Terran Unit Control Best Used Against: General Worst Used Against: General Most Suitable Scum type: General Suggested Ladder Maps General Terrans are perhaps the race that needs to most micro management in the game so I have decided to devote one strategy post on maximizing the use of each Terran units. Below they are: SCV: Now the SCV is similar to the Drone and the Probe but however is the toughest out of the 3. In fact one on one it has a 70% chance of beating a Marine. When using SCVs, make them concentrate one 1 target. Even though dealing 5 damaging each, 12 of them can still counter any early 6 zergling rush with ease. Marine: Despite what some people think, marine are much more than cannon fodder. When using them to attack, make sure you have at least 12 marines and preferably 24+. In small numbers, marines can easily be defeated by Zealot and Zerglings but in large numbers however, they can prove to be the most cost efficient rush unit. When against Zealot or Zergling, be sure to research stim pack and when against Hydras or Dragoon, upgrading range is a huge help. Always use the Attack Move command with marines to make good use of their range and don't concentrate fire... press stop whenever you near a bunch of enemies Firebats: In my opinion, Firebats are perhaps the most specific unit in the game. These units should be used whenever you encounter Zealots and Zerglings and butting them in bunkers is devastating to all small melee units. Never use Firebats in 1on1 battles but rather use 12 of them to counter large zealot rushers. Use stimpack only when your up against melee units. Vulture: While the Vulture may seem to be weak unit, it is actually the perfect tool against all the rush units. When against Zerglings, Firbats or Zealots, use hit and run tactics. Click move back and then stop when you have gained some distance. This will allow your vultures to shoot 1-2 times before they reach you.. repeat this process. Due to their speed as the fastest unit in the game when upgraded, speed vultures into the enemy supply line and watch it die in seconds. When the enemy comes run them out. Spider Mines: Spider Mines can be used for both offense and defense, plant these guys 4 squares from your siege tanks for defense. Also they can be planted outside the enemy base for hit and run tactics. Spiders also prove as excellent scouts for expansions. Also these guys are perfect demolishes against Zerg Hatcheries as the Larvae triggers the mine to explode upon the nearby hatchery. Siege Tank: Siege Tanks are fairly weak without siege mode but extremely powerful when they are. When defending, simply plant then in siege mode behind bunkers and if the enemy is Zerg, make sure you have a few missile turrents to prevent Spawn Broodling. Tanks are weakest on the move, so move them one step at a time by taking the Tank at the back out of the siege mode and putting him in front. Goliath: Although unused, these guys are pretty powerful when it comes to going against Battlecruisers, Scouts and Wraith, their relatively cheap cost against large air units makes them useful in any map against a Zerg player. However goliath are also the best land counter against Guardians. Keep them back and charge up as the guardians deal damage to your base is the most effective way. Ghost: Although weak, the Ghosts Lockdown is perhaps one of the best spells in the game. Due to their low hit points, keep ghost behind your line of bunkers and missile turrents. However as soon as a enemy reavers, scouts, Battlecruisers come, run them forward for lockdown. Due to their cheap cost, one can have an army of ghosts, making attacks using mechanical units almost impossible. Also if you war up against small units, Ghosts are fairly good at fighting for their costs. Put these guys in bunkers and you'll rock enemy Mutalisks. Wraith: Although physically weak, Wraith can deal massive damage when a detector isn't around. These units are useless defenders but good offenders. When attacking Zerg, first knock out the presence of the overlords and then the rest of the Zerg units are sitting ducks. When against Protoss, use scanner sweep to detect the presence of a observer, knock it out and once again there is no threat. Against Terran simple run away from any scanner sweeps... Dropship: Due to the Dropship's slow speed, these guys should not be used to transport your guys over flat Terrain. Surprise drops will work at the start but will soon fail when the enemy has Scouts, Wraith or Mutalisks. Basically these ships should only be used when necessary. Battlecruiser: Powerful, but slow Battlecruisers are probably the best counters against zerg. When using them, make sure you upgrade as upgrades for a BC is very effective for both armor and weapons. When attacking use yomato cannon on any specific threats. These include any form of towers, Defilers, High Templars, Queens and yes even Overlords. Knocking the Overlord out of the Sky will mean easy kills with cloaked wraith. Science Vessel: These guys are nightmares for both Terran and Zerg. Use them to lead Zerg Mutalisks into your BCs with Irradiate. Also the spell is perfect in getting rid of Defilers and Queens. When against Protoss, EMP shockwave is a must to kill the Protoss air force and to neutralize enemy High Templars. Make sure you don't leave a science vessel out in the open for long, as it is easy prey for enemy air. Also if you got a nuke, EMP shockwave followed by a Nuke can deal swift death to a Protoss Base.
Best Used Against: Terran Worst Used Against: N/A Skill Level: Experienced Most Suitable Scum type: Any Suggested Ladder Maps Any Bunker Abuse. First off, ya gotta be terran and so does he...Well the bunker provides excelent defence. Right? It is the best for it's cost (300 with marines counted in, no upgrades). But I bet not alot of people have noticed that the bunker does not have a attack button. What does that mean? You can't target anything purposly. Hehe now I will tell you how to use this to your advantage.. Opening Sequence: Get a Terran opponent. Make sure he bunkers up his defence well (harrass him with tanks, but don't seige, we want bunkers not enemy seige tanks (alought they don't matter) Now this also brings into play the flying building part..I recomend engeering bays, fast, cheap, effcent, and not vital. Get like...6 thats 850 times 6 for a total of 5100hp!! for only 750 minerals no gas, thats only 50 minerals more than a BC (if you count gas also) and 100 more hp. I like 50 minerals for 100hp I dunno about you. The Offencive: Now yer enemys all bottled up tight right? Park some engeenering. Now all his bunkers and turrets are firing at the buildings right? And if all the guys in the bunker fire at one thing..they don't stop firing till the ting dies..so now you have a free way for your wraiths (and sometimes BC's if you get em there fast enough and have enough Bays up) to fly to their peon line virtually unharrassed!! How wonderful! This srat is great, it's very hard to defend, and if they do defend they waste alot of control on it, and alot of minerals. Counter Measures: Get Wraiths to fight theirs. Build bunkers and turrets thoughtout your base. Take Control of you Missle Turrets at the base opening
Best Used Against: Zerg Worst Used Against: N/A Most Suitable Scum type: 2 Player Medium map, Has Choke Points Suggested Ladder Maps River Styx, Lost Temple, Discovery Over at the forums each day I saw many complaints on early Zerglings rushes. Along with this game many way to solve it, including building 2 Barracks first at the 7th SCV etc. However such build orders will cost you if the enemy doesn't rush as you will be a bit behind on resources. It is much better to continue with a normal build order and immediately switch to anti rushing when you discover the enemy is going to rush. Consequently such a thing may prove harder to accomplish and may prove impossible in small maps such as Blood Bath. However in larger maps such as those in the Ladder, careful practice will allow you to easily survive an early zergling rush without having to hinder your own resource production. Basically when countering any Zerg player that doesn't zergling rush, it is best to use the build order that was shown in Marines: The Confederate Swarm, which had a build order of: 8 SCVs Supply Depot Barracks Barracks Supply Depot Barracks Supply Depot Barracks As the barracks came in fairly late, it is vital to know how to defend against a Zergling Rush with overwhelming odds, since if you survive you will be far ahead economically. Below detailed exactly how you should prepare and counter early Zergling rushes without having to hinder resource collection: Note the following strategy is based a River Styx, one of the Ladder maps that is most vulnerable to the Zergling rush. For maps such as Discovery, you should expect no problems in neutralizing the Zerg Rush. Early Structure Placement: To ensure that your defenders get the biggest advantage, build your structures in a blockade. This advantage is vital in the survival against an early swarm. 1) Construct your structure in a way so that they block off your supply line. This will slow enemy down in reaching your SCVs and buy time for your Marines to shoot them 2) Leave a space about 2-3 Matrixes thick between your blockade and the command center for construction of Bunkers. 3) When any marine is trained, move him behind the Barracks. Detecting a Zergling Rush: There are tow typed of Zergling rushes, the Zerg Cheese which affects the Zerg economy horribly and the standard Zergling attack which happens a bit later on but will not cost the Zerg Economy as much. Below are the ways of detecting both: 1) When your first Barracks in complete, move your SCVS out towards the enemy base. This scout will tell you before hand of what rush if any is to come. 2) If enemy is doing the Zerg Cheese, you'll find the six Zergling and four Drones almost immediately after you leave your base. Defense of this is listed below: 3) If the enemy is doing the Standard Zergling attack you should see the Zerglings around about the time when your SCV just passes the middle of the map. Countering the Zerg Cheese: Despite what people think. Countering the Zergling cheese is fairly simple. Although the Zergling will reach you when you have only one Marine, you will have about 12-13 SCVs to back him up. Due to the high Durability of the SCV, you can expect sure victory against 6 Zerglings and 4 Drones. Remember if the Zerg fail the attack, it game over for them. 1) As soon as you detected the enemy attack force, run your scouting SCV back to base away from base. The enemy may be stupid enough to follow you, if they are not, simple move that SCV back to your base. 2) When the Zergling reach your base, you Marine should begin shooting from behind the Barracks. As soon as the enemy charges his Zergling forwards, retreating your Marine to the supply line. 3) Select all SCVs and gang up the Zergling and drones. You'll have no problems killing them. Expect casualty will be about 2-3 SCVs. However the enemy is stuffed, the problem is most people right now simply select leave game as 5 minutes may not be up. Countering Standard Zergling Attack: Countering the stand Zergling Attack may be much harder to achieve than the Zerg cheese as the Zerg player can continuously send up masses of Zerglings. Fortunately this attack happens later than the Zerg Cheese and you should being building your 3rd Barracks when you spot them. 1) As soon as your SCV spots the Zerglings ahead, immediately construct a Bunker covering your supply line at home base. 2) By the Time the 6-8 Zerglings reach you, you should have about 2-4 Marines. As before, retreat these doods to your supply line when the zerglings charge and finish them off with the help of SCVs. Alternatively retreat them to your Bunker is it's complete. 3) Soon your 3rd Barracks should be complete, construct the 4th one blocking off your bunker. Meanwhile the enemy will most likely attack again with round 12 Zerglings 4) Now that the bunker near the supply line is complete, retreat your Marines into the Bunker. If the Zerglings attack the Bunker, get all SCVs top repair it. If they attack a Barracks that is out of the Bunker Range, use the Marines to do hit and run tactics on the Zerglings and left the Barracks up as soon as the Barracks is about to go to red. 5) Due to the fact Terran Structure can move about, experiment with the ways to hinder the Zerglings by changing blockades often. This could also confuse your enemy as to where it is easiest to penetrate. 6) When you have enough Marines build another bunker covering the supply, with these you should survive any further Zergling rushes... At the same time make sure all 4 Barracks are pumping out Marines. When enough minerals is achieved, build an academy. By now there's is no way the enemy can overwhelm you using Zerglings. Overview: This strategy is a advanced branched version of the previous strategy Marines: The Confederate Swarm. However it can be used to go with any Terran strategy against Zerg that requires a good economic advantage. Using this strategy, it should possible to counter a early Zerg rush without having to know they are rushing.