Hive Fleet Adaptations

Behemoth: Hyper-aggression

Driven by a frenzied hunger, Hive Fleet Behemoth unleashes the full might of its swarms in an overwhelming frontal assault. You can re-roll failed charge rolls for units with this adaptation.

Gorgon: Adaptive Toxins

The toxins produced by Hive Fleet Gorgon’s swarm-creatures adapt with terrifying speed to any foe, agonising and ravaging the bodies of their unfortunate victims. You can re-roll wound rolls of 1 in the Fight phase for units with this adaptation.

Hydra: Swarming Instincts

Hive Fleet Hydra’s super-swarms overwhelm their prey with sheer weight of numbers, drowning them in a tide of chitin, flesh and slashing claws. You can re-roll hit rolls in the Fight phase for units with this adaptation that target units containing fewer models than their own.

Jormungandr: Tunnel Networks

The warrior-organisms of Hive Fleet Jormungandr attack from subterranean tunnels, making them extremely difficult to target until it is far too late. A unit with this adaptation (other than units that can FLY) always has the benefit of Light Cover for the purposes of shooting attacks. If the unit Advances or declares a charge, however, it loses the benefit of this adaptation until the start of your next Movement phase.

Kraken: Questing Tendrils

The Kraken harries and unbalances its foes with lightning-fast flanking attacks, before encircling them for the final, bloody massacre. When a unit with this adaptation Advances, roll three dice instead of one and pick the highest to add to the Move characteristic of all models in the unit for that Movement phase. In addition, such units can Fall Back and charge in the same turn.

Kronos: Bio-barrage

Hive Fleet Kronos obliterates its foes at range by unleashing devastating barrages of bio-plasma and living missiles. You can re-roll hit rolls of 1 for units with this adaptation in your Shooting phase.

Leviathan: Synaptic Imperative

Hive Fleet Leviathan’s synaptic network is so strong that its organisms can be compelled by the Hive Mind to fight in spite of injuries that should have crippled or slain them outright. Roll a D6 each time a unit with this adaptation loses a wound whilst it is within 12" of a friendly SYNAPSE unit from the same hive fleet. On a 6, the damage is ignored and the unit does not lose a wound. Ignore this adaptation on a unit that is currently affected by the Catalyst psychic power.

Custom Hive Fleet Adaptations

The Tyranid race is a single, gestalt super-organism, preying on the entire galaxy. Yet like the variable nature of its bio-horrors, each hive fleet is an expression of the Tyranids’ adaptability. The huge number of hive fleets allows the Tyranids to deploy an unending array of deadly morphic traits. Codex: Tyranids describes how the <HIVE FLEET> keyword can be substituted with the name of your chosen Hive Fleet, as well as describing the abilities that units in Tyranids Detachments gain. One of these abilities is Hive Fleet Adaptations. If your chosen Hive Fleet does not have an associated Hive Fleet Adaptation in Codex: Tyranids, you can create its Hive Fleet Adaptation by selecting two different rules from the following list:

Adaptive Exoskeleton

The gaunt-derived creatures produced by some hive fleets secrete a waxy, resinous material that hardens into a slick layer of protection, deflecting or absorbing hits. TERMAGANT, HORMAGAUNT and GARGOYLE models with this adaptation have a 6+ invulnerable save.

Bestial Nature

The monstrous organisms of this hive fleet embody a savage ferocity. When wounded near unto death, they lash out in animalistic fury, making taking them down a suicidal prospect. Add 2 to the Attacks characteristic of a model with this adaptation that has 4 or more Wounds.

Bio-metallic Cysts

Incubated within the bladed limbs of this hive fleet’s weapon-beasts are colonies of cysts whose bio-metallic edges can slice through armour. Improve the Armour Penetration characteristic of Scything Talons that models with this adaptation are equipped with by 1 (e.g. AP 4 becomes AP 3).

Biosphere Consumption

Parasitising upon the prey world itself, this hive fleet’s monstrosities delve osmotic tendrils into its biomass. Embedding themselves like a tumour and fuelling their metabolic resilience, they are nigh impossible to remove. When a MONSTEROUS CREATURE model with this adaptation would lose a wound, if that model’s unit did not move during your last Movement phase or it is the first battle round, and there are no enemy units within 1" of that model’s unit, roll one D6; on a 6 that wound is not lost.

Cranial Channelling

The craniums of this hive fleet’s psyker-beasts contain a clutch of symbiotic larvae whose entire life-cycle revolves around the channelling of the Hive Mind. With an instinctive impulse, the carrier will absorb one of these creatures into their swollen brain matter, thus becoming a more efficient and fluid extension of the hive fleet’s will. Once per turn, when a Psychic test is taken for a model with this adaptation, you can re-roll the result.

Feeding Frenzy

With dormant glands that suddenly burst into life, and reinforced, adaptive cartilage powering headlong leaps, the swarms of this hive fleet feed their urge to close with their prey as quickly as possible. When a pile-in move is made for a unit with this adaptation, models in that unit can move up to 6" instead of 3".

Horror from Beyond

Whether due to some sickening aura of the Hive Mind or simply their terrifying size and predatory hunger, this hive fleet’s larger organisms are so monstrous that few are the heroic or insane who can stand before them. Subtract 1 from the Leadership characteristic of models in enemy units whilst their unit is within 3" of any MONSTEROUS CREATURE units from your army with this adaptation.

Hypermetabolic Acceleration

This hive fleet bio-engineers its horrors with multiple stimm-releasing glands. Surges of extragalactic chemicals drive them to frenzied rushes across the prey worlds. When a unit with this adaptation Advances, you can re-roll the Advance roll.

Membranous Mobility

This hive fleet’s skyswarm bioforms evince an unusually complex web of membranous tissue, allowing them to weave and jink with such astounding flexibility that carefully aimed blows can easily pass through thin air. When resolving an attack made with a melee weapon against a model with this adaptation that can FLY, subtract 1 from the hit roll.

Metamorphic Regrowth

Within the flesh of its limitless broods, this hive fleet has adapted strange conglomerate organs and pathogen-hunting spores that can rapidly reknit any damage. A model with this adaptation regains up to 1 lost wound at the start of your turn.

Morphic Sinews

Stabilised with fibrous cords of sinew and internal wells of viscous fluid, this hive fleet’s largest weapon symbiotes instinctively adjust to their host beast’s hulking advances. MONSTEROUS models with this adaptation do not suffer the penalty for moving and firing Heavy weapons, nor for Advancing and firing Assault weapons.

Pack Hunters

Submerging their prey in waves of talons and fangs, this hive fleet’s creatures use their weight of numbers to punch and tear their way through once-stout defences. When resolving an attack made with a melee weapon by a model with this adaptation against a unit that contains fewer models than that model’s unit, improve the Armour Penetration characteristic of that weapon by 1 for that attack (e.g. AP 5 become AP 4).

Prey-sight

Some hive fleets’ horrifying colossi close with the enemy while straining their multiple alien senses, the prey’s every movement and position noted. When it comes, the strike is inescapable. If a MONSTEROUS CREATURE unit with this adaptation makes a charge move, is charged or performs a Heroic Intervention, then until the end of the turn, when resolving an attack made with a melee weapon by a model in that unit, add 1 to the hit roll.

Senses of the Outer Dark

Developed beyond the galaxy, this hive fleet’s organisms’ preternatural senses are triggered by surges of aggression as they close with the enemy. The prey’s fearful defensive fire is dodged with blinding speed. When a model with this adaptation would lose a wound as a result of an Overwatch attack, roll one D6; on a 4+ that wound is not lost.

Shrewd Predators

This hive fleet’s synaptic coordination is so overwhelming that it compels its organisms to override their baser instincts, unnervingly moving in unexpected directions – all the while closing the snare on their prey. When a model with this adaptation makes a consolidation move, if there are no enemy models within 3", that model does not have to end the move closer to the nearest enemy model.

Sporemist Spines

Ejected with a muscular spasm from between carapace plates, these clouds of microscopic crystalline spines cause pain and disorientation, allowing this hive fleet’s broods to slip away at speed – and on to meatier prey. A unit with this adaptation can Move and Advance in a turn in which it Falls Back.

Synaptic Augmentation

This hive fleet has refined its conduits to the lesser organisms, allowing for subtle control and augmentation of their instincts. So directed, they are far more deadly. When a <HIVE FLEET> unit with this adaptation that is within 6" of a friendly <HIVE FLEET> PSYKER or <HIVE FLEET> SYNAPSE unit fires Overwatch or is chosen to shoot or fight with, you can re-roll a single hit roll.