Swarm Host
Unit
Race	Zerg
Role	Living host
Properties
Transport size	4
Production
Minerals	200
Gas	100
Control	3
Build time	40
Evolves from	Larva
Requires	Infestation pit
Hotkey	A
Protection
Hit points	180
Armor	1
Type	Biological
Armor type	Armored
Function
Produces	Locust

The swarm host is a zerg strain in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm.

Game UnitEdit

The swarm host can burrow without the upgrade. Classified as a siege unit, it endlessly spawns waves of locusts while burrowed: each wave consists of two locusts, and these are produced every 25 seconds. The locusts last 15 seconds (25 with an upgrade). This allows the zerg to better besiege entrenched enemy positions. They are produced via the hotkey "C".

Swarm hosts cannot attack directly.

UpgradesEdit

Carapace
Evolved at	Evolution chamber
Hotkey	C
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 ground units.
Edit

Heart of the Swarm CampaignEdit

Swarm hosts appear as primal zerg enemy units in Waking the Ancient.^[1] Afterwards, the player gains access to them due to Abathur creating them using DNA obtained from the primal zerg. They have access to a number of upgrades in the evolution pit.^[2]

In the campaign swarm hosts function much differently. They do not burrow, instead using the root command. While rooted, a swarm host cannot move but is still visible. They do not autocast spawn locusts in the same way as in the multiplayer game. Instead, they only spawn locusts, while rooted, when an enemy comes into range, or the player selects spawn locusts and clicks a location.

They do not burrow all the way into the ground, allowing them to be attacked without detection, however one of the upgrades available to the swarm host as well as one of its evolutions allows it to fully burrow itself.^[3]

UpgradesEdit

• Burrow: Swarm Hosts can now burrow into the ground, preventing them from being seen by enemies without detection while still being able to spawn Locusts.
• Rapid Incubation: Locusts spawn 20% faster.
• Pressurized Glands: Locusts can attack both ground and air units.

DevelopmentEdit

Main article: Infestor/Development

The swarm host^[4] was expected to be available in the campaign and map editor of StarCraft II.^[5] As the swarm host is now, it could have been an aerial unit, but it eventually became a ground one.^[6] The idea behind its current design was to give zerg players their own siege unit, but make sure it functioned in a different manner to the siege tank or colossus.^[7]

The swarm host's current form was to give the zerg a new aesthetic, something to distinguish the unit from the usual claws and teeth that other zerg units possess.^[8]

"Egg monster" and "digester" are terms used for the swarm host in the beta files of Heart of the Swarm.^[9]

Variant StrainsEdit

• Carrion strain
• Creeper strain
• Primal swarm host
• Slivan the Eternal Mother resembles a swarm host

ReferencesEdit