EPTThis thread is not a semantic debate about the term 'Magic Box'. Please discuss the technique, not the title.
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In the game, Dimaga went muta-baneling versus Morrow's marines, tanks, and medivacs. In one major confrontation at the center of the map, Dimaga established a nice concave to let his banelings approach the bio ball from multiple flanks. However, Morrow's tanks proved too plentiful and Morrow suffered minimal casualties. Acid, futile acid, stained the fertile grasslands.
This technique can be used to reduce the effects of splash on baneling balls charging toward balls of marines who are supported by tanks. It also increases the baneling's potency versus a roach/hydra/infestor ball in ZvZ, since fungal growth is not as effective (and if you've never seen banelings tear up hydralisks, I suggest you go into a unit tester right now).
![[image loading]](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y205/Schmyesh/Screenshot2010-08-2516_35_54.jpg)
A group of banelings looking to get shelled.
How it Works
As with mutalisks, a group of selected banelings are assigned a "magic box" which will cause the units to maintain their formation within that box when you issue a move command outside of it. If you manually spread out a small group of banelings and tell them to move, they will maintain their formation as they move. However, manually spacing out small groups banelings proves to be a demanding task, never mind spacing out 10+.
![[image loading]](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y205/Schmyesh/Screenshot2010-08-2516_36_33.jpg)
Confident banelings marching to victory
Enter the PATROL command. When you select a group of banelings and issue a patrol command (not too near, not too far), they will gradually space themselves out as each individual baneling tries to execute their patrol. The STOP command will freeze the banelings in their formation, and when you tell them to move, they will maintain their formation. The system will have a hard time assigning a magic box for patrolling banelings which have assumed an erratic shape. A single click + STOP command will fix this, assuming you aren't dealing with too large a group.
![[image loading]](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y205/Schmyesh/Screenshot2010-08-2516_37_01.jpg)
Coach Bobby Baneling delivers a pep talk as his rag-a-muffins get ready for the fight
With the patrol method of spreading your banelings, you can issue a patrol command when your banelings spawn in your base and forget about the patrol until you need them for a battle. Alternatively, you can wait a couple seconds, press STOP, and have your formations established prior to a battle.
Large Groups of Banelings
This technique only worked for me with groups of banelings no smaller than about 16-20. For larger baneling groups, the magic box system appears to have difficulties maintaining unit formations, and when you issue a move command, and they will cluster as they reach their destination. You can still issue a patrol command to spread them out, but afterward you must issue move commands in smaller groups. This is the only work-around I have come up with, if someone finds a better one, I invite you to share.
I implore you to explore the possibilities of this technique and share your experiences here. If you can refine this technique in any way, please also share.
Edit! See this thread for more uses of patrol micro to combat clustering! Sorry for not spotting it originally!
