Alright folks this idea has been brewing in my head for quiet some time and I would love your help.

My group is gearing up to ascension and i had something sinister planned for the sector, A hive fleet emerging from the dark reaches. So with this in mind I was looking through some tyranid enemies and such and said to my self " Jeez sure I could take some ideas out of the tyranid codex to make new enemies..but what if there where tyranid species we haven't encountered yet."

So in the grand scheme of things of building one or 2 of my own I was hoping for you guys to help me out (get the creative juices flowing and what not) and i would love to hear your ideas, who know might help me with more cool stuff. Hope to hear from you guys soon.

Matt101 said:

Hey Matt, perhaps you can help me out here. A little off topic, and I don't mean to be rude, but I always strugled to see the Tyrannids as interesting adverseries. Sure, I can see them in Deathwatch, but aren't they a bit "Grrrwwwooarrrrr!!!... EAT EAT EAT Everything!!!" ?

Now Genestealers, that's another matter, they are awesome Ascension adverseries (although my ideas of the Genestealers were formed BEFORE they were tyrannid scouts).

Perhaps it's just me but Tyrannids seem a bit one dimensional for Dark Heresy. Care to change my mind?

Well for me as one dimensional as the individual creatures seem, its the whole hive fleets behavior that is unique to the hive fleet in general.

The three most cannon examples are hive fleets Behemoth, Kraken and Leviathan

Behemoth Just pushed into the galaxy into a focal point (if you see the maps in the codex or online).

Kraken Split up into smaller fleets and ravaged entire sectors until being stopped at the battles for lyanden Craftworld and Ichar 4 at the same time

Leviathan end up Flanking the entire galactic plane.

Though there are notable other examples like Hive fleet Gorgon, which was capable of adapting faster then any other hive fleets to crush resistance,

Then you have Hive fleet Jormungandr that threw orbital debris down side its mycetic spores which not only confused the anti aircraft systems but smashed the defenders below and assured the saftey of the tyranid organisms.

It is these difference that give the individual hive fleets character smaller examples be unique carnifex variations or certain use of a particular use of a biomorph or it could use and entirely new species of organisms in its planetary assault stage. The personality of the hive fleet is only limted to one imagination.

So in short your not looking to change the om nom nom one dimensional aspect but the way they pursue om nom nom, think of om nom nom as the coodex astartes while it has over a thousand strategies an some spacmarines follow it t the leter there are others who just use it as a guide line, or how normal people interpret the bible. =)

Apologies for minor heresy for adding on to my original reply but it goes hand in hand.

I see hive fleets as a tool for later to shake up a campaign. Maybe your group is trying to find a heretic but while in the middle of a investigating a genestealer cult just busts out and is all up in your groups grill, or the first wave of gaunts has dropped while your group is attempting to arrest him.

Acension just flow better with hive fleets due to the influence mechanic. Having trouble aquiring a new xenos specimen from its race requisition a imperial guard company for additional fire power.

Having your group in league with the Ordos Xenos might make the campaign less disjointed, but hey your gm what ever you say goes you could have a tyranid speak gothic and fire a gun from questionable places and have wings for ears!

Back to the original point my view on it is while the creatures themselves are sorta one dimenstional you need to look at which hive fleet that creature came from.

Simple Hive Fleet design questions;

#1) Where is the Hive fleet coming from? (before any smart ass answers not just from the dark void of space sillies) Are the coming from above? below? or the way of the compass?

#2) How does this Fleet organise itself? Does it go in Splinter fleets? or a massive force?

#3) How does this Fleet pursue planetary assaults? (such as does it sort priorities or have some sort of special ability the other hive fleets don't?)

#4) Does this Hive Fleet have unique species of organisms? (pretty obvious yes or no answer here..)

#5) How do you feel this will effect your campaign in the long term (if characters suceed maybe a few planets will be spare if not the sector is doomed kinda thing).

Thats my convoluted take on tyranids anyway.

Zakalwe said:

The appeal of tyranids is that they are a cataclysmic force of destruction that can't be reasoned with. They are basically a cosmic natural disaster of epic proportions, which challenges the human race's basic right to survive. Yeah, they don't lend themselves to intrigue-themed games, but for a change-of-pace burst of Survival Horror, tyranids are unparralleled.

Adeptus-B said:

Yeah pretty much this in combination with what I said

I guess the Tyranids have less of a direct impact in story, but work as a catalyst for it. You can have several Politically themed games based around a hive fleet.

Do the Authorities recognise this as a threat? (the calixis sector is after all far way from the previous Hive Fleets).

Will the Nobles aid you or hole up/ leave their mansions?

Will you have to fight other groups for the chance of glory? (imagine being the ones remembered for defeating a Hive Fleet!).

For something more intrigue themed (i guess). Keeping it a secret, you wouldn't want planetary panic spreading would you?.

Opposing Inquisitors wanting to make you look bad by intentionally making it hard for you.

In the meanwhile there may be Vanguard organisms running around making things difficult, Hive ships attacking strategical locations and so on.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I was imagining them as the main adverseries and couldn't see that lasting long as a campaign of DH, but you've opened my eyes to a number of approaches to how they can be (successfully) included in a DH campaign.

Cheers.

Glad to be of assistance fellow DH member.

As of now I am going through Rough draft of a tyranid organism mostly.

For right now it is dubbed the heavy gaunt.

Matt101 said:

"Well My Lord, it was kind of like the Gaunts we encountered on Solaxis Prime, but if you will pardon my language My Lord it was f*#ken HUGE! "

Look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Lol planed on giving the gaunt a size increase to man size capable of weilding barbed stranglers or new weaponry or why not both.

I was at some point thinking of a smaller Assassin/terror weapon Tyranid. A parasitic organism designed to infiltrate and kill important figures of a community to lower morale and will to resist assimilation.

I was thinking something the size of a small snake that carries a poison or disease, perhaps make it somewhat independent like Genestealers and Lictors.

I would probably make them quite weak in combat stats but make them very stealthy like high silent move, shadowing and concealment with a high AG. Maybe give them burrower and some other traits that would help it scale surfaces and gain access to its target.

Ah Bassenmandrh make the stats my friend, Your actions shall help expand the hive minds influence...

Anywho Ironing out the heavy gaunt I am thinking some sort of more armoured shock troop kinda a range alternative to the genestealer.

Ok got my first unique tyranid up on the death watch forums guys here ya go!

www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp