Without upgrades, it can take 7 shots from a stalker, 5 shots from a marauder, 4 shots from a mobile tank, 2 shots from a siege tank, 10 ticks of the void ray's laser (starting from 0 charge), and three hits from an Ultralisk.
It is known mostly for Fungal Growth.
Fungal Growth costs 75 energy, which the Infestor can be upgraded to spawn with.
Fungal Growth deals 4.5 damage every 0.5 seconds for 4 seconds, dealing 36 total damage to all effected units. Armored units take 47 damage over 4 seconds. It has a range of 9, and a radius of 2, having a maximum effective range of 11.
Units effected by fungal growth cannot use any movement ability, including "move" "patrol" "attack" "blink" "charge" and "burrow".
Fungal growth prevents vikings and siege tanks from changing attack modes.
Fungal growth effects a carrier's interceptors, and PREVENTS THEM FROM ATTACKING
Fungal growth kills a patch of larvae in 1 shot.
Fungal growth prevents units from being loaded into a dropship of any type.
Fungal growth, rapidly reapplied to workers kills them in a short amount of time:
Drones: 5 seconds
SCVs: 5 seconds
Probes: 4.5 seconds
An entire mineral line can die in 5 seconds, but the infestors only need to live for 2 seconds after their first cast. It would take 2 infestors to kill the entire mineral line.
The second ability it is known for is:
Infested Terran costs 25 energy, and can be cast while burrowed. It summons the unit "Infested Terran". The Infested Terran has 50 health, and 9.3 DPS unupgraded. The Infested Terran moves at a speed of 0.94 off creep, and 1.22 speed on creep.
For comparison:
a base marine has 45 health and 7 DPS.
an upgraded marine has 55 health and 7 DPS.
An upgraded and stimmed marine has 45 (55-10=45) health and 10.5 DPS.
The averages of the maximum and minimum starting health and DPS of a marine is 50 health and 8.75 DPS, meaning on average, Infested Terrans are slightly stronger in combat.
A marine costs 1 food, 50 minerals, and has greatly higher mobility. An infested Terran costs no food, no money, and has less mobility.
In a fight with equal upgrades and the same amount of marines vs. Infested Terrans, Infested Terrans kill marines, even with combat shield and stimpack.
Infested Terrans commit suicide when their time runs out. They lift their rifles up, and they blow their brains out.
5 Infestors can make 40 Infested Terrans while burrowed. Assuming none of them die, that's 372 DPS for 30 seconds. That's a maximum of 11,160 damage, a little more than 11 gateways worth of damage. That's with 0 attack upgrades.
5 Infestors can make 40 Infested Terrans while burrowed. With +3 ranged attacks, that's 516 DPS for 30 seconds. That is a maximum total of 15,480 damage. More than enough to kill 4 Barracks, 4 attachments, 1 Command Center, and 152 supply of supply depots.
The final ability of the Infestor is:
This ability requires 100 energy, and must be researched before it can be used.
Neural Parasite can mind control any permanent unit in the game, with the single exception of the Ultralisk. This effect lasts 15 seconds. It is similar to the Orbital Command's "scan" abillity, in the sense that the inappropriate use of this ability is a waste of precious energy, however when used correctly, it is the difference between winning and losing.
You can neural parasite an enemy Zerg's larvae. The unit you construct will be yours.
You can neural parasite enemy workers to take over the enemy race. This is comparable to other taunts such as manner MULES and manner Nexuses.
Enemy transports which have units loaded may not be the target of Neural Parasite.
The Infestor is the pinnacle of Zerg spell casting. He has with him what is most probably the highest maximum potential damage output of any unit in the game. But what he has in offensive capability is not simply delivered unto any player who spawns him. His damage is entirely based on player skill. However, for all his power, he lacks the simple defensive capability of even a stalker.
What is your take on this unit? Is it too difficult to utilize because of its lack of defensive capability? Is its maximum offensive potential too great? Have any crazy stories or replays of the infestor being used in a game you played? Lets hear about it or see it.
A message from Mr. Infestor Bubblesworth: "Be civilized, don't just say 'OP' and leave. I am a highly intelligent being and I deserve to be treated with respect."
I don't think anyone above master level thinks they're hard to use. I mean, it's basic positioning and then F click F click F click. Pretty much like templars.
Anyway, I am a T and Z user and I see no problem with them. I just don't see what imbalances they create. Would I want them to be harder to use? Of course, I want the game to have more micro in general, for every race. The only race that has even slightly interesting micro, in my opinion, is Terran. And Terran could still use more.
I think all the spellcasters in the game are really powerful.
It's a unit with a lot of power, but is also accordingly extremely expensive and dies incredibly easy, making it difficult to manage successfully.
It also creates nice micro tensions between HT and Infestor and Ghost and Infestor - each other spellcaster can hard counter an Infestor, so I don't think there's any grounds to say they're OP. I think Ghosts and High Templar are equally powerful.
On August 25 2011 09:03 vOdToasT wrote: I don't think anyone above master level thinks they're hard to use. I mean, it's basic positioning and then F click F click F click. Pretty much like templars.
Anyway, I am a T and Z user and I see no problem with them. I just don't see what imbalances they create.
I agree, in a sense. Their ability scales with player skill, and thus they are only "imbalanced" when utilized by a greater player vs. a weaker player.
On August 25 2011 09:04 Stam wrote: Obligatory link to ITG discussion:
Infested terran is probably too strong a spell as is, if you sneak a couple infestors into a base an spam them while forces are out of position, you'll take down command centers. Dealing with them without AoE is pretty much impossible for protoss, and thrown into big engagements they can do absurd amounts of damage while soaking hits.
I have no issue with fungal growth or neural parasite though.
I feel like fungal is a little bit OP right now, whereas most zerg units are UP, so it kind of balances out, but I don't think in the correct way. Infested terrans seem a little OP right now, because of how hard eggs are to kill and how quickly they can be cast.
As a protoss, having 46 damage + lack of mobility kills any kind of play other than 'deathball' play. Because blink stalkers, etc. becomes rather un-viable.
Combined with lings, ultras, or broods, infestors get even better.
Personally I think that infestors should be nerfed a bit, but not before other z units are buffed.
I actually think its pretty balanced. But I don't think i will say anything more than that because after participating in a few balance discussion threads I don't think I can not rage over some of the comments people make :\
I think it'd also be relevant to mention the costs of the unit itself and corresponding upgrades.
It always makes me laugh when I watch a replay and the player obviously has the Infestors in the same control group as his roaches. XD
And I don't think they're any more OP than psi storms or cloak+nukes. I think they all sort of even out with the amount of damage cast, time to cast, and energy needed to cast.
Very well done OP, Infestors are my favorite unit in the game. Seeing incredible infestor play is awesome to watch and can be so much fun to execute. As for balance.....I really like where the infestor is at right now but then again, they are my favorite unit in the game. I think the power that FG has is necessary. If anything, I could see an energy cost increase to IT's being possible, I don't know though, its a very controversial topic.
On August 25 2011 09:09 Kevincible wrote: It's big too.. in comparison to protoss and terran spell caster equivalents such as ghost and HT, meaning AOE attacks are less effective.
I think this may have been done on purpose, to limit the extreme vs. armored splash damage of Siege Tanks against them. If they were as large as a templar, it would be all too easy to kill a dozen in one shot. It's really the only spellcaster who is supposed to go out on his own, and do his own thing, with the exception of Ghosts nuking bases. So it is necessary, I believe.
On August 25 2011 09:10 Rasun wrote: Very well done OP, Infestors are my favorite unit in the game. Seeing incredible infestor play is awesome to watch and can be so much fun to execute. As for balance.....I really like where the infestor is at right now but then again, they are my favorite unit in the game. I think the power that FG has is necessary. If anything, I could see an energy cost increase to IT's being possible, I don't know though, its a very controversial topic.
Good infestor play is what keeps me on the edge of my seat when I watch a tournament.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6b8pY.png)
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