Tau Online

It's easy to be intimdated by all the acronyms and slang used on these boards, Tyranid-specific or not. Terms such as TS and Devilfex, to Flyrant and ES can confuse many a reader. Worry not! They are easily memorized. While you can just flip through your Codex until you find a similar-looking word or a name using the same two letters in the acronym, you can't be sure, so I've compiled this little list to help you better communicate with other servants the Hive Mind.


Biomorphs and Bioweapons

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AM - Acid Maw

AG - Adrenal Glands in general

+I - Adrenal Glands +Initiative

+WS - Adrenal Glands +Weapon Skill

BP - Bio-Plasma

BS - Barbed Strangler, or Ballistic Skill

BE - Bonded Exoskeleton

ES - Enhanced Senses

EC - Extended Carapace

FT - Feeder Tendrils

FH - Flesh Hooks

IA - Implant Attack

RC - Reinforced Chitin

SB - Spine Banks

SC - Spore Cysts

TM - Toxis Miasma

TS - Toxin Sacs

+S - Toxin Sacs

Devs - Devourers

ST - Scything Talons

CC - Crushing Claws, or Close Combat

VC - Venom Cannon

RC - Rending Claws

LW - Lash Whip

Unit Slang

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Flyrant - Hive Tyrant with the Winged biomorph.

HT - Hive Tyrant

Devil-*blank* - Armed exclusively with Devourers. Used for Devilgaunts, Devil Tyrants/Flyrants, or Devilfex, etc.

Supergaunt - Gaunt with many biomorphs such as Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, and Extended Carapace.

Spinegaunt - Very cheap Gaunt armed with Spinefists.

Termagant - Gaunt armed with Fleshborer. Note 'Termagant' - Not spelled as 'Termagaunt'.

Devilgaunt - As above, a Gaunt armed with a Devourer.

Hormies - Hormogaunts

Termies - Termagants

Zoaies - Zoanthropes

'Stealers - Genestealers

'Fex - Carnifex

Devilfex - Carnifex armed with two twin-linked Devourers

Sniperfex - Carnifex most commonly armed with a Venom Cannon and Barbed Strangler

Godfex - Expensive, yet fearsome, Carnifex with alot Biomorphs

Screamer Killer - Inexpensive Elites choice Carnifex armed with 2 pairs of Scything Talons

General Important Terms

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'Nids - Tyranids

FW - Forge World, or Tau Fire Warriors

IA4 - Imperial Armour 4, produced by Forge World. Contains rules for many Forge World Tyranids as the Trygon and Harridan.

MC - Monstrous Creature

IC - Independent Character

DS - Deep Strike

GEQ - Guardsman EQuivalent. A model with mostly 3s in it's statline and a mediocre save.

MEQ - Marine EQuivalent. A model with mostly 4s in it's statline and usually a 3+ save.

TEQ - Terminator EQuivalent. A model with mostly 4s in it's statline and a 2+ save.

RAW - Rules as Written.

TL - Twin-Linked

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If any of you have any more slang, just drop me a reply or a PM and I'll edit it in.