Hive Fleet Ouroboris

Hive Fleet Ouroboris is a nightmare from legend, a shadow from the stars that swoops from above on bat-like wings to devour its terrified prey. Death comes swiftly for those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the hive fleet’s path, for Ouroboris strikes with blinding speed, cutting the heart from its victims before they even realise their doom.

There are some who believe that Hive Fleet Ouroboris was the very first Tyranid fleet to encounter Mankind. These theorists cite the ancient histories of Cardinal Miriamulus the Elder, who spoke of a nightmarish legion of ‘winged entities, aflame with infernal ague’, which savaged the Helican Sector sometime in early M36. Relics hailing from that distant time bear distinctive bio-plasma scarring consistent with Tyranid weaponry, and tales of flocks of winged horrors are certainly consistent with Ouroboris’ typical predatory behaviour.

It is impossible to prove any connection, but recent encounters with Ouroboris have uncovered disturbing echoes of those old legends. Ouroboris favours massed aerial assaults, filling the air with so many Gargoyles and Harpies that those below must fight in near dark. It strikes swiftly, honing in upon areas of strategic value with unerring accuracy. By slaughtering officers and destroying communications outposts, Ouroboris tears the eyes from its prey, leaving them confused and vulnerable. Yet perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Hive Fleet is its strange, primordial biology. Encounters with Ouroboris have revealed that the organisms spawned by this hive fleet contain cruder, primitive versions of common Tyranid bio-weapons and organs. Unfortunately, these strange mutations have rendered many weapons and tactics designed to counter the Tyranid menace largely ineffective against the sky-swarms of Ouroboris.

Notable Engagements

 * Monsters From Myth (Date Unknown) - In M36, Miriamulus the Elder of Thracian Primaris records the history of the ‘Legion of Ouroboris’, a vast host of winged xenos that descended upon the sector and stripped the life from dozens of planets. A grand crusade finally defeats these creatures in a twelve-day battle on the edge of the Eye of Terror.
 * Shadow From The Stars (Date Unknown) - Thousands of years after the death of Miriamulus, a chain of populated worlds bordering the Thracian Sector suddenly ceases communications. The Imperial fleets sent to investigate report back that every scrap of biomass on these planets has disappeared. Myths begin to spread on the remaining worlds, tales of a shadow from the stars that descends to devour the souls of the innocent.
 * Ouroboris Rises (Date Unknown) - A previously unrecorded Tyranid Hive Fleet invades the Thracian Sector. The Imperium designates this new threat Hive Fleet Ouroboris, a name taken from the ancient records.
 * Fate of THe Swarm Crushers (Date Unknown) - A detachment of the Cadian 14th, known as the ‘Swarm Crushers’ due to their storied exploits during the Second Tyrannic War, is sent to wipe out a tendril of Ouroboris that threatens the desert world of Shukra. Drilled in the most efficient methods of slaying Tyranids, morale is high amongst the Cadians as they engage the first swarms. Confidence swiftly turns to panic as the Cadians’ tactics have little or no impact upon the xenos. Pinpoint shots that should have ruptured vital organs have almost no effect, while salvoes of airburst shells filled with anti- Tyranid chemicals merely provide cover for the swarm. Stunned by the ineffectiveness of their defence, the Cadians nevertheless sell their lives dearly before they are devoured.
 * The Sky Hunters (Date Unknown) - The Silver Drakes, a newly founded Primaris Space Marine Chapter, are tasked with turning back Hive Fleet Ouroboris. Their Inceptor Squads cut a swathe through the hive fleet’s sky-swarms, hunting the immense winged monsters at their heart. Though the Drakes’ tactics are effective, their numbers are few. Isolated and outnumbered, the Chapter digs in for a bloody running war.