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Karune's Post:

Last month was all about the Zerg. For the first time members of the Community and the press had the privilege to test StarCraft II's third race. You could read a lot about the different units and buildings, see movies and screenshots, hear about the gameplay experiences. This month's discussion topic will be about one of the new Zerg units: The Baneling, the mutation of one of the most popular Zerg units, of the Zergling. The Baneling has undergone quite a few changes in the past couple of weeks and we'd like to hear your feedback!

Information on the new Baneling:

Now
• 190 damage per Baneling (40+150 to building)
• Increased splash range (100% damage taken throughout range)
• Can be well positioned to hit multiple buildings
• Larger & Movement Speed Slower (possible to defend with focus fire)
• Counters Zealots, Zerglings, base Marines (not upgraded) -More Narrow window of use

Before
• Fast and small- Unable to defend against (focus fire)
• Countered virtually all ground units

My Thoughts:

How do you like the new Baneling?

I honestly think the new Baneling is a step up from what we were given the first time around and I think that this should act as an example to all of the Blizzard doubters out there that think the game will not be balanced by the time it's released. Before the Baneling was too quick and too difficult to counter -- even with excellent micromanagement -- especially for units with slow rates of fire like the Siege Tank.

I think narrowing the effective use of the Baneling to mostly tier 1 or tier 1.5 infantry-type troops rather than allowing it to devastate pretty much any ground unit, helps balance the Baneling and gives it a specific strategic purpose.

What possibilites do you see for using the Baneling, what strategies could be viable with the Baneling against the different races?

The Baneling is the Zerg's equivalent to the Reaper's time bomb. We've seen in gameplay videos how devastating a group of Reapers can be when they jet pack into an enemy mineral line and throw a bunch of time bombs at a command center, nexus, or hive. The Baneling can be used very similarly if used in conjunction with the Nydus Worm. Imagine a giant Tremor-like worm exploding out of the ground right near your mineral line and then 15 green balls of toxic goo roll out and devastate your entire mineral line and blow up your command center leaving you with virtually no way to rebuild.

Another smart idea would be to morph a few Zerglings into Banelings and then send them across the map to the various other mineral deposits where your enemies will expand their base and burrow the units. Then wait patiently until the enemy arrives and pays to start building their command center, nexus, or hive and then unburrow and wipe them out. Not only is it annoying to your enemy, it is also costly.

What are the pros/cons for this new Baneling?

The definite pros for this new Baneling include their ability to burrow and be used as a trap like we've seen in some of the Zerg gameplay videos. A smart Zerg player with some decent micromanagement ability could lure enemy forces into a group of burrowed Banelings that will slaughter everything around them. 100% splash damage within the unit's attack range is also a huge addition, unlike the Mutalisk where each subsequent hit from its attack does less damage; the Baneling will simply demolish everything around it. I think we will see a lot of Zerg players sacrificing Banelings to take out static base defenses rather than throwing more costly units at them.

One con I can think of immediately is what I mentioned as a good strategy for this new unit: mineral line rushes. If the Baneling is not a tier 1.5 or tier 2 unit I think you will see Zerg players quickly teching to Banelings and then rushing them into enemy mineral lines, thus devastating their economy early on. This could especially become a problem for Protoss and other Zerg players because their drones/probes only have 40hp which is what the Baneling dishes out against units. Let's not forget that with 100% splash damage one Baneling could kill more than one probe/drone. The Terran SCV has 60hp so it could at least withstand a suicide attack from one Baneling, but not two or more. This of course will not be as big of a problem if the Baneling ends up costing roughly 75 minerals and 50 gas because it will take the Zerg some time to have enough resources to form a sizeable group. By then, some semblance of a base defense should be set up.

Additional feedback you might have

It's hard to say whether the Baneling is balanced or not in it's current state without seeing any new gameplay footage or without playing the game first hand. However, I do believe that Blizzard will make sure that the community's concerns are addressed and the unit is balanced before release.

The number one concern Blizzard should have when balancing the Baneling is making sure it's effectiveness matches its cost. If it is too cheap and is a tier 1 unit, Zerg players will devastate their enemies early on creating an imbalance. If it is too expensive, the Baneling will become a useless unit because you will not get enough bang for your buck.

So far, I have to say I like the new changes to this unit and I'm hoping that this trend will continue for all the other units -- especially the new Carrier -- as the development team progresses.

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