Can someone explain the Roach to me?

Are they ultimately going to be a ranged or a melee unit (well, we don't know, but has there been any indication?)

I think the unit design is really awkward, those weird blades coming out of their backs are:

1. Not even being used
2. How would they even be used if there were being used? They are on limbs that look very short.

Plus, their attack as it is now is a green spray?

I don't know, I'm just confused in general as to what is supposed to be happening with this unit on a purely lore/aesthetic level. I understand its function.

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Are they ultimately going to be a ranged or a melee unit (well, we don't know, but has there been any indication?)

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They've always been ranged. They've been ranged for over 2 years now. And they've kept the same basic overall design for that long.

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1. Not even being used

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They're used just as much as the Hydralisk's blades. Both the Hydra and the Roach have a melee animation used when in melee range.

They are an assault unit :]. They are ranged, but very short-ranged, meaning that they need to get quite close in order to inflict damage.

This is where they use their acid saliva - the green spray :].

When attacking enemy units/buildings at point-blank range, they'll use an animation whereby they lean forward and take a swipe with the blades on their back.

EDIT: Ninja'd by Bolas!

The very first roaches were melee. They were made ranged shortly thereafter.

If a roach hits a unit right next to them, the attack looks like a melee attack. (It is, however, still regarded as a ranged attack, except in terms of appearance.)

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Originally Posted by Nicol Bolas

They've always been ranged. They've been ranged for over 2 years now. And they've kept the same basic overall design for that long.



They're used just as much as the Hydralisk's blades. Both the Hydra and the Roach have a melee animation used when in melee range.

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Yeah I knew they've always been ranged, but for some reason in my mind that was a placeholder? I'm not sure why.

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The very first roaches were melee. They were made ranged shortly thereafter.

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No, that was misinformation at the time of the original Zerg reveal. The reveal itself was very sloppily handled, with conflicting information about all kinds of things.

I still don't know how Swarm Clutches worked.

The Roach is a pain in the ass. That's all you need to know.

Is there a vid where a roach does a melee animation attack?

edit: Found it, for anyone who's curious how it looks like here's the vid.

I think they look prettty cool personally, but im a bit tired of seeing them in ZvZ haha

I remember someone saying, long ago, there was debate whether to have them be melee or ranged. They've since settled it, I'd say.

Off-topic, but why do zealots explode in a flash of green now? Or is that just a team color?

apparently roaches are massively OP when burrowed. saw some video the other day with a burrowed roach, buffed up max, being attacked by an ultra, muta and some other unit. the roach was healing as fast as the damage was being taken. ad that to the fact that they can move while digging, really cool

Well that is the beauty of the Roach, they are a one man army... of course that also is their weakness they are only a one-man army... if you can take out one roach, you can take out all of them... the problem is having enough to take out the first roach.

I think that the Roach is possibly the ugliest designed unit of all time after the original Infestor. I completely agree about the blades looking ugly and disfunctional. I don't understand how this unit still looks like this, i thinked it was a placeholder when i first seen the model.

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Originally Posted by Norfindel

I think that the Roach is possibly the ugliest designed unit of all time after the original Infestor. I completely agree about the blades looking ugly and disfunctional. I don't understand how this unit still looks like this, i thinked it was a placeholder when i first seen the model.

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QFT. Dysfunctional was exactly the word I was looking for to describe the design.

I like the "4 legs + 2 topmounted blades" design, i don't like the vomit attack.
They should make it spit blobs of acid instead of vomit it. Or maybe some dual water-gun action.

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Originally Posted by horror

apparently roaches are massively OP when burrowed. saw some video the other day with a burrowed roach, buffed up max, being attacked by an ultra, muta and some other unit. the roach was healing as fast as the damage was being taken. ad that to the fact that they can move while digging, really cool

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Try focus fire. Roaches don't have that many hit points. (IMO, it was better when they had even fewer hit points, though, since that made it easier to one-shot them like that.)

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I like the "4 legs + 2 topmounted blades" design, i don't like the vomit attack.

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I was never keen on their use of this design, because they're basically fat zerglings. The vomit attack isn't terribly attractive either. Not that the zerg are supposed to be attractive, but the attack method itself is uninspired.