Tyranid

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Tyranids (often shortened to simply 'nids) are extragalactic beings in Warhammer 40k that exist only to devour biomass. They are extremely adaptable, and frequently genetically engineer traits and characteristics from the unfortunates they devour into their own species in order to improve their combat effectiveness. The 'nids are powerful psykers and are psychically linked to form a gigantic hive mind; the Gaunt genus reverts to primitive and animalistic behavior when out of the control range of the Hive Mind, but most of the larger species retain some intelligence (and some, such as Lictors and Genestealers, are even intended to operate outside the range of the Hive Mind's control for extended periods of time).

So far, only a few Tyranid Hive Fleets have made it to this galaxy, and they got given names like "Behemoth" and "Leviathan" and ate untold numbers of planets before finally destroyed or stalled. It's also known that these are merely scouting fleets for the unimaginably large swarm that has yet to arrive, still currently in transit from the last galaxy that the 'nids ate. Noted Imperial scholars believe that the only possibly chance the Imperium stands against the arrival of this force includes giving a Lasgun to everyone that has hands and hoping for the best. They have been expected to arrive on Terra's doorstep any day now for years, being stalled by a force even more malicious then they are: GW's reluctance to move the story forward.

Some fa/tg/uys masturbate furiously to anthropomorphized versions of tyranids.

Tyranids are no longer in the starter set for 40K. They've been replaced by Orks, encouraging a new generation of gamers to speak like retarded Liverpudlians and think this makes them funny. What the fuck, GW. What the fuck.