• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 12:54
CEST 18:54
KST 01:54
  • 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: In A Tizzy11[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Holy Diver5[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Rough Waters10[ASL22] Ro24 Preview: Siren's Call8[ASL22] Ro24 Preview: Summer's End9
Community News
Weekly Cups (Sep 13-20): herO scores triple2BSL Season 2312Weekly Cups (Sep 7-12): SHIN, ByuN, MaxPax double down1StarCraft open world shooter announced at BlizzCon101Weekly Cups (Aug 30-Sep 7): herO thrives amid growing schism10
StarCraft 2
General
How do you feel about the StarCraft shooter announcement at BlizzCon 2026? Balance hotfix patch 5.0.16b (July 16) Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool Weekly Cups (Sep 13-20): herO scores triple The Death of Cheese: From a Professional Cheeser
Tourneys
2026 GSTL Grand Finals ScienceCraft (October 24-25) - Live Event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament Master Swan Open (Global Bronze-Master 2) Stellar Fest TWO the Moon (Dec 16-20)
Strategy
[H] ZvP Mid-Late Game: Stalkers Collossi HT
Custom Maps
[M] (2) Sweltering Sands [M] (2) Frigid Storage
External Content
Mutation # 544 Double Trouble The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 543 Enhanced Defenses Mutation # 542 The Ascended
Brood War
General
Bot on ladder Syncronization issues and can't find games an AI researcher's take on the ladder bot NaDa's Body BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/
Tourneys
[ASL22] Ro8 Day 2 [ASL22] Ro8 Day 1 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [IPSL] IPSL is Back With Winter 26-27!
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
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne EVE Corporation Diablo IV
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
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Artificial Intelligence Thread All you football fans (soccer)!
Fan Clubs
MarineLorD Fan Club The Creator Fan Club The ShoWTimE Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece Diablo Animated Series on Netflix
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Recent Gifted Posts
Blogs
Violent-Cooperative Play and…
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: 8509 users

Death to the Deathball

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 HotS
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
AzraelArchontas
Profile Joined September 2012
United States78 Posts
October 04 2012 14:37 GMT
#1
I would like to hear your opinions on how to stop the deathball

Example:

Terran: Allow more ways to punish mech immobility and benefit spreading army out make mech positioning even better(more important) give mech a new "core unit" (I wouldn't mind an AA or mech but i think they should retain a weakness to air)

Zerg: add more a new mid tear "core" unit so that they don't just press straight to hive and a new fast counter attack unit

Protoss: A new Gateway unit that is tear 2-2.5 if done right it would punish early 4 gate also reavers(while keeping colossus) and a "real" harass unit

I think that more options/core(midgame units) would reduce the deathball by increasing midgame length and punishing immobile or clumped armies

-This is about balance design and concept
-I want better funner games where we have a midgame more aggression, less all-ins , and No more deathballs
Qikz
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
United Kingdom12056 Posts
October 04 2012 15:42 GMT
#2
Not that I disagree with your ideas, but is.

Terran: Allow more ways to punish mech immobility


Really necessary? Everything in the game already punishes mech immobility. :p
FanTaSy's #1 Fan | STPL Caster/Organiser | SKT BEST KT | https://twitch.tv/stpl
rpgalon
Profile Joined April 2011
Brazil1069 Posts
October 04 2012 15:47 GMT
#3
give more AoE options to the races.
badog
MateShade
Profile Joined July 2011
Australia736 Posts
October 04 2012 15:57 GMT
#4
Is this thread a joke?
Tppz!
Profile Joined October 2010
Germany1449 Posts
October 04 2012 15:59 GMT
#5
There is no Terran Deathball.
And we have enough ways to punih Mech right now.

Zerg: Thats why you have the Swarm Host. But you also need some interaction/disadvantage from going to broodlords. Infestors are too good an stilize you for going to fast Hive etc. In my opinioni we need a way to punish going greedy into Hightech. Right now there is only a way in PvZ with the Immortal sentry allin. In TvZ almost never can kill the Zerg. You have to get a huge advantage and press this constantly.

Protoss Deathball is fine right now. Zerg have ways to deal with it and Terrans should be able to mech against it in the expansion.
AzraelArchontas
Profile Joined September 2012
United States78 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-04 16:19:10
October 04 2012 16:17 GMT
#6
When I say more ways to punish mech immobility I just mean more options.
With protoss i just hate seeing cheese rush or turtle till deathball every game,
and zerg just seem to take 3 bases fast rush hive and go broodlord infestor

When I play I would like a longer early-midgame with more options counter attacks and conflicts
I want the players to be clashing not oh they have map control so you turtle I want engagements
to be necessary greedy and over aggressive play to be punished
I want to see more builds and options that strengthen the idea that you don't have to hit T3 to
compete I would like to see more anti-siege units and counter attack/raiding units
I want to have more units that play off of each other so that when one unit is massed it has no chance

Also if you disagree tell me your solutions or ideas and what you would like to see
Tppz!
Profile Joined October 2010
Germany1449 Posts
October 04 2012 16:21 GMT
#7
All these things are adressed right now in HotS by different units. Do you play the beta?

And there are more than enough ways to punish mech immobility. Mech is already way weaker than Bio. Why would you "nerf" it even more?
AzraelArchontas
Profile Joined September 2012
United States78 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-04 16:45:09
October 04 2012 16:39 GMT
#8
Not a nerf to mech just other options
As well I would like to see (since the warhound was removed) a new core unit for mech
I feel that mech once people start to figure it out more will out preform bio and I am looking for
less deathballs more spread out milti-pronged attacks and I feel bio dose that well I would like
to see mech gain options so that it can "spread out" more and not be to thin to function the
only thing I would like to see are options against deathballs and turtling till T3 NR20 just dosnt
exciting or fun to me same thing with NR10 so I would like units abilities or changes that would
hinder/destroy the deathball

I like the way Hots is going but it doesn't seem to be doing much against the deathball with the
new changes to the MsC I like the concept of the tempest and SH being siege units that operate
far from the rest of your forces but WM don't do this for mech

Though I would focus my changes on Protoss and Zerg because I believe they are the root of the
deathball problem Protoss because of early defense and the strength of its T3 and zerg because
it lacks a proficient midgame and again the strength of its T3

Just to make sure I am not being unclear I know that a lot of these problems are being addressed
But most are still a problem from what I have seen in Hots
So I would like to know your solutions and what problems you see.
Grendel
Profile Joined November 2010
Belgium126 Posts
October 04 2012 17:12 GMT
#9
Well, one way to NOT counter it, is by introducing Swarm Hosts. The opponent needs a deathball to beat the locusts, abd Zerg needs a deathball to protect the Swarm Hosts.

While yes, the Swarm host is quite fine, it only encourages death ball play.
stard1n
Profile Joined September 2012
50 Posts
October 04 2012 18:00 GMT
#10
There is no Terran Deathball.


Are we playing the same game?
Kambing
Profile Joined May 2010
United States1176 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-04 18:30:50
October 04 2012 18:04 GMT
#11
On October 05 2012 02:12 Grendel wrote:
Well, one way to NOT counter it, is by introducing Swarm Hosts. The opponent needs a deathball to beat the locusts, abd Zerg needs a deathball to protect the Swarm Hosts.

While yes, the Swarm host is quite fine, it only encourages death ball play.


If zerg overcommits to making hosts, you counter it by going around the hosts with your mobile units, e.g., drops, prism play, blink stalkers. Zerg on the other hand does need an army to protect hosts, but since they are easy to parry given a critical mass of AE damage, that army needs to be mobile enough to exploit the opponent when they are zoned out by the hosts, e.g., speed hydras.

If you have two players that aren't comfortable with multitasking, then yes, hosts encourages deathball play. But you get deathball play in that scenario, regardless.
MyFirstProbe
Profile Joined April 2011
Netherlands294 Posts
October 04 2012 18:12 GMT
#12
On October 05 2012 00:59 Tppz! wrote:
There is no Terran Deathball.
And we have enough ways to punih Mech right now.

Zerg: Thats why you have the Swarm Host. But you also need some interaction/disadvantage from going to broodlords. Infestors are too good an stilize you for going to fast Hive etc. In my opinioni we need a way to punish going greedy into Hightech. Right now there is only a way in PvZ with the Immortal sentry allin. In TvZ almost never can kill the Zerg. You have to get a huge advantage and press this constantly.

Protoss Deathball is fine right now. Zerg have ways to deal with it and Terrans should be able to mech against it in the expansion.


Well yeah, there are ways to deal with the deathballs, but that doesn't make it fun to watch a game where players just don't attack for the first ten minutes and attack when you are at 200/200.
Berceno
Profile Joined May 2012
Spain401 Posts
October 04 2012 18:22 GMT
#13
On October 05 2012 03:00 stard1n wrote:
Show nested quote +
There is no Terran Deathball.


Are we playing the same game?


+1, the bio ball is basicly a deathball
protoss living in da ghetto
CrtBalorda
Profile Joined December 2011
Slovenia704 Posts
October 04 2012 18:32 GMT
#14
Remove unit synergy, unit counters, unit clumping, infinate unit selection and give the licence to the starcraft series to another company (preferably Valve).
4th August 2012...Never forget.....
TheLunatic
Profile Joined February 2011
309 Posts
October 04 2012 18:35 GMT
#15
Terran death ball, lol funny
Phoenix2003
Profile Joined August 2012
126 Posts
October 04 2012 18:49 GMT
#16
On October 05 2012 03:22 Berceno wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 05 2012 03:00 stard1n wrote:
There is no Terran Deathball.


Are we playing the same game?


+1, the bio ball is basicly a deathball


Terran players are just in denial.
TheManInBlack
Profile Blog Joined December 2011
Nigeria266 Posts
October 04 2012 19:21 GMT
#17
How is the Terran bioball a deathball when it doesn't trade nearly as efficiently as Z and P? You also need drops to augment it.
link0
Profile Joined March 2010
United States1071 Posts
October 04 2012 19:48 GMT
#18
Protoss has the army that benefits most from deathballs, mainly because their units have a greater cost/size ratio so they stack better.

The game would need major redesigns to discourage deathballs. There needs to be units that deal massive AOE damage (to prevent enemy army from deathballing), but the AOE damage must not stack (to discourage yourself from deathballing) OR are HIGHLY immobile.

IMO, tanks should have their seige mode damage buffed in exchange for even slower transformation times.
http://www.justin.tv/link0 - Gosu.Linko - http://www.facebook.com/link0
RaZorwire
Profile Joined April 2012
Sweden718 Posts
October 04 2012 20:50 GMT
#19
On October 05 2012 03:22 Berceno wrote:
+1, the bio ball is basicly a deathball


Though the early game and parts of the midgame, yes, but as soon as the other races get enough AoE, a Terran is screwed if he doesn't split up his bioball properly. If you clump up your bio and A-move death ball style into a Zerg or Protoss army, you will ge fungaled and die, or stormed and die.
MasterCynical
Profile Joined September 2012
505 Posts
October 04 2012 20:56 GMT
#20
There seems to be a huge amount of confusion regarding the term 'mech'.

we have the first group of people who have watched pro korean BW and know 'mech' to be just positional leap frogging tank play with vulture harass and map control.

we have the second group who just consider 'mech' as factory units.

please state whether your refering to positional play or just making units from the factory, as it has created much confusion, even for the people at the blizzard. We all know how well this has turned out especially with blizzard comming up with the warhound to help 'mech'

Currently WOL mech is not positional mech play, its just another death ball. you just max out and march your army to the enemy base and kill him.
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 6m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
BRAT_OK 58
LaughNgamez 1
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 49084
BeSt 1608
Shuttle 1191
Mini 888
actioN 373
Dewaltoss 90
Hyun 42
Barracks 39
910 36
ToSsGirL 35
[ Show more ]
soO 23
Bale 20
zelot 19
Rock 19
Free 15
yabsab 14
ajuk12(nOOB) 5
Dota 2
Dendi1403
BananaSlamJamma379
Counter-Strike
fl0m1404
Heroes of the Storm
Grubby1413
Khaldor369
Trikslyr40
Other Games
B2W.Neo923
Beastyqt528
KnowMe154
ArmadaUGS138
Mew2King43
Chillindude12
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream7853
StarCraft: Brood War
Afreeca ASL 295
Other Games
BasetradeTV95
gamesdonequick16
[ Show 16 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH284
• StrangeGG 45
• Airneanach17
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• blackmanpl 31
• FirePhoenix12
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• WagamamaTV504
League of Legends
• Nemesis4358
Other Games
• Shiphtur295
Upcoming Events
AI Arena Tournament
6m
BSL: Ladder Tournament
2h 6m
GSL
15h 6m
Yamato Cup
22h 6m
BSL Open Qualifier
1d 2h
BSL Open Qualifier
1d 2h
Replay Cast
1d 7h
Afreeca Starleague
1d 17h
Soma vs Jaedong
WardiTV Weekly
1d 18h
Monday Night Weeklies
1d 23h
[ Show More ]
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
Afreeca Starleague
2 days
Leta vs Soulkey
PiGosaur Cup
3 days
Kung Fu Cup
3 days
The PondCast
4 days
Replay Cast
5 days
CranKy Ducklings
6 days
Online Event
6 days
FEL
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Acropolis #5 - GSA
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Big Dog Cup 2026 Div 1

Ongoing

ASL Season 22
CSL 2026 AUTUMN (S22)
Acropolis #5
Calamity Invitational
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
Stake Ranked Episode 3

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
Stake Ranked Episode 4
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.