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Made in us
Navigator




Frostbite Falls

'Cuz I don't.

Seriously.

"Hobbits in Spaaaaaaace"

Yawn.

They need a reboot.

I'm thinking 'Hive World C.H.U.D.s".

------------------------------------

'NuRatlings' should be the descendants of the inhabitants of Hive Worlds that became completely cut off from the rest of the galaxy during the Age of Strife. Without the constant influx of food, water and resources, the colossal city-mountains began to fail, and their inhabitants were forced to survive in the slowly-decaying mega-structures.

Millennia of living under such conditions produced extreme genetic deviation from the norm. The need to crawl and climb through collapsed air vents and elevator shafts necessitated a dramatic reduction in size; ratling-type Abhumans rarely exceed four feet in height, and tend to appear emaciated regardless of diet. Their senses of smelling and hearing are drastically increased, while their sense of sight is reduced. Despite being able to function in light levels low enough to render a baseline human blind, many ratlings are short-sighted, and a good number are colorblind. They also have difficulty operating in places with an over abundance of light; most ratlings need sunglasses in order to go out on sunny days.

Ratling physiology is incredibly resistant to toxic chemicals and radiation exposure due to countless generations being forced to subsist on tainted water and whatever life forms that could grow deep within the dead Hives. Conditions that normal humans find incapacitating often have no discernible effect on ratlings, though they don't necessarily enjoy such exposure.

While not usually cowardly, ratlings are aware of their own limits when compared to the rest of humanity. Ratlings that serve in the Imperial Guard tend to almost always act as snipers and scouts. Ratling criminals are almost always of the informant, thief, conman, black marketeer, spy or assassin variety.

The relationship between the Ratlings and the Adeptus Mechanicus is rather strained. In order to survive, ratlings had to scavenge whatever technology they could find and keep it working however they could. As a result, the whole breed has an almost preternatural talent for using, maintaining, fixing, and modifying technology of almost any sort, something that annoys the Tech-Priests of Mars to no end. While they aren't usually found creating experimental new technology, Ratling 'Tinkers' can often be found taking what they've seen and applying it to a new direction.

An ancient Ratling profession is that of 'Vermin-Keeping', breeding and raising the large, mutated rats, bats and bugs that could survive in the Underhive. Another is that of the 'Alchemist', an expert at turning the toxic molds and polluted sludges of the ruined cities into viable medicines and crude chemical weapons. (Imagine three-and-a-half-foot tall plague doctors.)

Ratlings in the Imperium are, naturally, most often found in Hives, with just as many living in starships and orbital stations. They are a common sight in places on the edge of Imperial society, and some end up in the employ of Inquisitors or Rogue Traders. The majority of Ratlings who live in places less developed can be found on Forest or Jungle planets; even the most naturalized Ratling prefers to have something between them and the open sky.

---------------------------

Of course, that's just the Ratlings who managed to rejoin galactic civilization. There are still plenty of places that the Emperor's Light has never reached that nevertheless knows the sound of human feet.

These are the 'Feral' Ratlings. Buried alive beneath mountains of steel and glass, their humanity was stripped from them a long time ago; now they are embodiments of hunger, desperation, and madness.

Most, if not all, Feral Ratlings are Warp-touched to some degree or another. Even the most untrained of their degenerate kind can blend into the shadows to a level far beyond others. They have their own twisted versions of the Vermin-Keeper and the Alchemist, as well as 'Mad Tinkers' who create impossible machines that draw upon the Warp in order to function.

There are also the Feral Ratling 'Shamans', psykers who channel the power of the Warp into both friend and foe.

While most Feral Ratlings live on lost planets, many exist deep beneath the lowest levels of functioning Hive Worlds. There, far below the feet of unassuming Imperial citizens, these loathsome creatures bide their time until their population exceeds their food supply and they swarm to the surface to kill, and feed, and take what they can.
   
Made in us
Pyromaniac Hellhound Pilot





Nah. I like Lazy Promiscuous Thieving Space Hobbit Snipers.

The hive world ratlings sound like a neat version, though; I could definitely get behind welcoming them in as a variant!

Your ferals actually kind of already exist in the setting, albeit explicitly on voidships, as ghilliam and hullghasts. I could easily see them showing up in the depths of a hive, though.
   
Made in us
Stalwart Veteran Guard Sergeant





The Only War supplement Shield of Humanity did a lot of heavy lifting to make ratlings fun for me. The artwork is great at portraying them as the hairy, butt-ugly, roguish little buggers they're described as without having a sniper rifle glued to their hands. There's also a description of a ratling planet that has been appropriated by Imperial nobles as a vacation world. The story depicts a lot of class tension between the Imperials who see the ratlings as charmingly rustic servants and native guides, and the ratlings themselves who resent their land being taken over by villas and being asked to (gasp) work for a living. There was even a guerilla war started by ratling maquis, who waged a sabotage campaign against the nobles and their estates.

That said, I love your hive and feral ratlings. It fixes the one big problem I have with 40k's abhumans, namely that they're supposed to all develop independently of each other yet somehow all develop the same skills, physiology, and personality types. Having this kind of variation gives the idea the kind of texture it needs. (Also, the idea of populations living in dead hives is a personal favorite of mine)

Consider it accepted into my personal canon!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/05/02 17:57:08


   
Made in gb
Stealthy Grot Snipa






UK

I think what OP has done is crack how to get Skaven into 40k there, nice one!

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Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

Nope. They're a dead end unit that really should have been deleted three or four editions ago.
   
Made in au
Hissing Hybrid Metamorph





'Straya... Mate.

You should at least have the option of rating snipers, or normal human snipers.

 
   
Made in au
Infiltrating Broodlord





 Rippy wrote:
You should at least have the option of rating snipers, or normal human snipers.


Didn't there use to be human snipers... I do remember sniper figures
   
Made in au
Hissing Hybrid Metamorph





'Straya... Mate.

GodDamUser wrote:
 Rippy wrote:
You should at least have the option of rating snipers, or normal human snipers.


Didn't there use to be human snipers... I do remember sniper figures

Maybe there are, I have only ever seemed to see the ratlings though?

 
   
Made in au
Hooded Inquisitorial Interrogator





Australia

I really like the current version of Ratlings, though it is a bit narrow, and could do with some fleshing out.
 Formerly Wu wrote:
The Only War supplement Shield of Humanity did a lot of heavy lifting to make ratlings fun for me.

Clearly I should check that out.

But I will say that the OPs idea I fall squarely into the camp of 'sounds like a cool addition, rather than a overwrite'.


Also: see my Deviant Art for more. 
   
Made in gr
Longtime Dakkanaut




Halandri

I'm sure everyone already realises this, special weapon teams can be outfitted with sniper weaponry. That's one way to get 'regular' human snipers (plus a spotter for each sniper?).

OP: Your idea is pretty interesting. You should try get your hands on a copy of the Necromunda Outlanders supplement, it plays with a very similar idea for some 'native' hive bottom dwellers, the Ratskins.

If it is how you see ratlings working for you in your IG army then I 100% endorse you creating these miniatures!

   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

nareik wrote:
I'm sure everyone already realises this, special weapon teams can be outfitted with sniper weaponry. That's one way to get 'regular' human snipers (plus a spotter for each sniper?).

Special weapon teams are limited in number and require taking a platoon in order to have access to them.
Also, you don't get anything special for "spotters". The squad comes with everyone having lasguns at the start, then 3 can be upgraded to have specials.

As of right now, the only "special" human snipers come from the Elysian Detachment 99 list.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/05/06 16:00:43


 
   
Made in fr
Imperial Agent Provocateur





I do like the Ratlings. They are weird little thievy snipers. Grimdark halflings! What's not to love? The only thing they are missing is a plastic kit.
   
Made in ca
Longtime Dakkanaut





To me ratlings in 40k are the weird odd duck out kinda thing. It's like in an fantasy setting that is very classical with a dwarf, elf, human, and a halfling player. Then one guy shows up who is a half celestial half dragon dragonborn *insert esoteric 3rd party splatbook prestige class here* type of deal.

They just don't feel like they fit in with the current incarnation of them and the way the 40k fluff has evolved.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/05/07 04:02:26


 
   
Made in pl
Horrific Hive Tyrant





hypnoticeris wrote:
I do like the Ratlings. They are weird little thievy snipers. Grimdark halflings! What's not to love? The only thing they are missing is a plastic kit.

Agree with every word.
   
Made in au
Stalwart Veteran Guard Sergeant





Like others have said, Only War did flesh them out a little and make them a fun aspect. However, I run ratlings and I still prefer 'counts as' human snipers to little battle-midgets.

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Made in kr
Inquisitorial Keeper of the Xenobanks






your mind

Ratlings are cool. Ratings from hive worlds as spaven snipers are cool. Counts as humie snipers is cool.

   
Made in cz
Mysterious Techpriest






Fortress world of Ostrakan

I do not like them. Both their looks or their background. The dislike of their looks may be caused by their ugly models though.
Space ogres are enough in my opinion.

I modelled all my count-as ratlings as kneeling guardsmen.


Neutran Panzergrenadiers, Ostrakan Skitarii Legions, Order of the Silver Hand
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5th God of Chaos! (Yea'rly!)




The Great State of Texas

Hated the minis, hated the concept. humie snipers all the way.

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Huge Hierodule




United States

I like the official Ratlings, but I also like your lore as well. The only thing that doesn't really make much sense is you say they have awful eyesight but then go on to say they commonly operate as Snipers. Seems a bit counterintuitive.

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Navigator




Frostbite Falls

 Darth Bob wrote:
I like the official Ratlings, but I also like your lore as well. The only thing that doesn't really make much sense is you say they have awful eyesight but then go on to say they commonly operate as Snipers. Seems a bit counterintuitive.


Yeah, I didn't think that part through very well.
   
Made in gr
Longtime Dakkanaut




Halandri

They shoot by sense of smell.
   
Made in us
Furious Fire Dragon




A forest

I think they are interesting fluff wise because I love hobbits, but if they got squatted I wouldnt have a broken heart
   
Made in us
Bonkers Buggy Driver with Rockets






 Lord-Captain Cepinari wrote:
 Darth Bob wrote:
I like the official Ratlings, but I also like your lore as well. The only thing that doesn't really make much sense is you say they have awful eyesight but then go on to say they commonly operate as Snipers. Seems a bit counterintuitive.


Yeah, I didn't think that part through very well.

This bit doesn't work great. It makes sense for their eyesight to be fethed up if they live underground, but that doesn't match up with the original fluff designating them as snipers. Maybe drop them as snipers and have them be medics/inflitrators instead?

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Guard Heavy Weapon Crewman




I do.
   
Made in ca
Storm Trooper with Maglight




Very cool idea. I'd keep ratlings the way they are though and introduce these guys as something else, or a variant of ratlings.

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Made in gb
Keeper of the Holy Orb of Antioch





avoiding the lorax on Crion

Both kinds could exist, a seperate sub variant.

Maybe known to other ratlings as hivies, or slinkees etc to reflect they come from a cave like, tunnel existence.

Though short sighted snipers makes nigh no sense...
They would be better more as maybe night time figures who pick off a sentety with a knife or well placed silent shot.

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Boom! Leman Russ Commander





They're fine. I don't dislike 'em, I don't love 'em. I definietly see why people would be upset that for a dedicated sniper unit they're forced to use rather distinctly not 'Average Joe Human' models that contrast the rest of the theme so heavily, rather than the various normal snipers - converted or otherwise - since snipers in SWS' always felt shoehorned in because they needed somewhere to stick the models.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/05/30 00:59:53


 
   
 
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