The Tyranids are a race of extragalactic aliens that find planets and devour any living thing on them, with no known purpose other than to evolve and grow stronger. All Tyranids are controlled by a single hive mind. Within the Tyranid swarm there is no idea of individualism as each unit is linked to the next in a form of swarm consciousness. There is only one reason for the creation of any of the forces involved in Tyranid armies; to implement the will of the swarm, be it a Hive Tyrant or Ripper Swarm. This consciousness is commonly referred to as the Hive Mind
Biomorphs -
A Biomorph is an evolutionary adaptation of the Tyranid species developed by the Hive Mind to create the perfect killing beasts needed to defeat its current enemy.
Hive Tyrants are monstrous Tyranid creatures created to be commanders of the Tyranid swarm. They embody the Hive Mind completely and act as the primary Synapse conduit through which it enforces its will over lesser Tyranid creatures. Hive Tyrants are extremely powerful, large and strong monsters three times the height of a man that can tear through plasteel or ferrocrete as if they were glass. They excel in both close combat and ranged fighting, and in fact every part of their body is perfectly designed to maim and kill. They are highly mutable, with individual Hive Tyrants display a wide range of physical characteristics, biomorphs, and bioweapons.
Brood Lord -
Spoiler:
Broodlords are part of the Tyranids and another leader organism, regarded as the epitome of the Genestealer breed. It is always the first Genestealer to make planetfall when the Tyranids first infest a world. They are even more powerful than the standard Genestealer, and are specifically adept at infiltration to get closer to the enemy. They are very adaptable and highly intelligent as well as being a synapse creature. Their powerful talons can cut through most materials with ease.
Tyrant Gaurd -
Spoiler:
The Tyrant Guard (species name: Tyranicus scutatus) is a species of Tyranid spawned for the sole purpose of defending a Hive Tyrant from harm. Though on occasion, a Carnifex may also benefit from the Tyrant Guard's protection . Their entire instincts are directed towards defending their master and putting themselves into the path of incoming fire, heedless of any personal injury.
Tyranid Warrior-
Spoiler:
Tyranid Warriors are synaptic foot troops of the Hive Fleets. Warriors are among the most important Tyranids in battle, as not only are they powerful and deadly creatures, they are synapse creatures, directing lesser creatures and forming the focal points of the Hive Mind.
Lictor -
Spoiler:
Lictors are Tyranid creatures that act as specialist scouts and vanguards, roving ahead of the Tyranid swarm to seek out and locate potential prey.
Genestealers -
Spoiler:
A Genestealer is a species of Tyranid used as the ultimate shock trooper. Their purpose is to advance ahead of a Hive Fleet and pinpoint potential planets for the Tyranids to devour. They are amongst the most deadly creatures in the Galaxy, combining high cunning, lightning-fast reactions and movement, with large, extremely sharp claws that can rip through the toughest armour in seconds.
Gaunt -
Spoiler:
Gaunt is the genus for a number of the smaller Tyranid species - including Termagants, Spinegaunts, Hormagaunts and Gargoyles. The Gaunt species are smaller and less physically powerful than most other Tyranid organisms, but they are extraordinarily adaptable and always attack in large numbers. They are a fully mutable species, and some are grown with extra wings, adrenaline/venom sacs and even bizarre bio-weapon symbiotes, including the dreaded Spike Rifle.
Rippers -
Spoiler:
Rippers are small, maggot-like species of Tyranids which serve as the primary means of devouring bio-mass from a planet. They are the most numerous of Tyranid creatures, and in great swarms they can pull down and consume creatures many times their own size. However they are completely mindless and will perish if they lose a synaptic link with the Hive Mind.
Gargoyles -
Spoiler:
Gargoyles are a species of winged Tyranid derived from Termagants. They are often the first wave of a Tyranid swarm in battle with the purpose of sowing terror and confusion to keep the enemy off-guard whilst larger Tyranid creatures arrive.
Raveners -
Spoiler:
Ravener is a Tyranid species adapted for fast assaults, surprise raids and swift pursuits. To achieve this, they are capable of burrowing under the ground for long distances and moving over all manner of terrain at alarming speeds. The Raveners have highly sensitive auditory and visual senses that can detect a broad range of vibrations and energy bands, allowing them to hear small tremors on a planet's surface and also giving them the unique ability to "see" energy-forms emitted by Vox transmissions, sensor-stealth technology and even Teleport Homers. They can effectively hunt prey by detecting an ungaurded signal and tracking it back to its origin. Thus the enemies technology is turned against them, and any concealed outposts or infiltrators are not hidden from a Ravener.
Biovores -
Spoiler:
Biovores are sluggish, bloated Tyranid creatures whose only task is to grow and launch Spore Mines towards the enemy.3 They are the equivalent of an artillery tank of other species. Spore Mines grow deep inside a Biovore's body, and are then launched via a powerful muscle spasm through the Biovore's dorsal aperture and hurled across the battlefield. An internal gas bladder in the Spore Mines inflates allowing them to drift down towards the ground, where they do not detonate upon impact but when they sense the proximity of a non-Tyranid lifeform.3 A Biovore and can fire three types of Spore Mines: fragmentation, bio-acid or poison.
Carnifex -
Spoiler:
Carnifexes are hulking, powerful Tyranid creatures used as living battering rams. They are often armed with the most powerful Tyranid Bio-weapons, and are used in shock assaults, spaceship boarding actions, massed battles, and for battering through fortified positions and tank formations.
Zoanthropes -
Spoiler:
Zoanthropes are a species of Tyranid created solely to harness the potential psychic power of the Hive Mind, in effect a type of psychic artillery used in Tyranid planetary invasions and a synapse creature used to relay the commands of the Hive Mind to lesser creatures.
Planetary Assimilation -
Spoiler:
Generally, contact with the Tyranids occurs when a Hive Fleet invades a system for the purpose of harvesting its bio-mass. A Hive Fleet contains an enormous number of Tyranids, and they are brought to bear against resistance in the most efficient manner possible. Below is a general outline of a typical Tyranid planetary assault (in particular, this data is collected from the Tyranid invasion of Dalki-Prime)
Day 00: Initial mycetic spores are dropped, generally containing Lictors or Genestealers. Infiltration force led by a synapse creature of some kind; reproduction of Tyranid creatures likely begins immediately.
Day 09: By day 9, Tyranids will have expanded to around 200 km from the drop point, and will likely present a significant threat to planetary defence forces troopers and resident Imperial Guard.
Day 13: Tyranids will have expanded to 700 km from the drop point; may begin infesting local water sources.
Day 37: Tyranids control area within 2000 km radius of the drop point; basolithic infestation to 5000 km radius.
Day 48: Tyranid population growth skyrockets, with population doubling approximately every 2.5 days.
Day 50: Main Hive Fleet arrives, craft generally numbering around 1.5 billion. Psychic contact with planet is cut off by the shadow of the Hive Mind. Any attempts to escape are quickly stopped by the Hive Fleet.
Day 51: Primary consumption of bio-mass begins (resistance has generally been eliminated by day 51). Brood ships land, releasing Ripper swarms, which consume all remaining organic material and depositing them at the reclamation pools. Capillary towers (and the Brood ships) send the material into orbit.
Day 80: The hive ships descend into the upper atmosphere and begin collecting it. Reduction in atmospheric pressure causes oceans to boil away, which are also collected. Lack of oceans causes plate tectonic shifts, dramatically increasing volcanic activity. Upon completion, the Hive Fleet move out of the system in search of fresh prey.
Day 100: Imperial navy arrives in response to the distress call to find the world lifeless.
Feel free to give suggestions on what I should add or change.
Thu Apr 14, 2011 9:47 pm
