The infestation of Tyranids can cause the landscape of entire world to change

completely in a matter of months and render it uninhabitable to humans. Contained

herein is the record of the destruction of one such planet along with a discussion
on Tyranid Bio Structures and use of Tyranid terrain in your games of Warhammer
40,000.

Transmitted: Magos Biologis

Date: 3205766.M41
Research Station: New Hallefuss
Astropath: Prime Felnun
Ref: INQ.XR.01044/A
Received: Talasa Prime
Subject: Tyranid Planetary Assimilation Analysis

Lord Commanders,
I bring you grave news. The threat we face may be far more vast than we ever
dreamed. Technical analysis of Dalki-Prime pre Tyranid consumption survey
information when cross-referenced with the data from Dalki-Mons post Tyranid
consumption shows some startling information.

Dalki-Prime was an agricultural planet with a diameter of 12,500 km, slightly

smaller than Terra. The Tyranid fleet was able to remove the following quantities
of material from the planet within 100 days [Terran Standard].

1.55 billion cubic km water, one cubic km of sea water weighs over 1 trillion
kg.
8.67 billion cubic km gases, at STP theoretically they could reduce this to 1
tenth its volume by super cooling and pressure (3 atm, and 0�C).
72 million cubic km soil and minerals, weighing 1.4 trillion kg per cubic km.

It is nearly inconceivable how they were able to accomplish this in such a short
time, much less explain where the materials were taken, as the typical hive fleets
encountered historically are not capable of transporting even a fraction of this
volume. Over 10 billion cubic kilometers of material was removed from the planet.
This would require untold millions of ships and is far beyond the scope of the
entire Adeptus Mechanicus to accomplish given a decade. Most astonishing is that
this is insufficient to sate their hunger and they strike again and again, often
within months. We must somehow determine if these fleets are somehow sending
material back to their home systems for it seems obvious that they are not using
all the materials.

Detailed analysis of devastated worlds have yielded the following data in

conjunction with orbital surveillance satellite and data recordings which were
recovered.

Magos Biologis Salk,

Draco Legion Biomedical Research station, New Hallefus

TYRANID PLANETARY ASSIMILATION: DALKI-PRIME

Analysis of records from Dalki-Prime has indicated invasion began quietly without
any full-scale assault. A drop pod was detected entering the atmosphere of the
southern hemisphere; this occurrence is the first known indication of Tyranid
activity. We have chronologically designated this as day 0 insertion.

Day 7: PDF forces engaged and destroyed over 137 individual Tyranid organisms in an
uninhabited area where the mycetic spore landed. No record exists of the
elimination of a Hive Node creature but the mission was designated a success by the
lax planetary governor, against the registered complaints of the PDF commander.
Day 9: Two separate outbreaks of Tyranid infestation were encountered, both over
200 kilometers from the initial insertion point. PDF were dispatched along with
considerable forces of the IG garrison.

Day 13: Tyranid organisms were dredged from the main fishery areas on the northern
coast some 700 kilometers from initial insertion point. Conflicts continued in both
other fronts. Basolithic infestation is assumed to be progressing unchecked at this
time. The Planetary Governor issues a distress call.

Day 37: Major sections of all surface areas within 2,000 kilometers of the
insertion point are firmly within Tyranid control. Basolithic infestation is
verified by PDF navy submersibles which are destroyed 5,000 kilometers from main
insertion point. Undersea agricultural complexes are attacked and destroyed.
Desalination plants along the coast were invaded from within and destroyed, access
being easily gained from the large pumping stations.

Day 42: Planetary Governor and staff abandon the planet to the control of IG
commander Gal Markit, who immediately orders orbital planetary bombardment with
little success.

Day 48: IG forces are sorely pressed at all junctures, field reports indicate
exponential growth in the numbers of Tyranid creatures. (Rough estimates indicate
doubling every 2.5 days.)

Day 50: All psychic contact with Dalki-Prime is cut off by the overpowering
presence of the Tyranid hive fleet which drops from warp space around the planet.
Preliminary estimates place the numbers of space-borne creatures at 1.46 billion.
All escape attempts from this point on are intercepted and destroyed. Mycetic
poison spores are released into the atmosphere. They rapidly grow on all organic
material, rhizomes burrow deep into organic tissue releasing enzymes to begin the
rendering of the material. These aid the Rippers and also render any exposed
material useless to other creatures as a food source as the fungus is highly
poisonous to most life forms. Living creatures exposed to high concentrations of
spores [200 per square meter] typically develop lethal mycetial infestations within
the lungs. Death occurs within 24 hours.

Day 51: Primary consumption of all biomass on Dalki-Prime commences with little
resistance. Brood ships land on the planet and release the Ripper larvae, billions
upon billions of them. These voracious creatures spread out, divesting the planet
of all organic material and returning to the reclamation pools to deposit the
nutrient broth. Capillary towers relay the material to orbit. Brood ships
periodically return to orbit and unload this material to the great brood factories
and feeder ships. Surface and aerial mobile life forms that do not succumb to the
spore clouds are hunted and eliminated in the initial stages. This continues for
approximately 8-10 days non-stop, accomplished primarily by Gaunt species, the
carcasses left to the Rippers and the spores. These hunter swarms return to the
Rippers to obtain regurgitated digested food.
Day 80: Ripper swarms, having systematically divested the land masses and
basolithic planes of soil and dermis, board the brood ships and return to space.
Once this has been completed the huge hive ships descend into the upper atmosphere.
These creatures, which resemble primitive radiant life forms with long tentacles,
then drop into the atmosphere and begin removing it. As the atmospheric pressure is
reduced, the water of the oceans begins to evaporate and it too is vacuumed up. As
the tectonic plates begin to move due to the shift in planetary pressures caused by
the removal of the vast oceans, volcanic activity increases dramatically. Devoid of
the huge weight of the oceans many areas rupture, spewing hot gases and lava onto
the surface. As the hive ships take the last remnants from the planet, they retreat
into the warp leaving the barren sphere in its death throes.
Day 100: Imperial Navy arrives in response to the distress call finding the planet
lifeless.

Halo effect noted due to high metallic residue.

Planetary Diameter reduced by 4.2%