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'''Hive Tyrants''' are 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. Hive Tyrants are extremely powerful, large and strong monsters three times the height of a man that can tear through [[plasteel]] or [[ferrocrete]] as if they were glass. They excel in both close combat and ranged fighting, and in fact every part of their body is perfectly designed to maim and kill. They are highly mutable, with individual Hive Tyrants display displaying a wide range of physical characteristics, [[biomorph]]s, and [[bio-weapon]]s.^41a

[[Image:T5EHiveTyrant.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A '''Hive Tyrant''' battling [[Orks]]^41a]]

[[Image:Hive Tyrant.jpg|thumb|right|A '''Hive Tyrant''' engaging [[Blood Ravens]] [[Space Marines]]⁵⁷]]Unlike most other Tyranid creatures, Hive Tyrants are completely self-aware, incredibly intelligent, and can learn from their mistakes. Some posses possess an instinctive cunning that borders on tactical genius. Though in the end they are still ultimately slaved to the Hive Mind but , their relationship with it is closer than that of any other Tyranid creature. This makes them terrifyingly psychic and able to manifest deadly psychic powers in battle, including being able to invigorate the Tyranid swarm, destroy the foe's morale, or shred the enemy's minds.^{4: p.341a} Hive Trants Tyrants are equipped with a range of [[Biomorph]]s, but most common are the [[Bonesword]], [[Lash Whip]], [[Heavy Venom Cannon]], and [[Stranglethorn Cannon]].^4-p341a

Hive Tyrants are essentially immortal, as their experiences, character and knowledge are stored within the collective consciousness of the Hive Mind. So should Should one be slain in battle, a replacement body can be grown and imbued with the same experiences etc as its predecessor.^{4: p.341a}

 Hive Tyrants appear to be either a more complex and highly evolved form of [[Tyranid Warrior]] , or else they evolved from a completely different and higher genus. Some [[Imperial]] techno-magi believe that Hive Tyrants are the consort-minds of the [[Norn-Queen]] that forms the repository of the [[Hive Fleet]]'s own collective consciousness, which would mean they completely embody the Hive Mind, but their destruction would not diminish it in any way.^25a

|style=background:#4F4F4F colspan=4 align=center|'''Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Record''' ¹⁶

*'''Acid Tyrants''' have highly acidic blood and employ a large variety of toxic bio-morphs^{6: p.352a} *The [[Swarmlord]] is a unique Hive Tyrant created to out-think the enemy when standard Tyranid strategies fail{{Cite This}}.*'''Swarm Tyrants''' are capable of giving birth to clutches of [[Ripper]]s in a similar manner to [[Tervigon]]s and wield large [[Fleshborer]]s.^{7: p.403a}

In [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader]], the term "Hive-tyrant" applied to the ruler and primogenitor of the whole Hive Fleet - they were described as immensely psychic, huge, bloated with eggs and virtually immobile. The destruction of this Hive-tyrant would disperse the fleet⁴.  This description fits the Norn-Queen of more recent publications. It was during the [[Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition Rulebook|second edition]] of the game that the position of the Tyranid Hive Tyrant in the Tyranid hierarchy changed to its current position; not the highest embodiment of the hive-mind, but the largest version commonly encountered in battle{{Cite This}}.³

*¹: [[Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion ProjectCodex: Tyranids (5th Edition)]]**a: p. 34*²: [[Codex Imperialis: Tyranids (4th Edition)]]**a: p. 35*³: [[Warhammer 40,000Codex: Rogue TraderTyranids (3rd Edition)]], **a: p.20040*⁴: [[CodexWarhammer 40,000: Tyranids (5th Edition)Rogue Trader]], p.200*⁵: [[Dawn of War IICodex Imperialis]]**a: {{Cite This}}*⁶: [[Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition)Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project]]*⁷⁷⁵: [[Codex: Tyranids (3rd Edition)Dawn of War II]]