The brand spanking new Codex: T’au Empire is on its way, and alongside all the deadly tactics and massively powerful guns, there’s a new model for the Fire Caste’s own maverick hero. Sub-commander Darkstrider is a loose cannon of the old school. He doesn’t play by the rules, and if Warhammer 40,000 were a ‘70s cop drama, the Ethereals would be ordering him to turn in his gun and his badge.
Darkstrider (or El’Myamoto, as he’s known to his friends) began his rise to infamy after his Trial by Fire. A Fire Warrior who passes this ceremonial test earns the honour of piloting a battlesuit, but when he emerged victorious, Darkstrider spurned the opportunity. He even turned down an offer to join the Stealth battlesuit cadres, whose unorthodox methods mirror his own.This hard-bitten operator instead returned to the Pathfinder cadres he first served with, leading them through countless critical missions with cunning recon tactics and a deadly talent for improvisation.
Darkstrider's continued refusal of promotion has made him enemies within the T’au military leadership, for the Fire Caste values tradition and self-sacrifice above all else. To disregard a superior’s wishes is unthinkable, and some commanders even refuse to work with Darkstrider, accusing him of borderline insubordination.
Commander Shadowsun is not among them. O’Shaserra sees the value in Darkstrider’s independent streak and obvious bravery – he may be out of line, but by the Greater Good, he gets results.
For his service, He That Walks Unseen has been entrusted with a unique prototype structural analyser. This revolutionary piece of technology can identify the hidden weaknesses of seemingly invincible enemies, and was instrumental in one of his deadliest missions.
During the Imperium’s campaign to retake the world of Mu’gulath Bay, Darkstrider’s analyser picked up a mysterious trail breaking through the T’au lines. While protocol dictated that he report to his superiors, he had a hunch that time was of the essence, and immediately gave chase.*Tracking this shaky lead through parched deserts and raging battles, El’Myamoto finally found his perp – a Vindicare Assassin, fleeing from an attempt on Commander Farsight’s life. The assassin gunned down every battlesuit and Fire Warrior in their path, but Darkstrider’s incredible fieldcraft presented the opportunity for an ambush.
Even blinded by photon grenades, the sniper still almost wiped out Darkstrider’s squad (they were just a day away from retirement), before the Sub-commander took him down in a storm of pulse carbine fire.**
Yet no matter what honours he wins, El’Myamoto prefers to keep to the mean streets of the 41st Millennium – where Shadowsun’s patronage ensures that he can continue to exercise his maverick ways for the Greater Good.
Darkstrider’s new model arrives for pre-order soon, ready to lend his stealth expertise to your T’au Sept armies alongside the sizzling Codex: T’au Empire. There’s even more to uncover, so sign up to the Warhammer Community newsletter and you won’t miss a single detail.
* Narrowly avoiding a stack of cardboard boxes in an alleyway, we assume.
** Official reports cannot confirm whether the Vindicare was feeling lucky.