C0ffeeCast |
The Terran Race The Terran race is one that finds its advantage in quick strikes to weaken an opponent, then a strong shove to finish them off. They have mid-level stats (middle cost and life). Preserving units is key, as the macro mechanic for Terran, the Mule, merely functions as a resource gatherer, rather than granting the ability to remake a lost army. Terran is semi micro-intensive, while being the least macro-intensive. To build a building, the Terrans must pull an SCV (the harvesting unit) away from gathering resources until the building is complete. A powerful way to play with Terran is to use dropships (aka Medivacs, which also give healing abilities) to relentlessly harass your opponent until your army is strong enough for an assault. The Bio-ball (biological ball) is a common strategy used, simply amassing large amounts of basic units and Medivacs before attacking.
The picture on the right features a Terran Bio-ball with Medivacs healing overhead. The bottom is a Terran drop, again with Medivacs. Popular Terran players are Incredible Miracle's MVP, Slayers' MMA, and Empire's Kas. |
The Protoss Race The Protoss finds its strength not in numbers, but in tight clusters, which is where the term Protoss Ball or Death Ball comes into play. The Protoss have the highest stats (highest cost, but significantly higher damage and health). In contrast to the other two races, the Protoss are the least mobile, and thus have the smallest focus on micro. The Protoss macro mechanic is the Chronoboost, which speeds the production of units / research time of upgrades by 50%, which allows Protoss players to remacro an army in a decent amount of time. To build a building, the Protoss player needs to only temporarily pull a Probe (the harvesting unit) to create a building, but may leave the building to finish itself and return to the resource line. The catch is that the Protoss must build structures within a certain radius of a Pylon, which provides power to the structures. As stated above, a common tactic is the Protoss Death Ball. It is more difficult to achieve than the Terran Bio-ball, but far more powerful.
The picture featured top is a Protoss Death Ball defending a ramp. Popular Protoss players are WhiteRa, Evil Genius's Huk, and SK Gaming's MC. |
The Zerg Race Zerg players find their strength in absolute swarms. Zerg units have the lowest stats (lowest cost and health, but deal small damage quickly). The Zerg macro mechanics are significantly different from the other two races- all of their units are build from their starting building, the Hatchery. The macro mechanic of Zergs is the Queen, which can use "spawn larvae" ability to create more larva at the Hatcheries (which in turn allows the Zerg to spawn more units). To construct a building, Zergs must sacrifice a drone to make the structure. Like the Protoss, Zerg players must build on their creep (featured at the right). A common Zerg tactic is to take multiple bases quickly to gain an economic advantage, and then quickly create a large army and attack. When that army dies, another army should already have been created to take its place. This is the power of the Zerg.
To the right, the Zerg army rushes over a Terran Siege Tank line. Zerg units get a bonus to speed movement when on creep. On the bottom, Zerglings have a number advantage over the Zealots. Popular Zerg players are Evil Genius's Idra, Incredible Miracles Nestea, and Liquid's TLO (The Little One). |