The Clutch matrix

Hello, for those who dont know me I am Tachyons friend who brought me here (and thanks for the sig).
I thought of a few combos with the new Queen/Swarm Clutches system.
Circles = clutches
Squares = shriekers
Hatchery/Command Centre = the zerg/terran base

Basic Defense:
<img src="http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/576/clutch1hr3.jpg">
Basic tactic which will be used very often in my opinion. You have a group of clutches in the middle of your base and shriekers at the edge to distribute your clutches attack around the whole base. Shriekers have more hp + detector so they dont get killed so easily.

The offensive expanding:
<img src="http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4400/clutch2pf0.jpg">
Risky tactic similar to the Terran siege, turret, vulture expansion tactic. Your main group of clutches located in the base and then creep tumors and shriekers build in a line towards enemy base or any spot you want to defend/attack.

The main Matrix:
<img src="http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4075/clutch3xf6.jpg">
You might want to have a group of clutches located in between you bases or in you main base and distribute them along your other expansions.


You can speed up the process by using the overlord/overseer to spit out some creep. Also you might find useful to build shriekers more closer togever so if one gets destroyed the matrix doesn't collapse. Good thing about these tactics is that you can teleport your queen anywhere along that matrix and heal buildings or poison the creep.

The second and third tactic only work if shriekers themselves can link clutches, which I hope they will.

 

Nice ideas, but I don't think that's how it works. The clutches have to actually be in a Shrieker's pylon-like field, else they wont get the range bonus. And stacking won't work (or creating those passages you suggest), Clutches can only benefit from one Shrieker at a time.

 

[img width=500 height=375]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/J0neagle/pic6.jpg[/img]

Whiteboard explaination of the new system by Lead Designer Dustin Browder.
Cluches need to be in Shrieker range. No mention of Shriekers settting off Shriekers and then setting off Clutches.

 

You didn't waste my time exactly. Keep coming up with new ideas and strategies.

 

Still the first picture was very good, and cleared things up for many people i think! Great that a new member is so intrested in the game! And before i forget it, WELCOME COMRADE!
I must say im a huge fan of the new system, im sure it will turn out wonderfully.

 

So are all detection buildings going to show the detection radius like the Sensor Tower did in the Terran Demo, or has that aspect been removed since then?

 

I think it only applies to the sensor tower since its range far exceeds its LoS. The sensor tower acts as an early warning system, while the others do not have a range long enough to allow sufficient warning.

 

th ghost will do it aswell

 

I like that idea, but won't it be hard to keep the defense up if say, all the places were being attacked at once?

 

ced is right. Nice try on the post, but please edit it to show the correct function of the buildings so as not to mislead new members. Thanks!

 

One strat I wanna try out is offensive towering on the enemy cash line, with ZERG! Finally! a dream come true for Zerg. Don't say how in SC1 you could rush drones to plop sunkens on enemy creep, that's not what I'm talking about.

Whether this could work largely depends on whether the Queen could be transported to non-Zerg territory in some way, shape, or form. I asked Jon, but he couldn't give a definite confirmation either way, but I feel that it's likely with the Nydus.

The gist of the plan is to fly in one or more Ovies, drop some creep dead smack in the middle of or behind the enemy mineral line, pop the Queen, plop down Clutches(or Shriekers also if need be) like mad, and mop up enemy workers, deep tunnel away. As this is a tier 2 strat, you would probably need to work out a BO to pull it off fast enough. But you can pre-position the Ovies beforehand, and the Nydus has almost no travel time, so it shouldn't be that bad.

If all the mechanics needed remain in the final build, it should see some success, especially in larger team games on unsuspecting players who start off in a "safe" location. I was told that Clutches deal 20 damage a pop, and fire hella fast. Jon said Spore Colony fast, which is SC1 Hydra attack rate or a millisecond faster than two Zergling claw swipes, which is sick at 20 a pop ranged. That comes out to be exactly like a Guardian with Stim Pack, how sick is that? On top of that, they're near insta-build, sweet. The clutch's low HP shouldn't be an issue, because you're only going for the workers. If you can do more damage that's nice, but even if you just bag their workers, it should be worth it.

Of course you can also supplement this strat with other stuff to ensure a higher chance of success. Such as drawing attention to their choke, harassing their farthest expo, etc. Can't wait to try this out.

 

That tactic wouldn't work. The Queen needs to Deep Tunnel to a building, not just some empty creep. It might work later though. I'm not sure whether a deployed Nydus Wyrm counts as a building or not, but quickly fly some Overlords through, deploy the Nydus Wyrm, lay down Creep and pop Queen out. It'd have to be done extremely quickly, but you'd be able to send reinforcements through the Nydus Wyrm to back yourself up.

 

Wasn't talking about deep tunneling.

How does the combination of words trasnport and Nydus mean Deep Tunneling to you? While the Queen is a very unique unit, it is still, a unit. A ground unit at that. Thus, very possible to be transportable.

 

Nydus Wyrms come in way too late for that to be effective. They'd easily have enough defences and troops to destroy any Clutches before they hatched. Because of this I assumed that you were referring to the Queens Deep Tunnel ability.

 

Yeah that will not work, after all the nydus is so lategame that other options are much better IMO.

 

Based on info from Jon, Nydus is tier 2. Which isn't higher tier than any transports were back in SC1. Terran transport was tier 3.

And also from Jon, he told me clutches are pretty much insta-built. Sure doesn't sound impossible to me.

 

They're not built instantly. They might have a short build time, but it's not short enough for this tactic. By the time your Nydus Wyrm finally settles and your Overlords have arrived and spread enough creep, they'd have easily had enough time to react. At that stage Lair Watchers don't have an awful lot of health and anything she plants would pretty much instantly be shot down.

 

Terran transport was 2.5, the same as the nydus! The difference is that the Terran can fast tech (Boxer anyone?), Zerg cant really (needs an expo to win).

 

By all technicality, Terran tier 3 is starport, dropship was tier 3. Different race's tiers have different in-game timing in relation to each other, but tiers are exactly that, tiers. If there were such things and .5 tiers, those would be a separate tier in itself, or people wouldn't use the term "tier." So as long as you are using the term "tier," tier 1.5 is tier 1, tier 2.5 is tier 2, and dropship ain't a factory unit.

@ Hex, Words from Jon: you just click click click lick, then it's "done, done, done, done, done." I'm gonna go with Jon on that one based on first hand experience. The only thing that you are waiting for, is for the creep to be made. Taking overlord(s) and/or overseer(s) into the enemy base isn't part of the wait time, or else people would be using shuttles and dropships so much. Once you simultaneously make the creep and drop the queen(by ovie, if not, then nydus), you're done. The queen, you can just deep tunnel away if there is any danger.

 

You need an update Remy. http://www.starcraft2forum.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4535
Read that first.

Anyways, this changes it a little bit. now you don't even need the Queen at the enemy's base. Have all the Sunkens/Spores pre-built in your base, and just root them as the Overlords' create the creep. They can be supported by some lings so that they are not killed before reaching the creep.