Set in a galaxy eternally at war, the Warhammer 40K universe is not short of grave alien threats for humanity to wrestle with. From the bloodthirsty Orks to the corrupting forces of Chaos and beyond, the Imperium of Man is beset on all sides, forced into a state of constant military engagement. However, there is one xenos race that represents existential doom for not only the Imperium but every sentient species in the Milky Way galaxy: the Tyranids.
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Billions of chittering organisms of varying shapes and sizes but all genetically perfected to kill, the individual creatures that make up the Tyranid race are all psychically linked to the Hive Mind, allowing them to all share one singular purpose: to feed. Stripping whole planets of biomass and leaving them as barren husks of rock floating in the void, the Tyranid species of the Warhammer 40K franchise are invading the galaxy in different tendrils designated Hive Fleets that differ in size and strategy but are nonetheless the strongest forces of the Hive Mind.
10 Tiamet
Ziaphoria's Organic Structure
Hive Fleet Tiamet is named after the Tiamet system of planets, which the Hive Fleet has claimed without stripping them entirely of biomass. If this was not unusual enough considering the Tyranids' usual behavior, Tiamet has been observed actively defending the worlds it inhabits.
However, the strangest and most worrying aspect of Hive Fleet Tiamet was discovered on the planet Ziaphoria within the system, with the discovery of a continent-sized organic structure resonating with psychic energy. The purpose of this structure is still hotly debated but, as Hive Ships of Tiamet begin to feed on worlds further away from the system, the true power of the Hive Fleet may well come into focus.
9 Naga
Eradicated Multiple Alien Races
Far from exclusively posing a threat to the Imperium, Hive Fleet Naga tore a bloody path through the psychically-disposed Aeldari's territory. Referred to by the Aeldari as "Shai'naid" or the "Endlessly Winding Serpent," Naga was eventually destroyed at the hands of a combined force of the Malan'tai, Iyanden, and Idharae Craftworlds.
Naga is also responsible for the extinction of numerous burgeoning alien races, in a genocidal campaign that allowed Naga to grow its reserves of biomass, hence its ability to overcome both Aeldari and Imperium defenses. Though destroyed, Naga would leave a lasting impact on the Aeldari with the Doom of Malan'tai, a unique Zoanthrope variant that fed on the psychic energy of the Malan'tai Craftworld before vanishing, leaving in its wake a lifeless shell.
8 Gorgon
Venomous & Adaptable
Whilst smaller in relation to the major Tyranid Hive Fleets, Hive Fleet Gorgon had the unique ability to adapt to the circumstances of battle with exceptional speed. This flexible biology was both a nightmare for and potentially born from the Tau Empire, who are similarly adaptable albeit technologically and were drawn into a campaign against the Tyranids when Gorgon invaded their territory at the tail end of M41.
In addition to the Hive Fleet's malleable biology and rapid adaptability, every organism in Gorgon's forces was virulently venomous in a way that was perfectly adapted to the biological make-up of its prey. If it were not for the surprise alliance between the Tau and the Imperium, the region of Tau space left barren by Gorgon named the Zone of Silence may well have been much bigger.
7 Ouroboris
A Primordial Threat
Sometime before M36, a xenos force called the "Legion of Ouroboris" assaulted an Imperial sector that consisted of "winged monsters" that "stripped the countryside of life." Whilst this ancient threat was ultimately defeated, it bears striking similarities to the Tyranids. Worse still, it seems that Hive Fleet Ouroboris has reemerged, descending on Imperial worlds to feast on the biomass.
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Tactically, Ouroboris favors massive aerial assaults in order to overwhelm its prey, filling the skies with so many Gargoyles, Harpies, and Harridans that the soldiers below must fight in the dark. Additionally, advanced anti-Tyranid tactics are terrifyingly ineffective against Ouroboris due to its organisms' primordial biology, much to the horror of veterans of the Tyrannic Wars.
6 Hydra
Rapid Expansion
Proving that not even the Tyranid race is safe from its own eternal hunger, Hive Fleet Hydra has made a habit of cannibalizing other, older Hive Fleets. Whilst the purpose of this is not entirely clear, it has allowed Hydra to absorb the memories of these Hive Fleets, including those containing the tactics and weapons of the other sentient races in the Milky Way.
Justifying its namesake, Hydra can multiply at an almost supernatural speed, with foes who cut down one organism soon finding three more in its place. Awoken from its dormant state by a careless Drukhari raiding party, Hive Fleet Hydra is accelerating across the galaxy with maddening speed, eager to quell its hunger and uncaring about what prey it comes across.
5 Jormungandr
Silent Killers
In comparison to its fellow Hive Fleets, Jormungandr's tactics showcase unusual patience and cunning. For the first two years of its activity, the Hive Fleet stealthily consumed unprotected worlds and amassed a large reserve of biomass, ending up sealing off the Thalassi Sector by coiling its tendrils around it.
When invading the Imperial worlds of the Thalassi Sector, Jormungandr employed unique and powerful tactics previously unseen in Tyranid strategy. It preferred the use of tunneling organisms such as Raveners and Trygons, the delivery of which planet-side it ensured by launching its Mycetic Spores in tandem with ensnared asteroids. Even if an invasion force of Jormungandr is beaten back, remnants will remain in the very depths of the planet, waiting for the opportune time to strike again.
4 Kraken
Raw Power
The second major Tyranid invasion of the Milky Way galaxy came in the form of Hive Fleet Kraken, which caused horrific casualties for both the Imperium of Man and the Aeldari of Craftworld Iyanden. With the Imperium believing the Tyranid threat extinguished, Kraken forged a path of destruction through hundreds of planets before humanity realized the danger coming for them.
The Aeldari faired no better, with the Craftworld Iyanden crippled by a tendril of Kraken, with only the timely arrival of Prince Yriel saving them from total annihilation. Although Kraken suffered defeats that left only remnants of the Hive Fleet existing in the galaxy, it showcased the raw power of the Tyranid menace.
3 Behemoth
Consumer Of Worlds
Being the first recorded contact between the Imperium and the Tyranids, Hive Fleet Behemoth sidelined the forces of Mankind, boring itself into the galaxy from the Eastern Fringe all the way to Macragge: homeworld of the Ultramarines Space Marine chapter.
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By the time of its defeat by the Ultramarines on Macragge, Behemoth had consumed countless worlds, butchering billions of life forms and, despite its unsubtle tactic of plowing forward and devouring all in its path, the Hive Fleet marked the Tyranids as an extremely powerful xenos threat. Ultimately, it was Behemoth that paved the way for every other Tyranid Hive Fleet.
2 Kronos
A Quick Learner
If there were a perfect example of the Tyranids' ability to adapt quickly and efficiently, it would be Hive Fleet Kronos. Acting in symbiosis with the larger Hive Fleet Leviathan, the latter has been observed leaving worlds partially consumed for the former to feast on. This is likely due to the prey that Kronos hunts yielding no usable biomass for the Tyranids: the forces of Chaos.
Designed to face an enemy that relishes close combat, Kronos engages Chaos worshipers and Warp-spawned monstrosities at range, suffocating its prey in a hail of organic projectiles. Hive Fleet Kronos is not only a strong and specialized fleet in itself but showcases the horrifying power of the Tyranid Hive Mind as it continuously adapts to its prey.
1 Leviathan
The Greatest Threat
The largest and most recent Tyranid fleet to invade the Milky Way, Hive Fleet Leviathan represents the gravest Tyranid threat to the galaxy yet. Pushing upwards through the galactic plane, Leviathan has split its forces into two gigantic tendrils light years apart from one another, simultaneously forcing its prey to spread itself thin as well as enveloping an expansive section of space with the Shadow in the Warp.
Whilst the threat of Leviathan looked vanquished after its defeat at the Blood Angels' homeworld of Baal and with the continuing Indomitus Crusade, M42 has seen three new tendrils of the Hive Fleet burst into the galaxy, causing untold destruction and threatening Holy Terra itself.
