New Infestor spell - Violent mutation

Since Microbial Shroud remains largely unused and Zerg anti-air remains (reportedly) weak, it might be time to replace MS with something new. Another reported issues is the supply inefficiency of late game Zerg armies.

Violent Mutation
Energy cost: 25
Cooldown: 0

Targeted Zerg biological unit gains 1 armor, additional 5 hp per second regeneration and 10% increased movement and attack speed for 15 seconds. After 15 seconds the unit dies.
Cannot be used on frenzied units.

Reasoning: Violent mutation would be a versatile buff that could adress multiple issues while also having clear downsides and counter play.
Units with Violent mutation would be quite a bit stronger but enemy could always choose to not engage and wait till they die as such it would IMO reward skillful play and decision making (on both sides).
Hopefuly this would open up new possibilities across the board.

Thematicaly this would play into mass of disposable units fantasy associated with Zerg.

A posssible change to go alongside with it would be my proposed Ultralisk change .
TLDR: Give slightly different version of MS to Ultras to make them better as tanks of Zerg armies.

Disclaimer: All numbers are my own rough estimates and this change on its own would likely not be balanced.

Please share your opinions below.

What would be an example where you would personally use it to address anti-air? If I came across it in PvZ on Hydralisks, for example, I would simply lift those particular units into the air with Graviton Beam. Also, given the targetted unit dies, you wouldn’t use it on Queens because they are too valuable for creep spread, army support (Transfusion) and larva injects.

I personally tried to look at the lack of use of Microbial Shroud by revamping the spell itself to protect against all ranged attacks, over here: [Extension Mod] Dark Swarm-style Microbial Shroud (and more Carrier micro potential!) - #20 by Crane-1623

Used on either Queens,Hydras and Corruptors denpding on the situation and comp.

And at that point the spell is doing its job because you are spending APM and Phoenixes (energy and they can’t attack) on “dead” units. Also 1 Infestor can VM multiple Hydras and those Hydras are harder to kill because of armor and regen.

You would be increasing the amount of value you gain from those Queens before they die. The choice between losing Queens and losing fight vs losing Queens and winning fight is IMO clear.

I did too by giving it to Ultras :rofl:
Seriously though I have seen your suggestion and I don’t think its the best direction.

If your reasoning to change micro-shr this wont change the end.

Cause this spell is useless and wont see play as well. 10% speed buff?! and my unit is going to die? KEKW
no thanks

Anyone ranked about Platinum or higher will be using some semblance of micro. If you’ve used Phoenixes in the early-game for Overlord harass, you’ll be using them to help disable individual Hydralisks in later battles so your ground army can survive for longer (or if you have enough Phoenixes, using them to kill the Hydralisks directly). Also, if you seriously think it’s best to use it on a Queen, you’re in a bad sitation anyway, because even if it gave the unit a 50% buff to attack speed, any good player would simply back off for 15 seconds, wait for the unit to commit suicide, then go straight back in.

Also, just think for a moment… if you’re fighting an enemy army, when would Violent Mutation be better than Fungal Growth?

A- I specificaly stated that those numbers are rough estimates
B- Movement speed is arguably the weakest of the buffs

There would almost certainly be more Hydras than Phoenixes and the energy cost is purposefully low.

And you have just bought yourself more time in which dozens of new units can spawn for the Zerg. Plus the increased movement speed would make it harder for opponents to disengage.
And those numbers really are arbitrary as it would have to be tested extensively for it to be at least remotely balanced.

When you want your units to be tankier and deal more dmg. Also those two spells would have suprisignly decent synergy.

Meanwhile AAM: >.>; May I be useful?

What want you heal on Hydralisk?? Man problem is that yzerg has no ground to air attacker.

Queens and Hydras are rather strong. Everyone stopped using them when their DPS was nerfed by… 5%. Only now ppl started using them again a lot.

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I think up to this point the discussion was only about AA uses of the VM, but I believe that other ways to use it would be present, namely on roaches and banelings.
This would IMO be yet another improvement over current MS.

AfTeR
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niceme. me

This ability suggestion and name is really questionable considering world events.

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What? It is the most stupid and useless spell I’ve ever heard in my life :rofl:

If it was aoe, you could splash your banes with it for insane synergy. If not its useless. Either way, it would be way too strong or way too weak.

I’m sure this would be horrible balancewise, but imagine how cool it would’ve been if the Greater Spire unlocked two lategame Zerg air units instead of Brood Lords.

  • Mutalisk -> Swarm Guardian
    Small AoE splash version of Tempest with slightly higher DPS and slightly lower range. Severely educed damage vs. Air units, increased damage vs. Armored.
  • Corruptor -> Scourgelord
    Like Brood Lord, but spawns two Scourge every 12 seconds at the cost of 10 minerals, 10 gas (autocast).

Like again I’m sure mobile scourge factories would be OP and Swarm Guardians would be weaker than Brood Lords so I wouldn’t even begin to think about “suggesting” it, but man that’d be so cooool

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That’s a terrible idea. It kills your own unit for a 15 second buff? No one would make it.

Just like Banelings suicide when attacking and Bio hurts itself with Stimpack…
The spell would just take skill to keep the cost to reward ratio favorable.

Full nrg Infestor could buff 8 Banes, not that bad IMO but the balance would certainly have to be tested.

Not even close. Banelings are designed to be expendable, That’s why they don’t cost supply and morph off the easily massable lings. Stim pack is designed to be used with medivacs to heal.

This is just like, “Cast it on 10 hydras…and now my hydras are dead. Let me just spend 1000 more minerals and 500 more gas to remake them.”

Absolutely not.

The stim does not cost a caster energy and does not kill the marine after using it but it is much better than the proposed ability. The proposed ability is so stupidly useless that it would be funny if someone really think that it would be used. Microbial shroud it’s like 10 times more useful :rofl:

I am going to give you more realistic numbers. Affects in an area of 1.5 radius gives 30% movement and attack speed (stim is 50%) costs 50 energy lasts for 10 seconds and does not kill units when the effect passes. There you have a more or less useful spell

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