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It's a little late, but in starcraft: heart of the swarm, they added a new aspect to their tyranids expy zerg. The primal zerg. They act more like animals with a pack rather then a hive mind. They also aren't bread like zerg. They mutate themselves into different war-machines rather then being manufactured like zerg are. I really liked the concept and let me go to the point. Is there anything like the primal zerg in 40k? Are there primal tyranids?

Well there is the Instinctive Behaviour which varies from species to species once said creature is no longer close enough from a synaptic creature.

But tyranids cannot breed, and only mutate through generations and the Hive Mind's influence. Tyranids left to themselves would juste act following this instinct then die one they cannot sustain themselves anymore, imo.

Engrenages wrote:
Well there is the Instinctive Behaviour which varies from species to species once said creature is no longer close enough from a synaptic creature.

But tyranids cannot breed, and only mutate through generations and the Hive Mind's influence. Tyranids left to themselves would juste act following this instinct then die one they cannot sustain themselves anymore, imo.

They can't even sustain themselves? I thought that most could at least live without the hive mind. Aren't there stories about tyranids being left behind on planets and terrorizing people?

I'm pretty sure I've read about Gaunt species being able to breed amongst themselves when left alone, and we all know how Genestealers 'breed', so without synapse control, I'm pretty sure most Tyranids would be fine.

Hormagaunts are the epitome of a Zerg rush. They are one of the only tyranids that can reproduce without the Hive Mind. Hormagaunts get dropped onto a planet, they find a cravice or cave, lay hundreds of eggs, then go out to hunt or fight. By the time defenders have killed those Hormagaunts the next wave has incubated and is already matured. This is all without the help of the Hive Mind and could be considered primal.

There are several species native to our galaxy that are thought to be descendants of feral Tyranids, which would be distinct from the ancestral type thing you're speaking of.

Catachan Devils and Fenrisian Kraken are the two that immediately come to mind.

The Anphelion Project revealed that not only can Hormagaunts breed, but that Hormagaunt eggs can hatch into other Tyranid bioforms - the captive Hormagaunt population of Anphelion IV eventually evolved into a full hive, including a Hive Tyrant at the top of the chain and at least two Bio-Titans.

Can't Kroot do the "consume something to gain it's power" thing that Primal Zerg do?

Torquar wrote:
Can't Kroot do the "consume something to gain it's power" thing that Primal Zerg do?

Kroot gain the DNA from what they eat. Sometimes it takes generations for it to take effect, like growing wings, for example. Other stuff could happen to the Kroot that ate the food, but that'd be for eating Chaos spawn and other extremes. I don't know what the Primal Zerg do, so I can't compare, but I'm happy to supply Kroot information when I can.

 2BlackJack1 wrote:

Torquar wrote:
Can't Kroot do the "consume something to gain it's power" thing that Primal Zerg do?

Kroot gain the DNA from what they eat. Sometimes it takes generations for it to take effect, like growing wings, for example. Other stuff could happen to the Kroot that ate the food, but that'd be for eating Chaos spawn and other extremes. I don't know what the Primal Zerg do, so I can't compare, but I'm happy to supply Kroot information when I can.

The primal zerg are like kroot ultra. They mutate from the food they eat right away. They also have a lot more control over it then kroot do. The big difference is that the primal zerg are more like zerg and tyranids. They don't have guns tanks. They need to grow into their own weapons. (The creatures from evolve are a lot like primal zerg too.)

I like the idea of the primal zerg because they act more beast/creature like. With the tyranids, they are basically an army only with tanks and weapons made out of flesh rather then metal. They also have a different look being more like reptiles then bugs. (So many space bugs out there you really get sick of it after awhile.)

If I remember correctly, most Tyranid creatures that are placed on a planet are not supposed to live beyond a few hours to days. Hormagaunts are the only ones that can actively reproduce, but other types of Tyranids are designed to serve their purpose and then die to become more fuel for the Hive.

In a comparison, Zerg are more like animals, guided by instinct and another intelligence entirely. They can grow though, in intelligence and in mass, though when they die, they're lost. While Tyranids are... machines. They have a set list of orders that they follow, cooperate as systems in a larger machine would, and when removed from the larger machine, can act as a smaller part. Example, a carburetor from a motor from a car. Most 'Nids are also interchangeable as long as they are within the same species.

The closest things we seem to get to "primal" Tyranids are vanguard organisms and remnants left on planets that are for some reason unable to multiply (when they start multiplying, they start to develop more advanced strains).

The most likely thing that would stop the Tyranid population feeding and multiplying is if they are actively hunted themselves and kept in check. A good example is the Ork fleet that keeps a Ravener infestation in the depths of its ships, and has to constantly cull the population to keep it in check (don't want a Trygon Prime randomly spawning and coordinating the monsters). That said, it's probable that the Tyranids would eventually start to evolve Synapse creatures out of the way anyway.

As for vanguard creatures, Genestealers are totally autonomous. Better yet, there seem to be weird, poorly understood vanguard organisms that have not been properly documented yet. The Shield of Baal supporting novels detail an Inquisitorial hunt for a monster living in the depths of the ocean. Turns out its a giant aquatic Trygon with thousands of tentacles, which can in turn burrow into the flesh of humans and mind control them; the thing set itself up as a god and created its own version of a Genestealer cult in preparation for the Hive Fleet's arrival.