Everything 40K Thread

I felt like creating a thread for those of us who are 40K fans. I know we are few and far between, but we are a select breed, and we need to stick together. When we stop thinking 40K is awesome, and discontinue singing the praises of the emperor, then Chaos has truly taken us and we are lost. We must stand firm and strong my brothers, defiant to the last, if we are to have any hope of survival.

The Emperor, the Carrion Lord, stands ever vigilant upon his throne, his mind providing a light unto the warp that is our guide amongst the stars. We must journey forth in his name and reclaim what is rightfully ours. We are but a few amongst untold trillions, yet each one of us makes a difference in the ongoing struggle against the enemies of the Imperium of Man. Foremost among us are the Adeptus Astartes, otherwise known as the Space Marines. They are genetically enhanced super soldiers encased in ceramite power armour and capable of inhuman feats. They are the Imperiums elite. Standing behind them are the trillions of ordinary soldiers, who fight and die every day so that ordinary citizens can live their lives in peace. The Imperial Inquisition also forms one of the first lines of defense. They head off trouble that no one outside of the highest echelons of the Ecclesiarchy will ever know exist for the information is far too horrid for the layman to possess. The Imperium is constantly at war with the ancient and powerful Eldar, the brutishly powerful orcs, the implacable Tyranids, the mysterious Necrons, the devilish powers of Chaos, and many more besides.

So come, be a part of the 40K universe today and join us.

They shall be pure of heart and strong of body, untainted by doubt and unsullied by self-aggrandisement. They will be bright stars in the firmament of battle. Angels of Death whose shining wings bring swift annihilation to the enemies of Man. So it shall be for a thousand times a thousand years, unto the very end of eternity and the extinction of mortal flesh.
- Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines



Yes, I know I am a nerd. I like it that way. Please refrain from flaming, this is simply a fun thread for those who enjoy 40K or for those who might like to learn more about it.

What is that?

I'm guessing it has something to do with this conversation?

---

Spectre wrote:
Aha, now the truth comes out. It's like this one time when I was an ultramarines captain, and the deathwatch captain Bannon was killed, so I had to take over the deathwatch as acting captain with my faithful sergeant Paul K, the orc slayer, at my side. We then boarded a Tyranid vessel and proceeded to kill the Norn queen, thus saving Tarsis Ultra. Then we were banished on a Death Oath for breaking with the codex Astartes. You remember that?

Aggressor Dog wrote:Aye, I remember. The <CENSORED> Omphalos Daemon dared to demand you do his bidding, but we had the best of him, we did. All I wonder is...what is the Heart Of Blood up to now? Ever since he escaped imprisonment he's never on XBOX Live....

Spectre wrote:I really don't know. It really is curious, is it not? perhaps we should ask brother librarian Tigurius. He would know the answer I am certain.

Aggressor Dog wrote:Indeed, once we make our way back to The Fortress of Hera we shall ask....

Spectre wrote:Ah yes, the fortress of Hera, located upon Macragge, homeworld of the Ultramarines. We shall meet in the Temple of Corrections, wherein lies the body of the Holy Primarch, Roboute Guilliman, himself.

Aggressor Dog wrote:His body IS healing in stasis, I care not what strict adherents to the Codex like you have to say about it!

Spectre wrote:Why Veteran SGT Paul, who are you calling a strict adherent to the codex? After all, was it not my decision to break with the codex that got us sent to Medrengard on our death oath?

Yup, it does indeed have something to do with that conversation.

Warhammer 40K is a tabletop based strategy game that uber-nerds like myself and Paul play. There is also an extensive history and storyline behind the game, and there are many books out by many different authors chronicling the feats of different races and characters.

The main races are the Humans, who have many different units, the eldar, the orcs, the tau, the tyranids, the necrons, and the dark eldar, Paul will correct me if I left anyone out. But feel free to ask other questions regarding either the history or the game itself.

Hey another nerd here......Used to play Dungeons& Dragons back in the early 80's.
as a matter of fact, I still have all my stuff. Modules,Dice, Books ,etc.......Probably worth some money

Aight, first question up for debate : who would you rather employ against a Tyranid Invasion?

A) GreyKnights
B ) Ultramarines Tyranic War Veterans
C) Deathwatch

I would pit the Ultramatines TWV against a tyranid invasion. While the GreyKnights can certainly boast that they cannot be felled anything other than the powers of the warp, that doesnt neccesarily mean that they could stop a Tyranid invasion. The Tyranids fully suck planets dry of every living piece of matter, replacing it with their own breeding vestules. The only way to stop a Tyranid Invasion is to either annihilate the Tyranids beyond the point of their ability to infect the planet, or destroy the Norn Queen (mainly by destroying the Norn Queens Hive Ship) thereby cutting off all psychic connection to the hivemind as well as eliminating the source of the tyranids ability to genetically enhance and adapt to their enemies. The GreyKnights could certainly survive, perhaps unscathed, but I believe that the UM TWV, with their plethora of anti-Tyranid weaponry and very heavy experience in dispatching Tyranids would be the ones who could claim the ability to most effectively eliminate a Tyranid Invasion. The DeathWatch also has very skilled Xenos fighters, but their numbers are simply to small to quell an invasion on their own.

You have a point about how the deathwatch being small, however, they could simply recruit members from any chapter they wished to swell their ranks. Keep in mind that they can draw the best of the best from any chapter, excluding the Grey Knights, of course, because they can never be seconded to any other duty , other than fighting the powers of Chaos.

In terms of who I would choose to fight a Tyranid invasion, the Grey Knights have a number of psychic abilities that make them a force to be reckoned with. I cannot remember the exact term for it, but one of their abilities involves them being in a group, and pooling the psychic will together to create a "thought bomb," if you will. This technique was used by Justicar Chemuel and his Purgation Squad of Terminators, under the orders of Chapter Master Mandulis, on the planet of Khorion IX to defeat the Daemon Prince Ghargatuloth, one of the servants of Tzeentch, in the 40th Millennium. This power allowed them to destroy thousands of Ghargatuloth's minions as well as aiding them in defeating the Daemon Prince himself. Keep in mind that Chemuel's Purgation Squad was made up of eight brother marines, making nine total, who single handedly defeated thousands of Chaos cultists and minor Daemons, as well as a Daemon Prince. Now tell me they would not be able to completely annihilate a Tyranid invasion, especially considering if a significant number of Grey Knights were mobilized to fight them. No one outside of the Ordo Malleus and the Grey Knights knows how many Grey Knights there actually are, but speculation has it that they are the rival of any of the pre-heresy legions. Imagine the devastation that could be unleashed if a legion of Grey Knights were mobilized in the defense of the Imperium.

That being said, it is highly unlikely the Grey Knights would ever be dispatched to stem such an invasion because they are far too valuable a resource to tie up, however temporarily, in something like that. More likely, the Ultramarines Tyranid War Veterans would be dispatched, and they would inevitable follow the Codex to a T, and eventually, they would either overcome the Tyranids or they would simply use the Exterminatus and the problem would be solved. Either way, the point becomes moot, as it is so unlikely as to be impossible that the Grey Knights would ever be placed in such a situation. However, I still believe they would be the most effective in such a fight. They are unparalleled in strength, power, and skill. On top of that, every single Grey Knight has many latent psychic abilities, and their librarians are only rivaled by the Thousand Sons, who are all very powerful psykers.

Q-bald wrote:Hey another nerd here......Used to play Dungeons& Dragons back in the early 80's.
as a matter of fact, I still have all my stuff. Modules,Dice, Books ,etc.......Probably worth some money

Happy to know I am not the only tabletop nerd here. D&D is a classic game and I salute you for playing it.

Aight, onto the next topic up for debate, who was the greatest Primarch and why?

I am going to say that Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines Primarch, was the greatest. His fighting ability may not have been up to snuff against the likes of Horus or Sanguinius, but his loyalty to the Emperor was second to none. After the "death" of the Emperor, Guilliman organized all of the Imperium of Man as well as the remaining chapters and unified them in a struggle agaisnt Chaos, banishing them into the Eye of Terror. Without Guilliman's leadership following the assault on Terra humanity might not have survived to see the 41st Millenium.

Aggressor Dog wrote:Aight, onto the next topic up for debate, who was the greatest Primarch and why?

I am going to say that Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines Primarch, was the greatest. His fighting ability may not have been up to snuff against the likes of Horus or Sanguinius, but his loyalty to the Emperor was second to none. After the "death" of the Emperor, Guilliman organized all of the Imperium of Man as well as the remaining chapters and unified them in a struggle agaisnt Chaos, banishing them into the Eye of Terror. Without Guilliman's leadership following the assault on Terra humanity might not have survived to see the 41st Millenium.

I will dispute what you say, and put forth my own supposition. I believe the Magnus the Red was the greatest Primarch to ever live. While he did not remain completely loyal to the Emperor, he also did not truly turn to Chaos. He felt betrayed by the Emperor because of the decision made by the Council of Nikaea. He was second only to the emperor in his psychic abilities, and his entire legion takes after him. They are, each and every one of them, incredibly powerful psykers. Magnus the Red is also the only Primarch that is confirmed to be still living untainted by Chaos. It is true to say that the likes of Fulgrim, Angron, etc are still living, but they are all possessed by Daemon Princes, while Magnus is still himself. He has not been taken over by any creature of the warp. He and his legion remain a somewhat neutral force in the Universe. They mainly seek knowledge pertaining to the warp. By dint of his psychic abilities, and the fact that he is still living, I posit that he is the greatest Primarch ever, if we are basing this on sheer power, and ability. No one has ever truly bested him in single combat either. He is a force to be reckoned with. Paul, you are probably going to cite the incident with Ragner, and Russ's spear, however, Ragnar never really bested Magnus, he simply surprised him. And we both know that it does not matter how powerful you are, you cannot foresee every possible eventuality, as evidenced by the Emperor. I must also say that Magnus foresaw the event of the Horus heresy and tried to warn the Emperor of his impending doom, but the Emperor was angered that Magnus would use his psychic ability to relay the message to him thus breaking the Edict reached at Nikaea, even though the Emperor himself was using his own abilities on a regular basis. Hypocritical you might think? I should say so. The Emperor would not heed Magnus' message because he was too blinded by his love for Horus. Believing Magnus to be the true traitor, he dispatched Russ to bring Magnus to heel. This was a poorly planned idea in the first place, as no one brings Magnus the Red to heel. Russ and his legion destroyed Prospero in the process, essentially creating the rift that sparks the continued rivalry between the Space Wolves and the Thousand Sons. Magnus was betrayed by the Imperium that he loved, which is why he is no longer completely loyal to it.

Of the remaining loyal Primarchs, I would have to say that Sanguinius was the greatest. It is said that there was never a more glorious sight to behold upon the battlefield than Sanguinius bringing low the enemies of the Emperor. Few were his equal with a blade. He was a mighty warrior, and a charismatic leader. He commanded undying loyalty amongst his followers, and during the heresy, despite grievous wounds obtained in battle and knowing that he was going to die, he still attacked Horus. He remained loyal to the Emperor even unto death, and left behind a mighty legacy, as well as one of the fiercest chapters in the Imperium. Sanguinius was responsible for organizing the last defense of the Imperial Palace when Horus reached Holy Terra. He single handedly slew a bloodthirster of Khorne and was able to save Terra from being completely overrun by Chaos. Plus, Sanguinius could fly. How much cooler does it get?

I thought that the Thousand Sons still have heavy ties with the Ruinous Powers, and utilize the lore of Chaos to turn average Imperial citizens and soldiers to their side, promising them great power from the Chaos Gods, not from their own inherent power over the warp. While they themselves don't worship any particular Chaos God, they definitly use the Chaos Gods to their advantage, which I would consider allegiance to Chaos.

Aggressor Dog wrote:I thought that the Thousand Sons still have heavy ties with the Ruinous Powers, and utilize the lore of Chaos to turn average Imperial citizens and soldiers to their side, promising them great power from the Chaos Gods, not from their own inherent power over the warp. While they themselves don't worship any particular Chaos God, they definitly use the Chaos Gods to their advantage, which I would consider allegiance to Chaos.

Ah but there you are wrong my friend. As you said, they do not pledge allegiance to any God or force of Chaos, they simply use the Warp to their own advantage. The Emperor was also guilty of the same things. He used the powers of Chaos to his own advantage quite often. How else do you think he was able to Imprison the Void Dragon on Mars? Not by his own strength alone, he was able to use the powers of the Warp to augment his own strength in the same way the the Thousand Sons use the Warp. They are not a Chaos legion. And yes they do use the Warp to turn Imperial citizens to their own cause, but this is simply because they need them, the Thousands Sons legion was cast out of the Imperium by a short-sighted and narrow minded Emperor. The Emperor is a great man, but even he was not infallible. He made his own share of mistakes, perhaps chief amongst them siding with Horus over Magnus and thus driving the wedge that causes the Thousand Sons to prey on Imperial citizens between them. So no, they are not a Chaos legion, nor are they tainted by Chaos. They simply use it as a tool to help them.

I'd still consider that siding with the forces of Chaos. I'm not saying that using the Warp is bad, the Imperium does it with their Librarians, Psykers, and Astropaths all the time, but if the Thousand Sons were truly neutral in their allegiance than they wouldnt be promising citizens of the Imperium the help of the Chaos Gods. I'm not saying that they are admittedly chaos, but I also can't say that you can be somewhere in between on such a battlefield. They attack the Imperium of Man using the powers of the warp and the influence of the Chaos Gods. They are forces of Chaos.

Aggressor Dog wrote:I'd still consider that siding with the forces of Chaos. I'm not saying that using the Warp is bad, the Imperium does it with their Librarians, Psykers, and Astropaths all the time, but if the Thousand Sons were truly neutral in their allegiance than they wouldnt be promising citizens of the Imperium the help of the Chaos Gods. I'm not saying that they are admittedly chaos, but I also can't say that you can be somewhere in between on such a battlefield. They attack the Imperium of Man using the powers of the warp and the influence of the Chaos Gods. They are forces of Chaos.

Hardly. They are simply a third party. There is no real taint within them. The Eldar use the forces of Chaos far more extensively and effectively than the Thousand Sons, and yet they are not forces of Chaos. By dint of your logic, you would be saying that they too are forces of Chaos as they also attack the Imperium.

We may just have to agree to disagree on this question though, because I do not believe I am going to sway you, and I know that I am not going to change my views. It just becomes a long, drawn out, back and forth argument that never really answers the question because we both have valid points.

The next question is, which chapter of astartes is currently the greatest chapter in existence (the Grey Knights and the Deathwatch are excluded from this question)? This is a very tough question, and I cannot say that I have a good answer as I am fond of a number of different chapters. I would put for the Angels Sanguine, the Blood Ravens, the Ultramarines, the Black Templars, the White Scars, the Imperial Fists, the Doom Warriors, the Mantis Legion, the Legion of the Damned, and the Space Wolves forward as the best. Disscuss.

I would love to see other people add to the conversation, even if you don't know anything about the subject. Feel free to ask questions or add in your own commentary. Sure it's nerdy, but it's fun.

If I had to choose one Chapter that was first and foremost the best legion currently in existence....oh my god I think my brain almost overheated. That is SUCH a difficult question. Without a doubt I would have to say that it would have to be one of the original Legions, I am a huge fan of the UltraMarines, I know alot about them that extends further than just the UltraMarines Omnibus, although its been a while I did read just about as much info as I could absorb about them. They are famed to have the cleanest and most victorious record of all the Chapters, however, this could hardly account for it being the best chapter, as many of the most important and history making engagements aren't recorded.

However, if you REALLY want to get technical, the best chapter, even including the GreyKnights and the DeathWatch, might be the SpaceMarines of the Adeptus Custodes, the clandestine personal guard of the Emperor himself.

Aggressor Dog wrote:If I had to choose one Chapter that was first and foremost the best legion currently in existence....oh my god I think my brain almost overheated. That is SUCH a difficult question. Without a doubt I would have to say that it would have to be one of the original Legions, I am a huge fan of the UltraMarines, I know alot about them that extends further than just the UltraMarines Omnibus, although its been a while I did read just about as much info as I could absorb about them. They are famed to have the cleanest and most victorious record of all the Chapters, however, this could hardly account for it being the best chapter, as many of the most important and history making engagements aren't recorded.

However, if you REALLY want to get technical, the best chapter, even including the GreyKnights and the DeathWatch, might be the SpaceMarines of the Adeptus Custodes, the clandestine personal guard of the Emperor himself.

I would definitely agree with you about the Adeptus Custodes, were they an actual chapter. They were the first of the first Astartes. They do not come from any primarch, and they never venture outside the Imperial Palace anymore due to the confinement of the Emperor. They are probably the most formidable warriors that humanity has to offer though, that is undisputed. They form an entire legion rather than just a chapter, because they are 10.000 strong, rather than the usual 1,000.

Who would you choose to win:

The full strength of the Imperial Fists, inluding the Phalanx, or an entire Eldar CraftWorld?


Its a tough call, and would probably be rather close, but Im going to say the Eldar would pull away with the victory. I would pit the Eldar space craft against those of the Imperial Fists, even the Phalanx. The Eldar have Aeons of more experience in terms of warfare in space. I can't imagine the Eldar being able to effectively board and defeat the Imperial Fists in boarded combat, nor could they take over the Phalanx. I dont believe even the Eldar craft could come within too close of range with such a powerful craft as the Phalanx, and I know that they could never be able to take it through boarding it, so I believe the Eldar victory wouldnt be total annihilation, but rather a large defeat, sending the Imperial Fists with their tails between their legs and biting at their pride.

Aggressor Dog wrote:Who would you choose to win:

The full strength of the Imperial Fists, inluding the Phalanx, or an entire Eldar CraftWorld?


Its a tough call, and would probably be rather close, but Im going to say the Eldar would pull away with the victory. I would pit the Eldar space craft against those of the Imperial Fists, even the Phalanx. The Eldar have Aeons of more experience in terms of warfare in space. I can't imagine the Eldar being able to effectively board and defeat the Imperial Fists in boarded combat, nor could they take over the Phalanx. I dont believe even the Eldar craft could come within too close of range with such a powerful craft as the Phalanx, and I know that they could never be able to take it through boarding it, so I believe the Eldar victory wouldnt be total annihilation, but rather a large defeat, sending the Imperial Fists with their tails between their legs and biting at their pride.

This is more or less correct, however, there are some Eldar ships, such as the Void Stalkers have never been destroyed by an Imperial navy. They are massive spaceborne vehicles that contain all the power and speed the eldar are known for. If the Eldar decided to unleash these ships along with the entire might of a craftworld, then the phalanx would be doomed. A craftworld is essentially the size of an entire Imperial world, complete with a complement of Eldar warriors, and each has it's own complement of aspect warriors from every aspect shrine. Also, each craftworld is ruled by an Eldar Farseer of incredible power. These farseers have been alive for many thousands of years, and were around when humanity was first traveling the stars. They have seen it all and have unimaginable power. You must also keep in mind that all craftworlds have access to the Webway and can call upon reinforcements who will arrive almost instantaneously. Thousands of ships are contained within the craftworlds and they can unleash a storm of fire upon the Phalanx. With all the power of a craftworld at their fingertips, the Eldar would be assured of victory. They would destroy the Phalanx with ease, there is no doubt at all. A craftworld is vastly bigger than the Phalanx and the Farseers would be able to foresee the routes that would lead them to victory. It wouldn't even be a contest.

Hmm... I suppose it is up to me to put forth the next question.

If the Necrons were to commit all of their forces, including the C'tan, against the Imperium, what do you think the result would be?

I am going to wait for your answer Paul before I say what I think would happen.

This is a very slick question. Seeing as though the Necrons have untold numbers of tombworlds and spacecraft waiting to be awoken, it is unclear just how many necrons exist. You also have to consider the abilities of the Tombships, being able to travel through space unlike any other kind of spacecraft, I do believe a tombship mysteriously appread above Mars and attacked the planet. The Tombships are also incredibly difficult to take down. Imagine the full force of the Necrons appearing around Terra, bypassing Luna, and landing wave upon wave of Necron Warriors, Wraiths, Destroyers, Monoliths, Lords, TombSpiders, and vast seas of scarabs, not to mention the Pariah (Pariah negate the abilities of Terra's psykers given the proper distance). You could win key battles against the Necrons, but as long as their TombSpiders are around they can literally rebuild EVERY destroyed warrior, as the necron metal cannot be completely destroyed by any force, save extremely powerful Warp strikes, so their armies would never dwindle in numbers, they would stay at the same level, while you cant rebuild a human, this would make it extremely difficult to fend off a wave of invading Necrons. The fact that they would have multiple TombShips and a large number of Monoliths would mean that they could place vast numbers of troops in all but the most psychically guarded locations, bypassing static defenses and even going around Human military formations. Their Wraiths would no doubt sow utter havoc amongst the populace and defile places of worship without much fear of reprimand, as they are so keen to do to cause fear in the hearts of their enemy, three wraiths are a force to contend with, but the entire Necron Force could field hundreds if not thousands of Wraiths, that kind of sheer confusing power could only hope to be stopped by the likes of the Grey Knights or by powerful Psykers, however, the Necrons would have the ability to phase in and out of any location on the planet, so they could just make sure not to run into either of those units. There is a reason why Necron invasions aren't heard of, what usually happens is a Imperial World simple ceases all communications with the Imperium, and any ships that go over to investigate do the same. In order to completely eradicate a planet to the degree that no distress signal can be sent out must take an enemy with an unimaginable amount of speed and power. This has even happened with a SpaceMarine homeworld, I can't remember, it was some branched off Chapter, but I do remember that the BlackTemplars went to investigate and suffered horrible losses, its not written what the outcome of the BlackTemplar investigation was , save to say that the last line written about it detailed the Captain of the Company being torn to shreds by a grinning Wraith while he watched as his Land Raiders and Terminators were blasted and demolecuralized where they stood. That being said, Luna is not a static station, and no matter how hard the Necrons tried Im sure they would come within range of the massive weapons borne on the lunar surface, although Im not sure how much this would do against a drove of Tombships. I think that the Imperium would give a staunch fight, and perhaps prove to be a nutshell that can be crushed but not cracked. It is just unclear what the true power of Terra's defenses are, including the full force of the Grey Knights, the Adeptus Custodes, Terra's own static defences, and the impending arrival of as many SpaceMarine Chapters and Imperial Guard Regiments as could be mustered. Even if the Necrons where driven off the Imperium would be left crippled from such a blow, as they would have most definitly had great losses to that war and have been missing alot of important and drastically needed forces on the frontlines.

So here is my opinion : Necrons win , it took the combined might of both the Eldar and the Orcs to destroy them aeons past, and according to you Austin that was only because the Necrons had ran out of things upon which to feed.

Agreed, I have very little to add to your reply except to say that we also must keep in mind the regenerative capabilities of the Necrons, not to mention the ability of the C'tan to siphon off energy from a system's star and convert that into destructive potential. Essentially, this just makes a Necron victory all that more likely.

With that said, the floor is yours for the next question.

Here is a question that I think is extremely difficult to answer.

Here is the scenario:

In some battlefield I forgot about, the full force of a Company of Space Marines and a very large force of Imperial Guard as well as a detachment of Inquisitional forces found themselves pitted against a fullscale Tyranid Invasion (this was the latest HiveFleet, just making contact with the System), seeing as though such a huge battleforce could not be met and bested, the Inquisitor Lord, who assumed command over all forces in the region, had a plan. The System was in direct contact with another System, a very heavily populated Ork system, and he somehow tricked the Tyranid HiveFleet into moving the entirety of their force to attack the Ork System. His plan would be that either the Orks or the Tyranids would be completely eradicated, either one would be to his benefit.

So my question is, who will win? The Orks, or the Tyranids?

Ill let you have the first crack at this one Austin. But keep in mind not to underestimante the abilities of the Orks.

You are referring to Hive Fleet Leviathan when they were redirected into to Ork held Octavian system. The Imperials sent a brood of Genestealers into the system, at which point the Genestealers began assimilating Tyranid DNA. The Tyranids the redirected their course into the Octavian system where they are still embroiled in bitter battle. The assimilation of the Ork DNA did have some unforeseen consequences and essentially resulted in bigger and more powerful offensive Tyranid lifeforms.

Now, to answer the question, neither side will come out unscathed, nor do I believe the survivors could well and truly be called the victors. There are untold billions of both species, and they both reproduce very quickly. The Orks are just brutally efficient war machines, while the Tyranids are well organized and deadly. Neither will ever give up in a fight. The Orks will fight to the death, and they are extremely proficient when cornered. The Tyranid's bio-weapons would result in massive carnage amongst the Ork ranks, while the Orks tenacity and sheer overwhelming force would end with tremendous casualties dealt to the Tyranid forces. Both sides will be devastated by the ensuing battle, I would hand the eventual victory to the Tyranids simply because they will reproduce faster than the Orks and their ability to assimilate DNA would eventually negate the advantages of the Orks, however, they would come out of the fight so weakened that it would be a simple thing for the Imperium to then move in and annihilate whatever was left of the Tyranid forces, which would not be much. Tyranid resistance at this point in the game would be negligible and Hive Fleet Leviathan would be defeated.

That would be my predicted outcome.

I almost got into 40k a while back.

My friend convinced me to start playing, and I eventually got about 1000 pts worth of Tau. Unfortunately, my friend moved about a week after I got everything assembled. That was about 3-4 years ago. Every other person I know has no clue what it even is, so I never reopened the box that has all of my Tau in it. I did get into the lore though, and have played the Dawn of War games to death.