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When the synapse creature broadcasting the Hive Mind's will to the Tyranid troops is killed, they revert to their natural instincts, correct? But this always seems to be to just run away. Since the Hive Mind genetically engineers each and every Tyranid, why doesn't it alter their minds to have some backup commands as instincts in case that sort thing happens during a battle, as it so often does? Something simple like, say, "kill everything that moves and is not a Tyranid". Surely the Hive Mind has noticed this flaw by now.

From all of the fluff I've read they always seem to mill about and seem disoriented after their synapse is taken out. I would assume that loosing that huge hive consciousness and reverting back to just one set of thoughts in your little head would be rather disorienting and would account for that. As for making instincts to kill everything that isn't Tyranid, there's already a little thing called Fight or Flight choice for most any animal. My hunch is that it would take more DNA and energy to make something with special instincts above and beyond that because that would end up making the average nid much more closer to sentience. Which may in turn make then harder to control.

Regardless the answer that is always right is because GW didn't think that far into it

In the old Nid codex there was a chart to roll on for "troops" if the nearby synapse creature was taken out.
Don't recall exactly what it listed but it was basicly
Roll D6
1-2--run away
3-4 furious charge nearest enemy unit
5-6 tap dance in circles and do the hokie pokie
Does the current Nidz codex not cover this?

Evilclown wrote:From all of the fluff I've read they always seem to mill about and seem disoriented after their synapse is taken out. I would assume that loosing that huge hive consciousness and reverting back to just one set of thoughts in your little head would be rather disorienting and would account for that. As for making instincts to kill everything that isn't Tyranid, there's already a little thing called Fight or Flight choice for most any animal. My hunch is that it would take more DNA and energy to make something with special instincts above and beyond that because that would end up making the average nid much more closer to sentience. Which may in turn make then harder to control.

Regardless the answer that is always right is because GW didn't think that far into it

Khorne Berserkers are medically lobotomized to remove their sense of self-preservation and make them fearlessly charge into battle screaming like the psychos they are. If mere humans could do this with an operation, then surely the great and powerful Hive Mind can replace "fight or flight" with "fight" in the same way.

Who's to say they haven't replaced "fight or flight" with just fight. The whole thing is that when you use synapse it is in effect giving the smaller critters the benefit of being sentient if need be without actually making them so. As I said in my first post, we generally don't get to see what nids would do long term after getting cut off from the hive mind as they're always confused and disoriented afterwards.

Evilclown wrote:Who's to say they haven't replaced "fight or flight" with just fight. The whole thing is that when you use synapse it is in effect giving the smaller critters the benefit of being sentient if need be without actually making them so. As I said in my first post, we generally don't get to see what nids would do long term after getting cut off from the hive mind as they're always confused and disoriented afterwards.

They haven't replaced "fight or flight" with "fight" because, both in the fluff and the game, the smaller creatures will usually break and run or mull about rather than simply continue with a berserker charge at the enemy.

Hell, in most of the fluff I have read on Tyranids there is very rarely even a synapse creature to be found in most attacks.

That is why I wish there were rules for gaunt-only armies for the Tyranids. Sure, it would take a LOT of gaunts, but the swarm factor would be cool.

Mattlov speaks the truth, many a time there are just oodles of gaunts running amok for no other reason than to multi-laser, I'm looking at you Goto.

Anyway, if your going to shoot down every idea that someone comes up with then why do you ask? The answer is always so that the army in question will be more interesting and have rules that distinguish them from other armies if a purely fluff answer is not what your looking for. Since when does fluff or even basic science in sci-fi have to be airtight anyway? I'd like to draw your attention to Marines who easily weigh a ton in armor yet never get stuck in the mud. Secondly blasters in Star Wars, and may god help us all if I just set off a nerd war by mentioning that.

I remember in one of the books that I've read it said if a synapse creature gets taken out. The tyranid reverts to basic which is to kill and starts fighting among themselves.