tyranid special rules

TYRANID SPECIAL RULES

DETECTION AND MANOEUVRABILITY Bio-ships are not organic starships but rather massive animals at home in the void. They may re-roll any failed test that involve Manoeuvrability or Detection.

INSTINCT Tyranid bio-ships are often not micromanaged by nearby hive ships, trusting in the inborn predatory instincts of the creatures themselves. The bio-ship must move towards the nearest planet if it’s not moving towards an enemy it has detected. Bio-ships will attempt to close and initiate a boarding action if at all possible, though it will fire its horrific bio-weapons until it can grasp its target with its own claws and tentacles, always firing at the closest ship.

SYNAPTIC CONTROL A successful Challenging (+0) Command Test by a bio-ship with the Synapse Vessel (X) quality will allow the ship itself to ignore its Instinct and be commanded to perform an Action for that Turn.

SYNAPSE VESSEL (X) This quality allows Instinct to be ignored by the bio-ship itself or another one within 10 VU. X determines how many can be commanded in the same round.

HIGHLIGHT Some Tyranid ships have evolved to highlight priority targets for the rest of the fleet. This will allow Tyranid bio-ships to attack targets that are not necessarily the closest to them.

CRIPPLED A bio-ship reduced to zero Hull Integrity, in addition to its other effects, may not use its Feeder Tentacles, Massive Claws, or any Ordnance.

BOARDING ACTIONS AND HIT-AND-RUN ATTACKS Tyranids are fearsome and fearless in close-quarters fighting, and the bio-ships are nests for countless monstrosities, most of which are not yet classified properly. The Tyranid enjoy a +20 bonus in these actions, which can be further enhanced by organ-components that contain even more monsters. Tyranids also have a +1 bonus to the Hit-and-Run roll.

RAMMING Bio-ships seem to believe ramming another voidship is suicidal and will not engage in such an action unless under Synaptic Control. Even then, the bio-ship will rebel. A Difficult (-10) Command Test is necessary to force the bio-ship to go against its biological instincts.

CREW AND MORALE Bio-ships do not have crew in the same sense as other voidships, however the vast organism requires massive strands of nerve bundles to coordinate its activities and internal damage will affect that. Ignore any damage to Morale, setting it equal to the Crew Rating at all times. Low Morale will still cause the penalties until Crew is replenished. Damage to the Hull Integrity also lowers the Crew Rating and vice versa.

REGENERATION (X) Some bio-ships regenerate Hull Integrity and Crew Rating (and Morale) even while in combat. At the start of every turn, roll a d5 for each bio-ship that has suffered damage, adding X to the result. This is how much of the bio-ship’s Hull Integrity was repaired or its “Crew and Morale” restored.

TYRANID MUTATIONS PYRO-ACID BATTERY These are vast tumours with protruding growths on the armoured hides of bio-ships, launching volleys of organic shells filled with volatile acids and virulent toxins. The shells have significant kinetic force, enough to punch through armour already weakened by the burning acids. A Pyro-Acid Battery is a Macrobattery that has the Crippling (1) quality, unless otherwise specified.

BIO-PLASMA SPINE Though the Bio-plasma spine is a chitin-covered volcano on the surface of a bio-ship, deep inside it is reported to be similar to a massive heart, with valves and chambers that are able to efficiently generate plasma and accelerate it towards distant targets. A Bio-plasma Spine is a Lance weapon that also ignores voidshields due to its slow movement and reduced range.

FEEDER TENTACLES Tyranids feed on the atmospheres of planets with organic life and do so by the use of these tentacles with armoured beaks. They have a secondary use in voidship combat, allowing a passing bio-ship to puncture through their target’s armour and deposit ravenous monsters ready to rend and eat. The tentacles can only attack a target within the same VU, though the attack can be made while moving. Each successful hit will initiate a hit-and-run attack on the target. A critical hit doubles the damage done against the Crew for all hit-and-run attacks made by the bio-ship.

MASSIVE CLAWS Kilometres-long claws or mandibles can be found on some Tyranid bio-ships, allowing it to grapple with a target and engage in a struggle to the death. Each point of Strength for a Massive Claw rolls to attack separately, doing additional damage for every degree of success. A Critical Hit will deal an additional d10 damage. Massive Claws ignore armour like Lance weapons but the target must be in the same VU.

ORDNANCE The Tyranid use a variety of horrors as living ordnance, with each bio-ship favouring the variety of hull-boring voidworms, ether-swimming brood carriers in use by its hive fleet. Each bio-ship carries organs that rapidly birth these living weapons, so there is no need to track ammunition or attack craft squadrons. The Tyranid only use Boarding Torpedoes, Virus Torpedoes, Fighters, and Attack Boats. Tyranid Torpedoes have double the range but half the speed of normal Torpedoes.

SPORES The void-swimming monsters of the Tyranid hive fleets do not make use of power fields and void shield generators, instead rely on Spore Cysts that pollute the space near a bio-ship with spore clouds. Each Spore Cyst creates this cloud which functions as an ablative layer of defense, acting like void shields, though contact with one releases voracious acids and mutagens that can render adamantium useless in moments. A bio-ship’s Spores are always replenished, even when the bio-ship is crippled.

SPORE CYST (X) While providing a disgusting and dangerous layer of defense, Spore Cysts can also be used to seed minefields. The cyst can function as a Minelayer Bay if its defensive operations are suspended (reducing Void Shields and the Turret Rating to 0) for a turn as the bio-ship seeds a minefield X VUs deep, wide, and high behind the bio-ship. The minefield will only last for 10 times X in combat rounds.

Attack Craft Craft Rating Speed Squadron Size Range

Fighter +10 6 30 -

Assault Boat +5 5 20 -

TYRANID BIO-SHIPS

Escort Drone Hull: Raider Dimensions: Varies, 0.5 km to 3.0 km long, 0.3 km to 2.1 km at wings Mass: Varies, 1.3 to 11 megatonnes approx. Accel: Varies, 1.8 gravities max sustainable acceleration. Never found alone or far from a hive ship, Escort Drones are slow and heavily armed and armoured, perfectly suited to act as screening squadrons. Shoals of Escort Drones, often outfitted with different bio-weaponry, prove effective at countering destroyer or frigate squadrons that attempt to ambush hive ships. It’s been hypothesized that Escort Drones are in fact immature hive ships and that the various cruiser classes are simply adolescents. This is very difficult to verify as individual Escort Drones are not easily tagged and tracked, nor is the timescale for these transformations known.

Speed: 4 Manoeuvrability: +15 Detection: +15 Void Shields: 1 Armour: 18 Hull Integrity: 35 Morale: 100 Crew Population: 100 Crew Rating: Crack (40) Turret Rating: 2 Weapon Capacity: Prow 2 Spore Cyst: 1

Essential Organs Organic Power Source, Distributed Nervous System, Synapse Receiver, Vital Sacs, Bio-mass Repository, Sensory Organs

Supplemental Organs Protective Instinct: Escort Drones can move towards a Hive Ship instead of a planet or an enemy ship when following its Instinct. Prow Massive Claws: These bone-like mandibles are strong enough to crush voidship armour or slice through it.

Choose one Prow Weapon:

Lance Strength Damage Crit Rating Range

Massive Claws 1 1d5+2 4 -

Bio-Weapon Strength Damage Crit Rating Range

Massive Claws +1 1d5+2 4 -

Pyro-acid Battery 4 1d10+3 5 6

Feeder Tentacles 2 Hit-and-Run 4 -

Bio-plasma Spine 2 1d10+2 3 3

TYRANID BIO-SHIPS

Vanguard Drone Ship Hull: Frigate Dimensions: Varies, 0.6 km to 1.9 km long, 0.8 km to 2.6 km at wings Mass: Varies, 2.4 to 5.1 megatonnes approx. Accel: Varies, 2.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration. The highest-priority targets of the Tyranid Hive Fleets are the independent Vanguard drone ships. These range far from hive ships, seeking biologically-rich worlds to feast upon. Each Vanguard carries specifically bred infiltration organisms such as Genestealers and Lictors (and a whole grotesquerie of more specialized monsters) which they deliver secretly to unsuspecting planets along the Orpheus Salient. Vanguards are theorized to be the only other bio-ship capable of independent FTL travel as well, though this is as of yet only a postulation.


Supplemental Organs Spawning Vats: This grants additional +10 to hit-and-run and boarding actions. Spore Cyst: A Vanguard’s cyst can create spores that function as drop pods for rapid insertions. The spore cyst will not be able to provide its defensive bonuses (void shield and turret rating) while this is being done. Antennae: A Vanguard has the Highlight special rule. Prow Massive Claws: These bone-like mandibles are strong enough to crush voidship armour or slice through it.


Speed: 6 Manoeuvrability: +18 Detection: +20 Void Shields: 1 Armour: 16 Hull Integrity: 32 Morale: 100 Crew Population: 100 Crew Rating: Crack (40) Turret Rating: 2 Weapon Capacity: Prow 2 Spore Cyst: 1






TYRANID BIO-SHIPS

Tyranid Kraken Hull: Light Cruiser Dimensions: Varies, 1.6 km to 3.5 km long, 0.6 km to 1.5 km abeam Mass: Varies, 7 to 12.5 megatonnes approx. Accel: Varies, 1.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration. Kraken are creatures that are perfectly adapted to the void and are able to sustain themselves not only on the bio-mass of crews from passing ships but are also able to absorb minerals and compounds from asteroids and comets. Hive Fleet Dagon’s Kraken are far larger and more massive than those encountered elsewhere in the galaxy. These creatures need very little guidance and act as escorts to the immature Tyranid Narwhals, often gorging themselves on bio-mass and minerals inside a system then swimming out to the system’s edges for months at a time to feed those rare bio-ships with their kills and bounty.


Supplemental Organs Rupture Glands: Kraken do not have spore cysts for defense. They have the Regeneration (1) special rule. Prow Massive Claws: These bone-like mandibles are strong enough to crush voidship armour or slice through it.


Speed: 5 Manoeuvrability: +25 Detection: +25 Void Shields: - Armour: 20 Hull Integrity: 35 Morale: 100 Crew Population: 100 Crew Rating: Crack (40) Turret Rating: - Weapon Capacity: Prow 2 Spore Cyst: -








TYRANID BIO-SHIPS

Tyranid Cruiser Hull: Cruiser Dimensions: Varies, 3.6 km to 5.9 km long, 1.6 km to 3.4 km at wings Mass: Varies, 18.5 to 25 megatonnes approx. Accel: Varies, 1.7 gravities max sustainable acceleration. Whether they are overgrown Escort Drones or still-growing Hive Ships, Tyranid Cruisers are well-known and rightly feared by the Crusade forces in the Orpheus Salient. These bio-ships are never found without a hive ship nearby, and it’s been theorized that they need sustenance of some kind from the hives. Tyranid Cruisers are limited strategically and encountered rarely. When they are found it is at the forefront of a force consisting of dozens of escorts and at least one hive ship. Despite its slow acceleration, this “class” is responsible for most of the Crusade’s losses due to its near-suicidal aggressiveness.

Essential Organs Organic Power Source, Distributed Nervous System, Large Synapse Receiver, Vital Sacs, Bio-mass Repository, Sensory Organs

Supplemental Organs Prow Massive Claws: These bone-like mandibles are strong enough to crush voidship armour or slice through it. Brood Chambers: Warrior bioforms are stored in special chambers, readily awoken to kill and maim. Tyranid Cruisers gain an additional +10 to hit-and-run attacks and boarding actions and halves all losses to Crew Population. Synapse Organ: A rare mutation or development, some Tyranid Cruisers have been observed directing lesser ships with precision or often acting tactically instead of instinctively. A Tyranid Cruiser without a Dorsal bio-weapon may instead have the Synapse Vessel (1) special rule. Tyranid Cruisers vary wildly, even those serving the same hive ship(s). Choose one Prow, one Dorsal, and two Port and Starboard bioweapons from the next page.

Speed: 4 Manoeuvrability: +15 Detection: +15 Void Shields: 2 Armour: 18 Hull Integrity: 65 Morale: 100 Crew Population: 100 Crew Rating: Veteran (50) Turret Rating: 4 Weapon Capacity: Prow 2, Dorsal 1, Port 2, Starboard 2 Spore Cyst: 2



TYRANID BIO-SHIPS

Tyranid Cruiser Supplemental Organs


Choose one Dorsal Weapon:

Choose two Port and Starboard Weapons:




Torpedoes 4 Boarding - -









Pyro-acid Broadside 6 1d10+3 4 6


Launch Bay 1 - - -

TYRANID BIO-SHIPS

Hive Ship Hull: Cruiser Dimensions: Varies, 5.6 km to 15 km long, 1.2 km to 6.4 km abeam Mass: Varies, 30 to 55 megatonnes approx. Accel: Varies, 1.2 gravities max sustainable acceleration. The largest organisms encountered among Tyranid hive fleets is the aptly named Hive Ship. Massive on a scale that easily dwarfs Imperial vessels, Hive Ships bear few similarities with each other externally. Many show signs of having evolved from Escort Drones but several more appear to be engorged Tyranid Cruisers. Even within the same hive fleet the variations between these bio-ships can sometimes be staggering. No few Imperial Navy officers have been convinced that they have encountered a brand new Tyranid bio-ship class only to be (often posthumously) corrected by a Magos Biologis. Hive ships have one thing in common, anatomically; each contains a massive network of organs that keeps lesser ships in line. Particularly large, and probably older, hive ships are able to direct multiple squadrons and individual ships at the same time, and astropaths suffer tremendously in the presence of these creatures. The destruction of even a single hive ship is often not enough to deter a Tyranid force. Having lost their command and control bio-ship, their master, the surviving bio-ships enter into a frenzy if they were not already enraged.

Essential Organs Organic Power Source, Distributed Nervous System, Large Synapse Receiver, Vital Sacs, Bio-mass Repository, Sensory Organs

Supplemental Organs Synapse Organ: Part Astropathic Choir Chamber, Part Flag Bridge, this organ grants the Synapse Vessel (2) special rule. Brood Chambers: Hive ships gain an additional +10 to hit-and-run attacks and boarding actions and halves all losses to Crew Population. Prow Massive Claws: These bone-like mandibles are strong enough to crush voidship armour or slice through it.

Speed: 3 Manoeuvrability: +5 Detection: +15 Void Shields: 4 Armour: 20 Hull Integrity: 65 Morale: 100 Crew Population: 100 Crew Rating: Veteran (50) Turret Rating: 6 Weapon Capacity: Prow 2, Dorsal 1, Port 3, Starboard 3 Spore Cyst: 4



TYRANID BIO-SHIPS

Hive Ship

Supplemental Organs Choose one Prow Weapon:

Choose one Dorsal Weapon:

Choose three Port and Starboard Weapons:












Launch Bay 1 - - -


Pyro-acid Broadside 6 1d10+3 4 6


Launch Bay 1 - - -

TYRANID ADVANCED MUTATIONS

The Tyranid are constantly evolving, sometimes spawning new mutations and adaptations in one encounter before the bio-ships absorb the organs and spawn new ones. A few bio-ships retain these rare mutations as they continue to mature. SOLAR WINGS The bio-ship has grown solar wings, perhaps inspired by the Eldar, and move more swiftly in the void. Increase the bio-ship’s Speed by 1 and Manoeuvrability by 5. ADRENAL SACS These sacs are filled with bio-stimulants that several members of the Adeptus Biologis would like samples of. It improves the bio-ship’s reflexes in void combat, raising Detection and Manoeuvrability by 5 and reducing all damage from each hit by 1. A critical hit to these sacs will reverse the bonuses until the organs are repaired. PSYCHIC SCREAM Tyranid vessels are frightening enough but some bio-ships are able to reverberate their psychic connection to the dread Hive Mind. Enemy ships within 5 VU suffer a -10 penalty to all tests and double any Morale loss against the bio-ship. ENLARGED DISCHARGE VENTS This mutation allows for more adept maneuvering by the bio-ship, providing a +10 bonus to Manoeuvrability and any Hit-and-Run attacks. ADDITIONAL SPORE CYST A defensive adaptation commonly found on larger vessels, this additional spore cyst grants +1 to Void Shields and +2 to Turret Rating. REINFORCED CARAPACE Observed primarily on Kraken feasting on voidships or mineral-rich asteroids (or void stations), this Reinforced Carapace grants +2 Armour and +10 Hull Integrity at the cost of -5 Manoeuvrability.

MUCOUS MEMBRANE The bio-ship excretes mucous that lessens the impact of slow-moving attacks. Torpedoes and Bombers suffer a -10 penalty. REGENERATIVE ORGANS One Essential or Supplementary Organ gains the Reliable quality. DRONE LINK (X) A lesser version of the synapse organ, the ship is treated as a ‘hive ship’ by X number of Escort Drones. AGILE WEAPONRY A scarred veteran of void battles, this creature has adapted its bio-weapons to track and target the Hive Mind’s foes even while performing some alien maneuver. It may fire Pyro-acid batteries, Bio-plasma Spines, even launch attack craft even if it has performed a Maneuver Action preventing it. SPORE FLOOD Some Tyranid bio-ships have adapted the ability to douse voidships with spores that cling to the hull. Instead of corroding the ship, the spores instead slowly drain power and block mechanisms from proper operation. While Imperial plasma drives burn the spores easily, the maneuvering thrusters and augury vanes are easily jammed or blocked. A Tyranid ship with an active Spore Cyst can sacrifice its protection for one round and cover a ship in the same VU with spores. This reduces Manoeuvrability and Detection by 5 and Turret Rating by 1 for every Spore Cyst point used.

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