Lair

The lair is the second major step in the evolution of zerg breeds, providing increased toughness and extended access to the stored genetic knowledge of the Overmind compared to the hatchery.

Game Structure

StarCraft

Lair
Structure
Race	Zerg
Affiliation	Zerg Swarm
Role	Enhanced foundation building
Properties
Sight	10
Production
Minerals	150
Gas	100
Control	Provides 1
Build time	100
Evolves from	Hatchery
Requires	Spawning pool
Hotkey	L
Protection
Hit points	1800
Armor	1
Function
Evolves to	Hive
Produces	Larvae
Allows	Queen's nest Spire Lurker Aspect (Brood War Only)
Research	Burrow Antennae Pneumatized Carapace Ventral Sacs

The lair is responsible for producing larvae, maintaining the creep, digesting minerals\gas, and mutating the Burrow upgrade.

A lair can be mutated into a Hive.

Researched Abilities

Burrow

Many zerg ground units may burrow, rendering themselves invisible but incapable of moving or attacking.

Allows most zerg land units--all but the massive ultralisk and primitive broodling--to burrow into the ground, rendering them immobile and unable to attack, but also safe from enemy fire unless the enemy has a detector nearby. Applies to: Drone, zergling, hydralisk, defiler, infested terran

Usage
Hotkey U

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey B Cost 100 100 80

Ventral Sacs

Allows overlords to transport units.

Usage
Hotkey V

Acquisition
Purchased from Lair/Hive Hotkey V Cost 200 200 160

Researched Upgrades

Antennae

• Increases overlord sight range to 11.

Acquisition
Purchased from Lair OR Hive Hotkey A Cost 150 150 133

Pneumatized Carapace

• Increases overlord speed.

Acquisition
Purchased from Lair Hive Hotkey P Cost 150 150 133

Building Abilities

Mutate into Hive

Transforms a lair into a hive.

Usage
Hotkey H Cost 200 150 120 Lair

Acquisition
Required Queen's nest

StarCraft II

Lair
Structure
Race	Zerg
Affiliation	Zerg Swarm Amon Brood Feral zerg
Role	Enhanced foundation building
Properties
Sight	12 (Versus)
Broodlingsproduced	9
Production
Minerals	150
Gas	100
Control	Provides 2 (WoL/HotS) Provides 6 (LotV/Co-op)
Build time	57 60 (Co-op Missions) Mastery: -1.2 per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a minimum 24 (Abathur)
Evolves from	Hatchery
Requires	Spawning pool Roach warren (Co-op Abathur)
Hotkey	L
Protection
Hit points	2000 1800 (WoL Campaign)
Armor	1
Type	Biological Structure
Armor type	Armored
Function
Evolves to	Hive
Produces	Larva Queen (with spawning pool) Swarm queen (Campaign (with spawning pool) and Co-op Abathur)
Allows	Hydralisk den Infestation pit Spire Scourge nest (Co-op Zagara) Nydus network Omega network (Co-op Kerrigan) Overseer Aberration (with evolution chamber) (Campaign and Co-op Zagara) Ravager (with roach warren) (Co-op Abathur)

The lair reappears in StarCraft II. The lair can set two rally points, one ("Y") for most units and one ("G") for drones.

Each individual egg can be separately rallied; this overrides rally points set from the lair

Researched Abilities

Burrow

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

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey B Cost 100 100 71 Required Lair (WoL) Hatchery (HotS/LotV)

v • e

Ventral Sacs

The overlord can transport units.

This upgrade is removed in Legacy of the Void. Overlords must now be upgraded individually.

Acquisition
Purchased from Lair/Hive Hotkey E Cost 200 200 130

v • e

Researched Upgrades

Pneumatized Carapace

Increase speed of the overlord from 0.902 to 2.63, overlords with Ventral Sacs from 1.099 to 2.83, and the overseer 2.62 to 4.73.

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery (with at least 1 other lair or hive)/Lair/Hive Hotkey P Cost 100 100 43

v • e

Building Abilities

Mutate into Hive

Transforms a lair into a hive.

Usage
Hotkey H Cost 200 150 71 Lair

Acquisition
Required Infestation pit

v • e

Queen Abilities

Spawn Larva

Queens can target a hatchery/lair/hive, causing it to eventually spawn four larvae. These join any already-present larvae. The larva-producing structure will not naturally produce any more larvae until the total falls below three. The larva count for any given hatchery/lair/hive cannot exceed nineteen, no matter how many times spawn larva is cast.

In Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm, four larvae are spawned. In Legacy of the Void, three larvae are spawned, and multiple casts can be queued on a single base.

Usage
Hotkey V Cost 25 29 Cooldown 1.8

v • e

Co-op Missions

Kerrigan, Zagara and Abathur use the lair as their tier 2 primary structure to create larvae and generate creep. Kerrigan and Zagara can create Queens, after morphing a Spawning pool, and can immediately mutate the lair to a hive. Abathur create swarm queens instead of standard queens, with an upgrade to create two swarm queens simultaneously. However, he also requires an infestation pit to mutate the lair into a hive, more like the versus building compared to the other two commanders.

Stetmann use the mecha lair tier 2 primary structure which can build mecha larvae and generate an Egonergy field. After morphing a mecha infestation pit, he can mutate the mecha lair into a mecha hive.

Kerrigan Upgrades

Pneumatized Carapace

Increase speed of the overlord from 0.59 to 3.38 and the overseer from 1.88 to 3.38.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey P Cost 50 50 60 Mastery: -1 -1 -1.2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 20 20 24

v • e

Ventral Sacs

Allows overlords to transport units.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey E Cost 100 100 60 Mastery: -2 -2 -1.2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a maximum 40 40 24 Required Lair/Hive

v • e

Mutate into Hive

Transforms a lair into a hive.

Usage
Hotkey L

Acquisition
Cost 200 150 60

v • e

Zagara Upgrades

Pneumatized Carapace

Increase speed of the overlord from 0.59 to 3.38 and the overseer from 1.88 to 3.38.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey P Cost 50 50 60

v • e

Ventral Sacs

Allows overlords to transport units.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey E Cost 100 100 60 Required Lair/Hive

v • e

Mutate into Hive

Transforms a lair into a hive.

Usage
Hotkey L

Acquisition
Cost 200 150 60

v • e

Abathur Upgrades

Pneumatized Carapace

Increase speed of the overlord from 0.59 to 3.38 and the overseer from 1.88 to 3.38.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey P Cost 50 50 60 Mastery: -1.2 per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 24

v • e

Ventral Sacs

Allows overlords to transport units.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition
Purchased from Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey E Cost 100 100 60 Mastery: -1.2 per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 24 Required Lair/Hive

v • e

Incubation Chamber

Allows hatcheries, lairs, and hives to mutate two swarm queens at once.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Abathur Level 6

Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber Hotkey I Cost 100 100 60 Mastery: -1.2 per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 24 Required Lair/Hive

v • e

Mutate into Hive

Transforms a lair into a hive.

Usage
Hotkey L

Acquisition
Cost 200 150 60 Mastery: -1.2 per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 24 Required Infestation pit

v • e

Development

The following section contains information from a previous version of StarCraft II which is no longer valid.

Razor Swarm

The queen breathes out a giant cloud of dusts and insects which can be controlled. They deal damage to enemy units, including air units, and extra damage to biological units, without injuring friendly units. The swarm eventually exhausts itself.

Acquisition
Purchased from Lair

v • e

Achievements

It's Morphing Time
Points	10
Criteria	Mutate a lair during the first 285 seconds of a Melee game.
Notes
Evolve an extractor and extract gas as soon as possible.
Edit

Images

A "Char lair" (StarCraft Remastered)

Development lair renders for StarCraft: Remastered

Project Simulant lair

Cerberus Program lair

Classic lair

SC1 building wireframe

SC Remastered building wireframe

References

Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft/Brood War v • e

Ground units Larva Drone Zergling Hydralisk Lurker (BW) Defiler Ultralisk Air units Overlord Mutalisk Guardian Scourge Queen Devourer (BW) Infestation units Broodling Infested terran Transition units Egg Lurker egg Cocoon Basic buildings Hatchery Extractor Evolution chamber Spawning pool Hydralisk den Advanced buildings Lair Hive Spire Greater spire Queen's nest Nydus canal Defiler mound Ultralisk cavern Infested command center Defenses Creep Creep colony Spore colony Sunken colony Scrapped Fungal colony Mutation chamber Mutation pit Nydus pit Scoria

Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II v • e

Versus units and structures Terrestrial units Larva Drone Zergling Baneling Roach Ravager (LotV) Hydralisk Lurker (LotV) Infestor Ultralisk Queen Swarm host (HotS) Aerospace units Overlord Overseer Mutalisk Brood lord Corruptor Viper (HotS) Spawned units Broodling Changeling Infested terran Locust (HotS) Basic buildings Hatchery Creep tumor Extractor Evolution chamber Spawning pool Baneling nest Roach warren Automated defenses Spine crawler Spore crawler Advanced buildings Lair Hive Infestation pit Spire Greater spire Hydralisk den Lurker den Nydus network Nydus worm Ultralisk cavern Transition units Baneling cocoon Broodmother cocoon Brood lord cocoon Egg Impaler cocoon Infested swarm egg Lurker cocoon Overseer cocoon Ravager cocoon Ultralisk chrysalis Others Creep Campaign and Co-op Missions units and structures Terrestrial units Aberration Blightbringer Brutalisk Defiler Impaler cocoon Infested colonist Infested diamondback Infested marine Infested trooper Infested medic Infested SCV Infested siege tank Omegalisk Pygalisk Pygalisk cocoon Swarmling Volatile infested Aeropsace units Guardian Leviathan Sac Scourge Swarm guardian Infested banshee Infested liberator Buildings Impaler den Infested terran buildings Infested command center Omega network Omega worm Scourge nest Toxic nest Virophage Automated defenses Bile launcher Scourge cannon Spore cannon Sunken colony Impaler colony Infested bunker Infested missile turret Variant units Zergling Strains Enthralled zergling Raptor Swarmling Baneling Strains Hunter Splitter Baneling spawn Roach Strains Corpser Roachling Vile Queen Strains Aiur queen Broodmother Swarm queen Hydralisk Strains Enthralled hydralisk Hunter Killer Impaler Lurker Ultralisk Strains Enthralled ultralisk Noxious Stank Torrasque Swarm host Strains Carrion Creeper Locust Strains Flying locust Mutalisk Strains Enthralled mutalisk Brood lord Viper Guardian Strains Swarm guardian Canceled Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II v • e Scrapped Removed Units Bassalisk Behemoth chrysalis Bone wasp Cobra Dracolisk Fiend Fury Gigalisk Gorgeling Huge queen Incubus Infested protoss Klurken Large queen Larval queen Leech Lilev coccoon Magnasaur Magnathar Mantalisk Mantis Miasmalisk Morphalisk Nihilisk Primalisk Prowler Scavenger Siegeling Spore host Swarm Swarm guardian Swarm larva Terrorling Trichinella Removed Buildings Broodling nest Creep colony Creep tower Infested protoss buildings Nydus destroyer Nydus warren Shrieker Spore colony Swarm clutch Swarm infestation Underfiend