==============================================================================
Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising - Last Stand Tips for the Hive Tyrant
==============================================================================


FAQ Version 1.0.0 Posted May 2010

--------------------
  Updates
--------------------
MM.DD.YYYY

V. 1.0.0 - 05.07.2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-First edition of FAQ written and posted.


=============================================================================
Index
=============================================================================

  1. Intro
    1a Disclaimer
    1b The Last Stand Mode - What is it?
    1c Controlling Your Hero
    1d The Last Stand Advice on Cover
  2. The Tyranid Hive Tyrant
  3. Wargear
    3a Melee Claws
    3b Long Range Weapons
    3c Armor
    3d Accessories
    3e Commander Items
  4. Hive Tyrant Build Sets
  5. Summary
  6. Credits

=============================================================================
  1. Intro
=============================================================================

I wrote this FAQ on the basis that the Tyranid Hive Tyrant could use a guide
of sorts, to help teach players how to effectively learn to play as the Hive
Tyrant. In no way should this guide be taken as an tell-all end-all guide,
but only a ground from which to pick up from.

I would also like to state that I would like to make guides for the Eldar,
Ork, Space Marine and Chaos heroes as well to follow this same format, and
will need knowledge of how these other heroes are balanced and played to
make a fair guide. Please email me if you have an extensive knowledge of one
or more of the other hero characters and I can go about making a guide with
what you would wish to help share with others.


=============================================================================
  1a Disclaimer
=============================================================================

This FAQ may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for 
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise
distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide
on any other website or as a part of any public display is strictly
prohibited, and a violation of copyright.

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.

Written by: Jamie Hedden

GameFAQs ID: J5a4m3i2e

Games For Windows Live / Xbox Live GT: DeadlyDustBunni

If something in this FAQ is not up to date, or you wish something to be
added, contact me at: mrmetroid (AT) hotmail (DOT) com

System: PC

FAQ version: 1.0.0 (Written/Posted 05.07.2010

This FAQ written for stated use, Copyright Jamie Hedden, 05.2010

List of Sites that may host this FAQ:
www.gamefaqs.com

=============================================================================
  1b The Last Stand Mode - What is it?
=============================================================================

The Last Stand mode for Dawn of War II and its expansion Chaos Rising, is a 
multiplayer game type that pits you and two other heroes against foes of 
impossible odds. You have your choice of being an Eldar Farseer, an Ork 
Mekboy, a Space Marine Captain, and with the Chaos Rising Expansion, the 
Tyranid Hive Tyrant and the Chaos Marine Sorceror.

After you select your hero, you can choose what wargear will be used to
battle the neverending horde along with your fellow two heroes. The longer
you survive and the more enemies you slay will contribute to experience
gained in order to level up that particular hero. With further levels, more
advanced wargear becomes available, opening up all new strategies to 
utilize and combine with your other teammates. 

In this particular FAQ I will be discussing advice and wargear builds for 
the Hive Tyrant.

The Last Stand mode is multiplayer only and must be accessed from an online 
connection in order to participate, and therefore cannot be played with A.I.
teammates.

=========================================================
  1c Controlling Your Hero
=========================================================

The controls for playing the Last Stand mode are basically identical to
playing in the other modes of Dawn of War II. Left click on your mouse is
used to select units or structures, or hold left click and drag to highlight
more then one unit. Right click on your mouse is used to initiate actions.
For example have your hero selected, and right click an enemy unit to order
your hero to attack that selected unit. When using abilities, some of them
are activated differently then others.If you use the hotkey assigned to each
skill, some of them will activate instantly, such as Roar or Psychic Scream.
Others such as any of the Summon (Minion) skills, have to be prepped by
clicking them, and then clicking a location on the ground to summon those
units to that location.

=========================================================
  1d The Last Stand Advice on Cover
=========================================================

When playing the Last Stand, my number one piece of advice is to watch for
cover. When enemies come swarming from one direction and they start shooting
at you, look for cover and utilize it! Put one of the many obstacles between
you and your aggressors and you will maximize survivability. When trying to
get behind cover, look for the colours green and yellow when moving behind
any of the rocks or bushes.

Yellow cover is considered light cover, and although it's not as protective
as green heavy cover, it's still superior to just standing out in the open,
thinking you are rambo. Green cover is considered heavy cover, and is the
best to find when many guns are firing upon you. Both types of cover bestow
suppression resistance, incoming projectile damage restance as well as
slight damage mitigation.*

Two things to be aware of when using cover are flanking enemies and melee
attackers. If you are well defended from shooters due to use of cover and
they move around to the side of you, your benefits gained from cover are
LOST. To sum it up, you are now just as vulnerable to ranged weaponry as
if you are standing in the open.**

When using cover, also be aware of melee attackers. If you are set up to be
a long range hero and melee attackers move to engage you, you are
effectively shut down as a long range weapon until your attackers are
killed, or are lured away from you. Try to communicate with your team to
protect you from melee units if possible in order to stay alive and firing.

* There are two ways to check if you are recieving cover benefits. One is to
look where your mouse is highlighting and look for visible yellow or green
dots around the object of cover (Make sure that you move your hero to the
side of cover opposite of the enemy!), and the other is to look at the small
red health bar above your hero on the map and look for yellow or green on
either side of the health bar. This represents your hero character is
recieving either light (yellow),or heavy (green) cover benefits.

** The loss of cover effects only apply against the unit that has flanked
your cover, as well as any melee attackers that engage in close combat.

=========================================================
  2. The Tyranid Hive Tyrant
=========================================================

The Hive Tyrant is a powerhouse of a hero character, capable of engaging its
foes at range or shredding them to ribbons up close. The Hive Tyrant has a
diverse set of wargear available to it giving it plenty of options when it
comes to killing it's prey by itself, or bolstering the strength of it's
minions to support the team in varying ways.

Although quite a powerful hero, the Tyrant has it's vulnerabilities as well
as its strengths just like every other hero. Players choosing the Hive
Tyrant should learn from it's limitations and work to minimize the effects
of such.


=========================================================
  3 Wargear
=========================================================

Wargear for Hive Tyrant can be used to varying diversity and effectiveness
when combined indifferent ways. I will list build examples I have come
across later in this FAQ that I feelwork well with each other. For now,
here is a list of wargear that comes with the Hive Tyrant.


=========================================================
  3a Melee Claws
=========================================================


--------------------
  Scything Talons
--------------------
Two-Handed
Melee Weapon
8.2 Damage Per Second

Can Only be Replaced, Not Removed

Long talons evolved for killing the hive's enemies.

--------------------
  Enlarged Scything Talons
--------------------
Two-Handed
Melee Weapon
16.0 Damage Per Second

Grants Minion Trait: Armor Piercing
 (All minion creature attacks ignore up to 100 armor value)
Grants Minion Trait: Combat Expert
 (+30% Melee and Ranged Damage)

These enlarged talons do increased damage and trigger biomorphs in all
minion creatures, making their attacks more powerful and able to pierce
armor.

--------------------
  Heavy Talons
--------------------
Two-Handed
Melee Weaon
16.0 Damage Per Second

Grants Trait: Knockdown
 (Standard attacks knockdown and knock back enemy infantry)
Grants Minion Trait: Unshakable
 (Unit is immune to knockback)

Heavy talons evolved for disrupting the hive's enemies. Triggers a hive 
evolution that makes minions immune to knockback.

--------------------
  Crushing Talons
--------------------
Two-Handed
Melee Weapon
14.6 Damage Per Second

+1 Minion Creature Health Regeneration
Grants Trait: Feedback Zeal
 (The Hive Tyrant regains 3 Health every time one of its minion creatures 
 attacks.)

Doing less single-strike damage, these talons are a sign of a powerful 
evolution in the hive, causing all minion creatures to heal the Hive Tyrant 
every time they attack.


=========================================================
  3b Long Range Weapons
=========================================================


--------------------
  Venom Cannon
--------------------
Two-Handed
Ranged Weapon
13.0 Damage Per Second

Grants Trait: Armor Piercing
 (Melee or Ranged attacks ignore up to 240 armor value)

Powerful weapon firing bolts of crystalized venom that can penetrate even
the thickest of armor.

--------------------
  High-Toxin Venom Cannon
--------------------
Two-Handed
Ranged Weapon
5.7 Damage Per Second

Grants Trait: Zealous Leadership
 (Attacks with the Hive Tyrant's Venom Cannon heal all its minions for 5% 
 of their maximum health.)
Grants Trait: Area of Effect
 (Attacks from this weapon deal damage over a small area.)

Weapon symbiote firing especially toxic venom shards. Triggers a hive 
evolution causing all minion creatures to heal when an enemy is struck 
by this weapon.


=========================================================
  3c Armor
=========================================================

--------------------
  Carapace
--------------------
Armor Rating: 105
Damage Mitigation: 37%

Grants Trait: Fearless
 (Immune to sppression.)
Grants Trait: Unshakable
 (Makes the wearer immune to knockback.)

Can Only be Replaced, Not Removed.

Armored chitin covers the Hive Tyrant, making him resistant to harm.


--------------------
  Extended Carapace
--------------------
Armor Rating: 144
Damage Mitigation: 47%

Grants ability: Bio-Plasma 
 (Hurl a blast of bio-plasma, doing area of effect damage. Effective 
 against groups of infantry)
  10 Energy cost/ 5 Energy cost with Synapse Commander Item
Grants Trait: Fearless
 (Immune to suppression.)
Grants Trait: Unshakable
 (Makes the wearer immune to knockback.)
+25 Health

14% Movement Speed

Enlarged chitin carapace allowing for the emmision of deadly bio-plasma
from the Hive Tyrant's innards.


--------------------
  Bonded Exoskeleton
--------------------
Armor Rating: 134
Damage Mitigation: 45%

+50 Minion Creature Health
+2 Minion Creature Health Regeneration
Grants Trait: Fearless
 (Immune to suppression.)
Grants Trait: Unshakable
 (Makes the wearer immune to knockback.)
+75 Health

14% Movement Speed

Heavily thickened carapace which signals a hive evolution that makes 
all minion creatures more resilient.


--------------------
  Poison Cysts
--------------------
Armor Rating: 160
Damage Mitigation: 51%

Grants Ability: Toxic Miasma
 (Emit a toxic cloud that poisons a large area. Enemies in the area 
 suffer damage over time equal to half of the Hive Tyrant's maximum 
 Health over 20 seconds.) ***
Grants Trait: Fearless
 (Immune to suppression.)
Grants Trait: Unshakable
 (Makes the wearer immune to knockback.)
+50 Health

14% Movement Speed

Carapace riddled with small poison cysts used to excrete clouds of toxic 
miasma.

*** Miasma Damage Formula Example: 200 HP / 2 = 100, Damage over time is
equal to 100 damage over 20 seconds. 100 / 20 = 5 therefore the damage 
dealt over time is 5 damage per second for 20 seconds, NOT 100 damage per 
second for 20 seconds. ***


--------------------
  Articulated Carapace
--------------------
Armor Rating: 112
Damage Mitigation: 39%

Grants Ability: The Horror
 (Force the targeted enemy squad to fall back in terror.)
Grants Trait: Swift
 (+15% Movement Speed)
Grants Trait: Fearless
 (Immune to suppression.)
Grants Trait: Unshakable
 (Makes the wearer immune to knockback.)
Grants Minion Trait: Fearless
 (Minion Creature is immune to suppression)
Grants Minion Trait: Swift
 (+25% Minion Creature movement speed.)

Sacrificing durability for speed, this carapace also signals a hive 
evolution that grants minion creatures a similar speed increase.


--------------------
  Reinforced Chitin
--------------------
Armor Rating: 98 (Before Trait Effect)
Damage Mitigation: 35%
+80 Minion Creature Armor
Grants Trait: Reactive Armor
 (Hive Tyrant temporarily gains +10 Armor each time it is attacked, up 
 to a maximum of +300 armor.)
Grants Trait: Fearless
 (Immune to suppression.)
Grants Trait: Unshakable
 (Makes the wearer immune to knockback.)
+25 Health

14% Movement Speed

Each attack on this chitin triggers a hardening of resinous mucus, 
increasing its armor value.


=========================================================
  3c Accessories
=========================================================

--------------------
  Genestealer Nest
--------------------

Grants Ability: Call Genestealer
 (Call Genestealer minion creatures [x3] whose Rending Claws reduce the
 effectiveness of enemy armor.)
10 Energy cost / 5 Energy cost with Synapse Commander Item.

Allows the Hive Tyrant to call Genestealer minion creatures. Genestealers 
weild Rending Claws that reduce enemy armor.


--------------------
  Warrior Nest
--------------------

Grants Ability: Call Warrior
 (Call a Tyranid Warrior minion creature armed with powerful Scything 
 Talons and able to knock back enemy infantry.)
15 Energy cost / 7 Energy cost with Synapse Commander Item.

Allows the Hive Tyrant to call a Tyranid Warrior minion creature. Warriors
are deadly close-combatants.


--------------------
  Tyrant Guard Nest
--------------------

Grants Ability: Call Tyrant Guard
 (Call a Tyrant Guard minion creature. Highly resilient, the Guard can also 
 taunt enemies.)
20 Energy cost / 10 Energy cost with Synapse Commander Item.

Allows the Hive Tyrant to call a highly resilient Tyrant Guard minion
creature capable of taunting enemies.


--------------------
  Ravener Nest
--------------------

Grants Ability: Call Ravener
 (Call a Ravener minion creature. Highly mobile and armoed with a deadly 
 Devourer ranged weapon, the Ravener can also disrupt enemies with its 
 Burrow Strikes.)
20 Energy cost / 10 Energy cost with Synapse Commander Item.

Allows the Hive Tyrant to call a Ravener minion creature. Raveners are very 
rapid and fire powerful ranged Devourers. They may also burrow.)


--------------------
  Toxin Sacs
--------------------

Grants Trait: Searing
 (The Hive Tyrant's melee and ranged attacks deal additional damage over
 time. Damage stacks with the Hive Tyrant's maximum Health. Multiple 
 searing attacks stack.)
Grants Minion Trait: Searing
 (All minion creatures' melee and ranged attacks deal additional damage
 over time. Damage scales with the attacker's maximum health. Multiple
 searing attacks stack.)

Biomorph that makes all attacks from the Hive Tyrant and its minion
creatures cause additional damage over time.


--------------------
  Implant Attacks
--------------------

Grants Trait: Combat Master
 (+30% Melee and Ranged Damage.)
Grants Minion Trait: Combat Master
 (+30% Melee and Ranged Damage.)
+20 Minion Creature Health

Biomorph that increases the damage done by the Hive Tyrant and all its
minions.


--------------------
  Seismic Roar
--------------------

Grants Ability: Seismic Roar
 (Emit a roar which stuns nearby enemies.)
15 Energy cost / 7 Energy cost with Synapse Commander Item.

Biomorph allowing the Hive Tyrant to emit a roar which stuns nearby
enemies.


--------------------
  Psychic Scream
--------------------

Grants Ability: Psychic Scream
 (Reduce damage output and defenses of all enemy units within the area of
 effect of the ability.)
10 Energy cost / 5 Energy cost with Synapse Commander Item.

Psychic power allowing the Hive Tyrant to temporarily reduce enemy damage
output and defence.


--------------------
  Warp Field
--------------------

Grants Ability: Warp Field
 (Raises a protective shield which halves [1/2's] incoming damage and
  causes it to reduce Energy instead of Health.)
+50 Energy
0 Set Energy cost / Toggle Ability On and Off

Hive Mind psychic power allowing the Tyrant to raise a psychic shield which
reduces incoming damage.


--------------------
  Bio-Feedback
--------------------

Grants Trait: Feedback Invulnerability
 (The death of any minion creature briefly makes the Hive Tyrant
 invulnerable.)
+25 Health

Enhanced synaptic link causing the death of a minion creature to briefly
render the Hive Tyrant invulnerable.


--------------------
  Explosive Decomposition
--------------------

Grants Minion Trait: Death Throes
 (A toxic cloud erupts upon the death of any minion creature, damaging
 enemies in a large area. The higher the minion creature's maximum Health,
 the greater the damage done.)
+20 Minion Creature Health
+50 Health

Biomorph that causes minion creatures to emit a powerful poisonous
explosion when killed.


=========================================================
  3e Commander Items
=========================================================

--------------------
  Thornback
--------------------

Grants Ability: Charge
 (Charge at targeted location, knocking over everything in the charge 
 path.) ****
10 Energy cost / N/A deduction of Energy cost due to item slot conflict.

Biomorph that allows the Hive Tyrant to charge across the battlefield,
knocking over everything in its path.

**** Note that charge does not seem to pass through allied Warriors,
Tyrant Guards, or Dreadnaughts. Colliding with these simply stop the
Tyrant.

--------------------
  Synapse
--------------------

-50% Ability costs
Reduces cooldown time of Abilities as well.

--------------------
  Evolution
--------------------

+2 Health Regeneration
Grants Minion Trait: Resilient
 (+50 Health, +2 Health Regeneration)
Grants Minion Trait: Swift
 (+25% Movement Speed.)
Grants Minion Trait: Combat Expert
 (+25% Melee and Ranged Damage.)

A host of biomorphs that greatly increase the effectiveness of all minion
creatures.


=========================================================
  4. Hive Tyrant Build Sets
=========================================================

Now on to the Hive Tyrant Builds section! Here I am posting some ideas I 
have come across or muddled around with while playing The Last Stand. I will
not say that I have discovered any particular build first and neither can 
anyone else really... Take a look around and use one if you like the sound
of it, modify it to your whim, you could even send me an email if you have 
an idea for a build that you would like posted, and I will put credits in
for your addition to the build roster. :)


--------------------
  Brawler Tyrant
--------------------

Heavy Talons

Bonded Exoskeleton

Warrior Nest
Psychic Scream
Toxin Sacs

Thornback

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I like this particular build because it's simple, it does it's job, and it
is usable at low levels for a Tyranid player. Using Heavy Talons allows this
Tyrant to take on heavy infantry such as the 'Eavy Orks and Ork Nobs, by
basically bullying them to death. Activate Charge and stampede your way
through your target, and cast Psychic Scream before you collide with them.
Make sure to activate Psychic Scream when you can hit the most units with
it to maximize its effectiveness. Summon your Warrior into a nearby enemy
squad that are ranged to silence them while they have to engage your warrior
in melee. All the while, you are constantly knocking your target about an
they can't attack back while being bounced this way. Keep refreshing
Psychic Scream whenever it's available and keep your Warrior out and
fighting and you should do fine. Up until Heavy Talons are available, just
use the Enlarged Scything talons to add more damage to your Warrior and
always use it to attack your same target.


--------------------
  Miasma Tyrant
--------------------

Crushing Talons

Poison Cysts

Genestealer Nest
Toxin Sacs
Bio-Feedback

Synapse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This setup uses a combination of Miasma and Searing to deal damage over
time to your opponents, and gives the player the nice addition of
invulnerability to boot. With Crushing Talons giving health back to the
Tyrant with each of their three genestealer's attacks, this does help a
little to keep the player's health topped up. Combine that with
invulnerability being cast on the Tyrant with each genestealer that dies,
the Tyrant can potentially have an easy time tanking a good number of the
horde and killing them at the same time. With Bio-Feedback, if you have
already summoned a set of genestealers and you summon another set, it
counts as killing the first set, which makes your invulnerability kick in
as well! Though this only stacks once so it lasts only about 5 seconds
total for doing it this way. With Synapse, your Genestealer Nest Ability
cools down almost fast enough to constantly invulnerabilityin this manner
too which is pretty sweet.


--------------------
  Heavy Miasma Tyrant
--------------------

Crushing Talons

Poison Cysts

Genestealer Nest
Explosive Decomposition
Bio-Feedback

Synapse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This setup is similar to the one above except Toxin Sacs have been removed
for Explosive Decomposition. Doing this maximizes the Tyrant's Health for a
miasma build at 225 Health. This means Miasma will be doing the maximum
damage capable per second, 5.625 dps for 20 seconds within it's area.
Combine this with Explosive Decomposition and spam summoning Genestealers,
you can put quite the hurting on your enemies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


--------------------
  Warrior Buff
--------------------

Heavy Talons

Bonded Exoskeleton

Warrior Nest
Psychic Scream
Toxin Sacs

Thornback/Synapse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This setup is used for summoning a powerful Warrior to help you content
with your enemies. Granting it immunity to knockback allows it to stay on
it's feet and keep on hitting things unhindered. The Bonded Exoskeleton
provides nice benefits to both your Warrior minion as well as a nice chunk
of extra health for your Tyrant. Psychic Scream dulls the horde's attacks
as well as increases the damage you deal back to them. Constantly knocking
down your opponents combined with Searing can be a pretty nasty trick as
well, and Searing seems to help with things like the Wraithlords. Thornback
is added for an additional way to keep enemies off their feet, which can
help reduce damage going to you as well as your team. You can also switch
out Thornback for Synapse if you like to spam your Warrior and Psychic
Scream steadily and worry about lose of energy, but I don't see much of a
dent made to your energy reserves if you time the use of your skills
effectively.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--------------------
  Reactive Tank
--------------------

Crushing Talons

Reinforced Chitin

Genestealer Nest
Psychic Scream
Bio-Feedback

Synapse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I loved hearing how much every one I played with or on forums thought that 
Reinforced Chitin was useless armor, so I decided to muck about with it and
see what I could do to try and make it viable and this is what I put
together. Summon your genestealers as close as you can to your target mob
and lure them into attacking the genestealers to pull them as close as you
can. Summon a new set of genestealers in the same spot and move in to
attack while benefiting from invulnerability. Cast Psychic Scream while
moving and wade your way into the fight. Keep spamming 'stealers to keep
your invulnerability going and let the enemy hammer away at you. The whole
time your armor will continue to rise, up to the maximum of 398 Armor! This
combined with Psychic Scream can keep you standing tall over your enemies as
they barely lay a scratch on your Tyrant. If that wasen't enough, the
Crushing Talons will allow your 'stealers to heal your Tyrant with each of
their attacks as well to recover any chipped away health.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


There are countless other ways that a fun and effective Hive Tyrant Build
could be created. Don't take my ideas for Tyrant Build Sets as concrete or
having to be done that specific way, feel free to modify and edit them to
your liking if you want to try them. I will try to add more when I think of
something, and if you are reading this FAQ and have an idea for an
interesting build, please feel free to send me an email and lets discuss it.
I will again do what I can to update and put it up on the FAQ and add
credits to your contribution at the bottom of the page.

=========================================================
  5. Summary
=========================================================

Well that about wraps it up for my FAQ on playing as the Hive Tyrant for
The Last Stand in Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising. I hope that this small guide
will have helped benefit you in some way towards a more enjoyable experience
while playing the Last Stand mode, and perhaps even enspires you to mess 
around with build ideas of your own and come up with your own idea of an 
ultimate Hive Tyrant build.

Just remember some simple steps when playing as a Hive Tyrant and you will 
have a good experience:

- Use cover whenever possible

- Use your minions to "shut up" incoming enemy fire by summoning them ontop
  of the enemy

- Don't try and solo everything, or you'll find yourself constantly being
  revived

- Communicate and use teamwork!

- Enjoy nomming on your hapless prey! >:3

=========================================================
  6. Credits
=========================================================

This FAQ was written by Jamie Hedden, AKA J5a4m3i2e, AKA DeadlyDustBunni

Author of FAQ is reachable at: mrmetroid (AT) hot mail (DOT) com , if you
wish to contact for content wished to be added to this FAQ.

Thanks goes out to:
- AshuraZro, for positive criticism while making this FAQ and for all the 
  TLS rounds played!

- DressedForDeath, for all the fun TLS rounds played, and for being so
  Polish! >:D

- SecondHandChild, for lulzing with me about that guy who has over 2700
  animes watched and 500+ IRL friends lol

- NiceSalamander, for replying to my board topic and having some good 
  games :P

And anyone else I haven't mentioned! :D 


=========================================================
=========================================================

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their 
respective trademark and copyright holders.

This FAQ, Copyright Jamie Hedden, 05.2010