Drone

From The StarCraft 2 Wiki

Drones are the Zerg workers and can mutate into Zerg "buildings".

Contents 1 Background 2 Game Unit 2.1 StarCraft II Unit 2.1.1 Abilities 2.1.2 Upgrades 2.2 StarCraft I Unit 2.2.1 Abilities 2.2.2 Upgrades 3 Drone Breeds 4 Development 5 Gallery

[edit] Background

StarCraft II Unit [e]
Drone
Race:	Zerg, Tier 1
Role:	Gatherer, Builder
Unit Statistics
Size:	Small
Type:	Ground, Biological
Speed:	Normal
Transport Slots:	1/8
Hit Points:	40
Plasma Shields:	N/A
Energy Points:	N/A
Offence
Armament:	Claws
Ground Attack:	5 (Normal)
Air Attack:	N/A
Range:	1
Defence
Armor:	0 (Light)
Sight:	x
Cooldown:	x
Special Abilities
Burrow	Digs itself into a hole in the ground, cloaking it until it "un-burrows".
Build    x x x	Mutates the Drone into a Zerg structure.
Harvest	Unit harvests or for the base.
Production
Hotkey:	D
Supply:	1
Resources:	50 0
Build Time:	16
Produced by:	Larva
Prerequisite:	Larva

The Drones' original genetic source was the Gashyrr Wasps that were found on Eldersthine and absorbed into the swarm to gather resources. While their flying capabilities grew dormant, they were enhanced by the Larvae's extremely flexible genetic code that enabled them to mutate into a host of rudimentary Zerg structures as well as collect resources for the Hive. Similar to a Larva's mutation, the Drone requires Creep nourishment to begin mutation, either added by one of the Zerg structures that supplies it, or an Overlord pouring the biological substance on the ground.

The Drones are the most basic of Zerg breeds, little more than an advanced Larva. Any living Larva can mutate into a Drone, even without other buildings or units, if there are enough resources. The only requirement that the Larva needs is Creep to stay alive long enough to start the mutation.

Like all Zerg breeds, the Drones are controlled by Overlords or Overseers, who makes sure they are completing their tasks. The Drones do not need much controlling, as they are very single-minded and can complete their gathering duties even during an outside attack on the Hive Cluster. They are not quite as harmless as Larvae, as they have a limited ability to deal damage. A single Drone will be no match for any Zealot or Marine, but if they attack en masse, they can overwhelm stronger opponents with their claws and spines.

Despite the length of time since they were Gashyrr Wasps, Drones still have a small semblance of their former wings attacked to their legs. It is not known if they still have retained some limited flying skill.

[edit] Game Unit

The Drone is used very similarly in both StarCraft I and StarCraft II. The only difference is that in StarCraft II, it is no longer the unit that creates the Hive Cluster defensive and creep-generating structures. In both games they have a decent possibility to defend the Hive if all other units are killed in a rush.

The "building" of units is actually a mutation into that "building" (or "structure"). This makes the definition of units and structures for Zerg quite floating in terms of lore, but in terms of gameplay they are either one or the other. When a Drone mutates into a building, the unit is lost, unless the mutation is cancelled. If the building is destroyed or cancelled before the mutation is done, then the Drone restored to its normal form and available for other uses.

As with most other Zerg units, it can also bury. A good tactic is to keep one at a possible expansion site, preventing players with no detectors from building there, and allowing the Drone to be ready to start working/mutating once it has backup. The ability can also be used as an "escape" from enemy units approaching without a detector.

[edit] StarCraft II Unit

[edit] Abilities

StarCraft I Unit [e]
Drone
Race:	Zerg, Tier 1
Role:	Gatherer, Builder
Unit Statistics
Size:	Small
Type:	Ground, Biological
Speed:	Normal
Transport Slots:	1/8
Hit Points:	40
Plasma Shields:	N/A
Energy Points:	N/A
Offence
Armament:	Claws
Ground Attack:	5
Air Attack:	N/A
Range:	1
Defence
Armor:	0
Sight:	7
Cooldown:	22
Special Abilities
Burrow	Digs itself into a hole in the ground, cloaking it until it "un-burrows".
Build    x x x	Mutates the Drone into a Zerg structure.
Harvest	Unit harvests or for the base.
Production
Hotkey:	D
Supply:	1
Resources:	50 0
Build Time:	16
Produced by:	Larva
Prerequisite:	Larva

• Burrow
• Build
  • Hatchery
  • Extractor
  • Spawning Pool
  • Evolution Chamber
  • Roach Den
  • Nest
  • Hydra Den
  • Spire
  • Nydus Warren
  • Ultralisk Cavern
• Harvest

[edit] Upgrades

Drones have no specific upgrades.

[edit] StarCraft I Unit

Drones have the ability to carry campaign items such as psi-emitters or data disks.

[edit] Abilities

• Burrow
• Build
  • Hatchery
  • Extractor
  • Spawning Pool
  • Evolution Chamber
  • Creep Colony
  • Hydra Den
  • Queen's Nest
  • Spire
  • Nydus Canal
  • Defiler Mound
  • Ultralisk Cavern
• Harvest

[edit] Upgrades

• Carapace 1-3
• Melee Attacks 1-3

[edit] Drone Breeds

• Gashyrr Wasp
  • Drone

[edit] Development

As known from the background story of the Drones, they started as wasps of a large kind, and thus have their wings still somewhat intact. In StarCraft I they could be forced to "fly" over bodies of impassable terrain and water through the right circumstances. The unit has not been changed much in StarCraft II, besides a slight face lift, and upgrade to 3D.

[edit] Gallery

• General StarCraft II Shots
  • In-game Shots
  • Concept Art
  • Unit Models

The Drone ingame model in StarCraft II.	Two StarCraft II Drones close to a Hatchery.	Zerg mayhem.	Zerg outpost being attacked by Twilight Archons.
StarCraft Drone.

Zerg Units (StarCraft II) [e]
(i) = Infested (z) = Zerg-evolution (g) = Swarm Guardian spawn
Ground Units:	Hive Queen | Larva | Drone | Zergling | Baneling (z) | Roach | Hydralisk | Lurker (z) | Nydus Worm | Infestor | Ultralisk
Air Units:	Overlord | Overseer (z) | Mutalisk | Swarm Guardian (z) | Corruptor |
Additional Units:	Broodling (g) | Infested Terran (i) | Infested Protoss (i) | Egg (z) | Lurker egg (z) | Cocoon (z)
Basic Buildings:	Hatchery | Extractor | Creep Tumor | Spawning Pool | Spine Crawler | Roach Den | Baneling Nest | Evolution Chamber | Spore Crawler
Advanced Buildings:	Lair | Hydralisk Den | Deep Warren | Spire | Nydus Network | Hive | Greater Spire | Infestor Pit | Ultralisk Cavern
Cancelled Units:	Shrieker (z)
Cancelled Buildings:	Sunken Colony | Spore Colony | Swarm Clutch

Zerg Units (StarCraft I & Brood War) [e]
(q) = Queen-infested (z) = Zerg-evolution
Ground Units:	Larva | Drone | Zergling | Hydralisk | Lurker | Defiler | Ultralisk
Air Units:	Overlord | Scourge | Mutalisk | Guardian | Devourer | Queen
Additional Units:	Broodling (q) | Infested Terran (q) | Egg (z) | Lurker egg (z) | Cocoon (z)
Basic Buildings:	Hatchery | Extractor | Evolution Chamber | Spawning Pool | Creep Colony | Spore Colony | Sunken Colony | Hydralisk Den
Advanced Buildings:	Lair | Hive | Spire | Greater Spire | Queen's Nest | Nydus Canal | Defiler Mound | Ultralisk Cavern | Infested Command Center (q)
Hero ground units:	Torrasque (ult) | Matriarch (qu) | Infested Kerrigan (it) | Unclean One (def) | Hunter Killer (hyd) | Devouring One (zlng) | Infested Duran (unk)
Hero air units:	Kukulza (mut, grd) | Yggdrasill (ovl)
(ult) = Ultralisk -- (qu) = Queen -- (it) = Infested Terran -- (def) = Defiler -- (hyd) = Hydralisk -- (zlng) = Zergling -- (unk) = Unknown -- (mut) = Mutalisk -- (grd) = Guardian -- (ovl) = Overlord