As usual images and information referenced can be found here.

Also, clicking on the included links will take you to more in-depth information, more than you ever knew existed, wanted to know, and are horrified that it exists in such depth.

So like I mentioned last week, I am focusing on the enemies of the Imperium and are playable races with their own Codex’s in the main game.

Tyranids, the locusts of the universe, are an extra-galactic race that are devastating the Milky Way galaxy in M40k like Andy Reid devastates a buffet.  Unlike Andy, they consider all living things as prey, broccoli and beavers, carrots and cats, eggplants and elephants, all are biomass to be masticated and harvested.  Digested in huge pools composed of acids and then siphoned off into space.   The Tyranids travel in various Hive Fleets, named Kraken, Hydra, Gorgon, Moloch, Jormungandr, Leviathan, and Behemoth, with Kraken having been split into “splinter” fleets when the hive fleet was defeated in a huge battle with Eldar and Space Marines (Scythes of the Emperor chapter and the Lamenters chapter).  These splinter fleets have caused a lot of issues being harder to keep track of.  The Tyranids were the inspiration for the Zerg in Starcraft if that helps.

Tyranids are synaptic creatures, meaning they are all psychically linked into a Hive Mind.  Also, all units are organic, they are not machines, even the ammunition they use is alive (more on that later) and the ships are the creatures themselves. They are also quite intelligent, at least those higher in the hierarchy.  If a planet is inhabited by a sentient species the hive mind will infiltrate and start turning humans into genestealers, basically they will use the genestealers to implant a seed into a human, the seed starts changing the hosts DNA and raises their sex drive, so that any off spring they have will be a hybrid which will be loyal to the Hive Mind, they continue to breed until their numbers reach a level to be called a genestealer Cult which will infiltrate all levels of government, the military, and society.  When there are enough genestealers they create a Broodmind which will act as a beacon to the Hive Mind that dinner is served.  When the fleet closes in, the genestealer cult will start a rebellion to weaken the planets defenses, making it easier for the fleet to invade.

Upon reaching the buffet, err, doomed world the fleet will drop payloads of organisms to change the weather, the actual surface of the planet, and even the ecosystems to make it easier to consume.  Sort of like removing the bones from the ribs before placing them on the buffet with the bones being placed in a separate chafing dish for them to be consumed as well.  Tyranids so not communicate, they just eat.  Once they have one, the fleet drinks all the oceans, sucks up the atmosphere, and eats ALL organic matter, leaving behind a completely dead ball of rock.  The fleet then moves on and heads to another world as it is ever hungry.

Now for the icky, gross, but cool part, the actual units and weapons.

Weapons to hack n slash, eat you alive, and/or melt you down, remember the ‘nids don’t want to waste that biomass!

So the genestealer cults are basically the first units as they are the scouts and infiltrators of a world, usually the mix is genestealers, Lictors and drone ships.  These have some independence of action as they need to be stealthy and make decisions based on their circumstances and are usually a long way from the Hive Mind.  The drone ships stealthily drop off their cargo and head out to look for more planets, usually after getting enough biomass to grow new cargo.  Genestealers corrupt the DNA of the plants and animals of the world and infiltrate any civilization found.  The Lictor usually controls the genestealers and can communicate with the Hive Mind.

Once the fleet arrives the fun really begins, the genestealers turn on the non-infected members of the world, usually with timing to cause the most damage and the hive fleet starts dropping spores (more infection spreading agents) and warrior units.  An interesting thing is that the fleet has a “Warp Shadow” which usually keeps reinforcements from arriving to help the defenders.  The units start killing and harvesting the biomass of the planet and placing it in digesting pools from which replacement units are born if needed and feed/rearm the existing units.

The first units fight and also dig into the planet to plant sports that will create the capillary pillars which will grow up into space and are used to siphon the biomass slurry up to space.

Gaunts – Is the basic unit which has a couple of variants,

• Termagants – ranged foot soldiers, whose bioweapon fires flesh eating beetles which will burrow into the victim and eats them from the inside, extremely painful way to die.
• Hormagaunts – melee creatures which have sharp blades for hands and are very very fast

Gargoyles – flying unit that can spit plasma from their mouth

Mawlocks – burrowers that will travel deep underground to attack the backlines, especially any artillery or supply depots

Trygons – another burrower not as big as the Mawlock, but travels with packs of Ravenors to erupt from the ground to melee ground units

Carnifexes – heavily armoured shock troops that can have ranged or melee weapons

Tyrannofexes – a huge, heavily armoured 6 legged monster that is a huge organic tank armed with a powerful bio-cannon, can also grow new units and drop them directly into battle

Hierophants – absolutely huge unit, heavily armoured including venomous and acid dripping spikes, armed with multiple weapons, used as a shock troop to overwhelm defenses

Tyranid Warriors – most common warrior in the fleet, can be ranged or melee

Rippers – maggot like creatures, about dog size, do not get swarmed because like their name says, they will rip you apart and with enough food can probably morph into other creatures

There are lots of others but this is the usual mix, since they are biological there can even be a lot of difference per type and the Tyranids can incorporate genetic information from consumed creatures if it benefits the Tyranid, so if they find a creature/plant which has a more powerful bio acid the fleet will then incorporate those genes into any new creatures created.

The only way to keep the planet from being devoured is to kill all Tyranids on the planet, there will still be a lot of ecological damage to clear up (cleanse it with fire!).  However if there is no hope, the planet should be evacuated (gene scans for everyone!) and the Inquisition will probably show up and perform Exterminatus.

Also, Baldermort has a great video about the Tyranids.

This is a basic introduction but he does have complete videos about each type of Tyranid.

Next time is the WAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH of the Orks.  Or maybe Blood Bowl due to the start of the season.

BTW, let me know if you are enjoying this series, or have any requests for about the Warhammer 40k universe.