Games Workshop Warhammer 40,000 Tyranid Warriors

Product Information

Although they have similar names and share some characters and tropes, the settings of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy are completely separate. For instance, the Chaos God Slaanesh in Warhammer Fantasy is not the same Slaanesh that appears in Warhammer 40,000. The Emperor of Mankind does not exist in Warhammer Fantasy and Sigmar does not exist in Warhammer 40,000. This has caused one Imperial researcher, Magos Biologis Locard, to claim that the Tyranid Warrior is the most adaptable of any Tyranid species yet encountered. This infestation is never fatal, but instead the virus' genetic material subtly alters the victim's DNA, producing in them a strong urge to mate created by the stimulation of the individual's sex hormones. Should a psyker attempt to use their otherworldly abilities, the cerebral cacophony worsens even further; the psychic sound of a billion alien thoughts scratch at their mind, and unless they are particularly strong-willed they will be pitched into an insanity where they will repeatedly utter phrases in a tongue too alien to properly pronounce. All Tyranids possess a common psychic bond, known as the "synapse." This bond enables the Tyranid swarms to think, perceive, and act as a single great super-organism, providing nearly seamless co-ordination and control within a Tyranid invasion force so numerous and extensive as to be completely uncontrollable otherwise.

All these creatures are born to service the ship, and the ship in turn exists only to service the needs of the Hive Fleet. Whereas other armies like those of the Imperium and the T'au fight for conquest or self-defence, and the forces of Chaos and the Ork tribes battle merely for the chance to wreak violence and havoc, the Tyranid hive fleets are driven by the will of the Hive Mind, which itself is motivated by the most ineradicable instinct inherent to all lifeforms -- reproduction, and through reproduction and the acquisition of new genetic traits, evolution to a better adapted form. It is not known whether the crashed bio-ship was on a scouting mission when it was lost, was a casualty in a pre-Imperial Tyranid invasion force that was defeated by unknown adversaries, or part of a plan by a Tyranid super-intelligence that may have "seeded" the galaxy with many such slumbering broods. In 993.M41 the Tyranids returned to the galaxy with Hive Fleet Kraken which, instead of assaulting its targets as a single massed Hive Fleet, split into countless smaller fleets, each enveloping whole star systems before reinforcements could arrive. Some weapons have ‘Blast’ listed in their profile’s abilities. These are referred to as Blast weapons. In addition to the normal rules, the following rules apply to Blast weapons: The Tyranids are not native to the galaxy; they have journeyed across the unspeakable cold of the void, where time and space conspire to hold the stars apart with inconceivable distances.

Tyranid Paint Schemes

Whilst it is true that the Tyranids are forced to remain at sublight speeds while within the gravitic boundaries of a planetary system, they are capable of superluminal velocities when travelling through interstellar space. This capability is the result of a small Tyranid bio-ship classified by the savants of the Imperium of Man as a " Narvhal."

Tyrant Guard - The Tyrant Guards are a special species of Tyranid spawned in small broods for the sole purpose of defending the Hive Tyrant. They are large, tough, and difficult to harm, and it is nearly impossible to surpass their defense. Tyrant Guard are completely blind, utterly controlled by the synapse creatures they protect. On occasion Carnifex also benefit from the Tyrant Guard's protection. Tyrant Guard are believed by some Adeptus Mechanicus Magi to contain the DNA of the defeated Space Marine Chapters, but the Imperium considers this blasphemy and denies its very likely possibility. As they grow, they may even modify the planet's tidal flow as their powerful metabolic filtration systems draw in all biomass. The only effective recourse at this stage is Exterminatus. Planets which have been subdued by the Tyranids are no longer salvageable. This chaos only further benefits the Tyranids' invasion, however, as the defenders of the target world will have their resources bound up in dealing with these problems when the swarm finally arrives in orbit and the first Mycetic Spores begin to fall. The mentality of the Tyranid approach to warfare can be described with the phrase "quantity has a quality all its own." From the "lowly" Ripper, to the deadly Hive Tyrant and beyond, the signature of the Tyranid species is that they overwhelm their foes with sheer numbers, reproducing massive numbers of highly virulent organisms in record time from the biochemical soup that they derive from the biospheres of the worlds they consume. It is possible that the Tyranids have been preying on galaxies since time immemorial and this is but the latest to feel their predations.

The Tyranid Warrior is often a common trooper found in Tyranid armies. They have the ability to carry a wide variety of deadly biomechanical weaponry and other upgrades, making them suitable to take on many roles in battle. They are easily able to bring valuable long range firepower or high volume, short-ranged support to their Tyranid brethren. Andy: Then of course there’s the wealth of new units and – the bit I’m most excited about from a gaming point of view – a treasure trove of Tyranid Crusade content. It charges hobbyists with consuming worlds and recycling their opponents’ armies into raw biomass, enhancing their gaming experiences with yet more warrior organisms to add to their swarm.