Special Weapons Dalek

The Special Weapons Daleks, abbreviated SWD, (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide) were heavily-armoured Daleks with enhanced defensive capacities and even greater offensive capacities.

Standard Battle type
Unlike a conventional Dalek, a Special Weapons Dalek had no manipulator arm or eyestalk. Instead, it had an enormous energy cannon mounted on the front of the armoured casing in place of the usual small gunstick and several gold squares below the dome in place of the traditional grating section.

A Special Weapons Daleks' firepower was so powerful that one shot completely vapourised two conventional Renegade Daleks, leaving only a pair of burn marks. Their armour was strong enough to deflect conventional Dalek gunstick firepower without suffering any apparent harm. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)

Initially, Special Weapons Daleks had a conventional grey livery, marred by dark green stains. (COMIC: Emperor of the Daleks!) Later, similarly to the Imperial Daleks, their liveries were white with gold sense globes, but with sections of metallic grey armour covering most of the upper portion with many battle scorches. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)

Like other Daleks, Special Weapons Daleks were capable of speech, and the gold squares around their domes were shown to light up whenever it spoke, much like the sets of luminosity dischargers seen on the domes of conventional Daleks. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar)

The Standard Battle type was the most widely encountered Special Weapons Dalek. The Dalek creature contained in the life chamber of this model was reconditioned for total obedience and minimal independent thought. It relied on its immediate superior, nicknamed the Minder, for tactical instructions. In emergency situations, the Minder could relinquish control, giving the Special Weapons Dalek autonomy. However, it was noted by all forces engaging this model when in autonomous mode the end result was usually self-destruction immediately following the accidental destruction of any other Daleks in the area. It was understood that a Minder Dalek would only set its underling free when a battle situation was deemed irretrievable.

The Dalek Survival Guide suggested that the Dalek hope was that the uncontrollable Special Weapons Dalek would wreak so much havoc that the outcome would not be a clear victory for either side. When under control of its Minder, the Standard Battle type's creature often suffered from an overactive schrellic gland. It was discovered, during dissection of such a creature, that the schrellic gland became particularly active when a Dalek was in a battle situation. It excreted a noxious fluid, which was thought to attract the attention of other Daleks, potentially as a petition for reinforcements. In the case of this type of Special Weapons Dalek, the volume of schrellic secretion was such that it often leaked out of the Dalek casing around the gun area. This sticky fluid was often mistaken for some kind of lubrication oil, although it was by no means certain that the fluid did not fulfil this function as well.

The energy output of the Standard Battle type's pulse gun was gauged at up to 50 times that of a normal Dalek's not inconsiderably powerful gunstick blast. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)

Another design was used by the Dalek Empire on Kar-Charrat. (AUDIO: The Genocide Machine)

Airborne
In comparison to the Standard Battle type, the Airborne Dalek was an altogether more sophisticated model. The Dalek conditioning techniques for these aggressive former renegades had become markedly more advanced by the time these were developed. Airborne Daleks were capable of intelligent speech and possessed interpretative skills when it came to following orders transmitted on the Dalek command net during intense battle situations. There was even anecdotal evidence to suggest that one Dalek creature who was originally housed within an Airborne Dalek casing had impressed its superiors to such an extent that it was relocated into a red Supreme Commander casing. The Airborne SWD was sleek in design and more aerodynamic than the standard Dalek design. It did not settle on the surface of a planet, but instead hovered constantly, eager to put into practice one of its many breathtaking battle maneuvers. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)

Torpedo
The Torpedo type was the underwater version of the Special Weapons Dalek, so named because of the brief and often fatal encounters with them. This type of Dalek was first sighted in the initial battles on the largely ocean-covered planet Guria and was indeed initially mistaken for a submarine torpedo. However, capture and analysis of this type revealed its cunning adaptability.

Equipped with an advanced caterpillar drive, the underwater equivalent of a jet engine, and packed with formidable power reserves, the Torpedo Dalek was more than a match for any military submarine. The ingenuity of its design, however, allowed its outer casing to react with seawater in order to temporarily alter the molecular structure of the bonded polycarbide shell. The nature of the structure was governed by an onboard menu of molecules stored in the Dalek's battle computer, allowing the Torpedo Dalek to assume the appearance, texture, and feel of objects such as a rock on the seabed or a log floating in the water. In situations of dire emergency, the Torpedo Dalek could actually become a torpedo, being preconditioned to sacrifice itself with maximum explosive force should the situation call for it. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)

General
The Dalek Survival Guide identified strengths of the Special Weapons Daleks: its terrifying appearance massive firepower, ruthlessness, maneuverability, and the Torpedo Daleks' camouflage ability. Five weaknesses were: over-aggressiveness if not controlled by a Minder Dalek, lack of sophistication leading to the old expression "as stupid as an SWD", relatively short lifespan, the over-productive schrellic gland which sometimes caused internal drowning, and occasional lapses in conditioning which caused petulant disobedience. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)

Psychology
The enormous power source required for at least one Special Weapons Dalek's weapon resulted in high levels of radiation being released and altering the structure of the Dalek's brain, resulting in insanity. It was only used in extreme situations and was unofficially known among the Daleks as the Abomination. (PROSE: Remembrance of the Daleks)

Origin
According to the Dalek Survival Guide, these "uber-Daleks" originated when, seeking to execute a renegade, time-travelling faction, the Daleks fired what they designated as Astro-thesial radiation, which they believed to be deadly, at their intended victims. This radiation had an unintended side-effect on these renegade Daleks, making them uncontrollably angry and capable of releasing far higher levels of psychokinetic energy to their weapons, making them psychopathic killers even by Dalek standards. After some years, the Daleks once again tracked down these renegades, this time imprisoning them. After massive reconditioning and surgical coercion, the Daleks managed to implant the renegades inside reinforced outer shells, giving them bigger and better weapons through which to vent their psychopathic tendencies, thus the renegades became designated Special Weapons Daleks.

The Special Weapons Daleks proved their worth in battle through a "spectacular" victory in the battle of Cairtros IV. There, General Arthur Brook had no intelligence information about Special Weapons Daleks. Long range scans indicated the presence of 50 Daleks. Brook allocated a force of 300 men, thought sufficient to take care of such a small force of Daleks. On landing, the 300 men were reduced to zero in less than five minutes. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the third greatest victory of the Special Weapons Daleks. In its aftermath, the Dalek Emperor ordered the full-scale reproduction of the Special Weapons Daleks.

When the Special Weapons Daleks were first deployed, their impact was immense. Commanders would incorrectly assess long range scans of Dalek troop movements, interpreting Special Weapons Daleks as normal Daleks. In these situations, forces committed to a battle would inevitably be pitifully inadequate in number and firepower, resulting in many bloody massacres. Little by little, however, the full extent of the power of the Special Weapons Dalek was revealed and it was not long before opposing forces were fighting back with a vengeance. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)

Early use
The Special Weapons Daleks were created at a point after the Battle of Pejorica. In 1854, through a time corridor, an inoperative Special Weapons Dalek landed back in time in a house of Michael Faraday. (AUDIO: The Four Doctors)

While Ace was in Spacefleet fighting in the Second Dalek War, she witnessed a Special Weapons Dalek vapourise a Red Crescent ship full of children. She drilled through its motive units so it couldn't move in an attempt to steal its energy banks. While she did this, it begged her to kill it; Ace listened to its cry until its power ran out. (PROSE: Lucifer Rising)

After detecting the Sixth Doctor on Skaro, the Daleks later known as the Renegades sent a Special Weapons Dalek to exterminate him. Later, the Golden Emperor sent the Special Weapons Dalek to Spiridon to deal with Davros' Daleks there. (COMIC: Emperor of the Daleks!)

During the Dalek invasion of Earth in 2254, Special Weapons Daleks were deployed on to the streets of Tokyo. (GAME: Dalek Attack)

Civil War and aftermath
The Imperial Daleks employed a Special Weapons Dalek against the Renegade Daleks during the Shoreditch Incident. It eventually used the Imperial Dalek Shuttle to return to the Imperial Dalek mothership, (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks) which was destroyed by the Hand of Omega shortly thereafter. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe) According to one account, this Dalek was unique and had been designed by Davros after his ascension to the rank of Dalek Emperor, (PROSE: Remembrance of the Daleks)

The Hand of Omega affair was counted by the Dalek Survival Guide as the fifth greatest victory of the Special Weapons Daleks, as a single standard-model Imperial Special Weapons Dalek (second class) was responsible for the defeat of an entire Renegade Dalek task force. The Special Weapons Dalek concerned was cited for an award for Extreme Extermination in the Face of Danger, but was unable to attend the ceremony as the Imperial Daleks were wiped out by the Hand of Omega. The late Special Weapons Dalek was instead granted a posthumous award for services inadvertently rendered by the surviving Renegade Daleks. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)

One account suggested that following this encounter with Davros' forces, the Renegade Daleks also began using a Special Weapons Dalek variant in their campaigns — (PROSE: War of the Daleks) in evident contrast with the accounts according to which the Golden Emperor's Daleks already employed Special Weapons Daleks before the outbreak of the Civil War. (COMIC: Emperor of the Daleks!) At a point when the Dalek Emperor was back in control, a Special Weapons Dalek named Scout Seven was utilised by the Supreme on Kar-Charrat. (AUDIO: The Genocide Machine)

According to other accounts, the Imperial Daleks were the faction left standing at the end of the Civil War; a new Emperor took control of the remains of the Imperial Dalek faction, forming the Restoration Empire. Special Weapons Daleks were outfitted with new, more conventional Black Dalek-type casings, forming a new rank in the revamped hierarchy: the Dalek Executioners. (PROSE: The Restoration Empire)

Later Dalek invasions
Special Weapons Daleks were deployed to Lopra Minor to act as ground troops. Airborne Special Weapons Daleks were later used to breach Lopra Minor's defences and gain access to Project Infinity. (AUDIO: Project Infinity) A final assault against the Daleks was led by Knight of Velyshaa Kalendorf, commanding Earth Alliance forces aboard Battlecruiser Courageous. Armed with information gleaned straight from the Dalek command net, a nest of attacking Airborne Daleks were wiped out by sub-orbital assault craft. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the fifth greatest defeat of the Special Weapons Daleks. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)

On the planet Steraxius, a flotilla of Torpedo Daleks posed as a shoal of beached water mammals in distress. As the Steraxian Ecological Foundation operatives approached them, the Torpedos opened fire, devastating a large proportion of the planet's defenses and leaving it open to Dalek conquest. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the greatest victory achieved by Special Weapons Daleks.

On Oceanaron, the sea moon of Kelados, a low-level chemical weapon bombing raid transformed the planetoid's oceans into highly corrosive acid, thus destroying the flotilla of Torpedo Daleks who had not-so-cunningly disguised themselves as rather large floating mounds of Dalek-shaped Keladon gull dung. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the greatest defeat incurred by Special Weapons Daleks.

On the jungle planet of Junglos, a mere four Airborne Special Weapons Daleks kept an entire division of troops confused and besieged in the tropical jungles for months. The troops eventually ran out of rations and died of starvation. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the second greatest victory of the Special Weapons Daleks.

In the Garazone campaign, scientists cleverly synthesised the schrellic gland's secretions, luring 50 squadrons of interplanetary Airborne Daleks into a trap. The potency of the schrellic substitute was such that the first 27 squadrons willingly flew into the Garazone sun. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the second greatest defeat of the Special Weapons Daleks.

In the AKG04 sabotage gambit, an operative, known only as AKG04 for security reasons, managed to isolate the command frequencies of the Logril 9 Dalek Division's Standard SWD Minder. For several years, this enabled the selective transmitting of false and contradictory commands to Special Weapons Daleks. Famous amongst these commands were "You are very tired - shut down for a short sleep", "What was that noise behind you?" and "Human beings are now your friends, cease firing". The Dalek Supreme ultimately had the frequencies altered and issued orders for the conditioning of Special Weapons Daleks to include the annihilation of concepts such as tiredness, friendship and curiosity. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the third greatest defeat of the Special Weapons Daleks.

On MiscYam, a squadron of Airborne Daleks were mistaken for the return of the mystical Flying Gods of MiscYam legends, with apocalyptic consequences for the indigenous life-forms. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the fourth greatest victory of the Special Weapons Daleks.

In the Handroz asteroid belt, a vast force of Special Weapons Daleks were detected hiding in the asteroid belt. Gravitraction stasis mines were used to crush the entire belt to the size of a small refrigeration unit. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the fourth greatest defeat of the Special Weapons Daleks. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)

Dalek Hive era
The Dalek Fleet of the Dalek Hive, who were believed by the Time Lords and the Eighth Doctor to be the last Daleks in the universe, had a Phalanx of Special Weapons Daleks. They were deployed in the Fleet's final stand at Crivello's Cauldron against Daleks from a parallel universe and proved no match for them due to the enemy Daleks' superior numbers. (COMIC: Fire and Brimstone)

Time War and beyond
During the Last Great Time War, the Dalek Combat Training Manual composed by the Time Lords covered Special Weapons Daleks. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual) Special Weapons Daleks indeed were deployed into the conflict. One such Dalek was crashed into, by accident, by the Time Lord ship Bessie while it was landing, much to the Special Weapons unit's anger. The impact left the ship with a dented ramp. (AUDIO: The Mission)

Time Lord projections suggested the Daleks would develop a new line of Special Weapon Daleks in the Norvis galaxy, so Ollistra had an Oubliette device used to erase the galaxy. (AUDIO: Collateral Victim)

In events later undone by the erasure of the Barber-Surgeon from existence, the Dalek Emperor dispatched Special Weapons Daleks to destroy the Dalek Time Strategist after learning it was manipulating the Barber-Surgeon's campaign to its own ends. (AUDIO: The Horror)

The Daleks that fought against the Time Lords on the planet that the Neverwhen was detonated above transformed into Special Weapons Daleks, among numerous other Dalek variants, as a result of the time flux caused by the Neverwhen's detonation. (AUDIO: The Neverwhen)

Station 7 had records of the Special Weapons Dalek during humanity's 41st century conflict with the New Dalek Paradigm. (COMIC: The Only Good Dalek)

A Special Weapons Dalek was among the insane Daleks contained in the Dalek Asylum, and was either inactive or catatonic. The planet was eventually obliterated by the Parliament of the Daleks, with the assistance of the Eleventh Doctor and Oswin Oswald, destroying the Special Weapons Dalek along with all the other Daleks in the Asylum. (TV: Asylum of the Daleks)

Special Weapons Daleks were among the Daleks on a rebuilt Skaro, where Davros, nearing death, lived as he called the Twelfth Doctor to him. While one Special Weapons Dalek checked the Dalek City infirmary, finding Davros without his chair within it, another remained in Dalek control, where it encountered the Doctor in Davros' chair. Later, the Special Weapons Daleks were destroyed, along with the other Daleks, by the rejuvenated Daleks from the sewers. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice, The Witch’s Familiar)

One of a kind?
Whether or not the Special Weapons Dalek in Remembrance of the Daleks is unique, or one of many, is without definitive proof. The novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks implies the existence of only one Special Weapons Dalek, giving it a personal history and the name "Abomination". In something of a contradiction, Emperor of the Daleks! and Remembrance show a Special Weapons Dalek fighting for the Renegade and Imperial factions respectively. Finally, Fire and Brimstone shows an entire army of Special Weapons Daleks, either disproving the myth or showing the eventual mass production of the type. In the Dalek Survival Guide it is stated that they were mass-produced, and that two other, more intelligent models existed, the Airborne Dalek and camouflaged Torpedo Dalek.

From a production perspective, only one prop was used in the series before 2015. A second, however, was used in The Witch's Familiar, customised to feature a glowing top. The Witch's Familiar also marked the first time a TV story depicted multiple Special Weapons Daleks operating in the same location; while one Special Weapons Dalek is in Dalek control when the Doctor arrives in Davros' chair, another is seen in the Dalek City infirmary with a Bronze Dalek and Davros himself.

Non-valid sources
The video game Lego Dimensions features a Special Weapons Dalek during the final boss of the Doctor Who level included with the game. The Dalek attacks the three main cast members while a shrink ray enlarges it.

Other matters
There were originally meant to be two variants of Special Weapons Dalek. However, the second design was scrapped.

According to Sylvester McCoy on the audio commentary for Remembrance of the Daleks, cast and crew used to refer to the Special Weapons Dalek as the "Rambo Dalek" on set. During the same commentary, Sophie Aldred refers to it as a "Punk Dalek". In the non-fiction book A History of the Universe in 100 Objects it is stated that writer Ben Aaronovitch nicknamed the Special Weapons Dalek 'Christina' after an ex-girlfriend.

Special Weapons Daleks would have been featured in the aborted 30th anniversary film The Dark Dimension. Its appearance was released in 2010 in issue 37 on SciFiNow by one of the Visual Effects assistant.

Prior to The Witch's Familiar, the Special Weapons Dalek never spoke on-screen. Voice actor Nicholas Briggs decided to give it a "big beefy voice".

Special Weapons Dalek is one of Dalek enemies used in the Doctor Who: Legacy mobile game.