The Hierophant's arrival shifted the battlefield advantage back to the Tyranids. The Hierophant used its two large-caliber bio-cannons to bombard the Zerg Swarm's lines one shot at a time.
Each blast sent Zergling and Hydralisk limbs flying. Even Roaches could only withstand the peripheral shockwaves; a direct hit would send them flying too.
Add to that its two sharp, scythe-like forelimbs. A single swing harvested large swathes of Zerg Swarm units. The Zerg Swarm's casualty count was clearly becoming unsustainable.
Zasz knew the terror of this behemoth. He immediately directed Banelings to mix among Zerglings, even at the cost of friendly fire, to ensure they exploded near the Hierophant.
Baneling explosions were effective against the Hierophant, but a single Baneling could only cover an area, not instantly deliver a fatal blow.
Perhaps sensing the Zerg Swarm's intent, the Norn Queen proactively ordered Termagants and Warriors to shield the Hierophant from Banelings. Even if Banelings used their flexible bodies to leap high, Termagants would jump to intercept and detonate them mid-air.
†Behold, the legendary AI micro: using a single Marine to block a Baneling.†
Of course, Baneling explosions had a decent radius. Even premature detonations killed several Tyranid units.
But the Hierophant was the priority now. All other units, including Warriors, were expendable.
If ground attacks failed, then attack from the air. Scourge began actively charging the Hierophant. But the Norn Queen, already aware of Scourge capabilities, wouldn't let them succeed. Countless Gargoyles acted as living shields, blocking the Scourge assault.
Even Zasz couldn't help but grunt softly.
"This is troublesome, Overmind. Our battlefield situation is not favorable."
†Yes, I know.†
Titan-class units like the Hierophant were indeed difficult to handle.
And no one said there was only one Hierophant. Given this fleet's scale, multiple Bio-Titans were highly likely.
†Zasz, continue commanding the battle while transferring into the Leviathan. I have a way to deal with that Hierophant.†
"Hierophant? As you command, Overmind."
Though unsure why the Overmind named the massive enemy 'Hierophant,' Zasz obeyed, commanding the battle while heading to the Leviathan. Cerebrates were precious units, far more valuable than Ultralisks or Hierodules.
Who knew if the Great Devourer's ability to consume psychic energy would kill a Cerebrate?
While psychic power in Warhammer 40K wasn't identical to that in StarCraft II, there were similarities. If it was effective, it would be problematic.
Meanwhile, watching the steadily increasing biomass, the Swarm Overmind prepared to deal with the troublesome Hierophant.
†If it continues advancing, the Zerg Swarm will lose its resistance. My area control might be lacking, but single-target control is doable.†
Two Hierodules arrived at the battlefield. Simultaneously, an Infestor, which had been hiding underground in the Zerg Swarm's heartland, also reached the area.
†Hierodules, attack!†
Hierodules, a size larger than Ultralisks, naturally possessed the capability to contend with a Hierophant, especially two of them. Even if they couldn't win, stalling the Hierophant for sufficient time was good enough.
The Hierodules plowed through the Tyranid positions, charging straight at the Hierophant.
The Hierophant didn't dare underestimate them, immediately raising its two bio-cannons to fire at the Hierodules. But the Hierodules, relying on the diamond-hard polygonal plates on their heads, tanked the two shots, leaving only two craters.
Like Ultralisks, Hierodules' weak points were their abdomens and legs; other areas were heavily armored.
The Hierodules crashed heavily into the Hierophant. The Hierophant used its forelimbs to block the Hierodules' Kaiser Blades. The two sides began a contest of strength.
But besides its massive forelimbs, the Hierophant had its two bio-cannon limbs. The cannons aimed at the Hierodule's head beneath its carapace and fired two shots.
This attack nearly killed the Hierodule instantly.
Fortunately, the other Hierodule slammed into the Hierophant from the side, throwing its body off balance, causing the shots to miss.
The Hierodule roared ferociously. The Hierophant, regaining its footing, roared back.
The Norn Queen focused on this part of the battlefield. The battle among these three behemoths was clearly crucial, determining the outcome of the surrounding warzone.
It was expected to be a brutal fight.
And reality matched that expectation. The Hierophant charged the two Hierodules, using its strength as a Bio-Titan to hold its own against two Hierodules without falling behind.
After all, a Hierophant matched an Imperial Warlord-class Titan.
However, the Zerg Swarm Overmind fought dirty.
On a distant part of the Zerg Swarm battlefield, a bloated Zerg unit suddenly extended its incredibly long tail spike. Within a breath, it extended nearly a kilometer, piercing the Hierophant's head.
The sharp tail spike instantly penetrated the Hierophant's head, securing a firm hold.
†Yes, hit!!!†
In that instant, the Hierophant's movements became stiff, as if a game's latency suddenly spiked to hundreds or thousands of milliseconds.
The Norn Queen sensed a force vying with her for control of the Hierophant. This wasn't about the Hive Mind, but a neurological struggle.
If not for the Hierophant's massive body possessing an extremely complex nervous system, the Norn Queen might have lost control instantly.
†Ethernet is better than wireless, after all.†
No matter how powerful the Hive Mind was, it was psionic control. But the Infestor exerted physical control. Its neural network connected with the Infestor's tail spike, allowing the Infestor to take over.
The Hierophant's consciousness was awake, but it couldn't fully control its body.
†This is the Zerg Swarm's strongest unit in Versus Mode! Don't look down on the Zerg Swarm!!!†
Infestors loved controlling high-value units~~~
[Name: Infestor.]
[Body Length: 10-20 meters]
[Role: Infestation Specialist]
[Armament: Infested Tail Spike, Parasitic Fungal Growth]
[Description: There's a peculiar description of the Infestor: †It resembles a mobile hive more than an individual organism.† This accurately portrays the Infestor—a mobile hive laden with parasites, plagues, and infested prey.
The Infestor can spew mutated fungal growth, covering an area with viscous fungi. Any enemy contacting the fungal fluid takes damage and is temporarily immobilized. When the Infestor evolves the terrifying Neural Parasite ability, it can extend its super-long tail spike, injecting a shape-shifting, multi-mouthed parasite into an enemy, controlling it to fight for the Swarm.]
Even for just a moment, the impact on the battle between behemoths was immense.
†Great opportunity! Full speed ahead!†
During the Hierophant's loss of control, the Hierodules beat the helpless giant. Their Kaiser Blades clamped onto the Hierophant's body, squeezing with all their might.
The Hierophant's carapace was sheared open by the Hierodules' blades. Green fluid began spurting from the wounds. Even the Hierophant's resilient body couldn't resist the combined assault of two Hierodules while unable to fight back.
Flesh was severed, gore flew. The sickening sound of chitinous carapace cracking and the hiss of spurting blood composed the Hierophant's swan song.
Finally, the unfortunate Hierophant was sheared into three segments by the two Hierodules. Its massive body crashed to the ground. Even with the Hierophant's vitality, it could only struggle briefly before collapsing helplessly, motionless.
The Norn Queen stared at this battlefield, finally understanding the ferocity of the Zerg Swarm's resistance.
The battle had now lasted a day and a night, yet the Tyranids hadn't captured over 20% of the planet's surface. This was unusually slow.
This Hive Fleet had destroyed countless biological planets, rarely encountering a species that resisted so fiercely, even losing a Hierophant.
Although continuing the fight would eventually grind down the Zerg Swarm through attrition, the excessive losses prompted the Norn Queen to change tactics.
Some Hive Ships stopped loading Termagants and Warriors into the drop pods on their surfaces, instead loading more specialized bio-forms.
Among these, various self-destructing Spore Mines became the primary units.
Yes, the Tyranids also had suicide units, and in far greater numbers than the Zerg Swarm.