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.

would I be correct if I said that the Tyranids use the Astronomicon to find their way around the galaxy?

Nope, the tyranids don't use the warp. They spend long years in the cold void sending out Genestealer spore-pods into the ether, and once a colony has established on a world the Broodlord sends out a psychic signal that alerts its parent fleet to a suitably tastey world. They are also known to avoid Necron tomb worlds, usually for the fact they are devoid of life, but I think there is an example in the new Necron Codex that talks of the nids invading a tomb-world and only feeding on the vegetation before moving on.

They send out Vanguards, broods of Genestealers and Lictors. Kind of how the Empire found the rebels in Empire Strikes Back by sending out probe droids to hundreds of planets.

Basically, they load up mycetic spores full of these Vanguard broods, and spit them out in all directions. When they land on a planet, they spread out and do their thing. Lictors skulk around in forested areas, picking off patrols and eating their brains to assess military and planetary information. Genestealers get established in cities and set about infiltrating the government.

Once they have reproduced to a significant size, their collecive psychic prescence forms a spychic beacon the Tyranid fleets can see,. Once a beacon is strong enough, meaning there's sufficient life to sustain the Vanguard, they redirect a tendril towards the beacon.

In the same way, they see the astronimican, because it is a psychic beacon (IIRC, older fluff said they were initially drawn to the Milky Way due to Slaaneshes birth scream, which was a massive momentary warp beacon). They don't use the astronimican to navigate, but they see it the same way they see their vanguards beacons, only much, much brighter.

So if a chorus of astropaths was gathered and all sent out a massive psychic message, could it divert a Tyranid invasion away from a planet?

TheAngrySquig wrote:So if a chorus of astropaths was gathered and all sent out a massive psychic message, could it divert a Tyranid invasion away from a planet?

Nope astropaths transmit through the warp, Nids can only distrupt the warp. As I said before, Nids cannot travel via warpflight.

AnUnearthlyChilde wrote:

TheAngrySquig wrote:So if a chorus of astropaths was gathered and all sent out a massive psychic message, could it divert a Tyranid invasion away from a planet?

Nope astropaths transmit through the warp, Nids can only distrupt the warp. As I said before, Nids cannot travel via warpflight.

Tyranids can and do see warp beacons. This is why they came to the galaxy initially (Slaanesh's birth), how they find planets (Vanguard organisms psychic beacon) and why they're attracted to the astronimican (giant psychic beacon). Not to mention a chorus os psykers transmitting a signal is exactly what the astronimucan is, so this kind of thing theoretically could redirect a tendril of a hive fleet.

Tyranids do not use the warp for travel, but they still interact with it, and the hive mind is sitting in the warp or using it for communication (seeing as Tigerius managed to read the hive mind, however breifly, and human psykers use the warp).

I think there was one Inquisitor who misdirected the tyranids by moving some genestealers to another planet. Started a large fight with some orcs. Can't remember who won.

I think they find them rather tasty...

The codex fluff says they can't use the warp, and the Astronomican is an invention of the Imperium, so that's out. The stealers that infiltrate planets are the ones who send signals to the hive fleet to invade certain planets

-Loki- wrote:

AnUnearthlyChilde wrote:

TheAngrySquig wrote:So if a chorus of astropaths was gathered and all sent out a massive psychic message, could it divert a Tyranid invasion away from a planet?

Nope astropaths transmit through the warp, Nids can only distrupt the warp. As I said before, Nids cannot travel via warpflight.

Tyranids can and do see warp beacons. This is why they came to the galaxy initially (Slaanesh's birth), how they find planets (Vanguard organisms psychic beacon) and why they're attracted to the astronimican (giant psychic beacon). Not to mention a chorus os psykers transmitting a signal is exactly what the astronimucan is, so this kind of thing theoretically could redirect a tendril of a hive fleet.

Tyranids do not use the warp for travel, but they still interact with it, and the hive mind is sitting in the warp or using it for communication (seeing as Tigerius managed to read the hive mind, however breifly, and human psykers use the warp).

Can I ask where are you quoting this from?

The Slaanesh part is old fluff. I think 2nd edition. Vanguards projecting a beacon has been around since 2nd edition as well. Being attracted to the astronomican is 5th edition fluff. Being attracted to psychic beacons isn't a new thing with Tyranids. Seeing as they're attracted to the astronomican, creating a similar, powerful psychic signal should do the same thing.

Tigerius being able to 'read' the hive mind was first stated in the 3.5 edition Space Marine codex, and further stated in the 5th edition Space Marine codex. Since humans only use psychic powers via the warp, the hive mind must use the warp in some way if he could read its thoughts through the warp.

-Loki- wrote:The Slaanesh part is old fluff. I think 2nd edition. Vanguards projecting a beacon has been around since 2nd edition as well. Being attracted to the astronomican is 5th edition fluff. Being attracted to psychic beacons isn't a new thing with Tyranids. Seeing as they're attracted to the astronomican, creating a similar, powerful psychic signal should do the same thing.

It was more the slaanesh stuff I was interested in... I've been playing since 2nd ed and cannot for the life of me remember that stuff :/

The vanguard stuff I've known for as long as Genestealers have existed, as they used to site the Patriarch as the source of the Psychic beacon.

-Loki- wrote:Tigerius being able to 'read' the hive mind was first stated in the 3.5 edition Space Marine codex, and further stated in the 5th edition Space Marine codex. Since humans only use psychic powers via the warp, the hive mind must use the warp in some way if he could read its thoughts through the warp.

That I've always found a little... convenient. What with Macragge being an open buffet to Nids.


The one thing I can't stand is the inconsistencies in GW's background writing. As with some editions they go one way, then the next they go another, and then back to the one three editions ago. BAH!

Curse you Cruddace. Curse you and your pitiful writing capabilities... ¬_¬

I actually don't mind Tigerius being able to 'read' the Hive Mind. It stands to reason that in a chapter that bears the brunt of the Tyranid invasions and even has a specialised unit for hunting them, their psykers would be fairly used to all of gak the Shadow in the Warp throws around. And that they'd also want to see what it actually is.

For me it doesnt sit well. It seems every new threat to appear against humanity they manage to conveniently develop a solution almost over night :/

So far it's hardly been a solution. None of the measures they've tried to stop them have been solutions, just band-aid fixes.

Tiigerius reading the Hive Mind hasn't produced anything, just a way to say 'Hey, he rerally is an awesome psyker'. If anything, all it's done is helped show that the Tyranids do interact with the warp.

In the context of how it was used and written I found it convenient either way. Seems to be how GW tackles background writing these days.

AnUnearthlyChilde wrote:

TheAngrySquig wrote:So if a chorus of astropaths was gathered and all sent out a massive psychic message, could it divert a Tyranid invasion away from a planet?

Nope astropaths transmit through the warp, Nids can only distrupt the warp. As I said before, Nids cannot travel via warpflight.

Actually in Xenology one of the theorists does hypothesise that the key to beating the Tyranids is in disrupting their psychic communication, as when this happens they revert to animal like instincts and even kill each other.

so load pariahs into cannons and fire at the big ones?

No i don't believe they use that they probably just planet hop or follow some type of trail left by star ships

I think i may have phrased the question wrong, I dont mean do they use the warp to travel, i just wanna know if they use the astronomicon as a lighthouse

TheAngrySquig wrote:I think i may have phrased the question wrong, I dont mean do they use the warp to travel, i just wanna know if they use the astronomicon as a lighthouse

Well no, because the astronomican is only used as a lighthouse for navigating the warp, since there's no point of reference for travel. The astronomican creates one.

Since they travel via non-warp means (sublight or magic narvhal), the astronomican isn't needed as a navigation tool. It is, however, basically a big 'free buffet here!' sign, since it's basically the same as what the vanguard organisms transmit, only far, far more powerful.

-Loki- wrote:

TheAngrySquig wrote:I think i may have phrased the question wrong, I dont mean do they use the warp to travel, i just wanna know if they use the astronomicon as a lighthouse

Well no, because the astronomican is only used as a lighthouse for navigating the warp, since there's no point of reference for travel. The astronomican creates one.

Since they travel via non-warp means (sublight or magic narvhal), the astronomican isn't needed as a navigation tool. It is, however, basically a big 'free buffet here!' sign, since it's basically the same as what the vanguard organisms transmit, only far, far more powerful.

What Loki said...