Zoanthropes are genetically engineered from the Aeldari to help the hive mind further its plans, ah the beauty of the Tyranids.
Who doesn’t love a good psyker that is single-minded in its path. Where other psykers have so many issues, Tyranids are in a way, super pure. If you’ve ever had a nightmare about an alien coming down to destroy you, you may have dreamed up something very similar to them! Get out your biggest hat and let’s learn about some Zoanthrope lore!
Zoanthropes: Engineered Psykers
Of all the strange Tyranid creatures, Zoanthropes are some of the strangest. It’s really hard to get a Tyranid to spill its secrets, but rumor has it the Zoanthropes are made from harvested Aeldari blood. This, in turn, makes them psykers of immense power. They act as conduits directly connected to the hive mind. Their evolution is so focused on the mind that their bodies atrophy as it is unneeded. But their brains and heads bloat to the size of giant balloons, holding nothing but the will of the Hive Mind.
Obviously, they can harness the psychic energies and blast enemies from the battlefield with their minds. Some say they can even rival the great psykers of the Eldar, but that fact seems far from substantiated. But almost more important than that, they can direct the lesser broods of the Tyranids with the synapse of the Hive Mind.
Extremely Effective
While other creatures of the Tyranids harvest the powers of the Warp, few do it better than the Zoanthropes. Even though they don’t have the physical presence of something like a Hive Tyrant, they make up for it with their powerful psychic defense. They can shoot blasts so powerful that they can even cut Space Marines down. But again, they have plenty of things to kill Marines. They are mainly taken because of their synaptic abilities, they are often deployed with smaller groups of Nids, to keep them from turning into mindless monsters.
Still Falling Victim to the Warp
Even something as foreign as a Tyranid can fall victim to their own powers. For nothing in the Grimdark future comes without a price. When the battle lasts too long and they’ve used those giant balloon like brains too much, they will simply fall to the ground. Exhausted and bleeding. But at least they can die knowing they gave it they’re all for the Hive Mind. OR at least that’s what the Hive Mind lets them think…
That does it for this one, just some fun little history on these insane beasts!
Learn More About Zoanthropes & Tyranids Here!
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
