"The armour of a Land Raider, the strength of a Thunderfire Cannon, the accuracy of a veteran Devastator, and the discipline of the Emperor’s Finest—this is the Tyranid Hive Guard.”"
- —Aloysius at the Battle of Macragge, 745.M41
A Hive Guard on the battlefield
The Hive Guard are a strange Tyranid life form. They are usually not seen until the capillary towers and spore chimneys have formed on the surface of a world the Tyranids are seeking to consume. Then they are brought forth to guard these lifeforms which have no real protection. The Hive Guard stands out as a unique creature even amongst the Tyranids in its extreme specialization for its role. The Hive Guard's six-legged form provides it with a stable-firing platform for its deadly Impaler Cannon.
A Tyranid Hive Guard
Hive Guard are heavily armoured gun-beasts bound to extremely powerful symbiotic bio-weapons. Though they have no eyes, Hive Guard possess a weak telepathic ability that allows them to perceive through the senses of other Tyranids , giving them access to a wealth of targeting information that would overwhelm even the most sophisticated technological cogitator. The scant mental capacity apportioned to the Hive Guard means that, without the direction of the Hive Mind , they have been known to stand motionless, waiting for prey to come within range instead of moving forwards to engage.
Weapons
- Impaler Cannon - The living shard beasts of the Hive Guard's Impaler Cannon are little creatures that guide the large harpoon like spikes. These bony missiles are twice the height of a man and can be fired indirectly at targets in cover. It can even be used against transports and other lightly armoured vehicles in a pinch.
Source
- Deathwatch: The Jericho Reach (RPG), pg. 179
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