Swarm Host Evolution: Carrion and Creeper (Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm)

The carrion strain developed on Cruxas III, in the city of New Babylon. Kilysa and her brood assisted Abathur in his mission. The carrion strain was developed after killing some native insectoids. The new strain was then used to destroy the Dominion's nuclear silos. The creeper strain developed on Ignus, where the local broodmother had been killed and the Ignus Brood was being attacked by the local burrowing ash worm. The swarm hosts destroyed the ash worm. Afterward, they transformed into creepers, and used their Deep Tunnel ability to defend the hive clusters from an invading Dominion force... "Swarm Host Evolution" mission from 'Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm' PC game... ► Watch more Starcraft videos: bit.ly/1b1W2yY.
Swarm Host Evolution:
* Carrion strain: Spawns flying locusts that can attack ground targets. Flying locusts are faster and deal 50% more damage than regular locusts, but have 25% less life.
* Creeper strain: Swarm host generates creep while burrowed or rooted. Enables Deep Tunnel ability to quickly travel to any location with creep.

[@therealbahamut]

Shame the zerg campaign had so few defensive or technical missions--they certainly gave us interesting defensive unit choices, but most of the time they're completely unneeded.

[@k-leb4671]

I agree. It felt like only specific types of units were needed to completely the campaign. The variety in tactics and strategy was lacking.

[@dragosd8992]

@@k-leb4671 managed to complete it making only Zerglings

[@RainAngel111]

Yeah I feel like defensive missions are some of the most interesting. In the first game zerg defence was very difficult. You had to create different buildings for ground and air, and they were vulnerable. No units really good for defence like siege tank for terran

[@brownjonny2230]

@@RainAngel111 You could always play without Kerrigan massacring whole enemy. That'll even the odd.

[@Broockle]

ye, you never needed swarmhosts or ultralisks if you can just build hydras and lurkers every mission roaches and swarmlings were also way too good

[@maniacalcoast2742]

Sheeesh, the attention to detail with the spine crawlers how when they kill a marine will yank them over, I never noticed that until now

[@notme3603]

Time stamp?

[@kishoyo3904]

@@notme3603 8:20, the lower spine crawler yanks the marine back after it kills the marine

[@ChoriDinawan]

Carrion Strain: Good for distance attack Creeper Strain: Good for flexibility

[@CurlyHairedRogue]

•deep burrows behind u• “Nothing Zerg-onal kiddo.”

[@scatological2538]

i thought that said Zerg-anal

[@CurlyHairedRogue]

TheMightyJ225 I mean if you were adventurous then it might be.

[@CurlyHairedRogue]

TheMightyJ225 well considering their body temperature rather thoroughly spikes during metamorphosis, I guess you could say it is indeed quite “hot”

[@scatological2538]

Okay then, let me rephrase. Zerg intercourse of the anal fasion? The idea of this sounds arousing to me, and it would please me greatly.

[@combinecommando001]

I find the creeper strain far more useful and fun because the creep they generate allows the locusts to go toward their objective much faster and you only need to leave one on the frontline to bring back an entire army of swarm hosts.

[@jackel999]

agreed Creeper strain is more versatile, combo it with the secondary augment that allows the host to burrow fully and still pump out locusts and you get a fairly powerful defensive/ambusher unit.

[@ShadowHunter120]

Takedrugskillabear can also get tumors anywhere. Flyers though can just ignore terrain, can put them on cliffs and not need them to fully burrow.

[@mirahorner6277]

Takedrugskillabear specialy with creep upgrade, that will make locusts shoot faster

[@qw3rty629]

Plus, It doesnt need that flying thing cause it just tunnels over

[@superspies32]

ShadowHunter120 but Carrion will force you to split out the force or move all forces to defend the base. While with creeper only need some mutalisks to attack air units and some creepers

[@camerabox1]

"local insectoid species" looks pretty zergy to me, you sure these are just insects?

[@ShadowAimai]

That's the thing about the Zerg. You just can't know.

[@balanced_play_4956]

well the zerg are bugs

[@dragonslair951167]

The Zerg are made up of many assimilated native species from the Koprulu sector, so it makes sense that they'd resemble the native fauna on various planets.

[@tomsandstrom338]

@@balanced_play_4956 and the only good bug is a dead bug

[@tomsandstrom338]

@Zerg Brood Haha no #BattlecruiserSpam

[@travismontgomery1897]

Carrion Strain: Flying oversized Beetles that shoot needles at things. Creeper Strain: DIGGING A TUNNEL QUICK BEFORE THE HYENAS COME!

[@titansshallreturn5894]

Quick before the hyena coooommmmmmmeeeee

[@jckcc]

Carrion feels similar to the lesser mutation that allows locusts to fire at air units.

[@user-cc7zw6fu4k]

When your in a Leviathan, would it hurt when their spiked legs hit the leviathan's skin

[@travismontgomery1897]

Carrion: NOT THE LOCUST PLS NOT THE LOCUST! Creeper: Dig dig a tunnel, c'mon & dig a tunnel, quick before the terran come!

[@stormpants1638]

Travis Montgomery LOL That’s from Lion King!

[@stangundam01]

pity in this campaign your not allowed to take what's left of zurvan or ancient one to upgrade the hive or that getting the tyrannosaur on zerus doesn't let you turn ultralisk into tyranno's or brutalisks

[@ConnorLonergan]

I suspect that Abathur found their essence inferior since, after all, the Swarm killed them without said Essence.

[@IvanezRus]

@@ConnorLonergan they integrated swarm hosts however which were on zerus originally, according to campaign

[@soulplexis]

7:01 aw man

[@landewell6862]

No.

[@elijahkelley7616]

The Ash Worm looks just like Yagdra.

[@partalien5576]

Because Yagdra is a lava worm :D

[@partalien5576]

*Ash Worm

[@maltevium8430]

But isnt yagdra a Molten salamander?

[@novkorova2774]

@laz kar Except ppl can actually make models in wc3.

[@soulplexis]

the other creature boss that charges at you and shoots tentacle spines at you is also in one of these missions

[@Tucher97]

i find hte flying locus useful because they can defend from cliffs and fly over other defenses

[@dtczyk8976]

Creeper, AWWWWE MAN.

[@Frontline_view_kaiser]

Imagine if Swarmhosts had the ability to tunnel in Ladder games. That would be such a slap in the face for Protoss Players. So I'm glad the creeper strain isn't it MP 😌🙃

[@nominatorchris5591]

Now if swarm host wants to tunnel it releases I giant worm screech before having your 3rd base die in 6 seconds

[@Cheekfats]

This chapter must be a nightmare for those with Trypophobia (Fear of hole Clusters)

[@GlareanLiebertine]

Creeper? Aw man.

[@thewhitekingofn3580]

Chew bacon. Absorb pork. Increases swarm ability to make better sandwiches.

[@Zatra]

Siempre es chido escuchar ha AbathurGOD, se me hace lindo las langosta XD

[@jacobweatherford4696]

now im thinking this why use the ash worms essence to make the swarm hosts better when you could just use it to make a new breed of zerg creature a giant fire breathing worm would be very useful for the swarm.

[@Andrw5]

Porque estaria demasiado roto

[@jacobweatherford4696]

@@Andrw5 i have no clue what your saying dude

[@Elbruhman6456]

I finished HoTS and here is a meme nobody: abathur: *eSsEnCe*

[@stormpants1638]

When the essence is *just right.*

[@landewell6862]

Daddy, i am hungry, i need *essence* to _consume_

[@brownjonny2230]

Pair it with Dahaka, drinking game every time they say word essence

[@adrianroxas9772]

creeper strain should be fun to play mass swarm host raid

[@grypsrandomizer3286]

Dang Creeper

[@Tdvtdvtdv]

Carrion strain is op in zerg wol air all in. Broodlords stop being a problem.

[@sinisterhunter]

my favorite

[@WolfgerLion]

Flying Locus are only useful for cliff scaling which isnt much of a big deal in the HotS campaign which u can just use flying units. Creeper variant is most useful to have them in "Siege mode" and just have them tunneled to another area for defense, like the last mission of HotS to def Raynor when he needed it.

[@muhammadnuralhafiz]

Fly as soon as hatching This like tom and jerry in tee for two

[@iseeallforme]

So this is the line that led to the funny abathur blooper

[@arnowisp6244]

What funny line from Abathur?

[@sillypiegamer1010]

Swarm Host gonna Creep, Creeping the Assault army :> (i wonder if Carrion Strain can attack air)

[@ShadowHunter120]

Sillypie Gamer thats a separate upgrade

[@sillypiegamer1010]

ShadowHunter120 ik, i just wonder if Carion can attack air, if not, then ill use creep

[@justnoob8141]

Sillypie Gamer both only attack ground unit

[@sillypiegamer1010]

Just Noob ah, i see

[@lotgc]

Man, this is giving me some serious nostalgia. WoL and early HotS were the best times for sc2. After that, especially after LotV was when it really fell apart for me

[@Hybridsusual1st]

Honestly, i wonder if CJcake is playing bad on purpose. Since ive seen numerous times hes lost a unit under stupid circumstances

[@glomibabel1894]

Both upgrades are good. Swarm horst op here. Then will be nerf

[@-rage-blackout9145]

Creeper better. you have ability advantage

[@cosmicfails2053]

Awwwww man

[@makita3680]

What's that brown zerg thing at 1:13

[@cikennuget5791]

I know iam late but it's called overlord

[@makita3680]

@@cikennuget5791 I thought overlords flew and had a different face.

[@cikennuget5791]

@@makita3680 u mean the swarm host?

[@ismailiyakhya4607]

bbybby

[@alexmelik4030]

Both are useless, sadly

[@adrianrespallgonzalez5777]

Lol they are not. Specially creeper it’s broken.

[@andybogdan4380]

@@adrianrespallgonzalez5777 lol they are useless. You have enough stuff to finish campaign on brutal without the need for the swarm hosts at all lmao.

[@adrianrespallgonzalez5777]

@@andybogdan4380 they not useles , they are extremely cost efficient. Also I never said you don’t have enough stuff to finish campaign on brutal. You could even with just Zerglins. Zerg campaign it’s the easiest of the 3 even on brutal