Species of Tyranid
A List of all known Tyranid species and sub-species.
Contents
- 1 Bio-Ships
- 2 Bio-Titans
- 3 Warmachine Size Creatures
- 4 Monstrous Creatures
- 5 Medium Size Creatures
- 6 Smaller Size Tyranid Creatures
- 7 Tiny Tyranid Creatures
- 8 Tyranid Flora and Bio-Structures
- 9 Genestealer Cult Forces
- 10 Theorized Tyranid Species
- 11 Tyranid Descendants
- 12 Previous Edition Tyranid Forces
- 13 See Also
- 14 Sources
Bio-Ships
Bio-Ships | |||
Name | Description | Images | Sources |
Dark Prowler | A manta-shaped creature with leathery thick wings attached to a central cavity. The ship's central cavity contains two powerful acid-firing chambers, and hullgrinders line its wings. | [20] | |
Hive Ship | Massive Bio-ships that form the heart of the Hive fleets, acting as nodes for the Hive Mind to direct the swarm around them and serving as starborne factories that churn out the endless Tyranid swarms. | [7][20] | |
Kraken | Space-faring creatures which vary wildly in design and appearance. | [7] | |
* Deathburner Kraken | Armed with a huge acidic projectile launcher | [20] | |
* Doomripper Kraken | Binds to a prey vessel with its giant maw and dozens of writhing tentacles. | [20] | |
* Hellblaster Kraken | Designed to make contact with the hull or shields on an enemy vessel and then discharge a massive amount of electronic energy, overloading the ships systems and weakening it beyond repair. | [20] | |
* Ramsmiter Kraken | Pierces the armoured hulls of enemy ships and then suck out all the digestible material inside while simultaneously vomiting broods of Genestealers and Hormagaunts into the vessel. | [20] | |
* Smeltfeaster Kraken | Mentioned only by name. | [7] | |
Narvhal | Fulfills the essential role of allowing all the vessels of a Tyranid Hive Fleet to travel faster than light. | [16a] | |
Prowler Drone | Long-range scouts | [7] | |
Stalker Drone | Small defence ships which defend the Hive Ship. | [7] | |
Razorfiend Cruiser | A large cruiser that is aggressive in their attacks, storming out from the hive fleet in response to any threat to the massive Hive Ships. | [7] | |
Rebirth Vessel | Launches smaller than usual Mycetic Spores, which seem to carry previously slain tyranid commanders | [19][Needs Citation] | |
Void Fiend | Resembling a sort of long organic spike, with digestive tubes and firing chambers running along its sleek body. | [20] | |
Wardrone | Small defence ships which defend the Hive Ship. | [20] | |
Tyrannocyte | ship-to-surface transport organism |
- N.B. - Italics indicate subspecies of a greater species.
Bio-Titans
Bio-Titans | |||
Name | Description | Images | Sources |
Dominatrix | Huge monsters symbiotically fused with a smaller (Warrior-sized) entity which acts as a psychic link to the Norn-Queen aboard her ship. | [16b] | |
Hierophant | These are the equivalent of an Imperial Warlord Battle Titan. | [8a] | |
Viciator | A large bio-titan akin to Hierophants. | [15] |
Warmachine Size Creatures
Warmachine Size Creatures | |||
Name | Description | Images | Sources |
Cerebore | A massive Tyranid transporter organism.[15] | [15] | |
Dactylis | Long-range fire-power specialist organism. | [22] | |
Exocrine | Bred as a long range tank hunter | [22] | |
Harridan | Large winged creature. It carries Gargoyles into battle. | [8b] | |
Haruspex | A genus of assault spawn intended to rush at the enemy lines. | [22] | |
Hierodule | The equivalent of a small Imperial Titan. | [8c] | |
Malefactor | One of the general variety of assault creatures. It can carry other broods into battle under its carapace. | [22] | |
Nautiloid | Gigantic Tyranids carrying shells resembling that of a snail, its mid and rear limbs are fused into a psuedopod and lashwhip combination. | [15] | |
Viragon | A huge tunneling Tyranid which looks like a huge Trygon. | [15] | |
Sporocyst | Atmospheric terraforming organism. |
Monstrous Creatures
Monstrous Creatures | |||
Name | Description | Images | Sources |
Carnifex | Carnifexes are hulking, powerful Tyranid creatures used as living battering rams. | [16o] | |
* Old One Eye [a] | A unique Carnifex with the ability to regenerate itself from mortal wounds. | [16z] | |
Dimachaeron | Large hunter-killer predator | ||
Harpy | A Harpy is a large winged species of Tyranid comparable to a winged Trygon. | [16l] | |
Hive Crone | A large flying creature designed for air-to-air combat | ||
Hive Tyrant | Monstrous Tyranid creatures created to be commanders of the Tyranid swarm, they embody the Hive Mind completely and act as the primary Synapse conduit through which it enforces its will over lesser Tyranid creatures. | [16c] | |
* Swarmlord | A legendary Hive Tyrant created by the Hive Mind with the purpose of out-thinking the enemy and developing new strategies when standard Tyranid strategies of physical and biological adaption fail. | [16y] | |
* Dagon Overlord [a] | A Hive Tyrant used exclusively by Hive Fleet Dagon. | [21] | |
Laius Horror | [Needs Citation] | ||
Magma Corer | [10] | ||
Malanthrope | A rarely seen form of psychic Tyranid. | [4] | |
Maleceptor | A highly psychic organism | ||
Mawloc | A huge worm-like Tyranid creature that acts as an outrider to the Tyranid swarm. | [13][16t] | |
Tervigon | A massive Tyranid which serves as a living incubator capable of spawning Termagants. | [16u] | |
Toxicrene | Mobile toxic spore producing organism | ||
Trygon | Huge Tyranid creatures, similar to giant Raveners. | [16s] | |
* Trygon Prime | A variation of the Trygon adapted to share a synaptic link with the Hive Mind, allowing them to influence lesser Tyranid creatures. | [13][16e] | |
Tyrannofex | A Tyrannofex is a monstrous battle-fortress species of Tyranid. | [16v] |
Note
a These species are possibly one-off mutations or an experiment by the Hive Mind that has not been widely utilized.
Medium Size Creatures
Medium Size Creatures | |||
Name | Description | Images | Sources |
Biovore | Tyranid creatures who are bred to launch Spore Mines towards the enemy, they are the equivalent of the artillery of other species - includes some variations like Triovore and Protovore | [15][16q] | |
Broodlord | A Tyranid leader organism, regarded as the epitome of the Genestealer breed. | [12a] | |
Hive Guard | Tyranid species that defends the consumption buildings of the Hive Mind. | [16p] | |
Lictor | Creatures that act as specialist scouts and vanguards, roving ahead of the Tyranid swarm to seek out and locate potential prey. | [16j] | |
* Death Leaper [a] | A unique Lictor created as the ultimate weapon of terror | [16bb] | |
* Lictor Alpha | A rare variant of the Lictor genus, possessing greater strength, resilience and abilities than those of its common variant. | [14] | |
* Mist Reaper [a] | A unique form of Lictor, that is responsible for many disappearances on the planet Xian. | [19a] | |
Mieotic Spore | Large sacks full of bio-acid and toxins and contain smaller Spore Mines within them. | [4] | |
Mucolid Spore | Air defense organism | ||
Parasite of Mortrex [a] | A bat-winged Tyranid creature that has a barbed tail tipped with a hollow tube, like a snake's fang, capable of implanting its still-living victims with Ripper parasites. | [16cc] | |
Pyrovore | A species of Tyranid which pre-digests biomass to provide minerals and fuel for the Tyranid Hive Fleet. It can launch a searing fireball from its dorsal flamespurt bio-weapon grown into its own flesh. | [13][16r] | |
Ravener | A Tyranid species adapted for fast assaults, surprise raids and swift pursuits. | [16f] | |
* Ravener Alpha | A member of the Ravener genus, engineered for fast surprise assaults and the leading of the surrounding swarm. | [14] | |
* Red Terror [a] | A particularly deadly Tyranid Ravener, covered in a carapace the colour of blood, armed with sets of great scythe blades and a maw so wide it can swallow a man whole. | [14] | |
Tyranid Warrior | The synaptic foot troops of the Hive Fleets. Warriors are among the most important Tyranids in battle, as not only are they powerful and deadly creatures, they are synapse creatures, directing lesser creatures and forming the focal points of the Hive Mind. | [16e] | |
* Tyranid Prime | A highly evolved Tyranid Warrior considered to be the apex of the Tyranid Warrior strain | [16e] | |
* Tyranid Shrike | A member of the Warrior genus, possessing wings and capable of flight, serving as mobile Synapse Creatures and shock assault troops. | [16e] | |
Tyrant Guard | A species of Tyranid spawned for the sole purpose of defending a Hive Tyrant from harm. | [4][16d] | |
Venomthrope | [16n] | ||
Zoanthrope | A species of Tyranid created solely to harness the potential psychic power of the Hive Mind, in effect a type of psychic artillery used in Tyranid planetary invasions and a synapse creature used to relay the commands of the Hive Mind to lesser creatures. Named subspecies include Horror Zoanthrope, Zoanthrope Screamer, Catalyst Zoanthrope, Biothrope | [13][15][16m] | |
* Neurothrope | Evolved version of the Zoanthrope able to leech the life force from its victims | ||
* Doom of Malan'tai [a] | A uniquely adapted Tyranid Zoanthrope that has the ability to feed not upon flesh and blood but upon the psychic energy and souls of its victims. | [16aa] |
Note
[a] These species are possibly one-off mutations or an experiment by the Hive Mind that has not been widely utilized.
Smaller Size Tyranid Creatures
Smaller Size Tyranid Creatures | |||
Name | Description | Images | Sources |
Cortex Leech | Resembling Rippers, they leap onto the face of their victims and insert long feelers into their ears, nose and eyes. These feelers are capable of manipulating the new hosts brain forcing them to become a dribbling puppet under the sway of the Hive Mind. | [15] | |
Gaunt | The genus for a number of the smaller Tyranid species - including Termagants, Spinegaunts, Hormagaunts, Deathgaunts, Hellgaunts, Nightgaunts, Terrorgaunts, Slashgaunts, Razorgants, Crucigants, Exegants, Malgants, Mortegaunts, Rendergants, Protogaunts, Pyrogaunts, Lashgaunts, Genogants, Toxigaunts and Gargoyles. | [Needs Citation] | |
* Hormagaunt | A subspecies of Gaunt armed with razor-sharp Scything Talons and move on powerful hind legs in a series of exceptionally fast, bounding leaps that appears as a skittering, insect-like gait. | [16g] | |
* Spinegaunt | A Gaunt species that is armed with Spinefists. | [Needs Citation] | |
* Termagant | Fast, agile and cunning creatures of the Gaunt genus. While not very strong individually, Termagants will often overwhelm much more elite foes with superior numbers. | [16h] | |
* Gargoyle | A winged Gaunt species. | [16k] | |
Genestealer | A species of Tyranid used as the ultimate shock trooper. Their purpose is to advance ahead of a Hive Fleet and pinpoint potential planets for the Tyranids to devour. They can infect other species with their genetic material. | [16i] | |
* Ymgarl Genestealer | A mutated form of Genestealers originally thought to be native to the moons of planet Ymgarl, notable in that they are among the first contacts mankind has ever had with the Tyranid race. | [16dd] | |
Ripper | A small species of Tyranid which serve as the primary means of devouring bio-mass from a planet. They are the most numerous of Tyranid creatures, and in great swarms they can pull down and consume creatures many times their own size. | [16x] | |
* Eel-like Ripper | An are a unnamed variant of rippers designed to devour every lifeform on the planet's seas | [19b] | |
* Sky-slasher | Winged Rippers | [16x] | |
Spore Mine | Living, floating mines which explode if any non-Tyranid lifeform gets too close. | [16q] |
Tiny Tyranid Creatures
Tiny Tyranid Creatures | ||
Name | Description | Sources |
Fleshborer beetle | Insatiable beetle-like organisms living within and fired from Fleshborers. | [16ee] |
Flesh-worm | Worm-like organism with shiny black heads fired from Devourers. | [4][16ee] |
Scataphagoid | Small beetle-like organism responsible for cleaning the respiratory tracks of Hive Ships | [1] |
Tyranid Flora and Bio-Structures
Tyranid Flora and Bio-Structures | ||
Name | Description | Sources |
Barbed Thermotropic Vine | They spawn from the vast clouds of spores that Tyranid during the beginning stages of a planetary harvesting. | [9][10] |
Broodhive | Broodhives are a large network of Tyranid plants that tunnel underneath the surface. | [9] |
Brood Nest | Brood Nests provide Tyranid invasion forces with instant reinforcements. Hidden safely underground, Tyranid creatures are nurtured inside the brood nests. | [Needs Citation] |
Capillary Tower | Tyranid plants that reach the upper atmosphere (and beyond). They link up with hive ships in low orbit, and then pump the biomass upwards to the waiting biovessels. | [9][10] |
Digestion Pool | One of the final stages of 'Tyraniforming' a planet, used to convert consumed bio-mass into a form utilisable by the Hive Fleets. | [9] |
Magma Vent | Tyranid plants that burrow deep into the planetary crust releasing the gases trapped in this planetary layer. | [9][10] |
Mycetic Spore | Large, living shells used to transport Tyranid creatures from Tyranid Hive Ships to a planet's surface. They could be considered the Tyranid equivalent of an Imperial Drop Pod. | [10][16w] |
Reclamation Pool | See Digestion Pool, above | [9][10] |
Spore Chimney | Pump out alien spores which not only pollute the atmosphere but also quickly alter the native fauna. | [9][10] |
Vitrified Plant | [9] |
Genestealer Cult Forces
These creatures are linked to Genestealer Cult infestations.[1]
Genestealer Cult Forces | ||
Name | Description | Images |
Genestealer Patriarch | A Genestealer Patriarch is the founder and leader of a Genestealer Cult. | |
Genestealer Magus | Highly Psychic Genestealer Hybrids, they act as figureheads for the Cult. | |
Genestealer Primus | War leader | |
Acolyte Hybrid | First and second generation Genestealer offspring | |
Hybrid Neophyte | Third and Fourth generation Genestealer offspring | |
Hybrid Metamorph | Late generation Genestealer offspring used for war | |
Genestealer Familiar | Psychic constructs of a Genestealer Magus | |
Genestealer Aberrant | Hulking mutants |
Theorized Tyranid Species
These are creatures that the Magos Biologis believe exist, but for which there is no physical evidence.
- Norn-Queens are believed to be the mysterious female counterparts to the Hive Tyrants. They lead the Tyranid swarms and direct the evolutionary paths to take. They invariably stay aboard their Hive Ships.
Tyranid Descendants
These are species that the Magos Biologis believe may be species that evolved from Tyranid that were left behind from failed Tyranid invasions.
Forgotten Fleets
- Ramblin' Snapper[24]
- Kromlok Dangler [24]
- Arenea Stalker [24]
- Debilithrax [24]
- Colossus (Zoat) [24]
- Leaping Thornsnake [24]
- Dakkarian Brain Slug [24]
- Gorzal Swamp Lurker [24]
- Brood Crawler [24]
- Horror of Icthiam [24]
- Shelled Slasher [24]
Possible Tyranid Descendants
Previous Edition Tyranid Forces
These are species associated with the Tyranids only in earlier editions of WH40K. In game terms they are no longer part of Tyranid armies.
- Grabber-Slashers[11] are destructive warrior assassins that appear to share certain biological traits with Orks. They are very muscular and aggressive creatures, capable of propelling themselves by their tails alone. Uniquely, they contain a type of algae within their blood that allows them to synthesize the genetic material of their victims and use this to mutate their form.
- Zoat [Needs Citation]
- Hunter Slayer (renamed Termagants) [Needs Citation]
- Squig Swarm (became Ripper swarms) [Needs Citation]
- Shroud-Spinner[11]
- Mind-Slaver[11] - exists in current canon as Cortex Leech
- Mind Slave - non-Tyranid creatures controlled by the Hive Mind through the Mind-Slaver. [Needs Citation]
- Hive Lord - described in the 1st edition WH40k Rulebook as the acting agents of the Hive Fleet's ultimate ruler, they were analogous to the current Hive Tyrants. [Needs Citation]
See Also
Sources
- 1: Codex: Tyranids (2nd Edition)[Needs Citation]
- 2: Tyranid Evolution (accessed 2007.06.14)
- 3: Tyranid Special Characters (accessed 2007.06.14)
- 4: Forge World Tyranid Range (accessed 2007.06.14)
- 5: Tyranid Miniatures Gallery (accessed 2007.06.14)
- 6: Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook[Needs Citation]
- 7: Battlefleet Gothic Fleet Downloads (accessed 2007.06.14)
- 8: Imperial Armour Volume IV
- 8a: p. 81
- 8b: [Needs Citation]
- 8c: [Needs Citation]
- 9: White Dwarf 254(us) "Hostile Terrain" by Pete Haines
- 10: White Dwarf 254(us) "Tyranid Planetary Assimilation Analysis" by Sherman Bishop
- 11: Advanced Space Crusade (Board Game)
- 12: Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition)[Needs Citation]
- 13: Games-Workshop Website
- 14: Dawn of War 2
- 15: Warhammer 40,000 CCG
- 16: Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition)
- 16a: p. 19
- 16b: p. 21
- 16c: p. 34
- 16d: p. 35
- 16e: p. 36
- 16f: p. 37
- 16g: p. 38
- 16h: p. 39
- 16i: p. 40
- 16j: p. 41
- 16k: p. 42
- 16l: p. 43
- 16m: p. 44
- 16n: p. 45
- 16o: p. 46
- 16p: p. 47
- 16q: p. 48
- 16r: p. 49
- 16s: p. 50
- 16t: p. 51
- 16u: p. 52
- 16v: p. 53
- 16w: p. 54
- 16x: p. 55
- 16y: p. 56
- 16z: p. 57
- 16aa: p. 58
- 16bb: p. 59
- 16cc: p. 60
- 16dd: p. 61
- 16ee: p. 81
- 17: Apocalypse, p.147
- 18: White Dwarf 291(us) Chapter Approved: Creature Feature
- 19: Deathwatch: The Achilus Assault
- 20: White Dwarf 146 (UK) Pages 10 -25
- 21: Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos Pages 33-35
- 22: Chapter Approved 2001, p. 103
- 23: Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition), p. 63
- 24: Forgotten Fleets article on the official Games Workshop homepage.