Lurker

Template:SC1UnitBox 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.

Game Unit

StarCraft

The lurker above ground in StarCraft I

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

Lurker stat profile

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

Upgrades

Missile Attacks

• +1 bonus to attack damage per level for hydralisks
• +2 bonus to attack damage per level for lurkers

Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber Hotkey A Level 1 Cost 100 100 267 Required Hatchery Level 2 Cost 150 150 300 Required Lair Level 3 Cost 200 200 333 Required Hive

Carapace

• +1 bonus to armor per level for broodlings, defilers, drones, hydralisks, infested terrans, larvae, ultralisks, and zerglings.

Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber Hotkey C Level 1 Cost 150 150 267 Level 2 Cost 225 225 300 Required Lair Level 3 Cost 300 300 333 Required Hive

StarCraft: Ghost

The lurker in StarCraft: Ghost

	This article or section contains information about StarCraft: Ghost, which has been declared non-canon. Elements may be taken as 'flavor lore' however. The content may be significantly out of date. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

The lurker appears in StarCraft: Ghost.

StarCraft II

	This article or section contains information about a StarCraft II unit or structure.
	The content may be significantly out of date as StarCraft II experiences a new build weekly and may change substantially as more information becomes available. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details. This template acts as a reference for StarCraft II beta and the Galaxy Map Editor.

Template:SC2UnitBox

The lurker burrowed, and another attacking

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.

Upgrades

Missile Attacks

• +1 damage for queens，hydralisks and locusts
• +2 damage for roaches and ravagers
• +2 base damage and +1 bonus damage for lurkers

Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber Hotkey A Level 1 Cost 100 100 114 Level 2 Cost 150 150 136 Required Lair Level 3 Cost 200 200 157 Required Hive

v • e

Carapace

• +1 bonus to armor per level for zerg ground units.

Acquisition
Purchased from Evolution chamber Hotkey C Level 1 Cost 150 150 114 Level 2 Cost 200 200 136 Required Lair Level 3 Cost 250 250 157 Required Hive

v • e

Images

Lurkeranim.gif

StarCraft I profile

StarCraft: Ghost concept art

Lurker SC2 head1.jpg

StarCraft II portrait

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 of StarCraft: Ghost v • e
Ground PC Hydralisk Infested marine Zergling Other Drone Infested terran Infested SCV pilot Infested scientist Larva Lurker Ultralisk Aerial PC Mutalisk Other Overlord Other Zerg egg

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 Toxic nest Virophage Automated defenses Bile launcher Impaler colony Scourge cannon Spore cannon Sunken colony Infested bunker Infested missile turret Variant units Zergling Strains Raptor Swarmling Baneling Strains Hunter Splitter Baneling spawn Roach Strains Corpser Roachling Vile Queen Strains Aiur queen Broodmother Swarm queen Hydralisk Strains Hunter Killer Impaler Lurker Ultralisk Strains Noxious Stank Torrasque Swarm host Strains Carrion Creeper Locust Strains Flying locust Mutalisk Strains Brood lord Viper Guardian Strains Swarm guardian Canceled Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II v • e Scrapped Removed Units 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