EPTPlus if anyone saw Day9 tweet about skookum, that was my friend
As I was there all weekend down from Calgary, and with unlimited amounts of Doctor Pepper to fuel frantically ineffective APM, what better way to kill time between watching matches then play HotS as Random.
Spectator Value
Really, what made Brood War so cool for me at least were some of the most seemingly random parts of the game; sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for if a scarab duds or explodes and wipes out the entire SCV train, if that Arbiter recalls on top of one of Flash's mine fields and it all explodes into a blast of blue goo, or if those marines just ran over stop Lurkers...things which we all hate while playing but their potential to change the game just makes you go wow.
![[image loading]](http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b161/sonofek/gifninja.gif)
Credit to So no fek! Poor poor dragoons...
I feel this is what Blizzard is experimenting with to try and bring more of the feeling of into SC2 without bringing RNG (I still miss you high ground miss chance) into the game. So I will try to rate units on both how they feel playing with them, and how they can look from the majority of us, who now watch more games than we play.
Protoss
Mothership Core
From a playing point of view, this will be a staple of Protoss play, allowing Blizzard to bring the Nexus changes they wanted from the BlizzCon build like Mass Recall and Purifier, and balancing it by keeping it to a single structure at a time. Does not quite solve their problem with an easy way to dump Nexus energy, but it still gives Protoss players much more versatility and something additional to manage like Orbital Command energy.
Mass Recall
A fantastic but costly ability at 150 energy, this opens up some interesting aggressive plays which you can then choose as a player to pull out of at any time. However, it's high energy cost will prevent you from using arguably the Mothership core's most powerful ability too early in the game, I see this ability being useful either to punish a very fast expanding player while then pulling out instantly, or to improve late game mobility in case you find yourself in an unfavourable engagement. It will be up to the other player to force you to burn this before they can engage you. I can definitely see this used as a very pimp play.
Purify
A fairly boring ability, but being able to deal with light harass and being particularly useful defending a fast expand should ensure Protoss gets into the mid game just a little bit easier and with less damage.
Teleport
It has great synergy with Mass Recall as it means you can suddenly warp in the core to an undefended expansion and suddenly your opponent is staring down your death ball, it will make Nexus sniping just a bit more risky than it used to be.
Energize
This will definitely need balancing, but arguably the best and craziest ability of the Mothership Core. Timings/eco can all be accelerated charging Nexus's, High Templar/Sentries can be recharged instantly for defence, timing attacks can go in with fully charged units, Oracles can be sent out able to block mineral fields multiple times, now if your scouting a Protoss not only will you need to know where Chrono Boost energy is going, but where Mothership Core energy is going. While this skill does not have viewer value in itself, it could set up some very crazy plays.
Mothership
Blizzard has separated the ability for the Mothership to Vortex only ground units and only Stasis air units. This prevents the patented Archon Toilet from working on Brood Lords, or Battlecruisers (please watch MVP vs Squirtle if you haven’t). However stasis will ensure your Mothership will at least survive until all of the enemy units pop out as it will stasis itself, and it will split your opponents army. Maybe not quite as amazing as Archon Toileting whole Brood Lord armies but I don’t mind this for balance considering the total of Protoss changes.
Oracle
Preordain
On first glance it’s rather utilitarian, it does prevent anyone who’s trying very very hard to prevent a scout from stopping you. Certainly if you go with a Stargate opening it will stop you from totally dying without a Robo to cloak rushes, which helps deal with some issues of Protoss almost needing to go down Robo path by default in standard games.
Entomb
This thing can do more damage than you expect, particularly to players not observing their bases too closely. In pro play I can certainly see this used to force some units to stay home, force additional defensive structures, or just downright cripple a greedy player. Probably see this slightly nerfed in the future.
Cloaking Field
Combine this with energize = Win. Giving cloaking field to a mid game unit allows for some even crazier plays, cloaked Blink Stalkers, cloaked Immortals, sniping detection, taking advantage of greedy Terran over muling. I will certainly enjoy seeing what players can do with this.
Tempest
This thing is terribly boring, from all points of view. Yes it gives Protoss a way to apply pressure to an entrenched position such as Brood Lords, Seige Tanks, Creep, Swarm Hosts, etc, but it’s attack is uninspiring, there is no real spectator value. *yawn* I did find it kind of annoying picking away at my positions but I knew if I managed to break his army or harass around it I’d be fine. I actually feel the splash AoE attack would still be more valuable, as Phoenix’s have very little use outside of harassment and AtA vs Muta in PvZ even with the range upgrade.
Protoss Conclusion
Overall, I feel Protoss will be a much more versatile race coming into HotS. Particularly with the options opened by Energize, if you choose to Macro, boost Nexii, if your behind, you don’t just need to Dark Shrine
, if you want to all in, take a pick, accelerated 4 gate, to cloak detection busts to who knows what, En Taro Tassadar!Zerg
Swarm Host
This unit does really play into the swarming feel we were somewhat lacking in WoL. A group of these guys can effectively apply ranged pressure to a player with little risk to Zerg, much in the way Siege Tanks or Colossi can. The long cooldown between Locust spawns does mean there’s a period of vulnerability but hey, all units need a weakness, while this doesn’t give Zerg a wow factor, I imagine it will be a standard in all matchups.
Viper
Blinding Cloud
Combined with fungal? Bio doesn’t stand a chance if it’s caught in a bad position. Even in a good position this will force a Bio Terran to run backwards a good distance, and if you plan to load up near one of these guys...anyone remember plague + ensnare combos?
Abduct
This is a crazy ability, and while it was definitely alot of fun trying out the Hydra/Ling/Viper combo vs Protoss and Mech, the ability to pick up almost free kills felt somewhat ridiculous, plus if you don’t need to keep spreading new creep tumors (which seems unlikely if you have Tempests constantly killing them off) then you can exchange Queen energy for more Viper energy using Consume.
I’m surprised these guys aren’t psionic to give snipe some more utility, if you're playing against these things as a Bio-terran, you’re either going to have to flank them, or build some Vikings just to push them away. For Protoss, well Feedback and Storm are still going to be your best friends in this matchup, I see Colossus dropping in popularity, with Oracle’s and the Mothership Core helping to keep Zerg in check/keep up while you get to the Templar Tech tree, although a good Colossus timing should still punish unprepared Zergs, particularly Mothership Core supported.
Burrow Charge
Well, other than the ridiculous launching of all units into the air, this is an excellent upgrade for Ultralisks, making them far more useful in all matchups. Ultra/ling + w/e will have far more usability with the automatic positioning of Ultra’s like this.
Hydra’s with the Muscular Augmentation Upgrade
Likely my favorite base Zerg unit again thanks to this upgrade. Hydra/Ling/Viper is indeed very mobile, and with good Abducts can deal with many Protoss and Mech compositions, once my opponents started to add Colossi/Tempests, a wave of corrupters would be all it takes to get a GG.
Zerg Conclusion
Overall Zerg got an interesting way to pressure for free from range with the Swarm Host, which doubles as a pseudo-roach substitute for tanking damage. With Viper’s and Speed Hydra’s and Ultralisk charge, Zerg’s now have a better shot at breaking defensive positions or pressuring them. While personally I don’t like seeing Zerg get more cost efficient rather than simply more swarming with some cheap low food units, the Viper in particular is an absolute blast to watch. Hopefully the days of only Roaches vs Toss are over! Live for the Swarm!
Terran
With the recent balance changes here in WoL, Terran’s are getting creeped all over, obs come out before Banshee’s can nary get in shots, and Bio seems to be getting progressively worse without mid-game damage. Now with the other races also preparing to blind marines, grappling hook tanks, and Khaydarin Amulet V2 making an appearance, do they need to resign themselves to 5 rax all ins, or get MKP micro? Well with just one change, I think Terran’s may be just fine.
Widow Mine
That’s right, our little spider mine is all grown up into a rascally little critter capable of (currently) 200 damage and splash after 10 seconds. They’ll viciously latch to any unit within 5 range, ground or flying, cloaked or not, and that unit’s life is now forfeit. This one unit gives Terran alot of the space control it used to have in Brood War, and hopefully also deal with these new ways Protoss and Zerg can abuse static positions. Normally when you attempt to open Factory vs Toss, Stargate openings would almost always kill you, whether they picked up or picked off your siege tanks. Much in the same way preordain can save you from cloak timings when you open Stargate, Widow mines will protect you by one shotting Void Rays (if they’re in position!) and Phoenix’s. While being 1 food each could be potentially damaging in the late game vs being ½ food each, a few of these against any of these new Protoss all-ins/harassment, or placing them near Queen creep routes will help Terran hold while ramping their much slower economies compared to energized chrono boosts and larva inject. I personally loved this unit, and if you place them along the common harassment sides of your base, Oracle’s/Warp Prisms/Medivac drops beware, the drop may get in but it’s not getting out
Right now I feel it’s almost too easy to pull these units out of your main army, or focus firing them down if your not busy, but these things can be adjusted. Expect to see these mixed in with all Bio/Mech/SkyMech Terran styles, no more useless factories now eh Plus if you manage to attach these to a very high tech army, the gasps are going to be amazing.Battle Hellion
It’s a bit annoying having these come out first from the Factory, but fast players will be able to morph them then send them up to the front lines line in regular Hellion mode without too much difficulty. These guys can survive some beatings while dishing out the splash on Zealot’s and Lings, keeping Siege Tanks and Thor’s from getting beaten on so easily.
Warhound
...Not much to get excited here. What we have seen from Blizzard is their trying to make Mech more viable by making it beefier, which is actually the opposite of how it was in BW where Terran was the Glass Cannon, using vast lines of spider mines and 75 mineral turrets to protect a Siege Tank line trundling almost unstoppably towards the opposing player. Instead we have a unit with decent ground damage and purely anti ground mech missiles. They will be strong vs Toss, and even 1 or 2 along with some mines and repair will be able to much better hold against Toss all in shenanigans, but I really liked seeing them as replacing the Thor's anti-light air. Likely Blizzard is thinking that the Thor’s 13 range is simply too useful vs all of this additional Viper/Oracle craziness to pull it out right now, but the Warhound is definitely the defacto unit to build in Mech TvP now.
Redline Reactor
Maybe it’s a good way to dump energy in TvP, but I still don’t see BC’s getting much additional use because of this ability. It is amazingly fast for 6 seconds, but with Fungal still working, and BC’s natural enemies such as the Viking with high range, don’t see this doing much.
Combat Drugs
I built one reaper to try this out. With increased Queen range, and Terran’s probably wanting to rush out some Widow Mines pretty quickly, I don’t see this getting alot of use. Although with Pro players able to keep these guys alive for a maximum amount of time, it should boost Terran scouting as well if you choose to pick up this upgrade.
Siege Tanks
No, these guys didn’t get any change, but they feel very antiquated here in HotS atm. With Tempests beating their once longest range in the game, Swarm Hosts beating on them, Vipers abducting them, Warhounds clubbing them with missiles, they feel slow, immobile, and very expensive when they die useless deaths. Even a food reduction to 2 would help keep them relevant in what is turning out to be a very sad time for this Terran icon..
Terran Conclusion
While not the BW style mech many of us may have wanted, any army composed of Widow Mine/Battle Hellion/Warhound will be quite a handful for any Protoss to stop. Mech feels weaker now vs Zerg with Viper’s buzzing around and Hydra’s abusing immobile positions. But with the Widow Mine, now your opponent will have to tread carefully when playing against any Terran, much that burrowed banelings and creep serve some of that purpose for Zerg right now. Bio timings will still be strong, but ultimately it’s the now not useless factory which will have to keep you alive. With all these additional economic or defensive options for Protoss and Zerg, maybe Blizzard could adjust the cost of scan/Mules, or perhaps Mech will retain high cost efficiency to make up for the reduced economy size compared to Toss/Zerg. Either way, if you see something like a Mechanical Face Hugger pop out of the ground, say your prayers and kiss your ass goodbye. Last transmission... breakin' up... come back.
tl;dr
Toss play is significantly overhauled with the Mothership Core, and those cloaked blink stalker rushes are going to be scary. Viper’s crushing defensive positions and Hydra’s are actually fast?!? Mines...nuff said.
