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Xarl - Xarl: Xarl was a Tactical Marine and battle-brother of the Night Lords Traitor Legion's 1st Claw (squad), 10th Company. Nostraman by birth, he took part in the Great Crusade, Horus Heresy, and the Long War that followed.By the time of the 41st Millennium he was serving under Talos Valcoran aboard the Covenant of Blood, captained by his former sergeant, the Possessed Chaos Space Marine known as "The Exalted". Talos was subject to the manipulations of his immediate superior, as well as those of the powerful Chaos Lord Abaddon the Despoiler, which placed him and his warriors in mortal danger time and again.
Xarl - History: Xarl grew up with Talos Valcoran in the hive city of Nostramo Quintus on Nostramo and were members of the same street gang, fighting for survival on the unforgiving streets of that world of perpetual night. Later, both friends were inducted into the VIIIth Legion, becoming fully-fledged Legionaries and served alongside one another in 1st Claw (squad), 10th Company during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy in the 30th and 31st Millennia. Xarl's skill with his double-handed chainsword Executioner made him the deadliest warrior in the 10th Company, and gave Talos and 1st Claw much of its clout within the warband.Over the course of the next ten millennia, Xarl would continue to fight alongside Talos in his power struggle with their Chaos Lord "The Exalted" during both the Fall of Vilamus, and later during their return to the former Night Lords world of Tsagualsa, where their Primarch Konrad Curze had been slain millennia earlier by the Callidus assassin M'Shen.
Xarl - Death: When the Night Lords returned to Tsagualsa, true to their nature, they terrorised the planet's population. But retribution soon came in the form of the Genesis Chapter, a Successor Chapter of the First Founding Ultramarines. During the ensuing battle, the Echo of Damnation was boarded by Genesis Chapter Space Marines, and soon Xarl and Cyrion found themselves in a desperate battle against the Chapter's 3rd Company Champion, Tolemion.Though Xarl took savage wounds from the Champion's powerful Thunder Hammer, he finally managed to slay Tolemion with Valcoran's power sword. However, he soon succumbed to the numerous wounds he had taken. After Valcoran's arrival, he collapsed into his friend's arms and died. This act enraged Valcoran, who went on to pursue and destroy the Genesis Chapter's strike cruiser in retaliation for his friend's death.
Xarl - Personality: Xarl was infamous for his blunt and brutal behaviour and his caustic opinions of the galaxy around him. Like Talos Valcoran, he was raised in the gang culture of Nostramo. He was also a firm believer in the idea that Chaos and the moral and physical corruption it brought were not allies of the Heretic Astartes in the Long War against the Emperor and that the entities of the Warp and their mortal servants should be avoided as much as possible.
Xarl - Wargear: Artificer Armour - Xarl's power armour was an amalgamation of scavenged pieces won in battle or taken from the bodies of fallen brothers of the Night Lords Legion.Executioner - Xarl wielded this massive, two-handed chainsword in melee combat.BolterLegion Gladius
Xavier - Xavier: Chaplain Xavier was the most legendary Reclusiarch of the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter, and was granted the honour of carrying one of the Chapter's most revered relics into battle, the great warhammer known as Vulkan's Sigil.Though long-deceased after being slain by the Drukhari on the world of Drykccna, Chaplain Xavier continues to inspire the Salamanders as they forge their way through the fires of war.
Xavier - History: Xavier was born upon the world of Nocturne, homeworld of the mighty Salamanders Chapter, during the first decade of the 41st Millennium. He became an novitiate to the Salamanders Chapter in 009.M41, and was judged worthy of being inducted into the Chapter as an aspirant.Young Xavier was initiated into the Chapter by Chaplain Hasdrubael. When he became a full-fledged battle-brother, Xavier was seconded to the venerable Chaplain as his personal aide.Under the tutelage of the Chapter's Reclusiarch, Brother Xavier was initiated into the mysteries of the Promethean Cult and was taught the duties and responsibilities inherent with the esteemed position of a Chaplain.When the venerable Chaplain was slain during a boarding raid on a Chaos vessel, Brother Xavier took up the reigns of command and led his fellow battle-brothers in a furious assault upon the enemy.Chaplain Xavier soon earned a reputation as a fiery and inspirational leader, exhorting his fellow Astartes to ever greater feats of bravery. He eventually attained the position of Reclusiarch himself. In that position he garnered a reputation for being a mentor to his fellow Salamanders, his wisdom tempered by years of battlefield experience, which was constantly sought by the lowliest Scout Marines to the Chapter Master himself.Chaplain Xavier was said to epitomise the Salamander ideal more completely than any other battle-brother in the long history of his proud Chapter. A great believer in the Promethean Cult, he encouraged dedicated acts of endurance and belief, and it was said that he slew with his bare hands one of the ancient, monstrous salamanders native to Nocturne.Xavier was able to spur his battle-brothers to great acts of fortitude and resilience, and it was said that when he led them, the Salamanders never fell back before an enemy.Xavier was killed whilst leading a heroic counter-attack against the twisted members of a Drukhari raiding force that had ravaged numerous settlements across the Jungle World of Drykccna.Mortally wounded and pierced by countless xenos blades, he fought on, stubbornly refusing to fall. Only once all his foes had been vanquished, their pale, fallen bodies piled around him, did he let his grievous wounds overcome him.His body was returned to Nocturne by his brethren, and his name is still spoken with reverence.
Xavier - Wargear: Artificer ArmourPlasma PistolCrozius ArcanumVulkan's Sigil - In battle, Chaplain Xavier carried a blacksmith's hammer known as Vulkan's Sigil, a holy icon said to have been borne by the Primarch Vulkan himself as his badge of office. It is therefore a potent religious artefact for the Salamanders Chapter and one of their most revered treasures. It is one of the highest honours of the Chapter for a Chaplain to be allowed to carry this relic into battle.Frag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Xavier Calcazar - Xavier Calcazar: Xavier Calcazar was the Inquisitor Lord of the Ordo Xenos who oversaw all Inquisition activities in the Koronus Expanse and all Inquisitors active in the region who comprised the Koronus Expanse Conclave. He was the direct superior of Interrogator Heinrix van Calox, who was a member of his retinue.Calcazar had sought to enlist Theodora von Valancius, the Rogue Trader of House von Valancius, to aid him in rooting out the growing xenos and Chaos corruption that existed in the Koronus Expanse, the better to safeguard it for eventual incorporation as a new sector of the Imperium.After Theodora's murder, Calcazar met with the new successor to the von Valancius dynasty on Footfall and sought to make clear to them the necessity of their working with the Inquisition to safeguard the Expanse. Calcazar was impressed by many of the Rogue Trader's actions in trying to restore stability to the von Valancius Protectorate within the Expanse and offered the service of Heinrix van Calaox, one of his Acolytes, to continue to serve in the Rogue Trader's retinue -- while also spying upon their actions for the Holy Ordos.Additionally, the Inquisitor Lord offered the Rogue Trader a black, scarlet or white Signet of the Inquisition, a signet ring intended to bolster the von Valancius Rogue Trader's authority within the Koronus Expanse further by demonstrating their alliance with the Inquisition and the Koronus Expanse Conclave's trust in them. The more the Rogue Trader had acted in accordance with what Calcazar believed to be the will of the Emperor before they had met on Footfall, the more the Lord Inquisitor trusted the von Valancius heir.The granting of the black signet ring indicated great trust in the Rogue Trader, whilst the granting of the white signet ring indicated that the Lord Inquisitor found many of the Rogue Trader's actions suspect but he was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt in serving Imperial interests. The granting of the scarlet signet ring indicated that the Lord Inquisitor found the Rogue Trader basically trustworthy but had disagreed with some of their decisions on Rykard Minoris and in stabilising the von Valancius Protectorate.
Xavier Calcazar - Wargear: Power Armour (Refit for baseline Human anatomy)Augmetic EyeAugmetic Right ArmPlasma PistolInquisitorial Rosette
Xavier Mendoza - Xavier Mendoza: Xavier Mendoza is possibly one of the most notorious Inquisitors in the history of the Imperium of Man.A fanatical man, he quashed Chaos wherever he believed he had found it and ultimately sought to eliminate corruption among the Adeptus Astartes where it did not exist.This was a mistake that cost him his life.
Xavier Mendoza - History: Active in the later centuries of the 31st Millennium following the Horus Heresy, he became convinced that all Space Marines were the secret servants of Chaos because of the betrayal of the Chaos Space Marines during the Heresy. He began an all-out holy war against the remaining Loyalist Adeptus Astartes.Mendoza's action came to a head when he boarded a Chapter cruiser of the newly-formed Black Templars, a Successor Chapter created from the Imperial Fists Legion during the Second Founding. He accused the crew of harbouring daemons and declared them Heretics.After a swift trial, fifty Space Marines of the Chapter were burnt at the stake. Xavier Mendoza was later found dead, probably assassinated by agents of the Black Templars or the Officio Assassinorum itself.
Xenarch - Xenarch: The Xenarch are an intelligent, starfaring alien species who worship the Immaterium and are believed to maintain an isolationist stellar empire somewhere in the galactic north.
Xenarch - History: It is rumoured that the Xenarch are able to generate electro-plasma from the biological processes of their own bodies and are known to have created devices of an unknown alloy known as "Xenarch Conduction Spines" that are able to focus as well as generate this electro-plasma by drawing directly on the Xenarch's own physiologies. These bioelectrical weapons became highly prized by the Imperium because they utilised charge cells and capacitators that were beyond the capabilities of the Adeptus Mechanicus to manufacture.One of the Xenarch's most notable weapons is the Xenarch death-arc, a rifle-sized weapon that unleashes a series of arcing bolts of lightning and then one massive current of electrical energy to finish off the target once they have already been struck.There was overall very little contact between the Imperium and the Xenarch empire located somewhere out on the rim of the galactic north.In 989.M41, Marshal Helbrecht of the Black Templars Chapter was responsible for the final subjugation of the Xenarch present in the Sigilare Nebula.
Xenarch death-arc - Xenarch death-arc: The Xenarch death-arc is a rifle-sized electrical weapon wielded by the Xenarch xenos who inhabit a shadowy empire on the rim of the galactic north. Death-arcs unleash a series of arcing bolts of lightning towards their target. If any of these bolts -- which are deadly in their own right -- strike the target, the death-arc then channels a far-more powerful arc of electricity along their path, blasting the victim to pieces.The weapon's charge cells and capacitors utilise technology far more advanced than anything the Adeptus Mechanicus can manufacture, making this xenotech highly-prized by any Tech-priests or Rogue Traders who might be able to get their hands on one.
Xenarites - Xenarites: The Xenarites are a secretive sect of Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus that seek to study and make use of xenos technology. The sect is considered Radical by the Inquisition and is under investigation. The Xenarites are broadly similar to the Inquisition's own Xenos Hybris.The Xenarites are absolutely dedicated to the exploitation of alien technologies as discovered among various xenos artefacts for the benefit and advancement of Humanity. As this is an obvious violation of the tenets of the Cult Mechanicus, which finds all non-Human technologies to be blasphemies against the Machine God, the Xenarites operate covertly within the larger hierarchy of the Mechanicus. The Xenarites often arrange to dispatch members of their sect to investigate alien sites across the galaxy in the hope of being able to study or even retrieve artefacts of alien technology.Such expeditions can often result in conflict with xenos who are not quite ready to give up their secrets or even with other, more Puritan Imperial forces, including Inquisitors and more orthodox Tech-priests determined to prevent the spread of heretical alien taint. As a result, such conflicts have resulted in a bad reputation for the Xenarites and has seen the sect move to cloak its activities in even deeper secrecy and to heavily defend its research sites from all interlopers.
Xenarites - History: During the Horus Heresy, the Forge World of Stygies VIII was assaulted by the forces of the Traitors in service to the Warmaster Horus. This vital outpost of the ancient Mechanicum was only saved from falling into the Warmaster's clutches due to the unexpected aid of the Craftworld Aeldari, who had no desire to see the forces of Chaos strengthened by the addition of Stygies VIII's economic power.This xenos intervention led to the birth of the Xenarite sect, whose Tech-priests believed that alien species did have technologies and knowledge that could prove beneficial to Mankind. The Xenarite sect initially established themselves in the forge city of Vulcanis, and Stygies VIII has remained a major centre of Xenarite activity and influence into the 41st Millennium.Of course, the Xenarites' beliefs, so contrary to both the teachings of the Imperial Creed and the Cult Mechanicus, brought them into conflict with both the Inquisition and the orthodox Mechanicus Tech-priests, who soon drove the sect and its practices deep underground.It is known that Inquisitor Kessel once stopped a group of Xenarites from activating an Asuryani Wraithlord construct by mustering a force of Mechanicus Skitarii which included his future Acolyte Logan Storm.
Xenarites - Notable Xenarites: Epsilus Dammek-Yoth - Dammek-Yoth was an Arch-heretek and Xenarite from the Forge World of Stygies VIII, once greatly respected for their research on the Necron menace, who infiltrated the Ark Mechanicus Caestus Metalican, when Magos Dominus Faustinius took command of it and led an expedition to the Necron Tomb World of Silva Tenebris. Once the Explorators established a foothold on the stasis crypts of Silva Tenebris and the Necrons began to awaken from the Great Sleep, Epsilus used Tech-priests in the crew of the Ark Mechanicus that they had already corrupted to stage an uprising aboard the Caestus Metalican, in order to claim the Necrons' xenotech - and especially the knowledge of biotransferance - for their own.Scaevola - Like Epsilus Dammek-Yoth, Scaevola is a Xenarite Tech-priest from Stygies VIII who travelled aboard the Ark Mechanicus Caestus Metalican to Silva Tenebris in order to claim Necron technology. Unlike the Arch-heretek, however, Scaevola is a magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus in good standing, and openly joined Magos Dominus Faustinius' command staff in the role of Tech-acquisitor. She was in charge of understanding the Tomb World's bizarre technosorceries, and advising Faustinius on how best to exploit, study and appropriate them, while choosing the best relics and most useful information to be sent back to Stygies VIII. This role frequently saw Scaevola clash with Faustinius' fellow advisor Lector-Dogmatis Videx of Metalica, who was there to encourage the Battle-Congregation's hatred and contempt of the alien and all their works. Where Scaevola saw priceless knowledge that could advance Humanity's understanding by millennia, Videx beheld nothing more than heretical xenos blasphemy fit only for destruction.Callias Rhoda - Rhoda is a Xenarite Tech-priest from Stygies VIII who is a close peer with Magos Dominus Hyperion Ismene Themis IV. When Rhoda learned that Themis was journeying to the world of Tarnagua in the Sabbat Worlds sector to search for ancient weapons and wargear once wielded by the forces of Chaos during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade based on the records of that conflict kept by Mechanicus Adept Romulus Gwelt, he gave the magos two Kastelan Robots, Axiom-88 and Rhombus-4, led by the Cybernetica Datasmith Galenos, to aid him, which Hyperion gratefully accepted. However, the Xenarite is still Galenos's master, and any data that Hyperion discovered on Tarnagua was secretly transmitted by the Datasmith back to Rhoda.Hieronomus Tezla - Tezla was a Tech-priest native to the Forge World of Stygies VIII who was trained as a Rune-priest. Rune-priests specialised in perhaps the most arcane branch of scientific lore that was often frowned upon by the more mainstream branches of the Adeptus Mechanicus, a discipline known as "intuitive mechanics," which was the technical name for speculation and improvisation. Tezla excelled in these areas and was recruited into the ranks of the Xenarites native to Stygies VIII before his training was even completed. Tezla rapidly became an important member of their sect, showing a natural talent for locating and studying alien artefacts, and an an unusually inquisitive disposition for a servant of the Omnissiah. His examination of a crashed Fra'al spacecraft in the Tamahl Sector and his subsequent etheric-plasma theorums won him great renown amongst his peers. Similarly, his studies of Ork power field generators on the world of Polaris are considered to be the authoritative texts on the subject. Recently Tezla's interests were drawn to the Aeldari Maiden Worlds of the Halubra Fringe. He was last heard from while leading a heavily armed force of servitors to the moon of Eldrathon IV where he hoped to discover a buried Aeldari Warp Gate. He has also since become a Manipulus, a type of Tech-priest who is capable of storing and manipulating the energies of the Motive Force.
Xenographer - Xenographer: A xenographer is an Imperial scholar who fancies themselves as an explorer, a person of cunning and bravery with the mental fortitude needed to master alien secrets with their sanity intact.Within the Koronus Expanse, free from the dictates of Imperial Law, xenographers are found indexing the remains of xenos ruins, disinterring the contents of alien tombs, and entreating extant xenos breeds to parley. It is this firsthand experience that separates a true xenographer from the poseur students of xenoarcana that pollute the halls of academia with their petty conjectures.
Xenographer - Role: The Imperial Creed instructs all citizens to speak not to the alien, learn not from the alien, trust not the alien, and above all, to ensure the extinction of the alien. Despite these prohibitions, there are many who seek out the forbidden lore of xenos species and covet artefacts of alien manufacture. Within the borders of the Imperium one can always find a handful of academics and eccentrics who are self-proclaimed experts in the realm of xenos lore.For some, it is not enough to cobble together fragments of legendary and gawk over relics of indeterminate history and purpose. For some, the alien is not something to be feared and exploited. For the xenographer, the inhuman beings of the universe are to be sought out, understood, and harnessed. Far from the centres of Imperial authority, the xenographer thrives, called to uncharted reaches such as the Koronus Expanse by the siren song of xenos lore to be gleaned from alien races both living and dead.For a Rogue Trader, a xenographer is a valuable asset. Who better to advise an entrepreneur in establishing a Cold Trade, negotiate with Aeldari Corsairs, or plan the invasion of a Rak'Gol stronghold? When the Lord Captain wishes to hire Kroot mercenaries, their xenographer knows where to find them and what price will guarantee their loyalty. When the Arch-Militant intends to strike at the heart of an Ork Freebooter fleet, the xenographer knows where they will be most vulnerable. When the missionary converts the Human population of a heathen planet rife with xenos taint, it is the xenographer who knows which local traditions are compatible with the Imperial Creed, and which are corrupt and alien.During their travails, a xenographer not only amasses vast repositories of alien lore, but a collection of relics. Tomes of lore bound in xenohide are bookended with gewgaws and artefacts of outré beauty. Such relics are not collected for their own sake. A xenographer can name each, state its history, and command its powers with some skill. Xenotechnology is a rare and powerful thing, and xenographers come to cherish this power, seeking out and claiming such items only to use them to secure more potent examples of alien craftsmanship. The most flamboyant xenographers openly declare xenotechnology superior to the sanctified devices of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Those who ascribe to this belief had best hold their tongues, should they wish to return to the Imperium and live to brag about their discoveries.Many doubt the sanity and intentions of the xenographer, claiming that no Human mind can survive grappling with alien logic, and that for any proper Imperial citizen, to see an alien is to desire its destruction. Xenographers have been called deluded, mad, and outright treasonous for their actions. It is no small wonder that the most renowned xenographers lose their place in Imperial society altogether and choose to "go native," living amongst the xenos breeds they have studied and treated with, and with whom they have earned some modicum of respect and acceptance.The best of these self-imposed exiles act as bridges between Human explorers and the xenos with which they share the Koronus Expanse. The worst of them become as inhuman in mind and soul as their xenos peers, revelling in the worship of alien gods and fighting against those Rogue Traders, Imperial Crusaders, and battlefleet admirals who come to claim alien worlds by right of conquest. Despite their flaunted corruption, there are still those who seek out these traitors to their species, for their knowledge of xenos, though profane and intimate, is vast.Thankfully, there are xenographers who are not motivated by outright fascination with all things alien. There is no weapon in this galaxy more powerful or dangerous than knowledge, and for many xenographers, it is a weapon that they gladly wield against the enemies of Mankind. For men and women such as this, there are few sights more cherished than that of a xenos impaled on its own weapon.Like their enamoured fellows, these xenographers seek out living examples of various xenos breeds. Unlike them, they do so that they might capture and interrogate where others would interview and bargain. When the xenographer has learned all they can through cunning and force of will, all that remains is to perform vivisection. The pulsing organs and convoluted viscera of the howling subject hold secrets all their own.
Xenophase Blade - Xenophase Blade: A Xenophase Blade is a potent, Power Sword-like melee weapon derived from xenos technology used by select warriors of the Deathwatch Chapter who have earned by their deeds and time of service in the Long Vigil the special trust of their watch fortress' watch commander.Rarely seen outside of the ranks of the Deathwatch, these weapons are ancient and barely understood artefacts of extraordinary efficacy. Some believe they have their origins amongst long-defeated xenos dynasties, likely Necron in origin. They ripple with a molecular realignment field that allows their viridian blades to cleave through force fields and metaphysical psychic wards easily. Speaking of the origins of these weapons is forbidden within the Deathwatch under penalty of excruciation.
Xenos - Xenos: Xenos (pronounced ZEE-nahs or zehn-AHS) is a High Gothic term used by the people and adepta of the Imperium of Man that means "stranger" and "alien." It is often used by the Adeptus Terra to signify intelligent enemy aliens or off-world, non-Human forces.The main starfaring, intelligent xenos species in the Milky Way Galaxy are the Drukhari, Craftworld Aeldari, Necrons, Orks, T'au and Tyranids, though there are countless other intelligent alien species, most of them hostile, that Mankind has encountered over the long millennia of its expansion across the stars.
Xenos - Xenos Interactions with Humanity: It is not recorded exactly when the Human race learned that it was not alone in the galaxy, or which intelligent alien species it first made contact with, but what is known in early Imperial records is that Humanity has been competing with xenos since the Age of Technology.The first Human interstellar civilisation which existed at that time made contact with many alien races, possibly including the Aeldari and the Orks, but the majority must have been hostile or incapable of co-habitating with Humans as no aliens are known to have ever willingly integrated into the broader interstellar Human civilisation of this time.When the Age of Strife began in the 25th Millennium with the collapse of the first Human interstellar civilisation, many suddenly isolated Human colonies were set upon by all manner of hostile aliens, though a few notable exceptions of peaceful coexistence occurred as well.The scattered outposts of Mankind would be preyed upon for many Terran millennia by various xenos species, pushing the Human race towards eventual extinction until the Emperor of Mankind revealed His existence and began His galaxy-spanning Great Crusade to reunite Humanity under a single interstellar government.The Emperor believed that only in unity -- unity bought at nearly any price -- could Mankind survive a galaxy that was far more dangerous than any Human scholars of an earlier age would have believed.At its inception, the Imperium of Man made one of its core objectives the extermination of all alien life forms that posed any threat to Humanity. Thus many species suffered extinction at the hands of the newborn Imperium which perpetrated one act of genocide after another. This would also apply to the majority of Human civilisations encountered during the course of the Great Crusade like the Interex and Diasporex, which had founded cultures where alien and Human populations had successfully integrated into a single whole.Diplomacy was rarely tried, and was more often offered only to other Human civilisations encountered in the course of the Great Crusade. Certain aliens, such as the Aeldari, who were more technologically advanced than the Imperium were often simply left alone so long as they did not threaten Human interests.The Imperium of Man's extreme xenophobia and outright call for genocide against all other intelligent species in the galaxy is in some ways justified by the sheer hopeless belligerence of most xenos races encountered since the Great Crusade.Almost all alien species encountered by Humanity since the Emperor first began to push His forces out amongst the stars have been so malevolent or aggressive toward Humanity that any form of negotiation or parley often proved impossible.Other instances, such as during the Imperium's first encounter with the Human-alien alliance known as the Diasporex, would end in violence because of the inherent distrust the Imperium had for all alien civilisations even if there was common ground that could be found.This policy of unconditional hatred persists into the present-day Imperium more than 10,000 standard years after the Great Crusade ended in the blood and fire of the Horus Heresy. In that time, many more alien civilisations have been discovered and destroyed regardless of threat level, culture, disposition, or technological advancements.These sentiments of xenophobia have been reinforced by the Imperial Creed propagated by the Adeptus Ministorum, which preaches that Mankind has a divinely-inspired manifest destiny to be the sole ruler and inhabitant of the galaxy. Humanity alone, the Imperial Creed teaches, is the sacred form of intelligent life chosen by the God-Emperor to spread out amongst the stars. All other intelligent life is to be reviled as an abomination and an affront to the God-Emperor's plan for Humanity.Much of the Imperium, led by the religious fervour of the Adeptus Ministorum, believe in the extermination of all aliens, even those that are entirely peaceful species. When the Human masses are stirred to such fear and fanaticism, they demand destruction over any kind of cooperation or coexistence.This might seem like a harsh measure, but the 41st Millennium is an age where ignorance is a virtue and brute force is used to solve a multitude of problems; the dangers of failing to act are too unthinkable to elicit any other response. It has not become this way without reason; most aliens encountered by Humanity are hostile and devious, and some have proven as ruthless and ambitious as Humanity itself. To them, there is no room in the galaxy for the Imperium.Despite the many xenos dangers across the Imperium, there are those who, in their ignorance or desperation, are willing to make pacts with aliens. Sometimes this is seemingly innocuous: trading to gain advanced technology, hiring brute labour or buying mercenary help.So, concealed within teeming Hive Worlds, xeno-tech draws high prices in illicit markets often called the "Cold Trade," while the carnivorous Kroot have been paid in flesh to fight alongside Human Planetary Defence Forces.In the Tollovian Cluster, fickle Caradochians are not only tolerated, but allowed to sell their military services to the highest bidder. In this way, many argue, Humanity is tainted. After all, accepting a Donarathi amongst our own kind is only a small step away from making open covenant with the Hrud, the Ork, or any of the other foul alien species that plague the galaxy.
Xenos - Sanctioned Xenos: In the broadest of terms, according to the divine commandments of the Imperial Creed, no Human may interact with a xenos creature in any way except violently -- such creatures are inherently blasphemous against the God-Emperor and must be eliminated on sight without exception.From a young age, citizens of the Imperium are taught to fear and hate the xenos, and innumerable legions of Imperial Guardsmen are taught of the superiority of Mankind over all inhuman things as they are drilled in the use of lasgun and bayonet. The number of xenos who have set foot upon Human worlds peacefully and survived is small indeed.But this is not always the case. Though the Imperium was founded upon a creed of intolerance towards non-Humans, peaceful contact with a variety of xenos species actually happens frequently. In most instances, these are short-term alliances or matters of temporary mutual convenience.Just as frequently, illegal contact with xenos cultures is sufficiently commonplace that the Inquisition and the Adeptus Arbites keep a constant watch for potential contamination through contact with xenos; in spite of such vigilance, the "Cold Trade" of xenos goods on the black market still exists.A number of xenos species hire themselves out as mercenaries to a number of other species, for reasons all their own, and there are more than a few unscrupulous Imperial Commanders willing to hire such creatures to bolster their forces, seeing them as the ultimate expendable mercenaries and caring little for their fate.Rogue Traders, and a few other individuals, have the power to do more, and do so legitimately within the dictates of Imperial Law. These men and women, freed from the normal strictures and feudal requirements of the Imperium, have the influence and authority to make peaceful contact with xenos species for trade, temporary alliance or even to hire them as mercenaries.In some cases, an allied xenos may almost become a trusted companion, highly valued for its skills. Individuals with trusted xenos allies may find that the normal laws and Imperial religious doctrines against consorting with xenos hamper their operations, and in regions on the fringes of the Imperium, like the Calixis Sector and the Koronus Expanse, a method of legally sanctioning xenos allies has come about to ease these difficulties.These Sanctioned Xenos are still regarded with caution and hostility by most Imperials, but this is unsurprising -- even the Sanctioned Psykers of the Imperium are still subject to the prejudice against witches that is so readily promoted in the Imperium.However, so long as they remain in the company of a Human ally who can vouch for their service (assorted documentation in copious amounts is provided for this purpose), and agree to be visibly marked to prove that they are Sanctioned -- this mark is typically a brand or tattoo on the face or hands, where it can be clearly seen -- they may continue existing.The permanence of such a mark is of no concern -- without a Human employer to vouch for the xenos, the mark is essentially meaningless, and should the xenos cease to serve the Imperium, its life is forfeit anyway, and the creature is slain as soon as possible.Within the Calixis Sector, obtaining such sanctioning is an expensive and challenging matter; there are few who will even concede that such a practice exists, let alone perform it.A handful of Administratum ordinates in Port Wander provide the service, having been recruited for such a purpose by interested Inquisitors, whose purity is tested on a regular basis to monitor potential xenos contamination. Their identities are not widely known, and the service itself must be specifically requested, as they will not offer it otherwise.As rare as Imperial sanctioning of xenos is, it is recognised in many of the more well-travelled parts of the Calixis Sector and the Human-settled worlds of the Koronus Expanse.As the required mark is very similar to that which identifies Sanctioned Psykers, it quickly becomes apparent what the mark means to those with any knowledge of the structure of the Imperium.It is still wise to be cautious in bringing even a Sanctioned Xenos to an Imperial world; those who will understand the nature of the mark and the notion of sanctioning are still a minority, and a xenos creature will spread only fear and anger by its presence amongst the common masses of Mankind.
Xenos - Manifold Dangers of the Alien: Although the potential threats posed to Humanity and the Imperium by alien influences are many and varied, the doctrine of the Ordo Xenos defines five broad avenues by which the alien can afflict Mankind:Threat of Discord - Perhaps the most insidious threat the alien can pose to the Imperium is through the deviancy of its ways and ideas, exposure to which might inspire envy, apostasy, or even adoration, leading Humanity away from the Imperial fold and into heresy and rebellion. The Imperial Creed is the greatest weapon against such wrong-thinking. But the further from the centres of Imperial civilisation one goes, the more the risk of mental and moral contamination increases.Threat of Temptation - The alien is a thing of lies and false promises, offering gifts and trinkets, powerful technology, or alliances -- all of which are ready lures for the weak-minded, avaricious, or infirm of faith. There is a shameful roll call of traitors and deviants who have succumbed to such temptations in the past. The dubious treasures and lost secrets of xeno-civilizations long extinct can hold equal threat for those who disturb their resting places.Threat of Corruption - The alien can pose a threat of bodily taint and genetic corruption just as easily as the powers of the Warp. This taint may take the form of parasitism for the purpose of vile promulgation of its own species or to appease its hunger, such as with the Lacrymole or the Genestealer. Alternately there is the crime of transgenic blasphemy; the deliberate combination of Human and nonhuman DNA or tissue falls into this category.Threat of Dominion - Some xeno-forms have dark powers to dominate and control Humanity by psychic or other means, perhaps even forcing others to worship them as false gods. Abhorred creatures such as the Nostrafex, the Simulacra, and the Cryptos pose insidious and subtle dangers, turning Humans against their own and treating them as little more than cattle or playthings.Threat of Destruction - Some aliens seek to invade, conquer, and destroy by overt means, from the murderous swathes cut by great Ork WAAAGH!s and Tyranid assaults to the invasions of the enigmatic Thyrrus. Likewise, some non-sentient species, be they dangerous predators like the feared Void-Cacaradon or ecology-destroying vermin such as the Xothic Blood Locust, are simply too hazardous to be allowed to live whenever encountered.
Xenos - Major Xenos Races: Though there have been hundreds of sentient species in the galaxy's long history, only a handful have ever managed to build vast interstellar empires beyond their respective homeworlds. Even fewer have ever been powerful enough to rule the galaxy for any length of time.While Humanity is the current dominant species of the Milky Way Galaxy, it was not the first, and it is constantly challenged from without by rival species who envy its position of power.What distinguishes these races from the myriad of lesser intelligent species is the fact they are all currently too powerful for the Imperium of Man to exterminate like so many others:Asuryani - The Asuryani, also called Eldar or Craftworld Aeldari by some, are an ancient, but dying humanoid race whose technology remains far more advanced than that of the Imperium. The Aeldari once possessed a galaxy-spanning empire that exceeded even the Imperium of Man in size and strength. After the Fall of the Aeldari shattered their civilisation, the Aeldari were reduced to a refugee population as the majority of the race now exists in worldships known as craftworlds drifting across the galaxy. These Aeldari refer to themselves as Asuryani, "the children of Asuryan." The Asuryani hold Humanity, or the "Mon-keigh" as they refer to Humans, in disdain as it was the death of their empire that allowed Mankind to rise during the Great Crusade, yet they also assist the Imperium against common foes like Chaos and the Tyranids whenever it suits their own purposes.Drukhari - An off-shoot of the Aeldari race with its origins before the Fall sometimes inaccurately called the "Dark Eldar," the Drukhari differ radically in culture if not biology from their Asuryani cousins. Centred around the Dark City of Commorragh which is located within the ancient Labyrinthine Dimension of the Webway, the Drukhari are a depraved society characterised by sadistic violence and hedonistic excess who continue to indulge in the same vices that caused the Aeldari Empire's Fall. They are sustained by absorbing the psychic suffering of their victims and slaves, who they acquire from all the other intelligent species of the galaxy during raids from the Webway into realspace. Humanity often fails to make a distinction between the Asuryani of the Craftworlds and the Drukhari as the two can appear anatomically and technologically identical, though the cultural distance between them is actually vast.Necrons - The Necrons are a race so old that even the Aeldari would consider them ancient, possessed of technologies so advanced they defy the comprehension of the Imperium's best savants. The Necrons have lain dormant deep beneath their Tomb Worlds for millions of Terran years. They have only begun to reawaken in the last few centuries of the 41st Millennium. Robotic and virtually indestructible, Necrons have been emerging from their ancient Tomb Worlds across the galaxy to slaughter and kill the unsuspecting denizens of the galaxy, determined to reestablish their ancient galactic empire and eliminate all of the lesser races that have taken their rightful place.Orks - The Orks are a hyper-violent species of hulking green-skinned humanoids who have existed as long as the Aeldari, yet continue to be a powerful force in the galaxy due to the durability of their own biology, if not their civilisations. Universally perceived as a crude and savage species by all of the other intelligent races of the galaxy, this is for the most part an accurate assessment. Often fighting for the sheer sake of the joy they find in violence, the Orks are in a constant state of war with the other races of the galaxy and themselves. Due to the peculiar adaptability and efficiency of their reproductive spores, Orks may be the only species in the galaxy truly immune to extinction, and are more akin to an infestation than a species.T'au - The T'au are a young race of alien humanoids from the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy who have created a rapidly expanding interstellar empire with highly advanced technology in only a few Terran centuries. Led by the mysterious Ethereal Caste, the T'au are compelled by their pseudo-religious philosophy known as the Greater Good to expand their borders until they have assimilated and imposed their collectivist ideology upon the entire galaxy. Unique amongst the other major intelligent races of the Milky Way, the T'au Empire effectively employs a combination of diplomacy and measured military force to acquire other intelligent species as allies to their cause. Though barely a blip on the galactic map when compared to the vast interstellar territories that encompass the Imperium, the T'au Empire poses a realistic threat to seize the frontier of space away from Mankind if something is not done to counter their continued expansion. Even many Human worlds of the Imperium have found the Greater Good an attractive enough philosophy to turn their back upon the dictates of the God-Emperor.Tyranids - The Tyranid species -- actually a collection of different bioforms all genetically engineered to serve specific functions by a psychically gestalt Hive Mind -- currently presents the greatest threat to the Imperium and every other intelligent race of the galaxy. The Tyranid menace comes from the great void beyond the boundaries of galactic space to strip all the life-sustaining planets of the Milky Way Galaxy of their precious bio-mass in a quest to constantly improve and evolve their species towards new heights. Ever evolving and learning to adapt to the tactics of each new foe, no less than nine Tyranid Hive Fleets have been identified by the Imperium of Man entering the galaxy. Several of these Hive Fleets have yet to be destroyed or contained, while others have been shattered through immense expenditure of lives and resources, only to see new Hive Fleets emerge from the splintered remains of the old. Despite the tremendous military investment already put forward against them, it is feared that all Tyranid incursions thus far have merely been the vanguard to the truly massive swarm that is even now approaching the galaxy. If all projections prove accurate, then the coming threat may prove to be the deathblow to the already crumbling and over-taxed Imperium and may represent a threat to all other lifeforms in the galaxy.
Xenos - Minor Xenos Races: Not all sentient species are poised to seize the galaxy for themselves. Hundreds have failed to even prevent their own extinction. Despite this, the galaxy continues to offer a great diversity of alien life in a myriad of forms, all struggling to survive and leave their mark in an increasingly hostile and cruel universe.Below is listed a sample of some of the extinct and still-existing minor xenos species that inhabit the Milky Way Galaxy:Demiurg - An intelligent alien race of short, stocky humanoid traders and asteroid miners, they are almost purely space-borne in their massive and majestic commerce vessels. Their history is unconfirmed, as are their origins, intentions and current threat to others. All that is known about them is based at best on speculation. The Demiurg are known to have allied with the T'au, serving as trading partners of the T'au Empire. They were initially introduced to the T'au via their mutual relations with the Kroot. From the Demiurg, the T'au acquired their knowledge of Ion Cannon technology, which is now heavily used by the T'au in their armies and fleets. Two Brotherhoods of Demiurg, the Srry'Tok and Thurm, are known to have joined the T'au Empire outright.Diasporex - The Diasporex was a nomadic civilisation of Humans and aliens who lived aboard a vast collection of starships, maintaining a network of hydrogen collector space stations around various stars to fuel their vessels' power generators. They had been prowling the depths of space since the Age of Strife and their lifestyle may have evolved as a reaction to the horrors of that time on many Human-settled worlds. During the last days of the Great Crusade in the early 31st Millennium, the Iron Hands Legion encountered the fleets of the Diasporex. The Iron Hands offered the Human members of the Diasporex the opportunity to separate from their alien allies and to join the Imperium of Man. They declined, and so under standing Imperial orders had to be destroyed as a potential threat to the nascent Imperium. In the months that followed, the Iron Hands Legion fleet tried to destroy the Diasporex, but their fleets proved to be highly skilled and experienced in naval warfare: they easily evaded multiple fleet engagements initiated by the Astartes and even managed to damage an Iron Hands cruiser. At this point, the Emperor's Children Legion was called in as reinforcements for the Iron Hands. The combined Astartes force eventually made the discovery that the Diasporex used hidden space stations to collect hydrogen fuel from various local stars, which was the reason they had remained in that sector of space rather than just fleeing from the Imperial forces. The Space Marines assaulted these stations and thus forced the Diasporex fleet into open battle to protect them, where they were defeated. A brief shipboarding action occurred, in which the Emperor's Children Captain Solomon Demeter stole the glory of seizing the Diasporex flagship from the increasingly corrupted Primarch Fulgrim. The final words of the alien Diasporex flagship captain were, "We only wished to be left alone."Galg - The Galg are a frog-like amphibious alien species who often serve as mercenaries for the T'au Empire. Members of the Galg race are covered in green scales and appear to most Humans as large, humanoid frogs. The T'au Empire normally maintains a small number of Galg mercenaries within their ranks but Galgs can be found in the employ of many different factions across the galaxy as long as the price is right. As with most alien species, the Galgs hate Mankind, even when Humans serve as their employers, because of the Imperium's intolerance for all intelligent alien races.Gykon - The Gykon were an intelligent xenos species mentioned by the Warmaster Horus during the Great Crusade, when he debriefed Captain Garviel Loken of the Luna Wolves' 10th Company. Horus mentioned the Gykon after Loken reported that one of his Space Marines became a Daemonhost during a battle with the last of the insurgents on planet 63-19.Khrave - The Khrave are a dangerous species of psychically-gifted xenos that act like slavers and have been plaguing the Human race since the earliest days of the Great Crusade. Believed to have risen during the Age of Strife, little is known of the physical appearance of these aliens as all accounts of their Human encounters with them emphasise the Khrave’s psychic abilities and their dreadful technology. The Khrave are psychic leeches, feeding on the minds and souls of subjugated Human worlds they infiltrate and subdue. The Khrave also seem to possess some kind of natural affinity with the Warp as their preferred weapons are so-called Warp-glamours, blades forged from solidified matter of the Immaterium, easily able to cleave through Power Armour. The oldest and strongest Khrave encountered by the Imperium are said to have been able to rival a Primarch in bulk, although these exemplars are thankfully rare.Jokaero - The Jokaero are an intelligent alien species who resemble the orange-furred great apes of Old Earth known as orangutans. Though lacking any known form of language, they are capable of tremendous feats of technological construction and manipulation, and specialise in the development of weapons technology, particularly miniaturised weapons. The Jokaero are not a naturally evolved species, but were created by the Old Ones during the War in Heaven over 60 million Terran years ago for the purpose of aiding in their conflict with the C'tan and the Necrons, along with many other intelligent races of the Milky Way Galaxy such as the Aeldari, the Rashan, the K'Nib and the green-skinned Krork, the possible ancestors of the Orks.Kinebrach - The Kinebrach were a species of simian-like humanoid aliens who co-existed with the Humans of the Interex culture before the Great Crusade. Long before Humanity had spread across the stars from their homeworld of Terra, the Kinebrach ruled a large and mighty interstellar empire. However, by the time the Humans of the Interex made first contact with them, the Kinebrach empire was old and decaying. The Kinebrach, rather than go to war against a more vibrant and powerful species, decided to ally themselves with Humanity instead. Thus, the Kinebrach were taken under the wing of the Interex, with certain limitations placed upon them. The foremost of these was that no Kinebrach was allowed to carry arms, except in times of war. Those Kinebrach in the Interex military served as shock troops due to their strong, stocky build, which was similar to that of a bipedal gorilla. Kinebrach technology, at the time of the Interex's first contact with the Imperium of Man, was very advanced, in some ways more so than than that of the Imperium at its height - though their military technology lagged somewhat behind - and this was one of the reasons the Interex was able to progress so quickly as a culture.Kroot - The Kroot are a species of savage humanoids who are a member species of the T'au Empire and who evolved from avian precursors. A unique feature of the Kroot is that they evolve by selecting traits of their defeated foes to absorb by eating them, unleashing the only known form of Lamarckian selection ever discovered by the Imperium among a xenos species. Kroot who prey extensively on a particular species will begin to take on the anatomical and mental characteristics of that creature. When absorbing the DNA in this manner of sentient species such as Orks and Humans, they may also take on cultural aspects of that race as well. In order to gather genetic material from all over the galaxy, the Kroot offer themselves as mercenaries, and sell their services to anyone willing to pay them. They travel the galaxy taking limited contracts from both major and minor races and are regularly employed by the T'au.Laer - The Laer were a non-humanoid reptilian species dedicated to the worship of the Chaos God Slaanesh who in appearance were wildly diverse, engineered for each particular theatre of war or cultural function. There were winged, aquatic and all manner of other variations on the basic serpentine Laer form. They were often tall and sinuous, with a snake-like lower body common to their species, and muscular thoraxes sheathed in silver armour, from which sprouted two pairs of limbs. The upper arms bore long, lightning-wreathed power blades, while the lower arms wielded crackling gauntlets that fired lethal green energy bolts. Their heads were insect-like and bulbous, with glossy, multi-faceted eyes and jutting mandibles that produced a grating screech when they attacked. The Laer were first encountered by the Emperor's Children Legion's 28th Expeditionary Fleet during the Great Crusade, concentrated in a single star system on a single homeworld completely covered by a global ocean called Laeran (officially codified in Imperial records as Twenty-Eight-Three). Like the Emperor's Children themselves, the Laer prized perfection in all aspects of life. By the use of chemical and genetic manipulation from birth, individual Laer were best adapted to their cultural roles, whether they be workers, soldiers, diplomats, or even artists. The Primarch Fulgrim refused any notion of co-operation with the aliens, for as Imperial doctrine proclaimed, only Humanity was perfect. For an alien race to hold its own ideals to be comparable to those of Humanity was blasphemy in its most blatant form, and deserved nothing less than annihilation. In a brutal and bloody campaign the Emperor's Children wiped out the Laeren race. However, the members of the 28th Expedition who investigated the Laer's primary place of worship, a great temple dedicated to the Laer aspect of Slaanesh, were corrupted by the touch of Chaos. Over the next several months and years, Fulgrim and his III Legion -- indeed all those Humans who had been exposed to the touch of the Prince of Pleasure on Laeran -- were transformed unknowingly into the sadistic and hedonistic servants of Chaos who joined with Horus in his rebellion against the Emperor.Megarachnids - The Megarachnids were a sentient race of non-humanoid xenos resembling giant spiders that resided in the early 31st Millennium on the planet Murder, more formally known as Urisarach and One-Forty-Twenty. An extremely hostile alien species, they were an old enemy of the non-Imperial human Interex civilisation who, instead of committing xenocide, had exiled the surviving members of the species to the world they called Urisarach as an act of mercy. The Megarachnids were stripped of their interstellar travel capabilities, and weather control devices that created powerful atmospheric disturbances and interfered with Vox communications were constructed by the Interex in the shape of large "trees" across the planet to deter vessels from landing on Murder. A campaign of extermination was waged against them by the forces of the Imperium of Man many years later during the Great Crusade after several companies of Space Marines were lost to the Megarachnids' latent hostilities during the initial Imperial investigations of the planet. The war proved costly in Astartes lives, but seemed to be making steady progress by the sixth month. The campaign came to an abrupt end when the Interex arrived to see who was disturbing the Megarachnids' reservation world and first contact occurred between the Interex and the Imperium, as represented by the Warmaster Horus. Whether or not the campaign was continued after the destruction of the Interex by the Imperium in the final days of the Great Crusade is unknown, and the ultimate fate of this species is unrecorded in any existing Imperial records.Nicassar - The Nicassar are a non-humanoid, ursine-like xenos species of powerful psykers who are allied with the T'au. The Nicassar are driven by an insatiable curiosity to explore and travel across the galaxy. It was this drive which led a flotilla of Nicassar Dhows to make contact with the T'au, resulting in the Nicassar becoming the first non-T'au race to become an addition to the fledgling T'au Empire. Their contribution to the Greater Good is the provision of starships for the T'au Navy, particularly vessels involved with reconnaissance and exploration duties, which are often crewed by the Nicassar themselves rather than the T'au Air Caste. The propulsion and navigation of all Nicassar vessels stems from the potent psychic powers that define the Nicassar species. For this reason, the T'au have been careful to prevent the Imperium of Man, which is known for its extreme persecution of psykers, from discovering the existence of the Nicassar within their empire. The Nicassar are utilised by the T'au only for spacefaring; their own limited mobility makes them highly ill-suited for ground combat.Rak'Gol - The Rak'Gol are vicious xenos marauders and a relatively new threat within the Koronus Expanse of the Halo Stars adjacent to the Calixis Sector. The species was encountered by the Imperium first in the dim stars past the Alenic Depths in the 8th century of the 41st Millennium. A xenos breed of which little is known for fact, they take the appearance of rough-hewn and irregular stone reptilids, eight-limbed and over three metres long. Chalky white in colour and mantis-like in bodily arrangement, Rak'Gol warriors favour cybernetic augmentation to increase their abilities and replace lost limbs. Their point of origin remains unknown, as does the motivation for their sporadic attacks on Human-held worlds and vessels, other than to slaughter indiscriminately and steal minerals and weapons. Their rasping, screeching language remains incomprehensible, and no successful communication between the Rak'Gol and Humanity has been recorded; no Rak'Gol has ever been captured alive. Indeed, even their name is taken from children's stories of mythical monsters from the settlement of Footfall's slums, legends which they superficially resemble.Tarellians - The Tarrelians are a minor reptilian humanoid species. Anatomically they are narrow-waisted and possess broad shoulders, while they stand slightly shorter on average than Humans. Because of their long snouts and their predilection for working as mercenaries, particularly for the T'au Empire, they are often referred to as Tarellian "Dog-soldiers" by Humans. During the Great Crusade, Imperial expeditionary fleets virus-bombed most of the Tarellian homeworlds, almost wiping out the entire species. This has resulted in the Tarellians bearing a grudge and eternal enmity towards the Imperium that has lasted for ten millennia. In 998.M41, a Tarellian civilisation was devoured by the Tyranid Hive Fleet Moloch during its advance from the galactic north and the Kiltor Sector.Tushepta - The Tushepta are an alien race only spoken of during the Great Crusade by the Warmaster Horus during his debriefing of Garviel Loken, the captain of the Luna Wolves' 10th Company, after one of his Space Marines became a Daemonhost during a battle with the last of the insurgents on planet 63-19.Vespid - The Vespid 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 sport 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 of the electromagnetic spectrum 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-based technology. The Vespids are a member species of the T'au Empire.
Xenos - Abhuman Species: In the long millennia since Mankind first began to settle amongst the stars, some Human colonists have deviated to a great degree from the base-line Human genome due to exposure to the alien environments of their homeworlds and long centuries of isolation from the rest of Humanity during the Age of Strife. These sub-species of Humanity often differ in physical and cultural terms from the Human baseline to such an extent that they are almost as inhuman as true xenos. These variant Human sub-species are generally referred to by the Administratum as Abhumans.Interex - The Interex was a highly advanced interstellar Human civilisation that existed across some thirty star systems at the time of the Great Crusade in the early 31st Millennium. The Interex, unlike the Imperium of Man, had decided that the best way to deal with intelligent alien species was not to exterminate them or make war upon them, but to try and coexist with them. In fact, the Interex had become the close allies and nominal overlords of a simian alien species called the Kinebrach who they had integrated into their own society. The Interex ultimately became enemies of the Imperium after hostilities between the two Human civilisations began when the Interex accused a diplomatic party of Luna Wolves led by the Warmaster Horus of breaking into their Hall of Devices, a museum on the Interex world of Xenobia dedicated to weaponry, and stealing a prized Kinebrach blade called an Anathame that was known to have links to Chaos. The Interex believed that the Imperium was allied to Chaos (which they called "Kaos") and never knew that the weapon had in fact been stolen by First Chaplain Erebus of the Word Bearers Legion, who had been with Horus' diplomatic party. Unknown to Horus, Erebus and the Word Bearers Legion had already turned to the worship of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. The powers of the Warp had informed Erebus and his Primarch Lorgar that if they wished to bring Horus over to the side of Chaos, then they would need the Kinebrach Anathame. The Interex civilisation was ultimately wiped out by the Luna Wolves, following the commencement of hostilities between the two Human factions on the night Erebus stole the Anathame.Ogryn (Homo sapiens gigantus) are a huge and physically powerful Abhuman mutant subspecies of Humans, often employed as shock troopers in the Imperial Guard by the Imperium of Man. Ogryns possess many traits prized by the Imperium; they are brutally strong and completely loyal, although extremely limited intellectually, which limits their battlefield role to simple and direct assaults. They come from cold and barren planets in the galaxy with high gravity, such as Anark Zeta, which is why they appear larger, heavier and bulkier compared to baseline Humans. An Ogryn's speech is much the same as an Ork's. The most famous Ogryn in Imperial service is Nork Deddog.Olamic Quietude - The Olamic Quietude was a technologically advanced cybernetic Human civilisation that had been founded during the Dark Age of Technology and over the course of 15,000 standard years merged themselves so completely with their advanced technology -- as a possible result of the influence of unknown xenos -- that there was little left of them that could be considered truly Human. The Quietude lived in vast and deep techno-hive cities protected by an artificially-extended icecap on their unnamed homeworld, an otherwise lifeless but heavily defended planet. They were encountered by the Imperium of Man's 40th Expeditionary Fleet near the end of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, and utterly annihilated by the 3rd Great Company of the Space Wolves Space Marine Legion, another of the Abhuman pretenders to the Human future wiped out by the forces of the Emperor of Mankind.Ratlings (Homo sapiens minimus) are small, loud, hungry and lecherous Abhumans. Ratlings are granted full Imperial citizenship despite their mutant status and in the past have often served in the Regiments of the Imperial Guard. However, they are still distrusted by the more Puritanical members of the Inquisition.Squats (Homo sapiens rotundus) - The Squats are a short, stocky and physically hardy Abhuman sub-species of Mankind who were adapted to the heavy gravity conditions that predominated on the worlds they had settled near the core of the Milky Way Galaxy. Of all the Abhuman types encountered by the Imperium, they most closely resembled baseline Humans. Squats were the descendants of baseline Humans who had colonised the worlds around the galactic core in the far distant past of the Dark Age of Technology. These worlds are some of the oldest in the galaxy, formed when the galaxy's structure had not yet been fully stabilised. The Squat species was ultimately destroyed by the invasion of a Tyranid splinter Hive Fleet that consumed their homeworlds in the late 41st Millennium, though some survivors still see service with the Imperial Guard, hoping for revenge and to find a new beginning for the remnants of their race.
Xenos - Trivia: Xenos is a word that originated from the Greek language. The most common definition is "stranger."However, it can be interpreted in different ways, depending upon who is using it or what situation it is being used in, producing variant meanings such as "enemy" or "foreigner."
Xenos Hybris - Xenos Hybris: The Xenos Hybris is a Radical conspiracy of Inquisitors within the Calixian Conclave of the Inquisition that believes that Mankind must learn from the achievements and mistakes of alien races, and that only by cooperation and mutual understanding can both human and alien survive the galaxy's myriad threats.The Xenos Hybris is confined to the Calixis Sector and the Inquisitors who operate within it, but it is representative of a profusion of minor factions and concerns that are focused on the lure of greater wisdom and potential offered by the alien.It is also typical of a lesser Radicalism within the Inquisition born of the revelatory belief of a few; Xenos Hybris exists as a consequence of the danger of Mankind's ignorance and intolerance of the alien that those within the faction believe that only they can see clearly.The number of Inquisitors who cling to the Xenos Hybris beliefs are few, but they pursue their goal of human-alien advancement with blind focus that may well create a catastrophe before it achieves the faction's ends.Agents of the Hybris delve into the long-dead secrets of aliens who once walked among the stars of the Calixis Sector, court xenophile Hereteks to produce hybridised xenos-human technology, and kill any who stand in their way. Though most Hybris Inquisitors have a scholarly nature, they are still ruthless fanatics who are single-minded in the rightness of their cause.Most Hybris Inquisitors, of course, exist within the Ordo Xenos, but they do also have adherents from both the Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus. For the most part, these Inquisitors of other ordos are concerned with what alien lore can be brought to bear to combat the daemons of the Warp and with understanding how to bring unity to the fractured Imperium of Man.
Xenos Vessel - Xenos Vessel: A Xenos Vessel is a voidship of various possible alien origins sometimes used by Imperial Rogue Traders, its crew often hired as mercenaries.Contact with xenos species is without doubt the habit for which Rogue Traders gain the most notoriety in the Imperium. Their trading missions necessarily take them to regions of space beyond Imperial control, regions where there is every chance of finding thriving intelligent alien cultures, even alien stellar empires. Rogue Traders can gain much of value and interest from these species and are certainly not above employing them as mercenaries when the situation demands.Far from home, where the protection of the Navis Imperialis is but a hopeless dream, many Rogue Traders instead hire out alien vessels and their crews for protection. These vessels often provide much needed local knowledge, as well as the ability to overcome cultural or linguisitic barriers along with a healthy dose of sheer firepower where required.Particularly bold Rogue Traders will, from time to time, journey back to Imperial space, still with their alien employees in tow, perhaps keen to make continued use of the exotic weaponry which their vessels provide. Rogue Traders typically favour vessels which make use of alien directed energy technologies, since the huge power supplies and impossibly difficult upkeep needed for the Imperium's own starship-based laser and lance weaponry generally makes them unuseable by Rogue Traders, isolated, as they often are, for standard years at a time, far from Imperial spacedocks.Although Xenos Vessels are often considered to be armed with weapons batteries and lances, this is in fact simply a label for a whole gamut of alien weaponry such as Ion Cannons, Jokaero laser technology, fusion generators or other directed energy weapons of indeterminate origin.
Xenos World - Xenos World: A Xenos World is the designation given to a planet by the Adeptus Administratum that lies outside of the bounds and control of the Imperium of Man and that is the homeworld or colony world of an intelligent alien species.Most xenos races inhabit only a single world that is their original planet of origin, or a small group of worlds that they have recently settled in star systems close to their homeworld.The majority of intelligent alien species are comparatively technologically primitive, unaggressive or lack any true power in the interstellar arena.This means they are of no interest to the Imperium unless they are occupying unusually resource-rich worlds, otherwise possess something the Imperium needs, or represent a threat to the lives and property of Mankind.Only a few of the intelligent species in the galaxy are numerous enough, aggressive enough or powerful enough to serve as rivals of the Imperium who must be dealt with severely.Of these, by far the most common are the Orks, the Aeldari, the Drukhari, the Necrons, the T'au and the Tyranids.
Xenos World - Canon Conflict: White Dwarf 139 (UK) states on page 9 that "Humanity is but one of many races in the galaxy. However, none are so widely distributed or so numerous as humans."Contradicting this, however, Codex: Orks (2nd Edition) on page 4 clearly states that the Orks are the most widespread intelligent race in the Milky Way Galaxy.It is possible in attempting to reconcile this information that the greenskins are in fact the more numerous race but are split into a multitude of different factions, whilst the Imperium of Man represents the largest single polity in the galaxy governed by a single species.The Necrons are also now believed to be even more widespread across the galaxy than both Orks and Humans. On page 17 of the Codex Necrons (5th Edition) it notes: "These Tomb Worlds represent only a handful of the many millions spread throughout the galaxy," while it continues on page 8 to state that: "even now, at the close of the 41st Millennium, billions of Necrons still slumber in their tombs, silently waiting the clarion call of destiny."This indicates that depending on the number of Tomb Worlds in the galaxy and the amount of Necrons sleeping beneath each, the Necrons could represent an even more widespread intelligent species than Humanity or its greenskin foes.
Xerill - Xerill: Xerill is an Iron Hands Master of the Forge seconded to the Deathwatch and a member of the Inquisition's Dead Cabal operating within the Jericho Reach to investigate the phenomenon known as the Dark Pattern.
Xerill - History: The concept of bionic enhancement and robotic integration has become deeply seated in the ways of the Iron Hands Chapter. Master of the Forge Xerill is a shining example of this belief and many consider him to be more machine than man.This Techmarine has served the Deathwatch for close to eight solar decades and in that time he has unlocked a number of secrets that have furthered the goals of the Dead Cabal. Xerill was inducted into their ranks fifty Terran years ago after he recovered a series of Aeldari Spirit Stones.His passion for understanding and unlocking the knowledge contained within xenos artefacts drew the attention of Inquisitor Velayne Ramaeus, who had him reassigned to permanent detail on the Dead Stations Vigil.Since that time, Xerill has embraced the Dead Cabal and has dedicated his tenure with the Deathwatch to studying as many xenos artefacts as he can. He is especially fascinated by anything relating to the Necrons and has undertaken many missions based on the slightest inclination that there could be Necron activity involved.Xerill finds the Necrons so intriguing due to their idealistic similarity to his own Chapter, and the inevitable fall they suffered as a result of that pursuit. This represents the ultimate danger in Iron Hands lore, and Xerill is anxious to understand how to avoid such a grand disaster.Xerill has investigated many worlds of the Dark Pattern looking for Necron tombs and other signs. He has battled ancient remnants of their empire numerous times and he has become adept at overcoming their advanced technology and ancient science.On the world of Nunc, Xerill experienced something that would change his life drastically and put him at odds with his Deathwatch brethren should they ever learn the truth.The Dead World of Nunc has long held many secrets that the Imperium wished to exploit. From the earliest days of the Dead Cabal and the encounters Inquisitor Sinclair experienced, this ancient world has often brought the Deathwatch to its surface.Xerill and a Kill-team of experienced Deathwatch Battle-Brothers came to Nunc in pursuit of a group of Aeldari Corsairs. These troublesome xenos were responsible for crippling at least three Imperial vessels, so the Deathwatch was dispatched to bring this menace to an end.After a fierce space battle, the surviving Aeldari fled to the surface of Nunc hoping to elude their executioners. The Deathwatch does not leave a mission incomplete, however, and they followed the Corsairs to the Dead World to finish off the kill.During the prolonged firefight with the raiders, the Space Marines were pinned down in a rocky valley. Under covering fire, Xerill sought a way to circle around behind the Aeldari to exploit their flank.While carrying this out, the excessive weight of the Techmarine's Artificer Armour and Servo-Harness caused a weak point in the rocks to collapse, dropping Xerill into an underground cave. The fall did little damage to the Techmarine, but he was cut off from his comrades and trapped deep below the surface.The cave that Xerill discovered was a natural formation, but it also contained many unnatural features. A large, metallic archway dominated one half of the cavern, a sealed door to something deep within the planet. The carvings and runes along the structure were instantly recognisable as Necron and Xerill quickly forgot about the raiders above.He began analysing and recording all the glyphs and runes he found, in hopes of discerning what rested beyond the doorway. While excavating the ground near the base of the arch to gain a better look at a series of glyphs, Xerill uncovered a strange silver box, seamless and perfectly cubical.Shortly after discovering this unknown device, the battle above continued to weaken the cave. Xerill knew that he must abandon his investigation or he would lose all that he had discovered should the cave collapse, burying him alive.The Master of the Forge quickly located another weakness in the cave and breached this into a side tunnel. This allowed him to return to the surface with his newfound prize and reunite with his teammates who had broken the xenos firing line and were making quick work of the remaining Aeldari. Xerill concealed the silver cube in his Servo-Harness until he could study the device further.Upon returning to Watch Fortress Erioch, Xerill sequestered himself away to devote his time to the artefact. After nearly a solar week of study, he was finally able to unlock it, though he has spoken to no one of what he found. He has recently begun sending a series of highly encrypted messages to his Chapter.These messages contain a great deal of research into robotics and also the basis of Necron physiology. He believes that out of anyone, the Iron Hands' Iron Council is best suited to understand the strides he has made in unlocking the secrets of transcending the flesh and becoming one with the machine.The leaders of the Iron Hands have entreated the Deathwatch to keep Xerill permanently assigned to his post within the Watch. To them, this is simply so that his valuable knowledge and expertise can be best utilised by the Imperium and the Deathwatch has no further knowledge of the Iron Hands' ulterior motives.
Xerill - Personality: When interacting with Xerill, it is immediately recognisable that he is aloof and distant. The Techmarine is fiercely committed to his Chapter's dogma, as well as his belief that the flesh is weak. Xerill spends a great deal of his time sequestered away studying xenos artefacts and other technologies.It is rare for him to leave the Dead Station to which he has been assigned to undertake a mission unless there is any evidence that the Necrons are involved. When he does embark on a mission, he is direct and to the point in all dealings. Xerill has no time for any deviation from his goal and he will do whatever is necessary to succeed in his mission.Nearing the end of the 41st Millennium, the Techmarine had a number of personal confrontations with the Dead Cabal Librarian Rennin Tri'el of the Silver Skulls.The gregarious and outspoken Librarian takes issue with the Techmarine's gruff and unwavering nature. They also disagree greatly about the nature of the Dark Pattern and have had a number of heated debates about their theories.
Xi-Nu 73 - Xi-Nu 73: Xi-Nu 73 was a Tech-adept and Cybernetica Datasmith of the 9th Maniple, Carthage Cohort of the Mechanicum's Legio Cybernetica, attached to the 1301st Expeditionary Fleet of the Word Bearers Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade of the late 30th Millennium. This Imperial fleet was commanded by Seventh Captain Argel Tal of the XVII Legion's Serrated Sun Chapter.Like many of his Mechanicum counterparts, Xi-Nu 73 had undergone extensive cybernetic enhancement, improving himself a great deal over two standard centuries of loyal service to the Imperium of Man. Carthage Cohort was comprised of dozens of maniples, of which Xu-Nu's four robotic wards were just one. The war machines and expert technical crews of Carthage Cohort were spread across the many Word Bearers fleets, rather than housed on their own Mechanicum vessels the way the Titan Legions were. Lorgar’s own insistence made it thus. The Carthage Primacy which gave this honour to the cohort had been signed and oathed over a century before the events of the Horus Heresy. The Carthage Cohort, one of the Legio Cybernetica’s proudest armies, would march with the XVII Legion, and dwell in the bowels of their vessels. Since that time, almost a dozen of Carthage Cohort's war machines had been inducted as honorary Legionaries of the Word Bearers.Xi-Nu 73 had not been present at the time this ancient oath was sworn -- he had not even been flesh-born. But despite how useful the Carthage Cohort was to the Word Bearers Legion, the Astartes simply did not like the Mechanicum element in their midst. Relations were closer to cold than cordial, even taking the Mechanicum's inhumanity into consideration. Over time, Xi-Nu 73 -- who had most humbly risen to oversee a maniple of four robots within the Cohort -- came to realise that the Word Bearers were not like their Astartes brothers. It was an opinion shared by others of his rank, on those increasingly rare occasions he established contact with them. To Xi-Nu's perception, the principal problem was that the Word Bearers were too human; fuelled by emotion, rather than logic, which affected their tactical decisions and their very goals in the Great Crusade. Despite his personal misgivings, Xi-Nu 73 loyally served the Serrated Sun Chapter during many notable campaigns until the coming of the Heresy and the corruption of the XVII Legion by the Dark Gods.Xi-Nu 73 died at the hands of the Imperial Custodes, when they attempted to torture the early Confessor Cyrene Valantion to find out the Word Bearers' plans at the start of the Drop Site Massacre. He attempted to save Cyrene by commanding his Conqueror-class robot Incarnadine to attack the Custodes, resulting in his death when they returned fire.
Xiao - Xiao: Xiao is the chief astropath in the Adeptus Astra Telepathica of the Calixis Sector in the Segmentum Obscurus. Xiao is an improbably tall and broad-shouldered man with a shaven head and a long, grey-streaked beard. His blindness -- he wears an embroidered band around his head to cover the empty eye sockets that are common for soul-bound astropaths -- is the only note of physical weakness about him, for even in his robes he is obviously a large and muscular man.Xiao does not permit anyone to send a message through his astropaths on the Calixis Sector's capital world of Scintilla unless he deems it necessary. Lord Marius Hax, the sector governor of Calixis and planetary governor of Scintilla, is rarely refused by Xiao, but anyone else must justify the use of the astropath's rare talents. Though Xiao is unfailingly polite, he is still a very intimidating man and calmly refuses to compromise once he has made his decision.Xiao is one of the most powerful psykers in the Calixis Sector but he never sends astropathic messages personally, even for Hax, always having one of his astropaths do so instead, although it is rumoured that he has an arrangement with someone very powerful for whom he sends messages exclusively.Chief Astropath Xiao dwells in the Bastion Porphyr, the tallest tower of Hive Sibellus on Scintilla. The Bastion Porphyr houses some of the Calixis Sector's most powerful astropaths, all members of the Imperium's Adeptus Astra Telepathica.
Xiao - Astropathic Communication: Just as Warp travel within the Imperium of Man is a complicated and inexact science, so too is the business of exchanging interstellar messages between the many and varied planets and star systems that make up the Emperor's realm. Radio or optically-based planetary communications systems such as vox-casters, hardwired lines and the more advanced vox-communicators suffice to pass messages amongst the nations or cities of a world, yet have almost no use beyond the bounds of the planet's surface. Such devices, their radio or light waves restricted to the speed of light, require many years for their signal to reach even the nearest planet and have no surety of even being detected when they arrive.The perils of travel through the Warp ensure that Human or servitor messengers are just as unreliable and potentially as slow as radio or other electromagnetic wave-based communications. The Imperium, then, is forced to rely upon communication by psychic, or astro-telepathic means. Astropaths communicate with mental symbols and iconic images, projecting these messages instantaneously through vast distances of space by means of psychic power, which broadcasts through the non-Euclidean dimension that is the Immaterium.This process is usually exhausting and requires ritual and focus in order to keep the psyker in the right frame of mind. These focusing efforts can take a wide variety of forms, such as use of the Emperor's Tarot, vision quests, automatic writing, trances, séances and the like.The Gaolist astropaths of Hredin, for example, spend many standard years etching their messages onto painstakingly illuminated sheets of iron and then destroy the work of art upon a massive grinding wheel. The pain of annihilating a much-loved labour is said to produce psychic messages of unparalleled clarity.
Xiaphas Jurr - Xiaphas Jurr: Xiaphas Jurr, known as "the Prophet of Fire", was a member of the Salamanders Legion during the latter years of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.He served as a member of the Igniax, the formation that preceded the Reclusiam inside the Salamanders Legion. He was trained as a Chaplain by the great Nomus Rhy'tan himself.The Keeper of Nocturne charged Xiaphas with the important task of going to Isstvan V to investigate and determine the fate of their lost Primarch Vulkan.After visiting the war-scoured ruins of Isstvan V, he left that benighted world with his faith renewed. A strange power had taken root in the once benign rituals he practised.Where once he sought desperately for answers, now his prophesies held the power to define the future; it was this power that would ultimately lead Xiaphas Jurr and his Disciples of the Flames down a dark path to an end long since hidden within the Salamanders' sealed vaults.
Xiaphas Jurr - History: Taken as a tithe from the scaver tribes of ancient Proximal -- the same fierce Feral Worlders that had once dubbed the Salamanders as "Devils from the Outer Dark" when the XVIIIth Legion had brought their world to Imperial Compliance -- Xiaphas Jurr was raised to the ranks of the Igniax and trained as a Chaplain in the final years before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, never seeing battle as part of the Emperor's Great Crusade.Reckoned amongst the most promising of the officer-recruits who remained on Nocturne in the wake of the muster in the Istvaan System, he was later chosen by the Keeper of Nocturne, Nomus Rhy'tan, to lead the mission to investigate the primarch's fate. Carrying the rank of Chaplain-Lieutenant, Jurr was awarded the command of the brand new warship called the Ebon Drake -- a revolutionary design said to have had its plans laid down by Vulkan himself.The Ebon Drake would be crewed by a full company of those neophytes recently promoted to the rank of Legionaries, Chaplain Nomus Rhy'tan going to great lengths to assure that every Realm of Nocturne and even all the off-world domains of the XVIIIth Legion were represented amongst the Ebon Drake’s crew. Additionally, Rhy'tan assigned a core of thirty Veterans of the Legion's Firedrakes to further augment the company's strength.Given to superstition and obscure ritual, as were many among the tribes of Proximal, whose unpredictable, rad-scoured surface had little pity for those that lived upon it, Xiaphas Jurr accepted his mission with much zeal, seeing it as the first step towards a grand destiny.It was this fervour, verging as it did on religious fanaticism, which drew the men of the Nocturne garrison to him, dispirited as they were in the wake of dire rumours of the fighting at Isstvan V, and bound them to him in the dark odyssey that was to follow.Xiaphas Jurr proved a capable commander, leading the Ebon Drake in a number of naval battles, planetary invasions and defensive actions. Most tellingly, he put the largely inexperienced crew of the Ebon Drake under a punishing regime of combat drills the moment their vessel left Nocturne.Through the rising tumult in the Warp, the Ebon Drake’s journey took solar months to complete, forced as they were to take a circuitous route and to conduct only brief Warp-jumps as to not lose their bearings. After many clashes with the enemy, the Ebon Drake finally reached the bleak system of Istvaan only to witness the desolation left by the Warmaster Horus' betrayal.The sight of the silent, lifeless and brutalised orb of Isstvan V was almost enough to extinguish the last embers of hope in the hearts of the company. Yet they had to be sure, and after many solar hours of hesitation, the Ebon Drake launched dropcraft to investigate the planet's surface.Heavily-armed search-parties landed on the world, wary of an ambush, and roaming the dust plains, deep canyons and debris fields almost at random. For three solar days the search continued, the Ebon Drake’s sensors sweeping the surface in endless cycles of search-configurations, but they only reported ruins, wrecks and the silent corpses of the dead. Of the three missing primarchs, Ferrus Manus, Corvus Corax and their own lord Vulkan, they found no trace at all, neither dead nor alive.For these three days, Xiaphas Jurr busied himself casting augury after augury by using the ritual of Drakken-Asca, until on the third day his feverish half-dreams directed the search parties to a part of the now glass plain that had once been the Urgall Depression.The glass plain marked the location where the Traitors had resorted to the use of atomic weaponry to complete the massacre, and beneath it the Ebon Drake’s sensors finally detected a sizeable object of unknown composition which was broadcasting an almost undetectable signal on an exotic wavelength known to have been used by certain strata of the Salamanders' command echelons.Using their bare hands and Combat Blades to dig the black sands of Isstvan V, the Salamanders and their allies rejoiced as they unearthed the unmistakable form of a Legion Mark IV Dreadnought, its ornate yet blackened and scoured sarcophagus still proclaiming the machine's identity: Cassian Vaughn, the Dracos Revenant and former master of the XVIIIth Legion before it was reunited with its primarch.With trembling hands, Jurr connected the sarcophagus to an external Vox unit and the haunting, hypnotic voice of a man twice dead rumbled forth over the assembled warriors of the Ebon Drake's company:"You come seeking our father, but he is not here."I searched for him on the field of battle until they struck me down with a sword of flame that scorched the very heavens, and yet I did not die."I searched for him in the endless vaults of the dead where the crushing blackness tore at my very soul, and yet I endured. I was tested once again through the crucible, and I tell you this:"Vulkan does not walk among the dead!"The return of Cassian Dracos had a dramatic effect on everyone on board the Ebon Drake and particularly amongst the Salamanders, who developed their own idiosyncrasies and became increasingly known as the Disciples of the Flame, with Xiaphas Jurr as their self-proclaimed "Prophet of Fire."Seemingly overnight, command passed from Jurr to Vaughn, and none questioned it. Having apparently found a figure worthy of his religious zeal, Jurr began the redaction of what would later become known as The Prophecies of the Flame, compiling Cassian Vaughn's words and prophecies from the Ebon Drake's own vox systems and the personal logs of many of its crew.From this instance, Jurr would act as loyal lieutenant to Vaughn, leading the Disciples of the Flame in the defence of the beleaguered Forge World of Mezoa, and even facing Autilon Skorr, a notoriously ambitious and ruthless Consul-Legatus of the Alpha Legion, during the Third Siege of Mezoa, breaking the Traitor's arm before he could make good his escape.As with everything touching the ultimate fate of the Disciple of the Flames, Xiaphas Jurr's destiny remains a mystery. During the Great Scouring, Jurr's magna opus -- The Prophecies of the Flame -- was deemed both highly seditious and of extreme moral danger, and what few copies remained have been sealed away deep in the libraries of Terra, only to be consulted under the highest of authorities; whilst the Salamanders Chapter has always refused to shed any light on the matter.
Xiaphas Jurr - Wargear: Artificer ArmourThe Burning Halo - Bestowed upon Xiaphas Jurr by Nomas Rhy'tan, the Seneschal of Nocturne, upon the departure of his mission to Istvaan V, the Burning Halo is a force field projector created by Vulkan himself. More intricately wrought than the devices of lesser artificers, the Burning Halo projects a powerful defensive barrier against harm, and when struck converts kinetic energy into an explosion of searing flame, directed back at the attacker.Bolt PistolMaster-Crafted Power MaulDragonscale Storm ShieldFrag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - Xiphon Pattern Interceptor: The Xiphon Pattern Interceptor, or simply Xiphon Interceptor, is a void and atmospheric flight-capable fighter craft once used by the Space Marine Legions of old.The Xiphon Interceptor was widely used by the Legiones Astartes during the early days of the Great Crusade, before falling out of regular service and seeing a resurgence in general use during the Horus Heresy due to shortages of available combat aircraft.The Xiphon is rarely used by the Space Marine Chapters of the late 41st Millennium, with limited numbers of the fighter craft found within their armouries. The craft is known to have been used in recent times by the Ultramarines, Space Wolves, Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and the Grey Knights Chapters.
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - History: The Xiphon Interceptor can trace its lineage back to ancient times, and while the origins of the Xiphon are lost to history the fighter craft shares many Standard Template Construct (STC) components with a diverse array of Imperial aircraft, including the Amhut Voyager and the Thunderbolt fighter.While there have been multiple variations of the Xiphon Interceptor encountered on lost human colonies or in the fleets of nomadic corsairs, the Xiphon Pattern used by the Legiones Astartes was modified from a pattern found in use by the Rhadamanthys Enclave when it was brought into Imperial Compliance in 806.M30 and was produced at the Celestrix Forge World until its destruction in 914.M30.The Rhadamanthys Enclave made use of cybernetically-augmented human pilots that were capable of withstanding the extreme stress generated by the Xiphon, however it was found that Space Marines could pilot the craft successfully without harm. As a result, the Xiphon was never adopted for use by the wider Armada Imperialis.Although potent and heavily armed the Xiphon was both more complex and had a limited operational range when compared to the larger Wrath Starfighter as well as being ill-favoured by the Mechanicum.The Xiphon fell out of use by most of the Space Marine Legions by the end of the Great Crusade, with only the Ultramarines and Dark Angels Legions continuing to use them in frontline service.Once the Horus Heresy began, the exigencies of combat and a shortage of replacements for the Imperium's preferred aircraft led many Legions to press their reserves of Xiphons back into battle.
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - Armament: The Xiphon Interceptor is a heavily armed and armoured fighter craft, with two sets of twin-linked Lascannons located on the sides of the aircraft's fuselage.The craft is also armed with a ventral-mounted Xiphon Rotary Missile Launcher, a smaller and more compact design more commonly found on heavy void fighters, and incorporates sophisticated cluster munitions.This firepower when combined with an Astartes pilot and the Interceptor's speed and agility made it an incredibly deadly opponent. The Xiphon is armoured with ceramite plating by default and can be equipped with chaff launchers. Its cockpit can be outfitted with additional protective armour.During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Xiphon Interceptor could also be equipped with ground tracking auguries, sophisticated scanners and advanced Cognis-interpreters that allowed for the detection and analysis of even the most well-concealed ground targets.
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - Notable Xiphon Pilots: Viton Tahn - Viton Tahn was a veteran Xiphon Interceptor pilot in the Iron Hands Legion during the Great Crusade. In its later years he became something of a legend to his peers in Clan Morragul. He was stationed aboard the Red Talon when it took part in the Drop Site Massacre and Tahn suffered grievous wounds as he attempted to break through the Traitors' blockade above Isstvan V. He was able to guide his damaged Interceptor back to the Red Talon, but it was thought that Tahn's wounds were so severe that he would have to be interred within a Dreadnought to survive. However, his fellow pilots suggested an unconventional alternative and once Tahn consented to the operation, an Apothecary grafted his most vital organs into his Xiphon Interceptor. The operation was a success and Tahn remained the most skilled pilot amongst the Red Talon's orbital assault wings.
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - Unit Composition: 1 Xiphon Pattern Interceptor
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - Wargear: A standard Xiphon Pattern Interceptor is armed and equipped with:2 hull-mounted, twin-linked LascannonsXiphon Rotary Missile Launcher (hull mounted)4 Tempest Rockets (wing mounted)Armoured Ceramite PlatingA Xiphon Pattern Interceptor may take the following vehicle equipment:Chaff LauncherGround Tracking AuguriesArmoured Cockpit
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications of the Xiphon Pattern Interceptor are not currently available in Imperial records.
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - Trivia: The Xiphon Pattern Interceptor is very similar aesthetically to the Colonial Viper Starfighter from the the 1978 television show Battlestar Galactica , with some features similar to the X-Wing Starfighter from Star Wars.
Xiphon Pattern Interceptor - Sources: Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes (8th Edition), pg. 33The Horus Heresy: Book Five - Tempest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 16-17, 62, 216The Horus Heresy: Book Six - Retribution (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 120-121The Horus Heresy - Book Seven: Inferno (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh by Alan Bligh, pp. 28-29, 74-75, 168-169The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List, pg. 58The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List pg. 58Forge World Website Forge World Experimental Rules
Xiphon Rotary Missile Launcher - Xiphon Rotary Missile Launcher: The Xiphon Rotary Missile Launcher is the main weapon system of the Xiphon Pattern Interceptor that was used by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.This deadly weapons system is a more compact design of those more commonly found on heavy void fighters. The weapon incorporates sophisticated munitions with their own cluster-charged warheads and internal tracking auguries, mounted on a rapid-firing rotary magazine-fed launcher system. These weapons systems are incredibly efficient in their principal task of destroying enemy fighter craft, but are also flexible enough to be readily turned on armoured ground targets as well.
XV02 Pilot Battlesuit - XV02 Pilot Battlesuit: The XV02 Pilot Battlesuit is a unique and experimental prototype T'au Battlesuit developed specifically for use in conjunction with T'au vehicles, most notably the Hammerhead gunship. The "0" in its prefix designation represents its form-fitting design, for it is no larger than standard Fire Warrior Combat Armour, whilst the "2" represents its experimental status.Due to his unerring aim, Shas'la T'au Sha'ng, better known as Longstrike, was chosen to test the newly designed battlesuit. With its upgraded interface, he could become one with his vehicle -- reacting instantaneously alongside various artificial intelligence (AI) functions within the Hammerhead. He could also now be able to make better use of incoming Marker Light data, enabling him to lock on to targets with even greater accuracy.The battlesuit pilot works in tandem with his vehicle's AI by processing the cadre tactical network and incoming data quickly so that the pilot can react extremely rapidly to enemies attacking their vehicle or nearby units. This allows them to support nearby Fire Caste teams in ways that vehicles, even those equipped with Advanced Targeting Systems, never could before.The combination of Longstrike's formidable skills and the XV02 Pilot Battlesuit has made him deadlier than ever. The battlesuit also features a multitude of specialised systems, plug sockets, vents, and a wrist-mounted control panel that all allow Longstrike to pilot his Hammerhead by himself without the need for additional crew members. The battlesuit also incorporates a Blacksun Filter, which is an optical filtering suite that allows the battlesuit pilot to target enemies at full efficiency and range, even during night fighting operations.
XV02 Pilot Battlesuit - Sources: Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 62, 72Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition), pg. 100White Dwarf 400 (AUS), “Longstrike”, pg. 22
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - XV104 Riptide Battlesuit: The XV104 Riptide Battlesuit is one of the latest T'au Earth Caste innovations, designed to combat the most dangerous enemies of the T'au Empire.Standing twice the height of an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, its long, back-jointed legs hold up a heavily armoured torso that houses the Riptide’s Dark Matter Nova Reactor -- an experimental power generator that can be activated should the shas'vre pilot require extra power to sustain his heavy rate of fire.The XV104 carries a sleek Riptide Shield Generator on one arm and a Heavy Burst Cannon, which can be exchanged for an Ion Accelerator, on the other. To provide manoeuvrability, the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit is also equipped with a large Jetpack that juts out from its shoulder blades.A Riptide's pilot is an elite shas'vre -- chosen to don the mightiest battlesuit and fight for his cadre mates; he is an exemplar amongst his peers. On the battlefield, a Riptide can jet quickly to plug gaps in T'au lines and give covering fire for its colleagues whilst shielding its allies with its armoured bulk.The pilot can also willingly risk using the Riptide's Nova Reactor -- even though exposure to its radiation may kill him -- so that he can better serve his comrades and ensure a perfected reactor is developed for future generations. Such self-sacrifice highlights the nobility of the Greater Good and the heroic natures of XV104 Riptide Battlesuit pilots.
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - History: Since the start of the Third Sphere Expansion, rumours of a new, heavy class of T'au Battlesuit had spread throughout the ranks of the Fire Caste. There was initially no appearance of this long-awaited latest prototype, but that changed during the expansion's first big showdown with the Imperium of Mankind on the Imperial world of Agrellan.The Human armies had amassed and dug in to protect their Hive World; a situation that would normally call for the T'au to concentrate their forces on other, less fortified worlds. However, as the gateway planet to the whole of the coveted Dovar System, Agrellan was a keystone no invader could afford to bypass -- its orbit blocked the best route through the largely impassable Damocles Gulf, and so it had to be taken.The Imperial defensive positions surrounding each hive city were formidable -- heavy walls topped at regular intervals with ferro-concrete bunkers overlooked the open wastelands. These killing fields were strewn with impenetrable tank traps and gravity-mines.Should the T'au force their way through these perimeters, or simply airdrop within the fortified rings, they would find themselves within the claustrophobic and twisting streets of the great hive city itself. There, specially prepared blockades and defensive citadels awaited the unwary, with infantry and armour garrisoned within to launch counterattacks. It was a planet entirely given over to defending itself -- its whole population geared either for war, or for war production.To crack this formidable planet and open up the more vulnerable systems beyond, Commander Shadowsun herself planned and launched the assault. Twenty Hunter Cadres would simultaneously strike key hive nodes, and at the vanguard of each strode the cutting edge of Earth Caste weapons technology, and the pinnacle of their battlesuit development -- the XV104 Riptide.At long last, the largest T'au Battlesuit prototype yet created by the Earth Caste was unleashed. The ground assaults began, perfectly coinciding with entire shoals of Sun Shark bombers streaking overhead and numerous distracting attacks launched by forward-positioned Stealthsuit and Pathfinder Teams. As massed Hammerheads and skyborne Mantas rained fire on the enemy line, the XV104 Riptides at the fore came under attack. Enemy shells exploded harmlessly off their armour as each Riptide brought its arsenal to bear upon the defenders.Heavy Burst Cannons, the Riptide's standard main armament, raked the walls, stitching patterns of death that cut Imperial Guardsmen in two. Missiles, from the Riptide's secondary weapon systems and from its accompanying Shielded Missile Drones, blazed outwards, leaving contrails as they streaked into the enemy's ranks. To the rear, those Riptides outfitted with the Ion Accelerator showed off the range and hitting power of their prototype weapons -- destroying battle tanks and blowing chunks out of the reinforced bunkers.Amidst the rain of incoming ordnance and the blossoming of explosions, the distinctive thrumming sound of the Riptides overcharging their Nova Reactors could be heard. The very air crackled with electrical pulses due to the sheer energy generated by these indomitable power-packs. The massed guns of the Imperial Guard quickly targeted the giant Battlesuits, but to little avail. Near the gates of the prime hive, a battery of incoming Deathstrike Missiles momentarily lit the battlefield as they crashed into T'au lines. For a long moment it seemed as if both sides paused; only an XV104 Riptide, protected by its Nova Shield, emerged from the flaming crater, black scorch marks marring its armour, all it had to show for its brush with destruction.Upon reaching the walls, the Riptides either engaged their Jetpacks to hurdle the impediment, or stepped through the breaches made by repeated blasts from their Ion Accelerators. With Fire Warriors advancing at their feet, the streets of every hive on Agrellan soon ran red with blood. Their defence and spirit broken, Guardsmen fled their posts in a complete rout. Only the lenient surrender terms offered by the Water Caste saved an all-out massacre. Before the sun set, except for a few desperate pockets that would soon be wiped out, the planet belonged to the T'au, who would rename the planet Mu'gulath Bay. Later, it would serve as the foundation of a new T'au Sept. So began the auspicious debut of the highly anticipated XV104 Riptide.The start of the heavy Battlesuit development initiative can be traced back to conflicts such as the massive Ork invasion of Vior'la and the Damocles Gulf Crusade. The Fire Caste had long issued requests for a heavier class of Battlesuit; one more capable of standing up to the increasingly powerful enemy weaponry they were facing.Although crudely designed and built, the T'au could not help but be impressed with the amount of firepower that war machines such as primitive Ork Stompas, mountainous Gargants could produce. During the battles in the Damocles Gulf, the Fire Caste faced the fully deployed might of the Imperium of Mankind, pitting their own weaponry against super-heavy tanks and Imperial Titans for the first time. For a race used to holding technical superiority, the sheer power of these alien constructs was eye-opening.The T'au way of war stresses mobility over mass attacks and hit-and-run tactics over entrenched positions. A wise T'au Commander is not daunted by foes that outnumber his own troops many times over, nor is he dismayed by the sheer size of the crude war machines their foes might deploy. Coordinated tactics, tight discipline and a well enacted battle plan can overcome such minor advantages.However, even Commander Puretide, the ultimate master of the balanced attack, freely admitted that the creation of a heavier class of battlesuits, with upgraded size and armour, would better enable Hunter Cadres to withstand the prodigious firepower that was regularly directed at them.Yet despite such worthy requests, all Earth Caste attempts resulted in failure. Earlier prototypes were ponderous machines, not fit to enact the tactics of the Code of Fire, or they subjected their wearer (or the planet on which he stood) to risks beyond measure.What finally made the XV104 possible was the development of the Nova Reactor, an experimental power-pack that fuses dark matter, producing energy on scales closer to that of small stars than conventional fusion engines.Such devices have been used to empower the mighty fleets of the Air Caste but, until recently, could not be reduced to a suitable size. Although still in the prototype stage, the Nova Reactor has proven largely stable, despite some problems in safely releasing the vast energies it produces. The Riptide's higher functions can draw upon this almost unlimited source of power, but not without some risk.While attempting to utilise its Riptide Shield Generator, boost its Jetpack or charge any of its weapons, the XV104 Riptide can suffer dangerous power vents capable of wounding or even killing its pilot. That a pilot willingly risks using the Riptide's Nova Reactor -- even through the radiation may kill him -- highlights his heroic self-sacrifice and the nobility of the Greater Good.
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - Tactical Role: A wonder of Earth Caste engineering, the XV104 stands well over twice as tall as the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, though its movements are more like those of its smaller cousins than the mechanical stiffness displayed by Imperial combat walkers with their crude servo-motors. While the Riptide is huge and bears a number of weapon and support systems, it is still a T'au Battlesuit -- worn and controlled by a lone warrior.As with all T'au Fire Caste warriors, the Fire Caste doctrine laid down in the Code of Fire instructs all warriors to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing his utmost to protect not just his comrades, but also nearby teams in his Cadre. With this training, T'au units can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.The XV104 Riptide Battlesuit's greatest strengths, much like the smaller XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, lies in mobility and ranged firepower -- it is designed to fulfil the same roles and deal with the same types of missions as its smaller cousin. XV104s are extremely versatile in that they can be equipped with a selection of weapons and combat support systems to best suit their intended role or upcoming missions.This allows the battlesuit to effectively engage almost any type of enemy it encounters, whether they be heavy or light, infantry or vehicle; the XV104 is capable of tackling any enemy units that other T'au infantry and Battlesuit teams cannot handle. The XV104 is also capable of operating in almost any tactical environment, including extreme low-light conditions where their advanced sensor arrays can be combined with a Blacksun Filter to allow for the accurate identification and targeting of enemies.XV104 Riptide Battlesuits will often be found in combat where the fighting is thickest and will take the brunt of any enemy attack so that the rest of a T'au Hunter Cadre can advance or retreat. XV104s are usually deployed from the T'au transport aircraft called Mantas, where their Jetpacks allow them to descend from high altitudes safely. Their Jetpacks also allow them to quickly plug gaps in T'au lines and provide covering fire for their colleagues whilst shielding their allies with their armoured bulk.In essence, XV104 pilots use their battlesuits to serve those who fight beside them. XV104 Riptide Battlesuits are potent forces to be reckoned with, and are commonly used as part of a powerful reserve held by a T'au Commander, to counter-attack against advancing foes or to deliver the final hammer blow to break the opposition once and for all.However, despite the XV104 Riptide's obvious power, production of the new battlesuit has proven slow -- the materials for its dense nano-crystalline alloy armour, called Fio'tak in the T'au Lexicon, are difficult to obtain and the sheer volume required ensures that the XV104 is a rare commodity in the Fire Caste.The honour of wearing such a mighty battlesuit is only given to those who have nobly served their Commanders as Crisis Battlesuit Bodyguards, and these Fire Warriors are always of the honoured veteran rank of shas'vre. XV104 Riptide pilots are chosen to don the greatest of T'au Battlesuits and fight for their cadre mates; they are exemplar "sword saints" amongst their peers.
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - Notable Formations: Firebase Support Cadre - Though an XV104 Riptide Battlesuit is a potent weapon indeed, Earth Caste weapon experts have verified that its kill ratio is optimised when it operates alongside two or more teams of XV88 Broadside Battlesuits. When thus formed into Firebase Support Cadres, a common tactic is for the Broadside Teams to unleash Rail Weapons fire through any armoured transports inbound upon their position, causing the passengers to bail out of their smoking wrecks into the Riptide’s line of fire. It is then that the giant Battlesuit opens up with its primary weapon, nova-charging the system if necessary, to ensure the scattering enemy is reduced to little more than ashen shadows. If the foe comes in a great horde, as with the great Greenskin tribes or the swarms of the Tyranids, this fire discipline is reversed. The Riptide’s primary weapon system will take a great chunk out of the enemy battle line, and the Heavy Rail Rifles then pick off survivors in the manner of snipers -- albeit snipers whose rifles can punch through one side of an Ork Stompa and out the other. When the enemy’s vanguard forces are light yet fast, Broadsides bolster their shoulder-mounted Smart Missile Systems with High-yield Missile Pods and specialist Missile Drones. The resultant missile salvos can destroy light transports and enemy skimmers in a series of chained explosions that consume vehicle and passenger alike. Because of this adaptability, Firebase Support Cadres have proven invaluable regardless of the foe their brethren are facing. It is a commonly held view in the T'au Empire that no matter its numbers, an enemy army forced to approach the Fire Caste on foot is an enemy already beaten. Though it is the offensive punch of the Firebase Support Cadre that has made it such a valued asset, its defensive capabilities are also impressive. Whereas most Battlesuits are nimble enough to level a volley before engaging their Jetpacks and move away to avoid retaliation, Broadsides and Riptides have heavier armour as their primary protection. Conventional missiles and large-calibre bullets rebound from the dense nano-crystalline layers of their outer armour, allowing them to shrug off all but the most punitive of incoming fire. For protection against the heavy-grade lasers and Plasma Weapons of the Imperium’s armies, a Firebase Support Cadre will often employ Shield Drones, whose protective auras can render even Lascannon fire no more deadly than torchlight. The purists of the T'au military maintain that the static tactics of Firebase Support Cadres are suboptimal; a primitive throwback to a less enlightened time where the T'au valued ground taken as well as lives saved. Yet in practice, these cadres are requisitioned on an almost daily basis. Even the famously deft Commander Shadowsun has used them on numerous occasions to achieve her conquests, using the fear the Firebase Support Cadres strike into the foe to manipulate the actions of enemy commanders. In truth, all of the T'au's leaders appreciate the fact there is no foe that the Firebase Support Cadre cannot destroy. Be it an Ork horde, an Adeptus Astartes strike force or towering Tyranid Bio-Titan, it can be brought low by the combination of the most advanced weapon systems the T'au Empire can field. A Firebase Support Cadre typically consists of a single XV104 Riptide Battlesuit supported by two three-man squads of XV88 Broadside Battlesuits.Rapid Insertion Force - It is not the T'au way of war to fight protracted, static battles. Aggressive use of mobility and firepower are key to the success of Fire Warriors. A large part of this success is dependent upon the activities of a cadre's Stealthsuit Teams -- their role is to find the enemy, create diversions and launch surprise attacks, while acting as a rear guard should things go poorly. A Rapid Insertion Force is a specialised formation that strikes suddenly against key enemy units or establishes a perimeter to hold ground until other Fire Caste units arrive, delivering the Mont'ka, or the killing blow, to the foe. In this force, a single Stealth Team leads the way for a more heavily armed force of several Crisis Battlesuit teams (usually three to five). The entire force trains together before a battle, so that they can deliver a swift and effective attack that stuns the enemy, allowing further T'au forces to move forward unmolested. A Rapid Insertion Force will often await deployment in a sub-orbital Manta, whilst the Stealthsuit Team moves in and infiltrates the battlefield, selecting critical targets before triggering their homing beacon. Once the Stealthsuits are in position, the Battlesuits of the Rapid Insertion Force airdrop from altitude and use their Jetpacks to zone in on the Stealthsuit team’s coordinates. Marker Lights will stream around them from the streaking T'au air fleet above, lighting up targets even as the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits descend from the skies -- their impressive arsenal of weapons already blazing away in unison at the greatest threat. Once on the ground, the whole formation then works together with the element of surprise to pin the enemy down and secure the area. Occasionally, an XV104 Riptide Battlesuit is assigned to a Rapid Insertion Force, adding its own tremendous firepower to the sudden Battlesuit onslaught.Retaliation Cadre - The sudden attacks of a Retaliation Cadre have shattered the impetus of countless enemy assaults and torn the heart from supposedly impregnable defences without numbers. Retaliation Cadres consist of a T'au Commander leading three teams of XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, a team of XV88 Broadside Battlesuits, and a team of XV104 Riptide Battlesuits. Held back in a low-flying Manta, a Retaliation Cadre is most commonly used to deliver the final killing blow in either a Mont'ka or Kauyon strike, massing the great strength of elite T'au Battlesuits and applying their prodigious firepower precisely where it is required. Upon deployment, the entire Cadre drops from low altitude, even the Broadside Battlesuits deploying single-drop grav-boosters to cushion their landing as they arrive directly in combat. Even as they fall from above the elite pilots start shooting, stitching volleys of fire into the enemy's ranks and scattering them in terror just moments before the Battlesuits' feet hit the ground.Riptide Wing – The XV104 Riptide Battlesuit is the apex of T'au Battlesuit technology. The prototype has proven to be so successful that the Earth Caste cannot manufacture them quickly enough to meet demand. Although normally deployed singly at a Hunter Cadre level, it was Commander Shadowsun that first ordered the formation of a Riptide Wing -- a formidable trio of XV104s working in conjunction. This tightly knit formation benefits from the ability to network together the Riptides, harmonising their reactor frequencies and Battlesuit AI modules when in close proximity with each other to deploy their massive firearms with ferocious accuracy, while seeing a vastly improved -- and significantly safer -- energy yield from their Nova Reactors. Furthermore, should the perfect opportunity present itself or some all-but-insurmountable threat approaches, the pilots can hand partial fire control to their networked AIs, increasing targeting accuracy and fire rate until a virtual monsoon of lethal energy is unleashed.
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - Armament: XV104 Riptide Battlesuits strike a perfect balance between offensive capability, armoured protection, manoeuvrability, and utility. They are towering in size; easily many times the size of the Fire Warrior who wears it. To many T'au, they are the epitome of Earth Caste engineering, ingenuity and technology. XV104s go into battle heavily armed with potent weapon systems and combat support systems that allow them to fight more effectively.However, no matter the battlesuit configuration or weapons load-out, all XV104 Riptide Battlesuits share some common features. These include the advanced sensors built into the primary sensor cluster that serves as the battlesuit's "head." These sensors, which consist of a number of variable spectrum passive sensors and active scanners, allow the Battlesuit to detect hidden enemy units and their movement; this tactical data can then be transmitted back to T'au command units.All XV104 Riptide Battlesuits are also equipped with a Blacksun Filter, which is an advanced optical system that enhances and magnifies a warrior's low-light vision whilst simultaneously filtering bright flares of light that could blind him in battle, and a Multi-Tracker; a sophisticated fire control system that is mounted in a sensor node that assists Battlesuit pilots in engaging enemy threats by using multiple armaments at once, making them formidable opponents in a wide variety of battle conditions.As with all T'au Battlesuits, XV104s are protected by a very thick, dense nano-crystalline alloy armour named Fio'tak in the T'au Lexicon. This advanced alloy has an impact and energy resistant structure that is also sealed against assaults by toxins and corrosives, making it extremely resilient in the face of combat damage. Even the armour's shape helps deflect solid projectiles, while a reflective liquid metal coating is effective at reflecting medium-grade laser fire.Due to the Riptide's large size and significant potential as a target, additional nano-layers were also added during its development to upgrade the armour's thickness. When it comes to deflecting and withstanding damage, the XV104's armour is comparable to the Tactical Dreadnought Armour used by the Imperium's Terminator Space Marines. The material is also lightweight, which keeps the Battlesuit’s own weight down and reinforces its ground-based manoeuvrability. This reduced weight allows the XV104 to operate effectively using the T'au Jetpack that juts out of its shoulderblades, to provide enhanced mobility.By firing off the jets to slow a descent, an XV104 Crisis Battlesuit can even drop into combat zones from transport aircraft like the Manta. The Jetpack, which is another common feature of most T'au Battlesuits, combines anti-gravitic and repulsor aero-jet technology to make the Battlesuit extremely agile for its size. Its powerful thrusters allow an XV104 to vault battlefield obstacles and to make bounding leaps to gain advantageous firing positions, or to avoid incoming shots.All XV104 Riptide Battlesuits also greatly augment the natural physical strength of its pilot, and grant the warrior within the Battlesuit the ability to crush even heavily armoured vehicles in close combat, if necessary. XV104 Battlesuits also feature retractable fingers built into their forearms for use in more delicate -- and often non-combat -- tasks. The Riptide is outfitted with a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) system, complete with advanced combat systems and numerous comm-links to keep the pilot patched in to its Cadre's T'au Commander.All XV104 Riptide Battlesuits feature a single arm-mounted primary weapon system, a sleek Riptide Shield Generator on its other arm, and a secondary weapon system. All T'au Battlesuit weapon systems are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high yield power relays and ammunition hoppers. XV104 Riptide Battlesuits are also designed with advanced recoil absorption technology, meaning that they can fire their weapons at maximum capacity and with maximum accuracy, even when on the move.XV104 Riptide Battlesuits can also be equipped with up to two different T'au Battlesuit Support systems, which are listed below. The XV104 primary weapon can be either of the following:Heavy Burst Cannon – A Heavy Burst Cannon makes use of Burst Weapon technology that finds use across the T'au military, though it is more often found mounted on T'au Battlesuits and vehicles. Utilising a similar plasma induction technology as that found in T'au Pulse Weapons, Heavy Burst Cannons are immense, 6-barrelled weapons that are far larger than a normal Burst Cannon. They are able to sustain devastatingly higher rates of fire than their smaller cousins with more power per shot, and can be nova-charged to further increase the rate of fire and give the weapon a variable armour penetration effect.Ion Accelerator – Ion Accelerators fire high-energy streams of charged particles that react destructively with their target, vaporising flesh and metal with equal ease. As with all T'au Ion Weapons, Ion Accelerators can be overcharged to generate a more devastating blast that affects a wide area, by allowing its Mor'tonium power source to be exposed to the air. However, doing so makes the weapon run the risk of overheating its primary power cells. An Ion Accelerator can also be nova-charged by the Riptide’s Nova Reactor to produce an even more devastatingly wide blast that can destroy virtually anything but the most heavily armoured of vehicles and bunkers.All XV104 Riptide Battlesuits have one of the following secondary weapon systems, which can be mounted either underneath a Heavy Burst Cannon, on top of the Battlesuit’s shoulder blades, or on the sides of the Battlesuit’s forearms:Twin-linked Smart Missile Systems – Smart Missile Systems are weapon systems that fire off barrages of guided missiles at any target within sensor range, including those targets in cover or hidden out of sight. They are most effective when used against stubborn enemy infantry hunkered down in cover.Twin-linked Fusion Blasters – Fusion Blasters are anti-tank Melta Weapons that can reduce the reinforced armour of heavily armoured vehicles and bunkers to molten slag in a blink of an eye.Twin-linked Plasma Rifles – Plasma Weapons technology is used by many xenos races. Despite its highly unstable nature, the T'au favour a form of plasma technology in their Plasma Rifles that forgoes stopping power for an increased level of safety for the operator. Plasma Rifles are weapons best employed against heavily armoured infantry and light vehicles.Riptide Shield Generators are part of the standard armament of all XV104 Riptides, and are specifically designed to protect such large constructs. Within a Riptide's ablative armour is housed a small energy field projector capable of generating cohesive gravitic energy fields around the Battlesuit that can deflect weapons fire and melee blows that would otherwise severely damage the Battlesuit, whether they be shots from heavy ordnance or anti-tank weapons fire. The shield’s potency can be further boosted by diverting power from the XV104’s Nova Reactor.The experimental Dark Matter Nova Reactor prototype itself is an essential component of the XV104 Riptide's design. Once the XV104 pilot deems it necessary, the reactor can be activated to supply near limitless amounts of energy.The resulting energies unleashed can be harnessed to either nova-charge the Riptide's primary weapon system so it becomes truly devastating, boost the Riptide's Jetpack so that it can propel itself over large distances with immense thrust power, ripple fire its secondary weapon systems at a rate of fire roughly double what would otherwise be possible, or nova-charge the Riptide Shield Generator to make it an all but impenetrable energy field that deflects virtually all incoming fire.When viewed from the front, an XV104 Riptide's Nova Reactor can be seen as the larger box on the left side of the torso, whilst the standard and more reliable fusion reactor normally used by the battlesuit is on the right.Due to the experimental nature of the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit, it is often supported by a pair of prototype Shielded Missile Drones, which are a new T'au Drone configuration equipped with a Missile Pod and Shield Generator.These drones will often provide additional heavy fire support, and use their cohesive energy fields to absorb incoming shots, allowing the Riptide to acquire and destroy enemy targets with less fear of enemy fire.
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - Available XV104 Battlesuit Combat Support Systems: Below is a list of the most common available combat support systems that an XV104 Riptide Battlesuit can be equipped with:Advanced Targeting System – An Advanced Targeting System is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the Battlesuit pilot to automatically identify and pick out priority targets in the midst of combat.Counterfire Defence System – A Counterfire Defence System is a valuable AI sensor suite first designed to counter the threat of charging Ork hordes. It incorporates logic circuits to ensure that assaulting enemies are met with a withering curtain of unerringly accurate Battlesuit firepower.Drone Controller - A Drone Controller acts as a hub for communications and interface between an operator and the AI battle programs of a number of T'au Drones. It gives the owner the ability to relay additional targeting data to the Drones, thus directing their fire more accurately towards the target.Early Warning Override – An Early Warning Override sensor suite is calibrated to detect the electronic signatures of teleport beams and orbital-entry jump systems, and jolt the Battlesuit's weapon systems to lock-on status before the target has a chance to react.Positional Relay - A Positional Relay digitally records detailed battlefield data and relays it in a tight encrypted radio burst to T'au assets in orbit and squads held in reserve. Information sent usually includes battlefield terrain and status reports to allow the incoming units to make a better decision on where to deploy onto the battlefield and coordinate their actions as part of the overall strategy.Stimulant Injector - A Battlesuit with Stimulant Injectors is fitted with advanced life support systems that are able to flood the Battlesuit pilot's body with painkillers, analgesic drugs, and other life-sustaining stimulants should he become badly wounded in combat.Target Lock - A Target Lock is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the user to engage different targets from the rest of the squad.Targetting Array - The Targetting Array is a relatively new application of the Target Lock technology used in vehicles. It provides assistance to aiming at targets.Velocity Tracker – The advanced motion detecting and heat seeking sensor systems built into a Velocity Tracker allows Battlesuit pilots to track the movements of airborne targets, and effectively engage them with the Battlesuit’s weapons.
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - Notable Variants: XV107 R'varna Battlesuit - The XV107 R'varna Battlesuit is a rare variant of the recently introduced XV104 Riptide Battlesuit, and mounts two Pulse Submunitions Cannons as its main armament. These are experimental weapon systems which fire micro-cluster projectiles capable of saturating a wide target area with a deadly storm of plasma pulses. The R'varna has far heavier armour than its more mobile, Jetpack-equipped Riptide counterpart, allowing the pilot to stand firm in the face of any foe whilst the more mobile elements of this Hunter Cadre envelop and destroy them.XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit - Rushed into deployment after the success of the XV107 R'varna Battlesuit, the XV109 Y'vahra is a Class 10 Battlesuit designed for devastating frontline shock assaults. To facilitate this role, the Y'vahra is equipped with a triple-barrelled Phased Plasma-Flamer capable of vaporising even hardened ceramite, and a massive Ionic Discharge Cannon designed to incapacitate enemy war engines. The complex Vectored Thruster Array incorporated into the Y'vahra's impressive armour allows it to traverse the battlefield in long graceful bounds, slamming into the greatest concentration of the enemy and reaping a heavy toll in lives before jetting away.
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The Ordo Xenos has not determined the technical specifications of this new addition to the T'au Battlesuit armoury at this time.
XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - Sources: Apocalypse (6th Edition), pp. 181-182Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition), pp. 31, 50, 90, 105, 109Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 44-45, 65-66, 68-71, 95, 100Rogue Trader: Tau Character Guide (RPG), pp. 42-43Warhammer 40,000: Dataslate - Tau Firebase Support Cadre (Digital Edition)War Zone Damocles: Kauyon, pp. 3-4, 87, 112, 183, 187War Zone Damocles: Mont'ka, pp. 90-91, 185, 192White Dwarf 400 (AUS), "Battlesuits – The Riptide Unleashed", pg. 86
XV107 R'varna Battlesuit - XV107 R'varna Battlesuit: The XV107 R'varna Battlesuit is one of the latest T'au Earth Caste innovations, designed to combat the most dangerous enemies of the T'au Empire. It is a rare variant of the recently introduced XV104 Riptide Battlesuit, and mounts two Pulse Submunitions Cannons as its main armament. These are experimental weapons systems which fire micro-cluster projectiles capable of saturating a wide target area with a deadly storm of plasma pulses.The R'varna has far heavier armour than its more mobile, Jetpack-equipped Riptide counterpart, allowing the pilot to stand firm in the face of any foe whilst the more mobile elements of its Hunter Cadre envelop and destroy them. On the battlefield, an R'varna differs from a Riptide in that its role is focused primarily on long-ranged heavy fire support, bringing its fearsome firepower to bear on enemy infantry and vehicles to eliminate all but the most heavily armoured targets.
XV107 R'varna Battlesuit - History: Plans for the XV107 R'varna Battlesuit had their roots in the stoic Earth Caste of Ke'lshan, but its development was almost abandoned due to the monumental cost of these new war engines. Instead of doing so, head engineer Fio'O Ke'lshan Sho'Aun, turned to the Ethereal High Council's demands for new and improved stealth and infiltration units, appropriating resources intended for this project to create the initial prototype XV107s under the guise of developing a new Stealthsuit. Renewed Tyranid attacks against the beleaguered T'au Sept World of Ke'lshan were to reveal O'Sho'aun's deception to the council, as a trio of prototype XV107 units held back the savage host of organic nightmares that threatened to engulf the sept's primary city.The destruction they wrought on the alien horde earned the battlesuit the title R'varna, named for Commander Burning Rain, a legendary hero of Ke'lshan's wars against Hive Fleet Gorgon. It also earned O'Sho'aun the full attention of the Ethereal High Council, who summoned the errant engineer back to the T'au Empire's capital world of T'au.He has delayed this "honour," citing the need to complete his work before accepting any accolade. Meanwhile, the R'varna has entered full production on the world of Ke'lshan, whose grim and fatalistic warriors favour the tenacity and firepower of the new battlesuit, with many other examples of O'Sho'aun's masterwork dispatched to other T'au septs for combat evaluation against the myriad of threats now facing the T'au Empire.
XV107 R'varna Battlesuit - Role: A wonder of Earth Caste engineering, the XV107 stands well over twice as tall as the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, though its movements are more like those of its smaller cousins than the mechanical stiffness displayed by Imperial combat walkers with their crude servo-motors. While the R'varna is huge and bears a number of weapon and support systems, it is still a T'au Battlesuit -- worn and controlled by a lone warrior. As with all T'au Fire Caste warriors, the Fire Caste doctrine laid down in the Code of Fire instructs all warriors to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing his utmost to protect not just his comrades, but also nearby teams in his cadre. With this training, T'au units can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.The XV107 R'varna Battlesuit's greatest strength, much like the smaller XV88 Broadside Battlesuit, lies in superior ranged firepower. With a role focused primarily on long-ranged, heavy fire support, the XV107 is easily able to bring its fearsome firepower to bear on infantry and vehicles, eliminating all but the most heavily armoured forms of each. The XV107 is also capable of operating in almost any tactical environment, including extreme low-light conditions where its advanced sensor arrays can be combined with a Blacksun Filter to allow for the accurate identification and targeting of enemies.However, despite the XV107 R'varna's obvious power, production of the new battlesuit has proven slow -- the materials for its dense nano-crystalline alloy armour, called Fio'tak in the T'au Lexicon, are difficult to obtain and the sheer volume required ensures that the XV107 is a rare commodity in the Fire Caste. The honour of wearing such a mighty battlesuit is only given to those who have nobly served their commanders as Crisis Battlesuit Bodyguards, and these Fire Warriors are always of the honoured veteran rank of shas'vre. XV107 R'varna pilots are chosen to don the greatest of T'au Battlesuits and fight for their cadre mates; they are exemplar "sword saints" amongst their peers.
XV107 R'varna Battlesuit - Armament: XV107 R'varna Battlesuits are towering in size, easily many times the size of the Fire Warrior who wears it. XV107s go into battle heavily armed with potent weapon systems and combat support systems that allow them to fight more effectively. However, no matter the battlesuit configuration or weapons load-out, all XV107 R'varna Battlesuits share some common features.These include the advanced sensors built into the primary sensor cluster that serves as the battlesuit's "head." These sensors, which consist of a number of variable spectrum passive sensors and active scanners, allow the battlesuit to detect hidden enemy units and their movement; this tactical data can then be transmitted back to T'au command units.All XV107 R'varna Battlesuits are also equipped with a Blacksun Filter, which is an advanced optical system that enhances and magnifies a warrior's low-light vision whilst simultaneously filtering bright flares of light that could blind him in battle, and a Multi-Tracker; a sophisticated fire control system that is mounted in a sensor node that assists Battlesuit pilots in engaging enemy threats by using multiple armaments at once, making them formidable opponents in a wide variety of battle conditions.As with all T'au Battlesuits, XV107s are protected by a very thick, dense nano-crystalline alloy armour named Fio'tak in the T'au Lexicon. This advanced alloy has an impact and energy resistant structure that is also sealed against assaults by toxins and corrosives, making it extremely resilient in the face of combat damage. Even the armour's shape helps deflect solid projectiles, while a reflective liquid metal coating is effective at reflecting medium-grade laser fire.Due to the R'varna's large size and significant potential as a target, additional nano-layers were also added during its development to upgrade the armour's thickness. When it comes to deflecting and withstanding damage, the XV107's armour is comparable to the Tactical Dreadnought Armour used by the Imperium's Terminator Space Marines. The material is also lightweight, which keeps the battlesuit's own weight down and reinforces its ground-based manoeuvrability.Despite this, an XV107 lacks a Jetpack incorporated into its design, instead it forgoes this system in favour of the ability to mount larger and more heavy weaponry, as well as more integrated support systems. All XV107 R'varna Battlesuits also greatly augment the natural physical strength of their pilots, and grant the warrior within the battlesuit the ability to crush even heavily armoured vehicles in close combat, if necessary. XV107 Battlesuits feature retractable fingers built into their forearms for use in more delicate -- and often non-combat -- tasks. The R'varna is outfitted with a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) system, complete with advanced combat systems and numerous comm-links to keep the pilot patched in to its cadre's T'au Commander.All XV107 R'varna Battlesuits are armed with twin Pulse Submunitions Cannons as standard. Unlike standard Pulse Weapons, these powerful cannons fire clusters of sophisticated micro-submunitions that detonate in close proximity to their target in a storm of separate pulse-discharges, showering a wide area with deadly effect. Larger targets such as bulky infantry, monstrous creatures and vehicles inevitably suffer proportionally greater harm from Pulse Submunitions Cannons, as they can be struck with a wave of near-simultaneous detonations, magnifying the blast and ripping them apart.All T'au Battlesuit weapon systems are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high yield power relays and ammunition hoppers. XV107 R'varna Battlesuits are also designed with advanced recoil absorption technology, meaning that they can fire their weapons at maximum capacity and with maximum accuracy, even when on the move.XV107s are equipped with an integrated Shield Generator and a Flechette Discharger as standard. The Shield Generator provides similar defensive properties to an XV104's Riptide Shield Generator, except an XV107's Shield Generator provides marginally better protection against ranged firepower. The Flechette Discharger, a support system normally only mounted on T'au skimmer vehicles, fires high-velocity and potentially-lethal flechettes at infantry which try to assault the battlesuit. XV107 R'varna Battlesuits can also be equipped with up to two different T'au Battlesuit Support Systems, which are listed below.The experimental Dark Matter Nova Reactor prototype is another essential component of an XV107 R'varna's design, and is a slightly modified version of an XV104 Riptide Battlesuit's rerouted to different systems. Once the XV107 pilot deems it necessary, the reactor can be activated to supply near limitless amounts of energy. The resulting energies unleashed can be harnessed to either nova-charge the R'varna's primary weapon systems and double their rate of fire, boost the R'varna's leg locomotive systems and allow it to move at a flanking speed, emit an electromagnetic shockwave around the battlesuit and cause havoc with nearby electronic systems, or nova-charge the R'varna's integrated Shield Generator to make it an-all-but-impenetrable energy field that deflects virtually all incoming fire. When viewed from the front, an XV107 R'varna's Nova Reactor can be seen as the larger box on the left side of the torso, whilst the standard and more reliable fusion reactor normally used by the battlesuit is on the right.Due to the experimental nature of the XV107, it is often supported by a pair of prototype Shielded Missile Drones, which are a new T'au Drone configuration equipped with a Missile Pod and Shield Generator. These drones will often provide additional heavy fire support, and use their cohesive energy fields to absorb incoming shots, allowing the R'varna to acquire and destroy enemy targets with less fear of enemy fire.
XV107 R'varna Battlesuit - Available XV107 Battlesuit Combat Support Systems: Below is a list of the most common available combat support systems that an XV107 R'varna Battlesuit can be equipped with:Advanced Targeting System – An Advanced Targeting System is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the battlesuit pilot to automatically identify and pick out priority targets in the midst of combat.Counterfire Defence System – A Counterfire Defence System is a valuable AI sensor suite first designed to counter the threat of charging Ork hordes. It incorporates logic circuits to ensure that assaulting enemies are met with a withering curtain of unerringly accurate Battlesuit firepower.Drone Controller - A Drone Controller acts as a hub for communications and interface between an operator and the AI battle programs of a number of Tau Drones. It gives the owner the ability to relay additional targeting data to the Drones, thus directing their fire more accurately towards the target.Early Warning Override – An Early Warning Override sensor suite is calibrated to detect the electronic signatures of teleport beams and orbital-entry jump systems, and jolt the Battlesuit's weapon systems to lock-on status before the target has a chance to react.Positional Relay - A Positional Relay digitally records detailed battlefield data and relays it in a tight encrypted radio burst to Tau assets in orbit and squads held in reserve. Information sent usually includes battlefield terrain and status reports to allow the incoming units to make a better decision on where to deploy onto the battlefield and coordinate their actions as part of the overall strategy.Stimulant Injector - A Battlesuit with Stimulant Injectors is fitted with advanced life support systems that are able to flood the Battlesuit pilot's body with painkillers, analgesic drugs, and other life-sustaining stimulants should he become badly wounded in combat.Target Lock - A Target Lock is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the user to engage different targets from the rest of the squad.Targetting Array - The Targetting Array is a relatively new application of the Target Lock technology used in vehicles. It provides assistance to aiming at targets.Velocity Tracker – The advanced motion detecting and heat seeking sensor systems built into a Velocity Tracker allows Battlesuit pilots to track the movements of airborne targets, and effectively engage them with the Battlesuit’s weapons.
XV107 R'varna Battlesuit - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The Ordo Xenos has not yet determined the technical specifications of this T'au Battlesuit.
XV107 R'varna Battlesuit - Sources: Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 44-45Forge World – XV107 R'varna Battlesuit Experimental Rules Datasheet
XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit - XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit: The XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit is one of the latest T'au Earth Caste innovations, a new derivative of the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit designed to combat the most dangerous enemies of the T'au Empire. Rushed into deployment after the success of the XV107 R'varna Battlesuit, the XV109 Y'vahra is a Class 10 battlesuit designed for devastating frontline shock assaults. On the battlefield, a Y'vahra differs from a Riptide in that its role is focused primarily on close-ranged devastation through the precise application of its overwhelming firepower; much like the smaller XV9 Hazard Battlesuit.To facilitate this role, the Y'vahra is equipped with a triple-barrelled Phased Plasma-Flamer capable of vaporising even hardened ceramite, and a massive Ionic Discharge Cannon designed to incapacitate enemy war engines. The complex Vectored Thruster Array incorporated into the Y'vahra's impressive armour allows it to traverse the battlefield in long graceful bounds, slamming into the greatest concentration of the enemy and reaping a heavy toll in lives before jetting away.
XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit - Role: The Y'vahra Battlesuit originated with the same Earth Caste engineer who designed the XV107 R'varna Battlesuit, Fio'O Ke'lshan Sho'Aun, infamous for his resistance to the will of the Ethereal High Council as much as his genius at weapons design. The Y'vahra represents a disturbing paradigm shift in the tactics of the pragmatic Ke'lshan Sept, in whom long Terran years under near constant attack by alien forces has bred a stubborn pragmatism and siege mentality. The new XV109 is clearly a design intended to carry the fighting to the enemies of the Ke'lshan, perhaps marking a new stage of expansion on the T'au Empire's neglected eastern border.A wonder of Earth Caste engineering, the XV109 stands well over twice as tall as the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, though its movements are more like those of its smaller cousins than the mechanical stiffness displayed by Imperial combat walkers with their crude servo-motors. While the Y'vahra is huge and bears a number of weapon and support systems, it is still a Tau Battlesuit -- worn and controlled by a lone warrior. As with all Tau Fire Caste warriors, the Fire Caste doctrine laid down in the Code of Fire instructs all warriors to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing his utmost to protect not just his comrades, but also nearby teams in his Cadre. With this training, Tau units can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.The XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit's greatest strength, much like the smaller XV9 Hazard Battlesuit, lies in superior short-ranged firepower. With a role focused primarily on long-ranged heavy fire support, the XV109 is easily able to bring its fearsome firepower to bear on infantry and vehicles, eliminating all but the most heavily armoured targets. The XV109 is also capable of operating in almost any tactical environment, including extreme low-light conditions where their advanced sensor arrays can be combined with a Blacksun Filter to allow for the accurate identification and targeting of enemies.However, despite the XV109 Y'vahra's obvious power, production of the new Battlesuit has proven slow -- the materials for its dense nano-crystalline alloy armour, called Fio'tak in the Tau Lexicon, are difficult to obtain and the sheer volume required ensures that the XV109 is a rare commodity in the Fire Caste. The honour of wearing such a mighty Battlesuit is only given to those who have nobly served their Commanders as Crisis Battlesuit Bodyguards, and these Fire Warriors are always of the honoured veteran rank of Shas'vre. XV109 Y'vahra pilots are chosen to don the greatest of Tau Battlesuits and fight for their Cadre mates; they are exemplar "sword saints" amongst their peers.
XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit - Armament: XV109 Battlesuits are towering in size, easily many times the size of the Fire Warrior who wears it. XV109s go into battle heavily armed with potent weapon systems and combat support systems that allow them to fight more effectively. However, no matter the Battlesuit configuration or weapons load-out, all XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits share some common features. These include the advanced sensors built into the primary sensor cluster that serves as the Battlesuit's "head." These sensors, which consist of a number of variable spectrum passive sensors and active scanners, allow the Battlesuit to detect hidden enemy units and their movement; this tactical data can then be transmitted back to Tau command units. All XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits are also equipped with a Blacksun Filter, which is an advanced optical system that enhances and magnifies a warrior's low-light vision whilst simultaneously filtering bright flares of light that could blind him in battle, and a Multi-Tracker. This is a sophisticated fire control system that is mounted in a sensor node that assists Battlesuit pilots in engaging enemy threats by using multiple armaments at once, making them formidable opponents in a wide variety of battle conditions.As with all Tau Battlesuits, XV109s are protected by a very thick, dense nano-crystalline alloy armour named Fio'tak in the Tau Lexicon. This advanced alloy has an impact and energy resistant structure that is also sealed against assaults by toxins and corrosives, making it extremely resilient in the face of combat damage. Even the armour's shape helps deflect solid projectiles, while a reflective liquid metal coating is effective at reflecting medium-grade laser fire. Due to the Y'vahra's large size and significant potential as a target, additional nano-layers were also added during its development to upgrade the armour's thickness. When it comes to deflecting and withstanding damage, the XV109's armour is comparable to the Tactical Dreadnought Armour used by the Imperium's Terminator Space Marines. The material is also lightweight, which keeps the Battlesuit's own weight down and reinforces its ground-based manoeuvrability. A Vectored Thruster Array augments the chassis' own Jetpack to further increase the manoeuvrability of the Battlesuit, allowing it to make huge bounds across battlefields in order to reach its target, leap high into the atmosphere so as to redeploy elsewhere, or boost out of close combat with assaulting foes. All XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits also greatly augment the natural physical strength of their pilots, and grant the warrior within the Battlesuit the ability to crush even heavily armoured vehicles in close combat, if necessary. XV109 Battlesuits feature retractable fingers built into their forearms for use in more delicate -- and often non-combat -- tasks. The Y'vahra is outfitted with a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) system, complete with advanced combat systems and numerous comm-links to keep the pilot patched in to its Cadre's Tau Commander.All XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits are armed with an Ionic Discharge Cannon and a Phased Plasma-Flamer as standard. The Ionic Discharge Cannon is a very short-ranged, rapid-firing form of heavy Ion Weapon that is most likely a derivative of the Ion Accelerator. Unlike most Ion Weapons, the Ionic Discharge Cannon cannot overcharge its shots; instead they emit an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) upon detonation, which can overload electronic circuitry, causing anything from minor malfunctions in electronics to fires. The effects of this can also blind enemy infantry and sensors. The Phased Plasma-Flamer is a triple-barrelled rotary Flamer Weapon capable of generating temperatures so hot that the emitted flames are in a plasma-like state. As such, the weapon is deadly to even the most heavily armoured infantry. The Phased Plasma-Flamer can be fired in two modes: single canister which only uses a single barrel, and full rotation which uses all three barrels to generate an extended flame burst with the drawback of a small potential for danger and damage to the Battlesuit itself. All Tau Battlesuit weapon systems are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high-yield power relays and ammunition hoppers. XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits are also designed with advanced recoil absorption technology, meaning that they can fire their weapons at maximum capacity and with maximum accuracy, even when on the move.XV109s are equipped with an integrated Ravelin Shield Generator and a Flechette Dispersal Pod as standard. The Ravelin Shield Generator provides similar defensive properties to an XV104's Riptide Shield Generator, except the Ravelin provides better protection against close-ranged firepower and close-combat attacks. The Flechette Dispersal pods, a support system similar to the Flechette Dischargers normally only mounted on Tau skimmer vehicles, fires high-velocity and potentially-lethal flechettes at nearby targets. XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits can also be equipped with up to two different Tau Battlesuit Support systems, which are listed below.The experimental Dark Matter Nova Reactor prototype is another essential component of an XV109 Y'vahra's design, and is a slightly modified version of the same technology used by the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit that has been rerouted to different systems. Once the XV109 pilot deems it necessary, the reactor can be activated to supply near limitless amounts of energy. The resulting power can be harnessed to either overcharge the Y'vahra's Ionic Discharge Cannon and dramatically increase its rate of fire, divert power to the Y'vahra's thruster array to perform impressive evasive maneuvers, nova-charge the suit's Ravelin Shield Generator to generate an-all-but-impenetrable barrier, or nova-charge the suit's Vectored Thrust Array to boost out of combat and then redeploy where needed. On an XV109, both the standard fusion reactor and the Nova Reactor are covered with vented chest plates.Due to the experimental nature of the XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit, it is often supported by a pair of prototype Shielded Missile Drones, which are a new Tau Drone configuration equipped with a Missile Pod and Shield Generator. These Drones will often provide additional heavy fire support, and use their cohesive energy fields to absorb incoming shots, allowing the Y'vahra to acquire and destroy enemy targets with less fear of enemy fire. Alternatively, an XV109 can be supported by a pair of normal Shield Drones.
XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit - Available XV109 Battlesuit Combat Support Systems: Below is a list of the most common available combat support systems that an XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit can be equipped with:Advanced Targeting System – An Advanced Targeting System is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the Battlesuit pilot to automatically identify and pick out priority targets in the midst of combat.Counterfire Defence System – A Counterfire Defence System is a valuable AI sensor suite first designed to counter the threat of charging Ork hordes. It incorporates logic circuits to ensure that assaulting enemies are met with a withering curtain of unerringly accurate Battlesuit firepower.Drone Controller - A Drone Controller acts as a hub for communications and interface between an operator and the AI battle programs of a number of Tau Drones. It gives the owner the ability to relay additional targeting data to the Drones, thus directing their fire more accurately towards the target.Early Warning Override – An Early Warning Override sensor suite is calibrated to detect the electronic signatures of teleport beams and orbital-entry jump systems, and jolt the Battlesuit's weapon systems to lock-on status before the target has a chance to react.Positional Relay - A Positional Relay digitally records detailed battlefield data and relays it in a tight encrypted radio burst to T'au assets in orbit and squads held in reserve. Information sent usually includes battlefield terrain and status reports to allow the incoming units to make a better decision on where to deploy onto the battlefield and coordinate their actions as part of the overall strategy.Stimulant Injector - A Battlesuit with Stimulant Injectors is fitted with advanced life support systems that are able to flood the Battlesuit pilot's body with painkillers, analgesic drugs, and other life-sustaining stimulants should he become badly wounded in combat.Target Lock - A Target Lock is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the user to engage different targets from the rest of the squad.Targetting Array - The Targetting Array is a relatively new application of the Target Lock technology used in vehicles. It provides assistance to aiming at targets.Velocity Tracker – The advanced motion detecting and heat seeking sensor systems built into a Velocity Tracker allows Battlesuit pilots to track the movements of airborne targets, and effectively engage them with the Battlesuit's weapons.
XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The Ordo Xenos has not yet determined the technical specifications of this Tau Battlesuit.
XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit - Sources: Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 44-45Forge World – XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit Experimental Rules Datasheet
XV15 Stealthsuit - XV15 Stealthsuit: The XV15 Stealthsuit is the smallest of all the various Tau Battlesuit variants, and is designed for use in operations requiring a high degree of stealth. Fire Warriors serving in a Stealth Team specialise in covert operations such as infiltration, sabotage, reconnaissance and ambush. Stealth Teams are essentially the Fire Caste's special operations units. They are the "lone wolves" of the Tau military, typically operating independently of their Hunter Cadre. Suddenly appearing, as if stepping out from nowhere, a Stealth Team unleashes a hail of gunfire to cripple or eliminate their selected targets. Theirs is a secretive way of war, as they infiltrate enemy lines, seeking vulnerable targets to destroy. In order to pass unseen into enemy territory, Stealth Teams use light-bending disruption technology embedded in their sleek Battlesuits to camouflage themselves. Additional cloaking fields deaden sound and shield them from heat-detecting sensors, allowing them to penetrate deep into hostile regions before launching precisely timed ambushes.The XV15 Stealthsuit is designed to be worn by a single member of the Fire Caste, and is the smallest of all the various Battlesuit variants of the Tau, as a Tau in an XV15 Stealthsuit is hardly larger than a Fire Warrior in standard Tau Combat Armour; even though it offers far greater protection. However, this perfectly suits the XV15's role as the preferred Battlesuit of Tau infiltrators and saboteurs. XV15 Stealthsuits are significantly smaller than the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, and, because of this, carry less weaponry. What Stealthsuits lack in firepower, however, they more than make up for with the ability to move almost unseen by the enemy until the very last instant. XV15 Stealthsuits are currently being phased out of mainstream use and being replaced by the XV25 Stealthsuit. This has led to their use becoming uncommon due to the XV25 now being the new standard Stealthsuit of the Tau Fire Caste.
XV15 Stealthsuit - History: On the Tau world of Dal’yth Prime during the Damocles Gulf Crusade, XV15 Stealthsuit-clad Fire Warriors were used to protect forward Pathfinder spotter teams after Imperial assaults threatened them during their missions to pinpoint targets for long-range Seeker Missile strikes. Their Jetpacks and cloaking fields allowed the XV15s to respond quickly and effectively to the Imperial threats.The Kappa Mortis Incident was an important event that contributed to the future use of XV15 Stealthsuits. An Ultramarines strike force sent to the planet of Kappa Mortis managed to recover a single XV15 helmet from a crashed Aquila Lander bearing captured Tau technology. This forced the Tau Earth Caste to accelerate development of a new type of Stealthsuit as a result, rushing the single-weapon XV25 Stealthsuit into service ahead of the much more difficult to produce XV22 Stealthsuit they had hoped to introduce en masse. This caused XV15 Stealthsuits to become less common in Tau Hunter Cadres due to their replacement as the standard Stealthsuit by the newer XV25.During the Taros Campaign, the deployment of XV15 Stealthsuits proved to be an important component of the overall Tau strategy for victory. Stealthsuit Teams would be inserted behind enemy lines where they would continually ambush and wreak havoc upon Imperial supply lines, causing food and water shortages for Imperial forces on the frontline. XV15 Stealthsuits struck to sow panic and confusion whilst sabotaging the Imperial advance, before fading back into cover. Entire divisions of Imperial Guard were taken off the front lines in desperate attempts to hunt them down. XV15 Stealthsuit Teams proved to be a major factor in the outcome of the conflict when the lack of critical water supplies in the harsh desert conditions caused an ultimate Imperial withdrawal from the world due to heavy losses from dehydration.XV15 Stealthsuits were used as part of the first deployment of a specialist Stealthsuit formation known as the "Nighthunter Stealth Group," during the bitter fighting against WAAAGH! Skarkill. The Orks had captured an Imperial Mining World and were using the human colonists as slave workers to collect the planet's rich deposits of iron ore. This ore was used to begin the construction of a Stompa mob. The Tau found themselves hard-pressed to meet the Orks in open battle. Instead, Tau forces attacked the valuable mines, forcing the Greenskins onto the defensive. In doing so, the Tau gained the initiative in the conflict. In battle after battle, the Tau deployed their new Nighthunter formations. Each stealth group was inserted deep behind Ork lines or within the mine complexes themselves, using their stealth field generators to remain concealed. When the Hunter Cadres assaulted the Orks head-on in the mine complexes, the stealth groups opened fire on the Orks from the rear, negating the benefit of any cover they had taken amongst the overhead buildings. In all, the Nighthunter groups were deployed on 24 occasions. Though 8 of these groups were lost to Ork counter-attacks, WAAAGH! Skarkill was ultimately defeated thanks to their efforts. Warboss Skarkill's beloved Stompa mob was, thankfully for the Tau Empire, never built.During the Achilus Crusade in the Jericho Reach, Stealth Teams of the Velk’han Sept were left behind on those worlds from which the Tau had willingly withdrawn. The Stealth Teams were used to confound Imperial forces that came to these worlds after the Tau withdrawal, and gather strategic data on the xenos' strength and tactics so the Tau Fire Caste could ascertain the strength of the human foe before committing their forces en masse.
XV15 Stealthsuit - Tactical Role: XV15 Stealthsuits are worn by Fire Caste members who have attained the rank of Shas’ui, normally after they have completed a tour of duty as the Shas’ui of a squad of Fire Warriors. XV15 Stealthsuit squad leaders hold the rank of Shas’vre, and are masters of the arts of subterfuge. The whole squad is usually ritually bonded to one another according to the Tau custom of Ta’lissera, which is symbolised by a knife design painted onto the squad leader’s armour. XV15 Stealthsuit teams usually consist of 3 to 6 members.XV15 Stealthsuit Teams either operate in support of larger Tau formations, or range ahead independently from the main Tau army. Stealth Teams are not factored directly into Tau battle plans due to the nature of their covert role in battle, and enjoy a great deal of freedom of action and autonomy within very broad parameters that have been set down by Tau Commanders. This freedom of action is rare in Tau military operations. This is because Stealth Teams are encouraged to fight independently and use their own initiative in assaults, as befits their combat style and tactical specialisation. Observing comm-silence and unable to receive orders, Stealth Teams are typically left to make their own decisions. Those Shas'ui who volunteer for duty in Stealth Teams are seen as strange; an unpredictable lot who do not always follow convention -- traits generally regarded with much suspicion in the well-regimented and highly-structured culture of the Tau. Those who survive long enough to earn the title of Shas'vre within the Stealth Teams are, without exception, noted as eccentrics amongst their fellow Tau, famous for their tactical innovations and daring raids deep behind enemy lines, as well as their delight in employing new and unpredictable tactics.XV15 Stealthsuits operate in many different tactical roles, ranging from ambushing isolated enemy troops when they least expect it, to intervening in support of friendly units when needed. In the reconnaissance role, Stealthsuits can infiltrate deep behind enemy lines or move into forward positions unseen where they can assault enemy units while they are off-guard and disrupt supply lines, like vengeful ghosts striking at will. Suddenly appearing, as if stepping out from nowhere, a Stealth Team unleashes a hail of gunfire to cripple or eliminate their selected targets before disappearing once more. However, when XV15 Stealthsuit Teams operate behind enemy lines, they are not alone and are able to call in a plethora of support options to better aid them in their goal. XV15 Stealthsuit Shas’vres can be armed with a Marker Light and Target Lock, allowing them to designate an enemy target for a long range Seeker Missile strike, and can also carry Homing Beacons to allow further Battlesuit teams to accurately deploy in devastating surgical strikes. Some Tau Septs, most notably Tash'var, are known to employ Stealth Teams outfitted with Marker Drones. This is a tactic common against large Ork hordes, as the Stealth Teams can use their Burst Cannons to thin the enemy numbers before painting them with Marker Lights, allowing the rest of the main Hunter Cadre to wipe them out. Once their ambush is sprung, the XV15s can use their Jetpacks to make bounding leaps -- moving either to acquire another target or to put obstacles in the way of any return fire. The Fire Caste doctrine laid down in the Code of Fire instructs all warriors to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing his utmost to protect not just his comrades, but also nearby teams in his Cadre. With this training, Tau XV15 Stealthsuits can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all nearby teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.Built from the same dense nano-crystalline alloy as the larger XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, the XV15 Stealthsuit is the key to a Stealth Team's success, as its integrated holographic disruption fields allow its wearer to sneak forward unobserved into advantageous firing positions before a battle commences. The suit's stealth capabilities make its wearers extremely hard to detect, and the XV15's integrated Burst Cannon is the perfect weapon for ambushing lightly armoured troops and attacking the flanks of vehicles. The XV15's Jetpack also gives its wearer the manoeuvrability needed to redeploy quickly on the battlefield as the situation changes. The mobility provided by a Tau Jetpack also allows wearers of the XV15 Stealthsuit to pounce from cover upon the unsuspecting enemy forces and strafe them before retreating out of range again. This makes Jetpack-equipped Stealthsuit troops hard to counter and very difficult for the enemy to engage. An XV15’s Jetpack can also be used to slow the Battlesuit’s descent from high altitudes, allowing for Stealth Teams to be dropped directly behind enemy lines from high flying transports such as Orcas or Mantas. Many a foe of the Tau Empire has found himself attacked from an unexpected quarter by Stealth Teams positioned far ahead of the main army, and have learned to be wary of the technologically blurred Battlesuits that appear in their midst.
XV15 Stealthsuit - Known Formations: Nighthunter Stealth Group - When required, Tau Stealth Teams will be grouped together into formations known as “Nighthunter Stealth Groups”, or as they are sometimes known, “Optimised Stealth Groups”. These teams primarily consist of warriors wearing the newer XV25 Stealthsuits, and they will infiltrate far behind enemy lines long before the opening stages of a battle. Once the main Tau force engages the enemy, the Nighthunter Stealth Group reveals itself. It sets about sowing confusion behind the enemy's lines, destroying ammunition dumps, cutting off communications, and even engaging enemy troops too busy holding off the main force to notice the Stealth Group's approach. Caught between the Nighthunters and the main Tau army, the enemy is faced with a stark choice -- surrender or be cut down in the deadly crossfire. The command and control teams of these formations, however, often opt to wear XV15 Stealthsuits instead of the now standard XV25 used by the Nighthunter line units. Whilst the XV15 is older and more lightly equipped, it has a smaller silhouette and superior signature shrouding, making it popular amongst experienced Tau warriors, especially when Nighthunter teams undertake close-in covert operations.Rapid Insertion Force - It is not the Tau way of war to fight protracted, static battles. Aggressive use of mobility and firepower are key to the success of Fire Warriors. A large part of this success is dependent upon the activities of a cadre's Stealthsuit Teams -- their role is to find the enemy, create diversions and launch surprise attacks, while acting as a rear guard should things go poorly. A Rapid Insertion Force is a specialised formation that strikes suddenly against key enemy units or establishes a perimeter to hold ground until other Fire Caste units arrive, delivering the Mont’ka, or the killing blow, to the foe. In this force, a single Stealth Team leads the way for a more heavily armed force of several Crisis Battlesuit teams (usually three to five). The entire force trains together before a battle, so that they can deliver a swift and effective attack that stuns the enemy, allowing further Tau forces to move forward unmolested. A Rapid Insertion Force will often await deployment in a sub-orbital Manta, whilst the Stealthsuit Team moves in and infiltrates the battlefield, selecting critical targets before triggering their homing beacon. Once the Stealthsuits are in position, the Battlesuits of the Rapid Insertion Force airdrop from altitude and use their Jetpacks to zone in on the Stealthsuit team’s coordinates. Marker Lights will stream around them from the streaking Tau air fleet above, lighting up targets even as the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits descend from the skies -- their impressive arsenal of weapons already blazing away in unison at the greatest threat. Once on the ground, the whole formation then works together with the element of surprise to pin the enemy down and secure the area. Occasionally, an XV104 Riptide Battlesuit is assigned to a Rapid Insertion Force, adding its own tremendous firepower to the sudden Battlesuit onslaught.
XV15 Stealthsuit - Armament: The XV15 Stealthsuit is only slightly more bulky than the Combat Armour worn by Fire Warriors, and incorporates many of the standard features shared by most Tau Battlesuits. This includes a powerful and sophisticated Tau Jetpack, which combines anti-gravitic and jet propulsion technology. The Jetpack allows the Battlesuit to maintain a stable platform from which to fire its weapons, even when on the move, and provides a great deal of mobility to the user. The Jetpack also allows for a XV15 Stealthsuit to be deployed from high altitudes by Tau transports such as Orcas and Mantas, where the Jetpack will be used to safely slow the Battlesuit's descent. In addition to the Jetpack, an XV15 Stealthsuit also incorporates advanced sensors common to all Tau Battlesuits which are built into the helmets. These sensors and systems allow for the user to gather more accurate battlefield data which can assist informed decision-making on where to best deploy themselves to maximise their tactical effectiveness. All XV15 Stealthsuits are also equipped with a Blacksun Filter, which is an advanced optical system enhances and magnifies a warrior's low-light vision whilst simultaneously filtering bright flares of light that could blind him in battle, and a Multi-Tracker, which assists Battlesuit pilots in engaging enemy threats by using multiple armaments at once; making them formidable opponents in a wide variety of battle conditions. As with all Tau Battlesuits, XV15 Stealthsuits are constructed out of a lightweight yet strong nano-crystalline alloy called Fio'tak in the Tau Lexicon, which is light, malleable, impact resistant and corrosive resistant, reducing the weight of the Battlesuit whilst also providing excellent protection. Even the armour’s shape helps deflect solid projectiles, while a reflective liquid metal coating can reflect medium-grade laser fire.The XV15 Stealthsuit also possesses the unique capability of camouflaging its wearer through the use of its stealth technologies. The suit's integrated holographic disruption field achieves its effects through a number of disruptor emitter nodes arrayed all over the Battlesuit's armour. This holographic disruption field can operate in two modes. The default, passive mode utilises a range of technologies to dampen the suit’s electromagnetic signature so that enemy scanners are far less likely to detect it. This mode is called "passive" because its use cannot be detected, as rather than attempting to interfere with enemy sensor systems, it simply masks the suit itself. In active mode, however, the suit's stealth field generator comes online. The suit's matte finish ripples and blurs, resolving itself into a nigh-perfect representation of the terrain that lies behind it; making the suit and its wearer all but transparent -- even to visual identification. In this way, the Stealthsuit's form is blended into the background as if its wearer was a Terran chameleon. In addition, when operating in active mode, the Stealthsuit's systems are actively interfering with and jamming enemy sensor devices. In so doing, the jamming itself may give away the fact that a Stealthsuit is present somewhere on the battlefield, but it will make the detection of its actual location nearly impossible; thus allowing the Stealthsuit-clad warriors to move untracked, blending in with their surrounding environment before they strike. Because it is hard to focus on their location, a Stealth Team can hide to at least some degree even when standing in open territory. In areas of cover, such as forests or the rubble of an embattled city, they can effectively fade into the background, making themselves extremely difficult targets for enemies to mark out or lock on to effectively.All XV15 Stealthsuits are armed with a Burst Cannon which is integrated into the suit's upper arm. This befits the Stealthsuit's role, as its wearer can lay down a hail of suppressive anti-infantry firepower using the weapon. An XV15 Stealthsuit can also use its Burst Cannon to target the usually more vulnerable side and rear armour plating of enemy vehicles to great effectiveness. A Stealth Team's Shas’vre squad leader can take a single item from the Battlesuit armoury to enhance his combat effectiveness. An XV15 Shas’vre can also be accompanied by two Tau Drones in combat, whether they be Gun Drones or Shield Drones, to lend additional firepower and protection. These Drones are equipped with the same stealth field generator technology that XV15 Stealthsuits use, which allows them to operate without compromising the Stealth Team's ability to remain undetected. An XV15 Shas’vre himself can be equipped with a Marker Light and Target Lock to enhance the targeting capabilities of those Tau units the Stealthsuit Team is supporting, or call in long-range Seeker Missile strikes as support. An XV15 Shas’vre can also be equipped with a Homing Beacon, which is a multi-spectrum homing device that, when activated, allows the main Hunter Cadre's Battlesuit reinforcements to deploy with pinpoint precision.
XV15 Stealthsuit - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications for this Tau unit have not been obtained or released by the Ordo Xenos.
XV22 Stealthsuit - XV22 Stealthsuit: The XV22 Stealthsuit is an experimental Tau Battlesuit that has been recently developed by the Earth Caste of the Tau Empire. Tau Battlesuit technology is constantly evolving as the Tau learn from experience and utilise their technology to overcome those obstacles that stand in the way of the Greater Good. The XV22 is a product of this innovation, and is the latest evolution of Stealthsuit technology that incorporates advances in cloaking technology, targeting systems and miniaturised Shield Generators. It has yet to be utilised by the Fire Caste on a large scale due to its experimental nature. Whilst the current marks of Tau Battlesuit are easily mass-produced and are known to be reliable, the XV22 is one of several models that are currently still in development. This is mainly due to the technological innovations used in the construction of the Battlesuit that the Earth Caste has not yet been able to produce on a large scale, as the XV22 carries far more technology and combat systems within its frame than even the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit.Currently, the XV22 has only been issued to trusted Fire Caste Commanders and in turn, some of their high-ranking subordinates. This way, the Battlesuits' performance can be assessed and analysed on the myriad of battlefields that the Tau confront as they seek to expand their empire. The XV22 Stealthsuit itself is of a similar mass to the XV15 and XV25 Stealthsuits, and is designed to fulfil a similar role in covert operations that require a high degree of stealth. Indeed, the XV22 was originally designed to replace the XV15 Stealthsuit as the standard Stealthsuit in the Tau armoury had it not been for the Kappa Mortis Incident, where the Imperial Ultramarines managed to recover captured XV15 Stealthsuit technology, requiring the Tau to rush the XV25 Stealthsuit into large scale production ahead of the XV22 since it was easier to manufacture and the Tau needed a new frontline Stealthsuit that the Imperium had not yet encountered. Whether or not the XV22 becomes approved for general use will be determined after its performance during the battles of the recent Third Sphere Expansion have been analysed. Thus far, it has proven effective, most notably when Commander Shadowsun ambushed a column of Leman Russ Tanks during the fighting on Mu'gulath Bay. While the Stealthsuit’s twin Fusion Blasters ensured that none of the lumbering battle tanks would survive to make a counter-attack, the ability to disappear into the terrain kept the foe from drawing an accurate bead upon her position. The future of the XV22 relies as much upon the performance of its users as theirs does on the success of the XV22 in combat.
XV22 Stealthsuit - Armament: The XV22 Stealthsuit incorporates many of the standard features shared by most Tau Battlesuits and is similar in many ways to both the XV15 and XV25 Stealthsuits. The similarities include the incorporated Tau Jetpack, which combines anti-gravitic and jet propulsion technology. The Jetpack allows the Battlesuit to maintain a stable platform from which to fire its weapons, even when on the move, and provides a great deal of mobility for the user. The Jetpack also allows for the Stealthsuit to be deployed from high altitudes by Tau transports such as Orcas and Mantas, where the Jetpack will be used to safely slow the Battlesuit's descent to the surface. In addition to a Jetpack, an XV22 Stealthsuit also incorporates advanced sensors common to all Tau Battlesuits that are built into the helmet. This allows for the user to gather more accurate battlefield data which can assist informed decision-making on where to best deploy singly or with their unit to maximise their tactical effectiveness.The XV22 Stealthsuit, like the other Tau Stealthsuits, possesses the unique capability to camouflage its wearer using its suite of stealth technologies. The suit's integrated holographic disruption field achieves its effects through the disruptor emitters arrayed all over the Battlesuit. This holographic disruption field can operate in two modes. The default, passive mode utilises a range of material technologies to dampen the suit’s electromagnetic signature so that enemy scanners are far less likely to detect it. This mode is called "passive" because its use cannot be detected by enemy sensors. Rather than attempting to interfere with enemy sensor systems directly, it simply masks the suit itself. In "active" mode, however, the suit's stealth field generator comes online. The XV22's matte finish ripples and blurs, resolving itself into a nigh-perfect representation of the terrain that lies behind it, making the suit and its wearer all but transparent even to visual identification. In this way, the Stealthsuit's form is blended into the background as if its wearer were a Terran chameleon. In addition, when operating in active mode, the Stealthsuit's systems are actively interfering with and jamming enemy sensor devices. In so doing, the jamming itself will give away the fact that the Stealthsuit is present somewhere on the battlefield, but will make the detection of its actual location nearly impossible. Thus, the pilot is afforded a greater degree of protection, whilst also making him or her nearly impossible to target in dense terrain.The actual armaments and wargear that XV22 Stealthsuits carry, however, varies between Stealthsuit to Stealthsuit. This is due to their experimental nature, and as such, there is currently no standard armament. Commander Shadowsun’s Stealthsuit is currently armed with two arm-mounted Fusion Blasters which provide short range anti-vehicle firepower; although it was originally designed to be armed with twin Burst Cannons. Her XV22 also mounts a Multi-Tracker, an Advanced Target Lock which allows her to effectively target multiple enemies with her two weapons, a Bonding Knife, and a Drone Controller which she uses to control two Shield Drones and a Command-Link Drone. Shas’O Kais' XV22 Stealthsuit has been armed with two hand-held weapons out of a Flamer, Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster, and a Burst Cannon. His XV22 is also armed with shoulder-mounted Missile Pods, and is equipped with an Advanced Sensor Array that allows him to detect enemy troops that are camouflaged through stealth or technology, and a Drone Controller which he uses to control a Gun Drone and a Shield Drone. His XV22 also has been fitted with Iridium Armour to grant it better protection from enemy fire. Shas'O Or'es'Ka’s XV22 Stealthsuit has been armed with two hand-held weapons chosen for each mission that can include a Flamer, a Burst Cannon, a Fusion Blaster, and a Cyclic Ion Blaster. His XV22 is also armed with shoulder-mounted Missile Pods, and is equipped with an Advanced Sensor Array, a Shield Generator, and a Drone Controller which he uses to control both a Shield Drone and a Marker Drone. It is of note that Commander Shadowsun's XV22 Stealthsuit's weapon systems are designed to be fully compatible with normal XV8 Crisis Battlesuit weapon systems, meaning that the XV22 has a modular weapons loadout. This also allows for the "scavenging" of weapon systems from fallen Battlesuits, as was done when Commander Shadowsun was stranded upon the world of Il'wolaho.The Fire Caste doctrine laid down in the Code of Fire instructs all warriors to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing his utmost to protect not just his comrades, but also nearby teams in his Cadre. With this training, Tau XV22 Stealthsuits can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all nearby teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.
XV22 Stealthsuit - Notable Users: Shas'O Shaserra, “Commander Shadowsun” – Commander Shadowsun is the overall commander of Tau Fire Caste forces after Commander Farsight splintered from the Tau Empire. Due to her rank and status, she is one of the few Tau Commanders who have been entrusted with the field testing of XV22 Stealthsuits. The XV22 was used successfully on the battlefronts of the Tau Empire's Third Sphere Expansion which she led.Shas'O Kais – Shas'O Kais was the Tau Commander who led Tau forces during the Dark Crusade. Whilst he was unsuccessful in securing the planet of Kronus for the Tau Empire, he survived the campaign. He utilised an XV22 Stealthsuit that was aesthetically different to that worn by Commander Shadowsun. His XV22 also mounted numerous Battlesuit Weapon Systems and Support Systems that differed from those of Commander Shadowsun.Shas'O Or'es'Ka – Shas'O Or'es'Ka was the Tau Commander who led Tau forces during the campaign to take the Kaurava System. He utilised an XV22 Stealthsuit that was very similar to Shas'O Kais’, though it made use of several different Battlesuit Weapon Systems and Support Systems.
XV22 Stealthsuit - Sources: Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition), pp. 27, 35Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pg. 59Deathwatch: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 366-367White Dwarf 321 (UK), "The Kappa Mortis Incident", pp. 76-81Dawn of War - Dark Crusade (PC Game)Dawn of War - Soulstorm (PC Game)Shadowsun (Novel), by Braden Campbell
XV25 Stealthsuit - XV25 Stealthsuit: The XV25 Stealthsuit is one of the smallest of all the various Tau Battlesuits, and is designed for use in operations requiring a high degree of stealth. Fire Warriors serving in a Stealth Team specialise in covert operations such as infiltration, sabotage, reconnaissance and ambush. Stealth Teams are essentially the Fire Caste's special operations units. They are the "lone wolves" of the Tau military, typically operating independently of their Hunter Cadre. Suddenly appearing, as if stepping out from nowhere, a Stealth Team unleashes a hail of gunfire to cripple or eliminate their selected targets. Theirs is a secretive way of war, as they infiltrate enemy lines, seeking vulnerable targets to destroy. In order to pass unseen into enemy territory, Stealth Teams use light-bending disruption technology embedded in their sleek Battlesuits to camouflage themselves. Additional cloaking fields deaden sound and shield them from heat-detecting sensors, allowing them to penetrate deep into hostile regions before launching precisely timed ambushes.The XV25 Stealthsuit is designed to be worn by a single member of the Fire Caste, and is one of the smallest of all the various Battlesuit variants of the Tau, as a Tau in an XV25 Stealthsuit is hardly larger than a Fire Warrior in standard Tau Combat Armour; even though it offers far greater protection. However, this perfectly suits the XV25's role as the preferred Battlesuit of Tau infiltrators and saboteurs. XV25 Stealthsuits are significantly smaller than the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, and, because of this, carry less weaponry. What Stealthsuits lack in firepower, however, they more than make up for with the ability to move almost unseen by the enemy until the very last instant. XV25 Stealthsuits are a relatively recent development of the Tau Earth Caste and shares many of the same features of its predecessor in the Tau armoury, the XV15 Stealthsuit. The XV15 Stealthsuit is currently being phased out of use by the Fire Caste and is being replaced by the XV25 Stealthsuit, which will serve as the new standard for all Tau forces in the years to come.
XV25 Stealthsuit - History: The Kappa Mortis Incident was an important event that contributed to the future use of XV25 Stealthsuits. An Ultramarines strike force sent to the planet of Kappa Mortis managed to recover a single XV15 Stealthsuit helmet from a crashed Aquila Lander bearing captured Tau technology. This forced the Tau Earth Caste to accelerate development of a new type of Stealthsuit, rushing the single-weapon XV25 Stealthsuit into service ahead of the much more difficult to produce XV22 Stealthsuit they had hoped to introduce en masse. This caused XV15 Stealthsuits to become less common in Tau Hunter Cadres due to their replacement as the standard Stealthsuit by the newer XV25.During the Taros Campaign, the deployment of XV25 Stealthsuits proved to be an important component of the overall Tau strategy for victory. Stealthsuit Teams would be inserted behind enemy lines where they would continually ambush and wreak havoc upon Imperial supply lines, causing food and water shortages for Imperial forces on the frontline. XV25 Stealthsuits struck to sow panic and confusion whilst sabotaging the Imperial advance, before fading back into cover. Entire divisions of Imperial Guard were taken off the front lines in desperate attempts to hunt them down. XV25 Stealthsuit Teams proved to be a major factor in the outcome of the conflict when the lack of critical water supplies in the harsh desert conditions caused an ultimate Imperial withdrawal from the world due to heavy losses from dehydration.XV25 Stealthsuits were used as part of the first deployment of a specialist Stealthsuit formation known as the "Nighthunter Stealth Group," during the bitter fighting against WAAAGH! Skarkill. The Orks had captured an Imperial Mining World and were using the human colonists as slave workers to collect the planet's rich deposits of iron ore. This ore was used to begin the construction of a Stompa mob. The Tau found themselves hard-pressed to meet the Orks in open battle. Instead, Tau forces attacked the valuable mines, forcing the Greenskins onto the defensive. In doing so, the Tau gained the initiative in the conflict. In battle after battle, the Tau deployed their new Nighthunter formations. Each stealth group was inserted deep behind Ork lines or within the mine complexes themselves, using their stealth field generators to remain concealed. When the Hunter Cadres assaulted the Orks head-on in the mine complexes, the stealth groups opened fire on the Orks from the rear, negating the benefit of any cover they had taken amongst the overhead buildings. In all, the Nighthunter groups were deployed on 24 occasions. Though 8 of these groups were lost to Ork counter-attacks, WAAAGH! Skarkill was ultimately defeated thanks to their efforts. Warboss Skarkill's beloved Stompa mob was, thankfully for the Tau Empire, never built.During the Achilus Crusade in the Jericho Reach, Stealth Teams of the Velk’han Sept were left behind on those worlds from which the Tau had willingly withdrawn. The Stealth Teams were used to confound Imperial forces that came to these worlds after the Tau withdrawal, and gather strategic data on the xenos' strength and tactics so the Tau Fire Caste could ascertain the strength of the human foe before committing their forces en masse.
XV25 Stealthsuit - Tactical Role: XV25 Stealthsuits are worn by Fire Caste members who have attained the rank of Shas'ui, normally after they have completed a tour of duty as the Shas’ui of a squad of Fire Warriors. XV25 Stealthsuit squad leaders hold the rank of Shas'vre, and are masters of the arts of subterfuge. The whole squad is usually ritually bonded to one another according to the Tau custom of Ta'lissera, which is symbolised by a knife design painted onto the squad leader’s armour. XV25 Stealthsuit teams usually consist of 3 to 6 members.XV25 Stealthsuit Teams either operate in support of larger Tau formations, or range ahead independently from the main Tau army. Stealth Teams are not factored directly into Tau battle plans due to the nature of their covert role in battle, and enjoy a great deal of freedom of action and operational autonomy within very broad parameters that have been set down by Tau Commanders. This freedom of action is rare in Tau military operations. This is because Stealth Teams are encouraged to fight independently and use their own initiative in assaults, as befits their combat style and tactical specialisation. Observing comm-silence and unable to receive orders, Stealth Teams are typically left to make their own decisions. Those Shas'ui who volunteer for duty in Stealth Teams are seen as strange; an unpredictable lot who do not always follow convention -- traits generally regarded with much suspicion in the well-regimented and highly-structured culture of the Tau. Those who survive long enough to earn the title of Shas'vre within the Stealth Teams are, without exception, noted as eccentrics amongst their fellow Tau, famous for their tactical innovations and daring raids deep behind enemy lines, as well as their delight in employing new and unpredictable tactics.XV25 Stealthsuits operate in many different tactical roles, ranging from ambushing isolated enemy troops when they least expect it, to intervening in support of friendly units when needed. In the reconnaissance role, Stealthsuits can infiltrate deep behind enemy lines or move into forward positions unseen where they can assault enemy units while they are off-guard and disrupt supply lines, like vengeful ghosts striking at will. Suddenly appearing, as if stepping out from nowhere, a Stealth Team unleashes a hail of gunfire to cripple or eliminate their selected targets before disappearing once more. However, when XV25 Stealthsuit Teams operate behind enemy lines, they are not alone and are able to call in a plethora of support options to better aid them in their goal. XV25 Stealthsuit Shas’vres can be armed with a Marker Light and Target Lock, allowing them to designate an enemy target for a long range Seeker Missile strike, and can also carry Homing Beacons to allow further Battlesuit teams to accurately deploy in devastating surgical strikes. Some Tau Septs, most notably Tash'var, are known to employ Stealth Teams outfitted with Marker Drones. This is a tactic common against large Ork hordes, as the Stealth Teams can use their Burst Cannons to thin the enemy numbers before painting them with Marker Lights, allowing the rest of the main Hunter Cadre to wipe them out. Once their ambush is sprung, the XV25s can use their Jetpacks to make bounding leaps -- moving either to acquire another target or to put obstacles in the way of any return fire. The Fire Caste doctrine laid down in the Code of Fire instructs all warriors to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing his utmost to protect not just his comrades, but also nearby teams in his Cadre. With this training, Tau XV25 Stealthsuits can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all nearby teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.Built from the same dense nano-crystalline alloy as the larger XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, the XV25 Stealthsuit is the key to a Stealth Team's success, as its integrated holographic disruption fields allow its wearer to sneak forward unobserved into advantageous firing positions before a battle commences. The suit's stealth capabilities make its wearers extremely hard to detect, and the XV25's integrated Burst Cannon is the perfect weapon for ambushing lightly armoured troops and attacking the flanks of vehicles. XV25s can also be armed with a Fusion Blaster instead of a Burst Cannon, which provides the Stealthsuit the ability to hunt down even the most heavily armoured vehicles. The XV25's Jetpack also gives its wearer the manoeuvrability needed to redeploy quickly on the battlefield as the situation changes. The mobility provided by a Tau Jetpack also allows wearers of the XV25 Stealthsuit to pounce from cover upon the unsuspecting enemy forces and strafe them before retreating out of range again. This makes Jetpack-equipped Stealthsuit troops hard to counter and very difficult for the enemy to engage. An XV25’s Jetpack can also be used to slow the Battlesuit’s descent from high altitudes, allowing for Stealth Teams to be dropped directly behind enemy lines from high flying transports such as Orcas or Mantas. Many a foe of the Tau Empire has found himself attacked from an unexpected quarter by Stealth Teams positioned far ahead of the main army, and have learned to be wary of the technologically blurred Battlesuits that appear in their midst.
XV25 Stealthsuit - Known Formations: Infiltration Cadre - Infiltration Cadres are expected to advance into harm's way to locate high value strategic targets to attack -- they serve as the eyes and ears of the Fire Caste. Usually operating deep behind enemy lines, the warriors of an Infiltration Cadre are prepared to fight unsupported against superior foes, using every iota of their skills in stealth and evasion to stay alive while hammering the enemy with fire. However, a properly deployed Infiltration Cadre is never truly isolated, for by activating their intervention request beacons or concentrating their Marker Lights in a neutralisation lattice, the Cadre can call in massive reinforcements to screaming volleys of Seeker Missles to turn the tables upon their foe. Infiltration Cadres are usually made up of three Pathfinder teams, two teams of XV25 Stealthsuits, and a TX4 Piranha squadron.Optimised Stealth Cadre - Optimised Stealth Cadres consist entirely of elite stealth Battlesuits that, like malicious ghosts, haunt enemies' battle lines. When they strike, so sudden and overwhelming is their assault that enemy forces are usually thrown into complete disarray, warriors fleeing or firing wildly as the Tau seem to come from all directions at once. The Battlesuits of a Optimised Stealth Cadre are capable of networking their stealth fields in a mamoeuvre known as mesme'jkaara in the Tau Lexicon, which roughly translates into 'the wall of mirrors'. This allows them to generate holograms of each other and utterly confound their foes' senses and sensors alike, appearing to attack from one quarter while in truth moving in from the opposite direction altogether. By the time their prey has realised the nature of the trick, it is far too late as punishing rains down upon their unprotected flanks. Optimised Stealth Cadres usually consist of two teams of XV25 Stealthsuits working together with a single team of XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits.Nighthunter Stealth Group - When required, Tau Stealth Teams will be grouped together into a formation known as a “Nighthunter Stealth Groups”, or as they are sometimes known, an “Optimised Stealth Group”. These teams primarily consist of warriors wearing the newer XV25 Stealthsuits, and they will infiltrate far behind enemy lines long before the opening stages of a battle. Once the main Tau force engages the enemy, the Nighthunter Stealth Group reveals itself. It sets about sowing confusion behind the enemy's lines, destroying ammunition dumps, cutting off communications, and even engaging enemy troops too busy holding off the main force to notice the Stealth Group's approach. Caught between the Nighthunters and the main Tau army, the enemy is faced with a stark choice -- surrender or be cut down in the deadly crossfire. The command and control teams of these formations, however, often opt to wear XV15 Stealthsuits instead of the now standard XV25 used by the Nighthunter line units. Whilst the XV15 is older and more lightly equipped, it has a smaller silhouette and superior signature shrouding, making it popular amongst experienced Tau warriors, especially when Nighthunter teams undertake close-in covert operations.Rapid Insertion Force - It is not the Tau way of war to fight protracted, static battles. Aggressive use of mobility and firepower are key to the success of Fire Warriors. A large part of this success is dependent upon the activities of a cadre's Stealthsuit Teams -- their role is to find the enemy, create diversions and launch surprise attacks, while acting as a rear guard should things go poorly. A Rapid Insertion Force is a specialised formation that strikes suddenly against key enemy units or establishes a perimeter to hold ground until other Fire Caste units arrive, delivering the Mont’ka, or the killing blow, to the foe. In this force, a single Stealth Team leads the way for a more heavily armed force of several Crisis Battlesuit teams (usually three to five). The entire force trains together before a battle, so that they can deliver a swift and effective attack that stuns the enemy, allowing further Tau forces to move forward unmolested. A Rapid Insertion Force will often await deployment in a sub-orbital Manta, whilst the Stealthsuit Team moves in and infiltrates the battlefield, selecting critical targets before triggering their homing beacon. Once the Stealthsuits are in position, the Battlesuits of the Rapid Insertion Force airdrop from altitude and use their Jetpacks to zone in on the Stealthsuit team’s coordinates. Marker Lights will stream around them from the streaking Tau air fleet above, lighting up targets even as the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits descend from the skies -- their impressive arsenal of weapons already blazing away in unison at the greatest threat. Once on the ground, the whole formation then works together with the element of surprise to pin the enemy down and secure the area. Occasionally, an XV104 Riptide Battlesuit is assigned to a Rapid Insertion Force, adding its own tremendous firepower to the sudden Battlesuit onslaught.
XV25 Stealthsuit - Armament: The XV25 Stealthsuit is only slightly more bulky than the Combat Armour worn by Fire Warriors, and incorporates many of the standard features shared by most Tau Battlesuits. This includes a powerful and sophisticated Tau Jetpack, which combines anti-gravitic and jet propulsion technology. The Jetpack allows the Battlesuit to maintain a stable platform from which to fire its weapons, even when on the move, and provides a great deal of mobility to the user. The Jetpack also allows for an XV25 Stealthsuit to be deployed from high altitudes by Tau transports such as Orcas and Mantas, where the Jetpack will be used to safely slow the Battlesuit's descent. In addition to the Jetpack, an XV25 Stealthsuit also incorporates advanced sensors common to all Tau Battlesuits which are built into the helmets. These sensors and systems allow for the user to gather more accurate battlefield data which can assist informed decision-making on where to best deploy themselves to maximise their tactical effectiveness. All XV25 Stealthsuits are also equipped with a Blacksun Filter, which is an advanced optical system that enhances and magnifies a warrior's low-light vision whilst simultaneously filtering bright flares of light that could blind him in battle, and a Multi-Tracker, which assists Battlesuit pilots in engaging enemy threats by using multiple armaments at once; making them formidable opponents in a wide variety of battle conditions. As with all Tau Battlesuits, XV25 Stealthsuits are constructed out of a lightweight yet strong nano-crystalline alloy called Fio'tak in the Tau Lexicon, which is light, malleable, impact resistant and corrosive resistant, reducing the weight of the Battlesuit whilst also providing excellent protection. Even the armour's shape helps deflect solid projectiles, while a reflective liquid metal coating can reflect medium-grade laser fire. A full medical suite and nutrient reservoirs are also built into XV25 Stealthsuits to help aid them in the field.The XV25 Stealthsuit also possesses the unique capability of camouflaging its wearer through the use of its stealth technologies. The suit's integrated holographic disruption field achieves its effects through a number of disruptor emitter nodes arrayed all over the Battlesuit's armour. This holographic disruption field can operate in two modes. The default, passive mode utilises a range of technologies to dampen the suit’s electromagnetic signature so that enemy scanners are far less likely to detect it. This mode is called "passive" because its use cannot be detected, as rather than attempting to interfere with enemy sensor systems, it simply masks the suit itself. In active mode, however, the suit's stealth field generator comes online. The suit's matte finish ripples and blurs, resolving itself into a nigh-perfect representation of the terrain that lies behind it; making the suit and its wearer all but transparent -- even to visual identification. In this way, the Stealthsuit's form is blended into the background as if its wearer was a Terran chameleon. Layers of audio and sensory dampening technologies serve to further hide the Stealthsuit. In addition, when operating in active mode, the Stealthsuit's systems are actively interfering with and jamming enemy sensor devices. In so doing, the jamming itself may give away the fact that a Stealthsuit is present somewhere on the battlefield, but it will make the detection of its actual location nearly impossible; thus allowing the Stealthsuit-clad warriors to move untracked, blending in with their surrounding environment before they strike. Because it is hard to focus on their location, a Stealth Team can hide to at least some degree even when standing in open territory. In areas of cover, such as forests or the rubble of an embattled city, they can effectively fade into the background, making themselves extremely difficult targets for enemies to mark out or lock on to effectively.XV25 Stealthsuits differ from XV15 Stealthsuits mainly through the additional space provided due to the slightly larger and bulkier form of the suit. This extra space allows an XV25 to take a Battlesuit Support System to boost its combat effectiveness, whether it be through improved weapon accuracy, the ability to identify and target multiple targets independently, or enhanced defensive measures. All XV25 Stealthsuits are armed with a Burst Cannon which is integrated into the suit's upper arm. This befits the Stealthsuit's role, as its wearer can lay down a hail of suppressive anti-infantry firepower using the weapon. An XV25 Stealthsuit can also use its Burst Cannon to target the usually more vulnerable side and rear armour plating of enemy vehicles to great effectiveness.One in three XV25 Stealthsuits in a squad, however, can replace their Burst Cannon with a Fusion Blaster, which can provide the squad with the ability to hunt down and effectively destroy heavy tanks and elite infantry. A Stealth Team's Shas’vre squad leader can take items from the Battlesuit armoury to enhance his combat effectiveness. An XV25 Shas’vre can also be accompanied by two Tau Drones in combat, whether they be Gun Drones, Shield Drones or Marker Drones to lend additional firepower and protection. These Drones are equipped with the same stealth field generator technology that XV25 Stealthsuits use, which allows them to operate without compromising the Stealth Team's ability to remain undetected. An XV25 Shas’vre himself can be equipped with a Marker Light and Target Lock to enhance the targeting capabilities of those Tau units the Stealthsuit Team is supporting, or call in long-range Seeker Missile strikes as support. An XV25 Shas’vre can also be equipped with a Homing Beacon, which is a multi-spectrum homing device that, when activated, allows the main Hunter Cadre's Battlesuit reinforcements to deploy with pinpoint precision.
XV25 Stealthsuit - Available XV25 Stealthsuit Combat Support Systems: Below is a list of the most common available combat support systems that an XV25 Stealthsuit can be armed with:Advanced Targeting System – An Advanced Targeting System is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the Battlesuit pilot to automatically identify and pick out priority targets in the midst of combat.Counterfire Defence System – A Counterfire Defence System is a valuable artificial intelligence (AI) sensor suite first designed to counter the threat of charging Ork hordes. It incorporates logic circuits to ensure that assaulting enemies are met with a withering curtain of unerringly accurate Battlesuit firepower.Drone Controller - A Drone Controller acts as a hub for communications and interface between an operator and the AI battle programs of a number of Tau Drones. The Drone Controller device gives the user the ability to relay any additional targeting data they receive to their Drones, thus directing those automatons' fire more accurately at the target.Early Warning Override – An Early Warning Override sensor suite is calibrated to detect the electronic signatures of teleport beams and orbital-entry jump systems, and jolt the Battlesuit 's weapon systems to lock-on status before the target has a chance to react.Positional Relay - A Positional Relay digitally records detailed battlefield data and relays it in a tight encrypted radio burst to assets in orbit and squads held in reserve. Information sent usually includes battlefield terrain and status reports to allow the incoming units to make a better decision on where to deploy onto the battlefield and coordinate their actions as part of the overall combat strategy.Shield Generator - Battlesuit Shield Generators project cohesive energy fields around the Battlesuit that can deflect weapons fire and melee blows that would otherwise destroy the Battlesuit outright, whether such incoming fire be shots from heavy ordnance or anti-tank weapons.Stimulant Injector - A Battlesuit with Stimulant Injectors is fitted with advanced life support systems that are able to flood the Battlesuit pilot's body with painkillers, analgesic drugs, and other life-sustaining stimulants should he become badly wounded in combat.Target Lock - A Target Lock is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the user to engage different targets from the rest of the squad.Targetting Array - The Targetting Array is a relatively new application of the Target Lock technology used in vehicles and Battlesuits. It provides assistance to aiming at targets.Vectored Retro-Thrusters - A Battlesuit with Vectored Retro-Thrusters is equipped with additional thruster nozzles, giving a degree of additional manoeuvrability that is useful when escaping from combat.Velocity Tracker – The advanced motion detection and infared sensor systems built into a Velocity Tracker allows Battlesuit pilots to track the movements of airborne targets and effectively engage them with the Battlesuit’s weapons.
XV25 Stealthsuit - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications for this Tau unit have not been obtained or released by the Ordo Xenos.
XV25 Stealthsuit - Sources: Apocalypse (6th Edition), pp. 180-181Apocalypse (4th Edition), pg. 161Apocalypse Reload, pg. 47Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition), pp. 29, 47, 54, 56, 86, 107-108Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 43, 68-71, 100Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition), pp. 27, 35Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), pp. 16, 25, 35, 60Deathwatch: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 366-367Deathwatch: The Achilus Assault (RPG), pg. 16Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pp. 78, 282, 284Rogue Trader: Tau Character Guide (RPG), pg. 39War Zone Damocles: Kauyon, pp. 39, 109, 116, 185-186War Zone Damocles: Mont'ka, pp. 185White Dwarf 321 (UK), "The Kappa Mortis Incident", pp. 76-81
XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit - XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit: The XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit is a newly developed T'au Battlesuit that was designed by Earth Caste mechanics of the T'au Empire out of a need for a specialised battlesuit to explore space hulks. Initially conceived after a T'au expedition into the space hulk Mortis Thule in the Canis Salient of the Jericho Reach, these unique battlesuits have yet to see widespread use amongst the T'au Empire.Their primary function is the exploration of derelict voidships, and whilst the Vanguard Battlesuits are fairly bulky, they are not as large as the more common XV8 Crisis Battlesuits and XV88 Broadside Battlesuits which would struggle to manoeuvre through the restrictive wreckage and cramped corridors of ship interior environs.XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuits are also comparatively difficult to produce, even for the technologically savvy T'au, because of the advanced and miniaturised technology they incorporate. As a result, few of these battlesuits currently exist in the T'au Fire Caste's arsenal.
XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit - Tactical Role: So far as the forces of the Imperial Achilus Crusade in the Jericho Reach can ascertain, the T'au have not yet had many encounters with the perils of a space hulk -- they are a fortunately rare occurrence by any estimation -- but the appearance of a conglomeration of derelict starships seems too great a wealth of knowledge and technology for their kind to ignore.Even with their limited experience of the hazards of a space hulk, the Tau have nevertheless learned that they are perilous places; and in their own way they have developed means to confront the dangers present aboard them.Utilising flocks of semi-intelligent DX-11 Exploratory Drones, commanded by a small number of Fire Caste warriors in specialised XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit armour, T'au expeditionary forces are small but well-equipped. Each adheres strictly to complex strategic doctrines that prioritise the survival of valuable assets over and above direct confrontations.
XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit - Armament: Because of the terrain XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuits are expected to operate through, they are well armed for close quarters combat and laden with powerful short-ranged weapons and advanced defensive systems. As with most forms of T'au Battlesuit, the XV46 features advanced communications systems and sensors built into the primary sensor cluster that is the battlesuit's "head."These sensors, which consist of a number of variable spectrum sensors and scanners, allow the battlesuit to detect hidden enemy units and their movement; information that can be transmitted back to Tau command units. The sensors also allow the battlesuit to operate effectively in the dark conditions that are common with space hulks.All XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuits are also protected by a dense nano-crystalline alloy armour named Fio'tak in the Tau Lexicon. This advanced alloy has a high impact resistant structure, which makes it extremely resilient. The material is also lightweight, which keeps the battlesuit quite light despite its bulk.This reduced weight means it can operate effectively using its T'au Jetpack for manoeuvrability and dropping from transport aircraft, like the Orca and Manta. The Jetpack, which is another common feature, combines anti-gravitic and jet technology to make this battlesuit extremely agile for its size.Indeed, given the awkward and often-hostile environments they face, Vanguard Battlesuits are equipped to move primarily by Jetpack, and are also heavily reinforced with life support systems.The XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit's primary armament consists of a Flame Projector to repel hordes of infantry at close range, a Burst Cannon for sustainable high-strength firepower, and a Fusion Torch for cutting through any obstacles blocking access ways; although it can also be used to devastating effect against enemies as a potent close combat weapon.All these battlesuit weapon systems are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high-yield power relays and ammunition hoppers. XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuits are also designed with advanced recoil absorption technology, meaning that they can fire their weapons at maximum capacity and with maximum accuracy, even when on the move.However, the XV46 is not only equipped with potent offensive weapons, but also a range of advanced defensive support systems. These include an array of electroshock repulsors, photon charge launchers and wide-burst gravity pulse generators mounted across the surface of the battlesuit armour.These systems are activated by subconscious mind-impulse triggers to ensure the fastest response to an enemy attack. They are primarily used to repel foes seeking to engage the pilots of the XV46 in close combat by forcing and shunting them away, and also potentially stunning them.As a final layer of protection, the pilot sits within a shock-proof ejection pod whilst using the battlesuit. The pod will eject the pilot in the event of catastrophic damage to the battlesuit, and is programmed to return the pilot to the safety of the T'au boarding craft.XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuits are commonly accompanied by DX-11 Exploratory Drones on T'au exploration expeditions into space hulks. These Tau Drones are controlled via a Drone Controller support system, and are used to scout ahead and roam an unexplored area, all the while transmitting information on what they find back to the battlesuit's pilot.
XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit - XV46-4 Vanguard Commander Variant Void Battlesuit: A more heavily built and equipped variant of the XV46 Vanguard Battlesuit, the XV46-4 is designed to be used by experienced T'au Commanders of Shas'el rank or higher.These battlesuits employ many of the same basic technologies as the standard XV46, but with many additional advanced and experimental systems; following the T'au custom of issuing cutting-edge technology to command personnel for field testing.The XV46-4 is primarily armed with a Flame Projector, like the standard XV46, an experimental EMP Blaster which can disable and disrupt enemy electronic systems at range -- causing them to go haywire -- and a Microburst Fragmentation Launcher which is relatively similar to the experimental Airbursting Fragmentation Projector.Unlike the normal XV46, the XV46-4 Commander variant is also fitted with extensive command and communication systems. Because the pilot of an XV46-4 is often a high-ranking Fire Caste officer with Terran years of experience in commanding T'au forces using advanced communications systems, these suits are valuable assets in the field, with normally only a single one assigned to any given T'au expeditionary force.The command uplink systems unique to this variant of the XV46 provides the T'au Commander access to a persistent stream of tactical and strategic information, allowing them a clear view of the theatre of battle. Using that information, the commander can assist their forces with precisely timed instructions to counter the actions of the foe.
XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications for this Tau unit have not been obtained or released by the Ordo Xenos.
XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - XV88 Broadside Battlesuit: An XV88 Broadside Battlesuit is one of the most heavily armoured T'au Battlesuit units that can be fielded by the T'au Fire Caste, and as such are only worn by the most experienced of T'au veterans.Whilst similar in design to the more common XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, the Broadside sacrifices mobility and manoeuvrability to be armed with some of the most devastating weapons in the T'au arsenal.In this way, they can engage and destroy the heaviest of enemy targets. Each Broadside Battlesuit carries firepower comparable to that of a battle tank, and these incredibly resilient battlesuits are most commonly deployed to provide punishing long-ranged fire support to T'au infantry in battle.

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