• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 03:20
CEST 09:20
KST 16:20
  • 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
StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026)54Weekly Cups (Sept 21-27): herO and ByuN double2Weekly Cups (Sep 13-20): herO scores triple3BSL Season 2313Weekly Cups (Sep 7-12): SHIN, ByuN, MaxPax double down1
StarCraft 2
General
How do you feel about the mass reverts in the 5.0.17 PTR? StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026) SC4ALL: II SC2 Complete Invited Player Lineup StarCraft open world shooter announced at BlizzCon Weekly Cups (Sept 21-27): herO and ByuN double
Tourneys
Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond) Stellar Fest TWO the Moon (Dec 16-20) 2026 GSTL Grand Finals SC2 INu's Battles#21 [ 3-Days tournament ] ScienceCraft (October 24-25) - Live Event
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
Fantasy returning? Bot on ladder BW General Discussion ASL22 General Discussion a Announcement on the JEDI Ringing
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
Canadian Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War 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: 7741 users

Why dark archons are not used much?

Forum Index > Brood War Strategy
Post a Reply
SiarX
Profile Joined December 2021
133 Posts
Last Edited: 2024-08-22 18:18:38
August 22 2024 13:53 GMT
#1
I only see them built rarely to counter mutalisks, but they can do much more. Prevent storm dodging with maelstorm, hard counter defilers with feedback or even mind control them (plague is so devastating vs zerg units). Are they not used simply because of extra micro required?

Or counter HTs with long ranged feedback, which are quite popular in PvP.
prosatan
Profile Joined September 2009
Romania9377 Posts
August 22 2024 18:12 GMT
#2
They are used a bit more in PvP on fastest map.
Brain (and other protoss players) leave a dark archon next to minerals to feedback enemy high templars !
Lee JaeDong Fighting! The only church that illuminates is the one that burns.
Xeofreestyler
Profile Blog Joined June 2005
Belgium6786 Posts
August 23 2024 09:55 GMT
#3
On August 23 2024 03:12 prosatan wrote:
They are used a bit more in PvP on fastest map.
Brain (and other protoss players) leave a dark archon next to minerals to feedback enemy high templars !


That's clever but ... why not just mc the shuttle?
Graphics
prosatan
Profile Joined September 2009
Romania9377 Posts
August 23 2024 11:35 GMT
#4
On August 23 2024 18:55 Xeofreestyler wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 23 2024 03:12 prosatan wrote:
They are used a bit more in PvP on fastest map.
Brain (and other protoss players) leave a dark archon next to minerals to feedback enemy high templars !


That's clever but ... why not just mc the shuttle?

This is very good too !!
Lee JaeDong Fighting! The only church that illuminates is the one that burns.
Rainalcar
Profile Joined April 2010
Croatia557 Posts
August 23 2024 19:50 GMT
#5
I have never seen a mind controlled defiler casting plague on Z units in a pro game.
j.r.r.
Biff The Understudy
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
France8194 Posts
August 27 2024 13:06 GMT
#6
I suspect there is still untapped potential in some underused units that are still just too micro intensive to be worth making even at the highest level.

I think that ghosts in tvp and medic’s heal spell in tvz are other examples of units and spells that could be really strong in the future. I am old enough though to remember a time some very, very good players argued that emp didn’t make sense in tvp.

Dark archon may become standard sometimes in the future. Time will tell. I remember Violet used to like them.
The fellow who is out to burn things up is the counterpart of the fool who thinks he can save the world. The world needs neither to be burned up nor to be saved. The world is, we are. Transients, if we buck it; here to stay if we accept it. ~H.Miller
FlaShFTW
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States10567 Posts
August 27 2024 21:48 GMT
#7
They're definitely underused in PvP as a full energy DA can kill 4-5 templar which more than pays for itself. Plus, MC a shuttle full of reavers is also an interesting tactic too.

They've started to come up more in PvZ which is great, since feedbacking defilers is really nice and maelstrom on unburrowed lurkers when they try to engage your army is massive. But as people have said, adding more and more spellcasters to your army taxes you more and more, and it makes it really hard to effectively use them.
Writer#1 KT and FlaSh Fanboy || Woo Jung Ho Never Forget || Teamliquid Political Decision Desk
TL+ Member
TMNT
Profile Joined January 2021
3376 Posts
August 28 2024 20:24 GMT
#8
On August 28 2024 06:48 FlaShFTW wrote:
They're definitely underused in PvP as a full energy DA can kill 4-5 templar which more than pays for itself. Plus, MC a shuttle full of reavers is also an interesting tactic too.

I can only say this for pro level, the reason is at that level PvP games don't often go to the late game state when you have 4-5 Templars.

In fact, the better the players are, the less chance you'll see HTs in PvP. I don't think I have ever seen a game between Mini and Snow (the two best PvP players out there) in which they used storm. They will fight with Dragoons and Reavers to death and their supplies rarely go past 100. The reason being at their level they smell blood so fast and if one knows he can finish the other off, he will.
mtcn77
Profile Joined September 2013
Turkey729 Posts
September 11 2024 15:07 GMT
#9
It is a bullying unit. You also see it when zergs infest terran CC. That is the same for protoss DA's, you never do it until you want to humiliate your opponent into gg because it is too far outside normal play. Though, I don't know why that is the case when Terrans irradiate with SV's no problem. It is just out of meta. People even argue it is against the rules for zerg players to infest CC's. It gives that much advantage same for Protoss DA's.
Turrican
Volka
Profile Joined December 2010
Argentina412 Posts
September 15 2024 01:57 GMT
#10
On September 12 2024 00:07 mtcn77 wrote:
It is a bullying unit. You also see it when zergs infest terran CC. That is the same for protoss DA's, you never do it until you want to humiliate your opponent into gg because it is too far outside normal play. Though, I don't know why that is the case when Terrans irradiate with SV's no problem. It is just out of meta. People even argue it is against the rules for zerg players to infest CC's. It gives that much advantage same for Protoss DA's.


I thought the Scout filled that role. Honestly DA spells are great and they do have their specific uses. It's just storms are more impactful over most situations and thus pros focus on those.
http://www.starsite.com.ar
FlaShFTW
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States10567 Posts
September 16 2024 14:23 GMT
#11
On September 12 2024 00:07 mtcn77 wrote:
It is a bullying unit. You also see it when zergs infest terran CC. That is the same for protoss DA's, you never do it until you want to humiliate your opponent into gg because it is too far outside normal play. Though, I don't know why that is the case when Terrans irradiate with SV's no problem. It is just out of meta. People even argue it is against the rules for zerg players to infest CC's. It gives that much advantage same for Protoss DA's.

Those things are not even remotely close to being the same lol. Eraser trick on vessels are legitimate tactics when Zerg doesn't have sufficient anti-air, and DAs have seen legitimate play in pro play in late game PvZ applications with feedback on defilers and maelstrom on clumps of hydra/ling.
Writer#1 KT and FlaSh Fanboy || Woo Jung Ho Never Forget || Teamliquid Political Decision Desk
TL+ Member
Biff The Understudy
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
France8194 Posts
September 16 2024 16:29 GMT
#12
On September 12 2024 00:07 mtcn77 wrote:
It is a bullying unit. You also see it when zergs infest terran CC. That is the same for protoss DA's, you never do it until you want to humiliate your opponent into gg because it is too far outside normal play. Though, I don't know why that is the case when Terrans irradiate with SV's no problem. It is just out of meta. People even argue it is against the rules for zerg players to infest CC's. It gives that much advantage same for Protoss DA's.

Yeah i really disagrees. DA are not a manner unit. They are actually very good.

Infest CC is actually also situationally useful, if terran is playing mech zerg had queens, it can reduce the killing time of a cc significantly.

I would say they only real manner units in the game are scouts, that have no place in the metagame under any circumstances and are unequivocally terrible, and maybe infested terrans.
The fellow who is out to burn things up is the counterpart of the fool who thinks he can save the world. The world needs neither to be burned up nor to be saved. The world is, we are. Transients, if we buck it; here to stay if we accept it. ~H.Miller
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
OSC
00:00
OSC Elite Rising Star #21
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft: Brood War
Hyuk 1283
910 822
ggaemo 708
actioN 504
Mong 228
Shuttle 108
Dewaltoss 95
Leta 34
soO 33
yabsab 32
[ Show more ]
Hm[arnc] 28
ZergMaN 24
Bale 23
Noble 19
Dota 2
Fuzer 57
League of Legends
JimRising 555
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor826
Other Games
summit1g9437
ceh9449
olofmeister322
Happy265
PiGStarcraft234
Mew2King120
ArmadaUGS52
trigger7
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream126
[ Show 11 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• lizZardDota2360
League of Legends
• Rush1400
• Stunt437
Upcoming Events
Stellar Fest
5h 40m
OSC
14h 40m
CranKy Ducklings
1d 2h
Online Event
1d 3h
FEL
1d 8h
AI Arena Tournament
1d 9h
BSL: Ladder Tournament
1d 11h
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
INu's Battles
2 days
herO vs Classic
Percival vs Rogue
BSL Open Qualifier
2 days
[ Show More ]
BSL Open Qualifier
2 days
Replay Cast
2 days
Afreeca Starleague
3 days
Rush vs Light
WardiTV Weekly
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
Afreeca Starleague
4 days
Soma vs Soulkey
INu's Battles
4 days
SHIN vs Cure
ByuN vs Zoun
PiGosaur Cup
4 days
The PondCast
6 days
INu's Battles
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-09-30
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Calamity Invitational

Ongoing

ASL Season 22
Super Anchor Qualifying S3
CSL 2026 AUTUMN (S22)
Acropolis #5
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 - GSB
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
Copium Cup
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
ESL Pro League Season 24
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.