Octarius War's End & Other Xenos Threats

While subtle, there were a few revelations in Codex: Deathwatch that many seem to have overlooked. Many previous major points were hidden away in the codex timeline, or served to establish possible campaigns ahead. Some of these hint at a few substantial alterations from past books, while one big one heralds perhaps the single worst thing which might happen short of Terra falling: The Octarius War ending.

"Time Runs Out...

Vermillion-level alerts reach the Doombreak, Eye of Octos and Furor Shield watch fortresses as the unthinkable happens. Triggered by empyric shock waves from the opening of the Great Rift, swarms of enormous Tyranids and hordes of hulking Skarboyz break away from the Octarius War to attack neighboring systems. The Watch Masters of all three fortresses request urgent reinforcements from the wider Imperium, before surging into battle."

The Octarius War itself was always a gamble, using the sheer numbers of Orks to try and stave off a major Tyranid Hive Fleet without further damage to the Imperium as a whole. Chapters would occasionally cull splinter factions to keep them focused on one another, and even the Craftworld Eldar got involved to try and thin their numbers. The problem is that, what was intended to possibly buy time quickly turned into a steadily growing powder keg.

The Orks did not fall, and neither did the Tyranid Fleets here. Instead, each began fighting back against the other, growing steadily stronger with each passing battle and calling in further reinforcements. The Orks would grow tougher, looting everything in sight and becoming more powerful both due to the concentrated WAAAGH! energy and warfare. The Tyranids, meanwhile, would in turn create more and more dangerous bioforms in an attempt to overcome the greenskins. What made it such a fascinating battle was the fact this was effectively one side's perfect experiment and the other's Valhalla. The Orks were given no reason to ever stop as this was paradise to them, fighting against a strong foe who only grew stronger as they did, and that only became more notably when Ghazghkull decided to take matters into his own hands.

So, keep in mind that this war has been raging in this state for over a century now, so each side is the stuff of nightmares. A Tyranid and Ork horde on steroids, embracing the strengths of each and enhancing them to the next level. We have seen time and time again just what the unenhanced versions can do, so after so many decades of being forged in the fires of warfare, they will likely give the Primaris marines a run for their money. Assuming, of course, that they do not eclipse them in power. There are opportunities here both for new releases and a full campaign, and it would not be a surprise to see both in play. With Chaos having taken the spotlight or so long, save for a brief moment of favouring the Eldar race, players of other factions have felt overlooked. This would be a perfect chance to correct that with two of the more out-of-focus groups within the setting.

Yet, what is more interesting still is that the book takes the time to offer far more time to relatively minor powers. Xenos races which are typically overlooked or ignored in the grander scheme of things have been mentioned here. While this might be expected given the Deathwatch's intended enemy, but it's taken much further than you would normally expect. For one thing, those mentioned here are either minor parts of larger armies or even groups we have not seen since the Second Edition. Just take a look at this one for starters:

"An Ur-Ghul migration spills from the thrice-cursed ziggurats of Shaa-dom. It goes into the nightmarish Shardmaze, and from there to the Mirrored Palace of Plenitia. When the gangling predators prove strong enough to tear apart the Kill Team that hunts them, the Dreadnought Xenomortis is sent to reinforce its battle-brothers. Months later, the war machine storms from the ruins of the now-empty Mirrored Palace, every inch of its hull covered in Ur-Ghul blood."

The Ur-Ghuls are a species fielded by the Dark Eldar, and were typically depicted as a near-feral race kept as slaves. To see them actively migrating and moving out of the Webway makes them more of an immediate threat, and does leave a few possible story details to work within the future. It's not much, but you end up with questions of how the Archons keep them under control, or how one might sabotage such an instinct for their own benefit.

More interestingly still, the codex places a much greater emphasis on invasions from the likes of the Kroot into Imperial territories, along with Hrud migrations and Ambull infestations which need to be kept in check. This benefits each of them by shedding more of a spotlight on their actions, but also making them more of an active player in events. The Kroot, for example, have typically been depicted as more of an allied race to the T'au Empire rather than a truly integrated member. As such, seeing them act out on their own allows for them to have the impression of being more than mere hired thugs. 

The Hrud meanwhile, have typically been presented as a powerful force which never acted fully in the open, but this was often in supplementary materials. The closest we have seen to them participating in a true battle was against the Star Phantoms, when the astartes homeworld was caught in the wake of a migration and devastated. Given the state of the galaxy, it makes sense that they would now be acting more openly, with the Imperium weakened and often distracted fighting against the Traitor Legions. It is an opportunity to take control of further worlds to create dens. In fact, that goes for much of this. Past events from Old Night to the Horus Heresy depicted alien races as being ever ready to expand their powers. Several were even noted to have established small empires within the Imperium's heartland during the Collected Visions, while the Siege of Terra was taking place. By establishing this, it means that there are more obvious opportunities to break the usual Imperium vs Chaos status quo and explore to new events.

This is mostly highlighting a few interesting points from the latest codex more than anything else, but after the last review, they seemed worthy of being individually highlighted. Whatever the case, it certainly seems as if interesting times are ahead for players.