Tyranids Part 2

Credit goes to the Guy who wrote this profile (stewart), Games Workshop, Lexicanon and the people that did the pictures/videos. 

Armored

Carnifex

Weapon Type: Biological weaponry

Armor Type:  Bonded Exoskeleton

Speed:   35km/h

Classification: Formation breaker/Anti-Tank/Artillery

 Basic Description:  The Carnifex is one of the icons of the Tyranid Swarm. It is one of the larger organisms in the Swarm, standing at somewhere between twenty and thirty feet tall. It is a bipedal organism, but can use its two sets of forelimbs to help it accelerate towards a target. The Carnifex is nigh invulnerable to conventional weapons, and is used for a variety of purposes in the Tyranid Swarm. Its most common uses, however, are as line breakers or anti-tank. A Carnifex charge, even consisting of only one or two fexen can obliterate even the most disciplined gunline, trampling soldiers to death, or else eviscerating whole swathes of adversaries with a single swipe of its talons. In terms of pure muscle, there are virtually none that can match the Carnifex, as these beasts are fully capable of lifting entire tanks off the ground in order to tear them apart.

LOADOUT:

Armament:

Bio Plasma: Carnifexen are capable of discharging devastating plasma bolts from their mouths. To onlookers it seems as though the Carnifex is literally spewing lightning at their adversaries.

Toxin Sacs: A Carnifexen’s talons and fangs are laced with a highly deadly poison. Even if one is fortunate enough to survive being wounded by a Carnifex, it is unlikely they will survive afterwards as the poison wracks their body.

Adrenal Glands: Carnifexen are capable of tremendous force, but during their initial charge, they are capable of using specialized adrenal glands to greatly enhance their already immense physical power, as well as their speed.

Frag Spines: A Carnifexes body is  covered in small stud-like protrusions. The are actually close range projectiles, that the Carnifex can cause to suddenly erupt from its body as it charges into close quarter combat.

VARIABLES: A Carnifex can enter the fray sporting a wide variety of biomorphs. Along with the above listings, they will enter the battlefield with any combination of the following:

Scything Talons: A Carnifex’s most common weapon is the Scything Talon. A devastating melee weapon, and considerably more dangerous than its smaller brethren, a Carnifex’s scything talons can outright cut a tank in half! Occasionally Carnifexen will be seen with two sets of these, forfeiting long ranged options beyond their Bio Plasma in order to absolutely shred anything that gets within arms reach.

Crushing Claws: See Tervigon

Dual Deathspitters: See Warrior

Dual Devourers: Carnifexen can operate twin devourers, with a considerably more dangerous function than the warriors. These devourers launch a spray of deadly grubs that are charged with electrical energy. As they fly through the air, they create an electric charge between them, frying anything that passes between them, and burning holes through almost any target they collide with.

Stranglethorn Cannon: See Harpy

Heavy Venom Cannon: See Harpy

Defense: Bonded Exoskeleton—A Carnifex’s entire body is covered in a nigh impenetrable carapace. This carapace is more durable than the hulls of most TANKS, and very little short of the most powerful anti-tank weaponry has a hope of damaging it.

Regeneration—Like some other Tyranid organisms, Carnifexen have fast-acting regeneration. In the event one is wounded, its body rapidly begins to heal before the enemy’s eyes, causing even serious wounds to heal in seconds, though this does not appear to extend to the loss of entire limbs or organs.

Special:

Size: Carnifexen are truly immense creatures, larger than most tanks. This gives them obvious advantages, notably the fact that they can easily crush most infantry, and that even if their armor is compromised, it can still take a hell of a lot of firepower to bring one down, simply due to the problems inherent in bringing down such a massive creature.

Additional Factors: N/a

Tyrannofex

Weapon Type: Biological weaponry

Armor Type:  Armored Shell

Speed:   35km/h

Classification: Artillery/Suppressive fire

Basic Description:  The Tyrannofex is a gigantic walking battle fortress. Virtually impregnable to many forms of attack, it is capable of immensely long range bombardment, or unleashing a hail of projectiles at closer ranges. Enemies who see the Tyrannofex had best take cover if they do not desire to be caught in the unbelievable storm of fire it can unleash.

LOADOUT:

Armament:

Thorax Swarm: A Tyranid Tyrannofex has a unique weapon. Its CHEST is a weapon. A nest for dozens of horrific parasitic organisms, not unlike those found in the Deathspitter or Devourer. With a muscular spasm, a Tyrannofex can launch entire swarms of these parasitic creatures up to 40 meters away to attack whatever unfortunate creatures they happen to land on.

A Tyranid Tyrannofex can come, equipped with a variety of other weapons, depending upon its role on the battlefield. It can be equipped for long range artillery shots, or medium to short range bombardment.

-Acid Spray: Operating at a similar range as the Thorax Swarm, a Tyranid Tyrannofex can unleash a massive wave of acid from this biological weapon, dissolving virtually anything on contact.

-Rupture Cannon: The Tyrannofex’s primary weapon as an artillery unit. The Rupture Cannon fires two projectiles in quick succession. The first is a bloated tick that explodes on impact, coating the target in a highly corrosive fluid. The second is a seedpod with a very tough and durable shell. Upon colliding with the intended target the seed is coated with the corrosive fluids of the tick and dissolves in a fraction of a second, resulting in a massive implosion powerful enough to tear an entire tank inside out.

Defense: Armored Shell: This is the pinnacle of Tyranid Defenses, only useable by their largest organisms. The Armored Shell’s defensive capabilities far outstrip those of the Bonded Exoskeleton. Even anti-tank weaponry is generally incapable of damaging an Armored Shell. Very little, short of firepower required to bring down a large  building, is capable of getting through this defence. Bolter Rounds? Please. You’d best be packing nothing short of a Plasma cannon if you want to put a dent in this.

Regeneration: See Carnifex.

Special:

Size: Tyrannofexen are truly immense creatures, larger than most tanks. This gives them obvious advantages, notably the fact that they can easily crush most infantry, and that even if their armor is compromised, it can still take a hell of a lot of firepower to bring one down, simply due to the problems inherent in bringing down such a massive creature.

Additional Factors:

 N.A.

Trygon

Weapon Type: Biological weaponry

Armor Type:  Bonded Exoskeleton

Speed:   50km/h

Classification: Ambush/Anti-Vehicle/Route-maker

Basic Description:  Trygons are among the largest Tyranid Organisms. They are massive serpentine creatures, capable of burrowing underground, and creating tunnels for the rest of the swarm to follow through. They boast six sets of deadly scything talons and can launch devastating bio plasmic attacks.

LOADOUT:

Armament:

Scything Talons: See Carnifex

Bio Electric Pulse: Similar to the Carnifex, Trygons have demonstrated the ability to produce blasts of bio electricity from their mouths to fry entire squadrons of adversary. These blasts of electricity are so intense they can literally cause humans to explode from the sheer voltage.

Containment Spines: Some Trygons’ bodies are covered with spines that can be launched at massive distances

Adrenal Glands: See Carnifex

Defense:

Bonded Exoskeleton: See Carnifex

Regeneration: See Carnifex

Special:

Size: Trygons are truly immense creatures, larger than most tanks. This gives them obvious advantages, notably the fact that they can easily crush most infantry, and that even if their armor is compromised, it can still take a hell of a lot of firepower to bring one down, simply due to the problems inherent in bringing down such a massive creature.

Subterranean Assault: Trygons, similar to Raveners, are experts at burrowing. They have highly sensitive spines that allow them to sense vibrations in the ground above, and will erupt from underground, taking enemies by surprise. But that is not their only purpose. A Trygon’s tunnel is well constructed, and can be used by other Tyranids to bypass the enemy’s front lines altogether, emerging from the midst of their foes and tearing them to shreds.

Synapse Creature: See Warriors.

Shadow in the Warp: See Warriors.

Additional Factors: N/a

Mawloc

Weapon Type: Nom nom nom

Armor Type:  Bonded Exoskeleton

Speed:   35 km/h on land, much faster when underground.

Classification: Ambush/Unorthodox Artillery

Basic Description: Mawloc’s are large Tyranid organisms, similar in size to the Trygon. Like their cousin, they burrow underground, but their purpose is wholly different. Mawloc serve as an underground artillery force, erupting from underground, their cavernous maws agape, to devour anyone unfortunate enough to be standing below them when they come up.

LOADOUT:

Armament:

Claws and Teeth: A Mawloc, when trapped or unable to burrow back underground, will often attack with the large talons it possesses. Although its claws are designed for burrowing as opposed to the Trygon, they are large and very capable of tearing up most adversaries or even small vehicles. And of course, a Mawloc’s primary weapon is simply to eat its prey, sending it on a one way trip to an acid filled stomach that can digest even an armored Space Marine in a short period of time.

            ( A Tyranid invasion seen from Space)

Adrenal Glands: See Carnifex

Defense:

Bonded Exoskeleton: See Carnifex

Regeneration: See Carnifex

Special:

Size: Mawloc’s are truly immense creatures, larger than most tanks. This gives them obvious advantages, notably the fact that they can easily crush most infantry, and that even if their armor is compromised, it can still take a hell of a lot of firepower to bring one down, simply due to the problems inherent in bringing down such a massive creature.

Terror from the Deep: The Mawloc is incredibly good at burrowing through the ground, and is actually faster underground than it is above the ground. It can cover the space of a battlefield in a matter of minutes and erupt from below the ground, sending debris flying everywhere, and devour any adversary on its point of emergence. Then, as quickly as it arrived, the Mawloc will vanish back underground to repeat this process in another location in which it is needed.

Additional Factors: N/a

Tyrant Guard

Weapon Type: Biological weaponry

Armor Type:  Bonded Exoskeleton

Speed:  30km/h

Classification: Meatshield/Bodyguard

Basic Description:  Tyrant Guards are the defenders of a Tyranid Hive Tyrant (or Swarmlord).Their entire purpose is to protect the Synaptic creatures that they surround. A Tyrant Guard that will gladly take a bullet for their leader, and will viciously attack anyone who comes near.

LOADOUT:

Armament:

Tyrant Guard are equipped with any of the following:

Scything Talons: See Warriors

Lash Whip: See Warriors

Dual Boneswords: Tyrant Guard may sometimes be seen sporting two deadly boneswords. Due to wielding them in a pair, the crackling energies between them are greatly augmented and allow them to shear through the most durable of armors like butter, and can literally rip the life from anyone that happens to survive the initial wounding.

Defense:

Bonded Exoskeleton: See Carnifex

Special:

Brood Telepathy: A Tyrant Guard is perfectly in sync with the Tyrant it is supposed to be defending. It is capable of seeing through the Tyrant’s eyes as well as the eyes of the Tyranids around them. This allows them to do their job with unerring precision, leaping into the path of a threat the moment any Tyranid in the vicinity sees it, a feat that would be impossible to do with only their own senses.

Size: Tyrant Guard are much larger than most humans, and therefore are capable of surviving considerably more damage. While incapable of withstanding the same level of punishment as a Harpy, or Carnifex, they are nonetheless considerably hardier than the average soldier, and require considerably more firepower to kill.

Additional Factors: N/a

Hierodule

Weapon Type: Biological weaponry

Armor Type:  Bonded Exoskeleton

Speed:  50km/h

Classification: Anti-Vehicle

Basic Description:  Hierodule’s are immense Tyranid organisms even larger than a Carnifex. They are used to counteract weapons like the Imperium’s Baneblade tanks, or other super-heavy weaponry. They come in two variants: Scythed Hierodule which is suited to close quarter combat, and the Barbed Hierodule, which is better suited to long range fighting.

LOADOUT:

Armament:

(Scythed Hierodule):

Acid Spray: Hierodule’s, like the Tyrannofex, can unleash a large wave of acid at their foes, and functions effectively the same as the Tyrannofex’s.

Scything Talons: Like the Carnifex, Scythed Hierodule’s have two sets of Scything Talons which it can use to great effect, carving up vehicles and infantry alike.

  (unfortunately no pictures exist outside of model form)

(Barbed Hierodule):

Scything Talons: Unlike the Scythed Hierodule, the Barbed Hierodule has only set of Scything Talons. These talons, however, are just as deadly as its counterpart’s.

Dual Bio Cannons: This is by far among the most devastating weapons ever devised by Tyranids. These are tremendous cannons, dwarfing that of the Heavy Venom Cannons, and can only be used by their largest organisms. Utilizing a massive chemo-electric shock, a bio cannon unleashes veritable rainstorm of thousands of highly venomous and corrosive maggot-like organisms, that impact the target, splattering into a mass of bio-acid and venom that can melt through virtually anything in seconds, reducing the unfortunate target(s) to little more than puddles of goo. Even the sainted armor of a Land Raider or a Space Marine Terminator cannot withstand this attack. Its effective range is immense, being capable of hitting targets well over a kilometer away.

Defense:

Bonded Exoskeleton: Like Carnifexen, Hierodule have incredibly durable chitin-plates covering their bodies. Their armor-like plating is up to 30cm thick in some places, making it virtually impregnable to attack.

Regeneration: See Carnifex.

Special:

Size: Being even larger than a Carnifex, Hierodule’s are considerably more difficult to kill, even if weapons are found that can pierce their armor.

Additional Factors: N/a

Hierophant

Weapon Type: Biological weaponry

Armor Type:  Armored Shell, Warp Field

Speed:  50km/h

Classification: Anti-Super-Heavy

Basic Description: Hierophants are immense bio-titans, bristling with spines, poison and biological weapons. They are the largest Tyranid ground unit ever encountered, towering over the battlefield, and of comparable size to an Imperium Titan (which are averaged at 100 feet). A Hierophant is a terrifying sight to behold, and can easily wipe out entire infantry divisions singlehandedly. These beats are engineered to be able to take on entire fortresses or other Super-Heavies.

LOADOUT:

Armament:

2x BioCannon: See Hierodule

Scything Talons: See Hierodule

Toxic Spores: A series of poison sacs hand from the Hierophant’s underbelly, exuding a toxic gas instantly lethal to any non-Tyranid organism.

Lash whips: A Hierophant also sports a number of lashwhips that hang from its underbelly. They are much longer than those of a Venomthrope’s, but function similarly.

Defense:

Warp Field: Like Zoanthropes, Hierophants are capable of projecting a forcefield of psychic energy that can deflect almost any attack, from conventional firearms, to anti-tank weaponry.

Armored Shell: See Tyrannofex.

Regeneration: See Carnifex.

Special:

Size:  Hierophants are the largest organisms in a Tyranid assault. They tower over entire forests and buildings. Piercing their armor is no guarantee of slaying a Hierophant, and even weapons that would instantly slay a lesser Tyranid can often rarely do more than a moderate wound to a Hierophant.

Additional Factors:

For the purposes of the first round, Tyranids will only have access to a single Hierophant for the battle.

AIRCRAFT:

TYRANID GARGOYLE

Type of Aircraft: Biological swarm

Weapon Type: Fleshborer

Armor Type: Chitin

Basic Description: 

Gargoyles are an aerial breed of Termagant. Their legs are completely atrophied leaving the Gargoyle incapable of landing. They often hitch rides into battle on the underbellies of Harpies. They fight in a similar manner to the gant swarms, amassing in such numbers that during the battle on Tyran, the skies were black with them, and no sunlight could pierce through the mass of bodies in the skies of Tyran. Gargoyles fill freely sacrifice their lives for the good of the Swarm, and can combat both other aerial targets, and ground infantry. Though their preferred weapon is the fleshborer, there have been reports of Gargoyles lifting their targets into the air, and dropping them hundreds of miles to the ground below. Gargoyles are capable of independent flight, and can fly at speeds comparable to helicopters, and can even fly in the upper atmosphere of a planet.

Loadout: Fleshborer, Claws and Teeth, Blinding Venom, Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands

Armament: Fleshborer: (See Termagant)

Claws and teeth (See Termagant)

Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands: (See Termagant)

Blinding Venom: Gargoyles have developed a unique weapon for close quarter combat. Their spit is highly acidic and they will commonly spit in the eyes of their adversaries, blinding them for extended periods of time, possibly permanently.

Defense: Chitin (see Termagant)

Special:

Role: Aerial support—Gargoyles serve a similar role in the air to the gant swarms on the ground. They assault the enemy forces from above, using swarm tactics intercepting their own aerial forces, and drawing fire away from the more dangerous organisms. They are not above use in kamikaze attacks, such as the Battle of Tyran, in which the Gargoyles flew down the barrels of Planetary Defence Guns, jamming the guns on their corpses.

Harpy

Type of Aircraft: Bomber

Fighter or Bomber? : Bomber

Weapon Type: Biological weaponry

Armor Type: Hardened Carapace

Basic Description: 

Often seen accompanying Gargoyles in the air, and occasionally even serving as a transport for the smaller Tyranids, who latch themselves to its underbelly, the Harpy is a massive serpentine Tyranid, nearly the size of a Trygon, yet capable of agilty and speed in flight unmatched by even the finest fighter jets, capable of maneuvering in the air with the finest precision. It serves the Tyranids as a bomber, swooping over enemy encampments and releasing a bombardment of sporemines that fall from large cysts on the Harpy’s underbelly, or bombarding ground forces from afar with the Twin Stranglethorn Cannons that serve as its forearms.

Loadout: Sonic Shriek, Dual Stranglethorn Cannons, Stinger Salvo, Scything Talons, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Regeneration, Spore Mines

Armament:

Stranglethorn Cannon: A Stranglethorn Cannon is a larger variant of the Barbed Strangler, too large for smaller Tyranid Organisms to carry. The seed pods launched by the Stranglethorn Cannon are much larger and more aggressive, and have been known to even tear apart heavily armored vehicles, their tendrils working in through any cracks or slits in the vehicle’s armor, and ripping apart the crew inside if possible.

Scything Talons: Again, a Harpy’s scything talons are not unlike the Scything Talons of other Tyranids, although due to the Harpy’s size they are much, much larger, and much stronger. A Harpy’s scything talons are capable of shredding through the armor of tanks, or even heavily armored aircraft.

Stinger Salvo: Stinger Salvos are simple but effective projectile weapons concealed inside the carapace’s of larger Tyranid organisms. They fire salvos of meter long, razor sharp spikes towards targets. They are commonly envenomed and are surprisingly effective at engaging either infantry or aircraft.

Spore Mines: As mentioned, the Harpy serves primarily as a bomber in the Tyranid swarm, and sports a massive number of cysts on its underbelly, containing Spore Mines. Spore Mines are effectively, little more than balloons of chemicals, but have some rudimentary sentience that allows them to guide themselves towards an enemy encampment once deployed. Once a target is in range, the Spore Mine mixes the volatile chemicals within itself to create a chemical reaction resulting in the Spore Mine exploding in a considerable blast, not unlike an actual mine.

Adrenal Glands: (See Termagant)

Toxin Sacs: (See Termagant)

Although not as common as the above, Harpies are also occasionally seen using the following instead of another weapon listed above (the weapon replaced will be listed in brackets)

Cluster Spines (replaces Stinger Salvo): Although not as individually dangerous as the Stinger Salvos, Cluster Spines are hollow spines, made of a brittle, chitin-like material that shatters on impact, lacerating the target with the razor edged shards of the spine. The real value in the Cluster Spine, over the Stinger Salvo, however, is in the sheer number of shots fired. Like the infamous Persian arrows in 300, Cluster Spines are fired in such dense numbers that they can be mistaken for a single gigantic projectile at times.

Dual Heavy Venom Cannons (Replaces dual Stranglethorn Cannons): A Heavy Venom Cannon is far larger and heavier than a normal one, and launches a considerably larger salvo of crystalline ammunition at supersonic speeds. These projectiles strike with sufficient force that they can cave in an enemy battle tank, and are accompanied by a delayed blast of lethal electrical energy—residue of the force required to launch the weapon.

Defense: Hardened Carapace: A Harpy’s carapace far surpasses that of the chitin on Termagants, Gargoyles or Hormagants. It is capable withstanding a Space Marine’s bolterfire with ease, and can even withstand moderate artillery fire!

Special:

Sonic Shriek: Harpies can emit a piercing shriek at such a pitch that it becomes a literal weapon, excruciatingly painful to lesser life forms such as humans, and can even prove fatal to species with more advanced senses, such as the Eldar or Space Marines. Those fortunate enough to survive this sonic assault are left disoriented and dizzy—easy prey for the Harpy, or the Gargoyles that flock in its wake.

Regeneration: Some Tyranids, such as the Harpy, have shown the ability to recover from horrendous wounds and injuries that would otherwise prove fatal. Flesh and organs grow anew, whilst bone and chitin knit together at an alarming rate, leaving little more than a scar as evidence of any damage.

Size: Harpies are truly immense creatures, larger than most aircraft. This gives them obvious advantages, notably the fact that they can easily crush most infantry, or ram other aircraft, and that even if their armor is compromised, it can still take a hell of a lot of firepower to bring one down, simply due to the problems inherent in bringing down such a massive creature.

SHRIKE:

Type of Aircraft: Biological air weapon

Fighter or Bomber? : Fighter

Weapon Type: Devour and Scything Talons

Armor Type: Reinforced Chitin

Basic Description: Shrikes are an airborne variant of the Tyranid Warrior genus. Although more lightly armored than the typical Warrior, they are faster, and possess wings, allowing them to act as Synaptic links in the Tyranid Air force. They are formidable adversaries, more than a match for a Space Marine in single combat, and are terrifying to behold. A Shrike stands well over 12 feet tall, and is entirely composed of muscle and chitinous claws and teeth, along with a host of various other biological weaponry. A Shrike is no mindless animal. Its will is linked to that of the Hive Mind, and serves as a synaptic link to other tyranids. Shrikes, like Warriors, are extremely intelligent, and can initiate surprisingly advanced tactical maneuvers, effectively serving as squad captains on the battlefield, directing smaller units of Tyranids to strategic positions, or performing attacks and defences.

Loadout: Scything Talons, Devourers, Death Spitters, Venom Cannons, Barbed Strangler, Spinefists, Boneswords, Lashwhip, Rending Claws, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Shadow in the Warp

Armament:

It’s important to note that Shrikes actually possess a wide variety of bioforms. For simplicity sake I will list the BASIC bioweaponry first and then list other potential weaponry after.

Scything Talons: Like many Tyranid bioforms, Shrikes are typically seen with deadly talons. Due to being considerably larger than a Hormagant, their talons are also notably larger, but no less sharp. A Shrike is lightning quick and can use its scything talons with the skill and precision of the finest duelists in the Galaxy.

Devourer: Like the Termagants, Shrikes normally are equipped with Devourers, that operate exactly like those of the Termagant. The Devourer is commonly held with the Shrike’s lower set of arms.

Toxin Sacs: (See Termagants and Hormagants)

Adrenal Glands: Although they operate similarly to those of the Termagant and Hormagant, it is worth noting that as Shrikes are considerably stronger than either of them, already capable of matching a Space Marine’s strength, their strength becomes superhuman even by Space Marine standards.

Variations (Shrikes may be commonly found with any variation of the above or following weapons, though are biologically bonded to only two types of weapons).

Deathspitter: Possessing comparable range to a Devourer, the Deathspitter’s insides are a breeding ground for a type of alien grub. At will, its wielder can launch a large number of these grubs at speeds comparable to a bullet towards a target. The grubs explode on contact, splattering a highly corrosive liquid onto the target, which can burn through even the toughest of armors, to say nothing of what it would do to flesh and bone.

Barbed Strangler: The barbed Strangler fires a seed pod the size of a man’s chest, channelled from a bloated sac by a feeder arm that is little more than a muscled tube. Upon firing, the strangler seed pod grows to maturity in seconds, spreading out in all directions with blinding speed, sending out hooked tendrils to bind and tear at its prey. Should the seed strike flesh before reaching maturity, the unfortunate victim is ripped apart from the inside, in an explosion of gore as sinuous tentacles burst out from within their own body. It has a considerably longer range than any of the Shrike’s weapons except for the Venom Cannon, being a virtual artillery gun.

Spinefists: (See Termagant)

     (note: not a picture of a Shrike)

Venom Cannon: The Venom Cannon is a long, powerful bio weapon that fires salvos of highly corrosive crystals, coated in a metallic, venomous residue. The weapon fires these salvos at tremendous velocities using an electrostatic charge, not unlike a railgun. A target struck that is not killed outright, will be shredded by a hail of shards as the crystals shatter. Even vehicle armor can be punctured by these shards! Its range is comparable to the Strangler.

Boneswords: Boneswords are living blades of chitin that continuously grow, to repair any damage inflicted upon the weapon. They crackle with psychic energies that tear apart any matter the weapon comes into contact with, rendering even the nigh impenetrable armor of a Space Marine useless against them. This energy grows even stronger when another bonesword is nearby, amplifying the damage they are capable of inflicting. They are therefore, commonly wielded in pairs, although there are other Tyranids that will use them in tandem with a Lash Whip (see below).

Lashwhip: The tendrils of a lashwhip, are living cords of muscle and sinew, that move of their own accord. These tendrils writhe and slash at prey, attacking too quickly to dodge or parry, snaking around opponent’s defences to strangle and ensnare those who are not ripped apart by the deadly, boney hooks at the tip of each tentacle.

Rending Claws: (See Lictor).

Defense: Reinforced Chitin—Shrikes have considerably more durable chitin than their lesser brethren, such as Gants or Gargoyles, and secrete an ooze that rapidly hardens upon contact with the air. They constantly secrete this substance, allowing them to rapidly regenerate any cracks or chinks in their defences.

Special: Shadow in the Warp—Like almost all Tyranid synapse creatures, a Shrike’s presence on the battlefield, inhibits the use of non-Tyranid psychic powers.

Synapse Creature—A Shrike is a synaptic link to the Hive Mind, that exudes the Hive Mind’s influence onto lesser Tyranids. In essence, the Shrike is mentally linked to the Tyranids around it, and can force them to obey the will of the Hive Mind, above all else, including self-preservation.

Additional Factors:

Role: Synaptic link with Tyranid air forces, tactical maneuvering.

Size: Shrikes are much larger than most humans, and therefore are capable of surviving considerably more damage. While incapable of withstanding the same level of punishment as a Harpy, or Carnifex, they are nonetheless considerably hardier than the average soldier, and require considerably more firepower to kill.

SKYSLASHER SWARM:

Type of Aircraft: Biological Swarm

Fighter or Bomber: Fighter

Weapon Type: Biological weapons

Armor Type: Chitin

Basic Description: 

The rippers of the sky. Skyslasher Swarms are uniquely evolved Ripper swarms, that have developed wings, enabling them to fly with their Gargoyle brethren in the skies. They are employed as assassins and saboteurs of the air, flying to enemy vessels and using their small size to infiltrate inside, where they devour the crews, or even simply swarm across the cockpit, disrupting vision. Tenacious and vicious, Skyslashers may be small, but they are far from harmless.

Loadout: Claws and Teeth, Spinefists, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands

Armament: Claws and Teeth: (See Termagant)

Spinefists: A Ripper’s Spinefist is slightly different from most other Tyranids. As a Ripper’s limbs are too small to support the weapon, it is capable of launching similar spines to a spinefist from its mouth, as a surprise attack for the unwary foe.

Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands (See Termagant).

Defences: Chitin—See Termagant

Additional Factors:

Swarms—Skyslashers form the concept, strength in numbers, and are almost never seen in groups smaller than 15 at a minimum. More often than not on the battlefield, the sky will be black with them, in such numbers that even if you can slay ten, a hundred more will appear in their place, overwhelming their foes with sheer numbers and ferocity.

Harridan

Type of Aircraft: Massive Fighter

Fighter or Bomber: Fighter

Weapon Type: Biological Weapons

Armor Type: Armored Shell (See Hive Tyrant)

Basic Description: 

The Harridan is by far, the largest atmospheric flying Tyranid organism ever encountered by the Imperium. Its size dwarfs that of the Harpy, being up to twice the size of the lesser creature, and several times as dangerous. It boasts massive scything talons, which it can use to tear enemy aircraft to shreds, and also sports twin bio-cannons on its front.

Loadout: Twin Bio Cannons, Scything Talons

Armament:

Bio Cannon: This is by far among the most devastating weapons ever devised by Tyranids. These are tremendous cannons, dwarfing that of the Heavy Venom Cannons, and can only be used by their largest organisms. Utilizing a massive chemo-electric shock, a bio cannon unleashes veritable rainstorm of thousands of highly venomous and corrosive maggot-like organisms, that impact the target, splattering into a mass of bio-acid and venom that can melt through virtually anything in seconds, reducing the unfortunate target(s) to little more than puddles of goo. Even the sainted armor of a Land Raider or a Space Marine Terminator cannot withstand this attack. Its effective range is immense, being capable of hitting targets well over a kilometer away.

Scything Talons: (See Harpy, albeit MUCH bigger).

Additional Factors:

Size: Harridans are truly immense creatures, larger than most carrier-type aircraft. This gives them obvious advantages, notably the fact that they can easily use their mass to ram or destroy other, smaller aircraft, and that even if their armor is compromised, it can still take a hell of a lot of firepower to bring one down, simply due to the problems inherent in bringing down such a massive creature.

               

MISC AIR:

Mycetic Spores

Type of Aircraft: Drop pod

Fighter or Bomber: N/A

Weapon Type: Biological Weapons

Armor Type: Armored Carapace (See Warrior)

Basic Description: Mycetic Spores are the Tyranid drop pods, designed to deploy forces to the battlefield in a prompt manner. Although they have some automated defences, their primary purpose is to deliver Tyranids to the battlefield where they need to be.

Armament:

Ripper Tentacles: The Mycetic Spore’s defensive weapons are simple but effective. It boasts massive tentacles, that writhe and thrash around. The moment they touch something, they will bind it, and either tear it to pieces or else drag it into the Spore’s cavernous maw to be digested.

Additional Factors: N/A

SUPPORT: 

Name: Ripper Swarm

Armor Type: Chitin

Type of Support: Sabotage, Cleanup

Classification: Swarm

What bonus do they give?: Devour Biomass, Electronic sabotage, chaos amongst enemy ranks.

Basic Description: 

Individually a Ripper is little threat to a well trained soldier, even if caught off guard, but Rippers are never alone, and travel in large swarms of 15 or more, overcoming their small size with sheer numbers and viciousness.

Loadout/Armament:

Claws and Teeth: Rippers have small needlelike teeth that they use to tear through their prey. They also boast small claws that can scratch and slash.

Spinefists: Some Rippers have evolved Spinefists, like their larger Tyranid brethren. Unfortunately, Rippers are too small to be able to carry them like most Tyranids, so instead, it is their head which is converted into the Spine fist, the Rippers launching spines from their mouths into unwary targets.

Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs: See Termagant.

Defensive: Chitin (see Termagant)

Special/Detailed purpose: Rippers are the cleanup crew, in the Tyranid Swarm. They are smaller organisms, that make up for their size with sheer viciousness. Although they are rarely seen on the open battlefield, they are always at work. They emerge when the rest of the swarm has moved on to hunt in other areas, and devour the remains of anything left on the battlefield, before leaping into digestion pools and allowing the biomass of themselves and their food to be absorbed into the swarm. They have also been used for sabotage, using their small size to creep through ventilation shafts, chew through wires to cause electronic disruption, and even attack soldiers inside their own bases, to sow chaos and confusion among-st enemies.

Additional Factors: None

Name: Tervigon

Armor Type: Armored Carapace

Type of Support: Reinforcements, Stat buffs, Synapse Creature

Classification: Broodmother

What bonuses do they give?: Steady flow of reinforcements, meatshield, synaptic control of the Swarm and strengthen nearby Tyranids.

Basic Description:

Tervigons are tremendous, lumbering behemoths. Standing even larger than a Carnifex or Hive Tyrants, many Tervigons reach sizes of around 25 feet. Although capable of long ranged support, or even ripping open transports with their claws, a Tervigon more commonly is utilized on the battlefield to provide a steady flow of reinforcements from the egg sacs on their underbellies. They are the Tervigon’s foremost priority and they will viciously defend these eggs with their lives if necessary. Tervigons also possess latent psychic powers as a result of their synaptic connection with the Hive Mind., which they use to support the Tyranid Swarm.

Loadout/Armament:

Scything Talons: Tervigons possess Scything Talons not unlike a Carnifex. These are primarily auxillary, and not commonly used for combat purposes, and more for defensive measures, in protecting the broods of Termagants it hatches from its underbelly.

Stinger Salvo: See Harpy

Adrenal Glands: See other Tyranids.

Alternate:

Occasionally, a Tervigon will be seen with either of the following:

Crushing Claws: These are immense, crablike claws that are designed to rip apart vehicles, providing a medium with which to grasp the vehicle and tear it apart. Their power far exceeds that of scything Talons, but their size makes them cumbersome to use, and can only be evolved on the largest of Tyranid organisms.

Cluster Spines: See Harpy.

Defensive:

Bonded Exoskeleton— This is a carapace that far exceeds the durability of the armored chitin of a Tyranid Warrior. This level of armor is not unlike that of a Space Marine’s power armor. Very little, short of anti-tank weaponry or weapons designed to take down fortresses have a hope of piercing through this durable armor.

Regeneration-- Some Tyranids, such as the Tervigon, have shown the ability to recover from horrendous wounds and injuries that would otherwise prove fatal. Flesh and organs grow anew, whilst bone and chitin knit together at an alarming rate, leaving little more than a scar as evidence of any damage.

Special/Detailed purpose: Tervigons are walking spawning pools. Their primary purpose is to protect the egg sacs on their underbellies that will release swarms of Termagants mid-battle. A single Tervigon can hatch well over a hundred Termagants over the course of a single battle, the freshly hatched Tyranids already fully grown, and ready for battle. In addition, Tervigons have a variety of psychic powers to assist the Tyranids near them. Catalyst causes all but the most serious wounds to close up on impact, enabling Tyranid swarms to weather far greater firepower than normal, and Onslaught dramatically increases the speed of nearby Tyranid organisms. Tervigons boast a considerably larger synaptic range than other Tyranid organisms, save only for Hive Tyrants and Dominatrix’s. This allows the Hive Mind to relay instructions across a far greater range, and enact its strategems flawlessly.

Additional Factors:

Psychic Powers: Although non-lethal, Tervigons DO possess a number of psychic powers designed to protect other Tyranids, including their offspring.

Onslaught—This power, as mentioned above, greatly enhances Tyranid’s mobility. They are capable of covering ground considerably faster, while still able to lay down a considerable amount of firepower. As a rule of thumb, Tyranids under the effects of Onslaught should be considered to have 1 point more in mobility than they usually do.

Catalyst—“The Power of the Hive Mind infuses the organisms under its control, flooding their systems with such unnatural vitality that they can ignore the most grievous of wounds.” (Tyranid Codex,5th Edition, page 62) .Obviously they would only be able to take so much before they bleed out, but see this as enhanced durability basically. 

Size: Tervigons are truly immense creatures, larger than most tanks. This gives them obvious advantages, notably the fact that they can easily crush most infantry, and that even if their armor is compromised, it can still take a hell of a lot of firepower to bring one down, simply due to the problems inherent in bringing down such a massive creature.

Tervigons also possess a power dubbed “Brood Progenitor.” Simply put, a Tervigon’s offspring fight much harder when near their mother. Termagants that have been spawned from a Tervigon, have been documented to prove far more savage, vicious and dangerous in combat when near their progenitor, than Termagants observed away from Tervigons.
Killing a Tervigon also kills ll of its children. 

Name: Venomthrope

Armor Type: Reinforced Chitin

Type of Support: Mobile source of cover, “debuff” to enemies

Classification: Biological Warfare

What bonuses do they give: Mobile source of cover, can easily disguise Tyranid movements, disrupts enemy movements

Basic Description: Venomthropes are the inevitable result of Cthulhu crossbreeding with Tyranids. Organisms that can reach up to nine to ten feet in height, they are a mass of writing tentacles that can tear an adversary to shreds. But this is not their purpose in the battlefield. Venomthropes are an immense aid to the swarm, due to the highly toxic smog they produce from the vents on their back.

Loadout/Armament:

Lashwhips: Venomthropes are a writhing mass of bone-tipped tentacles. These operate similarly to a Tyranid Warrior’s lashwhip, ensnaring adversaries slashing them or tearing them apart at close range, Venomthropes just have a lot more.

Toxic Touch: Venomthropes are by far the most venomous Tyranid organisms. They are coated in a poison so virulent that it can actually dissolve metal and flesh at the touch.

Special Detailed Purpose: A Venomthrope produces a deadly cloud of spores wherever it moves. Combined with other Venomthropes, this can often create a spore cloud sufficient to completely cover Tyranid movements. It completely obstructs line of sight, making it impossible to accurately fire on the Tyranids within the smog. Some adversaries have taken it upon themselves to try and charge into the smog and face the Tyranids in hand to hand combat, but this too is a foolish proposition. A Venomthrope’s spore cloud is highly toxic, and will kill most organisms in a matter of minutes. Additionally, while Tyranids themselves seem to be immune to the toxins of the spore cloud, and can move freely and unbothered within this cloud, enemies will continue to find it difficult to see, and making it nigh impossible to defend against the Tyranid counterattack.

Additional Factors: N/a

Defensive Structures:

 *The Tyranids are almost an entirely offensive species, so these structures will be quite rare. In fact their defensive structures are mainly just devices to fuel their offense.  

Name of Defense:  Spore Chimney

Type: Anti-Air and Anti-Ground

 As a Tyranid invasion proceeds, they begin to erect massive spore chimneys that belch out a toxic smog into the atmosphere, choking any non-Tyranid organisms that try and reclaim taken areas, as well as spreading the smog out to other nearby areas to kill any local flora or fauna nearby.

Additional Factors:

Time: Spore Chimneys will not be present in the initial waves of assault, be will be deployed as the battle rages on and Tyranids take ground.

Name of Defense: Digestion Pool

Type: Anti-Ground

Often seen in the final stages of an assault, Hive Fleet Leviathan began a new system of employing Digestion Pools mid-battle, as a means of rapidly replenishing its forces. These are pools of incredibly potent stomach acids. Anything that falls into one will be digested near instantaneously, and turned into nutrients, DNA and biomass for the Swarm to use to create further troops.

Name of Defense: Mieotic Spore

Type: Anti-Ground:
Mieotic spores are large sacks full of bio-acid and toxins and contain smaller Spore Mines within them. Trailing long, groping tendrils, they detonate when they sense an enemy nearby, showering their foe with razor-sharp chitin and bone fragments, toxic gases and corrosive juices.
There are three types of mines: 

Poison - Full of poisons and toxins, the mine can overcome any physiology. The poisons include highly reactive inorganic poisons, haemotoxins, aflotoxins, neurotoxins and phage cells.
Frag - It has an iron hard shell which shatters when the mine explodes and sends shards of the shell in all directions, which can scythe down light infantry but can also cause lethal infections and sepsis.
Bio-Acid - The acids are thick and viscous, allowing them to cling to their victim to maximise the effectiveness of the acids. They have been known to dissolve everything up to, and including, ceramite plate.

Faction Leader: Hive Tyrant

*NOTE: It is possible that through the course of the battle, the Hive Tyrant will be replaced by the Swarmlord, should the situation arise in which the Swarmlord is needed. The Swarmlord’s feats/comments will be marked with an asterix.

Name: Hive Tyrant/Swarmlord*

Notable Battlefield Accomplishments: While each individual Hive Tyrant has had its own notable achievements, they are generally regarded as highly competent and pragmatic leaders. The Hive Tyrant that headed Hive Fleet Kraken’s attack on the Eldar Craftworlds managed to draw out the Eldar Avatar into a duel, and then used a large number of Carnifexen to rip it to pieces.That said they do rely mostly on swarming tactics. 

*The Swarmlord is among the greatest strategists and tacticians in the Galaxy. The beast was able to match wits equally with Marneus Calgar, the Chapter master of the Ultramarines, and largely considered to be the Imperium’s greatest tactician and strategist (with a possible exception to Uraskar Creed). The Swarmlord was responsible for the Tyranid victory over Tyran. In the initial stages of the battle, Tyranids were held back from making planetfall by Tyran’s planetary defense guns. The Swarmlord directed flocks of Tyranid Gargoyles to the guns, flying down the barrels of the guns, until the guns jammed on the smoking corpses of the Gargoyles. The Swarmlord is most notable for its skill at outflanking maneuvers, distracting adversaries with a frontal assault, and then bringing a division of Tyranids around from either side or from behind to cut off an enemy’s escape route. The Swarmlord also was renown for defeating Calgar at the Battle of Macragge, in which the Swarmlord forced a confrontation with the Chapter Master, who was torn apart and nearly killed by the Swarmlord, only saved by the sacrifice of Calgar’s honor guard, who bought enough time for the seriously wounded Chapter Master to be taken to a transport and taken away from the Swarmlord.

Personality: N/a No known personality has been documented for either the Hive Tyrants OR the Swarmlord, besides them being highly pragmatic generals of the swarm.

Style of Leadership: Flexible

Hive Tyrants lead from the back lines in principle, but often display a flexible style of leadership, taking the front lines when necessary. Hive Tyrants oversee the overall strategy of the Swarm, designating micromanagement of Tyranid forces to lesser Synapse creatures like Trygons, Warriors, Zoanthropes or Shrikes. Hive Tyrants will commonly bring a long ranged weapon of some manner, allowing them to assist even from the back lines, blasting enemy forces at a distance, and carry deadly close range weapons and psychic powers that allow them to shred apart adversaries at close range.

Adaptive Creativity: 68/100 (88/100*)—Hive Tyrants are fairly adaptive, and can readily adapt to the situation at hand, but hold nothing over the strategic master that is the Swarmlord. The Swarmlord can adapt to changes in the battle as readily as the wind. As the enemy enacts one maneuver, the Swarmlord is instantly working to counteract them.

Tactics: 56/100 (87/100*)—Standard Hive Tyrants have a tendency of adopting the Tyranid stratagem of simply winning through attrition, but the Swarmlord is a tactical master, who was able to force Calgar into a one on one duel with it. It is highly adept at flanking maneuvers, and can make the most of the Tyranids’ immense numbers. It has demonstrated a wide variety of tactics, including battle through attrition when beneficial, hit and run tactics, and surround tactics.

Strategy: 52/100 (87/100*)—The Hive Tyrant has some semblance of strategy, but many of their strategies tend to be based in the idea of Tyranid numerical superiority. The Swarmlord, is a far more adept strategist, capable of retreating to avoid a losing battle, or baiting the enemy into thinking they have the advantage and then crushing them.

 Intuition: 60/100 (81/100):

Though the Tyranids lack foresight the reason they score quite high is simply because they have fought for so long they have acquired a generalized pattern of what the enemy will do. The Swarmlord takes this into an extreme however, in predicting and instantly reacting to an enemies movements, so much so entire enemy armies essentially dance to his tune. 

Audacity: 100/100 (100/100*): The Tyranids have no sense of fear, and their commanders follow suit. No adversary, from the Necrons to Chaos can make the Swarmlord OR Hive Tyrant so much as quiver.

Psychological Warfare: 65/100 (79/100*): Hive Tyrants are capable of mentally assaulting entire squadrons, and exude an aura of sheer terror that can force their enemies to flee. The Swarmlord is even better at this, boasting more powerful psychic powers. The Swarmlord’s presence on the battlefield has set a chill into the hearts of even the most stalwart Space Marines.

Intelligence: 70/100 (82/100*): A Hive Tyrant is more intelligent than the finest human human minds. The Swarmlord is even smarter than a Hive Tyrant.

Leadership: 95/100 (99/100*): Tyranids are virtually incapable of disobeying a directive from a Hive Tyrant OR the Swarmlord. They will follow the will of the Swarm, as directed through these individuals, to the death. The only reason they do not get 100 is because of the existence of some creatures like Old One Eye, Lictors and Deathleapers that possess some degree of autonomy from the Swarm.

Corruption: ???—Incalculable, as the Tyranids do not follow any human semblance of purity of corruption.

 ARMY X-FACTORS:

Numerical:

Morale: 100/100 (70): Tyranid morale is virtually unbreakable as long as there’s a Synapse creature around. No amount of terrifying display of weaponry is enough to break the spirit of a Tyranid charge. Even without a Synapse Creature, most Tyranids will still opt to charge their foes, intent on satiating their ravenous hunger.

Logistics: 85/100: Tyranids have exceptional logistical capabilities, capable of devouring their own dead(as well as the dead of their foes and environmental fauna), and converting it into biomass to be reused and turned back into a new Tyranid, fully capable of fighting. Gorgon is less efficient with its resources than other Tyranids due to their unique adaptive abilities, but they still can replenish their forces with surprising speed.

Espionage: 69/100: Although Tyranids do less with information than other factions, they are nonetheless skilled at infiltrating for the purpose of sabotage, or assassinations, and have several creatures designed with infiltration as their primary purpose.

Discipline: 100 (72): Tyranids, when under the influence of a Synapse Creature are perfectly disciplined and will follow their objectives to the death. Without a Synapse Creature, however, Tyranids are STILL designed so that their basic purpose is ingrained into their instincts themselves.

Overall Army Intimidation: 89/100: Tyranids are TERRIFYING to fight. A horde of biologically engineered monstrosities, rampaging in your direction. An endless sea of nightmarish monsters from your worst nightmares. Even Space Marines, who almost never feel fear,  have commented on the dread they have felt when facing a Tyranid swarm. There are Imperial Guardsmen who have chosen to commit suicide, rather than face Tyranids. Few factions can cause such intimidation even in the 40k universe.

Misc.

REINFORCEMENT RATE: VERY HIGH:
 If you need to know why, then you haven't really been paying attention to the profile :P. Away from battle they have a specialized unit known as the Norn Queen, who in return for a constant supply of bio-fuel spew out units. 

Past Opponents:

Orks: Tyranids have encountered Orks before during Hive Fleet Leviathan’s feeding frenzy on the southern edge of the Galaxy. Despite suffering a numerical disadvantage, Leviathan adapted, using hit-and-run tactics, to frustrate the Ork Warboss Skarfang, into committing his forces to an all-out charge. The Tyranids then broke up his forces and slaughtered them, using Venomthropes to separate the Orks, and Lictors to assassinate Skarfang in the confusion, breaking the Ork’s chain of leadership, and destroying them whilst the Orks fought amongst themselves for the rank of Warboss.

Imperium of Man: The Imperium has faced the Tyranids more often than any other factions, and have never won anything greater than a Pyrrhic victory against them. The greatest Imperium victory over the Tyranids was the destruction of Hive Fleet Behemoth, a victory that cost them several planets, and almost half of the Ultramarine Chapter, and the maiming of Marneus Calgar at the hands of the Swarmlord. The Tyranids have displayed considerable expertise in confronting the static gunlines of the Imperium and the audacious battle charges of the Space Marines.

Eldar: Hive Fleet Kraken engaged the Eldar, and overwhelmed them. The Eldar were outmaneuvered at every turn, resulting in the death of an Avatar of Khaine, and forcing the Eldar to use the souls of their own dead to reanimate several machines to battle them. Thanks to Hive Fleet Kraken, one of the greatest of the Eldar Craftworlds—Iyanden is now considered a ghost world, its Infinity network destroyed and its Avatar slain.That said the Eldar did ultimately win a massive Pyrrhic victory, if only because of a powerful heroes sudden appearence. 

Tau: The Tyranids fought the Tau over a Kroot controlled world, and gained an initial advantage, easily adapting to Tau firepower. The Tau were only able to claim victory through denying the Tyranids biomass, destroying their dead completely, so that the Tyranids could not devour the biomass and eventually could not produce sufficient creatures to slay the Tau. Even so, the Tau suffered severe casualties, and the Kroot on the planet were all but extinguished.

 Chaos: They are also know to have fought Chaos at one point, though the conflict ended inconclusively when a passing Imperium fleet (who vehemently hated both Chaos and the Tyranids) discovered them fighting and id the wise thing; utterly destroy the planet they were fighting on. 

 Dark Eldar:  The Tyranids are known to have encountered this sadistic race before, with the conflicts usually ending  with the Dark Eldar retreating through their webway. 

Necrons: Though they have fought the Necrons before this is the one race who will the Tyranids will avoid if they can help it. 

Quality vs Quantity: Tyranids have a strong leaning to quantity over quality, preferring to win battles through attrition, overwhelming them with Gants and other such creatures. However, they do not ignore quality, as their stronger beasts are easily a match for a Space Marine, or even entire squadrons of Space Marines.

Additional Factors: 

ADAPTION: This is the Tyranid’s strongest advantage. We are using Hive Fleet Gorgon—a Tyranid splinter fleet, with a unique talent for adaption. Gorgon demonstrated the ability to adapt incredibly rapidly to enemy weaponry, dramatically reducing their effectiveness, within a matter of waves. When Gorgon fought the Tau, the Tau plasma weapons slaughtered their first wave. However, Gorgon adapted the carapace of the Tyranids resulting in the second wave having carapaces better designed to diffuse the heat of the plasma, and rendered the Tyranids almost immune to such attacks. The Tau then employed Kroot which used solid-slug weapons, but Gorgon adapted again, increasing the hardness and flexibility of the Tyranid carapaces, allowing them to better absorb the impact of Kroot slugs, and deflect them. In short, Gorgon can rapidly adapt to armies that only utilize single forms of weaponry incredibly quickly.

Weaknesses: For Weaknesses there are four. 

--1. The rapid adaption that Gorgon employs comes at a cost- they use up far more biomass than most swarms. This is reflected in the x-factors where most Tyranids would get 96 while these got 85.

--2. Due to this Biomass requirement, it becomes harder to produce Elite and more powerful variants, requiring more and more to do so. Now these elite variants are going to be rare just uncommon. 

--3. Destroying Synapse creatures effects control of the Swarm. 
-- 4. In Lore a rapidly adapting army (the Tau) was able to put the Tyranids at a disadvantage by constatnly switching weapons and forcing the Tyranids to over-adapt. 

-Motivation: Their sole, burning motivation is their pure hunger. In a universe where all extremes become individual entities (such as an excess of lust eventually creating a God of Lust, excess of war and hate creating those gods) the Tyranids seem to have become the vary embodiment of hunger  They will butcher their way across the starts until their is no life left- and only then will they turn on each other. 

- The Tyranids have a tendency of making other races, even a race whose SOLE purpose is to kill all other life (the Necrons) form various alliances of conveniences to try and stop them. Basically so long as their opponent is coherent any neutral faction on the planet they are fighting on is going to try and join the other side- even if said side is horrible like Chaos or Dark Eldar. 

-Shadow in the Warp: In addition to its battlefield effects, the Shadow brings about the following effects for a campaign. 

-The average citizen experience uneasiness and terrible nightmares.
-A psyker or anybody with warp sensibility suffer severe headaches, uncontrollable screaming, bleeding eyes and unconsciousness.
- It blocks most astropathic  signals (telepathic communication)
- Disrupts psychic phenomena.

Victory Gains factors:

Numbers: With every victory, the Tyranid’s numbers increase exponentially, as they turn the biomass of the planet and their own dead into further Tyranids for the conquest of the next world.

DNA Absorption/Biological Absorption Rate: Very High: Tyranids can take the best qualities of that which they devour and turn use it to improve pre-existing Tyranids, meaning that with every victory, the Tyranids will be able to employ the DNA of the flora or fauna they’ve devoured, or even the biomass of their adversaries, to take on traits similar to them if it is required.