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GameSpot's Guide to Starcraft

Defensive Strategy
Spore Colonies now build faster and deal normal damage, making them deadly against enemy Mutalisks. Sunken Colonies were practically worthless before, but no longer: They are now less expensive, faster to build, much stronger, and much quicker to strike. Units like Marines, Zealots, and enemy Zerglings that used to tear through Sunken Colonies now have a much more difficult time against them. There is no question whether you should use them to defend your base, because they are by far your most cost-effective means of fortifying your position early in a battle. Keep an Overlord near your Sunken Colonies to spot Protoss Dark Templars, who are no match for these powerful defenses. Of course, Sunken Colonies are hardly invincible, and are useless against flying units, so you'll want to support them with Hydralisks as soon as you can. Since you'll need Hydralisks no matter what, you'll have the option to build Lurkers.

With enough resources, the Zerg can muster a defense the Terrans and the Protoss will find nigh impossible to disrupt.

It is to your advantage to research the Lurker Aspect as soon as you possibly can, because the earlier in the battle you have Lurkers, the more likely that your opponent will be unprepared to face them. Use Lurkers much like a Terran commander would use Vulture Spider Mines, either by burrowing them just outside your own base, or just outside the enemy's. Of course, unlike Spider Mines, Lurkers can keep fighting, and cannot hurt your own forces, so use them to protect your supply lines and fledgling expansions. Be careful not to morph too many Lurkers, however, because an enemy who catches on to that trend could easily modify his unit production to counter them.

A key Zerg advantage is that their best defensive units also happen to be their best offensive units. Having plenty of Hydralisks around your base, along with Mutalisks and Guardians for point defense, tends to be your best means of defending your position later in a battle. At the same time, these forces comprise the brunt of almost every large-scale Zerg attack. It is always a good idea to support these units with Queens, whose Ensnare and Spawn Broodlings abilities can make the difference between victory and defeat. Likewise, the often-overlooked Defiler and its Dark Swarm ability makes Hydralisks into absolutely unstoppable anti-air defense. You have little hope of defending against Terran Battlecruisers and Protoss Carriers without using Dark Swarm to protect your Hydralisks.

Next: The Zerg Offensive Strategy
 

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