You Don’t Like 2 Hour Swarm Host Games? Here’s One Solution

Swarm hosts are not a bad unit. Let me clarify, though, before everyone stops reading this post: swarm hosts are a horrible unit for the current state of Starcraft 2.

I think most people would agree with that statement. Swarm hosts replaced broodlords as being the nightmare unit that Terrans and Protosses (and sometimes Zergs) dread. When swarm hosts first came out, they seemed interesting and everyone thought they could possibly change the meta of Starcraft 2; they certainly did, although currently not in a way anyone (except maybe Stephano?) is happy with.

What are the current problems with swarm hosts? Some would focus on the damage they do with free units, but I instead want to focus on the problem of mobility. Swarm hosts reduce the mobility of the game, consolidating the action to choke points via slow siege warfare. The hay day of TvT siege warfare looks spectacularly more interesting in comparison (even though many of us bemoaned the state of GOMTvT at that time). With static defense and endless swarms of locusts, games drag to a grind.

The slow siege is particularly painful in ZvZ (as evidenced by Stephano vs Petraeus at the Lone Star Clash 3) where spores shut down the most obvious harassment unit available to zergs against swarm hosts: mutas. Ground runbys are pointless as they will get destroyed by the locusts before they cause much damage. Looking at other match ups, in ZvP,  it might be a painful siege, but at least there are tempests to break the line, while in ZvT swarm hosts are largely ignored except when Zergs face mech; if zergs try to use swarm hosts against bio, they can expect disastrous drops all over the map.

So, how do you fix swarm hosts?

Like I said earlier, they are a horrible unit for the current game of Starcraft 2–the meta game at the professional level and at the higher spectrum of play. The tough thing that Blizzard has to do, and that we as a community tend to forget, is that they have to balance both for Jaedong and XxX666PoolRushXxX in bronze league.

My proposal is to make a change that will simply shake up the meta. Give the pros something to ponder that will spice up the game a little bit and, most importantly, open up new options.

Nydus worms. We were told there would be changes to nydurs worms in Heart of the Swarm; it was teased and then axed, much like the warhound (RIP). Whether it would be a deployable turret or spread creep or whatever, Blizzard said they wanted to do something with nydus worms and then never did. And I think now is the perfect time to try a change. A simple experiment that the community has requested for a long time: don’t restrict the number of nydus networks that can be built at one time.

Think about it: in ZvZ, the biggest problem is that swarm hosts can just sit back and send out their locusts. There are no incentives to move them. Siege lines move because one person has more swarm hosts than the other, or there is some reason to divert some locusts away from the main point of conflict. Mutas are out of the equation because of spores, and the ground is pretty much dominated because of the locusts. Currently, if nydus worms are built in ZvZ, the enemy will spot them and quickly dispatch a wave of locusts or pull drones to kill the worm. If more than one nydus network could be built at one time, though, this becomes infinitely harder for the slow-moving locusts and swarm hosts. Suddenly, more army supply has to be reserved for mobile units, and swarm hosts can be used as they were intended: to supplement armies instead of being the army.

In general, buffing nydus networks is a long overdue change. Zerg is a race that’s all about mobility, and the swarm hosts destroy that for the most part. Nydus networks are still a low-risk threat to other match ups, as both Protoss and Terrans have higher mobility even in a swarm host-siege situation.

So, the pros as I see it:

1) In ZvZ, this will force Zerg opponents to invest in a more mobile army to counter possible nydus worm networks popping up on various sides of the map.

2) Swarm hosts themselves can be more mobile, popping up on different parts of the map, sieging for a moment, and then slipping away. This might be unbalanced and would require further testing, but it certainly doesn’t make for 2 hour long snorefests and might help balance the game in other ways.

3) More innovative play. Nydus networks are one of the most underutilized buildings/strategies in the game, typically only reserved for cheese play. The only building used less often is probably the fusion core.

Maybe instead of just making a change to the overall design of nydus networks, an upgrade ability (maybe available at lair, maybe hive) could be added to the game. This would allow further tweaking to nydus networks until a balance is found.

I am not a Master-level player. I play Zerg at the diamond level on the North American server. I am not going to pretend that I know everything about Starcraft. But making things viable seems like a good goal. A change to the nydus network might help break up the monotony of play. I know I for one am extremely tired of swarm hosts and their current role in the meta. Maybe this will imbalance the game, but honestly, I think most of us would prefer shaking up the metagame than enduring more of these mind-numbing swarm host games.

What are your thoughts on the swarm host situation in Starcraft 2? Do you think the unit can be saved by rebalancing it or other units? Or do you think it should be taken out completely?

LIG: Ridal vs thebrotoss (TvT)

It’s been a long time coming. I’m not sure what happened. Well, I kind of know why there was a delay: Ridal actually broke his finger. So this is the make-up games between Ridal and thebrotoss. Will we see some hardcore gaming rage? Find out!

Starcraft 2 – LIG Round 5: NeutralKotic vs ducK

We’re already in Round 5 of the League of Inadequate Gamers. It’s kind of hard to believe how fast the season is passing! With only three rounds left to play, this first matchup between NeutralKotic (#2 in the LIG) and ducK (#1) could be critical in the final tournament seeding. Who takes the series? Find out below and enjoy some intense Starcraft 2 action!

Starcraft 2 – LIG ducK [Z] vs thebrotoss [T]

Duck has been dominating the League of Inadequate Gamers for some time now. And when I say dominating, I mean he hasn’t been number 1 since the LIG started. Will thebrotoss be able to take down the Swarm? Find out as they battle it out (videos after the bump)

LIG: CrAzian vs thebrotoss

Season 1 of the League of Inadequate Gamers is quickly coming to a close. Already we’re finishing Round Three. Enjoy the videos after the bump, and don’t forget to like Morality Points on Facebook!

Chaotic Thoughts: The Red Pixels of Communism

I’m one of those people that feel that videogames contain a deeper meaning; of course, I was an English major— we think there’s deeper meaning in a pile of rocks, so take all of this with a grain of salt. So as I click my way through Starcraft 2, my mind starts to wander while the dozens of SCVs scurry about the blue crystals. Call me McCarthy, but I believe that the primary struggle in Starcraft 2 is the battle between communism and capitalism.

Joe McCarthy didn't rock the Zerg rush

Think about it: to protect their way of life, humanity (the Terrans) are fighting an alien race (the Zerg) that swarms across the universe. Furthermore, the Zerg are controlled by a collective mind—or at least were, until a new charismatic leader (Kerrigan) rose up to take over the party.

I also present as evidence the character of Jim Raynor and his crew. Each Terran character exhibits strong individual values, but more importantly, Raynor and Tychus are after capital to fund their war. They will do whatever it takes to discover new mineral reserves and fill their coffers, desecrating sacred ground and displacing native populaces. Sound familiar?

Practically cousins