“We cannot live through this. Mankind cannot live through this. In a single day they have covered this planet with a flood of living blades and needle-fanged mouths. Kill one, and ten take its place. If they are truly without number, then our race is doomed to a violent death before every shred of our civilisation is scoured away by a force more voracious than the fires of hell.”

–Magos Varnak, last words

A terror from beyond the stars has arrived. Seething hordes of Tyranids make planetfall and devour every scrap of biomass from the planets of the Traxis sector. As the Tyranids join the war for the Traxis sector, it’s up to you to decide whether you will join the Tyranids, or lead your armies against them. Bring new horror to the Traxis sector with The Great Devourer, now available for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest at your local United States retailer and online through our webstore!

The Great Devourer is the first deluxe expansion for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, and it introduces an eighth playable faction to the game: the Tyranids! With a host of units, supports, events, and attachments, the Tyranids enter the game as a fully-fledged faction, led by two distinct warlords. New mechanics allow the Tyranids to infest the planets of the Traxis sector and maintain the synaptic web with the help of a synapse unit. Although the focus in The Great Devourer rests on the Tyranids, every other faction gains a powerful unique army unit to help them stem the tide of death!

The Shadow in the Warp

As biologically engineered killing machines, the Tyranids present an unmatched threat to every faction battling in the Traxis sector. With the onset of The Great Devourer, you’ll have the chance to take command of the Tyranids’ teeming swarms or face them on the field of battle.

The Tyranids introduce a number of unique battle tactics to Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, and chief among them is the synapse unit. Five distinct synapse units are included in The Great Devourer, and when you make a Tyranids deck, you can choose any one of these synapse units to start the game in play alongside your warlord. Not only does your synapse unit start the game in play, it also helps you command the Tyranids forces in battle. While you’re playing as the Tyranids, you’ll use a unique double command dial to commit your warlord and your synapse unit to planets.

The Tyranids’ synapse units offer plenty of powerful abilities to help you devour the Traxis sector’s planets. You may win command struggles across the sector with the Stalking Lictor (The Great Devourer, 14) or start multiple battles with Savage Warrior Prime (The Great Devourer, 11). Each synapse unit supports different battle tactics, and just changing a deck’s synapse unit can dramatically alter how a deck functions. Conquest developer Brad Andres explored how the synapse units were developed in his designer diary.

You may also infest the planets of the Traxis sector to accomplish your goals. Certain Tyranids cards, such as the Scything Hormagaunts (The Great Devourer, 21), allow you to infest a planet. Infested planets offer no benefits inherently, but many cards become more powerful when used at an infested planets. For example, you may use the Shrieking Harpy (The Great Devourer, 32) to exhaust all non-Elite army units at its planet, leaving no one ready to defend against the coming onslaught.

In past previews of The Great Devourer, we explored the two Tyranids warlords introduced in this expansion and the unique tactics that each one engenders. You may play as "Old One Eye" (The Great Devourer, 1), a warlord with astonishing resilience who can heal damage even as it’s dealt to him. Alternatively, you may take to the field as "The Swarmlord" (The Great Devourer, 6), a monstrous warlord who summons Termagant token units to adjacent planets whenever he commits to a planet. With the help of the new Hive Mind specialization and units like the Termagant Spikers (The Great Devourer, 25), even the lowliest Termagant can become a threat.

Of course, it’s not just Tyranids that arrive in The Great Devourer. Every faction receives new tools to help them stand against this deadly host. In our third preview, we looked at some of the unique units that arrive to serve their faction in this expansion. Whether you attack from the air with Solarite Avetys (The Great Devourer, 58) or support your warriors on the ground with Seraphim Superior Allegra (The Great Devourer, 52), new army units join the fight against the Tyranids in this expansion.

Fight or Die

The Tyranids have come to the Traxis sector. Their mindless hunger and ferocity are boundless; their potential for adaptation and innovation is unmatched. Only one choice remains for you: will you join the Tyranids in their conquest or stand with those who battle the horde?

Make your choice and pick up your copy of The Great Devourer at your local U.S. retailer today!