40K: “New” Xenos Possibilities
Could new Xenos Units and/or Armies be on the way? We sure hope so! Let’s talk about a few unusual suspects.
After the news that Games Workshop was teasing the possibilities of *new xenos to 40k our hearts are all a flutter. We decided to go back and take a quick look at each race they mentioned and highlight what makes them cool:
Nicassar
A Nicassar Dhow
The Nicassar are a psychicxenos race who were the first addition to the Tau Empire.
They are highly psychic, and because of this the Tau have carefully kept them hidden from the Imperium for fear of igniting the worst excesses of human xenophobia.
The Nicassar are driven by an insatiable curiosity to explore and travel, becoming semi-nomadic and most content when traveling. The Nicassar can put themselves into states of hibernation in which they can survive for long periods. They are described as having limited mobility and being unfit for ground combat, and so further the Greater Good by providing ships for the Tau fleet, especially for the roles of scouting and exploring.
The Nicassar ships known as Dhows are small, maneuverable, yet elegant yachts propelled by the psychic powers of the captain. But they lack any real interstellar capability. As such, they are often towed by Tau ships, and also provided with upgraded Tau weaponry, or they will travel slowly for centuries while in hibernation. Often for a longer journey a Nicassar family will join together to form a larger community, with crew alternating between hibernation.
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The Nicassar are already allies of the T’au. They could easily be brought in as a (some would say much needed) psyker-unit for the T’au Empire. Imagine the T’au with MIND BULLETS!
Barghesi
The Barghesi, also spelt Bhargesi, are an alien race known for being ‘hyper-violent’ that inhabits the Grendl Stars constellation in the Eastern Fringe.
Imperial wars against the Barghesi date back to at least the Great Crusade, where the horrific beasts destroyed an entire Brotherhood of White Scars.
According to Imperial records, the Iron Lords Space Marine Chapter proved instrumental in confining the Barghesi to the Grendl Stars, and also in preventing the destructive biological potential of the species from being harvested by Hive Fleet Kraken.
Barghesi, captured by Dark Eldar Beastmasters, are occasionally used for bloody hunts and displays in the gladiatorial Wych arenas of Commorragh.
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Hyper Violent, capable of killing Space Marines in battle, and already used by the Wych Cults of the Dark Eldar? YES PLEASE!
Demiurg
The Demiurg are a race of short, semi-humanoid traders and miners allied with the Tau Empire. They have a high level of technology invested in their vessels as they are required to perform a number of tasks: Stronghold-class vessels, for instance, are used as factories, processing units and as a base for mining fleets, while the Bastion-class vessels are often configured for use in asteroid mining. These vessels are largely automated and use electro-magnetic fields to scoop up interstellar hydrogen, which is then compressed inside the vessel and ejected towards the rear, creating a form of ram-jet engine. The engines are relatively slow in comparison to Imperial technology, however the complex shielding the system requires and the beneficial side-effects of its use are as of yet still unfathomed by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
A known tool is the Demiurg survey glass which is a penetrative visual tool used for mineral detection at depths of up to two kilometres
Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.From the Demiurg the Tau acquired their knowledge of Ion Cannon technology, which is now heavily used by the Tau in their armies and fleets.
Aside from the development of ionic weapons, the Demiurg appear to remodel a lot of their weaponry from technology already developed for use in resource gathering and manufacturing. Two examples of this on board their spacecraft are the Cutting Beam, which appears to have been adapted from high powered lasers used to mine asteroids, and automated mining machines, which, once reconfigured, are launched as attack craft against enemy ships.
Demiurg operated a number of automated mining machines that harvest rare and precious metals. These operated on shunt networks across regions of space that consist of unmanned electromagnetic conveyer stations that propel resource-rich asteroids that are sent from prospecting fields to xeno client homeworlds. Such a process takes hundreds of years but by the time the asteroid reaches in-system the automated mining machines excavate as well as process the arranged shipment.
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Space Miners of the T’au Empire with advanced fleets and Ion Cannon/Powerful Drilling technology – that sounds like another great way to expand the T’au space faring range.
Sslyth
Sslyth are an alien species that inhabit the galaxy as mercenaries and are typically seen within an Archon‘s Lord’s Retinue. Millennia ago, the race fell before the temptations of unbridled excess and quickly became one of the most favored beings by the Dark Eldar. Their serpentine bodies along with two sets of limbs allow them to carry enough blades along with weapons to quickly dispatch anyone foolish to harm their master. This along with their skills made them fearsome warrior fiends in combat which is why they are often chosen as a bodyguard detail for an Archon. This is because Dark Eldar make poor bodyguards due to their treacherous nature which is why Sslyth are often recruited from the ranks of the aliens that inhabit the Dark City of Commorragh in order to protect their master from an inevitable coup.
They already have models, are part of the Dark Eldar, and are know as mercenaries. We need to know more about these 4 armed snake-dudes ASAP!
Nagi
The Nagi are a xenos race from the world of Sha’galudd. Highly intelligent worm-like creatures, the small Nagi are known for their mind control abities. When they were first discovered by the Tau Empire, they were despised by the Tau, who fought a series of violent conflicts with them. However they have since agreed to a peace accord and have joined the Tau Empire. Nagi’s frequently serve as advisors to the Ethereal Caste.
More T’au allies with “mind control” abilities. Again, could be another possible race that helps them deal with Psykers.
Jokaero
The Jokaero are an alien race, ape-like in appearance who are capable of tremendous technological and logical feats, and who also specialize in miniaturisation technology.
The Jokaero’s physical resemblance to orangutans of ancient Terra led to some speculation that the Slann may have genetically manipulated the species as they are known to have visited the planet on numerous occasions.
In actual fact, the origins of the Jokaero are linked to the ancient God War between the Old Ones aided by the genetically uplifted Young Races and the Necrons, during which the warp itself became disrupted, and when predatory creatures such as the Enslaver Plague began to manifest into the material universe. Just as the Old Ones had created the Eldar, Rashan and K’nib to battle the Necrons, they now created two new races to help fight the warp-spawned threat on their strongholds.
These two races were the hardy greenskinned Krork and the technology-mimicking Jokaero. However, by this point, the damage was too great and the Old Ones were overrun with their great work being undone as their predators of the warp descended on their ancient empire.
Despite the destruction of their masters, the Jokaero continued to live on and into the Age of the Imperium where there was much speculation about their origins.
The creations of the Jokaero were often sought after across the Imperium. These technosavants often found themselves recruited as Weaponsmiths by the Inquisition.
Hey look! Some Imperial “Xenos” helpers. The Jokaero have a miniature already and they are awesome tech-smiths. They are a race that could easily be expanded an added as a merc unit/Imperial Ally.
K’nib
The K’Nib are an alien species nurtured by the Old Ones about which little is known. What is known is that they are described as “festering” and are known to have ten limbs.
Not much is known about this race. However, that means they are wide open for some inspired GW writer to go NUTS with whatever they could be. Festering and 10 limbs? Could even be a friend of Nurgle!
Lacrymole
The Lacrymole are a race of aliens which have the ability to shapeshift and change their appearance at will. They stow aboard Imperial craft to travel the galaxy where they feed upon the blood of their victims. They were first discovered by Inquisitor Gründvald on Betacairn. Gründvald held an assembly with many other members of the Ordo Xenos to declare the race Xenos Horrificus. Whether the race was purged and cleansed is unknown, although it is most probable that it has been.
Alien Space-Vampires that can shapeshift? How are these NOT in the game already?! Or maybe they are…
Hrud
The Hrud, also known as the Nocturnal Warriors of Hrud and by the scientific name Troglydium hrudii, are a xenos species that inhabit the galaxy.
According to the record-keeping of the Hrud, they were an ancient race that predated the time when Mankind became the masters of space and their tribes have been living a parasitic existence for longer than what was known to humans. The Imperium of Man first encountered the Hrud as far back as the era of the Great Crusade and during the early era the noisome warrens of these aliens were cleansed by the Emperor according to the Liber Historica Vangelia. During this time, the Iron WarriorsAdeptus Astartes were in the midst of a cleansing of Hrud warrens on Gugann.
After the formation of the Inquisition, it became an institution that became the first to become aware of emergent menaces to the Imperium which they have proven with Necron awakenings, the arrival of the Tyranid hive fleets and the advent of Hrud Migrations along with other similar events. Numerous Hrud infestations are known to had plagued the region of the Maelstrom alongside more than twenty Ork empires and countless human pirate strongholds. At some point, the Hrud are known to had infested Mortenken’s World until they were driven from the holy city by the hands of Daenyathos who was a legendary philosopher soldier of the Soul Drinkers. Around seven hundred and thirty years ago, the Ultramarines battled the Hrud in the Battle of Ortecha IX which saw Battle Brother Olfric perish though he would be avenged by his comrades that ate the heart of his killer.
In 980.M35, a major Hrud war against the Imperium took place known as the Hrud Rising. The infestations led to the Dark AngelsChapter being deployed against them but after clearing two of the designated three sectors they withdraw for their own mysterious reasons.
Of all the Xenos, the Hrud could be the most legitimate fighting force. They might not be as vast as the Imperium, but they can clearly put up a fight. Plus we have different art pieces to reference. Are the Hrud the tiny rat-men from the very top picture? Or are they the slinky-armed slendermen above? Why not both?
Ambull
Ambulls are subterranean xenos creatures native to the desertdeath world of Luther McIntyre IX.
Ambulls can easily survive extremely hot temperatures, which has led to attempts at domestication on several hot desert planets. As a consequence, Ambulls can be found on desert planets throughout the Imperium.
Ambulls have huge barrel chested bodies and an ape-like stance, their arms reaching almost to the ground, while their legs are crooked and short. The Ambull’s most characteristic feature are their huge expandable jaws. Their eyes are able to sense heat.
The Ambull’s limbs end in iron-hard claws used for digging through the soft stone of their homeworld. Ambulls will excavate tunnels in which to live, spending most of their time underground. These burrows can often form extensive underground complexes. Their tunnelling abilities have also defied attempts on many Imperial worlds to domesticate or corral them.
Due to the intense heat of Luther McIntyre’s sun, the Ambull’s subterranean lifestyle is shared with many of the death world’s inhabitants, including the Ambull’s favorite food, the Crawler. Ambulls will pursue prey through soft rock by tunneling at considerable speed.
Ambulls were sighted on the Ice WorldSimia Orichalcae while the Valhallan 597th were protecting a valuable promethium refinery. It was later speculated that they had arrived through a warp portal opened from some unknown desert world by a Necron scouting force that deployed to Simia Orichalcae. These rogue ambulls killed several promethium miners in the lower tunnels, while CommissarCiaphas Cain and a Valhallan scouting party slew a great number of the beasts in the tunnels. It was noted that they could tunnel through ice as easily as sand or rock, and were remarkably survivable away from their normal desert environment.
After the Simia Orichalcae campaign, Cain dined with InquisitorAmberley Vail at an upscale hotel, which offered ambull steak on its room-service menu. Logash, a Tech Priest, had earlier told Cain’s aide Ferik Jurgen that ambull meat tasted much like grox.
#BringBackTheAmbull
For more Xenos lore be sure to check out the Lexicanum
There are lots more xenos races that we didn’t cover – what race would you love to see get a “Merc” unit or an entire army?!
