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----IMPORTANT UPDATE----
Because of a stealth change in the latest patch (1.3.3) this will NOT longer work !!!!
----IMPORTANT UPDATE----
Original Post:
In specifics i am talking about the Point Defense Drone.
I am opening this thread because most players are unware of the PPD not only blocking Muta and Corrupter attacks, it also destroys Broodlings. It is not even mentioned in the Liquipedia!
The Broodlord
![[image loading]](http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft/images2/f/fa/Brood_Lord.gif)
This mighty creature is the fear of every terran and indeed it is a powerful unit. It not only has a 20dmg attack with range 9.5, it also spawns Broodlings which can attack on their own. On the first attack a Broodlord spawns 2 Broodlings, then one after the other.
This is especially fearsome for a terrans with Siege Tanks because they will automatically target the Broodlings and so the terran will damage his own units. Also movement of units (e.g. Thor) gets slowed down. If the terran unsieges the zerg will attack with the rest of his units easily rolling over the terran army.
The Raven
![[image loading]](http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft/images2/archive/7/7b/20110206201433%21Raven.gif)
Allthough Ravens are powerful spell casters they are used most of the time solely for detection purposes against burrowed banelings, some terran players even don't build them at all.
Point Defense Drone
![[image loading]](http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft/images2/archive/7/78/20110206201502%21Point_Defence_Drone.gif)
The PDD is immobile and cannot attack, but will negate specific enemy projectiles near itself. Used against Broodlords it will block 20 Broodlings from spawning. The Broodlord still deals 20dmg but the units can walk freely and won't be focused by tanks, so the tanks can remain sieged.
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/6rJhV.png)
Some Data:
1 PDD blocks 20 Broodlings.
1 PDD block Broodlings from 1 Broodlord ~ 1 Ingame Minute
2 PDDs block Broodlings from 6 Broodlords ~ 20 Ingame Seconds
4 PDDs block Broodlings from 6 Broodlords ~ 40 Ingame Seconds
4 PDDs block Broodlings from 10 Broodlords ~ 20 Ingame Seconds
How to use it:
Many highlevel Terrans are already incorporating the Raven into their play mainly because of the devastating Baneling bombs. So instead of getting 1 Raven for detection purposes i recommend building 2-3 Ravens. Each Raven can build 2 PDDs when they have full energy. Even if the zerg doesn't get any Broodlords the Raven still remains useful as harrasment unit (AutoTurret) and damage dealer (Seeker Missile).
This will most likely not revolutionize the whole ZvT Metagame, but on higher levels some battles can be turned into the Terrans favor, deciding whole games. Especially the Thor with his range 10 air attack can easily battle the Broodlords from the distance without taking too much damage.
Edit: Of course vikings are (and will still remain) the main answer to Broodlords. But the Raven (if built beforehand) can help you out immensely.
Tip: You should always throw down at least 2 PDDs because the first attack from a Broodlord will spawn 2 Broodlings
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Nice find :D i didnt even know this 
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I didn't even know pdd worked against the broodlord. -_-
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Wow...you learn something new everyday. How did I not know that. In fact, I bet most of the people that will post do not know about this lol.
EDIT: How do we know its not because of some bug in the patch? Or are you sure this worked before patch 1.3?
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lol now all u need is a couple ravens with about 4 vikings to fight broodlords in a battle
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This worked for a long time. It has nothing to do with Patch 1.3
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Wow, I had no idea this worked. I used to add ravens into my army for mutas, and when blords came out it didn't even occur to me that PDD would do anything O_o. Next time I'm close to max and BLs come out I will just add in some Ravens instead of trying to make a bijillion zillion vikings.
TY for this!
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I think in general Raven is underused against Zerg. Pdd block muta fire and missile is actully very good against mutas, taking back som map control. Only thing thats bad is they are easily caught by the infestor, and ofc there high gas price which means less tanks.
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United States596 Posts
really nice find, can't wait to see if people start incorporating it into their play
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Hmm, I had no idea that PDD worked on Broodlords either. This is an awesome find.
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or you could make vikings, which:
cost less money
don't require a tech lab, thus can be made from a reactor
doesn't need upgs to become exponentially better ie: the corvex reactor or w/e (25energy for ravens)
have more range (9) and effectively can't be killed by the zerg (either you have corruptors which aren't good vs them, or you have mutas which have to be magic boxed assuming they have thors which isn't much of an assumption but more of a definite fact that late in the game (assuming the t doesn't suck)
however,i do agree ravens are underused, PDD is amazing.
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It seems like PDD might be good to keep in mind, but I have a feeling if I was facing broodlings and I had to start building units to respond, I'd probably go for vikings before ravens, esp. since lategame T is probably going to have reactor-starports.
More helpful maybe because it just indicates another potential lategame use for ravens. Nice find.
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Cool. :D
i hate ravens tho... I usually prefer reactors on my ports to pump out medivacs etc. But cool, nonetheless.
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Holy crap, really? :/ had no idea. That being said, 200 gas is pretty expensive, I'm just not sure where to fit getting them(esp since I need to wait 45-90sec until PDD is ready), where I need to keep my tank count high, get medivacs and then finally vikings to take care of the blords.
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I don't know if I like this. This allows the terran to run up to the broodlords with just marines and snipe them. And blocking ground movement is kinda what makes the BL good.
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I also mentioned in my op that you should build the ravens before the zerg is getting Broodlords because as an immidate response vikings are surely better than the Raven. It is just not that devastating if you are suddenly faced with Broodlords and you have no or only a few vikings.
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Wow, my guess is that the majority of pros didn't even know this.
so like, broodlings just die when they walk in range or something? That's just unbelievably powerful against brood lords.
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nice find. Ravens would be viable when/if seeker missile speed is buffed
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Oh great.. more stuff for Terrans to abuse against the only decent Zerg's lategame unit that can be easily countered by Vikings.
User was warned for this post
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and for the comparison with viking's.
Viking's do kill the Broodlords, but they don't stop your own units taking damage, siege tanks will splash their own, siege tanks will shoot onto your own marines, etc.
The PDD actually gives you time to stay sieged (instead of unsieging and letting the blings roll in), and actually take down the BL's before you have to reposition.
Situational, but could be very usefull in those cases.
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EPT
