Lurker

From StarCraft Wiki

Lurker
Unit
Race	Zerg
Role	Heavy Defense Warrior
Armament	Subterranean spines
Properties
Hit points	125
Size	Large
Production
Minerals	50
Gas	100
Control	2
Build time	40
Produced at	Hydralisk
Requires	Lurker Aspect
Hot key	L
Combat
Ground attack	20s
Cooldown	37
Armor	1
Attack range	6
Sight range	8

The lurker is a zerg unit introduced in StarCraft: Brood War that may attack only when burrowed.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Game Unit 2.1 StarCraft 2.1.1 Abilities 2.1.2 Upgrades 2.2 StarCraft: Ghost 2.3 StarCraft II 2.3.1 Abilities 2.3.2 Upgrades 2.3.3 Strategies 3 Images 4 References

[edit] Overview

By the time of the Brood War, the zerg had evolved the lurker strain from the hydralisk. The lurker was first observed under the leadership of Infested Kerrigan (although technically, it was their handiwork that was the first indication).^[1]

Lurkers serve as defense warriors for hive clusters and outlying zerg colonies.^[2] Lurkers emit waves of super-dense spines against their enemies, having a full width of damage of ten meters.^[1] However, lurkers must actually burrow underground to release these subterranean attacks. Any warriors on the surface who are caught by these spines are instantly impaled. These spines themselves are capable of tearing into flesh, steel, and even reinforced armor plating.^[2] The spines can even be directed downward into open spaces, provided the lurker is underground.^[3] The only weakness of the lurker is that it is virtually defenseless while above ground.^[2]

[edit] Game Unit

[edit] StarCraft

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.

The lurker's attack does linear splash damage to all ground units in its path. The lurker has no means of defending itself when not burrowed, and are vulnerable during the process of burrowing; this takes more time than for other units and enemy units can still attack them at that stage, possibly killing the lurker before it even has a chance to effectively become invisible to the enemy and attack.

[edit] Abilities

Burrowed Attack
Notes
Lurkers may burrow even if the ability has not been researched. Lurkers may attack only when burrowed.

[edit] Upgrades

Missile Attacks Evolved at Evolution chamber Hotkey A Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 150 200 Gas 100 150 200 Required Hatchery Lair Hive Notes +1 bonus to attack damage per level for hydralisks +2 bonus to attack damage per level for lurkers

Carapace Evolved at Evolution chamber Hotkey C Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 150 225 300 Gas 150 225 300 Required Lair Hive Notes +1 bonus to armor per level for broodlings, defilers, drones, hydralisks, infested terrans, larvae, ultralisks, zerglings.

[edit] StarCraft: Ghost

	This article or section contains information about StarCraft: Ghost. The content may be significantly out of date. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

The lurker appears in StarCraft: Ghost.^[4]

[edit] StarCraft II

	This article or section contains information about a StarCraft II unit or structure.
	The content may be significantly out of date as StarCraft II experiences a new build weekly and may change substantially as more information becomes available. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

Lurker
Unit
Race	Zerg
Role	Burrowed Attacker
Properties
Hit points	125[5][6]
Type	Biological[6] Ground[6]
Armor type	Armored.[6]
Production
Minerals	50[5][7]
Gas	100[5][7]
Control	3[5][6]
Build time	33[5][7]
Produced at	Hydralisk[5]
Requires	Deep warren[5][6][8]
Hot key	L[5][7]
Combat
Ground attack	15 (+ 15 vs armored) s[5][9]
Armor	1[6]
Attack range	9 (12 with Seismic Spines)[10]

The lurker reappears in StarCraft II, created from a hydralisk morph.^[11]

The lurker appears at a higher tier than in StarCraft I.^[12]

Lurker attacks can devastate groups of infantry.^[11] In addition, they can act as siege units, out-ranging conventional stationary defenses.^[9]

[edit] Abilities

Burrowed Attack
Notes
Lurkers may attack only when burrowed.[11]
Edit

[edit] Upgrades

Seismic Spines[10]
Evolved at	Lurker den[13]
Properties
Minerals 150[14] Gas 150[14] Evolution time 80[14]
Notes
Increases the range of the lurker's attack from 6 to 9.[10]
Edit

Missile Attacks Evolved at Evolution chamber[15] Hotkey A[15] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 10[15] 150[15] 200[15] Gas 100[15] 150[15] 200[15] Evolution time 140[15] 170[15] 200[15] Required Hatchery[15] Lair[15] Hive[15] Notes Attack bonus for queen, roaches, hydralisks, and lurkers.[15] Edit

Carapace Evolved at Evolution chamber[15] Hotkey C[15] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 150[15] 225[15] 300[15] Gas 150[15] 225[15] 300[15] Evolution time 140[15] 170[15] 200[15] Required Hatchery[15] Lair[15] Hive[15] Notes +1 bonus to armor per level for drones, queen, zerglings, banelings, hydralisks, lurkers, infestors, roaches and ultralisks.[15] Edit

[edit] Strategies

Lurkers counter roaches for cost, but roaches have the mobility advantage.^[16]

[edit] Images

StarCraft I profile

StarCraft: Ghost concept art

StarCraft II portrait

[edit] References

Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft/Brood War
Ground units	Larva · Drone · Zergling · Hydralisk · Defiler · Ultralisk • Brood War only • Lurker
Air units	Overlord · Mutalisk · Guardian · Scourge · Queen • Brood War only • Devourer
Infestation units	Broodling · Infested terran
Transition units	Egg · Lurker egg · Cocoon
Basic buildings	Hatchery · Extractor · Evolution chamber · Spawning pool · Creep colony · Spore colony · Sunken colony · Hydralisk den
Advanced buildings	Lair · Hive · Spire · Greater spire · Queen's nest · Nydus canal · Defiler mound · Ultralisk cavern · Infested command center

Zerg Units of StarCraft: Ghost
Ground	PC	Hydralisk · Infested marine · Zergling
	Other	Drone · Infested terran · Infested SCV pilot · Infested scientist · Larva · Lurker · Ultralisk
Aerial	PC	Mutalisk
	Other	Overlord · Brain spectre
Other	Zerg Egg

Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II
Land units	Larva · Drone · Zergling · Baneling · Roach · Hydralisk · Lurker · Infestor · Ultralisk · Queen
Air units	Overlord · Overseer · Mutalisk · Brood lord · Corruptor
Spawned units	Broodling · Mantaling · Changeling · Infested terran
Basic buildings	Hatchery · Creep tumor · Extractor · Evolution chamber · Spawning pool · Baneling nest · Hydralisk den
Combat Buildings	Spine crawler · Spore crawler
Advanced buildings	Lair · Hive · Infestation pit · Spire · Greater spire · Roach warren · Nydus network · Nydus worm · Ultralisk cavern · Lurker den
Transition units	Egg · Baneling egg · Overlord cocoon · Lurker egg
Others	Creep
Campaign-Exclusive Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II	Special Zerg Breeds	Brutalisk · Centaur · Sac
Scrapped	Removed Units	Infested protoss · Large Queen · Huge Queen · Morphalisk · Swarm · Swarm guardian
	Removed Buildings	Infested protoss buildings · Infested terran buildings · Shrieker · Spore colony · Sunken colony · Swarm clutch · Swarm infestation