Tyranids and door handles

[Squire]

To what extent can nids interact with and recognise technology? Does a shut door always need to be smashed through or can they turn the handle? What about a button next to a door, would a nid creature think to hit/claw at it? Nids opening doors seems slightly odd, but the implications of not being able to are probably weirder

It seems to me like there are two possibilities.

1. Tyranids don't have a concept of alien (human, ork etc.) tech and can't interact at all with it.

This makes them little more than giant insects or zombies and built structures become extremely difficult to navigate. Infiltration becomes next to impossible for lictors and stealers in an urban environment because breaking through every door is slow, noisy and leaves a trail of evidence. Walking into obvious traps becomes a problem. Tyranids also lose the potential to sabotage vulnerable targets like the reactor of a ship or a control panel.

2. The hive mind recognises common shapes and appearances of alien tech and has learned to act accordingly.

This makes much more sense to me. Doors, handles and buttons have generally common appearances and the hive mind knows to turn a handle rather having to wait for a carnifex to show up. A lictor can lift a hatch instead of having to rend it apart. When noisy things with flashing lights and pipes or wires are destroyed the enemy becomes less effective. Burning lenses and screens with acid limits enemy intelligence. etc.

As we know, the hive mind is adaptable so some learned interaction with technology seems reasonable. What does canon say on the matter? I can't remember reading anything that indicates one way or another.

[afewveiws]

Well considering that the hive mind has extensive experience with large scale technology interaction (weapons of war and consumption of entire galaxies) and that genestealer cults are started by patriarchs/broodlords that are far more intelligent then say a human and also has the ability to read the minds of those connected to the cult or happen to need their brains removed... seems to me that any tyranid within synapse would know more about "alien" tech then the most abvanced humans would.

Out side of synapse it would depend on the creature ability to think: a lictor is pre programmed with everything the hive mind deems necessary to eliminate its targets. Genestealers are atleast as smart as a human and fully capable of interacting with anything they come across.

[Overread]

There's also the situation. A regular termagaunt is likely part of a major invasion force and thus is more likely to blast/punch/smash its way into a building because its likely on the offensive. Tearing into the structure to kill those within.

Meanwhile a lictor might sneak in, knowing not just how to pen doors, but perhaps even how to disable basic traps/detection devices along the way (all those mouth tentacles are likely very good for more than just scooping out and munching on brains). Genestealers,as noted, as likely very intelligent on their own and capable of quite a lot. However its likely that only a Cult would make use of alien technology to an extensive manner. The Swarm otherwise creates what it needs. Basically the Tyranids could take over and use Imperial technology, Eldar, Ork etc... however once they are past the infiltration and early infestation stage of a cult, they basically have no need of alien weapons in their army.




Also of interesting note if you look back at earlier Tryranid models the guns they use look slightly more mechanical than biological; and they are most often held rather than fused to the limbs. Suggesting shifts in how they've evolved and advanced through the continuing wars.

[purestrain]

Deathleaper could get into a sealed bunker with ever increasing security.

Got through every time, slaughtered everyone right in front of Cardinal Salem, gets within striking distance then leaves. Does it for 10 days straight.

They know how to get in to places.

[killercroc]

If velociraptors can do it I'm sure Tyranids can.

[mattblowers]

Option 3: They get genestealer cults to open all the doors and THEN they consume everything.

[dranzyl]

In an old fluff piece (for the invasion of macragge battle report in WD) lictors could gain knowledge/memories through eating brains.
Also dont underestimate the ability of multitude low level 'intellects' working in unison (think about the problem solving abilities of fungi and an octopuses independent 'thinking' tentacles)
Other than that i am sure the more independent tyranids (warriors, tyrants etc) have what we would call classic inteligence.

[Hive Bahamut]

Genestealers have the secondary dextrous arms that can use panels and doors etc. Those human style hands are meant for human style things.

Bladed Cog even won over some Admech to get security clearance.

[Squire]

Thanks for all the answers, just something I've been thinking about for a while. The fluff focuses far too much on big invasions and rarely on the small things

[Hyrrokin]

Not the best plot in general but blood of baal have a lictor infiltrate the blood angel bastion. I do not remember it opening doors but it does hide its trail and I think it enters through a ventilation system. Definitely very intelligent but portrayed more like a symbiote of organisms held together by it purpose from the hivemind. That part is well writing.

[naviedzony]

I love this kind of a fluff threads and this is not ironic.

Ok, I think that every Nid is created to serve some purpose and for me it's obvious, that infiltration units, like Lictors and Genestealers are intelligent and observant quick-learners. Nids as a race devoured a number of highly evolved races and their worlds certainly had some degree of technology and Nids are good at spotting a pattern. If some world had doors, then most likely the Hive Mind learned how to handle doors eventually, and all similar doors are no longer an obstacle for a creatures guided by synapse. Outside of synapse however, most Nids are feral and their intelligence is animalistic at best, so I assume they immediately loose an ability to handle tech and doors suddenly became a problem.

[Orzahn]

I thought the hivemind absorbed memories along with biosludge? They would definitly have absorbed/gained knowledge about door handles, either Genestealer psychic connection or through the absorbtion of genetic memories.