Hormagaunt
Hormagaunts (subspecies name: Gaunti gladius [2]) are fearsome but expendable Tyranid creatures used in their billions which often precede a main Tyranid attack.[1]
Description
Hormagaunts are a highly specialized iteration of the Termagant bioform that is utilized by Tyranid fleets in the billions. They are a subspecies of Tyranid Gaunt armed with four razor-sharp Scything Talons and move on powerful hind legs in a series of exceptionally fast, bounding leaps that appears as a skittering, insect-like gait.[1] They are exceptionally single-minded and will pursue prey without pause, ignoring any injury or fatigue until its quarry has been run down and torn to pieces. They feed upon those they slay in order to fuel its hyperactive metabolism, which allows it to ceaselessly rip and tear any prey it comes across. This metabolism comes at a cost, as they have very short lifespans.[6]
Before the full attack of a Tyranid Hive Fleet, Hormagaunts are often dropped in Mycetic Spores in such large numbers that even if many are destroyed by orbital defences those that make planetfall will pose a serious problem to any inhabitants.[1]
Hormagaunts have a deadly instinctual ability to hunt that needs little direction from the Tyranid Hive Mind. They are usually left to their own devices once a Tyranid attack is underway, though occasionally the Hive Mind will intervene and direct them towards a more distant and more important target.[1]
Hormagaunts, unlike other Tyranid creatures, have the ability to lay hundreds of eggs in the ground and so reproduce independently of a Hive Fleet. Each Hormagaunt has a short lifespan but once one generation has died a fresh wave will have hatched and grown to maturity, ready to carry on ravaging a world where the previous generation left off.[1]
There is pronounced adaptation within the Hormagaunt subspecies. Known variations include:[1]
- Increased strength
- Increased reaction speed
- Thicker carapace
Images
A Hormagaunt
A Hormagaunt[3]]]
Miniatures
Hormagaunt (10th Edition)
Hormagaunt (3rd Edition)
See also
Sources
- 1: Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition), pg. 38
- 2: Fearful Symmetries (Short Story) - Xenos Hunters (Anthology)
- 3: Liber Xenologis, pg. 147
- 4: Tyranid Collector's Guide, pg. 19
- 5: Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Hormagaunt Horde
- 6: Codex: Tyranids (8th Edition), pg. 48
Uncited
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