• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 12:40
CEST 18:40
KST 01:40
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: Within Reach5[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: In A Tizzy11[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Holy Diver5[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Rough Waters10[ASL22] Ro24 Preview: Siren's Call8
Community News
SC4ALL: II SC2 Complete Invited Player Lineup4StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026)66Weekly Cups (Sept 21-27): herO and ByuN double2Weekly Cups (Sep 13-20): herO scores triple3BSL Season 2315
StarCraft 2
General
October World Ranking: herO stays #1, ByuN returns SC4ALL: II SC2 Complete Invited Player Lineup StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026) How do you feel about the mass reverts in the 5.0.17 PTR? Awesome/Confusing SC2 BM
Tourneys
Stellar Fest TWO the Moon (Dec 16-20) Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament 2026 GSTL Grand Finals Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond) SC2 INu's Battles#21 [ 3-Days tournament ]
Strategy
[H] ZvP Mid-Late Game: Stalkers Collossi HT
Custom Maps
[M] (2) Sweltering Sands [M] (2) Frigid Storage
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 545 And Drops and Rifts Mutation # 544 Double Trouble Mutation # 543 Enhanced Defenses
Brood War
General
RepMastered™: replay sharing and analyzer site BSL Season 23 Klaucher discontinued / in-game color settings BW General Discussion Bot on ladder
Tourneys
[ASL22] Ro8 Day 4 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL22] Ro8 Day 3 [ASL22] Ro8 Day 2
Strategy
Cliff Jump Revisited (1 in a 1000 strategy) Replay Review Process - What do you do? Simple Questions, Simple Answers Odyssey Mineral Stack Saturation
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread General RTS Discussion Thread Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Total Annihilation Zero
Dota 2
Dota 2 Champions League Season 3 Begins April 25! Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread Artificial Intelligence Thread
Fan Clubs
Serral Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece Diablo Animated Series on Netflix
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Recent Gifted Posts
Blogs
[ASL22] Ro4 Day1 Ticket Giv…
bITt.mAN
Escaping Into Video Games: G…
TrAiDoS
38 yo Retired SWE loo…
PurE)Rabbit-SF
Can Bots Beat Pros?? Starcr…
namkraft
[meme] I finally understa…
LUCKY_NOOB
Regacy Esports:Our Goa…
regacyesports
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 8394 users

[SC2] TvP Observer Sniping Tricks?

Blogs > Masq
Post a Reply
Masq
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Canada1792 Posts
November 22 2011 08:07 GMT
#1
Hey,

I've been watching TSLHearts stream recently, and I noticed that he ocassionally will pan the camera up and down before scanning and killing an observer. What is the purpose for this? Does this detect a stationary observer by displaying a blur?

I've never seen it before and thought it was a neat trick. If anyone knows more, please reply.

*****
Froadac
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States6733 Posts
November 22 2011 08:15 GMT
#2
Yeah. It's been used for quite a while now. There was a thread on it which I can't seem to find. By tilting hte screen the distortion caused by the cloaked observer ripples over what is below it. It's sort of hard to explain, but it can confirm the location of an observer if you are suspicious but not sure.

(angle of view of the flyer changes what you see below it)
Seeker *
Profile Blog Joined April 2005
Where dat snitch at?37118 Posts
November 22 2011 08:44 GMT
#3
!!!!! For real? I'm gonna have to try this!
ModeratorPeople ask me, "Seeker, what are you seeking?" My answer? "Sleep, damn it! Always sleep!"
TL+ Member
Artline
Profile Joined September 2011
177 Posts
November 22 2011 08:58 GMT
#4
Wow I didn't know this. Going to try this now!
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20344 Posts
November 22 2011 09:37 GMT
#5
Sick of this shit, there are games every day where i rally an obs to his base, it gets scanned and 1shot, i keep the second one home because i didnt confirm no cloak, built a third obs, scanned, dead, build a fourth, flies into missle turret and instantly dies... Perhaps i should give up on scouting terran.
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
MrCon
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
France29748 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-11-22 09:58:31
November 22 2011 09:56 GMT
#6
This trick is being used to spot unmoving observers.
Moving observers make a ripple, you can reproduce this ripple by zooming and unzooming, this will make an unmoving observer "move" (it doesn't move technically, but produce the ripples that a moving observer is producing).

On November 22 2011 18:37 Cyro wrote:
Sick of this shit, there are games every day where i rally an obs to his base, it gets scanned and 1shot, i keep the second one home because i didnt confirm no cloak, built a third obs, scanned, dead, build a fourth, flies into missle turret and instantly dies... Perhaps i should give up on scouting terran.

Or perhaps you should micro your observers more.
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20344 Posts
November 22 2011 10:03 GMT
#7
On November 22 2011 18:56 MrCon wrote:
This trick is being used to spot unmoving observers.
Moving observers make a ripple, you can reproduce this ripple by zooming and unzooming, this will make an unmoving observer "move" (it doesn't move technically, but produce the ripples that a moving observer is producing).

Show nested quote +
On November 22 2011 18:37 Cyro wrote:
Sick of this shit, there are games every day where i rally an obs to his base, it gets scanned and 1shot, i keep the second one home because i didnt confirm no cloak, built a third obs, scanned, dead, build a fourth, flies into missle turret and instantly dies... Perhaps i should give up on scouting terran.

Or perhaps you should micro your observers more.



He has marines following the ripple at the edge of his base, better not scout him, right?


I see your point, but its far harder than it sounds to get into a terran base when he has graphics and config set up to see an observer almost as if it was uncloaked.

I know i can spot them near instantly
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
MrCon
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
France29748 Posts
November 22 2011 10:10 GMT
#8
Oh I know it's hard, but it's still possible. Retreat as soon as you see units, park them in dropping routes, poke with them, hotkey them so when you spot movement you can anticipate and not lose them. Easier said than done, but better than rallying to their base and losing them. You can do that with the first one, because usually in the still early game mules are used every 50 energy so you're safe.
Diamond
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States10796 Posts
November 22 2011 10:14 GMT
#9
On November 22 2011 18:37 Cyro wrote:
Sick of this shit, there are games every day where i rally an obs to his base, it gets scanned and 1shot, i keep the second one home because i didnt confirm no cloak, built a third obs, scanned, dead, build a fourth, flies into missle turret and instantly dies... Perhaps i should give up on scouting terran.


Just throwing this out there, ever thought of rallying OUTSIDE the base then microing your obs in? 0_o

Also <3 Masq.
Ballistix Gaming Global Gaming/Esports Marketing Manager - twitter.com/esvdiamond
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20344 Posts
November 22 2011 10:18 GMT
#10
On November 22 2011 19:10 MrCon wrote:
Oh I know it's hard, but it's still possible. Retreat as soon as you see units, park them in dropping routes, poke with them, hotkey them so when you spot movement you can anticipate and not lose them. Easier said than done, but better than rallying to their base and losing them. You can do that with the first one, because usually in the still early game mules are used every 50 energy so you're safe.


I just feel like making more than 2 obs is a massive risk if you dont know what they are doing, need the robo time for immortals vs a few pushes, its so painful to loose an obs and ive lost games to it before, the cloak doesnt really cloak at all on low shaders, ultra textures and effects and it seems everyone i face knows exactly where it is the moment i fly into sight range of his units/buildings.

I feel cheated having a cloaked unit that relys on being cloaked because it has only 40hp and is easily outran by a few marines with stim before the speed upgrade etc, when it doesnt actuly cloak well enough to hide itself for even a fraction of a second if it is on screen of the enemy.


Its generally a good scout, but it doesnt really do what it is advertised for if you cant ever fly near a unit that shoots up. Im pretty sure thors 1-2 them from like 10 range
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Tommylew
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
Wales2717 Posts
November 22 2011 10:36 GMT
#11
On November 22 2011 19:18 Cyro wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 22 2011 19:10 MrCon wrote:
Oh I know it's hard, but it's still possible. Retreat as soon as you see units, park them in dropping routes, poke with them, hotkey them so when you spot movement you can anticipate and not lose them. Easier said than done, but better than rallying to their base and losing them. You can do that with the first one, because usually in the still early game mules are used every 50 energy so you're safe.


I just feel like making more than 2 obs is a massive risk if you dont know what they are doing, need the robo time for immortals vs a few pushes, its so painful to loose an obs and ive lost games to it before, the cloak doesnt really cloak at all on low shaders, ultra textures and effects and it seems everyone i face knows exactly where it is the moment i fly into sight range of his units/buildings.

I feel cheated having a cloaked unit that relys on being cloaked because it has only 40hp and is easily outran by a few marines with stim before the speed upgrade etc, when it doesnt actuly cloak well enough to hide itself for even a fraction of a second if it is on screen of the enemy.


Its generally a good scout, but it doesnt really do what it is advertised for if you cant ever fly near a unit that shoots up. Im pretty sure thors 1-2 them from like 10 range



get the observer speed and then you wont even have that problem, does suck how easy our only scout generally can eaisly be seen with the correct graphic settings. But hotkey it and keep uit out of range or put it opver cliffs so the marines cant get to it.
Live and Let Die!
chingchong99
Profile Joined November 2011
Nauru64 Posts
November 22 2011 11:13 GMT
#12
On November 22 2011 19:18 Cyro wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 22 2011 19:10 MrCon wrote:
Oh I know it's hard, but it's still possible. Retreat as soon as you see units, park them in dropping routes, poke with them, hotkey them so when you spot movement you can anticipate and not lose them. Easier said than done, but better than rallying to their base and losing them. You can do that with the first one, because usually in the still early game mules are used every 50 energy so you're safe.


I just feel like making more than 2 obs is a massive risk if you dont know what they are doing, need the robo time for immortals vs a few pushes, its so painful to loose an obs and ive lost games to it before, the cloak doesnt really cloak at all on low shaders, ultra textures and effects and it seems everyone i face knows exactly where it is the moment i fly into sight range of his units/buildings.

I feel cheated having a cloaked unit that relys on being cloaked because it has only 40hp and is easily outran by a few marines with stim before the speed upgrade etc, when it doesnt actuly cloak well enough to hide itself for even a fraction of a second if it is on screen of the enemy.


Its generally a good scout, but it doesnt really do what it is advertised for if you cant ever fly near a unit that shoots up. Im pretty sure thors 1-2 them from like 10 range


So this is why i can't ever see the observers, my computer is too bad for these settings.
~900 pts masters toss @ EU | Looking for a practice partner, pm me!
HypernovA
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada556 Posts
November 22 2011 13:56 GMT
#13
What graphic setting do you need to be on to be able to see the observers?
AXygnus
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Portugal1008 Posts
November 22 2011 16:31 GMT
#14
On November 22 2011 22:56 HypernovA wrote:
What graphic setting do you need to be on to be able to see the observers?


I can see them on low, so I guess I'd try it first.
"To create, to recreate. To create, to recreate. Down to the last seed, I stand with a dark stare. Still silent. Still frighteningly silent."
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
FEL
01:00
ScienceCraft Qualifier
IndyStarCraft 136
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
mouzHeroMarine 558
IndyStarCraft 136
BRAT_OK 45
MindelVK 16
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 26622
Bisu 1336
Shuttle 1247
Hyuk 773
Mini 479
firebathero 197
Sexy 63
hero 62
Mong 48
Hyun 43
[ Show more ]
Killer 42
Trap 39
Pusan 37
PianO 37
Liquid`Ret 26
ToSsGirL 26
zelot 18
Rock 15
Sacsri 11
Bale 10
ggaemo 10
ajuk12(nOOB) 7
Noble 6
Dota 2
Gorgc9139
qojqva1699
Dendi951
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor1561
crisheroes1234
Liquid`Hasu689
Other Games
singsing1876
fl0m1670
FrodaN1660
Beastyqt671
Mlord451
Hui .246
Liquid`VortiX173
Livibee155
ArmadaUGS145
KnowMe141
Mew2King60
Trikslyr35
CosmosSc2 18
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream37
[ Show 16 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• StrangeGG 48
• mYiSmile126
• Adnapsc2 14
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• Azhi_Dahaki18
• Michael_bg 11
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• C_a_k_e 8302
Other Games
• Shiphtur282
• WagamamaTV201
Upcoming Events
AI Arena Tournament
20m
BSL: Ladder Tournament
2h 20m
Sparkling Tuna Cup
17h 20m
INu's Battles
19h 20m
herO vs Classic
Percival vs Rogue
Shopify Rebellion Sundays
22h 20m
MilkiCow vs TBD
Clem vs TBD
BSL Open Qualifier
1d 2h
BSL Open Qualifier
1d 2h
Replay Cast
1d 7h
Afreeca Starleague
1d 17h
Rush vs Light
WardiTV Weekly
1d 18h
[ Show More ]
Monday Night Weeklies
1d 23h
Afreeca Starleague
2 days
Soma vs Soulkey
INu's Battles
2 days
SHIN vs Cure
ByuN vs Zoun
PiGosaur Cup
3 days
The PondCast
4 days
INu's Battles
4 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-10-02
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Calamity Invitational

Ongoing

ASL Season 22
Super Anchor Qualifying S3
CSL 2026 AUTUMN (S22)
Acropolis #5
Acropolis #5 - GSB
Copium Cup
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
1win Private Club #1
Logitech G Play Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual

Upcoming

Acropolis #5 - GSC
BSL Season 23
SC4ALL II: Brood War
BSL 23: Non-Korean Championship
HSC XXX
Stellar Fest 2: Lunar Cup
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
Custodian Cup
eXTREMESLAND 2026
PGL Major Singapore 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 6
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026
IEM Beijing 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 5
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
1win Private Club #2
Thunderpick World Champ. '26
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.