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Aberration SC2-LotV Art1

An aberration

The aberration is a powerful infested terran variant with a resilient carapace and a lower half made of pincers.

Overview[]

"What is that thing? Was it human?"

Aberrations are former terrans who have undergone extreme mutation from the zerg hyper-evolutionary virus.[1] They possess class five bio-signatures.[2] They were in use by 2504,[3] and by the following year, Broodmother Zagara incorporated the creature into the Swarm as a distinct breed so it could be spawned from larvae.[4] They can likewise be spawned by a blightbringer.[5]

Game Unit[]

Aberrations appear in every StarCraft II campaign.

Wings of Liberty[]

In Wings of Liberty, the aberration appears in missions where infested terrans are prominent. It is very powerful with a lot of HP and armor, and a powerful melee attack. However, it can be brought down quickly with concentrated fire.

Heart of the Swarm[]

In Heart of the Swarm, the aberration has less HP than in Wings of Liberty, but has a powerful buff to its damage against armored targets. It also has the passive ability "Towering" that lets it walk over other units similar to the colossus, but without vulnerability to anti-air attacks. While the in-game text says the aberration can walk over small units, the Massive and Light unit types have nothing to do with this ability. The only zerg units the aberration cannot walk over are infestors, swarm hosts, ultralisks, and Sarah Kerrigan. Aberrations are available to build upon playing the mission "Old Soldiers."

The aberration is an excellent support attacker for ranged units like hydralisks and roaches; when the ranged units stop to fire at enemies, the aberration can still walk over them to get to its targets, and moves as quickly as a zergling to get there. They are powerful throughout the game since many terran enemies are of the armored type. In the late game, aberrations offer complementary skills to the ultralisk; while ultralisks are effective against clusters of small units, aberrations are better against small numbers of armored units. The ultralisk also allows variable upgrades and its noxious or torrasque forms to enhance its combat potential, while the aberration is static and has no potential upgrades.

Abilities & Upgrades[]

Many zerg ground units may burrow, becoming invisible and revealed primarily by detectors, and may not move or attack while burrowed.

Exceptions include:

  • Roach, which may move while burrowed
  • Lurker, which may attack while burrowed
  • Infestor, which may move while burrowed
  • Baneling, which can detonate while burrowed.

Some units can unburrow via autocast, causing them to emerge and attack when an enemy moves into range.

The ability is not smartcast.

Usage
Hotkey R
Cost 2 seconds to burrow, 1 second to unburrow seconds
Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive
Hotkey B
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 71seconds
Required Lair (WoL)
Hatchery (HotS/LotV)
ve
Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber
Hotkey M
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 114seconds
Level 2
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 136seconds
Required Lair
Level 3
Cost 200 Minerals 200 Vespene gas 157seconds
Required Hive
ve
  • +1 bonus to armor per level for zerg ground units.
Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber
Hotkey C
Level 1
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 114seconds
Level 2
Cost 200 Minerals 200 Vespene gas 136seconds
Required Lair
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 157seconds
Required Hive
ve

Co-op Missions[]

In Co-op Missions, aberrations are exclusive to Zagara, and require an evolution chamber and lair. Apart from having an armor value of 0, they are statistically identical to their Heart of the Swarm appearance, functioning as anti-armor attackers.

Aberrations appear as enemies on the Miner Evacuation and Dead of Night maps, and spawn during the Outbreak mutator.

Upgrades and Abilities
SC2ZergBurrow
Burrow

Buries the unit underground. Burrowed unit are unable to move or attack, but they cannot be seen without detection.

Usage
Hotkey R
Cost 2 (burrow)seconds
1 (unburrow) seconds
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
ve
ProtectiveCover SC2 Icon
Protective Cover

Aberrations reduce damage done to units beneath them (in a radius of 2.5) by 50%.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Zagara Level 9
Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber
Hotkey B
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 90seconds
Required Lair/Hive
ve
SC2 Rupture Icon
Incubate Banelings and Scourges
  • When your aberrations are killed, 2 banelings spawn from their corpse.
  • When your corruptors are killed, 2 scourges spawn from their corpse.
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Zagara Level 8.
ve
SC2 ZergMeleeWeap
Zerg Ground Attacks

Increases the attack damage of zerg ground units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber
Hotkey M
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Effect Damage: 22 (+22 vs Armored)
Level 2
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 190seconds
Required Lair/Hive
Effect Damage: 24 (+24 vs Armored)
Level 3
Cost 200 Minerals 200 Vespene gas 220seconds
Required Hive
Effect Damage: 26 (+26 vs Armored)
ve
SC2 ZergGrndCara
Zerg Ground Carapace

Increases the armor of zerg ground units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber
Hotkey M
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Effect Armor: 1
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 190seconds
Required Lair/Hive
Effect Armor: 2
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 220seconds
Required Hive
Effect Armor: 3
ve

Achievement[]

The aberration is also a portrait reward available in the game for the Team Zerg 250 achievement.[6]

Development[]

Abberation SCII Dev1

Early development render of the aberration

Aberrations were previously known as centaurs.[7] It had 'baneling bubbles' on its back and was originally intended to be a cross between a baneling and infested colonist, exploding like the former. The final aberration has a different combat role; its explosion upon death is purely cosmetic.[1]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Phill Gonzales. Starcraft 2: Zerg Aberration. Deviant Art. Accessed 2011-02-10.
  2. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Wings of Liberty, Haven's Fall (in English). 2010-07-27.
  3. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Wings of Liberty, Outbreak (in English). 2010-07-27.
  4. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Heart of the Swarm, Old Soldiers (in English). 2013-03-12.
  5. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Night Terrors (in English). 2016-08-02.
  6. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). July 27, 2010.
  7. Michael McWhertor. 2009-08-17. First StarCraft II Single Player Campaign Hands-On (With Spoilers). Kotaku. Accessed 2009-08-29.
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