Games Workshop has revealed nine new units for the Warhammer 40k Tyranids range, including updated Genestealers, Hormagaunts, Termagants, and the massive new Norn Emissary and Norn Assimilator. The firm revealed the additions to the Warhammer 40k faction during the ‘Battle for Oghram’ livestream on Saturday, and announced that the Tyranids Codex will be the first one released this edition.
The Tyranids received many new models in the Leviathan launch box set for the 10th edition of Warhammer 40k, and they already had one of the larger Xenos ranges. The refresh brings many of their older kits up to a modern standard, while adding some incredible new minis.
Here’s all the new Warhammer 40k Tyranid models that Games Workshop revealed on Saturday July 15:
Norn Emissary
The Norn Emissary is a towering giant of a Tyranid beast, standing taller than an Eldar Wraithlord. It’s totally new for Warhammer 40k 10th edition.
Norn Emissaries have self control and individuality unlike anything else in the hive fleet. Their role is to eliminate or abduct enemy commanders with their physical might and psychic prowess.
Norn Assimilator
Built from the same kit as the Norn Emissary, the Norn Assimilator trades out psychic power for massive, toxin-injecting harpoon fists and even greater melee might. Warhammer Community manager Eddie Eccles says that the Assimilator is smaller than an Imperial Knight, but has a good chance of going toe-to-toe with one and winning.
The Assimilator will be assigned to one purpose by the hive mind, which is reflected on the battlefield as a buff for a single purpose – such as rerolls when attacking a particular enemy unit or when holding a particular objective.
Genestealers
Genestealers are a classic Tyranid unit, dating all the way back to the first edition of Warhammer 40k.
The newly revealed Genestealer kit follows the classic design, but reimagines them with modern sculpting techniques. There are components to enhance the entire unit with Ymgarl feeder tendrils, or with a protruding ovipositor.
Hormagaunts
Next in line to get the update treatment are Hormagaunts, bounding, claw-armed melee beasts that swarm the battlefield.
Once again this is a new version of a classic model, bringing them up to the same standard as the minis released with Leviathan.
Multipart Termagants
New Multipart Termagants join the single-part termagants from the latest Warhammer 40k starter sets. Where the monopose termagants are equipped with fleshborers, these have options for spinefists, devourers, strangleweb launcher, barb launcher, and spike rifle. That last weapon is a deep cut throwback to a metal Tyranid model from second edition Warhammer 40k.
Lictors
The Lictor is a Tyranid stealth organism that fights in the vanguard of the hive fleets, infiltrating enemy positions with its chameleonic skin and draining the brains of enemy commanders with its feeder tendrils.
It’s another classic monster that’s been part of the range since Warhammer 40k second edition. The plastic kit provides options to build the monster crouching for stealth or poised to strike.
Neurolictor
The Neurolictor is a variant of the stealth organism that specialises in sowing “terror and confusion”, forcing enemy units to take battle-shock tests and face nasty (but so far unspecified) consequences if they fail.
Biovore
The new model for the Biovore biological artillery piece is a huge, armored, tick-like creature, with a symbiotic weapon growing from its back.
That bio-artillery has the Indirect Fire weapon ability, letting you target models hiding out of line of sight, and can also deposit drifting clouds of spore mines around the battlefield.
Pyrovore
The Pyrovore has a similar body form to the Biovore, but mounts a flaming acid sprayer on its back instead of a long-range artillery piece. It’s able to burn away the benefit of cover from enemy models – just be wary, it’s prone to exploding when it finally dies.
Vanguard force
WarCom manager Eddie Eccles hinted at a new 40k Detachment that will appear in the Tyranids Warhammer 40k Codex. The force is restricted to ‘vanguard’ organisms like Lictors, Genestealers, and Von Ryan’s Leapers, lead by the special character Deathleaper.
The Tyranid models were revealed because their force was victorious in the Battle for Oghram community participation campaign, winning 53% of the 44,000 battles that fans registered with Games Workshop. Warhammer Community spokesperson Eddie Eccles says that the campaign was extremely close until the last few days.
Editor Alex had a glorious time painting his Leviathan Tyranids using Contrast paint, to the extent that he’s become evangelical about speed painting miniatures – if you still have some of your Leviathan minis left to paint, it’s definitely a way to get your bugs on the battlefield faster!