Overlord

"Overlords provide control for your minions. As your forces grow in number, you must hatch more Overlords to control them."

- Daggoth

The Overlord is a Zerg flyer that provides control for lesser minions.

Overview
Overlords were evolved from the Gargantis proximae, a species of giant space-faring and semi-intelligent creatures. Once assimilated they were used to help Cerebrates control and coordinate their Broods and scout using their enhanced senses. Advanced strains may carry other Zerg within hollows in their hides. Despite resembling the Portuguese man-o-war of Earth, they are fairly docile creatures that in addition to their leadership dutues, tend to young larvae and transport other Zerg across the depths of space by carrying them within their shelled bodies.

Overlords fly using helium-filled gas sacs combined with a weak telekinetic psi-ability for lift and motive power.

StarCraft
The Overlord is a versatile Zerg flyer that provides control, detection and air transportation. Since they are in ample supply Zerg bases are difficult to infiltrate with cloaked units. Offensively, whether transporting troops or providing mobile detection, Overlords must wait for Pneumatized Carapace otherwise they are too slow. An interesting possibility is to use Overlords to raid enemy bases with Infested Terrans in a manner similar to the Reaver drop.

Upgrades

 * Flyer Carapace
 * Ventral Sacs
 * Cost: 200 0 200
 * Upgraded at: Lair/Hive
 * Allows Overlords to transport units.
 * Antennae
 * Cost: 150 0 150
 * Upgraded at: Lair/Hive
 * Increases Overlord sight range to 11.
 * Pneumatized Carapace
 * Cost: 150 0 150
 * Upgraded at: Lair/Hive
 * Increases Overlord movement speed.

StarCraft: Ghost
Overlords make an appearance in StarCraft: Ghost. Some have been subjected to cybernetic surgery or were locked into tanks.

StarCraft II
The Overlord has made an appearance in StarCraft II. It functions in a manner similar to its StarCraft I predecessor (a flying Control-producing unit).

Overlords have lost their transport  and detection abilities.

Overlords can evolve into Overseers which act as detectors.

The reason for the changes and the split between the Overlord and Overseer in terms of detection was that the Zerg "were somewhat 'detectorific'" in StarCraft I.

Abilities

 * Excrete Creep
 * The Overlord can create a small patch of Creep, the radius steadily expanding as long as it remains stationary. This ability is researched at the Evolution Chamber.


 * Slime (also known as "Corrupt Minerals")
 * The Overlord can drop a non-attacking slime creature, temporarily disabling resource nodes and Observation Posts. The minerals can be covered as they're being harvested, enabling raids which slow down an enemy's economy. The creature must be killed before the minerals can be accessed.

This ability takes some time to "cast" and has a small cooldown timer.


 * Overseer Morph
 * Main article: Overseer


 * The Overlord can morph into an Overseer, which becomes a detector.

Special Overlord Strains

 * Mastermind Overlord
 * Yggdrasill