Editing Hormagaunt (section)

=== Their Role for the 'Nids ===

Before the full attack of a Tyranid Hive Fleet, Hormagaunts are often dropped in [[Mycetic Spore|Mycetic Spores]] in such large numbers that even if many are destroyed by orbital defences those that make planetfall will pose a serious health problem to any inhabitants.

Hormagaunts have a deadly instinctual ability to hunt that needs little direction from the Tyranid Hive Mind. They are so single-minded in hunting that they will ignore personal injury and tiredness until they have run down their quarry. Unlike Termagaunts, Hormagaunts can actually eat food; once they've run the puny humans down they feed upon their prey, ripping pieces of flesh apart with [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons##Claws and Teeth|razor sharp teeth]]. However their extremely fast metabolism will always drive them to constantly seek out new victims. They are usually left to their own devices once a Tyranid attack is underway, though occasionally the Hive Mind will intervene and direct them towards a more distant and more important target.

Hormagaunts, <s>un</s>like other Tyranid creatures, are <s>female</s> <s>hermaphrodites</s> {{BLAM|females that are capable of Parthenogenesis}} and have the ability to lay hundreds of fertile eggs in the ground to reproduce independently of a Hive Fleet. Each Hormagaunt has a short lifespan but once one generation has died a fresh wave will have hatched and grown to maturity, ready to carry on ravaging a world where the previous generation left off. So like ants or [[Orks]], clearing a Hormagaunt is a colossal pain in the ass and may require [[Exterminatus|sustained orbital bombardment filled to the brim with Prometheum.]] Otherwise the surviving population will have a new sport or training program for the [[Planetary Defence Force]].