Hi fello Battle-Brothers,

I wonder about the Tyranids and the role the Broodlords are playing. Especially when I can read over and over again that Genestealers can infect opponents and make spawns of them.

So if I take the idea for granted that spawns infiltrate society that means that Genestealers, Broodlords or Tyranids as a whole need some understanding of social behaviour. To adapt a culture to undermine it.

Take the introduction mission at one point there is an officer which is a traitor since he is infected by genestealers. So Tyranids are not just mere monsters which slay everything? They know to hold back and let their spawns do some subtle work?!

So can I expand this behaviour that it is possible to work with them together?

I just want to fill the gap in my understanding to view them once as classical lurking monsters in the darkness and on the other side as highly subtle predadors infiltrating an enemy society?

Cheers,

Tech-Void.

Going by old 40kspace hulk background while lacking any understanding of technology genestealers have an instinctive understanding of societiessocial structures. When a genestealer infects a victim it hypnotises the victim who then lovescherishesprotects it's genestealer hybrid childrenobeys the first genestealer to begin the infestation. The first genestealer becomes a broodlord aka patriarch which grows in physical powerintelligencepsychic strength as it's brood grows.

As the infestation grows it needs a cover to avoid detection. Usually this is in the form of a cult but charitiesbanking cartels were mentioned as other examples. Over 4 generations of hybrids they become progressively more like the host species till they are nearly indestinguishable from them, but the children of the 4th generation of human-looking hybrids are purestrain genestealers. The most psychically talented of the 4th generation hybrids becomes the Magus, the figurehead of the cult. And when their numbers are great enoughthey get discovered by auithorities then they rebell attacking infrastructuredefences.

As the brood grows the psychic strength of their brood-telepathy grows till it becomes a beacon for the Tyranid hive mind signalling a life-rich world ripe for harvesting. The Hive Mind ensures the genestealers rise against the defence forces weakening them for the hive fleets arrival.

Genestealer uprisings involve fanatical brood-brothers who are the infected human parents of hybrids as well as those who have fallen under the sway of the Maguswho have their own grievences against the government. Often they will include planetary defence force traitors with 'liberated' equipment vehicles as well as mutants (sometimes mutant suicide bombers rigged with explosives convinced of a better life in the cults promised afterlife). The MagusPatriarch, travelling in style, used to often get armouredarmed limousines!

When finally the hive fleet arrives the cult walks willingly into the doom of the descending bio-shipsabsorbtion by the tyranids.

Uh,

thank you for that in depth explanation. So if I get you right the connection between the genestealerssociety is the cult, formed by its hybrids?

So maybe this is the point where I can ask my question: Will the cult, respective its charismatic leader, cooperate with other xenoschaos species? For instance to weaken the planetary defence forces?

I mean if we suggest the Brood Lord to be a powerfull psychic beingthe cult is also leaded by potentcharismatic psyker, maybe the cult leader will be able to deceive orks, dark eldareven chaos space marines to forge an unholy alliance?

Cheers,

TechVoid.

TechVoid said:

highly unlikely in the way that you mean. a brood/cult would only cooperate with another non imperial force in the same way the brood/cult cooperates with an imperial society. the brood/cult will work with other xenoschaos cultures only to maintain its cover until the hive fleet arrives.

DacenMarus said:

Yes,

that is all I am asking for.

So a plot hook could be to erase some chaos marines / influence on a planet just to discover that they are merely a diversion for the real threat: Lurking Genestealers!

Cheers,

TechVoid.

Actually in the old material we have genestealer cults deliberatly turning to the powers of chaos when they are losing.

Unlike humans the genestealers know what the cost is. Yet Patriarchs (broodlords) would when there was no other choice invite possession for the sake of their broods! So a possessed broodlord carrying a daemon weapon was possible and there was a converted one in white dwarf and the WH40K Compendium book alongside a Magus in chaos armour!

The 2nd 1st edition Space Hulk expansion rulebook included illustrations of chaos genestealers.

So very much indeed Chaos allies of a desperate Genestealer Cult are in old GW background.

As for Orks, there were rules for Ork Genestealer Warbands in white dwarf and iirc the Freebooterz book. Orks fungal reproductive cycle doesn't work well for genestealers so they usually try and get to other more viable species as soon as possible, building funds getting hired by warbosses. There's an ork glyph for them called Da Bug Eyez and GW did release an Ork Genestealer Hybrid miniature!

So indeed working with both Chaos and Orks are well covered in old 1st Edition and 2nd edition GW material.

We can even take it further! For Chaos marines have fought against but also for Tyranids! In Realm of Chaos Vol 1 it mentions that a Black Legion helmet was found inside a Tyranid Hiveship. In Advanced Space Crusade, a sort of space-hulk game with Scouts Vs Tyranids inside a Tyranid ship it mentioned specifically that Chaos Marines were also fighting the hive fleets. The Tyranids also had a cvreature called the Mind Slaver which would affix itself to the neck and back of the head of a foe and grow into them and control them. In early 40k Tyranid armies could take whole squads of these Mind Slaves, often these were chaos marines!

In Advanced Space Crusade one of the things that could turn up on exploration tables were cocooned victims of he Tyrnaids some of whom would be found still alive. These included Eldar and Guardsmen as well as Scythes of the Emperor Chapter Astartes and even Inquisitors! Alas there was a possibility they'd been implanted with a mind slave resulting in the possibility of a sudden violent betrayal!

Imagine the problem for a Kill Team if they find fellow astartes in combat inside a hive ship and end up fighting back to back against tremendous odds but halfway through combat or only when the foe are dead and they can examine them more closely they discover they are Black Legion! How long does the ceasefire last? Till the Hiveship is dead or but a few moments?

And in the same boarding action they may rescue fellow Astartes (Perhaps even an Ultramarine Hero of great renown from the boarding actions of the Battle of Macragge!) or an Inquisitor only for them to betray them because of a tyranid parasite in their brain!