Forgotten Fleets

Introduction

Back in 2005, GW did an article on their website where several designers came up with ideas for Tyranids that had either been separated from their Hive Fleets or were otherwise unusual biomorphs that had only been encountered in one system.

Stats built using the Creature Feature system.

The Organisms

Dakkarian Brain Slug

The Dakkarian Brain Slug is a creature found on the dense jungle world of Dakkar. This tropical Death World is home to all manner of deadly creatures, and the brain slug is possibly the most insidious and dangerous of all. It attaches to a host creature's nervous system and completely takes over the body and mind of its victim. When threatened, the Slug can slip below the dermal layer of the host's flesh through the break in the skin it made on the back of the host's neck. Once there, it extends a small breathing tube through the back of the neck, and it can then pass undetected among uninfected creatures with ease. Even the largest predator can fall victim to this malicious creature, and its unnerving ability to pass between hosts quickly makes dealing with the threat near impossible.

Rumors persist that the Brain Slugs have attached themselves to human hosts to gain passage off-world on conscript barges within the Imperial Guard. Entire contingents have been cleansed by regular Guardsmen armed with flamers at the slightest hint of Brain Slug infection.

Stat		Points
Size	Small	3 pts.
Locomotion	Quadrupedal	3 pts.
Attributes	Agile	5 pts.
	Quick Reflexes	1 pt.
	Resilient	5 pts.
Abilities	Mind Control	5 pts.
	Stun	4 pts.
	Vampirism	4 pts.

Ramblin' Snapper

Like many other off-shoots of the Tyranid genus, the Ramblin' Snapper has adapted to its environment very well. This powerful beast can be found on many worlds, especially in the jungles of Death Worlds. Although unusually stealthy for its size and form, the Snapper's favourite tactic is to build up a little speed and trample its prey before employing its massive claws to tear them apart. This strategy is quite sound against fearful animals and those not trained to stand their ground. However, the clumsiness of this top-heavy bipedal creature can be used against it. Imperial troops that have more than a moment to react can usually dodge the beast's initial charge and can often destroy it before it gets its bearing and returns to finish the job. If they don't see the initial charge, though…

Stat		Points
Size	Medium	9 pts.
Locomotion	Bipedal	0 pts.
Attributes	Extra Attack (x2)	8 pts.
	Resilient	10 pts.
	Strong	3 pts.
Abilities	Razor-sharp Claws	7 pts.

Kromlok Dangler

The Kromlok Dangler is an exceptionally dangerous Tyranid variant found only in the mountainous regions of the planet for which it was named. Hiding in the craggy peaks by day, this swift beast uses its exceptional vision to hunt after the sun has set. In complete silence, the terrifying beast swoops down on its prey, skewering it with the barb extending from its torso. Quite often, if the victim is small enough, the Kromlok Dangler can use its momentum to lift the prey up into the air and home to feed its young. Not many Kromlok Danglers have been brought down, so it is difficult to estimate how large they can actually get. The largest specimen subdued to date measured 5 metres and is estimated to have had an in-flight carrying capacity of approximately 65 kg. As men much larger have gone missing on Kromlok, one can only assume that much larger Danglers prowl the mountains of Kromlok.

Stat		Points
Size	Medium	9 pts.
Locomotion	Winged	10 pts.
Attributes	Predator	2 pts.
	Quick Reflexes (x2)	2 pts.
Abilities	Deadly Attack	6 pts.
	Hit and Run	8 pts.

Arenea Stalker

Asteroids are common throughout the Imperium, though only a few contain enough resources to justify a mining expedition. The Adeptus Mechanicus ran across one such rock drifting between systems in the Mordant Zone. Cataloged as TK421, the Techpriests deemed this asteroid worthy of exploitation and later sent a mining barge to process it. The operation began as normal, with the lowly Tech Adepts guiding their near-mindless servitors in the creation of a network of tunnels connecting the various ore deposits. Once the tunnels were done, though, things began going awry. First, a few servitors failed to return to the maintenance bay on schedule. Then more than 20 went missing. Perplexed, the Tech Adepts ventured into the lattice of tunnels to find their servitors. Soon they had followed the missing servitors' preprogrammed paths until their end, where the Tech Adepts found webbing drifting in the zero-gravity corridor. Only their recording servo-skull returned to the docked barge to show what the Tech Adepts had discovered.

Stat		Points
Size	Medium	9 pts.
Locomotion	Quadrupedal	7 pts.
Attributes	Predator	2 pts.
	Armoured	2 pts.
	Resilient	10 pts.
	Quick Reflexes (x2)	2 pts.
Abilities	Deadly Attack	6 pts.
	Hit and Run	8 pts.
	Entangle	5 pts.
	Vampirism	4 pts.

Debilithrax

The Debilithrax was discovered on the desert world of Erakeen by a Tallarn Raider patrol – only one of the Guardsmen returned to tell the tale to his regimental HQ. The patrol had set up their hygrotents in the shadow of a rocky outcropping for the midday heat and posted guards. The sleeping Tallarns only warning was the soft thud of the guards' venom-filled corpses as they struck the sand. Rolling out of the their tents with lasguns at the ready, the Tallarn confronted only the empty desert. Worse, the bodies of their comrades could not be found – only two craters remained in the sand. Clearly rattled, the Tallarn wanted to break camp, but they couldn't risk the moisture loss of moving at noontime. Instead, the Guardsmen took up defensive positions in their tents to wait out the sun. Soon, a rustle. Then, a strangled gurgle followed by the swish of sand. The surviving Tallarn couldn't stand it anymore and broke out of his tent – only to see the last of his neighbours' tents disappear beneath the sand in a scrabble of translucent tan claws. Shouldering his lasgun, the last Tallarn ran for his life.

Stat		Points
Size	Medium	9 pts.
Locomotion	Quadrupedal	7 pts.
Attributes	Predator	2 pts.
	Quick Reflexes (x2)	2 pts.
	Tough	3 pts.
	Armoured	2 pts.
Abilities	Burrowing	5 pts.
	Deadly Attack	6 pts.
	Poison	5 pts.
	Whip-like Appendage	2 pts.

Colossus

The centaur-like creatures aboard the large nomadic fleets dubbed "Hive Fleet Colossus" bore many similarities to other Tyranid hive fleets, but they had obviously encountered unique environs and thus evolved differently. Chief among these strange traits were their ability to make use of normal Tyranid weapon-symbiotes (although it seems that the process of equipping themselves with these bio-armaments is quite painful), and the unique talent of communicating telepathically with other organisms. Although the Colossi claimed to be slaves escaping some unnamed oppressor, these aliens turned on Imperial forces. Thus began the xenocidal 50-year Zorastra-Attila wars that ended with the destruction of the entire Hive Fleet Colossus.

Stat		Points
Size	Medium	9 pts.
Locomotion	Quadrupedal	7 pts.
Attributes	Resilient	10 pts.
	Tough	3 pts.
	Telepathic Attack	*
Abilities	Disorienting Attack	4 pts. *
	Ranged Attack (Str.)	3 pts.
	Rushing Attack	7 pts.

Leaping Thornsnake

Now considered to be a degenerated form of Ravener, the Leaping Thornsnake is found on a variety of worlds on the Eastern Fringe. It burrows under the ground before springing out to attack its victims with its horns and a shower of razor-sharp needles that launch from its head. It uses its powerful snake-like tail to propel the creature into the air as it leaps rapidly across terrain to close on its prey. Leaping Thornsnakes are a deadly threat to colonists and explorers on these worlds, as their subterranean locomotion keeps them from being discovered until it is far too late to escape unscathed.

Stat		Points
Size	Small	3 pts.
Locomotion	Bipedal	0 pts.
Attributes	Quick Reflexes	1 pt.
Abilities	Burrowing	3 pts.
	Horns/Spiky	3 pts.
	Ranged Attack (Mult.)	3 pts.

Gorzal Swamp Lurker

The Lurker is a massive xeno-beast found in the desolate swamps of Gorzal. This organism hides much of its enormous bulk under the silty and fetid waters of the drenched planet until an unsuspecting creature moves into range. Then the Lurker bursts forth in a spray of filthy water, its large, bladed arms shooting out to skewer its prey and drag it down to its waiting mouths.

Much like the slow-moving icebergs of Fenris, almost all of the Swamp Lurker's body lies beneath the clouded waters of Gorzal. The creature's crustacean-like legs find purchase among the rotting roots and debris as the xenos carefully picks its way across the surface of Gorzal. Lucky observers may notice its many-eyed ocular stalk jutting from the water in time to avoid an attack. Specimens as large as 120 metres in length are not unheard of, and some whisper that they've narrowly survived attacks by creatures three times as large.

Stat		Points
Size	Large	15 pts.
Locomotion	Quadrupedal	10 pts.
Attributes	Extra Attack	5 pts.
	Heavily Armoured	8 pts.
	Tough	6 pts.
Abilities	Burrowing	5 pts.
	Camouflage	3 pts.
	Deadly Attack	8 pts.
	Spiky	5 pts.
	Massive	20 pts.
	Regeneration	7 pts.

Brood Crawler

This creature appears to be a hybrid of a Termagant and a Carnifex. The Brood Crawler uses its massive claws both for movement and attack. While it does have extremely sharp teeth, a short neck and the sheer size of its claws always get in the way. These features force the Brood Crawler to chop up all vanquished prey into little bits and toss them into its small mouth in order to eat. Furthermore, this nimbly clawed creature has no eyes and must rely on its natural sonar within its claws to sense both attackers and prey.

Stat		Points
Size	Medium	9 pts.
Locomotion	Bipedal	0 pts.
Attributes	Armoured	2 pts.
	Extra Attack	4 pts.
	Predator	2 pts.
	Resilient	10 pts.
	Slow-Witted	-3 pts.
Abilities	Enhanced Senses	3 pts.
	Razor-sharp Claws	7 pts.

Horror of Icthiam

It appears that this xenos-creature may be a descendant of the Tyranid monstrosity known as the Zoanthrope. While separated from a host, the Horror of Icthiam is weak – barely able to move under its own volition. However, it can call telepathically to weak-willed persons and convince the soon-to-be slave that it's in his or her best interests to work together. Once joined, the Horror's power grows significantly. It feeds on the host's psychic energy, redirecting it in blasts of mental power while augmenting the slave's strength when it deems necessary.

Stat		Points
Size	Medium	9 pts.
Locomotion	Bipedal	0 pts. *
Attributes	Armoured	2 pts. **
	Extra Attack	4 pts. †
	Resilient	10 pts.
	Tough	3 pts. ‡
Abilities	Enhanced Senses	3 pts.
	Fearful Presence	2 pts.
	Mind Control	5 pts.
	Ranged Attack (Str.)	3 pts.

* Technically, this creature moves via psychic levitation when separated from a host creature.

** Host IG's flak armor.

† The host, an IG Sergeant in this case.

‡ The Horror deletes the host's inborn instinct for self-preservation.

Shelled Slashers

Shelled Slashers are a deadly, burrowing xenos native to the arid planet Drisdan III. This rocky sphere lies within the projected path of Hive Fleet Leviathan – a massive Tyranid assault that is attacking Imperial space from beneath the galactic plane. Slashers are possibly a Tyranid seed-creature that, due to solar winds or cosmic debris, has found its way to this desert planet from the main hive fleet.

Like most Tyranid species, the so-called Shelled Slasher has adapted to a harsh planet and created much pain among settlers and mining folk. Its heavily armoured body can resist the punishment of the sandstorms as well as most conventional weapons. When it pulls nearly 90% of its body under its shell, it becomes particularly difficult to eliminate. Its hard carapace closely resembles the shells of the Sandcrabs that prowl the desert sands which makes identification difficult, especially when the Slasher is partially buried. The creature is devastating on the offensive, exploding from the ground in spray of stone and sand while rushing its prey in a flurry of razor-sharp talons and vicious head-butts.

		Points
Size	Medium	9 pts.
Locomotion	Bipedal	0 pts.
Attributes	Extra Attack (x3)	12 pts.
	Heavily Armoured	5 pts.
	Quick Reflexes	1 pts.
	Resilient	10 pts.
Abilities	Burrowing	5 pts.
	Defensive Maneuver	3 pts.
	Razor-sharp Claws	7 pts.
	Rushing Attack	7 pts.

Credits

• http://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/35339558 user MrShoggoth for recovering/reproducing the content.