Starcraft 2 Zergling

[Zerglings Basic]

The zergling is the staple unit of the Zerg army from StarCraft through Brood War and not still in StarCraft 2.  The zergling is the cheapest unit in the game at a cost of 25 minerals per zergling (but you must build 2 at a time, so 2 for 50) and is also the weakest unit in the game with only 35 hitpoints.  However, what the zergling lacks in durability it makes up for in numbers, speed and ferocity.  Zerglings are the quintessential unit of the zerg army providing a unit that is easily sacrificed, great for harassment and able to create swarms easily.

[Zergling Advantages]

The advantages to the zergling are many.  The zergling is the first unit a zerg player can build as it is the first building in the tech tree for Zergs.  Once the Spawning Pool is completed the zergling speed (metabolic boost) can be upgraded for a cost of 100 crystal / 100 gas.  This speed upgrade is the most important upgrade for zerglings as it greatly increases their fighting ability, their harassment ability and increases the chance that the Zerglings can run away.  The last upgrade that is zergling specific is their attack speed upgrade (adrenal glands) which increases their attack speed by 20%.  This upgrade is very important late game for zerglings as it enables them to quickly deal damage to opponents’ units and structures.  A fully upgraded 3/3 zergling with adrenal glands does almost the same DPS as a fully upgraded Zealot… but as a zerg player you get to have 4 for the price of 1 zealot.

Zergling Harassment ability.  The greatest asset of zerglings is their speed.  Zerglings are the fastest units in the game and that enables them the ability to harass mineral lines, expansions, or lone units or small armies with great ease.  Use zerglings readily to harass expansions, sneak into the back of a base and hit the mineral line or track down and surround small groups of enemy units.  Harassing in multiple locations at once is great too.  Zerglings at an expo, Mutalisks at a main, Zerglings at a secondary expo, etc.

Flanking and Positioning.  The Zergling, with its great speed, can flank and position themselves to greatly increase your chances in a fight.  Creating a surround, running behind the enemy troops as your roaches/hydras crash into the front of their army or just hitting from multiple sides with Zerglings are all possibilities to help your positioning in a fight.

Cheap Nature.  The last advantage of zerglings is they are cheap.  12 zerglings costs only 300 crystal and can easily devastate a probe line, expansion or a tech building or two and be easily sacrificed, or escape.  This will serve several purposes of distracting your opponent, inhibiting their tech/economy and allowing you to more easily establish map control.

[Zergling Disadvantages]

While zerglings are extremely fast and effective at harassment, they also require open terrain to be effective.  A wall off, a line of troops or a ball of ranged troops can all rather easily deal with Zerglings.  If you see a wall off to your opponents base or if you see a large ball of troops you will likely need more than zerglings to win or an ability to surround your opponent instantly – attacking from multiple sides.  Also, well defended areas or well placed defenses can greatly affect zerglings.  A planetary fortress should NEVER be attacked with zerglings and a base with well placed bunkers or cannons – not allowing for surrounds – is also very difficult to defeat with Zerglings.

Also, Zerglings that are not upgraded fighting upgraded troops can be in a lot of trouble.  Did you know a roach or zealot with a weapons upgrade will 2 shot a zergling instead of 3 shot it?  That makes getting that first armor upgrade for your zerglings essential if fighting roaches/zealots as it can increase the battle duration of your zerglings by 50%.  Or, look at it as your zerglings will all be able to do 50% more damage to your opponents.

[Zergling Strategy]

Zergling usage is very powerful and very limited at the same time.  Harassment on poorly defended bases, running past enemy defenses or surrounding smaller numbers of troops is a great usage of Zerglings.  This frenetic play and constantly keeping your opponent on their heals is exactly how Zerg players should be playing if they plan to use speedlings effectively.

However, a drawn out game that involves big army on army fight may not support Zerglings usage very much as they can die quickly, especially to splash damage, and their speed is not as beneficial in large battles where range may be the dominating factor.

In conclusion, Zerglings that effectively leverage an opponents poorly defended areas and utilize their speed to surround opponents’ units, get in to mineral lines and throw your opponent off guard are the best uses of Zerglings (speedlings) in for Zerg in StarCraft 2.

Let the Swarm consume your opponents !