"True to their name, infestors spreads the Swarm's influence wherever they go. Organisms that are injected with an infestor's neural parasite become the zerg's mindless soldiers." - Unit description(src)

The infestor is a zerg unit that appears in StarCraft II.

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Overview Edit

Evolved from the borbu matriarch,[1] and in use by the zerg by 2503,[2][3] infestors are one of the more insidious new additions to the Swarm.[1]

Infestors are carried by sturdy legs that secrete a corrosive substance that softens the soil and allows them to burrow in the blink of an eye.[4] Unlike most zerg strains, infestors have the ability to move while burrowed,[1] and can do so at an astonishing speed.[5] Writhing sensory tentacles that extend from the infestor's jaw serve as a secondary, albeit more powerful, set of eyes and ears by means of thousands of microscopic growths that function as biological transceivers. Further Dominion research on the subject has been slow and fruitless.[4]

Within the Leviathan infestors, the defensive structures of the base creature are more pronounced. The primal zerg utilize infestors as well, but they are often the targets of larger creatures in their own pack. These infestors have evolved thickened plating along their back to protect themselves. Those infestors enslaved by the Cerberus Program were implanted with a titanium infrastructure to improve their survivability.[6]

Offensive Abilities Edit

"Even if you survive, you will never live it down." - A Dominion marine on the infestor's neural parasite ability(src)

Infestors are used to support hydralisks and roaches on the battlefield.[7] They are used to plant virophages.[5]

Infestors are known to ingest infested marines to use as terror weapons on the battlefield,[4] carrying them to a combat zone.[1] The marines are stored in thick flesh cavities until the infestor regurgitates them to face their former compatriots, or anything else that might pose a threat to the Swarm.[4] These infested marines can pop right out from the ground if the infestor is burrowed.[5] Infestors are also capable of harboring larva and spewing them at enemies.[8]

Perhaps the infestor's most dangerous feature is the neural parasite, a multi-mouthed[5] symbiotic creature living within infestors that, when spat, attaches to an enemy and controls its mind for a short period of time.[1] This is inserted through a parasitic stinger, a flexible appendage that is capable of boring through both natural and organic plating. The parasite then is then inserted directly into the target's central nervous system. The amorphous, multi-mouthed parasite cannot survive for long within a foreign body, but whatever horrific deeds the host carries out while under the influence of the Swarm will leave everlasting scars.[4] The neural parasite embeds itself near the top of the spine of the victim, and the parasite's host can still communicate through the creature's native language to their former allies.[9] Seeing the immense potential of this parasite, the Queen of Blades carried out incubation of new strains capable of living longer outside of their host.[1]

Hardened plates of assimilated mold and fungus offer infestors protection from enemy fire and would-be predators.[4] Upon developing the fungal growth mutation,[5] this armor can also function as a weapon, as the infestor can turn the inner layer of its carapace into a viscous fluid that breaks down matter in seconds and immobilizes anything it comes in contact with.[4] The fluid is sprayed over an area, and any enemy it touches suffers both damage and immobilization. The growth reveals both cloaked and burrowed enemies.[5]

Game Unit Edit

Infestors are strong against marines, mutalisks, and immortals, but are weak against ghosts, ultralisks, and high templar.[10]

The infestor is a ground support unit which is capable of moving while burrowed. The infestor does not have a standard attack. It can also temporarily take control of a single enemy unit with its Neural Parasite ability. Workers taken by neural parasite can construct buildings while under the parasite's control, allowing the player to potentially have the army of another race. The infestor can also cover allied units from air attacks with its Microbial Shroud ability.

When an infestor moves, it leaves behind a trail of slime. When burrowed, visible cracks on the surface can be seen by its controlling player.

Upon death, an infestor's abdomen will swell and the explode. When killed with fire, it will flail its front legs and then roll onto its side.

Versus Edit

Abilities Edit

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



, 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)

Burrowed Movement Like many zerg ground units, the infestor can burrow. However by default the infestor can move while burrowed. The infestor use Neural Parasite and spawn infested terrans while burrowed. It moves faster under the creep.

Infestors cannot burrow underneath structures, not even destructible rocks or pylons. The pylons project a strong magnetic field which makes the ground beneath them impenetrable by "mortal means".[11] Acquisition Purchased from Automatically researched

Neural Parasite The infestor takes control of target enemy unit. Heroic units are immune. Units maintain their upgrades and special abilities while controlled. Control reverts to the original player if the infestor is killed, when duration ends, or when the range between the infestor and the controlled unit grows too large. Controlled probes and SCVs can build structures; the SCV will leave a structure unfinished if it reverts during the construction. Affected drones cannot mutate structures. Larva can be morphed, but hatched units return to enemy's control once the effect has worn off. Affected units cannot be loaded into transports, and ability cannot be used on transports carrying units. Affected units can be recalled by a Nexus or Mothership. Ability can be used on enemy infestors. Units mind controlled by affected infestors remain under player's control for normal duration, even after affected infestors revert to opponent's control. Heroic units (such as motherships) cannot be controlled. This ability can be used while burrowed. Usage Hotkey E Cost 100 Range 7[12] (unit can move up to 5 extra spaces away while still being controlled.)[13] Duration 15

11 (LotV) Acquisition Purchased from Infestation pit Hotkey E Cost 150 150 79

Fungal Growth An infestor launches a projectile with a speed of 15;[14] enemy units within the area of effect (2.25 radius) have their speed reduced by 75% and suffer 30 damage over 3 seconds. Cloaked and burrowed units are revealed. Fungal Growth stops the use of Blink, Tactical Jump and prevents units from burrowing or unburrowing. Affected units can not be loaded into buildings or transports. Usage Hotkey F Cost 75 Range 10[14] Duration 3 seconds Acquisition Purchased from Automatically researched

Microbial Shroud Creates a shroud that obscures ground units below in a radius of 3.5, reducing the damage they take from air units by 50%. Lasts 11 seconds. Usage Hotkey C Cost 75 Range 9 Duration 11

Upgrades Edit

Pathogen Glands Increases infestor starting energy by 25. Acquisition Purchased from Infestation pit Hotkey G Cost 150 150 57

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 225 225 136 Required Lair Level 3 Cost 300 300 157 Required Hive

Heart of the Swarm Edit

Infestors are introduced in the mission "Infested," where they are required to implant virophages to infest nearby infested civilians.[15]

The infestor's Fungal Growth is stronger and applied instantly, while Neural Parasite is permanent and doesn't need to be channeled. They also have the Consumption ability, like vipers. They cannot create infested terrans; these are instead generated through plot-based mechanics (the virophage).

Upgrades and Abilities Edit

Fungal Growth Immobilizes target units and deals 60 damage over 4 seconds. Reveals cloaked and burrowed units. Usage Hotkey F Cost 75 Range 10 Duration 4 seconds Acquisition Purchased from Automatically researched

Parasitic Domination Target is permanently controlled by the Swarm. Heroic units are immune. Usage Hotkey E Cost 125 Range 7 Cooldown 5

Consumption Drains up to 75 life from a friendly Zerg unit and gives the Infestor 2 energy for each point of life drained. Usage Hotkey C Cooldown 10

Legacy of the Void Edit

Infestors are available in the epilogue mission "Amon's Fall." They do not have their Neural Parasite ability, but can spawn infested terrans.

Co-op Missions Edit

Stetmann has access to the mecha infestor in Co-op Missions, which allows him to heal and recharge allies, damage buildings and spawn waves of mecha roaches and mecha ravagers.

Achievements Edit

Infested Terror Points 10 Criteria Destroy 30 units with Infested Terrans in a single Unranked or Ranked game. Edit

Would You Kindly... Points 10 Criteria Destroy 5 units with a single Neural Parasited unit in an Unranked or Ranked game. Notes This achievement is a reference to the game BioShock. Edit

Development Edit

Blizzard devised a new infestor model over the course of development. StarCraft II beta files label(ed) the old incarnation as a swarm host.[16] It has also been dubbed "Fatty".

A proposed change in August, 2017 was for the infestor's Fungal Growth ability to no longer hit air units, and units hit on creep would be slowed instead of rooted, but would not be able to move off the creep. Its overall radius was increased.[17]

In Legacy of the Void, infestors were to gain the Aggressive Mutation ability. This granted a flat damage bonus to allied units, making it especially effective when used on zerglings and other cheap units with a low cooldown.[18] This ability was removed during development.

Special Infestor Strains Edit

Images Edit

Skins

Portraits