Gland Warrior

Gland Warriors (Latin: Homo sapiens tyranicavenatoris) are enhanced humans who feature in Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe. Although identified as Abhumans by the Imperium of Man, due to the process of their creation and their inability to reproduce, their classification is closer to gentically engineered than true Abhuman.

Description
Outwardly similar to regular humans but with an overdeveloped musculature, Gland Warriors have been genetically modified and implanted with bio-engineered glands which secrete chemicals to improve their combat capabilities. Unfortunately for these men, the potent cocktails of combat drugs which their new implants dispense sometimes make them susceptible to fatal overdoses, especially during the heat of battle, where their glands are at their most active.

History
After the invasion of the Forge World of Dantris III by Tyranid forces, the defenders were in desperate need of front-line combat troops. However, due to the heavy industrialisation of the world and its resultant toxic ecosystem, regular soldiers were unable to function without expensive and cumbersome environmental suits. As a response, the adepts of the Magos Biologis developed a procedure which would allow the common trooper to not only survive unprotected in Dantris III‘s hostile environment, but also fight with a strength and ferocity beyond that of a mere human.

Although ultimately successful in their campaign against the Tyranids, the Gland Warriors suffered heavy casualties, and the few who survived were taken away by the mysterious branch of the Imperium known as the Inquisition in order to replicate and refine the procedure necessary for their creation.

Since that time, several regiments of Guardsmen have been augmented using this technique, and now the Gland Warriors may be found fighting wars on many Imperial planets where conditions are not conducive to the deployment of regular troops.