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Tyranids Portal

A Zoanthrope

Zoanthropes are 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.⁴

Overview

Originally believed to be a mutant strain of Tyranid Warrior^1-p.23 due to the close physical resemblance, more recent encounters with the Zoanthrope strain have reported a different physical structure apparently engineered by the harvesting of lifeforms present in the path of the Hive Fleets. Various evidence points to these later incarnations of Zoanthropes being improved by Eldar DNA.² Zoanthropes have atrophied bodies and limbs supporting bloated heads so heavy they should snap their own necks under their weight - but, energised by psychic forces, they appear to overcome their mortal limitations and levitate, drifting over the battlefield.⁴

Despite their seeming frailty, Zoanthropes are lethal opponents. Zoanthropes possess batteries of psychic power they can use to both defend themselves by projecting a constant psychic barrier or launch assaults that are powerful enough to destroy enemy battle tanks, boil through adamantium plates, or even fell mighty Titans.⁴ However, Zoanthropes are predisposed to sedentary behavior, a stance adopted to conserve their psychic power, when not in the presence of the Hive Mind.³ They also care little for happenings beyond their immediate reach and prioritise their own survival above all else.⁴

Despite their power, however, Zoanthropes sometimes seem to be victims of their own massive energy reserves and there have been numerous afteraction reports of Zoanthropes “burning out” in battle. Their craniums have been observed to burst and bleed out, sending them crashing limply to the ground. Psykers who have witnessed these events liken it to the perils of the warp which normal psykers can suffer when psychic energy overloads their minds.⁵

Basic Info

Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Record
Designation	Zoanthrope
Common Title	Brain
Species Name	Tyranicus animus-aborrens
Average Height	3.5m
Average Weight	0.5 tonnes
First encountered	Moloch
Role	Psychic assault
Threat evaluation	High

Species of Zoanthrope

• Horror Zoanthrope⁶
• Zoanthrope Screamer⁶
• Catalyst Zoanthrope⁶
• Biothrope ⁶

See Images below -

Images

• 

  Zoanthrope miniature (2nd Edition)

• 

  Zoanthrope miniature (3rd Edition)

• 

  Zoanthrope miniature (4th Edition)

• 

  Biothrope sub-species⁶

• 

  Screamer sub-species⁶

• 

  Catalyst sub-species⁶

• 

  Horror sub-species⁶

See also

• Doom of Malan'tai
• Species of Tyranid
• Tyranid Psychic Powers

Sources

• ¹: White Dwarf 192 (UK)
• ²: http://uk.games-workshop.com/tyranids/miniature-gallery/12/
• ³: Codex: Tyranids (2nd Edition)
• ⁴: Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition), p.44
• ⁵: Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos, pg 53
• ⁶: Warhammer 40,000 CCG
• Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project