Zerg
The Zerg are an alien race in Blizzard Entertainment's popular PC real-time-strategy game, StarCraft.
The Zerg have been created by the mysterious and ancient race of the Xel'Naga in an experiment after they abandoned the Protoss, but rebelled against their creators and absorbed them. They are a purely biological race (using no machinery) that uses genetic modifications to create new subspecies: every time they conquer a planet, they add their victims' genes to their genetic pool.
All Zerg are directly subject to the will of the Overmind (a giant telepathic brain): it is a biological impossibility for them to oppose its directives. Only Cerebrates (smaller brains) have some intelligence, and control a different army (called brood), using Overlords to directly control the warriors/workers. These are mostly mindless: without Overlords and Cerebrates they lose purpose and quickly die. When an Overlord dies, many zerg units will die along with it. Even Zerg buildings are living organisms, and aren't built but grow.
Note: Zerg's broods are named after Norse mythological monsters (Jormungand, Garm, Surtur, etc.).
Main gameplay attributes
- Low cost per unit produced.
- Low unit power.
- Low supply consumption per unit
- The Zerg units (and buildings) automatically heal over time. All Zerg ground units can be healed by medics (Brood War only). Also, most of the land units have the unique "burrow" ability; this is a very effective way to set up an ambush. Burrowed units can only be harmed by some types of damage (ie Psi Storm) but cannot attack, move or cast spells. The only exception is the Lurker, which can only attack when burrowed. Burrowed units can only be attacked or damaged by splash damage, or by direct attack when targed if the unit is revealed by detectors
- Least efficient building method, extreme building restrictions. Zerg structures can only be built on a creep. A creep is formed by either an hatchery (Zerg's main structure) or by Creep Colony. (note: on some StarCraft maps the restriction is nearly eliminated.) Certain buildings must be 'upgraded' to attain higher technology level.
Three spells in particular stand out:
- "consume", a Defiler spell. It destroys a targeted unit of your own army and partly restores the energy (50 magic points regardless of the consumed unit) (required to cast spells) of the caster. Because of the very low unit cost, the Defilers can recharge instantly almost for free. Other races must wait for the energy to replenish over time.
- "spawn broodling", a Queen spell. It destroys the targeted organic unit almost instantly and creates small, very low-health units called Broodlings that are used mainly for scouting or heckling purposes.
- "plague", a Defiler spell. It reduces the affected units HP by 200 hit points or down to 1 hit point, whichever comes first. It is very useful against grand fleets of Battle-Cruisier and Carriers.
Units
Land
- Drone - worker, consumed by creating a new base structure.
- Zergling - the weakest of the basic ground units, but very low-cost, and the "Adrenal Glands" upgrade gives them a brutally rapid attack (double attack speed, third tech level). Movement upgrade is also available.
- Hydralisk - distance attack. Generally regarded as the most versatile unit, masses of hydralisks can defeat most anything. Movement and attack range upgrade available.
- Lurker - morphs from Hydralisk. Must burrow to attack, but is invisible to opponents like all burrowed units. Devastates Terran infantry, among other things. Splash damage is linear and does not decrease with distance or position. Consumes twice as many supply points as hydralisk. (Brood War only)
- Defiler - spellcaster, no non-spell attack. Have 3 types of spells: "consume", "dark swarm" and "plague". Consume sacrifices a player controlled unit for 50 magic points for the defiler regardless of the unit sacrificed. Dark swarm is a temporary area effect spell that negates all ranged attack that falls within the dark swarm -- only melee and spash damage can affect health points. The last is very lethal spell, reducing the affected units HP by 200 hit points or down to 1 hit point, whichever comes first. It is very useful against grand fleets of Battle-Cruisier and Carriers. Spell and magic point upgrades must be researched before use (dark swarm is the only inherent spell).
- Ultralisk - Expensive heavy melee unit. In Brood War an armor upgrade for the Ultralisk is available that makes them almost impervious to lighter Terran attacks. Speed upgrade also available.
- Broodling - special unit, see "Spawn Broodling" in general attributes above. Spawned by the death of an organic unit when affected by a Zerg Queen's Spawn Broodling spell
Air
- Overlord - flying transport unit. A certain minimum overlord/unit ratio is required. The Overlord is much like the Terran Supply Depots, but it can learn a dropship capability which makes it a very useful ship. It is capable of detecting cloaked units. Upgrade in speed and sight distance also available.
- Mutalisk - distance attack. Bounces thrice for reduced damage in each successive attack. Precursor for Devourer and Guardian.
- Devourer - can only attack air-to-air. Morphs from Mutalisk. Spash damage. Acid spores temporarily afflicts extra damage for other ground-to-air or air-to-air attack. (Brood War only)
- Guardian - can only attack air-to-ground. Morphs from Mutalisk. Long range attack. This is the main Zerg artillery (siege) units.
- Queen - spellcaster, no non-spell attack. Spells: "parasite" (enables you to see what the infected unit sees, including detecting ability -- can ge negated by restore spell (Brood War only) -- inherent spell (no spell upgraded needed)), "ensnare" (area effect spell that slows enemy's units and attack rate) and "Spawn Broodling" to kill an organic unit to create two low-hitpoint broodling units. Also, the Queen has the ability to infest a heavily damaged (red) Terran Command Center and transforming it to a factory of explosive zombies aka Infested Terrans (500 explosive damage with splash -- good for those suicide runs <g>).
Buildings
Basic buildings
- Hatchery
- Extractor
- Evolution Chamber
- Spawning Pool
- Creep Colony (evolve to:)
- Spore Colony (air defence) (surface to air attack only) (detector -- detecting ability)
- Sunken Colony (ground defence) (surface to surface attack only) (NOT a detector -- CANNOT detect cloaked or burrowed units)
- Hydralisk Den
Advanced buildings
- Lair (evolve from Hatchery)
- Spire (evolve to:)
- Greater Spire (required for Devourer and Guardian morphing)
- Queen's Nest
- Hive (evolve from Lair)
- Nydus Canal
- Defiler Mound
- Ultralisk Cavern
Note: All Zerg buildings (except for Hatchery) must be built near a hatchery/lair/hive or creep colony/spore colony/sunken colony (on the creep). Creep dies when hatchery or colony dies, and no other buildings can sustain the creep.
Plot advancement in StarCraft: Brood War
The Zerg were originally controlled by the Overmind, who was destroyed by the Protoss Tassadar (at the cost of his own life) at the end of StarCraft Episode III.
By Episode IV, it was revealed that the Zerg had formed a new, young Overmind on Char, the adopted Zerg homeworld, but it was captured by the United Earth Directorate in Episode V. In Episode VI, the final act to date, Sarah Kerrigan, the self-claimed Queen of Blades, a former human Ghost telepath soldier who had been infested (transformed) into a Zerg/Human Hybrid, had the second Overmind killed and claimed leadership over the entire Zerg Swarm.
With the Terran Dominion decimated, the expeditionary fleet of the United Earth Directorate destroyed, and the Protoss homeworld Aiur conquered by the Zerg with the survivors fleeing to Shakuras, the Zerg currently stand as masters of the StarCraft universe.