Zerglings plus Banelings was one of the Zerg's most standard tactics.
If Ultralisks were added to the Zergling sea, it would be a perfect recreation of the classic Heart of the Swarm campaign cinematics. Unfortunately, there were no Ultralisks yet—only Zerglings and Banelings rolling in.
The arrival of Banelings taught the Ork boyz what "efficient explosions" really meant. It was far more effective than strapping Gretchin to rockets and guiding them manually. One Baneling could reliably take out one Ork. The firepower was extremely dependable.
Before long, several hundred Ork boyz were completely wiped out under the combined assault of Zerglings and Banelings.
The Zerglings dragged the Ork corpses back toward the Overmind.
Meanwhile, the Drones rushed over, carrying away the giant mushrooms and the unhatched Orks beneath them. All of it was precious biomass. Neither the Zerg nor even the Tyranids would ever waste such resources.
However, new trouble soon followed.
A Zergling climbed a nearby hill and looked into the distance. Not far from the mushroom fields, it spotted an Ork settlement.
The settlement was enormous—its edge couldn't even be seen at a glance. Conservatively estimated, the Ork population had likely exceeded one million.
Fortunately, news of the mushroom fields being attacked hadn't reached the settlement yet. But fire couldn't be wrapped in paper forever. Once the fields stopped producing new Orks, attention would inevitably be drawn.
The Overmind could only accelerate unit production, ensuring he wouldn't be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
At that moment, a special psychic message entered his consciousness.
"Come, my loyal servant."
"My master, I offer you my absolute loyalty."
Before the mountain-like body of the Overmind appeared a strange creature resembling an enlarged larva. Within its swollen body, faint brain structures could be seen.
It was a Cerebrate—the Overmind's command unit.
Their melee strength was almost negligible, but their psychic power was formidable. They were classic glass-cannon mages.
Some might ask: what about Queens?
Queens were another command unit created by the Queen of Blades, Kerrigan. Because Cerebrates only obeyed the Overmind, Queens were created as substitutes.
"My loyal servant, I grant you a name. From today on, you shall be called Zasz."
"Yes, my master. Zasz shall bring death and despair to your enemies."
"Just don't be the one who ends up in despair."
"?"
The young Cerebrate didn't understand, but the Overmind gave him no time to think.
"Zasz, you are responsible for security around me. I've sent you the enemy's coordinates. There are many enemies there. Kill them and bring their bodies back as food for the swarm. Can you do it?"
"I obey, my supreme master."
Although Cerebrates had independent consciousness, their loyalty to the Overmind was absolute.
Once Zasz took command, the swarm's movements became extremely fluid. They systematically transported everything useful from the mushroom fields back to the hive. Not a single Zergling collided with another. Their formation flowed like water.
This was the Cerebrate's greatest value. Like Tyranid Norn Queens and Hive Tyrants, they were master strategists.
Under Zasz's direction, new combat units began incubating.
Larvae curled into eggs. Inside, DNA was restructured. These eggs were far larger than those of Zerglings.
When they burst, a new unit appeared: the Hydralisk.
It resembled an upright serpent. Its lower body was fully serpentine, moving by writhing.
Its upper body bore a large alien-like head and sharp bone claws. Specialized structures on its body launched spine projectiles.
This was the Hydralisk—the backbone of the swarm.
Name: Hydralisk
Length: 3–4 meters
Role: Assault trooper
Armament: Armor-piercing spines, teeth, claws
Description: Nightmare-like Hydralisks are the swarm's vanguard. Their ranged attacks are their deadliest weapon. Beneath their uneven carapace lie hundreds of highly toxic spines, stored like ammunition in a magazine. With over 4,000 complex muscle groups, they can fire spines at supersonic speed, piercing hardened steel plates even from 500 meters away.
Many people thought Hydralisks were purely ranged units, but with a height of nearly four meters, they obviously weren't helpless in melee. Their bone claws could easily tear through flesh and bone.
However, as the price for their offensive power, their defense was somewhat weak—only slightly tougher than Zerglings.
With Zerglings and Hydralisks, the swarm finally had a basic combined-arms structure.
The Overmind felt that he wouldn't even fear a small Space Marine squad now.
"Still too few numbers. Not enough biomass."
Without resources, even Tyranids were helpless.
He knew that once he captured the Ork settlement, he'd have enough resources to conquer an entire planet.
Now, it was time to watch his Cerebrate perform.
Except for a few scouting Zerglings, all swarm units assembled and advanced rapidly toward the Ork settlement under Zasz's command.
Meanwhile, in the Ork Settlement
"Boss! Boss!!!"
A Gretchin rushed into a massive tent in panic. In the center, on a throne made of animal bones, an Ork Boss over three meters tall was gnawing on roasted meat.
Seeing the Gretchin's terrified look, the Boss frowned.
"Wot is it? Ya look like yer being chased by a Squig."
His tone was different from ordinary Orks—still fierce, but with a commander's steadiness.
"Our mushroom fields! A huge bunch of bugs showed up! They've killed loads of our boyz!"
"Bugs? You can't even handle sum bugs? Yer embarrassing meh!"
The Boss stood up. To the Gretchin, he was like a wall. It staggered backward in fear.
Ignoring him, the Boss walked out of the tent.
"Boyz!!!"
He roared.
Nearby Ork bosses and boyz turned to look.
"Some bugs are messing with our mushroom fields! Grab yer gear and go crump'em!"
"WAAAGH!!!"
At his call, Orks raised their weapons and roared in response.
In an instant, the settlement was filled with cries of WAAAGH. A vast horde of Greenskins surged toward the mushroom fields.
From above, it looked like a rising green tide.