Control

Control is a term used in the StarCraft series determining the size of a zerg force.

All zerg were directly subject to the will of the Overmind; it was a biological impossibility for them to oppose its directives until after the first Overmind was killed by Tassadar. Only cerebrates (lower-ranking leaders), Infested Kerrigan, and possibly overlords and queens had sentience, and could control a different army (called a brood), using overlords as lieutenants to directly control the warriors and workers. The lesser zerg minions were wholly dependent upon the either the cerebrates or Kerrigan, along with the overlords, for order. Should a cerebrate die, its brood often ran amok. Since that time, Kerrigan has killed off all the cerebrates, but still requires overlords to control her minions.

Each zerg player has two control counters - the first refers to the amount of control being used by the player's units and the second refers to the amount of total control available. The difference in the two numbers is the amount of control that is still available for spawn additional units. In the context of a multiplayer match, when an overlord dies, a zerg player loses control points, and must grow more overlords to replace the loss. Once the difference in the two numbers reaches zero, a player will not be able to spawn any additional units (except overlords and larvae). Hidden is a 200 point control max, the limit beyond which your production structures can no longer turn out units no matter how many control production objects you create.

Zerg structures are alive but do not require control. Some units, such as broodlings, also do not require control.

Control is the zerg equivalent of supply or psi.

StarCraft I

Here is a list of how much control each unit takes in StarCraft I:

Control required	Units
0	Larva, broodling
½	Zergling, scourge
1	Drone, hydralisk, infested terran
2	Lurker, defiler, mutalisk, guardian, devourer, queen
4	Ultralisk

Units providing supply in StarCraft I:

Control provided	Units
8	Overlord (Note: special overlord Yggdrasill provides 30)
1	Hatchery, lair, hive
30	Cerebrates, Overmind, Yggdrasill, Mastermind Overlord (other overlord heroes)

StarCraft II

Here is a list of how much Control each unit takes in StarCraft II:

Control required	Units
0	Larva, broodling, infested terran, changeling
½	Zergling, baneling
1	Drone, roach
2	Queen, lurker, corruptor, mutalisk, infestor, hydralisk, brood lord
4	Ultralisk

Units providing supply in StarCraft II:

Control provided	Units
8	Overlord, overseer
2	Hatchery, lair, hive

References

Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.