Codex: Xenarch

[Antaeus]

Truth, all truth. 3-6 maybe? Can't make them too small since they need to be able to do some damage, but I see your point.

[x-esiv-4c]

yeah that sounds about right. You see, what I envision is a lot of small units. This poses a problem in the FOC because 6 troop choices will leave you fielding a small number of troops. If the FOC could be revised into "Cells" ( no electrical pun intended but it works ) then I could see a greater number of small squads. Say 3 cells = 1 troop choice.

[Antaeus]

Sounds good to me. You mean, say, 3 Infantry squads (hey, maybe 'Cell' could be their term for 'squad', like Tyranids have 'brood'?) count as 1 Troop choice? That would work for me.

Would they use sniper rifle-equivalent weapons? More stealthy, shadowy-ness. I have this image of glowing long rifles zapping people at long range from the darkness.

[x-esiv-4c]

Would they use sniper rifle-equivalent weapons? More stealthy, shadowy-ness. I have this image of glowing long rifles zapping people at long range from the darkness.

Bingo. Yeah, if we use the "brood" connotation but call it cells I see this working. Perhaps troop cells should be 6-8 size? then have 1 or 2 special weapons in the squad, one of which could be a sort of sniper rifle like you described.

[Antaeus]

Good thinking. Things are taking shape I went for 1 special weapon instead of 2 though, to prevent the dreaded min-maxing.

Xenarch Infantry Cell- 8pts/model

WS3 BS3 S3 T2 W1 I2 A1 Ld7 Sv4+
Size: 6-8 models
Equipment: Arc rifle. Up to 1 model may take a Death arc (+7pts) or Impulse rifle (+5pts)
Special Rules: Concealment: All Xenarch gain +1 to Cover saves.

Arc rifle: R24" S3 Ap6 Assault 2
Death arc: R24" S- Ap5 Assault 3, Pinning, Electrical discharge*: Instead of rolling To-wound with the Death Arc, targets must make a Toughness test or suffer a Wound with Ap5. A roll of a 6 always fails, regardless of Toughness.
Impulse rifle: Counts as a Sniper rifle.

[x-esiv-4c]

CONCRETE! This one is solid. Just saved it into the compendium so far. Just to make sure, 1 troop choice is 3 cells right?. Should we include different types of units to be included into troop-cells?

Example:
1 troop choice on FOC = 3 cells = 2 Xenarch infantry cells + 1 Xenarch stalker cell

( I have no idea what the stalkers are...just made up).

[Bmaxwell]

since you guys like the little fluff idea i made up im gonna start working on more fluff for these guys i should have it up by like 9 or so its 2:30 right now (eastern time) so yea i'll post it then its gonna be big to.

[x-esiv-4c]

Cool thanks for the help Bmaxwell, really appriciated!

[Antaeus]

Ooh, that's a nice idea, mixed Troops choices. Works for me Yip, I like that, 2 Infantry Cells + 1 'Stalker' Cell = 1 Troops slot. Could do with a cooler name for the infantry...but I like the way this is going.

'Stalkers': Maybe an extra light infantry unit all with Impulse rifles, like Eldar Rangers? Perhaps with some grenade options?

[x-esiv-4c]

Yeah, all the names are temporary for now, just some nomenclature to use for convenience. Yeah. I could see stalkers being a total sniper unit, worse armour save maybe? Just trying to keep strengths and vulnerabilities somewhat even.

[Antaeus]

Works for me, 5+ armour and Initiative 3 should do it for Stalkers. Maybe our first Hit-and-Run unit (with 12" charge)?

[Bmaxwell]

Xenarch


Physiology: the Xenarch at could be mistaken for a human form a distance but it become quite apparent when on a closer look that they could be no further form humans. They have a general human body, 2 legs, 2 arms, hands, and a head. The feet are more akin to a reptile’s foot with 3 clawed toes and a rear claw that can be used to attack an oppeant while in a jump or kicking fight. The entire body is covered in many tiny scales so small that it looks like skin to a naked eye. These scales are very soft to the touch but based on the Xenarchs mood then can also begin to harden and the skin of the creature starts to take on a hard chitin appearance. the arms are covered in the same type of scales but on the wrist there are 2 small openings that a small clawed tentacle resides that was oringally designed to poison prey but now with the adavanedmane of Xenarch technology are used as the connection between creature and machine. There are 4 claws on each hand each about the with of 2 human fingers. At the end of the muscular fingers a small but razor sharp retacble claw. The head is basically. The mouth is full of razor sharp teeth and also has a secondary jaw that can unfold form the chin and become two mandibles.

Culture: the Xenarch culture is based on there religion which they consider pure energy to be the most beautiful thing in the universe. This can be seen in all aspects of the culture. All works of art are things that make beautiful light displays or holograms etc etc. the rulers of the Xenarch are the Prophets. Threw immense psychic power then have been able to shed there mortal bodies and become pure energy. They are for the most part contained in walkers that in times of wars can be even more powerful then the strongest Dreadnought. It is not uncommon to see other aliens in or in rare cases humans in Xenarch systems. These aliens and humans have embraced the Xenarch way of life entirely.

Langue.: with pure energy being sacred it is seemed to be crude for them to speak instead most communication is telepathic. Which strangely other Humans and other aliens in Xenarch systems have no trouble in interacting entirely telepathically. It is not uncommon for a Xenarch bar to be completely silent and then having a fight break out.

Spacefleet: made up of many small craft. That are extremely fast very few craft are much larger then a large cruiser. Most are capable of sub light speeds. Just recently the Xenarch have discovered warp travel and they have just begun to experiment with it. they have been able to mass produce warp drives that can even fit onto fighters. There weapons are mostly massive laser batteries. And massive electrical coils which act as the shields zapping anything thing that comes to close. But there main weapon is being able to turn ships against there own user’s by taking over a ships computer the Xenarch have slowly been growing there navy.

Pysker: all Xenarch has some Psychic talent. They must for if a Xenarch is born with out they are mute for all intents and purposes. Because almost all communication is done telepathically. Also much of there tech requires that they have a small level of psychic ability just so that they can interact with it.


What is not known to outsiders is that Xenarch are actually a symbiotic race. They where the Arch’s which as a space faring race though extremely advanced they where made of pure energy. Basically they where computer’s with Sentience. Not being able to find a way to have offspring. (for obvious reasons) they searched the galaxy something that would allow them to bear youth. Coming out of there sub light travel in the northern rim they stopped for the regular maintenance and repairs. During a regular sweep of a system for resources they found they main planet where the Xen lived. Not much better beasts when the Arch’s found them they begun to do repairs to there ships. Setting up bases on the planet its self to mine and gather resources. The arch fearing that something in the jungle could destroy them. Then sent out probes to see what was out there. They discovered the Xen at first the Xen attacked one of the probes but that unfournate creature was then vaporized by the powerful “counter measures” that the probe took. Then the arch sent out even more to bring back and study these creatures and other plant life for this was the first time that the Arch’s and encountered any thing biological. Amazed that they in fact where made up of many smaller organism’s (cells) that made one being they begun many genetic engineering. The Arch decided to stay in this system and attempt to speared the Xen to different planets as a expemrint. No matter where the Xen went weather it had a atmosphere or not eventually other plant life would spring up along side of them.

This continued for untold centuries, until one of the most powerful arch’s THX1010 made a remarkable discovery. That the Xen’s reproductive cycle first begun when a small part of the electrical Brain pattern of then Xen was isolated and put into the egg of the newly born egg of the Xen. Risking its own existence it attempted to put her electrical signal into the egg instead of the parent Xen. It worked. Though her mind was fragmented into 1,000,000 of Xen they still all knew what had to be done. They showed and proved to the rest of the archs that though they where fragmented they all where THX1010. the news was what the Arch’s had always strived to do to be able to reproduce and have offspring by divided there minds and putting them into biological creatures they could have offspring. (a single arch’s mind could not be contained in a Xen it would cause pure insanity) These new Xen where called Xenarch’s each Arch divded there mind on one of the worlds where Xen lived.

The leaders of Xenarchs the Prophets are in fact when enough Xenarch’s mind can be formed into a Arch. When the Arch’s First when into the Xen they awakened something they had not expected, the Xen was psychic race but due to the fact they could not think it had not been awakened yet and with the incredible minds of the arch in there body’s it has been awakened.

[Bmaxwell]

hope you guys like it

[x-esiv-4c]

Well, that sums it up! Fantastic work Bmaxwell bloody brilliant work! This is going straight into the compendium, anyone seen any changes? It looks great to me!

[Bmaxwell]

thanks alot that was somthing i did really quick as a overview there where some things i wanted to put in but couldn't find a good place

1. Arch's where only about 150 large very small each one had a about lunar class shipe that was there "body"

2. aleins and humans that are in Xenarch space are acuallty expements at putting Archs into other speices.

3. i want each arch to be insanely powerful. able to destory a world on its own. but you could have scaled down arch's as well

4. Xen release spores in there body that can create plant life and batriece so that a world can become inhabitale over time.

what did you like that most about it allways trying to make better work.

thanks for the complaments

[Antaeus]

Nice work, I like it. However, I'm not sure we want the Archs to be quite that powerful: reminds me too much of the C'tan. Remember they aren't meant to be that much of a threat to the Imperium.

Other important thing: what's the pronunciation? I think of it as "Zeen-ark". This would affect the spelling of the plural, since the plural of "Zeen-ark" would be 'Xenarchs' but plural of the "Zeen-arch" (as in torch) would be 'Xenarches', by my thinking at least.

[Bmaxwell]

good point. i aslo decied that there would acauttly only be about 80 archs to start with.

what might make more sense is if the entire fleet of archs could easily take over a world.

yea Zeen-ark is how i've been pronounceing it 2 but with pural just zeen-arks.

[AcolyteLouxman]

I've only just discovered this site else i would have deffinitely posted to you peeps before! i've just been reading what you have so far its v. cool!

i've tryed to make armies, but they generaly end up being comical affairs with large fat furry things that attack by sitting on people!

seriously though i like it all the only bit which sounds a bit wierd is...

Xenarch

...on the wrist there are 2 small openings that a small clawed tentacle resides that was oringally designed to poison prey but now with the adavanedmane of Xenarch technology are used as the connection between creature and machine...

its i lil too 'nid like i think... but who am i to critasise!

if theres anyway i can aid you let me know.
AL

[Antaeus]

*salutes Acolyte Louxman* Wilkommen. Anything you like, really. Criticisms, ideas for new background elements/units/weapons, anything would be useful

[x-esiv-4c]

Hey guys,
Sorry i've been a bit detached this weekend, had loads of work to get done. I'll have my head back in the game tonight. I'll compile what we have accepted so far into a "pre-codex" and we'll continue from there.

Thanks!