Using Creeps To Unleash Hell Is The Key To Zerg Strategy

Zerg Strategy using Creeps in Starcraft 2 plays a crucial role that unleashes spot on terror of the alien swarm. Zerg units gain multiple benefits from creeping that can aid in almost any situation, which is why formidable Zerg players often leave their maps colored in signature purple.

With a lot more micro-play in Starcraft 2, players may forget to spawn creep tumors in important locations or not enough of it to reap its supporting features. In high level plays, proper creep spreading is essential. Let's remind ourselves why Creep is a powerful catalyst to your Zerg legion.

The most noticeable feature is the speed bonuses given to your ground units (except drones!). Zerglings are the fastest units in the game, but on creep they gravely outrun any other units including the speedy hellions. Some mobility, such as of Zerg queens and spine crawlers, are extremely sluggish without creep and would appreciate if you expanded their domain some more. Creep will significantly multiply speed for any ground mobility action, be it for a raid, to defend a base, or to rendezvous your force at a tactical location. The speed will allow you to charge in your enemies to do damage quickly before dying, making your units worth more for its resources per damage done. In essence, speed is the idiosyncratic bloodline of the Zerg. Have multiple queens especially in the early game ready to spawn creep tumors approximately every 15-30 seconds starting from your base and proliferate pathways to either your expansions for defensive purposes or towards the map center for map control.

Once you establish highways of creep, you'll also benefit from the vision it provides. This means you don't have to sacrifice your overlords to gain total map vision. Creeps once completely spawned can only be revealed by detection abilities. One tumor covers a large area with creep and vision, and can duplicate itself once by your command, at no cost of resources. Overlords although are mobile in air is more costly to lose: they can be easily spotted. Losing one can possibly supply-block your unit count. Having vision at the center of the map eliminates a lot of guessing. When possible try to spread your creep towards Xel-Naga watch towers. You'll be able to seize the towers quickly with zerglings and retreat from it easily when needed.

Creep can also be an aggressive play by impinging any enemy construction. If you want to keep your enemy's economy low, implant a solo creep tumor into their natural expansion site or any site that might interest them. This tactic will require early planning with no hesitation: send your overlord to excrete creep at the location and a queen to produce the tumor before retreating. Upgrading overlord speed and research ventral sacs for transportation is recommended if you lack creep highway for the queen to move at a decent rate. You will prevent many expansions and proxy builds, especially if your opponent desperately needs resources but is unexpectedly denied additional mining. Try this on expanding sites on your opponent's side of the map to agitate their game.

The most basic method is to first have plenty of creep surrounding your base. One, it allows defensive maneuvers, and two, provides full vision of your base if you have your creep spread up to the edges. If there is smoke, place creep on both sides, as you want to worry less about vulnerable blind spots. When spreading tumors beyond your base, you may try using two queens to juxtapose two or more tumors. This method saves time and allows easy micro; you can branch them off towards different directions after.

Develop Scouting Skills Using SCV's And Build A Winning Terran Strategy In SC2

If you're debating how to scout as a Terran player, you may find it difficult to choose between sending a harvester away and discharging a scanner sweep. Both methods are simultaneously available to you anyways so there is no need to fence yourself to one side, when you can and sometimes require both techniques.

The SCV is easily built, can travel to most areas on its own, fit through small openings and perform tasks, but is physically fragile and cost one unit supply. The scan can reveal a location anywhere on the map; it detects any concealed units or buildings within its range and is immune to attacks, but the effects lasts only 12 game seconds and economically costs the ability to summon a MULE. To review, summoning a MULE costs 50 energy points from the orbital command, which shares the same pool of energy with the scanner sweep ability. If you choose to call down a MULE you will temporarily benefit from its mineral harvest that boasts at least 30 minerals per load, gathering twice as quickly as an SCV. Additionally it can harvest at the same mineral patch simultaneously with an SCV. Choosing to spend the energy for a scan rather than a MULE seems costly then. But it also seems that they each can suit you differently depending on the situation-why not use both?

The SCV can provide you effective early scouting as you lay out your base. It's available earlier than the scan, the SCV will face limited danger in early game and can be quickly remanded back to harvesting. It won't be cost effective to burn off 50 energy points for a scan right after upgrading into an orbital command, especially when a MULE can be called down otherwise for an economic boost. Additionally the SCV can harass your enemy, build over their vespene geysers and temporarily block constructions, such as impinging any add-ons for Terran barracks. As well, it can provide longer vision as long it remains in their base.

However, when it's too dangerous to send your SCV into enemy territory, and you desperately need some incentives to work with, don't feel reluctant to use the sweeper scan. You will likely get some if not all the information you need to progress your build order, instead of remaining stingy in the fog. Playing Starcraft 2 like banking corporations and being cost-effective every time can sometimes put you in the negatives in the long run: you have to give priority to the situation you're dealing with.

Scanning will also reveal any cloaked units in range or distinguish a hallucination from an actual unit. Make sure to reserve some energy when challenging an opponent who prefers stealth tactics. The SCV can build a missile turret to provide a similar ability but would cost you 100 minerals and can be destroyed along with the harvester, even during the building process-use your discretion for either method. The scanner will save you time when dueling on a large map. When you realize the moment of attack is now, meticulous timing is everything. Sending SCVs is too sluggish, whereas quicker units like hellions or medivacs are more effective. But when you can't afford your army to be dispersed or out of position, use a scanner to aid your scouting and have your army readily mobile.

When you're recovering from an economic raid or just expanding in mid game, call down your MULEs and let your SCV take care of scouting for the time being. Once you have several orbital commands and healthy economy, you may insist on using more scanning than SCVs because of the surplus of energy available to you. But if you need to free up supply, send your SCV to its scouting perdition. So whatever comes your way in battle, the combination of scanning and SCV scouting is the Terran way to show off their versatility that make sure your resources are plenty and your game under your control.