Carnifex

Saves: Toughness +11, Strength +12

Senses: Senses prey by vibration and scent out to 60 ft.

Living Battering Ram. If the carnifex moves at least 20 feet in a straight line before making a melee attack, that attack deals +2d10 damage and the target makes a Strength Save DC 16 or is knocked prone and pushed 10 feet. Walls, barricades, and vehicle hulls in its path take double damage.

Chitin Fortress. The carnifex ignores any single hit that deals 5 or less damage.

Synaptic Beast. While within synapse range of a Tyranid synapse creature, the carnifex acts with directed purpose. Without synapse, it attacks the nearest large, loud, or moving thing.

Crushing Claw. Melee Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 2d10 + 7 slashing damage. The carnifex may make two Crushing Claw attacks on its turn.

Bio-Plasma Belch. Each creature in a 30-foot cone makes an Agility Save DC 16, taking 4d8 energy damage on a failure or half on a success. Recharge.

Trample. The carnifex moves up to its Movement through creatures' spaces. Each creature in its path makes an Agility Save DC 16 or takes 2d10 + 7 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone.

Thresher Backswing. When a creature within 10 feet damages the carnifex with a melee attack, the carnifex may make one Crushing Claw attack against it.

Morale: Does not make Morale checks while under synapse. If synapse is lost, it does not flee — it rampages toward the nearest target of instinct.

Tactics: Walk through the obstacle instead of around it. Charge the loudest threat, breach the wall everyone was relying on, and soak fire meant for the swarm.

The carnifex is a living battering ram: a siege organism bred to breach fortress walls, vehicle hulls, and gun lines by walking through them. It does not maneuver; it arrives, in a straight line, through whatever was in the way.

Use this enemy when the party's plan depends on a wall, a barricade, a vehicle, or a doorway — the carnifex exists to delete exactly that noun.

Threat Profile: Monster-grade durability, devastating charge and melee, structure-breaching damage, slow and unsubtle, directed under synapse and a rampaging hazard without it.

Living Battering Ram. Its straight-line charge deals massive bonus damage and doubles against walls, barricades, and hulls; the map's solid objects are provisional.

Chitin Fortress. Ignores any single hit below a damage threshold; small arms are rain.

Synaptic Beast. Under synapse it is a directed siege weapon; without synapse it attacks the nearest large, loud, or moving thing, allegiance not considered.

Crushing Claws. Paired heavy melee attacks that shred armor and the things armor was protecting.

Bio-Plasma Belch. Cone of energy vomit for gun lines that thought range was safety; recharges between uses.

Trample. Walks its full Movement through occupied spaces; everything in the path saves or is crushed prone.

Morale: No Morale under synapse; if synapse is lost it does not flee — it rampages toward the nearest target of instinct.

Tactics: Point it at the party's strongest terrain feature and start walking. The charge is the weapon: deny it a straight line and it becomes merely terrible instead of catastrophic — that is the party's entire counterplay, so make them earn the geometry. Soak the fire meant for the swarm; the broods arrive behind its shadow.

Full Stat Block Priority: High