Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Tyranids (section)

==Hive Fleet Adaptations==
Your Chapter Tactics-equivalents, representing the main 3 Hive Fleets in the fluff (Behemoth, Kraken, and Leviathan) as well as 4 splinters that range from the obscure to the entirely new. Each Hive Fleets has two traits: a primary trait and an adaptive trait. The primary trait is mandatory, as in if you want play Behemoth you'll always gain +1 strength on the first round of combat. The adaptive trait, however, can be swapped out before the game starts for a trait in the hunt, lurk, or feed traits; which of these trait each Hive Fleet can choose from will be specify under "Hyper-Adaptation".

=== Behemoth ===
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[[File:BehemothIcon.jpg|94px|left|]]The Hive Mind's will seeks to crush the opposition with overwhelming strength.

The first wave of Tyranids to be recognized in the galaxy, and the same force that nearly wiped out the Ultramarines.

[[Hive Fleet Behemoth]] specializes in pure aggression, overwhelming your enemy with numbers and pure physical power. They focus the most on getting into the fight with an additional edge.

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*'''Hive Fleet Adaptation - ''Hyper-Aggression'':''' +1 S if charged, was charged, or performed a heroic intervention.
*'''Adaptive''': Re-roll charges
*'''Hyper-Adaptation''': Hunt or Lurk
*'''Warlord Trait - ''Monstrous Hunger'':''' Any to wound roll of 6 in melee causes one MW in addition to regular damage. 
*'''Stratagem - ''Brute Force (1/2 CP)'':''' Slain {{W40Kkeyword|Behemoth}} infantry models can make their attacks after the attacker has resolved all of their attacks; similar caveats with other fight-after-dying abilities (can only pick a unit that hasn't attacked yet, precludes any other fight-after-dying ability) Costs less for {{W40Kkeyword|ENDLESS MULTITUDE}} units. 
*'''Bio-Artefact (Relic) - ''Monstrous Musculature'':''' Pretty simple +1 Damage to all your melee weapons.
*'''Psychic Power: ''Unstoppable Onslaught (WC7)'':''' Pick a friendly unit within 9”. Until the end of the turn, add 1 to the wound rolls for that unit’s melee attacks. 
**Unchanged from last edition. +1 to wound is still a great power to have, and synergizes well with your inherent +1 S and your relic. 
*'''Tactics:''' Here are some tactics that are better off being used in a Behemoth Adaptation than any other.
**'''Super-Flyrant''' Stacking Behemoth's Power, Warlord Trait, and Relic with Monstrous Size on a winged Hive Tyrant makes for an excellent [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX|fire magnet]] that melts heavy armor in close combat. For 205 points (or 225 with HVC) you get a deep-striking, charge-rerolling melee freight train with 5 S8 AP-4 attacks that explode on 6s to hit, wounds T8 on 3+, and deals 6 damage on wound rolls of 5+. Spicy.
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=== Kraken ===
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[[File:KrakenIcon.jpg|94px|left|]]
The Hive Mind's will seeks to claim the first kill.

Speedy, and sneaky bugs. [[Hive Fleet Kraken]] was the second major Hive Fleet, and consists of many small but fast moving splinter fleets, which caused the Imperium no end of trouble when they went fast and deep behind the main battle lines during the second Tyrannic War.

On the tabletop this translates to closing the distance as soon as possible, and its advantages are mostly focused on closing the distance as soon as possible. In theory this is similar to Behemoth, but in practice it's a little more directed, since competitive lists focus more on few Deathstars rather than a nice army-wide buff.

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*'''Hive Fleet Adaptation: ''Hyper-Aggression'':''' If they made a charge this turn, add 1 to the AP of their weapons.
**In the age of Armour of Contempt, this trait makes Kraken an excellent counter to marines.
*'''Adaptive''': Advance rolls are D3+3 instead of a D6. Specifically excludes mixing this with Stratagems. 
*'''Hyper-Adaptation''': Hunt or Feed
*'''Warlord Trait: ''One Step Ahead'':''' On a 5+, get a CP everytime your opponent uses a strat.
*'''Stratagem: ''Opportunistic Advance (1 CP)'':''' Advance '''8"''' rather than rolling, do not suffer penalty for advancing and firing assault weapons 
*'''Bio-Artefact (Relic): ''Chameleonic Mutation'':''' -1 to Hit Rolls against the bearer, hit rolls cannot be re-rolled 
*'''Psychic Power: ''Synaptic Lure (WC5)'':''' Reroll charges against one unit within 18"
*'''Tactics:''' Here are some tactics that are better off being used in a Kraken Adaptation than any other. As of writing this, Kraken is one of the more competitive fleets out there. Warhammer has always been a powerful movement based game, and Kraken gives you that on top of extra AP in cc. The adaptive is good, but you can also switch it out for other options and not feel bad about it. The Kraken strat is where most of your play comes from. Auto advancing 8 inches and then charging from the psychic power will assure that you are slingshotting a unit into the enemy nearly every turn while bogging them down and holding objectives. Slingshotting ravenors, screamer-killers, and even Hormagants are all great options for Kraken. 
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=== Leviathan ===
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[[File:LeviathanIcon.jpg|94px|left|]]
The Hive Mind's will seeks to unify all through its synapse vessels.

The poster children, and the largest Hive Fleet ever recorded, [[Hive Fleet Leviathan|Leviathan]] is built around Synapse  and unit synergy. In practice this means you'll either receive buffs by being near Synapse creatures, or you'll be using their stratagem to overwhelm the enemy in numbers.

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*'''Hive Fleet Adaptation''': ''Synaptic Control'': {{W40Kkeyword|SYNAPSE MONSTERS}} units gain Transhuman, with all wound rolls of 1-3 failing; if a Leviathan unit is within Synaptic Link range, they cannot be wounded on 1s and 2s.
**It took a long fucking time, but Leviathan has now heen nerfed. As of the Q4 2022 Rebalance, Only Synapse MONSTERS gain transhuman. Warriors and Zoanthropes can provide synapse auras for swarms to get mini transhuman, but will no longer benefit.
**Note that because the lowest toughness that synapse and non-synapse unit have are T5 & T3 respectively, this trait only kicks in on S6 or higher weapons, +1 to wound mechanics and poison abilities.
*'''Adaptive''': Leviathan Units can reroll one hit roll every time they make an attack.
**Great for character and monsters, terrible for swarms. If you're bringing a lot of guants or the like, I strongly recommend swapping this out.
*'''Hyper Adaptation''': They may switch out their Adaptive trait for one in the HUNT or LURK biomorphologies. 
**'''Hunt:''' Good for your aggression. Ambush Predators gives you all the bodies for heroic intervention. Synaptic Goading and Augmented Ferocity are great for getting your forces into the fray immediately.
**'''Feed:''' 
*'''Warlord Traits''': '''Perfectly Adapted''': Once per battle round, you can re-roll a single to hit, to wound, damage roll, advance roll, charge roll, psychic test, or saving throw roll. Save on that CP because you've got a ton of other uses for it.
*'''Stratagems: ''Combined Assault(1 CP)'':''' Use during the Fight phase. Select an enemy unit within engagement range of at least 2 LEVIATHAN units from your army; all attacks targetting said unit improve their AP by 1. 
**Simplified from last edition, which required that it be a Fly unit and someone else.
*'''Bio-Artefacts''': '''Preceptic Node''': Shoot at reinforcements (18") with a {{W40kKeyword|Core}} or {{W40kKeyword|Character}} unit within 6" of the character with this relic. Pick one unit to shoot once per phase, but you can shoot as many reinforcements that arrive so long as you have the units for it. 
*'''Psychic Power: ''Hive Nexus (WC6)'':''' Select a unit within Synaptic Link range of this Psyker, and a unit with a Synaptic imperative also within range of your Psyker. Until your next psychic phase, that unit acts as if it was under the effect of that Synaptic Imperative on top of the one that's already active for your army. 
*'''Tactics:''' Here are some tactics that are better off being used in a Leviathan Adaptation than any other. With Leviathan, monsters being transhuman are incredibly annoying to deal with. Unfortunately the way of the leviathan warrior spam is kind of dead right now since they don't get any transhuman, so Leviathan will mostly focus on big and small bugs, but not a lot of medium sized ones. 

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=== Gorgon ===
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[[File:GorgonIcon.jpg|94px|left|]]
The Hive Mind's will seeks to adapt to the foe's tactics and capabilities.

This is the Splinter Fleet, which, for some reason, GW likes to call a Hive Fleet, (probably to make the [[Tau Empire]] seem more like a credible threat for defeating Gorgon) that fell upon the Tau, and failed to wipe them out (though opinions on how good/bad that would be vary wildly).

[[Hive Fleet Gorgon|Gorgon]] is the Hive Fleet known for the quickest adaptation, but in practice they [[wat|specialize in poison instead]]; Gorgon is chock-full of mechanics that depend on wound rolls, and their adaptive trait gives them a free reroll per unit. That being said, [[Fail|you now can't re-roll wounds against Space Dwarves]].

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*'''Hive Fleet Adaptation: ''Adaptive Toxins'':''' Wound rolls of 4+ against non-VEHICLE/TITANIC are always successful. Works for both melee and shooting.
*'''Adaptive''': Free re-roll of one wound roll per unit.
**Great for character and monsters, terrible for swarms. If you're bringing a lot of guants or the like, I strongly recommend swapping this out.
*'''Hyper-Adaptation''': Feed or Lurk
*'''Warlord Trait: ''Lethal Miasma'':''' On a successful charge, roll a D6 for each enemy unit within 3". On a 2-5, they suffer a MW. On a 6, they take D3 MW.  
*'''Stratagem: ''Hyper-Toxicity (1 CP)'':''' Pick a GORGON unit with TOXIN SACS. All unmodified HIT ROLLs of 5+ auto-wound. 
*'''Bio-Artefact (Relic): 'Hypermorphic Biology'':''' +1 Toughness, count as double-wounds for wound brackets.  
*'''Psychic Power: ''Poisonous Influence (WC7)'':''' Unmodified wound rolls of 6 deal a MW on top of normal damage. 
*'''Tactics:''' Here are some tactics that are better off being used in a Gorgon Adaptation than any other. Gorgon kind of wants you to run swarms, but you can definitely make monsters work too with the free wound reroll. The wounding on 4+ trait works for shooting too, so it can be quite annoying for daemons or tau when you wound all of their monsters and suits with mass death spitters and stinger salvos. Funnily enough, the bio artifact is a bit of a sleeper hit, and having a t9 hive tyrant or tervigon can be really annoying to deal with, but unfortunately it's a relic instead of a warlord trait, and Nid relics are already really competitive. 
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=== Hydra ===
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[[File:HydraIcon.jpg|94px|left|]]
The Hive Mind's will seeks to overwhelm the opposition with a tide of chitin and teeth.

The endless swarm, [[Hive Fleet Hydra|Hydra]] is [[FAIL|odd in that its targets are other Hive Fleets, seeking to cannibalise them to absorb their genetic memory]].

This doesn't have any real advantage in game, as Hydra plays by flooding the board with bodies, and gaining great bonuses while you outnumber the enemy.
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*'''Hive Fleet Adaptation: ''Swarming Instincts'':''' Each time a model with this adaptation makes a melee attack on a unit that contains less models than its own, add 1 to the hit roll. Vehicles and Monsters count as 5 models. 
*'''Adaptive''': Add 1 to the move characteristic, and HYDRA models can consolidate 3" more (to a max of 9").
**Never swap this out for the + 3" consolidate trait from Hunt as it's literally the same thing but worse.
*'''Hyper-Adaptation''': Feed or Hunt
*'''Warlord Trait: ''Endless Regeneration'':''' Regenerate d3 lost wounds on the start of the Command Phase. It can only regenerate itself once per turn, to limit any stratagem shenanigans.   
*'''Stratagem: ''Critical Mass (1 CP)'':''' One unit can reroll the wound roll in the fight phase so long as their unit contains more models than the target unit. 
**Says nothing about how many models a MONSTER counts as. 
*'''Bio-Artefact (Relic): ''Barbworm Infestation'':''' The bearer may reroll their wound rolls for their ranged weapons. 
*'''Psychic Power: ''Psychic Shriek (WC6)'':''' Group REEEEEEE- Pick an enemy unit either within Synaptic Link range [[Cheese|(remember, this can be extended to infinity)]] or within 18" . Roll one D6 for each friendly HYDRA INFANTRY or HYDRA BEAST model within 3" of that unit, and 3D6 for each HYDRA MONSTER. For each 5+, the unit suffers a mortal wound, to a max of 6. 
*'''Tactics:''' This is one of the more horde based fleets. The other fleets that aid hordes also help monsters to some degree, but Hydra really is all about the hordes. With that being said, unfortunately hordes aren't the greatest right now for nids as they are too expensive, and some of the other fleets are better at helping hordes in general, in my opinion. With that being said, this fleet wants you to run fast cc infantry like hormagants and ravenors alongside some tougher objective holders to hang in the back. 
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=== Jormungandr ===
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[[File:JormungandrIcon.JPG|94px|left|]]
The Hive Mind's will seeks to devour the world from under the enemy's feet.

Digger bugs, best known for hiding beneath the surface of a planet until it's safe to resurface. [[Hive Fleet Jormungandr|Jormungandr]] is infamous for often resurging only after the forces that wiped out the first wave leave, bringing a fresh round of misery to the Imperials who thought they got all the damn bugs.

In practice this means that they have the greatest resistance against shooting and the most varied Deep Strike potential.

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*'''Hive Fleet Adaptation: ''Tunnel Networks'':''' Dense Cover for {{W40Kkeyword|Jormungandr}} units 12" away, 18" for Monsters. 
*'''Adaptive:''' Units count as half the number of models when targeted by Blast.
*'''Hyper Adaptation:''' Hunt or Lurk
*'''Warlord Trait: ''Insidious Threat'':''' Select one unit within Synaptic Link range of the Warlord. Until the start of your next Command phase, enemy units do not receive the benefits of any sort of cover. 
*'''Stratagem: ''Buried In Wait (1 CP)'':''' When a single {{W40Kkeyword|Jormungandr}} {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} unit is set up, you can put it underground instead of deploying it normally. Deep Strike by another name, without the ability to synergize with Subterranean Assault. Can be used 1-3 times, depending on the size. 
*'''Bio-Artefact (Relic): ''Infrasonic Roar'':''' End of your movement phase, select one enemy unit within 12" of the bearer and roll 3D6. If the result is equal or higher than their Leadership, until the start of your next movement phase, that unit cannot perform an action, and if they are performing an action, it fails. 
*'''Psychic Power: ''Lurking Maws (WC7)'':''' Select an enemy unit within Synaptic Link range, or within 18". Until the start of your next Psychic Phase, each time a model makes a melee attack against that enemy unit, improve the AP by 1. 
**Extra AP is always good, with caveats. AoC is mostly gone now except on Votann, so now this power really has some kick to it again.
*'''Tactics:''' Here are some tactics that are better off being used in a Jormungandr Adaptation than any other. <s>The Lurk adaptation of Naturalised Camouflage is a powerful defensive bonus, since you benfit from Dense Cover if you're far enough away from your enemies Naturalised Camoflage turn's a -1 to hit to a -1 to hit +1 armor save.</s> The Naturalized Camouflage adaptation specifically says "from a terrain feature" and the Jormungandr trait does not come from a terrain feature. In most cases, you're going to take the Territorial Instincts adaptive and go monster heavy since -1 to hit monsters are really annoying to deal with when they're obsec and sitting on objectives. 
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=== Kronos ===
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[[File:KronosIcon.jpg|94px|left|]]
The Hive Mind's will seeks to deliver death from afar, no matter the case.

The anti-psyker bugs, [[Hive Fleet Kronos]] seems to be the Hive Mind's first attempt at fighting back against Chaos. It travels across the galaxy targeting those areas where the veil between real-space and the warp is at its thinnest, and devours any chaos cults that might be trying to split the veil entirely.

Thousand Sons, but Bugs. They punish Psykers within Synaptic Range, while also having better shooting than other Tyranids. 

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*'''Hive Fleet Adaptation: ''Bio-Barrage'':''' Add 4" to your ranged weapons 
**4" really helps out your termigant shooting as it means they can more relaiable get into fire fights with the common 24 inch rapid fire weapons common to many armies.
*'''Adaptive:''' Each time a model makes a ranged attack within half-range, improve the AP by 1. Yes, this does stack with the plus 4" from the primary trait.
**Like Kraken's primary trait, this helps you deal with marines' Armour of Contempt, unlike Kraken, if you find yourself against an army that doesn't rely or even have armor saves, like Harlequins, you can change this out while still reaping the benefits of playing this Hive Fleet.
*'''Hyper-Adaptation:''' Feed and Lurk. 
*'''Warlord Trait: ''Soul Hunger'':''' Enemy Psykers within 18" suffer Perils on any double, not just double 1s and 6s. 
*'''Stratagem: ''The Deepest Shadow (1 CP)'':''' When an enemy psyker within 18" of a KRONOS Psyker suffers Perils, they suffer D3 Moral wounds, and until the end of the phase, the KRONOS Psyker gains the following aura: 
**Deepest Shadow: While an enemy PSYKER unit is within 18" of this unit, each time a Psychic Test is failed, they suffer D3 mortal wounds. 
*'''Bio-Artefact (Relic): ''Null Node'':''' In your Command phase, select an enemy unit within Synaptic Link range. Until your next Command Phase, models in that unit cannot re-roll hit, wound, or psychic tests. 
*'''Psychic Power: ''Symbiostorm (WC7)'':''' Select a KRONOS unit within Synaptic Link Range of this Psyker.  Until the start of your next Psychic phase, add 1 to the Str of that unit's ranged attacks.
*'''Tactics:''' Here are some tactics that are better off being used in a Kronos Adaptation than any other.
**The Deepest Shadow: A KRONOS Warlord with Soul Hunger and the Null Node can make for an oppressive NO PSYKER aura. If they roll ''any'' doubles within Synaptic Link range, they suffer Perils (And if they're within 18", Shadow of the Warp kicks in to add +1 MW) and can't re-roll to avoid it. Then spend a CP to add another D3 mortal wounds and gain an 18" Aura that dishes out D3 MW for every ''failed'' Psychic Test thereafter. This is on top of their -1 to Psychic Tests inherent from Shadow in the Warp. 
***Remember, you can use a SYNAPSE creature within SYNAPSE LINK of the Warlord to extend the Aura another 12". 
*While psychic shenanigans are good for Kronos, most of their power comes from bonuses to shooting. The extra AP and range really do help, so things like pyrovores, shooty warriors, and and even ap4 venom cannon carnifexes will enjoy it. There are probably better fleets, but you can really feel the bonuses to shooting that Kronos provides. 
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=== Hyper Adaptations and Custom Fleets===
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[[File:TiamatIcon.jpg|94px|left|]]
[[File:OuroborisIcon.JPG|94px|right|]]
The Hive Mind's will seeks adaptability in its countless multitudes.

There's a great many Tyranid Hive Fleets that are distinctly separated from the main Hive Fleets, and also include oddities like [[Hive Fleet Tiamet|Tiamet]] (pictured left), a Hive Fleet that landed on a planet and chose to start building there for some reason, as well as [[Hive Fleet Ouroboris|Ouroboris]] (pictured right), a Hive Fleet that specializes in aerial assaults so thick with bodies they blot out a planet's sun(s).

While the previous edition's codex had updates to provide custom hive fleets, the new codex pretty much threw this all out to make a whole new way to run them. Even better, these are adaptations that your main fleets can steal for their own with Hyper-Adaptation.

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*'''Splinter Fleet:''' As with any other army, you can be boring and just ape off an existing hive fleet, giving you the WT and Adaptation as well as Strat and Power the fleet gives. Just as unimpressive as anything else.

If you want to go actually custom for your fleet, you can pick a trait from two different adaptation lists. However, you will need to keep an eye on your third list, as you can use Hyper-Adaptations to swap off one of your preselected traits for a trait from the third list.
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*'''Adrenalised Onslaught:''' Units can consolidate an additional 3", which lets your gaunts and rippers in particular get stuck in without worrying about the charge. The gaunts in particular love it with their insane consolidate ranges.
*'''Ambush Predators:''' All your units can perform Heroic Interventions despite not being characters. This is especially handy for your walls of gaunts needing to protect mommy Tervigon or daddy Tyrant.
*'''Augmented Ferocity:''' +1 to charge rolls.
*'''Heightened Reflexes:''' Units can shoot after falling back but must take a -1 to hit when doing so. Gaunts and warriors will be the most likely benefactors from this, considering how much they'll be shooting.
*'''Synaptic Goading:''' {{W40kKeyword|Endless Swarms}} units with this adaptation can move 6" before the first turn. Your gaunts tend to be the front liners anyways. It's a very easy pick if you bring a ton, especially if you exploit their insane charge ranges.
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<tab name="Feed">
*'''Stabilising Membranes:''' Any nat 6s to hit while shooting improves the AP of the hit by 1.
*'''Exoskeletal Stabilisation:''' The shooting-favoring stratagem. Assault weapons no longer take penalties for shooting after advancing, infantry with heavy weapons can shoot after moving with no penalty and monsters can fire heavy weapons at enemies they're engaged with without any penalties.
*'''Relentless Hunger:''' Even if a unit fails a charge, they can still move up to 3", letting them slide back to a convenient piece of cover.
*'''Unrelenting Swarm:''' Your units ignore modifiers to their movement. 
*'''Wreathed in the Shadow:''' Enemies can't overwatch or set to defend against your charges. Ohhhh, this is a very fun for your mobs and lictors.
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*'''Exoskeletal Reinforcement:''' These units treat any AP-1 attacks they take as AP0. It's not quite Armour of Contempt, but it offers a decent share of protection against small arms fire.
*'''Natural Camouflage:''' Your units gain a +1 to their armor save when they're under the benefits of cover ''from a terrain feature.''. 
**Unlike other "benefits of cover" rules, this one specifically says you need to gain cover from a terrain feature. That means you can't use the Broodlord's Synaptic Imperative to give you light cover in the open, and then get another +1 to your save. It also won't synergize with Jormungadr at all. 
**This adaptation lets you stack armor saves. If you're getting Light, Heavy, or Dense from a terrain feature (or even just +1 LD), your armor save gets improved by 1 against ranged attacks. 
*'''Synaptic Ganglia:''' Your psykers can re-roll their deny checks and any models they cast gain +3" to their ranges. Definitely the one to take against psyker-dependent armies like the Eldar and Thousand Sons.
*'''Territorial Instincts:''' Your monsters now gain ObSec, letting models with 10+ wounds count as 5 models in terms of capping.  You want to Nidzilla? This is how you Nidzilla. combine this with a Spearhead Detachment and, while you may take a CP hit, you can have all the Carnfex's you want. The issue is Carnfex's have 9 wounds, so each one only count's as one model, guess you'll just have to kill all there troops then.
*'''Unfeeling Resilience:''' Your monsters now count as having double wounds in regards of damage tracks, making them far more effective over a longer time.
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