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The title pretty much says everything. Obviously rippers, gaunts, and leapers are like dogs in intelligence. But what about Tervigons, Carnifexes, Hierophants, Hive Tyrants, Warriors, Trygons, Viragons, and Dominatrices?
Where would you rank these in intelligence and how would you describe their intelligence individually?

Ideally I'd like to believe that all the tyranid organisms have a very cunning intelligence. To the point where they know what things like weapons, or technology looks like and how it may function. Like they would know that guns need ammo to shoot and that they should slice up that radio/generator because it's important.

I guess a lot of it depends on synapse. I'm still not sure if the synapse thing is actually increasing the mental level of the little gribbles or just flat out mind control (probably the second I would imagine).

Without knowing anything about the Tyranid rules per say, I'd just assume that anything with synapse capability is (at least) as intelligent as a human general as far as battle tactics, with potential for a ton more if the hive mind is factored in. Any thing that's not a synapse but doesn't need a synapse (if such a thing exists, genestealers maybe) is about average human level, and anything that needs synapse is animal, and rippers are about as smart as a very hungry gerbil.

I think it is all in how you measure intelligence. I am smarter than a mountain lion when it comes to say, knowing how to open a door, but if I was in the woods hiding from a hungry mountain lion I would say it was smarter than me in all the ways that mattered.

As far as the Hivemind is concerned we know little about it. It could be a vast intellect or a superduper alpha wolf. We just don't know.

I would imagine to set a measurement of Intelligence in terms of Combat and Battlefield strat and tactics.

Besides the Hivemind itself. from most to least.

SwarmLord (HM brings him out when the standard issue "swarm it till it dies" doesn't work)

(majority of the Special character tyranids, like the Death leaper, Old one eye, etc)

Tyrants,
carnifexes
genestealers
warriors

everything else

note: its been a while since I read over the codex. some are probly wrong.

 ThePrimordial wrote:
The title pretty much says everything. Obviously rippers, gaunts, and leapers are like dogs in intelligence. But what about Tervigons, Carnifexes, Hierophants, Hive Tyrants, Warriors, Trygons, Viragons, and Dominatrices?
Where would you rank these in intelligence and how would you describe their intelligence individually?

I'd probably say your off on about half your estimates. I'll start from the top and work my way down.

Norn Queen - Direct embodiment of the Hive Mind. This thing trumps all.
Dominatrices - 2nd in command. These things are the direct link to the Norn Queens.
Swarmlord - This thing leads the swarm, containing all the knowledge in battle that the Hive Mind has encountered, but always learning.
Hive Tyrant - It's a lesser Swarmlord. It still directs the swarm.
Biotitans - I know, it seems silly, but look at it this way. Something has to direct these things. They really just exist to smash the biggest things around. Some limited intelligence, since these things tackle the biggest machines around.
Tyranid Warriors - Just over the Tervigon, these direct the lesser broods that make the swarm, pushing all before them.
Tervigons - A lesser Dominatrix, if you will. They guide the minor broods around them as they push forward, but always bent on breeding the newest wave.
Termagants - Normally considered the weakest, but surprisingly intelligent. One of, if not the only Tyranid bioform to have a sense of self preservation.
Carnifex - It's a giant attack dog. Extremely limited intelligence. Roughly tied with Hormagaunts.
Hormagaunts - small attack dogs, but unlike the others, it is asexual and has an overwhelming directive to lay eggs before dying in battle and its offspring soon after hatch to continue the cycle.
Rippers - Mindless. They live only to feed, and feed they do.