Leadership

Only hive ships have a leadership value, which is purchased at a fixed value from the Hive Fleet list. During the Movement phase, each hive ship can make a Command check to change or ignore Instinctive Behaviour for themselves or another ship/squadron within 45 cm. If the test is successful the Tyranid player has control of the ship/squadron and may place it on special orders if desired, without requiring a second command check.

Attempts to use synaptic control count as a Command check. However, if one hive ship fails a command check this does not prevent another hive ship attempting to use synaptic control. In effect each hive ship can make at least one attempt to override Instinctive Behaviour. You may test for synaptic control over a ship which failed the test the same turn, including other Hive ships, as long as there is another Hive ship within range.

Tyranid ordnance (fighters, assault boats, torpedoes) is not subject to synaptic control or Instinctive Behaviour – just move them like normal ordnance.

Movement and Special Orders

All Tyranid vessels follow Instinctive Orders unless the Hive Mind (i.e. you, the player!) tells a ship or squadron to do something different via the psychic conduit of the hive ships. For ships or squadrons using Instinctive Behaviour, read down the table below and give the ship/squadron the first appropriate action or special order you come to. No Command check is needed for special orders, but there may be specific activities that must be undertaken in the vessel’s movement.

For example: A Tyranid cruiser wishes to move towards the enemy fleet in support of its hive ship but fails the Ld test. We check theInstinctive Orders table – there are no celestial phenomena or enemy ships close or in range but there is a planet on the table. The cruiser has to move towards the planet even though this actually takes it further away from the enemy fleet it wished to close with.

Brace for Impact

Tyranid ships/squadrons can go onto Brace for Impact orders at any time by testing against the leadership of the nearest hive ship within 45 cm. If no hive ships are within range then bio-ships use a default leadership of 7 for the test instead. As normal this order is only removed at the end of the Tyranids’ next turn. Ships on Brace For Impact orders which are acting instinctively obey the movement restrictions listed above but do not change their special orders

All Ahead Full

If a ship goes All Ahead Full under synaptic control (by leadership test) instead of Instinctive Behaviour, i may move an additional +4D6 cm instead of +2D6 cm. Having the Adrenaline Sacs refit adds +1D6 in either case.

Navigation

All Tyranid ships are naturally adapted void-swimming organisms and make all Leadership checks to navigate celestial phenomena on a default leadership of 10.

Shooting

Tyranid ships always target the nearest enemy ship unless a special Vanguard drone ship ‘highlights’ another enemy within range. No leadership test is allowed for Tyranid ships to select a target other than the nearest. Ordnance markers are always ignored and may not be fired on at all.

Vanguard drone ships highlight all enemies (including ordnance) within 15 cm, and these can be targeted freely by any other vessels in the Tyranid fleet which are within range, without requiring a separate command check to ignore closer vessels.

Boarding

Tyranids are a horror in Boarding actions. A fearless, animalistic rush of clawed, fanged monsters has been the death knell of many a ship.

Tyranids always count double their boarding value, plus they roll 2D6 and use the highest result in boarding actions. Tyranids ignore all blast marker effects when boarding enemy vessels. They do however lose a measure of their spore protection for being in contact with blast markers due to placing one on the target vessel when boarding; place the blast marker at the point where the target and the Tyranid vessel make contact. While they ignore all blast marker effects when boarding, the target vessel does not. As such, Tyranids get a +1 for the enemy being in contact with blast markers.

All Is Lost

Capital ships can attempt to self destruct when boarded by Tyranids (not when boarding a Tyranid vessel) by passing a Leadership test in the End phase. If the test is failed the crew must face their terrible fate at the hands of the Tyranids. If the test is passed roll a D6; on a 1–3 the ship suffers the catastrophic damage result of plasma drive overload. On a 4–6 the ship suffers the warp drive implosion result instead.

Hit-&-Run Attacks

Hit-&-Run attacks against Tyranid ships roll 2D6 and take the lowest result. When conducting Hit-&-Run attacks of any type against Tyranid escorts, roll 2D6 and take the lowest D6 for the roll, destroying the escort on a roll of 4+.

Tyranid ships can make Hit-&-Run teleporting attacks just like other ships in the End phase. The Tyranid player adds +1 to the result when making Hit-&-Run raids.

Crippled

To summarise, Tyranid ships suffer the following penalties when crippled:

• Speed: -5 cm
• Spore cysts: Full strength
• Bio-plasma: Half strength
• Pyro-acid batteries: Half strength
• Feeder Tentacles: May not be used
• Massive claws: May not be used
• Torpedoes & Attack Craft: None may be launched

Critical Hits & Catastrophic Damage

Tyranids do not use the normal critical hit and catastrophic damage tables. Instead they use the tables presented here. If a critical hit is rolled which cannot be applied, for example a ship with no prow weapons gets a Prow Armament wounded critical, apply the next highest critical instead. In this case the ship would suffer thorax armament damage.

Tyranid Critical Hits

Tyranid Catastrophic Damage

Pyro-acidic Batteries

Pyro-acidic battery fire is worked out in the same way as an ordinary weapon battery fire. Ships which suffera critical hit from a pyro-acid weapon automatically receive an additional fire critical result as well (it’s not actually a fire, but the long-term effect is comparable). Pyro-acid batteries are affected by special orders and crippling just like ordinary weapon batteries.

Bio-plasma

Bio-plasma is treated like a lance shot – roll one dice per point of Strength, hitting on a 4+ regardless of armour. Because it is a relatively slow moving attack, bio-plasma ignores shields and is limited in range to 15 cm. Bio-plasma is affected by special orders and crippling just like ordinary lance batteries. Bio-plasma does not ignore holofields or reactive hull saves.

Feeder Tentacles

Many Tyranid ships have huge tentacles which can punch through the hull of a ship allowing the Tyranid organisms inside to assault the enemy. When the ship moves into contact with an enemy ship, it attacks with its feeder tentacles. Roll a D6. On a score of 1, 2 or 3 it makes this many Hit-&-Run attacks on the target. On a score of 4+, deal one point of damage on the ship (which may cause critical damage as normal) and additionally make one Hit-&-Run raid. The Tyranid ship can continue moving after making the feeder tentacle attack and shoot or launch ordnance later in the turn, but may only attack one ship with feeder tentacles per turn.

Feeder tentacles are unaffected by special orders of any kind. If a bio-ship becomes crippled, its feeder tentacles may no longer attack. Feeder tentacles may not attack a ship that made contact during the opponents turn. A Tyranid ship beginning its turn in contact with an enemy ship may make feeder tentacle attacks before continuing its move, as normal.

Massive Claws

When a Tyranid ship armed with Massive Claws moves into base contact with an enemy, roll 2D6 for each pair of massive claws. Each roll of a 4+ inflicts one hit on the target, ignoring shields but not holofields. A Tyranid ship may only attack a single target with its claws per turn.

If the target is hit by claws only 0 or 1 times, the Tyranid ship can continue moving after making the attack and shoot/launch ordnance later in the turn. If the target is hit by two or more attacks, then the Tyranid vessel has grabbed the target and will not let go until either it or its prey is destroyed. Neither vessel can move if they are of the same class or smaller, while a larger class vessel may still move but only at half rate.

The sizes for the purposes of continuing movement while grabbed by Massive Claws are exactly the same as ramming, so from biggest to smallest: Defence > Battleship > Cruiser > Escort

If a ship is grabbed by Massive Claws it cannot attempt to disengage until free of them. Both ships may shoot at half effectiveness (nova cannon and similar special weapons cannot fire). Either ship may conduct boarding actions as normal. In every End phase roll to attack again. Additionally, if any two attacks hit when a vessel is already grappled then it takes a third additional hit. Massive Claw attacks can cause critical hits as normal. Massive Claws are unaffected by special orders of any kind. If a bio-ship becomes crippled its Massive Claws may no longer attack. Massive Claws may not attack a ship that made contact during the opponents turn. However, the Tyranid player can elect in its own turn to immediately attack vessels in base contact with Massive claws instead of moving normally.

Ordnance

Tyranids may only launch boarding torpedoes, fighters, and assault boats (or rather their biological equivalents). It is also possible for the Tyranid fleet to contain ordnance independently of launch bay equipped vessels. For reference, the ordnance speeds are as follows:

Ordnance Limits

Tyranid bio-ships may have up to twice the number of attack craft markers in play as they have available launch bays. However, if a bio-ship becomes crippled its generative capacities will be turned completely to self preservation and it may no longer launch ordnance.

Tyranid ships do not have turrets or shields in the normal sense, and instead rely on emitting a constantly replenished physical barrier of spore clouds. Tyranid vessels have a number of spore clouds which are specified in the bio-ship’s characteristics. If a Tyranid ship is crippled, its spore cyst strength is not affected as the vessel’s self-defence organisms go into over-time to try to protect their host creature.

Spores as Shields

A spore cloud will absorb any hit generated by weapons fire except from those that specifically ignore shields, such as Warp Cannon or Particle Whip rolls of 6. Special weapons designed to affect shields will affect spore clouds in an identical manner. Spore clouds are affected by Blast markers just like shields on an ordinary ship, place a marker in base contact for each cloud that absorbs a hit. Spores will also protect a bio- ship against shooting and potential damage from celestial phenomena in the same manner as shields.

If an enemy ship gets in base contact with a Tyranid vessel it will suffer spore impacts. Enemy vessels treat this similar to blast markers. They lose -5 cm speed and ships with a Shield strength of 0 (i.e. Eldar or ships suffering the Shields Collapse critical) also suffers a point of damage on a D6 roll of 6. However, this test only needs to be done once per Movement phase, regardless of how many Tyranid ships make base contact with the same enemy vessel. If a Tyranid vessel and an enemy vessel end their movement in base contact with each other, a blast marker is placed between the two ships.

Spores as Turrets

If attacked by ordnance a bio-ship treats its spore cysts as the number of turrets it can bring to bear. Each Blast marker in contact with the ship will reduce one spore cloud to hitting on a 6+ instead of 4+. If a spore is already rolling against ordnance that requires 6+ to hit with turrets (such as against Eldar attack craft), being in contact with blast markers has no additional effect.

Unlike normal turret fire, both torpedoes and attack craft can be targeted by the spores in the same turn. Bio-ships can mass their spore cysts in close formation against ordnance as described for other ships, but they do not gain any shielding benefits by doing so. Tyranid spore clouds will NOT intercept Tyranid ordnance. The number of spores a ship has is subtracted from a bomber’s die roll to determine number of attacks made like a true turret value. Blast markers in contact have no effect on this.