Overlord guide by Pyrochemik

Overlord is currently my most played ship, with 54,5% winrate in 2000 rating. There are certainly better players, but they are too lazy to write this guide.

## What is this ship about?

Your autoattack is very weak, scales poorly, has small reach. Armor upgrade gives you only +2 armor per level. Lasers have a range of 5, even lower than *colossus*. Your speed with standard 1 speed upgrade is only 1,51. So you are not a tank, and you are definitely not a fighter.

*Overlord*, or *Ovi*, is a pure caster type. In term of team, you are the backline. What are your strengths then? The answer is RANGE. All your abilities scale with range upgrades. The other answer is VERSATILITY. As overlord, you can counter every enemy move - to a certain degree, due to wide variety of available skills.

Apart from range upgrades, Overlord is a Zerg. That means no shields, but when you are not in combat, you regenerate. The regeneration speed is quite high, 50 HP/s as base, that is 3000 HP per minute. Buying health upgrades provides you with +500 HP and +6HP/s regeneration speed.

## Abilities

### Plague

*Plague* is a versatile skill, which remains useful through the entire game. It is an area damage skill, which completely ignores armor, and deals damage over time. It deals damage for 25 seconds, cooldown of this skill is 30 seconds. Total damage dealt is 1400 for players, and 200 for minions. This damage is dealt directly to hull, even if there is a shield. Plague costs 100 energy to use. While this skill is in effect, all regeneration stops, and this includes enemy shields. Plagued unit are covered in reddish aura. If another *plague* hits plagued target, the effect is only extended, he will not receive full 2800 damage. In late game, *plague* is effective against interceptors, especialy when combined with *Raven*´s *EMP*. *Plague* is thrown kinda slowly, so enemies have time to react, and it gets worse with growing range. Your ship needs to be facing the location, use Q for immediate casting. Base range is 9.

Countering *plague* is possible. For *Voidray* it is easy, just *blinks* away or uses *cloak*. Good *arbiter* can use his *cloak* on his nearby ally, cloaked units can not be hit by this skill, but he must be careful to not get hit by staying out of range. As for the rest, dodging is your only way. Starting range of *overlord* is low and he is slow, so you can poke from distance, and backstep if he turns toward you. Important tactic is to not stack together with allies near *Ovi*, because area damage skill hitting 4 people or one person is a big difference. The best way is to take away overlord´s energy, either by *EMP* or *feedback*.

### Contaminate

*Contaminate* is also an area damage spell with damage over time. This one however deals damage to shields, and does not ignore armor. Damage dealt is quite low, 100 to minions and 500 to main ships, over 10 seconds. *Contaminate* reduces attack speed of infected targets by 50%. Even if *Dreadnought* has enough armor, *contamination* will kill *repair bots*, if there is no shield or *reinforced shield* protecting them. Cooldown is 15 seconds, and cost is just 75 energy. Base range is 10.

This skill has many uses, from killing interceptors, to denying farm, farming and defending allies. It counters every ship with basic attack. Your goal is to hit as many enemies as possible in a fight. Reducing attack speed by 50% for 10 out of 15 seconds means total damage reduction of 33%. This is how you save your allies, from a safe distance. If you throw both plague and contaminate, throw plague first, and then contaminate. That way they will not have the extra time to react and dodge, as contamination is almost immediate. Plague has also a lower range, which could further increase the delay between the two skills.

### Swarm command

Apart from regular minions, zerg units start to spawn on your side. Killing them grants no minerals to enemy. They are also aggresively picking fight with main ships, not interfering much with their minions. All the zerg minion units have something in common - they deal more damage to main ships, and are much harder to kill than regular minions. Purpose of this skill is to interfere with farming of their entire team, and to decrease their ability to push, as their shields constantly keep taking damage. Up to two swarm commands can be built in one team. If they buy in the same time, double waves of zerg units swarm enemy side. This skill costs 250 minerals, but there is not another cost in energy or cooldown.

Countering the skill is easy. Just kill the *Overlord*, and it stops. If that is not an option, push slowly, get more lasers, use area skills to deal with them, or make support use shield regeneration build. The skill is not that strong to worry about dying. That is until you eat your 3rd plague, get contaminated, hug Overlord so your lasers target him instead of the minions and then a group of mutalisks swarms you.

### Antennae

This is a simple skill, which increases your vision range. Since it is shared, your allies benefit from this as well. It helps you to deal damage with plague, in case you lose vision of your target, the *plague* does not infect them, even if it is a hit. Some skills also cancel while casting them, like *raven*´s *seeker missile*.

This skill also helps a little as a radar, helping you to avoid warp tricks. However the warning comes rather late and you can´t see into clouds and behind rocks. It helps you to farm effectively, and it helps you to avoid enemy supports (those evil bastards are after your energy!). Main use of this skill is together with Guardian. It allows him to continualy use Scourge, which is the strongest early game build for them. Consider building this skill as a second or third, if your guardian plans to use scourge.

### Siphon

*Siphon* is a targeted energy deny skill, similar to *battlecruiser*´s l*ockdown*, it is taking energy over time. Nice thing is it takes 300 energy total, over 10 seconds. Bad news is it requires you to go very close, since the base range is just 7. Cooldown is 10 seconds, so you can keep someone completely without energy, by spending 125 energy. However you receive back 25% of drained energy, and you may target Zerg units unlike *Battlecruiser*.

Usage of this skill is mostly for tanks. *EMP* and *Feedback* can´t prevent mid to late game tanks from using skills, but Lockdown and Siphon can do that. Siphon however takes time to kick in, and is best when used in combination with support´s deny skill(s). This skill can be dodged like *Ion cannon*, so *voidray* can cloak or blink when he sees it flying toward him. However if you sneak the skill on *voidray* or supporter, it does weaken them considerably. It can completely put enemy Overlord out of the combat as well.

### Warp rift

As all other ships, you have warp skill as well. However, it is nasty. It costs 100 energy! I call racial discrimination! Just because we zergs are plague of the universe does not mean we deserve different treatment! Also Zerg warp is slow, you do not appear to fight like frigate. Nonono. Your ship disappears off the map, and 5 seconds you just do not exist, your regeneration stops, and there is a big shiny spot where you are warping to. After the 5 seconds, you are immobile there. The fancy effects just tell all enemies: look, a backline squishy enemy will be immobile there! Lets send a *torpedo* there? So be very careful where you wanna teleport.

### Psi Blast

This skill fires a targeted bolt of psionic energy toward a main ship, station or base. Cooldown 5 seconds. Base range is 10, casting time 0,5 seconds, energy cost 100. Base damage is 800 HP. This **damage can be upgraded**, +85 damage and another extra +25 against biological units per one upgrade.

Psi blast is your main damage output. But it requires a lot of energy to use, it requires a lot of range upgrades to use safely, and it requires a lot of damage upgrades to be relevant. For comparison, Yamato cannon deals 1750 dmg (+250 to mechanical), with half cooldown.

Countering *Psi blast* is possible in several ways. First one - kill *overlord*. Very straightforward method, ain´t it. Best defensive counter is *defensive matrix*. That skill scales in damage blocked with shield level, and does so much faster than psi blast can. Playing against this skill requires timing and practice. *Defensive matrix* lasts exactly 5 seconds. Than raven must re-cast it, leaving a gap. He can´t re-cast the skill, while the previous one is still active. You can hit this gap. Or you can change target, idealy to one which is out of *raven*´s range. If you are very close, *siphon raven*.

Next counter is *phantoms*, but you can recognize fake ones - they take more damage. *Arbiter* can however use cloak as well, which leaves only him as a valid target. Next counters are more risky for enemy team - taking your energy. In late game support should not carelessly aproach you, because taking mere 300 energy is not worth the plague, psi blast(s) and siphon in return. In an emergency, *Arbiter* can use stasis on you, which allows the ship to get out of your reach. But that is extremely risky for them, as arbiter must remain in short range while you are under the effect.

Much safer method is just blocking the *psi blast*, and Dreadnought is the one to do that. *Dreadnought*s have a skill called cover, which blocks all rockets like a force field, but it also blocks skills, like *nukes* or *seeker missiles* targeting another ship. *Cover* applies to flying skills as well, like Ion cannon, *yamato cannon* and *psi blast*. Dealing with this is difficult, it works even when he is blackouted. You can only *siphon* away his energy to deny use of *reinforced shield*, that makes him take full damage from skills instead of 25%.

### Spotter

This is your detection skill. It costs 175 minerals to buy and 100 energy to use. Upon using, a small unit under your control appears. It has 400 HPs, detection range same as Battlecruiser´s scan and will live for 30 seconds. Cooldown is one minute. It is completely visible, and enemies may target it.

Use of this skill is quite limited. You can send him to side to check for warptrick, it can fly quite the distance in 30 seconds. Main use dwells in detecting *frigate*´s *magnetic mines*, which is a lifesaver. Killing *observers* is another good use, *arbiter* must buy new one every time it dies. They usualy park them in central cloud(s) to provide vision, or let them follow your *voidray*. Countering *voidray* is difficult with this skill alone, as the player sees the detector, he can either kill it with beam, or use chrono rift to trap it, *blink* to another direction and continue attacking. The cooldown on usage is too large, leaving 30 second window to attack freely. But when facing *voidray*, the more detection the better, and sometimes it allows your team to land *Ion cannon* which would otherwise be dodged by getting *cloaked*.

Please note that the newly spawned spotter is on a number 2, while your ship is on number 1. Switching between them quickly allows you to control both units somewhat.

### Pneumatic carapace

This is a simple skill boosting your mutalisks. Those are your on-board fighters. This skill gives them more speed and allows you to release them faster. Using mutalisks is your main way of farming, and the later in the game, the more you need to focus on other things, so shortening the release is a big plus. Costs 125 minerals, it is passive.

### Psionic shockwave

This is your ultimate skill. Costing 200 energy, casting time of 3 seconds, cooldown 180 seconds, it deals 1000 damage to all units inside the huge range around you, knocking everything outside. This is a teamfight changing skill, like vortex, blackout or stasis. Units thrown away are considered stopped, and must accelerate again. This skill hits allies as well. If you get denied energy while casting it, it is disrupted.

Practical usage of this skill is one - to end a teamfight. You just drift between the sides, and calculate the 3 seconds in a way that it throws both teams in opposite directions. This is a great tactic, until you mess up and yeet your team in all directions, including into enemy team. The default key is V, and that is a problem, because you use B for psionic blasts all the game. So unless there is a strong leviathan, voidray or dreadnought, it is better to not have this skill.

Shockwave kills all minions in range, including *carrier*´s *tempests*, *scouts*, *interceptors*, and *guardian*´s *broodlords*, *corruptors*, *scourge* and *broodlings*. But it can kill your team by messing up positioning. You also deal 1000 damage to all hit, and the delay of 3 seconds is often making your help arrivetoo late.

Theoretical use is to throw your *dreadnought* or *leviathan* inside enemy team.

## Guide

There are 2 starting builds to use. First one is **+1 speed +1 energy and *plague***. This build is for central lane, and your aim is to hit as many targets as possible with plague. The second one is for sidelane, **+1 speed, +2 mutalisks, +1 energy and *contaminate***. Contaminate allows you to win your sidelane, the key is to hit both enemy ship and his on-board fighters at once, or clear large groups of enemy minions with contamination while hitting enemy. That forces him to face your side´s minions, constantly taking damage from both you and minions, not being able to regenerate. While his side´s minions keep killing his farm. You can´t kill them, so your purpose is to outfarm them.

Farming as overlord relies mostly on mutalisks. Keep releasing them, and reposition them in a way so they do not die much. Range of your laser is so small, that minions are usualy first attacked by mutalisks, making them target your on-board fighters, which allows you to regenerate.

### First back

If you farmed well, get *Plague* or *Contaminate*. The one you did not start with. Buy +1 range and +1 speed, costing 50 each. Spend the rest for energy. If you are over 400 energy, buy 2 *mutalisks*. If you are really, really rich, 1-hit laser (lvl 4) for sideline, or *swarm command*.

If your team has guardian building scourge, buy antennae. Communicate with them in chat, only potatoes do not respond and potatoes do not deserve antennae.

If you are heavily denied energy, or you return with too low money, buy only energy upgrade, speed and range. *Plague* must be casted off cooldown.

### Second back

Now you buy more energy, to 450. Get the *contaminate*, and get the *plague*. If you are rich, buy *swarm command*. For farming, get 2 lasers and 5 *mutalisks*. Remember, you are late game ship, you need to farm. If mutalisks are weak, they get killed by enemy on-board fighters. The stronger they are, the more they deny farm to enemy, since their lasers focus them with higher priority than farm.

### Third back

Now get more range, more energy and more speed. Buy *siphon*. With +2 range it has the same range as *feedback* now. Deny their frontline, that means *battlecruiser*´s *lockdown*, *leviathan* or *tanks*. Denying energy to frigate may prevent nasty *torpedo*.

### 4th back

Usualy right before 20th minute mark. 8 *mutalisks*, 4 lasers. Range, speed and energy. Keep throwing your skills at enemy, aim for multi target hits with area skills. Use contaminate to deny farm.

### 25th minute

This is when you can buy psi blast, and keep shooting it. Yes, it is late. But you win game by countering enemy the entire time. They are *plagued*, not regenerating, attack speed slowed, their farm is low due to lasers focusing your zerg minions instead. This late start with *psi blasts* allows you to shoot them continualy from large distance, staying safe.

### 30th minute

At this point, do not forget upgrading your mutalisks to lvl 11 and lasers to lvl 5. Keep stacking psi blast upgrades and energy. Range and speed should be atleast +200 upgrade each to be effective. +400 ideal. +800 range is nice to get. You are infinitely scaling ship so do not forget to infinitely farm. *Pneumatic carapace* is a must at this point of game. Keep mutalisks 1-hit.

## Tips and tricks

* *Plague* is your strongest spell. It remains effective on anyone except *battlecruisers*. Best targets are supports in the late game, but avoid them in early game.
* *Contaminate* does not deal any damage to strong *interceptors*. Still reduces their attack speed, but 0 dmg. It is due to their armor.
* Throw *plague* first and *contaminate* afterwards, they hit at the same time.
* Use *contaminate* on enemy, when *plague* effect ends to prevent any regeneration
* Use c*ontaminate* when enemy is aproaching a group of *swarm command* minions
* Use *contaminate* to deny farm
* *Plague* is strong vs interceptors in late game
* *Siphoning* tanks makes them die
* One good *psionic shockwave* can save an ally
* One bad *psionic shockwave* can ruin the game
* When team is retreating, your role is to plague the enemy and contaminate attackers