Hive Mind - Revision history

109.70.100.1: /* Warhammer 40,000 */

2026-06-02T05:00:42Z

Warhammer 40,000

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	The Hive Mind has demonstrated [[Rock-paper-scissors\|strategic]] capacity in [[canon]]ical engagements; for example, it has executed operations that successfully outmaneuvered [[Imperial]] forces, including clashes with the [[Ultramarines]]. Notable examples of the Hive Mind being disrupted include [[Varro Tigurius]]’s actions in fiction and an incident in which a besieged [[Craftworld]] pierced Hive Mind interference to contact [[Eldar]] forces—an effort that cost several powerful [[psyker\|psykers]].		The Hive Mind has demonstrated [[Rock-paper-scissors\|strategic]] capacity in [[canon]]ical engagements; for example, it has executed operations that successfully outmaneuvered [[Imperial]] forces, including clashes with the [[Ultramarines]]. Notable examples of the Hive Mind being disrupted include [[Varro Tigurius]]’s actions in fiction and an incident in which a besieged [[Craftworld]] pierced Hive Mind interference to contact [[Eldar]] forces—an effort that cost several powerful [[psyker\|psykers]].

	In combat, Tyranids act as extensions of the [Hive Mind rather than independent soldiers. The Hive Mind’s effectiveness depends on local biomass density: control and tactical sophistication scale with the number of organisms concentrated in a region. A solitary Tyranid is dangerous but limited—without synapse creatures nearby, it lacks higher‑order planning and typically relies on basic predatory tactics. Conversely, when synapse organisms and massed numbers are present, Tyranid forces can be extremely difficult to halt, as demonstrated during complex campaigns such as [[Octarius War\|Octarius]].		In combat, Tyranids act as extensions of the Hive Mind rather than independent soldiers. The Hive Mind’s effectiveness depends on local biomass density: control and tactical sophistication scale with the number of organisms concentrated in a region. A solitary Tyranid is dangerous but limited—without synapse creatures nearby, it lacks higher‑order planning and typically relies on basic predatory tactics. Conversely, when synapse organisms and massed numbers are present, Tyranid forces can be extremely difficult to halt, as demonstrated during complex campaigns such as [[Octarius War\|Octarius]].

	The Hive Mind is fallible: it can be deceived, outmaneuvered, or defeated through superior tactics and firepower. It learns from losses—treating casualties as data to refine biomorph adaptations and future strategies—so repetitive tricks are rarely effective indefinitely. A clear example of disruption is the [[Devastation of Baal]], when the [[Great Rift]] severed [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]]’s connection to the Hive Mind, causing widespread loss of cohesion across the [[Imperial Navy\|fleet]] and altering battle outcomes on [[Baal]].		The Hive Mind is fallible: it can be deceived, outmaneuvered, or defeated through superior tactics and firepower. It learns from losses—treating casualties as data to refine biomorph adaptations and future strategies—so repetitive tricks are rarely effective indefinitely. A clear example of disruption is the [[Devastation of Baal]], when the [[Great Rift]] severed [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]]’s connection to the Hive Mind, causing widespread loss of cohesion across the [[Imperial Navy\|fleet]] and altering battle outcomes on [[Baal]].

109.70.100.1 at 04:52, 2 June 2026

2026-06-02T04:52:23Z

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	== Warhammer 40,000 ==		== Warhammer 40,000 ==
	In Warhammer ~~40k~~, the "Hive Mind" is the ~~ultimate, supreme grand master awesome badass overlord of all~~ [[~~Tyranids~~]] ~~(let's put a pin in~~ that ~~thought for now)~~. It ~~blots out all~~ psychic signals, ~~including~~ the [[Astronomican]], [[~~Astropath~~]] ~~communications~~, and ~~even the~~ [[Warp]]. ~~The latter~~ is ~~very upsetting to anyone~~ that ~~isn't a Tyranid (~~or a Necron~~, but the majority of them don't care either way)~~.		In [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Hive Mind is the collective psychic [[intelligence]] that directs the [[Tyranid]] species. It can overwhelm or suppress local psychic signals, interfering with systems such as the [[Astronomican]] and [[astropath\|astropathic communications]], and can disrupt [[Warp]]-based phenomena. This disruption is particularly dangerous for forces that rely on psychic or Warp powers; [[Necron]]s are largely unaffected.

	The Hive Mind ~~is made of literally every~~ Tyranid ~~creature, and the~~ hive fleets ~~are merely appendages~~ of ~~the Hive Mind~~. ~~This means it~~ is ~~very~~, ~~very, very big. Fucking huge, and some theorize that the Hive Mind is~~ a ~~new god of ''Order''~~: ~~its~~ capacity ~~for violence and reach is far beyond that of~~ [[~~Khorne~~]]~~'s while denying him any actual bloodlust~~, ~~renders~~ [[Tzeentch]]~~'s plans impotent (~~individual Tyranids ~~have no minds to outsmart)~~, ~~the immortality offered as part of~~ a ~~greater whole is beyond the shambling eternity~~ of [[Nurgle]], and ~~no temptation nor depravity of~~ [[Slaanesh]]~~'s can sway a Tyranid away~~ from the ~~Hive Mind any more than you or I could cajole a liver cell into acting like a kidney cell~~. ~~The~~ Emperor ~~himself probably cannot penetrate the will of an entire spacefaring species acting~~ as ~~one, probably because~~ the Hive Mind ~~is essentially an individual acting~~ through ~~a "species"~~ rather than a collective of ~~minds~~.		The Hive Mind manifests through all Tyranid organisms; [[Hive Fleet\|hive fleets]] act as components of that single biological‑psychic system. Its scale is immense, prompting commentators to liken it to a godlike force: it rivals [[Chaos]] [[Chaos Gods\|gods]] conceptually—surpassing [[Khorne]] in destructive capacity without [[blood]]lust, frustrating [[Tzeentch]]’s [[JUST AS PLANNED\|schemes]] because individual Tyranids lack independent cunning, offering a form of collective endurance unlike [[Nurgle]]’s, and resisting [[Slaanesh]]’s temptations because organisms cannot be swayed from the collective will. Even the [[Emperor]] is generally portrayed as unable to dominate the Hive Mind, which functions more like a single intelligence expressed through many bodies rather than a conventional collective of independent wills.

	~~If you want to know its full brilliance:~~ it ~~once outwitted~~ the [[Ultramarines]]. ~~There you go~~.		The Hive Mind has demonstrated [[Rock-paper-scissors\|strategic]] capacity in [[canon]]ical engagements; for example, it has executed operations that successfully outmaneuvered [[Imperial]] forces, including clashes with the [[Ultramarines]]. Notable examples of the Hive Mind being disrupted include [[Varro Tigurius]]’s actions in fiction and an incident in which a besieged [[Craftworld]] pierced Hive Mind interference to contact [[Eldar]] forces—an effort that cost several powerful [[psyker\|psykers]].

	~~There are only two recorded cases~~ of the Hive Mind ~~being in any way foiled~~: ~~Varro Tigurius (~~in a ~~story written by [[Matt Ward]]~~, ~~natch)~~, and ~~one case when a besieged~~ [[~~Eldar~~\|~~Craftworld~~]] managed to get a distress call out past the Hive Mind to the [[Eldar]] pirate prince [[Yriel]] (this fleshing out of lore was also written by [[Matt Ward]], but here it was a concentrated effort by an entire planet of highly psychic aliens, and more than one of their best died from the strain).		In combat, Tyranids act as extensions of the [Hive Mind rather than independent soldiers. The Hive Mind’s effectiveness depends on local biomass density: control and tactical sophistication scale with the number of organisms concentrated in a region. A solitary Tyranid is dangerous but limited—without synapse creatures nearby, it lacks higher‑order planning and typically relies on basic predatory tactics. Conversely, when synapse organisms and massed numbers are present, Tyranid forces can be extremely difficult to halt, as demonstrated during complex campaigns such as [[Octarius War\|Octarius]].

	~~When facing a Tyranid in battle it is not the individual before you that you fight, but the~~ Hive Mind ~~as a whole operating through the body of said critter. Now this actually~~ is ~~as bad as~~ it ~~sounds~~, ~~but luckily for the other races of the galaxy the Hive Mind is not flawless. Its largest weakness is that it is pretty much a gestalt~~, ~~its power~~ and ~~aptitude~~ to ~~influence events growing with~~ the ~~amount~~ of ~~individual bodies in a given place at a given time. There are~~ [[~~Lictor\|exceptions~~]] [[~~Genestealer Patriarch\|to this rule~~]], but generally speaking a single isolated Tyranid organism isn't any more dangerous then, say, a hippo or a wolf. Sure, it can fuck you up; but without higher level thought it can't make a plan other than stampede, gore you and then stomp on the paste. It can't think beyond basic predator hunting tactics and forget about strategic thought. Even a large mass of Hormagaunts, while dangerous, has no ability to form tactics or act with forethought beyond that you would expect from a wolf pack, ~~a wolf pack with swords instead~~ of ~~forelimbs mind you, but wolf pack none~~ the ~~less. But when expressed through the synapse creatures designed to channel it, the Hive Mind can express its full power through its otherwise stupid minions~~ and ~~the Tyranids can become a nigh-~~on unstoppable unless checked by an equal force, as happened on Octarius against the Orks. <s>Fun fact, that one actually ended up resulting in an Ork victory, which was kinda refreshing.</s> Nevermind, the Tyranids actually won this one.		The Hive Mind is fallible: it can be deceived, outmaneuvered, or defeated through superior tactics and firepower. It learns from losses—treating casualties as data to refine biomorph adaptations and future strategies—so repetitive tricks are rarely effective indefinitely. A clear example of disruption is the [[Devastation of Baal]], when the [[Great Rift]] severed [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]]’s connection to the Hive Mind, causing widespread loss of cohesion across the [[Imperial Navy\|fleet]] and altering battle outcomes on [[Baal]].

	Another weakness of the Hive Mind is that even when present in overwhelming numbers, it is neither omniscient nor omnipotent and it still can be tricked, outsmarted or even beaten into submission by sheer [[~~Necrons\|resilience~~]] ~~and/or~~ [[~~Tau~~\|~~firepower~~]]~~. This said: while the~~ Hive Mind ~~does make mistakes and can be outsmarted, you can fool it with the same trick only once; losses are anticipated and are useful either to cull the genepool, as fuel expended to ensure victory and/~~or ~~simply to gather knowledge about a given lifeform to better adapt against it for the next time a Hive Fleet encounters said lifeform~~. ~~The Tyranid Codex reminds us that even defeats anywhere may serve~~ to ~~ensure a victory somewhere else -- pray that you are at "anywhere"~~ and not "somewhere else." Again though, for all its power, don't mistake the Hive Mind as more powerful than it actually is. A particularly interesting example of the Hive Mind outright failing can be found during the Devastation of Baal, ~~when, at the height~~ of ~~the battle, the Great Rift opened across the galaxy,~~ and severed Leviathan's connection to the Hive Mind. As in ALL of it. All of Hive Fleet Leviathan cut off from the Greater Hive Mind. And boy, the book makes it clear that the Space-Locusts were NOT ready for this. ~~Even with the deployment of the Swarmlord, it was all the Tyranids could do not~~ to completely lose any remaining cohesion. Then Ka'Bandha and his brodies manifested on one of Baal's moons, utterly upending a critical component of the Tyranids order of battle. And Guilliman's massive fuckoff War Fleets arrived in orbit. And the Legion of the Damned led by ~~the Sanguinor appeared inside the 'Nids ranks to attack them. And Dante killed the Swarmlord. So the Hive Mind regaining some composure didn't quite work out~~, ~~and, frankly their situation hasn't improved much since due to the impact and fallout of the Great Rift~~.		[[Lore]] [[skub\|remains ambiguous]] about whether a single space‑spanning Hive Mind exists or whether multiple semi‑autonomous hive intelligences govern individual fleets. Several theories attempt to explain intra‑fleet conflict and behavioral variation, including competitive selection of biomorphs and localized genetic templates. Comparisons to social insects can be illustrative but are imperfect: ant [[hive city\|colony]] behavior varies by species, so analogies should be used cautiously.

	~~Despite~~ the ~~presence~~ of Synapse creatures and [[Norn Queen]]s, the Hive Mind is much closer to Type B than Type A. You can separate individual Tyranids from the Hive Mind just like a stroke can separate brain cells, but those brain cells don't consider themselves "freed" and will do what they can to link back up.		Regardless of the number of hive intelligences, opponents face a force coordinated by pervasive synaptic control—effectively a psychic network that enables highly coordinated action, often with little individual self‑preservation outside the [[communism\|collective]] imperative.

	Now remember that pin we use earlier? Let's pull it out now. The fluff is a little uncertain on if there is '''''A''''' Hive Mind or Multiple Hive Minds with one for each Hive Fleet. If there was a singular Hive Intelligence it would not explain why Tyranid hive ~~fleets fight each other so often. It's theorized that this is a method of self improvement~~, ~~throw two hive fleets at each other and the one with the best biomorphs wins and takes the losers biomass. That is what happens but if there was~~ a ~~central intelligence you think both hive fleets could improve with~~ a ~~horizontal gene transfer of useful information like how bacteria do rather then needing to fight and from~~ that transfer compare the various biomorphs. Additionally a fight only proves who has the best biomorphs to fight other Tyranids not any other threat in the galaxy. It's also double strange when you compare Tyranids to Ants. Army ants are the most immediate comparison to a Hive Fleet with the whole colony always on the march looking for foot, and Army Ants specifically '''Do not''' fight other members of the same species. Most other ants do fight members of the same species but Army Ants and few others do not, thus implying that Hive Fleets are seen as more divergent then a species, as if other Hive Fleets were a different faction they are competing with ~~rather then them all being on team Hive Mind. On~~ the ~~other rending claw there is case of~~ [[~~Hive Fleet Kronos~~]] which often is ignored by other hive fleets with those fleets often leaving a planet half eaten for Kronos to get a free meal which is unheard of among Tyranids and does suggest a Full on all Tyranid Hive Mind working to keep Kronos, the anti demon specialists of the Tyranids in top fighting form. But the Kronos case also calls out just how bizarre this behavior as Hive Fleets never work together outside this case. There is also the Swarmlord which is seen among multiple hive fleets, but Tyranids are Tyranids and it's 100% possible the Swarmlord is just a swarmlord, a particularly powerful synapse used in the basel hive fleet that all hive fleets have the genetemplate to birth.

	In any case, singular intelligence or many, it does not really matter much. Either way when you fight the Tyranids your fighting an army with perfect psychic wi-fi, connecting all aspects of it together at all times into a single command and control that can perfectly attack, defend, coordinate or strike with each part having zero self preservation or will.

			[[Category: Tyranid]]
	[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]		[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

	[[Category: Xenos]]		[[Category: Xenos]]

	~~[[Category: Tyranid]]~~

Sdhjk at 14:57, 1 September 2025

2025-09-01T14:57:03Z

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	{{Topquote\|It is like talking to a herd of hungry sheep. It is unfulfilling and makes you look like an idiot.\|[[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device\|The Emperor on talking to the Hive Mind]]}}		{{Topquote\|It is like talking to a herd of hungry sheep. It is unfulfilling and makes you look like an idiot.\|[[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device\|The Emperor on talking to the Hive Mind]]}}

			[[File:What type of hyvemind are you.png\|400px\|right\|thumb\|It is not as simple as you think.]]

	You know how your brain is made of a bajillion on/off chemical switches? What if you had a meta-brain that was made of a bajillion brains? Congrats, you're now envisioning what is basically a '''hive mind'''. Some hive minds have a central hub 'queen', or multiple 'queens', while others have delegated thinking-drones with their own personalities (Type A). Others however have no sort of "core" units any more than you have "core" neurons (Type B). A hive mind race is depicted as either a race of individuals each in perpetual telepathic contact with all the others, or else, in the logical conclusion of the neuron analogy, the entire race is actually all a single person whose practically in multiple places at once.		You know how your brain is made of a bajillion on/off chemical switches? What if you had a meta-brain that was made of a bajillion brains? Congrats, you're now envisioning what is basically a '''hive mind'''. Some hive minds have a central hub 'queen', or multiple 'queens', while others have delegated thinking-drones with their own personalities (Type A). Others however have no sort of "core" units any more than you have "core" neurons (Type B). A hive mind race is depicted as either a race of individuals each in perpetual telepathic contact with all the others, or else, in the logical conclusion of the neuron analogy, the entire race is actually all a single person whose practically in multiple places at once.

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2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:B1DB:DD21:1188:2216 at 19:11, 7 June 2023

2023-06-07T19:11:21Z

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	{{Topquote\|It is like talking to a herd of hungry sheep. It is unfulfilling and makes you look like an idiot.\|[[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device\|The Emperor on talking to the Hive Mind]]}}		{{Topquote\|It is like talking to a herd of hungry sheep. It is unfulfilling and makes you look like an idiot.\|[[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device\|The Emperor on talking to the Hive Mind]]}}

	You know how your brain is made of a bajillion on/off chemical switches? What if you had a meta-brain that was made of a bajillion brains? Congrats, you're now envisioning what is basically a '''hive mind'''. Some hive minds have a central hub 'queen', or multiple 'queens', while others have delegated thinking-drones with their own personalities (Type A). Others however have no sort of "core" units any more than you have "core" neurons (Type B). A hive mind race is depicted as either a race of individuals each in perpetual telepathic contact with all the others, or else, in the logical conclusion of the neuron analogy, the entire race is actually all a single person whose practically in multiple places at once.		You know how your brain is made of a bajillion on/off chemical switches? What if you had a meta-brain that was made of a bajillion brains? Congrats, you're now envisioning what is basically a '''hive mind'''. Some hive minds have a central hub 'queen', or multiple 'queens', while others have delegated thinking-drones with their own personalities (Type A). Others however have no sort of "core" units any more than you have "core" neurons (Type B). A hive mind race is depicted as either a race of individuals each in perpetual telepathic contact with all the others, or else, in the logical conclusion of the neuron analogy, the entire race is actually all a single person whose practically in multiple places at once.

	Eusocial insects colonies like ants, termites, bees and wasps, are usually the textbook example of a hive mind. Ants, however do not have any dedicated thinking units, nor any command structure: their queens are just immobile baby factories. There is no single thinking body or overriding mind spread among the insects; each individual acts on its own volition, informed by its instincts and acts for the [[Greater Good]] of the colony. Said instincts, honed by evolution for social coexistence, gives each individual a predictable purpose and behavior independent of any higher thought organization. Each ant or bee is born knowing its place in the colony, and uses its own intelligence (humans have 344000 times more neurons than an ant) to perform actions that keep the whole colony alive, when said colony is reliant upon every other member of the colony also doing the same to manage resource intake, keeping the hive clean to limit sickness, protect the hive from other predators or rival colonies, and occasionally produce breeding members to make more colonies. Really creepy when you think about it too much.		Eusocial insects colonies like ants, termites, bees and wasps, are usually the textbook example of a hive mind. Ants, however do not have any dedicated thinking units, nor any command structure: their queens are just immobile baby factories. There is no single thinking body or overriding mind spread among the insects; each individual acts on its own volition, informed by its instincts and acts for the [[Greater Good]] of the colony. Said instincts, honed by evolution for social coexistence, gives each individual a predictable purpose and behavior independent of any higher thought organization. Each ant or bee is born knowing its place in the colony, and uses its own intelligence (humans have 344000 times more neurons than an ant) to perform actions that keep the whole colony alive, when said colony is reliant upon every other member of the colony also doing the same to manage resource intake, keeping the hive clean to limit sickness, protect the hive from other predators or rival colonies, and occasionally produce breeding members to make more colonies. Really creepy when you think about it too much.
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	When facing a Tyranid in battle it is not the individual before you that you fight, but the Hive Mind as a whole operating through the body of said critter. Now this actually is as bad as it sounds, but luckily for the other races of the galaxy the Hive Mind is not flawless. Its largest weakness is that it is pretty much a gestalt, its power and aptitude to influence events growing with the amount of individual bodies in a given place at a given time. There are [[Lictor\|exceptions]] [[Genestealer Patriarch\|to this rule]], but generally speaking a single isolated Tyranid organism isn't any more dangerous then, say, a hippo or a wolf. Sure, it can fuck you up; but without higher level thought it can't make a plan other than stampede, gore you and then stomp on the paste. It can't think beyond basic predator hunting tactics and forget about strategic thought. Even a large mass of Hormagaunts, while dangerous, has no ability to form tactics or act with forethought beyond that you would expect from a wolf pack, a wolf pack with swords instead of forelimbs mind you, but wolf pack none the less. But when expressed through the synapse creatures designed to channel it, the Hive Mind can express its full power through its otherwise stupid minions and the Tyranids can become a nigh-on unstoppable unless checked by an equal force, as happened on Octarius against the Orks. <s>Fun fact, that one actually ended up resulting in an Ork victory, which was kinda refreshing.</s> Nevermind, the Tyranids actually won this one.		When facing a Tyranid in battle it is not the individual before you that you fight, but the Hive Mind as a whole operating through the body of said critter. Now this actually is as bad as it sounds, but luckily for the other races of the galaxy the Hive Mind is not flawless. Its largest weakness is that it is pretty much a gestalt, its power and aptitude to influence events growing with the amount of individual bodies in a given place at a given time. There are [[Lictor\|exceptions]] [[Genestealer Patriarch\|to this rule]], but generally speaking a single isolated Tyranid organism isn't any more dangerous then, say, a hippo or a wolf. Sure, it can fuck you up; but without higher level thought it can't make a plan other than stampede, gore you and then stomp on the paste. It can't think beyond basic predator hunting tactics and forget about strategic thought. Even a large mass of Hormagaunts, while dangerous, has no ability to form tactics or act with forethought beyond that you would expect from a wolf pack, a wolf pack with swords instead of forelimbs mind you, but wolf pack none the less. But when expressed through the synapse creatures designed to channel it, the Hive Mind can express its full power through its otherwise stupid minions and the Tyranids can become a nigh-on unstoppable unless checked by an equal force, as happened on Octarius against the Orks. <s>Fun fact, that one actually ended up resulting in an Ork victory, which was kinda refreshing.</s> Nevermind, the Tyranids actually won this one.

	Another weakness of the Hive Mind is that even when present in overwhelming numbers, it is neither omniscient nor omnipotent and it still can be tricked, outsmarted or even beaten into submission by sheer [[Necrons\|resilience]] and/or [[Tau\|firepower]]. This said: while the Hive Mind does make mistakes and can be outsmarted, you can fool it with the same trick only once; losses are anticipated and are useful either to cull the genepool, as fuel expended to ensure victory and/or simply to gather knowledge about a given lifeform to better adapt against it for the next time a Hive Fleet encounters said lifeform. The Tyranid Codex reminds us that even defeats anywhere may serve to ensure a victory somewhere else -- pray that you are at "anywhere" and not "somewhere else." Again though, for all its power, don't mistake the Hive Mind as more powerful than it actually is. A particularly interesting example of the Hive Mind outright failing can be found during the Devastation of Baal, when, at the height of the battle, the Great Rift opened across the galaxy, and severed Leviathan's connection to the Hive Mind. As in ALL of it. All of Hive Fleet Leviathan cut off from the Greater Hive Mind. And boy, the book makes it clear that the Space-Locusts were NOT ready for this. Even with the deployment of the Swarmlord, it was all the Tyranids could do not to completely lose any remaining cohesion. Then Ka'Bandha and his brodies manifested on one of Baal's moons, utterly upending a critical component of the Tyranids order of battle. And Guilliman's massive fuckoff War Fleets arrived in orbit. And the Legion of the Damned led by the Sanguinor appeared inside the 'Nids ranks to attack them. And Dante killed the Swarmlord. So the Hive Mind regaining some composure didn't quite work out, and, frankly their situation hasn't improved much since due to the impact and fallout of the Great Rift.		Another weakness of the Hive Mind is that even when present in overwhelming numbers, it is neither omniscient nor omnipotent and it still can be tricked, outsmarted or even beaten into submission by sheer [[Necrons\|resilience]] and/or [[Tau\|firepower]]. This said: while the Hive Mind does make mistakes and can be outsmarted, you can fool it with the same trick only once; losses are anticipated and are useful either to cull the genepool, as fuel expended to ensure victory and/or simply to gather knowledge about a given lifeform to better adapt against it for the next time a Hive Fleet encounters said lifeform. The Tyranid Codex reminds us that even defeats anywhere may serve to ensure a victory somewhere else -- pray that you are at "anywhere" and not "somewhere else." Again though, for all its power, don't mistake the Hive Mind as more powerful than it actually is. A particularly interesting example of the Hive Mind outright failing can be found during the Devastation of Baal, when, at the height of the battle, the Great Rift opened across the galaxy, and severed Leviathan's connection to the Hive Mind. As in ALL of it. All of Hive Fleet Leviathan cut off from the Greater Hive Mind. And boy, the book makes it clear that the Space-Locusts were NOT ready for this. Even with the deployment of the Swarmlord, it was all the Tyranids could do not to completely lose any remaining cohesion. Then Ka'Bandha and his brodies manifested on one of Baal's moons, utterly upending a critical component of the Tyranids order of battle. And Guilliman's massive fuckoff War Fleets arrived in orbit. And the Legion of the Damned led by the Sanguinor appeared inside the 'Nids ranks to attack them. And Dante killed the Swarmlord. So the Hive Mind regaining some composure didn't quite work out, and, frankly their situation hasn't improved much since due to the impact and fallout of the Great Rift.

	Despite the presence of Synapse creatures and [[Norn Queen]]s, the Hive Mind is much closer to Type B than Type A. You can separate individual Tyranids from the Hive Mind just like a stroke can separate brain cells, but those brain cells don't consider themselves "freed" and will do what they can to link back up.		Despite the presence of Synapse creatures and [[Norn Queen]]s, the Hive Mind is much closer to Type B than Type A. You can separate individual Tyranids from the Hive Mind just like a stroke can separate brain cells, but those brain cells don't consider themselves "freed" and will do what they can to link back up.

73.25.153.252: /* Warhammer 40,000 */

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Warhammer 40,000

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	== Warhammer 40,000 ==		== Warhammer 40,000 ==
	In Warhammer 40k, the "Hive Mind" is the ultimate, supreme grand master awesome badass overlord of all [[Tyranids]]. It blots out all psychic signals, including the [[Astronomican]], [[Astropath]] communications, and even the [[Warp]]. The latter is very upsetting to anyone that isn't a Tyranid (or a Necron, but the majority of them don't care either way).		In Warhammer 40k, the "Hive Mind" is the ultimate, supreme grand master awesome badass overlord of all [[Tyranids]] (let's put a pin in that thought for now). It blots out all psychic signals, including the [[Astronomican]], [[Astropath]] communications, and even the [[Warp]]. The latter is very upsetting to anyone that isn't a Tyranid (or a Necron, but the majority of them don't care either way).

	The Hive Mind is made of literally every Tyranid creature, and the hive fleets are merely appendages of the Hive Mind. This means it is very, very, very big. Fucking huge, and some theorize that the Hive Mind is a new god of ''Order'': its capacity for violence and reach is far beyond that of [[Khorne]]'s while denying him any actual bloodlust, renders [[Tzeentch]]'s plans impotent (individual Tyranids have no minds to outsmart), the immortality offered as part of a greater whole is beyond the shambling eternity of [[Nurgle]], and no temptation nor depravity of [[Slaanesh]]'s can sway a Tyranid away from the Hive Mind any more than you or I could cajole a liver cell into acting like a kidney cell. The Emperor himself probably cannot penetrate the will of an entire spacefaring species acting as one, probably because the Hive Mind is essentially an individual acting through a "species" rather than a collective of minds.		The Hive Mind is made of literally every Tyranid creature, and the hive fleets are merely appendages of the Hive Mind. This means it is very, very, very big. Fucking huge, and some theorize that the Hive Mind is a new god of ''Order'': its capacity for violence and reach is far beyond that of [[Khorne]]'s while denying him any actual bloodlust, renders [[Tzeentch]]'s plans impotent (individual Tyranids have no minds to outsmart), the immortality offered as part of a greater whole is beyond the shambling eternity of [[Nurgle]], and no temptation nor depravity of [[Slaanesh]]'s can sway a Tyranid away from the Hive Mind any more than you or I could cajole a liver cell into acting like a kidney cell. The Emperor himself probably cannot penetrate the will of an entire spacefaring species acting as one, probably because the Hive Mind is essentially an individual acting through a "species" rather than a collective of minds.
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	Despite the presence of Synapse creatures and [[Norn Queen]]s, the Hive Mind is much closer to Type B than Type A. You can separate individual Tyranids from the Hive Mind just like a stroke can separate brain cells, but those brain cells don't consider themselves "freed" and will do what they can to link back up.		Despite the presence of Synapse creatures and [[Norn Queen]]s, the Hive Mind is much closer to Type B than Type A. You can separate individual Tyranids from the Hive Mind just like a stroke can separate brain cells, but those brain cells don't consider themselves "freed" and will do what they can to link back up.

			Now remember that pin we use earlier? Let's pull it out now. The fluff is a little uncertain on if there is '''''A''''' Hive Mind or Multiple Hive Minds with one for each Hive Fleet. If there was a singular Hive Intelligence it would not explain why Tyranid hive fleets fight each other so often. It's theorized that this is a method of self improvement, throw two hive fleets at each other and the one with the best biomorphs wins and takes the losers biomass. That is what happens but if there was a central intelligence you think both hive fleets could improve with a horizontal gene transfer of useful information like how bacteria do rather then needing to fight and from that transfer compare the various biomorphs. Additionally a fight only proves who has the best biomorphs to fight other Tyranids not any other threat in the galaxy. It's also double strange when you compare Tyranids to Ants. Army ants are the most immediate comparison to a Hive Fleet with the whole colony always on the march looking for foot, and Army Ants specifically '''Do not''' fight other members of the same species. Most other ants do fight members of the same species but Army Ants and few others do not, thus implying that Hive Fleets are seen as more divergent then a species, as if other Hive Fleets were a different faction they are competing with rather then them all being on team Hive Mind. On the other rending claw there is case of [[Hive Fleet Kronos]] which often is ignored by other hive fleets with those fleets often leaving a planet half eaten for Kronos to get a free meal which is unheard of among Tyranids and does suggest a Full on all Tyranid Hive Mind working to keep Kronos, the anti demon specialists of the Tyranids in top fighting form. But the Kronos case also calls out just how bizarre this behavior as Hive Fleets never work together outside this case. There is also the Swarmlord which is seen among multiple hive fleets, but Tyranids are Tyranids and it's 100% possible the Swarmlord is just a swarmlord, a particularly powerful synapse used in the basel hive fleet that all hive fleets have the genetemplate to birth.

			In any case, singular intelligence or many, it does not really matter much. Either way when you fight the Tyranids your fighting an army with perfect psychic wi-fi, connecting all aspects of it together at all times into a single command and control that can perfectly attack, defend, coordinate or strike with each part having zero self preservation or will.

	[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]		[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

2603:8001:3501:87C6:8054:9654:B0CA:640D at 13:42, 15 November 2022

2022-11-15T13:42:02Z

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	{{NeedsImages}}		{{NeedsImages}}

	{{Topquote\|All ~~consciousnes~~ is one, separated only by a thin veil of the physical\|Jace Beleren, Vryn's planewalker}}		{{Topquote\|All consciousness is one, separated only by a thin veil of the physical\|Jace Beleren, Vryn's planewalker}}

	{{Topquote\|What is a drop of rain, compared to the storm? What is a thought, compared to a mind? Our unity is full of wonder which your tiny individualism cannot even conceive.\|The Many, System Shock 2}}		{{Topquote\|What is a drop of rain, compared to the storm? What is a thought, compared to a mind? Our unity is full of wonder which your tiny individualism cannot even conceive.\|The Many, System Shock 2}}

2601:600:A07F:1950:680A:73DC:493E:ADC0 at 09:16, 14 March 2022

2022-03-14T09:16:42Z

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	You know how your brain is made of a bajillion on/off chemical switches? What if you had a meta-brain that was made of a bajillion brains? Congrats, you're now envisioning what is basically a '''hive mind'''. Some hive minds have a central hub 'queen', or multiple 'queens', while others have delegated thinking-drones with their own personalities (Type A). Others however have no sort of "core" units any more than you have "core" neurons (Type B). A hive mind race is depicted as either a race of individuals each in perpetual telepathic contact with all the others, or else, in the logical conclusion of the neuron analogy, the entire race is actually all a single person whose practically in multiple places at once.		You know how your brain is made of a bajillion on/off chemical switches? What if you had a meta-brain that was made of a bajillion brains? Congrats, you're now envisioning what is basically a '''hive mind'''. Some hive minds have a central hub 'queen', or multiple 'queens', while others have delegated thinking-drones with their own personalities (Type A). Others however have no sort of "core" units any more than you have "core" neurons (Type B). A hive mind race is depicted as either a race of individuals each in perpetual telepathic contact with all the others, or else, in the logical conclusion of the neuron analogy, the entire race is actually all a single person whose practically in multiple places at once.

	Eusocial insects colonies like ants, termites, bees and wasps, are usually the textbook example of a hive mind. Ants, however do not have any dedicated thinking units, nor any command structure: their queens are just immobile baby factories. There is no single thinking body or overriding mind spread among the insects; each individual acts on its own volition, informed by its instincts and acts for the [[Greater Good]] of the colony. Said instincts, honed by evolution for social coexistence, gives each individual a predictable purpose and behavior independent of any higher thought organization. Each ant or bee is born knowing its place in the colony, and uses its own intelligence (humans have 344000 times more neurons ~~then~~ an ant) to perform actions that keep the whole colony alive, when said colony is reliant upon every other member of the colony also doing the same to manage resource intake, keeping the hive clean to limit sickness, protect the hive from other predators or rival colonies, and occasionally produce breeding members to make more colonies. Really creepy when you think about it too much.		Eusocial insects colonies like ants, termites, bees and wasps, are usually the textbook example of a hive mind. Ants, however do not have any dedicated thinking units, nor any command structure: their queens are just immobile baby factories. There is no single thinking body or overriding mind spread among the insects; each individual acts on its own volition, informed by its instincts and acts for the [[Greater Good]] of the colony. Said instincts, honed by evolution for social coexistence, gives each individual a predictable purpose and behavior independent of any higher thought organization. Each ant or bee is born knowing its place in the colony, and uses its own intelligence (humans have 344000 times more neurons than an ant) to perform actions that keep the whole colony alive, when said colony is reliant upon every other member of the colony also doing the same to manage resource intake, keeping the hive clean to limit sickness, protect the hive from other predators or rival colonies, and occasionally produce breeding members to make more colonies. Really creepy when you think about it too much.

	With a hive mind, you can have from a dozen to a city full of faceless minions that never fail morale checks; because each individual is wholly devoted to serving the greater whole in a Type A hive mind, and because the single person is no more troubled by losing five bodies than you would be by losing five neurons in the Type B hive mind. Given this, their aforementioned connection to vermin, and the fact that the concept easily lends itself to a race of space communist(s) (even though having "core" units would make them a caste system), hive mind races are almost always the villain, being given a raging hard-on for imperialistic expansionism. {{Blam\|Cease this instance Guardsman!}}		With a hive mind, you can have from a dozen to a city full of faceless minions that never fail morale checks; because each individual is wholly devoted to serving the greater whole in a Type A hive mind, and because the single person is no more troubled by losing five bodies than you would be by losing five neurons in the Type B hive mind. Given this, their aforementioned connection to vermin, and the fact that the concept easily lends itself to a race of space communist(s) (even though having "core" units would make them a caste system), hive mind races are almost always the villain, being given a raging hard-on for imperialistic expansionism. {{Blam\|Cease this instance Guardsman!}}

1d4chan>Tsabo7: /* Warhammer 40,000 */

2021-12-18T09:32:14Z

Warhammer 40,000

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	In Warhammer 40k, the "Hive Mind" is the ultimate, supreme grand master awesome badass overlord of all [[Tyranids]]. It blots out all psychic signals, including the [[Astronomican]], [[Astropath]] communications, and even the [[Warp]]. The latter is very upsetting to anyone that isn't a Tyranid (or a Necron, but the majority of them don't care either way).		In Warhammer 40k, the "Hive Mind" is the ultimate, supreme grand master awesome badass overlord of all [[Tyranids]]. It blots out all psychic signals, including the [[Astronomican]], [[Astropath]] communications, and even the [[Warp]]. The latter is very upsetting to anyone that isn't a Tyranid (or a Necron, but the majority of them don't care either way).

	The Hive Mind is made of literally every Tyranid creature, and the hive fleets are merely appendages of the Hive Mind. This means it is very, very, very big. Fucking huge, and some theorize that the Hive Mind is a new god of ''Order'': its capacity for violence and reach is far beyond that of [[Khorne]]'s while denying him any actual bloodlust, renders [[Tzeentch]]'s plans impotent (individual Tyranids have no minds to outsmart), the immortality offered as part of a greater whole is beyond the shambling eternity of [[Nurgle]], and no temptation nor depravity of [[Slaanesh]]'s can sway a Tyranid away from the Hive Mind any more than you or I could cajole a liver cell into acting like a kidney cell. The Emperor himself probably cannot penetrate the will of an entire spacefaring species acting as one.		The Hive Mind is made of literally every Tyranid creature, and the hive fleets are merely appendages of the Hive Mind. This means it is very, very, very big. Fucking huge, and some theorize that the Hive Mind is a new god of ''Order'': its capacity for violence and reach is far beyond that of [[Khorne]]'s while denying him any actual bloodlust, renders [[Tzeentch]]'s plans impotent (individual Tyranids have no minds to outsmart), the immortality offered as part of a greater whole is beyond the shambling eternity of [[Nurgle]], and no temptation nor depravity of [[Slaanesh]]'s can sway a Tyranid away from the Hive Mind any more than you or I could cajole a liver cell into acting like a kidney cell. The Emperor himself probably cannot penetrate the will of an entire spacefaring species acting as one, probably because the Hive Mind is essentially an individual acting through a "species" rather than a collective of minds.

	If you want to know its full brilliance: it once outwitted the [[Ultramarines]]. There you go.		If you want to know its full brilliance: it once outwitted the [[Ultramarines]]. There you go.
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	There are only two recorded cases of the Hive Mind being in any way foiled: Varro Tigurius (in a story written by [[Matt Ward]], natch), and one case when a besieged [[Eldar\|Craftworld]] managed to get a distress call out past the Hive Mind to the [[Eldar]] pirate prince [[Yriel]] (this fleshing out of lore was also written by [[Matt Ward]], but here it was a concentrated effort by an entire planet of highly psychic aliens, and more than one of their best died from the strain).		There are only two recorded cases of the Hive Mind being in any way foiled: Varro Tigurius (in a story written by [[Matt Ward]], natch), and one case when a besieged [[Eldar\|Craftworld]] managed to get a distress call out past the Hive Mind to the [[Eldar]] pirate prince [[Yriel]] (this fleshing out of lore was also written by [[Matt Ward]], but here it was a concentrated effort by an entire planet of highly psychic aliens, and more than one of their best died from the strain).

	When facing a Tyranid in battle it is not the individual before you that you fight, but the Hive Mind as a whole operating through the body of said critter. Now this actually is as bad as it sounds, but luckily for the other races of the galaxy the Hive Mind is not flawless. Its largest weakness is that it is pretty much a gestalt, its power and aptitude to influence events growing with the amount of individual bodies in a given place at a given time. There are [[Lictor\|exceptions]] [[Genestealer Patriarch\|to this rule]], but generally speaking a single isolated Tyranid organism isn't any more dangerous then, say, a hippo or a wolf. Sure, it can fuck you up; but without higher level thought it can't make a plan other than stampede, gore you and then stomp on the paste. It can't think beyond basic predator hunting tactics and forget about strategic thought. Even a large mass of Hormagaunts, while dangerous, has no ability to form tactics or act with forethought beyond that you would expect from a wolf pack, a wolf pack with swords instead of forelimbs mind you, but wolf pack none the less. But when expressed through the synapse creatures designed to channel it, the Hive Mind can express its full power through its otherwise stupid minions and the Tyranids can become a nigh-on unstoppable unless checked by an equal force, as happened on Octarius against the ~~orks~~. <s>Fun fact, that one actually ended up resulting in an Ork victory, which was kinda refreshing.</s> Nevermind, the Tyranids actually won this one.		When facing a Tyranid in battle it is not the individual before you that you fight, but the Hive Mind as a whole operating through the body of said critter. Now this actually is as bad as it sounds, but luckily for the other races of the galaxy the Hive Mind is not flawless. Its largest weakness is that it is pretty much a gestalt, its power and aptitude to influence events growing with the amount of individual bodies in a given place at a given time. There are [[Lictor\|exceptions]] [[Genestealer Patriarch\|to this rule]], but generally speaking a single isolated Tyranid organism isn't any more dangerous then, say, a hippo or a wolf. Sure, it can fuck you up; but without higher level thought it can't make a plan other than stampede, gore you and then stomp on the paste. It can't think beyond basic predator hunting tactics and forget about strategic thought. Even a large mass of Hormagaunts, while dangerous, has no ability to form tactics or act with forethought beyond that you would expect from a wolf pack, a wolf pack with swords instead of forelimbs mind you, but wolf pack none the less. But when expressed through the synapse creatures designed to channel it, the Hive Mind can express its full power through its otherwise stupid minions and the Tyranids can become a nigh-on unstoppable unless checked by an equal force, as happened on Octarius against the Orks. <s>Fun fact, that one actually ended up resulting in an Ork victory, which was kinda refreshing.</s> Nevermind, the Tyranids actually won this one.

	Another weakness of the Hive Mind is that even when present in overwhelming numbers, it is neither omniscient nor omnipotent and it still can be tricked, outsmarted or even beaten into submission by sheer [[Necrons\|resilience]] and/or [[Tau\|firepower]]. This said: while the Hive Mind does make mistakes and can be outsmarted, you can fool it with the same trick only once; losses are anticipated and are useful either to cull the genepool, as fuel expended to ensure victory and/or simply to gather knowledge about a given lifeform to better adapt against it for the next time a Hive Fleet encounters said lifeform. The Tyranid Codex reminds us that even defeats anywhere may serve to ensure a victory somewhere else -- pray that you are at "anywhere" and not "somewhere else." Again though, for all its power, don't mistake the Hive Mind as more powerful than it actually is. A particularly interesting example of the Hive Mind outright failing can be found during the Devastation of Baal, when, at the height of the battle, the Great Rift opened across the galaxy, and severed Leviathan's connection to the Hive Mind. As in ALL of it. All of Hive Fleet Leviathan cut off from the Greater Hive Mind. And boy, the book makes it clear that the Space-Locusts were NOT ready for this. Even with the deployment of the Swarmlord, it was all the Tyranids could do not to completely lose any remaining cohesion. Then Ka'Bandha and his brodies manifested on one of Baal's moons, utterly upending a critical component of the Tyranids order of battle. And Guilliman's massive fuckoff War Fleets arrived in orbit. And the Legion of the Damned led by the Sanguinor appeared inside the 'Nids ranks to attack them. And Dante killed the Swarmlord. So the Hive Mind regaining some composure didn't quite work out, and, frankly their situation hasn't improved much since due to the impact and fallout of the Great Rift.		Another weakness of the Hive Mind is that even when present in overwhelming numbers, it is neither omniscient nor omnipotent and it still can be tricked, outsmarted or even beaten into submission by sheer [[Necrons\|resilience]] and/or [[Tau\|firepower]]. This said: while the Hive Mind does make mistakes and can be outsmarted, you can fool it with the same trick only once; losses are anticipated and are useful either to cull the genepool, as fuel expended to ensure victory and/or simply to gather knowledge about a given lifeform to better adapt against it for the next time a Hive Fleet encounters said lifeform. The Tyranid Codex reminds us that even defeats anywhere may serve to ensure a victory somewhere else -- pray that you are at "anywhere" and not "somewhere else." Again though, for all its power, don't mistake the Hive Mind as more powerful than it actually is. A particularly interesting example of the Hive Mind outright failing can be found during the Devastation of Baal, when, at the height of the battle, the Great Rift opened across the galaxy, and severed Leviathan's connection to the Hive Mind. As in ALL of it. All of Hive Fleet Leviathan cut off from the Greater Hive Mind. And boy, the book makes it clear that the Space-Locusts were NOT ready for this. Even with the deployment of the Swarmlord, it was all the Tyranids could do not to completely lose any remaining cohesion. Then Ka'Bandha and his brodies manifested on one of Baal's moons, utterly upending a critical component of the Tyranids order of battle. And Guilliman's massive fuckoff War Fleets arrived in orbit. And the Legion of the Damned led by the Sanguinor appeared inside the 'Nids ranks to attack them. And Dante killed the Swarmlord. So the Hive Mind regaining some composure didn't quite work out, and, frankly their situation hasn't improved much since due to the impact and fallout of the Great Rift.

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	The Hive Mind has demonstrated [[Rock-paper-scissors\|strategic]] capacity in [[canon]]ical engagements; for example, it has executed operations that successfully outmaneuvered [[Imperial]] forces, including clashes with the [[Ultramarines]]. Notable examples of the Hive Mind being disrupted include [[Varro Tigurius]]’s actions in fiction and an incident in which a besieged [[Craftworld]] pierced Hive Mind interference to contact [[Eldar]] forces—an effort that cost several powerful [[psyker\|psykers]].		The Hive Mind has demonstrated [[Rock-paper-scissors\|strategic]] capacity in [[canon]]ical engagements; for example, it has executed operations that successfully outmaneuvered [[Imperial]] forces, including clashes with the [[Ultramarines]]. Notable examples of the Hive Mind being disrupted include [[Varro Tigurius]]’s actions in fiction and an incident in which a besieged [[Craftworld]] pierced Hive Mind interference to contact [[Eldar]] forces—an effort that cost several powerful [[psyker\|psykers]].

	In combat, Tyranids act as extensions of the [Hive Mind rather than independent soldiers. The Hive Mind’s effectiveness depends on local biomass density: control and tactical sophistication scale with the number of organisms concentrated in a region. A solitary Tyranid is dangerous but limited—without synapse creatures nearby, it lacks higher‑order planning and typically relies on basic predatory tactics. Conversely, when synapse organisms and massed numbers are present, Tyranid forces can be extremely difficult to halt, as demonstrated during complex campaigns such as [[Octarius War\|Octarius]].		In combat, Tyranids act as extensions of the Hive Mind rather than independent soldiers. The Hive Mind’s effectiveness depends on local biomass density: control and tactical sophistication scale with the number of organisms concentrated in a region. A solitary Tyranid is dangerous but limited—without synapse creatures nearby, it lacks higher‑order planning and typically relies on basic predatory tactics. Conversely, when synapse organisms and massed numbers are present, Tyranid forces can be extremely difficult to halt, as demonstrated during complex campaigns such as [[Octarius War\|Octarius]].

	The Hive Mind is fallible: it can be deceived, outmaneuvered, or defeated through superior tactics and firepower. It learns from losses—treating casualties as data to refine biomorph adaptations and future strategies—so repetitive tricks are rarely effective indefinitely. A clear example of disruption is the [[Devastation of Baal]], when the [[Great Rift]] severed [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]]’s connection to the Hive Mind, causing widespread loss of cohesion across the [[Imperial Navy\|fleet]] and altering battle outcomes on [[Baal]].		The Hive Mind is fallible: it can be deceived, outmaneuvered, or defeated through superior tactics and firepower. It learns from losses—treating casualties as data to refine biomorph adaptations and future strategies—so repetitive tricks are rarely effective indefinitely. A clear example of disruption is the [[Devastation of Baal]], when the [[Great Rift]] severed [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]]’s connection to the Hive Mind, causing widespread loss of cohesion across the [[Imperial Navy\|fleet]] and altering battle outcomes on [[Baal]].