Units

Roach

In the years following the Brood War, Kerrigan became obsessed with the genetic codes of species with hyper-regenerative properties. The most impressive example was the unassuming acidic Zantar Slug living in the humid, mountainous depths of Garrxax. This tiny slug was capable of healing itself at rapid rates, and it also excreted mucus that could eat through neosteel. Consequently it was quickly assimilated into the Swarm. Thus the Roach was evolved, a creature that can heal itself rapidly and deliver deadly ranged acid blasts. In a one-on-one battle, not much can stand against this regenerating monstrosity.
Heart of the Swarm Wings of Liberty
Unit Statistics

3D Model

Basic information

Race: Zerg
Life: 145
Armor: 1 (4)
Movement: Normal
Cargo Size: 2
Attributes: Armored - Biological

Production

Producer: Larva
Hotkey: R
Requires: Roach Warren
Cost: 75 25
Supply: 2
Build time: 27

Combat

Upgrades:
Weapon:
Ability:

3D Model

Basic information

Race: Zerg
Life: 145
Armor: 1 (4)
Movement: Normal
Cargo Size: 2
Attributes: Armored - Biological

Production

Producer: Larva
Hotkey: R
Requires: Roach Warren
Cost: 75 25
Supply: 2
Build time: 27

Combat

Upgrades:
Weapon:
Ability:

General Strategy

Strong Against

Weak Against

  • Short-ranged anti-ground unit.
  • Can burrow with the Burrow upgrade, and move while burrowed with the Tunneling Claws upgrade.
  • Difficult to kill due to regeneration ability.
  • Regenerates hitpoints faster while burrowed.
  • Regeneration is excellent against Damage Over Time (DOT) effects like Psi Storm.
  • Can upgrade their above-ground movement speed with the Glial Reconstitution upgrade.
  • Effective at skirmishing and blocking chokepoints due to regeneration.

Tech Lab Upgrade

  • Burrow: Allows the unit to take cover underground, rendering it unable to attack. A burrowed unit is invisible unless revealed by detectors or effects.
  • Glial Reconstitution: Increases Roach speed.
  • Tunneling Claws: The Roach can move while burrowed.

Countermeasures

VS Terran
  • Employ high-damage units such as Siege Tanks and Banshees. Their damage output will allow them to take the Roaches down quickly.
  • Use Ravens to help spot burrowed Roaches and prevent them from sneaking up on Siege Tanks in Siege Mode.
  • Utilize Marauders since they deal bonus damage against the Roach’s armor and also significantly outrange them. It’s possible to kite the Roaches using the Concussive Shells upgrade which slows down targets hit by the Marauder.
VS Zerg
  • Include an Overseer in your attack squadrons to help spot burrowed Roaches.
  • Utilize Mutalisks to attack Roaches from the air, where they won’t be able to fire back.
  • In open areas, upgraded Zerglings beat Roaches.
VS Protoss
  • Immortals take extremely minimal damage from Roach attacks, and kill them fairly quickly
  • High-damage air units such as Void Rays also do well against Roaches.
  • Observers help spot burrowed Roaches and allow your army to kill them before they can regenerate their hit points.
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Ozzy #960
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Ozzy
31/12/2012
Very OP unit. Give him back range 3! Price 75/25/2 is comic. 145 HP and 16 dmg is too much (+2 strong ability)
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Bling #897
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Bling
23/08/2012
I do not wanna comment this stupid game I just wanted to say that I fell in love with a girl from slovakia.
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Odeanrush #112
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Odeanrush
02/07/2012
??? whats strong against terran tanks ?? :/
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Silence #859
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Silence
10/08/2012
@Odeanrush:

Zergling/Broodlords/overlord drops and Ultralisk can crush their tank lines if its undefended.
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JackSparrow #551
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JackSparrow
26/02/2013
@Silence: And burrow charge.
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GrimShadow #863
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GrimShadow
16/05/2012
ty are not that weak agentst ultralisks
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Ozzy #960
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Ozzy
21/10/2011
i stop playing sc2. every terran and zerg units is practical gratis (marauder, roach,hydra,zerling, marine, etw.) and protoss "(Im)mortal" 250/100/4 ??? and hold nothing. pf pf and death. Price Immortal = 4 roaches??? are you normal blizz??? Stim marauder have best dps in game and price 100/25/2 ??? i will play until make any normal patch
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MoLTnT #438
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MoLTnT
04/08/2011
roach is good and strong, but realy ez to counter is you know they will come.
also: you nead lots and lots of roach before there a good unit, so you dont have the drones you want.
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Stylo #969
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Stylo
04/08/2011
In open areas upgraded zerglings beat roaches? When has that ever happened?
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Moip #133
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Moip
30/09/2011
@Stylo: to me, 40 zerglings beat 10 roaches easy (reminder; roaches are 75 minerals, but they also have that 25 gas, which is more than another 25 minerals)
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Dohrun #553
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Dohrun
27/05/2011
weak against ultralisk? i dunno about that

maybe 10 ultralisks with infestor ling support but still..
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Vilify #681
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Vilify
16/05/2011
Roaches are pretty amazing. Build it up so that your opponent will focus to take down ground units (Zerglings first, then Roaches and then t3h MOOTAZ) and you will rip through all units, as long as you mass them.
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Farry #305
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Farry
02/04/2011
How nice can a website be?
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deathshadow #968
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deathshadow
02/03/2011
i are turtle tails the got
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Moip #133
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Moip
09/01/2011
it says strong vs lings, but if you surround, they just flop dead ^^ i wish they had some anti-armour afffect cus zerg has nothing of the sort, only ultras i believe[?]
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Lartsa #230
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Lartsa
03/01/2011
These are so cool and useful in early game :)
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TIGERMARINE #182
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TIGERMARINE
22/12/2010
rush with this !%@% when they get hurt burrow them thats how you use them
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BrotherDeath #851
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BrotherDeath
28/11/2010
How can I counter this as Zerg in early/mid game?
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DinoCop #222
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DinoCop
02/12/2010
you can´t!
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Kreamy #476
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Kreamy
03/12/2010
@DinoCop: ealy game you need early roachs yourself... midgame you need muta...
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reignytr #315
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reignytr
11/01/2011
@BrotherDeath: @BrotherDeath: early game burrowed bannelings and overseer if they come to yre base burrowed and mid game infestors full charged.all u have to do is burrow them and launch infested terran eggs.with only 10 of them you summon 80 infested marines
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Moip #133
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Moip
10/02/2011
@BrotherDeath: get roachs too, but have some spine crawlers because they overpwn roachs, of course use transfuse with your queen.
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Snaut #434
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Snaut
02/03/2011
@BrotherDeath: By resigning
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Turo #310
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Turo
21/05/2011
@BrotherDeath:
Spine Crawlers. You can use Spine Crawlers also when you attack, especially if the creep spread is good (either your or your opponent's).
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johnbaos #461
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johnbaos
17/11/2010
Missing the speed of weapon
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DinoCop #222
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DinoCop
07/11/2010
I´m so amazed by visual upgrades units get (Combat Shield, Speed for Zerg/baneLings) I wish Roach would start with only 2 sets of legs=4legs and after upgrade they got their 6 legs. It´s just visual upgrade but I think lot of people would appreciate this small but stil cool lookikng featrure.
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Gabriel #825
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Gabriel
16/11/2010
@DinoCop: Roaches alredy got visual upg. :). Spikes appear on the back when you got the Tunneling Claw upgrade.
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BrotherDeath #851
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BrotherDeath
17/11/2010
@Gabriel: really? never noticed that (but then, I never do get Tunneling Claws :))
But yeh, there should be one for every upgrade; little boxes on Marines' arms for Stimpacks, a second weird shiny-blue cylinder-thing on the Carriers with Gravitic Boosters (I think)
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Greenman #486
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Greenman
15/10/2010
Love these guys, I would remark though that fast movement should be tier 1 upgrade so you can make it before Lair and kite the roaches then get tunnel after Lair and burrow move them. :) I find them most effective coupled up with hydras as they can take the damage as a tank unit while the hydras can deal damage from the back as they have longer range and quicker attack but less hp! Hydras go slew-slew (NOT pew-pew as that is toss laser lol )
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BrotherDeath #851
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BrotherDeath
01/11/2010
@GreenmanFred: riiiiiight... I think the roach should get another armour, but then less health if u get the Teir 1 speed upgrade. So that I can anihalate them with High Templar from range.
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moggiog #313
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moggiog
14/10/2010
you dont want those in your kitchen.
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Vim
11/10/2010
They got funny eyes oO.
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ProtoStar #196
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ProtoStar
01/10/2010
why did they make it have to burrow? mean atleast give it burrow automatically rather then having us research it as that defeats the point of it.
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Aurgelmir #830
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Aurgelmir
11/10/2010
@ProtoStar: I sort of would agree with you... but at the same time it would be to powerful if it had burrow that early. Consider how a well microed army of these with burrow from the get go would be.

Rush the enemy with 5-8 roaches, attack, burrow when damaged, pop up and kill more. No one would have detectors to stop them yet, and you could pick off everything you wanted.
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Bloodhawk #387
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Bloodhawk
29/09/2010
this is one of the only zerg units that can actually go toe to toe with toss and terran units in a fight
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Aurgelmir #830
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Aurgelmir
11/10/2010
@Bloodhawk: Unless the Terran has Marauders... then they are worthless.
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oblivion #236
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oblivion
24/09/2010
this unit is one of the best zerg units of them all because they generate son quiqckley
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BrotherDeath #851
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BrotherDeath
22/09/2010
Maybe it should be like Protoss shields, it can regenerate when unburrowed, but only when it's out of combat.
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TomCruise #417
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TomCruise
20/09/2010
they should give it some regenerrate when the unit is fighting instead of nerfing it to burrow only. how about 30/70
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Inception #806
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Inception
13/09/2010
I buy the burrow and the upgrade that let's them move while burrowed
and kick my opponent's ass time after time.
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