The Zerg Queen in Starcraft 2 is radically different from the Queen in the first Starcraft. In fact, the only similarity they share is the same name. The Queen in the first game was a marginally useful flying caster unit, whereas the Queen in Starcraft 2 is a very useful ground unit with good abilities that can attack both ground and air units.
The Basics
The Queen can be built at the Hatchery once you have a Spawning Pool, each one costing 150 minerals and 2 supply points. Classified as a Biological Psionic Unit, the Queen has 175 hit points, 1 armor, and starts with 25 energy out of a maximum of 200. The Queen moves at two different speeds, depending on whether she is on creep or not. On creep she has a Move Speed of Normal, whereas off creep she has a Move Speed of Very Slow.
The Queen is a versatile defensive unit because she can attack both ground and air units. Against ground units she uses her Claws attack to do 2 attacks of 4 damage at a range of 3, with a Weapon Speed of Slow. Against air units she uses her Acid Spines attack to do 9 damage at a range of 7, with a Weapon Speed of Slow.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of the Queen is her Spawn Larva ability. For just 25 energy, you can spawn an extra 4 larva in 40 seconds at your Hatchery. This definitely helps a Zerg player to amass a large army quickly. The Queen can also use the Spawn Creep Tumor ability for 25 energy to add more creep to the ground. This not only increases the speed of your ground units while on creep and lets you build on more of the map, but can also be used to prevent enemy Terran or Protoss players from building on any ground that is covered by creep. Combining this with the Overlord’s Generate Creep ability lets you cover large areas of the map in creep relatively quickly.
The Queen’s third ability is called Transfusion. For 50 energy, you can instantly restore 125 hit points to any biological unit or structure. A few well-timed heals can change the outcome of a close battle, turning defeat into victory.
Available Upgrades For The Queen
At the Evolution Chamber, the Queen can benefit from 3 levels of Missile Attack upgrades and Ground Carapace upgrades. Each Missile Attacks upgrade adds 1 base damage to her Claws and Acid Spines, and each Ground Carapace upgrade adds 1 armor.
Queen Strengths
The Queen’s ability to spawn extra larva is essential to gain an economic and military advantage over your opponent, it should be used as often as possible. The Queen is also excellent as an early defensive unit, especially against quick air unit rushes.
Queen Weaknesses
The Queen moves painfully slow when she is not on creep, plus she has to be next to a Hatchery to spawn extra larva. This is why you should keep her near your base, to take advantage of her strengths.
Best Uses Of The Zerg Queen
The Queen will be used the most early in the game, spawning extra larva and defending against any early rushes. It’s also a good idea to spawn a Creep Tumor so that you can quickly spread enough creep to connect your main base to your natural expansion spot. This will let you quickly move your defenders between your two bases to fend off any attacks.
If the match lasts a long time and you have spread creep over a large part of the map, you can bring one or more Queens along with your army to heal your bigger units with Transfusion.
In summary, the Zerg Queen is an excellent unit in Starcraft 2 and is a key part of any winning strategy.
See also:
Starcraft 2 Beta New Unit Spotlight: Zerg Baneling
Starcraft 2 Beta New Unit Spotlight: Zerg Roach
Starcraft 2 Beta New Unit Spotlight: Zerg Infestor
Starcraft 2 Beta New Unit Spotlight: Zerg Corrupter
Starcraft 2 Beta New Unit Spotlight: Zerg Brood Lord
