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Pyrovore

2023-06-05T20:49:22Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

{{Fail}}
{{heresy}}
[[Image:Pyrovore.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Oh god, the horror...]]

'''Pyrovores''' are a [[Tyranid]] unit that were once widely considered to be the worst unit in all of [[Warhammer 40,000]]. In D&D terms it's the True Strike of Wargaming. Introduced in [[Warhammer 40,000 5th Edition|5th Edition]], they were representative of [[Robin Cruddace]]'s awful, [[ Heresy|'''awful''' Tyranids codex,]] in which at least half of the units had absolutely no idea what they're supposed to be doing or were so abysmally awful at what they ''were'' supposed to be doing that no one ever took them.

Also, put it in TF2 context for a bad time.

[[FAIL|And then]] [[Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition|the 6th edition book]] [[FAIL|came out, and, somehow, Pyrovores got even ''worse.'']]

But by some miraculous act of the Emperor, GW (Mostly) isn't shit anymore and has recognized the uselessness of the Pyrovore. The 8th edition changes finally made the Pyrovore into a ''surprisingly decent enough murder machine'', and 9th edition made them even better.

==Fluff==
Pyrovores are living fuel refineries for the Hive Fleet. They gain said fuel by eating. They can pretty much eat anything, from organics to inorganic material like rocks or metal, which they're able to digest thanks to the corrosive acids inside their stomachs, which explode if they get bumped too hard. Or, if you enjoy the taste of brain bleach, they're [[Biovore|giant walking prematurely-ejaculating penises with fire instead of spunk]].

A Pyrovore has two brains: one for that [[Fail|lumbering hunk of fail]] that eats like an [[Neckbeard|obese kid,]] and another for the giant [[Flamespurt Cannon]] on its back. This allows the Pyrovore to devour everything like a neckbeard eating [[meatbread]] while the cannon keeps watch. The funny thing about this is that its [[Derp|cannon is much smarter than the beast itself]]; the Pyrovore is only driven by its need to eat while the cannon's smart enough to target enemies on its own. This might very well explain why the Pyrovore's terrible in melee combat.

Why the Hive Fleet thought it was a good idea to put a derp-grade brain into a beast that needs a modicum of intelligence to handle itself in combat, especially given its ability to explode, while putting the smart brain on a gun, which really isn't that powerful compared to the other morphs, and make them incapable of working together, begs the question: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIjipFoAd_s why?]. Sure, it can be vaguely likened to how a tank is naught but a giant moving hunk of metal without the operator's driving acumen, but even that proves flimsier than one would like.

==How Bad Is it?==
[[File:Sad_Pyrovore.png|300px|thumb|left|If only they worked this way...]]
5th Pyrovores are '''worse''' than Old One Eye, a [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]] special character in a codex that '''hates''' DISTRACTION CARNIFEXES, who is renowned for costing MORE than a [[Land Raider]] and dying to a stiff breeze... but at least he has a general idea of what the fuck he's supposed to be doing and would be tolerable if he was cheaper.

Pyrovores are '''worse''' than [[Chaos Spawn|Chaos Sp... uh, that one Chaos unit that was terrible in 5th ed]]... but they got a proper [[Phil Kelly]]-granted buff in the newest Chaos Space Marine codex, and before that they could occasionally win assaults in large area terrain.

Pyrovores are '''worse''' than [[Mandrake]]s, the worst infiltrators in the game... yet at least Mandrakes have better fluff (thanks again, Kelly) and don't need a pain token to shoot anymore. They also traded a 5+ invul for Stealth and Shrouded in 7th; 8th made them truly great.

Pyrovores are '''worse''' than [[Flayed Ones]], who are weak "assault specialists"... though they had cool, grimdark fluff and passable crunch prior to the 5th edition Necron codex, they don't harm their side when they die and there's a chance that they can come back via Reanimation Protocols and be used to contest objectives or support assaults. The 7th edition codex added Shred, AP5 in CC, and fear combined with a significant decrease in points; 8th gave them a shit-ton of attacks so they've been viable for a bit, though 8th edition is also the first time Necrons as a whole aren't overpowered, which may make Flayers look better or worse than they actually are, depending on who you ask.

Pyrovores are [[EPIC FAIL|'''worse''']] than [[Tau|Fire Warriors]] in melee, who are unceremoniously chopped up in seconds... but at least that's funny, things have gone ''wrong'' when squads assault Firewarriors, they can do that [[Warhammer 40,000 6th edition|"Overwatch + Markerlights + other squads nearby can Overwatch for them + Markerlights"]], and can kill Land Raiders in melee with EMP Grenades.

Pyrovores are so bad that fluff writers try to forget that they even exist. In fact they appear only in one BL book ([[Ciaphas Cain|The Last Ditch]]) and they are as terrible there as on tabletop. Cain actually obliterates majority of incoming tyranid horde by shooting a few pyrovores, [[Fail|the resulting explosion wiping out most of the tyranid attack, including the Hive Tyrant and its guards]]. They're even being mocked by in-universe characters as terrible; which we choose to take as further proof of Sandy Mitchell's awesomeness by taking the now memetic godawfulness of the Pyrovore and making it ''canon.''

Pyrovores are so terrible that why they are even a thing remains a point of debate because holy shit, who in their right mind would think that this... this... thing... was a good idea? It serves no conceivable purpose, and there are much better platforms for a flamethrower in the Tyranid bestiary than the body of a fuel refinery that would otherwise be an unstatted noncombatant. I mean fuck, there's even one in the same motherfucking Codex, all you'd need to do for the Tyrannofex is light its acid spray on fire and then BAM! You have a flamer on a non-shitty platform. Or Warriors or something, because they're basically crapsack Terminators and Terminators get a Heavy Flamer! Or just anything!

Hey wait a minute... Come to think of it, what the hell would a civilization where every imaginable device is a living organism in it's own right need a "fuel refinery" for? Isn't "refining fuel" already a part of the digestion process? Are other morphs just unable to properly digest their own food for some reason? Does this thing Shit out the 'nid equivalent of baby formula?

==="Saving Graces"===
[[Image:Biovore.jpg|right|thumb|350px| Oh god, the [[derp]]...]]
They look almost identical to Biovores (a unit that is a cheap source of assault pie plates that can also be used as a barrage, and has one of the derpiest faces around), but they have a much newer, much less [[derp]]y model (although their gun does look strangely like an [[Slipshine|erect throbbing penis]]). As such, pretty much everybody buys the Pyrovore models and uses them as Biovore. But this has the possible side effect of convincing GW that the Pyrovore is actually good...

Also they make for great [http://www.wobblymodelsyndrome.com/comic-166.html new years eve fireworks.]

==Why were they so bad?==
Alright, spleen's been vented enough, so let's get real for a moment.

The biggest problem comes down to the fact they're in the Elites slot, which is ''easily'' the most jam-packed slot in Tyranids. They're competing with: '''[[Hive Guard]]''' (who are good at taking down transports and one of the best shooting units in the 'Dex); '''[[Zoanthrope]]s''' and their '''[[Neurothrope]]''' brood leaders (incredibly powerful [[psyker]]s that can throw down an ABSURD amount of mental [[dakka]] each turn); '''[[Venomthrope]]s''' (an excellent support unit that provides mobile cover, defensive grenades, and hilarious 2+ Poisoned attacks); '''[[Malanthrope]]s''' (quite powerful in their own right but [[Forge World]] only); '''[[Lictor]]s''' (who, while not being particularly good, can at least claim their ability to not have Deep Strikers who land within 6" of them scatter); '''[[Haruspex]]es''' (while not particularly good, at least competent enough); and '''[[Maleceptor]]s''' (who... well alright, they're pretty shitty but not as bad as Pyrovores).

Additionally, they have one of the most schizophrenic loadouts in the game. It can ignore armor saves (and hit at S5) by dropping its attack stat to 1... but with only one attack per model, and the rest of their stats make them absolutely ''awful'' in close combat, including I2 and WS3. They're too slow to keep up with an assault-based army, and largely pointless there anyway since once the rest of your army gets in close, there's nothing left to flame; in a shooting army they compete with Hive Guard (which are basically the only way 'Nids can take down light vehicles efficiently). Their Flamespurt ability is AP 4, meaning you can't take out [[MEQ]] with it. They can explode, which could see them used as a suicide unit... except that affects ''your'' units as well. Your pitifully weak, vulnerable-to-AoE-explosions units, Plus it's only when Instant Death is inflicted, which means melta or krak missiles... but it dies much easier to massed bolter shots. On top of that, good luck just getting the damn thing in close enough to actually have it affected. Not to mention that wasting an extremely valuable Elite slot on a expensive-for-its-cost suicide unit is just stupid.

The wording of its exploding ability is so poorly written that when the rules are applied exactly as written, whenever one suffers Instant Death, ALL UNITS ON THE BOARD suffer a number of hits equal to all non-Pyrovores within D6" of it. This means that the Pyrovore is so bad its abject shittyness transcended its rules and altered the minds of its writers to make it even worse. Exact text:

"Volatile: If a Pyrovore is slain by a Wound that inflicted Instant Death, every unit suffers a Strength 3 AP- hit for each model (excluding Pyrovores) within D6" of the slain Pyrovore (resolve damage before removing the Pyrovore as a casualty)."

Presumably what they wanted to write was that each model within D6" suffers a S3 AP- hit. Meaning that for a squad of 10 Guardsmen next to the Pyrovore, they suffer 10 hits. What they instead wrote means that ''every unit on the board'' suffers 10 hits. Theoretically hilarious if you had a way to detonate it intentionally and brought nothing but T6 - but you don't.

So, all in all, the worst fucking unit in the game. Completely pointless, no idea where it wants to be, competes with '''good''' units (units that are basically compulsory if you want Tyranids to win). The other thing is that it had '''never''' been good: it was bad in the previous Codex (where it debuted) and it was bad in 6th, too. Countless ideas are thrown about to unfuck the unit, and you can almost see how it's suppose to work: Tyranids have trouble dealing with things in cover, and this thing is made to deal with things in cover -- so perhaps if they were beasts, had higher WS, BS, and Initiative and were allowed to fire the flamespurt in close combat like a [[lizardmen|stegadon?]] But the cocksucking piece of shit is fundamentally contrary to the basis of the entire army. To make it fit, [[homebrew]]ers have pretty much had to make the pile of fail unrecognizable from its origins. It is ''that'' bad.

==Or is it?!==

[[Image:Tyrannocyte.jpg|right|thumb|200px|YOU'RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME!]]
With the return of our beautiful Mycetic Spore (now called the Tyranocyte) in the Leviathan Supplement, Pyrovores now actually stand a chance in filling a niche in your army as an effective stealth and shrouded eradicator! A very specific niche, but a niche nonetheless!

"But wait, PyrovorefanXX1!" you ask. "Pyrovores could do this in the old codex but were still classified as 'cess, what's changed now"? Well firstly, Pyrovores did get buffed! They went down 5 points, gained an extra wound (acid blood, yay), initiative, attack and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Acid Maw|Acid Maw]] and Volatile did realistically get better if you do the math. However, their form of accurate deepstrike got lost, forcing them to trudge across the board and retain the reputation they had.

But now that they have that deep strike option back combined with their 6th ed improvements, paying 220 points isn't that bad for 9 wounds worth of reasonably durable heavy flamers (which people will hesitate to try and ID that close to their troops) backed up with an effective gun platform in the Tyranocyte. With the default pressure from very common standard stuff like flying Hive Tyrants, Mawlocs, more Tyranocytes filled with Devilgaunts or other Monstrous Creatures, they stand a very high chance of being left alone to wreak havoc multiple turns.

But in saying that, they really can't do much without the Tyranocyte, so those games you would rather have your Tervigon getting all intimate with some tanks because your opponent lacks infantry basically leaves your Pyrovores on fat, lazy, old guard dog duty for some objective in the middle of the board.

=== HOLD THE PRESS! ===

... cause 8th edition came out (for good or ill) and everything changed, including Pyrovores! That's right, proud winner of "41st millennium's worst unit" for years is now much more viable, with the stats of an heavy flamer mounted on a melee fighter that hurts ENEMY units when taking damage in close combat and packs rather nasty CC attacks as well, and has a range that's coincidentally just long enough for it to attack as soon as it gets out of a Tyrannocyte. Here is the statline from the book of Xenos 2 from 8th edition:
[[Image:Pyrovore 8th edition.PNG|center|thumb|500px|]]
As of Chapter Approved 2018, the cost has been reduced to ''less than 30 points per model''. Let's recap - heavy flamer on a mini-monster, a CC weapon with AP-3 that is quite effective against MEQs, LOTS of wounds, taking wounds causes its victim to get hit '''and''' can hit a squad with nastiness if it dies. It's over lads, [[JUST AS PLANNED|the meme is finally dead]]! Pyrovores aren't utter shit anymore.

==9th Edition. Thou has atoned for ones sins. Risen from the ashes, purified, devout and holy. What fate shall befall the rest of us, when the prophesized one ascends. ==

It finally happened, a day that many never thought would happen. Pyrovores in 9th edition aren't only considered good, they actually received a nerf.

Toughness 5, 5 Wounds, 3+ Save, A decent ranged flamer weapon with 2 strong damage profiles for both MEQ and hoards, access to two decent stratagems that allow you do deal a surprising amount of mortal wounds, all for only 30 points each.

As a result, Pyrovores are considered one of the strongest objective holders in the game. Having enough toughness and a small enough profile to shrug off most ranged attacks, and Overwatch with flamers + Corrosive Viscera stratagems basically guaranteeing to fuck up any unit that dares charge a unit of 3 of them.

Fair to say, a single unit of Pyrovores contains a disgusting amount of value for only 90 points, and is considered a good investment in almost any list.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

[[Category: FAIL]]
{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}

Neurothrope

2023-06-05T20:34:04Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:99120106035 Zoanthropes02.jpg|300px|thumb|left|A Neurothope as built from the Zoanthrope kit. Not shown: All the sentient beings it is torturing to death with its MIND.]]

[[File:Neurothrope.JPG|300px|thumbnail|right|Raised on a steady diet of psykers, nerds and brain stimulants.]]
The '''Neurothrope''' is a [[Zoanthrope]] upgrade that came to [[White Dwarf]] in November 2014. It's the [[Awesome|Doom of Malan'tai reborn!]] They even say as much in his White Dwarf snippet, the Doom's "uncountable progeny", as if to imply the Doom wasn't already filling every 5th ed [[Tyranid]] list you ever came across. Rather than just a single Zoanthrope, it's a Zoanthrope ''character'', taken as your typical "sergeant upgrade".

Let's get the bad out of the way first. The signature "fuck you" bubble has been nerfed: instead of free damage on everything in range, it's now a psychic power that only hits one unit, and it's Witchfire so you have to roll to hit (at least they're BS4) (not any more thanks to new FAQs). The Neurothrope also no longer get wounds back from killing things, and only starts with 2 wounds. On the plus side, the range is now 18 inches, it's only Warp Charge 1, ignores cover, and most importantly any wounds sustained turn into free Warp Charges that the rest of the brood can use on Warp Blasts. It's also pretty cheap, compared to Doom, at 75 points (50 for the Zoanthrope, 25 for the upgrade).

They also don't suck as warlords, either, as they have multiple wounds, a respectable invul, and a bodyguard with the same. Just don't expect them to kill much in melee.

Judging by the name, the [[Neurotyrant]] is the unholy lovechild between one and a [[Hive Tyrant]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}

Lictor

2023-06-05T20:17:26Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

{{promotions}}
{{topquote|You are one '''ugly''' motherfucker.|Major Alan Schaefer to his Yautja adversary.}}

{{topquote|Rule of thumb. Cthulhu lookin' xenos are superior to non-Cthulhu lookin' xenos...|The Russian Badger in his video on Space Hulk Deathwing. Heavy Flamer Heresy..}}

[[File:Tyranid_lictor_artwork_by_zergwing-d7803yo.jpg|400px|thumb|right|Shush little [[Eldar Ranger|Ranger]]. [[Rape|It will be over soon]].]]
Do you remember Predator? The invisible alien hunter stalking its prey? Think that, but twice as big, and compensating for the lack of a death laser and technology with even more claws and a face full of tentacles that would make [[Cthulhu]] blush. Congratulations, you've pictured a '''Lictor''' (''Tyranicus chameleo''), and no, it's not a nice chap.

== Overview ==

===Fluff===
Lictors are a vanguard organism of the [[Tyranid]] Hive fleets, who roam ahead to seek out life bearing planets before inviting everyone else over for dinner. They specialize in espionage; the [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Feeder Tendrils|feeder tendrils]] a Lictor has instead of a mouth allow it to suck the brain of an unfortunate victim out of their skull, before digesting the memories and using the information to sabotage infrastructure on the planet. In addition to this, they possess chameleonic skin, granting them the ability to match the colour and texture of any given surface like a cuttlefish, and a [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Claws and Teeth|set of claws]]/[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Grasping Talons|Grasping Talons]] and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Flesh Hooks|flesh hooks]] (harpoons, but mounted in the chest) for when stabbing becomes a greater priority than brain sucking. Interestingly, they are considered a highly specialized strain of [[Tyranid Warrior]].

Once the 'Nids are planetside, Lictors serve an additional purpose. A Lictor exudes a pheromone trail that other Tyranids are instinctively drawn to. The greater the concentration of prey around the Lictor, the stronger the pheromone emission. This helps to coordinate the swarm, drawing more of the invaders to the largest populations. Once battle begins, Lictors tend to break cover to assassinate enemy leaders, before slinking back into the shadows.

Lictors also spearhead assassination and terror campaigns ahead of a main swarm assault, targeting enemy leadership and sowing fear. Interestingly, this tactic is yielding diminishing returns as the galaxy has a higher general readiness of late, and has resulted in the use of a less subtle variation of the lictor: the [[Dimachaeron]].

The last thing to mention about Lictors is they have an exceptionally weird name for what they are. "Lictor" is not a random word but is the name the Romans used for the body guards to consul and praetors. Again: A lictor is the name of a body guard, not a stealthy assassin. Why game workshop and the Imperium decided to dub these creatures 'lictor' is unexplained outside of the ironic factor. (As an alternative take, Lictors were only bodyguards in the symbolic sense, as occasions when they used their power to meet out capital punishment are non-existent in the sources. What is more relevant is that they always preceeded the magistrate (and occasional priest) they were supposed to be protecting, pushing aside the crowd and heralding to the Romans that a dignitary was on his way. This fits the description of a vanguard organism that paves the way for the arrival of the main Tyranid host rather nicely.)

===Crunch===
In previous editions, Lictors had to be assigned to a specific piece of terrain marked on a pre-drawn map, from which it could jump out IF the enemy got close. Since this was stupidly impractical, the rule was replaced with Deep Strike. No lessons seem to have been learnt though, as the more recently (re)introduced Ymgarl Genestealers deploy using the exact same, discarded rule.

The current codex includes a special character based on a Lictor: Deathleaper. Essentially a powered-up version of a regular Lictor, Deathleaper also has a set of special rules designed to weaken the leadership capability of enemy characters (more often than not, their Warlord), and to make it easier for it to disengage and attack new targets.

Overall Lictors are less and less popular as the years go on, mostly because they're fragile and can no longer assault out of reserve. However, recent tournament wins with lists containing Lictors, Mawlocs and spore mine clusters have illustrated that their S6 and high WS with Rending are not to be underestimated.

However, the rise of Kill Team as a fully supported Specialist Game has given the Lictor a new lease on life on the tabletop. In fact, it could be argued that Kill Team is the game that the Lictor was always meant for both in crunch and fluff. With the focus on terrain and small troop numbers, the Lictor really comes into its own as the stalking movie monster it was always meant to be.

== Gallery ==

<gallery>
File:Tyranid maid.jpg|[[Heresy|Observe the Lictor's mastery of camouflage.]]
</gallery>

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Biovore

2023-06-05T20:16:48Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[Image:Biovore.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Oh my god the [[derp]]...]]
[[Image:BiovoreNEW01.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Thank God, less [[derp]]...]]
[[File:Biovore time-progression.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Vore through the years...]]
The '''Biovore''' (''Tyranicus patris-boletus'') is a [[Tyranid]] living artillery. [[Games Workshop]] seems to have designed it with the goal of scarring the minds of the 40k fanbase and Neckbeards alike with pseudo-sexual xenos references, as the Biovore model both makes people uncomfortable and generates endless amounts of [[derp]].

With a [[Spore Mine Launcher|huge living cannon]] mounted on their backs, they grow [[spore mines]] deep inside themselves and then launch them through a powerful muscle spasm from their mind through their cannon at the enemy. The truth: Biovores reach orgasm in order to fire weird looking spore-seeds from their massive penis guns to assault the enemy, and just to put the icing on the cake these spores explode when reaching the enemy showering them in various nasty liquids. Damn it GW, stop letting [[Slaanesh]] write bad xenos slash fiction! OR, they're experiencing the Tyranid equivalent of apocalyptic bowel cramping. We'll likely never know...

It is no wonder the models look so derpy all the time. Looking utterly clueless and slow it is a wonder if the 'vores could do much in combat if attacked. Given that they are rumoured to have been created using [[Ork]] might go a way to explain that; [[Octarius War|putting two brainless species together is never a smart move...]] The newest model is not as derpy but it does have a scrote on its gun so it's really a wash. The old 2nd Edition model is the least derpy, but at the cost of looking somewhat more mechanical in an HR Giger fashion, but at least it doesn't have a stupid dick gun...

== On the Tabletop ==

With the advent of 8th Edition Biovores got really good. Being quite cheap (2 Power/36 points each - 50 points since the Chapter Approved...) their [[Spore Mine Launcher]]s have been buffed immensely. After you hit a target with a 48" Heavy 1 weapon you roll an additional time: on a 2-5 you deal 1 Mortal Wound, on a 6 you deal D3 Mortal Wounds and on a 1 it fails to do any damage. Mass Biovore fire is now capable of taking down just about anything, hampered only by their BS 4+, their weapon being Heavy and that without Synapse it can only fire at the unit closest to it or suffer a to-hit penalty. The latter can actually be a boon: Missing a lot of biovore shots will allow you to erect a chain of sporemines in front of your opponent's units. And since you are not allowed to move within 1" of your opponent during regular movement, if you leave less than 3" between your mines, ''[[Troll|your opponent will be unable to move past said wall during his turn!]]'' Remember to move your biovores before shooting to gain that extra -1 to hit.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Termagant

2023-06-05T20:16:33Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:Termagants.jpg|400px|thumb|right|MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE]]
A '''Termagant''' (''Gauntii virago'') is the lowest [[Tyranid]] creature, disregarding [[Ripper]]s. A Termagant requires numbers to be even borderline effective. A Termagant is nothing remarkable; it is simply a creature that exists to be killed. One saying goes "If your Termagants aren't dying, you're not playing Nids right". This is true. Generally, Termagants are only considered a threat to [[Imperial Guard|Guards]] and [[Orks]]. To [[MEQ]]s they aren't even worth the time it takes to roll a die to confirm their death thanks to their light weapons and ineffective [[Chitin]] armour. Termagants on their own are not very good: making them so requires a unit of 30 (imagine them not so much as meat shields but as a meat wave).

In the fluff, a Termagant is a creature bred to drown opponents in bodies. They don't even have digestive tracts; they are expected to die in battle long before starvation could set in. A single Termagant is a cunning creature that will circle a foe, rather than a [[Hormagaunt]]'s reckless headlong charge or [[Gargoyle (Tyranids)|Gargoyle]]s' on/off attacks. Termagants will exploit weaknesses of any sort, and are canny in the regard as when to attack. Isolated from the Hive mind however they will flee, their instinct for self-preservation kicking in. Thus, years after a Tyranid invasion, Termagants are still found in caves, thick bushes, sewers, underground car-parks, tunnels, your attic, deserted warehouses, factory basements, your grandparents basement, your basement and the like. Where's that noise coming from? Which of course makes you wonder how they live that long without a digestive tract. Unless the hive fleet has a specialist guerilla strain that can …you know...live for longer than 48 hours. Termagants also instinctively attack any enemy that threaten [[Tyranid Warrior]]s, the front-line synapse creatures of a Tyranid swarm. This would be somewhat common as lesser Tyranid creatures are commonly sacrificed as fodder for the preservation of the swarm, if it were not [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihUOacTdutY for a certain entry in their 5th edition codex that explains this behavior as a "deeper mystery"]. It has been speculated that this is an attempt for the termagant to [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-hope-senpai-will-notice-me get the warrior to notice him].

==Using them==
[[File:NewTermagant.png|300px|right|thumb|10th Edition saw the Hive Mind notice that the humble gaunt needed a refresh to look a bit meaner.]]

Termagants are [[Skaven|cheap]]. Real cheap. As in "It'll take you half the game to justify the points shooting that special weapon at them" cheap (6th is out, they're even cheaper). They also die fast. Faster than even [[Eldar]] or Guardsmen. As such, take them in numbers. Though you can take them in groups of 10 to 30 you will find the smaller broods thinned out worryingly fast. This is in fact preferable to not having them shot because this means your other units are not being shot at. But there are a few tricks to using them.
*Alternate Take: Depending on your opponent, it may be worthwhile to take smaller-sized units. Against more elite forces, it makes them waste even more resources and time to wipe them out. You just need to make sure your synaptic net is strong (or you're using a Leviathan detachment).

First off, the Tervigon. Fielding Termagants makes them Troop choices (and they can secure objectives, which is good considering their toughness). They can also give your Termagants Feel No Pain (which is a good thing!) and make broods of 3d6 size for free. This means that you can drown your enemies in Termagants, who if needed can drag down surprisingly large things if they have to.

Secondly, the [[Deep Strike]]. The Gaunts can do this via [[Trygon]] tunnel. The issue with this is that they might just come on in the same turn as the Trygon and have to walk on from your table edge... and potentially run right back off again next turn if you don't get some Synapse to them that turn.

==Devilgants==
The Termagants have access to a number of weapons to slightly change their working on the battlefield.

The standard weapon is the [[Fleshborer]], a weapon with decent firepower that can take down [[GEQ]]s quite easily. It comes cheap, packs a punch and is iconic for the Termagants, making it a must-have for them.

[[Spinefists]] lack the punch that Fleshborers have. They're seriously bad. Being pistols, you can shoot while in combat, but if you're taking Termagants with the intention of hurling them into combat, just take Hormagaunts instead. They used to be a separate unit...[[derp|for ''some reason'']], being called the [[Spinegaunt]] before some guy with common sense decided to roll them back into the Termagaunt family.

[[Devourer (Tyranid)|Devourer]]s are very expensive to upgrade to, but they are very powerful. They pack a strong punch and are Assault 3, making for a maximum of 90 shots for a 30 strong brood. Situational, but they make it more painful to lose them and as such are worse fire magnets. In the new rules you can mix weapons in the brood, so it may be a good idea to give a few of them Devourers and shield them with Fleshborer/Spike Rifle (for the same range as the Devourers) guys.

The [[Spike Rifle]] trades strength and penetration in favor of range; not a very good trade since this turns them into single-shot [[Lasgun]]s with 18" range. Skip it unless you want a mixed Devourer brood and you want the others to be able to fire at the same range.

The [[Strangleweb]] is worse than Spinefists. S2 but averaging 1 more shot with an 8" range. Seriously, is this a joke?

TL;DR 100 Gaunts on the field to shoot down, 100 Gaunts on the field, you shoot just one, then reload your gun, 99 Gaunts still alive to shoot dow- URK

== Maximum Overspam ==

Yes, it is actually possible, it just takes numbers. Fill all your Troop choices with 30 Termagants. Now give them all Devourers. That totals to 540 attacks, averaging 135 wounds on T4 models and 90 wounds on T5 models. What can survive taking 135 saves? If you want to add more dice drowning, take 9 [[Carnifex]]es with two sets of twin linked [[Devourer]]s with Brainleech Worms. That's another 12 attacks per model. That equals 36 per brood. And 108 in total. That's 648 all up. Then take 9 [[Zoanthrope]]s for [[Hive Mind|Synapse]] coverage. Then take 90 Gargoyles, two winged [[Hive Tyrant]]s with twin linked Devourers and watch as you cannot fit all the dice on the board. 842 dice.

If you don't do this or something like this, use them for cheap ass canon fodder. Note that in any game with a points limit high enough to do this you'll get double FOC anyway. And remember to take [[Tervigon]]s to smash [[Metal Boxes|metal bawkses]] and throw around more Synapse and powers and shit out free Gaunts. Six Tervigons doing this averages out to fifty four new Gaunts each turn until you start rolling doubles. And if you want more [[dakka]], put [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Cluster Spines|spines]] on the Tervis and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Crushing Claws|crushing claws]] for melee (plus one miasma cannon). Remember to take four Flyrants and give them all maximum [[Tyrant Guard]] (technically they don't need to follow the tyrant around) for twelve mini monstrous creatures.

This means you'll have nearly six hundred models on the table with more coming. And because you'll only ever see this in just for fun no points limit games you may as well just buy all the upgrades for everything for the lulz. Yes, aaaaaaaall the upgrades.

Only problem is that your opponent will probably see this coming and take all of the templates when they see you bringing out carrying case after carrying case or insist the game take place in your house. Still, they can only cover so much. Unless they're packing a [[Manticore Launcher Tank]], in which case you are pretty much incomprehensibly fucked.

They can also be used with the endless swarm formation which at minimum requires you to take three broods of ten and can go up to ninety, backed by ninety hormagaunts and some warriors to keep them in synapse. Shooting them off the board means very little as they'll just enter ongoing reserves and respawn again if you roll well enough. Also they're superscoring. While not as popular as the Skyblight swarm which lets you bring more flyrants and crones and the more mobile gargoyles, it's a decent enough option for putting FoCless bodies on the field to steal objectives and camp them and stuff your opponent's face with dice. In the living tide formation which was arguably the first "formation of formations" list ever seen in 40k (though given the differences between it and the 7th edition formation of formation detachments it was likely a prototype for the concept) you have to take at least three endless swarms resulting in the hilarity of at least a hundred termagants on the field and potentially well over three hundred. Also they get to [[Troll|reroll their respawn rolls.]]

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}

Spinegaunt

2023-06-05T20:16:17Z

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[[File:Spinegaunt.jpg|300px|right|thumb|A unit so pointless, it didn't even last two editions.]]
Back in the good ol'days of 4th Edition, [[Games Workshop]] for some reason, decided to split the [[Termagaunt]]s with [[Spinefists]] into their own separate categories. These 'Spinegaunts' (''Guantii Spinodactylus'') are a species of Tyranid belonging to the genus Gauntii.

==Overview==
They are some of the least complex Tyranid organisms like all things coming from the Gauntii genus. They have become adapted to wield [[Spinefists]] Biomorphs, which allows them to unleash a hail of poisonous spikes.

They continued existing as a independent unit for one more Edition in 5th, until some guys in GeeDubs realised they were kind of redundant, and then promptly rolled these guys back into the Termagaunt family once 6th Edition started rolling.

They still exist in the fluff by the looks of it, but on the tabletop, Spinegaunts are now considered as a [[count as]]-unit. So any Termagaunts with Spinefists are now automatically referenced as a Spinegaunt.

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Ripper

2023-06-05T20:16:04Z

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[[File:Tyranid_Rippers2.jpg|500px|thumb|right|Alongside the [[Mawloc]] and [[Haruspex]] the very personification of OMNOMNOMNOM.]]
The '''Ripper''' (''Minoris omniphagea'') is a type of [[Tyranid]] organism which is essentially a small, worm-like body with a [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Claws and Teeth|mouth with rows of sharp teeth]], covered in [[Chitin]] and not much else. Hell that latin name up there? It means "Little Eats-everything".

Rippers are generally deployed in the later stages of a planetary invasion, when the Tyranids' hold over a planet is ensured and "tyranoforming" starts in full force. They will eat the planet's native life-forms (and casualties, Tyranid and enemy alike, if need be) and once they have gorged themselves they crawl back to the [[Reclamation Pool|digestion pools]] and jump in; there, they and the biomass they have consumed get digested, broken down, and later slurped up the capillary towers to the hive-ships above. Note that Rippers lack digestive systems themselves; the swarm is nothing if not efficient, and Rippers are only equipped with the minimal organs required to retrieve biomass and bring it to be processed. Consequently, they rely solely on the Hive Mind to do all the thinking for them and are highly unlikely to survive being seperated from the Hive Mind (e.g. through the death of a Synapse Creature). However, there have been recorded cases of Rippers reacting to the withdrawal of the Hive Mind by burrowing underground, where they use the biomass they've accumulated to metamorphose into just about any other kind Tyranid bioform, from a [[Hormagaunt]] to a [[Hive Tyrant]].

In a nutshell, this means that the Tyranids regularly eat their own babies. Or baby siblings. So [[grimdark]].

While small, Rippers can still be a formidable threat to most infantry in large numbers, where they'll drag down and chew the unlucky sods to death. Hell, there's even an instance where even tanks were overwhelmed by massive waves of Rippers that were spawned by the Parasite of Mortrex. The fact that they don't balk at the sight of tanks rolling over them make them an excellent [[tarpit]], provided a synapse creature is nearby to give them directions or the enemy isn't employing massed weapon fire, in which case they'll be nothing more than a minor annoyance.

==Collecting==
Rippers are an unusual unit in the Tyranid army since you cannot buy them in a box. Instead they have to be assembled using [[Termagant]] boxes, which only contain 5 Ripper organisms, which is enough for one base's worth of them. Several of the other Tyranid unit boxes used to have Rippers as well, but most of these kits have been updated, and the Rippers were dropped. But that's okay, since as a Tyranid player you'll be needing a boatload of Gaunts anyway. If you're stingy you can get clever with modeling and create a hole in the ground or a bush or something with a Ripper popping out or get creative with those spore things on the Genestealer sprues: this takes more work but you can really get a lot of mileage out of those Rippers of yours this way. Do keep the ''50% of the model has to be [[GW]]'' rule and you should be alright.

Alternatively, should you A. Be Drug Dealer or B. Have a few spare kidneys/children you are willing to part with, you can buy packs of 3 swarms each from [[Forge World]] for [[GW|$38 US/£23 each]].

==On the Tabletop==
Rippers work best in swarms. Coming in units of 3-9, Rippers put you back a mere 11 points each. This does not grant you a very spectacular profile: A4 looks interesting, but at S3 AP0 D1 attacks paired with WS5+ means you'll rarely hit more than 2 attacks per base, and a 3 model unit will hit 4 times on average. And while they have 3 Wounds with a mere T3 and a 6+ save means that they are one of the flimsiest units in the game. For two additional points per model in the unit you can give them Spinemaws, a Pistol 4 that shoots at S2 AP0 D1 at a mere 6" range. This might seem even more pathetic until you realize that this doubles the number of attacks you get at very close range. Do note that at S2 you'll be needing 6+ to even wound a [[MEQ]] or anything with T4, so don't expect a lot of mileage out of these guns against Marines. Against the IG or Tau however this is a whole other story, since against T3 you need a 5+ instead. Before you try and take down enemy tanks with 9 Rippers, consider doing the math: 36 attacks at WS5+ means 12 hit, and only 2 wound since you'll need 6+. After that the enemy gets their full save, so if you're lucky you'll land 1 wound. And that's ONLY if you lose no Rippers when you charge.

These little critters do have one edge: they can burrow and pop up at the end of your movement phase more than 9" from any enemies away. This means that you won't get any shots off in your first turn, and you need quite a bit of luck if you want to be able to charge. Slapping a use of Onslaught onto them once they pop up is all but required if you want to get their charge off and fire their Spinemaws. As for Hive Fleet Adaptations, Behemoth and Kraken really help their speed, Leviathan is good for survivability but is situational because of its range, Gorgon is immensely useful to actually wound in combat, using Jormungandr means you messed up, Hydra is useful but situational and Kronos is trash on Rippers.

The best way to use Rippers is to slap Kraken onto them, have them pop up and tie up an enemy ranged unit. This gives them the choice to either break off and forego shooting the next turn (barring certain rule breakers) or try and kill off the Rippers. In either case the Rippers will be subject to a massive amount of small arms fire, which is exactly how you want it: if the Rippers are being shot your large blobs of infantry aren't and you can close in for the kill. If the Rippers aren't killed off and they lose their initial target they can use their speed to get to another infantry unit and try and tie them up. As such, it's best to use Rippers as a single large unit preferribly at max size: for less than 120 points you're getting a bullet sponge of 27 wounds. This might not seem much given that for 3 points more you can get 30 Termagants with Fleshborers, but those don't enjoy the fun being able to [[Deep Strike]] in and distract the enemy without a major point increase and are 6 attacks behind.

Note an interesting loophole: as Rippers are Swarms and not Infantry, a lot of rules that would affect most units won't do dick to them. Like a Knight's ability to fall back over ''infantry'', for example. Use this to your advantage.

=== Power Rating ===

Three Ripper models clock in at 2 Power, and six at 4. Interestingly 7-9 Rippers cost only 5 Power total, meaning you'll get almost a full power discount on your unit when taking 9 Ripper models with Spinemaws. (Points cost is 11 per swarm model, +2 for spinemaws.)

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Neurogaunt

2023-06-05T20:15:45Z

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[[File:I8qUxunCfUuMNL3H.png|300px|right|thumb|Finally, Tyranid players have the option to bubble-wrap their own special characters.]]
Neurogaunts are a new species hailing from the Gauntii genus that first made its debut in 10th Edition. They are one of the two new Gaunt species being introduced, with the other being the [[Barbgaunt]]s.

==Overview==

Neurogaunts are a Tyranid bioform, which serve as crucial relays for the Synapse network, and bodyguards for those that would focus it. To fulfill their task, Neurogaunts are hosts for parasitic [[Neurocyte]]s. Larger '''Nodebeasts''' can be distinguished by the bulbous growth on their backs, while the smaller gaunts chitter around it with sharp claws and teeth.

Now the difference between a Nodebeast and a regular Neurogaunt is that the former acts more like a squad leader. It is slightly larger, has exposed brain matter, and has more [[Chitin]] armour, making it slightly tougher.

Neurogaunts as aforementioned, are living psychic relays and sub-stations, which allows a Synapse creature to further expand its psychic influence over the battlefield. They also act as crucial meatshields for said Synapse creature, making them pretty important overall. They are close-combat specialists, so all of them are armed with [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Claws and Teeth|Claws and Teeth]] and a pair of [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|Scything Talons]].
==Crunch==
Crunchwise, in 10th Edition, Neurogaunts behave like your typical Gaunt. Fast but very squishy and weak. Movement of 6", T3, SV6+, W1, LD8+, OC1. Their only weapon, their claws and teeth, is A1, WS4+, S3, AP0, D1. What you want your Neurogaunts is to enhance the range of your Synapse, since these are cheap, disposable Synapse routers that would grealy create redundancy in your army.
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Neurogaunt2023.jpg|Neurogaunt
Neurogauntb2023.jpg|Nodebeast
</gallery>

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Hormagaunt

2023-06-05T20:15:33Z

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[[File:Kraken hormagaunts by gorgurtzdawarlord-d4xx48u.jpg|500px|thumb|right|The original [[Starcraft|zerg-rush]].]]
'''Hormagaunts''' (''Gaunti gladius'') are the Tyranids' basic assault organism (read: [[tarpit]]). Equipped with a pair of [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons##Scything Talons|Scything Talons]], their job is to rush into close combat and either slice things into nice small pieces, or keep enemy walkers from walking anywhere. They can be assisted in the former role by the addition of Toxin Sacs or Adrenal Glands, making them even more killy. They can be assisted in the latter option by keeping some Synapse nearby. As they're members of the gaunt genus, they're unsurprisingly most effective when fielded in numbers, though they don't need quite the same numbers [[termagant]]s do. Good for drowning your enemies in poisoned attacks.

Despite wanting to be run in large groups, gaunts are juuuust a bit too costly and too fragile to serve as true horde-wave forces. Upgraded, they have a similar cost and stat line compared to [[daemonettes]] but without the nice rending, fear, or invulnerable save. They are probably best used as a support unit to back a larger push or to block for a specific unit.

=== Their Role for the 'Nids ===

Before the full attack of a Tyranid Hive Fleet, Hormagaunts are often dropped in [[Mycetic Spore|Mycetic Spores]] in such large numbers that even if many are destroyed by orbital defences those that make planetfall will pose a serious health problem to any inhabitants.

Hormagaunts have a deadly instinctual ability to hunt that needs little direction from the Tyranid Hive Mind. They are so single-minded in hunting that they will ignore personal injury and tiredness until they have run down their quarry. Unlike Termagaunts, Hormagaunts can actually eat food; once they've run the puny humans down they feed upon their prey, ripping pieces of flesh apart with [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons##Claws and Teeth|razor sharp teeth]]. However their extremely fast metabolism will always drive them to constantly seek out new victims. They are usually left to their own devices once a Tyranid attack is underway, though occasionally the Hive Mind will intervene and direct them towards a more distant and more important target.

Hormagaunts, <s>un</s>like other Tyranid creatures, are <s>female</s> <s>hermaphrodites</s> {{BLAM|females that are capable of Parthenogenesis}} and have the ability to lay hundreds of fertile eggs in the ground to reproduce independently of a Hive Fleet. Each Hormagaunt has a short lifespan but once one generation has died a fresh wave will have hatched and grown to maturity, ready to carry on ravaging a world where the previous generation left off. So like ants or [[Orks]], clearing a Hormagaunt is a colossal pain in the ass and may require [[Exterminatus|sustained orbital bombardment filled to the brim with Prometheum.]] Otherwise the surviving population will have a new sport or training program for the [[Planetary Defence Force]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}

Gargoyle (Tyranids)

2023-06-05T20:15:21Z

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[[File:Bloody_Gargoyles.jpg|400px|thumb|left|As if normal Gaunts weren't bad enough already...]]

{{topquote|Fly my pretties. Fly!|The Wicked Witch of the West}}

A '''gargoyle''' (''Gauntii avius'') is a winged variant of the [[termagant]] and possesses the same armament and same [[Chitin|chitinous shell,]] except for a [[Blinding Venom|venom gland that allows it to spit acid.]] When not under the command of a synapse node Gargoyles are known for being weak and cowardly, shying away from combat. However, they are also described in the fluff as being lethal in a confined space, with [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Claws and Teeth|claws]], [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Bio-Flail|spikes]], [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Tail|barbed tails]], flapping wings, and venom flying everywhere. They typically like to dive upon exposed and weakened units like Imperial Guard command squads, as it can be rather difficult to fight off a swarm of acid spitting, gun toting bats that view you as a tasty slice of cake. Other preferred targets include isolated characters, back-field support units such as heavy weapon teams, and below-strength squads. Any target that is alone, vulnerable, and/or weakened would be ideal preferred prey for a swarm of Gargoyles.

Basically, imagine the Bio Raptors from Pitch Black. But they can see. And light doesn't hurt them. And they have guns. And spit blinding venom like the Dilo from Jurassic Park. Yeah, pretty fething scary.

=== On the Tabletop ===

Prior to 8th edition, Gargoyles were Termagants with wings and a hefty points increase. They were rather unpopular, but not any more so than the rest of the Tyranid 5th-7th Edition Fast Attack choices. Now in 8th/9th they are only 2 points more than a Termagant despite having considerably more capability. Even so, you still need to know what you're doing to get the most mileage out of these guys.

In game their main use is to Deep Strike right behind enemy lines, away from fighting, and then attack things like command units, snipers, heavy weapon teams, and gun emplacements. They will wipe out these things through massed [[fleshborer]] fire, and if the unit is sufficiently depleted, dive in to melee and use their acid to finish them off.

An example of this tactic would be to use two winged hive tyrants with twin-linked [[Brainleech Devourer|brainleech devourers]], supported by 30 gargoyles each, to rape the living shit out of enemy lines. Place them where the enemy has a crapload of important but vulnerable support units and then pelt them to death with so many dice rolls that they drown in them.

Really though, gargoyles are simply bats with guns, and use numbers (like all Tyranids) mixed with speed to force an opponent's death from aforementioned dice drowning. Thankfully, the newest Gargoyle models are now plastic, not the hellish metal ones, and as of pre-Codex 9th Edition they remain reasonably priced at 7 points per model. Gargoyles would be even better if they could use devourers, but then, flying dakka bats with acid spit would be [[Hive Crone|absurd]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}

Barbgaunt

2023-06-05T20:15:05Z

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[[File:ElEIQUahNoFTv2Jb.jpg|290px|right|thumb|The Nids now have air-burst munitions. Emperor preserve us!]]
Barbgaunts are a new species hailing from the Gauntii genus that first made its debut in 10th Edition. They are one of the two new Gaunt species being introduced, with the other being the [[Neurogaunt]]s.

==Overview==
Barbgaunts are a Tyranid light artillery-organism, working closer to the front line than [[Hive Guard]] and [[Biovore]]s. If anything, Barbgaunts are basically baby Biovores for all intents and purposes. But in terms of their nature, they heavily resemble dedicated light artillery with airburst munitions than anything else. True to most Tyranid artillery units, the [[Light Bio-Cannon|bio-cannons]] on their backs are actually bonded with the same parasitic organism that has enslaved the rest of the gaunt to its will, merging body and weapon into a single lethal entity.

It does come at a cost though. Their heavy weaponry forces the Barbgaunt to adapt to a more tripodal position, making them comparatively slow, awkward and sluggish compared to their more nimble cousins. It's unclear if they have to walk as a tripod or if they only need to brace themselves on three legs when firing.

==Crunch==
Crunchwise, Barbgaunts have similar stats to all Gaunts which is not surprising (Although they are ''drastically'' slower, which is also not surprising given their tripodal gait). Their biggest gimmick of course, is their unique weapon they carry. Their light bio-canons is 24" ranged Blast and Heavy weapon with a D6 Attack, BS4+, S5, AP0, D1 light mortar. Whilst not that powerful when compared to other forms of light artillery, the weapon or...shall we say the Gaunt itself, is comparatively cheaper. So you field more of them.

Another unique factor is that, to balance its relatively mediocre stats, these living mortars have a unique ability called '''Disruption Bombardment'''. What this thing does is that in your shooting phase, any targeted enemy infantry that was hit by one or more of these attacks counts as disrupted for the next turn. When a unit is disrupted, they subtract 2 from its Move characteristic and 2 from its Advance and Charge rolls made for it.

So yeah, imagine fielding a bunch of miniature ''[[Tremor Cannon]]s''. A very interesting and useful but annoying weapon against charge armies.

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Tyranid Warrior

2023-06-05T20:14:52Z

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[[File:Tyran_Warrior.png|400px|right|thumb|Smile and say [[Cheese|cheese!]]]]
A '''Tyranid Warrior''' (''Tyranicus gladius'') is a type of [[Tyranid]] that fills a leadership and heavy-assault role. Warriors are usually deployed at the earlier stages of planetary consumption. As they are synapse creatures, they spread out the synaptic web and guide the lower forms of gaunts in battle. They are also potent foes on the battlefield as they can carry many different biomorphs and weapon-symbiotes and their genus is used as a template to create various elite creatures of the Tyrannic host.

Even the smallest gathering, patrol or raiding party of the Tyranids will most likely be led by a Warrior in order to guide the lesser beasts and keep them connected to the [[Hive Mind]]. They are usually armed with [[Deathspitter]]s for range while they can choose a selection of [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Lash Whip|Lash Whips]], [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Bonesword|Boneswords]] or the good-ole [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|Scything Talons]]. Think of them as a combination of an elite sergeant and a living walkie-takie. The munitorum would love these...

==On the Tabletop==
It is not an easy life for a Warrior as everyone, their grandma, and their grandma's cat all know the most important rule when fighting Tyranids: take out the synapse creatures. Being the most common synapse creatures, Warriors tend to be targeted first and foremost (unless a rampaging [[Hive Tyrant]] or [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX|Carnifex]] is presenting an imminent threat). Because of this most games will see Warriors bear a great deal of heavy weapons fire and be turned into creamed goo before too long.

In early editions, particularly 2nd, these things were fucking ''boss''. They could easily match Terminator durability since there was more wargear they could get, and they had much greater flexibility, too, due to how the rules were. You could very easily make a Warrior that was a close-combat death machine, ranged killer, or even a mid-level psychic powerhouse. Or all three in the same unit. In early editions, they could pack on [[Carapace|extended carapace]] or even Warp Field for a good armor save; you could make them winged or leaping; and with the huge number of attacks they had, great stat-line, and tons of upgrades, they were a literal swiss-army commander, one that was extremely popular for newcomers. One might even say they approached pornographic levels of awesome. Sadly the recent edition changes, from about 5th onwards, just turned this mainstay unit into[[Imperial Guard| swiss]] [[Tau|cheese]].
[[File:Tyranid Warriors.jpeg|300px|thumb|left|A unit of Warriors. This is not the best way to equip them.]]

Now in 8th and pre-codex 9th Edition, Warriors are once again one of the best units in the Tyranid army, with a HUGE price reduction- as cheap as 19 points per Warrior. Warriors are respectably durable with T4 and 3 wounds each, and the removal of instant death also means it's basically impossible to shoot them down in one hit (except with heavy weapons that would be better used on the plethora of [[Carnifex|8+]] [[Hive Tyrant|wound]] [[Tervigon|monsters]] Tyranids can also field). While the new equipment table is reduced from past editions, they still have everything they need to fulfill pretty much every role on the battlefield: shock trooper, heavy support (now a brood of 9 can have 3 heavy weapons) or simply utility synapse. With a Prime around (also priced down) they even get +1 to hit both in close combat and in ranged. This is a huge bonus, considering the already good WS/decent BS stats of the Warriors. 3+ to hit and 3 attacks mean pain in close combat, and even with average 4+ BS the fact that all weapons they can have have 3 shots per gun makes sure a rain of death comes to the enemy. Their ideal loadout is double [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Bonesword|boneswords]] and a [[deathspitter]] as this gives them 4 attacks at strength 4 AP-2 in CC and 3 strength 5 AP-1 shots at range, making an excellent unit that can cause hurt to the enemies of the [[Hive Mind]] wherever the warriors happen to be standing. Long story short, 8th edition Warriors are veritable beasts that represent the fluff as well as possible: they are powerful, resilient creatures that will make the enemy shiver in fear.

==Shrikes==
[[File:TyranidPrimewings2023.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Shrikes, the harbingers of brown pants.]]
'''Shrikes''' (''Tyranicus gladius avius'') are a winged adaptation of the Warrior bioform. Just when you thought regular Warriors were bad enough, well <b>they can fly now</b>.

Fulfilling similar battlefield roles and allowing Synaptic coverage to extend to the fast-moving elements of the swarm, such as [[Gargoyle]]s and [[Tyranid_Harpy|Harpies]] which might otherwise outrun those Synapse Creatures incapable of flight and be separated from the Hive Mind.

While sacrificing some of the protection of their [[Carapace|chitin carapace]] for the ability of flight, few enemies expect an assault of creatures as large as Tyranid Warriors from the skies which begs the question on what counts as "too large"? Anyways, this allows Shrikes to perform surprise attacks with great speed and efficiency, the element of surprise making up for their relative lack of protection.

Their speed and mobility as well as their large selection of biomorphs make them exceptionally flexible, allowing them to fulfill many battlefield roles from surprise assaults directed at the weakest elements of the enemy force, to filling gaps in the synaptic web at a moment's notice.

These flappy meat grinders have the same statline (right down to their 4+ save, something they missed out on in previous editions) and options of their terrestrial cousins, but with more mobility and the keyword FLY that allows them to fall back and still shoot, giving them more mileage out of their guns and solid mobility. They still have no official [[GW]] conversion kit so you’d best get to chopping those Gargoyle’s wings off...

Please note that as of pre-Codex 9th Edition, Shrikes are not currently available in the Tyranid Army list because GW can't be bothered to make a sprue for them.

On 10th Edition, Shrikes got a make over, with their leader being called the '''Winged Tyranid Prime'''.

<gallery>
Tyranidshrike.jpg
</gallery>

==Warrior Prime==
[[File:Tyranid_Warrior_Prime.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Warrior Prime. Not like your standard Warriors. In fact, it's something Tyranid Warriors should have been from the start.]]
Warrior Primes are an upgrade to the regular Tyranid Warrior. Due to a horrible case of [[Pretend]] (And looking almost <u>exactly</u> like a normal Warrior), there have been numerous misreports and misidentification within the [[Imperial Guard|Guard]]. This means that they usually prioritize the [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX|big, scary bugs]] over the smaller and much more intelligent Warrior Primes, you know, the creatures that is actually ''more'' dangerous than the Carnifex around the corner. Whether it is [[Just As Planned]] in accordance to the [[Hive Mind]] or the Imperial Guard is ''that'' [[Derp|incompetent]] in information gathering is unknown. But what is known is that it has cost more than one Imperial officer his rank and countless men their lives. To be fair to the Guard, the Warrior Prime has only been categorized in recent times as a different and dangerous threat. The Warrior Primes have been identified and reported to exist amongst the ranks of the various Hive Fleets, though many Imperial savants and [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] [[Magos|Magos Biologis]] are quick to point out that this is less likely to be because they are a recent evolution and more likely because they [[Troll|simply blend in with the other standard Tyranid Warriors.]]

Primes are also being encountered in greater and greater numbers within [[Hive Fleet]] Dagon, perhaps as a direct response to the constantly evolving tactics of Imperial forces and the Hive Fleet’s need to deal with the elevated [[Deathwatch]] presence in the Orpheus Salient after several costly encounters.

In military function, Tyranid Warrior Primes take on the role of junior officers within a Tyranid swarm. Much in the same way as a [[Hive Tyrant]] might lead a full host of Tyranids, a Warrior Prime will oversee a smaller section of the battlefield or direct a smaller strike force of warriors. When close to a more powerful synapse creature they will defer their control. However, should they find themselves alone, they can easily bind together those Tyranid creatures nearby into an effective fighting force and carry on with little trouble. In this way, a Tyranid Warrior Prime is just as capable of directing a swarm as a Hive Tyrant and many an Imperial officer has suffered as a result of underestimating their ability to project the Hive Mind and lead lesser Tyranid creatures. If Hive Tyrants are the generals of an invasion swarm, Primes are their captains.

=== On the Tabletop ===

Primes clock in at 100 points bare, which is five times the cost of a normal Warrior. In return you get a significantly beefier profile: it has a 3+ save, its WS, BS, S, T, A and LD are all improved by one and it has double the wounds. It also grants the Alpha Warrior ability, giving +1 to To Hit rolls to all Warriors and Shrikes within 6". Shrikes likely won't benefit much due to their 12” movement, but Warriors, who have the same movement speed as the Prime, most certainly do. WS3+/BS4+ are not bad, but the +1 will really help to make your medium bugs even deadlier. Pack your Prime in with some normal Warriors (because as a 6 wound Character it can't be targeted unless it's the closest model) and go to town. A problem that the Prime has however is that it's slow, limited to only 6" movement. You could pack it into a [[Tyrannocyte]]... But since the Tyrannocyte can only carry one unit that’s really a waste of a transport that can carry a 20-strong unit of baby bugs or a Monster as big as a Tyrannofex. Really it’s best just to have it footslog with some Warriors, handing out synapse to your little guys and +1 to hit to its lower ranked brethren on the way up the table.
* In previous editions, they were the only 'nid IC, and with synapse, which made them an excellent babysitter for other (non-warrior) squads. This is less true now, but they can still serve as babysitters to units that need synapse or as utility HQ adds for rounding out force orgs.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Swarmlord

2023-06-05T20:13:18Z

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{{awesome}}
[[File:Swarmlord.jpeg|thumb|300px|Behold the Devourer of countless galaxies, destroyer of empires, ender of countless species, and the end of evolution. [[Skub|You now want to play Tyranids]].]]
'''The Swarmlord''', also known as Schwarmführer (due to his first leaked images coming from scans from a German [[White Dwarf]], also it sounds way cooler), and Gargamel (owing to how he fucked over [[Marneus Calgar|Papa Smurf]]), is one of the few [[Tyranid]] characters with a little bit of personality. He is as ancient as the Tyranids themselves, a veteran of conflicts across countless galaxies. Essentially the apex predator of the entire species, the Herald of the Hive Mind and granddaddy of all [[Hive Tyrant]]s, the Swarmlord is the [[Creed]] of the Tyranid army, and also the most intelligent, cunning and experienced Hive Tyrant of the swarm. Whenever the Hive Mind can't overwhelm the opposition with sheer numbers or adapting new tactics, it spawns the Swarmlord, and he [[gets shit done]]. And on top of being a super-general, the Swarmlord is also a [[Khorne|close combat monster]] and [[Tzeentch|powerful psyker]], capable of facing off with [[Abaddon|the Despoiler]] himself, though with the advent of 8th edition he now has [[Roboute Guilliman|some]] [[Magnus the Red|stiff]] [[Mortarion|competition]] for who can mathematically whoop Abaddon’s sorry ass the hardest. Although it should be noted this is '''ONLY''' in [[crunch]] as, in [[fluff]], the Swarmlord has [[Bullshit|rarely managed to win a fight against serious opposition]] and is weaker than [[Marneus Calgar]] in a duel, meaning Abaddon is the stronger fighter in the actual narrative. Plus, it's pretty obvious that the big-name heroes will win almost every fight they get themselves into, while the Swarmlord's resurrection ability means [[Avatar of Khaine|the writers can kill him off as many times as they like]]. In addition to his huge size (which allows him to literally stomp and crush lesser enemies) and various psychic powers, he also wields four massive [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Bonesabre|bone sabres]] which ripple with psychic energy capable of cutting through virtually anything with ease (this includes both adamantium and force fields).

He's also immortal, as his memories and personality are constantly saved by the Hive Mind and are placed in brand new shiny body if the previous one happens to get blasted apart by massed melta fire. While the hive mind could potentially spawn a new Swarmlord without the previous one being slain, which could lead to multiple Swarmlords on different battlefields, no evidence of such cloning exists. However, if the Macragge Swarmlord is still alive, hibernating under the surface of the planet, there ARE at least two Swarmlords in the Galaxy. The latest Octarius book hints that there may actually be more than one Swarmlord body being controlled by the same consciousness at more than one location, simultaneously. It's possible that due to their psychic potency that they might not be able to be within a certain distance of each other (like, interstellar) without interfering with each other or perhaps the Hive Mind or Swarmlord's mind getting confused as to which body it is controlling. He's something of an Ensemble Darkhorse on /tg/, well-liked by 'Nid players who regard him as incredibly badass. And lest we forget, giving /tg/ as a whole something to smile about by shitting all over Calgar. Little victories.

He serves as the Super-Heavy unit of the [[Tyranid]] Army in [[Dawn of War 2]].

==List of deeds==
*First seen on Tyran, leading [[Hive Fleet Behemoth]]'s final assault on a Mechanicum outpost. Not quite clear why, because the battle was pretty one-sided, although he could have been gathering more data about human warfare or the Hive Mind wanted to put its best foot forward when facing an unknown enemy.
*Showed up on Macragge and kicked major ass, outclassing [[Marneus Calgar]] in tactics, but only beating him in a fight because he ganged up on Marneus with his bodyguard. He cut off Papa Smurf's limbs, guts and one eye, but due to plot armor, failed to kill him. The honor guard managed to recover their [[Chapter Master]] thanks to the <s>force-feeding</s> heroic sacrifice of their commander to the Swarmlord to buy some time. While the [[Ultramarines]] withdrew to space, the Swarmlord led his forces to the polar fortresses to omnomnom the First Company and [[Ultramar]] [[Planetary Defense Force|PDF]]. And he succeeded. Unfortunately, the space battle for Macragge hadn't gone so well, mainly because the <s>Imperial Fleet had the balls of steel</s> More mass and numbers the Ultrasmurfs lacked; while the Tyranids won the planet, they lost the war. The Swarmlord was killed during this battle, but its "consciousness" (as far as any Tyranid bioform can be called conscious) was reabsorbed through the Tyranid synaptic network to be reincarnated later.
*On Ichar IV Marneus and the Swarmlord had a rematch, this time with no minions getting in the way, and the Swarmlord lost outright, without even significantly injuring the Chapter Master. The Swarmlord, apparently, is just considerably weaker than Marneus as a fighter.
*It's possible that the The Great Beast, who lead [[Hive Fleet Kraken]]'s invasion on [[Craftworld Iyanden]] was the Swarmlord itself. The other option is that it was a normal Hive Tyrant with the now-defunct Armoured Carapace biomorph. The Avatar of [[Khaine]] attempted to goad the creature in single combat during the fighting. However, the Swarmlord, not really knowing nor giving a damn about honorable duels and such, tricked The Avatar into getting shit kicked by twelve Carnifexes. It also avoided all Eldar attempts to assassinate him until the corsair prince [[Yriel]] finally managed to stab him in the face with a [[Cronesword|cursed spear.]]
*Showed leading [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]] at the last years of M41, where it once planned and executed [[Indrick Boreale|multiple simultaneous and devastating attacks]] on the Hodur Sector, resulted in omnomnoming two dozens Imperial worlds (including one Space Marine Chapter home world) in less then two months. Such a rapid and unstoppable Tyranid advance is rumored to be the main reason for inquisitor [[Kryptman]]'s decision to launch his infamous mass-exterminatus cordon project and [[Blood Ravens|stolen]] Genestealer project to redirect Leviathan into an [[Octarius War|Ork empire]].
*Now he's rumored to be in the [[Octarius War]], trying to gain ground against the [[Ork]]s. It seemed to be going well for a while, but then the [[Eldar]] went and purged the entire system of all life and after that Ghazgkhull himself showed up, hopped up on WAAAAGH energy and blessed by the direct intervention of [[Gork]] and [[Mork]] themselves, removing any semblance of a fair fight that might have existed. To make it even worse a [[World Eaters]] warband caught wind of all this and decided to join in. Within the year they had offered 8000 nid skulls to [[Khorne]]. This might not seem all that impressive... except for the fact that the ''smallest'' of these skulls was the size of a '''boulder'''. The [[Chaos Lord]] leading the warband, Vodha Bloodprice, managed to off a [[Hierophant]] with the the axe of a fallen [[Warboss]] and got promoted to [[Daemon Prince]] as a reward from the very pleased Khorne.
*Appeared to lead the invasion of Baal where, once again, it died in single combat against a tired and exhausted [[Dante]]. If you haven't noticed, Swarmy has a critical weakness against anybody with [[plot armor]] and through this lost most of the menace that comes with being the pinnacle of all Tyranid evolution. At least in this case though, it's offset somewhat by the fact that Dante is unambiguously [[awesome]], which takes some of the sting out for Tyranid players. Hell, it almost kills Dante, impaling him and popping up his secondary heart, damaging his spine and leaving him gravely poisoned before Dante evaporates its face with the Perdition Pistol at point blank. Dante only even survived due to the aid of the [[Sanguinor]] and the direct intervention of [[Sanguinius]] himself, who appeared in the ethereal plane to praise and revive Dante before returning him to the materium.
*In the latest step of the Swarmlord's nonstop fall down the ladder of success on Loqe II the Swarmlord engaged, and was killed, in single combat by a single, random Custodian after killing a mere two others.
*Won the [[Octarius War]] by killing the Overfiend of Octarius... In their second duel, the Swarmlord being killed in their first. Dammit, even when he wins, he loses.

==On the Tabletop==
[[File:Swarmlord Codex Tyranids.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The Swarmlord in its natural habitat: [[Doom|knee-deep in the dead]].]]
The Swarmlord was one of the most deadly and expensive HQs in the game, being able to buff his army and slaughter almost anything in close combat with high weapon skill instant death attacks. While having only one wound more than a regular Hive Tyrant, he was more survivable in close combat due to a 4++ he got from parrying attacks with his swords. There were only a couple HQ models outside Apocalypse capable of killing the Swarmlord in a challenge with a chance of or better than 50% - Primarchs, Draigo, Lysander, Abaddon and Skarbrand primarily, but also anything with a lot of high strength/AP attacks, anything that causes instant death or anyone that has Eternal Warrior, and even that doesn't save them most of the time. Give him a unit of [[Tyrant Guard]] and he's damn near unstoppable. If you have a friend who is a Blood Angels player who won't shut up about how powerful Mephiston is, just say "Swarmlord" and you instantly end/win any ensuing argument. Also it's hilarious.

And then [[Robin Cruddace|6th edition happened]]. It lost Eternal Warrior, and Tyranids as a whole lost access to the main book psychic powers, including their buffs. And he lost his special rule that made enemies reroll successful invuln saves, AND got 5 point price increase as a final slap in the face. What does he get from all of this? One additional attack and he's level 3 psyker. ONE, UNO, EIN attack and ML3 when there isn't really much to use it on due to the Tyranid psychic table being at most decent-ish and unspectacular, and he gets less rolls for powers than he used to. Christ...

Given the removal of the Parasite, the nerfs to walking Hive Tyrants (R.I.P armored shell), and the obscene overcosting of [[Tyranid Warrior|Primes]], the general theory on why the Swarmlord and other Tyranid HQs was hit so hard is that GW wants to promote sales of Flyrants and Tyrant Guard which are not only big and expensive models, but big and expensive models you have to buy a lot of. Everyone already had walkrants, most people only ever got one swarmlord, and the prime is a rather small model by GW standards. Tyrant Guard weren't spectacularly buffed, but Flyrants are one of the clear winners of the new book.

The Swarmlord however was forced to sit the edition out with no FAQ, Dataslate, Supplement, or Forge World book to throw him a bone. So ended a year and a half of true glory, replaced with bitter mediocrity and memories of godhood now lost.

And then 8th Edition happened.

=== 8th Edition===
In 8th Edition Swarmie is back with a vengeance. An even 300 points nets you a monstrous 6 attacks at WS2+ S8 AP-3 D3+1 mortal on 6+ to wound and an additional one at S8 AP0 DD3 thanks to the pincer tail; a tough T7 12 Wound 3+/4++ (3++ against melee) platform that can run at a frightening 9". The range on Synapse and Shadow in the Warp is increased to 18" and thanks to Hive Commander the Swarmlord can pick one friendly '''Hive Fleet''' unit within 6" and have them move instead of shooting. This can be the Swarmlord itself to run a frightening 18" before charging, a fun way to suddenly spring a nasty surprise on your opponent, which is increased by 2d6" if you use Onslaught. The Swarmlord has a fixed Warlord Trait: Alien Cunning. This allows it to [[Creed|redeploy at the start of the battle to exploit the battle plans of your opponent]]. The downside is that this is a fixed ability, meaning it's predictable and loses its surprise because it cannot have a different trait. The Swarmlord knows three psychic powers: Smite and two from the Hive Mind discipline. Don't forget that the Swarmlord can use two powers per turn:

* '''Dominion''' lets one friendly Tyranids unit within 36" both ignore Instinctive Behaviour and Morale tests for one turn. While useful it's also situational.
* '''Catalyst''' simply grants a 5+++ save against all wounds to one unit within 18". Extremely useful, since the Swarmlord will draw a LOT of fire.
* '''The Horror''' is pretty useful: an enemy unit with 24" of the user substracts 1 from all their hit rolls and Leadership tests. Not only does it protect you until the start of your next psychic phase (have fun shutting down enemy heavy weapons squads this way), any damage you do against infantry units will hurt even more.
* '''Onslaught''' is by far the best of the bunch: if used on itself the Hive Tyrant can move 9", advance D6", then use Hive Commander to move another 9", advance D6" and charge after that. This gives the Swarmlord an average threat radius of 32", allowing for a first-turn charge in whatever vulnerable position your opponent has. Do note that afterwards your opponent will likely Fall Back and blast your Swarmlord to bits, but it'd be hilarious if you manage to take out your opponent's HQ unit with such an attack.
* '''Paroxysm''' means that one enemy unit within 18" of yours is unable to fight until it's the last unit to have to do so until your next Psychic phase. This seems odd at first, but it means you can cripple the tactical effectiveness of this unit and assure it won't be able to overrun one of your units and charge another one until you're ready for them. Situational.
* '''Psychic Scream''' hits the nearest enemy unit within 18" with d3 Mortal Wounds, and if they're a psyker they have to roll 2d6. If this is higher than their Leadership, pick one of their psycic powers: they can no longer use it in that turn. This is a tremendous way to fuck over an enemy psyker, but because of how targeting works you're not very likely to hit a lot of psykers with this unless you fight Grey Knights or something. But even then, d3 Mortal Wounds is always nice.

So in short, Catalyst and Onslaught are the best picks. Something that makes the Swarmlord unique is that it does not have a fixed Hive Fleet trait: it can pick from any of the traits and as such has access to a couple of useful effects:

* '''Behemoth''' grants re-rolls on failed charge rolls, which is alright since the Swarmlord is meant for combat, however with Hive Commander the Swarmlord can easily auto-charge after coming out of a Tyrannocyte or even when footslogging across the board, especially if it successfully casts Onslaught on itself, making this less useful.
* '''Kraken''' lets you roll ''three'' dice when rolling to Advance and pick the best one, which is a massive boon if you have the Swarmlord run off by itself. It can also charge in the same turn as falling back.
* '''Leviathan''' grants a free 6+++ for everything within 6" of a Synapse creature, which is valuable as your opponent will often focus a lot of high damage weaponry into the Swarmlord to bring it down.
* '''Gorgon''' gives re-rolls of 1 on to wound rolls in combat, which will be useful if you send your Swarmlord to try and take out tanks, or just want more reliable damage output.
* '''Jormungandr''' grants the benefit of cover out in the open... unless the model advances. Which given how you'll be running the Swarmlord is going to mean jack.
* '''Hydra''' grants re-rolls on failed hit rolls in combat against units with fewer models than your own... which means nothing since the Swarmlord rides alone.
* '''Kronos''' gives a re-roll of 1s to hit when shooting, but since the Swarmlord cannot do that this won't help him.

In the end Kraken is favoured because of the significant speed boost it grants, however Leviathan's durability increase and Gorgon's rerolls can also be decent choices.

Despite all this the Swarmlord is more vulnerable than ever with the advent of multi-wound weapons. His old reliable meatshields, the [[Tyrant Guard]] have especially suffered because of this: now REDUCED from T6 to T5 in 8th in return for 1 extra wound (so 3 total) and still only 3+ armour a single [[Lascannon]] shot has a good chance at popping one of them. While they can switch any wounds dealt to their charge to themselves as Mortal Wounds on a 2+, their relatively weak frames mean that this will rapidly kill them and focussed [[plasma]] fire will really thin the herd, leaving the Swarmlord vulnerable.

Another note is that the Tyrant Guard move 7", 2" slower than the Swarmlord at his highest stats, and thus they require adrenal glands to keep up with the boss. On top of this being not perfectly reliable, the difference in speed means there's a good chance that either unit will be able to outrun the other, meaning that using both at the same time is difficult at best. Then there's the point cost: 3 of them cost 111 points bare. Two additional points for the Glands and Sacs are worth it, and the 2 points extra on top of that are useful for the Lash Whip & Bonesword for the AP-2 it grants. Skip the Crushing Claws: they're way too expensive. There's one additional point of interest: Tyrant Guard can now be taken in units of up to 6. This is expensive, since such a unit sets you back 234 points fully kitted out, but it's a fun novelty.

===Power Ratings===
At 15 points the Swarmlord is balanced and doesn't get any other options. Nothing else changes.

== Gallery ==

<gallery>
Image:TacticalSwarmlord.png|The Swarmlord and a certain [[Creed|tactical genius]] team up. [[Awesome|Can I get a "Hell yeah!", people?]]
Image:Senordelahorda.png|El Señor de la Horda y su corcel, [[Raveners|el Terror Rojo]].
Image:Swarmlord carnage.jpg|Pictured: the fine red mist that you become if you get too close to the Swarmlord.
Image:Swarmbaus.jpg|"Bullets? What bullets?"
</gallery>

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Dawn of War]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

[[Category: Megafauna]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Norn Queen

2023-06-05T20:12:45Z

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[[File:Norn_Queen.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Wave and say hello to mom!]]
{{Topquote|Maybe it's like an ant hive... You know what I mean. There's, like, one female that runs the whole show... Yeah, the momma. She's badass man, I mean BIG.|Pvt. Hudson, Aliens}}

The Norn Queen (also known as Splicer-Beasts, or Tyrannicus Primagenitor) are the head honchos and matriarchs of an entire [[Tyranid]] [[Hive Fleet]]. These [[Bitch|alpha bitches]] are in charge of the literal creation of entire Tyranid bioforms, from the smallest microbial phage-cells to the largest [[Hive Ship]]. They are the genetic architects of the Nids and '''''THE MOST''''' important and productive organism of the Nids. You know how the Nids usually scatter if a strong synapse creature dies? Now imagine if that one was in charge of an entire ''Hive Fleet''. If she dies, the Hive Fleet would be unable to craft new creatures until another one is created, crippling the leadership and creature creation for a few short but crucial moments.

==Overview==
Norn Queens live upon massive Hive Ships in huge chambers at the center of the Hive Fleet and ingest genetic material, churning out the countless types of creatures that make up the Tyranid Hive Fleet. All Tyranids have links back to a Norn Queen, as the only way for Tyranids to reproduce is via this cloning technique. It is said that they lead the Tyranid forces and direct the evolution of the Tyranid race.

Norn Queens require a constant supply of fuel, in the shape of genetic material, in order to reproduce or bring forth new Tyranid life forms. This mainly consists of the fluids formed in [[Reclamation Pool|Reclamation Pools,]] that are pumped up into the Hive Ships through massive [[Capillary Tower|Capillary Towers.]] Genetic material is also supplied directly to the Norn Queen via living creatures and scavengers, such as Coffin-Crawlers. All of this, including the transport creatures carrying the food, is pumped into the great jaws that are located at the top of the Norn Queen, and synthesized by the Queen's genetic shredder organs. The dissembled DNA structures form a gene-bank, which provides the raw material from which new creatures are created. Once a type of bio-construct has been designed, more identical creatures can be cloned by the Norn Queens.

Norn Queens are capable of bringing forth new bio-constructs in a variety of different ways, each designed to ensure maximum efficiency. Most bio-constructs are born as tiny wriggling larvae or may begin life as eggs that must be nurtured further before they hatch and develop into adults. Clusters of eggs spill from rows of ovipository orifices along its flanks, fluid filled depressions on its upper surface writhe with maggot-like larvae, fetal sacs hang like ripe fruit from umbilical branches, and huge larval Teleporter Worms burst from incubator pouches on the Norn Queen's sides. Simpler bio-constructs may emerge already in their adult form to be gathered and directed by the horde of creatures that feed and serve the Norn Queen.

As there is never any "mating" happening at any point in the Tyranid reproduction cycle, this means that Tyranids are an all female race of clones asexually reproduced from their Norn Queens, [[Monstergirls|only grimdark stops this from heading into PROMOTIONS territory, and even then not all the time for a few patrician]] [[Elegan/tg/entlemen]].

Contrary to popular belief, Norn Queens don't always stay on their lazy ass up in space all the time. Sometimes, they hop on land and ride around in a [[Dominatrix]]. However, doing so is obviously incredibly risky, but it does lead to boosting the synapse leadership and coordination on the planet a thousandfold.

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Neurotyrant

2023-06-05T20:12:14Z

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{{topquote|[[Starship Troopers|They sucked his brains out!]]|An Imperial Guardsman shitting himself after seeing a Neurotyrant liquify someone's brain for biomass}}
[[File:Neurotyrant2023.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The Hive Tyrant's brainier cousin.]]
The Neurotyrant is a new species of [[Tyranid]] that first made its debut in 10th Edition. They are the ''literal'' big brains of ''all'' Tyranid psychic units that makes the like of a [[Zoanthrope]] look as psychically neutered as a [[Tau]].

==Overview==
The Gigachads of Synapse creatures, Neurotyrants are a Tyranid bioform which acts as a focusing node for the [[Hive Mind|Shadow in the Warp]], liquifying the minds of its prey as it orchestrates hordes of Tyranids to victory. Yes, these guys are the Hive Mind's personal psychic internet router. The god damn ''[[Hive Tyrant]]s'' of psychic Tyranids.

The Neurotyrant is a support-focused creature. It hovers across terrain much like a Zoanthrope. It sports a multitude of [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Lash Whip|thrashing tendrils]] to whip at anything within reach. Its giant brain exists to focus the mental powers of the Tyranids, increasing the psychic pressure exerted by the Shadow in the Warp while simultaneously relaying the critical Synapse network to less developed creatures.

It is supported by two [[Neuroloid]] psychic bodyguards that act as a support unit to ''that'' support unit and is protected by a thick [[Armoured Exoskeleton]], so it ain't a squishy wizard you can squash.
<gallery>
Z21XgARCH7cdztDI.jpg
</gallery>
{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Hive Tyrant

2023-06-05T20:11:55Z

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[[File:Hive_Tyrant_b&w.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Here we see the Hive Tyrant in its natural habitat. Wrecking everything in its path.]]

A '''Hive Tyrant''' (''Tyranicus praefactor'') is one of the "commander" type creatures that a [[Tyranid]] fleet deploys at the forefront of an invasion. It is an utter powerhouse of a combatant with its claws, cannons, and boneswords that tear through all but the hardest of armors, plus it also possesses an array of psychic powers to boost itself further, in addition to its ability to efficiently command the swarm. Due to this, its not only [[Mork|brutally cunning]], but [[Gork|cunningly brutal]] as well.

Hive Tyrants are a large type of the Tyranid Synapse-Creatures, making it three or four times as tall as the average [[human]], all of it violent muscle, claws, and teeth able to tear through plasteel, ferrocrete, and ceramite with ease. They serve the same role that generals do in ordinary armies and are tough as fuck, thanks to their [[Exoskeleton|Bonded Exoskeletons]]. Unlike other Tyranids, Hive Tyrants are unique entities in the Hive Mind, with personalities and preferences, meaning that if someone actually does manage to kill one, it's not only coming back, but it's going to remember who did it and be seriously pissed off plus on guard for their tricks.

Usually armed with the [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Bonesword|Bonesword]], [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Lash Whip|Lash Whip]], [[Heavy Venom Cannon]], and [[Stranglethorn Cannon]].

==Tabletop==
[[File:HiveTyrant.jpg|300px|thumb|right|What a Hive Tyrant looks like on the tabletop.]]
===Old crunch===
The Hive Tyrant has some interesting psychic powers, but is massively expensive, lacking invulnerable saves (Tyranid 'Monstrous' creatures had a 5+ invulnerable save prior to 3rd), and can't join squads. They're far from weak, in fact in close-combat they're flat out deadly, but they sucked at shooting before 6th ed and have always lacked much protection when getting shot at. And it will get shot at, a lot, because everyone knows the golden rule when fighting Tyranids: Take out the big ones!

===Eighth Edition===
Hive tyrants, especially flyrants, are basically autoincludes for many tyranid lists in 8th. 4+ invulnerable saves, decent weapon options at both range and melee, and tons of options via relics and psychic powers have made the tyrant into one of the most flexible and feared units in the codex, if not the game. There is a reason why tyranids were topping competitive with lists entirely made up of these guys before the big FAQ introduced the rule of three.

== Variants ==
[[File:Dagon Overlord DWMX.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The Dagon Overlord in its natural state: sitting on a pile of Space Marine corpses.]]
* '''Walkrant''' - The basic Hive Tyrant. Used to be able to gain a 2+ Save in the tabletop, but was removed for obscenely stupid reasons. Can now (9e) get T8 for whatever it's worth. Generally accompanied by [[Tyrant Guard]].
**'''[[Swarmlord]]''' - A one-of-a-kind Hive Tyrant variant that's the accumulation of all nid ferocity and cunning and given four super-dangerous boneswords.
* '''Flyrant''' - A Hive Tyrant with wings. Master of the [[Flying Circus]]. Very good because of how mobile it is, especially if it goes dakka. One recurring meme for this thing's value is the fact that it would require SIXTY MULTIMELTAS to remove, despite far better alternatives being available.
*'''Swarm Tyrant''' - A Hive Tyrant that has been [[Rule 63]]'ed with a [[/d/|giant vagina]]. Akin to the [[Tervigon]] and are capable of giving birth to clutches of [[Ripper]]s. They wield large [[Fleshborer]]s. Since their female, I guess we could call them Tyrantess?
* '''Dagon Overlord''' - In FFG's [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch]], a very accomplished Hive Tyrant called the Dagon Overlord is mentioned to be leading the forces of [[Hive Fleet Dagon]]. Unlike the [[Swarmlord]], it's able to drive the swarms it commands into a blind [[rage]] and can actively copy the traits of the victims it devours, all while emitting a constant cloud of poisons that would make a [[Venomthrope]] jealous. (Unusually, it seems to go out of its way to hunt down and kill [[Deathwatch]] Kill-teams, as if it wanted revenge against the Hive Fleet's past defeats at their hands.)
* '''[['Balor' Hive Tyrant|Balor]]''' - /tg/'s made-up super-Tyrant for [[Hive Fleet Nidhoggr]].

== Dawn Of War ==

The Hive Tyrant appears as one of the Tyranid heroes in Dawn of War II. Early game, due to its high starting health and DPS, it's the strongest commander in the game, and is immune to suppression, but starts without a ranged weapon. Like the other Tyranid commanders, the Hive Tyrant is extremely customizable, being able to perform a support synapse role, or become a dedicated melee fighter, though in the late game it's outperformed by the Warboss, Force Commander, and [[Chaos Lord]]. In ''Retribution'' it also breaks the campaign in half, since the game is coded to treat it as a vehicle (all Monstrous Creatures are), and thus can smash through walls even when the campaign level wasn't designed to permit it. Hive Tyrant goes where he wants, he doesn't care. He also is notable for being one of the PERFECT commanders for a more RTS based army like the Tyranids, thanks to certain abilities such as ''Buffing and increasing the regeneration of nearby units'', '''Teleporting instantaneously and fully regaining your health''', or '''''Flat Healing a huge amount of health to all units within synapse range, and then granting them a regeneration buff ''''', still not enough sustain? how about '''''Healing all Nids within Synapse range On each hit.''''' alongside with it having one of the largest health pools in the game, you can make a Swarm of nigh unkillable constantly regenerating Synaptic buffed Nids to steamroll the entire campaign.

They could not have portrayed them any better.

Hive Tyrants appear as bosses in the vanilla [[Dawn of War II]] campaign and as one might expect, they can be tough opponents. The exception the Alpha Hive Tyrant that appears as a last minute final boss. While certainly not weak, by that point your squads are strong enough to the point it doesn't pose much threat, especially if you've got terminator armor from fighting the Warboss and Avatar (and if you beat either of those things, you can pwn the Alpha Hive Tyrant). The most ridiculous part of the fight that removes any chance of challenge from it is that [[Gabriel Angelos]] aids the player and can grant temporary invulnerability to multiple units, which conveniently lasts long enough to fill the cooldown gap between two uses of the [[Rosarius]]' strategic item invulnerability ability (and the planet Typhon happens to have the most Imperial Shrines to power the Rosarius' uses-per-mission). Though, even with all the cheese you have, the Hive Tyrant Alpha is still a deadly enough opponent that you shouldn't be lax at in the fight. This is especially true in the Primarch difficulty as its bio-plasma shot and charge move can kill everyone in your squad, and it only takes about 2-3 normal melee attacks for it to knock out one of your sergeants, even in full Terminator armor. So if you aren't careful in keeping your invulnerability skills up and deal enough damage to it while you're invulnerable, it ''can'' still wipe the floor with your entire strike force in a heartbeat.

That said, fans probably shouldn't have complained about how easy the Alpha Hive Tyrant was, because Relic listened, and the expansions included final bosses in form [[Ulkair]] and [[Kyras]], who are both absolute hell, way worse than the (already mind-numbingly hard) optional bosses in the vanilla campaign.

You can also play as one in [[Last Stand]], where you can become a minion-spawning murderer of things. [[Last Stand - Hive Tyrant|Take a look at what it can tote]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

[[Category: Megafauna]]

{{Template:Tyranids-Creatures}}

Thrall Wizards

2023-06-05T20:11:02Z

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{{Heresy}}
[[File:Thrall WizardImg5224bf4b125df.jpg|right|220px|thumb|A really good custom model of a Thrall Wizard.]]
[[File:Thrall_Wizard.jpg|Left|200px|left|thumb|And for my next magic trick! I cast Doom Bolts!]]
'''Thrall Wizards''' are your usual sorcerous mortal servants/[[Lord of the Rings|Saruman cosplayers]]/[[Harry Potter|Harry Potter lookalikes]] of the [[Thousand Sons]] [[Chaos Space Marine]] Legion, drawn from the inhabitants of the [[Sortiarius|Planet of Sorcerers.]]

When the Thousand Sons arrived on their new homeworld after their escape from the Burning of [[Prospero]], they found it to be uninhabited. Over the many thousands of years since that time, the Thousand Sons have brought so many captives back with them from raids out into the galaxy that the Planet of Sorcerers now possesses a sizeable non-Legionary population. From this population are drawn the Thrall Wizards.

==Overview==

Surprisingly/unsurprisingly (Depending on your views and perspectives of the Thousand Sons), humans captured by a Thousand Sons raid don't always go on the pointy end of a Daemon Summoning Ritual. In most cases, recruiting these captured humans to boost the numerically low Thousand Sons is seen as a pragmatic and a win-win tactic for the sons of Magnus. Of course, psychically or sorcerously inclined individuals are more prized by the Thousand Sons, and many such mortals captured by them may find themselves bonded to a Thousand Son Sorcerer as an arcane assistant. In other words being captured by the Thousand Sons is probably one of the best things that can happen to a person in 40k, even by modern standards of good. Well, provided that you ignore the whole "plaything of the dark gods" thing that happens to your soul.

Even the most ignorant humans can find a home in the ranks of the Thrall Wizards, as if a Sorcerer's Thrall Wizard Band is large enough, they can be apprenticed to a '''Thrall-Champion''', in order to learn the simplest sorcerous tasks required by their masters, and provide supporting magic in battle. In this way, they can begin a career that may lead to becoming a fully fledged wizard in their own right, and perhaps further...for some [[Chaos Champion|Chaos Champions]] and even [[Daemon Prince|Daemon Princes of Tzeentch]] are said to have once been Thralls...[[Chaos Spawn|as are many those-who-must-not-be-named.]] [[Reasonable Marines|How reasonable.]]

Because they are (Mostly) Human, Thrall Wizards are quite squishy. Thrall Wizards are often the main crew members riding on top the [[Silver Tower of Tzeentch|Silver Towers of Tzeentch]] where they can roleplay as <s>Jeremy Irons</s> [[Dungeons & Dragons|Mage Profion]] whilst screaming [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwRXE3o9kMI "LET THEIR BLOOD RAAAAIIIINNNN FROM DA SKYYYYYYYYYYYYY!".] If there ever was a place in which we [[Neckbeards]] can not only survive but prosper in the most hilariously [[/tg/]] approved way possible within the Grimdarkness of the Far Far Future, it would to be inducted as a Thrall Wizard.

{{Thousand Sons}}

Prospero Spireguard

2023-06-05T20:10:47Z

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{{Heresy}}
[[File:LucretiaArt.jpg|270px|right|thumb|Lucretia, somehow the ''only'' canon Spireguard we have pictures of.]]
The Prospero Spireguards were once the the local Imperial Army/[[Planetary Defense Force|PDF's]] stationed to defend the planets of [[Prospero]] during the [[Great Crusade]]. However, after the [[Horus Heresy]], the Spireguard, now corrupted by the forces of [[Chaos]], would continue to fight under the [[Thousand Sons]]. They saw action in the siege of the [[Space Wolves]] homeworld of [[Fenris]], this time led by [[Magnus the Red]] himself. Despite the corruption however, the Spireguards remains one of the most disciplined and cohesive Traitor Guard regiments in the entire Galaxy. This is thanks in no small part to the fact of Magnus's rule on [[Sortiarius]], who still remains sentimental over the loss of his original homeworld. This, combined with the natural psychic brilliance of the Thousand Sons, creates a competent military force that rivals many [[Imperial Guard]] regiments.
[[File:Prospero_Spireguard.jpg|330px|left|thumb|Prospero Spireguards pre-Heresy.]]
==Overview & History==
During the Compliance action on Ark Reach Secundus the Guard were noted to wear crimson greatcoats, heavy boots and silver shakoes lined with fur cut from the wings of the snow-shrikes, an indigenous bird used by the Avenians as weapons.

Officers were noted to wear crimson jackets decorated with brass buttons and gold frogging. They were also outfitted with silver helmets, curved sabres and [[laspistol|laspistols]].

A detachment of these men were onboard the warship Waning Moon under the command of Thousand Son Space Marine Mhotep during the early start of the Horus Heresy. They were set to board the mysterious vessel, the Furious Abyss, but were ultimately killed, when the Furious Abyss destroyed the Waning Moon. Only one rescue pod was able to leave, with only Mhotep aboard.

Modern Spireguard forces can vary a lot in it's appearance, though. While regiments drafted from the [[Sortiarius]]' population of [[Thrall Wizards]] generally keep the old style fueled by the aforementioned sentimental nostalgia of Magnus the Red, Thousand Sons maintain their grip on several planets outside the [[Eye of Terror|Eye]] and out of the view of the [[Imperium]] where they draft more expendable Spireguard regiments. Those "lite" Spireguards are pretty much your standard Imperial Guardsmen in both appearance and function, except with more respected [[psyker|psykers]] and no [[Ministorum Priest|priests]]. Magnus famously mustered a million-numbered army of those lesser Spireguards for his first attack on [[Fenris]] in M32 and then left it all behind to cover his retreat.

They have been reborn and replenish by the time of the 13th Black Crusade.

{{Thousand Sons}}

[[Category:Lost and the Damned]]

Contemptor-Osiron Dreadnought

2023-06-05T20:10:30Z

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[[File:OsironPattern.jpg|300px|right|thumb|I was the Librarian Dreadnought before it was cool.]]
The Osiron Class Dreadnought was a type of Contemptor used by the [[Thousand Sons]]. These dreadnoughts were created by [[Magnus]] himself, and consisted of a mortally wounded psyker Space Marine laced with a psychometric barrier for his brain. Called the Osiron device, this allowed psykers to be interred in a Dreadnought without going insane, as well as still having full access to their psychic abilities.

As such, these Dreadnoughts were equipped with Force Weapons. Think of them as the [[Doomglaive Dreadnought]] of the [[Great Crusade]] and [[Horus Heresy]]. Essentially speaking, Magnus had psychic dreadnoughts [[Librarian Dreadnought|before it was cool]]. Magnus, [[This Guy|being the bro that he was,]] even gave the schematics of the Osiron device to all of the other Space Marine Legions, though it would appear only the [[Blood Angels]] and [[Grey Knights]] ever made use of it.

==Overview==

For many solar decades the arts by which the power of an Astartes psyker could be maintained medically within the armored sarcophagus of a Dreadnought eluded the Thousand Sons and any other Space Marine Legion that tried, with the occupant experiencing a lingering death, madness or malign psychic phenomena. The Osiron Dreadnought with its device was aimed at solving this issue.

The Osiron device was difficult to construct and was barely understood by even the most learned psi-arcanists, though this did not stop the Thousand Sons from outfitting it to their Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts, with startlingly powerful results.

The Osiron Dreadnought mirrored the standard [[Contemptor Dreadnought|Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought']]s armament with a twin-linked [[Heavy Bolter]] attached to one arm and a massive [[Power Weapon#Dreadnought Power Fist|Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon]] on the other with a built-in twin-linked [[Astartes Boltgun|Bolter]]. It can also be equipped with a [[Multi-melta]], a set of twin-linked [[Autocannon]]s, a [[Plasma Cannon|Heavy Plasma Cannon]], a [[Assault Cannon|Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon]], a twin-linked [[Lascannon]] and a power-leeching [[Heavy Conversion Beamer]]. The difference between the Osiron and a standard Contemptor was that the Osiron's Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon was always a [[Force Weapons#Osiron Force Blade|Osiron Force Blade,]] and its twin-linked Bolter was loaded with Asphyx Shells. The presence of the Force Blade makes the Osiron Dreadnought the first documented Dreadnought Force Weapon and the first documented psychic Dreadnought.

It is unknown if these Dreadnoughts are still in use in the 41st/42nd Millennium. Although due to them being all psykers, it is possible that a few of them survived the [[Burning of Prospero]] and are currently nerdin out in [[Sortiarius]].

==Tabletop==

In the [[Horus Heresy]] tabletop, the Osiron Dreadnought are your Elite Contemptors which can unload a psychic shitstorm. These precursors to the 40k Librarian Dreadnought cost around an extra 50 points, and gives each dread ML1 (with access to Telekinesis, Telepathy, Pyromancy, and Divination), Adamantium Will, and a snazzy new Force Weapon and Asphyx Shells. The Force Blade itself is a Strength x2, AP 2 monstrous Force Weapon. Have fun dicing TEQs for breakfast.

{{Thousand Sons}}

Scarab Occult

2023-06-05T20:10:10Z

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{{Heresy}}
[[File:SekhmetSquad.jpg|300px|right|thumb|From elite, badass honour guards to walking dustbins. Poor bastards.]]
The ''original'' pre-[[Rubric Terminator]] Squad and quasi-[[Honour Guard]] for [[Magnus the Red]] during the [[Great Crusade]] and the [[Horus Heresy]]. These guys were the elite of the [[Thousand Sons]] legion and were known as the '''Sekhmet''' or '''Magnus's Veterans'''.

==Overview==
Belonging to the 1st Fellowship of the legion, they were under the command of 1st Fellowship Captain [[Ahzek Ahriman]]. They were incredibly proud but also, incredibly stoic and quiet, resembling automatons more than actual people. They were veterans of both battle and the Thousand Sons' psychic discipline system, with no member being of lower cult grade than Philosophus. This meant that each warrior was able to mentally transcend their personal humours, making them the most zen-like ''monks'' in the Space Marine ''space warrior monk'' archetype.

The total number of the Sekhmet is unknown, but the force present with Ahriman on Aghoru numbered eighty-one. Aghoru was one of the first times that they deployed their newly issued [[Rotor Cannon]]s, although they deliberately chose to continue to refer to the weapon by the name of the previous Terminator-issue support cannon, the Reaper. This was due to the numerological significance of the word reaper, which fitted perfectly with the philosophy of the Thousand Sons. Following the [[Council of Nikaea]], the Scarab Occult Terminators took to cutting a vertical scar through the right lenses of their helmets in their primarch's image.

These guys were all clad in [[Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armour]] and all carried a [[Combi-Bolter]], [[Power Fist]] alongside a [[Force_Weapons#Achea Khopesh|Achea Khopesh]] for combat.

==Where Are They Now?==
[[Rubric Terminator|Go to this page to find out.]]

==Crunch==
In the Horus Heresy, they were WS5 Cataphractii terminators that come default with an Achea Pattern force weapon. Can be upgraded to have a Psychic discipline on the Inceptor, giving them some genuine utility on their weapons. Taking Biomancy on the other hand with their Achea Pattern Khopesh means you get back to S8 and thus can ID without using Power Fists. However, you can take actual Power Fists (as well as the usual Sx2 AP2 ''Unwieldy'' weapons) if you want a bit more reliability or you want a different Psychic discipline with Telepathy being hilarious for turning off Overwatch.

Overall, these guys are far too expensive for their worth. At 50 points a model, you are paying Justaerin amounts of points for a unit that has nowhere near the Justaerin's utility.

{{Thousand Sons}}

Khenetai Occult

2023-06-05T20:09:43Z

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{{Heresy}}
[[File:Khenetai.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Thousand Sons Berserkers. Odd combination ain't it?]]
The Khenetai Occult were an elite force of the [[Thousand Sons]] during the [[Great Crusade]] and [[Horus Heresy]]. They were the melee specialists of the legion. Given they weren't the most powerful of [[psyker]]s, it is likely they were [[Rubric|Rubric'd]] by [[Ahzek Ahriman|Ahriman]]'s shenanigans post-Heresy.

==Overview==
These warriors were part of the Order of the Jackal and served as the guardians of the five Prosperine Cults. The Khenetai Blade warriors were psychically bound to one another, and their elite were the initiates of the Cult's inner secrets and arts.

The foremost warriors of the Khenetai formed cabals of blades, each led by a '''Blade Master'''. As befitting their name, their primary weapon were two [[Force Weapons#Achea Khopesh|Achea Force Khopesh Swords.]] They wore specially designed [[Mark IV: Maximus Armour]], but by the time of the Horus Heresy, they were forced to turn to the [[Mark V: Heresy Armour]] as the Thousand Sons were severely depleted in resources and men by the [[Space Wolves]], and they needed the Heresy Armour's molecular bonding studs to fix whatever damages they had on their original Maximus Armour.

Their most well known member and leader was [[Iskandar Khayon]], yes, ''that'' [[Mary Sue]].

==Crunch==
On the tabletop, they are your dual-wielding Achea force swords, these are your melee infantry. A bit squishy in their power armour, but potentially murderous. Come with a unique power that replaces the Minor Arcana. Instead, they can make a Psychic check to gain +1 to Movement, Weapon Skill, and Attacks. They're very killy, but you need to watch the counterattack.

{{Thousand Sons}}

Hidden Ones

2023-06-05T20:09:32Z

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{{Heresy}}
[[File:HiddenOneLegions.jpg|250px|right|thumb|A Hidde One....[[Alpharius|''OR IS IT!?'']]]]
The '''Hidden Ones''' were the [[Scout Squad|secret spies and agents]] of the [[Thousand Sons]] Space Marine Legion, during the [[Great Crusade]] and the [[Horus Heresy]]. Since they were Scouts, it is likely they weren't ''that'' psychic to begin with, so they were most likely [[Rubric Marines|Rubric'd]] during [[Ahzek Ahriman|Ahriman]]'s shenanigans.
==Overview==
When it comes to what they actually do, the Hidden Ones actually stays true to their name, as we barely know jackshit about them. So you could say they are really, ''really'', memetically well hidden. The only thing we know about them was that their commander was Amon, 9th Fellowship Captain of the legion and Equerry to [[Magnus the Red]]. Amon was noted to have trained the Hidden Ones personally. But other than Amon, we don't know what weapons they use, what equipment they carry nor what their methodology was really like.

It is possible that the Hidden Ones were not Astartes Scouts in the traditional sense; that is, not new recruits employed as reconnaissance troops, but a type of infiltrator akin to the [[Officio Assassinorum]]. They may even be [[Heresy|Daemonic]] in origin. Evidence for this comes not only from the Hidden Ones being referred to as the [[Pretend|'Scout Auxilia']], but also from the revelation that Kasper Ansbach Hawser was a Hidden One of the Thousand Sons despite being completely unaware of this possibility for most of his known life. So yeah, we are in some ''deep'' CIA/KGB psy-ops/Men-in-Black shit here.

Hawser operated as a deep-cover spy planted inside the [[Space Wolves]] legion apparently by the Thousand Sons, who had psychically (and perhaps sorcerously) [[Just As Planned|reprogrammed his mind so that he would go to Fenris and become attached to the Space Wolves]]. From this position his handlers in the Thousand Sons - believed to be Amon and even Magnus himself - could perceive his experiences and glean secret intelligence on the inner operations of the Wolves of Fenris.

<u>'''HOWEVER'''</u>, it should be noted that most of the information concerning Hawser's status as a Hidden One came from a [[Daemon|power of the warp]] [[Pretend|masquerading as Amon]] and that Hawser may have ''in fact'' just have been a puppet designed to ''appear'' as a Hidden One by the machinations of [[Chaos]]. Therefore, while the information given about the Hidden Ones appears reliable, the fact that the only one known of currently was possibly not one at all makes most of what we know about them even more uncertain.

As it was stated that Hidden Ones were more useful to the Thousand Sons when they were unaware of their status as spies, it is implied that unconscious Hidden Ones similar to Kasper Hawser existed in other institutions the Thousand Sons wanted to establish intelligence on.

[[Tl;dr]], they give the [[Alpha Legion]] a run for their money.

{{Thousand Sons}}

Rubric Terminators

2023-06-05T20:09:07Z

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{{Heresy}}
[[File:99120102066_ThousandSonsTerminators02.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Try and call us a walking dustbin again! Come and just fucking try it!]]

Rubric Terminators. Rubric. [[Terminator]]s. Have you ever read the Horus Heresy novels and noticed that the [[Thousand Sons]] had these sweet ass, psychic, foreshadowingly stoic [[Scarab Occult|Scarab Occult Terminators]] that were literally described as "automatons" and "like robots" by [[Jaghatai Khan]] and [[Ferrus Manus]] (although the latter was most likely a compliment)? Did you ever wonder what happened to them? Apparently, the Thousand Sons still had them all this time, but [[Magnus]] had stuck them into the bottom of the pantry to save them for a rainy day. War Zone Fenris was that rainy day.

==Why did they get Rubric'd?==
You may have noticed the Scarab Occult was originally composed of the legion's best and most disciplined psykers. So, if Ahriman's Rubric transformed astartes who had little to no psychic abilities into dusty power armors, why did most of the Scarab Occult also get the Rubric treatment? Because the Rubric was retconed into affecting everyone but the most ''powerful'' psykers. Meaning that only a few of these guys managed to power through it, while the rest turned to dust because they just weren't powerful enough. That and Tzeentch likes ambition. These guys were automatons in all but name, who loyally served Magnus and...that's it really. Tzeentch no likey.

==On The Tabletop==

===7th Edition===
While the anti-Rubric Marines group are probably groaning at the moment, they're actually pretty good. You'd probably expect the 2+/4++ saves, Fearless, and AP3 combi-bolters, what you weren't expecting was the '''lack''' of Slow and Purposeful, one of Rubric Marines' chief weaknesses just gone and resulting in the odd scenario of Tactical Dreadnought armoured Marines being faster than regular Power Armoured Marines. You probably weren't expecting the Aspiring Sorcerer to keep the good stuff and be upgraded to ML2 (which means the option to roll a power on a second psychic discipline), and ''2 wounds''. They also have weapons options for a shorter-ranged [[Hellfyre Missile Rack]] that shoots kraks, and AP3 [[Heavy Warpflamer]], or that odd [[Soulreaper Cannon]] mentioned above, and carry at least a [[Force_Weapons#Achea Khopesh|Achea Khopesh]] on one hand for close combat.

However, they still share in the Rubric Marines other traditional weaknesses. No combi-weapons and no AP2 power weapons means that they're still anti-MEQ specialists with limited options for countering cover, TEQs, and walkers. And with a minimum of 5 guys, the're still not a cheap option. The lack of options to negate cover saves is a particular issue as the targets you'd want to use them against the most; MEQs and Necrons, are almost certainly going to have cover saves (and inferno bolts do nothing about RP rolls or the FNP of Slaaneshi, Nurglite, Iron Warriors, and Iron Hands marines or the added toughness of Nurglites) and they are very pricey for the rather mediocre firepower per model they bring to the table. The AP3 heavy warpflamer is nice for roasting cover camping marines but it will require deep striking them to point blank range to get the most use out of and you still have to pay for the other terminators. However with two wounds they're pretty good at soaking up large volumes of fire thanks to their [[Scarab Occult Pattern Terminator Armour|Scarab Occult Armour]]; requiring an average of 38-39 lasgun shots to kill and with their invulnerable saves and their two wounds they can tank plasma fire decently well; requiring roughly eight shots from guardsmen to kill and if you can get Endurance on them from some source they can be amazingly resilient to the point of nigh invulnerability. In conclusion their firepower is overall quite mediocre but their durability is top class among TEQs; though against the likes of meltaguns and lascannons they aren't anymore resilient than any other T4 model with a 4++ save.

For some reason even though the Forge World 30k line shows them in [[Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armour|Cataphractii]], in 40k they're in a heavily modified [[Tartaros Pattern Terminator Armour|Tartaros]] called a [[Scarab Occult Pattern Terminator Armour]].

===8th Edition===

===9th Edition===
Scarabs are probably one of the best-improved(if not the best) units in the codex. They wield magic versions of Loyalist Terminator weapons, and they're now led by a fully-fledged Psyker. Compared to previous editions, all your Aspiring Sorcerer now act like the nerds they're supposed to be, able to cast the same D3/D6 Smite as everyone else, and still know at least 2 other spells beyond that. The codex also gives them many ways to make them [[Your Dudes]] by inducting them into a secret, special clubhouse, spending points for Legion Command Upgrades or even spend a CP to give them a pimped out staff. For example, by inducting them into the cult of time and spending +15 points for Rites of Coalescence, you can restore a model back to full-wounds each Command Phase AND bring one model back from the dead in the Psychic phase, which makes them insanely durable as they are now 3W a model and Obsec. If you really want to out-endure Death Guard, for 1/3 CP you can steal their 9E Disgustingly Resilient Rule and subtract 1 from damage, which is supposed to help you trigger All is Dust.

T4 3W, 2+/5++, 1+ Armour against D1 weapons, but All is Dust unfortunately only applies to Armour Saves now so no more 4++ Invulns against other bolters. Inferno combibolters are still RF2 S4 AP-2 D1, but you're a terminator so you're always shooting all four shots. The virgin Power Swords of 8E are now the Chad Prosperine Khopesh, which is S+1 AP-3 D2, which means they can do ok in melee against other marines. (Interestingly, Grey Knight force weapons are now a flat D2 as well, so it could be that your Scarabs still retain enough of their powers to channel into their weapons, but your sorcerers must take the super swingy S+3 AP-1 Dd3 Force Staves unless you give up bolter to take a sword, too.)

One in 5 (2 in 10) can replace the combi with a heavy weapon, and move and fire without penalty. Your options are: Hellfyre Missile Racks, which are Heavy 2 Krak missiles, and the same model can also take a Heavy Warpflamer (Heavy Flamer with -2 AP, pass because 4 warpflamers on cheaper rubrics is always better) or a Soulreaper cannon (Heavy 5 S6 AP-3 D1)

Tactics

*Terminators can teleport around the field with the Cult of Duplicity. As falling Back now stops you from casting, and redeploy abilities are specifically NOT falling back nor coming out from reserves, you are much more mobile in this cult than in others, still able to shoot,charge, or cast to contest objectives.
*You are not the best in combat, but you can definitely bully those who aren't built for it/have Damage 1 weapons. Shred TROOPS with AP-2, but leave enough of them to charge and challenge those objectives. Even Intercessors will get chopped up with 3A D2 Khopeshes, and if they survive, unless they're rocking PFs or thunder hammers, they're punching you at 1+, so you only get wounded if you fuck up and roll a 1.
*A full squad, fully kitted out and given Rites of Coalescence will set you back 430-450 points. One big model of ten would see the most use from Rites of Coalescence and Cult of time. For 1 CP, you can also use them as shields for your Daemon Princes, making them unable to be targeted, ignoring positioning rules, number of models, or Look Out Sir! so long as you're within 3".
*But splitting them in two is VERY helpful, partly for Cabal points and the additional sorcerer, but also since the best stratagems in 9e cost a lot more for 6+ models than for just one.
{{Thousand Sons}}

Infernal Master

2023-06-05T20:08:22Z

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{{Heresy}}
[[File:Infernal_Master.jpg|300px|right|thumb|[[Meme|Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I summon thee!]]]]
<s>[[Yu-Gi-Oh|Yugi Muto]]</s> An Infernal Master is a type of [[Chaos]] [[Sorcerer_(Warhammer_40,000)|Sorcerer]] from the [[Thousand Sons]] who specialize in Daemonology.

==Overview==

They create Infernal Pacts with Tutelaries, that enable the Infernal Masters to summon forth these [[Daemon]]s during battle. Depending on their choice of Infernal Pacts, the Tutelaries can be tasked with killing or confounding the Sorcerers' enemies or enhancing the abilities of their allies. Ergo, they are more akin to a support unit than a balls-out doombolt-to-the-face type of [[Dakka|magical dakka.]]

==Tutelary==

So what are Tutelaries? Well, in a nutshell, they are Chaos familiars, the same kind the Thousand Sons were dabbling with during the [[Great Crusade]]. It’s likely that [[The Emperor]] knew exactly what the true nature of the Tutelaries were, which would have been one of the main reasons why he convened the [[Council of Nikaea]] in the first place. Too little too late though, as explained below.

A more expanded answer is that Tutelaries were first used by the Thousand Sons nearly a century before the end of the Great Crusade. They were originally believed to be fragments of the [[Tzeentch|Primordial Creator]] given form by the will of individuals to whom they were bound, and were normally invisible to non-psykers.

A Tutelary's link with their master helped enhance the use of their psychic powers a hundredfold, so you can think of them as some sort of Warp-induced Gatorade. The Thousand Sons used them for all manner of tasks, from something as mundane as [[Derp|cleaning their bolters]] to assisting them in psychic surveys of the Aether. Othere Wyrdmake of the [[Space Wolves]] was shocked when introduced to the use of Tutelaries, and Fenrisian wolves became aggressive in their presence. Which is hella hilarious and blatantly hypocritical given the [[Rune Priest]]s' [[Furry|own philia]] with [[Fail|Warp-based Furry Woodland creatures]] on [[Fenris]].

During the [[Burning of Prospero|Battle of Prospero]], the true nature of the Tutelaries was revealed as they attacked the Space Wolves with gleeful spite, showing us that yes, even ''Daemons'' from the [[Warp]] view [[Furry|Furries]] with disdain. Some [[Herp|attacked their Thousand Sons masters as well,]] including Dtoaa, which devoured its master, Phael Toron, when he lost control. Some of the Thousand Sons remained bound to their Tutelaries and continued to use them after the [[Horus Heresy]].

When Ahriman's party first witnessed the yokai of the Torquetum, Sanakht believed that they were powered by entities similar to their tutelaries. When Lucius questioned what they were, Menkaura explained that they were warp entities that they mistakenly thought were there to help them but turned on them when the Space Wolves attacked Prospero. Lucius was not surprised, describing them as akin to a wolf that cannot be tamed.

==Crunch==
Tabletop-wise, he is a unit that uses the pact forging mechanic, which is just priestly prayer, but he has difficulty admitting he's religious - you pick one he knows and it goes off on a 3+ in the Command Phase (so no riding transports if you want the pacting to happen). They're not considered psychic powers, so they cannot be denied. He has access to 6 Infernal Pacts when you add him to your list, picking 2 of them to know. He also knows 1 psychic power from the Discipline of Change or Vengeance on top of Smite and his Cult power. Unlike his CSM cousins, he has no access to Dark Disciples to make the roll easier, and unlike his loyalist cousins, he has no access to a command upgrade to get better at it, either. He has an [[Inferno Bolt Pistol]], a [[Force_Weapons#Force Staff|Force Staff]], and frag and krak grenades, whilst wearing a modified [[Mark IV: Maximus Armour]] unlike other typical Sorcerers that [[Sorcerer's Power Armour|wear their own type of armour]]. His 6 Infernal Pacts are as follows:

*'''Bladed Maelstrom:''' Pick a visible enemy unit within 30; that unit takes 1MW if it has 6+ models, and subtracts 2 from Advancing and Charging till your next command phase.
*'''Fires of the Abyss:''' Nearest visible enemy unit within 15" takes 1d3 MW. Like another Smite, although it is balanced with having less range than Smite and fewer expected mortal wounds (1.67 is less than Smite from a normal psyker, let alone from a TSons psyker with +1 to the cast).
*'''Capering Imps:''' Pick one visible enemy unit within 24"; that unit cannot gain cover (of any of the three types), Overwatch, or Set to Defend until your next command phase.
*'''Diabolic Savant:''' Gain 1 cabal point and re-roll psychic tests for the caster in your next psychic phase.
*'''Glimpse of Eternity:''' Gives you a single die re-roll that you can use on anything other than mission-related rolls until your next command phase. Like Command Re-roll, but better.
*'''Malefic Maelstrom:''' One visible friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Thousand Sons}} unit within 24" adds +1 to their shooting attacks' strength until your next command phase. S5 Inferno Bolters anyone?

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Nerd Sorceror.png|[[Yu-Gi-Oh|It's time to Du-Du-Du-Du--Du-Du-Duel!]]
</gallery>
{{Thousand Sons}}

Exalted Sorcerers

2023-06-05T20:07:55Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

{{Heresy}}
[[File:99120102067_ExhaltedSorcerers02.jpg|300px|right|thumb|A torrent of psychic storms manifested.]]
{{Topquote|Twisted arcanists, wicked of intent and strange of form, Exalted Sorcerers have an encyclopædic knowledge of spells and are able to bend reality to their desires. Amongst their number are warrior-mystics that have stalked the galaxy for ten thousand years – to these masters of the esoteric, matters of war are a crass distraction, but these visionaries bring a terrible focus to bear when battle rages. Enemies are torn to shreds by devastating magical barrages, hideously changed, twisted and distorted as the most ill-fated [[Chaos Spawn]]n-N-N-Nooooooooaaaaarrrrrrrrgggghgfibbleraggg!!!|Games Workshop}}

'''Exalted Sorcerers''' are what some may consider a step-up from your conventional [[Chaos]] [[Sorcerer (Warhammer 40,000)|Sorcerer]]. In this case, Exalted Sorcerers are often handpicked by either [[Magnus the Red]] or [[Tzeentch]] as their most favored servants. Whilst not on the same level as a [[Daemon Prince]], Exalted Sorcerers possess an intricate knowledge of both the Warp and Sorceries, allowing them to channel certain magical spells to create powerful weapons of war.

Most Exalted Sorcerers are given the privileges to ride upon a [[Disc of Tzeentch]] where they are given the flight advantage to shoot out doom bolts and [[Troll]] whoever is unfortunate enough to face them. Expect a ton of [[Just As Planned]] when these guys are around.

They are protected by customised [[Sorcerer's Power Armour]] and all wield [[Force weapon#Force Staff|Force Staves]], [[Inferno Bolt Pistol]], [[Plasma Pistol]] and a [[Warpflame Pistol]]. They may be armed with a [[Power sword|Power Khopesh Sword]] for close combat or a [[Daemon_Weapon#Warp Blade|Warp Blade]] to dispel psychic attacks from enemy psykers.

==7th Edition==
Exalted Sorcerers are one of the most cheesy units available for the [[Chaos Space Marines]], let alone the [[Thousand Sons]]. Whilst a ''bit'' overcosted for what they are worth, their stats in the end, is worth it. All Exalted Sorcerers have a Mark of Tzeentch, is ML2 base, and can upgrade to ML3. They are BS5, I5, and W3 compared to a standard sorcerer. Also has access to a [[Cheese|S9 AP2 Heavy 1, Lance Blast once per game thanks to his Lord of the Silver Tower special rule.]] Also, he's Fearless! Gets access to Divination too, which the Sorcerer doesn't know unless you give a Crimson Slaughter Sorcerer the Balestar.

Combine these bastards with [[Ahriman]] and its [[Rape|G-fucking-G.]] Enjoy drinking the tears of [[Butthurt|butthurt]] players as you spam a mindboggling amount of [[Dakka|mind-bullets]] in their general direction. Very little can survive this onslaught on the first turn. So dial-up the [[Troll|Troll Meter]] and engage in [[Rape|unsolicited psychic rapestorm.]]

==8th Edition==
The psychic phase having been [[skub|either completely gutted or finally brought back to tolerable levels (depending on who you ask)]] in 8th edition, none of the above still apply. As of the Chaos Index, an Exalted Sorcerer is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades character. Slightly better in combat than a regular Sorcerer and with a command aura to boost Thousand Sons units; and can manifest two psychic powers/deny one each turn. A bit underwhelming right now, however, if the new CSM Codex is anything to judge by the Codex: Thousand Sons will give them some extra goodies to go [[Just as Planned]] on your opponent with.

{{Thousand Sons}}

Shas'O Kais

2023-06-05T20:07:29Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:O'Kais.jpg|400px|thumbnail|right|He's one hell of a badass.]]
'''Shas'o Kais''' is the hero unit of the [[Tau]] campaign in ''[[Dawn of War|Dawn of War: Dark Crusade]]'' and later a central character in the tabletop's 8th edition T'au lore. He is the textbook [[noblebright]] in a galaxy gone [[grimdark]]. One of the only commanders in the entire campaign willing to [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrHhS5IkRR0| negotiate and talk common sense], Kais is nonetheless an exceptional [[Manly Marines|badass]] for a [[Faggot|Tau]], and proves he can [[/tg/ gets shit done|get shit done]].

[[Fist of the North Star|The fact that he's the most merciful commander in the setting does not stop him from getting a body count in the thousands]]. Though he's unique in that he's willing to use diplomacy first, he's just as hard-edged if that fails, and is more than willing to rely on Ambassador Plasma Rifle to come to a resolution afterwards. He's a hell of a lot less of a [[Eldrad|dick]] than [[Commander Or'es'Ka]], though.

According to the ''Dark Crusade'' developer commentary, he is a deliberate reference to Kais the lowly Shas'la protagonist of ''[[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]]'', all grown up to Shas'o status. This caused a canon conflict when the Black Library writers wanted Shas'O Kais to be a vaunted protege of Puretide, while Shas'la Kais is just some random lucky schlub with daddy issues and the voice of Khorne trying to talk to him (with not much success). Even this isn't really an insurmountable canon-issue though. It's mentioned in the Damocles Anthology that Shadowsun had a career as a Shas'la prior to becoming Puretide's protege so it's entirely possible that Shas'O Kais is both a [[Primarch|kick-ass fighter and a man burdened by daddy issues]], if he indeed had a career prior to Puretide noticing him. Hell, who's to say the events of Fire Warrior aren't what made Puretide even notice Kais in the first place?

==Service in the Dark Crusade==
A Fire Caste commander who is an inspiration to his men, Shas'o Kais rose from the rank of Shas'la to his current command position, probably due to his individual heroism during the events of ''Fire Warrior''. Along with Commanders [[Farsight]] and [[Shadowsun]], he was one of the three top students of [[Commander Puretide]], who led the T'au forces that took Kronus from the Imperium in the first place. In their training under Puretide, Farsight specialized in Mont'ka ("The killing blow") and Shadowsun in Kauyon ("The patient hunter"), while Kais took the rare specialty of the Monat ("the lone hero") combat philosophy; in both Dawn of War and Fire Warrior, his character represents this through his kinda ridiculous one-T'au-army status.

''Farsight - Crisis of Faith'' revealed that while he, Farsight, and Shadownsun are bonded, Kais committed a deed that forever drove a wedge between the three. He was so ashamed with himself that he was actively avoiding his bond mates, going so far as to ask to be the first to be frozen as a plan to preserve Puretide's students.

Kais was sent to the war-torn world of Kronus in the hopes that he could mimic his teacher's great feats, now that the planet was being ravaged by [[Eldar|six]] [[Orks|other]] [[Chaos|goddamned]] [[Imperial Guard|fucking]] [[Space Marines|power]] [[Necrons|groups]]. With a secondary duty of keeping the Ethereal Aun'el Shi'Ores safe, Kais' forces occupied the planetary capital of Or'es Tash'n and made ready to slowly take the planet back for the Tau Empire.

Kais did some major damage during the Dark Crusade, and was rather infamous for the damage his forces did to the [[Orks]] and [[Eldar]] during the war, and they engaged in some truly bitter fighting with [[Governor-Militant Lukas Alexander]]'s men. Unfortunately, Kais' forces did not count on the aggressiveness of the [[Blood Ravens]] [[Space Marines]] under [[Davian Thule]], and Aun'el Shi'Ores was assassinated. With the T'au spiritual leader dead, their war machine broke ranks when morale plummeted; Kais gathered together the survivors and got them out of the system, making him one of the <s>four</s> three commanders to survive the Dark Crusade (Eliphas still died, he just came back thanks to Chaos shenanigans).

He would at some point fuck some Ork shit up, and founded the Sept of Fi'Rios, though it's unknown if he did this before or after the Dark Crusade.

According to the Tau 8th Edition Codex, he had a role in the Plague Wars, defending the planet Kellik from the forces of the Death Guard. Knowing Kais he probably held the fucking line himself before curb stomping three or four Great Unclean Ones to death.

Further Developments from "War of Secrets" have Turned Shas'O Kais into a T'au Mary Sue, even when compared to his previous accomplishments. When he last got put into stasis something went wrong, yet his cognitive functions somehow didn't cease. He spent HUNDREDS of years stuck in a frozen body that didn't decay. He did 2 things in all that time, namely downloading every piece of information on the combat abilities of the T'au Empire and its enemies' technology, and coming up with ways to defeat every conceivable opponent the T'au might face; though this still doesn't explain the sheer amount of bullshit he pulls during the book. When he finally goes into action, he storms an Astartes fortress-monastery in a [[Battlesuit|Ghostkeel]], and his feats quickly become fucking ridiculous, like being able to solo eight Terminators and [[What|make Devastator Squads and Librarians '''shoot each other somehow''']], as well as no-scope-no-look headshot a Marine with his pistol through a hole in his suit made by that Marine's plasma gun, all while he was flying in the air, and even the Chapter Master and his guard were helpless to stop him. Unable to deal with [[Phil Kelly|the author's favourite]], the Chapter Master called in an orbital strike on his own monastery and despite being directly hit and inside a breached battlesuit, Kais somehow survived and popped out of the wreckage like Wile E. Coyote

==Criticism==

Thanks to his characterization in ''Dark Crusade'', Kais was one of the more well-liked and memorable non-Astartes characters of the series, and for a while embodied what the T'au represented at that point to the fandom in general -- well-meaning but generally naive newcomers to a galaxy worn down by near-constant conflict and cruelty.

While this kind of worked in the loose canon that 40k-based video games followed, especially given how he was a ''homage'' to a different video game entirely (Fire Warrior), transposing his brand of Noblebright to the really gritty grimdark lore of the print universe of the time... Simply didn't work, or rather the writers weren't good enough to shoe him into the lore in any way that would preserve said Noblebright.

Then there's the T'au Doomguy problem: how can one ''realistically'' show how a T'au slub can be a one-man army par excellance, without careening straight into parody?

In the FPS genre of video games that Fire Warrior is part of, silly over the top things like doing a [[What|jumping 360-no-scope to headshot an Astartes]] is not only possible, it comes with the territory (including teabagging said headshotted Astartes several times in celebration). Transposing the same set of movements into dynamic prose is HARD, and smothering the resulting suspension of disbelief even harder. More often than not it just results in [[Fail]].

Of course, then there's the Phil Kelly problem. The author had a trend of taking T'au characters and outright ruining them by sheer awful writing. T'au fans in general agree that Phil Kelly is the Matt Ward of the T'au: a blight upon the faction that makes them even more hated than they already are.

==Combat Ability==
Kais is akin to a Magikarp: when he starts out, he'll only have his piddling little burst cannon to fight with and can't even jump because you need a wargear for that, but give him a few upgrades and he'll be kicking ass and taking names in no time. His anti-infantry burst cannon can be replaced with an anti-vehicle fusion blaster and later [[Awesome|an anti-everything plasma rifle]]. Between his upgradeable main-hand weapon, his secondary flamer and his shoulder-mounted missile pods, he can have up to three ranged weapons at once, making him unrivaled among the Dark Crusade commanders for sheer dakka power. Among his other upgrades are a helm that lets him detect infiltrated units, iridium armour that increases his health and reduces the damage he takes and a cloaking field that infiltrates him, making him one of only two commanders able to become invisible.

==Tabletop(7E)==

===HQ: Shas’O Kais - ''160 points''===
''"Better destruction than bondage" "So says the Slave to the free Man." A partial recording of a conversation between Captain Davian Thule & Shas'O Kais during the failed Kronus Reclamation as Kais attempted to negotiate Thule's surrender''

{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 align=left
|- valign=top
! Name !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! I !! A !! Ld !! Sv
|-
| Shas'O Kais || 4 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 4 || 10 || 2+/5++
|-
| MV4 Battle Drone || 2 || 3 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 4 || 1 || 7 || 4+
|}
<br style="clear: both; height: 0px;" />
:'''Unit Composition''': Shas'O Kais<br>
:'''Unit Type''': Jet-Pack Infantry (Kais is an Independent Character)<br>
:'''Wargear (Shas'O Kais)''': XV-2-04 Knight Stealth Suit, Multi-Tracker, Blacksun Filter, Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster, Twin-Linked Missile Pod
* Gravitic Shield Generator (5++ Inv Save, May re-roll 1 Save per turn)
:'''Wargear (MV4 Battle Drone)''': Advanced Targeting Engram (+1 BS, already in profile), Twin-Linked Pulse Carbine, Wide-Area Communications Link (allows all Tau units in 12" to use Kais's Leadership)
:'''Signature System - XV-2-5'4 "Knight" Stealth Suit''': ''Shas’O Kais’s personal Battlesuit has been with him ever since he first started out in the Crisis suit teams as a Shas’Ui, and he has used it to protect both his commanders and his subordinates, due to his habit of putting himself between his commanders and the enemies of the Greater Good it was chosen to mount an experimental reinforcement of the Iridium suit known as the “Knight” suit to help him protect Aun’El Shi’Ores during the reclamation of planet Kronus.'' This suit Grants +1 Toughness, +1 Wound, a Gravitic Shield Generator, and a 2+ Armour Save.
:'''Special Rules''': Supporting Fire, Independent Character (Kais), Very Bulky (Kais), Stealth (Kais), Shrouded (Kais)
:'''Warlord Trait: For Many, One Sacrifice''' Shas'O Kais may use the Look Out Sir Special Rule, and Automatically succeeds on all Look Out Sir attempts to protect Non-Battlesuit Infantry, in addition Shas'O Kais may re-roll any Armour, Cover, or Invulnerable saves made due to the "Look Out Sir" rule.
:'''Options''':
* Shas’O Kais may purchase up to 2 [[Tau Drones|Drones]] for the following costs:
:* - Gun Drones 12 Points/Drone
:* - Marker Drones 12 Points/Drone
:* - Shield Drones 12 Points/Drone
:* - Missile Drones 12 Points/Drone
:* - MV4 Battle Drones for 20 Points/Drone
* If Shas'O Kais is your Warlord you may purchase Aun'El Shi'Ores without taking up a HQ slot.

===HQ: Aun'El Shi'Ores - ''90 Points''===

<div class="toccolours" style="width:800px">
''Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet''
</div>

{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 align=left
|- valign=top
! Name !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! I !! A !! Ld !! Sv
|-
| Aun'el Shi'Ores || 4 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 2 || 3 || 3 || 10 || ---
|}
<br style="clear: both; height: 0px;" />
:'''Unit Composition''': Aun'el Shi'Ores<br>
:'''Unit Type''': Infantry (Aun'el Shi'Ores is an Independent Character)<br>
:'''Wargear (Aun'El Shi'Ores)''': 2 Equalizers, Homing Beacon
:'''Special Rules''': Communication Network, Failure Is Not An Option, Independent Character, Invocation Of The Elements, Rally To Me!, Stubborn
:*'''Communication Network''': So long as both Aun'el Shi'Ores and Shas'O Kais are on the battlefield, Aun'el Shi'Ores may use any MV4 Battle Drone as the origin point for his '''Failure Is Not An Option''' and '''Invocation Of The Elements''' special rules.
:*'''Rally To Me!''': So long as Shi'Ores is not part of a unit, any Tau units within 12" that are falling back automatically regroup, but must use their 3" consolidation to move as close to Shi'Ores as possible.

==Tabletop (8E)==

===Shas'O Kais===

'''HQ: Shas'O Kais - ''140 Points; 14 PL'''''
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 align=left
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv
|-
| Shas'O Kais || 8" || 3+ || 2+ || 4 || 5 || 6 || 3 || 9 || 2+
|-
| MV4 Battle Drone || 8" || 5+ || 4+ || 3 || 4 || 1 || 1 || 6 || 4+
|}
<br style="clear: both; height: 0px;" />
:'''Unit Composition''': Shas'O Kais is a single model equipped with a Plasma Rifle, a Fusion Blaster and 2 Missile Pods. He is accompanied by 2 MV4 Battle Drones, both of which are equipped with 2 pulse carbines and a Wide Range Comms Link<br>
:'''Weapons'''
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 align=left
|- valign=top
! Name !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
| Fusion Blaster || 18" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || ---
|-
| Missile Pod || 36" || Assault 2 || 7 || -1 || D3 || ---
|-
| Plasma Rifle || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 6 || -3 || 1 || ---
|-
| Pulse Carbine || 18" || Assault 2 || 5 || 0 || 1 || ---
|}
<br style="clear: both; height: 0px;" />
:'''Abilities'''
*'''For The Greater Good''': Index - Xenos 2 (''page 48'')
*'''Monat''': If there are no friendly <Sept> Infantry, or Battlesuit models within 6" of this model, he may re-roll all failed to hit rolls and saving throws.
*'''Gravitic Shield Generator''': This Model has a 5+ Invulnerable save.
*'''Camouflage Field''': Your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls that target Shas'O Kais
*'''Manta Strike''': During deployment, you may choose to set this unit in Deepstrike instead of place it on the battlefield. On turn 2, you can set it up anywhere on the battlefield that is 9" away from any enemy unit.
*'''Drone Support''': Whenever you deploy this unit, its drones are deployed in coherency with this unit. After that, the drones are considered their own unit for the remainder of the game.
*'''Saviour Protocols''': Index - Xenos 2 (''page 53'')
*'''Wide Range Comms Link''': Any friendly <Sept> Infantry or <Battlesuit> units within 6" of a MV4 Battle Drone may re-roll 1D6 whenever they make a morale test.
'''Faction Keywords'''
* '''T'au Empire, Tau Sept
'''Keywords (Shas'O Kais)'''
*Battlesuit, Character, Commander, Jet-Pack, Fly, Shas'O Kais
'''Keywords (MV4 Battle Drones)'''
*Drones, Fly, MV4 Battle Drone

==Making The Legend==
Unfortunately, making this guy is kinda hard, seeing as the XV22 is only available for Shadowsun. One can rectify this by simply putting the helmet on her, and with a little kitbashing magic, swap one of the Fusion guns for a plasma rifle. As for missile pods, the SMS in any Fire Warrior kit will make a fairly accurate proxy. Just know that it won't look perfect. Close though.

Alternatively, you can google-fu a plethora of video tutorials on how to make him. There's also [http://www.advancedtautactica.com/resource/ShasOKais-DoW.pdf this pdf].

== Gallery ==

<gallery>
File:O'Kais2.png|Shas'o Kais in ''Dawn of War: Dark Crusade''.
</gallery>

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Dawn of War]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Tau-Characters}}

Commander Or'es'Ka

2023-06-05T20:06:32Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[Image:ShasOreska.jpg|500px|thumb|right|A Tau Willing to Scorch the Earth to Win.]]

A massive asshole, but a man willing to do anything to [[/tg/ gets shit done|get shit done]], '''Shas'O Or'es'Ka''' is the [[Tau]] equivalent of [[That Guy|that asshole]] who brings [[Deathstrike Missile Launcher|30 Deathstrikes]] to an [[Apocalypse]] game or 60 shield drones and triptide to a friendly game. The Tau commander of [[Dawn of War|Dawn of War: Soulstorm]], Or'es'Ka is known for openly espousing the use of WMDs to achieve an objective, something he purportedly learned from the [[Imperium of Man]], and plans to use Kaurava to show off what this new strategy (translated from Tau moonspeak as "Great Strength, Great Strike"), differing from the Mont'ka, Kauyon and Monat tactics, can do.

Whereas his predecessor, [[Shas'o Kais]], tends to give a surrender ultimatum before attacking, Or'es'Ka prefers to lead off by orbital striking a population center, then threatening that his forces will cheerfully [[Anal circumference|pound their area]] until it resembles [[Exterminatus|the results of a protracted cyclonic torpedo bombing]] if they fail to see the wisdom of the [[Greater Good]]. To further this objective, his forces created a massive orbital ion cannon on one of Kaurava's moons and use it to airstrike their enemies before every attack.

What a ''[[Eldrad|dick]]''. A badass dick, but a dick nonetheless.

==Service==
Or'es'Ka led his forces from Orridune/Nan'Yanoi, the second moon of Kaurava II, where he had built a bigass gun called the Ar'Ka Cannon, his system-wide [[Star Wars RPG|Death Star]] analogue, and began using it to orbital strike the ever-living fuck out of the (likely fake) [[Gorgutz]]' [[Orks]] and the [[Space Marines]] under [[Indrick Boreale]]. He also went after the Kauravan [[Imperial Guard]] forces, dealing massive damage to all involved.

Given the widely-held assumption of an Imperial Guard victory in Soulstorm, Or'es'Ka ultimately was forced out of the Kaurava system by a very angry and very well-equipped [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs]]. Stubbs used a [[Vindicare]] [[Officio Assassinorum|Assassin]] to kill the Ethereal Aun'Ro'Yr, which predictably threw the Tau forces into disarray and essentially guaranteed that Or'es'Ka's new tactic of nuking the shit out of anyone who pissed you off wouldn't have much of a chance to catch on with Tau high command. Although, if he did enough damage with his strategy it might be implemented in a supporting or spearhead role. The killing blow is a lot more killey when delivered with a WMD.

While it's never stated directly either way, it is implied Or'es'Ka survived his defeat, and may yet return, but considering the emotional breakdown he had as opposed to Kais' cold neutrality, it's unlikely. Still, if he does return, lulz and [[Exterminatus]] are sure to follow.

It has been revealed that Gorgutz actually won the campaign, and if the winning video is to be believed, [[dakka|by outshooting the Tau]]. Clearly, no little amount of therapy will cure him of such a devestating and humiliating loss. Most fans ignore this and assume the Guard, in possession of the planet’s continent-sized Baneblade factory from the Great Crusade, kicked the fuck out of everyone.

==Statistics==
Or'es'Ka is a tough son of a bitch. He's not ''quite'' as durable as Shas'o Kais, as his shield generator provides the same HP boost as Kais' iridium armor, but provides a unilateral 33% defense bonus to ranged fire, unlike Kais' general 33% defense bonus. Or'es'Ka lacks the HP boost of Kais' helmet, as well. However, unlike Kais, Or'es'ka's damage output is substantially higher—his multi-tracker wargear instead gives his weapons a meaty damage bonus. The two are otherwise very similar; their ranged weapons have the exact same damage, ranges, and pre-upgrade firepower, both get jetpacks, both get stealth fields, and both get shield drones. However, unlike Kais, who gets battle drones, Or'es'ka gets marker drones that further boost his accuracy, functionally giving all of his weapons 100% hit rates, and ensuring he cannot miss with his cyclic ion blaster or missile pods, making him death incarnate for unprepared foes. So while he is much less survivable than Shas'o Kais, the sheer damage output he has more than makes up for this.

==Tabletop==
To complete the symmetry with Shas'O Kais, here's a tabletop version of Commander Or'es'Ka.

As you can no doubt tell he is a hell of a lot more destructive than Kais, while being a fair bit squishier. Overall worse saves with lower Toughness and Wounds, he's not going to hang around as much.

However at the head of a properly prepared army he can straight up annihilate any opponent with his warlord trait to deliver the alpha strike of alpha strikes, by buffing certain weapons to the stratosphere.

===HQ: Shas’O Or'es'Ka - ''150 points''===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:800px">
''The test of a leader, is in battle!''
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{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 align=left
|- valign=top
! Name !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! I !! A !! Ld !! Sv
|-
| Shas'O Or'es'Ka || 4 || 5 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 10 || 3+
|}
<br style="clear: both; height: 0px;" />
:'''Unit Composition''': Shas'O Or'es'Ka<br>
:'''Unit Type''': Jet-Pack Infantry (Or'es'Ka is an Independent Character)<br>
:'''Wargear (Shas'O Or'es'Ka)''': XV-2-09 Surge Stealth Battlesuit, Multi-Tracker, Blacksun Filter, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Twin-Linked Flamer, Burst Cannon, Vectored Retro Thrusters
:* Advanced Impulse Module - This piece of Wargear gives the model's Melee attacks the '''Rending''' USR.
:'''Signature System''': '''XV-2-5'9 Surge Stealth Battlesuit''' ''Aggressive, destructive Fluff'' This specialised suit grants +1 Init, +1 Attack, an Advanced Impulse Module, and the '''Fleet''' USR.
:'''Special Rules''': Supporting Fire, Independent Character (Or'es'Ka), Very Bulky (Or'es'Ka), Shrouded (Or'es'Ka)
:'''Warlord Trait''': '''Scorched Earth''' ''Agressive, destructive, Fluff'' Once per Game Shas'O Or'es'Ka can grant all Template and Blast weapons, and Seeker Missile attacks the '''Twin-Linked''', and '''Rending''' USR's. This Warlord traits must be activated at the beginning of the controlling players movement phase, and lasts until the controlling players next movement phase.
:'''Options''':
* Shas’O Or'es'Ka may purchase up to 2 Drones for the following costs
:* - Shield Drones 12 Points/Drone
:* - Gun Drones 12 Points/Drone
:* - Marker Drones for 12 Points/Drone
:* - Missile Drones 12 Points/Drone
:* - Heavy Gun Drones 25 Points/Drone

== Tabletop (8E) ==

=== Shas'O Or'es'Ka ===

'''HQ: Shas'O Or'es'Ka - ''XXX Points'''''
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 align=left
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv
|-
| Shas'O Or'es'Ka || 8" || 3+ || 2+ || 5 || 5 || 6 || 4 || 9 || 3+
|}
<br style="clear: both; height: 0px;" />
:'''Unit Composition''': Shas'O Or'es'Ka is a single model equipped with a Burst Cannon, a Cyclic Ion Blaster, 2 Flamers, and an Advanced Targeting System.<br>
:'''Weapons'''
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 align=left
|- valign=top
! Name !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
| Burst Cannon || 18" || Assault 4 || 5 || 0 || 1 || ---
|-
| Cyclic Ion Blaster (Standard) || 18" || Assault 1 || 7 || -1 || D3 || ---
|-
| Cyclic Ion Blaster (Overcharge)|| 18" || Assault 1D3 || 8 || -1 || 1D3 || ---
|-
| Flamer || 8" || Assault 1D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || This weapon hits automatically
|}
<br style="clear: both; height: 0px;" />
:'''Abilities'''
*'''For The Greater Good''': Index - Xenos 2 (''page 48'')
*'''Overwhelming Force''': Whenever this model ends a charge with 1" of an enemy unit roll a D6. On a 6 the enemy unit suffers D3 Mortal wounds.
*'''Advanced Targeting System''':
*'''Advanced Impulse Module''': Whenever this model rolls to hit in the fight phase, on a 6+ it deals an additional mortal wound.
*'''Camouflage Field''': Your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls that target Shas'O Or'es'Ka
*'''Manta Strike''': Index - Xenos 2 (''page 50'')
'''Faction Keywords'''
* '''T'au Empire, T'au Sept
'''Keywords (Shas'O Or'es'Ka)'''
*Battlesuit, Character, Commander, Jet-Pack, Fly, Shas'O Or'es'Ka

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Dawn of War]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Tau-Characters}}

Longstrike

2023-06-05T20:05:27Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:Longstrike.jpg|thumb|top| The OG T'au Tankie]]
'''Longstrike''' is the only T'au hero who isn't an Ethereal or a Battlesuit pilot. If you like Hammerheads and have played since 6e, odds are pretty good you've fielded him at some stage. He's not really been featured prominently in the lore, so most of what we get on him is a short codex page which is more or less recycled between editions.

His T'au name is '''Shas'La T'au Sha'ng''' which is clearly unpronounceable so he's been given more titles than an inbred Austrian Duke-- Hammerhead Pilot, Gunship Ace, Titan-Slayer, Terror of T’ros and Hero of T’au.

As one might have guessed from the titles, he's essentially the only notable [[T'au]] Hammerhead pilot. Essentially he got his start in fighting tank duels in the Western Deserts of Taros. The fluff for Hammerheads on Taros is essentially like the fluff for [[Space Marines]] everywhere else-- they're apparently able to blow through Leman Russ Tanks like tissue paper despite not really being that different statwise.

Eventually though the Imperium manages to get the Longstrike's Cadre into a battle where they're outnumber six to one. Longstrike's bondmates all get slaughtered-- though strangely Longstrike seems to be able to work his tank without them unless he was piloting with some temps that day... because the only way GW knows how to write drama for T'au is having them be the only surviving bondmate. Eventually some [[Razorshark Strike Fighter|Razorshark]]s saved him and he stuck around to snipe the retreating Guard and he manages to bag a [[Warhound Scout Titan|'''Warhound titan''']] with a headshot. Presumably the thing was on its last legs if it could be taken out by a railgun shot, but Sha'ng must have neglected to mention that as it never comes up in the codices...

It's also worth noting that the Taros campaign books claim only one Warhound titan was destroyed via Railgun shot and it was done by a [[Tiger_Shark#Tiger_Shark_AX-1-0|''Tiger Shark AX-1-0'']], so it's possible that there's some Red Baron kill dispute stuff going on here.

Longstrike comes back to be lauded as a hero, idolized by T'au populace and awarded with loads of random titles that presumably exist to fill page space. As a result, he gets picked for a special trial program when the Earth Caste decided to build the [[Battlesuit|XV02 pilot suit]] which gives wears it enhanced reaction time and better aim. Unfortunately, it turns out that the suit basically had the same success rate as the early Puretide Engram chips as everyone but Longstrike soon gets their brains fried, because every named T'au hero needs to be piloting a special-one-of-a-kind Battlesuit due to unspoken anime law or something. As well as to justify why GW won't just let the T'au have a generic Tank Commander.

The bio here is pretty sparse with weird speculation because we don't really know much else and probably never will, seeing how little attention xenos factions get from Games Workshop.

== Crunch ==

Generally Longstrike is seen as mandatory if you're trying to run any list based around Hammerheads. He essentially upgrades a standard Hammerhead with some improved Ballistic Skill (starting at +2). He gets an aura ability that spreads the +1 BS to surrounding Hammerheads. His Hammerhead specifically also gets a +1 to wound against monsters and vehicles as well as being able to treat enemy units as though they have an extra-marker light.

An additional exploit is that as a named character, he can redirect damage to Bodyguard Crisis Suits which can up his durability pretty significantly and really frustrate opponents, especially if you bring in extra drones to help screen the bodyguards.

'''tl;dr: He lets friendly tanks hit on +1, wounds scary vehicles on +1, and gets to always act as though there's one more marker light on opponents than there is.'''

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Tau-Characters}}

Shadowsun

2023-06-05T20:04:46Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:Shadowsun 8e.jpeg|400px|thumb|right|"Heh, nothing personnel, [[Imperium of Man|gue'la]]" (Clearly a Possessed Marine or an Ork, but just roll with it...)]]
'''Commander O'Shaserra''', better known by the moniker '''Shadowsun''' (see also Undyne The Undying and prepare for a Battle Against a "True Genius of Kauyon"), is a commander in the Fire Caste of the [[Tau|Tau Empire]] and one of their best tacticians and stealth operatives.
She is the most tsundere of [[Tau]] generals, according to fanon, despite actual canon describing her as a cold-hearted manipulative bitch. (Though some may say that is a symptom of her tsundereness...)

[[/tg/|Fa/tg/uys]] masturbate furiously over pictures of her with large breasts. [[Warhammer 40,000]] [[fluff]] states nowhere that Tau females have breasts and there is little evidence to support the notion, but that doesn't stop [[drawfags]] from constantly adding tits to them. Or neckbeards from crying when they see them, for that matter. This really shouldn't surprise anyone because she's a tough and hot alien chick who loves fusion blasters, and [[PROMOTIONS|you know we love a tough-n-hot alien chick who loves fusion blasters]].

==Origin==
Even as a young Fire Caste warrior, O'Shaserra showed great promise as a military leader in the academies of the Tau Empire. Eventually she, as well as two Tau named [[Farsight|Shoh]] and [[Shas'o Kais|Kais]] ([[Warhammer_40,000:_Fire_Warrior|yes, ]][[Dawn_Of_War:_Dark_Crusade#Dark_Crusade|that Kais]]), were among those selected after a meteoric rise through the ranks to study under the esteemed [[Commander Puretide]], a legendary leader and tactical genius celebrated everywhere in the Tau Empire. With him, the three of them trained together in competitive and aggressive combat and tactics, and quickly proved themselves as Puretide's top three students. As such, they were made force commanders upon completing their training. Together with O'Shovah, who would eventually become known throughout the Tau Empire as Commander Farsight, O'Shaserra played a key role in the defense of the Dal'yth sept world during the [[Damocles Crusade]], during which Farsight's daring counterattacks against the invading [[Imperium|Imperial]] forces gained him much attention and esteem. However, many of them would likely have failed if not for O'Shaserra's patient efforts to coax the humans into opportune positions for Farsight's aggression.

When the old and incontinent Commander Puretide eventually died, an effort was mounted by the Ethereals to preserve his strategic brilliance for the sake of posterity. As part of this effort, they decreed that O'Shaserra, along with her fellow star Puretide disciples, would be put into a cycle of cryogenic stasis, with one awake and two asleep at all times, so that each of them could continue to serve the [[Greater Good]] far into the future. It was decided that Farsight would be the first to remain active, and O'Shaserra and Kais dutifully began their artificial slumber, trusting their comrade to do both their mentor and the Empire proud in their absence. However, Shadowsun was awakened almost two centuries later only to find that Farsight had given the Tau Empire a huge middle finger and become the leader of a group of renegade colonies on the Empire's fringe, space which was now designated as the Forbidden Zone. (See [[Farsight|Farsight's]] article for details and his side of the story.) Moreover, the Fire Caste was now divided over the issues of Farsight's motives and loyalty, with some still supporting him and others denouncing him.

==Recent Engagements==
Commander O'Shaserra soon learned that she had actually been awakened prematurely due to a fuckhuge Ork invasion, the biggest the Tau had ever seen, and she was needed to help repel it. The Ethereal Aun'Va had initially planned to reawaken her in preparation for the Empire's Third Sphere Expansion campaign, but the new Ork threat hastened his plans. As expected, Commander O'Shaserra once more proved her value as a leader as she quickly proceeded to blow the shit out of the Ork forces with the armies at her command, using similar tactics (patience and stealth) to the ones she found effective against the Imperium during the Damocles Crusade. This war against the Orks became known as the Great War of Confederation.

O'Shaserra earned the nickname "Shadowsun" when, in the K'resh Expansion, [[Troll|she arranged her fleet in orbit in front of the local star in order to cast an eclipse-like shadow over an Ork base]] at the heart of their forces. Under the cover of this darkness, she subsequently infiltrated with some of her own forces and crippled the Ork leadership, [[Just As Planned|cutting the head off the snake and delivering a killing blow to their war effort]] before the [[Derp|Greenskins]] even knew what the hell was happening. Shadowsun personally sought out the main Ork Warlord and fusion blasted his dumb fungal ass into a pile of boiling slag. The rest of Shadowsun's army then attacked, ambushing and exterminating the rest of the confused and fleeing Orks.

Of course, the problem with this is that the Tau ships are neither large enough nor numerous enough to have any impact at all on the sunlight over the Ork base unless they were a few dozen meters or so above it. On the other hand, the Orks sure wouldn't expect that.

After her victories in the Great War of Confederation, as well as a confrontation shortly after with a [[Tyranid]] splinter fleet from which she also emerged victorious, Shadowsun had become a hero throughout the Empire in the way that Farsight had been before her. Aun'Va declared that it was time for the Tau Empire to get a-conquerin' again, and the Third Sphere Expansion was officially underway. Shadowsun was chosen to spearhead the campaign and see if she couldn't get some more [[Greater Good]] up in this [[Noblebright|bitch]]. Before embarking on her epic conquer-spree, however, Shadowsun needed to get something off her chest ([[Derp|heh heh heh]] generic tit joke [[Derp|heh heh heh]]). She ordered an Empire-wide communication to be broadcast from the Mont'yr Battle Dome, where Commander Farsight had once trained. After delivering a rousing speech, she took aim with her fusion blasters at a big statue of Farsight and blew the thing apart in front of the entire Fire Caste, making perfectly clear to them just what she thought of O'Shovah and those who betray the Tau'va. With the Orks and Tyranids defeated for the time being and the Imperium distracted by other conflicts, Shadowsun has since been steadily expanding the borders of the Tau Empire. Diplomacy with the Farsight Enclaves, when she reaches them, [[RIP AND TEAR|seems unlikely]].

==The 3rd Sphere Expansion==
Shadowsun had the honour of leading the Tau Empire's Third Sphere Expansion, crossing the Damocles Gulf and attacking several Imperial Worlds. Although the Tau continued to make use of diplomacy, seen in the capitulation of the Lagann System, Shadowsun also engineered a number of military take overs. One part of her grander military offensive was to sacrifice the entire Zeist Sector, and all Tau living within it, to [[Cato Sicarius]] (as she probably realized she wouldn't stand a chance <s>against his plot armor</s> against him in combat) although its never made clear how much was actually gained from this move making it seem, at best, of questionable effectiveness.

The first major conflict of the 3rd Sphere Expansion came on the Hive World of Agrellan, a minor Imperium world, where Shadowsun lead the forces of the Tau Empire against a combination of Imperial forces including House Terryn, White Scars, Raven Guard and Catachan. Despite stiff Imperial resistance Shadowsun secure the planet for the Tau Empire, though an effective rearguard action allowed most of the Imperial forces to survive the battle and relocate to the nearby Knight World of Voltoris.

Shadowsun would pursue her foe to Voltoris but, ironically, end up falling into an enormous ambush which saw her army crushed and her own life almost ended. Shadowsun was forced to flee and the entire Tau Empire gave up on any attempt to conquer Voltoris, seeking to instead bypass it and head for the nearby world of Prefectia in the resource rich Dovar System.

On Prefectia Shadowsun fought a combination of familiar Imperial foes and even managed to ambush and slay the Raven Guard Chapter Master in a Ghostkeel Battlesuit (which for some reason she can't use in the game). Deprived of their Chapter Master, and with the Tau Empire on the offensive, the Imperial forces abandoned Prefectia to the Tau. Celebrations for Shadowsun's latest victory were short-lived, however, as the Imperium were already preparing a retributive strike against Agrellan.

When the Imperium struck Agrellan it caught the Tau by surprise, trapping both Shadowsun and Aun'va on the planet, whilst the Tau Fleet fled to gather reinforcements. Conflict broke out on the world itself, due to powerful shield generators preventing the Imperium from simply flattening the Tau from space, and Shadowsun was driven back, defeat seeming inevitable. However, at this moment, Commander Farsight and his forces arrived, managing to sneak completely undetected through the Imperial Blockade, and intervening to save Shadowsun and Aun'va. Although relations between the rogue commander and his former peer and superior were still frosty, they put aside their differences in order to confront their mutual foe. Working together Shadowsun and Farsight managed to confound their Imperial opponents, although an Assassin squad did manage to slay the Supreme Ethereal Aun'va and to critically injure Shadowsun, confining her to a Space Ship for the remainder of the conflict. The Imperium, operating on a deadline, determined that they would waste no further time against the Tau's resistance and began a general withdrawal, with only the White Scars resisting the command. Before completing their withdrawal, however, Mechanicus forces within the taskforce scorched Agrellan, killing all life not beneath a shield generator and set fire to the entire Damocles Gulf region.

In the aftermath of this bitter stalemate Shadowsun is weakened, the poison in her system leaving her ill, but she thanks Farsight for his aid by permitting him time to leave despite the orders of her superiors to capture him. Since then Shadowsun has presumably been stuck on Agrellan, with the 3rd Sphere Expansion grinding to a halt after capturing only 2 known planets.

==The Fourth & Fifth Sphere Expansion==
After the Fourth Sphere Expansion tore a giant asshole in the universe (due to Tau trying proper warptravel with their new AL-38 Slipstream Module) the Fourth Expansion fleet was deemed lost. Some years later, however, it turned out the giant asshole was indeed a wormhole, leading to a region of frontier Imperial space (the Ultima Segmentum, Imperium Nihilus, between Khar Dunaish and Hexos). The Fifth Expansion fleet was sent through and encountered the remnants of the Fourth Sphere Expansion fleet, huddled around what they called the 'Startide Nexus' and three colonized planets. Shadowsun fought a few battles alongside the Fourth Sphere armies, but quickly opted to pull them back when she was using auxiliaries, as they had turned into genocidal fuckwits (probably due to them witnessing their auxiliaries being mutated in the warp).

After some time, the [[Death Guard|old, fat, ugly bastard marines of Nurgle]] noticed a direct path to the heart of the Tau Empire, which they chose to exploit. Commander Tsundere somehow won when the Death Guard just retreated for some reason. She is now leading the Tau in the Fifth Sphere Expansion, in what is now dubbed the Nem'Yar Atoll.

Got a book titled after her written by [[Phil Kelly|the usual guy]] and it's... surprisingly good! It does look like she'll turn traitor ala Farsight 2, but otherwise she's shown as being pretty good. Seems she's getting wise as to what Chaos and the Warp are as well, which may be the reason for her potential defection since the Ethereals are known to be deliberately telling the Tau jack shit about it.

==On the Tabletop==
[[File:Primaris Shadowsun.png|thumb|right|350px|Looks like she finally got upgraded from her old Prototype suit. Buy two, one for her unhelmeted and one helmeted if you are a fan of [[Shas'O Kais]]]]
Shadowsun spent several editions being rather irrelevant, since she was originally designed for the ''Cities of Death'' supplement and was specialized for getting in close and frying things, then jumping around walls and buildings to avoid getting charged. Naturally, when there ''weren't'' walls and buildings, she suffered from being the one Tau model that wanted to be ''closer'' to her enemies. With the new codex, though, she got a bunch of buffs, mostly being able to actually join squads of other suits and make them invisible as well (which is now Shrouded and Stealth for a trolltastic +3 bonus to any cover or 4+ in the open) and an ability that grants re-rolled 1s to nearby squads, that make her a much more attractive choice. (Gee, I wonder [[Riptide|what popular Tau model desperately wants to avoid rolling 1s...]])

===8th Edition===
[[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Tau(8E)#Special_Characters|Here's her Tactics entry]].

She doesn't directly buff Stealth Suits, but still synergises with them well - they can catch wounds for her on a 2+ if they're nearby, she can bring two shield drones for wound catching that have a 3++ to make everyone a bit more durable and a command drone to improve one unit's accuracy, and she's got all the same infiltration and camouflage abilities they do. Her dual Fusion Blasters also add a lot of punch to an infiltrating XV25 squad (and on top of that she can declare '''Kauyon''' twice per battle to reroll misses for nearby units at the cost of preventing all movement for even more firepower), but she is pretty darn expensive - in fact, she costs slightly more points than most Stealth Suit squads all by herself. If you're going heavy on the XV25s though, you'll probably still want her along.

==By the way==
Despite being next to each other alphabetically on this Wiki, Shadowsun has nothing to do with the cyberpunk game system [[Shadowrun]].

== Gallery ==

{{Promotions}}
<gallery>
Image:ShadowsunNov.jpg|Back when she didn't rock robotic arms on her armor.
Image:Commissar Shadowsun.jpg|I'd let her improve my morale, if you know what I mean
Image:Tsundere dance copy.jpg|Probably a more fluff accurate version of naked Shadowsun, though the nose needs more work.
Image:Commissar Shadowsuns Goods by morganagod.jpg|Dat treacherous xeno ass.
Image:tau_firecleavage.jpg|Sweet [[Weeaboo|weeaboo]] [[Heresy|heresy]].
Image:OG_Shadowsun_sexy_model.jpg|Good lord, someone really crafted a model based on that drawing.
Image:DSC02051 - Copy.jpg| Sweet Emprah, somebody actually made ''ANOTHER'' model of her, though the eyes need more work.
File:Thick thighs save lives.png|Finally, the dream of a big tiddie tau gf is reality.
</gallery>

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Tau-Characters}}

Aun'Va

2023-06-05T20:04:07Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

{{Topquote|Let none doubt that the [[Tau]] Empire will bring unity to all -- let none doubt that now is our time. Forward, for the Greater Good!|Aun'Va, Supreme [[Ethereal]] of the [[Tau]] Empire.}}
{{Topquote|Kill yourself.|Aun'Va after [[Phil Kelly|retcons]].}}

'''Aun'Va''' (full name Aun'o'T'au'Acaya'Va'Denta) is the Tau Ethereal Supreme and Master of the Undying Spirit, and occupies the position of maximum power within the Tau Empire. He's the face of the Tau for their people, and one of the most proactive individuals in the recent expansion of the Tau Empire, pushing for more and more Spheres of Expansion to continue the growth of their empire, despite the numerous problems that have appeared during his mandate. He's also notable for being retconned into a cartoonishly evil villain who hates humanity and outright demands for his underlings to kill themselves when they displease him (yes, seriously, just read ''Farsight: Crisis of Faith'' for the scene). He has recently died during the war for Mu'gulath Bay at the hands of an imperial assassin, and so the Ethereal High Council now uses an AI based on his personality alongside holograms and fake broadcasts to make the Tau think he's still around.

=Rise to power and service record=

Aun'Va rose to the position of Ethereal Supreme when his predecessor, Aun'Wei, decided he was too old to continue and resigned, nominating the promising Aun'Va to the job. Since then, the ethereal has become a beacon for the Tau race, almost as a religious figure. This, alongside his figurine and official art representations, has granted him the nickname of Tau Pope in the minds of [[neckbeards]]. Seriously, we've never seen him standing up, he's always sitting in his [[Hover Chair|floating chair,]] surrounded by his [[Ethereal Guard|personal guard.]] However, you should not make the mistake of thinking of him as a lazy grandpa. He's been constantly in charge of the policies of the empire for decades now (and considering Tau's short lifespan, that's a lot), both negotiating and organizing Tau society and at the head of many military campaigns. He was the one in charge of the war against the xeno species known as the [[Reek|Noisome Reek]], which would become one of the most successful campaigns of the Tau, though to be fair, the Reek are the punching bag of the area, so that's not difficult. Using his ability for speeches and Ethereal "coercion powers", Aun'Va sent the Tau [[Fire Caste]] into a bloody frenzy rage, catching their enemies completely off guard and guaranteeing victory.

One of the most interesting things happening during his regime was the discovery of the [[Farsight Enclaves]], with the legendary Commander [[Farsight]] at the head of this splinter of the Tau Empire. This discovery threatened to break the unity of the Fire Caste, the full military Tau army and the faith of the population in the reign of the Ethereals in general. Aun'Va was the one who had to deal with subverting this, twisting the previously untouchable memory of Farsight into a horrible traitor that doesn't deserve to be praised in any way. For this, he enacted ''damnatio memoriae'' against him, slowly erasing Farsight from Tau historical records through multiple means: destroying his monuments, downplaying his victories or straight up deleting them from Tau records, isolating the Farsight Enclaves from any contact with the Empire... He was even in charge of convincing Commander [[Shadowsun]] that her brother-in-arms had defected and now was the biggest traitor ever, and since then Shadowsun usually accompanies Aun'Va to every one of his campaigns. Though this effort wasn't fully able to delete him from the collective memory and respect of Tau society (and contacts with the Enclaves continue, though secretly and without the ethereals' permission or knowledge), he managed to effectively avoid a major fracture of the Tau Empire, possibly even a civil war.

=The Third Sphere of Expansion=

After fighting the Farsight Enclaves and the Great War of Confederation (a combined invasion of Tyranids and Orks that almost put an end to the Tau Empire), the Tau Military was in a surprisingly good position: their armies were replete with hardened veterans and quickly recovering. While their military technology had advanced quite a lot to counter the tyranids and the ork WAAAGH, they needed a morale boost after all of those efforts, as the orks and [[Hive Fleet Gorgon]] had weakened the defensive capabilities of many planets. Thus, Aun'Va decided to launch the Third Sphere of Expansion in 997.M41, with Commander Shadowsun and himself at the front. The idea was to advance throughout the Damocles Gulf taking advantage of the weakness of their enemies, with the Imperium having to deal with many other threats elsewhere. Shadowsun's strategy of attacking with hit and run tactics and then swiftly concentrating her troops to deal a heavy blow was quite successful, and it quickly seemed that a good chunk of the Damocles Gulf was now in Tau hands. Aun'Va was present during many of the sieges of the important planets in the area, to improve the morale of the Tau troops.

However, the [[Imperium]] quickly mounted a counteroffensive, way sooner than the Tau High Command thought it would come. However, Shadowsun had a contingency plan for this, and managed to concentrate the efforts of many of the Space marine Chapters sent to the war in a relatively unimportant area of space. Thanks to this ruse, the rest of the Tau forces managed to conquer hundreds of Imperial planets, doubling the size of their empire, while also managing to troll Cato Sicarius. To celebrate this, the Ethereals decided to broadcast their victories to everyone that could receive the message, both pissing off the Imperial forces to an absurd point of rage, and making some minor xenos species shit their pants, having heard of Humanity's [[RAGE]] when scorned. This was unnoticed by the Tau, though, so drunk they were at their current rate of victories.

[[File:Aun'Va_is_Fucked_Three_Ways_to_Sunday.png|400px|thumb|right|Aun'Va and the Culexus, right before [[RIP AND TEAR|all hell broke loose]] [[derp|(why does he look like he's half asleep, though?]])]]

During this, a massive Imperial counterattack was organized, alongside an order for the Officio Assassinorum to hunt down and kill the leaders of the Tau main force. Aun'Va was, at the time, coming back to the front after one of his speeches, and was stuck on the planet of Agrellan, now called Mu'gulath Bay. An Execution Force consisting of a [[Callidus]], [[Eversor]], [[Vindicare]] and [[Culexus]] assassin was dispatched to the planet. As a distraction, an Imperial task force was sent there as well to occupy the Tau forces on the planet. Lucky for them, they managed to isolate the Tau forces by trapping them under a bunker, and then the assassin Execution Force attacked. [[Bullshit|And whereas the Callidus, the Eversor and the Vindicare were all killed without completing their missions because...reasons]], the blank abilities of the Culexus assassin meant that he went undetected through the Tau lines, allowing them to kill the ethereal's guard and, in a moment of sweet revenge for Mankind, [[grimdark|butcher the ethereal in a horrifying way, while the Tau pope tried to run in terror from the monster that hunted him]]. This also means the first death of a named character in decades. After that was over, the Imperium decided to put the icing on the cake and throw an [[Exterminatus]] bomb on the planet, leaving no doubt on the Ethereal's death. [[derp|Then again, why bother with the assassins if you're just going to blow up the planet anyway?]] Pragmatism with the Imperium has always fallen short but also shows they do not fuck around. Finally, how many times a named character in fiction survives a planet blowing up is ridiculous so gotta make double sure that the dead stay dead. No bullshit medicine that can revive the dead no bullshit escape from Exterminatus.

The death of Aun'Va was devastating for the Tau's war efforts. The death of an Ethereal usually results in a massive drop in morale, so just imagine what the death of the main ethereal could do. The Third Sphere of Expansion ground to a halt, and many planets begun falling back into Imperial hands. Shadowsun could do little after the Ethereal's death, and she was busy preparing her troops against Farsight anyway, so the campaign was considered over. In theory it counts as a Tau victory because they have more planets now than when they started, but the Tau Empire is on shaky ground now.

= The Aftermath of Aun'Va's Death =

With the murder of the leader of all Tau, the Ethereal High Council decided to hide this from the population by creating multiple holograms and programmed transmissions to fake his survival to the public, aided by an AI based on a backed-up copy of Aun'Va's mind made before his death. To facilitate this facade, he is now permanently accompanied by his honour guard (though this is no different from any other point in the perspective of the wargame) and the citizens are now forbidden from even touching the floating pope chair lest they break something. There's an argument to be had whether that was a good decision or not (just imagine one hologram malfunctioning during a speech, imagine the chaos that could bring), but then again, just "retiring and replacing him" could bring suspicions on the coincidental timing of the whole affair, especially after the most successful military campaign the Tau have had in a while.

There's also the problem of the Ethereals' poor leadership choices and decisions after Aun'Va's death. Very soon after the end of the 3rd Sphere of Expansion they declared a 4th one... [[fail|and it was immediately stopped by the opening of the]] [[Great Rift]]. After receiving the news that a portion of it managed to survive its unscheduled trip through the Warp, the ethereals inmediately organized another sphere of expansion to link up with it... only to run straight into [[Mortarion]]'s [[Death Guard]], [[rape|with very predictable results]]. Considering the current dangers that the galaxy presents after the Cicatrix Maledictum's birth, the lack of knowledge of Chaos (more specifically, what it is and how to prevent it) could imperil the survival of taukind. Not to mention that the Death Guard's forces are still threatening the existence of the Tau after losing against [[Roboute Guilliman]] in the [[Plague Wars]], their plans to invade T'au itself through the warp rift made by the Fourth Sphere's exit from the Warp, and the possible corruption of the Fourth Sphere itself. And that's not counting the Tyranid threat still around, more and more necron tombs waking up around Tau territory, Ultramar ready to fight again after their [[Roboute Guilliman|Spiritual Liege]] came back to life and Farsight still around threatening to break Tau society.

Whether or not the Tau Empire can survive without Aun'Va's leadership is a matter of <s>plot armour</s> the strength and confidence of the Tau in the Greater Good. But really, the blueberries finally got the assraping they've been begging for since their introduction to the setting. Worse, the AI duplicate of Aun'Va lacks the uncanny charisma possessed by the real one, which has led to at least one major military official questioning "his" orders and later joining Farsight's forces. It may be only a matter of time before the truth of Aun'Va's death leaks out, which can only have catastrophic consequences.

For those of you paying attention; yes, this does mean the blue weeaboo space communists are, in fact, led by the bastard child of a vocaloid and Lenin (the dead one they keep on display).

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Tau-Characters}}

Aun'Shi

2023-06-05T20:03:42Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:Aunshi6.jpg|thumbnail|right|500px|Walk softly, and carry a big stick. Also, put two giant blades on either side of that stick and gut people with them.]]

'''Aun'Shi''' is a [[Tau]] [[Ethereal]], the philospher-warrior-monks who lead the Tau Empire down the [[Greater Good|path of enlightenment]] (or at least that's what ''they'' think of it as). His name literally means "victory". Alongside just being generally charismatic, Aun'Shi has mastered the art of duelling with the honour blade, that weird two-bladed staff that the Ethereals carry. He uses it to slaughter Orks by the WAAAGH!!! load. Even though Tau are physically inferior to humans (not making this up, weaker, more fragile, and greatly inferior reflexes). So, he achieves physical feats nearly impossible for a human despite lacking the physical ability to do so. Oh well, at least he manages to still be a pretty awesome guy.

==History==
Aun'Shi was on his last tour of 'duty' before retiring to a paradise world when he was sent to bolster/train the defenders of a relatively new colony named Kel'tyr, which was founded on a planet infested with [[Feral Orks]]. Usually not a good idea, but the Tau had been doing well enough negotiating with the Orks with their [[Burst cannon]]s and [[railgun]]s.

Unfortunately, as he was completing his tour of duty in the Fio'Vash, a horde of Orks surrounded the compound, besieging the Tau, and beheading their leader. As the Fire Caste began to run around like headless chickens with the death of the their leader, Aun'Shi proved himself to be stone-cold, leaping into action and splitting the Ork Nob (later retconned to be a Warboss) in half from scalp to groin, planting his honour blade between the two halves (later changed to stopping just above the ground as the Warboss fell to pieces because that's more weeb). This rallied the defenders and they began to throw the Orks back, however the Ork Hordes also rallied and began to send wave after wave of Boyz at the compound. Aun'shi took complete command of the defenders, dispatching stealth suits and a member of the Kor to tell everyone at the capital they were being overrun, while running from point to point to fight where he was most needed. Any part where the Tau line was faltering he was there, cutting Orks to pieces by the dozen and then he was gone again, his assault was so furious that eventually the Orks lost the benefit of mob rule and began to fear getting near him. Despite his defence however, the Orks were still steadily winning the fight and forcing the Tau back, eventually making them retreat to an inner perimeter, and then to the inner shrine. From here they took on the Ork's final assault as they charged through the hail of gunfire towards the last 50 fire warriors, before reaching the walls and literally tearing through them in order to reach their foes in a wave that would've annihilated the Tau.

Fortunately the Tau reinforcements arrived, showing up just in time to save Aun'Shi and his forces from death and quickly destroyed the Ork horde. Unfortunately the Ethereals were so impressed by Aun'Shi's performance that they cancelled his retirement and sent him to spend his remaining years leading fresh expeditions to expand the Tau empire. Assholes.

This awesome has been retconned to Aun'shi standing in a doorway protecting civilians with his pointy stick and forcing Orks to run through said doorway (ignoring the fact that said Orks could have just broken through the walls, which is something they explicitly did in the original version). In the retconned versions when a relief force finally arrived at the besieged compound, they found the Orkz scattered to the winds, piles of Greenskin corpses choking the entrance to the last standing building where Aun'Shi stood in the doorway, his blade soaked in ichor and gore as the last few surviving civilians huddled behind him, because if you're going to retcon the shit out of how the battle went you might as well make him a [[Mary Sue]] while you're at it. Additionally, the fact that he was protecting scared civilians was just a cheap trick from bad authors attempting to harvest [[Mary Sue|Good Guy Points]] and make him seem cooler. He still gets his retirement shitcanned though, this time specifically by [[Aun'Va]] since this was when writers really started shitting on him.

What's quite interesting to note, is that he is is the '''one''' Ethereal that [[Farsight]] actually likes. This is because while all the other Ethereals looked at his achievements and said "Nice work O'Shovah but uh... you really shouldn't be getting that close, that's not how we roll." he went "Say, I heard you like killing Orks. That's awesome! Let me teach you how to kill Orks better!". Seriously, it's mentioned in the Phil Kelly books...[[Phil Kelly|oh right]]. It's even stated in the 8th ed Codex that the warriors of the Enclaves are usually hostile to Ethereals, but show great respect for Aun'Shi.

In the short story 'Aun'Shi' we get perhaps the greatest bullshit to ever be pulled on Aun'shi. He's currently being held captive by the [[Dark Eldar]]. After being sent out to retake the Farsight Enclaves for the Tau Empire he made a short stop at Arthas Moloc to 'better understand Farsight' and ended up in captivity due to arriving at a webway gate the Tau were unknowingly thawing out. He would be captured and blackmailed to fight in [[Commorragh]], which is fucking retarded, as since when do the Deldar need a reason to commit brutal Cock-And-Ball torture to get what they want?

Apparently he was so awesome that on his own he elevated his captor from a nobody, to one who was walking side-by-side with the higher echelons of Dark Eldar society. Everyone who went to the arena came to see him and only him because they all loved him so much, because the writer forgot that the Deldar are even more space racist than their Eldar cousins and usually only Deldar gladiators like Lelith Heraspex get the benefit of not being seen as animals by Deldar society. It's outright stated if he were to ever die or leave his captor, she would lose so much face that it would be better off for her to leave the city for good. The story ends with him realizing it's impossible to leave or to be rescued, so he's gone for good unless other authors outright ignore it.

Given the quality of writing in the story that might end up being what happens, since Braden Campbell was too busy sucking off Aun'Shi to give what he was writing much thought. The inclusion of the schism in the T'au empire is an interesting inclusion, with many inside it wondering if Farsight should be followed instead of the Ethereals, but Braden [[FAIL|fails]] to do anything with it. [[Derp|It also features Tau who don't recognize Aun'Shi to be a fucking Ethereal, thinking he was a Water Caste member for some fucking reason.]] It's close to [[C.S. Goto]]'s works in terms of writing and with any luck it'll be ignored.

In what can only be surmised as delicious, Lexicanum does not currently recognize Mr. Campbell's utter lack of writing abilities and only mentions that he was sent to look into the Farsight Enclaves.

== Tabletop ==

Aun'Shi is one of two Tau units that you actually want to be in an assault (the other being [[Farsight|Commander Farsight]]). He brings both his interesting melee style and a re-rollable 4++ Invulnerable Save, alongside an Ethereal's massive Bubble of Buffs. However he's not as crunchy as literally any other tau character, and more just a [[fluff|fluffy]] character to be used if you've got points to sink on an Ethereal that might need to be more survivable. I wouldn't skip him over, but use him for casual play at most.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Tau-Characters}}

Cadre Fireblade

2023-06-05T20:03:18Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:Fireblade6.jpg|230px|right|thumb|Trust us, despite trying to look badass. This Fireblade definitely did not kill that Tyranid with his tiny knife.]]
Fireblades (or Shas'nel in Tau) are members of the Tau Fire Caste. Consisting of the most grizzled and seasoned veterans of their Cadre, their skills in the art of the Fire Warrior way of battle has led them to eschew Battlesuit technology, preferring instead to be equipped with a [[Plasma#Pulse Rifle|Pulse Rifle]] and [[Bonding Knife]]. Fireblades typically serve as field commanders and their experience on the battlefield has made them experts in directing firepower to maximize damage to enemy targets. Owing to their status, Fireblades also wear [[Combat Armour|heavier armour]] than standard Fire Warriors.

Despite their name and choice of equipment, don't expect the Fireblade to do much CQC especially when they are going up against... Well, anything really. Keep them back and protected.

The path that the Fireblades have taken mean they can never rise to the rank of Shas'o, instead being limited to that of Shas'nel. Nor does the title carry the esteem associated with those who wear Battlesuits. Nonetheless, the Fireblades are still highly respected, not least because of their willingness to forgo prestige.

==On the Table==
[[File:CadreFireblade.jpg|250px|thumb|left|First they had [[Dreadnought|mechs]], and now they have [[Chaplain|Chaplains]]. The blueberries are [[Great Crusade|catching up]].]]
These are the second cheapest HQ choice in the Tau codex beaten out only by naked Ethereals which automatically makes them of some use in small point games or as a cheap HQ in an allied list. His features include a BS5 markerlight, a cheap source of bonus drones. Apart from a cheap HQ the main advantage is giving a fire warrior squad an extra shot each with a special rule.

While this may not be "good" it was hilarious prior to 7e to take an allied Eldar/Tau army with a Farseer, an Ethereal, and a Fireblade. Invoke Fire with the Ethereal whilst Rapid firing with a guided Fire Warrior squad including a Fireblade and laughing as your foe suffers a statistical 39 Str5 hits not including drones from one squad. Sadly, 7th ed nerfed this by making Tau/Eldar Allies of Convenience, so no more Guide.

Funnily enough, as the rule is worded nothing prevents you from adding more Fireblades to a Fire warrior team (specially in 7th Unbound lists).
For each Fireblade you add, there is one more shot for the ENTIRE team (and to the other Fireblades too!). 10 fireblades with 10 Fire warriors throw 11 shots each at 30 inches (total 220 shots, with half at BS 5). [[Dakka|MORE DAKKA]] for the greater good. This isn't very useful for normal games, but in Apocalypse you can have a squad of 12 Fire Warriors and 10 Fireblades are putting out 11 shots EACH at max range, 12 at half, for a total of 242 shots at max range, of which 110 are at BS5. In Apocalypse games 600 points worth of HQ is small change. The amount of fire out of the squad is normally only seen from massed Guard firing lines, but is coming from a total of 22 models that is only 708 points (which is one Titan or a couple Baneblades). You can live the dream of all 40k players and erase a squad of Ultramarines every turn.

In normal games, the best use of a combined Fireblade squad is to have a surviving Fireblade join another squad after his first is wiped out, making it as if you still have the same amount of dakka as before.

== BUT WAIT, 8E! ==

Fireblades still retain their cheapness, but now hit on 2's when shooting. They come with a Pulse Rifle that you'll probably never use, a markerlight, and some grenades. They also confer an extra shot to all Pulse Rifles, Carbines, and Pistols at half range. Combined with T'au sept they help form Terrifying gunlines. The biggest reason you want to take one is the EZ markerlight hit, which helps form markerlight chains to get that juicy +1 to shooting. If you are running a Gunline, and have not taken a Fireblade, you have done something wrong.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Tau}}

Ethereal

2023-06-05T20:03:02Z

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[[File:Ethereal6.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Begone, or I will have to beat you with my weeb drumsticks!]]
The '''Ethereals''' (or Aun in Tau) are the leaders of Tau society and the existential space popes of WH40K ([[Ministorum Priest]] not counting). They are infamous for their supposed 'mind control' powers and their ability to inspire Cadres to fight with the religious tenacity of the Imperial Guard whenever they personally take to the field.

When we call Tau the blue space commies, Ethereals are the ones who are "more equal than others", as that old satire goes. Every single Tau ''loves'' these guys, seeing them as embodying all of the Tau species good traits and avoiding all the bad ones. Normal Tau are, despite being ([[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior|almost]]) immune to Khorne, no less prone to being a bunch of spiteful violent fucks when left to their own devices for a few decades. Ethereals never have this problem, always in control of themselves and moving with a grace that just says "I'm in control of the rest of this shit too. Just chill out, space dad is here".

As old writers have left and new ones have been brought on the Ethereals have also undergone a large shift through the editions of the game. In the earlier editions they were mostly benevolent and were only hinted to using dubious methods to control the other races that have joined the Tau (but you had to dig a little for it) so that they could further the Greater Good. Now however they're outright evil monsters who've built Tau society and the entire concept of the Greater Good on lies.

They are often armed with either a [[Power Weapons#Honour Blade|Honour Blade]] or a [[Power Weapons#Equalizer|Equalizer]] for self defence. [[Derp|Don't expect them to do much here however.]]
==History==
Confusingly, the Ethereals literally ''just showed up one day.'' Their arrival (according to T'au History/Legend) started the unification process between the various Tau tribes and coincided with the implementation of the concept of the Greater Good. They first appeared during a siege between the Tau of the plains (later known as the Fire Caste) and the Tau of the city of Fio'taun (later known as the Earth Caste). The Ethereals brought the two sides together to negotiate and convinced them to follow the Greater Good. Their power over the Tau is such that an Ethereal could tell a Tau to die and that Tau would do so quickly and gladly. The [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] would give much to learn the secret of the Ethereal's power. There is strong implication from the similarities between an organ possessed uniquely among Tau by the Ethereals, and an organ which [[Q'Orl]] use in pheromonal communication that this ability may be due to deliberate engineering in the Ethereals' past, this would also explain the abnormally short lifespans of the other tau castes, who are very similar to the Q'orl warriors, short lived, devoted to their cause, and able to be inspired by the mere presence of their crystal organ having superiors, the ethereals in the case of the Tau, and the queens in the case of the Q'orl, both of whom live far longer than their subordinates.

The Ethereal sometimes lead the fire caste into battle to provide inspirational leadership, so the warriors can achieve more. However if the Ethereal falls in combat, the remaining Tau are sometimes struck with grief (it really depends on [[FAIL|if the writer remembers or not]]) that causes them to lose battles and some times they start doing there best death korp impression and fight to Avenge the loss to the last Pulse Round which is not good actually since Tau doctrine is about NOT getting into pointless slugging matches and about fluid defense and offense, either way however after a Ethereal falls the Fire Warriors lose all discipline and efficiency, which can be detrimental to any conflict if an enemy commander can exploit it.

Though the obedience of the Tau to Ethereals is natural, the other races on the other hand have long been speculated to be some sort of covert mind control. There are a lot of theories from the prenatal indoctrination or pheromonal compulsion to the presence of some veiled psychic gift possessed by the Ethereals, but as yet no confirmed proof of any such power has been secured. Those few Ethereals that has been captured and subjected to interrogation have proven less than forthcoming. Additionally, given that [[Farsight]] and his enclave managed to break away from Ethereal control; it is highly probable that total obedience to the Ethereals are indeed cultivated through artificial methods. Then again in Farsight: Crisis of Faith the Tau don't seem to be controlled by the Ethereals at all (their loyalty coming purely from idolizing them), with Farsight even arguing and yelling directly in the faces of three of them (something impossible to do in older lore) so who knows what the fuck's going on.

On their foreheads resides a small organ, smaller than the ones the other castes have. Imperial studies on the organ show no biological function, but it's suspected that the ethereal studied is a dud, or that the way the Ethereal control the Tau is more esoteric in nature.

As the leaders of the Tau, the Ethereals are enigmatic and studious, yet unfaltering in their authority and their drive to further the Greater Good. They are mystics and philosophers, possessed of knowledge and wisdom not shared by their more practical subjects. As such they had some part to play in the Tau rapid development, and to this day guide their species in its dynamic expansion, or the castes revert to the savagery that once threatened to destroy them.

==Killing an Ethereal==
This being 40K, there is no small amount of writing on what happens when an Ethereal gets blown the fuck up on the field of battle. Without fail this sends the rest of the Tau soldiers into a brief panic attack and state of intense grief. The enemy forces at this point have a great opportunity to capitalize; if they move quickly enough they can butcher and rout the rest of the Tau in short order. If they aren't quick enough, however, the Tau will replace "panic attack" with "[[RIP AND TEAR|just fucking attack]]" and [[Dakka|set all their guns to full auto]], and unload bullet after bullet into the enemy who closed the distance right into maximum [[rape]] range thinking they had an easy victory. Sometimes in especially shitty writing the death of an Ethereal has no immediate or detrimental effect, such as in the Taros Campaign and Mont'ka, where two Ethereals die but nobody cares about the first and the second is immediately covered up by a government conspiracy (no the Tau who knew don't seem bothered either). Given that the second Ethereal was Aun'Va, the most revered of Ethereals, you'd figure they'd be a bit more bothered, and instead of replacing him with a living Ethereal they've chosen to keep him around as a hologram in a chair for about 200 years or so, because apparently that makes more sense. In both Dawn of war Dark Crusade and Soul Storm taking out the Ethereal is the win condition for any faction taking out the Tau in their stronghold and it's portrayed as routing the whole force, ending the entire Tau ability to even continue to wage war against the other powers.

The [[crunch]] has gone through a few different phases of representing this. In the past, a dead Ethereal would mean all remaining Tau forces gain Preferred Enemy, but also have to take a leadership test and thus risk running off the board. This wasn't really fun, since the Ethereals were pretty damn shit in those days anyway, and your options were either find a way to get the Ethereal killed right at the start (when you're more able to regroup a fleeing squad) or just take a Shas'O instead you idiot. Starting in 6th edition they changed things around to be less fluffy but also less shit: now, the Ethereal himself gives buffs to his army, but give the Tau's opponent scores a bonus victory point if they manage to kill the Ethereal.

== 8th Edition ==

And now, the times have changed again. Model options remain mostly the same as 6th edition: Ethereals are HQ choices which you can theoretically take as your warlord, they can have a hover drone, and they can switch out their S5 toothpick for S3 power butterknives which increase your attack characteristic by one. Though their WS is a nice 3+, they have a 5+ save, 4 wounds, and only T3.

Ethereals have neat abilities that make them at least worth taking on occassion: a 6" aura for allowing units to use his leadership when rolling Morale tests, and and aura buff affect, of which you can choose one per ethereal per phase, until the next battleround. Two of them are utter garbage, which involve -1 for morale test results and reroll advances, which work better on Breachers than anything else.

The juicy ones are the abilities that give reroll 1's to stationary units in the shooting phase, and the other that grants a 6+ FNP to all Battlesuits and Infantry nearby. Kroot and Vespid will never benefit from either, but the latter gives your Riptide a chance to shrug off the mortal wound from the Nova Reactor, adds extra bubblewrap to your Broadsides, makes your troops that much slightly harder to kill, and adds a safeguard bonus to the ethereal if he takes a wound. The former allows your markerlight chain to have insurance in case of a miss, and is especially useful on a Cadre Fireblade or Firesight marksmen. It is redundant after the markerlights go off, but its there if you need it.

All in all they are fairly ok, but the named character ethereals are generally better choices.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Template:Tau}}

Ethereal Guard

2023-06-05T20:02:36Z

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{{Fail}}
[[File:EtherealGuard.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Look at my bluie sixpacked abs Gue'la.]]

The Ethereal Guard, also known as Tau Honour Guards are Tau warriors who serve as the bodyguards and protectors of Ethereals, the undisputed leaders of the [[Tau Empire]]. These warriors are dressed in ritual garb but wear [[Recon Armour]] and wield [[Power Weapon#Honour Blade|Honour Blades.]] Ethereal Guards are handpicked from the [[Ultramarines|best of the best]] [[Fire Warrior|Fire Warriors]] and are given this honor of bodyguarding the space popes 24/7. However, unlike most race's bodyguards, [[Derp|being an Ethereal Guard seems to be more of a disadvantage than a advantage.]] Instead of being in control of some badass mechs or armed with some super experimental and overpowered infantry weapons, Ethereal Guards get [[Power Weapons#Honour Blade|an overglorified power axe]] [[Fail|and 'armor' (Armor being used loosely here) that seem more useless than a]] [[Infantry Squad|Imperial Guardsmen's]] [[Flak Armor]] [[Wat|and showing as much exposed skin as a]] [[Dark Eldar]] [[Wyches|Wych's]] [[Wychsuit|BDSM kink uniform.]] [[FAIL|And seeing how shitty Tau are in close combat,]] [[Toyhammer|those power axes might as well be a plastic toy lightsabres]] ([[Herp|Heck, they even look like a children's toy]]).

Suffice to say, they seem mostly style over substance. Whilst the [[Honour Guard|Honour Guards]] of the [[Adeptus Astartes]] (Both Loyal and Heretical), [[Celestians]] of the [[Sisters of Battle|Adeptus Ministorum]], [[Hearthguard|Hearthguards]] of the [[Squats]] and [[Aspect Warriors]] of the [[Eldar]] [[Powergamer|are suped-up in specialized wargear and equipment;]] in addition with the [[Militarum Veteran Squad]], [[Stormtrooper|Stormtroopers]] and [[Sslyth|Sslyths]] being ferocious or skilled soldiers armed with equipment that provides a tactical and flexibility advantage for [[Imperial Guard|the Guard]], [[Inquisition]] and [[Dark Eldar]]; as well as [[Nob|Nobz]], [[Lychguard|Lychguards]] and [[Tyrant Guard|Tyrant Guards]] being built as giant walking bullet sponges for the [[Orks]], [[Necrons]] and [[Tyranids]]; only the Tau are stuck with bodyguards that are less effective than a Water Caste member in a diplomatic dispute with an Ork ambassador. No wonder no one remembers them, let alone pick them up in tabletop.

[[Tl;dr]], they are in no way in the same league of the [[Adeptus Custodes]].

== Tabletop ==

In 5th Edition, Ethereal Guards are bodyguards to Space Pope supreme himself, [[Aun'Va]]. Likewise, they were useless bodyguards for a useless HQ. Seriously, what can they do against an assaulting Terminator squad or Genestealer horde? ''Nothing''. Might as well bodyguard the space pope with a couple of Kroots who seem much more effective than these useless nincompoops.

In 6th edition, the bodyguards are still likewise meh but they're better than they used to be. 5+ saves combined with the Paradox's harder-you-hit-it-harder-it-is invulnerable save gives the whole unit a variable amount of protection. I mean, they ain't [[Adeptus Custodes]] material and are basically overglorified meatshields, so you use what you get.

Due to how pointless they are in comparison to Blueberries in [[Battlesuit|Battlesuits]], their rules haven't been seen since 6th Edition. Likewise, [[Derp|one must wonder what the Tau were thinking when a couple of near-shirtless fishfaces]] [[FAIL|that has a reputation for being as terribad as a]] [[Grot]], would even count as acceptable bodyguards in contrast to fishfaces in a protective and well armed mini-mecha.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Tau}}

Tau Commander

2023-06-05T20:02:21Z

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[[File:TauCommanderArt.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Buen día, fucknuggets.]]

Tau Commanders are often captains or leaders of a Tau army. Sometimes they replace a [[Ethereal]] as authority force if they aren't present. Usually Commanders go to battle in a Crisis Battlesuit. Tau Commanders differ in doctrine depending on their Sept of origin. Commanders hailing from Vior'la, Tash'var, and Kel'shan are noted for their personal kills while those from Elsy'eir and T'olku are known to be more cerebral in nature.

== Shas'el ==

Shas'el is the second highest rank which a Tau Fire Warrior can attain. A Shas'el usually only gains the rank after years of training and battle experience. A Shas'el will usually command smaller engagements of small Cadres leaving full Cadre and multi-Cadre actions to a full Shas'o.

== Shas'o ==

A Shas'o is the highest rank in the Tau army which a Fire Warrior can attain. Becoming a Shas'o means going through several Trials By Fire and progressing up the ranks from Shas'la to Shas'ui to Shas'vre, then becoming a member of another commander's bodyguard, to Shas'el and then finally to Shas'o. After becoming a Shas'o, the only remaining options are to either teach at an academy, become a military advisor to the Shas'ar'tol or join in politics and be on one of the many councils in the Tau Empire. Besides death, this is the only way a member of the Fire Caste can leave the Tau military.

Some Shas'o wear armour with inverted colour schemes. For instance, O'Shaserra and O'Kais both wore white armour with sept markings picked out in yellow, the reverse of the regular T'au Sept's colour scheme. O'Shovah is another example of this, as is Or'Es'Ka Whether this is the norm for Shas'o is unknown.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Walkers]]

{{Tau}}

Fire Warrior

2023-06-05T20:02:02Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:TauEmpire8.jpg|400px|thumb|right|Yeah, [[Warhammer 40,000|"There is only war"]] and all that... But sometimes, you just got to stop and smell the flowers.]]

''Not to be confused with the video game [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]].''

The '''Fire Warrior''' (''Shas'la'') in a '''Strike Team''' is the [[Tau Empire]]'s basic infantry unit. Armed with the mighty [[pulse rifle]], a set of [[Combat Armour]] and a fuckload of other gadgets to help them survive the galaxy better than most other factions' unfortunate grunts, these Tau go out to claim territory and bring the galaxy into the fold of the Empire. These are basic infantry, and like [[Imperial Guard|certain other armies]], the Tau Empire has a whole fuckload of them.

While comparable to Guardsmen in most respects, their equipment is far superior to what most other factions in the galaxy can muster — not just because it's objectively better (although it generally is), but because their tech synchronizes with other elements of the Tau military to turn a good weapon into a devastating weapon. For example, when used correctly as part of a combined-arms formation, (Something the Imperium in theory knows but can some times struggle to put in practice) Fire Warriors can dial their accuracy up to eleven and disintegrate anything caught in their weapons' range. Their primary means of doing this is by networking with [[Tau Pathfinder|Pathfinders]] (who are also Fire Warriors) of their [[Tau Cadre|cadre]], who designate targets for them to shoot. This enhances the accuracy of each individual Strike Team member to a frightening level.

According to the [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer]] (which, as you may know, is a wonderfully reliable source of objective truth), Fire Warriors are physically weak, have poor eyesight, and cannot hit the broad side of a space-barn. In reality, they are just fine at shooting, being somewhat hyperopic (farsighted) compared to humans. On the other hand, compared to humans they actually do have slightly inferior reflexes, and they are also slightly inferior to humans in terms of physical capability, which on top of doctrine means they are less capable in melee.

== Training and Wargear ==

Every single Tau who is born into the Fire caste will be trained and raised to be a soldier. Fire Warrior training thus begins from an early age, and from that moment onwards, the Fire Warrior is put into a squad of soldiers who will fight together for the rest of their lives. Therefore, many of them perform the ritual of the Ta'lissera, which is like a Nordic blood bond and makes them all battle brothers. This bonding ritual is a widely accepted practice among the Fire Caste, as it strengthens the Warriors' morale greatly under fire.

The vast majority of Fire Warriors will die in some gruesome, nameless battle somewhere among the stars. A scant few inevitably manage to survive where all their fellows have fallen, and by dint of their skill such hardened warriors may eventually rise to the rank of Shas'o. If a warrior is ''truly'' lucky enough to survive many years of warfare and command, he or she may even be granted the option to retire.

Most notable among the Fire Warriors' wargear is the pulse rifle, a plasma-based battle rifle with terrifying range and damage. These are especially deadly when combined with targeting computers in the Warriors' helmets and the support of [[markerlight]]s. When properly supported, Fire Warriors rarely miss and can mow down opposing troops with extreme efficiency. Warriors may also be seen carrying [[pulse carbine]]s, a shorter-range, automatic version of the rifle, or a [[Pulse Blaster|pulse blaster]], the [[shotgun]] equivalent of the rifle that has better armor penetration at close range. For protection, the Fire Warrior is equipped with a set of [[Combat Armour]], which is made of a combination of nano-mesh and other technobabble. This includes the iconic asymmetrical pauldron designed to face towards any enemy that would be firing at the Warrior as it takes aim. They are also equipped with [[Grenades & Explosives#Photon Grenade|photon grenades]], which emit a blinding flash of multi-spectral light and a sonic burst that disorients any enemies that get too close to the squad (in other words, a fancy flashbang). For anti-tank purposes, some Warriors carry [[Grenades & Explosives#EMP Grenade|EMP grenades,]] though these are not standard equipment. Fire Warriors may also carry Pulse Pistols, which means that Fire Warriors not only get the second best standard rifle in the game, they also get the best standard pistol. This may be a consideration if you're concerned about close combat, as these S5 hand cannons kick just as hard as their two-handed analogues and are about the closest thing that Fire Warriors have to a melee enhancer.

Fire Warrior Combat Armor is made up of something called Fio'tak, apparently, with protection equivalent to or greater than Carapace Armor. It also features a wide suite of electronics, such as targeters, aim assisters, comm gear, and other tech that would make any Tech-Priest jealous. Combat armor is resistant to autoguns, largely immune to stubbers, and pretty good against lasguns. Given half a chance it might even deflect a Bolter shell, or at least prevent its user from being killed outright.

Fire Warriors themselves are split into two primary types of teams, these are:
===Strike Team===
The most vanilla of the vanilla. The Strike Team is the most common type of Tau Fire Warrior deployment. A Fire Warrior Strike Team is a high-speed detachment of shock troops who shoots first and ask questions later. These are the guys who primarily wield the [[Pulse Rifle]] and [[Grenades & Explosives#EMP Grenade|EMP Grenades]]. They are also the ones who help the [[Tactical Support Turret]]s in actually [[Derp|aiming shit]] ''despite'' the fact that the very nature of a drone is to ''free up'' units for more important stuff.

===Breacher Team===
The more close-range [[Dakka]] of the lot. The Fire Warriors Breacher Team specializes in brutally effective close-range assaults, clearing buildings of threats in a tight, tactical formation and delivering sharp, sudden frontline displays of undiluted [[Rape|rape]] in close confines. These are the guys you see doing [[Kill Team (Specialist Game)|Kill Team]] stuff when boarding a [[Space Hulk]] or some derelict shit. They are the ones who wield [[Pulse Blaster]]s and [[Grenades & Explosives#Photon Grenade|Photon Grenades]] to suit their roles.

== On the Tabletop (7th Edition and earlier) ==
[[File:2013-07-12 13.37.14.png|thumb|200px|left|Funny thing is, that [[Killa Kan]] is in more pain than the Fire Warrior.]]

Costing slightly more than two Guardsmen per model, Fire Warriors sport a 4+ Armour Save that makes them twice as survivable against basic (S4, AP5) guns compared to Guardsmen, and are outfitted with arguably the best basic infantry weapon in the game—the S5, AP5, Range 30", [[Rage|RAPID FIRE]] pulse rifle, which makes them two to five times killier depending on what they're shooting at. Mathammer-wise they trade evenly in a firefight with an equal points worth of tactical [[Space Marines|Marines]] when unsupported. But there is a LOT of support available for them—Buffmander can grant them twin-linked, Ignores Cover and Tank/Monster Hunter (and remember, S5 can glance [[Rhino|METAL BOXES]]!), Ethereals and Fireblades grant extra shots, and markerlights can boost their accuracy to potentially goofy levels. With proper support, things within that ever-nifty 30" of your Fire Warriors are gonna die and die fast. So all in all, unless you have taken them only to fill your mandatory Troops slots (in which case you might consider taking some [[Kroot]] instead, or going [[Farsight|Enclaves]]), it's highly advisable to actually support your Fire Warriors.

One Fire Warrior in a squad can and probably ''should'' be upgraded to Shas'ui, not only because it grants +1 Leadership, but also for the wargear, specifically the cheap blacksun filter (night vision) and markerlight/target lock combo. The last one allows your little blue sergeant not only to spot targets for other units, but also to man (Tau?) fortification gun emplacements without compromising the squad's targeting.

There is a common belief that Fire Warriors immediately disintegrate like wet newspaper the moment they come into base-to-base contact with the enemy, and like many common beliefs, this one is wrong, at least as far as combat with other basic infantry (they have been known to kill the likes of [[Necron Warrior]]s [[What|in close combat]]). See, WS2 actually doesn't matter much against the common WS3 or 4 (they'll still need a 4+ to hit; the only difference is that enemies only need a 3+ to hit them), and they have average Strength (3) for basic infantry along with a solid 4+ Armor Save. Plus, with photon grenades, charging enemies will have to take an Initiative test or go Blind, reducing their WS to 1 and turning the 3+/4+ thing the other way around the first turn. The only effective disadvantage they're at is their piss-poor Initiative (2). Before the assault even starts, though, you can potentially get a ton of supporting fire that guarantees at least a few enemies won't make it to base-to-base contact due to a massive multiple-squad Overwatch. Don't get me wrong — they're eventually going to die in close combat with pretty much anything, but it could take a turn or two, or even three, and Fire Warriors have a decent chance to take at least a few enemy models with them. And hey, if they do break and flee, and they don't get run down by a Sweeping Advance (unlikely, unless they are fighting other low-inititive enemies, terminators, or slow and purposeful), you can just blast the shit out of the enemy squad next turn with all your other [[shooty|shootiness]] and save the survivors.

If equipped with EMP grenades Fire Warriors could actually be a scary force in melee, at least against vehicles, including walkers. A squad of Fire Warriors can wreck a Dreadnought in one turn of combat, losing only three or four members, and things like Killa Kans, Tomb Stalkers or Sentinels would go down even easier. Hell, they could have a fighting chance against Imperial Knights or even Titans. Unfortunately, as they lack any assault delivery system (unlike other haywire grenade users in the game), this upgrade is rarely taken, as it could only be useful if your opponent is stupid enough to move his mech units near your Fire Warriors. Then again, just knowing that your Fire Warriors have EMP grenades might be enough to suppress your opponent's walker or force them into a bad position.

*Alternate Assessment: Fire warriors trade evenly with marines if and only if the marines don't have ranged chapter tactics and it assumes that neither squad breaks, which Fire Warriors are more likely to do. In melee, against MEQs you're not just being hit on 3's but wounded on 3's, as well, and the enemy is generally likely to have a melee-weapon serge that will wound better and/or ignore your armour. Fire Warriors aren't stubborn and losing combat by even a small margin puts them at serious risk of being wiped out by sweeping advances. Moreover, you want to die in a single round against an enemy charge for the greater good. Holding up for one turn only allows the enemy to break you in your own melee phase, thus letting them charge again in theirs.

*Furthermore, their armour and toughness is precisely where heavy bolters and heavy flamers (and the guns of [[Necron Immortal]]s, who refute your claim for strongest basic infantry gun) want it to be. Thus, you can get killed very quickly, even at range, if you choose their foes poorly.
*Stay in cover, keep your head down, choose your firefights well, get support, and never assume you can hold for a round in combat.

== 8th/9th Edition ==
===8th===
Now, EMP grenades are a stratagem-only weapon that replaces the Photon Grenade. They are still useful, minus the fact that you still have to get into 12" to use them, and they can only be used by 3 Infantry units in your army (these being Pathfinders and Fire Warriors, the latter of which are now subdivided into Strike Team and Breacher Team variants.) Additionally, Pulse Rifles maintain their stats for the most part, minus the AP.

Keep in mind that the Pulse Rifle is still better than the Bolter, and can even semi-reliably wound T8 targets if you shoot it enough. Strike Teams are tough buggers, and as a result tend to fare better in ranged combat than Pathfinders, if only because of their superior armor save (4+ instead of a 5+) and access to the MV36 shield drones, which grant 6+ invuln saves, which means you possibly can save a few guys in a squad if a thunderfire opens up on them. They also come with the option of taking a DS8 turret with either a Smart Missile System or Missile Pods. As a final note, there are a few points worth reiterating: stay in cover, choose your firefights well, and avoid close combat.

===9th===
As of 9th, the strike team has by far the best rifle in the game, with a whopping 36" S5 AP-1. In contrast to previous edition, Strike Teams taking MV36 Guardian Drones now cannot be wounded on twos (making assault cannons utterly useless in that regard) as well as shield drones for use as a flying storm shield.

Breachers have received a soft nerf, with the Pulse Blaster being far more difficult to use, though they now work brilliantly when given a Devilfish to jump out of on turn one in order to liquefy a very important infantry unit/anything in range. Similarly, Breachers can take some drones to provide some light support firepower/damage reduction.

== Gallery ==

<gallery>
File:EatingFireWarrior.jpg|Small blue man and woman eating small-blue-men-rations...Which look kinda like tacos. Mmmm Space Tacos...
File:TauRailrifle.jpg|No, they don't get Rail Rifles. No, their armour doesn't look that cool in official artwork. No, I'm not bitter. <s>No, they don't get them because those are actually Pathfinders</s>
</gallery>

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Template:Tau}}

Gue'vesa

2023-06-05T20:00:32Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

{{heresy}}

[[File:Warhammer 40 000 gue vesa by mellanius-d46979b.png|thumb|right|300px|You can't see it in the picture, but the [[Imperium of Man]] is off to the right. (Not pictured: the Inquisitor, Space Marine and Commissar all lining up to get a decent headshot).]]

'''Gue'vesa''' are human auxiliaries serving in the [[Tau Empire]].

See, the [[Tau|Space Communists]] are a bit odd in that they aren't alone in their cause; unlike every other faction in the 41st millennium, the [[Tau]] are willing to allow non-Tau to serve the empire. Other races abound in the Tau empire, including [[Kroot]] and [[Vespid]]s, but the most popular (at least on /tg/) are humans that joined the Empire. Humans working for the Tau'Va are called "Gue'vesa," which quite literally means "human helpers" in the Tau language; ironically, the Imperium's grunts joke it means "[[Manticore Rocket Launcher|Human Cannon Fodder]]", despite the fact the Gue'vesa are treated much better than themselves.

Originally, most of the Gue'vesa came from [[Imperial Guard]] units abandoned in Tau space at the end of the [[Damocles Crusade]], though these were mostly garrisoned on their own worlds and rarely participated in Tau <s>crusades</s> Spheres Of Expansion. As time has passed, most Gue'vesa are now recruited from Tau-administered human populations, and they are often equipped with some Tau technology in a fashion similar to the Empire's other client races. However, it remains uncommon for these units to go on campaign. Instead, Gue'vesa in the conquering armies of the Tau Empire are most often composed of traitors from the Guard and/or PDF units of the planet they are currently attacking, converted by propaganda (often for decades before actual attack) or (according to Imperial narrators) captured and brainwashed.

It's worth noting that there are some human Hive Worlds in the Tau Empire. Because it's an established fact that a single Hive World can have more population than the entire Tau species, it’s questionable who holds the real power (or will eventually) (whoever has the superior firepower, like the premodern colonial empires).

It's also worth noting that within the Tau Empire, aliens are allowed many rights and opportunities and can even rise to positions of significant importance. However, aliens ''cannot'' join Tau castes. '''''Ever.''''' This is because one must, by definition, be born into a caste to belong to it. Like all alien auxiliaries, Gue'vesa are therefore ''not'' Fire Warriors and cannot ever be members of any caste. It's a dirty little secret of the Tau Empire that this arrangement inherently favors the Tau themselves.

==How This Happened==
The Tau had finally gone and pissed the [[Imperium of Man]] off but good, as they had established a series of trade agreements with Imperial Worlds on the frontier, near the Damocles Gulf - and had begun trading goods and technology with the humans of the frontier. Naturally, since the Imperium immediately refers to any contact with Xenos that doesn't involve killing them with fire as [[Heresy]], the Administratum flew into a rage that would make an [[Angry Marines|Angry Marine]] titter with schoolgirlish glee were they capable of such. After [[Warp|fucking around for a while]] they eventually got a huge ass fleet (which, while composed of more than a dozen regiments, elements of SM chapters, and fucking TITANS, is still described as a small imperial force) into the sector about a century later and began blowing the fuck out of everything and pushing deep into Tau Empire territory.

The Imperial rapetrain ground to an abrupt halt when they came across the Dal'yth sept, which basically decided to do a bang-up impression of the [[Imperial Guard]] and hold the fucking line. Simultaneously amazed and horrified by the prospect any race, let alone a bunch of blue-skinned unguligrade alien space communists, could have the [[Colonel "Iron Hand" Straken|mighty balls]] to stand up to the Imperium in a stand-up drag-down fight, the Imperium was momentarily given pause - before it resumed doing its usual thing and blowing the fuck out of its enemies. Turns out the Tau had been deliberately giving ground to the Imperial crusaders, evacuating what they could and [[Grimdark|sacrificing several worlds]] to buy the Empire enough time to recall their forces elsewhere to make a stand.

Unfortunately, this is also the first of a retarded trend regarding fighting the Tau: when a faction is winning against them, it suddenly becomes retarded and does things designed for the Tau to win. In this particular case the Imperium had simply been killing the Tau off from orbit at every world instead of invading. Then chose to invade a planet for no reason at all and became bogged down for the rest of the Crusade in land stalemates. Instead of just shooting the enemy from orbit some more like had been working. Keep in mind that the Tau did not and do not have the city and theatre shields used by everyone else that results in the ground wars Warhammer 40,000 is famous for. Not even surface-to-space defenses worth a damn. They were just relatively undefended targets compared to the Crusade.

Sadly for the Imperium of Man, the Tau did not relent, and showed a balls-out stubbornness that would make any [[Commissar]] shed manly tears of pride and [[Rage|RAGE]]. Or at least it ''would'' be impressive if it wasn't caused by mind-controlling pheromones and brain implants (the latter of which was discovered by Farsight himself). Even still, with the Imperials having a mighty hard time gaining ground on the Tau - the space communists had superior firepower and were fighting defensively in their home territory, which was a fight that was not very much to the Imperials' advantage, and what originally was expected to be a fairly short affair wound up embroiling the entire sector in a lengthy, drawn-out conflict. The Imperium was winning, slowly but surely, but at the rate they were progressing, it would be an eternity and a day before they could claim to have won the war - and likely trillions more lives (in other words, a dirt cheap Imperial victory). Moreover, though the Imperium had a gigantic manpower advantage (one that got bigger as the war dragged on), the war basically stalemated (Imperial Commanders blame [[Fish of Fury]] for this), with gigantic losses on both sides wearing down both the Imperials and Tau. Of course, the Imperium ''could'' have done what they did to the other worlds they kicked the Tau off of: let the Imperial Navy blast them to pieces and then send in tanks and Titans to mop up. But then the Imperium would've won (quickly and easily at that) and GW couldn't sell Tau models and the models of other minor species.

After it became painfully apparent that both sides were getting absolutely nowhere this way, the Imperium eventually relented and entered into meetings with the Tau Empire for cease-fire talks. Whilst neither side trusted the other one bit (this is the universe of [[grimdark]] after all), the meetings were basically successful, in no small part due to the then-new threat of [[Tyranid|Hive Fleet Behemoth]] moving in to [[Anal Circumference|rape]] [[Ultramar]]. This forced the Imperium to stop [[troll]]ing the Tau diplomats and agree to the fucking cease-fire in order to rush to Macragge before the Hive Fleet could get there. This represented the end of the Damocles Crusade, and the beginning of a drawn out cold war between the Tau and the Imperium, where fighting is restricted to small skirmishes and brush fire conflicts that both sides try to avoid escalating (the Imperium because they have [[Tyranid|more]] [[Ork|important]] [[Chaos|shit]] to worry about, the Tau because they do not want to get bumped to the top of the Imperium's threat list in the Ultima Segmentum and get hit with another crusade).

This sudden redeployment left a shitload of Imperial personnel stranded, especially those that had been captured by the Tau, and a lot of humans remained in formerly Imperial territory that was now well within Tau space. Most of these humans were offered an agreement by the Tau to join the Tau Empire, and a great many did so, as the choice was between [[grimdark|the POW camp]] or becoming Tau Empire Citizens. Like deciding between [[Dark Heresy|fine wine]] and [[FATAL|a toilet full of spoiled meat]], this was not exactly [[Derp|a difficult fucking choice]].

Those humans who have joined the Tau empire have been provided with the [[/tg/ gets shit done|technology]] required to prevail on the Tau frontier. They have access to their own production capabilities, allowing them to construct equipment ranging from farming and mining tools to [[Lasgun|Flashlights]]. Gue'vesa actively working for the Tau are also capable of using Pulse weapons, whilst Gue'vesa assigned to planetary defense duty generally lack these - but have access to your usual stock of [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|fuck-your-shit-up]] [[Manticore Rocket Launcher|ordnance]].

Since some of these armies are self-contained the Tau have developed terms to define the ranks of the humans, for Gue'vesa soldiers is "Gue'vesa'la," and the Tau term for their Sergeants is "Gue'vesa'ui." Similarly, high-ranking ones are "Gue'vesa'vre" and Commanders are "Gue'vesa'el." High-level Gue'vesa commanders (ones comparable to a planetary governor) are called "Gue'vesa'o".

==Gue'vesa and the Greater Good==
Depending on the source you may have very different perspectives about what is for a human to be a citizen of the Tau Empire, Imperial authorities will insist the turncoats are either sterilized, used as cannon fodder and/or live in the worst possible conditions, with stories about the Tau replacing human population from conquered worlds with their own race, indeed a grain of salt maybe required when listening to a faction which enslaves, lobotomizes, burns alive and uses as cannon fodder their own, not that this bothers the high echelons really much, neither you citizen.

On the other hand, tau centered material and even a few novels of Black Library show the integrated humans as having better life standards and liberties than those from the Imperium, with enlightened views such as the Gue'vesa being allowed to worship the Emperor (sans the most fanatical aspects), their planets receiving extensive terraforming treatment to heal the damage done by imperial industry and being allowed to access education, health and fair work treatment. It's important to notice this may actually depend on the level of stability of the planet, as Tau planets in state of warfare may put restrictions and even suspicion upon the Gue'vesa and confidence may demand to be earned. On the other hand, the Tau know what awaits Gue’vesa whom the Imperium captures and so probably aren’t very concerned about their human population’s fighting spirit. Backs to a corner and all.

In other works however, such as in the book Mont'ka, Imperials who were conquered by the Tau were sent to labour camps or offworld mining colonies without exception, so who knows what the fuck's going on.

And then you have the Fourth Sphere and its rampant xenophobia, which will happily turn on its own Gue'vesa forces at the first possible opportunity while declaring their supposed allies "superstitious" and in need of purging. The parallels of this to the Imperium's views are uncanny.

And then, just to confuse things even more, you have the Ciaphas Cain, HERO OF THE IMPERIUM, books where Cain and Jurgen don't even realize they're driving next to Tau Sympathizers until they start screaming at them to go back to their Emperor. Judging from how the Ciaphas Cain, HERO OF THE IMPERIUM, books show the most realistic depictions of Imperium worlds, this is most likely what it's really like. Not that much different from the Imperium, for both good and for ill, and depends on where exactly you are. After all a Hive World and a Paradise World are almost completely different universes due to the contrast.

==The Gue'vesa in crunch==
[[File:Imperial Tau Gatecrashing.jpg|500px|right|thumb|Unfortunately for the Tau, the Imperials are always gatecrashers to the Tau-Human cultural exchange programs.]]
The Gue'vesa are basically Imperial Guardsmen working for Tau. There are two versions of them - auxiliary troopers working for the Tau Empire (which can be fielded in a Tau army), or actual [[Imperial Guard]] regiments (made using the Guard's codex) that are just modified to look a bit more [[weeaboo|Tau-flavored]] and are used to represent Gue'vesa troops serving as colonial Planetary Defense Forces (for example). The Tau have generally kept a pretty good relationship with the humans in their territory (the Tau scenario in [[Dawn of War|Dark Crusade]] has them sterilizing rebellious humans, but this is non-canon to all true fatguys, though [[Lulz|fun to make fun of]], and given the setting, sterilization's getting off light.), and the biggest fears that most humans in Tau space have is the Imperium [[Exterminatus|getting pissed enough to come back and try to finish the fucking job]].

As previously pointed out, there are two options for fielding a Gue'vesa army; those maintaining self-contained armies on behalf of the Tau (those using the Imperial Guard codex), and those using human auxiliaries to Tau forces (via chapter approved rules that are now of questionable tournament legality). It is also possible to represent them by using the Tau Codex and simply replacing the Tau (or kroot we suppose) models with [[Awesome|human]] variants, and this ''is'' legal, but it will result in [[Rage|bricks being shat]] by other [[Faggotry|Tau players]]. As of 6th edition, you can also simply add some Imperial Guardsmen under the Allies rules; however if you're concerned with the fluff (and if you're trying to play Gue'vesa it's a safe bet to say you are), it's a little inconvenient that IG are Allies of Convenience to Tau, so they won't entirely function as a single army.

Gue'vesa auxiliaries working for the Tau are an unusual unit; mostly armed with Lasguns, they provide Tau with a combination of numbers and slightly better melee capability. One nice thing is that unlike the Kroot, the Gue'vesa aren't morons, and thus can equip specialized Tau-manufactured equipment, such as Markerlights, EMP Grenades, and pulse weapons. The fact that you get pretty good numbers per squad and the fact that they're kinda inexpensive makes them a pretty nice thing to have for a Tau army low on its numbers. Their one drawback is that they automatically are favored enemy for Imperial troops, who will hit them automatically in close-combat on a 3 or better.

In spite of this, Gue'vesa make a damned fine [[Tarpit]] unit. They are shooty enough to actually cause some damage to squads that aren't ready for them, their Gue'vesa'la can drop a Markerlight, and they cost notably less than even Kroot Carnivores. They also have an armor save (however shitty). They cannot infiltrate or use transports (which sucks), but their sheer cost and mass makes them a damned fine meat-shield unit for those who aren't terribly fond of using blobs of Kroot. Gue'vesa that do well enough are frequently given better equipment and [[PROMOTIONS|promoted]], with veteran Gue'vesa supposedly being eventually allowed to join Fire Warrior teams.

Gue'vesa armies made using the Guard codex are Imperial Guard units [[Counts as|in every way but name and appearance]].

This is basically also true of those playing Gue'vesa using the [[Tau]] codex.

==Notable Gue'vesa==
Private Jeakim Slovaz was formerly an Imperial Guardsman who served in the 19th Brimlock Dragoons. Apparently, the regiment was abandoned in Tau space following the end of the Damocles Gulf Crusade. Because all of their [[Commissars]] had (supposedly) been {{BLAM}}med/zapped? by the Tau, the regiment decided to surrender before they all got fucked up as well. The only details following this incident came from a Tau propaganda campaign (not necessarily a bad thing) involving Jeakim Slovaz who told of the humane treatment that human prisoners of war could expect to receive from the Tau Empire <strike>{{BLAM|HERESY!}}</strike>. Understandably, the Imperium were not pleased with Jeakim's involvement in the Tau propaganda campaign, and proceeded to label him EXCOMMUNICATE TRAITORIS due to his heretical interaction with foul [[Xenos|xenos]].

== Gallery ==

<gallery>
Image:Gue'vesa.PNG|A Gue'vesa'ui doing their (there is discussion as to this character's gender) best to look [[Awesome|badass]]. And coming across as entirely too [[Tau|weaboo]]. From [[Mon'Tau]].
Image:TauSympathizer.png|The [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer]] on the subject. Tau propaganda looks much the same but with the roles reversed; fa/tg/uys joke that the Tau version is more accurate.
image:Gue'la Humanos Tau.jpg|Various Gue'vesa.
image:Gue'vesaPrisoner.jpg|Another lucky human is conscripted to serve the [[Greater Good]].
File:YoungHumanFireWarrior.jpg|A young human Gue'vesa.
File:GUela.jpg|Another human Gue'vesa
</gallery>

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

{{Template:Tau}}

==Links==
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080420071331/http://uk.games-workshop.com/tau/tau-auxiliaries/ Tau Auxiliary Article (Archived)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190312174225/http://flashgitzanims.tumblr.com/post/123528807793/79 Gue'vesa (Archived)], in ''Regular Marine'' interpretation

==See Also==
* [[238th Gue’vesa]]

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Tau]]
[[Category:Imperial]]

Kroot Kindreds

2023-06-05T19:58:14Z

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The [[Kroot]] are masters of evolutionary development, taking useful features from their prey to adapt themselves to new environments. Because of their genetic flexibility there are several strains that see common use, filling particular tactical niches. Whilst not usually seen alongside the [[T'au]], these diverse Kindreds often serve as mercenaries for other races. All of them [[Kroot Armour|wear some form of primitive armour meant for Kroots.]]

Apart from the Carnivore Kindreds, all of these different morphs were introduced shortly after the release of the first T'au [[Codex]] way back in [[Warhammer_40,000_3rd_Edition|3rd Edition]], as part of a [[White Dwarf]]-exclusive [[Warhammer 40,000/Chapter_Approved/Kroot_Mercenaries|Kroot Mercenaries Codex]] in [[Chapter Approved]]. The army could be fielded on its own as a stand-alone force, or individual units from it could be included in certain other armies (everybody but [[Space Marines]], [[Necrons]], [[Sisters of Battle]], T'au, and [[Tyranids]]) as prototype allies. Sadly, none of them have really been heard from since then, which is a shame because this is what the Kroot are all about.

== Types of Kindreds ==

=== Headhunter Kindred ===

[[File:KrootHeadhunter.jpg|250px|left|thumb|No. They do not actually hunt heads.]]

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Headhunter Kroot dine upon highly poisonous and venomous prey, making their flesh equally venomous to the taste and touch, [[What|which somehow also gives them the ability of a corrosive acidic spit that can burn exposed flesh.]] They also often develop hyperactive nymune organs, letting them leap a good distance to close with the enemy for a killing strike. They are armed with [[Kroot Rifle]]s and occasionally Frag Grenades.

On the tabletop, this translated into letting each model choose whether to attack normally, or to make a single Poison attack in melee that always wounded on a 4+. They could also be upgraded to have '''Fleet of Foot'''. They are a bit more situational really as the spit is only useful on GEQs, anything above would laugh it off.

=== Stalker Kindred ===

[[File:Stalkerkroot.JPG|250px|left|thumb|The sneaky gitz.]]

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Stalker Kroot consume only the stealthiest prey, apex ambush predators from [[Deathworld]]s across the galaxy, and this diet has given them a mix of chameleonic ability and nimble reflexes that enables them to sneak up on even the wariest of opponents. This makes them ambush specialists and enhances their already prodigious fieldcraft. Each Kindred numbers between ten to twenty Kroot including a Shaper along with up to five [[Kroot Hound|Kroot Hounds.]] They could also deploy using the alternative '''Ambush''' Special Rules and often choose the stealthier [[Krootbow]] over the noisy [[Kroot Rifle]].

Even [[Catachan]]s have been caught out by them at times, only to increase their captor's skills further when they themselves are eaten, though this seems to be a one-off thing as the Catachans never really fought the Tau before. It is unlikely they will fool the Baby Ogryns twice again [[Deathworld|given the shit they deal with.]]

=== Carnivore Kindred ===

[[File:KrootCarnivore.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Your basic space turkeys.]]

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Carnivore Kroot, being undecided on their future bodyplans, have a highly flexible meal plan, so they're game chowing down on literally anything. These birdbois are your standard alien turkeys. When you think of Kroot, these are the guys you are most likely thinking of.

Carnivore squads are composed of ten to twenty Kroot including a Shaper; the Carnivores themselves are all armed with [[Kroot Rifle]]s, although those from a [[Farstalker Kinband]] can wield the hefty [[Kroot Scattergun]]. Their Shaper is always on the look-out for fresh foes whose genetic traits can be absorbed. Some Shapers will also receive gifts from their employers and so may carry additional equipment into battle. As generalists, they form the core of a Kroot army, and are the most common form of Kroot seen among T'au forces.

=== Vulture Kindred ===

[[File:VultureKindred.jpg|250px|left|thumb|The ''really'' birdy birdbois. This time, twice the birb.]]

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Vulture Kroot have decided to return to their avian roots, and consumed winged prey to gain pinions of their own, developing small but functional wings. Not the utterly ''fabulous'' [[Sanguinius]] wings, but something more...''disappointing''.

They generally still keep the standard Kroot body plan though, so are unsuited for powered flight, but they can glide for short distances. A favoured hunting tactic is to soar above the battlefield on warm updrafts, only to swoop down on their chosen target from out of the sun.

[[Derp|It kind of looks stupid, all things considered, especially when you imagine a lanky naked turkyboi gliding down like an oversized sugar glider.]]

[[Crunch]]-wise, this made them count as Jump Infantry, except they didn't face issues when flying through jungle.

=== Tracker Kindred ===

[[File:KrootTrackerMini.jpg|250px|left|thumb|<s>Gondor</s> Pech calls for aid.]]

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Tracker Kroot are adept at, well, tracking, having nibbled on prey with good senses, to the point where they can give a high-end Auspex a run for its money. It's a rare occurrence indeed when they lose a scent, and they can pursue it for days on the backs of their [[Lesser Knarloc]] mounts, acting as light cavalry to harass enemy forces and maybe charge an exposed flank.

They usually serve as mounted scouts for Kroot mercenary bands. Riding on [[Lesser Knarloc|Knarlocs,]] a Kroot strain native to the jungles of Pech, they are experts at hunting targets through dense jungle undergrowth. These kindreds also function as light cavalry during a battle, harassing at range or charging into exposed flanks depending on the situation. On the tabletop, they had '''Infiltrators''', as well as '''Native Cavalry''', which meant they didn't face issues when flying through jungle, and '''Native Trackers''', which counted every model as having an Auspex.

In 7th Edition, these guys and their velociraptors are chumps. Anything that could kill an Ork could kill these guys and they don't come in good numbers. Best use as a [[Distraction Carnifex]] to catch bullets.

=== Hunter Kindred ===

[[File:Hunterkroot.JPG|250px|left|thumb|*BOOM* Headshot!]]

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Not to be confused with the Headhunter Kindreds. Hunter Kroot make use of [[Kroot Hunting Rifle]]s, heavier versions of their regular Kroot Rifles, with better accuracy and range at the cost of mobility. To help in their hunt, Hunter Kroot eat prey with good eyesight, so they can pick out priority targets with just iron sights, to avoid giving their position away with lens reflection.

Each Kindred numbers between five to ten Kroot, including a Shaper. They may or may not have gotten their genetic abilities by nomming on prey items with strong and acute eyesight, such as birds of prey or nocturnal creatures.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Kroot]]

{{Template:Tau}}

Farstalker Kinband

2023-06-05T19:57:44Z

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Farstalker Kinbands are [[Kroot]] mercenaries that form warbands and spread themselves far and wide across the Galaxy unlike mainstay Kroots which stay with the [[Tau]]; seeking fresh strains of beneficial genetic material to bring back to their species' [[Shaper]]s.

One such Kinband, use the first of their [[Warspheres|Warsphere]] to board the Space Hulk Gallowdark to carry out this duty, after having earned the right to do so. However, their mission was interrupted by the [[Imperial Navy]], whose ships caused the Kinband's Warsphere to retreat. Now stranded aboard the Space Hulk, they must find a way to escape, while also contending with the Gallowdark's denizens and a team of Imperial Navy Breachers.

It should be noted that due to their vast trade across the galaxy, Kinbands are usually more technologically advanced than previous Kroot, with bionics and advanced weaponry everywhere.

==Types of Farstalkers==
There is a wide variety of these nomadic Kroots, but several of them have been pinpointed due to relative consistency. Alongside your typical [[Kroot Kindreds|Kroot Warrior]]s, these specialists are:

===Kill-Broker===
[[File:KillBroker.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Leader of the chicken-hawks.]]
Kill-Brokers are a type of Kroot commander in Farstalker Kinbands. They act as the leader of the group or team and are the ones directly responsible for any raid or dealership they make. Ergo, they are the most experience member of the flock.

Due to this, Kill-Brokers are not only expert tacticians but also capable fighters and negotiators, ensuring their kin receive a just and fair compensation for their missions.

They are equipped with a close-combat weapon, usually something like a [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Sword|machete or blade]] and [[Pulse Rifle]].

On the tabletop, the leader comes with 3 ranged weapon options. The [[Kroot Rifle]] has a better hit chance, but lower damage whereas the [[Pulse Rifle]] has a lower hit chance, but higher damage. There's an option for a [[Pulse Carbine]], but it has the same hit chance as the rifle, but less damage and no special rules so it is kind of pointless. Other than their pretty decent BS, they are also expected to have a 2+ WS on their knife.

They also have a couple of special rules, '''Call the Kill''' lets you allocate a visible enemy as the target, and your kill team can keep one hit whenever they attack that enemy, and [[Grenades & Explosives#Photon Grenade|Photon Grenade]] can reduce enemy operatives' movement. They are currently categorize under Kill Team as a Combat, Marksman and Scout.
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===Cold-Blood===
[[File:ColdBlood.jpg|200px|right|thumb|The old Mcree.]]
Cold-Bloods are basically the veterans of the Farstalkers. Comparable to a lieutenant for most armies, Cold-Blood is so named not because they are actually cold-blooded, but because years of experience have made their attitude as cold and collected as ice. In terms of rank, these guys are the second-in-command, right below a Kill-Broker.

Due to their long-service experience, the knowledge they have gained makes them adept with different ammunition types, selecting the optimum shot for each kill of their weapon. Their long service also makes them heavily scarred from years of conflict; toughening their skin and flesh to the point that they are tougher than your typical bird bois.

Cold-Blood are usually armed with your standard [[Kroot Rifle]] but with some unique stuff.

On the tabletop, these veterans are armed with a Kroot rifle; they get piercing and toxin shots for free and also reduce all critical hits against them to normal hits. Likewise, this angry chicken is also pretty tanky at 9 wounds with the ability to degrade the damage of any incoming critical damage to only deal regular damage, though things like Stun and MW will still hurt hard however. They are currently categorised under Kill Team as a Staunch and Marksman unit.

[[Tl;dr]], quite the tough nuts to crack especially in kill-team.
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===Kroot Heavy Gunner===
[[File:Kroot_Heavy_Gunner.JPG|250px|right|thumb|The lovechild of Heavy Weapons Guy and Big Bird from Sesamee Street.]]
Kroot Heavy Gunners are Kroots who specialise in...well...carrying a heavy gun into battle. Considered the Kroot's answer to the [[Devastator Squad]], the Heavy Gunners are there to provide firing support for the more nimble kindreds. As such, they have a larger muscle bulk and are less manoeuvrable than their more lanky kin, but are also tougher as a result of said denser muscle tissue.

Heavy Gunners can be armed with either of the following. The first is the [[Londaxi Tribalest]] whilst the second is the [[Dvorgite Skinner]]. They are very tanky birds which can somewhat offset their limited mobility and being slow-as-molasses.

On the tabletop, the Heavy Gunner is the slowest of the lot as both his gun options have Cumbersome, so he won't be going anywhere as the guns he carries limit how far he can go before being unable to shoot; but the weapons he is packing should not be underestimated. As such, make preparations to hide behind any cover you find before you unleash your big guns.

The Dvorgite Skinner, which has a short range, but high accuracy and attacks, which can spread to other enemies nearby to the initial target, and the Londaxi Tribalest, which has slightly lower attacks and isn't as accurate, but has a higher damage output. The Heavy Gunner can therefore, lay a load of hurt within the first round of shooting. He is currently categorized in Kill Team as a Marksman unit.
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===Kroot Pistolier===
[[File:KrootPistoler.jpg|150px|right|thumb|The end result of what happens if a Kroot eats Clint Eastwood.]]
A Kroot that has watched one too many Westerns.

These warriors are cool under pressure, and comfortable fighting at close range, dexterous and quick-thinking with their Kroot Pistols and the fusillades they can unleash. The Kroot Pistolier are range support units of the Farstalkers that offers a more defensive and 'bodyguard'-type playstile than the rest of his kindred. They are masters with the [[Kroot Pistol]] and go guns blazing akimbo style.

To further roleplay their Red Dead Redemption cosplay, they wear a poncho and a few ammo belts to make sure they never run out of bullets.

On the tabletop, the Pistolier is armed with short-ranged dual [[Kroot Pistol]]s, and can shoot first if they are targeted by a ranged attack. Even though their pistols have a short range, they have good damage and Balanced with Lethal 5+ makes them more than effective for their job.

And with the '''Gunslinger Salvo''' special rule, it can perform two shooting attacks with one action using its dual pistols making them quite cost-effective when it comes to action points. Moreover, he can also fire back at an opponent who shoots at him once per turn which ends up making him a bit of a defensive marksman in the process. He is categorized under Kill Team as a Marksman and Scout unit.

[[Tl;dr]], the most balance of the lot. The decent stats of the Kroot Pistol makes this unit capable in nearly any ranges save for long-range sniper duels. Given that the Pistolier behaves like a jack-of-all-trades, he isn't going to overpower any other unit too.
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===Long-Sight===
[[File:LongSight.jpg|250px|right|thumb|BOOM HEADSHOT!]]
Long-Sights are the snipers of the Kroot family. With genetics favouring them the eyes of a bird-of-prey, these chaps are the direct opposite of the muscle-bound Heavy Gunners not the CQC-specialist Cut-Skins. They are not to be confused with the [[Hunter Kindred]] as whilst the Hunter conceals itself and plays a role in ambush, the Long-Sight is a traditional sniper in the truest name.

Due to their nature as a sniper, the only weapon a Long-Sight can trust and use to its fullest potential is the [[Kroot Hunting Rifle]].

Crunchwise, the sniper's hunting rifle has a low damage output but can dish out three mortal wounds on each crit making it usually a one-shot kill for unarmoured enemies and a crippling one for MEQs. For an action point, they can also ignore terrain features for line of sight, increase their critical hit chance, and also remain hidden when they shoot. Pretty nasty all-round. This gives the Long-Sight a decent work-around against any cover-spammers that you might come across while also being able to be stealthy like normal snipers. They are categorized under Kill Team as a Marksman and Scout unit.
{{Clear}}

===Cut-Skin===
[[File:CutSkin.jpg|200px|right|thumb|A Kroot who has spent way too much time attending a knife-nut convention.]]
The Yin to the Long-Sight's Yang. Cut-Skins are close-quarters melee specialists who have spent decades [[Weeaboo|studying the blade]]. Therefore, these warriors fully embrace close-quarters combat and wield blades to cut down the enemy in quick motions. Due to their nature, they are genetically faster and more nimble than their counterparts at the expense of durability, with their muscles and skeletal structure becoming longer and more flexible in the process.

Due to the fact that they are knife-nuts. Cut-Skin only carry around [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Combat Knife|daggers, knives and other assortments of light close-combat weapons.]]

They are equivalent to the [[Blooded Squad]]'s [[Traitor Flenser]] and the [[Ork]]s [[Slasha Boy]].

Crunchwise, these close combat specialists can fight twice against the same operative with their '''Savage Assault''' special rule with their balanced and lethal Cut-skins blades which is made even more ridiculous when you consider that their knives get a decent damage with Balanced and Lethal 5+ [[RIP AND TEAR|''each hit'']].

They also deal mortal wounds for any dice rolled against them that don't hit, so keeping your opponent locked in combat for multiple rounds will usually go in the Cut-Skin's favour eventually, even if you're not attacking them. This is absurdly powerful when facing high-wound enemies. They are categorized under Kill Team as a Combat unit.

Ergo, it is best that they are treated as frontline units since they lack any and all range weapons to compensate. Whilst they are monsters in close-combat; stun-locking the target until the opponent [[RAGE|flips the entire fucking table]], they are just as equally as vulnerable in being headshotted by any marksman or gunner before their turn even start.
{{Clear}}

===Bow-Hunter===
[[File:BowHunter.jpg|170px|right|thumb|[[Blood Ravens|The Kroot thanks the Locust Horde for this very generous 'gift'.]]]]
The Bow-Hunter are specialised elite Kroot Farstalkers who has mysteriously received a weapon from a completely different franchise all together. Seriously, just look at the damned thing; it is basically the [[Original character, do not steal|Torque Bow from Gears of War, even the way it function is the ''same''.]] And people bitch over the origins of the Lancer's chainsaw bayonet.

Anyways, the Bow-Hunter as its name implies, only carries the [[Accelerator Bow]]. Because of this and their unique weaponry, a Bow-Hunter should be treated slightly differently than a conventional marksman, as the Accelerator Bow isn't a one-hit headshot extraordinaire; being far more esoteric in its function. You can read more on how this thing works on tabletop right below.

On the tabletop, they are the sniper-like operative that trades in the high damage with versatility in its arrows, unlike say their Long-Sight brothers who are just specialized in one role. Ergo, the Bow-Hunters offer more flexibility in exchange for balls-out '''BOOM HEADSHOT'''!

Because of their unique weapons, these operatives have different arrows for different jobs. A fused arrow for standard armour piercing, a glide arrow for being a stealthy git, and the voltaic arrow for splashing mortal wounds on additional targets. They can also spend an action point to increase the critical hit chance of their arrows in case you really want that particular dude dead.

If you're looking to cash in on more crits, you can spend an action before shooting so the bow can add Lethal 5+ to any arrows it shoots. They are categorized under Kill Team as a Marksman unit. Overall, very versatile unit, but quite fragile when alone.
{{Clear}}

{{Tau}}
[[Category:Kroot]]

Kroot Hound

2023-06-05T19:56:43Z

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[[File:Krootdoggies.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The Space Wolves had tried 'recruiting' these xeno beasts. Suffice to say they failed every time.]]
Kroot Hounds (''Krootis canis'') are space-chicken-dogs of the [[Kroot]] genus. Considered as a evolutionary dead end. They are quadrupedal pack hunters and are often utilized by the Kroot for hunting and in war.

They are highly intelligent creatures, able to understand orders, but highly temperamental, prone to attacking their keepers. They are the size of a large dog, with a series of sensory ganglia running along their spine. They have wiry frames, just like the Kroot themselves, and possess a toughness that belies their apparent fragility. Facially, Kroot Hounds are ugly beasts, sharing the underbite beak of the Carnivores. It is unknown what would happen if you put a [[Space Wolf]] next to a Kroot Hound, chances are that the Wolves of Fenris are going to do [[Heresy|something illegal again.]]

==Overview==
Kroot Hounds serve many functions within Kroot society. They serve as watch-beasts in Kroot settlements, in this role, they are able to detect the approach of even the stealthiest foe, through a combination of sensory input gathered by the ganglia along their backs. Should any creature other than one of the Kroot genus approach, the Kroot Hounds will emit a fearful shrieking and snarling sufficient to deter most infiltrators from pressing on. When accompanied by a handler, the Kroot Hounds can be trained to emit low sounds that do not alert the intruder to discovery, allowing the Kroot to set up and spring an ambush on their foe.

They are also used to patrol the area around a Kroot camp. If there are no Tau around, the Kroot sometimes set the hounds free in the knowledge that they will hunt as a pack, ambushing any they encounter. If there are Tau or other allies in the vicinity, the pack is accompanied by one or more Kroot handlers in order to avoid any unpleasant incidents.

They also serve as guards for high-ranking Kroot such as Shapers and Master Shapers. The handlers must be fleet of foot indeed to keep up with their charges, for the Kroot Hounds are used to move swiftly around the flanks of the enemy and launch lightning-fast attacks upon exposed foes.

== Kroot Hound Pack ==

[[File:Kroothounds.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Woof? Bawk? How about Woawk!]]
Kroot Hound Packs are large groups of Kroot and Kroot Hounds that work together. Often the Kroot attack and break the enemy's morale, and then the Kroot Hounds are unleashed onto the retreating unit.

The pack numbers at least 10 Kroot, 1 Shaper and 5 Kroot Hounds, and can be increased to up to 20 Kroot, 1 Shaper and 20 Kroot Hounds. The Kroot Hounds fight with their teeth, while the Kroot and Shaper are armed with Kroot rifles. The Shaper also has access to the Kroot Armoury. The Kroot may be armed with Frag Grenades and may also be given the Hyperactive Nymune Organ.

Kroot Hounds are an evolutionary dead-end (Niche Trophic), but unlike other dead-ends they are not hunted to extinction by other Kroot. It is likely a Kindred consumed too many quadrupedal animals and changed into Kroot Hounds. They can be released into combat and have their own special attacks.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Kroot]]

{{Template:Tau}}

Krootox

2023-06-05T19:56:27Z

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[[Image:Krootox.jpg|400px|right|thumb|Harambe reborn is here! BLAM! No...]]
[[Image:OW EOI Krootox.png|200px|left|thumb|<s>Ogryn</s> KROOTOX SMASH!]]
Krootox or ''Krootis troglodytes'' if you're feeling scientific, are the space chicken-gorilla of the [[Kroot]] genus. A Krootox is a large beast used in Tau or Kroot mercenary forces. They are a dead-end evolutionary path from Kroot who consumed the flesh of especially muscular and barbaric beasts, losing their intelligence. The result is a hugely muscled, oversized variant of Kroot physiology, its mind capable of little more than unreasoning brutality.If not for the Kroot using them as beasts of war, the Krootox might have died out generations ago, but instead, they are a common sight all over the Tau Empire and beyond.

== Krootox Herd ==

Are made up of 1 to 3 krootox. Often deployed next to [[Shaper|Shapers]] or [[Kroot Kindreds#Carnivore_Kindred|Carnivore Kindred]].

Kroot Herders saddle the Krootox and mount on their backs a [[Kroot Gun]] - an oversized version of the Kroot rifle - which is crewed by a single Kroot rider. They are large and solid enough to provide a stable and mobile firing platform for the weapon, while at the same time serving as powerful assault troops in close combat, and while relatively placid under the control of a Kroot, the Krootox becomes enraged by the presence of an enemy and their huge powerful arms and fists are capable of caving in vehicle hulls and power armour with equal ease.

Just don't try and put your Krootox near an [[Ogryn]], trust us that 3-meter tall brute can break the spine of Space Harambe, Bane style, if it is not careful.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Kroot]]

{{Template:Tau}}

Lesser Knarloc

2023-06-05T19:56:12Z

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[[File:KrootRider.jpg|230px|right|thumb|You send in your [[Exodite|Cold Ones]] and I send in my Knarlocs.]]
[[File:F81a21aeef11a572cefb31576cd4ab92ae5ee0d3.jpg|thumb|right|They used to have models]]
'''Lesser Knarlocs''' also known as Knarlocs or Common Knarlocs are the smaller relatives of the [[Great Knarloc]], trained by the [[Kroot]]. They are smaller in size and work more as a team, unlike their larger, solitary cousins. In the wild jungles of Pech, Knarlocs are formidable carnivorous predators using ambush and long distance pursuit techniques to run their prey into the ground. They work together in groups of up to ten, including their young, and have developed a significantly greater brain to body ratio, allowing them to attack any size of prey native to their world.

The Kroot are known to capture and raise Knarloc young to form elite mounted units. They mainly make use of their razor claws, sharp beaks and powerful leg muscles to rip apart their prey. The Kroot riding them carry [[Kroot Rifle|Kroot Rifles]] to fire from advantageous positions that the Knarloc can deliver the Kroot to. It is also seen as a social statement to be riding a Knarloc.

The term Knarloc actually covers a wide variety of creatures, all exhibiting similar characteristics and habits. Some, for example, are broad and muscular and lack the clawed forearms that others display, while some are tall and lean. All of these varieties are highly prized by the Kroot.
[[File:OW EOI Lesser Knarloc.png|200px|left|thumb|They come in a variety of colours!]]

== Knarloc Rider Herd ==

Knarloc Riders operate in groups of three to six Knarlocs and riders and are often delayed by Knarlocs feasting on the corpses of the prey they have just killed.

While not as fast in the open as a Pathfinder team mounted upon its modified [[Devilfish]] carrier, the Knarlocs are far better suited for moving through terrain that armoured vehicles would have problems traversing. When moving through forests, jungles and swamps, the Knarlocs are stealthy. When launching an ambush it is common for the riders to dismount, sometimes using their mount as additional concealment or cover. Other Kindreds, generally those in possession of more vicious beasts, utilise them more like heavy cavalry.

Knarloc riders equip themselves according to the character of their mount and the tactics they intend to employ against the enemy. Those riding the more aggressive mounts sometimes carry crude spears or lances, while those utilising the more stealthy beasts carry a longer version of the Kroot rifle. Others carry the more common version of the standard fire arm, which, thanks to its muzzle- and stock-mounted blades, makes an effective weapon close up as well at range.

Lesser Knarlocs are roughly the size of a horse and are the [[Tau]] equivalent of Imperial [[Rough riders]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Kroot]]

{{Template:Tau}}

Shaper

2023-06-05T19:55:44Z

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[[File:Kroot_shaper2.gif|300px|right|thumb|No Jeff, you fucking idiot! For the 18th time, don't eat the [[Rak'gol]].]]
{{topquote|This pigeon is so raw it could still fly.|Gordon Ramsay}}
Shapers are the spiritual leaders of the [[Kroot|Turkeybois]] and are, for all intents and purposes, in charge of what is on the menu. This is because of the Kroot's biological and evolutionary quirk, in which they gain DNA of each prey animal they eat, which than transfers onto the new generation. Nomming the wrong things may lead an entire [[Kroot Kindreds|kindred]] into an evolutionary dead-end, or [[Tyranid|''even'']] [[Chaos|''worse''.]]

== Overview ==

Shapers have two jobs. The first is the aforementioned culinary inspection. Like a hyper-evolved version of Spore, if the Shaper wants his kindred to [[Manly Marines|learn the art of the swole]], he would direct to target and chow down on specifically [[Orks]] and [[Ogryn|Ogryns]]. If the Shaper wants his bois to be a bunch of prancy little knife ears, he would target [[Eldar]]. If he wants to show extreme devotion to a certain corpse-ridden skeleton with the most ''FABULOUS'' of hair, he will go for [[Imperium of Man|Imperials.]] Whatever is the case, the evolutionary path of the Shaper's kindred is his responsibility alone.

The second job is to act as Sergeants in a battlefield. A large kindred is typically run by a '''Master Shaper''', while a group consisting of multiple kindreds may be headed by a Shaper Council of three to five Kroot, who act as overseers to the other shapers, and ensure that shapers do not lead their warriors down a dangerous evolutionary path. Occasionally a Shaper Chief may rise to power in times of emergency and unite hundreds of kindreds as a single army.

They also have shamanistic powers, like Disney's Pocahontas, but somehow less historically egregious and insulting. This is due to them being the focus of Kroot ancestor worship of their Kindred, practising rituals that seem to fill them supernatural powers, usually involving a sonorous chant and access to the powders, rocks and bones kept within the Shaper’s fetish pouch.

Among these powers are '''Ancestral Blessing''', calling the warrior spirits of his ancestors to aid the Shaper and his allies, '''Blood of the Stalker''', daubing himself and his allies skin with the blood of a local predator and with a prayer to gain the favour of the ancestors and grant helping them with hunts, and '''Prophetic Dream''', visions from their ancestors that grant him foreknowledge of the future that is often difficult to understand, a vision which may relate to something in the next week or even years.

== Crunch ==

In 8th Edition, the Kroot Shaper is a support hero for the Kroot, buffing leadership of Kroot units within 6" to his ld7, and in the improbable occasion he kills with his knife, they also don't have to test morale. He is more usefully also re-rolling wound rolls of 1 and a Pack Alpha Stratagem improving charge rolls. He makes Hounds and Krootox Riders Dangerous while keeping pace. You always want to upgrade his rifle to Pulse, since both are free.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Kroot]]

{{Tau}}

Tidewall Rampart

2023-06-05T19:55:16Z

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[[File:TidewallRampart.jpg|300px|right|thumb|[[Shas'O Kais]]' first lego play set.]]
The Tidewall Rampart is the [[Tau]]'s (So far) '''''only''''' fortification to exist (Drone turrets don't ''count''). These prefabricated fortifications are delivered to a planet in compartments and assembled on the field. These things are a lot like a [[Weeaboo]]'s lego set, as the Rampart comes in a few variants that can be mixed and matched, since these things are also semi-mobile due to the presence of anti-grav plates making them more akin to a hovering UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) than an actual fortress. As such, the Tidewall Rampart is a whole load more versatile than their Imperial counterparts as, depending on the configuration, the Rampart can mimic any Imperial fortification like an [[Aegis Defence Line]], [[Aquila Strongpoint]] or a [[Imperial Bastion]] on the move. Granted, this shit is orders of magnitude more expensive than their Imperial counterparts and it god damn [[EPIC FAIL|explodes like a bomb if destroyed]], so a loss of these Ramparts does deal a hefty economic and asset blow to the Tau.

Crunchwise, on the whole, these act more like T6 transports you can garrison your units in. Tidewalls do get {{W40kKeyword|<Sept>}} but can be embarked by any {{W40kKeyword|infantry}}, who can shoot from it. '''Firing Positions''' allows them to shoot even if the Tidewall is in melee "as if they had Big Guns Never Tire like a Vehicle". Unique to Tau, their forts can do an 8" Normal move (with {{W40kKeyword|FLY}}), as long as there's a unit embarked on it to do the '''Mobile Defenses''' action in the movement phase (even though embarked units normally can't do actions), meaning ''they're faster than walking'' and your models are protected by usually T6/Sv4+/W10 before they can be actually damaged, though at the cost of not being able to fire overwatch, advance, use abilities (or auras), and such.

All forts have a transport capacity of 10 infantry, models with W3 ([[fail|only the Firesight Marksman]]) count as 2 transport spaces, and models with W4+ or more take up 3 transport spaces each. They cannot transport non-characters with W5+, meaning it's Fire Warriors, Stealth Suits, Crisis suits, Kroot Carnivores/Shapers, or Vespid. No more than 2 units can be embarked within them at the same time, but it's not like they'd fit together anyway.

Also, since they act more like a vehicle, one downside is that most destroyed forts can [[FATAL|explode just like any other vehicle]], but if it doesn't, then it remains on the field, wrecked, as difficult unstable exposed ground.

The Tidewall Rampart is currently made up of three parts, these are:

===Gunrig===
[[File:Tidewall_Gunrig.png|250px|right|thumb|The [[Plasma Obliterator Platform]]'s more useful and [[Weeaboo]] cousin.]]
The Aquila Strongpoint of the configuration. The Tidewall Gunrig is the central and main part of a Tidewall Rampart, consisting of nothing more than a floating twin-linked [[Railgun]] mounted on a resilient Tidewall defence platform. The Gunrig constantly scans for enemies before unloading its projectile for the appropriate [[Anal circumference|rail-fisting.]]

The platform shelters the operating [[Fire Warrior]] team while the turret rotates 360º for maximum efficiency and can engage both armoured targets and infantry using submunition rounds. The railguns themselves are operated by a Fire Warrior, such as a shas'ui from a Strike Team or Breacher Team via the control point set into the defence platform.

Crunchwise, it is the most powerful fort of the bunch, albeit with an increased price tag. W16 instead of the usual 10, and it comes armed with a Supremacy Railgun, which is 72" Heavy 2 S12 AP-4 D3+1d3 and the target suffers additional 1d3 MW on a successful wound, which it gets to shoot at BS5+ and with a closest enemy unit/vehicle unit (choose either) restriction unless it's got something {{W40kKeyword|<Sept>}} embarked on it. It may not be a hammerhead's railgun, but it's still a gun worthy of being called a railgun, and it's the best gun any fort is equipped with pound-for-pound. This will actually out-shoot a Devilfish (not that that's a high bar to pass), unlike a Droneport, if you're looking for a transport with excellent guns.

===Droneport===
[[File:Tidewall_Droneport.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Otherwise known as the PEW PEW station.]]
As its name implies, the Droneport house several [[Tau Drones]] for both defence and recharging purposes. Droneports usually hover into position to cover the advance of the Tau army and serve as a mobile bunker for the warriors of the Fire Caste. It can collect and collate data to optimise the killing potential of the Gunrig, and the networked AI actively boosts the energy barrier produced by the Shieldline - enemy fire is simply turned back upon the foe.

While Fire Warriors man the defences Droneport provides, the Drones themselves are unleashed to strike the enemy from the air to provide covering fire; becoming the Droneport's greatest asset. These Drones are able to detach and provide suppresive fire, deploy their built-in shield generators to provide even more protection to the Tau or mark targets for powerful strikes. There are four Drones in total on each Droneport, which can be any of the following types: [[Gun Drone|MV1 Gun Drones]], [[Shield Drone|MV4 Shield Drones]] or [[Marker Drone|MV7 Marker Drones]].

On the tabletop, you can take 4 Tactical Drones with it, and Docked rules mean the Droneport can fire their guns with its BS4+ and lack of targeting restrictions and ability to fire while engaged. It is equipped with '''Drone Control Systems''', a drone controller by another name that only works while a unit is embarked inside, meaning it can use its docked gun drones and support another nearby {{W40kKeyword|drone}} unit.

===Shieldline===
[[File:Tidewall_Shieldline.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The floating off-ramp. Mind the lack of railings.]]
The most vanilla of the Ramparts. These are your traditional fortress walls in which your little [[Fire Warrior|space weeaboos]] can hide behind its energy field cover and fire away. The field itself is considered by the Tau as a virtually 'impenetrable barrier' of glowing energy. The Tidewall Shieldline slowly moves across the battlefield on repulsor jets, virtually advancing forward and giving the enemy less chance and less room to hide with every inch of gained ground.

If the enemy tries to shoot the defenders behind the Shieldline they risk dying because their fire ricochets from the energy fields and sometimes even [[Just As Planned|rebounding back into the foe's own lines.]] The Tidewall Shieldline also is the bulwark around which the fortification of the Tau networks are built – battlements protected by a Tidewall control platform and shimmering energy field.

Ruleswise, unlike the other forts in the family it (and its Defence Platform, if you take one) are the ONLY ones that can't fit models with more than W4, meaning '''[[Fail|they can't hold characters or battlesuits]]'''. The Shieldline has a 5++ and ''doesn't'' explode or turn into terrain when it dies.

Now a Shieldline can combine with one another to create a '''Tidewall Defence Platform'''. It can be useful if you want to get another fortification on the field without using another detachment slot. The smaller model may be easier to surround in combat. No shield, but ''does'' wreck (explode or terrain) on death, and otherwise is a Shieldline, making it absolutely beyond pointless - taking one of these instead of a Droneport [[Derp|has absolutely no purpose.]]

{{Tau}}
[[Category:Vehicles]]
[[Category:Skimmers]]
[[Category:Fortifications]]

XV-8 Crisis Battlesuit

2023-06-05T19:54:28Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:Xv8 crisis enforcer tau cover.jpg|thumbnail|right|400px|You may as well bust a move while you slaughter the enemies of the [[Greater Good]].]]
The '''XV-8 Crisis Battlesuit''' is the main [[battlesuit]] of the the [[Tau|Tau Empire]]. Seen in every campaign the Tau have been involved in, the XV-8 Crisis suit is piloted only by those who have reached the rank of Shas'ui, but is ubiquitous enough that it is commonly used by many commanders in the Tau Empire as well. The suit itself is highly customisable, capable of carrying a wide variety of weapon load-outs and specialist equipment, including rare signature systems.

== Description ==
[[File:9cc4.jpg|thumb|left|350px|Death in six different tastes dropping in from above!]]
The XV8 is the Tau's general-purpose workhorse battlesuit. It's big enough to fit the pilot in its chest and tough enough to sustain punishment that could kill a [[Space Marine]]. It has four hard points (two on the hands and two on the shoulders) that can be used to install a dazzling variety of weapons and/or support systems, although most suits only have the reactor output and computing power for three weapon systems, but the "Enforcer", Coldstar, and commander variant can support up to four. The most common loadout for Crisis suits is three weapons and one support system. The suit also comes with jump jets that allow it to bypass dangerous/impassable terrain to quickly shoot at enemies and jump back to safety before the enemy has any time to react, a tactic known as Jump-Shoot-Jump. Crisis suits are usually deployed in teams of three, known as Ta'Ro'Cha, which are usually composed of close friends who have served together since they were Shas'la. Occasionally a pilot who has lost both his comrades can become a solitary warrior, or Monat (“Lone Hero”). Having to [[Warhammer_40,000:_Fire_Warrior|face a greater daemon]] can cause a [[Shas%27o_Kais|similar behaviour]]. Depending on how the death of his fellows affected him, he can become either a Rambo or a Kamikaze.

The XV8 was created during the First Sphere of Expansion, but was only used very sparely because the energy generators at the time were too weak to power the heavy suit for longer than an hour or so at a time. On top of that, the anti-gravity drive wasn't invented yet, so it was a [[Dreadnought|ponderous piece of junk]]. Later, the XV8 got both a powerful internal generator and a gravitic drive, and its reputation among Tau military technology climbed until it became the mainstay battlesuit of the Tau Empire.

Unlike the Imperium, Tau tech actually goes forward, thus Crisis in more recent editions come stock with Multitrackers (akimbo), Blacksun filters (those eagle-eye glasses) and can control drones without needing an outdately-named Drone controller (which now provides ''enhanced'' control), freeing a lot of hardpoints. It's also interestingly that formerly experimental weapon often gets into wider production as more general use options such as the [[Airbursting Fragmentation Projector]] or Stimulant injectors as one of the few times fluff and crunch line up. [[Games Workshop|Disregarding the fluff a little]], a Crisis team can be 10-tau strong, and cannot eject anymore due to not having access to that item in the codex. But they get yet more guns and stuff.

== Tactical Properties==
[[File:XV8 15.jpg|300px|right|thumb|EVERYBODY DO THE CONGA!]]
===Just Dropping In===
Tau battlesuits all have the ability to Deep-Strike onto the battlefield (except for the Broadside and R'Varna models, as they lack jetpacks). Crisis suits can make the best use of this ability as they have the greatest level of tactical variety, given their wide choice of weaponry and support systems. As long as you have a properly prepped Crisis suit team held back in reserves, you can adapt to anything your opponent throws at you. Standby for Titanfall indeed.

===Jump-Shoot-Jump===
Jetpacks man, just, fucking jetpacks. Roll 2D6, move anywhere you want within that distance, and you only check for terrain if you land in a bad place. In addition, jetpack infantry status confers the Relentless special rule. Enjoy shooting heavy weapons on the move. Optionally, double-tap those [[Plasma Rifle]]s into a squad of [[Tactical Squad|Tactical Marines]] or [[Terminator Squad|Terminators]], and leap behind an obscuring wall to escape return fire (or charge what's left of the Tactical Squad if you're feeling ballsy. Just don't charge the Terminators). Not a thing anymore in 9th edition, but you can emulate it with a strategem for a single unit and riptides can do it with their reactor.

===Melee===
No, you still don't want it to happen even with battlesuits, but if you run out of options, Crisis teams actually aren't half bad in an assault. They have two base attacks at S5, which can pretty easily take out light infantry such as [[Imperial Guard|Guardsmen]] and [[Ork Boy|Ork Boyz]]. However, WS2 and I2 means they're dead against heavier assault troops, but then again, so are many things. Keep in mind though that a single [[Space Marine|Marine]]-wielded [[Power Fist|power fist]] or any other S8 attack means instant death for the T4 Crisis suits, so only try this against light or injured foes where a piss poor initiative and weapon skill are largely irrelevant. Assaulting tanks with a rear AV of 10 (which is almost all of them) is fine and reasonable, because a) they don't fight back, b) you hit them on 3+ with your S5 attacks, which against AV10 means 2 hull points off on average, and even against AV11 (Necron Barges and Arks) you'd statistically deal 1 HP of damage. The only time you would really need to do this though is if your battlesuit team was outfitted with only anti-infantry weaponry and didn't have any fusion blasters, missile pods, or other guns that would do the job much more effectively. Or if the tank in question is still standing with one or maybe two HP after getting shot by said guns, and you really want it dead before it could shoot back.

==Crisis Suit Variants==
===XV-8 Crisis Suit===
[[File:XV8_Battlesuit.JPG|left|200px]]
{{Clear}}
The basic suit. Nothing in the galaxy quite like it. All of them are constructed from a nanocrystaline alloy armour which covers everything save the joints and servos, giving the suit superior protection while keeping weight at a minimum. While the armour provides superior protection against most small arms, anti-tank weapons could punch through them like [[Flak Armour]].

Think of the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Leman Russ]], and how it works (or better yet check out its page). 27 points base, but tooled up with the most expensive options it will break 80, so try not to go overboard. Its strength is its versatility; you can outfit it to handle literally any foe. Generally purchased as the Crisis Battlesuit Team. The old and new kits are mostly the same, although the newer kits have more radical poses than the old ones which mostly just stood up straight with arms bent.
===XV81 Crisis Suit===
[[File:XV81.jpg|left|230px]]
{{Clear}}
A bulkier Forgeworld variant of the Crisis Suit, it has an integrated [[Smart Missile System]], but this system also costs it a bit of customization. Due to this, it is only given to Tau Commanders and armed with the aforementioned shoulder-mounted Smart Missile System filling one of its three hardpoints.

Its use is a bit limited when you have the much more dakka Broadside Battlesuits in production. That said, these missiles are handy in granting the Tau ranged bombardment and provides the Tau with a more mobile artillery platform (as if that was ever something they were in dire need of). Tabletop wise, the XV-81 (Along with the XV-84) are identical in statline to an XV-85 Commander. An 8″ movement (and the Fly keyword) give them pretty decent mobility, and with six wounds and 3+ armour they don’t go down easily. Strength and toughness five give them a strong baseline to work from, and ballistic skill 2+ makes them excellent shooters. Their weapon skill 3+ and four attacks surprisingly makes them decent combatants, although you still don’t want to take on any “real” combat units. An XV-81 costs 76pts base (the same as an Enforcer does).

In 9th Edition, this is basically the commander in an XV8 Battlesuit with a mandatory Smart Missile System weapon and only 2 remaining slots for Weapons/Support systems. An ok choice if you want a commander with a weapon that ignores cover and fine with him only to having fewer customization slots than usual.

===XV8-02 Iridium Suit===
[[File:XV-8-02.png|left|200px]]
{{Clear}}
An alternate build in the Crisis Battlesuit Team set. A refinement of the XV-89, this is a rare prototype of an advanced defensive system. It's made of its namesake, an [[Iridium Armour|experimental Iridium alloy armour,]] granting it greater defensive properties than the normal Crisis suits without losing any agility like the XV-89 did. This variant is rarely seen on the battlefield, and more commonly given to a commander for enhanced survival, or to one of his bodyguards to aid them in their job of catching bullets with the face.

IRL, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium Iridium] is a very hard, dense metal (surpassed in density only by osmium) that is extraordinarily resistant to both heat and corrosion; it is too brittle to be used as a pure metal, but its properties make it a valuable alloying agent as well as an important component in spark plugs and high-temperature crucibles. Iridium is very rare in the Earth's crust, but is commonly found in meteorites and the impact craters they leave behind. “Rare” relative to a freaking planet. Spark plugs aren’t exactly rare.

In 9th Edition, this is basically an armour upgrade rather than a model; you could add Iridium Armour without using a Signature System slot to do so, giving them a shiny 2+ armour save.

===XV84 Crisis Suit===
[[File:XV84.png|left|200px]]
{{Clear}}
AKA the markerlight suit. This Forgeworld variant gets integrated target locks and networked [[markerlight]]s. So if you wanna know what that goofy looking periscope of doom is, now you know. Like the XV81, the XV84 is made for Tau Commanders.

These suits are basically meant to be targeters for their teams, using these systems to aid with assaults. They are used when your in a situation where your pathfinders prove to be just too fragile, or where you have literally ran out of pathfinders due to a severe case of death. On the tabletop, the XV-84 is slightly more expensive at 80pts than the XV81. The XV-84, at least, has a bit more purpose. Although it functionally has only three “slots” (two open ones and a forced-pick Target Lock), it essentially has a fourth weapon in the form of its “markerlight”, which auto-tags anything the other guns shoot at.

While this is probably not the best use of a Commander’s weapon slot, it does have some advantages- since it’s not actually a Heavy weapon the way regular Markerlights are, it will be hitting on 2s and if you have a multishot weapon (like a Missile Pod) any one of the hits connecting is good enough to put a token on the enemy. In 9th Edition, this is another variant of the XV8 Battlesuit with rules. Comes with a markerlight, target lock and still has two more customization slot left.

===XV8-05 Enforcer Suit===
[[File:XV85.jpg|left|200px]]
{{Clear}}
A Crisis variant piloted by Shas'El and Shas'O Commanders on the battlefield. It's mostly the same as a basic Crisis suit; the only real difference between them is that it is a tad bit larger and more well protected, as well as having an extra hard point for weaponry and support systems such as [[Plasma Rifle]]s, [[Fusion Blaster]]s, [[Airbursting Fragmentation Projector]]s, and [[Cyclic Ion Blaster]]s.

Some people who didn't like [[Finecast]] (or were really cheap) used a regular suit in the place of the old kit since it was basically the same except the Enforcer has some flashier bitz and articulated fingers on the hand as well as being slightly taller. The new plastic model kit has much more aesthetic differences also grants the option of making a Coldstar Suit (you most likely don't).

In 9th Edition, the suit is the same as the regular commander in a normal XV8, but has 1 more wound instead of access to [[Iridium Armour]]. Only 4 points more than the standard Commander, so you may as well use him if you don't plan to give your Commander the [[Iridium Armour]] upgrade, saving you 6 points.

===XV86 Coldstar Suit===
[[File:Coldstar.png|left|200px]]
{{Clear}}

The XV86 is covered in fins which streamline it, allowing super-fast movement across the theatre of battle, dealing with enemies in sharp shocks from its [[Burst Cannon]]. The on-board Holophoton Countermeasures and telemetry suites feed the Coldstar and its Commander pilot a massive variety of information that would overwhelm the untrained mind - instead, in this case, it allows the Coldstar Battlesuit to fly over its foes with such speed and agility that enemy targeting systems simply [[Derp|goes full retard.]]

While mentioned in codices previously, it's got rules and a model now. It looks like your normal Enforcer (it's based on the same kit), but with a large jetpack and dozens of control fins sprouting from it. For 60 Points you can upgrade your Commander to a FMC without Smash, Vector Strike or Fear, but with all the other good stuff like Jink and Swoop so no one can hit it, as well as a 6-shot TL Burst Cannon and a Missile Pod as fixed weapons. It has two support slots (for a total of four hardpoints), and it can take drones but they get left behind when swooping, and cannot take signature systems. In the book it engages in dogfights with the imperials, and is easily capable of both reaching low orbit and surviving re-entry.

In 8th Edition, the Coldstar commander has Ludicrous Speed - Movement 20", and Advancing adds another 20" instead of D6" for a total of 40" movement. No longer restricted to specific loadouts (save for being unable to take a cyclic ion blaster, and can only take a high-output burst cannon in a pair with a missile pod), so feel free to use your four hardpoints however you want.

In 9th its movement was, rightfully, bumped down to 14 inch standard movement with standard D6 advance die... ''for itself.'' It can choose a friendly crisis core unit within 9" and give it an automatic 8" advance. This is quite good funnily enough. It also gets a deep strike-ish thing called High Altitude Maneuvers which can allow for a [[Awesome|turn 1 deep strike.]] Additionally the HOBC can be taken ''without'' the Missile Pod and the new melee options make it a phenomenal frontliner. All in all, pretty fucking cool yeah?

TL;DR It’s the Tau’s very own Freedom Gundam. Must be painted red, white, and blue.

===XV89 Crisis Suit===
[[File:XV89.png|left|230px]]
{{Clear}}
[[Fluff]]-wise, this one is meant to have increased protection but was really bulky and hard to move around in, eventually being scrapped for the [[Iridium Armour]]. It was for all intents and purposes, an experimental prototype meant more for stress testing than actual warfare. It still retains three hardpoints to attach other equipment however.

The issue with this is that [[crunch]]-wise, it's essentially identical to the basic Crisis suit save for a slightly curvier head and [[pauldrons]], so it could be used to denote some important model or for variety, if you feel lazy with the green stuff and want to spend more money. Other than the cosmetic change, there isn't really a point for this model. Most of these suits were decommissioned and scrapped after the field testing phase in Taros in favour of the better designed XV8-02.

===Shas'o R'Myr's Battlesuit===
[[File:Shas'o R'Myr.png|left|200px]]
{{Clear}}

Shas'O R'myr (known as Commander Longknife), is a Tau Commander best noted to follow the [[Commissar Yarrick]] of pimping his own ride. Being the teacher's pet, Longknife was gifted his own experimental Battlesuit during the Third Sphere of Expansion.

Another Forgeworld character variant to the XV-8, outfitted with all sorts of top of the line gear such as a [[Flechette Discharger]], a double barrelled [[Plasma Rifle]], and a strengthened shield generator. This battlesuit is a one of a kind, basically every MC's personal Gundam. His bodyguard is made up of the other Forgeworld Crisis Suits just so he could tell the others that his baller.

In 7th Edition, this is a nasty little suit. Its Double-barreled Plasma rifle (Assault 2 Twin-linked with 24" range) and Target Lock is built to take down heavy infantry / monstrous creatures without needing to get into Rapid fire range like others (so his squad should have missiles). The Flechette launcher nicks the attacker for a S3 hit at I10. Depending on how you interpret the word 'any,' the flechette launcher may not be one use anymore. His enhanced shield generator has a 4++ against shooting attacks and a 3++ against close combat. His flechette discharger is a nasty surprise for swarm armies thinking they have just trapped the expensive tau HQ unit in CC...and they kinda have, because even guardsmen have a decent chance to survive S3 AP- flechettes, so put him in a squad that also has a Repulsor Impact field and other assault trinkets so their effects stack. A good choice, especially against Imperial Guard due to Preferred Enemy against them. If you want a Commander with double plasma, you'd be out of your mind not to take him: R'myr is cheaper than a similar Commander by 20 pts, but is using the equivalent of 5 hardpoints, his shield is better, allows for Repulsor Field stacking and thus can do his job both at close and long range.

==Useful Weapon and System Combinations==
===Fire Crisis===
A combination of dual flamers and vectored retro-thrusters as a support system. This allows you to throw down 2 templates before darting away in the Assault Phase and will keep you up close and personal with the enemy's infantry, while the vectored retro-thrusters allow you a chance to escape from melee, even if at Initiative 2. A whole squad of three XV8s with this configuration is able to dish out a genuine HELL on the battlefield, eating hordes of light infantry like there's no tomorrow, and even Terminators wouldn't charge them lightheartedly. And for an extra bonus, they're cheap too, with the team coming in at 111 points in total (37 points per suit).
* Getting a chance to test this one out in a 500 pointer vs. [[Tyranids]]. Only piece I didn't get was the retro-thrusters, but I'll put up how many points I manage to earn with this setup.
* Managed to strip 5 wounds off of a [[Carnifex]] and take out a [[Tyranid Warrior]] over the course of 2 games, but they kept fire off of my Stealth Suits while they wiped from the other side. So they didn't earn their points, but they presented enough of a threat to let my other units do their thing relatively unmolested. Tactically sound, but leave the vectored retro-thrusters at home if you're not taking drones or up against Imperial Guard, and be prepared to lose them early against anyone else.

===Optimized Monster Hunting===
To put it simply, run 3-man squads of Crisis suits with a Twin Linked [[Plasma Rifle]], and a Plasma Rifle. The general gist of this is that without twin-linked weapons, you need 7 markerlights to reach BS10, '''but with twin-linked that number goes down to 2'''. Now with your pathfinders infiltrating into ideal positions, use your markerlights to boost your chance to hit to 100%, and go after big shit like D-Knights and silver baby carriers, all while playing the Jump Shoot Jump game in cover.

Ideally you should also have a riptide [[rage|or three]] to deal with hordes, while this monster team deals with any major threats to the riptide.

===Field of Fire===
A combination of 2 [[Burst Cannon]]s and a target lock. This allows you to have a group of three Crisis suits threaten three separate enemy units at the same time with eight S5, AP5 shots EACH (24 total). Keep in mind that only two of the suits need a target lock; just remember to designate which suit doesn't have one, and then it counts as the main squad, while the other two fire at separate targets. This allows you to free up a few points and give the one suit a drone controller and marker drones, so the target lock suits can keep fire off of your marker's back while he marks up the important targets and makes all those burst cannon shots count. You see, Tau victories are about '''synergy'''!

===Tank Wrecker===
A Crisis suit Shas'vre with dual [[Fusion Blaster]]s and an [[Power Weapons#Onager Gauntlet|Onager Gauntlet]]. This unit spells '''DOOM!''' in one turn for any light vehicle with 2 hull points, and stands a decent chance at dealing with vehicles with 3 hull points in one turn. You can exchange the [[Power Weapons#Onager Gauntlet|Onager Gauntlet]] for a velocity tracker to make a short-range anti-air unit that can force your opponent's air transports to take the long way around or risk dealing with this.

Alternatively, in 8E you can run a Coldstar with 4 Fusion Blasters for maximum melta with its 40" movement. If you are a Farsight Enclaves player you can use your Sept exclusive relic to upgrade two of those blasters to the kickass Fusion Blades to pretend you are a gundam.

===Commander Dakka===
Take a Crisis suit Shas'el or Shas'o (using up one of your few HQ slots) and outfit him with 2 burst cannons (add in a neuroweb system jammer if you're feeling fancy). Each turn you'll be putting out as many shots as a heavy burst cannon, even if they are weaker, but without the risk of Gets Hot and at BS5. And you'll usually be close enough to an opponent's unit to make the best use of the system jammer as they move in closer to try and put the hurt on "Commander Dakka". Add the drone controller and two drones at your own discretion (highly recommended if you really want the [[dakka]]). To make sure your enemy cries you can even put the commander in a squad of gun drones for a grand total of 36 S5, AP5 shots at BS5 per turn on a highly mobile and pretty tough unit.

===Utility is the Best===
A commander with a drone controller, a target lock and two [[Missile Pod]]s goes into a squad with the same configuration. Then give all of them 2 marker drones each, and suddenly you have a squad with a lot of range and mobility that can threaten light vehicles or infantry from a safe distance while shooting markerlights everywhere! The icing on the cake is that every Crisis suit in the unit can fire against a different target, making this squad incredibly versatile. Put the commander in a squad of bodyguards if you are really afraid to lose him.

===The Indomitable===

An Enforcer suit commander equipped with a drone controller, a stimulant injector, a shield generator, iridium armour, and a weapon of your choice (a cyclic ion blaster might be fun as Gets Hot has a very low chance of hurting someone with all these saves), then bubble-wrap him in shield drones and laugh as you've got something that can only be insta-killed by S:10 AP2/1 weaponry and will soak up anything else like a sponge. Expensive? Yes. Hilarious? Hell yes. (Also counts as a [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX|distraction Crisis suit]].)

===The Ninja===
Give a Shas'vre an XV-84 for the [[Smart Missile System]] and/or [[Airbursting Fragmentation Projector]], and Neuroweb System Jammer. You now have a unit that can launch missile or pie plates from outside LOS, and ignoring cover, while simultaneously granting Gets Hot! to the same or another unit. This single suit runs around 70-80pts depending on what options you take, but can maul a GEQ squad during its shooting phase then cause them to blow themselves up on theirs. Before using this setup, practice your trollface.

=== The Scalpel ===

A dedicated anti-infantry/anti-heavy infantry/anti-vehicle unit that excels at inflicting heavy losses on the enemy's side. Two XV-8s are loaded with two Plasma Rifles and Target Locks and the third is loaded with two Fusion Blasters and a Target Lock. All of the Suits take two Gun Drones. A buffmander with a Drone Controller and two Gun Drones is attached to the squad and is usually held in Deep Strike Reserves. With this unit, you can dump 2 BS3 S8 melta shots, 8 BS3 S6 plasma shots, and 16 BS5 S5 pulse carbine shots, all twin linked and ignores cover, at different targets allowing you to optimize your target selection for the unit. Assuming your targets don't have an invulnerable save, you will most likely gut them.

== 8th Edition ==

=== The Beginning ===
To be frank, 8th edition Crisis were a joke. With the changes to how the T'au fundamentally operate as an army, Crisis were in an odd spot. They act like a gunline, and the expensive price for them made them prohibitively expensive. The only units you would take were usually the Enforcer, Crisis, or Coldstar Commander for the purposes of Buffmanders or suicide anti-tank units. It also didn't help that their Melta equivalent cost 18 points each. However, not everything is bad. After all, the way that fly worked in 8th edition, they were highly viable for deepstriking using a variety of different methods, then charging into melee to shut down a tank or some shooty infantry, and then retreating from said melee to shoot again, or even as expensive objective holders.

=== The End ===
But holy crap, this went out the window fast. After Chapter approved 2020, many units got a substantial point decrease, including the Crisis suit chassis, and the Fusion Blaster. This made them less of a burden and more of a boon, especially after the T'au Psychic Awakening book dropped, which gave substantial buffs to the T'au, several of which directly benefited Crisis suits. This made them officially part of the Meta when players discovered it was possible to take Farsight Enclaves Crisis, Upgrade them with the Veteran Cadre rule for 1 cp, and then spend another cp to give them 5 markerlights, effectively BS2+ rerolling 1's to hit and wound. Add some shield drones and you have units that border being outright broken, if not a pain in the butt to deal with.

== 9th Edition ==
The new rules for 9th have dropped, and god help the Crisis suit, they just can't catch a break. One of their biggest boons, the fly keyword, has been nerfed to ignoring terrain, but not allowing retreat and shoot shenanigans. But be honest, that keyword needed a nerf. Now Crisis suits are in an awkward spot, as they are not a Monster or a Vehicle, which both have received buffs. To be fair, the edition is fairly early on and the Codex hasn't even dropped yet. We'll have to wait to see how much worse or better they get. This sounds like a time for faction-specific keywords so modifications can be made without screwing each other over.

Crisis suits got off pretty good with the new Tau codex. They get what is essentially Big Guns Never Tire and the infantry keyword with everything good and bad that entails. They also get four hardpoints, one of which '''MUST''' be used for a support system.
[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Walkers]]

{{Template:Tau}}

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit

2023-06-05T19:52:40Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:Broadside1.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The rail rifle howitzer on legs.]]
[[Nazi|88mm guns]] IN SPESSS!

The '''XV88 Broadside Battlesuit''' is a modified, heavy version of the XV8 (the original model was more blatant with this, since it just looked like a regular Crisis Suit with BIG GUNS on its back) that trades lightness and maneuverability for two [[Smart Missile System]]s (or [[Plasma Rifle]]s) and twin [[Railgun]]s. They provide Tau infantry with anti-armor, and now anti-air, fire support. 6th Edition changed these twin-linked railguns into a [[Rail Rifle]]; whilst the rail rifle boasts the fact that it looks freakin' sweet, it's a nerf from the double-barreled railguns. Broadsides can also carry loads of seeker missiles now. A single 3-suit team of Broadsides entrenched in cover is enough to deter all but the heaviest of tanks from getting in range, lest those war machines become overpriced bricks of burning cover. They are as well armored as a [[Space Marine]] [[Terminators]], but thanks to the bulk of their weapons and portable generators needed to charge them, Broadsides are one of the few battlesuit models to lack jetpacks. In a similar way to Space Marine [[Devastator Squad|Devastators]], a Broadside team is usually the first assignment for the freshly promoted Shas'Ui battlesuit pilots, largely for the same reason: as observing the battlefield from the relatively safe distance is a good learning experience, which most pilots would find a use for once they move to piloting a Crisis, Stealth or more advanced suit.

Since the models for Broadsides were once quite similar to standard XV8 which were cheaper than Broadsides (a unit of three costed about 30% more than a single Broadside), a Tau player on a budget could buy a trio of Crisis Suits and then convert the railgun and missiles out of tubing and plasticard. [[Games Workshop|GW]] figured out that players were doing this, so of course they started manufacturing a different model for Broadsides which naturally costs half of your monthly salary to buy. It looks kick-ass, but we all know Games Workshop never shakes your hand without also giving you the finger!

[[Forge World]] had heard your prayers for a while. Old style Broadsides were brought back in the shape of the XV88-2, swapping the locations of the Rail Rifles and Missile Pods around. Swapping back to the original configuration doesn't take too much kitbashing, either. Sadly, they're gone from the store now.
<gallery>
Broadside Battlesuit.jpg|The old XV8. Rest in peace, little man, for your time has passed.
Broadside2.jpg|The Macross Missile Massacre variant.
</gallery>
==Variants==
===XV88-2 Broadside Battlesuit===
[[File:XV88-2.jpg|left|300px|]]
{{Clear}}
The XV88-2 is a variant of the Broadside battlesuit with the [[Railgun]]s slung under the arms rather than over the shoulders and the support weapon is mounted on the shoulders rather than under the arms. Sometimes the shoulder-mounted missiles are replaced by twin [[Plasma Rifle]]s. As you know, the XV88-2 was made to please the oldschool Tau players by basking them with the power of nostalgia.

The XV88-2 is also known for another thing, in that it is stupidly ridiculously hard-to-find limited edition model. As expected from GeeDubs price gouging their own products to create artificial scarcity, Tau players cry bitter tears when they accidentally miss out on that model.

All in all, this battlesuit is there mainly for those who want to play oldschool XV88s. While it does not offer the same punch nor [[Dakka]] as the XV88s with the [[Rail Rifle]] or [[Smart Missile System]]s, it offers a more flexible and versatile weapons platform that could target anti-tank or anti-horde enemies on the fly.

==On the Tabletop==
[[File:XV88.jpg|850px|thumb|right|From left to right: The XV8, an XV88 with a Rail Rifle, an XV88 with High Yield Missile Pods, and a XV88-2 (no longer available).]]

Want to field a Broadside? That'll be 76 points, minimum, for one battlesuit with a Heavy Rail Rifle and two Plasma Rifles; depending on the weapon loadout and other options you choose, this price can reach well over 100 points. However this does mean you get a weapon with a 60" range that fires 2 shots per attack at S8, -4 AP, D6 wounds per hit, and deals an additional Mortal Wound to the target on each wound roll of 6+. Alternatively, by trading in the vehicle-busting Heavy Rail Rifle for two High-Yield Missile Pods (at a 25 point increase) you'll get 8 S7 AP-1 D3 damage shots at a more modest 36". This switches the Broadside's focus from a premier heavy tank buster to a light vehicle and infantry wrecker. Most Broadsides also equip the Smart Missile Systems over the Plasma Rifles due to the added range and ability to fire at targets not in LOS. After all, if the enemy has managed to get close enough where you are relying on your Plasma Rifles to make a difference you've probably done something wrong and your Broadside might not live that much longer. For 5 points the Broadside can also take a Seeker missile to squeeze out some extra damage in a pinch.

It can also take a pair of drones. Gun drones are only 10 points a pop but they don't add to the primary function of a Broadside. Shield drones are 10 points as well and grant a 4++ save on an ablative wound. Useful, but do note that the Broadside can take a Shield Generator for only 8 points so they're not it's only source of invulnerable saves. 10 points will net you a Markerlight Drone, which will certainly help the Broadside and it's BS4+ a lot. Finally, a Broadside can take Missile Drones at a hefty 20 points a pop, which increase its damage output by 2 S7 AP-1 D3 damage shots per drone. This sounds useful on paper, but the drones have a BS of 5+, so don't expect a huge number of hits.

Finally, the Broadside may pick one Support System:

* The Advanced Targeting System is a welcome addition when using a missile-heavy Broadside, because the benefit of having AP-2 over AP-1 is a lot bigger than giving your Heavy Rail Rifle AP -5. Not expensive either.
* The Counterfire Defence System is useful on paper, but it only works when the unit is getting charged, and if that's happening something somewhere has gone wrong. Pass.
* Drone Controller is useful for increasing the BS of Missile Drones, Gun Drones, or Marker Drones, but useless with the Shield Drone. It's also cheap.
* The Early Warning Override is an interesting option. If an enemy unit is deployed mid-battle within 12" you'll get to unload into them at -1 to hit. The HYMP/Plasma Rifles loadout will get the most mileage out of this, to really thin the numbers of your enemies if they're dumb enough to appear (and RAW this even covers disembarking from a transport) within range. But if your Broadside is this close, it's prone to being charged. Good, but requires to be built around.
* Multi-trackers allow for re-rolls of 1s on the To Hit roll, which is useful for the high rate of firepower the Broadside puts out. Except it requires all weapons on the same target (which is no longer the standard in 8th Edition) and a single Markerlight achieves the same. Very cheap, but pass.
* Shield Generators grant a 4+ save for only 8 points. Very useful if you don't have Shield Drones.
* The Target Lock lets you move/advance and fire without penalties, but a Broadside is best snugly embedded in cover. Plus, with 5" movement it won't go anywhere. Cheap but useless.
* Velocity Trackers give a +1 to hit against units that '''FLY''', making the Broadside a potent anti-air unit. A well-placed Heavy Rail Rifle shot can really put a dent in a flying unit, and a missile loadout can ruin a flyer's day if it gets close enough (remember: 36" is a long range but it likely does not cover the entire table).

Even with three of its most viable builds (HRR+SMS+VT+Shield Drones, HYMP+SMS+ATS+Shield Drones, HYMP+PR+EWO+Shield Drones), the Broadside keeps suffering the same issue: they're just too expensive. For less points you can outfit a Hammerhead with a better Rail weapon and the same support weapons on a tougher and faster platform.

=== Power Ratings ===

When using Power Ratings the Broadsides lose their primary issue: their huge cost. 9 points is still quite a bit for a single model, but the firepower can really make a difference. Take one of the above-listed builds, and don't forget that free Seeker Missile.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Walkers]]

{{Tau}}

XV9 Hazard Battlesuit

2023-06-05T19:52:09Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:XV9_Hazard.jpg|400px|right|thumb|When you're just sick and tired of multiple [[Termagaunt]]-rushes.]]
The XV9 Hazard Battlesuit is the first iteration of [[Tau]] [[Battlesuit]]s who like to go all-in close and dirty. Despite its capabilities, its design has caused some in-universe [[Skub]] between the weebs. More of which can be read below.

==Overview==
At its core, the XV9 is a short-range close combat weapons platform meant to deal with CQC-heavy army after the Tau realized that [[Imperial Guard|their]] [[Space Marines|entire]] [[Sisters of Battle|neighborhood]] [[World Eaters|is]] [[Orks|filled]] [[Tyranids|with]] [[Necrons|these]] [[Dark Eldar|fuckheads.]] It has a reinforced chassis to accommodate in its new role while being much larger than any other Battlesuit design and using experimental technology to pack enormously-powerful weapons powered by a compact energy core.
===Origin of the Skub===
So this is where we get into the [[Weeaboo|shonen-levels of intra-political controversy within Weeaboo land.]]

This loadout, besides going against typical Tau military doctrines of standing back and shoot, also requires a substantial expenditure of resources to produce. Traditionalist elements of the Ethereal and Earth Caste have argued that that these costs would be better used building more tried and true weapons, however those Fire Caste members who use it, especially members of the Ke'lshan Sept, swear by its ability to fulfill the counter-attack role.

Because of the sophisticated nature of the XV9's controls, only Shas'vre with years of experience piloting [[Crisis Battlesuit]]s are assigned to pilot the 'Hazard' armour. They will typically operate in teams of one to three, including a team leader. Three of these teams will often operate as part of a Swift Protector Wing to perform dangerous battlefield duties.

==Equipment==
As a more shotgun-happy cousin of the Battlesuit family, the Hazard Battlesuit is equipped with weapons that does the job well at close range. This includes two Twin-linked [[Burst Cannon]]s which also has an inbuilt photon casters to launch defensive [[Grenades & Explosives#Photon Grenade|Photon Grenades.]] In addition to their jetpack, the armour also has Vectored Retro-Thrusters for increased maneuverability. Support systems include a Multi-tracker and either a Blacksun Filter, Drone Controller, Target Lock or Shield Generator. One or both of the Burst Cannons can be replaced with a [[Pulse Submunitions Rifle]].

==Crunch==

In 9th Edition, the Hazard is basically a larger and more expensive version of the Crisis Battlesuits. Having 1 extra wounds, +1 attack and Ld (beh), -2" to hostile chargers and one other Support System per suit adds to that somewhat. Can take two weapons of a Twin Hazard Burst Cannon (which is two Burst Cannons). At a glance, seems to be most cost-effective if you need a single suit to perform a task. Past that it may be more effective/reliable to look towards normal Crisis suits.

==Variants==
The Hazard also has two sub-variants noted here:
===XV9-01===
[[File:XV9FW.jpg|300px|left|]]
{{clear}}
The XV9-01 is the Hazard Suit armed with with [[Fusion Cascade]]s, basically the more [[Melta]] heavy variant of the Hazard Battlesuit. While the Cascade lacks the same power as its Imperial equivalent on a per-shot basis, the Fusion Cascade fires in bursts, allowing it to overwhelm the target.

Crunchwise, it is the same as the Hazard Battlesuit, but its Fusion Cascades allows it to peppershot TEQs to <s>death</s> slag. The Fusion Cascades are basically [[Fusion Blaster]]s D3 but with melta rules.

===XV9-04===
[[File:XV9-04.jpg|300px|left|]]
{{clear}}
The XV9-04 is the second variant of the Hazard Suit, this time armed instead, with a pair of [[Phased Ion Gun]]s. The Phased Ion Guns are essentially an upscaled and more [[Dakka]]'ed [[Cyclic Ion Raker]]. If you want to wield a pair of plasma [[Assault Cannon]]s, these are the Battlesuits for you.

On the tabletop, the XV9-04 has the same stats as the normal Hazard Battlesuit, but this time, you can melt hordes of MEQs and GEQs on a single turn. For a little bit more points, you are essentially getting a [[Burst Cannon]] but with +1 strength and better AP. Overall, a much better variant than the stock standard, just a bit more pricier.

{{Tau}}
[[Category: Xenos]]
[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Walkers]]

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit

2023-06-05T19:51:46Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:XV95 3.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The Rambo of Stealthsuits.]]
Essentially the [[XV25 Stealthsuit]] on steroids. The XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit is what happens when the [[Tau]] wants to have a [[Stealthsuit Team]] survive more than five seconds in an exposed, open battlefield. The answer was this thing.

==Overview==
The XV95 was developed at J'kavo Station on the fringes of N'dras during the beginnings of the Third Sphere of Expansion. The program was launched on the orders of [[Aun'Va|the wrinkliest of all Ethereals]] himself. The XV95's first missions were highly covert in nature and included sabotaging Vadenfall Station and the assassination of Cardinal Bocsh. Its reputation soon led to its nickname, the 'Ghost of N'dras'. Soon enough the demand for XV95's increased exponentially and they began to operate openly on the battlefield.

Each XV95 stands more than three times the height of a [[Space Marine]] and shares a similar design to the [[XV22 Battlesuit]] worn by [[Shadowsun|Commander Shadowsun]]. Nigh undetectable thanks to its overlapping stealth fields generated by its [[Stealth Drone|Stealth Drones]] (with which the pilot forms a borderline and almost [[/d/|AdMech-levels of technophiliac fetish in the backlines]]) and seemingly appearing out of nowhere thanks to a vast array of countermeasures, the XV95 will proceed to pull a [[Sly Marbo]] every now and then, before blinking out of existence before anyone could respond. For much added [[Lulz]], the Ghostkeel is also capable of [[Troll|creating holographic decoys]] if it comes under attack, which unfortunately, is never done on tabletop. The XV95 was primarily designed to operate behind enemy lines and spread panic and confusion.

==Equipment==
The Ghostkeel, outside of its stealth applications are armed with either a selection of [[Fusion Collider]]s or [[Cyclic Ion Raker]]s and twin [[Fusion Blaster]]s.

==Tabletop==

In 9th Ed, the Ghostkeel is not as heavily armored as the Riptide, but with two different systems (its onboard countermeasures and its stealth drones) that each give opponents -1 to hit it (the extra -1 has been removed, but allows you to ignore any plus one to hit bonuses as of the latest errata, thus keeping the Ghostkeel at almost always -1 to hit). It might actually be more survivable against heavy weapons, but it needs cover badly and fears close combat. What makes it stand out however is its [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX|DISTRACTION]] applications. Giant Mecha are bound to draw enemy fire away from the more important target (Stealth Suits in this case) and with a cheap shield generator it can survive a lot of punishment.

{{Tau}}
[[Category: Xenos]]
[[Category: Vehicles]]
[[Category: Walkers]]

XV-104 Riptide Battlesuit

2023-06-05T19:51:31Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:XV104.jpg|400px|thumb|right|Two versions of the XV104, each with one of its primary weapons.]]
The '''XV-104 Riptide''' is what would happen if the [[Tau]] found a old DVD of Gundam and got a hard-on. A [[battlesuit]] "equivalent" (read: inferior) to the Imperial Knight, it was the Tau's largest Battlesuit outside of [[Forge World]] until the [[Battlesuit#KV128_Stormsurge_Ballistic_Suit|Stormsurge]] was released (some don't consider it to be a battlesuit because it lacks the keyword) . Resembling the lovechild of a [[XV-8 Crisis Battlesuit]] and the ZZ Gundam (from the Mobile Suit Gundam series of the same name), this mecha was once pure [[awesome]]! While it was nerfed hard in the initial Indexes of 8e, the Codex is set to help it make a comeback.

==Fluff==
The XV104 Riptide was first introduced during the Third Sphere Expansion of the Tau Empire. When the Tau needed to break the siege at a pair of [[Hive city|Hive Cities]] that the Tau were having trouble with. When everyone's favourite waifu [[Shadowsun]] was told of the failure to breakthrough, she decided to break out her new toys. This was the introduction of the ZZ Gund... sorry, the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit. Striding onto the battlefield undeterred by the shitload of [[dakka]] that was coming their way, the new battlesuits basically ripped the Imperial defenders a new one. When the Imperial troops sent <s>guided missiles</s> '''Deathstrike Missiles''' their way, the riptides were [[What|unscathed]], [[Cheese|protected by their Riptide Shield Generators]]. They approached the Imperial defences and blasted holes in them with their High Mega Canno... sorry, Ion Accelerators.

And so, like [[Rage|'''THREE''']] of these things effectively [[Bullshit|conquered two entire ''Hive Cities'']].

The Riptide soon spread through the Tau Empire, being the lure for thousands of preteen GW customers with too much money and not enough playtime. It soon reigned supreme over the fluff battlefield and the meta one. The reason given for its ludicrous $130 Australian Dollars price tag is that the Riptide's extremely tough and "impenetrable" armor is made from a super-rare material called <s>Fio'tak</s> Gundanium. The real-life reason for the cost is that GeeDubs knows we're suckers that will buy it without blinking an eye. They use a super-powerful engine called the Nova Reactor to overdrive their capabilities to the max, allowing them several things on the tabletop, most notable the ability to overpower their two weapons.

== On the Tabletop ==

As of 8th Edition GeeDubs decided that they couldn't have the Riptide spam of 7e. So, as with all good things, it came to a end when they decided to make the Riptide take a Mortal Wound every time it uses it's Nova Reactor. Back in 7e they had a 1/3 chance to take a wound every time a Riptide used its Nova Reactor, but in 8e the damage is assured. The only way to avoid it is taking the Stimulant Injector upgrade, which gives Feel No Pain. This allows you a 1/6 chance to avoid losing damage, which is substantially less than what it was in 7e, and also costs a few extra points, which would be otherwise better spent on another of what should be two upgrade hardpoints.

In addition, the Heavy Burst Cannon is weak as hell. It gives a increase of one strength from the standard Burst Cannon found on [[XV-8 Crisis Battlesuit]]s and more shots. The Ion Accelerator (which is arguably the better weapons choice) costs 104 points on top of the already expensive unit. This means that you'll mainly be using your huge-ass suit in a anti-infantry role, and not actually blowing holes in enemy [[Imperial Knight]]s. In fact, this relegation to a inferior and already-redundant role means you'd be better off spending the absurd amount of money on a unit like the [[Hammerhead Gunship]], which can put some dents in an enemy Titan for a cheaper price.

It is also rumoured to be greatly reducing the points cost of both the suit and its weapon options. So don't leave them on the shelves just yet. #

'''*UPDATE*''' As of now, post Codex and Chapter Approved 2018 the Riptide has all but returned completely to its former glory. For starters it went down to 185 points base. The Heavy Burst cannon chews through GEQs and MEQs like they were tissue paper for only 35 points, thanks to both its healthy 12 shots '''base''' and 2 damage per shot. All for a '''decrease''' of 20 points! Hell with Nova Charging and/or the Command and Control Node Stratagem (Reroll wounds) you can rip through vehicles with the sheer number of shots fired. Meanwhile the Ion accelerator has been tweaked too, what used to be its overcharge profile is now its base while the former nova charge is now the overcharge. And it dropped a whopping '''54''' points! There's been a change to the nova reactor on top of these. Nova Charging ramps up the Heavy Burst Cannon to 18 shots and gives the Ion Accelerator the maximum number of shots instead of another redundant stat profile. Overall you'll be set back between 262-283 points (Assuming the pretty much mandatory target lock and the fact that you have no reason to ever put Plasma Rifles on it) base for a single Riptide as compared to the Index's 316-362, making them ''far'' more spammable than they were at launch. It's perfectly reasonable and even fairly competitive to field 2 of them. Did we mention there is also a stratagem that grants you 2 Nova Reactor effects for only 1 CP? 3+++ Invulnerable and boosted weapons? Yes please! Overall, the Riptide has returned to its proper place in the Tau army. So feel free to dust them off and enjoy the hatred they bring your way once again.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Walkers]]

{{Tau}}

XV107 R'varna Battlesuit

2023-06-05T19:51:10Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:9092:EB43:6B32:3957:

[[File:R'varna.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Looking like a Code Geass Nightmare reject.]]
A [[Battlesuit]] designed to [[Anal circumference|assfuck]] [[Tyranids]] into submission. A development of the [[Riptide|XV104 Riptide]], it sacrifices mobility for heavier armor and firepower in the form of two [[Pulse Submunitions Cannon]]s. The XV107 R'varna Battlesuit is a heavy-duty anti-armor Battlesuit designed to hunt tanks and their equivalent from a safe distance away.

==Overview==
The Earth Caste researchers of Ke'lshan were almost forced to abandon development of the R'varna due to its monumental cost. Instead, Fio'O Ke'lshan Sho'Aun turned to the Ethereal Council's demand for improved stealth and infiltration units, appropriating resources intended for the creation of a new Stealth Suit to the R'varna project. Renewed Tyranid attacks against the Ke'lshan Sept eventually revealed O'Sho'aun's deception to the Council, as the trio of R'varna prototypes held back the Tyranid horde at Ke'lshan's primary city.

==Crunch==
In 7e, the R'varna was considered to be horribly broken by non-Tau players, and by many Tau players to be the most [[cheese|deliciously cheddar]] thing since [[Fish of Fury|Fish of Fury]].

When it came to 8th Edition, the R'varna was a considerably more specialized TEQ/Monster/Light Vehicle killer than it used to be: it'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'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.

On 9th Edition, these are your quintessential heavy support version of the Riptides, a long-range TEQ and light vehicle killer. Like the Broadside, it gives up FLY in exchange for its heavier weaponry and increased durability. Use the nova reactor to turn those 3d3 shots into 9, get the godlike 4++ or blast some MW into the units tying you up.

{{Tau}}
[[Category: Xenos]]
[[Category: Vehicles]]
[[Category: Walkers]]