Tyranid Hive Ships are the 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.[1a]
Overview
Rumors abound regarding Hive Ships. Some believe that though most swarms have multiple Hive Ships, there is still just one ship that maintains a central control of the entire swarm, allowing it to coordinate its fleet's assault, though this can not be confirmed. There are also unsubstantiated reports of indescribably huge Hive Ships that arrive in the final stages of a world's consumption, which would explain how the Hive Fleets can consume the vast quantities of material represented by a planet's life, air, and oceans.[1a]
Whatever the truth, the Hive Ships that have been observed tend to share some similarities, despite their otherwise significant physical variety. Stone-like armor plating and densely-clustered weapon growths are common among Hive Ships, and though slow and ungainly, a Hive Ship is almost invariably akin to a Battleship in the magnitude of the threat it poses on the battlefield.[1b]
Types of Hive Ships
Bio-Tentacles Hive Ship
Equipped with Feeder Tentacles and launch sacks for Harpies and Ether-Swimming Broods.[4]
Bio-Acid Hive Ship
Equipped with batteries of Bio-Plasma and Pyro-Acid and launch sacks for Harpies and Ether-Swimming Broods.[4]
Acid Infestation Hive Ship
Equipped with Bio-Plasma batteries, Pyro-Acid batteries, and launch sacks for Harpies and Ether-Swimming Broods.[4]
Unique Hive Ships
- The Ancient One[4]
Images
Hive Fleet Leviathan Hive Ship[2]
Fanatic Press-produced Hive Ship[5]
Hive Ship[3]
Sources
- 1: Battlefleet Gothic Resources: Necron and Tyranid Fleets (accessed 2010.11.29)
- 2: Battlefleet Gothic
- 3: White Dwarf 146, Jan. 1992
- 4: Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2
- 5: Battlefleet Gothic Magazine Issue 1, pg. 47
| Tyranid Bio-Ships | |
|---|---|
| Battleship-Class | Hive Ship (Bio-Tentacles • Bio-Acid • Acid Infestation) |
| Battlecruiser-Class | Devourer (Infestation • Corrosive Tentacles • Corrosive Clutch • Bio-Tentacles) |
| Cruiser-Class | Razorfiend (Corrosive Projectile • Corrosive Infestation • Bio-Projectile • Bio-Infestation • Bio-Corrosive • Bio-Acid • Bio-Acid Projectile) • Dark Prowler • Void Fiend |
| Light Cruiser-Class | Void Prowler (Corrosive Strangler • Corrosive Projectile • Corrosive Clutch • Bio-Strangler • Bio-Projectile • Bio-Clutch • Bio-Acid • Acid) |
| Frigate-Class | Kraken (Strangler • Corrosive • Clutch • Bio-Projectile • Deathburner • Doomripper • Hellblaster • Ramsmiter • Smeltfeaster) |
| Destroyer-Class | Vanguard Drone Ship (Strangler • Corrosive) • Escort Drone (Bio-Plasma • Caustic •Stalker Drone • War Drone) |
| Attack Craft-Class | Ether-Swimming Brood • Harpy • Hive Crone • Boarding Worm |
| Other | Mind Slayer • Narvhal • Rebirth Vessel • Tyrannocyte • Mucolid Spore |
