The zerg spire is based on the towering spires of the mantis screamers, although altered to be sustained with creep.^[1]

Contents 1 Game Unit 1.1 StarCraft 1.1.1 Researched Upgrades 1.1.2 Building Abilities 1.1.3 Development 1.2 StarCraft II 1.2.1 Researched Upgrades 1.2.2 Building Abilities 1.3 Development 2 References

Game UnitEdit

StarCraftEdit

Spire
Structure
Race	Zerg
Production
Minerals	200
Gas	150
Build time	120
Evolves from	Drone
Requires	Lair
Protection
Hit points	600
Armor	1
Function
Evolves to	Greater spire
Allows	Mutalisk Scourge
Research	Flyer Attacks Flyer Carapace

The spire produces the genetic code that allows larvae to morph into mutalisks or split into pairs of scourge. It is capable of mutating into a greater spire after a hive has been developed, enabling the hive cluster to produce guardians and devourers.^[1]

Researched UpgradesEdit

Flyer Attacks
Evolved at	Spire Greater spire
Hotkey	A
Properties
Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 175 250 Gas 100 175 250 Evolution time 266 298 330 Required Lair Hive
Notes
+1 bonus to attack per level for mutalisks +2 bonus to attack per level for guardians and devourers.

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.

Building AbilitiesEdit

Mutate into Greater Spire
Acquisition Requires Hive	Usage Minerals 100 Gas 150 Units Spire Activation/ Build Time 120 Hotkey G
Notes
Transforms a spire into a greater spire.

DevelopmentEdit

During the StarCraft alpha and beta, the spire possessed a different appearance from their final version which had its model borrowed from the scotia, a canceled zerg structure.^[2]

StarCraft IIEdit

Spire
Structure
Race	Zerg
Properties
Broodlings produced	6
Production
Minerals	200
Gas	200
Build time	100
Evolves from	Drone
Requires	Lair
Hotkey	S
Protection
Hit points	850
Armor	1
Type	Armored Biological Structure
Function
Evolves to	Greater spire
Allows	Mutalisk Corruptor
Research	See below

The spire appears in StarCraft II. It functions identically to its predecessor.

The spire can be transformed into a greater spire.

Researched UpgradesEdit

Flyer Attacks
Evolved at	Spire Greater spire
Properties
Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 175 250 Gas 100 175 250 Evolution time 160 190 220 Required Lair Hive
Notes
Increases attack damage of mutalisks, corruptors, and brood lords.
Edit

Flyer Carapace
Evolved at	Spire Greater spire
Properties
Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 150 225 300 Gas 150 225 300 Evolution time 160 190 220 Required Lair Hive
Notes
+1 bonus to armor per level for zerg air units.
Edit

Building AbilitiesEdit

Mutate into Greater Spire
Acquisition Requires Hive	Usage Minerals 100 Gas 150 Units Spire Activation/ Build Time 100 Hotkey G
Notes
Transforms a spire into a greater spire.
Edit

DevelopmentEdit

The spire was a simple update of the original game's sprite artwork. The challenging aspect of creating the spire in 3D was conveying the height of the building. StarCraft II has height limitations for building models, especially for multiplayer artwork due to the altitude flying units move at. Buildings exceeding certain heights either require air pathing blockers so flying units don't clip through them, or height adjustments so they're lowered under the flight elevation. Air pathing blockers are not an option for multiplayer art, so the spire was lowered for the sake of functionality. Another consideration was making this building somewhat humble so the presence of a Greater Spire would be more significant.^[3]

ReferencesEdit

Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft/Brood War
Ground units	Larva · Drone · Zergling · Hydralisk · Lurker(BW) · Defiler · Ultralisk
Air units	Overlord · Mutalisk · Guardian · Scourge · Queen • Devourer(BW)
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
Other	Creep
Scrapped	Mutation chamber · Nydus pit

Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II
Land units	Larva · Drone · Zergling · Baneling · Roach · Hydralisk · Infestor · Ultralisk · Queen · Swarm host (HotS)
Air units	Overlord · Overseer · Mutalisk · Brood lord · Corruptor · Viper (HotS)
Spawned units	Broodling · Changeling (WoL) · Infested terran · Locust (HotS)
Basic buildings	Hatchery · Creep tumor · Extractor · Evolution chamber · Spawning pool · Baneling nest · Roach warren
Combat Buildings	Spine crawler · Spore crawler
Advanced buildings	Lair · Hive · Infestation pit · Spire · Greater spire · Hydralisk den · Nydus network · Nydus worm · Ultralisk cavern
Transition units	Egg · Baneling cocoon · Brood lord cocoon · Infested swarm egg · Overseer cocoon
Others	Creep
Campaign-Exclusive Units	Ground units Aberration · Brutalisk · Infested colonist · Infested marine · Omegalisk · Pygalisk · Pygalisk cocoon · Swarmling Air units Leviathan · Sac · Scourge · Swarm guardian Variant units Zergling (Raptor · Swarmling) · Baneling (Gorgeling · Splitterling) · Roach (Leech · Prowler)
Campaign-Exclusive Structures	Infested terran buildings (infested bunker · infested command center) · Spore cannon · Virophage
Canceled Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II

Zerg Breeds
Command Strains	Cerebrate · Metamorph · Overlord · Overmind · Queen, original · Queen, new variant (brood mother) · Queen of Blades
Core Strains	Ground Larva · Feederling · Drone · Queen · Zergling · Baneling · Roach · Hydralisk · Lurker · Defiler · Swarm host · Infestor · Nydus worm · Ultralisk · Brutalisk Aerospace Overlord · Overseer · Mutalisk · Guardian · Scourge · Queen · Devourer · Corruptor · Brood lord · Leviathan · Behemoth
Specialist Strains	Ground Zergling (Devouring One · Goblin · Raptor · Screamer · Swarmling · War Zergling) · Baneling (Gorgeling · Kaboomer · Splitterling) · Roach (Leech · Prowler) · Hydralisk (Hunter Killer · Hydolysk · Warg) · Queen (Brood mother · Char Queen) · Infestor (Choker) · Ultralisk (Blade Guardian · Juggernaut · Omegalisk · Pygalisk · Stank · Torrasque) · Brutalisk (Hunterling) · Nydus worm (Left 2 Die Nydus worm) Aerospace Overlord (Brain spectre · Mastermind · Yggdrasill) · Overseer (Spotter) · Mutalisk/Guardian (Drake · Evolved Mutalisk · Gargoyle · Kukulza · Feral Guardian) · Queen (Hand Maiden · Empress · Eschutriarch · Matriarch · Siren)
Spawned/Other	Broodling (Swarmling) · Changeling · Creep · Infested protoss · Locust · Parasite · Probe · Roverlisk · Sac · Swarm
Infested terrans	Aberration · Infested colonist · Infested marine · Explosive · Infestor-spawned · Mutate
Structures	Basic Hatchery · Creep tumor · Extractor · Evolution chamber · Spawning pool · Baneling nest · Eye · Creep colony · Spore colony · Sunken colony · Spine crawler · Spore crawler · Spore cannon · Hydralisk den Advanced Lair · Hive · Infestation pit · Spire · Greater spire · Queen's nest · Nydus canal · Nydus network · Defiler mound · Ultralisk cavern · Infested terran buildings (Infested command center · Infested bunker) · Virophage