We need them more than zerglings. Ground-attack units are confirmed to be able to (counter)attack flying units when they sweep low for their attacks.
Currently, we need more Falcons and Roaches.
Falcons? Sure. But we can make three zerglings for one roach (or, more accurately, six zerglings for two roaches). Or we can build another Spore Crawler. And save gas in either case.
Against flying enemies roaches not really much better than zerglings, and definitely worse than Spore Crawler.
OOC:seems I was a bit late to become a crawler. I'll contribute to mineral instead. We need a bunch of it with all the falcons's we're making.
IIC:Slowly the cracks widen. Slowly the mineral falls. Slowly does the pile goes lower for each time it rises. The determination still goes strong and the force in each strike reinforced and acid shoots further. There's no more time. There is only support.
The Harvester Queen examines the swarming of the Hive at the approaching horde of Birds.
So many drones that wish to become Spore Crawlers - but they cannot for the minerals are unavailable. And so she casts her net wide, inspiring them to focus on the most efficient mining, skipping steps in the normal processing to ensure that minerals are ready exactly when they're needed.
[X]Greatly Improve mineral collection (Provide a +3 bonus to each die rolled for mineral collection in one area)
[X] Become a Spore Crawler (Cost 75 Minerals will automatically protect the base from flying threats)
As the drone looked to the sky and watched, he could feel it. The anticipation for the coming war, the sent of blood in the air, the feel of nervousness pervading the hive. He knew the time had come. His life was forfeit. He would not survive the coming war, not as he was. He had two choices, adapt or die. With that he turned, meandering past the drones still mining, the queens researching, towards an outcropping selected days in advance. It was protected from the ground and had good sight lines to the airspace around the hive. It took him a while to reach the top, on the way he made his peace, with what he was, what he had done, what he must do and what he will become. With the setting of the sun he reached his place, and closed his eyes. As the last rays of light faded from his form he took the plunge. And changed.
The shiny drone senses how profligate the rest of the swarm is being, beginning processes that they don't have enough minerals to complete, and throws itself bodily into breaking down minerals as fast as possible. Let other, less shiny drones worry about bringing its harvest back to the hatchery -- as one with the minerals, it must harvest.