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"Raptor strain: leaps to close on enemy. Scales cliffs."

The raptor is a variant strain of the zergling that appears in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm.

Game Unit[]

Raptors offer quality over quantity compared to swarmlings. Their leaping ability makes them much more effective in battle, quickly closing the distance on enemies and surrounding them much more efficiently, as well as letting them leap up and down cliffs for superior manoeuvrability. In tandem with the Raptor's +2 damage upgrade due to their Aggressive passive ability, they are much more powerful than zerglings or swarmlings.

If the player finds themselves being attacked without defense frequently, the swarmling is a more effective response. Swarmlings are also more effective if the player prominently uses banelings, since swarmlings mutate faster and in greater numbers, in turn allowing for more banelings quicker. Otherwise, the raptor is universally superior.

Heart of the Swarm[]

It becomes available with the swarmling after completing either "Shoot the Messenger" or "Fire in the Sky."[1]

During Kerrigan's resurgence, Abathur discovered the raptor strain in feral karak native to the planet Calus. The karak essence were assimilated to produce the raptor. This enhanced the quadriceps of the zergling and mutated its wing function, allowing the raptor to traverse cliffs and leap at targets from a distance. However, as a side effect the raptors were also affected with a minor increase in aggression.[1]

Legacy of the Void[]

Raptors appear as enemies in the Legacy of the Void prologue campaign mission "Dark Whispers".[2]
They appear as allies in the main campaign mission "Harbinger of Oblivion", and again as allies in the epilogue campaign mission "Into the Void".[3][4]

Co-op Missions[]

Kerrigan zerglings automatically upgrade to the raptor strain when she reaches Level 12.

Upgrades and Abilities[]

SC2ZergBurrow
Burrow

Buries the unit underground. Burrowed unit are unable to move or attack, but they cannot be seen without detection.

Usage
Hotkey R
Cost 2 (burrow)seconds
1 (unburrow) seconds
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
ve
MetabolicBoost SC2 Zergling
Metabolic Boost

Increases Zergling movement speed by 60%.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Spawning pool
Hotkey M
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 60seconds
Mastery: -2 Minerals -2 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -1.2seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 40 Minerals 40 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 24seconds
ve
AdrenalGlands SC2 Game1
Adrenal Overload

Increases Zerglings attack speed by 40%.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Spawning pool
Hotkey A
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 60seconds
Mastery: -2 Minerals -2 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -1.2seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 40 Minerals 40 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 24seconds
Required Hive
ve
Shredding Claws SC2-LotV Icon
Shredding Claws

Zergling attacks reduce the target's armor to 0 for 10 seconds.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Kerrigan Level 4.
Acquisition
Purchased from Spawning pool
Hotkey R
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 90seconds
Mastery: -3 Minerals -3 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -1.8seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 60 Minerals 60 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 36seconds
Required Hive
ve
SC2 HardenedCarapace Icon
Hardened Carapace

Increases maximum Zergling HP by 10.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Kerrigan Level 4.
Acquisition
Purchased from Spawning pool
Hotkey C
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 90seconds
Mastery: -3 Minerals -3 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -1.8seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 60 Minerals 60 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 36seconds
Required Lair/Hive
ve
SC2 ZergMeleeWeap
Zerg Melee Attacks

Increases the attack damage of zerg ground melee units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber
Hotkey M
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Mastery: -2 Minerals -2 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -3.2seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 40 Minerals 40 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 64seconds
Effect Damage: 8
Level 2
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 190seconds
Mastery: -3 Minerals -3 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -3.8seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 60 Minerals 60 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 76seconds
Required Lair/Hive
Effect Damage: 9
Level 3
Cost 200 Minerals 200 Vespene gas 220seconds
Mastery: -4 Minerals -4 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -4.4seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 80 Minerals 80 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 88seconds
Required Hive
Effect Damage: 10
ve
SC2 ZergGrndCara
Zerg Ground Carapace

Increases the armor of zerg ground units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber
Hotkey M
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Mastery: -2 Minerals -2 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -3.2seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 40 Minerals 40 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 64seconds
Effect Armor: 1
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 190seconds
Mastery: -3.5 Minerals -3.5 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -3.8seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 70 Minerals 70 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 76seconds
Required Lair/Hive
Effect Armor: 2
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 220seconds
Mastery: -5 Minerals -5 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 -4.4seconds per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 100 Minerals 100 ZergVespene SC2 Game1 88seconds
Required Hive
Effect Armor: 3
ve

Development[]

The following section contains information from a previous version of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm which is no longer valid.

The raptor used the model of the swarmling in development.[5]

The raptor originally had an ability named "barbed talons" that dealt 10 damage to enemies upon leaping towards them. An upgrade for them named "hip extensors" extended their leaping range by 50%. A third upgrade gave them +10 life; an identical upgrade for the zergling that also affects the raptor is used in the final product.[6]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Heart of the Swarm, Zergling Evolution (in English). 2013-03-12.
  2. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Whispers of Oblivion, Dark Whispers (in English). 2015-07-15.
  3. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Legacy of the Void, Harbinger of Oblivion (in English). 2015-11-10.
  4. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Into the Void, Into the Void (in English). 2015-11-10.
  5. Blizzard Entertainment. 2011-05-27 StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Campaign Preview. YouTube. Accessed 2013-03-29.
  6. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Map Editor. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). March 12, 2013.
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