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Just bought my first 40k model, a hive tyrant, and I want to have twin linked devourers on it for its weapons but I cant seem to find them on the sprue, am I missing something from the box? Is there a place I can get them?

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-FI/Tyranid-Twin-linked-Devourers

That or converting I think.

Easiest way is to just cut off the hand from a Termagant devourer and glue it upside down to the other devourer.

Forgeworld do sell the arms,

I don't believe GW thought it was going to be a popular option when they developed the kit..

I like fleshborer hives from the Tervigon kit.

GodDamUser wrote:
Forgeworld do sell the arms,

I don't believe GW thought it was going to be a popular option when they developed the kit..

Or they did think it would be a popular option and got fw to cast 2 arms for 15 euros.

 Alex Kolodotschko wrote:
I like fleshborer hives from the Tervigon kit.

Those are great, and back in the third to fourth edition changeover when TL devourers actually became a thing, I cut the end off the scything talons and put a gaunt devourer on it. There's no need to double it up if you don't want to, a flesh borer on each arm is good enough.(or at least was in 4th! XD)

GodDamUser wrote:
Forgeworld do sell the arms,

I don't believe GW thought it was going to be a popular option when they developed the kit..

Which probably shows how badly GW don't understand their own rules

I converted mine from Termagant Devourers and spare Scything Talon arms in much the same way Yarium has done.

To this day, I don't understand how that model was developed without a mounting slot for the wings in the back carapace. Wings don't replace a set of arms, and I don't remember them doing so in the 5th edition codex either.

Although, if the wings did replace a set of arms, it would make the unit less overpowered. But that OPed makes up for the rest of the codex being PUed.

Rumbleguts wrote:
To this day, I don't understand how that model was developed without a mounting slot for the wings in the back carapace. Wings don't replace a set of arms, and I don't remember them doing so in the 5th edition codex either.

Because Tyranids only have 6 limbs, so in this case yes the wings do replace a set of arms.. just the rules were not written that way. but the wings are modeled in a way tht you can call them Scy talons as well

Rumbleguts wrote:
To this day, I don't understand how that model was developed without a mounting slot for the wings in the back carapace. Wings don't replace a set of arms, and I don't remember them doing so in the 5th edition codex either.

Although, if the wings did replace a set of arms, it would make the unit less overpowered. But that OPed makes up for the rest of the codex being PUed.

Fluff wise, Tyranid wings replace a set of limbs. Look at gargoyles or the Harpy/Crone models. Of course rules wise the wings don't disallow the model from taking 2 sets of weapons.

As mentioned, fluffwise Tyranids only ever have 6 limbs, no exceptions, so a Hive Tyrant with wings would have its weapons attached to other limbs, the wings, or other parts of its body, but the wings would never grow out of the carapace.


Model wise, it makes the HT kit very limiting. You can use the wings with either the standing or leaping body, but either way you must take a set of Scything Talons. This due to either the Wings counting as a set, WYSIWYG rules that is, for the standing body, or the legs as a set for the leaping body (in which case the wings are just wings), as the normal feet don't fit this frame.

So it basically means a Winged Hive Tyrant is stuck with Scything Talons and another set of weapons, such as a Bonesword or TL Devs. However, I've come up with a solution which frees up space.


Take 4 Devourer barrels and glue them in a diamond shape to the end of the Walking Tyrant's tail, fill with Greenstuff. Instant TL Devs, and allows you to put more weapons in the middle arms and wings on the top. It doesn't work so well for the Flyrant as it balances on the tail but still somewhat feasible.

well wysiwyg it is often accepted that each twinlinked dev arm counts as a gun

 Deadshot wrote:
As mentioned, fluffwise Tyranids only ever have 6 limbs, no exceptions, so a Hive Tyrant with wings would have its weapons attached to other limbs, the wings, or other parts of its body, but the wings would never grow out of the carapace.


Model wise, it makes the HT kit very limiting. You can use the wings with either the standing or leaping body, but either way you must take a set of Scything Talons. This due to either the Wings counting as a set, WYSIWYG rules that is, for the standing body, or the legs as a set for the leaping body (in which case the wings are just wings), as the normal feet don't fit this frame.

So it basically means a Winged Hive Tyrant is stuck with Scything Talons and another set of weapons, such as a Bonesword or TL Devs. However, I've come up with a solution which frees up space.


Take 4 Devourer barrels and glue them in a diamond shape to the end of the Walking Tyrant's tail, fill with Greenstuff. Instant TL Devs, and allows you to put more weapons in the middle arms and wings on the top. It doesn't work so well for the Flyrant as it balances on the tail but still somewhat feasible.

But wouldn't that mean I wouldn't be able to have put a tail weapon on that tyrant? Yeah, I'm joking. But that could be an issue if they ever make tail weapons worthwhile, even on a flyrant. I carved out a set of holes in the back carapace and mounted the wings on a heavy pin glued into the holes. Then filled it in with greenstuff and tried giving a bit of tissue look. Came out decent. And left the arms free.

Seriously though. I get that the tyranids are based on a six limb organism. But the tyranids are also supposed to be supremely adaptable and the ... Norns(?) must engage in quite a bit of genetic modification. The idea of a flyrant having 8 limbs doesn't seem so extreme. Weren't the wings forgeworld used to sell for the Shrikes back mounted? Making shrikes 8 limbed?

Rumbleguts wrote:
Weren't the wings forgeworld used to sell for the Shrikes back mounted? Making shrikes 8 limbed?

No I don't believe so. I think they went in the upper most arm sockets and then the membrane part of the wing wrapped around so it looked like it was attached on the back. But the actual "arm" part of the wings still took up an arm socket.

For all their adaption, Tyranids I think have exclusively been 6 limbed as long as I've been playing.

Rumbleguts wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:
As mentioned, fluffwise Tyranids only ever have 6 limbs, no exceptions, so a Hive Tyrant with wings would have its weapons attached to other limbs, the wings, or other parts of its body, but the wings would never grow out of the carapace.


Model wise, it makes the HT kit very limiting. You can use the wings with either the standing or leaping body, but either way you must take a set of Scything Talons. This due to either the Wings counting as a set, WYSIWYG rules that is, for the standing body, or the legs as a set for the leaping body (in which case the wings are just wings), as the normal feet don't fit this frame.

So it basically means a Winged Hive Tyrant is stuck with Scything Talons and another set of weapons, such as a Bonesword or TL Devs. However, I've come up with a solution which frees up space.


Take 4 Devourer barrels and glue them in a diamond shape to the end of the Walking Tyrant's tail, fill with Greenstuff. Instant TL Devs, and allows you to put more weapons in the middle arms and wings on the top. It doesn't work so well for the Flyrant as it balances on the tail but still somewhat feasible.

But wouldn't that mean I wouldn't be able to have put a tail weapon on that tyrant? Yeah, I'm joking. But that could be an issue if they ever make tail weapons worthwhile, even on a flyrant. I carved out a set of holes in the back carapace and mounted the wings on a heavy pin glued into the holes. Then filled it in with greenstuff and tried giving a bit of tissue look. Came out decent. And left the arms free.

Seriously though. I get that the tyranids are based on a six limb organism. But the tyranids are also supposed to be supremely adaptable and the ... Norns(?) must engage in quite a bit of genetic modification. The idea of a flyrant having 8 limbs doesn't seem so extreme. Weren't the wings forgeworld used to sell for the Shrikes back mounted? Making shrikes 8 limbed?

I guess the Hive Mind figured that an insectoid basis has advantages over arachnid ones. There's never been a Tyranid with more than 6 limbs, a tail and a head. Maybe its an unchangable facet of their DNA. We aren't dealing with The Thing here, they have limits on what they can modify.

They did have a pusdopod phase though...

GodDamUser wrote:
They did have a pusdopod phase though...

I assume you mean pseudopodia? I don't recall any Tyranid creatures that functioned like that.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

GodDamUser wrote:
They did have a pusdopod phase though...

I assume you mean pseudopodia? I don't recall any Tyranid creatures that functioned like that.

Malefactor, Dactalyst, Extorine, Huraspex and Trygon (last three now have legs)

GodDamUser wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

GodDamUser wrote:
They did have a pusdopod phase though...

I assume you mean pseudopodia? I don't recall any Tyranid creatures that functioned like that.

Malefactor, Dactalyst, Extorine, Huraspex and Trygon (last three now have legs)

I always assumed they moved with a slug-like or snake-like motion. Pseudopod implies that a temporary appendage is used for movement, like an amoeba might use.

I use the T-Fex fleshborer hive, its so muck more cool looking and is more Fluffy b.c it is representing a barrage of shots.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

GodDamUser wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

GodDamUser wrote:
They did have a pusdopod phase though...

I assume you mean pseudopodia? I don't recall any Tyranid creatures that functioned like that.

Malefactor, Dactalyst, Extorine, Huraspex and Trygon (last three now have legs)

I always assumed they moved with a slug-like or snake-like motion. Pseudopod implies that a temporary appendage is used for movement, like an amoeba might use.

well they were single footed and move like snails and slugs, technically most of these also had 2 arms.. so 3 limbs

Ah ok, yeah, that's not classified as pseudopodia as far as I'm aware.

The Trygon actually always had 6 limbs as far as I'm aware, the others seem to have fewer number of limbs, though flicking through my old epic 40k books I wonder if the other limbs were just hidden because the visible limbs are still described as "forelimbs". Didn't the Zoanthrope back then only have 4 limbs? Or maybe 2 of them were hidden.

Either way, they were a downgrade in the number of limbs rather than an upgrade from 6 to 8, so maybe it's a case of the queens being able to repurpose the limbs in to something new but not create all new ones.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Ah ok, yeah, that's not classified as pseudopodia as far as I'm aware.

The Trygon actually always had 6 limbs as far as I'm aware, the others seem to have fewer number of limbs, though flicking through my old epic 40k books I wonder if the other limbs were just hidden because the visible limbs are still described as "forelimbs". Didn't the Zoanthrope back then only have 4 limbs? Or maybe 2 of them were hidden.

Either way, they were a downgrade in the number of limbs rather than an upgrade from 6 to 8, so maybe it's a case of the queens being able to repurpose the limbs in to something new but not create all new ones.

Idk about older nids, but from 5th ed codex as of 2010 all nids had 6 limbs from artwork to models.

 Amishprn86 wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Ah ok, yeah, that's not classified as pseudopodia as far as I'm aware.

The Trygon actually always had 6 limbs as far as I'm aware, the others seem to have fewer number of limbs, though flicking through my old epic 40k books I wonder if the other limbs were just hidden because the visible limbs are still described as "forelimbs". Didn't the Zoanthrope back then only have 4 limbs? Or maybe 2 of them were hidden.

Either way, they were a downgrade in the number of limbs rather than an upgrade from 6 to 8, so maybe it's a case of the queens being able to repurpose the limbs in to something new but not create all new ones.

Idk about older nids, but from 5th ed codex as of 2010 all nids had 6 limbs from artwork to models.

Yeah I think every Tyranid model since the mid 90's are 6 limbed.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
maybe it's a case of the queens being able to repurpose the limbs in to something new but not create all new ones.

You've struck on an interesting point, and one I've been thinking about for a long time. I think that the Nids don't have an unlimited control over genetics, but rather, have a collection of templates they can use. Looking at the Codex units for example, you can group almost all the units into one of four basic templates: Rippers/Worm, Gaunts, Warriors and Heavy.

It is my belief that Nids come as a blank slate of sorts, with their limbs just gloopy stumps. For example, imagine a gaunt with just a head, tail, and stumps for limbs. The Norn Queen comes along and evolves the back legs into either feet or hooves, the middle into either small claws or graft on a fleshborer weapon. The front legs become either Scythes or graft a fleshborer, thus creating either Hormagaunts, Termagants or Gargoyles.


The other three categories are more complex. For example, look at the similarities between Warriors, and Hive Tyrants. They have a number of similarities, and in fact, each Tyrant has a retinue of Warriors cultivated from its own flesh, hence making said Warriors, clones of the Tyrant. To this end, it can be deduced that Tyrants are simply Warriors, or Warrior Primes, further along in their evolutionary development.

Similarly, Ravenors and Trygons bear resemblance to a giant, highly evolved Ripper.

Now, Heavies are a different kettle of fish in that there are a number of different variants. Biovores, Pryovores and Exocrines all seem based on a single genetic template, where Tyrannofexes seem like super-highly evolved Hive Guard. In the codex it also mentions that Hive Guard can be kept as end-stage Larvae almost indefinitely and are used to patrol ships, suggest that Nids can in fact become higher forms over time and with the right push from the HM.



So my categories for this theory are

Gaunts: Termagants, Hormagaunts, Gargoyles
Worm: Rippers, Ravenors, Trygon, Mawloc, Zoanthrope, Malanthrope, Neurothrope, Venomthrope
Heavies: Tyrant Guard, Hive Guard, Tyrannofex. Biovore, Pyrovore, Exocrine, Haruspex.
Warriors: Warrior, Shrike, Prime, Lictor, Deathleaper, Hive Tyrant, Carnifex.

Insects always have 6 limbs. Those that have wings do not lose a set of limbs, they have evolved from a separate part of the organism. No reason for tyranids to be any different. Therefore a 'nid could have wings and 6 limbs and not break the aesthetic.

 Reanimator wrote:
Insects always have 6 limbs. Those that have wings do not lose a set of limbs, they have evolved from a separate part of the organism. No reason for tyranids to be any different. Therefore a 'nid could have wings and 6 limbs and not break the aesthetic.

Tyranud wings are very different to insect wings though, as they are not entirely insectoid but also have a slight dinosaur or dragon aesthetic. They have large bat like wings, which are a limb, instead of beetle or dragonfly type wings. I do believe this was to make somewhat distinction from Starship Trooper bugs, which they are often compared and accused of ripping off

 Reanimator wrote:
Insects always have 6 limbs. Those that have wings do not lose a set of limbs, they have evolved from a separate part of the organism. No reason for tyranids to be any different. Therefore a 'nid could have wings and 6 limbs and not break the aesthetic.

Tyranids aren't insects though, they're Tyranids, and Tyranids use sets of limbs for their wings. Source: Every flying Tyranid creature ever

Actually Tyranids were originally modelled off dinosaurs rather than insects. I believe flying dinosaurs use a set of limbs for wings as well.

EDIT: In the end you can do whatever the hell you want as long as the rules are decently represented. It's your army and you can make it whatever you like. We're just pointing out why the Flyrant is modelled with arm-wings like a bat/dinosaur/bird rather than back-wings like an insect.

Hmm... memory malfunction on my end. Could have sworn some nids had wings in addition to 6 limbs. I was quite wrong. Withdrawn with apologies!