Difference between revisions of "Hive Tyrant"

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==Sources==
 
==Sources==
 
*1: [[Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition)]]:
 
*1: [[Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition)]]:
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**{{Endn|1a}}: {{Cite this}}
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**{{Endn|1a}}: {{Cite Marker End}}
 
**{{Endn|1b}}: pg. 56
 
**{{Endn|1b}}: pg. 56
 
*{{Endn|2}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition)]]
 
*{{Endn|2}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition)]]
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**{{Endn|3b}}: pg. 40
 
**{{Endn|3b}}: pg. 40
 
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader]], pg. 200
 
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader]], pg. 200
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*{{Endn|5}}: [[Codex Imperialis (Background Book)]], {{Cite This}}
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*{{Endn|5}}: [[Codex Imperialis (Background Book)]], {{Cite Marker End}}
 
*6: [[Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project]]:
 
*6: [[Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project]]:
 
**{{Endn|6a}}: pg. 41
 
**{{Endn|6a}}: pg. 41
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*{{Endn|9}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (6th Edition)]] (E-Book) - ''Forces of the Hive Mind''
 
*{{Endn|9}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (6th Edition)]] (E-Book) - ''Forces of the Hive Mind''
 
*{{Endn|10}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (2nd Edition)]], pg. 34
 
*{{Endn|10}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (2nd Edition)]], pg. 34
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*{{Endn|11}}:[[Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000]] 
- ''Winged Hive Tyrant'' - for details see [[Hive Tyrant/Sources]]
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*{{Endn|11}}:[[Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000]] - ''Winged Hive Tyrant'' - for details see [[Hive Tyrant/Sources]]
 
*{{Endn|12}}: [http://web.archive.org/web/20100312043106/http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/hivetyrant.htm] ''(saved archived page, last accessed 24 June 2015)''
 
*{{Endn|12}}: [http://web.archive.org/web/20100312043106/http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/hivetyrant.htm] ''(saved archived page, last accessed 24 June 2015)''
 
*{{Endn|13}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20110925061148/http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Tyranids/WINGED-HIVE-TYRANT.html Forge World webstore : WINGED HIVE TYRANT (product code : IA-TYR-T-003)] ''(saved archive)''
 
*{{Endn|13}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20110925061148/http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Tyranids/WINGED-HIVE-TYRANT.html Forge World webstore : WINGED HIVE TYRANT (product code : IA-TYR-T-003)] ''(saved archive)''

Revision as of 09:38, 23 January 2026

Hive Tyrant[7]

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 displaying a wide range of physical characteristics, biomorphs, and bio-weapons.[1a]

Overview

Hive Tyrant[15]

Unlike most other Tyranid creatures, Hive Tyrants are completely self-aware, incredibly intelligent, and can learn from their mistakes. Some possess an instinctive cunning that borders on tactical genius. Though in the end they are still ultimately slaved to the Hive Mind, 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. Hive Tyrants are equipped with a range of Biomorphs, but most common are the Bonesword, Lash Whip, Heavy Venom Cannon, and Stranglethorn Cannon.[1a] They tower over even a Space Marine Dreadnoughts and are protected by chitinious plating that makes them immune to all but the heaviest fire.[14]

Hive Tyrants are essentially immortal, as their experiences, character and knowledge are stored within the collective consciousness of the Hive Mind. Should one be slain in battle, a replacement body can be grown and imbued with the same experiences as its predecessor.[1a] Like the greater Tyranid species, Hive Tyrants are highly adaptable and will rapidly change tactics and even its own biology should it be required. This includes being adapted with a pair of leathery wings when facing aerial foes, or mounting heavy bio-weaponry to deal with foes at range.[14]

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.[5]

Basic Info

Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Record [6b]
Designation Hive Tyrant Main Weaponry 4x scything claws
Common Title Overfiend
Species Name Tyranicus praefacto,[2a] Tyranicus praefactor[6b] Secondary Weaponry Fangs and claws
Average Height 2.9 m[Conflicting sources]
Average Weight 6.1 tonnes Tertiary Weaponry None
First encountered Tyran
Role Battlefield command
Threat evaluation Very high

Hive Tyrant Variants

Swarm Tyrant Artwork
  • Acid Tyrants have highly acidic blood and employ a large variety of toxic bio-morphs.[2a]
  • Swarm Tyrants are capable of giving birth to clutches of Rippers in a similar manner to Tervigons and wield large Fleshborers.[3b]
  • Winged Hive Tyrants have wings[6a]
  • The Swarmlord is a unique Hive Tyrant created to out-think the enemy when standard Tyranid strategies fail.[1b]

Notable Hive Tyrants

Images

Miniatures

  • Hive Tyrant miniature (5th Edition)

  • Hive Tyrant miniature (4th Edition)[2b]

  • Hive Tyrant miniature (3rd Edition)[3a]

  • Hive Tyrant miniature (2nd Edition)[10]

  • Resin Hive Tyrant by Forge World[12]

  • Resin Winged Hive Tyrant by Forge World[13]

Trivia

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

  • 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 fleet.[4] This description fits the Norn-Queen of more recent publications. It was during the 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})

Conflicting sources

  • Conflicting sources: This exact height for a Hive Tyrant is not consistent, and art depicting a Hive Tyrant standing next to an Guardsman on the same page the 2.9 Meter height is given shows the creature standing at least triple the guardsman's height,[6b] and given other similar scaling images in the same book show a relatively consistent roughly 1.5 meter tall Guardsman, 2.9 meters is possibly a typo, putting the height of the Hive Tyrant a mere 0.5 meters above the height of a Shrike.[6c] Later sources reconcile this by emphasizing that the Hive Tyrant's appearance and biology is variable depending on the situation.[14]

See also

Sources


Tyranid Planetary Forces
Commanders Norn-Queen • Hive Tyrant • Neurotyrant (Neuroloid) • Broodlord • Neurothrope • Tervigon • Tyranid Prime • Trygon Prime • Ravener Prime • Malanthrope
Elites Biovore • Tyrant Guard (Hive Guard) • Lictor (Lictor Alpha • Neurolictor • Deathleaper) • Leaper • Pyrovore • Venomthrope • Zoanthrope
Troops Tyranid Warrior (Shrike) • Ravener (Alpha • Felltalon • Tremorscythe • Wrecker • Venomspitter) • Genestealer (Ymgarl) • Gaunt (Termagant • Hormagaunt • Barbgaunt • Neurogaunt) • Ripper (Sky-Slasher)
Monstruous Creatures Carnifex (Thornback • Stone Crusher • Screamer-Killer) • Dimachaeron • Exocrine • Haruspex • Maleceptor • Psychophage • Sporocyst • Toxicrene • Tyrannofex
Gargantuan Creatures Cerebore • Dactylis • Hierodule • Malefactor • Mawloc • Norn Emissary • Norn Assimilator • Trygon
Bio-Titans Dominatrix • Hierophant • Viciator • Nautiloid • Vermis • Eater Beast
Flying Creatures Gargoyle • Harpy • Harridan • Hive Crone • Tyrannocyte
Spores Meiotic Spore • Mycetic Spore • Spore Mine • Mucolid Spore
Unique Tyranids Swarmlord • Deathleaper • Doom of Malan'tai • Old One Eye • Parasite of Mortrex • Red Terror
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