Zerg Advisor

The Zerg player receives instructions and warnings from the Advisor.

Larva

Larvae are automatically produced by a hatchery, lair, or hive over time; up to a maximum of three at any one time per building. Larvae may only be ordered to morph into other units. Larvae automatically "wander" near the building that spawned them. Larvae have relatively high armor and resilience despite having few hit points. They will automatically die if the creep underneath them dissipates. Canceling an evolution will also kill the larva.

Larvae may still be morphed into drones even if the rest of the base, or army, is destroyed. Given time and enemy inactivity, a few larvae can rebuild a zerg force.

This unit's animation is used for both idle and talk.

Egg

The zerg egg, also known as the zerg cocoon, is the basis of all zerg units other than larvae, post-Brood War queens and infestation units. They exist only for a short time: they are created when a larva is given an order to morph into a unit and burst to give birth to the ordered unit.

Overlord

The overlord is a versatile zerg flier that provides control, detection and air transportation once upgraded. It is slower than other transport units even with Pneumatized Carapace.

Drone

Drones "mutate" into the buildings they construct. The only way to stop a building from completing is to destroy it or to cancel it; in the latter event the drone is recovered and may be used for some other purpose. Once the building is complete the drone is deceased.

Like the larva, drones are controlled by overlords who monitor their progress. Drones are usually single-minded about their tasks, diligently working through even raging combat.

Drones possess limited combat ability, but in a swarm, they can present a significant threat, attacking with claws and spines.

Zergling

The zergling is the least durable basic troop unit. This is offset by inexpensive production, and high movement and attack rate. The zergling is useful throughout the game; it may be used for early game rushes, then as support for more powerful units in the late game.

Hydralisk

Hydralisks have a single ranged attack, unlike in the cinematic where they may melee attack. They are the only zerg ground unit able to hit air targets, making them one of the most important zerg units in the whole game. Hydralisk dens are required to spawn them from larvae.

Hunter Killer

Hunter Killers are a special hydralisk strain. They are the most elite and (in)famous of all zerg specialist strains.

Lurker

Lurkers must burrow in order to attack, rendering them invisible from enemy attackers.

Lurkers are particularly effective as a defense against enemy raids on workers. As long as the defenders can keep enemy detectors from penetrating, raiders deployed by air transport are at risk of being annihilated by pre-deployed Lurkers that they cannot see. Terrans are not as handicapped against lurkers because of the ComSat station.

Scourge

The scourge is an aerial zerg kamikaze strain.

Scourges spawn in pairs. Patrolling scourges may help deter low intensity enemy drops. Without supervision groups of scourges tend to lock onto and attack the first target that comes into range which may be overkill against low-HP targets (causing scourges to sacrifice themselves needlessly). Using other units to draw enemy fire may allow scourge to hit.

This unit's animation is used for both idle and talk.

Mutalisk

The mutalisk is an airborne zerg breed. Terrans occasionally refer to mutalisks as "mutas."

The mutalisk is not an especially intelligent creature and exercises little initiative, preferring to drift lazily through the air. Once engaged however, it demonstrates a blind bloodlust that makes it dangerous to all those around it, including itself. In addition, mutalisks are able to trace terran transmissions to their source.

Mutalisks are an infamous strain among terrans, known for their ability to shred through targets in a single attack.

Guardian

The guardian is evolved from the mutalisk and thought to be based on the nesting form of the mantis screamer. It possesses a thicker carapace than its counterpart and attacks by lobbing explosive globs of acid. The guardian is much slower than the mutalisk however, and is often designated to guard larvae.

Despite being devastating in terrestrial combat, guardians are next to useless in space combat.

Devourer

The devourer is a zerg anti-air flyer.

Devourers are the anti-air aspect of the mutalisk. They are slower than mutalisks but faster and more resilient than guardians.

The devourer's attack has the additional effect of attaching "acid spores" to anything it hits. A unit affected by spores will be revealed (if cloaked), have its attack speed slowed by 1/8 per spore, and take 1 point of additional damage from every attack for every spore attached. A maximum of 9 spores may affect a target at any one time. Spores will disappear after a period of time.

Queen

A queen has no normal attack and uses its speed to escape danger. The queen may be a nuisance raider using Spawn Broodling against high-value units like siege tanks and ultralisks. Spawn Broodlings may also be used on zerg eggs.

It is relatively fragile for cost. Defensive counters include groups of air units and enough automated defense structures to either prevent a queen from sneaking into a base or kill it before having a chance to escape.

Broodling

A broodling is a short-lived zerg creature spawned from queens and later, brood lords.

Broodlings are small but vicious and upon hatching, will attack any nearby enemies, attacking them until either they or the broodlings are destroyed. In the event that there are no nearby enemies, they await commands from a higher strain. Their effectiveness is primarily compromised, however, by their very limited lifespans.

Ultralisk

The ultralisk is a zerg heavy ground unit.

The ultralisk is a 20 meter long and 5 meter high[1] living battering ram, evolved from the docile brontolith; a creature that the ultralisk now bears little resemblance to. Ultralisks serve as the backbone of the Swarm, possessing an exceptionally thick carapace. Ultralisks are the most powerful ground strain the Swarm possesses and their DNA is the "final viable code" utilized by larvae. An example of their might: a handful of ultralisks were "responsible for the death of an entire Confederate garrison" on Timul IV.

Defiler

The defiler is a zerg breed that uses toxic substances to support other zerg forces.

The defiler is a late game unit. It has no direct attack and is slower than other zerg ground units; it is a support/harassment unit. Using multiple defilers makes it easier to manage the simultaneous deployment of Dark Swarm and Plague.

Infested Terran

An infested terran is a breed of zerg created when the zerg infest a terran with a hyper-evolutionary virus. They are used as powerful suicide bombers.

Infested terrans have more hit points than terran marines and much greater speed. They don't normally have a regular attack, but can explode to do 500 points of explosive damage. This will destroy many structures and nearly any ground unit. If an infested terran is set on an attack-move command, it will ignore any enemies in its path, and once it reaches the spot, it will explode on that spot and do no damage (unless there are any units nearby).

Infested terrans are produced from the infested command center. To acquire one, the zerg player must infest a damaged terran command center with a queen. In some games (those without a terran opponent) the structure is not available, so infested terrans cannot be created.

Zasz

Zasz was a zerg cerebrate and the leader of the Garm Brood.

Zasz was one of the most clever cerebrates, who never ceased to question his fellows in an irritating, sniveling manner. He coordinated the actions of multiple cerebrates and also had powerful clairsentient abilities, enabling him to spy on enemies over great distances. While somewhat unstable, he was extremely loyal to the zerg Overmind.

The Garm Brood was part of the zerg Swarm's main attack wing, along with the numerically far superior Jormungand and Surtur broods. The brood made up for its relatively small numbers by employing guerrilla tactics, including surprise attacks and frequent raids. It was known both for its extreme ferocity and the speed at which it attacks.

Daggoth

Daggoth, the Overmind's right hand and one of its greatest cerebrates, was the master of the Tiamat Brood, the largest and most powerful brood within the Zerg Swarm. Daggoth served the Overmind with ferocity and valor. In order to support his own operations, Daggoth had access to the Hunter Killer, a special and powerful type of hydralisk.

Daggoth was easily one of the strongest willed cerebrates, often advising other cerebrates as to how they could best serve the Overmind, even issuing orders to other cerebrates.

During the Brood War, Daggoth took control of approximately half or more of the Zerg Swarm.

Infested Duran

…Duran shot Stukov and disappeared to activate the disruptor's self-destruct. A dying Stukov convinced DuGalle that the psi disruptor was critical to defeating the zerg and that Duran was the real traitor, and possibly infested. So alerted, the UED quickly shut down the self-destruct.

Duran escaped to join the zerg. The UED used the disrupter to severely weaken the zerg and claim the second Overmind on Char. As the UED claimed victory, Duran appeared to introduce DuGalle to Sarah Kerrigan. He made no effort to hide his infested status.

Duran shares the same portrait during both Terran and Zerg allegiance.

Infested
Kerrigan's
Chrysalis!

Infested Kerrigan

…As the terrans fled, the Zerg Swarm had captured Kerrigan. The Overmind sensed the ghost's formidable psychic powers and, on one hand, saw a great weapon against the protoss.

…Kerrigan was placed within a chrysalis by the creature Abathur. The process was painful, and she suffered much physical damage. She was entrusted to the care of a cerebrate and its brood, and was taken to Char…