Space Marine 2: Fighting Tyranids Trumps Chaos

With the Siege Mode of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 in full effect, players are battling relentless waves of Thousand Sons and Tyranid forces to climb to the highest possible rank. However, beyond the aggravating connection problems and glitches that hinder advancement, a more significant issue has emerged for some: facing the forces of Chaos.

In Siege Mode, players must defend against waves of adversaries from Space Marine 2's two primary enemy groups: the renegade Thousand Sons legion and the terrifying, insectoid alien threat of the Tyranids. The mode does not allow players to select only one faction to fight; waves of Tyranids and Chaos forces attack separately.

This presents a dilemma for certain Space Marine 2 players who find battling the Tyranids significantly more enjoyable than confronting Chaos. Much of this sentiment stems from the distinct challenges each faction offers. The Tyranids are a swarm-based enemy that floods the screen with a combination of weaker units and larger, more powerful ones. There is a visceral satisfaction in mowing down hordes of Tyranids as a Space Marine—slashing through xenos flesh with a Power Sword, deflecting a blow to create a perfect opening for a counterattack, and, a personal favorite, landing a solid punch to a Tyranid’s face with a Power Fist.

By contrast, the Thousand Sons offer a more deliberate and strategic challenge. After all, you are up against fellow Space Marines—albeit corrupted ones—and their demonic allies; they are designed to be formidable. When Terminators appear and unleash a torrent of missile barrages, engaging Chaos can feel like an exhausting grind. Fighting the Thousand Sons is less about turning off your brain and hacking away, and more akin to thinking, "If Space Marine 2 decided to emulate the demanding combat of Elden Ring, it might feel something like this."

The distinction becomes sharper at higher difficulty levels. On lower settings, both Tyranids and Chaos present a similar degree of challenge. However, when you increase the difficulty—a necessity for certain progression milestones in Space Marine 2—the Chaos forces transform into an absolute nightmare, while the Tyranid swarms often remain comparatively manageable.

It is an oversimplification to claim that Tyranids are easy and Chaos is hard. The Tyranids are brilliantly designed to mirror their lore and tabletop origins, creating an authentic faction experience. Similarly, the Thousand Sons are accurately portrayed as a traitor legion empowered by warp sorcery. They are distinct by design.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Siege Mode Screenshots

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Nonetheless, Space Marine 2 players—a sentiment echoed in the PvE Operations mode since the game's record-breaking launch last September—frequently express a strong preference for fighting the Tyranids. Some admit to quitting Siege mode entirely when a Chaos wave begins.

"Is there a way to play Siege mode with Tyranids only?" recently asked Think_Fan_5943 on the Space Marine subreddit. "I genuinely dislike fighting Chaos, and being forced to engage them is frustrating. I usually quit when the enemy switches. Since you can select missions that only feature Tyranids if you don't like Chaos, why can't we choose which enemy we face in Siege mode?"

It is unlikely that Saber Interactive will develop a Tyranid-exclusive version of Siege Mode. If they did, the Chaos version might struggle to maintain a healthy player base for matchmaking, given the overwhelming preference for battling the Tyranids. This is simply the reality of the situation. However, the ongoing debate about Tyranids versus Chaos in Space Marine 2 does spark engaging speculation about the enemy factions we might encounter in the already announced Space Marine 3.

What kind of threat could the Necrons, widely anticipated to appear, pose to the Ultramarines? Could a different traitor legion offer a more compelling and varied challenge? Imagine if the disease-riddled Death Guard were included, forcing players to contend with flesh-decaying plagues in addition to enemy fire. And what about the return of the Orks, who featured prominently in the original Space Marine? Could they become the new fan-favorite enemy, much like the Tyranids are now?

For the time being, we have the Tyranids and Chaos, and the persistent test of dealing with both in Siege Mode, whether we enjoy it or not. Looking forward, Space Marine 2 has plenty of exciting content on the horizon. While the upcoming Patch 9 will concentrate solely on balance adjustments, Patch 10 will introduce a new Chaos vs. Chaos PvP mode, the Power Axe melee weapon, and the Techmarine class. Find a complete breakdown of all the Space Marine 2 Patch 10 details here.