Hive Fleet: Difference between revisions
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A '''Hive Fleet''' is a swarm of [[Tyranid]] bio-ships that travel together. They roam through space, invading planets and consuming their biomass to reproduce. | A '''Hive Fleet''' is a swarm of [[Tyranid]] bio-ships that travel together. They roam through space, invading planets and consuming their biomass to reproduce. | ||
== Origin == | == Origin == | ||
Nobody knows where the Tyranids come from, but it's definitely outside of the galaxy. The first major waves of Tyranids came from the galactic east ([[Ultramar]], the [[Tau]] Empire, etc.), but the latest invasions occurred in the galactic south. At first, they seemed to be occurring at random, as systems would just fall silent without anything happening to their neighbors, but then it became clear that [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]] was attacking from below the galactic plane. | Nobody knows where the Tyranids come from, but it's definitely outside of the galaxy. The first major waves of Tyranids came from the galactic east ([[Ultramar]], the [[Tau]] Empire, etc.), but the latest invasions occurred in the galactic south. At first, they seemed to be occurring at random, as systems would just fall silent without anything happening to their neighbors, but then it became clear that [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]] was attacking from below the galactic plane. | ||
== Organization == | == Organization == | ||
Most of the mass of a Hive Fleet is in its Hive Ships, massive biological factories that take in biomass from conquered planets and turn it into more Tyranids. Each one contains one or more Norn Queens, who sift through the biomass looking for interesting traits and genes that they can graft into their "children", chosen based on the obstacles they faced. Over time, this directed mutation and evolution results in different hive fleets having very divergent variants of warrior organisms and distinct styles of invasion. | Most of the mass of a Hive Fleet is in its Hive Ships, massive biological factories that take in biomass from conquered planets and turn it into more Tyranids. Each one contains one or more Norn Queens, who sift through the biomass looking for interesting traits and genes that they can graft into their "children", chosen based on the obstacles they faced. Over time, this directed mutation and evolution results in different hive fleets having very divergent variants of warrior organisms and distinct styles of invasion. | ||
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Once a destination is determined, the fleet has to get there before it starves to death ([[FAIL|Seriously there are Imperial reports on entire Hive Fleets being reduced to an empty husk due to the long time spent in space which eventually starve the 'Nids to death, how the hell are they a threat again?]]). It does this by employing a ship called a "Narvhal" which somehow harnesses the target planet's gravity to bend space-time into a "corridor", which allow the fleet to travel to this planet at faster-than-light speeds (not as fast as a Warp-capable ship, but certainly faster than drifting at sublight). This bending has the fortunate side-effect of causing tectonic upheaval on the target planet, disrupting any defenses. Narvhals have delicate gravimetric senses which are easily overloaded by nearby planets and stars, so the corridor dissolves as the fleet approaches its destination, and the fleet makes its final approach at sublight speeds, spending years or even decades in real-space. The fleet may hibernate to cool down and evade detection, only waking up when they are too close to be stopped. | Once a destination is determined, the fleet has to get there before it starves to death ([[FAIL|Seriously there are Imperial reports on entire Hive Fleets being reduced to an empty husk due to the long time spent in space which eventually starve the 'Nids to death, how the hell are they a threat again?]]). It does this by employing a ship called a "Narvhal" which somehow harnesses the target planet's gravity to bend space-time into a "corridor", which allow the fleet to travel to this planet at faster-than-light speeds (not as fast as a Warp-capable ship, but certainly faster than drifting at sublight). This bending has the fortunate side-effect of causing tectonic upheaval on the target planet, disrupting any defenses. Narvhals have delicate gravimetric senses which are easily overloaded by nearby planets and stars, so the corridor dissolves as the fleet approaches its destination, and the fleet makes its final approach at sublight speeds, spending years or even decades in real-space. The fleet may hibernate to cool down and evade detection, only waking up when they are too close to be stopped. | ||
== Famous Hive Fleets == | |||
The main three Hive Fleets are [[Hive Fleet Behemoth|Behemoth]], [[Hive Fleet Kraken|Kraken]], and [[Hive Fleet Leviathan|Leviathan]], with smaller Hive Fleets descended from them. | |||
== Tabletop == | == Tabletop == | ||
[[Games Workshop]] used to publish experimental rules for [[Genestealer]] cults and [[Deep Strike|deep striking]] "Seedling Swarms", but from Fourth Edition onwards, Tyranids have been a strictly one-codex army. The only reason to choose one Hive Fleet over another is for the color scheme. | [[Games Workshop]] used to publish experimental rules for [[Genestealer]] cults and [[Deep Strike|deep striking]] "Seedling Swarms", but from Fourth Edition onwards, Tyranids have been a strictly one-codex army. The only reason to choose one Hive Fleet over another is for the color scheme. | ||
== See Also == | == See Also == | ||
* [http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/List_of_Hive_Fleets Lexicanum's list of all canon Hive Fleets] | * [http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/List_of_Hive_Fleets Lexicanum's list of all canon Hive Fleets] | ||
* [[Tyranid Hive Fleet Creation Tables]], a set of roll-tables for generating your own Hive Fleet | * [[Tyranid Hive Fleet Creation Tables]], a set of roll-tables for generating your own Hive Fleet | ||
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** [[Hive Fleet Mi-go]], another brainchild of /tg/, this time generated from the tables | ** [[Hive Fleet Mi-go]], another brainchild of /tg/, this time generated from the tables | ||
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]] | [[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Tyranid]] | ||
[[Category:Tyranid]] | |||
Revision as of 10:09, 27 October 2016
A Hive Fleet is a swarm of Tyranid bio-ships that travel together. They roam through space, invading planets and consuming their biomass to reproduce.
Origin
Nobody knows where the Tyranids come from, but it's definitely outside of the galaxy. The first major waves of Tyranids came from the galactic east (Ultramar, the Tau Empire, etc.), but the latest invasions occurred in the galactic south. At first, they seemed to be occurring at random, as systems would just fall silent without anything happening to their neighbors, but then it became clear that Hive Fleet Leviathan was attacking from below the galactic plane.
Organization
Most of the mass of a Hive Fleet is in its Hive Ships, massive biological factories that take in biomass from conquered planets and turn it into more Tyranids. Each one contains one or more Norn Queens, who sift through the biomass looking for interesting traits and genes that they can graft into their "children", chosen based on the obstacles they faced. Over time, this directed mutation and evolution results in different hive fleets having very divergent variants of warrior organisms and distinct styles of invasion.
The Hive Ships are protected by various strains of cruisers and droneships. Razorfiend Krakens hunt enemy ships, while escort drones cluster around hive ships as a living protective screen.
The Hive Fleets are rounded out by a pair of ship classes that they use to identify targets and get there in a reasonable amount of time. They send Vanguard drones ahead of the fleet, loaded with Genestealers, Lictors, and other infiltrator organisms, to candidate systems. Infiltrators that find their way to planets with lots of biomass found cults or colonies whose psychic networks act as beacons in the Warp and attract the attention of the fleet that spawned them.
Once a destination is determined, the fleet has to get there before it starves to death (Seriously there are Imperial reports on entire Hive Fleets being reduced to an empty husk due to the long time spent in space which eventually starve the 'Nids to death, how the hell are they a threat again?). It does this by employing a ship called a "Narvhal" which somehow harnesses the target planet's gravity to bend space-time into a "corridor", which allow the fleet to travel to this planet at faster-than-light speeds (not as fast as a Warp-capable ship, but certainly faster than drifting at sublight). This bending has the fortunate side-effect of causing tectonic upheaval on the target planet, disrupting any defenses. Narvhals have delicate gravimetric senses which are easily overloaded by nearby planets and stars, so the corridor dissolves as the fleet approaches its destination, and the fleet makes its final approach at sublight speeds, spending years or even decades in real-space. The fleet may hibernate to cool down and evade detection, only waking up when they are too close to be stopped.
Famous Hive Fleets
The main three Hive Fleets are Behemoth, Kraken, and Leviathan, with smaller Hive Fleets descended from them.
Tabletop
Games Workshop used to publish experimental rules for Genestealer cults and deep striking "Seedling Swarms", but from Fourth Edition onwards, Tyranids have been a strictly one-codex army. The only reason to choose one Hive Fleet over another is for the color scheme.
See Also
- Lexicanum's list of all canon Hive Fleets
- Tyranid Hive Fleet Creation Tables, a set of roll-tables for generating your own Hive Fleet
- Hive Fleet Nidhoggr, a homebrewed fluff project by /tg/
- Hive Fleet Mi-go, another brainchild of /tg/, this time generated from the tables