having finally been driven to Joker levels of genocidal insanity by this tidbit of information, Archaon loudly denounced the God-King Sigmar and affirmed his allegiance to the Dark Gods of his father&#039;s race, swearing that he would bring the Empire crashing down and tear away the pageantry of Sigmar&#039;s religion to reveal the god for the craven liar and charlatan that he was. It was during this shouted oath of death and destruction that the Grand Theogonist gloatingly revealed that the entire Reikland army and pretty much the entirety of the Empire&#039;s gunpowder potential was primed on the Cathedral with the order to kill the Everchosen by any means necessary, including by destroying the Cathedral itself. Luckily for Diederick, the Swords of Chaos arrived and rescued him from the clutches of the Empire, fleeing northwards towards Norsca where the Everchosen could begin his journey. This is, of course, if you follow the later books. Originally he read the prophecy, lost his marbles, and ran off screaming in the night before deciding he&#039;d go up north and join his new dark god daddies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A&#039;ight, bitches, y&#039;all know the story that came after this. Archaon traveled North, crossing into Norsca and the Chaos Wastes and began his centuries-long journey to find the Relics of Chaos - The Burning Mark of Chaos Eternal, which bestowed upon its bearer the ultimate favour all four of the Great Chaos Gods. The Armour of Morkar, the battle-scarred Chaos Plate born by the Norsii warlord and first and greatest of the Everchosen. The Slayer of Kings, the horrifyingly powerful regicidal greatsword forged by Vangel, the Second Everchosen; bound with the soul of U&#039;zhul, the Fist of [[Khorne]]. The Crown of Domination, the ancient battle-helm borne by the first Northern warrior to bargain his soul to Chaos&#039;s Dark Lords. The Eye of Sheerian, which bestows upon its user prophetic powers. And Dorghar, Steed of the Apocalypse. (His shield was forged by Bob the arrowsmith, who never made a shield before, but makes some damn fine arrows.  It has no special powers, but will presumably become a relic upon Archaon&#039;s death.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Archaon got the first one by traveling to the Altar of Ultimate Darkness in Naggaroth where he single-handedly brought upon the genocide of the race of bloodthirsty, atavistic monster-men who infested the temple and who feasted upon the flesh of stray Dark Elves.  In the newer version, he also fought a Dark Elf army led by a dragon-riding Sorceress and was saved by a Valkia cameo after he sacrificed a Dark Elf assassin to the Chaos Gods (strangely Valkia arrived when Archaon offered the assassin&#039;s heart even though Khorne&#039;s thing is skulls or just severed heads).  He earned the Armour of Morkar by travelling to the Norse King&#039;s cairn in the Southern Chaos Wastes and facing off against his vengeful spirit, and was nearly slaughtered by his predecessor then and there but for spitting out a &#039;yo mama&#039; insult in the dead tongue of the Unberogens which managed to catch Morkar just off-guard due to its WTFness enough for Archaon to sucker-punch him and steal the armour.  Actually, it turns out that Archaon said &#039;brinnan utva lioht&#039;, which means &#039;burn in the light&#039;, which if I&#039;m being honest, sounds about as insulting as calling someone a scoundrel.  He claimed the Eye of Sheerian from Flamefang, the Claw of Tzeentch, a three-headed Chaos Dragon.  Archaon found it sleeping in its lair and woke it up by hitting one of its heads with his axe.  There was an intense fight, which ended when Flamefang swallowed Archaon and flew all the way to the Southern Wastes. The armor prevented Archaon from being digested and he cut his way out of the dragon&#039;s throat from the inside and plucked the Eye of Sheerian from the belly of its corpse. He claimed Dorghar from the menagerie of a Slaaneshi Daemon Prince.  He entered the stables by clinging to the underbelly of one of the monsters as it returned to its roost and tracked Dorghar by Dorghar&#039;s smell (originally) or using the Eye of Sheerian (post-retcon). &lt;br /&gt;
He then jumped on Dorghar&#039;s back like a hellish rodeo - one where the mount burst into flame and changed shape along with fighting to dislodge and kill Archaon.  Eventually he broke Dorghar&#039;s will and killed the daemon prince. He got the Slayer of Kings from a sleeping Krakanrok the Black, father of the Dragon Ogre race and a being the size of a mountain.  The superstrong even for a follower of chaos Khornate Beastlord Ograx was &#039;&#039;just&#039;&#039; able to lift one of Krakanrok&#039;s fingers high enough for Archaon to grab the sword.  It started screaming so loud that the mountain-sized Krakanrok began to stir and Archaon silenced the blade&#039;s screaming by impaling the Beastlord through the heart with it, thereby sating its regicidal thirst.  And of course, he gained the Crown of Domination by travelling to the First Shrine of Chaos in the Northern World&#039;s Edge Mountains after Bea&#039;lakor was made by the Chaos Gods to appear and show him the way (and some directions from Vitlich in the retcon).  Archaon entered and overcame tests set by all 4 of the Chaos Gods, including a maze made by Tzeentch, fighting off every disease possible sent from  Nurgle through [[awesome|sheer]] [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|willpower]], resisting a personal invitation from Slaanesh himself/herself and Khorne sending Skarbrand to fight him, whom he then strangled to death with his own whip (actually required a fair bit more cunning, planning and daemonic intervention than the armybook versions of the stories would have you believe).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Storm of Chaos fiasco == &lt;br /&gt;
Eventually the Chaos Gods gave the order, and he led the most ferocious and largest army of [[Warriors of Chaos|Chaos Warriors]] ever assembled against the [[Empire]] during the [[Storm of Chaos]] campaign for 6th Edition. Before he reached the location where he was to end the world, he faced [[Valten]] (supposedly a reincarnation of Sigmar himself), who fought through the Swords of Chaos and killed Dorghar before pressing on to Archaon himself. Valten rushed in to strike Archaon after having dismounted him, but Archaon lunged out of the smoke left when Dorghar died and stabbed him in the chest; Valten pulled even closer though, and swung down, his hammer shredding through Archaon&#039;s armor and knocking him to his knees. But Valten let his guard down to un-impale himself on Archaon&#039;s sword, and the Lord of the End Times struck back and broke Valten&#039;s chestplate. In a moment of humanization and weakness, two things GW would make sure were removed from Chaos and Archaon later on, Archaon was fearful of a Sigmarite tattoo Valten had, and thought the big man himself had come to end him. Just then the [[Orcs &amp;amp; Goblins|Orc]] warlord [[Grimgor Ironhide|Grimgor]] smashed through the Chaos bodyguard single-handed, headbutted Arch in the junk, laughed at his sorry ass then went back to gather another army of greenskins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The reason this bullshit happened? GW built the narrative around their battle reports, army by army. The problem is that Chaos kept losing. In fact, the good guys were winning so badly the only reason Archaon was pushing them back was due to plot. But GW had already pre-planned the story to become the grimderpofthe41stmilleniumwherethereisonlywar and make &amp;quot;End Times&amp;quot; be in the past tense. In the end, they resorted to having fans call-in the way they wanted the story to end, hoping that Warhammer Fantasy fans would pick the faction with the pointiest stuff on their armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They didn&#039;t.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They chose a faction that had been beaten in the last match.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fans chose Orcs over Chaos.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
GW had no backup plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Grimgor&#039;s entire army had been beaten by Crom while Valten and Archaon fought. Grimgor got sick of rallying his forces, went &amp;quot;ZOG DIS, I WANNA PIECE UV DA ACTION!&amp;quot; and charged in to sucker punch Archaon as he was about to deliver the final blow to Valten, shout for the silent and awed assembled armies of the world to hear that &amp;quot;GRIMGOR IZ DA BEST!&amp;quot;, then went back home to rally his army. This resulted in the snide nickname of &amp;quot;Light Drizzle of Chaos.&amp;quot; Archaon fled the field, somehow alive, but literally ran for the hills to escape Grimgor, who fucked off to who knows where, and the coming army of Karl-Franz.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With that pesky idea of &amp;quot;player agency&amp;quot; getting in the way of their attempt at a forced Chaos ending, GW went silent and further fluff never came. Later on, they retconned almost the entirety of Storm of Chaos and instead made it an alternate continuity. In the current narrative, &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;he&#039;s still amassing his army&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; the world ended, and this time, GW dropped the pretenses and didn&#039;t leave the ending up to the fans, and in response to complaints that Archaon was an Archy Sue, they amplified his power level through the roof.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So began the beginning of the end of the beginning of the end.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Archaon&#039;s Posse ==&lt;br /&gt;
In first [[Storm of Chaos]] and now in [[The End Times]], Archaon isn&#039;t alone at the top of the hordes of chaos. He has some lieutenants to help him keep everyone organised. Closest of all is his Herald, [[Vardek Crom]], although officially Crom gets killed in a failed invasion.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In [[Storm of Chaos]], Games Workshop decided to go with the [[Your dudes]] approach, creating four lieutenants based on simply fluffing out the new Chaos Champion models for each of the four gods (save Khorne, who got a custom model based on an old Archaon head, Orc arms and an old Bloodletter body). Thusly, in [[White Dwarf]], we were introduced to:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Haargroth]] the Blooded One, Champion of [[Khorne]].&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Feytor]] the Tainted, Champion of [[Nurgle]].&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Styrkaar]], Champion of [[Slaanesh]].&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Melekh]] the Changer and the sorcerous mutant-child Cyspeth, Champions of [[Tzeentch]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The characters weren&#039;t received too well. So, perhaps realising their mistake, GW has revealed they&#039;re bringing back some of the big Chaos characters from their first ever Chaos Special Characters list:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Representing [[Khorne]], it&#039;s [[Arbaal]] the Undefeated, giant Flesh Hound-riding army-butchering Chaos Lord.&lt;br /&gt;
* Representing [[Slaanesh]], it&#039;s [[Dechala]] the Denied One, corrupted High Elf turned six-armed poison-oozing snake-woman.&lt;br /&gt;
* Representing [[Nurgle]], it&#039;s [[Valnir]] the Reaper, undead soul-harvester.&lt;br /&gt;
* Representing [[Tzeentch]], it&#039;s [[Egrimm van Horstmann]], former Magister of the Light College turned dragon-riding daemon-commanding arch-warlock.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike the others, these guys were at least respected enough to get cameos in [[The End Times]].  Two of them were even killed off, with Valnir being killed by Wulfrik in a novel and Egrimm being killed in End Times: Archaon after trying to bind the wind of Aqshy to himself. Dechala was mentioned to be in the final battle and it&#039;s said that Arbaal was kurmped as wel..&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[The End Times]] made a similar plan as well with champions representing each of the Gods, and again, Crom appears and gets his ass handed to him by Valten.  This time, however, the posse is made of actually known characters:&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Valkia the Bloody]] representing her hubby Khorne during the invasion of Naggaroth. She eventually gets a mutual kill.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Vilitch the Curseling]] being the top champion of Tzeentch while Aekold Hellbrass is busy sacking Kislev.  As of ET: Thanquol, he gets sent to drag in [[Karl Franz]] so Archie may kill him once and for all.  In End Times: Archaon, he and Thomin switch places, with Thomin calling the shots and Vitlich being the mindless slave.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Sigvald]] the Magnificent being the only person of note dedicated to Slaanesh. He gets his face rekt by the Wight King Krell and then got killed and pissed on by Throgg the troll king.&lt;br /&gt;
*The [[Glottkin]] taking the position of top 3 champions of Nurgle after the guy before them gets a Runefang to the face.  They get beaten in the same book they appear in by a superpowered Karl Franz and are currently sitting the rest of The End Times out in Nurgle&#039;s Mansion.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Retcon/The End Times==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:archaon.jpeg|500px|thumb|right|The Everchosen doing a badass pose.]]&lt;br /&gt;
GW recently realized that pushing ChaosChaosChaos in Warhammer Fantasy only turns off fans who want THEIR faction to be important (as the setting has a fair number of megalomaniacs that would put comicbook villains to shame), and as a result the End Times are finally being ushered in... by [[Nagash]]. The resident Undead [[BBEG]], who aims to take over the world by rendering everyone into undead slaves then consume the Warp.  In its entirety.  At that time Archaon was seeking the [[Glottkin]], the [[Maggoth Lords|Maggoth Riders]], and [[Gutrot Spume]], and upon finding them gave them three jars of plagues custom-made by Nurgle himself (they also had [[Festus the Leechlord|a man on the inside at Altdorf]] who cooked up his own plague).  Archaon&#039;s plan was to use the followers of Nurgle like a magical bioweapon; softening up the Empire before he came in to finish it off.  Upon hearing that Naggy&#039;s stealing his thunder, Archaon prematurely led his forces to battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the border of the Empire and what was once Kislev, he encountered the Auric Bastion, a gigantic wall of metal, magic and holy energy made by [[Balthazar Gelt]] that he and his troops could not cross.  Then they came under attack and his army ended up in a stalemate against the forces of [[Vlad von Carstein]], the head of the Dracula Bloodline brought back from death by big bone daddy himself.  Vlad&#039;s job was to keep Archaon busy while Nagash invaded Nehekhara.  Naggy himself was planning to eliminate the [[Tomb Kings]] as they were one of the few forces that can challenge his rule, then subsume them into his armies and go on to kill every living thing in the world and reanimate them.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Gelt fell prey to the separate manipulations of Vlad von Carstein and the Changeling and was outed as an up-and-coming necromancer.  After a misunderstanding, Gelt is declared a traitor to the Empire and flees.  With Gelt&#039;s fall from grace, the Auric Bastion loses the support of the Sigmarite priests, who deem the wall tainted due to its inventor&#039;s involvement with necromancy.  Soon after the Auric Bastion crumbles, giving Chaos the green light to invade the Empire.  Eager to make up for lost time, Archaon leads his forces in and bulrushes his way to Middenheim.  Archaon planned to defeat the god Sigmar worshiped as a symbol of his superiority.  However, Ulric had enough power to resist him and Chaos had a hard fight until [[Teclis|a meddling elf wizard]], unbeknownst to everyone else, stole Ulric&#039;s flame, allowing the power of Chaos to ravage Middenheim.  Archaon took on Valten, Sigmar&#039;s heir, until a Verminlord decided to be a kill-stealing prick and decapitated Valten, enraging Archaon.  Eventually Archaon and his forces conquered Middenheim.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After this Archaon claimed Sigmar&#039;s hammer from Valten&#039;s body as a trophy and set up camp in Middenheim, putting his throne in the room where the Flame of Ulric once burnt.  While there he schemed to have Karl Franz killed, sending [[Kairos Fateweaver]] after him.  While waiting, Archaon discovered a secret weapon under Middenheim.  Under even where the Flame of Ulric was is a device left by the Old Ones.  If properly tended to, it could form a third Warp Rift that would combine with the other two and destroy the world so he sought to activate it, not caring that as far as he knew, it would destroy him too.  Due to [[Games Workshop|plot armor]], Kairos failed and Archaon kills the former to summon Ka&#039;Bandha to take out Karl Franz.  But he and the other Khornate daemons champed at the bit to start the fight while Archaon camped in Middenheim so he permitted them to hunt Karl Franz and the Incarnates as long as they gave him Karl Franz&#039;s flayed skin.  During this time he gets several people pledging themselves to his cause who get used as auxiliaries including [[Isabella von Carstein|a possessed vampire]], [[Sigvald|a preening Chaos Lord]], the entire Skaven race and [[Settra the Imperishable|a dethroned undead king]] (though the latter&#039;s in it cos &amp;quot;the enemy of my enemy...&amp;quot; and ultimately says &amp;quot;fuck this shit&amp;quot; to Chaos).  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the machinations of Nurgle and the Skaven, Nagash is reduced from contender for the main villain and a burgeoning god of undeath to that &amp;quot;lesser villain that needs to team up with the good guys to fight the true villain&amp;quot; guy.  The Bone Daddy approaches the Incarnates and offers an alliance which they, &#039;&#039;very&#039;&#039; grudgingly, accept.  Eventually the Incarnates come to Middenheim and a gigantic clusterfuck of a battle occurs.  The Orcs led by Grimgor throw in their lot with the Incarnates after some skillful manipulation from Malekith and even Sigmar himself makes a comeback.  Despite everything arrayed against them, it eventually ends up being ChaosChaosChaos anyways when they fail to stop Archaon&#039;s ace-in-the-hole; his custom-made, Old-Ones-inspired WMD...  Largely because Mannfred decided to betray Nagash (along with the rest of the good guys) at the last moment. While everyone else either dies or gets warped into some chaos bullshit, Archaon and Sigmar fall into the Warp Rift while wrestling for the hammer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whatever anyone says, if there was to be an ending to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, this is it: The Big Good and Big Bad of the setting falling into oblivion wrestling over The Warhammer. Fucking &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;sweet&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;gay&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; however you feel about it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Age of Sigmar==&lt;br /&gt;
So by now I imagine you&#039;re thinking &amp;quot;well bugger me, how can this guy get any more badass and/or mary sueish?&amp;quot; Well let me answer that for you, with a new model. Move over, [[Nagash]], there&#039;s a new giant model in town and he&#039;s coming for you.   &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After completing a brand new series of challenges set by the Chaos Gods, smashing them all with ease and without a shred of loyalty for the Unholy Quintet, and rejecting the newly ascended [[Great Horned Rat]]&#039;s offer of a blessing by spitting in his verminous face, Archaon has been made the Grand High Marshall of Chaos. Which basically means that he can do whatever the fuck he wants without the Chaos Gods doing anything to stop him. He could go around and murder the shit out of each of the gods&#039; best followers and get away with it, because fuck you, he&#039;s Archaon.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That said, however, not everyone unanimously accepts his claim, and there were those like the Gaunt Summoners of Tzeentch (A bunch of possibly-daemonic sorcerers with eyes all over their helmets) that put up a resistance against the Marshall, and end up getting a serious ass-whooping for their troubles.  Once that was dealt with he went on a rampage through the realms.  One of his harder battles was in the realm of Shyish.  Archaon took on Nagash as he was the only one strong enough to defeat him.  Archaon did at one point, striking him down and destroying his body.  From there he proceeded to lock up the souls of the dead in a giant bone cage so Nagash couldn&#039;t access them. &lt;br /&gt;
However Nagash was the god of death and Archaon had killed him in the Afterlife, so where was we going to go, Detroit?  Due to Nagash&#039;s powers - and Arkhan and Neferata retrieving his remains afterwards - Nagash returned to try and lay a vengeful beatdown on Archaon&#039;s army, only to fail again.  He used his powers to break the bone cage and gain access to the souls Archaon had contained.  The two dueled, again but Archaon called on the Bloodthirsters for backup, forcing Nagash to retreat.  Archaon&#039;s only defeat came at the hands of Malerion in the realm of Ulgu, and he is now fascinated by Ulgu.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On top of his legions, he also controls his own order of knights, called the Varanguard. These guys replace Archie&#039;s old warband and serve as his presence in every campaign, and in those he does deign worthy of his direct intervention, they serve as his mightiest warriors. These guys are called from every walk of Chaos, and each of them find some omen compelling them to serve the Everchosen to which they follow so devotedly that they abandon their god&#039;s calling to serve him under pain of death. Those that pass the trials laid before them on their route to the Varanspire (his new castle in the Realm of Chaos) are then chosen to join one of his eight circles and gain a giant mutant thing that possibly used to be a horse. Also joined by some of Slaanesh&#039;s followers and daemons - the Invaders faction - who now worships him as their god.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And that&#039;s not even mentioning the new changes to his look.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a start, Archaon is now rocking some badass new black armour that makes him look much more sinister, powerful, and imposing, though at the cost of the Northern Warlord look he used to have. Slayer of Kings is also different, now a gigantic on-fire sword with a much more ornate design than before, very cool. But the real change isn&#039;t even Archaon himself, but the horse Dhorgar. Well, ex-horse, because Dhorgar is now a gigantic chimera monster with three heads to represent Nurgle, Khorne, and Tzeentch (Slaanesh has vanished without a trace) and two tails as a homage to the Great Horned Rat.  He&#039;s now gathering all the forces of Chaos together to launch a massive campaign against Sigmar and finish what he started in the Old World, and stands as the greatest threat that Order may ever have to face. Just like old times, huh? To GW&#039;s credit, Sigmar&#039;s also gotten a lot stronger, so it&#039;s beginning to feel less like some author&#039;s pet stomping over non-opposition, but who will ultimately win?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== On the tabletop ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Warhammer Fantasy===&lt;br /&gt;
In an interesting irony, though probably not intentional, Archaon is also in a lot ways the opposite of Abaddon, not in a bad way. Where as Abaddon tends to get changed fairly heavily each edition, Archaon stays mostly the same with each book, with the only changes to him being armor save&#039;s not including bonus for him being mounted, what his steed can do, or whether or not you can field him on foot. Also, where as Abaddon is characterized by his hitting power while being respectably tough to kill, Archaon hits hard (base attack ignores armor and can double attacks for the rest of the game, though if does any 1s on to hit rolls have to be directed at him or his unit) although his most impressive trait is how freaking hard he is to kill. While his statline is only slightly better than a normal Chaos Lord, he has a 1+ armor save, a 3+ ward save, all to hit rolls against him have a -1 and he can&#039;t be wounded on better than 3+. Sadly, while an indestructible death machine, his cost keeps him from getting much use. Afterall, [[Dwarfs|cannons]] are the solution to all problems in Warhammer Fantasy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Age of Sigmar===&lt;br /&gt;
Age of Sigmar continues this trend of indestructibility in style. Now rocking a 3+ Save that he can easily buff to a 2+, a 5+ Save against Mortal Wounds, and now &#039;&#039;20 FUCKING WOUNDS! HOLY SHIT, THIS IS MEANT TO BE THE GAME WHERE 1 WOUND IS THE AVERAGE, RIGHT?&#039;&#039; Yeah, new monster-riding Archaon is even more of a tank than he used to be, and that&#039;s saying a lot. And in addition to this, his new three-headed Dorghar can use one of thee special abilities every turn he kills somebody in melee. This can range from vomiting up the remains of his victims all over the unit he&#039;s fighting, Nurgle style, to &#039;&#039;eating their skulls and heal D3 wounds!&#039;&#039; Fucking hell, and I thought he was a tank before he could regenerate. In addition to his insane defensive ability, he can also bring the pain too. He has access to Arcane Bolt (as well as the ability to gain the spells of any other wizard if he feeds the unfortunate wizard to the Tzeentch head), though Mystic Shield is always a better choice to up his defense, Dorghar can hit like a truck like any monster, and the Slayer of Kings returns as potentially one of the strongest weapons in the game with an easy To Hit and To Wound, and very heavy Rend and Damage. In addition, if you roll two 6&#039;s To Wound on the same Hero or Monster with the Slayer of Kings, then it instantly kills them with no saves of any kind allowed. Though with only four attacks, this won&#039;t happen too often. Still, with those stats he&#039;s easily going to live long enough to pull it off sooner or later.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Original Archaon.jpg|Archaon, back in the early days of Warhammer Fantasy.  He had a horsie.&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Archaon Old.jpg|Archaon&#039;s limited edition model, on-foot.&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Archaon New.jpg|Archaon&#039;s new model. He gets a daemon horsie now.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:ArchaonAOS.jpg|Archaon&#039;s newER model, now with a gigantic daemon chimera, the Evolved form of daemon horsie.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Godbeasts.jpg|An evil, powerful warrior traveling from world to world, seeking further power from a godlike serpentine dragon... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vjJrGeh1c that sounds familiar].&lt;br /&gt;
Image: The three eyed king.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Archaon end times.png&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Lord of the End Times.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Archaon 3.png|Archaon in [[Total War: WARHAMMER]]&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Memes==&lt;br /&gt;
Of course what would a Warhammer character be without the memes? &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Archaon is notable for a fair few, given the tendency of writers to keep at least his foot in the spotlight. &lt;br /&gt;
* ANIME: Thanks to his art and general JRPG villain actions in Age of Sigmar, Archaon has become the embodiement of ANIME (always caps). &lt;br /&gt;
* Horns: Archaon&#039;s helmet horns have grown in each incarnation, leading to humor a la Abby&#039;s armlessness about horn growth, and the increasing difficulty lifting or turning his head. &lt;br /&gt;
* Penguins: Archaon has described the Beastmen inhabiting the south pole as &amp;quot;true Beastmen&amp;quot;, free from human taint. Since there is no combination of Daemon, man, mutant, or beast not present in the Old World some have come to the conclusion that Archaon is scared of penguins. &lt;br /&gt;
* Archaos: The creator of the Archaon character identified his original intended name as the even more ludicrous &amp;quot;Archaos&amp;quot;, destined to fall on his sword in the final battle after realizing what he had done to the laughter of the Chaos Gods. Since then Archaos the teenage suicide victim bullied by the Four has become a preferred way to mock the character. &lt;br /&gt;
* [[Slambo]]: A generic miniature from Oldhammer that some see as the REAL Everchosen. &lt;br /&gt;
* Everchozen: He&#039;ll have this world.... kid. A purposefully bad Paint drawing of Archaon in the style of Coldsteel the Hedgehog, complete with massive horns and a bio reminiscent of a twelve year old&#039;s Naruto OC. Commonly used by critics of the End Times and/or GW&#039;s sudden masturbation of Chaos in general (and &#039;&#039;boy&#039;&#039; are there plenty of critics), and/or as &amp;quot;Neverchozen&amp;quot;, referencing pre-retcon Archaon and his failure.&lt;br /&gt;
* In the multiplayer portion of Total War WARHAMMER, he is often called the &amp;quot;Neverchosen&amp;quot; due to being overpriced when compared to other lords like [[Sigvald]] and [[Dragon Ogres|Kholek Suneater]]. Still, Archaon has been getting update buffs like extra physical resistance and frenzy, meaning he might be a much more viable choice by the time game 3 comes out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Chaos-Champions}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:ChaosGods}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Archaon&amp;diff=49020</id>
		<title>Archaon</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Archaon&amp;diff=49020"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:37:43Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Image:Archaon Book.jpg|570px|thumb|right|A wallpaper version of his solo [[Black Library]] novel cover art.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-size:1.10em;font-weight:bold;font-style: FFF Tusj ;font-family:serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&#039;color:&lt;br /&gt;
#A57164;font-size:100%&#039;&amp;gt; I AM THE TRUE CHOSEN OF CHAOS!&amp;lt;br&amp;gt; - Archaon teaching [[Abaddon|a certain armless failure]] on how to actually be kick ass&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|Fear me, mortals, for I am the Anointed, the Favored Son of Chaos, the Scourge of the World. The armies of the gods rally behind me, and it is by my will and by my sword that your weakling nations shall fall.|Archaon the Everchosen, Lord of the End Times}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|My hatred is a thousand times more powerful than all your good intentions.|Jim Goad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|Everyone, deep in their hearts, is waiting for the end of the world to come.|Haruki Murakami}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Archaon the &amp;lt;S&amp;gt;Overchosen&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Everchosen&#039;&#039;&#039;, formerly known as &#039;&#039;&#039;Diederick Kastnar&#039;&#039;&#039;, also known concurrently as &#039;&#039;&#039;The Three-Eyed King&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Lord of the End-Times&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Kingslayer&#039;&#039;&#039;, and various other titles besides is the supreme Chaos Lord of [[Warhammer Fantasy]] and its successor, [[Age of Sigmar]], as well as in [[Total War: WARHAMMER]]. He is the current direct successor of the Kurgan High Zar Asavar Kul, who previously held the title of Everchosen before getting shived in the back by his subordinates. Archaon, on the other hand, managed to successfully destroy the world during the [[End Times]] and defeated Grimgor in single combat (while the latter was high off becoming the Incarnate of the Wind of Beasts, no less) and, more importantly, wrestled with Sigmar Heldenhammer himself before falling with him into a Chaos Portal to fight over the titular Warhammer for which the settings of Fantasy and 40K are named, which he just barely lost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In terms of competency and skill. Supposedly, his name is Tilean, meaning &#039;Warhammer Rome&#039;. Because GW Latin fetish. Depending on how you look at him, he&#039;s either a badass legend of Chaos and terrifyingly powerful, or a lameass Gary Stu and the obnoxious conclusion of GW&#039;s recent Chaos fapfest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This is, of course, his newest iteration. Archaon&#039;s been around before and was the titular Lord of the End Times during the Storm of Chaos, though both the event and his character were retconned and brought back with heavy modification for 8th Edition. See the End Times article itself for skub surrounding that.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[http://myglobalmind.com/2015/08/25/interview-with-archaon-from-norwegian-death-metal-band-1349/ Also moonlights as a guitarist for Norwegian Black Metal bands].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a84RoIMa1Q In the latest of a long line of cool by GW, Archaon&#039;s sword, the Slayer of Kings, HAS BEEN MADE IN REAL LIFE].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Legend==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Grimdark|Archaon was born to a Nordland townswoman after her home was paid a visit to by a raiding party of bloodthirsty Norscan Chaos Marauders where the leader of said party, a Marauder Champion, proceeded to rape her viciously before leaving her for dead amidst the burning husk of his village.]] Of course, the village woman [[Indrick Boreale|did not die, no,]] but was found clinging to life by her husband and children and later gave birth to the raider&#039;s bastard son. This child was left to wolves of Laurelorn before being found by a Sigmarite priest, adopted as a page for the local church, and named Diederick.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As it happens, this fisherwoman was named Viktoria Rothschild in &#039;&#039;Archaon - Everchosen&#039;&#039;. [[/pol/|Anyone interested enough in making the reach would claim this essentially makes Archaon an evil Jew bent on world domination.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Diederick grew up to a vigorous and devout lad, strong in the ways of Sigmar, and became a squire for the knight Sieur Kastnar. When the Sieur Kastnar ran afoul of some foes and died, Diederick, being a man of honour, took it upon himself to deliver the knight&#039;s ancestral sword to House Kastnar. The lady of the House, having been disregarded and despised by her husband, was touched by the young squire&#039;s dedication and integrity, and adopted him to her house, bequeathing the sword of Kastnar to him, along with the dead knight&#039;s horse Orberon. With her sponsorship, Kastnar then entered into the prestigious Order of the Twin-Tailed Orb, becoming the greatest warrior of the Order on account of his (unbeknownst) Northern bloodlust and a paragon of the Order&#039;s knightly ideals. [[Grimdark|Which essentially means he was a Black Templar level fanatic who didn&#039;t think twice of killing children if they were born with the taint of Chaos]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Later on his career, while questing about and slaying whole tribes of Beastmen single-handed, Diederick came across a group of the Sisters of Sigmar who were transporting a heretical tome. This tome would turn out to be Liber Celestior itself, penned by Necrodormo the Insane under the direction of Be&#039;Lakor himself, and said to hold the prophecy of the Everchosen of Chaos, the final champion who would herald the End Times. The tome was to be transported to the Grand Cathedral of Sigmar in Altdorf, where it would be kept protected from a warband of Chaos Warriors intent on using it to find the Everchosen. This warband being the Swords of Chaos.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course, young Diederick had not even seen the prophecy for himself. And indeed, for so many years, had been much too fanatical and thick in the head to realise that he fit the perfect profile of a Norscan warrior, not an Imperial knight. This also did not come fully to him when his own Order of the Twin-Tailed Orb began hunting him, despite him having been the greatest exemplar of their Order&#039;s religious and military ideals. Diederick, being a &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;complete badass&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; fucking Mary Sue, made quick work of the knights and also managed to evade the Swords of Chaos, seeking refuge at the Kastnar estate only to find it having been burned to the ground. There, he conferred with the Sister of Sigmar and the priest who had fostered him as to the reasons for which the Empire had declared him a heretic and why the Swords of Chaos wanted to suck his cock. They came to the conclusion that he fit the bill as the Everchosen based on the fact that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A). He was obviously of Norscan descent (fucking racists...)&lt;br /&gt;
* B). He was a knight of the Empire, like the Everchosen was foretold to be.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s essentially it, really. It&#039;s a pretty fucking vague prophecy. But in fantasy worlds, this is often convincing enough, and so Diederick, on the advice of his foster father, journeyed to Altdorf to gain some confirmation of his dark destiny at the Grand Cathedral of Sigmar. Of course, this was after he succeeded in hanging himself because he couldn&#039;t live with the truth. Ballsy of him, but the Chaos Gods went &#039;lolno&#039; and brought him back to life to get on without. They really wanted the End Times to happen, the little shits. So, after dragging his depressed ass to Altdorf and praying before an altar to Sigmar to give him some sign or indication that he was not forsaken by the God-King and not damned to a fate he did not choose and did not want, and receiving stone silence in return (&amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;and remember, this is a setting where magic and the direct presence of gods is not unheard of&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;, unfortunately Sigmar was quite busy being stuck in the wind of Azyr, courtesy of Tzeentch.  Though that doesn&#039;t explain why ANY other Human, Elf or Dwarf God didn&#039;t appear to prevent End Times) [[Awesome|Archaon went batshit and managed to take down the entire knightly garrison of the Sigmarite Cathedral]] and even managed to break the Grand Theogonist&#039;s limbs and hold him hostage.  Interrogating the Grand Theogonist by breaking his fingers individually, Diederick demanded to know how exactly the Knights of the Twin-Tailed Orb were so sure that he was the Everchosen; after all, there countless half-Norscans running about in the Empire, and there were countless knights of the Empire who had fallen to Chaos.  The Theogonist revealed that they weren&#039;t sure at all.  They had been hunting people with his profile throughout the Empire. The clincher was that the true Everchosen was prophesied to travel to Altdorf and ask that exact question.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So yes, if Diederick had &#039;&#039;not&#039;&#039; gone to Altdorf to find this out, he would not have fulfilled the prophecy. [[Just as Planned]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having finally been driven to Joker levels of genocidal insanity by this tidbit of information, Archaon loudly denounced the God-King Sigmar and affirmed his allegiance to the Dark Gods of his father&#039;s race, swearing that he would bring the Empire crashing down and tear away the pageantry of Sigmar&#039;s religion to reveal the god for the craven liar and charlatan that he was. It was during this shouted oath of death and destruction that the Grand Theogonist gloatingly revealed that the entire Reikland army and pretty much the entirety of the Empire&#039;s gunpowder potential was primed on the Cathedral with the order to kill the Everchosen by any means necessary, including by destroying the Cathedral itself. Luckily for Diederick, the Swords of Chaos arrived and rescued him from the clutches of the Empire, fleeing northwards towards Norsca where the Everchosen could begin his journey. This is, of course, if you follow the later books. Originally he read the prophecy, lost his marbles, and ran off screaming in the night before deciding he&#039;d go up north and join his new dark god daddies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A&#039;ight, bitches, y&#039;all know the story that came after this. Archaon traveled North, crossing into Norsca and the Chaos Wastes and began his centuries-long journey to find the Relics of Chaos - The Burning Mark of Chaos Eternal, which bestowed upon its bearer the ultimate favour all four of the Great Chaos Gods. The Armour of Morkar, the battle-scarred Chaos Plate born by the Norsii warlord and first and greatest of the Everchosen. The Slayer of Kings, the horrifyingly powerful regicidal greatsword forged by Vangel, the Second Everchosen; bound with the soul of U&#039;zhul, the Fist of [[Khorne]]. The Crown of Domination, the ancient battle-helm borne by the first Northern warrior to bargain his soul to Chaos&#039;s Dark Lords. The Eye of Sheerian, which bestows upon its user prophetic powers. And Dorghar, Steed of the Apocalypse. (His shield was forged by Bob the arrowsmith, who never made a shield before, but makes some damn fine arrows.  It has no special powers, but will presumably become a relic upon Archaon&#039;s death.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Archaon got the first one by traveling to the Altar of Ultimate Darkness in Naggaroth where he single-handedly brought upon the genocide of the race of bloodthirsty, atavistic monster-men who infested the temple and who feasted upon the flesh of stray Dark Elves.  In the newer version, he also fought a Dark Elf army led by a dragon-riding Sorceress and was saved by a Valkia cameo after he sacrificed a Dark Elf assassin to the Chaos Gods (strangely Valkia arrived when Archaon offered the assassin&#039;s heart even though Khorne&#039;s thing is skulls or just severed heads).  He earned the Armour of Morkar by travelling to the Norse King&#039;s cairn in the Southern Chaos Wastes and facing off against his vengeful spirit, and was nearly slaughtered by his predecessor then and there but for spitting out a &#039;yo mama&#039; insult in the dead tongue of the Unberogens which managed to catch Morkar just off-guard due to its WTFness enough for Archaon to sucker-punch him and steal the armour.  Actually, it turns out that Archaon said &#039;brinnan utva lioht&#039;, which means &#039;burn in the light&#039;, which if I&#039;m being honest, sounds about as insulting as calling someone a scoundrel.  He claimed the Eye of Sheerian from Flamefang, the Claw of Tzeentch, a three-headed Chaos Dragon.  Archaon found it sleeping in its lair and woke it up by hitting one of its heads with his axe.  There was an intense fight, which ended when Flamefang swallowed Archaon and flew all the way to the Southern Wastes. The armor prevented Archaon from being digested and he cut his way out of the dragon&#039;s throat from the inside and plucked the Eye of Sheerian from the belly of its corpse. He claimed Dorghar from the menagerie of a Slaaneshi Daemon Prince.  He entered the stables by clinging to the underbelly of one of the monsters as it returned to its roost and tracked Dorghar by Dorghar&#039;s smell (originally) or using the Eye of Sheerian (post-retcon). &lt;br /&gt;
He then jumped on Dorghar&#039;s back like a hellish rodeo - one where the mount burst into flame and changed shape along with fighting to dislodge and kill Archaon.  Eventually he broke Dorghar&#039;s will and killed the daemon prince. He got the Slayer of Kings from a sleeping Krakanrok the Black, father of the Dragon Ogre race and a being the size of a mountain.  The superstrong even for a follower of chaos Khornate Beastlord Ograx was &#039;&#039;just&#039;&#039; able to lift one of Krakanrok&#039;s fingers high enough for Archaon to grab the sword.  It started screaming so loud that the mountain-sized Krakanrok began to stir and Archaon silenced the blade&#039;s screaming by impaling the Beastlord through the heart with it, thereby sating its regicidal thirst.  And of course, he gained the Crown of Domination by travelling to the First Shrine of Chaos in the Northern World&#039;s Edge Mountains after Bea&#039;lakor was made by the Chaos Gods to appear and show him the way (and some directions from Vitlich in the retcon).  Archaon entered and overcame tests set by all 4 of the Chaos Gods, including a maze made by Tzeentch, fighting off every disease possible sent from  Nurgle through [[awesome|sheer]] [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|willpower]], resisting a personal invitation from Slaanesh himself/herself and Khorne sending Skarbrand to fight him, whom he then strangled to death with his own whip (actually required a fair bit more cunning, planning and daemonic intervention than the armybook versions of the stories would have you believe).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Storm of Chaos fiasco == &lt;br /&gt;
Eventually the Chaos Gods gave the order, and he led the most ferocious and largest army of [[Warriors of Chaos|Chaos Warriors]] ever assembled against the [[Empire]] during the [[Storm of Chaos]] campaign for 6th Edition. Before he reached the location where he was to end the world, he faced [[Valten]] (supposedly a reincarnation of Sigmar himself), who fought through the Swords of Chaos and killed Dorghar before pressing on to Archaon himself. Valten rushed in to strike Archaon after having dismounted him, but Archaon lunged out of the smoke left when Dorghar died and stabbed him in the chest; Valten pulled even closer though, and swung down, his hammer shredding through Archaon&#039;s armor and knocking him to his knees. But Valten let his guard down to un-impale himself on Archaon&#039;s sword, and the Lord of the End Times struck back and broke Valten&#039;s chestplate. In a moment of humanization and weakness, two things GW would make sure were removed from Chaos and Archaon later on, Archaon was fearful of a Sigmarite tattoo Valten had, and thought the big man himself had come to end him. Just then the [[Orcs &amp;amp; Goblins|Orc]] warlord [[Grimgor Ironhide|Grimgor]] smashed through the Chaos bodyguard single-handed, headbutted Arch in the junk, laughed at his sorry ass then went back to gather another army of greenskins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The reason this bullshit happened? GW built the narrative around their battle reports, army by army. The problem is that Chaos kept losing. In fact, the good guys were winning so badly the only reason Archaon was pushing them back was due to plot. But GW had already pre-planned the story to become the grimderpofthe41stmilleniumwherethereisonlywar and make &amp;quot;End Times&amp;quot; be in the past tense. In the end, they resorted to having fans call-in the way they wanted the story to end, hoping that Warhammer Fantasy fans would pick the faction with the pointiest stuff on their armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They didn&#039;t.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They chose a faction that had been beaten in the last match.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fans chose Orcs over Chaos.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
GW had no backup plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Grimgor&#039;s entire army had been beaten by Crom while Valten and Archaon fought. Grimgor got sick of rallying his forces, went &amp;quot;ZOG DIS, I WANNA PIECE UV DA ACTION!&amp;quot; and charged in to sucker punch Archaon as he was about to deliver the final blow to Valten, shout for the silent and awed assembled armies of the world to hear that &amp;quot;GRIMGOR IZ DA BEST!&amp;quot;, then went back home to rally his army. This resulted in the snide nickname of &amp;quot;Light Drizzle of Chaos.&amp;quot; Archaon fled the field, somehow alive, but literally ran for the hills to escape Grimgor, who fucked off to who knows where, and the coming army of Karl-Franz.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With that pesky idea of &amp;quot;player agency&amp;quot; getting in the way of their attempt at a forced Chaos ending, GW went silent and further fluff never came. Later on, they retconned almost the entirety of Storm of Chaos and instead made it an alternate continuity. In the current narrative, &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;he&#039;s still amassing his army&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; the world ended, and this time, GW dropped the pretenses and didn&#039;t leave the ending up to the fans, and in response to complaints that Archaon was an Archy Sue, they amplified his power level through the roof.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So began the beginning of the end of the beginning of the end.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Archaon&#039;s Posse ==&lt;br /&gt;
In first [[Storm of Chaos]] and now in [[The End Times]], Archaon isn&#039;t alone at the top of the hordes of chaos. He has some lieutenants to help him keep everyone organised. Closest of all is his Herald, [[Vardek Crom]], although officially Crom gets killed in a failed invasion.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In [[Storm of Chaos]], Games Workshop decided to go with the [[Your dudes]] approach, creating four lieutenants based on simply fluffing out the new Chaos Champion models for each of the four gods (save Khorne, who got a custom model based on an old Archaon head, Orc arms and an old Bloodletter body). Thusly, in [[White Dwarf]], we were introduced to:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Haargroth]] the Blooded One, Champion of [[Khorne]].&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Feytor]] the Tainted, Champion of [[Nurgle]].&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Styrkaar]], Champion of [[Slaanesh]].&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Melekh]] the Changer and the sorcerous mutant-child Cyspeth, Champions of [[Tzeentch]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The characters weren&#039;t received too well. So, perhaps realising their mistake, GW has revealed they&#039;re bringing back some of the big Chaos characters from their first ever Chaos Special Characters list:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Representing [[Khorne]], it&#039;s [[Arbaal]] the Undefeated, giant Flesh Hound-riding army-butchering Chaos Lord.&lt;br /&gt;
* Representing [[Slaanesh]], it&#039;s [[Dechala]] the Denied One, corrupted High Elf turned six-armed poison-oozing snake-woman.&lt;br /&gt;
* Representing [[Nurgle]], it&#039;s [[Valnir]] the Reaper, undead soul-harvester.&lt;br /&gt;
* Representing [[Tzeentch]], it&#039;s [[Egrimm van Horstmann]], former Magister of the Light College turned dragon-riding daemon-commanding arch-warlock.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike the others, these guys were at least respected enough to get cameos in [[The End Times]].  Two of them were even killed off, with Valnir being killed by Wulfrik in a novel and Egrimm being killed in End Times: Archaon after trying to bind the wind of Aqshy to himself. Dechala was mentioned to be in the final battle and it&#039;s said that Arbaal was kurmped as wel..&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[The End Times]] made a similar plan as well with champions representing each of the Gods, and again, Crom appears and gets his ass handed to him by Valten.  This time, however, the posse is made of actually known characters:&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Valkia the Bloody]] representing her hubby Khorne during the invasion of Naggaroth. She eventually gets a mutual kill.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Vilitch the Curseling]] being the top champion of Tzeentch while Aekold Hellbrass is busy sacking Kislev.  As of ET: Thanquol, he gets sent to drag in [[Karl Franz]] so Archie may kill him once and for all.  In End Times: Archaon, he and Thomin switch places, with Thomin calling the shots and Vitlich being the mindless slave.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Sigvald]] the Magnificent being the only person of note dedicated to Slaanesh. He gets his face rekt by the Wight King Krell and then got killed and pissed on by Throgg the troll king.&lt;br /&gt;
*The [[Glottkin]] taking the position of top 3 champions of Nurgle after the guy before them gets a Runefang to the face.  They get beaten in the same book they appear in by a superpowered Karl Franz and are currently sitting the rest of The End Times out in Nurgle&#039;s Mansion.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Retcon/The End Times==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:archaon.jpeg|500px|thumb|right|The Everchosen doing a badass pose.]]&lt;br /&gt;
GW recently realized that pushing ChaosChaosChaos in Warhammer Fantasy only turns off fans who want THEIR faction to be important (as the setting has a fair number of megalomaniacs that would put comicbook villains to shame), and as a result the End Times are finally being ushered in... by [[Nagash]]. The resident Undead [[BBEG]], who aims to take over the world by rendering everyone into undead slaves then consume the Warp.  In its entirety.  At that time Archaon was seeking the [[Glottkin]], the [[Maggoth Lords|Maggoth Riders]], and [[Gutrot Spume]], and upon finding them gave them three jars of plagues custom-made by Nurgle himself (they also had [[Festus the Leechlord|a man on the inside at Altdorf]] who cooked up his own plague).  Archaon&#039;s plan was to use the followers of Nurgle like a magical bioweapon; softening up the Empire before he came in to finish it off.  Upon hearing that Naggy&#039;s stealing his thunder, Archaon prematurely led his forces to battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the border of the Empire and what was once Kislev, he encountered the Auric Bastion, a gigantic wall of metal, magic and holy energy made by [[Balthazar Gelt]] that he and his troops could not cross.  Then they came under attack and his army ended up in a stalemate against the forces of [[Vlad von Carstein]], the head of the Dracula Bloodline brought back from death by big bone daddy himself.  Vlad&#039;s job was to keep Archaon busy while Nagash invaded Nehekhara.  Naggy himself was planning to eliminate the [[Tomb Kings]] as they were one of the few forces that can challenge his rule, then subsume them into his armies and go on to kill every living thing in the world and reanimate them.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Gelt fell prey to the separate manipulations of Vlad von Carstein and the Changeling and was outed as an up-and-coming necromancer.  After a misunderstanding, Gelt is declared a traitor to the Empire and flees.  With Gelt&#039;s fall from grace, the Auric Bastion loses the support of the Sigmarite priests, who deem the wall tainted due to its inventor&#039;s involvement with necromancy.  Soon after the Auric Bastion crumbles, giving Chaos the green light to invade the Empire.  Eager to make up for lost time, Archaon leads his forces in and bulrushes his way to Middenheim.  Archaon planned to defeat the god Sigmar worshiped as a symbol of his superiority.  However, Ulric had enough power to resist him and Chaos had a hard fight until [[Teclis|a meddling elf wizard]], unbeknownst to everyone else, stole Ulric&#039;s flame, allowing the power of Chaos to ravage Middenheim.  Archaon took on Valten, Sigmar&#039;s heir, until a Verminlord decided to be a kill-stealing prick and decapitated Valten, enraging Archaon.  Eventually Archaon and his forces conquered Middenheim.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After this Archaon claimed Sigmar&#039;s hammer from Valten&#039;s body as a trophy and set up camp in Middenheim, putting his throne in the room where the Flame of Ulric once burnt.  While there he schemed to have Karl Franz killed, sending [[Kairos Fateweaver]] after him.  While waiting, Archaon discovered a secret weapon under Middenheim.  Under even where the Flame of Ulric was is a device left by the Old Ones.  If properly tended to, it could form a third Warp Rift that would combine with the other two and destroy the world so he sought to activate it, not caring that as far as he knew, it would destroy him too.  Due to [[Games Workshop|plot armor]], Kairos failed and Archaon kills the former to summon Ka&#039;Bandha to take out Karl Franz.  But he and the other Khornate daemons champed at the bit to start the fight while Archaon camped in Middenheim so he permitted them to hunt Karl Franz and the Incarnates as long as they gave him Karl Franz&#039;s flayed skin.  During this time he gets several people pledging themselves to his cause who get used as auxiliaries including [[Isabella von Carstein|a possessed vampire]], [[Sigvald|a preening Chaos Lord]], the entire Skaven race and [[Settra the Imperishable|a dethroned undead king]] (though the latter&#039;s in it cos &amp;quot;the enemy of my enemy...&amp;quot; and ultimately says &amp;quot;fuck this shit&amp;quot; to Chaos).  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the machinations of Nurgle and the Skaven, Nagash is reduced from contender for the main villain and a burgeoning god of undeath to that &amp;quot;lesser villain that needs to team up with the good guys to fight the true villain&amp;quot; guy.  The Bone Daddy approaches the Incarnates and offers an alliance which they, &#039;&#039;very&#039;&#039; grudgingly, accept.  Eventually the Incarnates come to Middenheim and a gigantic clusterfuck of a battle occurs.  The Orcs led by Grimgor throw in their lot with the Incarnates after some skillful manipulation from Malekith and even Sigmar himself makes a comeback.  Despite everything arrayed against them, it eventually ends up being ChaosChaosChaos anyways when they fail to stop Archaon&#039;s ace-in-the-hole; his custom-made, Old-Ones-inspired WMD...  Largely because Mannfred decided to betray Nagash (along with the rest of the good guys) at the last moment. While everyone else either dies or gets warped into some chaos bullshit, Archaon and Sigmar fall into the Warp Rift while wrestling for the hammer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whatever anyone says, if there was to be an ending to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, this is it: The Big Good and Big Bad of the setting falling into oblivion wrestling over The Warhammer. Fucking &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;sweet&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;gay&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; however you feel about it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Age of Sigmar==&lt;br /&gt;
So by now I imagine you&#039;re thinking &amp;quot;well bugger me, how can this guy get any more badass and/or mary sueish?&amp;quot; Well let me answer that for you, with a new model. Move over, [[Nagash]], there&#039;s a new giant model in town and he&#039;s coming for you.   &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After completing a brand new series of challenges set by the Chaos Gods, smashing them all with ease and without a shred of loyalty for the Unholy Quintet, and rejecting the newly ascended [[Great Horned Rat]]&#039;s offer of a blessing by spitting in his verminous face, Archaon has been made the Grand High Marshall of Chaos. Which basically means that he can do whatever the fuck he wants without the Chaos Gods doing anything to stop him. He could go around and murder the shit out of each of the gods&#039; best followers and get away with it, because fuck you, he&#039;s Archaon.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That said, however, not everyone unanimously accepts his claim, and there were those like the Gaunt Summoners of Tzeentch (A bunch of possibly-daemonic sorcerers with eyes all over their helmets) that put up a resistance against the Marshall, and end up getting a serious ass-whooping for their troubles.  Once that was dealt with he went on a rampage through the realms.  One of his harder battles was in the realm of Shyish.  Archaon took on Nagash as he was the only one strong enough to defeat him.  Archaon did at one point, striking him down and destroying his body.  From there he proceeded to lock up the souls of the dead in a giant bone cage so Nagash couldn&#039;t access them. &lt;br /&gt;
However Nagash was the god of death and Archaon had killed him in the Afterlife, so where was we going to go, Detroit?  Due to Nagash&#039;s powers - and Arkhan and Neferata retrieving his remains afterwards - Nagash returned to try and lay a vengeful beatdown on Archaon&#039;s army, only to fail again.  He used his powers to break the bone cage and gain access to the souls Archaon had contained.  The two dueled, again but Archaon called on the Bloodthirsters for backup, forcing Nagash to retreat.  Archaon&#039;s only defeat came at the hands of Malerion in the realm of Ulgu, and he is now fascinated by Ulgu.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On top of his legions, he also controls his own order of knights, called the Varanguard. These guys replace Archie&#039;s old warband and serve as his presence in every campaign, and in those he does deign worthy of his direct intervention, they serve as his mightiest warriors. These guys are called from every walk of Chaos, and each of them find some omen compelling them to serve the Everchosen to which they follow so devotedly that they abandon their god&#039;s calling to serve him under pain of death. Those that pass the trials laid before them on their route to the Varanspire (his new castle in the Realm of Chaos) are then chosen to join one of his eight circles and gain a giant mutant thing that possibly used to be a horse. Also joined by some of Slaanesh&#039;s followers and daemons - the Invaders faction - who now worships him as their god.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And that&#039;s not even mentioning the new changes to his look.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a start, Archaon is now rocking some badass new black armour that makes him look much more sinister, powerful, and imposing, though at the cost of the Northern Warlord look he used to have. Slayer of Kings is also different, now a gigantic on-fire sword with a much more ornate design than before, very cool. But the real change isn&#039;t even Archaon himself, but the horse Dhorgar. Well, ex-horse, because Dhorgar is now a gigantic chimera monster with three heads to represent Nurgle, Khorne, and Tzeentch (Slaanesh has vanished without a trace) and two tails as a homage to the Great Horned Rat.  He&#039;s now gathering all the forces of Chaos together to launch a massive campaign against Sigmar and finish what he started in the Old World, and stands as the greatest threat that Order may ever have to face. Just like old times, huh? To GW&#039;s credit, Sigmar&#039;s also gotten a lot stronger, so it&#039;s beginning to feel less like some author&#039;s pet stomping over non-opposition, but who will ultimately win?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== On the tabletop ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Warhammer Fantasy===&lt;br /&gt;
In an interesting irony, though probably not intentional, Archaon is also in a lot ways the opposite of Abaddon, not in a bad way. Where as Abaddon tends to get changed fairly heavily each edition, Archaon stays mostly the same with each book, with the only changes to him being armor save&#039;s not including bonus for him being mounted, what his steed can do, or whether or not you can field him on foot. Also, where as Abaddon is characterized by his hitting power while being respectably tough to kill, Archaon hits hard (base attack ignores armor and can double attacks for the rest of the game, though if does any 1s on to hit rolls have to be directed at him or his unit) although his most impressive trait is how freaking hard he is to kill. While his statline is only slightly better than a normal Chaos Lord, he has a 1+ armor save, a 3+ ward save, all to hit rolls against him have a -1 and he can&#039;t be wounded on better than 3+. Sadly, while an indestructible death machine, his cost keeps him from getting much use. Afterall, [[Dwarfs|cannons]] are the solution to all problems in Warhammer Fantasy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Age of Sigmar===&lt;br /&gt;
Age of Sigmar continues this trend of indestructibility in style. Now rocking a 3+ Save that he can easily buff to a 2+, a 5+ Save against Mortal Wounds, and now &#039;&#039;20 FUCKING WOUNDS! HOLY SHIT, THIS IS MEANT TO BE THE GAME WHERE 1 WOUND IS THE AVERAGE, RIGHT?&#039;&#039; Yeah, new monster-riding Archaon is even more of a tank than he used to be, and that&#039;s saying a lot. And in addition to this, his new three-headed Dorghar can use one of thee special abilities every turn he kills somebody in melee. This can range from vomiting up the remains of his victims all over the unit he&#039;s fighting, Nurgle style, to &#039;&#039;eating their skulls and heal D3 wounds!&#039;&#039; Fucking hell, and I thought he was a tank before he could regenerate. In addition to his insane defensive ability, he can also bring the pain too. He has access to Arcane Bolt (as well as the ability to gain the spells of any other wizard if he feeds the unfortunate wizard to the Tzeentch head), though Mystic Shield is always a better choice to up his defense, Dorghar can hit like a truck like any monster, and the Slayer of Kings returns as potentially one of the strongest weapons in the game with an easy To Hit and To Wound, and very heavy Rend and Damage. In addition, if you roll two 6&#039;s To Wound on the same Hero or Monster with the Slayer of Kings, then it instantly kills them with no saves of any kind allowed. Though with only four attacks, this won&#039;t happen too often. Still, with those stats he&#039;s easily going to live long enough to pull it off sooner or later.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Original Archaon.jpg|Archaon, back in the early days of Warhammer Fantasy.  He had a horsie.&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Archaon Old.jpg|Archaon&#039;s limited edition model, on-foot.&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Archaon New.jpg|Archaon&#039;s new model. He gets a daemon horsie now.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:ArchaonAOS.jpg|Archaon&#039;s newER model, now with a gigantic daemon chimera, the Evolved form of daemon horsie.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Godbeasts.jpg|An evil, powerful warrior traveling from world to world, seeking further power from a godlike serpentine dragon... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vjJrGeh1c that sounds familiar].&lt;br /&gt;
Image: The three eyed king.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Archaon end times.png&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Lord of the End Times.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
Image: Archaon 3.png|Archaon in [[Total War: WARHAMMER]]&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Memes==&lt;br /&gt;
Of course what would a Warhammer character be without the memes? &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Archaon is notable for a fair few, given the tendency of writers to keep at least his foot in the spotlight. &lt;br /&gt;
* ANIME: Thanks to his art and general JRPG villain actions in Age of Sigmar, Archaon has become the embodiement of ANIME (always caps). &lt;br /&gt;
* Horns: Archaon&#039;s helmet horns have grown in each incarnation, leading to humor a la Abby&#039;s armlessness about horn growth, and the increasing difficulty lifting or turning his head. &lt;br /&gt;
* Penguins: Archaon has described the Beastmen inhabiting the south pole as &amp;quot;true Beastmen&amp;quot;, free from human taint. Since there is no combination of Daemon, man, mutant, or beast not present in the Old World some have come to the conclusion that Archaon is scared of penguins. &lt;br /&gt;
* Archaos: The creator of the Archaon character identified his original intended name as the even more ludicrous &amp;quot;Archaos&amp;quot;, destined to fall on his sword in the final battle after realizing what he had done to the laughter of the Chaos Gods. Since then Archaos the teenage suicide victim bullied by the Four has become a preferred way to mock the character. &lt;br /&gt;
* [[Slambo]]: A generic miniature from Oldhammer that some see as the REAL Everchosen. &lt;br /&gt;
* Everchozen: He&#039;ll have this world.... kid. A purposefully bad Paint drawing of Archaon in the style of Coldsteel the Hedgehog, complete with massive horns and a bio reminiscent of a twelve year old&#039;s Naruto OC. Commonly used by critics of the End Times and/or GW&#039;s sudden masturbation of Chaos in general (and &#039;&#039;boy&#039;&#039; are there plenty of critics), and/or as &amp;quot;Neverchozen&amp;quot;, referencing pre-retcon Archaon and his failure.&lt;br /&gt;
* In the multiplayer portion of Total War WARHAMMER, he is often called the &amp;quot;Neverchosen&amp;quot; due to being overpriced when compared to other lords like [[Sigvald]] and [[Dragon Ogres|Kholek Suneater]]. Still, Archaon has been getting update buffs like extra physical resistance and frenzy, meaning he might be a much more viable choice by the time game 3 comes out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Chaos-Champions}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:ChaosGods}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Abaddon&amp;diff=11125</id>
		<title>Abaddon</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Abaddon&amp;diff=11125"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:37:00Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{heresy}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Abbadon.jpg|thumb|330px|right|[[Horus|Daddy]] issues does funny things to you. It can make you go emo, colouring your skin white and you clothes black, setting your hair up in a fucking retarded topknot and waging a ten-thousand year war against [[Emperor|Granddaddy]]. You know, standard scene kid stuff. It may also result in the loss of arms.]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{topquote|...whether you hide in the heavens or on earth, I will bring you down from the spinning spheres; I will toss you in the air like a lion. I will leave no one alive in your realm; I will burn your city and your lands. If you wish to spare yourself and your family, listen to my advice with the ear of intelligence. If you do not, you will see what God has willed.|Hulagu Khan, to the Caliph of Baghdad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{topquote|Some men just want to watch the world burn.|Alfred Pennyworth, The Dark Knight}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{topquote|1=Horus was weak, Horus was a fool. He had the galaxy in the palm of his hand, and let it slip away.|2=Abaddon, who would go on to fail conquering, in over 13 consecutive campaigns through the better part of ten thousand years, less than a quarter of what Horus did in a few years (around seven).}}&lt;br /&gt;
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The Hebrew term &#039;&#039;&#039;Abaddon&#039;&#039;&#039; (Hebrew: אֲבַדּוֹן‎‎, &#039;Ǎḇaddōn), and its Greek equivalent Apollyon (Greek: Ἀπολλύων, Apollyon), appears in the Bible as both a place of destruction and as the name of an angel, but this article is about &#039;&#039;&#039;Ezekyle Abaddon&#039;&#039;&#039;, known as &#039;&#039;&#039;Abaddon the Despoiler&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;The Dark King&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Easy-Kill&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Failbaddon the Harmless&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Aba-Dabba-Doo&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;That Armless Retard&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Failbaddon the (H)Armless&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;Ablobloddon the Blubbering&#039;&#039;&#039;, and various assortment of different names, to the people of [[/tg/]], is [[Horus]]&#039; successor as [[Chaos Lord|leader]] of the [[Black Legion]] and [[Warmaster]] of [[Chaos]]. &lt;br /&gt;
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The canon &#039;&#039;states&#039;&#039; him to be the single greatest threatto the [[Imperium]] in the galaxy, probably tied with such malevolent forces as the Tyranids, the [[Fail|Imperium itself]] {{BLAM}}, and [[Games Workshop]]. However, if you were to actually tally up his victories vs his defeats and compare that to other characters in the setting, he becomes a [[rage|raging]] cesspit of incompetence, which is now well known; he has launched thirteen consecutive [[Black Crusade]]s against the Imperium, most of which originally weren&#039;t aimed at taking Cadia and launching an assault on Terra. All of them (except the 13th one, and only partly) actually succeeded in getting what he wanted, and then he usually got chased away immediately after as if he was in a cartoon, then doing fuck all until next week&#039;s episode. As is well known, the [[Chaos Gods|Ruinous Powers]] don&#039;t tolerate failure from their servants, unless said servants have copious amounts of [[Plot Armor]], and Abby has that in spades. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is worth mentioning that his 4++ invulnerable save derives from an ability called &amp;quot;Dark Destiny&amp;quot;. This means that he literally has plot armor. The fluff explicitly stated that the Dark Gods will not allow him to die to explain his Eternal Warrior in older editions.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Overview==&lt;br /&gt;
During the [[Great Crusade]], Ezekyle Abaddon was the First Captain of the Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus, and Horus Lupercal&#039;s right hand man (well, at least after his more balanced comrade Hastur Sejanus was murdered by a treacherous enemy). All the Cthonian recruits to the Luna Wolves were influenced by their origins among the criminal gangs, Abaddon more so than most. In 200 years as a Luna Wolf he demonstrated a street-fighter attitude and a desire for dominance, typically favoring the most violent option (he even had a straight-up row with Horus over whether or not to attack the Interex on first contact). Like most legionaries, he had a father/son relationship with his [[Primarch]], but Abaddon is noteworthy in that his devotion and loyalty to his Primarch was so great that it puts Lorgar&#039;s previous devotion to the Emperor to shame. At one point, he&#039;d get every bone broken down one side of his torso and refuse Horus&#039; suggestion that he take a breather (in a battle with Orks).&lt;br /&gt;
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Turns out that his legendary daddy issues go right back to [[Cthonia]], when he killed his biological father in a disastrous coming-of-age ritual. This, along with the subsequent exile, probably go some way towards explaining why he was so devoted to his gene-father and Legion. He also retained his heritage more than any other Mournival officer, scratching gang-marks onto his armour (which worried Sejanus a little).&lt;br /&gt;
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When Horus was wounded on Davin, Abaddon agreed to First Chaplain [[Erebus]]&#039;s idea that they heal Horus at the Serpent Lodge. When Horus came back corrupted by Chaos, Abaddon didn&#039;t notice a thing and was corrupted along with his Primarch, gladly following him into the [[Horus Heresy]]; in fact he was the first Son of Horus to stand by this decision (well if anything, the change was more Horus moving closer to Abaddon&#039;s views than the other way round, particularly when it came to elevating the SMs above ordinary people). From there, Abaddon was at the forefront of many of the major events of the Horus Heresy, from the [[Drop Site Massacre|Isstvan massacres]] to the [[Siege of Terra]].&lt;br /&gt;
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He, however, wasn&#039;t with Horus during his duel with the Emperor, as he was busy keeping the rest of the Emperor&#039;s retinue under control while the two had their fight to the death. When Horus was killed by the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]], Abaddon completely lost his shit and led a frenzied counter-attack against the loyalist remnants on the Vengeful Spirit to recover Horus&#039; body, before promptly running away (knowing that the Space Wolves, Ultrasmurfs and Dark Angels, probably with elements of the Shattered Legions, were burning promethium towards the Traitors). &lt;br /&gt;
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During the [[Legion Wars|Slave Wars]], he basically wandered the Eye of Terror feeling sorry for himself. Not until [[Fabius Bile]] made a clone of Horus did he actually start caring; whereupon he became enraged and [[Battle of Harmony|launched an attack on the]] [[Emperor&#039;s Children]], destroying the clone and Horus&#039;s body. After this, Abaddon, suffering great hatred for his mentor after what he perceived to be Horus&#039; failure, declared himself the new Warmaster of Chaos and renamed the Sons of Horus the Black Legion, ordering them to paint their armour black and expunge the memory of the &amp;quot;failure&amp;quot; from their name (in a vain attempt to try and remove the stain of Abaddon&#039;s flight at Terra.)&lt;br /&gt;
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Most other Traitor Legions didn&#039;t take his claim very well, and so he spent his first millennium-or-so [[Legion Wars|beating the shit out of other Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Primarchs until they all recognized him as a new Warmaster]]. And with a strength of all Legions behind him he started to launch his [[Black Crusade]]s against the Imperium... Which leads us to the second largest piece of [[skub]] (after the Burning of Prospero) in all the 40k: Also, he has a new model, three face sculpts. This also led to some new generic CSM sculpts, thank god!&lt;br /&gt;
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== Abaddon&#039;s Plan ==&lt;br /&gt;
===V 1.0 &amp;quot;The Twelve Failed Crusades&amp;quot;===&lt;br /&gt;
Abaddon is clearly conceptualized as one bad motherfucker. He leads the [[Black Legion]], which remains the largest and most coherent Legions of Chaos (apart from the Word Bearers whom are space Isis and fight holding hands, the Iron Warriors who, while broken into warbands, are internally very well-organized, &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;and &#039;&#039;maaaaaybe&#039;&#039; the Alpha Legion&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; no such legion exists, please follow [[blam|this]] link instead...and the [[Death Guard]], who have somehow managed to grow to at least Heresy-era numbers, but will only fight at legion strength under their [[Mortarion|Death Daddy]]). He is the one that makes Imperial Commanders quake in their boots. He beats Draigo in one-on-one about 70% of the time. His minions even regularly sack Imperial worlds. So what happened?&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Games Workshop]] and its inability to write worth shit happened.&lt;br /&gt;
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Despite the fact that they wanted to make a dude who has the magnetic and indomitable personality that managed to get Chaos to get its shit together 13 times, and the fact he rewrote the book on evil after Horus went down, &#039;&#039;and&#039;&#039; the fact that he is the #1 threat to the Imperium at large, he&#039;s little more than a joke to the fanbase except for when he&#039;s in close combat (and even then, depending if the players modelled him with arms or not). &lt;br /&gt;
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Instead of depicting him as a scheming and successful general, they chose to depict him as making &#039;&#039;thirteen separate attempts&#039;&#039; to march on Terra, each and every one supposedly stalling out in the same place. However this is far from the truth if you know anything about the objectives of each Black Crusade. This was quite evident in the Liber Chaotica, an old book most of you youngsters haven&#039;t even heard about. As a result of his 12 &amp;quot;failed&amp;quot; crusades, his reputation is a victim of the company that&#039;s trying to prop him up as a major threat.&lt;br /&gt;
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However, the poor reputation of the Black Crusades is built on the community believing that they all have the same objective of reaching Terra and destroying the Imperium (despite this never having been the case even back in 3rd edition). The Black Crusades had clear cut goals in mind and had them all accomplished in each one ([[Sigismund|with some complications]]). Besides, even if the Black Crusades had this goal in mind, GW can hardly kill of the &amp;quot;main characters&amp;quot; of the setting, who have the most lore, the most units, and probably the most players. &lt;br /&gt;
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A more adequate description is that he got what he wants and then leaves. In this regard, he kind of serves all the chaos powers at once - his ambition and lust for power appeases [[Tzeentch]], the death toll the Crusades leave behind appease [[Khorne]], the sheer volume of slaves and plunder they take please [[Slaanesh]], and the destruction left in the wake of their crusades (which often end with virus bombings to cover their tracks) pleases the [[Nurgle|Plaguefather]] greatly.&lt;br /&gt;
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Though even the staunchest of Abaddon&#039;s defenders will point out he&#039;s overpriced and that the arms on his model break fucking constantly. And that he generally sucks at extreme long-term planning. Tzeentch must enjoy fucking him over.&lt;br /&gt;
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===V 2.0 &amp;quot;The CrimsonPath&amp;quot;===&lt;br /&gt;
Apparently GW realized how thoroughly they fucked up their BBEG&#039;s reputation and made a massive rework/retcon of his plans and his crusades with the 6th edition CSM codex and subsequent Black Legion supplement.&lt;br /&gt;
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Abaddon&#039;s new plan is something called [[Bloody Path|The Crimson Path]]. The idea is to zerg Cadia with enough daemons to destroy the Pylon network, and envelop the planet in the Warp. After Cadia, he intends to use the strategy to burn/slaughter/impress his girlfriend the whole way to Terra, by bringing the Warp to it. At the same time deploying minor warbands ahead to disorganize and plunder, [[Khorne|kill, maim, burn,]] and do &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;bad&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; totally sweet stuff to stir up the Warp. He is preparing for the next stage of the plan, when Cadia finally &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;falls&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; gets potted like an eight-ball in the wrong damn pocket. Game Over.&lt;br /&gt;
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It wouldn&#039;t be so bad. Ya&#039;know, a planet lost in the Warp is not so uncommon these days. The bad thing is that Cadia has the ONLY warp-restraining system in thousands of light years (the aforementioned [[Necron|Pylon system]]). Why is this bad? This is when the vanguard of Chaos lackeys mentioned previously enters stage right. With the Warp getting &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;high&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; turned into a nightmare shitstorm worse than any previous time in the last ten millennia, the Eye of Terror itself will expand at the hilariously snuffy pain of the already ravaged and raped planets. The CSM apparently NOW CAN resist warpstorms to a degree; thus making a scar where daemons will be a common sight, warp travel now more dangerous than ever. Abbadon and [[Primarch|his brohams]] could advance without opposition along the &amp;quot;Crimson Path&amp;quot;. Ah, and he plans to take the path directly to Terra, hoping that the Imperium, Eldar, Tau, Orks, Rak&#039;gol, Perpetuals, Dark Eldar, Necrons and rival Chaos Space Marines *Cough* Alpha Legion *Cough* don&#039;t get their shit together. Not to mention the gods themselves, who are pretty OK with a status-quo, as a current [[Nurgle|rotten]], [[Slaanesh|decadent]], [[Tzeentch|backstabbing]], [[Khorne|warmongering]] Imperium fuels them with all the bad emotions they need.&lt;br /&gt;
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To add to the above, now only the 13th of Abaddon&#039;s crusades has directly targeted Cadia. His first ever Black Crusade was to recover his fancy sword and cement his position as Warmaster. His fourth Black Crusade was directed against the Citadel of the Kromach on the planet El&#039;Phanor, which was a success (and the gates of the Citadel were even broken by Abaddon himself). His sixth ended in the betrayal and elimination of the Sons of the Eye, another warband derived from the Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus that he viewed as a threat to his claim to be Horus&#039; successor. His ninth was directed against Cancephalus, an Imperial naval base of strategic importance and hilarious name (which he not only destroyed, but bombed it with Cyclonic Torpedoes for good measure). The tenth was a strategic success, as he was able to assault [[Medusa]] with the help of [[Perturabo]] and the [[Iron Warriors]]; even though the [[Iron Hands]] were able to survive their siege, Abaddon and Perturabo learned a lot about [[Medusa]]&#039;s defenses and left the Iron Hands at a fraction of their original strength. His twelfth might also be considered a victory, given that he managed to acquire two [[Blackstone Fortress]]es (though it&#039;s arguable if this was his objective all along, a win is a win, pick up the chips and leave the table). Only his thirteenth Black Crusade is him directly invading Cadia, contrary to popular opinion. While he has sent forces there before then, they were primarily intended to distract the Imperium while he could accomplish his real goals. What&#039;s interesting is that we probably should have seen this coming, as his title, &amp;quot;the Despoiler&amp;quot;, literally means &amp;quot;looter&amp;quot;. At the very least, it explains why he wants the [[Blood Ravens|Bloody Magpies]] dead so badly.&lt;br /&gt;
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And of course there is the little question of &amp;quot;wait, wasn&#039;t Cadia targeted because it was the only reliable way out of the Eye of Terror?  What gives?&amp;quot; So the retcon has gone and introduced a rather gaping plot hole as making everything but Cadia the target for the prior twelve crusades has called into question why Cadia is even special at all. One possible answer is that Abaddon had Cadia &#039;&#039;appear&#039;&#039; as a primary goal of each Black Crusade, so the Imperium would think of it as a major defensive point and fill it with the bajillions of soldiers that he needs as a sacrifice to fuel his Crimson Path plan. Also while waiting for his final crusade maintaining the stupidly expensive Cadian gate fortress-world network would bleed the Imperium off the much needed resources that could be used to defend against shit like Tyranids or WAAAAGH! Ghazghkull so as to weaken the Imperium even more.&lt;br /&gt;
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It also retconned the reason Abaddon wanted to take Cadia. In the old fluff the Cadian Gate was one of the few places where a huge fleet could exit the Eye of Terror (and the &#039;&#039;only&#039;&#039; one where it could be done without [[Thousand Sons|top-grade sorcery]] or [[Word Bearers|direct divine intervention]]) without being scattered all over the place and hunted down by Imperial cordoning fleets one by one. This piece of fluff was already quite dubious, considering Abby &#039;&#039;did&#039;&#039; take the full might of the Black Fleet for his [[Battlefleet Gothic|12th Black Crusade]] that took place thousands of light years from Cadia. In the new fluff the Imperium still does (somehow) think Abaddon needs Cadia to get his fleet out of the Eye, but his new &amp;quot;actual&amp;quot; plan is not so much as to &#039;&#039;conquer&#039;&#039; Cadia but to &#039;&#039;destroy&#039;&#039; it since it houses a pylon system that stops the Eye of Terror from expanding no matter how much death and suffering he causes to disturb the Warp.&lt;br /&gt;
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===V 2.1 Gathering Storm: Electric Boogaloo ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting early 2017 GW launched a new massive event about the Biggest, Blackest Crusade of all, starting with a Fall of Cadia in which (surprise) Abaddon fails to take over Cadia for  the 13th time. Because he blows it up. By smashing it in two with the blown-up remains of one of his Blackstone Fortresses.&lt;br /&gt;
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Later it was retconned that blowing up Cadia &#039;&#039;was&#039;&#039; his plan all along, but he just needed to blow up all the &#039;&#039;other&#039;&#039; pylon-housing planets around the Eye before that. Destroying them was the true goal of most of his &#039;&#039;previous&#039;&#039; crusades (along with the other stuff noted above), and most of his activities, including early half-assed assaults on Cadia served to distract the Imperium and hide his true agenda. So in other words, [[Jojo&#039;s Bizarre Adventure|he was only &#039;&#039;pretending&#039;&#039; to be retarded.]] Or so he tells himself - the retcons make it look like he still fucked around so long that it took him millenia to [[Exterminatus|blow up a planet]], something that happens any time an Inquisitor sneezes, whereas the previous reason for not destroying Cadia (gaining a fantastic fortress world and making it nearly impossible for the Imperium to take back so he&#039;d have a base of operations, making it the evil counterpart to Terra) was a good enough reason for why he never tried firing one of a million ways of destroying a planet at it.&lt;br /&gt;
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Anywho, as of the 13th Black Crusade Cadia was the last pylon-world (or the last Abaddon is aware of), and with its destruction the Eye of Terror has started to grow, allowing Chaos Fleets to leave the Eye en-masse pretty much anywhere. The end result was the creation of the [[Great Rift]], which has been fucking up the Imperium in horrible new ways. Of course, that also is not counting that the Necrons are rapidly waking and are fully capable of [[StarCraft#The_Protoss|constructing additional Pylons]].  They, unlike literally everyone else, have not lost any of their technological knowledge and capabilities and absolutely hate the Warp.&lt;br /&gt;
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===V 2.2 Cicatrix Maledictum and Vigilus===&lt;br /&gt;
Now the Great Rift does not outright destroy the Imperium like the loss of Terra and Mars would, but the difference is akin to that of drowning in shit and merely being neck-deep in it. The &amp;quot;Northern&amp;quot; parts of the Imperium aka &amp;quot;Imperium Nihilus&amp;quot; are cut off from Terra and the Astronomican, left at the mercy of Chaos with but two constantly contested corridors of stable space that loyalists can pass though; millions of worlds are lost in the depths of the Cicatrix as it spilled out; and random armies of daemons are invading realspace all over its borders. That being said it&#039;s not all (dark) sunshine and (chaos-infested) lollipops for Abby, either - the majority of his forces went all &amp;quot;Fuck yeah we won!&amp;quot; and left his crusade to pillage random undefended Imperial worlds, so Chaos forces are tugged in all directions, and with the collapse of his command structure, he cannot fully capitalize on the Imperium&#039;s weakened state.&lt;br /&gt;
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Additionally, [[Roboute Guilliman|Big G]] came back swinging and more-or-less stabilized the Imperium Nihilus. So while Abaddon did give the Imperium a nasty wound, they still managed to hold on long enough to avoid bleeding to death. Plus now he has to contend with an actual honest-to-Emperor living loyalist [[Primarch]] directing the Imperium, so Abby&#039;s conquests are likely to devolve more and more into stalemates at this point. The [[War of Beasts]] is no exception despite things nearly looking like a victory for him until he&#039;s thwarted at the last minute. There are some highlights, he handily defeats [[Marneus Calgar]] in single combat in spite of the latter&#039;s Primaris enhancements, after getting knocked off his feet by an uppercut from the one of the others gauntlets (after getting his jaw cracked by Calgar&#039;s bare fist) and cleaving through Marneus&#039;s chest with Drach&#039;Nyen, cleaving one of his hearts in the process and damaging the other enough to nearly kill Papa Smurf outright. Abaddon is prevented from finishing Calgar off as the &#039;&#039;Vengeful Spirit&#039;&#039; was on the brink of being destroyed by a scheme involving an Eldar stealth ship filled with Vortex Missiles. In his haste to retreat he [[derp|accidentally wipes out a full third of his own fleet, costing him the victory he almost had]], which allows the Imperials to slowly retake the planet. It seems like Abaddon has already begun work on his backup plan so even if Vigilus would not be captured he might still be able to take the Nachmund Gauntlet as reports speak of the dreaded Planet Killer reappearing.&lt;br /&gt;
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==In Abbadon&#039;s Defense==&lt;br /&gt;
A more generous way of looking at it is that Abaddon is a strong leader, albeit one with flaws, and starting from a trickier point than Horus. In the Heresy, he was in charge of speartips (an elite assault force typically made of Terminators), and while he certainly advised Horus on larger scale wars, he typically left logistics to other members of the Mournival, and largely to Horus himself. Thus, while he is one of the best warriors of the Chaos Space Marines, and perhaps the most charismatic (we&#039;re given fluff about other Chaos Lords just going to see what he&#039;s like and end up spontaneously signing up to the Black Legion), he is [[Derp|not suited]] to the intricacies of [[Tzeentch|planning]] a large scale crusade. Horus himself failed to take over the Imperium, and he was said to be the greatest of the Primarchs; certainly the best warlord among them. He commanded the obedience of the Traitor Legions, whereas Abaddon must prove his authority by force &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;of arms&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; again and again. This is also backed by his own rules, he&#039;s a close combat monster but barely buffs his army (only his warlord trait really). At the same time, while the Imperium struggled to get their heads around the concept of Legions rebelling, allowing Horus to spring all sorts of nasty surprises on them, plus all the Chaotic tricks up his sleeve, in 40K they know Abaddon&#039;s overall goals and have taken a shit-ton of precautions against it. &lt;br /&gt;
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And let&#039;s not forget that forces under Abaddon&#039;s command aren&#039;t the disciplined legions of old - with the exception of the Black Legion, his armies are full of batshit insane lunatics who would happily [[Death Guard|poison]], [[World Eaters|murder]], [[Sons of Malice|eat]] and [[Emperor&#039;s Children|rape]] each other (In no particular order) at a slightest provocation and all believe that leadership belongs to whoever can take it from the guy currently in charge, and as so detailed strategic planning for these madmen have as much sense as a planning for an Ork WAAAGH! Think about it; do you have any idea how hard it would be to command several hundred thousand Marines -not to mention several million or even billion [[Lost and the Damned|renegades]] and [[Cultist-Chan|cultists]]- with their own agendas, dogmas, beliefs, and levels of discipline to work together in unison? Everyone in your army, especially those of rival gods, are gunning after each other&#039;s heads and probably even your own. Also, everyone seems to forget that with such a large army there is a practical bureaucracy to things, where superiors have a whole slew of underlings and those underlings might even have their own mobs of cackling maniacs to look after, and in the heat of battle shit gets hairy when a leader gets whacked. And there are the Chaos Gods themselves; [[Slaanesh|dicking]] over their rivals and their own forces at random times and giving their followers random &amp;quot;blessings&amp;quot;, which may or may not be just [[Tzeentch|mutating horribly,]] [[Khorne|the sudden urge to go nuts and collect skulls,]] [[Nurgle|become a walking corpse]], [[Slaanesh|grow a dick and tits]], or becoming a Chaos Spa... a &#039;&#039;&#039;[[Chaos Spawn|Thing]].&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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It also seems that Abby is the only person in entire galaxy who figured how to properly use prophecies and future telling powers in military campaign planning. When your average Thousand Son sorcerer or Eldar Farseer searches through the waves of possible timelines, he usually seeks the answer to the question &amp;quot;How would I win?&amp;quot;, while Abaddon orders his own diviners to ask &amp;quot;How would I lose?&amp;quot; and then use the intel they get to, well, avoid a crushing defeat. So far it seems to be paying off, seen as none of his Black Crusades inflicted any lasting damage on the Black Legion or the forces of Chaos as whole, while the Black Crusades run by other guys like [[Doombreed]] inflicted way more damage to the Imperium, but ended up taking as much or even more beating in return. To this end Abaddon puts much effort into collecting all sorts of [[Sorcerer|sorcerers]], mages, prophets, seers and  diviners and actually runs the largest the most potent sorcerer cabal outside the [[Sortiarius|Planet of Sorcerers]] and uses it as his intelligence-gathering agency.&lt;br /&gt;
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ADB has also noted that Abaddon is [[That Guy|not truly loyal]] to anyone other than himself, not even the Chaos Gods; if he ever does get to Terra and conquer the Imperium, he&#039;s likely to cut all ties with the Ruinous Powers and declare himself the new Emperor of Mankind. Naturally, the Chaos Gods don&#039;t want this to happen, so they make sure he&#039;s [[Just as Planned|&#039;&#039;just&#039;&#039;]] successful enough to accomplish most of his goals while ensuring that he&#039;s still reliant on Chaos to do so. After all, the last thing they want is their favourite champion deciding that he doesn&#039;t need to serve Chaos to get what he wants any longer. Given how Abaddon hates that Horus was willing to pay any price to get himself onto the Throne, it&#039;s highly likely that Abaddon won&#039;t make the same mistake and will just bide his time. It says something that he&#039;s avoided daemonhood or any powers that would tie him to any or all of the Chaos Gods. And that&#039;s the difference between him, Ahriman, Kharn, Erebus, and the others. Either they&#039;d swear allegiance to one God or to Chaos Undivided for greater power, or they already did and therefore have different priorities.&lt;br /&gt;
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What&#039;s more, Abaddon does actually respect his foes as shown in his duel with Sigismund. Sigismund managed to significantly wound Abaddon before Abaddon killed him. He kept the scar of the wound as a sign of respect to Sigismund and had his body safely returned to Terra. In the same vein, when [[Thalastian Jorus]] managed to pull a fast one on him on Mackan and severely wound him, he ordered his body and those of his Death Company to be [[awesome|left unspoiled, enthroned upon the remains of those Black Legionnaires they&#039;d slaughtered]].&lt;br /&gt;
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==The &amp;quot;No Arms&amp;quot; meme==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Failaddon.jpg|thumb|left|He has no arms. [[Just as planned]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
While the exact origin of why /tg/ continues to depict Abaddon without his arms is unclear, these are some rumors; it may have started when some drawfag made a picture of Abaddon painting, being the failure that he is he depicted him without arms and so now he fails in the ability to paint. Another theory postulates that &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;someone&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; &#039;&#039;the Bri-ish&#039;&#039; left the &amp;quot;H&amp;quot; out of &amp;quot;harmless failure&amp;quot; and it stuck. Yet another is how someone posted a metal figure of Abaddon in some forum without his arms, complaining that his arms fall off/break very easily (which they do). Thus, the joke eventually caught on.&lt;br /&gt;
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The other explanation is that [[Creed]] stole them during his invasion of [[Cadia]], probably while doing doughnuts around him in a [[Baneblade]], or it was [[Tzeentch|Just as planned]].&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:1226670366859.jpg‎|thumb|right|Or does he?]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For all we know, a certain [[Trazyn the Infinite|metal kleptomaniac]] nicked them from him when he was sleeping, having drawn a funny moustache on his face and left him a polite yet condescendingly trollish note and a bomb. Knowing him, Trazyn has put it in his gallery with Sebastian Thor&#039;s head and other shit in his &amp;quot;Body Parts of the Big and Fighty&amp;quot; gallery. Next up, [[Ferrus Manus]]&#039;s hands.&lt;br /&gt;
Another explanation points to a certain [[Eldrad|dick]], who actually fought Abaddon and defeated him (in a White Dwarf issue where Abaddon was trying to wipe out the Ulthwe Seer Council but was driven off, actually defeated/killed alongside his retinue by Eldrad and his council, but &#039;teleported to safety&#039;), cutting off both of his arms in the process, which further points to Abaddon&#039;s incompetency and lack of arms.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But actually, it&#039;s mostly due to the fact that his model&#039;s arms are fragile and thus tend to [[RAGE|BREAK ALL THE TIME, FUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Recently, the Abaddon model has been remodeled in Finecast, affixing his [[pauldrons]] to his torso and socketting the arms into them. In other words, GW may have actually solved Abaddon&#039;s arm problem. At least, that was the theory. In practice the arms still fall off like no tomorrow until the glue dries, especially his Sword arm. So all accomplished was ensure that Abaddon didn&#039;t have to go without his [[pauldrons]], even though he doesn&#039;t have arms. This being 40k, clearly meaning he had to choose and was left with the more essential out of two different options. The good news is that Finecast resin is soft enough for a pin vice and some wire to fix the problem entirely, but there&#039;s no pleasing some people.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And with his arm problem &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;solved&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; perpetuated, Abaddon can go back to (trying to) destroy the Imperium.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== On the Tabletop ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Slaash!.jpg|right|300px|thumbnail|He has some badass moments too. Notice his sword is so awesome that it can cut a guy in half, and another guy into five seperate pieces with a single horizontal slash. How does that even work? Fucked if we know, but it&#039;s [[Awesome|awesome]].  And he&#039;s Primarch-sized, apparently someone ate his veggies.]]To his credit, Abaddon is a hilariously destructive force on the tabletop - between his Daemon Sword, Drachn&#039;yen (which houses an extremely powerful Chaos Undivided daemon born from humanity&#039;s first act of murder), Combined Chaos Mark, and [[Talon of Horus]] rules, there are very few units in the TT game which can go toe-to-toe with Abaddon and hope to come out on top. Truthfully, most forces lack entire &#039;&#039;squads&#039;&#039; that can do much more than offer him more than a token resistance.  He can be [[Tarpit|tarpitted]], but even this isn&#039;t guaranteed as his balls-out toughness and sheer volume of attacks (if you roll well) means he will mulch through formations by himself. If Abaddon gets near something, that something is going to wind up [[FATAL|raped]] in a matter of seconds. So, copy his statline into your homebrew Chaos Lord. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The actual rules for him get changed quite a bit between editions, typically regarding exactly what Drachn&#039;yen actually does in combat. During 2nd edition, it was basically a titan close combat weapon, auto-wounding with instant death, no armor saves, and auto-penetrating vehicles regardless of their armor. He also had terminator armor in the days when it made a save on 2[[D6]], with &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;3+ save&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; 2+ save thanks to Khorne&#039;s blessing (the rules back then had weapons that could modify an armor save, so that wasn&#039;t as completely broken as it sounds), or he could use the Talon of Horus, which was still a strong weapon. 3rd edition watered him down heavily; he&#039;d attack with the Talon of Horus and make a single attack with Drachn&#039;yen. This attack could not be re-rolled in any way, but if it hit would cause an auto-wound with no armour save allowed, and if the enemy failed their invuln (or didn&#039;t have one) then whatever he hit would be immediately removed from play (vehicles still suffered just a penetrating hit). In 4th edition, it functioned like other Daemon Weapons, rolling a D6 and adding the number to his attacks, but no attacks if he rolled a 1 (assuming he charged, this could mean 11 attacks) and he took a wound with no armor save (still got his invul save though), and the sword made his attacks S8 with him able to re-roll any failed wounds due to the Talon of Horus. He was briefly [[nerf]]ed by the 6th edition changes to [[power weapon]]s that made his stuff AP3, but  FAQ made them AP2. If a Chaos army didn&#039;t field a [[Daemon Prince]], then it usually fielded Abaddon or [[Kharn]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For 6th edition, Phil Kelly tried to actually get CSM players to include some variety in their units and changed the rules again. Drachn&#039;yen is now a hell of a lot weaker, only +1S and AP2 with the Daemon Weapon rule (essentially a daemon power axe without unwieldy). For heavier targets, he uses the Talon of Horus, which is now a S8 lightning claw. He also has the Mark of Chaos Ascendant, which gives him all marks and allows him to benefit from all Icons, and has Hatred (Everything) if fielded in a Black Legion army (which you&#039;ll do of course.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
See [[Horus Vs Abaddon|here]] for some mathhammer on how he does against his own Primarch.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===8th edition===&lt;br /&gt;
Abby has always been a melee powerhouse, and 8th edition isn&#039;t an exception: WS2+ BS 2+ S5 T5 W8 A6 Ld10 2+ 4++, any weapon that successfully damages him has its damage halved (rounded &#039;&#039;up&#039;&#039;, so he can still be chipped away to nothing by small arms). His weapons are basically the same as 6th and 7th ed but adjusted for the new rules; Drachnyen is S+1 AP -3 D flat 3 with the same Daemon Weapon bonuses as before, Talon of Horus is Sx2 AP -4. The Talon, and the Talon-mounted bolter all deal D3 damage. Whatever he gets his hands on will feel the pain.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What really makes him an attractive choice in 8th edition, though are his command auras: Black Legion units within 6 inches of him (which includes himself) re-roll failed to-hit rolls and any heretic astartes within 12 inches of him auto-succeed morale tests. Cherry on top, if he is the Warlord, he also becomes an Icon of Excess (DttFE triggers on 5+ instead of 6+) for all Black Legion units within 6 inches. It is the first time Abby has ever really done anything for his army, but ho boy does he do it well now!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On top of that, the Chaos Space Marine codex upgraded him by having him give two extra Command Points to your army if he&#039;s the Warlord, which ironically enough is identical to 8th Edition&#039;s interpretation of his arch-enemy Creed&#039;s infamous Tactical Genius rule as well as his Loyalist equivalent [[Marneus Calgar]]. Plus, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw9aZeejjA4 he&#039;s &#039;&#039;finally&#039;&#039; got a new model.] If his model base is any indication, he is as much fed up of Primaris lieutenants as some of us. Also now comes with an off-switch, for some reason. That should make things easier for team Emps!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Appearances outside the tabletop==&lt;br /&gt;
===Chaos Rising===&lt;br /&gt;
Abaddon makes a brief cameo during any of the endings, where he&#039;s about to torture Eliphas for his failure to kill the Blood Ravens (Dark Crusade&#039;s after action reports for Chaos mentioned Abaddon having some unexplained beef with them that the Imperium can&#039;t make sense out of). For a second, it would appear that he ACTUALLY had arms, but it was later revealed by the camera crew that another Chaos Terminator with a lightning claw was behind Abaddon to act as his arms.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Retribution===&lt;br /&gt;
Abaddon finally gets his big break in Dawn of War II: Retribution. He appears in the Chaos Campaign and serves no purpose than to screech about killing Kyras. Again, no explanation for what he has against the Blood Ravens. The camera is conveniently positioned and several filters are employed in his portrait to avoid showcasing his lack of arms. This would explain why all he ever does is screech. At one point after Eliphas fails to dispatch Kyras, Abaddon declares how he will make him suffer. Eliphas, no doubt unaware of his armlessness, bargains for mercy. Realizing that he &#039;&#039;can&#039;t&#039;&#039; do anything to him because he has no arms, he quickly lets Eliphas go under the guise that he wants to see him suffer. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
...But we all know better than that. And this is because, even with his retinue, Abaddon still could not kill off the Ulthwe Seer Council and a [[Eldrad|certain dick]]. Eliphas has, by this point, killed the entire Biel-Tan Seer Council with their Farseer by himself. Thus, we come to the obvious conclusion that Eliphas is probably the one who should be running the Black Legion. To be fair, /tg/ has had an ongoing betting pool on which of the Chaos Lords is going to be the first to up and try to [[Sindri Myr|SINDRIIIIII]] him, with the most common executioners listed being [[Ahzek Ahriman]] of the [[Thousand Sons]], [[Erebus]] and/or [[Kor Phaeron]] of the [[Word Bearers]], [[Eliphas the Inheritor]], and [[Huron Blackheart]]. Of course, since GW considers tectonic speed to be a blisteringly fast pace for setting progression, we&#039;ll likely never know.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===[[Battlefleet Gothic]]===&lt;br /&gt;
Rules for Abaddon were included in the &#039;&#039;Armada&#039;&#039; expansion for [[Battlefleet Gothic]], along with his flagship, (or rather, ex-flagship. He&#039;s probably built a new one since he [[FAIL|&#039;&#039;somehow&#039;&#039; let the last one get destroyed]]) the &#039;&#039;&#039;Planet Killer&#039;&#039;&#039;. [[Crunch]]-wise, he&#039;s pretty good, and the planet killer is [[Exterminatus|excellent]]. However, there is the problem of him costing 195 points, which is [[Games_Workshop|overpriced]]. He gives his ship Ld10, one Ld test re-roll per turn for his fleet, and a bunch of special rules, including one that makes his ship more difficult to be crippled by hit-and-run attacks, like [[Horus|having your enemy teleporting into it when the shields are down]]. His ship [[rape|doubles]] its strength in boarding actions. Also he can become [[Angry_Marines|angry]] if his side fails a leadership check, [[Derp|firing his own guns on the ship that failed it]], [[Khorne|which pleases Him]]. His ship has loads of [[dakka]] (though still not enough, obviously). It also has the [[Exterminatus|Armageddon Gun]], which has a special rule that lets it destroy planets as if the planet killer was an exterminator ship, only better. Also, [[Anal_Circumference|the Armageddon Gun, designed to destroy planets, can be fired on things as small as enemy ships]]. It cost 505 points, so fielding both Abaddon and his prized possession costs you 700 points, which is still less than &#039;&#039;one&#039;&#039; Blackstone Fortress, which ought to give some indication as to why he wanted to get those so much in the first place.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Fluff]]-wise, Abaddon&#039;s Twelfth Black Crusade involved [[Battlefleet_Gothic|him invading the Gothic sector]], capturing three out of six Blackstone Fortresses and firing their warp cannons at the same time in order to [[Exterminatus|destroy the entire Tarantis star]], [[Grimdark|killing pretty much everyone in the system]]. He then, in true Abaddon style, [[FAIL|managed to get his flagship blown up]] (by long-range torpedoes from imperial lunar-class cruisers), and then [[Not as Planned|lost the gothic war]]. He ran back to the Eye of Terror, built a new planet killer, and launched his Thirteenth black crusade.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rest, as they say, is(n&#039;t) history.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Talon of Horus==&lt;br /&gt;
Also see [[awesome]]. Basically a book written by the biggest Abaddon fanboy of them all, [[Aaron Dembski-Bowden]]. Though the book is mostly about [[Iskandar Khayon]], a former Thousand Son who&#039;s really &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;[[Ygethmor]]&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; (except he wasn&#039;t, [[Just as Planned|there never was a Ygethmor]]). It has a lot of the Big Bad &#039;Un in it.&lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
And Abbadon kills [[Horus]]...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Well, not the real Horus. You see [[Fabius Bile|Fabulous Bill]] decided to clone Horus&#039;s corpse after the Emperor&#039;s Children stole it from the Sons of Horus. Then Abaddon and his merry crew showed up and blew Fabius&#039; base of Harmony to kingdom come with a [[Angry Marines|fucking ship used as a makeshift missile]]. They then board Fabius&#039; ship and whoop ass until they eventually come across a lab containing the failed clones of all the Primarchs which they, of course, destroy. However after Fabius goes full drama queen, he brings out the fully formed clone of Horus. The clone proceeds to open a can of whoop ass of its own on the assembled Black Legion until finally Abaddon literally says &amp;quot;Enough!&amp;quot; and engages Horus in a badass father and son duel. In said duel, Horus swung his massive mace, the Worldbreaker, which Abaddon not only parried, but caught in the goddamn Talon. What&#039;s more, he shattered the fucking mace, known one of the most canonically overpowered weapons. At this point, Horus finally recognized Abaddon and said &amp;quot;Ezekyle. My son. My son.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course, rather then there being a tearful reunion between father and son, Abaddon, in typical Chaos fashion, rammed the Talon into Horus&#039;s chest and fired six shots into his body. Just before the clone of Horus died, Abaddon said one of the most badass phrases in 40k:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I am not your son.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yeah. In summary, in this book, the dude [[/tg/ gets shit done|actually gets shit done]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Assorted Trivia ==&lt;br /&gt;
As a note of mockery (&#039;&#039;and a testament to GW&#039;s abhorrent and perpetual lack of imagination when it comes to naming things&#039;&#039;), his full name is Ezekyle Abaddon... Get it? You see what GW did there? His first name is an Armenian contraction of Ezekiel, as in the Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel, and his last name is Abaddon, which was the ancient Canaanite word used for &#039;&#039;&#039;ruin&#039;&#039;&#039;, &#039;&#039;&#039;perdition&#039;&#039;&#039; and &#039;&#039;&#039;destruction&#039;&#039;&#039; (&#039;&#039;none of which seem to actually occur when Failbaddon and his Try-hard Marines are involved, but we digress&#039;&#039;). Ha. Ha. &#039;&#039;Funny&#039;&#039;... This can of course be mollified, and indeed made awesome, by assuming that Kharn, Huron Blackheart, Ahriman, and all the other competent chaos lords call him &amp;quot;Zeke&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;Abby&amp;quot;, or some variant thereof to his face.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;Gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:Abaddon Talon of Horus.jpg|One of the most Feared beings in the galaxy, Carrying the Talon of Horus, one of the most feared weapons in the galaxy.&lt;br /&gt;
File:Rule 63 Ezekiel Abaddon.jpg|His [[rule 63]] version.&lt;br /&gt;
File:Remembrancer Sketch First Cpt. Abaddon2.png|Back when he was first captain.&lt;br /&gt;
File:Abaddon Heresy model.jpg|Pic taken as Abaddon arrived at his surprise birthday party.&lt;br /&gt;
File:Abaddon and some kittens by twopunch-d6kosgl.png|Everyone has hobbies... [[Rip and Tear|What&#039;s odd is the fact that the box has the World Eaters icon... Demonic kittens?]].&lt;br /&gt;
File:Drach&#039;nyen Daemonsword.png|His powerful daemonsword, Drach&#039;nyen.&lt;br /&gt;
File:Abaddon Despoiler updated.jpg|An updated take on the motherfuckerest motherfucker in the galaxy.&lt;br /&gt;
File:Abaddon&#039;s master plan.jpg|His plan from the very beginning.&lt;br /&gt;
File:The Warmaster Of Chaos.jpg|Recast from shame and shadow, reborn in black and gold&lt;br /&gt;
File:Failure of Chaos.jpg|No matter how awesome you look, you can&#039;t escape the truth Abby&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/Gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Despoiler&#039;s Plan.==&lt;br /&gt;
Some random short story, written by some [[Aaron Dembski-Bowden|random anonymous]], on a random day: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Do your marines speak true captain? That the Despoiler is weak and pathetic?” When he heard the question, the captain of the Sons of Malice&#039;s tenth company started laughing. He turned to face the renegade that was following him. The warrior stopped; his pure black eyes, clashing with his white skin, unblinkingly looked at the renegade marine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Only a fool dismisses the Despoiler as a weakling. Only a fool would believe what the Warmaster wants him to believe.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“What does he want us to believe?”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“For past millennia, he crusaded twelve times. Each time defeated, he returned to the eye, laughing, for the worshipers of the Emperor thought that they won. Each time he fell, he looked less of a threat; each time he fell, generals and chapter masters, captains and inquisitors, started dismissing him as a smaller threat than he is. But they are fools. The Despoiler&#039;s plans were never to win. If he wanted, he could have crushed Segmentum Pacificus, Solar and Tempestus during his first crusade, but he waited. Why? He knew that victory would be short lived, that six primarchs were still alive, that his forces weren’t fully replenished, that he could have crushed any army which tried to stop him, but he couldn’t control the massive territory. So he waited, gathering allies and weapons. Each of his crusades was just a fraction of the endless armies of the undivided and the four. But he waited, each crusade weakening the might of the Imperium, each crusade plunging the dagger deeper. But now the thirteenth has started. full legions are now moving - armies of such might that the Great Crusade would look pathetic in comparison. Where hundreds of marines roared in the name of Khorne charging the Emperor&#039;s dogs, now millions roar in bloodthirst. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Where tens of sorcerers invoked the name of Tzeench, casting arcane powers, now thousands walk, their power darkening the skies. Where small groups of Slaaneshi slaughtered, driven to ecstasy, now battalions march, their perversion driving mortal men insane. Where only few squads of Nurgle&#039;s plague sons walked, their diseases poisoning the air, now uncountable armies march, bringing endless death, as even the earth breaks under their feet. The Despoiler planned this; now is his time to strike. The Imperium besieged from all sides, each enemy requiring more than the entire might of what can be given. They cannot win this battle. The Despoiler has at least nine legions of Astartes - Black Legion, Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, World Eaters, Thousand Sons, Death Guard, Emperor&#039;s Children, Night Lords, Alpha Legion. And his ally Blackheart has his legion of Red Corsairs. For hundreds, if not thousands of years, these legions grew impossibly huge. Not caring about their purity, not having a tithe, they increased to tens of millions. Endlessly increasing armies of cultists and traitor guard march with them bringing endless destruction. Daemons rip into realspace with every death, bringing even more of it, slaughtering enemies easily and endlessly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And now is the time of the end. The Imperium would have already fallen. Even the first assault was incredibly brutal. The only reason that the Imperium is still holding are the genius of a general that is leading the Cadian regiments, and Necron and Eldar support. Only with this, the Imperium endures, but even so the Despoiler advances. Nothing can and will stop him, that’s why we joined him, on this crusade. We will get our homeworld back from loyalist dogs. And then the Legion of Scelus will rise again. &lt;br /&gt;
And so you ask if the Despoiler is a fool? The fools are those, who didn’t hunt him down millennia ago. For he is the reason the Imperium shall fall.” The captain turned around and started walking, his steps the only sound echoing in the silent corridors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Abaddon at the Therapist]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Abaddon&#039;s 14th Black Crusade]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Black Crusade]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[FAIL]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/15590031/] In which, Abaddon becomes a god among men. And this is only the start!&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?searchall=Abaddon+Quest The entire Abaddon Quest archive, read on and laugh hard.]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I8FDCrFeUc&amp;amp;feature=player_embedded|The true story of how Abaddon lost his arms.]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB4Kb2A0o5A Abaddon&#039;s epic battle with Eldrad]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c4-uo9vOSE Failbaddon is no more ;_;]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ7f-gK_yo0 Abaddon&#039;s lines in Retribution.]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Thanquol]], who is basically how Abaddon would be portrayed as a Skaven lord if the writers were the denizens of /tg/ (And thanks to Chaos winning at The End Times can be considered more competent than Failbaddon...)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Chaos-Marines}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:FAIL]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category: Black Legion]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battlesuit&amp;diff=83332</id>
		<title>Battlesuit</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battlesuit&amp;diff=83332"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:35:19Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* {{anchor|XV9|XV-9}} XV9 Hazard Battlesuit */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Heresy}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stitch16.jpg|right|thumb|500px|From Cool to absolute godless [[cheese]]. And also [[Longstrike]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Battlesuits&#039;&#039;&#039; are powered combat exoskeletons used by the forces of the [[Tau|Tau Empire]] to fill a number of tactical roles on the battlefield. The Tau have developed several different battlesuit models, each equipped with different technologies and weapons pertaining to the suit&#039;s purpose in battle. [[Stealthsuit|Some]] are built to be [[Just As Planned|small, stealthy and precise]], while [[Riptide|others]] are built to be [[RAPE|lumbering battlemechs that ionize everything in their paths]] while soaking up weapons fire like they&#039;re being pelted with [[Lasgun|spitballs]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Each model&#039;s designation is usually preceded by the letters &amp;quot;XV&amp;quot;, which derives from the Tau term &amp;quot;Her&#039;Ex&#039;Vre&amp;quot;, meaning &amp;quot;Mantle of the Hero&amp;quot;. Note that some sources place a hyphen between the &amp;quot;XV&amp;quot; and the numbers, and others don&#039;t. The first (or only) number in designation indicates a weight class of the suit, while the last indicates its purpose:&lt;br /&gt;
# Still in development model&lt;br /&gt;
# Undergoing field testing&lt;br /&gt;
# Custom-built model&lt;br /&gt;
# Command and control-compatible model&lt;br /&gt;
# Outfitted with stealth technology&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for a void operations&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for infiltration&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for long range fire support&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for shock assault and close range firefights&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes there&#039;s a secondary numerical designation separated from the first with a hyphen. Those are just number assigned to a specific loadout for heavily customizable models. Sometimes they fit with a primary purpose designation (like XV-8-06 being designed for void operations or XV-46-4 being command and control model), and sometimes they don&#039;t (XV-8-05 is not even compatible with stealth technology, XV-9-01 is a finished mass-produced model). The largest variants use either KV or KX; what they stand for is currently unknown.&lt;br /&gt;
==Role on the Battlefield==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tau battlesuits are not like [[Imperial]] [[power armor]] in their roles. They serve as command platforms for &#039;Vre, &#039;El, and &#039;O level officers as well as heavy mobile weapons platforms, able to swiftly relocate from firing position to firing position while laying down constant barrages of long range firepower. Most of them are outfitted with [[jetpack]]s for this purpose. All battlesuit pilots are veteran soldiers that have at least four years of combat experience and have passed their first trial by fire. Most [[Fire Warrior|Fire Warriors]] accept the honor of piloting these revered machines for the [[Greater Good]], although there are some traditional crazies who shun the use of battlesuits and instead choose to continue to lead their Shas&#039;la as front-line field commanders, and some refuse the option of ranking up to Ui or higher ranks altogether in order to pilot tanks and speeders.&lt;br /&gt;
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Culturally, there are two major things associated with Battlesuits. First is known as &#039;&#039;&amp;quot;battlesuit psychosis&amp;quot;&#039;&#039;, which happens when particularly young and insufficiently &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;brainwashed&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; dedicated Fire Warrior were to pilot a suit. It manifests as sudden bursts of delusion of invincibility and selfishness, and is one of the reasons suits are only issued to veterans who passed their second Trial by Fire. A less extreme version of this phenomenon is recognized to happen with humans when we wear armor, we become more aggressive and convinced of &#039;invincibility&#039;, it&#039;s well documented among European knights. Second is known as &#039;&#039;&amp;quot;monat syndrome&amp;quot;&#039;&#039;, which happens when a blood-bonded suit team is reduced to a single survivor. With Ta&#039;Li&#039;Sera bond being about as important as family is to humans among Fire Warriors, some survivors mentally break and become brooding loners, which can end with them either needlessly throwing their lives in the next battle by doing something tremendously brave but stupid or going full &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;Rambo&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Marbo, and transforming themselves into methodical living killing machines who do nothing but train in between missions, that freak out other more sociable Tau. In a society as hellbent on collectivism as Tau empire these loners stick out, and there&#039;s a lot of controversy around them, although official propaganda spin paints them as &amp;quot;tragic (anti)heroes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Models==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV02.png|thumb|right|200px|Trying to roleplay for Top Gun is often a recommendation.]]&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV02|XV-02}} XV02 Pilot Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
For all intents and purposes.[[Mary Sue| Its a super special armor for a super special boy.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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An experimental model made for vehicle pilots (obviously) currently undergoing field testing; although it provides less protection than even Fire Warrior armor, it compensates by allowing pilots to interface more effectively with their vehicles, negating the need for multiple crew members. This works in tandem with the vehicle&#039;s A.I. by processing the cadre tactical network and incoming data quickly so that the pilot can react extremely rapidly to enemies attacking his vehicle or nearby units. &lt;br /&gt;
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The only one known to exist is in the possession of [[Longstrike|Shas&#039;la T&#039;au Sha&#039;ng (a.k.a. Longstrike)]], who was selected for his reputation as a peerless [[Hammerhead Gunship|Hammerhead]] pilot. The battlesuit also features a multitude of specialised systems, plug sockets, vents, a wrist-mounted control panel and other technobabble shenanigans that all allow Longstrike to pilot his personal tank without the need of those pesky annoyances called people. &lt;br /&gt;
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Tau scientists have been working on producing more after the success of the original, but all other candidate pilots thus far have either been incompatible with its neural interface or became brain-dead due to information overload frying their brains. &lt;br /&gt;
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The battlesuit also incorporates a Blacksun Filter, but nobody cares for that.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV15|XV-15}} XV15 Stealthsuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV15.png|thumb|right|200px|XV25&#039;s rented cousin.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Little more than [[Awesome|modified Fire Warrior armor]], the XV15 was outfitted with stealth systems allowing it to infiltrate, jetpacks for mobility, and burst cannons for firepower. It also carried [[markerlight]]s. These older units are being phased out in favor of the XV25 series after the Imperium got their hands on an intact helmet from one, and the Tau fear it will be reverse-engineered and countered by the humans.&lt;br /&gt;
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In a surprisingly unlikely move that somehow did not cause the AdMech to lobotomize everyone involved in the project with a siege drill for associating with xeno-tech, the Imperium did actually manage to reverse engineer the suits and learn about the technology, although the Tau were two steps ahead of them by rolling out the more advanced XV25 stealth suits as their new recon platform. &lt;br /&gt;
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The meta reason both these and the XV25&#039;s exist is because these were metal kits, and were replaced by the later plastic kits which were designed to look more like a mecha (AKA the shit that makes people buy Tau models) and less like a Fire Warrior with some extra equipment. Crunchwise, they&#039;re the same unless you consider the crunch changes between editions to be the difference. Use the models you like and have access to. (Pull a Dawn of War and use XV25s for the squad leader and XV15s for the chumps)&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV22|XV-22}} XV22 Command Suit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ShadowsunNov.jpg|200px|thumb|right|0% blueberry edition.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Officially part of the stealthsuit line, this heavier unit is quite expensive to produce; as such, it is limited in use to commanders (like [[Shadowsun|Commander Shadowsun]], [[Commander Or&#039;es&#039;Ka|Shas&#039;o Or&#039;es&#039;Ka]], and [[Shas&#039;o Kais]], who as you can see above have different versions of the suit; Shadowsun&#039;s has a unique helmet that resemble the later XV95, while Kais&#039; resembles a Crisis Suit). With the right equipment and abilities you can make it go three times faster than a normal stealthsuit ([[Ork|red paint optional]]).&lt;br /&gt;
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This was originally built as a prototype design for a next-generation stealthsuit pattern, but finding ways to mass-produce the required components proved more difficult than anticipated. After the Imperium managed to reverse-engineer some of the XV15 suits ([[Advancing the Storyline|which, for some reason, doesn&#039;t cause the Inquisition to foam at the mouth anymore]]) recovered from the battlefield, the Tau had to compromise by moving forward with the less advanced but easier to manufacture XV25.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV22.jpg|The addition of partner drones is always a guarantee.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV25|XV-22}} XV25 Stealthsuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:StealthSuit.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Citadel exclusive &amp;quot;Tau Stealth&amp;quot; paint. Order it now.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;Main article: [[Stealthsuit Team]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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An improvement over the XV15 which is larger, heavier and better armored while still retaining the maneuverability and subtlety of the XV15 series. Development and deployment of the XV25 was largely due to the fact that the Imperium managed to acquire a functioning sample of the old XV15 stealth suit during the [[Damocles Crusade]], compromising its use as a recon platform. Larger and more powerful reactor allows XV25 to be outfitted with a fusion blaster instead of it&#039;s basic burst cannon, and the suit also have one hard point on it&#039;s back for an additional support system, although those are usually issued only to squad leaders.&lt;br /&gt;
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The main wearers of these suits are of course the Stealthsuit Team, whose battleline roles include assasinations, sniping, sabotage and ambushes.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV25.png|Now in camo edition!&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV46|XV-46}} XV46 Vanguard Void Suit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tumblr Tauman Void Suit Vangard.jpg|190px|right|thumb|Fan art of what the Void Suit would look like, courtesy from Tau Man and &#039;&#039;[[Tumblr]]&#039;&#039; [[Derp|of all things.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Basically a Tau version of [[Terminator|Terminator armor]], bigger than the XV2 series, smaller than the XV8 and as heavily armoured as XV88 while still light enough to have jetpacks. It is designed solely for operating in spaceborn situations at (unusually for the Tau) close quarters, which means boarding action and [[Space Hulk]]-type investigation missions. &lt;br /&gt;
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The XV46 is highly effective against [[Genestealers|certain xenos species]] that are famous for slaughtering Terminators like they are nothing. With a fuckton of burst cannons, flamers and fusion guns on each of the suits, the little buggers would have a hard enough time getting close, but then there are electroshocks, grav-repulsors, and photon grenades to zap any fuckers lucky enough to break through the walls of fire, all triggered automatically. &lt;br /&gt;
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To make the Tau version of Space Hulk even less [[grimdark]], these suits are even equipped with smart ejection systems which are programmed to deliver the pilot back on board his ship if his suit gets wrecked. How this works without [[warp]] based tech is a crapshoot. Being both niche equipment and difficult to manufacture critical parts for, XV46s are rarely seen outside of Space Hulk missions. Even rarer is the XV-46-4 Commander variant.&lt;br /&gt;
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The XV46 doesn&#039;t appear in the tabletop wargame; [[Fantasy Flight Games]] made it up for the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch RPG]]. As a result, there&#039;s no images of it. It how ever is used in [[Battlefleet Gothic Armada]], in which the Tau load them up in the cargo bay of their Mantas before letting them get dropped along with the payload onto enemy ships through their shields. &lt;br /&gt;
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Which suggests that the Tau in some extent would have capabilities to play a serious game of blue gremlin on the wing with other species, this combination is also particularly enraging for eldar who have little to no defense against such an unusually bold action from the Tau. Since GW took forever to get the [[Deathwatch]] 7E Codex out. It would be a miracle for other FFG IP to get official rules and a model at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV8|XV-8}} XV8 Crisis Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039; Main Article: [[XV-8 Crisis Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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Image:XV8.jpg|XV8 Team&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV81.jpg|XV-81&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV84.png|XV-84&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV89.png|XV-89&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV8-05.jpg|XV-8-05 Enforcer&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV-8-02.png|XV-8-02 Iridium&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Coldstar.png|XV-8-06 Coldstar&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Shas&#039;o R&#039;Myr.png|R&#039;Myr&#039;s special XV8.&lt;br /&gt;
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XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are the Tau Empire&#039;s general-purpose combat battlesuits, capable of being equipped for a variety of combat situations. Due to the large amount of variants they have, check the main article for more information.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV88|XV-88}} XV88 Broadside Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV88.jpg|thumb|right|370px|Battlesuit evolution.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article: [[XV88 Broadside Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are fire support platforms outfitted with either a large Heavy Rail Rifle or a massive array of missiles to [[Dakka|lay waste]] to the enemies of the Greater Good from afar.&lt;br /&gt;
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They are basically the Tau&#039;s quintessential heavy weapons team/light artillery/anti-tank/ect, ect you know what I am talking about. Understandably strong at range, but absolutely shit up close. Dont expect your walking self-propelled gun to last too long in a arty fight with the [[Imperial Guard|Guard]] either. As good as these guns are, they still can&#039;t compete with the literal manifestation of the rain of [[rape]] known as the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]].&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV9|XV-9}} XV9 Hazard Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
Another Forgeworld blessing. Unlike most Tau battlesuits, the XV9 Hazard model is designed solely for fast and hard close-range engagements rather than having the option of going either close or long, or being cloaked while engaging the enemy up close, which is quite odd since this is a bit of a deviation from traditional Tau combat doctrine, which is all about far away [[Shooty|shootiness]]. Being a dedicated spear-tip suit, Hazard is designed with close combat in mind, with it&#039;s frame being more agile than other suits (which is represented by less horrible WS and Initiative on the tabletop), photon grenades to halt enemy charges and vectored retro thrusters to jump out of meat grinder.&lt;br /&gt;
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XV-9 have three hard points, with two generally being equipped with a matching pair of guns (leaving only one for support systems) compared to Crisis&#039; four, although given it have in-built retro-thrusters and photon grenade launchers it can and usually does have up to 5 systems with enough reactor capacity to power them all, even though weapon options available to Hazard suit are generally more devastating and power-hungry. Since it&#039;s main weapons are Twin-linked Burst cannons, which take up two hardpoints on conventional suits and the other options would likely count as two hard points if crisis suits could take them, the Hazard has the equivalent of 7! Crisis suit hard points:&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Twin-linked burst cannons&#039;&#039;&#039; are for mulching down infantry with enough dakka to make Orks jealous.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Fusion cascades&#039;&#039;&#039;, which are melta miniguns, less powerful than basic fusion blasters and more short-ranged but with a higher rate of fire, so they&#039;re more effective against light/medium vehicles, monsters and terminators rather than heavy tanks.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Phased ion guns&#039;&#039;&#039; which were supposed to be &amp;quot;assault cannons-lite&amp;quot;, and are more &amp;quot;well rounded&amp;quot; choice, being decent against both light and heavy infantry or light vehicles, though heavily outclassed by the previous two gun options.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Pulse Submunition Rifles&#039;&#039;&#039;, commonly referred by a player base as &amp;quot;shotguns&amp;quot;, these are the most long ranged and expensive guns available to Hazard. They cover a huge area with a cover-ignoring blasts to root out heavy cover campers.&lt;br /&gt;
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It should be noted that the number 9 is a significant number to the Tau given that they count in an octal numeral system (there is no 8 or 9; 10 comes immediately after 7), as opposed to [[humanity]]&#039;s decimal system. [[Awesome|This means that to the Tau, the XV9 is literally cranked up to 11.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Shas&#039;o R&#039;alai has his own XV9 equipped with a shield and experimental next-gen PSR that fires in bursts and is loaded with a wide range extra-powerful (but unstable) experimental ammo.&lt;br /&gt;
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File:XV9.jpg|XV9 AKA We are getting into Gundam territory now.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV95|XV-95}} XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV95.jpeg|200px|thumb|right|&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;Striking hard and fast.&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV95 2.png|thumb|left|200px|Blitzkrieg, Mecha style.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Ghostkeel is a &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;[[Creed|tactical genius]]&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; really big and powerful stealth suit that can and would fight well in a straight fight rather than relying on flanking maneuvers and infiltration to hit vulnerable flanks and retreat out of harms way like your regular Stealth teams. It&#039;s the same weight class and size as Hazard, but has extensive armour plating for nearly double the survivability. Unlike the XV15 and XV25, the XV95 doesn&#039;t have full stealth system on itself, but rather its parts are spread between the battlesuit and its stealth drones, meaning only with a combination of both can the team becomes nigh-invisible, while separately they appear to be only slightly camouflaged, which, combined with an exceptional tankiness of the Ghostkeel, and mediocre survivability of his drones makes the XV-95 one of the few battlesuits that would take hits for its drones instead of drones shielding him with their cold, expendable, mechanical bodies. But being nigh-invisible is not enough for XV-95 - it carries an electronic warfare equipment in its left hand like a gun, and use it to fuck up enemy targeting systems even more, unless they are at point-blank range, and can overcharge it to shock-and-awe any opponent trying to gun them down, ensuring it can&#039;t hit shit, although it&#039;s a one-use trick, as the suit need to recharge for a while to deliver this sensory shock again.&lt;br /&gt;
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On the offense, the Ghostkeel has a set of twin-linked standard battlesuit guns on its back (sadly, only limited to flamers, burst cannons and fusion blasters), and a single BFG in its right hand, which could be a fusion collider, which is an extra bigger fusion blaster with extra barrel that shoots small blasts, or an ion raker, which looks and fires like bigger badder cyclic ion blaster with double the normal mode firing rate (for SIX autocannon-grade shots per burst), double overcharge blast size and slightly higher range. On top of that, Ghostkeel also have two extra hard points for supporting systems (meaning up to five hard points total) for extra customization options.&lt;br /&gt;
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Lastly, much like Hazard suits, the XV-95 isn&#039;t half terrible in close combat. While the Ghostkeel may lack the speed, agility, counter-charge systems and vector thrusters of an XV-9, what it have is a sheer brutal strength - your typical five-man space marine demi-squad would quickly find out the hard way that a single Ghostkeel is not easy prey in close combat, as its single punch is enough to turn a marine into a screaming pile of meat paste flavored with broken bones and ceramite shards. Hell it&#039;s not that hard for a Ghostkeel to kick (quite literally) through a tank&#039;s armour or even fortification walls. This is another instance of the Tau combining a bunch of things which usually cannot be combined by other races. Overall the Ghostkeel is another example of Tau ignoring typical unit tropes. Stealthy tanky ranged/melee is not something you see often - Imperial Knights aren&#039;t typically invisible, nor do Vindicare assassins usually uppercut tanks in half.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV104|XV-104}} XV104 Riptide Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article:[[XV104 Riptide Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV104.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The most spammable and rage inducing walker, second only to the Wraithknight.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Nova Reactor Energy.jpg|200px|thumb|left|&amp;quot;So this is the power of the Nova Reactor... Not bad, not bad at all...&amp;quot;]]&lt;br /&gt;
A new, extra-large battlesuit (at twice the size of the XV8) that made its first appearance in the 6th edition codex, the Riptide resembles the bastard offspring of a Gundam (specifically the ZZ Gundam, what with its XBAWKS HUEG build, optional missile system and destructive but stupidly risky energy weapon) and a Metal Gear. Arguably more of a vehicle than a suit of armor, the Riptide&#039;s primary weapon can be either a heavy burst cannon or an ion accelerator (with twin smart missile systems, fusion blasters or plasma rifles as backup weapons), while its defensive prowess is supplemented by a portable shield generator. All of these can be made significantly more powerful if the prototype Nova reactor built into the suit is used to charge the weapon or shield; however, doing so runs the risk of overloading the generator, releasing deadly radiation that can injure or kill the pilot.&lt;br /&gt;
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While incredibly powerful, the Riptide&#039;s primary drawback ([[fluff]]-wise) is that the materials used to manufacture it are rare. Thus, their numbers remain fairly small within the Tau Empire&#039;s forces. Not that you&#039;d know since every goddamn Tau list has them flying out of their asses. Then again, every Imperial Guard force on the tabletop is full of elite veterans, heavy tanks and flyers instead of swarms of regular Guardsmen...&lt;br /&gt;
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An extremely [[Rape|cheesetastic tactic]] on the tabletop with this fella is to model it to be as low as possible (like crouching forward) and then put it behind a piece of very big cover, like a bastion. It moves out during the movement phase, revs the Nova reactor, blasts nearby enemies into oblivion, then jet boosts back behind the bastion during the assault phase to block enemy LoS.&lt;br /&gt;
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Then came 8th edition... and the Riptide was nerfed to utter oblivion. It  costs about 400 points to field, and provides very little firepower or durability compared to its cost, but the Tau codex did a good deal to fix its cost and its firepower and offers Stratagems to make using its Nova Reactor more viable.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV107|XV-107}} XV107 R&#039;varna Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:XV107.png|right|thumb|300px|When you gotta take care of those &#039;Nids. Accept no substitudes.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Essentially a Riptide (made by [[Forge World]] of all folks) that threw mobility away for more armour and two exceedingly huge pulse submunition cannons (think plasma cluster bomb) for the purpose of fucking everything up for the enemy. Its Nova Reactor also grants some unusual properties like a turn with Fleet, an electromagnetic shockwave that hits everyone around it, or double-firing weapons, but is no less risky to use. The fluff behind this involves an Earth Caste engineer from Sept Ke&#039;lshan, called Sho&#039;Aun, who managed to go behind the Ethereals&#039; backs by building something so huge, expensive (even in in-universe terms), and lethal when he was supposed to make more stealthsuits. One [[Tyranids|Tyranid]] swarm later, however, he revealed this behemoth and with it helped dumpster all of the &#039;Nids and save the Sept.&lt;br /&gt;
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One interesting note of mention is that in the early days of the R&#039;varna&#039;s conception, before it was officially announced, there was indeed a rumor floating around that Forgeworld was actually designing a new stealthsuit. This was before 6th Edition Tau were even released, so it makes sense that nobody even knew about the Riptide aside from the weeks preceding the new codex, but what is interesting is that, given the fluff behind the R&#039;varna, it&#039;s almost as though Forgeworld chuckled at the rumors and used those as a basis for their fluff, going so far as to craft the rumors of a stealthsuit into the XV107&#039;s fundamental history. &#039;&#039;&#039;The more you know!&#039;&#039;&#039; The X7 designation this suit has means it&#039;s supposed to be an infiltration unit (even though every other stealthsuit has been an X5 of some sort), which is the exact opposite of what R&#039;Varna actually does - this is likely the result of it being developed as a part of Stealth Suit program.&lt;br /&gt;
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Unlike plenty of other things in lore, the R&#039;varna, with its big-ass pulse submunitions cannons, is as big a rape machine on the table as it is in the fluff. With the ability to fire two pie plates a turn at AP4 and S6 (and FOUR plates using the Nova Reactor) the thing turns [[Tyranids]] to garden mulch, and [[Orks]] to fertilizer. The cannons have Cluster Fire, which means that, the bigger the target the more hits it receives and at higher strength. Thus, while anything with Very Bulky, Bike, Jetbike, Cavalry or Beast takes two hits at +1S, MCs Buildings and Vehicles take THREE S8 hits per hit. Kinda feels [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScmfbOwRreU like this] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBC1Qob27sM more like this]. All in all, the R&#039;varna is considered to be horribly, horribly, horribly broken by non-Tau players, and by Tau players still using it to be the most [[cheese|deliciously cheddar]] thing since [[Fish of Fury|Fish of Fury]].&lt;br /&gt;
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8th Edition has made the R&#039;varna a considerably more specialized TEQ/Monster/Light Vehicle killer than it used to be: it&#039;s lost its ability to scale its strength and inflict multiple hits on larger units, but deals 3 damage for every successful wound. The removal of blast weapons has made it less viable as an anti-horde unit, but it does crank out 6d3 S6 AP-2 shots. Its Nova Reactor abilities have been retooled as well: it&#039;s kept the electromagnetic shockwave (Which now deals mortal wounds!), but can now choose to either boost its invulnerable save to 3++ or re-roll any dice rolled to determine the number of shots it fires.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV109|XV-109}} XV109 Y&#039;Vahra Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:XV109.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Bringing the Greater Good close and personal]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3lrhPeK6gU &#039;&#039;Hi, it&#039;s Sho&#039;Aun with the Y&#039;vahra, you&#039;ll be saying &amp;quot;wow&amp;quot; everytime you use this Tau&#039;&#039;]. A regular Riptide doesn&#039;t do well too close to an enemy, this one does well at close or medium range. This is for the blobs, the Deathwing, the Armoured Ceramite&#039;d AV14. Made in Ke&#039;lshan Sept by Sho&#039;Aun, you know that guy always makes good stuff. &lt;br /&gt;
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This is a Riptide that embraces its mobility and gets a super-flamer, a mega-haywire gun and has super-jetpacks able to turn it into a flying monstrous creature once each two turns. This one was made with the opposite goal of a Riptide: to jump in close and take the fight to the enemy, fling a burst of flechettes as it lands and then jump back out before it can be overwhelmed. With its S6 Torrent (at 6&amp;quot;) Plasma Flamer that goes either AP3 Heavy 1 or AP2 Heavy 2 Gets Hot, and its S8 AP3 Haywire Cannon that also blinds, it can effectively total entire enemy units in one volley, and even more so with the Nova Reactor on (which gives it some more tricks, like the ability to Jink or move back into reserves while in close combat). &lt;br /&gt;
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As a trade off, however, it is a little bit more fragile than Riptide, and it&#039;s Nova Reactor options are also weaker, more focused on extra mobility and surviving/escaping close combat rather than blasting shit to death or, you know, the ever frustrating for your opponent 3++ against everything. Combined with extremely uncomfortable range of all of it&#039;s weapons Y&#039;Vahra tends to go down much quicker than the Riptide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Then 8th edition came along and hiked up the points of the Riptide and varients to roughly 400 points. At launch this made the Riptide total shit, but the Y&#039;vahra however is worth every single one of them. Toughness 7, 14 wounds and an 18&amp;quot; movement range make this one durable and fast mo fo. The changes to flamer and AP rules now give you 2d6 strength 6 ap-2 autohits dealing 3 DAMAGE APIECE. Terminators? Melt them. Centurions? Kindling. A certain [[Spiritual Liege]]? Just 3 failed saves and he&#039;s charcoal. The Ionic Discharge Cannon is nothing to sneeze at either with strength 8 and -3 AP. Even the shield is better, granting a 4+ invuln when within 12&amp;quot; (Which it will be, given the loadout). The Nova Reactor effects are where this baby really shines though. You can either give it the usual 3+ invuln, the ability to move it off the table and deep strike it (Not recommended for anyone but Bor&#039;kan sept players) and buffs to the weapons. The last one is what you&#039;ll be using most of the time, the flamer is bumped up to 3d6 autohits while the Discharge cannon gains a whopping 3d3 shots, 10 strength and 3 points of damage per shot. It wasn&#039;t uncommon to see Tau players use their Riptides as proxies for the Y&#039;vahra given how overpriced and underpowered the former used to be. After the codex dropped Riptides got buffs in the form of a price decrease and a new stratagem that gives 2 nova reactor abilities for one turn. While the Y&#039;vahra does not benefit from either buff... they&#039;re still used as frequently as they ever were. they are just that damn strong. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a nutshell, it is the only unit from the Tau that goes all fire and glory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|KV128|KV-128}} KV128 Stormsurge Ballistic Suit===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stompin on marines.jpeg|200px|thumbnail|right|Teaching [[Abaddon|certain spiky gue-la]], how to be cool despite the lack of arms]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:KV128.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Teaching the Imperial Guard that they too, can utilise missile spam.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUnjxftU6r0&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=96 &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;A WEAPON TO SURPASS METAL GEAR&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;] &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;Literally just a walking giant laser cannon.&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;The new and improved chicken walkers!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau have decided the Riptide still wasn&#039;t big enough and made an even larger battlesuit. The Stormsurge is armed with a one of two giant pulse cannons: the first is much like AdMech eradication beamer in that it gets stronger but loses the blast radius as the target comes closer, except it starts at 30&amp;quot; with S9 AP5 large blast and finishes with the almighty D at almost point-blank range; and the other variant of the cannon is pretty much just a railgun with a large blast. Its hilariously large pair of missile pods, combined with an SMS on its back and a pair of airbursting frag projectors it can get, would vomit out so much anti-infantry firepower across half of the board in one volley you&#039;d probably need to buy double the number of dice you already have to just resolve its shooting: entire armies of GEQs would melt the moment this thing opens fire, and even terminators or monstrous creatures would be hard pressed to survive once they start failing their saves under that hail of wounds. It also houses four Destroyer missiles, which are AP1 Seeker Missiles which become strength D when guided by a marker light, and as all four could be fired simultaneously (if you had scored enough ML tokens), could easily kill four regular vehicles or almost any other superheavy/gargantuan on turn one from across the board. But there&#039;s more! The stabilizing rods on its legs aren&#039;t just for cool looks: KV128 can stabilize itself, losing ability to move and stomp for firing EVERY FUCKING GUN IT HAS TWICE. This rape train, however, &#039;&#039;does&#039;&#039; have brakes, as the Stormsurge is extremely squishy for its size and firepower, basically being as survivable as two Carnifexes; it&#039;s pretty much a heavy artillery piece that needs to stay way back and be protected in order to take its points back, and is the one more geared for anti-infantry, so if you&#039;re looking for something to deal with Knights and Titans, look below for a proper front line Tau titan. Its squishiness probably has something to do with it being the only Battlesuit so far that has its pilots (or gun operators, looks like it has a couple of these) sitting without any cover over their heads.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fun fact: If tank shock is used against an anchored Stormsurge, the Stormsurge is [[Awesome|destroyed]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== KX139 Ta&#039;Unar Supremacy Armour ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:KX139.jpg|200px|thumbnail|right|&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;[https://youtu.be/2vKz7WnU83E?t=46 To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own]&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A new super-heavy Overcompensator Class battlesuit, massive enough to claim the title of Tau [[Titan]]. After multiple run-ins with Imperial Knights and Tyranid bio-titans, the Ethereals were forced to admit the necessity of Titan-sized static defenses to deal with counter-expansion attempts into their own territory and asked the same Earth Caste nutter who made the R&#039;varna and the Y&#039;varha, Sho&#039;Aun, to make something capable of fending off super-heavy assault forces too strong for their bombers to deal with. A bunker on legs in other words?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Awesome|He did not disappoint.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yes, it lacks jet packs (much like its brother the R&#039;varna), but you won&#039;t need one, you gave it to your enemy so they can RUN. FAR. AWAY. Which, would not work because with its long legs Ta&#039;Unar is actually about as fast as jet and jump infantry. The Ta&#039;Unar is armed to the teeth and damn hard to kill with T:9 and 10 wounds. Although it&#039;s a Gargantuan Creature like the [[Wraithknight]], it can fire Overwatch at BS2 with its two smart missile systems and two twin-linked burst cannons. Its main guns are no less effective- for arm weapons, it can equip either a Heavy 5 multimelta or an ion cannon that can fire either 6 shots at S7 AP3 or 3 shots at S9 AP2. The back-mounted Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver can fire either a Strength D Massive Blast with 72&amp;quot; range or a S8 AP3 Apocalyptic Barrage (3) with Pinning and Ignores Cover with a range of 12-120&amp;quot;. Defensively, it has a 2+/5++ save that improves to 4++ against shooting attacks, and it can sacrifice the invulnerable save for a turn to cut the number of wounds suffered from a &amp;quot;Deathblow&amp;quot; result on the Destroyer table in half. Its only real flaws are that it&#039;s expensive as all hell to field (both points-wise and in real-world costs, being a Forge World exclusive and all).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the place of the Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver, it can instead take a Nexus Meteor Missile System or a Heavy Rail Cannon Array for free. The Nexus Meteor Missile System is a [[Rape|Blinding Apocalyptic Mega-Blast with 24-120&amp;quot; range with S 10/7/5 and AP 1/4/5]], because fuck that guy and everyone remotely close to him. The latter on the other hand is technically two weapons, which can be fired simultaneously. It incorporates a Cluster Shell Launcher (a 36&amp;quot; range Apocalyptic Barrage (4) weapon with S6 AP4 and pinning meant to lock down anyone in relatively close range) and the Heavy Rail Cannon itself, a 120&amp;quot; ranged monster with the almighty D, AP1, a 3&amp;quot; blast, and the nasty rule &amp;quot;Mass Induction Targeting&amp;quot;- when using it to attack any superheavy or GMC, you roll twice on the Destroyer table and pick the higher result, therefore doubling your chances of getting that 6. Perfect for ruining any Titan&#039;s day! &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what you get, 600 points is very cheap, for the &#039;[[That Guy|that guy]]&#039; out there, ask a beginner for a 600 point game, [[Rage|this will do you nicely ;)]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Tau}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Vehicles]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battlesuit&amp;diff=83331</id>
		<title>Battlesuit</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battlesuit&amp;diff=83331"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:34:56Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* {{anchor|XV8|XV-8}} XV8 Crisis Battlesuit */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Heresy}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stitch16.jpg|right|thumb|500px|From Cool to absolute godless [[cheese]]. And also [[Longstrike]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Battlesuits&#039;&#039;&#039; are powered combat exoskeletons used by the forces of the [[Tau|Tau Empire]] to fill a number of tactical roles on the battlefield. The Tau have developed several different battlesuit models, each equipped with different technologies and weapons pertaining to the suit&#039;s purpose in battle. [[Stealthsuit|Some]] are built to be [[Just As Planned|small, stealthy and precise]], while [[Riptide|others]] are built to be [[RAPE|lumbering battlemechs that ionize everything in their paths]] while soaking up weapons fire like they&#039;re being pelted with [[Lasgun|spitballs]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Each model&#039;s designation is usually preceded by the letters &amp;quot;XV&amp;quot;, which derives from the Tau term &amp;quot;Her&#039;Ex&#039;Vre&amp;quot;, meaning &amp;quot;Mantle of the Hero&amp;quot;. Note that some sources place a hyphen between the &amp;quot;XV&amp;quot; and the numbers, and others don&#039;t. The first (or only) number in designation indicates a weight class of the suit, while the last indicates its purpose:&lt;br /&gt;
# Still in development model&lt;br /&gt;
# Undergoing field testing&lt;br /&gt;
# Custom-built model&lt;br /&gt;
# Command and control-compatible model&lt;br /&gt;
# Outfitted with stealth technology&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for a void operations&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for infiltration&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for long range fire support&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for shock assault and close range firefights&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes there&#039;s a secondary numerical designation separated from the first with a hyphen. Those are just number assigned to a specific loadout for heavily customizable models. Sometimes they fit with a primary purpose designation (like XV-8-06 being designed for void operations or XV-46-4 being command and control model), and sometimes they don&#039;t (XV-8-05 is not even compatible with stealth technology, XV-9-01 is a finished mass-produced model). The largest variants use either KV or KX; what they stand for is currently unknown.&lt;br /&gt;
==Role on the Battlefield==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tau battlesuits are not like [[Imperial]] [[power armor]] in their roles. They serve as command platforms for &#039;Vre, &#039;El, and &#039;O level officers as well as heavy mobile weapons platforms, able to swiftly relocate from firing position to firing position while laying down constant barrages of long range firepower. Most of them are outfitted with [[jetpack]]s for this purpose. All battlesuit pilots are veteran soldiers that have at least four years of combat experience and have passed their first trial by fire. Most [[Fire Warrior|Fire Warriors]] accept the honor of piloting these revered machines for the [[Greater Good]], although there are some traditional crazies who shun the use of battlesuits and instead choose to continue to lead their Shas&#039;la as front-line field commanders, and some refuse the option of ranking up to Ui or higher ranks altogether in order to pilot tanks and speeders.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Culturally, there are two major things associated with Battlesuits. First is known as &#039;&#039;&amp;quot;battlesuit psychosis&amp;quot;&#039;&#039;, which happens when particularly young and insufficiently &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;brainwashed&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; dedicated Fire Warrior were to pilot a suit. It manifests as sudden bursts of delusion of invincibility and selfishness, and is one of the reasons suits are only issued to veterans who passed their second Trial by Fire. A less extreme version of this phenomenon is recognized to happen with humans when we wear armor, we become more aggressive and convinced of &#039;invincibility&#039;, it&#039;s well documented among European knights. Second is known as &#039;&#039;&amp;quot;monat syndrome&amp;quot;&#039;&#039;, which happens when a blood-bonded suit team is reduced to a single survivor. With Ta&#039;Li&#039;Sera bond being about as important as family is to humans among Fire Warriors, some survivors mentally break and become brooding loners, which can end with them either needlessly throwing their lives in the next battle by doing something tremendously brave but stupid or going full &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;Rambo&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Marbo, and transforming themselves into methodical living killing machines who do nothing but train in between missions, that freak out other more sociable Tau. In a society as hellbent on collectivism as Tau empire these loners stick out, and there&#039;s a lot of controversy around them, although official propaganda spin paints them as &amp;quot;tragic (anti)heroes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Models==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV02.png|thumb|right|200px|Trying to roleplay for Top Gun is often a recommendation.]]&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV02|XV-02}} XV02 Pilot Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
For all intents and purposes.[[Mary Sue| Its a super special armor for a super special boy.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An experimental model made for vehicle pilots (obviously) currently undergoing field testing; although it provides less protection than even Fire Warrior armor, it compensates by allowing pilots to interface more effectively with their vehicles, negating the need for multiple crew members. This works in tandem with the vehicle&#039;s A.I. by processing the cadre tactical network and incoming data quickly so that the pilot can react extremely rapidly to enemies attacking his vehicle or nearby units. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only one known to exist is in the possession of [[Longstrike|Shas&#039;la T&#039;au Sha&#039;ng (a.k.a. Longstrike)]], who was selected for his reputation as a peerless [[Hammerhead Gunship|Hammerhead]] pilot. The battlesuit also features a multitude of specialised systems, plug sockets, vents, a wrist-mounted control panel and other technobabble shenanigans that all allow Longstrike to pilot his personal tank without the need of those pesky annoyances called people. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tau scientists have been working on producing more after the success of the original, but all other candidate pilots thus far have either been incompatible with its neural interface or became brain-dead due to information overload frying their brains. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The battlesuit also incorporates a Blacksun Filter, but nobody cares for that.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV15|XV-15}} XV15 Stealthsuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV15.png|thumb|right|200px|XV25&#039;s rented cousin.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Little more than [[Awesome|modified Fire Warrior armor]], the XV15 was outfitted with stealth systems allowing it to infiltrate, jetpacks for mobility, and burst cannons for firepower. It also carried [[markerlight]]s. These older units are being phased out in favor of the XV25 series after the Imperium got their hands on an intact helmet from one, and the Tau fear it will be reverse-engineered and countered by the humans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a surprisingly unlikely move that somehow did not cause the AdMech to lobotomize everyone involved in the project with a siege drill for associating with xeno-tech, the Imperium did actually manage to reverse engineer the suits and learn about the technology, although the Tau were two steps ahead of them by rolling out the more advanced XV25 stealth suits as their new recon platform. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The meta reason both these and the XV25&#039;s exist is because these were metal kits, and were replaced by the later plastic kits which were designed to look more like a mecha (AKA the shit that makes people buy Tau models) and less like a Fire Warrior with some extra equipment. Crunchwise, they&#039;re the same unless you consider the crunch changes between editions to be the difference. Use the models you like and have access to. (Pull a Dawn of War and use XV25s for the squad leader and XV15s for the chumps)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV22|XV-22}} XV22 Command Suit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ShadowsunNov.jpg|200px|thumb|right|0% blueberry edition.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Officially part of the stealthsuit line, this heavier unit is quite expensive to produce; as such, it is limited in use to commanders (like [[Shadowsun|Commander Shadowsun]], [[Commander Or&#039;es&#039;Ka|Shas&#039;o Or&#039;es&#039;Ka]], and [[Shas&#039;o Kais]], who as you can see above have different versions of the suit; Shadowsun&#039;s has a unique helmet that resemble the later XV95, while Kais&#039; resembles a Crisis Suit). With the right equipment and abilities you can make it go three times faster than a normal stealthsuit ([[Ork|red paint optional]]).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This was originally built as a prototype design for a next-generation stealthsuit pattern, but finding ways to mass-produce the required components proved more difficult than anticipated. After the Imperium managed to reverse-engineer some of the XV15 suits ([[Advancing the Storyline|which, for some reason, doesn&#039;t cause the Inquisition to foam at the mouth anymore]]) recovered from the battlefield, the Tau had to compromise by moving forward with the less advanced but easier to manufacture XV25.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV22.jpg|The addition of partner drones is always a guarantee.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV25|XV-22}} XV25 Stealthsuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:StealthSuit.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Citadel exclusive &amp;quot;Tau Stealth&amp;quot; paint. Order it now.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article: [[Stealthsuit Team]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An improvement over the XV15 which is larger, heavier and better armored while still retaining the maneuverability and subtlety of the XV15 series. Development and deployment of the XV25 was largely due to the fact that the Imperium managed to acquire a functioning sample of the old XV15 stealth suit during the [[Damocles Crusade]], compromising its use as a recon platform. Larger and more powerful reactor allows XV25 to be outfitted with a fusion blaster instead of it&#039;s basic burst cannon, and the suit also have one hard point on it&#039;s back for an additional support system, although those are usually issued only to squad leaders.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The main wearers of these suits are of course the Stealthsuit Team, whose battleline roles include assasinations, sniping, sabotage and ambushes.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV25.png|Now in camo edition!&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV46|XV-46}} XV46 Vanguard Void Suit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tumblr Tauman Void Suit Vangard.jpg|190px|right|thumb|Fan art of what the Void Suit would look like, courtesy from Tau Man and &#039;&#039;[[Tumblr]]&#039;&#039; [[Derp|of all things.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Basically a Tau version of [[Terminator|Terminator armor]], bigger than the XV2 series, smaller than the XV8 and as heavily armoured as XV88 while still light enough to have jetpacks. It is designed solely for operating in spaceborn situations at (unusually for the Tau) close quarters, which means boarding action and [[Space Hulk]]-type investigation missions. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The XV46 is highly effective against [[Genestealers|certain xenos species]] that are famous for slaughtering Terminators like they are nothing. With a fuckton of burst cannons, flamers and fusion guns on each of the suits, the little buggers would have a hard enough time getting close, but then there are electroshocks, grav-repulsors, and photon grenades to zap any fuckers lucky enough to break through the walls of fire, all triggered automatically. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To make the Tau version of Space Hulk even less [[grimdark]], these suits are even equipped with smart ejection systems which are programmed to deliver the pilot back on board his ship if his suit gets wrecked. How this works without [[warp]] based tech is a crapshoot. Being both niche equipment and difficult to manufacture critical parts for, XV46s are rarely seen outside of Space Hulk missions. Even rarer is the XV-46-4 Commander variant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The XV46 doesn&#039;t appear in the tabletop wargame; [[Fantasy Flight Games]] made it up for the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch RPG]]. As a result, there&#039;s no images of it. It how ever is used in [[Battlefleet Gothic Armada]], in which the Tau load them up in the cargo bay of their Mantas before letting them get dropped along with the payload onto enemy ships through their shields. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Which suggests that the Tau in some extent would have capabilities to play a serious game of blue gremlin on the wing with other species, this combination is also particularly enraging for eldar who have little to no defense against such an unusually bold action from the Tau. Since GW took forever to get the [[Deathwatch]] 7E Codex out. It would be a miracle for other FFG IP to get official rules and a model at all.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV8|XV-8}} XV8 Crisis Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039; Main Article: [[XV-8 Crisis Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV8.jpg|XV8 Team&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV81.jpg|XV-81&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV84.png|XV-84&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV89.png|XV-89&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV8-05.jpg|XV-8-05 Enforcer&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV-8-02.png|XV-8-02 Iridium&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Coldstar.png|XV-8-06 Coldstar&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Shas&#039;o R&#039;Myr.png|R&#039;Myr&#039;s special XV8.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are the Tau Empire&#039;s general-purpose combat battlesuits, capable of being equipped for a variety of combat situations. Due to the large amount of variants they have, check the main article for more information.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV88|XV-88}} XV88 Broadside Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV88.jpg|thumb|right|370px|Battlesuit evolution.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article: [[XV88 Broadside Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are fire support platforms outfitted with either a large Heavy Rail Rifle or a massive array of missiles to [[Dakka|lay waste]] to the enemies of the Greater Good from afar.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They are basically the Tau&#039;s quintessential heavy weapons team/light artillery/anti-tank/ect, ect you know what I am talking about. Understandably strong at range, but absolutely shit up close. Dont expect your walking self-propelled gun to last too long in a arty fight with the [[Imperial Guard|Guard]] either. As good as these guns are, they still can&#039;t compete with the literal manifestation of the rain of [[rape]] known as the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV9|XV-9}} XV9 Hazard Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV9 smug face.jpg|200px|thumb|right|I&#039;ll tell you what&#039;s a hazard: being hostile and near this motherfucker.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Another Forgeworld blessing. Unlike most Tau battlesuits, the XV9 Hazard model is designed solely for fast and hard close-range engagements rather than having the option of going either close or long, or being cloaked while engaging the enemy up close, which is quite odd since this is a bit of a deviation from traditional Tau combat doctrine, which is all about far away [[Shooty|shootiness]]. Being a dedicated spear-tip suit, Hazard is designed with close combat in mind, with it&#039;s frame being more agile than other suits (which is represented by less horrible WS and Initiative on the tabletop), photon grenades to halt enemy charges and vectored retro thrusters to jump out of meat grinder.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
XV-9 have three hard points, with two generally being equipped with a matching pair of guns (leaving only one for support systems) compared to Crisis&#039; four, although given it have in-built retro-thrusters and photon grenade launchers it can and usually does have up to 5 systems with enough reactor capacity to power them all, even though weapon options available to Hazard suit are generally more devastating and power-hungry. Since it&#039;s main weapons are Twin-linked Burst cannons, which take up two hardpoints on conventional suits and the other options would likely count as two hard points if crisis suits could take them, the Hazard has the equivalent of 7! Crisis suit hard points:&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Twin-linked burst cannons&#039;&#039;&#039; are for mulching down infantry with enough dakka to make Orks jealous.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Fusion cascades&#039;&#039;&#039;, which are melta miniguns, less powerful than basic fusion blasters and more short-ranged but with a higher rate of fire, so they&#039;re more effective against light/medium vehicles, monsters and terminators rather than heavy tanks.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Phased ion guns&#039;&#039;&#039; which were supposed to be &amp;quot;assault cannons-lite&amp;quot;, and are more &amp;quot;well rounded&amp;quot; choice, being decent against both light and heavy infantry or light vehicles, though heavily outclassed by the previous two gun options.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Pulse Submunition Rifles&#039;&#039;&#039;, commonly referred by a player base as &amp;quot;shotguns&amp;quot;, these are the most long ranged and expensive guns available to Hazard. They cover a huge area with a cover-ignoring blasts to root out heavy cover campers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It should be noted that the number 9 is a significant number to the Tau given that they count in an octal numeral system (there is no 8 or 9; 10 comes immediately after 7), as opposed to [[humanity]]&#039;s decimal system. [[Awesome|This means that to the Tau, the XV9 is literally cranked up to 11.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Shas&#039;o R&#039;alai has his own XV9 equipped with a shield and experimental next-gen PSR that fires in bursts and is loaded with a wide range extra-powerful (but unstable) experimental ammo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV9.jpg|XV9 AKA We are getting into Gundam territory now.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV95|XV-95}} XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV95.jpeg|200px|thumb|right|&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;Striking hard and fast.&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV95 2.png|thumb|left|200px|Blitzkrieg, Mecha style.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Ghostkeel is a &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;[[Creed|tactical genius]]&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; really big and powerful stealth suit that can and would fight well in a straight fight rather than relying on flanking maneuvers and infiltration to hit vulnerable flanks and retreat out of harms way like your regular Stealth teams. It&#039;s the same weight class and size as Hazard, but has extensive armour plating for nearly double the survivability. Unlike the XV15 and XV25, the XV95 doesn&#039;t have full stealth system on itself, but rather its parts are spread between the battlesuit and its stealth drones, meaning only with a combination of both can the team becomes nigh-invisible, while separately they appear to be only slightly camouflaged, which, combined with an exceptional tankiness of the Ghostkeel, and mediocre survivability of his drones makes the XV-95 one of the few battlesuits that would take hits for its drones instead of drones shielding him with their cold, expendable, mechanical bodies. But being nigh-invisible is not enough for XV-95 - it carries an electronic warfare equipment in its left hand like a gun, and use it to fuck up enemy targeting systems even more, unless they are at point-blank range, and can overcharge it to shock-and-awe any opponent trying to gun them down, ensuring it can&#039;t hit shit, although it&#039;s a one-use trick, as the suit need to recharge for a while to deliver this sensory shock again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the offense, the Ghostkeel has a set of twin-linked standard battlesuit guns on its back (sadly, only limited to flamers, burst cannons and fusion blasters), and a single BFG in its right hand, which could be a fusion collider, which is an extra bigger fusion blaster with extra barrel that shoots small blasts, or an ion raker, which looks and fires like bigger badder cyclic ion blaster with double the normal mode firing rate (for SIX autocannon-grade shots per burst), double overcharge blast size and slightly higher range. On top of that, Ghostkeel also have two extra hard points for supporting systems (meaning up to five hard points total) for extra customization options.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lastly, much like Hazard suits, the XV-95 isn&#039;t half terrible in close combat. While the Ghostkeel may lack the speed, agility, counter-charge systems and vector thrusters of an XV-9, what it have is a sheer brutal strength - your typical five-man space marine demi-squad would quickly find out the hard way that a single Ghostkeel is not easy prey in close combat, as its single punch is enough to turn a marine into a screaming pile of meat paste flavored with broken bones and ceramite shards. Hell it&#039;s not that hard for a Ghostkeel to kick (quite literally) through a tank&#039;s armour or even fortification walls. This is another instance of the Tau combining a bunch of things which usually cannot be combined by other races. Overall the Ghostkeel is another example of Tau ignoring typical unit tropes. Stealthy tanky ranged/melee is not something you see often - Imperial Knights aren&#039;t typically invisible, nor do Vindicare assassins usually uppercut tanks in half.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV104|XV-104}} XV104 Riptide Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article:[[XV104 Riptide Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV104.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The most spammable and rage inducing walker, second only to the Wraithknight.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Nova Reactor Energy.jpg|200px|thumb|left|&amp;quot;So this is the power of the Nova Reactor... Not bad, not bad at all...&amp;quot;]]&lt;br /&gt;
A new, extra-large battlesuit (at twice the size of the XV8) that made its first appearance in the 6th edition codex, the Riptide resembles the bastard offspring of a Gundam (specifically the ZZ Gundam, what with its XBAWKS HUEG build, optional missile system and destructive but stupidly risky energy weapon) and a Metal Gear. Arguably more of a vehicle than a suit of armor, the Riptide&#039;s primary weapon can be either a heavy burst cannon or an ion accelerator (with twin smart missile systems, fusion blasters or plasma rifles as backup weapons), while its defensive prowess is supplemented by a portable shield generator. All of these can be made significantly more powerful if the prototype Nova reactor built into the suit is used to charge the weapon or shield; however, doing so runs the risk of overloading the generator, releasing deadly radiation that can injure or kill the pilot.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While incredibly powerful, the Riptide&#039;s primary drawback ([[fluff]]-wise) is that the materials used to manufacture it are rare. Thus, their numbers remain fairly small within the Tau Empire&#039;s forces. Not that you&#039;d know since every goddamn Tau list has them flying out of their asses. Then again, every Imperial Guard force on the tabletop is full of elite veterans, heavy tanks and flyers instead of swarms of regular Guardsmen...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An extremely [[Rape|cheesetastic tactic]] on the tabletop with this fella is to model it to be as low as possible (like crouching forward) and then put it behind a piece of very big cover, like a bastion. It moves out during the movement phase, revs the Nova reactor, blasts nearby enemies into oblivion, then jet boosts back behind the bastion during the assault phase to block enemy LoS.&lt;br /&gt;
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Then came 8th edition... and the Riptide was nerfed to utter oblivion. It  costs about 400 points to field, and provides very little firepower or durability compared to its cost, but the Tau codex did a good deal to fix its cost and its firepower and offers Stratagems to make using its Nova Reactor more viable.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV107|XV-107}} XV107 R&#039;varna Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV107.png|right|thumb|300px|When you gotta take care of those &#039;Nids. Accept no substitudes.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Essentially a Riptide (made by [[Forge World]] of all folks) that threw mobility away for more armour and two exceedingly huge pulse submunition cannons (think plasma cluster bomb) for the purpose of fucking everything up for the enemy. Its Nova Reactor also grants some unusual properties like a turn with Fleet, an electromagnetic shockwave that hits everyone around it, or double-firing weapons, but is no less risky to use. The fluff behind this involves an Earth Caste engineer from Sept Ke&#039;lshan, called Sho&#039;Aun, who managed to go behind the Ethereals&#039; backs by building something so huge, expensive (even in in-universe terms), and lethal when he was supposed to make more stealthsuits. One [[Tyranids|Tyranid]] swarm later, however, he revealed this behemoth and with it helped dumpster all of the &#039;Nids and save the Sept.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One interesting note of mention is that in the early days of the R&#039;varna&#039;s conception, before it was officially announced, there was indeed a rumor floating around that Forgeworld was actually designing a new stealthsuit. This was before 6th Edition Tau were even released, so it makes sense that nobody even knew about the Riptide aside from the weeks preceding the new codex, but what is interesting is that, given the fluff behind the R&#039;varna, it&#039;s almost as though Forgeworld chuckled at the rumors and used those as a basis for their fluff, going so far as to craft the rumors of a stealthsuit into the XV107&#039;s fundamental history. &#039;&#039;&#039;The more you know!&#039;&#039;&#039; The X7 designation this suit has means it&#039;s supposed to be an infiltration unit (even though every other stealthsuit has been an X5 of some sort), which is the exact opposite of what R&#039;Varna actually does - this is likely the result of it being developed as a part of Stealth Suit program.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike plenty of other things in lore, the R&#039;varna, with its big-ass pulse submunitions cannons, is as big a rape machine on the table as it is in the fluff. With the ability to fire two pie plates a turn at AP4 and S6 (and FOUR plates using the Nova Reactor) the thing turns [[Tyranids]] to garden mulch, and [[Orks]] to fertilizer. The cannons have Cluster Fire, which means that, the bigger the target the more hits it receives and at higher strength. Thus, while anything with Very Bulky, Bike, Jetbike, Cavalry or Beast takes two hits at +1S, MCs Buildings and Vehicles take THREE S8 hits per hit. Kinda feels [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScmfbOwRreU like this] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBC1Qob27sM more like this]. All in all, the R&#039;varna is considered to be horribly, horribly, horribly broken by non-Tau players, and by Tau players still using it to be the most [[cheese|deliciously cheddar]] thing since [[Fish of Fury|Fish of Fury]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
8th Edition has made the R&#039;varna a considerably more specialized TEQ/Monster/Light Vehicle killer than it used to be: it&#039;s lost its ability to scale its strength and inflict multiple hits on larger units, but deals 3 damage for every successful wound. The removal of blast weapons has made it less viable as an anti-horde unit, but it does crank out 6d3 S6 AP-2 shots. Its Nova Reactor abilities have been retooled as well: it&#039;s kept the electromagnetic shockwave (Which now deals mortal wounds!), but can now choose to either boost its invulnerable save to 3++ or re-roll any dice rolled to determine the number of shots it fires.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV109|XV-109}} XV109 Y&#039;Vahra Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV109.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Bringing the Greater Good close and personal]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3lrhPeK6gU &#039;&#039;Hi, it&#039;s Sho&#039;Aun with the Y&#039;vahra, you&#039;ll be saying &amp;quot;wow&amp;quot; everytime you use this Tau&#039;&#039;]. A regular Riptide doesn&#039;t do well too close to an enemy, this one does well at close or medium range. This is for the blobs, the Deathwing, the Armoured Ceramite&#039;d AV14. Made in Ke&#039;lshan Sept by Sho&#039;Aun, you know that guy always makes good stuff. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This is a Riptide that embraces its mobility and gets a super-flamer, a mega-haywire gun and has super-jetpacks able to turn it into a flying monstrous creature once each two turns. This one was made with the opposite goal of a Riptide: to jump in close and take the fight to the enemy, fling a burst of flechettes as it lands and then jump back out before it can be overwhelmed. With its S6 Torrent (at 6&amp;quot;) Plasma Flamer that goes either AP3 Heavy 1 or AP2 Heavy 2 Gets Hot, and its S8 AP3 Haywire Cannon that also blinds, it can effectively total entire enemy units in one volley, and even more so with the Nova Reactor on (which gives it some more tricks, like the ability to Jink or move back into reserves while in close combat). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a trade off, however, it is a little bit more fragile than Riptide, and it&#039;s Nova Reactor options are also weaker, more focused on extra mobility and surviving/escaping close combat rather than blasting shit to death or, you know, the ever frustrating for your opponent 3++ against everything. Combined with extremely uncomfortable range of all of it&#039;s weapons Y&#039;Vahra tends to go down much quicker than the Riptide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Then 8th edition came along and hiked up the points of the Riptide and varients to roughly 400 points. At launch this made the Riptide total shit, but the Y&#039;vahra however is worth every single one of them. Toughness 7, 14 wounds and an 18&amp;quot; movement range make this one durable and fast mo fo. The changes to flamer and AP rules now give you 2d6 strength 6 ap-2 autohits dealing 3 DAMAGE APIECE. Terminators? Melt them. Centurions? Kindling. A certain [[Spiritual Liege]]? Just 3 failed saves and he&#039;s charcoal. The Ionic Discharge Cannon is nothing to sneeze at either with strength 8 and -3 AP. Even the shield is better, granting a 4+ invuln when within 12&amp;quot; (Which it will be, given the loadout). The Nova Reactor effects are where this baby really shines though. You can either give it the usual 3+ invuln, the ability to move it off the table and deep strike it (Not recommended for anyone but Bor&#039;kan sept players) and buffs to the weapons. The last one is what you&#039;ll be using most of the time, the flamer is bumped up to 3d6 autohits while the Discharge cannon gains a whopping 3d3 shots, 10 strength and 3 points of damage per shot. It wasn&#039;t uncommon to see Tau players use their Riptides as proxies for the Y&#039;vahra given how overpriced and underpowered the former used to be. After the codex dropped Riptides got buffs in the form of a price decrease and a new stratagem that gives 2 nova reactor abilities for one turn. While the Y&#039;vahra does not benefit from either buff... they&#039;re still used as frequently as they ever were. they are just that damn strong. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a nutshell, it is the only unit from the Tau that goes all fire and glory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|KV128|KV-128}} KV128 Stormsurge Ballistic Suit===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stompin on marines.jpeg|200px|thumbnail|right|Teaching [[Abaddon|certain spiky gue-la]], how to be cool despite the lack of arms]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:KV128.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Teaching the Imperial Guard that they too, can utilise missile spam.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUnjxftU6r0&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=96 &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;A WEAPON TO SURPASS METAL GEAR&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;] &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;Literally just a walking giant laser cannon.&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;The new and improved chicken walkers!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau have decided the Riptide still wasn&#039;t big enough and made an even larger battlesuit. The Stormsurge is armed with a one of two giant pulse cannons: the first is much like AdMech eradication beamer in that it gets stronger but loses the blast radius as the target comes closer, except it starts at 30&amp;quot; with S9 AP5 large blast and finishes with the almighty D at almost point-blank range; and the other variant of the cannon is pretty much just a railgun with a large blast. Its hilariously large pair of missile pods, combined with an SMS on its back and a pair of airbursting frag projectors it can get, would vomit out so much anti-infantry firepower across half of the board in one volley you&#039;d probably need to buy double the number of dice you already have to just resolve its shooting: entire armies of GEQs would melt the moment this thing opens fire, and even terminators or monstrous creatures would be hard pressed to survive once they start failing their saves under that hail of wounds. It also houses four Destroyer missiles, which are AP1 Seeker Missiles which become strength D when guided by a marker light, and as all four could be fired simultaneously (if you had scored enough ML tokens), could easily kill four regular vehicles or almost any other superheavy/gargantuan on turn one from across the board. But there&#039;s more! The stabilizing rods on its legs aren&#039;t just for cool looks: KV128 can stabilize itself, losing ability to move and stomp for firing EVERY FUCKING GUN IT HAS TWICE. This rape train, however, &#039;&#039;does&#039;&#039; have brakes, as the Stormsurge is extremely squishy for its size and firepower, basically being as survivable as two Carnifexes; it&#039;s pretty much a heavy artillery piece that needs to stay way back and be protected in order to take its points back, and is the one more geared for anti-infantry, so if you&#039;re looking for something to deal with Knights and Titans, look below for a proper front line Tau titan. Its squishiness probably has something to do with it being the only Battlesuit so far that has its pilots (or gun operators, looks like it has a couple of these) sitting without any cover over their heads.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fun fact: If tank shock is used against an anchored Stormsurge, the Stormsurge is [[Awesome|destroyed]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== KX139 Ta&#039;Unar Supremacy Armour ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:KX139.jpg|200px|thumbnail|right|&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;[https://youtu.be/2vKz7WnU83E?t=46 To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own]&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A new super-heavy Overcompensator Class battlesuit, massive enough to claim the title of Tau [[Titan]]. After multiple run-ins with Imperial Knights and Tyranid bio-titans, the Ethereals were forced to admit the necessity of Titan-sized static defenses to deal with counter-expansion attempts into their own territory and asked the same Earth Caste nutter who made the R&#039;varna and the Y&#039;varha, Sho&#039;Aun, to make something capable of fending off super-heavy assault forces too strong for their bombers to deal with. A bunker on legs in other words?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Awesome|He did not disappoint.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Yes, it lacks jet packs (much like its brother the R&#039;varna), but you won&#039;t need one, you gave it to your enemy so they can RUN. FAR. AWAY. Which, would not work because with its long legs Ta&#039;Unar is actually about as fast as jet and jump infantry. The Ta&#039;Unar is armed to the teeth and damn hard to kill with T:9 and 10 wounds. Although it&#039;s a Gargantuan Creature like the [[Wraithknight]], it can fire Overwatch at BS2 with its two smart missile systems and two twin-linked burst cannons. Its main guns are no less effective- for arm weapons, it can equip either a Heavy 5 multimelta or an ion cannon that can fire either 6 shots at S7 AP3 or 3 shots at S9 AP2. The back-mounted Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver can fire either a Strength D Massive Blast with 72&amp;quot; range or a S8 AP3 Apocalyptic Barrage (3) with Pinning and Ignores Cover with a range of 12-120&amp;quot;. Defensively, it has a 2+/5++ save that improves to 4++ against shooting attacks, and it can sacrifice the invulnerable save for a turn to cut the number of wounds suffered from a &amp;quot;Deathblow&amp;quot; result on the Destroyer table in half. Its only real flaws are that it&#039;s expensive as all hell to field (both points-wise and in real-world costs, being a Forge World exclusive and all).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the place of the Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver, it can instead take a Nexus Meteor Missile System or a Heavy Rail Cannon Array for free. The Nexus Meteor Missile System is a [[Rape|Blinding Apocalyptic Mega-Blast with 24-120&amp;quot; range with S 10/7/5 and AP 1/4/5]], because fuck that guy and everyone remotely close to him. The latter on the other hand is technically two weapons, which can be fired simultaneously. It incorporates a Cluster Shell Launcher (a 36&amp;quot; range Apocalyptic Barrage (4) weapon with S6 AP4 and pinning meant to lock down anyone in relatively close range) and the Heavy Rail Cannon itself, a 120&amp;quot; ranged monster with the almighty D, AP1, a 3&amp;quot; blast, and the nasty rule &amp;quot;Mass Induction Targeting&amp;quot;- when using it to attack any superheavy or GMC, you roll twice on the Destroyer table and pick the higher result, therefore doubling your chances of getting that 6. Perfect for ruining any Titan&#039;s day! &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what you get, 600 points is very cheap, for the &#039;[[That Guy|that guy]]&#039; out there, ask a beginner for a 600 point game, [[Rage|this will do you nicely ;)]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Tau}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Vehicles]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battlesuit&amp;diff=83330</id>
		<title>Battlesuit</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battlesuit&amp;diff=83330"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:34:38Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* {{anchor|XV107|XV-107}} XV107 R&amp;#039;varna Battlesuit */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Heresy}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stitch16.jpg|right|thumb|500px|From Cool to absolute godless [[cheese]]. And also [[Longstrike]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Battlesuits&#039;&#039;&#039; are powered combat exoskeletons used by the forces of the [[Tau|Tau Empire]] to fill a number of tactical roles on the battlefield. The Tau have developed several different battlesuit models, each equipped with different technologies and weapons pertaining to the suit&#039;s purpose in battle. [[Stealthsuit|Some]] are built to be [[Just As Planned|small, stealthy and precise]], while [[Riptide|others]] are built to be [[RAPE|lumbering battlemechs that ionize everything in their paths]] while soaking up weapons fire like they&#039;re being pelted with [[Lasgun|spitballs]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Each model&#039;s designation is usually preceded by the letters &amp;quot;XV&amp;quot;, which derives from the Tau term &amp;quot;Her&#039;Ex&#039;Vre&amp;quot;, meaning &amp;quot;Mantle of the Hero&amp;quot;. Note that some sources place a hyphen between the &amp;quot;XV&amp;quot; and the numbers, and others don&#039;t. The first (or only) number in designation indicates a weight class of the suit, while the last indicates its purpose:&lt;br /&gt;
# Still in development model&lt;br /&gt;
# Undergoing field testing&lt;br /&gt;
# Custom-built model&lt;br /&gt;
# Command and control-compatible model&lt;br /&gt;
# Outfitted with stealth technology&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for a void operations&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for infiltration&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for long range fire support&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for shock assault and close range firefights&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes there&#039;s a secondary numerical designation separated from the first with a hyphen. Those are just number assigned to a specific loadout for heavily customizable models. Sometimes they fit with a primary purpose designation (like XV-8-06 being designed for void operations or XV-46-4 being command and control model), and sometimes they don&#039;t (XV-8-05 is not even compatible with stealth technology, XV-9-01 is a finished mass-produced model). The largest variants use either KV or KX; what they stand for is currently unknown.&lt;br /&gt;
==Role on the Battlefield==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tau battlesuits are not like [[Imperial]] [[power armor]] in their roles. They serve as command platforms for &#039;Vre, &#039;El, and &#039;O level officers as well as heavy mobile weapons platforms, able to swiftly relocate from firing position to firing position while laying down constant barrages of long range firepower. Most of them are outfitted with [[jetpack]]s for this purpose. All battlesuit pilots are veteran soldiers that have at least four years of combat experience and have passed their first trial by fire. Most [[Fire Warrior|Fire Warriors]] accept the honor of piloting these revered machines for the [[Greater Good]], although there are some traditional crazies who shun the use of battlesuits and instead choose to continue to lead their Shas&#039;la as front-line field commanders, and some refuse the option of ranking up to Ui or higher ranks altogether in order to pilot tanks and speeders.&lt;br /&gt;
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Culturally, there are two major things associated with Battlesuits. First is known as &#039;&#039;&amp;quot;battlesuit psychosis&amp;quot;&#039;&#039;, which happens when particularly young and insufficiently &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;brainwashed&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; dedicated Fire Warrior were to pilot a suit. It manifests as sudden bursts of delusion of invincibility and selfishness, and is one of the reasons suits are only issued to veterans who passed their second Trial by Fire. A less extreme version of this phenomenon is recognized to happen with humans when we wear armor, we become more aggressive and convinced of &#039;invincibility&#039;, it&#039;s well documented among European knights. Second is known as &#039;&#039;&amp;quot;monat syndrome&amp;quot;&#039;&#039;, which happens when a blood-bonded suit team is reduced to a single survivor. With Ta&#039;Li&#039;Sera bond being about as important as family is to humans among Fire Warriors, some survivors mentally break and become brooding loners, which can end with them either needlessly throwing their lives in the next battle by doing something tremendously brave but stupid or going full &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;Rambo&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Marbo, and transforming themselves into methodical living killing machines who do nothing but train in between missions, that freak out other more sociable Tau. In a society as hellbent on collectivism as Tau empire these loners stick out, and there&#039;s a lot of controversy around them, although official propaganda spin paints them as &amp;quot;tragic (anti)heroes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Models==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV02.png|thumb|right|200px|Trying to roleplay for Top Gun is often a recommendation.]]&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV02|XV-02}} XV02 Pilot Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
For all intents and purposes.[[Mary Sue| Its a super special armor for a super special boy.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An experimental model made for vehicle pilots (obviously) currently undergoing field testing; although it provides less protection than even Fire Warrior armor, it compensates by allowing pilots to interface more effectively with their vehicles, negating the need for multiple crew members. This works in tandem with the vehicle&#039;s A.I. by processing the cadre tactical network and incoming data quickly so that the pilot can react extremely rapidly to enemies attacking his vehicle or nearby units. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only one known to exist is in the possession of [[Longstrike|Shas&#039;la T&#039;au Sha&#039;ng (a.k.a. Longstrike)]], who was selected for his reputation as a peerless [[Hammerhead Gunship|Hammerhead]] pilot. The battlesuit also features a multitude of specialised systems, plug sockets, vents, a wrist-mounted control panel and other technobabble shenanigans that all allow Longstrike to pilot his personal tank without the need of those pesky annoyances called people. &lt;br /&gt;
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Tau scientists have been working on producing more after the success of the original, but all other candidate pilots thus far have either been incompatible with its neural interface or became brain-dead due to information overload frying their brains. &lt;br /&gt;
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The battlesuit also incorporates a Blacksun Filter, but nobody cares for that.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV15|XV-15}} XV15 Stealthsuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV15.png|thumb|right|200px|XV25&#039;s rented cousin.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Little more than [[Awesome|modified Fire Warrior armor]], the XV15 was outfitted with stealth systems allowing it to infiltrate, jetpacks for mobility, and burst cannons for firepower. It also carried [[markerlight]]s. These older units are being phased out in favor of the XV25 series after the Imperium got their hands on an intact helmet from one, and the Tau fear it will be reverse-engineered and countered by the humans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a surprisingly unlikely move that somehow did not cause the AdMech to lobotomize everyone involved in the project with a siege drill for associating with xeno-tech, the Imperium did actually manage to reverse engineer the suits and learn about the technology, although the Tau were two steps ahead of them by rolling out the more advanced XV25 stealth suits as their new recon platform. &lt;br /&gt;
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The meta reason both these and the XV25&#039;s exist is because these were metal kits, and were replaced by the later plastic kits which were designed to look more like a mecha (AKA the shit that makes people buy Tau models) and less like a Fire Warrior with some extra equipment. Crunchwise, they&#039;re the same unless you consider the crunch changes between editions to be the difference. Use the models you like and have access to. (Pull a Dawn of War and use XV25s for the squad leader and XV15s for the chumps)&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV22|XV-22}} XV22 Command Suit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ShadowsunNov.jpg|200px|thumb|right|0% blueberry edition.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Officially part of the stealthsuit line, this heavier unit is quite expensive to produce; as such, it is limited in use to commanders (like [[Shadowsun|Commander Shadowsun]], [[Commander Or&#039;es&#039;Ka|Shas&#039;o Or&#039;es&#039;Ka]], and [[Shas&#039;o Kais]], who as you can see above have different versions of the suit; Shadowsun&#039;s has a unique helmet that resemble the later XV95, while Kais&#039; resembles a Crisis Suit). With the right equipment and abilities you can make it go three times faster than a normal stealthsuit ([[Ork|red paint optional]]).&lt;br /&gt;
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This was originally built as a prototype design for a next-generation stealthsuit pattern, but finding ways to mass-produce the required components proved more difficult than anticipated. After the Imperium managed to reverse-engineer some of the XV15 suits ([[Advancing the Storyline|which, for some reason, doesn&#039;t cause the Inquisition to foam at the mouth anymore]]) recovered from the battlefield, the Tau had to compromise by moving forward with the less advanced but easier to manufacture XV25.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV22.jpg|The addition of partner drones is always a guarantee.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV25|XV-22}} XV25 Stealthsuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:StealthSuit.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Citadel exclusive &amp;quot;Tau Stealth&amp;quot; paint. Order it now.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;Main article: [[Stealthsuit Team]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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An improvement over the XV15 which is larger, heavier and better armored while still retaining the maneuverability and subtlety of the XV15 series. Development and deployment of the XV25 was largely due to the fact that the Imperium managed to acquire a functioning sample of the old XV15 stealth suit during the [[Damocles Crusade]], compromising its use as a recon platform. Larger and more powerful reactor allows XV25 to be outfitted with a fusion blaster instead of it&#039;s basic burst cannon, and the suit also have one hard point on it&#039;s back for an additional support system, although those are usually issued only to squad leaders.&lt;br /&gt;
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The main wearers of these suits are of course the Stealthsuit Team, whose battleline roles include assasinations, sniping, sabotage and ambushes.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV25.png|Now in camo edition!&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV46|XV-46}} XV46 Vanguard Void Suit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tumblr Tauman Void Suit Vangard.jpg|190px|right|thumb|Fan art of what the Void Suit would look like, courtesy from Tau Man and &#039;&#039;[[Tumblr]]&#039;&#039; [[Derp|of all things.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Basically a Tau version of [[Terminator|Terminator armor]], bigger than the XV2 series, smaller than the XV8 and as heavily armoured as XV88 while still light enough to have jetpacks. It is designed solely for operating in spaceborn situations at (unusually for the Tau) close quarters, which means boarding action and [[Space Hulk]]-type investigation missions. &lt;br /&gt;
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The XV46 is highly effective against [[Genestealers|certain xenos species]] that are famous for slaughtering Terminators like they are nothing. With a fuckton of burst cannons, flamers and fusion guns on each of the suits, the little buggers would have a hard enough time getting close, but then there are electroshocks, grav-repulsors, and photon grenades to zap any fuckers lucky enough to break through the walls of fire, all triggered automatically. &lt;br /&gt;
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To make the Tau version of Space Hulk even less [[grimdark]], these suits are even equipped with smart ejection systems which are programmed to deliver the pilot back on board his ship if his suit gets wrecked. How this works without [[warp]] based tech is a crapshoot. Being both niche equipment and difficult to manufacture critical parts for, XV46s are rarely seen outside of Space Hulk missions. Even rarer is the XV-46-4 Commander variant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The XV46 doesn&#039;t appear in the tabletop wargame; [[Fantasy Flight Games]] made it up for the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch RPG]]. As a result, there&#039;s no images of it. It how ever is used in [[Battlefleet Gothic Armada]], in which the Tau load them up in the cargo bay of their Mantas before letting them get dropped along with the payload onto enemy ships through their shields. &lt;br /&gt;
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Which suggests that the Tau in some extent would have capabilities to play a serious game of blue gremlin on the wing with other species, this combination is also particularly enraging for eldar who have little to no defense against such an unusually bold action from the Tau. Since GW took forever to get the [[Deathwatch]] 7E Codex out. It would be a miracle for other FFG IP to get official rules and a model at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV8|XV-8}} XV8 Crisis Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tau Crisis Suit Close Up.jpg|300px|thumb|right|&amp;quot;Keep trying, Gue&#039;La. You have a 1 in 18 chance of actually wounding me.&amp;quot; (Last words of a Tau pilot who forgot lasguns can penetrate armor at close range.  This ain&#039;t crunch, bluie.)]]&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039; Main Article: [[XV-8 Crisis Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV8.jpg|XV8 Team&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV81.jpg|XV-81&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV84.png|XV-84&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV89.png|XV-89&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV8-05.jpg|XV-8-05 Enforcer&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV-8-02.png|XV-8-02 Iridium&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Coldstar.png|XV-8-06 Coldstar&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Shas&#039;o R&#039;Myr.png|R&#039;Myr&#039;s special XV8.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are the Tau Empire&#039;s general-purpose combat battlesuits, capable of being equipped for a variety of combat situations. Due to the large amount of variants they have, check the main article for more information.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV88|XV-88}} XV88 Broadside Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV88.jpg|thumb|right|370px|Battlesuit evolution.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article: [[XV88 Broadside Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are fire support platforms outfitted with either a large Heavy Rail Rifle or a massive array of missiles to [[Dakka|lay waste]] to the enemies of the Greater Good from afar.&lt;br /&gt;
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They are basically the Tau&#039;s quintessential heavy weapons team/light artillery/anti-tank/ect, ect you know what I am talking about. Understandably strong at range, but absolutely shit up close. Dont expect your walking self-propelled gun to last too long in a arty fight with the [[Imperial Guard|Guard]] either. As good as these guns are, they still can&#039;t compete with the literal manifestation of the rain of [[rape]] known as the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]].&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV9|XV-9}} XV9 Hazard Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV9 smug face.jpg|200px|thumb|right|I&#039;ll tell you what&#039;s a hazard: being hostile and near this motherfucker.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Another Forgeworld blessing. Unlike most Tau battlesuits, the XV9 Hazard model is designed solely for fast and hard close-range engagements rather than having the option of going either close or long, or being cloaked while engaging the enemy up close, which is quite odd since this is a bit of a deviation from traditional Tau combat doctrine, which is all about far away [[Shooty|shootiness]]. Being a dedicated spear-tip suit, Hazard is designed with close combat in mind, with it&#039;s frame being more agile than other suits (which is represented by less horrible WS and Initiative on the tabletop), photon grenades to halt enemy charges and vectored retro thrusters to jump out of meat grinder.&lt;br /&gt;
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XV-9 have three hard points, with two generally being equipped with a matching pair of guns (leaving only one for support systems) compared to Crisis&#039; four, although given it have in-built retro-thrusters and photon grenade launchers it can and usually does have up to 5 systems with enough reactor capacity to power them all, even though weapon options available to Hazard suit are generally more devastating and power-hungry. Since it&#039;s main weapons are Twin-linked Burst cannons, which take up two hardpoints on conventional suits and the other options would likely count as two hard points if crisis suits could take them, the Hazard has the equivalent of 7! Crisis suit hard points:&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Twin-linked burst cannons&#039;&#039;&#039; are for mulching down infantry with enough dakka to make Orks jealous.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Fusion cascades&#039;&#039;&#039;, which are melta miniguns, less powerful than basic fusion blasters and more short-ranged but with a higher rate of fire, so they&#039;re more effective against light/medium vehicles, monsters and terminators rather than heavy tanks.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Phased ion guns&#039;&#039;&#039; which were supposed to be &amp;quot;assault cannons-lite&amp;quot;, and are more &amp;quot;well rounded&amp;quot; choice, being decent against both light and heavy infantry or light vehicles, though heavily outclassed by the previous two gun options.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Pulse Submunition Rifles&#039;&#039;&#039;, commonly referred by a player base as &amp;quot;shotguns&amp;quot;, these are the most long ranged and expensive guns available to Hazard. They cover a huge area with a cover-ignoring blasts to root out heavy cover campers.&lt;br /&gt;
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It should be noted that the number 9 is a significant number to the Tau given that they count in an octal numeral system (there is no 8 or 9; 10 comes immediately after 7), as opposed to [[humanity]]&#039;s decimal system. [[Awesome|This means that to the Tau, the XV9 is literally cranked up to 11.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Shas&#039;o R&#039;alai has his own XV9 equipped with a shield and experimental next-gen PSR that fires in bursts and is loaded with a wide range extra-powerful (but unstable) experimental ammo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV9.jpg|XV9 AKA We are getting into Gundam territory now.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV95|XV-95}} XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV95.jpeg|200px|thumb|right|&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;Striking hard and fast.&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV95 2.png|thumb|left|200px|Blitzkrieg, Mecha style.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Ghostkeel is a &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;[[Creed|tactical genius]]&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; really big and powerful stealth suit that can and would fight well in a straight fight rather than relying on flanking maneuvers and infiltration to hit vulnerable flanks and retreat out of harms way like your regular Stealth teams. It&#039;s the same weight class and size as Hazard, but has extensive armour plating for nearly double the survivability. Unlike the XV15 and XV25, the XV95 doesn&#039;t have full stealth system on itself, but rather its parts are spread between the battlesuit and its stealth drones, meaning only with a combination of both can the team becomes nigh-invisible, while separately they appear to be only slightly camouflaged, which, combined with an exceptional tankiness of the Ghostkeel, and mediocre survivability of his drones makes the XV-95 one of the few battlesuits that would take hits for its drones instead of drones shielding him with their cold, expendable, mechanical bodies. But being nigh-invisible is not enough for XV-95 - it carries an electronic warfare equipment in its left hand like a gun, and use it to fuck up enemy targeting systems even more, unless they are at point-blank range, and can overcharge it to shock-and-awe any opponent trying to gun them down, ensuring it can&#039;t hit shit, although it&#039;s a one-use trick, as the suit need to recharge for a while to deliver this sensory shock again.&lt;br /&gt;
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On the offense, the Ghostkeel has a set of twin-linked standard battlesuit guns on its back (sadly, only limited to flamers, burst cannons and fusion blasters), and a single BFG in its right hand, which could be a fusion collider, which is an extra bigger fusion blaster with extra barrel that shoots small blasts, or an ion raker, which looks and fires like bigger badder cyclic ion blaster with double the normal mode firing rate (for SIX autocannon-grade shots per burst), double overcharge blast size and slightly higher range. On top of that, Ghostkeel also have two extra hard points for supporting systems (meaning up to five hard points total) for extra customization options.&lt;br /&gt;
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Lastly, much like Hazard suits, the XV-95 isn&#039;t half terrible in close combat. While the Ghostkeel may lack the speed, agility, counter-charge systems and vector thrusters of an XV-9, what it have is a sheer brutal strength - your typical five-man space marine demi-squad would quickly find out the hard way that a single Ghostkeel is not easy prey in close combat, as its single punch is enough to turn a marine into a screaming pile of meat paste flavored with broken bones and ceramite shards. Hell it&#039;s not that hard for a Ghostkeel to kick (quite literally) through a tank&#039;s armour or even fortification walls. This is another instance of the Tau combining a bunch of things which usually cannot be combined by other races. Overall the Ghostkeel is another example of Tau ignoring typical unit tropes. Stealthy tanky ranged/melee is not something you see often - Imperial Knights aren&#039;t typically invisible, nor do Vindicare assassins usually uppercut tanks in half.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV104|XV-104}} XV104 Riptide Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article:[[XV104 Riptide Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV104.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The most spammable and rage inducing walker, second only to the Wraithknight.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Nova Reactor Energy.jpg|200px|thumb|left|&amp;quot;So this is the power of the Nova Reactor... Not bad, not bad at all...&amp;quot;]]&lt;br /&gt;
A new, extra-large battlesuit (at twice the size of the XV8) that made its first appearance in the 6th edition codex, the Riptide resembles the bastard offspring of a Gundam (specifically the ZZ Gundam, what with its XBAWKS HUEG build, optional missile system and destructive but stupidly risky energy weapon) and a Metal Gear. Arguably more of a vehicle than a suit of armor, the Riptide&#039;s primary weapon can be either a heavy burst cannon or an ion accelerator (with twin smart missile systems, fusion blasters or plasma rifles as backup weapons), while its defensive prowess is supplemented by a portable shield generator. All of these can be made significantly more powerful if the prototype Nova reactor built into the suit is used to charge the weapon or shield; however, doing so runs the risk of overloading the generator, releasing deadly radiation that can injure or kill the pilot.&lt;br /&gt;
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While incredibly powerful, the Riptide&#039;s primary drawback ([[fluff]]-wise) is that the materials used to manufacture it are rare. Thus, their numbers remain fairly small within the Tau Empire&#039;s forces. Not that you&#039;d know since every goddamn Tau list has them flying out of their asses. Then again, every Imperial Guard force on the tabletop is full of elite veterans, heavy tanks and flyers instead of swarms of regular Guardsmen...&lt;br /&gt;
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An extremely [[Rape|cheesetastic tactic]] on the tabletop with this fella is to model it to be as low as possible (like crouching forward) and then put it behind a piece of very big cover, like a bastion. It moves out during the movement phase, revs the Nova reactor, blasts nearby enemies into oblivion, then jet boosts back behind the bastion during the assault phase to block enemy LoS.&lt;br /&gt;
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Then came 8th edition... and the Riptide was nerfed to utter oblivion. It  costs about 400 points to field, and provides very little firepower or durability compared to its cost, but the Tau codex did a good deal to fix its cost and its firepower and offers Stratagems to make using its Nova Reactor more viable.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV107|XV-107}} XV107 R&#039;varna Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:XV107.png|right|thumb|300px|When you gotta take care of those &#039;Nids. Accept no substitudes.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Essentially a Riptide (made by [[Forge World]] of all folks) that threw mobility away for more armour and two exceedingly huge pulse submunition cannons (think plasma cluster bomb) for the purpose of fucking everything up for the enemy. Its Nova Reactor also grants some unusual properties like a turn with Fleet, an electromagnetic shockwave that hits everyone around it, or double-firing weapons, but is no less risky to use. The fluff behind this involves an Earth Caste engineer from Sept Ke&#039;lshan, called Sho&#039;Aun, who managed to go behind the Ethereals&#039; backs by building something so huge, expensive (even in in-universe terms), and lethal when he was supposed to make more stealthsuits. One [[Tyranids|Tyranid]] swarm later, however, he revealed this behemoth and with it helped dumpster all of the &#039;Nids and save the Sept.&lt;br /&gt;
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One interesting note of mention is that in the early days of the R&#039;varna&#039;s conception, before it was officially announced, there was indeed a rumor floating around that Forgeworld was actually designing a new stealthsuit. This was before 6th Edition Tau were even released, so it makes sense that nobody even knew about the Riptide aside from the weeks preceding the new codex, but what is interesting is that, given the fluff behind the R&#039;varna, it&#039;s almost as though Forgeworld chuckled at the rumors and used those as a basis for their fluff, going so far as to craft the rumors of a stealthsuit into the XV107&#039;s fundamental history. &#039;&#039;&#039;The more you know!&#039;&#039;&#039; The X7 designation this suit has means it&#039;s supposed to be an infiltration unit (even though every other stealthsuit has been an X5 of some sort), which is the exact opposite of what R&#039;Varna actually does - this is likely the result of it being developed as a part of Stealth Suit program.&lt;br /&gt;
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Unlike plenty of other things in lore, the R&#039;varna, with its big-ass pulse submunitions cannons, is as big a rape machine on the table as it is in the fluff. With the ability to fire two pie plates a turn at AP4 and S6 (and FOUR plates using the Nova Reactor) the thing turns [[Tyranids]] to garden mulch, and [[Orks]] to fertilizer. The cannons have Cluster Fire, which means that, the bigger the target the more hits it receives and at higher strength. Thus, while anything with Very Bulky, Bike, Jetbike, Cavalry or Beast takes two hits at +1S, MCs Buildings and Vehicles take THREE S8 hits per hit. Kinda feels [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScmfbOwRreU like this] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBC1Qob27sM more like this]. All in all, the R&#039;varna is considered to be horribly, horribly, horribly broken by non-Tau players, and by Tau players still using it to be the most [[cheese|deliciously cheddar]] thing since [[Fish of Fury|Fish of Fury]].&lt;br /&gt;
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8th Edition has made the R&#039;varna a considerably more specialized TEQ/Monster/Light Vehicle killer than it used to be: it&#039;s lost its ability to scale its strength and inflict multiple hits on larger units, but deals 3 damage for every successful wound. The removal of blast weapons has made it less viable as an anti-horde unit, but it does crank out 6d3 S6 AP-2 shots. Its Nova Reactor abilities have been retooled as well: it&#039;s kept the electromagnetic shockwave (Which now deals mortal wounds!), but can now choose to either boost its invulnerable save to 3++ or re-roll any dice rolled to determine the number of shots it fires.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|XV109|XV-109}} XV109 Y&#039;Vahra Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:XV109.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Bringing the Greater Good close and personal]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3lrhPeK6gU &#039;&#039;Hi, it&#039;s Sho&#039;Aun with the Y&#039;vahra, you&#039;ll be saying &amp;quot;wow&amp;quot; everytime you use this Tau&#039;&#039;]. A regular Riptide doesn&#039;t do well too close to an enemy, this one does well at close or medium range. This is for the blobs, the Deathwing, the Armoured Ceramite&#039;d AV14. Made in Ke&#039;lshan Sept by Sho&#039;Aun, you know that guy always makes good stuff. &lt;br /&gt;
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This is a Riptide that embraces its mobility and gets a super-flamer, a mega-haywire gun and has super-jetpacks able to turn it into a flying monstrous creature once each two turns. This one was made with the opposite goal of a Riptide: to jump in close and take the fight to the enemy, fling a burst of flechettes as it lands and then jump back out before it can be overwhelmed. With its S6 Torrent (at 6&amp;quot;) Plasma Flamer that goes either AP3 Heavy 1 or AP2 Heavy 2 Gets Hot, and its S8 AP3 Haywire Cannon that also blinds, it can effectively total entire enemy units in one volley, and even more so with the Nova Reactor on (which gives it some more tricks, like the ability to Jink or move back into reserves while in close combat). &lt;br /&gt;
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As a trade off, however, it is a little bit more fragile than Riptide, and it&#039;s Nova Reactor options are also weaker, more focused on extra mobility and surviving/escaping close combat rather than blasting shit to death or, you know, the ever frustrating for your opponent 3++ against everything. Combined with extremely uncomfortable range of all of it&#039;s weapons Y&#039;Vahra tends to go down much quicker than the Riptide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Then 8th edition came along and hiked up the points of the Riptide and varients to roughly 400 points. At launch this made the Riptide total shit, but the Y&#039;vahra however is worth every single one of them. Toughness 7, 14 wounds and an 18&amp;quot; movement range make this one durable and fast mo fo. The changes to flamer and AP rules now give you 2d6 strength 6 ap-2 autohits dealing 3 DAMAGE APIECE. Terminators? Melt them. Centurions? Kindling. A certain [[Spiritual Liege]]? Just 3 failed saves and he&#039;s charcoal. The Ionic Discharge Cannon is nothing to sneeze at either with strength 8 and -3 AP. Even the shield is better, granting a 4+ invuln when within 12&amp;quot; (Which it will be, given the loadout). The Nova Reactor effects are where this baby really shines though. You can either give it the usual 3+ invuln, the ability to move it off the table and deep strike it (Not recommended for anyone but Bor&#039;kan sept players) and buffs to the weapons. The last one is what you&#039;ll be using most of the time, the flamer is bumped up to 3d6 autohits while the Discharge cannon gains a whopping 3d3 shots, 10 strength and 3 points of damage per shot. It wasn&#039;t uncommon to see Tau players use their Riptides as proxies for the Y&#039;vahra given how overpriced and underpowered the former used to be. After the codex dropped Riptides got buffs in the form of a price decrease and a new stratagem that gives 2 nova reactor abilities for one turn. While the Y&#039;vahra does not benefit from either buff... they&#039;re still used as frequently as they ever were. they are just that damn strong. &lt;br /&gt;
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In a nutshell, it is the only unit from the Tau that goes all fire and glory.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== {{anchor|KV128|KV-128}} KV128 Stormsurge Ballistic Suit===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stompin on marines.jpeg|200px|thumbnail|right|Teaching [[Abaddon|certain spiky gue-la]], how to be cool despite the lack of arms]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:KV128.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Teaching the Imperial Guard that they too, can utilise missile spam.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUnjxftU6r0&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=96 &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;A WEAPON TO SURPASS METAL GEAR&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;] &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;Literally just a walking giant laser cannon.&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;The new and improved chicken walkers!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau have decided the Riptide still wasn&#039;t big enough and made an even larger battlesuit. The Stormsurge is armed with a one of two giant pulse cannons: the first is much like AdMech eradication beamer in that it gets stronger but loses the blast radius as the target comes closer, except it starts at 30&amp;quot; with S9 AP5 large blast and finishes with the almighty D at almost point-blank range; and the other variant of the cannon is pretty much just a railgun with a large blast. Its hilariously large pair of missile pods, combined with an SMS on its back and a pair of airbursting frag projectors it can get, would vomit out so much anti-infantry firepower across half of the board in one volley you&#039;d probably need to buy double the number of dice you already have to just resolve its shooting: entire armies of GEQs would melt the moment this thing opens fire, and even terminators or monstrous creatures would be hard pressed to survive once they start failing their saves under that hail of wounds. It also houses four Destroyer missiles, which are AP1 Seeker Missiles which become strength D when guided by a marker light, and as all four could be fired simultaneously (if you had scored enough ML tokens), could easily kill four regular vehicles or almost any other superheavy/gargantuan on turn one from across the board. But there&#039;s more! The stabilizing rods on its legs aren&#039;t just for cool looks: KV128 can stabilize itself, losing ability to move and stomp for firing EVERY FUCKING GUN IT HAS TWICE. This rape train, however, &#039;&#039;does&#039;&#039; have brakes, as the Stormsurge is extremely squishy for its size and firepower, basically being as survivable as two Carnifexes; it&#039;s pretty much a heavy artillery piece that needs to stay way back and be protected in order to take its points back, and is the one more geared for anti-infantry, so if you&#039;re looking for something to deal with Knights and Titans, look below for a proper front line Tau titan. Its squishiness probably has something to do with it being the only Battlesuit so far that has its pilots (or gun operators, looks like it has a couple of these) sitting without any cover over their heads.&lt;br /&gt;
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Fun fact: If tank shock is used against an anchored Stormsurge, the Stormsurge is [[Awesome|destroyed]].&lt;br /&gt;
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=== KX139 Ta&#039;Unar Supremacy Armour ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:KX139.jpg|200px|thumbnail|right|&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;[https://youtu.be/2vKz7WnU83E?t=46 To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own]&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
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A new super-heavy Overcompensator Class battlesuit, massive enough to claim the title of Tau [[Titan]]. After multiple run-ins with Imperial Knights and Tyranid bio-titans, the Ethereals were forced to admit the necessity of Titan-sized static defenses to deal with counter-expansion attempts into their own territory and asked the same Earth Caste nutter who made the R&#039;varna and the Y&#039;varha, Sho&#039;Aun, to make something capable of fending off super-heavy assault forces too strong for their bombers to deal with. A bunker on legs in other words?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Awesome|He did not disappoint.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yes, it lacks jet packs (much like its brother the R&#039;varna), but you won&#039;t need one, you gave it to your enemy so they can RUN. FAR. AWAY. Which, would not work because with its long legs Ta&#039;Unar is actually about as fast as jet and jump infantry. The Ta&#039;Unar is armed to the teeth and damn hard to kill with T:9 and 10 wounds. Although it&#039;s a Gargantuan Creature like the [[Wraithknight]], it can fire Overwatch at BS2 with its two smart missile systems and two twin-linked burst cannons. Its main guns are no less effective- for arm weapons, it can equip either a Heavy 5 multimelta or an ion cannon that can fire either 6 shots at S7 AP3 or 3 shots at S9 AP2. The back-mounted Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver can fire either a Strength D Massive Blast with 72&amp;quot; range or a S8 AP3 Apocalyptic Barrage (3) with Pinning and Ignores Cover with a range of 12-120&amp;quot;. Defensively, it has a 2+/5++ save that improves to 4++ against shooting attacks, and it can sacrifice the invulnerable save for a turn to cut the number of wounds suffered from a &amp;quot;Deathblow&amp;quot; result on the Destroyer table in half. Its only real flaws are that it&#039;s expensive as all hell to field (both points-wise and in real-world costs, being a Forge World exclusive and all).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the place of the Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver, it can instead take a Nexus Meteor Missile System or a Heavy Rail Cannon Array for free. The Nexus Meteor Missile System is a [[Rape|Blinding Apocalyptic Mega-Blast with 24-120&amp;quot; range with S 10/7/5 and AP 1/4/5]], because fuck that guy and everyone remotely close to him. The latter on the other hand is technically two weapons, which can be fired simultaneously. It incorporates a Cluster Shell Launcher (a 36&amp;quot; range Apocalyptic Barrage (4) weapon with S6 AP4 and pinning meant to lock down anyone in relatively close range) and the Heavy Rail Cannon itself, a 120&amp;quot; ranged monster with the almighty D, AP1, a 3&amp;quot; blast, and the nasty rule &amp;quot;Mass Induction Targeting&amp;quot;- when using it to attack any superheavy or GMC, you roll twice on the Destroyer table and pick the higher result, therefore doubling your chances of getting that 6. Perfect for ruining any Titan&#039;s day! &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what you get, 600 points is very cheap, for the &#039;[[That Guy|that guy]]&#039; out there, ask a beginner for a 600 point game, [[Rage|this will do you nicely ;)]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Tau}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Vehicles]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battlesuit&amp;diff=83329</id>
		<title>Battlesuit</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battlesuit&amp;diff=83329"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:34:25Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* {{anchor|XV107|XV-107}} XV107 R&amp;#039;varna Battlesuit */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Heresy}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stitch16.jpg|right|thumb|500px|From Cool to absolute godless [[cheese]]. And also [[Longstrike]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Battlesuits&#039;&#039;&#039; are powered combat exoskeletons used by the forces of the [[Tau|Tau Empire]] to fill a number of tactical roles on the battlefield. The Tau have developed several different battlesuit models, each equipped with different technologies and weapons pertaining to the suit&#039;s purpose in battle. [[Stealthsuit|Some]] are built to be [[Just As Planned|small, stealthy and precise]], while [[Riptide|others]] are built to be [[RAPE|lumbering battlemechs that ionize everything in their paths]] while soaking up weapons fire like they&#039;re being pelted with [[Lasgun|spitballs]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Each model&#039;s designation is usually preceded by the letters &amp;quot;XV&amp;quot;, which derives from the Tau term &amp;quot;Her&#039;Ex&#039;Vre&amp;quot;, meaning &amp;quot;Mantle of the Hero&amp;quot;. Note that some sources place a hyphen between the &amp;quot;XV&amp;quot; and the numbers, and others don&#039;t. The first (or only) number in designation indicates a weight class of the suit, while the last indicates its purpose:&lt;br /&gt;
# Still in development model&lt;br /&gt;
# Undergoing field testing&lt;br /&gt;
# Custom-built model&lt;br /&gt;
# Command and control-compatible model&lt;br /&gt;
# Outfitted with stealth technology&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for a void operations&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for infiltration&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for long range fire support&lt;br /&gt;
# Suit, designed for shock assault and close range firefights&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes there&#039;s a secondary numerical designation separated from the first with a hyphen. Those are just number assigned to a specific loadout for heavily customizable models. Sometimes they fit with a primary purpose designation (like XV-8-06 being designed for void operations or XV-46-4 being command and control model), and sometimes they don&#039;t (XV-8-05 is not even compatible with stealth technology, XV-9-01 is a finished mass-produced model). The largest variants use either KV or KX; what they stand for is currently unknown.&lt;br /&gt;
==Role on the Battlefield==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tau battlesuits are not like [[Imperial]] [[power armor]] in their roles. They serve as command platforms for &#039;Vre, &#039;El, and &#039;O level officers as well as heavy mobile weapons platforms, able to swiftly relocate from firing position to firing position while laying down constant barrages of long range firepower. Most of them are outfitted with [[jetpack]]s for this purpose. All battlesuit pilots are veteran soldiers that have at least four years of combat experience and have passed their first trial by fire. Most [[Fire Warrior|Fire Warriors]] accept the honor of piloting these revered machines for the [[Greater Good]], although there are some traditional crazies who shun the use of battlesuits and instead choose to continue to lead their Shas&#039;la as front-line field commanders, and some refuse the option of ranking up to Ui or higher ranks altogether in order to pilot tanks and speeders.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Culturally, there are two major things associated with Battlesuits. First is known as &#039;&#039;&amp;quot;battlesuit psychosis&amp;quot;&#039;&#039;, which happens when particularly young and insufficiently &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;brainwashed&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; dedicated Fire Warrior were to pilot a suit. It manifests as sudden bursts of delusion of invincibility and selfishness, and is one of the reasons suits are only issued to veterans who passed their second Trial by Fire. A less extreme version of this phenomenon is recognized to happen with humans when we wear armor, we become more aggressive and convinced of &#039;invincibility&#039;, it&#039;s well documented among European knights. Second is known as &#039;&#039;&amp;quot;monat syndrome&amp;quot;&#039;&#039;, which happens when a blood-bonded suit team is reduced to a single survivor. With Ta&#039;Li&#039;Sera bond being about as important as family is to humans among Fire Warriors, some survivors mentally break and become brooding loners, which can end with them either needlessly throwing their lives in the next battle by doing something tremendously brave but stupid or going full &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;Rambo&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Marbo, and transforming themselves into methodical living killing machines who do nothing but train in between missions, that freak out other more sociable Tau. In a society as hellbent on collectivism as Tau empire these loners stick out, and there&#039;s a lot of controversy around them, although official propaganda spin paints them as &amp;quot;tragic (anti)heroes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Models==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV02.png|thumb|right|200px|Trying to roleplay for Top Gun is often a recommendation.]]&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV02|XV-02}} XV02 Pilot Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
For all intents and purposes.[[Mary Sue| Its a super special armor for a super special boy.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An experimental model made for vehicle pilots (obviously) currently undergoing field testing; although it provides less protection than even Fire Warrior armor, it compensates by allowing pilots to interface more effectively with their vehicles, negating the need for multiple crew members. This works in tandem with the vehicle&#039;s A.I. by processing the cadre tactical network and incoming data quickly so that the pilot can react extremely rapidly to enemies attacking his vehicle or nearby units. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only one known to exist is in the possession of [[Longstrike|Shas&#039;la T&#039;au Sha&#039;ng (a.k.a. Longstrike)]], who was selected for his reputation as a peerless [[Hammerhead Gunship|Hammerhead]] pilot. The battlesuit also features a multitude of specialised systems, plug sockets, vents, a wrist-mounted control panel and other technobabble shenanigans that all allow Longstrike to pilot his personal tank without the need of those pesky annoyances called people. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tau scientists have been working on producing more after the success of the original, but all other candidate pilots thus far have either been incompatible with its neural interface or became brain-dead due to information overload frying their brains. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The battlesuit also incorporates a Blacksun Filter, but nobody cares for that.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV15|XV-15}} XV15 Stealthsuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV15.png|thumb|right|200px|XV25&#039;s rented cousin.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Little more than [[Awesome|modified Fire Warrior armor]], the XV15 was outfitted with stealth systems allowing it to infiltrate, jetpacks for mobility, and burst cannons for firepower. It also carried [[markerlight]]s. These older units are being phased out in favor of the XV25 series after the Imperium got their hands on an intact helmet from one, and the Tau fear it will be reverse-engineered and countered by the humans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a surprisingly unlikely move that somehow did not cause the AdMech to lobotomize everyone involved in the project with a siege drill for associating with xeno-tech, the Imperium did actually manage to reverse engineer the suits and learn about the technology, although the Tau were two steps ahead of them by rolling out the more advanced XV25 stealth suits as their new recon platform. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The meta reason both these and the XV25&#039;s exist is because these were metal kits, and were replaced by the later plastic kits which were designed to look more like a mecha (AKA the shit that makes people buy Tau models) and less like a Fire Warrior with some extra equipment. Crunchwise, they&#039;re the same unless you consider the crunch changes between editions to be the difference. Use the models you like and have access to. (Pull a Dawn of War and use XV25s for the squad leader and XV15s for the chumps)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV22|XV-22}} XV22 Command Suit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ShadowsunNov.jpg|200px|thumb|right|0% blueberry edition.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Officially part of the stealthsuit line, this heavier unit is quite expensive to produce; as such, it is limited in use to commanders (like [[Shadowsun|Commander Shadowsun]], [[Commander Or&#039;es&#039;Ka|Shas&#039;o Or&#039;es&#039;Ka]], and [[Shas&#039;o Kais]], who as you can see above have different versions of the suit; Shadowsun&#039;s has a unique helmet that resemble the later XV95, while Kais&#039; resembles a Crisis Suit). With the right equipment and abilities you can make it go three times faster than a normal stealthsuit ([[Ork|red paint optional]]).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This was originally built as a prototype design for a next-generation stealthsuit pattern, but finding ways to mass-produce the required components proved more difficult than anticipated. After the Imperium managed to reverse-engineer some of the XV15 suits ([[Advancing the Storyline|which, for some reason, doesn&#039;t cause the Inquisition to foam at the mouth anymore]]) recovered from the battlefield, the Tau had to compromise by moving forward with the less advanced but easier to manufacture XV25.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV22.jpg|The addition of partner drones is always a guarantee.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV25|XV-22}} XV25 Stealthsuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:StealthSuit.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Citadel exclusive &amp;quot;Tau Stealth&amp;quot; paint. Order it now.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article: [[Stealthsuit Team]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An improvement over the XV15 which is larger, heavier and better armored while still retaining the maneuverability and subtlety of the XV15 series. Development and deployment of the XV25 was largely due to the fact that the Imperium managed to acquire a functioning sample of the old XV15 stealth suit during the [[Damocles Crusade]], compromising its use as a recon platform. Larger and more powerful reactor allows XV25 to be outfitted with a fusion blaster instead of it&#039;s basic burst cannon, and the suit also have one hard point on it&#039;s back for an additional support system, although those are usually issued only to squad leaders.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The main wearers of these suits are of course the Stealthsuit Team, whose battleline roles include assasinations, sniping, sabotage and ambushes.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV25.png|Now in camo edition!&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV46|XV-46}} XV46 Vanguard Void Suit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tumblr Tauman Void Suit Vangard.jpg|190px|right|thumb|Fan art of what the Void Suit would look like, courtesy from Tau Man and &#039;&#039;[[Tumblr]]&#039;&#039; [[Derp|of all things.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Basically a Tau version of [[Terminator|Terminator armor]], bigger than the XV2 series, smaller than the XV8 and as heavily armoured as XV88 while still light enough to have jetpacks. It is designed solely for operating in spaceborn situations at (unusually for the Tau) close quarters, which means boarding action and [[Space Hulk]]-type investigation missions. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The XV46 is highly effective against [[Genestealers|certain xenos species]] that are famous for slaughtering Terminators like they are nothing. With a fuckton of burst cannons, flamers and fusion guns on each of the suits, the little buggers would have a hard enough time getting close, but then there are electroshocks, grav-repulsors, and photon grenades to zap any fuckers lucky enough to break through the walls of fire, all triggered automatically. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To make the Tau version of Space Hulk even less [[grimdark]], these suits are even equipped with smart ejection systems which are programmed to deliver the pilot back on board his ship if his suit gets wrecked. How this works without [[warp]] based tech is a crapshoot. Being both niche equipment and difficult to manufacture critical parts for, XV46s are rarely seen outside of Space Hulk missions. Even rarer is the XV-46-4 Commander variant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The XV46 doesn&#039;t appear in the tabletop wargame; [[Fantasy Flight Games]] made it up for the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch RPG]]. As a result, there&#039;s no images of it. It how ever is used in [[Battlefleet Gothic Armada]], in which the Tau load them up in the cargo bay of their Mantas before letting them get dropped along with the payload onto enemy ships through their shields. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Which suggests that the Tau in some extent would have capabilities to play a serious game of blue gremlin on the wing with other species, this combination is also particularly enraging for eldar who have little to no defense against such an unusually bold action from the Tau. Since GW took forever to get the [[Deathwatch]] 7E Codex out. It would be a miracle for other FFG IP to get official rules and a model at all.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV8|XV-8}} XV8 Crisis Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tau Crisis Suit Close Up.jpg|300px|thumb|right|&amp;quot;Keep trying, Gue&#039;La. You have a 1 in 18 chance of actually wounding me.&amp;quot; (Last words of a Tau pilot who forgot lasguns can penetrate armor at close range.  This ain&#039;t crunch, bluie.)]]&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039; Main Article: [[XV-8 Crisis Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV8.jpg|XV8 Team&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV81.jpg|XV-81&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV84.png|XV-84&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV89.png|XV-89&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV8-05.jpg|XV-8-05 Enforcer&lt;br /&gt;
Image:XV-8-02.png|XV-8-02 Iridium&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Coldstar.png|XV-8-06 Coldstar&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Shas&#039;o R&#039;Myr.png|R&#039;Myr&#039;s special XV8.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are the Tau Empire&#039;s general-purpose combat battlesuits, capable of being equipped for a variety of combat situations. Due to the large amount of variants they have, check the main article for more information.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV88|XV-88}} XV88 Broadside Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV88.jpg|thumb|right|370px|Battlesuit evolution.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article: [[XV88 Broadside Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are fire support platforms outfitted with either a large Heavy Rail Rifle or a massive array of missiles to [[Dakka|lay waste]] to the enemies of the Greater Good from afar.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They are basically the Tau&#039;s quintessential heavy weapons team/light artillery/anti-tank/ect, ect you know what I am talking about. Understandably strong at range, but absolutely shit up close. Dont expect your walking self-propelled gun to last too long in a arty fight with the [[Imperial Guard|Guard]] either. As good as these guns are, they still can&#039;t compete with the literal manifestation of the rain of [[rape]] known as the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV9|XV-9}} XV9 Hazard Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV9 smug face.jpg|200px|thumb|right|I&#039;ll tell you what&#039;s a hazard: being hostile and near this motherfucker.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Another Forgeworld blessing. Unlike most Tau battlesuits, the XV9 Hazard model is designed solely for fast and hard close-range engagements rather than having the option of going either close or long, or being cloaked while engaging the enemy up close, which is quite odd since this is a bit of a deviation from traditional Tau combat doctrine, which is all about far away [[Shooty|shootiness]]. Being a dedicated spear-tip suit, Hazard is designed with close combat in mind, with it&#039;s frame being more agile than other suits (which is represented by less horrible WS and Initiative on the tabletop), photon grenades to halt enemy charges and vectored retro thrusters to jump out of meat grinder.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
XV-9 have three hard points, with two generally being equipped with a matching pair of guns (leaving only one for support systems) compared to Crisis&#039; four, although given it have in-built retro-thrusters and photon grenade launchers it can and usually does have up to 5 systems with enough reactor capacity to power them all, even though weapon options available to Hazard suit are generally more devastating and power-hungry. Since it&#039;s main weapons are Twin-linked Burst cannons, which take up two hardpoints on conventional suits and the other options would likely count as two hard points if crisis suits could take them, the Hazard has the equivalent of 7! Crisis suit hard points:&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Twin-linked burst cannons&#039;&#039;&#039; are for mulching down infantry with enough dakka to make Orks jealous.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Fusion cascades&#039;&#039;&#039;, which are melta miniguns, less powerful than basic fusion blasters and more short-ranged but with a higher rate of fire, so they&#039;re more effective against light/medium vehicles, monsters and terminators rather than heavy tanks.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Phased ion guns&#039;&#039;&#039; which were supposed to be &amp;quot;assault cannons-lite&amp;quot;, and are more &amp;quot;well rounded&amp;quot; choice, being decent against both light and heavy infantry or light vehicles, though heavily outclassed by the previous two gun options.&lt;br /&gt;
::&#039;&#039;&#039;Pulse Submunition Rifles&#039;&#039;&#039;, commonly referred by a player base as &amp;quot;shotguns&amp;quot;, these are the most long ranged and expensive guns available to Hazard. They cover a huge area with a cover-ignoring blasts to root out heavy cover campers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It should be noted that the number 9 is a significant number to the Tau given that they count in an octal numeral system (there is no 8 or 9; 10 comes immediately after 7), as opposed to [[humanity]]&#039;s decimal system. [[Awesome|This means that to the Tau, the XV9 is literally cranked up to 11.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Shas&#039;o R&#039;alai has his own XV9 equipped with a shield and experimental next-gen PSR that fires in bursts and is loaded with a wide range extra-powerful (but unstable) experimental ammo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:XV9.jpg|XV9 AKA We are getting into Gundam territory now.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV95|XV-95}} XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV95.jpeg|200px|thumb|right|&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;Striking hard and fast.&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV95 2.png|thumb|left|200px|Blitzkrieg, Mecha style.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Ghostkeel is a &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;[[Creed|tactical genius]]&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; really big and powerful stealth suit that can and would fight well in a straight fight rather than relying on flanking maneuvers and infiltration to hit vulnerable flanks and retreat out of harms way like your regular Stealth teams. It&#039;s the same weight class and size as Hazard, but has extensive armour plating for nearly double the survivability. Unlike the XV15 and XV25, the XV95 doesn&#039;t have full stealth system on itself, but rather its parts are spread between the battlesuit and its stealth drones, meaning only with a combination of both can the team becomes nigh-invisible, while separately they appear to be only slightly camouflaged, which, combined with an exceptional tankiness of the Ghostkeel, and mediocre survivability of his drones makes the XV-95 one of the few battlesuits that would take hits for its drones instead of drones shielding him with their cold, expendable, mechanical bodies. But being nigh-invisible is not enough for XV-95 - it carries an electronic warfare equipment in its left hand like a gun, and use it to fuck up enemy targeting systems even more, unless they are at point-blank range, and can overcharge it to shock-and-awe any opponent trying to gun them down, ensuring it can&#039;t hit shit, although it&#039;s a one-use trick, as the suit need to recharge for a while to deliver this sensory shock again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the offense, the Ghostkeel has a set of twin-linked standard battlesuit guns on its back (sadly, only limited to flamers, burst cannons and fusion blasters), and a single BFG in its right hand, which could be a fusion collider, which is an extra bigger fusion blaster with extra barrel that shoots small blasts, or an ion raker, which looks and fires like bigger badder cyclic ion blaster with double the normal mode firing rate (for SIX autocannon-grade shots per burst), double overcharge blast size and slightly higher range. On top of that, Ghostkeel also have two extra hard points for supporting systems (meaning up to five hard points total) for extra customization options.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lastly, much like Hazard suits, the XV-95 isn&#039;t half terrible in close combat. While the Ghostkeel may lack the speed, agility, counter-charge systems and vector thrusters of an XV-9, what it have is a sheer brutal strength - your typical five-man space marine demi-squad would quickly find out the hard way that a single Ghostkeel is not easy prey in close combat, as its single punch is enough to turn a marine into a screaming pile of meat paste flavored with broken bones and ceramite shards. Hell it&#039;s not that hard for a Ghostkeel to kick (quite literally) through a tank&#039;s armour or even fortification walls. This is another instance of the Tau combining a bunch of things which usually cannot be combined by other races. Overall the Ghostkeel is another example of Tau ignoring typical unit tropes. Stealthy tanky ranged/melee is not something you see often - Imperial Knights aren&#039;t typically invisible, nor do Vindicare assassins usually uppercut tanks in half.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV104|XV-104}} XV104 Riptide Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Main article:[[XV104 Riptide Battlesuit]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV104.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The most spammable and rage inducing walker, second only to the Wraithknight.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Nova Reactor Energy.jpg|200px|thumb|left|&amp;quot;So this is the power of the Nova Reactor... Not bad, not bad at all...&amp;quot;]]&lt;br /&gt;
A new, extra-large battlesuit (at twice the size of the XV8) that made its first appearance in the 6th edition codex, the Riptide resembles the bastard offspring of a Gundam (specifically the ZZ Gundam, what with its XBAWKS HUEG build, optional missile system and destructive but stupidly risky energy weapon) and a Metal Gear. Arguably more of a vehicle than a suit of armor, the Riptide&#039;s primary weapon can be either a heavy burst cannon or an ion accelerator (with twin smart missile systems, fusion blasters or plasma rifles as backup weapons), while its defensive prowess is supplemented by a portable shield generator. All of these can be made significantly more powerful if the prototype Nova reactor built into the suit is used to charge the weapon or shield; however, doing so runs the risk of overloading the generator, releasing deadly radiation that can injure or kill the pilot.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While incredibly powerful, the Riptide&#039;s primary drawback ([[fluff]]-wise) is that the materials used to manufacture it are rare. Thus, their numbers remain fairly small within the Tau Empire&#039;s forces. Not that you&#039;d know since every goddamn Tau list has them flying out of their asses. Then again, every Imperial Guard force on the tabletop is full of elite veterans, heavy tanks and flyers instead of swarms of regular Guardsmen...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An extremely [[Rape|cheesetastic tactic]] on the tabletop with this fella is to model it to be as low as possible (like crouching forward) and then put it behind a piece of very big cover, like a bastion. It moves out during the movement phase, revs the Nova reactor, blasts nearby enemies into oblivion, then jet boosts back behind the bastion during the assault phase to block enemy LoS.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Then came 8th edition... and the Riptide was nerfed to utter oblivion. It  costs about 400 points to field, and provides very little firepower or durability compared to its cost, but the Tau codex did a good deal to fix its cost and its firepower and offers Stratagems to make using its Nova Reactor more viable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV107|XV-107}} XV107 R&#039;varna Battlesuit ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV107.png|right|thumb|300px|When you gotta take care of those &#039;Nids. Accept no substitudes.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Essentially a Riptide (made by [[Forge World]] of all folks) that threw mobility away for more armour and two exceedingly huge pulse submunition cannons (think plasma cluster bomb) for the purpose of fucking everything up for the enemy. Its Nova Reactor also grants some unusual properties like a turn with Fleet, an electromagnetic shockwave that hits everyone around it, or double-firing weapons, but is no less risky to use. The fluff behind this involves an Earth Caste engineer from Sept Ke&#039;lshan, called Sho&#039;Aun, who managed to go behind the Ethereals&#039; backs by building something so huge, expensive (even in in-universe terms), and lethal when he was supposed to make more stealthsuits. One [[Tyranids|Tyranid]] swarm later, however, he revealed this behemoth and with it helped dumpster all of the &#039;Nids and save the Sept.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One interesting note of mention is that in the early days of the R&#039;varna&#039;s conception, before it was officially announced, there was indeed a rumor floating around that Forgeworld was actually designing a new stealthsuit. This was before 6th Edition Tau were even released, so it makes sense that nobody even knew about the Riptide aside from the weeks preceding the new codex, but what is interesting is that, given the fluff behind the R&#039;varna, it&#039;s almost as though Forgeworld chuckled at the rumors and used those as a basis for their fluff, going so far as to craft the rumors of a stealthsuit into the XV107&#039;s fundamental history. &#039;&#039;&#039;The more you know!&#039;&#039;&#039; The X7 designation this suit has means it&#039;s supposed to be an infiltration unit (even though every other stealthsuit has been an X5 of some sort), which is the exact opposite of what R&#039;Varna actually does - this is likely the result of it being developed as a part of Stealth Suit program.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike plenty of other things in lore, the R&#039;varna, with its big-ass pulse submunitions cannons, is as big a rape machine on the table as it is in the fluff. With the ability to fire two pie plates a turn at AP4 and S6 (and FOUR plates using the Nova Reactor) the thing turns [[Tyranids]] to garden mulch, and [[Orks]] to fertilizer. The cannons have Cluster Fire, which means that, the bigger the target the more hits it receives and at higher strength. Thus, while anything with Very Bulky, Bike, Jetbike, Cavalry or Beast takes two hits at +1S, MCs Buildings and Vehicles take THREE S8 hits per hit. Kinda feels [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScmfbOwRreU like this] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBC1Qob27sM more like this]. All in all, the R&#039;varna is considered to be horribly, horribly, horribly broken by non-Tau players, and by Tau players still using it to be the most [[cheese|deliciously cheddar]] thing since [[Fish of Fury|Fish of Fury]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
8th Edition has made the R&#039;varna a considerably more specialized TEQ/Monster/Light Vehicle killer than it used to be: it&#039;s lost its ability to scale its strength and inflict multiple hits on larger units, but deals 3 damage for every successful wound. The removal of blast weapons has made it less viable as an anti-horde unit, but it does crank out 6d3 S6 AP-2 shots. Its Nova Reactor abilities have been retooled as well: it&#039;s kept the electromagnetic shockwave (Which now deals mortal wounds!), but can now choose to either boost its invulnerable save to 3++ or re-roll any dice rolled to determine the number of shots it fires.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|XV109|XV-109}} XV109 Y&#039;Vahra Battlesuit===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:XV109.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Bringing the Greater Good close and personal]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3lrhPeK6gU &#039;&#039;Hi, it&#039;s Sho&#039;Aun with the Y&#039;vahra, you&#039;ll be saying &amp;quot;wow&amp;quot; everytime you use this Tau&#039;&#039;]. A regular Riptide doesn&#039;t do well too close to an enemy, this one does well at close or medium range. This is for the blobs, the Deathwing, the Armoured Ceramite&#039;d AV14. Made in Ke&#039;lshan Sept by Sho&#039;Aun, you know that guy always makes good stuff. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This is a Riptide that embraces its mobility and gets a super-flamer, a mega-haywire gun and has super-jetpacks able to turn it into a flying monstrous creature once each two turns. This one was made with the opposite goal of a Riptide: to jump in close and take the fight to the enemy, fling a burst of flechettes as it lands and then jump back out before it can be overwhelmed. With its S6 Torrent (at 6&amp;quot;) Plasma Flamer that goes either AP3 Heavy 1 or AP2 Heavy 2 Gets Hot, and its S8 AP3 Haywire Cannon that also blinds, it can effectively total entire enemy units in one volley, and even more so with the Nova Reactor on (which gives it some more tricks, like the ability to Jink or move back into reserves while in close combat). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a trade off, however, it is a little bit more fragile than Riptide, and it&#039;s Nova Reactor options are also weaker, more focused on extra mobility and surviving/escaping close combat rather than blasting shit to death or, you know, the ever frustrating for your opponent 3++ against everything. Combined with extremely uncomfortable range of all of it&#039;s weapons Y&#039;Vahra tends to go down much quicker than the Riptide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Then 8th edition came along and hiked up the points of the Riptide and varients to roughly 400 points. At launch this made the Riptide total shit, but the Y&#039;vahra however is worth every single one of them. Toughness 7, 14 wounds and an 18&amp;quot; movement range make this one durable and fast mo fo. The changes to flamer and AP rules now give you 2d6 strength 6 ap-2 autohits dealing 3 DAMAGE APIECE. Terminators? Melt them. Centurions? Kindling. A certain [[Spiritual Liege]]? Just 3 failed saves and he&#039;s charcoal. The Ionic Discharge Cannon is nothing to sneeze at either with strength 8 and -3 AP. Even the shield is better, granting a 4+ invuln when within 12&amp;quot; (Which it will be, given the loadout). The Nova Reactor effects are where this baby really shines though. You can either give it the usual 3+ invuln, the ability to move it off the table and deep strike it (Not recommended for anyone but Bor&#039;kan sept players) and buffs to the weapons. The last one is what you&#039;ll be using most of the time, the flamer is bumped up to 3d6 autohits while the Discharge cannon gains a whopping 3d3 shots, 10 strength and 3 points of damage per shot. It wasn&#039;t uncommon to see Tau players use their Riptides as proxies for the Y&#039;vahra given how overpriced and underpowered the former used to be. After the codex dropped Riptides got buffs in the form of a price decrease and a new stratagem that gives 2 nova reactor abilities for one turn. While the Y&#039;vahra does not benefit from either buff... they&#039;re still used as frequently as they ever were. they are just that damn strong. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a nutshell, it is the only unit from the Tau that goes all fire and glory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== {{anchor|KV128|KV-128}} KV128 Stormsurge Ballistic Suit===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stompin on marines.jpeg|200px|thumbnail|right|Teaching [[Abaddon|certain spiky gue-la]], how to be cool despite the lack of arms]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:KV128.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Teaching the Imperial Guard that they too, can utilise missile spam.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUnjxftU6r0&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=96 &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;A WEAPON TO SURPASS METAL GEAR&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;] &amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;Literally just a walking giant laser cannon.&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt;The new and improved chicken walkers!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau have decided the Riptide still wasn&#039;t big enough and made an even larger battlesuit. The Stormsurge is armed with a one of two giant pulse cannons: the first is much like AdMech eradication beamer in that it gets stronger but loses the blast radius as the target comes closer, except it starts at 30&amp;quot; with S9 AP5 large blast and finishes with the almighty D at almost point-blank range; and the other variant of the cannon is pretty much just a railgun with a large blast. Its hilariously large pair of missile pods, combined with an SMS on its back and a pair of airbursting frag projectors it can get, would vomit out so much anti-infantry firepower across half of the board in one volley you&#039;d probably need to buy double the number of dice you already have to just resolve its shooting: entire armies of GEQs would melt the moment this thing opens fire, and even terminators or monstrous creatures would be hard pressed to survive once they start failing their saves under that hail of wounds. It also houses four Destroyer missiles, which are AP1 Seeker Missiles which become strength D when guided by a marker light, and as all four could be fired simultaneously (if you had scored enough ML tokens), could easily kill four regular vehicles or almost any other superheavy/gargantuan on turn one from across the board. But there&#039;s more! The stabilizing rods on its legs aren&#039;t just for cool looks: KV128 can stabilize itself, losing ability to move and stomp for firing EVERY FUCKING GUN IT HAS TWICE. This rape train, however, &#039;&#039;does&#039;&#039; have brakes, as the Stormsurge is extremely squishy for its size and firepower, basically being as survivable as two Carnifexes; it&#039;s pretty much a heavy artillery piece that needs to stay way back and be protected in order to take its points back, and is the one more geared for anti-infantry, so if you&#039;re looking for something to deal with Knights and Titans, look below for a proper front line Tau titan. Its squishiness probably has something to do with it being the only Battlesuit so far that has its pilots (or gun operators, looks like it has a couple of these) sitting without any cover over their heads.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fun fact: If tank shock is used against an anchored Stormsurge, the Stormsurge is [[Awesome|destroyed]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== KX139 Ta&#039;Unar Supremacy Armour ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:KX139.jpg|200px|thumbnail|right|&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;[https://youtu.be/2vKz7WnU83E?t=46 To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own]&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A new super-heavy Overcompensator Class battlesuit, massive enough to claim the title of Tau [[Titan]]. After multiple run-ins with Imperial Knights and Tyranid bio-titans, the Ethereals were forced to admit the necessity of Titan-sized static defenses to deal with counter-expansion attempts into their own territory and asked the same Earth Caste nutter who made the R&#039;varna and the Y&#039;varha, Sho&#039;Aun, to make something capable of fending off super-heavy assault forces too strong for their bombers to deal with. A bunker on legs in other words?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Awesome|He did not disappoint.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yes, it lacks jet packs (much like its brother the R&#039;varna), but you won&#039;t need one, you gave it to your enemy so they can RUN. FAR. AWAY. Which, would not work because with its long legs Ta&#039;Unar is actually about as fast as jet and jump infantry. The Ta&#039;Unar is armed to the teeth and damn hard to kill with T:9 and 10 wounds. Although it&#039;s a Gargantuan Creature like the [[Wraithknight]], it can fire Overwatch at BS2 with its two smart missile systems and two twin-linked burst cannons. Its main guns are no less effective- for arm weapons, it can equip either a Heavy 5 multimelta or an ion cannon that can fire either 6 shots at S7 AP3 or 3 shots at S9 AP2. The back-mounted Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver can fire either a Strength D Massive Blast with 72&amp;quot; range or a S8 AP3 Apocalyptic Barrage (3) with Pinning and Ignores Cover with a range of 12-120&amp;quot;. Defensively, it has a 2+/5++ save that improves to 4++ against shooting attacks, and it can sacrifice the invulnerable save for a turn to cut the number of wounds suffered from a &amp;quot;Deathblow&amp;quot; result on the Destroyer table in half. Its only real flaws are that it&#039;s expensive as all hell to field (both points-wise and in real-world costs, being a Forge World exclusive and all).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the place of the Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver, it can instead take a Nexus Meteor Missile System or a Heavy Rail Cannon Array for free. The Nexus Meteor Missile System is a [[Rape|Blinding Apocalyptic Mega-Blast with 24-120&amp;quot; range with S 10/7/5 and AP 1/4/5]], because fuck that guy and everyone remotely close to him. The latter on the other hand is technically two weapons, which can be fired simultaneously. It incorporates a Cluster Shell Launcher (a 36&amp;quot; range Apocalyptic Barrage (4) weapon with S6 AP4 and pinning meant to lock down anyone in relatively close range) and the Heavy Rail Cannon itself, a 120&amp;quot; ranged monster with the almighty D, AP1, a 3&amp;quot; blast, and the nasty rule &amp;quot;Mass Induction Targeting&amp;quot;- when using it to attack any superheavy or GMC, you roll twice on the Destroyer table and pick the higher result, therefore doubling your chances of getting that 6. Perfect for ruining any Titan&#039;s day! &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what you get, 600 points is very cheap, for the &#039;[[That Guy|that guy]]&#039; out there, ask a beginner for a 600 point game, [[Rage|this will do you nicely ;)]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Tau}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Vehicles]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tau&amp;diff=469838</id>
		<title>Tau</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tau&amp;diff=469838"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:33:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* Gallery */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{heresy}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{awesome}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:TAUSYMBOL.gif|center]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox 40k Nations&lt;br /&gt;
|name= T&#039;au Empire&lt;br /&gt;
|image=[[Image:Tau_Empire_Flag.jpg|300px|center]]&lt;br /&gt;
|bgcolor=&lt;br /&gt;
|fgcolor=&lt;br /&gt;
|Capital= T&#039;au&lt;br /&gt;
|Official Languages=Tau Lexicon&lt;br /&gt;
|Power= Minor Power&lt;br /&gt;
|Size=Approximately 36 Planets&lt;br /&gt;
|Head of State=Ethereal Supreme&lt;br /&gt;
|Head of Government= Ethereal Council&lt;br /&gt;
|Governmental Structure=Caste-Based Authoritarian Federation&lt;br /&gt;
|State Religion/Ideology=[[Greater Good]]&lt;br /&gt;
|Demographic=[[Tau]], [[Kroot]], [[Vespid]], [[Gue&#039;vesa|Humans]], [[Nicassar]], [[Tarellian]], Nagi, Hrenians and other minor [[Xenos]] races&lt;br /&gt;
|Military Force=[[Tau]] Fire Caste, Tau Air Caste, [[Kroot]] and [[Vespid]] Forces, The Deathsworn, Hrenian Light Infantry, [[Demiurg]] Forces, [[Nicassar]] Forces, Gue&#039;vesa Forces and other minor Xenos armies&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:9jfnqeaplhexx.jpg|right|thumb|450px|Get the fuck out of the way, [[Imperium|Oldfag]]. (Vior&#039;la Sept Fire Warriors)]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|Why do you see the speck that is in your brother&#039;s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?|Luke 6:41}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|Ce qui constitue une République, c&#039;est l&#039;extermination totale de tout ce qui lui est opposé. - What constitutes a Republic is the total destruction of that which is opposed to it.|Louis Antoine de Saint-Just}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.|Sun Tzu}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tau (τ) is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, 300 in Greek numerals, and also the name for 2π.&lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
It is also the name of the Warhammer 40K race known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tau&#039;&#039;&#039; (or &amp;quot;bluies&amp;quot;, as the Valhallan 597th call them)(or &amp;quot;Space Communists&amp;quot; as anyone on /tg/ will tell you), (or &amp;quot;T&#039;au&amp;quot; as GW copyright lawyers call them) are a playable race and a minor and overall insignificant power in &#039;&#039;[[Warhammer 40,000]]&#039;&#039;. When first discovered by humanity, the Tau were a barbaric and primitive people. Their planet was then trapped in a warp storm for a few thousand years and they emerged from the other side as a unified species, led by the [[Druids|mysterious]] Ethereal caste and devoted to the concept of the &amp;quot;[[Greater Good]]&amp;quot;. Their new empire supposedly has around 115 worlds, although only 36 of those have any sort of activity on them and the rest are either useless rocks or not shown/mentioned at all. They were growing until recently, when the Imperium sent a large invading force to counter them.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Although a dystopian society in its own right, the Tau Empire is noted for being one of the LEAST awful places in all the galaxy of 40k. It&#039;s also [[Derp|not really an empire]]; the Tau government, the Ethereal caste, is essentially an edifice of meritocracy and nepotism-Tau leaders are appointed to their position by even higher ranking leaders and/or a council of their future peers; the highest ranking Tau, the Aun&#039;O, is elected by his future underlings, much like the Catholic pope, but is still simply considered the weightiest voice of a group (like a prime minister), not an Emperor with absolute power. While Tau civilization has the behavioral tendencies of many empires throughout history (expansionism, military conquest of weaker states, forcible integration of the conquered peoples, etc.), it is the government structure of a state that makes it an empire, not foreign policies. Essentially, they are &#039;&#039;imperialist,&#039;&#039; but not an &#039;&#039;empire&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau started as a classic case of successful design-based [[Troll|trolling]] on the part of [[Games Workshop]]. They were originally developed because GW felt that their setting needed an optimistic race and that their wallets needed more money, which they could get by selling shedloads of 40k to the robot-obsessed Japanese. The Tau, therefore, are the least [[grimdark]] faction in the game; [[Tau Diplomacy|they&#039;re the dudes willing to negotiate when they&#039;ve beaten their enemies]] ([[The Beast|we cannot forget the green skinned diplomats our boy sent out during his siege of terra]]) while all the others are either too [[Chaos Space Marines| murderously psychotic in ways incomprehensible to anyone who does not share the same batshit insanity]], [[Imperium|religiously overzealous]], [[Eldar|arrogantly indifferent]], [[Orks|simplemindedly violent]], [[Necron|murderously enigmatic]], [[Tyranid|more interested in eating you than anything]], or [[Dark Eldar|all of the above]] to offer such courtesies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This began to change in the 6th edition. For all the claims that GW doesn&#039;t listen to its fans, someone seemed to have heard the incessant bitching many fa/tg/uys made over the Tau [[Belisarius Cawl|being shoehorned into the setting]] [[Primaris Marines|in the worst way possible.]] As a result, the Tau began to take on an Orwellian flavor and Imperium-esque elements, with the Ethereals being totalitarian autocrats performing acts of ruthless indifference towards their subjects, including [[Nazi|eugenics]] or up to [[Exterminatus]] of lost races (e.g. Orks and Tyranids), in the guise of being for the Greater Good. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Twelve year old [[fluff]] (from &#039;&#039;[[Dawn of War]]&#039;&#039;, supported by [[Deathwatch]] supplements describing Achillus Crusade) has them &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;arbitrarily sterilizing the rebelling humans on Kronus once they come under the rule of the Tau Empire&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; sterilizing a group of humans attempting to revolt and distract Tau forces in the middle of a planet-wide, 6-way free-for-all (to be fair though, had it been anyone else they were revolting against, including the Imperials, those humans would be dead, [[Grimdark|most likely the slow and painful way, or even suffer such a terrible fate as to wish for death]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau Codex leaves ambiguous the question of just how much of their success is due to various forms of indoctrination, caste-based conditioning, and subtle mind control. This has only been exacerbated by the recent Farsight Enclaves supplement, which makes the Ethereals come off as mustache-twirling, Saturday-morning-cartoon villains. It speaks volumes about the 40k setting that in spite of all this they&#039;re &#039;&#039;still&#039;&#039; the friendliest race in the galaxy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Also, the Tau have twenty planets after a handful were eaten by Tyranids (discounting allied held worlds and worlds with little to no inhabitants on them). Despite this, fanfiction writers who somehow got hired by GW and Tau fans alike have this strange habit of treating them like a major faction. For instance, a galaxy ruling combined empire with the Imperum and Eldar usually includes the Tau because the writer doesn&#039;t realize the Tau are one of the smallest, most insignificant minor species in the galaxy. This isn&#039;t to insult them, they can always get stronger; it&#039;s just the plain truth, currently that is. The setting stretches millennia, so who knows how far they can go, hopefully they&#039;ll become more and grow experienced as time goes on assuming the setting doesn&#039;t fall into constant grind never proceeding to the next year for decades &#039;&#039;again&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the more hateful aspects of the Tau is that Games Workshop feels the need to make them seem viable as an army by having their power fluctuate wildly, for example, the Tau can easily subjugate Imperial Hive Worlds and deport its population so easily that it doesn&#039;t even get a footnote. You know, those planets in which the population of a single city shocked an Tau ambassador because &#039;&#039;the city&#039;s population was greater than the entirety of the Tau species&#039;&#039;? Imagine entire planets of those cities, cities in which everyone is an experienced killer (which is why Space Marines love recruiting from Hive Worlds), armed and ready to fling themselves at any invading xenos to purge them with extreme prejudice. These are the same worlds whose PDF is large enough to enforce Imperial rule, and so contribute massive numbers of Imperial Guard (on top of having their own substantial forces). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As an example of this, take the Battle of Mu&#039;gulath Bay, known as the Battle of Agrellan to the Imperium. This was a fight over a Hive World which the Tau won, how?  Using Riptide Battlesuits. According to GW, the Riptide&#039;s armor was impervious to nearly all anti-armor weaponry (lascannons, krak missiles, and heavy meltas are a threat to Baneblades and knights and heavier stuff can even threaten Titans, so we know this is bullshit). The kicker though, is that &#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;Deathstrike Missiles&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;did nothing&#039;&#039; when its shields were active. You know, the missiles &#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;Titans are afraid of&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039; and can vaporize armies? And can use Titan-killer warheads? &#039;&#039;&#039;Those Missiles&#039;&#039;&#039;. This is but one example, another goes back to the Taros campaign in which a Tau stronghold was mysteriously unable to be blown to hell by sustained bombardment from Colossus mortars and then the Tau &#039;&#039;sallied out&#039;&#039; to engage the Imperial forces and won. In addition, a lot of fights are won by their opponents being uncharacteristically stupid, for example in both the Taros Campaign and the Battle of Agrellan the Imperium suddenly forgets how to defend itself, its supply lines and in the second Damocles Gulf Crusade, engages the Tau using formations and tactics that cater to the Tau in the extreme (this is especially egregious in the finale), [[wat|and even has an assassin forget to use her gun to instantly kill her target]]. Even the Marines aren&#039;t immune to this sudden stupefying aura, as we have Space Marine Terminators wielding storm shields were shot and killed because they were too busy telling each other to raise their shields up to block the Tau&#039;s shots [[derp|instead of raising their shields up to block the fucking shots.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==&amp;quot;Naive Weeaboo Space Communists&amp;quot;==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Tau Weeaboo.png|thumb|right|Cue hotblooded music by [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r6xYnFDoV0 JAM Project].]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau&#039;s naiveté might seem at odds with the GRIMDARK-ness of the setting (and to a degree, a lot of it is), but the thing is, Games Workshop specifically plays this straight FOR the [[grimdark]] and &#039;&#039;knows&#039;&#039; that the seeming futility of the Tau&#039;s optimism only further accentuates the general hellishness of the rest of the galaxy - and dear [[Emperor|god]] do they play this up for maximum effect. In the 41st millennium, the Tau come across as &#039;&#039;more&#039;&#039; than a little naive to the other races; the Imperium sees any contact with aliens as heretical and will shoot them with [[bolter]] rounds as soon as they look at them; the [[Ork]]s just want to kick the shit out of things; and the [[Eldar]] see the Tau as young and powerful because of their technology but also as a race in its infancy, just staggering out of its borders for the first time and wandering into a pond full of [[Saharduin|sh]][[Dark Eldar|ar]][[Chaos|ks]].  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In older fluff, the Tau were implied to have been secretly uplifted by the Eldar through the creation and subtle control of the Etherals (especially the mind-influencing pheromone secreting gland at the base of Etherals’ spines) and guiding them through reverse-engineering Imperial technology from the ruined colony ships.  Eventually the Eldar abandoned them because the Tau never accomplished anything notable on their own due to a crippling lack of creativity.  Humans must be in physical contact with an Ethereal or perhaps subjected to heavy doses of the pheromone in other ways to be sufficiently affected but aliens are affected merely by being in the vicinity of an Ethereal. Whether this is canon or not now is uncertain.  It all probably is, seeing as it hasn’t been retconned/overwritten.  Or GW forgot about it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Putting it simply, there&#039;s an ongoing joke that the Tau are some of the most successful trolling performed in the history of mankind just by &#039;&#039;existing&#039;&#039;; a case of the company installing them just to mix things up whilst at the same time keeping them surprisingly on-level.&lt;br /&gt;
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The combination of the above fluff, however, paired with their highly advanced technology, generally &amp;quot;Asian&amp;quot; feel (their Fire Caste&#039;s combat doctrine is often reminiscent of Sun Tzu&#039;s &amp;quot;&#039;&#039;Art of War&#039;&#039;&amp;quot; - but derived from two distinct Tau hunting methods), use of [[Mecha|battlesuits]] (just [[Imperial Knight|like]] [[Dreadnought|the]] [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Imperium]]), [[Hammerhead Gunship|heavy firepower]] which rivals that of the Imperial Guard, and one of the [[Fish of Fury|most broken tactics in tabletop 40K until it was finally fixed an edition later]] has conspired to make them very much hated (and by that we mean a source of butthurt) by a reasonable-sized population of the [[/tg/|40K fan populace]], and /tg/ has rightly dubbed the Tau [[Weeaboo]] (as much due to their Asian-ness as anything else) as a result (even when people can use the same logic to point to the Imperium&#039;s xenophobia, the fanatical worship of the God-Emperor, extensive use of Mecha and suicide attacks, use of suicide attacks as punishment for dishonour, and fondness for over-the-top dialogue in general and conclude that the Imperium of Man is Imperial Japan in Space). As a dark twist on this inherent Asian-ness, a thread concerning lack of grimdark fan fluff on Tau led to the creation of [[Sept V&#039;iet]], the Viet Cong Tau.&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Tau fire warriors.jpg|490px|thumb|left|The [[Greater Good]]: translatable as [[Deal with it|&amp;quot;if you want to make an omelette, you gotta break some eggs.&amp;quot;]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
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And again in a case of much cultural confusion, the Tau are often considered [[Communism|communists]] (despite being a rigorous, hierarchical, near-eugenicist class society that would drive Marx into [[RAGE]]) due to their central philosophy of casting aside the self in favour of the Greater Good. This is partly because it&#039;s a nearly twenty year old meme by this point and memes that old are very stubborn about dying... and partly because we&#039;re a bunch of ignorant fucks. If anything the Tau more resemble the class system of Plato&#039;s &#039;&#039;Republic&#039;&#039; crossed with the caste system of India and [[Star_Trek#The_Federation|Star Trek&#039;s Federation]], and a little bit of facism as well (because they&#039;re the only ones in the entire galaxy who bother to try diplomacy with xenos rather than [[Exterminatus|exterminate]] them (partly because all but a few alien species are horrific space monsters that only a complete idiot would try to negotiate with)). &lt;br /&gt;
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Even then, the Tau has more in common with the Imperium than the noblebright space hippie Feds; they adhere to a highly strict doctrine of eugenics, as [[Love Can Bloom|all forms of love, sex or breeding between different castes]] are, translated from Tau lexicon into Gothic, &#039;&#039;&#039;[[HERESY]]&#039;&#039;&#039;. The Tau also have an explicit merchant caste as well as a single unified currency which is something that the Imperium of man very much does not have along with a system of standardised wage labour which makes them actually more Capitalist than the still stuck in Feudal Economics Imperium.  Contrast to the Craftworld Eldar who&#039;s society of post-scarcity voluntary labour actually is fully Communist, albeit there&#039;s still nobles entitled to bigger houses. &lt;br /&gt;
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As well, the Tau treat their [[Tau#Tau_Member_Races|non-Tau comrades]] as second-class citizens with no say in the Tau government, and demand them to abandon their old culture and conform to a Tau Empire, basically becoming like everyone else. Ergo, the Tau, despite not being the exterminate-all-other-species kind of racist, are still an ethnocentric, aristocratic empire pretending to be a Federation, not unlike Britain during their &#039;tenure&#039; as the rulers of India. &lt;br /&gt;
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To double the weebiness but to greatly decrease the communism connection, the Tau are remarkably similar to war-time era Imperial Japan. Not in terms of military doctrine but in terms of its geopolitics. Like Imperial Japan they&#039;re a young power situated in the east, relatively far from most of their possible rivals&#039; centres of power. Like Imperial Japan they have a seemingly nice enough doctrine in terms of rhetoric; &amp;quot;Greater Good&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Co-Prosperity Sphere&amp;quot;; but in terms of practise what it means is that they want to replace the old empires in the region with their own.  Like Imperial Japan they&#039;re at a significant disadvantage in terms of production power compared to their most serious rivals in the region, and hope to compensate for that by tactical superiority and winning big decisive battles to topple the old powers.  &lt;br /&gt;
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To further solidify the connections to Japan in the early 20th century, the Tau Empire even borrows some terminology, such as &amp;quot;spheres&amp;quot; of expansion, a firm belief that despite their grotesque material inferiority to their primary enemies the power of their ideals and their superior willpower shall overcome their enemies all, and a dogged insistence on picking fights it probably can&#039;t win. Imperial Japan knew that America alone had nearly twelve times the industrial power, with Britain having thrice Japan&#039;s military-industrial might, France just about matching theirs, and the Soviets having four times that, and even China; despite being a wartorn barely functional shithole, could be a quagmire for it. But Japan didn&#039;t give a shit because they thought that they were so awesome they could somehow get all these people to surrender through a combination of being better at war than their soft, mewling enemies and that they simply believed in their destiny to rule the waves more than anyone else did. Much like how the Tau is fully aware that the Imperium, the Orks, the Necrons, and the Tyranids could all squash them flat in a stand up fight, but believe this is immaterial because their belief in the greater good shall overcome all and they have mastered the ways of war while their foes are mired in ignorance. &lt;br /&gt;
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What is for sure though is that, whatever part of the terribly suited to analysing politics outside of the modern era one-dimensional spectrum of political agenda they are on (probably wherever you&#039;d put Imperial Japan during world war two), the Tau government is mainly oligarchical, with the vast majority of political power concentrated in the Ethereal caste. This is further driven home by the fact there is a Tau splinter faction led by one of their two best generals alive, Commander [[Farsight]] of the Farsight Enclaves, whose government is a non-caste society seemingly devoid of merchants, meritocratic semi-democracy. The problem is, until people stop dragging him out of his self-imposed exile to fight Tyranids, Orks, and other Tau, he&#039;s a dictator the way Optimus Prime is sometimes depicted. Farsight&#039;s government is one most certainly [[RAGE|NOT recognized by the Tau Empire]], who have finally gotten around to dispatching a fleet to silence them. &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;This, of course, is [[Advancing_the_Storyline|imminent plot stuff that will never happen]] because it&#039;s always the 41st millennium.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; nope, GeeDubs &#039;&#039;finally&#039;&#039; decided to move the plot forward, thankfully. We still have yet to see the outcome of this fleet dispatch, though.&lt;br /&gt;
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However, the new codex has HEAVILY downplayed their naiveté, bringing back the original codex mention that the Ethereals have officially declared some species &amp;quot;[[Exterminatus|lost causes]]&amp;quot; and that the [[Greater Good]] demands they be killed to the last.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Orks]] were the first of the big players of 40k to get this treatment. They pretty much were the only serious competition Tau had before they discovered the Imperium, and it only took them a few weeks of study to realize the fact that Orks are beyond reason or sanity.  They still have not realized that their encounters with Orks have merely been minute numbers of stragglers.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Tyranids]] unsurprisingly ended up on &amp;quot;shoot on sight&amp;quot; list pretty much after the first contact.  Like with Orks, the Tau are unaware of the small force of Tyranids they have experienced and that the main fleet they &amp;quot;destroyed&amp;quot; has since come back stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Eldar]] briefly were on the list too, owning this to the first contact being made by the Commorites, and not just any, but [[Urien Rakarth]] himself. It took some nuked Exodite world and Craftworld intervention for tau to realize that not all space-elves are insane rapists and scratch them off the list.  Probably more encouraged by the Eldar effortlessly curbstomping them than actually carring that they shot the wrong Spelves.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Space Marines]] seem to be entering the list as of the second Damocles war. The reason is not because it&#039;s impossible to reason with them, but because after some intense Water caste psychoanalysis and Nagi &amp;quot;mind-[[rape|ripping]]&amp;quot; they pretty much declared that astartes aren&#039;t &#039;&#039;people&#039;&#039; but merely a &#039;&#039;weapon&#039;&#039; and as such have no place in Tau&#039;Va.  Since this means they ignore the [[Blood Angels|artistic]], [[Thousand Sons|scholarly]], [[Word Bearers|philosophical]], and [[Ultramarines|administrative]] aspects of being Astartes intended to give them purpose after the Great Crusade ended the Tau are probably just scared shitless of Space Marines and the sheer inspiration their presence brings even off the battlefield.&lt;br /&gt;
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To sum it up, the Tau Empire is still an expansionist empire prone to using military force, but far better than almost every other polity in the setting, as it permits others to exist with rather lenient standards, and isn&#039;t dedicated to the purposeful extinction of all other life in the galaxy.  On the other hand, they don’t care if you’re some primitive feral species or a peaceful member of a species they have decided to be a lost cause.  Also, as a result of surviving attacks from the major factions in the galaxy yet being blissfully unaware that those were merely tiny brushes or stragglers of vastly larger forces, the Tau believe they have proven they can truly hold their own in the galaxy against all the major players.  As of Eighth Edition they were corrected quite painfully due to the opening of the Great Rift and the loss of most of their Fourth Sphere Expansion forces to a Warp rift, and following a massive Chaos invasion they have been forced to face the possibility that their empire might have bitten off more than it can chew. &lt;br /&gt;
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Ironically, if their tech really is reverse-engineered Imperial tech (science-wise), it might not be heresy to... take it back.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Military Doctrine==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:TauTyr2.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Close-quarters painting [[Drawfag|strikes again.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau disdain [[Choppy|melee]] [[Rip and tear|combat]] in favour of [[Shooty|ranged combat]], which renders them instantaneously [[Matt Ward|less manly]] in the eyes of most of /tg/&#039;s playerbase. The reasons behind this are complicated. Generally, Tau see hand to hand combat in warfare as an anachronism, which makes sense, considering their basic guns can rip apart tank side armour, and compared to almost all other major races Tau have less muscle strength and reaction speed, which makes them ineffective in melee even if they are trained. &lt;br /&gt;
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Even the last reason alone is enough to avoid close combat, seeing as [[Necrons]] use similar logic, despite their [[Necron Warrior|Warriors]] and [[Necron Immortal|Immortals]] being much stronger and tougher, and actually highly trained in close combat, but equally as slow, though if the Necrons do want to get into melee, they&#039;re certainly not lacking in specialists. That said, Tau do practice martial arts, but only for ritual purposes - Fire Warrior trials and rites involve knives and swords, while Ethereals have a tradition of fighting non-lethal duels to settle disputes, using sharp bladed weapons no less, so they are often quite good with their fencing style, as [[Aun&#039;Shi]] has shown to some unfortunate Orks.&lt;br /&gt;
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Some people think Tau military doctrine has been hit hard with the same [[grimdark|stupidity]] nerf bat as every other fieldable army; every other faction has some reason for their material to be as limited as they would be in a fantasy setting, but the Tau have widespread education, unlike Men and Orks; reasonable access to production facilities relative to their population, unlike Necrons and Eldar; and are capable of coherent research and development, unlike Tyranids and Daemons. &lt;br /&gt;
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For fluff reasons which have never been explained (the crunch reason is obvious), they have the same motif as every other army of equipment often being more valuable than the person wielding it, leading to most personnel being fielded with &amp;quot;inferior&amp;quot; equipment. The most obvious example of this is that they always, under whatever circumstance, field infantry in simple combat armour rather than some sort of battlesuit - its only advantage is having less bulk, as the Tau have a reason not to build larger transports to cope with the shitloads of battlesuits they could deploy instead. &lt;br /&gt;
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This argument is analogous to saying that real-world militaries should only use armored vehicles and not have infantry, and says more about fa/tg/uy ignorance than Tau doctrine. The Tau likely practice economy of force, which has consequences both on and off the battlefield. Sending excessive amounts of force at a target is wasteful, as the excess firepower would be more useful elsewhere. If one only has a XV8 Battlesuits and no infantry, but a swarm of grots in a nearby pass needs to be taken out, they have no choice but to commit a very valuable unit to a task far beneath its worth. This is also an economic matter, as lower power units are cheaper and the Tau do not have an infinite supply of the rare materials needed to produce the strongest Battlesuits. &lt;br /&gt;
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One could easily field a number of fire warriors for far less than the cost of a single battlesuit, and considering many foes will fall beneath &amp;quot;mere&amp;quot; infantry, any cost-aware faction would prefer the infantry&#039;s use over an expensive battlesuit. Similarly, when it comes to occupying or garrisoning territory, numbers of soldiers is significantly more important than quality of soldiers as they need to cover ground and establish a presence. In other words, they are the army who most resemble modern forces in terms of strategy, and mixed armies of infantry, armor and support elements are a good combination. And who the fuck can with a straight face call a pulse rifle and carapace grade armour &amp;quot;inferior equipment&amp;quot;? The view their equipment or doctrine is nerfed also ignores that armies have to replace lost and damaged equipment as well as actually get that equipment to the troops or they&#039;re absolutely fucked. An expensive army of battlesuits is lovely right until combat losses alongside wear and tear reach a point where the empires production can&#039;t keep up with losses or supply problems mean they don&#039;t reach the front (armies in 40k have been shown running low on ammo something far easier to produce and transport in large numbers than battlesuits). A army based around soldiers armed with &amp;quot;cheap&amp;quot; rifles and armour is a lot easier to produce and keep in the field even in the face of casualties or supply problems. &lt;br /&gt;
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The Tau&#039;s superior [[Dakka|firepower]] is similar to that of the [[Imperial Guard]], but their strategy is different in that they tend to rely less on mass warfare and more on sophisticated technical support (drones, stealth technology, railguns), with an emphasis on tactical precision, mobility, and the initiative of individual squads of units, much like how modern warfare is waged (apparently if the Imperial Guard learned from Tau tacticians and fought with modern tactics instead of zergrushing everything then they would have been the most powerful army in the galaxy, but no, that ain&#039;t GRIMDARK and AWESOME enough [unless you&#039;re [[Lord Solar Macharius|Macharius]]]). Their military doctrine is not based on winning by attrition and/or throwing out quality tactics in favour of absorbing and dishing out heavy shocks in bloody epic clusterfucks like the Imperials, Orks and early World War II-era Soviet Russia. (Unless you count the later war &amp;quot;deep warfare&amp;quot;, which is actually the combat doctrine the Tau ripped off. 40k really seems to like the Russians...) &lt;br /&gt;
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Rather, they use infiltration and their sophisticated battlesuits to [[Anal Circumference|bypass enemy strong points and launch deep into their rear]], cutting supply lines and logistics, destroying headquarters and support units, leaving enemies cut off and functionally helpless. There are numerous examples of Tau literally starving and/or thirsting entire armies to death by cutting out their supply lines, while simultaneously harassing them with night raids, ambushes and air strikes to the point the survivors are leaderless, demoralized, out of ammo and fuel, and can barely stand due to exhaustion. The [[Imperial_Armour_Volume_Three:_The_Taros_Campaign#Volume_Three_-_The_Taros_Campaign|Taros]] campaign is a prime example of these tactics (and of the Imperium&#039;s strategic stupidity).&lt;br /&gt;
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Of course, these kinds of tactics only work fine against more convenient armies like the Imperial Guard or Orks. When it comes to Space Marines and Eldar, who sport mostly aerial/warp/webway supply lines, operate as elite armies without obvious weak spots to exploit, have similar or superior tactical mobility and badass officers that can survive most assassination attempts, Tau lose huge parts of their usual advantages (but get the numerical superiority in return). Against utterly unconventional foes, like Tyranids, Daemons or Necrons... well, all times they faced such foes, Tau either devised some entirely new strategies, or lost horribly.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:TauTyr.jpg|thumb|left|300px|90% of Tau [[dakka]] comes in the form of [[Plasma|pretty blue lights.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau, again, boast some of the most powerful ranged weaponry on the tabletop game, and can crank out more concentrated firepower than any other faction with the lone exception of the Imperial Guard and maybe the orks if you only count number of bullets in the air, and even then, the Tau&#039;s weapons hit quite a bit harder. They have pathetic hand-to-hand combat skills, however, and so the Tau bolster this by using several inducted races (the [[Kroot]], Vespid, and even some [[Gue&#039;vesa|humans cut off from the Imperium during the Damocles Crusade]]) to act as buffers against assault troops to allow Tau Fire Warrior teams and their heavy, long-ranged firepower to tear enemies apart. The most pivotal, and perhaps most infamous, part of the Tau army are their [[Battlesuit|Battlesuits]], which can mount multiple heavy weapon systems and provide excellent mobility to their pilots, all on a fairly durable unit. &lt;br /&gt;
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They also have an extremely powerful navy, though not quite as formidable as the Imperium&#039;s, if largely because of number differences. Tau air units are among the best in the game, with aircraft superior or equal to Imperial Guard equivalents, including a stealth fighter, multipurpose heavy fighter, a superheavy fighter with guns that can one-shot a Titan, and their own [[Manta|Titan-equivalent]] (which is a small starship). Unlike the Imperium, they usually deploy swarms upon swarms of flyers, with only Orks, Tyranids, and Necrons able to rival them in numbers when things come to dogfights—kind of the way the Imperial fleets&#039; atmospheric support craft were supposed to work if fleet officers weren&#039;t a bunch of assholes who do everything they can to provide as little air support as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
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On defense, the Tau are a bit unusual: they leave only token garrisons at their colonies to protect them. These garrisons are intended for scouting rather than combat, avoiding engagement in order to observe and report on invaders using Pathfinders, scanning towers, and drones. Because the Tau have fairly powerful spacefleets and usually keep their forces within reasoned distance of potential hotspots, any potential threat can be quickly dealt with by organizing a hunter cadre to be sent to deal with the situation. For those of you who don&#039;t get it, it&#039;s Frederick the Great&#039;s &amp;quot;he who tries to protect everything protects nothing&amp;quot; strategy. &lt;br /&gt;
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Of course, this strategy means Tau must have some worlds actually being heavily defended - and in fact they do. Sept worlds tend to be guarded by some nasty space stations and garrisoned by an unreasonable amounts of hunter cadres and auxiliary troops, which allows them to act as major defensive nodes from which response fleets are dispatched and to which evacuation fleets rally (think feudal Japan style castles from which commanders would send trained garrisons out to protect the lands around it from encroaching armies), and in case some really scary shit like an Imperial crusade or a Tyranid hive-fleet comes into the sept, it is on the sept world where the decisive battle is fought (See the First Damocles Crusade for an example of this tactic in action). &lt;br /&gt;
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This has, however, backfired on occasion, since it does mean that the Tau garrisons are very vulnerable in the initial stages of an attack. It also makes them very vulnerable to Orphean War style rapid assaults where the attacker is advancing so quickly the defender doesn&#039;t even have time to relay the news that they&#039;re under attack to the rest of their army. While the Tau haven&#039;t yet faced something like the Maynarkh Dynasty, they are awfully close to the Sautekh Dynasty and Imotekh is a noted cantankerous asshole and egotistical conqueror.&lt;br /&gt;
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A rare advantage the Tau have is their willingness to change military strategy. As examples, look at how they changed tactics in reaction to the [[Damocles Crusade]] by the Imperium of Man, and even built an entirely new space fleet to match humans in straight-on space fights, or their unusual but effective choice of switching to older weapons when dealing with [[Hive Fleet Gorgon]].&lt;br /&gt;
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==Fleet==&lt;br /&gt;
In the old fluff, Tau used to have a reverse-engineered imperial warp drives, tuned to only skim the surface of the warp and bounce back to materium after a short while. New fluff on the other hand retconned that, by giving them what is called &amp;quot;slingshot drive&amp;quot; for their FTL, and from what little fluff we have on it, it looks like the actual warp drive (in the modern physics meaning, i.e. warped time-space bubble). The practical applications, however, are the same in both new and old fluff - Tau FTL is much slower than the Imperium&#039;s, but is predictable, reliable, and not affected by warp storms (a big deal, given Tau spent half of their history inside one). As a result, Tau are capable of building proper interstellar logistics lines, ones the Administratum can only dream of, but their strategic mobility is &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;lacking functionally superior to&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt;...different compared to pretty much every other faction (even the non-Warp drive using FTL factions are different; the Necrons and Eldar teleport while the Tyranids bring their production power with them). &lt;br /&gt;
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Additionally, Slingshot drives are rather big, heavy and power-hungry, even compared to the Warp drive (which takes up a 1/3rd of a smaller imperial ships). As a result, escort-class Tau spacecraft are built without FTL drives and are hooked to bigger ships for the purpose of interstellar travel, which basically make them equivalents of the Imperium&#039;s system monitor ships, with the same benefits (cheap, compact and too fast, powerful or durable for their size) without their major downside (being incapable of FTL flight). The Tau also have to concentrate their forces on an interplanetary scale; they can&#039;t throw a bunch of ships into a warzone from halfway across the galaxy as orks and humans can.&lt;br /&gt;
Tau empire have two fleets:&lt;br /&gt;
*Kor&#039;Vatra, or &amp;quot;merchant fleet&amp;quot;, is made of older modular ships that double as merchant and colony vessels (hence the name). One of their main shticks is huge arcs of fire for most gun batteries, with side batteries easily covering front arc, and nose batteries covering all but the stern - as a result, while Kor&#039;vatra Ships may not have as much firepower as Imperial or Ork ones, they can focus more of it on one target. On the flip side, merchant ships while decently fast at sub-light, are not very agile, and must rely on escort wings and auxiliary fleets against more maneuverable foes. Even after the founding of Kor&#039;Or&#039;Vesh, Kor&#039;Vatra still see a lot of military use, especially against the Imperium, &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;precisely&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; because it&#039;s regarded as non-military fleet, so Tau diplomats could tell their imperial colleagues &amp;quot;What battle cruisers on your orbit are you talking about? It&#039;s just our merchant vessels, moving goods to and from our trade missions&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
*Kor&#039;Or&#039;Vesh, or &amp;quot;combat fleet&amp;quot; is a newer fleet, made for battling Imperium&#039;s fleet in straight up battle, after Kor&#039;Vatra get run over during Damocles crusade. Made out of more compact, maneuverable and better armored ships, it may lack Kor&#039;Vatra&#039;s wide arks of fire, but is superior in every other regard, and as Taros and second Damocles campaigns showed it is more then capable of fighting off humans even if outnumbered.&lt;br /&gt;
Both fleets use largely the same technologies - railguns as (by tau standard) short-ranged high damage gun batteries, ion cannons as long range beams (lance equivalent), and above all, their brokenly-powerful ordinance second only to Eldar ones (and available in far greater numbers) - Mantas, Barracudas and EMP drone-torpedoes reign supreme at extreme ranges, gaining Tau navy the same reputation their ground armies have. Because their ordinance is so powerful, most Tau ships tend towards carrier and torpedo boat archetype, and suffer horribly if enemy comes within macro-cannon or god-forbid boarding range (that is IF they manage to come that close).&lt;br /&gt;
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==Non-combat Fluff==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tau city.jpg|450px|thumb|right|Contrary to what [[Imperium of Man|some]] believe, what this picture shows might just be the future for the entire galaxy if the Tau [[Great Crusade|get their way.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau were a new race/culture found by the Imperium of Man during their &amp;quot;slash and burn&amp;quot; exploration of their galactic neighborhood. The Tau were still pastoral, had just discovered flint tools and charcoal, and the Imperium had them scheduled for &amp;quot;[[Grimdark|routine cleansing]]&amp;quot; (Low Gothic for “ruthless genocide”) to make sure they never got off-world and developed into an entity capable of threatening humanity. Needless to say, that plan was promptly [[derp|fucked up]]. By an unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on your feelings towards a species&#039; right to not be mercilessly exterminated for no reason whatsoever) coincidence which almost certainly involved the dickery of [[Tzeentch]] or [[Cegorach]] or [[The Deceiver|something]], a warp storm occluded the Tau homeworld, so nobody could get in or out. Since the Tau were virtually invisible in the warp, the warp storm didn&#039;t have much of an effect on them as they were immune to the influences of Chaos. &lt;br /&gt;
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[[FAIL|The sector was labeled &amp;quot;lost to Chaos,&amp;quot;]] and cleansing was [[What|deferred indefinitely]]. Then [[Age of Apostasy|this shit]] happened, and almost all records about Tau were lost in the ensuring [[Rape|clusterfuck]] of civil war. Only the Adeptus Mechanicus still had records of this first contact when the storm died down 6,000 years later. The Damocles Crusade relocated the Tau, who were completely untouched by the warp storm and now using interstellar colony ships and pulse rifles. The extermination order still stood—it was just going to be much more difficult than the Imperium expected, seeing as the Tau, instead of [[C.S. Goto|throwing spears and rocks at their tanks]] and Space Marines, were now throwing [[ion cannon|ion charges]], [[plasma|plasma blasts]], and [[railgun|electromagnetically-accelerated hypervelocity projectiles]] at their tanks and Space Marines.&lt;br /&gt;
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Tau history is pretty typical up through the iron-age: a knack for engineering, warfare between &amp;quot;urban&amp;quot; farmers and &amp;quot;barbarian&amp;quot; nomads, and unrestrained growth causing a series of plagues, leading to a dark age. Here&#039;s where things go sideways, though the Tau see it as the start of their endless Golden Age: the arrival of the Ethereals. Legend tells of a five-year siege at the castle of Fio&#039;taun, with both sides starving and succumbing to disease, when two foreign Tau entered the battlefield. One went to the castle, the other to the barbarian tribes. Each of these Tau had a quiet grace and irresistible authority. In just a few hours, the castle was persuaded to open their gates, and the barbarians laid down their weapons, and both parties met to parley a truce. &lt;br /&gt;
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These strange Tau called themselves &amp;quot;Ethereals,&amp;quot; and stressed the importance of peace and understanding between all Tau. They described a &amp;quot;Greater Good&amp;quot; that each Tau must strive towards. Soon after, soon enough to seem simultaneous, more of these strange new Tau emerged across the continent with their message of peace and co-operation for all Tau. Their quiet authority was always respected, and their message of harmony was universally embraced. Wait a minute, [[God-Emperor of Mankind|I&#039;ve seen this]] [[Great Crusade|historical pattern before]]....&lt;br /&gt;
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Perhaps uniquely for the setting, Tau-human interactions bear the whiff of realpolitik. On the one hand, the Imperium wants to exterminate them &#039;&#039;eventually&#039;&#039;, but the upper management generally realizes that the Tau are going to be a giant drain of resources and manpower to get rid of, given the stiff resistance they put up in [[Damocles Crusade|previous campaigns]] and their [[Riptide|uniformly]] [[railgun|advanced]] [[battlesuit|technology]]. Furthermore, they serve as a useful buffer state against various threats on the Eastern Fringe, from Orks and Chaos raiders to Tyranid hive fleets to alien forces the Imperium hasn&#039;t had (recorded) contact with. Their existence deflects danger from Imperial space, and in a place and time when the Imperium is [[Time of Ending|coming under attack from all sides]], that&#039;s more important than dogma.&lt;br /&gt;
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This strategy is not unique to the Tau only though, as the Imperium allows countless other (much more dangerous) xeno empires to prosper in the Eastern Fringe to serve as an ablative shield against much nastier shit. Amongst those is (for example) the Charadon ork empire, which is older than the Imperium and spawns a Waaagh! or two per millennium (even with the routine warboss assasination raids that the Ultramarines make). Even after the emergence of the genius warboss Snagrod and his Waagh on Rynn no one cared to issue a crusade against them. So yeah, the Tau empire is not even close to being spotted by the High Lords, not to mention recognized as a threat dangerous enough to actually do something about.&lt;br /&gt;
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Conversely, the Tau have realized just how massive an undertaking expanding through the entire universe would really be, and are taking it slow. They mostly absorb Imperial buffer worlds stripped of manpower and armament in the face of massive redeployments to face other threats, offering the Empire&#039;s protection in return for annexation and outright conquering the places that don&#039;t take the deal. The Tau have claimed that they are engaging in this sort of aggressive behavior because &#039;&#039;someone&#039;s&#039;&#039; going to [[Tyranids|gobble]] those settlements up sooner or later, and if &#039;&#039;they&#039;&#039; don&#039;t do it, then whoever does won&#039;t be [[Exterminatus|nearly as nice about it]]. While baldly self-serving, that logic is...well, mostly correct, really.&lt;br /&gt;
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There&#039;s no lost love between the Imperium and the Tau, but open full-scale war is probably unlikely in the near-future.&lt;br /&gt;
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And then the Second Damocles Crusade happened.... even the imperium isn&#039;t that stupid, so this almost certainly involves that tricky dick Tzeench trying to stop the greater good from ruining all his plans. ...Or nurgle...or, well any of the ruinous powers really. Or that ancient scheming old sperg [[Eldrad]], for that matter.&lt;br /&gt;
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Looking at the new galactic map, where the Tau are now sandwiched between their own eye of terror and a Necron dynasty, they are soon to be fucked.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== Castes ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Commander HawkEye.jpg|thumb|290px|right|&amp;lt;s&amp;gt;Join the Greater Good, lose your virginity to a hot alien babe!&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Unapproved of sexual contact is an offence to the greater good Gue&#039;La. Now get back to work or you won&#039;t get your overtime pay! ]]&lt;br /&gt;
Tau society after the arrival of Ethereals was organized into castes; everyone with a place, and a place for everyone. [[Love Can Bloom|Interbreeding between castes and Xenos races]] is one of the most severe crimes in the Empire, in other words, [[Heresy]]. This was outlawed by the [[Ethereal]]s presumably to preserve the biological differences between castes, and as part of this effort they have taken over the practice of sex entirely. Tau society has been manipulated so that Tau do not form romantic bonds of a long-lasting nature and do not even consider sex to be anything other than a state-mandated act meant only, like everything else, to serve society and the Greater Good. In essence, Tau are conditioned to never have sex until and unless their superiors say they are worth breeding. &lt;br /&gt;
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Their superiors pick their breeding partners (the Tau get NO input into this) and the couple basically spends a few days off from work screwing around before going their separate ways to never see each other again. If a Tau did somehow get over their social conditioning and thought of sex as something more than a mandated duty, they&#039;d be [[Blam|punished/killed for illegal activities/perversion]]. An Imperial genetor&#039;s report in the fourth edition Tau codex observes the presence of synthetic proteins in Tau internal organs and suggests them as evidence that their evolution has been accelerated, though he might have been confused by synthetic proteins that the Tau were given. [[/tg/]] seems to be under the strong impression that they are mammals, as you can see in the picture further down the page, despite the complete implausibility of this theory. The frequent [[/d/|sexualization]] of the Tau by fa/tg/uys is a mystery to many, but clearly not all. [[PROMOTIONS|Not nearly enough]], in fact.&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Fire|Fire Caste}} Shas (Fire) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Fire Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; consists of the various [[Fire Warrior|warriors]] of the Tau Empire. The miniatures of a Tau army in a [[Warhammer 40,000]] game are almost exclusively Fire Caste. Other castes think Shas are overly-aggressive hotheads due to their tendency to solve all problems by applying more plasma (when Tau encountered other sentient species, Fire Caste representatives immediately voted to hunt down and exterminate them, just like they hunted down dangerous local life forms on the other world they colonized), although for Humans and Eldar, who&#039;s history knows numerous [[Wyches|kinky]], [[Haemonculus|horrid]], [[World_Eaters|Earthshatteringly mad]], [[Night_Lords|batshit insane]], [[Blood Angels|bloodthirsty]] individuals and groups, mention of the &amp;quot;Aggressively Hotheaded&amp;quot; Tau would end up with them collectively pointing fingers and laughing at them. On the other hand, it also shows how calm and disciplined other castes are. &lt;br /&gt;
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They are taller than Earth Caste Tau, and physically stronger than the Air and Water Castes, though still shorter and weaker than a typical Human. They pretty much compensate for this by giving their basic Fire Warrior a [[pulse rifle]], which is sort of like an automatic sniper-[[plasma]] gun, and employ heavily armed and sophisticated battlesuits for their elite infantry. Oh yeah, and [[Railgun]]s. Company -sized Tau forces are called &amp;quot;Hunter Cadres&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Earth|Earth Caste}} Fio (Earth) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Earth Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; are the laborers and engineers; they are the &amp;quot;civilians&amp;quot; of Tau society. Their appearance can vary widely, though other Tau would describe them as &amp;quot;plain.&amp;quot; They all have a stoic outlook, with little ambition other than to excel in their career of choice and work for the Greater Good. Unlike the Imperial worker classes, whose quality of life generally &#039;&#039;starts&#039;&#039; at working 14-hour days seven days a week while living off of dried, recycled dung chips and goes [[Such is life on Volg|&#039;&#039;downhill from there&#039;&#039;]], the Earth caste is mostly concerned with technological planning and engineering. &lt;br /&gt;
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They have robots to do the grunt work. The Farsight Enclaves field some Earth Caste pilots for their battlesuits, demonstrating their more flexible caste systems and/or their desperation for manpower. Doing so makes them &#039;&#039;even worse&#039;&#039; in close-combat than Tau already are, but they make up for it with technical training and tweaks to the suits&#039; software and mechanics, re-rolling missed shots and equipment failures.&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Air|Air Caste}} Kor (Air) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Air Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; are the intermediaries between Tau. In more primitive times they served as messengers and couriers, and sometimes scouts/explorers, gliding on membranous anatomical surfaces through T&#039;au&#039;s atmosphere. When the Tau started exploring offworld, it was the Air Caste that took charge of the vessels traveling between the stars. Now the Air Caste are the Tau stellar navy/airforce/mailmen, piloting the Empire&#039;s various carriers, warships, and emissary cruisers. Air caste Tau tend to be tall and slender like runners or dancers, and this is frequently exaggerated by the years the Tau navy spends in low-gravity. &lt;br /&gt;
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They are much less likely to be eaten by [[daemon]]s due to a faulty Geller Field than their Imperial equivalents, but only because their ships are much slower, using a &amp;quot;slingshot drive&amp;quot; to temporarily enter the Warp and bounce back into real space. Despite their slender stature and lack of muscle mass, Air caste pilots are extremely resistant to G-force, making them excellent void and atmospheric fighter pilots (simultaneously, as small Tau voidcraft also double as atmospheric craft).&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Water|Water Caste}} Por (Water) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Water Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; are the emissaries to non-Tau. They are diplomats, merchants, civil servants. The most open-minded Tau can be found among the Water caste, with some even showing individual ambition (but still for the greater good of the Tau Empire). When a new culture is encountered, the Water caste are sent in first to negotiate. If talks break down, the Water caste are withdrawn from the area and it&#039;s time for the Fire Caste to then start negotiating with pulse weapon fire. Also, unlike their Imperial equivalents in bureaucracy, the [[Administratum]], they are brisk, efficient, and very good at their jobs. No dumping valuable ammo on an uninhabited dust world because no one signed the paperwork not to. &lt;br /&gt;
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It&#039;s a less known fact that Pors also run the Tau intelligence and espionage network, and Por&#039;Os and Por&#039;Els from this branch are pretty much Tau Inquisitors except more competent, much saner, and not nearly as good at kicking asses personally. As of the second Damocles Crusade the Imperium has designated the Water caste as a primary threat above any other Tau caste, as their subterfuge, diplomacy and propaganda has cost the Imperium more worlds and manpower than the Fire and Air caste&#039;s military prowess combined, and they even managed to totally outplay the Inquisition on its own field, which royally pissed them off.&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Ethereal|Ethereal Caste}} Aun (Ethereal) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Ethereal Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; are basically the philosopher-kings described by Plato in &amp;quot;The Republic&amp;quot;. They are selfless and always focused on what is best for the Greater Good (&amp;quot;Tau&#039;va&amp;quot;) for all Tau and every Tau without exception. The Ethereals are inspirational to all Tau caste members, and merely being near one will inspire a Tau soldier, engineer, pilot, or diplomat to work harder. &lt;br /&gt;
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In the case of the Fire Caste, some Ethereals accompany hunter cadres in battle during important deployments so as to better lead/inspire the troops, which works because all Tau in the combat zone will fight to their bitter deaths. They also seem to have semi-magical powers (don&#039;t ask how they work, none of the Tau know themselves) that allow Tau around them to do special things, like running while shooting. The [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] theorizes that the respect the Ethereal Caste gets from all other Tau is caused by a pheromone. &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTAU......&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
Also, &#039;&#039;[[Xenology]]&#039;&#039; relates a story from a major, insectoid race called the [[Q&#039;Orl]] which alleges that the [[Eldar]] stole one of their queens. Given that these queens have a magic, yellow, diamond-shaped sack that produces mind-control pheromones…well, let&#039;s just say the characters in the story figure it out quickly enough. There is a theory that the Ethereals themselves are also affected by their own pheromones, which could explain why they&#039;re so selfless and uncorrupted despite their absolute power. &lt;br /&gt;
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This can also be supported by the (old as fuck and likely retconned) novelization of [[Warhammer_40,000:_Fire_Warrior|Fire Warrior]], where the Ethereal character has a pretty level head and chipper demeanor despite having been [[Anal_Circumference|repeatedly captured and tortured by both the Inquisition and Chaos, watching his diplomatic retinue chopped up by a Chaos Lord, and mind-raped by said Chaos Lord all in the span of roughly two days.]] Either he&#039;s a stoic old motherfucker, or he&#039;s just too busy tripping his blue balls on his own pheromones to give a shit.&lt;br /&gt;
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8th ed has a particularly interesting story in it and it proves without a shadow of a doubt: the Ethereal caste does use some kind of mind-altering substance or influence on the Tau. During a meeting with Commander O&#039;Ryn and Aun&#039;Va (who is a solid hologram controlled by an AI at this point) in the planet of Junica, their location was ambushed by Chaos forces and Aun&#039;Va (or the AI acting like Aun&#039;Va) ordered O&#039;Ryn to send her forces on what&#039;s essentially a suicide mission. O&#039;Ryn, not seeing the point of throwing her and her soldiers&#039; lives at such a hopeless battle, actually &#039;&#039;defied&#039;&#039; the command of an ethereal (and the space pope himself, no less) and retreated. &lt;br /&gt;
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O&#039;Ryn was eventually declared a renegade and Farsight took her in, but it does indeed prove that the unflinching and unquestioning loyalty and fanaticism that the ethereals&#039; physical presence inspire on nearby Tau aren&#039;t due to their charisma or the Tau&#039;s indoctrination, and instead on something more sinister. To put this into perspective: O&#039;Ryn has been the first Tau since Farsight to actively defy an ethereal&#039;s command and the main reason she was able to do so was because she was speaking to an AI-controlled drone, instead of the actual space pope.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Tau Names===&lt;br /&gt;
Tau have ridiculously long, detailed and actually meaningful names. Their names contain their caste, rank, birth sept, and one or more nicknames earned by them through the course of their lives. Fluff does say that they &#039;&#039;do&#039;&#039; have birth names, but those are only used before tau earn at least one appropriate nickname, as a name given to them by comrades is considered more valuable than one just chosen by random at their birth. The nickname part and it&#039;s importance surprisingly is actually taken from the Roman culture, which is weird, given most Tau culture tend to be based on China and Japan (except for their social and government structures which are copied almost verbatim from Plato&#039;s Republic). &lt;br /&gt;
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Also, do note the lack of last names, which is expected, since Tau society pretty much have no institute of a family, with children being raised in a centralized facilities apart from their parents. As tau grow, move through ranks and achieve respect of his comrades his name changes appropriately, switching the rank part, adding new nicknames and sometimes dropping the old and outdated ones. For example, when Farsight was still a lowly fire warrior, his name was &#039;&#039;&#039;Shas&#039;La Vior&#039;La Shoh&#039;&#039;&#039; (Fire Caste Private of the Hot-Blooded sept Inner Light), and at the &amp;quot;present days&amp;quot; &#039;&#039;&#039;Shas&#039;O Vior&#039;La Shovah Kais Mont&#039;yr&#039;&#039;&#039; (Fire Caste Commander of the Hot-Blooded sept Farsight Skillful Blooded). How the fuck Tau bureaucracy is able to keep track of their population with their names constantly changing is a mystery, but it seems they have no problem with that, probably because they just track ID numbers when names are too much of an issue like most sane people who work with databases.&lt;br /&gt;
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For the sake of convenience Tau often use shortened versions of names, almost always dropping the sept part and secondary nicknames, and if speaking within one caste the caste part too, so in the case of Farsight other fire warriors could refer to him as O&#039;Shovah, while for example an Ethereal would call him Shas&#039;O&#039;Shovah (assuming Farsight allows this given his seething hatred of Ethereals, he&#039;s the type who&#039;d force them to use his full name out of spite). Humans and other non-Tau often get this system wrong and shorten the names in a ways that make little sense: for example, Imperium&#039;s Taros invasion force thought the Taros&#039; chief Ethereal&#039;s name was Aun&#039;El, which was only his caste and rank, and as the book was mostly written from the Imperium&#039;s standpoint, we still don&#039;t know what was his actual name.&lt;br /&gt;
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One final stroke of Tau naming, is that as they abandon their true (birth) names it makes them even more resistant to sorcery and daemonic powers that often require target&#039;s true name to amplify their effect or even make the spell work at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Psychic/Chaos Defenses===&lt;br /&gt;
Tau are an entire race of psychic blunts, they cannot produce psykers and have limited innate resistance to some forms of psychic powers and daemonic bullshit. People often mistake this resistance to outright invulnerability, but in truth it&#039;s more akin to camouflage - Tau souls are so dim they are indistinguishable from the spirits of non-sapients at best, and at most times they even blend in the psychic background of inanimate objects. This may have something to do with how unemotional tau are, as some of the more passionate subjects in the fluff had been slightly affected by warp shenanigans like faint whispers and slight feelings of &amp;quot;wrongness&amp;quot; in places where humans creep out and try to run away immediately, while more calm and collected tau hadn&#039;t noticed anything strange. If for example a telepath tries to mind-rape a tau or a daemon tries to posses a tau he&#039;d find it hard to find a soul to target, but if he manages to find it there would be even less resistance than with regular humans. Sadly while this trait is often shown in the fluff, it does not affect tau crunch in any way.&lt;br /&gt;
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This innate defense is further strengthened by the Greater Good philosophy deeply indoctrinated into each Tau from childhood and (allegedly) reinforced by a subtle mind control. Tau&#039;Va being the antithesis of all the creeds of Chaos makes Tau all but immune to its temptations, and only a single Tau has ever actually fallen to Chaos, the Water Caste member Water Spider who was possessed by a Daemon of Tzeentch. That being said, the Tau have only just been exposed to the more material horrors of the galaxy; should they become jaded and start losing faith in the Greater Good (as inferred with giving up on indoctrinating certain species), well, that would be an entirely different situation. Their allies, including the Kroot, have been known to go all-in with Chaos worship, although Tau seldom take culture from their allied races. &lt;br /&gt;
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8th Ed is here, and has confirmed that the Tau aren&#039;t immune to Chaos, just slightly difficult for Daemons to spot. When the Tau started the 4th Sphere Expansion with their new warp drives: they didn&#039;t take a note from the Imperials&#039; tech and failed to invent the [[Gellar Field]] too, meaning they were fully vulnerable to the Warp&#039;s denizens. The entire experience was hilarious. First was the unpredictability of their warp drives (known as &amp;quot;slipstream technology&amp;quot; to them) that caused most of their expeditionary fleet to be destroyed due to unleashing massive tears in the fabric of reality, [[lulz|while being broadcasted to the Tau sept worlds, causing the Ethereals to rapidly evacuate their bowels as they scramble to censor the event to the wider populace.]] Those that weren&#039;t immediately torn up by the warp rifts, were sucked into the Warp where a vast majority was either destroyed after drifting in the more unsavory parts of the Warp, or the various daemons mucking about.&lt;br /&gt;
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Contact was lost, but the Tau managed to find the survivors later, nestled into several worlds that were the original target for conquest. The Tau that survived however, were acting weird. Some of them started shoving off the Greater Good, while some worshiped a voice that they claim to be the Greater Good itself (which may or may not be a warp entity), while some were outright driven insane. A disturbing trend about them however, is their total [[Imperium|xenophobia and brutality]]. Any non-Tau who wasn&#039;t driven off from the 4th Sphere colonies were murdered for [[Chaos God|something]] that was telling the survivors that the auxiliaries were the reason for their loss and torment due to their more powerful connection to the Warp, so killing all non-Tau was the only way to ensure the survival of the Greater Good.&lt;br /&gt;
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That being said, they&#039;re still hard for Daemons to see, considering that the Fourth Sphere dove into the Warp unprotected and &amp;quot;merely&amp;quot; got off with plain Chaos corruption when most people who try that shit critfails their [[anal circumference]] roll and either gets torn apart by daemon cocks or becomes [[Chaos Spawn|an Unnameable Beast]]. But this event does still prove that the Chaos Gods can still influence the Tau with enough warp exposure, so it wouldn&#039;t be surprising if a few of them started going bughouse-nuts and began carving 8-pointed stars on their persons in the future. Especially with virtually the entire [[Death Guard]] and a large force of the [[Thousand Sons]] heading straight for the wormhole that links the Fourth Sphere colonies to the center of the Empire...&lt;br /&gt;
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==Alliances==&lt;br /&gt;
{{MattWard}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Illus4.jpg|280px|right|thumb|Unfortunately for some [[Slaanesh|deviants]] [[Extra Heresy|and heretical elements on]] [[/tg/]]. [[Not as Planned|This is what an actual canon Tau Female looks like.]] No boobs, no curves, no ass, no redeeming qualities other than having a face of your grandmother and the nose of a mutilated vag. Know the alien. Hate the alien. Purge the alien. The Emperor Protects! &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;This is an Ethereal though, so the other castes should be fair game.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
In 6th edition, Tau are notable for being one of two factions (the other being Imperial Guard) who can ally with anyone except for &#039;Nids. Yes, this includes both Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Daemons, although, according to the Farsight Enclaves supplement, &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;Farsight is one of the few Tau (maybe the only one &#039;&#039;period&#039;&#039;) who actually understands the existence of Chaos, so the average Tau would consider them to be just another kind of alien.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Farsight rebelled because the Ethereals understand the existence of Chaos on some level, but keep it suppressed from the general populace so they&#039;re not entirely screwed. [[Emperor|Which sounds vaguely familiar]]. It is probably going to end [[Horus Heresy|about as well]], too (although due to cultural differences likely in it&#039;s own distinct way); all of this is, of course, assuming that the &#039;nids don&#039;t NOM everything before the Tau get the opportunity to fuck their own shit up.&lt;br /&gt;
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Their current level of naïveté leads to a few... &#039;&#039;interesting&#039;&#039; alliances, to say the least.&lt;br /&gt;
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First off, Tau &#039;&#039;can&#039;&#039; ally with [[Ork]]s, even though fluff-wise they are viewed as enemies of the Greater Good to be purged wherever encountered. Smaller Ork warbands (mostly [[Blood Axes]]) frequently act as mercenaries, of course, so the Tau might use them in that capacity. Plus, there might be fluff changes coming up (most notably, it was rumored that the [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee]] would return in the new Orks codex; they, of course, would get along quite well with the Tau).&lt;br /&gt;
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They are also battle brothers with both the Space Marines and Eldar, which has caused a large amount of headscratching on /tg/. The Eldar make a modicum of sense; after all, the Eldar most likely had a hand in their synthetic evolution and the creation of the Ethereals, and the Eldar are well known for being expert manipulators. A Tau-Space Marine alliance, though, would be odd, to say the least, since Tau and Space Marines are always going at it in the [[fluff]]. Of course, a minor [[Space Marine Chapter|chapter]] could always find an alliance with the Tau, or even [[Heresy|join the Greater Good]], but that seems far-fetched at best. Old fluff from back in the 3rd edition codex tells a story of a Tau commander letting an Apothecary remove the aul glands from dead Marines, establishing that the Tau are honourable warriors in the minds of this particular chapter. Isn&#039;t too hard to guess that someone at GW felt the battle brothers thing was a bit of a head-desk move, so they tried to fix it.&lt;br /&gt;
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The weirdest part, though, is that Tau &#039;&#039;aren&#039;t&#039;&#039; Battle Brothers with the Imperial Guard, despite (or maybe because of) the existence of [[Gue&#039;vesa]] (Imperial Guard defectors).&lt;br /&gt;
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7th edition corrected all of this for the Tau, making them only battle brothers with themselves and certain allies of convenience, like Necrons and the Eldar, while the rest are desperate allies or, in the case of daemons and &#039;Nids, allies of the apocalypse. This effectively &amp;quot;fixes&amp;quot; the issue from the point of view of a butthurt puritan while still allowing for those who bought Tau models to include them as allies in their games.&lt;br /&gt;
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8th edition totally destroyed any chance of Tau having allies in matched play games. Taudar is dead, thank fuck.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Tau Member Races==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dynamic entry by majesticchicken.jpg|right|thumb|550px|Look up fuckers! You&#039;re invited to the latest imperial party and we&#039;re not taking &amp;quot;no&amp;quot; for an answer!]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau are the only faction that willingly accept other races into their ranks. Typically, the races are extended a hand from the Water Caste first, and if they still pose a problem or otherwise refuse to be reasoned with, the Fire Warriors are sent in. It should be noted that tau usually are not in haste of annexing the world, and if the aliens don&#039;t want to join right now but aren&#039;t immediately hostile and open to trade, Water Caste would slowly but surely convert them into a Greater Good to the point that one day they themselves would ask to join the Empire. The species, when annexed or conquered, are usually allowed to keep their planet, but must answer to the authority of the local Ethereal and possibly the local Shas&#039;o. Most of them are fluff and don&#039;t show up on the tabletop, but it would get a little ridiculous if you could purport to play a &#039;single&#039; 40k race that included, like, twelve different races.&lt;br /&gt;
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* Demiurg - &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;[[Squats]] reborn.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; NOT ANYMORE the Squats are back and not Demiurg at all! They are a race of space-faring miners specializing in ionic weaponry who serve the Tau with their engineering and mining abilities. They also serve as an example of something the Imperium will never do: &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;save dead codex races (Well, okay, they&#039;re sort of saved...).&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; They make an appearance in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada though, so that&#039;s nice.&lt;br /&gt;
* Galgs - Frog/Toad People who are regularly hired as mercenaries. No other information available. Probably [[Lizardmen#Slann|Slann]] In Space.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Gue&#039;vesa]] - Humans who have not only defected to the Tau, but chosen to take up arms and fight alongside them to serve the Greater Good. Rules for them are found in [[Forge World|Forge World&#039;s]] Imperial Armour Volume 3. (If the current trend goes on we may see Sisters join up with the Tau, &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;which might be an improvement for the Sisters.)&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt;{{BLAM}}{{BLAM|HERESY!}}&lt;br /&gt;
* Hrenian - Alien mercenaries employed for their skills as light infantry. No other information available. Probably [[Lizardmen#Skinks|Skinks]] In Space.&lt;br /&gt;
* Ji&#039;atrix - A spacefaring race. No other information available. (Dammit, GW [[Writefag|writefags]].)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kroot]] - Predatory gene-assimilating avian humanoids. They are the first alien race to be actively recruited by the Tau as mercenaries, and are so regularly hired that they have officially progressed to being considered Auxiliaries of the Tau forces.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vespid|Mal&#039;kor]] - Insectoid aliens, also known as Vespids, who are native to a gas giant planet within the Tau Empire. Serve as Auxiliaries.&lt;br /&gt;
* Morralian - Also known as &amp;quot;Deathsworn&amp;quot;. No other information available.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nicassar]] - A voidfaring race of [[psyker]]s and the only psychically-gifted species in the Tau Empire. The Tau have carefully hidden them away from the Imperium due to their (actually justifiable) psyker-phobia. Were the second alien species to join the Greater Good.&lt;br /&gt;
* Ranghon - No information available.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tarellian]] - These guys are basically [[Lizardmen#Saurus|Saurus]] IIIIN SPAAAAACE!!!!!! Not really part of the Empire, but rather mercenaries who will gladly fight humans and Tyranids on the cheap since the Imperium virus-bombed their home world and the Tyranids nommed their biggest colony.  Given the Imperium doesn&#039;t go for exterminatus or even try to extermintae aliens unless those aliens do something to seriously deserve it...this won&#039;t go well for the Tau once the blueies are no longer useful.&lt;br /&gt;
* Poctroon - The first sapient species to be found by the Tau, [[wikipedia:Siege of Fort Pitt|they were &amp;quot;accidentally&amp;quot; driven extinct by Tau smallpox]], and their planet just by coincidence was a great place to set a Sept World.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nagi - Brain worms that, due to their horrific appearance and inability to communicate, were attacked by the Fire Caste. They managed to sort it out, though, and now they work with the Ethereals as advisors (because having brain worms about as &amp;quot;advisors&amp;quot; isn&#039;t a bad idea or anything). They have been shown in a few books so far, and were involved in a &amp;quot;mind-rip&amp;quot; (guess outright calling it &amp;quot;rape&amp;quot; was too much) of a space marine POW, while being so self-righteous and smug about their mental superiority they could give Eldar a run for their money. Apparently they can also at least perceive the Warp (which they call &amp;quot;extra-dimensional space&amp;quot;), and probably manipulate it as well, and know enough about it to outright refuse to go anywhere near demonically-tainted Agrellan when the Tau invaded it.&lt;br /&gt;
* Ji&#039;atrices, Morralians, or Ranghons are probably other Warhammer Fantasy Races In Space, such as [[Lizardmen#Kroxigor|Kroxigors]] or Trolls, given the overall tendency of the Tau to incorporate Fantasy races missing from 40k.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The usually genocidal actions of the other races, most notably the [[Imperium]], also serve as a motivating factor for less-powerful races to join the Tau. While the Tau do seem a minor threat to the Imperium now, if the current policy continues, there will be more and more races joining up with the them if for no other reason than avoiding [[Exterminatus|extermination]]. Of course, the Tau are just coming to realize how vast and powerful the Imperium really is, and while a lot of their member races really &#039;&#039;are&#039;&#039; the victims of crazy, evil, fascist extermination protocols, there&#039;s always the chance that someone responsible for a &amp;quot;Hell World&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Nightmare World&amp;quot; might join up, and the damage might be done before they realize their mistake...,&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==In a Nutshell==&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;The Stated Reason Why People Hate Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
Weeaboo space confucianists (Asian Commies)—not grimdark enough.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;The &#039;&#039;Real&#039;&#039; Reason Why People Hate Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
Until the edition update, this would, most assuredly, be [[Fish of Fury]]. Fuck, even most Tau players felt this was bullshit. Post-edition update, it was that certain [[Matt Ward|undesirables]] felt that they were trying to take the mantle of the 40K universe&#039;s &amp;quot;rightful&amp;quot; Imperial protagonists. And because they are not [[Choppa|choppy]] enough. And then 6th Edition codex came, and Tau became one of the shootiest armies in the shootiest edition ever, not to mention their ability to bitchslap cheesmongers, having straight counters against any of the Wardex bullshit. When the 7th edition came out they became overpowered AF and they took the title as the chedder cheese of Warhammer.&lt;br /&gt;
More generally, the Tau battle philosophy is &amp;quot;deny your opponent the chance to interact with you,&amp;quot; which is a good philosophy for real soldiers but can make for frustrating or uninteresting gameplay.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;A Real Reason Why People Like Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
The one race that isn&#039;t being a wall of dicks. If the Tau are trolling done by Games Workshop, then the target of said trolling was any fatbeard that needs a constant supply of grimdark to stay alive. Of course, the mind-influencing pheromones they use to conquer new worlds and their psycho-indoctrination mass re-education facilities will just have to be ignored if you don&#039;t want destroy your wishful thinking for a half-way decent faction to exist in 40k. But people have always been good at ignoring shit that doesn&#039;t fit into their perceived image of something.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;Another Real Reason Why People Like Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike many other Races in 40k the Tau are capable of fitting into many other Sci-fi Universes without much Problems. Such as Star trek where they would be at home along side other Peaceful yet also Tyrannical Factions like the Federation. Compared to the Necrons or Eldar which would be both Roflstomps and completely different from all other groups in that Universe. (Unless it [[Doctor Who|Doctor Who]]).&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;The Real Reason Why People Play Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
Arguably have the most powerful guns in the game. Often twin-linked. Often on cool-looking robot battlesuits. [[meme|Also markerlights]]. Also [[Riptide|RAPETIDE]]. Tau players may also have a tendency towards sadism.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;A Solid Reason People Don&#039;t Play Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
They&#039;re fucking expensive. Seriously. On a points-per-pound level, they cost more than any other (plastic) army. This is doubly true if you like battlesuits, but of course you do because you&#039;re playing Tau.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;Helping Necrons? Or are they Necrontyr descendants?&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
An often overlooked issue is that Tau have almost no warp signatures, just like Necrons, hate Warpspawns and Warp in general (despite the fact that in 6E they can work with them...I just...I don&#039;t...WAAAARD!!!), just like Necrons, have the exact same skull shape, stature and short lives, and the overwhelming need for Technology and beam weapons, JUST LIKE NECRONS. [[GW]] may have planned a race that simply prepares a pacified, multiracial galaxy for Necrons to feast upon, supported by Ethereals that have a C&#039;tan phase blade. Then there is a reference of &amp;quot;dark seed in east&amp;quot; by the Deceiver, so the tricky C&#039;tan might give Tzeentch the finger in the [[JUST AS PLANNED]] competition. Or maybe GW just has so little creativity that they simply made a new civ conforming to an Old One&#039;s standards without knowing it. Given that recent murmurs have suggested that something absolutely massive is in the works at GW, &#039;&#039;anything&#039;&#039; could be possible, though past experience has led us to believe that it will simply be a Tau wearing a silly [[hat]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==TL;DR==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;s&amp;gt;The good guys&amp;lt;/S&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
High-tech, Mech-loving alien race who are the &#039;&#039;least&#039;&#039; [[grimdark]] of factions. Can&#039;t melee for shit but can blow you back to the stone age with ranged weaponry if you have the misfortune of being downrange. You will either love them or hate them because of all this, and many neckbeards do feel the [[butthurt]]. For some reason Tau females are [[/d/|awkwardly sexualized]] by a non-insignificant minority of fa/tg/uys, which has shown up in some draw- and writefaggotry. As the saying goes: &amp;quot;You can&#039;t spell TAUNT without TAU.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Warhammer Fantasy ==&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike most other factions in 40k, Tau have no clear antecedent from [[Warhammer Fantasy]]. Some think the anime influences and rapid industrialization/militarization point towards Nippon; others feel the caste system might be related to the Kingdom of Ind. However, neither faction has ever been explored in great detail (or any detail at all), so it&#039;s impossible to say whether Tau are similar to those factions; instead, we must compare to the real-world equivalents of the Old World nations. Slightly more controversially, there are elements of Cathay (which is the Anglicized word for China back in the British Empire heyday, so yes) in the Tau. Cathay has been described as being technologically advanced (at least on par with the Empire), including terra-cotta automaton warriors (which the Chinese definitely used to make to pay homage to the First Chinese Emperor&#039;s over inflated ego, more than a millennia ago), although such comparison is stated by some to have [[Skub|already been implemented in the characterization of the Eldar and thus, is considered as &#039;&#039;seriously&#039;&#039; stretching up a notch.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More recently, some have connected the Tau and their subject races to other factions in Fantasy. The rapid evolution of the Kroot and their overall savagery is (somewhat) similar to the Gors of the Beastmen (although the Beastmen are in the 40k universe themselves). The Empire also shares the xenos-friendly viewpoint of the Tau, although they&#039;re not expansionistic, and decidedly less concerned with a unified government structure so long as everyone pays their taxes, for better or for worse. Others compare them to dwarves: dwarves don&#039;t use Chaos magic, are short, technologically advanced, kinda casty and blue (understood in many countries as &amp;quot;hopelessly drunk&amp;quot;) basicly all the time. Tau don&#039;t use Chaos warp magic, are short, technologically advanced, very casty and blue all the time (in regards to skin colour). Both also get seriously grudgy and angry when you piss them off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Trivia==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tau Ripoff.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|FOR THE [[Blood Ravens|GREATER THEFT]]!]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Some have said that Tau resemble the protagonist KYNE from the Amiga video game Brataccas, which was released in 1986. Tau were first added to Warhammer 40k in late 2001. Some would dismiss this as coincidence, but Games Workshop has a long history of ripping off designs from other games; [[Beastmen]] are [[Broo]] from [[Glorantha]], very large chunks of 40k are a little too similar to [[Judge Dredd]], and all of the Greater Daemon model designs are stolen from early [[Dungeons &amp;amp; Dragons]]. These properties are understandable as Games Workshop was still selling games of those IPs when Warhammer was first created, but Brataccas is an obscure game from a forgotten system that was quite forgettable even at release, even if Amiga games tended to get fantastic cover art. This being said another of GW&#039;s early products was also puzzles of of this style of &#039;70&#039;s/&#039;80&#039;s Sci-Fi art. The Tau cast system does resemble the Protoss caste from [[Starcraft]], which predates the release of the Tau by 3 years... You have the Templar (Fire/Air Castes) Judicators (Ethereals + Water Castes) and Khalai (Earth Caste). In addition to a rogue sub-caste in the Dark Templar (Farsight Enclaves). This is Ironic considering that GW originally was making a deal with Blizzard to make games based on their properties. GW asked too much/Blizzard didn&#039;t like the terms and left... to make Warcraft and Starcraft. Just think, we &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;COULD have had a Warhammer Fantasy RTS&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; (Total War: Warhammer exists now) and World of Warhammer Fantasy Battle MMO. Starcraft would have become a Rogue Trader RTS. It was probably a mistake on GW&#039;s part, as they REALLY missed out. Stealing the Tau from the Protoss was probably done because GW was still salty.&lt;br /&gt;
* Tau are technically canon to the Marvel Comics universe, as the series Venom: Space Knight repeatedly used Tau vehicles for aliens in the scenery. In fact, they have the balls to even keep the Tau Sept symbol! Also, you can see what appears to be a Eldar tank, as well as a Necron. The irony of the ripoff masters Games Workshop getting ripped off is juicy, even more so when its realized that lawsuit-happy Games Workshop (who literally tried to copyright &amp;quot;pauldrons&amp;quot; while they plagiarized Eldar from Tolkien and had some contention between [[Malekith|two very similar Dark Elf characters of theirs]]) couldn&#039;t do shit about it because Marvel is owned by Disney, and nobody beats The Mouse™. (except Marvel/Disney settled out of court rather than risk the wrath of the Ordo Legalitus)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notable Tau==&lt;br /&gt;
===[[Canon]]===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Aun&#039;Va]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Aun&#039;Shi]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[El&#039;Myamoto (Sub-commander Darkstrider)]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Shadowsun|O&#039;Shaserra (Commander Shadowsun)]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Farsight|O&#039;Shovah (Commander Farsight) and The Eight]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Commander Puretide]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Shas&#039;o Kais]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Commander Or&#039;es&#039;Ka|Shas&#039;o Or&#039;es&#039;Ka]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===[[/tg/ 40,000]]===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Blue]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Faptau]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[O&#039;ren I&#039;shi&#039;ii]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Shlicktau]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Xeno]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See Also==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Marvel Tau.jpg|thumb|right|250px|FOR THE GREATER GROOT!]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nicassar]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sept V&#039;iet]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tau Quest]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tau Dark Heresy]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Tau(8E)|Tactics/Tau]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tau Cadre Creation Tables]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Codex_-_Tau_Auxiliary]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tau Diplomacy]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|&amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;Love Can Bloom 3:Golden Shadowsun&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; NON-CANON FANFICTION GARBAGE]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External Link==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrHhS5IkRR0 A Typical Tau-Human conversation.]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbuPaCgdO50 Should one of your Tau actually kill anything tougher than a guardsman in melee, you are allowed to end the game in victory as long as you play this clip.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau1.jpg|Stealth suits are :3&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Firewarrior.gif|Fire Warriors are :3 too&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Chibi Fire Warrior.jpg|Chibi, but not weeby.&lt;br /&gt;
File:TauGuela.jpg|Gue&#039;la.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:TauOrigin.jpg|Ohhh GW.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau.gif|In 40k, everyones&#039; guns are huge.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Fire Warrior.jpg|A Tau Fire Warrior, the basic infantry unit.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Firepower Demotivator.jpg|The sad truth of 6th edition.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:combine.jpg|In /tg/, tau are the bad guys.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Itsyourempiretoo.png|Propaganda. [[Nazi|Sound]] [[Communism|familiar?]]&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Never shall the tau!.JPG|Surrender... never shall the Tau.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tauassault.jpg|Tau are vicious melee fighters, no less able than [[Space Marines]]!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:1234622525817.jpg|In hindsight, attempting negotiations with Orks was probably a bad idea.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Discotau.jpg|For the Greater Groove!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Manta.jpg|Fun fact: if you have enough money to buy this, you have too much money.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau cosplay2.jpg|Typical Tau player, engaging in typical Tau behavior. (Pretty badass cosplay, even got the hoof right)&lt;br /&gt;
Image:E6abddad6c5999a1dbe6085d8614f051.jpg|Tau in close quarters combat barring some very lucky dice rolls.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{{Promotions}}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:TauKroot.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
Image:MARKERLIGHTS.png|MARKERLIGHTS!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:tau_firecleavage.jpg|Sweet [[Weeaboo|weeaboo]] [[Heresy|heresy]].&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Commissar Shadowsuns Goods by morganagod.jpg|DAT ASS.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:DAT_SHAS.jpg| A Fire Warrior appreciating DAT ASS.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau ass.gif|A Greater Good we can all believe in.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:NOT FUCKING CANON.png| [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|THIS IS NOT FUCKING CANON!]]&lt;br /&gt;
Image:JoinTau.jpg|Some recruitment methodologies work better than others.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Chick.jpg|Few rarely seen Tau chicks. Maybe because Sisters are hotter.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:youtastefunny.jpg|Yeah, we all know the truth about their &amp;quot;greater good&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Subcommander torchstar by sexual yeti-d9qal0l.png|Subcommander Torchstar, Farsight&#039;s personal fangirl.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau_caste_nudes.jpg|Earth, Fire, Water, Air...Ethereal?!? SWEET MOTHER OF KHORNE!!! MY EYES!!!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Laughing tau whores.jpg|S-shut up you filthy sluts! Among my people it is considered quite a handsome dick!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Power Shopping.jpg|It&#039;s a well-known fact that the Tau Empire has some of the best shopping in the entire galaxy.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Taugirlpile.jpg|Here we see Tau propaganda meant to entice men with their terrible, blasphemous, and supple soft skin, smooth curves, perky brea...er...ah...heretical alien bodies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Navigation==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Tau}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{WH40k-Factions}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-Governments}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Important Species in 40k}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category: Xenos]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tau&amp;diff=469837</id>
		<title>Tau</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tau&amp;diff=469837"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:32:57Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* Gallery */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{heresy}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{awesome}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:TAUSYMBOL.gif|center]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox 40k Nations&lt;br /&gt;
|name= T&#039;au Empire&lt;br /&gt;
|image=[[Image:Tau_Empire_Flag.jpg|300px|center]]&lt;br /&gt;
|bgcolor=&lt;br /&gt;
|fgcolor=&lt;br /&gt;
|Capital= T&#039;au&lt;br /&gt;
|Official Languages=Tau Lexicon&lt;br /&gt;
|Power= Minor Power&lt;br /&gt;
|Size=Approximately 36 Planets&lt;br /&gt;
|Head of State=Ethereal Supreme&lt;br /&gt;
|Head of Government= Ethereal Council&lt;br /&gt;
|Governmental Structure=Caste-Based Authoritarian Federation&lt;br /&gt;
|State Religion/Ideology=[[Greater Good]]&lt;br /&gt;
|Demographic=[[Tau]], [[Kroot]], [[Vespid]], [[Gue&#039;vesa|Humans]], [[Nicassar]], [[Tarellian]], Nagi, Hrenians and other minor [[Xenos]] races&lt;br /&gt;
|Military Force=[[Tau]] Fire Caste, Tau Air Caste, [[Kroot]] and [[Vespid]] Forces, The Deathsworn, Hrenian Light Infantry, [[Demiurg]] Forces, [[Nicassar]] Forces, Gue&#039;vesa Forces and other minor Xenos armies&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:9jfnqeaplhexx.jpg|right|thumb|450px|Get the fuck out of the way, [[Imperium|Oldfag]]. (Vior&#039;la Sept Fire Warriors)]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|Why do you see the speck that is in your brother&#039;s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?|Luke 6:41}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|Ce qui constitue une République, c&#039;est l&#039;extermination totale de tout ce qui lui est opposé. - What constitutes a Republic is the total destruction of that which is opposed to it.|Louis Antoine de Saint-Just}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Topquote|The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.|Sun Tzu}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tau (τ) is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, 300 in Greek numerals, and also the name for 2π.&lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
It is also the name of the Warhammer 40K race known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tau&#039;&#039;&#039; (or &amp;quot;bluies&amp;quot;, as the Valhallan 597th call them)(or &amp;quot;Space Communists&amp;quot; as anyone on /tg/ will tell you), (or &amp;quot;T&#039;au&amp;quot; as GW copyright lawyers call them) are a playable race and a minor and overall insignificant power in &#039;&#039;[[Warhammer 40,000]]&#039;&#039;. When first discovered by humanity, the Tau were a barbaric and primitive people. Their planet was then trapped in a warp storm for a few thousand years and they emerged from the other side as a unified species, led by the [[Druids|mysterious]] Ethereal caste and devoted to the concept of the &amp;quot;[[Greater Good]]&amp;quot;. Their new empire supposedly has around 115 worlds, although only 36 of those have any sort of activity on them and the rest are either useless rocks or not shown/mentioned at all. They were growing until recently, when the Imperium sent a large invading force to counter them.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Although a dystopian society in its own right, the Tau Empire is noted for being one of the LEAST awful places in all the galaxy of 40k. It&#039;s also [[Derp|not really an empire]]; the Tau government, the Ethereal caste, is essentially an edifice of meritocracy and nepotism-Tau leaders are appointed to their position by even higher ranking leaders and/or a council of their future peers; the highest ranking Tau, the Aun&#039;O, is elected by his future underlings, much like the Catholic pope, but is still simply considered the weightiest voice of a group (like a prime minister), not an Emperor with absolute power. While Tau civilization has the behavioral tendencies of many empires throughout history (expansionism, military conquest of weaker states, forcible integration of the conquered peoples, etc.), it is the government structure of a state that makes it an empire, not foreign policies. Essentially, they are &#039;&#039;imperialist,&#039;&#039; but not an &#039;&#039;empire&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau started as a classic case of successful design-based [[Troll|trolling]] on the part of [[Games Workshop]]. They were originally developed because GW felt that their setting needed an optimistic race and that their wallets needed more money, which they could get by selling shedloads of 40k to the robot-obsessed Japanese. The Tau, therefore, are the least [[grimdark]] faction in the game; [[Tau Diplomacy|they&#039;re the dudes willing to negotiate when they&#039;ve beaten their enemies]] ([[The Beast|we cannot forget the green skinned diplomats our boy sent out during his siege of terra]]) while all the others are either too [[Chaos Space Marines| murderously psychotic in ways incomprehensible to anyone who does not share the same batshit insanity]], [[Imperium|religiously overzealous]], [[Eldar|arrogantly indifferent]], [[Orks|simplemindedly violent]], [[Necron|murderously enigmatic]], [[Tyranid|more interested in eating you than anything]], or [[Dark Eldar|all of the above]] to offer such courtesies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This began to change in the 6th edition. For all the claims that GW doesn&#039;t listen to its fans, someone seemed to have heard the incessant bitching many fa/tg/uys made over the Tau [[Belisarius Cawl|being shoehorned into the setting]] [[Primaris Marines|in the worst way possible.]] As a result, the Tau began to take on an Orwellian flavor and Imperium-esque elements, with the Ethereals being totalitarian autocrats performing acts of ruthless indifference towards their subjects, including [[Nazi|eugenics]] or up to [[Exterminatus]] of lost races (e.g. Orks and Tyranids), in the guise of being for the Greater Good. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Twelve year old [[fluff]] (from &#039;&#039;[[Dawn of War]]&#039;&#039;, supported by [[Deathwatch]] supplements describing Achillus Crusade) has them &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;arbitrarily sterilizing the rebelling humans on Kronus once they come under the rule of the Tau Empire&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; sterilizing a group of humans attempting to revolt and distract Tau forces in the middle of a planet-wide, 6-way free-for-all (to be fair though, had it been anyone else they were revolting against, including the Imperials, those humans would be dead, [[Grimdark|most likely the slow and painful way, or even suffer such a terrible fate as to wish for death]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau Codex leaves ambiguous the question of just how much of their success is due to various forms of indoctrination, caste-based conditioning, and subtle mind control. This has only been exacerbated by the recent Farsight Enclaves supplement, which makes the Ethereals come off as mustache-twirling, Saturday-morning-cartoon villains. It speaks volumes about the 40k setting that in spite of all this they&#039;re &#039;&#039;still&#039;&#039; the friendliest race in the galaxy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Also, the Tau have twenty planets after a handful were eaten by Tyranids (discounting allied held worlds and worlds with little to no inhabitants on them). Despite this, fanfiction writers who somehow got hired by GW and Tau fans alike have this strange habit of treating them like a major faction. For instance, a galaxy ruling combined empire with the Imperum and Eldar usually includes the Tau because the writer doesn&#039;t realize the Tau are one of the smallest, most insignificant minor species in the galaxy. This isn&#039;t to insult them, they can always get stronger; it&#039;s just the plain truth, currently that is. The setting stretches millennia, so who knows how far they can go, hopefully they&#039;ll become more and grow experienced as time goes on assuming the setting doesn&#039;t fall into constant grind never proceeding to the next year for decades &#039;&#039;again&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the more hateful aspects of the Tau is that Games Workshop feels the need to make them seem viable as an army by having their power fluctuate wildly, for example, the Tau can easily subjugate Imperial Hive Worlds and deport its population so easily that it doesn&#039;t even get a footnote. You know, those planets in which the population of a single city shocked an Tau ambassador because &#039;&#039;the city&#039;s population was greater than the entirety of the Tau species&#039;&#039;? Imagine entire planets of those cities, cities in which everyone is an experienced killer (which is why Space Marines love recruiting from Hive Worlds), armed and ready to fling themselves at any invading xenos to purge them with extreme prejudice. These are the same worlds whose PDF is large enough to enforce Imperial rule, and so contribute massive numbers of Imperial Guard (on top of having their own substantial forces). &lt;br /&gt;
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As an example of this, take the Battle of Mu&#039;gulath Bay, known as the Battle of Agrellan to the Imperium. This was a fight over a Hive World which the Tau won, how?  Using Riptide Battlesuits. According to GW, the Riptide&#039;s armor was impervious to nearly all anti-armor weaponry (lascannons, krak missiles, and heavy meltas are a threat to Baneblades and knights and heavier stuff can even threaten Titans, so we know this is bullshit). The kicker though, is that &#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;Deathstrike Missiles&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;did nothing&#039;&#039; when its shields were active. You know, the missiles &#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;Titans are afraid of&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039; and can vaporize armies? And can use Titan-killer warheads? &#039;&#039;&#039;Those Missiles&#039;&#039;&#039;. This is but one example, another goes back to the Taros campaign in which a Tau stronghold was mysteriously unable to be blown to hell by sustained bombardment from Colossus mortars and then the Tau &#039;&#039;sallied out&#039;&#039; to engage the Imperial forces and won. In addition, a lot of fights are won by their opponents being uncharacteristically stupid, for example in both the Taros Campaign and the Battle of Agrellan the Imperium suddenly forgets how to defend itself, its supply lines and in the second Damocles Gulf Crusade, engages the Tau using formations and tactics that cater to the Tau in the extreme (this is especially egregious in the finale), [[wat|and even has an assassin forget to use her gun to instantly kill her target]]. Even the Marines aren&#039;t immune to this sudden stupefying aura, as we have Space Marine Terminators wielding storm shields were shot and killed because they were too busy telling each other to raise their shields up to block the Tau&#039;s shots [[derp|instead of raising their shields up to block the fucking shots.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==&amp;quot;Naive Weeaboo Space Communists&amp;quot;==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Tau Weeaboo.png|thumb|right|Cue hotblooded music by [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r6xYnFDoV0 JAM Project].]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau&#039;s naiveté might seem at odds with the GRIMDARK-ness of the setting (and to a degree, a lot of it is), but the thing is, Games Workshop specifically plays this straight FOR the [[grimdark]] and &#039;&#039;knows&#039;&#039; that the seeming futility of the Tau&#039;s optimism only further accentuates the general hellishness of the rest of the galaxy - and dear [[Emperor|god]] do they play this up for maximum effect. In the 41st millennium, the Tau come across as &#039;&#039;more&#039;&#039; than a little naive to the other races; the Imperium sees any contact with aliens as heretical and will shoot them with [[bolter]] rounds as soon as they look at them; the [[Ork]]s just want to kick the shit out of things; and the [[Eldar]] see the Tau as young and powerful because of their technology but also as a race in its infancy, just staggering out of its borders for the first time and wandering into a pond full of [[Saharduin|sh]][[Dark Eldar|ar]][[Chaos|ks]].  &lt;br /&gt;
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In older fluff, the Tau were implied to have been secretly uplifted by the Eldar through the creation and subtle control of the Etherals (especially the mind-influencing pheromone secreting gland at the base of Etherals’ spines) and guiding them through reverse-engineering Imperial technology from the ruined colony ships.  Eventually the Eldar abandoned them because the Tau never accomplished anything notable on their own due to a crippling lack of creativity.  Humans must be in physical contact with an Ethereal or perhaps subjected to heavy doses of the pheromone in other ways to be sufficiently affected but aliens are affected merely by being in the vicinity of an Ethereal. Whether this is canon or not now is uncertain.  It all probably is, seeing as it hasn’t been retconned/overwritten.  Or GW forgot about it.&lt;br /&gt;
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Putting it simply, there&#039;s an ongoing joke that the Tau are some of the most successful trolling performed in the history of mankind just by &#039;&#039;existing&#039;&#039;; a case of the company installing them just to mix things up whilst at the same time keeping them surprisingly on-level.&lt;br /&gt;
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The combination of the above fluff, however, paired with their highly advanced technology, generally &amp;quot;Asian&amp;quot; feel (their Fire Caste&#039;s combat doctrine is often reminiscent of Sun Tzu&#039;s &amp;quot;&#039;&#039;Art of War&#039;&#039;&amp;quot; - but derived from two distinct Tau hunting methods), use of [[Mecha|battlesuits]] (just [[Imperial Knight|like]] [[Dreadnought|the]] [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Imperium]]), [[Hammerhead Gunship|heavy firepower]] which rivals that of the Imperial Guard, and one of the [[Fish of Fury|most broken tactics in tabletop 40K until it was finally fixed an edition later]] has conspired to make them very much hated (and by that we mean a source of butthurt) by a reasonable-sized population of the [[/tg/|40K fan populace]], and /tg/ has rightly dubbed the Tau [[Weeaboo]] (as much due to their Asian-ness as anything else) as a result (even when people can use the same logic to point to the Imperium&#039;s xenophobia, the fanatical worship of the God-Emperor, extensive use of Mecha and suicide attacks, use of suicide attacks as punishment for dishonour, and fondness for over-the-top dialogue in general and conclude that the Imperium of Man is Imperial Japan in Space). As a dark twist on this inherent Asian-ness, a thread concerning lack of grimdark fan fluff on Tau led to the creation of [[Sept V&#039;iet]], the Viet Cong Tau.&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Tau fire warriors.jpg|490px|thumb|left|The [[Greater Good]]: translatable as [[Deal with it|&amp;quot;if you want to make an omelette, you gotta break some eggs.&amp;quot;]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
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And again in a case of much cultural confusion, the Tau are often considered [[Communism|communists]] (despite being a rigorous, hierarchical, near-eugenicist class society that would drive Marx into [[RAGE]]) due to their central philosophy of casting aside the self in favour of the Greater Good. This is partly because it&#039;s a nearly twenty year old meme by this point and memes that old are very stubborn about dying... and partly because we&#039;re a bunch of ignorant fucks. If anything the Tau more resemble the class system of Plato&#039;s &#039;&#039;Republic&#039;&#039; crossed with the caste system of India and [[Star_Trek#The_Federation|Star Trek&#039;s Federation]], and a little bit of facism as well (because they&#039;re the only ones in the entire galaxy who bother to try diplomacy with xenos rather than [[Exterminatus|exterminate]] them (partly because all but a few alien species are horrific space monsters that only a complete idiot would try to negotiate with)). &lt;br /&gt;
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Even then, the Tau has more in common with the Imperium than the noblebright space hippie Feds; they adhere to a highly strict doctrine of eugenics, as [[Love Can Bloom|all forms of love, sex or breeding between different castes]] are, translated from Tau lexicon into Gothic, &#039;&#039;&#039;[[HERESY]]&#039;&#039;&#039;. The Tau also have an explicit merchant caste as well as a single unified currency which is something that the Imperium of man very much does not have along with a system of standardised wage labour which makes them actually more Capitalist than the still stuck in Feudal Economics Imperium.  Contrast to the Craftworld Eldar who&#039;s society of post-scarcity voluntary labour actually is fully Communist, albeit there&#039;s still nobles entitled to bigger houses. &lt;br /&gt;
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As well, the Tau treat their [[Tau#Tau_Member_Races|non-Tau comrades]] as second-class citizens with no say in the Tau government, and demand them to abandon their old culture and conform to a Tau Empire, basically becoming like everyone else. Ergo, the Tau, despite not being the exterminate-all-other-species kind of racist, are still an ethnocentric, aristocratic empire pretending to be a Federation, not unlike Britain during their &#039;tenure&#039; as the rulers of India. &lt;br /&gt;
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To double the weebiness but to greatly decrease the communism connection, the Tau are remarkably similar to war-time era Imperial Japan. Not in terms of military doctrine but in terms of its geopolitics. Like Imperial Japan they&#039;re a young power situated in the east, relatively far from most of their possible rivals&#039; centres of power. Like Imperial Japan they have a seemingly nice enough doctrine in terms of rhetoric; &amp;quot;Greater Good&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Co-Prosperity Sphere&amp;quot;; but in terms of practise what it means is that they want to replace the old empires in the region with their own.  Like Imperial Japan they&#039;re at a significant disadvantage in terms of production power compared to their most serious rivals in the region, and hope to compensate for that by tactical superiority and winning big decisive battles to topple the old powers.  &lt;br /&gt;
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To further solidify the connections to Japan in the early 20th century, the Tau Empire even borrows some terminology, such as &amp;quot;spheres&amp;quot; of expansion, a firm belief that despite their grotesque material inferiority to their primary enemies the power of their ideals and their superior willpower shall overcome their enemies all, and a dogged insistence on picking fights it probably can&#039;t win. Imperial Japan knew that America alone had nearly twelve times the industrial power, with Britain having thrice Japan&#039;s military-industrial might, France just about matching theirs, and the Soviets having four times that, and even China; despite being a wartorn barely functional shithole, could be a quagmire for it. But Japan didn&#039;t give a shit because they thought that they were so awesome they could somehow get all these people to surrender through a combination of being better at war than their soft, mewling enemies and that they simply believed in their destiny to rule the waves more than anyone else did. Much like how the Tau is fully aware that the Imperium, the Orks, the Necrons, and the Tyranids could all squash them flat in a stand up fight, but believe this is immaterial because their belief in the greater good shall overcome all and they have mastered the ways of war while their foes are mired in ignorance. &lt;br /&gt;
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What is for sure though is that, whatever part of the terribly suited to analysing politics outside of the modern era one-dimensional spectrum of political agenda they are on (probably wherever you&#039;d put Imperial Japan during world war two), the Tau government is mainly oligarchical, with the vast majority of political power concentrated in the Ethereal caste. This is further driven home by the fact there is a Tau splinter faction led by one of their two best generals alive, Commander [[Farsight]] of the Farsight Enclaves, whose government is a non-caste society seemingly devoid of merchants, meritocratic semi-democracy. The problem is, until people stop dragging him out of his self-imposed exile to fight Tyranids, Orks, and other Tau, he&#039;s a dictator the way Optimus Prime is sometimes depicted. Farsight&#039;s government is one most certainly [[RAGE|NOT recognized by the Tau Empire]], who have finally gotten around to dispatching a fleet to silence them. &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;This, of course, is [[Advancing_the_Storyline|imminent plot stuff that will never happen]] because it&#039;s always the 41st millennium.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; nope, GeeDubs &#039;&#039;finally&#039;&#039; decided to move the plot forward, thankfully. We still have yet to see the outcome of this fleet dispatch, though.&lt;br /&gt;
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However, the new codex has HEAVILY downplayed their naiveté, bringing back the original codex mention that the Ethereals have officially declared some species &amp;quot;[[Exterminatus|lost causes]]&amp;quot; and that the [[Greater Good]] demands they be killed to the last.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Orks]] were the first of the big players of 40k to get this treatment. They pretty much were the only serious competition Tau had before they discovered the Imperium, and it only took them a few weeks of study to realize the fact that Orks are beyond reason or sanity.  They still have not realized that their encounters with Orks have merely been minute numbers of stragglers.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Tyranids]] unsurprisingly ended up on &amp;quot;shoot on sight&amp;quot; list pretty much after the first contact.  Like with Orks, the Tau are unaware of the small force of Tyranids they have experienced and that the main fleet they &amp;quot;destroyed&amp;quot; has since come back stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Eldar]] briefly were on the list too, owning this to the first contact being made by the Commorites, and not just any, but [[Urien Rakarth]] himself. It took some nuked Exodite world and Craftworld intervention for tau to realize that not all space-elves are insane rapists and scratch them off the list.  Probably more encouraged by the Eldar effortlessly curbstomping them than actually carring that they shot the wrong Spelves.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Space Marines]] seem to be entering the list as of the second Damocles war. The reason is not because it&#039;s impossible to reason with them, but because after some intense Water caste psychoanalysis and Nagi &amp;quot;mind-[[rape|ripping]]&amp;quot; they pretty much declared that astartes aren&#039;t &#039;&#039;people&#039;&#039; but merely a &#039;&#039;weapon&#039;&#039; and as such have no place in Tau&#039;Va.  Since this means they ignore the [[Blood Angels|artistic]], [[Thousand Sons|scholarly]], [[Word Bearers|philosophical]], and [[Ultramarines|administrative]] aspects of being Astartes intended to give them purpose after the Great Crusade ended the Tau are probably just scared shitless of Space Marines and the sheer inspiration their presence brings even off the battlefield.&lt;br /&gt;
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To sum it up, the Tau Empire is still an expansionist empire prone to using military force, but far better than almost every other polity in the setting, as it permits others to exist with rather lenient standards, and isn&#039;t dedicated to the purposeful extinction of all other life in the galaxy.  On the other hand, they don’t care if you’re some primitive feral species or a peaceful member of a species they have decided to be a lost cause.  Also, as a result of surviving attacks from the major factions in the galaxy yet being blissfully unaware that those were merely tiny brushes or stragglers of vastly larger forces, the Tau believe they have proven they can truly hold their own in the galaxy against all the major players.  As of Eighth Edition they were corrected quite painfully due to the opening of the Great Rift and the loss of most of their Fourth Sphere Expansion forces to a Warp rift, and following a massive Chaos invasion they have been forced to face the possibility that their empire might have bitten off more than it can chew. &lt;br /&gt;
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Ironically, if their tech really is reverse-engineered Imperial tech (science-wise), it might not be heresy to... take it back.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Military Doctrine==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:TauTyr2.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Close-quarters painting [[Drawfag|strikes again.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau disdain [[Choppy|melee]] [[Rip and tear|combat]] in favour of [[Shooty|ranged combat]], which renders them instantaneously [[Matt Ward|less manly]] in the eyes of most of /tg/&#039;s playerbase. The reasons behind this are complicated. Generally, Tau see hand to hand combat in warfare as an anachronism, which makes sense, considering their basic guns can rip apart tank side armour, and compared to almost all other major races Tau have less muscle strength and reaction speed, which makes them ineffective in melee even if they are trained. &lt;br /&gt;
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Even the last reason alone is enough to avoid close combat, seeing as [[Necrons]] use similar logic, despite their [[Necron Warrior|Warriors]] and [[Necron Immortal|Immortals]] being much stronger and tougher, and actually highly trained in close combat, but equally as slow, though if the Necrons do want to get into melee, they&#039;re certainly not lacking in specialists. That said, Tau do practice martial arts, but only for ritual purposes - Fire Warrior trials and rites involve knives and swords, while Ethereals have a tradition of fighting non-lethal duels to settle disputes, using sharp bladed weapons no less, so they are often quite good with their fencing style, as [[Aun&#039;Shi]] has shown to some unfortunate Orks.&lt;br /&gt;
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Some people think Tau military doctrine has been hit hard with the same [[grimdark|stupidity]] nerf bat as every other fieldable army; every other faction has some reason for their material to be as limited as they would be in a fantasy setting, but the Tau have widespread education, unlike Men and Orks; reasonable access to production facilities relative to their population, unlike Necrons and Eldar; and are capable of coherent research and development, unlike Tyranids and Daemons. &lt;br /&gt;
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For fluff reasons which have never been explained (the crunch reason is obvious), they have the same motif as every other army of equipment often being more valuable than the person wielding it, leading to most personnel being fielded with &amp;quot;inferior&amp;quot; equipment. The most obvious example of this is that they always, under whatever circumstance, field infantry in simple combat armour rather than some sort of battlesuit - its only advantage is having less bulk, as the Tau have a reason not to build larger transports to cope with the shitloads of battlesuits they could deploy instead. &lt;br /&gt;
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This argument is analogous to saying that real-world militaries should only use armored vehicles and not have infantry, and says more about fa/tg/uy ignorance than Tau doctrine. The Tau likely practice economy of force, which has consequences both on and off the battlefield. Sending excessive amounts of force at a target is wasteful, as the excess firepower would be more useful elsewhere. If one only has a XV8 Battlesuits and no infantry, but a swarm of grots in a nearby pass needs to be taken out, they have no choice but to commit a very valuable unit to a task far beneath its worth. This is also an economic matter, as lower power units are cheaper and the Tau do not have an infinite supply of the rare materials needed to produce the strongest Battlesuits. &lt;br /&gt;
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One could easily field a number of fire warriors for far less than the cost of a single battlesuit, and considering many foes will fall beneath &amp;quot;mere&amp;quot; infantry, any cost-aware faction would prefer the infantry&#039;s use over an expensive battlesuit. Similarly, when it comes to occupying or garrisoning territory, numbers of soldiers is significantly more important than quality of soldiers as they need to cover ground and establish a presence. In other words, they are the army who most resemble modern forces in terms of strategy, and mixed armies of infantry, armor and support elements are a good combination. And who the fuck can with a straight face call a pulse rifle and carapace grade armour &amp;quot;inferior equipment&amp;quot;? The view their equipment or doctrine is nerfed also ignores that armies have to replace lost and damaged equipment as well as actually get that equipment to the troops or they&#039;re absolutely fucked. An expensive army of battlesuits is lovely right until combat losses alongside wear and tear reach a point where the empires production can&#039;t keep up with losses or supply problems mean they don&#039;t reach the front (armies in 40k have been shown running low on ammo something far easier to produce and transport in large numbers than battlesuits). A army based around soldiers armed with &amp;quot;cheap&amp;quot; rifles and armour is a lot easier to produce and keep in the field even in the face of casualties or supply problems. &lt;br /&gt;
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The Tau&#039;s superior [[Dakka|firepower]] is similar to that of the [[Imperial Guard]], but their strategy is different in that they tend to rely less on mass warfare and more on sophisticated technical support (drones, stealth technology, railguns), with an emphasis on tactical precision, mobility, and the initiative of individual squads of units, much like how modern warfare is waged (apparently if the Imperial Guard learned from Tau tacticians and fought with modern tactics instead of zergrushing everything then they would have been the most powerful army in the galaxy, but no, that ain&#039;t GRIMDARK and AWESOME enough [unless you&#039;re [[Lord Solar Macharius|Macharius]]]). Their military doctrine is not based on winning by attrition and/or throwing out quality tactics in favour of absorbing and dishing out heavy shocks in bloody epic clusterfucks like the Imperials, Orks and early World War II-era Soviet Russia. (Unless you count the later war &amp;quot;deep warfare&amp;quot;, which is actually the combat doctrine the Tau ripped off. 40k really seems to like the Russians...) &lt;br /&gt;
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Rather, they use infiltration and their sophisticated battlesuits to [[Anal Circumference|bypass enemy strong points and launch deep into their rear]], cutting supply lines and logistics, destroying headquarters and support units, leaving enemies cut off and functionally helpless. There are numerous examples of Tau literally starving and/or thirsting entire armies to death by cutting out their supply lines, while simultaneously harassing them with night raids, ambushes and air strikes to the point the survivors are leaderless, demoralized, out of ammo and fuel, and can barely stand due to exhaustion. The [[Imperial_Armour_Volume_Three:_The_Taros_Campaign#Volume_Three_-_The_Taros_Campaign|Taros]] campaign is a prime example of these tactics (and of the Imperium&#039;s strategic stupidity).&lt;br /&gt;
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Of course, these kinds of tactics only work fine against more convenient armies like the Imperial Guard or Orks. When it comes to Space Marines and Eldar, who sport mostly aerial/warp/webway supply lines, operate as elite armies without obvious weak spots to exploit, have similar or superior tactical mobility and badass officers that can survive most assassination attempts, Tau lose huge parts of their usual advantages (but get the numerical superiority in return). Against utterly unconventional foes, like Tyranids, Daemons or Necrons... well, all times they faced such foes, Tau either devised some entirely new strategies, or lost horribly.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:TauTyr.jpg|thumb|left|300px|90% of Tau [[dakka]] comes in the form of [[Plasma|pretty blue lights.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau, again, boast some of the most powerful ranged weaponry on the tabletop game, and can crank out more concentrated firepower than any other faction with the lone exception of the Imperial Guard and maybe the orks if you only count number of bullets in the air, and even then, the Tau&#039;s weapons hit quite a bit harder. They have pathetic hand-to-hand combat skills, however, and so the Tau bolster this by using several inducted races (the [[Kroot]], Vespid, and even some [[Gue&#039;vesa|humans cut off from the Imperium during the Damocles Crusade]]) to act as buffers against assault troops to allow Tau Fire Warrior teams and their heavy, long-ranged firepower to tear enemies apart. The most pivotal, and perhaps most infamous, part of the Tau army are their [[Battlesuit|Battlesuits]], which can mount multiple heavy weapon systems and provide excellent mobility to their pilots, all on a fairly durable unit. &lt;br /&gt;
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They also have an extremely powerful navy, though not quite as formidable as the Imperium&#039;s, if largely because of number differences. Tau air units are among the best in the game, with aircraft superior or equal to Imperial Guard equivalents, including a stealth fighter, multipurpose heavy fighter, a superheavy fighter with guns that can one-shot a Titan, and their own [[Manta|Titan-equivalent]] (which is a small starship). Unlike the Imperium, they usually deploy swarms upon swarms of flyers, with only Orks, Tyranids, and Necrons able to rival them in numbers when things come to dogfights—kind of the way the Imperial fleets&#039; atmospheric support craft were supposed to work if fleet officers weren&#039;t a bunch of assholes who do everything they can to provide as little air support as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
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On defense, the Tau are a bit unusual: they leave only token garrisons at their colonies to protect them. These garrisons are intended for scouting rather than combat, avoiding engagement in order to observe and report on invaders using Pathfinders, scanning towers, and drones. Because the Tau have fairly powerful spacefleets and usually keep their forces within reasoned distance of potential hotspots, any potential threat can be quickly dealt with by organizing a hunter cadre to be sent to deal with the situation. For those of you who don&#039;t get it, it&#039;s Frederick the Great&#039;s &amp;quot;he who tries to protect everything protects nothing&amp;quot; strategy. &lt;br /&gt;
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Of course, this strategy means Tau must have some worlds actually being heavily defended - and in fact they do. Sept worlds tend to be guarded by some nasty space stations and garrisoned by an unreasonable amounts of hunter cadres and auxiliary troops, which allows them to act as major defensive nodes from which response fleets are dispatched and to which evacuation fleets rally (think feudal Japan style castles from which commanders would send trained garrisons out to protect the lands around it from encroaching armies), and in case some really scary shit like an Imperial crusade or a Tyranid hive-fleet comes into the sept, it is on the sept world where the decisive battle is fought (See the First Damocles Crusade for an example of this tactic in action). &lt;br /&gt;
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This has, however, backfired on occasion, since it does mean that the Tau garrisons are very vulnerable in the initial stages of an attack. It also makes them very vulnerable to Orphean War style rapid assaults where the attacker is advancing so quickly the defender doesn&#039;t even have time to relay the news that they&#039;re under attack to the rest of their army. While the Tau haven&#039;t yet faced something like the Maynarkh Dynasty, they are awfully close to the Sautekh Dynasty and Imotekh is a noted cantankerous asshole and egotistical conqueror.&lt;br /&gt;
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A rare advantage the Tau have is their willingness to change military strategy. As examples, look at how they changed tactics in reaction to the [[Damocles Crusade]] by the Imperium of Man, and even built an entirely new space fleet to match humans in straight-on space fights, or their unusual but effective choice of switching to older weapons when dealing with [[Hive Fleet Gorgon]].&lt;br /&gt;
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==Fleet==&lt;br /&gt;
In the old fluff, Tau used to have a reverse-engineered imperial warp drives, tuned to only skim the surface of the warp and bounce back to materium after a short while. New fluff on the other hand retconned that, by giving them what is called &amp;quot;slingshot drive&amp;quot; for their FTL, and from what little fluff we have on it, it looks like the actual warp drive (in the modern physics meaning, i.e. warped time-space bubble). The practical applications, however, are the same in both new and old fluff - Tau FTL is much slower than the Imperium&#039;s, but is predictable, reliable, and not affected by warp storms (a big deal, given Tau spent half of their history inside one). As a result, Tau are capable of building proper interstellar logistics lines, ones the Administratum can only dream of, but their strategic mobility is &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;lacking functionally superior to&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt;...different compared to pretty much every other faction (even the non-Warp drive using FTL factions are different; the Necrons and Eldar teleport while the Tyranids bring their production power with them). &lt;br /&gt;
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Additionally, Slingshot drives are rather big, heavy and power-hungry, even compared to the Warp drive (which takes up a 1/3rd of a smaller imperial ships). As a result, escort-class Tau spacecraft are built without FTL drives and are hooked to bigger ships for the purpose of interstellar travel, which basically make them equivalents of the Imperium&#039;s system monitor ships, with the same benefits (cheap, compact and too fast, powerful or durable for their size) without their major downside (being incapable of FTL flight). The Tau also have to concentrate their forces on an interplanetary scale; they can&#039;t throw a bunch of ships into a warzone from halfway across the galaxy as orks and humans can.&lt;br /&gt;
Tau empire have two fleets:&lt;br /&gt;
*Kor&#039;Vatra, or &amp;quot;merchant fleet&amp;quot;, is made of older modular ships that double as merchant and colony vessels (hence the name). One of their main shticks is huge arcs of fire for most gun batteries, with side batteries easily covering front arc, and nose batteries covering all but the stern - as a result, while Kor&#039;vatra Ships may not have as much firepower as Imperial or Ork ones, they can focus more of it on one target. On the flip side, merchant ships while decently fast at sub-light, are not very agile, and must rely on escort wings and auxiliary fleets against more maneuverable foes. Even after the founding of Kor&#039;Or&#039;Vesh, Kor&#039;Vatra still see a lot of military use, especially against the Imperium, &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;precisely&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; because it&#039;s regarded as non-military fleet, so Tau diplomats could tell their imperial colleagues &amp;quot;What battle cruisers on your orbit are you talking about? It&#039;s just our merchant vessels, moving goods to and from our trade missions&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
*Kor&#039;Or&#039;Vesh, or &amp;quot;combat fleet&amp;quot; is a newer fleet, made for battling Imperium&#039;s fleet in straight up battle, after Kor&#039;Vatra get run over during Damocles crusade. Made out of more compact, maneuverable and better armored ships, it may lack Kor&#039;Vatra&#039;s wide arks of fire, but is superior in every other regard, and as Taros and second Damocles campaigns showed it is more then capable of fighting off humans even if outnumbered.&lt;br /&gt;
Both fleets use largely the same technologies - railguns as (by tau standard) short-ranged high damage gun batteries, ion cannons as long range beams (lance equivalent), and above all, their brokenly-powerful ordinance second only to Eldar ones (and available in far greater numbers) - Mantas, Barracudas and EMP drone-torpedoes reign supreme at extreme ranges, gaining Tau navy the same reputation their ground armies have. Because their ordinance is so powerful, most Tau ships tend towards carrier and torpedo boat archetype, and suffer horribly if enemy comes within macro-cannon or god-forbid boarding range (that is IF they manage to come that close).&lt;br /&gt;
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==Non-combat Fluff==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tau city.jpg|450px|thumb|right|Contrary to what [[Imperium of Man|some]] believe, what this picture shows might just be the future for the entire galaxy if the Tau [[Great Crusade|get their way.]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau were a new race/culture found by the Imperium of Man during their &amp;quot;slash and burn&amp;quot; exploration of their galactic neighborhood. The Tau were still pastoral, had just discovered flint tools and charcoal, and the Imperium had them scheduled for &amp;quot;[[Grimdark|routine cleansing]]&amp;quot; (Low Gothic for “ruthless genocide”) to make sure they never got off-world and developed into an entity capable of threatening humanity. Needless to say, that plan was promptly [[derp|fucked up]]. By an unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on your feelings towards a species&#039; right to not be mercilessly exterminated for no reason whatsoever) coincidence which almost certainly involved the dickery of [[Tzeentch]] or [[Cegorach]] or [[The Deceiver|something]], a warp storm occluded the Tau homeworld, so nobody could get in or out. Since the Tau were virtually invisible in the warp, the warp storm didn&#039;t have much of an effect on them as they were immune to the influences of Chaos. &lt;br /&gt;
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[[FAIL|The sector was labeled &amp;quot;lost to Chaos,&amp;quot;]] and cleansing was [[What|deferred indefinitely]]. Then [[Age of Apostasy|this shit]] happened, and almost all records about Tau were lost in the ensuring [[Rape|clusterfuck]] of civil war. Only the Adeptus Mechanicus still had records of this first contact when the storm died down 6,000 years later. The Damocles Crusade relocated the Tau, who were completely untouched by the warp storm and now using interstellar colony ships and pulse rifles. The extermination order still stood—it was just going to be much more difficult than the Imperium expected, seeing as the Tau, instead of [[C.S. Goto|throwing spears and rocks at their tanks]] and Space Marines, were now throwing [[ion cannon|ion charges]], [[plasma|plasma blasts]], and [[railgun|electromagnetically-accelerated hypervelocity projectiles]] at their tanks and Space Marines.&lt;br /&gt;
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Tau history is pretty typical up through the iron-age: a knack for engineering, warfare between &amp;quot;urban&amp;quot; farmers and &amp;quot;barbarian&amp;quot; nomads, and unrestrained growth causing a series of plagues, leading to a dark age. Here&#039;s where things go sideways, though the Tau see it as the start of their endless Golden Age: the arrival of the Ethereals. Legend tells of a five-year siege at the castle of Fio&#039;taun, with both sides starving and succumbing to disease, when two foreign Tau entered the battlefield. One went to the castle, the other to the barbarian tribes. Each of these Tau had a quiet grace and irresistible authority. In just a few hours, the castle was persuaded to open their gates, and the barbarians laid down their weapons, and both parties met to parley a truce. &lt;br /&gt;
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These strange Tau called themselves &amp;quot;Ethereals,&amp;quot; and stressed the importance of peace and understanding between all Tau. They described a &amp;quot;Greater Good&amp;quot; that each Tau must strive towards. Soon after, soon enough to seem simultaneous, more of these strange new Tau emerged across the continent with their message of peace and co-operation for all Tau. Their quiet authority was always respected, and their message of harmony was universally embraced. Wait a minute, [[God-Emperor of Mankind|I&#039;ve seen this]] [[Great Crusade|historical pattern before]]....&lt;br /&gt;
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Perhaps uniquely for the setting, Tau-human interactions bear the whiff of realpolitik. On the one hand, the Imperium wants to exterminate them &#039;&#039;eventually&#039;&#039;, but the upper management generally realizes that the Tau are going to be a giant drain of resources and manpower to get rid of, given the stiff resistance they put up in [[Damocles Crusade|previous campaigns]] and their [[Riptide|uniformly]] [[railgun|advanced]] [[battlesuit|technology]]. Furthermore, they serve as a useful buffer state against various threats on the Eastern Fringe, from Orks and Chaos raiders to Tyranid hive fleets to alien forces the Imperium hasn&#039;t had (recorded) contact with. Their existence deflects danger from Imperial space, and in a place and time when the Imperium is [[Time of Ending|coming under attack from all sides]], that&#039;s more important than dogma.&lt;br /&gt;
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This strategy is not unique to the Tau only though, as the Imperium allows countless other (much more dangerous) xeno empires to prosper in the Eastern Fringe to serve as an ablative shield against much nastier shit. Amongst those is (for example) the Charadon ork empire, which is older than the Imperium and spawns a Waaagh! or two per millennium (even with the routine warboss assasination raids that the Ultramarines make). Even after the emergence of the genius warboss Snagrod and his Waagh on Rynn no one cared to issue a crusade against them. So yeah, the Tau empire is not even close to being spotted by the High Lords, not to mention recognized as a threat dangerous enough to actually do something about.&lt;br /&gt;
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Conversely, the Tau have realized just how massive an undertaking expanding through the entire universe would really be, and are taking it slow. They mostly absorb Imperial buffer worlds stripped of manpower and armament in the face of massive redeployments to face other threats, offering the Empire&#039;s protection in return for annexation and outright conquering the places that don&#039;t take the deal. The Tau have claimed that they are engaging in this sort of aggressive behavior because &#039;&#039;someone&#039;s&#039;&#039; going to [[Tyranids|gobble]] those settlements up sooner or later, and if &#039;&#039;they&#039;&#039; don&#039;t do it, then whoever does won&#039;t be [[Exterminatus|nearly as nice about it]]. While baldly self-serving, that logic is...well, mostly correct, really.&lt;br /&gt;
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There&#039;s no lost love between the Imperium and the Tau, but open full-scale war is probably unlikely in the near-future.&lt;br /&gt;
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And then the Second Damocles Crusade happened.... even the imperium isn&#039;t that stupid, so this almost certainly involves that tricky dick Tzeench trying to stop the greater good from ruining all his plans. ...Or nurgle...or, well any of the ruinous powers really. Or that ancient scheming old sperg [[Eldrad]], for that matter.&lt;br /&gt;
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Looking at the new galactic map, where the Tau are now sandwiched between their own eye of terror and a Necron dynasty, they are soon to be fucked.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== Castes ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Commander HawkEye.jpg|thumb|290px|right|&amp;lt;s&amp;gt;Join the Greater Good, lose your virginity to a hot alien babe!&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Unapproved of sexual contact is an offence to the greater good Gue&#039;La. Now get back to work or you won&#039;t get your overtime pay! ]]&lt;br /&gt;
Tau society after the arrival of Ethereals was organized into castes; everyone with a place, and a place for everyone. [[Love Can Bloom|Interbreeding between castes and Xenos races]] is one of the most severe crimes in the Empire, in other words, [[Heresy]]. This was outlawed by the [[Ethereal]]s presumably to preserve the biological differences between castes, and as part of this effort they have taken over the practice of sex entirely. Tau society has been manipulated so that Tau do not form romantic bonds of a long-lasting nature and do not even consider sex to be anything other than a state-mandated act meant only, like everything else, to serve society and the Greater Good. In essence, Tau are conditioned to never have sex until and unless their superiors say they are worth breeding. &lt;br /&gt;
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Their superiors pick their breeding partners (the Tau get NO input into this) and the couple basically spends a few days off from work screwing around before going their separate ways to never see each other again. If a Tau did somehow get over their social conditioning and thought of sex as something more than a mandated duty, they&#039;d be [[Blam|punished/killed for illegal activities/perversion]]. An Imperial genetor&#039;s report in the fourth edition Tau codex observes the presence of synthetic proteins in Tau internal organs and suggests them as evidence that their evolution has been accelerated, though he might have been confused by synthetic proteins that the Tau were given. [[/tg/]] seems to be under the strong impression that they are mammals, as you can see in the picture further down the page, despite the complete implausibility of this theory. The frequent [[/d/|sexualization]] of the Tau by fa/tg/uys is a mystery to many, but clearly not all. [[PROMOTIONS|Not nearly enough]], in fact.&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Fire|Fire Caste}} Shas (Fire) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Fire Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; consists of the various [[Fire Warrior|warriors]] of the Tau Empire. The miniatures of a Tau army in a [[Warhammer 40,000]] game are almost exclusively Fire Caste. Other castes think Shas are overly-aggressive hotheads due to their tendency to solve all problems by applying more plasma (when Tau encountered other sentient species, Fire Caste representatives immediately voted to hunt down and exterminate them, just like they hunted down dangerous local life forms on the other world they colonized), although for Humans and Eldar, who&#039;s history knows numerous [[Wyches|kinky]], [[Haemonculus|horrid]], [[World_Eaters|Earthshatteringly mad]], [[Night_Lords|batshit insane]], [[Blood Angels|bloodthirsty]] individuals and groups, mention of the &amp;quot;Aggressively Hotheaded&amp;quot; Tau would end up with them collectively pointing fingers and laughing at them. On the other hand, it also shows how calm and disciplined other castes are. &lt;br /&gt;
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They are taller than Earth Caste Tau, and physically stronger than the Air and Water Castes, though still shorter and weaker than a typical Human. They pretty much compensate for this by giving their basic Fire Warrior a [[pulse rifle]], which is sort of like an automatic sniper-[[plasma]] gun, and employ heavily armed and sophisticated battlesuits for their elite infantry. Oh yeah, and [[Railgun]]s. Company -sized Tau forces are called &amp;quot;Hunter Cadres&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Earth|Earth Caste}} Fio (Earth) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Earth Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; are the laborers and engineers; they are the &amp;quot;civilians&amp;quot; of Tau society. Their appearance can vary widely, though other Tau would describe them as &amp;quot;plain.&amp;quot; They all have a stoic outlook, with little ambition other than to excel in their career of choice and work for the Greater Good. Unlike the Imperial worker classes, whose quality of life generally &#039;&#039;starts&#039;&#039; at working 14-hour days seven days a week while living off of dried, recycled dung chips and goes [[Such is life on Volg|&#039;&#039;downhill from there&#039;&#039;]], the Earth caste is mostly concerned with technological planning and engineering. &lt;br /&gt;
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They have robots to do the grunt work. The Farsight Enclaves field some Earth Caste pilots for their battlesuits, demonstrating their more flexible caste systems and/or their desperation for manpower. Doing so makes them &#039;&#039;even worse&#039;&#039; in close-combat than Tau already are, but they make up for it with technical training and tweaks to the suits&#039; software and mechanics, re-rolling missed shots and equipment failures.&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Air|Air Caste}} Kor (Air) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Air Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; are the intermediaries between Tau. In more primitive times they served as messengers and couriers, and sometimes scouts/explorers, gliding on membranous anatomical surfaces through T&#039;au&#039;s atmosphere. When the Tau started exploring offworld, it was the Air Caste that took charge of the vessels traveling between the stars. Now the Air Caste are the Tau stellar navy/airforce/mailmen, piloting the Empire&#039;s various carriers, warships, and emissary cruisers. Air caste Tau tend to be tall and slender like runners or dancers, and this is frequently exaggerated by the years the Tau navy spends in low-gravity. &lt;br /&gt;
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They are much less likely to be eaten by [[daemon]]s due to a faulty Geller Field than their Imperial equivalents, but only because their ships are much slower, using a &amp;quot;slingshot drive&amp;quot; to temporarily enter the Warp and bounce back into real space. Despite their slender stature and lack of muscle mass, Air caste pilots are extremely resistant to G-force, making them excellent void and atmospheric fighter pilots (simultaneously, as small Tau voidcraft also double as atmospheric craft).&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Water|Water Caste}} Por (Water) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Water Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; are the emissaries to non-Tau. They are diplomats, merchants, civil servants. The most open-minded Tau can be found among the Water caste, with some even showing individual ambition (but still for the greater good of the Tau Empire). When a new culture is encountered, the Water caste are sent in first to negotiate. If talks break down, the Water caste are withdrawn from the area and it&#039;s time for the Fire Caste to then start negotiating with pulse weapon fire. Also, unlike their Imperial equivalents in bureaucracy, the [[Administratum]], they are brisk, efficient, and very good at their jobs. No dumping valuable ammo on an uninhabited dust world because no one signed the paperwork not to. &lt;br /&gt;
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It&#039;s a less known fact that Pors also run the Tau intelligence and espionage network, and Por&#039;Os and Por&#039;Els from this branch are pretty much Tau Inquisitors except more competent, much saner, and not nearly as good at kicking asses personally. As of the second Damocles Crusade the Imperium has designated the Water caste as a primary threat above any other Tau caste, as their subterfuge, diplomacy and propaganda has cost the Imperium more worlds and manpower than the Fire and Air caste&#039;s military prowess combined, and they even managed to totally outplay the Inquisition on its own field, which royally pissed them off.&lt;br /&gt;
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==== {{anchor|Ethereal|Ethereal Caste}} Aun (Ethereal) ====&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Ethereal Caste&#039;&#039;&#039; are basically the philosopher-kings described by Plato in &amp;quot;The Republic&amp;quot;. They are selfless and always focused on what is best for the Greater Good (&amp;quot;Tau&#039;va&amp;quot;) for all Tau and every Tau without exception. The Ethereals are inspirational to all Tau caste members, and merely being near one will inspire a Tau soldier, engineer, pilot, or diplomat to work harder. &lt;br /&gt;
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In the case of the Fire Caste, some Ethereals accompany hunter cadres in battle during important deployments so as to better lead/inspire the troops, which works because all Tau in the combat zone will fight to their bitter deaths. They also seem to have semi-magical powers (don&#039;t ask how they work, none of the Tau know themselves) that allow Tau around them to do special things, like running while shooting. The [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] theorizes that the respect the Ethereal Caste gets from all other Tau is caused by a pheromone. &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTAU......&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
Also, &#039;&#039;[[Xenology]]&#039;&#039; relates a story from a major, insectoid race called the [[Q&#039;Orl]] which alleges that the [[Eldar]] stole one of their queens. Given that these queens have a magic, yellow, diamond-shaped sack that produces mind-control pheromones…well, let&#039;s just say the characters in the story figure it out quickly enough. There is a theory that the Ethereals themselves are also affected by their own pheromones, which could explain why they&#039;re so selfless and uncorrupted despite their absolute power. &lt;br /&gt;
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This can also be supported by the (old as fuck and likely retconned) novelization of [[Warhammer_40,000:_Fire_Warrior|Fire Warrior]], where the Ethereal character has a pretty level head and chipper demeanor despite having been [[Anal_Circumference|repeatedly captured and tortured by both the Inquisition and Chaos, watching his diplomatic retinue chopped up by a Chaos Lord, and mind-raped by said Chaos Lord all in the span of roughly two days.]] Either he&#039;s a stoic old motherfucker, or he&#039;s just too busy tripping his blue balls on his own pheromones to give a shit.&lt;br /&gt;
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8th ed has a particularly interesting story in it and it proves without a shadow of a doubt: the Ethereal caste does use some kind of mind-altering substance or influence on the Tau. During a meeting with Commander O&#039;Ryn and Aun&#039;Va (who is a solid hologram controlled by an AI at this point) in the planet of Junica, their location was ambushed by Chaos forces and Aun&#039;Va (or the AI acting like Aun&#039;Va) ordered O&#039;Ryn to send her forces on what&#039;s essentially a suicide mission. O&#039;Ryn, not seeing the point of throwing her and her soldiers&#039; lives at such a hopeless battle, actually &#039;&#039;defied&#039;&#039; the command of an ethereal (and the space pope himself, no less) and retreated. &lt;br /&gt;
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O&#039;Ryn was eventually declared a renegade and Farsight took her in, but it does indeed prove that the unflinching and unquestioning loyalty and fanaticism that the ethereals&#039; physical presence inspire on nearby Tau aren&#039;t due to their charisma or the Tau&#039;s indoctrination, and instead on something more sinister. To put this into perspective: O&#039;Ryn has been the first Tau since Farsight to actively defy an ethereal&#039;s command and the main reason she was able to do so was because she was speaking to an AI-controlled drone, instead of the actual space pope.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Tau Names===&lt;br /&gt;
Tau have ridiculously long, detailed and actually meaningful names. Their names contain their caste, rank, birth sept, and one or more nicknames earned by them through the course of their lives. Fluff does say that they &#039;&#039;do&#039;&#039; have birth names, but those are only used before tau earn at least one appropriate nickname, as a name given to them by comrades is considered more valuable than one just chosen by random at their birth. The nickname part and it&#039;s importance surprisingly is actually taken from the Roman culture, which is weird, given most Tau culture tend to be based on China and Japan (except for their social and government structures which are copied almost verbatim from Plato&#039;s Republic). &lt;br /&gt;
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Also, do note the lack of last names, which is expected, since Tau society pretty much have no institute of a family, with children being raised in a centralized facilities apart from their parents. As tau grow, move through ranks and achieve respect of his comrades his name changes appropriately, switching the rank part, adding new nicknames and sometimes dropping the old and outdated ones. For example, when Farsight was still a lowly fire warrior, his name was &#039;&#039;&#039;Shas&#039;La Vior&#039;La Shoh&#039;&#039;&#039; (Fire Caste Private of the Hot-Blooded sept Inner Light), and at the &amp;quot;present days&amp;quot; &#039;&#039;&#039;Shas&#039;O Vior&#039;La Shovah Kais Mont&#039;yr&#039;&#039;&#039; (Fire Caste Commander of the Hot-Blooded sept Farsight Skillful Blooded). How the fuck Tau bureaucracy is able to keep track of their population with their names constantly changing is a mystery, but it seems they have no problem with that, probably because they just track ID numbers when names are too much of an issue like most sane people who work with databases.&lt;br /&gt;
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For the sake of convenience Tau often use shortened versions of names, almost always dropping the sept part and secondary nicknames, and if speaking within one caste the caste part too, so in the case of Farsight other fire warriors could refer to him as O&#039;Shovah, while for example an Ethereal would call him Shas&#039;O&#039;Shovah (assuming Farsight allows this given his seething hatred of Ethereals, he&#039;s the type who&#039;d force them to use his full name out of spite). Humans and other non-Tau often get this system wrong and shorten the names in a ways that make little sense: for example, Imperium&#039;s Taros invasion force thought the Taros&#039; chief Ethereal&#039;s name was Aun&#039;El, which was only his caste and rank, and as the book was mostly written from the Imperium&#039;s standpoint, we still don&#039;t know what was his actual name.&lt;br /&gt;
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One final stroke of Tau naming, is that as they abandon their true (birth) names it makes them even more resistant to sorcery and daemonic powers that often require target&#039;s true name to amplify their effect or even make the spell work at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Psychic/Chaos Defenses===&lt;br /&gt;
Tau are an entire race of psychic blunts, they cannot produce psykers and have limited innate resistance to some forms of psychic powers and daemonic bullshit. People often mistake this resistance to outright invulnerability, but in truth it&#039;s more akin to camouflage - Tau souls are so dim they are indistinguishable from the spirits of non-sapients at best, and at most times they even blend in the psychic background of inanimate objects. This may have something to do with how unemotional tau are, as some of the more passionate subjects in the fluff had been slightly affected by warp shenanigans like faint whispers and slight feelings of &amp;quot;wrongness&amp;quot; in places where humans creep out and try to run away immediately, while more calm and collected tau hadn&#039;t noticed anything strange. If for example a telepath tries to mind-rape a tau or a daemon tries to posses a tau he&#039;d find it hard to find a soul to target, but if he manages to find it there would be even less resistance than with regular humans. Sadly while this trait is often shown in the fluff, it does not affect tau crunch in any way.&lt;br /&gt;
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This innate defense is further strengthened by the Greater Good philosophy deeply indoctrinated into each Tau from childhood and (allegedly) reinforced by a subtle mind control. Tau&#039;Va being the antithesis of all the creeds of Chaos makes Tau all but immune to its temptations, and only a single Tau has ever actually fallen to Chaos, the Water Caste member Water Spider who was possessed by a Daemon of Tzeentch. That being said, the Tau have only just been exposed to the more material horrors of the galaxy; should they become jaded and start losing faith in the Greater Good (as inferred with giving up on indoctrinating certain species), well, that would be an entirely different situation. Their allies, including the Kroot, have been known to go all-in with Chaos worship, although Tau seldom take culture from their allied races. &lt;br /&gt;
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8th Ed is here, and has confirmed that the Tau aren&#039;t immune to Chaos, just slightly difficult for Daemons to spot. When the Tau started the 4th Sphere Expansion with their new warp drives: they didn&#039;t take a note from the Imperials&#039; tech and failed to invent the [[Gellar Field]] too, meaning they were fully vulnerable to the Warp&#039;s denizens. The entire experience was hilarious. First was the unpredictability of their warp drives (known as &amp;quot;slipstream technology&amp;quot; to them) that caused most of their expeditionary fleet to be destroyed due to unleashing massive tears in the fabric of reality, [[lulz|while being broadcasted to the Tau sept worlds, causing the Ethereals to rapidly evacuate their bowels as they scramble to censor the event to the wider populace.]] Those that weren&#039;t immediately torn up by the warp rifts, were sucked into the Warp where a vast majority was either destroyed after drifting in the more unsavory parts of the Warp, or the various daemons mucking about.&lt;br /&gt;
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Contact was lost, but the Tau managed to find the survivors later, nestled into several worlds that were the original target for conquest. The Tau that survived however, were acting weird. Some of them started shoving off the Greater Good, while some worshiped a voice that they claim to be the Greater Good itself (which may or may not be a warp entity), while some were outright driven insane. A disturbing trend about them however, is their total [[Imperium|xenophobia and brutality]]. Any non-Tau who wasn&#039;t driven off from the 4th Sphere colonies were murdered for [[Chaos God|something]] that was telling the survivors that the auxiliaries were the reason for their loss and torment due to their more powerful connection to the Warp, so killing all non-Tau was the only way to ensure the survival of the Greater Good.&lt;br /&gt;
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That being said, they&#039;re still hard for Daemons to see, considering that the Fourth Sphere dove into the Warp unprotected and &amp;quot;merely&amp;quot; got off with plain Chaos corruption when most people who try that shit critfails their [[anal circumference]] roll and either gets torn apart by daemon cocks or becomes [[Chaos Spawn|an Unnameable Beast]]. But this event does still prove that the Chaos Gods can still influence the Tau with enough warp exposure, so it wouldn&#039;t be surprising if a few of them started going bughouse-nuts and began carving 8-pointed stars on their persons in the future. Especially with virtually the entire [[Death Guard]] and a large force of the [[Thousand Sons]] heading straight for the wormhole that links the Fourth Sphere colonies to the center of the Empire...&lt;br /&gt;
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==Alliances==&lt;br /&gt;
{{MattWard}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Illus4.jpg|280px|right|thumb|Unfortunately for some [[Slaanesh|deviants]] [[Extra Heresy|and heretical elements on]] [[/tg/]]. [[Not as Planned|This is what an actual canon Tau Female looks like.]] No boobs, no curves, no ass, no redeeming qualities other than having a face of your grandmother and the nose of a mutilated vag. Know the alien. Hate the alien. Purge the alien. The Emperor Protects! &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;This is an Ethereal though, so the other castes should be fair game.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
In 6th edition, Tau are notable for being one of two factions (the other being Imperial Guard) who can ally with anyone except for &#039;Nids. Yes, this includes both Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Daemons, although, according to the Farsight Enclaves supplement, &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;Farsight is one of the few Tau (maybe the only one &#039;&#039;period&#039;&#039;) who actually understands the existence of Chaos, so the average Tau would consider them to be just another kind of alien.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; Farsight rebelled because the Ethereals understand the existence of Chaos on some level, but keep it suppressed from the general populace so they&#039;re not entirely screwed. [[Emperor|Which sounds vaguely familiar]]. It is probably going to end [[Horus Heresy|about as well]], too (although due to cultural differences likely in it&#039;s own distinct way); all of this is, of course, assuming that the &#039;nids don&#039;t NOM everything before the Tau get the opportunity to fuck their own shit up.&lt;br /&gt;
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Their current level of naïveté leads to a few... &#039;&#039;interesting&#039;&#039; alliances, to say the least.&lt;br /&gt;
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First off, Tau &#039;&#039;can&#039;&#039; ally with [[Ork]]s, even though fluff-wise they are viewed as enemies of the Greater Good to be purged wherever encountered. Smaller Ork warbands (mostly [[Blood Axes]]) frequently act as mercenaries, of course, so the Tau might use them in that capacity. Plus, there might be fluff changes coming up (most notably, it was rumored that the [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee]] would return in the new Orks codex; they, of course, would get along quite well with the Tau).&lt;br /&gt;
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They are also battle brothers with both the Space Marines and Eldar, which has caused a large amount of headscratching on /tg/. The Eldar make a modicum of sense; after all, the Eldar most likely had a hand in their synthetic evolution and the creation of the Ethereals, and the Eldar are well known for being expert manipulators. A Tau-Space Marine alliance, though, would be odd, to say the least, since Tau and Space Marines are always going at it in the [[fluff]]. Of course, a minor [[Space Marine Chapter|chapter]] could always find an alliance with the Tau, or even [[Heresy|join the Greater Good]], but that seems far-fetched at best. Old fluff from back in the 3rd edition codex tells a story of a Tau commander letting an Apothecary remove the aul glands from dead Marines, establishing that the Tau are honourable warriors in the minds of this particular chapter. Isn&#039;t too hard to guess that someone at GW felt the battle brothers thing was a bit of a head-desk move, so they tried to fix it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weirdest part, though, is that Tau &#039;&#039;aren&#039;t&#039;&#039; Battle Brothers with the Imperial Guard, despite (or maybe because of) the existence of [[Gue&#039;vesa]] (Imperial Guard defectors).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
7th edition corrected all of this for the Tau, making them only battle brothers with themselves and certain allies of convenience, like Necrons and the Eldar, while the rest are desperate allies or, in the case of daemons and &#039;Nids, allies of the apocalypse. This effectively &amp;quot;fixes&amp;quot; the issue from the point of view of a butthurt puritan while still allowing for those who bought Tau models to include them as allies in their games.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
8th edition totally destroyed any chance of Tau having allies in matched play games. Taudar is dead, thank fuck.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Tau Member Races==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dynamic entry by majesticchicken.jpg|right|thumb|550px|Look up fuckers! You&#039;re invited to the latest imperial party and we&#039;re not taking &amp;quot;no&amp;quot; for an answer!]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Tau are the only faction that willingly accept other races into their ranks. Typically, the races are extended a hand from the Water Caste first, and if they still pose a problem or otherwise refuse to be reasoned with, the Fire Warriors are sent in. It should be noted that tau usually are not in haste of annexing the world, and if the aliens don&#039;t want to join right now but aren&#039;t immediately hostile and open to trade, Water Caste would slowly but surely convert them into a Greater Good to the point that one day they themselves would ask to join the Empire. The species, when annexed or conquered, are usually allowed to keep their planet, but must answer to the authority of the local Ethereal and possibly the local Shas&#039;o. Most of them are fluff and don&#039;t show up on the tabletop, but it would get a little ridiculous if you could purport to play a &#039;single&#039; 40k race that included, like, twelve different races.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Demiurg - &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;[[Squats]] reborn.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; NOT ANYMORE the Squats are back and not Demiurg at all! They are a race of space-faring miners specializing in ionic weaponry who serve the Tau with their engineering and mining abilities. They also serve as an example of something the Imperium will never do: &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;save dead codex races (Well, okay, they&#039;re sort of saved...).&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; They make an appearance in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada though, so that&#039;s nice.&lt;br /&gt;
* Galgs - Frog/Toad People who are regularly hired as mercenaries. No other information available. Probably [[Lizardmen#Slann|Slann]] In Space.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Gue&#039;vesa]] - Humans who have not only defected to the Tau, but chosen to take up arms and fight alongside them to serve the Greater Good. Rules for them are found in [[Forge World|Forge World&#039;s]] Imperial Armour Volume 3. (If the current trend goes on we may see Sisters join up with the Tau, &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;which might be an improvement for the Sisters.)&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt;{{BLAM}}{{BLAM|HERESY!}}&lt;br /&gt;
* Hrenian - Alien mercenaries employed for their skills as light infantry. No other information available. Probably [[Lizardmen#Skinks|Skinks]] In Space.&lt;br /&gt;
* Ji&#039;atrix - A spacefaring race. No other information available. (Dammit, GW [[Writefag|writefags]].)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kroot]] - Predatory gene-assimilating avian humanoids. They are the first alien race to be actively recruited by the Tau as mercenaries, and are so regularly hired that they have officially progressed to being considered Auxiliaries of the Tau forces.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vespid|Mal&#039;kor]] - Insectoid aliens, also known as Vespids, who are native to a gas giant planet within the Tau Empire. Serve as Auxiliaries.&lt;br /&gt;
* Morralian - Also known as &amp;quot;Deathsworn&amp;quot;. No other information available.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nicassar]] - A voidfaring race of [[psyker]]s and the only psychically-gifted species in the Tau Empire. The Tau have carefully hidden them away from the Imperium due to their (actually justifiable) psyker-phobia. Were the second alien species to join the Greater Good.&lt;br /&gt;
* Ranghon - No information available.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tarellian]] - These guys are basically [[Lizardmen#Saurus|Saurus]] IIIIN SPAAAAACE!!!!!! Not really part of the Empire, but rather mercenaries who will gladly fight humans and Tyranids on the cheap since the Imperium virus-bombed their home world and the Tyranids nommed their biggest colony.  Given the Imperium doesn&#039;t go for exterminatus or even try to extermintae aliens unless those aliens do something to seriously deserve it...this won&#039;t go well for the Tau once the blueies are no longer useful.&lt;br /&gt;
* Poctroon - The first sapient species to be found by the Tau, [[wikipedia:Siege of Fort Pitt|they were &amp;quot;accidentally&amp;quot; driven extinct by Tau smallpox]], and their planet just by coincidence was a great place to set a Sept World.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nagi - Brain worms that, due to their horrific appearance and inability to communicate, were attacked by the Fire Caste. They managed to sort it out, though, and now they work with the Ethereals as advisors (because having brain worms about as &amp;quot;advisors&amp;quot; isn&#039;t a bad idea or anything). They have been shown in a few books so far, and were involved in a &amp;quot;mind-rip&amp;quot; (guess outright calling it &amp;quot;rape&amp;quot; was too much) of a space marine POW, while being so self-righteous and smug about their mental superiority they could give Eldar a run for their money. Apparently they can also at least perceive the Warp (which they call &amp;quot;extra-dimensional space&amp;quot;), and probably manipulate it as well, and know enough about it to outright refuse to go anywhere near demonically-tainted Agrellan when the Tau invaded it.&lt;br /&gt;
* Ji&#039;atrices, Morralians, or Ranghons are probably other Warhammer Fantasy Races In Space, such as [[Lizardmen#Kroxigor|Kroxigors]] or Trolls, given the overall tendency of the Tau to incorporate Fantasy races missing from 40k.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The usually genocidal actions of the other races, most notably the [[Imperium]], also serve as a motivating factor for less-powerful races to join the Tau. While the Tau do seem a minor threat to the Imperium now, if the current policy continues, there will be more and more races joining up with the them if for no other reason than avoiding [[Exterminatus|extermination]]. Of course, the Tau are just coming to realize how vast and powerful the Imperium really is, and while a lot of their member races really &#039;&#039;are&#039;&#039; the victims of crazy, evil, fascist extermination protocols, there&#039;s always the chance that someone responsible for a &amp;quot;Hell World&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Nightmare World&amp;quot; might join up, and the damage might be done before they realize their mistake...,&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==In a Nutshell==&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;The Stated Reason Why People Hate Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
Weeaboo space confucianists (Asian Commies)—not grimdark enough.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;The &#039;&#039;Real&#039;&#039; Reason Why People Hate Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
Until the edition update, this would, most assuredly, be [[Fish of Fury]]. Fuck, even most Tau players felt this was bullshit. Post-edition update, it was that certain [[Matt Ward|undesirables]] felt that they were trying to take the mantle of the 40K universe&#039;s &amp;quot;rightful&amp;quot; Imperial protagonists. And because they are not [[Choppa|choppy]] enough. And then 6th Edition codex came, and Tau became one of the shootiest armies in the shootiest edition ever, not to mention their ability to bitchslap cheesmongers, having straight counters against any of the Wardex bullshit. When the 7th edition came out they became overpowered AF and they took the title as the chedder cheese of Warhammer.&lt;br /&gt;
More generally, the Tau battle philosophy is &amp;quot;deny your opponent the chance to interact with you,&amp;quot; which is a good philosophy for real soldiers but can make for frustrating or uninteresting gameplay.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;A Real Reason Why People Like Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
The one race that isn&#039;t being a wall of dicks. If the Tau are trolling done by Games Workshop, then the target of said trolling was any fatbeard that needs a constant supply of grimdark to stay alive. Of course, the mind-influencing pheromones they use to conquer new worlds and their psycho-indoctrination mass re-education facilities will just have to be ignored if you don&#039;t want destroy your wishful thinking for a half-way decent faction to exist in 40k. But people have always been good at ignoring shit that doesn&#039;t fit into their perceived image of something.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;Another Real Reason Why People Like Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike many other Races in 40k the Tau are capable of fitting into many other Sci-fi Universes without much Problems. Such as Star trek where they would be at home along side other Peaceful yet also Tyrannical Factions like the Federation. Compared to the Necrons or Eldar which would be both Roflstomps and completely different from all other groups in that Universe. (Unless it [[Doctor Who|Doctor Who]]).&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;The Real Reason Why People Play Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
Arguably have the most powerful guns in the game. Often twin-linked. Often on cool-looking robot battlesuits. [[meme|Also markerlights]]. Also [[Riptide|RAPETIDE]]. Tau players may also have a tendency towards sadism.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;A Solid Reason People Don&#039;t Play Tau&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
They&#039;re fucking expensive. Seriously. On a points-per-pound level, they cost more than any other (plastic) army. This is doubly true if you like battlesuits, but of course you do because you&#039;re playing Tau.&lt;br /&gt;
;&#039;&#039;&#039;Helping Necrons? Or are they Necrontyr descendants?&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
An often overlooked issue is that Tau have almost no warp signatures, just like Necrons, hate Warpspawns and Warp in general (despite the fact that in 6E they can work with them...I just...I don&#039;t...WAAAARD!!!), just like Necrons, have the exact same skull shape, stature and short lives, and the overwhelming need for Technology and beam weapons, JUST LIKE NECRONS. [[GW]] may have planned a race that simply prepares a pacified, multiracial galaxy for Necrons to feast upon, supported by Ethereals that have a C&#039;tan phase blade. Then there is a reference of &amp;quot;dark seed in east&amp;quot; by the Deceiver, so the tricky C&#039;tan might give Tzeentch the finger in the [[JUST AS PLANNED]] competition. Or maybe GW just has so little creativity that they simply made a new civ conforming to an Old One&#039;s standards without knowing it. Given that recent murmurs have suggested that something absolutely massive is in the works at GW, &#039;&#039;anything&#039;&#039; could be possible, though past experience has led us to believe that it will simply be a Tau wearing a silly [[hat]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==TL;DR==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;s&amp;gt;The good guys&amp;lt;/S&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
High-tech, Mech-loving alien race who are the &#039;&#039;least&#039;&#039; [[grimdark]] of factions. Can&#039;t melee for shit but can blow you back to the stone age with ranged weaponry if you have the misfortune of being downrange. You will either love them or hate them because of all this, and many neckbeards do feel the [[butthurt]]. For some reason Tau females are [[/d/|awkwardly sexualized]] by a non-insignificant minority of fa/tg/uys, which has shown up in some draw- and writefaggotry. As the saying goes: &amp;quot;You can&#039;t spell TAUNT without TAU.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Warhammer Fantasy ==&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike most other factions in 40k, Tau have no clear antecedent from [[Warhammer Fantasy]]. Some think the anime influences and rapid industrialization/militarization point towards Nippon; others feel the caste system might be related to the Kingdom of Ind. However, neither faction has ever been explored in great detail (or any detail at all), so it&#039;s impossible to say whether Tau are similar to those factions; instead, we must compare to the real-world equivalents of the Old World nations. Slightly more controversially, there are elements of Cathay (which is the Anglicized word for China back in the British Empire heyday, so yes) in the Tau. Cathay has been described as being technologically advanced (at least on par with the Empire), including terra-cotta automaton warriors (which the Chinese definitely used to make to pay homage to the First Chinese Emperor&#039;s over inflated ego, more than a millennia ago), although such comparison is stated by some to have [[Skub|already been implemented in the characterization of the Eldar and thus, is considered as &#039;&#039;seriously&#039;&#039; stretching up a notch.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More recently, some have connected the Tau and their subject races to other factions in Fantasy. The rapid evolution of the Kroot and their overall savagery is (somewhat) similar to the Gors of the Beastmen (although the Beastmen are in the 40k universe themselves). The Empire also shares the xenos-friendly viewpoint of the Tau, although they&#039;re not expansionistic, and decidedly less concerned with a unified government structure so long as everyone pays their taxes, for better or for worse. Others compare them to dwarves: dwarves don&#039;t use Chaos magic, are short, technologically advanced, kinda casty and blue (understood in many countries as &amp;quot;hopelessly drunk&amp;quot;) basicly all the time. Tau don&#039;t use Chaos warp magic, are short, technologically advanced, very casty and blue all the time (in regards to skin colour). Both also get seriously grudgy and angry when you piss them off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Trivia==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tau Ripoff.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|FOR THE [[Blood Ravens|GREATER THEFT]]!]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Some have said that Tau resemble the protagonist KYNE from the Amiga video game Brataccas, which was released in 1986. Tau were first added to Warhammer 40k in late 2001. Some would dismiss this as coincidence, but Games Workshop has a long history of ripping off designs from other games; [[Beastmen]] are [[Broo]] from [[Glorantha]], very large chunks of 40k are a little too similar to [[Judge Dredd]], and all of the Greater Daemon model designs are stolen from early [[Dungeons &amp;amp; Dragons]]. These properties are understandable as Games Workshop was still selling games of those IPs when Warhammer was first created, but Brataccas is an obscure game from a forgotten system that was quite forgettable even at release, even if Amiga games tended to get fantastic cover art. This being said another of GW&#039;s early products was also puzzles of of this style of &#039;70&#039;s/&#039;80&#039;s Sci-Fi art. The Tau cast system does resemble the Protoss caste from [[Starcraft]], which predates the release of the Tau by 3 years... You have the Templar (Fire/Air Castes) Judicators (Ethereals + Water Castes) and Khalai (Earth Caste). In addition to a rogue sub-caste in the Dark Templar (Farsight Enclaves). This is Ironic considering that GW originally was making a deal with Blizzard to make games based on their properties. GW asked too much/Blizzard didn&#039;t like the terms and left... to make Warcraft and Starcraft. Just think, we &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;COULD have had a Warhammer Fantasy RTS&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; (Total War: Warhammer exists now) and World of Warhammer Fantasy Battle MMO. Starcraft would have become a Rogue Trader RTS. It was probably a mistake on GW&#039;s part, as they REALLY missed out. Stealing the Tau from the Protoss was probably done because GW was still salty.&lt;br /&gt;
* Tau are technically canon to the Marvel Comics universe, as the series Venom: Space Knight repeatedly used Tau vehicles for aliens in the scenery. In fact, they have the balls to even keep the Tau Sept symbol! Also, you can see what appears to be a Eldar tank, as well as a Necron. The irony of the ripoff masters Games Workshop getting ripped off is juicy, even more so when its realized that lawsuit-happy Games Workshop (who literally tried to copyright &amp;quot;pauldrons&amp;quot; while they plagiarized Eldar from Tolkien and had some contention between [[Malekith|two very similar Dark Elf characters of theirs]]) couldn&#039;t do shit about it because Marvel is owned by Disney, and nobody beats The Mouse™. (except Marvel/Disney settled out of court rather than risk the wrath of the Ordo Legalitus)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notable Tau==&lt;br /&gt;
===[[Canon]]===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Aun&#039;Va]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Aun&#039;Shi]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[El&#039;Myamoto (Sub-commander Darkstrider)]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Shadowsun|O&#039;Shaserra (Commander Shadowsun)]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Farsight|O&#039;Shovah (Commander Farsight) and The Eight]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Commander Puretide]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Shas&#039;o Kais]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Commander Or&#039;es&#039;Ka|Shas&#039;o Or&#039;es&#039;Ka]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===[[/tg/ 40,000]]===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Blue]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Faptau]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[O&#039;ren I&#039;shi&#039;ii]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Shlicktau]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Xeno]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See Also==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Marvel Tau.jpg|thumb|right|250px|FOR THE GREATER GROOT!]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nicassar]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sept V&#039;iet]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tau Quest]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tau Dark Heresy]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Tau(8E)|Tactics/Tau]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tau Cadre Creation Tables]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Codex_-_Tau_Auxiliary]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tau Diplomacy]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|&amp;lt;strike&amp;gt;Love Can Bloom 3:Golden Shadowsun&amp;lt;/strike&amp;gt; NON-CANON FANFICTION GARBAGE]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External Link==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrHhS5IkRR0 A Typical Tau-Human conversation.]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbuPaCgdO50 Should one of your Tau actually kill anything tougher than a guardsman in melee, you are allowed to end the game in victory as long as you play this clip.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau1.jpg|Stealth suits are :3&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Firewarrior.gif|Fire Warriors are :3 too&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Chibi Fire Warrior.jpg|Chibi, but not weeby.&lt;br /&gt;
File:TauGuela.jpg|Gue&#039;la.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:TauOrigin.jpg|Ohhh GW.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau.gif|In 40k, everyones&#039; guns are huge.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Fire Warrior.jpg|A Tau Fire Warrior, the basic infantry unit.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Firepower Demotivator.jpg|The sad truth of 6th edition.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:combine.jpg|In /tg/, tau are the bad guys.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Itsyourempiretoo.png|Propaganda. [[Nazi|Sound]] [[Communism|familiar?]]&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Never shall the tau!.JPG|Surrender... never shall the Tau.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tauassault.jpg|Tau are vicious melee fighters, no less able than [[Space Marines]]!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:1234622525817.jpg|In hindsight, attempting negotiations with Orks was probably a bad idea.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Sympathizer.jpg|The Imperial Infantryman&#039;s Uplifting Primer&#039;s entry on Tau players.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Discotau.jpg|For the Greater Groove!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Manta.jpg|Fun fact: if you have enough money to buy this, you have too much money.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau cosplay2.jpg|Typical Tau player, engaging in typical Tau behavior. (Pretty badass cosplay, even got the hoof right)&lt;br /&gt;
Image:E6abddad6c5999a1dbe6085d8614f051.jpg|Tau in close quarters combat barring some very lucky dice rolls.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{{Promotions}}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Image:TauKroot.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
Image:MARKERLIGHTS.png|MARKERLIGHTS!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:tau_firecleavage.jpg|Sweet [[Weeaboo|weeaboo]] [[Heresy|heresy]].&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Commissar Shadowsuns Goods by morganagod.jpg|DAT ASS.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:DAT_SHAS.jpg| A Fire Warrior appreciating DAT ASS.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau ass.gif|A Greater Good we can all believe in.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:NOT FUCKING CANON.png| [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|THIS IS NOT FUCKING CANON!]]&lt;br /&gt;
Image:JoinTau.jpg|Some recruitment methodologies work better than others.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau Chick.jpg|Few rarely seen Tau chicks. Maybe because Sisters are hotter.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:youtastefunny.jpg|Yeah, we all know the truth about their &amp;quot;greater good&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Subcommander torchstar by sexual yeti-d9qal0l.png|Subcommander Torchstar, Farsight&#039;s personal fangirl.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Tau_caste_nudes.jpg|Earth, Fire, Water, Air...Ethereal?!? SWEET MOTHER OF KHORNE!!! MY EYES!!!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Laughing tau whores.jpg|S-shut up you filthy sluts! Among my people it is considered quite a handsome dick!&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Power Shopping.jpg|It&#039;s a well-known fact that the Tau Empire has some of the best shopping in the entire galaxy.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:Taugirlpile.jpg|Here we see Tau propaganda meant to entice men with their terrible, blasphemous, and supple soft skin, smooth curves, perky brea...er...ah...heretical alien bodies.&lt;br /&gt;
Image:TauHuman.jpg|Indeed, many humans have already embraced the Greater Good. (The individual with the primitive flashlight has been sent to re-education. Happiness is mandatory, Citizen.)&lt;br /&gt;
Image:greatertits.jpg|An attractive human female defector who for some reason has been equipped with a highly modified commander&#039;s battlesuit, perhaps as a devious ploy to compel desertion by the less loyal.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Navigation==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Tau}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{WH40k-Factions}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-Governments}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Important Species in 40k}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category: Xenos]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514586</id>
		<title>Tyranid Bio-Weapons</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514586"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:28:01Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* Lash Whip */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;In the [[Grimdark|relentless cheerfulness]] of the [[40k|far future]], the weapons used by the [[Tyranids]] are, just like their armies, home-grown. Instead of using metal, the Tyranids use the growth of symbiotic organs, inseparable from their hosts and are counted together as a single bio-organism. Some of them fire a &amp;quot;dumb&amp;quot; projectile like a spike, whereas other use seeds or even acids and living creatures, because just plain &#039;&#039;bullets&#039;&#039; are for pussies. The downside to this is that these &#039;&#039;&#039;Tyranid bio-weapons&#039;&#039;&#039; are incapable of the explosive firepower that [[Template:40k-Imperial-Weapons|Imperial]], [[Eldar]] and [[Tau]] guns have. They all trade this disadvantage in for being Assault weapons, meaning they can be fired on the move. Also, the explosive firepower is instead exchanged for more... interesting and strategic effects. Another note is that due to their appearance, Tyranid weapons are some of the most badass and phallic looking in the entirety of 40k.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of these weapons can be used by creatures of different sizes, but for the sake of simplicity the weapons have been ordered by the smallest creature that can use them. Small creatures are the equivalent of [[Termagaunt|Gaunts]], Medium are those comparable to [[Tyranid Warrior]]s and [[Biovore]]s, and Large are those akin to [[Hive Tyrant|Tyrants]] and [[Carnifex|Carnifexes]]. Then there are two other categories: the Inbuilt weapons, often part of the upper bodies of the largest organisms, and the Melee weapons for the more [[Choppa|choppy]] inclined creatures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Small==&lt;br /&gt;
Small weapons are used by Termagants, the working class of any Tyranid army, and [[Gargoyle]]s.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dev6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Devourer&#039;&#039;&#039; is simply a lump of flesh that launches a shower of tiny, short-lived and very hungry lifeforms (sometimes described as worms, others as small beetles) onto a target that immediately start to [[Grimdark|burrow into the target with their maw/mandibles and devour it alive from the inside out]]. Like all Tyranid weapons, the Devourer uses a bio-electric jolt (GeeDubs way of simply saying it fires via the nervous system) to promptly tell the lazy fuckers sleeping inside to get to work. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A much larger version called the Brainleech Devourer is mounted only on larger Tyranid organisms and uses specialize Brainleech worms that are far more aggressive and voracious, and go for the target&#039;s brain matter to make sure of the &#039;kill&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This weapon has a nice range and acceptable firepower for a weapon of its size, albeit it doubles your Termagaunts in cost (while tripling their number of ranged attacks per round, a very economical way to increase dakka as long as you protect your Gaunts somehow. As of 6th edition, you can have mixed weapon options now so throw up a wall of spinegaunts or something). If you take this weapon in large broods, you will be aiming at your enemy&#039;s biggest units to just drown the suckers in dozens of shots.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Fleshborer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FB6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer&#039;&#039;&#039; is one of the most iconic Tyranid weapons, a simple design that fires a borer beetle that eats its way through anything it comes across during its flight. Like the Devourer and most Nid firearms, the Fleshborer can only be fired by its respective host, [[Heresy|unless some mad scientist from the Imperium decides its a good idea to attach some electrodes to the weapon like Frankenstein.]] Because the borer beetle is a &#039;&#039;particularly&#039;&#039; lazy fucker, more electro-shocks is required to jolt their asses into action. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For some....reason. Some Mago Xenobiologi speculate that the Fleshborer itself (The gun that is) is related to the borer beetle or is an evolutionary niche for the borer beetle. They state that the gun &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the mother that lays the eggs which means that each mature beetle somehow metamorphose into a gun. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Being the basic weapon for Termagaunts, it has the same stats as an ordinary Bolt Pistol. It will still prove to be more than enough to kill anything with toughness of 7 or less and AV10, as long as you have a lot of them. Tyranids being what they are, you will almost always have a lot of them. Range 12, strength 4, AP 5, and it is an assault 1 weapon.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spike Rifle===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spike-Rifles-5-1024x768.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spike Rifle]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Spike Rifle&#039;&#039;&#039; is a weapon exclusive to Termagaunts. It is, simply put, a harpoon launcher.  That&#039;s about it. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More specifically its mechanics are like....exactly the same as a regular harpoon launcher just that the string and trigger are alive and swell. It is essentially a bony tube lined with cord muscles that is compressed like a coil. Once the Nid relaxes the muscles, the stored energy pushes the row of harpoon-like spikes into the adjacent target. The barbs are fucking sharp though; able to tear at a victim&#039;s arteries and cause them to bleed to death. To make it even more killy the barbs and the gun itself is laced with acidic veins and toxin sacs to make any scratch almost always fatal. Whilst it can puncture Jimmy&#039;s [[Flak Armor]], don&#039;t think it would do quite swell with [[Power Armor]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Statwise it&#039;s less imposing than it&#039;s description: range 18&amp;quot;, S3, AP-, Assault 1. Only use these if you do not want to pump a huge amount of points into Devourers but you do not want half your brood to not be able to fire when the Devilgaunts do.  Otherwise avoid them...because they suck.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spinefists===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spinefist6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spinefist]]&lt;br /&gt;
A lighter weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spinefists&#039;&#039;&#039; are used in pairs. They are the more [[Dakka]] version of the Bio-Weapons and are used more akin to a Uzi with shittier penetration and more poison. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They shower the target with a hail of poisoned spikes, the sheer amount of darts fired ensure that the target is hit. A tube runs from the air sac powering the weapon, through the user&#039;s arm to its lungs. This means that larger creatures get more mileage out of what is essentially the same weapon, proving that even something as simple as a blowgun can be [[Warp|horribly perverted]] by the grim darkness of the far future. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As of 8E, they act like pistols, which means Raveners (and Rippers, which get the similar Spinemaw) can shoot, get stuck in, and still fire off a few shots without having to disengage first.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Strangleweb===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Strangleweb.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Strangleweb]]&lt;br /&gt;
With this weapon, your Tyranids too can learn [[Meme|how to shot web]]. Essentially a Tyrannid [[Webber]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The effects of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Strangleweb&#039;&#039;&#039; can be described best as a non-cutting variation of the Death Spinner used by the Warp Spiders: instead of slicing through their opponents, it constricts them, and maybe crushes them to death. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s a pretty big maybe: wounding even basic Guardsmen at 5+ and rolling against Strength instead of Toughness to wound means that this weapon would be best if used against the likes of the [[Death Guard]]... if shooting them wasn&#039;t a stupid idea for a Tyranid player in the first place &#039;&#039;AND&#039;&#039; if you could take more than 1 of them per 10 Gaunts.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Blinding Venom===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Blinding_Venom.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Blinding Venom]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Imagine baby Drool Cannons, that&#039;s basically the Blinding Venom.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unique to Gargoyles, they can spit acid in the eyes of their enemies to blind them and allow for an easy devouring of the target. The poison is quite weak (6+ what the hell?) &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;and it&#039;s best to just go with the regular poison attacks granted by Toxin Sacks.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; but it has the blind special rule so it means for every attack the unit being attacked has to pass an initiative test now a unit of gargoyles has a minimum size of 10 models so...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As of 8th edition, if the Gargoyles put an unsaved wound onto an enemy unit, the blinding venom makes them suffer -1 to hit for the rest of the phase.&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Medium==&lt;br /&gt;
Medium weapons are used by Warriors and organisms based on the -[[Biovore|Vore]] and -[[Tyrant_Guard|Guard]] body archetypes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Barbed Strangler===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BarbedStrangler6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Barbed Strangler]]&lt;br /&gt;
Remember that 70&#039;s cult classic Zardoz? [[James_Bond|Sean Connery]] dressed in [[Slaanesh|red gimp getup]] and killing dudes like he&#039;s [[Khârn]], at the behest of a giant floating head that claims that &amp;quot;The gun is good, the penis is evil.&amp;quot; because the penis shoots seeds that create life? Well, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Barbed Strangler&#039;&#039;&#039; chooses to be both. The gun is very basic, a muscled tube that stores its seeds in a sack at the base, and shoots them with a powerful spasm along with a fair helping of a corrosive oil.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The seed upon impact has its nigh-unbreakable shell melted by the oil and sends tendrils to [[rip and tear]] through anything that gets in its way. Using the large blast template, you can cause a lot of damage to a [[Tarpit|blob]] in a single shot.  It also pins but that comes into play very little given that most armies are either largely fearless, ignore pinning anyway, or have LD values good enough to reliably ignore it anyway. With 8e, it traded off the blast template and Pinning for Assault D6 and a bonus to hit when targeting large units, which is a fair trade given the lackluster BS of the average Tyranid.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Deathspitter===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:51-10I 81635.1399044187.500.750.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Deathspitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
The traditional weapon of the Warrior, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Deathspitter&#039;&#039;&#039; works by stripping a large maggot off of it&#039;s shell and hurling it at the enemy. Its [[Rip and tear|huge guts]] are highly corrosive and can splatter several enemies at once. The adaptive evolution of the [[Hive Fleet Hydra]]&#039;s slimer maggots make their Deathspitters even more lethal; the maggots could burrow through the target&#039;s flesh and then [[FATAL| repeatedly fragment and regenerat themselves]]. [[Slaugth|The victims literally burst out with the ever increasing mass of wriggling grubs.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Serving as a decent weapon against [[MEQ]]s, the weapon relies on its rate of fire to deal damage.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Flamespurt Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Flamer#Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon|Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Impaler Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ImpalerCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Impaler Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Impaler Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is your answer to anything up to AV 12. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This beautiful gun fires a bony spine, steered by a shard-beast at the base of the spine, [[Rip and tear|whose innards are ripped from its body when the spike is fired]]. The spines are launched with enough force to rip through man and machine alike. &lt;br /&gt;
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Though its range is limited you do not have to actually see your target to be able to shoot it, without a significant downside. Oh, and it has a higher rate of fire than the Imperium-equivalent, the Missile Launcher. What&#039;s not to like? This is your go-to weapon for dealing with [[METAL BAWKSES]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Shock Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Niddex2014e.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Shock Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes shortened to Shockcannon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Hive Guard, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Shock Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; shoots out a claw over a considerable distance which latches on to its target and delivers a powerful bio-electric shock, disabling or even destroying a vehicle. Ostensibly, a big fucking meat taser.&lt;br /&gt;
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On tabletop the Shock Cannon is the Hive Guard&#039;s primary anti-vehicle weapon. It&#039;s decent enough at S7 AP-1 d3 Damage, but if it rolls 4+ on Wound against a vehicle, it issues a Mortal Wound that coincidentally makes its low AP completely irrelevant. Roll a 6+, and that becomes d3 Mortal Wounds. Thanks to the change from small templates to D3 shots, this is now actually plenty scary against vehicles of any size.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spore Mine Launcher===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Launcher.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Launcher]]&lt;br /&gt;
The more explosive (and useful) Dakka to the Flamespurt&#039;s fiery Dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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Created as a result of fights against the Imperial Guard, the Biovore displays this by being the Tyranids&#039; closest thing to an artillery piece and having a massive scrotum befitting a Guardsman&#039;s huge brazen balls. Armed with the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spore Mine Launcher&#039;&#039;&#039;, it can lob Spore Mines a considerable range; living bombs that blanket victims in acid, poisonous gas, and shrapnel-sized chitin spines.&lt;br /&gt;
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Though not as deadly as [[Basilisk|most other artillery weapons]], the Spore Mines are unique in the way that if they don&#039;t land too close to the enemy, you can deploy them onto the battlefield as living mines, serving as an obstacle for your enemy that must be either moved around or shot. Generally more useful in larger point games or [[Apocalypse]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:VC6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Seen as the primary anti-tank weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; launches a hail of corrosive crystals by way of a biological railgun. Though not as effective as you&#039;d wish, the Venom Cannon can cause quite some hurt on [[Eldar|Aspect Warriors]] and the like. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is ineffective against heavy tanks but okay against transports and open-topped vehicles, though its primary targets should always be medium infantry.  Because you know, a single shot S6 AP4 small blast weapon with only 36 inches of range that you can only have one of per (heinously expensive and surprisingly fragile) warrior brood is clearly the bestest anti-vehicle gun ever.  See Dawn of War II for how they should work and cry bitterly.  You&#039;re best off giving this gun a pass.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Slightly buffed in 8th along with the blast weapon changes. It is now Assault d3 with S8 and AP-2. Bit better at least.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Large==&lt;br /&gt;
Here the most powerful and biggest weapons the Tyranids have are described, used by the biggest and baddest of nasties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Acid Spray===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Spray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Acid Spray]]&lt;br /&gt;
Yo dawg, I heard you like [[Hellhound]]s so I put a [[Flamer|discharge of digestive fluids]] that works just like a Hellhound&#039;s weapon on your Tyranid MC and upped its cost by 100+ points. That&#039;s pretty much the gist of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Acid Spray&#039;&#039;&#039;. The problem is that you have a lot of weapons with stats like that, so using an expensive MC (though well armored) that attracts fire like there&#039;s no tomorrow is a bad idea.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In terms of fluff, the Acid Spray is a Tyranid Biomorph found on larger creatures such as the [[Tyrannofex]]. This bioweapon stores huge amounts of highly acidic digestive fluids, then sprays it over a wide area. The acid melts through body armor with shocking ease and reduces its victims to shapeless goo.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-plasmic Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasmic Cannon|Bio-Plasmic Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Brainleech Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Brainleech_Devourer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Brainleech Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
Get a regular Devourer and then force feed it growth horomones. You get the Brainleech variety.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The biggest of Tyranids have devourers loaded with &#039;&#039;&#039;Brainleech Worms&#039;&#039;&#039; instead, a species larger and even more aggressive and hungry than the regular devourer worms. These are used for when the [[Hive Mind]] &#039;&#039;really&#039;&#039; got sick of all these blobs and want to shower them in hungry insects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Range: 18&amp;quot;, S6, AP-, Assault 6. If you&#039;re not using two sets of Twin-Linked Brainleech Devourers on your Flying Hive Tyrant and any Carnifexes you&#039;re fielding, you&#039;re [[fail|doing it wrong]].&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition.  It is a bigger devourer with +2 Strength and double the shots for the MONSTERS in the Tyranid force. Comes as a pair so it puts out 12 shots. Two sets of these gives 24 shots, pretty good overall, made even better with the Pathogenic Slime strategem.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Drool Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:DroolCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Drool Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon with [[Derp|the funny name.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Drool Cannon is a type of Tyranid Biomorph found on the [[Hive Crone]]. Protruding from the Crone&#039;s mouth, the Drool Cannon vomits a wave of digestive juices upon its foes. The acidic bile originates from sacs carried on the Crone&#039;s underbelly. Because of the way the Drool Cannon interferes with the Hive Crone&#039;s mouth, it is unknown why the Hive Mind thought it is still viable to waste resource on its sharp teeth (maybe it&#039;s retractable?).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So yeah, the Nids have literal super spit, like the [[Space Marines]], but they actually use it repeatedly rather than for [[Plot Armor|plot reasons.]] Although knowing how fast some factions fly their planes, it must be one heck of a spit for it to hit anything at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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For crunch, it is the [[Hive Crone]]&#039;s answer to the [[Heldrake]] Baleflamer, except lacking Torrent and a good AP value and pretty much anything good, including its icky name. Template S6 AP4.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Fleshborer Hive===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Fleshborer_Hive.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer Hive]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think the [[Leman_Russ_Battle_Tank|Leman Russ Punisher]], but replace the Punisher gun with a &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer Hive&#039;&#039;&#039;. That&#039;s about it. Because sometimes you have just run out of Troops choices (how one runs out of termagants is another question), and you just need 20 Termagants worth of Fleshborer fire on a tough platform. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Consisting of a large colony of the same breed of borer beetles found in the simple fleshborer, the fanged creatures stored in the bloated sacs of the hive lay thousands of eggs that hatch and mature at a fast rate within the chambers of the brood nest. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Needless to say, this is shit. Also,the fluff states that it must periodically discharge beetles or it makes the Tyrannofex explode. In 8th, the stats are still sucky, but it can fire twice if the Tyrannofex doesn&#039;t move. 40 shots a turn for a respectable amount of biological dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition it has recieved a much needed buff. [[Dakka|It&#039;s a Heavy 20 Fleshborer at S5.]] Because of the short range it&#039;s not as impressive as the Rupture Cannon, but the ability to bring a portable Fire Warrior squad&#039;s worth of firepower with you is nothing to scoff at, especially if it gets to shoot twice while standing still. The Scorch Bugs Stratagem makes it absolutely terrifying. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Also if you have trypophobia (fear of holes), this &#039;&#039;may&#039;&#039; not be the best weapon to use on tabletop. Chances of projectile vomiting. Too high.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tl;dr]], its a weapon (that shoots bugs) that you can fire from you fucking forearm. Bioshock indeed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Heavy Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Heavy_VC.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Heavy Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is just that: a bigger version of the Venom Cannon able to deal with bigger vehicles, and it would be a lot more reliable if it wasn&#039;t using a Blast template. Can be used against tanks up to [[Land Raider]]s, but lack the firepower to deal reliably with them and lacks the armor penetration to deal with [[MEQ]]s on a consistent basis. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is slightly better on Carnifexes than it&#039;s littler brother is on Warriors primarily because you can actually field the things in bulk...sort of. It&#039;s still not particularly good; but it&#039;s passable on a bio-blast brood if you don&#039;t want more dakkafexes for some insane reason. In 8th, it is largely the same as the regular Venom Cannon with one more strength (S9) and 3 damage per shot making it excellent elite infantry killers and decent anti tank&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rupture Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rupture_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rupture Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a Tyranid Vanquisher Cannon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you want to stop a tank dead in its tracks, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Rupture Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039;(a fluff-wise bigger barbed strangler) is your friend. Firing two projectiles in a short succession, a tick that covers the enemy in a gooey substance, and a seed that upon impact with the goo dissolves at such speed which triggers a chemical implosion powerful enough to turn a [[Baneblade]] inside out. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s what the fluff says, anyway - while it boasts a commanding s10, it strikes at AP 4, so MEQs don&#039;t even notice it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th however, it got horrifyingly good. It&#039;s now a 3 SHOT LASCANNON with an extra point of S, and the Tyrannofex can fire &#039;&#039;twice&#039;&#039; when it stays still. MEQs will definitely notice it now, but it&#039;s much better against vehicles; up to 6 S10 AP-3 D6 damage shots per shooting phase will ensure that even Knights and Land Raiders will feel the hurt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Stranglethorn Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stranglethorn_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Stranglethorn Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
An upscaled version of the Barbed Strangler (thus it fires much larger, stronger, and more aggressive seed-pods), the &#039;&#039;&#039;Stranglethorn Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; has enough power to deal with even the toughest of foes, and serves as a borderline artillery weapon. The growing pod&#039;s mass of barbed tentacles can grasp onto the armor plating of vehicles and rip them to pieces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It has the same AP as it&#039;s smaller brother, and the same blast size and pinning rule, but now it has S6 which means it can now pile on hurt better and harass light vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition it is a bigger Barbed Strangler with +2 Strength for the MONSTERs in the Tyranid force. Keeps the above +1 to hit rule and also inflicts 1 more damage. Kills light Infantry more efficiently than the HVC. Combine with Enhanced Senses and laugh at the look on your opponent&#039;s face as a Carnifex hits on a 2+ (Only if units of 10 or more). Unfortunately still only hits on a 3+ on a carnifex with enhanced senses.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tentaclids===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tentaclid2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Tentaclid]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flying under the wings of Hive Crones, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tentaclids&#039;&#039;&#039; are living seeker missiles who can chase after flying targets such as enemy aircraft and disable them with a powerful bio-electric pulse.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In terms of crunch they are the Crone&#039;s big surprise. These Babies only have S5 to their name and a re-roll to hit flying units, but if they wound a vehicle on a 4+ it deals a Mortal Wound with a 6+ dealing d3 Mortal Wounds. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike before, these can actually be used again and again which kind of contradicts the fluff since Hive Crones only carry four of these things...unless of course a Tentaclid is spawned from the Hive Fleet itself and homes and attaches to the nearest Hive Crone. Or after disabling an enemy flier it just returns to its carrier crone.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Biocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The biggest motherfucking gun alive (Both figuratively and literally). The Bio-Cannon is a Tyranid Biomorph. Equipped on titan-sized creatures such as the [[Hierophant]] and [[Harridan]], the Bio-Cannon works like a giant Deathspitter; that is that it spews forth a hail of highly venomous and corrosive maggot organisms. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But these maggots are ECKS BAWKS HUEG to make it a threat to superheavies. These organisms like their smaller cousins, explode on impact, splattering a rain of bio-acid and poison that can melt through nearly any material in a matter of seconds. Of course how this affects esoteric things like [[Void shield|Void Shields]] is unknown (Maybe it eats through Void Shields?).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On crunch, the Bio-Cannons comes in two since the Hierophant naturally twin-links these; they are S10 (which can double for the price of taking D3 mortal wounds, like tau units overcharging), AP-2, 2D6 damage (doubled against buildings and other TITANIC units). Its a shame it is the only Titan-grade Tyranid weapon though.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Inbuilt==&lt;br /&gt;
Certain weapons used by the Tyranids are part of the creatures themselves, instead of being addition to the arms/back.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Electric Pulse===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bio-Electric_Pulse.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Bio-Electric Pulse]]&lt;br /&gt;
Built into the Trygon, a electrical charge is build up by the creature as it moves, allowing a powerful and [[Dakka|large]] discharge. The Trygon Prime increases the range of this blast, and doubles its rate of fire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is also great for tunneling which is a plus for the Trygon. They use their bio-static charge to assist with tunneling, as their tunnels have been found coated with a fused, glass-like silicate layer on the inside. This effect stabilizes the tunnel walls and prevents them from collapsing behind a burrowing Trygon. Which is stupid when given the weight and size of the Trygon. Unless it is smooth like a [[Adeptus Custodes|lubed bannana]], then there is no way such glass would withstand such violent digging. Furthermore, large vehicles and some animals could burrow efficiently without needing to turn their surroundings to glass. So this ability is quite redundant unless the Nids want to transport smaller grubs along its merry adventure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you don&#039;t know, the Bio-Electric Pulse &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the Trygon&#039;s carapace armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Plasma===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasma|Bio-Plasma]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cluster Spines===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Cluster_Spines.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Cluster Spines]]&lt;br /&gt;
Just imagine a porcupine that shoot out its spines or a [[Lizardmen]]&#039;s Razordon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The largest Tyranids have banks of spines build into their carapaces that they can fire when under stress. Consisting of rows of quills embedded into the carapaces of the equipped creature like a giant Porcupine. These spines are dense and hollow like a Frag Grenade and explode upon impact like one, dealing significant damage to anything in the area of impact over considerable distances. Of course, it is unknown whether these are single shot or multi-use. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fired into densely packed groups of enemies, these spines can saturate large areas with needle-sized slivers, making them a potent anti-infantry weapon. Although given on where the Tyranid would like to grow its spines, [[Fail|it can also end up hitting nothing but air.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Its more anti-armor version is the Stinger Salvo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Flesh Hooks===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FleshHooks.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Flesh Hooks]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flesh Hooks are sharp barbs attached to long, sinewy tentacles, which are kept coiled close to the Lictor&#039;s rib cage, until they are fired by a powerful muscle spasm. They are the Tyranid&#039;s answer to Scorpion&#039;s sting from Mortal Kombat. So don&#039;t be too surprise if Nid players shout &amp;quot;Get Over Here!&amp;quot; every once in a while.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Until 5th Edition edition came out, nearly any species of Gaunt, Warrior and more could use these. They are long bony spines with barbed hooks on the end that serve as both harpoons and possible grapnel for climbing. The Lictor can use these hooks either to scale sheer obstacles, or to snag luckless prey and drag it into the Lictor&#039;s waiting claws. Now they&#039;re Lictor and Warrior/Shrike only (Carnifexes have access to Spine Banks, which are similar), count as Frag Grenades, and can be fired for a surprisingly deadly shot.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Grasping Tongue===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Grasping_Tongue.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Grasping Tongue]]&lt;br /&gt;
The ultimate OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Grasping Tongue is less of a tongue and more of a mound of tentacle claws attached to a giant mouth. This is a weapon you can see in every [[/d/|tentacle hentai]] ever and not be surprised at all. Seriously what was GW smoking?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though technically part of an [[Haruspex]]&#039;s body, it can use its long tongue to snag an enemy, pluck it out of its unit and devour it whole.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For 8th edition crunch, everyone&#039;s favorite [[Rape|tentacle rape]] got a pretty good buff; it&#039;s rather fierce at S6 AP-3 and d3 damage, it gains further use since it can be used within close range and regains a wound if it kills something, so it can add to survivability.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Ripper Tentacles===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Ripper_Tentacle.jpg|110px|right|thumb|Ripper Tentacles]]&lt;br /&gt;
No. They are in no way related to the small, petite living stomachs called the [[Ripper|Rippers]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, they do bare resemblance to other tentacle-themed enemies in science fiction (Que hentai tentacle rape jokes). Possibly why this and the Mycetic Spore was canned cause they ain&#039;t copyrightable enough for GW. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Mycetic Spores, the tentacles themselves consist of thick ropes of muscles and tendon. Drawn to movement, any moving foe within reach of the Tentacles will be thoroughly smashed like dough on a kitchen board.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, these are long-ranged tentacles able to do significant damage to medium-sized blobs thanks to their high rate of fire (strange choice of words when the weapon in question is akin to beating someone over the head with a tentacle).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course with the fact that the [[Mycetic Spore]] has all but been &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;squatted&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; replaced by the far more modern and up-to-date [[Sporocyst]] the canon is all but up in the air with these Tentacles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spore Mine Cysts===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Cysts.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Cysts]]&lt;br /&gt;
Build into the underside of a Harpy, you can have it drop a Spore Mine onto something it flew over once per game as if it was making a bombing run. The same rules for the Spore Mines as stated above count here as well. Some players have gone their way to make the Harpies &#039;&#039;carry&#039;&#039; the Spore Mines. Of course, most modern equivalent of the Spore Cyst are the two stubby looking anuses behind a Harpy. So yes, the Tyranids can actually shit explosive submunitions on their enemies. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unfortunately it is a pretty outdated weapon, dating back to 4th edition. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 4th Edition, Spore Cysts are found on larger Tyranids and are excretion pits for the creation of Spore Mines. The symbiotic relationship between creature and spore cyst is such that they cannot be separated once formed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Stinger Salvo===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stinger_Salvo.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Stinger Salvo]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a giant Spinefist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Works comparable to the Cluster Spines, except this is more of a barrage of large solid spikes akin to the spinefists rather than a densely hollow spines. Powerful muscular contractions spray the spikes out to skewer enemy infantry and pierce the toughest of armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Think of this as the anti-armor variant of the Cluster Spine&#039;s anti-infantry. Although they can both harm either infantry or armored divisions when peppered sufficiently with spines/spikes. Just like the Cluster Spine,  the Stinger Salvo is a weapon who practicality is only viable given on where the Tyranid would like to put it, turning into a living, breathing spike bomb into a fairly useless weapon that rains spikes cause the dumb idiot placed its Stinger Salvo a tad bit too high.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Thorax Swarm===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Thorax_Swarm.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Thorax Swarm]]&lt;br /&gt;
Certain Tyranids can issue forth swarms of bugs living in their thoraxes to devour anything in short range. These creatures erupt from openings in their host&#039;s chest to drown the enemy in a deadly cloud that chews out eyes and crawls down throats. These swarms come in three flavors: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Electroshock Grubs:&#039;&#039;&#039; These grubs are insects who electrocute anything they grab onto for a damaging attack, anything caught in between this energy is reduced to a charred ruin.&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Desiccator Larvae:&#039;&#039;&#039; These are grubs who drain the target&#039;s body of all of its moisture within seconds, leaving only a dry husk. This means that once fully bloated, they would be one huge grub seeing how the Human body is like what, 75% water.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Shreddershard Beetles:&#039;&#039;&#039;  Instinctively crawl into any nook and crevice on their victims such as those between armor joints. They are bugs who Rend their way through their targets, exploding in shards of needles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Melee==&lt;br /&gt;
Every Tyranid organism has at least rows of sharp teeth and deadly claws, but some go an extra mile.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Claws and Teeth===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Claws and Teeth.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Claws and Teeth]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your most vanilla of close combat Tyranid weapons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Claws and Teeth are basic Tyranid Biomorphs equipped to even the most simplest of organisms, such as Rippers. These razor-sharp claws and maws of fangs allow them to rip apart enemies. There&#039;s nothing spectacular about them, and thus there is nothing interesting about them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, Claws and Teeth are the stock CCW for your Rippers and Termies. (And Zoanthropes as well, but really those guys don’t belong in combat in most cases). They do moderate damage against GEQs and fair pretty bad when it comes to MEQs and above, requiring sheer weight of numbers to be even remotely effective.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All in all, Claws and Teeth is only used when someone really wants to use up all their attacks or that they are &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;THAT&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; desperate.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Acid Maw===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Maw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Acid Maw]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To aid them in the digestion of a world&#039;s biomass, Pyrovores drool a highly corrosive acid that can dissolve pretty much anything. The downside is that they need to focus all their energy on making a successful bite attack, diminishing their potential damage output.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some creatures also have a powerful tongue dripping with corrosive acids that can be used to snare prey and bring them in for consumption and digestion while leaving other limbs free for other tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition, the Acid Maw is now the primary CCW of the former biggest joke of 40k, the Pyrovore, now with S5 and AP-3 on all (i.e. both) its attacks. Can also be taken by Genestealers. &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;DO THIS&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;, [[Awesome|they&#039;re basically free power swords for every 4 models in a unit.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There&#039;s even an upgrade called the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Acid Maw&#039;&#039;&#039;. Which is an option for the Carnifex, with S6 AP-5 and d3 damage. Because you really want to make sure somebody won&#039;t get its armor save. Doesn&#039;t replace any other melee weapons either, so you can always use the talons if you want more reliable damage. Mutually exclusive with Enhanced Senses, Bio-Plasma, and Tusks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Lash Whip===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:LashWhipBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lash Whip]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tyranids have also learned to Whip it Good!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They allow its user to strike much faster than they normally could, getting a blow in before the enemy can. More seriously though, a Lash Whip is a Tyranid Bio-weapon in the form of a living whip with three tentacles of muscle and sinew that writhe of their own accord and strike at their prey, independently of their wielder&#039;s actions. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Lash Whip has a small body contained within a bony tube which forms the handle of the whip, and has three tentacles which form the rest of its body. The creature survives by slicing flesh from its victims and consuming them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon suffers from not being effective against armored enemies, though. Provided you&#039;re not a venomthrope this is paired with a bone-sword with AP 3 which makes this combo death-incarnate for MEQ&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Feeder Tendrils===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Feeder_Tendrils.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Feeder Tendrils]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Basically the Brain Bug from Starship Troopers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Feeder Tendrils are a special organs of some Tyranid&#039;s organisms (Lictors, for example) that able them to drain the dead victim&#039;s brain matter, absorbing all of its memories and knowledge. This provide the Tyranids with the information about enemy&#039;s strong and weak spots and other reconnaissance data.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th Edition tabletop, Feeder Tendrils are no longer considered weapons but as a form of Strategem for some reason. Feeder Tendrils lets you gamble on a 2/3 chance to make a CP profit. Or more specifically, when a Genestealer, Lictor, Venomthrope, or Toxicrene kills a Character in the Fight Phase, it gain D3 CP. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the very least, this is effectively free since gaining 1 CP will still be enough to negate the cost of using the Stratagem in the first place. More often, it&#039;ll let you turn opposing characters into an opportunity for bonus CP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rending Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rendingclaw.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rending Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The iconic claws of Genestealers and the origin of the Rending rule, these claws are both incredibly sharp and hard; tipped in extremely dense diamond-hard chitin. Powered by the overdeveloped musculature and steel-like tendons of a Tyranid, rending claws become capable of ripping open Ceramite and thick armor with ease as well as fatally shredding flesh and bone; allowing you to pick apart even a [[Terminator]] with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, Rending Claws are a cheap AP-1 weapon, with Rending being replaced with a 6+ on a wound roll giving the attack AP-4. There is also an upgrade called &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Rending Claws&#039;&#039;&#039;, which deal AP-3 D3 Damage, on a 6+ on a wound roll makes the attack AP-6 and a flat 3 damage. Also confers re-rolls to wound, which allow for more &#039;rending&#039; 6s and is important as the Tyrant generally needs higher numbers to hurt things now than in previous editions. Considering that they are also FREE, the claws should be your go-to melee weapon of choice for the Hive Tyrant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Talons===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ScythingTalon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Scything Talons]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The long, bladed weapons you see on Tyranids of all sizes. These weapons are long, razor-edged claws resembling fused talons made of Chitin and serrated bone-like substances. Each talon is powered by whipcord muscles to stab, slash, and eviscerate victims with lightning-fast swipes. They can pierce very light armor as found on [[Ork]]s and the like, but tougher armor will likely stop the blows. Overall, the basic Tyranid melee weapon. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 5th Edition they were a lot better because they gave rerolls to failed To Hit rolls (only the ones with one pair, but all of them if you have two pairs), at the slight loss of not being able to penetrate even the lightest of armors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, Scything Talons now allow a model to re-roll to hit rolls of 1 when attacking with this weapon (something they used to do back in 5th). In addition, if the model has more than one pair, they can make 1 additional attack with this weapon. It is confirmed via FAQ that multiple sets of talons grant only +1 attack total, not +1 per set; this applies for all sizes of Scything Talons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is also the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; (For the big bois), which are found on Tyrants and the Carnifex. Same rules as above but AP-3, 3 Damage. If that&#039;s not enough for you, than we have the even bigger &#039;&#039;&#039;Massive Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; which is only found on Tervigons, Maleceptor, Trygon and Trygon Primes and are AP-3, D6 Damage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesword===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BoneswordBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bonesword]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Psychic swords that feed off the life force of their target, they can inflict Instant Death and tear through Space Marines with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Bonesword is living organism, which has a small brain situated deep within its hilt and has a rudimentary sentience that allows it to gradually grow in length and repair any battle damage to itself and maintain a deadly monomolecular edge. However, it is completely slaved to the will of its wielder and is incapable of any independent thought. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon is made of chitin and constantly crackles with powerful psychic energy that flows along embedded nerve tendrils to create a psychic field around the blade, effectively creating a biological version of a [[Force weapon|force weapon.]] This energy amplifies in potency when in close proximity to another Bonesword, such as when used in pairs. It is serrated on both edges and was originally a creature&#039;s massively elongated horn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[/d/|The Bonesword can generate a powerful surge of psychic energy when stimulated by its user.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesabre===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bonesabre.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Bonesabre]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Badass Boneswords used by the [[Swarmlord]], it can use these weapons in a barrage of blades to ward off incoming melee attacks. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They differ from commonly seen Tyranid Boneswords in that each Sabre has a crystalline growth, not indigenous to the galaxy, at its core that partially protrudes through the blade&#039;s serrated surface. The Swarmlord can parry with these sabres at such speed that its foes find it all but impossible to inflict a hit on the creature.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, they are 4++ in CC only. Also INSTANT DEATH ON ANY SUCCESSFULY CUT.  Not just on sixes. Swarmy may have a place still.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Tail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Scything_Tail.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Scything Tail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Scything Talon found on a tail. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tail Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Thresher Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039;. Scything Tails occurs on larger Tyranids, it is effectively the tail of the creature given a scythe edge, often used to sweep through large numbers of lightly armored enemies. They can also tear through armor like it&#039;s nothing, be able to morph into maces capable of punching holes in tanks or be equipped with stingers containing highly lethal toxins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, the Tail Scythe is now known as the Thresher Scythe and it is a S4, AP-1 D1 weapon. Its special ability is that it can make D3 hit rolls for each attack made with this weapon instead of a 1. This makes it complementary to the Wrecker Claws and Bio-Flail combo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Crushing Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Crushing_Claws.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Crushing Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws AKA [[Meme|&#039;&#039;CRAB PEOPLE! CRAB PEOPLE!&#039;&#039;]] are a Tyranid Bio-weapon of huge crab-like claws found on the largest Tyranid organisms, the only creatures capable of hefting the enormous bulk of the claws, such as Carnifexes. The claws are obscenely strong and powerful enough to destroy multiple opponents in one swoop or easy cut through the toughest vehicle armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used only by [[Carnifex]]es, [[Tervigon]]s and [[Tyrant Guard]], this massive pair of crab-like claws grants S+1, AP2, Armourbane and Unwieldy. Not very interesting for the Tervigon because its role is really nothing more than sitting on an objective, shitting out as many Gaunts as it can. Carnifexes on the other hand have pretty much lost their utility as linebreakers, you&#039;re better off running them as a dakkafex and letting Trygons do the heavy lifting. They are not very interesting on Hive Guard either, given their prohibitive cost and they make them swing very slow: it is best to use the Rending Claws and have them do the job.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Wrecker Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Wrecker_Claw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Wrecker Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws on steroids.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Wrecker Claws are immense claws covered in diamond-hard chitin and ultra-dense bone to enable it crush the armor of vehicles with relative ease. These things are nothing more than living power shears and its nature of violently ripping apart even the most heavily armored of foes would strike fear in the hearts of feeble men.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crusher Carnifex comes automatic with two Wrecker Claws. They are allowed to re-roll all failed Armour Penetration rolls, as well as add one to the result if against immobile structures and fortifications (on top of the +2 granted by the Wrecker Claws AP1 value) when using their Wrecker Claws. Although the Stone Wrecker Carnifex has less attacks than the Carnifex (two compared to three) any attack that goes through is more than likely going to cause an Explodes!  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can swap out one of the Wrecker Claws with a Bio-Flail for maximum FUCK YOU!&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Flail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:WreckingBall.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Flail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Otherwise known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Wrecking Ball&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Stone Crusher&#039;&#039;&#039;. The Stone-Crusher is a Tyranid close combat Biomorph most commonly encountered on the Stone-Crusher Carnifex and is nothing more than a large mass of bone, chitin and flesh. Designed for urban battles, the Stone-Crusher is rammed through a wall using the Carnifex&#039;s immense strength then pulled backwards to wrench the entire structure down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crushers turn a Carnifex into a living battering ram. Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail replaces their ability to re-roll amour penetration on their regular attacks with the ability to cause Instant Death and gain a new rule, Sweep Attack. Sweep Attack allows a model to replace all their attacks with a number of attacks equal to the number of enemy models in base contact with them. This allows a Stone Crusher Carnifex with a Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail to generate more attacks and stops it being tarpitted as easily, while the trade off is that they may find it harder to destroy vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-Tyranid-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514585</id>
		<title>Tyranid Bio-Weapons</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514585"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:27:24Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* Fleshborer */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;In the [[Grimdark|relentless cheerfulness]] of the [[40k|far future]], the weapons used by the [[Tyranids]] are, just like their armies, home-grown. Instead of using metal, the Tyranids use the growth of symbiotic organs, inseparable from their hosts and are counted together as a single bio-organism. Some of them fire a &amp;quot;dumb&amp;quot; projectile like a spike, whereas other use seeds or even acids and living creatures, because just plain &#039;&#039;bullets&#039;&#039; are for pussies. The downside to this is that these &#039;&#039;&#039;Tyranid bio-weapons&#039;&#039;&#039; are incapable of the explosive firepower that [[Template:40k-Imperial-Weapons|Imperial]], [[Eldar]] and [[Tau]] guns have. They all trade this disadvantage in for being Assault weapons, meaning they can be fired on the move. Also, the explosive firepower is instead exchanged for more... interesting and strategic effects. Another note is that due to their appearance, Tyranid weapons are some of the most badass and phallic looking in the entirety of 40k.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of these weapons can be used by creatures of different sizes, but for the sake of simplicity the weapons have been ordered by the smallest creature that can use them. Small creatures are the equivalent of [[Termagaunt|Gaunts]], Medium are those comparable to [[Tyranid Warrior]]s and [[Biovore]]s, and Large are those akin to [[Hive Tyrant|Tyrants]] and [[Carnifex|Carnifexes]]. Then there are two other categories: the Inbuilt weapons, often part of the upper bodies of the largest organisms, and the Melee weapons for the more [[Choppa|choppy]] inclined creatures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Small==&lt;br /&gt;
Small weapons are used by Termagants, the working class of any Tyranid army, and [[Gargoyle]]s.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dev6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Devourer&#039;&#039;&#039; is simply a lump of flesh that launches a shower of tiny, short-lived and very hungry lifeforms (sometimes described as worms, others as small beetles) onto a target that immediately start to [[Grimdark|burrow into the target with their maw/mandibles and devour it alive from the inside out]]. Like all Tyranid weapons, the Devourer uses a bio-electric jolt (GeeDubs way of simply saying it fires via the nervous system) to promptly tell the lazy fuckers sleeping inside to get to work. &lt;br /&gt;
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A much larger version called the Brainleech Devourer is mounted only on larger Tyranid organisms and uses specialize Brainleech worms that are far more aggressive and voracious, and go for the target&#039;s brain matter to make sure of the &#039;kill&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
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This weapon has a nice range and acceptable firepower for a weapon of its size, albeit it doubles your Termagaunts in cost (while tripling their number of ranged attacks per round, a very economical way to increase dakka as long as you protect your Gaunts somehow. As of 6th edition, you can have mixed weapon options now so throw up a wall of spinegaunts or something). If you take this weapon in large broods, you will be aiming at your enemy&#039;s biggest units to just drown the suckers in dozens of shots.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Fleshborer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FB6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer&#039;&#039;&#039; is one of the most iconic Tyranid weapons, a simple design that fires a borer beetle that eats its way through anything it comes across during its flight. Like the Devourer and most Nid firearms, the Fleshborer can only be fired by its respective host, [[Heresy|unless some mad scientist from the Imperium decides its a good idea to attach some electrodes to the weapon like Frankenstein.]] Because the borer beetle is a &#039;&#039;particularly&#039;&#039; lazy fucker, more electro-shocks is required to jolt their asses into action. &lt;br /&gt;
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For some....reason. Some Mago Xenobiologi speculate that the Fleshborer itself (The gun that is) is related to the borer beetle or is an evolutionary niche for the borer beetle. They state that the gun &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the mother that lays the eggs which means that each mature beetle somehow metamorphose into a gun. &lt;br /&gt;
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Being the basic weapon for Termagaunts, it has the same stats as an ordinary Bolt Pistol. It will still prove to be more than enough to kill anything with toughness of 7 or less and AV10, as long as you have a lot of them. Tyranids being what they are, you will almost always have a lot of them. Range 12, strength 4, AP 5, and it is an assault 1 weapon.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spike Rifle===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spike-Rifles-5-1024x768.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spike Rifle]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Spike Rifle&#039;&#039;&#039; is a weapon exclusive to Termagaunts. It is, simply put, a harpoon launcher.  That&#039;s about it. &lt;br /&gt;
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More specifically its mechanics are like....exactly the same as a regular harpoon launcher just that the string and trigger are alive and swell. It is essentially a bony tube lined with cord muscles that is compressed like a coil. Once the Nid relaxes the muscles, the stored energy pushes the row of harpoon-like spikes into the adjacent target. The barbs are fucking sharp though; able to tear at a victim&#039;s arteries and cause them to bleed to death. To make it even more killy the barbs and the gun itself is laced with acidic veins and toxin sacs to make any scratch almost always fatal. Whilst it can puncture Jimmy&#039;s [[Flak Armor]], don&#039;t think it would do quite swell with [[Power Armor]].&lt;br /&gt;
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Statwise it&#039;s less imposing than it&#039;s description: range 18&amp;quot;, S3, AP-, Assault 1. Only use these if you do not want to pump a huge amount of points into Devourers but you do not want half your brood to not be able to fire when the Devilgaunts do.  Otherwise avoid them...because they suck.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spinefists===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spinefist6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spinefist]]&lt;br /&gt;
A lighter weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spinefists&#039;&#039;&#039; are used in pairs. They are the more [[Dakka]] version of the Bio-Weapons and are used more akin to a Uzi with shittier penetration and more poison. &lt;br /&gt;
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They shower the target with a hail of poisoned spikes, the sheer amount of darts fired ensure that the target is hit. A tube runs from the air sac powering the weapon, through the user&#039;s arm to its lungs. This means that larger creatures get more mileage out of what is essentially the same weapon, proving that even something as simple as a blowgun can be [[Warp|horribly perverted]] by the grim darkness of the far future. &lt;br /&gt;
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As of 8E, they act like pistols, which means Raveners (and Rippers, which get the similar Spinemaw) can shoot, get stuck in, and still fire off a few shots without having to disengage first.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Strangleweb===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Strangleweb.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Strangleweb]]&lt;br /&gt;
With this weapon, your Tyranids too can learn [[Meme|how to shot web]]. Essentially a Tyrannid [[Webber]]. &lt;br /&gt;
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The effects of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Strangleweb&#039;&#039;&#039; can be described best as a non-cutting variation of the Death Spinner used by the Warp Spiders: instead of slicing through their opponents, it constricts them, and maybe crushes them to death. &lt;br /&gt;
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That&#039;s a pretty big maybe: wounding even basic Guardsmen at 5+ and rolling against Strength instead of Toughness to wound means that this weapon would be best if used against the likes of the [[Death Guard]]... if shooting them wasn&#039;t a stupid idea for a Tyranid player in the first place &#039;&#039;AND&#039;&#039; if you could take more than 1 of them per 10 Gaunts.&lt;br /&gt;
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{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
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===Blinding Venom===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Blinding_Venom.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Blinding Venom]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Imagine baby Drool Cannons, that&#039;s basically the Blinding Venom.&lt;br /&gt;
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Unique to Gargoyles, they can spit acid in the eyes of their enemies to blind them and allow for an easy devouring of the target. The poison is quite weak (6+ what the hell?) &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;and it&#039;s best to just go with the regular poison attacks granted by Toxin Sacks.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; but it has the blind special rule so it means for every attack the unit being attacked has to pass an initiative test now a unit of gargoyles has a minimum size of 10 models so...&lt;br /&gt;
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As of 8th edition, if the Gargoyles put an unsaved wound onto an enemy unit, the blinding venom makes them suffer -1 to hit for the rest of the phase.&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==Medium==&lt;br /&gt;
Medium weapons are used by Warriors and organisms based on the -[[Biovore|Vore]] and -[[Tyrant_Guard|Guard]] body archetypes.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Barbed Strangler===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BarbedStrangler6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Barbed Strangler]]&lt;br /&gt;
Remember that 70&#039;s cult classic Zardoz? [[James_Bond|Sean Connery]] dressed in [[Slaanesh|red gimp getup]] and killing dudes like he&#039;s [[Khârn]], at the behest of a giant floating head that claims that &amp;quot;The gun is good, the penis is evil.&amp;quot; because the penis shoots seeds that create life? Well, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Barbed Strangler&#039;&#039;&#039; chooses to be both. The gun is very basic, a muscled tube that stores its seeds in a sack at the base, and shoots them with a powerful spasm along with a fair helping of a corrosive oil.&lt;br /&gt;
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The seed upon impact has its nigh-unbreakable shell melted by the oil and sends tendrils to [[rip and tear]] through anything that gets in its way. Using the large blast template, you can cause a lot of damage to a [[Tarpit|blob]] in a single shot.  It also pins but that comes into play very little given that most armies are either largely fearless, ignore pinning anyway, or have LD values good enough to reliably ignore it anyway. With 8e, it traded off the blast template and Pinning for Assault D6 and a bonus to hit when targeting large units, which is a fair trade given the lackluster BS of the average Tyranid.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Deathspitter===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:51-10I 81635.1399044187.500.750.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Deathspitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
The traditional weapon of the Warrior, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Deathspitter&#039;&#039;&#039; works by stripping a large maggot off of it&#039;s shell and hurling it at the enemy. Its [[Rip and tear|huge guts]] are highly corrosive and can splatter several enemies at once. The adaptive evolution of the [[Hive Fleet Hydra]]&#039;s slimer maggots make their Deathspitters even more lethal; the maggots could burrow through the target&#039;s flesh and then [[FATAL| repeatedly fragment and regenerat themselves]]. [[Slaugth|The victims literally burst out with the ever increasing mass of wriggling grubs.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Serving as a decent weapon against [[MEQ]]s, the weapon relies on its rate of fire to deal damage.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Flamespurt Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Flamer#Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon|Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Impaler Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ImpalerCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Impaler Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Impaler Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is your answer to anything up to AV 12. &lt;br /&gt;
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This beautiful gun fires a bony spine, steered by a shard-beast at the base of the spine, [[Rip and tear|whose innards are ripped from its body when the spike is fired]]. The spines are launched with enough force to rip through man and machine alike. &lt;br /&gt;
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Though its range is limited you do not have to actually see your target to be able to shoot it, without a significant downside. Oh, and it has a higher rate of fire than the Imperium-equivalent, the Missile Launcher. What&#039;s not to like? This is your go-to weapon for dealing with [[METAL BAWKSES]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Shock Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Niddex2014e.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Shock Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes shortened to Shockcannon.&lt;br /&gt;
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Used by Hive Guard, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Shock Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; shoots out a claw over a considerable distance which latches on to its target and delivers a powerful bio-electric shock, disabling or even destroying a vehicle. Ostensibly, a big fucking meat taser.&lt;br /&gt;
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On tabletop the Shock Cannon is the Hive Guard&#039;s primary anti-vehicle weapon. It&#039;s decent enough at S7 AP-1 d3 Damage, but if it rolls 4+ on Wound against a vehicle, it issues a Mortal Wound that coincidentally makes its low AP completely irrelevant. Roll a 6+, and that becomes d3 Mortal Wounds. Thanks to the change from small templates to D3 shots, this is now actually plenty scary against vehicles of any size.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spore Mine Launcher===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Launcher.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Launcher]]&lt;br /&gt;
The more explosive (and useful) Dakka to the Flamespurt&#039;s fiery Dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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Created as a result of fights against the Imperial Guard, the Biovore displays this by being the Tyranids&#039; closest thing to an artillery piece and having a massive scrotum befitting a Guardsman&#039;s huge brazen balls. Armed with the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spore Mine Launcher&#039;&#039;&#039;, it can lob Spore Mines a considerable range; living bombs that blanket victims in acid, poisonous gas, and shrapnel-sized chitin spines.&lt;br /&gt;
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Though not as deadly as [[Basilisk|most other artillery weapons]], the Spore Mines are unique in the way that if they don&#039;t land too close to the enemy, you can deploy them onto the battlefield as living mines, serving as an obstacle for your enemy that must be either moved around or shot. Generally more useful in larger point games or [[Apocalypse]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:VC6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Seen as the primary anti-tank weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; launches a hail of corrosive crystals by way of a biological railgun. Though not as effective as you&#039;d wish, the Venom Cannon can cause quite some hurt on [[Eldar|Aspect Warriors]] and the like. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is ineffective against heavy tanks but okay against transports and open-topped vehicles, though its primary targets should always be medium infantry.  Because you know, a single shot S6 AP4 small blast weapon with only 36 inches of range that you can only have one of per (heinously expensive and surprisingly fragile) warrior brood is clearly the bestest anti-vehicle gun ever.  See Dawn of War II for how they should work and cry bitterly.  You&#039;re best off giving this gun a pass.&lt;br /&gt;
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Slightly buffed in 8th along with the blast weapon changes. It is now Assault d3 with S8 and AP-2. Bit better at least.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Large==&lt;br /&gt;
Here the most powerful and biggest weapons the Tyranids have are described, used by the biggest and baddest of nasties.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Acid Spray===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Spray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Acid Spray]]&lt;br /&gt;
Yo dawg, I heard you like [[Hellhound]]s so I put a [[Flamer|discharge of digestive fluids]] that works just like a Hellhound&#039;s weapon on your Tyranid MC and upped its cost by 100+ points. That&#039;s pretty much the gist of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Acid Spray&#039;&#039;&#039;. The problem is that you have a lot of weapons with stats like that, so using an expensive MC (though well armored) that attracts fire like there&#039;s no tomorrow is a bad idea.&lt;br /&gt;
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In terms of fluff, the Acid Spray is a Tyranid Biomorph found on larger creatures such as the [[Tyrannofex]]. This bioweapon stores huge amounts of highly acidic digestive fluids, then sprays it over a wide area. The acid melts through body armor with shocking ease and reduces its victims to shapeless goo.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-plasmic Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasmic Cannon|Bio-Plasmic Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Brainleech Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Brainleech_Devourer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Brainleech Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
Get a regular Devourer and then force feed it growth horomones. You get the Brainleech variety.&lt;br /&gt;
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The biggest of Tyranids have devourers loaded with &#039;&#039;&#039;Brainleech Worms&#039;&#039;&#039; instead, a species larger and even more aggressive and hungry than the regular devourer worms. These are used for when the [[Hive Mind]] &#039;&#039;really&#039;&#039; got sick of all these blobs and want to shower them in hungry insects.&lt;br /&gt;
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Range: 18&amp;quot;, S6, AP-, Assault 6. If you&#039;re not using two sets of Twin-Linked Brainleech Devourers on your Flying Hive Tyrant and any Carnifexes you&#039;re fielding, you&#039;re [[fail|doing it wrong]].&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition.  It is a bigger devourer with +2 Strength and double the shots for the MONSTERS in the Tyranid force. Comes as a pair so it puts out 12 shots. Two sets of these gives 24 shots, pretty good overall, made even better with the Pathogenic Slime strategem.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Drool Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:DroolCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Drool Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon with [[Derp|the funny name.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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The Drool Cannon is a type of Tyranid Biomorph found on the [[Hive Crone]]. Protruding from the Crone&#039;s mouth, the Drool Cannon vomits a wave of digestive juices upon its foes. The acidic bile originates from sacs carried on the Crone&#039;s underbelly. Because of the way the Drool Cannon interferes with the Hive Crone&#039;s mouth, it is unknown why the Hive Mind thought it is still viable to waste resource on its sharp teeth (maybe it&#039;s retractable?).&lt;br /&gt;
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So yeah, the Nids have literal super spit, like the [[Space Marines]], but they actually use it repeatedly rather than for [[Plot Armor|plot reasons.]] Although knowing how fast some factions fly their planes, it must be one heck of a spit for it to hit anything at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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For crunch, it is the [[Hive Crone]]&#039;s answer to the [[Heldrake]] Baleflamer, except lacking Torrent and a good AP value and pretty much anything good, including its icky name. Template S6 AP4.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Fleshborer Hive===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Fleshborer_Hive.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer Hive]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think the [[Leman_Russ_Battle_Tank|Leman Russ Punisher]], but replace the Punisher gun with a &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer Hive&#039;&#039;&#039;. That&#039;s about it. Because sometimes you have just run out of Troops choices (how one runs out of termagants is another question), and you just need 20 Termagants worth of Fleshborer fire on a tough platform. &lt;br /&gt;
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Consisting of a large colony of the same breed of borer beetles found in the simple fleshborer, the fanged creatures stored in the bloated sacs of the hive lay thousands of eggs that hatch and mature at a fast rate within the chambers of the brood nest. &lt;br /&gt;
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Needless to say, this is shit. Also,the fluff states that it must periodically discharge beetles or it makes the Tyrannofex explode. In 8th, the stats are still sucky, but it can fire twice if the Tyrannofex doesn&#039;t move. 40 shots a turn for a respectable amount of biological dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition it has recieved a much needed buff. [[Dakka|It&#039;s a Heavy 20 Fleshborer at S5.]] Because of the short range it&#039;s not as impressive as the Rupture Cannon, but the ability to bring a portable Fire Warrior squad&#039;s worth of firepower with you is nothing to scoff at, especially if it gets to shoot twice while standing still. The Scorch Bugs Stratagem makes it absolutely terrifying. &lt;br /&gt;
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Also if you have trypophobia (fear of holes), this &#039;&#039;may&#039;&#039; not be the best weapon to use on tabletop. Chances of projectile vomiting. Too high.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Tl;dr]], its a weapon (that shoots bugs) that you can fire from you fucking forearm. Bioshock indeed.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Heavy Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Heavy_VC.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Heavy Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is just that: a bigger version of the Venom Cannon able to deal with bigger vehicles, and it would be a lot more reliable if it wasn&#039;t using a Blast template. Can be used against tanks up to [[Land Raider]]s, but lack the firepower to deal reliably with them and lacks the armor penetration to deal with [[MEQ]]s on a consistent basis. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is slightly better on Carnifexes than it&#039;s littler brother is on Warriors primarily because you can actually field the things in bulk...sort of. It&#039;s still not particularly good; but it&#039;s passable on a bio-blast brood if you don&#039;t want more dakkafexes for some insane reason. In 8th, it is largely the same as the regular Venom Cannon with one more strength (S9) and 3 damage per shot making it excellent elite infantry killers and decent anti tank&lt;br /&gt;
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===Rupture Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rupture_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rupture Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a Tyranid Vanquisher Cannon.&lt;br /&gt;
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If you want to stop a tank dead in its tracks, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Rupture Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039;(a fluff-wise bigger barbed strangler) is your friend. Firing two projectiles in a short succession, a tick that covers the enemy in a gooey substance, and a seed that upon impact with the goo dissolves at such speed which triggers a chemical implosion powerful enough to turn a [[Baneblade]] inside out. &lt;br /&gt;
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That&#039;s what the fluff says, anyway - while it boasts a commanding s10, it strikes at AP 4, so MEQs don&#039;t even notice it.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th however, it got horrifyingly good. It&#039;s now a 3 SHOT LASCANNON with an extra point of S, and the Tyrannofex can fire &#039;&#039;twice&#039;&#039; when it stays still. MEQs will definitely notice it now, but it&#039;s much better against vehicles; up to 6 S10 AP-3 D6 damage shots per shooting phase will ensure that even Knights and Land Raiders will feel the hurt.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Stranglethorn Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stranglethorn_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Stranglethorn Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
An upscaled version of the Barbed Strangler (thus it fires much larger, stronger, and more aggressive seed-pods), the &#039;&#039;&#039;Stranglethorn Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; has enough power to deal with even the toughest of foes, and serves as a borderline artillery weapon. The growing pod&#039;s mass of barbed tentacles can grasp onto the armor plating of vehicles and rip them to pieces.&lt;br /&gt;
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It has the same AP as it&#039;s smaller brother, and the same blast size and pinning rule, but now it has S6 which means it can now pile on hurt better and harass light vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition it is a bigger Barbed Strangler with +2 Strength for the MONSTERs in the Tyranid force. Keeps the above +1 to hit rule and also inflicts 1 more damage. Kills light Infantry more efficiently than the HVC. Combine with Enhanced Senses and laugh at the look on your opponent&#039;s face as a Carnifex hits on a 2+ (Only if units of 10 or more). Unfortunately still only hits on a 3+ on a carnifex with enhanced senses.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Tentaclids===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tentaclid2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Tentaclid]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flying under the wings of Hive Crones, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tentaclids&#039;&#039;&#039; are living seeker missiles who can chase after flying targets such as enemy aircraft and disable them with a powerful bio-electric pulse.&lt;br /&gt;
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In terms of crunch they are the Crone&#039;s big surprise. These Babies only have S5 to their name and a re-roll to hit flying units, but if they wound a vehicle on a 4+ it deals a Mortal Wound with a 6+ dealing d3 Mortal Wounds. &lt;br /&gt;
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Unlike before, these can actually be used again and again which kind of contradicts the fluff since Hive Crones only carry four of these things...unless of course a Tentaclid is spawned from the Hive Fleet itself and homes and attaches to the nearest Hive Crone. Or after disabling an enemy flier it just returns to its carrier crone.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Biocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The biggest motherfucking gun alive (Both figuratively and literally). The Bio-Cannon is a Tyranid Biomorph. Equipped on titan-sized creatures such as the [[Hierophant]] and [[Harridan]], the Bio-Cannon works like a giant Deathspitter; that is that it spews forth a hail of highly venomous and corrosive maggot organisms. &lt;br /&gt;
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But these maggots are ECKS BAWKS HUEG to make it a threat to superheavies. These organisms like their smaller cousins, explode on impact, splattering a rain of bio-acid and poison that can melt through nearly any material in a matter of seconds. Of course how this affects esoteric things like [[Void shield|Void Shields]] is unknown (Maybe it eats through Void Shields?).&lt;br /&gt;
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On crunch, the Bio-Cannons comes in two since the Hierophant naturally twin-links these; they are S10 (which can double for the price of taking D3 mortal wounds, like tau units overcharging), AP-2, 2D6 damage (doubled against buildings and other TITANIC units). Its a shame it is the only Titan-grade Tyranid weapon though.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Inbuilt==&lt;br /&gt;
Certain weapons used by the Tyranids are part of the creatures themselves, instead of being addition to the arms/back.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-Electric Pulse===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bio-Electric_Pulse.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Bio-Electric Pulse]]&lt;br /&gt;
Built into the Trygon, a electrical charge is build up by the creature as it moves, allowing a powerful and [[Dakka|large]] discharge. The Trygon Prime increases the range of this blast, and doubles its rate of fire.&lt;br /&gt;
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It is also great for tunneling which is a plus for the Trygon. They use their bio-static charge to assist with tunneling, as their tunnels have been found coated with a fused, glass-like silicate layer on the inside. This effect stabilizes the tunnel walls and prevents them from collapsing behind a burrowing Trygon. Which is stupid when given the weight and size of the Trygon. Unless it is smooth like a [[Adeptus Custodes|lubed bannana]], then there is no way such glass would withstand such violent digging. Furthermore, large vehicles and some animals could burrow efficiently without needing to turn their surroundings to glass. So this ability is quite redundant unless the Nids want to transport smaller grubs along its merry adventure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you don&#039;t know, the Bio-Electric Pulse &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the Trygon&#039;s carapace armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Plasma===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasma|Bio-Plasma]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cluster Spines===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Cluster_Spines.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Cluster Spines]]&lt;br /&gt;
Just imagine a porcupine that shoot out its spines or a [[Lizardmen]]&#039;s Razordon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The largest Tyranids have banks of spines build into their carapaces that they can fire when under stress. Consisting of rows of quills embedded into the carapaces of the equipped creature like a giant Porcupine. These spines are dense and hollow like a Frag Grenade and explode upon impact like one, dealing significant damage to anything in the area of impact over considerable distances. Of course, it is unknown whether these are single shot or multi-use. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fired into densely packed groups of enemies, these spines can saturate large areas with needle-sized slivers, making them a potent anti-infantry weapon. Although given on where the Tyranid would like to grow its spines, [[Fail|it can also end up hitting nothing but air.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Its more anti-armor version is the Stinger Salvo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Flesh Hooks===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FleshHooks.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Flesh Hooks]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flesh Hooks are sharp barbs attached to long, sinewy tentacles, which are kept coiled close to the Lictor&#039;s rib cage, until they are fired by a powerful muscle spasm. They are the Tyranid&#039;s answer to Scorpion&#039;s sting from Mortal Kombat. So don&#039;t be too surprise if Nid players shout &amp;quot;Get Over Here!&amp;quot; every once in a while.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Until 5th Edition edition came out, nearly any species of Gaunt, Warrior and more could use these. They are long bony spines with barbed hooks on the end that serve as both harpoons and possible grapnel for climbing. The Lictor can use these hooks either to scale sheer obstacles, or to snag luckless prey and drag it into the Lictor&#039;s waiting claws. Now they&#039;re Lictor and Warrior/Shrike only (Carnifexes have access to Spine Banks, which are similar), count as Frag Grenades, and can be fired for a surprisingly deadly shot.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Grasping Tongue===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Grasping_Tongue.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Grasping Tongue]]&lt;br /&gt;
The ultimate OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Grasping Tongue is less of a tongue and more of a mound of tentacle claws attached to a giant mouth. This is a weapon you can see in every [[/d/|tentacle hentai]] ever and not be surprised at all. Seriously what was GW smoking?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though technically part of an [[Haruspex]]&#039;s body, it can use its long tongue to snag an enemy, pluck it out of its unit and devour it whole.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For 8th edition crunch, everyone&#039;s favorite [[Rape|tentacle rape]] got a pretty good buff; it&#039;s rather fierce at S6 AP-3 and d3 damage, it gains further use since it can be used within close range and regains a wound if it kills something, so it can add to survivability.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Ripper Tentacles===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Ripper_Tentacle.jpg|110px|right|thumb|Ripper Tentacles]]&lt;br /&gt;
No. They are in no way related to the small, petite living stomachs called the [[Ripper|Rippers]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, they do bare resemblance to other tentacle-themed enemies in science fiction (Que hentai tentacle rape jokes). Possibly why this and the Mycetic Spore was canned cause they ain&#039;t copyrightable enough for GW. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Mycetic Spores, the tentacles themselves consist of thick ropes of muscles and tendon. Drawn to movement, any moving foe within reach of the Tentacles will be thoroughly smashed like dough on a kitchen board.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, these are long-ranged tentacles able to do significant damage to medium-sized blobs thanks to their high rate of fire (strange choice of words when the weapon in question is akin to beating someone over the head with a tentacle).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course with the fact that the [[Mycetic Spore]] has all but been &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;squatted&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; replaced by the far more modern and up-to-date [[Sporocyst]] the canon is all but up in the air with these Tentacles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spore Mine Cysts===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Cysts.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Cysts]]&lt;br /&gt;
Build into the underside of a Harpy, you can have it drop a Spore Mine onto something it flew over once per game as if it was making a bombing run. The same rules for the Spore Mines as stated above count here as well. Some players have gone their way to make the Harpies &#039;&#039;carry&#039;&#039; the Spore Mines. Of course, most modern equivalent of the Spore Cyst are the two stubby looking anuses behind a Harpy. So yes, the Tyranids can actually shit explosive submunitions on their enemies. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unfortunately it is a pretty outdated weapon, dating back to 4th edition. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 4th Edition, Spore Cysts are found on larger Tyranids and are excretion pits for the creation of Spore Mines. The symbiotic relationship between creature and spore cyst is such that they cannot be separated once formed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Stinger Salvo===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stinger_Salvo.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Stinger Salvo]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a giant Spinefist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Works comparable to the Cluster Spines, except this is more of a barrage of large solid spikes akin to the spinefists rather than a densely hollow spines. Powerful muscular contractions spray the spikes out to skewer enemy infantry and pierce the toughest of armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Think of this as the anti-armor variant of the Cluster Spine&#039;s anti-infantry. Although they can both harm either infantry or armored divisions when peppered sufficiently with spines/spikes. Just like the Cluster Spine,  the Stinger Salvo is a weapon who practicality is only viable given on where the Tyranid would like to put it, turning into a living, breathing spike bomb into a fairly useless weapon that rains spikes cause the dumb idiot placed its Stinger Salvo a tad bit too high.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Thorax Swarm===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Thorax_Swarm.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Thorax Swarm]]&lt;br /&gt;
Certain Tyranids can issue forth swarms of bugs living in their thoraxes to devour anything in short range. These creatures erupt from openings in their host&#039;s chest to drown the enemy in a deadly cloud that chews out eyes and crawls down throats. These swarms come in three flavors: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Electroshock Grubs:&#039;&#039;&#039; These grubs are insects who electrocute anything they grab onto for a damaging attack, anything caught in between this energy is reduced to a charred ruin.&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Desiccator Larvae:&#039;&#039;&#039; These are grubs who drain the target&#039;s body of all of its moisture within seconds, leaving only a dry husk. This means that once fully bloated, they would be one huge grub seeing how the Human body is like what, 75% water.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Shreddershard Beetles:&#039;&#039;&#039;  Instinctively crawl into any nook and crevice on their victims such as those between armor joints. They are bugs who Rend their way through their targets, exploding in shards of needles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Melee==&lt;br /&gt;
Every Tyranid organism has at least rows of sharp teeth and deadly claws, but some go an extra mile.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Claws and Teeth===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Claws and Teeth.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Claws and Teeth]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your most vanilla of close combat Tyranid weapons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Claws and Teeth are basic Tyranid Biomorphs equipped to even the most simplest of organisms, such as Rippers. These razor-sharp claws and maws of fangs allow them to rip apart enemies. There&#039;s nothing spectacular about them, and thus there is nothing interesting about them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, Claws and Teeth are the stock CCW for your Rippers and Termies. (And Zoanthropes as well, but really those guys don’t belong in combat in most cases). They do moderate damage against GEQs and fair pretty bad when it comes to MEQs and above, requiring sheer weight of numbers to be even remotely effective.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All in all, Claws and Teeth is only used when someone really wants to use up all their attacks or that they are &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;THAT&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; desperate.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Acid Maw===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Maw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Acid Maw]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To aid them in the digestion of a world&#039;s biomass, Pyrovores drool a highly corrosive acid that can dissolve pretty much anything. The downside is that they need to focus all their energy on making a successful bite attack, diminishing their potential damage output.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some creatures also have a powerful tongue dripping with corrosive acids that can be used to snare prey and bring them in for consumption and digestion while leaving other limbs free for other tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition, the Acid Maw is now the primary CCW of the former biggest joke of 40k, the Pyrovore, now with S5 and AP-3 on all (i.e. both) its attacks. Can also be taken by Genestealers. &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;DO THIS&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;, [[Awesome|they&#039;re basically free power swords for every 4 models in a unit.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There&#039;s even an upgrade called the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Acid Maw&#039;&#039;&#039;. Which is an option for the Carnifex, with S6 AP-5 and d3 damage. Because you really want to make sure somebody won&#039;t get its armor save. Doesn&#039;t replace any other melee weapons either, so you can always use the talons if you want more reliable damage. Mutually exclusive with Enhanced Senses, Bio-Plasma, and Tusks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Lash Whip===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:LashWhipBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lash Whip]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tyranids have also learned to Whip it Good!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A classic and the source of many a [[rule 34]], they allow its user to strike much faster than they normally could, getting a blow in before the enemy can. More seriously though, a Lash Whip is a Tyranid Bio-weapon in the form of a living whip with three tentacles of muscle and sinew that writhe of their own accord and strike at their prey, independently of their wielder&#039;s actions. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Lash Whip has a small body contained within a bony tube which forms the handle of the whip, and has three tentacles which form the rest of its body. The creature survives by slicing flesh from its victims and consuming them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon suffers from not being effective against armored enemies, though. Provided you&#039;re not a venomthrope this is paired with a bone-sword with AP 3 which makes this combo death-incarnate for MEQ&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Feeder Tendrils===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Feeder_Tendrils.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Feeder Tendrils]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Basically the Brain Bug from Starship Troopers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Feeder Tendrils are a special organs of some Tyranid&#039;s organisms (Lictors, for example) that able them to drain the dead victim&#039;s brain matter, absorbing all of its memories and knowledge. This provide the Tyranids with the information about enemy&#039;s strong and weak spots and other reconnaissance data.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th Edition tabletop, Feeder Tendrils are no longer considered weapons but as a form of Strategem for some reason. Feeder Tendrils lets you gamble on a 2/3 chance to make a CP profit. Or more specifically, when a Genestealer, Lictor, Venomthrope, or Toxicrene kills a Character in the Fight Phase, it gain D3 CP. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the very least, this is effectively free since gaining 1 CP will still be enough to negate the cost of using the Stratagem in the first place. More often, it&#039;ll let you turn opposing characters into an opportunity for bonus CP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rending Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rendingclaw.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rending Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The iconic claws of Genestealers and the origin of the Rending rule, these claws are both incredibly sharp and hard; tipped in extremely dense diamond-hard chitin. Powered by the overdeveloped musculature and steel-like tendons of a Tyranid, rending claws become capable of ripping open Ceramite and thick armor with ease as well as fatally shredding flesh and bone; allowing you to pick apart even a [[Terminator]] with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, Rending Claws are a cheap AP-1 weapon, with Rending being replaced with a 6+ on a wound roll giving the attack AP-4. There is also an upgrade called &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Rending Claws&#039;&#039;&#039;, which deal AP-3 D3 Damage, on a 6+ on a wound roll makes the attack AP-6 and a flat 3 damage. Also confers re-rolls to wound, which allow for more &#039;rending&#039; 6s and is important as the Tyrant generally needs higher numbers to hurt things now than in previous editions. Considering that they are also FREE, the claws should be your go-to melee weapon of choice for the Hive Tyrant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Talons===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ScythingTalon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Scything Talons]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The long, bladed weapons you see on Tyranids of all sizes. These weapons are long, razor-edged claws resembling fused talons made of Chitin and serrated bone-like substances. Each talon is powered by whipcord muscles to stab, slash, and eviscerate victims with lightning-fast swipes. They can pierce very light armor as found on [[Ork]]s and the like, but tougher armor will likely stop the blows. Overall, the basic Tyranid melee weapon. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 5th Edition they were a lot better because they gave rerolls to failed To Hit rolls (only the ones with one pair, but all of them if you have two pairs), at the slight loss of not being able to penetrate even the lightest of armors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, Scything Talons now allow a model to re-roll to hit rolls of 1 when attacking with this weapon (something they used to do back in 5th). In addition, if the model has more than one pair, they can make 1 additional attack with this weapon. It is confirmed via FAQ that multiple sets of talons grant only +1 attack total, not +1 per set; this applies for all sizes of Scything Talons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is also the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; (For the big bois), which are found on Tyrants and the Carnifex. Same rules as above but AP-3, 3 Damage. If that&#039;s not enough for you, than we have the even bigger &#039;&#039;&#039;Massive Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; which is only found on Tervigons, Maleceptor, Trygon and Trygon Primes and are AP-3, D6 Damage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesword===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BoneswordBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bonesword]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Psychic swords that feed off the life force of their target, they can inflict Instant Death and tear through Space Marines with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Bonesword is living organism, which has a small brain situated deep within its hilt and has a rudimentary sentience that allows it to gradually grow in length and repair any battle damage to itself and maintain a deadly monomolecular edge. However, it is completely slaved to the will of its wielder and is incapable of any independent thought. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon is made of chitin and constantly crackles with powerful psychic energy that flows along embedded nerve tendrils to create a psychic field around the blade, effectively creating a biological version of a [[Force weapon|force weapon.]] This energy amplifies in potency when in close proximity to another Bonesword, such as when used in pairs. It is serrated on both edges and was originally a creature&#039;s massively elongated horn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[/d/|The Bonesword can generate a powerful surge of psychic energy when stimulated by its user.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesabre===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bonesabre.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Bonesabre]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Badass Boneswords used by the [[Swarmlord]], it can use these weapons in a barrage of blades to ward off incoming melee attacks. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They differ from commonly seen Tyranid Boneswords in that each Sabre has a crystalline growth, not indigenous to the galaxy, at its core that partially protrudes through the blade&#039;s serrated surface. The Swarmlord can parry with these sabres at such speed that its foes find it all but impossible to inflict a hit on the creature.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, they are 4++ in CC only. Also INSTANT DEATH ON ANY SUCCESSFULY CUT.  Not just on sixes. Swarmy may have a place still.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Tail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Scything_Tail.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Scything Tail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Scything Talon found on a tail. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tail Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Thresher Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039;. Scything Tails occurs on larger Tyranids, it is effectively the tail of the creature given a scythe edge, often used to sweep through large numbers of lightly armored enemies. They can also tear through armor like it&#039;s nothing, be able to morph into maces capable of punching holes in tanks or be equipped with stingers containing highly lethal toxins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, the Tail Scythe is now known as the Thresher Scythe and it is a S4, AP-1 D1 weapon. Its special ability is that it can make D3 hit rolls for each attack made with this weapon instead of a 1. This makes it complementary to the Wrecker Claws and Bio-Flail combo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Crushing Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Crushing_Claws.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Crushing Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws AKA [[Meme|&#039;&#039;CRAB PEOPLE! CRAB PEOPLE!&#039;&#039;]] are a Tyranid Bio-weapon of huge crab-like claws found on the largest Tyranid organisms, the only creatures capable of hefting the enormous bulk of the claws, such as Carnifexes. The claws are obscenely strong and powerful enough to destroy multiple opponents in one swoop or easy cut through the toughest vehicle armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used only by [[Carnifex]]es, [[Tervigon]]s and [[Tyrant Guard]], this massive pair of crab-like claws grants S+1, AP2, Armourbane and Unwieldy. Not very interesting for the Tervigon because its role is really nothing more than sitting on an objective, shitting out as many Gaunts as it can. Carnifexes on the other hand have pretty much lost their utility as linebreakers, you&#039;re better off running them as a dakkafex and letting Trygons do the heavy lifting. They are not very interesting on Hive Guard either, given their prohibitive cost and they make them swing very slow: it is best to use the Rending Claws and have them do the job.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Wrecker Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Wrecker_Claw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Wrecker Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws on steroids.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Wrecker Claws are immense claws covered in diamond-hard chitin and ultra-dense bone to enable it crush the armor of vehicles with relative ease. These things are nothing more than living power shears and its nature of violently ripping apart even the most heavily armored of foes would strike fear in the hearts of feeble men.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crusher Carnifex comes automatic with two Wrecker Claws. They are allowed to re-roll all failed Armour Penetration rolls, as well as add one to the result if against immobile structures and fortifications (on top of the +2 granted by the Wrecker Claws AP1 value) when using their Wrecker Claws. Although the Stone Wrecker Carnifex has less attacks than the Carnifex (two compared to three) any attack that goes through is more than likely going to cause an Explodes!  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can swap out one of the Wrecker Claws with a Bio-Flail for maximum FUCK YOU!&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Flail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:WreckingBall.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Flail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Otherwise known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Wrecking Ball&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Stone Crusher&#039;&#039;&#039;. The Stone-Crusher is a Tyranid close combat Biomorph most commonly encountered on the Stone-Crusher Carnifex and is nothing more than a large mass of bone, chitin and flesh. Designed for urban battles, the Stone-Crusher is rammed through a wall using the Carnifex&#039;s immense strength then pulled backwards to wrench the entire structure down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crushers turn a Carnifex into a living battering ram. Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail replaces their ability to re-roll amour penetration on their regular attacks with the ability to cause Instant Death and gain a new rule, Sweep Attack. Sweep Attack allows a model to replace all their attacks with a number of attacks equal to the number of enemy models in base contact with them. This allows a Stone Crusher Carnifex with a Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail to generate more attacks and stops it being tarpitted as easily, while the trade off is that they may find it harder to destroy vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-Tyranid-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514584</id>
		<title>Tyranid Bio-Weapons</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514584"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:26:09Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* Barbed Strangler */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;In the [[Grimdark|relentless cheerfulness]] of the [[40k|far future]], the weapons used by the [[Tyranids]] are, just like their armies, home-grown. Instead of using metal, the Tyranids use the growth of symbiotic organs, inseparable from their hosts and are counted together as a single bio-organism. Some of them fire a &amp;quot;dumb&amp;quot; projectile like a spike, whereas other use seeds or even acids and living creatures, because just plain &#039;&#039;bullets&#039;&#039; are for pussies. The downside to this is that these &#039;&#039;&#039;Tyranid bio-weapons&#039;&#039;&#039; are incapable of the explosive firepower that [[Template:40k-Imperial-Weapons|Imperial]], [[Eldar]] and [[Tau]] guns have. They all trade this disadvantage in for being Assault weapons, meaning they can be fired on the move. Also, the explosive firepower is instead exchanged for more... interesting and strategic effects. Another note is that due to their appearance, Tyranid weapons are some of the most badass and phallic looking in the entirety of 40k.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of these weapons can be used by creatures of different sizes, but for the sake of simplicity the weapons have been ordered by the smallest creature that can use them. Small creatures are the equivalent of [[Termagaunt|Gaunts]], Medium are those comparable to [[Tyranid Warrior]]s and [[Biovore]]s, and Large are those akin to [[Hive Tyrant|Tyrants]] and [[Carnifex|Carnifexes]]. Then there are two other categories: the Inbuilt weapons, often part of the upper bodies of the largest organisms, and the Melee weapons for the more [[Choppa|choppy]] inclined creatures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Small==&lt;br /&gt;
Small weapons are used by Termagants, the working class of any Tyranid army, and [[Gargoyle]]s.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dev6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Devourer&#039;&#039;&#039; is simply a lump of flesh that launches a shower of tiny, short-lived and very hungry lifeforms (sometimes described as worms, others as small beetles) onto a target that immediately start to [[Grimdark|burrow into the target with their maw/mandibles and devour it alive from the inside out]]. Like all Tyranid weapons, the Devourer uses a bio-electric jolt (GeeDubs way of simply saying it fires via the nervous system) to promptly tell the lazy fuckers sleeping inside to get to work. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A much larger version called the Brainleech Devourer is mounted only on larger Tyranid organisms and uses specialize Brainleech worms that are far more aggressive and voracious, and go for the target&#039;s brain matter to make sure of the &#039;kill&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This weapon has a nice range and acceptable firepower for a weapon of its size, albeit it doubles your Termagaunts in cost (while tripling their number of ranged attacks per round, a very economical way to increase dakka as long as you protect your Gaunts somehow. As of 6th edition, you can have mixed weapon options now so throw up a wall of spinegaunts or something). If you take this weapon in large broods, you will be aiming at your enemy&#039;s biggest units to just drown the suckers in dozens of shots.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Fleshborer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FB6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer&#039;&#039;&#039; is one of the most iconic Tyranid weapons, a simple design that fires a borer beetle that eats its way through anything it comes across during its flight. Like the Devourer and most Nid firearms, the Fleshborer can only be fired by its respective host, [[Heresy|unless some mad scientist from the Imperium decides its a good idea to attach some electrodes to the weapon like Frankenstein.]] Because the borer beetle is a &#039;&#039;particularly&#039;&#039; lazy fucker, more electro-shocks is required to jolt their asses into action. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Derp|For some....reason.]] Some Mago Xenobiologi speculate that the Fleshborer itself (The gun that is) [[Wat|is related to the borer beetle or is an evolutionary niche for the borer beetle.]] They state that the gun &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the mother that lays the eggs which means that [[What|each mature beetle somehow metamorphose into a gun.]] [[Herp|We usually know the GW is pretty bad at simple biology, but this is beyond ridiculous and ludicrous.]] Why the Hive Mind thought it was a good idea to make a creature mature into a immobile and helpless creature unless picked up specifically by a Tyranid is a [[Fail]] of epic proportions. It could be that mature female beetles simply merge themselves with regular tyranid organisms, similar to male anglerfish, just the opposite sex.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Being the basic weapon for Termagaunts, it has the same stats as an ordinary Bolt Pistol. It will still prove to be more than enough to kill anything with toughness of 7 or less and AV10, as long as you have a lot of them. Tyranids being what they are, you will almost always have a lot of them. Range 12, strength 4, AP 5, and it is an assault 1 weapon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spike Rifle===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spike-Rifles-5-1024x768.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spike Rifle]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Spike Rifle&#039;&#039;&#039; is a weapon exclusive to Termagaunts. It is, simply put, a harpoon launcher.  That&#039;s about it. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More specifically its mechanics are like....exactly the same as a regular harpoon launcher just that the string and trigger are alive and swell. It is essentially a bony tube lined with cord muscles that is compressed like a coil. Once the Nid relaxes the muscles, the stored energy pushes the row of harpoon-like spikes into the adjacent target. The barbs are fucking sharp though; able to tear at a victim&#039;s arteries and cause them to bleed to death. To make it even more killy the barbs and the gun itself is laced with acidic veins and toxin sacs to make any scratch almost always fatal. Whilst it can puncture Jimmy&#039;s [[Flak Armor]], don&#039;t think it would do quite swell with [[Power Armor]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Statwise it&#039;s less imposing than it&#039;s description: range 18&amp;quot;, S3, AP-, Assault 1. Only use these if you do not want to pump a huge amount of points into Devourers but you do not want half your brood to not be able to fire when the Devilgaunts do.  Otherwise avoid them...because they suck.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spinefists===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spinefist6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spinefist]]&lt;br /&gt;
A lighter weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spinefists&#039;&#039;&#039; are used in pairs. They are the more [[Dakka]] version of the Bio-Weapons and are used more akin to a Uzi with shittier penetration and more poison. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They shower the target with a hail of poisoned spikes, the sheer amount of darts fired ensure that the target is hit. A tube runs from the air sac powering the weapon, through the user&#039;s arm to its lungs. This means that larger creatures get more mileage out of what is essentially the same weapon, proving that even something as simple as a blowgun can be [[Warp|horribly perverted]] by the grim darkness of the far future. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As of 8E, they act like pistols, which means Raveners (and Rippers, which get the similar Spinemaw) can shoot, get stuck in, and still fire off a few shots without having to disengage first.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Strangleweb===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Strangleweb.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Strangleweb]]&lt;br /&gt;
With this weapon, your Tyranids too can learn [[Meme|how to shot web]]. Essentially a Tyrannid [[Webber]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The effects of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Strangleweb&#039;&#039;&#039; can be described best as a non-cutting variation of the Death Spinner used by the Warp Spiders: instead of slicing through their opponents, it constricts them, and maybe crushes them to death. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s a pretty big maybe: wounding even basic Guardsmen at 5+ and rolling against Strength instead of Toughness to wound means that this weapon would be best if used against the likes of the [[Death Guard]]... if shooting them wasn&#039;t a stupid idea for a Tyranid player in the first place &#039;&#039;AND&#039;&#039; if you could take more than 1 of them per 10 Gaunts.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Blinding Venom===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Blinding_Venom.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Blinding Venom]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Imagine baby Drool Cannons, that&#039;s basically the Blinding Venom.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unique to Gargoyles, they can spit acid in the eyes of their enemies to blind them and allow for an easy devouring of the target. The poison is quite weak (6+ what the hell?) &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;and it&#039;s best to just go with the regular poison attacks granted by Toxin Sacks.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; but it has the blind special rule so it means for every attack the unit being attacked has to pass an initiative test now a unit of gargoyles has a minimum size of 10 models so...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As of 8th edition, if the Gargoyles put an unsaved wound onto an enemy unit, the blinding venom makes them suffer -1 to hit for the rest of the phase.&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Medium==&lt;br /&gt;
Medium weapons are used by Warriors and organisms based on the -[[Biovore|Vore]] and -[[Tyrant_Guard|Guard]] body archetypes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Barbed Strangler===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BarbedStrangler6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Barbed Strangler]]&lt;br /&gt;
Remember that 70&#039;s cult classic Zardoz? [[James_Bond|Sean Connery]] dressed in [[Slaanesh|red gimp getup]] and killing dudes like he&#039;s [[Khârn]], at the behest of a giant floating head that claims that &amp;quot;The gun is good, the penis is evil.&amp;quot; because the penis shoots seeds that create life? Well, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Barbed Strangler&#039;&#039;&#039; chooses to be both. The gun is very basic, a muscled tube that stores its seeds in a sack at the base, and shoots them with a powerful spasm along with a fair helping of a corrosive oil.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The seed upon impact has its nigh-unbreakable shell melted by the oil and sends tendrils to [[rip and tear]] through anything that gets in its way. Using the large blast template, you can cause a lot of damage to a [[Tarpit|blob]] in a single shot.  It also pins but that comes into play very little given that most armies are either largely fearless, ignore pinning anyway, or have LD values good enough to reliably ignore it anyway. With 8e, it traded off the blast template and Pinning for Assault D6 and a bonus to hit when targeting large units, which is a fair trade given the lackluster BS of the average Tyranid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Deathspitter===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:51-10I 81635.1399044187.500.750.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Deathspitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
The traditional weapon of the Warrior, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Deathspitter&#039;&#039;&#039; works by stripping a large maggot off of it&#039;s shell and hurling it at the enemy. Its [[Rip and tear|huge guts]] are highly corrosive and can splatter several enemies at once. The adaptive evolution of the [[Hive Fleet Hydra]]&#039;s slimer maggots make their Deathspitters even more lethal; the maggots could burrow through the target&#039;s flesh and then [[FATAL| repeatedly fragment and regenerat themselves]]. [[Slaugth|The victims literally burst out with the ever increasing mass of wriggling grubs.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Serving as a decent weapon against [[MEQ]]s, the weapon relies on its rate of fire to deal damage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Flamespurt Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Flamer#Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon|Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Impaler Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ImpalerCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Impaler Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Impaler Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is your answer to anything up to AV 12. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This beautiful gun fires a bony spine, steered by a shard-beast at the base of the spine, [[Rip and tear|whose innards are ripped from its body when the spike is fired]]. The spines are launched with enough force to rip through man and machine alike. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though its range is limited you do not have to actually see your target to be able to shoot it, without a significant downside. Oh, and it has a higher rate of fire than the Imperium-equivalent, the Missile Launcher. What&#039;s not to like? This is your go-to weapon for dealing with [[METAL BAWKSES]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Shock Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Niddex2014e.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Shock Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes shortened to Shockcannon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Hive Guard, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Shock Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; shoots out a claw over a considerable distance which latches on to its target and delivers a powerful bio-electric shock, disabling or even destroying a vehicle. Ostensibly, a big fucking meat taser.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop the Shock Cannon is the Hive Guard&#039;s primary anti-vehicle weapon. It&#039;s decent enough at S7 AP-1 d3 Damage, but if it rolls 4+ on Wound against a vehicle, it issues a Mortal Wound that coincidentally makes its low AP completely irrelevant. Roll a 6+, and that becomes d3 Mortal Wounds. Thanks to the change from small templates to D3 shots, this is now actually plenty scary against vehicles of any size.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spore Mine Launcher===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Launcher.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Launcher]]&lt;br /&gt;
The more explosive (and useful) Dakka to the Flamespurt&#039;s fiery Dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Created as a result of fights against the Imperial Guard, the Biovore displays this by being the Tyranids&#039; closest thing to an artillery piece and having a massive scrotum befitting a Guardsman&#039;s huge brazen balls. Armed with the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spore Mine Launcher&#039;&#039;&#039;, it can lob Spore Mines a considerable range; living bombs that blanket victims in acid, poisonous gas, and shrapnel-sized chitin spines.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though not as deadly as [[Basilisk|most other artillery weapons]], the Spore Mines are unique in the way that if they don&#039;t land too close to the enemy, you can deploy them onto the battlefield as living mines, serving as an obstacle for your enemy that must be either moved around or shot. Generally more useful in larger point games or [[Apocalypse]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:VC6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Seen as the primary anti-tank weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; launches a hail of corrosive crystals by way of a biological railgun. Though not as effective as you&#039;d wish, the Venom Cannon can cause quite some hurt on [[Eldar|Aspect Warriors]] and the like. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is ineffective against heavy tanks but okay against transports and open-topped vehicles, though its primary targets should always be medium infantry.  Because you know, a single shot S6 AP4 small blast weapon with only 36 inches of range that you can only have one of per (heinously expensive and surprisingly fragile) warrior brood is clearly the bestest anti-vehicle gun ever.  See Dawn of War II for how they should work and cry bitterly.  You&#039;re best off giving this gun a pass.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Slightly buffed in 8th along with the blast weapon changes. It is now Assault d3 with S8 and AP-2. Bit better at least.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Large==&lt;br /&gt;
Here the most powerful and biggest weapons the Tyranids have are described, used by the biggest and baddest of nasties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Acid Spray===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Spray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Acid Spray]]&lt;br /&gt;
Yo dawg, I heard you like [[Hellhound]]s so I put a [[Flamer|discharge of digestive fluids]] that works just like a Hellhound&#039;s weapon on your Tyranid MC and upped its cost by 100+ points. That&#039;s pretty much the gist of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Acid Spray&#039;&#039;&#039;. The problem is that you have a lot of weapons with stats like that, so using an expensive MC (though well armored) that attracts fire like there&#039;s no tomorrow is a bad idea.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In terms of fluff, the Acid Spray is a Tyranid Biomorph found on larger creatures such as the [[Tyrannofex]]. This bioweapon stores huge amounts of highly acidic digestive fluids, then sprays it over a wide area. The acid melts through body armor with shocking ease and reduces its victims to shapeless goo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-plasmic Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasmic Cannon|Bio-Plasmic Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Brainleech Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Brainleech_Devourer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Brainleech Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
Get a regular Devourer and then force feed it growth horomones. You get the Brainleech variety.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The biggest of Tyranids have devourers loaded with &#039;&#039;&#039;Brainleech Worms&#039;&#039;&#039; instead, a species larger and even more aggressive and hungry than the regular devourer worms. These are used for when the [[Hive Mind]] &#039;&#039;really&#039;&#039; got sick of all these blobs and want to shower them in hungry insects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Range: 18&amp;quot;, S6, AP-, Assault 6. If you&#039;re not using two sets of Twin-Linked Brainleech Devourers on your Flying Hive Tyrant and any Carnifexes you&#039;re fielding, you&#039;re [[fail|doing it wrong]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition.  It is a bigger devourer with +2 Strength and double the shots for the MONSTERS in the Tyranid force. Comes as a pair so it puts out 12 shots. Two sets of these gives 24 shots, pretty good overall, made even better with the Pathogenic Slime strategem.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Drool Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:DroolCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Drool Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon with [[Derp|the funny name.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Drool Cannon is a type of Tyranid Biomorph found on the [[Hive Crone]]. Protruding from the Crone&#039;s mouth, the Drool Cannon vomits a wave of digestive juices upon its foes. The acidic bile originates from sacs carried on the Crone&#039;s underbelly. Because of the way the Drool Cannon interferes with the Hive Crone&#039;s mouth, it is unknown why the Hive Mind thought it is still viable to waste resource on its sharp teeth (maybe it&#039;s retractable?).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So yeah, the Nids have literal super spit, like the [[Space Marines]], but they actually use it repeatedly rather than for [[Plot Armor|plot reasons.]] Although knowing how fast some factions fly their planes, it must be one heck of a spit for it to hit anything at all.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For crunch, it is the [[Hive Crone]]&#039;s answer to the [[Heldrake]] Baleflamer, except lacking Torrent and a good AP value and pretty much anything good, including its icky name. Template S6 AP4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Fleshborer Hive===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Fleshborer_Hive.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer Hive]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think the [[Leman_Russ_Battle_Tank|Leman Russ Punisher]], but replace the Punisher gun with a &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer Hive&#039;&#039;&#039;. That&#039;s about it. Because sometimes you have just run out of Troops choices (how one runs out of termagants is another question), and you just need 20 Termagants worth of Fleshborer fire on a tough platform. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Consisting of a large colony of the same breed of borer beetles found in the simple fleshborer, the fanged creatures stored in the bloated sacs of the hive lay thousands of eggs that hatch and mature at a fast rate within the chambers of the brood nest. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Needless to say, this is shit. Also,the fluff states that it must periodically discharge beetles or it makes the Tyrannofex explode. In 8th, the stats are still sucky, but it can fire twice if the Tyrannofex doesn&#039;t move. 40 shots a turn for a respectable amount of biological dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition it has recieved a much needed buff. [[Dakka|It&#039;s a Heavy 20 Fleshborer at S5.]] Because of the short range it&#039;s not as impressive as the Rupture Cannon, but the ability to bring a portable Fire Warrior squad&#039;s worth of firepower with you is nothing to scoff at, especially if it gets to shoot twice while standing still. The Scorch Bugs Stratagem makes it absolutely terrifying. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Also if you have trypophobia (fear of holes), this &#039;&#039;may&#039;&#039; not be the best weapon to use on tabletop. Chances of projectile vomiting. Too high.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tl;dr]], its a weapon (that shoots bugs) that you can fire from you fucking forearm. Bioshock indeed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Heavy Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Heavy_VC.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Heavy Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is just that: a bigger version of the Venom Cannon able to deal with bigger vehicles, and it would be a lot more reliable if it wasn&#039;t using a Blast template. Can be used against tanks up to [[Land Raider]]s, but lack the firepower to deal reliably with them and lacks the armor penetration to deal with [[MEQ]]s on a consistent basis. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is slightly better on Carnifexes than it&#039;s littler brother is on Warriors primarily because you can actually field the things in bulk...sort of. It&#039;s still not particularly good; but it&#039;s passable on a bio-blast brood if you don&#039;t want more dakkafexes for some insane reason. In 8th, it is largely the same as the regular Venom Cannon with one more strength (S9) and 3 damage per shot making it excellent elite infantry killers and decent anti tank&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rupture Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rupture_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rupture Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a Tyranid Vanquisher Cannon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you want to stop a tank dead in its tracks, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Rupture Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039;(a fluff-wise bigger barbed strangler) is your friend. Firing two projectiles in a short succession, a tick that covers the enemy in a gooey substance, and a seed that upon impact with the goo dissolves at such speed which triggers a chemical implosion powerful enough to turn a [[Baneblade]] inside out. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s what the fluff says, anyway - while it boasts a commanding s10, it strikes at AP 4, so MEQs don&#039;t even notice it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th however, it got horrifyingly good. It&#039;s now a 3 SHOT LASCANNON with an extra point of S, and the Tyrannofex can fire &#039;&#039;twice&#039;&#039; when it stays still. MEQs will definitely notice it now, but it&#039;s much better against vehicles; up to 6 S10 AP-3 D6 damage shots per shooting phase will ensure that even Knights and Land Raiders will feel the hurt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Stranglethorn Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stranglethorn_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Stranglethorn Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
An upscaled version of the Barbed Strangler (thus it fires much larger, stronger, and more aggressive seed-pods), the &#039;&#039;&#039;Stranglethorn Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; has enough power to deal with even the toughest of foes, and serves as a borderline artillery weapon. The growing pod&#039;s mass of barbed tentacles can grasp onto the armor plating of vehicles and rip them to pieces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It has the same AP as it&#039;s smaller brother, and the same blast size and pinning rule, but now it has S6 which means it can now pile on hurt better and harass light vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition it is a bigger Barbed Strangler with +2 Strength for the MONSTERs in the Tyranid force. Keeps the above +1 to hit rule and also inflicts 1 more damage. Kills light Infantry more efficiently than the HVC. Combine with Enhanced Senses and laugh at the look on your opponent&#039;s face as a Carnifex hits on a 2+ (Only if units of 10 or more). Unfortunately still only hits on a 3+ on a carnifex with enhanced senses.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tentaclids===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tentaclid2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Tentaclid]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flying under the wings of Hive Crones, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tentaclids&#039;&#039;&#039; are living seeker missiles who can chase after flying targets such as enemy aircraft and disable them with a powerful bio-electric pulse.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In terms of crunch they are the Crone&#039;s big surprise. These Babies only have S5 to their name and a re-roll to hit flying units, but if they wound a vehicle on a 4+ it deals a Mortal Wound with a 6+ dealing d3 Mortal Wounds. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike before, these can actually be used again and again which kind of contradicts the fluff since Hive Crones only carry four of these things...unless of course a Tentaclid is spawned from the Hive Fleet itself and homes and attaches to the nearest Hive Crone. Or after disabling an enemy flier it just returns to its carrier crone.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Biocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The biggest motherfucking gun alive (Both figuratively and literally). The Bio-Cannon is a Tyranid Biomorph. Equipped on titan-sized creatures such as the [[Hierophant]] and [[Harridan]], the Bio-Cannon works like a giant Deathspitter; that is that it spews forth a hail of highly venomous and corrosive maggot organisms. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But these maggots are ECKS BAWKS HUEG to make it a threat to superheavies. These organisms like their smaller cousins, explode on impact, splattering a rain of bio-acid and poison that can melt through nearly any material in a matter of seconds. Of course how this affects esoteric things like [[Void shield|Void Shields]] is unknown (Maybe it eats through Void Shields?).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On crunch, the Bio-Cannons comes in two since the Hierophant naturally twin-links these; they are S10 (which can double for the price of taking D3 mortal wounds, like tau units overcharging), AP-2, 2D6 damage (doubled against buildings and other TITANIC units). Its a shame it is the only Titan-grade Tyranid weapon though.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Inbuilt==&lt;br /&gt;
Certain weapons used by the Tyranids are part of the creatures themselves, instead of being addition to the arms/back.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Electric Pulse===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bio-Electric_Pulse.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Bio-Electric Pulse]]&lt;br /&gt;
Built into the Trygon, a electrical charge is build up by the creature as it moves, allowing a powerful and [[Dakka|large]] discharge. The Trygon Prime increases the range of this blast, and doubles its rate of fire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is also great for tunneling which is a plus for the Trygon. They use their bio-static charge to assist with tunneling, as their tunnels have been found coated with a fused, glass-like silicate layer on the inside. This effect stabilizes the tunnel walls and prevents them from collapsing behind a burrowing Trygon. Which is stupid when given the weight and size of the Trygon. Unless it is smooth like a [[Adeptus Custodes|lubed bannana]], then there is no way such glass would withstand such violent digging. Furthermore, large vehicles and some animals could burrow efficiently without needing to turn their surroundings to glass. So this ability is quite redundant unless the Nids want to transport smaller grubs along its merry adventure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you don&#039;t know, the Bio-Electric Pulse &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the Trygon&#039;s carapace armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Plasma===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasma|Bio-Plasma]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cluster Spines===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Cluster_Spines.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Cluster Spines]]&lt;br /&gt;
Just imagine a porcupine that shoot out its spines or a [[Lizardmen]]&#039;s Razordon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The largest Tyranids have banks of spines build into their carapaces that they can fire when under stress. Consisting of rows of quills embedded into the carapaces of the equipped creature like a giant Porcupine. These spines are dense and hollow like a Frag Grenade and explode upon impact like one, dealing significant damage to anything in the area of impact over considerable distances. Of course, it is unknown whether these are single shot or multi-use. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fired into densely packed groups of enemies, these spines can saturate large areas with needle-sized slivers, making them a potent anti-infantry weapon. Although given on where the Tyranid would like to grow its spines, [[Fail|it can also end up hitting nothing but air.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Its more anti-armor version is the Stinger Salvo.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Flesh Hooks===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FleshHooks.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Flesh Hooks]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flesh Hooks are sharp barbs attached to long, sinewy tentacles, which are kept coiled close to the Lictor&#039;s rib cage, until they are fired by a powerful muscle spasm. They are the Tyranid&#039;s answer to Scorpion&#039;s sting from Mortal Kombat. So don&#039;t be too surprise if Nid players shout &amp;quot;Get Over Here!&amp;quot; every once in a while.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Until 5th Edition edition came out, nearly any species of Gaunt, Warrior and more could use these. They are long bony spines with barbed hooks on the end that serve as both harpoons and possible grapnel for climbing. The Lictor can use these hooks either to scale sheer obstacles, or to snag luckless prey and drag it into the Lictor&#039;s waiting claws. Now they&#039;re Lictor and Warrior/Shrike only (Carnifexes have access to Spine Banks, which are similar), count as Frag Grenades, and can be fired for a surprisingly deadly shot.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Grasping Tongue===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Grasping_Tongue.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Grasping Tongue]]&lt;br /&gt;
The ultimate OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Grasping Tongue is less of a tongue and more of a mound of tentacle claws attached to a giant mouth. This is a weapon you can see in every [[/d/|tentacle hentai]] ever and not be surprised at all. Seriously what was GW smoking?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though technically part of an [[Haruspex]]&#039;s body, it can use its long tongue to snag an enemy, pluck it out of its unit and devour it whole.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For 8th edition crunch, everyone&#039;s favorite [[Rape|tentacle rape]] got a pretty good buff; it&#039;s rather fierce at S6 AP-3 and d3 damage, it gains further use since it can be used within close range and regains a wound if it kills something, so it can add to survivability.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Ripper Tentacles===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Ripper_Tentacle.jpg|110px|right|thumb|Ripper Tentacles]]&lt;br /&gt;
No. They are in no way related to the small, petite living stomachs called the [[Ripper|Rippers]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, they do bare resemblance to other tentacle-themed enemies in science fiction (Que hentai tentacle rape jokes). Possibly why this and the Mycetic Spore was canned cause they ain&#039;t copyrightable enough for GW. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Mycetic Spores, the tentacles themselves consist of thick ropes of muscles and tendon. Drawn to movement, any moving foe within reach of the Tentacles will be thoroughly smashed like dough on a kitchen board.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, these are long-ranged tentacles able to do significant damage to medium-sized blobs thanks to their high rate of fire (strange choice of words when the weapon in question is akin to beating someone over the head with a tentacle).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course with the fact that the [[Mycetic Spore]] has all but been &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;squatted&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; replaced by the far more modern and up-to-date [[Sporocyst]] the canon is all but up in the air with these Tentacles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spore Mine Cysts===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Cysts.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Cysts]]&lt;br /&gt;
Build into the underside of a Harpy, you can have it drop a Spore Mine onto something it flew over once per game as if it was making a bombing run. The same rules for the Spore Mines as stated above count here as well. Some players have gone their way to make the Harpies &#039;&#039;carry&#039;&#039; the Spore Mines. Of course, most modern equivalent of the Spore Cyst are the two stubby looking anuses behind a Harpy. So yes, the Tyranids can actually shit explosive submunitions on their enemies. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unfortunately it is a pretty outdated weapon, dating back to 4th edition. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 4th Edition, Spore Cysts are found on larger Tyranids and are excretion pits for the creation of Spore Mines. The symbiotic relationship between creature and spore cyst is such that they cannot be separated once formed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Stinger Salvo===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stinger_Salvo.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Stinger Salvo]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a giant Spinefist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Works comparable to the Cluster Spines, except this is more of a barrage of large solid spikes akin to the spinefists rather than a densely hollow spines. Powerful muscular contractions spray the spikes out to skewer enemy infantry and pierce the toughest of armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Think of this as the anti-armor variant of the Cluster Spine&#039;s anti-infantry. Although they can both harm either infantry or armored divisions when peppered sufficiently with spines/spikes. Just like the Cluster Spine,  the Stinger Salvo is a weapon who practicality is only viable given on where the Tyranid would like to put it, turning into a living, breathing spike bomb into a fairly useless weapon that rains spikes cause the dumb idiot placed its Stinger Salvo a tad bit too high.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Thorax Swarm===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Thorax_Swarm.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Thorax Swarm]]&lt;br /&gt;
Certain Tyranids can issue forth swarms of bugs living in their thoraxes to devour anything in short range. These creatures erupt from openings in their host&#039;s chest to drown the enemy in a deadly cloud that chews out eyes and crawls down throats. These swarms come in three flavors: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Electroshock Grubs:&#039;&#039;&#039; These grubs are insects who electrocute anything they grab onto for a damaging attack, anything caught in between this energy is reduced to a charred ruin.&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Desiccator Larvae:&#039;&#039;&#039; These are grubs who drain the target&#039;s body of all of its moisture within seconds, leaving only a dry husk. This means that once fully bloated, they would be one huge grub seeing how the Human body is like what, 75% water.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Shreddershard Beetles:&#039;&#039;&#039;  Instinctively crawl into any nook and crevice on their victims such as those between armor joints. They are bugs who Rend their way through their targets, exploding in shards of needles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Melee==&lt;br /&gt;
Every Tyranid organism has at least rows of sharp teeth and deadly claws, but some go an extra mile.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Claws and Teeth===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Claws and Teeth.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Claws and Teeth]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your most vanilla of close combat Tyranid weapons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Claws and Teeth are basic Tyranid Biomorphs equipped to even the most simplest of organisms, such as Rippers. These razor-sharp claws and maws of fangs allow them to rip apart enemies. There&#039;s nothing spectacular about them, and thus there is nothing interesting about them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, Claws and Teeth are the stock CCW for your Rippers and Termies. (And Zoanthropes as well, but really those guys don’t belong in combat in most cases). They do moderate damage against GEQs and fair pretty bad when it comes to MEQs and above, requiring sheer weight of numbers to be even remotely effective.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All in all, Claws and Teeth is only used when someone really wants to use up all their attacks or that they are &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;THAT&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; desperate.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Acid Maw===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Maw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Acid Maw]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To aid them in the digestion of a world&#039;s biomass, Pyrovores drool a highly corrosive acid that can dissolve pretty much anything. The downside is that they need to focus all their energy on making a successful bite attack, diminishing their potential damage output.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some creatures also have a powerful tongue dripping with corrosive acids that can be used to snare prey and bring them in for consumption and digestion while leaving other limbs free for other tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition, the Acid Maw is now the primary CCW of the former biggest joke of 40k, the Pyrovore, now with S5 and AP-3 on all (i.e. both) its attacks. Can also be taken by Genestealers. &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;DO THIS&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;, [[Awesome|they&#039;re basically free power swords for every 4 models in a unit.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There&#039;s even an upgrade called the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Acid Maw&#039;&#039;&#039;. Which is an option for the Carnifex, with S6 AP-5 and d3 damage. Because you really want to make sure somebody won&#039;t get its armor save. Doesn&#039;t replace any other melee weapons either, so you can always use the talons if you want more reliable damage. Mutually exclusive with Enhanced Senses, Bio-Plasma, and Tusks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Lash Whip===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:LashWhipBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lash Whip]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tyranids have also learned to Whip it Good!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A classic and the source of many a [[rule 34]], they allow its user to strike much faster than they normally could, getting a blow in before the enemy can. More seriously though, a Lash Whip is a Tyranid Bio-weapon in the form of a living whip with three tentacles of muscle and sinew that writhe of their own accord and strike at their prey, independently of their wielder&#039;s actions. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Lash Whip has a small body contained within a bony tube which forms the handle of the whip, and has three tentacles which form the rest of its body. The creature survives by slicing flesh from its victims and consuming them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon suffers from not being effective against armored enemies, though. Provided you&#039;re not a venomthrope this is paired with a bone-sword with AP 3 which makes this combo death-incarnate for MEQ&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Feeder Tendrils===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Feeder_Tendrils.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Feeder Tendrils]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Basically the Brain Bug from Starship Troopers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Feeder Tendrils are a special organs of some Tyranid&#039;s organisms (Lictors, for example) that able them to drain the dead victim&#039;s brain matter, absorbing all of its memories and knowledge. This provide the Tyranids with the information about enemy&#039;s strong and weak spots and other reconnaissance data.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th Edition tabletop, Feeder Tendrils are no longer considered weapons but as a form of Strategem for some reason. Feeder Tendrils lets you gamble on a 2/3 chance to make a CP profit. Or more specifically, when a Genestealer, Lictor, Venomthrope, or Toxicrene kills a Character in the Fight Phase, it gain D3 CP. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the very least, this is effectively free since gaining 1 CP will still be enough to negate the cost of using the Stratagem in the first place. More often, it&#039;ll let you turn opposing characters into an opportunity for bonus CP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rending Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rendingclaw.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rending Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The iconic claws of Genestealers and the origin of the Rending rule, these claws are both incredibly sharp and hard; tipped in extremely dense diamond-hard chitin. Powered by the overdeveloped musculature and steel-like tendons of a Tyranid, rending claws become capable of ripping open Ceramite and thick armor with ease as well as fatally shredding flesh and bone; allowing you to pick apart even a [[Terminator]] with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, Rending Claws are a cheap AP-1 weapon, with Rending being replaced with a 6+ on a wound roll giving the attack AP-4. There is also an upgrade called &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Rending Claws&#039;&#039;&#039;, which deal AP-3 D3 Damage, on a 6+ on a wound roll makes the attack AP-6 and a flat 3 damage. Also confers re-rolls to wound, which allow for more &#039;rending&#039; 6s and is important as the Tyrant generally needs higher numbers to hurt things now than in previous editions. Considering that they are also FREE, the claws should be your go-to melee weapon of choice for the Hive Tyrant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Talons===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ScythingTalon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Scything Talons]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The long, bladed weapons you see on Tyranids of all sizes. These weapons are long, razor-edged claws resembling fused talons made of Chitin and serrated bone-like substances. Each talon is powered by whipcord muscles to stab, slash, and eviscerate victims with lightning-fast swipes. They can pierce very light armor as found on [[Ork]]s and the like, but tougher armor will likely stop the blows. Overall, the basic Tyranid melee weapon. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 5th Edition they were a lot better because they gave rerolls to failed To Hit rolls (only the ones with one pair, but all of them if you have two pairs), at the slight loss of not being able to penetrate even the lightest of armors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, Scything Talons now allow a model to re-roll to hit rolls of 1 when attacking with this weapon (something they used to do back in 5th). In addition, if the model has more than one pair, they can make 1 additional attack with this weapon. It is confirmed via FAQ that multiple sets of talons grant only +1 attack total, not +1 per set; this applies for all sizes of Scything Talons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is also the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; (For the big bois), which are found on Tyrants and the Carnifex. Same rules as above but AP-3, 3 Damage. If that&#039;s not enough for you, than we have the even bigger &#039;&#039;&#039;Massive Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; which is only found on Tervigons, Maleceptor, Trygon and Trygon Primes and are AP-3, D6 Damage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesword===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BoneswordBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bonesword]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Psychic swords that feed off the life force of their target, they can inflict Instant Death and tear through Space Marines with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Bonesword is living organism, which has a small brain situated deep within its hilt and has a rudimentary sentience that allows it to gradually grow in length and repair any battle damage to itself and maintain a deadly monomolecular edge. However, it is completely slaved to the will of its wielder and is incapable of any independent thought. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon is made of chitin and constantly crackles with powerful psychic energy that flows along embedded nerve tendrils to create a psychic field around the blade, effectively creating a biological version of a [[Force weapon|force weapon.]] This energy amplifies in potency when in close proximity to another Bonesword, such as when used in pairs. It is serrated on both edges and was originally a creature&#039;s massively elongated horn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[/d/|The Bonesword can generate a powerful surge of psychic energy when stimulated by its user.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesabre===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bonesabre.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Bonesabre]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Badass Boneswords used by the [[Swarmlord]], it can use these weapons in a barrage of blades to ward off incoming melee attacks. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They differ from commonly seen Tyranid Boneswords in that each Sabre has a crystalline growth, not indigenous to the galaxy, at its core that partially protrudes through the blade&#039;s serrated surface. The Swarmlord can parry with these sabres at such speed that its foes find it all but impossible to inflict a hit on the creature.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, they are 4++ in CC only. Also INSTANT DEATH ON ANY SUCCESSFULY CUT.  Not just on sixes. Swarmy may have a place still.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Tail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Scything_Tail.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Scything Tail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Scything Talon found on a tail. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tail Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Thresher Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039;. Scything Tails occurs on larger Tyranids, it is effectively the tail of the creature given a scythe edge, often used to sweep through large numbers of lightly armored enemies. They can also tear through armor like it&#039;s nothing, be able to morph into maces capable of punching holes in tanks or be equipped with stingers containing highly lethal toxins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, the Tail Scythe is now known as the Thresher Scythe and it is a S4, AP-1 D1 weapon. Its special ability is that it can make D3 hit rolls for each attack made with this weapon instead of a 1. This makes it complementary to the Wrecker Claws and Bio-Flail combo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Crushing Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Crushing_Claws.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Crushing Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws AKA [[Meme|&#039;&#039;CRAB PEOPLE! CRAB PEOPLE!&#039;&#039;]] are a Tyranid Bio-weapon of huge crab-like claws found on the largest Tyranid organisms, the only creatures capable of hefting the enormous bulk of the claws, such as Carnifexes. The claws are obscenely strong and powerful enough to destroy multiple opponents in one swoop or easy cut through the toughest vehicle armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used only by [[Carnifex]]es, [[Tervigon]]s and [[Tyrant Guard]], this massive pair of crab-like claws grants S+1, AP2, Armourbane and Unwieldy. Not very interesting for the Tervigon because its role is really nothing more than sitting on an objective, shitting out as many Gaunts as it can. Carnifexes on the other hand have pretty much lost their utility as linebreakers, you&#039;re better off running them as a dakkafex and letting Trygons do the heavy lifting. They are not very interesting on Hive Guard either, given their prohibitive cost and they make them swing very slow: it is best to use the Rending Claws and have them do the job.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Wrecker Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Wrecker_Claw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Wrecker Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws on steroids.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Wrecker Claws are immense claws covered in diamond-hard chitin and ultra-dense bone to enable it crush the armor of vehicles with relative ease. These things are nothing more than living power shears and its nature of violently ripping apart even the most heavily armored of foes would strike fear in the hearts of feeble men.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crusher Carnifex comes automatic with two Wrecker Claws. They are allowed to re-roll all failed Armour Penetration rolls, as well as add one to the result if against immobile structures and fortifications (on top of the +2 granted by the Wrecker Claws AP1 value) when using their Wrecker Claws. Although the Stone Wrecker Carnifex has less attacks than the Carnifex (two compared to three) any attack that goes through is more than likely going to cause an Explodes!  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can swap out one of the Wrecker Claws with a Bio-Flail for maximum FUCK YOU!&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Flail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:WreckingBall.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Flail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Otherwise known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Wrecking Ball&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Stone Crusher&#039;&#039;&#039;. The Stone-Crusher is a Tyranid close combat Biomorph most commonly encountered on the Stone-Crusher Carnifex and is nothing more than a large mass of bone, chitin and flesh. Designed for urban battles, the Stone-Crusher is rammed through a wall using the Carnifex&#039;s immense strength then pulled backwards to wrench the entire structure down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crushers turn a Carnifex into a living battering ram. Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail replaces their ability to re-roll amour penetration on their regular attacks with the ability to cause Instant Death and gain a new rule, Sweep Attack. Sweep Attack allows a model to replace all their attacks with a number of attacks equal to the number of enemy models in base contact with them. This allows a Stone Crusher Carnifex with a Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail to generate more attacks and stops it being tarpitted as easily, while the trade off is that they may find it harder to destroy vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-Tyranid-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514583</id>
		<title>Tyranid Bio-Weapons</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514583"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:25:19Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* Fleshborer Hive */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;In the [[Grimdark|relentless cheerfulness]] of the [[40k|far future]], the weapons used by the [[Tyranids]] are, just like their armies, home-grown. Instead of using metal, the Tyranids use the growth of symbiotic organs, inseparable from their hosts and are counted together as a single bio-organism. Some of them fire a &amp;quot;dumb&amp;quot; projectile like a spike, whereas other use seeds or even acids and living creatures, because just plain &#039;&#039;bullets&#039;&#039; are for pussies. The downside to this is that these &#039;&#039;&#039;Tyranid bio-weapons&#039;&#039;&#039; are incapable of the explosive firepower that [[Template:40k-Imperial-Weapons|Imperial]], [[Eldar]] and [[Tau]] guns have. They all trade this disadvantage in for being Assault weapons, meaning they can be fired on the move. Also, the explosive firepower is instead exchanged for more... interesting and strategic effects. Another note is that due to their appearance, Tyranid weapons are some of the most badass and phallic looking in the entirety of 40k.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of these weapons can be used by creatures of different sizes, but for the sake of simplicity the weapons have been ordered by the smallest creature that can use them. Small creatures are the equivalent of [[Termagaunt|Gaunts]], Medium are those comparable to [[Tyranid Warrior]]s and [[Biovore]]s, and Large are those akin to [[Hive Tyrant|Tyrants]] and [[Carnifex|Carnifexes]]. Then there are two other categories: the Inbuilt weapons, often part of the upper bodies of the largest organisms, and the Melee weapons for the more [[Choppa|choppy]] inclined creatures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Small==&lt;br /&gt;
Small weapons are used by Termagants, the working class of any Tyranid army, and [[Gargoyle]]s.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dev6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Devourer&#039;&#039;&#039; is simply a lump of flesh that launches a shower of tiny, short-lived and very hungry lifeforms (sometimes described as worms, others as small beetles) onto a target that immediately start to [[Grimdark|burrow into the target with their maw/mandibles and devour it alive from the inside out]]. Like all Tyranid weapons, the Devourer uses a bio-electric jolt (GeeDubs way of simply saying it fires via the nervous system) to promptly tell the lazy fuckers sleeping inside to get to work. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A much larger version called the Brainleech Devourer is mounted only on larger Tyranid organisms and uses specialize Brainleech worms that are far more aggressive and voracious, and go for the target&#039;s brain matter to make sure of the &#039;kill&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This weapon has a nice range and acceptable firepower for a weapon of its size, albeit it doubles your Termagaunts in cost (while tripling their number of ranged attacks per round, a very economical way to increase dakka as long as you protect your Gaunts somehow. As of 6th edition, you can have mixed weapon options now so throw up a wall of spinegaunts or something). If you take this weapon in large broods, you will be aiming at your enemy&#039;s biggest units to just drown the suckers in dozens of shots.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Fleshborer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FB6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer&#039;&#039;&#039; is one of the most iconic Tyranid weapons, a simple design that fires a borer beetle that eats its way through anything it comes across during its flight. Like the Devourer and most Nid firearms, the Fleshborer can only be fired by its respective host, [[Heresy|unless some mad scientist from the Imperium decides its a good idea to attach some electrodes to the weapon like Frankenstein.]] Because the borer beetle is a &#039;&#039;particularly&#039;&#039; lazy fucker, more electro-shocks is required to jolt their asses into action. &lt;br /&gt;
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[[Derp|For some....reason.]] Some Mago Xenobiologi speculate that the Fleshborer itself (The gun that is) [[Wat|is related to the borer beetle or is an evolutionary niche for the borer beetle.]] They state that the gun &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the mother that lays the eggs which means that [[What|each mature beetle somehow metamorphose into a gun.]] [[Herp|We usually know the GW is pretty bad at simple biology, but this is beyond ridiculous and ludicrous.]] Why the Hive Mind thought it was a good idea to make a creature mature into a immobile and helpless creature unless picked up specifically by a Tyranid is a [[Fail]] of epic proportions. It could be that mature female beetles simply merge themselves with regular tyranid organisms, similar to male anglerfish, just the opposite sex.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Being the basic weapon for Termagaunts, it has the same stats as an ordinary Bolt Pistol. It will still prove to be more than enough to kill anything with toughness of 7 or less and AV10, as long as you have a lot of them. Tyranids being what they are, you will almost always have a lot of them. Range 12, strength 4, AP 5, and it is an assault 1 weapon.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spike Rifle===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spike-Rifles-5-1024x768.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spike Rifle]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Spike Rifle&#039;&#039;&#039; is a weapon exclusive to Termagaunts. It is, simply put, a harpoon launcher.  That&#039;s about it. &lt;br /&gt;
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More specifically its mechanics are like....exactly the same as a regular harpoon launcher just that the string and trigger are alive and swell. It is essentially a bony tube lined with cord muscles that is compressed like a coil. Once the Nid relaxes the muscles, the stored energy pushes the row of harpoon-like spikes into the adjacent target. The barbs are fucking sharp though; able to tear at a victim&#039;s arteries and cause them to bleed to death. To make it even more killy the barbs and the gun itself is laced with acidic veins and toxin sacs to make any scratch almost always fatal. Whilst it can puncture Jimmy&#039;s [[Flak Armor]], don&#039;t think it would do quite swell with [[Power Armor]].&lt;br /&gt;
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Statwise it&#039;s less imposing than it&#039;s description: range 18&amp;quot;, S3, AP-, Assault 1. Only use these if you do not want to pump a huge amount of points into Devourers but you do not want half your brood to not be able to fire when the Devilgaunts do.  Otherwise avoid them...because they suck.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spinefists===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spinefist6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spinefist]]&lt;br /&gt;
A lighter weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spinefists&#039;&#039;&#039; are used in pairs. They are the more [[Dakka]] version of the Bio-Weapons and are used more akin to a Uzi with shittier penetration and more poison. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They shower the target with a hail of poisoned spikes, the sheer amount of darts fired ensure that the target is hit. A tube runs from the air sac powering the weapon, through the user&#039;s arm to its lungs. This means that larger creatures get more mileage out of what is essentially the same weapon, proving that even something as simple as a blowgun can be [[Warp|horribly perverted]] by the grim darkness of the far future. &lt;br /&gt;
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As of 8E, they act like pistols, which means Raveners (and Rippers, which get the similar Spinemaw) can shoot, get stuck in, and still fire off a few shots without having to disengage first.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Strangleweb===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Strangleweb.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Strangleweb]]&lt;br /&gt;
With this weapon, your Tyranids too can learn [[Meme|how to shot web]]. Essentially a Tyrannid [[Webber]]. &lt;br /&gt;
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The effects of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Strangleweb&#039;&#039;&#039; can be described best as a non-cutting variation of the Death Spinner used by the Warp Spiders: instead of slicing through their opponents, it constricts them, and maybe crushes them to death. &lt;br /&gt;
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That&#039;s a pretty big maybe: wounding even basic Guardsmen at 5+ and rolling against Strength instead of Toughness to wound means that this weapon would be best if used against the likes of the [[Death Guard]]... if shooting them wasn&#039;t a stupid idea for a Tyranid player in the first place &#039;&#039;AND&#039;&#039; if you could take more than 1 of them per 10 Gaunts.&lt;br /&gt;
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{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
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===Blinding Venom===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Blinding_Venom.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Blinding Venom]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Imagine baby Drool Cannons, that&#039;s basically the Blinding Venom.&lt;br /&gt;
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Unique to Gargoyles, they can spit acid in the eyes of their enemies to blind them and allow for an easy devouring of the target. The poison is quite weak (6+ what the hell?) &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;and it&#039;s best to just go with the regular poison attacks granted by Toxin Sacks.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; but it has the blind special rule so it means for every attack the unit being attacked has to pass an initiative test now a unit of gargoyles has a minimum size of 10 models so...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As of 8th edition, if the Gargoyles put an unsaved wound onto an enemy unit, the blinding venom makes them suffer -1 to hit for the rest of the phase.&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Medium==&lt;br /&gt;
Medium weapons are used by Warriors and organisms based on the -[[Biovore|Vore]] and -[[Tyrant_Guard|Guard]] body archetypes.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Barbed Strangler===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BarbedStrangler6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Barbed Strangler]]&lt;br /&gt;
Remember that 70&#039;s cult classic Zardoz? [[James_Bond|Sean Connery]] dressed in [[Slaanesh|red gimp getup]] and killing dudes like he&#039;s [[Khârn]], at the behest of a giant floating head that claims that &amp;quot;The gun is good, the penis is evil.&amp;quot; because the penis shoots seeds that create life? Well, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Barbed Strangler&#039;&#039;&#039; chooses to be both. The gun is very basic, [[Brundlepenis|a muscled tube that stores its seeds in a sack at the base, and shoots them with a powerful spasm along with a fair helping of a corrosive oil.]] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The seed upon impact has its nigh-unbreakable shell melted by the oil and sends tendrils to [[rip and tear]] through anything that gets in its way. Using the large blast template, you can cause a lot of damage to a [[Tarpit|blob]] in a single shot.  It also pins but that comes into play very little given that most armies are either largely fearless, ignore pinning anyway, or have LD values good enough to reliably ignore it anyway. With 8e, it traded off the blast template and Pinning for Assault D6 and a bonus to hit when targeting large units, which is a fair trade given the lackluster BS of the average Tyranid.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Deathspitter===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:51-10I 81635.1399044187.500.750.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Deathspitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
The traditional weapon of the Warrior, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Deathspitter&#039;&#039;&#039; works by stripping a large maggot off of it&#039;s shell and hurling it at the enemy. Its [[Rip and tear|huge guts]] are highly corrosive and can splatter several enemies at once. The adaptive evolution of the [[Hive Fleet Hydra]]&#039;s slimer maggots make their Deathspitters even more lethal; the maggots could burrow through the target&#039;s flesh and then [[FATAL| repeatedly fragment and regenerat themselves]]. [[Slaugth|The victims literally burst out with the ever increasing mass of wriggling grubs.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Serving as a decent weapon against [[MEQ]]s, the weapon relies on its rate of fire to deal damage.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Flamespurt Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Flamer#Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon|Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Impaler Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ImpalerCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Impaler Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Impaler Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is your answer to anything up to AV 12. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This beautiful gun fires a bony spine, steered by a shard-beast at the base of the spine, [[Rip and tear|whose innards are ripped from its body when the spike is fired]]. The spines are launched with enough force to rip through man and machine alike. &lt;br /&gt;
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Though its range is limited you do not have to actually see your target to be able to shoot it, without a significant downside. Oh, and it has a higher rate of fire than the Imperium-equivalent, the Missile Launcher. What&#039;s not to like? This is your go-to weapon for dealing with [[METAL BAWKSES]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Shock Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Niddex2014e.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Shock Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes shortened to Shockcannon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Hive Guard, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Shock Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; shoots out a claw over a considerable distance which latches on to its target and delivers a powerful bio-electric shock, disabling or even destroying a vehicle. Ostensibly, a big fucking meat taser.&lt;br /&gt;
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On tabletop the Shock Cannon is the Hive Guard&#039;s primary anti-vehicle weapon. It&#039;s decent enough at S7 AP-1 d3 Damage, but if it rolls 4+ on Wound against a vehicle, it issues a Mortal Wound that coincidentally makes its low AP completely irrelevant. Roll a 6+, and that becomes d3 Mortal Wounds. Thanks to the change from small templates to D3 shots, this is now actually plenty scary against vehicles of any size.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spore Mine Launcher===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Launcher.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Launcher]]&lt;br /&gt;
The more explosive (and useful) Dakka to the Flamespurt&#039;s fiery Dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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Created as a result of fights against the Imperial Guard, the Biovore displays this by being the Tyranids&#039; closest thing to an artillery piece and having a massive scrotum befitting a Guardsman&#039;s huge brazen balls. Armed with the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spore Mine Launcher&#039;&#039;&#039;, it can lob Spore Mines a considerable range; living bombs that blanket victims in acid, poisonous gas, and shrapnel-sized chitin spines.&lt;br /&gt;
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Though not as deadly as [[Basilisk|most other artillery weapons]], the Spore Mines are unique in the way that if they don&#039;t land too close to the enemy, you can deploy them onto the battlefield as living mines, serving as an obstacle for your enemy that must be either moved around or shot. Generally more useful in larger point games or [[Apocalypse]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:VC6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Seen as the primary anti-tank weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; launches a hail of corrosive crystals by way of a biological railgun. Though not as effective as you&#039;d wish, the Venom Cannon can cause quite some hurt on [[Eldar|Aspect Warriors]] and the like. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is ineffective against heavy tanks but okay against transports and open-topped vehicles, though its primary targets should always be medium infantry.  Because you know, a single shot S6 AP4 small blast weapon with only 36 inches of range that you can only have one of per (heinously expensive and surprisingly fragile) warrior brood is clearly the bestest anti-vehicle gun ever.  See Dawn of War II for how they should work and cry bitterly.  You&#039;re best off giving this gun a pass.&lt;br /&gt;
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Slightly buffed in 8th along with the blast weapon changes. It is now Assault d3 with S8 and AP-2. Bit better at least.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Large==&lt;br /&gt;
Here the most powerful and biggest weapons the Tyranids have are described, used by the biggest and baddest of nasties.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Acid Spray===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Spray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Acid Spray]]&lt;br /&gt;
Yo dawg, I heard you like [[Hellhound]]s so I put a [[Flamer|discharge of digestive fluids]] that works just like a Hellhound&#039;s weapon on your Tyranid MC and upped its cost by 100+ points. That&#039;s pretty much the gist of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Acid Spray&#039;&#039;&#039;. The problem is that you have a lot of weapons with stats like that, so using an expensive MC (though well armored) that attracts fire like there&#039;s no tomorrow is a bad idea.&lt;br /&gt;
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In terms of fluff, the Acid Spray is a Tyranid Biomorph found on larger creatures such as the [[Tyrannofex]]. This bioweapon stores huge amounts of highly acidic digestive fluids, then sprays it over a wide area. The acid melts through body armor with shocking ease and reduces its victims to shapeless goo.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-plasmic Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasmic Cannon|Bio-Plasmic Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Brainleech Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Brainleech_Devourer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Brainleech Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
Get a regular Devourer and then force feed it growth horomones. You get the Brainleech variety.&lt;br /&gt;
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The biggest of Tyranids have devourers loaded with &#039;&#039;&#039;Brainleech Worms&#039;&#039;&#039; instead, a species larger and even more aggressive and hungry than the regular devourer worms. These are used for when the [[Hive Mind]] &#039;&#039;really&#039;&#039; got sick of all these blobs and want to shower them in hungry insects.&lt;br /&gt;
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Range: 18&amp;quot;, S6, AP-, Assault 6. If you&#039;re not using two sets of Twin-Linked Brainleech Devourers on your Flying Hive Tyrant and any Carnifexes you&#039;re fielding, you&#039;re [[fail|doing it wrong]].&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition.  It is a bigger devourer with +2 Strength and double the shots for the MONSTERS in the Tyranid force. Comes as a pair so it puts out 12 shots. Two sets of these gives 24 shots, pretty good overall, made even better with the Pathogenic Slime strategem.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Drool Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:DroolCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Drool Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon with [[Derp|the funny name.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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The Drool Cannon is a type of Tyranid Biomorph found on the [[Hive Crone]]. Protruding from the Crone&#039;s mouth, the Drool Cannon vomits a wave of digestive juices upon its foes. The acidic bile originates from sacs carried on the Crone&#039;s underbelly. Because of the way the Drool Cannon interferes with the Hive Crone&#039;s mouth, it is unknown why the Hive Mind thought it is still viable to waste resource on its sharp teeth (maybe it&#039;s retractable?).&lt;br /&gt;
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So yeah, the Nids have literal super spit, like the [[Space Marines]], but they actually use it repeatedly rather than for [[Plot Armor|plot reasons.]] Although knowing how fast some factions fly their planes, it must be one heck of a spit for it to hit anything at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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For crunch, it is the [[Hive Crone]]&#039;s answer to the [[Heldrake]] Baleflamer, except lacking Torrent and a good AP value and pretty much anything good, including its icky name. Template S6 AP4.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Fleshborer Hive===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Fleshborer_Hive.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer Hive]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think the [[Leman_Russ_Battle_Tank|Leman Russ Punisher]], but replace the Punisher gun with a &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer Hive&#039;&#039;&#039;. That&#039;s about it. Because sometimes you have just run out of Troops choices (how one runs out of termagants is another question), and you just need 20 Termagants worth of Fleshborer fire on a tough platform. &lt;br /&gt;
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Consisting of a large colony of the same breed of borer beetles found in the simple fleshborer, the fanged creatures stored in the bloated sacs of the hive lay thousands of eggs that hatch and mature at a fast rate within the chambers of the brood nest. &lt;br /&gt;
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Needless to say, this is shit. Also,the fluff states that it must periodically discharge beetles or it makes the Tyrannofex explode. In 8th, the stats are still sucky, but it can fire twice if the Tyrannofex doesn&#039;t move. 40 shots a turn for a respectable amount of biological dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition it has recieved a much needed buff. [[Dakka|It&#039;s a Heavy 20 Fleshborer at S5.]] Because of the short range it&#039;s not as impressive as the Rupture Cannon, but the ability to bring a portable Fire Warrior squad&#039;s worth of firepower with you is nothing to scoff at, especially if it gets to shoot twice while standing still. The Scorch Bugs Stratagem makes it absolutely terrifying. &lt;br /&gt;
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Also if you have trypophobia (fear of holes), this &#039;&#039;may&#039;&#039; not be the best weapon to use on tabletop. Chances of projectile vomiting. Too high.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Tl;dr]], its a weapon (that shoots bugs) that you can fire from you fucking forearm. Bioshock indeed.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Heavy Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Heavy_VC.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Heavy Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is just that: a bigger version of the Venom Cannon able to deal with bigger vehicles, and it would be a lot more reliable if it wasn&#039;t using a Blast template. Can be used against tanks up to [[Land Raider]]s, but lack the firepower to deal reliably with them and lacks the armor penetration to deal with [[MEQ]]s on a consistent basis. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is slightly better on Carnifexes than it&#039;s littler brother is on Warriors primarily because you can actually field the things in bulk...sort of. It&#039;s still not particularly good; but it&#039;s passable on a bio-blast brood if you don&#039;t want more dakkafexes for some insane reason. In 8th, it is largely the same as the regular Venom Cannon with one more strength (S9) and 3 damage per shot making it excellent elite infantry killers and decent anti tank&lt;br /&gt;
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===Rupture Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rupture_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rupture Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a Tyranid Vanquisher Cannon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you want to stop a tank dead in its tracks, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Rupture Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039;(a fluff-wise bigger barbed strangler) is your friend. Firing two projectiles in a short succession, a tick that covers the enemy in a gooey substance, and a seed that upon impact with the goo dissolves at such speed which triggers a chemical implosion powerful enough to turn a [[Baneblade]] inside out. &lt;br /&gt;
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That&#039;s what the fluff says, anyway - while it boasts a commanding s10, it strikes at AP 4, so MEQs don&#039;t even notice it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th however, it got horrifyingly good. It&#039;s now a 3 SHOT LASCANNON with an extra point of S, and the Tyrannofex can fire &#039;&#039;twice&#039;&#039; when it stays still. MEQs will definitely notice it now, but it&#039;s much better against vehicles; up to 6 S10 AP-3 D6 damage shots per shooting phase will ensure that even Knights and Land Raiders will feel the hurt.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Stranglethorn Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stranglethorn_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Stranglethorn Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
An upscaled version of the Barbed Strangler (thus it fires much larger, stronger, and more aggressive seed-pods), the &#039;&#039;&#039;Stranglethorn Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; has enough power to deal with even the toughest of foes, and serves as a borderline artillery weapon. The growing pod&#039;s mass of barbed tentacles can grasp onto the armor plating of vehicles and rip them to pieces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It has the same AP as it&#039;s smaller brother, and the same blast size and pinning rule, but now it has S6 which means it can now pile on hurt better and harass light vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition it is a bigger Barbed Strangler with +2 Strength for the MONSTERs in the Tyranid force. Keeps the above +1 to hit rule and also inflicts 1 more damage. Kills light Infantry more efficiently than the HVC. Combine with Enhanced Senses and laugh at the look on your opponent&#039;s face as a Carnifex hits on a 2+ (Only if units of 10 or more). Unfortunately still only hits on a 3+ on a carnifex with enhanced senses.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Tentaclids===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tentaclid2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Tentaclid]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flying under the wings of Hive Crones, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tentaclids&#039;&#039;&#039; are living seeker missiles who can chase after flying targets such as enemy aircraft and disable them with a powerful bio-electric pulse.&lt;br /&gt;
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In terms of crunch they are the Crone&#039;s big surprise. These Babies only have S5 to their name and a re-roll to hit flying units, but if they wound a vehicle on a 4+ it deals a Mortal Wound with a 6+ dealing d3 Mortal Wounds. &lt;br /&gt;
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Unlike before, these can actually be used again and again which kind of contradicts the fluff since Hive Crones only carry four of these things...unless of course a Tentaclid is spawned from the Hive Fleet itself and homes and attaches to the nearest Hive Crone. Or after disabling an enemy flier it just returns to its carrier crone.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Biocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The biggest motherfucking gun alive (Both figuratively and literally). The Bio-Cannon is a Tyranid Biomorph. Equipped on titan-sized creatures such as the [[Hierophant]] and [[Harridan]], the Bio-Cannon works like a giant Deathspitter; that is that it spews forth a hail of highly venomous and corrosive maggot organisms. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But these maggots are ECKS BAWKS HUEG to make it a threat to superheavies. These organisms like their smaller cousins, explode on impact, splattering a rain of bio-acid and poison that can melt through nearly any material in a matter of seconds. Of course how this affects esoteric things like [[Void shield|Void Shields]] is unknown (Maybe it eats through Void Shields?).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On crunch, the Bio-Cannons comes in two since the Hierophant naturally twin-links these; they are S10 (which can double for the price of taking D3 mortal wounds, like tau units overcharging), AP-2, 2D6 damage (doubled against buildings and other TITANIC units). Its a shame it is the only Titan-grade Tyranid weapon though.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Inbuilt==&lt;br /&gt;
Certain weapons used by the Tyranids are part of the creatures themselves, instead of being addition to the arms/back.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Electric Pulse===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bio-Electric_Pulse.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Bio-Electric Pulse]]&lt;br /&gt;
Built into the Trygon, a electrical charge is build up by the creature as it moves, allowing a powerful and [[Dakka|large]] discharge. The Trygon Prime increases the range of this blast, and doubles its rate of fire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is also great for tunneling which is a plus for the Trygon. They use their bio-static charge to assist with tunneling, as their tunnels have been found coated with a fused, glass-like silicate layer on the inside. This effect stabilizes the tunnel walls and prevents them from collapsing behind a burrowing Trygon. Which is stupid when given the weight and size of the Trygon. Unless it is smooth like a [[Adeptus Custodes|lubed bannana]], then there is no way such glass would withstand such violent digging. Furthermore, large vehicles and some animals could burrow efficiently without needing to turn their surroundings to glass. So this ability is quite redundant unless the Nids want to transport smaller grubs along its merry adventure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you don&#039;t know, the Bio-Electric Pulse &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the Trygon&#039;s carapace armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Plasma===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasma|Bio-Plasma]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cluster Spines===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Cluster_Spines.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Cluster Spines]]&lt;br /&gt;
Just imagine a porcupine that shoot out its spines or a [[Lizardmen]]&#039;s Razordon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The largest Tyranids have banks of spines build into their carapaces that they can fire when under stress. Consisting of rows of quills embedded into the carapaces of the equipped creature like a giant Porcupine. These spines are dense and hollow like a Frag Grenade and explode upon impact like one, dealing significant damage to anything in the area of impact over considerable distances. Of course, it is unknown whether these are single shot or multi-use. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fired into densely packed groups of enemies, these spines can saturate large areas with needle-sized slivers, making them a potent anti-infantry weapon. Although given on where the Tyranid would like to grow its spines, [[Fail|it can also end up hitting nothing but air.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Its more anti-armor version is the Stinger Salvo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Flesh Hooks===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FleshHooks.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Flesh Hooks]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flesh Hooks are sharp barbs attached to long, sinewy tentacles, which are kept coiled close to the Lictor&#039;s rib cage, until they are fired by a powerful muscle spasm. They are the Tyranid&#039;s answer to Scorpion&#039;s sting from Mortal Kombat. So don&#039;t be too surprise if Nid players shout &amp;quot;Get Over Here!&amp;quot; every once in a while.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Until 5th Edition edition came out, nearly any species of Gaunt, Warrior and more could use these. They are long bony spines with barbed hooks on the end that serve as both harpoons and possible grapnel for climbing. The Lictor can use these hooks either to scale sheer obstacles, or to snag luckless prey and drag it into the Lictor&#039;s waiting claws. Now they&#039;re Lictor and Warrior/Shrike only (Carnifexes have access to Spine Banks, which are similar), count as Frag Grenades, and can be fired for a surprisingly deadly shot.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Grasping Tongue===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Grasping_Tongue.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Grasping Tongue]]&lt;br /&gt;
The ultimate OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Grasping Tongue is less of a tongue and more of a mound of tentacle claws attached to a giant mouth. This is a weapon you can see in every [[/d/|tentacle hentai]] ever and not be surprised at all. Seriously what was GW smoking?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though technically part of an [[Haruspex]]&#039;s body, it can use its long tongue to snag an enemy, pluck it out of its unit and devour it whole.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For 8th edition crunch, everyone&#039;s favorite [[Rape|tentacle rape]] got a pretty good buff; it&#039;s rather fierce at S6 AP-3 and d3 damage, it gains further use since it can be used within close range and regains a wound if it kills something, so it can add to survivability.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Ripper Tentacles===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Ripper_Tentacle.jpg|110px|right|thumb|Ripper Tentacles]]&lt;br /&gt;
No. They are in no way related to the small, petite living stomachs called the [[Ripper|Rippers]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, they do bare resemblance to other tentacle-themed enemies in science fiction (Que hentai tentacle rape jokes). Possibly why this and the Mycetic Spore was canned cause they ain&#039;t copyrightable enough for GW. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Mycetic Spores, the tentacles themselves consist of thick ropes of muscles and tendon. Drawn to movement, any moving foe within reach of the Tentacles will be thoroughly smashed like dough on a kitchen board.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, these are long-ranged tentacles able to do significant damage to medium-sized blobs thanks to their high rate of fire (strange choice of words when the weapon in question is akin to beating someone over the head with a tentacle).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course with the fact that the [[Mycetic Spore]] has all but been &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;squatted&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; replaced by the far more modern and up-to-date [[Sporocyst]] the canon is all but up in the air with these Tentacles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spore Mine Cysts===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Cysts.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Cysts]]&lt;br /&gt;
Build into the underside of a Harpy, you can have it drop a Spore Mine onto something it flew over once per game as if it was making a bombing run. The same rules for the Spore Mines as stated above count here as well. Some players have gone their way to make the Harpies &#039;&#039;carry&#039;&#039; the Spore Mines. Of course, most modern equivalent of the Spore Cyst are the two stubby looking anuses behind a Harpy. So yes, the Tyranids can actually shit explosive submunitions on their enemies. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unfortunately it is a pretty outdated weapon, dating back to 4th edition. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 4th Edition, Spore Cysts are found on larger Tyranids and are excretion pits for the creation of Spore Mines. The symbiotic relationship between creature and spore cyst is such that they cannot be separated once formed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Stinger Salvo===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stinger_Salvo.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Stinger Salvo]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a giant Spinefist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Works comparable to the Cluster Spines, except this is more of a barrage of large solid spikes akin to the spinefists rather than a densely hollow spines. Powerful muscular contractions spray the spikes out to skewer enemy infantry and pierce the toughest of armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Think of this as the anti-armor variant of the Cluster Spine&#039;s anti-infantry. Although they can both harm either infantry or armored divisions when peppered sufficiently with spines/spikes. Just like the Cluster Spine,  the Stinger Salvo is a weapon who practicality is only viable given on where the Tyranid would like to put it, turning into a living, breathing spike bomb into a fairly useless weapon that rains spikes cause the dumb idiot placed its Stinger Salvo a tad bit too high.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Thorax Swarm===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Thorax_Swarm.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Thorax Swarm]]&lt;br /&gt;
Certain Tyranids can issue forth swarms of bugs living in their thoraxes to devour anything in short range. These creatures erupt from openings in their host&#039;s chest to drown the enemy in a deadly cloud that chews out eyes and crawls down throats. These swarms come in three flavors: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Electroshock Grubs:&#039;&#039;&#039; These grubs are insects who electrocute anything they grab onto for a damaging attack, anything caught in between this energy is reduced to a charred ruin.&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Desiccator Larvae:&#039;&#039;&#039; These are grubs who drain the target&#039;s body of all of its moisture within seconds, leaving only a dry husk. This means that once fully bloated, they would be one huge grub seeing how the Human body is like what, 75% water.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Shreddershard Beetles:&#039;&#039;&#039;  Instinctively crawl into any nook and crevice on their victims such as those between armor joints. They are bugs who Rend their way through their targets, exploding in shards of needles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Melee==&lt;br /&gt;
Every Tyranid organism has at least rows of sharp teeth and deadly claws, but some go an extra mile.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Claws and Teeth===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Claws and Teeth.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Claws and Teeth]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your most vanilla of close combat Tyranid weapons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Claws and Teeth are basic Tyranid Biomorphs equipped to even the most simplest of organisms, such as Rippers. These razor-sharp claws and maws of fangs allow them to rip apart enemies. There&#039;s nothing spectacular about them, and thus there is nothing interesting about them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, Claws and Teeth are the stock CCW for your Rippers and Termies. (And Zoanthropes as well, but really those guys don’t belong in combat in most cases). They do moderate damage against GEQs and fair pretty bad when it comes to MEQs and above, requiring sheer weight of numbers to be even remotely effective.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All in all, Claws and Teeth is only used when someone really wants to use up all their attacks or that they are &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;THAT&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; desperate.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Acid Maw===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Maw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Acid Maw]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To aid them in the digestion of a world&#039;s biomass, Pyrovores drool a highly corrosive acid that can dissolve pretty much anything. The downside is that they need to focus all their energy on making a successful bite attack, diminishing their potential damage output.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some creatures also have a powerful tongue dripping with corrosive acids that can be used to snare prey and bring them in for consumption and digestion while leaving other limbs free for other tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition, the Acid Maw is now the primary CCW of the former biggest joke of 40k, the Pyrovore, now with S5 and AP-3 on all (i.e. both) its attacks. Can also be taken by Genestealers. &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;DO THIS&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;, [[Awesome|they&#039;re basically free power swords for every 4 models in a unit.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There&#039;s even an upgrade called the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Acid Maw&#039;&#039;&#039;. Which is an option for the Carnifex, with S6 AP-5 and d3 damage. Because you really want to make sure somebody won&#039;t get its armor save. Doesn&#039;t replace any other melee weapons either, so you can always use the talons if you want more reliable damage. Mutually exclusive with Enhanced Senses, Bio-Plasma, and Tusks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Lash Whip===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:LashWhipBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lash Whip]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tyranids have also learned to Whip it Good!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A classic and the source of many a [[rule 34]], they allow its user to strike much faster than they normally could, getting a blow in before the enemy can. More seriously though, a Lash Whip is a Tyranid Bio-weapon in the form of a living whip with three tentacles of muscle and sinew that writhe of their own accord and strike at their prey, independently of their wielder&#039;s actions. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Lash Whip has a small body contained within a bony tube which forms the handle of the whip, and has three tentacles which form the rest of its body. The creature survives by slicing flesh from its victims and consuming them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon suffers from not being effective against armored enemies, though. Provided you&#039;re not a venomthrope this is paired with a bone-sword with AP 3 which makes this combo death-incarnate for MEQ&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Feeder Tendrils===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Feeder_Tendrils.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Feeder Tendrils]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Basically the Brain Bug from Starship Troopers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Feeder Tendrils are a special organs of some Tyranid&#039;s organisms (Lictors, for example) that able them to drain the dead victim&#039;s brain matter, absorbing all of its memories and knowledge. This provide the Tyranids with the information about enemy&#039;s strong and weak spots and other reconnaissance data.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th Edition tabletop, Feeder Tendrils are no longer considered weapons but as a form of Strategem for some reason. Feeder Tendrils lets you gamble on a 2/3 chance to make a CP profit. Or more specifically, when a Genestealer, Lictor, Venomthrope, or Toxicrene kills a Character in the Fight Phase, it gain D3 CP. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the very least, this is effectively free since gaining 1 CP will still be enough to negate the cost of using the Stratagem in the first place. More often, it&#039;ll let you turn opposing characters into an opportunity for bonus CP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rending Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rendingclaw.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rending Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The iconic claws of Genestealers and the origin of the Rending rule, these claws are both incredibly sharp and hard; tipped in extremely dense diamond-hard chitin. Powered by the overdeveloped musculature and steel-like tendons of a Tyranid, rending claws become capable of ripping open Ceramite and thick armor with ease as well as fatally shredding flesh and bone; allowing you to pick apart even a [[Terminator]] with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, Rending Claws are a cheap AP-1 weapon, with Rending being replaced with a 6+ on a wound roll giving the attack AP-4. There is also an upgrade called &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Rending Claws&#039;&#039;&#039;, which deal AP-3 D3 Damage, on a 6+ on a wound roll makes the attack AP-6 and a flat 3 damage. Also confers re-rolls to wound, which allow for more &#039;rending&#039; 6s and is important as the Tyrant generally needs higher numbers to hurt things now than in previous editions. Considering that they are also FREE, the claws should be your go-to melee weapon of choice for the Hive Tyrant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Talons===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ScythingTalon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Scything Talons]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The long, bladed weapons you see on Tyranids of all sizes. These weapons are long, razor-edged claws resembling fused talons made of Chitin and serrated bone-like substances. Each talon is powered by whipcord muscles to stab, slash, and eviscerate victims with lightning-fast swipes. They can pierce very light armor as found on [[Ork]]s and the like, but tougher armor will likely stop the blows. Overall, the basic Tyranid melee weapon. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 5th Edition they were a lot better because they gave rerolls to failed To Hit rolls (only the ones with one pair, but all of them if you have two pairs), at the slight loss of not being able to penetrate even the lightest of armors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, Scything Talons now allow a model to re-roll to hit rolls of 1 when attacking with this weapon (something they used to do back in 5th). In addition, if the model has more than one pair, they can make 1 additional attack with this weapon. It is confirmed via FAQ that multiple sets of talons grant only +1 attack total, not +1 per set; this applies for all sizes of Scything Talons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is also the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; (For the big bois), which are found on Tyrants and the Carnifex. Same rules as above but AP-3, 3 Damage. If that&#039;s not enough for you, than we have the even bigger &#039;&#039;&#039;Massive Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; which is only found on Tervigons, Maleceptor, Trygon and Trygon Primes and are AP-3, D6 Damage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesword===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BoneswordBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bonesword]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Psychic swords that feed off the life force of their target, they can inflict Instant Death and tear through Space Marines with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Bonesword is living organism, which has a small brain situated deep within its hilt and has a rudimentary sentience that allows it to gradually grow in length and repair any battle damage to itself and maintain a deadly monomolecular edge. However, it is completely slaved to the will of its wielder and is incapable of any independent thought. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon is made of chitin and constantly crackles with powerful psychic energy that flows along embedded nerve tendrils to create a psychic field around the blade, effectively creating a biological version of a [[Force weapon|force weapon.]] This energy amplifies in potency when in close proximity to another Bonesword, such as when used in pairs. It is serrated on both edges and was originally a creature&#039;s massively elongated horn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[/d/|The Bonesword can generate a powerful surge of psychic energy when stimulated by its user.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesabre===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bonesabre.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Bonesabre]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Badass Boneswords used by the [[Swarmlord]], it can use these weapons in a barrage of blades to ward off incoming melee attacks. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They differ from commonly seen Tyranid Boneswords in that each Sabre has a crystalline growth, not indigenous to the galaxy, at its core that partially protrudes through the blade&#039;s serrated surface. The Swarmlord can parry with these sabres at such speed that its foes find it all but impossible to inflict a hit on the creature.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, they are 4++ in CC only. Also INSTANT DEATH ON ANY SUCCESSFULY CUT.  Not just on sixes. Swarmy may have a place still.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Tail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Scything_Tail.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Scything Tail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Scything Talon found on a tail. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tail Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Thresher Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039;. Scything Tails occurs on larger Tyranids, it is effectively the tail of the creature given a scythe edge, often used to sweep through large numbers of lightly armored enemies. They can also tear through armor like it&#039;s nothing, be able to morph into maces capable of punching holes in tanks or be equipped with stingers containing highly lethal toxins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, the Tail Scythe is now known as the Thresher Scythe and it is a S4, AP-1 D1 weapon. Its special ability is that it can make D3 hit rolls for each attack made with this weapon instead of a 1. This makes it complementary to the Wrecker Claws and Bio-Flail combo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Crushing Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Crushing_Claws.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Crushing Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws AKA [[Meme|&#039;&#039;CRAB PEOPLE! CRAB PEOPLE!&#039;&#039;]] are a Tyranid Bio-weapon of huge crab-like claws found on the largest Tyranid organisms, the only creatures capable of hefting the enormous bulk of the claws, such as Carnifexes. The claws are obscenely strong and powerful enough to destroy multiple opponents in one swoop or easy cut through the toughest vehicle armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used only by [[Carnifex]]es, [[Tervigon]]s and [[Tyrant Guard]], this massive pair of crab-like claws grants S+1, AP2, Armourbane and Unwieldy. Not very interesting for the Tervigon because its role is really nothing more than sitting on an objective, shitting out as many Gaunts as it can. Carnifexes on the other hand have pretty much lost their utility as linebreakers, you&#039;re better off running them as a dakkafex and letting Trygons do the heavy lifting. They are not very interesting on Hive Guard either, given their prohibitive cost and they make them swing very slow: it is best to use the Rending Claws and have them do the job.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Wrecker Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Wrecker_Claw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Wrecker Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws on steroids.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Wrecker Claws are immense claws covered in diamond-hard chitin and ultra-dense bone to enable it crush the armor of vehicles with relative ease. These things are nothing more than living power shears and its nature of violently ripping apart even the most heavily armored of foes would strike fear in the hearts of feeble men.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crusher Carnifex comes automatic with two Wrecker Claws. They are allowed to re-roll all failed Armour Penetration rolls, as well as add one to the result if against immobile structures and fortifications (on top of the +2 granted by the Wrecker Claws AP1 value) when using their Wrecker Claws. Although the Stone Wrecker Carnifex has less attacks than the Carnifex (two compared to three) any attack that goes through is more than likely going to cause an Explodes!  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can swap out one of the Wrecker Claws with a Bio-Flail for maximum FUCK YOU!&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Flail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:WreckingBall.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Flail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Otherwise known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Wrecking Ball&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Stone Crusher&#039;&#039;&#039;. The Stone-Crusher is a Tyranid close combat Biomorph most commonly encountered on the Stone-Crusher Carnifex and is nothing more than a large mass of bone, chitin and flesh. Designed for urban battles, the Stone-Crusher is rammed through a wall using the Carnifex&#039;s immense strength then pulled backwards to wrench the entire structure down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crushers turn a Carnifex into a living battering ram. Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail replaces their ability to re-roll amour penetration on their regular attacks with the ability to cause Instant Death and gain a new rule, Sweep Attack. Sweep Attack allows a model to replace all their attacks with a number of attacks equal to the number of enemy models in base contact with them. This allows a Stone Crusher Carnifex with a Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail to generate more attacks and stops it being tarpitted as easily, while the trade off is that they may find it harder to destroy vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-Tyranid-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514582</id>
		<title>Tyranid Bio-Weapons</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514582"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:24:29Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* Bio-Cannon */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;In the [[Grimdark|relentless cheerfulness]] of the [[40k|far future]], the weapons used by the [[Tyranids]] are, just like their armies, home-grown. Instead of using metal, the Tyranids use the growth of symbiotic organs, inseparable from their hosts and are counted together as a single bio-organism. Some of them fire a &amp;quot;dumb&amp;quot; projectile like a spike, whereas other use seeds or even acids and living creatures, because just plain &#039;&#039;bullets&#039;&#039; are for pussies. The downside to this is that these &#039;&#039;&#039;Tyranid bio-weapons&#039;&#039;&#039; are incapable of the explosive firepower that [[Template:40k-Imperial-Weapons|Imperial]], [[Eldar]] and [[Tau]] guns have. They all trade this disadvantage in for being Assault weapons, meaning they can be fired on the move. Also, the explosive firepower is instead exchanged for more... interesting and strategic effects. Another note is that due to their appearance, Tyranid weapons are some of the most badass and phallic looking in the entirety of 40k.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of these weapons can be used by creatures of different sizes, but for the sake of simplicity the weapons have been ordered by the smallest creature that can use them. Small creatures are the equivalent of [[Termagaunt|Gaunts]], Medium are those comparable to [[Tyranid Warrior]]s and [[Biovore]]s, and Large are those akin to [[Hive Tyrant|Tyrants]] and [[Carnifex|Carnifexes]]. Then there are two other categories: the Inbuilt weapons, often part of the upper bodies of the largest organisms, and the Melee weapons for the more [[Choppa|choppy]] inclined creatures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Small==&lt;br /&gt;
Small weapons are used by Termagants, the working class of any Tyranid army, and [[Gargoyle]]s.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dev6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Devourer&#039;&#039;&#039; is simply a lump of flesh that launches a shower of tiny, short-lived and very hungry lifeforms (sometimes described as worms, others as small beetles) onto a target that immediately start to [[Grimdark|burrow into the target with their maw/mandibles and devour it alive from the inside out]]. Like all Tyranid weapons, the Devourer uses a bio-electric jolt (GeeDubs way of simply saying it fires via the nervous system) to promptly tell the lazy fuckers sleeping inside to get to work. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A much larger version called the Brainleech Devourer is mounted only on larger Tyranid organisms and uses specialize Brainleech worms that are far more aggressive and voracious, and go for the target&#039;s brain matter to make sure of the &#039;kill&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This weapon has a nice range and acceptable firepower for a weapon of its size, albeit it doubles your Termagaunts in cost (while tripling their number of ranged attacks per round, a very economical way to increase dakka as long as you protect your Gaunts somehow. As of 6th edition, you can have mixed weapon options now so throw up a wall of spinegaunts or something). If you take this weapon in large broods, you will be aiming at your enemy&#039;s biggest units to just drown the suckers in dozens of shots.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Fleshborer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FB6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer&#039;&#039;&#039; is one of the most iconic Tyranid weapons, a simple design that fires a borer beetle that eats its way through anything it comes across during its flight. Like the Devourer and most Nid firearms, the Fleshborer can only be fired by its respective host, [[Heresy|unless some mad scientist from the Imperium decides its a good idea to attach some electrodes to the weapon like Frankenstein.]] Because the borer beetle is a &#039;&#039;particularly&#039;&#039; lazy fucker, more electro-shocks is required to jolt their asses into action. &lt;br /&gt;
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[[Derp|For some....reason.]] Some Mago Xenobiologi speculate that the Fleshborer itself (The gun that is) [[Wat|is related to the borer beetle or is an evolutionary niche for the borer beetle.]] They state that the gun &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the mother that lays the eggs which means that [[What|each mature beetle somehow metamorphose into a gun.]] [[Herp|We usually know the GW is pretty bad at simple biology, but this is beyond ridiculous and ludicrous.]] Why the Hive Mind thought it was a good idea to make a creature mature into a immobile and helpless creature unless picked up specifically by a Tyranid is a [[Fail]] of epic proportions. It could be that mature female beetles simply merge themselves with regular tyranid organisms, similar to male anglerfish, just the opposite sex.&lt;br /&gt;
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Being the basic weapon for Termagaunts, it has the same stats as an ordinary Bolt Pistol. It will still prove to be more than enough to kill anything with toughness of 7 or less and AV10, as long as you have a lot of them. Tyranids being what they are, you will almost always have a lot of them. Range 12, strength 4, AP 5, and it is an assault 1 weapon.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spike Rifle===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spike-Rifles-5-1024x768.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spike Rifle]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Spike Rifle&#039;&#039;&#039; is a weapon exclusive to Termagaunts. It is, simply put, a harpoon launcher.  That&#039;s about it. &lt;br /&gt;
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More specifically its mechanics are like....exactly the same as a regular harpoon launcher just that the string and trigger are alive and swell. It is essentially a bony tube lined with cord muscles that is compressed like a coil. Once the Nid relaxes the muscles, the stored energy pushes the row of harpoon-like spikes into the adjacent target. The barbs are fucking sharp though; able to tear at a victim&#039;s arteries and cause them to bleed to death. To make it even more killy the barbs and the gun itself is laced with acidic veins and toxin sacs to make any scratch almost always fatal. Whilst it can puncture Jimmy&#039;s [[Flak Armor]], don&#039;t think it would do quite swell with [[Power Armor]].&lt;br /&gt;
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Statwise it&#039;s less imposing than it&#039;s description: range 18&amp;quot;, S3, AP-, Assault 1. Only use these if you do not want to pump a huge amount of points into Devourers but you do not want half your brood to not be able to fire when the Devilgaunts do.  Otherwise avoid them...because they suck.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spinefists===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spinefist6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spinefist]]&lt;br /&gt;
A lighter weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spinefists&#039;&#039;&#039; are used in pairs. They are the more [[Dakka]] version of the Bio-Weapons and are used more akin to a Uzi with shittier penetration and more poison. &lt;br /&gt;
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They shower the target with a hail of poisoned spikes, the sheer amount of darts fired ensure that the target is hit. A tube runs from the air sac powering the weapon, through the user&#039;s arm to its lungs. This means that larger creatures get more mileage out of what is essentially the same weapon, proving that even something as simple as a blowgun can be [[Warp|horribly perverted]] by the grim darkness of the far future. &lt;br /&gt;
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As of 8E, they act like pistols, which means Raveners (and Rippers, which get the similar Spinemaw) can shoot, get stuck in, and still fire off a few shots without having to disengage first.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Strangleweb===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Strangleweb.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Strangleweb]]&lt;br /&gt;
With this weapon, your Tyranids too can learn [[Meme|how to shot web]]. Essentially a Tyrannid [[Webber]]. &lt;br /&gt;
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The effects of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Strangleweb&#039;&#039;&#039; can be described best as a non-cutting variation of the Death Spinner used by the Warp Spiders: instead of slicing through their opponents, it constricts them, and maybe crushes them to death. &lt;br /&gt;
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That&#039;s a pretty big maybe: wounding even basic Guardsmen at 5+ and rolling against Strength instead of Toughness to wound means that this weapon would be best if used against the likes of the [[Death Guard]]... if shooting them wasn&#039;t a stupid idea for a Tyranid player in the first place &#039;&#039;AND&#039;&#039; if you could take more than 1 of them per 10 Gaunts.&lt;br /&gt;
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{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
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===Blinding Venom===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Blinding_Venom.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Blinding Venom]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Imagine baby Drool Cannons, that&#039;s basically the Blinding Venom.&lt;br /&gt;
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Unique to Gargoyles, they can spit acid in the eyes of their enemies to blind them and allow for an easy devouring of the target. The poison is quite weak (6+ what the hell?) &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;and it&#039;s best to just go with the regular poison attacks granted by Toxin Sacks.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; but it has the blind special rule so it means for every attack the unit being attacked has to pass an initiative test now a unit of gargoyles has a minimum size of 10 models so...&lt;br /&gt;
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As of 8th edition, if the Gargoyles put an unsaved wound onto an enemy unit, the blinding venom makes them suffer -1 to hit for the rest of the phase.&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==Medium==&lt;br /&gt;
Medium weapons are used by Warriors and organisms based on the -[[Biovore|Vore]] and -[[Tyrant_Guard|Guard]] body archetypes.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Barbed Strangler===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BarbedStrangler6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Barbed Strangler]]&lt;br /&gt;
Remember that 70&#039;s cult classic Zardoz? [[James_Bond|Sean Connery]] dressed in [[Slaanesh|red gimp getup]] and killing dudes like he&#039;s [[Khârn]], at the behest of a giant floating head that claims that &amp;quot;The gun is good, the penis is evil.&amp;quot; because the penis shoots seeds that create life? Well, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Barbed Strangler&#039;&#039;&#039; chooses to be both. The gun is very basic, [[Brundlepenis|a muscled tube that stores its seeds in a sack at the base, and shoots them with a powerful spasm along with a fair helping of a corrosive oil.]] &lt;br /&gt;
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The seed upon impact has its nigh-unbreakable shell melted by the oil and sends tendrils to [[rip and tear]] through anything that gets in its way. Using the large blast template, you can cause a lot of damage to a [[Tarpit|blob]] in a single shot.  It also pins but that comes into play very little given that most armies are either largely fearless, ignore pinning anyway, or have LD values good enough to reliably ignore it anyway. With 8e, it traded off the blast template and Pinning for Assault D6 and a bonus to hit when targeting large units, which is a fair trade given the lackluster BS of the average Tyranid.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Deathspitter===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:51-10I 81635.1399044187.500.750.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Deathspitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
The traditional weapon of the Warrior, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Deathspitter&#039;&#039;&#039; works by stripping a large maggot off of it&#039;s shell and hurling it at the enemy. Its [[Rip and tear|huge guts]] are highly corrosive and can splatter several enemies at once. The adaptive evolution of the [[Hive Fleet Hydra]]&#039;s slimer maggots make their Deathspitters even more lethal; the maggots could burrow through the target&#039;s flesh and then [[FATAL| repeatedly fragment and regenerat themselves]]. [[Slaugth|The victims literally burst out with the ever increasing mass of wriggling grubs.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Serving as a decent weapon against [[MEQ]]s, the weapon relies on its rate of fire to deal damage.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Flamespurt Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Flamer#Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon|Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Impaler Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ImpalerCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Impaler Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Impaler Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is your answer to anything up to AV 12. &lt;br /&gt;
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This beautiful gun fires a bony spine, steered by a shard-beast at the base of the spine, [[Rip and tear|whose innards are ripped from its body when the spike is fired]]. The spines are launched with enough force to rip through man and machine alike. &lt;br /&gt;
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Though its range is limited you do not have to actually see your target to be able to shoot it, without a significant downside. Oh, and it has a higher rate of fire than the Imperium-equivalent, the Missile Launcher. What&#039;s not to like? This is your go-to weapon for dealing with [[METAL BAWKSES]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Shock Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Niddex2014e.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Shock Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes shortened to Shockcannon.&lt;br /&gt;
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Used by Hive Guard, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Shock Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; shoots out a claw over a considerable distance which latches on to its target and delivers a powerful bio-electric shock, disabling or even destroying a vehicle. Ostensibly, a big fucking meat taser.&lt;br /&gt;
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On tabletop the Shock Cannon is the Hive Guard&#039;s primary anti-vehicle weapon. It&#039;s decent enough at S7 AP-1 d3 Damage, but if it rolls 4+ on Wound against a vehicle, it issues a Mortal Wound that coincidentally makes its low AP completely irrelevant. Roll a 6+, and that becomes d3 Mortal Wounds. Thanks to the change from small templates to D3 shots, this is now actually plenty scary against vehicles of any size.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spore Mine Launcher===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Launcher.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Launcher]]&lt;br /&gt;
The more explosive (and useful) Dakka to the Flamespurt&#039;s fiery Dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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Created as a result of fights against the Imperial Guard, the Biovore displays this by being the Tyranids&#039; closest thing to an artillery piece and having a massive scrotum befitting a Guardsman&#039;s huge brazen balls. Armed with the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spore Mine Launcher&#039;&#039;&#039;, it can lob Spore Mines a considerable range; living bombs that blanket victims in acid, poisonous gas, and shrapnel-sized chitin spines.&lt;br /&gt;
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Though not as deadly as [[Basilisk|most other artillery weapons]], the Spore Mines are unique in the way that if they don&#039;t land too close to the enemy, you can deploy them onto the battlefield as living mines, serving as an obstacle for your enemy that must be either moved around or shot. Generally more useful in larger point games or [[Apocalypse]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:VC6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Seen as the primary anti-tank weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; launches a hail of corrosive crystals by way of a biological railgun. Though not as effective as you&#039;d wish, the Venom Cannon can cause quite some hurt on [[Eldar|Aspect Warriors]] and the like. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is ineffective against heavy tanks but okay against transports and open-topped vehicles, though its primary targets should always be medium infantry.  Because you know, a single shot S6 AP4 small blast weapon with only 36 inches of range that you can only have one of per (heinously expensive and surprisingly fragile) warrior brood is clearly the bestest anti-vehicle gun ever.  See Dawn of War II for how they should work and cry bitterly.  You&#039;re best off giving this gun a pass.&lt;br /&gt;
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Slightly buffed in 8th along with the blast weapon changes. It is now Assault d3 with S8 and AP-2. Bit better at least.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Large==&lt;br /&gt;
Here the most powerful and biggest weapons the Tyranids have are described, used by the biggest and baddest of nasties.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Acid Spray===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Spray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Acid Spray]]&lt;br /&gt;
Yo dawg, I heard you like [[Hellhound]]s so I put a [[Flamer|discharge of digestive fluids]] that works just like a Hellhound&#039;s weapon on your Tyranid MC and upped its cost by 100+ points. That&#039;s pretty much the gist of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Acid Spray&#039;&#039;&#039;. The problem is that you have a lot of weapons with stats like that, so using an expensive MC (though well armored) that attracts fire like there&#039;s no tomorrow is a bad idea.&lt;br /&gt;
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In terms of fluff, the Acid Spray is a Tyranid Biomorph found on larger creatures such as the [[Tyrannofex]]. This bioweapon stores huge amounts of highly acidic digestive fluids, then sprays it over a wide area. The acid melts through body armor with shocking ease and reduces its victims to shapeless goo.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-plasmic Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasmic Cannon|Bio-Plasmic Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Brainleech Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Brainleech_Devourer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Brainleech Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
Get a regular Devourer and then force feed it growth horomones. You get the Brainleech variety.&lt;br /&gt;
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The biggest of Tyranids have devourers loaded with &#039;&#039;&#039;Brainleech Worms&#039;&#039;&#039; instead, a species larger and even more aggressive and hungry than the regular devourer worms. These are used for when the [[Hive Mind]] &#039;&#039;really&#039;&#039; got sick of all these blobs and want to shower them in hungry insects.&lt;br /&gt;
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Range: 18&amp;quot;, S6, AP-, Assault 6. If you&#039;re not using two sets of Twin-Linked Brainleech Devourers on your Flying Hive Tyrant and any Carnifexes you&#039;re fielding, you&#039;re [[fail|doing it wrong]].&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition.  It is a bigger devourer with +2 Strength and double the shots for the MONSTERS in the Tyranid force. Comes as a pair so it puts out 12 shots. Two sets of these gives 24 shots, pretty good overall, made even better with the Pathogenic Slime strategem.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Drool Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:DroolCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Drool Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon with [[Derp|the funny name.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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The Drool Cannon is a type of Tyranid Biomorph found on the [[Hive Crone]]. Protruding from the Crone&#039;s mouth, the Drool Cannon vomits a wave of digestive juices upon its foes. The acidic bile originates from sacs carried on the Crone&#039;s underbelly. Because of the way the Drool Cannon interferes with the Hive Crone&#039;s mouth, it is unknown why the Hive Mind thought it is still viable to waste resource on its sharp teeth (maybe it&#039;s retractable?).&lt;br /&gt;
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So yeah, the Nids have literal super spit, like the [[Space Marines]], but they actually use it repeatedly rather than for [[Plot Armor|plot reasons.]] Although knowing how fast some factions fly their planes, it must be one heck of a spit for it to hit anything at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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For crunch, it is the [[Hive Crone]]&#039;s answer to the [[Heldrake]] Baleflamer, except lacking Torrent and a good AP value and pretty much anything good, including its icky name. Template S6 AP4.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Fleshborer Hive===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Fleshborer_Hive.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer Hive]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think the [[Leman_Russ_Battle_Tank|Leman Russ Punisher]], but replace the Punisher gun with a &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer Hive&#039;&#039;&#039;. That&#039;s about it. Because sometimes you have just run out of Troops choices (how one runs out of termagants is another question), and you just need 20 Termagants worth of Fleshborer fire on a tough platform. &lt;br /&gt;
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Consisting of a large colony of the same breed of borer beetles found in the simple fleshborer, the fanged creatures stored in the bloated sacs of the hive lay thousands of eggs that hatch and mature at a fast rate within the chambers of the brood nest. &lt;br /&gt;
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Needless to say, this is shit. Also,the fluff states that it must periodically discharge beetles or it makes the [[Wat|Tyrannofex explode.]] [[FAIL|The Hive Mind proves its genius yet again.]] In 8th, the stats are still sucky, but it can fire twice if the Tyrannofex doesn&#039;t move. 40 shots a turn for a respectable amount of biological dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition it has recieved a much needed buff. [[Dakka|It&#039;s a Heavy 20 Fleshborer at S5.]] Because of the short range it&#039;s not as impressive as the Rupture Cannon, but the ability to bring a portable Fire Warrior squad&#039;s worth of firepower with you is nothing to scoff at, especially if it gets to shoot twice while standing still. The Scorch Bugs Stratagem makes it absolutely terrifying. &lt;br /&gt;
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Also if you have trypophobia (fear of holes), this &#039;&#039;may&#039;&#039; not be the best weapon to use on tabletop. Chances of projectile vomiting. Too high.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Tl;dr]], its a weapon (that shoots bugs) that you can fire from you fucking forearm. Bioshock indeed.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Heavy Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Heavy_VC.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Heavy Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is just that: a bigger version of the Venom Cannon able to deal with bigger vehicles, and it would be a lot more reliable if it wasn&#039;t using a Blast template. Can be used against tanks up to [[Land Raider]]s, but lack the firepower to deal reliably with them and lacks the armor penetration to deal with [[MEQ]]s on a consistent basis. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is slightly better on Carnifexes than it&#039;s littler brother is on Warriors primarily because you can actually field the things in bulk...sort of. It&#039;s still not particularly good; but it&#039;s passable on a bio-blast brood if you don&#039;t want more dakkafexes for some insane reason. In 8th, it is largely the same as the regular Venom Cannon with one more strength (S9) and 3 damage per shot making it excellent elite infantry killers and decent anti tank&lt;br /&gt;
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===Rupture Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rupture_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rupture Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a Tyranid Vanquisher Cannon.&lt;br /&gt;
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If you want to stop a tank dead in its tracks, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Rupture Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039;(a fluff-wise bigger barbed strangler) is your friend. Firing two projectiles in a short succession, a tick that covers the enemy in a gooey substance, and a seed that upon impact with the goo dissolves at such speed which triggers a chemical implosion powerful enough to turn a [[Baneblade]] inside out. &lt;br /&gt;
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That&#039;s what the fluff says, anyway - while it boasts a commanding s10, it strikes at AP 4, so MEQs don&#039;t even notice it.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th however, it got horrifyingly good. It&#039;s now a 3 SHOT LASCANNON with an extra point of S, and the Tyrannofex can fire &#039;&#039;twice&#039;&#039; when it stays still. MEQs will definitely notice it now, but it&#039;s much better against vehicles; up to 6 S10 AP-3 D6 damage shots per shooting phase will ensure that even Knights and Land Raiders will feel the hurt.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Stranglethorn Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stranglethorn_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Stranglethorn Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
An upscaled version of the Barbed Strangler (thus it fires much larger, stronger, and more aggressive seed-pods), the &#039;&#039;&#039;Stranglethorn Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; has enough power to deal with even the toughest of foes, and serves as a borderline artillery weapon. The growing pod&#039;s mass of barbed tentacles can grasp onto the armor plating of vehicles and rip them to pieces.&lt;br /&gt;
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It has the same AP as it&#039;s smaller brother, and the same blast size and pinning rule, but now it has S6 which means it can now pile on hurt better and harass light vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition it is a bigger Barbed Strangler with +2 Strength for the MONSTERs in the Tyranid force. Keeps the above +1 to hit rule and also inflicts 1 more damage. Kills light Infantry more efficiently than the HVC. Combine with Enhanced Senses and laugh at the look on your opponent&#039;s face as a Carnifex hits on a 2+ (Only if units of 10 or more). Unfortunately still only hits on a 3+ on a carnifex with enhanced senses.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Tentaclids===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tentaclid2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Tentaclid]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flying under the wings of Hive Crones, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tentaclids&#039;&#039;&#039; are living seeker missiles who can chase after flying targets such as enemy aircraft and disable them with a powerful bio-electric pulse.&lt;br /&gt;
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In terms of crunch they are the Crone&#039;s big surprise. These Babies only have S5 to their name and a re-roll to hit flying units, but if they wound a vehicle on a 4+ it deals a Mortal Wound with a 6+ dealing d3 Mortal Wounds. &lt;br /&gt;
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Unlike before, these can actually be used again and again which kind of contradicts the fluff since Hive Crones only carry four of these things...unless of course a Tentaclid is spawned from the Hive Fleet itself and homes and attaches to the nearest Hive Crone. Or after disabling an enemy flier it just returns to its carrier crone.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Biocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The biggest motherfucking gun alive (Both figuratively and literally). The Bio-Cannon is a Tyranid Biomorph. Equipped on titan-sized creatures such as the [[Hierophant]] and [[Harridan]], the Bio-Cannon works like a giant Deathspitter; that is that it spews forth a hail of highly venomous and corrosive maggot organisms. &lt;br /&gt;
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But these maggots are ECKS BAWKS HUEG to make it a threat to superheavies. These organisms like their smaller cousins, explode on impact, splattering a rain of bio-acid and poison that can melt through nearly any material in a matter of seconds. Of course how this affects esoteric things like [[Void shield|Void Shields]] is unknown (Maybe it eats through Void Shields?).&lt;br /&gt;
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On crunch, the Bio-Cannons comes in two since the Hierophant naturally twin-links these; they are S10 (which can double for the price of taking D3 mortal wounds, like tau units overcharging), AP-2, 2D6 damage (doubled against buildings and other TITANIC units). Its a shame it is the only Titan-grade Tyranid weapon though.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Inbuilt==&lt;br /&gt;
Certain weapons used by the Tyranids are part of the creatures themselves, instead of being addition to the arms/back.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-Electric Pulse===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bio-Electric_Pulse.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Bio-Electric Pulse]]&lt;br /&gt;
Built into the Trygon, a electrical charge is build up by the creature as it moves, allowing a powerful and [[Dakka|large]] discharge. The Trygon Prime increases the range of this blast, and doubles its rate of fire.&lt;br /&gt;
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It is also great for tunneling which is a plus for the Trygon. They use their bio-static charge to assist with tunneling, as their tunnels have been found coated with a fused, glass-like silicate layer on the inside. This effect stabilizes the tunnel walls and prevents them from collapsing behind a burrowing Trygon. Which is stupid when given the weight and size of the Trygon. Unless it is smooth like a [[Adeptus Custodes|lubed bannana]], then there is no way such glass would withstand such violent digging. Furthermore, large vehicles and some animals could burrow efficiently without needing to turn their surroundings to glass. So this ability is quite redundant unless the Nids want to transport smaller grubs along its merry adventure.&lt;br /&gt;
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If you don&#039;t know, the Bio-Electric Pulse &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the Trygon&#039;s carapace armor.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-Plasma===&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasma|Bio-Plasma]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Cluster Spines===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Cluster_Spines.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Cluster Spines]]&lt;br /&gt;
Just imagine a porcupine that shoot out its spines or a [[Lizardmen]]&#039;s Razordon.&lt;br /&gt;
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The largest Tyranids have banks of spines build into their carapaces that they can fire when under stress. Consisting of rows of quills embedded into the carapaces of the equipped creature like a giant Porcupine. These spines are dense and hollow like a Frag Grenade and explode upon impact like one, dealing significant damage to anything in the area of impact over considerable distances. Of course, it is unknown whether these are single shot or multi-use. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fired into densely packed groups of enemies, these spines can saturate large areas with needle-sized slivers, making them a potent anti-infantry weapon. Although given on where the Tyranid would like to grow its spines, [[Fail|it can also end up hitting nothing but air.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Its more anti-armor version is the Stinger Salvo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Flesh Hooks===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FleshHooks.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Flesh Hooks]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flesh Hooks are sharp barbs attached to long, sinewy tentacles, which are kept coiled close to the Lictor&#039;s rib cage, until they are fired by a powerful muscle spasm. They are the Tyranid&#039;s answer to Scorpion&#039;s sting from Mortal Kombat. So don&#039;t be too surprise if Nid players shout &amp;quot;Get Over Here!&amp;quot; every once in a while.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Until 5th Edition edition came out, nearly any species of Gaunt, Warrior and more could use these. They are long bony spines with barbed hooks on the end that serve as both harpoons and possible grapnel for climbing. The Lictor can use these hooks either to scale sheer obstacles, or to snag luckless prey and drag it into the Lictor&#039;s waiting claws. Now they&#039;re Lictor and Warrior/Shrike only (Carnifexes have access to Spine Banks, which are similar), count as Frag Grenades, and can be fired for a surprisingly deadly shot.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Grasping Tongue===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Grasping_Tongue.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Grasping Tongue]]&lt;br /&gt;
The ultimate OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Grasping Tongue is less of a tongue and more of a mound of tentacle claws attached to a giant mouth. This is a weapon you can see in every [[/d/|tentacle hentai]] ever and not be surprised at all. Seriously what was GW smoking?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though technically part of an [[Haruspex]]&#039;s body, it can use its long tongue to snag an enemy, pluck it out of its unit and devour it whole.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For 8th edition crunch, everyone&#039;s favorite [[Rape|tentacle rape]] got a pretty good buff; it&#039;s rather fierce at S6 AP-3 and d3 damage, it gains further use since it can be used within close range and regains a wound if it kills something, so it can add to survivability.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Ripper Tentacles===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Ripper_Tentacle.jpg|110px|right|thumb|Ripper Tentacles]]&lt;br /&gt;
No. They are in no way related to the small, petite living stomachs called the [[Ripper|Rippers]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, they do bare resemblance to other tentacle-themed enemies in science fiction (Que hentai tentacle rape jokes). Possibly why this and the Mycetic Spore was canned cause they ain&#039;t copyrightable enough for GW. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Mycetic Spores, the tentacles themselves consist of thick ropes of muscles and tendon. Drawn to movement, any moving foe within reach of the Tentacles will be thoroughly smashed like dough on a kitchen board.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, these are long-ranged tentacles able to do significant damage to medium-sized blobs thanks to their high rate of fire (strange choice of words when the weapon in question is akin to beating someone over the head with a tentacle).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course with the fact that the [[Mycetic Spore]] has all but been &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;squatted&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; replaced by the far more modern and up-to-date [[Sporocyst]] the canon is all but up in the air with these Tentacles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spore Mine Cysts===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Cysts.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Cysts]]&lt;br /&gt;
Build into the underside of a Harpy, you can have it drop a Spore Mine onto something it flew over once per game as if it was making a bombing run. The same rules for the Spore Mines as stated above count here as well. Some players have gone their way to make the Harpies &#039;&#039;carry&#039;&#039; the Spore Mines. Of course, most modern equivalent of the Spore Cyst are the two stubby looking anuses behind a Harpy. So yes, the Tyranids can actually shit explosive submunitions on their enemies. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unfortunately it is a pretty outdated weapon, dating back to 4th edition. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 4th Edition, Spore Cysts are found on larger Tyranids and are excretion pits for the creation of Spore Mines. The symbiotic relationship between creature and spore cyst is such that they cannot be separated once formed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Stinger Salvo===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stinger_Salvo.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Stinger Salvo]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a giant Spinefist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Works comparable to the Cluster Spines, except this is more of a barrage of large solid spikes akin to the spinefists rather than a densely hollow spines. Powerful muscular contractions spray the spikes out to skewer enemy infantry and pierce the toughest of armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Think of this as the anti-armor variant of the Cluster Spine&#039;s anti-infantry. Although they can both harm either infantry or armored divisions when peppered sufficiently with spines/spikes. Just like the Cluster Spine,  the Stinger Salvo is a weapon who practicality is only viable given on where the Tyranid would like to put it, turning into a living, breathing spike bomb into a fairly useless weapon that rains spikes cause the dumb idiot placed its Stinger Salvo a tad bit too high.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Thorax Swarm===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Thorax_Swarm.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Thorax Swarm]]&lt;br /&gt;
Certain Tyranids can issue forth swarms of bugs living in their thoraxes to devour anything in short range. These creatures erupt from openings in their host&#039;s chest to drown the enemy in a deadly cloud that chews out eyes and crawls down throats. These swarms come in three flavors: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Electroshock Grubs:&#039;&#039;&#039; These grubs are insects who electrocute anything they grab onto for a damaging attack, anything caught in between this energy is reduced to a charred ruin.&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Desiccator Larvae:&#039;&#039;&#039; These are grubs who drain the target&#039;s body of all of its moisture within seconds, leaving only a dry husk. This means that once fully bloated, they would be one huge grub seeing how the Human body is like what, 75% water.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Shreddershard Beetles:&#039;&#039;&#039;  Instinctively crawl into any nook and crevice on their victims such as those between armor joints. They are bugs who Rend their way through their targets, exploding in shards of needles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Melee==&lt;br /&gt;
Every Tyranid organism has at least rows of sharp teeth and deadly claws, but some go an extra mile.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Claws and Teeth===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Claws and Teeth.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Claws and Teeth]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your most vanilla of close combat Tyranid weapons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Claws and Teeth are basic Tyranid Biomorphs equipped to even the most simplest of organisms, such as Rippers. These razor-sharp claws and maws of fangs allow them to rip apart enemies. There&#039;s nothing spectacular about them, and thus there is nothing interesting about them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, Claws and Teeth are the stock CCW for your Rippers and Termies. (And Zoanthropes as well, but really those guys don’t belong in combat in most cases). They do moderate damage against GEQs and fair pretty bad when it comes to MEQs and above, requiring sheer weight of numbers to be even remotely effective.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All in all, Claws and Teeth is only used when someone really wants to use up all their attacks or that they are &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;THAT&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; desperate.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Acid Maw===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Maw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Acid Maw]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To aid them in the digestion of a world&#039;s biomass, Pyrovores drool a highly corrosive acid that can dissolve pretty much anything. The downside is that they need to focus all their energy on making a successful bite attack, diminishing their potential damage output.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some creatures also have a powerful tongue dripping with corrosive acids that can be used to snare prey and bring them in for consumption and digestion while leaving other limbs free for other tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition, the Acid Maw is now the primary CCW of the former biggest joke of 40k, the Pyrovore, now with S5 and AP-3 on all (i.e. both) its attacks. Can also be taken by Genestealers. &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;DO THIS&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;, [[Awesome|they&#039;re basically free power swords for every 4 models in a unit.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There&#039;s even an upgrade called the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Acid Maw&#039;&#039;&#039;. Which is an option for the Carnifex, with S6 AP-5 and d3 damage. Because you really want to make sure somebody won&#039;t get its armor save. Doesn&#039;t replace any other melee weapons either, so you can always use the talons if you want more reliable damage. Mutually exclusive with Enhanced Senses, Bio-Plasma, and Tusks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Lash Whip===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:LashWhipBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lash Whip]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tyranids have also learned to Whip it Good!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A classic and the source of many a [[rule 34]], they allow its user to strike much faster than they normally could, getting a blow in before the enemy can. More seriously though, a Lash Whip is a Tyranid Bio-weapon in the form of a living whip with three tentacles of muscle and sinew that writhe of their own accord and strike at their prey, independently of their wielder&#039;s actions. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Lash Whip has a small body contained within a bony tube which forms the handle of the whip, and has three tentacles which form the rest of its body. The creature survives by slicing flesh from its victims and consuming them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon suffers from not being effective against armored enemies, though. Provided you&#039;re not a venomthrope this is paired with a bone-sword with AP 3 which makes this combo death-incarnate for MEQ&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Feeder Tendrils===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Feeder_Tendrils.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Feeder Tendrils]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Basically the Brain Bug from Starship Troopers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Feeder Tendrils are a special organs of some Tyranid&#039;s organisms (Lictors, for example) that able them to drain the dead victim&#039;s brain matter, absorbing all of its memories and knowledge. This provide the Tyranids with the information about enemy&#039;s strong and weak spots and other reconnaissance data.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th Edition tabletop, Feeder Tendrils are no longer considered weapons but as a form of Strategem for some reason. Feeder Tendrils lets you gamble on a 2/3 chance to make a CP profit. Or more specifically, when a Genestealer, Lictor, Venomthrope, or Toxicrene kills a Character in the Fight Phase, it gain D3 CP. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the very least, this is effectively free since gaining 1 CP will still be enough to negate the cost of using the Stratagem in the first place. More often, it&#039;ll let you turn opposing characters into an opportunity for bonus CP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rending Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rendingclaw.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rending Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The iconic claws of Genestealers and the origin of the Rending rule, these claws are both incredibly sharp and hard; tipped in extremely dense diamond-hard chitin. Powered by the overdeveloped musculature and steel-like tendons of a Tyranid, rending claws become capable of ripping open Ceramite and thick armor with ease as well as fatally shredding flesh and bone; allowing you to pick apart even a [[Terminator]] with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, Rending Claws are a cheap AP-1 weapon, with Rending being replaced with a 6+ on a wound roll giving the attack AP-4. There is also an upgrade called &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Rending Claws&#039;&#039;&#039;, which deal AP-3 D3 Damage, on a 6+ on a wound roll makes the attack AP-6 and a flat 3 damage. Also confers re-rolls to wound, which allow for more &#039;rending&#039; 6s and is important as the Tyrant generally needs higher numbers to hurt things now than in previous editions. Considering that they are also FREE, the claws should be your go-to melee weapon of choice for the Hive Tyrant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Talons===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ScythingTalon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Scything Talons]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The long, bladed weapons you see on Tyranids of all sizes. These weapons are long, razor-edged claws resembling fused talons made of Chitin and serrated bone-like substances. Each talon is powered by whipcord muscles to stab, slash, and eviscerate victims with lightning-fast swipes. They can pierce very light armor as found on [[Ork]]s and the like, but tougher armor will likely stop the blows. Overall, the basic Tyranid melee weapon. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 5th Edition they were a lot better because they gave rerolls to failed To Hit rolls (only the ones with one pair, but all of them if you have two pairs), at the slight loss of not being able to penetrate even the lightest of armors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, Scything Talons now allow a model to re-roll to hit rolls of 1 when attacking with this weapon (something they used to do back in 5th). In addition, if the model has more than one pair, they can make 1 additional attack with this weapon. It is confirmed via FAQ that multiple sets of talons grant only +1 attack total, not +1 per set; this applies for all sizes of Scything Talons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is also the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; (For the big bois), which are found on Tyrants and the Carnifex. Same rules as above but AP-3, 3 Damage. If that&#039;s not enough for you, than we have the even bigger &#039;&#039;&#039;Massive Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; which is only found on Tervigons, Maleceptor, Trygon and Trygon Primes and are AP-3, D6 Damage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesword===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BoneswordBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bonesword]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Psychic swords that feed off the life force of their target, they can inflict Instant Death and tear through Space Marines with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Bonesword is living organism, which has a small brain situated deep within its hilt and has a rudimentary sentience that allows it to gradually grow in length and repair any battle damage to itself and maintain a deadly monomolecular edge. However, it is completely slaved to the will of its wielder and is incapable of any independent thought. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon is made of chitin and constantly crackles with powerful psychic energy that flows along embedded nerve tendrils to create a psychic field around the blade, effectively creating a biological version of a [[Force weapon|force weapon.]] This energy amplifies in potency when in close proximity to another Bonesword, such as when used in pairs. It is serrated on both edges and was originally a creature&#039;s massively elongated horn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[/d/|The Bonesword can generate a powerful surge of psychic energy when stimulated by its user.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesabre===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bonesabre.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Bonesabre]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Badass Boneswords used by the [[Swarmlord]], it can use these weapons in a barrage of blades to ward off incoming melee attacks. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They differ from commonly seen Tyranid Boneswords in that each Sabre has a crystalline growth, not indigenous to the galaxy, at its core that partially protrudes through the blade&#039;s serrated surface. The Swarmlord can parry with these sabres at such speed that its foes find it all but impossible to inflict a hit on the creature.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, they are 4++ in CC only. Also INSTANT DEATH ON ANY SUCCESSFULY CUT.  Not just on sixes. Swarmy may have a place still.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Tail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Scything_Tail.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Scything Tail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Scything Talon found on a tail. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tail Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Thresher Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039;. Scything Tails occurs on larger Tyranids, it is effectively the tail of the creature given a scythe edge, often used to sweep through large numbers of lightly armored enemies. They can also tear through armor like it&#039;s nothing, be able to morph into maces capable of punching holes in tanks or be equipped with stingers containing highly lethal toxins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, the Tail Scythe is now known as the Thresher Scythe and it is a S4, AP-1 D1 weapon. Its special ability is that it can make D3 hit rolls for each attack made with this weapon instead of a 1. This makes it complementary to the Wrecker Claws and Bio-Flail combo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Crushing Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Crushing_Claws.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Crushing Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws AKA [[Meme|&#039;&#039;CRAB PEOPLE! CRAB PEOPLE!&#039;&#039;]] are a Tyranid Bio-weapon of huge crab-like claws found on the largest Tyranid organisms, the only creatures capable of hefting the enormous bulk of the claws, such as Carnifexes. The claws are obscenely strong and powerful enough to destroy multiple opponents in one swoop or easy cut through the toughest vehicle armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used only by [[Carnifex]]es, [[Tervigon]]s and [[Tyrant Guard]], this massive pair of crab-like claws grants S+1, AP2, Armourbane and Unwieldy. Not very interesting for the Tervigon because its role is really nothing more than sitting on an objective, shitting out as many Gaunts as it can. Carnifexes on the other hand have pretty much lost their utility as linebreakers, you&#039;re better off running them as a dakkafex and letting Trygons do the heavy lifting. They are not very interesting on Hive Guard either, given their prohibitive cost and they make them swing very slow: it is best to use the Rending Claws and have them do the job.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Wrecker Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Wrecker_Claw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Wrecker Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws on steroids.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Wrecker Claws are immense claws covered in diamond-hard chitin and ultra-dense bone to enable it crush the armor of vehicles with relative ease. These things are nothing more than living power shears and its nature of violently ripping apart even the most heavily armored of foes would strike fear in the hearts of feeble men.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crusher Carnifex comes automatic with two Wrecker Claws. They are allowed to re-roll all failed Armour Penetration rolls, as well as add one to the result if against immobile structures and fortifications (on top of the +2 granted by the Wrecker Claws AP1 value) when using their Wrecker Claws. Although the Stone Wrecker Carnifex has less attacks than the Carnifex (two compared to three) any attack that goes through is more than likely going to cause an Explodes!  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can swap out one of the Wrecker Claws with a Bio-Flail for maximum FUCK YOU!&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Flail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:WreckingBall.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Flail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Otherwise known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Wrecking Ball&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Stone Crusher&#039;&#039;&#039;. The Stone-Crusher is a Tyranid close combat Biomorph most commonly encountered on the Stone-Crusher Carnifex and is nothing more than a large mass of bone, chitin and flesh. Designed for urban battles, the Stone-Crusher is rammed through a wall using the Carnifex&#039;s immense strength then pulled backwards to wrench the entire structure down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crushers turn a Carnifex into a living battering ram. Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail replaces their ability to re-roll amour penetration on their regular attacks with the ability to cause Instant Death and gain a new rule, Sweep Attack. Sweep Attack allows a model to replace all their attacks with a number of attacks equal to the number of enemy models in base contact with them. This allows a Stone Crusher Carnifex with a Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail to generate more attacks and stops it being tarpitted as easily, while the trade off is that they may find it harder to destroy vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-Tyranid-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514581</id>
		<title>Tyranid Bio-Weapons</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tyranid_Bio-Weapons&amp;diff=514581"/>
		<updated>2019-08-22T00:23:52Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA: /* Bonesword */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;In the [[Grimdark|relentless cheerfulness]] of the [[40k|far future]], the weapons used by the [[Tyranids]] are, just like their armies, home-grown. Instead of using metal, the Tyranids use the growth of symbiotic organs, inseparable from their hosts and are counted together as a single bio-organism. Some of them fire a &amp;quot;dumb&amp;quot; projectile like a spike, whereas other use seeds or even acids and living creatures, because just plain &#039;&#039;bullets&#039;&#039; are for pussies. The downside to this is that these &#039;&#039;&#039;Tyranid bio-weapons&#039;&#039;&#039; are incapable of the explosive firepower that [[Template:40k-Imperial-Weapons|Imperial]], [[Eldar]] and [[Tau]] guns have. They all trade this disadvantage in for being Assault weapons, meaning they can be fired on the move. Also, the explosive firepower is instead exchanged for more... interesting and strategic effects. Another note is that due to their appearance, Tyranid weapons are some of the most badass and phallic looking in the entirety of 40k.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of these weapons can be used by creatures of different sizes, but for the sake of simplicity the weapons have been ordered by the smallest creature that can use them. Small creatures are the equivalent of [[Termagaunt|Gaunts]], Medium are those comparable to [[Tyranid Warrior]]s and [[Biovore]]s, and Large are those akin to [[Hive Tyrant|Tyrants]] and [[Carnifex|Carnifexes]]. Then there are two other categories: the Inbuilt weapons, often part of the upper bodies of the largest organisms, and the Melee weapons for the more [[Choppa|choppy]] inclined creatures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Small==&lt;br /&gt;
Small weapons are used by Termagants, the working class of any Tyranid army, and [[Gargoyle]]s.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dev6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Devourer&#039;&#039;&#039; is simply a lump of flesh that launches a shower of tiny, short-lived and very hungry lifeforms (sometimes described as worms, others as small beetles) onto a target that immediately start to [[Grimdark|burrow into the target with their maw/mandibles and devour it alive from the inside out]]. Like all Tyranid weapons, the Devourer uses a bio-electric jolt (GeeDubs way of simply saying it fires via the nervous system) to promptly tell the lazy fuckers sleeping inside to get to work. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A much larger version called the Brainleech Devourer is mounted only on larger Tyranid organisms and uses specialize Brainleech worms that are far more aggressive and voracious, and go for the target&#039;s brain matter to make sure of the &#039;kill&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This weapon has a nice range and acceptable firepower for a weapon of its size, albeit it doubles your Termagaunts in cost (while tripling their number of ranged attacks per round, a very economical way to increase dakka as long as you protect your Gaunts somehow. As of 6th edition, you can have mixed weapon options now so throw up a wall of spinegaunts or something). If you take this weapon in large broods, you will be aiming at your enemy&#039;s biggest units to just drown the suckers in dozens of shots.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Fleshborer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FB6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer&#039;&#039;&#039; is one of the most iconic Tyranid weapons, a simple design that fires a borer beetle that eats its way through anything it comes across during its flight. Like the Devourer and most Nid firearms, the Fleshborer can only be fired by its respective host, [[Heresy|unless some mad scientist from the Imperium decides its a good idea to attach some electrodes to the weapon like Frankenstein.]] Because the borer beetle is a &#039;&#039;particularly&#039;&#039; lazy fucker, more electro-shocks is required to jolt their asses into action. &lt;br /&gt;
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[[Derp|For some....reason.]] Some Mago Xenobiologi speculate that the Fleshborer itself (The gun that is) [[Wat|is related to the borer beetle or is an evolutionary niche for the borer beetle.]] They state that the gun &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the mother that lays the eggs which means that [[What|each mature beetle somehow metamorphose into a gun.]] [[Herp|We usually know the GW is pretty bad at simple biology, but this is beyond ridiculous and ludicrous.]] Why the Hive Mind thought it was a good idea to make a creature mature into a immobile and helpless creature unless picked up specifically by a Tyranid is a [[Fail]] of epic proportions. It could be that mature female beetles simply merge themselves with regular tyranid organisms, similar to male anglerfish, just the opposite sex.&lt;br /&gt;
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Being the basic weapon for Termagaunts, it has the same stats as an ordinary Bolt Pistol. It will still prove to be more than enough to kill anything with toughness of 7 or less and AV10, as long as you have a lot of them. Tyranids being what they are, you will almost always have a lot of them. Range 12, strength 4, AP 5, and it is an assault 1 weapon.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spike Rifle===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spike-Rifles-5-1024x768.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spike Rifle]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Spike Rifle&#039;&#039;&#039; is a weapon exclusive to Termagaunts. It is, simply put, a harpoon launcher.  That&#039;s about it. &lt;br /&gt;
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More specifically its mechanics are like....exactly the same as a regular harpoon launcher just that the string and trigger are alive and swell. It is essentially a bony tube lined with cord muscles that is compressed like a coil. Once the Nid relaxes the muscles, the stored energy pushes the row of harpoon-like spikes into the adjacent target. The barbs are fucking sharp though; able to tear at a victim&#039;s arteries and cause them to bleed to death. To make it even more killy the barbs and the gun itself is laced with acidic veins and toxin sacs to make any scratch almost always fatal. Whilst it can puncture Jimmy&#039;s [[Flak Armor]], don&#039;t think it would do quite swell with [[Power Armor]].&lt;br /&gt;
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Statwise it&#039;s less imposing than it&#039;s description: range 18&amp;quot;, S3, AP-, Assault 1. Only use these if you do not want to pump a huge amount of points into Devourers but you do not want half your brood to not be able to fire when the Devilgaunts do.  Otherwise avoid them...because they suck.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spinefists===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spinefist6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spinefist]]&lt;br /&gt;
A lighter weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spinefists&#039;&#039;&#039; are used in pairs. They are the more [[Dakka]] version of the Bio-Weapons and are used more akin to a Uzi with shittier penetration and more poison. &lt;br /&gt;
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They shower the target with a hail of poisoned spikes, the sheer amount of darts fired ensure that the target is hit. A tube runs from the air sac powering the weapon, through the user&#039;s arm to its lungs. This means that larger creatures get more mileage out of what is essentially the same weapon, proving that even something as simple as a blowgun can be [[Warp|horribly perverted]] by the grim darkness of the far future. &lt;br /&gt;
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As of 8E, they act like pistols, which means Raveners (and Rippers, which get the similar Spinemaw) can shoot, get stuck in, and still fire off a few shots without having to disengage first.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Strangleweb===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Strangleweb.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Strangleweb]]&lt;br /&gt;
With this weapon, your Tyranids too can learn [[Meme|how to shot web]]. Essentially a Tyrannid [[Webber]]. &lt;br /&gt;
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The effects of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Strangleweb&#039;&#039;&#039; can be described best as a non-cutting variation of the Death Spinner used by the Warp Spiders: instead of slicing through their opponents, it constricts them, and maybe crushes them to death. &lt;br /&gt;
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That&#039;s a pretty big maybe: wounding even basic Guardsmen at 5+ and rolling against Strength instead of Toughness to wound means that this weapon would be best if used against the likes of the [[Death Guard]]... if shooting them wasn&#039;t a stupid idea for a Tyranid player in the first place &#039;&#039;AND&#039;&#039; if you could take more than 1 of them per 10 Gaunts.&lt;br /&gt;
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{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
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===Blinding Venom===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Blinding_Venom.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Blinding Venom]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Imagine baby Drool Cannons, that&#039;s basically the Blinding Venom.&lt;br /&gt;
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Unique to Gargoyles, they can spit acid in the eyes of their enemies to blind them and allow for an easy devouring of the target. The poison is quite weak (6+ what the hell?) &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;and it&#039;s best to just go with the regular poison attacks granted by Toxin Sacks.&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; but it has the blind special rule so it means for every attack the unit being attacked has to pass an initiative test now a unit of gargoyles has a minimum size of 10 models so...&lt;br /&gt;
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As of 8th edition, if the Gargoyles put an unsaved wound onto an enemy unit, the blinding venom makes them suffer -1 to hit for the rest of the phase.&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==Medium==&lt;br /&gt;
Medium weapons are used by Warriors and organisms based on the -[[Biovore|Vore]] and -[[Tyrant_Guard|Guard]] body archetypes.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Barbed Strangler===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BarbedStrangler6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Barbed Strangler]]&lt;br /&gt;
Remember that 70&#039;s cult classic Zardoz? [[James_Bond|Sean Connery]] dressed in [[Slaanesh|red gimp getup]] and killing dudes like he&#039;s [[Khârn]], at the behest of a giant floating head that claims that &amp;quot;The gun is good, the penis is evil.&amp;quot; because the penis shoots seeds that create life? Well, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Barbed Strangler&#039;&#039;&#039; chooses to be both. The gun is very basic, [[Brundlepenis|a muscled tube that stores its seeds in a sack at the base, and shoots them with a powerful spasm along with a fair helping of a corrosive oil.]] &lt;br /&gt;
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The seed upon impact has its nigh-unbreakable shell melted by the oil and sends tendrils to [[rip and tear]] through anything that gets in its way. Using the large blast template, you can cause a lot of damage to a [[Tarpit|blob]] in a single shot.  It also pins but that comes into play very little given that most armies are either largely fearless, ignore pinning anyway, or have LD values good enough to reliably ignore it anyway. With 8e, it traded off the blast template and Pinning for Assault D6 and a bonus to hit when targeting large units, which is a fair trade given the lackluster BS of the average Tyranid.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Deathspitter===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:51-10I 81635.1399044187.500.750.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Deathspitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
The traditional weapon of the Warrior, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Deathspitter&#039;&#039;&#039; works by stripping a large maggot off of it&#039;s shell and hurling it at the enemy. Its [[Rip and tear|huge guts]] are highly corrosive and can splatter several enemies at once. The adaptive evolution of the [[Hive Fleet Hydra]]&#039;s slimer maggots make their Deathspitters even more lethal; the maggots could burrow through the target&#039;s flesh and then [[FATAL| repeatedly fragment and regenerat themselves]]. [[Slaugth|The victims literally burst out with the ever increasing mass of wriggling grubs.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Serving as a decent weapon against [[MEQ]]s, the weapon relies on its rate of fire to deal damage.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Flamespurt Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Flamer#Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon|Tyranid Flamespurt Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Impaler Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ImpalerCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Impaler Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Impaler Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is your answer to anything up to AV 12. &lt;br /&gt;
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This beautiful gun fires a bony spine, steered by a shard-beast at the base of the spine, [[Rip and tear|whose innards are ripped from its body when the spike is fired]]. The spines are launched with enough force to rip through man and machine alike. &lt;br /&gt;
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Though its range is limited you do not have to actually see your target to be able to shoot it, without a significant downside. Oh, and it has a higher rate of fire than the Imperium-equivalent, the Missile Launcher. What&#039;s not to like? This is your go-to weapon for dealing with [[METAL BAWKSES]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Shock Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Niddex2014e.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Shock Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes shortened to Shockcannon.&lt;br /&gt;
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Used by Hive Guard, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Shock Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; shoots out a claw over a considerable distance which latches on to its target and delivers a powerful bio-electric shock, disabling or even destroying a vehicle. Ostensibly, a big fucking meat taser.&lt;br /&gt;
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On tabletop the Shock Cannon is the Hive Guard&#039;s primary anti-vehicle weapon. It&#039;s decent enough at S7 AP-1 d3 Damage, but if it rolls 4+ on Wound against a vehicle, it issues a Mortal Wound that coincidentally makes its low AP completely irrelevant. Roll a 6+, and that becomes d3 Mortal Wounds. Thanks to the change from small templates to D3 shots, this is now actually plenty scary against vehicles of any size.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Spore Mine Launcher===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Launcher.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Launcher]]&lt;br /&gt;
The more explosive (and useful) Dakka to the Flamespurt&#039;s fiery Dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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Created as a result of fights against the Imperial Guard, the Biovore displays this by being the Tyranids&#039; closest thing to an artillery piece and having a massive scrotum befitting a Guardsman&#039;s huge brazen balls. Armed with the &#039;&#039;&#039;Spore Mine Launcher&#039;&#039;&#039;, it can lob Spore Mines a considerable range; living bombs that blanket victims in acid, poisonous gas, and shrapnel-sized chitin spines.&lt;br /&gt;
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Though not as deadly as [[Basilisk|most other artillery weapons]], the Spore Mines are unique in the way that if they don&#039;t land too close to the enemy, you can deploy them onto the battlefield as living mines, serving as an obstacle for your enemy that must be either moved around or shot. Generally more useful in larger point games or [[Apocalypse]].&lt;br /&gt;
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===Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:VC6.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Seen as the primary anti-tank weapon, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; launches a hail of corrosive crystals by way of a biological railgun. Though not as effective as you&#039;d wish, the Venom Cannon can cause quite some hurt on [[Eldar|Aspect Warriors]] and the like. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is ineffective against heavy tanks but okay against transports and open-topped vehicles, though its primary targets should always be medium infantry.  Because you know, a single shot S6 AP4 small blast weapon with only 36 inches of range that you can only have one of per (heinously expensive and surprisingly fragile) warrior brood is clearly the bestest anti-vehicle gun ever.  See Dawn of War II for how they should work and cry bitterly.  You&#039;re best off giving this gun a pass.&lt;br /&gt;
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Slightly buffed in 8th along with the blast weapon changes. It is now Assault d3 with S8 and AP-2. Bit better at least.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Large==&lt;br /&gt;
Here the most powerful and biggest weapons the Tyranids have are described, used by the biggest and baddest of nasties.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Acid Spray===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Spray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Acid Spray]]&lt;br /&gt;
Yo dawg, I heard you like [[Hellhound]]s so I put a [[Flamer|discharge of digestive fluids]] that works just like a Hellhound&#039;s weapon on your Tyranid MC and upped its cost by 100+ points. That&#039;s pretty much the gist of the &#039;&#039;&#039;Acid Spray&#039;&#039;&#039;. The problem is that you have a lot of weapons with stats like that, so using an expensive MC (though well armored) that attracts fire like there&#039;s no tomorrow is a bad idea.&lt;br /&gt;
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In terms of fluff, the Acid Spray is a Tyranid Biomorph found on larger creatures such as the [[Tyrannofex]]. This bioweapon stores huge amounts of highly acidic digestive fluids, then sprays it over a wide area. The acid melts through body armor with shocking ease and reduces its victims to shapeless goo.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-plasmic Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasmic Cannon|Bio-Plasmic Cannon]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Brainleech Devourer===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Brainleech_Devourer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Brainleech Devourer]]&lt;br /&gt;
Get a regular Devourer and then force feed it growth horomones. You get the Brainleech variety.&lt;br /&gt;
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The biggest of Tyranids have devourers loaded with &#039;&#039;&#039;Brainleech Worms&#039;&#039;&#039; instead, a species larger and even more aggressive and hungry than the regular devourer worms. These are used for when the [[Hive Mind]] &#039;&#039;really&#039;&#039; got sick of all these blobs and want to shower them in hungry insects.&lt;br /&gt;
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Range: 18&amp;quot;, S6, AP-, Assault 6. If you&#039;re not using two sets of Twin-Linked Brainleech Devourers on your Flying Hive Tyrant and any Carnifexes you&#039;re fielding, you&#039;re [[fail|doing it wrong]].&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition.  It is a bigger devourer with +2 Strength and double the shots for the MONSTERS in the Tyranid force. Comes as a pair so it puts out 12 shots. Two sets of these gives 24 shots, pretty good overall, made even better with the Pathogenic Slime strategem.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Drool Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:DroolCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Drool Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon with [[Derp|the funny name.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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The Drool Cannon is a type of Tyranid Biomorph found on the [[Hive Crone]]. Protruding from the Crone&#039;s mouth, the Drool Cannon vomits a wave of digestive juices upon its foes. The acidic bile originates from sacs carried on the Crone&#039;s underbelly. Because of the way the Drool Cannon interferes with the Hive Crone&#039;s mouth, it is unknown why the Hive Mind thought it is still viable to waste resource on its sharp teeth (maybe it&#039;s retractable?).&lt;br /&gt;
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So yeah, the Nids have literal super spit, like the [[Space Marines]], but they actually use it repeatedly rather than for [[Plot Armor|plot reasons.]] Although knowing how fast some factions fly their planes, it must be one heck of a spit for it to hit anything at all.&lt;br /&gt;
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For crunch, it is the [[Hive Crone]]&#039;s answer to the [[Heldrake]] Baleflamer, except lacking Torrent and a good AP value and pretty much anything good, including its icky name. Template S6 AP4.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Fleshborer Hive===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Fleshborer_Hive.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fleshborer Hive]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think the [[Leman_Russ_Battle_Tank|Leman Russ Punisher]], but replace the Punisher gun with a &#039;&#039;&#039;Fleshborer Hive&#039;&#039;&#039;. That&#039;s about it. Because sometimes you have just run out of Troops choices (how one runs out of termagants is another question), and you just need 20 Termagants worth of Fleshborer fire on a tough platform. &lt;br /&gt;
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Consisting of a large colony of the same breed of borer beetles found in the simple fleshborer, the fanged creatures stored in the bloated sacs of the hive lay thousands of eggs that hatch and mature at a fast rate within the chambers of the brood nest. &lt;br /&gt;
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Needless to say, this is shit. Also,the fluff states that it must periodically discharge beetles or it makes the [[Wat|Tyrannofex explode.]] [[FAIL|The Hive Mind proves its genius yet again.]] In 8th, the stats are still sucky, but it can fire twice if the Tyrannofex doesn&#039;t move. 40 shots a turn for a respectable amount of biological dakka.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition it has recieved a much needed buff. [[Dakka|It&#039;s a Heavy 20 Fleshborer at S5.]] Because of the short range it&#039;s not as impressive as the Rupture Cannon, but the ability to bring a portable Fire Warrior squad&#039;s worth of firepower with you is nothing to scoff at, especially if it gets to shoot twice while standing still. The Scorch Bugs Stratagem makes it absolutely terrifying. &lt;br /&gt;
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Also if you have trypophobia (fear of holes), this &#039;&#039;may&#039;&#039; not be the best weapon to use on tabletop. Chances of projectile vomiting. Too high.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Tl;dr]], its a weapon (that shoots bugs) that you can fire from you fucking forearm. Bioshock indeed.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Heavy Venom Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Heavy_VC.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Venom Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Heavy Venom Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; is just that: a bigger version of the Venom Cannon able to deal with bigger vehicles, and it would be a lot more reliable if it wasn&#039;t using a Blast template. Can be used against tanks up to [[Land Raider]]s, but lack the firepower to deal reliably with them and lacks the armor penetration to deal with [[MEQ]]s on a consistent basis. &lt;br /&gt;
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It is slightly better on Carnifexes than it&#039;s littler brother is on Warriors primarily because you can actually field the things in bulk...sort of. It&#039;s still not particularly good; but it&#039;s passable on a bio-blast brood if you don&#039;t want more dakkafexes for some insane reason. In 8th, it is largely the same as the regular Venom Cannon with one more strength (S9) and 3 damage per shot making it excellent elite infantry killers and decent anti tank&lt;br /&gt;
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===Rupture Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rupture_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rupture Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a Tyranid Vanquisher Cannon.&lt;br /&gt;
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If you want to stop a tank dead in its tracks, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Rupture Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039;(a fluff-wise bigger barbed strangler) is your friend. Firing two projectiles in a short succession, a tick that covers the enemy in a gooey substance, and a seed that upon impact with the goo dissolves at such speed which triggers a chemical implosion powerful enough to turn a [[Baneblade]] inside out. &lt;br /&gt;
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That&#039;s what the fluff says, anyway - while it boasts a commanding s10, it strikes at AP 4, so MEQs don&#039;t even notice it.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th however, it got horrifyingly good. It&#039;s now a 3 SHOT LASCANNON with an extra point of S, and the Tyrannofex can fire &#039;&#039;twice&#039;&#039; when it stays still. MEQs will definitely notice it now, but it&#039;s much better against vehicles; up to 6 S10 AP-3 D6 damage shots per shooting phase will ensure that even Knights and Land Raiders will feel the hurt.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Stranglethorn Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stranglethorn_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Stranglethorn Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
An upscaled version of the Barbed Strangler (thus it fires much larger, stronger, and more aggressive seed-pods), the &#039;&#039;&#039;Stranglethorn Cannon&#039;&#039;&#039; has enough power to deal with even the toughest of foes, and serves as a borderline artillery weapon. The growing pod&#039;s mass of barbed tentacles can grasp onto the armor plating of vehicles and rip them to pieces.&lt;br /&gt;
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It has the same AP as it&#039;s smaller brother, and the same blast size and pinning rule, but now it has S6 which means it can now pile on hurt better and harass light vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
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In 8th edition it is a bigger Barbed Strangler with +2 Strength for the MONSTERs in the Tyranid force. Keeps the above +1 to hit rule and also inflicts 1 more damage. Kills light Infantry more efficiently than the HVC. Combine with Enhanced Senses and laugh at the look on your opponent&#039;s face as a Carnifex hits on a 2+ (Only if units of 10 or more). Unfortunately still only hits on a 3+ on a carnifex with enhanced senses.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Tentaclids===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Tentaclid2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Tentaclid]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flying under the wings of Hive Crones, the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tentaclids&#039;&#039;&#039; are living seeker missiles who can chase after flying targets such as enemy aircraft and disable them with a powerful bio-electric pulse.&lt;br /&gt;
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In terms of crunch they are the Crone&#039;s big surprise. These Babies only have S5 to their name and a re-roll to hit flying units, but if they wound a vehicle on a 4+ it deals a Mortal Wound with a 6+ dealing d3 Mortal Wounds. &lt;br /&gt;
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Unlike before, these can actually be used again and again which kind of contradicts the fluff since Hive Crones only carry four of these things...unless of course a Tentaclid is spawned from the Hive Fleet itself and homes and attaches to the nearest Hive Crone. Or after disabling an enemy flier it just returns to its carrier crone.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-Cannon===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Biocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Cannon]]&lt;br /&gt;
The biggest motherfucking gun alive (Both figuratively and literally). The Bio-Cannon is a Tyranid Biomorph. Equipped on titan-sized creatures such as the [[Hierophant]] and [[Harridan]], the Bio-Cannon works like a giant Deathspitter; that is that it spews forth a hail of highly venomous and corrosive maggot organisms. &lt;br /&gt;
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But these maggots are ECKS BAWKS HUEG to make it a threat to superheavies. These organisms like their smaller cousins, explode on impact, splattering a rain of bio-acid and poison that can melt through nearly any material in a matter of seconds. Of course how this affects esoteric shit like [[Void shield|Void Shields]] is unknown (Maybe it eats through Void Shields?).&lt;br /&gt;
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On crunch, the Bio-Cannons comes in two since the Hierophant naturally twin-links these; they are S10 (which can double for the price of taking D3 mortal wounds, like tau units overcharging), AP-2, 2D6 damage (doubled against buildings and other TITANIC units). Its a shame it is the only Titan-grade Tyranid weapon though.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Inbuilt==&lt;br /&gt;
Certain weapons used by the Tyranids are part of the creatures themselves, instead of being addition to the arms/back.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-Electric Pulse===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bio-Electric_Pulse.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Bio-Electric Pulse]]&lt;br /&gt;
Built into the Trygon, a electrical charge is build up by the creature as it moves, allowing a powerful and [[Dakka|large]] discharge. The Trygon Prime increases the range of this blast, and doubles its rate of fire.&lt;br /&gt;
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It is also great for tunneling which is a plus for the Trygon. They use their bio-static charge to assist with tunneling, as their tunnels have been found coated with a fused, glass-like silicate layer on the inside. This effect stabilizes the tunnel walls and prevents them from collapsing behind a burrowing Trygon. Which is stupid when given the weight and size of the Trygon. Unless it is smooth like a [[Adeptus Custodes|lubed bannana]], then there is no way such glass would withstand such violent digging. Furthermore, large vehicles and some animals could burrow efficiently without needing to turn their surroundings to glass. So this ability is quite redundant unless the Nids want to transport smaller grubs along its merry adventure.&lt;br /&gt;
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If you don&#039;t know, the Bio-Electric Pulse &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;IS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; the Trygon&#039;s carapace armor.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bio-Plasma===&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;See main article here: [[Plasma#Bio-Plasma|Bio-Plasma]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Cluster Spines===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Cluster_Spines.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Cluster Spines]]&lt;br /&gt;
Just imagine a porcupine that shoot out its spines or a [[Lizardmen]]&#039;s Razordon.&lt;br /&gt;
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The largest Tyranids have banks of spines build into their carapaces that they can fire when under stress. Consisting of rows of quills embedded into the carapaces of the equipped creature like a giant Porcupine. These spines are dense and hollow like a Frag Grenade and explode upon impact like one, dealing significant damage to anything in the area of impact over considerable distances. Of course, it is unknown whether these are single shot or multi-use. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fired into densely packed groups of enemies, these spines can saturate large areas with needle-sized slivers, making them a potent anti-infantry weapon. Although given on where the Tyranid would like to grow its spines, [[Fail|it can also end up hitting nothing but air.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Its more anti-armor version is the Stinger Salvo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Flesh Hooks===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:FleshHooks.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Flesh Hooks]]&lt;br /&gt;
Flesh Hooks are sharp barbs attached to long, sinewy tentacles, which are kept coiled close to the Lictor&#039;s rib cage, until they are fired by a powerful muscle spasm. They are the Tyranid&#039;s answer to Scorpion&#039;s sting from Mortal Kombat. So don&#039;t be too surprise if Nid players shout &amp;quot;Get Over Here!&amp;quot; every once in a while.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Until 5th Edition edition came out, nearly any species of Gaunt, Warrior and more could use these. They are long bony spines with barbed hooks on the end that serve as both harpoons and possible grapnel for climbing. The Lictor can use these hooks either to scale sheer obstacles, or to snag luckless prey and drag it into the Lictor&#039;s waiting claws. Now they&#039;re Lictor and Warrior/Shrike only (Carnifexes have access to Spine Banks, which are similar), count as Frag Grenades, and can be fired for a surprisingly deadly shot.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Grasping Tongue===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Grasping_Tongue.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Grasping Tongue]]&lt;br /&gt;
The ultimate OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Grasping Tongue is less of a tongue and more of a mound of tentacle claws attached to a giant mouth. This is a weapon you can see in every [[/d/|tentacle hentai]] ever and not be surprised at all. Seriously what was GW smoking?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though technically part of an [[Haruspex]]&#039;s body, it can use its long tongue to snag an enemy, pluck it out of its unit and devour it whole.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For 8th edition crunch, everyone&#039;s favorite [[Rape|tentacle rape]] got a pretty good buff; it&#039;s rather fierce at S6 AP-3 and d3 damage, it gains further use since it can be used within close range and regains a wound if it kills something, so it can add to survivability.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Ripper Tentacles===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Ripper_Tentacle.jpg|110px|right|thumb|Ripper Tentacles]]&lt;br /&gt;
No. They are in no way related to the small, petite living stomachs called the [[Ripper|Rippers]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, they do bare resemblance to other tentacle-themed enemies in science fiction (Que hentai tentacle rape jokes). Possibly why this and the Mycetic Spore was canned cause they ain&#039;t copyrightable enough for GW. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used by Mycetic Spores, the tentacles themselves consist of thick ropes of muscles and tendon. Drawn to movement, any moving foe within reach of the Tentacles will be thoroughly smashed like dough on a kitchen board.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, these are long-ranged tentacles able to do significant damage to medium-sized blobs thanks to their high rate of fire (strange choice of words when the weapon in question is akin to beating someone over the head with a tentacle).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course with the fact that the [[Mycetic Spore]] has all but been &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;squatted&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; replaced by the far more modern and up-to-date [[Sporocyst]] the canon is all but up in the air with these Tentacles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spore Mine Cysts===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Spore_Mine_Cysts.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Spore Mine Cysts]]&lt;br /&gt;
Build into the underside of a Harpy, you can have it drop a Spore Mine onto something it flew over once per game as if it was making a bombing run. The same rules for the Spore Mines as stated above count here as well. Some players have gone their way to make the Harpies &#039;&#039;carry&#039;&#039; the Spore Mines. Of course, most modern equivalent of the Spore Cyst are the two stubby looking anuses behind a Harpy. So yes, the Tyranids can actually shit explosive submunitions on their enemies. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unfortunately it is a pretty outdated weapon, dating back to 4th edition. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 4th Edition, Spore Cysts are found on larger Tyranids and are excretion pits for the creation of Spore Mines. The symbiotic relationship between creature and spore cyst is such that they cannot be separated once formed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Stinger Salvo===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Stinger_Salvo.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Stinger Salvo]]&lt;br /&gt;
Think of it as a giant Spinefist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Works comparable to the Cluster Spines, except this is more of a barrage of large solid spikes akin to the spinefists rather than a densely hollow spines. Powerful muscular contractions spray the spikes out to skewer enemy infantry and pierce the toughest of armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Think of this as the anti-armor variant of the Cluster Spine&#039;s anti-infantry. Although they can both harm either infantry or armored divisions when peppered sufficiently with spines/spikes. Just like the Cluster Spine,  the Stinger Salvo is a weapon who practicality is only viable given on where the Tyranid would like to put it, turning into a living, breathing spike bomb into a fairly useless weapon that rains spikes cause the dumb idiot placed its Stinger Salvo a tad bit too high.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Thorax Swarm===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Thorax_Swarm.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Thorax Swarm]]&lt;br /&gt;
Certain Tyranids can issue forth swarms of bugs living in their thoraxes to devour anything in short range. These creatures erupt from openings in their host&#039;s chest to drown the enemy in a deadly cloud that chews out eyes and crawls down throats. These swarms come in three flavors: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Electroshock Grubs:&#039;&#039;&#039; These grubs are insects who electrocute anything they grab onto for a damaging attack, anything caught in between this energy is reduced to a charred ruin.&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Desiccator Larvae:&#039;&#039;&#039; These are grubs who drain the target&#039;s body of all of its moisture within seconds, leaving only a dry husk. This means that once fully bloated, they would be one huge grub seeing how the Human body is like what, 75% water.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&#039;&#039;&#039;Shreddershard Beetles:&#039;&#039;&#039;  Instinctively crawl into any nook and crevice on their victims such as those between armor joints. They are bugs who Rend their way through their targets, exploding in shards of needles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Melee==&lt;br /&gt;
Every Tyranid organism has at least rows of sharp teeth and deadly claws, but some go an extra mile.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Claws and Teeth===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Claws and Teeth.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Claws and Teeth]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your most vanilla of close combat Tyranid weapons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Claws and Teeth are basic Tyranid Biomorphs equipped to even the most simplest of organisms, such as Rippers. These razor-sharp claws and maws of fangs allow them to rip apart enemies. There&#039;s nothing spectacular about them, and thus there is nothing interesting about them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On tabletop, Claws and Teeth are the stock CCW for your Rippers and Termies. (And Zoanthropes as well, but really those guys don’t belong in combat in most cases). They do moderate damage against GEQs and fair pretty bad when it comes to MEQs and above, requiring sheer weight of numbers to be even remotely effective.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All in all, Claws and Teeth is only used when someone really wants to use up all their attacks or that they are &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;THAT&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; desperate.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Acid Maw===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Acid_Maw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Acid Maw]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To aid them in the digestion of a world&#039;s biomass, Pyrovores drool a highly corrosive acid that can dissolve pretty much anything. The downside is that they need to focus all their energy on making a successful bite attack, diminishing their potential damage output.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some creatures also have a powerful tongue dripping with corrosive acids that can be used to snare prey and bring them in for consumption and digestion while leaving other limbs free for other tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th edition, the Acid Maw is now the primary CCW of the former biggest joke of 40k, the Pyrovore, now with S5 and AP-3 on all (i.e. both) its attacks. Can also be taken by Genestealers. &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;DO THIS&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;, [[Awesome|they&#039;re basically free power swords for every 4 models in a unit.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There&#039;s even an upgrade called the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Acid Maw&#039;&#039;&#039;. Which is an option for the Carnifex, with S6 AP-5 and d3 damage. Because you really want to make sure somebody won&#039;t get its armor save. Doesn&#039;t replace any other melee weapons either, so you can always use the talons if you want more reliable damage. Mutually exclusive with Enhanced Senses, Bio-Plasma, and Tusks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Lash Whip===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:LashWhipBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lash Whip]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tyranids have also learned to Whip it Good!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A classic and the source of many a [[rule 34]], they allow its user to strike much faster than they normally could, getting a blow in before the enemy can. More seriously though, a Lash Whip is a Tyranid Bio-weapon in the form of a living whip with three tentacles of muscle and sinew that writhe of their own accord and strike at their prey, independently of their wielder&#039;s actions. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Lash Whip has a small body contained within a bony tube which forms the handle of the whip, and has three tentacles which form the rest of its body. The creature survives by slicing flesh from its victims and consuming them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon suffers from not being effective against armored enemies, though. Provided you&#039;re not a venomthrope this is paired with a bone-sword with AP 3 which makes this combo death-incarnate for MEQ&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Feeder Tendrils===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Feeder_Tendrils.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Feeder Tendrils]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Basically the Brain Bug from Starship Troopers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Feeder Tendrils are a special organs of some Tyranid&#039;s organisms (Lictors, for example) that able them to drain the dead victim&#039;s brain matter, absorbing all of its memories and knowledge. This provide the Tyranids with the information about enemy&#039;s strong and weak spots and other reconnaissance data.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th Edition tabletop, Feeder Tendrils are no longer considered weapons but as a form of Strategem for some reason. Feeder Tendrils lets you gamble on a 2/3 chance to make a CP profit. Or more specifically, when a Genestealer, Lictor, Venomthrope, or Toxicrene kills a Character in the Fight Phase, it gain D3 CP. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the very least, this is effectively free since gaining 1 CP will still be enough to negate the cost of using the Stratagem in the first place. More often, it&#039;ll let you turn opposing characters into an opportunity for bonus CP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rending Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Rendingclaw.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rending Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The iconic claws of Genestealers and the origin of the Rending rule, these claws are both incredibly sharp and hard; tipped in extremely dense diamond-hard chitin. Powered by the overdeveloped musculature and steel-like tendons of a Tyranid, rending claws become capable of ripping open Ceramite and thick armor with ease as well as fatally shredding flesh and bone; allowing you to pick apart even a [[Terminator]] with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, Rending Claws are a cheap AP-1 weapon, with Rending being replaced with a 6+ on a wound roll giving the attack AP-4. There is also an upgrade called &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Rending Claws&#039;&#039;&#039;, which deal AP-3 D3 Damage, on a 6+ on a wound roll makes the attack AP-6 and a flat 3 damage. Also confers re-rolls to wound, which allow for more &#039;rending&#039; 6s and is important as the Tyrant generally needs higher numbers to hurt things now than in previous editions. Considering that they are also FREE, the claws should be your go-to melee weapon of choice for the Hive Tyrant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Talons===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ScythingTalon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Scything Talons]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The long, bladed weapons you see on Tyranids of all sizes. These weapons are long, razor-edged claws resembling fused talons made of Chitin and serrated bone-like substances. Each talon is powered by whipcord muscles to stab, slash, and eviscerate victims with lightning-fast swipes. They can pierce very light armor as found on [[Ork]]s and the like, but tougher armor will likely stop the blows. Overall, the basic Tyranid melee weapon. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 5th Edition they were a lot better because they gave rerolls to failed To Hit rolls (only the ones with one pair, but all of them if you have two pairs), at the slight loss of not being able to penetrate even the lightest of armors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, Scything Talons now allow a model to re-roll to hit rolls of 1 when attacking with this weapon (something they used to do back in 5th). In addition, if the model has more than one pair, they can make 1 additional attack with this weapon. It is confirmed via FAQ that multiple sets of talons grant only +1 attack total, not +1 per set; this applies for all sizes of Scything Talons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is also the &#039;&#039;&#039;Monstrous Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; (For the big bois), which are found on Tyrants and the Carnifex. Same rules as above but AP-3, 3 Damage. If that&#039;s not enough for you, than we have the even bigger &#039;&#039;&#039;Massive Scything Talons&#039;&#039;&#039; which is only found on Tervigons, Maleceptor, Trygon and Trygon Primes and are AP-3, D6 Damage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesword===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BoneswordBit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bonesword]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Psychic swords that feed off the life force of their target, they can inflict Instant Death and tear through Space Marines with ease.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Bonesword is living organism, which has a small brain situated deep within its hilt and has a rudimentary sentience that allows it to gradually grow in length and repair any battle damage to itself and maintain a deadly monomolecular edge. However, it is completely slaved to the will of its wielder and is incapable of any independent thought. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The weapon is made of chitin and constantly crackles with powerful psychic energy that flows along embedded nerve tendrils to create a psychic field around the blade, effectively creating a biological version of a [[Force weapon|force weapon.]] This energy amplifies in potency when in close proximity to another Bonesword, such as when used in pairs. It is serrated on both edges and was originally a creature&#039;s massively elongated horn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[/d/|The Bonesword can generate a powerful surge of psychic energy when stimulated by its user.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Bonesabre===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Bonesabre.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Bonesabre]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Badass Boneswords used by the [[Swarmlord]], it can use these weapons in a barrage of blades to ward off incoming melee attacks. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They differ from commonly seen Tyranid Boneswords in that each Sabre has a crystalline growth, not indigenous to the galaxy, at its core that partially protrudes through the blade&#039;s serrated surface. The Swarmlord can parry with these sabres at such speed that its foes find it all but impossible to inflict a hit on the creature.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crunchwise, they are 4++ in CC only. Also INSTANT DEATH ON ANY SUCCESSFULY CUT.  Not just on sixes. Swarmy may have a place still.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scything Tail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Scything_Tail.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Scything Tail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Scything Talon found on a tail. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Tail Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Thresher Scythe&#039;&#039;&#039;. Scything Tails occurs on larger Tyranids, it is effectively the tail of the creature given a scythe edge, often used to sweep through large numbers of lightly armored enemies. They can also tear through armor like it&#039;s nothing, be able to morph into maces capable of punching holes in tanks or be equipped with stingers containing highly lethal toxins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 8th Edition, the Tail Scythe is now known as the Thresher Scythe and it is a S4, AP-1 D1 weapon. Its special ability is that it can make D3 hit rolls for each attack made with this weapon instead of a 1. This makes it complementary to the Wrecker Claws and Bio-Flail combo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Crushing Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Crushing_Claws.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Crushing Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws AKA [[Meme|&#039;&#039;CRAB PEOPLE! CRAB PEOPLE!&#039;&#039;]] are a Tyranid Bio-weapon of huge crab-like claws found on the largest Tyranid organisms, the only creatures capable of hefting the enormous bulk of the claws, such as Carnifexes. The claws are obscenely strong and powerful enough to destroy multiple opponents in one swoop or easy cut through the toughest vehicle armor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Used only by [[Carnifex]]es, [[Tervigon]]s and [[Tyrant Guard]], this massive pair of crab-like claws grants S+1, AP2, Armourbane and Unwieldy. Not very interesting for the Tervigon because its role is really nothing more than sitting on an objective, shitting out as many Gaunts as it can. Carnifexes on the other hand have pretty much lost their utility as linebreakers, you&#039;re better off running them as a dakkafex and letting Trygons do the heavy lifting. They are not very interesting on Hive Guard either, given their prohibitive cost and they make them swing very slow: it is best to use the Rending Claws and have them do the job.&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Wrecker Claws===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Wrecker_Claw.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Wrecker Claws]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crushing Claws on steroids.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Wrecker Claws are immense claws covered in diamond-hard chitin and ultra-dense bone to enable it crush the armor of vehicles with relative ease. These things are nothing more than living power shears and its nature of violently ripping apart even the most heavily armored of foes would strike fear in the hearts of feeble men.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crusher Carnifex comes automatic with two Wrecker Claws. They are allowed to re-roll all failed Armour Penetration rolls, as well as add one to the result if against immobile structures and fortifications (on top of the +2 granted by the Wrecker Claws AP1 value) when using their Wrecker Claws. Although the Stone Wrecker Carnifex has less attacks than the Carnifex (two compared to three) any attack that goes through is more than likely going to cause an Explodes!  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can swap out one of the Wrecker Claws with a Bio-Flail for maximum FUCK YOU!&lt;br /&gt;
{{clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
===Bio-Flail===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:WreckingBall.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Bio-Flail]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Otherwise known as the &#039;&#039;&#039;Wrecking Ball&#039;&#039;&#039; or &#039;&#039;&#039;Stone Crusher&#039;&#039;&#039;. The Stone-Crusher is a Tyranid close combat Biomorph most commonly encountered on the Stone-Crusher Carnifex and is nothing more than a large mass of bone, chitin and flesh. Designed for urban battles, the Stone-Crusher is rammed through a wall using the Carnifex&#039;s immense strength then pulled backwards to wrench the entire structure down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 7th Edition, Stone Crushers turn a Carnifex into a living battering ram. Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail replaces their ability to re-roll amour penetration on their regular attacks with the ability to cause Instant Death and gain a new rule, Sweep Attack. Sweep Attack allows a model to replace all their attacks with a number of attacks equal to the number of enemy models in base contact with them. This allows a Stone Crusher Carnifex with a Wrecker Claw and Bio-Flail to generate more attacks and stops it being tarpitted as easily, while the trade off is that they may find it harder to destroy vehicles.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-Tyranid-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2001:56A:F829:9000:B022:DBC5:83BB:43EA</name></author>
	</entry>
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