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'''Carnifexes''' are hulking, powerful [[Tyranid]] creatures used as living battering rams. They are often armed with the most powerful Tyranid [[Bio-weapon]]s, and are used in shock assaults, spaceship boarding actions, massed battles, and for battering through fortified positions and tank formations.{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|14b}}

Carnifexes excel at thunderous charges, where their immense chittlinchitin-armoured bulk is used to crush or smash through any opponent or obstacle. They are not as swift as other Tyranid creatures but their brute force more than makes up for this. A Carnifex's stampede takes time to build force as their incredible alien musculature strains to propel it forward. As it builds momentum and reaches top speed, the ground shakes with each stride of the monster and foes are scattered or trampled before it, and only fortress walls or [[Super Heavy Tank]]s have any chance of surviving the ferocious impact.{{Fn|1b}} Most Carnifex kills registered come from high energy attacks — [[lascannon]], [[plasma weapon|plasma]] and [[melta weapon|melta]] weapon strikes to critical locations. With hides at least as dense as [[ceramite]]{{Fn|13a}}, Carnifexes can shrug off other small arms fire and even [[boltgun]] hits with minimal loss of function. Carnifexes are not very intelligent and in fact have little self-awareness. They will revert to unthinking rampages of destruction if not constantly supervised and guided by the [[Hive Mind]].{{Fn|1b}} All Carnifex species seem well able to adapt to extremes of environments, from arctic cold to desert heat.{{Fn|4a}}

The [[Imperium|Imperium's]] first recorded encounters with the Carnifex were in the battles against [[Hive Fleet Behemoth]] that lead up to the [[Battle for Macragge]]. As the Imperium tried to stop the Tyranids in space, Carnifexes were at the head of every boarding action.{{Fn|1b}} The strain of Carnifexes encountered became known as '''[[Screamer-Killers]]''' because of their terrible ululating shriek,{{Fn|14a}} caused by rasping plates in their esophagus that were used to energize a form of [[bio-plasma]] in their gut to shoot bio-plasmic bolts, and in some instances Screamer Killers were reported using an electrical field around their claws to build up an incandescent bio-plasma ball before launching it at a target over longer ranges.{{Fn|4a}} Despite the Hive Mind constantly adapting to new foes and theatres of war and produced increasingly complex organisms, the Carnifex has remained the standard heavy combatant. This is not just because of their toughness and combat effectiveness, but also because they are a relatively simple bio-design that doesn't require much resources to produce.{{CME}}

===Miniatures===

==Related ArticlesSee also==*[[Thornback]]*[[Screamer-Killer]]*[[Stone-Crusher]]*[[Old One Eye]]

*1: [[Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition)]]:**{{Endn|1a}}: ''Cover art''

*2: [[Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition)]]:

*4: [[Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos]]:

*8: [https://archive.ph/uSKxJ Games Workshop: Carnifex Conversions by Ty Finocchiaro] ''(Saved archive page, dated 15 Jun 2006, last accessed 13 December 2024, original link: archived from [http://us.games-workshop.com/games/40k/tyranids/painting/carnifex_conversions/default.htmthe original] 15 June 2006, last accessed 13 December 2024)'' **{{Endn|8a}}: [https://archive.ph/OczWJ Page 1] ''(Saved archive page, dated 13 Jun 2006, last accessed 13 December 2024, original link: archived from [http://us.games-workshop.com/games/40k/tyranids/painting/carnifex_conversions/1.htmthe original] 13 June 2006, last accessed 13 December 2024)'' **{{Endn|8b}}: [https://archive.ph/7ES9m Page 2] ''(Saved archive page, dated June 24 2006, last accessed 13 December 2024, original link: archived from [http://us.games-workshop.com/games/40k/tyranids/painting/carnifex_conversions/2.htmthe original] June 24 2006, last accessed 13 December 2024)''*9: [[Codex: Tyranids (3rd Edition)]]:

*{{Endn|11}}: [https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/04/29/warhammer-40000-leviathan-whats-in-the-box/ Warhammer Community : Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan – What’s In The Box? (29/04/23)] ''(last accessed 29/04/23April 2023)''

*{{Endn|13}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (8th Edition)]]:

*14: [[Codex: Tyranids (2nd Edition)]]:

*16:[[Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000]]: