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Marauders or Marines

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
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SpicyCrab
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
402 Posts
May 13 2010 05:46 GMT
#1
Hey guys, I am a low level player (rank 9 gold) and I play exclusively terran.

I was wondering what your guys thoughts are on marauders or marines?

When going bio I used to do two tech lab rax and one reactor rax and pump bio from all three for a pretty even mix of marauders and marines.

I found that having all those marauders was very nice but would often backfire, costs a lot of gas, limiting my upgrades and my teching while leaving me vulnerable to all kinds of air related problems.

These days I usually do one rax pumping rines, go for early tanks, and eventually work up two two fact making tanks two reactor rax making marines. I'll use an earlier tech lab on one rax to upgrade and then give it to a factory.

I have actually found this to work a lot better almost all of the time. The marines cost less gas, have higher DPS versus many units, cover air, and my tanks can cover the ground very well as long as I make sure to mind my positioning.

Any way, I am just wondering. What do good players think of the maruader versus marine situation? What's an ideal mix to have generally (obviously I know that it depends on what you see your opponent doing)

is it "okay" to go straight marines and more or less ignore maruaders?

Quick Version:

As a general rule, is it okay to favor marines strongly in your bio mix? What about ignoring maruaders completely? especially when getting a lot of tanks.
I'm such a baller in my dreams. - HiFriend
SonKiE
Profile Joined March 2010
United States167 Posts
May 13 2010 05:48 GMT
#2
I've always thought it was a match up thing. More marines vs zerg, unless they go roaches // ultras. Mostly marauders vs protoss, why would you need marines vs them? Good question though, that's just my opinion.
country
University
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States263 Posts
May 13 2010 05:55 GMT
#3
Yeah man it really depends on the match up and the unit composition that you think your enemy will have in the next few minutes of the game. I mean you just have to weigh what he has. Do you see a fast twilight council and four stalkers at his base? Make marines w/ combat shields because they tear it up, but be ready to switch if you see a robo+bay hit the ground. Is he making roaches? Marauders will be your friend. Start pumping those and grab stim/concussive grenades.

You just have to play off the other guy. Terrans are exceptionally good at scouting. Use that to your advantage by being one step ahead of his unit composition.
ramen247
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States1256 Posts
May 13 2010 05:55 GMT
#4
marauders are so strong that not having them would greatly reduce the power of your army. what are you going to do about banelings?
i hate this ugly firebat. i want a marine.
Doso
Profile Joined March 2008
Germany769 Posts
May 13 2010 05:56 GMT
#5
While Marines help you vs air, they just get crushed by things like a good (!) baneling busts, Psi-Storm and Roach/Investor. Also, i find people that open marine/tank often totally giving up mapcontrol in early game, basicly allowing me to get an earlier/extra expansion.

I find Marines/Ghost opening against Protoss very good these days though, since they do well vs. the most common Protoss (cheese) openings.
Reefpirate
Profile Joined May 2010
Canada9 Posts
May 13 2010 06:08 GMT
#6
What am I going to do about banelings? Well, that's what siege tanks are for. I vote for marines over marauders. I'm having quite a bit of success going mass marines, with a few marauders spread amongst them. Somewhere between 4 to 1 marine to marauder, and 10 to 1 marine to marauder. I save the gas for things like vikings, siege tanks, upgrades, banshees, etc. The only thing I've run into that gives my marines a hard time is colossus (get vikings and tanks, already got em cause I got gas to spare), siege tanks (get banshees and vikings... again i have gas to spare), and banelings (siege tanks work well against these while supporting marines... and besides it's an army trade, so I can build up my marines just as fast as their army). I think marines are coming into their glory days. IMO. I'll let you know if i hit any hiccups.
No way as way.
SpicyCrab
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
402 Posts
May 13 2010 06:40 GMT
#7
Thanks for the replies.
I'm such a baller in my dreams. - HiFriend
FortuneSyn
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
1826 Posts
May 13 2010 07:05 GMT
#8
go mech vs zerg, go marine ghost with a few marauders vs protoss
bobcat
Profile Joined May 2010
United States488 Posts
May 13 2010 21:03 GMT
#9
[B]
(obviously I know that it depends on what you see your opponent doing)

As a general rule, is it okay to favor marines strongly in your bio mix? What about ignoring maruaders completely? especially when getting a lot of tanks.


That's just it, it depends almost entirely on what your opp is doing. Quick mutas, obviously marines are gonna be better, and vice versa marauders are good against ground armored, however, being armored themselves, they die quick to immortals, which brings you back to marines. A mix is always good, and the beauty of being terran is you dont have to worry about getting hard rushed since you have your wall.

At 100m25g marauders should not be slowing down your tech on the gas end, so it's really just a matter of making a few less units. Scouting will give you a much better idea, marines are more flexible, marauders are the more solid unit.
"I just want to see bobcat wrist deep in someone's mother's anus" 165 votes
roemy
Profile Joined April 2010
Germany432 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-13 21:12:26
May 13 2010 21:12 GMT
#10
hummm ill never get reactor-raxes tbh...

i'd rather spend 150mins on another rax (build time 60) with the option of a tech lab later on
- than -
50/50 on a reactor (build time 50) that wont let me build stuff while erecting the add-on
(start giggles now ... )
rock is fine.. paper could need a buff, but scissors have to be nerfed
Skvid
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Lithuania751 Posts
May 13 2010 21:27 GMT
#11
Its one of those things that will take a long time for players to fully figure out i think.

I personally try to have a healthy mix of both in most situations, i cut marauder production completely on when im about to face voidrays or banshees, once the general threat of them is repelled i start making marauders again.
BrownBear
Profile Joined March 2010
United States6894 Posts
May 13 2010 21:38 GMT
#12
I rarely make more than a couple marines, vs. any matchup, because each matchup has a great way of devastating marines (mech-heavy play for terran, baneling bust for zerg, and colossi for toss). Unless I know my opponent is going fast mutas, I don't touch marines. Marauders might have slightly lower DPS vs. non-armored, but they die much much slower.
SUNSFANNED
loft
Profile Joined July 2009
United States344 Posts
May 13 2010 21:40 GMT
#13
just remember if you're using marines bunkers are your friend
Piy
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
Scotland3152 Posts
May 13 2010 21:46 GMT
#14
To all people saying just mass marauder's and that you're weak without marauder, try mass marine/tank/ghost vs protoss...It's ridiculous, you can timing push then set up siege tank bunker pushes, and emp any immortal. Then you just transition into hellion tank ghost, or continue with Marines while upgrading weapon upgrades for tanks.

vs Zerg, tanks are still retardedly strong, so marine/tank or tank/hellion with a few thors or alot of vikings is almost unbeatable in the current game.

At least this is my interpretation, and the majority of high level terrans appear to be favouring mech lately so...
My. Copy. Is. Here.
TrzystaDrzew
Profile Joined April 2010
Poland72 Posts
May 13 2010 21:49 GMT
#15
After patch 11 splash buff I play Marines + Siege early push and this is working amazing. I like Marauders can't say I don't but I am a bit tired of them so I use them vs Zerg if I see mass Roaches and Protoss with some Ghosts when I am sure no Voidrays are comming.

Marines are just "Go! Go! Go!"
Kare
Profile Joined March 2009
Norway786 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-13 21:54:59
May 13 2010 21:54 GMT
#16
I love marines but I find myself being is so huge trouble if I play against a protoss or a zerg that switches fast to collossus/mass baneling. Tanks are obviously good against those two, but there aslways seem to be stuff that gets through and just obliterate your marines.
In life you can obtain all sorts of material wealth, but the real treasure is the epic feelings you get while doing something you love.
Beastman
Profile Joined May 2010
31 Posts
May 13 2010 22:02 GMT
#17
I prefer marines. Even vs protoss I see a lot of void ray aggression, or immortal pushes. Combat shield and weapon upgrades make them really badass as well.

Bro if you think marauder are gas heavy you may wanna get gas earlier in your build or something.
Kaboom! Baby!
Pokornyx
Profile Joined April 2010
United States19 Posts
May 13 2010 22:35 GMT
#18
On May 13 2010 14:48 SonKiE wrote:
Mostly marauders vs protoss, why would you need marines vs them?


Void rays?
qazqwezxc
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada91 Posts
May 13 2010 22:54 GMT
#19
I would most likely have 4-5 marauders in the mix into the mix of a heavy rine army just to soak up initial damage if i notice any banelings and what not... though don't rely on me too much, I'm still considered bronze league.
DragonDefonce
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
United States790 Posts
May 13 2010 23:17 GMT
#20
Marines just fail in tvp. Zealots and colossus hard counter them so badly. Still gotta have some though, and its a good mineral sink.
Anxiety
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States650 Posts
May 13 2010 23:26 GMT
#21
According to Day[9], Marauders do around 14-15 DPS VS armored units, while Marines do 14 DPS.
Rines are low health rapid dmg, good vs most except splash.
Marauders are High health units, good vs Small/Medium, and they stun (with upgrade, of course) .
PROJECTILE
Profile Joined April 2010
United States226 Posts
May 13 2010 23:35 GMT
#22
I prefer tank/marine greatly over marauder
captainwaffles
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
United States1050 Posts
May 13 2010 23:56 GMT
#23
Always make a balanced force of them if your going MMM, too many of one will open up weakness's that good players will take advantage of.

For example, if you go pure marauder against zerg, they can easily "kill" it by going mass hydra with the occasional mutas. Or if you went straight marine, banelings and roachs would spell doom for your face.

https://x.com/CaptainWaffless
bb33
Profile Joined May 2010
United Kingdom18 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-14 00:00:33
May 13 2010 23:59 GMT
#24
I would strongly recommend marines over marauders against zerg and protoss for several reasons.

The only 'hard' counters are banelings and colossi.

With a proper wall off, zerg will not scout your base after you get marines to fend off the overlord until they get lair tech as they know that is 100 minerals they are not going to get back, along with supply blocking. Therefore there is a window between that first drone/overlord and lair tech. In that time you could be going anything behind that wall and they are in the dark.

Does the zerg assume you are going marine spam, which no one does or teching/mara as he has seen 90% of terrans do. If he risks banelings he has to get in there before the 'critical mass of marauders you are totally building', a large risk most will not take, banelings also slow down lair tech (or the banelings themselves) which is risky for scouting. This along with the fact that most zerg fast expand will leave them little room to risk those banelings for anything other than an all in baneling bust which can easy be countered by moving your heavier buildings to the wall off.

This leaves most zerg not going banelings against terran unless the terran is a tard with 1 supply wall.

The other counter is colossi but most toss these days seem to do 4 gate all in, immortal timing push, fe or void ray rush, all 3 of which are at worst even with or else countered by 3 rax 2 reactor/1 tech. Even if they do go straight collosi, they are likely to have all of 1 when the push comes with nothing else to stop 20 marines and 3-6 maraders.

This means that while they might stop the marines, it will cost them a lot and you can easy switch to mech and out macro them.
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