The Tyranids are alien predators invading the galaxy from the vast intergalactic void beyond its edges. Like swarming insects falling upon precious crops, they devour all before them – consuming life upon each world in their path, and leaving nothing but airless rocks in their wake. They are a threat to every sentient species in the galaxy, and their numbers are growing.
The Aeldari once ruled the galaxy, before their civilisation collapsed beneath the weight of its own hedonism. Now the Asuryani sail the stars aboard massive vessels called craftworlds, their citizens keeping to highly disciplined Paths to avoid drowning in the same decadent madness as their ancestors. Each craftworld's Guardians take up arms to defend their dying race, wielding deadly shuriken catapults or power blades, or shredding foes atop their swift Windrider jetbikes.
Looming ghost warriors many times larger than even the mighty Wraithlords, the war machines known as Wraithknights are still dextrous enough to run through the ruin of a shattered city, leaping from pillar to spar as their arcane weapons bring oblivion to the enemies of the Aeldari.
Each Norn Emissary is a purpose-bred beast, spawned by its Norn Queen to accomplish a specific and singular objective – be it hunting a strategically gifted commander, abducting a knowledgeable prey-being, or pursuing some other ineffable goal. These colossal heralds of the Hive Mind's agenda meld terrifying psionic potential with speed, intelligence, and monstrous strength, ensuring that a Norn Emissary is more than equal to its alien task.
An Avatar of Khaine is an ancient deity incarnate – a burning shard of Khaela Mensha Khaine, the Bloody-Handed God of the Aeldari. Awakened for battle, he marches through enemy fire without breaking stride, laughing cruelly as his weapon – the Wailing Doom – cleaves flesh and tastes the blood of his foes with each strike.
With a Spiritseer seated inside the clear plastic canopy, the Hemlock Wraithfighters cowling contains the vehicles spirit stone, as well as being armed with two deadly heavy D-scythes.
Hive Guard are heavily armoured gun-beasts bound to extremely powerful symbiotic bio-weapons. They are created to guard the Tyranid Hive Ships and capillary towers that stand sentinel over prey worlds, until such time as intruders come within range of their deadly weapons.
The Venomthrope's whip-like tentacles drip with a multitude of alien poisons. Indeed, so potent are these toxins that it is believed that a Venomthrope's very touch means certain death.
Streaking into battle at speeds that render them barely visible to human eyes, Shroud Runners effortlessly outmanoeuvre their enemies while harassing them with pinpoint sniper fire. Each jetbike acts as the mount for a pair of skilled Aeldari Rangers, the pillion rider often entering a marksman’s trance so as to aim and fire while travelling at incredible velocity.
Aeldari mythology is replete with noble heroes at one with their steeds, and in the Shining Spears, the glories of legend are made manifest. These Aspect Warriors live to joust, which they do at breathtaking speeds upon their jetbike mounts. Their chosen weapon is the long and formidable laser lance, which uses a powerful energy blast to burn an opening in the target – instants before the bulk of the weapon slams home with devastating, piercing force.
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.
The Rangers are Outcast warriors, wanderers who left the regimented lives of the craftworlds behind them. Adepts in the arts of stealth warfare, marksmanship, and tracking enemies through harsh terrain, the Rangers aid their brethren as scouts and snipers. Veiled by cameleoline cloaks and gloom field generators, they can hide from their foes even in plain sight as they pick them off one by one from extreme range.