Usefulness of the Infestor seems limited.

[Cynic]

After 123 games and typically sitting around 5th-10th in platinum div 5, I still haven't had a single game where I found that infestors made a big difference. I have tried using them, and it seems that the benefit of producing them is marginal. For 100/150, it doesn't seem worth it to produce a unit that has two very situational and relatively weak offensive abilities as well as a seemingly useless autocast.

Note that none of the infestors abilities can currently be used while burrowed.

Neural Parasite - 50 energy
-Controls target ORGANIC unit for up to 10 seconds.

Now as much as the idea of NPing high templar and storming protoss units gets my rocks off, I really think the list of good targets for NP is limited.

Units that can be effected by NP:
Zealots
HT's
DT's
Terran Infantry units.
All zerg units.

Obviously high templar are a prime target, but other than that, only Ultralisks and brood lords stand out as something that could have a drastic impact on the outcome of a late game battle.

Fungal infestation - 75 energy
-Deals 20 damage over 8 seconds, immobilizing the target for the duration. Small AOE.

Essentially a small AOE ensnare that doesn't reduce attack speed but immobilizes. Obviously useful for chasing down fleeing enemies, but considering how much we saw ensnare used in SC1 I am quite skeptical. I successfully used this ability in one game to catch some hellions and kill them when all I had was zerglings and an infestor, but that was also insanely situational, and the only reason I only had lings was because I thought it would be entertaining for my stream viewers if I sat in my base and teched directly to brood lords against a less skilled terran opponent. Normally I would have hydras available.

Siphon Life - Autocast no energy
-Drains 4hp per second from an enemy target, restoring 2 energy per second

Now this could be awesome if it had a larger range, as it stands it goes about as far as a roaches attack, making it pretty useless without burrowing your infestor into their base to sap energy from buildings (and risking having your low hp expensive caster unit just get sniped).

Please share your experiences with this unit, and opinions about the whether or not the infestor plays a significant role in the zerg arsenal.

[Moorehouse]

Can't the infestor burrow underground and still move(like the roach)? If so I would see it more as a harassing unit.

[Cynic]

Can't the infestor burrow underground and still move(like the roach)? If so I would see it more as a harassing unit.

Yes, it can move while burrowed, but it takes 3 fungal infestations in a row to kill SCV's or probes, so its definitely not viable for harassment, youd be better making a few roaches and just attacking workers.

[Rupert]

100/150 to effect a drastic impact on the outcome of a late game battle?

[Tassadar]

I was able to build a command center in a game by using it to control an SCV over and over.

[Cynic]

100/150 to effect a drastic impact on the outcome of a late game battle?

See: High templar, Ghost, Raven etc. For a tier 2.5 caster the infestors abilities seem lackluster.

[Moorehouse]

I miss dark swarm :'(

[Rupert]

See: High templar, Ghost, Raven etc. For a tier 2.5 caster the infestors abilities seem lackluster.

You just noted that the HT is a target for the Infestor. Now you're implying the the HT is pretty good at making a difference end game. So the infestor can 1) remove HT from enemy's troops, and 2) gain a HT to use against the enemy.

Sounds to me like the Infestor can make a difference in the end game.

[Cynic]

You just noted that the HT is a target for the Infestor. Now you're implying the the HT is pretty good at making a difference end game. So the infestor can 1) remove HT from enemy's troops, and 2) gain a HT to use against the enemy.

Sounds to me like the Infestor can make a difference in the end game.

Getting an infestor within range of a HT isn't exactly the easiest task when compared with firing off hunter seeker missiles and psi storms with impunity. I'm not saying the infestor is completely useless, I'm saying that it seems as if it doesn't really fill any specific role, and that its abilities don't seem on par with a tier 2.5 unit.

Maybe bump it to tier 3 and give it something more potent? I dunno. Perhaps I just haven't been imaginative enough to make them useful.

[Rupert]

Getting an infestor within range of a HT isn't exactly the easiest task when compared with firing off hunter seeker missiles and psi storms with impunity. I'm not saying the infestor is completely useless, I'm saying that it seems as if it doesn't really fill any specific role, and that its abilities don't seem on par with a tier 2.5 unit.

Maybe bump it to tier 3 and give it something more potent? I dunno. Perhaps I just haven't been imaginative enough to make them useful.
That's funny because Psi Storm's range has always felt too short for mel. HTs are very easy to take down and stand out like sore thumbs. Unless you're clutch, more often than not you'll get one out, he'll zap a few friendlies along with the enemy or zap an area the enemy just moves out of, and then promptly dies.

The role of the Infestor is pretty clear: he can deprive the enemy of good units and give them to you. What you're issue with the Infestor seems to be is that you don't NEED them; your other units do plenty fine without ever using the infestor. But that doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with the infestor; for it to fill a hole, the hole has to exist in the first place.

[Cynic]

That's funny because Psi Storm's range has always felt too short for mel. HTs are very easy to take down and stand out like sore thumbs. Unless you're clutch, more often than not you'll get one out, he'll zap a few friendlies along with the enemy or zap an area the enemy just moves out of, and then promptly dies.

The role of the Infestor is pretty clear: he can deprive the enemy of good units and give them to you. What you're issue with the Infestor seems to be is that you don't NEED them; your other units do plenty fine without ever using the infestor. But that doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with the infestor; for it to fill a hole, the hole has to exist in the first place.

High templar with psi storm are always useful. Period. Unless your micro is atrociously bad, storms will always do lots of damage.

Infestors are situational, and its a shame to see a cool unit not ever get used because of the marginal benefit it provides. I'm not saying infestors should be as good as high templar, just that their abilities seem restricted to situational play, and it seems as a result they are being used less.

[Noroo]

Can you siphon life a burrowed roach that belongs to you to max out their energy? Probably....

[Cynic]

Can you siphon life a burrowed roach that belongs to you to max out their energy? Probably....

It cannot be used while burrowed, and cannot be used on friendly units.

[Shades]

How long ago did they remove the ability to cast while burrowed? Was it gone by last blizzcon? It seems a little like this unit is between, like it got nerfed first because it was too strong when casting while burrowed, but then after the first nerf they took away the ability to cast entirely and are left with subpar abilities.

I really thought the ability to cast while burrowed was an awesome thing, and I hope that it can be brought back in while keeping the balance. Maybe some kind of upgrade + unit evolution. It was so fun to use at blizzcon 08.

But putting that aside. I haven't tried to use them enough to know yet. Right now I feel like fungal just isn't enough. I'll try to use them more and get a feel, but I can't even understand why the damage is there. Feels like it needs to be instant with current damage or up the damage over time. (I suppose it might be good for harassment but it's pretty hard to unburrow, cast, burrow, get away, harass, with their slow movement speed unless you're on your own turf.

[Dumaike]

I remember that Battle Report where the Infestor used FP on a Colossus... I wish you could still do that.

Also, you mentioned you used that ling to broodling tech strategy for your stream viewers? Do you have somewhere people can watch your games? I'd love to see some good zerg builds.

[Rupert]

High templar with psi storm are always useful. Period. Unless your micro is atrociously bad, storms will always do lots of damage.
Now you're just being silly.

[Multi]

I was actually thinking this just earlier today... Infestors seem just about pointless to get to me. Would much rather have 1 mutalisk... 8 zerglings, 1 roach, 1 hydra... haha.

Worst part is, infestor pit is required to upgrade. Man, at least the old queens had spawn broodlings and could fly. This thing just kinda sucks IMO.


Possible fix:

Set natural parasite to be autocastable, maybe with a cooldown. Would turn this into a significant unit, actually worth getting...

[Multi]

Also, what is your livestream? I wouldn't mind watching myself if you're high in platinum 1v1 with zerg.

[Cynic]

Also, what is your livestream? I wouldn't mind watching myself if you're high in platinum 1v1 with zerg.

http://www.livestream.com/wr3k

[Toastmold]

Siphon Life is also autocast which I find hilarious. If it gave the Infestor life then maybe I could see it as being moderately useful but as of now the ability seems like garbage and the unit itself needs a lot of work.

[Mortis]

I have to agree, what's most annoying is we need this for tech and generally can't get a really good use out of it. Maybe for zerg vs. zerg in late game if your opponent is pulling out Ultralisks, or maybe to yoink their detector and run it away but I don't know, it's just not up to snuff right now I feel.

[Triangleman]

yeah i agree. I've tried the infestor only a couple times but its abilities both on paper and in practice seem pretty useless and overly situational.

dark swarm would be really awesome, even though there's no chance it'll happen imo. It'd be especially cool because of the separate melee animations all ranged zerg have. they could automatically rush into melee under dark swarm for great justice.

[Reddog]

I think infestor would work well vs a very good terran micro player. What usually is happening with banelings is that the terran player it hit and running them while getting healed by medevacs. so one use is u have 1 or 2 infestor ensnare them while ur banelings destory... Just theory though, I will try it out next time... I also just lost a zvt to said terran player my banelings are useless vs M & M & M :d

[Xal]

Agreed, the Infestor needs some work.

[Danskizzle]

http://www.livestream.com/wr3k

I was watching some of your streams and I found it funny that you sunkened a fellow zerg player but when a terran player bunkered you you called it a cheesy strat. rofl at the whambulence sir.