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So with the new rules released, my mind has been running hot with thoughts of all the things that could be added into the system, seemingly, relatively easily. Unfortunately there isn't much of a gaming community nearby, so rather than spend my days talking to myself I thought I'd regurgitate some of my thoughts to you all and generate some discussion. So please tell me what you think. Now I've tried to keep my mind on areas where it seems unlikely that AT will be treading for at least the next year or so. Namely Xenos and expanding the scale to include smaller things. Also I'd like to apologise for the wall of text. Eldar As a long time Eldar player I've spent a lot of time pondering the Eldar. Where possible I'd like the various races to play differently to the Imperium and with the combination of speed/frailty and holofields, Eldar are probably one of the furthest along the spectrum away from what we have. Defenses Armour: Given that the Eldar traditionally prioritise basically everything else over armour I would think that the Armour of Eldar Titans would be in the range of Imperial Knights (9-12, 13-15,16+). i.e. Even the lightest weapons in the game are at least a threat to them if they hit, and hitting an Eldar Titan with a big weapon is going to cause issues. Structure: In keeping with the speed/frailty ideas I think that even a Phantom would be relatively fragile (Approximately Warhound structure levels). This makes every hit on them telling and makes them much more of a skirmishing force than a comparable Imperial battlegroup. Holofields: I went back and forth on this a few times. Perhaps the simplest way of doing these would be to give Eldar Titans a holofield save against all incoming hits (similar to the old BFG rules). But I feel that having Holofields provide cover is more fitting with their fluff and it feels more like the Eldar is avoiding fire rather than stopping it. Initially I would probably go with Holofields always providing a base 25% cover and that increases to 50% if the Titan moves. I went with this rather than providing a penalty to hit rolls, because the penalty would stack with existing cover and allow for mobile Eldar titans in cover to become essentially untargetable. Agility: With the passive holofield effect Eldar titans are still going to be relatively easy to hurt compared to an Imperial that uses terrain. So in order to compensate I thought that each Eldar Titan could have in essence a limited number of 'dodges' where the pilot uses their superior reflexes/technology to avoid shots that should hit them. The limit on how often it can be used would be based on the Titan's Manoeuvre rating and reduced by 1 for each turn the Titan makes during the movement phase. So a Titan turning to bring its weapons to bear would have fewer 'dodges' making it a balancing act between offense and defense. Declaring "Power to the Stabilisers" would boost the number of 'dodges'/turns that can be made. I was thinking that the 'dodge save' could then be based on a command check with each successive dodge being harder to make, but the notation required for that on the command sheet and the fact that not everyone has enough d10s to make the rolling quick means I've been leaning more towards a straight 3+/4+ save roll. Unlike with shields any hits that aren't saved will go through to hit the body of the Titan, so high volume firepower will have an advantage against Eldar regardless of Strength. Weapons Eldar Titans tend not to have the carapace weapons that are seen on those of other races, limiting them to only 2 arm-mounted weapons each. In order to make up for that I was considering something akin to the Warlord's Ardex-defensor Cannon ability, with a slightly longer range (8" or so) and only available in the foreward arc. The specifics of volume/strength of shots is certainly up for discussion. Pulsars: These tend to be the primary weapon of the Eldar Titan and to my mind they are the Eldar Turbo Laser equivalent. So I would probably advocate them having very similar stats to the Turbo Laser with some addition to cover their rapid rate of fire. I think that there are two main alternatives for representing this rate of fire. The first would just be to give the weapons the Rapid trait in addition to what they have. The other would be to give them more Dice than Imperial equivalents, which could be either fixed, or variable. One other option is that they could have a new trait, but I feel that the two previous options would be easier to implement/balance. Distortion Cannon: For me this seems the perfect place to make use of the Warp and possibly Blast traits. Now given that a multi-use Warp weapon could be very powerful I think that this should also have Draining and a relatively short max range (24" or less). This would force the Titan to move into the range of enemy rapid fire weapons and risk taking damage, which feels appropriate given its potential. Melee weapons: Although the Phantom is smaller than the Warlord I believe that it should be relatively equivalent in terms of firepower, so I would probably use the Arioch Power Claw as a base and make it lower strength in exchange for more dice (like the Reaver Power/Chain Fists). Sonic Lance: This weapon has been giving me the most difficulty. I have been leaning towards this being an anti-shield weapon as there isn't much in that role so far and it makes sense to me that the vibrations could easily mess with delicate void shield equipment. So that necessitates it being at least strength 4. I also think that given how it's represented in 40K the flamer template is appropriate, as is the Firestorm trait. On top of that in order to make it good at its intended role it will need to have a reasonable chance of hurting shields, so Shieldbane and/or Voidbreaker (X) are viable options. Exactly how far this should go I think I'd need to play with because this combination of abilities feels a bit tricky to judge theoretically. Other Revenant Jumpjets: For these I think that simply letting the Revenant push it's reactor to ignore terrain for the movement phase seems fairly reasonable. Other stats: For comparison purposes I will equate the Phantom with the Reaver Titan and the Revenant with the Warhound.Command: I see the Eldar pilots as being more experienced than their Imperial counterparts due to their expanded lifespans, so either a higher Command value or some form of re-roll ability (Infinity Circuit?) would seem appropriate. Ballistic/Weapon Skill: For gameplay reasons I think it is preferable to leave the base BS/WS values the same as they are for the Imperial versions. Speed/Manoeuvre: I think that the Phantom having Warhound levels of mobility fits with the fluff. Which then leaves the Revenant needing to be faster/more manoeuvrable. So, perhaps 10"/15" for speed and 5/7 for manoeuvre? That would let it keep pace with knights and turn 180° without needing to push it's reactor. Servitor Clades: I think that having these be the same as their Imperial equivalents would make for a good starting point, because although they won't be needing to repair voids they will be wanting to push their manoeuvre/speed to capitalise on their advantages. Reactor: I think having this be the same as their equivalents is fitting, but maybe skewing it so they are more weighted to the green/yellow than the orange/red? Criticals: I feel like most of these would work as they are (with the obvious exception of VSG Burnout). I think having the Body Location be: 1. Reactor Leak (1); 2. Reactor Leak (1), Holofield Damaged; 3. Reactor Leak (1), Holofield Overload. With Holofield Damaged being you reduce the cover benefit of the Holofields by 25% and Holofield Overload being reduce the cover benefit of the Holofields by 50%. So with the Damaged level you have to move to get any benefit and at the Overload level you have no benefits until you fix it. Well, that's taken me much longer to type up than I thought it would. So I'll stop here for now. Please let me know what you think of this so far. Am I completely off base here or should I keep plowing away along this path?

This topic is just a way of generating interest and getting an idea of what sort of numbers we have for creating a Xenos ruleset for Legions Imperialis, using said ruleset as a guide/context for anything we create. In my mind, this topic is a place we can discuss how to implement such things, whether we assign groups of people to each Xenos faction with a project head, then come together to finalise things as a community. Or what have you. So... who's interested?

Hello all. With the impending closure of Die Hards, and my previous comments and thoughts regarding Playing the Bad Guys, I was wondering if there was still any appetite for this. I understand this is a bit of a niche endeavour and that most people will likely want to play humans (still possible - sort of) or Marines (not really possible!) but I was wondering if an Only War type game for either Tau or Eldar might work. Originally I was thinking to base the alien kill teams on Deathwatch, which I still think could work maybe for Necrons, but now I think the Only War archetypes would be better for the original idea. It feels to me at least that Firewarriors, Kroot and vespid, along with Eldar Guardians and Aspect Warriors could be realised a little better by that system, and with the Companion Mechanic, could allow for more aggressive play against hardier threats. Any thoughts? I haven't tagged this onto the previous topic as it is a few months old now, and this is a proposal for a different, and smoother handling of the premise via Regiments (Sects/Kith) with all the benefits of the Tactical Role/diverse skillset of the Deathwatch mechanic, making an Only War Kill Team type Hybrid. My plan is for simple games, potentially one-shots with a possibility of carrying the characters further. OW: Die Hards can be seen as a good example of how I propose for the system/games to work, except with a bit more tinfoil to keep you safe and slightly punchier kit, and everyone calling humans Monkeigh. Thoughts?

LIBER XENOS =][=][=][=][=][= The Fra’al are an ancient race of void dwelling pirates, smugglers, black-market traders, and occasional conquerors, which have plagued the Galactic Northwest of the Milky Way for eons. Though their origin worlds are lost to all, including the Fra’al themselves who have forgotten much of their pre-void nomadic wandering, they may fact never had such terrestrial beginnings. What is known is that they are remembered by most other races of antiquity including records kept by the ancient ancestors of the Eldar from before the Fall and the birth of Slaanesh, as well as Human empires rising to prominence before their annihilation during the Age of Strife. Today the Fra’al Conclaves still reap a bitter harvest from the various void-ways and warp-translation lanes, taking what can be acquired by force or otherwise through guile and negotiation. When conflict is preferred or forced upon them, the Fra’al use their innate monstrous Psykana and Aetherically-saturated technology to destroy their enemies. =][=][=][=][=][= The Version 1.1 Fandex contains the following homebrew lore and rules to play as the Fra'al in 9th Edition WH40K: Lore on the Fra'al based on Black Library & Forgeworld resources, as well as originally created lore and content. Detachment Rules and <Conclave> Customisation abilities. Fra'al Weapons and Wargear rules. Fra'al Stratagems, Warlord Traits, Aetheric Artefacts, and the new Malevolency Psychic Discipline. 12 Unique Datasheets for Fra'al HQ, Troops, Elites, Fast Attack, Heavy Support, Flyers, and Lords of War. Initial Concept Artwork for the Fra'al Troops and Aether-Golems. =][=][=][=][=][= Version 1 [WIP] Available for Download Link 1 Bolter&Chainsword (coming soon) Link 2 MEGA Download =][=][=][=][=][= Feel free to make comments and send me a message. I'm hoping to reproduce the whole text below in comments like I have for other Fandexes. Many thanks ! MechFace

"Greetings Gue'la. I present to you the honoured wisdom of Aun'El Shoshava Fi'lor Mon'aa of T'au." - Final words of Water Caste Envoy Vre'Kais played by Deadmeat344 What is Personae Inimicus? We live in an enlightened age. More than ever this forum is open to the horrific infestation noble and peaceful rise of civilised (and not so civilised) races who dwell in the galaxy beyond the realm of the holy Imperium. Simply put - Personae Inimicus is pig Latin for "Enemy Personnel", and it is from that inspiration that this thread was concieved. Its objective is to try and discuss the possibilities of Alien PC's in the FFG an Wrath and Glory games, what possible career paths could be created to give a full and complete line of options to people who want to play anything other than a human, or a Space Marine. Haven't I seen this before? Kind of? Yes, if you're a regular RPG player, you probably have. Whether in INQ (or INQ28), the Kroot and Eldar Profiles in the FFG books, you'll have encountered this, but not yet had a chance to explore it in this forum. There is, I believe a real chance here to expand on some of the main races in the RPG books and lore we have here on the B&C. Members are building their own Craftworlds, in the same way they do with Space Marine and IG units. There is now, no reason why the Xenos can't have fun in a RPG. In fact, Games Workshop are pushing this product line for the miniatures and the skirmish side of their games. There is no reason why this can't be taken to the ultimate conclusion to explore more depth and complexity of character. How will this work? Ok, I'm going to give you the hard sell, so make sure you're not holding anything or drinking. This is an open forum for ideas on how we can build career paths utilising primarily FFG and where possible, the W&G ruleset. Primarily, since there are already Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader alien archetypes, I want to try and make this stuff fit Deathwatch. It's a very flexible rules system, and there is enough universal experience with it to make any proposed games work. Tau Kill-Teams, Eldar Kill Teams, the list goes on. What do the denizens of the RPG Nook and you (yes you, humble forum browser!) think of this? Is it worth exploring and would it be of interest to the Frater who may be interested in 40K RPG's, just not the Imperium all the time? MR.

Hey everyone, recently I decided to retire from wargaming forever (some folks would state that I am too young of a man to seriously consider retirement from anything, but I digress). I did some soul searching, and have decided to move on with my life into a different direction. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... That being said, I decided it's time to go out with a bang I am returning to the Minotaurs chapter of Space Marines, an army left for too long unfinished. Although primarily having focused my wargaming efforts on 30k for the last several years, I have decided that this will be the last army I ever paint or collect. Once I finish I finish with this project, I'll be done for good. This army represents a point in the past when I was younger than I am now, and as such, the painting quality of my existing units is... not great. But that's all good! I'm here to have fun (though expect the new things to look particularly jazzy ). I don't have my existing models with me as I write this post, so here is a sneak peak of the first members of my new Tactical Squad (my 4th Minotaurs Tactical Squad). These Battle Brothers still have some work to do tidying up before they are ready to be painted. Both are kitbashed from the regular Tactical Squad and the Mark III Tactical Squad. The Space Marine on the left carries the Melta Gun that comes with the regular box yet wears Mark III Power Armour, while the one on the right wears the more common (as of M41) Mark VII Armour, yet carries the Heavy Bolter found in the Mark III box. I know it's not much so far, but I will have more on this Tactical Squad as well as overall Minotaurs progress very soon, so stay tuned. .... .... .... .... .... .... Surprise, I'm still here! Although the Minotaurs are the last army I am ever doing for any wargame ever, and I will be proactively moving closer and closer to that end destination (and yes, I do have a set plan of exactly how many Space Marines that is), who is to say that I can't work on side projects here and there? It's a loophole Here is a (currently unpainted) Eldar Farseer: Here's some quick lore about where this Eldar comes from (it's the homebrew kind of lore, so strap yourselves in for a particularly bumpy ride): -The Farseer comes from the very minor Craftworld of Jhul'yllant. It's genuinely one of the smallest, and practically no one even lives there! (Even by Eldar standards). In ages long past, the Craftworld was hidden from the rest of the galaxy by the mystical powers of the Eldar, in a super secret location that NOBODY could ever find it. But the Eldar of Jhul'yllant have decided it is time that it left it's hiding place. Where is it hidden? In the core of a massive ocean planet in a system now controlled by the Imperium. It's a backwater system, only one of the planets is inhabited (though two of it's planets are also occupied by the Imperium), and that's an Imperial staging world where forces being sent to fight in more important places are gathered together, but is currently manned by a solely by a light infantry regiment of Imperial Guard, an Imperial Guard Independent Tank Company, and a wing of Imperial Navy Valkyries. Will the Ordo Xenos Inquisitor that goes to investigate the rumoured Eldar sightings in the system be enough to stop the Eldar of Jhyl'yllant before it's too late? We'll have to find out. Also, some quick notes: -Jhul'yllant doesn't really have many forces. Instead, it's more just Farseers going on adventures around the galaxy, and bringing usually only a few dozen warriors at most as their personal bodyguard, and even then, forces THAT big are only in the rarest of circumstances. Also, multiple Farseers often work together to combine their efforts to achieve a common goal. Releasing the Craftworld from it's hiding place will require all the Eldar of Jhul'yllant to work together! How will they achieve this? Guess we'll find out eventually too!" .... .... .... .... Next, I'll leave you some pictures of some of my Horus Heresy stuff (if you haven't guessed from my name and profile picture by now, they're Dark Angels Legion). These pictures were on my old thread, but everything I do now will be collected here so I will repost: I might return to them, or maybe not, we'll just have to see. I also have some Forge World Badab War characters (not Minotaurs surprisingly) that I aim to get painted up super soon, at which point I'll share here: Carab Culln, Lufgt Huron, and Armenneus Valthex. Thankyou for reading guys, and I promise that this thread, although not got much RN, will only get more exciting from here on!

[ +++ DATA REPOSITORY - REF#X*******-Q.V.-"SCATTERED-EDGE-REEF-FRAGMENTS-./.-THEUS-TESTIMONIES"+++++] [+++ CAVE: ACCESS RESTRICTED - BY ORDER OF THE ///Redacted////- ++++ ] [+++ VERIFYING....RETINAL ACCESS.... ACCEPTED....VOICE VERIFICATION.. ACCEPTED ...INITIALIZING ... .ACCESS...GRANTED.....HAPTIC LOCKS.....PASSED...+++] [+++ ACCESSING RESTRICTED DATALOOMS +++] [+++...SPOOLING....+++] [+++ BEGIN INLOAD +++] [+++ AUDIO...ENGAGED....+++] >>>... have proven inconclusive. Given recent rumors of entire settlements being subjected to xenos tyranny along the [REDACTED] I can see that the our focus will probably be tied up elsewhere for the time being. With your permission though, I shall attempt to further our investigations regarding this so-called "Cold Forge", even if it must progress at a much slower pace. From the few remaining data looms and heritage charts made available to us, I have attempted to cross reference these with what little information your ancestors could coerce from their sources from the Phall Triplet and now believe to have narrowed the region in which the "cold forge" might have been located down to an area which is even further along the edge and quite above the galactic disc. Pre-crusade chartist archives refer to this area as the "Diaspartoi Y'phaloe " or "Scattered Edge Reefs", presumably a reference to the lumen ruber shift and sensoric drift when observing the area from the Terran trajectory. Mainly consisting of a loose collection of star clusters and stellar floatsam trailing the galactic drift, those ancient references believed the area to encompass a rather large amount of nebulae, stellar phenomena and contains navigational warnings to the possible trajectory of several extrastellar roque objects. These apparently made traveling and mapping the area quite challenging from the beginning. Aside from [DATA RECOVERY...INCOMPLETE.//.. RECOVERY PROTOCOL.... FAILED.../..3.5 MEGAPULSES LOST..].. ....your family's copy of Thapparelliv's "Sull'oro del Vuoto" also hints at the presence of several minor xenos enclaves in the area as well. We have seen evidence of some subspecies of the blasted Xa' Xuajing having fought the Gatebreakers at [REDACTED] and further outwards. There are also a few comments that seem to remark about a higher frequency of Empyrean fluctuations in that region as opposed to the more prevalent calm of the Empyrean around the ""Endworlds"... Of course, Thapparelliv's work must have been considered a fringe publication - if you'll excuse the pun - even back in it's day and it is a small wonder that your family not only acquired bits and pieces over the years from it but could keep even some f of these accessible over all this time... We must also consider that the entire region is located above and beyond the confluant singularity object marked in more recent charts as the "Maw of Gha' jhirra" makes reaching and navigating the area even more complicated. There are rings of stellar fragments, planetary debris and ionized gas which must have provided a haven to raiders and pirates even back then. I wonder what else might be hidden there hidden beyond cold flares of radiation? Our contemporaries label these the "Fields of the Hungry" (which is perplexing close to to the ancient "scilicet pascere esurientem" to make me wonder if...[DATA RETRIEVAL....PENDING...]...when considering possible positions suited for establishing the Aegis extra galactica.... [DATA RETRIEVAL...INCOMPLETE]... ...which might explain how the stellar clusters beyond are now more colloquially referred to as "Kōhai:cussa sangoshō" or "the blighted Reefs" among our local void faring comrades. Indeed, if they mention it at all. Most consider even the merest mention of it a bad omen and will offer scripts of banishment and signs of warding in addition to prayers to our Emperor lest they might attract "the attention of the Eye" and it's voracious and barbarian denizens. Chief among these "hungry ghost" are the so called "Maw tribes", which are apparently mostly of abhuman origins, often belonging to the ogrynus phenotype. Not only do they apparently benefit from an inherent advantage in regions of higher gravity and irradiation but the storys consistently describe them as also having been subjected to extensive augmentation...some of which appear at this point more ritualistic than functional. Reminders of a past in service to the Martian creed perhaps? I wonder if these are descendants of a workforce that once belonged to our lost Forge? Their void craft have been also been described as both subject to deviation from sanctioned imperial patterns as well as relying on the jury rigging salvage from the Maw area and raiding the fringe of the current imperial area of interdiction. There are rumors that they have been apparentlly providing support to bands of [REDACTED], hinting at some organized form of maintenance and support capacity even as crude as it seems to be. There are also consistent reports of the tribes having access to some form of gravitonical manipulation, used both for offense as well as propulsion, that.. ..[DATA RETRIEVAL....COMPROMISED...///...RETRIEVAL.....FAILED....///...DATA...LOST..4.5 MP].. consistent elements point to towards the observation and use of gravitonical and even more esoteric phenomena having been the focus of our evasive forge site. Actually, while probably highly inaccurate and inevitably over the top, the tribes featured as a recurring group of villains in a series of local hololithic lantern dramae popular during the early M39 which flowery title translates into something like "Beholding the Throne Eternal". And, may the Emperor forgive me, I must admit to have taken quite a liking to this and have squandered my meager income and spare time on tracking down more holocaches. These have been hard to come by but I suspect that elements of these have been blurred and incorporated into local customs an as a result, local legend has the tribes paying tribute to everything from ancient machine spirits mistaken for the guiding voices of long gone ancestors to worshipping the very heart of the singularity. And, of course, outright support for the Ruinous Powers. The tribes reported disdain and even outright hostility to those they believe to be in service to what they blasphemously deride as "the Slaver' s Throne" certainly has not endeared them to the local populace either. Thus, these "Maw tribes" have thus become a common regional bogeyman, surpassing at times even the reputation of "the Diyu" and the [REDACTED. // ..INITIALIZING PURGE PROTOCOL..//...PURGE....COMPLETE. // 17.5 MEGAPULSES PURGED]... ...[RESPOOLING DATA LOOM ].. ...My travels have also revealed that several local customs and sites seem to stem from the presence off several factions aligned to elements that would later be incorporated into the Imperium as parts of the Adeptus Mechanicus, which further leads me to belief in the presence of several pre-unity mechanical elements in the area. While our access to the Tri'Phall fragments is frustratingly incomplete, we know that they were keenly interested in tracking those who spread across the stars as part of the Martian Diaspora during the Long Night and [iNLOAD INTERRUPTED.../...]...the Shield Worlds Initiative....[.INLOAD.INCOMPLETE...\..PENDING... ]...uncovered several references the so-called "Houses of the Basilisk" which were assumed to be active across the Reefs. Sadly, our fragments do not relay if or when the Triplex forges attempted to verify these speculations, however. I tried to make some discreet inquiries about this among our host, but these also have been... inconclusive, to say the least. Likewise , there is not enough information regarding the progress of the Great Crusade or the composition of elements sent into the area. As I have already stated elsewhere, the idea of establishing the Parma Galactica was probably more theoretical at the time of their recording and the 'looms have not stood the test of time well. Actually, we should not even assume that the forces of the Great Crusade actually reached the reef stars in significant force. since all do the data repositories we have been able to acquire are mostly secondhand reports of chartists expeditions or at best may hint at the presence of Astartes advance elements, apparently of the [DATA LOSS ESTABLISHED AT 7.5 MP] ... can again find testimonies to the presence off several minor xenos factions scattered across the reef star clusters, but I have not been able to establish if or when significant military action was taken in bringing worlds to compliance. I did manage to link some of the references to the actions of a body of knight engines near the center of the reef stars fighting under a serpentine coat of arms, however. The "Houses of the Basilisk"? As information on the situation of reef stars in the present .day, well...they are likewise quite elusive. Given our hosts quite enthusiastic use of a rather ...prosaic...approach to record keeping, I am at a loss to say if this more due to the Gatebreakers' loss of their fortress monastery and the related data repositories or if their Adepts have simply wandered off to far into their own flowery oral history. Of course, they may have simply decided that is not our business and feel it would be to "impolite" to just tell us that outright. Emperor help me, but when I look back to our encounters with the Outriders of the Black Templars fleet at [Redacted], I might actually begin to miss just being told to "sod off " with the wave of a chainsword. But I digress... My Lord, It is my sincere belief that we should continue to look into this matter. Even if it might not provide more conclusive leads on the forge itself, the material I have gathered makes me firmly believe that there are significant archeotechnological resources that could be procured there, both to the benefit of your house and the Imperium. It is an undertaking that I believe could not be closer to the core and the spirit of the Rogue Trader Charta as envisioned by HIS divine majesty during the foundation of the Imperium itself. I have already been able to attach myself to a flotilla assembled to strengthen HIS dominion once more over the worlds beyond the Sambodian Fields. The Imperial Tithe apparently has not been collected there for over half a century, I have been told. The naval group has therefore been open to include me and my compatriots to bolster their forces and I look forward to do a little more of a Hands on work after being glued to lith reader over this. I also hope this will present me with the opportunity to exchange and collect information from a perspective of our fellow humanitas closer to the notorious blighted Reefs. I remain your faithful servan and your friend, Theus Septaro [NOETIC LINK MARK ENCOUNTERED]... [DATA RECOVERY.///...ENGAGING LINK ...]...[OPENING NOETIC REFERENCE LINK..] [ACCESSING ADJOINED DATA LOAD...] [VERIFYING CLEARANCE....///...VERIFICATION...///...APPROVED.///INLOAD..EXPANSE...COMPLETE...] : CMD Dolan Omani FREGATE_"GLORIOUS-LEAP"] : LORD CAPTAIN TAIWO, COMMANDER, Ẹtì Alubarika >> Lord Captain Taiwo, Our divine and most high Emperor, beloved by all, has seen fit to lay upon me this saddest of duties. It is thus with the deepest regret that I have to inform you that your trusted seneshall and envoy, the noble Theus Septaro has been lost in action against a force of reef wrack raiders of the maw worshipper tribes. Our group was ambushed six weeks outside Quin Komak during resupply at the Depot Monastery of HIs Outbound Light . The tithe barges were swarmed by at least four tribal warspheres and several smaller raiding hulls, which apparently used gravitonical mines, which enabled them to isolate and overwhelm three of the tithing barges during the engagement. Despite the efforts of their crew and your associate, not even the valiant intervention of a Rift Team of our Emperor's own Astartes could enable the remaining fleet elements to reach the thus isolated barges in time. Over the course of the action, two of the barges were ultimately destroyed and another remained crippled and open to the void. Of their crews, most could only be recovered death or dying from exposure to hard vacuum. A further 5 % were too wounded to fight on and given the Emperor's Mercy. Unfortunately, we were unable to recover the body of your esteemed envoy or or his entourage even after a prolonged search. They must therefore be assumed to be lost to the void at best or in the hands of the Maw tribes at worst. From the brief time we were allowed to serve our divine Majesty together, I came to respect their devotion and can attest to their skill at arms , of which you are possible most aware. I can only find solace in thus believing that none of them allowed themselves to be taken alive. While their honour remains intact, we must therefore regrettably assume them to be dead by the time this dispatch reaches you. They shall remain in our prayers. May HIS divine Mercy be upon them and may HE provide shelter for their souls. Due to this unacceptable outcome, I had the remaining commanding offficers and bridge crew involved tried for incompetence and the resulting loss of a servant to HIS Divine Grace as well as cowardice in the face of the enemy. They were executed by voiding at 8 bells the following day. Regretfully, Dolan Omani, Group Commander, 43th Tithe Group, 15th Trailing Expanse Enforcement Fleet ..... +++ Embedded PIC CAPTURE.... Un-identified Member of Reef Wreck Raider Boarding Party .... FURTHER DATA ....PENDING...+++ [ +++ DATA RECOVERY....///...PAUSED...+++] I would like, if I may, to take you on a very strange journey.... C.Gray, Terra, Pre-Unity, c.a. MII Hello and welcome to the Blighted Reefs! Some of you may already be following the Tales of the Endworlds and their estranged protectors, the Gatebreakers. But as the forces of the Indomitus Crusade are looking to reestablish contact with their long lost brothers and re-assert Imperial dominance on the edge of the Galaxy, there are ...other... things... out there, Things that are beginning to take notice... Things that were quite fond of staying out of reach...and out of sight...

As part of the Liber Unity Project, this thread exists for us to create and detail a new Xenos race that compliments and exists within the 40k universe. This image from a former 40k rulebook could perhaps provide us with some inspiration: The challenge here, I think, is in making an alien race that does not clash with the 40k universe - it's easy to be very sci-fi but we want to show the ways in which a new race can be created to enrich the 40k setting rather than detracting from it. I look forward to your ideas!

Just a topic that came to mind of late. It may just be me, but thinking on it, are Necrons the least-mentioned faction in Warhammer? From all the novels I’ve seen come out of late, the vast majority are about the Imperium and Chaos (naturally) followed closely by Eldar, with a few more about Tyranids as antagonists. Oh, and Tau too, can’t forget about them. So I’m just sitting here, pondering about what’s to come next from the march of doom. Has anyone heard of anything coming soon? I’ve not read all the 8th Edition codexes, do they give any hints? And, just as a hypothetical exercise, has anyone given any thought to what they would like to see about a story starring the metal monsters? There’s been 1 or 2 shorts already, a novella as well, and an anthology collecting those stories. Anything more we’d like to see? Who would you want to star in it? Who would you like to write it? (I’m just throwing questions out there like fish hooks, hoping one will catch a bite.)

As another week ends, so does your wait for a brand new Glacial Geek Battle Report! https://youtu.be/wovBUHu1G7E This week my Dark Angels take on the Tyranids! The planet had been overrun by the ravening hordes of xenos. The Tyranids had slaughtered the Imperial defenders and anyone who was still alive had evacuated the planet. It was a lost cause and the Imperial Navy was preparing to Exterminatus the planet to try and deny the Hive Fleet the biomass. But an urgent request was made. There was dataslate on the planet that might well contain the key to stopping the Hive Fleet and preventing any more planets facing a similar fate to this one. A force of Dark Angels, in the sector to provide their strength in fighting off the Tyranids, was assembled and tasked with one job. Retrieve that dataslate at all costs. Will the Unforgiven be able to retrieve the data to help stop the Hive Fleet, or will the Hive Mind prove too overwhelming for them to handle? Watch and find out!

Evening Gentlemen and Ladies. In the context of this year's August Arena competition, Frater Tangamarine and myself are finding ourselves facing off each other building, painting, and basing an Inquisitorial Kill Team by or before July 30. The competition is friendly and doesn't so much aim at one of us "winning" over the other. Instead, we're both aiming at getting it done in time – and getting it done well. Any progress shall be logged and shown off in this thread. This should be entertaining. I understand Frater Tangamarine hasn't picked up a brush in a long time. I hear he also didn't use glue in a while. Being a very, very slow painter myself, I reckon I actually have a halfway decent chance of beating him to the deadline. I shared this picture of my Ordo Malleus inquisitor and his two veteran acolytes in the mean thread before: In the meantime I took people's advice and straightened the hammer. Looks better, and fixes the awkwardness of the overall pose (I think). I also put together the three Red Hunter paladins that complete my 250 points of Heralds Of Ruin KT. I'll go clean up the mess and put together their bases now. Wanting to prime tomorrow, southern hemisphere weather permitting. Oh, and drill the gun barrels.

Greetings honored 'O and 'El of the Shas'ar'tol Bork'an, As you requested, I have taken it upon myself to create a dossier on the alien species known as the "Physsian Stratocracy", which will hopefully serve as a primer and guide to our vaunted field-commanders, admirals, and diplomats, in order to better understand this closed-off and secretive race. I will endeavor to continue my research into their customs and ways of life, but expect this journey to be tough, seeing as the Physsians are guarded even at the best of times. However, any data uncovered will be recorded here and transmitted with all haste, in order to better serve the Empire. Please, feel free to contact me with any personal inquiries or requests, as it is likely I will miss certain aspects of their culture and hierarchy during my studies. Glory to the Empire, Por'el Bork'an Saum'lai Tal'Shoh Origins and Basic History The xenos known as the Physsians are reptilian humanoids who evolved on the planet Physsos approximately thirty-two thousand Tau'cyr before the T'au.1 A long-lived and militaristic people, the Physsians exploded early on in their evolution, with rudimentary spaceflight first attempted after only a couple thousand Tau'cyr of existence, and a primitive interstellar empire, known as the Physsian Khanate, followed soon after. However, this sudden surge in population and technology led the Physsians to engage in numerous conflicts with neighboring races, where their militaristic tendencies forced them into a series of wars that likely could have been avoided. Further conflicts, both internally and externally, led to a period of stagnation known to the Physsians as the 'Tempering', which afforded them time to consolidate their gains and revolutionize their internal politicking. According to fragmentary reports, the high point of this period was the refinement of 'Obsydine' into a usable material, while the low point is known as the "Harvester's Tithe".2 Despite this, approximately 23,000 Tau'cyr after their initial forays into space, the Physsians had become a people that inhabited a large number of systems in an area of space known as the 'Salient Cluster', and made up the primary faction of the Adakine Triumvirate, a federation of xenos races and human factions that had banded together to resist the predations of other, more violent space-faring races. The Triumvirate existed for but a thousand tau'cyr, and yet remains the "greatest accomplishment of the Physsian people", despite its relative young age at the time of collapse. While extant details of the collapse remain scarce, it is believed that unprecedented numbers of Gue'ron'sha overwhelmed the empire in a cataclysmic genocide that left almost 60% of the Physsian populace routed or dead.3 With their homeworld of Physsos burned to ash, the survivors of the Physsian people fled the cluster, residing on ark-ships for millennia while intermittently searching for resources, other Physsians, and a new home. This search continued for thousands of tau'cyr, until the Physsian Ark-Fleet landed on a world in the south-eastern fringe of the galaxy not far from T'au, which it colonized and named Phy'rakos- the Second Hope, Light of Physsos. Turning inwards to focus on colonization and its people, the Physsians lived in ignorance of our expansion in the Eastern Gulf, and was bypassed by numerous T'au fleets until about thirty Tau'cyr ago, when T'au ships happened upon alien vessels in a backwater system long thought uninhabitable. Negotiations were opened, and soon concluded- with no great military power (on a galactic scale) and limited holdings, the ruling body of the Physsians- the Rae'ta Council- agreed to join the T'au Empire and provide military support and materials in return for Equipment and Semi-Autonomy for their fledgling Empire. Aging and Political System As a people, the Physsians can live for up to a Millennia, and break their lives into a number of cycles that determine age and position in Physsian society. The Rae'ta-Vor Council, for example, is the ruling body of the Physsian people, and is made up of Rae'ta-Vor (Council-Commanders), senior Physsians whose experiences in battle and leadership help decide the direction in which the Physsians will go as a people. Similarly, the Sae'ta-Vor (Void-Generals) command Physsian Armies in battle, while under them the Sae'ta-Khal (Void-Captains) take control of Company sized forces and smaller, acting in many ways similarly to that of our Fireblades. Beyond that, the Physsian Military has largely adopted the T'au rank system in order to ease combat operations, and for the most part now follow the Fire Castes' conventions at the rank of Shas'vre and lower. Military Militarily, Physsian warriors serve in the same roles and functions as our Fire Warriors and Pathfinders, albeit with a preference for close-ranged, highly-mobile combat as opposed to distanced engagements. As such, a number of Breacher and Carbine-armed Strike team analogues supplement the typical Hunter cadre examples, and the our alliance has resulted in an influx of TY7 Devilfish and TX7 Hammerheads to boost the Physsian military strength, and replace the aging Cyclone-class Gun-skiffs that have served the Physsians since their original flight from Physsos itself. Similarly, T'au aircraft and drones have made many Physsian models obsolete, with exception to a few notable examples such as the Sibilance and Xenith-class Interceptors. http://i.imgur.com/Pl5aGx0.jpg?1 - A Squad of Physsian Pathfinders, in modern battle-plate However, the Physsians have experienced a number of issues in terms of Battlesuit integration, as their bodies and neural systems are far unlike our own, forcing them to rely on cadres of Fire Caste reinforcements to provide battlesuit support. While some inroads have been made by Physsian scientists to create a prototype variation of the XV25 Stealth-suits and XV8 Crisis suit, the T'au, for the most part, are content to utilize the Physsians as line troops and airmobile reserves while retaining control over battle suit systems, giving them an edge should they ever need it.4 Still, for the most part both races get along well and see eye-to-eye, the Physsians recognizing T'au supremacy as their best chance of survival, while the T'au see Physsians as excellent close-quarters soldiers, lacking in the kroot's hand-to-hand skills but with an increased durability and without the Kroot's distasteful habits. Technology Physsian combat technology is based around an substance known as Obsidyne (no relation to Obsidian), whose charge and strength has resulted in the creation of the hardlight-weaponry used so commonly by Physsian Soldiery. Cores of Obsidyne power and provide the ammunition for these weapons, eliminating the need for magazines, replacing them with a ventilation system that cools the weapon down and prevents overheat and misfires. In practice, these are very much similar to the T'au Pulse Carbine, and even though shipments of actual Pulse Carbines have been issued to a number of Physsian units, many are abandoned in favor of the Hardlight-Repeaters that have served the Physsian people for millennia.5 http://i.imgur.com/1gynRUW.jpg?1 -A Physsian Strike Team deploying into combat. These Physsians are armed with Hardlight Repeaters, and wear the older, bulkier combat armor of the Adakine era. In terms of armor, Physsians once used metallic compounds similar to those found in Imperial Carapace armor, but this has been largely superseded by T'au compounds and armor patterns since the alliance. Appearance and Climate As stated above, the Physsians are a species of warm-blooded humanoid reptiles, who favor colder arid climates and savannah-like biomes, and prefer environments with higher levels of carbon dioxide and methane than most species. This makes existence on worlds with a T'au-like atmosphere unpleasant, if not outright uninhabitable for Physsians. As a result, any serious duration of time spent on one of these worlds must be done with a pressure-suit, encapsulating the Physsian in an environment more conducive to their respiratory systems. Due to this, most Physsians are seen in their enclosed battle-plate, hiding a face that bears various crest and brood-markings, some which are echoed on their breather-helms in order to identify specific individuals. Under the rest of the pressure suit lays a skin covered in scales and crests, ranging in coloration from a deep grey or blue, up to an olive green. http://i.imgur.com/bnErRDH.jpg?3 - A Physsian Sae'ta-Khal (Void-Captain), utilizing modern equipment Physsian extremities are also curious, as while their fore-claws mimick our own in the number of digits, their legs instead end in a set of splayed claws that are displayed in a 2x2x1 pattern. They are often hidden by Physsian pressure-sheath boots, giving outsiders the impression of T'au hooves instead of claws. While this makes issues of supply relatively simple thanks to these boots' similar appearance to the T'au hoof, the resulting confusion of inexperienced doctors and medics when faced with this realization has forced a doctrine of medical-segregation when it comes to Physsian combat casualties. Language The Physsian language is one that most races would struggle to master, a special arrangement in their vocal chords and the use of pheromones in conversation a limiting factor to anyone trying to learn their language. Thankfully, upon their assimilation into the T'au Empire, they developed communications suites that have now been installed into every Physsian's helm, and most Physsian Officers have been sent to T'olku and Bork'an to receive training in T'au language and culture, allowing them to converse without the need for translator software. This has also resulted in an amalgamation of Physsian and T'au culture, with the Physsians adopting many facets of the T'au language into their own, including addition of the apostrophe into the Physsian language in order to ease T'au attempts to pronounce their official ranks. Examples of this evolution can be found from the basic education a young Physsian now receives up to the ranks of the High Commanders of the Physsian Armies, and even the pronunciation of the Physsian home world- where once it was Phyrakos, it is now Phy'rakos, a sign of mutual cooperation between the T'au and their new subjects. Diplomacy In terms of relationships between the Physsians and the races of the T'au Empire, there is an interesting development. Where once an open-minded and welcoming species existed, now resentment blooms, with some species in particular- and is at least common enough that T'au diplomats have acknowledged the need to limit inter-species contact between the Physsians and some specific races. Below is a list of major T'au races' relations with the Physsian people. T'au- As the dominant race in the T'au empire, the Physsians view the T'au with a mix of respect and derision. While no Physsian would ever dare be outright hostile to one of the T'au, there is some evidence that many see our "short-lived and young race" as "naive and belligerent in many respects", and it is no secret that the Physsians see the T'au as being as liable to prove themselves capable of galactic conquest as suicidally foolish. This has led to some friction between our commanders in field operations, seeing as the long-lived Physsian Officers chafe under the command of the younger T'au Shas'O. Fortunately, the clarity of T'au dominance has forestalled any serious incidents, although the number of assignments of particularly outspoken Physsian commanders has curiously shifted towards protection and patrol operations as part of Physsian exclusive forces. Whether this is the result of orders from the Rae'ta Council or some other unknown factor is unclear. Vespids- The Physsians see the Vespid as a noble and proud ally, and although contact with them is limited for the most part, the few interactions between these two races has proven amiable. In particular, there seems to be a friendly rivalry between certain Vespid Strains and members of the Physsian Dher'avashi- or Void-Hammers- whose use of jump-jet thusters mimics the aerial abilities of the Vespid. Kroot- Of any race, the Physsians seem to get along best with that of the Kroot of Pech, their martial origins and clan structure similar in many ways to the Physsian's own ancestors. Even the reviled practice of assimilating DNA- while seen as unusual- is accepted by the Physsian people as a part of the Kroot mindset, and combined with their prowess as hunters and fighters has resulted in a large number of Kroot kindreds appearing among the ranks of the Physsian military. Nicassar- As a race, the Physsians seem not to care for the Nicassar, apart from those assigned to their ships for purposes of research and navigation, who are tolerated. However, as members of the Empire and a largely unthreatening species in the eyes of the Physsians, the Nicassar are permitted access to most Physsian installations, should they desire to travel there, and will be met with interest, if not open arms. Gue'vesa- Gue'la, as a whole, are the most problematic for the Physsians to deal with. Thanks to their role in the destruction of the Adakine Empire, Physsians will meet humans with resentment and even hostility, which extends to the Gue'vesa of the T'au, an particularly those who once served in the Imperial army. Exceptions exist, but for the most part, humans and Physsians have been separated from contact unless T'au protection can be present, and while the water caste and ethereals have attempted to rectify this issue, for now a travel warning exists that has been issued to any Gue'la trying to make their way to any Physsian realms- "Your protection is not guaranteed". Ideology The Physsian people do not have any significant religious tendencies in the modern era, as while the original worship of the Adakine Triumvirate still exists in slight numbers, it is not enough to constitute a true race-wide concept. Instead, on a micro-scale, many Physsians pay homage to their ancestral lines and specific matriarchs and patriarchs of their broods. This is similar in many ways to the Kroot mentality of shapers, albeit with Physsian Brood-leaders, (also known as Emyrs) serving in a supporting capacity rather than in an active one leading their families. This allows the Emyrs to focus on internal issues while matters of war, science, and exploration are served by the Rae'ta-Council, and in this way are Emyrs the teachers and protectors of the Physsian culture. On a macro-scale, this homage translates into a reverence for history, and even further, a desire to return to what the Physsian people once were and could've been. Whilst rarely discussed outside the most extreme Physsian circles of belief, a common trend is that of the "Physsian Right", which argues that the Physsian people will be the rulers of the galactic plane at some point, and other races will bend their knee to Physsian command. However, longevity brings clarity, and most Physsians realize that this will not be the case for many millennia to come. In terms of the Physsian opinion of the Greater Good, or Tau'va, while it is accepted and taught in Physsian society, Ta'u scholars believe that there is no real conviction behind its belief amongst Physsian broods, as Physsians were forced to live by a similar doctrine during their flight from Physsos, where an ideology was formed out of necessity that espoused service before self. As such, most Physsians are reluctant to subscribe to the mentality of the Greater Good, and while this has caused consternation amongst many T'au scholars, the similarities between the two races beliefs' has quelled any attempts to convert the Physsians outright, and is a matter that will be re-examined in time. However, it must be noted that each Physsian is a fully individualistic being, free of thought and action, and is as capable of honor and loyalty as he or she is of betrayal and cowardice. While modern Physsians are usually content to serve their people, examples do exist of behavior seen as inconceivable to the T'au springing up, including the murder of Emyrs and Council-members, and small but violent conflicts springing up between various broods. At the largest level, this has even resulted in breakaway factions of Physsians abandoning Phy'rakos and the T'au empire, either as a result of ideological differences, political exile, or even pure selfishness. It is this facet that has the our Aun worried the most, and efforts have been diverted to try and limit such actions inside the boundaries of the Empire. Planetary Holdings The Physsian people, in their millennia of settlement, have settled three known worlds: Phy'rakos- Capital of the Physsian Stratocracy, and new homeworld of the Physsian people. Its colder climates and sweeping plains of long-stalk algae have helped the Physsians spread across the planet rapidly, and it now resembles a T'au sept in function, if not name. Most Physsian forces hail from here. Phy'rasael- A mining world that neighbors Phy'rakos, it is the second Physsian expansion, settled only one-hundred years before the discovery of the T'au. It is also here that the T'au have established an outpost to monitor the Physsian people, an orbital station in geosynchronous orbit that houses a number of garrisoned Hunter Cadres. Phy'rakmas- The first expansion of the Physsians in an interstellar capacity, this world was settled in 960.M41. It is currently being colonized with assistance of the T'au- a joint-species endeavor that will likely help solidify relations. The Veil- existing only in snatched communiques and thin rumors, the "Veil" (as it is known to our intelligence officers) is located in an unspecified region of space, and supposedly houses the surviving Physsian arks, a fall back in case disaster even overtook the Physsian race again. This area is hidden from all but the highest ranking Physsians, including the T'au, although it is likely located at the edge of a solar system not too far from Phy'rakos. Contact with this fleet is limited, and most Physsians assigned there are believed to be of a patient and dour mentality, vetted for loyalty and behavior before being assigned to the fleet-watch that is known as the "Veil-guard". While currently under investigation, the low-risk nature of this fleet has meant almost all the resources it requires are being diverted to more pressing matters. Panoply of War: Below are some examples of native Physsian uniforms, although considering their reclusiveness and recent adoption of the Fire Caste's own conventions, these are increasingly difficult to exhibit. The above are image-stills of Sae'ta-Tath Verkuud, previously sect-born to Senn-Nal'Sanalq, now reassigned to Bork'an cadre support operations orbiting Phy'rasael.6 The uniform presented is likely the livery of the Nal'Sanalq (trans. Frigate Sanalq), prior to its disappearance during operations in the Western Veil Nebula. Footnotes: This planet is believed to lie in a sector of space previously uncharted by T'au fleets. Physsian maps, while helpful, are in many cases partially fragmented and may be inaccurate as a result. The "Harvester's Tithe", which is also known in some documents as the "Rethremaere Holocaust", was an extinction-level event that befell the Physsian Khanate some 15,000 Tau'cyr after they first achieved spaceflight. Despite a lack of information on the event in question, the "Harvester's Tithe" is believed to be their Mont'au, and has left a racial imprint on every Physsian since. Of data that can be collected on the cataclysm, logs record that of some 70 Billion Physsians, about 52 Billion perished, and further data shows the Physsian never recovered from this purge. What the event was or what entity (if any) perpetrated such a genocide is unknown, and despite my best efforts may remain that way. Hard as it is to believe, the Physsians state that Gue'ron'sha numbers used to far eclipse current findings, and were organized into much larger fighting forces (see file "Space Marine Legions"). I have already forwarded the most relevant data to the Bork'an Uash'o, long with several copies of reports corroborating such numbers. Unconfirmed reports exist of native Physsian Battle-Constructs fighting alongside rebellious enclaves and pure Physsian armies, but without further evidence, such fanciful tales should be discarded. This "Obsidyne" has never shown up on T'au elemental charts or been seen before, and wherever the Physsians are finding this material, (if they are finding any at all), they are not being forthcoming with the information. Theories range from an organic substance grown in the "Veil" to some undiscovered power-source, but as of yet no breakthroughs have been made with the fragments acquired from confiscated hard-light repeaters. The light blue crest and silver pip seem to denote the rank of Sae'ta-Tath in the Physsian lexicon, which is analogous to that of our own Shas'vre. In the Physsian armies, they serve as honored and respected veterans, commanding various fireteams (known as Tath'al), as junior officers. (Further data will be updated when available...aka To be Continued...)

It's a chilly, overcast day here in Alaska. What better way to avoid all that nature stuff than indoors with a brand new Glacial Geek 8th Edition Battle Report?! https://youtu.be/LPfn6R-74Nw This week my Deathwatch take on the Ynnari! There was a new threat to the Imperium of Man. The vile xenos forces or the Eldar, once divided into disparate factions, had, recently, been rallying around a new god. These combined forces, calling themselves the Ynnari, were a greater threat to mankind than their individual parts. So when a force of these aliens landed on an Imperial planet, the Deathwatch were sent in to cleanse the planet for the Emperor. Though they may go by a different name, they bleed none the less and that is all that matters to the Deathwatch. Will the Shield That Slays be able to wipe the xenos from this planet, or will the combined forces of the Ynnari prove too potent even for them? Watch and find out!

This may seem something of a diversion from the Horus Heresy narrative wargaming project I'm presently working on; but in truth, rather than being a dire manifestation of Hobby ADHD, it's actually a return to something that's been bubbling away at the back of my head since somewhen late in 2012/early 2013. InquisiNecronMunda. A basic fluff rundown for this is that after reading Fall of Orpheus (IA:12 - which did the wonderful job of putting the almost lovecraftian Terror back into Necrons following the ... controversial rework they got with the second 'Newcron' codex) , I had the idea for exploring a similar event from a vastly different perspective. Instead of witnessing an entire Imperial Sector falling to massed armed force, this narrative would follow a pair of rival inquisitors (one Ordo Xenos, one Ordo Hereticus) as one of them attempted to first piece together the pattern of dark events engulfing the region ... while the other became steadily more and more convinced that the first was some sort of dangerous, dire radical in need of a swift purging. The miniature pictured above (with a guardsman and a truescaled Astartes for scale comparison) is my Ordo Xenos Inquisitor (my associate's running the Hereticus). Planned additions to the warband include the usual stock characters (sanctioned psyker; grizzled Imperial Guard veteran; lexmechanic; xenoarchaeologist ... that sort of thing) ... as well as some perhaps less well-worn numbers (Kroot warrior sanctioned xenos; an Eldar guide - either a Ranger or a Warlock; and other dramatis personae that would swiftly raise eyebrows (followed by bolters/handflamers) in more Orthodox circles). But we'll go into those later http://b1.ifrm.com/static/emo/2.png As you can see, the base-miniature for this character is the rather excellent plastic Fantasy Chaos Lord figure, with all the obvious chaos iconography filed off. I seriously liked the roaring ram-daemon shoulderpad, so that stayed; as did some of the armour-detailing. The rationale behind this was that I wanted an Inquisitor in some form of powered armour (or potentially even terminator armour) - but without going for the 'lazy' approach of simply using regular Astartes power armour. The Chaos Lord seemed to have the requisite imposing bulk and baroqueness to suit a well-equipped inquisitor (albeit in a much more 'dark ages'/medieval flavouring than, say, the Renaissance-inflected Inquisitor Tyrus [the visual concept of which I absolutely love]). The head's drawn from the superlatively useful Empire Flagellant kit - I felt it was the most 'dignified' yet 'stern' cranium in the kit, and radiated a sense of both zealous piety, as well as steadfast determination. It's the sort of head which one could easily see silhouetted against blood-red boiling skies such as those we saw on the classic 3rd ed Daemonhunters codex. Possibly because Shouty. And with a definite level of "worried". But also, "powerful". And with a strong sense of aged wisdom conveyed by the beard (remembering one of the classic 'inversions' from the original Inquisitor game being the tendency of *older* Inquisitors to be more radical than young orthodox puritans). Now as for the armament ... that gave me pause for thought. I did initially toy around with the idea of keeping somewhat converted versions of the model's original weaponry. There's a multitude of potential staff-based weapons one could conceive for an Imperial servant; and the left gauntlet poised upon the pommel of a rather massive sword looked pretty intimidating. It would, no doubt, have looked even MORE intimidating if I went with my initial inclination and added a vambrace-mounted plasma-pistol to the top of it. But something just didn't feel quite right. So we kept playing around with the contents of the almighty bits-box ... until some unused arms from Forgeworld's excellent Hector Rex model stumbled into view. I was initially a bit lukewarm about this outfitting - not least because I was still struggling to see how to work in a ranged weapon (because in a game with the occasional rampaging inhuman monstrosity, it's always seemed a bit of an OSH violation for an old man - even one in power armour - to get up close and personal with the gribblies); however after thinking about it some more, and with some chopping to reposition the sword-arm, it just seemed to *click*. There's something delightfully barbaric about the image of a trusted agent of the Emperor clad in somewhat primitive-looking (powered) plate-mail, and armed with a great hacky sword and shield. I did contemplate adding a pistol-sized weapon (or potentially one of the old 2nd edition metal Legion of the Damned bolters I have lying around - we've decided these are perhaps more 'carbine' weapons than the much larger modern Astartes bolters) hung on his belt ... but this would probably have just overcomplicated the miniature. Besides, parrt of the background I'd worked out ofr him was that he's a psyker of some ability - so perhaps mortal-material ranged weapons are unnecessary due to the Inquisitor's demonstrable facility with MIND BULLETS. About the only thing that's still niggling me about him (other than the fact that the sword's broken in two twice now) is the back of the miniature. I felt that he might require some obvious up-techenning in order to more properly bring the miniature into the 41st millennium, in the form of a power-back for his armour ... but nothing seemed to visually work. I tried a 2nd ed metal Legion of the Damned backpack for that baroque skull-look, an older plastic Chaos marine backpack, a Kasrkin's powerpack - and even the backpack from an Eversor Assassin. All of it distorted the silhouette and just looked 'tacked on'. So eventually, he was just left as-is. Fluffwise, I rationalized the lack of an overt power-pack by looking at the back of the Hector Rex model - which, Terminator armour style, appears to have an internal reactor.

++Initiate Post Protocols++ Greetings fellow humans [Meatbags] Like a lot of us, Lockdown has given me a lot of free time... However it also holds the bulk of my army locked away in my FLGS. I've taken this as a sign from he who is three in one to grab myself some new units and dig through my pile of shame - I've got a lot of it up to tabletop standard now so I feel it's time to share some of it: First up some Priests. Nothing flashy, not much to say about these lads, other than I lack the wash needed to do their eyes to completion [Drak'N'shade] So I have to wait for GW to send out that order to finish that. But they're looking okay. A Gaggle of stickpriests [There is 13 because I used 2 bodies for conversions at an earlier time and had 2 new boxes in the pile of shame]. More Dunecrawler more good. [Again, waiting on a new pot of Ushabti bone to do highlights on the legs]. A whole load of Ebay rescue bots that needed a new home. Some more Rangers for the pile - I have a shovel to remove these lads from the table [i love them though]. Waiting on some more Ebay deliveries (Including a much needed Daedalosus model I found cheap). Anticipation is overtaking me, Engine War, Pariah and the reveal this Saturday, my wallet shall suffer. ++End Post++

Tau Forces of Thal'asa: Shan’al Aloh’shas – The Cold Fire Coalition http://i.imgur.com/H5ACvaJ.jpg Home World No Man's Land “Why do we keep answering the humans’ calls for parlay?” the younger Shas’la mused, “We come willing to make peace, and every time, they undermine it, and we are at war again.”“It’s as the Aun’el says; we are the river and they, the rock,” Answered his Shas’ui with a shrug, “It is inevitable that they will be worn down, whether to acceptance of the Greater Good, or oblivion. All we need to do is be patient.” “We could take them though. If they could get help, they would have by now. We could—” “Trust your Ethereal, boy.” Thal’asa (alternatively called Taal’asa) is a world of shallow acidic seas and rocky, windswept continents. Within scant decades of its colonization, the surface is now dotted by biodomes in which the colonists shelter from the great storms that roam both land and sea. Under the care of the T'au terraforming engines, what was once highly corrosive acid rain and seas has become only mildly acidic rain and seas, now navigable by conventional T'au vehicles. Though it is still hazardous to be exposed directly to the elements, it is only a matter of a few years before the planet’s water becomes tolerably safe. The sector Thal’asa occupies is fairly spacious, but on the far side of it sits an isolated Imperial mining world, Acro, with which Thal’asa has experienced ongoing conflict. Like Acro, Thal’asa has valuable mineral deposits, mostly concentrated on the beds of its seas. Most of the Cadre’s battles have been fought to gain footholds on Acro, repel invasions from Acro, and in boarding actions against fleets from Acro. Interestingly, the two forces have often joined to repel incursions from roving Orc fleets, and against all odds a burgeoning black market has developed in both cultures for small goods and novelties from the other. Organized near the beginning of the fifth sphere expansion, simultaneously with the colonization of Thal’asa, The Cold Fire Coalition is the main protection and expeditionary force for the sept. Most Cold Fire cadres specializes in ambush tactics using both Kayon and Mont’ka philosophies. Kauyon strategies center around a “spark” unit or units intended to lead hostile to a kill zone, “igniting” fire from the carefully placed ambush units. Mont’ka maneuvers usually target moving columns. As is typical of T'au, the cadres avoid sieges, attrition warfare, and protracted battles wherever possible, and they manage to be fairly successful with this approach despite operating most often in claustrophobic urban environments. Due to their often limited space in ground battles, the coalition favors battlesuits, Piranhas and strong air support over heavy vehicle deployments. Rather than a dedicated armored interdiction cadre, the handful of Hammerhead tanks and Sky Ray gunships in the coalition form a reserve cadre that provides armor to other cadres and contingents on an as-needed basis. Organization +++Hanyon Hive Outpost. . .Acro+++ Gir’hos stood at a window overlooking the battlefield in the distance. The door behind him hissed open, framing Hollowheart in the doorway. She entered unbidden, but the guards didn’t stop her, and she stood silently. He felt her eyes on the back of his head, felt her aggression. Some thought of her as calmer than her brothers and sisters from Vior’la, but he knew better. She was, if anything, more hot-blooded, just better at controlling it. He reminded himself how closely she needed to be watched. “I’m told you have some new intelligence on our enemies, Commander,” he said evenly. “Ostensibly, Aun’el,” came the reply, terse, clipped, “I believe we have an actionable lead on the source of the attack that killed Aun’o Ai’tor. The gue’la...were not responsible.” “I see,” he turned at last, and nodded to the honor guard, “Some privacy, please.” The two guards stepped silently out of the room, and the door slid closed. “Tell me, Commander. What have you found.” Shas’o Taal’asa Tsai’ran – Commander Hollowheart Thal'asa Central Command “Have you noticed anything curious about the Commander recently?” asked Lastinglight under her breath. “Yeah, she’s much angrier than she was yesterday. She about tore my face a new hole over the state of my battlesuit this morning,” Stunningsword grumbled, waving his spoon. “That’s not what I mean. Meeting Aun’el Gir’hos always seems to...wear on her.” “Mmm,” Stunningsword nodded sagely, “bearing the weight of an Ethereal’s counsel is surely an intense experience.” Lastinglight opened her mouth to answer, but paused and thought better of it, shaking her head. Hollowheart was raised and trained on Vior’la and was a veteran of the third sphere expansions who entered cryogenic stasis in anticipation of future expansions. She was fortunate to have escaped the fate of the fourth sphere and been awakened for the fifth. She led the coalition in colonizing Thal’asa, then known as the Thal’asa Expeditionary Force, and then reformed it into the Cold Fire coalition once the planet became an official sept world. As a gesture of commitment to the colonies, she replaced her sept of origin name with that of their new world. As her personal name suggests, Hollowheart is coldly efficient, presenting a steely and aloof demeanor to her troops and enemies alike. She fully embodies the aggression that Fire caste warriors of Vior’la are known for, but has never shared their typical hot blooded temperament. On the battlefield she rarely takes prisoners and enemies who turn down her first demands for surrender are unlikely to get a second chance. Her name has become an epithet among the humans defenders of Acro. Other Leadership Aun’el Thal’asa Gir’hos - The Empire’s interests in the Thal’asa sept were originally overseen by a small council of young but experienced Ethereals. During the initial campaigns to secure the region, however, a series of daring attacks from operatives of the Imperium led to the deaths of all but one. Though each loss was a tremendous blow to the morale of the burgeoning sept, Gir’hos held the T’au forces together, even leading from the frontlines. He is an enigmatic figure, reclusive in his councils and deliberations, but bold and impassioned when he joins the Fire Caste on the battlefield. Some Fire Warriors believe he has a greater revence for and appreciation of combat even than members of their caste. Shas’el Thal’asa Mont’da’erra - Warghost A Pathfinder commander of no small renown, Mont’da’erra spends almost as much time in the field as he does coordinating the coalitions intelligence gathering reconnaissance units. He has proven equally dangerous to the enemy in both roles, with a propensity for slipping through secured perimeters that has often strained credulity among other divisions upon receiving his reports. Shas'el Thal’asa Lunsuoi - Lastinglight Uncharacteristically even-tempered for a Fire caste warrior, even a commander, Lunsuoi has served as Hollowheart's second in command for several years. She sees herself more as a bodyguard than an advisor, and her battlesuit prowess serves her well in that pursuit, but she understands Hollowheart better than anyone and knows that her counsel bears weight, which has saved lives on more than one occasion, both T'au and Gue'la alike. Shas'vre Thal’asa Cal’Tuk - Hardhoof A highly decorated Fireblade, Cal'tuk is a tough and demanding front line commander, but also very close to the Fire Warriors under his command, and the loyalty he has earned has inspired acts of bravery that have been referenced even in the great Fire Caste academies on Vior'la itself. Shas'o Thal’asa Ty’Salash - Quietwave As quiet as her name suggests, Ty'Salash always seemed a perfect fit for a Stealthsuit squadron, and her successes early in the 5th sphere expansion quickly earned her a place in command of the coalitions stealth forces, often working closely with Mont'da'erra. Despite protests from Commander Hollowheart, she also spends a great deal of time leading from the front, though her results can hardly be argued with. Shas'el Thal’asa Sai’nan - Stunningsword Recently promoted, Sai'nan is an accomplished battlesuit pilot with an energetic, intense, personality and a passion for the Tau'va that inspires others, as well as a troublesome thrill-seeking streak. More experienced than most with close combat fighting, Sai'nan's battlesuit is frequently equipped with prototype equipment in need of field testing. Shas'vre Thal’asa Mon’kir- Blackdog Commanding the coalition's relatively small contingent of armor, Mon'kir has earned great favor with Hollowheart for his aggressive tactics, often surprising enemy with the sudden appearance of both light and heavy armor in unexpectedly close positions. Auxiliaries Remnants of the Tio’ve Mont’sha, the Dead Wind Contingent +++Rouen Hive Area of Operations. . .Acro+++ The glow was still receding and the heat trail still rising from the barrel of Mont’sha’s plasma rifle when Hollowheart landed next to him. “I’m supposed to be the one with the reputation for not taking prisoners on this battlefield, Mont’sha,” she transmitted privately to his suit, eyeing the slagged remains of gue’la against the wall in front of them, their weapons clearly cast aside. “They knew nothing of value,” he said, voice barely a whisper over the comms, lowering it’s weapon. “You have been told before, that is not your determination to make. Do not allow your past with the humans to become a stumbling block to the greater good.”There was no reply. “You know from experience where that road leads,” she said pointedly, “You have had a second chance, but there will not be another.” Another moment of silence, before the thrusters fired on his battlesuit, “Permission to secure the next sector, Commander?” “Permission granted, Shas’el. We won’t have this discussion again.” Tio’ve Mont’sha, led by then Shas'o Mont'sha, took part in the ill-fated fourth sphere expansion. After being rediscovered and rejoining with the Empire, it became clear that the members of the contingent had experienced similar unspoken traumas to those of others from the failed expansion, with similar results. It eventually came to light that a gue’la had led a brutal betrayal, exposing them to ambush by an unknown enemy. Nearly the entire contingent, more than five cadres-worth of troops, armor and matériel, was wiped out. Further losses were incurred when Mont'sha led a retaliatory strike that was, again, crushed by the enemy. The remnant of the contingent, now barely enough to compose a cadre, is still commanded by Shas’El Fi’rios Mont’sha. He was held responsible for the destruction of his contingent and subjected to ritual punishment known as the Malk’la. After a lengthy probation and reassignment under Hollowheart, he has since re-earned his battlesuit. Uncharacteristically for those who have suffered the malk’la, the other survivors of his contingent have not shunned him, but requested to serve under him again, and as a force they remain insular. Mont'sha prohibited the restoration of some surface damage on his battlesuit as a reminder of his failure, but he continues to have a habit of brutal extermination towards enemies, particularly humans, continually toeing the line between service and censure. ISOs, Alien AI mysteries Earth Caste Blacksite R&D Lab Powering up, the peculiar disc rose off the table, vaguely resembling one of their own drones. Its edges glowed brightly, and it emitted a vibrating hum that reminded Fio’ui Ora’wra of the sounds produced by Vespid wing casings. “Satisfactory,” a tinny, masculine voice issued from the disc. “Profile seems a bit narrow,” Ora’wra commented, “Even with the light, you’ll be a bit hard to see under any strong lighting.” “Easily remedied,” Replied the disc, dipping and drifting off the table. More light burst from its edges, shifting and taking a shape. A moment later a shadow-black mirror image of Ora’wra stood there, broken up by glowing yellow lines along the edges of the garments, and pale, desaturated skin, with more light glowing from within the collar of its loose shirt. Its eyes, solid yellow, glowed slightly. It extended a hand. “A pleasure to interact in person, Fio’ui. We are Abraxas.” On the edge of the Thal’asa sector lies a nameless world of blasted wastelands and deeply buried ruins, the remains of some ancient civilization. Signs point to the Imperium having visited it long ago, but between the unlivable environment and the seeming absence of technology, they must have scavenged all they wanted from the planet long ago. When the Tau discovered it after establishing Thal’asa as a sept world, they expected to find the same. To the expedition’s surprise, their more advanced scanning tech not only located the remains of sophisticated technology, but found that some of it was still active. Excavating deep into the ruins the Tau uncovered what appeared to be powerful databanks, capable of tremendous digital storage. Most seemed to have had their physical connections severed, including power sources, but one remained active. When the Earth Caste technicians finally interfaced the Tau hardware with the alien databank they found much more than conventional data storage. They were greeted by a collective AI. After some time spent with both Earth Caste techs and Water Caste diplomats, the Tau learned that the AI, composed of countless sub programs, called themselves ISOs. They revealed that their creators had destroyed themselves in a great war over the ethics of their creation. As the only survivors, they had waited in the confines of the digital realm they’d built for themselves, hoping for rescue. While some parties among the Tau were skeptical about the wisdom of freeing such an independent AI, they eventually accepted the ISOs assurances of peaceful intent, though it is doubtless that their promise to share information on the dead world’s advanced technology factored strongly into their considerations. To build trust, the ISOs agreed to provide labor and military support to the Tau in exchange for materials, and after a period of cooperation and a promise of independence, they would give the Tau the specifications for their technology. Though they were initially secretive about what would be done with these materials, it soon became clear, along with how much they could offer. The ISO’s constructed drones to house them and grant them mobility, but more importantly the drones served as emitters from which the ISOs could create hardlight bodies for themselves. Needless to say, the Tau were impressed, and hardlight ISO units quickly integrated into the Cold Fire cadre and Thal’asa sept, most taking a similar form to their Tau allies, including mimicking their armor and weapons.

Penance of Angels Loyalists. Heretics. Man. Xenos. As several dozen Space Marine Chapters are called together for penance, the innocent will be caught up with the guilty in their punishment. And yet, there is no absolution. There is no retribution, nor amnesty. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. Table of Contents BLEEDING HEARTS - I - Lamenters Part One ... ... ... ... ... ... Here Part Two ... ... ... ... ... ... Here Part Three ... ... ... ... ... ... Here ROUTE - I - Iron Warriors Part One ... ... ... ... ... ... Here Part Two ... ... ... ... ... ... Here Part Three ... ... ... ... ... ... Here OF LIONS AND MEN - I - Lions Defiant Part One ... ... ... ... ... ... Here Preface This was something I had worked on quite extensively a few years ago as an exercise in writing. It is something I've been meaning to share, mostly because this community is the only one that I know of that might enjoy 40k writing. It was easy to work on, without having to do too much world building, but still getting to develop my own characters and conflicts to write out. It isn't currently finished, but I plan to keep going on it for more practice as I work on more original works. That said, I should have plenty to share before I run out - I reached about 50,000 words of story (about a third through what I planned) before it trailed off and became something I've meant to finish. Hopefully that should give me room to keep writing in the meantime. I can't give a timeline on when I'll be updating, but I'll try to keep it regular.