Shaper
Shapers make up the leadership of the Kroot, both as individual Kindreds fighting under the Tau Empire or as mercenary forces, and oversee the consumption, direction and distribution of genetic material among the most basic Kroot and between various Kroot forces. A document written by Xeno Genetor Adept Mikulas Grenchov refers to a "Shaper caste".[3]
Contents
Overview
The Shapers lead individual Kindreds into battle, directing them as a Sergeant would.[2][3] War Shapers are specialized Shapers who are seasoned battlefield commanders and command all Kroot forces in the field. They are exemplary warriors who wield bladestaves and prey-hooks, or dart-bows and tri-blades.[4] A large kindred is typically run by a Master Shaper, while a group consisting of multiple kindreds may be headed by a Shaper Council of three to five kroot, who act as overseers to the other shapers, and ensure that shapers do not lead their warriors down a dangerous evolutionary path. Occasionally a Shaper Chief may rise to power in times of emergency and unite hundreds of kindreds as a single army.[2][3]
The other job of a Shaper is to direct the evolution of the Kroot in their Kindred by consuming certain enemies. For example, if a Shaper wanted his Kindred to become more muscular, he would have them pursue Orks; likewise a Shaper who wanted more agile or swift Kroot would direct the Kindred to hunt Eldar.[3] Shapers who specialize in this, are known as Flesh Shapers and are vicious masters of ritual butchery. They take strong personal pride in guiding their fellow Kroots' carnivorous practices and in doing so the Flesh Shapers ensure only the finest genetic material makes it into their pack's evolutionary heritage.[4] The Imperium has designated these Shapers as Primary Intermediate Trophic.[3]
The Shaper as many powers and traits among them are an instinctual understanding of the foes wounds and abilities, if he has devoured an example of the foe's race.[2]
They also have shamanistic powers, due to them being the focus of Kroot ancestor worship of their Kindred, practising rituals that seem to fill them supernatural powers, usually involving a sonorous chant and access to the powders, rocks and bones kept within the Shaper’s fetish pouch. Among these powers are Ancestral Blessing, calling the warrior spirits of his ancestors to aid the Shaper and his allies, Blood of the Stalker, daubing himself and his allies skin with the blood of a local predator and with a prayer to gain favour of the ancestors and grant helping them with hunts, and Prophetic Dream, visions from their ancestors that grant him foreknowledge of the future that is often difficult to understand, vision which may relate to something in the next week or even years.[2]
Flesh Shaper
Flesh Shapers are masters of ritual butchery who take a strong personal pride in guiding the carnivorous practices of their kind. They ensure only the finest genetic material is assimilated into their pack.[4]
Trail Shaper
Trail Shapers are responsible for the overall plan of attack. As their name suggests, they prepare the battlefield for their army’s arrival by picking out routes for infiltration, identifying advantageous terrain, and choosing how their forces will fight.[5]
War Shaper
War Shapers are Kroot Shapers who are seasoned battlefield commanders. They take responsibility for the disposition of all Kroot forces in combat. They are formidable warriors in their own right, expertly wielding primitive but effective weaponry such as Bladestaves, Dart-bows, Prey-hooks, and Tri-blades.[4]
Pact Shaper
Pact Shapers specialise in negotiating mercenary contracts (called pacts by the Kroot) with their various employers. They will bargain fiercely with even the most questionable of employers if they believe it will benefit their race. The most important & binding of pacts are sworn over a sacred Stone of Pech, carved from the bedrock of Pech itself.[6]
Known Shapers
- Anghkor Prok
- Gorok
- Griahgri
- Harbyx
- Orak
- Ortrazk
- Opikh Tak
- Pechallai - fought against Hive Fleet Gorgon on Sha'draig in 900-901.M41.[1]
Images
Kroot Shaper with Kroot Rifle (2001)
Kroot Shaper with Pulse Rifle (2001)
Sources
- 1: Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition), pgs. 18-21
- 2: Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos, pg. 16
- 3: Chapter Approved 2004, pg. 32-35
- 4: LVO Preview 2024 – Don’t Get Caught by the New Kroot Hunting Pack (Posted on 18/01/2024) (Last accessed on 18/01/2024)
- 5: Slip Through the Battlefield and Pounce on Your Prey With the New Kroot Trail Shaper (Posted on 12/02/2024) (Last accessed on 12/02/2024)
- 6: White Dwarf 504, pgs. 64, 70
Uncited
| Kroot Forces | |
|---|---|
| Command | Master Shaper • Shaper (War Shaper • Flesh Shaper) • Shaper Council |
| Kindred | Carnivore • Headhunter • Hunter • Lone-spear • Stalker • Tracker • Vulture |
| Farstalker Kinband | Kill-Broker • Kroot Tracker • Warrior • Cold-Blood • Pistoler • Heavy Gunner • Long-Sight • Cut-Skin • Bow-Hunter |
| Beasts | Kroot Hound • Krootox (Krootox Rampager) • Kalamandras • Knarloc • Great Knarloc |
| Other | Punji Traps • Warsphere |
