The Tyranid Hive Tyrant is the classic Tyranid HQ choice. It is a monstrous creature that can be configured as an assault creature, as a ranged weapon creature, or as a bit of each. This means that the Tyranid Hive Tyrant is a very adaptable option. This is great in smaller games as you get fewer models in a smaller game and so picking multipurpose options is strategically advisable.
Strength and Weapons
The Tyranid Hive Tyrant is quite formidable in a fight. It is a monstrous creature for a start, with all the benefits that offers. On top of this the Tyranid Hive Tyrants strength is enough to rip most tanks apart in close combat, and is a match for any Space Marine Dreadnought.
Bone Sword
The Tyranid Bone Sword carried by the Tyranid Hive Tyrant as a default weapon is a formidable weapon. It is AP3 so it will cut through most amour, and can cause instant death on a 6 to wound. This means that it is a great weapon to take on enemy characters.
Lash Whip
The Tyranid Lash Whip is another awesome weapon, It ups the Hive Tyrants Initiative score to 8. There are very few characters in the game with an Initiative score this time. This means that ou will have first strike most of the time and occasionally be striking at the same time. If you can strike first the you may kill the enemy character outright in one round. If you can do this then avoid any return attacks.
Scything Talons
The other weapon that the Tyranid Hive Tyrant carries by default is a set of Tyranid Scything Talons. Scything Talons have been downgraded since the previous Tyranid Codexes. Instead of adding an extra attack, they are now allowing you to re-roll some misses. This means that you may want to consider upgrading the Scything Talons for some other weapon. Upgrading to the Tyranid Venom Cannon is a popular choice as this will give the Tyranid Hive Tyrant some longer range shooting ability as you approach the enemy.
Toughness Armour and Biomorphs
The Tyranid Hive Tyranid is quite tough. It is tough enough for Bolters and Lasguns to need 6’s to wound, however weapons with a higher strength than these weapons will wound the Tyranid Hive Tyrant more easily. Heavy bolters and Autocannons are quite effective against Tyranid Hive Tyrants. One way to counter this is to upgrade your Tyranid Hive Tyrant with either Winds, so that you can get in to close combat faster, or the Armoured Shell Biomorph, which will make the Tyranid Hive Tyrants amour as tough as a Space Marie Terminator, without the invulnerable saves.
Hive Mind & Psychic Powers
The Tyranid Hive Tyrant is a psychic creature. There are two lists of psychic powers available to the Hive Tyrant. The first list is a list of powers that you get included in the points cost. The second list is a list of four psychic power that you can select two included in the points cost. The Tyranid Hive Tyrant comes with two psychic power all the time. These are ‘Synapse Creature’, and ‘Shadow of the Warp’.
You are able to select two psychic powers from a list of four. These are included in the Tyranid Hive Tyrant’s points.
Wings
A Mk3 Warhammer 40k Tyranid Hive Tyrant with dragon wings to make a Flying Monstrous Creature!
I highly recommend adding wings to the Tyranid Hive Tyrant. The model pictures here is a metal Hive
Tyrant with plastic dragon wings attached. Some modeling and green stuff was required, but not much. You can add wings by mail-ordering Dragon wings from Games Workshop mail order or from Forge World. Since I created this model Games Workshop released the Tyranid Hive Tyrant /Swarmlord model. this makes adding a Winged Hive Tyrant to your army a breeze!
Adding Wings on a Tyranid Hive Tyrant gives the Hive Tyrant the Jump-Pack and Monstrous Flying Creature
The Hive Tyrant as a Jump-Pack creature benefits are that the Hive Tyrant a 12″ move in the movement phase, and you still get the option to run in the shooting phase if you do not shoot. this means that the Winged Tyranid Hive Tyrant a move of up to 18″ per turn. Otherwise you can move shoot ( as all the Tyranid weapons are Assault weapons), and then assault. This is great for jumping over cover that you enemy is hiding behind and shooting them from a direction that they do not get a cover save from. This is specially effective against Imperial Guard and Tau hiding behind Aegis Defense Lines.
The Hive Tyrant as a Flying Monstrous Creature is an option that has been added in the 6th Edition of the Warhammer 40000 rules. This is a role that the Hive Tyrant is excelling at. Most Tyranid games now have one or two Winged Hive Tyrants ( aka, Fyrants ) screaming over the battle filed dishing out fly by ‘ Vector Strike’ attacks in the movement phase and then dishing out 6 twin-linked Devourer / Brain Leach S6 shots at the unfortunate troops below.
> Also See: Warhammer 40k Monstrous Creature Tactics
> Also Buy: Tyranid Hive Tyrant / Swarm Lord from Amazon
Retinue – Tyrant Guard
A Mk2 Warhammer 40k Tyranid Hive Tyrant with two Tyranid Hive Guard.
Tyranid Guard are highly recommended if you are not using wings on your Tyranid Hive Tyrant. They increase the survivability of the Tyranid Hive Tyrant, and give extra attacks if they get in to close combat.
If you have a Tyranid Hive Tyrant armed with a shooting weapon, then taking two or three Tyranid Guard is generally a good idea.
> Also Buy: Games Workshop Tyranid Guard for Amazon