Barbgaunts are little more than living weapons, their bodies and biological cannons slaved to the will of a pulsating ganglio-parasite that piggybacks them into battle. Once there, they unleash volleys of chitinous barbs that detonate with the fury of violent muscle-spasms, transfixing nearby victims with a hail of jagged projectiles.
For centuries beyond counting has the race of malevolent ratmen known as the skaven plagued the Mortal Realms. Arrogant, avaricious and utterly without mercy, the skaven seek to annihilate every other sapient creature – expanding, multiplying, and consuming everything in their path until they alone rule over the decaying husk of reality. Those who defy this vision are overwhelmed by swarms of frenzied, red-eyed warriors, weaponized plagues, monstrous beasts and lightning-spitting war machines. Arise, Children of the Great Horned Rat!
Biovores are living artillery pieces, swollen with the clutch of explosive Spore Mines that they nurture within their bodies. Upon anchoring itself to the ground with chitinous spurs, a Biovore undergoes violent spasms that expel its volatile offspring in high arcs as living ammunition. From there, the gas-bloated Spore Mines detonate in a shower of bone shards and acid rain, or else drift languidly down onto the battlefield, primed to explode whenever prey draws near.
Clanrats mass into huge clawpacks, their vast numbers bolstering their courage and allowing them to surge across the battlefield and overwhelm the enemy, regardless of the hideous casualties they suffer along the way.
The T'au Empire is amongst the most dynamic and determined powers in the 41st Millenium. Their technology is advanced and ever-improving, from grav-skimming gunships and artificial intelligence, to potent energy weapons and formidable battlesuits. Their territories expand with every victory, be it military or diplomatic. Yet the T'au Empire's greatest strength is its unifying philosophy – they believe it is their duty to spread the doctrine of the Greater Good to every corner and culture of this dark galaxy, and will let none stop them from bringing enlightenment to the stars.
The Tyranids are an all-consuming alien swarm from beyond the known galaxy. Driven by the vast and ineffable intellect of the Hive Mind, their tendrils drive into fresh systems with every passing hour. These single-minded metapredators cannot be reasoned with, bought off, or put to flight. They seek only to strip each new world they encounter, devouring every shred of biomass to feed the relentless advance of the hive fleets and leaving dead, airless husks in their wake.
The T'au Empire employs advanced firepower and complex metastrategies in its quest to enlighten the galaxy, each suited to different environments, objectives, and enemies. The Sudden Dawn Cadre specialise in the philosophy known as Mont'ka – the Killing Blow. Skilled Pathfinder scouts mark vital targets, Breachers mobilise with swift grav-transport technology, and Commander Cloudspear uses her powerful Enforcer Battlesuit to lead high-risk, high-reward tactical raids deep into hostile heartlands.
Aggressive and rebellious, Commander O'Shovah is an undisputed master of Mont'ka, the T'au metastrategy of the Killing Blow. Piloting his crimson battlesuit, he carves a bloody path into the enemy, leading his separatist Fire Caste forces from the front as he wields the enigmatic Dawn Blade with such strength and skill that no foe can stand against him.
When the T'au Empire goes to war, they bring advanced battlesuits, faithful drones, potent energy weapons, and a host of allied races to shore up their weak spots, making their armies some of the toughest to tackle.
The Tyranid hive fleets are rapacious alien swarms that flow from beyond the galactic fringe to devour all life. When the Tyranids attack they do so in unstoppable numbers, unleashing nightmarish bio-weapons upon their victims.
The Deathleaper is a rare and advanced development of the Lictor strain, perfectly evolved to act as a terror weapon. This apex Lictor possesses an instinctive understanding of how to spread fear through hostile forces and prey populations alike, using its skills in stealth, infiltration, and assassination to sow paranoia and dread before the hive fleet attacks en masse.
Deathmasters are the greatest assassins of the Clans Eshin, trained in the shadowy arts of stealth and contracted to slay those whom influential skaven deem too dangerous to live. Armed with poisoned ‘weeping blades’ and toxin-laced throwing stars, these supernaturally dextrous killers have slain kings and warlords beyond count.