Do Tyranids Ever Fight Tyranids?

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.

**NapoleonInSpace**

Haighus wrote:
NapoleonInSpace wrote:
Haighus wrote:
If you want an example of the Hive fleets rejecting a dangerous genetic sample, the Ymgarl genestealer strain is a great place to start. It is not known why they are never reabsorbed into the hive fleets, but it is hypothesised that they are considered dangerous due to extremely unstable mutation.

Very cool. Got a link?

https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Ymgarl_Genestealer

Much obliged!

**Tyran**

Haighus wrote:
If you want an example of the Hive fleets rejecting a dangerous genetic sample, the Ymgarl genestealer strain is a great place to start. It is not known why they are never reabsorbed into the hive fleets, but it is hypothesised that they are considered dangerous due to extremely unstable mutation.

Although eventually the Ymgarl Factor became a Tyranid upgrade, suggesting the Hive Mind eventually found a way around the issue.

**Haighus**

Tyran wrote:
Haighus wrote:
If you want an example of the Hive fleets rejecting a dangerous genetic sample, the Ymgarl genestealer strain is a great place to start. It is not known why they are never reabsorbed into the hive fleets, but it is hypothesised that they are considered dangerous due to extremely unstable mutation.

Although eventually the Ymgarl Factor became a Tyranid upgrade, suggesting the Hive Mind eventually found a way around the issue.

Fair enough, sounds like they were strugglimg for relics... Still gives evidence for aberrant genetics that hive fleets are cautious with.

**NinthMusketeer**

Iracundus wrote:
Overread wrote:
That argument also helps explain why some aspects of the Tyranids appear to be instinctive or odd from the point of view of a hyper intelligence. Such as the fact that whilst they can control and adapt their DNA; they also get a lot of random mutation and use that as a function to evolve; both on the battlefield and in "field tests" and such.

There's also other things such as how different Hive Fleets don't perfectly communicate information with each other. Whilst we have elements like the Swarm Lord who can dip into any Hive Fleet, showing that they are indeed linked; we have other things such as local fleets having specific evolutions that others do not exhibit.

A human undergoes controlled mutation of its immune cells in response to an infection and over time selects for those that perform the best. All of this is done without conscious thought from the brain. The Hive Mind is best thought of in a similar fashion. A lot of the things it does may be done by its local Synapse organisms and can be viewed as intelligence of a fashion, though whether or not the Hive Mind as a whole is actually consciously micromanaging that Gaunt brood is uncertain. Just as a human is not consciously micromanaging their food digestion, the Hive Mind's resolution of perception may not extend down that far, even though its individual Synapse organisms may be coordinating and making local decisions.

I agree, and I think this is very insightful for people just getting into the lore.

**Insectum7**

Nid fighting Nids is just the Hive Mind hittin the gym. No Pain No Gain!

**NapoleonInSpace**

Insectum7 wrote:
Nid fighting Nids is just the Hive Mind hittin the gym. No Pain No Gain!