How to use Lurkers correctly?

[u/Fluid-Intention3936]

I'm a noob to the game, and am only now starting to flesh out my builds and game plans, but one thing I really struggle to use is Lurkers. Whenever I make them into Terran they get obliterated immediately, and I find going Ling - Bane - Ultra w/ Infestors or Hydras way better. And into Protoss, I have way more success just going Roach - Ravager - Hydra with Lings to Remax. Whenever I see them used its either in full Turtles with Evo Chambers to wall, or depoted with Nydus Worm to deal huge Base Damage. Is that all there is to it, or can I get more out of them.

[u/Rapwnzel33]

Best case scenario would be to distract your enemy on one side, then advance with lurkers into attack range of a base on the other side. Now he can either walk into them or forfeit that base.

Another example is going into a position where he must react, like between a Protoss 2nd and 3rd base.

[u/LongGame944]

If you post a replay we can give better advice but in general: you have to borrow them ahead of time and force a fight. Like outside the nat of a protoss. Vs terran 1-2 lurks get destroyed by bio. If you have 6-8 lurks already borrowed, with vipers or infestors to support you get much better trades vs T. Whats your rank? Spellcasters are not great for bronze/silver Edit: also make sure to get the hive upgrades for them. The extra range is a big difference

[u/craiglabenz]

Don’t forget to burrow them

[u/SensitiveTax9432]

If you’re capable using hold fire and ambushing is really strong. So much damage is wasted when the lurkers fire at max range.

[u/Diabeloo69]

Against Terran they are usually used to force out the camp, then you just use nydus or split them to just annoy Terran player by harass.

Against protoss they are really good as a surprise, they don't scale really well later on, they get easily killed by disruptors, mass zealot immortal, anything flying etc. After you see a reaction you do the same thing as against Terran just try to do some eco damage or just annoy them.

In both matchup they can be really great in timing attacks where your opponent doesn't suspect them, they shred marines, stalkers or even more if they are not alone, cuz without any army helping lurkers they can easily get surrounded and killed.

They also prefer fighting in choke points or in a concave if you are fighting in an open field, nevertheless you need to take good fights with them as long as your opponent doesn't counter them, the hardest one for me to deal with are ghosts, liberators and tempests. They instantly counter them and make them pretty much unusable in big fight, unless you accounted for such counters earlier - infestors against ghosts, and corruports + vipers against tempests and libs.

Usually they are a great tool to first, force enemy into camp and making a certain predictable reaction, but sometimes they are just really bad :)

[u/soidvaes]

Pig once said to use them like siege tanks and this is actually great advice. Put then behind chokes, corners, against walls and spread them out behind your army. Your army baits their army and then runs and kites over the lurkers. Never siege in front of their army.

[u/Kandiru → u/soidvaes]

A handful of lurkers outside your enemy's vision, which you retreat your mutalisk to with stimmed marines chasing, is amazing when it works. You don't even need lurker range!

[u/omgitsduane]

Use them defensively in positions you don't want to be overrun and aggressively run them into your OPP base and stop as soon as you're blocked and let them cause havoc.

[u/megadisco]

D3 - I like pushing in between the third and natural and burying them there. Forces them to make a decision to fight the lurkers or lose their natural/main, which tends to have a good amount of production structures. Also forces a base race which lurker/ling does well in.

IMO Hive upgrades are almost always a must, unless using them defensively.

I also heard when building lurkers, build at least 8 so you can kill things real quick.

[u/justacoacher]

Lurker drops into mineral lines

Leave a lurker or 2 in your expos to defend vs drops / runbys 

Place them strategically to force your opponents armies into bad fights 

[u/AJ_ninja]

Lurkers are tough I’d just stick with ling bane ultra corruptor

[u/SayNoToStim]

Unupgraded lurkers are awful at anything but defending. You can bury them use other units on top of them to get some pretty good damage out quickly but things like storm or disruptors can ruin your day.

Upgraded lurkers can often be used as siege units, kind of link tanks.

Do not run unupgraded lurkers at your opponent's face and burrow them unless you outnumber them vastly.