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(Lore) Return Of The Exrah. . .

Discussion in 'FanFic' started by stevenart74, Feb 5, 2021.

  1. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    I will soon try to start a Game in the RPG Section of Modiphius Products that will feature heavily the Insectoid "Mercenary Trading Hypercapitalistic Trade Guilds" of the Exrah. . .

    This is NOT the thread to discuss the "Why" Exrah Minis were dismissed OR their "Eventual Return" as "Mercenary Group" able to work ALSO for Combined Army (as is in the Krakots fluff blurb). . .

    Just I want to open this for everyone that want to discuss Fanfictions revolving those "B.E.M." (Bug Eyed Monsters). . .

    From their own EXTREME Alien perspective and mindset, or Human Sphere Operatives facing still some Kaskuda "Paratrooper TAGs", Iskallers Boarding Teams, or other even weirder "Insectoid Critters". . .
     
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  2. Golem2God

    Golem2God Just a Kooky Kumotail serving others.

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    I would think that there is/might be renegade Exrah striking out on their own. Or simply a loyal Combined Exrah that has gotten lost in space.
    Perhaps you can have the Svarhalheima campaign have a Exrah group with Combined Army "misfits" consisting of a Morat, Shasvastii, Tohaa, & whatever other species. The Exrah ship has crash landed on the ice planet after going through an experimental wormhole. Was this ship the test subject of a new Combined spearhead or was this the cause of a fluke? Regardless the Exrah in charge of the ship wants it back up & running in order to escape the icy hell he has found himself on. But this task will have to be carried out quick due to PanO & Yu Jing forces possibly finding the crash site before he can get away.
     
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  3. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    Will write down a better, deeper explanation later. . .
     
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  4. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    We have FOUR different Exrah Soldiers from the old iterations of Infinity Wargame:

    1°) Void Operators = Most Generic of all; also considered the "Main Culprits" of the low sell of Exrah "Neverwas Sectorial"; a sort of Bugman (slightly reminiscent of a "Wingless Vespid", the Insectoid Auxiliaries of the Tau Armies) with a rather excessively long "Chitin Bayonet" installed on their "Integrated Gun-Cyberarm". . .
     
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  5. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    2°) Void Operators = the ONLY Exrah Soldier that Corvus Belli Sculptors tried into two different minis; an HMG Toting one (criticized for a rather TINY "Biomechanic Technorganic Gun-Arm") and an Hacker, apparently unarmed, but gifted with a cool "Action Pose". . .

    Called derisively "Hunchbacked Quasimodo Bugs" for their crouched and curved posture, was theorized that ther "Back Hump" was, in reality, an Hitech Biomechanical Backpack filled with E-Warfare Voodootech. . .

    3°) Iskallers Jump Troopers = weird name, probably derived from some kind of Catalunyan Nickname for some Bug or Crustacean; featured in cool Colour Page Art and an interesting Single Splash Page. . .

    Personally find them extra cool as reported very dangerous "Boarding- Shitgun Assault-Experts"; often painted as rather "Winged Shrimps" (inspired by Neill Blomkampf "Sector 9" movie perhaps. . .) rather than Bug-Men. . .

    4°) Kaskuda Biomechanical T.A.G.s = Coolest Miniature and Concept of that unlucky Bugged-Miniature "Microsectorial"; a MUST HAVE (along the old Avatar) for many CA Players otherwise uninterested in the other "Bugsuited Weirdos". . .

    An Airdroppable Tactical-Armoured-Gear that will IMPACT from HALO (or rather "H.A.N.O." High Altitude NO Opening !!) with the biggest "Area Radius" of the N1 (N2 too?) Ruleset. . .

    What was NOT to LOVE of Kaskudas???

    Featured in cool Art, Wallpapers, a clever tri-vignette in BW by Bostria that explained in detail their deployement mode, and some HILARIOUS Satyrical Fan-Art by Yasbir and Alendrejnevsky (Kazak Tortillas, Joking Ariadnan Tankhunters, Kaskudillas shaped like a famous Frozen Seafood from Spain, and so on). . .
     
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  6. Golem2God

    Golem2God Just a Kooky Kumotail serving others.

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    I think the gunarm one looks much better in my opinion.
    They do look and sound unique among the many T.A.G. known in the Infinity universe.
    So they are the drop troops of the Exrah.

    Makes me wonder if we should create/make-up more Exrah insect/sea creature units. Enough to fill out a small sectorial. Give them a linkable LI, MI & HI units. Maybe one skirmisher/camo unit as well. Have the ship's inhabitants be mostly Exrah with a few in number other species on board. The player characters being a large portion of those few Combined species on the ship.
     
  7. chromedog

    chromedog Less than significant minion

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    Iskaller isn't Catalunyan. It came from a Svalarheim fusiliers regiment that survived a battle during the first paradiso offensive. The capture of monitor station 320 theta.
    The bold airborne attack ruined the PanO defences and gave rise to a black legend about these troops.

    The name comes from the SvalarNorse dialect "Very cold" or "icy cold" - given the "cold blooded" nature of the attacks against the main PanO firezones, where their almost suicidal manoeuvres brought them victory.
    This is mentioned in the 1st and 2nd edition rulebooks for the game (from when the Exrah concordat troops were playable units).
     
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  8. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    @chromedog Thanks for the clarification Chrome; was in doubt because "Caskuda" was the nickname of Paradiso Alien Cockroaches and was referred to be PROBABLY some kind of nicknaming based on "Bugs" in Spanish ("Cucharachas"). . .

    Iska-Whatever sound Catalunyan / Basque (the wife of one of My brother's best friend is Catalunyan / Basque as ethnic origins go, and also the Husband of one of My oldest aquaintances; when meeting on Summer they often share some tidbits, but I could misremember). . .

    @Golem2God . . .

    There is JUST one Exrah Trooper in the RPG CA Manual, that is from the rivals of the Concordat (as the four troopers before were Concordat Troopers); is hinted to be some sort of "Naval Security Operator" on Exrah "Loyalist Vessels". . .

    Would probaly employ it as a baseline for My upcoming "Ex-Ca Exrah Mercs" ideas for the RPG. . .

    "Fourth Rank Commissars" of the Commissariat (Concordat Nemeses who "Won The Bid To Outbid" the unscrupolous former troopers) are described to wearing Light Armour, armed with Combirifle at long range, Pistol + Knife for close combat duty, have "Skillset" quite suited to a "Battlefield Overseer / Ship Security Sentinel" and have a POWERFUL Morale Boost "Archetype Attribute". . .

    VERY probably they are an In-Game Joke (maybe sponsored by a clever and hilarious Backer of Modiphius RPG) towards Warhammer 40.000 "Imperial Guard Commissars" that are tasked to lead suicidial charges against superior foes and summarily execute an hapless "Green Grunt of the Astra Militatum" that is skirting duty. . .

    . . . . .

    Will probably draw a concept of them QUITE serious. . . . . .and them "Ruin It" by adding a Nazi SS Top Hat, a Soviet Commissar trench and blade + handgun sidearm reminiscent of Chainsword + Boltpistol (typical payload of WH40K Commissars). . .

    Maybe going insofar to create, for the RPG purposes, two "Named Characters", Khyaapasssh Khayin and Hyybrahm Khaunt (sibilant distortion, suitable for Insectile Mandible of the most infamous literary Commissars, Ibram Gaunt and Ciaphas Cain !!!). . . . .
     
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  9. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    Here they are ( in the Fanart Stuff). . .

    Wanted to link them there, but thought better of it. . .

    Let Fan ART to be in Fanart and Fan FICTION there. . . . .
     
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  10. chromedog

    chromedog Less than significant minion

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    The Exrah hive corporations all have names starting with "c". It is suggested (might even have been openly stated) that there are more than 2 of these hives, and the race still functions, despite the removal of one organisation.
    The commissariat got found out dealing combine weapons tech "under the table" to the sphere (which is how the sphere got the use of plasma weapons, previously "voodootech" ) in N3.
    When the EI found out, it had that entire corporate hive extinguished as an example to the others not to cross them. The next hive to bid, the concordat, "wisely" decided to take a non-combat stance in the war. This is why (fluff) the exrah stopped being a playable faction in the game. Logistics reason was that the models were hell on the mouldings (vulcanised rubber for metal casting is a lot less flexible than the rubbers used for resin casting, and spiny protrusions do tear the crap out of the mould eventually (but the difference between a smooth cast and a spiky one can be as much as a tenfold decrease in total casts from a mould for the spiky ones)
     
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  11. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    Aren't the CONCORDAT the Traitorous Exrah that has been expunged and COMMISSARIAT the "Loyalist Ones". . .??

    I ask this because in the RPG are the "Commissariat Fourth Rank" the only described NPG of the Exrah in the Combined Army Handbook. . .

    Have to research the stuff on Old Manual. . .
     
  12. Mob of Blondes

    Mob of Blondes Well-Known Member

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  13. Solodice

    Solodice Freshly Squeezed Troll

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    This is correct. However, keep in mind there's more Exrah business groups (that's what the Concordat and Commissariat are) then just the those two. The Commissariat is just the Exrah business group that was awarded the military contract from the Ur Hegemony after the Concordat got caught side selling weapons. Also pieces of the Concordat are still around operating as smugglers and pirates in EI controlled space.
     
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  14. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    Concordat Symbol was a "Squared" four "Commas" put in a cross-shape; maybe Commissariat symbol could be a "Trifecta" of these (a sort of "Shoringan Magatama" symbol maybe). . .

    Working also on understanding what part of the Old Minis was their "Real Body" and what was "Surgically Grafted Biochitin Powersuits"; Exrah Soldiers were supposed to hailing ALL from the "Ephemera" breed, some kind of "Bug Larva Shaped" subrace peculiarly vulnerable to Noxious Atmosphere and Radiation (and so necessitating Biomech Technorganic "Life Support Suits" that developed into Military Armour). . .

    For the Caskudas was quite unclear if these were JUST "Big Powersuits" into which was fitted a tiny "Larval Pilot" or if, in fact, they were fully grown and developed "Adult Bug Drones" big as TAGs (in a manner reminiscent that E.I. Avatars are FRA MORE complex than "Unmanned Remotely Piloted TAGs"). . . . .
     
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  15. Solodice

    Solodice Freshly Squeezed Troll

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    CB didn't know this either so you're on your own with this one.

    I don't think the EI would let any on of its controlled races to have anything similar to its TAG aspects. Sometimes it's just the easiest answer. The Caskuda was just a remote presence TAG just like the Sphinx. There was nothing organic about them nor did they have a pilot.
     
  16. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

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    The Caskuda was described clearly as being an Organic Exrah of some kind, NOT a Remote Presence. . .
     
  17. Solodice

    Solodice Freshly Squeezed Troll

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    [​IMG]

    Unless you confused the bug it was named after there's no mention of the Concordat Armoured Jump Operators as being biological. The miniature rules sometimes do have fluff implications or imply certain things about the unit without including it in the fluff.

    In addition the Caskuda did not have the Exrah racial rule like the Void Op, Vector Op, and Iskaller did. Same goes for the Sphinx not having the Shasvastii racial ability but the Raicho does have, or did before unnesting, the Morat racial ability because it is manned.
     
    #17 Solodice, Feb 10, 2021
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2021
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  18. Golem2God

    Golem2God Just a Kooky Kumotail serving others.

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    The only lore I have found about the Caskuda T.A.G. does not mention them being a remote presence or if it was physically piloted. Neither does it mention the T.A.G. being organic creature or machine. Is there a part of lore that expounds on these aspects of the Caskuda? @Solodice can you link to or post the example/place where these details are?
     
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  19. Solodice

    Solodice Freshly Squeezed Troll

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    I'll say it again: The miniature rules sometimes do have fluff implications or imply certain things about the unit without including it in the fluff

    Extrapolating game mechanics the Caskuda had STR and not Wounds. Inferring it was more mechanical in nature rather than biological. We see the opposite with the Uberfallkommando who has STR instead of Wounds because of all the chrome they're packing (this has been the case since N2HS and continues into N4).

    The lack of including the racial ability on the Caskuda also indicates this isn't a manned TAG or biological. It's also important to remember that the Exrah racial ability was there because the ephemeral branch's (what the operators are) kerantinous epidermis was softer which made them more mobile and faster but also weak against physical damage. In game mechanics was if an Exrah failed an ARM roll they went straight to the dead state. Also they were sensitive to E/M attacks which meant a failed BTS roll would actually send them to the dead state as well.

    So with that in mind as well the Caskuda can't be a biological operator. To many draw backs. Same goes with sticking an operator in one. So next best thing is... remote presence.
     
  20. Golem2God

    Golem2God Just a Kooky Kumotail serving others.

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    @Solodice Understood. Wish I could see those old Exrah Army Builder profiles for myself. I guess it is interesting that the Exrah made organic looking T.A.G.s instead of mechanical like other races in the Infinity universe. In that case what does this mean for the other 3 Exrah units CB had in the game before their removal? Are they not biological in the same way of the Caskuda? Were any future Exrah units going to follow the same style of organic looking technology/armor for the whole faction/species?
     
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