''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7080862/1/The-Swarm-of-War The Swarm of War]]'' is a ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''[=/=]''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'' {{Crossover}} written by [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1272704/VexMaster VexMaster]]. It tells the story of James Malcolm Raynor, a nerd with knowledge of both universes killed by a car... and reincarnated as a Zerg Larva on the fallen Aiur. The guy morphs to a Drone... then a Hatchery... then a Hive Cluster... and just as he's ready to take over after Kerrigan's depowerment... the Xel'Naga artifact transports him elsewhere. From that moment, James is no more. There is a new Overmind. And that Overmind lands on a new planet. A planet just in the middle of a Warp Storm. Well, time to rebuild... and consume.

The first story arc -- the first 40 chapters -- is about the Overmind taking over the planet. The second arc -- finished in summer 2014 -- is about the Swarm testing itself against future enemies on a remote planet, opposed by the Imperium, the Eldar, the Chaos, [[VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine Captain Titus]]... and [[VideoGame/DawnOfWar Scout Sergeant Cyrus]].

Since the author is a teacher, most of the updates tend to be in the summer.

As of 2015, the story is in the process of being beta'd, but is a very enjoyable one even without it.
----
!!Contains examples of:

* AbnormalAmmo: Can be expected, considering the setting. For the Swarm, goes all the way from the regular Hydralisk spines in the ground units to psionically charged Ultralisk sized Baneling bunches and ICBM sized explosive spines fired at relativistic speeds from the newer capital [[LivingShip Living Ship]]s.
* AntiMagic: The first arc occurs on a planet surrounded by a Warp Storm. all the human Psykers upon it are incapable of using their powers, except for the ones assimilated by the Swarm. Daemon summoning magic is also much reduced in power.
* ArchNemesis: Warboss Bugklaw. [[spoiler:Too bad he doesn't survive into the second arc.]] Judanus seems to be shaping up to be one in the later chapters.
* AssholeVictim: Elegas, when confronted by Elric and accused of having... inappropriate feelings toward his sister, merely replies that she was only a half-sister... ''[[TooDumbToLive and then asks about her daughter]]''. Mind you, said daughter is [[{{Squick}} something like seven]].
* AssimilationPlot: Well, what did you expect? It’s the Swarm.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: James' first body was a Hive sized Ultralisk variant. Gets better later, when he starts making Zerg Titans and [[LivingShip Living Ship]]s up to ten kilometers long, with bigger stuff being planned.
* BackFromTheBrink: After Char, James/Overmind arrives in the [=W40K=] universe with only eight Overlords and some escorts from his force. Three of the Overlords are lost to local [[GiantFlyer Giant Flyer]]s, so he makes do with just over twenty land units and a lot of dead meat from the crashed Overlords. Oh, and a large Khaydarin Crystal from a Protoss Pylon.
* BackFromTheDead: The leaders of the Swarm can do it on army scale, so long as the corpses are sufficiently intact. Also, many of the command creatures, and even regular fighters which farmed enough experience points for gaining sapience, are subject to resurrection just like the old Cerebrates.
* BadassBoast: The representatives of the Swarm are giving them to both Chaos Marines and the Imperium.
-->''We are the Zerg. We are the Swarm. We are the Devouring Ones. We are the God Killers. We are the Conquerors of Aiur and Destroyers of Tarsonis. We are the Unending Doom.''
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: The Overmind has one against Ahzek Ahriman. Turns out even one of the most powerful psykers in the galaxy cannot match a world spanning HiveMind.
* BeehiveBarrier: Considering much of the Zerg technology comes from the Protoss, it's not surprising their shields are described as such.
* TheBattlestar: The larger Zerg [[LivingShip Living Ship]]s, like the Hive Ship, are capable of carrying and spawning millions of smaller flyers.
* BewareMyStingerTail: Zerg Patriarchs have a long scorpion-like tale shooting out beams.
* BigDamnHeroes: In the final battle of arc 2, Titus, Cyrus and the other Astartes are almost killed by Volran before the Silent One arrives with a group of rescued Guardsmen.
* BodyHorror: Considering the universes involved, a number of examples are naturally present:
** When Zerg attack humans with acid and spores, the results are... not pretty. Roots growing through your body, acid melting off flesh...
** Chapter 23 describes a battlefield full of corpses... and then a severed head comes alive -- a [[PuppeteerParasite Spyling]] still has enough life in him to try searching for another host. Of course, a few tentacles must be grown first to move around.
** Chapter 61 contains a brief description of a Warp Drive detonating near a fleet of sea ships... since these naturally have no Gellar Field generators, one can guess what happens.
* ABoyAndHisX: Alena and Tobi are a girl of five and a Zergling at first, then she grows up and he recieves a few upgrades, but they are still all but inseparable.
* BrainInAJar: Humans allowed to survive under the Swarm largely end up as these in the end, either as part of the Zerg network, or, in rare cases, as remote controllers for leader creatures.
* BrotherSisterIncest: Elegas harbored rather... inappropriate feelings toward his sister.
* CallASmeerpARabbit: Zerglings are often called "Dog-things" by humans.
* CannibalismSuperpower: Aside from the Zerg consuming native fauna, Orks, space marines, daemons, etc, for their essence, Captain Titus demonstrates the Space Marines' little-remembered [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Creation_of_a_Space_Marine#Omophagea Omophagea]] implant by eating a zergling's brain to learn about the Zerg.
* CantArgueWithElves: [[spoiler:Seyeris]], even after being captured by the Swarm, still has all the Eldar haughtiness when talking to Hargen.
* CarryABigStick: Bugklaw's mace during his first Waaagh. As befits his name, it was made from Roach claws.
* CassandraTruth: Inquisitor Pardia is the first to realize the threat of the Swarm, but is ignored. Later, he is the one to figure out the truth about [[spoiler:the identity of Queen Alena]], but others are rather disbelieving – not to mention simply have no forces capable of dealing with the problem by then.
* CavalryBetrayal:
** The village which calls for help against the Orks is attacked due to Tobias being mistaken for a daemon.
** The Space Marines woken up to fight the Zerg (misidentified as a Chaos infestation) turn out to be largely corrupted by Chaos.
** During a battle between the King's Army and Chaos, forces led by the Loyalist Space Marines attack and wipe out the Chaos forces. The commander of the King's forces thanks them for the help... and is immediately exterminated along with his army; due to the King refusing to recognize the Space Marines as his superiors, his kingdom had been branded as heretics.
* CombatTentacles: Many of the advanced Zerg units have them. For some of them, they double as [[EnergyWeapon Energy Weapon]]s.
* CoolSword: Judanus' sword, once it absorbs Ga'huld the daemon.
* CraftedFromAnimals: Orks outfit themselves with armor and weapons made out of Zerg bones. The Ork leader is actually called Warboss Bugklaw.
* CrossoverRelatives: It is strongly implied that the Tyranids are the descendants of another Zerg group which got sucked into '' Warhammer 40,000'' universe in the same incident, but into another time and place.
* CurbStompBattle: The first Warboss against the Ultralisk, then the Kingdom forces against the Chaos. Alena and the Host deliver these to... well, whatever they have encountered in the first arc. An Avatar of Khaine turned out to be much more of a problem.
* {{Cyborg}}: The new Swarm incorporates a good amount of Protoss tech in its units.
* DeaderThanDead:
** The Zerg Khaydarin Crystals can absorb and process Chaos energy, making them one of the few reliable ways to permanently kill a daemon.
** Turns out Dark Templar energy disrupts Necron reviving just as efficiently as it does Zerg reincarnation.
** The Soul Changer runs a risk of permanently killing any Zerg leader using it, since it feeds directly on Essence.
* DealWithTheDevil: Not counting the obvious examples for the Chaos Marines, there is Judanus' deal with Ahriman [[spoiler:to get him into Warp before he's killed by the Swarm]].
* DeathFromAbove: In chapter 32, after the Overmind learns that Ork reinforcement are coming from a large archipelago with a single island as a rally point, he uses Overlords to bring in a million Banelings and literally ''flood the island with acid''.
* DeliverUsFromEvil: Played with. After Alena goes through the HormoneAddledTeenager phase, the Overmind thinks that an actual pregnancy may restore her humanity completely. Of course, there is no way he'll risk it. Chapter 67 reveals that they did have a child together. Alena didn't carry it physically, but even so, there was quite a bit of that trope in effect.
* DeflectorShields: The new Swarm gets a lot of them.
* DidntSeeThatComing: [[spoiler:The Overmind didn't expect its mere presence to purge Guilliman's slumbering form of the Chaos corruption in his wound, allowing for the possibility of an early revival.]]
* DissonantSerenity:
** In the second arc, when questioned, Captain Paris is the only calm person among the shouting and complaining commanders, despite Hadrian psionically influencing everyone to express their emotions.
** Admiral Mercurion is very good in that. He must be, considering AMillionIsAStatistic is something he has to deal with quite often.
* TheDragon: Apothecary Lilgath to Judanus.
* EasyLogistics: Averted. There are a lot of issues with feeding an army a million strong, and the Ork invasion runs into significant problems once they find out their spores don't grow in Creep.
* EmergencyTransformation: Alena, Elric, Volran and Hargen.
* TheEnemyWeaponsAreBetter: There is a reason the Ork Warboss is called Bugklaw.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Played with. Enough of James remains in the Overmind to care for Alena, but it later turns a good part of it is attraction to her psyker talent. It doesn't tend to extend to other children, in any case (although quite a few ''are'' spared for PragmaticVillainy purposes). Chapter 64 has a Zerg Matriarch having... some strange sensations connected with an Imperial Guard commander, eventually appearing before him in a humanoid form for a talk. And then we are introduced to James and Alena's child...
* ExplosiveLeash: Judanus puts these on his Marine underlings' necks.
* {{Exposition}}: Quite a few chapters are dedicated to description of the politics, forces and new units. One chapter is actually a Zerg codex (incomplete as of early 2016)
* FalseFlagOperation: In the second story arc, a Zerg force is lost in a minor Warp anomaly and lands on an Imperium world. Investigation reveals LaserGuidedAmnesia in the colony's memories, which implies artificial causes with hints pointing toward [[spoiler:the Eldar and their psyker powers]]. However, Volran guesses correctly that the real culprit is [[spoiler:the Overmind, since only he could have done such a precise work]]. The next chapter reveals [[spoiler:it was an Eldar attack all right, but the Overmind attempted to erase the evidence for his own reasons.]]
* FantasticNuke: A single ability of the Overmind [[spoiler:wipes out a city of eight million people in a heartbeat]].
* FatalFlaw: The remains of James' human overconfidence cause quite a bit of trouble at first. Matriarch Asmodeus takes heavy casualties due to her reluctance to use proper recon, leading to her being replaced.
* FeatherFlechettes: The Garuda flings these... hundred meter long, armor penetrating, and explosive.
* FightingAShadow: The Overmind and its Champions.
* FlauntingYourFleets: Chapter 46 describes a fleet of tens of thousands of [[LivingShip Living Ship]]s at the start of the Zerg expansion, and that's just the ones in the kilometer and above size category.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Starts as a nerd, then becomes a good-sized Hive Cluster, then takes over a planet and, last the fic was updated, had a sizable empire with at least one moon-sized ship.
* FusionDance: The Overmind does this with ''bases''. A Hive merged with a dozen Spine Crawlers and Spore Crawlers is not something to take lightly.
* TheGameComeToLife: A variation. The Overmind designs a device that essentially transforms a planet it is deployed upon to fit the ''Starcraft'' rules. Meaning, Vespene geysers and mineral crystals pop all over, and Zerg get the RidiculouslyFastConstruction times of the game... temporarily, at least; the cost in [[LifeEnergy Essence]] is way too high.
* GeneralFailure: Everything was done to make General Vegin look like one. [[spoiler:Then it turns out he was a traitor... not too successful in that either.]]
* GeniusBruiser: Bugklaw is the closest an Ork can come to this trope.
* GotVolunteered: In Chapter 58, "Lori and other soldiers were 'asked' to 'volunteer' in their entirety to aid in the construction" of fortifications once the Space Marines arrive.
* GottaCatchThemAll: Judanus' goal in Arc 3 is gathering a number of objects which are the keys to... well, as of Chapter 79, it's not quite clear what.
* GrievousHarmWithABody:
** The Host's attack against Bugklaw's forces starts with him summoning a small army of Zerg and ''flinging'' them at the Ork tanks and Stompa.
** The Overmind kills dozens of Tyranids in the Battle of Tyran by rolling a Tyrant Guard over them.
* GunshipRescue: During the Imperium's battle with the Zerg, a rampaging Ultralisk is destroyed by Valkyrie gunships. Then, a massive wave of enemies comes, too much for the gunships. All seems lost, but then [[spoiler:a KillSat network reactivates. Kind of a PyrrhicVictory though; the humans take enormous casualties themselves.]]
* HauntedTechnology: Judanus is forced to resort to that due to the limited volume of conventional production.
* HeroicRROD: During the Battle of Tyran, the Overmind needs to take a Hive Tyrant's brain for study. Since he is forced to use a fully human avatar for secrecy, it is a close fight, and he barely has time to send the creature's brain away before his brain literally dissolves.
* HormoneAddledTeenager: The ''Overmind'' goes through such a stage a few months after arriving in the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' universe. Doesn't quite work the way it does for humans, but it's enough for some confusion. Then Alena goes through the same... enough for them both to be confused.
* HumanSacrifice: Judanus. The Ruinous Powers pay him well for all the dormant psykers he gives them.
* HumanPopsicle: The Space Marines from the original ship spent centuries in stasis, waiting until contant could be established with the Imperium.
* HumansAreBastards: There is an offhanded mention of James adding the "boundless cruelty of a human" to the Swarm.
* HumansAreSpecial: The new Overmind is certainly much more creative than the first one. And savvy enough about the trope.
* HumongousMecha: Bugklaw's Stompa serves as a SuperweaponSurprise to the Swarm.
* HybridMonster: The new Zerg, especially the special units, have all kind of combined abilities from different old units.
* ICallItVera: Mercurion has a Power Sword called Lunarion, a Master-Crafted Bolter named Rex Tigris and an Inferno Pistol named Dracon.
* ICanRuleAlone: Judanus traps the daemon Ga'huld who has been tempting him. Admittedly, the daemon did intend to possess the Astartes instead of letting him rule.
* ItCanThink: Harax seems very surprised when he encounters and is addressed by Volran.
* ItsQuietTooQuiet:
** Said by Captain Barridon right before his force and Inquisitor Pardia are attacked by the Zerg.
** Inquisitor Kryptman, on his way to Tyran, stops at a Deathwatch fortress and sees a lot of Astartes and Inquisitors there, far more than a CrapsackWorld like Warhammer ever allows to be idle. Further investigation leads to a massive OhCrap moment for everyone once they realise something has silenced the Imperium's enemies all across the region.
* KillSat: At the beginning of the second arc, Captain Titus leads a mission to reactivate a network of these.
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter:
** The Swarm's first attack against an Imperium fleet starts with dozens of asteroids (with shield disruption fields). One Cobra Class Destroyer makes a HeroicSacrifice, the rest survive, although not completely unscathed.
** Chapter 63 has the tables turned -- a Chaos attack on a Zerg fleet starts with a bombardment by ''an entire shattered Emperor-class battleship''.
* KissOfDeath: The Blood Master exchanging his body for that of a Chaos Terminator. He even calls it "the kiss of your doom". Not the slightest bit erotic, of course. Then there is a Krakenlisk's attack, which involves grabbing an enemy ''starship'' and blasting it point blank with a BreathWeapon.
* LaserBlade: Elric uses a Protoss style Warp Blade. Also, many Zerg units have their regular blades enhanced with psionic energy.
* LastStand: Lord Hebaras against the Swarm. Eblas against Judanus' forces.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: [[spoiler:The Zerg change details from canon to ensure enormous amounts of Imperial forces are freed up around Ultramar in order to cripple the advancing Behemoth Fleet while at the same time softening up Ultramar for conquest.]]
* LikeADuckTakesToWater: James accepts his reincarnation very quickly. Then he builds an empire within months. Then he gets to the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' universe... well, it's technically not him anymore, but still, he develops a new plan quickly enough.
* LivingShip: Up to ten kilometers long so far.
* LossOfIdentity: Alena seems to lose her humanity, leading to quite a bit of headache for the Overmind.
* LostColony: They are the descendants of a destroyed warship's crew, at least the ruling class is. The planet was already settled by the time they arrived, and they took over.
* LoveIsInTheAir: The entire royal family and the court are destroyed by [[spoiler:Alena's pheromones. And perhaps her psyker power as well.]]
* MadDoctor: Lilgath is described to look like one, although there is little opportunity to demonstrate.
* MagicEater: The new Zerg, with their Khaydarin Crystal implants, are capable of consuming Warp. And daemons.
* MeaningfulRename: After Char, the name "James" isn't used often, except in some private conversations. There is only the new Overmind. After the first arc, the planet upon which it occurred is named New Char, although it is unclear whether it had a name earlier.
* MeleeATrois: Five sides in the first arc. 1) The King's Army. 2) The Space Marines and Duke Verin's forces. 3) Judanus with his Chaos Marines and cultists. 4) Bugklaw with his Orks. 5) The Swarm. The second ark has the Swarm, the Imperium Inquisition, Chaos, Eldar, and [[spoiler:Vegin, although it turns out he is actually with the Chaos.]] In one of the intermission chapters, the Swarm manipulates the Orks, Imperium and Eldar into that, with Dark Eldar and Chaos joining in later.
* MemoryGambit: [[spoiler:Alena pulls it off during the intermission. Pity; the false personality was cute.]]
* MentalFusion: In Chapter 76, two opponents are on the brink of death; a Zerg Patriarch, after being wounded in a battle and [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness having served its purpose]], and a Chaos Lord, after a YouHaveFailedMe from a superior due to being tricked by that Patriarch. The Patriarch offers to merge their minds together, since it will both strengthen them enough to survive, and make the Overmind notice the result and perhaps be impressed enough to grant the creature ResurrectiveImmortality. Seems to work.
* MillionMookMarch: By the end of the first arc, every faction was at that scale (before the Swarm emerged victorious). In the second one...
* MindHive: Despite the SplitPersonalityMerge, there are enough distinct personae remaining in the Overmind's consciousness.
* MoleInCharge: [[spoiler:Alena as the queen, Changelings as most of the nobility and commanders]]. The intermission after arc two shows a Swarm controlled Ork Warboss and [[spoiler:an infested Adepta Sororitas Canoness.]]
* MookPromotion: The Spyling[=/=]Blood Master started as a simple PuppeteerParasite, but with all the chances to feed, eventually became the SixthRanger.
* MultipurposeTongue: Alena can use her tongue as a {{Combat Tentacle|s}}.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: The first Host and its bodyguards all have four arms. And that's not counting all the CombatTentacles and Kerrigan style wings.
* MundaneUtility: The Ultralisks' SharpenedToASingleAtom Kaiser Blades turn out to be very useful for cutting down trees.
* NamedLikeMyName: James Malcolm Raynor. He became rather popular with his friends once Starcraft came out.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Swarm's command creatures have names like [[Literature/TheBible Lucifer]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Anub'arak]], [[Franchise/StarWars Maul]] and [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Shelob]].
* NegativeSpaceWedgie: The planet upon which the first arc occurs is inside a Warp Storm.
* TheNeidermeyer: Captain Willon, having inherited his position as a commander. Actually worked quite well for him... until he became the first Imperium commander to engage the Tyranids. Not only does he pull a LeeroyJenkins, he had also personally filled the commanding posts around him with boot-licking cowards.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: After the Kingdom learns about the Zerg and misidentifies them as a Chaos corruption, a decision is made to bring out the hidden superweapon: [[spoiler:hibernating Space Marines. Unfortunately, nine of them ''are'' corrupted by Chaos.]]
* NoSell: Theq'aras shoots the Blood Master with a full volley from a Meltagun. The guy gets knocked back a few meters... and then thanks the Chaos Terminator for the experience -- now the Swarm knows what a point blank Meltagun blast is like.
* NotHerself: The Overmind realizes something is really off when he notices Alena's behavior is outright sadistic instead of the normal Zerg PragmaticVillainy.
* OffTheRails: The Overmind has decided to use its position in the timeline to change certain aspects. [[spoiler:Most interestingly, knowing of the first Tyranid advances has allowed it to manipulate certain events so the Imperium is better prepared against Hive Fleet Behemoth in order to eventually change the timeline. It appears to be successful, forcing Marneus Calgar to choose between allowing the Zerg Overmind to consume his Primarch or destroying the Tyranid Hive Fleet entirely, saving Macragge and his Chapter.]]
* OneWingedAngel: Used by Volran against Warboss Bugklaw. [[spoiler: Volran gets [[CurbStomp Curb Stomp]]ed.]]
* OnlyAFleshWound: With the new modifications, Zerglings can regenerate even after losing a ''head'', a Spyling possessed human can regrow an arm in seconds, and some units are upgraded to pull off the FromASingleCell variant.
* PeopleFarms: After the first planet is conquered, about a million humans are allowed to survive because the Swarm needs workers to build machines, as well as psykers.
* PhlebotinumOverload: The Overmind's first bite of the Warp Storm is enough to send him into a coma. After that, he's careful not to bite off more than he can chew.
* PlotRelevantAgeUp: Alena's mind grows from 5 to 16 in a matter of months. Then, an adult looking Zerg/human body is made for her.
* PowerCreepPowerSeep: When the Imperium encounters the Zerg for the first time, they are much easier to dispatch than one would expect from the earlier chapters. [[spoiler:That's because it's a LostColony which lacks some of the upgrades]].
* [[PowerCrystal Power Crystal]]s: The Khaydarin Crystals serve as that. Also, at the end of the first arc, [[spoiler:the temporary success of the human forces is because Alena ordered to put small amethysts in all weapons, with her and the Spylings regularly charging them up with psionic energy]].
* PragmaticVillainy: A lot of children are spared -- because they can grow up to become powerful psykers, or, failing that, workers producing advanced equipment.
* PuppeteerParasite: The Spylings are capable of consuming a human brain and then taking over from inside the empty skull -- with all of the target's memories, of course.
* PyrrhicVictory:
** An Avatar of the Overmind manages to defeat Khaine's, but is left so weak that the remaining Eldar take it out.
** Admiral Mercurion dies fighting a Tyranid Hive Fleet. The latter is left so weak that the planet defended manages to hold out until reinforcements arrive.
* RainbowPimpGear: The Crimson Knights honor gear gifted to them by other Chapters by keeping them in their original color, so an Astartes prominent enough to entrusted with a few such items can easily fit the trope.
* RankScalesWithAsskicking: The Overmind makes powerful bodies for himself and his Champions. Also, Warboss Bugklaw gets bigger and stronger with each encounter, until he's six meters tall.
* RapePillageAndBurn: The inquisition and the Chaos forces.
* RemovableTurretGun: Titus sees a heavy bolter during his mission to retake the facility. Unlike the usual examples, however, he has a cyborg Huscarl carry it -- the weapons he carries already are heavy enough.
* ResurrectedForAJob: Judanus summons back the souls of the Chaos marines betrayed and killed by him. Then he binds them to their former armor and skeletons.
* RPGElements: The Zerg, both individually and as a collective, turn out to be capable of using psionic energy (including that of slain enemies) to mutate into stronger forms.
* RousingSpeech: Armanus gives the DoNotGoGentle type after it's discovered most of his brothers have been corrupted or killed by Chaos.
* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler:Chapter 86 ends with the Overmind presenting one to Calgar: either stop the Zerg from taking Guilliman or kill the Swarmlord while it's weak, saving Macragge and the Ultramarines from the Tyranids.]]
* SchizoTech: The planet in the first arc has mostly Middle Ages level technology, but there are some advanced weapons from the crashed starship, as well as limited production by the remaining Techmarines and the Adeptus Mechanicus descendants.
* SerialEscalation: Starts with a few hundred humans, a few hundred Orks, and the Overmind with a few dozen Zerglings... Ends up with human armies a million strong, hundreds of Chaos Space Marines, hundreds of Daemons. hundreds of thousands of Chaos Cultists, millions of Orks, and tens of millions of Zerg (with all kinds of advanced tech brought out). And all of that is ''before'' the expansion to other planets starts...
* SignificantAnagram: Sergeant Lori [[spoiler:Anela]]? And with an immediate commander named Jon [[spoiler:"Mac" Ronyar]] at that?
* SplitPersonalityMerge: Happens to the Overmind after the HormoneAddledTeenager phase.
* StandardSciFiFleet: Everything the old Swarm had is Small Craft, except for the Leviathan. The new Overmind has added {{Battlestar}}s, carriers and other Capital Ships ([[LivingShip Living Ship]]s, of course), hopefully we'll see more soon.
* TheStarscream: Judanus [[spoiler:pulls it off against a Daemon Prince.]]
* SuperEmpowering: Alena has the power to empower entire Zerg task forces around her. However, more importantly and very ironically, the Swarm is this... to its enemies. That is, because the Zerg consume Chaos energy in their vicinity, enemy psykers can use their powers against them with a significantly reduced risk of corruption. When a Space Marine team boards a Zerg Hive Ship, their Librarian uses his powers until he falls unconscious with exhaustion.
* SuperweaponSurprise: Bugklaw delivers a few of these in the first arc. Later, a Zerg invasion of an Ork world runs into problems when the Warboss deploys what seems to be a mountain sized Necron vehicle... the vehicle vanishes before the Zerg manage to even scratch it, let's hope it reappears one day.
* TalkingToThemself: James/Overmind attempts at one point to get information from another of the Overmind's personalities. [[spoiler:The other personality tells him to fuck off.]]
* TastesLikeChicken: The Overmind compares the taste of daemon essences to human food... although chicken isn’t on the list.
* {{Telefrag}}: The Garuda's spines are capable of emerging out of Warp right in the middle of an enemy ship. The explosions can be quite spectacular.
* TeleportInterdiction: Overmind does this to Judanus. [[spoiler:Judanus is forced into a DealWithTheDevil to make an escape]]. Later, it is introduced as a special attack of a Krakenling group.
* TeleportSpam: Bugklaw does this at the end of the first arc... after using ''a lot of teleporters'' for a surprise invasion.
* ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: Axkand the Magos has the [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic HK]][=/=][[Franchise/MassEffect Elcor]] speech pattern.
* ThatsNoMoon: The Overmind's flagship, Ygdrassil, is three thousand kilometer long and has kilometer thick armor. Hopefully, firepower will be demonstrated eventually.
* ThoseWereOnlyTheirScouts: In the first arc, the Zerg had most of their units burrow and hibernate, with little outside indication about the real size of their army. The Orks turn out to have an army millions strong on a remote archipelago. In the second arc, the Imperium has its first encounter with the Zerg... a rather degraded LostColony...
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: The daemon Ga'huld orders Judanus to break the hibernation tube where it's imprisoned with his bare hands. Fortunately for Judanus, he takes time first to consult other daemons about [[DemonicPossession possible consequences]] and... well, from that moment, he has a powerful ''sword'' named Ga'huld.
* TimeSkip: After the end of the first arc, the Overmind rules the planet, but cannot expand beyond until he consumes enough of the Warp Storm to clear the way. It takes decades, but of course there isn't much to tell about.
* TookALevelInBadass: The new Swarm, the new units, Warboss Bugklaw...
* TooSpicyForYogSothoth: The Overmind issavvy enough not to try absorbing Chaos Space Marines, despite the usefulness of the Gene-seeds for his plans.
* TranshumanTreachery: What used to be James and his transformed human servants care little for humanity.
* UnholyMatrimony: Alena's title as the Overmind's Queen-consort turns out to be more than just a mere word.
* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: The Overmind doesn't tell [[spoiler:Volran about the confrontation with the Eldar because, just like the Dark Templar, the Eldar can use the Hive Mind link of the Swarm to gain knowledge about the Zerg.]] In fact, a lot of his schemes appear to be hidden even from parts of his own mind.
* UpgradeArtifact: Judanus' transformed Power Sword grants him spellcasting abilities thanks to the daemon trapped inside.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Alena was a regular five year old kid, but is the Queen of the Swarm by the end of the first arc.
* WaveMotionGun: The Lance cannon serves as one in the first arc. Two have appeared, and each was a ''big'' trouble.
* WeAreEverywhere: Alena says the exact words to Judanus. You can trust her to have a good reason for such a boast.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Admiral Mercurion only survives a chapter and a half, but he certainly leaves an impression. A BadassNormal who manages to force the ''Tyranids'' into a PyrrhicVictory bad enough for the planet defended to survive until reinforcements arrive...
* WeHaveReserves: The Overmind is perfectly willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of creatures to delay Bugklaw's Stompa for a single day. Later, at the end of Arc 2, Volran assaults an impregnable fortress... by sending creatures at it until the Imperium RagnarokProof weapons break down from constant firing.
* WeWillMeetAgain: the Daemon Prince Nar'heskor screams it at the Zerg when he is forced to flee a battle. [[spoiler:doesn't happen; Judanus pulls a {{Starscream}} about ten seconds later.]]
* WeatherManipulation: In their first attack against a city, the Zerg fliers use their psionic power to start it with fist sized hail.
* WhatTheHellAreYou: Seems to be a common reaction to the Spylings.
* WorfEffect: The Overmind's first mental battle is against [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Ahzek_Ahriman Ahzek Ahriman]]. That’s a ten thousand years old Badass with knowledge and power only surpassed by the Greater Daemons and Primarchs... and he’s completely [[CurbStomp Curb Stomp]]ed. At the end of arc 2, a hastily prepared Overmind Host takes out (barely) an Avatar of Khaine. Volran seems to suffer from the trope as well -- as the Champion most inclined toward direct combat and brute strength, he was killed twice already.
* WorthyOpponent: Apparently, Bugklaw is considered that by the Overmind, seeing as a Zerg agent made in his image appears at one point.
* YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe: Archmagos Dorsar's speech pattern is rendered as this. Admiral Mercurion finds it rather annoying.
* YearInsideHourOutside: The planet upon which the first arc occurs is trapped inside a Warp Storm. Inside, over five centuries have passed. Outside, it's a single century at the most. [[spoiler:For an orbiting abandoned starship in the Storm itself -- ten hours.]]
* YouAndWhatArmy: Elegas and Elric have the exchange word for word.
* YouAreInCommandNow: In chapter 45, after the battle is finished, Lieutenant Worak realizes he's the only officer alive in his regiment. Naturally, he then reports to Captain Titus.
* YouMonster: Elegas' final words to Elric. Elric's reply is "Well, I am a monster now, Elegas".
* YouNeedToGetLaid: The Overmind lampshades it at one point, saying that perhaps a lot of his violence is due to sexual frustration without a proper sex drive (well, James still has that drive, but he is only a relatively small part of the Overmind's persona).
* YouShallNotPass: The Imperium's attitude toward the Zerg in the second arc.
* ZergRush: [[TheBigGuy Volran]] actually has it as a tactic -- a psionically reinforced stampede of a million Zerg isn’t easy to stop.
----