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.

Game Unit
Roaches are strong against hellions, zealots, and zerglings, and weak against MMM, immortals and ultralisks. They have no anti-air attack. Roaches inherit the roles of medium attacker and ambusher from the original StarCraft's hydralisk and lurker, respectively.

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.

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 Zealot push.