Hit Points: 250 Size: Large Supply: 2 Cost: 150 50 Build Time: 40 Produced from: Mutalisk Requires: Greater Spire Base Ground Attack: N/A Base Air Attack: 25e Base Armor: 2 Range: 6 Sight: 10 Cooldown: 100 Production Hot Key: D

Bred from the Mutalisk strain, the Devourers are a deadly addition to the Swarm. These large, flying behemoths are capable of spewing their vile acid at any airborne ships or creatures, causing significant corrosive damage. The venom of the Devourer consists of toxins that can eat through any known substance, including the reinforced armor plating of Terran and Protoss capital ships. The venom also contains Acid Spores that hinder the fighting ability of the target, and these Spores often splash off the target to hit additional nearby enemy craft.

The Devourer is the heavy air assault attacker for the Zerg. Despite its large size, the Devourer can travel through the air at surprising speeds (much faster than its Guardian counterpart). Once the Devourer arrives at the battlefield, any enemy aerial unit at the scene will have something to worry about. The Devourer's massive 25 explosive damage attack is quite destructive, but on top of that, the acid spores that splash off the direct impact hinder the enemy in two important ways. Each Acid Spore attached to an enemy unit will increase the Cooldown of the enemy's weaponry by 1/8th of the original cooldown value. The effects of the Acid Spores are cumulative, but any unit can only possess up to nine Acid Spores at any one time. Units with already long Cooldown periods between attacks such as the Valkyrie, Devourer or Battlecruiser suffer tremendously from the Spores, while units such as the Protoss Carrier suffer little since they have no direct attack.

To make matters worse for the enemy, with every Acid Spore that's attached, the unit takes an additional point of damage whenever it is attacked. At a maximum of 9 Spores attached, the affected unit will be taking SERIOUS damage from enemy attacks. Even a non-upgraded Mutalisk will do 18 points of damage per attack with its bounce attack doing 12 and 10 points to any other nearby enemy units that also have 9 Spores attached. So as you can see, having air support for Devourers will not only help protect the Devourers, but they will also help take down the enemy at an incredibly quick rate.

One of the interesting side effects of the Devourer's Acid Spores is that the Spores can be used to counter cloaked units. Once an Acid Spore is attached, cloaking becomes completely ineffective for the affected unit. However, in order for you to use this to your advantage, you must either strike the target before it cloaks or be able to detect it long enough for an Acid Spore to be attached.

While the Devourer is an excellent countermeasure against aerial units, they have no defense against ground based units with an air attack. This makes them particularly vulnerable to units like the Dragoon, Goliath and Hydralisk so be sure to keep them with a support group of Hydralisks, Mutalisks or Guardians.

For a better idea of the Devourer's role in air combat, refer to the Air Balance Model.

[ Click to Enlarge - 102 KB ] A Wraith is hit by Devourer's Acid Spores and a Mutalisk. With Acid Spores on the Wraith it can no longer cloak without being seen. Also, the Wraith begins to fire more slowly and takes more damage from attacks.	[ Click to Enlarge - 94 KB ] The Wraith is destroyed.
[ Click to Enlarge - 88 KB ] A nice mix of Zerg Air units. Guardians take care of ground targets. Mutalisks and Devourers attack air units. Overlords spot for cloaked units. Scourges could further enhance this mix of troops.	[ Click to Enlarge - 72 KB ] Devourers chase down a Corsair.

Devourers cannot attack ground targets, and fire very slowly. If Devourers are not combined with Mutalisks, or lots of Hydralisks, or are not in very large numbers, they can be easily destroyed. When Devourers are not used according to the Air Balance Model, they are very susceptible to attacks.

Terrans

• Stimpacked Marines can be useful for quickly hunting down Devourers.
• Goliaths with their explosive surface to air missles can quickly bring down a group of Devourers.
• Cloaked Wraiths have a good chance of thinning a Devourer pack, if undetected.
• Use Irradiate with Science Vessels to heavily damage groups of Devourers.
• Use the Battlecruiser's Yamato Gun to quickly even the odds against Devourers.

Protoss

• Dragoons make an excellent countermeasure against Devourers with their explosive damage attack. (Especially in numbers.)
• Use Scouts and Corsairs to hunt down packs of Devourers but be sure to keep them in small groups or completely separated to avoid the splash spore effect.
• The High Templar's Psionic Storm is excellent for catching Devourers off guard. However, it may take several applications of Psionic Storm to completely kill the Devourers.
• Carriers are relatively immune to the Devourer's Acid Spores and can be useful for wiping them out.
• Archons can easily dispatch groups of Devourers with no fear of counter attack.
• The Dark Archon can use Maelstrom to immobilize Devourers in midair or take complete control of them with Mind Control.

[ Click to Enlarge - 83 KB ] Archons take advantage of the Devouers lack of supporting units.

Zerg

• Large groups of Hydralisks can be used to easily fend off Devourers and cause heavy damage to them.
• Scourge can quickly eliminate Devourers before they can properly counterattack.
• Masses of Mutalisks can make quick work of Devourers, but be sure to prevent them from stacking to avoid being massively affected by the splashing spores.
• The Defiler's Plague ability can severely reduce the Devourer's HP in a very short period of time.

Flyer Attack Level 1 - 100 100 Level 2 - 175 175 Level 3 - 250 250

Flyer Carapace Level 1 - 150 150 Level 2 - 225 225 Level 3 - 300 300

Flyer Attack - Each upgrade adds +2 to the Flyer Attack for a total of +6 when fully upgraded.

Flyer Carapace - Each upgrade adds +1 to the Flyer Carapace for a total of +3 when fully upgraded.