Queen (StarCraft)

The queen is a zerg support unit.

Overview
The queen possesses numerous tentacles, a sinuous head, and a stretched skin membrane. During the Great War and Brood War, these queens, as with the overlords, queens, were subordinated to the cerebrates to help administrate the Swarm. Queens usually stayed near the hives where they oversaw maturing zerg and drone activities. Their primary role was as an infestation specialist. These queens are capable of operating in the air and on the ground.

On the battlefield, one of the queen's primary functions was to implant parasites in its enemies. Able to be launched from a distance, a tiny, remora-like parasite attached itself to the target, 'bonding' with it should the target be organic. The parasite allowed higher zerg strains to see whatever the host saw and at the time of its first use in the Koprulu sector, could not be removed without killing its host. The parasite can also provide a link for the zerg to "talk" to the host.

With the arrival of the United Earth Directorate in the Koprulu sector however and the introduction of nano-conveyed anesthetic and attenuated laser technology they brought with them, the parasites could be safely removed if detected by medics. However, by 2503 at least some parasites could not be detected by terran technology.

The queen can also infest other creatures, causing them to expire and broodlings to emerge from them. It takes time for the queen to produce these creatures, though the rate of reproduction was able to be increased through the use of gamete meiosis. In the meantime, the queen is able to spray its victims with a thick mucus, slowing them down drastically before dissolving. Most feared of the queen's abilities however, is its ability to produce parasitic bio-toxins. Once released onto a structurem these toxins quickly infest the facility, bringing the structure and those inside it under the control of the zerg. The only safeguard against this ability was that the structure had to be in a state of disrepair before the toxins could be deployed.

History
The queen was derived from the Arachnis brood-keeper. While the brood keepers were capable of laying clutches of eggs, such an ability was deemed unnecessary for the queens, as their role in the Swarm was not tied to reproduction.

Following the Brood War, a small number of older queens continued to exist. However, their role and biology was re-purposed into a new form, which was more physically resilient, and focused on nuturing colony sites.

These queens saw use again during the End War, under the command of Amon who took control of feral zerg on Aiur.

These queens were fielded by Alexei Stukov during the End War.

StarCraft
A queen has no normal attack and uses its speed to escape danger. The queen may be a nuisance raider using Spawn Broodling against high-value units like s and ultralisks. Spawn Broodlings may also be used on zerg eggs.

It is relatively fragile for cost. Defensive counters include groups of air units and enough automated defense structures to either prevent a queen from sneaking into a base or kill it before having a chance to escape.

StarCraft II
The queen is included in the Galaxy Map Editor for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm.

Queens appear in the Legacy of the Void campaign frequently under the control of Amon, as they were among the feral zerg on Aiur that he took control of. They retain their parasite, ensnare, and spawn broodling abilities. They are controllable by Alexei Stukov in Co-op Missions, where they are referred to as "brood queens."

Special Queen Strains

 * Carpenter's Hand Maiden
 * Empress Queen
 * Eschutriarch
 * Matriarch
 * Siren