Combat | Advices SC II: Legacy of the Void Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

Scouting is the basis. Send scouts with the mission of finding enemy forces as quickly as possible. Finding the main base is most important, but smaller outposts and groups of units are important as well. If you know where your enemy is, you will plan your defense and the attack direction better. Additionally, the scouts can check what places for base building are already occupied and they can take over neutral buildings scattered through the map.

Concentrate your fire. Unit strength is independent to their health. It means, that even with 1 health point, a unit will be as dangerous as when it has 100 and more health. Because of that, it is better to kill enemies than only hurt them. Whenever it is possible, try to mark targets for your units manually. If you're performing an aggressive movement, select part of your forces after reaching the enemy and manually give them targets. Troops that are using aggressive movement will disperse their fire immediately after meeting the enemy, which in long term can prove to be ineffective. It is better to have one killed and one fully healed ultralisk than two hurt and still able to fight ones.

Concentrate your fire on important targets. What's an important target depends on situation on the battlefield. Sometimes it will be a medivac or a siege tank, other time a mutalisk or ultralisk. When you see enemy army, think about which unit will give you most trouble. It doesn't necessarily have to be large damage, but for example attack with area of effect or slowing down your units. If it is possible, concentrate on these units and then finish up the rest.

Lure enemies into traps. Position some siege tanks on a cliff and use your infantry to lure the enemy into its reach. Bury large group of zerglings in a place which enemy will surely pick to build his base. Use a group of dark templars to attack the back of enemy which will be fighting the rest of your units. Thanks to traps, you will deal great damage to enemy and most of your units will survive.

Don't worry about your losses. Each larger battle will end with greater or smaller weakening of your forces. Some of your units will die due to attack with area of effect, a strong enemy unit, skill or a single zergling who killed her with few quick attacks. Battles in Legacy of the Void are quick, brutal and always bloody and losses are inevitable. Get used to it, you will be always losing some forces. Sooner you learn that, sooner you will be able to focus on effectively managing your forces.

Use skills. Use the TAB key to switch between units in a group and check what skills they have. Try to use them in battle in unconventional way. For example, order your stalkers to teleport in the middle of enemy group, thus dispersing its fire. Don't forget about skills that are available in campaign and cooperation mode, they will many times save you in critical situation. If you can, let your units pick skills on their own. It is hard to pick targets to heal or repair the shields in the middle of a fierce battle, but the units can do it on their own.