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Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum β

Tyranid Hive Ship

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

 
Bio-Tentacles Hive Ship

Equipped with Feeder Tentacles and launch sacks for Harpies and Ether-Swimming Broods.[4]

Bio-Acid Hive Ship

 
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

 
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

Images

Sources