Genestealer

Template:NidPortal The Genestealer is a species of Tyranid. They are considered to be among the most deadly creatures in the galaxy, combining high cunning, lightning-fast reactions and movement, with large, extremely sharp claws that can rip through the toughest armour in seconds.

Most insidious is their ability to implant their alien genetic material into other creatures, turning them into virtual slaves which will then breed hybrid-Genestealers, giving rise to the Genestealer Cults that grow in secret within human and other societies.

They are also a major part of a Hive Fleet's forces, often the first creatures committed to planetary invasions.

Genestealers form the first wave of a Tyranid invasion, either infiltrating a suitable world hundreds of years before the actual invasion, or in the much more short term, where they are deployed onto a planet by spores by the hive fleet. In both cases they pave the way for the invasion by weakening the planet's defenses.

Role

File:GenestealerHorde.jpg

A group of Genestealers of several generations. The Magus is giving orders, but notice also the much larger Patriarch behind him.

Their purpose is to scout out ahead of the hive swarm and pinpoint potential planets for the Tyranids to invade, with the ultimate goal of assimilating new and useful genetic material for the benefit of the hive. During a Tyranid invasion, they are often among the first Tyranids to make planetfall, dropped in Mycetic Spores; biological drop-pods.

Evolution

Genestealers are some of the most mutable Tyranid specimens, and often exhibit a wide and varying range of different traits. It has been hypothesised that these traits manifest dependent on the particular host species the infection discovers; but this theory has been disregarded by some experts, citing that the traits are more likely different genestealer subspecies altogether, which are separate from the host altogether.

Genestealers combine extraordinary intelligence and subtlety of mind with remarkable strength and quickness of body. Their torsos and extremities are protected by a deep blue carapace. Their sinewy muscles are purple-red. They are bipedal, standing in a perpetual crouch atop hooved feet, and they have two sets of arms, one equipped with Human-like hands, one with powerful ripping claws. The Genestealers' hairless heads are bulbous in shape, coloured the same deep purple-red as their muscles, with the creatures' fang-filled mouths and hypnotic eyes at the front.

Genestealers are stronger and hardier than Men, able to withstand even the most hostile environments - including hard vacuum - unprotected. They live for centuries.⁶

Broodlords are the Genestealer leader organism. The Broodlord is always the first Genestealer to make planetfall when the Tyranids first infest a world.² The relationship, if any, between the Broodlord and Genestealer Patriarch is undetermined.

All Genestealers are psychic, using telepathy to communicate with the brood and hypnotising victims before implanting their seed.¹⁰

First Contact

First contact of the genestealers by the Imperium took place upon one of the moons of Ymgarl before humanity had knowledge of the Tyranids, and even after the discovery of the hive fleets, a long time period had passed before it was realised that genestealers were actually members of the Tyranid species.

Genestealers in a Tyranid Invasion

Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Record
Imperial Designation:	Genestealer
Common Name:	Stealer, leech
Species Name:	Corporaptor hominis, Corporaptor ymgarli
Average Height:	1.9m
Average Weight:	0.3 tonnes
First encountered:	Ymgarl
Role:	Infiltration
Threat evaluation:	High

Once upon a new world, the vanguard organisms seek out all forms of life, attempting to home in on species of a highly organised nature, such as Mankind. Genestealers at first concentrate on infecting creatures, establishing themselves as a clan or cult within the infected creatures' society.

The clan of genestealers, hybrids and human relatives are psychically bound together through the original Genestealer (the Patriarch), forming a tightly-knit community. The brood, driven by the Patriarch, is totally devoted to gaining political power within the society, infecting suitable hosts, prospering and multiplying, while hiding their true nature from the broader society.

The genestealers will attempt to impregnate anyone under their power with their alien DNA. The infected hosts spawn ugly, part-Genestealer offspring known as Hybrids. The offspring exhibits psychic control over its parents who see the child not as a hideous monstrosity but as a perfect child to be nurtured, protected and loved.

Both the infected and the kin of the infected are fanatically loyal to the aliens. They form a closely bound clan or cult, cloaking themselves in the guise of a legitimate religion. While their numbers are few and their political power is weak, they busily work on further infiltrating the society, gaining converts and hosts. They do not reveal their true nature before they have thoroughly infiltrated the planet's society. When they are strong enough, they have nothing to fear, and the unsuspecting normal citizens have everything to fear, and the mask is torn off: the genestealer infestation reveals itself, taking over the last remnants of the society.

The hybrid children create a stronger psychic pulse as the infested communities flourish, attracting the notice of the Hive Mind. The stronger the psychic signal, the faster the Hive Mind reacts and mobilizes a Hive Fleet to attack the planet. Mycetic Spores containing other Tyranid creatures now rain down onto a largely unsuspecting world, microscopic spore clouds clog the atmosphere and the Hive Mind blanks out the warp and drowns any attempted psychic distress beacons. At this point the genestealers join the ranks of the other Tyranid organisms, or infiltrate enemy population centres to take out enemy leaders and cause panic among the general populace.

Infiltration cycle

The different phases, beginning with a Purii. The contagii, who are mere hosts and not Genestealers at all, are not shown.

• Purii - Purii are the most recognisable kind of Genestealers and one of them starts the infection cycle. They can infect members of other species through an ovipositor for genetic material located within their tongue. As the infection and infiltration spreads, the first genestealer takes the role of Patriarch and often grows larger than a typical Purii specimen.
• Contagii - Infection Generation - Are the "hosts", members of another species, that have been infected by the "Kiss of the Purii". This causes them to forget the circumstances and the infection itself. As they return to their own societies they begin to have an urgent need to find a mate and to begin a family. The mate also becomes a Contagii. The Contagii are physically indistinguishable from other members of the species, making them the perfect infiltrators. The infection makes them fanatically loyal to their offspring, and to their Patriarch, which typically will re-enter their life all too soon.
• Maelignaci - 1st Generation - As the contagii mate, the genetic material they were infected with passes onto their offspring. The maelignaci are very alike pure Genestealera, possesing many times 3 or even 4 arms. However they are unable to use their host species technology or weaponry. Within the cult they generally regarded as expendable shock troops. They are very clumsy and slow.
• Hybrid - 2nd Generation - The offspring of the maelignaci bear more resemblance to their host species. However no one would be fooled, and they are also unable to use technology.
• True Hybrid - 3rd Generation - The members of this generation could be mistaken for a member of their host species if they wear disguising clothes, or appear in shaded areas, etc. Some of them are capable of using weapons of their host species.
• Primacii - 4th Generation - The Primacii are indistinguishable from members of their host species. Still many sport some tell-tale: many are bald, or something else. Their loyalty always lies with the Genestealer cult. Some rare individuals of this generation have psychic powers and take an important role within the cult as a Genestealer Magus.
• Purii - 5th Generation - Paradoxically, the Genestealers DNA reemerges and the cycle can begin anew, as new Genestealers have the potential to become new Patriarchs in other worlds.

Images

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  1989, Space Hulk

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  Inquisitor scale

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Sources

• ¹ Codex: Tyranids (3rd Edition)
• ² Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition)
• ³ Xenology by Simon Spurrier
• ⁴ Deathwatch Graphic Novel
• ⁵ Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project
• ⁶ White Dwarf 114, White Dwarf 115, Genestealers by Paul Murphy, (reprinted in Warhammer 40,000 Compilation)
• ⁷ Space Hulk (Game)
• ⁸ Bringers of Death
• ⁹ For The Emperor (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell

Related Articles

• Species of Tyranid
• Genestealer Cults
• Genestealer Hybrid