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Unit Roles

Forum Index > SC2 General
Post a Reply
ZenDeX
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Philippines2916 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-04-05 19:08:51
April 05 2010 17:29 GMT
#1
I am trying to figure out what are the guys at Blizzard have on their minds about the SC2 units and their respective roles. I came up with this and hope that this guides everyone on what each unit is designed for so that everyone can see which has overlaps and which has shortcomings.

Terran:

Marine - Bio DPS'r
Marauder - anti-melee unit (what's the slow for?)
Ghost - unit sniper and anti-shield
Reaper - harass
Hellion - Mech AoE DPS'r
Siege Tank - longranged Mech AoE nuker
Thor - unit sniper, anti-air
Viking - Anti-air, harass
Banshee - air dps'r, Harass
Medivac - Bio Army Support, Transport
Raven - All-around support unit
Battlecruiser - dps'r and unit sniper

Zerg:

Overlord - supply and transport
Overseer - scout and detection
Queen - macromanagement
Zergling - melee DPS'er
Baneling - AoE nuker
Roach - ranged tank, harass
Hydralisk - ranged DPS'er
Infestor - all-around support unit
Mutalisk - air dps'r, harass
Corruptor - anti-air
Ultralisk - melee tank and aoe dps'r
Brood Lord - long ranged DPS'r

Protoss:

Zealot - melee DPS'er
Stalker - ranged DPS'er
Sentry - support caster
High Templar - offensive caster
Dark Templar - melee nuker, ground harass unit
Archon - AoE nuker and tank
Observer - scout and detection
Warp Prism - transport
Immortal - ranged nuker and tank
Colossus - long ranged AoE Nuker, harass
Phoenix - anti-air, unit sniper
Void Ray - harass, anti-tank
Carrier - air DPS'er
Mothership - all around support unit

Some notes:
- A DPS'er is unit that deals moderately low damage in a fast rate.
- A nuker is a unit that deals severely high damage in a slow rate.
- A unit sniper is a unit designed to take out enemy key units.
- A harass unit is designed to disrupt your enemy's econ/production or even throw him off his game
- AoE = Area of Effect / Splash ; designed for making quick work of massed units

If you have any objections or violent reactions, feel free to bring it up in this thread.
Jimmy Raynor
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
902 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-04-05 17:39:11
April 05 2010 17:38 GMT
#2
Hey man, Raynor here. I don' think them roaches are good for mineral harassin', it be like sending them on a suicide mission, like me and Fenix once went to but we got the skills, alright.
ZenDeX
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Philippines2916 Posts
April 05 2010 17:40 GMT
#3
On April 06 2010 02:38 Jimmy Raynor wrote:
Hey man, Raynor here. I don' think them roaches are good for mineral harassin', it be like sending them on a suicide mission, like me and Fenix once went to but we got the skills, alright.

I was thinking the logic behind their ability to move while burrowed and I think it makes sense. Similar on how you would send DT's to kill off a few SCV's.
Random()
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
Kyrgyz Republic1462 Posts
April 05 2010 17:41 GMT
#4
On April 06 2010 02:29 lolaloc wrote:
Terran:

Marauder - build these to win straight up
Banshee - build these to win through harassment
Other units - build these to lose

Sorry, couldn't resist.

On a serious note, there are IMO very few units that have a strictly defined role, and each unit is individual enough and its use situational to make such classification useless.
j4vz
Profile Joined March 2010
Canada976 Posts
April 05 2010 17:43 GMT
#5

Marauder - build these to win straight up


terran doesnt have others options to not lose straight up.
someone_elses_lies@live.fr
ZenDeX
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Philippines2916 Posts
April 05 2010 17:44 GMT
#6
On April 06 2010 02:41 Random() wrote:
Marauder - build these to win straight up

That's a nice one. Anyway, this thread is supposed to decipher each unit's supposed role in the game. The Marauder's slow seems to be put in SC2 to replace the Firebat's capability on keeping Zerglings and Zealots at bay.
iounas
Profile Joined July 2008
409 Posts
April 05 2010 17:48 GMT
#7
On April 06 2010 02:40 lolaloc wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 06 2010 02:38 Jimmy Raynor wrote:
Hey man, Raynor here. I don' think them roaches are good for mineral harassin', it be like sending them on a suicide mission, like me and Fenix once went to but we got the skills, alright.

I was thinking the logic behind their ability to move while burrowed and I think it makes sense. Similar on how you would send DT's to kill off a few SCV's.

Burrow moving and self healing makes them stealthy and able to run past cannons because they just regen and dont give a fck..
DT is not cool anymore as banshee or roach
IdrA: stalkers actually do negative damage. when you shoot a marine with a stalker it gains health.
TSL-Lore
Profile Joined January 2009
United States412 Posts
April 05 2010 17:51 GMT
#8
On April 06 2010 02:44 lolaloc wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 06 2010 02:41 Random() wrote:
Marauder - build these to win straight up

That's a nice one. Anyway, this thread is supposed to decipher each unit's supposed role in the game. The Marauder's slow seems to be put in SC2 to replace the Firebat's capability on keeping Zerglings and Zealots at bay.


that's an interesting assessment, as their role also seems to keep everything else on the ground at bay. Also, that their supposed "weakness" is those 2 units you mentioned.


hmm..
I want to become stronger. -Shindou Hikaru
ZenDeX
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Philippines2916 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-04-05 17:55:19
April 05 2010 17:52 GMT
#9
On April 06 2010 02:48 iounas wrote:
makes them stealthy and able to run past cannons because they just regen and dont give a fck..

Which strengthens their roles as a harassment unit. Supposedly, cannons would not do shit to Roaches even if they have Detection because of ridiculous regeneration.

On April 06 2010 02:51 TSL-Lore wrote:
that's an interesting assessment, as their role also seems to keep everything else on the ground at bay. Also, that their supposed "weakness" is those 2 units you mentioned.


hmm..

Which IMO is wrong. First of all, why would you get a unit that can slow enemy units' movement? Of course it's to prevent the enemy from touching your army.
yomi
Profile Blog Joined June 2004
United States773 Posts
April 05 2010 18:49 GMT
#10
On April 06 2010 02:29 lolaloc wrote:
Marauder - anti-melee unit

lol
ZenDeX
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Philippines2916 Posts
April 05 2010 18:56 GMT
#11
On April 06 2010 03:49 yomi wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 06 2010 02:29 lolaloc wrote:
Marauder - anti-melee unit

lol

Please realize that the topic is about the SUPPOSED ROLE for each unit. Seeing that the marauder has a slow, it just makes sense that it is used to keep melee/short-ranged units at bay.

To help yourself, why don't you ask yourself first: What is the slow MAINLY for?
kerpal
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United Kingdom2695 Posts
April 05 2010 19:03 GMT
#12
i don't think that the game is simple enough to confine each unit to a single 'role'

also, by your definition of DPSer (low damage, high rate) shouldn't DTs and immortals be nukers?
ZenDeX
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Philippines2916 Posts
April 05 2010 19:11 GMT
#13
On April 06 2010 04:03 kerpal wrote:
i don't think that the game is simple enough to confine each unit to a single 'role'

Unless you study each unit individually and project how each unit performs in a generic game.

On April 06 2010 04:03 kerpal wrote:
also, by your definition of DPSer (low damage, high rate) shouldn't DTs and immortals be nukers?

Thanks for the correction.
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