Aeldari War Master

## War Master

"*Tiarna Cogaiocht*", or War Master in Gothic.

The War Master was, alongside the Battle Rider, a God Machine of the War in Heaven. Truly competing with the Exodite Knights and Super Heavy elements of War it stands imposing over even the Wraithknight (15m) and carries a formidable array of weaponry to rend any warmachine into molten slag. It is a artificial intelligence piloted warmachine, but like all other Aeldari ‘God Machines’, it can be fitted with a simpler AI and Aeldari pilot; Giving it a noticeable improvement to performance. The fall into obscurity, as with most of the God Machines of the War in Heaven, came to the War Master through attrition. It may have been supremely powerful but it could not be mass produced in the same numbers as the Battle Riders, and the same issues faced in recreating and maintaining the God Machines was many fold for the War Master.
Each War Master carries a trio of Plasma Mortars, Heavy Starcannons that can be fired directly or indirectly at great range. With these it is capable of turning aside most Super Heavy Weapons, and their legacy within the War of Heaven saw squadrons of War Masters bringing low titans. Now it is rare for more than one to be seen at a time. Secondary armaments include two twin Scatter Laser turrets under the central body, and suites of grenade launchers for both holographic screen and short range bombardment. A superb shield protects the machine and it is still swifter than it’s peers within the Mon’Keigh factions.

## History

### War in Heaven

Forged in the War of Heaven as mobile heavy artillery and a siege engine to support Titans. War masters operate in small groups, fighting as ‘Bison’ in a tight pack with overlapping firepower. When piloted by an Aeldari automated systems and a simpler artificial intelligence allows a single rider to operate the entire mech efficiently and even without their pilot they can still operate at standards exceeding most Mon’Keigh capabilities. While the technology was relatively mundane it was lost to the Fall and subsequently fell into obscurity.

### Great Crusade

When widespread invasion threatened the Aeldari it was the Battle Riders, driven by their Chivalric nature, that took on the mantle against this genocide. The War Masters were not so inclined or indoctrinated, but the Battle Riders called for their aid and the War Masters answered. What were very few still marched, and at the wars conclusion a fraction remained. There was barely a legacy left in their wake, and the War Masters became myth.

### Obscurity

War Masters are not relics of a House or Coterie, they are individuals of myths seen on scant Maiden worlds or Craftworlds. They often travel, between resting within dreams, they search for beauty. Exceptions exist, of War Masters and even battlegroups in service of particular Aeldari factions, but they are the exceptions. Despite their few number in the Great Crusade they left a legacy within the Titan Legions of the Imperium, an innate fear within their Machine Spirits.

## Specifications

War Masters stand around 15 metres tall, though they are slender. They feature gyroscopic stabilisers, as seen in the War Walker, and many equivalent featural designs such as the legs and feet with their smaller siblings; Except for the fully enclosed canopy, which is considerably bigger to sustain the weapon systems. War Master's share the War Walkers distinctive shoulder mounted weapons appearance, but feature three primary weapons. Their primary triplet of weapons are heavy plasma mortars, variants of the Sun Cannon; Arrayed as they are, and suitably modified for this purpose, the Sun Cannons can externally collect and channel a massive mass of pressurised plasma that can be thrown at high speed. A War Master can choose between their standard barrage of Plasma shots, or charge and fire this artillery blast; Which has been seen to melt an unshielded Titan. Even without these powered blasts, War Masters were also known to fell Titans with their regular firepower, when operating in full squads, and would likewise chew through armoured columns. To backup their firepower they carry powerful forceshield and holoshield arrays.

With no space on their topside they feature three support weapon mounts on their canopies underside as their only supporting arsenal. Typically scatter lasers or starcannons they are a potent source of firepower but very much a reserve weapon. Unlike Battle Riders, war masters are not generalists.

## Nomenclature

War Master's share a name with the War Knights of the Exodites, with the latter being an evolution of the technology and purpose. "Warmaster" War Knights sit taller and wider, with full functionable arms. The confusing lack of nuance to their name comes from the gothic translation of the Asuryani name for the ancient War Master "Tiarna Cogaiocht", and the Exodite name for the 'relatively' newer War Knight "Maistir'cogai"; Both translating as the same.

## Combat Role

War Masters may now fight alone but in their inception they fought in groups. Their combat style is antiquated to the Aeldari, fighting a flexible back and forth relying on attrition. Their shields and mirage launchers cheat death, and allow them to remain in the battle. They are heavy artillery, with redundant weapons systems allowing them to engage targets of different types at once. The Suncannons are their main and signature weapons. A War Master also benefits from the Battle Rider and its ‘Eye of Kurnous’ as they lend their firepower to these distant targets with lethal accuracy. War Masters are the ‘Bison’ to the Battle Rider’s ‘Wolves’, striking the enemy head on in their group as allies pull apart and constrict the enemy before them.

War Masters still more often than not fight in packs, but are so much more rarely seen, their joining battles now myth enticing events. The warhosts of the Aeldari often replace the role that Battle Riders once took unto themselves.