Spells (Zerg)

Burrow

This ability is used by most Zerg ground units and their corresponding hero units. No energy is required by default. The unit using the ability will burrow into the ground, becoming cloaked, but losing its ability to move and attack. If the burrow ability is disabled, humans cannot use burrow or unburrow, but computers still can. Preplaced burrowed units and burrowed units created by triggers will not be burrowed if the ability is not researched.

Computer Use

Non-hero units will burrow when idle. Lurkers will burrow to attack an enemy unit and unburrow when the enemy unit moves outside of its attack range. When a burrowed unit is given to a computer, the unit will unburrow, except for drones and lurkers. Using the Order action on a burrowed unit will cause it to unburrow.

Infest Terran Command Center

This ability is used by the Zerg Queen and Matriarch (hero Queen). No energy is required by default. When a Terran Command Center is severely damaged, the Queen may infest it, taking control of it and turning it into an Infested Terran Command Center. Infested Command Centers can train Infested Terran, a suicide unit that does 500 explosive splash damage.

Computer Use

Have a Queen near a Command Center that has at most of 45% of its HP remaining. Order the Queen to patrol over the Command Center, as an idle queen may not infest it. A Queen can infest a Command Center even if it's hallucinated and/or lifted off.

Spawn Broodlings

This spell is used by the Zerg Queen and Matriarch (Hero Queen). It costs 150 Energy by default. When this spell is used on a unit, the unit is killed 2 Broodlings spawn in its place for the player owning the queen. The broodlings last for 1800 frames (about 75 seconds on fastest). This spell is only usable on organic ground units. List of units that can be killed my Spawn Broodlings:

Terran Marine
Terran Ghost
Terran Vulture
Terran Goliath
Terran Siege Tank (Tank Mode)
Terran Siege Tank (Siege Mode)
Terran SCV
Gui Montang (Firebat)
Terran Civilian
Sarah Kerrigan (Ghost)
Alan Schezar (Goliath)
Jim Raynor (Vulture)
Jim Raynor (Marine)
Edmund Duke (Siege Tank)
Edmund Duke (Siege Mode)
Firebat
Terran Medic
Zerg Larva
Zerg Egg
Zerg Zergling
Zerg Hydralisk
Zerg Ultralisk 
Zerg Broodling
Zerg Drone 
Zerg Defiler
Torrarsque (Ultralisk)
Infested Terran
Infested Kerrigan
Unclean One (Defiler)
Hunter Killer (Hydralisk)
Devouring One (Zergling)
Protoss Dark Templar(Unit)
Protoss Zealot
Protoss Dragoon
Protoss High Templar
Dark Templar(Hero)
Zeratul (Dark Templar)
Fenix (Zealot)
Fenix (Dragoon)
Tassadar (Templar)
Aldaris (Templar)
Rhynadon (Badlands Critter)
Bengalaas (Jungle Critter)
Scantid (Desert Critter)
Ragnasaur (Ashworld Critter)
Ursadon (Ice World Critter)
Lurker Egg
Samir Duran (Ghost)
Alexei Stukov (Ghost)
Zerg Lurker
Infested Duran
Floor Missile Trap
Floor Gun Trap
Left Wall Missile Trap
Left Wall Flame Trap
Right Wall Missile Trap
Right Wall Flame Trap

Computer Use

If a high level unit like Dragoon, Ultralisk, Medic, etc. is nearby, the Queen will spawn broodling from it. The computer will not use it on hero units. Using a Zerg AIScript makes the Queen more aggressive with spawn broodlings and a Queen will use it multiple times if able.

Ensnare

This spell is used by the Zerg Queen, Matriarch (hero Queen), and Infested Kerrigan. It costs 75 energy by default. All units in the targeted area will have their movement speed reduced by 50%, and turn radius and acceleration reduced by 25%. Additionally, most units will have their cooldown increased by 20%. The effect lasts 600 frames (about 25 seconds on fastest). If the affected unit has a speed upgrade, ensnare simply cancels it out. Affected units are revealed if cloaked. This effect can be canceled by the Medic's restore spell.

Computer Use

A Queen will ensnare nearby enemy units, especially if there are many grouped together, or if they are attacking. They usually use it on masses of units, but they will sometimes target just one unit. They will use this spell on hero units. Using a Zerg AI Script will make the Queen use ensnare more aggressively.

Plague

This spell is used by the Defiler and Unclean One (Hero Defiler). It costs 150 energy by default. Units in the targeted area will take damage rapidly over time. Plague drains 1010/256=3.94 damage every 8 frames for 600 frames (about 25 seconds on fastest), for a total of 75750/256=295.9 hp, and ignores armor. If the unit would be reduced to 0 HP, no hp is taken away instead. Plague alone cannot kill a unit. Affected units are revealed if cloaked. This effect can be canceled by the Medic's restore spell.

Computer Use

And idle defiler will use plague nearby enemies units or buildings. Groups of enemy units make the computer more likely to use plague. Attacking a defiler will sometimes cause it to use plague, particularly if it is near death.

Consume

This spell is used by the Defiler, Unclean One (Hero Defiler), Infested Kerrigan, and Infested Duran. No energy is required by default. Consume can only be used on zerg units. The targeted unit is killed and the caster gains 50 energy. Units can be killed this way even when the caster has full energy.

Dark Swarm

This spell is cast by the Defiler and Unclean One (Hero Defiler). It costs 100 energy by default. The targeted area will be covered with a dark swarm unit for 900 frames (about 37.5 seconds on fastest). Any ranged attack made on a ground unit under this dark swarm unit will miss. Splash attacks will be centered a few pixels in front of the unit. Line attacks (lurker and firebat) and melee attacks are unaffected.

Computer Use

A computer player will cast Dark Swarm if its melee units are attacked by ranged units. The defiler won't always use it, though. Additional units in combat will encourage it to use Dark Swarm.

Parasite

This spell is used by the Zerg Queen and Matriarch (Hero Queen). It costs 75 Energy by default. Parasite can be cast on any unit, but not on buildings. The player casting the spell will gain vision of the parasited unit. This effect can be canceled by the Medic's restore spell.

Computer Use

Queens will sometimes move to cast parasite on enemy units.