Lurker

The lurker is a zerg unit introduced in StarCraft: Brood War that may attack only when burrowed.

Overview
By the time of the Brood War, the zerg had evolved the lurker strain from the hydralisk. The lurker was first observed under the leadership of Infested Kerrigan (although technically, it was their handiwork that was the first indication).

Lurkers serve as defense warriors for hive clusters and outlying zerg colonies. Lurkers emit waves of supra-dense spines against their enemies, having a full width of damage of ten meters. However, lurkers must actually burrow underground to release these subterranean attacks. Any warriors on the surface who are caught by these spines are instantly impaled. These spines themselves are capable of tearing into flesh, steel, and even reinforced armor plating. The only weakness of the lurker is that it is virtually defenseless while above ground.

StarCraft
Lurkers must burrow in order to attack, rendering them invisible from enemy attackers.

Lurkers are particularly effective as a defense against enemy raids on workers. As long as the defenders can keep enemy detectors from penetrating raiders deployed by air transport are at risk of being annihilated by pre-deployed Lurkers that they cannot see. Terrans are not as handicapped against lurkers because of the ComSat station.

The lurker's attack does splash damage to all ground units in its path. The lurker has no means of defending itself when not burrowed, and are vulnerable during the process of burrowing; this takes more time than for other units and enemy units can still attack them at that stage, possibly killing the lurker before it even has a chance to effectively become invisible to the enemy and attack.

Abilities

 * Burrow
 * Starting ability
 * Functions like the normal burrow ability, but does not need to be researched. Once burrowed the lurker may attack.

StarCraft: Ghost


The lurker appears in StarCraft: Ghost.

StarCraft II
The lurker reappears in StarCraft II, created from a hydralisk morph.

As in StarCraft I, lurkers can attack while burrowed (and can only attack while burrowed). Their attacks can devastate groups of infantry.

The lurker appears at a higher tier than in StarCraft I. In addition, they can act as siege units, out-ranging conventional stationary defenses.

Lurkers counter roaches for cost, but roaches have the mobility advantage.