Units

Overlord

It is believed that the semi-intelligent spacefaring leviathans known as the Gargantis Proximae were first inducted into the Swarm so that their heightened senses could benefit the Zerg in battle. Whatever their starting point, Overlords were rapidly evolved to relay commands and keep the Swarm coordinated during combat. The importance of this function is underlined by the sheer number of Overlords found accompanying Zerg forces. Overlords are extremely flexible in their support role, often serving as advanced scouts and disgorging creep to prepare the way for further Zerg conquests. With the correct growth stimuli, Overlords are even capable of evolving the ability to transport Zerg warriors within their hollow carapaces.
Heart of the Swarm Wings of Liberty
Unit Statistics

3D Model

Basic information

Race: Zerg
Life: 200
Armor: 0 (3)
Movement: Very Slow
Attributes: Armored - Biological

Production

Producer: Larva
Hotkey: V
Cost: 100 -
Supply: -
Build time: 25

Combat

Upgrades:
Ability:

3D Model

Basic information

Race: Zerg
Life: 200
Armor: 0 (3)
Movement: Very Slow
Attributes: Armored - Biological

Production

Producer: Larva
Hotkey: V
Cost: 100 -
Supply: -
Build time: 25

Combat

Upgrades:
Ability:

General Strategy

  • Air-based supply and transport unit.
  • Provides ’unit supply’ to increase the army’s capacity as more Overlords are spawned -– the death of Overlords can result in a significant drop in the army’s supply.
  • Can transport and drop Zerg units with Ventral Sacs upgrade.
  • Can scout more effectively with the Pneumatized Carapace speed upgrade.
  • Can excrete creep in order to increase the Zerg army movement speed on the battlefield and to inhibit non-Zerg races from building structures.
  • Able to evolve into Overseer detection units.
  • Effective but slow scout unit.

Evolutions

  • Pneumatized Carapace: Increase speed of the Overlord by 1.4 and the Overseer by 0.875.
  • Ventral Sacs: The Overlord can transport units.

Countermeasures

VS Terran
  • The most basic Terran unit, the Marine, is more than sufficient to take down Overlords, especially when used in groups.
  • Sensor Towers increase the range at which Terran players will be able to spot incoming Overlords, to intercept and destroy them before they reach key locations.
  • Missile Towers make short work of eavesdropping Overlords.
VS Zerg
  • Queens at your base can take down Overlords, while patrolling groups of Hydralisks deal enough damage to eliminate them before they can learn about your base defenses or production.
  • Placing Spore Crawler buildings at the edges of your bases can limit the amount of intelligence an Overlord is able to gather before it has to flee or be destroyed.
VS Protoss
  • Most anti-air defenses are effective at defeating Overlords – Stalkers and static Photon Cannons are sufficient to eliminate nearly any size scouting group quickly.
  • Small Phoenix fleets make great Overlord hunters.
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Comments (212)

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BlackWarrior #647
BlackWarrior
1/18/2012
@OldCrow: well, what do you want them to have? Giant WINGS?
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Stormshout #858
Stormshout
6/28/2012
@OldCrow: its to weight them down. otherwise they would fly away and never return. so sad just thinking about it.
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Neonex #182
Neonex
3/18/2011
overlords are by far the most cheapest unit in starcraft 2(in my opinion). First of all, they're basically supply depots that can move. Secondly, they can spawn creep, carry units and can morph into detectors in a couple of seconds. I've never seen a pylon load units and drop them behind your opponents base. XD
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Kurimure #293
Kurimure
9/21/2011
@Neonex: ya but because they move around and are biological they can be hunted down by mass of AA units
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BlackWarrior #647
BlackWarrior
1/18/2012
@Neonex: i takes an upgrade from the lair to transport, first of all. second of all it takes a lair to morph to an overseer. and they really slow unless you do ANOTHER upgrade. and supply depots can lower.
and i think he phoenix is just a tad OP. one phoenix can kill 5000 mutas.
ever think of that? just saying. :D
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Stormshout #858
Stormshout
6/28/2012
@Neonex: play zerg, once you get pheonix rushed you will hate protoss forever. But seriously I have stopped saying that a unit is OP. because i went through all of these forums there is at least one person saying this unit is so OP.
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Why do overlords float
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Stormshout #858
Stormshout
6/28/2012
@Rig: for the 3rd time, it's a magnetic charge within the overlord's carapace, causing them to float.
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Dray #781
Dray
2/16/2011
Overlords are so innocent, they just hang around and everyone else just shoots them :S
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Sirkillsalot #664
Sirkillsalot
2/12/2011
why cant they make them detectors like in SC1
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Ironspider #115
Ironspider
2/16/2011
@Sirkillsalot: it would make the zerg nuke/DT/burrow/banshee/observer proof.
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Magikarp #705
Magikarp
3/11/2011
@Sirkillsalot: Besides, overseers are detectors.
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NightinJail #244
NightinJail
1/28/2011
They should make it to where if overlords die they make everything around them from where they died into creep. :)
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Brony #216
Brony
2/8/2011
@NightinJail: yah then they could do something
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masternoob #451
masternoob
1/13/2011
the swarm must be so mad at these guys cuz they so dang slow so when they pick up all the food the swarm needs at mcdonalds it takes them like an hour to haul it back home
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pacifist #715
pacifist
2/22/2011
@masternoob: haha what made you think of that
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Hydranova #731
Hydranova
1/12/2011
Spaawwwnn moar overlorYOU MUST CONSTRUCT ADDITIONAL PYLONS
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ParaChase #926
ParaChase
12/25/2010
they look so funny when they die
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ramflax #435
ramflax
12/25/2010
what i think should happen if ovies get "poped" make zerg distant from ur base go awal, they have and deal twice the damage and health. and they cant get them back they just attack everyone XD. this way tossers wil think twice about poping my ovies while im attackign their base XD
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Stormshout #858
Stormshout
6/28/2012
@ramflax: Ovie Rush, WTF??? GG
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Creator #140
Creator
12/17/2010
Well said helloguy.
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helloguy #785
helloguy
12/16/2010
When playing against AI, this is the number one warning of a zerg attack
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DeathDragoon #328
DeathDragoon
12/12/2010
Me:FIND THE DARK TEMPLAR! Overlord:Make me a overseer and I could. Me:What do you mean? Overlord:I'm not a detector anymore.
lol, overlords should have stayed detectors.
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Committed #936
Committed
12/17/2010
@DeathStalker: Exactly sometimes I find forget they are just supply and transport lol. Half the time I'm like where is my detector...oh wait let me convert him! And then lose unit capacity haha.
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DMac #933
DMac
2/21/2011
@TrickyDOTcom: Haha yeah the first time I played with Zerg I was getting attacked by some DTs and I was like "I got this... GO, MY REALLY SLOW MINIONS, FIND THEM!" I proceeded to get really really confused when I lost with my overlords just sitting there.
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Skyhawk #173
Skyhawk
2/27/2011
@TrickyDOTcom: what are you talking about? overseers still provide supply
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Monlyth #182
Monlyth
3/6/2011
@DeathStalker: Then they'd be nuke/DT/Observer/Banshee/Infestor-proof.
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DeltaForce #990
DeltaForce
12/1/2010
I like to "pop" those "balloons" out of the air.
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EpicPie #414
EpicPie
12/1/2010
@DELTAFORCE: lol .nice
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Stormshout #858
Stormshout
6/28/2012
@FireBreather: D: monster
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GoGoSpaceMan #175
GoGoSpaceMan
11/28/2010
No, when you control the Zerg, you're playing a Cerebrate
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DeathDragoon #328
DeathDragoon
12/12/2010
@Kerplode: Right! And that is a queen telling you what you need or what is happening.
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Xelandrex #721
Xelandrex
11/14/2010
so wait...your telling me that when I'm playing the zerg, I'm a semi-intelligent balloon bug controlling other semi-intelligent bugs? Cause from what I just read it sounds like your an overlord when your controlling them.
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Leader #145
Leader
11/20/2010
@Xelandrex: no when your playing as zerg you play as the queen of blades controlling the zerg
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Monlyth #182
Monlyth
12/3/2010
@Leader: Wrong. You play as a queen. What do you think the commander voice was?
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Skyhawk #173
Skyhawk
2/27/2011
@Starviper: actualy, hes right
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NIJIJVR #645
NIJIJVR
3/5/2011
@Hybrid: in the original you played as a cereabret so i assumed you would play as one here for some reson
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Durotan #486
Durotan
4/5/2011
@NIJIJVR: You do play as a Cerebrate. The commander's voice is a Queen.
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Huskerling #991
Huskerling
11/12/2010
They have those big claws and can't defend themselves? Meh.
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AwesomeTech #375
AwesomeTech
11/7/2010
they honestly look like balloons with alot of strings