The Tyranids have been running rampant lately, what with a new codex and their victory over the Orks in the Octarian War, so this week the Loremasters are investigating the history of Tyranid invasions. It’s going to be very interesting – but what about the grunts on the ground who actually have to deal with them? They need some practical knowledge.
That’s why we’ve pulled together our own list of valuable anti-Tyranid intel and ranked the five best ways you can help deal with the arrival of hungry space monsters. Don’t worry if some of these seem a little out there as solutions – they’ve all been tried and tested by the Imperium, which is a sure-fire mark of quality.
5. Destroy Their Fleet in Space
Tyranids are known for their endless streams of reinforcements which plunge through the atmosphere in Mycetic Spores from orbiting bio-ships. This makes it difficult to make meaningful progress against the hordes while their fleet still exists, which the Ultramarines found out the hard way during the Battle of Macragge.
The legendary Marneus Calgar thus decided to cripple them by chasing the bio-ships to the edge of the system before destroying them with the help of Battlefleet Tempestus. While effective, this one comes fifth as it prevents the Emperor’s finest from winning in glorious close combat, where the strength of Humanity truly shines.
4. Study Them in Captivity
Prevention is the best cure, and learning all you can about the Tyranids is a great way to help your fellow defenders. Keeping valuable specimens in nice, cosy cages is a great way of keeping them under control – so long as you don’t let them break out, multiply, and take over the entire planet like that carelesslot on Beta Anphelion.*
3. Squeeze Poison Out of Them
Returning to the Ultramarines, Captain Uriel Ventris devised an ingenious solution on Tarsis Ultra with the help of the notorious planet-killing Inquisitor Kryptman. By getting their hands on a Lictor, they extracted a genetic material that allowed the Space Marines to poison the commanding Norn Queen and cripple her brood.
How did they get the poison out? We’re pretty sure they just squeezed it really hard. Should be no problem for the strapping individuals of the Astra Militarum.
2. Blow Up the Planet
Speaking of Inquisitor Kryptman… look, even if you can’t save your own planet, you can give the next one a fighting chance by taking as many Tyranids as you can with you. A few Exterminatus-class warheads should do the trick, and just think how glorious the tales will be.**
1. Ask Daemons for Help
There’s nothing wrong with getting a little help from outside, especially when so many Tyranids arrive that 30,000 Space Marines struggle to hold them back. As the defenders of Baal discovered, even the most unwanted allies can help out in the end, and as far as we’re concerned the Blood Angels probably owe a debt of gratitude to Ka’bandha and his…
Thank you for your time, citizen. To ensure that all information regarding Tyranid incursions is correct and heresy-free, we recommend watching today’s episode of Loremasters on Warhammer+ and listening to the experts. Your subscription gets you hours of in-depth lore content from the vaults of Warhammer history, as well as Battle Reports, advanced painting tutorials, exclusive animated series, and much more.
* Read the whole story in Imperial Armour Vol. 4 – The Anphelion Project, available now in the Warhammer Vault.
** We can’t confirm any tales of your deeds will be told, but just think how good they would be.