Thornback

Tyranids Portal

a Thornback Carnifex

Thornback is a Tyranid sub-species of Carnifex^[3] which is the renown master of shock-assault.^[4] They appear to be adapted to tear their way through mass infantry formations. They are named for their bristling rows of chitin thorns.^[5]

Thornback Biomorphs are usually short-ranged and with a high rate of fire. As such, it can be armed with Deathspitters, Devourers, Spine Banks, Stranglethorn Cannons, Monstrous Scything Talons and Thresher Scythes.^[3]

Trivia

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.

• The Citadel Journal 37, which released in the months prior to Codex: Tyranids (3rd Edition), included a divergent "Spiked" Carnifex found among Hive Fleet Harbinger^[6] – a model which shares conceptual similarity with the Thornback.

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  Spiked Carnifex (front)^[6]

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  Spiked Carnifex (top)^[6]

Previous Editions

• In 4th Edition Thornback was a nickname given by Imperial Guard soldiers to Tyranids with large blade protrusions from their carapace. They were often seen charging into ranks of soldiers using pure body mass as their primary weapon and simply impaling any enemies they come across.^[1][2]

Sources

• 1: Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition), pg. 33
• 2: Warhammer 40,000: Wargear, pg. 62
• 3: Codex: Tyranids (8th Edition), pg. 104
• 4: Warhammer Community Codex: Tyranids Preview – Units (last accessed 09 January 2018)
• 5: Codex: Tyranids (9th Edition), pg. 115
• 6: The Citadel Journal 37, pg. 1 ^{Fanatic Press}