Raptor

"Raptor strain: leaps to close on enemy. Scales cliffs."

- Abathur^(src)

Raptor
Unit
Race	Zerg
Affiliation	Zerg Swarm Amon's Forces (Co-op Missions)
Campaign	Heart of the Swarm Whispers of Oblivion Legacy of the Void Into the Void Co-op Missions
Base unit	Zergling
Role	Fast melee creature
Properties
Transportcapacity	1
Sight	8
Production
Minerals	50 (for 2)
Control	1 (for 2)
Build time	24
Evolves from	Larva
Requires	Spawning pool
Hotkey	Z
Movement
Speed	2.95
Protection
Hit points	35 45 (With Hardened Carapace) (HotS Campaign, Co-op Kerrigan)
Armor	0
Type	Biological Ground
Armor type	Light
Claws
Damage	7
Targets	Ground
Cooldown	0.7
Range	0.1 (melee)
Upgrade/level	+1
Function
Evolves to	Baneling (Campaign only) Splitter (Campaign only) Hunter (Campaign only)
Miscellaneous
Notes	Leap the cliffs and leap to enemy targets from a range of 4. Increases the attack damage by 40%.

The raptor is a variant strain of the zergling that appears in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm.

Game Unit

Raptors offer quality over quantity compared to swarmlings. Their leaping ability makes them much more effective in battle, quickly closing the distance on enemies and surrounding them much more efficiently, as well as letting them leap up and down cliffs for superior manoeuvrability. In tandem with the Raptor's +2 damage upgrade due to their Aggressive passive ability, they are much more powerful than zerglings or swarmlings.

If the player finds themselves being attacked without defense frequently, the swarmling is a more effective response. Swarmlings are also more effective if the player prominently uses banelings, since swarmlings mutate faster and in greater numbers, in turn allowing for more banelings quicker. Otherwise, the raptor is universally superior.

Heart of the Swarm

It becomes available with the swarmling after completing either "Shoot the Messenger" or "Fire in the Sky."

During Kerrigan's resurgence, Abathur discovered the raptor strain in feral karak native to the planet Calus. The karak essence were assimilated to produce the raptor. This enhanced the quadriceps of the zergling and mutated its wing function, allowing the raptor to traverse cliffs and leap at targets from a distance. However, as a side effect the raptors were also affected with a minor increase in aggression.

Legacy of the Void

Raptors appear as enemies in the Legacy of the Void prologue campaign mission "Dark Whispers." They appear as allies in the main campaign mission "Harbinger of Oblivion," and again as allies in the epilogue campaign mission "Into the Void."

Co-op Missions

Kerrigan's zerglings automatically upgrade to the raptor strain when she reaches Level 12.

Upgrades and Abilities

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) 1 (unburrow)

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

v • e

Metabolic Boost

Increases Zergling movement speed by 60%.

Usage
Passive

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition
Purchased from Spawning pool Hotkey M Cost 100 Mastery: -2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 40 100 Mastery: -2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 40 60 Mastery: -1.2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 24

v • e

Adrenal Overload

Increases Zerglings attack speed by 40%.

Usage
Passive

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition
Purchased from Spawning pool Hotkey A Cost 100 Mastery: -2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 40 100 Mastery: -2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 40 60 Mastery: -1.2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 24 Required Hive

v • e

Shredding Claws

Zergling attacks reduce the target's armor to 0 for 10 seconds.

Usage
Passive

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Kerrigan Level 4.

Acquisition
Purchased from Spawning pool Hotkey R Cost 150 Mastery: -3 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 60 150 Mastery: -3 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 60 90 Mastery: -1.8 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 36 Required Hive

v • e

Hardened Carapace

Increases maximum Zergling HP by 10.

Usage
Passive

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Kerrigan Level 4.

Acquisition
Purchased from Spawning pool Hotkey C Cost 150 Mastery: -3 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 60 150 Mastery: -3 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 60 90 Mastery: -1.8 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 36 Required Lair/Hive

v • e

Zerg Melee Attacks

Increases the attack damage of zerg ground melee units.

Usage
Passive

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.

Acquisition

Purchased from Evolution chamber Hotkey M Level 1 Cost 100 Mastery: -2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 40 100 Mastery: -2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 40 160 Mastery: -3.2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 64 Effect Damage: 8 Level 2 Cost 150 Mastery: -3 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 60 150 Mastery: -3 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 60 190 Mastery: -3.8 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 76 Required Lair/Hive Effect Damage: 9 Level 3 Cost 200 Mastery: -4 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 80 200 Mastery: -4 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 80 220 Mastery: -4.4 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 88 Required Hive Effect Damage: 10

v • e

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 Mastery: -2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 40 100 Mastery: -2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 40 160 Mastery: -3.2 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 64 Effect Armor: 1 Level 2 Cost 175 Mastery: -3.5 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 70 175 Mastery: -3.5 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 70 190 Mastery: -3.8 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 76 Required Lair/Hive Effect Armor: 2 Level 3 Cost 250 Mastery: -5 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 100 250 Mastery: -5 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 100 220 Mastery: -4.4 per Expeditious Evolutions mastery point. Down to a minimum 88 Required Hive Effect Armor: 3

v • e

Development

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

The raptor used the model of the swarmling in development.

The raptor originally had an ability named "barbed talons" that dealt 10 damage to enemies upon leaping towards them. An upgrade for them named "hip extensors" extended their leaping range by 50%. A third upgrade gave them +10 life; an identical upgrade for the zergling that also affects the raptor is used in the final product.

References

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 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