Ragnarox
07-05-2007, 1:18 AM
Take note that this is a speculation purely based upon fluff. (I know, sounds silly.)
So I finally got around to reading my father's Tyranid codex after we fought our last battle (which ended in a draw) so I could better "know my enemy". As I was reading along about the specs and stats and what not, I also read some of the fluff and although I knew about how the power of the Hive Mind is vast both physically and psychically, I don't think the situation portrayed in the codex quite matched the image I manifested of the magnitude of the Tyranid threat. This quote from the Codex: Tyranids says it all:
"They represent the eventual doom of not only mankind, but all races of the galaxy."
There is a graph in the Tyranid Codex detailing an "Strategic Collective Analysis on the Threat of Tyranid Hive Fleets". Unfortunately I can't find this graph anywhere online to link, but it shows the intensity and frequency (referred to combined as "magnitude") of Tyranid Hive Fleet attacks over the past 15 or so millennia. According to the graph, the first traces of Hive Fleet Behemoth showed a low intensity invasion at the beginning of the 30th millennium, jumping to a magnitude 47 in the 37th millennium before increasing exponentially to a magnitude 87 in the 41st millennium before being put down in a space battle.
Kraken came soon after and with new tactics and better "equipment". Magnitude 90 or so and wreaked an imaginable amount of havoc upon the eastern fringe before being destroyed at Macragge.
Now Leviathan has penetrated the galaxy and although it has been temporarily preoccupied by the Orks of the Octavian sector, there is no telling if (when) the Tyranids will emerge with even more potent DNA in their already vast stock of genetic data. Not only that but the sheer size of Leviathan rates it a magnitude 95 and with the evacuation of already a hundred or so worlds on the fringe, most of which have been condemned to the fiery holocaust of Exterminatus, there is little force to spare to defend that sector from imminent attack.
Not only that, but planets scorched by Exterminatus where Tyranids were present were investigated and several teams discovered that several Tyranid creatures managed to survive the devastating firepower that can destroy entire planets. Psychically the Tyranids are also superior with their mental powers so potent that the mere presence of a vast Tyranid Hive Fleet seems to be enough to freely access the warp and brush aside any assaults by the hellspawn demons that reside there. The "Shadow of the Warp" left in the wake of the passing of Norn Queen's blocks, temporarily, even the vast energy created by the Astronomican. These phenomenon show the supernatual power of the Tyranid genetics strains to be far superior than any other race in the galaxy modified or not. At this rate, every race in the galaxy will become extinct simply from the fact that they are being out-evolved.
So far the only truly effective counter to the Hive Fleets that does not involve preoccupying them or smashing them to pieces is "biomass denial". Because a Hive Fleet expends a tremendous amount of energy in taking a planet it must rely on the biomass of that planet to replenish its supplies. "Biomass denial" strategies deny a Hive Fleet its much needed energy. A planet is defended as it is evacuated and as greater numbers of Tyranids accumulate on the surface it is bombarded by Vortex missiles. Therefore, the Tyranids get nothing to replenish their forces. However, this tactic is just as draining on Imperial forces as well, for the loss of a planet is not as insignificant to the Imperium as the loss of a Hive Fleet is to the Tyranids. In fact it is speculated that there are more Hive ships, quite possibly more Hive Fleets in the entire Tyranid race than there are planets in the Imperium.
However, according to the "Strategic Collective", the worst has yet to come. Turns out Hive Fleets Behemoth, Kraken and Leviathan were merely the vanguard scout divisions for the main assault/assimilation force. A force that every race in the galaxy appears powerless to stop. A force that will arrive within one century.
In order to even slow the advance of such a force, the Imperium would need to increase conscription rates by 500%. This means that nearly every able-bodied citizen in the Segmentums Solar, Obscurus and Tempestus would need to be drafted, a task nearly as insurmountable as defeating the Hive Fleets themselves. And once again, this would only slow the unrelenting and unstoppable Tyranid advance. Indeed the speculation by the Inquisition that they will be entering their darkest times since the Heresy seem true. In the next 200 years or so, not only does it seem that the Imperium will be annihilated, but all races of the galaxy, even the demons of the realm of Chaos. Nothing can stop the "Great Devourer".
But wait, there's just no way that all the races (excluding Tyranids) could be annihilated! There's just no way! Because if it were true, the franchise would for all fluff intents and purposes, end! There must be some way that the galaxy overcomes this impossible task! There are instances in the rule book that speak of things more supernatural than the Tyranids, or so technologically advanced that no physical form could stand against them, or forces so driven that their fury will annihilate anyone and anything they march across.
So this is what I ask of you 40K players, and yes you Tyranid players too. How do you think the galaxy will survive against this most vast alien onslaught?
In my opinion, the answer lies with unity. Specifically, uniting the Orks under one banner, if only for a while. After all, it does say in the book that "If ever the Orks united as a race, no force in the galaxy could resist them."
So I finally got around to reading my father's Tyranid codex after we fought our last battle (which ended in a draw) so I could better "know my enemy". As I was reading along about the specs and stats and what not, I also read some of the fluff and although I knew about how the power of the Hive Mind is vast both physically and psychically, I don't think the situation portrayed in the codex quite matched the image I manifested of the magnitude of the Tyranid threat. This quote from the Codex: Tyranids says it all:
"They represent the eventual doom of not only mankind, but all races of the galaxy."
There is a graph in the Tyranid Codex detailing an "Strategic Collective Analysis on the Threat of Tyranid Hive Fleets". Unfortunately I can't find this graph anywhere online to link, but it shows the intensity and frequency (referred to combined as "magnitude") of Tyranid Hive Fleet attacks over the past 15 or so millennia. According to the graph, the first traces of Hive Fleet Behemoth showed a low intensity invasion at the beginning of the 30th millennium, jumping to a magnitude 47 in the 37th millennium before increasing exponentially to a magnitude 87 in the 41st millennium before being put down in a space battle.
Kraken came soon after and with new tactics and better "equipment". Magnitude 90 or so and wreaked an imaginable amount of havoc upon the eastern fringe before being destroyed at Macragge.
Now Leviathan has penetrated the galaxy and although it has been temporarily preoccupied by the Orks of the Octavian sector, there is no telling if (when) the Tyranids will emerge with even more potent DNA in their already vast stock of genetic data. Not only that but the sheer size of Leviathan rates it a magnitude 95 and with the evacuation of already a hundred or so worlds on the fringe, most of which have been condemned to the fiery holocaust of Exterminatus, there is little force to spare to defend that sector from imminent attack.
Not only that, but planets scorched by Exterminatus where Tyranids were present were investigated and several teams discovered that several Tyranid creatures managed to survive the devastating firepower that can destroy entire planets. Psychically the Tyranids are also superior with their mental powers so potent that the mere presence of a vast Tyranid Hive Fleet seems to be enough to freely access the warp and brush aside any assaults by the hellspawn demons that reside there. The "Shadow of the Warp" left in the wake of the passing of Norn Queen's blocks, temporarily, even the vast energy created by the Astronomican. These phenomenon show the supernatual power of the Tyranid genetics strains to be far superior than any other race in the galaxy modified or not. At this rate, every race in the galaxy will become extinct simply from the fact that they are being out-evolved.
So far the only truly effective counter to the Hive Fleets that does not involve preoccupying them or smashing them to pieces is "biomass denial". Because a Hive Fleet expends a tremendous amount of energy in taking a planet it must rely on the biomass of that planet to replenish its supplies. "Biomass denial" strategies deny a Hive Fleet its much needed energy. A planet is defended as it is evacuated and as greater numbers of Tyranids accumulate on the surface it is bombarded by Vortex missiles. Therefore, the Tyranids get nothing to replenish their forces. However, this tactic is just as draining on Imperial forces as well, for the loss of a planet is not as insignificant to the Imperium as the loss of a Hive Fleet is to the Tyranids. In fact it is speculated that there are more Hive ships, quite possibly more Hive Fleets in the entire Tyranid race than there are planets in the Imperium.
However, according to the "Strategic Collective", the worst has yet to come. Turns out Hive Fleets Behemoth, Kraken and Leviathan were merely the vanguard scout divisions for the main assault/assimilation force. A force that every race in the galaxy appears powerless to stop. A force that will arrive within one century.
In order to even slow the advance of such a force, the Imperium would need to increase conscription rates by 500%. This means that nearly every able-bodied citizen in the Segmentums Solar, Obscurus and Tempestus would need to be drafted, a task nearly as insurmountable as defeating the Hive Fleets themselves. And once again, this would only slow the unrelenting and unstoppable Tyranid advance. Indeed the speculation by the Inquisition that they will be entering their darkest times since the Heresy seem true. In the next 200 years or so, not only does it seem that the Imperium will be annihilated, but all races of the galaxy, even the demons of the realm of Chaos. Nothing can stop the "Great Devourer".
But wait, there's just no way that all the races (excluding Tyranids) could be annihilated! There's just no way! Because if it were true, the franchise would for all fluff intents and purposes, end! There must be some way that the galaxy overcomes this impossible task! There are instances in the rule book that speak of things more supernatural than the Tyranids, or so technologically advanced that no physical form could stand against them, or forces so driven that their fury will annihilate anyone and anything they march across.
So this is what I ask of you 40K players, and yes you Tyranid players too. How do you think the galaxy will survive against this most vast alien onslaught?
In my opinion, the answer lies with unity. Specifically, uniting the Orks under one banner, if only for a while. After all, it does say in the book that "If ever the Orks united as a race, no force in the galaxy could resist them."