Heart of the Swarm Campaign- Kerrigan Abilities: Zergling Reconstruction (Level 10)

The first of Kerrigan’s third-tier abilities is also the most flat-out powerful.  Zergling Reconstruction is a passive ability despite its listed cooldown of thirty seconds- this is because it operates in thirty-second periods.  Basically speaking, as soon as any zerglings or banelings you have control of die, the thirty-second timer starts counting down.  Once the thirty seconds are up, any zerglings you have had die (to a maximum of ten) will be replaced by special eggs from your primary Hatchery/Lair/Hive.  If there are still more dead zerglings in ‘queue’, then the thirty second timer will restart, replacing more zerglings when it runs out.  Banelings will likewise be replaced, but their replacements will ‘pop’ as zerglings and need to be turned into banelings over again if you want to keep using them that way.  This makes using zergling screens on your assault and defense forces even more attractive than usual, as now zerglings are not only inexpensive but also infinitely replaceable as long as you can wait for the new ones to hatch.

While the other two abilities you can pick for Kerrigan’s third tier are entirely geared toward improving your resources available, Zergling Reconstruction can actually wind up hurting you as well as helping you: the replacement zerglings are automatic, so unless you keep a careful eye on your main hive cluster, you can wind up filling your control with zerglings when you want to build something else instead.  Still, having free refills on all zerglings is very attractive, saving you fifty minerals for every two (or three, for swarmlings) zerglings that you lose in combat so long as you find yourself wanting more zerglings.

This ability sadly becomes utterly useless in some levels, as there are times when you don’t have a hive cluster for part of the level or even at all, but with the ability to switch abilities on the fly that’s not much of a hindrance- especially since the other two options for the tier rely on improving your resourcing ability anyways, and when you don’t have a hive cluster you generally don’t care about resources to begin with.  Also, if you prefer not to have a zergling screen in front of other units and don’t use zerglings for their fast-response capability, you may find this ability useless- but it’s a rare Zerg indeed that doesn’t appreciate free walls of tiny hungry claws.