StarCraft/Counters
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[edit] Protoss
[edit] Probe
This will almost never be used for military purposes, other than scouting, early harassment, or the dreaded "Cannon Rush" strategy. Each race can put up towers (Bunkers, Photon Cannons, etc.) to discourage Probe espionage.
[edit] Zealot
The Zealot is significantly more powerful than its Zergling and Marine counterparts, but it cannot attack air units. They remain useful into the late game, especially with their speed upgrade.
- Zerg: Swarming with Zerglings or using "Hydralisk Dancing" techniques are generally effective. Lurkers work well when they are available, and any air unit.
- Terran: Firebats with Medic support work well, and Vultures are even better. Again, any air unit with a ground attack is effective.
- Protoss: Zealots of your own with Psionic Storm or Reaver support work well. Scouts, Carriers, and undetected Dark Templar can attack with impunity.
[edit] Dragoon
The Dragoon is a staple of most Protoss forces, often seen backing up Zealots and Reavers.
- Zerg: Swarms of Zerglings and Mutalisks are good counters because the Dragoon deals less damage to "small" units. The Defiler's Dark Swarm and the Queen's Spawn Broodling spells are good choices as well.
- Terran: Marines and Medics, with their small size and full damage attack, are the best counter until Siege Tanks.
- Protoss: Zealots can defeat an equal Dragoon force if left unchecked. Reavers and Psionic Storm are good support choices as well.
[edit] High Templar
The High Templar is a spellcaster with no attack, slow speed, and powerful spells. Any time it is unsupported and in the open is a good time to attack it.
- Zerg: Small packs of Zerglings can take out lone Templar easily. Queens with Spawn Broodling are effective to pick off Templar in battle, and Ultralisks have enough hit points to absorb a few Psionic Storms.
- Terran: The Science Vessel's Irradiate is a good choice, though unstacked Battlecruisers are strong enough to take Psionic Storm attacks without dying.
- Protoss: The Dark Archon's Feedback spell works well, and Reavers can strike far-off Templar with their long range attack. Dark Templar sneak attacks can also discourage Templar strikes.
[edit] Dark Templar
The main threat with this specialty unit is in its permanent cloaking effect. Once detected, its main advantage is neutralized (though it still boasts a powerful attack)
- Zerg: Keep Spore Colonies (Sunken Colonies cannot detect) and Overlords near at all times. The Queen's ensnare can also reveal cloaked units.
- Terran: Keep Missile Turrets and Science Vessels nearby at all times (additionally, the Vessel's Irradiate Spell works well). Comstat Stations are a short-term solution, but an experienced Dark Templar user can work around them.
- Protoss: Build Photon Cannons around your base and bring Observers with your attack force.
[edit] Archon
The Archon has a tremendous (350 point) shield and a brutal splash melee attack, though it has little hit points. Shields take full damage from all enemy attacks.
- Zerg: Use the Guardians' long range to take them out from afar. Try to keep the Archon at a distance whenever possible, and try not to use Zerglings or Mutalisks.
- Terran: Obviously, the Science Vessel and its shield draining EMP are a perfect counter, though be ready to follow up with regular units to deal the final 10 damage.
- Protoss: Reavers and Carriers can deal heavy damage to Archons from afar, but be ready to support these units should the Archon get close.
[edit] Dark Archon
The Dark Archon is a dangerous spellcaster, but, like the Archon, has few hit points and high shields.
- Zerg: Maelstrom is always a threat, stunning ALL biological units in a certain area for 10 seconds. Spread out your units to avoid the worst, and try and kill it quickly. (For the grandest display ever of this, see the game between Reach and Chojja in the 2005 MSL loser's finals). Spawn Broodling will not work on the Dark Archon as it did for the Templar (and the Dark Archon's Feedback can destroy Queen's easily).
- Terran: Tanks-their range is 3 greater than that of mind control. Using many MECHANICAL units works. Yamato gun destroys one in one hit.
- Protoss- Reavers- range and power. Your own dark archons with feedback can work well.
- Tempt the dark archon to mind control a unit, draining all its shields. Therefore, with 25 hp, the dark archon is as good as dead.
[edit] Scout
Scouts can attack air and ground, and is considered the best fighter craft, but missiles are explosive and lasers deal 8.
- Zerg: MUTAS. There are two reasons this will work: Scoust WILL be out numbered, and missiles deal only 14 damage to mutalisk. Hydras w/ or w/o dark swarm can also be particularily effective, but multipe hydralisk are needed for facing scouts.
- Terran: Goliaths can destroy scouts well. Two or three goliaths (preferably with the range upgrade) can outmatch a scout. The air is a different story. The scout outnumbers and beats battlecruisers and one scout may even beat two wraiths. However, one yamato hit or cloaking the wraiths will overpower the scout.
- Protoss: Scouts are easily countered by dragoons, and maybe templar with storm. To confront a scout in the air, outnumer with corsairs, or use at least two or three carriers.
- Most ground to air units will work when used in numbers. But, multiple scouts CAN overpower static defenses and some ground units.
[edit] Corsair
The Corsair is an fast air unit with a rapid, splash dealing air-to-air attack.
- Zerg: The Devourers, with their heavy armor and Acid Spores, are best suited to countering Corsairs.
- Terran: Battlecruisers and Valkyries, with their heavy armor, work best.
- Protoss: Corsairs rip through Interceptors fast, so Carriers are a poor choice. In small battles where the Corsair's splash has less effect, Scouts can defeat Corsairs. Stick with Corsairs of your own, or try using a Dark Archon's Feedback.
[edit] Carrier
The Carrier is known for its 4 base armor, and its ability to run and attack at the same time.
- Zerg: SCOURGE SCOURGE SCOURGE! 110 damage, and the carrier can barely fight back before its destroyed. Also, DEVOURERS. They weaken its armor, and stand well against interceptors.
- Terran: Yamato gun if you have it, but cloaked wraiths if they don't have detection work the best. Ghost lockdown is also very effective.
- Protoss: Scouts can work, but scouts are generally not recommended. Lots of dragoons, and even better, high templar with psionic storm. It deals a massive 112 damage, and the carrier is slow, taking much of the damage.
- Heavy armor- Intereptors only do 6 damage each.
[edit] Arbiter
The Arbiter cloaks every friendly unit around it, but cannot cloak itself. Also, 10 damage explosive is not a lot. Zerg: Probably any anti-air unit, particularily scourge. Just keep in mind, large groups of anything can be stasised, and large numbers of friendly units can be summoned for an offensive recall.
[edit] Zerg
[edit] Drone
The Drone is the worker for Zerg. It is less common to see them as scouting unites because a Zerg player almost always has numerous Overlords.
- Zerg: Mutalisks make great worker harassment because they can hit and run fast, as well as damage more than one worker at a time with their unique splash attack.
- Terran: In late game, Irradiate is good for taking out worker lines. Stacked cloaked Wraiths work well if the opponent is lax on their cloaking detection.
- Protoss: The High Templar's Psionic storm is an effective weapon that can kill nearly all of a player's workers with little warning. Reavers also make great worker killers because of their splash damage.
[edit] Overlord
The overlord is most encountered scouting through the base to check on the enemies' tech. It is slow moving, and has no attack, but the Zerg player will often have plenty to spare.
- Zerg: Mutalisks and Hydralisks are the best tools for chasing scouting overlords away, as they are the best anti-air units in the Zerg arsenal.
- Terran: Wraiths, Goliaths, Valkyres, and Marines are all good tools for killing/warding away scouting overlords, though Valkyres are particularly well-suited to destroying groups of Overlords with their splash damage.
- Protoss: Corsairs are generally most effective (especially against groups, like the Valkyrie), though Scouts and Dragoons are ample substitutes.
