Tyranid Upgrade Special Character (V1.0)

Hormagaunt Matriarch

Hormagaunts are unique among the other broods of Tyranids for several reasons. One of the more notable, it their ability to reproduce independently. Survivors from failed Tyranid attacks can quickly multiply and become a sustained risk for a planets inhabitants. Sometimes sent ahead of the swarm, a few Hormagaunts will serve as scouts laying pheromone trails for the rest of the hive. In some cases these few Hormagaunts can breed at such a rate that they alone are enough to overwhelm planetary settlements and garrisons.
However numerous, gaunts would never be able to achieve anything more than basic victory without the Hive mind to control them. To counteract this, for every few thousand Hormagaunt egg layed, there is a Matriarch egg. When in the presence of the Hive mind, the genes of this egg are suppressed and a regular Hormagaunt is born. But when out of synapse range of the Hive mind then a Matriarch is born, and a somewhat muted synapse is established. A Hormagaunt Matriarch possess great cunning, and is able to bring the feral broods of Hormagaunts to order. Where the swarms of Hormagaunts used to be wild and unpredictable, suddenly they will show coordination and discipline. When the main Hive Fleet arrives, the Matriarch still leads her brood of Hormagaunts into battle. She will allow a level of control that Hive mind cannot usually extend to its Hormagaunts.
A Matriarch has all the vicious instincts of her fellow Hormagaunts, along with rows of teeth and razor-sharp talons. Matriarchs are protected by their Hormagaunts, and as they age several generations their bones fuse together into harder exoskeletons and sharper talons. Her muscles become denser and stronger, and her reflexes more and more honed. A mature Matriarch leading a coordinated attack of Hormagaunts is truly terrifying. All the more terrifying knowing that the Hormagaunts are just the shock troops of the larger Hive fleet.

Venom Sacs: The more developed toxin sacs of Hormagaunt Matriarchs contain a more potent from of poison. The Matriarch has poisoned attacks, and wounds on a 2+.

One Hormagaunt Brood in the army may upgrade a Hormagaunt to a Matriarch for 35 pts.

Hormagaunt Matriarch
5 3 4 4 3 6 3 10 5+

Unit Type:
Infantry (unique)

Weapons and Biomorphs:
Scything Talons
Reinforced Chitin
Adrenal Glands
Venom Sacs (2+ poison attacks)

Special Rules:
Synapse Creature
Shadow in the Warp
Bounding Leap
Fleet
Move Through Cover


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