The scourge is an aerial zerg kamikaze strain.

OverviewEdit

Scourges are blind, suicidal fliers of unknown origin, seeking out enemy starships and diving into them. Catalytic agents within the Scourge allow it to undergo a form of plasma metamorphosis, causing it to explode like a living bomb.^[1] A single scourge is capable of destroying a terran starfighter or shuttle and a handful can breach the hull of a starship.^[2] They are able to engage these targets in both air^[2] and the vacuum of space.^[3]

The primary drawback of the scourge is its limited ability to store energy, able to fly for barely a few hours without requiring additional substance. To conserve energy, they often perch on the backs of overlords. However, this presents a hazard, as the scourge's explosive nature can damage friendly zerg at this proximity.^[2]

Scourges possess a simple genetic makeup, allowing them to spawn in pairs from a single larva similar to that of zerglings.^[1] By the Second Great War, scourges could be spawned from leviathans.^[4]

Game UnitEdit

StarCraftEdit

Scourge
Unit
Race	Zerg
Role	Biological missile
Armament	Plasma metamorphosis
Properties
Size	Small
Sight range	5
Production
Minerals	12.5
Gas	37.5
Control	0.5
Build time	30
Evolves from	Larva
Requires	Spire
Hotkey	S
Protection
Hit points	25
Armor	0
Combat
Air attack	110
Attack range	1

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.

Corsairs may be micromanaged to negate attacking scourge. If the corsairs are not managed so expertly, armor upgrades may be beneficial for scourges.

If a scourge egg is hatched after the controlling player is eliminated, one will spawn normally but the other will become blue and neutral.

UpgradesEdit

Flyer Carapace
Evolved at	Spire Greater spire
Hotkey	C
Properties
Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 150 225 300 Gas 150 225 300 Evolution time 266 298 330 Required Lair Hive
Notes
+1 bonus to armor per level for overlords, mutalisks, guardians, devourers, scourge and queen.

DevelopmentEdit

Originally, scourges were called "avengers." Instead of being produced at a hatchery, they spawned from destroyed guardians.^[5]

StarCraft IIEdit

Scourge
Unit
Race	Zerg
Affiliation	Zerg Swarm
Campaign	Wings of Liberty
Armament	Plasma metamorphosis
Production
Control	0.5
Movement
Speed	3.75
Protection
Hit points	25
Hit point regen/second	0.2734
Armor	0
Plasma metamorphosis
Damage	110
Targets	Air
Cooldown	0.86 (used once)
Range	1

Although absent from multiplayer, scourges are present in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, though mainly to provide ambience.^[6] They are seen as early as the protoss mini-campaign,^[7] and a number appear on Char in its defense.^[8][4] They are last seen as a special form of attack by leviathans, dealing 500 damage each.^[4]

"Scourge spore" data exists in Heart of the Swarm beta files.^[9] They appear hiding inside of scourge nests within the bone trench while Kerrigan is under attack by Gorgon-class battlecruisers. If a creep tumor is placed next to the nest, a flock of Scourge will fly out and assault the Battlecruiser.

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Rosenberg, Aaron (June 1, 2006). StarCraft: Queen of Blades. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7133-4.
3. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Cinematic: The Downing of Norad II. (in English). 1998.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Wings of Liberty, Shatter the Sky (in English). 2010-07-27.
5. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft Map Editor. (Blizzard Entertainment) (in English). March 31, 1998
6. ↑ 2010, Starcraft 2: Zerg Scourge. Deviantart, accessed on 2011-07-20
7. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Wings of Liberty, Whispers of Doom (in English). 2010-07-27.
8. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Wings of Liberty, Gates of Hell (in English). 2010-07-27.
9. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. Heart of the Swarm beta Map Editor. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). September 4, 2012