TEXT: ™
  ™
  THE GALAXY’S MOST
  DANGEROUS THREATS
  ®
  ®
  ™
  
  ™
  ™
  ™
  ™
  ROLEPLAYING IN THE GRIM 
  DARKNESS OF THE 41ST MILLENNIUM
  
  2
  Credits
  Lead Developer
  Ross Watson
  Written and Developed by
  Owen Barnes, Andy Chambers, Alex Davy, Andrea 
  Gausman, Andy Hoare, Kevin Rubitsky, and Benn Williams
  Additional Writing
  Mack Martin
  Editing
  Graham Davey
  Proofreading
  Paul King
  Graphic Design
  Kevin Childress
  Additional Graphic Design
  Mark Raynor, Brian Schomberg, and Michael Silsby
  Cover Art
  Michael Phillippi
  Interior Art
  Jacob Atienza, John Blanche, Alberto Bontempi, Joao Bosco, 
  Alex Boyd, Matt Bradbury, Christopher Burdett, Kevin 
  Childress, Paul Dainton, Wayne England, Mark Gibbons, 
  Nikolaus Ingeneri, Karl Kopinski, Brandon Leach, David 
  Lecossu, Damien Mammoliti, Hector Ortiz, Adrian Smith
  Art Direction
  Zoë Robinson
  Production Manager
  Eric Knight
  FFG Lead Game Designer
  Corey Konieczka
  FFG Lead Game Producer
  Michael Hurley
  Publisher
  Christian T. Petersen
  Games Workshop
  Licensing Manager
  Owen Rees
  Head of Licensing
  Paul Lyons
  Head of Intellectual Property
  Alan Merrett
  Special Thanks to our Playtesters
  Matt Eustace, “Bring the Noise”  James Savage with Davie 
  Gallacher, Thomas S. Ryan, and Stewart Strong, “The Bolter 
  and Chainsword Playtest Group” Ryan Powell with Matt 
  Bogart, Jon Cox, Max Hardenbrook, Anders Lang, and 
  Richard Sanders, “No Guts, No Glory” Sean Connor with 
  Adam Lloyd, Stephen Pitson, Mark Smith, and Michael 
  Thompson, “The Librarians” Pim Mauve with Keesjan Kleef, 
  Jan-Cees Voogd, Joris Voogd, and Gerlof Woudstra
  FANTASY
  FLIGHT
  GAMES
  Fantasy Flight Games
  1975 West County Road B2
  Roseville, MN 55113
  USA
  Copyright © Game Workshop Limited 2011. Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer 40,000 Role Play, Deathwatch, the 
  foregoing marks’ respective logos, Mark of the Xenos and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/
  devices/logos/symbols, vehicles, locations, weapons, units and unit insignia, characters, products and illustrations from the Warhammer 
  40,000 universe and the Deathwatch game setting are either ®, ™, and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2011, variably registered 
  in the UK and other countries around the world. This edition published under license to Fantasy Flight Publishing Inc. All rights 
  reserved to their respective owners. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any 
  form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
  ISBN: 978-1-58994-782-5 Product Code: DW05  Print ID: 958MAR11
  Printed in China
  For more information about the Deathwatch line, free downloads, answers 
  to rule queries, or just to pass on greetings, visit us online at
  www.FantasyFlightGames.com
  Credits
  
  3
  Contents
  Contents
  Introduction
  5
  What’s in this book? ...............................................................5
  ChapterI:TheAlienThreat
  8
  The Tau Empire .......................................................................8
    Broadside Battlesuit ........................................................... 11
    Commander Flamewing ................................................... 13
    Ethereal ............................................................................... 16
    The Kroot ........................................................................... 19
      Krootox ............................................................................. 23
      Knarloc ............................................................................. 25
      Great Knarloc ................................................................... 26
      Kroot Hound ................................................................... 28
    Tau Pathfinder .................................................................... 29
    Vespid Stingwing ............................................................... 31
  Tyranids ................................................................................. 33
    New Tyranid Weapons ...................................................... 33
    Tyranid Psychic Powers .................................................... 34
    Carnifex .............................................................................. 36
    Dagon Overlord ................................................................. 38
    Gargoyle .............................................................................. 41
    Lictor ................................................................................... 42
    Purestrain Genestealer ....................................................... 44
    Ravener ............................................................................... 46
    Ripper Swarm .................................................................... 48
    Trygon ................................................................................. 50
    Tyranid Warrior Prime ...................................................... 52
    Tyrant Guard ...................................................................... 54
    Venomthrope ...................................................................... 56
    Zoanthrope ......................................................................... 58
  Orks ....................................................................................... 60
    Ork Traits ........................................................................... 61
    Ork Boy .............................................................................. 62
    Ork Meganob ..................................................................... 62
    Ork Warboss ...................................................................... 63
    Big Mek Wurrzog .............................................................. 64
  Other Xenos ......................................................................... 65
    Bruul Parasite ..................................................................... 65
    Crotalid ............................................................................... 67
    Diablodon ........................................................................... 69
    Lacrymole ........................................................................... 71
    Loxatl Mercenaries ............................................................. 73
  ChapterII:RadicalsandHeretics
  76
  Inquisitor Thaddeus Hakk .................................................. 77
  Apostate Cardinal  ................................................................ 80
  Pontifex Guard ..................................................................... 83
  Magos Phayzarus ................................................................. 85
  Irradial Cogitator ................................................................. 88
  Samech Redemption Servitors ............................................ 90
  Slinnar War Machine ........................................................... 92
  Spire Slayer ........................................................................... 94
  ChapterIII:TheForcesofChaos
  98
  Bloodthirster .......................................................................100
  Great Unclean One ............................................................102
  Keeper of Secrets................................................................104
  Lord of Change ..................................................................106
  Kyrus the Chantleader .......................................................108
  Bloodletter ..........................................................................109
  Daemonette .........................................................................110
  Pink Horror ........................................................................111
  Plaguebearer .......................................................................112
  Chaos Space Marine Sorcerers .........................................113
  Khorne Berzerkers .............................................................115
  Noise Marines .....................................................................117
  Obliterators .........................................................................119
  Plague Marines ...................................................................121
  Possessed Chaos Space Marines .......................................123
  Weapons of Chaos .............................................................125
    Noise Marine Weapons ...................................................125
    Plague Marine Weapons .................................................126
    Other Weapons ................................................................126
  Chaos Psychic Powers .......................................................127
  ChapterIV:AdvancedAdversaries
  130
  Using Hordes in Deathwatch ...........................................130
    New Horde Traits ............................................................133
  Massed Battles ....................................................................137
    Running Massed Battles .................................................138
  Turning Points ....................................................................141
    Using Turning Points ......................................................141
    Example Turning Points .................................................142
  
  4
  Contents
  
  5
  Introduction
  Introduction
  To be Hunted...that is the Mark of the Xenos.
  –From the Deathwatch’s Catechism of the Xenos
  T
  he Space Marines of the Deathwatch are legendary 
  warriors, veterans of hundreds of battles, and heroes of 
  the Imperium. Yet they are only a handful against the 
  myriad threats that lay siege to the Imperium, from within, 
  without, and beyond. The Deathwatch was founded to eliminate 
  alien civilisations inimical to human life, and the eradication of 
  such xenos is their main purpose. Yet, the Deathwatch does not 
  shy from engaging the forces of heretics, daemons, or the Traitor 
  Legions of Chaos Space Marines that emerge from the realms of 
  Chaos, bent upon the destruction of man.
  In the war-torn Jericho Reach, the Imperium struggles to re-
  conquer hundreds of lost, dark, and bitter worlds. The Achilus 
  Crusade pushes ever-deeper into this region, facing horrific 
  terrors on all fronts. Only the intervention of the Deathwatch 
  Kill-teams can tip the balance, and the information collected 
  in this book by Codicier Taelon of the White Scars Chapter 
  places vital knowledge of their enemies into the hands of those 
  warriors best suited to destroy any challenge to the Emperor’s 
  will.
  WHAT’S IN THIS bOOK?
  Mark of the Xenos is a bestiary of the monstrous enemies 
  that lurk within the Jericho Reach and strike back against 
  the forces of the Achilus Crusade. This book includes 
  commentaries, advice, and information from Codicier Taelon 
  of the White Scars, a Deathwatch Librarian whose diligent 
  work has gathered together information on the Deathwatch’s 
  greatest foes in the Jericho Reach into one place. Taelon put the 
  resources of the Deathwatch, the Ordo Xenos, and the Chapters 
  of the Space Marines to good use, gathering reports and notes 
  from dozens of experts and first-hand accounts from across 
  the Reach. Unfortunately, Taelon was among the fallen at the 
  Battle of the Darkspire on the planet Ystobel, torn apart by a 
  Hive Tyrant whilst keeping the creature at bay long enough for 
  other Imperial forces to escape. His task remains incomplete, 
  although his extensive notes have been highly praised by 
  Inquisitors Ghraile and Quist of the Ordo Xenos, and many 
  Watch Captains have taken heed of his wisdom in the decades 
  since.
  The creatures listed in this book come with ready-made 
  adventure hooks that a GM can use to drop the monsters 
  directly into his Deathwatch campaign. Each of the following 
  chapters focuses on a different breed of monster that the Kill-
  team may face in the course of their duties.
  Chapter I: the alIen threat
  The first chapter centres around the Enemy Without; alien 
  races that exist within the Jericho Reach, and constitute the 
  primary foes of the Deathwatch. The Tyranids of Hive Fleet 
  Dagon and the Tau forces of the Velk’han Sept are presented 
  in detail, accompanied by discussions of more minor (but no 
  less dangerous) aliens such as the shapeshifting Lacrymole 
  and the pernicious Bruul Parasite.
  Chapter II: radICals and heretICs
  The second chapter focuses upon the heretics that abound 
  within the cursed worlds of the Jericho Reach; recidivists 
  misled by the rantings of Apostate Cardinals, the deadly 
  machinations of a Radical Inquisitor, and the horrific 
  constructs of tech-heresy are laid bare.
  Chapter III: the ForCes oF Chaos
  Daemons, warpspawn, and Chaos Space Marines are but a few 
  of the minions of the Ruinous Powers. The Hadex Anomaly 
  spews forth armies of corruption into the Jericho Reach, a 
  tide of evil that often clashes with Deathwatch Kill-teams.
  Chapter IV: adVanCed adVersarIes
  The fourth chapter of Mark of the Xenos presents new 
  rules and guidelines for utilising adversaries in a Deathwatch 
  campaign, including the proper use of Hordes and rules for 
  scaling up to even larger conflicts.
  ModIFyIng eneMIes
  The enemies presented in this book can, and should, 
  be modified by a Game Master to create the types 
  of enemies he requires for his game. Some options 
  and variations are presented as part of the enemy 
  profiles but the possible variety of enemies far exceeds 
  these, and a Game Master should feel free to make 
  adjustments to them as he sees fit. If, for example, a 
  game requires a group of Renegade Militia armed with 
  missile launchers, they can be created by removing 
  their autoguns, giving them missile launchers and the 
  Heavy Weapon Training (Launcher) Talent. 
  eneMy proFIle presentatIon
  In all the entries presented in this book, the 
  characteristics, movement values, and weapon damages 
  have been presented with all modifications included. 
  For example, a Chaos Space Marine’s Strength includes 
  the +20 increase from his Astartes Power Armour, and 
  his Strength Bonus matches this and the effects of the 
  Unnatural Strength Trait (and the Chaos Space Marine 
  Sorcerer’s force weapon includes his Psy Rating in its 
  Damage and Penetration). Weapon damages include 
  the effects of the enemy’s Strength Bonus and Talents 
  that always apply to damage such as the Crushing 
  Blow Talent. Talents, Traits and Special rules that 
  have a variable effect or will only apply in particular 
  circumstances, such as the Hammer Blow Talent, have 
  not been combined into the profiles presented here. It 
  is also important to note that NPCs are not necessarily 
  bound to follow the same strictures for their profiles as 
  player characters.
  
  6
  Introduction
  To: Inquisitor Lord Hezika Carmillus
  From: Codicier Taelon
  The tome you see before you now is the result of our discussions regarding the myriad threats 
  that our Kill-teams have faced amongst the worlds of the Jericho Reach. The entries within 
  have been collected and researched from field reports, personal interviews, and data-vaults 
  of ancient pedigree. A number of pertinent reports for this assignment are missing... I suspect 
  the involvement of other Inquisitors or perhaps skilled heretical agents. Therefore, this tome 
  is incomplete and not as comprehensive as I would like. Nevertheless, time grows short, and 
  the lore of the reports herein will certainly benefit the commanders of the Achilus Crusade 
  with proper clearances to view it.
  Of particular note to your Ordo, honoured Inquisitor, is that a number of the threats 
  detailed in this tome are not, in fact, alien in origin. Rather, these enemies are heretics, 
  traitors, warpspawn, or worse. Some amongst your Ordo have questioned why such enemies 
  are detailed alongside the others. The answer is simple... the Deathwatch may have been 
  founded with the purpose of defeating the alien foe, but as Space Marines, we are honour-
  bound to oppose any threat to the Imperium of Man.
  In the Jericho Reach, my Battle-Brothers and I have encountered bizarre daemonic entities, 
  battled Traitor Space Marines, and destroyed heretic enclaves during the course of our duties 
  for the Deathwatch. Many other Kill-teams have had similar experience. Thus, when I 
  asked for the reports to create this tome, those reports included the threats that were judged 
  worthy of the Deathwatch’s interest in all aspects of war.
  This book contains much knowledge and lore that must be placed under the highest ciphers, 
  and I trust you and your fellow Inquisitors will know best how to disseminate it amongst 
  the officers of the Achilus Crusade. 
  –-Codicier Taelon of the White Scars
  Seconded to the Deathwatch
  
  the tau eMpIre
  •
  tyranIds
  •
  orks
  •
  other Xenos
  
  3
  I: The Alien Threat
  CHAPTER I: 
  The Alien 
  Threat
  “The Deathwatch must remain ever vigilant against the xenos. The 
  Enemy Within may tear at the Imperium’s heart, and the Enemy 
  Beyond may threaten the Imperium’s soul, but the Enemy Without 
  presents a unique danger; alien civilisations that stand in the way of 
  the Imperium’s destiny to conquer the galaxy.”
  –Codicier Taelon, Deathwatch Librarian
  N
  o enemy is more central to the purpose of the 
  Deathwatch than the numerous hostile alien races 
  scattered throughout the galaxy and beyond. From 
  the encroaching, remorseless hive fleets of the Tyranids to 
  the technological and ideological danger represented by 
  the Tau, the Deathwatch faces some of the deadliest foes in 
  existence. They stand as a bulwark between the Imperium 
  and the teeming hordes of aggressive xenos organisms. This 
  Chapter details some of the better-known aliens in the Jericho 
  Reach, often hunted by relentless Kill-teams of Deathwatch  
  Space Marines.
  The Tau Empire
  “Wherever we have cast our gaze in this galaxy, we have seen 
  only the dead and the dying, and those intent only upon casting 
  themselves into burnings pyres of their own making. That is why we 
  shall ultimately prevail, for we are different. We are united, we are 
  determined, and we cannot fail but embrace the manifest destiny into 
  which we are born.”
  –Aun Talusi, Tau Ethereal and philosopher
  S
  ince the Tau Empire made its first incursions into the 
  Jericho Reach, the Achilus Crusade’s Departmento Tacticae 
  has concentrated the efforts of several dozen Tacticae 
  Primaris taskforces upon analysing their capabilities. Initial after-
  action reports submitted by the forces active along the Canis 
  Salient tallied with the often confused and fragmentary accounts 
  gathered in the aftermath of the Damocles Gulf Crusade, while 
  more recent reports indicate that the xenos are committing assets 
  not previously faced by the Imperium. During the Damocles Gulf 
  Crusade, Imperial forces faced several classes of battlesuit as well 
  as the most common Kroot forms. The Canis Salient has recently 
  encountered more varieties of battlesuit, more extreme forms of 
  Kroot, and a new type of foe entirely—the Vespid Stingwing.
  The Departmento Tacticae is now busily engaged in 
  consolidating gun-cam captures and interrogating Imperial 
  troops that have faced these newly encountered foes on the field 
  of battle. The Deathwatch has supplemented these findings with 
  their own, though the Tacticae advisers remain convinced that 
  Watch Fortress Erioch is withholding full disclosure, especially 
  relating to the Vespid species, for some as yet undetermined 
  reason. In truth, the ancient and vast cogitation stacks of Watch 
  Fortress Erioch contain scant information relating to the Tau, 
  for the species is young and its expansion so rapid that every 
  battle the Deathwatch fight they learn something new. Several 
  Kill-teams have become proficient in combating the alien tactics 
  and technology of the Tau, and a standing order to take live 
  prisoners where possible has been issued. Several specimens have 
  already been interred in the secure chambers of Watch Fortress 
  Erioch. The Ordo Xenos is especially interested in obtaining a 
  live Vespid Strain Leader and several missions are being planned 
  to bring this about.
  Aside from the tactics used by the Tau against Imperial forces, 
  the Departmento Tacticae seeks to unravel something of how 
  the alien empire maintains control over the disparate species 
  that serve it. Tau armies are mighty in themselves, but they are 
  made even more so when the Fire Caste units are supplemented 
  by warriors drawn from the many subject worlds ruled by the 
  Empire. The most numerous of these auxiliary forces are the 
  Kroot, savage and cunning carnivores that are infamous for 
  their prodigious field craft and their horrible appetite for eating 
  the corpses of those they have recently defeated. The Kroot 
  themselves field a wide array of troops types, more of which 
  are being encountered with every battle fought against them. 
  Recently encountered Tau forces have been accompanied by 
  the insectoid (for wont of a better term) Vespid Stingwings. 
  These creatures are the product of a unique environment, having 
  evolved amidst floating, lighter-than-air rock spires in the upper 
  regions of their gas giant home world. Auxiliaries reported in 
  
  4
  I: The Alien Threat
  other regions but yet to be encountered in the Jericho Reach 
  include the space-borne Nicassar and other beings that may in 
  fact be employed as mercenaries and not subject races at all.
  Tau forces are organised in a very different manner to those of 
  the Imperium, the warrior-philosophies and codes of the Fire Caste 
  dictating a unique approach to war. The core grouping utilised by 
  the Fire Caste is the Hunter Cadre, a group of Fire Warriors who 
  serve together and are linked by unbreakable bonds of loyalty and 
  duty. This in itself is not too different from the codes that bind 
  such warriors as the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes, but it 
  is a bond ingrained not by tradition or psycho-conditioning, but, 
  apparently, by genetics. Fire Warriors possess an innate sense of 
  their place within the Greater Good, which is magnified by the 
  presence of a member of the Ethereal Caste to extraordinary levels. 
  While Fire Warriors willingly sacrifice themselves for the greater 
  cause, when led by an Ethereal they display levels of devotion 
  unseen in any other sentient species. 
  Another point that makes the Tau military structure very 
  different from that of the Imperium is the way in which it 
  approaches specialisations. In the Imperial Guard for example, 
  regiments are founded and organised according to well-
  established templates, such as infantry, armour, artillery, and 
  so forth. Unless forced to downgrade by irrevocable losses, an 
  Imperial Guard regiment maintains its role and specialisation, 
  and is supported by a vast and rigid logistics train dedicated 
  to its maintenance. A Tau Hunter Cadre is first and foremost a 
  grouping of warriors, and, unlike an Imperial Guard regiment, is 
  able to adapt its role to the strategic reality of war. Tau Hunter 
  Cadres maintain large stocks of specialised equipment such as 
  Devilfish troop carriers and Hammerhead tanks, and can switch 
  roles from light infantry to mechanised assault very quickly. This 
  is partly due to the short logistics train made possible by the 
  dense nature of the Tau Empire, for even its frontline units are 
  never far from a storage or manufacturing facility. However, it also 
  has as much to do with the mindset of the Fire Caste. It is seen 
  as a warrior’s duty to master all forms of warfare and to advance 
  in the service of the Greater Good. An experienced Fire Caste 
  warrior will have started his career as line infantry and received 
  cross training in the operation of every form of vehicle fielded by 
  the Tau. He then progresses to serve first in a Pathfinder team, 
  and next dons a stealth suit to complete his mastery of the arts of 
  infiltration and ambush. The most skilled of warriors eventually 
  join a battlesuit team, piloting one of the XV-8 “Crisis” Suits or 
  one of its variants such as the XV-88 “Broadside.” Of these elite 
  veterans of service to the Greater Good, a small number progress 
  to become leaders of their own Cadre, either replacing a fallen 
  leader or taking command of a newly created formation.
  This system renders the individual Fire Warrior far more skilled 
  and versatile than the average Imperial Guardsman and affords 
  the Fire Caste an unprecedented level of strategic flexibility. 
  This is even more striking when the average lifespan of the Tau 
  is taken into account. The Tau mature quickly, but their adult 
  life rarely exceeds forty years. They only show signs of aging 
  towards the very end of their lives, when infirmity comes quickly 
  and death follows soon after. Some in the Ordo Xenos postulate 
  that it is this cycle that drives the race forward with such energy, 
  and that the Greater Good is founded on the notion that only 
  the next generation will see the fruits of a Tau’s labours. Most 
  among the Imperium’s upper echelons who know something of 
  the Tau’s collectivist philosophy despise it, regarding it as every 
  bit as dangerous to the soul of Mankind as the threat posed  
  by Chaos.
  4
  To Codicier Taelon, by the hand of Plenipotentiary-Designate Ark: 387817.M41
  I am recently returned from a contact negotiation with the Tau, and I am driven to commit my immediate thoughts to record. 
  While maintaining the propriety that my station demands, I grow increasingly frustrated by the manner in which the Tau 
  comport themselves. Indeed, I might go so far as to describe them as infuriating! Their Water Caste envoys maintain a mask of 
  politeness and openness, yet they talk around every issue raised. I have come to understand that the Tau regard themselves as 
  occupying some sort of moral high ground in everything they do. They condemn our actions, claiming our methods are excessive 
  or unreasonable, yet have a justification for every one of their own, often equally extreme, deeds. When they hear that Imperial 
  forces have decimated a rebellious world, they call us callous and state that such things could never occur under their beneficent 
  rule. Yet, when they invade a world that refuses to submit to joining their empire, they at first deny all involvement, and then 
  eventually cite the necessity of their vile collectivist creed. They preach equality and the value of every sentient being, yet they 
  allow their auxiliary subjects to make sacrifices they rarely ask of their own kin. 
  I submit this observation to you in the hope that it may further your own studies into this particular xenos species. While my 
  recent mission was undoubtedly trying, I have come away from it with a deeper understanding of the Tau, which I believe 
  can serve us all. They do not seek to expand their empire for mere territorial or material gain, for their home region is bountiful 
  in natural resources of every type. They expand because they must, just as we fight because we must. They believe it is their 
  destiny to unite every sentient being in the galaxy under their rule. This, I believe shall be their undoing. By the time they 
  discover the truth of the horrors that lurk between the stars, they will have fatally overstretched themselves, and then we can 
  strike them down once and for all.
  Perhaps, Emperor willing, the Jericho Reach is the place where they shall bite off more than they can chew. I pray this is so.
  Yours in faith,
  –Dhagon Ark
  
  5
  I: The Alien Threat
  Table 1–1: Tau Weapons
  Name
  Class
  Range
  ROF
  Dam
  Pen Clip
  Rld
  Special
  Airbursting Fragmentation 
  Launcher† ‡
  Heavy
  60m
  S/–/–
  1d10+5 X
  4
  —
  —
  Arm Weapon Mounting, 
  Blast (5), Devastating (2)
  Broadside Railgun
  Heavy
  500m
  S/–/–
  3d10+30 I
  15
  —
  —
  Mounted
  Ion Cannon
  Heavy
  200m
  S/–/3
  3d10+10 E
  9
  —
  —
  Mounted
  Kroot Bolt Thrower
  Heavy
  150m
  S/–/–
  2d10+10 X 2
  20
  Full
  Blast (3), Mounted
  Kroot Bow
  Basic
  40m
  S/4/8
  1d10+3 R
  3
  20
  2Full
  Tearing, Toxic
  Kroot Gun
  Heavy
  150m
  S/2/–
  3d10+8 I
  6
  10
  Full
  —
  Kroot Rifle
  Basic
  110m
  S/2/–
  1d10+5 E
  1
  6
  2Full
  —
  Kroot Rifle (Melee)
  Melee
  —
  —
  1d10 R
  0
  —
  —
  Balanced
  Kroot Hunting Rifle
  Basic
  150m
  S/–/–
  1d10+5 E
  3
  8
  Full
  Accurate
  Markerlight
  Heavy
  150m
  S/–/–
  —
  —
  —
  —
  Mounted
  Rail Rifle
  Heavy
  150m
  S/–/–
  2d10+10 I
  9
  16
  Full
  Devastating (1), 
  Overheats
  Seeker Missile‡
  Heavy
  500m
  S/–/–
  3d10+10 X 8
  —
  —
  Mounted
  Smart Missile System‡
  Heavy
  90m
  –/–/4
  1d10+12 X 4
  —
  —
  Arm Weapon Mounting
  Vespid Neutron Blaster††
  Basic
  30m
  S/–/–
  1d10+12 E
  8
  —
  —
  Toxic
  † Attacks from the Airbursting Fragmentation Launcher explode immediately above the target. As long as there is at least five metres of 
  † Attacks from the Airbursting Fragmentation Launcher explode immediately above the target. As long as there is at least five metres of 
  †
  open space above the target, the weapon ignores the effects of cover.
  †† Neutron Blasters only function when wielded by a Vespid.
  ‡ The bearer of these weapons need not be able to see his target to use them, but he must be aware of it. He does not suffer from the 
  ‡ The bearer of these weapons need not be able to see his target to use them, but he must be aware of it. He does not suffer from the 
  ‡
  normal –30 penalty for firing at a target he cannot see, as the projectiles fired are self-guided.
  tau MarkerlIghts
  Markerlights are laser designator devices, used to “paint” a target for other units to fire at. The device can be hand 
  held, mounted on a weapon or carried by a drone. When activated, the Markerlight projects a beam of light at a target 
  of the bearer’s choosing, measuring the exact position of the target relative to the user. This targeting data is then 
  transmitted to other units, who utilise it to guide their own fire. The most common and effective use of the Markerlight 
  is to guide indirect or standoff fire, called in by the elite scouts of the Pathfinder teams. Utilising a concealed position, 
  a Markerlight-equipped Pathfinder directs his device at an enemy target without the foe being aware of his presence. 
  Seeker missiles carried by Tau armoured vehicles are then fed the targeting data captured by the Markerlight, and fired, 
  often from some distance away or from behind intervening terrain features. The missile “rides the beam,” which the 
  Markerlight user must keep trained on the target until the missile strikes. Because Pathfinders are adept at working their 
  way into flanking positions, they are often able to target the vulnerable sides and rear of their targets, destroying them 
  with ruthless efficiency. The only downside of the device is that the beam, while invisible in normal conditions, becomes 
  visible when it passes through dense airborne gas or vapour (such as smoke or fog) and in so doing risks giving away 
  the user’s position.
  Markerlights normally take the form of a special sighting device mounted upon another weapon (often a Pulse 
  Carbine), its operation slaved to the weapon’s trigger, which is over-ridden by way of a simple toggle switch. Toggling 
  between the main weapon and the Markerlight is a Free Action, and the Markerlight is “fired” in the same way as a 
  ranged weapon. However, the Markerlight does not cause damage in itself, and is instead used to grant bonuses to other 
  Tau units who subsequently fire upon the target that has been “marked.” These benefits are as follows:
  • +10 to all Ballistic Skill Tests to hit the target (these bonuses are cumulative) 
  • A seeker missile may be fired at the target with an effective Ballistic Skill of 80 (note that normally, seeker missiles 
  may not be fired at targets that have not been hit by a markerlight)
  A Markerlight hit remains in effect for one full round, or until the target is moved out of sight from the Markerlight 
  beam (for instance, if the Space Marine hit by a Markerlight were to fall prone into a trench).
  Markerlights do no damage and are considered to have unlimited ammunition. To avoid a Markerlight hit, the target 
  must succeed at a Hard(–20)AwarenessTest instead of a Dodge Test. Under conditions that include smoke or fog, 
  this test becomes much easier, typically Challenging (+0) or Ordinary (+10). If the test is successful, the target is aware 
  that he has being designated and avoids the hit.
  
  6
  I: The Alien Threat
  bROADSIDE bATTLESUIT
  The Tau utilise a wide range of battlesuits for a myriad of tasks 
  both on and off the battlefield. The most common by far is the 
  XV-8 “Crisis” Suit, of which the Crusade’s Departmento Tacticae 
  has catalogued at least a dozen distinct variants. While the Crisis 
  Suit is used as a utility unit and can be fielded in a range of 
  weapon and sub-system configurations, its heaviest variant is a 
  specialised sub-class codified by the Imperium as the “XV-88,” 
  or “Broadside.”
  The Broadside is equipped with the heaviest weapon systems 
  it is possible to mount on an XV-8 battlesuit. Its structure is 
  significantly upgraded to support the additional weight and 
  power drain of the huge weapons it carries. The suit’s design 
  is a highly effective compromise between offensive firepower, 
  defensive protection, and tactical manoeuvrability. Because of 
  its static fire support role, the suit has been significantly up-
  armoured, making it one of the most well protected units in 
  the Tau arsenal. During the Damocles Gulf Crusade, frontline 
  Imperial forces submitted corroborated after-action reports of 
  Broadside battlesuits surviving direct hits from autocannon and 
  lascannon fire. The suits are rated as providing as much protection 
  as a suit of Terminator Armour, but unlike the Imperium, the Tau 
  are able to manufacture such heavy suits in huge quantities.
  The primary weapon system carried by the Broadside is a twin 
  railgun. This weapon is part of family that ranges from the man-
  portable rail rifle carried by some Pathfinders, up to the huge rail 
  cannon mounted on the Hammerhead tank. Even larger versions 
  are possible, but most are static or mounted on superheavy flyers 
  or star ships. The basic principle of the technology is well known 
  to the Adeptus Mechanicus, but the Imperium has never been 
  able to utilise it in a worthwhile form due to the myriad issues 
  inherent in the operation of the weapon. In essence, a small, 
  solid conductive projectile is propelled by an electrical current 
  between two charged rails, achieving staggering velocity before 
  leaving the barrel. Because the projectile is capable of achieving 
  a velocity of anywhere between six and ten times the speed of 
  sound, it generates a tremendous force when it strikes its target, 
  far more in fact than an explosive charge of the same size ever 
  could. Because the projectiles are so small, huge numbers can 
  be carried and they can be fired over a very long range. The 
  limitations of such technology relate to the staggering amount 
  of power required to propel the projectile along the rail, and 
  the dissipation of the heat generated by the process. The Tau 
  appear to have implemented solutions to these problems, and 
  many heretical types amongst the Adeptus Mechanicus would 
  very much like to understand how. 
  In addition to the twin railguns, Broadsides carry a range of 
  secondary systems. They can be fitted with smart missiles systems 
  or plasma rifles, affording point defence capability should enemy 
  infantry compromise their position. Furthermore, Broadsides 
  are often fielded with a support system selected to complement 
  the role the Commander envisages them undertaking in  
  upcoming missions.
  Broadsides tend to be encountered supporting larger 
  Tau formations, where one or more three-member teams are 
  tasked with providing fire support for entire Hunter Cadres. 
  Occasionally, a single Broadside is tasked with providing support 
  for a smaller Tau force. Even individually, Broadsides are a 
  formidable threat to a Deathwatch Kill-team, for their weapons 
  are capable of utterly defeating even the most sanctified of power 
  armour suits. The Deathwatch have learned to take advantage of 
  the Broadside’s relatively slow speed to outmanoeuvre them and 
  silence them from behind. This tactic is rarely simple, however, 
  because the Tau are adept at fielding mutually-supportive units 
  well able to cover each other’s vulnerabilities.
  broadside battlesuit (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (10)
  25
  39
  50
  55
  20
  30
  40
  40
  30
  Movement: 4/8/12/28 
   
   
  Wounds: 30
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Tau Empire) (Int), 
  Speak Language (Tau, Kroot) (Int).
  Traits: Auto-Stabilised, Dark-sight, Unnatural Strength (x2), 
  Size (Enormous), Unnatural Toughness (x2), Sturdy.
  Armour: XV-88 Broadside Suit (All 12).
  Weapons: Twin-linked Broadside Railgun (500m; S/–/–; 
  3d10+30 I; Pen 15; Mounted, Twin-linked) or Twin-linked 
  Ion Cannon (200m; S/–/3; 3d10+10 E; Pen 9; Mounted, 
  Twin-linked), Smart Missile System (90m; –/–/4; 1d10+12 
  X; Pen 4; Arm Weapon Mounting) or Twin-linked Plasma 
  Rifle (90m; S/2/–; 2d10+9 E; Pen 10; Arm Weapon 
  Mounting, Tearing, Twin-linked).
  Gear: Broadside Battlesuit, micro-bead and xenos-crafted 
  auspex. May be accompanied by one or two Shield Drones.
  
  7
  I: The Alien Threat
  adVenture seeds
  TheGreyhellFront: Imperial forces battling the Tau on the Greyhell Front have recently reported a variant of the 
  Broadside battlesuit that utilises not the normal Railgun weapon configuration, but shoulder-mounted Ion Cannons 
  instead. Groups within both the Ordo Xenos and the Adeptus Mechanicus are keen to recover an example for further 
  study, and so a plan to do so is conceived. A mass Imperial Guard assault is launched in the area where the variant suits 
  were observed, under the cover of which the Kill-team will seek to disable, capture and recover a suit. As if this were 
  not hard enough to achieve, the Adeptus Mechanicus have inserted their own group, consisting of a number of specialist 
  Tech-Priests and their various combat servitors. This group seeks to recover the Tau’s ion technology for itself, and is 
  a rival of the Inquisition. The Kill-team has to face not only the Tau with their fearsome new weaponry, but heretical 
  Tech-priests intent upon their own nefarious mission.
  BroadsideAssault: Broadsides are fearsomely destructive, and they always aim to engage their foe at extreme range. In 
  fact, they have such long range that the first a Kill-team may know of the battlesuits’ presence is when they come under 
  fire from the powerful railguns. A single shot can slay even a mighty Space Marine, so the Kill-team will be forced to 
  concentrate all of its efforts upon infiltrating the Tau’s positions and outflanking any Broadsides present. While these 
  battlesuits are relatively ineffective in close combat, they are still well armoured and more importantly, they are normally 
  protected by other units, which the Kill-team must neutralise to be sure of mission success.
  +++EXLOAD REQUEST GRANTED…COGITATING…COGITATING…
  DISPLAY EXLOAD…SUBJECT: [TAU BATTLESUIT NOMENCLATURE] 
  EXTRACT A1: …and so this commission recommends the adoption of the attached system for 
  identifying and codifying the accursed machines of this foe. Initial interrogations of 
  Tau prisoners yielded the term “Her’ex’vre,” which it was determined held the meaning 
  “Mantle of the Hero,” the term by which the Tau designate their single-pilot battlesuits. 
  Her’ex’vre was transcribed phonetically as “XV,” and thus forms the basis of the 
  designations that this commission sets out. XV shall henceforth identify the most common, 
  single-pilot suit. 
  Furthermore, we have identified a number of mass class and construction variations, which 
  shall be classified by way of one or two numerals placed after the XV codifier. The first 
  number shall be the suit’s mass class. “1” shall indicate the lightest of suits, while “8” 
  shall identify the largest of the variants we have observed thus far.
  Suits with a specific, confirmed function shall have a second designator, while what we 
  consider “utility” suits shall have only a single (mass class) numeral.
  EXTRACT B3: The following roles have been identified and each assigned a numeric code. 
  This number shall be the second element of the suit’s class designation. Note that it is 
  possible that a suit might have a secondary role, in which case a third numeral may be 
  included in its designation.
  +++Suits believed to exist only as theoretical or developmental models shall be  
  designated “1.”
  +++Developmental suits that have progressed to field trials shall be designated “2.”
  +++Those suits that have not entered mass production but have been assigned permanently to 
  the pilot shall be designated “3.”
  +++Suits designed and approved for the command and control role shall be designated “4.”
  +++Those intended for use in the ‘stealth’ role we designate “5.”
  +++Air-space units are designated “6.”
  +++Those suits intended to facilitate infiltration shall be designated “7.”
  +++Fire support units shall be designated “8.”
  COGITATING EXAMPLE…
  +++XV-8 single pilot heavy utility class…XV-88 single pilot heavy fire support unit…XV-15 
  single pilot ultra light stealth suit…XV–25 single pilot light stealth suit…XV-22 field 
  test prototype light stealth suit…
  +++OVERSEER META-PROBE DETECTED…RETURN TO STATION…TERMINATING EXLOAD+++
  
  8
  I: The Alien Threat
  COMMANDER 
  FLAMEWING
  “The Greater Good is more than a theory. It is more than a creed or 
  a philosophy. It is a universal truth, and to deny it is as arrogant, 
  foolhardy and ultimately futile as to deny the pull of gravity or the 
  passage of time.”
  –Commander Flamewing to the Second Emissary Council 
  Commander Shas’O Vior’la Suam Eldi, or to give him his 
  contracted and more commonly used title “Commander 
  Flamewing,” is the leader of a Fire Caste Hunter Cadre 
  currently operating on the outskirts of the Zurcon system. 
  Flamewing is a comparatively young Commander, yet he 
  has seen more combat in the last year than many of his rank 
  expect to experience in a lifetime.
  Flamewing hails from the Tau sept of Vior’la, a system in 
  the Tau Empire renowned for the skill and potency of the 
  Fire Caste warriors born there. The warriors of Vior’la are 
  commonly held to be hot-blooded and ferocious, yet able 
  to contain these traits and focus them towards 
  the Greater Good. Commander Flamewing is 
  typical of his peers in that he is possessed of 
  a fearsome intensity that is made manifest in 
  combat against the enemies of the Tau Empire. As 
  a Fire Warrior, he defended the rimward frontier 
  station of Hy’si against Dark Eldar raiders intent 
  upon enslaving the Earth Caste scientists, 
  earning much honour as well as many 
  impressive scars. As a battlesuit 
  pilot in a Crisis Team, Flamewing 
  participated in the Defence of 
  Sy’l’Kell on the sept world 
  of Dal’yth Prime, where he 
  gained three confirmed kills 
  against the mighty Space 
  Marines of the Imperium 
  before wounds sustained 
  in close combat forced his withdrawal 
  from that action. After a period of 
  convalescence, Flamewing took part in 
  the actions that followed the Imperium’s 
  retreat from Tau space, fighting as 
  part of Commander Farsight’s force 
  that swept into human space and 
  took control of a number of 
  colonies the humans had 
  all but abandoned in 
  their haste to re-deploy. 
  With the foundation of 
  the Velk’Han Sept, Flamewing was 
  given command of a newly raised Hunter Cadre, which was 
  tasked with opposing the advance of the recently discovered 
  Tyranid hive fleet closing on the freshly established sept.
  Sadly for Commander Flamewing and his Hunter Cadre, 
  Tau high command massively misjudged the Tyranids’ 
  capabilities. Having already faced smaller tendrils of the 
  larger enemy force that had arrived on the Eastern Fringe, 
  Flamewing was not naive as to their nature. He had studied 
  every after-action report he could access and believed he had 
  the measure of his foe. The problem was, the Tau’s estimates 
  of enemy numbers were grievously in error, and the Tau 
  stumbled into a far more numerous and concentrated enemy 
  than it could ever hope to defeat. Within days, dozens of 
  Hunter Cadres were fighting for their very existence, cut off 
  from support and massively outnumbered. 
  Flamewing found himself in command of an effort to effect 
  a fighting withdrawal to a defensible position, a task that he 
  executed with great skill and honour, saving the lives of many 
  hundreds of Fire Warriors and their auxiliary troops. His 
  Hunter Cadre exacted a fearsome toll as it fought across the 
  burning sands of Zurcon Extremis, and Flamewing himself 
  led a number of daring counter-attacks that accounted for a 
  number of lynchpin Tyranid hive-node beasts. In one such 
  encounter, Flamewing and his veteran Crisis Teams engaged 
  a Zoanthrope, braving the horrors of its relentless psychic 
  assaults to bring it down with concentrated plasma rifle fire. 
  At length, Flamewing’s Hunter Cadre established a defensive 
  position high atop a wide, flat mesa, and stood unyielding as 
  the Tyranid monstrosities broke around its base as a seething 
  ocean battering a lone rocky isle. Flamewing and his warriors 
  held the mesa for six days and 
  nights, ever hopeful that the 
  other Tau Hunter Cadres would 
  be able to fight through and join 
  them. They did not, and the 
  Commander realised his 
  cadre represented the last 
  Tau presence on Zurcon 
  Extremis.
  On the seventh night 
  of the battle, something 
  strange 
  occurred. 
  Flamewing’s warriors fell 
  into a dark rage, one by one 
  shedding the peerless discipline 
  for which the Fire Caste is 
  renowned and surrendering to 
  something far more primal. Soon, 
  the rage consumed Flamewing 
  himself, 
  and 
  he 
  observed 
  his warriors growing surly 
  and fractious. Shockingly, 
  several brawls erupted in 
  the ranks, a phenomenon 
  that 
  none 
  had 
  ever 
  witnessed or experienced. 
  Then the realisation of 
  what was occurring came to 
  the Commander, and dread filled 
  his soul; the Fire Warriors were succumbing to the same 
  barbaric urges that had set the castes against one another at 
  the very outset of their history, a time of bloodshed that only 
  the coming of the Ethereal Caste had put at an end. The fact 
  that Flamewing’s warriors were regressing to such an atavistic 
  state could only mean that the last of the Ethereals on Zurcon 
  Extremis had fallen to the Tyranids. 
  commonly held to be hot-blooded and ferocious, yet able 
  to contain these traits and focus them towards 
  the Greater Good. Commander Flamewing is 
  typical of his peers in that he is possessed of 
  a fearsome intensity that is made manifest in 
  combat against the enemies of the Tau Empire. As 
  a Fire Warrior, he defended the rimward frontier 
  station of Hy’si against Dark Eldar raiders intent 
  upon enslaving the Earth Caste scientists, 
  earning much honour as well as many 
  impressive scars. As a battlesuit 
  pilot in a Crisis Team, Flamewing 
  participated in the Defence of 
  Sy’l’Kell on the sept world 
  of Dal’yth Prime, where he 
  gained three confirmed kills 
  in close combat forced his withdrawal 
  from that action. After a period of 
  convalescence, Flamewing took part in 
  the actions that followed the Imperium’s 
  retreat from Tau space, fighting as 
  part of Commander Farsight’s force 
  that swept into human space and 
  took control of a number of 
  colonies the humans had 
  With the foundation of 
  the Velk’Han Sept, Flamewing was 
  given command of a newly raised Hunter Cadre, which was 
  position high atop a wide, flat mesa, and stood unyielding as 
  the Tyranid monstrosities broke around its base as a seething 
  ocean battering a lone rocky isle. Flamewing and his warriors 
  held the mesa for six days and 
  nights, ever hopeful that the 
  other Tau Hunter Cadres would 
  be able to fight through and join 
  them. They did not, and the 
  into a dark rage, one by one 
  shedding the peerless discipline 
  for which the Fire Caste is 
  renowned and surrendering to 
  something far more primal. Soon, 
  the rage consumed Flamewing 
  himself, 
  and 
  he 
  observed 
  his warriors growing surly 
  and fractious. Shockingly, 
  several brawls erupted in 
  what was occurring came to 
  the Commander, and dread filled 
  his soul; the Fire Warriors were succumbing to the same 
  
  9
  I: The Alien Threat
  Realising his Hunter Cadre’s position was all but lost and its 
  fate too terrible to consider, Flamewing saw but one course of 
  action. He determined that not a single Tau would fall at the 
  hand of his own kin, and rallied his warriors for one last, glorious 
  action. Flamewing’s Hunter Cadre would sally forth from their 
  position and sell their lives dear. If they were to fall, Flamewing 
  promised, it would be for the glory of the Greater Good and 
  they would serve the Empire by slaughtering its foes to the last.
  Flamewing’s words stirred his warriors into a righteous 
  rage, and the entire Hunter Cadre launched itself at the foe, 
  Flamewing at the head. The battle raged for the remainder of 
  the night and well into the next day, and as the sun reached its 
  zenith only Flamewing and his Crisis Team retinue were left 
  standing, atop a small mountain of Tau and Tyranid corpses. 
  The end was mere moments away, but suddenly, the survivors’ 
  rage lifted, to be replaced with a sudden sense of familiar, 
  blessed calm. A moment later, the communications channels 
  sang with transmissions and a huge, multi-Hunter Cadre force 
  crashed into the rear of the Tyranid horde. 
  Within an hour it was all over. Commander Flamewing and 
  his few surviving companions stood before the Ethereal Aun’O 
  Tsualal, and gloried in the radiance of his sacred presence.
  In the aftermath of Zurcon Extremis, Commander Flamewing 
  entered a brief period of retreat and meditation. He had been 
  grievously wounded, in body and in spirit, and has yet to fully 
  recover. During his retreat, Flamewing conferred with and studied 
  beneath the most learned of Fire Caste notables, Commanders 
  who had faced and mastered the same inner turmoil he himself 
  had suffered on Zurcon Extremis. He meditated on the deeper 
  truths of the Greater Good, and emerged possessed of such inner 
  knowledge that few of those who had known him took him for 
  the same warrior. Donning his battlesuit once more, Commander 
  Flamewing took command of a new Hunter Cadre built around 
  the survivors of the old, and vowed to take the battle to the 
  Tyranids anew, armed with his newly acquired wisdom.
  Commander Flamewing is to be found wherever the Fire 
  Caste faces the Tyranid menace, advising other Commanders or 
  leading the charge in person. He greatly resents the waste of 
  resources afforded by the need to fend off what he regards as 
  petty attacks by the human Imperium, believing the two species 
  should be working together against the overarching threat of the 
  Tyranids. While the Commander has fought against human forces 
  on several occasions, he has also cooperated with them and made 
  several clandestine alliances amongst more open-minded factions 
  within the Ordo Xenos and other groups. As yet, these alliances are 
  tenuous at best, but Commander Flamewing is working towards 
  a time when, he believes, Tau and human will stand together, 
  united by common necessity, against a threat neither could  
  survive alone.
  Commander Flamewing (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (10)
  41
  57
  50
  57
  48
  52
  55
  65
  44
  Movement: 12/24/36/72  
   
  Wounds: 90
  Skills: Acrobatic (Ag), Awareness (Per) +10, Command 
  (Fel) +20, Common Lore (Tau Empire) (Int), Dodge (Ag), 
  Forbidden Lore (Tyranids) (Int), Logic (Int), Speak Language 
  (Tau, Kroot, Low Gothic) (Int).
  Talents: Air of Authority, Fearless, Hatred (Tyranids), Iron 
  Discipline, Litany of Hate, Meditation, Rapid Reaction, Sprint.
  Traits: Auto-stabilised, Dark-sight, Flier (12), Size (Enormous), 
  Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2).
  Armour: XV-8 Crisis Suit (All 9).
  Weapons: Airbursting Fragmentation Launcher (60m; 
  S/–/–; 1d10+5 X; Pen 4; Arm Weapon Mounting, Blast [5], 
  Devastating [2]), missile pod (90m; S/2/–; 2d10+6 X; Pen 5; 
  Mounted), plasma rifle (90m; S/2/–; 2d10+9 E; Pen 8; Arm 
  Weapon Mounting, Tearing).
  Gear: Crisis Battlesuit incorporating Command and 
  Control Node, Experimental Battlesuit Shield Generator, 
  Ejection System (see page 366 of the Deathwatch 
  Rulebook), mirco-bead, xenos-crafted auspex.
  SpecialRules
  CommandandControlNode: The Command and Control 
  Node is a sophisticated drone intelligence communication 
  system entering the final stages of development. The system 
  provides the user with a totally immersive command interface 
  and is wired directly into his central nervous system so that 
  the data is fed directly to his subconscious mind and need not 
  be interpreted or filtered by conscious awareness. The device 
  instantly compiles the user’s intentions into coherent orders, 
  which are fired off by encrypted tight-burst transmission to all 
  subordinate units. All Actions involving ordering or influencing 
  other Tau units are Free Actions, so long as the target unit is 
  rItual oF the ta’lIssera
  The Ta’lissera is a sacred undertaking made by the members of a single team. The ritual bonds the members together 
  in a microcosm of the Greater Good wherein each individual sheds his individual identity in favour of his role in the 
  group. Those who undertake the Ta’lissera are said to be “bonded,” and the ritual is a solemn one indeed in which each 
  Tau spills a portion of his own blood as a sign of his devotion to the whole. Those who are not bonded view those who 
  are with awe, seeing them as the ultimate adherents of the Greater Good. The Ritual of the Ta’lissera is carried out in 
  many areas of Tau society, but is most frequently undertaken amongst Fire Warrior teams, who enter the crucible of war 
  together and often stand or fall by one another’s deeds. The members of a bonded team will go to any length to aid one 
  another, sacrificing their very lives if needed that the team might succeed in its mission. Members of a bonded team often 
  carry ceremonial knifes, while those piloting battlesuits paint a stylised knife device on their armour.
  Any Tau (not Kroot, Vespid, or other allied race) Horde or permanent grouping of Elites may be Bonded. This grants 
  the Horde or group the Duty Unto Death Talent so long as the majority of the team members are still alive.
  
  10
  I: The Alien Threat
  equipped with a micro-bead or similar communication device.
  ExperimentalBattlesuitShieldGenerator: Commander 
  Flamewing has been issued with a special issue shield 
  generator designed to offer enhanced protection to the bearer, 
  especially when fighting enemies like the Tyranids that utilise 
  overwhelming swarm tactics. The generator features enhanced 
  power storage and output systems. Rather than emitting 
  enough energy to counteract incoming attacks, it shunts 
  additional power through the contact point, potentially 
   
  causing damage against foes who would engage the bearer 
  in close combat. The shield has a Protection Rating of 50 
  and Overloads on a roll of 01–10 (it is still experimental 
  after all). Any foe that hits Commander Flamewing in melee 
  automatically suffers 2d10+3 E damage.
  ThePatientHunter: (see page 366 of the Deathwatch 
  Rulebook).
  Multi-Tracker: Commander Flamewing’s battlesuit is 
  equipped with a sophisticated tracking system that lets him 
  fire all of his weapons with the same action. For example, if 
  he takes a Standard Attack action to fire a single shot with his 
  plasma rifle, he can also fire a single shot from his missile pod 
  and airbursting grenade launcher at the same time. The profiles 
  of the weapons do not change; if he takes the Semi-auto Attack 
  action, his plasma rifle and missile pod both fire using the Semi-
  auto Attack rules, but the airbursting fragmentation launcher 
  still fires only once using the rules for a Standard Attack. When 
  using the multi-tracker, all attacks must have the same target.
  aIrburstIng FragMentatIon 
  launCher
  This item of special issue equipment has been entrusted 
  to a number of senior Fire Caste Commanders, and 
  has undergone several improvements throughout its 
  development. The weapon fires a proximity-fused 
  explosive projectile, launched on a trajectory computed 
  by an onboard drone intelligence. The warhead is 
  fired at a high angle and explodes directly above the 
  target, negating the effects of any cover the foe might 
  be using. In Flamewing’s hands the weapon has proved 
  effective against swarms of Tyranids because it can be 
  fired over the centre of the horde where the targets are 
  most densely packed. It has also proved useful against 
  the more stealthy types of Tyranid construct, especially 
  those that make intelligent use of cover and those gifted 
  of chameleonic qualities that are hard to pinpoint. 
  Another major advantage of the weapon is that it can 
  be targeted on an enemy even if the user does not 
  have a direct line of sight to it, because of its indirect  
  fire trajectory.
  adVenture seeds
  Escort: The Player Characters are assigned as high-
  level escorts for an Imperial dignitary sent to meet 
  with Commander Flamewing. The mission takes the 
  group to an isolated world in space contested by the 
  Imperium and the Tau Empire, an area rife with all 
  manner of threats from void-lurking pirates to Tyranid 
  vanguard organisms. When the meeting finally takes 
  place, the dignitary is revealed as an agent of a Puritan 
  faction intent upon slaying the xenos commander 
  before his collectivist creed can infect other loyal 
  servants of the Golden Throne. The Kill-team is forced 
  to take sides, though Commander Flamewing is quite 
  capable of looking after himself.
  Standoff: The enemy of my enemy is my friend—the 
  Kill-team crosses paths with Commander Flamewing 
  whilst engaged on a mission against the Tyranids. The 
  two forces might reach a compromise, fighting towards 
  the same ends. Whether or not this arrangement is a 
  formal one, brokered face-to-face, or an informal 
  understanding to leave off killing one another until the 
  mutual foe is neutralised, is up to the player characters.
  usIng CoMMander FlaMewIng
  Commander Flamewing can be used as both an enemy 
  and an ally, depending on the sort of mission the Kill-
  team is undertaking. Keep in mind that he need not 
  always be encountered in his battlesuit. Should the 
  player characters encounter him off of the battlefield, 
  he may well not be wearing it, though it will not be 
  far away. To field Flamewing in this manner, simply 
  disregard those Traits and other special rules that are 
  obviously granted by the battlesuit, and give him Fire 
  Warrior armour and a pulse pistol as a side arm.
  additional power through the contact point, potentially
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  Current intelligence suggests that 
  Commander Flamewing is leading a 
  Hunter Cadre of experienced Fire 
  Warriors and other auxiliary fighters, 
  and is engaged upon an unknown 
  mission to the Death world of Mahir. 
  Given that this planet has fallen 
  to the Tyranids, his objective must 
  be to strike some decisive blow 
  against the Hive Mind or perhaps 
  to attempt to deny or disrupt the 
  Tyranids’ consumption of Mahir’s 
  biomass. Our own, admittedly limited, 
  reconnaissance of Mahir suggests 
  that the Tyranids are struggling to 
  subdue the world’s fearsome flora and 
  fauna, and my recommendation, ratified 
  in Chamber, has been to allow the 
  Tyranids to expend their energies in 
  their attempt to consume a planet 
  that appears to be just as determined 
  to consume its invaders. I recommend 
  the Tau force be observed lest it 
  interfere with the delicate balance of 
  power on Mahir.
  
  11
  I: The Alien Threat
  ETHEREAL
  “Those whose time is brief must surely strive all the harder, that the 
  universe shall remember their deeds.”
  –Aun O’Quva, Tau Ethereal
  The Ethereals are the fifth caste of the Tau species, forming 
  a ruling elite above the Fire, Earth, Air, and Water castes that 
  make up the bulk of Tau population. Though their numbers 
  are small compared to the other castes, Ethereals command 
  total and utter authority over every other Tau. It is said 
  that any Tau, from a recently birthed worker to a veteran 
  Commander would slit his own throat at a single word from 
  an Ethereal. 
  The Ethereals are as mysterious as they are powerful, 
  especially to outsiders. Those Imperial dignitaries who have 
  had contact with the species have invariably dealt with 
  the Water Caste, which consists of ambassadors, traders, 
  administrators and facilitators. They have rarely even 
  glimpsed an Ethereal, yet their hidden hand is ever at work, 
  guiding the Tau from afar. The caste first came into existence 
  during the phase in the species’ earliest history in which the 
  four castes were at war with one another, the entire species 
  apparently doomed to destroy itself in its own birth pangs. 
  The Ethereals appeared as from nowhere, and ended the 
  conflict with a single command. They have ruled 
  ever since that time.
  The rulers of the Tau Empire conduct 
  themselves largely apart from their peoples, 
  residing in great palaces within which 
  they debate the course of their species 
  and guide it forward for the Greater 
  Good. The caste organises 
  itself using the same system 
  of ranks as do the other 
  four, 
  with 
  the 
  lowest 
  formed into councils 
  overseeing settlements, 
  and the highest ruling 
  over entire Septs—
  autonomous 
  and 
  self-sustaining colony 
  systems. The species 
  as a whole is guided 
  by a body referred to 
  as the Council of the 
  Highest, consisting 
  of all of the most 
  s e n i o r 
  Ethereals. 
  No single 
  individual heads this council, and it tends to be guided by 
  the wisdom of whichever Ethereal is regarded by his peers 
  as pre-eminent. 
  Some Ethereals have been known to accompany Tau 
  forces into battle, and indeed they always accompany Tau 
  colonisation and expansion forces. It has been theorised that 
  Tau, especially those of the Fire Caste, not operating under 
  the high level guidance of an Ethereal are likely to regress to 
  the warlike state that so nearly destroyed their species at the 
  dawn of its history. Needless to say, there are those amongst 
  the Ordo Xenos keen to investigate this matter further, 
  in the hope that targeted assassination of key Ethereals 
  might bring about a favourable strategic situation. It is not 
  necessary for Ethereals to participate in every conflict at 
  the tactical level, and Fire Caste warriors are quite capable 
  of operating without them being close at hand. It appears 
  however that an Ethereal must be present at the operational 
  or strategic level to ensure the stability of those under his 
  command. When the Ethereals do participate in a battle, it 
  is generally to provide inspirational leadership in order to 
  push the warriors on to achieve otherwise impossible things 
  in the name of the Greater Good. There is a downside to 
  this however, for should the Ethereal fall in combat, the 
  remaining Tau are likely to be consumed with maddening 
  grief. Sometimes they collapse in total disarray, even if they 
  could easily have won the engagement. Other times they 
  become enraged and charge forward to avenge themselves 
  on their foe. Either way, all cohesion is lost and the Fire 
  Warriors lose all vestige of the disciplined and efficient 
  warriors they ordinarily are.
  The method by which the Ethereals maintain control over 
  their species is unknown to the Imperium, and possibly even 
  to those they rule. Several studies have been undertaken, and 
  the Deathwatch is even in the possession of a low-ranked 
  member of the caste having captured him as his vessel passed 
  through an unclaimed system near Tau-controlled space. 
  Prior to the capture of this specimen, it was assumed that the 
  Ethereals must utilise some unidentified method of biological, 
  psychic or even pheromone control over the Tau. The Ethereals 
  sport an unidentified organ in the centre of their foreheads, a 
  smaller version of which is possessed by other castes. It was 
  assumed that this organ must be key to the control effect, yet 
  the specimen captured has been extensively examined and no 
  functioning system has been identified. Either the captured 
  Ethereal is a deliberate attempt to misdirect the Imperium, 
  or the matter is far more esoteric than had previously been 
  thought. Investigations into this mystery are ongoing.
  In temperament, 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. The origins of the Tau species are shrouded in 
  mystery, and it is a great enigma that the Tau ascended 
  from the status of primitive nomads to a highly developed, 
  star-faring empire in less than six millennia. The Ethereals 
  evidently had some part to play in this rapid development, 
  and to this day guide their species in its dynamic expansion 
  lest the castes revert to the savagery that once threatened to 
  overwhelm it.
  during the phase in the species’ earliest history in which the 
  four castes were at war with one another, the entire species 
  apparently doomed to destroy itself in its own birth pangs. 
  The Ethereals appeared as from nowhere, and ended the 
  conflict with a single command. They have ruled 
  ever since that time.
  The rulers of the Tau Empire conduct 
  themselves largely apart from their peoples, 
  residing in great palaces within which 
  they debate the course of their species 
  and guide it forward for the Greater 
  Good. The caste organises 
  itself using the same system 
  of ranks as do the other 
  four, 
  with 
  the 
  lowest 
  formed into councils 
  overseeing settlements, 
  and the highest ruling 
  over entire Septs—
  autonomous 
  and 
  self-sustaining colony 
  systems. The species 
  as a whole is guided 
  by a body referred to 
  as the Council of the 
  Highest, consisting 
  of all of the most 
  s e n i o r 
  Ethereals. 
  No single 
  
  12
  I: The Alien Threat
  Ethereal (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  40
  35
  30
  30
  30
  40
  35
  60
  40
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
   
   
  Wounds: 20
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +20, Deceive (Fel), 
  Evaluate (Int), Forbidden Lore (Tau) (Int), Inquiry (Fel), 
  Literacy (Int), Logic (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language 
  (Low Gothic, Tau) (Int). 
  Talents: Air of Authority, Chem Geld, Foresight, Iron 
  Discipline, Inspire Wrath, Master Orator, Meditation, 
  Orthoproxy. 
  Armour: None.
  Weapons: Staff of office (1d10+3 I; Balanced; requires 
  two hands) or Honour Blade (1d10+3 R; Pen 2; Balanced; 
  requires two hands).
  Gear: Ornate robes, various symbols of office, micro-bead.
  SpecialRules
  InspiringPresence: Members of the Ethereal Caste exert a 
  mysterious but palpable control over other Tau, an effect that 
  has yet to be explained by the Imperium’s biologis-savants. 
  The Ethereal may make a Challenging (+0) Fellowship
  Test as a Free Action. If the test is passed, all of his Talents 
  that effect his Tau Minions (not including Kroot or Vespid or 
  other such allies) operate at an unlimited range. 
  The Price of Failure: The Tau revere their Ethereal 
  leaders over all others, and the one thing that can reduce 
  a disciplined Fire Warrior to unreasoning barbarity is the 
  thought of one falling to their enemies. If an Ethereal is 
  killed, every other Tau character and Horde (not Kroot, 
  Vespid, and so forth) must take an immediate Terrifying
  (–30)FearTest. If the test is passed, the character or Horde 
  immediately gains the Frenzy Talent (without having to 
  spend a Round fuelling the anger). If the Test is failed, the 
  character or Horde roll on the Shock Table (see page 277 in 
  the Deathwatch Rulebook) as normal.
  drones
  The Tau utilise drones for many different tasks, from 
  menial maintenance tasks to jobs too dangerous for the 
  Tau themselves to undertake. Drone is a broad category 
  used to describe any “helper” drone that is assigned to a 
  single owner and aids them in undertaking their duties. In 
  battle, commonly fielded Drones include Shield Drones and 
  Marker Drones. Many other types exist too, some very rare 
  or still in the experimental phase of their development. Such 
  Drones often possess an extremely loyal character, imparted 
  to them by their creators to ensure they protect their masters 
  with absolute loyalty.
  Drone Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  20
  20
  20
  40
  40
  15
  25
  20
  10
  Movement: — (Flying 12)  
   
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag).
  Talents: Fearless.
  Traits: Flier (12), Machine (5).
  Gear: One of the following: Tau Shield Projector†; 
  Markerlight; long-range vox; Scanner; Injector and 5 doses 
  of Pain Suppressant.
  SpecialRules
  Slaved Devotion: Drones are assigned to accompany a 
  single individual and programmed to protect him at all costs. 
  They will always remain within 2 metres of their owner. 
  If the owner is killed another Tau equipped with a Drone 
  Controller may attempt to take control of the Drone by 
  passing a VeryHard(–30)TechUseTest. 
  †TauShieldProjector: The Shield Drone and all characters 
  within two metres of it are protected by its shield projector 
  from attacks originating from more than two metres away. 
  The shield has a Protection Rating of 45 and Overloads on 
  a roll of 01–10.
  drone Controller
  A Drone Controller works as a micro-bead that allows the user 
  to communicate his will to any Drone under his direct control. 
  Most of the time the controller operates at a default level that 
  simply keeps the Drone obeying its basic programming, but 
  the owner can also use it to issue simple orders beyond the 
  Drone’s normal parameters. Team leaders and senior Tau (such 
  as Battlesuit Commanders and Ethereals) may be assumed to 
  be equipped with Drone Controllers at the GM’s discretion. 
  Doing so allows the bearer to control up to two Drones (these 
  Drones may be of any kind, and need not be both of the same 
  kind, i.e., one Shield Drone and one Gun Drone).
  honour blade
  Tau Ethereals utilise Honour Blades as symbols of 
  office, ceremonial weapons, and (in an emergency) 
  in self defence. While each weapon is custom-made 
  and individual, they all feature a broad blade fitted 
  to a long, lightweight metallic staff. Ethereals use the 
  blades primarily to settle disputes, engaging in lengthy, 
  highly stylised duels that are more coordinated co-
  meditation than combat. The combatants dance and 
  weave as if in a trance, their weapons flashing past 
  one another scant millimetres and microseconds from 
  causing terrible damage. Yet somehow, the dance is 
  always bloodless, as if the Ethereals are in total union 
  with one another. In truth, the combatants are engaged 
  in a deeply spiritual duel, conducted at a level which 
  none outside of their caste can discern. Some Ethereals 
  carry their Honour Blades on the field of battle, not 
  expecting to have to use them, but prepared to make a 
  last stand against their barbaric foes nonetheless.
  
  13
  I: The Alien Threat
  adVenture seeds
  Q-Ship: Deep in the prison-vaults of Watch Fortress Erioch is held the single Ethereal that, to date, the Deathwatch have been 
  able to capture, a low ranking individual called Aun’La Tsua’Malor Viorla. Although the taking of the prisoner was initially 
  hailed as a great victory, doubts have since arisen that the operation to grab the Ethereal went too smoothly, and that too few 
  Tau forces were present to guard such a valuable member of their caste. Recently, debate in the Chamber of Vigilance has raised 
  the possibility that the prisoner is not all he appears to be, and that a mission to gather more intelligence should be undertaken. 
  The player characters’ Watch Captain decides to lay a trap. The Kill-team are to secrete themselves within a “q-ship,” a 
  merchant vessel heavily armed with hidden weapons. Word has been spread throughout a network of Inquisitorial assets 
  along the Greyhell Front that the prisoner is to be moved from Watch Fortress Erioch to a hidden facility on the quarantined 
  world of Argoth, a planet seething with Tau sympathizers and isolated by Ebongrave’s decree from the Imperium at large. If 
  the Ethereal is genuine, it is assumed that the Tau will make an attempt to recover him. If they do not, then it can be surmised 
  that the prisoner is a ruse and of no value to the Tau. What if the Tau, via traitors or Radicals within the lower orders of the 
  Inquisition get word of the scheme, and attempt to capture the Kill-team? 
  Pariah: An Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos has come to Watch Fortress Erioch in the hope of recruiting the Deathwatch. 
  He means to carry out an experiment to learn something of the process by which the Ethereals control the Tau. He is 
  accompanied by an individual cursed as a “pariah”—someone who appears to have no presence in the warp at all and whose 
  proximity is deeply unsettling to psykers. The Inquisitor intends to infiltrate an outlying Tau world where he believes an 
  Ethereal to be operating, and observe the effect his pet pariah has on the Tau leader (if any). He believes that the pariah’s 
  presence, even if many kilometres from the Ethereal, should have some measurable effect which his contacts amongst the 
  oppressed human population of the world could report back to him. The Chamber of Vigilance reluctantly agrees to the 
  plan, and the player characters’ Kill-team is tasked with accompanying the Inquisitor on his mission. Needless to say, the 
  pariah has no effect upon the Ethereal, but the mission could prove interesting in many other ways. Perhaps the pariah’s 
  presence triggers a response in a number of latent psykers within the human population, betraying the Kill-team’s mission 
  and causing all manner of complications. 
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  It is rare indeed that a Kill-team encounters one of these Ethereals, for they are 
  inevitably found only in the company of significant numbers of their species. Their target 
  rating is based not on their own combat potential, for this is relatively insignificant. 
  Instead, they are dangerous for the morale-boosting and command-and-control benefits they 
  confer to their underlings. In the presence of even a single Ethereal, ordinary Tau forces 
  are transformed and become at once formidable and unpredictable. Tau Fire Warriors for 
  example are disciplined and efficient in combat, but their battle doctrines call upon them to 
  re-deploy in the face of overwhelming odds. When fighting alongside an Ethereal however, the 
  Fire Warriors sometimes become dogged in their defence, redoubling their efforts to repulse 
  their foe and to keep the Ethereal from harm at all costs. The Tau undoubtedly value the 
  lives of their warriors, even those of their subject species, yet will make any sacrifice 
  necessary to protect the life of a single Ethereal. This phenomenon was evident at the 
  Battle for Bekrin V, where we fielded three entire Kill-teams in an effort to break through 
  Tau lines and engage the Ethereal known as “Aun’O Bhi.” The infiltration mission was carried 
  out successfully, and Brother Umbra’s team was closing on the compound in which the Ethereal 
  was believed to be located. The instant the Tau became aware of our presence, and our 
  proximity to their leader, the entire defence force re-deployed to oppose us. Three hundred 
  and more Fire Warriors deserted their positions and raced for the compound, not in the usual 
  disciplined manner but with visible fury. Force cohesion broke down as individuals yelled 
  angry war cries and literally threw themselves onto our guns in an effort to keep us at bay. 
  It was a slaughter, and I can scarcely claim any pride in the estimated 1:500+ kill ratio 
  recorded that day. By 0+3 hours our force was reduced to one tenth of issued ammunition and 
  forced to engage in close assault against what had become a horde of ill-disciplined, yet 
  uncharacteristically ferocious Fire Warriors. We became mired in the slaughter, until we saw 
  the Ethereal’s vessel launch from the compound and effect an escape. Their leader safe, the 
  remaining Tau fought on with grim resolution, and we cut them down with ruthless efficiency. 
  The compound was captured and the Tau’s brief presence on Bekrin V was ended, but Aun’O Bhi 
  escaped.
  
  14
  I: The Alien Threat
  THE KROOT
  “The Tribe of Seven Wings welcomes your offering. Let the warriors 
  feast, and let the future take shape…”
  –Unnamed Kroot Shaper soon before the total defeat of the 
  309th Landrian Light Infantry 
  The Kroot are a species of almost limitless variety, having 
  travelled countless evolutionary paths. While the form most 
  associated with the species is referred to by the Imperium as the 
  Kroot Carnivore, it is postulated that almost every single animal 
  life form on their home world of Pech is related, albeit distantly, 
  to the genus. Evolution in the Kroot has become a matter of 
  rapid adaptation. The Kroot evolve so quickly that they are in 
  danger of overtaking their own development and becoming 
  so specialised that they are led down dead-end evolutionary 
  paths. This has happened to many members of the genus, who 
  have devolved into creatures only able to exist in a very specific 
  environment or to eat only a particular prey. Even the slightest 
  alteration in environmental factors can result in the extinction of 
  these hyper-specialised sub-species.
  Shapers are the leaders of Kroot Kindreds. They command 
  their underlings on the field of battle and perform most of the 
  functions associated with interaction with other groups such 
  as the Tau. However, more significantly, they play a vital role 
  within Kroot society which shapes the fate of the entire species.
  For most of the species’ development, this trait was uncontrolled, 
  and caused by a unique feature. The Kroot have at some distant 
  point in their past gained the ability to absorb the genetic 
  characteristics of their prey, inheriting many of their features. This 
  is achieved by way of the Kroot’s unique DNA, which is able to 
  store far more information than that of other species, allowing 
  them to incorporate useful DNA strands into their own.
  It is the task of the Shaper to oversee this process. At some 
  point in the species’ past, the riot of uncontrolled evolution 
  must have produced the ancestors of the current incarnation, 
  and they, uniquely amongst their entire genus, were sentient 
  and capable of exerting some control over their own fate. 
  Were they not, they would have been a short-lived passage in 
  the species’ history and would no doubt have succumbed to 
  random evolution. When some quirk of evolution blessed the 
  Kroot with sentience, they gained the ability to control their 
  own destiny, and the Shapers are those in whom responsibility 
  for this process is vested. 
  Shapers have the instinctive ability to sample and analyse 
  the genetic characteristics of any creature they eat. They are 
  able to isolate the prey’s DNA so that it does not corrupt 
  their own, and interpret which of its characteristics might be 
  favourable to Kroot evolution and which might be detrimental. 
  The Shaper then warns his Kindred against eating particular 
  prey, and directs them towards others. By carefully guiding 
  his Kindred’s breeding, the Shaper can navigate the species’ 
  turbulent development. He is as much responsible for guarding 
  against regression as he is for ensuring the development of new, 
  favourable genetic traits.
  Kroot are possessed of an overwhelming urge to consume 
  the corpses of those they have slain in combat, a trait over which 
  they have very little control and is a throwback to earlier stages 
  in their evolution. The Shapers are the only Kroot capable of 
  curtailing this instinct, and they can with a single hiss warn their 
  underlings away from consuming the flesh of an undesirable 
  creature. Having determined that a particular prey is safe to 
  consume, the Shapers invariably allow their Kindreds to obey 
  their primal urges. Thus, Kroot will consume the bodies of 
  fallen humans and other creatures if the Shapers have already 
  determined that it is safe for them to do so.
  There are three known types of creature that the Kroot will not 
  prey upon, the Shapers having forbidden it. The first are Tyranids, 
  who the Shapers have declared ‘inedible’ (the term has far worse 
  connotations to a Kroot than to a human). Something in the 
  function of Tyranid evolution causes utter revulsion in the Shapers, 
  perhaps because Tyranids also modify the genetic inheritance of 
  other species towards their own development, though in a very 
  different manner. The second group the Kroot avoid preying upon 
  are those humans who have turned to the worship of Chaos. This 
  is a very hit and miss affair, for the Kroot are barely able to tell the 
  followers of the Ruinous Powers from any other type of human. 
  This proscription stems from an incident when the Kroot defeated 
  a warband devoted to Slaanesh, and later developed a number 
  of entirely undesirable mutations. The last group the Kroot are 
  forbidden by the Shapers to feed upon are the Tau themselves. 
  Even though the Kroot comport themselves as savage mercenaries 
  and rely upon the Tau for material support in many matters, they 
  are, as a species, deeply indebted and devoted to the Tau, for Pech 
  would have fallen to Ork invasion were it not for the Tau’s aid. To 
  taste the flesh of the Tau is to earn the swift and deadly retribution 
  of the Shapers.
  
  15
  I: The Alien Threat
  Kroot Carnivore (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  42
  33
  45
  40
  45
  25
  44
  30
  18
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
   
   
  Wounds: 12
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per) +10, Barter (Fel), 
  Climb (S) +10, Concealment (Ag) +20, Dodge (Ag) +10, 
  Silent Move (Ag) +20, Speak Language (Low Gothic, Kroot, 
  Tau) (Int), Tracking (Int) +10, Survival (Int) +20.
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP, Primitive), Exotic 
  Weapon Training (Kroot Bolt Launcher, Kroot Bow, Kroot 
  Gun, Kroot Hunting Rifle, Kroot Rifle) Furious Assault, 
  Hyperactive Nymune Organ, Kroot Leap, Leap Up, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Melee Weapon Training (Universal), Resistance 
  (Fear), Swift Attack.
  Traits: Eater of the Dead, Fieldcraft, Kroot Physiology, 
  Natural Weapon (Beak), Overwhelming (Horde), Unnatural 
  Perception (x2), Unnatural Strength (x2). 
  Armour: Hide Armour (Body 2; Primitive).
  Weapons: Kroot Beak (1d5+8 R; Pen 0; Primitive), Kroot 
  Rifle (110m; S/2/–; 1d10+5 E; Pen 1; Clip 6; Reload 2Full, 
  [Melee] 1d10+8 R; Pen 2; Balanced).
  Gear: Cut meat of varying freshness, bandolier of 30 charges 
  for the Kroot Rifle, fetish pouch.
  Kroot Shaper (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  45
  35
  45
  45
  50
  30
  45
  40
  25
  Movement: 5/10/15/30  
   
  Wounds: 35
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag) +10, Awareness (Per) +10, Barter 
  (Fel), Climb (S) +10, Command (Fel) +10, Concealment (Ag) 
  +20, Dodge (Ag) +10, Silent Move (Ag) +20, Scrutiny (Per), 
  Speak Language (Low Gothic, Kroot, Tau) (Int), Tracking 
  (Int) +10, Survival (Int) +20.
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP, Primitive), Combat Sense, 
  Exotic Weapon Training (Kroot Rifle, Tau Pulse Weapons) 
  Furious Assault, Hyperactive Nymune Organ, Kroot Leap, 
  Leap Up, Lightning Attack, Lightning Reflexes, Melee Weapon 
  Training (Universal), Resistance (Fear), Swift Attack, Touched by 
  the Fates (2 Fate Points).
  Traits: Eater of the Dead, Fieldcraft, Kroot Physiology, 
  Natural Weapon (Beak), Shamanic Power (choose one) 
  Unnatural Perception (x2), Unnatural Strength (x2). 
  Armour: Hide Armour (Body 2; Primitive).
  Weapons: Kroot Beak (1d5+8 R; Pen 0; Primitive), Tau 
  Pulse Rifle (150m; 1d10+12 E; Pen 4; Clip 36; Rld Half; 
  Gryo-Stabiised), xenos-crafted hunting knife (1d10+8 R; 
  Pen 2; Balanced).
  Gear: Fetishes and talismans, 3 clips of Pulse Rifle 
  ammunition.
  kroot traIts and talents
  The following Traits are common to all Kroot.
  eaters oF the dead
  Kroot are infamous for their practice of devouring the 
  corpses of their foes. If necessary, they will even turn 
  cannibal and eat Kroot corpses. A Kroot who devours 
  a fresh corpse (the GM has discretion to decide what 
  qualifies as “fresh”—typically, the corpse must have 
  been killed no more than 24 hours previously, and the 
  corpse must be that of an organic creature; no daemons or 
  machines!) gains a number of bonus Wounds equal to the 
  unmodified Toughness Bonus that the corpse possessed 
  when it was alive (typically three). These bonus Wounds 
  may not exceed the Kroot’s own Toughness Bonus 
  and remain for a number of hours equal to the Kroot’s 
  Toughness Bonus or until they are lost, whichever comes 
  first. Unlike normal Wounds, these bonus Wounds are 
  removed when affected by the Damage of any successful 
  attack, and are always removed first before applying 
  Damage to the Kroot’s normal Wounds. In addition, a 
  Kroot who consumes a fresh corpse heals at twice the 
  normal rate and adds one additional bonus Wound to any 
  wounds healed through any other means (i.e., psychic 
  healing, etc.) for a number of hours equal to his Toughness 
  Bonus. A Kroot can only receive bonus Wounds from one 
  consumed corpse at a time. 
  If a Kroot consumes a corpse while benefiting from 
  bonus Wounds from a previous corpse, he loses the 
  previous bonus Wounds and gains bonus Wounds from 
  the new corpse instead. 
  FIeldCraFt
  Kroot gain a +10 bonus to all Concealment, 
  Shadowing, and Silent Move Tests. In addition, Kroot 
  treat forests, jungles, and similar environments as open 
  terrain.
  kroot physIology
  Kroot are most comfortable wearing light armour or 
  piecemeal protection scavenged from the battlefield. 
  When a Kroot wears armour that provides more than 3 
  APs, he loses the benefits of the Unnatural Perception 
  and Fieldcraft Traits. 
  hyperaCtIVe nyMune organ
  The Kroot’s nymune organs are hyperactive, storing 
  great amounts of energy. The Kroot’s metabolism is 
  sped up, improving his raw muscle speed, reflexes, and 
  reaction time. The Kroot gains one additional Reaction 
  per round. When taking the Full Move Action, the 
  Kroot may move an extra number of metres equal to 
  his unmodified Agility Bonus. When taking the Run 
  Action, he may double his movement for one Round. 
  He gains one level of Fatigue if he uses this Talent in 
  two consecutive Turns unless he passes a Challenging
  (+0)ToughnessTest.
  
  16
  I: The Alien Threat
  kroot traIts and talents, ContInued
  The following Traits are common to all Kroot.
  kroot leap
  Kroot are adept at using their long legs to jump, hop, and leap long distances. The Kroot has learned to use this advantage 
  whilst rushing an enemy in close combat. When making a Charge action, the Kroot can ignore obstacles between him and 
  his target by making a Running Vertical Jump (see page 207 of the Deathwatch Rulebook). This Talent may only be used 
  if there is room for the Kroot to land next to his target and if there is enough overhead space for the Kroot to leap over the 
  obstacles. For example, a wall that goes from floor to ceiling may not be leapt over, nor would something taller than the 
  Kroot’s vertical jump distance. If the Kroot successfully strikes his target whilst using this Talent, the Kroot may make a 
  Knock-Down Action against the target (see page 241 of the Deathwatch Rulebook) as a Free Action.
  kroot shaper traIts
  The following Traits are only for Kroot Shapers.
  InstInCtual understandIng (traIt)
  The Shaper may select one target that he can see. If the Shaper has previously devoured an example of the target’s race, 
  the Shaper may make a Challenging(+0)ScrutinyTest against the target as a Half Action. If successful, the Shaper 
  may determine the number of Wounds that the target possesses, and may further determine a number of the target’s 
  characteristic bonuses equal to the degrees of success on the Scrutiny Test. The Shaper may select which characteristic 
  bonuses he discovers when using this ability. The Shaper may use this ability once per target per encounter.
  shaManIC powers (traIt)
  One of the many roles of a Shaper within Kroot society is to act as a focus for the practice of ancestor worship. Kroot 
  Shapers have a great mastery of rituals that call upon the ancestor spirits of their Kindred. These rituals often have 
  unusual effects that lend Shapers a reputation for supernatural powers. Each must be activated by the Shaper, usually 
  involving a sonorous chant and access to the powders, rocks and bones kept within the Shaper’s fetish pouch. Activating 
  a Shamanic Power is a Full Action.
  anCestral blessIng
  The Shaper’s rituals are attuned to asking the warrior spirits of his ancestors for aid in battle. The Kroot may affect 
  himself and a number of Kroot equal to his Willpower Bonus with this ability. The Shaper may apply the benefits of 
  this Talent to non-Kroot allies, but he must first pass a Challenging(+0)WillpowerTest. Those who benefit from 
  this ritual gain a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls for a number of rounds equal to the Shaper’s Willpower Bonus. This 
  ability may be used only once per day.
  blood oF the stalker
  The Shaper daubs the blood of a local predator upon his exposed skin and those of his allies, cawing a prayer to gain 
  the favour of his ancestors in the coming hunt. The Shaper may apply this Talent to himself and a number of Kroot equal 
  to his Willpower Bonus. The Shaper may apply the benefits of this Talent to non-Kroot allies, but he must first pass a 
  Challenging(+0)WillpowerTest. Those who benefit from this ritual gain an additional degree of success on any 
  passed Concealment, Shadowing, or Silent Move Tests.
  prophetIC dreaMs
  Many Shapers seek guidance from their ancestors in visions and dreams. Often, these visions may grant the Shaper insight 
  into the future, although such glimpses are quite difficult to interpret. The Kroot may enter a trance during his normal sleep 
  cycle. During this trance, he may receive a vision that grants him some foreknowledge of the future. The Kroot may re-roll 
  one failed Test during the next 24 hours. The Shaper experiences visions that are clues to significant events that may come 
  to pass in the near future. These visions may relate to something in the next week or even years hence.
  
  17
  I: The Alien Threat
  adVenture seeds
  Alliance:A large alliance of Kroot Kindreds appears to be operating not as auxiliary troops under the Tau Fire Caste, but as 
  an independent mercenary group operating far from Tau worlds and apparently independently. The Shaper leading the alliance 
  has offered his force’s services to several rebel-held worlds in the regions spinward of the Hadex Anomaly, and the Crusade 
  High Command have taken notice. The Deathwatch is petitioned to help, and the Chamber of Vigilance agrees to send a Kill-
  team on a mission to neutralise the Shaper. The mission takes the player characters deep into the anarchic reaches beyond the 
  anomaly, where rebels, pirates and the vanguard organisms of Hive Fleet Dagon rule the void. The Shaper and his alliance 
  are encamped on a lawless world, and engrossed in negotiations to sell their services to a rebel leader the Crusade has been 
  looking to dethrone for some time. The leader cannot be allowed to recruit the mercenary force, for if he does he will be able 
  to overcome his rivals and present a far more serious threat to the Crusade’s progress. Of course, there is always the possibility 
  that the Shaper will accept a better offer, should the player characters wish to talk rather than fight…
  usIng kroot shapers
  Shapers are quite capable adversaries in battle, and able field commanders of their Kindreds. However, they are not just “bad 
  guys” to be engaged in combat, they are the leaders of their Kindreds and can make interesting characters in themselves. 
  They interpret the will of the Tau into strategies their Kindreds can enact, and some of them even broker their services to 
  factions other than the Tau. This is most likely to happen without the Tau’s knowledge and approval, but it could of course 
  be a ploy, an effort by the Tau to sow discord amongst their enemies by surreptitiously aiding one against another.
  I: The Alien Threat
  17
  17
  17
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  Our knowledge of how this species reproduces is still incomplete, and we have yet to fully decipher the 
  complexities of their relationship with the Tau. Cross-referencing various sources, I have come to form a picture, 
  albeit incomplete, of Kroot society. 
  The Kroot are in essence mercenaries, in that they fight for the Tau in return for material benefit. Yet, this 
  appears a simplistic interpretation of the relationship and one that applies in greater or lesser degrees amongst 
  different groups. Various sources suggest that the Tau delivered the Kroot home world from an Ork invasion, 
  and this intervention triggered the Kroot’s integration into the Tau Empire. It is my belief that on a species-
  wide level, the Kroot are fully invested into the Tau’s collectivist creed, accepting their place in what the Tau 
  call the ‘Greater Good’. Yet, on an individual level the Kroot are somewhat materialistic, placing great value in 
  practical items such as tools, food and weapons. This to me appears to be an analogue of their genetic traits – 
  they embrace their fate but seek to acquire new advantages, both genetic and material. 
  This notion is borne out when considering those Kroot who, perhaps in contravention of the terms of their 
  membership of the Tau Empire, ply their mercenary trade across the stars. They do so in order to acquire a greater 
  degree of genetic variance, and at the same time, I believe, a wider range of tools and weapons. 
  I have further noted in various writings the attitudes of the Kroot towards technology. They are not great 
  innovators, but despite this display an innate, instinctual affinity towards certain forms of technology, generally 
  those with a military application. This must surely have been inherited from the Orks, perhaps by way of the 
  Kroot eating a number of the Orkoid “Mek” class and acquiring something of the greenskins’ almost genetic 
  understanding of machinery. I have noted some Kroot warriors discarding acquired weapons that have become 
  unserviceable through simple lack of maintenance, but never those of their own manufacture. It appears that 
  their affinity with their own weapons is instinctual, and does not extend to items constructed by others. This 
  much surely be of use in the ongoing war against the Tau Empire.
  
  18
  I: The Alien Threat
  KROOTOX
  “When facing Krootox I have three main weapons of choice. 
  Autocannon, autocannon, or autocannon.”
  –Gunnery Corporal Vatis Jan, 76th Gathalamor Heavy 
  Grenadiers fire support company
  A salutary example of Kroot dead-end evolution, the 
  Krootox are massive brutes descended from those Kroot 
  who consumed the flesh of especially muscular and barbaric 
  beasts. These kindreds became locked into a downward 
  spiral of evolution, losing their intelligence and with it 
  their ability to forge their own genetic future. The result is 
  a hugely muscled, oversized variant of Kroot physiology, its 
  mind capable of little more than unreasoning brutality. Were 
  it not for the fact that the Kroot have found a use for the 
  Krootox, the line might have died out generations ago, but 
  instead, they are a common sight in Carnivore Kindreds all 
  over the Tau Empire and beyond. 
  The Kroot utilise Krootox as beasts of war. They saddle them 
  and mount upon their backs an overlarge version of the Kroot 
  rifle, which is crewed by a single Carnivore rider. The Krootox 
  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. While relatively placid 
  under the control of a Carnivore, the Krootox become enraged 
  by the presence of an enemy and their 
  hugely powerful arms and fists are 
  capable of staving in vehicle hulls 
  and power armour with equal 
  ease.
  Krootox and their riders 
  are usually encountered in 
  only small numbers and 
  it is not uncommon for 
  individual beasts to be found 
  within a larger group of Kroot 
  Carnivores. This provides 
  the Carnivores with a 
  degree of fire support 
  as well as substantially 
  augmenting 
  its 
  close 
  combat 
  capabilities. Some 
  have noted that 
  this deployment 
  is not one learned 
  or copied from 
  the Tau, as the 
  Fire Caste do not 
  make use of team-
  level heavy weapons 
  but instead rely on 
  close integration and 
  cooperation 
  with 
  specialised fire support 
  units. 
  Ordo 
  Xenos 
  savants have postulated 
  that the Kroot are either 
  more intelligent than they might appear, or else they copied 
  the tactic from Imperial forces.
  On several occasions, larger groups of Krootox have been 
  encountered. Such formations are a formidable obstacle for 
  even the most skilled of Kill-teams. The massed heavy weapons 
  are capable of unleashing a withering hail of fire, and the beasts 
  present a solid wall of muscle and sinew to any who attempt to 
  engage them in a melee. To date, the most effective tactic when 
  faced with one or more Krootox has been to direct sniper fire at 
  the rider, in the hope that, bereft of direction, the Krootox itself 
  will run amok or amble off harmlessly. In reality, this tactic is 
  not easy to accomplish, for the rider is almost entirely protected 
  by the muscular bulk of the beast, and the first missed shot will 
  draw an enraged charge.
  Krootox (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (18)
  (10)
  40
  —
  60
  55
  30
  10
  25
  25
  ––
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
   
  Wounds: 80
  Skills: Climb (S), Concealment (Ag) +10, Silent Move 
  (Ag) +10. 
  Talents: Furious Assault, Leap Up, Resistance 
  (Fear). 
  Traits: Auto-stabilised, Brutal Charge, Improved 
  Natural 
  Weapons, 
  Natural 
  Weapons 
  (Beak, Fists), Quadruped, Size (Hulking), 
  Sturdy, Unnatural Strength (x3), Unnatural  
  Toughness (x2).
  Weapons: Beak (1d10+18 R; Pen 0), fists 
  (2d10+18 I; Pen 2; Concussive), kroot gun 
  (150m; S/2/–; 3d10+8 I; Pen 6; Clip 10; 
  Rld Full).
  SpecialRules
  Kroot-served Weapon Platform: Krootox 
  are always accompanied by a rider (see page 
  20), a single Kroot who operates the Kroot Gun 
  lashed to its back. The Krootox and the rider are 
  treated as two separate targets. When fired at from 
  the front, the rider may benefit from the cover 
  afforded him by the sheer muscular bulk of the 
  usIng krootoX
  Krootox make great complications when a Kill-team 
  is having things a little too easy. Adding them in 
  to larger hordes of Kroot Carnivores is a great way 
  of forcing the players to rethink their plans and 
  approach the combat in a different manner. Krootox 
  can also be used on their own, perhaps in groups and 
  positioned to defend key points in the mission. The 
  combination of heavy firepower and brutal strength 
  makes the Krootox formidable enemies that have to be 
  approached with great caution.
  18
  18
  18
  by the presence of an enemy and their 
  hugely powerful arms and fists are 
  capable of staving in vehicle hulls 
  and power armour with equal 
  Krootox and their riders 
  are usually encountered in 
  only small numbers and 
  it is not uncommon for 
  individual beasts to be found 
  within a larger group of Kroot 
  Carnivores. This provides 
  the Carnivores with a 
  degree of fire support 
  as well as substantially 
  augmenting 
  its 
  close 
  combat 
  capabilities. Some 
  have noted that 
  this deployment 
  is not one learned 
  or copied from 
  the Tau, as the 
  Fire Caste do not 
  make use of team-
  level heavy weapons 
  but instead rely on 
  close integration and 
  cooperation 
  with 
  specialised fire support 
  units. 
  Ordo 
  Xenos 
  savants have postulated 
  that the Kroot are either 
  by the muscular bulk of the beast, and the first missed shot will 
  by the muscular bulk of the beast, and the first missed shot will 
  draw an enraged charge.
  draw an enraged charge.
  Krootox (Elite) Profile
  Krootox (Elite) Profile
  WS
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  (18)
  (10)
  40
  —
  60
  55
  Movement:
  Movement: 3/6/9/18
  Skills: Climb (S), Concealment (Ag) +10, Silent Move 
  (Ag) +10. 
  Talents: Furious Assault, Leap Up, Resistance 
  (Fear). 
  Traits: Auto-stabilised, Brutal Charge, Improved 
  Natural 
  Weapons, 
  Natural 
  Weapons 
  (Beak, Fists), Quadruped, Size (Hulking), 
  Sturdy, Unnatural Strength (x3), Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2).
  Weapons:
  (2d10+18 I; Pen 2; Concussive), kroot gun 
  (150m; S/2/–; 3d10+8 I; Pen 6; Clip 10; 
  Rld Full).
  Special Rules
  Kroot-served
  are always accompanied by a rider (see page 
  20), a single Kroot who operates the Kroot Gun 
  lashed to its back. The Krootox and the rider are 
  treated as two separate targets. When fired at from 
  the front, the rider may benefit from the cover 
  afforded him by the sheer muscular bulk of the 
  
  19
  I: The Alien Threat
  I: The Alien Threat
  I: The Alien Threat
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  I have recently inloaded to the data-repository a number of pict-feeds showing the beasts known as Krootox in 
  action. One was captured via the sensorium of Brother Skasith’s Tactical Dreadnought armour, and shows in 
  graphic detail an engagement fought at extremely close range between Skasith’s team and a number of Krootox. 
  Another was captured by the machine spirit of a Rhino belonging to the White Scars Chapter, during the assault 
  on the Tau city of Gel’Bryn during the Damocles Gulf Crusade. Both show the creatures’ incredible physiology, 
  and serve to emphasise the damage they can inflict in both close combat and at range. The weapon carried on 
  the Krootox’s back is in essence a simple, large bore, breach-loaded cannon, but as is common amongst Kroot 
  firearms, the ammunition has been modified by the Tau. Instead of the solid slug or explosive rounds the guns 
  must once have utilised, they now consist of an impact-fused, high-yield plasma core that affords the round 
  improved armour-piercing capabilities for its size and weight. One feed shows the weapon penetrating the 
  side armour of a Rhino, and subsequent examination of the damage confirmed its properties. While the rounds 
  should not be able to penetrate ceramite by chemical effect alone, their velocity and ballistic characteristics 
  certainly make them a threat that all brethren should be made aware of.
  In terms of the beasts’ close combat potential, it has been observed that their muscle density and bone strength 
  is extremely high in comparison to their size and mass, even compared to the already elevated characteristics 
  of Kroot Carnivores. They are extremely tough and in addition have a high tolerance to tissue damage and 
  the resulting pain. This is perhaps due to a regressed nervous system, a factor which in the wild might be a 
  disadvantage but in service to the Kroot is a significant advantage, as it causes the Krootox to fight on when 
  others might be incapacitated. 
  According to the footage captured by Brother Skasith’s sensorium, the beasts are capable of causing significant 
  damage using their fists alone. During that action, one crippled a Battle-Brother wearing Mark 7 armour, and 
  significantly damaged Skasith’s Terminator suit. Fortunately, Brother Skasith was equipped with a chainfist, 
  a weapon against which even the toughest of creatures have little defence. While he was not able to recover an 
  intact specimen, Skasith’s Kill-team returned with many samples of Krootox blood.
  Further Addendum, added 767.M41:
  It was on my ill-fated, third deployment to the cursed warzone of Baraban that I first encountered Kroot 
  Knarlocs in the field. I was attached to Brother Djan’s Kill-team, and my attentions were focused entirely 
  upon holding at bay the aetheric manifestations that bedevil the forests of that world. I had been doing so 
  for almost an entire day, and while my efforts had spared my Battle-Brothers from the worst of the effects, 
  I myself was suffering considerable strain. It was as we approached a forest glade three hundred kilometres 
  out from Bastion Delta-9 that the Kroot attacked. The air was split by the thunder of heavy calibre gunfire, 
  and Brother Nahn went down straight away having sustained a direct hit to the head. We deployed as per 
  standard contact drill, rallying around Brother Silsten who laid down a withering suppressive fire with his 
  heavy bolter. I extended my senses into the treeline, and detected there the presence of at least half a dozen 
  brutal, if simple minds – Knarloc. I shouted a warning, and seconds later the treeline exploded into motion as 
  the beasts burst forth. Thanks to my warning, my brothers were able to direct their fire on the enemy and three 
  were down before they could cross the glade and strike our line. We were ready and able to repulse them, but 
  only just. 
  
  20
  I: The Alien Threat
  Krootox. Any shot fired at either target that misses by one 
  Degree of Failure or less will strike the other instead.
  KNARLOC
  Knarlocs are voracious and highly 
  successful predators from the Kroot 
  home world of Pech. They live in 
  small packs and hunt together through 
  the forests of Pech, cooperating 
  to bring down larger foes such as 
  the Great Knarloc or coordinating 
  complex pursuits of fleet Kroot Hound 
  packs. 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, 
  who capture entire packs and domesticate them, 
  as far as is possible with such a wild creature. 
  Kroot Kindreds utilise Knarlocs for a wide range 
  of uses, most commonly as scouts and trackers. Because the 
  beasts are native to the dense forests of Pech, they are well able to 
  negotiate any type of rough terrain, from sweltering rain forests to  
  urban warzones.
  When Imperial forces first encountered 
  Knarlocs and the Ordo Xenos set about 
  analysing them, the beasts were taken as a 
  form of raptor—agile, bird-like lizards. As 
  more of the Kroot’s unique evolution and 
  physiology 
  became 
  understood 
  however, the savants of the Ordo 
  Xenos all but abandoned hope of 
  understanding or cataloguing the 
  boundless variety displayed by the 
  species. They realised that the Knarloc 
  was not a bird-like creature at all, but 
  more resembled a Kroot Carnivore 
  whose form has become stooped and 
  distended by the rapid development 
  that characterises the species. The genetic 
  ties between Kroot and Knarloc are plain 
  to see and the two groups share many 
  common physical traits, including the 
  razor-sharp beak that makes the mounts 
  effective as assault troops as well as scouts.
  Groups of Knarloc-mounted trackers 
  are most often encountered ranging far 
  ahead of their force. 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 all but silent and make 
  use of every possible scrap of cover to remain concealed. When 
  launching an ambush it is common for the riders to dismount, 
  sometimes using their mount’s form as additional concealment or 
  cover. Other Kindreds, generally those in possession of more vicious 
  beasts, utilise them more like heavy cavalry, launching devastating 
  charges from their ambush positions and overwhelming their target  
  within seconds.
  Knarloc riders equip themselves according to the character 
  of their mount and the tactic 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.
  Knarloc (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  40
  —
  50
  45
  50
  10
  35
  10
  ––
  Movement: 8/16/24/48  
   
  Wounds: 50
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10. 
  Traits: 
  Bestial 
  (only 
  applies 
  if 
  rider 
  is 
  killed), 
  Fieldcraft, 
  Improved 
  Natural 
  Weapons, 
  Natural 
  Weapon 
  (Beak), 
  Size 
  (Hulking), 
  Unnatural  
  Strength (x2). 
  Weapons: Beak (1d10+10 R; Pen 2).
  Krootox. Any shot fired at either target that misses by one 
  Degree of Failure or less will strike the other instead.
  home world of Pech. They live in 
  small packs and hunt together through 
  the forests of Pech, cooperating 
  to bring down larger foes such as 
  the Great Knarloc or coordinating 
  complex pursuits of fleet Kroot Hound 
  packs. The term Knarloc actually 
  covers a wide variety of creatures, all 
  exhibiting similar characteristics 
  the clawed forearms that others 
  display, while some are tall and lean. All 
  of these varieties are highly prized by the Kroot, 
  who capture entire packs and domesticate them, 
  as far as is possible with such a wild creature. 
  Kroot Kindreds utilise Knarlocs for a wide range 
  of uses, most commonly as scouts and trackers. Because the 
  When Imperial forces first encountered 
  Knarlocs and the Ordo Xenos set about 
  analysing them, the beasts were taken as a 
  form of raptor—agile, bird-like lizards. As 
  more of the Kroot’s unique evolution and 
  distended by the rapid development 
  that characterises the species. The genetic 
  ties between Kroot and Knarloc are plain 
  to see and the two groups share many 
  common physical traits, including the 
  razor-sharp beak that makes the mounts 
  effective as assault troops as well as scouts.
  are most often encountered ranging far 
  ahead of their force. While not as fast in 
  the open as a Pathfinder team mounted 
  adVenture seeds
  Kidnapping: A Knarloc-mounted Kindred has kidnapped 
  a senior Adept of the Departmento Tacticae, presumably 
  on the orders of their Tau masters (this presumption is 
  based on the fact that the Kroot don’t normally take live 
  prisoners, unless it’s to keep the meat fresh on a long 
  journey!). The Kill-team answers a plea for aid in tracking 
  down the Knarloc riders and recovering the Adept, and a 
  tense pursuit ensues across the wilderness. Matching their 
  skills against the Kroot is a trial indeed, and if the Kroot 
  detect their pursuers they make every effort to counter-
  attack and misdirect the Battle-Brothers. Eventually 
  however, the Kindred reaches a Tau lander and hands 
  over the prisoner. The Kill-team has one last chance to 
  intervene before the Adept is shipped off to the Velk’Han 
  Sept, along with whatever military secrets he holds in 
  his head.
  Pursuit: One way of using Knarloc-riding Kroot Kindreds 
  is as an additional complication at the end of the mission, 
  once the Kill-team’s primary objective is completed and 
  they are in the process of extricating themselves from the 
  theatre of operations. The Knarlocs can be used to pursue 
  the Battle-Brothers, harrying them all the way to their 
  exfiltration point. Knarloc riders are capable of harassing 
  their foe from a distance using their long rifles, and have 
  the speed and stamina to keep the pursuit up for days on 
  end, forcing the Kill-team to engage their pursuers before 
  they can return to their vessel and leave.
  
  21
  I: The Alien Threat
  GREAT KNARLOC
  When Ordo Xenos savants and Adeptus Mechanicus biologists 
  accompanying the Achilus Crusade first saw footage of the 
  huge Great Knarloc, they took it for some kind of archaic 
  precursor remnant of the Kroot species. They compared it to 
  the saurian creatures that are found on many other planets 
  across the galaxy, seeking to explain the creature’s bizarre 
  form. Of course, with such a narrow frame of reference, 
  the Great Knarloc made no sense, and it was only when the 
  unique genetic traits of the Kroot species was discovered that 
  a deeper understanding dawned. The Great Knarloc was not, 
  the savants realised, some primitive, pre-historical ancestor 
  that somehow survived into the present day. It was instead 
  a close relative of the Kroot, representing a branch of the 
  same genus or family and as such shared many of its basic 
  characteristics.
  Great Knarlocs are large beasts, their powerful bodies 
  powered by massive, muscular rear legs which while 
  not especially fast are capable of bearing 
  heavy weights and allow the Great 
  Knarloc to trek huge distances without 
  tiring. They have smaller frontal limbs, 
  which they use to grasp food and to scavenge in 
  undergrowth or soft earth. Their heads are 
  visibly similar to the Kroot’s, though 
  the proportions are different. 
  Great Knarlocs have small 
  eyes and poor eyesight, 
  and massive beaks that 
  they use to disable prey 
  and tear flesh and bone 
  apart. Great Knarlocs 
  are solitary creatures, 
  dwelling in the deep 
  forests of Pech. They 
  rarely 
  actively 
  hunt, 
  subsisting on a range 
  of food sources, from 
  carrion to creatures they 
  happen to stumble upon 
  in their environment. 
  They remain relatively 
  docile 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  time, but when angered 
  they display savage bursts 
  of violence. These characteristics make 
  them ideal for use as domesticated beasts 
  amongst the Kroot, who utilise them in a 
  variety of roles.
  Many 
  Kroot 
  Kindreds, 
  especially 
  the 
  mercenary groupings that range far from their 
  home world, utilise Great Knarlocs as baggage 
  animals. The beasts are loaded with all the 
  supplies the Kroot may require, acting as both 
  mobile arsenals and pantries. Great Knarlocs 
  utilised in this manner are attended by a small 
  group of handlers and often muzzled in case they 
  become enraged and attack their keepers. While it is not 
  intended that these baggage beasts should be required to 
  fight in battle, if a supply column should be ambushed they 
  are quite capable of defending themselves. The handlers use 
  their sharp goads to enrage the creature, driving it towards 
  the enemy on which it vents its anger until little more than 
  the crushed and broken bodies of the foe remains.
  Other Great Knarlocs are used as living battering rams, 
  driven into battle by highly experienced handlers. These 
  beasts are selected for their speed and aggression, which 
  is moderated by pheromone excretions produced by the 
  handlers. In battle, they are driven straight at the enemy, 
  scattering their formations and crushing any not fast enough 
  to get out of the way. A fully-grown and suitably goaded 
  Greater Knarloc is capable of tearing armour panels with its 
  huge beak and smashing an armoured vehicle apart. It is a 
  truly terrifying opponent to face.
  More easily controlled Great Knarlocs are sometimes 
  used as platforms for a variety of primitive heavy weapons. 
  Huge crossbows and cannons are strapped 
  to a crude saddle and crewed 
  by two or more Kroot. 
  These weapons are 
  similar in nature 
  to the Kroot 
  rifle, in that 
  they represent 
  the 
  simple 
  technology 
  of the Kroot 
  upgraded 
  by 
  the Tau. Instead 
  of iron bolts for 
  example, the Kroot 
  bolt 
  thrower 
  fires 
  explosive-tipped rounds, 
  utilising the same technology 
  normally seen in Tau smart 
  missile systems. 
  Imperial forces facing Great 
  Knarlocs have found it necessary 
  to treat them as enemy vehicle 
  targets and bring anti-armour 
  weaponry to bear in order to halt 
  their charge before it hits 
  home. The creatures’ large 
  mass makes them mostly 
  invulnerable 
  to 
  small 
  arms fire and they are tremendously 
  resilient to wounds that would 
  cripple most other beasts. 
  Targeting the handlers is a 
  risky tactic, for without them 
  the beasts become even more enraged and often attack the 
  nearest prey, friend or foe, with renewed savagery. It has 
  been found that pinpoint sniping while the Great Knarloc 
  is surrounded by other Kroot is the most effective tactic, for 
  repeated shots can drive it to attack nearby troops out of 
  sheer rage.
  Great Knarlocs are large beasts, their powerful bodies 
  Great Knarlocs are large beasts, their powerful bodies 
  powered by massive, muscular rear legs which while 
  not especially fast are capable of bearing 
  heavy weights and allow the Great 
  Knarloc to trek huge distances without 
  tiring. They have smaller frontal limbs, 
  which they use to grasp food and to scavenge in 
  undergrowth or soft earth. Their heads are 
  visibly similar to the Kroot’s, though 
  the proportions are different. 
  Great Knarlocs have small 
  eyes and poor eyesight, 
  and massive beaks that 
  they use to disable prey 
  subsisting on a range 
  of food sources, from 
  carrion to creatures they 
  happen to stumble upon 
  in their environment. 
  They remain relatively 
  docile 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  time, but when angered 
  they display savage bursts 
  of violence. These characteristics make 
  them ideal for use as domesticated beasts 
  amongst the Kroot, who utilise them in a 
  Many 
  Kroot 
  Kindreds, 
  especially 
  the 
  mercenary groupings that range far from their 
  home world, utilise Great Knarlocs as baggage 
  animals. The beasts are loaded with all the 
  supplies the Kroot may require, acting as both 
  mobile arsenals and pantries. Great Knarlocs 
  utilised in this manner are attended by a small 
  used as platforms for a variety of primitive heavy weapons. 
  Huge crossbows and cannons are strapped 
  to a crude saddle and crewed 
  by two or more Kroot. 
  These weapons are 
  similar in nature 
  to the Kroot 
  the Tau. Instead 
  of iron bolts for 
  example, the Kroot 
  bolt 
  thrower 
  fires 
  explosive-tipped rounds, 
  utilising the same technology 
  normally seen in Tau smart 
  missile systems. 
  Imperial forces facing Great 
  Knarlocs have found it necessary 
  to treat them as enemy vehicle 
  targets and bring anti-armour 
  weaponry to bear in order to halt 
  their charge before it hits 
  home. The creatures’ large 
  mass makes them mostly 
  invulnerable 
  to 
  small 
  arms fire and they are tremendously 
  resilient to wounds that would 
  cripple most other beasts. 
  Targeting the handlers is a 
  risky tactic, for without them 
  the beasts become even more enraged and often attack the 
  nearest prey, friend or foe, with renewed savagery. It has 
  been found that pinpoint sniping while the Great Knarloc 
  is surrounded by other Kroot is the most effective tactic, for 
  repeated shots can drive it to attack nearby troops out of 
  
  22
  I: The Alien Threat
  Great Knarloc (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (18)
  (10)
  40
  —
  65
  50
  30
  15
  45
  35
  ––
  Movement: 6/12/18/36 
  Wounds: 120
  Skills: Awareness (Per).
  Traits: Fieldcraft, Unnatural Strength x3, Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2), Size (Enormous), Stampede.
  Weapons: Beak (1d10+18 R; Pen 2). If equipped with a 
  howdah, then a Kroot Bolt Thrower (60m; S/–/–; 2d10+10 
  X; Pen 2; Clip 20; Rld Full; Blast [3], Mounted) or a twin-linked 
  Kroot Gun (150m; S/2/–; 3d10+8 I; Pen 6; Clip 10; Rld 
  Full; Twin-linked) will be mounted.
  SpecialRules
  Irascible: Every time a Great Knarloc takes Damage it must 
  take a Challenging(+0)WillpowerTest as per the Stampede 
  Trait rules. If the test is failed by one Degree of Failure or more 
  it will charge the nearest target, friend or foe. Otherwise, a 
  failed test results in the beast charging straight forward.
  Handlers: Great Knarlocs are accompanied by one to five 
  handlers. These either run alongside the beast on foot, or if 
  it has a weapon mounted on its back, hang on for dear life 
  to a crude saddle. At least half of the handlers are equipped 
  with goads (see below) and the remainder with Kroot Rifles.
  Goad: Kroot handlers use their goads to enrage the Great 
  Knarlocs and cause them to stampede. A handler equipped 
  with a goad, who is riding or within 2 metres of a Great 
  Knarloc, may force the beast to take a Willpower Test as per the 
  Stampede Trait rule and modified by the Irascible rule above.
  adVenture seeds
  Great Knarlocs are most likely to be encountered in 
  one of two situations. The first is when the Kroot are 
  launching a large scale, all-out assault upon a strong 
  enemy, in which case they utilise the huge beasts as 
  living engines of war and as battering rams. In all 
  likelihood, it is the Imperial Guard regiments that have 
  to endure these attacks rather than the smaller Kill-
  teams, but the Battle-Brothers might find themselves 
  present during such an attack and be forced to take a 
  hand to stave off the collapse of an entire defence line. 
  The other situation is when the Kill-team is engaged 
  upon a mission against a Kroot camp or settlement. 
  In this case, Great Knarlocs might be present and as 
  such can provide the Kill-team with a major obstacle 
  if the Kroot are able to goad them into action. Should 
  a Kill-team discover that their target includes one or 
  more Great Knarlocs, they would be well advised to 
  deal with the beasts from afar using heavy weapons 
  or perhaps to use a sniper rifle to enrage the beast 
  and sow confusion amongst the Kroot as the Battle-
  Brothers sneak in and complete their mission.
   Kroot handlers use their goads to enrage the Great 
  To Codicier Taelon, by the hand of Watch Captain Ǽthan, 406817.M41
  It is both my sad duty and my great honour to report to you the death of our brother 
  Tariaq, and to commit to the archive the manner in which he gave his life. Tariaq was 
  serving under me on a mission to Veren, a reconnaissance intended to penetrate the 
  furthest reaches of the coral tunnels that run northwards beneath the Umbra Sea. Remote 
  prognost rituals had raised the possibility that the Tau were using previously unknown 
  technology to move troops around the contested world, a disturbing possibility that had 
  to be investigated as matter of urgency. Three days out of Cavern Sub–223, we picked up 
  the auspex spoor of a large enemy force, and followed it for another two days before 
  coming upon its source. The spoor was that of a Kroot supply column consisting of a 
  dozen of the beasts known as “Great Knarlocs” and around a hundred Kroot. We observed 
  the column entering a massive cavern three kilometres beneath the sea bed, and followed. 
  What we saw within was astounding. The mighty, naturally formed cavern was aglow with 
  bioluminescence cast from hundreds of rearing fungal forms growing from the cavern’s 
  floor and walls. Furthermore, we soon saw that these flora were being used by the Kroot as 
  the basis for a substantial settlement. Crude dwellings constructed of hide, wood and 
  metal clung to the side of the huge fungi, connected by way of hundreds of  
  precarious walkways. 
  Seeing an opportunity to disrupt the enemy’s operations in this region of Veren, we set 
  a series of demolition charges designed to bring down as much of the cavern as possible. 
  The charges were set and Tariaq was the last of the team to return to our position, 
  when our presence was betrayed. The Kroot exploded into action, unleashing the Greater 
  Knarlocs and goading them towards us. Tariaq was cut off and faced with the charge of 
  three of the beasts. To my utter amazement, he killed two of them and wounded the third 
  before he was overrun, and in so doing afforded the remainder of the team the time we 
  needed to withdraw and detonate the charges. The first beast he slew by hauling himself 
  up onto its back, cleaving a deep wound in its side and planting a melta bomb within. 
  The second he brought down by way of hamstringing its huge rear legs with his power 
  sword, and beheading it once it was down. The third he blinded with pinpoint bolt pistol 
  shots to its eyes, but not before it had him in its terrible grip. I did not see how 
  Tariaq fared in the last seconds of his life, for I was forced to detonate the charges 
  that brought a vast section of the cavern down upon him and the beast, and many more of 
  our enemies.
  I commit his memory to the archives that he shall live on forever in the annals  
  of glory. 
  
  23
  I: The Alien Threat
  KROOT HOUND
  “Recon Lead in position, Kroot encampment in sight. Recon Two, 
  commence infiltration, over. Recon Two? Recon Two, report status, 
  over…”
  –Scout Captain Khorvah, Volg 91st Light Infantry
  As the name suggests, Kroot Hounds are dog-like creatures 
  of the Kroot genus, evolved to a standstill as savage and agile 
  attack beasts. Kroot Hounds are highly intelligent in a bestial 
  sort of way, and well able to understand the instructions of their 
  handlers. They are also highly temperamental, and prone to 
  attacking their keepers should they get the opportunity. Those 
  Kroot tasked with keeping the Kroot Hounds in line are often 
  covered in scars, but they develop a close bond with their charges 
  over time and act as one in the field.
  The beasts are the size of a large dog, with a series of sensory 
  ganglia running along their spine with which they are able to 
  detect the presence of enemies and prey even within very dense 
  terrain. They are wiry of frame, yet just like the Kroot themselves, 
  possessed of a toughness that belies their apparent fragility. 
  Facially, Kroot Hounds are ugly beasts, and they share the under-
  bite beak of the Carnivores.
  Kroot Hounds serve many functions within Kroot society. 
  They serve as watch-beasts in Kroot settlements, both the 
  permanent ones on Pech and the other Kroot worlds, as well 
  as the temporary encampments that spring up wherever the 
  Kroot travel. 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 
  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 foolhardy foe, who soon after is likely 
  to become the Kroot’s next meal.
  Kroot Hounds are often 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 
  as they do in the forests of Pech, ambushing any they encounter 
  and bringing them down with ruthless efficiency. 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.
  The beasts are also employed on the field of battle, serving 
  as guards for high-ranking Kroot such as Shapers and Master 
  Shapers, and in packs controlled by handlers. The handlers 
  must be fleet of foot indeed to keep up with their charges 
  once their blood is up, for the Kroot Hounds are used to 
  move swiftly around the flanks of the enemy and launch 
  lightning-fast attacks upon exposed units. When attacked 
  by large numbers of Kroot Hounds, even the largest of foes 
  can be dragged down and gored to death by their beak-like 
  maws, a fate many Imperial Guardsmen have been executed 
  for running away from.
  Kroot Hound (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  40
  —
  40
  30
  40
  18
  45
  30
  ––
  Movement: 8/16/24/48  
   
  Wounds: 18
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +20, Concealment (Ag) +20, Silent 
  Move (Ag), Tracking (Int) +20.
  Talents: Heightened Senses (Hearing, Smell), Sprint, 
  Takedown.
  Traits: Bestial, Improved Natural Weapons, Natural Weapon 
  (Kroot Beak), Quadruped.
  Weapons: Beak (1d10+8 R; Pen 0).
  Horde: Kroot Hounds can be used as a Horde (see page 359 
  of the Deathwatch Rulebook).
  adVenture seed
  A great way to make use of Kroot Hounds is to have 
  savage packs of them ranging the area in which the Kill-
  team is operating, hunting down intruders and launching 
  vicious ambushes at the worst possible moment. The 
  player characters will have to keep their eyes, ears and 
  auspexes on high alert if there are Kroot Hounds in the 
  area, for the beasts are well able to track even the most 
  stealthy and cunning of enemies. They also have the 
  intelligence to strike when their prey is most vulnerable, 
  a fact that makes them ideal for use by the GM when he 
  wants to add an additional layer of challenge to a mission.
  
  24
  I: The Alien Threat
  TAU PATHFINDER
  “Recon gamma three reports contact with Tau Pathfinders, single 
  squad. That means we can expect company. Operations? I want all 
  companies deployed and ready within the hour or we’re all dead!”
  –Lord Colonel Silvestri, 9th Scintillan Heavy Infantry prior 
  to the Battle of Loath
  Pathfinder teams provide Tau Hunter Cadres with long-
  range reconnaissance capabilities. Utilising specially adapted, 
  anti-grav Devilfish troop carriers, Pathfinder teams range far 
  ahead of the Cadre in search of enemy forces. They maintain 
  a close watch on the foe while remaining expertly hidden, 
  reporting details of the enemy’s nature and disposition by 
  way of highly encrypted, nigh undetectable communication 
  systems. Pathfinder teams are also deployed in the role of 
  aggressive patrol groups, maintaining dominance over a wide 
  area around a stationary Hunter Cadre and detecting any 
  enemy forces that attempt to approach. Occasionally, an entire 
  Hunter Cadre of Pathfinders is tasked with a mission, such as 
  exploring a newly discovered planet and ascertaining if it is 
  suitable for colonisation.
  Pathfinders are equipped with a range of specialised 
  equipment to aid in their mission. Every member of the team 
  carries a Markerlight, a laser designator device attached to his 
  firearm that projects an all but invisible, highly focused beam 
  of light at a potential target. The Markerlight is networked to 
  a support weapon platform such as a Hammerhead gunship, 
  and transmits precise targeting information in order to guide 
  the fire of such units. When used to guide the armour-piercing 
  seeker missiles carried as additional weapons on many Tau 
  tanks, the Pathfinders are able to remain hidden as 
  they call in devastatingly powerful and unerringly 
  accurate fire right onto the target. Many Imperial 
  troops have come to fear the small, red dot 
  of light that appears on the body on those 
  about to be slain, and some refer to it as the 
  “Valkyrie’s Mark.”
  The Devilfish troop carriers used by 
  Pathfinder teams are fitted with a larger 
  variant of Markerlight technology 
  called a Marker Beacon. This is used 
  to designate a position to which 
  jump troops and orbital insertion 
  craft can be guided, allowing units such as 
  battlesuit-equipped Crisis teams to drop 
  directly onto their target. 
  Each individual Pathfinder is equipped 
  with a pulse carbine, which is fitted with an 
  underslung photon grenade launcher. The 
  blinding, disorienting effect of the grenades 
  is utilised by the Pathfinders when 
  reacting to sudden and unanticipated 
  contact with their enemies, and they 
  are adept at rapid deployment 
  using their anti-grav carriers. 
  Some Pathfinders replace their 
  carbines with rail rifles, sniper weapons as accurate and deadly 
  as any similar weapon the Imperium is capable of fielding.
  The Deathwatch considers Pathfinder teams high 
  priority targets. When encountered acting as perimeter 
  sentries patrolling the region around a Tau facility they can 
  compromise an entire mission without the Kill-team even 
  knowing they have been detected. The first indication 
  of imminent contact is the telltale red dot appearing 
  upon a Battle-Brother’s armour, followed an instant 
  later by a barrage of seeker missiles. On several 
  occasions, Pathfinder teams have held back 
  while observing an infiltrating force, only 
  calling in fire when their enemy 
  was too far forward to extricate 
  safely. When facing Tau forces 
  likely to be accompanied by 
  Pathfinder teams, the Deathwatch 
  takes exceptional measures to 
  ensure mission security, equipping 
  Kill-teams with all manner of sensor and 
  countermeasure devices.
  tanks, the Pathfinders are able to remain hidden as 
  they call in devastatingly powerful and unerringly 
  accurate fire right onto the target. Many Imperial 
  troops have come to fear the small, red dot 
  of light that appears on the body on those 
  about to be slain, and some refer to it as the 
  The Devilfish troop carriers used by 
  Pathfinder teams are fitted with a larger 
  variant of Markerlight technology 
  called a Marker Beacon. This is used 
  to designate a position to which 
  jump troops and orbital insertion 
  craft can be guided, allowing units such as 
  battlesuit-equipped Crisis teams to drop 
  Each individual Pathfinder is equipped 
  with a pulse carbine, which is fitted with an 
  underslung photon grenade launcher. The 
  blinding, disorienting effect of the grenades 
  is utilised by the Pathfinders when 
  reacting to sudden and unanticipated 
  contact with their enemies, and they 
  priority targets. When encountered acting as perimeter 
  sentries patrolling the region around a Tau facility they can 
  compromise an entire mission without the Kill-team even 
  knowing they have been detected. The first indication 
  of imminent contact is the telltale red dot appearing 
  upon a Battle-Brother’s armour, followed an instant 
  later by a barrage of seeker missiles. On several 
  occasions, Pathfinder teams have held back 
  while observing an infiltrating force, only 
  calling in fire when their enemy 
  was too far forward to extricate 
  safely. When facing Tau forces 
  likely to be accompanied by 
  Pathfinder teams, the Deathwatch 
  takes exceptional measures to 
  ensure mission security, equipping 
  Kill-teams with all manner of sensor and 
  countermeasure devices.
  adVenture seeds
  Infiltration: The Deathwatch has discovered the 
  presence of numerous Tau Pathfinder teams, apparently 
  scouting an uncatalogued world near the Black Reef. 
  This is a worrying development, and the Kill-team is 
  dispatched to discover the Tau’s intentions. Upon making 
  planetfall, the player characters encounter numerous 
  Pathfinder teams. The Kill-team must ascertain what it is 
  that the Pathfinders are looking for and if their presence 
  is a precursor to a Tau takeover of the world. There are 
  many ways the Kill-team can approach the mission, 
  from stealthy observation to capturing a Pathfinder and 
  interrogating him. Whatever approach they take, a deadly 
  game of cat and mouse ensues, as the Pathfinders are 
  adept at discovering enemy movements. Ultimately, the 
  Kill-team must decide how to deal with the Tau presence. 
  Will they attempt to disrupt the Tau, engage them or 
  exfiltrate to return later with a larger force?
  usIng pathFInders
  Pathfinders are most likely to be encountered in the 
  early stages of a mission, perhaps when the Kill-team 
  is reconnoitring the lay of the land and planning an 
  assault on their objective. They can also be present as 
  a precursor to a Tau attack, when their presence, if 
  detected, should be taken as a sign that a significant 
  Tau force is not far behind. 
  
  25
  I: The Alien Threat
  Pathfinder (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  25
  35
  30
  30
  25
  35
  30
  30
  30
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 12
  Skills: Awareness +20 (Per), Common Lore (Tau Empire) 
  (Int), Concealment (+10) (Ag), Dodge (Ag) +10, Shadowing 
  (Ag), Speak Language (Tau) (Int), Tracking (Int).
  Talents: Exotic Weapon Training (Tau Pulse Weapons). 
  Armour: Tau Pathfinder Armour (Head 7, Body 7).
  Weapons: Pulse Carbine (60m; S/–/3; 2d10+2 E; Pen 4; Clip 
  24; Rld Full; Gyro-Stabilised) (with integral Markerlight and 
  underslung photon grenade launcher) or Rail Rifle (150m; 
  S/–/–; 2d10+10 I; Pen 9; Clip 16; Rld Full; Devastating [1], 
  Overheats).
  Gear: Micro-bead, photo-visor and magnoculars incorporated 
  into helmet.
   The Alien Threat
  into helmet.
  25
  25
  25
  25
  I: The Alien Threat
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  I was serving under Watch Captain Kasman, the Emperor guard his soul, the first time I encountered Tau 
  Pathfinders. My team was traversing the polar wastes of a nameless world spinward of Andronicus, tracing 
  the mortis-cant echo of a long dead star-seer. Eighty-three point five hours into the mission, I detected a 
  timid mind-trace belonging not to our target, but to some other group. I informed the Watch Captain, and we 
  continued on our path as if nothing were awry, allowing whoever was trailing us to become lulled into false 
  confidence. Eventually, we came upon a mountain range, and Brother Helskadt peeled off as we entered the 
  pass, doubling back to identify our pursuers. 
  After a further nine hours, Helskadt reported in, having identified the others as a group of Tau Pathfinders. 
  The Pathfinders themselves were of little concern to us, but their mission was. Why were they there? Was it 
  coincidence that we should encounter one another, against all the odds, in such a barren and isolated place? 
  Kasman had his orders from the Watch Commander himself—the spoor of the star-seer had to be traced, so 
  he ordered the team split in half. The Watch Captain took Helskadt, Borsun and Ardikus and led them south 
  with the intention of drawing the Pathfinders away from our objective. I myself led Usto, Alonnso and Llon 
  eastwards, towards the source of the mortis-cant. 
  It appeared to us all that Kasman’s ruse had worked, for we completed the mission successfully without 
  interference from the Tau. Yet, as we extracted by Thunderhawk, I caught the slightest of mind-traces and 
  looked south through the cockpit canopy. There, racing away from us across the cobalt sea was a grav-tank, 
  a Tau Devilfish. The Pathfinders had not fallen for Kasman’s plot at all, and must have observed us the  
  whole time. 
  Upon investigating this matter further, I discovered how. The Tau appear to have a reduced mind-spoor. They 
  are not blanks, let me be quite clear on that, but their presence in the Sea of Souls is somehow muted, as if only 
  tenuously anchored in the material universe. I cannot explain any further at this time, but I intend to make 
  the issue a subject for further study. We were fortunate in that our mission was not ultimately compromised 
  and the Tau were only observing. The next mission may not be so lucky.
  pathFInders and hordes
  Pathfinders usually operate in smaller squads and will 
  only very rarely be encountered as a Horde. When 
  they form a Horde, Pathfinders gain the Fighting 
  Withdrawal and Fire Drill Traits.
  
  26
  I: The Alien Threat
  VESPID STINGWING
  “Let me tell you son, when you hear that sound, you’ve got three 
  seconds to grab your lasgun and then they’re on you.”
  –Corporal Hahnsen of the 45th Scintilla Guard
  Vespid is a world within the Tau Empire, located 
  approximately three light years 
  from the Sept world of D’yanoi. 
  The world is home to a single 
  sentient species, known as 
  the Vespid, or “mal’kor” in 
  the Tau tongue. The term 
  Stingwing was coined by the 
  first Imperial units to survive 
  contact with the species, and 
  has become almost universal 
  amongst the Imperial Guard.
  The world of Vespid is a 
  gas giant, its dark, violet-
  hued 
  skies 
  wracked 
  by 
  continuous and violent storms. 
  This environment would appear an 
  unlikely crucible for any form 
  of life, yet alone a sentient 
  species, but the Vespid are 
  far from conventional in 
  their biology. The upper layers of the planet’s atmosphere 
  are host to many thousands of floating islands of rock, kept 
  aloft by lighter-than-air gas trapped within. The islands 
  are flat-topped and become narrower towards the base, 
  giving them the appearance of vast, floating stalactites. 
  The Vespids make their homes within these structures, using 
  their diamond-hard claws to hollow them out like termite 
  mounds. Because the islands are so large, the air pressure 
  varies significantly between topmost and bottommost levels. 
  The lower levels are host to all manner of exotic and unique 
  types of crystal, which only the larger female Vespids have 
  the constitution to reach and harvest. These crystals are the 
  basis of the species’ technology, one type of which is used in 
  the construction of the deadly neutron blaster utilised by the 
  Stingwings in battle.
  The Vespids themselves are a vaguely insectoid species, 
  though this narrow term is an imperfect one that fails to 
  account for many aspects of their unusual physiology. Their 
  bodies are encased in a chitinous exoskeleton, and sports 
  many lethally sharp barbs. They see by way of three pairs of 
  eyes, one pair perceiving the ultraviolet range, one the normal 
  visible spectrum, and the last the infrared. It is assumed 
  that the Vespids see in all three ranges simultaneously, and 
  therefore have a perception of their surroundings unique to 
  their race. Vespids can fly by way of a pair of hard chitin 
  wings, which also emit a continuous ultrasonic tone with 
  which the species appears able to modulate and control the 
  workings of their crystal technology. The functioning of 
  the wings is a great mystery to the biologis of the Adeptus 
  Mechanicus accompanying the Achilus Crusade, who flatly 
  state that the Stingwings should not be able to fly according 
  to any known laws of bio-aerodynamics.
  When the Tau first encountered the Vespids, they saw a 
  species of great potential value to the Greater Good and much 
  coveted their crystal-based technologies. Although the species 
  had developed a reasonably stable planetary government and 
  was able to utilise its technology for a wide variety of uses, 
  it had not yet achieved space flight. Tau Water Caste 
  cadres established contact, yet were unable at 
  first to communicate with the species. This 
  was not a mundane matter of vocalisation 
  or the understanding of language, 
  for the Vespids have an utterly alien 
  mindset. Initially, the Tau were not only unable to 
  communicate, but incapable of getting the Vespids 
  to even register that they were fellow sentients. 
  The matter was eventually resolved at the command of the 
  Ethereal Caste, who issued instructions for the construction 
  of an interface device that forged a connection between the 
  two species and facilitated communication. The moment the 
  device was employed, the Vespid not only registered the Tau, 
  they instantly understood the concept of the Greater Good 
  and their place within it. By gifting senior Vespids with 
  “communion helms” fitted with the interface device, 
  the Tau are able to communicate with the species at 
  large. Their will is disseminated to those under 
  the command of these “strain leaders,” and 
  they become able to decipher their role 
  as befits the Greater Good. Needless 
  to say, certain factions within the 
  Inquisition would very much like 
  to learn more of the workings of  
  this device.
  Vespid Stingwing (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  35
  45
  30
  45
  60
  25
  30
  30
  15
  Movement: 4/8/12/28 
   
   
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag) +10, 
  Speak Language (Tau, Vespid) (Int), Survival (Int).
  Talents: Exotic Weapon Training (Vespid Neutron Blaster), 
  Catfall, Chem Geld, Hard Target, Lightning Reflexes. 
  Traits: Dark Sight, Flyer (10), Natural Armour (Chitin), 
  Improved Natural Weapons, Natural Weapons (Claws), 
  Unnatural Senses (see in normal, infrared and ultraviolet 
  bands), Unnatural Toughness (x2). 
  Armour: Chitin (All 3).
  Weapons: Claws (1d10+3; Pen 4), neutron blaster (30m; 
  S/–/–; 1d10+12 E; Pen 8; Toxic). 
  Gear: Strain Leader has Communion Helm.
  Horde: Vespid Stingwings can be used as a Horde (see 
  Hordes on page 359 of the Deathwatch Rulebook).
  SpecialRules
  StrainLeader: One member of the Horde must be designated 
  a Strain Leader. This individual has the same profile as the 
  rest of the Stingwings, but wears the Communion Helm.
  seconds to grab your lasgun and then they’re on you.”
  –Corporal Hahnsen of the 45th Scintilla Guard
  Vespid is a world within the Tau Empire, located 
  approximately three light years 
  from the Sept world of D’yanoi. 
  The world is home to a single 
  sentient species, known as 
  the Vespid, or “mal’kor” in 
  the Tau tongue. The term 
  Stingwing was coined by the 
  first Imperial units to survive 
  contact with the species, and 
  has become almost universal 
  amongst the Imperial Guard.
  The world of Vespid is a 
  gas giant, its dark, violet-
  hued 
  skies 
  wracked 
  by 
  continuous and violent storms. 
  This environment would appear an 
  unlikely crucible for any form 
  of life, yet alone a sentient 
  species, but the Vespid are 
  far from conventional in 
  their biology. The upper layers of the planet’s atmosphere 
  are host to many thousands of floating islands of rock, kept 
  aloft by lighter-than-air gas trapped within. The islands 
  are flat-topped and become narrower towards the base, 
  giving them the appearance of vast, floating stalactites. 
  The Vespids make their homes within these structures, using 
  their diamond-hard claws to hollow them out like termite 
  was able to utilise its technology for a wide variety of uses, 
  was able to utilise its technology for a wide variety of uses, 
  it had not yet achieved space flight. Tau Water Caste 
  cadres established contact, yet were unable at 
  first to communicate with the species. This 
  was not a mundane matter of vocalisation 
  or the understanding of language, 
  for the Vespids have an utterly alien 
  mindset. Initially, the Tau were not only unable to 
  communicate, but incapable of getting the Vespids 
  to even register that they were fellow sentients. 
  The matter was eventually resolved at the command of the 
  The matter was eventually resolved at the command of the 
  Ethereal Caste, who issued instructions for the construction 
  Ethereal Caste, who issued instructions for the construction 
  of an interface device that forged a connection between the 
  of an interface device that forged a connection between the 
  two species and facilitated communication. The moment the 
  two species and facilitated communication. The moment the 
  device was employed, the Vespid not only registered the Tau, 
  device was employed, the Vespid not only registered the Tau, 
  they instantly understood the concept of the Greater Good 
  they instantly understood the concept of the Greater Good 
  and their place within it. By gifting senior Vespids with 
  “communion helms” fitted with the interface device, 
  the Tau are able to communicate with the species at 
  large. Their will is disseminated to those under 
  the command of these “strain leaders,” and 
  they become able to decipher their role 
  as befits the Greater Good. Needless 
  to say, certain factions within the 
  Vespid Stingwing (Troops) Profile
  Vespid Stingwing (Troops) Profile
  
  27
  I: The Alien Threat
  VespId CoMMunIon helM
  Communion Helms are Tau-manufactured masks or 
  helmets worn by Vespid Strain Leaders. Even among 
  the Tau, the technology utilised in the Communion 
  Helm is largely a mystery, as the Earth Caste created 
  the devices following the directives of the Ethereals. 
  What is known is that the Vespids view the world 
  around them in a very different way to most other 
  sentient beings, and their frame of reference is so 
  far removed they often fail to relate to other species 
  as even sentient, yet alone a friend or enemy. The 
  Communion Helm allows for communication between 
  the two species, although some amongst the Ordo 
  Xenos believe that the helm actually attunes its wearer 
  to the worldview of the Tau. 
  As long as the Strain Leader is alive and conscious, 
  the Stingwings act normally. The Communion Helm 
  effectively grants the wearer the Speak Language 
  (Tau) Skill, and counts as a micro-bead. If the Strain 
  Leader is killed however, the remaining Stingwings 
  must take a WillpowerTest each turn. The first such 
  test is Trivial, but every turn the Horde is without 
  a Strain Leader it increases by one level of Difficulty 
  until it eventually becomes Hellish. Each turn that 
  the test is passed the Stingwings act normally. Each 
  turn it is failed however the Vespid lose track of their 
  surroundings and act increasingly erratically, in a 
  manner of the GM’s choosing. They may, for example, 
  simply disengage and fly off, but they might equally 
  attack former allies, start firing at harmless rocks, or 
  attempt to burrow into the earth.
  adVenture seeds
  Recovery:An Ordo Xenos Inquisitor has petitioned the 
  Chamber of Vigilance to allow him to lead a Deathwatch 
  Kill-team on a mission to recover a Communion Helm 
  from a Vespid Strain Leader. The Kill-team is ordered 
  to accompany the Inquisitor to the Vespid-held world of 
  Krrk’tikit. While not a great distance from the leading 
  edge of the front, the Kill-team must negotiate the perils 
  of the Black Reef in order to reach their target, and slip 
  past numerous Air Caste patrols before making planetfall. 
  Setting foot upon the world, the Kill-team is in entirely 
  new territory, for no Imperial force has been there before 
  them. They must scout out the Vespids’ holdings so that 
  the Deathwatch’s records can be updated, and locate a 
  suitable Strain Leader to target. Doing so is far from simple 
  however, for Strain Leaders are invariably accompanied by 
  their Strains! The best tactic might be to lure a single group 
  away into the wilderness, but doing so might bring the 
  Battle-Brothers into contact with the strange beings that 
  exist deep beneath the surface. Couple these factors with 
  the hazardous radiation bathing the tunnels in which the 
  Vespid live, and the mission is a perilous one indeed.
  usIng VespId
  Vespid Stingwings can be used by the GM to spring an 
  unexpected trap on unwary player characters. They are 
  often used by the Tau to launch rapid counter attacks 
  against enemies seeking to outflank less manoeuvrable 
  units such as Broadside battlesuit teams or static positions. 
  The Vespid lurk nearby, out of sight, allowing the Kill-
  team to approach before leaping through the air to bring 
  their short-ranged, but highly effective, weapons to bear. 
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  After-action reports relating to these so-called “Stingwings” are fragmentary and often 
  contradictory. I have compiled multiple sources, from Imperial Guard battle tank gun-cam 
  exloads to the sensorium feeds captured by our own Battle-Brothers. The most vivid of 
  these was retrieved on Ravacene, from the sensorium core of the sergeant of a Tactical 
  Squad of the Executioners Chapter, and it showed the Xenos and their weapons in action in 
  graphic detail. The squad was engaging a substantial Kroot force at the eastern extent of 
  the twelfth parallel when the Vespid attacked. The first our Brothers of the Executioners 
  knew of the assault was the high-pitched whine of what later cogi-dissemination revealed 
  to be the creatures’ wings vibrating at incredibly high speed. The xenos burst through 
  the treeline at speed, negotiating the close terrain with apparent ease. While the 
  Executioners deployed faultlessly into a defensive stance, the Vespids were all around 
  them, bringing their weapons to bear from every angle. The sensorium core feeds show the 
  ash-chocked air aglow with arcs of weirdling energy, great cones of radiation pulsing 
  through the jungle. The trees withered and died in seconds and the airborne ash motes 
  flash-burned all around. The squad was slain, but not, I am glad to say, before the 
  Battle-Brothers could exact a terrible cost upon the attackers, slaying several dozen 
  of their number. Most of the sensorium cores were too damaged by the radiation of the 
  Vespids’ weapons to be of any use, but one survived to describe something of the effect 
  the weapons inflicted. The Battle-Brothers’ power armour was of scant use, for the 
  radiation bypassed it, inflicting unutterable damage upon the body within. The armour 
  we recovered was functionally intact, even if the contents of the sensorium core were 
  severely corrupted. The bodies however were not. Perhaps worst of all, the radiation 
  caused such damage that the Battle-Brothers’ gene-seed could not be harvested, for risk 
  of passing on corrupted material. For that, the Vespids shall surely pay dearly.
  
  28
  I: The Alien Threat
  Tyranids
  “There is nothing as mindless and terrible as a Tyranid swarm, like 
  a starving beast it falls upon world after world, consuming and 
  devouring everything it touches. All we can do is try to hold back the 
  flood, hurling men and machines into its path in the hopes that if we 
  cannot stop its advance perhaps we can slow it and buy ourselves a 
  few more precious moments of existence.”
  –Adept Ibin Glar, from The Endless Tide of Night 
  R
  emorseless, completely alien and without mercy, the 
  Tyranid hive fleets threaten not just the Imperium but 
  all life in the galaxy. Invaders from across the vast 
  empty gulf of space between galaxies, the Tyranids are a 
  relentless tide of bio-horrors, deadly killing machines with 
  but a single purpose, to devour all living things in their 
  path. The worst hit regions of the galaxy are those along the 
  Eastern Fringe, where multiple hive fleets have crashed into 
  the outlying systems and sectors, consuming whole races and 
  empires in their advance and leaving only dead and lifeless 
  worlds in their wake. The Jericho Reach is no exception to 
  this assault, and has drawn the attention of Hive Fleet Dagon, 
  which is in the process of rolling up the rimward edge of the 
  sector and has pushed deep into the Orpheus Salient. Against 
  this implacable advance, dozens of Imperial worlds are 
  desperately holding out, while dozens more are threatened 
  by splinter fleets and advanced Tyranid scouting forces that 
  constantly range forward in search of more life to consume.
  The Tyranids are a unique and deadly foe and a regular 
  adversary of the Deathwatch. This chapter expands on the 
  selection of Tyranid creatures for the Deathwatch game, 
  adding new adversaries, new weapons and new powers for 
  the GM to challenge his players with. For more details on 
  the Tyranids, and profiles for other Tyranid creatures, refer to 
  page 369 of the Deathwatch Rulebook.
  NEW TYRANID WEAPONS
  This section covers a number of new Tyranid Weapons. These 
  weapons follow all the standard rules for Tyranid weapons 
  found on page 372 of Deathwatch and as such have no 
  Clip or Reload values because Tyranid weapons are living 
  bio-constructs and use neither. It is also important to note 
  that Tyranid Heavy Weapons, unless otherwise noted, do not 
  require Bracing (see page 140 in the Deathwatch Rulebook).
  SpikeRifle
  Essentially a long tube of muscle, the spike rifle fires a 
  short harpoon-like bone into its targets over a considerable 
  distance. Razor sharp and fired with great force, the spike is 
  able to punch through light armour and even right through 
  unarmoured targets. Once embedded in flesh it becomes very 
  difficult to remove as it has tiny barbs which dig into the 
  victim, holding it in place.
  Spike Rifles are usually carried by Termagants (see 
  Deathwatch page 371) and these creatures may replace their 
  Fleshborer with a Spike Rifle should the GM choose. 
  SpineFists
  Carried in pairs, these weapon beasts attach to a Tyranid 
  creature’s arms and can fire a sustained volley of razor sharp 
  darts. The speed at which the Spine Fist can fire, and thus 
  its rate of fire and its deadliness, is related directly to the 
  creature using it. It has tubes attached to the creatures airways 
  allowing a stronger creature to expel more force into the 
  weapon and fire more darts. Thus a Tyranid creature can fire 
  only single shots from its Spine Fists unless it has the Swift 
  Attack or Lightning Attack Talents. Creatures with the Swift 
  Attack Talent can fire them with a semi-auto rate of fire of 2, 
  and a creature with the Lightning Attack Talent can fire them 
  with a full-auto rate of fire of 4. Creatures may of course 
  choose to fire them at a lower rate of fire. Finally, a Spine Fist 
  draws directly from the strength of its user and adds their 
  Strength Bonus to the damage it deals.
  
  29
  29
  29
  29
  I: The Alien Threat
  StrangleWeb
  A composite creature, like all Tyranid weapons, the Strangle Web 
  fires a spray of sticky mucus at its target, enveloping them in 
  strands of glistening web. Almost immediately the web begins 
  to harden and those covered become enmeshed in a cocoon 
  of constricting fibers which begins to crush them. Those that 
  survive the crushing are the left to the mercy of the swarm.
  Strangle Webs are usually carried by Termagants (see page 
  371  in the Deathwatch Rulebook) and these creatures may 
  replace their Fleshborer with a Strangle Web should the GM 
  choose. This weapon uses the Flame Quality rules (see page 142 
  in the Deathwatch Rulebook) but does not set anyone on fire.
  TYRANID PSYCHIC POWERS
  Many Tyranid bio-forms possess potent psychic powers, 
  manifested not from drawing the power of the warp but by 
  tapping into the vast gestalt will of the Hive Mind itself. Such 
  is the potency of the Hive Mind that a fully fledged Tyranid 
  fleet can blanket entire regions of space with its presence, 
  casting a shadow in the warp and projecting its ancient and 
  terrifying consciousness across the barrier between Materium 
  and Immaterium. When a Tyranid creature with a particularly 
  strong connection to the Hive Mind, or the ability to channel 
  its power, taps into this vast store of will, it can create deadly 
  psychic effects, subverting minds, incinerating flesh or even 
  bending reality to aid the Tyranids’ all consuming hunger.
  Tyranid creatures with a Psy Rating, such as a Hive Tyrant 
  or Zoanthrope, follow all the normal rules for psykers as 
  detailed in Chapter VI: Psychic Powers of Deathwatch with 
  the exceptions that if a Tyranid psychic creature suffers a 
  Psychic Phenomena or Perils of the Warp, it does not roll 
  on either table. Instead it suffers 1d10 Energy Damage, not 
  reduced by armour or Toughness, as it loses control of the 
  power and the immense strength of the Hive Mind backlashes 
  upon it; otherwise, the power has no effect.
  Tyranid psykers may possess the powers listed on pages 
  34-35. 
  Catalyst
  Action:Half
  Opposed:No
  Range:75 metres
  Sustained:No
  Description:This power functions as described under the 
  Hive Tyrant’s special rules in Deathwatch page 370.
  Dominion
  Action:Half
  Opposed:No
  Range:Special
  Sustained:Yes
  Description:The Tyranid creature reaches into the depths 
  of the Hive Mind and strengthens its links to the indomitable 
  alien will, projecting a blanket of control and purpose 
  through its synapse to all Tyranid bio-forms nearby. While 
  this power is in effect, the Tyranid creature’s Synapse range 
  (see Deathwatch page 135) is doubled. In addition, the 
  hardened resolve of the Hive Mind gives both the creature 
  and all other creatures with the Tyranid Trait affected by the 
  power +10 to all Willpower test for its duration.
  Hypnotic Gaze
  Action:Half
  Opposed:Yes
  Range:10 metres
  Sustained:Yes
  Description:The Broodlord can use its powerful gaze to 
  snare the mind of a nearby warrior, holding it immobile and 
  helpless as long as its stare remains unbroken. The Broodlord 
  can affect a single enemy with this power, provided it can make 
  eye contact with its intended target. If the target succumbs to 
  the power, it is then held immobile (counts as being Helpless) 
  until it can break free by winning an Opposed Willpower 
  Test at the start of any of its turns, or the Broodlord’s gaze is 
  somehow broken.
  Leech Essence
  Action:Half
  Opposed:Yes
  Range:10 metres x PR
  Sustained:No
  Description: Using the raw power of the Hive Mind, 
  the Tyranid creature tears the life-force from a nearby foe, 
  devouring its essence and healing its own wounds. The target 
  Table 1-2: Tyranid Weapons
  Name
  Class
  Range
  Range
  ROF
  Dam
  Pen
  Clip
  Rld
  Special
  Spike Rifle
  Basic
  80m
  80m
  S/–/–
  1d10+4 R
  0
  —
  —
  —
  Spine Fist
  Pistol
  25m
  25m
  Special† 1d10 R
  4
  —
  —
  Twin-linked
  Strangleweb
  Basic
  30m
  30m
  S/–/–
  1d10 I
  —
  —
  —
  Deadly Snare, 
  Devastating (1)
  † A Tyranid creature can fire only single shots from its Spine Fists unless it has the Swift Attack or Lightning Attack talents. Creatures 
   A Tyranid creature can fire only single shots from its Spine Fists unless it has the Swift Attack or Lightning Attack talents. Creatures 
  † A Tyranid creature can fire only single shots from its Spine Fists unless it has the Swift Attack or Lightning Attack talents. Creatures 
  †
  with the Swift Attack Talent can fire them with a semi-auto rate of fire of 2, and a creature with the Lightning Attack Talent can fire 
  with the Swift Attack Talent can fire them with a semi-auto rate of fire of 2, and a creature with the Lightning Attack Talent can fire 
  them with a full-auto rate of fire of 4.
  hIVe tyrant psyChIC rules
  Note that the rules for dealing with Tyranid psychic 
  powers presented here replace the Hive Tyrant’s 
  Monstrous Tyranid Psyker special rule (Deathwatch 
  page 370) and it must test as normal to manifest its 
  powers using the normal psychic rules. 
  
  30
  I: The Alien Threat
  (which may be a Horde) suffers 1d5 damage (or Magnitude), 
  plus an additional 1d5 damage for each degree it fails the 
  Opposed Test, not reduced for either armour or Toughness. 
  The Tyranid creature is then immediately healed by an 
  amount equal to the damage inflicted, up to its total number 
  of starting wounds. When working out the effects of Leech 
  Essence, the GM should calculate each 1d5 damage roll 
  separately, because if the target dies (or burns a Fate Point)
  before all the damage is applied, no further wounds can be 
  drained from their desiccated corpse.
  Onslaught
  Action:Half
  Opposed:No
  Range:25 metres x PR
  Sustained:Yes
  Description:The Tyranid creature infuses a nearby brood 
  with burning energy and the pitiless drive of the Hive Mind 
  to devour all in its path. The creature chooses a single Master, 
  Elite or Troop Horde within range, allowing it to either make 
  a Full Move, Standard Attack (Ranged or Melee), or Charge 
  Action as a Free Action once per Round. The warrior or 
  brood continues to benefit from the effects of this power as 
  long as the creature sustains it and they remain in range.
  Paroxysm
  Action:Half
  Opposed:Yes
  Range:25 metres x PR
  Sustained:Yes
  Description: Summoning the power of the Hive Mind, the 
  creature assails its foes with crippling pain, tearing at their nerve 
  endings and filling their minds with agony that makes it difficult 
  for them to stand let alone fight. The Tyranid creature chooses 
  a number of foes within range equal to its Psy Rating (or a 
  single Horde of any Magnitude). Those that fail their Opposed 
  Test reduce both their Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill to 10 
  while they remain affected by the power. The pain is also quite 
  distracting when trying to concentrate and therefore targets under 
  the effects of Paroxysm suffer a –10 to all Intelligence, Perception, 
  Willpower and Fellowship Characteristic and Skill Tests.
  Psychic Scream
  Action:Half
  Opposed:No
  Range:20 metre Radius
  Sustained:No
  Description:This power functions as described under the 
  Hive Tyrant’s special rules on page 370 of the Deathwatch 
  Rulebook.
  The Horror
  Action:Half
  Opposed:No
  Range:75 metres
  Sustained:No
  Description:This power functions as described under the 
  Hive Tyrant’s special rules on Deathwatch page 370.
  Warp blast
  Action:Half
  Opposed:No
  Range:50m x PR
  Sustained:No
  Description:By sending out a burning bolt of warp energy, 
  the Zoanthrope blasts an area with power. The Zoanthrope 
  must choose a single creature within range as the target, 
  through others nearby may be affected. The Zoanthrope 
  does not need to hit with the Warp Blast, though its Focus 
  Power Test is modified as if it were making a ranged attack 
  at the target, taking into account such things as range and 
  concealment. Warp Blast inflicts 1d10 Energy Damage x PR, 
  with a Penetration of 2 x PR. Creatures within 1m x PR of 
  the target are also affected and suffer damage as well.
  Warp Lance
  Action:Half
  Opposed:No
  Range:30m x PR
  Sustained:No
  Description: More focused than a Warp Blast, the Warp 
  Lance is primarily used against heavily armoured targets 
  and vehicles. Taking the form of a single concentrated 
  beam of energy, it can strike a single target within range. 
  The Zoanthrope does not need to hit with the Warp Lance, 
  though its Focus Power Test is modified as if it were making 
  a ranged attack at the target, taking into account such things 
  as range and concealment. Warp Lance inflicts 2d10 Energy 
  Damage x PR, with a Penetration of 5 x PR. 
  CARNIFEX
  Carnifexes are giant creatures that can be found at the forefront of 
  Tyranid assaults. These multi-ton monsters act like living battering 
  rams that can smash through almost any obstacle whether it be 
  a platoon of men, enemy tanks or a fortified position. They are 
  specially evolved for use in shock assaults, spaceship boarding 
  
  31
  I: The Alien Threat
  actions and massed battles where they can put their overwhelming 
  strength and preternatural toughness to best effect. A Carnifex is 
  a living engine of destruction and the attack of just one of these 
  creatures is a terrifying thing to behold, a primeval force of nature 
  unleashed in a killing frenzy.
  Carnifexes have been encountered in every major encounter 
  with Tyranids since the arrival of Hive Fleet Behemoth, most 
  notably at the Battle of Macragge where large numbers of them 
  were killed during the siege of the polar fortresses. These, the 
  first Carnifexes to be seen by Imperial forces, became known as 
  Screamer Killers because of the high-pitched scream they made 
  as they charged into combat. 
  The Screamer Killer had four great sickle-shaped claws of 
  diamond-hard chitin, bone and cartilage. The combined assault 
  of these mighty scythes driven by the creature’s huge muscle 
  mass was powerful enough to rip through even armourplas and 
  ceramite with ease. The source of their high-pitched screaming 
  was found to be rasping plates in their esophagus that were used 
  to energize a form of bio-plasma in their gut. This bio-plasma 
  ‘vomit’ made a dangerous short range flamer-like weapon. In some 
  instances Screamer Killers were reported using an electrical field 
  around their claws to build up an incandescent bio-plasma ball 
  before launching it at a target over longer ranges. The Screamer 
  Killer had a massive body that was found to be extremely tough. 
  It was also covered with a thick, chitinous hide that protected it  
  from damage. 
  The Screamer Killer is now believed to be just one extreme 
  mutation of the Tyranid warrior genus Tyranicus Tyranicii with a 
  massively enlarged exoskeleton and musculature. It is accounted 
  as a stable enough mutation to be given its own classification of 
  Carnifex Primus. An ever-widening variety of sub-classifications of 
  Carnifexes developed over the first Tyrannic war and subsequent 
  attacks by Hive Fleet Kraken and Hive Fleet Leviathan. Over time 
  it has been discovered that each Hive Fleet, perhaps even each 
  hive ship, has its own variants on the basic Carnifex. 
  As with so many of the more extreme warrior mutations, 
  Carnifexes lose much of the synaptic reception of the Hive 
  Mind native to Tyranid Warriors and revert to a more animalistic 
  intelligence level. It should be noted, however, that when this 
  is mated to their ferocious capacity for violence, even a solitary 
  Carnifex should not be underestimated. Many reports exist of 
  lone Carnifexes that turn the tables on their would-be hunters 
  and terrorize outlying colonies. 
  All Carnifex species seem well able to adapt to extremes 
  of environment from arctic cold to desert heat. Their 
  tremendous strength allows them to plough through swamps 
  and jungles without hindrance and their endurance seems, 
  to all intents and purposes, inexhaustible. If Carnifexes 
  demonstrate one vulnerability, it is possibly that their 
  bipedal nature and great weight give them a high ground 
  pressure footprint that can exceed the load bearing strength 
  of bridges and gantries or break through ice unexpectedly. 
  Knocking one down is best achieved with an armoured 
  vehicle but getting one into close proximity with any 
  Carnifex is a dangerous proposition. 
  Most Carnifex kills registered come from high energy 
  attacks—lascannon, plasma and melta weapon strikes to 
  critical locations. Carnifexes can shrug off other small arms 
  fire and even bolt gun hits with minimal loss of function. 
  Some great heroes have successfully pitted their speed and 
  agility against a Carnifex to overcome it in close combat, but 
  many more have died trying.
  Carnifex (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (21)
  (18)
  35
  25
  70
  65
  22
  20
  35
  45
  ––
  Move: 5/10/15/30  
  Wounds:100
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Swim (S), Tracking (Int).
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Berserk Charge, Combat Master, 
  Fearless, Furious Assault, Heightened Senses (Sound, 
  Smell), Iron Jaw, Swift Attack, True Grit, Two-weapon  
  wielder (Melee).
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Dark Sight, Fear 3 (Horrifying), 
  Improved Natural Weapons (Scything Talons), Multiple Arms, 
  Natural Armour (Bonded Exoskeleton), Regeneration (5), 
  Size (Massive), Sturdy, Unnatural Strength (x3), Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2). Tyranid.
  Armour:Bonded Exoskeleton (All 10). 
  Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+23 R; Pen 3), Bio-Plasma 
  (30m; S/–/–; 3d10+10 E; Pen 9; Clip —; Rld —; Blast (5)).
  SpecialRules
  LivingBatteringRam:During a Turn in which it charged, 
  the Carnifex’s melee attacks gain the Concussive Quality.
  Biomorphs: At the GM’s discretion, a Carnifex may be given 
  Some great heroes have successfully pitted their speed and 
  
  32
  I: The Alien Threat
  the following changes to represent a different Carnifex variant.
  Thornback: +10 BS, +5 Per. Replace the Talents Two-weapon 
  wielder (melee) and Swift Attack with Two-weapon wielder 
  (ballistic). Add the Trait Toxic (1d10). Replace Scything Talons 
  and Bio-Plasma with Devourer (Basic; 30m; –/–/6; 1d10+6 
  R; Pen 0; Clip —; Rld —; Twin-linked, Living Ammunition, 
  Storm, Tearing) and Stranglethorn Cannon (Heavy; 80m; S/–/–
  ; 2d10+10 I; Pen 3; Clip —; Rld —; Blast (10), Deadly Snare, 
  Devastating [2],  Living Ammunition, Tearing).
  Venomspitter: +15BS, +10Per. Replace the Talents Two-
  weapon wielder (melee) and Swift Attack with Two-weapon 
  wielder (ballistic). Add the Talent Heightened Senses (Sight). 
  Add the Trait Spore Cysts††. Replace Scything Talons and 
  Bio-Plasma with two Heavy Venom Cannon (Heavy; 100m; 
  S/–/–; 4d10+10 I; Pen 6; Clip —; Rld —; Blast (6), Living 
  Ammunition, Toxic 1d10).
  Bile-Beast: Remove the Talent Two-weapon wielder (melee). 
  Add the Traits Spore Cysts†† and Dorsal Chimneys†††. Replace 
  Scything Talons and Bio-Plasma with Deathspitters (Basic; 40m; 
  S/3/–; 1d10+6 E; Pen 4; Clip —; Rld —; Living Ammunition, 
  Twin-linked, Tearing), Rending claws (1d10+ 18 R; Pen 3; 
  Razor Sharp) and Prehensile tongue (count as Lash Whip 
  (1d10+21 R; Pen 3; Flexible, Snare).
  OtherOptions: At the GM’s Discretion, the Carnifex can lose 
  the Swift Attack Talent and gain one ranged weapon from the 
  Tyranid Weapons list in this chapter or from page 373 in the 
  Deathwatch Rulebook.
  ††Spore Cysts: Fat spores bloated with vile pathogens 
  develop in the creature’s carapace before breaking free 
  and floating away. On any turn the Carnifex can take a 
  Challenging (+0) Toughness Test as a Free Action to 
  create a Virus grenade (3D10 I; Pen 0; Blast (2), Toxic) that 
  drifts 1d5 metres per turn towards the loudest noise in the 
  vicinity (randomly if indeterminate). If the Toughness Test 
  is failed, the Carnifex suffers 1d10 damage per degree of 
  failure with no reduction for Toughness Bonus or armour.
  †††DorsalChimneys: Non-Tyranid creatures within 60 metres 
  of a Bile-Beast must pass a Challenging(+0)ToughnessTest
  each turn or suffer one level of fatigue even if in fully sealed 
  armour. Characters and NPC’s in unsealed armour take a Hard
  (–20)ToughnessTest instead. The belching dorsal chimneys 
  also generate a smoke cloud that covers everything within 15 
  metres of the Bile-Beast.
  adVenture seeds
  Hunt the Alien: Reports from a Watch Station 
  monitoring a feudal world indicate that peasants have 
  accidentally released a Carnifex that was trapped in 
  ice during an attempted Tyranid invasion centuries 
  ago. The locals have sent out several ‘heroes’ to slay 
  the beast but none have returned and now they’re 
  terrified. The Kill-team must hunt down and destroy 
  the Carnifex before the people turn to human sacrifice 
  as a way to appease the monster.
  Venom: A Bile-Beast has broken through the lines 
  and is heading for the water supply of an important 
  city. If the creature survives long enough to reach the 
  reservoir, or even dies in close enough proximity, the 
  death toll will be catastrophic.
  Gatecrasher: Tyranid forces besieging a vital 
  installation have brought up a Carnifex to batter down 
  the front gate. Unless the Kill-team can find a way to stop 
  the Carnifex the defences will be fatally compromised.
  32
  32
  32
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  Through extensive examination of the data crypts I have identified three core sub-variants of the Carnifex genus 
  in Hive Fleet Dagon that appear to be stable enough to warrant examination.
  Carnifex Vorantii: Commonly called the “Thornback,” these creatures are living batteries of symbiote weaponry 
  equipped with short to medium range ballistic parasites and living bomb projectors. Several of the intimidating-
  looking thorns on this subspecies are in fact sensory organs for sniffing out prey. They are murderous infantry hunters 
  that seem to take pleasure in rooting out hiding men. Despite its lack of specialized melee limbs the Thornback is 
  extremely dangerous at close quarters, where its speed and bulk allow it to easily impale incautious enemies.
  Carnifex Arbylis: A sub-classification of extreme Carnifex variants that meld both pairs of upper limbs into complex 
  ranged weapon symbiotes. Most common of these is the “Venomspitter” Carnifex, a beast capable of launching hyper-
  velocity crystalline shards of pure poison that can knock out a tank or easily kill a warrior in power armour. Carnifex 
  Arbylis generally have improved ocular acuity and excellent depth perception from multiple eyes, although specimens 
  employing a kind of stereoscopic echo-location have also been found on night worlds.
  Carnifex Bilius: Commonly called “Bile-beasts,” these creatures have been converted into walking biological 
  weapons factories. Their carapaces are pitted with bubbling spore cysts and their guts writhe with lethal pathogens 
  and molecular acids that gout from dorsal vents. The combined attack of necrotizing spores and acids used by 
  these beasts will fatally overwhelm most bio-chem defences in moments; more resistant enemies are crushed by the 
  creatures’ crab-like claws and digested by its drooling, acidic maw.
  
  33
  I: The Alien Threat
  DAGON OVERLORD
  “It is the very embodiment of a predator; a soulless, remorseless beast 
  which carries with it the weight of uncounted alien minds all hungry 
  for our flesh.”
  –Brother Talsharn, Dark Angels 5th Company
  From the edge of the galactic rim, the first tendrils of Hive Fleet 
  Dagon have coiled around the edge of the Jericho Reach, choking 
  the life from worlds and feeding on the Imperium itself. Among 
  this new hive fleet, ancient and now all too familiar horrors 
  have arisen, creatures spawned and unleashed in dozens of other 
  sectors and across countless other battlefields. Alongside the 
  familiar, however, come new and disturbing Tyranid variations, 
  proving once again that as soon as the Imperium believes it 
  understands the Tyranid, the Tyranid changes and adapts once 
  more. For the Jericho Reach, the force of the Tyranid assault 
  was like a mighty hammer blow, catching the Achilus Crusade 
  off balance and forcing Imperial Commanders to scramble to 
  face this new and encroaching threat before too much ground 
  was lost and too many worlds had fallen. Meeting the swarms 
  head-on, millions died in those first desperate years of Dagon’s 
  arrival, and many planets could not be saved, disappearing 
  forever under a tide of chitin and claws.
  It was also during this dark time that Hive Fleet Dagon took 
  on its own identity among the dozens of other major hive fleet 
  incursions from the Eastern Fringe. Commanders and soldiers 
  alike came to know the signs and character of the swarm, 
  the nature of its beasts and the unique hunger it seemed to 
  possess for the Jericho Reach, as if it had a taste for that sector 
  specifically and the worlds that lay within it. They also noted 
  how it adapted and changed with each world it consumed, each 
  battle it won (or lost) and with each light year it came closer to 
  the Iron Collar and the Warp Gate. This kind of rapid adaption 
  had been observed in other fleets of course, however in Hive 
  Fleet Dagon it seemed to take on an even more sinister slant, as 
  if the fleet were aware of the pain and suffering it was inflicting 
  and the terror in the hearts of the soldiers trying to stop it. In the 
  space of a few short years, this evolution and mutation within 
  Dagon led to a number of unique bio-constructs and weapons 
  never seen before by Imperial scholars; the most terrible of them 
  all being the Overlord.
  The rise of the Dagon Overlord, or simply the Overlord as 
  it became known, seemed to occur in conjunction with those 
  first victories scored by the hive fleet, as if the Hive Mind had 
  taken the measure of the foes it has faced and chose to evolve a 
  specific tool for their eradication. Other theories speculate that 
  the Overlord was a genus specific to the hive fleet that existed 
  long before its arrival in the Imperium, and that it was simply 
  a superior warrior construct, brought out of storage to face a 
  more stubborn than excepted adversary. Whatever the case, the 
  Overlord first appeared during the opening days of the battle for 
  Castobel, leading a mighty swarm against the amethyst spires of 
  the Trimalov Hive, rending through its walls and dispatching 
  its defenders in a month-long orgy of carnage and slaughter. 
  Those fortunate enough to escape the fall of the hive city with 
  their lives took with them tales of terror and the memory of a 
  beast which stood apart from even the worst horrors the swarm 
  has to offer.
  The Dagon Overlord is in appearance similar to a Hive Tyrant, 
  a creature of terrible and horrific majesty all on its own, but is 
  different enough to stand apart from its lesser brethren and be 
  remembered by those that see it looming across the battlefield. 
  Covered in slimy plates of chitin which constantly drip and leak 
  fluid, the Overlord projects an aura of horror and menace like 
  nothing else within the swarm. Its importance and power are also 
  readily apparent when it strides alongside other Tyranid creatures, 
  its powerful presence emboldening and maddening the lesser 
  creatures more so than would be expected by any link to the Hive 
  Mind. It is almost as if the Overlord is the embodiment of Hive 
  Fleet Dagon’s ire toward the Jericho Reach and its alien hatred 
  infects creatures with a personal desire to murder, maim, and kill 
  all those in their path. It has been suggested that this notion of the 
  beast’s personal vendetta is just the fanciful imagining of terrified 
  Imperial Guardsmen, though only by those who have not seen 
  the Overlord beast in the flesh themselves. 
  Since its first appearance, the Dagon Overlord has been 
  sighted in almost all of the major combat zones of the Orpheus 
  Salient, leading swarm after swarm into the ranks of Imperial 
  defenders. This has led many to believe that the Overlord is just 
  one of many, and not a unique creature at all. However such 
  notions of individuality are hard to determine when dealing 
  with the Hive Mind, as it is constantly recycling its troops and 
  adding to them by consuming worlds. This means the Overlord 
  may well be a veteran of many wars, and may have even fallen 
  countless times to the foe, only to be re-spawned by the Hive 
  Mind with a fresh body and a will for vengeance. Both the Ordo 
  Xenos and the Deathwatch have made attempts to find the truth 
  
  34
  I: The Alien Threat
  behind the Overlord, if for no other reason than to catalogue a 
  new and deadly variation of the Tyranid race. Neither has met 
  with much success, and both agents and Battle-Brothers have 
  been lost during the process. Even when the Dagon Overlord 
  seems defeated, it invariably rises again in another place or  
  another time. 
  Dagon Overlord (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (18)
  (18)
  (14)
  81
  35
  65
  63
  45
  45
  49
  70
  ––
  Movement: 7/14/21/42 
  Wounds: 180
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Swim (S).
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Combat Master, Crushing Blow, 
  Fearless, Heightened Senses (All), Psy Rating (8), Two-
  Weapon wielder (Melee), Swift Attack, Lightning Attack.
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Dark Sight, Fear 4 (Terrifying), Natural 
  Armour (Bonded Exoskeleton), Multiple Arms, Unnatural 
  Strength (x3), Unnatural Toughness (x3), Unnatural Willpower 
  (x2), Improved Natural Weapons (Scything Talons), Shadow 
  in the Warp, Size (Massive), Synapse Creature, Tyranid.
  Armour: Bonded Exoskeleton (All 10).
  Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+22 R; Pen 3), two 
  Boneswords (1d10+20 R; Pen 6, Drain Life), Twin-linked 
  Devourer (30m, –/–/6; 1d10+6 R; Pen 0; Clip —; Rld —; 
  Living Ammunition, Storm, Tearing, Twin-linked).
  Gear: None.
  SpecialRules
  Biomorphs: At the GM’s discretion, the Dagon Overlord may 
  have Acid Blood (when wounded in melee combat all non-
  Tyranid creatures in melee with it must make a Challenging
  (+0)AgilityTest or suffer 2d10 Damage with a Pen of 5), 
  Adrenal Glands (gaining the Furious Assault Talent), Toxin 
  Sacs (gaining the Toxic (1d10) Trait on all melee and ranged 
  attacks, which stacks with the Miasma of the Depths Trait), or 
  Regeneration (5) (gaining the Regeneration Trait).
  TyranidPsyker: The Dagon Overlord is a Tyranid Psyker 
  and follow the rules for Tyranid Psychic Powers on page 34. 
  It has access to all the standard Tyranid psychic powers.
  DeathShock: When the Dagon Overlord is slain, its death 
  sends a shockwave through the Hive Mind. All Tyranid 
  creatures that do not have the Fearless Talent or Synapse 
  creature Trait will automatically break and flee as quickly 
  as they can (this effect overrides the effects of Instinctive 
  Behaviour in this instance). Any Tyranid creature with the 
  Fearless or Synapse Creature Trait must pass a Challenging
  (+0)WillpowerTest or be stunned for one round.
  Old Adversary: The Overlord is an ancient Hive Tyrant 
  and a veteran of countless battles within the Jericho Reach. 
  Even when it is slain, the Hive Mind resurrects it anew with 
  memories of its past deeds and a hatred for its foes. The 
  Dagon Overlord gains the Hatred (Deathwatch) Talent when 
  facing members of the Deathwatch.
  Blood of Dagon: When the Overlord leads a swarm of 
  Tyranid creatures it can spur them on to greater acts of fury 
  and force them to fight on even when grievously wounded. 
  Any Horde of Tyranid creatures which fights alongside the 
  Dagon Overlord benefits from its presence and regenerates 
  1d5 points of Magnitude at the start of each of its turns.
  MiasmaoftheDepths: The Dagon Overlord has a cloud 
  of toxins constantly oozing from its joints and creates a 
  virulent haze of haemotoxins, neurotoxins, and deadly 
  phage organisms all around it much in the same way as a 
  Venomthrope. It counts as having the Toxic Trait, but the 
  damage is 2d10, ignoring Toughness and Armour. The 
  Toughness Test to resist the poison is Very Hard (–30). 
  Body Collector: The Overlord is selective about those it 
  chooses to devour, and picks only the strongest and most 
  powerful of its adversaries to consume. Often it will task lesser 
  Tyranid creatures with gathering together these bodies after, 
  or even during a battle, and piling them at its feet so it may 
  feast on them and grow stronger. A Dagon Overlord which 
  devours the body of a creature with 15 or more wounds and 
  a Toughness of 40 or more, heals 1d10 points of damage. At 
  the GM’s discretion, the Overlord may also over time take on 
  traits of those it devours as it assimilates their flesh. 
  adVenture seeds
  Rogue Psyker: Whispers from the Ordo Xenos 
  have indicated that a psyker named Aralon managed 
  to escape the fall of Trimalov Hive on Castobel. It is 
  said that Aralon witnessed the horror of the Dagon 
  Overlord first hand. In addition, the agents and spies 
  of the Ordo believe that Aralon touched minds with 
  the Overlord and has formed some kind of unholy 
  bond with the beast. If this is true, Aralon would be 
  a valuable asset indeed, as he could be used both to 
  track the creature and also grant vital insight into its 
  actions and motives. Unfortunately, Aralon, driven 
  near to complete insanity by his experience, has been 
  running ever since and has fled most of the way across 
  the Jericho Reach. Tracking him down will be no 
  easy task, as Aralon is also a talented telepath and 
  has been using his abilities to cover his trail and wipe 
  away memories of his passing. Worse still, he has been 
  heading for Tau-held space.
  AFoeReborn:The Deathwatch have faced the Dagon 
  Overlord numerous times since the arrival of the hive 
  fleet in the Jericho Reach. It has vanquished more than 
  one Kill-team, devouring Battle-Brothers and stoking 
  the flames of its hatred for the Deathwatch. Now a new 
  hunt is being organised to destroy the creature and 
  recover a measure of honour for the Deathwatch. The 
  Dagon Overlord has been traced to the Cadron system, 
  a dismal feral world covered in untamed jungles and 
  jagged mountains of volcanic glass. It is believed that 
  the hive fleet will imminently launch an assault on the 
  world, giving the Kill-teams a chance to bring it down. 
  Such a prize, however, has led to rivalry among the 
  Kill-teams, which could hinder the mission should 
  chance of glory cloud the tactical sense of some of the 
  Battle-Brothers.
  
  35
  I: The Alien Threat
  The Shadow of Dagon
  +++For the Attention of Codicier Taelon, White Scars Chapter+++
  Confirmed Sightings Xenomorph Designation X65a “Dagon Overlord”
  +++Time Frame Codes Fleet Standard Epsilon+++
  0.865: The Overlord is first identified as a unique Tyranid Genus on Castobel during the battle for the 
  Trimalov Hive. Though few live to tell the tale of the beast, a handful escape with their lives and news of a 
  monstrous beast leading the swarm to victory.
  0.877: As the battle for Castobel rages on and the remaining hive cities fortify themselves, the Dagon 
  Overlord appears again at the Battle of the Nine Bridges, crushing an entire Planetary Defence Force 
  regiment and sweeping the defenders from the field. Hazy pict images gathered after the battle from a 
  servo-skull show what seems to be a mountain of corpses gathered at the feet of the Overlord. 
  1.101: During an engagement around the world of Jove’s Descent, the Imperial Gothic-class Cruiser Spirit of  
  Defiance is boarded and gutted by an assault led by the Dagon Overlord. Vox transmissions from the dying 
  ship identify the beast as it smashes its way through deck after deck until reaching the ship’s bridge and 
  dismembering her captain.
  1.132: The first agents of the Ordo Xenos attempt to gather information on the Overlord and hard evidence 
  of its existence, following a trail of destruction from the ruins of Freya to the shores of Vanir. Some agents 
  vanish without a trace while others fall in Tyranid incursions and battles, none return with so much as a 
  sighting of the creature or any evidence as to its whereabouts.
  1.288: During the Battle of Xin-Cyn, pict images and vox echoes gathered from combat servitors seem to 
  indicate the presence of the Dagon Overlord, though the Death Spectres presence report no sighting of 
  the beast, leading to speculation that it may be sizing up the threat of the Adeptus Astartes in the Jericho 
  Reach and gaining the measure of this new foe.
  1.563: Two Deathwatch Kill-teams dispatched to clear the space hulk Eye of Desolation as it drifts close to 
  the edge of the Vanir system confirm contact with the Dagon Overlord. After opening a vault deep inside 
  the space hulk, they unleash a tide of Genestealers, apparently held in some kind of stasis. During their 
  extraction, Tyranid vanguard organisms appear from nowhere and they must fight their way back to their 
  craft, narrowly escaping the arrival of the Overlord. 
  1.671: The psychic council of Ynai, long preparing for the arrival of the hive fleets to their world, are found 
  dead within their inner chambers. No sign of their killers can be found, nor is the exact method of their 
  demise clear, however, painted in their blood are crude images that appear to match the appearance of the 
  Dagon Overlord, resplendent atop a pile of corpses. 
  2.001: The Dagon Overlord appears again during the invasion of Whispers Crossing on the edge of the 
  Orpheus Salient. The primitive natives of the world liken the Overlord to their ancient god of destruction 
  and bringer of the end days, throwing themselves at the feet of the swarm to be killed and devoured in 
  their millions. 
  2.015: Brother Heroitus, a Deathwatch Space Marine of the Storm Wardens Chapter, faces down the Dagon 
  Overlord in the tunnels of Arsati and slays the beast with the aid of his Kill-team. Reliable evidence of the 
  creature’s demise, however, is not forthcoming, as Heroitus is forced to retreat when the swarm caves in 
  the tunnels and seals the underhives of Arsati from the outside world.
  2.344: The Ordo Xenos uncover some disturbing patterns in the appearance of the Dagon Overlord. 
  Mapping its appearances during Tyranid attacks across the sector, they discover it seems to be reacting to 
  the intervention of the Deathwatch—as if it is actively hunting Kill-teams...
  
  36
  I: The Alien Threat
  GARGOYLE
  Flying at the head of the swarm, Gargoyles are often the first 
  sign of the onrushing wave of Tyranids, as they blot out the 
  sun and choke the sky with their leathery wings and infernal 
  screeching. Not dissimilar in appearance to a Termagant, albeit 
  with the addition of wings, a Gargoyle is individually weak, 
  and relies as much on its speed and ranged weapons as it does 
  tooth and claw. However, in great numbers (as Gargoyles are 
  almost always encountered) they can make as fearsome a foe 
  as any Tyranid. The primary goal of Gargoyles, in their role 
  as part of the Tyranid vanguard, is, it seems, to sow confusion. 
  They achieve this by peppering foes with their fleshborers 
  and then darting away before retaliatory fire can find them, 
  always staying out of arm’s reach and using their speed to 
  move from target to target before they can be outmatched.
  This command of the air and their agility makes Gargoyles 
  a particularly fearsome foe to fight, especially as they often 
  descend on enemies from hundreds of metres, swooping down 
  to strike lethal blows. This forces foes to constantly scan the 
  skies and be alert for any shadow or flicking form that could 
  be the first sign of a descending Gargoyle brood. Gargoyles 
  are also a menace for aircraft and can make air travel across a 
  Tyranid-contested world extremely dangerous, as they hunt 
  ceaselessly for prey, often supported by other, more massive 
  Tyranid bio-forms such as Harpies and Harridans. Fast and 
  manoeuvrable, it is not unheard of for Gargoyles to ambush 
  craft many times their own size, latching onto the hulls in 
  large numbers and chewing through power cables, couplings 
  and other vital components to bring them down in flames. 
  Dangerous when beyond the range of Tyranid synapse 
  creatures, they become even more so when driven forward by 
  the implacable will of the Hive Mind, pouring down from the 
  sky upon their foes like clawed rain, forcing their way through 
  small openings and blanketing sensors and observation 
  towers with their bat-like wings. Under the direction of the 
  Hive Mind, Gargoyles will even throw themselves into vents, 
  exhausts and exposed gears, fouling machinery and weapons 
  with their bodies. In this way Gargoyles are very difficult to 
  defend against or trap in a bottleneck, as their ability to fly 
  allows them to come at their foes from all angles and exploit 
  any opening they can find. A Gargoyle which becomes 
  trapped in an enclosed space (as sometime happens when 
  they force their way through openings) is deadly indeed as 
  it goes into a frenzy to escape, fighting as only a cornered 
  beast can.
  Gargoyle (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  30
  33
  32
  30
  40
  10
  40
  30
  ––
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
  Wounds: 9
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per), Climb (S), 
  Contortionist (Ag), Dodge (Ag).
  Talents: Death from Above, Leap Up.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Flyer (20), Natural Armour (Chitinous 
  Carapace), Natural Weapons (Teeth and Claws), Instinctive 
  Behaviour (Lurk), Tyranid.
  Armour: Chitinous Carapace (All 3). 
  Weapons: Fleshborer (20m; S/–/– , 1d10+5 R; Pen 3, Clip 
  —, Rld —; Living Ammunition, Tearing), Teeth and Claws 
  (1d10+3 R; Pen 3, Primitive).
  Gear: None.
  SpecialRules
  Biomorphs: At the GM’s discretion a Gargoyle may have 
  Adrenal Glands (gaining the Furious Assault Talent) and/or 
  Toxin Sacs (gaining the Toxic (1d10) Trait on all melee and 
  ranged attacks).
  BlindingVenom: Attacks in melee from a Gargoyle have a 
  chance of blinding its foes. If a blow from a Gargoyle with its 
  Teeth and Claws strikes an opponent’s head, they must make 
  an Easy(+20)ToughnessTestor become Blinded for 1d5 
  turns. Enclosed helmets (such as those on a suit of power 
  armour, negate this ability). 
  EnclosedSpaces: Gargoyles are feral creatures and sometime 
  become trapped in places where they cannot fly, and go crazy 
  in an effort to escape. A Gargoyle which becomes trapped in 
  an enclosed space (i.e., where it cannot spread its wings or 
  use its Flyer movement) gains the Frenzy and Furious Assault 
  Talents until it escapes or dies.
  GargoyleHordes: Gargoyles make ideal horde creatures and 
  can use the Horde rules (see Deathwatch page 359).
  
  37
  I: The Alien Threat
  LICTOR
  “It was like the shadows just came alive and took him, right from 
  under our noses. One moment he was there, the next he was gone... 
  and none of us saw an Emperor-damned thing.”
  –Sergeant Morvik, 351st Castobel Rifle Brigade
  Lictors are the lone hunters of the Tyranid swarm, roving 
  ahead of the hive fleet, seeking out prey and leading the 
  Hive Mind to concentrations of enemies. As tall as a Tyranid 
  Warrior, Lictors are distinct in appearance from other Tyranid 
  creatures in a number of ways, such as a pair of long mantis-
  like claws extending over the creature’s shoulders which it can 
  use for climbing and impaling its prey; long, drooping feeder 
  tendrils that hang from its maw and greatly increase its senses, 
  and shimmering chameleonic scales which allow it to hide with 
  ease. A natural predator, the Lictor is patient and stealthy and 
  can move past even the most alert foes, or spend days hiding 
  immobile, waiting for a chance to strike once its prey’s guard is 
  down. This behaviour has given the Lictor an almost mythical 
  reputation amongst its foes, as a ghost-like horror which can 
  strike at any time and place, before vanishing into thin air just 
  as easily.
  A Lictor’s primary purpose is to lead the Tyranid swarm to 
  fresh prey and seek out large groups of foes that might be hiding 
  or fleeing before the swarm. In this role, they move silently 
  and almost completely invisibly across all kind of terrain, using 
  their enhanced senses to find their foes. When they locate prey, 
  they will move in and begin to stalk it, avoiding open conflict 
  or situations where it might be outnumbered or outmatched 
  and instead choosing to pick off its targets one by 
  one. During the course of these attacks, 
  the Lictor will be exuding a 
  pheromone trail which other 
  Tyranid creatures can then 
  follow to the location of 
  this fresh prey. 
  The 
  Lictor 
  also 
  gathers information for 
  the Hive Mind. Part of 
  the creature’s unique 
  genus means that it 
  is capable of literally 
  devouring 
  a 
  victim’s 
  memories by eating their 
  brain, learning more from 
  them in a single bloody 
  meal than hours of brutal 
  interrogation might yield. 
  Fighting Lictors is very difficult, 
  as first a solider needs to find one. 
  Even then, bringing one to battle 
  can be difficult as they strike and 
  kill a handful of men before vanishing, 
  sometimes right before the eyes of 
  their enemies, and leave no trail to 
  follow. Lictors are usually only 
  brought down by quick thinking 
  heavy weapons teams or powerful 
  Imperial heroes, such as well-armed Space Marines, which have 
  the strength and nerve to slay the beast before it can melt away 
  into the terrain. Another less reliable method of destroying 
  Lictors, and one favoured by many Imperial Guard commanders, 
  is the recon by fire method. Once even the slightest evidence of 
  a Lictor is detected, they will isolate the area they believe it to 
  be lurking in (sometime kilometres across) and carpet bomb it 
  into ash and dust. While this only rarely works (Lictors being 
  cunning enough to either slip away or hide where you least 
  expect them) it does raise morale among the local soldiers, at 
  least until the Lictor strikes again...
  Lictor (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (12)
  (8)
  (8)
  (8)
  65
  —
  65
  40
  40
  25
  45
  45
  ––
  Movement: 6/12/18/36   
  Wounds: 40
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per) +20, Climb (S) +20, 
  Concealment (Ag) +20, Contortionist (Ag) +10, Dodge (Ag) 
  +10, Shadowing (Ag) +20, Silent Move (Ag) +20, Survival 
  (Int) +20, Swim (S), Tracking (Int) +20.
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Assassin Strike, Berserk Charge, 
  Blind Fighting, Catfall, Combat Master, Crushing Blow, 
  Fearless, Furious Assault, Hard Target, Heightened Sense 
  (Hearing, Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch), Leap Up, Lightning 
  Attack, Sprint, Step Aside, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 3 (Horrifying), Instinctive 
  Behaviour (Lurk), Natural Armour (Reinforced Chitin), 
  Multiple Arms, Size (Hulking), Unnatural Agility (x2), 
  Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Perception 
  (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2), Improved 
  Natural Weapons (Scything Talons), Size  
  (Enormous), Tyranid.
  Armour: Reinforced Chitin (All 6).
  Weapons: 
  Scything 
  Talons 
  (1d10+14 R; Pen 3; Toxic), Rending 
  Claws (1d10+12 R; Pen 5; Razor 
  Sharp, Toxic).
  Gear: None. 
  SpecialRules
  Flesh Hooks: Lictors have dozens of 
  tiny hooks which they can fire from 
  their chests to snare prey and drag their 
  victims toward them. These allow 
  a Lictor to initiate a Grapple (see 
  page 240 in the Deathwatch 
  Rulebook) with a target up to 
  10m away. With every successful 
  Opposed Strength Test the Lictor 
  makes as part of the Grapple action, 
  the target is pulled closer by 1m plus 
  1m for each degree of success. 
  Chameleonic Scales: A Lictor is 
  covered in chameleonic scales 
  which shimmer and shift to 
  match its surroundings and can 
  or situations where it might be outnumbered or outmatched 
  or situations where it might be outnumbered or outmatched 
  and instead choosing to pick off its targets one by 
  and instead choosing to pick off its targets one by 
  one. During the course of these attacks, 
  the Lictor will be exuding a 
  pheromone trail which other 
  Tyranid creatures can then 
  memories by eating their 
  meal than hours of brutal 
  Fighting Lictors is very difficult, 
  as first a solider needs to find one. 
  Even then, bringing one to battle 
  can be difficult as they strike and 
  kill a handful of men before vanishing, 
  sometimes right before the eyes of 
  their enemies, and leave no trail to 
  follow. Lictors are usually only 
  brought down by quick thinking 
  heavy weapons teams or powerful 
  Multiple Arms, Size (Hulking), Unnatural Agility (x2), 
  Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Perception 
  (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2), Improved 
  Natural Weapons (Scything Talons), Size 
  (Enormous), Tyranid.
  Armour:
  Weapons:
  (1d10+14 R; Pen 3; Toxic), Rending 
  Claws (1d10+12 R; Pen 5; Razor 
  Sharp, Toxic).
  Gear: None.
  Special
  Flesh
  tiny hooks which they can fire from 
  their chests to snare prey and drag their 
  Opposed Strength Test the Lictor 
  makes as part of the Grapple action, 
  the target is pulled closer by 1m plus 
  1m for each degree of success. 
  Chameleonic
  
  38
  I: The Alien Threat
  make it practically invisible to the naked eye, plus most other 
  methods of visual detection such as infrared and ultraviolet 
  scopes. Whenever a Lictor uses its Concealment Skill to 
  hide, all tests to detect it visually suffer a –30 penalty. In 
  addition, the scales allow the Lictor to make Concealment 
  Tests as a Half Action rather than a Full Action and it can 
  even do so even when being observed or when there is no  
  nearby cover.
  MemoryDevourer: When a Lictor devours the brain of its 
  prey, it can learn some of its memories. Once the Lictor has 
  eaten a brain, it gains access to all of the victim’s recent, most 
  distinct memories (usually the location of friendly troops 
  or defences). If the Lictor wishes to learn something very 
  specific from the victim, such as an old memory or one the 
  victim does not remember well, it must make an Easy(+20)
  IntelligenceTest.
  adVenture seeds
  Countermeasure:Deathwatch Apothecary Brother Galus has been tasked by the Watch Fortress Erioch command to 
  hunt down and kill Lictors from at least a dozen warzones across the Orpheus Salient. With the aid of a Kill-team he 
  is to hunt down the alien hunters and harvest their pheromone sacs, so that a counter might be found to negate them. 
  Finding even a single Lictor should prove a momentous task, as Brother Galus and his team must follow rumours, 
  unconfirmed sightings and ghost stories to probable locales and then try to track one of the swarm’s most elusive 
  creatures. As arduous a task as this may be, it is made even more so by the presence of countless other Tyranid creatures 
  and predators, which will also be drawn to the location of the Lictor sooner or later... 
  DevouredData:On the world of Eleusis, a brutal murder has been laid at the feet of a Lictor. In the shadow of the 
  immediate Tyranid invasion, a high ranking Imperial Guard commander has been slain in his quarters and his brain 
  devoured, a killing that bears all the hallmarks of an advanced Lictor scout. The Imperial Guard now fears that if the 
  Lictor has assimilated the commander’s memories, it will be able to pass on dangerous military secrets about the world’s 
  defence. What is unclear however is whether or not the encroaching hive fleet, and its Hive Mind, is close enough to 
  make contact with the Tyranid creatures already on Eleusis. If there is even a chance that the Lictor has not yet been in 
  contact with the Hive Mind, there may still be time for an elite formation, such as a Deathwatch Kill-team, to find the 
  beast and slay it, keeping the commander’s secrets safe. 
  nearby cover.
  Intelligence Test.
  38
  38
  38
  Tyranid Psychological Warfare and the Methodology of Fear
  During my studies of Hive Fleet Dagon and its splinter fleets I have made numerous observations as to the exact 
  nature of the Tyranid understanding of fear and its uses as a battlefield weapon. All of the data thus gathered 
  by the Imperium seems to suggest quite clearly that the Tyranid does not feel fear, or at least not in any way 
  which we would understand—it operates only within the emotional parameters of the Hive Mind, and the Hive 
  Mind’s will to conquer and devour. What is less clear is if the Tyranid understands fear in its prey, beyond the 
  normal responses of predator to prey, in which the former gives chase to the later and expects it to run, hide and 
  generally try to get away.
  I have been exploring these concepts largely in response to the behaviour of the bio-forms known as Lictors, which 
  seem to be some kind of scout genus, but, like all Tyranids, is a highly evolved predator. More than any other kind 
  of Tyranid creature, the Lictor seems to be an object of utter terror for many Imperial troops, given its tactics 
  of hit and run and its superior stealth abilities, which allow it to strike without warning and then disappear 
  without a trace. The questions that then arise from this are: does the Lictor behave as it does deliberately to sow 
  terror, or is it simply following its basic biological programming to avoid open confrontation and pick off the 
  weak? Does the Hive Mind understand the tactics of terror and did it create the Lictor to exploit them? Does 
  the Lictor understand the benefits of leaving some of its foes alive to spread terror when it could easily finish 
  them off?
  As with most questions about the Tyranids, I imagine the answers will remain a mystery, as even if we were to 
  find a way to communicate with the Hive Mind, I doubt it would have much to say to us. 
  -Codicier Taelon
  
  39
  I: The Alien Threat
  PURESTRAIN 
  GENESTEALER
  “I can think of few greater xenos threats to the Imperium than 
  that of the Genestealer. An apex predator possessed of intelligence 
  and cunning that rival our own, they exist for the sole purpose of 
  reproducing in vast numbers and sowing utter chaos in their wake.”
  –Inquisitor Kalistradi from the The Nature of the Beast
  Genestealers are terrifying close combat horrors with the 
  individual strength and speed to tear apart even an armoured 
  Space Marine if they can get close enough to land a telling 
  blow. They stand almost six feet in height, even hunched over 
  as they are on hind legs, their four arms ending in claws, talons 
  or other bio-weapons capable of cutting through ceramite 
  and plasteel with equal ease. Cunning and independent, 
  Genestealers are also one of the few Tyranid creatures which 
  can exist away from the nurturing and controlling influence 
  of the Hive Mind, using their own innate intelligence and 
  brood telepathy to form tight-knit groups. These groups can 
  survive for decades or even centuries on worlds, hiding their 
  presence and infecting more and more of the population until 
  the time to strike arrives, usually coinciding with the arrival 
  of the hive fleet and the wholesale invasion and consumption 
  of the world itself.
  Few Tyranid creatures have earned such a terrible 
  reputation or caused as much damage to the Imperium as the 
  Genestealer. Detected long before the first tendrils of the hive 
  fleets reached the galaxy, they were thought to be little more 
  than another unusual and deadly alien xeno-form. It was 
  only after the horrors of Behemoth and Leviathan that the 
  Imperium came to realise their true purpose as advanced 
  scouts for the Hive Mind and infiltrators of the most insidious 
  kind. Hiding away on void ships and in the depths of space 
  hulks, the Genestealer menace has travelled across the length 
  and breadth of the Imperium of Man, seeding themselves 
  onto worlds and subverting their populations. This perhaps is 
  the greatest horror the Genestealers bring, as they can infect 
  almost any life form with a “kiss,” implanting some of their 
  own genetic material into the host and taking complete control 
  of it. When the host gives birth to offspring, these carry with 
  them the Genestealer’s genes and over a few generations a 
  new Genestealer is born, albeit with some genetic traits 
  taken from its host—such as the human-like hands many 
  Genestealers encountered in the Imperium possess.
  Purestrain Genestealers are Genestealers which have been 
  spawned not through the process of infecting hosts but 
  rather by the hive ships themselves in great bio-factories and 
  birthing vats. Not polluted or altered by “inferior” genetic 
  material, they are markedly stronger and faster than a normal 
  Genestealer and possess a wider variety of adaptive bio-
  morphs. This is intentional, as Purestrain Genestealers are 
  the creatures from which all other Genestealers are born, and 
  even a single Purestrain Genestealer can create a vast brood 
  from a local population given time and enough raw material. 
  Purestrain Genestealer (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  (8)
  65
  —
  45
  40
  40
  35
  60
  45
  ––
  Movement:8/16/24/48 
  Wounds: 20
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Climb (S) +10, Dodge (Ag) 
  +10, Swim (S) +10.
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Fearless, Hard Target, Leap Up, 
  Lightning Attack, Lightning Reflexes, Step Aside, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 2 (Frightening), Improved Natural 
  Weapons (Rending Claws), Multiple Arms, Natural Armour 
  (Reinforced Chitin), Unnatural Agility (x2), Unnatural Speed, 
  Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2),  Tyranid.
  Armour: Reinforced Chitin (All 4).
  Weapons: Rending Claws (1d10+12 R; Pen 5, Razor Sharp).
  SpecialRules
  Biomorphs: At the GM’s discretion, a Purestrain Genstealer 
  may have Adrenal Glands (gaining the Furious Assault Talent) 
  and/or Toxin Sacs (gaining the Toxic [1d10] Trait).
  BroodTelepathy: Purestrain Genestealers have a constant 
  telepathic link with each other which can function clearly 
  and without restriction (such as from intervening objects or 
  other forms of shielding) up to one kilometre. This allows 
  them to communicate with each other and pass information 
  to nearby Genestealers quickly and quietly.
  
  40
  I: The Alien Threat
  Genestealer’sKiss: A Genestealer possesses an ovipositor 
  within its maw that implants the alien’s genetic code into 
  its victims. This seeds the host’s body with a parasite that 
  will grow into a monstrous hybrid creature, mixing the 
  genes of the Genestealer and the host. Over a number of 
  generations, these hybrid will give birth to more hybrids 
  until eventually a new Genestealer is born. A host can resist 
  such an implantation, but only if they pass a Challenging
  (+0)ToughnessTest as soon as it occurs. Once infected, 
  the host become beholden to the Genestealer which infected 
  it and loves the hybrid offspring it carries as if it was its own 
  progeny. Special Deathwatch treatments and a Space Marine’s 
  own physiology ensure that Deathwatch Space Marines are 
  immune to this effect.
  broodlord (Master) 
  Genestealer broods are often led by ancient and powerful 
  Genestealers know as Broodlords. The GM can create a 
  Broodlord by making the following additions and changes to 
  a Purestrain Genestealer profile:
  • +10 Weapon Skill
  • +10 Agility
  • +10 Intelligence
  • +10 Willpower
  • +30 Wounds
  • Increase Unnatural Strength and Toughness to (x3)
  • Replace Natural Armour (Reinforced Chitin) with 
  Natural Armour (Hardened Carapace) giving it 6 armour 
  points on all locations.
  Broodlords are also psykers with a Psy Rating of 5 and access 
  to the Tyranid Psychic Powers (select two). In addition, they have 
  their own unique psychic power: Hypnotic Gaze (see page 34).
  adVenture seeds
  Surgical Strike: The Ordo Xenos is tireless in its 
  investigation and eradication of Genestealer infection, 
  as if even a single Genestealer survives, the threat can 
  spring up again in the space of a few short generations. 
  Kalano Secondus is one such world, a brutal penal 
  world nestled on the edge of Jericho Reach at the far 
  extent of Imperial control. A subterranean rock, the 
  world is home to countless connected prisons and work 
  camps where military prisoners, deserters and dissidents 
  are dumped from across the Reach. Over the past few 
  decades there have been no less than three Genestealer 
  infestations found and purged by the Ordo Xenos, 
  prompting them to consider destroying the entire world 
  so that it does not happen again. However, Kalano 
  Secondus is too useful to the Imperial authorities and 
  so an accord has been struck where by a Kill-team will 
  be deployed to the world to seek out and find the cause 
  of the recurring infestation (doubtless a powerful and 
  cunning Broodlord) and end it for good.
  Infection: The Halaran noble family of Eleusis has 
  been the target of a Genestealer infestation, one of their 
  mercantile members bringing the creatures back from 
  a void-faring mission. While the infestation has been 
  dealt with (though Eleusis still faces imminent Tyranid 
  attack) and the Halaran family largely decimated, 
  those that remain are burning for revenge against the 
  brood which enslaved them, some of which they claim 
  have escaped to other nearby worlds. The Ordo Xenos 
  also takes this threat seriously and have graciously 
  allowed the Halarans to fund their investigations into 
  the location of the brood. It is likely that the Ordo 
  will eventually call in a Kill-team to track this specific 
  brood across the Orpheus Salient and run it to ground.
  40
  40
  40
  40
  Signs and Portents of Infestation
  by Codicier Taelon
  During the course of my studies of the Genestealer, I have come across numerous accounts from Inquisitors, planetary lords and even 
  Deathwatch Kill-teams as to the signs and portents of a suspected Genestealer infestation. Some of the more common ones include:
  The rise of variant and divergent cults of the Imperial Creed, often restricted to certain social classes or locals.
  Elevated instances of citizen disappearances, missing or mutilated livestock, and seemingly senseless local vandalism.
  Breakdowns in command of local enforcers or planetary defence forces, as key officers go missing for a number of days or become 
  mysteriously ill, only to return to their posts oddly different.
  Rise in rumours and sightings of “monsters,” also numerous local legends coming to life involving cursed woods, haunted vaults or 
  “evil” locales.
  An increase in citizen lethargy or restlessness in a given area, often at odds with surrounding areas or locales.
  The presence of large numbers of strangers or travellers in an area, all with a similar look or a ‘too familiar’ manner with  
  each other.
  Strange markings, tracks or symbols appearing in and around settlements or well travelled areas, as well as a reduction in local traffic 
  as citizens become wary of being outside.
  
  41
  I: The Alien Threat
  RAVENER
  “The thing I learnt was to trust nothing; not the air, not the water, 
  not the ground beneath your feet. Make no assumptions, and you 
  might live to tell someone else.” 
  –Advice to fresh troops on fighting the Tyranids, given by 
  Sergeant Gorth of the Volg 3rd “Mercy Bringers” 
  Raveners are horrific predators that burrow through the 
  earth with frightening speed and precision. They are twisted, 
  serpentine creatures whose armoured bodies are several times 
  the size of a grown man’s, and yet they move with a lightning-
  like speed that can see their victims slashed apart into bloody 
  chunks, having never seen their assailant. Vulnerable only to 
  massed firepower and heavy weapons, the Ravener’s prey 
  stands little chance if caught alone or off guard, as they often 
  exploit their ability to burrow through almost any substance 
  to surprise their victims, sensing their way by vibrations as 
  faint as a beating heart, through many metres of intervening 
  material. Often Raveners strike deep behind a battle line or 
  in strongholds thought impregnable to outside assault, and 
  worse yet for those that must face them; Raveners rarely hunt 
  alone, but are instead often encountered in broods of half a 
  dozen or more creatures. In several recorded cases, when such a 
  brood breaks in to a shelter or underground bunker, they have 
  inflicted utter carnage in minutes, ending the lives of hundreds 
  in a few scant moments of screaming, blood-soaked fury. 
  While Raveners do appear similar in size and basic design 
  to Tyranid Warriors, with the major exception being their 
  serpentine tail rather than legs, they are in fact very different 
  beasts and bred for a very different purpose. Possessed of little 
  more than animal intelligence, unless directed 
  by the Hive Mind they will wilfully chase 
  fleeing prey or become distracted by 
  fast moving targets disregarding all 
  other concerns. The role of a hunting 
  beast however is one they excel at, 
  and they possess extraordinary 
  senses for tracking foes, able 
  to feel the slightest tremor 
  made by passing footfalls 
  even kilometres away and 
  see into dozens of light 
  spectrums, even following 
  the pulsing waves of a vox 
  transmission to its source. 
  This makes it very hard to hide from a 
  Ravener, and it is especially dangerous if 
  being directed by the Hive Mind 
  and its senses used to guide the 
  bulk of the swarm toward the 
  location of its prey.
  Perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  disconcerting aspect of the 
  serpentine Raveners is their 
  ability to appear in almost any 
  location and usually where 
  their foes least expect them. 
  By burrowing through even 
  some of the hardest substances, they can worm their way into 
  heavily fortified structures, squeezing through opening much 
  smaller than themselves and slinking off to hide in dark places 
  to await the time to strike. This known tactic of the Ravener 
  often prompts Imperial commanders to send their men on patrol 
  looking for Ravener “nid holes” which might be hidden in 
  subterranean tunnels or deep cellars. Needless to say, should an 
  Imperial Guard patrol find such a “nid hole,” more often than not 
  it is their dying screams which alert their comrades.
  Ravener (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  60
  —
  45
  40
  50
  17
  50
  35
  ––
  Movement: 7/14/21/42   
  Wounds: 40
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +20, Climb (S) +20, Concealment 
  (Ag), Silent Move (Ag), Swim (S) +10, Tracking (Int) +20.
  Talents: Fearless, Heightened Sense (Hearing, Sight, Smell), 
  Sprint, Swift Attack, Lightning Attack.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 3 (Horrifying), Burrower, Instinctive 
  Behaviour (Feed), Natural Armour (Reinforced Chitin), 
  Multiple Arms, Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness 
  (x2), Improved Natural Weapons (Scything Talons), Size 
  (Enormous), Tyranid, Unnatural Senses (30m).
  Armour: Reinforced Chitin (All 6).
  Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+14 R; Pen 3) or Rending 
  Claws (1d10+12 R; Pen 5; Razor Sharp), or Devourer 
  (30m, –/–/6; 1d10+6 R; Pen 0; Clip —; Rld —; Living 
  Ammunition, Storm, Tearing) or Death Spitter (40m, S/3/–; 
  1d10+6 E; Pen 4; Clip —; Rld —; Living Ammunition, 
  Tearing), or Spine Fists (20m, S/2/4; 1d10+12 R; Pen 2; 
  Clip —; Rld —).
  Gear: None.
  SpecialRules
  ExtraordinarySenses: Raveners can see 
  in many spectrums of light and also sense 
  changes in the air around them or slight 
  tremors in the ground. Raveners may 
  therefore make Awareness Tests to detect 
  enemies even if they would not normally 
  be able to do so due to intervening 
  terrain or other conditions. In 
  addition, Raveners’ senses are 
  so good that they never suffer 
  more than –30 to Perception 
  Test regardless of modifiers.
  Surprise Strike: Raveners can 
  appear from almost anywhere without 
  warning, usually from under the feet 
  of their prey, bursting up and taking 
  entire squads by surprise. If a Ravener 
  attacks by emerging from the ground 
  or wall, it automatically gains Surprise 
  (see page 235 in the Deathwatch 
  Rulebook) over its enemies.
  beasts and bred for a very different purpose. Possessed of little 
  beasts and bred for a very different purpose. Possessed of little 
  more than animal intelligence, unless directed 
  by the Hive Mind they will wilfully chase 
  fleeing prey or become distracted by 
  fast moving targets disregarding all 
  other concerns. The role of a hunting 
  beast however is one they excel at, 
  and they possess extraordinary 
  senses for tracking foes, able 
  to feel the slightest tremor 
  made by passing footfalls 
  This makes it very hard to hide from a 
  Ravener, and it is especially dangerous if 
  being directed by the Hive Mind 
  and its senses used to guide the 
  bulk of the swarm toward the 
  Perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  disconcerting aspect of the 
  serpentine Raveners is their 
  ability to appear in almost any 
  location and usually where 
  their foes least expect them. 
  By burrowing through even 
  Ammunition, Storm, Tearing) or Death Spitter (40m, S/3/–; 
  1d10+6 E; Pen 4; Clip —; Rld —; Living Ammunition, 
  Tearing), or Spine Fists (20m, S/2/4; 1d10+12 R; Pen 2; 
  Clip —; Rld —).
  Gear: None.
  Special Rules
  Extraordinary
  in many spectrums of light and also sense 
  changes in the air around them or slight 
  tremors in the ground. Raveners may 
  therefore make Awareness Tests to detect 
  enemies even if they would not normally 
  be able to do so due to intervening 
  terrain or other conditions. In 
  Surprise
  appear from almost anywhere without 
  warning, usually from under the feet 
  of their prey, bursting up and taking 
  entire squads by surprise. If a Ravener 
  attacks by emerging from the ground 
  or wall, it automatically gains Surprise 
  (see page 235 in the 
  Rulebook) over its enemies.
  
  42
  I: The Alien Threat
  adVenture seeds
  ToSlayFear: The world of Garynar’s Run sits just within the spinward edge of the Orpheus Salient, close to the 
  Castobel system and the worst conflicts with Hive Fleet Dagon. For months now, the Imperial Guard garrisons in the 
  great plains of ash and salt have been waiting for attack to fall from the sky and have built an intricate network of 
  forts connected by hundreds of kilometres of underground tunnels. Commanders fear however that these tunnels have 
  already been compromised as reports of disappearances and “nid holes” have been discovered. With morale dipping and 
  invasion imminent, the planetary governor has laid a formal request at the feet of the Ordo Xenos for a Deathwatch 
  Kill-team to find the problem and eradicate it before the real invasion begins, suggesting the morale of his men is equal 
  to his world’s chances of survival. 
  Convoy: Raveners constantly strike behind enemy lines, bursting from the ground in ambushes and killing all in their 
  path. On the world of Castobel, locked in battle with swarms of Tyranid bio-creatures, links between the remaining 
  hive cities are slowly disappearing as the planet’s surface becomes a hunting ground for beasts like Raveners. In an act of 
  desperation, the citizens have resorted to moving goods and men in massive, heavily armoured road trains, though even 
  these have only a slim chance of making it through. With the arrival of Inquisitor Dolan on Castobel, and his mission 
  to assess sedition within the hives, he has requested a Kill-team to guard him as he travels by road train from hive to 
  hive (the skies being choked with Tyranid creatures). Such a series of journeys are likely to become running battles as 
  the Battle-Brothers try to hold out and keep the road train moving from one ambush to another.
  Horror on Hyperion Station
  During my investigations into the various forms and natures of the Tyranid bio-form known 
  as the Ravener, I have come across a wealth of information (most of it regrettably second- 
  or third-hand), mostly relating to their abilities as hunters and infiltrators. A good 
  example of the extraordinary abilities of these beasts and the tactics they use is well 
  illustrated by some transcripts and after-action reports I came across concerning their 
  role in the fall of Hyperion Station, a geo-sync waypoint on the edge of the Kalvarsh 
  system.
  –Codicier Taelon
  +++Vox Records 25B1—Hyperion Station Charter Command and Control—0.8873.35+++
  +Transcript Begins+
  Hyperion C&C: Squad Echo Nine please advise status. Squad Echo Nine please advise status. 
  Squad Echo Nine please advise...
  Echo Nine: We copy command; status is green across the board, though we seem to have 
  found... something. I’ll try and get the pict recorder on it.
  Hyperion C&C: Your pict images are coming though fuzzy, move in for a better look.
  Echo Nine: Affirmative command; it appears to be a hole of some kind in the station 
  superstructure, though from the looks of this edge I’d say it was chewed. It looks like it 
  leads down into the secondary waste reclamation tunnels. What are your orders command?
  Hyperion C&C: Our internal sensors aren’t picking anything up down there... hold on... 
  we seem to be getting some kind of thermal disturbance below your chamber. Do you detect 
  anything?
  Echo Nine: Negative command, all is quiet here... wait, I think I hear something... its 
  coming from the hole... moving in to take a closer look... command do you see this, 
  there’s something down there... it looks like...
  Hyperion C&C: I can’t quite see that Echo Nine, move in and... 
  ***sounds of weapons fire and screams***
  Hyperion C&C: Echo Nine your pict recorder is down, report. Report!
  Echo Nine: The walls! They’re coming out of the walls! Check your angle 12, back to the 
  shaft...
  Hyperion C&C: Echo Nine I’m not getting you, report!
  ***a few sporadic shots then silence and static***
  Hyperion C&C: Echo Nine report, Echo Nine report... we are getting movement all over the 
  place... what are these things? Echo Three, Echo Six, come in. Is anyone on station? 
  Echoes report! We are sensing movement in the main transit shafts... the vault door should 
  keep them out... what’s that noise... it’s coming through the Emperor-damned wall! Emperor 
  save us all...
  +Transcript Ends+
  
  43
  I: The Alien Threat
  RIPPER SWARM
  One of the most terrifying aspects of a Tyranid hive fleet is the 
  speed and scale of its operations in stripping a planet. Even 
  while the Tyranids are overrunning a world’s defences, they are 
  in the process of rapidly assimilating the genetic imprint and 
  biomass of every living thing on the planet. Eventually, once 
  all resistance has been eliminated and everything consumed, 
  the world will be stripped down to its bedrock, as all of its 
  moisture, atmosphere and nutrients are absorbed by the hive 
  ships. By the time the hive fleet moves on, nothing but a lifeless 
  ball of rock will be left in their wake.
  In the initial phases, billions of voracious Tyranid organisms 
  are released all over the planet. Vast waves of these creatures 
  move across the surface of the world, constantly multiplying 
  and consuming everything in their path. The empty deserts left 
  behind are devoid of even the bones of their former inhabitants, 
  thanks to the relentless efforts of the ravenous hordes. 
  Eventually these organisms will be reabsorbed by the Hive 
  Mind and in some cases evolved to perform higher functions 
  depending on the genetic material they have absorbed. The 
  majority become biomass to be rendered down to their base 
  cells and reshaped by the Norn Queens to fulfill the hive fleet’s 
  needs. Tyranid-held worlds have been reported to feature 
  “digestion pools” at the base of impossibly tall capillary towers 
  that project beyond the atmosphere. Endless streams of Tyranid 
  creatures have been seen sacrificing themselves in the searing 
  acids of the pools so that their biomass can be sucked up in to 
  the hive ships orbiting high above.
  These small harvesting organisms are extremely varied but 
  the most numerous are those known to Adepts as the Tyranicus 
  Omniphagea, more commonly known to Imperial forces as 
  Rippers. Rippers have serpentine bodies, around half a metre 
  long, that terminate in a broad head above a set of vestigial 
  gripping claws. The head is split by a wide maw filled with 
  rows of exceedingly sharp ripping hooks and razor-edged 
  boney ridges. The Ripper’s powerful jaws can bite through 
  flesh and bone with alarming ease, and they have been known 
  to gnaw their way through plasteel to reach food. 
  Rippers are energetic and fearless organisms, quite capable 
  of pulling down creatures many times their own size, from a 
  rampaging Grox to an armed man. Huge swarms of Rippers 
  are often seen on the battlefield, advancing behind Tyranid 
  assault forces. These gorge themselves on the fallen, tearing 
  apart the wounded and cannibalising the dead. It might appear 
  that an armoured Space Marine would be safe from the attacks 
  of individual Rippers, but en masse they can immobilise and 
  drag down even the strongest Battle-Brother.
  In certain instances, hive ships have been driven away 
  from a world, leaving Tyranid ground forces isolated. Rippers 
  appear to respond to such circumstances by burrowing below 
  ground and metamorphosing into higher life forms. This has 
  led many among the Magos Biologis to believe that Rippers 
  are an immature form of the prime Tyrancii genus. This would 
  mean they are theoretically capable of gestating into any kind 
  of Tyranid creature with the right impetus from the Hive Mind, 
  from Hive Tyrants to Hormagaunts. The wonder that Tyranids 
  routinely produce and sacrifice their young so prodigiously 
  serves only to reinforce how inhuman they truly are.
  Ripper Swarm (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  35
  —
  25
  30
  40
  10
  30
  30
  ––
  Move: 2/4/6/12  
  Wounds: 10
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Dodge (Ag), Silent Move 
  (Ag), Swim (S), Tracking (Int) +10.
  Talents: Fearless, Heightened Senses (Smell).
  Traits: Burrower (1), Crawler, Dark Sight, Improved Natural 
  Weapons (Mandibles), Instinctive Behaviour (Feed), Natural 
  Armour (Exoskeleton), Size (Puny), Tyranid.
  Armour: Exoskeleton (All 2, Horde 2). 
  Weapons: Mandibles (1d5+3 R; Pen 3).
  SpecialRules
  Horde: Rippers can be used as a Horde (see the Horde rules on 
  page 359 of the Deathwatch Rulebook). While in a Horde, 
  Rippers gain the Rampage, Relentless, and Overwhelming 
  Traits, the Swift Attack Talent, and their attacks gain the 
  Tearing quality. A Horde of Rippers has the Fear 1 (Disturbing) 
  Trait. Alter the Size Trait as appropriate for Horde magnitude.
  
  44
  I: The Alien Threat
  Biomorphs: At the GM’s discretion, Rippers may be given 
  any of the following Traits:
  • Toxic (1d10)
  • Flyer (3) 
  • Unnatural Toughness (x2)
  Spinespitter: +30 BS and gain ranged weapon (Pistol; 
  20m; –/3/–; 1d10+1 I; Pen 0; Clip —; Rld —; Living 
  Ammunition).
  Tenacious Grappler: Rippers drag down their prey by 
  grappling with it so that others can latch on more easily. 
  When attempting to grapple an opponent armed with a 
  melee weapon, Rippers suffer a –10 to their WS instead of 
  the normal –20.
  adVenture seeds
  Lurking Death: After a failed Tyranid attack, tens 
  of thousands of Rippers have gone to ground on 
  a planet by digging themselves into the surface 
  over hundreds of square kilometres of forbidding 
  wilderness. The Kill-team must locate and eliminate 
  the Ripper concentrations before they have a chance 
  to metamorphose into higher Tyranid organisms and 
  renew the attack all over again.
  Collection: Rippers are so close to the core Tyranid 
  genome that fresh samples of them can give key 
  indicators about a hive fleet’s composition and status. 
  If the Kill-team can visit a succession of different 
  battlefields and collect Rippers from each one, the 
  Tech-adepts can index the hive fleet’s most recent 
  mutations. Such invaluable information will allow the 
  Deathwatch to devise new defences and stratagems 
  against the alien menace.
  From the annals of Codicier Taelon
  This after-action report from Kill-team Lucien graphically illustrates the perils of 
  underestimating these Tyranid vermin.
  Investigation of communications blackout: Watch Station Straven. 
  Report begins.
  Three (3) member Kill-team Lucien arrived at Watch Station Straven twenty-one (21) days 
  subjective time from receipt of orders. Watch Station presented heavy damage from apparent 
  xenos assault. Inspection revealed eighty-seven (87) corpses of Tyranid organisms killed 
  by automated defences and tracks of same. Battle-Brother Vertigus volunteered to patrol 
  the perimeter while pict logs and sensor data were recovered from station archives. 
  Battle-Brother Maed entered the data crypt alone while Squad Leader Lucien re-activated 
  external defences.
  Squad Leader Lucien received a call for assistance from Battle-Brother Maed approximately 
  ten (10) minutes after entering the data crypt. Call indicated a surprise attack by 
  multiple assailants. Squad Leader Lucien and Battle-Brother Vertigus arrived in the data 
  crypt approximately two (2) minutes later. Battle-Brother Maed found prone, covered by 
  small Tyranid organisms approximately fifty (50) centimetres long, with large jaws fastened 
  onto his limbs and armour. Battle-Brother Maed eventually freed by a combination of 
  unarmed attack (pulling organisms from him bodily) and application of Promethium (due to 
  limited success of unarmed attack). Battle-Brother Maed found to be moderately injured 
  and armour breached in five (5) locations. Battle-Brother Maed later testified that without 
  assistance he would have been unable to free himself and felt he would have been consumed 
  within his armour.
  Watch Station Straven declared terminally compromised by Squad Leader Lucien and set to 
  auto-destruct. Destruction of Watch Station witnessed by Kill-team Lucien during egress. 
  Report ends.
  
  45
  I: The Alien Threat
  TRYGON
  “Hey! Did you feel the ground shake just now?”
  –Guardsman Prall at the Battle of Table Mountain
  The largest Tyranid creatures can become hard to accurately 
  categorise as they increasingly appear as strange aggregations 
  of symbiotes and parasites on a colossal scale. This is not the 
  case with the Tyranid Trygon however, a distinct genus of vast 
  serpentine creatures that tower above even the mighty Carnifex. 
  Adepts have postulated a link between the Trygon and the 
  smaller but equally ophidian Ravener, but it remains unclear 
  whether Trygons are massively mutated Raveners or Raveners 
  are underdeveloped, perhaps even immature, Trygons. Certainly 
  adult Trygons can reach truly monstrous proportions, with 
  examples of up to thirty metres in length on record, although 
  twelve to fifteen metres is more common.
  Trygons are extremely heavily armoured by a coat of 
  overlapping scales that covers them from jaws to tail. In addition 
  to offering excellent protection, these specialised scales form 
  an essential part of the Trygon’s natural weaponry. The thick 
  armour plates include high concentrations of silicates and as the 
  Trygon moves they become agitated, generating a powerful bio-
  static charge that is captured by subdermal platelet stacks. The 
  Trygon directs this energy by exhaling an ionised spray from its 
  gills, to prompt a deadly, high-voltage discharge.
  Trygons have two sets of diamond-hard scything talons folded 
  beneath their hood-like carapace that they use with lethal effect in 
  close combat. Driven by a Trygon’s size and strength, these wicked 
  blades can easily impale an armoured vehicle or cut an armoured 
  man in two. However, the primary purpose of the Trygon’s claws is 
  to allow it to burrow though practically any material at a terrifying 
  rate. These creatures have shown themselves capable of detecting 
  an enemy from below and seem to have a singular fondness 
  for bursting out of the ground beneath them with shocking 
  suddenness. Tanks and troops surprised in this way seldom have 
  a chance to reply to the barrage of sweeping claw strikes and bio-
  static lightning unleashed upon them. 
  Seismic detectors have been used with some success to provide 
  early warning of a Trygon’s approach. Unfortunately, on many 
  worlds, natural seismic activity can mask a Trygon’s motion and 
  in some instances Tyranid swarm activity seems to have been 
  deliberately coordinated to cover the approach of burrowing 
  Trygons. Trygons have forced tunnels through just about every 
  material known to man, although they are considerably slowed 
  by adamantium plating. 
  It appears that Trygons use their bio-static charge to assist with 
  tunnelling, as their tunnels have been found coated with a fused, 
  glass-like silicate layer on the inside. This effect stabilises the tunnel 
  walls and prevents them from collapsing behind a burrowing 
  Trygon. Other Tyranid organisms will take advantage of these 
  tunnels to move around unseen and follow up on Trygon attacks. 
  The emergence of a burrowing Trygon is often just the harbinger 
  of a tidal wave of nightmarish horrors.
  Commanders have found static defences become virtually 
  useless once Trygons are operating in the area, unless tunnel 
  torpedoes or mole mortars can be brought to bear to keep 
  them at bay. Over an extended period, Tyrgons are capable of 
  excavating a network of underground tunnels covering a huge 
  area, which makes it difficult to wipe out Tyranid forces even 
  with saturation bombardment. Clearing out Trygon sub-surface 
  tunnel networks is dangerous work even for a Deathwatch Kill-
  team and is a duty given only to the most experienced and well-
  equipped Battle-Brothers. 
  Trygons have also been known to dig deadfall traps by 
  leaving a thin crust over a deep conical hole. Sufficient weight 
  in troops and armour will collapse the roof of the sinkhole and 
  deposit the victims into the Trygon’s waiting claws. A Trygon’s 
  greatest weakness is probably that it can be baited or misdirected 
  while burrowing by the first tasty morsel to cross its path. Under 
  the direction of the Hive Mind, a Trygon becomes even more 
  dangerous, as it will tunnel deep into the heart of the defences 
  before bursting forth. 
  Unfortunately, a mutation now dubbed the Trygon Prime 
  has been confirmed, that appears to have the relevant synapse 
  development to make it a conduit for the influence of the Hive 
  Mind. A Trygon Prime can be easily spotted by their elongated 
  jaws and the containment spines running the length of their 
  bodies. These are extended platelet stacks that enable the Trygon 
  Prime to store up even greater charges of bio-electricity. A Trygon 
  Prime is swathed in sheets of lightning whenever it moves, and 
  when it opens its jaws, searing arcs of energy leap forth that 
  leave only charred corpses in their wake. The strong synaptic 
  link a Trygon Prime shares with the Hive Mind allows it to 
  dominate lesser Tyranid creatures, including other Trygons, and 
  it will rarely be found without an attendant horde of Termagants  
  and Hormagaunts.
  
  46
  I: The Alien Threat
  Trygon (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (18)
  (12)
  50
  30
  60
  60
  40
  15
  25
  45
  ––
  Move: 4/8/16/32  
   
  Wounds: 160
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Swim (S), Tracking (Int).
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Combat Master, Fearless, Furious 
  Assault, Heightened Senses (Touch), Swift Attack, Two-
  weapon Wielder (Melee).
  Traits:Burrower (3), Crawler, Dark Sight, Fear 4 (Terrifying), 
  Improved Natural Weapons (Scything Talons), Instinctive 
  Behaviour (Feed), Multiple Arms, Natural Armour (Thickened 
  scales), Size (Massive), Unnatural Strength (x3), Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2). Unnatural Senses (Ground sense)†, Tyranid.
  Armour: Thickened Scales (All 10). 
  Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+20 R; Pen 3), Bio-Electric 
  pulse (Basic; 30m; –/–/12; 2d10+2 E; Pen 4; Clip —; Rld 
  —; Storm, Living Ammunition).
  SpecialRules
  Biomorphs: At the GM’s discretion, a Trygon may be 
  given the following changes to represent a Trygon Prime.
  Trygon Prime: +10 Int, +15 Per, +5 WP. Replace the 
  Trait Instinctive Behaviour (Feed) with Synapse Creature and 
  Shadow in the Warp. Upgrade Bio-Electric pulse to (Basic; 
  60m; –/–/12; 2d10+6 E; Pen 4; Clip —; Rld —; Storm, 
  Living Ammunition).
  †Ground Sense: A Trygon can detect enemies while 
  burrowed, through the vibrations they make. It can easily 
  detect anything in contact with the ground within 15 metres 
  and receives a +10 bonus to tracking prey in constant motion. 
  Large vehicles and similar give greater bonuses.
  adVenture seeds
  TunnelHunt:The Kill-team must enter a network of 
  Trygon tunnels and carry seismic charges down to its 
  deepest points to collapse them. As well as the Trygons 
  themselves, the Kill-team will also have to deal with 
  broods of Tyranid Hormagaunts and Rippers that make 
  their lair within the twisting underground passages. 
  Capture: A Trygon Prime is spotted alone and 
  apparently injured in the aftermath of a battle. A live 
  sample of a Trygon Prime would be of incomparable 
  value for study and this represents the best opportunity 
  to date to procure one. The Kill-team must find a way 
  to capture the gigantic creature, relatively unharmed, 
  and transport it back to their Watch Fortress. Of course 
  the “injured” Trygon Prime might also be setting itself 
  as bait to lure the Kill-team into a trap.
  Caravan: A convoy of ground crawlers carrying 
  vital supplies has to get through an area known to be 
  frequented by Trygons. The Kill-team must take point 
  to draw out any Trygons and locate their deadfall traps 
  before the ground crawlers blunder into them.
  Living Ammunition).
  Living Ammunition).
  Living Ammunition).
  46
  46
  46
  46
  From the annals of Codicier Taelon 
  This excerpt from the witness report of an Imperial Guardsman of 632nd Ganf Magna Regiment details an 
  unconventional Trygon assault on a prepared position at Table Mountain on Phonos.
  ++++++ Excerpt Begins++++++
  …The next morning we found ourselves cut off, with swarms of Tyranids covering the valley as far as the eye could see. They’d 
  clearly come for the defence laser installation on the flat top of the mountain, wanting to put it out of action before it took more 
  of a toll on the hive ships and spores still in orbit. They tried rushing our defences with a direct assault first, but we’d used our 
  time well and dug in deep. The slopes of the mountain turned purple with the ichor of their crushed bodies. 
  They tried winged creatures next and the sky was soon black with flocks of Gargoyles. The defence laser made short work of 
  those flapping clouds though, burning them to cinders that fluttered helplessly downwards into the mass below. We were feeling 
  pretty good about our chances right about then, but they cut loose with some of their big guys and another swarm attack next. 
  Those giant, roaring monsters clambered right up the side of mountain like a man would scramble up a hill. They hit the forward 
  redoubts hard but Captain Heskund stood right by the heavy weapons crews and directed their fire. We put enough holes into the 
  monsters to stop them in their tracks and then mopped up the little ones when they were milling around confused. Afterwards we 
  brought up a Leman Russ tank with a dozer blade and shovelled the corpses back down the mountain.
  It got quieter then. The Tyranids pulled back out of range but we weren’t fooled—they’d be back for a night attack or trying to 
  tunnel their way in next. We had screamers and tremor sensors up around the perimeter so we felt pretty secure but nothing came 
  all night. The Tyranids were still out there, thundering around like great herds of animals, shrieking and calling in their horrid 
  alien voices, but we stood watch after watch and they never came. 
  Next morning there looked to be less Tyranids than before and we cheered. That was when the ground cracked open and we found 
  out where they’d all gone. I don’t know how we survived what came after; the first thing out of the hole was like a giant snake 
  with claws, easily the length of three Chimeras, hissing and spitting lightning. Right after it came such a swarm of little ones that 
  we were knee deep in them in seconds. We brought up flamers and burned the hole, the little ones and everyone near it. The big 
  snake got away, I think—none of them like fire much. We figured out afterwards that the Tyranids had been thundering around 
  outside all night to cover up the sound the snake made digging its way in. Those sneaky little b–
  ++++++++++++++Excerpt ends ++++++++++++
  
  47
  I: The Alien Threat
  TYRANID WARRIOR PRIME
  “Don’t be fooled by its appearance, this is no simple soldier of the 
  Hive Mind. Note the way it moves, the colours on its chitin and the 
  subtle deference those around it exhibit, like an alpha male leading a 
  pack of wolves.”
  –Scout Sergeant Veraz, Storm Wardens
  The leadership cast of the Tyranids is often difficult for Imperial 
  commanders to identify, and there is often the mistaken 
  assumption that larger Tyranid creatures are more important; 
  a mistake that has cost more than one officer his rank and 
  countless men their lives. This is especially true of Tyranid 
  Warrior Primes, an evolution of the Tyranid Warrior genus 
  with elevated intelligence and a stronger link to the Hive Mind. 
  It has in fact only been in recent times that the Primes have 
  been identified and reported among the ranks of the hive fleets, 
  though as many scholars and magos are quick to point out, this 
  is less likely to be because they are a recent evolution and more 
  likely because they blend in with the rest of a Tyranid Warrior 
  brood. 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 function, Tyranid Warrior Primes 
  take on the role of commanders and 
  captains within the swarm. Much 
  in the same way as a Hive Tyrant 
  might lead a host of Tyranids, 
  a 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, acting as 
  lieutenants and sergeants, 
  often personally leading 
  broods. 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.
  Tyranid Warriors Primes have also earned a fearsome 
  reputation as resourceful and cunning tacticians, directing 
  nearby Tyranid creatures through the Hive Mind to take 
  advantage of terrain, enemy movements and other prevailing 
  battlefield conditions. It is often the failing of the Imperium 
  (and even some xenos races such as the Tau and the Eldar) that 
  the Tyranids are seen as mindless animals, driven forward by 
  the will of the Hive Mind with no thought to tactics or strategy. 
  The truth is of course that creatures like the Tyranid Warrior 
  Prime and the Hive Tyrant are just as capable as any other 
  commander, perhaps more so as they have unshakable faith in 
  their troops and are fearless in battle, making them almost the 
  perfect battlefield leaders.
  Tyranid Warrior Prime (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (10)
  65
  40
  50
  50
  50
  30
  45
  50
  ––
  Movement: 7/14/21/42 
  Wounds: 80
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Swim (S) +10.
  Talents: Fearless, Lightning Attack, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 3 (Horrifying), Natural Armour 
  (Bonded Exoskeleton), Multiple Arms, Unnatural Strength 
  (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2), Improved Natural Weapons 
  (Scything Talons or Rending Claws), Shadow in the Warp, 
  Size (Enormous), Synapse Creature, Tyranid.
  Armour: Bonded Exoskeleton (All 10).
  Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+14 R; 
  Pen 3), or Rending Claws (1d10+12 R; 
  Pen 5; Razor Sharp), or two Boneswords 
  (1d10+12 R; Pen 6; Drain Life), or 
  Bonesword (1d10+12 R; Pen 6; Drain 
  Life) and Lashwhip (1d10+15 R; Pen 
  3; Flexible, Snare), Devourer (30m, 
  –/–/6; 1d10+6 R; Pen 0; Clip —; 
  Rld —; Living Ammunition, Storm, 
  Tearing) or Death Spitter (40m, 
  S/3/–; 1d10+6 E; Pen 4; Clip 
  —; Rld —; Living Ammunition, 
  Tearing), or Spine Fists (20m, 
  S/2/–; 1d10+12 R; Pen 2; Clip 
  —; Rld —).
  Gear: None.
  SpecialRules
  Biomorphs: At the GMs discretion 
  a Tyranid Warrior Prime may have 
  Adrenal Glands (gaining the Furious 
  Assault Talent), Toxin Sacs (gaining 
  the Toxic (1d10) Trait on all melee 
  and ranged attacks), or Regeneration 
  (2) (gaining the Regeneration Trait).
  AlphaWarrior: When in the presence of 
  other Tyranid Warriors, a Tyranid Warrior 
  Prime may enhance their coordination in 
  battle and make them even more efficient killers, granting 
  them a +10 on all melee attack rolls and an extra Reaction 
  each turn. This ability works automatically and affects 
  all Tyranid Warriors within synapse range of the Tyranid  
  Warrior Prime. 
  presence in the Orpheus Salient after several 
  In function, Tyranid Warrior Primes 
  take on the role of commanders and 
  captains within the swarm. Much 
  in the same way as a Hive Tyrant 
  might lead a host of Tyranids, 
  a 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, acting as 
  lieutenants and sergeants, 
  often personally leading 
  broods. However, should 
  into an effective fighting 
  force and carry on with 
  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 
  Size (Enormous), Synapse Creature, Tyranid.
  Armour:
  Weapons:
  Pen 3), or Rending Claws (1d10+12 R; 
  Pen 5; Razor Sharp), or two Boneswords 
  (1d10+12 R; Pen 6; Drain Life), or 
  Bonesword (1d10+12 R; Pen 6; Drain 
  Life) and Lashwhip (1d10+15 R; Pen 
  3; Flexible, Snare), Devourer (30m, 
  –/–/6; 1d10+6 R; Pen 0; Clip —; 
  Rld —; Living Ammunition, Storm, 
  Tearing) or Death Spitter (40m, 
  S/3/–; 1d10+6 E; Pen 4; Clip 
  —; Rld —).
  Special
  Biomorphs:
  a Tyranid Warrior Prime may have 
  Adrenal Glands (gaining the Furious 
  Assault Talent), Toxin Sacs (gaining 
  the Toxic (1d10) Trait on all melee 
  and ranged attacks), or Regeneration 
  (2) (gaining the Regeneration Trait).
  Alpha
  other Tyranid Warriors, a Tyranid Warrior 
  Prime may enhance their coordination in 
  battle and make them even more efficient killers, granting 
  
  48
  I: The Alien Threat
  TyranidPsyker: Tyranid Warrior Primes sometimes exhibit 
  psychic powers, if their link to the Hive Mind is strong 
  enough. If the GM chooses, he can give a Tyranid Warrior 
  Prime a Psy Rating of 3 and access to the Tyranid Psychic 
  Powers on page 34 (select up to three).
  adVenture seeds
  Glory:Tyranid Warriors are seen as worthy opponents for a Space Marine, and many tales of glory have been sung 
  about Battle-Brothers which have tackled these beasts singled handed. It can be imagined then the renown a Space 
  Marine would earn if he could best a Tyranid Warrior Prime, among the most deadly of the Tyranid bio-forms a Battle-
  Brother might conceivably defeat alone. During a chance meeting in the Chapter House the Battle-Brothers have been 
  challenged by Battle-Brother Yurgan (a member of the Space Wolves seconded to the Deathwatch) to find and best such 
  a creature bringing back proof of its demise. While there is nothing stopping the Battle-Brothers from declining such 
  a challenge, especially from such a loud and boorish Brother there would be much glory in doing so, and prove their 
  ability against some of the worst the Tyranid hive fleet has to offer. 
  FieldTest: Inquisitor Zathras of the Ordo Xenos has been travelling across the warzones of the Orpheus Salient, 
  gathering information on the nature of Hive Fleet Dagon, as part of a decade-long “conclave subjecture” into the relation 
  of the fleet to other fleets also encroaching from the Eastern Fringe. As part of his investigations, he has identified several 
  distinct variations of Tyranid Warriors and believes some of them may in fact be Tyranid Warrior Primes, though without 
  a live specimen or being able to observe one in the “wild,” he cannot be sure. He is therefore requesting the support of 
  a Deathwatch Kill-team to help him infiltrate the systems outlining the closest points of the hive fleet’s advance and try 
  to discover conclusive methods of identifying Tyranid Warrior Primes. Such a mission would be extremely hard, as it 
  involves not only getting close enough to a Tyranid Warrior brood to study their markings and behaviour (possibly on 
  a world already fallen to the Tyranids or one engaged in total war against them) but also getting out alive.
  48
  48
  48
  48
  Notes on the Nature and Hierarchy of Tyranid Leadership
  Concerning the rise of the leadership caste and the presence of the Hive Mind consciousness within Tyranid bio-forms:
  Many scholars have speculated on the nature of the Hive Mind, its limitations and the exact length and breadth of its reach 
  across the stars. While proof exists to support the theory that separate hive fleets can communicate across entire sectors, no 
  concrete evidence has yet arisen as to how its presence is disseminated or distributed among vessels and creature. This of 
  course ties directly into the notion of Tyranid commanders and other leadership figures as such they are. It has been postulated 
  on more than one occasion that the Hive Mind exists in no one place or one single creature (such as some vast and unseen 
  intergalactic queen or system spanning hive ship) but exists in varying strengths in all Tyranid creatures, and in essence exists 
  as long as even a single Tyranid remains alive.
  The Tyranid Warrior Prime is a good example of this concept, and proves that a creature developed from one of the more 
  common Tyranid bio-templates can become very strong in the Hive Mind and rise up to a leadership position, just as a talented 
  human or gifted soldier might in more traditional armies. Of course, such analogies are poor at best and do not fully capture the 
  unique nature of the Tyranid Warrior Primes, which have in effect been bred for the specific role in which they are employed. 
  Rather it would be more accurate to say that they have been selected, even before birth, to be a special receptacle of the Hive 
  Mind and boost its presence on the battlefield while aiding in the direction and control of lesser Tyranid creatures.
  This final sentiment leads us full circle however, for if a Tyranid Warrior Prime contains and embodies the Hive Mind, in 
  effect representing its presence in the material universe, then what chooses it to be so? Much in the same way as the ancient 
  debate over what came first, the chicken or the egg, we are left to wonder whether or not the Hive Mind existed before the 
  creation of the first Tyranid bio-form or whether it was spawned from the bio-forms themselves.
  -Codicier Taelon
  
  49
  I: The Alien Threat
  TYRANT GUARD
  “Emperor’s blood...it’s still alive! Hit it with another round from the 
  battle cannon before... it’s coming right for us! Hit it again! HIT IT 
  AGAIN!”
  –Last words of Captain Fulher, 12th Ascandian Armoured
  Tyrant Guard exist for a single purpose and a single purpose 
  alone, the defence of the Hive Tyrant they are charged with 
  protecting. In this capacity they excel like no other kind of 
  bodyguard in the galaxy. Their armoured hides and thick 
  muscles are almost impervious to small arms and highly 
  resistant to even the heaviest weapons which means they 
  can soak up an appalling amount of damage before they 
  are destroyed. Though similar in size to a Tyranid Warrior, 
  a Tyrant Guard has more of the appearance of a hound or 
  boar, loping alongside the Hive Tyrant on four limbs, their 
  massively armoured heads close to the ground and alert for 
  danger to their master. When they detect a threat to the 
  Hive Tyrant, they immediately move to block lines of sight 
  and throw themselves in front of bolts, blasts and missiles. 
  When in close combat, they swarm around their Hive Tyrant, 
  keeping the bulk of its foes away so it may deal with them 
  more easily.
  Never encountered without the presence of a Hive Tyrant, 
  and never straying far from its side in battle, Tyrant Guard are 
  nevertheless vicious opponents in their own right, tearing at 
  their foes with large, bladed talons and gnashing teeth, with 
  an animalistic fury notable even in the midst of a Tyranid 
  swarm. They do however always remain close to their Hive 
  Tyrant, like loyal dogs running at their master’s feet and 
  unlike more independent Tyranid creatures, they cannot be 
  tempted or lured into pursuit, remaining steadfastly in the 
  Hive Tyrant’s shadow regardless of the presence of nearby 
  foes. Some scholars speculate that the Tyrant Guard, not 
  encountered in the early stages of the hive fleets, were an 
  evolution to combat the tactics of Imperial forces which 
  quickly found that destroying Hive Tyrants with heavy 
  weapons fire was a good way to break up a swarm. Like so 
  many Tyranid creatures, however, this is merely speculation, 
  as Tyrant Guard have only been observed on the battlefield, 
  and most specimens recovered are extensively damaged by 
  the efforts of destroying them.
  What has been established by Imperial scholars and 
  tacticians is that the Tyrant Guard are among the dimmest 
  of the Tyranid creatures, on a par with many of the smaller 
  gaunt genus creatures in their intellect. This seems to be a 
  deliberate evolution of the Hive Mind in creating a lumbering, 
  heavily defended and utterly loyal bodyguard with no sense 
  of personal safety, only the continued survival of its master. 
  To this end, Tyrant Guard are blind, their heads encased 
  entirely in rock-hard chitin, save for a razor-lined maw 
  with which to bite and savage their prey. This is doubtless 
  a further protection against damage, as the presence of eyes 
  would only create a weak spot which their foes could exploit. 
  Despite this seeming disability, Tyrant Guard seem to have 
  little trouble detecting enemies, and appear to have a kind 
  of sense link with their Hive Tyrant, seeing what it sees and 
  reacting to danger instinctively as it becomes aware of its 
  foes. 
  Tyrant Guard (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (18)
  55
  30
  50
  60
  30
  10
  35
  40
  ––
  Movement: 6/12/18/36 
  Wounds: 45
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Swim (S) +10.
  Talents: Fearless, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Blind, Fear 3 (Horrifying), Natural Armour (Bonded 
  Exoskeleton), Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness 
  (x3), Improved Natural Weapons (Scything Talons), Instinctive 
  Behaviour (Feed), Size (Enormous), Sturdy, Tyranid.
  Armour: Bonded Exoskeleton (All 10).
  Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+14 R; Pen 3) and Rending 
  Claws (1d10+12 R; Pen 5; Razor Sharp), or may replace 
  their Scything Talons with either a Lash Whip (1d10+15 
  R; Pen 3; Flexible, Snare) or a Bonesword (1d10+12; Pen 6; 
  Drain Life).
  Gear: None.
  SpecialRules
  Bodyguard: Tyrant Guard only ever appear when acting as 
  the bodyguard for a Hive Tyrant and usually only in groups 
  of 1–3, though at the GM’s discretion larger groups may be 
  encountered. Tyrant Guard will never stray more than a few 
  metres from their master, and if for any reason separated from 
  foes. 
  
  50
  I: The Alien Threat
  it, will endeavour to return to its side as soon as possible. While 
  within 20 metres of their Hive Tyrant, a Tyrant Guard may use 
  its Reaction to move (up to its normal movement allowance) 
  into combat with a foe, before that foe enters melee with the 
  Hive Tyrant, effectively interrupting the enemy’s charge or 
  move. Tyrant Guard may alternatively use their Reaction to 
  interpose themselves between the Hive Tyrant and a ranged 
  attack, effectively becoming the new target of the attack.
  Master’sEyes: Though Tyrant Guard are blind, while within 
  20 metres of their Hive Tyrant, they can use his Perception 
  and senses as their own, including any Traits or Talents which 
  improve them.
  Rampage: If a Tyrant Guard’s Hive Tyrant is killed, it will go 
  berserk, attacking any non-Tyranid creatures it can reach. While 
  in this state, it gains the Frenzy and Furious Assault talents. Once 
  begun, Rampage lasts until the Tyrant Guard is destroyed.
  adVenture seeds
  Subdual:As the forces of Hive Fleet Dagon press in 
  upon the Orpheus Salient, and more and more larger 
  Tyranid creatures are encountered, the Imperium seeks 
  every advantage it can in defeating them. To this end 
  the Magos Biologos has devised a plan to capture a 
  Tyrant Guard alive, so that it might be studied and its 
  weaknesses uncovered. They want a Kill-team to travel 
  deep into the warzones of Castobel, where Tyranids 
  are slowly devouring the world. Such a task is no mean 
  feat. It will require the Kill-team to infiltrate into the 
  midst of one of the great ongoing battles for Castobel’s 
  hives and tackle a Hive Tyrant head-on while trying 
  to subdue one of its rampaging bodyguards. For the 
  Battle-Brothers which could recover such a specimen, 
  the glory would be great indeed.
  ReturntoAvalos:In the wake of the Tyranid invasion 
  of Avalos and subsequent defeat of the bulk of those 
  invasion forces, countless Tyranid bio-forms have been 
  left scattered across the world. As the citizens of Avalos 
  pick up the pieces of their broken world, they must 
  also contend with these hidden horrors lurking on the 
  edges of their farms and in the wild regions of the 
  planet. Once such horror has been dubbed the Beast 
  of Barrowdown (for the region which it terrorises) 
  and sketchy reports seem to indicate that it might be 
  a lone Tyrant Guard, wounded and abandoned after 
  the destruction of its swarm. Needless to say, both the 
  Ordo Xenos and the Magos Biologos would have an 
  interest in such a beast, dead or alive, and it falls to 
  the Kill-team to travel to this blighted world and hunt 
  it down.
  After-Action Report: Defence of Xin-Cyn
  ATT: Codicier Taelon; ++Priority 
  Vermillion++
  As requested, I have assembled the 
  fragmented pict files taken from our 
  Battle-Brothers’ stand at the luna city 
  of Xin-Cyn against a tendril of Hive 
  Fleet Dagon (hereafter referred to as 
  Fleet X18a). As you know, X18a was 
  tracked for some time as it intercepted 
  the Orpheus Salient from the galactic 
  south, not far from the doomed world 
  of Freya. Our scouts were to determine 
  X18a’s relation to the main hive fleet 
  when it suddenly changed course and 
  engulfed the outpost world of Xin-Cyn. 
  In a peerless act of bravery, two squads 
  of Death Spectres Space Marines landed 
  on the moon world to ensure the escape 
  of the Magos stationed there. Of course, 
  while the engagement was nothing we 
  have not seen before, our Brothers did 
  managed to recover detailed recordings 
  of the so-called “Tyrant Guard” before 
  being forced to withdraw. If you examine 
  the picts provided (see attachments 
  5xi through 61xi), recovered from some 
  of the Xin-Cyn heavy combat servitors, 
  you will note the extreme resistance 
  of these beasts and the savagery with 
  which they defend the Hive Tyrant. Pict 
  43xi especially demonstrates the damage 
  these things can sustain, as you will 
  note the combat servitor’s power weapon 
  has clearly penetrated deep into the 
  creature’s cranial cavity, yet it shows 
  no signs of slowing. In fact, following 
  the sequence from 44xi though 49xi, we 
  can see it easily dispatches the combat 
  servitor and continues to function at an 
  almost undiminished capacity.
  It is my assessment from this data, 
  along with that drawn from various other 
  sources within the Orpheus Salient where 
  engagements with Hive Fleet Dagon have 
  occurred, that further study and data 
  on these creatures should be gathered 
  as soon as possible, so that we might 
  devise new tactics or weaponry to 
  combat them. I have already presented 
  a recommendation to the Ordo Xenos for 
  the use of a Deathwatch Kill-team in the 
  tracking down and recovery of one of 
  these beasts, and have every confidence 
  in their ability to complete this task. 
  Emperor willing, it should help us to 
  move one step closer to taking back the 
  initiative from the Tyranids in the 
  Jericho Reach.
  –Scout Sergeant Syrbel, 10th Company 
  Death Spectres
  
  51
  I: The Alien Threat
  VENOMTHROPE
  “More than a minute in that cloud and you’ll be bleeding out of your 
  eyes, ears and mouth, praying for the pain to stop.”
  –Captain Ascote, pointing out a Venomthrope to his men at 
  the Battle of Twelve Bridges
  Many Tyranid creatures carry toxins on their claws and fangs, 
  but none more so that the Venomthrope; a veritable factory 
  of poisons, its tendrils drip with vile substances and it is 
  constantly surrounded by a cloud of lethal vapours. Held aloft 
  by numerous gas-filled bladders (also the source of the toxic 
  cloud that fills the air around it) it moves along by using its 
  tentacle-like hooked tendrils to drag itself across any surface. 
  These same tendrils are also used to snare enemies and drag 
  them into its poison cloud, where it holds them fast until 
  their feeble struggles cease and it can devour them at its 
  leisure. Not as powerful a combatant as a Tyranid Warrior or 
  Ravener, the Venomthrope relies mostly on its poisons to do 
  its work, expecting only mild resistant from its prey once it 
  gets close enough to envelope them with its cloud or touch 
  them with its deadly tendrils.
  Venomthropes are not just toxic to non-Tyranid life 
  forms, but also to any environment they enter. Over time 
  their miasma of toxic spores infects the very ground and air 
  of a world, rendering it hostile to even its own indigenous 
  species. The Hive Mind uses this aspect of the Venomthrope 
  by gathering them together in large numbers and unleashing 
  them on a region to gradually poison it, making it harder for 
  non-Tyranid life forms to continue the fight. Venomthropes 
  can be especially deadly in enclosed areas or underground, 
  where their toxins can fill ventilation systems and foul air-
  scrubbers, making the corridors and chambers of a fortress or 
  void ship deadly to its garrison or crew. In efforts to combat 
  these tactics, the Adeptus Mechanicus has tried repeatedly to 
  study the Venonthrope and develop either more sure methods 
  of protecting troops against its venoms or to discover an 
  antidote to them. So far no successes have had any large or 
  lasting effects on the Imperium’s efforts against the Tyranid 
  swarms, and as soon as a new method or antidote is found 
  to counter the Venomthrope, it seems the creature quickly 
  adapts and overcomes it. 
  A Venomthrope’s feeding instincts means that it can 
  operate quite effectively even while beyond the range of the 
  Hive Mind, drifting into formations of troops and spreading 
  its deadly toxins or lashing out at exposed warriors. In battle, 
  Venomthropes are therefore often found on the flanks of the 
  swarm, or exploiting gaps to get at rear-echelon troops where 
  their toxic presence can cause as much havoc as possible and 
  they can force troops to abandon defensive positions lest they 
  become caught up in its slowly spreading mist of death. As a 
  general rule, the only sure way to deal with such an attack is 
  a quick response from heavy weapons and a sustained blast 
  of fire to tear the creature apart before it can get to close, 
  even then it still leaves a toxic corpse which can be almost as 
  deadly as the creature was in life. 
  Venomthrope (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (10)
  48
  —
  55
  55
  40
  20
  35
  40
  ––
  Movement: 6/12/18/36 
  Wounds: 40
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Dodge (Ag) +10.
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 3 (Horrifying), Hoverer (6), Instinctive 
  Behaviour (Feed), Multiple Arms, Natural Armour (Reinforced 
  Chitin), Size (Enormous), Spore Cloud, Unnatural Strength 
  (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2), Toxic Miasma, Tyranid.
  Armour: Reinforced Chitin (All 4).
  Weapons: Lash Whips (1d10+13 R; Pen 3, Flexible, Snare).
  SpecialRules
  Toxic Miasma: The Venomthrope is an exceedingly toxic 
  creature, its flesh and flailing tendrils dripping with the 
  most virulent haemotoxins, neurotoxins, and deadly phage 
  organisms. It counts as having the Toxic Trait, but the damage 
  is 2d10, ignoring Toughness and Armour. The Toughness 
  Test to resist the poison is VeryHard(–30). 
  SporeCloud: Additionally, the Venomthrope emits a thick 
  and choking spore cloud from gas bladders and vents in its 
  carapace that causes all non-Tyranid beings within 10m of 
  the creature to suffer from the Toxic Miasma as well. This 
  cloying vapour partially obscures the Venomthrope, imposing 
  a –30 penalty to all shooting attacks made against it. 
  
  52
  I: The Alien Threat
  adVenture seeds
  Harvest: The Magos Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus are always seeking new Tyranid samples and toxins in their 
  research into defences and antidotes against them. To find the right materials means tracking down specific species of 
  creatures in specific locations and at specific times. To this end, the Magos have identified a pure strain of Venomthrope, 
  tracked from the edges of the Orpheus Salient and part of the core of Hive Fleet Dagon. If the creature can be harvested 
  before it spends more than a few hours on a world (and starts to adapt its poisons for life specific to that planet) it could 
  prove invaluable in creating a universal antidote, one that the Venomthrope would find hard to overcome given its pure 
  nature. Of course this means the Kill-team must either find the creature in space before it is deployed (boarding and scouring 
  a Tyranid vessel) or catch it during the chaos of the first hours of the Tyranid landing as it emerges from its mycetic spore.
  CleartheDecks: While in transit aboard the Imperial Luna Class Cruiser Imperial Wrath, the Kill-team aids the ship’s 
  captain in fighting off a chance encounter with a cluster of vanguard ships, seeing off several brutal boarding actions. 
  Unfortunately, during the fray a Venomthrope has somehow boarded the cruiser and is hiding down in the lower decks. 
  Hour by hour, the creature’s poisons are slowly turning the cruiser’s atmosphere into a deadly fog, and the captain has 
  not yet been able to find or destroy it. Now only the Kill-team, with their power armour and enhanced physiology, stand 
  a chance of killing it in time. Of course there will be a ‘nid hunt below decks, wading through a thick mist of poison 
  vapour and almost certainly encounters with other Tyranid creatures left over from the raids.
   The Alien Threat
  52
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   The Alien Threat
  Tyranid Neurotoxins and Biological Toxin Production
  Brother Codicier Taelon,
  As you requested, I have secured samples of corpses from a platoon of Imperial Guard that came 
  into contact with Venomthropes during the Avalos incursion. Due to the extremely toxic nature 
  of the samples (and the bodies themselves) I have for transport placed them in stasis caskets, the 
  only means it seems of completely stopping the spread of the pathogens. I have also considered your 
  questions on the nature of Tyranid toxins and their propensity for biological toxin production. 
  Much in the same way as some specific organisms found on ancient Terra, it seems an innate trait 
  of the Tyranids that they are toxic to all other forms of life not sprung from the same biological 
  foundation as themselves. Their flesh cannot be eaten or used for sustenance by non-Tyranids, 
  and even those that survive wounds from Tyranids often succumb to the toxins inherent in their 
  touch. This of course is found to the greatest extent in the Venomthrope, and in my years serving 
  the Deathwatch I have come across few creatures with such an array of toxins and toxin creating 
  abilities as the this beast. Even the most advanced labs of the Adeptus Biologis would be hard 
  pressed to create or replicate such virulent poisons in anything like the potency or quantities of 
  the Venomthrope. I can only imagine that this ability of the Venomthrope, and the Tyranids in 
  general, comes from their opposition to all life but their own, and their natural imperative of 
  biological domination. If we imagine our galaxy as a living thing, then surely the Tyranid is a 
  poison that runs through its veins.
  –Brother Apothecary Dynis
  
  53
  I: The Alien Threat
  ZOANTHROPE
  “Can’t you feel it? It’s like a claw crushing my mind in its grasp, 
  squeezing my brain between its talons. I can feel it scratching behind 
  my eyes, tearing at my sanity... Emperor save us!” 
  –Sanctioned Psyker Euos Dax, Castobel Regional Command
  Zoanthropes are amongst the strangest and most bizarre of 
  all Tyranid creatures. Their feeble atrophied bodies hang limp 
  and seemingly lifeless beneath their massive craniums, far too 
  large for their weak limbs to support. Only their immense 
  psychic power allows them to move at all, drifting across the 
  battlefield on a cushion of psychic energy. This vast store of 
  energy and their ability to focus it is also what makes them 
  such terrible foes, for a Zoanthrope is capable of conjuring 
  up earth-shattering bolts of warp energy with the strength 
  to smash apart even the most heavily armoured troops or 
  vehicles. In this role, the swarm uses Zoanthropes as psychic 
  cannons, blasting apart strong points and tanks with equal 
  ease or raining warp fire down upon the heads of massed foes, 
  slaying dozens of warriors in a single, blinding flash of power. 
  There is an unknown and alien intelligence which lurks 
  within the chitin cranium of the Zoanthrope, its actions 
  seemingly governed by both the Hive Mind and some inner 
  psychic instincts to seek out particular enemies and use 
  its powers in certain ways. Despite their power, however, 
  Zoanthropes sometimes seem to be victims of their own 
  massive energy reserves and there have been numerous after-
  action reports of Zoanthropes “burning out” in battle. After 
  hurling numerous bolts or sustaining their shield for an 
  extended period, their craniums have been observed to burst 
  and bleed out, sending them crashing limply to the ground. 
  Psykers who have witnessed these events liken it to the perils 
  of the warp which normal psykers can suffer when psychic 
  energy overloads their minds.
  In addition to their ability to hurl terrible bolts of warp 
  energy at their foes, Zoanthropes are also very difficult to 
  destroy, especially considering how weak and feeble their 
  bodies appear. This resilience stems from their ability to create 
  a powerful warp bubble around themselves, shielding them 
  from all kind of weapons and even turning aside blows in 
  close combat. Like their ability to drift above the ground, the 
  shield seems a constant part of the Zoanthrope and is always 
  present as long as the creature lives. It has been noted that 
  the shield seems to strengthen or coalesce around particularly 
  powerful attacks, flashing bright for an instant to turn aside 
  the blow before fading back to a uniform shimmer. 
  Zoanthrope (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  30
  45
  45
  45
  10
  35
  45
  60
  ––
  Movement: 3/6/9/24 
  Wounds:32
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Psyniscience (Per) +10.
  Talents: Fearless, Improved Natural Weapons, Improved 
  Warp Sense, Psy Rating (6), Warp Sense.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 3 (Horrifying), Hoverer (6), Natural 
  Armour (Reinforced Chitin), Shadow in the Warp, Size 
  (Enormous), Synapse Creature, Tyranid, Unnatural Strength 
  (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2).
  Armour: Reinforced Chitin (All 6).
  Weapons: Teeth and Claws (1d10+4 R; Pen 3).
  Gear: None.
  SpecialRules
  WarpField: Zoanthropes are protected from harm by a powerful 
  psychic warp bubble. This functions as a Force Field (see page 166 
  in the Deathwatch Rulebook) and counts as having a protection 
  rating of 65 and overloads on a roll of 01-05. If a Zoanthrope’s 
  Warp Field overloads, the creature can spend a Full Action to 
  restore it, the effects coming back into effect at the start of its 
  next turn.
  TyranidPsyker: Zoanthropes are Tyranid Psykers and follow 
  the rules for Tyranid Psychic Powers on page 34. They have 
  access to all the standard Tyranid psychic powers plus Warp Blast 
  and Warp Lance.
   Dark Sight, Fear 3 (Horrifying), Hoverer (6), Natural 
  
  54
  I: The Alien Threat
  adVenture seeds
  TheHiveMind:Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Heltor Zyr has long speculated on the powerful connection a Zoanthrope shares 
  with the Hive Mind, and a way in which it might be exploited to better combat the Tyranid menace. Zyr believes that if a 
  sufficiently powerful psyker could “tap into” the link a Zoanthrope shares with the Hive Mind, he might be able to sense 
  communications to the swarm before they occur. Perhaps, if he was powerful enough, he could even use the Zoanthrope as 
  a conduit to nearby Tyranid creatures, sowing confusion and conflicting commands via its powerful synaptic link. Of course 
  this is all mere speculation unless Zyr can get close enough to one of the beasts to test his theories, and is also dependent 
  on keeping this psyker alive long enough to make a serious attempt at breaking down the Zoanthrope’s mental shields.
  TakeCaptive:Unlike many other kinds of Tyranid creature, a Zoanthrope seems to undergo a significant change when it 
  dies, something within it expiring and melting away as its psychic energy ebbs away. Recorded instances of Zoanthropes 
  taken alive and contained for any length of time are next to nil, though it has not stopped the Magos Biologis from making 
  repeated attempts. The Deathwatch also have an interest in taking such a creature alive (mostly so they can learn how to 
  better kill it) and have considered allowing a team of Tech-Priests and Magos the protection of a Kill-team to make the 
  attempt. Such an undertaking would take a great deal of planning, and the only sure way to transport such a creature would 
  likely be in a stasis chamber, requiring either some heavy lifting or a cunningly laid trap.
   The Alien Threat
  54
  54
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   The Alien Threat
  Psychic Manifestations of the Tyranid Hive Mind
  There can be no doubt that the Hive Mind is a potent psychic entity. Simply by observing its effect on 
  the warp, the creatures with its countless broods and the senses of our own psykers, we can determine 
  that it does in some way exist in both the Materium and Immaterium simultaneously. What is less 
  clear is how and from where Tyranids draw their psychic power. Creatures like the Zoanthrope exhibit 
  particularly massive amounts of psychic energy, dealing out bolts of power and blasts of fire as strong as 
  any lascannon or artillery strike. Is the power of a Zoanthrope drawn from the warp itself like that of 
  a normal psyker, perhaps channelled through the great consciousness of the Hive Mind, or is it the Hive 
  Mind itself that provides the power for its psychic manifestations? 
  While to the solider on the ground, such speculation may seem one of pure semantics (a warp blast that 
  cuts your men in half is just as deadly no matter how it came to be), it is of interest to the Codiciers like 
  myself. If we could somehow know for sure where such a beast drew its power, we would be far better 
  equipped to deal with it, and could over time create more effective counters. Perhaps, with enough 
  research and skill, we might learn of a way to cut it off from the Hive Mind completely, permanently 
  robbing it of its power. After all, as with all my studies on the Tyranids, the old maxim “To kill the 
  Beast, you must first know the Beast” rings truer than ever.
  -Codicier Taelon
  
  55
  I: The Alien Threat
  Orks
  “Dey’z comin’ for us like we some kind a humie gitz. But we ain’t. 
  We’ze da orks and dis here is gonna be one great fight! So get your 
  choppas and shootas ready boyz , cos dere’s some killin’ to do!”
  –Warboss Gorgutz ‘Ead ‘Unter
  A 
  particularly barbaric and warlike race of aliens, Orks 
  infest large portions of the known galaxy. In many 
  sectors of space, Ork empires are constantly being 
  built and torn down, waging war amongst themselves or 
  against races unheard of by the Imperium. Orks are incredibly 
  violent and numerous, so much so that if they were ever to 
  combine forces under one ruler, they could potentially sweep 
  away nearly all other races in the galaxy.
  It is fortunate for the rest of the galaxy that the Ork’s 
  propensity for violence precludes such a fate, for Orks enjoy 
  fighting amongst themselves as much as against other races. 
  Most would-be Ork empires fall apart into petty squabbles 
  and skirmishes before they can become more than a minor 
  threat. However, there are some occasions where a powerful 
  Ork warlord rises amongst his kind, possessing sufficient 
  brutish strength and cunning to bully other greenskins into 
  line and concentrate their efforts into a significant force. When 
  this occurs, a Waaagh! is raised—a great invasion of Orks that 
  can decimate entire sectors of the galaxy, if given the time to 
  grow in momentum and size.
  The Ork presence in the Jericho Reach is small and scattered, 
  rarely touched by the presence of the greenskin menace 
  (although few locations in the Galaxy are truly completely 
  safe from Orks). Many worlds harbour an Ork presence, even 
  those that are declared safe by Imperial authorities. Typically 
  such greenskins are stamped out with overwhelming force 
  whenever they are discovered, for the Imperium has learnt 
  from considerable experience that there is a price to pay for 
  leaving such seemingly harmless infestations unchecked—
  Orks multiply extremely quickly.
  On some other worlds, Orks thrive in far greater numbers. 
  Often, these are feral Orks who wage war against each 
  other and ride into battle atop great wild boars or massive, 
  reptilian creatures known as Squiggoths. These Orks are not 
  to be discounted, for Orks evolve quickly and develop from 
  possessing relatively primitive technology to mastering the 
  basics of spaceflight (albeit in crude, ramshackle spaceships 
  that carry Orks to invade other worlds) in the space of a 
  few generations. 
  Cleansing a world of an Ork infestation is not a simple 
  task. Ork spores may lie dormant beneath the soil for years 
  before sprouting into a new generation of greenskins. Despite 
  the best efforts of the local population, some worlds can have 
  outbreaks of Orks rising up every few years.
  Orks have two main methods of interstellar travel; space 
  hulks and roks. A space hulk is an enormous floating mass of 
  debris, normally comprised of wrecked spacecraft and other 
  cosmic detritus that drifts in and out of warp space. As a space 
  
  56
  I: The Alien Threat
  hulk drifts near an Ork infested world, crude tractor beams and 
  teleporters are used to seize it long enough for as many Orks 
  as possible to embark. Once aboard, Ork Meks (Orks that have 
  an inborn natural knack for technology) and Weirdboyz—
  Ork psykers—guide it back into the warp, navigating it into 
  neighbouring systems ripe for plunder and war. Space hulks 
  are often accompanied by great swarms of orbiting roks—
  hollowed out asteroids hurled across space, acting as makeshift 
  drop pods and assault shuttles. Also, sometimes such creations 
  enter the sector on their own, propelled by some great mass 
  catapult deep in a neighbouring area of space. Orks have little 
  control over where the roks go, but so long as they smash into 
  an inhabited world (and some Orks survive the impact long 
  enough to fight), they are happy enough.
  Fortunately, roks and space hulks are a rare occurrence in 
  the Jericho Reach, and the Achilus Crusade would need to 
  muster significant resources to oppose such a force.
  ork physIology 
  An Ork’s body contains the genetic traits of both animal and 
  fungal life forms. This plant-like nature is responsible for the 
  Ork’s incredible physique and toughness. Algae flows through 
  an Ork’s blood, breaking down and repairing damaged tissue 
  at an advanced rate. This algae is the reason for the Ork’s 
  greenish coloration and freakish durability. 
  Ork reproduction occurs by dispersing spores that settle 
  and mature over time. When an Ork dies, this triggers a mass 
  release of spores that can develop into dozens of subterranean 
  cocoons. These cocoons then may hatch Gretchin, Squigs, or 
  just simple fungi depending on the surrounding conditions. A 
  good number of these cocoons will mature into fully-grown 
  Orks after a gestation period.
  ork soCIety and klans
  For Orks, size equals respect and might makes right. These 
  two elements are rooted in the Ork’s physiology: natural 
  leaders among their breed grow larger and stronger, enforcing 
  their authority with physical abuse and the volume of his 
  shouting in preference to cunning plans or charisma. These 
  creatures thrive on conflict, and often gather into groups 
  intent on finding the biggest and most violent battle to join in 
  and escalate. These groups centre around a leader, known as 
  a Nob, who forms a mob of his closest and most reliable Ork 
  allies (including many Gretchin hangers-on and sycophants). 
  The biggest and most powerful Nob becomes a Warboss and 
  leads all the mobs in what is known as a Warband. Warbands 
  are sometimes absorbed into larger tribes, and many tribes 
  together often form the massive invasion hosts known as 
  Waaaghs! In addition to this, Orks also have Klans, which 
  embody a philosophy (for want of a better term) among Orks, 
  each Clan emphasising particular elements of Ork culture 
  above others. Orks belong to one or another Klan no matter 
  what Tribe they are in.
  teeth
  The basis of Ork economics is teeth (known in the 
  parlance of the alien as “teef ”). Not any teeth will 
  do—they must be the sharp tusks grown by Orks and 
  periodically shed by the creatures as they grow. Teeth can 
  be exchanged for almost anything in a crude form of market 
  economics, from a choppa or a shoota to a buggy or bike. 
  And, of course, because Ork money is grown by Orks, a good 
  spot of fighting is great for shaking loose a few teeth and 
  earning a bit more wealth for the victor.
  Freebooters
  Not every Ork belongs to a warband or tribe. Some are 
  misfits from Ork society, Orks who take more of an interest 
  in looting and pillaging than in fighting. Outcasts amongst 
  their own kind, these Flash Gitz and Freebooters are pirates, 
  bandits, and mercenaries of ill-repute, selling their services 
  to the highest bidder whether Ork or human (‘umie, to use 
  the Ork’s parlance). Violence is always a major part of an 
  Ork’s life, no matter how much he may yearn after booty and 
  adventure, and a Freebooter’s agreement is fickle, lasting until 
  the money runs out or he gets a fancy for bashing.
  ORK TRAITS
  The following is a selection of Ork Traits that most  
  Orks possess.
  MIght Makes rIght
  Amongst Orks, Intimidate can be substituted for  
  Command Tests.
  Make It work
  Unreliable Ork weapons are not Unreliable in an Ork’s hands.
  Mob rule
  All Orks are latently psychic, an ability that increases in 
  strength the more of them there are in one place. This bolsters 
  their confidence and courage to near-fearless levels when they 
  gather en masse. For every additional Ork within 10m, the 
  Ork’s Willpower gains a +10 bonus to resist the effects of 
  Fear and Pinning. In a Horde, Orks are immune to Fear and 
  Pinning.
  waaagh!
  When the Ork charges, he may make any additional 
  attacks granted from other Talents (such as Swift Attack or 
  Lightning Attack), rather than one. In addition, whenever 
  this Ork charges into combat, all other Orks (or Ork Hordes) 
  within 20 metres who charge that Turn may make one  
  additional attack.
  56
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  57
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  57
  I: The Alien Threat
  ORK bOY
  The majority of Orks encountered throughout the galaxy are 
  Ork Boyz, the common, foot-slogging warriors that make up 
  the bulk of the greenskin horde. They are neither rulers nor 
  leaders, for that role belongs to the Nobz, but nor are they 
  servants or slaves, for the Gretchin fulfil that role. They exist for 
  one purpose, and one purpose alone—to wage war. Orks care 
  not where war is waged or against whom, and in the absence of 
  a worthy foe, they happily fight amongst themselves.
  Ork Boyz are tough, hulking brutes with thick, gnarly 
  green hides. Fully erect they stand somewhere between 
  six and seven feet tall, but most stand hunched over. Their 
  bestial, almost porcine faces have beady little red eyes and a 
  jutting jaw brimming with long tusks. Their skulls are thick, 
  their arms long and ape-like, and their torsos extremely well-
  muscled. They typically wear battered and worn clothing and 
  armour, cobbled together from whatever scraps they can find, 
  take, or steal, and wield crude weaponry ranging from loud 
  slug-firing pistols to even louder rifles.
  Ork boy (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  40
  20
  46
  45
  30
  20
  25
  25
  20
  Speed: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Intimidate (S)
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Primitive, SP), Bulging 
  Biceps, Crushing Blow, Furious Assault, Hardy, Iron Jaw, 
  Melee Weapon Training (Chain, Primitive), Pistol Weapon 
  Training (Primitive, SP), Street Fighting, True Grit.
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Make it Work, Mob Rule, Sturdy, 
  Unnatural Toughness (x2)
  Armour: Flak armour (Body 2)
  Weapons: Slugga (20m; S/3/–; 1d10+9 I; Pen 2; Clip 18; 
  Reload Full; Inaccurate, Unreliable) or Shoota (60m; S/3/10; 
  1d10+8 I; Pen 2; Reload Full; Inaccurate, Unreliable), choppa 
  (1d10+7 R; Pen 2; Tearing, Unbalanced).
  Gear: Shiny bitz, really small Squig.
  Horde: Ork Boyz can form a Horde, in which case they gain 
  the Overwhelming Trait.
  ORK MEGANOb
  Ork culture is a seething morass of violence where the strong 
  constantly assert their position over upstart, ambitious young 
  orks. Only the largest, toughest, and most aggressive Orks 
  rise to leadership amongst the greenskins. This makeshift 
  “nobility” results in a class of ork known as “Nobz” in their 
  guttural language. Nobz lead by example, fighting where the 
  fighting is thickest and “encouraging” any recalcitrant Orks 
  or Grots with cuffs and blows to get them into the battle.
  In many warbands, Nobz gain a favoured status for 
  collecting loot or special wargear from the Meks, such 
  as mega-armour. Such mega-armoured Nobz (known as 
  Meganobz) often form an elite bodyguard for an Ork 
  Warboss and accompany him into the heart of any fight with  
  savage enthusiasm.
  Ork Meganob (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (11)
  (8)
  45
  20
  49
  49
  33
  23
  28
  28
  20
  Speed: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 35
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +10, Dodge (Ag), 
  Intimidate (S) +20
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Primitive, SP), Bulging 
  Biceps, Crushing Blow, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Any 
  Ork Weapon), Furious Assault, Hardy, Iron Jaw, Melee 
  Weapon Training (Chain, Primitive), Pistol Weapon Training 
  (Primitive, SP), Swift Attack, Talented (Intimidate), Street 
  Fighting, True Grit.
  Traits: Auto-stabilised, Brutal Charge, Fear (1), Make It 
  Work, Might Makes Right, Mob Rule, Size (Hulking), Sturdy, 
  Unnatural Strength (x2) Unnatural Toughness (x2)
  Armour: Mega-armour (Body 14, Arms and Legs 10, Head 6)
  Weapons: Twin-linked Shoota (60m; S/3/10; 1d10+8 I; 
  Pen 2; Reload Full; Inaccurate, Twin-Linked, Unreliable), 
  power claw (1d10+20 R; Pen 8; Unbalanced).
  Gear: 5d10 Ork Teeth (“teef ”), lots of shiny bitz, small pet 
  hair Squig.
  
  58
  I: The Alien Threat
  ORK WARbOSS
  A large and aggressive Ork Chieftain, a Warboss has proven 
  himself as a leader of a warband. As such, the Warboss gets 
  the pick of any wargear and loot the warband accumulates, 
  and gathers the best Ork fighters from the warband as his 
  bodyguard. Warbosses often have their own entourage of 
  Squigs, Gretchin, or other slave creatures. A Warboss is often 
  decorated with huge horns on his helmet, a crude banner 
  affixed to his back or carried by a Grot, or a massive iron jaw 
  bolted onto his skull. He keeps the other Orks in line with 
  the force of his domineering personality and a brutal beating 
  from time to time.
  At times a Warboss’ authority may be challenged by 
  his rivals. The outcome of such struggles for power can be 
  resolved in a number of ways. Some Orks prefer low kunnin’ 
  (such as assassination or ambush), whilst others will engage 
  in some ritual duel. Among the Orks in the Jericho Reach, the 
  second option is much preferred, and every Ork settlement 
  in the reach possesses a fighting pit for such challenges to 
  be fought. In fact, many of these pit fights are used as a 
  crude form of judicial system, with the outcome of the fight 
  resolving any kind of dispute over loot or position. 
  Ork Warboss (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (10)
  55
  20
  55
  55
  43
  33
  35
  40
  25
  Speed: 4/8/12/24 
  Wounds: 55
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Command (Fel) +10, Dodge (Ag), 
  Intimidate (S) +20
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Primitive, SP), Bulging 
  Biceps, Crushing Blow, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Any Ork 
  Weapon), Furious Assault, Hardy, Into the Jaws of Hell, Iron 
  Discipline, Iron Jaw, Lightning Attack, Melee Weapon Training 
  (Chain, Primitive), Pistol Weapon Training (Primitive, SP), 
  Swift Attack, Talented (Intimidate), Street Fighting, True Grit.
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Fear (2), Make It Work, Might Makes 
  Right, Mob Rule, Size (Hulking), Sturdy, Unnatural Strength 
  (x2) Unnatural Toughness (x2), Waaagh!
  Armour: ‘Eavy armour (Body 6, Arms and Legs 4, Head 6)
  Weapons: Shoota (60m; S/3/10; 1d10+8 I; Pen 2; Reload 
  Full; Inaccurate, Unreliable), power claw (1d10+20 R; Pen 
  8; Unbalanced).
  Gear: 1d5 Space Marine Helmet trophies, 1d5 other trophies, 
  crude banner, 1d5x10 Ork Teeth (“teef ”), lots of shiny bitz. 
  Some warbosses also own pet attack squigs.
  adVenture seeds
  Lightning Strike: Warboss Gobklaw has begun 
  lightning strikes against both sides of an Imperial 
  / Tau conflict. Initial attacks greatly weakened the 
  Imperial Guard who are desperately holding a line 
  against the advancing armies of the Tau. There is a 
  brief respite, for now, as the Warboss lashes out against 
  the enemy. Can the Kill-Team assassinate the Warboss 
  while his forces are still deep within Tau territory so 
  that his forces continue to attack the Tau blindly?
  Ominous
  Silence: 
  Astropathic 
  communication 
  with Watch Station Cosel has fallen silent. The Kill-
  team arrives to find the station infested with Orks 
  as the remaining Adeptus Astartes forces are trapped 
  defending the lower decks. In a desperate maneuver 
  the Kill-team’s Strike Cruiser disables the Ork Kroozer 
  and they board the Watch Station to defeat the Warboss 
  and reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
  More ork InForMatIon
  Additional Ork profiles, rules, and equipment can 
  be found in creatures anatheMa, a supplement for 
  Dark heresy, and Into the storM, a rogue traDer 
  supplement. These additional sources for information 
  can be very valuable for a GM who wants to involve 
  Orks more heavily in his Deathwatch campaign.
  
  59
  I: The Alien Threat
  bIG MEK WURRZOG
  Some Orks possess a natural gift for engineering and 
  tinkering with technology. These Orks are known as Meks or 
  Mekaniaks, and it is they who build, modify, and maintain the 
  machines and weapons of the greenskin race. Meks are often 
  obsessed with creating ever more elaborate and powerful 
  machines of war to unleash upon the enemy.
  Some particularly visionary Meks gather a number of 
  acolytes, followers, and other Meks under their authority. 
  These Orks become known as Big Meks, and they are true 
  masters of Orky technology. Big Mek Wurrzog is one such 
  Ork, and he has gathered a small warband around him and 
  his workshop, located somewhere in the Slinnar Drift region 
  of the Jericho Reach. 
  Wurrzog has a fascination with the technology of the Tau 
  Empire, and his band of Orks has made a number of raids 
  against the Velk’han Sept. The Big Mek has, in fact, crafted a 
  special “kustom” force field by looting one of the Tau Shield 
  Drones and modifying it (often by applying various whacks 
  with his wrench). He keeps the drone on a chained tether 
  to keep its protection for himself. Wurrzog has somehow 
  discovered the presence of a number of Deathwatch Watch 
  Stations, and he is currently planning a particularly “kunning” 
  raid to try and capture some of the Deathwatch’s esoteric 
  wargear for his own purposes.
  big Mek Wurrzog (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  45
  20
  45
  45
  33
  43
  35
  30
  25
  Speed: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 45
  Skills: Awareness, Command (Fel) +10, Demolitions (Int) +20, 
  Intimidate (S) +20, Security (Int) +10, Tech-Use (Int) +20.
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Primitive, SP), Bulging 
  Biceps, Crushing Blow, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Any Ork 
  Weapon), Furious Assault, Hardy, Iron Jaw, Lightning Attack, 
  Melee Weapon Training (Chain, Primitive), Pistol Weapon 
  Training (Primitive, SP), Swift Attack, Street Fighting,  
  True Grit.
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Fear (2), Make It Work, Might Makes 
  Right, Mob Rule, Size (Hulking), Sturdy, Unnatural Strength 
  (x2) Unnatural Toughness (x2)
  Armour: ‘Eavy armour (Body 6, Arms and Legs 4, Head 6)
  Weapons: Kustom mega-blasta (40m; S/–/–; 1d10+18 
  E; Pen 9; Reload Full; Overheat, Inaccurate, Recharge, 
  Unreliable), Slugga (20m; S/3/–; 1d10+9 I; Pen 2; Clip 
  18; Reload Full; Inaccurate, Unreliable), ‘uge orky wrench 
  (1d10+15 R; Pen 2; Concussive, Unbalanced).
  Gear: Speshul Force Field (see sidebar below), set of brutishly 
  effective tools, 30 Ork Teeth (“teef ”), lots of shiny bitz, six 
  oil cans.
  wurrzog’s speshul ForCe FIeld
  Wurrzog built this device from a looted Tau Shield Drone 
  he keeps attached to a thick chain. The Drone wobbles 
  a lot more since being “looted,” but its power output 
  has been modified by Wurrzog’s tinkering. This device 
  follows the rules for Force Fields (see page 166 in the 
  Deathwatch Rulebook) with a strength of 35, but also 
  provides the same benefit to other Orks or Ork vehicles 
  within 15 metres. The Speshul Force Field does not work 
  against melee attacks, and overloads on a roll of 01–05.
  adVenture seed
  Wurrzog is keenly interested in looting some more Tau 
  technology. He has gathered a warband of Boyz and 
  Meganobz for a most cunning plan: Wurrzog intends 
  to find an ongoing battle between the Achilus Crusade 
  forces in the Canis Salient against the Tau Empire, then 
  lead his warband in a furious assault that is actually a 
  raid. The Kill-team is present during this battle (perhaps 
  assigned a mission to assassinate the Tau leader) when 
  Wurrzog’s warband add a third front to the raging 
  battle. The Kill-team must now deal with the Orks as 
  well as the Tau. For an additional complication, the Kill-
  team’s target is captured by the Orks along with the 
  technology that Wurrzog craves, making the mission 
  much less straightforward than it initially appeared!
  
  60
  I: The Alien Threat
  Other Xenos
  “This blighted region of space teems with foul aliens, all of them 
  inimical to man.”
  –Deathwatch Chaplain Calderin of the Death Spectres
  T
  he Jericho Reach contains numerous alien foes, from 
  the survivors of ancient civilisations to mindless beasts 
  who have been brought into the Reach from unknown 
  regions of space. This chapter focuses on those unusual aliens 
  that are of particular interest to the Deathwatch.
  bRUUL PARASITE
  “The most horrific foes are not those that devour our bodies, break 
  our minds with terror or tear us to pieces with their claws; they are 
  those that take from us what we are, stealing away our very identity 
  and turning us into living puppets to their foul alien will.” 
  –Magos Biologis Hypon Glass
  As the Achilus Crusade spreads across the Jericho Reach it 
  has encountered numerous new alien horrors and dangerous 
  indigenous species. Among the strangest and most insidious of 
  these are perhaps the Bruul Parasites—vile parasitic creatures 
  which nest in sentient creatures, drawing energy from their prey’s 
  consciousness and controlling its body. First encountered among 
  the blighted worlds of the Cellebos Warzone they were thought 
  to be some vile new weapon of the Dark Gods; in time, however, 
  they were discovered in other places and the Inquisition was 
  forced to investigate, learning a great many disturbing facts 
  about this new menace to the Crusade in the process. Unlike 
  many kinds of parasites, the Bruul Parasite does not simply leech 
  vitality from its host, hiding unseen in their flesh to devour 
  them slowly from within over time; instead it wholly takes 
  control of the subject, feeding as much on its memories 
  and personality as its actual body. The Bruul Parasite 
  also travels great distances to find its prey, seeking 
  out centres of civilisation and centres of sentient 
  population, often hitchhiking on lesser 
  creatures until it can find a true host to latch 
  onto. It then spreads slowly and carefully, 
  using the hosts own memories to blend 
  into its surroundings and create for its 
  self a tight knit family or social grouping 
  where it can breed and multiply.
  Hosts infected with Bruul Parasites 
  are easy to detect, their eyes sunken into 
  their sockets and their lips pulled back as the 
  worm wraps itself tightly around their brains. The 
  hosts’ movements are jerky and uncoordinated, though they 
  can put on bursts of speed when threatened. Hosts also tend 
  to become emaciated over time, as the Bruul Parasite does not 
  really understand the concept of eating unless it comes across a 
  memory or instinct that prompts it to feed. Bruul Parasites do act 
  with cunning however, and seem well aware of the effect they 
  have on the appearance of their hosts. They make every effort 
  to disguise these effects where and when they can, at least until 
  they have created a secure environment for themselves in which 
  to hide from uninfected members of their host species.
  It is difficult to determine whether or not the Bruul Parasite 
  is a creature of intentional or accidental malevolence. Outside 
  the host it is even difficult to determine if the Bruul Parasite has 
  any intelligence at all, except the knowledge and memories it 
  gleans from its hosts. What is clear is that when threatened, Bruul 
  Parasites go to great lengths to protect themselves and their host, at 
  least until the leap to a new host. This is especially true if the Bruul 
  Parasite feels its social or family unit has been threatened, or that 
  its supply of hosts is about to be cut off or destroyed. Even when 
  discovered and brought to battle, Bruul Parasites are very difficult 
  to kill, and there is only a short time to do so when they transfer 
  from one host to another. This usually occurs from the eyes, mouth 
  or ears and the worm can leap several metres to reach a new host. 
  Those wishing to dispatch it have only the time before it can work 
  its way into its host to squash it or hack it apart before it nests and 
  once again must be driven out by destroying its new host body.
  CreatIng a bruul parasIte host
  Bruul Parasites do not have their own profiles, instead taking on 
  the profile of their hosts. These hosts can be anything that has a 
  brain, though it is usually a sentient creature. To create a Bruul 
  Parasite Host, make the following changes to its host’s profile:
  • +5 Strength
  • +5 Toughness
  • –10 Agility
  • -5 Intelligence
  • -5 Willpower
  • –10 Fellowship
  In all other respects (with the exception of psychic powers) the 
  host functions as a normal member of its species.
  SpecialRules
  MindWorms: Bruul Parasites only exist within the body 
  of their host and have no profile of their own. When 
  they choose a host, they try to enter through the eyes, 
  mouth or nose. The host must make a Challenging
  (+0)AgilityTest (unless it is helpless, in which case 
  it fails automatically) to resist becoming infected. 
  Once within the host, the Bruul Parasite nests in 1d5 
  turns, after which it has complete control of the host. 
  Removing a Bruul Parasite is extremely hard once 
  it has nested and requires a full operating theatre, 
  at least 6 hours and a Hard(–20)MedicaeTest. 
  Failure kills the subject, while even success reduces 
  their Intelligence Characteristic by 1d5 points. A 
  successful hit against a Bruul Parasite while it is outside a 
  host, regardless of the weapon used, will kill it.
  MixedMemories: When inhabiting a host, a Bruul Parasite 
  can draw upon its memories to a certain extent, though this level 
  of recall is far from perfect and they can forget things. Whenever 
  a Bruul Parasite wishes to call upon a memory of its host or use a 
  skill based on Intelligence, Perception, Willpower or Fellowship, 
  roll 1d10. On a result of 9 or 10 the Bruul Parasite cannot use 
  the skill or recall the memory for the rest of the encounter. Bruul 
  Parasites cannot use Psychic Powers even if their host possesses 
  them, as they are far too difficult to command.
  them slowly from within over time; instead it wholly takes 
  control of the subject, feeding as much on its memories 
  and personality as its actual body. The Bruul Parasite 
  also travels great distances to find its prey, seeking 
  out centres of civilisation and centres of sentient 
  population, often hitchhiking on lesser 
  creatures until it can find a true host to latch 
  their sockets and their lips pulled back as the 
  worm wraps itself tightly around their brains. The 
  Mind
  of their host and have no profile of their own. When 
  they choose a host, they try to enter through the eyes, 
  mouth or nose. The host must make a 
  (+0)
  it fails automatically) to resist becoming infected. 
  their Intelligence Characteristic by 1d5 points. A 
  successful hit against a Bruul Parasite while it is outside a 
  host, regardless of the weapon used, will kill it.
  Mixed
  
  61
  I: The Alien Threat
  Hordes: Bruul Parasites can inhabit a wide range of foes of all sizes 
  and strengths, though usually they choose weaker social creatures 
  as they are easier to control and feed off. If using creatures from the 
  Troops category as hosts, then they will usually be encountered 
  in Hordes and can use the Horde rules (see page 359 in the 
  Deathwatch Rulebook).
  adVenture seeds
  OverdueAcolytes:Strange whispers and odd rumours have been leaking out of the Kynis Mining Station. Traders 
  and ship captains have reported unusual dealing with the miners, who seem bewildered or distracted, or don’t seem to 
  remember a trader they have met many times before. Worse yet, some of those visiting the mining station have failed 
  to return, or decided abruptly to stay, even abandoning vessels and loved ones to do so. The Ordo Xenos has already 
  sent in a team of Acolytes to investigate, but these have failed to report in and are feared lost. The Deathwatch is now 
  poised to intervene and find out what kind of alien force or cult has taken over the station. Unfortunately the station 
  is of considerable importance to the Crusade and supplies several nearby army groups with raw materials. This means 
  the Kill-team must tread lightly, try to preserve as much of the infrastructure as possible and try to save as many of the 
  miners that they can, while rooting out the truth behind the unusual goings on.
  SpaceHulk: Brother Tablin Kyn was a veteran member of the Deathwatch hailing from the Ultramarines Chapter. A 
  champion of many battles, he was lost along with his Kill-team almost ten years ago while purging the space hulk Ghosts 
  of Jericho. His body was never recovered and the Space Hulk was ultimately destroyed by vessels of the Imperial Navy, 
  leaving little doubt in the minds of the Deathwatch that he had been killed. Now, years later, a Battle-Brother wearing 
  Tablin’s armour has been sighted during a pirate attack off the Shoals of Midnight, near the edge of the Iron Collar. 
  Under interrogation, survivors have confirmed that the dead Space Marine, or something much like him was involved. 
  This has led to much debate among the Ordo and the Chapter, and the launch of an investigation into the strange 
  sighting. If it is indeed the lost Battle-Brother, then he must be found and captured, as he is either a traitor, the subject 
  of foul sorcery or vile xenos control, and the truth must be uncovered.
  Deathwatch Rulebook).
  61
  61
  61
  Xenos Parasites
  On the Presence of the Unseen Enemy
  During my time studying alien creatures and the enemies of the Imperium I have encountered a myriad 
  of horrors both foul and fearsome. From the vile and animalistic Tyranid to the enigmatic and deluded 
  Tau, there are countless alien empires and alien threats to the dominion of man. Of course, what is more 
  worrying is those aliens we cannot see, those xenos which lurk in the invisible places of the world and infect 
  us without our knowing. Against a Genestealer or Ork, a bolter serves as a reliable and trusty method of 
  protection. However, against these unseen enemies, such as the Ghost Phage or the Bruul Parasite, we 
  must be on constant guard and even then they seem to slip though our defences. This is especially true of 
  the Bruul Parasite, a brain worm that feeds on sentient life and controls its host in a mockery of their 
  normal function. Where these vile creatures come from is unknown, as is how they manage to take their 
  first host, however once they take root in a society they seem to multiply with alarming speed and I have 
  seen firsthand entire communities dominated by the tiny parasites. Though they do not destroy worlds as 
  does the Tyranid or the Ork, they are no less deadly to the dominion of man, and prove time and again that 
  even the smallest of things could bring about the fall of Mankind.
  -Codicier Taelon
  
  62
  I: The Alien Threat
  CROTALID
  Crotalids are large, semi-aquatic carnivores that prefer to 
  live in and around tropical and sub-tropical rivers. They are 
  dangerous reptilian beasts with long scaly bodies carried on 
  stubby, powerful legs capable of driving them forward with 
  surprising bursts of speed over short distances. A long, finned 
  tail drags behind the creature on land, leaving distinctive 
  tracks, but in the water a Crotalid propels its whole body 
  with powerful flicks of its tail. 
  The Crotalid’s head is dominated by its ferocious jaws 
  filled with serrated rows of triangular teeth. These teeth 
  never stop growing throughout a Crotalid’s life and Crotalid 
  feeding grounds can be easily identified by the gnawed rocks 
  and tree trunks found in the vicinity. Despite this, instances 
  have been reported of dead Crotalids that were killed by their 
  teeth growing so long that they finally pierced the creatures’ 
  own tiny brains. Aside from such examples of autophagia, 
  Crotalids are protected by thick scales and a rudimentary 
  nervous system that makes them extremely difficult to kill 
  outright. Once injured or exposed to the scent of blood, 
  Crotalids enter a kind of feeding frenzy which overrides any 
  kind of pain or fear response, sending them into a berserk 
  attack of thrashing limbs and snapping jaws.
  Crotalids are primarily ambush predators, feeding on fish, 
  other aquatic animals and wildlife drinking at the water’s 
  edge. Crotalids favour attacking from a submerged location 
  and clamping their formidable jaws onto a victim before they 
  have a chance to react, but they will also pursue prey a short 
  distance out of the water, dragging it back to their aquatic 
  home at the first opportunity. Crotalids are opportunists too 
  and will quickly investigate any disturbances in the water, 
  especially kills by other Crotalids, in hopes of snatching a 
  mouthful or two for themselves in the resulting frenzy. 
  A full-grown Crotalid can easily overwhelm a man, and 
  give a Space Marine a difficult fight. Unfortunately Crotalids 
  often appear in large numbers, quickly making their way to 
  the top of the food chain and completely dominating the area 
  they inhabit. As such, any encounter with one Crotalid means 
  that several more will soon arrive, and in a heavily infested 
  area, dozens can appear in moments. 
  Crotalids in captivity have lived over seventy years, but 
  Magos Biologis Xenologists have been unable to determine 
  the life span of Crotalids in the wild with any precision. 
  This is due to their curious migratory habits which are, as 
  best determined, unique in the known galaxy. As a rapidly 
  expanding population of Crotalids comes to dominate a 
  region, their prey is completely exhausted in the course of a 
  few decades. The Crotalid population must now migrate to a 
  new location or face extinction, and the creatures instinctually 
  gather in response to their growing hunger. At some 
  undetermined point, the unconscious desires of the Crotalids 
  enable them to move on, not by walking or swimming but by 
  passing through the Immaterium itself.
  How Crotalids perform this feat is still unknown, 
  autopsies have revealed no organ or abnormality that might 
  give the beasts the ability to pass through the warp. Certainly 
  no conscious manipulation of the process seems available to 
  the Crotalids themselves, as they can appear on worlds quite 
  unsuited for them including desert planets and even airless 
  worlds. Nonetheless, migratory packs of Crotalids can appear 
  on worlds up to ten light years from their origin point and 
  have been highly successful in establishing themselves in new 
  environments through this apparently hit-and-miss process. 
  Crotalids have been found all over the galaxy but the densest 
  concentrations of sightings are clustered around the Death 
  world of Lost Hope. 
  Tracking migratory packs has proved impossible, as has 
  keeping more than three Crotalids together in captivity. 
  However it appears that once a population migrates it will 
  not do so again for several decades, for the impetus seems 
  to be driven by population pressure. Although observation 
  of this phenomena is limited to finding evidence of failed 
  migrations, Crotalids appearing on a world poorly suited to 
  them do not seem able to move on to greener pastures using 
  this remarkable trait. For some, this reinforces the prevalent 
  theories that the Crotalids’ ability is not consciously used but an 
  instinctual response to environmental pressures. 
  
  63
  I: The Alien Threat
  A typical migratory pack comprises anywhere up to 
  a hundred or more fully-grown Crotalids and can cause 
  considerable damage. When they first arrive in a new hunting 
  ground, Crotalids are extremely aggressive and will attack 
  anything in sight to establish their dominance. Frontier colonies 
  have been all but wiped out by such unexpected appearances, 
  with livestock and outlying farms paying the highest price in 
  the sudden invasion by large carnivorous reptiles. The pleasure 
  planet of Colonica was entirely ravaged by large numbers 
  of Crotalids multiplying in its picturesque river deltas to the 
  point where they threatened highborn pleasure seekers on  
  the beaches. 
  Conversely, some Crotalid populations are actively hunted 
  or even farmed on certain worlds. Crotalid meat is tough 
  and unappetizing but their hides and teeth have some value. 
  Hunting Crotalids for sport has some notoriety among more 
  gauche, high society types, but it is more commonly the 
  preserve of desperate men. Bait and traps are the clever ways 
  to kill a Crotalid, preferably by getting it out of the water first. 
  Crotalid (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  35
  —
  45
  55
  30
  10
  35
  40
  ––
  Move: 4/8/12/24 
  Wounds: 20
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Concealment (Ag) +10, Silent Move 
  (Ag) +10, Swim (S) +30.
  Talents: Crushing Blow, Frenzy†, Furious Assault, Fearless, 
  Heightened Senses (Taste), True Grit.
  Traits: Crawler, Dark Sight, Natural Weapons. (jaws, claws), 
  Quadruped, Natural Armour (Scaly hide), Size (hulking).
  Armour: Scaly hide (All 3, Horde 3). 
  Weapons: Jaws (1d10+7 R; Pen 3; Tearing, Primitive) Claws 
  (1d5+7 I; Pen 2; Tearing, Primitive).
  SpecialRules
  Horde: Crotalids can be used as a Horde (see the Horde rules 
  on page 359 of the Deathwatch Rulebook). While in a Horde, 
  Crotalids gain the Warp Swimmers†† and Rampage Traits. A 
  Horde of Crotalids also has the Fear 1 (Disturbing) Trait. Alter 
  the Size Trait upward as appropriate for Horde magnitude.
  †Frenzy: A Crotalid can enter Frenzy automatically without 
  taking an action if it is wounded or able to taste blood within 
  30 metres.
  ††WarpSwimmers: When in a Horde, Crotalids are capable 
  of travelling through warp space under the right conditions. A 
  minimum sized group of four or more Crotalids is required to 
  make the transition, with increasing numbers adding to the range 
  of the migration. Time and distance are mutable within the warp, 
  thus the distance that a group of Crotalids can traverse whilst 
  migrating is at the GM’s discretion. The Horde will instinctively 
  find a world within range to emerge on, but there’s no guarantee 
  that it will be suitable for them. The Horde of Crotalid phase 
  in or out together from the warp, taking one Full Action to 
  do so. Succeeding at a Challenging(+0)PsyniscienceTest
  will be able to detect the arrival of Crotalids a turn before their 
  emergence from the warp. 
  CrotalId adVenture seeds
  HuntingExpedition: A hunting expedition packed 
  with planetary nobles has gone deep into Crotalid 
  infested territory in search of some fine trophies. 
  Enemy agents among their multitude of servants do 
  everything they can to isolate the nobles and get them 
  killed, before leaving them to their fate with sunken 
  boats and useless weapons. Finding and rescuing the 
  hapless nobles will have a tight time limit imposed by 
  the hungry Crotalids.
  Strange Visitors: A migratory pack of Crotalids 
  arrive somewhere acutely embarrassing and potentially 
  dangerous for the current occupants—the governor’s 
  fountain park, a fusion reactor’s cooling ponds, the 
  sewers under a cathedral. Mass panic and extravagant 
  over-reactions may well cause more damage than the 
  Crotalids ever could before the emergency is over.
  Dangerous Pets: A Heretek Techno-savant has 
  wired a number of Crotalids for mind impulse 
  control to harness their warp swimming abilities. If 
  his experiments bear fruit he could control a small 
  army of phasing carnivorous lizards able to strike 
  across light years. The hybridised horrors guarding 
  the Heretek’s labs include all manner of “enhanced”  
  Crotalid monstrosities.
  From the annals of Codicier Taelon
  Some may find my inclusion of the 
  Crotalid in these papers to be a 
  curious one. However, in terms of 
  xenos impact on emergent worlds, 
  few species can match the Crotalid. 
  Consider this testimonial from the 
  colony planet of Fershun IX:
  In the summer months we began to see 
  less fish in our nets and by winter 
  the nets themselves were being torn. 
  Come spring we saw the dragons 
  themselves, arrogantly swimming the 
  waters and dragging themselves out on 
  land. Livestock began to vanish and 
  we took up our guns and hunted the 
  dragons down. We began to be afraid 
  of them then, because some people were 
  hurt, some vanished altogether, and 
  there were always more dragons. Come 
  wintertime, we were starving in our 
  huts. Meanwhile, the dragons prowled 
  around outside. By next spring, they 
  started breaking into the huts, 
  looking for meat.
  
  64
  I: The Alien Threat
  DIAbLODON
  Native to the world of Aurum within the Jericho Reach, the 
  Diablodon has managed to find its way across the larger 
  portion of this area of space and beyond. Known within 
  legends and lore of the various tribes and people of Aurum, 
  the Diablodon is a consummate hunter and frightening 
  predator beast. It figures prominently in the natives’ culture 
  and the best hunters are those who have managed to best one 
  of these terrifying lizards.
  On their native planet, Diablodons are considered to be 
  the ultimate predator. They are descended from the reptile 
  strain of midasaurs. While some midasaurs have been 
  domesticated by the people, many more are not. These range 
  from the small and virtually harmless species, to the massive 
  Diablodons themselves. Found scattered across numerous 
  worlds within the Jericho Reach, Diablodons have been 
  distributed by many Rogue Traders and Free Captains for a 
  variety of reasons: some deliberate and others by accident. 
  They feature popularly within many of the legendary Beast 
  Trades and tournament arenas for obvious reasons.
  Diablodons play a significant role in the culture and 
  mythology of the native Aurans. In some of the outlying 
  tribes, the Diablodon is believed to represent the true spirit 
  of the hunter. Dances, performances, and literature have all 
  centred on this terrifying creature. The most prominent role 
  these reptiles play is in the Aurans’ Divested Hunt.
  The truest test of a huntsman’s skill, the Divested Hunt 
  involves tracking, stalking, and then killing one of these great 
  monsters. So voracious and skilful are Diablodons that those 
  who attempt the Divested Hunt rarely return. Once the reptile 
  is found, it must be killed and its carcass ritually prepared. 
  This is easier said than done, for these creatures possess a 
  keen intellect and refuse to be taken down easily.
  As terrifying as the Diablodon is, there are many myths 
  and legends surrounding it. On Aurum, the most significant 
  one revolves around the Diablodon as a harbinger of death. 
  In the human cultures on Aurum, the Diablodon is portrayed 
  to herald the dead to the afterlife beyond. Many young 
  hunters also choose to tattoo the Diablodon’s image on their 
  bodies, as they believe having the symbol of the monster 
  allows them to channel a small part of its strength and animal 
  cunning. With the return of the Imperium and the Achilus 
  Crusade, this practice has spread throughout some of the 
  regiments of the Imperial Guard, much to the dismay of the  
  Departmento Munitorum.
  Diablodons are fearsome looking reptiles. They all have 
  a distinctive crimson hide that has spectacular patterns and 
  whorls streaked into the scales. A typical Diablodon sports 
  a sagittal crest and massive, needle-like teeth. Their eyes 
  are glistening yellow orbs, and their talons are as long and 
  as sharp as an Imperial power sword. Diablodons have a 
  hunched-over stance, walking on their two hind legs. Adults 
  stand as tall as an Adeptus Astartes Dreadnought. They have 
  a distinctive three-toed track that hunters quickly learn to 
  recognise. The talons and claws of a Diablodon are almost 
  always covered in the gore and remains of past victims; so 
  any wounds inflicted by a Diablodon inevitably turn septic 
  unless treated.
  Diablodons prefer to dwell within caves or other 
  subterranean places, especially those that are near volcanic 
  or geothermal areas. This preference not only adds to their 
  mystique, but also provides additional protection from 
  potential predators. One of the obvious signs that a Diablodon 
  lair is near, is the grisly pile of leftover carcasses and split 
  bones—the reptile isn’t one to finish its meal entirely.
  Evidence supports that Diablodons are excellent night 
  hunters, leading some to believe that they possess both 
  excellent night vision and a heightened sense of smell. An 
  unusual trait in Diablodons is the fact that they are not 
  pack hunters—preferring to hunt on their own. In fact, a 
  Diablodon will go out of its way to remove any “competition” 
  from its hunting grounds. While their mating habits are 
  unknown, it’s speculated that a Diablodon will only tolerate 
  the presence of another until the female has been fertilised. 
  She will then leave the area and either locate a suitable place 
  to lay her eggs (near volcanic vents, if possible), or return to 
  her own hunting grounds. Members of the Adeptus Biologis 
  suspect that the male is the one who initiates the mating ritual 
  by extending his sagittal crest to lure the female in. However, 
  it’s not unheard of for male Diablodons to do this as a means 
  to reduce competition for food sources by attacking the 
  potential mate instead of propagating.
  
  65
  65
  65
  65
  I: The Alien Threat
  Diablodon (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (15)
  (10)
  45
  —
  59
  55
  35
  16
  40
  36
  ––
  Movement: 6/12/18/36 
  Wounds: 75
  Skills: Awareness (Per).
  Talents: Combat Master, Fearless, Heightened Senses (Smell).
  Traits: Improved Natural Weapons, Natural Armour (Thick 
  Scales), Natural Weapons (Bloodied Claws and Massive 
  Jaws†), Size (Massive), Unnatural Strength (x3), Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2).
  Armour: Thick Scales (All 5).
  Weapons: Bloodied Claws (1d10+15 R; Pen 3; Toxic), 
  Massive Jaws (1d10+15 R; Pen 2; Tearing).
  Gear: None.
  †Massive Jaws cannot be parried.
  adVenture seeds
  Interruption:The Kill-team is busy tracking a signal 
  coming from what appears to be a saviour beacon on a 
  desolate planet or moon. As they close in on the signal, 
  they can see that the source belongs to a crashed 
  shuttle or other conveyor, and that it has been there for 
  quite some time. The smell of carrion fills the air, and 
  scattered bones and carcasses litter the area outside a 
  great rent in the side of the craft. Due to a cracked 
  plasma drive, auspex scans are unable to penetrate into 
  the craft. It’s dark inside the rusting hulk, but signs 
  definitely point to a Diablodon within. As the Battle-
  Brothers make their way through the craft in their 
  search for possible survivors, they discover a broken 
  cage within the cargo hold. It appears that the creature 
  escaped and attacked the crew before they could 
  reach their destination. Do the valiant members of the 
  Deathwatch choose to avenge the dead shuttle crew, 
  or do they allow a potentially hostile xeno-beast to  
  roam unchecked?
  Prey: While on another Mission, the Kill-team 
  discovers that they are being tracked. Whatever is 
  following them, it is stealthy and highly intelligent 
  (as it avoids most common traps and ambushes). The 
  predator does whatever it can to separate the Battle-
  Brothers from one another and that’s when it strikes 
  at them, one at a time. A Diablodon (not native to the 
  planet the Kill-team is on) has decided that they are 
  now its prey. It’s odd, however, that it exhibits higher-
  than-normal intelligence for such a creature.
  After-Action Report: Aurum Expedition 
  AK-955 Aleph
  ATT: Codicier Taelon; ++Priority 
  Vermillion++
  Brother Codicier,
  I have hunted and killed more than my 
  meagre share of creatures within and 
  without the Emperor’s great Imperium. 
  Yet I have only rarely encountered 
  anything that matches the intellect 
  and ferocity of the dread Diablodon. 
  My first encounter with one of these 
  fell beasts was while I and my Kill-
  team were assigned a mission to a 
  small backwater planet named Aurum. 
  During insertion, our gunship was 
  targeted by unseen attackers and 
  we were forced to disembark. While 
  seperated from my Kill-team, I 
  encountered a settlement that had been 
  torn apart with savage fury. The only 
  hint of who or what had committed such 
  an act was a splayed three-toed track 
  in the dirt. Several days later, after 
  my team and I completed our mission, 
  we returned to the site and hunted 
  for the creatures responsible for the 
  death of so many of the Emperor’s 
  servants. We quickly discovered that 
  it was the work of a single reptilian 
  beast sporting a massive crest and 
  fierce yellow eyes. It took all our 
  efforts to slay the horror. Brother 
  Robar had the crimson scale hide 
  fashioned into a magnificent cloak as 
  a testament to those who died at the 
  claws of such a terror.
  –Brother Callum of the Crimson Fists
  
  66
  I: The Alien Threat
  LACRYMOLE
  “The greatest threat is ever the one we know least about, and few 
  xeno-forms epitomise this notion more than the Lacrymole. Their 
  greatest knack, its seems, is convincing us that they no longer exist.” 
  –Inquisitor Grundvald in an address to the Betacairn 
  Conclave
  The Charnel Spectre incident, or the Lacrymole Encounter 
  as it is sometimes known, occurred during the early days of 
  the Achilus Crusade, before the death of Warmaster Achilus 
  and before the true extent of the Imperium’s foes had been 
  uncovered. As the Crusade fortified the regions around the Well 
  of Night countless scouts ranged out in all directions. Assessing 
  new worlds for conquest and spying on heretical populations 
  and blasphemous alien empires they sent information streaming 
  back to the Warmaster. Among these reports was the appearance 
  of an ancient space hulk—the Charnel Spectre. The Spectre was an 
  item of interest to the Inquisition as it had been sighted centuries 
  before and records spoke of it containing the remnants of a 
  relic ship of the Great Crusade; a ship which might have once 
  belonged to the fledgling Inquisition. 
  A mission was organised; and led by Inquisitor Malas Dyce of 
  the Ordo Xenos and supported by a Deathwatch Kill-team it set 
  off to find the space hulk’s location. After months of false leads 
  Dyce and his team finally tracked the Charnel Spectre, following 
  its erratic wake in the warp, to the edge of the cursed Credence 
  system just beyond the boundaries of the Iron Collar. There they 
  boarded the vessel and began their search for the relic ship. What 
  they encounter instead was a nest of xenos which had apparently 
  been living on the space hulk and using it as a base for centuries. 
  At first the Kill-team thought they might be facing a Genestealer 
  infestation (common on such ancient 
  space hulks) as clawed shapes moved 
  in the shadows and hissing sounds 
  were heard echoing down the 
  corridors. It was not until it 
  was almost too late that 
  they realised the aliens 
  were shape-shifters.
  Laying 
  deadly 
  traps for the Kill-team 
  the aliens had some of 
  their number appear as 
  vile alien beasts, or clawed 
  horrors like the Genestealer, 
  and draw the Battle-Brothers 
  and the Inquisitor and his 
  Acolytes into a hunt. Only 
  then would others pick off 
  lone members of the group 
  from behind (the Acolytes 
  first among these) and 
  assume their forms, then get 
  close enough to strike with 
  surprise. After only a few 
  hours of attack only Dyce 
  and a few Battle-Brothers 
  remained, and the Battle-
  Brothers were deeply suspicious that Dyce was an alien imposter. 
  To save himself and return his report, the Inquisitor slipped away 
  from the Kill-team during a firefight and made good his escape 
  from the Charnel Spectre, leaving all of his companions behind.
  Upon his return Dyce was convinced the aliens encountered 
  on the Spectre were the fabled Lacrymole, claiming they were one 
  in the same with those creatures slain by Inquisitor Grundvald 
  and thought put to rest. With no proof however, and the loss of 
  a Kill-team he was derided by his peers and ended his career as 
  a broken and babbling old man whispering of aliens in the dark.
  Lacrymole (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  48
  23
  43
  41
  51
  32
  35
  35
  25
  Movement: 5/10/15/30 
  Wounds: 30
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Concealment (Ag) +10, 
  Contortionist (Ag) +20, Dodge (Ag), Security (Ag), Silent 
  Move (Ag) +10, Shadowing (Ag), Slight of Hand (Ag), Swim 
  (S), Tracking (Int) +20.
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Blind Fighting, Catfall, Mimic, 
  Rapid Reaction, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 2 (Frightening), Natural Armour (6), 
  Regeneration (5), Improved Natural Weapons (Mandibles).
  Armour: Hardened Hide (All 6).
  Weapons: Mandibles (1d10+4 R; Pen 4; Razor Sharp, 
  Tearing).
  Gear: Whatever is normally carried by 
  the creature the Lacrymole has slain  
  and replaced.
  SpecialRules
  Xenomorph: Lacrymole are natural shape-
  shifters and can take on the shape and appearance 
  of almost anything of roughly equal size to themselves. 
  Shifting takes the Lacrymole a Full Action and may not 
  use its Reaction until the start of its next turn. If the 
  Lacrymole wishes to shift into a very specific shape (such 
  as imitating a specific person), then it will take it at least an 
  hour and even then it must make a successful Very Hard
  (–30)IntelligenceTestor minor imperfections will give the 
  shape away to those familiar with the original. In an emergency, 
  a Lacrymole can shift faster and may shift as a Reaction, but 
  only if it passes a Challenging(+0)ToughnessTest. Failure 
  indicates it shifts on its next turn just as if it was using a Full 
  Action. Finally, the Lacrymole’s shape-shifting ability means 
  that it can quickly re-grow things like eyes (or create new ones) 
  and repair damage to limbs or even replace them. As a result 
  Lacrymoles do not suffer limb or eye loss as the result of a critical 
  effect, though they do suffer Critical Damage as normal, and can 
  still be slain by critical results which would result in death.
  PerfectImitation: Lacrymole are excellent mimics and can 
  use their Mimic Talent to replicate any sound or noise that 
  they hear. Detecting their mimicry is extremely hard 
  and those trying to do so suffer a –30 penalty to 
  any appropriate Tests. 
  they encounter instead was a nest of xenos which had apparently 
  been living on the space hulk and using it as a base for centuries. 
  At first the Kill-team thought they might be facing a Genestealer 
  infestation (common on such ancient 
  space hulks) as clawed shapes moved 
  in the shadows and hissing sounds 
  were heard echoing down the 
  corridors. It was not until it 
  was almost too late that 
  they realised the aliens 
  the aliens had some of 
  their number appear as 
  vile alien beasts, or clawed 
  horrors like the Genestealer, 
  and draw the Battle-Brothers 
  and the Inquisitor and his 
  Acolytes into a hunt. Only 
  then would others pick off 
  lone members of the group 
  from behind (the Acolytes 
  first among these) and 
  assume their forms, then get 
  close enough to strike with 
  surprise. After only a few 
  hours of attack only Dyce 
  and a few Battle-Brothers 
  remained, and the Battle-
  Special
  Xenomorph:
  shifters and can take on the shape and appearance 
  of almost anything of roughly equal size to themselves. 
  Shifting takes the Lacrymole a Full Action and may not 
  use its Reaction until the start of its next turn. If the 
  Lacrymole wishes to shift into a very specific shape (such 
  as imitating a specific person), then it will take it at least an 
  hour and even then it must make a successful 
  (–30) Intelligence
  shape away to those familiar with the original. In an emergency, 
  a Lacrymole can shift faster and may shift as a Reaction, but 
  only if it passes a 
  indicates it shifts on its next turn just as if it was using a Full 
  Action. Finally, the Lacrymole’s shape-shifting ability means 
  that it can quickly re-grow things like eyes (or create new ones) 
  and repair damage to limbs or even replace them. As a result 
  Lacrymoles do not suffer limb or eye loss as the result of a critical 
  effect, though they do suffer Critical Damage as normal, and can 
  still be slain by critical results which would result in death.
  Perfect Imitation:
  use their Mimic Talent to replicate any sound or noise that 
  they hear. Detecting their mimicry is extremely hard 
  and those trying to do so suffer a –30 penalty to 
  any appropriate Tests. 
  
  67
  I: The Alien Threat
  adVenture seeds
  TheCharnelSpectre: Whispers have reached the ears of the Ordo Xenos about strange disappearances and murders 
  aboard vessels travelling from the Calixis Sector into the Jericho Reach, which seem to bear some of the hallmarks of 
  the shape-shifters discovered aboard the Charnel Spectre. The trail which was discovered by the young Inquisitor Rensmi 
  prompted her to try and gain the support of the Calixian Conclave for a full investigation. However the Conclave 
  remains unconvinced on the matter and some amongst its number doubt that the Charnel Spectre xenos even exist. Rensmi 
  is determined to shed light on the matter and has requested the aid of a Deathwatch Kill-team to travel to the remote 
  ice world of Tal, where she believes (from notes taken by Inquisitor Malas Dyce) evidence of the aliens exists, hidden in 
  an ancient vault far beneath its frozen surface. Of course if the mythical vault does exist, it may well have some deeper 
  connection to the xenos shape-shifters, and their kind hold secrets best left buried...
  Beacon: The Kill-team’s vessel answers a salvation beacon from an Imperial freighter while on transit from their watch 
  station. When their vessel arrives, they discover only a ghost ship, filled with the bodies of the crew, either chewed 
  bones or having taken their own lives. An extensive search of the vessel turns up no sign of whatever is responsible 
  and only raises more questions, as some crew are found to have killed each other or gone off to die in isolation. Shortly 
  after the Kill-team’s vessel departs, members of their own crew start to vanish and odd reports of either dead crewmen 
  walking around or being encountered in two places at the same time start to circulate. The Kill-team must investigate 
  the source of the mystery and perhaps find the creature or creatures responsible. However, they must so quickly as crew 
  morale is deteriorating and fear is spreading like wildfire across the decks.
   The Alien Threat
  67
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  67
  I: The Alien Threat
  Hidden Empires 
  In the thousands of year the Imperium has endured and Mankind has plied the stars, we have 
  encountered literally tens of thousands of different xenos species. Some, like the Ork or the Eldar, 
  are spread widely, like ourselves travelling between worlds and holding dominion over empires that 
  stretch across whole sectors of space. Others, like the Dusk Stalkers or Catachan Devils, are limited 
  to their worlds of origin, and are unique to these places. The Administratum and the Ordo Xenos have 
  both catalogued many of these creatures, assigning them threat ratings and dealing with them as needs 
  require. What I find more disturbing, however, than the vast number of aliens we know about, are the 
  ones we do not, such as xenos like Inquisitor Dyce’s aliens, which we have next to no information on 
  and little understanding of where they come from or what their purpose in the galaxy is. 
  Moving in the shadows between our worlds, these alien races could be masters of hidden empires and 
  unknown agendas, though we would never know. How many of the stars that glitter in the sky are 
  home to such creatures? Places that man, even in his millennia of exploration, has yet to reach. More 
  worrying still is that for every race like the xenos Inquisitor Dyce encountered (possibly the Lacrymole, 
  or the Simulacra), of which we know almost nothing, there are doubtless dozens more waiting in the 
  dark, unknown and unknowing, for the light of Mankind of stumble across them.
  -Codicier Taelon
  
  68
  I: The Alien Threat
  LOXATL MERCENARIES
  Loxatl are a loathsome race of particularly vile and inhuman 
  xenos that can be found working as mercenaries alongside 
  pirates and renegades. Sightings of them have occurred as 
  far apart as the Maelstrom and the Jericho Reach, but they 
  have been most commonly reported operating in the Sabbat 
  worlds region, in service of Blood Pact armies. 
  Loxatl resemble slimy skinned reptiles, somewhat larger 
  than a man, that run close to the ground on four crooked 
  limbs ending in wickedly hooked claws. They have broad, 
  fanged heads, with yellow eyes (some varieties have been 
  encountered with red, pupilless eyes), and a flickering purple 
  tongue that constantly tastes the air. By nature they are an 
  aquatic race and out of the water their sight, hearing and 
  sense of smell are impaired. Instead they rely on their uncanny 
  sense of taste and touch to hunt on land. 
  Loxatl make excellent scouts and trackers, as they can taste 
  the presence of enemies from kilometres away and feel their 
  location through the vibration of their heartbeat or footsteps. 
  Extended dewclaws on their limbs enable them to run across 
  walls or ceilings and climb on any surface, an advantage they 
  fully exploit to strike by surprise from unexpected angles. 
  Their presence is often given away by a distinctive smell of 
  rancid milk and crushed mint, believed to be some kind of 
  chemical secretion exuded in combat. This may be related to 
  the preternatural swiftness and dexterity Loxatl exhibit or a 
  communal warning reflex of some kind. 
  All Loxatl encountered have used unique weapons known 
  as flechette blasters to Imperial troops. These are carried, 
  along with ammunition bandoliers, on mechanical armatures 
  strapped to their sinuous bodies. The flechette blaster is aimed 
  and fired by a mind impulse device wired into the Loxatl’s 
  brain, leaving all four limbs free for climbing at all times. The 
  blasters fire shotgun-like blasts of millions of monomolecular 
  shards that shred through armour and leave terrible wounds in 
  flesh. A common Loxatl tactic is for some members of a group 
  to pin down an enemy while the rest climb into positions to 
  catch the foe in a deadly crossfire.
  Loxatl seem to operate in small groups of related kin 
  led by a single matriarch, possibly the only member of the 
  group capable of bearing young. The group communicates 
  with sub-sonic vibrations and, at close range, through 
  iridescent patterning that they are able to flash across their 
  skins. Loxatl are normally grey in colour but seem able to 
  consciously shift their body pattern and colour at will. That 
  they seldom do so indicates how little they rely on the visual 
  spectrum themselves for identifying prey. Las-weapons have 
  been reported to be less effective against Loxatl than solid 
  projectiles, their hides apparently giving them a rudimentary 
  form of photochromatic defence against lasers.
  No indications have been found of higher organisation than 
  the kin-related brood of three to twenty individual Loxatl, 
  but multiple broods will work together en masse with a high 
  degree of cohesion. On occasions, a large of number Loxatl 
  broods have used their unique capabilities to cooperatively 
  infiltrate defences and stage surprise attacks, typically to open 
  the way for a full-scale assault by their employers. 
  The location of the Loxatl home world remains unknown, 
  as are any higher aspirations of the race beyond profit and 
  bloodshed. They seem to have no ships of their own and rely 
  on other xenos for transportation, specifically the Nicassar, 
  Stryxis and Kroot. All encounters between Loxatl and 
  representatives of the Imperium have been bitterly hostile. To 
  date, the Loxatl have shown no evidence of influence by the 
  Ruinous Powers but they willingly serve alongside the Chaos 
  Gods’ mortal followers and other enemies of Mankind.
  Loxatl Mercenaries (Troops) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  30
  35
  35
  30
  45
  25
  35
  35
  10
  Move: 8/16/24/48 
  Wounds: 28
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Climb (S) +20, 
  Concealment (Ag) +10, Search (Per) +10, Shadowing (Ag), 
  Silent Move (Ag) +10, Secret Tongue (Loxatl) (Int), Swim (S) 
  +20, Tracking (Int) +10.
  Talents: Heightened Senses (Taste, Touch), Talented (Climb, 
  Swim).
  Traits: Crawler, Dark Sight, Natural Weapons. (jaws, claws), 
  Quadruped, Natural Armour (Slimy Hide), Unnatural Agility (x2), 
  Unnatural Speed, Unnatural Senses (Taste/Vibration 75 metres).
  Armour: Slimy Hide (All 2, Horde 2). 
  Weapons: Jaws (1d10+3 R; Pen 1; Primitive), Claws (1d5+3 
  R; Pen 2; Primitive), Flechette blaster (40m; S/3/–; 1d10+6 
  R; Pen 3; Clip 30; Reload 2 Full; Scatter, Tearing).
  Gear: 3 flechette blaster reloads.
  The location of the Loxatl home world remains unknown, 
  The location of the Loxatl home world remains unknown, 
  
  69
  I: The Alien Threat
  SpecialRules
  Horde: Loxatl can be used as a Horde. (See the Horde rules on 
  page 359 of the Deathwatch Rulebook). While in a Horde 
  Loxatl gain the Tactical Formation and Fear 1 (Disturbing) 
  Traits. Alter the Size Trait upward as appropriate for Horde 
  magnitude.
  Slimy Hide: The Loxatl’s slimy hide gives it additional 
  protection against laser-based attacks, increasing its AP to 4 
  against las weapons. In addition, the Loxatl receives a +10 
  bonus to all Concealment Tests due to the chameleonic nature 
  of its skin.
  Unnatural Senses: Within 75 metres, a Loxatl can locate 
  enemies even if they are out of sight or hidden in some way 
  (by disguise, or a psychic power for example). A Loxatl can 
  taste for known enemies over considerably longer ranges 
  (up to several kilometers at the GM’s discretion) by using 
  Awareness, Tracking and Search Skills.
  Wall Runner: Loxatl count all surfaces as Routine (+20) 
  difficulty for Climbing Tests and move at full speed on even 
  sheer or overhanging surfaces. The GM may simply forego 
  making climbing rolls for Loxatl except under exceptional 
  circumstances such as taking damage.
  loXatl adVenture seeds
  Patrol: In order to reach their objective, the Kill-team 
  must pass through an area of broken ruins patrolled 
  by Loxatl mercenaries. Stalking or evading the Loxatl 
  through their own hunting grounds without raising 
  the alarm is likely to be a challenging experience. 
  Some outstanding stealth skills or a well-planned 
  distraction will be needed.
  Choice: Several groups of Loxatl mercenaries are 
  converging on the trail of the Kill-team as they make 
  their way through dense jungle to their extraction 
  point. The Kill-team must decide whether to find a 
  defensible position to stave off the gathering horde, 
  push on to the extraction point, or turn and ambush 
  the individual broods that are on their trail. 
  SurpriseAttack: A horde of Loxatl has gathered to 
  launch a surprise attack on a vital defensive position. 
  As the mass of reptilian xenos wriggles forth, some 
  groups split off to hunt down and assassinate leaders 
  while others concentrate on overrunning the garrison 
  itself. Keeping the garrison’s leaders alive to rally their 
  men for what follows maybe vital, but without some 
  support the garrison could swiftly fall. 
  69
  69
  69
  69
  From the Annals of Codicier Taelon
  The Loxatl are a vicious species that fulfil our worst expectations of xenos. Ongoing efforts must be made to 
  find the point of origin of these creatures so they can be exterminated. The following eyewitness report from 
  the siege of Ubrekka serves to illustrate the extreme loathing and disruption these alien mercenaries can evoke 
  in normal troops.
  +++Report begins:
  The siege of Ubrekka was in its third month when the situation went awry. We had an outpost line to stop infiltrators 
  getting up to the forward trenches without sounding an alarm. Suddenly, we were losing sentries every night. Come 
  morning, there would be nothing left in the position—there was always plenty of blood, but no bodies. We put out screamers 
  and directional mines, but Guardsmen still kept vanishing, night after night. Before long, our entire company was rattled, 
  and no one volunteered for outpost duty until the Commissars put some backbone into them. 
  We must have lost a platoon just holding that one stretch of front before command finally sent us some help. They were 
  irregulars of some sort, Throne Agents some were saying—alien hunters. Whoever they were, these specialists wasted 
  no time before they set up sniper teams and waited for dark. That night, we were ordered to fire every flare and activate 
  every luminator the moment we saw or heard any las-fire. 
  Sure enough, just before dawn, we heard the hiss of long-las rounds and strange, keening cries of pain. The flares went 
  off, and we spotted the Loxatl—their scaly hides allowing them to slip right down the ruined pipeway to get into our lines, 
  right where we’d never think to look for them. I think nearly every weapon in the company opened fire on that pipeway. 
  Las-rounds, heavy bolters and autocannon came in from all sides. In the end, we accounted for a handful of the enemy, but 
  I am quite sure that some managed to escape in the confusion. Emperor’s teeth, but those things were quick!+++
  
  InquIsItor 
  thaddeus hakk
  •
  apostate CardInal
  •
  pontIFeX guard
  •
  Magos phayzarus
  •
  Creatures oF 
  teCh-heresy
  
  76
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  CHAPTER II: 
  RADICALS 
  AND 
  HERETICS
  “Heretics are the worst sort of criminal. They become so willingly, 
  and for that they deserve no mercy.” 
  –Chaplain Phiron of the Red Hunters Chapter
  D
  espite the harsh but vital despotism of its rulers, the 
  Imperium of Man seethes with anarchy, rebellion 
  and murder, the Pax Imperialis little more than an 
  unattainable ideal on many worlds ostensibly under the sway 
  of the Adeptus Terra. Imagine then the situation in the Jericho 
  Reach, a vast region of populated space, hidden from the Light 
  of Terra for thousands of years. Without the ministrations of 
  the Ecclesiarchy, billions of souls have wandered far from the 
  salvation only attainable at the bequest of the God-Emperor of 
  Mankind. Free of the cruel attentions of the League of Black 
  Ships, populations have borne entire generations of witch-
  spawn. Without the psychic-choirs of the Astropaths, worlds 
  are both deaf and mute, screaming into the echoing silence of 
  the cold void, never to be heard. Unprotected by the might of 
  the Imperium’s armed forces, planets are defenceless against 
  the predations of rebels, heretics and far, far worse.
  Before the coming of the Achilus Crusade, the Jericho 
  Reach was a seething mass of violence and heresy. Each 
  world was alone, and while some cleaved to half-remembered 
  impressions of a long lost, “Imperial way,” most had long 
  surrendered to their fate. Petty tyrants ruled what small 
  fiefdoms they could wrest from their rivals and those 
  populations forced to suffer under the yoke of their rule 
  knew endless misery and lawlessness. The space lanes were 
  ruled by those few with the means to travel between stars, 
  and none knew whether the coming of such a vessel meant 
  trade or invasion. False doctrines swept the region and untold 
  billions died at the word of one megalomaniac demagogue 
  after another. Sinners did as they pleased, with no recourse 
  to the lores that hold decent men upon the only true path 
  leading to the Golden Throne. Mutation ran rife. In short, 
  the Jericho Reach was a living hell of rebellion and anarchy.
  And then, all-out war came. First the Achilus Crusade and 
  then the predations of Hive Fleet Dagon pitched the entire 
  region into total, all-encompassing conflict. Entire worlds 
  were transformed into warzones and the cold void was torn 
  apart as the firepower of whole battlefleets was unleashed. 
  Those worlds subdued by the Crusade’s hosts became 
  fortified bastions, while those it battles still to possess are 
  cratered wastelands, carpeted with the dead and the dying. 
  Planets still beyond the Crusade’s reach are the mustering 
  places for rebels, heretics and aliens. On both sides, untold 
  hordes are gathered up and fed wholemeal into the endless 
  meatgrinder of war.
  On either side of the divide between the Crusade and 
  the enemy, there are those who would see the Jericho Reach 
  submerged beneath a star-spanning tide of blood and anarchy. 
  Human populations under the yoke of both the Imperium and 
  its many foes cleave yet to beliefs declared heretical by their 
  new masters. Many factions look only to their own interests, 
  resenting that any should seek to rule over them. Others beg 
  unclean gods for deliverance from conquerors both human 
  and alien. Some seek only to drown the Jericho Reach in a 
  bloody mire of their own making, giving vent to a hatred 
  and bitterness that would see billions die if they themselves 
  cannot live free.
  Radicals are those within the upper echelons of the 
  Imperium’s command structure who espouse methods so 
  extreme that they appear more like some twisted plot of 
  the enemy than a sane policy for the advancement of the 
  Imperium’s ideals. Some declare that the cyclopean edifice 
  of Imperial rule must be torn down and rebuilt anew, that 
  ten thousand years of the rule of the Senatorum Imperialis 
  have led only to decay and stagnation. Others seek to utilise 
  the tools of the enemy, turning their weapons against them. 
  Though few openly declare themselves of such a mind, these 
  Radicals lurk at every level of the Imperial machine. The 
  Inquisition is especially prone to such creeds, for the servants 
  of the throne are answerable to no man and able to explore 
  any method, creed or philosophy without fear of judgement 
  from anyone but their peers. When grand endeavours like the 
  Achilus Crusade are launched, it is inevitable that men of a 
  Radical mindset are swept along, utilising the mass carnage to 
  further their own ends and enact their own plans. When such 
  Crusades grind to a halt, then such men dare to step forward 
  from out of the shadows, emboldened by the misfortunes  
  of others.
  Heretics are those who have renounced faith in the God-
  Emperor of Mankind, or else perverted the Ministorum’s 
  teachings to such a terrible degree that they have been cast 
  out by all of their peers. Some have turned to old gods, those 
  worshipped in ignorance before the Great Crusade united 
  the worlds of Man in adoration of the Emperor. Others have 
  turned to the Ruinous Powers or to alien overlords, practicing 
  unspeakable rituals in veneration of their masters. A few reject 
  all belief as superstition, all gods as falsehood. They claim 
  that the universe is neutral and Mankind has no special place 
  amongst the stars. These last are held in special contempt.
  Cells of radicals and cults of heretics exist across the 
  length and breadth of the Jericho Reach. Even within the 
  Inquisition and the highest councils of Warmaster Tetrarchus, 
  there are those who secretly believe that only the most 
  extreme of policies will lead to the Crusade’s ultimate victory. 
  Even amongst the multitudes of the faithful, herded daily 
  into the great cathedrals, there are those who merely mouth 
  the holy verses, nurturing the seed of heresy that grows 
  within their heart. Such individuals, wherever they are to 
  be found, are ever watchful for the moment when they can 
  reveal themselves and assume the power promised to them by 
  whatever creed, calling or philosophy they adhere to. 
  
  77
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  INQUISITOR THADDEUS 
  HAKK
  “Knowledge endures. It awaits only the light of wisdom to craft it 
  into the vessel of our very survival. It is the ultimate weapon, and I 
  alone amongst our order know how to wield it…”
  –Inquisitor Thaddeus Hakk to Interrogator Sphisid Wor, at 
  the Convocation of Calisi
  Thaddeus Hakk is an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos and a 
  veteran of almost a century of service to the Imperium. Very 
  little of Hakk’s early career is known to his peers, as he 
  came to the Calixis Sector already in possession 
  of the Inquisitorial Rosette. Soon after 
  joining the ranks of the Ordos Calixis, Hakk 
  became embroiled in the machinations of the 
  Ocularians, a Radical faction of the Inquisition 
  obsessed with divining the future 
  and thereby learning what enemies 
  must be faced before they become 
  too powerful to defeat. For over 
  a decade, Thaddeus Hakk moved 
  amongst the unseen and silent courts of 
  the Ocularians, mastering many of the 
  arts of divination and uncovering 
  many dire threats to the future of 
  the sector. One such divination 
  took Hakk beyond the Calixis 
  Sector, through the Maw and 
  into the far reaches of the 
  Koronus Expanse. In a cold tomb 
  on a dead, windswept planet on the verge of 
  the Egarian Dominion, Thadeus Hakk faced 
  the phantom of a long dead race. In so doing, 
  he defeated his foe and undoubtedly saved 
  many lives, but he was changed, his powers 
  of divination gone, torn from him at the 
  climax of that dread combat.
  The Inquisitor wandered the Expanse 
  for several years, descending into a 
  madness born of his inability to see into the 
  future. He could not return to his fellow Ocularians or to 
  the Calixis Sector, and so he fell amongst the lowest of the 
  low, the so-called “Footfallen” of the Koronus Expanse. Some 
  say that Hakk forgot that he was an Inquisitor for a time, 
  or else was conducting such secret missions that his filthy, 
  ragged countenance and the black light of insanity shining 
  from his eyes was a highly convincing charade. Whatever the 
  truth, Hakk strayed into places few have ever returned from, 
  and came back possessed of dark knowledge gleaned from 
  carvings pre-dating the birth of Humanity itself.
  Somewhere out in the void, in some forbidden crypt, 
  Thaddeus Hakk had found a new source of knowledge. By 
  uncovering the most obscure secrets of the past, he believed, 
  one could uncover the secrets of the future. The further back 
  he delved, the more patterns he perceived in the ebb and flow 
  of history. What had occurred in the past would occur again, 
  he claimed, and the portents were all around if only they 
  could be read. Hakk committed his theories to parchment and 
  dispatched messages on sprint-traders heading back through 
  the Maw to the Calixis Sector. He sought to enlighten his 
  former peers amongst the hidden ranks of the Ocularians, to 
  convince them of this new truth he had discovered. In short, 
  he claimed, if the Ocularians wished to know the future, they 
  must first know the past.
  The Ocularians’ answer was soon forthcoming, and it was 
  not what Hakk had expected. An unnamed, but undoubtedly 
  senior Inquisitor of the Ocularian faction dispatched a kill-
  cell to assassinate Hakk, who only just survived. Fleeing 
  Footfall, Thadeus Hakk plunged into the Maw and made for 
  the forbidden Zone 15, the region that is host to the 
  Calixis end of the Calixis-Jericho Reach warp gate. 
  Though effectively outcast from the 
  Ordos Calixis, Thaddeus Hakk still 
  bore the Seal, and soon established 
  himself amongst the senior servants 
  of the Achilus Crusade.
  Since his coming to the Jericho 
  Reach, Thaddeus Hakk has taken 
  every opportunity to explore 
  further his radical philosophy, 
  and the region has proved a 
  fertile ground for his theories. 
  He has established a network of 
  Acolytes and contacts, and led 
  dozens of expeditions into the 
  benighted Outer Reach. With the 
  coming of Hive Fleet Dagon, Hakk 
  sought to enact his wild theories, 
  and claims to have uncovered 
  crucial evidence that the Tyranids 
  have visited the galaxy before, 
  perhaps hundreds of millions of 
  years ago. In seeking evidence 
  to verify this theory, Hakk 
  has learned of the existence 
  of the Black Library of 
  the Eldar, and believes 
  that 
  forbidden 
  archive 
  must surely contain the key 
  to how the Tyranids were defeated the 
  last time they ravaged the galaxy. He appears not to have 
  considered that the Tyranids might not have been defeated 
  then at all, and are merely returning to reap another harvest in 
  an eternal cycle of seasonal devastation and regrowth.
  In personality, Thadeus Hakk is driven to the point of 
  insanity, yet grim and determined, and utterly focused on his 
  quest for knowledge. He has visited Watch Fortress Erioch 
  several times, and has addressed the Chamber of Vigilance. 
  He fervently believes in penetrating the most hidden depths 
  of the past, and of uncovering every last scrap of knowledge 
  to be found within. His increasing obsession with the Black 
  Library is a matter of some concern amongst his peers, some 
  of whom claim he is likely to bring down the wrath of 
  elder powers if he continues. Perhaps the mysterious Eldar 
  Harlequins are already hunting him, closing on him through 
  the secret passages of the webway. 
  little of Hakk’s early career is known to his peers, as he 
  came to the Calixis Sector already in possession 
  of the Inquisitorial Rosette. Soon after 
  joining the ranks of the Ordos Calixis, Hakk 
  became embroiled in the machinations of the 
  Ocularians, a Radical faction of the Inquisition 
  obsessed with divining the future 
  and thereby learning what enemies 
  must be faced before they become 
  too powerful to defeat. For over 
  a decade, Thaddeus Hakk moved 
  amongst the unseen and silent courts of 
  the Ocularians, mastering many of the 
  arts of divination and uncovering 
  many dire threats to the future of 
  the sector. One such divination 
  Koronus Expanse. In a cold tomb 
  on a dead, windswept planet on the verge of 
  the Egarian Dominion, Thadeus Hakk faced 
  the phantom of a long dead race. In so doing, 
  he defeated his foe and undoubtedly saved 
  many lives, but he was changed, his powers 
  of divination gone, torn from him at the 
  The Inquisitor wandered the Expanse 
  for several years, descending into a 
  madness born of his inability to see into the 
  the forbidden Zone 15, the region that is host to the 
  Calixis end of the Calixis-Jericho Reach warp gate. 
  Though effectively outcast from the 
  Ordos Calixis, Thaddeus Hakk still 
  bore the Seal, and soon established 
  himself amongst the senior servants 
  of the Achilus Crusade.
  Since his coming to the Jericho 
  Reach, Thaddeus Hakk has taken 
  every opportunity to explore 
  further his radical philosophy, 
  and the region has proved a 
  fertile ground for his theories. 
  He has established a network of 
  Acolytes and contacts, and led 
  dozens of expeditions into the 
  benighted Outer Reach. With the 
  coming of Hive Fleet Dagon, Hakk 
  sought to enact his wild theories, 
  and claims to have uncovered 
  crucial evidence that the Tyranids 
  have visited the galaxy before, 
  perhaps hundreds of millions of 
  years ago. In seeking evidence 
  to verify this theory, Hakk 
  has learned of the existence 
  of the Black Library of 
  the Eldar, and believes 
  that 
  forbidden 
  archive 
  must surely contain the key 
  
  78
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  Inquisitor Hakk equips himself in a manner befitting his 
  mission. He has no interest in finery or overt shows of power, 
  and instead prefers to wear simple, utilitarian clothes. He 
  often wears a battered old armoured vacuum suit, suitable to 
  protect him in the alien environments into which he delves. 
  He equips himself with the tools of the explorer, and is 
  always well armed. Inquisitor Hakk is often accompanied in 
  his expeditions by squads of retained troopers, each a veteran 
  of scores of dangerous missions, as well as a cadre of expert 
  xenologists, archaeologists and historator-savants. He owns 
  several vessels, none of which appear on any registries as 
  belonging to him, and it is thought that he returns to Footfall 
  periodically, perhaps to consult the contents of some hidden 
  repository of forbidden knowledge he is slowly building 
  up. To what end, none can say, but it is certain that the 
  Ocularians want Inquisitor Thadeus dead. Perversely, a small 
  number of Inquisitors, including some former Ocularians, 
  have aligned themselves with Hakk, and a nascent faction—
  the Antiquarti—has come into existence. Though yet small 
  in number, the Antiquarti are an active force in the Jericho 
  Reach, and one set to become increasingly influential as more 
  forbidden knowledge is uncovered.
  Inquisitor Hakk (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  48
  42
  37
  40
  36
  52
  40
  51
  41
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
   
   
  Wounds: 18
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +20, Carouse (T), Ciphers (Alien 
  Markings, Inquisition) (Int), Command (Fel), Common Lore 
  (Imperium, Jericho Reach +20, Koronus Expanse +20) (Int), 
  Deceive (Fel), Dodge (Ag), Evaluate (Int) +20, Forbidden 
  Lore (Archeotech +20, Black Library, Inquisition, Xenos 
  +20) (Int), Inquiry (Fel) +20, Interrogation (Will), Intimidate 
  (Str), Literacy (+20), Logic (Int), Navigation (Surface) (Int), 
  Scholastic Lore (Archaic, Cryptology, Legend, Numerology, 
  Occult) (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Search (Per) +20, Speak 
  Language (Int), Survival (Int) +10, Trade (Archaeologist, 
  Cryptographer, Linguist) (Int).
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Universal), Enemy 
  (Ocularians), Hunter of Aliens, Jaded, Light Sleeper, Melee 
  Weapon Training (Universal), Orthoproxy, Paranoia, Peer 
  (Inquisition, except Ocularians), Pistol Weapon Training 
  (Universal), Polyglot, Step Aside, Total Recall. 
  Armour: Armoured Vacuum Suit (Head, Body 6, Arms, Legs 4).
  Weapons: Plasma Pistol (30m; S/2/–; 1d10+9 E; Pen 6; 
  Clip 10; Rld 4Full; Overheats) with Red-Dot Laser Sight, 
  Chainsword (1d10+5 R; Balanced, Tearing). 
  Gear: Inquisitorial Rosette, Scanner, Cartograph, Combi 
  Tool, Data-Slate, Elucidator, Lamp, Helmet-mounted Pict 
  Recorder, Helmet-mounted Vox-Caster.
  Retinue: Inquisitor Thaddeus Hakk is rarely encountered 
  without a group of guards and experts at his side, especially 
  in the field. The exact composition of Inquisitor Hakk’s 
  retinue is left to the GM’s discretion, but should include at the 
  minimum an Acolyte, a bodyguard and a Battle Servitor (use 
  the profiles for the Imperial Agent, Imperial Guardsman and 
  Erioch-Pattern Battle Servitor found on pages 374 to 376 
  of the Deathwatch Rulebook). In the field, Hakk should 
  be accompanied by at least a squad of Imperial Guardsmen, 
  several heavy-armed Battle Servitors, and whatever other 
  mission-specific specialists the GM deems appropriate.
  adVenture seeds
  Politics: Inquisitor Thaddeus Hakk is an interesting 
  and entertaining character for the Game Master to 
  introduce into a mission, because he could either be an 
  ally or an enemy, or indeed both at the same time. The 
  Deathwatch are, at least in theory, above such notions 
  of Puritanism and Radicalism within the ranks of the 
  Inquisition, but that does not mean they can’t become 
  embroiled in the bitter internecine wars that continually 
  rage within the Orders. The Kill-team could be assigned 
  to accompany the Inquisitor on a dangerous mission 
  into the Outer Reach, only to witness him attempting 
  to recover xenos artefacts the Battle-Brothers can see 
  clearly should be left undisturbed. The Deathwatch may 
  be bound to serve the Ordo Xenos by the Apocryphon 
  Conclave of Orphite IV (see page 305 of the Deathwatch 
  Core Rulebook), but that does not mean they will not 
  intervene in some manner if in the Battle-Brothers’ eyes 
  an Inquisitor overstepped the bounds of his mission. 
  The Kill-team might be forced to make a very difficult 
  decision indeed, and one that might drag the Battle-
  Brothers into a whole new world of politics and betrayal.
  Distress Call: Another way of using Inquisitor 
  Hakk is to have the Kill-team dispatched in answer 
  to a distress call he has been forced to issue, having 
  over-extended himself on some alien world in the 
  Outer Reach. Perhaps he has uncovered some remnant 
  of a long-dead xenos race and is holed up with his 
  retinue and besieged by ghostly horrors. Alternatively, 
  the Inquisitor could have become cut off behind a 
  tendril of Hive Fleet Dagon and desperately needs 
  the Deathwatch’s aid to escape hordes of slavering 
  Tyranids. A further possibility is that in his search for 
  the Black Library, Hakk has come close to discovering 
  an entrance to the Eldar webway and a troupe of 
  Harlequins has caught up with him. 
  
  79
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  To Codicier Taelon, by the hand of Inquisitor Lord Vibalee
  I commit this communication to you that you might be forewarned of the activities of one of 
  my own Ordo. Inquisitor Hakk is known amongst those of the Holy Ordos as an outcast, one 
  who would travel into realms forbidden by mutual decree. He seeks to uncover the secrets of 
  the ancients themselves, and to commune with the unquiet spirits of those whose time has 
  long since passed. I make these accusations in the knowledge that such matters are outside 
  of your immediate concern, yet I cannot sit idly by and watch one who bears the Seal bring 
  doom upon us all, especially in these most calamitous of times.
  Hakk’s myriad transgressions are too numerous to recount, and so I include only the direst, 
  that you may be warned should he petition the Chamber for aid in his endeavours. It is of 
  course well within your prerogative to render what aid you believe should be granted, and it 
  is not my place to lecture such as you or your brethren on such matters. Nevertheless, I beg 
  that you heed well my warning.
  +++On Aurum XX, Inquisitor Hakk infiltrated a native death cult and used his influence to enter 
  a barrow complex forbidden to all but the caste of mortuary-shamans. There he disinterred 
  the shrivelled mummies of a dozen shaman-kings and removed them from their resting place. 
  It was his belief that these corpses were somehow imbued with dark powers, which he would 
  be able to manipulate in the furtherance of his own fell doctrine.+++
  +++On the outskirts of the Melancholia system, Hakk located a rogue planetoid of artificial 
  and undoubtedly xenos origins. He seconded a company of Imperial Guard veterans from the 
  Greyhell Front and led them on a boarding mission. There were few survivors, for the boarding 
  force was met by some manner of sentinel deep within the stygian bowels of the planetoid. 
  Several of these survivors have since been tracked down and under extreme excoriation 
  given up their confessions and made their peace with the Emperor. These accounts are wildly 
  divergent in many details, but all agree that at the centre of the planetoid Hakk conversed with 
  a being of impossible age, and went away infused with utterly forbidden knowledge.+++
  +++Hakk has ventured into the benighted region of the Hadex Anomaly, and there traded 
  knowledge with the arch overseers of the Ruinous Powers. No such compact can possibly 
  be made with such forces, and I dread to ponder what information the Inquisitor might have 
  offered in return for the knowledge he sought. Although unconfirmed, I have reason to believe 
  that Hakk might have conferred with a Daemon Prince of Chaos, perhaps seeking clues that 
  will aid him in his ongoing search for an entry into the webway of the Eldar.+++
  I trust these brief examples of Hakk’s crimes will serve as a warning to you and  
  your brethren.
  By the Light of the Emperor, 
  –Inquisitor Lord Vibalee
  –Inquisitor Lord Vibalee
  
  80
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  APOSTATE CARDINAL 
  “What right have you to preach to us? You who abandoned my 
  people to the night so many long centuries past. You have no such 
  right; it is I who shall preach to you, and teach you the error of your 
  faith in your so-called god!”
  –Last words of Jahoh Faas, Pontifex Maximus of Psili V 
  (executed 798.M41)
  The Ecclesiarchy is a vast, galaxy-spanning institution that unites 
  the faithful of over a million worlds in the veneration of the 
  God-Emperor of Mankind. Its cathedrals tower high above the 
  cities of Mankind, every settlement 
  has at least one chapel dedicated 
  to a local saint and even the 
  most ramshackle hab contains 
  a small shrine at which the 
  occupants offer daily praise 
  for the continued beneficence 
  and protection of their masters. 
  While the Ministorum operates on 
  a very high level indeed, gathering 
  tithes from entire sectors, it is in fact 
  a vast conglomeration of individual 
  cults, creeds and local sects, none of 
  which are in total doctrinal harmony 
  with its neighbours. Ordinarily, 
  theosophical divergence is contained 
  by the strong leadership of regional 
  figures, 
  and 
  rarely 
  escalates 
  beyond heated debate. So long as 
  the essentials of the overarching 
  Imperial Creed are maintained, then 
  a huge range of local variation is tolerated. 
  While the high offices of the Ecclesiarchy 
  appear homogenous, this is little more than 
  a veneer that disguises a sprawling mass of 
  variation in modes of worship, social mores, 
  doctrinal points and teachings.
  Despite the inherent variation within the 
  Ecclesiarchy, on occasion a local sect diverges 
  sufficiently far from the core tenets of the 
  Imperial Creed that the higher offices declare it 
  heretical. Such an event is comparatively rare, and is most likely 
  to occur when a formerly cut off world is opened up to the 
  greater Imperium once again, perhaps having suffered centuries 
  or even millennia of isolation. During this time, local teachings 
  and modes of worship come to prevail over those passed 
  down from higher authorities, and ancient, half-forgotten, pre-
  Imperial beliefs resurface after countless generations festering 
  on the outskirts of society. When such a world is welcomed 
  back into the fold of the Imperium, the Ecclesiarchy dispatches 
  purity purges, often headed by the zealous warrior-women of 
  the Adepta Sororitas. Those deemed to have turned their faces 
  from the light of the Ecclesiarchy’s true creed are ruthlessly 
  suppressed, entire populations of unrepentant heretics sometimes 
  burning on the pyres. The Jericho Reach, having been isolated 
  from the Imperium for so long, is beset by countless such 
  heresies, and following in the wake of every Crusade advance 
  is an army of preachers, confessors and missionaries, backed up 
  the Battle Sisters ready to purge the heretic with bolter, flamer 
  and meltagun.
  Yet the Jericho Reach is vast and only a portion of its worlds has 
  been brought under the iron shod heel of Imperial rule. Dozens 
  of worlds, each host to countless heresies are yet to be returned to 
  the fold, and even on those planets that have been occupied by 
  the Crusade’s forces, old beliefs refuse to die. Apostate Cardinals, 
  a general term for any one of many thousands of the demagogues 
  active in the Reach, preach resistance to the Crusade and the 
  enforced conversion that follows close behind it. They whip their 
  followers into a frenzy of hate, sometimes literally, sometimes with 
  words of bile and sometimes with promises of a blessed afterlife for 
  those that die in defence of their faith. 
  Apostate Cardinals rule over a staggering range of cults and 
  sects. Some are warrior-brotherhoods preaching martial virtues, 
  while others are mendicant or penitent. Many are a 
  bizarre hybrid of pre-Imperial religions, merged in 
  the 31st Millennium with the Imperial Creed, and 
  then diverging throughout the Jericho Reach’s Age of 
  Shadow. Some have all the outward appearance 
  of a respectable arm of the Ecclesiarchy but 
  upon closer study indulge in forms of worship 
  abhorrent to right-minded Imperial subjects. 
  Some worship the Emperor, but make 
  all manner of wild claims about 
  his godhead, or deny it entirely. 
  Others worship a range of gods, 
  from a small pantheon to thousands. 
  A few believe that the Emperor long ago 
  turned his face from the galaxy and those 
  who claim to rule in his name are evil or 
  deluded. Others venerate figures that 
  may in fact have their roots in the long-
  dead Primarchs of the Space Marine 
  Legions, including some that worship 
  gods that may in fact be derived from those 
  Primarchs who turned to Chaos. 
  Some devote themselves to xenos 
  gods, knowingly or not, and at 
  least one appears to welcome the 
  coming of Hive Fleet Dagon as 
  if they themselves are its long lost 
  children who will soon be swept up in glorious union with their 
  creator.
  The Ecclesiarchy preaches that the ultimate end of all of 
  these heresies can only be the worship of the Ruinous Powers. 
  It is certainly true that the Gods of Chaos are well able to 
  plant the seeds of heresy in the souls of the followers of these 
  outcast cults, and watch them grow into something twisted and 
  perverted. Warrior creeds are easily turned to the worship of 
  Khorne, while those that seek ancient religious truths are led 
  astray by Tzeentch. Those who preach liberty and the casting 
  off of oppressive social laws and restrictions are rich pickings for 
  Slaanesh, while Nurgle is all too willing to answer the prayers of 
  those who seek deliverance from the inevitability of death. While 
  the Apostates of the Jericho Reach might not yet have fallen prey 
  to the depredation of Chaos, the Ruinous Powers ever hunger 
  for their souls.
  cities of Mankind, every settlement 
  has at least one chapel dedicated 
  to a local saint and even the 
  most ramshackle hab contains 
  a small shrine at which the 
  occupants offer daily praise 
  for the continued beneficence 
  and protection of their masters. 
  While the Ministorum operates on 
  a very high level indeed, gathering 
  tithes from entire sectors, it is in fact 
  a vast conglomeration of individual 
  cults, creeds and local sects, none of 
  which are in total doctrinal harmony 
  with its neighbours. Ordinarily, 
  theosophical divergence is contained 
  by the strong leadership of regional 
  figures, 
  and 
  rarely 
  escalates 
  beyond heated debate. So long as 
  the essentials of the overarching 
  Imperial Creed are maintained, then 
  a huge range of local variation is tolerated. 
  While the high offices of the Ecclesiarchy 
  appear homogenous, this is little more than 
  a veneer that disguises a sprawling mass of 
  variation in modes of worship, social mores, 
  doctrinal points and teachings.
  Despite the inherent variation within the 
  Ecclesiarchy, on occasion a local sect diverges 
  sufficiently far from the core tenets of the 
  words of bile and sometimes with promises of a blessed afterlife for 
  those that die in defence of their faith. 
  Apostate Cardinals rule over a staggering range of cults and 
  sects. Some are warrior-brotherhoods preaching martial virtues, 
  while others are mendicant or penitent. Many are a 
  bizarre hybrid of pre-Imperial religions, merged in 
  the 31st Millennium with the Imperial Creed, and 
  then diverging throughout the Jericho Reach’s Age of 
  Shadow. Some have all the outward appearance 
  of a respectable arm of the Ecclesiarchy but 
  upon closer study indulge in forms of worship 
  abhorrent to right-minded Imperial subjects. 
  Some worship the Emperor, but make 
  all manner of wild claims about 
  his godhead, or deny it entirely. 
  Others worship a range of gods, 
  from a small pantheon to thousands. 
  A few believe that the Emperor long ago 
  turned his face from the galaxy and those 
  who claim to rule in his name are evil or 
  deluded. Others venerate figures that 
  may in fact have their roots in the long-
  dead Primarchs of the Space Marine 
  Legions, including some that worship 
  gods that may in fact be derived from those 
  Primarchs who turned to Chaos. 
  Some devote themselves to xenos 
  gods, knowingly or not, and at 
  least one appears to welcome the 
  coming of Hive Fleet Dagon as 
  if they themselves are its long lost 
  
  81
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  Apostate Cardinal (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  35
  30
  32
  36
  33
  40
  38
  40
  40
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
   
   
  Wounds: 23
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Charm (Fel) +10, Command (Fel) 
  +20, Common Lore (Jericho Reach, War) (Int), Deceive 
  (Fel) +10, Forbidden Lore (Heresy) +10 (Int), Inquiry (Fel) 
  +10, Interrogation (WP), Literacy (Int), Intimidate (Str) +10, 
  Scholastic Lore (Occult, Philosophy) (Int), Scrutiny (Per) 
  +10, Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic). 
  Talents: Air of Authority, Battle Rage, Chem Geld, Die Hard, 
  Disturbing Voice, Enemy (Adepta Sororitas, Ecclesiarchy, 
  Inquisition), Frenzy, Hatred (Adepta Sororitas, Ecclesiarchy), 
  Into The Jaws of Hell, Inspire Wrath, Iron Discipline, Master 
  Orator, Melee Weapon Training (Shock), Pistol Weapon 
  Training, Rival (other heretical creeds in the Jericho Reach), 
  True Grit. 
  Armour: Concealed xeno-mesh (Body, Legs 3).
  Weapons: Ceremonial maul containing concealed shock 
  field generator (1d10+3 I; Pen 4; Shocking).
  Gear: Ornate robes of office, various blasphemous and highly 
  damning texts. 
  SpecialRules
  Dark Tirade: When using his Master Orator Talent, 
  the Apostate Cardinal may spend a Full Action to make a 
  Challenging(+0)WillpowerTest in order to affect every 
  one of his followers within earshot.
  adVenture seeds
  Thrall: An Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus has 
  petitioned the Chamber of Vigilance for aid in 
  apprehending a particularly vile and infamous Apostate 
  Cardinal, who has spread his heresies across a number of 
  worlds spinward of the Hadex Anomaly. The Apostate is 
  known to be amassing a sizable army of followers, and 
  preaching an anti-crusade. The Inquisitor believes that 
  now is the time to strike, as the Apostate does not yet 
  have sufficient interstellar transport capacity to turn his 
  hateful dreams into a reality. The Kill-team is appointed 
  to undertake the mission at the Inquisitor’s side, for the 
  Chamber of Vigilance agrees that this blasphemy must 
  not be allowed to continue. However, when the Battle-
  Brothers finally track their target down, they discover that 
  all is not as it might seem. While the Apostate Cardinal 
  preaches salvation from the tyranny of the Imperium, 
  he is in the thrall of the Tyranid Hive Mind, perhaps 
  having been corrupted by the touch of some previously 
  unknown vanguard organism. Even worse, the Apostate 
  is accompanied by a secret bodyguard of Genestealers, 
  which are only revealed when the Kill-team finally closes  
  on him.
  Deluded: Word has reached Watch Fortress Erioch 
  of an Apostate Cardinal active on the Dead world of 
  Sagacity. The Kill-team is dispatched to investigate, 
  perhaps stopping off at Watch Station Hestus to exload 
  monitoring data from the station’s machine core that 
  might provide an insight into recent events. The Watch 
  Station’s logs contain transmission intercepts that 
  suggest the Apostate has recently uncovered the ruins 
  of an impossibly ancient alien tomb structure, and is 
  preaching the imminent return of the “First Gods.' It 
  appears that others have heard the Apostate’s words and 
  he has amassed a small body of followers, mostly drawn 
  from the pirates and other outcasts operating beyond 
  the reach of the Imperium’s forces. The Apostate intends 
  to enact a ritual that he claims will awaken the First 
  Gods, a ritual in which he intends to sacrifice all of his 
  followers as an offering to his vile deities. Needless to 
  say, the Kill-team must stop the ritual, or else disaster 
  will befall the entire region.
  II:
  81
  81
  81
  II
  Some may question the wisdom of assigning 
  such a valuable asset as a Deathwatch Kill-
  team to silence a single heretic. Like a foul 
  weed, sedition can grow from a single voice, 
  ensnare and choke the toils of loyal servants 
  of the Emperor; even serve as a significant 
  (and unacceptable) distraction to the officers 
  of the Crusade. When the Holy Ordos wish to 
  eliminate a target with extreme prejudice, I 
  consider the best two options available to be 
  the Grey Knights and the Deathwatch.
  Sometimes, the most dangerous threat of all is 
  an idea. They are often subtle, insidious, and 
  difficult to destroy...  
  -Inquisitor Adrielle Quist
  
  82
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  The following is a cross section of notable Apostates currently marked for extreme measures.
  High Cardinal Jovan, Lord of the Righteous Lost: Thought to be leading a subversive 
  and insurgent body on several Fortress worlds within the Acheros Salient. Recent intelligence 
  suggests that Jovan’s followers have turned a number of high-ranking Imperial Guard 
  commanders to their beliefs, which have striking similarities to those of the radical Hurosian 
  faction active within the Inquisition.
  Vestal Vitium Arista: Vestal Arista outwardly preaches compassion and mercy, yet this is 
  known to be a front. In reality her followers are cruel and depraved. Arista appears to take 
  great satisfaction in corrupting highly placed Imperial servants with her honeyed words, before 
  engineering their downfall as some twisted mockery of their former creed. The Vestal is known 
  to operate on Tabius Rasa, but the presence of her followers has been detected on Ries and 
  Vespasia in recent years.
  The Oracle of Phonos: It is not known whether the so-called Oracle of Phonos is a single 
  individual or a ceremonial rank, yet recent readings of the Emperor’s Tarot strongly indicate his 
  or its involvement in some unknown yet imminent calamity. The last Deathwatch mission to 
  Phonos coincided with the appearance of Hive Fleet Dagon and failed to return. It is not known 
  whether the mission was lost due to the actions of the Tyranids or some agency connected to the 
  Oracle, and preparations are being made for an investigation mission to ascertain its fate.
  Qessel Uwick, Underlord of Chthonic Splendour: Qessel Uwick is a self-professed 
  prophet, recently risen to prominence on the world of Octavian. According to intercepts logged 
  by Watch Station Midael four decades ago, he claims to have discovered some existential truth 
  whilst wondering lost in a long-exhausted mining complex, and returned to lead the faithful in 
  a crusade against what he calls the “false existentialism of the feeble human mind.” Ordinarily 
  he would not feature prominently on the list of Apostates tagged for extreme measures, yet a 
  number of Inquisitors have petitioned the Chamber of Vigilance to launch a mission against his 
  movement. To date, no mission has been sanctioned, and since Watch Station Midael fell silent, 
  very few details of his activity have been logged.
  Lomann Sarel, Arch Reconvenor of the Hethgard Diaspora: The Hethgard Diaspora is 
  a movement of the dispossessed and the defeated, the remnants of those who fled before the 
  Crusade when it first came to the Jericho Reach. The Diaspora maintains the religious practices 
  espoused before the coming of the Crusade, and seeks to maintain them in secret even under 
  the yoke of Imperial authority. The Diaspora’s practices are believed to rely heavily on human 
  sacrifice, and the so-called Reconvenor is thought to be behind a number of recent attacks on 
  Crusade facilities on Alphos, Pyrathas and Hethgard itself.
  
  83
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  PONTIFEX GUARD
  “One step further and you enter the halls of your ancestors. None 
  may approach my master without my permission…”
  –Pontifex Guard Ryx to the Missionary Eras Vor (deceased)
  Few Apostate Cardinals rise to power in the Jericho Reach 
  without the protection of a cadre of highly skilled and trusted 
  bodyguards, ever watchful for the knives of assassins sent by 
  rivals as well as the Ecclesiarchy. Pontifex Guards represent 
  the most devoted of the Apostate’s followers, warriors 
  pledged in body and soul to lay down their lives in defence of  
  their master. 
  Pontifex Guards are the most loyal of an Apostate’s servants, 
  and they accompany him everywhere he goes. They are often 
  the only men and women allowed to bear arms in the Apostate’s 
  presence, and they are ever ready to deal death to any 
  who approach their master without their permission 
  or with ill intent. They are often gifted with the very 
  finest weapons, armour and equipment that 
  their master can provide, and they are 
  richly rewarded for their service. The 
  exact form of the Guards’ reward 
  depends very much upon the 
  character of the cult leader they 
  are protecting, as well as the 
  resources he himself can bring 
  to bear. There are some cadres 
  of Pontifex Guards who are 
  rewarded with noble titles 
  and riches beyond dreaming, 
  each a lord in his own right and 
  the owner of palaces filled with 
  luxuries. Others have rejected 
  such things entirely, leading a 
  life of self-imposed poverty in 
  return for the untold riches that 
  shall be theirs not in this life, but 
  in the next. Many more seek no 
  reward whatsoever, for the only 
  compensation they seek is the 
  act of duty itself. Some Apostate 
  Cardinals appear to exert a 
  formidable control over their 
  guards, whether by the sheer 
  force of their personality or, 
  in some rare cases, because 
  they are gifted of untutored and 
  instinctive psychic powers. 
  In many cases, the Pontifex Guards form not only a cadre 
  of bodyguards but an inner circle of the Apostate’s priesthood. 
  They are his attendants during rituals and ceremonies, and 
  often steeped in the lore of his creed. Their word is obeyed 
  without question by all lower rungs of the religious order, and 
  a single word from one can bring instant execution to anyone 
  who speaks or acts against their master.
  Any force seeking to assassinate or otherwise neutralise an 
  Apostate Cardinal is doomed to fail in its mission unless it takes 
  account of the skill and devotion of his inner circle of guards. 
  While Pontifex Guards are still just men, they are often gifted not 
  only with rare and powerful wargear but with all but unbreakable 
  faith in their master. Such devotion makes these warriors deadly 
  adversaries indeed. Even when no overt threat is apparent, the 
  Pontifex Guard remain close to their master, for assassins sent by 
  the Imperium and by rivals never tire and are always watching. 
  On the battlefield, the Pontifex Guard form an impenetrable ring 
  of steel around their charge, a bastion through which any who 
  would bring the Apostate to justice must first penetrate. 
  Given their outright doctrinal heresy, many Apostates have 
  drawn the attention of the Inquisition. The Ordo Hereticus is 
  especially concerned with putting down their false teachings, 
  while the Ordo Xenos seeks to purge those cults that venerate 
  alien gods or overlords. The Ordo Malleus has an interest too, 
  especially in those Apostates who by 
  their actions might unwittingly 
  bring about daemonic incursion. 
  In order to fend off such puissant 
  servants of the Imperium, the 
  Pontifex Guard must be ever 
  vigilant and able to face the 
  most powerful of adversaries. 
  For this reason, it is 
  not uncommon for the 
  Deathwatch to be assigned 
  the duty of accompanying 
  an Inquisitor from any of the 
  Ordos on missions against 
  vile Apostates, the Inquisitor 
  striking down or capturing 
  the leader while the Space 
  Marines deal with his guard. 
  When possible, the Inquisition 
  prefers to take such highly 
  ranked servants of the enemy 
  alive, so they might divulge the 
  true extent of their master’s sins. 
  In practice however, the Pontifex 
  Guard have proven willing to 
  lay down their very lives in the 
  defence of their charge, and very 
  few of these missions have succeeded. 
  While most Pontifex Guard are 
  armed and armoured similarly 
  across the Jericho Reach, 
  a few groups have been 
  exceptionally well-equipped 
  by their patrons. The Crimson 
  Sentinels of Lomann Serel, for example, have acquired 
  xeno-tech suits of “living armour,” able to repair and upgrade 
  themselves after every encounter with a variety of unusual 
  and exotic weaponry. Before being overcome and slaughtered 
  to a man, these foul guardians laid low a number of Space 
  Marines from the Death Spectres Chapter during the Battle 
  of Screaming Shadows in 810.M41.
  the only men and women allowed to bear arms in the Apostate’s 
  presence, and they are ever ready to deal death to any 
  who approach their master without their permission 
  or with ill intent. They are often gifted with the very 
  finest weapons, armour and equipment that 
  their master can provide, and they are 
  richly rewarded for their service. The 
  exact form of the Guards’ reward 
  depends very much upon the 
  character of the cult leader they 
  are protecting, as well as the 
  resources he himself can bring 
  to bear. There are some cadres 
  of Pontifex Guards who are 
  rewarded with noble titles 
  and riches beyond dreaming, 
  each a lord in his own right and 
  the owner of palaces filled with 
  luxuries. Others have rejected 
  such things entirely, leading a 
  life of self-imposed poverty in 
  return for the untold riches that 
  shall be theirs not in this life, but 
  in the next. Many more seek no 
  reward whatsoever, for the only 
  compensation they seek is the 
  act of duty itself. Some Apostate 
  Cardinals appear to exert a 
  formidable control over their 
  they are gifted of untutored and 
  their actions might unwittingly 
  bring about daemonic incursion. 
  In order to fend off such puissant 
  servants of the Imperium, the 
  Pontifex Guard must be ever 
  vigilant and able to face the 
  most powerful of adversaries. 
  an Inquisitor from any of the 
  Ordos on missions against 
  vile Apostates, the Inquisitor 
  striking down or capturing 
  the leader while the Space 
  Marines deal with his guard. 
  When possible, the Inquisition 
  prefers to take such highly 
  ranked servants of the enemy 
  alive, so they might divulge the 
  true extent of their master’s sins. 
  In practice however, the Pontifex 
  Guard have proven willing to 
  lay down their very lives in the 
  defence of their charge, and very 
  few of these missions have succeeded. 
  While most Pontifex Guard are 
  armed and armoured similarly 
  across the Jericho Reach, 
  a few groups have been 
  exceptionally well-equipped 
  by their patrons. The Crimson 
  
  84
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  Pontifex Guard (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  40
  45
  40
  45
  45
  30
  35
  40
  20
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
   
   
  Wounds: 25
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per) +20, Command 
  (Fel), Common Lore (Jericho Reach) (Int), Concealment (Ag) 
  +10, Dodge (Ag), Evaluate (Int), Forbidden Lore (Heresy) 
  (Int), Intimidate (Str) +10, Scrutiny (Per) +10, Search (Per) 
  +10, Security (Ag), Silent Move (Ag) +10, Speak Language 
  (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int), Tracking (Int).
  Talents: Assassin Strike, Blademaster, Chem Geld, Counter 
  Attack, Crushing Blow, Deflect Shot, Disarm, Double Team, 
  Heightened Senses (Sound), Light Sleeper, Lightning Reflexes, 
  Melee Weapon Training (Power), Nerves of Steel, Pistol 
  Weapon Training (Bolt), Precise Blow, Preternatural Speed. 
  Armour: Carapace (All 6), Storm Shield.
  Weapons: Power sword (1d10+12 E; Pen 6; Power Field, 
  Balanced).
  Gear: Ornate ceremonial robes.
  SpecialRules
  UltimateSacrifice: The Pontifex Guard are utterly dedicated 
  to the protection of their master, and if necessary will sacrifice 
  their own lives for his. Any Pontifex Guard within 4 metres 
  of an Apostate Cardinal may use his Combat Shield to make 
  a Parry Test as a Reaction to block an attack made against 
  his master. If successful, the Apostate Cardinal may then 
  disengage and make a Run Move as an immediate Free Action.
  adVenture seeds
  Bodyguard: Pontifex Guard make ideal high-level 
  minions for Apostate Cardinals, and the GM should 
  generally use both adversary types together. The 
  guards should be used as a final obstacle which 
  the player characters must overcome before facing 
  down the Apostate Cardinal himself, rather than 
  as a nemesis in themselves. Individually, neither the 
  Apostate Cardinal nor the Pontifex Guard are a huge 
  challenge for even a single Battle-Brother, but given 
  the combination of wargear, numbers, the Cardinal’s 
  leadership and an advantage if fighting on their “home 
  turf,” they should certainly present a significant threat.
  Surprise!: Aside from their combat abilities, the 
  Pontifex Guard can also be used to provide a twist at 
  the very conclusion of a mission. Perhaps the Apostate 
  Cardinal and his most trusted guard swap places in 
  a pre-arranged bid for escape, or maybe one of them 
  harbours prodigious psychic powers or carries a 
  devastating exotic weapon, of which the Kill-team had 
  no prior knowledge.
  their own lives for his. Any Pontifex Guard within 4 metres 
  disengage and make a Run Move as an immediate Free Action.
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  Pontifex Guards are to be respected as adversaries, for while they do not benefit from the sacred gene 
  enhancement bestowed upon the servants of the Emperor, they are utterly devoted to their apostate masters and 
  well versed in many of the rites of combat. I have faced such adversaries on several occasions, and each time 
  prevailed only at great cost to the mission.
  Once I faced them on the world of Eleusis, whilst engaged upon a mission to identify and destroy a suspected 
  Tyranid infestation. I was accompanying Kill-team Gunnar, moving through a long-abandoned sub-level of 
  mouldering crypts beneath the Shrine City of Saint Kardia’s Rest, when we discovered signs of recent conflict. 
  The ancient stone walls were peppered with blast marks, and entire lengths of tunnel were scorched black 
  by what could only be the effect of a flamer discharged at full stream. Residual psychic spoor suggested the 
  involvement of our original targets in the conflict, and so we tracked the signs through many miles of crypts 
  until we discovered their source, and encountered not one, but two enemies deep beneath the world of Eleusis. 
  One was the Tyranid infestation we had come to purge, the other an older foe from ages long past—a resurgent 
  heretic cult, an echo of the twisted faith practised on Eleusis before the coming of the Crusade.
  We soon found ourselves fighting a battle on two fronts, for both factions recognised in us a mutual foe. That is 
  not to say that our enemies formed any sort of alliance, for they continued to attack one another even as they 
  assaulted us, and this was their undoing. In a vast subterranean mortuary-chapel, Kill-team Gunnar and I faced a 
  horde of shrine attendants twisted to xenos-worship, a swarm of adherents of the heretic creed, and the very elite 
  of that creed itself, the Pontifex Guard of its apostate figurehead. The scene was one of utter carnage as hundreds 
  fought and died in the chapel nave, while my Battle-Brothers and myself faced off against the guard. We soon 
  determined that they were fighting not for their own lives, but for their master’s, who had fled leaving the battle 
  behind him. The Pontifex Guard were fearsome opponents indeed, and possessed of no concern for their own 
  lives. The ensuing battle was fought in the greater chaos of the confrontation between the two factions and while 
  we prevailed, Brother Rozenn fell, while Brother Temiro lost an arm to a blow from a power halberd, though he 
  exacted his vengeance on the heretic that had dealt it. When at last the elite guard were defeated, we left the 
  battle raging behind us and sought to pursue the Apostate Cardinal that the Pontifex Guard had sold their lives 
  so dearly to protect. Alas, he was long escaped, and so we called down the wrath of the Emperor, obliterating 
  the entire tomb complex with an orbital strike from Thunder’s Word high above. To date, the apostate has not 
  reappeared, and so we pray him and his vile creed burned in the fires of the bombardment.
  
  85
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  MAGOS PHAYZARUS
  “It is not enough that this abomination dares to steal gifts the 
  Emperor intended only for his chosen. In doing so, he destroys that 
  sacred line of legacy, which is all that sustains our future. We will 
  show him the price of his transgressions.”
  –Brother Ramiel of the Dark Angels
  The heretical Magi of Samech twist and tarnish the pillars of 
  the Adeptus Mechanicus’s faith. This desecration encompasses 
  not only the machine, but also the Machine Cult’s quest for 
  knowledge. Few better examples of the latter’s corruption are 
  to be found than Magos Phayzarus, the Perjurer.
  Once a respected scion of Forge Dimeris, Phayzarus 
  specialised in penetrating the datacrypts of 
  human memory. Over time he developed a 
  vast network of cogitators that could extract 
  crude meaning from the electrical readings 
  of a subject’s brain. While the other Magi of 
  Dimeris were content to reap the secrets his 
  discoveries revealed, it was not enough for 
  Phayzarus’s addiction to knowledge. In 
  the seventh century of M41 he obtained 
  the corpse of a fallen Space Marine and 
  extracted the warrior’s Omophagea 
  organ for study. After years of analysis, 
  splicing, and self-experimentation, 
  Phayzarus succeeded in replicating 
  the Omophagea’s memory-absorbing 
  abilities by grafting a sample of the 
  organ into his own spine. He did not 
  long enjoy his success before the new 
  tissue began to fail.
  Without the divine interaction 
  with the source of the Space 
  Marines’ 
  blessings, 
  the 
  Progenoid gland, his ill-
  gotten gift began to fade. 
  In order to maintain his 
  covetous hold, Phayzarus re-
  forged himself for a single, 
  unimaginable purpose: to hunt 
  Space Marines. He turned all of 
  Samech’s forbidden science to his cause, re-making his body 
  into a self-repairing amalgam of metal and artificial flesh to 
  rival an Adeptus Astartes. Using subsumed knowledge, he 
  acquired powerful archeotech, and ruthlessly documented 
  every scrap of wisdom and every verse of battle doctrine he 
  could absorb from the Angels of Death. 
  Armed with knowledge and with ingenious technology, 
  Phayzarus now subtly engineers the deaths of Space Marines 
  to feed his dependency. He does not discriminate in his source 
  of sustenance, thieving the gene-seed of Space Marines who 
  follow Chaos and the Emperor alike. This earned him the 
  enmity of the Chaos forces in the Charon Stars, and Samech’s 
  Magi ultimately exiled him from their ranks for their own 
  safety. However, information is a valuable currency, and 
  Phayzarus’s stolen gifts make him rich. The Apostate Magos 
  is well aware of his many enemies, and surrounds himself with 
  the best protectors and strongest allies his secrets can purchase. 
  The Achilus Crusade has showered the Perjurer with a 
  fresh source of prey and new waves of bloodshed to hide 
  behind. However, the Deathwatch remains a favoured target 
  for Phayzarus as its teams usually operate in smaller numbers 
  and more isolation than a Space Marine company. In turn, 
  the Deathwatch’s loathing for his sacrilege knows no bounds; 
  they can neither forgive nor forget the crimes committed 
  against their Battle-Brothers.
  While Magos Phayzarus tries to avoid direct confrontation 
  with the Adeptus Astartes, his addiction puts him in the 
  crosshairs of many Astartes targeters. Over the years he 
  has taken drastic measures to survive and escape such 
  encounters. His profile includes the effects of his 
  numerous 
  physical 
  modifications 
  and implants, and his armoured exo-
  skeleton: the Bones of Subversion.
  dark works
  Below is a representative but by no 
  means complete list of the murders 
  the 
  Perjurer 
  Phayzarus 
  has 
  engineered.
  M41.599,
  The
  Demi-
  Herald: The Deathwatch found 
  a xenos ship drifting silently 
  near Watch Station Klaha. 
  Battle-Brothers boarded to 
  investigate. Their transmissions 
  reported 
  quick 
  progress 
  through the empty vessel for 
  two hours. However, upon the 
  third hour, their diminishing 
  vox signals were laced with the 
  sound of bolter fire. When a larger 
  Deathwatch force breached the vessel 
  to provide support, they found the entire Kill-
  team dead, and stripped of gene-seed. While 
  their armour was slagged and their corpses 
  charred almost beyond recognition, the 
  Progenoid extraction was performed with 
  surgical precision. At the time, the event 
  was thought to be the work of Chaos Space Marines, but later 
  investigation revealed a delicate modification of the plasma 
  drives that only a skilled Magos could have accomplished.
  M41.787,TheWeepingCradle: In the Acheros Salient’s 
  history of blood, few battles have tallied so many Battle-
  Brother casualties as those to hold and retake Khazant, after 
  the ascension of Lord Militant Tetrarchus. This period saw 
  hundreds of desperate attempts by cut-off Imperial forces 
  to hold their ground against the forces of Chaos. At the 
  engagement recorded as the Weeping Cradle, the Dark Sons 
  fought a gruelling war of attrition against the Word Bearers in a 
  mountain pass to an Imperial spaceport. This engagement was 
  notable for the number of inauspicious events that prevented 
  either side from conclusively ending the battle. Every time 
  one force seemed to gain the upper hand, rockslides, vehicle 
  malfunctions, or information leaks put their victory in jeopardy. 
  to be found than Magos Phayzarus, the Perjurer.
  Once a respected scion of Forge Dimeris, Phayzarus 
  specialised in penetrating the datacrypts of 
  human memory. Over time he developed a 
  vast network of cogitators that could extract 
  crude meaning from the electrical readings 
  of a subject’s brain. While the other Magi of 
  Dimeris were content to reap the secrets his 
  discoveries revealed, it was not enough for 
  Phayzarus’s addiction to knowledge. In 
  the seventh century of M41 he obtained 
  the corpse of a fallen Space Marine and 
  extracted the warrior’s Omophagea 
  organ for study. After years of analysis, 
  splicing, and self-experimentation, 
  Phayzarus succeeded in replicating 
  the Omophagea’s memory-absorbing 
  abilities by grafting a sample of the 
  organ into his own spine. He did not 
  long enjoy his success before the new 
  Without the divine interaction 
  with the source of the Space 
  Marines’ 
  blessings, 
  the 
  Progenoid gland, his ill-
  gotten gift began to fade. 
  forged himself for a single, 
  unimaginable purpose: to hunt 
  Space Marines. He turned all of 
  encounters. His profile includes the effects of his 
  numerous 
  physical 
  modifications 
  and implants, and his armoured exo-
  skeleton: the Bones of Subversion.
  dark
  Below is a representative but by no 
  means complete list of the murders 
  the 
  Perjurer 
  Phayzarus 
  has 
  engineered.
  Herald:
  through the empty vessel for 
  two hours. However, upon the 
  third hour, their diminishing 
  vox signals were laced with the 
  sound of bolter fire. When a larger 
  Deathwatch force breached the vessel 
  to provide support, they found the entire Kill-
  team dead, and stripped of gene-seed. While 
  their armour was slagged and their corpses 
  charred almost beyond recognition, the 
  Progenoid extraction was performed with 
  surgical precision. At the time, the event 
  was thought to be the work of Chaos Space Marines, but later 
  
  86
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  Several picts from the site showed an unidentified red-robed 
  figure near the field.
  M41.809,TheRedshaleGambit: A Kill-team under the 
  command of Watch Captain Drucall responded to reports of 
  Enslaver forces spreading through the colony of Redshale on 
  Sovereign. These reports were in error; the populace was in 
  fact in the thrall of a dormant mutagen. The signs of Enslaver 
  incursion were falsified, presumably to lure the Deathwatch 
  into the infected colony. Over half of the designated Kill-
  team perished when Redshale suddenly erupted into a mob 
  of blood-crazed mutants. Before the Deathwatch could bring 
  the matter fully under control, agents of the Ordo Hereticus 
  arrived and purged the planet of all native inhabitants. Their 
  headstrong zeal erased any chance to learn more about of 
  Phayzarus’s infection, making it likely that the Perjurer will 
  be able to use a similar ploy again.
  Magos Phayzarus (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (14)
  40
  50
  55
  70
  45
  65
  50
  55
  32
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
  Wounds: 35
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Chem-Use (Int) +20, Common 
  Lore (Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Deathwatch, 
  Tech) (Int) +20, Dodge (Ag), Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Astartes, 
  Adeptus Mechanicus, Archeotech, Mutants, Tech) (Int) +20, 
  Logic (Int)+20, Scholastic Lore (Chymistry, Heraldry, Legend) 
  (Int) +10, Tech-Use (Int) +20. 
  Talents: Arms Master, Bulging Biceps, Combat Master, Ferric 
  Lure, The Flesh is Weak (3). 
  Traits: Auto-Stabilised, Dark Sight, Mechanicus Implants, 
  Regeneration (4), Touched by the Fates (3), Unnatural Strength 
  (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2).
  Armour:The Bones of Subversion (All 9, total 12 including 
  The Flesh is Weak).
  Weapons: Conversion Beamer with Suspensor (100m; S/–/–; 
  Special†; Clip 4; Rld 2Full),Energised Talons (2d10+15 E; Pen 
  X; Power Field, Unwieldy), Improvised Reductor (1d10+12 R; 
  Pen 10).
  †See page 153 in the Deathwatch Rulebook for Conversion 
  Beamer’s Damage and Penetration.
  Gear: Auspex, ††Teleportation Net.
  SpecialRules
  Hunter of Angels: The Magos has spared no effort in 
  studying his prey, and has absorbed many memories through 
  his vile addiction. His ill-gained knowledge provides him 
  insight into Astartes attack patterns and tactics. When facing 
  Space Marines, Phayzarus gains the Step Aside and Wall of 
  Steel Talents.
  AdeptusAstartesAnathema: Space Marines who know the 
  deeds of Magos Phayzarus automatically count as having the 
  Hatred Talent against him.
  Profane Imitation: Phayzarus’s profile is depicted while 
  he is sustained by stolen Progenoid glands. Every 10d10 
  days Phayzarus must perform his debased sustenance rituals, 
  and in doing so consume an intact Progenoid gland. If he 
  fails to do so, he enters withdrawal and loses his Unnatural 
  Traits. As long as he is not in withdrawal, Phayzarus may 
  consume genetic material to absorb knowledge; this functions 
  identically to the Omophagea organ on page 17 of the 
  Deathwatch Rulebook.
  ††TeleportationNet: This dangerous fusion of archeotech 
  and empyrean directors flings the wearer through the warp 
  without the need for a teleportarium. A small homing marker 
  is still employed, and must be activated at the target location 
  ahead of time. By spending a Half Action, the wearer instantly 
  disappears into the warp, emerging 1d10 Rounds later near 
  the marker. The device may be activated as a Reaction by 
  passing a Difficult(–10)AgilityTest. Every time the bearer 
  uses the Teleportation Net, he must make a Challenging
  (+0)WillpowerTest or gain 1d5 Corruption Points. The 
  net may also be activated without preparing the homing 
  marker, but this is an act of desperation as it gives the wearer 
  no control over where he re-emerges.
  adVenture seeds 
  A Lost Brother: The unnatural powers of Magos 
  Phayzarus began with a single Adeptus Astartes victim. 
  His great theft of the Emperor’s gift was less than two 
  centuries ago, so the name of the dishonoured warrior 
  he robbed could be discovered. It may even have been 
  a member of the Deathwatch. Making the progenitor 
  of Phayzarus someone connected to the Kill-team 
  heightens their personal stake in bringing him 
  to justice.
  Trapped: The Deathwatch responds to the distress 
  signal of a group of high-ranking Imperial Naval 
  officers. Their Naval transport has crashed-landed on a 
  Tau-controlled world populated with xenos auxiliaries. 
  When the Kill-team arrives, they find the officers long-
  dead. No sooner do they realise someone else has lured 
  them to the planet with the distress signal, than their 
  own transport is crippled. They are the latest quarry 
  in a trap laid by Magos Phayzarus. He subtly reveals 
  the Kill-team’s presence to the hostile aliens, turning 
  the hunters into the hunted. Can the Kill-team find a 
  way off-planet while staying ahead of the Sept forces 
  and Phayzarus? Will they recognize the hand of the 
  mastermind sabotaging their efforts and locate him?
  Ambush: While investigating the disappearance of 
  another Kill-team the Battle-Brothers find the remains 
  of an ambush and worse yet—the harvested corpses of 
  their Brothers. Whether or not the Kill-team recognises 
  the infamous signature of Magos Phayzarus, honour 
  demands they recover the stolen gene-seed and bring 
  the desecrator to justice. However, the Kill-team are 
  not the only ones on the trail of the outcast Magos. 
  A group of Chaos Space Marines are also hunting 
  Phayzarus. If they find him first, any gene-seed in his 
  possession will go to the enemy.
  
  87
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  the Forge-dIstrICts oF saMeCh
  The mighty armada defending Samech presents a face of unified defence, but below the rusty atmosphere, reality is 
  quite different. The Forge-Districts of this corrupted Forge world are a fractious collection of squabbling territories, 
  constantly warring over resources and tech patterns. Below are some of the most prominent powers of the Iron Pit.
  Forge dIMerIs
  Forge Dimeris holds that the mind is only an electrical pattern, an inferior machine spirit in organic casing that can 
  be harnessed with the proper tech-rites. Some claim they can create psykers from normal men, and this rumour is 
  perpetuated by the large number of psychic Magi and troops found serving Dimeris. The masters of this Forge-District 
  are also said to pay dearly for Eldar waystones, and to possess the ability to create cogitator algorithms that mimic the 
  personality and knowledge of a living being with unholy accuracy. 
  the IrradIal Forge
  Most Districts on Samech are touched by the Ruinous Powers in some way, but the Magi of the Irradial Forge have given 
  their souls over to Chaos with willful abandon. Their Magi pursue the most dangerous secrets of the warp, cultivating 
  alliances with sorcerers and disciples of the Dark Gods. The Irradial Forge is infamous for the corrupt, warp-infused 
  technology that issues from its foundries. It provides a substantial portion of the Reach’s Defilers, as well as the most 
  sophisticated daemon-fused warships found in Samech’s orbit. 
  dessen
  One of the smallest Districts on Samech, Dessen claims only a few jagged peaks at the broken mountains of the planet’s 
  northern pole. The small tech-coven specialises in the mysteries of the photon. Dessen las weapons sell for small 
  fortunes, their hololiths are so lifelike that they can fool the naked eye, and their shadow generators can bring night 
  to an entire battlefield. Owing to its small size, Dessen cannot profit from volume, and instead produces only custom 
  masterworks of artifice that each sell for a staggering sum. Their main clientele are assassins and elite champions of 
  Chaos in the Acheros Salient, but like all of Samech, Dessen will deal with anyone who can meet their price.
  the lest dIstrICt
  Many Forge-Districts exploit the unusual magnetic tides of Samech, but none as masterfully as the Lest District. 
  This expertise was driven by necessity. The large District is located in one of the most electro-magnetically charged 
  regions of the planet. Polarised winds and intense lightning storms rage constantly across the cracked terrain. Vegetation 
  stunts and the ground buckles beneath the opposing forces of lodestone deposits and the planet’s magnetic tides. Only 
  by taming electro-magnetism were the Magi of Lest able to shield their forges from these forces and change the 
  violent climate from a source of devastation to a layer of defence. The District is also home to one of Samech’s largest 
  exploratory contingents, making them a frequently encountered foe of the Deathwatch.
  the Free unIon oF VIsIon
  The Union of Vision is ruled not by a technocracy, but by menials. Centuries ago, the slaves and labourers rose up and 
  slaughtered their mechanical masters. However, lives are more easily extinguished than superstition. The people’s faith in 
  the machine’s divinity has only increased in the absence of Tech-Priests. Like paupers in a gilded manse, the Free Visioners 
  struggle to survive in a metal labyrinth filled with technological marvels they dare not touch. Their talented technomats 
  can repair and operate some of the most basic tools and weapons, and the forge’s auto-defences keep it secure. However, 
  the automated factories and hosts of servitors remain silent objects of worship and fear. When substantial repair rituals are 
  required, the Free Union sometimes trade their services as inconspicuous middle men to the neighbouring Districts. 
  87
  87
  87
  Addendum from Codicier Taelon
  The libraries of Occludus and Erioch contain uncountable tomes on the blasphemous, and it has become a necessary reflex 
  to suppress the anger that their contents can arouse. However, every time I must delve into the works of the Perjurer 
  Phayzarus, I feel my lips twist in hatred anew. The account below comes from Brother Elnocte of the Dark Sons, survivor 
  of the Weeping Cradle:
  I did not then know the visage which the spirit of vengeance has now burned into my mind. However, even then the 
  Magos’s form was brazenly unwholesome. Like a lumbering carrion beast, he moved from one body to another, the blood 
  of my Brothers flying in the carelessness of his greed. It was only as he drew closer that I realised what sacred prize this 
  vermin dug from neck and chest. A bellow of outrage tore from my lips, and fury brought me to my feet despite my injuries. 
  The despicable creature whirled to face me, and that moment galled more than his scavenging. His ravenous eyes dared 
  betray a flicker of recognition—from memories he had stolen as he stole the gene-seed of my Brothers. 
  
  88
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  IrradIal CogItator
  “When the box sings a pretty song; When it saves you from all that’s 
  wrong; When it adds a sudden price, you bless it once to be  
  cursed thrice.”
  –Children’s rhyme from the Jericho Reach
  The brilliance of Samech’s cogitators was legendary long before 
  their fall from grace. And while the Iron Pit’s Magi have turned 
  to the forbidden and blasphemous across the ages, their craft 
  with these calculating machines has only grown. Many Districts 
  still trade their cogitators to those that will buy, and their designs 
  range from questionable to horrifically perverse. One of the 
  more troubling sources of such machines is the Irradial Forge. 
  Their cogitators are outwardly innocuous, but their razor-keen 
  intelligence comes not just from fine layers of circuits, but the 
  daemons that course through them.
  Some purchasers are completely ignorant of the dark power 
  inside these devices, transacting with unscrupulous middlemen 
  or Free Unioners in the guise of honest traders. Others are 
  versed in or even proponents of dark tech, while still others 
  are simply too desperate to care. An Irradial cogitator is often 
  a bargain too good to pass up, a miraculously efficient machine 
  whose price appears remarkably low. In their nascent stages, 
  an Irradial cogitator’s intellect can answer a struggling hive’s 
  prayers. Disease, hunger, and pollution are some of the most 
  common problems the beneficent machine seems to cure for its 
  new masters.
  While the cogitator’s miracles are still endearing it to the 
  local population, it seeks its first apostle. This person will be the 
  seed of fear and worship. He serves as an innocuous voice for 
  the infused cogitator’s true wishes, a disciple of its impending 
  divinity. Tech-priests are the obvious choice, but anyone in a 
  position to maintain the cogitator’s physical housing, who holds 
  substantial regard for the device’s miracles is a candidate. While 
  the first apostle cultivates the population’s reverence for the 
  cogitator, it begins to spread its sphere of direct influence as well.
  An Irradial cogitator spreads the tendrils of its neural pattern 
  out into technology connected to its location. Installation requires 
  a physical connection and is not possible over vox channels. 
  This limits the rate and range to which an Irradial cogitator can 
  spread its dominion, but that is more than enough to appropriate 
  buildings, hives, or even entire worlds with tightly networked 
  data looms. Using this sphere of control, it reinforces the 
  apostle’s message, causing serendipitous boons for the faithful 
  and misfortunes for vocal opponents of the budding cult. Over 
  decades, the Irradial daemonic core builds worshippers and their 
  dependence on it, as they install its code in devices the network 
  does not reach. 
  The daemon whispers, through its disciple, of rites that must 
  be performed to keep the burgeoning god appeased. Year by 
  year the runes of the Mechanicus become runes of an altogether 
  different religion. Within a few generations the daemon holds as 
  tight a sway over the populace as it does over their technology.
  An Irradial cogitator’s “body” is an inanimate machine, 
  easily destroyed if it can be located and reached. However, the 
  daemonic spirit within is possessed of malevolent brilliance, 
  and has many abilities that allow it to indirectly influence its 
  surrounding to protect itself.
  Irradial Cogitator (Master) Profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  t
  ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (16)
  55
  55
  ––
  ––
  ––
  80
  60
  75
  50
  Movement: — 
  Wounds: —
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Ciphers (Chaos), Charm (Fel), Deceive 
  (Fel) +10, Lip Reading (Per), Literacy (Int) +20, Logic (Int) +20, 
  Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Mechanicus, Archeotech, Daemonology, 
  Psykers, The Warp, Xenos) (Int) +20, Lore: Scholastic (All), Speak 
  Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic, Miscellaneous Blasphemous 
  Tongues, Techna-Lingua), Tech-Use (Int) +20.
  Talents: Combat Master, Feedback Screech, Inspire Wrath. 
  Traits: Daemonic, Machine (1), Stuff of Nightmares, 
  Unnatural Intelligence (x2).
  Armour, Weapons & Gear: None.
  Special Rules
  Neural Installation: The Irradial cogitator may control 
  machines upon which its neural pattern has been installed 
  as long as they are within the same star system. A device 
  so possessed uses the Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, 
  Fellowship and Skills of the daemon. It gains all Talents and 
  Traits the daemon possesses, in addition to those the host 
  possesses. Its Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill are chosen from 
  the higher number of its own Characteristic and the daemon’s. 
  The maximum number of devices that can be controlled at 
  any one time is equal to the daemon’s Willpower Bonus.
  
  89
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  Adventure SeedS 
  In Missions involving Irradial cogitators, the actual cogitator that hosts the daemon is an inconsequential foe. Instead, 
  the environment, human worshippers, and infected machines pose the physical threats.
  Spores: The Ordo Xenos is on the trail of criminals who trade frozen Hormagaunt mycetic spores as weapons of mass 
  destruction. The Kill-team chases one spore to a populous Hive world, trying to prevent the Tyranids from spreading. 
  The Kill-team does not know that the spore was actually purchased by the planet’s last remnants of loyal Imperial 
  citizens, who would rather see their world consumed than in the thrall of a daemon. When the Kill-team arrives, the 
  local authorities are cooperative but distant. The closer the Kill-team gets to completing their objective, the more 
  equipment malfunctions and dangerous accidents threaten their lives. The Irradial cogitator and its worshippers are 
  secretly trying to engineer the mutual destruction of the Space Marines and the Tyranids. If the Kill-team succeeds in 
  purging the aliens, rather than finding gratitude, they find an entire hive turned against them.
  Feud: Deep in the Charon Stars, the entire planet of Eos has long belonged to an Irradial cogitator. However, the cult 
  of a powerful Daemon Prince threatens the cogitator’s domination. The Deathwatch must launch a daring infiltration 
  mission to retrieve a stolen datacrypt of powerful alien weapon patterns in the midst of this daemonic civil war.
  Divided Loyalties: Pareed is a Hive world of divided faith. Its underhive denizens have kept the Imperial Creed, 
  but the soft nobility and privileged classes embraced the Greater Good many years ago. The Ordo Xenos and the 
  Deathwatch launch a joint Mission to help the faithful retake their world. The Kill-team is responsible for re-taking 
  Hive Autumn. However, the hive’s elite have slowly been falling under the sway of an Irradial cogitator. When the 
  Deathwatch’s battle against these two-fold heretics is thickest, Tau forces arrive. The Tau’s original directive was to 
  supplement their followers, but that may change if they discover Hive Autumn’s new faith.
  Caveat Emptor: As the Kill-team is completing a Mission on a Hive world, they discover information about an Irradial 
  cogitator that has just arrived with a Free Visioner broker. If the Battle-Brothers act quickly, they can prevent the daemonic 
  tech from ever gaining a foothold. However, subtly locating a human is a difficult task for the conspicuous Battle-Brothers. 
  Once the daemonic intelligence and its minions realise the Deathwatch seeks them, they are sure to retaliate.
  Addendum from Codicier Taelon
  Below is an excerpt from the logs of Rogue Trader Maximillia Prophet, whose vessel, the Aurum Infinitas, had 
  the misfortune to make berth on a planet in the sway of one of Samech’s daemonic cogitators:
  I wanted to be gone from Crayg the instant we landed there. After long enough trading the void, you develop a 
  sixth sense for when you’re not wanted. You recognise a cold paranoia in the natives, and nine times out of ten it 
  is hiding something that is anything but profitable. Unfortunately, my ship was going to burn its drives out if we 
  didn’t get the parts my Enginseers needed.
  We’d made it about halfway through their list and managed to avoid any trouble; then we went to buy a Mars-
  pattern cooling unit. The salvage shop obviously wasn’t expecting us, because we walked right into the middle 
  of a nightmare. Two dozen people that had no business doing anything together—scribes, technomats, tech-
  priests, mercenaries—stood in a circle around a piece of tech; Explorator Lux told me later it was some sort of 
  power core. The air was choked with rancid incense, like sweet charcoal, and the braziers illuminated the rows 
  of parts in a yellow light. Even in the putrid glow, I could tell it wasn’t machine oil they used to anoint the tech; 
  it was blood—probably their own blood from the dripping cuts on many of their arms. Late in the sleep cycle I 
  can still see the symbols they drew burning against the dark of my eyelids.
  Needless to say they didn’t welcome our intrusion. We thought we were clear once we fought our way out of 
  the shop. Emperor’s bones, but we were wrong. I know now what the lapins must have felt like in the hunts my 
  family used to carry out on our estate. The entire hive seemed to be bearing down on us as our transport sped 
  back to the spaceport. The people were the easy part. They were angry, but they weren’t well-armed. Then servo-
  skulls started to dive bomb us and empty vehicles started throwing themselves at us—that we weren’t ready for. I 
  notice my seneschal rid himself of all his familiars after Crayg.
  I lost several good crewmen getting back to the Infinitas. We tossed every last scrap of tech we’d picked up on 
  that Emperor-forsaken world and had to completely replace the main plasma drive by the time we reached 
  another system— but that was better than installing anything from that damned planet on my ship.
  
  90
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  SAMECH REDEMPTION 
  SERVITORS
  Samech is pitted with the scars of strip mining, and its crust 
  shaved thin to feed the hungry forges. While the Forge-Districts 
  trade for raw materials with their unscrupulous customers, they 
  also scavenge their planet’s deadly lava wastes for the wrecks and 
  scrap from internal wars and victims of the deadly planet. Each 
  District produces countless models of automatons and servitors 
  for this purpose, but the Redemption Servitor is among the  
  most infamous.
  While becoming a servitor is viewed as an immortalizing 
  privilege on some worlds, on many more it is a punishment 
  reserved for criminals and unruly serfs. The Adeptus Mechanicus 
  prize logic and knowledge; even for corrupt offshoots like the 
  Magi of Samech, an un-life as a thoughtless drone is a humiliation 
  worse than death. Lobotomisation and transformation into the 
  grotesque, trash-digging Redemption Servitors is therefore a 
  fate reserved for traitors, weaklings, and hated enemies of those 
  in power. Many say that the feral intelligence of these drones 
  still bears the tormented, malicious echoes of those now trapped  
  in servitude.
  Scholars suspect the Redemption pattern originated in the 
  Lest District, where it remains extremely popular. However, the 
  model can be found in use throughout Samech. The pattern 
  involves heavy replacement of the neck, arm, and leg joints 
  with pivots that provide almost 360 degree rotation. The torso 
  is then augmented with four additional limbs, creating a squat 
  arachnid profile. Most models also use epidermal armour plating, 
  although its design varies with the forge of manufacture. 
  The Redemption Servitor incorporates several pieces of 
  Samech’s electro-magnetic wargear, although it is of substantially 
  poorer quality than devices used by Magi. The standard 
  configuration includes a techxorcism cannon—usually installed 
  in the chest and fired through the gullet— for neutralising other 
  technological enemies and scavenging machines that may not be 
  completely inert. In order to reach and disassemble precarious 
  wreckage, the Redemption Servitor contains an auxiliary 
  magnetic repulsion system that allows them to traverse unstable 
  structures, and its spindly limbs are capable of puncturing steel.
  These limbs also double as dangerous weapons, which the 
  savage servitor needs little provocation to use. The Redemption 
  pattern’s principal drawback is that its programming works as 
  intended. In order to scavenge Samech’s wastes effectively, they 
  must be relatively autonomous, with the capacity for self repair 
  and an instinct to seek out valuable technology. Not only does 
  this cause the automatons to kill for the smallest scrap of tech, it 
  has led to a high incidence of the servitors infesting ships bound 
  offworld. This would make Redemption Servitors nothing more 
  than an annoying pest in the Jericho Reach were it not for their 
  savage disposition, and the prominent use of transmuter cores for 
  their power source. 
  Samech suffers an endemic shortage of traditional power 
  sources, having long ago consumed all its traditional fuel resources. 
  A transmuter core allows Redemption Servitors to operate in 
  the planet’s lava wastes without the need for valuable perpetual 
  generators or constant recharging. The core can convert biological 
  matter into electricity, allowing the scavengers to subsist on corpses 
  and vermin found amidst their salvage. However, transmuter cores 
  are more efficient at converting living matter than dead. This has 
  led to an un-intended preference in the servitors to “feed” on the 
  living rather than the dead. Units low on power often abduct 
  victims to use as bio-sources until they expire. 
  CoMMon alternate redeMptIon 
  ConFIguratIons
  Guardian Configuration: Magi employing Redemption 
  Servitors for specific tasks usually replace their plasma cutters 
  with more formidable armaments. Solid ammunition weapons 
  are a popular choice, as an extended ammo feed can be stored 
  in the servitor’s hollow chest cavity. Up to two climbing spindles 
  can also have chain or power weapons affixed without impacting 
  the automaton’s climbing ability.
  Retriever
  Configuration: Their feeding instincts make 
  Redemption Servitors excellent at live capture, provided the 
  target can be recovered from the servitor afterwards. If one is 
  employed for this purpose, a webber is usually mounted on 
  its exterior, and a primitive auspex package is often added for 
  tracking bio-signs.
  Skulker Configuration: Despite a lack of physical or pictorial 
  evidence, anecdotes persist of Redemption Servitors equipped 
  for the sheer purpose of causing terror and disruption in Imperial 
  populations. It is claimed that such versions have enhanced vox 
  units that produce a range of unhallowed cries. The units are also 
  frequently described as being rusty and in poor repair. 
  and vermin found amidst their salvage. However, transmuter cores 
  
  91
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  Redemption Servitor (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  40
  55
  40
  40
  55
  15
  40
  20
  ––
  Movement: 5/10/15/30 
  Wounds: 25
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per) +10, Climb (Str), 
  Concealment (Ag) +20, Evaluate (Per)† +10, Search (Per) 
  +10, Silent Move (Ag) +20, Trade (Reclaimator) +20.
  Talents: Binary Chatter, Concealed Cavity, Electrical 
  Succour, Ferric Lure, Ferric Summons, Feedback Screech, 
  Hoverer (5), Independent Targeting, Melee Weapon Training 
  (Universal), Talented (Trade: Reclaimator), Two-Weapon 
  wielder (Ballistic, Melee).
  Traits: Armour Plating, Auto-Stabilised, Dark Sight, Fear 
  (1), Machine (4), Multiple Arms, Unnatural Strength (x2), 
  Unnatural Toughness (x2). 
  Armour:Armour Plating (All 6, 10 including Machine Trait).
  Weapons: Climbing Spindles (1d10+12 R; Pen 4; 
  Unbalanced), Plasma Cutters (10m; S/2/–; 1d10+8 E; 
  Pen 8; Clip N/A; Rld N/A; Volatile), Techxorcism Cannon 
  (60m; S/–/–; 2d10+6 E; Pen Special††; Clip —; Rld —; 
  Haywire(1), Recharge, Shocking, Special††).
  Gear: Force shield (Protection Rating: 40; Overload Roll: 
  1–15), Reclaimation Cavity full of assorted scrap.
  SpecialRules
  ReconstructionProtocol: Although they cannot reproduce, 
  Redemption Servitors are incredibly resilient, possessing 
  distributed redundant logic processors and backup cells. The 
  servitor is destroyed the first time it takes Critical Damage. 
  However, if the human brain and two or more of the spindle 
  limbs remain intact, it can attempt to reconstruct itself using 
  nearby scrap and power sources. 
  †A Redemption Servitor uses its Perception rather than its 
  Intelligence on the Evaluate Skill.
  ††The Techxorcism Cannon ignores all armour. If a target 
  hit by this weapon has any cybernetics, his Toughness Test 
  against the Shocking Quality is at a –20 penalty.
  adVenture seeds 
  Artefact:The Kill-team deploys to a dead world where 
  an unknown xenos race eradicated all life. Somewhere in 
  the crumbling ruins of this hive lies an alien artefact of 
  immense power—perhaps the one responsible for this 
  genocide. A cadre of Samech Magi have also come in 
  search of this valuable weapon, and with them comes a 
  host of Redemption Servitors to search the dead spires. 
  However, something older and even more dangerous 
  remains to guard the artefact. The dark Magi and the 
  Deathwatch both might fall prey to it as they hunt each 
  other in the ruined hive.
  Cultists:On Eleusis, belief in old, dark gods festers in the 
  shadow of Hive Fleet Dagon. In the necropolis beneath 
  its temples, a clutch of Redemption Servitors scavenge the 
  tainted wreckage of the previous heretical society. One 
  recently replenished itself by taking a talented diviner as 
  its latest bio-source. This seer’s predictions have led to 
  many important victories in the Achilus Crusade, making 
  her a valuable resource that must be recovered. The Kill-
  team is tasked with finding the Redemption Servitor in 
  the infested crypts. Furthermore, at least one religious 
  faction on the rebuilt Shrine world would rather the seer 
  remained un-rescued, and is doing their best to thwart the 
  Kill-team’s progress through misdirection and politics.
  DeadlyCargo: A civilian ship transporting the Kill-team 
  to a Mission recently became infested with Redemption 
  Servitors while conducting unsavoury business in the 
  Acheros Salient. This poses several problems for the 
  Battle-Brothers: they can tell something is quickly 
  damaging the ship and slowly killing the crew, but the 
  captain is doing his best to hide the source, lest the Space 
  Marines question how the creatures got aboard. Once 
  they do realise what they are dealing with, the compact, 
  stealthy nature of the servitors makes direct confrontation 
  all but impossible within the confines of the ship. The 
  Kill-team must find more creative ways to eliminate the 
  creatures. Otherwise the servitors may damage the ship 
  enough that the Battle-Brothers reach their destination 
  too late—or not at all.
  Addendum from Codicier Taelon
  Nothing that issues from the corrupt aura of the 
  Charon Stars is harmless, not even their artificial 
  vermin. Although Redemption Servitors share 
  many habits with common pests, it would be 
  remiss to dismiss them as merely nuisances. 
  They are a mechanical plague that can be found 
  from one end of the Jericho Reach to the other, 
  preying on men who are ill-equipped to fend off 
  these foul creations. One of the beasts alone is 
  only a match for a Battle-Brother if he fails to be 
  watchful, but they are often found in groups that 
  can pose an unexpected threat.
  Ample specimens have been recovered for 
  analysis. The Crucible Resolviate has provided 
  the following readout of the primary behaviour 
  algorithm in one sample:
  10. IF POWER LEVEL < .20 THEN ERROR: 
  INVALID REFERENCE
  20. IF ASSESS (INPUT) > THRESHOLD THEN 
  AQUIRE (INPUT)
  30 [DATA CORRUPTED]
  40. ACQUIRE *
  50. LUMENS <= 100?
  60. MOD 40
  70. ACQUIRE WHERE MAX (VITALITY (INPUT))
  80. [UNABLE TO READ SEGMENT]
  
  92
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  SLINNAR WAR MACHINE
  Speculation and false information surrounds the plasma-driven 
  constructs dubbed Slinnar War Machines. As their name 
  implies, their origins appear to lie at the spinward edge of the 
  Jericho Reach, in the stellar body known as the Slinnar Drift. 
  Even their link to this proto-star cluster is tenuous, based on 
  little more than whispered stories and an observation that the 
  emission frequency of the War Machines’ cores resembles that 
  of celestial bodies in the Slinnar Drift.
  What is unerringly agreed upon is that a Slinnar War 
  Machine is an engine of destruction, given life through the 
  sacrifice of a human soul. Although a War Machine is similar 
  in size and shape to a Stealth Suit or power armour, they hold 
  no living pilot. Instead, ancient transference rites must be used 
  to imbue the machine with the soul that becomes its pilot. 
  While operational, a Slinnar War Machine pulses with the light 
  and heat of a star captured in an obsidian cage. This energy 
  can be unleashed in short but incredibly potent bursts. These 
  blasts appear similar to the discharge of a plasma weapon, but 
  contain enough energy to breach nearly any material 
  with minimal diminishment of the beam. 
  The exact amount of time a transferred life can 
  power the construct is unknown. Speculation ranges 
  from a few years, to a normal human 
  lifespan and beyond. It is certain that 
  War Machines expire eventually, as the 
  possession rituals necessary to activate 
  one have an easily documented aftermath. 
  Many die attempting this dangerous ritual, 
  although the aid of a practitioner versed 
  in both the technological and the arcane 
  can improve the chances of success and 
  survival.
  Even beyond this risk, the nature of 
  Slinnar War Machines is a matter of some 
  debate within the Inquisition and fringe groups 
  of Explorators. Many argue that in order to function, 
  the soul transfer must involve some manner of forbidden 
  warp-circuitry, 
  but 
  others 
  counter with force swords as 
  an example of an orthodox 
  parallel. This camp—which 
  includes 
  the 
  Crucible 
  Resolviate— is not so 
  eager to condemn the 
  Slinnar War Machines, and 
  would greatly like to acquire 
  one for study. They dismiss as 
  unfounded rumours claims that the War Machine’s own alien 
  spirit eventually overtakes that of the possessor.
  The War Machine’s reputation is little improved by the 
  desperate and ruthless individuals usually driven to occupy one. 
  Most often these devices are acquired by zealous rebels or power-
  hungry criminals. Few sane men would ever choose to undergo 
  the possession rites. Although a Slinnar War Machine does 
  offer immense power, it comes only at the high price of one’s 
  humanity. War Machines have no voice, and anyone or anything 
  the possessor ever loved is now beyond its burning touch.
  Slinnar War Machine (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  45
  40
  50
  50
  50
  30
  35
  30
  30
  Movement: 5/10/15/30 
  Wounds: 30
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag) +10, Awareness (Per), Common Lore 
  (Jericho Reach), Speak Language (Low Gothic), Swim (S), 
  Survival (Int).
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Choose One), Fearless, 
  Furious Assault, Leap Up, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), 
  Rapid Reaction, Swift Attack, Target Selection.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Undying.
  Armour:Obsidian shell (All 8).
  Weapons: Integrated Plasma Cannon (80m; S/–/–; 3d10+5 
  E; Pen 12; Clip —; Rld —, Devastating(5), Reactive), Plasma 
  Scythe (1d10+15 E; Pen 7; Defensive, Felling, Power Field).
  Gear: None.
  SpecialRules
  EbbingWill: Over time, the possessor of 
  a War Machine begins to lose his humanity. 
  Every year, the inhabitant must pass a 
  Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or 
  reduce his Willpower Characteristic by 
  1d5. Once his Willpower reaches 0, his 
  will is completely consumed by that of 
  the War Machine. For the next 1d10 
  years, the construct persists on a dimming 
  plasma core, following its creators’ 
  inscrutable agenda until the core finally  
  goes dark.
  Psychic Blank: Slinnar War Machines are 
  completely immune to Psychic Powers, and psychic 
  energy and effects directed against them (as well as 
  warp powers, possession, sorcery, etc). Also, they 
  cannot be detected by means of Psyniscience or 
  similar abilities. Powers of this type directed at 
  them, even if successfully manifested, simply fail. 
  If they are caught in the effect of a Psychic Power 
  over a wide area, it simply fails to affect them—
  although it may affect other targets 
  normally. The Slinnar War Machine 
  must spend a Half Action to activate 
  this ability, it is not always “turned 
  on.”
  StellarCore: The creature radiates 
  searing energy. It does 2d10 E damage, ignoring armour, to 
  anyone who touches it, and its melee attacks do an extra 4 
  points of Damage and Penetration (already included in its 
  profile). The creature also takes no damage from fire, and halves 
  the final number of Wounds done by plasma, melta, and other  
  heat-based attacks.
  and heat of a star captured in an obsidian cage. This energy 
  can be unleashed in short but incredibly potent bursts. These 
  blasts appear similar to the discharge of a plasma weapon, but 
  contain enough energy to breach nearly any material 
  with minimal diminishment of the beam. 
  The exact amount of time a transferred life can 
  power the construct is unknown. Speculation ranges 
  from a few years, to a normal human 
  lifespan and beyond. It is certain that 
  War Machines expire eventually, as the 
  possession rituals necessary to activate 
  one have an easily documented aftermath. 
  Many die attempting this dangerous ritual, 
  although the aid of a practitioner versed 
  in both the technological and the arcane 
  can improve the chances of success and 
  Even beyond this risk, the nature of 
  Slinnar War Machines is a matter of some 
  debate within the Inquisition and fringe groups 
  of Explorators. Many argue that in order to function, 
  the soul transfer must involve some manner of forbidden 
  warp-circuitry, 
  but 
  others 
  counter with force swords as 
  an example of an orthodox 
  parallel. This camp—which 
  includes 
  the 
  Crucible 
  Resolviate— is not so 
  eager to condemn the 
  Slinnar War Machines, and 
  would greatly like to acquire 
  E; Pen 12; Clip —; Rld —, Devastating(5), Reactive), Plasma 
  Scythe (1d10+15 E; Pen 7; Defensive, Felling, Power Field).
  Gear: None.
  Special
  Ebbing
  a War Machine begins to lose his humanity. 
  Every year, the inhabitant must pass a 
  Challenging
  reduce his Willpower Characteristic by 
  1d5. Once his Willpower reaches 0, his 
  will is completely consumed by that of 
  the War Machine. For the next 1d10 
  years, the construct persists on a dimming 
  plasma core, following its creators’ 
  inscrutable agenda until the core finally 
  goes dark.
  Psychic
  Blank:
  completely immune to Psychic Powers, and psychic 
  energy and effects directed against them (as well as 
  warp powers, possession, sorcery, etc). Also, they 
  cannot be detected by means of Psyniscience or 
  similar abilities. Powers of this type directed at 
  them, even if successfully manifested, simply fail. 
  If they are caught in the effect of a Psychic Power 
  over a wide area, it simply fails to affect them—
  
  93
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  adVenture seeds 
  Intruders:The Kill-team deploys to rid Spite of nigh-unstoppable “alien” intruders. This elite force has already assassinated 
  three high-ranking officers on the Fortress world. The Kill-team does not have to search long before they clash with 
  a Slinnar War Machine and several Tau sympathisers in the Black Zone. The sympathisers have turned to forbidden 
  technology to eliminate the tyrant Lord Commander Ebongrave, and it is obvious they’ve had inside help. Ebongrave 
  insists the insurrection is supported by the city-state of Tigris, which lies at the edge of the tectonic scar known as the 
  Sorrow. However, he lacks evidence, and the Prefect of Tigris insists the accusation is mere paranoia and an old personal 
  grudge. This may be true, but the Prefect’s aide seems remarkably eager to see the Kill-team on their way. For that matter, 
  Ebongrave’s second in command continues to drop suggestions that the Lord Commander’s untimely demise might be best 
  for Spite’s cities. Can the Kill-team see their way through the paranoia and politics to find their true enemies?
  Partisans: Atonement is a planet that the Achilus Crusade would just as soon erase from the charts. In the early days 
  of the Crusade, as it secured the Iron Collar, many worlds accepted their rule only grudgingly. Large populations exist 
  of those who swore loyalty at the end of gun barrel. The Crusade opted to separate these undesirable elements from 
  otherwise-loyal populations, and Atonement is one such dumping ground for the unwanted. The planet has since come 
  under Tyranid assault, and only the Deathwatch has seen fit to answer their pleas for help. If the Kill-team can help the 
  disorganised Planetary Defence Force re-secure several strategic locations, the people of Atonement might yet stand a 
  chance. However, not all of the local population was content to wait for aid that might have never come. A small band of 
  former revolutionaries gave up their lives to inhabit Slinnar War Machines so that they could combat the Tyranid menace 
  themselves. Matters are further complicated when the Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor tasked with watching this den of traitors 
  demands the immediate destruction of the War Machines.
  Relic: Xenos artefact traffickers have unearthed a relic powerful enough that Ordo Xenos have predicted disaster if it 
  is not retrieved. The Kill-team pursues them from Jove’s Descent to Shedu, where the Battle-Brothers are a conspicuous 
  Imperial presence in a den of outlaws and recidivists. The local reaction to Space Marines is one of shock and avoidance, 
  and the Battle-Brothers could easily get distracted from their real Objective by a hundred petty crimes. Unsurprisingly, 
  the Deathwatch’s quarry realise they are being hunted. They race to acquire a unit of Slinnar War Machines for defence. 
  Meanwhile the local scum do their utmost to keep news of the War Machines and the Space Marines from spreading to the 
  Orks in the desert, lest what passes for civilisation be overrun with Orks looking for a good fight.
  new weapon qualIty: reaCtIVe
  Collision with other matter does not stop the fusion reaction of this attack. The blast continues in a straight line out 
  to the Range of the weapon. The firer may attempt to catch one additional target within 2 metres of the first with an 
  additional –10 attack. If the target is further away than that, lining up an accurate shot is simply too difficult.
  Addendum from Codicier Taelon
  I once encountered the dark marionettes called Slinnar War Machines in the jungles of Jove’s 
  Descent. The constructs’ warp signature is enough to support the claims that more than a machine- 
  spirit drives them. They echo with the distortion of a soul—although theirs exuded the loss and 
  pain of purgatory itself. I can only conclude that if these machines do somehow encase a human 
  spirit, that their existence is a tormented one. Thus, on the subject of transfiguration I shall write  
  no more.
  During our encounter on Jove’s Descent, Brother-Techmarine Lohk took extensive readings of the 
  dense energy that powers the War Machines. By his calculations the core of one of these devices 
  is many orders of magnitude greater than the reactions which drive our own power armour. 
  He was particularly intrigued with the ability of their blast weapons to maintain an energised 
  beam regardless of obstacles. Fortunately, he seems to have ceased his efforts to replicate it after 
  breaching several void seals in the attempts.
  
  94
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  SPIRE SLAYER
  The Soulless sentience is the enemy of all.
  –The 12th Universal Law of the Adeptus Mechanicus
  A Spire Slayer is an animated doomsday device. These aptly 
  named weapons have but one purpose: to slaughter the 
  population of an entire hive. Samech’s baleful artisans have long 
  constructed these war devices for clientele set on eliminating 
  capital worlds. Although all Slayers possess common attributes 
  to make them fit for their purpose, no two are alike. Each 
  one is commissioned to a particular hive’s quirks, and given 
  a form that can easily hide on that particular world. Lastly, 
  each blasphemous masterwork holds an empyrean-matrix that 
  sustains a powerful bound daemon. The daemon animates 
  the mechanical chassis, and contributes many unique and 
  unpredictable gifts to each Slayer. It also provides a Spire Slayer 
  with the murderous ingenuity necessary to engineer millions 
  of deaths.
  The majority of Spire Slayers are forged in the shape of 
  gargoyles or statuary, allowing the creator to individualise his 
  work with a terrifying visage, and yet permitting it to hide in 
  plain sight. Speed and agility are critical to a Slayer’s success 
  so that it can work its way rapidly through the population and 
  traverse the sprawling hivescape with ease. A slayer’s metal shell 
  is capable of sustaining massive amounts of damage; it must 
  be all but disintegrated before the construct ceases to function.
  The elegant blades and pinions adorning a Slayer’s chassis 
  become deadly instruments of bloodshed once the daemon’s 
  essence infuses them. Although each of these creatures relishes 
  personal slaughter, it would only be able to kill a few million 
  victims a year if it hunted the entire population one at a time. 
  A Spire Slayer’s activity cycle is characterised by three phases: 
  Waking, Culmination, and Waning.
  In the Waking Phase, the Slayer is full of hunger and 
  violence, but lacks the power necessary to cause mass casualties. 
  Its strength grows as it accumulates victims. This takes anywhere 
  from a few months to a few years as it build its power and sates 
  its most pressing violent urges.
  When the bound daemon has grown powerful on the souls 
  of its victims and the empyrean conduits which link it to 
  the warp are fully charged, the Spire Slayer enters 
  the Culmination Phase. In this state it is all 
  but unstoppable, with the daemon able to 
  power the devastating gifts imbued at its dark 
  forging. The brand of ruin that a Slayer can 
  wreak is as unique as the abomination itself. 
  Mass warp incursion, plague, and seismic disasters 
  are but a few examples.
  In the Waning Phase, the Slayer hunts the 
  survivors of its apocalypse. The majority of its 
  power has been expended; it no longer 
  possesses the omnipotence with which 
  it attempted genocide, but it is still 
  more than a match for even a small 
  army of humans. Furthermore, it 
  has forged a deep link with the 
  hive, and as such has preternatural 
  knowledge of every living creature in its 
  domain. The entire cycle of murder can easily take decades, but 
  a Spire Slayer has nothing but time and fury to expend. Some 
  Slayers quickly fall dormant once the last sentient being has 
  been purged from their hive, or move on to a neighbouring 
  hunting ground. Others still stalk the skeletons of dead 
  worlds— reigning over the desolate fruits of their labour.
  adVenture seeds 
  Stigmartus: The Chaos-pledged Stigmartus forces 
  have divined a dormant Spire Slayer beneath a populated 
  world in the Acheros Salient. Believing these heretics 
  are searching for alien ruins, the planetary authorities 
  beseech the Deathwatch for aid. By the time the Kill-
  team arrives, the Stigmartus army has large portions of 
  a hive under their cruel control as they excavate beneath 
  it. It is up to the Kill-team to free the victimised people 
  and stop the Spire Slayer from rising. If they fail, the 
  daemon has no loyalty to the forces that woke it, and 
  begins an indiscriminate reign of death.
  Unwanted Guest: The Deathwatch receives news 
  of a Spire Slayer upon one of the Jericho Reach’s rare 
  pleasure worlds. The planet does not discriminate 
  in its clientele, and deliberately keeps no records of 
  visitors or their whereabouts. The Kill-team is a 
  most unwelcome presence in this decadent garden of 
  vice, and the ruling elite stalwartly refuse to believe 
  a word about a daemonic killer in their paradise. 
  However, the working class who clean and serve in 
  the world’s luxurious palaces are disappearing at an  
  alarming rate.
  violence, but lacks the power necessary to cause mass casualties. 
  violence, but lacks the power necessary to cause mass casualties. 
  Its strength grows as it accumulates victims. This takes anywhere 
  Its strength grows as it accumulates victims. This takes anywhere 
  from a few months to a few years as it build its power and sates 
  from a few months to a few years as it build its power and sates 
  When the bound daemon has grown powerful on the souls 
  When the bound daemon has grown powerful on the souls 
  of its victims and the empyrean conduits which link it to 
  of its victims and the empyrean conduits which link it to 
  the warp are fully charged, the Spire Slayer enters 
  the warp are fully charged, the Spire Slayer enters 
  the Culmination Phase. In this state it is all 
  but unstoppable, with the daemon able to 
  power the devastating gifts imbued at its dark 
  power the devastating gifts imbued at its dark 
  forging. The brand of ruin that a Slayer can 
  forging. The brand of ruin that a Slayer can 
  wreak is as unique as the abomination itself. 
  wreak is as unique as the abomination itself. 
  Mass warp incursion, plague, and seismic disasters 
  Mass warp incursion, plague, and seismic disasters 
  In the Waning Phase, the Slayer hunts the 
  In the Waning Phase, the Slayer hunts the 
  survivors of its apocalypse. The majority of its 
  survivors of its apocalypse. The majority of its 
  power has been expended; it no longer 
  possesses the omnipotence with which 
  it attempted genocide, but it is still 
  more than a match for even a small 
  hive, and as such has preternatural 
  knowledge of every living creature in its 
  
  95
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  Spire Slayer (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (12)
  (10)
  (12)
  65
  20
  60
  50
  65
  50
  50
  50
  ––
  Movement: 12/24/36/72  
  Wounds: 80
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag) +20, Awareness (Per) +10, Climb (S) 
  +20, Concealment (Ag) +20, Dodge (Ag) +10, Forbidden 
  Lore (Daemons, Warp) Int +20, Security (Int), Silent Move 
  (Ag) +20, Shadowing (Ag) +20, Survival (Int), Swim (S), 
  Tech-Use (Int) +10.
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Assassin Strike, Combat Master, 
  Crushing Blow, Dual Strike, Fearless, Leap Up, Lightning 
  Attack, Lightning Reflexes, Preternatural Speed, Sprint, Step 
  Aside, Swift Attack, Wall of Steel.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 10), Dark Sight, Fear 3, Flyer 
  (12), From Beyond, Machine (2), Multiple Arms, Strange 
  Physiology, The Stuff of Nightmares, Unnatural Agility (x2), 
  Unnatural Speed (x2), Unnatural Strength (x2).
  Armour:Warded Adamantine Shell (All 9).
  Weapons: 
  Empyrean-forged 
  pinions 
  (1d10+14 
  R; 
  Warp Weapon).
  Gear: Twin Force Fields† (Protection Rating: 35, Overload 
  Roll 01–10).
  SpecialRules
  Rain of Desolation: As a Full Action, the Spire Slayer 
  calls down a torrent of toxic, corrosive rain. It lasts for as 
  long as the Slayer retains concentration, plus 1d10 Rounds. 
  Each Round, all creatures and objects exposed to the rain 
  take 1d10+5 E Damage. Armour and cover protect normally, 
  but the corrosion eats away at such protections at the rate of 
  1 AP every 2 Rounds. Anyone who takes Damage from the 
  rain must also pass a Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or 
  take an additional 1d10 E Damage, ignoring Toughness and 
  Armour. The base area for this ability is a radius of 1d100 
  metres. However, that radius grows with the number of lives 
  the Slayer has taken in the last month (exact effects are at the 
  GM’s discretion).
  †As normal, the Minoris Spire Slayer can only benefit from 
  one field at a time. However, its twin projectors mean that it 
  continues to be protected if one field overloads.
  spIre slayer VarIetIes
  There is a great deal of variety in Spire Slayers’ abilities, 
  as each one is unique to the creator’s artistry and the 
  whims of the daemon within. The profile on this page 
  is representative of some of one such creature. The GM 
  should feel free to substitute other weapons, Traits, and 
  Talents as appropriate. Although the Slayer presented 
  here does not possess Psychic Powers, such abilities 
  would also be appropriate.
  95
  95
  95
  95
  One of the few well-documented encounters with a Spire Slayer involved the 
  105th Brontian Longknives Regiment during the first Blood Trinity encounter 
  in 812.M41. Inquisitional reports from the survivors of the assault document 
  that the enemy was armed with crackling power-halberds and pistols that fired 
  daemonically-charged shells able to puncture even the toughest armour. This 
  indicates that Samech may have manufactured a number of variants of the core 
  design, each individually equipped with particular tools for its grisly trade.
  –Inquisitor Barnabas
  
  96
  II: Radicals and Heretics
  The Fate of Sagacity
  To: Codicier Taelon
  From: Lexographer Raffe
  My Lord, by your request I have compiled what fragments my archive contained on 
  the former Hive world, Sagacity:
  Like so many worlds swallowed by the Age of Shadow, only fragments remain of 
  the now-barren world dubbed Sagacity. Historical documents from elsewhere in 
  the Reach date the planet’s last days as somewhere in early M36, which makes it 
  one of the first systems to fall into what we now call the Age of Shadow. During this 
  period, Sagacity suffered a massive geological event. In the centuries that followed, 
  many traders and mercenaries refused to visit the planet on the basis that it was the 
  hunting ground of a mysterious predator. The few reports I have archived depict a 
  dwindling population living in increased fear and isolation. Riots were common on 
  the rare occasion that space vessels docked, as the inhabitants fought for supplies 
  and passage offworld. 
  Sagacity’s wealth and military strength during the height of the Jericho Sector 
  created many enemies, making it difficult to speculate on whom might have 
  engineered its downfall.
  This case bears comparison to records of the lost world Minoris. Accounts of Minoris 
  detail an opulent pleasure world, covered in clear rivers and lush foliage. The planet 
  was a centre of trade and politics while the Emperor smiled on the Jericho Sector, 
  and later of debauchery and heresy as Shadow spread across the sector. Accounts 
  point conclusively to a sudden and deadly change in the atmosphere. 
  Similar to Sagacity, from this point, legends ensue of a terrible creature hunting 
  the dying population of Minoris until the planet fell into total obscurity. I have 
  found no documents detailing the location of this world; in all likelihood it is lost 
  for all time to the void. However, a chance exists that one of the worlds charted and 
  named by the Crusade is in fact Minoris, and that the instrument of its doom waits 
  to be re-discovered.
  This information casts the Blasphemy on Spite in a new and disturbing light.
  -Taelon
  
  greater daeMons
  •
  kyrus the 
  Chantleader
  •
  lesser daeMons
  •
  Chaos spaCe 
  MarInes
  
  98
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  CHAPTER III: 
  THE FORCES 
  OF CHAOS
  A tide of depravity is upon us. The universe trembles under the hooves of 
  the Daemon horde. Mankind has unlocked the doors of the nether-prison 
  and now must pay the price. The weak and the foolish will be the first 
  to fall. None will be spared the ghastly predations of Khorne, Tzeentch, 
  Slaanesh, and Nurgle, nor a host of lesser evils. A temple of degradation 
  will be built over the ashes of the Emperor’s Palace.
  –The Book of the Last Days, Chapter I, Verses I-VI
  C
  haos is the ancient enemy of Mankind, the force that 
  hungers from the Warp beyond. It is the whispered lie 
  that turns brother upon brother, and the hidden hand 
  that steers entire worlds towards war and damnation. Ever since 
  the dark days of the Horus Heresy, the Ruinous Powers have 
  sought no other end than the total enslavement and ruination 
  of Humanity. Perhaps the greatest tragedy is that Chaos is both 
  an unalterable fact of nature, and a product of Mankind’s own 
  passions and failures. The impossible dimension of the Warp at 
  once feeds and is fed by the deeds of men, at once causing war, 
  and drawing ever-greater strength from it.
  Wherever Mankind has gone in the galaxy, there too 
  has Chaos accompanied him, festering in his heart and just 
  a word away from manifestation. While the void may once 
  have been the domain of alien civilisations, and might one 
  day be again, while Mankind rules the stars, Chaos is there 
  too. At the beginning of the history of the Jericho Reach, the 
  expeditionary fleets of the Great Crusade pushed back the 
  darkness at great cost and planted the flag of the Emperor 
  in the soil of a hundred worlds. Xenos empires were put to 
  the flame, and entire species were consigned to the forbidden 
  histories. Worlds once the crucible of alien life now lent their 
  sustenance to human populations, and soon the fact of the 
  aliens’ existence was forgotten entirely. Having established 
  his new realm, Mankind turned his hand to exercising his 
  authority over his domains, of waging war against those in his 
  ranks who refused to follow his ways. The Jericho Reach was 
  subdued, but the Ruinous Powers were ever present.
  When the Jericho Reach slipped from the grasp of the 
  Imperium and entered its Long Night, Chaos burgeoned. 
  Without centralised authority, isolated worlds descended 
  into anarchy and barbarism, fuelled by the machinations of 
  the Ruinous Powers. Despots and warlords bereft of outside 
  sources of arms and reinforcements implored the unseen 
  powers of the universe for aid, and it was the Gods of Chaos 
  that in many cases answered. At first, only the inner circles of 
  these foolhardy warlords knew of the true power behind their 
  strength. In time, whole armies were raised in the glory of 
  Chaos, bearing the fell icons and banners of unholy patrons 
  and bellowing their praises openly. At length, Sorcerers 
  
  99
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  appeared in the ranks, men and women able to exert some 
  control over the raw power of the Immaterium and turn it 
  upon their foes. At the last, the Chaos Gods granted men 
  the ability to call forth the Daemons of the Warp themselves. 
  Man and monster marched to war side by side, and entire 
  worlds knew damnation.
  Nowhere in the Jericho Reach is this damnation more 
  apparent than the worlds of the Charon Stars. At one time, 
  the greatest of the regions’ planets was the mighty Hive world 
  of Verronus. But during the Age of Shadow, Verronus devoted 
  itself mind, body, and soul to the devotion of the Ruinous 
  Powers. With the Imperium a distant, all but forgotten 
  presence, Verronus and the Charon Stars churned with the fell 
  energies brought into being by an entire planetary population 
  offering praises, and sacrifices, to the malefic beings that 
  dwell in the Warp. Much later, the phenomena known as the 
  Hadex Anomaly came into being, swallowing the Charon 
  Stars and surrounding space, and turning vast reaches of 
  the void into a seething ocean of warping energies through 
  which no truly living being can pass. Some say that Verronus 
  has been transformed into a Daemon world and sits at the 
  heart of the Anomaly, the seat of power not of the long-lost 
  lords of the Jericho Reach, but of Daemon Princes and the 
  greater servants of the Ruinous Powers. It is not known if 
  the Hadex Anomaly is the product of the Warp or something 
  else entirely. Certainly, the phenomenon provides a breeding 
  ground for Daemons of Chaos and some manner of staging 
  ground for the mortal warrior warbands of the Traitor 
  Legions. Where, or indeed when these warbands hail from 
  is a dire mystery, and an entire conclave of the Inquisition 
  is said to have disappeared whilst probing the Anomaly’s  
  weirdling depths.
  The mission of the Deathwatch is focused upon others 
  than the mortal followers of Chaos, yet the threat can hardly 
  be ignored. The elite alien hunters of the Ordo Xenos are 
  frequently drawn into the battle against the dread powers, for 
  to ignore them is to invite utter ruin. Some servants of Chaos 
  are highly adept at sowing discord and seek to manipulate 
  the efforts of the Crusade to their own ends. Thus Tetrarchus 
  is forced to fight a war on multiple fronts, and even in the 
  face of the dire threat of Hive Fleet Dagon, he must commit 
  ever greater forces to the Acheros Salient and in particular 
  the Cellebos Warzone, simply to hold the hordes of Chaos at 
  bay. Before the Tyranids came to the Jericho Reach, the task 
  of conquering its rebellious worlds was a vast undertaking 
  indeed, especially when that rebellion was fuelled by the 
  worship of Chaos. Now, with the Tyranids devouring world 
  after world, the Crusade is forced to divert vital forces to the 
  battle against the servants of Chaos, forces that would be far 
  better utilised against the inexorable encroachments of the 
  hive fleet.
  It is tragic indeed that a region that has suffered so greatly 
  since slipping away from the Imperium should now be lost 
  because its own peoples refuse to submit to the will of the 
  Emperor and unite against the far greater threat. Yet, it is said 
  that the Ruinous Powers care not from whence the blood 
  flows, so long as it flows. Of all the myriad and twisted fates 
  that await the war-torn Jericho Reach, that blood shall be 
  spilled is perhaps the only certainty.
  
  100
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  bLOODTHIRSTER
  “Khorne, we beseech thee. We offer you our very lifeblood! Send unto 
  your faithful servants the means of this world’s deliverance!”
  –Last words of Venerati Lhorgh
  Bloodthirsters are the unholy fury of the Chaos Power 
  Khorne, Lord of Battles and Blood, incarnate. They are the 
  Greater Daemons of the Blood God, each a manifestation 
  of the unreasoning rage and savagery of total war. It is said 
  that there are no more powerful masters of battle in the entire 
  galaxy than the Greater Daemons of Khorne and that none 
  may stand before them. They are the very essence of brutality, 
  every blow ever struck and life ever taken distilled into a single 
  towering form of iron and sinew.
  In appearance, Bloodthirsters resemble every fear ever 
  expressed through legends of the devils and daemons that 
  hunger for the souls of men. While most stand around ten 
  metres tall at their hunched shoulders, the mightiest of their 
  kind are the size of a scout Titan. Their feet are cloven and 
  the ground burns at their passing. Their skin is the deep red 
  of encrusted blood. Their bodies are impossibly muscled and 
  covered in iron-tipped barbs. From their backs grow a pair 
  of mighty wings upon which they can soar high above the 
  battlefield and strike their enemies at will. Most hideous of all 
  are their faces, which are moulded in a form resembling a feral, 
  snarling beast with fangs the size of swords.
  Bloodthirsters carry two weapons, each the very epitome 
  of its type and responsible perhaps for millions of deaths. The 
  first is a mighty axe, the iconic weapon of Khorne. The blade 
  of this weapon is at least the height of a Space Marine, and its 
  haft several times longer. With it the Bloodthirster may strike 
  down the mightiest fortress gate or cleave in two a super-
  heavy battle tank. No mundane armour is proof against the 
  Bloodthirster’s axe and no opponent able to resist its touch. 
  But the axe does not simply destroy the body, it consumes the 
  souls of those it slays, offering them as sacrifices to the Blood 
  God. What torments these souls must endure in Khorne’s 
  realm for all eternity are too terrible to bear. 
  The second weapon carried by the Bloodthirsters of Khorne 
  is a great whip. This coiling lash is capable of striking down 
  those cowardly foes that seek to engage the Greater Daemon 
  from afar, so that even the most cunning of opponents cannot 
  escape the Bloodthirster’s wrath.
  Bloodthirsters are not only able to unleash the most 
  fearsome of attacks, they are able to endure them too. Their 
  hide is said to be made not of living flesh but of the hardest 
  iron, cast in hellish foundries of Khorne’s infernal bastion 
  in the Realm of Chaos. Only the mightiest of blows has 
  even the slightest hope of causing more than a dent upon 
  the Bloodthirster’s iron hide, though few enemies stand any 
  chance of landing such a blow in the first place.
  In addition to their warp-cast hide, Bloodthirsters bear 
  sections of armour adorned with the glowing skull rune of 
  their master. These attest to the blessing of the Lord of Battles, 
  who abhors above all else the cowardly use of sorcerous 
  powers on the field of battle. The runes are proof against the 
  most fearsome of psychic attacks, a fact that strikes utter horror 
  into the hearts of the most accomplished of battle-psykers.
  But the Bloodthirsters of Khorne are not simply mindless 
  berserker engines of war. They are the generals and ultimate 
  champions of the Daemonic Legions of the Blood God. 
  Countless Lesser Daemons march beneath them in unstoppable 
  assaults against the enemies of their master. Bloodthirsters are 
  masters of every tactic that leads to the spilling of blood. 
  They eschew stealth and guile as the coward’s way and direct 
  their forces towards the total defeat of their enemies with 
  stunning brutality. Against such a combination of rage and 
  leadership, none can stand. 
  The only hope that servants of the Imperium have of 
  not dying at the hands of a Bloodthirster is not to face one. 
  Bloodthirsters are near the very apex of Khorne’s servants 
  and as such are incredibly rare. Their only potential weakness 
  lies not in any deficiency of arms or armour, but in the very 
  nature of their existence. As daemons, the Bloodthirsters are 
  made of the raw stuff of the Warp, condensed and distilled 
  and motivated by a will that resides entirely within the 
  boiling depths of the Immaterium. As such, the daemon relies 
  upon the link between the material universe and its own 
  realm remaining strong and constant. Only upon Daemon 
  worlds such as those thought to lie at the heart of the Hadex 
  Anomaly are such conditions known to exist. Beyond these 
  worlds, the Bloodthirsters’ grip on existence is tenuous, and 
  they can be banished back to the Realm of Chaos by a foe 
  with the will or purity to do so. 
  
  101
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  To date, no solid, verifiable accounts have been found that 
  confirm the manifestation of a Bloodthirster upon any battlefield 
  within the Jericho Reach. That is not to say that such manifestations 
  have not taken place, for if they had there would be few surviving 
  witnesses left to give such accounts. Yet, the Deathwatch know 
  that while Chaos has such a grip upon the worlds at the heart 
  of the Jericho Reach, while Lesser Daemons stalk its worlds and 
  while the mortal hosts of Chaos sing the praises of the Ruinous 
  Powers, it is just a matter of time. Surely, upon some blasted battle 
  ground such as Khazant or Vanity, the air will fill with the stench 
  of brimstone and spilled blood and the ground will tremble with 
  the tread of burning, cloven hooves. Then, a Bloodthirster of 
  Khorne shall stride forth, and the slaughter begin.
  bloodthirster (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (21)
  (18)
  99
  40
  75
  65
  50
  48
  60
  75
  25
  Movement: 7/14/21/42 
  Wounds: 192
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +20, Dodge (Ag), 
  Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp), Intimidate (S) +20, Speak 
  Language (All known languages). 
  Talents: Ambidextrous, Berserk Charge, Combat Master, 
  Crippling Strike, Crushing Blow, Dual Strike, Frenzy, Furious 
  Assault, Hammer Blow, Heightened Senses (All), Preternatural 
  Speed, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Swift Attack, Thunder 
  Charge, Two-Weapon wielder (Melee), Inspire Wrath. 
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Daemonic (TB 12), †Daemonic 
  Presence, Fear 4 (Terrifying), Dark Sight, Flyer (10), From 
  Beyond, Size (Massive), Unnatural Strength (x3), Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2), Strong Minded, The Stuff of Nightmares, 
  Touched by the Fates (3), Warp Instability, Warp Weapon.
  †DaemonicPresence: All enemies within 25 metres of a 
  Bloodthirster suffer a –20 penalty to Willpower Tests in  
  the area.
  Armour: Iron Hide (All 13).
  Weapons: Axe of Khorne (3d10+21 R; Pen 10; Felling (2), 
  Devastating (3), Razor Sharp, Unbalanced), Whip of Khorne 
  (Range 10m; 1d10+21 R; Pen 8; Snare, Tearing).
  SpecialRules
  EmissaryfortheSkullThrone: Unless the GM determines 
  otherwise, a Bloodthirster is always accompanied by 2d10 
  lesser Khornate daemons, such as Bloodletters. 
  All Khornate daemons who can see the Bloodthirster gain the 
  Blademaster Talent and Brutal Charge Trait, if they do not 
  already have them. 
  ServantofSlaughter: All Critical Effects involving gore or 
  blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do 
  not apply to creatures of Khorne.
  SupremeWarrior: When using the All Out Attack Action, 
  Bloodthirsters may make a single melee attack that may not 
  be dodged or parried. A Bloodthirster may perform this 
  attack a number of times per combat equal to his Intelligence 
  Bonus (normally 4).
  adVenture seed
  UncertainAllies:The Kill-team is serving alongside a 
  group of veteran Imperial Guardsmen belong to the elite 
  Mortressan Highlanders. These stone cold killers are 
  bloody handed indeed, but the Battle-Brothers have reason 
  to suspect something is awry. Throughout the course of 
  the joint mission the Highlanders become ever more savage 
  and frenzied with each passing battle. While the Kill-team 
  does not know it as yet, the Mortressans have established 
  a warrior lodge dedicated to Khorne, and sold their souls 
  to the Blood God in return for his blessings on the field 
  of battle. How will the Battle-Brothers deal with this 
  revelation when it is discovered? Will they be forced to face 
  both their original foe and their erstwhile allies at once?
  usIng bloodthIrsters
  Bloodthirsters are such horrific adversaries that they 
  should only be used against a Kill-team truly ready to 
  face one. This is not simply a matter of the power level of 
  the Battle-Brothers, but of relative rarity. A Bloodthirster 
  should only be encountered at the climax of a campaign, 
  and only after the Battle-Brothers and faced and 
  overcome every other servant of the Blood God. To 
  make things even more dramatic, the Greater Daemon 
  could be fielded as part of a huge, climactic battle and its 
  minions given the Fanatical Devotion or Spawn Horde 
  Trait (see page 136). While entire regiments of Imperial 
  troops might be taking part in this grand battle, ultimate 
  victory or defeat should rest with the Kill-team, and the 
  fate of worlds should be held in their hands. If they 
  defeat the Bloodthirster, its legions will be banished 
  and the world saved. If they do not, they may never 
  live to see the planet transformed into a Daemon World  
  of Chaos.
  Bonus (normally 4).
  Bonus (normally 4).
  101
  101
  101
  101
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  I have witnessed the aftermath of a battle in which a Bloodthirster was said to have taken part, long before 
  my service in the Deathwatch. While serving with the Death Spectres on the lost world of New Muin, my 
  company received pleas for aid from the local defence forces and made haste to intervene. We were too late, 
  for upon making planetfall we found only a plain of blood-soaked bones so vast it stretched from horizon 
  to horizon. Not a single living soul walked the surface, every one having been offered up to the Blood God. 
  Being gifted of the psyker’s art, I could hear their screams upon the ether, countless millions calling out for 
  deliverance that would never come. In truth, I know that a single company could not have altered the fate of 
  New Muin and an attempt to have done so would have been a grave waste. Yet, those screams still come to me, 
  upon the field of battle when the stink of blood is in the air and cries of rage come unbidden to men’s lips…
  
  102
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  GREAT UNCLEAN ONE
  “And there shall come seven plagues, and in them you shall read his 
  works, writ in black bile and red ruin across the land. And he shall 
  come amongst you; all shall feel his touch, and wither. In righteous 
  joy, he bestows these gifts. Rejoice!”
  –Imperial Astropath Sythia Zale, moments before 
  her execution
  Great Unclean Ones are the harbingers of Nurgle, god of rot 
  and ruin—his greatest servants, bearers of his most sacred 
  plagues and poxes. They are squat mountains of ruptured, 
  roiling flesh, covered in open sores that weep with streams of 
  pus. They burst through the veil with an ear-shattering howl 
  of glee, delighted to walk the earth once more, spreading 
  their bounty.
  The Greater Daemons of Nurgle are not subtle. Their 
  appearances on the mortal plane are heralded by disease 
  and desolation on a planetary scale. If an incursion is left 
  unchecked, whole worlds can go dark: their populations 
  reduced by six-sevenths, their feeble leaders filthy and raving, 
  their very cities collapsing around them. Through it all 
  waddles the beaming, bile-slicked plague-father, bestowing 
  his blessings, borne along on a living tide of chortling, 
  chattering Nurglings. Great Unclean Ones are beings of 
  decay and entropy made manifest, and before them the works 
  of man are but castles made of sand, perched on the edge of 
  a storm-wracked sea. 
  In battle, Great Unclean Ones wield enormous blades and 
  maces of iron, crude, corroded cleavers and immense plague 
  flails—each one dripping with pestilence. 
  Those that survive the wave of desolation that accompanies 
  a Great Unclean One often become its faithful slaves. Wracked 
  by disease, bloated by corpse gasses, stripped of their loved 
  ones and surrounded by the dead and dying, many plague 
  thralls give themselves over to their suffering, venerating 
  and worshipping the very ailments that brought them low. 
  Perversely, those who embrace Nurgle’s foul contagions are 
  made stronger by them, their ravaged bodies inured to pain, 
  their rotting forms all but impervious to greater harm. The 
  thriving colonies of bacteria gestating within their bloated 
  bodies grant unholy regenerative abilities to their hosts, 
  sealing gaping wounds in seconds and expanding ever-
  outward, until the creatures that were once men remain little 
  more than disease-wracked shells, foetid human cauldrons of 
  pox and pestilence.
  Great Unclean Ones are always accompanied by—
  and infested with—thousands of gibbering, diminutive 
  Nurglings, pint-sized daemons of mischief and malice who 
  caper about madly, tongues lolling, their fat bodies supported 
  by improbably spindly legs. Great Unclean Ones dote on 
  these scabrous sprites, bouncing them on their knees and 
  scratching behind their malformed ears. Even the rotting 
  hulks of their bodies are colonized by Nurglings; these tiny 
  creatures dwell in the burst carbuncles and rank wounds 
  that cover a Great Unclean One, and particularly love to 
  nest within its great, rent belly, burrowing deep inside the 
  steaming intestines that hang in long, gore-slicked loops from 
  its body. A Great Unclean One looks upon this cackling horde 
  with munificence and paternal love, and Nurglings are quick 
  to defend their “father” when he is threatened. Unwary foes 
  are often dragged down by the murderous wave of shrieking, 
  biting daemons that billows forth from the body of a Great 
  Unclean One the instant it is attacked.
  Natural-born carrion creatures also number among the 
  Greater Daemon of Nurgle’s faithful friends. Rats, vultures, 
  worms, crows and sky-blackening clouds of flies trail in its 
  jolly wake, hideously multiplied in both size and number.
  Great Unclean Ones typically take the form of gargantuan, 
  immensely fat humanoids, hot intestines dribbling out of 
  huge tears in their enormous bellies. Their horrific girth is 
  supported by two impossibly small and atrophied-looking 
  legs, and their bulbous heads are crowned by the enormous 
  antlers of a stag. Their suppurating, sore-covered bodies are 
  host to every disease ever catalogued by man, and many more 
  besides, and their stench can be detected from miles away. 
  In perverse contrast with their appearance, their manner is 
  jovial and kind; they are the very picture of mirth and good 
  cheer. Even surrounded by the pitiful moaning of the sick 
  and dying, they smile with pure-hearted benevolence, and 
  their long, pus-coated tongues dangle from toothy face- 
  splitting grins. 
  To look upon a Great Unclean One is to gaze upon the 
  face of decay, to realize that all things must break down, must 
  collapse and congeal, must rot and rust and fall to ruin, that 
  the great works of man will one day vanish from the universe, 
  and the stars themselves must one day die.
  
  103
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  Great Unclean One (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (18)
  (21)
  (12)
  64
  42
  65
  77
  40
  61
  43
  61
  35
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
  Wounds: 273
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Scrutiny (Per) +10, Search (Per), 
  Forbidden Lore (Warp, Daemonology) (Int), Deceive (Fel), 
  Speak Language (All known languages).
  Talents: True Grit, Strong Minded, Bulging Biceps, Crushing 
  Blow, Die Hard.
  Traits: Crawler, Daemonic (TB 14), †Daemonic Presence, Dark 
  Sight, Fear 4 (Terrifying), From Beyond, Regeneration (5), Size 
  (Massive), Unnatural Strength (x3), Unnatural Toughness (x2), 
  Unnatural Willpower (x2), Warp Instability.
  †DaemonicPresence: All enemies within 25 metres of a 
  Great Unclean One suffer a –20 penalty to Willpower Tests in  
  the area.
  Weapons: Tooth and Nail (1d10+21 R; Pen 2; Felling (2), 
  Toxic), Plague Blade (2d10+21 R; Pen 6; Felling (2), Toxic).
  SpecialRules
  CloudofFlies: All those within 5 metres take a –10 penalty 
  to Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests as choking clouds of 
  buzzing, biting flies attack every exposed inch of flesh.
  LordofDecay: Great Unclean Ones often know a number 
  of psychic powers; the GM should select any appropriate 
  powers from the Deathwatch Rulebook and the Chaos 
  Psychic Powers section on page 127.
  LordofCorruption:A Great Unclean One may inflict 
  Righteous Fury. However, instead of rolling an additional 
  1d10 Damage, the victim instead suffers 1d10 permanent 
  Toughness Damage.
  adVenture seeds
  Aftermath: The Kill-team is sent to investigate the 
  mysterious aftermath of a horrific industrial accident on 
  an intensely-polluted Hive World. A chemical factory 
  within one of the hives exploded, collapsing part of the 
  structure and sending toxic fumes throughout the hive. 
  Accidents of this nature are regrettable but far from 
  uncommon, and ordinarily of concern to the rulers 
  of the Hive world only in terms of lost production. 
  This time, however, the contagion seems to be 
  spreading, as level after level of the hive goes dark, 
  all communication cut off. In reality, the accident was 
  engineered by the secret servants of Nurgle to disguise 
  the manifestation of a Great Unclean One, who now 
  rules over the diseased cultists and gang members of 
  the lower hive.
  Prophecy: Deep within the vaults of Watch Fortress 
  Erioch, the Kill-team discovers an ancient and long-
  forgotten prophecy warning of a Great Plague, 
  destined to sweep through the Jericho Reach, 
  reducing world after world to festering charnel houses 
  of disease and decay. The prophecy seems to point 
  to a great architect behind this plague, a creature 
  that—if left unchecked—will soon put its dire plan  
  into motion…
  103
  103
  103
  103
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  The stench. It is seared into my memory, above everything else. Dispatched to investigate the disappearance of 
  another Kill-team near a small mining colony, we arrived on-world on a hot summer’s day, and the smell nearly 
  made me collapse. The entire colony had succumbed to some sort of great contagion; the white walls of their 
  hab-units were slicked with blood and slime, and the bodies of the dead and dying were everywhere. My fears 
  were confirmed when I encountered a group of survivors near the entrance to the mineshaft: they had given 
  themselves over completely to the dark gods, chanting psalms and hymns to the leader, a figure they called “The 
  Rotting King”. Bolters took care of these plague-maddened miners, but deep within the bowels of that foetid 
  mine we gave battle to their ruler—a hideous greater daemon of Nurgle. Despite the support of a Dreadnought 
  and a double-strength Kill-team, I survived the battle with barely half of my Battle-Brothers intact… and 
  many of those who lived would never be the same. I was lucky; my enviro-sealed armour kept the worst of the 
  contagion at bay, and my body was strong enough to endure the rest. Even so, I was quarantined in Watch 
  Fortress Erioch for a month before I was declared free of taint. 
  
  104
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  KEEPER OF SECRETS
  “Better to pluck out your eyes and fight blind than to look upon such 
  a vile, blasphemous monstrosity.” 
  –Chaplain Trakus, White Scars Chapter
  Keepers of Secrets are the Greater Daemons of Slaanesh, 
  the so-called Prince of Chaos. Like their master, these 
  Greater Daemons are the ultimate despoilers, revelling in 
  the corruption of their foes. Keepers of Secrets seek not 
  only to lead astray, but to debase their victims, reducing 
  once proud champions of Humanity to twisted vile things, 
  barely recognisable to their erstwhile kin. To turn a pure 
  and innocent soul to the worship of Slaanesh is the ultimate 
  delicacy for the Keepers of Secrets, the further the fall and the 
  deeper the corruption, the sweeter their satisfaction.
  In appearance, these Greater Daemons vary enormously, 
  although all are possessed of a bizarrely alien and utterly 
  disturbing countenance. In size they range from several 
  times the height of a man to ten or more metres. Their 
  limbs are lithe and often multi-jointed, enabling swift and 
  unpredictable movement. They typically have four or more 
  arms, one pair terminating in cruelly pointed claws and the 
  other in razor sharp pincers or blades. Most vile of all are the 
  daemons’ faces. Some are strangely bovine, while others are 
  elongated and alien. A few are almost human, androgynous 
  and terrifyingly beguiling.
  Only the staunchest of mortal beings to set eyes upon 
  these beasts sees their true form. Keepers of Secrets are 
  enshrouded in an aura of scintillating illusion, entrapping 
  the souls of even the strongest of foes. The beguiled drops 
  his weapon and stands dumb-founded in the midst of raging 
  battle, his arms spread wide as his doom approaches. Those 
  not dragged down in the cruel embrace of the Daemonettes 
  that invariably accompany the Greater Daemons are crushed 
  beneath its hooves, cut in two by its blade or blasted by its 
  sorcery. The most unfortunate may meet another end entirely, 
  and not one that sane men would dwell upon.
  While the greatest of the Keeper of Secrets weapons is its 
  beguiling nature, they commonly bear mighty warp-forged 
  blades with which to strike down those few not ensorcelled 
  by their infernal beauty. Such blades are commonly several 
  metres long and encrusted with fell runes that burn the eye 
  and sear the soul. The weapons phase in and out of reality, 
  bypassing armour and slicing through the flesh within. At 
  their touch, the soul is drained from the body to be carried 
  away to the dread Realm of Chaos, there to be tormented for 
  all eternity by the cruel caresses of Slaanesh’s servants.
  In combat, the Keepers of Secrets display speed and guile 
  that few can defeat, made all the harder to combat by the 
  beguiling aura that assails their foes. They are impossibly 
  fast, their form shifting and blurring as they dart and in and 
  out, every touch dealing blessed torment. In addition to their 
  speed, the Keepers of Secrets bring prodigious sorcerous 
  powers to bear on their enemies, blasting them with the raw 
  energy of the warp or reducing them to gibbering fools. They 
  are capricious and cruel, preferring where possible to twist 
  and corrupt rather than simply kill. Foes become playthings, 
  their souls the prize in a monstrous game of corruption and 
  defilement. Nothing is sweeter to a Keeper of Secrets than to 
  deliver to its master the soul of one of Humanity’s greatest 
  champions. They will stay the killing blow indefinitely if they 
  see a chance of doing so, wearing the enemy down body and 
  soul until ready to strike.
  On the field of battle, the Keepers of Secrets are rarely 
  encountered alone. They are invariably accompanied by 
  swarms of prancing Daemonettes, the Lesser Daemons of the 
  Prince of Chaos. These cavort and dance across the killing 
  fields, singing the praises of their master and dealing death to 
  the armies of men. Worst of all, the Daemonettes often avoid 
  killing the enemy’s greatest champions and leaders, slaying or 
  corrupting lesser troops as a delectable taster of the glorious 
  spectacle that is the coming of the Keeper of Secrets. The 
  champions are taunted and teased by the Daemonettes until 
  the battlefield is carpeted with twitching dead. And then, the 
  Greater Daemon appears, and the main course begins.
  Ever since the launching of the Achilus Crusade, the 
  servants of the Ordo Malleus have maintained a watch for 
  the presence of the Keepers of Secrets within the Jericho 
  Reach. Of late, an unnamed Inquisitor has made several visits 
  to the Brass Tower at Watch Fortress Erioch, conferring with 
  the Inquisitor of the Chamber. Several recent readings of 
  the Emperor’s Tarot have foretold of the coming of such an 
  adversary to the region, and the attentions of the Chamber of 
  Vigilance are turning towards this gravest of threats. 
  
  105
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  Keeper of Secrets (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (18)
  (14)
  (12)
  (14)
  81
  42
  65
  72
  69
  65
  75
  75
  75
  Movement: 8/16/24/48 
  Wounds: 180
  Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per) +20, Charm (Fel) +20, 
  Command (Fel) +20, Deceive (Fel) +20, Dodge (Ag) +20, 
  Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp) (Int), Intimidate (S) +20, 
  Invocation (Will) +10, Psyniscience (Per) +20, Scrutiny (Per) 
  +20, Search (Per), Speak Language (All known languages). 
  Talents: Counter Attack, Crippling Strike, Heightened Senses (All), 
  Lightning Attack, Lightning Reflexes, Psy Rating (8), Precise Blow, 
  Preternatural Speed, Sprint, Step Aside, Sure Strike, Swift Attack, Wall  
  of Steel. 
  Traits: Aura of Acquiescence, Daemonic (TB 14), †Daemonic 
  Presence, Dark Sight, Fear 4 (Terrifying), From Beyond, 
  Improved Natural Weapons (Daemonic Claws), Multiple 
  Arms, Size (Massive), Unnatural Fellowship (x2), Unnatural 
  Strength (x3), Strong Minded, The Stuff of Nightmares, 
  Touched by the Fates (3), Warp Instability, Warp Weapon.
  †DaemonicPresence: All enemies within 25 metres of a 
  Keeper of Secrets suffer a –20 penalty to Willpower Tests in  
  the area.
  Weapons: Etherblade (2d10+18 R; Pen 8; Unwieldy; Warp 
  Weapon), Daemonic Claws (1d10+20 R; Pen 4; Warp Weapon).
  SpecialRules
  AuraofAcquiescence: All Greater Daemons of Slaanesh are 
  enshrouded by a beguiling, soporific aura that renders even the 
  most chaste and devout of the Emperor’s servants into beings 
  of ravening depravity or reduces the strongest men to drooling 
  wrecks. All enemies within 5m suffer a –20 penalty to all Weapon 
  Skill, Ballistic Skill, and Willpower Tests (including Focus Power 
  Tests involving Willpower) against the Keeper of Secrets. This 
  effect stacks with Daemonic Presence.
  SpiritSwallower: Every time the Keeper of Secrets inflicts 
  Damage on a living creature (i.e., not against foes with the 
  Daemonic or Machine Traits), it immediately recovers an 
  amount of Damage equal to one half (rounding up) the 
  Damage it has inflicted. This healing ability may not take 
  the Greater Daemon above its starting number of Wounds. 
  In addition, if the Keeper of Secrets inflicts Damage upon 
  a player character that survives the encounter, the character 
  suffers 3d10 Corruption Points.
  adVenture seeds
  Extraction: The Kill-team has been assigned to 
  extricate a senior Imperial Commander and his noble 
  clan from a world that is about to fall to the advance 
  of Hive Fleet Dagon. The world has only been in 
  Imperial control for a couple of years, and the newly 
  installed leadership has become corrupted by a deeper 
  taint ingrained in the populace. The new ruling class 
  has fallen entirely to the worship of Slaanesh, and it 
  is through their lax devotion to their duties that the 
  world’s defences have collapsed and the Tyranids have 
  attacked so easily. The Kill-team only discovers the 
  nobles’ true allegiance as the world falls. At that point, 
  the Imperial Governor reveals his patron, a Keeper of 
  Secrets, who rends apart the thin veil of reality and 
  manifests in the midst of the fighting. The Kill-team 
  must defeat this foe, either rallying what few local 
  defences can be diverted from the battle against the 
  invading Tyranids, or perhaps engineering events so 
  that both sets of adversaries must face one another 
  while the Kill-team executes the traitor governor 
  and exfiltrates.
  usIng a keeper oF seCrets
  Just like the rage-fuelled Bloodthirsters of Khorne, 
  Keepers of Secrets should only be introduced into a 
  campaign once the Player Characters have reached a 
  decent level of experience. Such Greater Daemons are 
  mercifully rare, but their appearance on the battlefields 
  of the Jericho Reach can only be a prelude to a full 
  scale Daemonic Incursion. One way of introducing the 
  Keeper of Secrets into a Deathwatch campaign is to 
  have its influence felt long before it makes an actual 
  appearance on the battlefield. Corrupted forces, both 
  allied and enemy should provide a clue that all is not as 
  it should be, and this corruption should manifest closer 
  and closer to the Battle-Brothers until a trusted (non-
  Adeptus Astartes) NPC is revealed to be beguiled. At 
  that point, the Kill-team may be forced to intervene to 
  halt a summoning ritual that would open a catastrophic 
  breach into the Warp and bring about the doom of an 
  entire world.
  suffers 3d10 Corruption Points.
  105
  105
  105
  105
  105
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  The archive stacks contain a sealed sub-layer, established three millennia ago by a predecessor and accessible 
  to those of the Librarius. This archive is warded with twelve data sentinels, each of which is keyed to initiate 
  a full-sequence meta-warning should it be accessed by anyone not authorised to do so. Upon activation, 
  each ward displays the direst warning against proceeding further that I have yet seen in the archive. These 
  warnings were compiled by long-dead Librarians of our order, and warn of the consequences of viewing the 
  data concealed behind the final ward. They speak of accounts and vid-logs of the Greater Daemons of the 
  so-called Prince of Pleasure, words and images that, according to the warnings, are sufficient to sear the soul 
  and reduce the greatest of our Order to gibbering fools. To date, I have not had cause to penetrate past the 
  Twelfth Seal, a fact for which I thank the Emperor and the Primarch.
  
  106
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  LORD OF CHANGE
  “Yesss! Just as planned!”
  –Spoken by Xi’aquan, Lord of Change, in its death throes
  Lords of Change are creatures borne from some impossible 
  nightmare, immense birdlike daemons with shimmering skin, 
  wicked curved beaks and multicoloured, spectrum-shattering 
  wings. Those who gaze upon these twisted prisms of pure magic 
  begin to feel their sanity shred and reason slip away. Faced by 
  a being of change incarnate, bedrock beliefs crumble and twist, 
  and the mind seeks firm purchase in vain.
  Treachery, deceit, capriciousness: these are the hallmarks 
  of the Lords of Change. Tzeentch’s greatest servants weave 
  scheme upon scheme, a dense tangle of intermingling threads, 
  so convoluted and eon-spanning that none can grasp their  
  true purpose.
  A confrontation with a Lord of Change is likely to occur 
  when and where the creature wills it. Few have ever managed 
  to get the drop on these servants of Tzeentch, for the Changer 
  of Ways is the master of destiny itself, and his greatest servants 
  possess a portion of that power.
  Lords of Change tend to work behind the scenes, 
  pulling puppet strings from the shadows. So subtle are these 
  manipulations, and so skilled, that often the playthings of a 
  Lord of Change remain unaware that they are in the thrall of a 
  deadly Daemon. Secret cults, heresies, revolutionaries, and even 
  planetary governors have all fallen under the thrall of a Lord of 
  Change at one point or another. Even Tzeentch’s bitterest foes 
  can be manipulated into fulfilling the Great Deceiver’s ends—
  under his greatest daemons’ careful guidance, brother can be 
  turned against brother, friend against friend, and the most zealous 
  of Inquisitors can stumble from the path of righteousness. To 
  confront a Lord of Change is to wander through a fog-shrouded 
  mire of lies, ever unsure that one’s actions are correct, one false 
  step away from sinking irrevocably.
  On the rare instances that a Lord of Change is bested, its 
  schemes sundered and its plans laid to ruin, it will fight like a 
  cornered animal, drawing upon its incredible sorcerous powers 
  to fell its foes directly where deceit and deception have failed. 
  Lords of Change are the greatest Sorcerers in the galaxy, and their 
  mastery of magic is without peer. The mightiest psychic powers 
  and spells employed by feeble human psykers and Sorcerers are 
  the idle cantrips of a Lord of Change, for a Greater Daemon of 
  Tzeentch is a creature of undiluted warp energy and the mortal 
  world quakes at its touch. With the merest flick of an elegantly 
  tapered claw, bodies mutate and writhe, buildings twist and melt, 
  and beings of madness and horror spring forth, cackling, from 
  running rivers of flesh. Nothing that is done cannot be undone; 
  nothing that is made cannot be unmade. To prevail against a 
  Lord of Change, one’s convictions must be firmer than the 
  foundations of the earth.
  Lords of Change are deceptively delicate-looking. Their long, 
  spindly bodies are topped by a savage, cruel bird’s head. Great 
  feathered wings extend from their shoulder blades, glittering 
  and glinting with a thousand impossible colours. Their bones 
  are hollow, and despite their enormous size, they barely seem 
  capable of supporting their own weight, often leaning upon 
  immense staffs, etched with innumerable eldritch signs and sigils.
  Their appearance, however, is yet another ruse: Lords of 
  Change are fearsome fighters, serpent-quick with skin like 
  iron. They are also lore-masters, and possess a thorough 
  knowledge of the great feints and fighting techniques of the 
  galaxy. To fence with a Lord of Change is to invite one’s own 
  ruin; many overzealous warriors have been felled by their 
  vicious claws, cruel curved beaks and terrible, reaping staves, 
  disemboweled before they could even lift their blades.
  Though a Lord of Change boasts many human slaves 
  among his infernal retinue, it can also call upon a dreadful 
  menagerie of Lesser Daemons when its back is up against the 
  wall. The amorphous, spindle-limbed Pink and Blue horrors 
  writhe with the boundless, ever-shifting energy of unbridled 
  Chaos, warping the world around them as they gibber  
  and shriek. 
  The tubular Flamers of Tzeentch resemble hideous living 
  columns, studded with still-melting mouths and faces and 
  festooned with long, spindly arms. The gouts of magical, 
  multi-coloured fire they spew from their mouth-like hands 
  burn, freeze, blister, mutate and vaporize their enemies. 
  High above, drifting on the currents of the aethyr, sail 
  the manta-like Screamers of Tzeentch, twisted rays that trail 
  slashing tendrils below their long, flat, strangely sinuous 
  bodies. These tentacles are razor sharp, capable of flaying the 
  flesh from even the most heavily-armoured foe.
  
  107
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  Lord of Change (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (18)
  (12)
  (21)
  (12)
  (16)
  54
  53
  65
  65
  54
  78
  65
  81
  54
  Movement: 8/16/24/48 
  Wounds: 180
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Blather (Fel) +20, Ciphers (All) (Int) +20, 
  Command (Fel) +20, Common Lore (All) (Int) +20, Charm (Fel) 
  +20, Deceive (Fel) +20, Dodge (Ag), Forbidden Lore (All) (Int) 
  +20, Intimidate (S) +20, Logic (Int) +20, Psyniscience (Per) 
  +20, Scholastic Lore (All) (Int) +20, Scrutiny (Per) +20, Search 
  (Per), Speak Language (All known languages) +20.
  Talents: Blademaster, Combat Master, Lightning Attack, 
  Resistance (Psychic Powers), Swift Attack, Strong Minded.
  Traits: Daemonic, †Daemonic Presence (TB 12), Dark Sight, 
  Fear 4 (Terrifying), Flyer (10), From Beyond, Size (Massive), 
  The Stuff of Nightmares, Improved Natural Weapons (Claws 
  and Beak), Unnatural Strength (x3), Unnatural Intelligence 
  (x3), Unnatural Willpower (x2), Warp Instability.
  †DaemonicPresence: All those within 25 metres of a Lord 
  of Change realise that they are merely the playthings of 
  capricious gods, beginning to doubt their every conviction. 
  All characters suffer a –20 penalty to Willpower Tests in  
  the area.
  Weapons: Claws and Beak (Natural Weapons; 1d10+12 
  R; Tearing), Staff of Tzeentch (2d10+14 I; Tearing,  
  Warp Weapon).
  SpecialRules
  Master of Plotters: All Daemons of Tzeentch are master 
  schemers, their very essence a primal form of deceit 
  and treachery, and the Lords of Change are the greatest 
  masterminds of all. No matter the circumstances, a Lord of 
  Change is always ready to turn the tables on its adversaries. 
  Once per combat, the Lord of Change may add his Intelligence 
  Bonus to any one Test.
  Supreme Sorcerer: Lords of Change know all Psychic 
  Powers from the Deathwatch Rulebook (and may know 
  more; if you have access to rogue traDer or Dark heresy, 
  the Lord of Change knows all Lesser, Greater, and Ascended 
  Psychic Powers as well, plus the Lesser and Greater Arcana 
  of Sorcery), and may use them as if it had a Psy Rating of 9. 
  A Lord of Change does not trigger any psychic phenomena. 
  In addition to these powers, Lords of Change may also 
  use the Psychic Power Bolt of Change (see page 127) and 
  any other psychic powers from page 127 that the GM  
  deems appropriate.
  SpawnofFate: Lords of Change are the architects of destiny 
  itself, capable of weaving together or severing the very strands 
  of fate. Though a Lord of Change does not have access to 
  Fate Points, whenever anyone in combat with one spends a 
  Fate Point, the Lord of Change regains 1d10 lost Wounds. 
  However, when an individual is forced to permanently 
  burn a Fate Point in the presence of a Lord of Change, 
  the Greater Daemon immediately suffers 2d10 wounds 
  ignoring Toughness.
  adVenture seeds
  Long-term Plan: A Lord of Change has slowly, 
  patiently lured the Kill-team to a world of his choosing, 
  subtly manipulating events in order to further its own 
  mysterious agenda. Last-minute rescues, inexplicable 
  delays, and even friendships and rivalries have all 
  been twisted to serve the Greater Daemon’s own ends. 
  All that remains is for the Lord of Change to tip the 
  final domino—the Kill-team itself. Will the player 
  characters fall victim to the plan, or will they figure 
  out that their mission is a sham before it’s too late?
  Archenemy: 
  The 
  Kill-team’s 
  current 
  mission 
  (unbeknownst to them) threatens one of the best-laid 
  plans of a vicious and vindictive Lord of Change. 
  The daemon will stop at nothing to prevent the Kill-
  team from succeeding, and as allies desert them and 
  unexpected problems pile up with alarming rapidity, 
  the player characters begin to suspect that all is not 
  as it seems…
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  I only saw the daemon briefly; a 
  towering, winged figure in the 
  distance, a brief glimpse before it 
  vanished—but suddenly everything made 
  sense. What should have been a routine 
  sweep for Tyranid vanguard organisms 
  on the rim of the Jericho Reach had 
  become a waking nightmare. Plagued for 
  weeks by an endless string of problems 
  (technical failures, a shipboard 
  mutiny, inexplicable astrological 
  phenomena, delayed or waylaid orders), 
  it seemed the very universe was 
  conspiring against us. 
  Finally, we were forced to set down 
  on a lifeless world in order to 
  gather enough raw materials to effect 
  repairs. While surveying for metals 
  within a sun-scorched canyon, a flash 
  of multicoloured wings caught my eye. 
  It stood nearly 500 metres away, 
  poised on a cliff overlooking the far 
  side of the canyon, an immense staff 
  clutched in its birdlike claws. Its 
  gaze seemed to bore deep within me, 
  and I am ashamed to say that I took a 
  step backward. Before I could raise my 
  bolter, it vanished with a sickening, 
  stomach-churning pop. 
  What its purpose may have been in 
  stranding us there I may never know, 
  but I shudder to think we played any 
  part in advancing its vile schemes.
  
  108
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  KYRUS THE CHANTLEADER
  The Deathwatch data-vaults aboard Watch Fortress Erioch 
  record that Kyrus the Chantleader emerged from the Hadex 
  Anomaly in 801.M40 and orchestrated a series of devastating 
  raids on worlds near the heart of the Jericho Reach. A Chaos 
  Space Marine formerly of the Word Bearers Legion, Kyrus 
  has made a number of dark pacts with the Ruinous Powers. 
  These pacts have granted Kyrus the favour of Khorne, 
  Slaanesh, Nurgle, and Tzeentch, and the Chaos Space Marine 
  has led large numbers of Lesser Daemons from all four dark 
  gods in several engagements along the length and breadth 
  of the Reach. The daemon armies of Kyrus the Chantleader 
  are a persistent danger to the Achilus Crusade in the Acheros 
  Salient. Many senior Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus 
  consider him a much larger threat, citing a number of reports 
  indicating that the daemon forces he surrounds himself with 
  are particularly powerful for their kind.
  Captured agents of the Stigmatus have claimed that Kyrus 
  hails from a Daemon world within the Anomaly, a bleak and 
  twisted planet that serves as a battleground for the dark gods’ 
  rivalries. This nameless place is said to have a large native 
  population of mutants and outcasts, all now turned to the 
  worship of the Ruinous Powers by Kyrus and his followers.
  Kyrus has been blessed with many gifts from his dark 
  masters, including the ability to manifest massive black wings 
  and two mighty weapons; the pistol dubbed Hateblazer is an 
  ancient plasma weapon of uncertain origin, and he wields a 
  daemon-infused chain axe named Corruptis.
  Kyrus the Chantleader (Master) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (12)
  (10)
  55
  48
  53
  54
  46
  46
  47
  51
  49
  Speed: 5/10/15/30 
  Wounds: 41
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Charm (Fel) +20, Command 
  (Fel) +20, Deceive (Fel) +20, Dodge (Ag) +20, Interrogation 
  (Int), Intimidate (S) +20, Lore: Forbidden (Chaos) +20, Lore: 
  Forbidden (Warp) +20, Security (Int), Tactics (All) +10
  Talents: Air of Authority, Blademaster, Counter-Attack, 
  Combat Master, Crushing Blow, Fearless, Hammer Blow, Into 
  the Jaws of Hell, Iron Discipline, Lightning Attack, Master 
  Orator, Swift Attack, Whirlwind of Death.
  Traits: From Beyond, Size (Hulking), Unnatural Strength 
  (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2).
  Armour: Corrupted power armour (Body 10, Arms and Legs 
  8, Head 8)
  Weapons: Hateblazer (30m; S/–/–; 2d10+8 E; Pen 8; 
  Overheat), Corruptis (1d10+16 R; Warp Weapon)
  SpecialRules
  BlessingofChaos: Kyrus is protected by the pacts he has 
  made with the Ruinous Powers; this acts as a Force Field (see 
  page 166 in the Deathwatch Rulebook) with a rating of 
  33 (this also accounts for his exceptionally high number of 
  starting Wounds) that does not overload.
  DarkWings: Kyrus may grow a pair of massive, bat-like wings 
  sprouting from his back at will. He has the Flyer (15) Trait.
  Orator, Swift Attack, Whirlwind of Death.
  Wings: Kyrus may grow a pair of massive, bat-like wings 
  sprouting from his back at will. He has the Flyer (15) Trait.
  108
  108
  108
  108
  108
  sprouting from his back at will. He has the Flyer (15) Trait.
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  I have received a troubling report that may be related to the difficulties the Crusade is facing in the Acheros 
  Salient. According to my sources, the agri-world of Sulyvan (part of the Alphis Minor system) has been 
  entirely wiped out by a daemonic incursion. The planet is now dead, twisted by the powers of the warp into 
  bizarre and unsettling configurations... it is said that entire continents are consumed by balefires, oceans 
  have been turned into seas of gore, and mountains simply vanish and re-appear in misshapen forms. The 
  planet’s moon is pristine and untouched with one startling exception: a kilometres-long blasphemous symbol 
  of the Ruinous Powers, carved from a precise application of orbital lance strikes. I suspect this is another 
  visitation of the traitor Chaos Space Marine known as Kyrus the Chantleader.
  
  109
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  bLOODLETTER
  The Lesser Daemons of Khorne are known as Bloodletters, 
  and it is they who form the core of Khorne’s vast battle forces. 
  Bloodletters are amongst the deadliest warriors in the galaxy, 
  possessing immense strength in their sinewy limbs and savage 
  in the ferocity of their brutal charge into battle. Their skin is 
  the colour of blood, and the coppery scent of gore surrounds 
  them like a shroud.
  Bloodletters are uncommonly disciplined daemons, able to 
  form complex formations on the battlefield and manoeuvre 
  for the best advantage. Such formations do not last once the 
  Bloodletters engage the foe, however, as the daemons are too 
  focused on competing for Khorne’s glory in the brutal frenzy 
  of combat.
  Bloodletters are armed with great two-handed weapons 
  known as hellblades. Legends claim that the souls of angry 
  daemons form the core of the hellblades, and that each 
  razored edge is sharpened by pure hatred. No mortal-forged 
  armour can withstand the assault of a hellblade, and the 
  carnage wrought by these wicked weapons has broken the 
  wills of uncounted mortal foes over the millennia.
  bloodletter (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  55
  30
  45
  45
  40
  30
  30
  30
  10
  Speed: 4/8/12/24 
  Wounds: 25
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S) +20, Dodge (Ag), 
  Intimidate (S) +20, Psyniscience (Per), Speak Language (any 
  one), Wrangling (Int) +10.
  Talents: Battle Rage, Combat Master, Crushing Blow, 
  Fearless, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Daemonic (TB 8),  †Daemonic 
  Presence, Fear (2), From Beyond, Improved Natural 
  Weapons, Natural Weapons (Claws) Strange Physiology, 
  Unnatural Strength (x2), Warp Instability.
  †Daemonic Presence: All enemies within 10 metres of 
  a Bloodletter suffer a –10 penalty to Willpower Tests in  
  the area.
  Weapons: Hellblades (1d10+12 R; Balanced, Warp 
  Weapon), Claws (1d10+10 R; Pen 2).
  SpecialRules
  Horde: 
  When 
  Bloodletters form a 
  Horde, 
  they 
  gain 
  the Disciplined and 
  Blood Soaked Tide 
  Traits.
  Special Rules
  Horde: 
  When 
  Bloodletters form a 
  Horde, 
  they 
  gain 
  the Disciplined and 
  Blood Soaked Tide 
  Traits.
  of combat.
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  Before I was seconded to the 
  Deathwatch, I encountered a force of 
  Bloodletters on the damned planet of 
  Pyroxis III. Alongside my Battle-
  Brothers of the White Scars Chapter, 
  we had been despatched in answer to 
  a distress beacon located in a deep-
  core mining operation centre, the only 
  resource which made the Pyroxis system 
  valuable in the slightest. Boiling out 
  from the vast pit of the mine came a 
  horde of howling, blood-red daemons 
  waving black swords. My Battle-
  Brothers and I fought valiantly, 
  though I saw far too many of my fellow 
  White Scars cut down with merciless 
  glee by the daemon’s hell-forged 
  blades. In the end, we prevailed at 
  great cost, and our triumph over the 
  daemons I credit entirely to Santovis, 
  our Company Champion. Although he did 
  not survive the battle, his unflinching 
  example lent such strength to our arms 
  that we could not fail.
  It remains unclear as to the nature 
  of the presence of that daemon 
  horde upon such an isolated and 
  relatively unimportant world. Some 
  have conjectured that the ways of 
  daemonkind are fickle, and some 
  such incursions as the battle upon 
  Pyroxis III are simply a wild, 
  freak chance occurrence. However, 
  I suspect that the very isolation 
  of Pyroxis III was the cause of its 
  doom; men often forsake their faith 
  in such circumstances, and it is 
  not difficult to imagine the miners 
  believing themselves apart from the 
  Imperium, and thus, no longer under 
  the Emperor’s protection. The same 
  inner corruption is evident across 
  the Jericho Reach, and remains a 
  challenge for myself and the rest of 
  the Deathwatch. The arrival of the 
  Achilus Crusade may be this region’s 
  final hope to escape the final fate of 
  Pyroxis III.
  
  110
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  DAEMONETTE
  Slaanesh has many servants, but the most numerous of them 
  are the Daemonettes. Created to fulfil the Prince of Pleasure’s 
  every whim, Daemonettes are his courtiers and courtesans, 
  his warriors and messengers. Slaanesh is fickle and capricious, 
  oft likely to send out legions of Daemonettes to destroy any 
  source of frustration.
  In appearance, a Daemonette is both alluring and repulsive, 
  with slender, lithe bodies and an androgynous glamour that 
  is heightened by the captivating musk that pervades the air 
  around them. A Daemonette’s skin is luminously pale and 
  smooth, and the daemon’s hands are replaced by long, 
  dextrous claws covered in iron-hard chitin. These claws 
  can bestow a gentle caress or a fatal slash with equal 
  skill. Daemonettes move swiftly upon languid, long legs 
  and bird-like feet, able to dart across the battlefield with 
  uncanny grace. A Daemonette’s bewitching opal eyes can 
  capture the attention of any mortal who gazes upon them, 
  and the Daemonette’s face is a genderless mask of cruel 
  beauty. Regardless of their appearance, Daemonettes 
  possess a powerful gift from their master, an aura that 
  always makes them appear as an object of ultimate 
  beauty and desire in the eyes of their enemies, 
  no matter what race, gender, or morality such 
  a foe may possess.
  Daemonettes are often found seducing 
  a chosen victim with promises of glory 
  and self-fulfilment. They are instrumental to 
  Slaanesh’s more delicate machinations, and 
  Daemonettes are often sent to undermine the 
  will of Slaanesh’s enemies or tempt 
  them from their chosen path in 
  order to remove such opposition. 
  Daemonettes whisper into the dreams 
  and nightmares of a victim, taunting and 
  teasing him with visions of ambition 
  and the darkest desires. Many 
  such victims become lured into 
  self-obsession, paranoia, and insanity, 
  irrevocably placed upon an indulgent road towards their  
  own destruction.
  Daemonette (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (6)
  (10)
  45
  30
  43
  35
  50
  30
  30
  30
  50
  Speed: 5/10/15/30 
  Wounds: 20
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Charm (Fel) +20, Dodge (Ag) +20, 
  Psyniscience (Per), Speak Language (any one).
  Talents: Fearless, Lightning Attack, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Sprint, Step Aside, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 6), †Daemonic Presence, 
  Fear (2), From Beyond, Improved Natural 
  Weapons, 
  Natural 
  Weapons 
  (Claws), 
  Preternatural Speed, Strange Physiology, 
  Unnatural Agility (x2), Warp Instability.
  †Daemonic
  Presence: 
  All 
  enemies 
  within 10 metres of a Daemonette suffer 
  a –10 penalty to Willpower Tests in  
  the area.
  Weapons: Claws (1d10+6 R; Pen 6; 
  Razor Sharp).
  with slender, lithe bodies and an androgynous glamour that 
  is heightened by the captivating musk that pervades the air 
  around them. A Daemonette’s skin is luminously pale and 
  smooth, and the daemon’s hands are replaced by long, 
  dextrous claws covered in iron-hard chitin. These claws 
  can bestow a gentle caress or a fatal slash with equal 
  skill. Daemonettes move swiftly upon languid, long legs 
  and bird-like feet, able to dart across the battlefield with 
  uncanny grace. A Daemonette’s bewitching opal eyes can 
  capture the attention of any mortal who gazes upon them, 
  and the Daemonette’s face is a genderless mask of cruel 
  beauty. Regardless of their appearance, Daemonettes 
  possess a powerful gift from their master, an aura that 
  always makes them appear as an object of ultimate 
  beauty and desire in the eyes of their enemies, 
  no matter what race, gender, or morality such 
  Daemonettes are often found seducing 
  a chosen victim with promises of glory 
  and self-fulfilment. They are instrumental to 
  Slaanesh’s more delicate machinations, and 
  Daemonettes are often sent to undermine the 
  will of Slaanesh’s enemies or tempt 
  them from their chosen path in 
  order to remove such opposition. 
  Daemonettes whisper into the dreams 
  and nightmares of a victim, taunting and 
  teasing him with visions of ambition 
  and the darkest desires. Many 
  such victims become lured into 
  Psyniscience (Per), Speak Language (any one).
  Talents: Fearless, Lightning Attack, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Sprint, Step Aside, Swift Attack.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 6), 
  Fear (2), From Beyond, Improved Natural 
  Weapons, 
  Natural 
  Weapons 
  (Claws), 
  Preternatural Speed, Strange Physiology, 
  Unnatural Agility (x2), Warp Instability.
  †Daemonic
  Presence:
  within 10 metres of a Daemonette suffer 
  a –10 penalty to Willpower Tests in 
  the area.
  Weapons: Claws (1d10+6 R; Pen 6; 
  Razor Sharp).
  own destruction.
  110
  110
  110
  110
  From: Daemonhunter Ahmazzi, Ordo Malleus:
  To: Codicier Taelon, aboard Watch Fortress Erioch, Jericho Reach:
  The lesser daemons of Slaanesh are a particularly insidious threat to the Imperium, for their 
  machinations are subtle and twisted. I have lost many friends, many acolytes and throne agents 
  over the centuries, and not a few were victims of the Daemonettes; seduced and led astray, 
  ultimately little more than playthings for these foul daemons. Too late, I discovered the daemon’s 
  deception and arrived to find my acolytes’ quarters dark and empty, more akin to a tomb than 
  a residence. All that remained were blasphemous runes drawn in the blood of my former allies. 
  The failure is mine; I did not properly prepare my acolytes for such an encounter.
  I have learned many things in my career with the Ordo Malleus, but the most important lesson 
  I have learned is that all things related to a daemon are false; place no trust in any daemon’s 
  words, no matter how alluring it may seem.
  
  111
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  PINK HORROR
  Possibly the most bizarre of all daemons, Pink Horrors are the 
  Lesser Daemons that serve Tzeentch. These daemons possess 
  no head, only a squat pink-hued body with long, gangly arms 
  and legs. Leering faces are normally found upon the centre of 
  their chest, but can disappear and reappear anywhere on their 
  body seemingly at random.
  Pink Horrors are often found gathered in cavorting, gleeful 
  mobs, dancing about the field of battle whilst humming a 
  cacophonous, random tune. Cackling with mad abandon, 
  these Horrors attack by launching a barrage of arcane bolts 
  composed of ever-changing colours that can mutate almost 
  any foe into unrecognisable blobs of gelatinous flesh.
  These daemons are relatively weak in hand-to-hand 
  combat compared to other Lesser Daemons, having only 
  their claws and fangs to rely upon. However, Pink Horrors 
  are pernicious foes and are particularly difficult to destroy 
  due to the blessings of their creator, Tzeentch, being mostly 
  immune to the effects of many enemy weapons. When they 
  are finally slain, the daemon’s most unique form of defence 
  becomes evident; the Pink Horror splits into two halves, 
  which reshape themselves into smaller copies of the original. 
  These two new daemons are known as Blue Horrors (thanks 
  to the vivid colour of their hides), and are competent foes in 
  their own right. In contrast to the Pink Horror, Blue Horrors 
  are morose, whining, and petty. 
  Pink Horror (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (6)
  23
  35
  35
  33
  30
  30
  30
  30
  10
  Speed: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 18
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Psyniscience (Per), 
  Speak Language (Any one).
  Talents: Fearless.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 6), †Daemonic Presence, Fear (2), 
  From Beyond, Improved Natural Weapons, Natural Weapons 
  (Claws), Strange Physiology, Warp Instability.
  †Daemonic Presence: All enemies within 10 metres of 
  a Pink Horror suffer a –10 penalty to Willpower Tests in  
  the area.
  Weapons: Warpfire (30m; S/3/–; 1d10+10 E; Pen 6), Claws 
  (1d10+5; Pen 2). 
  SpecialRules
  BlueHorrors:When a Pink Horror is slain, it vanishes and is 
  replaced by two Blue Horrors (the Blue Horrors appear within 
  1m of the Pink Horror when it was slain, assuming there is 
  room). Blue Horrors act as independent creatures and have the 
  same statistics as a Pink Horror with the following changes: 
  reduce Wounds to 9, reduce Strength to 20, reduce the 
  damage of the claws to 1d10+3. When using Pink Horrors as 
  a Horde, this rule applies differently; reduce all damage dealt 
  to the Horde’s Magnitude by one half, rounding up.
  BlessingofTzeentch: Pink and Blue Horrors are blessed 
  by their patron. This has the same effect as a Force Field (see 
  page 166 in the Deathwatch Rulebook) with a Strength of 
  20 that does not overload.
   All enemies within 10 metres of 
  page 166 in the 
   Rulebook) with a Strength of 
  20 that does not overload.
  Blessing of Tzeentch: Pink and Blue Horrors are blessed 
  Blessing of Tzeentch: Pink and Blue Horrors are blessed 
  Ordo Malleus Inquisitional 
  Archive: The Amethyst Protocol
  Inquisitor Barnabas personally 
  accompanied Kill-team Aleph 
  during a mission on the world of 
  [[Deleted]] in the Cellebos Warzone 
  to recover an ancient text known as 
  [[Deleted]]. The target site swarmed 
  with servants of the Ruinous Powers, 
  including serried tides of ever-
  changing Horrors.
  The first few encounters cost the 
  Kill-team dearly, and the mission’s 
  timeline was seriously compromised. 
  At a critical moment, Inquisitor 
  Barnabas’ potent psychic abilities 
  pushed back the Horrors long enough 
  for the Kill-team to accomplish its 
  task, although he suffered greatly 
  in the attempt from the relentless 
  bombardment of warpfire from the 
  cackling ranks of Horrors.
  Ultimately, the Inquisitor’s prowess 
  prevailed, and the remnants of Kill-
  team Aleph was able to successfully 
  escape the planet via Thunderhawk.
  
  112
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  PLAGUEbEARER
  The Lesser Daemons of Nurgle are shambling, pustulent 
  creatures known as Plaguebearers. These daemons have 
  gangling, bony limbs, their bodies swollen with decay, so 
  much so that glistening innards are exposed through rents in 
  their skin. They possess a single, cyclopean eye and a single 
  horn rising above their haggard, drawn faces, their bodies 
  covered in filth and parasites. Despite the Plaguebearer’s 
  unusual appearance, they are supernaturally resilient to 
  harm, the gifts of their master having inured them to all 
  pain. Plaguebearers are constantly surrounded by 
  clouds of droning flies and chant monotonous hymns, 
  their gait a staggering lope. Their sonorous voices 
  attempt to keep count of the number of 
  noxious plagues unleashed by Nurgle; an 
  impossible task, for the Grandfather of 
  Plagues constantly invents new strains 
  of viruses.
  Plaguebearers carry rusted, heavy 
  blades known as plagueswords. 
  These weapons are infused with 
  foul infections and toxins that can 
  make the merest scratch fatal. These 
  daemons are solemn, cruelly efficient 
  warriors in battle, hideously effective 
  at any war of attrition. They also serve 
  as the Tallymen of Nurgle, eternally 
  bound to record all of their dark 
  god’s pestilential creations. Many 
  believe that Plaguebearers are in fact 
  created by such diseases, incubating 
  within plague victims and feeding 
  upon their dying energies, only to 
  later fully emerge from their 
  heaped bodies.
  Plaguebearer (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (15)
  45
  30
  43
  55
  30
  30
  30
  30
  10
  Speed: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 30
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Psyniscience (Per), Scholastic Lore 
  (Numerology) (Int), Speak Language (any one).
  Talents: Crippling Strike, Fearless.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 10), †Daemonic Presence, 
  Fear (2), From Beyond, Improved Natural Weapons, 
  Natural Weapons (Claws), Regeneration (1), Strange 
  Physiology, Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2), Warp Instability.
  †Daemonic
  Presence: 
  All 
  enemies 
  within 10 metres of a Plaguebearer suffer 
  a 
  –10 
  penalty 
  to 
  Willpower 
  Tests 
  in 
  the area.
  Weapons: Plaguesword (1d10+13; Pen 1; 
  Felling 1, Toxic), Claws (1d10+8; Pen 2; Toxic).
  SpecialRules
  CloudofFlies: All those within 5 metres take 
  a –10 penalty to Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill 
  Tests as choking clouds of buzzing, biting 
  flies attack every exposed inch of flesh.
  horn rising above their haggard, drawn faces, their bodies 
  horn rising above their haggard, drawn faces, their bodies 
  covered in filth and parasites. Despite the Plaguebearer’s 
  covered in filth and parasites. Despite the Plaguebearer’s 
  unusual appearance, they are supernaturally resilient to 
  unusual appearance, they are supernaturally resilient to 
  harm, the gifts of their master having inured them to all 
  harm, the gifts of their master having inured them to all 
  pain. Plaguebearers are constantly surrounded by 
  pain. Plaguebearers are constantly surrounded by 
  clouds of droning flies and chant monotonous hymns, 
  clouds of droning flies and chant monotonous hymns, 
  their gait a staggering lope. Their sonorous voices 
  their gait a staggering lope. Their sonorous voices 
  attempt to keep count of the number of 
  attempt to keep count of the number of 
  noxious plagues unleashed by Nurgle; an 
  impossible task, for the Grandfather of 
  Plagues constantly invents new strains 
  Plaguebearers carry rusted, heavy 
  blades known as plagueswords. 
  These weapons are infused with 
  foul infections and toxins that can 
  make the merest scratch fatal. These 
  daemons are solemn, cruelly efficient 
  warriors in battle, hideously effective 
  at any war of attrition. They also serve 
  as the Tallymen of Nurgle, eternally 
  bound to record all of their dark 
  god’s pestilential creations. Many 
  believe that Plaguebearers are in fact 
  created by such diseases, incubating 
  within plague victims and feeding 
  upon their dying energies, only to 
  later fully emerge from their 
  Speed: 3/6/9/18
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Psyniscience (Per), Scholastic Lore 
  (Numerology) (Int), Speak Language (any one).
  Talents: Crippling Strike, Fearless.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 10), 
  Fear (2), From Beyond, Improved Natural Weapons, 
  Natural Weapons (Claws), Regeneration (1), Strange 
  Physiology, Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2), Warp Instability.
  †Daemonic
  Presence:
  within 10 metres of a Plaguebearer suffer 
  a 
  –10 
  penalty 
  to 
  Willpower 
  Tests 
  in 
  the area.
  Weapons:
  Plaguesword (1d10+13; Pen 1; 
  Felling 1, Toxic), Claws (1d10+8; Pen 2; Toxic).
  Special Rules
  Cloud of Flies:
  a –10 penalty to Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill 
  Tests as choking clouds of buzzing, biting 
  flies attack every exposed inch of flesh.
  112
  112
  112
  112
  Report from Watch Captain Brand
  Brother Librarian, 
  When you asked me to share anything I knew about the enemies we regularly confront in the Reach, 
  one incident in particular came to mind. I led a Kill-team on a mission for Inquisitor Quist, the details 
  of which I am not at liberty to discuss. The course of our mission took us to an orbital station above a 
  world in the Acheros Salient—we found the station to be dead in space, with only silence answering 
  our vox-hails. My Battle-Brothers and I scoured the station starting from the uppermost decks, but we 
  found nothing... only empty cells and eerily quiet corridors. In the lower decks our auto-senses registered 
  movement, and my Kill-team’s Apothecary warned us of rapidly increasing toxin levels. We discovered 
  the crew of the station jammed into a relatively small chamber, their bodies bloated with pestilence, all 
  having been slain by a particularly virulent virus. Not long after this discovery, we faced a group of 
  daemons, each with a single rheumy eye and a black, twisted horn. These daemons were extremely difficult 
  to destroy, and massed bolter fire was needed to take them down one by one, with the last falling to a blow 
  from my powerfist... although it nearly seemed as if more than one swing would be necessary, for these 
  daemons are seemingly immune to any pain or discomfort, even from missing limbs or wounds that would 
  otherwise despatch an enemy. Eventually, we purged the station by opening that chamber to vacuum, 
  then re-sealing it and cleansing each room with flamers.
  
  113
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  CHAOS SPACE MARINE 
  SORCERERS
  “It is by the Changer of the Ways that I have power, it is by Magnus 
  the Red that I have life!”
  –Ahriman of the Thousand Sons
  Chaos Space Marine Sorcerers are some of the most depraved 
  and demented individuals encountered by the forces of the 
  Imperium. During the events of the Horus Heresy, many of 
  them came from the ranks of the Thousand Sons Legion, 
  which had a greater proportion of Astartes with the psyker 
  mutation. 
  While human Sorcerers are a menace to the integrity of 
  the Imperium of Mankind, there are Sorcerers who are a far 
  greater threat: those Space Marine Librarians who abandoned 
  their duty to the God-Emperor. With the abilities they 
  command through their psychic training, combined with 
  their new powers gifted by the Gods of Chaos, a Chaos Space 
  Marine Sorcerer is a power to be reckoned with. Given an 
  array of gifts and powers, the Sorcerer can cause agonising 
  pain, curse individuals, and summon daemons from the 
  Immaterium to temporarily stalk the material realms.
  One of the more potent abilities that are granted to Chaos 
  Space Marine Sorcerers is the ability to call upon the power 
  and essence of daemons in order to fuel their spells. Psychic 
  power that is derived directly from the Warp is dangerous, 
  but the greatest of psychic feats can only be accomplished 
  through the use of daemonic energies. Sorcerers who make 
  such pacts bargain some service or favour in exchange for a 
  portion of that daemon’s own essence. By forging a conduit 
  into the Warp through this pact, the Sorcerer is capable of 
  unleashing gouts of destructive energy. The grandest of such 
  Sorcerers have dozens of these pacts made to power their 
  spells and abilities. However, dipping into the well of such 
  power comes with its own price, as the Sorcerer battles 
  constantly to retain control over his own soul.
  In the 41st Millennium, Chaos Space Marine Sorcerers are 
  rooted out and hunted down by every branch of the Adeptus 
  Terra, the Holy Inquisition, and the Adeptus Astartes. Psykers 
  are actually tolerated (however slightly) more than Sorcerers—
  who are hunted down and eliminated with extreme prejudice.
  While many of the more powerful Space Marine Sorcerers 
  do in fact come from the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion, there 
  are others who hail from loyalist Chapters—succumbing 
  to the lure of Chaos and turning against liege and lord. 
  Chaos Space Marine Sorcerers, like their ordinary human 
  brethren, are independent souls who often form the nucleus 
  of a Chaos Cult, festering within the confines of society. The 
  most devious of them will often end up abandoning their 
  so-called “children” and leave them as lambs to the slaughter, 
  making their escape to sow more destruction while the forces 
  of the Imperium rain down upon their erstwhile followers. 
  Yet Chaos Space Marine Sorcerers have their own ends 
  beyond mere mayhem and bedlam. They stalk the realms of 
  man in order to collect all manner of arcane knowledge and 
  power. Many Chaos Space Marine Sorcerers are esoteric and 
  extremely selfish madmen. Once they have supped from the 
  cup of knowledge offered by the Chaos Gods, and glimpsed 
  unachievable realms beyond mortal comprehension, they are 
  forever driven to expand their power and knowledge to an 
  impossible level.
  Chaos Space Marine Sorcerer (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (8)
  43
  43
  45
  45
  40
  35
  40
  50
  27
  Movement: 5/10/15/30 
  Wounds: 30
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Command (Fel) +10, 
  Dodge (Ag) +10, Intimidate (S) +20, Literacy (Int), 
  Lore: Forbidden (Daemonology, Psykers, The Warp) (Int), 
  Lore: Scholastic (Legend, Numerology, Occult) (Int) +10, 
  Psyniscience (Int) +20, Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language (Low 
  Gothic) (Int), Survival (Int), Swim (S).
  Talents: Astartes Weapon Training, Bolter Drill, Die Hard, 
  Fearless, Hatred (Loyalist Space Marines), Heightened Senses 
  (Sight, Sound, Smell), Jaded, Killing Strike, Quick Draw, 
  Rapid Reload, Size (Hulking), Swift Attack, True Grit.
  Traits: Dark Sight, †Mark of Chaos, Unnatural Strength (x2), 
  Unnatural Toughness (x2).
  PsyRating: 5
  
  114
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  PsychicPowers: Choose two of the Chaos Psychic Powers 
  found on page 127.
  Armour: Astartes Power Armour (Head 8, Arms 8, Body 10, 
  Legs 8).
  Weapons: Force Sword (1d10+19 R; Pen 7; Balanced, 
  Special), Astartes Bolt Pistol (30m; S/3/–; 2d10+5 X; 
  Pen 5; Clip 12; Rld Full; Tearing), Astartes Combat Blade 
  (1d10+14 R; Pen 2).
  Gear: 4 bolt pistol magazines, Sorcerer Robes, Pendant or 
  Emblem with mark of sworn Chaos God.
  †MarkofChaos: The Sorcerer possesses one of the following 
  Marks of Chaos. This Mark appears somewhere on his body 
  and is also emblazoned upon his armour—Nurgle, Slaanesh, 
  or Tzeentch. See page 363 of the Deathwatch Rulebook 
  for information on how these Marks work. The Sorcerer 
  may only ever possess a single Mark and may not change  
  that Mark.
   The Forces of Chaos
  114
  114
  114
  114
   The Forces of Chaos
  Addendum from Codicier Taelon
  I have only crossed paths with two of these depraved creatures in my travels 
  through the Jericho Reach, from different Warbands. Perhaps the greatest 
  insult is that these twisted souls once followed the same path that I walk—
  and it is also the most gravest of warnings. This is what happens when one 
  falls to the lure of Chaos and forgoes one’s oaths of loyalty and fraternity. It 
  was on a mission to cleanse a research outpost of the Adeptus Mechanicus 
  that I had the opportunity to confront one of my fallen Brothers. Apparently, 
  he was searching through the memory coils and data-stacks of the outpost in 
  a desperate attempt for some snippet of lore that was lodged within. When 
  I encountered him, furious energies were unleashed, but in the end, he tore 
  a hole in space–time and escaped to a hidden craft. I can only speculate on 
  what circumstances would turn a noble and honourable Astartes onto the path  
  of Chaos.
  -Taelon
  
  115
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  KHORNE bERZERKERS
  The blasphemies of those Space Marines that turned 
  their back upon the Emperor reap a foul and bitter 
  harvest among the Traitor Legions. 
  Here the most fervid worshippers of 
  the Ruinous Powers can be found: 
  once proud and noble 
  Adeptus Astartes 
  that have fully 
  embraced 
  the 
  very thing they 
  fought 
  against. 
  These are the most 
  utterly damned of the 
  servants of Chaos, fallen 
  Space 
  Marines 
  sworn 
  body and soul to the 
  ruination of the Imperium 
  they once helped to build.
  Khorne 
  Berzerkers 
  are 
  Chaos Space Marines that have 
  dedicated their lives to Khorne, 
  the Blood God, skull lord of battles, 
  patron of murder, slaughter and 
  bloodshed in all its forms. 
  The most infamous Khorne 
  Berzerkers are the Chaos 
  Space Marines of the World 
  Eaters, the insane, undying 
  remnants of the Legion that swore themselves to Khorne and 
  followed Warmaster Horus to the Imperial palace itself. 
  The World Eaters were renowned for their savagery even 
  before they fell to the dark gods. Their actions over the ten 
  thousand years since their betrayal of the Emperor beggar 
  description. They are joined by followers of the Blood God 
  drawn from all across the Traitor Legions and members of 
  the Adeptus Astartes that have fallen to Khorne’s lure down  
  the millennia. 
  It is a small step from martial pride or righteous fervour 
  to battle fury or unthinking bloodlust, and many peerless 
  warriors flock to Khorne’s ranks. All of these fierce souls 
  undergo psycho-surgery to transform themselves into 
  ravening warriors of unchecked rage—perfect candidates to 
  become a Khorne Berzerker. 
  Such warriors become part of a brotherhood so feral and 
  bloodthirsty that they are apt to set upon their allies or even 
  each other at the slightest provocation. Khorne Berzerkers 
  are highly distinctive on the battlefield and wear blood-red 
  armour decorated with brass that is usually shot scarred and 
  hacked in many places. Skulls hang from chains around their 
  waist and shoulders, along with tattered streamers of hide 
  flecked with gore. 
  Khorne Berzerkers are savage fighters who revel in the 
  bloodiest of hand-to-hand combats. In their eagerness to 
  offer blood and skulls to Khorne they carry many vicious 
  close combat weapons into battle. Often they wield deadly 
  axes as these are the preferred weapons of Khorne, although 
  the chainsword is almost equally favoured. Khorne Berzerkers 
  relish their role as the sacred destroyers of the Blood 
  God with a fanatical fervour and will fight on even 
  with the most terrible wounds. Their delight in death 
  and pain is so strong that they have been known to 
  fall on their own chainswords as sacrifices to the 
  Blood God.
  Khorne Berzerkers are often encountered during 
  boarding actions with Chaos vessels. The close 
  quarters fighting aboard ships, with no possibility 
  of escape, is ideally suited to the frenzied fighting 
  style of the followers of the Blood God. 
  Khorne Berzerkers are also found as leaders 
  of renegade bands, where they become 
  bloody handed tyrants that rule over their 
  miserable underlings with an iron fist. In truth 
  the worshippers of the lord of battle have little 
  patience with planning and leadership, preferring 
  to simply lead by example and slaughtering any 
  who does not keep up. 
  Khorne Berzerkers seem drawn to the bloodiest 
  battlefields and appear in greatest numbers there. 
  A decades-long siege or a titanic battle involving 
  millions of men is meat and drink to them. 
  In these circumstances, entire warbands of 
  Khorne Berzerkers will appear so that they 
  can participate in the butchery. They build 
  towering pyramids of skulls and lavish blood 
  sacrifices on crude battlefield shrines in praise 
  of their god. Should their allies slacken or falter, these 
  weaklings’ skulls will be added to the pile.
  Khorne berzerker (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (8)
  59
  40
  45
  45
  40
  30
  40
  45
  20
  Move:5/10/15/30 
  Wounds:30
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +10, Dodge (Ag) 
  +10, Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp) (Int), Intimidate (S) 
  +20, Literacy (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language (Low 
  Gothic) (Int), Survival (Int), Swim (S).
  Talents:Ambidextrous, Astartes Weapon Training, Berserk 
  Charge, Diehard, Fearless, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Hatred 
  (Loyalist Space Marines) Heightened Senses (Sight, Sound, 
  Smell), Jaded, Lightning Attack, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, 
  Resistance (psychic powers), Swift Attack, True Grit, Two-
  weapon wielder (Melee), Whirlwind of Death.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 2 (Frightening), Size (Hulking), 
  Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2). 
  Armour:Astartes power armour (Head 8, Arms 8, Body 10, 
  Legs 8).
  Weapons: Astartes Chainsword (1d10+14 R; Pen 4, 
  Balanced, Tearing) or Berzerker Axe (1d10+18 R; Pen 4; 
  Tearing), Astartes Bolt Pistol (30m; S/3/–; 2d10+5 X; Pen 5; 
  Clip12; Reload Full; Tearing) or Astartes Plasma Pistol (30m; 
  S/2/–; 2d10+6 E; Pen 6; Clip10; Reload 3Full; Overheat).
  Gear: 2 bolt pistol magazines, frag grenades.
  HORNE
  HORNE bERZERKERS
  bERZERKERS
  The blasphemies of those Space Marines that turned 
  their back upon the Emperor reap a foul and bitter 
  harvest among the Traitor Legions. 
  Here the most fervid worshippers of 
  the Ruinous Powers can be found: 
  once proud and noble 
  Adeptus Astartes 
  that have fully 
  embraced 
  the 
  very thing they 
  fought 
  against. 
  These are the most 
  utterly damned of the 
  servants of Chaos, fallen 
  Space 
  Marines 
  sworn 
  body and soul to the 
  ruination of the Imperium 
  they once helped to build.
  Khorne 
  Berzerkers 
  are 
  Chaos Space Marines that have 
  dedicated their lives to Khorne, 
  the Blood God, skull lord of battles, 
  patron of murder, slaughter and 
  bloodshed in all its forms. 
  The most infamous Khorne 
  Berzerkers are the Chaos 
  Space Marines of the World 
  Eaters, the insane, undying 
  remnants of the Legion that swore themselves to Khorne and 
  relish their role as the sacred destroyers of the Blood 
  relish their role as the sacred destroyers of the Blood 
  God with a fanatical fervour and will fight on even 
  with the most terrible wounds. Their delight in death 
  and pain is so strong that they have been known to 
  fall on their own chainswords as sacrifices to the 
  Blood God.
  Khorne Berzerkers are often encountered during 
  boarding actions with Chaos vessels. The close 
  quarters fighting aboard ships, with no possibility 
  of escape, is ideally suited to the frenzied fighting 
  style of the followers of the Blood God. 
  Khorne Berzerkers are also found as leaders 
  of renegade bands, where they become 
  bloody handed tyrants that rule over their 
  miserable underlings with an iron fist. In truth 
  the worshippers of the lord of battle have little 
  patience with planning and leadership, preferring 
  to simply lead by example and slaughtering any 
  who does not keep up. 
  Khorne Berzerkers seem drawn to the bloodiest 
  battlefields and appear in greatest numbers there. 
  A decades-long siege or a titanic battle involving 
  millions of men is meat and drink to them. 
  In these circumstances, entire warbands of 
  Khorne Berzerkers will appear so that they 
  can participate in the butchery. They build 
  towering pyramids of skulls and lavish blood 
  sacrifices on crude battlefield shrines in praise 
  of their god. Should their allies slacken or falter, these 
  weaklings’ skulls will be added to the pile.
  
  116
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  adVenture seed
  Slaughter: A Kill-team arrives at their mission to find a band of Khorne Berzerkers already engaged in slaughtering their 
  target. If the Deathwatch intervene the Berzerkers will turn on them immediately, and logic dictates they let the two sides 
  fight it out and then finish off the survivors. But can the Kill-team really stand by while the followers of the Blood God do 
  their work for them? Some Inquisitors would certainly interpret inaction as aiding and abetting the enemy.
  116
  116
  116
  116
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  The data archives have only sporadic reports of Kill-teams that have had the misfortune to encounter 
  Khorne Berzerkers. Perhaps the most graphic is a restricted work, a testimonial from one Brother 
  Horvan during the dying years of the Angevin Crusade in the Thirty-ninth Millennium. At this time 
  the last of Yu’Vath Hell Worlds in the Adrantis Nebula were being cleansed and Brother Horvan led 
  a Kill-team at the forefront of the final operations.
  -------------
  Testimonial begins:
  “…We purged the traitor slaves without mercy and their xenos masters fled before us. We found 
  those few of them left gathered in a great hall wherein there was a great tree sculpted in fantastical 
  fashion from bone and brass. The Yu’Vath slave minions clustered about this monstrous thing and 
  called out to it in their foul tongue, seemingly beseeching.
  As we strode forth to cleanse the last of these pestilential aliens it was suddenly as if we were held 
  back by an invisible force. At the same time the walls of the chamber seemed to recede out of sight so 
  perhaps it was only distance that held us back, all the while tricking us that the tree and the Yu’Vath 
  were still close by. It seemed then as if a brazen sky spread above us and a gusting stench of old blood 
  swept over us.
  Still we strove to reach our prey but could come no closer. As we watched, seething with fury, 
  armoured figures stepped forth from the tree and the Yu’Vath fawned and abased themselves before 
  them. These savage apparitions were dark parodies of true Space Marines, clad in blood-red power 
  armour and girt all about with skulls and foul icons that hurt the eye. They bore chain axes and 
  swords in profusion and when they beheld the grovelling aliens they laughed. 
  Only then did these warriors seem to perceive us and as they did so they rushed forward in a 
  joyous fury. While before we had seemed held apart, now we seemed thrust together and the 
  bloody warriors were among us in an instant. We took hard blows in the battle that followed even 
  though we outnumbered this new foe. Every one of them fought to the last breath and had to be 
  dismembered to finish them off. As the last fell, the vision faded and we found ourselves back in the 
  hall once more, though of the warriors and the Yu’Vath there was no sign.”
  hall once more, though of the warriors and the Yu’Vath there was no sign.”
  
  117
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  NOISE MARINES
  A Space Marine’s senses are vastly more acute than an ordinary 
  human’s, their bodies and minds honed to perfection for 
  waging war. The very intensity of the experience of battle 
  can break down the indoctrination and conditioning of 
  some Battle-Brothers. They can become lost in an orgiastic 
  lust for battle, beyond commands or orders as they indulge 
  themselves in wanton carnage. Others succumb to the 
  temptations of forbidden pleasures denied to them in their 
  cloistered existence: power, wealth, approbation. These fallen 
  Space Marines eventually come to pledge themselves to the 
  Chaos God Slaanesh, caught in the silken bonds of the Prince 
  of Pleasure.
  It pleases Slaanesh to transform any such new servants into 
  Noise Marines. This breed of traitors was first created from 
  the Space Marine Legion of the Emperor’s Children when 
  they fell into worship of the Chaos powers during the Horus 
  Heresy. Their depredations during the Heresy were foul and 
  bestial in the extreme, most commonly directed against the 
  most innocent and defenceless victims they could find. 
  As Noise Marines dedicate themselves fully to the Chaos 
  God Slaanesh, they are gifted with mutations peculiar to him. 
  A Noise Marine’s hearing becomes a thousand times keener 
  than a normal man’s and able to distinguish the subtlest 
  difference in pitch and volume. The Noise Marine’s whole 
  mind becomes warped around this vital input, every sound 
  inducing extreme emotional reactions that make all other 
  sensations seem pale and worthless. 
  Louder, more discordant sounds provoke a more extreme 
  emotional reaction, creating a feedback loop of addiction. 
  Soon only the din of battle and heightened screams of fear 
  of the enemy can stir a Noise Marine to full force. In this 
  heightened state, the Noise Marine’s mind ceases to function 
  and he becomes only a vessel for the sensations ignited by 
  the music of the apocalypse. He is enraptured by the screams 
  of the dying as they dance a bloody jig upon the path of 
  destruction. Every new explosion and death cry raises him 
  higher still toward full daemonhood and ultimate release. 
  Noise Marines howl of the eternal glory of their lord 
  Slaanesh, assailing the ears and mind with their messages of 
  corruption and vice.
  Noise Marines wear twisted suits of power armour 
  painted in a variety of garish colours, as they have become 
  so jaded that only the most extravagant colours and patterns 
  still register on their senses. Noise Marines arm themselves 
  with a variety of daemonically-forged weapons that produce 
  thunderously loud, discordant blasts. These often work by 
  amplifying the Noise Marines’ constant psychic cacophony 
  of babbling, screaming, prayers to Slaanesh into murderous 
  harmonies able to burst organs and break bones. Psykers 
  are particularly vulnerable to the Noise Marines’ assault, 
  their senses bludgeoned and overwhelmed by the incessant  
  psychic barrage. 
  Some Noise Marines wear an intricate arrangement 
  of pipes and tubes around their facemasks to act as voice 
  amplifiers. They use these to project the wearer’s terrifying 
  battle screams and howls of pleasure, creating a paralysing 
  wall of sound as they stride into battle. Their roaring song 
  of hatred and destruction can quail the boldest heart. Other 
  Noise Marines use weapons that unleash harmonics to rip 
  their target apart. Noise Marines play these instruments at a 
  manic pace, working up and down through clashing chords 
  and sliding through scales so that their weapons seem to 
  constantly howl with agony or scream with delight. 
  The most potent Noise Marine weapons focus a thrumming 
  bass note that rises to an explosive crescendo, harnessing a 
  cataclysmic harmonic that detonates at the target point with 
  an ear-splitting concussion. Victims are sent into violent 
  spasms as the sonic backlash scrambles their nervous system, 
  breaking their own bones as they contort horribly beneath 
  the shockwave. Armour provides little defence as it resonates 
  in sympathy with the deadly frequency, liquefying the flesh 
  of the wearer. Even battle tanks can be shattered by the atonal 
  assault as their armour plates shiver into fragments and their 
  hapless crew members burst like over-ripe fruit.
  
  118
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  Noise Marine (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (8)
  (8)
  (6)
  43
  43
  45
  45
  50
  30
  49
  45
  35
  Move: 6/12/18/36 
  Wounds: 28
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +10, Dodge (Ag) 
  +10, Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp) (Int), Intimidate (S) 
  +20, Lip Reading (Per), Literacy (Int), Performer (Fel) +10, 
  Psyniscience (Per), Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language (Low 
  Gothic) (Int), Survival (Int), Swim (S).
  Talents: Astartes Weapon Training, Diehard, Fearless, 
  Feedback Screech, Hatred (Loyalist Space Marines) 
  Heightened Senses (All), Jaded, Lightning Reflexes, Litany of 
  Hate, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, Swift Attack, True Grit.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 2 (Frightening), Size (Hulking), 
  Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2), Unnatural 
  Perception (x2), Unnatural Fellowship (x2).
  Armour: Astartes power armour (Head 8, Arms 8, Body 10, 
  Legs 8).
  Weapons: Astartes Chainsword (1d10+14 R; Pen 4; 
  Balanced, Tearing), or Astartes Chain Axe (1d10+18 R; 
  Pen 4), Astartes Bolt Pistol (30m; S/3/–; 2d10+5 X; Pen 
  5; Clip12; Reload Full; Tearing), Noise Marine Blastmaster 
  (150m; S/2/–; 1d10+12 E; Pen 6; Clip —; Rld —; 
  Devastating [1], Storm), or Noise Marine Doom Siren (30m; 
  S/–/–; 1d10+12 E; Pen 9; Clip —; Rld —, Flame), or Noise 
  Marine Sonic Blaster (100m; S/2/4; 1d10+9 E; Pen 4; Clip 
  —; Rld —; Storm, Tearing).
  Gear: 2 bolt pistol magazines, hallucinogen grenades.
  SpecialRules
  Psychic Cacophony: The mind-numbing psychic assault 
  created Noise Marines affects enemies within 75 metres (the 
  GM may increase of decrease this range to account for special 
  circumstances). All opponents of the Chaos God Slaanesh 
  within range automatically suffer a –10 penalty to their 
  Willpower and must take a Willpower Test at the beginning 
  of each of their turns. If the test is passed no further effects 
  occur that turn. If the test is failed, the individual suffers a –10 
  penalty to all other tests made that turn due to distraction, 
  bleeding ears and the like. If the test is failed by two degrees or 
  more, the victim also suffers one level of Fatigue. Individuals 
  with a Psy Rating that fail their Willpower Test that may not 
  manifest their powers in the same turn. Psychic Cacophony is 
  a mind-affecting psychic-based effect, so any Talents, Traits, 
  Equipment or other rules which offer resistance to warp-
  based attacks or psychic powers will apply.
  adVenture seeds
  Relay:A band of Noise Marines have seized control 
  of an Imperial communications relay and are using it to 
  pump out their corrupting babble across the air waves. 
  The command disruption being caused is bad enough 
  but the weak-willed are being reduced to little more 
  than zombies by the attack. The communications relay 
  must be recaptured if possible, failing that it must be 
  destroyed.
  Sirens:On a water planet, the prevailing winds play 
  sonorous notes across a gigantic array of natural rock 
  formations that rise above the waves. An insane band 
  of cultists are working to modify the formations to 
  craft sounds that will resonate through reality and 
  create a breach into the warp. 
  Ceremony: Noise Marines have rounded up tens 
  of thousands of victims for a mass sacrifice to the 
  greater glory of Slaanesh. These poor wretches will 
  be tortured and starved over many days before they 
  are finally massacred in an orgiastic festival to sate the 
  Prince of Pleasure. Mass casualties among the prisoners 
  will serve the Ruinous Powers just as readily as the 
  ceremony going ahead, so the Kill-team must devise a 
  way to destroy the Noise Marines with a minimum of 
  collateral damage.
  Willpower and must take a Willpower Test at the beginning 
  118
  118
  118
  118
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  Let the wise give regard to this warning from the hand of Inquisitor Heurang Rex of the Ordo Malleus.
  -----------------------	
  An	investigation	of	the	catacombs	at	the	Inquisitorial	archives	on	Solipis	for	data	on	the	so-called	“Noise	Marines”	has	revealed	
  one	salient	detail	worthy	of	words	of	warning.	Recordings	of	these	debased	individuals	have	been	found	to	retain	dangerous	mimetic	
  properties.	This	discovery	derives	directly	from	the	corruption	of	one	of	my	acolytes,	a	Lexographer	named	Tannis.	While	sorting	
  through	the	data-stacks	it	appears	that	Acolyte	Tannis	stumbled	across	a	forgotten	pile	of	audio	slates.	Examination	of	the	
  security	logs	for	the	catacombs	shows	that	after	his	initial	discovery,	Acolyte	Tannis	returned	in	secret	to	listen	to	the	audio	
  slates	with	increasing	frequency.	
  On	the	sixth	such	occasion	Acolyte	Tannis	exhibited	an	outbreak	of	spontaneous	mutation	of	diverse	and	foul	characteristics,	
  subsequently	running	amok	in	the	catacombs,	causing	considerable	damage	until	he	was	caught	and	killed.	Cautious	investigation	
  of	the	audio	slates	revealed	they	dated	from	a	37th	Millennium	repression	of	cultists	at	Kranor’s	Star.	Heed	this	warning,	four	
  millennia	of	silence	did	nothing	to	dissipate	the	power	of	these	daemon-born	curses	and	the	taint	lived	on,	waiting	only	for	a	
  vulnerable	ear	to	hear	them	once	again.
  ------------------
  
  119
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  ObLITERATORS
  “Through the application and harnessing of the Immaterium, the 
  very force of creation itself, we can remake ourselves. Flesh and bone 
  are weak, yet through technology and the pacts we have with these 
  so-called Infernal Forces, we can remake ourselves.”
  –Heretical Teachings of Arch-Magos Erzahd Boge
  Perhaps one of the most strange, and certainly amongst the 
  most powerful of foes, Obliterators are shrouded in mystery. 
  Walking armouries bulking even larger than Chaos Space 
  Marines encased in Terminator Armour, Obliterators are 
  masses of twisted flesh melded with weaponry, who look as 
  if their flesh is in a state of flux. Obliterators are inhuman, 
  grotesque arcano-cyborgs whose very flesh and blood 
  can transform into white-hot plasma, titanium-
  fused bones, or internal organs that generate lethal 
  amounts of electricity. Their brains are as much 
  machine as living flesh.
  Obliterators are unique amongst the force 
  of Chaos as they have no allegiance to any 
  particular warband. Entire planets have been 
  laid to waste, whole civilisations perished 
  just to provide a handful of these monsters 
  with the archeotech they so covet, in an 
  effort to gain the promise of future 
  support. Yet, for all their power, the 
  origins of the Obliterators remain open 
  to much speculation and debate.
  Often thought to once have been Techmarines 
  of the Emperor’s elite Adeptus Astartes, 
  Obliterators are known to be obsessed with 
  the merging of the material and the immaterial, 
  the organic and inorganic. Using 
  knowledge gleaned from their 
  pact with the Ruinous Powers, 
  and with the techno-arcane 
  methods of the Dark Mechanicus, 
  Obliterators have managed to blur the 
  line between man and machine. They are both: one and the 
  same.
  There is talk within the ranks of the Adeptus Mechanicus 
  and the Holy Inquisition that Obliterators are the result of 
  centuries of research into the blending of flesh and metal—
  something the Tech-Priests strive for in their own existence. It’s 
  their belief that someone within the ranks of the Mechanicus 
  succeeded through the application of the power of Chaos. 
  However, some (a minority) dismiss such ideas. Instead 
  they believe that Obliterators have contracted some form of 
  daemonic virus that puts their flesh into a permanent state of 
  flux and mutation. It’s their belief that many who contract 
  this virus perish as their bodies eventually rebel against the 
  changes wrought upon it. They think that the Obliterators 
  are those who have managed to exercise a manner of control 
  over the flux—they are able to fashion weapons and armour 
  from within their very bodies by tapping into the transmuting 
  power of the virus. Thankfully, this view is much dismissed as 
  there are many flaws—the least of which is that the abilities 
  exhibited by Obliterators in no way act the way a virus  
  should behave.
  Aside from their abilities, there is much speculation about 
  the nature of the pact between Obliterators and the Gods 
  of Chaos. Obliterators do not sport any obvious marks of 
  allegiance to any particular Chaos God. They also do not 
  bear the colours of any Traitor Legion or one of the myriad 
  renegade warbands. Many Chaos Lords will go to extreme 
  lengths to secure the fickle aid of even a single Obliterator.
  Obliterators is exceedingly rare, and while their exact 
  numbers can only be guessed at, it’s apparent 
  that they are among the least numerous 
  of assets employed by the forces of 
  Chaos. They exist outside the 
  structure of the warbands and 
  Legions, and move about 
  from one to the next, 
  exchanging 
  their 
  expertise and power 
  for the chance to claim 
  ancient archeotech or 
  exotic 
  and 
  esoteric 
  wargear 
  from 
  their 
  enemies.
  One of the key 
  abilities that Obliterators 
  possess is to manifest a 
  variety of heavy weapons from 
  within their own bodies. As 
  they stalk across the battlefield, 
  they morph their weaponry 
  from lascannons, to plasma 
  cannons and multi-
  meltas, to specialised 
  weaponry such as 
  the exceedingly rare 
  c o m bi - we a p o n s. 
  Additionally, they can 
  eject spikes and blades 
  from within to engage 
  the foe in close-combat. The only limitation seems to 
  be that an Obliterator is not able to create anything such 
  as a grenade or other type of explosive. Those who study 
  these creatures believe that their weapons are inherently part 
  of their physiology—they could no more create a thrown 
  explosive any more than a mortal man could eject his own 
  heart from his chest.
  If more than one Obliterator is in a particular area, they 
  tend to congregate together. Forming an “Obliterator Cult,” 
  these creatures will seek to unearth some arcane knowledge 
  or lost technology cache they may have found. The motives of 
  these Cults are just as mysterious as the members themselves.
  Perhaps one of the most strange, and certainly amongst the 
  most powerful of foes, Obliterators are shrouded in mystery. 
  Walking armouries bulking even larger than Chaos Space 
  Marines encased in Terminator Armour, Obliterators are 
  masses of twisted flesh melded with weaponry, who look as 
  if their flesh is in a state of flux. Obliterators are inhuman, 
  grotesque arcano-cyborgs whose very flesh and blood 
  can transform into white-hot plasma, titanium-
  fused bones, or internal organs that generate lethal 
  amounts of electricity. Their brains are as much 
  Obliterators are unique amongst the force 
  of Chaos as they have no allegiance to any 
  particular warband. Entire planets have been 
  laid to waste, whole civilisations perished 
  just to provide a handful of these monsters 
  with the archeotech they so covet, in an 
  effort to gain the promise of future 
  support. Yet, for all their power, the 
  origins of the Obliterators remain open 
  Often thought to once have been Techmarines 
  of the Emperor’s elite Adeptus Astartes, 
  Obliterators are known to be obsessed with 
  the merging of the material and the immaterial, 
  the organic and inorganic. Using 
  Obliterators is exceedingly rare, and while their exact 
  numbers can only be guessed at, it’s apparent 
  that they are among the least numerous 
  of assets employed by the forces of 
  Chaos. They exist outside the 
  structure of the warbands and 
  Legions, and move about 
  from one to the next, 
  for the chance to claim 
  abilities that Obliterators 
  possess is to manifest a 
  variety of heavy weapons from 
  within their own bodies. As 
  they stalk across the battlefield, 
  they morph their weaponry 
  from lascannons, to plasma 
  
  120
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  Obliterator (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (10)
  45
  50
  50
  55
  35
  30
  40
  45
  ––
  Movement:4/8/12/24 
   
  Wounds:40
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Forbidden Lore (Archeotech, Warp, 
  Daemonology, Traitor Legions) (Int), Intimidate (S), Tech-Use 
  (Int) +20.
  Talents:Ambidextrous, Crushing Blow, Fearless, Independent 
  Targeting, Mighty Shot, Swift Attack, Two-Weapon wielder 
  (Melee and Ranged). 
  Traits: Auto Stabilised, Daemonic, Fear (2), Natural Armour 
  (Warped Mechanical Flesh), Regeneration (2), Size (Hulking), 
  Sturdy, Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2). 
  Armour:Warped Mechanical Flesh (12 All).
  Weapons: Power Fist (2d10+22 E, Pen 9, Power Field, 
  Unwieldy), Eviscerator Chainblade (1d10+22 R, Pen 5, 
  Tearing, Unbalanced); Lascannon (300m; S/–/–; 6d10+12 
  E; Pen 10; Clip X, Rld X); Multi-Melta (60m; S/–/–; 4d10+8 
  E; Pen 13; Clip X, Rld X, Blast (1)); Plasma Cannon (150m; 
  S/–/–; 2d10+13 E; Pen 10; Clip X, Rld X, Volatile, Blast 
  (1)), Twin-Linked Plasma Gun (100m; S/2/–; 1d10+11 E; 
  Pen 8; Clip X, Rld X, Volatile, Twin-Linked), Twin-Linked 
  Meltagun (20m; S/–/–; 2d10+10 E; Pen 13; Clip X, Rld X, 
  Twin-Linked), Twin-Linked Flamer (20m; S/–/–; 2d10+4 
  E; Pen 3; Clip X, Rld X, Flame, Twin-Linked).
  Gear:None.
  SpecialRules
  WalkingArsenal:Obliterators can form a number of weapons 
  from their bizarre flesh, which is an unholy fusion of the 
  organic, the mechanical, and the daemonic. As a Half Action, an 
  Obliterator may manifest a ranged weapon or melee weapon from 
  the selection listed above. It is assumed to possess the necessary 
  training to use any weapon it can create and its weapons have no 
  need to be reloaded. The Obliterator may have 2 weapons formed 
  at any given time and can fire a heavy weapon single-handed. 
  adVenture seed
  Cult: Agents of the Inquisition have reported that 
  a small cult of Obliterators has been sighted on a 
  nearby planet. They appear to be combing through 
  some ancient xenos ruins. The Watch Commander 
  assigns the Kill-team the mission to capture one or 
  more Obliterators alive. They are then to transport 
  them to a secret Inquisitorial outpost where a team of 
  Tech-Adepts await. It is their hope that they can study 
  one of these creatures up close. However, no one has 
  ever managed to capture a living Obliterator before. 
  Complications ensue during transport to the facility as 
  a Chaos warband strikes at the Battle-Brothers in an 
  attempt to free the Obliterator (in the hope that it will 
  be grateful and assist them at a later time).
  new traIt:  
  the proteCtIon oF Chaos
  If the GM wishes, he may increase an Obliterator’s 
  threat by adding the Protection of Chaos Trait:
  The Protection of Chaos is a Force Field (see page 166 
  in the Deathwatch Rulebook) with a rating of 35 that 
  does not overload.
  an elIte eneMy
  Because of their ability to create heavy weapons at a 
  whim, Obliterators are more than a match for a single 
  Battle-Brother. Additionally, because they need never 
  worry about ammunition and they are encased in the 
  equivalent of Terminator Armour, they are very difficult 
  to take down unless the Kill-team works together. 
  Thankfully, they are exceedingly rare to encounter.
  at any given time and can fire a heavy weapon single-handed. 
  at any given time and can fire a heavy weapon single-handed. 
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  Obliterators are the foul amalgamation of the techno-arcane processes of the Adeptus 
  Mechanicus and the warping power of Chaos. These once-loyal Techmarines have become 
  something else entirely. I have only ever encountered one in my time as a Space Marine. 
  During that encounter, the creature went to extraordinary depths in order to secure 
  a carved stone chest that was said to contain the remnants of a xenos ruler. Having 
  slaughtered the investigating archeo-team, it was then confronted by a dozen soldiers of 
  the Mechanicus: the Skitarii. I noted with some interest that there seemed to be some 
  manner of hatred or rivalry between the Skitarii and the Obliterator. The nature of 
  this animosity can only be guessed at—perhaps it stems from their connection to their 
  mysterious Machine God. However, eventually the Obliterator had broken and killed the 
  last warrior and turned to walk off from the dig site. That was when my Battle-Brothers 
  and I intervened. Had we known that this foul corruption had planted a series of melta 
  charges in the ruins, we would have been more expedient in our attack. As my eyes cleared 
  from the flash that overloaded my suit’s auto-senses, I saw the Obliterator’s black form 
  disappearing into a waiting shuttle hidden in the brush.
  
  121
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  PLAGUE MARINES
  A Space Marine’s body is hardened against every conceivable 
  form of attack, not least against deadly biological weapons and 
  engineered plagues of all kinds. Nonetheless a Space Marine can 
  be laid low by certain warp-spawned infections and diseases, 
  their fantastic constitution betraying them and trapping them 
  in a fevered nightmare between life and death. Lingering in the 
  wracking torture of their own ravaged bodies can force even a 
  Battle-Brother’s resolve to weaken enough to make him cry out to 
  the Chaos God Nurgle, the Plague Lord, for succour. 
  Amongst the most dedicated followers of this debased cult are 
  the Chaos Space Marines of the Death Guard Legion, who fell to 
  Nurgle in the dark days of the Horus Heresy, trapped aboard their 
  ships in the warp as unnatural diseases ravaged their ranks. Over 
  the centuries many other Chaos Space Marines have had cause to 
  dedicate themselves to the Great Corruptor as they stood at the 
  threshold of death. The Maggot Lord welcomes all his children 
  with open arms, instilling in them a kind of morbid energy that 
  is terrible to behold.
  Plague Marines are Chaos Space Marines that have dedicated 
  themselves completely to Nurgle. They are greatly beloved of the 
  Lord of Pestilence. Few mortal beings have sufficient vitality to 
  bear the full weight of the many blessings that Nurgle bestows, 
  but the toughened flesh of a Chaos Space Marine is almost 
  limitless in its capacity for the most deadly parasites and plagues. 
  A lone Plague Marine can carry literally thousands of known and 
  unknown viruses and bacteria to infect the battlefield, their bellies 
  churning with maggots, worms and other foul putrescence. 
  Plague Marines are easy to recognise by their rotted appearance 
  and stink of decay. Dark clouds of flies buzz and swirl all around 
  them as they hobble forward on twisted limbs. Their armour and 
  weapons are pitted and corroded, disgustingly slick with the slime 
  and ooze that drips from pocked carapaces covered in sores. Many 
  Plague Marines appear bloated with distended organs poking out 
  through rents in their armour, their limbs deformed by parasites 
  and disease.
  Despite their rotting appearance, Plague Marines are truly 
  fearsome opponents. Their strength is undiminished and, 
  through the blessings of Nurgle, their decaying brains are 
  completely inured to the agony of their physical corruption. In 
  battle this makes them virtually unstoppable as they are all but 
  immune to the pain inflicted by the most terrible wounds in their  
  deadened flesh. 
  The Plague Marines of Nurgle are armed with rusty, filth-
  encrusted weapons blessed with some of the Lord of Decay’s most 
  virulent diseases. A wound inflicted by a Plague Marine’s weapon 
  will fester and become gangrenous within seconds, poisoning the 
  victim’s blood and rotting away their flesh. Their bolter rounds 
  carry payloads of virulent pus and infected bone; the teeth of their 
  chainswords are ripped from the mouths of plague victims.
  Even the noisome clouds of flies that follow Plague Marines 
  everywhere are a hazard in their own right. The warp-spawned 
  pests swarm across faceplates, clog respirators and bite at exposed 
  flesh unmercifully as if commanded by a sinister volition. A 
  battleground fought over by Plague Marines quickly becomes a 
  toxic wasteland that can be deadly for years to come. A thorough 
  purgation with flamers is recommended in any area where Plague 
  Marines have been present.
  Plague Marine (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (15)
  43
  43
  45
  55
  40
  30
  30
  45
  25
  Move: 5/10/15/30 
  Wounds: 36
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +10, Dodge (Ag), 
  Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp) (Int), Intimidate (S) +20, 
  Literacy (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), Survival 
  (Int), Swim (S).
  Talents: Astartes Weapon Training, Crippling Strike, 
  Fearless,  Hatred (Loyalist Space Marines), Heightened Senses 
  (Sight, Sound, Touch), Jaded, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, 
  Swift Attack.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 2 (Frightening), Size (Hulking), 
  Stuff of Nightmares, Toxic (1d10)†, Unnatural Strength (x2), 
  Unnatural Toughness (x3).
  Armour: Astartes power armour (Head 8, Arms 8, Body 10, 
  Legs 8).
  Weapons: Astartes Chainsword (1d10+14 R; Pen 4; 
  Balanced, Tearing), Astartes Bolt Pistol (30m; S/3/–; 
  2d10+5 X; Pen 5; Clip12; Reload Full; Tearing), Astartes 
  Bolter (100m; S/3/–; 2d10+5 X; Pen 5; Clip 28; Reload 
  Full; Tearing), Plague Knife (1d10+10 R; Pen 2; Toxic).
  Gear: 2 bolt pistol magazines, 4 bolter magazines, 3 
  Blight grenades.
  
  122
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  SpecialRules
  CloudofFlies: All those within 5 metres take a –10 penalty 
  to Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests as choking clouds of 
  buzzing, biting flies attack every exposed inch of flesh.
  †Toxic(1d10): This Trait applies to all Plague Marine attacks 
  including ranged ones.
  adVenture seeds
  Ritual: Epidemics have been ravaging a hive world, killing billions and turning millions more into plague zombies. 
  Adepts have narrowed the source of the diseases to a region of the underhive previously thought too toxic to sustain life. 
  A warband of Plague Marines and their disease riddled supplicants are holding court there, preparing a ritual to summon 
  a Great Unclean One, a Greater Daemon of Nurgle, to complete the ruin of the world.
  PlagueRaid: A pious gathering of Imperial faithful on a Shrine world is being targeted by Plague Marines determined 
  to shame the false Emperor and show His followers how poorly they are protected. They plan to attack in a sudden raid 
  and unleash horrifying diseases into the multitudes of pilgrims before they can be stopped. Once the blessings of Nurgle 
  have been duly dispensed, the Plague Marines can then withdraw and let the epidemic do its work. If the Plague Marines 
  can’t be intercepted, untold thousands will be consigned to grisly deaths.
  Epidemic:Outbreaks of a deadly and virulent disease that is wiping out crews on ships and way stations can be traced 
  back to xenos traders. The traders are selling artefacts which have no ill effect on xenos, but carry a contagion lethal to 
  humans. Tracing the artefacts to their source reveals them to be manufactured by a Plague Marine coven in wilderness 
  space. Eliminating the xenos traders is essential of course, but tracking down the Traitor Space Marines has an even 
  higher priority. Can the Kill-team conquer their natural instincts long enough to pursue the true threat?
  122
  122
  122
  122
  122
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  Truly the deadly virulence of Plague Marines is perhaps the most insidious weapon in their arsenal. Consider 
  this report culled from the log of the Rogue Trader Evar Worak, found when his vessel, the Summer Reign, was 
  boarded after being found adrift.
  -------------
  719842.M41
  As we passed outsystem from Heraklion, an unknown ship was spied on the augur scopes and I ordered full speed as a 
  precaution. Sure enough the newcomer fell in with us and set an intercepting course. It was big, a renegade ship by her rig and 
  certainly too large for us to fight. I altered course to slide past her before she could trap us insystem and we started to outstrip 
  her. Seeing this, the renegades loosed a brace of torpedoes after us, seemingly a pointless gesture but as I altered course again to 
  avoid their tracks, the weapons came about themselves and followed!
  We fled before them, twisting and turning but the seemingly implacable devices relentlessly closed the distance. Seeing the 
  inevitable conclusion to the race I brought us broadside and let fly at the things. Though the batteries shredded one torpedo, 
  the other one bored on through the barrage and the close-in turret fire, to sink itself in the flank of my beautiful ship. A 
  boarding torpedo of course, and we fought like devils to keep the enemy away from the engine rooms. We had to fight like devils 
  because what came out of that torpedo was surely spawned by daemons. Monstrous, putrid things they were, shaped like Space 
  Marines but filled with an indescribable foulness. Wherever their weapons struck, men fell shrieking, black veins of corruption 
  spreading through their bodies before our very eyes. 
  Our weapons seemed to barely harm them, blasts and bolts sinking harmlessly into flesh and armour that had become a twisted 
  amalgam of both. But we outnumbered them many times over and through bloodshed and sacrifice we dragged them down one 
  by one, though each might cost us a hundred. We slew them all, burned the bodies and cast them out of the ’locks, but now I 
  fear it was not enough.
  We outran the renegade ship, but some taint has been placed upon our own. The crew are falling to disease, more of them by 
  each hour and the chirurgeons are helpless to prevent it. Emperor protect us.
  
  123
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  POSSESSED CHAOS SPACE 
  MARINES
  “As I brand my flesh, so I brand my soul. As I prepare for the essence, 
  I remember that I am the elite. For soon I will become the Possessed.”
  –S’Trakh, Possessed Chaos Space Marine of the Word 
  Bearers Legion
  The Possessed are demented Chaos Space Marines who 
  harbour a singular gift: they allow their bodies to serve as 
  vessels for the daemons of the empyrean. For them, merely 
  serving the Gods of Chaos is not enough; as such, they 
  willingly become hosts to these otherworldly beings—
  gaining additional abilities and powers in the process. 
  However, such a bargain is not without severe risk. Possession 
  is usually agonising and excruciating as the daemon within 
  morphs and warps the flesh to better serve their needs. Their 
  brethren look on jealously as the flesh melts, and the muscle 
  and bone underneath pop and crack with contortions, such 
  pain eventually driving the Possessed mad—many afterwards 
  describe the sensation as a “joyous moment.”
  Within some of the most fanatical of Traitor Legions 
  and Chaos warbands, such as the Word Bearers, Brothers 
  of Livos, Fire Reavers, and others, the Possessed are seen 
  as superior to the “normal” Chaos Space Marines. They are 
  seen as the closest to the mad Gods they serve—or at least 
  as close as one can get without succumbing to spawndom or 
  attaining princehood. Those who willingly offer themselves 
  up for possession spend months conducting dark rituals 
  upon themselves: debasement, scarification, and worse. They 
  prepare their body so it can harbour the dark energies and 
  become a daemonic host. This is not a solitary event, for 
  many prepare themselves for mass possessions. Such events 
  are marked with great celebration—orgiastic feasting and 
  depravity the likes of which would drive sane men mad. 
  Others are sometimes marked with solemn and droning 
  hymnals of impurity, depending on the warband’s rites.
  The Possessed Chaos Space Marine is easy to distinguish 
  amongst his brethren. He features a grotesque visage and 
  mutated body. Many of the Possessed have vicious claws, 
  outlandishly warped musculature, tentacles that wave about, 
  warped faces, twisted bodies, whipping tails, spines, spikes, 
  antlers, horns, and other types of physical abnormalities, as 
  the daemon within reconstructs the body to its own perverted 
  whims. Some have massive bodies (larger for a Space Marine), 
  razor-sharp claws and talons, fangs, or other “natural” 
  weapons that can easily rip through the power armour 
  of a Space Marine (or even through the awesomely tough  
  Terminator Armour).
  While harbouring the daemon within them, the Possessed 
  are granted great speed, strength, and stamina. They are able 
  to shrug off wounds that would outright kill any mortal 
  warrior and slow down a normal Space Marine. It is for 
  this power that many Chaos Space Marines will willingly 
  go through the process of possession and undergo such 
  traumatic transformations. However, despite all their ritual 
  and preparation, the life of a Possessed can be cut horribly 
  short. Regardless of their strength and will, in spite of their 
  awesome augmentations and transformations, sometimes the 
  bodies of the Chaos Space Marines are unable to contain the 
  potent energies of the daemonic essence. When such failures 
  occur, the body mutates horribly and spontaneously beyond 
  all recognition as it’s consumed from within by the dark fire 
  of Chaos.
  While a Possessed has awesome physical powers that are 
  granted to it by the daemon within, they have other uses 
  aside from being able to tear through the enemy. Due to the 
  inhuman senses of the Daemon trapped within them, the 
  Possessed is able to latch onto the warp presence of other 
  creatures. This makes them superb trackers and scouts, able to 
  unerringly track down and hunt enemy positions and potential 
  victims without being seen. Additionally, this ability also 
  allows Possessed aboard the fleets of Chaos Space Marines to 
  aid the Sorcerers with warp navigation. It is without a doubt 
  that the use of this unique ability is what allows many ships 
  of the Chaos fleet to surprise their enemies and arrive from 
  the warp in places where none thought to look.
  
  124
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  Possessed Chaos Marine (Elite) Profile
  WS
  bS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  (12)
  (8)
  43
  43
  55
  45
  40
  30
  30
  45
  15
  Movement: 5/10/15/30 
  Wounds: 40
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Command (Fel) +10, 
  Dodge (Ag) +10, Intimidate (S) +20, Literacy (Int), Lore: 
  Forbidden (Daemonology, Psykers, Warp) (Int), Psyniscience 
  (Per) +10, Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), 
  Survival (Int), Swim (S), Tracking (Int) +10.
  Talents: Astartes Weapon Training, Bolter Drill, Die Hard, 
  Fearless, Hatred (Loyalist Space Marines), Heightened Senses 
  (All), Jaded, Preternatural Speed, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, 
  Swift Attack, True Grit.
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Daemonic, Dark Sight, Fear 2 
  (Frightening), Improved Natural Weapons, Natural Weapons 
  (Warp claws), Size (Hulking), Unnatural Strength (x2), 
  Unnatural Toughness (x2).
  Armour: Astartes Power Armour (Head 8, Arms 8, Body 10, 
  Legs 8), Protection of Chaos†.
  Weapons: Warp claws (1d10+12 R; Pen 4).
  †The Protection of Chaos is a Force Field (see page 166 in 
  the Deathwatch Rulebook) with a rating of 35 that does 
  not overload.
  abIlItIes oF the possessed
  The GM should select one of the following abilities for each 
  Possessed as a result of his possession by the daemonic entity. 
  Note that Stinger, Pincer Claws, and Rending Weapons replace 
  the Possessed Marine’s warp claws.
  Stinger
  The Possessed is blessed with a stinger. This can either be 
  similar to those of the terrifying Daemonettes, or take on 
  some other form. (1d10+14; Pen 2; Felling (1), Toxic)
  Pincer Claws
  One or both of the Possessed’s hands are now pincer claws, 
  like those of a crab. Needless to say, this claw prevents the 
  Chaos Space Marine from making use of any gear requiring 
  the use of hands. (1d10+14; Pen 3; Tearing)
  Rending Weapons
  Sprouting fangs, horns, spines, or spikes, the Possessed is able 
  to use these horrifying features to rend armour as easily as 
  flesh. (1d5+14; Pen 5; Razor Sharp)
  Feel No Pain
  Due to the essence contained within the body of the Possessed, 
  he is inured to pain and physical discomfort. The Possessed 
  ignores all levels of Fatigue and ignores any Critical Effects 
  that relate to pain (GM’s option), but not to limb loss or other 
  damage types. The Possessed Marine gains 10 Bonus Wounds.
  Power Aura
  Through some little-understood warp method, the daemon 
  within is able to surround the Chaos Space Marine and his 
  weapons with a powerful energy field. This means that all 
  melee weapons are treated as having the Power Field Quality 
  and increase their Penetration to 8.
  Powerful Legs
  The Possessed’s legs have twisted into a form that allows 
  him to leap further and run faster than ever before. Treat 
  the Possessed as having +5 to Movement (e.g., a “standard” 
  Possessed would have a Movement of 10/20/30/60).
  an elIte adVersary
  Possessed Chaos Space Marines are an Elite-level enemy. 
  While they will be a challenge to many individual Space 
  Marines, an uninjured Kill-team will be able to take one 
  down without too much difficulty. However, unless 
  they are in a squad of their fellows, Possessed will rarely 
  attempt to take on a fully armed Kill-team directly. 
  At the Gm’s discretion, Possessed Marines may 
  have any Mark of Chaos (see page 363 in the  
  Deathwatch Rulebook).
  Possessed would have a Movement of 10/20/30/60).
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  I find that the Universe is indeed 
  cruel, but this only serves to 
  reinforce my faith in my Primarch 
  and the Emperor. Today I mourn the 
  loss of two Brothers with whom I have 
  fought side by side for many years. 
  For the past several weeks we were 
  investigating the mysterious deaths 
  of personnel within the ranks of 
  the Imperial Guard. Clearly we had 
  a dangerous predator in our midst—
  although I must admit that I was 
  unprepared for the form such a creature 
  would take. This killer seemed well-
  trained in stealth and deception; 
  somehow able to pinpoint the exact 
  location of its victim and eliminate 
  them. We knew that it was only a matter 
  of time before the creature would 
  target us. As it turns out, I was to 
  be the next victim. When this depraved 
  attacker was revealed, I was surprised 
  to find out it was one of the fallen 
  Space Marines, but one who had perhaps 
  fallen further than others. This was 
  one of the Possessed, a group of Chaos 
  Marines who choose to allow a daemon 
  to dwell within them. In exchange for 
  their soul’s corruption and eternal 
  damnation, they receive the powers of 
  the daemon; one of which is the ability 
  to unerringly track targets through 
  the warp. As members of my Kill-team 
  lay dying, as this creature’s form lay 
  broken—the malfeasance within fleeing—
  it was almost as if reason suddenly 
  returned to him. I honoured him with a 
  swift death, unlike the ones he gave  
  his victims.
  
  125
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  Weapons of 
  Chaos
  “Strike the first chord... tap the rune of power... eternal bliss that only 
  the Prince of Pleasures can provide!”
  –Noise Marine Chant
  T
  he followers of Chaos have many weapons at their 
  disposal in their never-ending war against the 
  inexhaustible armies of the Imperium of Mankind. 
  Listed below are a selection of some of the more commonly 
  encountered weapons used by Chaos forces across the  
  Jericho Reach.
  NOISE MARINE WEAPONS
  The weapons employed by the dreaded Noise Marines use 
  a combination of light and sound designed to stimulate the 
  sensations of both the wielder and the unfortunate victim. 
  Because the Slaanesh-worshipping traitors’ minds are so 
  twisted and distorted, only the most deafening and raucous 
  noises stir their senses.
  sonIC blaster
  A Sonic Blaster unleashes wave after wave of crippling and 
  distorted harmonics of sound to rip targets apart. Many Noise 
  Marines equipped with such weapons use them with manic 
  intensity. They run up and down through the various chords 
  and sliding scales so that these devices perpetually howl with 
  a mixture of agony and ecstasy.
  dooM sIren
  The Doom Siren is a dreaded weapon fitted to some Noise 
  Marines. A complex arrangement of pipes and tubes that fits 
  around the helmet to act as amplifiers, the device projects the 
  Noise Marine’s horrific battle screams and terrifying howls of 
  ecstatic pleasures into a manic wall of destruction across the 
  field. The Doom Siren drives the screeched song over enemies 
  and vehicles in an orgiastic scream of death and destruction.
  blastMaster
  Focusing a thrumming bass note that builds to a crescendo 
  of explosive intensity, the Blastmaster is a heavy weapon 
  employed by Noise Marines. This sound is capable of 
  bursting and rupturing organs. Armour offers little protection 
  as it tends to act as a resonator, enhancing the already deadly 
  frequencies, liquefying the bones and organs of those encased 
  within. Armoured vehicles are similarly wrecked, as they 
  crack and shatter under the atonal assault.
  
  126
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  The Blastmaster has two settings: by altering the frequency 
  being used, the weapon can either fire off a withering hail of 
  discordant noise, or a single, massive infernal blast. 
  PLAGUE MARINE 
  WEAPONS
  Giving their loyalty to the Plague Father, Nurgle, Plague 
  Marines are living contagions of disease and death. Many 
  of the weapons employed by these plagued beings likewise 
  transmit horrific and deadly maladies. Listed below are some 
  of the more wicked devices of death designed to please 
  Nurgle and bring about both death and suffering.
  blIght grenades
  Bloated and swollen with disease, the Plague Marines long 
  to share their pathogens with those who are hale and hearty. 
  Cultivating these contagions into explosive devices designed 
  to wound and infect over a large area, Blight grenades 
  expose those who are injured by the corrupted pieces of 
  plague-ridden shrapnel to the most deadly of toxins. These 
  contagions can penetrate cracks in armour, cause flesh to boil 
  and slough away, and fill the air with blinding spores, all the 
  while keeping the victim alive until the very end—so they 
  can better enjoy the gifts of the Lord of Decay. Some versions 
  of Blight Grenades resemble maggot-filled shrunken heads.
  plague knIVes
  Corroded and diseased blades that have been blessed by the 
  great Nurgle, plague knives are sure to deliver their blighted 
  corruption to any who are even scratched by them. These 
  are one of the ways the dreaded Plague Marines deliver their 
  “benedictions” across the galaxy.
  OTHER WEAPONS
  The weapons detailed below are not specific to any type of 
  band or group. They are found amongst all the dreaded forces 
  of the Ruinous Powers.
  berzerker aXe
  Found mainly within the ranks of the Khorne Berzerkers, 
  these chain axes are often thought to be possessed by a 
  daemon of rage. 
  Table 3-1: Chaos Weapons
  Name
  Class
  Range
  ROF
  Dam
  Pen
  Clip
  Rld
  Special
  Berzerker Axe
  Melee
  —
  —
  1d10+4 R
  4
  —
  —
  Tearing
  Blastmaster (Explosive 
  Crescendo)
  Heavy
  250m
  S/–/–
  3d10+10 E
  8
  —
  —
  Blast (5), 
  Devastating (2)
  Blastmaster (Hail of 
  Noise)
  Basic
  150m
  S/2/–
  1d10+12 E
  6
  —
  —
  Devastating (1), 
  Storm
  Blight Grenades
  Thrown
  SBx3
  S/–/–
  3d10+5 I
  0
  —
  —
  Blast (†), Devastating 
  (3), Toxic
  Doom Siren
  Basic
  30m
  S/–/–
  1d10+12 E
  9
  —
  —
  Flame††
  Plague Knife
  Melee
  —
  —
  1d10 R
  2
  —
  —
  Toxic
  Sonic Blaster
  Basic
  100m
  S/2/4
  1d10+9 E
  4
  —
  —
  —
  †If the grenade does any Damage, then, each round after the first, check for another target at random (friend or foe) within d5 metres 
  to see if any Damage is caused to them (rolling for new Damage to represent the mutated virus). Continue until Damage is not taken or 
  after d10 rounds have passed.
  after d10 rounds have passed.
  †† This weapon follows the rules for the Flame special quality except that it does not set targets on fire.
  
  127
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  CHAOS PSYCHIC POWERS
  Listed below are some of the more common Sorcerous powers 
  granted to Chaos Space Marine Sorcerers. These powers are 
  often in addition to their own formidable psychic powers. 
  bolt oF Change 
  Action: Half Action
  Range: 50m x PR
  Sustained:No
  Description: The Sorcerer hurls a roiling ball of coruscating 
  energy at the target. This blast is formed of the raw magic of 
  primal Chaos, and its touch brings rapid mutation and death. 
  Victims of the Bolt of Change are torn apart as their bodies rebel 
  against the blasphemous energies that warp them. The bolt does 
  1d10 x Psy Rating E damage. Additionally, a victim of the Bolt 
  of Change must pass a Challenging(+0)WillpowerTest. 
  Failure by 5 degrees or more indicates that the victim is either 
  violently torn apart by the uncontrolled power or mutated into 
  a mewling spawn of Chaos that rapidly expires. (In either case, 
  the victim instantly dies unless he burns a Fate Point, which 
  also prevents mutation in the case of a Battle-Brother.) If the 
  victim passes the Test, or fails by less than 5 degrees, there is no 
  additional effect.
  dooMbolt
  Action: Half Action
  Opposed: No
  Range: 20 metres x Psy Rating
  Sustained:No
  Description: Doombolt is a common destructive power utilised 
  by a great many Sorcerers to strike down their foes. Doombolts 
  are corrosive bolts of dark energy, formed from the coalesced spite 
  and loathing of the Sorcerer. The psyker must nominate a single 
  target within range and line of sight; if the Focus Power Test 
  is successful, then the target has been successfully hit. For every 
  Degree of Success after the first, the psyker scores an additional 
  hit. The number of extra hits scored in this manner may not 
  exceed twice the psyker’s Psy Rating. The first hit must strike the 
  initially-chosen target, while any subsequent hits may strike either 
  the initial target, or any other targets within two metres, providing 
  all of the targets are within range and line of sight. This may be 
  dodged exactly as if it were a Full-Auto Attack. Each bolt has the 
  following profile: 1d10+10 E, Pen 8. 
  nurgle’s rot
  Action: Half Action
  Opposed: No
  Range: 5 metres + Psy Rating radius
  Sustained:Yes
  Description: The grandest and most infamous of Nurgle’s 
  contagions, Nurgle’s Rot is known by many names and has 
  appeared on countless worlds, leaving entire populations 
  desolated by this terrible daemonic pathogen. Nurgle-devoted 
  Sorcerers take on all manner of diseases, serving as host to the 
  creations of the Lord of Plagues. From this seething mass of 
  decay and entropy, these devotees of pestilence summon forth 
  the psychic echo of this paragon of plagues, inflicting it upon 
  those nearby.
  The infectious gift of Nurgle is cast outwards to embrace 
  all who stray too near to the Sorcerer. Creatures within range 
  of the Sorcerer while this power remains in effect suffer 
  1d10 + Psy Rating damage, with the Toxic (1d10) quality. 
  The damage from this power ignores Armour unless it is 
  environmentally sealed.
  While this power remains in effect, the air within the 
  power’s range is filled with a thick, acrid fog and swarms 
  of massive bloated flies. Any creature within range that is 
  not devoted to Nurgle suffers a –5 penalty to Intelligence, 
  Perception and Fellowship Tests as the foul vapour and 
  buzzing flies hinder their concentration and drive them 
  to distraction. This effect is in addition to any normal  
    Psychic Phenomena.
  warptIMe
  Action: Half Action
  Range: You
  Sustained:Yes
  Description: The Sorcerer surrounds himself with a field 
  of dimensional instability, warping the passage of time. The 
  Sorcerer gains a bonus to his Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill 
  equal to his Psy Rating +10, and he may re-roll one damage 
  dice every Round.
  wInd oF Chaos
  Action: Half Action
  Opposed: Yes
  Range: 5 metres x Psy Rating
  Sustained:No
  Description: Reaching deep into the corruption within 
  his soul, the Sorcerer unleashes a wave of energy that leaves 
  devastation in its wake. Depending upon the devotions of 
  the Sorcerer, the nature of this outpouring of corrupt power 
  varies—those devoted to Nurgle produce a stream of bilious 
  filth, while a rain of hypnotic light or glittering golden 
  light characterises the powers of a Slaaneshi Sorcerer. Every 
  Sorcerer’s Wind of Chaos is subtly different, coloured by 
  their own prejudices and insanities.
  The Sorcerer produces a torrent of foul energy in a 30 
  degree cone out to the power’s range, similar to a weapon 
  with the Flame Quality. Creatures caught within the spray 
  may oppose the Focus Power Test with an Agility Test. Any 
  creature that does not successfully avoid the power’s effects 
  suffers 2d10+ Psy Rating Energy damage with the Felling 
  (2) and Warp Weapon Qualities, plus a single additional 
  Quality determined by the Sorcerer’s alignment.
  If used by a Tzeentchian Sorcerer, Wind of Chaos gains 
  the Flame quality. If used by a Slaaneshi Sorcerer, Wind 
  of Chaos gains the Shocking quality. If used by a Nurgle 
  Sorcerer, Wind of Chaos gains the Toxic quality. If used by an 
  Undivided Sorcerer, Wind of Chaos gains the Tearing quality.
  
  128
  III: The Forces of Chaos
  Addendum by Codicier Taelon
  The following archival entry I discovered open on my data-terminal. Having thoroughly checked every 
  access log, I am confidant that no intruder entered my cell while I was at prayer, and a sub-level meta-probe 
  revealed no remote access had taken place. I can only assume that the Omega Vault itself recovered this 
  account and presented it for me to read. 
  It	started	as	a	violet	shimmer	in	the	night	skies,	a	captivating	spectacle	that	grew	more	dazzling	with	each	appearance.	The	multitudes	
  flocked	in	ever-greater	numbers	to	behold	the	lights,	and	some	even	started	to	claim	that	they	foretold	of	the	return	of	the	long-	
  lost	Emperor.
  Soon	such	tales	were	sweeping	the	land,	and	there	was	little	I	and	the	council	could	do	to	impose	order.	As	the	lights	grew	so	bright	they	
  were	visible	even	in	the	daytime,	all	order	collapsed.	The	entire	population	took	to	the	streets	in	adulation,	singing	the	praises	of	the	
  returned	Emperor	who	the	rabble-rousers	promised	them	would	soon	walk	in	their	midst.	Each	supplicant	contested	with	the	next	to	sing	
  the	praises	of	the	Emperor	ever	louder,	until	the	spires	shook	with	the	cacophony	of	a	million	incoherent	voices.
  On	the	twelfth	day,	the	entire	sky	was	engulfed	by	the	seething	violet	lights,	great	tendrils	of	the	ether	coiling	through	the	clouds	to	quest	
  across	the	wastes.	One	such	tendril	came	to	rest	in	the	grand	square,	in	the	very	midst	of	the	greatest	congregation	of	supplicants,	whose	
  voices	were	now	raised	in	such	unholy	din	that	that	their	own	ears	gushed	with	blood.	
  And	then	the	square	was	engulfed	in	such	a	mighty	radiance	that	thousands	were	blinded	in	an	instant.	I	myself	watched	from	atop	my	
  palace	bastion,	and	even	at	a	distance	of	almost	a	mile	was	struck	dumb	by	the	scintillating	light.	The	multitudes	collapsed	to	their	knees	
  and	silence	finally	descended	as	a	silhouette	appeared	amidst	the	light.	A	figure	stepped	forth,	tall	and	proud	and	suggestive	of	every	
  virtue	legend	ascribes	to	the	Emperor.
  And	then	the	figure	was	resolved	for	all	to	see.	He	bade	the	supplicants	to	raise	their	heads	and	look	upon	his	countenance.	But	it	was	not	
  the	gold-girded	form	of	our	long-lost	master	who	stood	there	before	us.	It	was	some	manner	of	fiend,	its	features	cruel	and	lascivious	and	
  its	eyes	almond-shaped	and	black.	A	vile	tongue	quested	forth	from	a	mouth	lined	with	a	million	lamprey	teeth.	Its	body	was	adorned	with	
  fragments	of	armour	wrought	into	impossibly	complex	forms,	and	its	skin,	where	it	showed	through	the	armour	was	as	white	as	ivory.	None	
  could	fathom	its	gender,	for	it	was	both	male	and	female,	and	neither.
  By	the	Emperor,	it	was	beautiful.
  Every	one	of	us	gave	ourselves	utterly	to	that	perfect	fiend	and	we	are	blessed	to	serve	in	its	exquisite	host.	The	warp	is	come	to	my	world,	
  the	entirety	of	which	I	willingly	give	unto	my	new	master.	My	people	I	pledge	body	and	soul	to	the	perfect	glory	of	the	Empyrean,	and	
  we	shall	spread	word	of	that	perfection	across	the	void.
  My	soul	belongs	to	Chaos,	and	soon	so	too	shall	everyone	in	this	entire	region.	This	is	my	oath,	in	the	name	of	my	master,	Slaan’ulani,	
  Caller	of	the	Perfect	Storm	and	Lord	of	the	Exquisite	Host.
  
  usIng hordes In 
  deathwatCh
  •
  new horde traIts
  •
  Massed battles
  •
  turnIng poInts
  
  130
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  Chapter IV: 
  Advanced 
  Adversaries
  “They came without number and without remorse. They came from 
  every side and at every hour. They came hungry for our blood, and 
  they just kept on coming. Every one that came... we killed.”
  –Battle-Brother Glarus of the Crimson Fists
  N
  othing exemplifies the strength and power of the 
  Space Marines like their ability to deal with a foe 
  that vastly outnumbers them. In fact it is very rare 
  that a Battle-Brother will ever face his enemies in equal 
  numbers, more often encountering scores of foes for each 
  member of his Kill-team team at any one time. Of course this 
  is what a Space Marine expects on the field of battle and he 
  trains to work in small units, or even alone, against these large 
  enemy formations, knowing he is worth any number of lesser 
  warriors and willing to prove it with whirling chainsword 
  and hammering bolter fire. It is a well known adage that 
  there is less than one Space Marine for each world in the 
  Imperium, so it is easy to imagine just how thin the Chapters 
  are spread and how vastly the enemies of man outnumber 
  them. It is little wonder then that as a Battle-Brother becomes 
  a veteran of many battles, campaigns and wars, it will be atop 
  the bodies and blood of countless foes. 
  In Deathwatch, the players will often find themselves 
  outnumbered by their foes, sometimes many times over, or 
  they might find themselves facing a foe which would be little 
  danger to them individually but in large numbers can pose a 
  threat to even a heavily armed and armoured Space Marine. 
  For both these instances the Deathwatch Rulebook includes 
  rules for Hordes (see page 359) which allow the GM to turn 
  any kind of foe into a mob or combat formation of dozens, 
  hundreds or even thousands of individuals, making it far 
  more deadly and harder to kill. This section builds upon these 
  Horde rules and offers advice to the GM on when and how 
  to use Hordes in his games, as well as Horde tactics and how 
  Hordes can be used intelligently to make them even more 
  deadly. It will also cover unusual kinds of Hordes such as 
  Psychic Hordes or Vehicle Hordes and provide guidelines for 
  Horde versus Horde combats. Finally this section also provides 
  a number of new Horde Traits which the GM can apply to his 
  Hordes giving them special abilities that represent the myriad 
  kinds of Hordes the players might face and the different ways 
  in which they will fight in combat.
  USING HORDES IN 
  DEATHWATCH
  Hordes are a great way of making an individually weak foe, 
  such as a mutant or Grot, into a real danger for the players. 
  In addition to making these kinds of foes harder to defeat, 
  it also increases their Attacks and Damage and thus in many 
  cases gives them a chance of actually hurting a Battle-Brother 
  by getting past their impressive armour and Toughness. 
  Hordes are also an excellent way to impress upon the players 
  the power of their characters as they mow down scores of 
  foes or wade into mobs of enemies hacking them down left 
  and right. This can then also make the appearance of single 
  powerful foes, such as Genestealers or Tau battlesuits, even 
  more notable as they stand out from the throngs of lesser 
  enemies and test the player’s abilities one on one.
  Pretty much any kind of enemy can be turned into a Horde 
  simply by giving it a Magnitude and applying the special 
  Horde rules from the rulebook, however some foes make 
  better Hordes than others and some can become very deadly 
  indeed. As a general rule, if the GM thinks that an individual 
  foe is a match (or more than a match) for one of the Battle-
  Brothers, then it should generally not be encountered as a 
  Horde (this is not to say the foe could not be encountered in 
  large numbers, only that the normal rules should be enough 
  to make such an encounter challenging). For anything below 
  this level of power, however, Hordes work well. The GM 
  can even build up to a Horde to give it greater impact when 
  it does arrive, such as having the players easily dispatch 
  numerous small groups or lone Termagants, before a wave of 
  them descends on the Kill-team in their hundreds.
  
  131
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  horde taCtICs
  Though they are made of many individuals, Hordes 
  functionally behave in much the same way as a single enemy 
  and can do pretty much anything an individual member 
  of the Horde would be capable of. There are some things, 
  however, that Hordes can do but individuals cannot, and the 
  GM can take advantage of these in his games to make his 
  Hordes more challenging and his players’ combats against 
  Hordes more interesting.
  Splitting
  Hordes are by their nature an amorphous group of individuals 
  which can ebb and flow during the course of a battle, 
  represented abstractly by a Magnitude. However in some 
  instances the GM can have a Horde split in the midst of a 
  combat, having a portion of its Magnitude remove itself and 
  become a second, separate Horde. This could be because the 
  players have split up and the Horde is splitting up to follow 
  them, the Horde is leaving some of its number behind to 
  protect something, giving the other portion covering fire, or 
  any number of similar reasons. When a Horde splits, it in 
  essence becomes two new Hordes. Splitting a Horde is not an 
  Action and does not cost the Horde any time or movement.
  Regrouping
  Hordes can also form spontaneously from either smaller 
  Hordes or groups of individuals. This can be the case 
  where scattered foes are fighting the players, only to be 
  gathered together into a more formidable fighting unit by a 
  commander or the arrival of a larger contingent of troops. At 
  the start of any Round, as a Full Action for all those involved, 
  two or more Hordes may combine into a single larger Horde 
  by simply adding their Magnitudes together. In addition, 
  individual warriors (i.e., those not part of a Horde) may join 
  a Horde in the same way, adding 1 to its Magnitude (if there 
  are lots of individual warriors joining the Horde, the GM can 
  increase this number but it should typically not exceed 5). 
  Only Hordes and individuals of the same kind (i.e. Renegade 
  Militia, Termagants, Eldar Guardians, and so forth) can join 
  together in this way. In combat situations (or if the players 
  are trying to group together friendly Hordes in this way), the 
  GM may require a Challenging(+0)CommandTestfrom 
  whoever is in charge.
  Cover
  Hordes can take advantage of terrain in the same way as 
  individual warriors, and clever use of their environment can 
  make them harder to dispatch. As a rule, as long as at least 
  half of the members of a Horde are in cover (or some other 
  form of advantageous terrain), the whole Horde will gain the 
  benefit from it. The GM should remember however that this 
  also covers hazardous terrain or difficult terrain which can 
  harm or slow down a Horde in the same way that it would 
  affect an individual warrior. In the case of damage inflicted by 
  hazardous terrain, use the normal rules for damaging a Horde 
  (i.e., it will reduce the Horde’s Magnitude by 1 if it inflicts 
  any amount of damage).
  Horde Traits
  in addition to the tactics and combat options open to 
  individual warriors, Hordes can sometimes perform unique 
  and powerful attacks or possess potent defences which make 
  them far more dangerous than they would be as individuals. 
  The GM can use these Traits to change the way his Hordes 
  operate in battle and provide the players with a greater 
  challenge when facing Hordes. A full list of these Traits, and 
  the kinds of Hordes they are most suited to, can be found 
  below in the New Horde Traits section.
  psyChIC hordes
  Though rare, it is possible for the players to encounter a 
  Horde that is made up of psykers. While powerful individual 
  psykers, such as Eldar Warlocks or Tyranid Zoanthropes, are 
  almost always dealt with as individuals, some psykers, like 
  cultist witches or mutants may only be able to generate a 
  real threat when working together. If a Horde has any 
  psychic abilities then it follows the normal psychic rules for 
  manifesting and maintaining powers found in Chapter VI of 
  the Deathwatch Rulebook, with the following exceptions:
  • A psychic Horde may attempt to manifest a power instead 
  to making an attack. If the Horde is large enough to gain 
  multiple attacks then it may sacrifice any number of these 
  to manifest the same number of powers (the same power 
  may even be used more than once since there are many 
  individuals who possess it). 
  • A psychic Horde uses the first number of its Magnitude 
  as its Psy Rating unless the Psy Rating of an individual 
  member of the Horde would be higher. For example, a 
  Horde of mutants each with a Psy Rating of 2 but with 
  a Magnitude of 40 would have a Psy Rating of 4 until 
  its Magnitude dropped to less than 20, at which time it 
  would use the individual Psy Rating of 2.
  • Psychic effects which would normally only affect psykers 
  will affect every member of the Horde, treating it as if it 
  was an individual entity. In cases where this would create 
  unusual situations or contradictions, the GM has the final 
  say on the outcome of the power.
  MassIVe hordes
  The Magnitude of a Horde is an abstract number which 
  can represent dozens of foes or thousands; however 
  regardless of the actual number of enemies within a Horde, 
  the Magnitude broadly represents both how deadly it is 
  and how difficult it is to kill. Most Hordes will range in 
  Magnitude from 10–40, which in most cases will present 
  a good challenge and a reasonable threat to the players. 
  It is of course entirely possible to have Magnitudes much 
  higher than this, such as 60 or 70 or more. While a 
  Horde with such a large Magnitude will take the players 
  longer to destroy and have more ranged attacks, there is 
  a cap of how much extra damage a Horde can dish out (a 
  maximum of +2d10 for Hordes of magnitude 20+). For 
  this reason it is often better to have two smaller Hordes 
  working together rather than one larger one. 
  
  132
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  • If a psychic Horde triggers Perils of the Warp, determine 
  the results as normal. However any results which would 
  cause damage to the psyker instead reduce the Horde’s 
  magnitude by 1d5+1. Results which have an area of 
  effect are centred in the middle of the Horde.
  hordes Versus hordes
  It can come to pass that the players have support from groups 
  of Imperial warriors such as Guardsmen, Naval Armsmen 
  or planetary defence force which the GM may choose to 
  represent as a Horde. This will sometimes lead to a situation 
  where the GM finds two Hordes facing off against each other 
  in the midst of a combat involving the Battle-Brothers. While 
  the GM can fight out the results of such battles using the 
  standard rules, rolling to hit and dealing damage from one 
  Horde to another, it is often easier to simplify the results of 
  such conflicts (especially when they are unlikely to directly 
  involve the players).
  Two quick methods for dealing with Horde versus 
  Horde combat are the Narrative Method and the  
  Simplified Method:
  • With the Narrative Method the GM decides the outcome 
  of combats between Hordes based on the Magnitude, 
  equipment and characteristics of the Hordes without 
  rolling any dice. If the Kill-team wish to aid a Horde 
  against another using the Narrative Method the GM 
  can factor the damage they inflict into the time it takes 
  to destroy the Horde speeding up the process. The 
  advantage of the Narrative Method is that it keeps the 
  focus of the action firmly on the players while Hordes 
  fight in the background.
  • With the Simplified Method the GM reduces the 
  combat between Hordes to a single opposed dice roll. 
  Each Horde rolls 2d10 and adds the first digit of its 
  Magnitude, plus an additional 1d10 if they have superior 
  weapons, armour or characteristics than their opponents. 
  The difference between the rolls is then subtracted from 
  the losing Hordes Magnitude. The advantage of the 
  Simplified Method is that it introduces an element of 
  chance but keeps things quick. If a Kill-team attacks a 
  Horde engaged in combat with another Horde using the 
  Simplified Method they will inflict damage as normal.
  eXaMple
  A Horde of Guardsmen with a Magnitude of 40 is fighting a Horde 
  of Termagants with a Magnitude of 30. The GM decides to use the 
  Simplified Method to work out the engagement. The Guardsmen roll 
  2d10 and add 4 (the first digit of their Magnitude) getting an 11. 
  The Termagants then roll 2d10 and add 3 getting 8. The different 
  of 3 is then removed from the Termagants Magnitude reducing 
  them to 27. In a later encounter the Guardsmen face a Horde of 
  Hormagaunts with Magnitude 30 (a foe with better characteristics 
  than themselves). The Guardsmen roll 2d10 adding 4 and get a 
  10. The Hormagaunts roll 3d10 (using an extra 1d10 than the 
  Guardsmen for being more powerful) and add 3 getting 19. The 
  difference of 9 is then removed from the Guardsmen’s Magnitude as 
  the Hormagaunts tear through their ranks.
  endless hordes
  In some cases, the GM may want to represent a truly vast 
  Horde which the players cannot hope to defeat. All they can 
  do is hold back the foe, and perhaps reduce their strength for 
  a time before even more enemies arrive. This can be especially 
  useful to represent such horrors as Tyranid swarms or planets 
  with entirely hostile populations where the goal for the Kill-
  team is not to slay all their foes but survive long enough to 
  complete their objectives. The GM should be sure to make 
  the situation clear to the players when using Endless Hordes, 
  being sure to describe the fact that there are far too many to 
  kill and even more waiting to replace the enemies they can 
  see. In the right circumstances, Endless Hordes can make for 
  tense and exciting battles, as the Kill-team tries to hold out 
  for precious minutes awaiting support, or fights its way to a 
  target through a sea of enemy troops.
  hordes on the table top
  Because Hordes are in essence a mob or group of many 
  foes, it can be tricky representing them with counters of 
  figures if you use these in your games. Presented here 
  are a couple of ways the GM can represent a Horde on 
  the table top:
  • The first is with a number of figures equal to the 
  Horde’s Magnitude all grouped together into 
  a mob; so that they are all occupying adjoining 
  squares or all their bases are touching. When the 
  Horde takes damage, the GM can remove a figure 
  so that the players have a clear representation 
  of just how much of the Horde remains. It is 
  important to remember though that such a Horde 
  can represent a very large number of individuals 
  and not just the figures on the table. To represent 
  this, count characters as “in melee” with the Horde 
  if they are within a number of inches (or squares) 
  equal to twice the first digit of its size modifier, i.e., 
  an Enormous Horde (+20 size modifier) would be 
  able to make melee attacks (and have melee attacks 
  made against it) against characters up to 4 inches 
  or squares from its nearest model. 
  • If the GM does not have enough figures or counters 
  to represent the Horde, or does not want to use 
  this many figures on the table top, he could instead 
  use a single figure to represent the Horde, with a 
  dice next to the figure’s base, indicating its current 
  Magnitude. Of course, any Horde has a melee 
  “footprint” much larger than that of a lone figure 
  (or counter if you wish), and if the GM is using this 
  method, he should consider any characters within 
  a number of inches or squares equal to 5 times the 
  Horde’s size modifier to be in melee with it. For 
  example, an Enormous Horde (+20 size modifier) 
  would be able to make melee attacks (and have 
  melee attacks made against it) against characters up 
  to 10 inches or squares from its model or counter.
  
  133
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  To create an Endless Horde, the GM sets the Horde’s 
  Magnitude as normal, depending on the amount of foes 
  which can realistically get at the characters. This could range 
  from as small as 20 or 30 in confined spaces such as a bunker 
  or void ship, to 60+ in open cities or blasted battlefields. The 
  Horde then fights normally using all the standard rules for 
  Hordes governing its number of attacks and damage it can 
  deal, with the two following exceptions:
  • Damage inflicted on the Horde only lasts for its following 
  round, at the end of which it is restored to its starting 
  Magnitude (even if it was reduced to 0 Magnitude) as fresh 
  warriors rush in to fill its ranks.
  • Endless Hordes need never test morale and will never 
  break or run away—there are just too many of them to be 
  defeated by “a handful” of casualties.
  eXaMple
  The Kill-team is holding out in the ruins of an Imperial firebase 
  against a Tau battlegroup numbered in its thousands, while they wait 
  for an orbital barrage to even the odds. The GM decides that there 
  are so many Fire Warriors in the Horde that it counts as Endless 
  and assigns it a Magnitude of 60, given the ease at which they can 
  bring their numbers to bear. In the players’ turn they manage to 
  reduce the Fire Warrior Horde’s Magnitude to 45 with their attacks, 
  so in the Fire Warrior’s turn it makes return attacks at this reduced 
  Magnitude, working out attacks and damage based on a Magnitude 
  of 45. At the end of its turn however it returns to a Magnitude  
  of 60.
  NEW HORDE TRAITS
  “A lone hormagaunt is little more than target practice; a hundred, 
  however, is a different beast entirely...”
  –Battle-Brother Darstan, 10th Company Storm Wardens 
  No two kinds of Hordes are exactly the same and depending 
  on the nature of the creatures which make up their numbers 
  they will fight and behave in very different ways. Some 
  Hordes may be unruly mobs that come at the Battle-Brothers 
  in a mass of teeth and claws, while others will be disciplined 
  ranks of well trained foes which attack in methodical 
  precision under the guidance of officers and commanders. 
  Some Hordes are even stranger than these and consist of 
  foes which gain special properties when gathered in large 
  numbers, bending the laws of reality and tearing holes in the 
  Materium with their very presence. Some of these differences 
  will come through as a result of the creature profile on which 
  a Horde is based, however in many cases Hordes possess 
  abilities and effects which only become apparent when they 
  gather in large numbers. This is where the GM can use Horde 
  Traits to represent the distinct natures and fighting styles of  
  different Hordes.
  Horde Traits are divided into three broad groups (Trained, 
  Wild and Unnatural) to help the GM decide which kinds of 
  Hordes they might be appropriate for. There are no absolute 
  rules as to which Traits can be used with which Hordes and 
  the GM can apply any of the Horde Traits presented here to 
  any Hordes he might create, using his own common sense 
  and best judgement. In fact, it is also entirely possible that two 
  Hordes of the same type may have different Traits depending 
  on their level of training, the exact type of creature they are 
  or their commanders (i.e. one well trained Traitor Guardsman 
  Horde might have the Volley Fire Trait while another fighting 
  alongside it with less discipline might not). The GM may also 
  give his Hordes more than one Trait, though this is unusual 
  and should be reserved for the most dangerous or elite kinds 
  of Hordes. It would be a very unusual Horde indeed which 
  had Traits from more than one of the categories below 
  (Trained but Wild Hordes tend to be rare indeed).
  horde traIts In deathwatCh
  The Horde Traits presented here are designed to work 
  alongside those from the Traits section of the Deathwatch 
  rulebook. For completeness, the five Horde Traits in the 
  rulebook fall into the following categories:
  • Trained Traits
  • Disciplined (Deathwatch page 130)
  • Fighting Withdrawal (Deathwatch page 132)
  • Fire Drill (Deathwatch page 132)
  • Wild Traits
  • Blood Soaked Tide (Deathwatch page 130)
  • Overwhelming (Deathwatch page 133)
  
  134
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  traIned horde traIts
  Many kinds of warriors in the 41st Millennium have been 
  extensively trained to fight together in large formations, 
  and excel in situations where they have the support of their 
  comrades. A trained Horde usual operates under a commander 
  and exercises discipline and fire control on the battlefield, 
  its every move a carefully measured tactical response to its 
  enemies, following ancient rules of warfare laid down by 
  veterans and tacticians of its race. When encountered in 
  strength and under solid leadership, a trained Horde can be 
  a fearsome foe indeed and use its weapons and warriors to 
  their most devastating effect. Tau Fire Warriors, Imperial 
  Guardsmen and Eldar Guardians are all good examples of 
  trained Hordes.
  Focused Fire
  A well trained unit of soldiers can lay down a devastating 
  curtain of fire by overlapping their firing arcs, working in 
  dedicated fire teams and choosing common targets from 
  amongst their foes. This Trait represents the Horde’s ability to 
  maintain fire discipline and selective targeting even in the heat 
  of battle, which greatly increases their chances to score telling 
  hits against their enemies. A Horde with the Focused Fire 
  Trait can add its Magnitude to its Ballistic Skill when making 
  ranged attacks up to a maximum bonus of +30. Note that this 
  bonus is an increase to Ballistic Skill and not a modifier to hit 
  and so can be in addition to any other beneficial modifiers the 
  Horde might gain for close range or automatic fire.
  Reform
  As a trained combat unit takes damage and its warriors 
  fall in battle, others move up to take their place and cover 
  their position. In this way such a formation can maintain its 
  strength even in the face of casualties and keep up a constant 
  level of fire upon its foes. This Trait allows a Horde to 
  regenerate some of its Magnitude each turn under the close 
  tutelage of its commanders. A Horde with the Reform Trait 
  can recover 1d5 Magnitude at the start of each of its turns as a 
  Free Action. If the Horde is led by an able commander, he can 
  make a Challenging(+0)CommandTest to increase this 
  number by 1, plus an addition 1 for every degree of success. 
  This test counts as a Half Action for the commander.
  Rally
  Discipline is paramount in a well trained military formation, 
  and soldiers are drilled constantly to stand their ground and 
  do their duty regardless of casualties they might suffer. Some 
  units however have more resolve than others and are better at 
  following their orders to the bitter end regardless of the cost 
  in lives. This Trait allows a Horde to hold its ground even in 
  the face of overwhelming casualties and almost certain defeat. 
  A Horde with the Rally Trait can ignore its first failed break 
  test (such as by being reduced by 25% or by 50%). If the 
  Horde is led by a commander then this Trait makes his troops 
  easier to command given their level of discipline and he 
  gains a +10 bonus on all Command Tests when dealing with  
  the Horde.
  Tactical Formation
  A drilled combat unit knows how best to protect itself 
  from area attacks such as artillery, grenades and flamers by 
  spreading out and maintaining a good battle formation. When 
  used to full effectiveness, these tactics can greatly reduce the 
  damage from such weapons and make them no more deadly 
  than massed lasgun fire or suppression fire from heavy 
  bolters. This Trait protects a Horde against attacks from blast 
  weapons and flame weapons which would normally do much 
  more damage against tightly packed troops. A Horde with the 
  Tactical Formation Trait reduces additional hits from weapons 
  with the Blast quality or the Flame quality by 1 to a minimum 
  of 1. This reduction applies to each individual attack made 
  from such weapons, regardless of how many attacks occurs 
  against the Horde each round. An able commander can also 
  increase the effectiveness of a Tactical Formation by using a 
  Half Action and making a Challenging (+0) Command
  Test. If successful the reduction is increased to 2 (still with a 
  minimum of 1 damage from each attack).
  Volley Fire
  In much the same way that a unit can focus its fire by judicious 
  use of selective targeting, it can also increase its rate of fire by 
  creating gun lines and swapping out soldiers to reload while 
  fresh ones take their place, keeping up a constant fusillade 
  of fire. This Trait allows a Horde to increase its rate of fire 
  and make extra ranged attacks. A Horde with the Volley Fire 
  Trait may make one more ranged attack than normal. For 
  example, a Horde with a Magnitude of 30 would normally 
  make 3 ranged attacks each round, while the same Horde 
  with the Volley Fire Trait will make 4. This additional attack 
  may make use of semi-auto and full-auto fire as normal. An 
  able commander can also increase the effectiveness of Volley 
  Fire by using a Half Action and making a Challenging
  (+0)CommandTest. If successful the Horde may make a 
  further 1 ranged attack thus increasing their normal number 
  of ranged attacks by a total of 2.
  wIld horde traIts
  Just as some foes will be well trained warriors, many will be 
  little more than ravening beasts or blood crazy fanatics that 
  fight with little regard for their own safety or no thought 
  of subtle tactics. The galaxy is full of deadly creatures, from 
  the dark forests of feral worlds to the fringes of space where 
  disturbing and bestial xenos creatures lurk among the stars, and 
  in the course of his life a Battle-Brother is likely to encounter 
  many such beings. In combat, a wild Horde is a single mass of 
  surging foes which will press down upon the Battle-Brothers, 
  climbing over their own dead in a frenzied attempt to sink 
  their blades, teeth or claws into the flesh of their foes. They 
  are every bit as deadly as a well trained enemy and should 
  not be underestimated. Tyranid Hormagaunts, Chaos Heretics 
  and Orks are all good examples of wild Hordes. 
  
  135
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  Reckless Charge
  Many foes will throw themselves into a hail of enemy fire 
  to get to grips with their foes, caring little for casualties or 
  wounds if only they can sink their blades, talons or teeth into 
  warm flesh. This Trait allows a Horde to move more quickly, 
  though at the expense of is defence and some of its number. 
  A Horde with the Reckless Charge Trait can double its move 
  whenever it is in sight of the enemy and ignore reductions to 
  movement from difficult terrain. Each round the Horde uses 
  this increased movement, however, it does so at the expense 
  of some of its number (which are either trampled by their 
  comrades or become entangled in the terrain) and so the 
  Horde automatically loses 1 from its Magnitude. In addition, 
  when using the Reckless Charge Trait, the Horde is easier to 
  hit as its warriors are making little effort to protect themselves 
  from ranged fire. As such, all ranged attacks against the Horde 
  gain a +10 on their rolls to hit.
  Mass Assault
  It is difficult for most large groups of foes to effectively focus 
  their efforts onto a single enemy; rather they will attack in a 
  swarm, striking out at anyone in range with equal fury. Some 
  enemies the Battle-Brothers will face, however, are skilled at 
  singling out lone warriors and massing their attacks against 
  them in a brutal display of violence, as dozens of enemies pile 
  over one another to get within arms reach of their target. This 
  Trait increases the Horde’s chances of hitting in close combat, 
  reflecting its ability to effectively mass its warriors against 
  individual targets and work together as a single raging foe. A 
  Horde with the Mass Assault Trait may add its Magnitude to 
  its Weapon Skill (to a maximum bonus of +30) when making 
  melee attacks against a single enemy each turn. This bonus 
  only applies to one of the Horde’s enemies each turn, though 
  it may change the target of its assault from round to round.
  Dirty Fighters
  Many of the most vicious warriors of the 41st Millennium are 
  also the most unscrupulous and will claw, bite and scratch for 
  any advantage they can in combat, often resorting to numerous 
  methods of dirty fighting. This Trait allows a Horde to find 
  weak spots in its enemy’s defences and mercilessly exploit 
  them in melee combat. Melee damage inflicted by a Horde 
  with the Dirty Fighters Trait always uses the target’s lowest 
  armour rating, regardless of the location the attack actually 
  strikes. In all other respects, the damage is counted against 
  the actual location hit (i.e., arm, head, and so forth) for the 
  purposes of critical hits and any other damage effects.
  Wild Fire
  Automatic weapons, especially those with a high rate of fire, 
  are a favourite of less skilled or reckless warriors which enjoy 
  the carnage and collateral damage such weapons can inflict. 
  In their exuberance, however, some warriors, such as Orks, 
  have a habit of firing through their own troops or wildly into 
  melee combat, felling friend and foe alike. This Trait allows 
  a Horde to become more effective with auto-fire weapons, 
  though at the expense of its own safety. A Horde with the Wild 
  Fire Trait gains an additional degree of success whenever it 
  scores a hit with a semi-auto or full-auto burst ranged attack. 
  However, each time the Horde makes a ranged attack and 
  misses with semi-auto or full-auto burst, it has gunned down 
  some of its own warriors and reduces its Magnitude by 1. 
  Rampage
  Those warriors that favour close quarter fighting in the 41st 
  Millennium usually do so because it is where they excel, 
  and even in an age of lascannons and boltguns there are 
  some foes with the power to literally rip a fully armoured 
  man apart with their bare hands, claws, talons or tentacles. 
  This Trait gives the Horde a chance to inflict additional hits 
  on its enemies in melee combat. When a Horde with the 
  Rampage Trait successfully hits a foe in melee combat, it may 
  immediately make an additional melee attack against the same 
  foe at -10 to hit. If this hit is also successful then it may make 
  another attack at -20, and so on with each additional attack 
  suffering a cumulative -10 penalty. Note that these attacks do 
  not need to inflict any damage to trigger an additional strike, 
  only successfully hit. In all other respects, these attacks are 
  worked out as normal. A Horde wielding two weapons or 
  with either the Swift Attack or Lightning Attack talents may 
  use the Rampage Trait for each attack it makes.
  
  136
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  unnatural horde traIts
  Some foes the Battle-Brothers will face are not wholly of this 
  world; connected to the Immaterium, twisted by strange forces 
  or in the thrall of ancient gods, they possess abilities and powers 
  that defy the natural order. These kinds of foes are among the 
  deadliest that the Kill-team must face, as in large numbers 
  they can exhibit hideous effects on all those around them and 
  can be extremely difficult to destroy with mundane weapons. 
  Unnatural Hordes are also likely to behave differently to more 
  conventional Hordes in combat, using unusual attacks such as 
  psychic powers or innate weaponry rather than simple blades 
  and bullets. Chaos Daemons, Plague Zombies and Tyranid 
  Zoanthropes are all good examples of unnatural Hordes.
  Psychic Shadow
  The mere presence of some creatures is enough make a man’s 
  skin crawl and his mind seethe with revulsion, and when such 
  foes gather in large numbers, the effects become even more 
  pronounced, pressing in upon the thoughts of all those around 
  them. This Trait affects all those that fight the Horde and makes 
  it harder for them to concentrate as the psychic presence of the 
  Horde scratches and screams in their minds. A Horde with the 
  Psychic Shadow Trait will affect all those within a number of 
  metres from it edges equal to 20 times its Willpower Bonus. 
  Those affected suffer a penalty to all their Willpower tests equal 
  to the Magnitude of the Horde, up to a maximum of -30. In 
  addition, these effects are more pronounced in psykers and 
  whenever a psyker tries to manifest a power within range of the 
  Horde’s Psychic Shadow, he reduces his Psy Rating by 1.
  Group Mind
  Skilled groups of psykers are sometimes known for manifesting 
  greater powers by combining their abilities in carefully 
  constructed rituals and rites. Some creatures, though, have a 
  natural ability to combine their psychic might, daemons most 
  notably, and enhance their power by mere close proximity. This 
  Trait allows a psychic Horde to enhance it powers, even more so 
  if they can focus their power through a single powerful psyker. A 
  Horde with the Group Mind Trait adds an additional 1 to its Psy 
  Rating as based on its Magnitude. For example, a psychic Horde 
  with a Magnitude of 30 would normally have a Psy Rating of 3, 
  however if the same Horde had the Group Mind Trait it would 
  have a rating of 4. A psychic commander can also take advantage 
  of a Horde with a Group Mind to either enhance his own 
  power or boost theirs, provided he is no further than double his 
  Willpower Bonus in metres from the edge of the Horde. During 
  his turn, such a commander can use the Horde to increase his Psy 
  Rating by 1, though in its next turn the Horde may not use any 
  psychic powers itself. Alternatively he may forgo using psychic 
  powers himself and instead increase the Horde’s Psy Rating by 1 
  (in addition to the +1 from the Group Mind Trait).
  Fanatical Devotion
  For many proscribed cults in the Imperium and foul xenos 
  covens, devotion can only be measured in blood, violence and 
  pain. Such crazed individuals have taken their heretical faith 
  beyond that of mere worship or obedience, and revel as much in 
  the wounds they suffer themselves as those they inflict on their 
  foes. Devotees of Khorne are especially well known for this 
  kind of act, though they are far from the only ones to exhibit 
  such behaviour. This Trait makes a Horde more enraged the 
  more wounded it becomes, fighting in a frenzy to the last, just 
  to spill a few more drops of blood. A Horde with the Fanatical 
  Devotion Trait counts has having the Fearless talent (meaning 
  it cannot be broken) if it does not already. In addition, for every 
  10 Magnitude of damage the Horde suffers it gains an extra 
  melee attack and a +2 to all melee damage rolls, to a maximum 
  of 3 extra attacks and +6 melee damage. Such is the madness of 
  the Horde that they almost throw themselves on the weapons 
  of their foes, and all damage dealt to them in melee combat 
  reduces their Magnitude by an additional 1 point.
  Relentless
  While Battle-Brothers may often face fearless foes, driven 
  forward by alien masters heedless of the casualties inflicted upon 
  them, they may also find themselves facing enemies without the 
  wit or mind to care about death. These kinds of mindless foes, 
  such as plague zombies or mind-controlled thralls, will keep 
  coming regardless of the damage they suffer and the scores of 
  their brethren which fall around them, pressing forward with 
  missing limbs and fatal wounds if it means getting to grips with 
  the Kill-team. This Trait makes a Horde nigh unstoppable and 
  heedless of wounds, though not particularly fast. A Horde with 
  the Relentless Trait counts as having the Fearless talent if it does 
  not already have it (meaning it cannot be broken in combat by 
  suffering 25% or 50% casualties and need never take a Willpower 
  Test to avoid being broken). Such a Horde is slow, either by the 
  nature of the sorceries which animate it (such as the case with 
  plague zombies) or the ungainly gate of those possessed by mind 
  control, and so may never Run or Charge. Relentless Hordes are 
  nevertheless extremely difficulty to stop with missile fire, and 
  so only ever suffers 1 point of Magnitude damage from ranged 
  attacks, including those from weapons with the Blast quality. 
  Melee attacks and attacks by weapons with the Flame quality 
  damage the Horde as normal.
  Spawn
  The galaxy is full of alien horrors and strange, bizarre creatures 
  of all shapes and sizes. Amongst these are things which are 
  not even remotely humanoid, or come from environments so 
  alien to man as to be difficult for his mind of understand. 
  Many daemons too defy the natural laws of the universe and 
  behave in ways that are unexpected and alarming, warping 
  or changing shape on the battlefield as they fight or as 
  damage is dealt against them. This Trait allows a particularly 
  unnatural or alien Horde to increase it Magnitude when it 
  takes damage as its members split or spawn more warriors 
  from their own bodies. A Horde with the Spawn Trait can 
  make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test whenever it 
  suffers at least 1 point of damage to its Magnitude in a turn. 
  If successful, it increases it Magnitude by 1 as new warriors 
  are spawned. If the Horde suffers more than 5 Magnitude in 
  a single turn and passes it Toughness Test then the Magnitude 
  increase becomes 1d5 rather than 1, and if it suffers 10 or 
  more to its Magnitude, this further increases to 1d10. A 
  Horde may increase its Magnitude above its starting amount 
  though the use of this Trait.
  
  137
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  Massed Battles
  “Guns, steel, fire and blood! My heart sings to the sounds of war and 
  my fangs ache for the flesh of my enemies! For the Emperor!”
  –Kyrir Icefang of the Space Wolves, Battle of Broken Plains
  T
  he Adeptus Astartes were created for one purpose and 
  one purpose alone: the destruction of the Emperor’s foes. 
  Across the vast stretches of the galaxy and over the long 
  bloody millennia, they have fulfilled this purpose with brutal 
  efficiency, taking the fight to the Imperium’s enemies wherever 
  they may be found and wherever they threaten human worlds. 
  Some of these conflicts have been truly epic indeed, such as the 
  Tyranid invasion of the Ultramarines home world of Macragge 
  or the battle for Armageddon which involved thousands of Space 
  Marines from many different Chapters. No strangers to total 
  warfare or massive military engagements, Battle-Brothers are just 
  as likely to find themselves in the midst of a major conflict as 
  they are special operations, and as such train extensively for both. 
  Such massed battles present their own unique environment, 
  changing the way in which the Battle-Brother must operate, 
  the weapons they use and the objectives they are issued by 
  their commanders. One thing that is likely to remain the same, 
  however, is that they are sure to be outnumbered, though this 
  has never been a problem for Space Marines and is an expected 
  aspect of war for these elite warriors. 
  The Deathwatch, made up from members of the Adeptus 
  Astartes, operates in a similar way to the Chapters and though 
  they are an elite formation used primarily as a surgical strike 
  force against carefully chosen targets, they are often dutifully 
  part of larger Imperial operations. These can include anything 
  from planetary invasions to space battles, where they will find 
  themselves fighting alongside hundreds or even thousands of 
  allied troops supported by armour, artillery, air support and other 
  elite commanders and combat specialists. In such instances the 
  Kill-team can coordinate with its allies and combine its efforts 
  to complete common Imperial objectives, adding their skill and 
  expertise to the greater efforts of the force. In such battles the 
  Kill-team often focuses its attentions on the greatest foes or 
  deadly leaders and overlords while the “rank and file” or support 
  troops deal with the vast numbers of lesser foes.
  In games of Deathwatch, the Kill-team usually works alone. 
  Even though they are generally outnumbered and may face vast 
  numbers of enemies at any one time, they do not normally need to 
  coordinate with allies and the GM need only ever concern himself 
  with dealing with attacks against and from the player characters. 
  The rules for Massed Battles presented here cover situations when 
  the players will be fighting as part of a larger Imperial effort or 
  when they have substantial numbers of allies on their sides. They 
  are intended to allow the GM to quickly and easily deal with such 
  large combats while not taking away the focus from the Battle-
  Brothers and their own efforts. This section provides both the 
  GM and players with some rules and guidelines for commanding 
  massed battles, allowing the players to control the efforts of their 
  troops and allies in a leadership role.
  
  138
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  RUNNING MASSED bATTLES
  A massed battle can be defined as any combat in which the 
  players are part of a larger fighting force, and usually in 
  which there is a significant amount of “off camera” action 
  going on. For combats in which the players are facing vast 
  numbers of foes, the GM can simply use the Horde rules 
  (see page 359 in the Deathwatch Rulebook), amalgamating 
  these enemies into vast mobs which the characters can face 
  in much the same way as individual warriors. However, 
  things can get tricky when the PCs find themselves fighting 
  Hordes, numerous vehicles or enemy support weapons (such 
  as long range artillery or ground attack aircraft), while they 
  themselves are supported by friendly Hordes, tanks, aircraft 
  and the like.
  Needless to say, running such a huge combat could 
  be a nightmare for the GM as he makes attacks from one 
  Horde against another or plays out aerial dogfights or long 
  range artillery duels, all of which only indirectly affects the 
  characters and which they have no direct control over. Of 
  course, such exciting and bloody conflicts are an intrinsic 
  part of the 41st Millennium and it is likely that the Kill-team 
  will eventually find itself in such a situation and the GM will 
  want to include them in his games. Presented below are two 
  different methods for dealing with massed battles, each with 
  its own differing degrees of detail depending on the tastes of 
  the GM, and each one allowing the GM to capture the chaos 
  and carnage of a massed battle, while giving the players the 
  chance to feel they are making a difference without excessive 
  dice rolling or complex choices on the part of their characters.
  abstraCt Method
  The easiest way for the GM to run a massed battle is by 
  handling it as a narrative. This means that the GM simply 
  describes the action as it unfolds around the PCs and only 
  makes rolls for attacks against or from the Kill-team. The 
  GM then uses his judgement, depending on the strength or 
  number of allies and enemies (or as determined by the course 
  of the plot) to work out victors and losers. This method also 
  allows the GM to take into account things such as morale, 
  environmental effects or the special abilities of commanders, 
  without the need to assign additional Talents or Traits to 
  combatants. If the GM feels an Imperial Guard regiment is of 
  poor quality, or suffering from weeks of reduced rations and 
  tainted water, he can have them fare badly in battle. Equally, 
  if facing a looted Ork tank, the GM could have it break down 
  or malfunction intermittently, describing the Grots crawling 
  over its hull, hammering it with wrenches, in a vain effort to 
  get it moving again.
  If the GM wants to add a bit more randomness to this 
  method, he can make dice rolls, usually a single dice to keep 
  things quick, to determine the outcome of events. For example, 
  he may decide that a company of Imperial Guardsmen will 
  hold if they can roll equal to or less than their Willpower. 
  The same Imperial Guard company may come under fire 
  from aerial bombardment, at which point the GM could roll 
  a dice against their Toughness and have them destroyed if 
  they fail. Just as with results the GM creates using purely his 
  own judgement, this kind of quick random outcome should 
  only be used for action between allies and foes, not for direct 
  attacks from or against the PCs.
  eXaMple
  The Kill-team is in the vanguard of an Imperial attack against an 
  island held by Tau forces. Riding in on Valkyries, with a company 
  of Storm Troopers, they must make a beach landing under fire. 
  Deciding to run the battle as a narrative, the GM describes the flight 
  of Valkyries coming in low over the ocean as anti-aircraft fire blazes 
  around them from Tau emplacements on the cliffs above the beach, 
  even having one or two of the Valkyries burst into flames and crash 
  into the surf. The GM only makes rolls to hit the Valkyrie with the 
  Kill-team inside, however. When they reach the beach and jump out 
  onto the sand, they then immediately come under fire from several 
  companies of Fire Warriors (represented as Hordes) supported by 
  Battlesuits. Once again the GM describes Storm Troopers being 
  gunned down and blown apart as they rush up the beach but only 
  rolls for attacks directed at the Kill-team and only works out 
  damage against the Tau from their attacks. After a few rounds 
  of furious combat, the GM then decides that the Storm Troopers 
  have broken through, though they have taken heavy casualties (this 
  equates to reducing the Storm Troopers by half and having the Tau 
  Fire Warrior Hordes retreat along with their Battlesuit support). 
  The Imperial forces, led by the Kill-team then move off inland after 
  the Tau.
  eye oF the storM
  Regardless of the style of massed battle the GM chooses, he should never forget that the game is all about the players 
  and the actions and choices they make. As exciting as a massed battle may be, it can quickly become boring for the 
  players if they are merely spectating, or if all the best action is taking place between powerful NPCs or epic war 
  machines over which they have no control. The GM should also remember that when running a massed battle, the Kill-
  team will effectively be in the “Eye of the Storm” surrounded by the swirling chaos of war but ultimately only really 
  witness to their isolated section of events. This means that while they may be aware that overhead a grand fleet battle is 
  taking place, exploding torpedoes and vivid lance strikes lighting up the sky, the GM doesn’t need to worry about the 
  exact details. As a general rule, the GM should only ever make rolls for friends or foes if the outcome will immediately 
  and directly affect the PCs. In all other cases, the fog of war can swallow up the results and he can determine them ‘off 
  camera’. The GM can also use this to his advantage, such as in the case of the space battle above, the Space Marines 
  might see a flame trail burst into the atmosphere indicating a falling crippled cruiser, though have no idea to which side 
  it belongs... 
  
  139
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  detaIled Method
  This method is slightly more involved than the abstract 
  method, though it aims to keep things simple and fast to 
  run and allows the GM to keep the action moving along at 
  a good pace. The detailed method assigns each enemy or 
  ally Horde, Elite warrior, Master warrior (see page 358 in 
  the Deathwatch Rulebook), or vehicle, with an Attack Value 
  (AV) and Defence Value (DV) based on the damage they can 
  inflict and the wounds, armour or Magnitude they have. To 
  work out these values use the following guidelines:
  Working out Attack Value
  • Add 1 point for each dice of damage the unit inflicts with its 
  weapons (if the unit is armed with multiple weapons use the 
  weapon which deals the most damage)
  • Add 1 point for every attack beyond the first (additional 
  weapons and twin-linked weapons count as extra attacks)
  • Add 1 point if it is using a semi-auto weapon
  • Add 2 points if it is using a full-auto weapon
  eXaMple
  A Horde of Imperial Guardsman is armed with lasguns and has a 
  Magnitude of 40. The damage from a lasgun is 1d10+3 (adding 
  1 to the Attack Value for the one dice of damage). Because of its 
  Magnitude of 40, the Guardsman Horde inflicts an additional 
  2d10 damage on all its hits, adding another 2 to its Attack value. 
  Also as a result of its Magnitude of 40, the Horde can make 3 
  ranged attacks (2 extra beyond the first) adding another 2. Finally 
  a Lasgun can fire on semi-auto adding another 1. This gives the 
  Guardsman Horde an Attack Value of 6 (3 of for the number of 
  its damage dice, 2 more for its extra attacks and 1 for being able to 
  fire semi-auto).
  Working out Defence Value
  • Defence is the first digit of the Horde, vehicle’s or 
  warrior’s wounds or Magnitude (use the highest value if 
  the unit has multiple values). For Magnitude or wound 
  values of less than 10 (i.e. scores of 1-9) the Defence 
  Value counts as 0.
  • If the unit has armour points, add another 1 to its 
  Defence Value for each full 4 armour points it possesses.
  • If the unit or Horde has force fields (a very rare 
  occurrence!), add another 1 to its Defence Value for each 
  full 10 points of the Force Field’s rating (see page 166 in 
  the Deathwatch Rulebook).
  CoMMand and Control
  Leadership and command can play a large role in massed 
  battles, especially if the GM wants to allow the players 
  to control some or all of their allies. In these instances 
  the GM can have a commander make a Challenging
  (+0)CommandTestwhenever he wants to get his 
  troops to do anything which is not either firing at the 
  nearest obvious enemy (or firing back at a foe which 
  has just fired at them), or falling back (most troops 
  need little prompting to retreat). Advancing under 
  fire or targeting specific enemies or taking specific 
  locations all require solid leadership. The GM can 
  then add bonuses or penalties to such Command tests 
  depending on the nature of the situation, the foes or 
  the quality of the troops themselves.
  If the GM is using the abstract method for massed 
  battles, he can even have allied NPC commanders 
  or the players make opposed Command skill tests 
  with enemy commanders to determine the outcome 
  of combats, where the quality of leadership counts 
  more than the troops involved. This is a quick way of 
  resolving such combats, allowing you to work out the 
  victor and have the loser’s forces defeated (though it 
  might play out over a number of rounds). For a little 
  more detail, the loser’s forces could instead suffer 1d10 
  damage to its wounds or Magnitude (plus an additional 
  1d10 for each degree of success by which the winner 
  wins the opposed test).
  
  140
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  eXaMple
  A Magnitude 30 Horde of Imperial Guardsmen is wearing flak 
  armour which provides 4 Armour Points. The Guardsmen use the 
  first digit of their Magnitude to work out the Defence value giving 
  them a DV of 3. They then add another point as they have 4 points 
  of armour giving them a final DV of 4.
  When running a combat between foes and allies, the GM 
  rolls 1d10 and adds the unit’s Attack Value, which he then 
  compares to the target’s Defence Value, every point over this 
  inflicting a wound or a point of Magnitude. PCs always use 
  their own characteristics (they never use the Attack value and 
  Defence value method) when attacking foes, and foes always 
  use their normal characteristics when attacking the PCs.
  eXaMple
  Using the same example as above, the Kill-team are part of an 
  assault on a Tau held island. When the Storm Troopers (AV 6 
  and DV 5) hit the beach the GM plays out the combat between 
  them, the Fire Warriors (AV 7 and DV 5) and the Battlesuits (each 
  with AV 5 and DV 5). Using all the normal rules for initiative 
  and weapon ranges he begins with the Fire Warriors firing into the 
  Storm Troopers rolling 1d10 and adding their AV of 7, getting a 
  total score of 13. The GM then compares this to the Storm Troopers 
  DV of 5 reducing their Magnitude of 40 by 8 to 32 (the amount 
  over their DV). The Storm Troopers then return fire (after reducing 
  their AV by 1 to take into account the extra ranged attack lost by 
  their reduced Magnitude) concentrating on the Battlesuits. They roll 
  and inflict 7 wounds which are applied to one Battlesuit. Finally 
  the Battle-Brothers make their attacks using their normal profiles 
  against the Battlesuits, using the Tau’s normal characteristics, 
  inflicting another 25 wounds, which in addition to the 7 wounds 
  caused by the Storm Troopers destroys a Battlesuit.
  Very detaIled Method
  Sometimes the GM may want to map out everything (or 
  almost everything) that happens in a massed battle. This 
  could be because he feels that the players are facing an 
  important or unique foe which would feel too easy if reduced 
  to simplified characteristics, or because the quality of their 
  allies is particularly high or low and could seriously influence 
  the outcome. In these case the GM might want to run the 
  massed battle using all the normal rules for combat, having 
  Hordes fighting Hordes and vehicles blasting away at each 
  other with the full range of their weapons and special rules. 
  Guidelines and rules for pitting Hordes against each other can 
  be found on page 132.
  If the GM does chose to play out a massed battle using 
  the complete combat rules, he should remember that the 
  focus should still remain on the characters. Unless a combat 
  between Hordes or vehicles directly involves or affects them, 
  he should not waste excessive time making rolls and marking 
  up wounds and critical effects which only serve to slow 
  down the game and take focus away from the actions of the 
  Battle-Brothers.
  whICh Method?
  Either of the two methods presented here can be 
  used equally well to represent massed battles, and it is 
  completely up to the GM and his own preferred style 
  of play as to which method he chooses. However, GMs 
  may discover that mixing and matching the two methods 
  can be advantageous, depending on the kind of massed 
  combat they are running. While the detailed method is 
  still quicker and simpler than playing out the combat 
  normally, it may be too time consuming or exact for 
  combats which have more to do with the plot than the 
  actions of the Battle-Brothers or their individual prowess 
  in combat. In these cases the GM may wish to use the 
  abstract method at times when he wants to keep the 
  action going at a quick pace, simply describing the chaos 
  of war as the players press on to larger or more important 
  encounters. The abstract method can also be very useful if 
  the GM wants to ensure a particular outcome to keep the 
  plot moving, such as having an Imperial Guard armoured 
  company come crashing though enemy defences just at 
  the right moment, to allow the Kill-team a clear path to 
  their target or a timely airstrike which destroys a nigh 
  unassailable bunker standing in the PC’s way. Equally, 
  when fighting important villains or for climatic battles, the 
  GM may wish to switch to the detailed method making 
  the outcome more tense and the combats more desperate.
  taCtICal dIsplays
  Massed battles can become very complicated 
  depending on the number of units involved and the 
  nature of the battlefield. In these instances the GM can 
  find it useful to create a tactical display for his players 
  to show them where units are in relation to one another 
  and perhaps the fighting strength or condition of these 
  units. This can be as simple as making some marks 
  on a piece of paper or using a collection of markers, 
  coins or other counters to provide an overview of 
  the battle at a glance. If the GM wishes to add more 
  detail he could use a grid or hex map to help define 
  distances and include the fog of war so that enemy 
  units (or even friendly ones) disappear and reappear on 
  the map as they fall in and out of vox or visual contact. 
  GMs should also note that creating a tactical display is 
  different from using a tactical map (see Deathwatch 
  page 245) as it is intended to give a broad view of 
  a battle, like that which an actual commander might 
  have, rather than an exact representation of the 
  location of the characters and each individual enemy.
  
  141
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  Turning Points
  “Battles can balance on the blade of a knife, equally matched foes 
  locked in combat, their fates determined by the slightest winds of 
  chance; one strong gust and it can all be over...”
  –Master Tactician Hadros 
  B
  attles are seldom fought to the last man and in many 
  cases the victor is determined not by size, strength 
  or skill of a force, or even the stalwart leadership of 
  its commanders, but by fate and a few chance encounters 
  and actions amidst a much larger engagement. These key 
  moments in a battle are sometimes known as turning points, 
  and can influence the entire outcome of a combat. The GM 
  can use turning points in his games to map the course of very 
  large battles involving the players, or even entire campaigns 
  or wars, the result of each one affecting an entire stage of 
  the conflict as its ripples spread out to spell victory or defeat 
  for those involved. Turning points are also a way of making 
  massed battles more exciting and interesting, rather than 
  becoming tedious exercises in dice rolling which go back 
  and forth between combatants. They also give the players 
  something very tangible to strive for beyond simply killing 
  their foes, and allow them to come up with interesting tactics 
  or plans to counter an unusual development.
  USING TURNING POINTS
  The purpose of turning points is to create some key encounters 
  and actions in larger conflicts which can be used to determine 
  the tide of battle, and whether it is flowing against or with the 
  Battle-Brothers. It is also a useful tool for the GM to make his 
  combats more interesting and give them a more military feel, 
  while also keeping them quick and easy to run. In this way, 
  turning points can work with either the abstract or detailed 
  methods (or very detailed method) of running massed battles 
  above. When creating a battlefield encounter, the GM should 
  choose a number of turning points based on the nature of the 
  conflict and the enemies involved. This can range from one 
  or two to half a dozen or more, with the more turning points 
  involved, the more complex and difficult the encounter for the 
  players. During the course of the battle, the GM then presents 
  the PCs with the turning points (in any order he decides) and 
  they must overcome each one to score a point for their side. If 
  at the end of the battle, if they have won more turning points 
  than they have lost, then the battle is considered to have gone 
  their way and their side is victorious.
  Turning points are generally only used in large scale 
  actions where there are lots of other battles going on “off 
  camera” or if the effects of the PCs’ actions have far reaching 
  effects. They can, also be used in smaller engagements if the 
  GM wants to add some interesting developments, though as 
  a general rule, if the Battle-Brothers vanquish all their foes 
  then they should win the battle regardless of the outcome of 
  the turning points.
  
  142
  IV: Advanced Adversaries
  eXaMple
  The GM is running a planetary invasion of an Ork-held world, 
  in which the Kill-team is involved. Rather than playing out each 
  stage of the combat between the Imperial forces and the Orks, he 
  creates a number of turning points. During the first battle of the 
  campaign, the PCs land, along with a regiment of Imperial Guard 
  and an Inquisitor and his retinue, in an Ork-held spaceport. While 
  the GM plays out the battle using the mass battle rules he creates 
  three turning points for the battle, involving destroying the Orks AA 
  batteries, stopping a surprise attack by a mob of Lootas during the 
  battle and successfully killing the Ork Warboss before he can escape. 
  If the Kill-team can win at least two of the three turning points, then 
  the GM rules that the Imperial forces have gained a toehold on the 
  world and can move on to ground operations, if not then they must 
  make another landing somewhere else.
  EXAMPLE TURNING 
  POINTS
  Presented here are a number of example turning points which 
  the GM can adapt for his own massed battles. The GM is 
  encouraged to develop further turning points tailored to his 
  own encounters and which capture the nature of the massed 
  battles he wants to run.
  bIg guns
  Heavy weapons, whether they are in the form of massive 
  guns, powerful vehicles or even orbital support, can wreak 
  a terrible toll on a force and taking them out can not only 
  save countless lives but also boost morale immeasurably. As 
  a turning point, defeating big guns means destroying them 
  or negating their effectiveness. At its most simple this can be 
  killing the crew or smashing the machine itself, but it could 
  also involve killing forward spotters, activating a jamming 
  device that blocks targeting sensors or raising a shield over 
  friendly troops.
  Cut oFF the head
  Good commanders can turn even the most questionable 
  troops into a serious fighting force and their presence on the 
  battlefield can boost morale and drive warriors to great feats 
  of courage and duty. Needless to say, killing such commanders 
  can significantly reduce a foe’s fighting effectiveness. As a 
  turning point, killing an enemy commander usually means 
  just that: finding them on the battlefield and putting a bolt 
  shell between their eyes. Of course leadership comes in 
  many forms and the same effect can be achieved by bringing 
  down the enemy communications network or spreading 
  propaganda among enemy troops to reduce their faith in  
  their commanders.
  take the hIgh ground
  Terrain can play a vital role in a battle and a force which 
  makes good use of it can greatly increase its fighting ability. 
  As a turning point, terrain can play numerous roles within a 
  battle, such as covering defended positions, high ground or 
  positions which offer good lines of sight for heavy weapons. 
  In addition to the Battle-Brothers taking a good position 
  themselves, Take the High Ground could also cover situations 
  in which a foe or ally seeks favoured terrain, such as scouts 
  hiding in woods or a sniper setting up in a bell tower, and 
  the PCs must make every effort to either stop enemies or aid 
  allies trying to claim these locations.
  uneXpeCted eneMIes
  A surprise attack, especially from the flanks or rear, can 
  throw a combat force into disarray as they scramble to 
  reorganise and are stricken with confusion. This alone can be 
  enough to end a battle and turn it into a massacre as troops 
  lose their resolve and turn to flight. As a turning point, an 
  unexpected attack can come in many forms, such as jump 
  pack troops striking from on high, stealthy enemies lying in 
  wait until their foes have passed them by, or even warriors 
  emerging from below the ground. Surprise attacks can also 
  be represented by situations where a fighting force must face 
  extreme and unusual foes, such as the appearance of a Tyranid 
  Hive Tyrant from among a swarm of lesser creatures or having 
  a Daemon Prince burst from the body of a hapless cultist. 
  broken spIrIt
  Morale is as vital to a warrior as his weapons and the support 
  of his comrades, and when morale is lost it can make a force 
  run or surrender to a much smaller foe. As a turning point, 
  morale can play any number of roles in a battle, the most 
  common being the instance of a battered, isolated or green 
  unit ordered to hang on against the odds. In these cases it falls 
  to commanders, or the Battle-Brothers, to step in and boost 
  courage by leading by example, giving stirring speeches or 
  making heinous threats. Morale can also affect commanders, 
  even those far from the battlefield offering indirect support 
  such as void ship commanders or artillery captains, if they 
  feel the battle is lost. In these cases it falls to those closer to 
  the action to get them back into the fight via vox.
  a show oF Courage
  Sometimes a foe will try to intimidate his enemies or boost 
  the morale of his own men by making a display of courage, 
  issuing a challenge to enemy heroes or striding out onto the 
  battlefield to take on vastly superior numbers. In all these 
  cases, such an act can have serious effects on a force and 
  drive them into a frenzy of duty or devotion as they surge 
  forward to emulate their commander’s courage. As a turning 
  point, it falls to the Battle-Brothers to either make these 
  acts of courage themselves or crush ones made by their foes, 
  proving to their enemies the misplaced faith they have in such 
  commanders by hacking them down in short order.
  
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