Had enough StarCraft 2 yet? Of course you haven’t! I don’t even know why we bother asking these questions. Here at Stratagems we believe that there is in fact no such thing as enough StarCraft 2, which is why we’ve delved deep into the bowels of the internet to bring you some of our favourite replays, showcasing some of the most delightful tactics. Of course we don’t need to remind you that Internode doesn’t own YouTube (yet!), so the content in the videos below is obviously metered.

DrunkBobby (Protoss) vs IdrA (Zerg)

This first video is a really fascinating study into how excellent micro of even one single ability can turn a simple opening gambit into a victorious push. Starring the infamous pro-gamer IdrA as the Zerg, it’s just a short match but for a good reason - pay attention at 5:15 when the Stalker push begins.


IdrA once again demonstrating his reputation as a bm-player at the end there! Truly this video teaches us much about both micro and manners.

Pinder (Protoss) vs Hectic (Zerg)

Now this battle is a really interesting one spread over three parts, with lots of back-and-forth action. It’s good to see battles between evenly-matched foes that last longer than ten minutes; since it’s a great opportunities for nub-tastic grunts like me to see solid showcases of economy management, expansion placement and base-building plans. Of great note in this game is the Overlord placement from Zerg player Hectic - by remaining just out of range and up on a ledge in the middle of the Protoss base, he allows Hectic to gather intel on the Protoss build orders throughout pretty much the entire game.


What this replay also clearly demonstrates is the value of investing in unit upgrades in the drawn-out games. With resources becoming scarce, unit upgrades are a once-off payment that basically gives you exponentially more bang for your buck. As you’ll see in this video, sticking to just a handful of highly-upgraded units can often be more effective than teching up to un-upgraded higher-tier units.

BrokenRhythm (Zerg) vs Joker (Terran)

And to end on a bit of fun, this next video showcases a delightful 1v1 tactic that is probably a one-trick-pony only: a double proxy Evolution Chamber rush. Using some quick cancelling and the knowledge that your opponent is expecting something else completely, you can actually deploy a pair of Evolution Chambers directly into his base, walling him in and creating time-bombs that spawn Broodlings upon their inevitable death. Warning - video contains some swears.


While clearly a joke tactic rather than a serious strategy, it still highlights what for me is the excellent versatile nature of the Zerg and shows that with a bit of creativity, you can win a game before the opponent even realises that the battle has begun.

What strategies have been successful in SC2 for you, and what replays have you been studying to hone your zen-micro skills? Let us know in the comments!