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So in reading the Dark Imperium series I wanted to ask a question.

Which would win out in the end, Tyranids ability to learn and adapt to new threats/mutagenic adaptability or Deathguard plagues? I appears like whoever is in charge of the fluff, but given Tyranids ability to live through almost anything, and DG's ability to kill anything bio/organic, which is stronger?

I have to believe that even papa Nurgle couldn't keep up with the Swarm's ability to adapt to anything, as fast as they do. Is there any instance of the Endless Hunger meeting up with the Champions of Pestilence?

It depends really. We've seen how a specially engineered toxin can kill off an invasion in the Ultramarines series so a Warp Plague could be just as effective or it could kill one part of a tendril then be isolated and neutralised.

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
I have to believe that even papa Nurgle couldn't keep up with the Swarm's ability to adapt to anything, as fast as they do. Is there any instance of the Endless Hunger meeting up with the Champions of Pestilence?

It depends on a lot of factor. Is a "magical disease" something that could be neutralized in the same way someone neutralizes psychic powers? If yes, the Tyranids are practically immune to Nurgle's diseases. Tyranids, when they can't cure something have a tendency to "cut on limb" to save the body and are very efficient at it and the same trick almost never works twice. It's probable that entire tendrils could be ravaged by plagues and bioweapons of great power, but it wouldn't be enough to stop a healthy Hive Fleet and not the Tyranid race itself. It's also good to note that Tyranids are also great specialists and engineers of toxin poison and panacea that Nurgle might not find delightful. Fights against Warp powers and Tyranids have happened, with both side losing or winning depending on their circumstances.

It depends on who's doing the writing and who's wearing the plot armor that day.

In some fluff, Imperials using virus bombs (y'know, those things that eat and wipe out a whole planet) on Tyranids is a bad idea because they come back literally the next day spewing the virus like halitosis.

Other fluff has hive fleets deliberately stranding broods in the warp away from the hive mind to make them more vulnerable before sweeping back and reabsorbing them hoping for useful mutations. Clearly not the work of a species that worries about diseases.

On the other hand, we have plenty of lore on Tyranids and even whole Hive Fleets dying in the dumbest, deus ex machina, author asspulls someone can think of. Death Guard seem to be more popular and Tyranids are pretty much the galaxy's punching bags, so anyone can do pretty much whatever they want to Tyranids and there wouldn't be too much of a leap to make it work.

It was vbombs that got me thinking, because I thought I recalled that a planet invested with the Nids "survived" a virus bombing, and it made them stronger.

I mean they are kinda a one trick pony as far as writing lore goes. They only really have one single motivation. Hunger. It's like the Borg. You can't really write a interesting book about the thoughts and emotions of the Borg. You can't write about the immense passions or genius of the Nids.

Then again juxtapose that against say, The imperial guard, who have thoughts, feelings, individuals, emotions, passions, motivations, complexities. So yeah, nids are the BBEG of 40k, to be trotted out whenever the good guys need a unstoppable foil.

10 posts in and no one mentioned lore answered this question long ago?

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

 Irbis wrote:
10 posts in and no one mentioned lore answered this question long ago?

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

Thank you!

This is what I was trying to find. So basically, they took the lazy writer's way out. It's a draw. Both sides were SO TOXIC that neither wanted it.

its all depends on the level of warp incursion, if its a full blown demon world then the tyranids will not be able to adapt to the threat of the planet itself trying to swat their ships out of orbit (Ref: fear to tread), the warp based diseases that thrive on resistance (ref: liber chaotica, Flight of the eisenstien etc.) would be even more powerful, if its a standard demonic incursion then closing off the warp is well within the abilities of the Hive mind so long as it does not get too out of control (as above)

Either way its a slog.

There was also the case on page 36 of the current nid codex where hive fleet Gorgon ran into a plague hulk. They managed to eat a few death guard, then figured out how to make a toxin able to melt plague marines.

From then on they became the toxin themed hive fleet, rather than the hyper adaptive fleet they were themed as in their previous encounters Vs the tau.

So yeah, depends on who is writing it.