Genestealer

The Genestealers (Corporaptor hominis) are one bioform of the multispecies Tyranid race that was genetically designed by the Hive Mind for the infiltration of other intelligent species' settled worlds. The Tyranids are an intelligent, nomadic alien race governed by a collective consciousness known as the Hive Mind and comprising many different genetically-engineered forms.

There are currently two variants of the standard purestrain Genestealer: the Broodlord and the baseline Genestealer. In earlier incarnations of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, there were five separate types of Genestealers, representing the Genestealer Cult variant army, including: Genestealer Patriarchs, the Genestealer Magus, standard Genestealers, Genestealer Hybrids, and Brood Brothers.

Genestealers reproduce by introducing their genetic material into a host from another intelligent species; this is normally a human, but can theoretically be any sentient humanoid race, including the Eldar or the Orks. The Genestealers have no true genders, and require a creature of any species, any gender to reproduce. The Genestealer will find a suitable host and hypnotise them into passivity using its unusual, alien eyes. The Genestealer then thrusts its long, whip-like tongue (which also serves as an ovipositor) into the body of the host, where it deposits its DNA in the form of a type of virus that infects the somatic and germ line cells of the host. Several hours later, the infected victim wakes up from the incident, with no wounds or any recollection of what happened. The new host of the Genestealer DNA will go on about its normal life, and eventually reproduce with another member of its species, thus siring (if male) or giving birth (if female) to a Genestealer Hybrid. The Genestealer reproductive cycle is truly cyclical, as an F4 hybrid will always spawn a purestrain Genestealer with a genome identical to that of the original Genestealer that infected the first host.

Newly born Genestealer Hybrids, although fundamentally Genestealers, will have characteristics inherited from the host parent. Thus a Genestealer Hybrid of human stock may have a vaguely humanoid head, or only two arms instead of the usual four, and perhaps its tail will be shortened or missing. A Genestealer of four or more generations of consistent human parentage would pass for a baseline human on cursory inspection, although a closer look would reveal bluish skin, sharp, pointed teeth and a rather disturbing stare. The Ymgarl Genestealers on their homeworld exploited a large, semisentient leech-like creature called a Csith as their usual mate; and matings with a Csith always produce natural Ymgarl Genestealers rather than Hybrids, no matter what the parentage of previous generations.

Genestealer
Purestrain Genestealers have the same basic arthopodic body structure as all other Tyranid species. They appear as roughly man-sized, six-limbed creatures with both the chitinous exoskeleton and endoskeleton common to Tyranids. Their two lower limbs are legs; another pair of limbs are extremely sharp claws which are used for tearing apart foes in close melee combat - these claws are so sharp that they can even hack through extremely well-armored enemies, such as Space Marine Terminators, with ease. The other set of limbs are arms as well, but their nature varies depending on the type of host species used to create the Genestealers or the needs of the Hive Mind. Genestealers are known for their incredible agility and great skill in close combat. Genestealers were first encountered by the Imperium of Man on the moons of Ymgarl. After this encounter, Genestealers were further encountered on large derelict starships known as "space hulks"- these ship-borne encounters being the subject of the aforementioned Space Hulk game. With the invasion of the Imperium of Hive Fleet Behemoth in the late 41st Millennium, it was discovered that the Genestealers were in fact a part of the Tyranid race. Genestealers perform two roles for the Tyranid armies: first, they are often found in the main Tyranid hive armies acting as assault troops; second, they can be found as an advance force of a Tyranid Hive Fleet, aiding future planetary invasions and biomass absorption through the use of their unusual reproduction method.

Ymgarl Genestealer
Imperial researchers of the Adeptus Mechanicus have concluded that the Ymgarl Genestealer was a form of the species that became separated several hundred Terran years ago from the main fleet of the Tyranids' Hive Fleet Behemoth, and, having completely lost its psychic link to the Tyranid Hive Mind, had reverted to a feral state. Ymgarl Genestealers appear quite different from normal Genestealers, and this is also believed by the Imperials to be due to the separation from the Hive Mind, and generations of eating almost exclusively a native lifeform of the Ymgarl moons.

Genestealers are known to change over the generations. The different variations between broods can be quite marked, but Ymgarl Genestealers are truly unique because they possess the ability to alter their own flesh to react to incoming attacks or to change its colour like a chameleon so that it can blend into its surroundings and remain unseen until it escapes or attacks. Their claw-tipped fingers can suddenly elongate and fuse together to form curved blades and barbed hooks or split apart into tentacles of sinewy alien flesh to slash or entangle those victims who try to escape. Under assault their chitinous carapaces can thicken and help their leathery hides absorb the energy of incoming melee or ranged assaults. Some Imperial observers who have had contact with this creature have even reported this strain of Genestealer's ability to change the colour of their skins, so as to better go undetected in the darkness of night or other extreme light conditions.

But this extreme adaptability comes at a high price for this bioform. Ymgarl Genestealers must feed on large amounts of biomatter, and feed often. Ymgarl Genestealers' most distinctive feature is the mass of writhing tentacles that replaced the fanged mouth found on the standard strain of Genestealer which they use to pierce their victim's flesh to better feed upon the blood within -- this strain's only source of real nutrients. Those Ymgarl Genestealers that cannot obtain adequate nourishment to feed their raging metabolisms in this way will be forced to enter a state of dormant hiberation or starve to death. Within this state they will wait until something living -- and filled with fresh blood -- comes to disturb their dreamless sleep.

The origins of the Ymgarl Genestealers remain a complete mystery to Imperial savants, for they do not seem to have been a strain of bioform created by any of the Hive Fleets already known to have invaded Imperial space. It may be that they are the last survivors of a Tyranid reconnaissance of the galaxy before the arrival of Hive Fleet Behemoth. Even stranger, whilst the survival instincts of the other Genestealer strains leads them to flee the oncoming arrival of their parent Hive Fleets, Ymgarl Genestealers actively seek them out, as if they hope to once again hear the comforting presence of the Hive Mind that has long been absent from their thoughts. They spread across the galaxy searching for these inhabited planets that lie in the path of an approaching Hive Fleet. Once there they will lie dormant in hibernation until the Hive Mind reasserts contact with them and they can hunt alongside the rest of the Tyranid swarm. Howver, the Hive Mind has no desire to reabosrb their biomass or genetic legacies, lest their known instability spread throughout all of the bioforms in the Hive Fleet. Once the target world has had all of its biomass devoured, the Ymgarl Genestealer brood is abandoned by the Hive Mind, forced once more to enter hibernation. Unfortunately, many human starships often investigate the Dead Worlds left in the wake of a Tyranid attack. They come to learn more about the horrific xenos, in the forlorn hope of discovering some miraculous survivors or as scavengers come to pick over whatever wealth may remain. These fools and idealists often leave the world with a far more deadly cargo hidden within their holds, ready to spread the cycle of death and terror anew.

The Ymgarl Genestealers were at first not thought to be a part of the broader Tyranid race, but were instead thought to be xenos native to the moons of the world of Ymgarl. However, 200 standard years later, during the invasion of Hive Fleet Behemoth beginning in 745.M41, the Tyranids used Genestealers as shock troops and melee infantry in countless battles against the Imperium and the other intelligent races of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Magos Biologis of Mars spent many years trying to classify the Tyranid artefacts and bioforms left behind on Macragge after the invasion of Hive Fleet Behemoth was stopped by the sacrifices of the Ultramarines. Yet they could learn little about their origins from these remains. The only notable discovery had been that the Tyranids used the Genestealers as their shock troops. It had been believed that these xenos had spread across the galaxy onboard Imperial cargo barges and derelict Space Hulks. Many of the Imperium's most violent encounters with Genestealers before the arrival of the Tyranids had been onboard infested Space Hulks and names of such Hulks as the Sin of Damnation were forever synonymous with these deady aliens. The presence of Genestealers amongst the Tyranid bioforms proved that these previous assumptions concerning the Genestealers' independent origins had been false. Further genetic analysis confirmed that all Genestealers, even the tentacle-mouthed variant encountered amongst the moons of Ymgarl, were Tyranid bioforms.

In response to this news, the Space Marines of the Salamanders Chapter unleashed a xenocidal campaign to purge the moons of Ymgarl of the foul creatures and the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos intensified their search for any signs of new Genestealer infestations, but little else could be done to deal with the problem. The question that continues to perplex Imperial savants is whether the Ymgarl strain of Genestealers are the remainders of an unknown ancient Hive Fleet that entered the galaxy before Behemoth or whether there is more to the current Tyranid invasion than has yet become apparent. Regardless of the outcome, the Ymgarl Genestealer strain was not completely destroyed by the Salamanders' efforts. They endure in the dark corners of the galaxy, always waiting for the chance to spread their infestation to new worlds and offer up yet another sacrifice for the Great Devourer. The truth about the Ymgarl strain has yet to be revealed.

Broodlord
The Broodlord, or Corporaptor Primus, is the ultimate product of Genestealer evolution. The Broodlord is immensely strong, agile and durable, which makes it a superb melee warrior. In addition to their already potent melee combat abilities, the Broodlord also has a few Tyranid Biomorphs or biomechanical weapon-symbiotes to chose from beyond just its standard rending claws and scything talons.

The Broodlord acts as an assault commander for Tyranid armies, personally leading attacks while bearing the "synapse" ability frequently observed in higher forms of Tyranids which allows them to coordinate the Hive Mind's psychic commands over other, less-intelligent Tyranid species. However, unlike the traditional Genestealer Cult that rises up, takes its followers from among the local populace of an infested Imperial world and psychically dominantes them, and who then proceed to worship the Tyranids as gods, the army led by the Broodlord is an infiltrating vanguard that operates in a similar manner to the Tyranid Lictor.

Genestealer Cults
All of the members of this unusual "family", including human hosts, Hybrids and full-blooded Genestealers become psychically-linked to each other in a miniature version of the Tyranid Hive Mind, and become fiercely loyal to their "family". Over time, the "family" grows as its members continue to breed and bring in more members, and the "family" will eventually grow large and become a true Genestealer Cult, sometimes worshipping some vaguely defined entity which will 'deliver' the worshipers and their planet from the usual harshness of life in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

The psychic link maintained by the "family" or the Cult - henceforth a Genestealer "brood" - acts as a potent psychic beacon, attracting the forces of the Tyranids' main Hive Fleet to their planet. As more members are brought into the group, this psychic beacon grows stronger. As shown with the events leading up to the Tyranid invasion of Ichar IV (Kelly and Chambers, 2004), a brood can eventually grow so large that it will begin conducting sabotage or causing riots intended to cause chaos and disrupt Imperial governance and defense of the afflicted planet. Broods have even been observed rebelling against Imperial authority, attempting to seize ruling power over the planet for themselves. The ultimate goal (whether the Brood consciously knows it or not) is to sow discord or even neutralize planetary defenses in order to ease the Tyranid conquest and consumption of the planet's biomass.

Although pureborn Genestealers are frequently born from other species, they are said to lack creative intelligence. They are unable to wield weapons, even those of the species from which they are born; Hybrids have some degree of intelligence and are able to make use of weapons. Genestealers do have incredible animal cunning, however - they have even been seen acting as a sort of scout for Tyranid armies, stalking ahead of the main force.

Patriarch
A Patriarch is the purestrain Genestealer who first originated a Brood. As the first Genestealer of the group, all other members are psychically linked through it; this allows it to attain a level of intelligence much higher than that of other Genestealers. Over time, it can become a very powerful psyker, and it grows much larger physically than an average Genestealer, becoming much stronger and more resistant to damage.

As the Tyranids approach the planet that the Patriarch calls home, it will fall under the power of the Tyranid Hive Mind, and begin leading attacks on vulnerable positions to facilitate the inevitable invasion. It is assumed that it knows nothing of its role in the Tyranid invasion, and once the Tyranids are successful, it and its Brood are also consumed by the Hive Fleet. Patriarchs are known to live for hundreds of years. They are seen by the Genestealer Cult as a "father" figure, and should the Patriarch's destruction come to pass, the Cult would be thrown into disarray. The loss of the Patriarch and its hold on the Cult would likely lead to its destruction; the sudden absence of the telepathic link from the Patriarch would lead the Hybrids and remaining purestrain Genestealers of the Cult to revert to little more than feral monsters.

Many have speculated that the Patriarch and the Broodlord are one and the same. This is mainly due to both their psychic prowess and leadership over other Genestealers. Indeed this is even hinted in an interview with a Games Workshop sculptor. However the Broodlord is statted-out as a separate sub-species of Genestealer bred solely for its superior combat prowess and synaptic leadership, while the Patriarch is simply any ancient purestrain Genestealer that leads a Genestealer Cult.

Hybrids
A Genestealer Hybrid is created by a Genestealer implanting its DNA into a host organism. The DNA implant then slightly enhances the host's physiology, and noticeably alters their reproductive system. When infected hosts breed (it is unknown if only one or both parents need to be infected), their firstborn child will be a Genestealer Hybrid. The parents and any later children will be psychically enslaved to their Hybrid family member, cherishing it with abnormally large amounts of affection. Depending on their generation, the Hybrid offspring range from looking like purestrain Genestealers with human traits to humans with Genestealer traits; F1, F2, and F3 Hybrids reproduce asexually like purestrain Genestealers, while F4 hybrids reproduce sexually with another member of the host species. The F5 generation is born as a purestrain Genestealer once more, restarting the cycle.

Magus
The Genestealer Magus is an F4 Hybrid that appears almost entirely human, although baldness, denser-than-normal bone structure, hypnotic blue/purple eyes, slightly bluish/purplish-tinted skin, and fangs are common traits. The Magus, unlike a purestrain Genestealer and earlier generations of Hybrids, is highly intelligent and is a powerful psyker, but is absolutely dedicated to serving the Patriarch. It uses its human appearance to act as the face of the Brood, and relays the orders of the Patriarch to the members of the Brood and the Genestealer Cult. Like the Patriarch, it presumably knows nothing of its role in the Tyranid invasion it is aiding. Magi are the exact opposite of the purestrain Genestealer, highly intelligent beings that are nonetheless extremely vulnerable in close melee combat. The firstborn child of a Magus or Hierarch (a non-psychic F4), will always be a purestrain Genestealer, but the species of any later children can be consciously chosen by the F4 parent.

Brood Brothers
Brood Brothers are those baseline humans or other host species individuals who have been infected by Genestealer DNA and have been psychically enslaved by their Hybrid offspring, often referred to by the Adeptus Mechanicus Magi Biologis as the Contagii. They revere and serve the Genestealer Patriarch and battle mindlessly on behalf of the Genestealer Cult. Their main duty is to join with the local population of the infested planet and help the Genestealer Cult to take over the world. Brood Brothers are able to enter into combat like the Imperial Guard, ally with Renegade Imperial troops, or use "liberated" vehicles once owned and operated by the local Planetary Defence Force or Imperial Guard regiments of the planet which they are infesting. They are led into battle by command squads formed of Hybrids.

History of the Genestealers Army
Genestealers appeared in the First Edition of Warhammer 40,000 (Rogue Trader), but at the time were not a Tyranid species. They were simply noted as being an "enigmatic monster ... from one of the moons of Ymgarl", now "spread throughout space" and "threatening to become a real menace". Since then it has been revealed that they were the advance forces of the Tyranid invasion and are now often seen as part of a Tyranid army.

The Genestealer Cult is a substitute army that has been introduced several times for Warhammer 40,000. The initial introduction by Paul Murphy, Bryan Ansell, and Nigel Stillman was printed in White Dwarf issues 114-116 (1989). This was followed by an article from Andy Chambers and Jervis Johnson in White Dwarf issue 145 (1992) that detailed the Genestealer Cult as part of a Tyranid army. Later, Tim Huckelbery detailed the Genestealer Cult army in issues 40 and 41 (1999) of the Citadel Journal, under the title Codex: Genestealer Cults. This official supplemental Codex provided official rules for using Patriarchs, Magi, Hybrids and Broodbrother units. It even included rules for a "Transport Coven Limousine." Later, in the first Codex Tyranids, these rules were incorporated as the "Genestealer Cult Army List" and included all of the characters in their previous form sans Limousine.

In the Tyranids Codex for the 3rd Edition of Warhammer 40,000, there were no rules provided for the Genestealer Cults. With the introduction of the Broodlord in the 4th Edition, Genestealers could once again be fielded as their own army, albeit one that was restricted to HQ and Troops units only (which arguably makes it quiet ineffective). Before the 4th Edition, the 3rd Edition Genestealers were the oldest models in use to date (they were the same ones from Rogue Trader and the Space Hulk game).

Genestealer is also the name for the second expansion produced for the Games Workshop tabletop miniature wargame Space Hulk. The expansion is named after the Genestealers that the Space Marines battle as the primary adversaries of the game. It features psyker rules for Space Hulk.