I'm starting to think that Zayth needs an invasion. Lets see how long they fight each other when they find a common enemy, but I'm unsure who the invaders should be Orks(maybe), Rak'ghol (this might be intresting but they need to be fleshed out more) or Chaos marines with cultist in grand scheme turn this into Khornite playground (not really sure about this). What else could invade world with macrocannon toting mobile cities

Still I always get mental image traction cities from mortal engines series of books by Philip Reeve even they are lot steampunk/apocalypse. Unless you've read the books feel free to peruse wikia about it http://mortalengines.wikia.com/wiki/Mortal_Engines_Wiki to get idea about some concepts in it. I think this could be a good flavour addon to Zayth

./atomiclich

In my game, my players "accidentally" set Orks loose on Zayth. Couple decades later, one of the engine cities has been taken over and orkified, and the fighting continues with yet another faction simply trying to blow the others up. Needless to say, they aren't welcome in Zayth anymore.

You mean they painted it red and it moves faster than other cities really [about players being persona-non-grata after this is no littlle wonder ]. Anyways Orks are fun but evoking sense of terror I'm looking for calls for RakGhol, are there any other sources on Rak'Ghol than Koronus Bestiary.

./atomiclich

Simple Answer: another Rogue Trader perhaps?

Sometimes, you don't need a proper invasion to actually invade something. All it needs is the illusion.

If you really want an all out military conflict, i'd suggest a large Genestealer infestation in several hives or a Dark Eldar Raid.

... are there any other sources on Rak'Ghol than Koronus Bestiary...

Yes, in BFK are their ships. And I do believe there is some information in either EotA or SoI on them, to include a melee based Rak'Gol adversary.

Also, you can go to http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Rak%27Gol and read up on a bunch of information wiki has collected on them.

The Imperium and the Orks. I don't see any of the other xenos having the capability to invade Zayth without being completely outgunned.

I do think some Eldar ninja action to cripple the city-ships might work. The Rak'Gol haven't shown themselves to be on a threat of that scale. I mean, what exactly are they going to do to a blasted wasteland? Make it slightly more horrific?

The Orks would be the likeliest invaders. A planet with cities that are giant tanks with big guns? Oh yeah.

A Rogue Trader armed with diplomacy and charm can probably divide and conquer Zayth given enough time. Establish a trade route for food/water from Naduesh to Zayth in exchange for tech. Sell tech, use some of the money to continue trade route.

Bring in other kinds of weapons, medicines, even otherwise harmless technology. Whoever you manage to ally with will start getting ahead, and they will be in a position of power and influence over their rivals as the sole approved traders with you. That reinforces your relationship with them...

Yes, these are my plans for Zayth, in their broadest forms. I'm sure it'll go all to hell though.

Anyone van invade Zayth, but only those with acces to either Titans (or equivalent) or a LOT of orbital support stand any chance of succes.

This pretty much rules out the majority, leaving Orks, Eldar and Imperials with Titan acces.

Orbital support can work, but not if the goal is to capture the cities.

Maybe someone who can field a couple of dozen armoured regiments stands a chance aswell, but the armour force would take punishing casualties.

The Imperium and the Orks. I don't see any of the other xenos having the capability to invade Zayth without being completely outgunned.

I do think some Eldar ninja action to cripple the city-ships might work. The Rak'Gol haven't shown themselves to be on a threat of that scale. I mean, what exactly are they going to do to a blasted wasteland? Make it slightly more horrific?

The Orks would be the likeliest invaders. A planet with cities that are giant tanks with big guns? Oh yeah.

A Rogue Trader armed with diplomacy and charm can probably divide and conquer Zayth given enough time. Establish a trade route for food/water from Naduesh to Zayth in exchange for tech. Sell tech, use some of the money to continue trade route.

Bring in other kinds of weapons, medicines, even otherwise harmless technology. Whoever you manage to ally with will start getting ahead, and they will be in a position of power and influence over their rivals as the sole approved traders with you. That reinforces your relationship with them...

Yes, these are my plans for Zayth, in their broadest forms. I'm sure it'll go all to hell though.

Funnily enough, this is what my players did, although they used foodstuffs from one of their own agriworlds instead of Naduesh.

Anyone with something like Da Wurldbreaka (Ork Flagship) or a well equipped Grand Cruiser (with 21 Armor and some extra Voidshields from castellan arrays or overload capacitors).

It really doesn't take that much to destroy those cities.

Anyone with something like Da Wurldbreaka (Ork Flagship) or a well equipped Grand Cruiser (with 21 Armor and some extra Voidshields from castellan arrays or overload capacitors).

It really doesn't take that much to destroy those cities.

Not so sure it's a question of "can we blow up a city?" Pick a planet, I can PROBABLY blow up a hive or two, and then maybe get routed by the other gun emplacements and such, but "do I want to blow up the city?" The value of Zayth, for the most part, seems to be the city-ships, and some of the technical marvels inside them. You might be able to blast one, and convince another to see your might, and capitulate, but these are people who've been fighting so long they probably don't even remember why they're fighting; like Orks, they just see each other and fight's on. If you don't want to wreck the only value Zayth has, you have to find a way to suck up to the people, get the Elder-Tacticians, Gun-Masters, or Engine-Order members on your side, and get them to become your minio...er, allies. And look, I haven't said anything you didn't already know.

This is part of why I really love Lure of the Expanse. The endgame for it is actually kind of meh to me (I won't spoil it, and it can be pretty epic), but you stop at several places that, either at a later date, or instead of pursuing the Dread Pearl, each seem to have so much to offer for other little things to do, and money or futures to be made or spent. I really like Vaporius, Zayth, and the hulk of the Light as possible other options for stuff to do. Some of them even work well together. I really like the Processional, too, if you can find a way to prolong your stay without getting "bothered". I've run an idea in my mind of getting in good with Zayth, recovering the Light, moving it to Zayth, and salvaging parts for it from the Processional. In some respects, with my personality, I could see letting the other RTs duke it out for the Pearl, let one win, weakening the others, and then go take it a bit later, if appropriate, once it has been found and claimed. Of course, that's just me, and my special snowflake syndrome showing, but it has potential, in some avenues. Many of the worlds along the way to the Dread Pearl have much to offer, once you aren't quite so under the gun.

I don't know anything about Zayth, but there are many, many ways to render macrocannons irrelevant both in invasions and in combat. Everything from shooting the planet from 18 void units away to sending in small craft (which can't be targeted by ship-sized weapons). Do the Zaythians have other defences that make these approaches invalid? I assume they have armies - I also assume that we're assuming that we can defeat those armies.

Small crafts always were my weapon of choice against Zayth - well, ever since they came out.

Before BFK it was a raider with a Lance.

Anyone with something like Da Wurldbreaka (Ork Flagship) or a well equipped Grand Cruiser (with 21 Armor and some extra Voidshields from castellan arrays or overload capacitors).

It really doesn't take that much to destroy those cities.

Not so sure it's a question of "can we blow up a city?" Pick a planet, I can PROBABLY blow up a hive or two, and then maybe get routed by the other gun emplacements and such, but "do I want to blow up the city?" The value of Zayth, for the most part, seems to be the city-ships, and some of the technical marvels inside them. You might be able to blast one, and convince another to see your might, and capitulate, but these are people who've been fighting so long they probably don't even remember why they're fighting; like Orks, they just see each other and fight's on. If you don't want to wreck the only value Zayth has, you have to find a way to suck up to the people, get the Elder-Tacticians, Gun-Masters, or Engine-Order members on your side, and get them to become your minio...er, allies. And look, I haven't said anything you didn't already know.

Or just shoot virus torpedos from orbit followed by boarders in sharkboats, take the life support deck and flood the whole thing with more virus. Mop up survivors and have them work for you if they want to live - this way you can have less moaning from the Engine Order later, regarding Mechanicus studying the tech there.

Or you could just park your fleet between the system's sun and the planet and wait until your artificial eclipse freezes everything to death then loot the ruins.

Admittedly you might need a large fleet and some good piloting but if you've got the time it's largely cost free.

Or you could just park your fleet between the system's sun and the planet and wait until your artificial eclipse freezes everything to death then loot the ruins.

Admittedly you might need a large fleet and some good piloting but if you've got the time it's largely cost free.

You know that's impossible, right? (you would need 123122131 ships for that)

It's not possible in real life but in 40K when everything is massively over the top I'm fairly sure it coudl be done. Some sort of solar sail could be extended between ships to better occlude the star (and harvest solar energy while you're at it).

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Orbital_nightcloak

Of course if the invasion isn't a rogue trader there might be all sorts of xenos/chaos ways to do it.

So something like this but much larger scale?

Exactly!

It's not possible in real life but in 40K when everything is massively over the top I'm fairly sure it coudl be done. Some sort of solar sail could be extended between ships to better occlude the star (and harvest solar energy while you're at it).

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Orbital_nightcloak

Of course if the invasion isn't a rogue trader there might be all sorts of xenos/chaos ways to do it.

Star Wars is not a good source for 40k ideas. Star Wars is so outrageous it makes Warhammer look perfectly realistic by contrast.

SIMPSONS DID IT!!!

Exactly!

Okay, but remember, Lord Mr. Burns was shot by his own Seneschal. Or was it a random baby?

Exactly!

Okay, but remember, Lord Mr. Burns was shot by his own Seneschal. Or was it a random baby?

It was BOTH! The Seneschal overdosed on rejuvenat treatments after the shooting to become a "random baby" hoping that by regressing his consciousness an Astropath would not be able to extract his memories!

......I have the most random idea every for a murder mystery now. Elderly regent conspirator o/ds on juvenat to disguise himself as his own descendant and hence heir....

Anyway, if you want the Rak'Gol ground forces to be more dangerous, remember that a big part of their racial drive is collecting Yu'Vath artefacts. Presumably they're capable of using them in extreme cases. Something like a Dark Lament could do nasty things with a Zaythian city.

Jokes notwithstanding, I'm pretty sure juvenat is a collective term for various life-extending treatments, not fountain of youth water.

I think your right Magellan. Though even with today we have plastic surgery, skin rejuvenation and cellular regeneration cosmetics/products/chemicals that probably cause cancer, etc etc. that can make you look 10-20 years younger. Obviously, if you are an old wrinkled fart who just started using the stuff, it probably won't help you to much other than to look like a younger old wrinkly fart. Was that last part an oxymoron?

Anyhoot, people in 40k live to be 300+, so nothing is stopping them from looking 30-60 other than imagination. I mean really, what does a 300+ person look like using juvenat treatments? (Don't answer that, it 's a trick question because we are referring to a sci-fi game).

The original rulebook would seem to imply that Zayth has been invaded by Orks in the past, possibly on a regular basis. In one of the sample endeavours they are referred to as "the green-skinned demons who fall from the sky."

Seems like the Orks themselves aren't unduly concerned with the "...and stand a chance against natives" part of the O.P.s question, though.