Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

The Broodlord functions as the first strike as the Tyranids spread throughout the galaxy. However, unlike the Hive Fleets, the Broodlord works through much more subtle and insidious ways. Brood Lords start out independent from the Tyranid Hive Mind. However, they act like a smaller, more compact version, referred to as the "Broodmind." This acts as a short range network, not unlike a wifi network that allows computers on the network to communicate with themselves, but not yet connected to the world wide web.

Using an Ovipositor, he will infect the populace and turn them into to his nefarious purposes. This begins a reproductive cycle that creates Genestealer-Hybrids that appear more and more like the populace, until they are indistinguishable, and indeed appear as genetically gifted. These 4th generation hybrids are able to penetrate the upper echelons of the society and work the Broodlord's will, undermining the ability of the populace to defend itself.

These fourth-generation genestealer hybrids even have specialized members: The Magos, The Primus, and the Locus. The Genestealer Magos is a charismatic individual which penetrates the governing body of the world. The Genestealer Primus commands the rest of the cult during war, while the Genestealer Locus acts as an elite Guard. Finally, when the fourth generation hybrids reproduce, they instead produce purestrain genestealers, just as monstrous as the Tyranids in the hive fleet. At some point, the genestealer Patriarch also starts to develop. Generally, this is the oldest Purestrain Genestealer. The Patriarch grows much larger and stronger than the other genestealers.

As the hive fleet approaches, the shadow of the warp stretches over the planet, and the Broodlord joins with the Hive Mind. This is analogous to attaching a router to a WAN or Coax Cable. The Shadow of the Warp also causes the populace to suffer migraines, become irritable, aggressive. Psykers on the planet frequently descend into madness as the overwhelming psychic voices of the innumerable organisms drown out rational thought. The cult begins escalating their attacks, no longer simply undermining the populace, and escalating hostilities.

Addendum: As it turns out, Scythes of the Emperor is a book by L J Goulding, so I was right - it would make a good story. It was also Hive Fleet Kraken, not Tiamat.
Addendum 2: Kroot can smell Genestealers, not vespids. Orks just "know" they are "unorky."
Addendum 3: Ymgarl Genestealers are not part of the hive mind. The Hive Mind does not want their mutated/leech-like genes.

00:00 Broodlord as a Router
00:44 Purebred Genestealers / Planetary Infestation
01:08 The Genestealer's Kiss
02:09 Genestealer Generations
02:30 Router Analogy
03:02 Scythes of the Emperor / KRAKEN
05:13 Genestealer Generation 1
05:45 Genestealer Generations 2,3,4
07:30 Ymgarl Genestealer / Leech Master
08:12 Genestealer Patriarch
09:25 Magos, Primus, Locus
10:55 Hybrid Metamorphs
11:50 Basically the End / Some info on Tyranid gameplay later
17:09 Video End