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|align="center"|'''''"One of the most dangerous and perilous ordeals known to Mankind."'''''
'''— The World of Catachan.'''{{Fn|3}}
|} '''{{PAGENAME}}Catachan''' is the most infamous and lethal [[Death World]] in the entire galaxy.{{Fn|3a}} It is located in the [[Ultima Segmentum]] and is covered in dense jungle. The planet's entire ecosystem seems consciously hostile to all foreign life. Each and every element of the native flora and fauna of the planet represents a real danger to any human, even [[Space Marines]] are said to avoid this hellish place. Catachan has no need for the [[Planetary Defense Force]]s utilized by other worlds, its flora and fauna being sufficiently deadly to thwart attackers without the need for human intervention. The planet is known to house to the single deadliest creature in the galaxy, with some of its native wildlife even being released on other worlds to dissuade invasion. Catachan's only valuable resource is its people, who by virtue of being born on the harshest world in the Imperium, are invariably tough and cunning. It is the homeworld of the hulking and fearsome [[Catachan Jungle Fighter]]s of the [[Imperial Guard]]. For the death world’s finest, [[Humanity]]’s wars present no greater hardship than they face daily, so they proudly answer the [[Emperor]]'s call to arms.{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|16}}{{Fn|17}}{{Fn|21}}
{{Planets
==History==
[[Image:IGCatachanWorld.jpg|thumb|right|Catachan]]
Catachan was colonized by humans longer than Imperial records can remember. When the first probes arrived, the planet was a deceptive, calm green orb from orbit but when the colony ships crash-landed and the colonists had no way to escape, they awoke to find themselves on one of the harshest planets in the galaxy. The colonists only barely survived, holed up in their spacecraft against a living, besieging jungle, a battle for survival in which many undoubtedly died.{{Fn|1}}
==Current conditions==
Currently, the few settlements which can hold back the jungle forces are giant fortresses surrounded by vast plains which have been cleared to give improved lines-of-fire. Building on Catachan is difficult as vines and lichen take hold anywhere and poisons melt the mortar and vines can crush bunkers and tanks. Buildings must constantly be rebuilt; it seems that wherever they build, the jungle redoubles its efforts to destroy them. As well as the jungle, the native wildlife gather to repel the human invaders and eventually the numbers grow enough to push the humans out of their settlement so they must resettle elsewhere.{{Fn|1}}
In such dangerous surroundings, children are quick to learn survival tactics and only those who are fast and have a good natural aim survive to adulthood. Children often learn to shoot before they walk, and must be deadly fighters in their own right by the time most normal humans learn to spell.{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|15}}
*The [[Brainleaf]], a vegetative carnivore, is a small tree, not particularly conspicuous on Catachan, but is able to attach its tendrils to the spine and brain of a person, taking control over their body. This creature may be an offshoot of the [[Tyranid]] [[Cortex Leech]], a creature with similar abilities.{{Fn|18}}
*The [[Spiker]], another deadly plant, fires its spikes into its victims' bodies, which then releases a mutative chemical which literally turns the person into another spiker.{{Fn|18}}
*The [[Venus Mantrap]] is a giant carnivorous plant common to jungle Deathworlds. It resembles the [[Terran]] Venus Flytrap for which it is named, but is far larger, and unlike the flytrap, it is able to move its leaves to attack and consume its prey. The Mantrap consists of a number of mobile leaves attached to a single immobile stem.{{Fn|18}}
*The '''Spore Tree''', the branches of this plant hold dangling flowers which launch a cloud of spores when they detect something moving close by, to carry their seeds to other fertile areas. The spore cloud is so dense, the creature which disturbed the tree often chokes and dies. This is also useful for the spore tree as its victim's decaying body will enrich the ground around its roots.{{Fn|19}}
*The '''Strangleplant''', these plants prefer shady spots to grow in, where their distinctive tube-like trunks are hidden from view. When they detect the disturbance caused by a passing animal, their long, highly adhesive stamen uncoil, wrapping themselves around their prey and dragging them back to die of dehydration.{{Fn|19}}
*The '''Miral Catcher''', is a ground-hugging vegetation which has roots that are extremely sensitive to vibrations in the ground, such as might be caused by an animal wandering past. It looks innocuous enough when dormant, but when it attacks, huge tentacles whip from its many frilled maws and lash out. They carry a paralysing toxin, which acts almost instantaneously.{{Fn|19}}
*The '''Sucker Tree''', is a plant that is fairly innocuous looking to the untrained eye; it is simply a fungal-like growth on top of a seemingly normal trunk. However, the trunk can twist and turn when it detects prey, bending over to drop its suckers on top of the heads of its victims. It quickly drains them of their life fluids and then flings the corpse away, to ensure that future victims are not made suspicious by a pile of bodies.{{Fn|19}}
*The '''Spitting Cactus''', is a deadly form of jungle cacti, it is able to fire toxin-coated spines directly at nearby prey.{{Fn|19}}
*The '''Catachan Mantrap''', is a plant which, while having a similar name to the Venus Mantrap, uses a much more aggressive hunting technique. It can move its leaves around, actively searching out prey and clamping its jaw-like leaves around its victims.{{Fn|19}}
*The '''Stranglevine'''.{{Fn|23}}
===Fauna===
*[[Catachan Devil]]s are voracious predators, looking somewhat like many-limbed scorpions. They can be as long as a land train but are very bulky and slow moving, meaning that escape is possible.
*[[Catachan Face-Eater]]{{Fn|18}}
*'''Wild''' [[Grox]]: although originally native to the [[Solomon]] system{{Fn|2b}}, the animals are prized for their highly nutritious and tasty meat, and have been introduced to many worlds throughout the galaxy, so that the Grox is now the most ubiquitous livestock animal in the Imperium. Grox, however, are extremely ornery and virtually impossible to keep under control without some form of brain-implants or lobotomy. On Catachan they have become wild, and are deadly predators.{{Fn|18}}
*[[Shambling Mamorph]]s of the volcano lands are tough fighters and put up a good fight even against the Catachan Devil.{{Fn|18}}
*'''Drakebats''' are Ogryn-sized, winged, pseudo-reptiles that lurk amongst the upper canopy of the equatorial jungles of Catachan, descending from the treetops to ambush and devour unsuspecting prey.{{Fn|21}}
*There are also many types of poisonous serpents on Catachan, including the [[Flying Swamp Mamba]], the [[Coiling Death Cobra]] the [[Catachan Black Viper]] and the giant [[Blackback Viper]], all are all deadly to most living beings. Some can kill in under 30 heartbeats.{{Fn|15}}{{Fn|18}}
*[[Catachan Barking Toad]]s: although appearing benign and harmless, the Great Barking Toads are arguably Catachan's deadliest animals: the creatures are easily startled and, whenever they feel threatened, explode in a cloud of toxins which kills and liquefies anything within a one kilometer radius, including the Barking Toad itself. The toxin is virulent enough that even respirators and sealed suits such as [[power armour]] offer no protection. They are known as the most toxic creatures in the galaxy.{{Fn|17}}{{Fn|4}} There are two type of Barking Toads:
**'''Great Barking Toad'''{{Fn|4}}
**''' Lesser Barking Toad'''{{Fn|2a}}
*'''Blood Wasps''' are swarms of small, deadly insects that are known to eat their prey alive, stripping them to the bone in under an hour.{{Fn|20}}
Catachans are known for being both physically and mentally resilient on a level that normal humans simply cannot match. Due to their heavily muscled physiques, they are often nicknamed "Baby [[Ogryns]]" by other Guardsmen, although never to their faces, as it often results in serious injury.{{Fn|12}}{{Fn|13}}{{Fn|14}}
==See alsoRelated Articles==
*[[Planets (List)]]
**{{Endn|3a}}: p. 27
**{{Endn|3b}}: p. 64
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Warhammer 40,000 Chapter Approved - The Book of the Astronomican]] (1988), pg. 1 - — Introduction
*{{Endn|5}}: [[White Dwarf 388 (UK)]], p. 77
*{{Endn|6}}: [[The Killing Ground (Novel)]] by [[Graham McNeill]], Prologue
*{{Endn|7}}: ''[[Waiting Death (Short Story)]]'' by [[Steve Lyons]]
*8: ''[[Straken (Novel)]]'' by [[Toby Frost]]
**{{Endn|8a}}: Chapter 4
**{{Endn|8b}}: Chapter 12
*{{Endn|9}}: ''[[Rebel Winter (Novel)]]'' by [[Steve Parker]], Chapter 3
*{{Endn|10}}: [[Gathering Storm: Fracture of Biel-Tan]], Chapter 2: Empire of Ash - Intervox Mechanicus
*{{Endn|11}}: [[Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition)]], pg. 20
*{{Endn|12}}: [[Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition)]], pgspg. 20-2120–21
*{{Endn|13}}: [https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/09/25/regimental-focus-catachan-sep25gw-homepage-post-2/ Regimental Focus: Catachan] ''(last accessed 17 January 2018)''
*{{Endn|14}}: [https://regimental-standard.com/2016/11/10/the-abhuman-and-you/ Regimental Standard: The Abhuman and You] ''(last accessed 17 January 2018)''
*{{Endn|17}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070520074316/http://uk.games-workshop.com:80/warhammer40000/creature-feature/6/ GW Archived Material] ''(last accessed 17 January 2018)''
*{{Endn|18}}: [[Codex: Catachan (3rd Edition)]], ''Flora and Fauna''
*{{Endn|19}}: [[White Dwarf 242 (UK)]], pgspg. 81-85 81–85 / [[White Dwarf 243 (AUS/NZ)]], March 2000, pgspg. 81-8581–85*{{Endn|20}}: [[White Dwarf 286 (US)]] pg. 104-106104–106*{{Endn|21}}: [[Only War Core Rulebook]] pg.44-4544–45
*{{Endn|22}}: [[Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex)]] pg. 60
*{{Endn|23}}: [[Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition)]] Regiments of Distinction - Catachan Jungle Fighters
{{Uncited}}
*[[Warhammer 40,000 3rd Edition Rulebook]], {{Cite This}}
[[Category:Catachan]]
[[Category:Catachan Jungle Fighters]]
