Zerg Basic Strategy
Zerg structures are effectively giant organs, making a Zerg colony a living creature. To provide the required nourishment
and infrastructure, the Zerg produce a living carpet of bio-matter that invading forces have dubbed the Creep. Creep,
produced by both Hatcheries and the aptly named Creep Colonies, will spread rather quickly across any fertile ground.
The Hatchery is the only structure that can be built without the benefit of existing Creep since it has been genetically
designed to automatcially produce enough to fuel its own growth. The Creep itself is extremely durable and capable of
near-instananeous regeneration, only retreating from infested ground when a Hatchery or Colony is destroyed.
During the early game, the Hatchery produces enough Creep to build the early tech tree structures. However as a battle
progresses you'll want to build Creep Colonies to extend the Creep for colony growth as well as to lay down the
defensive foundation for the colony, converting them to Sunken or Spore Colonies as resources allow.
One of the quirks of the Creep is that it will provide the nourishment for any Zerg structure built on it whether they are
friendly or not. This presents several very interesting possibilities with early and late game strategies. Early in the game,
scout quickly, find the enemy base, and build your own Creep Colonies on the outer edges of their Creep and convert to
Sunken Colonies as quickly as possible. In some cases, this will catch another Zerg brood by surprise and can devastate
their colony before they know it. Note that this is only a viable strategy on smaller maps, since traveling the long
distances to an enemy base on large maps will give the enemy enough time to build ample defenses whether they
suspect this strategy coming or not.
In the later game, use flying units or Parasites to gain sight of enemy Creep. Then build a Nydus Canal and place the exit
node on the enemy Creep. Note that if the node is built within enemy Sunken Colony attack range, the node will be
attacked, so be careful with the exit node placement. If the node goes unnoticed by the enemy, once it finishes building
you'll be able to flood the enemy town with all your ground troops from within their own base.
Health Regeneration
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Zerg and their biological nature is an amazing healing and regenerative ability. A
Zerg colony will remain viable unless every creature and structure is completely destroyed, as even a Zerg on the verge
of death will eventually return to full health.
The Zerg ability to regenerate health makes the option to retreat from battle an extremely viable one. Should your units get
damaged in a battle, retreat and use a new force to press the attack while the injured force uses time to their advantage
as they heal. By cycling between two major forces and healing between attacks, you'll save time and money as newly
produced units can be used to bolster your forces rather than replace them. To further protect the injured units during
their healing phase, Burrow them to keep them out of the enemy's sight and prevent further damage.
Attack/Defense Upgrades
With the sheer number of units the Zerg can produce, getting upgrades can make a noticeable difference in the
battlefield. Unless both you and your opponent go for a heavy air battle strategy, you will usually want to get the
upgrades for the ground based units first. To help speed the upgrade process, build 2 or more Evolution Chambers early
to upgrade both the attacks and carapace as quickly as possible. Fully upgraded Zerglings and Hydralisks can really turn
the tide in a battle, especially since in most cases, they will outnumber the enemy 2 to 1 with their cheap cost and quick
production.
Burrowing
Once this ability is evolved at a Hatchery/Lair/Hive, every Zerg ground unit (with the exception of the Ultralisk) will be
able to Burrow. Burrowing can provide several advantages for the Zerg both offensively and defensively and the ability
should not be underestimated.
First of all, as mentioned before, Burrowing can help preserve units that need to regenerate their health. If possible,
Burrow these units at your main base so that should the base need immediate protection, these units can provide the last
line of defense, even in their injured condition and perhaps give you the advantage of surprise as they Unburrow.
Another key use for Burrowing is for reconnaisance. By using Burrowed Zerglings, you can keep an eye on every
resource node on the map as well as any key choke points at a minimal cost. The placement of these Burrowed
Zerglings can also be a strategy in itself. Burrow Zerglings at the optimal build area (nearest to both the minerals and
gas) to prevent your enemy from building there and either forcing them to build further away or moving to another
expansion area. If you wish to watch enemy expansion a little more passively and wait to pounce on them, Burrow your
Zerglings right behind or next to a Mineral cluster. Even if they can detect the Burrowed Zergling, this will help make it
more difficult for the enemy to spot your scout.
Burrowing can also be highly useful in expansion attempts. In the early to mid game, send out and Burrow Drones at key
expansion areas and keep them there in hiding until you are ready to expand. Should your main base be invaded and lost,
these Drones will also provide you the chance to quickly rebuild without having to worry about getting a Drone past the
invading forces. This comes in handy particularly in Team or Allied games where you have a better chance at rebuilding
while your teammate or ally occupies the enemy.
Finally, use Burrow to set up ambushes. The element of surprise can greatly
affect the outcome of a battle and you should use it to your advantage
whenever possible. Choke points are excellent locations for ambushing
(See the side image) and even if the enemy outnumbers you, these positions
can give you the advantage. By placing your units at a choke point exit,
they'll be able to overwhelm enemy units trying to cross in a line no more
than 2 or 3 units wide. Using this method, your force should be able to take
an enemy army twice their size with a minimum of effort.
The key in this type of ambush is to Unburrow just before the enemy can make it out of the choke point. This will
maximize the element of surprise and ensure that you can kill a few of the enemy before they can retreat. Also if
possible, keep a row of Melee Attackers (i.e. Zerglings) in the front line closely backed by ranged attack units (i.e.
Hydralisks) to make the ambush as destructive as it can be.
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