Vespid Stingwings

Seek & Destroy

KILL GRADE [9]

1	2	3	4	5
2	4	5	7	9

What to Know

Tactical Overview

Meet the Vespid Stingwings! A 9-operative T'au Empire team that masters the skies with their unique FLY rule. They're fast (Move 6-8) but fragile (Save 5+). Their playstyle revolves around aerial mobility: use FLY to reposition, gain Neutron Charge for Piercing weapons, and leverage Communion points for mission actions. They excel at shooting with neutron weapons (especially after moving) but can pack a punch in melee with buffed claws. Strategy ploys like Aerial Agility make them evasive, while Hardened Exoskeleton adds durability. Perfect for players who love hit-and-run tactics and controlling the battlefield from above!

Core Abilities

Unusual Shooting ✗

Unusual Melee ✗

Super Conceal ✗

Out of Order Movement ✗

Activation Manipulation ✗

APL Modifiers ✓

Oversight Drone: Treat APL as 1 lower for objective control.

Bitter Demise ✗

Block Rerolls ✗

Damage Reduction ✓

Strategic Ploy: Hardened Exoskeleton: reduce normal damage 4+ by 1.Strategic Ploy: Aerial Agility: ignore normal damage on 5+ dice result.

Faction Rules

Fly: Vespid Stingwings can teleport instead of moving, ignoring terrain restrictions.
Neutron Charge: Vespid Stingwings gain Piercing 1 on neutron weapons after moving or flying.
Communion: Gain D3 points per turn to enhance marker pickup and mission actions.

Strategic Ploys

Hardened Exoskeleton: Reduce damage from Normal Dmg 4+ by 1
Aerial Agility: 5+ save vs shooting after move or setup
Airborne Predators: Gain Balanced weapon rule after moving
Sting: +1 Hit, Lethal 5+, and Shock on claws

Firefight Ploys

Ocelli: Gain Vantage benefits, treat as 3" higher
Darting Flight: Move extra D3", no Shoot or Fight after
Neutron Overload: Critical hit adds D3 damage if within 4"
Vicious Venom: Critical strike in fight adds D3 damage

Equipment

Neurostimulant: Roll two D3 and pick one for Communion points in Ready step
Convergence Stimulant: Once per turning point, Vespid can perform action without Communion point
Accelerant Stimulant: Vespid gains +1" movement on Charge/Dash, extra 1" setup if using FLY
Aggression Stimulant: Vespid melee weapons gain Ceaseless weapon rule when fighting

Rules Commentary

2 Q&As

In killzones that use the close quarters rules, does the VESPID STINGWING SWARMGUARD's torch zone for the Skytorch weapon rule bend around any Wall terrain that's intervening?

Yes.

If there are no enemy operatives within 8" of a friendly VESPID STINGWING operative, do I need to spend a Communion point to target an enemy operative more than 8" from it?

Yes.

Operative Selection

Operative Selection Rules

9 VESPID STINGWING operatives selected from the following list:

(Note: The amendments provided include changes to OVERSIGHT DRONE, SWARMGUARD, and LONGSTING operatives, but the complete list is not fully specified in the text.)

Operative Datacards

3 operatives

Vespid Strain Leader

2 6" 5+ 10

NAME	ATK	HIT	DMG	WR
⚡ Neutron blaster	4	3+	3/3	Devastating 2 Devastating Each retained critical success immediately inflicts x damage on the operative this weapon is being used against. If the rule starts with a distance, inflict x damage on that operative and each other operative visible to and within that distance of it. Neutron blaster - Weapon Rules Devastating Each retained critical success immediately inflicts x damage on the operative this weapon is being used against. If the rule starts with a distance, inflict x damage on that operative and each other operative visible to and within that distance of it.
⚔ Claws	3	4+	3/4	-

Additional Rules

Communion Helm

Once during each of this operative's activations, you can spend 1 Communion point for free. Commune: When selecting your operatives for the battle, also select one VESPID STINGWING strategy ploy. Whenever this operative is in the killzone and isn't within control range of enemy operatives, that ploy costs you 0CP.

Oversight Drone

2 8" 2+ 5

NAME	ATK	HIT	DMG	WR
⚔ Ram	3	5+	1/2	-

Additional Rules

Evasive Drone

This operative cannot perform any actions other than Aerial Guidance, Charge, Dash, Fall Back, Fight and Reposition. Whenever determining control of an objective marker, treat this operative's APL stat as 1 lower. Note this isn't a change to its APL stat, so any changes are cumulative with this. Whenever determining what's visible to this operative, the round disc at the top of the miniature is its head. Whenever this operative has a Conceal order and is in cover, it cannot be selected as a valid target, taking precedence over all other rules (e.g. Seek, Vantage terrain) except being within 2". Whenever an operative is shooting this operative, ignore the Piercing weapon rule.

Unique Actions

Aerial Guidance 1AP

Until the start of this operative's next activation, whenever another friendly VESPID STINGWING operative within 6" of this operative is shooting an enemy operative visible to this operative, that friendly operative's ranged weapons have the Lethal 5+ and Saturate weapon rules. This has no effect while this operative is within control range of an enemy operative.

This operative cannot perform this action while within control range of an enemy operative.

Vespid Longsting

2 6" 5+ 9

NAME	ATK	HIT	DMG	WR
⚡ Neutron rail rifle (standard)	4	4+	4/4	Devastating 2 Devastating Each retained critical success immediately inflicts x damage on the operative this weapon is being used against. If the rule starts with a distance, inflict x damage on that operative and each other operative visible to and within that distance of it. , Neutron Fragment Neutron rail rifle (standard) - Weapon Rules Devastating Each retained critical success immediately inflicts x damage on the operative this weapon is being used against. If the rule starts with a distance, inflict x damage on that operative and each other operative visible to and within that distance of it.
⚡ Neutron rail rifle (aimed)	4	3+	4/4	Devastating 2 Devastating Each retained critical success immediately inflicts x damage on the operative this weapon is being used against. If the rule starts with a distance, inflict x damage on that operative and each other operative visible to and within that distance of it. , Heavy (Dash only) Heavy An operative cannot use this weapon in an activation or counteraction in which it moved, and it cannot move in an activation or counteraction in which it used this weapon. If the rule is Heavy (x only), only that move is allowed. , Lethal 5+ Lethal Your successes equal to or greater than x are critical successes. , Neutron Fragment Neutron rail rifle (aimed) - Weapon Rules Devastating Each retained critical success immediately inflicts x damage on the operative this weapon is being used against. If the rule starts with a distance, inflict x damage on that operative and each other operative visible to and within that distance of it. Heavy An operative cannot use this weapon in an activation or counteraction in which it moved, and it cannot move in an activation or counteraction in which it used this weapon. If the rule is Heavy (x only), only that move is allowed. Lethal Your successes equal to or greater than x are critical successes.
⚔ Claws	3	4+	3/4	-

Additional Rules

Neutron Fragment

If the target of this weapon isn't incapacitated but you resolve any attack dice, the target gains one of your Neutron Fragment tokens. Whenever an operative that has one of your Neutron Fragment tokens is activated, inflict D3 damage on it for each Neutron Fragment token it has (roll separately for each).

Faction Rules

3 rules

Fly

Faction Rule

Vespid Stingwings can teleport instead of moving, ignoring terrain restrictions.

Vespid Stingwings 💀

The thrumming wings of the Vespids bear them aloft with speed and remarkable agility.

Whenever a friendly VESPID STINGWING operative performs an action in which it moves, it can FLY. If it does, don't move it. Instead, remove it from the killzone and set it back up wholly within a distance equal to its Move stat (or 3" if it was a Dash) horizontally of its original location (in a killzone that uses the close quarters rules, e.g. Killzone: Tomb World, this distance cannot be measured over or through Wall terrain, and that operative cannot be set up on the other side of an access point - in other words it cannot FLY through an open hatchway). Note that it gains no additional distance when performing the Charge action. It must be set up in a location it can be placed, and unless it's the Charge action, it cannot be set up within control range of an enemy operative.

Neutron Charge

Faction Rule

Vespid Stingwings gain Piercing 1 on neutron weapons after moving or flying.

Communion

Faction Rule

Gain D3 points per turn to enhance marker pickup and mission actions.

Strategy Ploys

4 ploys

Hardened Exoskeleton

Strategy Ploy

Reduce damage from Normal Dmg 4+ by 1

Aerial Agility

Strategy Ploy

5+ save vs shooting after move or setup

Vespid Stingwings 💀

Vespids jink and weave through the air, following unpredictable flight paths that confound foes who have not had time to line up clean shots.

Whenever an operative is shooting a friendly VESPID STINGWING operative while counteracting, or during an activation in which that shooting operative moved or was set up, roll one D6 whenever an attack dice would inflict Normal Dmg: on a 5+, ignore that inflicted damage. You cannot ignore more than one attack dice per Shoot action sequence this way.

Airborne Predators

Strategy Ploy

Gain Balanced weapon rule after moving

Sting

Strategy Ploy

+1 Hit, Lethal 5+, and Shock on claws

Firefight Ploys

4 ploys

Ocelli

Firefight Ploy

Gain Vantage benefits, treat as 3" higher

Vespid Stingwings 💀

The multispectral eyesight and esoteric sensory acuity of the Vespids are equal to any scanning technologies. As they sweep over the battlefield, they easily pick out even the most well-concealed enemies.

Use this firefight ploy when a friendly VESPID STINGWING operative performs the Shoot action during an activation in which it's used FLY . Until the end of that action, it gains all benefits from the first and second main features of Vantage terrain. When determining the height difference between operatives for Vantage terrain rules, treat that friendly operative as being 3" higher than it currently is (but not when determining the distance for Communion).

Darting Flight

Firefight Ploy

Move extra D3", no Shoot or Fight after

Vespid Stingwings 💀

Vespids are capable of tremendous airborne speed, allowing them to rapidly reposition during a firefight.

Use this firefight ploy when a friendly VESPID STINGWING operative performs the Reposition action. Until the end of that action, it can move an additional D3", or be set up an additional D3" away if it uses FLY . In either case, it cannot perform Shoot or Fight actions for the rest of the turning point.

Neutron Overload

Firefight Ploy

Critical hit adds D3 damage if within 4"

Vespid Stingwings 💀

Augmented in some ineffable fashion by the rapid wing beats of the Vespids, their neutron weaponry can unleash horrific point-blank energy blasts.

Use this firefight ploy when you resolve a critical success for a friendly VESPID STINGWING operative that's shooting with a neutron weapon during an activation in which it's moved or used FLY . If the target is within 4" of it, inflict D3 additional damage.

Vicious Venom

Firefight Ploy

Critical strike in fight adds D3 damage

Vespid Stingwings 💀

Many Strains of Vespid produce various neurotoxins and inflammatory agents from their abdominal stingers, which can reduce victims to convulsing wrecks or anaphylactically bloat their flesh to bursting point.

Use this firefight ploy when a friendly VESPID STINGWING operative (excluding OVERSIGHT DRONE ) is fighting and you strike with a critical success. Inflict D3 additional damage.

Faction Equipment

4 items

Neurostimulant

Faction Equipment

Roll two D3 and pick one for Communion points in Ready step

Convergence Stimulant

Faction Equipment

Once per turning point, Vespid can perform action without Communion point

Accelerant Stimulant

Faction Equipment

Vespid gains +1" movement on Charge/Dash, extra 1" setup if using FLY

Aggression Stimulant

Faction Equipment

Vespid melee weapons gain Ceaseless weapon rule when fighting

Universal Equipment

0 items