Datasets:

vizn3r

/

warhammer40k-lore

like 0

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - History: Broadsides are commonly seen deployed in heavy conflict zones all around the T'au Empire, such as against the Orks near Dal'yth and during the campaigns of the T'au's Third Sphere Expansion into Imperial territory. Those races that have faced the T'au in battle have grown to fear these heavily armoured battlesuits.While the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is by far the most common battlesuit encountered by the Imperium, the XV88 Broadside Battlesuit variant has been identified as far back as the Damocles Gulf Crusade when it was used to engage heavy armour and provide fire support to squads of Fire Warriors.During the Damocles Crusade, the XV88 Broadside Battlesuit was quickly identified by the Imperium as a major threat to their armoured vehicles, whose soldiers soon learned to dread the whip-crack sound made by the hypersonic speed of a Heavy Rail Rifle round; the distinct noise could only actually be heard after the shot had already hit home.In the battles against the Tyranid Hive Fleet Gorgon during the defence of the Kel'shan Sept, XV88 Broadside Teams proved highly adaptive and effective in combating the larger alien creatures, especially after a refitting of their secondary weapons.The mounting of twin-linked Plasma Rifles in place of the standard twin-linked Smart Missile Systems made the battlesuits even more effective when confronting the gargantuan Bio-Titans of the Tyranids.A recent addition to the Broadside arsenal came in the Great War of Confederation, when its primary Heavy Rail Rifle armament was configured to be replaced with twin-linked High-yield Missile Pods.During initial setbacks in the war, it was discovered that the masses of attacking Ork waves and the light nature of their vehicles meant the Heavy Rail Rifle, although deadly, did not have the fire rate to stem overwhelming tides of attackers.High-yield Missile Pods, on the other hand, proved more than adequate to destroy the crude scrap-armoured Ork vehicles. Since then, many T'au Commanders have included this variant in their cadres, either on its own or sometimes in a formation with more traditionally armed Broadsides.In open terrain, as at Taros or on the ice plains of Issenheim, a few Broadside Teams were sufficient to negate entire tank companies, quickly turning them into smoking wreckage.During the Taros Campaign, for example, a formation of XV88 Broadside Battlesuits engaged Imperial forces during the Battle of the Phyyra Heights. In this brutal fight, the Broadsides accounted for seven confirmed armour kills against the Astra Militarum's 12th Tallarn Armoured Regiment in under thirty solar minutes of engagement, including the famed Baneblade super-heavy tank Draco Rex.This forced the 12th Tallarn's retreat and dealt a hammer blow to the usually stout-hearted morale of Tallarn troops. The distinctive whip-crack sound and hyper-sonic speed of a Heavy Rail Rifle round became synonymous not only with the desert fighting on Taros, but in all Imperial engagements with the forces of the T'au Empire.Imperial forces fighting on the Greyshell Front of the Achilus Crusade in the Jericho Reach have recently reported encountering a variant of the standard XV88 Broadside Battlesuit that replaces its Heavy Rail Rifle weapon configuration with shoulder-mounted twin-linked Ion Cannons. Groups within both the Ordo Xenos and the Adeptus Mechanicus are keen to recover an example of this variant for further study, although for very different and conflicting reasons.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Role: The decision to combine the deadly Rail Weapon technology of the Hammerhead gunship with the most successful of T'au Battlesuits -- the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit -- has produced the vaunted XV88 Broadside Battlesuit.Designed to offer T'au combatants long-range fire support, XV88 Broadside Battlesuit Teams have exceeded expectations since their conception, becoming mainstays of the Hunter Cadres and tank-destroyers of legendary proportions upon the many battlefields of the T'au Empire.The Broadside's reach alone is a potent weapon, and this is exemplified by the battlesuit's signature weapon -- the Heavy Rail Rifle, which can cut through the defences of almost any armour and even enemy entrenchments at extreme ranges. The whip-crack retort of its fire is greatly feared by the enemies of the T'au.XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are small enough to utilise cover well on the battlefield in comparison to other vehicles, which makes them ideal for supporting Fire Warriors with much needed anti-tank firepower on the frontline. This rates favourably in comparison to the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, which often bears the brunt of an enemy attack.XV88 Battlesuits are most commonly deployed alongside Fire Warriors to form a static defence line, or to provide the equivalent of mobile artillery to support a T'au advance. In open terrain, as occurred on Taros or upon the ice plains of Issenheim, a small number of XV88 Broadside Teams were sufficient to negate the advance of entire armoured tank companies, quickly turning them into smoking wreckage.Broadside Battlesuits are commonly fielded in teams of one to three and can be carried by T'au Orcas or Mantas for transport to the battlefield on a planet's surface from a T'au fleet in orbit, where they can provide heavy fire support for T'au Hunter Cadres.Occasionally, a single Broadside may be tasked with providing fire support for a smaller T'au infantry force. However, once deployed, XV88s are slow-moving units in comparison to Crisis Battlesuits, due to their lack of a Jetpack.Their need for a static firing position means they must be deployed with care and only when an engagement is imminent; for it takes valuable time for them to reposition; and while doing so, their main armament is far less accurate.Their standard secondary weapon system -- a Smart Missile System -- was chosen to make up for this shortcoming. The Heavy Rail Rifle and Smart Missile System are complementary tools of destruction that are system-linked on Broadside Battlesuits to provide lethal accuracy.For accurate deployment, Broadside Battlesuit pilots rely on good information from forward Pathfinder teams and other T'au scout units.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 their utmost to protect not just their comrades, but also nearby teams in their 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.During the Taros Campaign, Broadside Battlesuits were widely deployed in support of Hunter Cadres on the defensive. They could not be deployed as part of the fast-moving Pathfinder raiding force, or as armoured counter-attack forces which might be required to operate in the deserts for many solar days, fighting then quickly withdrawing before moving to attack again.Instead, when an engagement was imminent, Orcas or a Manta would quickly move Broadside Teams into position, usually holding a ridge line or an area of higher ground with good fields of fire. The Broadside Teams could then target the enemy at maximum range, singling out enemy tanks and troop carriers before being picked up again after the battle by T'au aircraft.Using these rapid deployment tactics, XV88 Broadside Battlesuit Teams could lend their potent fire support without slowing an armoured Hunter Cadre down as it raced to new positions for the next battle against Imperial forces.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Notable Formations: Broadside Destructor Phalanx – The Destructor Phalanx is a T'au battle formation employed against very heavily defended positions and the most powerful enemy vehicles, and makes use of a special-issue Unified Targeting Matrix system controlled by a T'au Commander of the grade of Shas'el wearing an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit. The Shas'el usually has extensive experience in Broadside tactics and battlefield engagements against heavy armour, and the matrix is used to coordinate the formation's attacks under the commander's direction to demolish even the most heavily armoured target with ease. The Destructor Phalanx was first recorded in use against the Imperium in the Taros Campaign during the Battle of Phyyra Heights.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. Few sights are as breathtaking, or terrifying, as a Firebase Support Cadre opening fire -- synchronising their targeting data with sub-orbital Drone feeds and structural analysis databanks, the pilots of a Firebase Support Cadre can calculate their angles and sight their weapons on known weak spots with pinpoint accuracy before letting fly together in a single, ground-shaking, fusillade.Ranged Support Cadre - A Ranged Support Cadre combines Pathfinder teams and XV88 Broadside Battlesuits into a single deadly attack formation. The Pathfinders will operate far ahead of the Broadside teams tasked to support them, infiltrating enemy lines and deploying in hidden locations from where they can observe enemy movement. When the time comes, the Pathfinders use their Marker Lights to call down a storm of deadly fire from the Broadside's heavy weapon systems onto the targets they designate. More often than not, the first inkling the enemy will have that they under observation is when they are struck by the Broadsides' attack. Unable to easily identify who is calling down the deadly fire, the enemy has little option but to either retreat or attempt to weather the dangerous fusillade. A Ranged Support Cadre typically consists of three to six XV88 Broadside Battlesuit teams, supported by one to three Pathfinder teams.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.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Training: Pilots of XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are Fire Warriors who have progressed to the rank of Shas'ui; many of those newly promoted to the Shas'ui rank are assigned to Broadside Teams before moving on to the XV8 as the support role served by the Broadside makes it ideal for new pilots to learn the basics of battlesuit warfare while still inflicting devastation on the enemy.Those Shas'ui who have only been trained in the use of an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit can choose to transfer into XV88 Battlesuits for additional training after their initial assignment, or continue training in the XV8.However, within the Fire Caste's military academies, it is regarded as important that a Shas'ui should have some experience in an XV88 Battlesuit before they can be promoted to the rank of Shas'vre.Some pilot teams have performed the ritual of Ta'lissera and will transfer together to form a complete and bonded Broadside Battlesuit team. After serving their time piloting XV88s, a team will either return to the XV8 to complete their training, or, if they have performed exceptionally well, might all be promoted directly to the rank of Shas'vre.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Armament: XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are towering in size; easily twice the size of the Fire Warrior who wears it. To many T'au, they are a wonder and marvel of Earth Caste engineering. Powered by an advanced Particle Accelerator, XV88s go into battle heavily armed with potent weapons systems backed up by combat support systems that allow them to fight more effectively.However, no matter the battlesuit configuration or weapons load-out, all XV88 Broadside 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 is information that can then be transmitted back to T'au command units.All XV88 Broadside 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 them 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. This capability makes the Broadside a formidable opponent in a wide variety of battlefield conditions.As with all T'au Battlesuits, XV88s are protected by an extra-thick, dense nano-crystalline alloy armour named Fio'tak in the T'au Lexicon. This advanced alloy has a highly impact-resistant structure, and is also resistant to corrosive or toxic assaults, making it extremely resilient in the face of combat damage. Even the armour's shape helps deflect solid projectiles, whilst a reflective liquid metal coating on top of the armour is able to deflect medium-grade laser fire.Fio'tak is relatively lightweight, which keeps the battlesuit's own tonnage and bulk at a minimum. During prototype production and simulations, it was noticed that the new battlesuit could not avoid incoming enemy fire. Additional protective armour was then added as one of the first modifications to the XV88 prototype design.During the Damocles Gulf Crusade, frontline Imperial forces submitted corroborated after-action reports of XV88 Broadside Battlesuits surviving direct hits from Autocannon and Lascannon fire. As such, the suits are rated as providing as much protection for their pilots as a suit of Space Marine Terminator Armour.XV88s are some of the most well armoured units in a T'au arsenal. However, unlike the Imperium, the T'au are able to manufacture such heavy battlesuits in large quantities.All XV88 Broadside Battlesuits also greatly augment the strength of the pilot, and grant the warrior within the battlesuit the ability to smash apart light armoured vehicles in close combat, if necessary. XV88 Broadside Battlesuits feature retractable fingers built into their forearms for use in more delicate -- often non-combat -- tasks.Whilst the XV88 shares a similar overall design to the more common XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, it does have several notable differences. The most important is that in order to mount its heavy armaments, Earth Caste engineers had to remove the XV8's Jetpack; the output of the repulsor jets was insufficient to lift the increased weight of the XV88 Battlesuit with its new weapon systems off the ground.The XV88 design traded the mobility and manoeuvrability of the XV8 in favour of increased weapon power and range. The XV8's body structure was also significantly modified to compensate for this. Later modifications added stabilisation systems, ballistic anchors, and integrated recoil-absorption units to the XV88, allowing it to handle the additional weight and power drain of the heavy weapons it carries.All XV88s are armed with a single primary weapon system with a secondary weapon system to back it up. All T'au Battlesuit weapon systems are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high yield power relays and ammunition hoppers.XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are also designed with advanced recoil absorption technology, meaning that they can fire their weapons at maximum capacity and with maximum accuracy for their size.XV88 Broadside Battlesuits were originally designed to be armed with twin-linked Heavy Rail Rifles as their primary weapons, providing the heavy anti-tank firepower for which they are renowned. A Broadside's Heavy Rail Rifle shot can penetrate the thickest plasteel bunkers, often doing so with enough force to punch an exit hole on the other side as well.Whilst the weapon is not as massive as the Railgun mounted on a Hammerhead, its range and destructive power are impressive nonetheless. The battlesuit typically holds the weapon in an infantryman's stance, much as a Fire Warrior may hold a Pulse Carbine.However, recent advances in battlesuit technology have allowed the development of twin-linked High-yield Missile Pods to act as alternative primary weapons that sacrifice some of the Heavy Rail Rifle's range and striking power for the ability to lay down a greater barrage of high-powered missiles similar to those used in Missile Pods. Since then, many T'au Commanders have included this variant in their cadres, either on its own or sometimes in a formation with more traditionally armed Broadsides.Recently, an experimental new heavy weapon known as a Magna Rail Rifle has also been deployed as twin-linked prototypes on XV88 Broadside Battlesuits. Rare magnetic materials discovered by the T'au of the Fourth Sphere Expansion were used to develop this much improved version of the Rail Rifle.As secondary weapons, Broadsides can be armed with twin-linked Smart Missile Systems -- which are weapons in their own right that fire off barrages of guided missiles at any target within sensor range, even including those targets in cover or hidden out of sight -- or twin-linked Plasma Rifles which are better suited to target and destroy heavily armoured elite infantry.Original XV88 Broadside designs featured the primary weapon systems mounted on shoulder mounts, whilst secondary weapons systems were featured as arm mounts. However, this design was eventually found to be cumbersome and unwieldy, and recent Earth Caste tinkering over multiple iterations and adaptations has altered this design to switch each weapon system’s locations on the battlesuit, allowing for the primary weapon to be in the more steady hand-held position.All XV88 Broadside Battlesuits can also be fitted with an additional back-mounted Seeker Missile if it is deemed appropriate to the mission. These missiles allow XV88s to provide long-range accurate strikes at targets marked by Marker Lights, though they can also be "dumb-fired" as conventional weapons upon normal targets.All XV88 Broadside Battlesuits feature a single additional hard-point in addition their weapon systems, which means that a single battlesuit support system can be mounted on the battlesuit's chassis. These are often selected to complement the role the T'au Commander or battlesuit's pilot envisages himself undertaking in an upcoming mission.XV88 Broadside Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher can also take a limited amount of battlesuit wargear. Combat support systems listed as hard-wired are cybernetic in nature, and are either entirely contained within the battlesuit helmet, or are implanted within the Fire Warrior's body as warrior jewellery and cannot be removed without surgery.Special issue items and signature systems are experimental or hard to mass produce, and are currently undergoing field-testing prior to becoming widely available. As such, their distribution is usually limited to one per Hunter Cadre.Signature systems, like battlesuit wargear, can only be taken by battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher.Any XV88 Broadside Battlesuit can also be accompanied by up to two T'au Drones into battle, such as Gun Drones, Shield Drones and Marker Drones. However, due to their specialist heavy weapon nature, XV88s are unique in that they can also be accompanied by Missile Drones in combat, which can lend additional weight of fire at long ranges.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Available XV8 Battlesuit Combat Support Systems: Below is a list of the most common available support systems with which an XV88 Broadside Battlesuit can be equipped: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 T'au Drones. It gives the owner the ability to relay additional targeting data they receive 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 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.Shield Generator - Battlesuit Shield Generators project cohesive energy fields around the Battlesuit that can deflect weapons fire and melee blows that would otherwise outright destroy the Battlesuit, whether they be shots from heavy ordnance or anti-tank weapons fire.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.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Battlesuit Wargear: Bonding Knife - A Bonding Knife is a ceremonial T'au blade that is not intended for combat, but is carried by the leader of T'au Fire Warrior teams who have performed the Ta'lissera ritual and bonded as a group. Battlesuit pilots may not actually carry a true Bonding Knife but instead have a similar knife design painted onto their armour.Ejection System (Special Issue) - An Ejection System provides the pilot of a Battlesuit a chance to escape catastrophic damage by ranged fire to his Battlesuit by ejecting the pilot at the last second. The pilot then has to fend for himself on foot.Hard-wired Drone Controller - A hard-wired version of a Drone Controller.Hard-Wired Multi Tracker - A hard-wired version of a Multi Tracker.Hard-Wired Target Lock - A hard-wired version of a Target Lock sensor system.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Signature Systems: Command and Control Node - A Command and Control Node is a sophisticated artificial intelligence-assisted communications system used by a T'au Commander to communicate more effectively with other Fire Caste warriors around him, and better direct battlefield operations by linking all T'au targeting computers nearby together. Though the sheer amount of information received can seem overwhelming, a T'au Commander who masters the flood of data can better orchestrate the firepower of his forces.Failsafe Detonator – A Failsafe Detonator is intended to be the ultimate expression of the doctrine of the Greater Good, as it is used only in the direst of circumstances. A Failsafe Detonator is a powerful explosive that can be detonated by the Battlesuit pilot in order to allow his squad members to escape from close combat.Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite – A Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite represents the pinnacle of T'au sensor technology. Each system is an advanced prototype that can scan all known electromagnetic spectral bands to locate stealth-cloaked enemies, and relay this information back into the targeting computers of the squad members.Onager Gauntlet – Onager Gauntlets were first utilised during the Damocles Gulf Crusade to keep XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Teams effective against Imperial Guard armoured companies in extended operations where ammunition reserves were low. So armed, a warrior could punch a hole through the side of a battle tank, but the casualty rate whilst attempting to get close enough to use them was extremely high. Indeed, of the twelve original Onager Gauntlets, only one remained by the end of the campaign, recovered from Blackthunder Mesa where Commander Bravestorm's critically damaged Battlesuit was surrounded by the smoking wrecks of over a dozen Imperial armoured vehicles.Neuroweb System Jammer - The T'au seek mastery not only over their own technology, but also over that of other intelligent races. To this end, they have created the Neuroweb System Jammer; a device capable of broadcasting a jamming field that interferes with enemy weapon systems, causing critical, and sometimes explosive malfunctions.Puretide Engram Neurochip – Commander Puretide was undoubtedly the most gifted T'au Commander of all time. The T'au were unwilling to lose his tactical and strategic brilliance, and upon his death, his mind was scanned and his accumulated memories committed to a massive hologram program on his birth world of Dal'yth Prime. A sliver of that genius has been crafted into several bio-chips. When surgically implanted into the brain of a Fire Caste commander, the bearer can access much of the wisdom of Puretide himself from the Puretide Engram Neurochip, drawing upon a great reservoir of tactical acumen.Repulsor Impact Field - The T'au have attempted to reverse-engineer the gravitic tractor beam technology recovered from Ork wrecks for decades, but their attempts to decipher its workings remain largely futile, due in no small part to the complete lack of logical, uniform construction method employed by the Greenskins. So far, the sum total of T'au ingenuity has only managed to produce a small number of functioning Repulsor Impact Field generators, but field testing has proven them to be a devastating weapon capable of emitting a shock wave of gravitic energy that smashes into those nearby with immense force.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: Serial Number85673-9081588Main Armament2 Heavy Rail Rifles (Twin-linked)DesignationXV88Vehicle CodenameBroadsideSecondary Armament2 Smart Missile Systems (Twin-linked)Vehicle TypeBattlesuitCrew1 PilotTraverse120°Weight3.8 tonnesElevation-5° to +70°Length1.7 metresAmmunitionVariableWidth1.9 metresArmour TypeNano-Crystalline Alloy; Composition Unknown to Adeptus MechanicusHeight2.8 metresMax Recorded Speed15 kilometres per hour

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - XV88-2 Variant: The XV88-2 variant of the standard XV88 Broadside Battlesuit switches the mounting of the Heavy Rail Rifles and the variable weapons system in the shoulder and arm positions so that the Heavy Rail Rifles are attached to the arms and the other weapon system fires from the shoulders.The XV88-2 variant of the Broadside Battlesuit also possesses enhanced armour plating that has been tempered to better fit the shape of its chassis, and has extra stabilisers connecting the Heavy Rail Rifles to the battlesuit's chassis which are required because of the shift in weight balance after their repositioning.

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Sources: Apocalypse War Zone: Damocles, pg. 61Codex: T'au Empire (7th Edition), pp. 28, 48, 102, 105, 109Codex: T'au Empire (6th Edition), pp. 42, 103Codex: T'au Empire (4th Edition), pg. 40Codex: T'au (3rd Edition), pg. 30Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos (RPG), pp. 6-7Imperial Armour - Apocalypse II , pp. 59, 81Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pp. 175, 284Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign (Second Edition), pp. 147-148Psychic Awakening: The Greater Good (8th Edition), pg. 37Rogue Trader: T'au Character Guide (RPG), pg. 42Warhammer 40,000: Dataslate - T'au Firebase Support Cadre (Digital Edition)War Zone Damocles: Kauyon, pp. 183, 187War Zone Damocles: Mont'ka, pp. 119, 186

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - XV8 Crisis Battlesuit: The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is the mainstay general combat T'au Battlesuit utilised by the warriors of the Fire Caste of the T'au Empire. It mounts a vast array of fearsome ranged weaponry as well as a complement of technologically advanced support systems on a comparatively small and agile frame that offers the T'au pilot within exceptional protection. Of all the weapons systems employed by the T'au, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is easily the most distinctive and recognisable due to its reputation as an efficient and lethal weapon of war.The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit strikes a perfect balance between offensive capability, armoured protection, speed, manoeuvrability and utility. It is a towering T'au Battlesuit, easily twice the size of the Fire Warrior who wears it. A wonder of Earth Caste engineering, only the T'au could master the secrets of producing the dense nanocrystalline alloy that forms the thick protective armour of the XV8. When it comes to deflecting and withstanding damage, the XV8's armour is comparable to the ceramite used by the Imperium of Man's Space Marines, but weighs substantially less.Agile for its size, the XV8 is extremely manoeuvrable as it mounts a Jetpack with repulsor jet engines -- another unique Earth Caste invention that combines the functionality of a jet with antigravitic technology. These powerful thrusters allow the XV8 to vault battlefield obstacles and to make bounding leaps to gain advantageous firing positions, or to avoid incoming shots. By firing off the jets to slow descent, it is possible for a warrior in a XV8 Crisis Battlesuit to make a combat drop -- arriving to the battlefield suddenly by leaping from an airborne Orca or Manta transport aircraft.While its protective armour and mobility are highly valued by the T'au, it is the ability of the XV8 Battlesuit to carry multiple weapons and support systems that makes them so incredibly dangerous and versatile. Designed to compensate for the recoil of light weapons fire, the XV8's weapon loadout can be easily altered to reflect mission requirements or the pilot's own personal preference.Additional upgrades, from Multi-Tracker fire-control systems, to Homing Beacons or Shield Generators, further enhance the fighting abilities of this impressive Battlesuit. New technological improvements are made to the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit all the time, yet its core aspect remains iconic and unchanged. The XV8 is the armoured embodiment of the Tau'va, its inspirational image blazoned on T'au propaganda holovids from Fi'rios to Fal'shia, and even upon the distant worlds of the Farsight Enclaves.To the T'au, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is more than just a powerful weapon of war; it is also the foremost symbol of great achievement, honour and reputation -- a symbol of everything the Fire Caste stands for, of ignorance and evil crushed by the potent combination of technological supremacy and martial skill.Although the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is by far the most commonly deployed battlesuit in the T'au armoury, only those Fire Warriors who prove themselves in battle earn the right to wear it and bear the name of shas'ui -- the first honoured military rank that can pilot a T'au Battlesuit.To do so is a great honour, and means the Fire Warrior has passed his first Trial by Fire after four Terran years of service on the line. This is the aspiration of every Fire Caste warrior -- recognition of a mastery of the Code of Fire and noble service to the Greater Good.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - History: XV8 Crisis Battlesuits have been utilised almost since the start of T'au expansion into the space surrounding their homeworld and the nearby star systems in the Ultima Segmentum. Since then, the XV8 has been fielded in almost every single engagement of the Fire Caste against those who would oppose the Greater Good, from the largest such as the Damocles Gulf Crusade, to smaller instances such as the Kappa Mortis Incident.The advancement of the Battlesuit has mirrored the rate at which the T'au have expanded across the galaxy. The earliest prototypes were field-tested during the early stages of the First Sphere Expansion, and although they were successful, the going was slow. In 576.M39, improvements in anti-gravitic motors were combined with the relatively new T'au Battlesuit technology at the time to form the first T-series Battlesuits, which helped the Fire Caste complete the annexation of the Tash'var Sept.The earliest prototypes were field-tested during the early stages of the First Sphere Expansion, and although they were successful, the going was slow. The original fossil fuel-powered T-series was quickly replaced with the V-series, which used fission reaction, although radiation poisoning was still problematic. It was not until the end of that first period of rapid growth that Battlesuit technology began to regularly appear within the Hunter Cadres. Not surprisingly, it was at these final stages that the T'au won their largest battles, as the elite formations began to refine their tactics to take advantage of what the armoured suits could do.By the start of the Second Sphere Expansion, great strides had been made in XV8 Crisis Battlesuit design, particularly in the areas of power sources and the increased potency of weapon load-outs. By the end of this period, repulsor jump jet technology came into its own and the Hunter Cadres were conquering new planets in the name of the T'au Empire at a rate never before seen. At present, XV8 Crisis Battlesuits have never been more successful, and continual upgrades, different marks and variants, as well as new prototypes are continually being developed to advance the Greater Good.The devastating power of XV8 Crisis Battlesuits can be clearly be seen when looking back upon large scale conflicts during the T'au Empire's three spheres of expansion. During the Damocles Gulf Crusade, the Imperium learned the true power of the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit when their ground advances on Dal'yth Prime were met with timely counter attacks from T'au Battlesuit formations. Night was the worst, as under the cover of darkness, Fire Warriors in XV8 Crisis Battlesuits made swift, hard-hitting strikes.With their superior optics technology, major losses were inflicted upon the Imperial armour, with little damage being suffered in return. Humanity's elite Space Marines attempted to land behind T'au lines and regain the initiative, but were defeated by teams of heavily armed XV8s whose formidable firepower quickly downed their transports.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Tactical Role: The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit's greatest strength lies in mobility and ranged firepower -- it is the XV8's role to get to the right place, at the right time and eliminate the right targets. XV8s are extremely versatile in that they can be equipped with a wide selection of weapons and combat support systems. This allows this Battlesuit to effectively engage almost any type of enemy it encounters, whether they be heavy or light, infantry or vehicle; the XV8 is capable of tackling any enemy units that the normal Fire Warrior Shas'la Teams cannot handle.The XV8 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. With the small modification of replacing the standard T'au Jetpack with marine impellers, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is even capable of operating underwater effectively.XV8 Crisis 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 the T'au Hunter Cadre can advance or retreat. XV8s are usually deployed from T'au transport aircraft such as the Orca and Manta, where their Jetpacks allow them to descend from high altitudes safely. Their incorporated Jetpacks also allow these Battlesuits to pounce out of cover towards the enemy and strafe them before retreating out of range once again.This makes the XV8 hard to counter and very difficult for the enemy to engage. Whether dropping in to counter-strike against an enemy breakthrough, falling upon their foes in the killing blow of a Mont'ka or Kauyon strategy, engaging in opportunist tank-hunting or jetting around the flanks of a foe to encircle them in a lethal net of fire, XV8 Crisis teams are equal to the task.The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Team is the most widely deployed of any T'au Battlesuit formation, for they are the very epitome of T'au warfare -- mobile, flexible and absolutely bristling with firepower. They are an elite force and often form the cutting edge of a Hunter Cadres' attacks; they can be used as a powerful reserve held by the T'au Commander, to counterattack against advancing foes or to deliver the final hammer blow that is unleashed to break the opposition once and for all.XV8 Crisis Battlesuits can be equipped to handle a variety of battlefield roles. For instance, to combat vast numbers, a XV8 Crisis Team might employ Burst Cannon weapon systems, as their high rate of fire is ideal for scything down lightly armoured infantry. Against more powerful or heavily armoured foes, the ceramite-melting blasts fired from Plasma Rifles are preferable, while the close-ranged Fusion Blaster is unrivalled for tank-hunting teams.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 XV8 Crisis Battlesuits can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all nearby teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.XV8 Crisis Battlesuits commonly operate in teams of three, called Ta'ro'cha in the T'au Lexicon ("three minds as one"), and can be equipped for a variety of different battlefield roles. Many different Fire Warrior Septs have developed their own Battlesuit tactics and their preferred weapon and support system load outs are intended to enhance these proscribed tactics. These techniques are taught in each Sept's military academies, where respected Shas'vre pass on their knowledge. Some examples of these tactical formations include the Vior'la Death Rain and Burning Eye configurations, or the T'au Fireknife and Blinding Spear patterns.For example, the XV8 Crisis Teams from Vior'la have a predilection for what is called the Sun Forge configuration. Each member of the XV8 Crisis Team is armed with a twin-linked Fusion Blaster and Target Lock, a combination that turned an entire Leman Russ tank company into piles of slag during the T'au counterattacks on Dal'yth Prime.However, there are those XV8 pilots who have lost their team members and operate alone. These embittered Monat pilots often choose to undertake dangerous missions where the risks are extremely high, and will often be deployed to undertake tactically vital missions which they are not likely to survive; such sacrifices are sometimes necessary in pursuit of the Greater Good.In the dense street fights amidst the ruins of Nimbosa, the T'olku Sept employed lone Monat warriors in an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit armed with a Flamer, Burst Cannon and Stimulant Injector (the Lone Hunter configuration) , which proved the most effective means of driving the many Imperial Guard regiments out of their defensive barricades.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Known Formations: Farstrike Battlesuit Force - The T'au way of war is, in many aspects, very different from that of the Imperium of Man. The starkest difference can be found in the T'au Fire Caste's willingness to make strategic withdrawals, giving ground to the enemy when holding it will prove too costly. Despite this propensity, the Fire Caste acknowledges that sacrifices must be made for the Greater Good. A Farstrike Battlesuit force, also known to the T'au as a Mission Denial Force, is a group of Battlesuit pilots that have volunteered for a mission that they may have little hope of surviving. On the eve of the battle, the warriors go before an Ethereal and make a solemn promise that they will not withdraw until ordered to do so. This simple ceremony seals the pilots into a warrior brotherhood where all are of equal status and rank, unbreakable even unto death. The operations that a Farstrike Battlesuit Force may be dispatched on commonly involve the capturing of a key enemy position prior to the main force of the T'au army breaking through enemy lines. The T'au do not hold ground simply for the sake of it, so the objective will be one of vital importance to their strategic aims. Often the target will be one the T'au need to keep intact. Perhaps the T'au wish to capture an important individual to force the capitulation of a recalcitrant alien race to the Greater Good. Or perhaps they wish to leave a world's infrastructure intact and prevent the enemy from demolishing key sites as they retreat. The deployment of a Mission Denial Force ensures the T'au have the element of surprise. Even though it may cost the Fire Caste the lives of the Farstrike Battlesuit Force's members, the means are justified in the furtherance of the end that is the Greater Good.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.XV8 Crisis Bodyguard Teams - It is customary for many T'au Commanders to choose the most experienced warriors from amongst the XV8 Crisis Teams to become their bodyguards -- their saz 'nami, or literally translated their "close protection officers." Only those veteran Fire Warriors with impeccable battle records and have reached the rank of Shas'vre are considered worthy enough to serve their Commander in such a capacity. XV8 Crisis Bodyguard Teams are among the most respected of all Fire Caste warriors, for they embody the philosophy of striving for the Greater Good. It is their duty to protect their Commander at all costs, and will even take incoming shots intended for their leader. T'au battle lore is rife with heroic tales of individuals leaping in front of their Commander to confront a monstrous beast, or in order to save him from a shot from some powerful energy weapon. Should it be necessary, an XV8 Crisis Bodyguard will sacrifice his own life in order to spare his Commander from certain death. It is considered a great disgrace for a Bodyguard to survive whilst his leader is slain; any who suffer such indignity often spend their remaining lifetime atoning for that which can ultimately have no forgiveness. XV8 Crisis Bodyguard Teams can draw upon the latest cutting-edge Battlesuit wargear -- prototypes that are still being tested for standard issue. Commander Dawnstar, of the Dal'yth Sept, keeps his bodyguard outfitted in the rare XV8-02 Crisis Iridium Battlesuits -- a luxury that few other Commanders can arrange. Not surprisingly, the bolder a Commander is, the shorter the lifespan of his XV8 Crisis Bodyguard Team. Those who favour leading from the front, such as serving as the bait in a Kauyon strategy, or as part of the hammer blow in a Mont'ka, greatly increase their own risks. The hot-blooded Commanders of the Vior'la Sept must routinely recruit new bodyguards to replace those lost in battle. In response to this habitually aggressive approach, the master strategist Commander Puretide, who always preached of the importance of balance, would have repeated his oft-quoted remark: "A wise leader must learn when and where to use his every asset to its best capability." This wisdom recognises that a Commander flanked by two elite Shas'vre warriors in Crisis Battlesuit armour is a formidable formation, more than capable of shrugging off enemy shots and dealing out prodigious amounts of firepower. However, the risk of losing such an important unit must always be weighed.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Armament: XV8 Crisis Battlesuits strike a perfect balance between offensive capability, armoured protection, manoeuvrability, and utility. They are towering in size; easily twice the size of the Fire Warrior who wears it. To many T'au, they are a wonder and marvel of Earth Caste engineering. XV8s go into battle heavily armed with potent weapons systems that are backed up by combat support systems that allow them to fight more effectively.However, no matter the Battlesuit configuration or weapons load-out, all XV8 Crisis 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 is information that can then be transmitted back to T'au command units.All XV8 Crisis 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, XV8s are protected by a thick, dense nano-crystalline alloy armour named Fio'tak in the T'au Lexicon. This advanced alloy has a highly impact resistance structure, and is malleable and corrosive resistant, thus 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 can reflect medium-grade laser fire.When it comes to deflecting and withstanding damage, the XV8's armour is comparable to the ceramite used by the Imperium's Space Marines. The material is also lightweight, which keeps the Battlesuit's own weight down and reinforces its ground-based manoeuvrability. This reduced weight also means the XV8 can operate effectively using its T'au Jetpack to provide enhanced mobility. By firing off the jets to slow a descent, an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit can even drop into combat zones from transport aircraft like the Orca and 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 XV8 to vault battlefield obstacles and to make bounding leaps to gain advantageous firing positions, or to avoid incoming shots.All XV8 Crisis Battlesuits also greatly augment the natural physical strength of their pilot, and grant the warrior within the Battlesuit the ability to smash apart light armoured vehicles in close combat, if necessary. XV8 Crisis Battlesuits also feature retractable fingers built into their forearms for use in more delicate -- and often non-combat -- tasks.An XV8 Crisis Battlesuit has three hard-points, which means that any combination of up to three weapons and combat support systems can be mounted on the Battlesuit's chassis. All T'au Battlesuit weapon systems are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high-yield power relays and ammunition hoppers. XV8 Crisis 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.XV8 Crisis Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher can also take a limited amount of Battlesuit wargear. Combat support systems listed as hard-wired are cybernetic in nature, and are either entirely contained within the Battlesuit helmet, or are implanted within the Fire Warrior's body as warrior jewellery and cannot be removed without surgery.Special issue items and signature systems are experimental or hard to mass produce, and are currently undergoing field-testing prior to becoming widely available. As such, their distribution is usually limited to one per Hunter Cadre. Signature systems, like Battlesuit wargear, can only be taken by Battlesuit pilots of rank Shas’vre or higher. Any XV8 Crisis Battlesuit can also be accompanied by up to two T'au Drones into battle, such as Gun Drones, Shield Drones and Marker Drones.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Available XV8 Battlesuit Weapon Systems: Below is a list of the most common available weapon systems that an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit can be armed with. It is possible for an XV8 to be armed with multiples of the same weapon.Airbursting Fragmentation Projector (Special Issue) – An Airbursting Fragmentation Projector is an experimental T'au weapon that scatters fragmentation bomblets over a wide area, at a height calculated by a simple AI (artificial intelligence) within each bomblet, to cause optimum damage.Burst Cannon – Burst Cannons utilise a similar form of plasma induction technology found in T'au Pulse weapons, and are multi-barrelled weapons capable of sustaining high rates of fire.Cyclic Ion Blaster (Special Issue) – The high-energy streams fired by Cyclic Ion Blasters react explosively with their target, vaporising flesh and metal with equal ease. Like all current T'au Ion Weapons, the experimental Cyclic Ion Blaster can be overcharged to generate a more devastating blast, albeit at a risk of overheating its primary power cells.Flamer – When used to fight massed, lightly armoured opponents, T'au Flamers are lethal weapons. They are most commonly used by Battlesuit teams fighting amongst densely packed terrain.Fusion Blaster – Fusion Blasters are anti-tank Melta Weapons that can reduce reinforced armour to molten slag in a blink of an eye. Many Battlesuit pilots have become adept at stalking enemy armour; using their high mobility to outflank the vehicles and engage their weaker side or rear armour.Missile Pod – A Missile Pod is a simple and effective delivery system for multiple high strength missiles at long range.Plasma Rifle – 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.Twin-linked Battlesuit weapons systems can be also wielded by XV8 Crisis Battlesuits. In this case, a twin-linked weapon system takes up two hard-points on the Battlesuit's chassis rather than the usual one. Note that weapons considered special issue cannot usually be twin-linked due to their rare availability in the T'au armoury.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Available XV8 Battlesuit Combat Support Systems: Below is a list of the most common available support systems that an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit 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 battleCounterfire 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 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.Shield Generator - Battlesuit Shield Generators project cohesive energy fields around the Battlesuit that can deflect weapons fire and melee blows that would otherwise outright destroy the Battlesuit, whether they be shots from heavy ordnance or anti-tank weapons fire.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.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 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.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Battlesuit Wargear: Bonding Knife - A Bonding Knife is a ceremonial T'au knife that is not intended for combat, but is carried by the leader of T'au Fire Warrior teams who have performed the Ta'lissera ritual and bonded as a group. Battlesuit pilots may not actually carry a Bonding Knife but instead have a similar knife design painted onto their armour.Ejection System (Special Issue) - An Ejection System provides the pilot of a Battlesuit a chance to escape catastrophic damage by ranged fire to his Battlesuit by ejecting the pilot at the last second. The pilot then has to fend for himself on foot.Hard-wired Drone Controller - A hard-wired version of a Drone Controller.Hard-Wired Multi Tracker - A hard-wired version of a Multi Tracker.Hard-Wired Target Lock - A hard-wired version of a Target Lock sensor system.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Signature Systems: Command and Control Node - A Command and Control Node is a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted communications system used by a T'au Commander to communicate more effectively with other Fire Caste warriors around him, and better direct battlefield operations by linking all T'au targeting computers nearby together. Though the sheer amount of information received can seem overwhelming, a T'au Commander who masters the flood of data can better orchestrate the firepower of his forces.Failsafe Detonator – A Failsafe Detonator is intended to be the ultimate expression of the doctrine of the Greater Good, as is used only in the direst of circumstances. A Failsafe Detonator is a powerful explosive that can be detonated by the Battlesuit pilot in order to allow his squad members to escape from close combat.Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite – A Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite represents the pinnacle of T'au sensor technology. Each system is an advanced prototype that can scan all known electromagnetic spectral bands to locate stealth-cloaked enemies, and relay this information back into the targeting computers of the squad members.Onager Gauntlet – Onager Gauntlets were first utilised during the Damocles Gulf Crusade to keep XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Teams effective against Imperial Guard armoured companies in extended operations where ammunition reserves were low. So armed, a warrior could punch a hole through the side of a battle tank, but the casualty rate whilst attempting to get close enough to use them was extremely high. Indeed, of the twelve original Onager Gauntlets, only one remained by the end of the campaign, recovered from Blackthunder Mesa where Commander Bravestorm's critically damaged Battlesuit was surrounded by the smoking wrecks of over a dozen Imperial vehicles.Neuroweb System Jammer - The T'au seek mastery not only over their own technology, but also over that of other intelligent races. To this end, they have created the Neuroweb System Jammer; a device capable of broadcasting a jamming field that interferes with enemy weapon systems, causing critical, and sometimes explosive malfunctions.Puretide Engram Neurochip – Commander Puretide was undoubtedly the most gifted T'au Commander of all time. The T'au were unwilling to lose his tactical and strategic brilliance, and upon his death, his mind was scanned and his accumulated memories committed to a massive hologram program on his birth world of Dal'yth Prime. A sliver of that genius has been crafted into several bio-chips. When surgically implanted into the brain of a Fire Caste commander, the bearer can access much of the wisdom of Puretide himself from the Puretide Engram Neurochip; drawing upon a great reservoir of tactical acumen.Repulsor Impact Field - The T'au have attempted to reverse-engineer the tractor beam technology recovered from Ork wrecks for decades, but their attempts to decipher its workings remain largely futile, due in no small part to the complete lack of logical, uniform construction method employed by the Greenskins. So far, the sum total of T'au ingenuity has only managed to produce a small number of functioning Repulsor Impact Field generators, but field testing has proven them to be a devastating weapon capable of emitting a shock wave of energy that smashes into those nearby with immense force.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Battlesuit Pilot Progression: To the T'au, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is more than just a powerful weapon of war; it is also a symbol of great achievement. Being allowed to pilot an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is considered a high honour by the T'au Fire Caste, and is only granted to those Fire Warriors who have earned the rank and privilege required to be granted this responsibility.Such a privilege can only be attained after several Terran years of progressing through the ranks of the Fire Caste as a Fire Warrior. A Fire Warrior will normally follow a standard rate of progression and advancement in the T'au military that is based around an evaluation of their skills called a "Trial by Fire."It is only once a Fire Warrior has proven himself in battle and completed his first Trial by Fire to earn the Fire Caste rank of Shas’ui that he is then given the honour of piloting an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit and becoming a member of the Fire Caste’s elite. This is the aspiration of every Fire caste warrior -- recognition of a mastery of the Code of Fire and noble service to the Greater Good.Becoming an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit pilot is one of the first steps to becoming a T'au officer, and those who take that step are experienced warriors who have fought the deadliest of foes and triumphed. Once a Fire Warrior has proven himself ready for more responsibility in a second Trial by Fire, he will then be promoted to the rank of Shas’vre and lead his own XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Team. If he succeeds at that demanding role, he will go on to be assigned to a T'au Commander's Battlesuit Bodyguard Team, and eventually will become a T'au Commander himself once he attains the rank of Shas'el.Further service and success in this role will then lead to a promotion to the highest Fire Caste rank of Shas'o. Most Fire Warriors who progress through these higher ranks will utilise an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit in battle, although some may choose to use other variants, such as the experimental XV9 Hazard Battlesuit and the XV25 Stealthsuit. Teams of Crisis Battlesuit warriors will have fought together for many years and, in many cases, will have performed the Ta'lissera ritual where the warriors swear oaths of communion and loyalty to one another, placing the welfare of the team ahead of their own personal desires -- and, if necessary, survival.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Battlesuit Operation: An XV8 Crisis Battlesuit pilot sits in a foetal position within the central torso section of the Battlesuit, and pilots the Battlesuit through a neural link that connects the Fire Warrior’s brain to the Battlesuit's control interface through a monofilament needle inserted through the back of the head. This disrupts the nervous system of the pilot and temporarily disconnects the body from the pilot's brain from the neck down. The Battlesuit control system then interprets movement signals from the pilot’s brain as the movements of the Battlesuit’s body, effectively making the Battlesuit the pilot’s new ‘body’.The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit contains many systems and hardware functions designed to assist the pilot in effectively commanding their troops. Among these are external sensors that display environmental readings. The suit also projects a holographic model of the Battlesuiton the pilot's visor which indicates the suit's current structural integrity and status. The pilot also has steady access to incoming data information that displays the status of each individual warrior under his command.In theory, damage to the Battlesuit unit, whether it be through the lopping off of limbs, the firing of bullets into the chassis, electrocution, burning, or the "beheading" of the primary optic sensor, will not cause pain or discomfort to the pilot inside. However, veteran Battlesuit pilots have been known to develop ho’or-ata-t’chel, which are sympathetic ghost pains and phantom reactions to external damage. This condition is also known as Battlesuit Neurosis, and can cause serious problems in the lives of Battlesuit pilots outside their Battlesuit. Fire Warriors have been known to be so traumatised at losing their Battlesuit's sensor cluster "head" that they have spent months in a psychosomatic coma. Some Battlesuit veterans at the end of their careers may also develop quirks such as trying to fly without their Battlesuit, or not being able to understand why they walk or move properly in normal life when their Battlesuit was damaged.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - T'au Sept: Blinding Spear - 1 Shas'vre armed with a Plasma Rifle, Burst Cannon, a hard-wired Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones and a Multi-Tracker support system; 2 Shas'ui armed with Plasma Rifles, Burst Cannons and Multi-Tracker support systemsFireknife - 1 Shas'ui bonded in the Ta'lissera ritual, armed with a Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-Tracker support system and Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones; and 2 Shas'ui bonded in the Ta'lissera ritual, armed with Plasma Rifles, Missile Pods and Multi-Tracker support systemsMonat - 1 Shas'ui armed with a Flamer, a Fusion Blaster, a Shield Generator and a hard-wired Drone Controller

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Vior'la Sept: Burning Eye - A Shas'vre and 2 Shas'ui armed with Twin-linked Plasma Rifles and Target Lock sensor support systemDeath Rain - 3 Shas'ui armed with Twin-linked Missile Pods, Drone Controllers and 2 Gun DronesSun Forge - 3 Shas'ui armed with Twin-linked Fusion Blasters and Shield GeneratorsMonat - 1 Shas'vre bonded in the Ta'lissera ritual, armed with a Burst Cannon, a Fusion Blaster and a hard-wired Multi-Tracker support system

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Sa'cea Sept: Ke'lshan'tsua'm'padroch'ul'syn - 1 Shas'vre armed with Twin-linked Plasma Rifles, a Target Lock sensor support system, a hard-wired Drone Controller and 2 Shield Drones; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Flamer, Fusion Blaster and Burst Cannon; 1 Shas'ui armed with Twin-linked Fusion Blasters and a Target Lock sensor support system

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Tau'n Sept: Brightwind - 1 Shas'vre armed with a Burst Cannon, Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker support system and hard-wired Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod and a Target Lock sensor support system; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Missile Pod, a Plasma Rifle and a Multi-Tracker support systemDarkfall - 1 Shas'vre armed with Twin-linked Missile Pods, a hard-wired Blacksun Filter and a Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Shield Generator, a Flamer, and a Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Flamer, Fusion Blaster and a Drone Controller with 2 Shield DronesMonat - Monat configurations for the Tau'n Sept are determined by the tactical preference of the Tau operating the Battlesuit

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Notable XV8 Battlesuit Variants: During the Taros Campaign, several variants of the standard XV8 Battlesuit were identified. One of these, the XV88 Broadside Battlesuit, was already well known to the Imperium from its actions during the Damocles Gulf Crusade. Others seemed to be personalised battlesuits used by T'au Commanders in battle. These were coded by the Imperium as the XV81, the XV84 and XV89, and all incorporate non-standard weapons and combat systems in addition to those seen on the standard variants of the XV8 Battlesuit.The T'au, being a young and dynamic species and faced with growing threats to the borders of their empire in the Eastern Fringe, were obviously seeking to improve the performance of their battlefield technology.As yet, only the most honoured commanders have access to this latest weaponry and other new technical developments. Recent developments in T'au technology have also yielded further XV8 Crisis Battlesuit variants. Most of these are still in prototype stages and have only been issued to experienced T'au Commanders to field test in battle.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - XV8-02 Crisis Iridium Battlesuit: The XV8-02 Crisis Iridium Battlesuit was developed following the death of Commander Pridestar to a sniper's bullet and the subsequent rout of Fire Caste warriors during the Klodate Worlds Suppression. After this tragic event, the Earth Caste developed an experimental iridium alloy that was used to produce enough armour plates to reinforce a small series of battlesuits.The XV8-02 prototype offers T'au Commanders and their bodyguards optimal protection that is by far superior compared to the armour of the standard XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, and is often given to particularly valuable leaders to prevent future attempts at assassination by the enemy.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - XV81 Crisis Battlesuit: The XV81 Battlesuit was designed in an attempt the counter the high casualty rate amongst T'au Commanders, whose zeal in battle often led to them being exposed to enemy fire whilst in support of their troops.Its back-mounted Smart Missile System allows the pilot to suppress enemy forces without leaving themselves vulnerable, and is intended to be used as a long-range fire support platform.Note that this Smart Missile System does not make use of a battlesuit hard-point, allowing the suit to retain its full complement of other weapons and combat support systems.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - XV84 Crisis Battlesuit: The XV84 Crisis Battlesuit is equipped with a spine-mounted Marker Light and Target Lock sensor support system to enhance its target acquisition capabilities in combat against multiple foes. Together, these additional systems fill up only a single XV8 Battlesuit hard-point.Pilots issued with this battlesuit variant are often called upon to fight away from the support of the rest of their cadre, whether buying time for their comrades to retreat and redeploy, or undertaking a surprise assault on the enemy.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - XV85 Enforcer Battlesuit: The XV85 Enforcer Battlesuit is a larger and sleeker variant of the standard XV8 Crisis Battlesuit that provides better protection and joint movement for the pilot, and can mount additional support systems or weapons due to its more powerful reactor.It is produced in limited numbers, and is issued almost exclusively to T'au Commanders. The XV85 is favoured by many as its distinctive design allows allies and enemies alike to quickly identify its wearer as a warrior to be feared and respected.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit: The XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit, or simply the XV86, is a rare mark of XV8 Crisis Battlesuit that carries many wholly unique support and weapon systems. Designed for operation in a void environment, each XV86 is fitted with integrated interface armour.XV86 Coldstar Battlesuits feature enhanced Jetpack designs which allow them to achieve something akin to true extended flight, and their armour is layered with super-insulating carbodine mesh and integral heat-shielding so that they can handle the heat of atmospheric re-entry and the icy cold of the void.So far, all known XV86 Coldstar Battlesuits have been deployed with a weapons loadout consisting of a high-yield Burst Cannon and a shoulder-mounted Missile Pod, with space for two additional Battlesuit Support Systems.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - XV89 Crisis Battlesuit: The XV89 Crisis Battlesuit was intended for assaults against heavily-fortified enemy positions and thus is outfitted with the heavy Iridium Armour modification for enhanced protection compared to the standard XV8 Crisis Battlesuit.Initially deployed during the fighting on Taros during the Taros Campaign, it was soon found that the XV89's bulky armour plating limited its manoeuvrability, leaving those shas'vre assigned to it unable to fulfil the traditional role of XV8 Crisis Teams.Based on reports compiled after the Taros Campaign, the design was abandoned in favour of the XV8-02 Iridium Battlesuit and hundreds of XV89 Battlesuits that had been deployed for testing were recalled and had their armour stripped down, before being reassigned to XV8 Crisis teams in need of replacement suits.Many cadres operating on the outer fringes of the T'au Empire's expansion zone, however, have been observed by Imperial military forces and Rogue Traders still equipped with the distinctive XV89 variant battlesuits.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: Serial Number85673-908158Main ArmamentVariableDesignationXV8Vehicle CodenameCrisisSecondary ArmamentVariableVehicle TypeBattlesuitCrew1 PilotTraverse120°Weight2.5 tonnesElevation-90° to +90°Length1.7 metresAmmunitionVariableWidth1.9 metresArmour TypeNano-Crystalline Alloy; Composition Unknown to Adeptus MechanicusHeight2.8 metresMax Recorded Speed50 kilometres per hour

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Sources: Apocalypse (6th Edition), pg. 181Apocalypse (4th Edition), pg. 161Apocalyse Reload, pg. 43Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pp. 171-174, 283Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign (Second Edition), pp. 143-146Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition), pp. 10, 27, 47-48, 54, 56, 75, 87, 105, 125, 127Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 7, 12, 15, 19, 28, 34, 40-41, 65-73, 95, 98, 100Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition), pp. 25-27, 32, 34, 44Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), pp. 16-17, 22-24Deathwatch: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 365-366Legends of the Dark Millenium - The Tau Empire (Anthology) by Braden Campbell, Andy Chambers, Joe Parrino, Peter Fehervari, Andy Smillie, and Phil KellyRogue Trader: Tau Character Guide (RPG), pp. 40-41War Zone Damocles: Kauyon, pp. 44, 109-110, 116, 174, 179, 183War Zone Damocles: Mont'ka, pp. 118-119, 185White Dwarf 263 (US), "Crisis! Tau Battlesuit Teams: A Look at the Strategies of the Tau Batlesuits" by Pete Haines and Phil KellyWhite Dwarf 400 (AUS), "XV8 Battlesuit Commander", pg. 15White Dwarf Weekly 91, "Mantle of Heroes", pp. 18-21Fire Warrior (Novel) by Simon SpurrierFire & Honor (Graphic Novel)The Regimental Standard - Tau Technology Inferior

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit - XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit: The XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit is the pinnacle of T'au stealth technology, a battlesuit created specifically for use behind enemy lines in the most gruelling conditions.These mighty battlesuits loom several times the height of a Fire Warrior, and mount a full array of repulsor jets. They are equipped with an arsenal of heavy weaponry, and are supported by a wealth of high-technology hardware and counter-sensory warfare suites. XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits can tear apart entire armoured squadrons and massacre rank upon rank of enemy infantry in sudden ambushes. The firestorm of their onslaught is such that the foe often believes a whole army must be attacking them from an unexpected quarter.

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit - History: Until recently, the deployment of the XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit was restricted to covert missions. In truth, development of these potent battlesuits was completed around the beginning of the Third Sphere Expansion, but it was decreed by the Ethereals that these new weapons should remain hidden until their unveiling held the greatest inspirational value.Pilots were chosen from pre-vetted candidates who were extracted from Stealth Team operations and transported to a secret facility on J'ka'vo station, on the fringes of the abandoned sept of N'dras. From here, following orders from the Ethereal Supreme Aun'Va himself, the first generation of Ghostkeel Battlesuits performed a range of deep-cover operations, ranging from the Vadenfall Station sabotage to the assassination of Cardinal Bocsh.With the current success of the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit, the time has been judged ripe to reveal the freshly named "Ghosts of N'dras." Suddenly, this insular band of warriors has been thrust into the light, their existence changing from a secret to a propaganda exercise virtually overnight. Recruitment of XV95 Ghostkeel pilots has now begun across the T'au Empire, as has production of the Battlesuits themselves; soon enough the armies of every Sept will possess XV95 Ghostkeel wings of their own.

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit - Tactical Role: The tactical applications of the Ghostkeel are many and varied, ranging from unleashing devastating strikes behind enemy lines to ambush-hunting alongside Hunter Cadres. XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits can be seen as the epitome of the Tau Mont'ka "Killing Blow" stratagem -- striking precisely where they need to with unerring accuracy and overwhelming force. Used to sow confusion and destruction in the enemy ranks, the XV95 is a terror weapon designed to leave the enemy in a state of panic and disorder as they search in vain for their mysterious attacker. Enveloped by overlapping stealth fields projected by its attendant Drone, the XV95 Ghostkeel is virtually invisible even in open terrain. Targeting arrays and scopes simply slide off its holophoton projectors, while scanners and Auspexes are baffled by the Battlesuit's electrowarfare suite, pinging back false readings and contradictory data.Each Ghostkeel is piloted by single, highly trained Shas'vre, a former XV25 Stealthsuit Team veteran. This focused warrior is supported by an integrated artificial intelligence (AI) that assists him in operating the Ghostkeel's many complex systems and monitors his physical and psychological well-being during extended operations. As Ghostkeel pilots spend long periods of time isolated in enemy territory, many form unusually strong bonds with their Battlesuit AI. Indeed, in some cases these eccentric warriors become so introverted that they prefer the company of their suit's AI to that of other Tau. XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits are typically deployed in squads of one to three Battlesuits. Pilots in squads consisting of multiple members are 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.

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit - Known Formations: Heavy Retribution Cadre - Heavy Retribution Cadres consist of a squad of XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits working in tandem with two units of KV128 Stormsurge Ballistic Suits, with the Ghostkeels acting as invisible forward spotters that feed targetting data back to the Stormsurges. Thus, when a Heavy Retribution Cadre opens fire, the blinding firestorm produced is truly terrifying. Even the most colossal enemies stand little chance when caught amid this sudden monsoon of destruction.

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit - Armament: The XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit stands more than three times the height of a Space Marine, even higher than an XV88 Broadside Battlesuit, its armoured body sharing a similar design to the experimental XV22 Stealthsuit worn by Commander Shadowsun. XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits incorporate many of the standard features shared by most Tau Battlesuits, including 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 XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit 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 XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit also incorporates advanced sensors common to all Tau Battlesuits which are built into the helmet. 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 XV95 Ghostkeels 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, XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits 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 every XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit to help aid their pilots in the field.Like its smaller cousin the XV25 Stealthsuit, an XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit also possesses the 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 effectively fade into the background, making themselves extremely difficult targets for enemies to mark out or lock on to effectively.To aid in covering the XV95 Ghostkeel's large size, the Battlesuits are deployed accompanied by two MV5 Stealth Drones. These Drones project overlapping stealth fields which help support the XV95's own internal stealth field generators. While some Drones are seen as expendable assets, these two are invaluable to the Ghostkeel's Shas'vre, who often forms an unnaturally strong bond with them while on extended missions behind enemy lines.XV95 Ghostkeels also feature an AI Electrowarfare Suite and Holophoton Countermeasures for use in active combat against the enemy. The Ghostkeel's Electrowarfare Suite, mounted on the Battlesuit's left arm, aggressively scans enemy targetting spectrums and invades the foe's sensor arrays, filling them with false information and scrap-data that makes it almost impossible to effectively fire upon the Battlesuit at range. The Holophoton Countermeasures, mounted between the Battlesuit's secondary weapon systems, are triggered by AI-assisted threat-warning protocols and take the form of a targetted barrage of holo-decoys, friendly target simulacra and stroboscopic blasts. This confounds enemy weapons, causing safety switches to engage and Machine Spirits to rebel while their operators are left bewildered and blinded by the overwhelming sensory overload. Together with the Battlesuit's stealth field generator, an XV95 Ghostkeel becomes a near impossible target for enemies to engage from range.In terms of weapon systems, all XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits are armed with either a Cyclic Ion Raker or Fusion Collider. Where the Cyclic Ion Raker is designed for atomising large blocks of infantry with a stream of high-impact energy projectiles, the Fusion Collider employs sub-atomic agitation to superheat its targets, vaporising living creatures and turning armoured vehicles into molten slag; a silent weapon for a silent killer. The XV95 Ghostkeel also mounts a secondary weapon system on its shoulders, which can either be a set of twin-linked Burst Cannons, Flamers or Fusion Blasters, and is able to fit two Battlesuit Support Systems to boost its combat effectiveness.

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit - Available X95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit Support Systems: Below is a list of the most common available Battlesuit support systems that an XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit 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 targetting 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.Velocity Tracker – The advanced motion detection and infra-red 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.

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit - Sources: Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition), pp. 30, 49, 89, 106, 116-124War Zone DamoclesL Kauyon, pp. 65-70, 73-74Games Workshop - XV95 Ghostkeel BattlesuitWhite Dwarf Weekly Magazine #89 (10 Oct. 2015) " XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit", pp. 5-9

XV9 Hazard Battlesuit - XV9 Hazard Battlesuit: The XV9 Hazard Battlesuit close support armour is a new weapon in the armoury of the T'au Empire. It is a sophisticated and powerful T'au Battlesuit that has remained something of a controversy both among the more traditionalist T'au Ethereals and elements of the Earth Caste. Though undoubtedly powerful, its armament is short-ranged and the battlesuit's systems are more complex than any that has come before it, requiring a veteran's skills to master its power in combat and being a significant investment in resources to construct.Such is the complexity and demands of this battlesuit that XV9s are only entrusted to veteran Fire Warriors of the rank of shas'vre or higher when actively deployed on campaign. Those shas'vre who has been assigned to pilot the XV9 Hazard Battlesuit are all XV8 Crisis Battlesuit combat veterans and survivors of deadly battles against the most savage enemies of the Greater Good. Nevertheless, it has proven effective on the various battlefields during the defence of the T'au Empire in its Third Sphere Expansion.The XV9 requires a huge expenditure in resources to produce in useful numbers -- resources some argue are better expended elsewhere building larger quantities of the more tested battlesuit designs. The XV9 is a considerably larger battlesuit than its more commonplace counterparts, such as the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, and is built to the highest specifications that the T'au Empire can produce on a substantial scale. As well as greatly augmenting the warrior within, the XV9's built-in systems feature a powerful compact energy source that enables it to mount weapons, based on experimental technologies, of an unprecedented strength for its size.

XV9 Hazard Battlesuit - Role: Created with the goal of countering the growing alien incursions that threaten the gains of the Third Sphere Expansion in mind, the XV9's battlefield role is focused on applying overwhelming firepower in relatively short range engagements against numerically superior foes. The XV9 performs this role admirably due to its possession of the greatest degrees of durability and mobility T'au technology can currently provide.The results gained in service by the XV9 have converted many Fire Caste war leaders to its cause. In particular, the Fire Caste of the Ke'lshan Sept have mastered the use of XV9s both in conducting counterattacks and in using its potent firepower to prevent enemy advances. In doing so, the bulk of a mobile T'au Hunter Cadre is allowed to repeatedly redeploy into superior firing positions. This can prove a dangerous tactic for the XV9 pilots to execute, but for the solemn and determined Fire Warriors of Ke'lshan, it is a worthwhile risk in the service of the Greater Good.

XV9 Hazard Battlesuit - Swift Protector Wing: The Swift Protector Wing is a specialist deployment used in the most hazardous warzones, where some of the most sophisticated technology the Fire Caste has at their disposal must be utilised. Developed as a logical extension of the Fire Warrior counterstrike Cadres first advocated by Commander Puretide during the Imperial assaults on the Sept world of Dal'yth, the Swift Protector Wing was the invention of the hard-pressed Fire Caste of the Ke'lshan Sept. Made to take advantage of the newly issued XV9 Hazard Support Armour, the wing mounts a force of six of these advanced Battlesuits within a specially modified Orca transport to rapidly deploy them to the battlefield. The Swift Protector Wing allows a battlefront Tau Commander to swiftly redeploy a great deal of firepower to block breaches in his force's lines, or apply further pressure to a point of attack where the enemy line of battle teeters on the brink of collapse. This dangerous duty is taken on as a matter of pride by the Shas'vre who pilot the XV9s, who view deployment in a Swift Protector Wing as a great honour and readily embrace the task of standing between their fellow warriors and harm. The formation's specially-modified Orca transport allows the XV9 teams on-board to deploy from it during a drop-run with a relatively high degree of accuracy. Additionally, the Orca's modifications and the skill of its pilots mean that it is able to be piloted as a skimmer. Orcas utilised to transport XV9s in a Swift Protector Wing are also fitted with nonstandard, defensive Energy Fields to better protect the transport and its occupants during operational strikes. A Swift Protector Wing may sometimes also be accompanied by a squadron of Remora Drone Stealth Fighters which provide further support in battle to the XV9 Hazard Battlesuit teams.

XV9 Hazard Battlesuit - Notable Users: Shas'O Vesu'r Ra'lai - Commander Vesu'r Ra'lai has become a legend amongst the grim Fire Warriors of the Ke’lshan Sept, and is one of the Tau Empire’s most experienced Battlesuit pilots. It is his leadership and innovation that has successfully led the way in the controversial tactics associated with the deployment of the XV9 Close Support Armour, one of which he currently operates. He is a strong advocate for the Fire Caste adopting more ruthless tactics against the Tau Empire's growing legion of deadly foes.

XV9 Hazard Battlesuit - Armament: XV9 Hazard Battlesuits are fitted with several common features that all T'au Battlesuits possess. This includes advanced sensors built into its primary sensor cluster on the "head" which allow it to accurately detect enemies and provide detailed information on the battlefield and the current conflict's status to the pilot.XV9s are also armed with the customary T'au Jetpack, allowing it to deploy from T'au transport aircraft such as the Orca and Manta (Note that an Orca must have a specially designed interior hold that can carry up to six XV9 Hazard Battlesuits). The Jetpack also grants the XV9 the mobility necessary to get its fearsome weapons into range at speed whilst providing a stable firing platform.The XV9 also makes use of special issue Vectored Retro-Thrusters incorporated into its Jetpack, allowing it to manoeuvre especially well, which is useful when the Battlesuit's pilot is trying to escape from combat. These thrusters also grant the XV9 the ability to perform the hit-and-run tactics that it is renowned for within the Fire Caste.As a result of the battlesuit's incorporation of a compact, high-capacity energy supply, the XV9 is able to mount prototype weaponry simply too powerful to be carried by a conventional XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, as well as more Battlesuit Support Systems than it would otherwise be capable of carrying. All XV9s are armed with two weapons from the list below as standard:Twin-linked Burst Cannons - These weapons are identical to the twin-linked Burst Cannons used by XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, and provide devastating anti-infantry firepower due to their withering hail of high-energy plasma.Phased Ion Gun - Developed from Tau Ion Weapon technology such as that used in the Ion Cannon, the Phased Ion Gun is similar to the experimental Cyclic Ion Blaster Battlesuit weapon system in that its rate of fire is extremely high and constant, although the strength of its ionisation effect varies due to the developing nature of the experimental technology. However, its energetic rounds are able to bypass virtually all forms of armour when the ionisation effect is at its peak.Fusion Cascade - Similar to the Fusion Blaster found on XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, the Fusion Cascade fires smaller, weaker bursts of Melta energy with a variable, but still high, rate of fire.Pulse Submunitions Rifle - An advanced variant of the Pulse Rifle, the Pulse Submunitions Rifle uses the same Pulse Weapons technology to scatter bomblets of plasma energy over a wide area. It is excellent against entrenched enemies, as it can bypass cover to strike at the enemies within.All XV9s are also armed 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, 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, and integrated photonic dischargers, otherwise known as Photon Casters, built into their superstructure which operate like Photon Grenades in that they blind and disorient any opponents that try to assault the battlesuit.An XV9 can also be outfitted with one of the following additional Battlesuit Support Systems:Drone Controller - A Drone Controller acts as a hub for communications between an operator and a number of Drones. They give the owner the ability to make use of up to two T'au Drones per Drone Controller.Shield Generator - Battlesuit Shield Generators project cohesive energy fields around the Battlesuit that can deflect blasts and blows that would otherwise outright destroy the battlesuit.Target Lock - A Target Lock is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the bearer to engage different targets from the rest of the squad.

XV9 Hazard Battlesuit - Variants: There are two known variants of the XV9 Hazard Battlesuit that have been encountered by the forces of the Imperium to date. These variants include:XV9-01 - The XV9-01 is armed with two Fusion Cascades, weapons that are similar to Imperial Melta Weapons.XV9-04 - The XV9-04 variant is armed with twin Phased Ion Guns.

XV9 Hazard Battlesuit - Sources: Imperial Armour Apocalypse II, pp. 58, 60Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign (Second Edition), pg. 264Rogue Trader: Tau Character Guide (RPG), pg. 40Forge World - Experimental XV9 Hazard Battlesuit RulesXV9-01 (Dead link)XV9-04 (Dead link)

Xyan - Xyan: Xyan is a heavily sulphuric Penal World found within the Orpheus Salient of the Jericho Reach, though its native Human population, being descendants of criminals, has shown only reluctant cooperation with the Imperium.Xyan has a brethable but highly acidic atmosphere which slowly damages the lungs of those condemned to live upon it.

Xyan - History: Those few million Humans who have dwelt on the planet have done so in small communities, typically of less than a hundred members. Through the ages, they have adapted to their toxic environment, and can tolerate the highly sulphuric atmosphere and diet far better than an outsider. Their vision has also adapted to the haze, though not so well that they would generally be classified as mutants.During the time when the Jericho Reach was still the Jericho Sector, Xyan became a Penal World. Heretics, criminals, and cowards were dumped on the planet's surface, where survival of the fittest was allowed to run its course. Little was done to monitor the system, as the hazardous environs were deemed sufficient punishment and an effective prison.Millennia later, the planet's population are the offspring of those who managed to survive the brutal conditions. Largely amoral filth, the natives have not responded well to the Achilus Crusade's efforts to reunite their planet with the Imperium of Man.Some of the crusade's officers argued that, as descendants of prisoners, these inhabitants could scarcely qualify for membership in the Imperium. Of course, as a Penal World, they were not due any support from the Imperium either.This combination meant that reasserting compliance, after once more designating Xyan a Penal World, was an easy feat. The Orpheus Salient has already begun the process of raising Penal Legions from the system's hardy population. These descendants of Imperial outcasts have co-operated reluctantly, as they have little recourse.As units of the Departmento Munitorum have begun to spend time on the planet to train the first regiment, they have come across a number of worrisome legends. It seems that there are many tales of aggressive xenos that lurk in the hottest and murkiest parts of the swamp.While there is no evidence to confirm this, there are always disappearances. The atmosphere makes tracking anything difficult, which has led to numerous unexplained disappearances among natives and soldiers of the crusade. Even establishing stable outposts on the murky surface has been a challenge for the Imperial units.

Xyan - Geography: Xyan's atmosphere is tinged yellow by the sulphurous fumes that constantly bubble from the hot springs scattered across its surface. These dense fumes leave the planet's surface a dim place, as the thick acidic clouds diffuse light.While breathable, the atmosphere leaves a foul taste in the mouths of those who visit, and lasting scar tissue in the lungs of those who stay. The planet's highly active core causes frequent tectonic instability, which is likely tied to the constant eruptions from the assorted geysers and the steady emission of gases through the hot swamps.The planet's ubiquitous swamps are filled with aquatic life that thrives in the intensely acidic environment. Plant analogues draw energy from the geothermal heat that flows through these swamps, using this as an energy source rather than the light of the system's star.Small predatory animals are common throughout these bogs, but they represent far less of a threat than the atmosphere and the sulphuric pollutants.

Yamnin Volunteers - Yamnin Volunteers: The Yamnin Volunteers are Astra Militarum regiments. They are known to have collectively saved 103 Imperial planets from the enemies of the Emperor and purified 69,203,669 impenitents.The Yamnin Volunteers took part in the Haephos Containment during the Era Indomitus and contributed 4 artillery musters to that campaign to aid in the cleansing of the Eletyrio Spaceport.

Yanth - Yanth: Located in the Stygies Cluster of the Askellon Sector, Yanth is a Death World, for nearly everything living on it is utterly hostile to Human life.A standing Imperial warning beacon is in place near the world, warning anyone who approaches to stay away. In the past, many gave Yanth a wide berth, valuing their own lives more than any exploration of the planet.However, recent discoveries on the world have made it a much more appealing destination despite the dangers involved.

Yanth - Climate: Yanth is a world covered with dense jungles. From the smallest island to the largest continent, every square metre of the world is filled with thick vegetation. The temperatures are sweltering and rainfall is abundant, helping these plants to grow and thrive.Sweeping vistas break up the jungle with waterfalls, gigantic trees, and many other features, providing breath-taking views.Alongside many of the rivers that flow across the continents, latticework patches of vines and other vegetation cast sweeping nets to grab any creatures that come to the rivers for water.

Yanth - Flora and Fauna: Deep below the canopy of leaves, thousands upon thousands of species of flora grow in a complex ecosystem unseen elsewhere in Askellian space. There are few permanent Human settlements on Yanth, as the voracious flora and fauna can rapidly destroy anything that attempts to intrude upon their lands.The plant life of Yanth is largely carnivorous, subsisting on the varied species of insectoid life that also call Yanth home. Trees use creeping tendrils to snare prey and pull it back to waiting maws for digestion, while overgrown bushes unleash deadly barbs to poison and stun anything that gets close before consuming it with microbes capable of melting the hardiest carapace.The never-ending struggle between the plants and insects for dominance of the planet is a hallmark of the world's ecosystem.Many of the insects feed off of the plant life and in turn, the plants feed off of the insects. One cannot exist without the other, though, for long; as one side becomes ascendant, the other evolves even greater capabilities and resurges to continue the conflict.While there are some forms of mammalian and reptilian life on Yanth, the primary fauna are various insectoid species. Many of these reach gargantuan sizes, far larger than would be expected based on planetary conditions such as ambient oxygen levels.They are the apex predators of Yanth and are the overwhelming cause of death, even for the ever-vigilant Human natives who have learned from birth to be constantly wary of everything around them.In addition to the Renders, there are thousands of other deadly species that make their home on this Death World. These range in size from no bigger than a bolter shell to monsters large enough to bat aside Chimera tanks with ease.The skies are also home to flying predators, and even the seas are filled with insectoids and other arthopoids adapted to living below the deep ponds or gliding along the surfaces on striding limbs.Some of the most notable insectoid flora of Yanth includes the following species.EnveloperRazorclaw BeetleRender

Yanth - Imperial Interests: With everything on the surface of the planet ready to kill, Yanth would seem to be a world devoid of visitors. That could not be further from the truth, however. On an early expedition to the Death World, a Magos Biologis team discovered something extraordinary about the planet -- a number of the native plants possess powerful healing properties.This remarkable discovery has made Yanth a prime destination for Rogue Traders, Askellian Chirurgeons, and many less savoury individuals.Several permanent settlements have been established across the planet, devoted to processing and gathering these useful species. After generations of living on these heavily fortified facilities, inhabitants have become inured to life on the Death World, and some natives are rumoured to have trained the larger insectoid fauna to act as steeds across land and air.Out of the millions of plant species (most of which are exceptionally toxic), the Tech-priesthood of Askellon has identified four particular ones that offer very useful properties. They tend to grow in the most remote and dangerous locations on Yanth, perhaps adapted to growing only where natural defenders of terrain and hostile fauna exist to protect them.The disciples of the Omnissiah despatched hundreds of servitors to harvest these plants, with very few returning. Attempts to relocate these flora to other settings or to reproduce them in growing-vats have proven unsuccessful, which has also led to further studies of Yanth's unique biosphere.The Adeptus Mechanicus is currently re-evaluating its procedures for dealing with this operation, a process that has taken many Terran years as they weigh all their options. In that time of indecision, many other groups have swept in to claim the flora for themselves.At least seven different Rogue Trader operations (including agents of Maxellian Vor and Hesiah Luftius) have attempted to harvest the plants, and two separate smuggling outfits have also begun to make regular trips to Yanth.Conflicts between the groups have been rare so far, but all involved are expecting an escalation of violence at any time as the price of the plants reaches new heights on the various black markets in the sector.

Yasan Sector - Yasan Sector: The Yasan Sector is a sector of space in the Imperium of Man located in the Ultima Segmentum near to the Warp rift known as the Maelstrom. It is the sector where the White Scars Chapter homeworld of Chogoris is located.The Yasan Sector was ravaged by the Traitor forces of Horus and later Drukhari slave raids during the chaos of the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium.In the midst of the campaigns of the Great Scouring that followed the Heresy, the White Scars returned to their home sector to scour it clean of the remaining Traitors and drive the Drukhari back into the Webway.The Chapter reclaimed the sector for the Imperium, though during one such battle on the world of Corusil V in 084.M31 the White Scars Primarch Jaghatai Khan disappeared while pursuing Drukhari raiders into a Webway portal.Following the birth of the Great Rift during the Era Indomitus, the Yasan Sector has come under constant assault from the Heretic Astartes of the piratical Red Corsairs warband.Their invasion of the sector out of the Maelstorm during the 13th Black Crusade of 999.M41 led to the almost complete loss of the Gartuli and Thaxis Systems to their forces.While a similar invasion befell Chogoris, the White Scars succeeded in throwing back the Red Corsairs offensive, though at a steep cost.Heretic forces continue to plague Chogoris and the foundation of Chaos outposts in the sector mean the Red Corsairs will continue to present a major threat to the White Scars' home star system for a long time to come.

Yasan Sector - Notable Systems: Chogoris System - The Chogoris System was liberated from the Red Corsairs' assault, but remnant Heretic forces like mutants and Chaos Cultists remain in place on Chogoris itself, while Heretic raids out of the Maelstrom are a constant thorn in the side of the people of this system's primary world.Gartuli System - The Gartuli System dominated by the Fortress World of the same name has almost wholly fallen to the Chaos forces of the Red Corsairs and now serves as a base for their continued operations in the sector.Thaxis System - The Thaxis System, once home to the Forge World of the same name, has almost wholly fallen to the Chaos forces of the Red Corsairs and now serves as a base for their continued operations in the sector.

Yason Annellus - Yason Annellus: Yason Annellus served as one of the Blood Angels Legion's first Wardens (Chaplains) during the Great Crusade and the opening days of the Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia. He was assigned as one of the spiritual caretakers of the IXth Legion. One of Annelus' primary duties was to ensure that the Emperor’s Decree Absolute, that had been issued during the Council of Nikaea preventing the use of psychic powers, was strictly enforced. Annellus valiantly gave his life during the final assault on the Cathedral of the Mark during the Battle of Signus Prime.

Yason Annellus - History: During the early days of the Great Crusade there was a great conclave called by the Emperor of Mankind known as the Council of Nikaea. This conclave was intended to determine whether or not the use of psychic abilities represented a boon or a grave danger to Mankind and the newborn Imperium of Man. Ultimately the existence of psykers in the Imperium was allowed but tightly restricted under centralised Imperial control, while the potent and unrestricted use of psychic abilities that was defined as sorcery was officially banned. This Decree Absolute was a command of the Emperor Himself, a warning about the dark potential for corruption that was implicit with the use of the powers offered by the Warp. This was a command that the Primarch Sanguinius echoes, to forbid the use of preternatural powers within the IXth Legion. A command the Blood Angels accepted without question.The Emperor did not make his decision lightly, but following the actions of Magnus the Red and his Thousand Sons Legion, there was little choice. There had always been those who looked unkindly upon the use of the powers of the mind and saw only the hazards that they encompassed. The great psyker-Primarch Magnus had brought all that opposition to a head with his reckless exploration into the deeper, darker places of the Warp, drawing his father’s great displeasure and this draconian response. The acolytes of the Word Bearers had been sent to many expeditionary fleets, placed in several Legions in the months that unfolded after the passing of the Edicts of Nikaea. The suspension of psychic warfare and the abolition of the Librarius contingent had been dealt with differently in each Legion that maintained one, each according to their individual traditions and methods. In a service offered by the Primarch Lorgar to his brethren, the master of the Word Bearers Legion had sent his most pious and vigilant apostles to help with the reintegration of those gifted with psyker powers back into the rank and file of the various Space Marine cohorts. This effort had given rise to the newly established Chaplain corps. No help from the Word Bearers had been requested or required by the Blood Angels, however. The black-armoured Wardens, their roles already embedded in the Legion proper, had taken on the task of policing the reformation of the IXth Legion according to the Edicts of Nikaea. The Blood Angels' Wardens were not the same as Lorgar's Chaplains, though they ultimately would come to serve the same function within the Legions and the later Second Founding Chapters of Space Marines.The Wardens were the watchmen of the Blood Angels. In some ways they served as mentors for the younger Astartes, battlefield instructors and learned veterans who shared knowledge with the rest of their kindred; but they were also charged with sustaining coherence throughout the tens of thousands of warriors that filled the ranks of the IX Legion. That could mean anything from offering suggestions to a Captain on a point of combat doctrine, to leading a ceremony of remembrance to the fallen. They served as lore-keepers, counsellors, and teachers. In the deep past, men who had served in similar roles in other militaries had been known as diaconus, zampol, chaplain or a dozen other names -- some political, some religious, some secular. The Blood Angels' Wardens existed outside the Legion's chain of command but still within its ranks, maintaining that most Imperial of ideals throughout the Legion -- unity.

Yason Annellus - Signus Prime: The primary responsibility of Warden Annellus and the other Blood Angels Wardens was to ensure that the Emperor's Decree Absolute was strictly enforced, monitoring those Battle-Brothers who were former members of the Librarius and had been reintegrated back into the IXth Legion's line companies. During his tenure with the Legion during the Great Crusade, Warden Annellus continued to provide spiritual counseling and guidance to both his fellow Battle-Brothers as well as those few that were psychically gifted. The Wardens always stood ready to renew a Battle-Brother's devotion when he faltered, and to remind him of his duty and his vows when hope seemed lost. During the Signus Campaign, Warden Annellus fought alongside his fellow Astartes against the hordes of daemons and the other Forces of Chaos on the benighted world of Signus Prime. At the height of the conflict, he was a part of a small Blood Angels strike force composed of First Captain Raldoron, Apothecary Meros and a number of other Blood Angels during the assault on the Cathedral of the Mark, the headquarters of the Chaotic forces on the planet. As the majority of their Legion was gripped in the bloody throes of their genetic curse, later known as the Red Thirst, Warden Annellus and his Battle-Brothers fought through hordes of daemons in order to infiltrate the profane basilica. During the assault, Annellus was knocked off their Mastodon tracked armoured transport by a winged daemon and fell to the ground. Surrounded on all sides by the foul minions of Chaos, the Warden told the small strike force to go on without him. He was last witnessed standing his ground against a horde of savage daemons until he disappeared in a pile of snapping maws and rending claws.

Yelav Draykavac - Yelav Draykavac: Yelav Draykavac was an archmagos of the ancient Mechanicum and the principal warlord of Forge World Cyclothrathe at the time of the Horus Heresy. Unheard of before the events that would split the Imperium of Man asunder, the archmagos would rise in fame and infamy to become one of the most powerful and feared representatives of what became the Dark Mechanicum.Declared Heretek Ultima by the Great Synod of Martian Unification and being held responsible for such atrocities as the Genocide of Goth, the Lucine Travesty and the death of the seventeen worlds of the Donia League, as ruling Sovereign-Prelate of House Atrax the self-stylised "Bringer of Perfection" would lead the once-proud Knights of this household into a series of bloody pogroms and massacres which earned him his dire reputation.The Imperium has thus far been unable to ascertain Draykavac's ultimate fate, even if most historitors agree that he either died or was lost in the Warp onboard his personal vessel, the Sacra Astra.

Yelav Draykavac - Origins: Though he would become one of the most reviled champions of the Dark Mechanicum, Archmagos Yelav Draykavac was an all but unknown figure before the civil war wrought by the Warmaster Horus' betrayal of his father the Emperor sundered the Imperium. Such records as still exist agree that Yelav Draykavac was already the Forge World of Cyclothrathe's most proficient warlord at the time of the annexation of Arrian and the subsequent discovery of House Atrax around 3447.853.M30. However no information is available on the real age or former position of Draykavac before his rise within the command structure of Cyclothrathe's Taghmata.With customary brutality, Draykavac forced the then still-independent House Atrax into utter submission to the Cyclothrathe Mechanicum, installing himself as its Sovereign-Prelate and devising means to ensure that none of the surviving Knights would ever pose a threat to his rule. While nominally House Atrax still had its own seneschals and masters, in reality the house was little more than a puppet of the utterly callous and inhuman archmagos.Draykavac's appearance was designed to inspire fear in those that would oppose him: a tall yet brooding figure dressed in black robes whose face was obscured by an equine skull which he customarily wore in place of a face-mask. Within Cyclothrathe's Taghmata his power was absolute, and only the sombre masters of that Forge World's ruling synod could give him orders.Draykavac was notoriously harsh and unforgiving, even by the standards of the Mechanicum. When on the Agri-world of Numinal civilian unrest and Loyalist-led guerillas threatened to slow down servitor-conversion of the entire civilian population, Draykavac's first action upon setting foot on planet was to rip out his subordinate magos' organic cortex and submit her body to the Magos Mortifex for ulterior reconversion as a servitor.

Yelav Draykavac - Cyclothrathe at War: As Cyclothrathe's principal war leader, Draykavac was instrumental in his Taghmata's victories during the war of conquest led by his Forge World after the fall of Port Maw and that of the Manachean Commonwealth, both campaigns he had nothing to do with. Having honoured their pact with the Archtraitor Horus, Cyclothrathe was let loose and began its long anticipated war of conquest amongst the worlds of the Coronid Deeps.With cold logic and casual brutality the Cyclothrathine Taghmata were rapidly victorious, preying on those worlds isolated by the rout of the Loyalists. Wherever the shadow of his personal flagship the Sacra Astra, a towering Mechanicum war-ark, fell untold bloodshed and atrocities would follow. Seemingly obsessed by the idea of further expanding his own military might every planet was ransacked of any precious resource it could yield, mineral wealth and Human flesh being the two most valuable currencies.The conquest of the Agri-world of Numinal stands as an exemplar to those worlds that would fall beneath the iron foot of Cyclothrathe's baleful rule during the Horus Heresy. Having been quite easily vanquished and expecting only limited resistance on Numinal, Draykavac left behind a potent force to secure this new addition to the Cyclothrathine Holdfast.On the dust-moon of Numinal V, locally called Quachil, the Taghmata built an extensively fortified complex to house the new navigation beacon and astropathic communication nexus they would need. A fortified base from which to rule over Numinal was also constructed on the planet's principal archipelago.Numinal was an Agri-world and although its production was to be upheld, Draykavac ordered the harvesting of a far more unusual resource than mere crops or fish: Human flesh. Through servitor conversion or Adsecularis lobotomisation, Numinal's civilian population was to swell the ranks of the Cyclothrathine Mechanicum.Resistance, however, had not fully ceased and the forced conversion processing of the civilian population had spurred many to take up arms against their new ruler. It is a testimony to Draykavac's ruthlessness and organisational skills that within a few short solar days of his planetfall, processing operations returned to normal; each island and archipelago would be processed in turn; the civilian population accompanied under heavy escorts to specially-commissioned amphibious crawlers where the lobotomisation process would be performed.Each of these crawlers was equipped with servitor-manned charnel-surgery chambers, corpse sluice and protein recovery vats so that nothing would go to waste. Each of these inhuman machines would be guarded by Imperial Knights of Draykavac's personal thrall-house of House Atrax, a menace that no force on Numinal could hope to overcome.

Yelav Draykavac - Reckoning: It was perhaps by chance or by the whim of fate that in the year 009.M31 Archmagos Yelav would indirectly meet with the man that would become his most earnest and able opponent: Ireton MaSade, Protector of Agathon and leader of the Loyalist effort in the Coronid Deeps. Seeking vengeance for the death of his granddaughter at Port Maw, Ireton MaSade had taken war to the Cyclothrathine Mechanicum and the first blow was to be dealt on Numinal.Upon learning of the Loyalist attack, Draykavac acted with cold logic: his troops were scattered over the entire surface of Numinal and he would need time to assemble them. Even Draykavac was surprised by this attack, the truth that a full-scale counterinvasion was now on its way had not entered the strategic equations of the Taghmata Cyclothrathe. The orbit was already lost, his own escort craft having been defeated by deceptive-looking outdated Warp-dromons and macro-haulers, even his own flagship had had to retreat, no match for the turncoat Rogue Trader vessel, the Hammer of the Deeps.Releasing emergency command overrides, Draykavac took direct control over all Mechanicum forces on Numinal, his mind commanding thousands of bodies and automatons. In merely two solar hours, he had arrayed a force he judged sufficient to lead a counterattack. Yet the landing of some 40,000 Solar Auxilia did not seem to bother him excessively. The enemy had failed to mount an immediate attack, which indicated that they intended to liberate the planet rather than perform a simple raid. However, in the two solar hours he had needed to assemble his forces, these enemies had strongly fortified their landing zone.Draykavac would direct the attack from the shelter of his command compound, merely a hundred kilometers distant from the battlefield, his djinn-skein allowing him to look through a thousand eyes and targeting arrays and command entire divisions by himself. After the first force's hasty retreat against the unprecedented defensive fire from the Agathean cohorts, Draykavac had to act quickly as secondary incursions and insurrections now threatened his rule.Ordering his Knights to assemble, Archmagos Draykavac left his command vault and ascended onto his Abeyant, his personal bodyguard of Thallax cohorts forming up around him. Quickly reaching the battlefield, a second Mechanicum force, even larger than the first one, awaited his orders to crush the defiant Agatheans under the heavy footsteps of his Knights. A stalemate could still be achieved, which he was confident he would be able to break given reinforcements from Cyclothrathe, the Agatheans surely being unable to blockade Numinal once his own battleships could be recalled. All he needed to do was annihilate the invaders and retake the landing zones, thus securing the planet.As battle was joined, Draykavac did not realise that he had been tricked: the enemy commander, Ireton MaSade, had intimate knowledge of how Mechanicum Taghmata fight after having fought at their side during the Great Crusade. He knew that Draykavac's battle-plans would follow the prognostications or his logic-engines, which made Draykavac's tactics all too predictable.On a short command, the Agatheans' supporting Knights dropped from orbit and outflanked the Mechanicum host. Coming under direct attack from an unexpected quarter, Draykavac had to defend himself against a rampaging Knight-Castigator of House Hermetika, weakening the towering war machine with fire from his Graviton Gun enough to be brought down by swarming Vorax-class Battle-Automata. Draykavac himself tore the Knight's living pilot from his Throne Mechanicum before liquefying his flesh.Yet, when the Agathean cohorts pressed home their advantage, the facts were indisputable: Draykavac had lost the battle. Almost immediately, the Knights of House Atrax formed a hexagonal defence, protecting their lord and master from harm as they and the remaining Taghmata forces were ruthlessly sacrificed to preserve Draykavac's life. Once within his fortified command bastion, he made good his escape, a concealed salvation-rocket taking him to safety to his flagship the Sacra Astra from which he would leave the system.Despite this severe defeat, Archmagos Draykavac stayed in command of the Taghmata Cyclothrathe, a position he held for the entire duration of the Horus Heresy. Draykavac would secure many victories in the grim years of conflict and bloodshed that lay ahead and would cause countless woes to the Imperium's loyal defenders.

Yelav Draykavac - Legacy: Even though he secured many victories for his Forge World and he perpetuated a great many misdeeds and massacres during his years of rampage through the Imperium -- amongst them such infamous atrocities as the Genocide of Goth, the Lucine Travesty and the death of the seventeen worlds of the Donia League -- it is ironic that the vaunted Archmagos Draykavac is most prominently remembered for his failings.His role in the Liberation of Numinal has not been forgotten, especially within the worlds of the Coronid Deeps, but to the Imperium as a whole, Draykavac is remembered as something far more trivial: a source of information. It would only be after the Great Scouring that the floating wreck of Draykavac's flagship, the Sacra Astra, would be discovered adrift in the Maelstrom region.The identity of its attackers or the destinies of its crew remain a mystery to this day, but in the entrails of the Sacra Astra the Imperium discovered a most precious boon: Draykavac's entire personal archive, computed from his very own data-cores. This "Draykavac Archive" as it has since been called, provided the Adeptus Terra and military branches of the Imperium with precious knowledge regarding the function, the organisation and methods of the Dark Mechanicum, an insight that would prove most valuable on countless battlefields in the millennia to come.

Yelav Draykavac - Wargear: As commander of Taghmata Cyclothrathe, Archmagos Yelav Draykavac heavily augmented his body with bionics like most senior Tech-priests in order to be able to stride on the battlefield unharmed and overcome his enemies. His wargear included:Paragon Blade - Weapons forged of consummate artistry or irreplaceable relics of the ancient might of the Dark Age of Technology, Paragon Blades are few in number and may take many forms. Archmagos Draykavac's Paragon Blade is a monstruous weapon in the form of a halberd bearing the sacred cog emblem of the Mechanicum.Machinator Array - The Machinator Array is a complex and intricate system of manipulators, augmetic body replacements, built-in tools, sensors, and energy projectors utilised by the most able magi. Each array is unique to the magos who bears it and is a vital part of their cybernetically-augmented bodies.Djinn-skein - Djinn-skein is the name given to the wireless network of auto-senses and the suite of battlefield communications protocols available to Archmagos Draykavac to control all the forces of the Taghmata at his disposal.Mechanicum Protectiva - This term covers a variety of energy field and defensive shield projectors devised by the magi of the ancient Mechanicum to protect themselves both on the battlefield and from assassination by their rivals. For this reason, the frequency and modulation of each device is a closely guarded secret.Cortex Controller - This vox-based control and signaling device uses data-djinn (wireless communications network) to command robotic Battle-Automata fitted with cybernetic cortex systems, allowing the wielder to witness the battlefield through the Automata's own senses, as well as monitor their status and exact precise control over their actions.Graviton GunAbeyant - Considered in part as a symbol of status as well as a functional tool, an Abeyant is the name given to a class of anti-gravitic, hovering conveyances into which the rider's augmetic and life support systems are connected, so that the machine-vehicle becomes an extension of their own body. Often taking the form of a stylised throne or enclosing scarab-like framework, its levitation suspensor field allows the owner to cross most war-torn battlefields with ease. They are commonly used by high-ranking Tech-priests, especially in battlefield situations. As a powerful archmagos of a Mechanicum domain it was not unheard of for Yelav Draykavac to stride into battle mounted in an Abeyant such as he did during the Liberation of Numinal.Cyber-occularis - The Cyber-occularis is a type of servo-automata that is an extension of its master's senses on the wider battlefield, being more robustly constructed then a standard cyber-Familiar. These drones often resemble artificial raptors or strange hybrid creatures of organic corpse and machine.

Yellow Jackets - Yellow Jackets: Note: This article discusses material that was once considered canon but whose canonicity is now questionable.The Yellow Jackets is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter created during an unknown Founding and is of uncertain origin.

Yellow Jackets - Chapter History: The newly founded Space Marine Chapter known as the Yellow Jackets emerged as a distinct Chapter during the terror-filled era of the Horus Heresy. Cut off from the bulk of Imperial forces, the Chapter began a campaign of hit-and-run attacks launched from Thunderhawk gunships.The sudden appearance of these warriors pinned down and paralysed vast enemy forces and fear of their retribution prevented many a Planetary Governor from going over to the service of Chaos. In the ages since, the Yellow Jackets have continued to serve the Emperor of Mankind with distinction, including their heroic stand against Warlord Graznik and his mighty Ork WAAAGH!

Yellow Jackets - Chapter Colours: The Yellow Jackets primarily wear black Power Armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest plate, as well as the top of the helm, shoulder plate trim and lower legs are yellow. Two distinctive black rings are painted on the lower legs, emulating the distinctive markings of their insect namesake. The inset of the right shoulder plate is painted red.The yellow squad specialty markings -- Tactical, Devastator, Assault or Veteran -- are located on the right shoulder plate. Sergeants are designated by the skull symbol worn on their helms whilst Captains are designated by their red helms. A black Roman numeral is stenciled on the right knee guard, indicating squad number. The right knee guard is painted in the company colour in accordance with the dictates of the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), etc.

Yellow Jackets - Chapter Badge: The Yellow Jackets' Chapter badge is a distinctive yellow wasp centred on a field of black.

Yellow Jackets - Canon Conflict: The Yellow Jackets Chapter was created early in the history of Warhammer 40,000 at a time when the lore of the Horus Heresy was less defined than at present. At such, their background as printed in White Dwarf 177 claims that they were raised as a Chapter DURING the Heresy, which would have been impossible since only the 18 First Founding Space Marine Legions existed at the time, with the Chapters being created AFTER the Heresy following Roboute Guilliman's completion of the Codex Astartes.

Yellow Jackets - Sources: White Dwarf 177, "The Yellow Jackets", pg. 30 (Chapter created by 1994 Golden Daemon Chapter Design Competition Winner Jeff Durochia)Demon Winner - Golden Daemon Website, Golden Daemon 1994 Chapter Design Competition Winner, The Yellow Jackets by Jeff Durochia (Archived)

Ygethmor the Deceiver - Ygethmor the Deceiver: Ygethmor the Deceiver, known also as the "Twice Damned" and the "Purgator of Corrialis," is a formidable Sorcerer Lord of the Black Legion. He currently serves as one of Abaddon the Despoiler's lieutenants and a member of his personal retinue, the Chosen of Abaddon as well as one of the commanders of the Sons of the Cyclops warband.Ygethmor is the current Lord Deceiver, whose visions of the Warp lead the Black Crusade from star system to star system.During the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41, the Officio Assassinorum sanctioned the deployment of an assassin team to eliminate Ygethmor, amongst other notable targets in service to the Archenemy. Whilst scrutiny of their field records is impossible, at least seven Assassinorum agents are known to have failed in the attempt to take the life of the Deceiver.

Ygethmor the Deceiver - History: Little is known of the personal history of the vile creature known as Ygethmor the Deceiver before he rose to prominence during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41. It can be assumed that he was once a Legionary who served within the ranks of Sons of Horus Legion during the Great Crusade and the terrible intergalactic conflict known as the Horus Heresy over ten thousand standard years ago. As a Chaos Sorcerer, he possesses powerful psychic abilities, which may hint at his origins as a former psychic servant of his Legion's Librarius. During the early years of the Great Crusade, many Astartes of the Space Marine Legions began to display powerful psychic abilities. At the urging of the powerful psyker and Primarch of the psychically-gifted Thousand Sons Legion, Magnus the Red, as well as some of his fellow Primarchs, this led to the creation of the Librarius within each Legion, whose psychically gifted Battle-Brothers would seek the betterment of their Legion and the expansion of the burgeoning Imperium of Man. When Horus was corrupted by the powers of the Chaos Gods and began the internecine conflict known as the Horus Heresy, the Librarians of those Traitor Legions that followed him spat upon their oaths of fealty to the Emperor and dedicated themselves to Chaos, receiving new psychic powers. The only exception were the Librarians of the World Eaters, who were hunted down and slain by their brethren as a bloody sacrifice to Khorne, for the Chaos God of war and murder hates all practitioners of sorcery, which he sees as dishonourable trickery when compared to the joys of simple, blood-drenched slaughter.

Ygethmor the Deceiver - 13th Black Crusade: In 999.M41, Abaddon launched his 13th Black Crusade, which resulted in the largest mobilisation of both Imperial and Chaotic forces seen in the Milky Way Galaxy since the Horus Heresy. Though Abaddon's attempt to break through the Cadian Gate into open Imperial space proved ultimately unsuccessful, the advances made by his forces have gained him much more than was initially realised. His retinue of Chosen, led by Devram Korda, the "Tyrant of Sarora," returned to his side in the closing days of the war, bringing with them two individuals who had journeyed to the centre of the Eye of Terror. Together with Ygethmor the Deceiver, they presented Abaddon with the Heart of Chaos, a powerful Chaos artefact that Zaraphiston, the Chaos Sorcerer who served as one of Abaddon's Chosen, and a long-time hated rival of Ygethmor, had claimed could not exist. It is known that Ygethmor now stands at Abaddon's right hand as his Lord Deceiver, while Zaraphiston's status remains a mystery. What this object is or its true abilities are, no one knows, but it definitely bodes ill for the Imperium.

Ygethmor the Deceiver - Fall of Medusa V: Ygethmor was later gifted a vision by the Warp, a glimpse of a future that might be. He saw himself exalted upon a mountain of corpses as the undiluted power of the Empyrean writhed about him. He saw a planet scoured by the power of Chaos, transmuted into a Daemon World and himself as its master. To achieve his aims, Ygethmor gathered about him a mighty force, a conglomeration of Chaos Space Marine warbands, each of which was an army in its own right, and each led by a Chaos Lord hungry to share in the glory. Fulgrim's Champion, Lucius the Eternal, stood ready to fight beside Ygethmor's warriors, and two Great Companies of Iron Warriors readied their wargear to support the Deceiver. The Dark Apostles of the Word Bearers roused the masses against the False Emperor and the Alpha Legion's spies stirred rebellion in the great hive cities throughout the sector. Renegades from within the Maelstrom flocked to the cause as well. Even Ignatius Grulgor, beloved of Nurgle, and a warhost of Death Guard under his command stood ready to go to war at the Black Legion's side. Abaddon granted the Chaos Sorcerer four Black Legion companies, to be chosen by the Deceiver himself. Thousands of Chaos Space Marines from the Traitor Legions rallied to his cause, their numbers swollen by Renegade Space Marines from around the Imperium. Every warrior in Ygethmor's army fought to honour the Dark Gods and for the bounteous blessings of Chaos should they succeed.Following the 13th Black Crusade's end, Ygethmor was responsible for the destruction of the population of the worlds of Corrialis and Galafonte. Ordo Hereticus agents in the Galafonte System failed to learn the lesson of what Ygethmor was capable of following the Corrialis Massacres. In almost identical circumstances to what had happened on Corrialis, the population of Galafonte turned upon itself, worshipping the Dark Gods of Chaos in a frenzied slaughter of all life in the heavily populated star system. The Inquisition later speculated that the extermination of both Corrialis and Galafonte were little more than "experiments" in damnation, paving the way for Ygethmor's attempt to transform himself into a Daemon Prince on Medusa V. Ygethmor commanded the powerful Repulsive-class Grand Cruiser Blade of Damnation, which boasted firepower and accuracy far above other vessels of its class. The Blade of Damnation was known to be possessed by a daemonic spirit, which was consistent with the many infernal war engines used by Ygethmor's Black Legion warband of Chaos Space Marines.During the campaign later named the Fall of Medusa V by the Imperium, Ygethmor knew what must be done if he was to realise the future the Ruinous Powers had promised him -- the planet had to die. Atop a pillar of cadavers heaped upon the ruins of the Imperial Cathedral in the planet's capital city of Hive Euryales, a sorcerous ritual of inconceivable power had to be enacted. At the very moment that an approaching Warp Storm engulfed the planet, Ygethmor would be required to call upon the unlimited power of the Warp. Yet, for this ritual to succeed, it required millions of lives to be sacrificed to the Dark Gods and the glorious victory of the Forces of Chaos over the world's Imperial defenders. For Ygethmor, the prize was the power of the Warp unleashed and dominion over what might become his Daemon World of Medusa V. Despite his promises to Abaddon, Ygethmor fought for more than the glory of the Warmaster and Chaos; every victory brought him one step closer to daemonhood.Ultimately, Ygethmor's plans to ascend to daemonhood were foiled; while many aspiring Chaos Champions were able to achieve battlefield glory during the campaign on Medusa V, they were unable to claim the planet for the Ruinous Powers due to the heroic resistance of the Imperial forces.Ygethmor was slain by the blade of the Asuryani Autarch Elarique Swiftblade of Craftworld Alaitoc, and those Champions of the Dark Gods who had followed him were left to their fates on the dying world as the Warp consumed them.

Yharas Kine - Yharas Kine: Yharas Kine is a Chaos Lord of the Night Lords Traitor Legion who commands the battleship Nightmare of Celyx.Kine commanded the Night Lords forces that invaded the Talledus System during the Talledus War. The Dark Cardinal of the Word Bearers Legion Kor Phaeron, who led the overall forces of Chaos in the assault, convinced Kine to take part with promises of pious souls to torment and the finest pickings of a resource-rich Imperial star system.He has engaged in a cat-and-mouse war within the Tears of the Emperor asteroid field of the Talledus System against three White Scars Vanguard Space Marines strike forces commanded by Jodagha Khan.

Yharas Kine - History: The Chaos Lord Yharas Kine and his Night Lords warband found rich pickings amidst the Talledan asteroid field known as the Tears of the Emperor. Broadcasting a terrible psychic signal, they lured their prey into darkness before hunting and tormenting them with sadistic delight. Their latest quarry, however, would not prove such an easy kill.The Nightmare of Celyx drifted through the Tears of the Emperor, broadcasting its terrible signal across the stars. Following the siren ship closely were the shadowed hulls of Night Lords vessels. As Imperial cruisers and escort ships were dragged off course into thebelt, these reaver ships would strike hard and fast, firing boarding hooks and unleashing hunting parties of Heretic Astartes upon their stricken prey.Such was the horror let loose by the Night Lords that the Tears of the Emperor burned blood red. The asteroid field was visible from the surface of Talledus' war-torn worlds, a ragged wound in the sky that promised a bloody and terrible end.As the battle for the Talledus System raged on, more and more desperately needed reinforcements disappeared. Driven mad by the strength of the psychic broadcast, Navigators were drawn unerringly into the Night Lords' trap. Astra Militarum generals and officers of the fleet despaired, for every lost ship was a heavy blow to the Imperium's hopes of containing the Talledus conflict.Salvation came from an unexpected quarter. A strike force of White Scars Vanguard Space Marines under the command of Jodagha Khan, the captain of the 10th Brotherhood, had been tracking the movements of Yharas Kine's Night Lords for several solar months, following the psychic spoor of the Heretic Astartes' tortured victims.The White Scars had witnessed first-hand the trail of horror that the Heretic Astartes had left in their wake, and their revulsion at the depravity of their fallen brethren was absolute. The Khan's stealth cruisers followed the flight of the Nightmare of Celyx straight to Talledus, and to the Tears of the Emperor.There the Khan and his Battle-Brothers found a graveyard of tornand twisted vessels, orbited byflayed, vacuum-frozen corpses still wearing expressions of agony. There was no sign of the siren ship itself, but the sudden shriek of proximity sensors revealed a host of incoming vessels -- dagger-shaped Night Lords strike craft raging toward them at full speed.The resulting void battle was swift and brutal. The smaller Night Lords force had approached under thecover of drifting asteroids, and was upon the White Scars before the Space Marines could bring their lance batteries to bear. The cruiser Thunderstone was boarded by several kill-packs of Raptors, who wreaked terrible carnage upon the crew and sabotaged several motive systems before being driven off by squads of White Scars Infiltrators.As soon as the tide of battle turned, the Night Lords vessels slipped back into the impervious cover of the asteroid field.The Night Lords had turned the Tears of the Emperor into their hellish playground, mastering the deadly, shifting battleground and turning it against their foes. The White Scars found themselves not only assailed by the Heretic Astartes, but staggered by the devious traps and lures that the Night Lords had assembled throughout the asteroid field -- planetoids laced with cyclonic charges and astropathic signals that drew the White Scars into pre-prepared killing zones.Only the multi-spectrum precognition arrays of the White Scars' stealth cruisers allowed them to navigate a path through the haunted darkness. So began a shadow war of escalating brutality, as the warriors of Chogoris sought to track down their hated foes through a maelstrom of blazing rocks and ruined spaceships. The Night Lords had spared the lives of the Navigators from these gutted vessels, though the survivors found themselves subject to a far worse fate than death.Flayed, agonised and kept alive and conscious by Warp magic, they howled their torment into the void. These disruptive, psychic screams obscured the siren signal broadcast by the Nightmare of Celyx, rendering it all but impossible to discern the ship's exact location.Each of these lures was an ambush site guarded by kill-packs of Night Lords Raptors, Chaos Space Marines and Daemon Engines. Whether they were located on drifting asteroids or the skeletons of dead vessels, every inch of ground was rigged with las-grid traps, scatter mines and booby-trapped corpses.Incursor Squads paid a heavy toll to clear out each ambush site, utilising their Divinator-class auspexes to fashion a full-spectrum analysis of the battlefield and disperse this vital combat data to their Battle-Brothers.Infiltrator Squads breached the lightless halls of dead ships, hurling Smoke Grenades and firing disciplined bursts from their augur-scoped marksman Bolt Carbines.The tenets of speed and constantmovement, central to the art of warfare practised by the warriors of Chogoris, were stymied by the Night Lords' devious tricks.Yharas Kine and his contingent -- masters of the art of stealth and subterfuge -- delighted in the challenge provided by the Vanguard Space Marines. Claws of elite Chaos Terminators launched short-range teleportation strikes into the hearts of the White Scars formations, butchering and eviscerating with Lightning Claws and Power Axes.Heldrakes preyed upon the White Scars' dropships in the vacuum of space, and the nightmarish fiends known as Warp Talons breached the hulls of Space Marine cruisers, running amok in the darkness.For all the cruel ingenuity of the Night Lords' attacks, the White Scars, under the command of the Khan, adapted with remarkable speed. They feigned desperate retreats, drawing the Traitor forces into kill zones of their own. Damaged ships were sacrificed to lure in those Night Lords drunk on the thrill of murder and torture.The ambushers suddenly became the ambushed as White Scars warriors appeared in their midst, yelling blood-curdling war cries and engaging the Heretic Astartes in brutal, close-quarter battles.Yet even as the momentum of battle shifted from hour to hour, the Nightmare of Celyx remained unseen, still broadcasting its demented song. Until the White Scars had cut off every false signal, the desperate fighting within the Tears of the Emperor would continue, as the Talledan War raged on with no end in sight.

Yme-Loc - Yme-Loc: Yme-Loc is a minor Craftworld of the Eldar located in the Segmentum Obscurus. The Eldar of Yme-Loc are not very well-known throughout the galaxy, but are noted for their consummate weapon-smiths and the large numbers of Engines of Vaul and Eldar Titans they are able to field in war. The world-rune of Yme-Loc is known as the "Crucible of Souls". Eldar legends tells of the Crucible of Souls, within which the smith-god Vaul forged weapons of purest wraithsteel that were alloyed with the spirits of the virtuous in order to wage the War in Heaven. It was in this crucible that the ninety-nine-and-one Swords of Vaul were created. Yme-Loc uses the symbol of the Crucible of Souls as its world-rune. For the Eldar of Yme-Loc, the symbol represents the belief that the fate of their race is still theirs to forge.

Yme-Loc - History: The war-smiths of Yme-Loc toil endlessly to craft gigantic machines of destruction. Masterful and prolific in their efforts, they ensure that their warhosts are always furnished with the finest Engines of Vaul, and are able to field a great number of lithe Eldar Titans when they go to war. Yme-Loc's warriors are almost always delivered to battle aboard grav-tank transports, while Fire Prisms and Night Spinners provide supporting fire. Though the wraith-constructs of Yme-Loc are but few in number, there are tales among the Eldar that their weaponsmiths have created a new and devastating Vortex-based weapon powered by the souls of the dead. It is a device so terrible in potency that Yme-Loc have never dared to use it. It is whispered that it can scour entire continents of life in mere Terran minutes, the souls of the living torn from their bodies into the Warp by a vast ghost-storm.Yme-Loc's Guardians wear grey armor with orange helmets and shoulder armour plates. Yme-Loc's warriors are almost always delivered to battle aboard grav-tank transports, while Fire Prisms and Night Spinners provide supporting fire. Their mighty Wraithlords and other vehicles are often coloured grey with orange details.

Yme-Loc - Notable Events: The Bitterblood Wars (Date Unknown) - During the Bitterblood Wars, a Shadowseer of the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow brokered an alliance between the Kabal of the Flayed Skull led by Archon Vraesque Malidrach, and the warhost of the Yme-Loc Craftworld led by Autarch Kai Anastrena. The Shadowseer led the combined Eldar forces against the warbands of the Filth Pit who worshipped Nurgle as their god. While fighting the warbands, the casualties among both the Eldar and the Dark Eldar were great; yet the distraction they caused allowed the Shadowseer and her Harlequins to vanquish the warband's daemonic master and bring victory to the surviving Eldar.The Hounds of Khorne (794.M41) - Caelec the Wanderer breaches a sealed runic portal, only to find it leads to Khorne's realm. A warband of hound-headed fiends slays Caelec and follows his scent to Yme-Loc, causing utter carnage before it is finally banished to the Aether.Fist of the Machine God (801.M41) - When Craftworld Yme-Loc refuses to yield its secrets to an Adeptus Mechanicus war fleet, battle breaks out within the armouries of Vaul. Millions die before the Tech-priests seize enough Eldar technology to sate their predatory curiosity.Disaster on Yngroth (997.M41) - Whilst pursuing Harlequins of the Masque of the Silent Shroud, the Khorne Daemonkin of the Wrath battle their way through the Grey Canyons of Yngroth. Just as the Harlequins seem cornered, a warhost from Craftworld Yme-Loc springs from ambush, catching the Wrath in a devastating crossfire. For long moments the Eldar plan looks set to work, until Arbra'Gax, Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage, bursts into reality. Led by this unstoppable demigod of war, the Khornate horde smash their way out of the Eldar ambush, which swiftly devolves into a massacre as the Blood God's forces punish their devious foes.

Yme-Loc - Appearance: Yme-Loc's reputation was built upon the works of its forgemasters. The Craftworld's colours reflect the ancient garb of those smith-brotherhoods: an orange heat-mantle reminiscent of molten metal, and a grey forge suit for the coals that fuelled the furnace. Millions of Terran years on, their craftsmen rarely work with such base materials, and only then as an artistic indulgence. However, they still bear this ancient heraldry with the pride synonymous with their race.

Yme-Loc - Sources: Codex: Craftworlds (8th Edition), pg. 25Codex: Eldar Craftworlds (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 45, 51, 188-189Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pp. 17, 82, 88Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pg. 29Harlequins Painting Guide - Warriors of the Laughing God, pg. 6Codex: Khorne Daemonkin (7th Edition), pg. 29White Dwarf Magazine 237, "Codex: Eldar," Gav Thorpe, pg. 11

Ymga Monolith - Ymga Monolith: The Ymga Monolith is a mysterious Necron construct located in the Attila System of the Ultima Segmentum. The monolith lies on the edge of the region that is now claimed as a part of the Sautekh Dynasty. The identity of its sinister architects were long unknown by the savants of the Imperium, though the truth was believed to be hidden within the archives of the Library Sanctus on Terra. The Craftworld Aeldari also maintain a Webway portal close to the monolith and use the same rune for it as they do for the Hadex Anomaly.

Ymga Monolith - History: It is said that in the early Great Crusade, one of the Lost Primarchs led an expedition to the Ymga Monolith. Why he did so or what he found there remains unknown.The Monolith's purpose was finally revealed in the years after the Great Rift's birth during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41 as it began to glow when the Warp Storm designated Cerberax closed on its location. The monolith created a perfect sphere of Order around itself that remained immune to the effects of the Warp Storm as it progressed across the galaxy. The Tech-priests of Mars' Holy Requisitioners thus discovered that like the Cadian Pylons, the Ymga Monolith was a Necron phase node of immense power intended to close off realspace from the Immaterium.Necron warships of the Sautekh Dynasty soon arrived to defend the monolith from a Warp incursion led by daemons of Khorne who emerged from the Cerberax Warp Storm. This conflict was named the "Cerberax Wars" and the Ymga Monolith became an important asset for the Sautekh Necrons. Visions of the Imperium's Corinthe Mind-Scryers revealed that the monolith possessed the ability to physically duplicate any Necron warship that made contact with it, massively reinforcing the Necron forces in their battle with Chaos.

Ymgarl Genestealers - Ymgarl Genestealers: The Ymgarl Genestealers (Corporaptor ymgarli) are a variant of Tyranid Genestealers who were first encountered on the moons of Ymgarl in ca. 500.M41, about 200 standard years before the Milky Way Galaxy was invaded by the Tyranid Hive Fleet Behemoth. They were the first Genestealers encountered by the forces of the Imperium of Man and were initially thought to be a new species of previously unknown intelligent xenos.It was later discovered that they were just one variant of the standard Genestealers deployed as servant bioforms of the Tyranid hive fleets. Every attempt made by the Imperium to eradicate them has ended in abysmal failure and the usual wholesale butchery of those who made the attempt.Genestealers are known to change over the generations. The different variations between broods can be quite marked, but the Ymgarl Genestealer is truly unique because it possesses the ability to alter its own flesh to react to incoming attacks or to change its colour like a chameleon so that it can blend into its surroundings and remain unseen until it escapes or attacks.Its claw-tipped fingers can suddenly elongate and fuse together to form curved blades and barbed hooks or split apart into tentacles of sinewy alien flesh to slash or entangle those victims who try to escape. Under assault its chitinous carapaces can thicken and help its leathery hide absorb the energy of incoming melee or ranged assaults.Some Imperial observers who have had contact with this creature and have reported this strain of Genestealer's ability to change the colour of their skins believe they do so to better go undetected in the darkness of night or other extreme light conditions.But this extreme adaptability comes at a high price for this bioform. Ymgarl Genestealers must feed on large amounts of biomatter, and feed often. Ymgarl Genestealers' most distinctive feature is the mass of writhing tentacles that replaced the fanged mouth found on the standard strain of Genestealer which they use to pierce their victim's flesh to better feed upon the blood within -- this strain's only source of real nutrients.Those Ymgarl Genestealers that cannot obtain adequate nourishment to feed their raging metabolisms in this way will be forced to enter a state of dormant hiberation or starve to death. Within this state they will wait until something living -- and filled with fresh blood -- comes to disturb their dreamless sleep.The origins of the Ymgarl Genestealers remain a complete mystery to Imperial scholars, for they do not seem to have been a strain of bioform created by any of the hive fleets already known to have invaded Imperial space. It may be that they are the last survivors of a Tyranid reconnaissance of the galaxy before the arrival of Hive Fleet Behemoth.Even stranger, whilst the survival instincts of the other Genestealer strains leads them to flee the oncoming arrival of their parent hive fleets, Ymgarl Genestealers actively seek them out, as if they hope to once again hear the comforting presence of the Hive Mind that has long been absent from their thoughts.They spread across the galaxy searching for those inhabited planets that lie in the path of an approaching hive fleet. Once there they will lie dormant in hibernation until the Hive Mind reasserts contact with them and they can hunt alongside the rest of the Tyranid swarm. However, the Hive Mind has no desire to reabsorb their biomass or genetic legacies, lest their known instability spread throughout all of the bioforms in the hive fleet.Once the target world has had all of its biomass devoured, the Ymgarl Genestealer brood is abandoned by the Hive Mind, forced once more to enter hibernation. Unfortunately, many Human starships often investigate the Dead Worlds left in the wake of a Tyranid attack.They come to learn more about the horrific xenos, in the forlorn hope of discovering some miraculous survivors or as scavengers come to pick over whatever wealth may remain. These fools and idealists often leave the world with a far more deadly cargo hidden within their holds, ready to spread the cycle of death and terror anew.

Ymgarl Genestealers - History: As mentioned above, the Ymgarl Genestealers were at first not believed to be a part of the broader Tyranid species, but were instead thought to be xenos native to the moons of the world of Ymgarl first encountered by Imperial trade crews on merchant ships around 500.M41.However, 200 standard years later, during the invasion of Hive Fleet Behemoth beginning in 745.M41, the Tyranids used Genestealers as shock troops and melee infantry in countless battles against the Imperium and the other intelligent peoples of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Magos Biologis of Mars spent many Terran years trying to classify the Tyranid artefacts and bioforms left behind on Macragge after the invasion of Hive Fleet Behemoth was stopped by the sacrifices of the Ultramarines.Yet they could learn little about their origins from these remains. The only notable discovery had been that the Tyranids used the Genestealers as their shock troops. It had been believed that these xenos had spread across the galaxy onboard Imperial cargo barges and derelict space hulks.Many of the Imperium's most violent encounters with Genestealers before the arrival of the Tyranids had been onboard infested space hulks and names of such hulks as the Sin of Damnation were forever synonymous with these deadly aliens.The presence of Genestealers amongst the Tyranid bioforms proved that these previous assumptions concerning the Genestealers' independent origins had been false. Further genetic analysis confirmed that all Genestealers, even the tentacle-mouthed variant encountered amongst the moons of Ymgarl, were Tyranid bioforms.In response to this news, the Space Marines of the Salamanders Chapter unleashed a xenocidal campaign to purge the moons of Ymgarl of the foul creatures and the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos intensified their search for any signs of new Genestealer infestations, but little else could be done to deal with the problem.The question that continued to perplex Imperial scholars was whether the Ymgarl strain of Genestealers were the remainders of an unknown ancient hive fleet that entered the galaxy before the Behemoth or whether there was more to the current Tyranid invasion than had yet become apparent. It is now believed by some that the Ymgarl Genestealer was introduced to the moons of Ymgarl from Hive Fleet Tiamet sometime in the 35th Millennium, carried inside the hulls of Imperial vessels that were originally sent to destroy the then-unidentified xenos infestation in the Tiamet System.No matter the truth of their origin, the Ymgarl Genestealer strain was not completely destroyed by the Salamanders' efforts. They endure in the dark corners of the galaxy, always waiting for the chance to spread their infestation to new worlds and offer up yet another sacrifice for the Great Devourer.The full truth about the Ymgarl strain has yet to be revealed.

Ymgarl Genestealers - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Data: DesignationYmgarl GenestealerCommon NameGhost, Leech, SewerstalkerSpecies NameCorporaptor ymgarliRoleInfiltrationAverage Height1.9 metresAverage Weight0.3 tonnesMain WeaponryClaws and Tentacled LimbsSecondary WeaponryFeeding TentaclesTertiary WeaponryLimited Shapeshifting and CamouflageThreat EvaluationHigh

Ymus-Solaryn - Ymus-Solaryn: Ymus-Solaryn is a hold of the Ymyr Conglomerate of the Leagues of Votann located in the galactic core. Its Forge is famed across Kin space for the skill of its Brôkhyr, who produce machines and other advanced technologies of sublime might.

Ymyr Conglomerate - Ymyr Conglomerate: The Ymyr Conglomerate is an elite, major league of the Leagues of Votann dedicated to the crafting of high-quality technology that is located in the galactic core.All Kin value good craftsmanship, but none more so than those of the Ymyr Conglomerate. Experts in every form of manufacturing, their Brôkhyr see to it that the Conglomerate's holds and fleets are replete with marvels of technology, and that their weapons of war are second to none.The Ymyr Conglomerate are renowned for two things above all else; their vast material wealth and the spectacular technologies that they craft with it. A league whose mantra is ever quality over quantity, the Ymyr Conglomerate deploy some of the most elite and heavily equipped Oathbands to be seen in any theatre of war.The craftsmanship and quality of the Ymyr Conglomerate's weapons and void armour are second to none. Kin who enter battle girded with such forgewrought masterpieces strive never to waste their tremendous potential.

Ymyr Conglomerate - League History: A Kindred's entry into the elite Ymyr Conglomerate is dependent upon fulfilling one of two criteria. Some Kindreds are permitted to join after proving the exceptional skill of their Brôkhyr in fashioning wargear, voidships, force field technologies, or whatever other systems their Forge specialises in. The more prolific and puissant the Kindred's Brôkhyrs, the higher status they win for their Kindred within the Conglomerate.The other possible criterion for entry is if a Kindred's territories yield a suitably spectacular bounty of raw materials for use in Ymyr Forges. There is no stigma attached to a Kindred effectively buying its way in like this -- the Kin are pragmatic enough to recognise that even the most skilled Brôkhyr can achieve little without fuel for their Forge and materials to work with. In exchange for sizable exports of raw materials, these resource-rich Kindreds are rewarded with weapons, wargear and vessels forged by their skilled allies.Though smaller than some of the other Leagues of Votann, the Ymyr Conglomerate boasts the greatest concentration of superb technologies anywhere in the galactic core. Every one of their Kindreds benefits from remarkable force field generators to protect their void mining concerns and holds, expertly-crafted teleportation hubs that deliver their passengers safely to their destinations -- almost without fail -- and high-end scanning and communications suites.Their holds contain civilian facilities that, by spartan Kin standards, border upon decadence, while their Oathbands and Prospects boast phenomenal military hardware of every sort. The Forges of famous holds -- such as Vônyk's Hall of Hammers, Cynder Span and the Ymus-Solaryn -- produce singular mechanisms of sublime might. Moreover, the Ymyr are notorious for possessing enough advanced beam weaponry, suits of exo-armour and Colossus-class war engines to equip their armies at a level most Kindreds can only afford for their most elite warriors.Even before the birth of the Great Rift at the start of the Era Indomitus, some Ymyr Kindreds were frequent visitors to Far-space. They either traded with alien empires for materials not available in the galactic core, or else took by force those rich star systems they considered theirs by merit of need. Recent developments have only seen them redouble these efforts, for some of their wealthiest Kindreds have been cut off by Warp Storms or invading aliens, and the rest of the league will not see their famed Forges grow cold for lack of fuel.

Ymyr Conglomerate - Notable Kindreds: Orksbane Kindred - The Orksbane Kindred built their hold upon the heavily-irradiated Hold World of Tamâkh. Known as Brôkhfyre, the hold is dug deep into Tamâkh's planetary mantle -- insulated against the exotic and deadly energy spectra that pour from the world's nearby star. What violent apotheosis the tortured star is undergoing, none can say, but for three Terran millennia now the Kin of the Orksbane Kindred have captured the energies of its raging solar flares using kilometres-high stellar vanes. These energies power their hold's Forge, which is amongst the greatest in all the Leagues of Votann, renowned for the amazing weapons of war it can produce.

Ymyr Conglomerate - League Worlds: Cynder Span (Hold World) - The Forge of Cynder Span is famed across Kin space for the skill of its Brôkhyr, who produce machines and other advanced technologies of sublime might. To aid its artificers in their labours, Cynder Span is also located near a major mining epicentre.Tamâkh (Hold World) - The surface of Tamâkh is heavily irradiated by its nearby star, forcing the Kin of the Orksbane Kindred who call it home to build their hold of Brôkhfyre deep within Tamâkh's planetary mantle.Jâluk (Hold World) - Jâluk was an Ymyr Hold World that was claimed by a Warp Storm. The only remnant of its people is the relic armour crest of the Ymyr Conglomerate known as the Last Crest of Jâluk.

Ymyr Conglomerate - Last Crest of Jâluk: The tragic fall of the Hold World of Jâluk remains a cautionary tale to all those Brôkhyr tempted by wild experimentation. Only this one gilded armour crest, the Last Crest of Jâluk was recovered from the Warp Storm-lost planet, pristine and seemingly untouched by the Warp-madness that surrounded it. Its protective powers extend to its bearer, as does the weight of responsibility to prevent such a tragedy befalling their own hold.

Ymyr Conglomerate - League Colours: The Kinhosts of the Ymyr Conglomerate all wear a distinctive shade of red.

Ymyr Conglomerate - League Insignia: The insignia of the Ymyr Conglomerate is a stylised Kin black-and-gold glyph that depicts a triangle within another triangle.

Ymyr Conglomerate - Trivia: "Ymyr" is a derivative of Ymir, the great giant of Norse mythology who was the ancestor of all the jötnar, the giants, and whose body served as the raw material for all of Creation. This would accord with the general reliance upon Norse imagery and mythology used in the fictional culture of the Leagues of Votann.The myth also relates how the grandsons of Búri, the gods Odin, Vili and Vé, fashioned the earth from Ymir's flesh, from his blood the ocean, from his bones the mountains, from his hair the trees, from his brains the clouds, from his skull the heavens, and from his eyebrows the middle realm of Midgard upon which humanity lives.In addition, one version of the myth relates that the dwarfs, the mythological creatures upon which the Kin are based, were given life by the gods from Ymir's flesh and blood.

Yngvâry Combined Logistics - Yngvâry Combined Logistics: Yngvâry Combined Logistics is a large and powerful Guild of the Greater Thurian League in Leagues of Votann space.