Felinid
 | This article or section is about Monstergirls (or a monster that is frequently depicted as a Monstergirl), something that /tg/ widely considers to be the purest form of awesome. Expect PROMOTIONS! and /d/elight in equal measure, often with drawfaggotry or writefaggotry to match. |
Felinids are a strain of Abhumans that reside on a very pimpish name for a planet; Carlos McConnell. They go by the scientific name Homo sapiens hirsutus. They are on the short list of 'tolerated abhuman strains' maintained by the Administratum, which means that at one point in the story of the Imperium someone high up (probably an Inquisitor with a furry or catgirl fetish) decided they were a-okay and did not need to get purged (yet).
Judging by their name they might as well be Imperial Catgirls, if not full-on furries (hirsutus = hairy) (Liber Xenologis suggested the former over the latter, thank the Emperor), although the idea on why humanity started growing feline-like traits is beyond the realm of contemporary science. Since almost nothing is known of them, nor their planet, the flood gates were opened for /tg/ to imagine up their relationship with the Imperium; as something only the Guys with fancy hats would have the permission to "Study" them. Although it would be quite the hilarity to vision a Space Wolf Wulfen chasing down a Felinid.
Speaking of Space Wolves, they may give an explanation as to why Felinids (and all abhumans in general) potentially exist. In Space Wolves fluff, there is a saying that there are no wolves on Fenris. Not to mention that it's implied that Fenrisian Wolves are former humans. And if we take into account the tech of the Dark Age, its quite possible that Felinids (and abhumans in general) are simply the descendants of human colonists who added and modified their genes to survive on the planets they lived on.
What their role in the Imperium is[edit]
Canonically we don't know. None of the writers have fleshed them out yet. The most we have is a second-hand account from the Kroot where they were "almost indistinguishable" from humans.
Initially we started to speculate that they might be used as road (and book shelf) cleaners or construction workers or anything that has to do with civilian work, since they are never mentioned to be part of the military. Furthermore, due to their location on one planet (and in the fantasies of many undersexed Warhammer40K furries), they might also be used as exotic dancers or sex slaves by your average Imperial Joe. "IF" they were in the Imperial Guard, then they could either be used as scouts, thieves or assassins, but this is mainly a stereotype of Cat-people so it might not be true. That said, they would have a PDF as the Emperor made it completely mandatory for all worlds.
With Liber Xenologis, it is now confirmed (Albeit with skepticism given the originator of the source) that they are pretty badass killers in their own right, keeping their cool in the face of even the most brutal opposition. So think like John Wick but with more NYAAAAAA!
Their Biology[edit]
Prior to Liber Xenologis, fa/tg/uys speculated three possibilities for Felinid biology, and they depend on their origin. First, as mentioned above, they could be the descendants of human colonists who altered their DNA to survive on their planet. That means we should expect more of an Imperial analogue to Catfolk, with specific biological changes depending on planetary conditions - improved night vision would be very probable, as well as claws, either optimized for speed, like a Cheetah, or for climbing, like most other cats. Other changes would very heavily depend on the cat or cats chosen - tiger felinids and lynx felinids would be fairly different, although both would probably have an unhealthy obsession with string.
Their scientific name, hirsutus, which means "Hairy" in Latin, could also suggest that they are Furries, although how hairy/furry their body could be is up for debate. But it must be remembered that even just a little hair would be hairy enough for the Imperium to call them "hirsutus" since they just need to be hairier than normal humans. This possibility has more credence based on the theory that Canis Helix was introduced to Fenrisians to make them hardier, resulting in latent wolf-like traits, some to the point of full wolf-like appearance. Though again, this isn't hard fact.
The second option is that given our own... fascination with catgirls, they could be a case of a high class member of society attempting to create the perfect Waifu, only to find out the Felinids did not like BEING the Waifu and eventually branched off, when their population became big enough, into another Abhuman race. This case would have the Felinds look more like the 10% on the graph down there rather since they were created with looks in mind, not functionality, just like dogs and cats on Terra in M2. In this case they would be much more human-looking, with only a few cat-like physical traits and mannerisms. Some fa/tg/uys have chosen to imagine them as catgirls with glam-rock hair, which would have been pretty likely back in the 80s/90s, when 40K was at its most awesome (see: Noise Marines with killer keytars). But seeing how grimdark this galaxy is, it can always be much worse.
The third option, of course, is that they're simply misclassified Beastmen, with the specific Beast of some sort of cat. Given the usual Beastmen aesthetic, that nearly guarantees a large cat was chosen - probably a lion or tiger, since they have the greatest reputation as "man-eaters" on Terra.
Turns out #2 is the most likely, as Geedubs had them described in Liber Xenologis as "looking no different" to a human, besides the obvious abhuman traits. Said abhuman traits might include large claws the size of one's forearm. Granted, the guy who revealed this in-universe is stated to not be the most trustworthy, but he's all we got. So most fa/tg/guys, being the catgirl lovers we are, decided to take him at his word on the human similarity, but decided the ridiculous claw length was hyperbole (though they probably do have them). Some have suggested they might look more like Thundercats based on this description, since Thundercats was a big Western-produced catfolk-centric setting back in the 80s and the titular catfolk were particularly notorious for favoring the "human" side over the "cat" side, which would thus make felinids being dubbed abhumans instead of being blammed as mutants more likely, given how xenophobic the Imperium is.
Ultimately the whole thing may be quite simple to explain, first off the hairy designation will refer to the fact all catgirls and catboys effectively have their feline ears covered in hair, add the possibility of a hairy tail and you already explained the hairy part, plus classic anime hairdos and you can see where this is going, then consider Grekh, the aforementioned kroot who described the felinids to rogue trader Draik and has never been good with communication skills to the point he may be a stealth troll, may have been simply referring to claw melee weaponry, without taking away the possibility of natural retractable claws along with the artificial blades, their cat-like reflexes, instinct and acrobatics being capable to impress even a kroot, particularly if you compare this with the average beastman who just uses brute force to solve things or your average human who may have difficulties climbing a wall, finally, do you really think back during the Dark Age of Technology there won't be people who would love to create an entire world of anime catpeople? Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
NOW WITH PROFILES AND RULES[edit]
Felinid "Cat's Paws" Squad (70 pts - Troops):
The most common Felinid Squad. Thanks to their natural capabilities, Cat's Paws require less training than the average Guardsman and are used in outflanking and surprising enemy formations.
| Name | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felinid | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 5+ |
| Felinid Weapons Specialist | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 5+ |
| Felinid Alpha | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 5+ |
Unit Type: Infantry. Felinid Alpha (Infantry, Character).
Unit Composition: 7 Felinids, 2 Felinid Weapons Specialists and 1 Felinid Alpha.
Wargear: Lasgun, Flak Armor, Frag Grenades
Special Rules:
- Outflank
- Crusader
- Cat's Eye
- Cat's Grace
Options:
- Felinid Alpha may take items from the Ranged Weapons list.
- Felinid Alpha may replace her Lasgun with a Close Combat Weapon and Laspistol for free.
- Felinid Alpha may replace her Close Combat Weapon for a Power Sword for 15 pts.
- Felinid Alpha may take Melta Bombs for 5 pts.
- Felinid Alpha may carry a Medi-pack for 15 pts.
- Felinid Alpha may replace her Flak Armour with Carapace Armour for 5 pts.
- Felinid Weapons Specialist MUST replace their Lasguns with the items from the Specialist Weapons List.
- The Squad may take Krak Grenades for 10 pts.
- One of the Squad members may carry a Vox Caster for 5 pts.
Tiger Squad (100 pts - Elites): A more aggressive breed of Felinid, these abhumans are born with a characteristic striped pattern to their fur and have a strong predatory instinct, unlike most Felinids. Tigers are notorious for savoring the effort in prying the can open to consume their prey.
| Name | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 5+ |
| Alpha Tiger | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 5+ |
Unit Type: Infantry. Alpha Tiger is (Infantry, Character).
Unit Composition: 9 Tigers and 1 Alpha Tiger.
Wargear: Flak Armour, Tiger Claw
The Tiger Claw is essentially an enormous chain-axe with the teeth replaced with torches.
| Name | Range | S | AP | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Claw | Melee | X2 | 1 | Two-Handed, Unwieldy, Armorbane, Gets Hot |
Special Rules:
- Outflank
- Cat's Eye
- Cat's Grace
- Furious Charge
- Monster Hunter
- Tank Hunters
- Doctrine: Mobility: A model with Doctrine: Mobility treats all vehicles they are embarked upon as an Assault Vehicle.
- Tank Chasers: A model with Tank Chasers may reroll failed charges against Vehicles.
Options: The Squad may take a Taurox as a dedicated transport. If it does, the Taurox also gains Outflank, whether or not the squad chooses to begin the game embarked upon it.
Jaguar Squad (100 pts - Fast Attack):
Jaguars are characterized by black or very dark skin and fur. These abhumans are used as forward vanguards or assassins due to their natural affinity for stealth, by the few Guard Regiments that can afford these specialists. They are particularly fond of dipping their Jaguar Claws (extremely large monomolecular clawed gauntlets designed to separate flesh from bone with the ease of snapping one's fingers) in venom before deployment.
| Name | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguar | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 5+ |
| Alpha Jaguar | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 5+ |
Unit Type: Infantry. Alpha Jaguar is (Infantry, Character). Unit Composition: 4 Felinid Jaguar and 1 Felinid Alpha Jaguar. May take up to 5 additional Jaguars for 20 pts/model.
Wargear: Flak Armour, Two Jaguar Claws, Sniper Rifle.
| Name | Range | S | AP | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguar Claw | Melee | User | - | Shred, Poisoned (4+), Rending, Specialist Weapon |
Special Rules:
- Crusader
- Cat's Eye
- Cat's Grace
- Crusader
- Fleet
- Infiltrate
- Scout
- Stealth
Options:
- Any Jaguar may carry a Medi-pack for 15 pts.
- Alpha Jaguar may take improved poison for 15 pts. This grants her close combat attacks the Instant Death special rule.
- Any Jaguar may replace their Sniper Rifle with any weapon from the Imperial Guard Specialist Weapons List at the specified cost.
- The entire Squad may replace their Stealth USR with Shrouded for 1 point per model.
Special Rules:
- Cat's Eye: Felinids have the Night Vision and Acute Senses USRs, and Preferred Enemy (anything with Toughness and Strength 2 or less).
- Cat's Grace: Felinids move exactly as though they were Beasts, despite having the Infantry type. When hit by a non areal weapon a unit of Felinids must take a Beast Reflexis test wich give them a 5+ invulnerable save.
Modeling[edit]
If you really want to field an army of catgirl guard, you'd better have an overabundance of free time, sculpting skill and greenstuff. Otherwise you're just SOL, because there's virtually nothing else to work with. No conversion bits, no kits from other games to convert, nothing. Not if you want an army of them. There are, however, plenty of individual catfolk models for RPGs and such, so Felinids could conceivably see the 40k tabletop as characters for Inquisitor warbands. Which, from a fluff perspective, is probably where their abhuman talents would see the best use anyway, as count-as death cult assassins or something.
- Saint Decent makes a variety of head options for conversions with a few of them being the more traditional catgirl. All can be found on Bitzbox.
- Reptilian Overlords have the Catanyans. Space Cat heads that wear copyright-friendly Imperial Guard helmets and have a variety of expressions.
If you're a disgusting furry, however, you have a few options:
- As of Fall 2018 the appearance of the Albedo Combat Patrol Miniatures Game has brought with it a cat conversion kit for 28mm models available from Sally 4th.
- ArtelW has released a "Catfolk" squad, where there's a few heads that are at Na'vi level, and the rest are full anthro.
- A full range of Felinid "Nekomimi Winter Guard" miniatures including heads for conversions is available for sale from Resin Munitorum.
- Yvraine's model comes with Alorynis, her gyrinx familiar (probably the only time a gyrinx got an official model). So feel free to repurpose the head for Felinid kitbashing. However if you want a less Lynx-looking head then you're gonna need to do a bit of modifications.
- Reptilian Overlords have also made the Medicat. Normally this would be heinous heresy but considering they sold the STL to pay for their pet cat's medical bills we can let this slide.
Gallery[edit]
 | This article contains PROMOTIONS! Don't say we didn't warn you. |
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Please ignore how exposed cleavage contravenes the purpose of a gasmask.
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For the Emperor! Nyaaah!
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Almost Heresy, and you thought he was angry before.
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The Carlos McConnellan 51st Flying Pussyfoots always land on their feet!
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Making the enemies of Man go Daaaaawwwww....
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As the plebs from TV tropes would say, this theoretical depiction has thankfully been debunked
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Felinid guardsman
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Power fists offer fantastic replacements for natural claws
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You wish your cat was even just half as awesome
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Felinids are sometimes used as effective squad morale booster!
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They're also pretty effective as Wulfen bait.
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TAKE IT OFF
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A crack ship that can rival LIIVI and Taldeer's.
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Felinids can be rogue traders too.
External Links[edit]
- Felinid privates pushing forward under Commissar Floppa's orders
- Felinid breaking through the enemy lines.
- Commissar Floppa in all of his majesty.
