Atheosis said:

Ah yes, just found a reference on Wickipedia. Seems a bit like outdated info that has been superseded by later books to me, I can't see how a hive fleet could get to the capital of Scarus Sector without first carving a swathe from the galactic rim for example? Then assuming they could, how were they stopped, when other fleets were only stopped by Imperium level efforts?

I'd guess as I say, that's old info, before today's version of the 'nids and their activities was fully fleshed.

Certainly in the canon setting, as I understand it, at 815.M41, the 'nids are assumed by the Imperium to be extinct, and any hypothetical lost or surviving splinter fleets are right over the other side of the galaxy.

Adam France said:

There are various creative ways one could adapt such material.  That said, I highly doubt FFG will do so.  It is, as you say, rather out of date.

Adam France said:

Officially. But who is to say that "we fought some strange xenos near the Jericho Reach" doesnt realy mean "Ah heck, Nids!"

Peacekeeper_b said:

Sure, that would work as an individual GM conceit. Abnett did something similar in one of the Ravenor novels iirc. However, I wonder if FFG will set up the use of 'nids across the board in that way. 

I suspect if 'nids are pitched as a big part of the game that will mean the setting will be nearer their officially accepted stomping grounds. 

All guess work at the moment of course. 

Adam France said:

1- Well now.  The Angevin Crusade wasn't in the Angevin sector was it?  We don't know if the Margin region is the name of a sector at all.

2- Good point here.  The description does mention that the Jericho Reach was devastated by war in the ancient past.  And the implication is that this crusade is in response to a relatively new threat. 

3- Tyranids are a lousy excuse to remove the setting from the already well established continuity set by Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader.  I mean, I love Tyranids as much as the next guy, but I just don't see the developers on this game throwing away all the potential crossover opportunities by moving the setting to a different segmentum entirely.  The way I read the description of Deathwatch leads me to believe that the alien threat is something other than an established canon alien race.  Maybe there's some way to make the Tyranids an ancillary threat, or a growing threat just now darkening the doorstep of the Segmentum Obscurus.  There is some evidence that the Calixis sector has drawn Tyranid attention.  The "fluff" (**shudder** I hate this word) regarding the Lictor in Creatures Anathema seems to be setting up this possibility.

In any case FFG has established two intertwined settings already, a third seems only natural.

Adam France said:

According to codex Tyranids (2004), the Tiamet system may have been seeded by a Tyranid fleet.  Additionally, it is theorised that the Genestealers of Ymgarl originated from here; vessels sent to destroy the system may have inadvertently transport them.

After consulting the facts with my kinda Tyranidophilic friend I have to clear my statement a little bit, as in my vague remark I unknowingly fused two separate Tyranid Forgotten Fleets into one. It´s funny, but both of them are/were/could be located in Segmentum Obscurus rim.

From Codex: Tyranids 4E (2005), Hive Fleet Tiamet, at least its remmants were found by Explorators in M35 and, altough the original (and unfortunate) "explorers" died horribly, parts of the fleet were later destroyed and its thought that ships which carried the extermination could be the source or transporters of seeding the Ymgral system with Genestealers. The original source stated this incident took place on Galactic East, but Warhammer 40 000 Core Rulebook 5E (2008) features "Remmants of Hive Fleet Tiamet" at the galactic north east in Segmentum Obscurus.

From Codex: Tyranids 4E (2005) comes Hive Fleet Ouroboris, which is thought (you know that 40k "rumour", nothing "official" but enough solid evidence to rip your eyes:)) to  plague the Helican Sub and attack Thracian Primaris in M36. And just to be completly clear, it is located in Scarus sector next to the sector Calixis.

And as a bonus, if you thought that main Tyranid Hive Fleets are far too far (on "east" or "south") from Obscurus, I was pointed towards one picture in newest Codex: Tyranids 5E (2010) which clearly shows that Leviathan isn´t coming from the "south" of galactic plane, but from its underbelly. I don´t want to spread a Tyranid paranoia but they can realy hit Imperium from different directions.

TorogTarkdacil said:

Indeed.  Space is three-dimensional, and therefore much more open in the ways/directions something can attack a target.  Thus far, there has been mention of a dozen minor hive fleets spread throughput source materials; Locust, Tiamat, Ouroboros, Colossus, Moloch, Jormungandr, Hydra, Scarabus, Harbinger, Apophis, Naga and Gorgon.  So, there is a lot of potential there for those who dare.  I personally have plans for Apophis in my own game.

Also, I recall mention somewhere that the kraken, leviathons and dragons of Fenris all share distinct characteristics with tyranid in general; as does the Catachan Devil.  Some conclude that many death worlds were seeded somehow in the distant past be lost hive fleets.  Or, with the belief of some that the Tyranids are the product of the Deceiver C'Tan, that many death worlds were its lab experiments.

-=Brother Praetus=-

only.... Tyranids are avoiding the Necrons because of their anti psychic/untouchable trait. I find this fact kinda interesting as that may open up the possibility to manipulate or disrupt the fleets by using the pariah gene in some obscure experiment or machine project

 I'd still bet good money we shall find the Jericho Reach Crusade is unconnected to the Margin Crusade.  

We shall see ...

Lucas Adorn said:

I think it's more of the case that a hive fleet is avoiding a Dyson Sphere, which may contain a C'tan (the Outsider).  However, you raise an interesting point about the pariah gene - which would affect the hive mind synapse link.  Although I imagine that the Norn Queens would ignore that section of DNA while they are digesting new material.  Besides, they wouldn't eat Necrons; just accidentally consume humans with the pariah gene.

Personally I think the reasons the Tyranids avoid the Necrons is that they simply have no biomass to consume. Necron Tomb worlds are frequently described as being dead, desert worlds without even microbes or bacteria. There's nothing there for the Tyranids that's worth fighting over. Perhaps they encountered the Necrons once or twice and rapidly learned that it's simply not worth the effort.

In many ways the Necrons are probably the only force in 40k that would stand a good chance against the Tyranid hordes... Bear in mind that Inquisitor Kryptman's most ruthless strategy - committing exterminatus on worlds in the path of the Hive Fleet's advance to deny them of biomass - really only replicates the effect of Necron Tomb worlds. 

I just thought I'd let you know that there is a small reference to Jericho Reach in Ascension. But the one I read does not describe it's location in relation to the Calixis Sector. It is described as the region where the disbanded Ordo Chronos was created. (Page 171.)

Mithras said:

Ordo what? Chronos? TIme? Timetravel? Changes of things which already happened?

Wait for it...

... it´s almost there...

.... HAAAAAAAAAAAAAARLOOOOOOOOCK!!!

Tyranids are very dependent on the warp (their hive mind and everything).  The Necron Great Ward plan and various warp suppressing devices like the Pariahs and the Cadian Pylons are definitely going to go over poorly with the 'Nids.  Given the huge size and advanced technology involved in a Dyson Sphere, there could be all kinds of things the 'Nids don't like about the sphere and that's before we bring in the C'tan.

As has been mentioned, space is three dimensional and the 'Nids have been invading the galaxy from different directions for thousands of years.  Its perfectly consistent with the established background that a fragment of a hive fleet ended up in the vicinity of Calixus.