# What do tyranids have against Necrons?



## ScorpionBrood (Jan 22, 2010)

In the tyranid 5th edition codex on page 11 it states: Two minor tendrils of Hive Fleet Behemoth make major course corrections in order to avoid conflict with the Necrons of Solemnace.
This confuses me sense the tyranids are not supposed to be scared of anything. I have 3 hypothesis as to why they did this. If you know which is right, or if they are all wrong, please tell me. Thanks.
1. The tyranids recognize that necrons are not a viable food source. You can't have your food teleport out of your stomach now can you?
2. The tyranids have some past history with the necrons from back when the necrons had control of the galaxy.
3. The tyranids owe the necrons money.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

ScorpionBrood said:


> In the tyranid 5th edition codex on page 11 it states: Two minor tendrils of Hive Fleet Behemoth make major course corrections in order to avoid conflict with the Necrons of Solemnace.
> This confuses me sense the tyranids are not supposed to be scared of anything. I have 3 hypothesis as to why they did this. If you know which is right, or if they are all wrong, please tell me. Thanks.
> 1. The tyranids recognize that necrons are not a viable food source. You can't have your food teleport out of your stomach now can you?
> 2. The tyranids have some past history with the necrons from back when the necrons had control of the galaxy.
> 3. The tyranids owe the necrons money.


It's most likely due to option 1


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## OrdoMalleus (Apr 24, 2009)

I thought the tyranids were controlled by/Running from the 4th C`tan in the fluff? In which case they wouldnt want to go near more Ctan or the Ctan followers surely?


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## Chapter: Limp Bizkit (Aug 2, 2010)

lol, the 3rd one... but in all seriousness the 1st one, 'cause i wouldn't want MY food teleporting out of my stomach and what could the tyranids get from digesting a living metal? it would regenerate as its digested


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

I would also think that the first answer is the most viable. I can't imagine that a splinter fleet would find much in the way to devour on a Necron Tomb World. Since their overwhelming need to consume bio-mass is what drives them, one would think they would just avoid the Necrons all together in favor of nice, squishy, overpopulated, imperial worlds.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

ScorpionBrood said:


> In the tyranid 5th edition codex on page 11 it states: Two minor tendrils of Hive Fleet Behemoth make major course corrections in order to avoid conflict with the Necrons of Solemnace.
> This confuses me sense the tyranids are not supposed to be scared of anything. I have 3 hypothesis as to why they did this. If you know which is right, or if they are all wrong, please tell me. Thanks.
> 1. The tyranids recognize that necrons are not a viable food source. You can't have your food teleport out of your stomach now can you?
> 2. The tyranids have some past history with the necrons from back when the necrons had control of the galaxy.
> 3. The tyranids owe the necrons money.


It is almost definitely option 1, but I theorise that the tyranids know more about the necrons than we realize... Option 2, in a way. 

Interested in hearing more? Well...



OrdoMalleus said:


> I thought the tyranids were controlled by/Running from the 4th C`tan in the fluff? In which case they wouldnt want to go near more Ctan or the Ctan followers surely?


... I`ve always held to the theory that a small handful of survivors fled the galaxy from the collapse of the Old Ones` war with the c`tan. Over millions of years, they continued to create life forms into superior warrior forms, finally creating the tyranid race. Using their knowledge of psychic ability to incorporate themselves into what we call the Hive mind, they consumed several galaxies worth of life forms before finally returning here. Their mission is to cleanse the galaxy of imperfect life forms, increase their own ranks and numbers, destroy their ancient enemies and begin anew. 

Or perhaps they will continue to hunt and feed forever.



Chapter: Limp Bizkit said:


> lol, the 3rd one... but in all seriousness the 1st one, 'cause i wouldn't want MY food teleporting out of my stomach and what could the tyranids get from digesting a living metal? it would regenerate as its digested


Living metal cannot simply regenerate from nothing. If phase out failed, the tyranids could almost certainly consume the metal, but they would not be able to duplicate it, being as it has no genetic code or biomass. Therefore, the uses they have for any scant amount of necrodermis they might obtain are not worth the risk of having most of their armies de-atomised by gauss weaponry...


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## ToxicBunny (Sep 6, 2008)

Funny - when I saw the Topic "What do the Nids have against Necrons" my first thought was "Teeth" 

I would surmise that the Nids could get "nutritional value" from just anything, proof in this is the fact that they state that planets hit by the Nids are stripped bare, animal, vedgetable, and mineral would be consumed by these "do anything to anything" beasties.

Although I would definiatly agree that the idea of being atomised would possibly cause Nids to steers clear as it would mean they can't just simply comsume their own dead with the enemy's as there would be no trace of the bio-matter left after a Gauss Gun has had its way with it.

I can however see how the metal of Necrodermis might cause a tougher breed of Nid to walk out if they were to keep batteling and winning a Necron force.


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## ThatOtherGuy (Apr 13, 2010)

As soon as I read Tyranid and Necron in the same sentence, the first that popped into my brain is "Aliens vs Terminators"... Actually that would probably make a great movie.


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## Mathai (Sep 1, 2010)

My theory has always been that Tyranids feed on Biomass, and NEcrons have no 'Bio' to their 'Mass' anymore. So the Big Brain behind the Nids wont expend resources in a pointless direction. All that would happen against the Necrons would be the Tyranids expend energy fighting the Necrons, not get significant returns as they fight an enemy that can refill its ranks just as fast as they can which cant be eaten.


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## Giant Fossil Penguin (Apr 11, 2009)

When it comes to the 'nids avoiding the Dyson Sphere, I was under the impression that this artifact contained the essence of one of the remaining C'tan. It was this Star-God that caused the Hive Fleets to veer away, not the Necrons _per se_. This is probably because of the C'tan's 'anti-warp' nature making the Tyranid's gestalt psychic hive-mind go funny (that's a technical Ordo Xenos term, by the way).
When it comes to Hive/Splinter Fleets not targeting Tomb Worlds I'm of the opinion that it's due to the lack of biomass, especially if there are more attractive targets nearby. Should 'nids attack a world where Necrons happen to have a base, then they'll just act as usual. I imagine Living Metal would give in to the digestion process eventually. Also, a 'nid fleet will need more than just organic matter to survive; minerals from rocks, metal ores and the atmospheric gases will all be necessary for the repair and production of new organisms. There are probably some funky 'nid beasts that use the properties of Living Metal, although these could be so costly (biologically speaking) to produce that the Hive Mind will only order their production when faced with specific foes, maybe even the Necrons themselves.

GFP


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## Engindeer (Dec 1, 2010)

Can Tyranids even sense a necron presence on those worlds?

Inquisitor Kryptmann laid waste to several imperial worlds with lots of bio-material, to weaken the Tyranid incursion. Ignoring the incredible imperial loss, he at least achieved a pyrrhic victory, as the Tyranids had little interest in a dead world.

Most necron tomb worlds are established on long dead planets (dead worlds), where they lay dormant untill stirred at the presence of life (The Imperium or other alien species) or the return of a C'tan or other higher ups, perhaps the Platinum Necron Lords. 

For all intents and purposes, the tomb world would appear completely devoid of bio-mass in the first place. And why would the Tyranids invade a planet with the same geographical characteristics as our present moon or the planet mars?

Hence my point; The Tyranids might not be avoiding the necrons intentionally, but merely because they cannot sense their presence, as they lay dormant and sealed away on dead worlds, where the Tyranids has no business either. 

To strengthen my point, I would like to argue that the Tyranids' 'guiding' ship, the narvhal, harnesses the gravity field of a particular planet within a solar system - And without anything like life, water or an atmosphere, it could be assumed that most dead worlds may not be part of a greater solar system that could provide it with optimal conditions for life (like gravity and a protective atmosphere). Or maybe the dormant necrons just snuffed out all life, in the first place... the possibilites are many!


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## ScorpionBrood (Jan 22, 2010)

Hmmm I had not heard that about the C'Tan, and I do agree with the point that an atomized snack is a lot less nourishing than a nice flailing human.


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## moo (Aug 12, 2008)

Maybe they just need more iron in their diet?


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

@ GFP: There is nothing "anti-warp" about the c`tan at all. Thgey simply do not register, but nor do they negate warp energy in any way. The presence of a c`tan would not cause any warp based stay away signal to the tyranids, though it is entirely probable that they sensed it via other means. 

The c`tan are able to affect the thoughts of life forms via other means, so perhaps the nids were driven away by its nightmarish dreams? 

Just nitpicking...


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## Cyleune (Nov 10, 2010)

Well there's nothing Anti-Warp, but the C'Tan hate, I mean really HATE, the Warp. Thats why they have their servants build pylons on a planet to close off the warp.

You can read about it in the Battle of the Star Gods or whatever that fluff is w/ Eldar v. Necrons and stuff...

Anyways, the Eldar built huge Warp Cannons (now known as Blackstone Fortresses) to defeat the Necrons, launching a huge Warp Rift and essentially creating a Black Hole, consuming all Necrons in the area, or something to that effect.


Maybe the Tyranids, assuming to the theory they came from a different Universe, had suffered a huge loss to Necrons back when the Necrons (almost) ruled the galaxy and were expanding their Empire to feed?


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Cyleune said:


> Well there's nothing Anti-Warp, but the C'Tan hate, I mean really HATE, the Warp. Thats why they have their servants build pylons on a planet to close off the warp.
> 
> You can read about it in the Battle of the Star Gods or whatever that fluff is w/ Eldar v. Necrons and stuff...
> 
> ...


The Blackstone fortresses were intended to harness massive amounts of warp energy and blanket the c`tan with a contained area of immaterial energy, essentially isolating and destroying it. I`ve heard that the eldar used twelve of these machines against the Void Dragon, but the star god survived. Though it was greatly weakened, the machines were since lost or destroyed until only two remained, and they are now in the hands of the Despoiler. 

I am not aware of the c`tan ever expanding their empire beyond the galaxy. The Old Ones were pushed to the limits during their weakest moments, so if the c`tan had the potential to expand, it would seem likely that the Old One would have been wiped out.


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## Giant Fossil Penguin (Apr 11, 2009)

Dropped the ball a bit there. Rather, then, if the C'tan don't like the warp and seek to be seperated from it (via the mentioned Pylons), then it would make sense that this Dyson Sphere, if it truly does house a/the essence of a C'tan, would be made so that it has Pylon-like properties. So the the Sphere itself blocks out the warp, which the 'nids can sense and do their best to avoid it.
That work better?
I always thought that the Old Ones and the Yngir found each others natures inimicable? Obviously not, so, then, I assume it was instead just the methods they chose to use that where such opposites (masters of the warp v masters of the physical- there's an albumn title in that!)?

GFP


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Yeah, that`s a far more likely explanation in itself. :goodpost: 

I`m not aware of exactly how the dyson sphere works, but it seems to make sense that those who built it would want to keep others away. 

But then we must consider who built it. We know that it was the Eldar who imprisoned the Outsider, so did they build it with such properties to ward off other races? Does this mean they also had a hand in the placement of the pylons? Or have they simply adapted the technology? 

We know from DoW: Ascension unsure that the eldar have the means to construct warp sapping technologies, but could they also build devices that act as null devices? 

It`s possible, perhaps. But is it true? :grin:


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## Cyleune (Nov 10, 2010)

> We know from DoW: Ascension () that the eldar have the means to construct warp sapping technologies, but could they also build devices that act as null devices?


Well considering Runes of Warding on Farseers, I think it is appropriate to conclude this.

I like the idea of the Eldar building devices to ward off other races, after all, they wouldn't want Necrons being accidentally awoken.

As for adapting the technology, the Necrons are the oldest race in the galaxy, and even the Eldar don't understand how their Gauss weaponry works, so I think it would be better to assume they created some sort of rift-causing device to ward off other species and keep the Necrons imprisoned.


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## TheAllFather (Nov 12, 2010)

It is the first one because the Necrons in no way provide them a viable food source, and so with having been able to ingest absolutely nothing which is all that tyranids do during an attack, their forces would be utterly and uselessly slaughtered by the children of the Star Gods annihilating an entire splinter fleet.


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## Kill Maim Burn (Jan 26, 2011)

> Originally Posted by Chapter: Mathai
> My theory has always been that Tyranids feed on Biomass, and NEcrons have no 'Bio' to their 'Mass' anymore. So the Big Brain behind the Nids wont expend resources in a pointless direction. All that would happen against the Necrons would be the Tyranids expend energy fighting the Necrons, not get significant returns as they fight an enemy that can refill its ranks just as fast as they can which cant be eaten.


Nids feeding on biomass has been mention alot, but when (as someone has said) a planet is stripped bare by these gribblies its not just trees, grass and animals is it? 
A nid can feed or rather genetically alter and absorb metals and minerals. (such as the spores that are sent down at the start of an invasion destroy and corrode buildings, turning them into a nice purple glood for the geanstealers to slurp away at (that last bit is just what i like imagine btw))
I like the idea of them steering clear because of the C'tan it makes more sense to me, if Nids were altered by integrating the necron physiology and what-not can you imagine how hard they would be? High im a carnifex but i can skim like a destroyer and vaporise you with my mega gauss cannon attached to my back 
Anyone understand what im trying to say?


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## Kill Maim Burn (Jan 26, 2011)

Just want to add one more thing, if necrons are made out of living metal surely this means it would read on some level as a bio sign? 
surely something cannot be described as living if it has no bio?


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## StalkerZero (Oct 3, 2010)

Hive Mind couldn't afford lunch in Warhammer Elementary School so the Outsider loaned it some money. In nearly 40,000 years that amount (with interest) has grown to be astronomical. Hence avoiding the Necrons.

But really, pretty interesting discussion. Wish we had more to work with. I'm torn. I'd love for it to be the C'tan have some influence with the Tyranids. I'd love to see the two races that would never ally with anyone be allies. 

But, realistically, it has to be something to do with either the Necrons not really being appetizing to the Tyranids or the C'tan scaring the piss out of them.


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## C'Tan Chimera (Aug 16, 2008)

It probably is theory number one, but chew on this here. Despite being from some far off galaxy/universe, some of the Tyranids do utilize the Warp such as Zoanthropes. It would be safe to assume the collective Hivemind has dabbled it's fingers in the warp as well.

Now remember the fact that Necrons are one of the few things that genuinely freak out the forces of Chaos because of their total severance from the Warp. It's plausible that the Tyranids avoid the Necrons for the psychic 'Nullification' they emit like Pariahs. Not out of fear but because tactically it's too risky.

It might even just be because the Necrons have a consistent track record of pissing in the Nid's cornflakes. At least 3 separate documented occasions of Tyranid invasions have ended with the Necrons showing up *undoubtedly pissed about them trying to take their livestock* and pummeling the Tyranids out of the system. Between the loss of Biomass and no possibility of gaining anymore out of the deal, I'd avoid them too.


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## aboytervigon (Jul 6, 2010)

Tyranids would have nothing to gain and everything to loose against necrons.


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## Flayed 0ne (Aug 29, 2010)

perhaps the Tomb Worlds emit some sort of psychic or Warp "interference"...as a hive fleet approaches a Tomb World maybe the planets "signature" get garbbled and the the Fleet makes a course correction to the next nearest prospect...

...the Necrons are sleeping but not entirely dormant...many things may make them stir and this is evidence for the type of early warning alerts they may utilize...no one knows the extent of Necron Technology other that it boggles everyone fortunate enough to actually get there hands on some...for a race that so completely dominated the galaxy its not unfathomable that they would have some sort of "planetary" defence to ward off Warp powers or general exploration on "sleeping" Tomb Worlds...obviously not foolproof but humans have this uncanny knack for settling in places they may even be warned off of...

...maybe because so many Tomb Worlds have been disturbed or "alerted", this constitutes the proverbial "alarm clock" and the next stage of Necrom wakefulness is indeed upon us...

:smoke:


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## drz196 (Feb 4, 2011)

Furthuring option 1, One thing that I don't think was mentioned is that, iirc, hive fleets are generally steered by the advance units sent out (genestealers), and these advance units act as a beacon and lay the groundwork for an eventual Tyranid assault. Indeed, there is a recorded instance of Leviathan having a large portion of it diverted by having genestealers sent to the orcs instead.

To my knowledge, there isn't anything documenting genestealers getting into necron society.


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## Kalshinko (Oct 22, 2010)

Don't Necrons have null shileds or something like that against the warp. And the Hive mind uses the warp to control and direct the Nids.

So basically any attack against the necrons would be an uncontrolled gaggle fuck easily destroyed.


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## C'Tan Chimera (Aug 16, 2008)

Bingo, Kalshinko. That would also explain how the Blood Angels and Necrons became *coughsupersecretsunshinebffscough* allies and defeated the Nids so easily.


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## Epidemius (Nov 15, 2010)

I don't know much about necrons, but I heard they have some sort of thing that keeps tyranids away, freaks them out or something.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Not every necron fleet would have easy access to these resources. There are necron losses to tyranid swarms. Much rarer of course, but it`s happened.


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## C'Tan Chimera (Aug 16, 2008)

There also have been suggestions that the Nids encountered The Outsider after it fled the galaxy on their way in. 

And if that thing was batshit insane enough to freak Tyranids out, then it'd be a dark day when he decides to come back into town.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

C'Tan Chimera said:


> There also have been suggestions that the Nids encountered The Outsider after it fled the galaxy on their way in.
> 
> And if that thing was batshit insane enough to freak Tyranids out, then it'd be a dark day when he decides to come back into town.


I`ve not heard anything coherent/credible on this front at all. The Outsider did not leave the galaxy as far as I am aware, the location of its prison is very much within the confines of the galactic map according to several theories. 

Furthermore, this happened over Sixty million years ago. If the Star God encountered the Swarm after leaving the galaxy, then theoretically the Nid invasion of the galaxy would have occured much much sooner than it did.


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## C'Tan Chimera (Aug 16, 2008)

Hence why I said suggestions, not evidence. I thought it was a fun idea.


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## Davidicus 40k (Jun 4, 2010)

C'Tan Chimera said:


> And if that thing was batshit insane enough to freak Tyranids out, then it'd be a dark day when he decides to come back into town.


If he came back into town (assuming he left in the first place), he wouldn't be The Outsider anymore. I'd call him Prodigal Psychopath. 

:dunno::grin:


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