Roach

The roach is a zerg ground unit in StarCraft II.

Overview
The roach is a particularly tough, armored breed which possesses a high-speed regeneration ability when burrowed. Roaches evolved from the fast-healing zantar slug of Garrxax. Their ranged acid saliva attack is capable of penetrating neosteel and comes from the same core species. One on one, few are capable of taking on a roach and winning. They are deployed when zerglings start to be thinned out and are sometimes supported by infestors. When paired with zerglings, they can be nearly unstoppable against marines bereft of siege tank or bunker support.

The roach was developed by 2501, taking part in a battle on Shi.

Game Unit
Roaches are strong against hellions, s, and s, and weak against MMM, immortals, and ultralisks. Thors, stalkers, and s also pose a strong threat to roaches due to their bonus damage against armored targets.

They have no anti-air attack. Roaches inherit the roles of medium attacker and ambusher from the original StarCraft's hydralisk and lurker. To compensate for its lack of anti-air attack, it is common to see roaches combined with hydralisks. A common strategy is for roaches to absorb damage while hydralisks deal it.

Attacks
The roach is a ranged unit, giving it added utility at choke points. The roach rises slightly when it attacks. It also has a melee attack that it, like the hydralisk, performs at close range for the same damage as the ranged attack.

Heart of the Swarm
In the campaign of Heart of the Swarm, roaches can choose one of the following upgrades for each mission:


 * Adaptive plating (gains +3 armor when hp is below 50%)
 * Hydrochloric bile (gains +8 damage against light units)
 * Tunneling claws (can move at full speed while burrowed, burrowed regeneration rate increased by 100%)

Roaches may be evolved into either corpsers or viles after completing the required evolution mission.

Zerg vs Terran


A roach/baneling combo is very powerful against terrans, as the roaches will soak damage, enabling the banelings to get close to the enemy and deal their high damage attacks.

Zerg vs Zerg
Roaches and zerglings are used early in ZvZ matches. Roaches are a more defensive unit compared to zerglings. Cost for cost, roaches win against zerglings at chokepoints but lose in open areas. Later in the game, numerous roaches can defeat numerous zerglings even in open areas.

As a game progresses, a roach/hydralisk combo can defeat a zergling/mutalisk combo.

Zerg vs Protoss
Roaches are a great way to defend an early expo against 2 Gate push. Mass overwhelming roaches is also quite strong against a fast teching opponent, even one who goes air. Use roaches to soak up colossus damage until ultralisks or air units can support.

General
Roaches, coupled with their speed and burrow move upgrades, make great harassment units at exposed bases.

Roaches are a great staple unit and have great value for cost, but take up control quickly. In direct encounters with enemy armies of equal supply, mass roach is more likely to lose.

Special Roach Strains

 * Corpser
 * Leech (cut content)
 * Primal roach
 * Prowler (cut content)
 * Scavenger (cut content)
 * Vile