If you read the OP you'd understand that the post is 3 months old and refers to the patch that stopped terrans opening with a Barracks on 6 supply, a Refinery on 6 and a Tech Lab on 7 supply, then rushing reaper speed and 2 or 3 reapers. In that situation there was nothing that Zerg, Protoss or Terran could do unless they go like 11 Spine Crawler in the mineral line (or Bunker/Photon Cannon). The patch also made the speed upgrade require a factory, which renders speed reapers a mid game luxury. When you'd much rather be making tanks, marauders, marines, medivacs...

My argument was that the one change should have been made: either Barracks requiring Supply Depot OR the Nitro Packs requiring the Factory. Not both. Because overall, it reduces a Terran's opening options, and limits his early harassment to a bunker rush or stim push (which is now being pushed back again according to the PTR).


Precisely.

Yep, it's true that Reapers do counter gas-less Zerg. But not 'very well'. Spine Crawler placement and a queen or two with Transfuse can fend off reapers easily - at least in any sort of numbers you can expect prior to Roaches being available. Your queen's cant chase them, so your best bet is just to leave a queen or two in your mineral line - or your Spine Crawler.

With the benefit of hindsight, I still think Terran has simply too many 'viable' units. Reapers, Hellions and Banshees all have good harassment qualities. Then the Medivac adds Marines, Marauders and Siege Tanks to their arsenal for harassing mineral lines / distracting / annoying opponents.

You forget that Sentries Guardian Shield and a +1 armor/shield upgrade pretty much makes your Stalkers immune to Mutalisk bounce damage, and reduces the initial damage by 30%. Combine this with Blinking as he retreats his Mutalisks and you're pretty safe from direct Muta assaults. It is rare that your opponent will be able to afford a mutalisk-ball AND infestors, unless he has like triple fast expanded and you didn't scout at all

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on May 9 2011, 4:32 pm by Cardinal.

Well, Mutalisks are primarily harass units (great way to hurt opposing economy and make them invest in static defenses), and Muta/Ling/Infestor is one of the standard builds. If they're going mass Blink Stalkers, you should probably favor Infestors over Mutas.