Credit goes to the Guy who wrote this profile (stewart), Games Workshop, Lexicanon and the people that did the pictures/videos.
INTRODUCTION
The Tyranids:
“There is a cancer eating at the Imperium. With each decade
it advances deeper, leaving drained, dead worlds in its wake. This horror, this
abomination, has thought and purpose which functions on an unimaginable
galactic scale and all we can do is try to stop the swarms of bio-engineered
monsters it unleashes on us by instinct. We have given the horror a name to
salve our fears. We call it the Tyranid race, and if it is aware of us at all,
it is only as prey.”
~Inquisitor Czevak
They are without number. They exist in the worst dreams of
mankind. They are endless, they are eternal, and they are hungry. They are the
Tyranids.
The Tyranids are a race of space predator, that travel from
Galaxy to Galaxy, devouring the inhabitants, taking the best qualities of them
to improve the swarm, before moving on. They have crossed into the Milky Way
Galaxy in the universe of Warhammer 40,000, earning their name in their first
battle, the destruction of the planet Tyran. Tyranids attack planets, and strip
them of all resources, devouring everything that can be devoured.
Tyranids are adaptable, relentless, and numerous. By far
they are among the most numerous races in the Galaxy, even a Splinter fleet
often possessing greater numbers than entire star systems. Their ability to
adapt is legendary, but holds nothing compared to the ravenous hunger that
drives the Swarm onwards to new worlds.
And new prey.
Reconnaissance:
During the recon stage, Tyranids will heavily employ the use
of Genestealers and Lictors, to scout out the planet. They will infiltrate
cities, and structures, learning all they can, and marking planetary locations
as desirable or undesirable. Tyranids will use these tools to explore as much
of a planet as is possible, They lack any advanced scouting technology, but
these will often serve as very effective. Lictors will begin to instill a sense
of paranoia and fear in any civilization they encounter, whilst Genestealers
will infect the local populace and cause them to begin to produce Tyranid
offspring—seeming to be normal, but with an instinctive loyalty to the Tyranid
swarm. And if a threat to the swarm is found, it will be marked and destroyed
as swiftly as possible.
INFANTRY:
Name: Hormagant
*Weapon Type: Biologically engineered weapons
*Armor Type: Chitin
Mobility: 6
Frontal Training: 5
Max Range: Lunging distance
Preferred Range: Melee
Basic Description: The Tyranid Hormagant genus is one of two
types that are employed as frontline troops. Their primary purpose in the
Tyranid swarm is to draw enemy fire, and are, on occasion, used as scouts.
Hormagants are one of the only Tyranids capable of reproduction, which they do
asexually. A single Hormagant can lay up to a dozen eggs, which hatch in a
matter of hours, the newborns requiring only a single week to grow to
adulthood. Hormagants are lightning quick, often reaching enemy lines before
their foes can even open fire, and use long, razor sharp talons to slice
through their adversaries. Hormagants often number in the millions, and have
been employed in every major battle involving the Tyranids to date. The average
Hormagant reaches up to about two meters in
length.
Loadout:
-Scything Talons: A Hormagants primary weapon is the two
massive talons on its forelimbs. These talons boast a monomolecular edge and
can slice through most materials, including steel. Specially evolved
quick-twitch muscles in the Hormagants’ limbs enable them to use these talons
with lightning fast speed and precision.
-Toxin Sacs: Hormagants are poisonous entities. The Hive
Mind has seen fit to grant the Hormagant poisonous sacs on its body, coating
its talons and fangs in a highly virulent mixture that can fell even a Space
Marine.
-Adrenal Glands: Tyranids have specially evolved glands that
produce adrenaline at a much higher rate than humans. A Tyranid initial assault
is often extremely violent due to these glands tremendously boosting a
Hormagants strength and speed, to the point that Hormagants have been found to
be equal in strength to a Space Marine during the initial assault.
Claws and Teeth: Hormagants are outfitted with a set of
secondary claws (though nowhere near as immense as their talons) and a maw full
of needle-like fangs, that can be employed as a last resort against
adversaries.
Chitin: Even the lowest of Tyranid organisms is protected.
Hormagants have a toughened, chitinous exoskeleton. Although it cannot
withstand the bolter-fire of the Space Marines (in most cases) it can still
withstand blows from swords, spears, axes, as well as glancing shots and
shrapnel.
Additional Factors:
Role: Basic grunt
Name: Termagant
Weapon Type: Biologically engineered weapons
Armor type: Chitin
Mobility: 5
Frontal Training: 5
Max Range: Assault Rifle
Preferred Range: Pistol
Basic Description:
Termagants, like Hormagants serve as the backbone of any major Tyranid assault.
Numbering in the millions, Termagants and Hormagants serve similar roles, being
primarily short ranged assailants. The role of the Termagant is to provide
cover for their Hormagant cousins, unleashing a barrage of covering fire, to
pin down their unfortunate victims. Unlike their Hormagant cousins, Termagants
have a relatively more varied arsenal, listed below.
Loadout:
Fleshborer: The standard weapon of the Termagant, the
fleshborer is a projectile weapon, within which the Termagant breeds parasitic
beetles. The Termagant, can, at will, produce a muscle spasm through the
fleshborer, that expels these beetles at high velocity towards their target. On
contact the beetle will spend the rest of its life using specialized fangs to
rapidly bore its way into the target, easily chewing through armor, flesh and
bone alike.
-Toxin Sacs: Like their Hormagant cousins, Termagants claws
and teeth are coated in a highly potent venom.
-Adrenal Glands: Similar to the Hormagant, Termagants boast
Adrenal glands. Although they never reach the speed of their mobile cousins,
their strength receives a comparable boost.
Claws and Teeth: Termagants have little in the way of melee
weaponry, besides the auxillary claws and teeth which are much like those of
their Hormagant cousins.
Chitin: Even the lowest of Tyranid organisms is protected.
Termagants have a toughened, chitinous exoskeleton. Although it cannot
withstand the bolter-fire of the Space Marines (in most cases) it can still
withstand blows from swords, spears, axes, as well as glancing shots and
shrapnel.
*Additional equipment*
Although the Fleshborer is the common weapon on Termagants, they are often modified to fit the battle, and may come with a variety of different weapons including:
-Spinefists: These are an equivalent of pistols, to the Termagant, a parasitic organism that affixes itself to the Termagants forelimbs. With a muscle spasm, the Termagant can launch a volley of armor piercing spikes from a Spine Fist.
-Devourer: One of the most horrific examples of Tyranid weaponry, Devourers operate similarly to Spinefists and Fleshborers, but instead launch a cloud of long parasitic worms. Upon contact with a target, they immediately burrow into the target, and work their way to the target’s brain in seconds, devouring the target from the inside out.
Spike Rifle: The Termagant equivalent of a sniper rifle, Spike Rifles operate not unlike Spinefists, but instead of firing a volley of spikes, it launches a single spike at long range.
-Strangleweb: Anyone here seen Predator? Think their nets for this weapon. The Strangleweb is a close range weapon, only useable within about 50 meters of a target, and sprays out a wide cloud of acidic weapon, which coats the target, sticking to their skin and burning through them. The more the target struggles against it, the worse the Strangleweb burns through their flesh.
Additional Factors:
Role: Grunt
Name: Tyranid Warrior
Weapon Type: Biological
Armor type: Hardened Carapace
Mobility: 5
Frontal Training: 5
Max Range: Assault Rifle
Preferred Range: Assault Rifle or Melee (depending on
biomorphs)
Basic Description:
Tyranid Warriors are one of the oldest Tyranid species, and
a template that the Hive Mind has used time, and time again, with varying
modifications and improvements. Tyranid Warriors are massive creatures,
standing roughly twice the height of a man. Their four limbs are adorned with
various bioweaponry, designed to end lives as brutally as possible. Warriors
possess a synaptic link to the Tyranid Hive Mind, and are commonly used in a
similar manner to division commanders—micromanaging the swarm on the ground, in
smaller numbers, whilst the Hive Tyrant oversees the overall objectives of
battle. They are cunning fighters, capable of matching Space Marines in combat,
and are in fact, very good at tactical maneuvers with the rest of their swarm.
Warriors commonly travel in groups of three or more, and are occasionally
accompanied by a Warrior Prime—a rare mutation of the Warrior genus, that is
considerably stronger and more dangerous than a regular Warrior.
Loadout:
It’s important to note that Warriors 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, Warriors 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 Warrior
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, Warriors normally are
equipped with Devourers, that operate exactly like those of the Termagant. The
Devourer is commonly held with the Warrior’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 Warriors 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 (Warriors 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 that of the
Devourer or Deathspitter, with an effective range of up to 360 meters!
--Spinefists: (See Termagant)
--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!
--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).
Hardened Carapace: As larger Tyranid bioforms, Warriors are
quite durable. Their carapace is hard enough to easily shrug off bolter fire,
and small scale explosives without being so much as damaged. It requires
weaponry of remarkably high firepower to pierce a Warrior’s hide.
Additional Factors:
Role: Division commander, micromanagement of ground forces,
Synaptic link to the Hive Mind.
Warrior Prime:
As mentioned, on occasion, a Warrior is
produced considerably more powerful than other Warriors. It is typically larger
than most Warriors, and its carapace is MUCH sturdier, commonly requiring
something on the level of anti-tank weaponry to damage. They have been noted to
be far more cunning in combat
--Size: Warriors 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.
Special Forces/Elites:
Unit: Genestealer
Weapon Type: Melee biological weapons
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Mobility: 7
Training: 5
Classification: Infiltrators, Saboteurs, Reserves
Genestealers are among the first waves of a Tyranid assault. They are the
pre-assault, infesting areas intended to be attacked, long before the swarm
itself reaches the location. They instill panic in towns and groups, and
sabotage equipment. They are also capable of impregnating members of other
species, forcing the individuals of the assaulted race to birth
Tyranid-offspring, that appears to be of the parental race, but is instinctively
loyal to the swarm. As a last resort, Genestealers are used as reserve forces,
emerging from within the enemy ranks, sowing chaos and ripping them apart from
within.
Loadout:
Ranged Weapons: None
Melee:
Rending Claws: Rending Claws are the closest thing a Tyranid
has to hands. These are powerful, four talon’d appendages, that are capable of
exherting immense strength. Designed as anti-armor weaponry, Rending Claws are
used to forcibly strip a target of their armor. They have also been found
highly useful for forcing entry into a vehicle or building, forcibly stripping
off reinforced plates or doors and allowing the Genestealers to swarm inside,
butchering the occupants.
Scything Talons: See Hormagant
Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs: See Tyranid Warrior
Defense: Reinforced Chitin: Genestealers 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:
[“*” denotes a power only useable by a Genestealer of the
Broodlord strain]
Hypnotic Gaze*: Hypnotic gaze is a unique psychic ability of
the Broodlord strand of Genestealers. Hypnotic Gaze is a mental assault that
crushes the willpower of its victims and forces them to submit to the
Broodlord’s will, effectively mind controlling them. Targets are therefore
helpless to resist as the Broodlord rips them to pieces. Only the strongest, or those who the Tyranid is not generally capable of mind controlling (robots) can resist this assault.
Aura of Despair*: “The Broodlord projects an aura of raw
alien hostility; a psychic shroud that disrupts the enemy, sapping their will
to fight whilst simultaneously heightening their greatest fears.” (Tyranid
Codex, 5th Edition.)
Brood Telepathy: Genestealers are unique in that while they
are connected to the Hive Mind, they are capable of acting independently of it.
Genestealers possess their own personal telepathic communication with each
other, needing no synaptic nodes to carry out the Hive Mind’s will, in perfect
unison.
Acid Blood*: Broodlord’s have highly corrosive blood,
causing wounds inflicted in close quarter combat to often dissolve the weapon
that wounded them, and burn through flesh and armor of the one who committed
the attack.
Additional Factors:
Genestealers are a highly versatile strand of Tyranid. They
have been adapted multiple times, with one of the most common mutations being
the Brood Lord genus. Brood Lord’s are larger, more powerful Genestealers. They
are faster, stronger, and far more cunning, with access to a number of unique
psychic powers.
Another unique strain of Genestealer that may appear in a
battle, are the Ygmarl Genestealers—Genestealers that are capable of adapting
mid-battle to suit the needs of the swarm. Ygmarl’s have been witnessed to harden
their carapaces midbattle, muscles to develop increasing their strength, claws
lengthening, and various other physical changes allowing them to accomplish
their given task with greater efficiency, morphing a new adaption when a new
task is required of them.
Role: Infiltration, Sabotage, Reserves
Unit: Lictor
Weapon Type: Biological
Max Range: Pistol
Preferred Range: Melee
Mobility: 7
Training: 5
Classification: Assassins/Information
Lictors are among the deadliest assassins in the Galaxy. Often sent to planets
ahead of the swarm, along with or even instead of Genestealers, they are
capable of infiltrating some of the most well-defended fortresses in the
Galaxy. They are used as assassins to eliminate high ranking targets, sowing
chaos throughout the enemy armies, dampening morale, and destroying an army’s
ability to mobilize, by destroying its leadership. Lictors even work their
craft on the battlefield. More than once as a soldier turned to face his
general, only to find a bloody corpse- the slayer already gone.
Loadout: Rending Claws, Scything Talons, Flesh Hooks,
Chameleonic Skin, Pheromone Trail, Feeder tendrils
Ranged Weapons: Flesh Hooks: A Lictor does not, at first
glance, appear to carry any ranged weapons. However, affixed to their ribs are
a series of deadly hooks, that can be launched at a target with immense speed.
They will pierce through virtually any armor, including a Space Marine’s power
armor, shredding the target. Targets unfortunate enough to survive this, will
be pulled in towards the Lictor, by the Flesh Hooks to swiftly engage the foe
in melee combat. Additionally, Lictors can use these as grappling hooks or
rappels, to climb sheer vertical faces, or even move along the ceiling.
Melee:
Scything Talons: Like many other Tyranid organisms, Lictors
favor long, deadly talons with a monomolecular edge. They are lightning fast,
operating nigh on reflex over conscious thought, and Lictor’s are highly adept
with them, easily defeating even Eldar or Dark Eldar's reactions in battle.
Rending Claws: Rending Claws are the closest
thing a Tyranid has to hands. These are powerful, four talon’d appendages, that
are capable of exherting immense strength. Designed as anti-armor weaponry,
Rending Claws are used to forcibly strip a target of their armor. They have
also been found highly useful for forcing entry into a vehicle or building,
forcibly stripping off reinforced plates or doors. Additionally, Lictors are
capable of using them to assist in climbing vertical surfaces, or for opening
doors by the knob so as not to make their entry obvious.
Defence: Reinforced Chitin: See Genestealer
Special:
Chameleonic Skin: A Lictor’s skin acts as a natural
camouflage, allowing it to blend into its surroundings with stunning
perfection. A Lictor’s natural camouflage is at such a level, that even a Space
Marine’s highly attuned senses cannot detect a Lictor as it creeps up on them.
Pheromone Trail: Lictors are capable of producing a trail of
pheromones that Tyranids are capable of instinctively homing in on. In this
manner, if, in the rare instance a Lictor is caught, it can mark its position
or its target with pheromones, in order to cause the Swarm to gravitate towards
the target. Alternatively, it can create a variety of different pheromones to
mark areas as safe, unsafe, tactically sound, or areas to ignore. In essence,
the Lictor’s pheromone trail can act in multiple different means as both a
homing beacon and a warning beacon to the Tyranid swarm.
Feeder Tendrils: A Lictor’s Feeder Tendrils enable it to do
its job VERY efficiently. A Lictor’s mouth is covered in a mass of small tendrils
known as Feeder tendrils. When a Lictor devours the brain of its prey, feeder
tendrils snake out and are able to absorb the target’s memories. Even the most
tight-mouthed soldier cannot hide any secrets from a Lictor once he has been
dispatched. The Lictor will devour his brains, and he will inevitably betray
his comrades in death.
Additional Factors:
Size: Lictors 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.
Role: Assassin/Information
Unit: Hive Guard
Weapon Type: Biological projectile weapons
Max Range: Missile launcher
Preferred Range: Missile Launcher
Mobility: 4
Training: 5
Classification: Anti-tank/Sniper
Hive Guard serve as the Tyranid Swarm’s answer to hit-and-run tactics with
vehicles. On occasion, the Tyranids will not be able to close with their
adversaries who use vehicles, capable of resisting most Tyranid small-arms. The
Hive Guard was created in answer to this, both capable of weathering substantial
enemy fire, and being equipped with armor piercing Impaler Cannons, that could
easily shut down these tanks.
Loadout:
Ranged Weapons: Impaler Cannon: Hive Guard are universally
equipped with massive biological firearms known as Impaler Cannons. These weapons
are perfectly designed to pierce enemy armor, and destroy vehicles. In essence,
they fire homing rounds. When triggered the y launch massive spike-like
projectiles. These projectiles are actually an organism, that is capable of
steering the spike to its intended
target, whether it be man or machine. These projectiles can easily pierce the
hull of a tank, and will pierce through any form of terrain. It is not uncommon
for a soldier to be shot by a Hive Guard that was nowhere in sight, due to its
impaler cannon piercing through the wall of a building, or even a barricade, in
order to hit its mark.
Melee: Claws and teeth: Hive Guard, while not possessing any
of the Tyranids specialized weapon, does both considerably large claws on its
lower set of limbs, that can easily rip a target to shreds.
Defense: Hardened Carapace (See Warriors)
Special:
Swarm Telepathy: Hive Guard, unusually for Snipers, are
incapable of the sense of sight. They possess no ocular sensory organs, and
seem to locate their prey with low level telepathic abilities, enabling it to
see through the eyes of other Tyranid organisms, as well as telepathically
sense the location of its prey. This means that despite having no eyes, a Hive
Guard is incredibly accurate. Furthermore, this seeming disadvantage means that
Hive Guard suffer no loss of accuracy even when their target is out of their
own line of sight, enabling them to fire through obstructing terrain to hit
their target with no loss of accuracy.
Additional Factors:
Size: Hive 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.
Role: Anti-vehicle/Sniper
Unit: Zoanthrope
Weapon Type: Psychic
Max Range: Assault Rifle
Preferred Range: Assault Rifle
Mobility: 4
Training: 5
Classification: Anti-armor
Zoanthropes are part of the Tyranid anti-armor group. No Tyranid organism, save
maybe the Carnifex, can cause the amount of devastation that Zoanthropes can.
The difference between the two is that Zoanthropes are able to perform their
task at long range, using a myriad of deadly psychic powers.
Loadout:
Ranged Weapons: Psychic Powers (See Special)
Melee: Claws and Teeth: A Zoanthrope has small scythe-like
claws and teeth, which it uses to bite and slash at an adversary in close
combat.
Defence: Warp Field: A Zoanthrope is completely shielded
from enemy attacks by its psychic powers. All Zoanthropes passively create a
nigh-impenetrable forcefield around themselves.
The sturdiest and most potent anti-tank missile will simply explode on
the Forcefield (Think War of the Worlds) without harming the Zoanthrope itself. Only extremely powerful weapons or severe concentrated fire can take it down.
Reinforced Chitin: See Genestealer
Special:
Warp Lance: This is the Zoanthropes most powerful psychic
ability. It condenses its psychic powers into a concentrated blast of energy.
This attack is capable of tearing through even a Landraider’s armor like it was
paper and completely obliterating a vehicle with a single burst. There is
virtually nothing, outside of the strongest shields, that can so much as
mitigate the damage of this blast of psychic power.
Warp Blast: A Zoanthrope can relax its control slightly
however, to launch a longer range, and larger blast of psychic energy. Although
it is not as powerful as the Warp Lance, Warp Blast is still enormously
powerful, capable of penetrating Space Marine armor, and instantly killing the
man wearing it. Longer range is not its only advantage however, as the lack of
condensing of the power means that this blast can hit a large surface area,
around 20 meters in diameter, allowing it to catch entire squadrons of
soldiers, and disintegrate them.
Shadow in the Warp: See Warrior.
Synapse Creature: See Warrior.
Additional Factors:
Floating: Zoanthropes move via hovering over the
battlefield, rather than slithering or crawling over it, meaning they do not
trip things like landmines.
Role: Anti-Armor
Unit: Pyrovore
Weapon Type:
Max Range: Flamethrower
Preferred Range: Melee
Mobility: 4
Training: 6
Classification: Walking bomb.
For you Starcraft guys out there take a Baneling, combine it with a Hellion and
make it the size of a siege tank. Then make it bleed acid. Good job. You just
pictured the Pyrovore. Pyrovores are massive, lumbering creatures with a
massive flame cannon on their back. The flames produced by their flame cannon
can melt through the hull of a tank. Pyrovores, however, have a second, more
sinister purpose. In their bellies are a mixture of volatile chemicals, which
means that as a Pyrovore dies, its body lets off a number of chemical
reactions, resulting in the beast exploding in a wave of fire and acid, that
will kill anything unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity of its death
throes.
Loadout:
Ranged Weapons: Flamespurt Cannon: The flame spurt cannon is
a symbiotic organism that is fused with the Pyrovore’s back. It boasts a highly
complex brain, allowing it to actually plan, and operate independently of the
Pyrovore. The Pyrovore itself is a somewhat dim witted creature, that is only
concerned with eating. The Flamespurt Cannon is designed to actively defend its
host if a threat approaching, bathing the threat in fire hot enough to melt a
tank’s hull.
Melee: Acid Maw: A Pyrovore’s mouth constantly exudes a
corrosive acid that can even eat through a Space Marine’s power armor. This
makes its bites particularly potent and removes the need for it to use its
claws, as it is quadrupedal.
Defence: Armored Carapace (see Warrior)
Special: Walking Bomb: As mentioned above, when a Pyrovore
dies, it is very likely that the creature will explode in a shower of fire and
acid. This explosion has a varying radius, but can be anywhere from 5 meters
around the beast, up to hitting marks sixty meters away!
Additional Factors:
Size: Pyrovores 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.
Role: Kamikaze
Unit: Biovore
Weapon Type: Biological projectile weapons
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Artillery
Mobility: 4
Training: 5
Classification: Artillery
Loadout:
Ranged Weapons: Spore Mine Launcher—This is the Biovore’s
primary weapon. The Biovore fires Spore Mines from a biological cannon on its
back. It will fire upwards, into the air, and allow the Spore Mine to drift
towards the ground, where, upon finding its mark, will explode in a shower of
corrosive acid. As Spore Mines are sentient organisms, they are capable of
guiding themselves to the correct target, even if the target tries to evade.
Melee: Teeth—Biovores have sharp teeth that it can use to
bite its prey if it gets too close for it to use its Spore Mine Launcher.
Defence: Hardened Carapace (see Warriors)
Special: N/a
Additional Factors: Biovores will never run out of
ammunition, as they breed Spore Mines inside their very bodies.
Role: Artillery
Heroes:
THE SWARMLORD
Height: 21 feet tall
Weight: Several tons
Age: Incalculable
Type of Hero Bonus: Tactical, Stat buffs, Intimidation
Classification : Leader
The undisputed leader of the Tyranid Swarm, the Swarmlord is to a Hive Tyrant,
what a Hive Tyrant is to a gant. Unbelievably cunning, and powerful, the
Swarmlord is most renown for its crushing victory over Marneus Calgar at the
Battle of Ultramar, in which it horrifically mauled the Chapter Master,
removing all four of his limbs in a matter of seconds. The Swarmlord is one of
the greatest strategic minds in the Galaxy, its presence on the battlefield
being announced by a disquieting shift in the Swarm’s entire personality, from
mindlessly feral to lethally cunning.
Loadout:
Ranged: N/a
Melee: Bonesabres: The Swarmlord enters battle with its
signature bonesabres. Each of its four limbs clutch one. It is a master of
their use and can whirl them with such speed as to create a near impenetrable
shield around itself. These weapons are no boneswords. The slightest scratch
from these weapons spells instant death with no hope of survival for all but the most hardy of foes, and will
shear through even the armor of tanks.
Defense: Bonded Exoskeleton: The Swarmlord’s body is covered
in a bony exoskeleton that is nigh impenetrable to anything short of anti-tank
weaponry.
Specials:
Psychic Shriek: The Swarmlord is capable of unleashing a
scream of mental power so immense that anybody unfortunate enough to hear will
have their minds wracked with pain. Particularly psychically attuned
individuals have actually been observed to have their heads outright explode
from this.
Paroxysm: The Swarmlord mentally projects such unbelievable
agony into its prey’s body that the target becomes incapable of fighting back
as the beast encroaches upon them.
Leech Essence: The Swarmlord is able to forcibly rip the
life force right out of the bodies of those it is near, using their life
essence to heal its own wounds.
Indescribable Horror: The Swarmlord is capable of exuding an
aura of pure terror, causing all but the most strong-hearted to flee in terror
from it.
Additional Factors:
-Swarm Leader: Tyranids fighting near the Swarmlord have
been documented to become stronger. They move quicker, and have demonstrated
greater feats of strength. Their sensory
abilities have been documented to be superior as well, and they become far more
cunning in their individual attacks. Even a lowly Gant can become a credible
threat to a Space Marine when fighting in the vicinity of the Swarmlord.
-Synapse Creature: Did you expect any less? The Swarmlord is
a synapse creature that can exact the Hive Mind’s control over the entirety of
the Tyranid Swarm. Its range of control is vast, even compared to other Synapse
creatures, capable of spanning entire battlefields.
-Independence from the Hive Mind: The Swarmlord is granted
near complete autonomy from the Hive Mind, allowing it to pursue its own
directives, if it deems the strategies of the Hive Mind are not constructive
towards a Tyranid victory.
-Shadow in the Warp: The Swarmlord’s presence can be felt by
its enemies. Communication through radio waves becomes impossible on a planet
upon which the Swarmlord is battling, as well as telepathic communication. Even
the use of psychic abilities, becomes incredibly difficult, and more than one
individual has died from the strain of using their powers through this Shadow
in the Warp.
Size: The Swarmlord is a massive creature, and so wounds
that would be fatal to man-sized individuals can be safely shrugged off by this
monster.
Rarity: The Swarmlord is created during periods of great
stress for the Tyranid Swarm, typically employed when their initial tactics are
proving ineffective. As such it will likely NOT appear on the battlefield
unless the Swarm is becoming stalemated, or beginning to lose against their
adversaries.
THE DOOM OF MALAN’TAI
Height: 18 feet
Weight: Several hundred pounds
Age: Several decades old
Type of Hero: Terror, Anti-Infantry
Classification: Soul Leech
The Doom of Malan’Tai was a uniquely designed Zoanthrope, with an overemphasis
on its considerable cranium. Its psychic powers extended beyond those of other
Zoanthropes. It was the final emissary of a lone Tyranid Hive Ship. Dying, it
launched a Mycetic Spore, with this creature inside onto the Eldar Craftworld
of Malan’Tai, where it lurked in secret. The beast discovered the Eldar
Infinity Loop, upon which it fed for months, devouring Eldar Souls and growing in
power. By the time the Eldar realized what had happened it was too late. The
monstrous Zoanthrope had grown too powerful and devoured Malan’Tai, before disappearing into the
depths of space.
Loadout:
Ranged: Cataclysm—The Doom of Malan’Tai’s powers far exceed
those of its lesser kin. It does not bandy with Warp Lance or Warp Blast,
instead unleashing a psychic blast of incalculable power. Its power and range
dwarfs that of the Zoanthrope’s Warp Lance, and can easily hit a blast radius
of up to sixty meters on contact, utterly vaporizing anything unfortunate
enough to be caught in the attack, man or machine.
Melee: Claws and Teeth—Like any other Zoanthrope, the Doom of Malan’Tai has small talons and teeth
to defend itself with at close range. However, its true close range weapon is
far worse.
Defense: Warp Field: The Doom of Malan’Tai has the same Warp
Field as a Zoanthrope, making it incredibly difficult to attack with
conventional weapons or even with more powerful anti-vehicle weaponry.
Special:
Spirit Leech: This is the power for which the Doom of
Malan’Tai is so feared. Its very presence on the battlefield tugs on the souls
and life essence of its foes, threatening to rip their souls from their bodies,
upon which the creature feasts. The more souls it devours the more powerful the
creature becomes, using the life energy of others to heal its wounds.
Additional Factors:
Shadow in the Warp: See Swarmlord
Size: The Doom of Malan’Tai is quite a large creature, and
possesses immense power. It is very difficult to slay this beast with
conventional weapons, even if you can get through the Warp Field.
DEATH LEAPER
Height: Eleven feet tall
Weight: Several hundred pounds
Age: Incalculable
Type of Hero: Assassin
Classification: Assassin
Death Leapers, unlike the others on this list, are not necessarily unique individuals.
With that said, they are still very rare, and there are rarely more than three
Deathleapers at any given time. Deathleapers are augmented Lictors, with
greater autonomy from the rest of the Swarm, similarly to the Swarmlord,
enabling them to make critical decisions that will benefit the Swarm more than
the simplest routes. Deathleapers are incredibly intelligent, even compared to
Lictors. One Deathleaper was known for slaughtering a planetary leader’s
bodyguards every night, in plain sight of the leader, always coming within arms
reach of him, before fleeing into the night. It repeated this act every night,
for months until the leader was so broken with paranoia that he was driven to
insanity and suicide. The Deathleaper correctly had gauged that simply killing
the leader would have turned him into a martyr. By ending his life in this
manner, it broke the people of the planet, and made them easy prey for the
Swarm.
Loadout:
Ranged: Flesh Hooks: See Lictor
Melee: Scything Talons and Rending Claws: See Lictor
Defense: Armored Carapace—See Warrior
Special:
Implant Attack: A DeathLeaper’s claws are laced with a
lethal poison, that, upon being injected into a target, causes death in
seconds.
Pheromone Trail: See Lictors
Chameleonic Skin: See Lictors
“Where’d it go?”: The Deathleaper is so incredibly talented
at stealth that it can literally disappear from plain sight. Entire platoons of
Imperial Guardsmen, and squads of Space Marine have observed this when the
Death Leaper evaded them, seemingly dissolving into thin air, and reappearing
thousands of meters away, to wreak havoc elsewhere on the battle.
“It’s after me!”: The effect the Deathleaper can have on the
morale of others is incredible. Once its reputation has been built the sheer knowledge of its presence can cause
even hardened veterans to shake in their boots, and move as cautiously through
terrain, crippling an army’s mobility.
“Where is it?” Even when noticed, the Death Leaper’s natural
camouflage makes it a difficult target to hit, causing even experienced
marksmen to misjudge its position, and miss the creature.
Additional Factors:
Like the Lictors, the Deathleaper is too large to easily
kill with conventional weapons. Even a firearm packing bullets powerful enough
to pierce its armored carapace will likely not even cause a severe injury to
it.
OLD ONE EYE
Height: 25 feet
Weight: Several tons
Age: Several decades
Type of Hero: Squad leader, line breaker
Classification: Line Breaker
Old One Eye is a Carnifex of considerable power. When Hive Fleet Behemoth was
defeated, Old One Eye continued to rampage across Ultramar, until a nameless
hero of the Imperium managed to fire his plasma pistol at point blank range
through the beast’s eye and into its brain. Old One Eye reared in pain and
tumbled off a cliff, to the ground below, falling unconscious and being frozen
by Ultramar’s harsh climate. Several years later its body was found by a group
of bounty hunters, who decided they could fetch a good price for the body of a
Carnifex. They defrosted Old One Eye, and as they gloated about their prize,
they failed to notice the decade-old wounds beginning to knit themselves
closed. Old One Eye awoke with a roar and decimated its foolish ressurectors,
and disappeared from Ultramar. Word of a creature matching the one eyed
Carnifex’s description has been heard, wreaking havoc across a multitude of
planets and leading a small legion of Tyranids, in the Swarm’s name.
Loadout:
Ranged: Bioplasma (See Carnifex).
Melee:
Scything Talons: See Carnifex
Crushing Claws: See Carnifex.
Defence:
Armored Carapace: See Tyrannofex
High speed Regeneration: Old One Eye’s regenerative
abilities are unparalleled compared to any other Tyranid organism. Even fatal
wounds knit themselves closed in seconds. With Old One Eye’s durable hide, this
makes the gargantuan beast nearly immortal on the battlefield, although it does
not appear that it can regenerate lost limbs or organs, as its defining feature
is its lack of a left eyeball.
Special: N/a
Additional Factors:
Alpha Leader: Old One Eye possesses a commanding presence on
the battlefield, and although it is not a Synapse creature, Tyranids beyond the
grasp of the Hive Mind’s synaptic range will fall behind Old One Eye and follow
the beast’s directives.
PARASITE OF MORTREX
Height: 7’5 (?)
Weight: 3-400 pounds (?)
Age: Several decades
Type of Hero: Chaos sower, infiltration and paranoia
Classification: Swarm mother
The Parasite of Mortrex appears to be a mutation of the Gargoyle genus. Larger
and stronger than the Gargoyles, the Parasite is most well defined by its
ability to lay Ripper Swarm eggs in its victims. During a battle on an Imperium
held planet, Imperial Guardsmen would be attacked by the Parasite, only to walk
back to base, where their bodies would become host to a swarm of Rippers that
would tear their way out and attack their comrades from within the base. By the
time the planet was taken, Imperial Guardsmen were trying to fight while knee
deep in ravenous carnivorous rippers.
Loadout:
Range: None
Melee: Rending Claws—See Lictor
Defence: Bonded Exoskeleton: See Carnifex.
Special:
Shadow in the Warp: See Swarmlord
Implant Attack: See Deathleaper
Host Organism: The Parasite of Mortrex is the host of
thousands of Ripper Eggs, which it can implant in its prey. This prey will be
left alive, to carry the implanted eggs back to their base, where they will
hatch and the newborn rippers will eat their prey from the inside-out, before
turning their ravenous appetites on their comrades.
LIGHT CALVARY:
Name: Ravener
Type of Armor: Reinforced Chitin
Speed: 70 km/h
Cavalry Purpose: Shock Assault and Swift Pursuit.
Classification: Shock Trooper
Basic Description:
Raveners appear to be a distant mutation of the Warrior
genus, bearing some similarities and being of comparable size. However, they
are a long ways off from the Warrior genus, having sinewy, but powerful
muscles, lighter armor, and sacrificing some of their cousin’s intellect for
sheer animalistic ferocity, and unbelievable speed. They serve as shock troops
in the Tyranid swarm, burrowing underground and erupting amongst their
adversaries to cut them to pieces.
Armament: Two sets of Scything Talons (see Warriors)
Variations:
Rending Claws: (See Lictor)
Many Raveners also have chest mounted biological firearms.
The types of projectile weapon a Ravener carries may vary among any of the
following:
Deathspitter: (See Tyranid Warriors)
Spinefists: Raveners may develop an organ on their chest not
unlike the Termagant’s spinefist, which unleashes a storm of deadly spikes at a
target, softening them up for a charge, if not outright killing the target.
Devourers: (See Termagant)
Special:
Burrowing: Raveners are incredibly adept at both pursuit of
prey on land or underground. They will commonly move through the ground, to
avoid enemy fire and then erupt right in the midst of enemy troops, sowing
chaos and slaughtering any foes unfortunate enough to be nearby. They can
burrow through the ground nearly as fast as they can travel on land, and engage
or disengage with startling speed.
Hypersensitive senses: Raveners senses are beyond
comprehension for most people. Raveners have such immense sensory capabilities,
that, while underground, they can discern the location of an enemy soldier down
to a metric meter, and designate enemy troops from allied ones, simply by the
vibrations of them moving around, above them. Raveners have been known to be
used as scouts as well, as their senses are so attuned that they can even pick
up radio transmissions and follow them to their source.
Additional Factors:
Size: Raveners 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.
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