Poxwalkers

2023-06-13T05:11:55Z

2001:8003:DC2D:9900:C41C:9F42:3502:A1BE:

[[File:Poxwalkers1.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Look at their shit-eating grins. You know they just popped a whoopee cushion filled with all of the Galaxy's known STD's somewhere in the house.]]

There's a new kid in town and these shambling plague hosts are represented by the repugnant and varied '''Poxwalkers''', each draped in scraps of clothing from their former lives. Poxwalkers — GW's copyright-friendly update of the classic [[Plague Zombie]] — are the new breed of [[Nurgle]]'s rotting legions and sit somewhere between your basic Nurgle follower/cultist and [[Plaguebearers]] in Papa Nurgle's food chain.
==Overview==
In the [[fluff]], Poxwalkers are in fact Plague Zombies of a specific strain. The Walking Pox, as it's called, is spread by the sound of a Poxwalker's groans and has the especially cruel effect of preserving the victim's consciousness even after their death and transformation. This leaves the Poxwalker [[Grimdark|fully aware of its surroundings and condition, but incapable of controlling the actions of its decaying, increasingly mutated body]]. The Ordo Sepulturum think the Walking Pox may be a modified form of Nurgle's Rot, as even after the Poxwalker's death its flesh mutates in the same way as a [[Plaguebearer]]'s.

Because they are formed from literally the dregs of society, Poxwalkers aren't particularly well-armed as they just grab whatever primitive junk they can find across the streets. This includes [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Flail|Flails]]/[[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Maul|Mauls]], [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Sword|Swords]], [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Axe|Axes]], [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Hammer|Hammers]], [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Spear|Spears/Halberds]] and [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Combat Knife|Knives]].

Whilst models does show some of them carrying the odd firearm like a [[Flintlock Pistol]], [[Musket]] or [[Blunderbuss]], [[Derp|there are no rules for them]]. Although in Darktide, they do carry guns that they fire. This includes [[Stub Gun]]s, [[Sawn-Off Shotgun]]s (Including the [[Pump-Action Shotgun|Pump-Action variety]]), [[Stub Rifle]]s, [[Crossbow (40k)|Crossbow]]s, [[Autogun]]s and [[Autopistol]]s.

Moreover, [[Darktide]] also introduces new subvarieties of Poxwalker like Poxbursters, who are suicide bombers, and [[Pox Hound]]s, who are infected dogs.

==Pox Burster==
[[File:Pox_Burster.PNG|200px|right|thumb|NURGLE'HU ACKBAR! <span style='color:green;font-size:100%'>BOOOOM!</span>
]]
The aforementioned merry suicide bomber from [[Darktide]]. The Pox Burster is a type of Poxwalker that has filled himeslf with so much god damn diseases, he turned himself into a walking plague bomb. Granted, he does look a bit better in complexion than the usual Poxwalker, but nevertheless, these guys are a one-trick pony into becoming a [[Plaguebearer]].

They are armed with nothing but a bunch of [[Melta Bomb]]s that had their contents emptied out and filled with a whole range of diseases, not just the poxwalker plague, so they are essentially walking around with 20 kilos worth of [[Grenades & Explosives#Blight Grenade|Blight Grenades]]. They are pretty scary to face against as the only you will hear from them is the ticking timer of their explosive charges. You don't know where they are and you don't how close they are until it is often too late.

Once they spot you, Pox Bursters will charge at a player in your party, but unlike a [[Mutant]] they will blow themselves up on impact, doing high AOE damage. Therefore, it is a priority for you to try to take them out from range before they can do this, but if that's not possible then it's best for the group to spread out in order to minimize the damage because once this thing goes off, not only would you be dealt heavy damage, but you will get flung across the room and sometimes, fall to your death.

You can also bash the Pox Burster just before it hits you, and it will be knocked backwards before it explodes, doing no damage to you, but this shit is way too risky and not worth the effort.
{{Clear}}

==Crunch==
Crunch wise, Poxwalkers are smelly [[Grognard]]s with pretty terrible stats and no shooting weapons, are slower than even [[Plague Marines]], but can do Advance moves and get two base melee attacks. They also get the same <s>Feel No Pain</s> Disgustingly Resilient ability as Plague Marines so ignore any wound on a 5+, along with a 7+ armor save because that's a thing (since cover is a modifier now this can be improved). One of their only remarkable traits is that enemies slain in combat by Poxwalkers will themselves become a Poxwalker (sadly, they actually become a Poxwalker and not an undead version of themselves). Of course as awesome as that sounds that would probably need a whole ass PDF just to fit the chart of every possible zombified infantry unit and would almost certainly slow the game down massively as well as needing to be updated regularly and likely start all kinds of rules lawyering arguments. So, probably for the best that they went with the simple route.

Poxwalkers can be affected by a few buffs that turn them from a meh tarpit unit into one that's actually kinda good. The first is that if a Poxwalker unit contains 10 or more models it adds +1 to its attack rolls, making them hit on a 4. Another is [[Typhus]]; if he's within 6" Poxwalkers gain +1 S/T. Casting Miasma of Pestilence makes enemy shooting rolls -1, Putrescent Vitality gives them a further +1 S/T and all can be combined, along with Disgustingly Resilient ignoring wounds on 5+ and Curse of the Walking Pox adding models every time enemies are slain, to turn this into a shockingly effective blob unit. 20 of these will cost about the same as 5 Plague Marines (not counting Typhus' cost for the S/T boost). One of the Death Guard's Stratagems boosts them further by causing all non-Poxwalker infantry that die near them (''including allies'') to turn into Poxwalkers on death, so taking them with Cultists lets them become a massive tarpit that gains models faster than they can be killed off.

GW has also made the dick move of not releasing them as a separate kit, so your only options of getting them are 20 from the Dark Imperium set (with some actual variety to the models) or 6 from the Ez-Build box. Consider that you'll probably want some extras on hand, for when your Poxwalker blob starts growing after some rounds of combat. Have fun. If you want some variety, grab some Skeletons or Zombies from the <s>Warhammer Fantasy</s> Age of Sigmar range.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Chaos]]

[[Category: Chaos Space Marines]]

[[Category: Death Guard]]

{{Death Guard}}

Mawloc

2023-06-12T13:11:30Z

2001:8003:DC2D:9900:C41C:9F42:3502:A1BE: Original OP had the sentence backwards 'This what happens if you don't walk with rhythm', implies you need to walk with rhythm to avoid worms in Dune, when he clearly meant you have to walk without rhythm to avoid worms

[[File:Mawlok Maw.jpg|right|thumb|This is what happens when you [[Dune|walk with rhythm]].]]

'''Mawlocs''' are monstrous [[Tyranids]] that live almost entirely underground. They are nearly blind, but their sense of touch is extremely acute; they are capable of ducking into and out of combat as well as any human, by sensing the movements of the air around them and their [[Exoskeleton|bonded exoskeletons]] allows them to resist even [[Bolters]].

An old Terran legend from the year 990.M2 indicates that several Mawlocs [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremors_(film) terrorized the town of Perfection, Nevada].
==Overview==
Mawlocs locate prey by detecting regular rhythms, like evil versions of [[Dune]]'s sandworms or [[Cthulhu|star nose moles]]. Once they have heard such a signature, they tunnel up to the surface, burst out of the ground, devour anything that fits in their ''maw'' (get it?), and smash anything that doesn't, before diving back underground to find their next target. They are used to bypass enemy defenses and attack vital elements of the enemy's organization -- supply convoys, headquarters, artillery batteries, airfields, and other assets hidden well behind the front line. Support units that thought themselves safe from attack may find themselves rudely surprised by the tell-tale rumbling of the Mawloc's approach.
[[File:T5EMawloc.jpg|380px|left|thumb|HMMMMM! I LOVE THE SMELL OF [[Tau|BLUEBERRY PIE]] IN THE MORNING!]]

Physically, the Mawloc is a very simple organism with most of its bio-morphs geared towards burrowing. It has six incredibly powerful limbs employed to gain traction underground, but they are small and lack the reach to be efficient in combat. Instead, it attacks by swallowing prey whole with its massive razor-toothed maw, or pounds larger foes flat with its muscular tail before eventually devouring them as well. These victims are often digested within its stomach over several long days. Despite its immense size and mass, a Mawloc is incredibly agile and able to weave through incoming fire with fluid grace.

A Mawloc is almost entirely blind, and relies on a series of pressure-sensitive organs that run the length of its flank, which provide the Mawloc with a many-layered and ever-changing picture of the world around it. A Mawloc's senses are so delicate that it can absorb and interpret pressure waves as they travel through both solid and liquid matter. They are able to detect even the slightest tremor, and intercept their quarry with unerring speed and accuracy. Added together, this allows a Mawloc to home in on its prey even whilst burrowing through ground. The more regular and rhythmic the sound, for example, the pounding thump of a terrified heart, the more likely a Mawloc will be able to orientate into emerging precisely beneath its prey. Thus it is a victim's fear that dooms them. The Mawloc's favorite prey seem to be [[Tau|Blueberries]], either due to encountering them the most or the simple fact that they suck at melee and their [[Weeaboo]] factor is too insufferable for even the Hive Mind is a possibility.

According to the [[Ordo Xenos]], it is a flight of fancy that anything unlucky enough to be swallowed whole by a Mawloc survives long enough to experience the agony of being digested; such a victim would either be crushed to death by the contractions of its gullet or suffocate within a few minutes - which, as [[Inquisitor]] [[Amberley Vail]] admitted, ''"isn't all that comforting."'' Unless of course if you're [[Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka]] [[Awesome|who is a badass motherfucker to say fuck the noise and cut open the Mawloc like a bitch and then soon after ate the Mawloc for breakfast.]]

Its only true rival in terms of eating is the [[Haruspex]], the [[Squiggoth]] and the [[Squig|Colossal Squig]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

[[Category: Megafauna]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

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Poxwalkers

Mawloc