In mark of the xenos, the image of the tyranid warrior prime shows it having a kind of dog like pet. I've wondered what that was, couldnt find it even in the tt tyranid codex and every time my players see one of the primes, they always joke and ask if it has a dog wth it. At least once Id like to be able to say yes. If for no other reason then just to see the look on their faces when they're gettng ready to mock a master level creature. So, does anyone know what that is, if it has a name and if its been statted out anywhere? Thanks

I'm pretty sure it's just a termagant standing nearby. Not sure why it's in the picture, all things said. Perhaps just to show that the Prime is in charge of a lot o' smaller critters.

Awesome. Thank you.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is there just to give a sense of scale.

Hi

is this what you ment? ( picture of the Warhammer Tyranid Warrior model and 2 Terma Gaunts )

Or this one? ( warhammer Tyranid artbook picture, showing aTyranid warrior and some Terma and Horma Gaunts.

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110726011011/warhammer40k/images/8/87/Tyranids_of_Hive_Fleet_Behemoth.jpg

If so then the previous posts are right. The little dog is a Gaunt type Tyranid, and it comes in mainly 2 types, the Horma and Terma-Gaunt. The Hormagaunt has 2 front paws with a long bony clawknife known as a scyting talon.

The TermaGaunt has a living symbiotic weapon attached to its forepaws. these can be beetle launchers, that explode on impact, brain leech worms that burron into their victim or a scattershot of visicator larvae, that such all the liquid out of you.

The Warrior itself is a big and strong fighter in both melee and ranged, but also acts as a relay station for the hive mind. allowing nearby smaller tyranid organisms, that normally are just instinctive beasts, to be dominated and co-oordinated into deadly waves and packs.

Taking out the Warrior will disrupt this hive mind link and the smaller one's will revert to their instinctive behaviour. This is quite usefull for a GM to dose the fight, if it gets to though you can get a lukky shot kill the warrior and let his dogs cower and scuttle. or let his pack of dogs, when it goes to easy, make a tactical strike at a player for some added dificulty.

Hope this has given you more insight into the tyranid mindset and behaviours. If you got more questions feel free to pm me as im a tyranid miniature player.

Kind regards and good luck with your players.

thanks guys, that makes sense. i couldnt see the pictures in the links. i was just confused because in mark of the xenos it looks like a dog, but in the core book, termagaunts look like fleas.