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The Zerg Swarm - Units and Structures

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STARCRAFT
  Race Overview
    Terran
    Zerg Units
    Zerg Structures
      Basic
      Advanced
    Protoss
  General Strategies
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  Contents

Go to GameSpot's Guide to Broodwar

Guardian

Strengths:
Long range; high damage
Weaknesses:
Expensive; slow; cannot attack flying units
A Guardian is formed after a Mutalisk undergoes the irreversible Guardian Aspect process, a considerably expensive and time-consuming affair and one that only becomes an option after you upgrade to a Greater Spire. The Guardian bears little ostensive resemblance to its smaller, winged Mutalisk progenitor. Indeed, this large, slow moving crab-like flier loses its ability to attack airborne targets altogether. This specialized creature instead gains a tremendously long-ranged bombardment attack that can tear through all known substances, organic or otherwise, with alarming efficiency.

Hit Points/Size 150/large
Time to Build 40
Cost (minerals/Vespene Gas/control) 150/200/2 (Mutalisk + Guardian Aspect)
Weapon/Strength Acid Spore 20, +2 per upgrade
Armor/Strength Flier Carapace 1, +1 per upgrade

Though its name might lead you to think otherwise, the Guardian is best suited toward offensive strikes. Assemble a fleet of half a dozen or more, and nothing on the ground will stand in your way. Unfortunately the Guardian's slow speed and its inability to defend itself against flying opponents demands that you keep a careful watch over the costly creature as it plies its deadly trade. The Guardian's Acid Spore attack boasts greater reach than any anti-air defense structures including Terran Missile Turrets, Protoss Photon Cannons, and Zerg Spore Colonies. Even units with powerful anti-air attacks like Terran Goliaths and Protoss Dragoons cannot match the Guardian's reach, letting the Guardian mount a preemptive attack against such units and likely destroy them even before they maneuver into firing range. The Acid Spore attack is very powerful in itself and benefits greatly from air weapons upgrades from your Greater Spire.

Always use Guardians first and foremost to eliminate enemy defensive emplacements. That way, you can send in other air and ground units to help support them in the ensuing battle. Use the Guardians' unmatched range to attack from areas where the enemy cannot possibly counter. If the enemy places his structures along a coastline or against a plateau, attack from the sea or from higher ground where his land troops have no chance of getting close enough to fire.

Guardians are expensive, but certainly well worth the cost, as they have an uncanny penchant for tilting a stalemate in their master's favor by easily punching through enemy defenses. Take care always to support them with Mutalisks, Scourge, and Queens to make certain any enemy air power is vanquished before damaging your Guardian fleet. Though Guardians have more hit points than Mutalisks, their massive girth means that unlike their smaller counterparts, Guardians take full damage from explosive attacks such as Terran Wraith and Protoss Scout missiles.