Spore Crawler

This article is for the Heart of the Swarm multiplayer version, for the Wings of Liberty version see: Spore Crawler (Wings of Liberty).

Spore Crawler

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Cost:	75 0 30
Defense:	400 1 (Armored, Structure, Biological)
Air Attack:	15 (+30 vs Biological)
Air DPS:	17.4 (52.2 vs Biological)
Range:	7
Cooldown:	.8608
Hotkey:	B → A
Sight:	11
Requirements:	Spawning Pool

Description

The Spore Crawler is a Zerg base anti-air static defense structure, which deals 15 points of damage to air units and has the ability to detect cloaked units. Although similar to the Spore Colony, the Spore Crawler has the distinct ability to Uproot itself and Root in a new location, giving it very good mobility and a more flexible use. Take note that Spore Crawlers lose their detection ability while uprooted.

Spore Crawlers have excellent endurance and deal more damage per second than Photon Cannons, but not as much as Missile Turrets. Spore Crawlers remain unpopular as Queens are typically used to fill gaps in early game air defense, and Hydralisks remain more versatile on the move.

Spore Crawlers, like all air defenses, are most effective when tightly packed. This protects them from being singled out by clusters of air units.

Competitive Usage

Vs. Protoss

Spore Crawlers are often built against Protoss to defend against early Stargate play. They complement Queens quite well against Void Rays and Phoenixes, since a Queen can stay near the Spore Crawler and use the range of its antiair attack to pick away at the Protoss air units, while fending off any that close on the Queen to attack it. As buildings, they are immune to the Phoenix's Graviton Beam ability, and can provide cover for Drones and Queens nearby against Phoenixes.

Later in the game, they are used as static detection against Dark Templar; players will often build one at each base against an opponent known to have a Dark Shrine.

Vs. Terran

Spore Crawlers are sometimes made to defend against Banshee harassment if the Zerg player does not yet have access to Overseers for detection. In the late game they are often used to discourage Medivac drops due to the difficulty of defending several bases with only units.

Vs. Zerg

Spore Crawlers are frequently used in the mirror matchup since Mutalisk play has become the standard in Heart of the Swarm. Since Mutalisks are biological units, the crawler then also profits from its extra damage.

Abilities

Uproot

Duration: 1 s Hotkey: R Allows the Spine Crawler and Spore Crawler to Uproot and Burrow in a new location. While uprooted, the Crawler has a speed of 1 off creep and 2.5 on creep. Uprooted Spore Crawlers do not have detection.

Root

Duration: 6 s Hotkey: R Allows the Spore Crawler to Root itself to the ground, gaining attack ability. Can be performed only on Creep.

Detector

Range: 11 The Spore Crawler is a Detector structure that can see cloaked, burrowed and hallucinated units.

Gallery

Patch Changes

Patch 7 (version 0.9.0.14621B)
The cost has been decreased from 100 to 75.

Patch 11 (version 0.13.0.15250)
The root time has been increased from 6 to 12.

Patch 1.3.3
The root time has reverted to 6 seconds from the former 12.

Balance Update – May 13, 2013
Spore Crawler attack damage increased from 15 (+15 Biological) to 15 (+30 Biological).