Strategy Session 1- Tips and tricks.

[Bloodcount]

Hi, I am starting a new weekly project, here at TH. Each week I am going to present a certain situation or game-play aspect of the game up for discussion.


I decided that for a first week we can have one of those fun, tips and tricks threads to which anyone from bronze to grandmaster can contribute.

I will start:

• [p]When you wall in as protoss the exit should be next to the gateway, that way incase of a ling rush the zealot will block the wall the second he comes out

• [z]After defending anything as zerg with spines you should change their position in the battle field to where you want the battle to be held at.

• [t]As terran walling off with more than 1 supply depot can hurt you when facing a baneling bust or a voidray push, because once they are destroyed you might get supply blocked. Should that be the case you are in a terrible position.

• [p]If you have very few sentries, always use a guardian shield. Unless you can perfectly slice the army, you will benefit more from a passive boost in defense

• [z]Although creep is good to have everywhere, the places where a zerg MUST have spread his creep is between his naturals and in front of his bases, So he can either slow the tank push or see when they will siege up.

• [t]Repairing your mech units from 1% to 100% costs only 1/3 of their actual price

• [p]Be active with your stalkers, you might stumble upon a proxy barracks/gateway or a hidden expansion

• [z]The hatchery produces larvae only up to 3. This means that in order to use optimally the larvae potential all of the larva from the hatchery should be used.

• [t]A reaper can kill 2 or 3 drones while being attacked by a queen.


What do you guys have to add ? : P

I suggest prefixing any race specific tips with [P], [Z] or [T]. So people know which they can skip over whilst reading through this.

[celerisk]

> costs only 1/3 of their actual price

You sure it's not 25%?


- [Z, ALL] Load an Overlord with Banelings, right-click behind enemy line, click "un-load", select the Overlord as un-load target location. Result: Banelings drop 1 by 1 while the Overlord continues on its way
(Works with any transport unit of course)

- [Z] Neural Parasite on a Zerg egg that is currently morphing into something will kill the unit

- [Z] Any Zerg expansion really should have 2 Spine Crawlers and 1 Spore Crawler

- [Z] 5 Queens on 3 Hatcheries is not 2 too many, it's just fine

[Romek]

I suggest prefixing any race specific tips with [P], [Z] or [T]. So people know which they can skip over whilst reading through this.

[Accname]

What i always do as a zerg player:

- [Z] Spread single zerglings all over the map to get a perfect vision of any incoming attack forces. At least place 1 zergling at every empty expo position to see if your enemy is expanding.

- [Z] You can use tunneling claws of roaches to move beneath force fields.

- [Z] you can detonate burrowed banelings at will. Like a mine field. (i know some players in the lower ranks dont know about this.)

- [ALL] repeatedly order air units to move to positions close to them to stack them on each other. This way you can hide your numbers of troops from your enemy and maximize your focus fire. However, this can turn in the enemys favor if he got splash anti-air damage like fungal growth, psi-storm or thors.

[celerisk]

Slightly more serious:

- [Z] You can drop Changelings on Tanks and enemy banelings

[Bloodcount]

> [Z] You can drop Changelings on Tanks and enemy banelings

Very good tip.

>- [ALL] repeatedly order air units to move to positions close to them to stack them on each other. This way you can hide your numbers of troops from your enemy and maximize your focus fire. However, this can turn in the enemys favor if he got splash anti-air damage like fungal growth, psi-storm or thors.

It is a key tip, thanks for writing it.


here are a few more from me:

[P] Getting the observer speed is very beneficial. 2 speed observers can do the work of 4-6 slow observers.

[T] Bunkers are good support for the marines when setting a contain.

[Z] The more creep tumors you have in an area, the faster the creep will spread.

[Siretu]

- [Z] You can drop Changelings on Tanks and enemy banelings

I disagree. I am very sure this wont work. Your idea is for the banelings to automatically target the changeling and therefore explode and for the other tanks to deal friendly fire by attacking the changeling?

The opponent's units wont automatically target and attack the changeling. You have to manually kill it with your troops.

[Monsterous]

I disagree. I am very sure this wont work. Your idea is for the banelings to automatically target the changeling and therefore explode and for the other tanks to deal friendly fire by attacking the changeling?

The opponent's units wont automatically target and attack the changeling. You have to manually kill it with your troops.

Wrong, the changeling spawns as it is, and takes a second to change into its disguise. During that period it can be attacked automatically.

[Siretu]

Wrong, the changeling spawns as it is, and takes a second to change into its disguise. During that period it can be attacked automatically.

I tried it out and you are(of course) correct. I am sorry, I didn't know that

[Bloodcount]

[p] Pylon power ignores the cliff level.
[z] Spawn larva can be cast on the minimap.
[t] SCVs with auto-repair can repair mechanical units inside medivacs.

[Monsterous]

[TvP] If the Protoss is going High Templar heavy, and your using a ton of thors or other energy-using things - you can EMP your own units to avoid heavy feedback damage.

[Sevion]

You should write just how much of a loss 1 drone kill is. Some research and hardcore numbers might help some players.

It could help justify whether or not you should sacrifice that marine to kill that drone.

Ofc. It's a different scenario for each race, too.

[celerisk]

> how much of a loss 1 drone kill is

The loss of 1 Drone is about equivalent to losing 1 Drone.

[Sevion]

I mean as in how much of a loss long term it is... I.E. How many minerals/gas it could have mined in an average game. How much it affects a Zerg player because of Zerg's building mechanics etc. etc...

No need for smart-assery :|

[Bloodcount]

50 cost or drone + 50 cost of drone replacement + ~10-15 minerals lost in mining time = 115ish lost minerals. That is for zerg, if you start building the drone almost instantly after loosing it.