Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

The Imperium has taken on every threat imaginable. But what if the "heart" of the IoM was attacked by a Tyranid Hive Fleet? Is it possible a Tyranid Hive Fleet could overwhelm the Imperium's seat of power? Various fluff has really left the question blank, but what if a Super Hive Fleet were to drift into the system?

As we know, the Necrons are buddies with the BA, and therefor also the rest of the Imperium. Since Mars holds one of the C'tan, and he's one of the rulers of the Necrons, he'd prolly see the 'Nids coming and leave his isolation to go kill them off, thereby saving the IoM. Don't worry emperor, Necrons got your back.

Not for a very long time, and not until after the rest of the imperium is picked clean.

The Hive fleet is drifting because its actually wrecked???

I' guess a nid fleet, even the super extra large one, survives 5 secs. Or maybe just 4....

When you see Terra's defenses....
You get the idea that almost nothing less than Chaos Gods can breach them, and we question even them....
And what my friend ( a Tyranid player ) once said: Tyranids must eat trough half of the Imperium only to reach Terra...
Hope this answer your question...

Brother Coa wrote:
And what my friend ( a Tyranid player ) once said: Tyranids must eat trough half of the Imperium only to reach Terra...

Why?

Tyranids have come up through the plane of the galactic disc before, why couldn't they just hit Terra from above or below? Fluff for the NIds fully support the notion that Tyranids could ignore the entire Imperium and attack Sol directly, assuming they know where it is or how important it is.

Platuan4th wrote:
Why?

Tyranids have come up through the plane of the galactic disc before, why couldn't they just hit Terra from above or below? Fluff for the NIds fully support the notion that Tyranids could ignore the entire Imperium and attack Sol directly, assuming they know where it is or how important it is.

Because space is 3-D, and there are planets above and below Terra occupied by the Imperium. There isn't just one layer of planetary bodies, so they'd have to at least go past other planets. They would almost certainly be spotted before they ever reach Sol. Even if they did, they'd struggle to do any serious damage to its defences. I honestly can't see the Tyranids having much hope of conquering the most strongly guarded Imperial system in the galaxy especially considering the amount of reinforcements that would be recalled to Terra.

SomeRandomEvilGuy wrote:

Platuan4th wrote:
Why?

Tyranids have come up through the plane of the galactic disc before, why couldn't they just hit Terra from above or below? Fluff for the NIds fully support the notion that Tyranids could ignore the entire Imperium and attack Sol directly, assuming they know where it is or how important it is.

Because space is 3-D, and there are planets above and below Terra occupied by the Imperium. There isn't just one layer of planetary bodies, so they'd have to at least go past other planets. They would almost certainly be spotted before they ever reach Sol. Even if they did, they'd struggle to do any serious damage to its defences. I honestly can't see the Tyranids having much hope of conquering the most strongly guarded Imperial system in the galaxy especially considering the amount of reinforcements that would be recalled to Terra.

Read the Tyranid Codex. Not only did the Imperium not know they were coming from above/below before it happened, they never even considered it an option. Space may be 3D, but it's very much not treated that way in the 40K Universe.

Also, I think you're seriously underestimating the military might of a Tyranid Hive Fleet.

Azure wrote:As we know, the Necrons are buddies with the BA, and therefor also the rest of the Imperium. Since Mars holds one of the C'tan, and he's one of the rulers of the Necrons, he'd prolly see the 'Nids coming and leave his isolation to go kill them off, thereby saving the IoM. Don't worry emperor, Necrons got your back.

This. You're a regular Oscar Wilde, Azure.

I am also a Tyranid player and I love them to death. However, they could not take on sol. The main fleet will have to come in Eat EVERYTHING else then MAYBE eat Sol. Thats pushing it though and im still giving favour to my bugs

We don't even know how big the main Hive Fleet is, so who can even begin to come to the conclusion that the Tyranids are not fully capable of taking out Sol?

If any of Kryptman's theories have merit, the size of the main fleet is so big it will require arming every Imperial citizen with a lasgun if they are to even hope to stand a chance. Theoretically, the Hive Fleet could number in anywhere from a couple million, to billions or trillions of Tyranid vessels containing hundreds of trillions of Tyranid biomonstrosities that all have the tactical know-how of the past fleets. The Tyranids are an intergalactic alien monstrosity who have proven their potency many times; the Imperium, and we, for that matter, have very little knowledge of what they are actually capable of. Don't count them out.

Tyrannids have already attacked terra.

what do you think "dinosaurs" are?

I definitely never counted them out. I just know for a fact that every armed Imperial soldier would come to sol if it meant saving the Emperor from being nom'ed.

xXSir MontyXx wrote:I just know for a fact that every armed Imperial soldier would come to sol if it meant saving the Emperor from being nom'ed.

According to Kryptman, that might not be enough.

Well I have a feeling that they would listen to kryptman if they saw a fleet of this magnitude ready to spank the imperium.

xXSir MontyXx wrote:I definitely never counted them out. I just know for a fact that every armed Imperial soldier would come to sol if it meant saving the Emperor from being nom'ed.

So they'd just abandon dozens, if not hundreds of active warzones as well as the Eye of Terra? You're talking about an entire galaxy's worth of fighting retreats to attempt to save one world.

I understand that the Emperor is on Terra, but it's a logistical nightmare that's impossible to achieve without crippling and abandoning the Imperium.

Platuan4th wrote:

xXSir MontyXx wrote:I definitely never counted them out. I just know for a fact that every armed Imperial soldier would come to sol if it meant saving the Emperor from being nom'ed.

So they'd just abandon dozens, if not hundreds of active warzones as well as the Eye of Terra? You're talking about an entire galaxy's worth of fighting retreats to attempt to save one world.

I understand that the Emperor is on Terra, but it's a logistical nightmare that's impossible to achieve without crippling and abandoning the Imperium.

Whereas if the astronomican goes down then the imperium would be crippled and dissolve.

Kobayashi maru.

corpsesarefun wrote:

Platuan4th wrote:

xXSir MontyXx wrote:I definitely never counted them out. I just know for a fact that every armed Imperial soldier would come to sol if it meant saving the Emperor from being nom'ed.

So they'd just abandon dozens, if not hundreds of active warzones as well as the Eye of Terra? You're talking about an entire galaxy's worth of fighting retreats to attempt to save one world.

I understand that the Emperor is on Terra, but it's a logistical nightmare that's impossible to achieve without crippling and abandoning the Imperium.

Whereas if the astronomican goes down then the imperium would be crippled and dissolve.

Kobayashi maru.

Exactly, supply lines to these important war-zones would be extremely hazardous and if you and your crew weren't annihilated by deamons in the warp you may not even end up at your destination. These front-lines would be okay for a while but the Imperium would eventually end up like the Tau if the Tyranid ate Terra. Only holding onto a couple of worlds due to their lack of reliable warp travel.

O

Platuan4th wrote:

xXSir MontyXx wrote:I definitely never counted them out. I just know for a fact that every armed Imperial soldier would come to sol if it meant saving the Emperor from being nom'ed.

So they'd just abandon dozens, if not hundreds of active warzones as well as the Eye of Terra? You're talking about an entire galaxy's worth of fighting retreats to attempt to save one world.

I understand that the Emperor is on Terra, but it's a logistical nightmare that's impossible to achieve without crippling and abandoning the Imperium.

I say they take off and nuke the entire site from orbit.
Its the only way to be sure.

Isnt the thing about nids is that no matter how many hive fleets is taken down, more keep coming from vast empty darkness of outerspace?

So it would be a case of "when" and not "if the tyranids invade earth.

i'm pretty sure the Nid's have some idea that Terra is important. Im pretty sure something in the new 'Nids codex says that the Hive Mind is drawn to the light of the astronomican being generated from Terra...

Potato_God wrote:i'm pretty sure the Nid's have some idea that Terra is important. Im pretty sure something in the new 'Nids codex says that the Hive Mind is drawn to the light of the astronomican being generated from Terra...

Doesn't it? I thought I read that somewhere. Though I cant remember at all where I saw it.

Genestealer infestation is a real threat to Terra imo. One of them could easily infiltrate a transport and eventually dock at Terra.

Tyranids aren't stupid, they know Terra is the center of humanity by now and they know that destroying it would result in the disintegration of the Imperium, which would make their objective of consuming humanity easier.

The main problem is the defenses on Terra are just so massive that nothing the Tyranids have shown yet would be able to stand much of a chance against it. Even the combined might of all 3 Hive Fleets would probably fail in the face of the kind of forces the Imperium could muster.

Terra's defenses make Maccragge look like some isolated outpost.


the fleet took serious losses to land on Maccragge.



the Nids would lose alot of Biomass to take Terra with very little return.


first they would have the fight past all the outer planets.

then they would have to get past Saturn where the best ship crews in the imperium are trained and recruited.

then Mars. the Ad Mech has alot of nasty things in those vaults. and not much Biomass for Nids to eat

then Luna and Terra.


all the while, facing the largest fleet ever to prowl the void since the dawn of time. you can bet that it wouldn't just be Battlefleet Solar, but probably at least a dozen sector fleet too.


the Hive Mind wouldn't attack Terra unless it could make the Biomass gained worth while. i doubt the energy and mass would be worth the massive loss.

xXSir MontyXx wrote:

Potato_God wrote:i'm pretty sure the Nid's have some idea that Terra is important. Im pretty sure something in the new 'Nids codex says that the Hive Mind is drawn to the light of the astronomican being generated from Terra...

Doesn't it? I thought I read that somewhere. Though I cant remember at all where I saw it.

The double page galactic map showing Leviathans movements. It points to Terra, and says that the Astronomican is leading the Tyranids there.

As for having to eat through the entire Imperium, not so. Tyranids can and have attacked from beneath the galactic plane, which cuts out a significant amount of fighting that needs to be done, plus there's two more making their way there through segmentum pacificus.

Darth Bob wrote:

xXSir MontyXx wrote:I just know for a fact that every armed Imperial soldier would come to sol if it meant saving the Emperor from being nom'ed.

According to Kryptman, that might not be enough.

Yes, well, the thing to remember is that Kryptman is merely making guesses. He's one of the smartest guys around when it comes to the Tyranids, but he has no way of really knowing how many hive fleets are out there, or how big the rest of them are. NO ONE knows, since we're talking about aliens that are (probably - assuming that there are actually more of them; almost certain, but not completely guaranteed) out beyond the galactic rim.

Either way, that would be an awesome campaign and box set!

a Campaign of combination BFG and 40k(appocalypse naturally)

Jihadnik wrote:Either way, that would be an awesome campaign and box set!

That would have to be a big box.

Ooo, now that would be sweet...If only I hadn't thrown out all my BFG models years ago...sigh...

Altzer wrote:

Jihadnik wrote:Either way, that would be an awesome campaign and box set!

That would have to be a big box.

I'd buy it.

Even if it was for two armies I don't play and cost 200 dollars haha