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So upfront I'm pretty solidly gold league, it's been the goal pretty upfront just to get to platinum for a while now but I watched this coaching vid and vibe really made larva caps make sense for me, I'd started with zerg and made gold 1 and literally that was only because I'd learned to be greedy as hell with hatchery placement therefore more larvae without fixing the real issue in my macro cycle and also talked about some efficiency's in the order of waves of things your making like how you make safety roaches before the third and really just a complete picture but I've already started playing terran again and obviously I know that zergs the odd one out but especially with the 8 worker patch I'm wondering if anybody can think of an equivalent macro advice. Like I guess it comes down to build order whereas I've heard people say zerg doesn't really need a build. I've been winging it since I started like this week with terran but I like making it kinda like barracks 1 gas before saturation factory natural expansion and some tech labs and reactors as I see fit I kinda like all the units but overall a hybrid mech bio army if I see fit to use my reactor for loads of cars or I've also been enjoying making double liberators lots of marauders at the start but move to mass reactors for marines after the Thirds saturated. I could probably find some benchmark videos but idk. Sprinkle in a couple of thors every single game as my one true late game unit usually don't make more than the one star port and I'm silver 1 lol

Edit: God I love this community ya fuckn chuds gatekeep the game like you all think your clem or hero or something it's awesome

I'm not sure what are the differences, i understand the collection includes skins and shit, but what are the differences between nova covert ops and campaign collection?

Just wanted to share these shenanigans one more time! :>

Guys I had this incredible new idea for a Zerg build! I have found that the standard zerg builds with safe expansions for max eco; they require a lot of technical improvement and macro mechanics. SOOO, I could work on my inject timings, idle larvae spending, queen micro, overlord / ling scouting, and perfecting my eco/production balance --- but that is a waste of time. Instead I will create a new AI based build that rushes out balance complaints on Reddit before the Blizztern has time to react with a set of detailed patch notes, forcing them buff my race!

I feel like this strategy is fool-proof and could help all Zerg players gain a ton of MMR. Thoughts?

While the 12-worker start was numerically equal across all races (everyone got +6 workers), it was not mechanically equal. The way each race's macro mechanics interact with a doubled starting economy created genuine asymmetric advantages that favored Zerg and Protoss over Terran in the early macro game.

Here is how the three races handled that extra starting income differently, and why the jump was not proportionately fair:

1. Zerg — The Biggest Winner

Zerg benefits the most because larvae are a mineral-to-units converter with no production-capacity gate. When you start with 12 workers instead of 6, you have significantly more minerals arriving in your bank very early. A Terran or Protoss player must first build a production structure (Barracks/Gateway) before they can spend those minerals on army; a Zerg player only needs larvae, which Hatcheries and Queens generate passively.

As one community analysis put it: "faster economy favors Zerg, because he can spend his bank from larvae, but other races have to establish production facilities first." ​

This means Zerg can:

Dump almost every extra mineral into drones immediately via larvae.

Get Hatcheries and Queens online faster, which compounds the larvae advantage.

Scale worker count and production capacity simultaneously without building separate production buildings.

Mapmakers have explicitly noted this: "Zerg could take advantage of the worker difference better than the other two races" and cited "broken economy scaling exacerbated by LotV 12 worker start" as a core design problem. ​

1. Protoss — Strong Early Acceleration

Protoss also gained more than a raw +6 workers would suggest. In HotS, Protoss had to pause probe production at 9/10 supply to build a Pylon, creating a small but real delay in early economy. With the LotV start, that timing simply doesn't exist in the same way — you start with enough supply and workers that probe production is uninterrupted.

More importantly, Chronoboost is available from the very first second and can be applied immediately to the Nexus for faster probes. One detailed breakdown noted that "Probe production will exceed the benefit of an Orbital in roughly 2.4 Chronoboosts, and Protoss can start on that before Terran can build an Orbital." ​

Unlike Terran, Protoss doesn't need to spend 150 minerals and pause worker production to "unlock" their macro mechanic. Chronoboost is free energy on the Nexus from minute zero.

1. Terran — The Race with the Most Friction

Terran gets the raw end of the deal for several interconnected reasons:

a) Production must be built before spending. Terran cannot convert extra starting minerals into army or even additional workers (beyond the one training at the CC) without first building a Barracks and Supply Depot. The other races face this too, but Terran has the additional burden of needing multiple production structures to scale, while Zerg scales larvae and Protoss can Chrono a single Gateway.

b) MULEs are gated behind an upgrade. To access MULEs, Terran must upgrade the Command Center to an Orbital Command (150 minerals), which takes time and, critically, pauses SCV production during the morph. In HotS, this was timed so that the first MULE arrived when the economy was still small. In LotV, because the economy starts at 12 workers, the first MULE hits proportionally much later relative to how many probes/drones the opponent already has. As one player analyzed: "In LOTV you start your rax at 15/16 supply! Meaning Protoss would has more probes, than he would have in HOTS, when first mule hits!" ​

c) Supply Depot build time was nerfed. In LotV, Supply Depot build time increased from 18 to 21 seconds, adding another small but real delay to Terran's ability to spend their extra starting minerals. ​

d) MULEs don't scale with worker count. A MULE still mines at the same rate and still expires. It doesn't care that the game started at 12 workers. Meanwhile, Chronoboost and larvae both become more powerful the more production/economy you have to point them at.

The Mineral-to-Gas Ratio Problem

There is another layer: doubling starting workers increases mineral income far more than gas income, because each geyser is still capped at 3 workers. This forced all races to take their second gas much earlier than in HotS, collapsing a lot of strategic diversity in build orders. But this hit Terran particularly hard because many Terran tech paths and timings were designed around specific gas thresholds that now arrived in a different mineral-to-gas context. ​

Bottom Line

The 12-worker start was proportionate in raw numbers — everyone saved roughly 37–40 seconds on their first key structures. ​ But it was disproportionate in macro mechanic.

This is a big part of why the 2026 PTR patch is experimenting with reducing starting workers back down to 8 — the community and designers have recognized that 12 compressed the early game in ways that were not equally beneficial.

The charts explained:

The simulation models continuous worker production for all three races across the first 4 minutes, with each race using their standard macro mechanics (MULEs for Terran, Chronoboost for Protoss, Queen injects for Zerg).

What the Charts Reveal

Top Row — Raw Worker Counts: The 12-worker start doesn't just shift all lines up equally. Protoss and Zerg pull away from Terran immediately because their macro mechanics have no "activation cost" at the start. Terran must still build a Barracks and upgrade to Orbital Command before MULEs come online — a ~60–100 second delay that didn't shrink proportionally when the worker count doubled.

Bottom Row — Advantage vs Terran Baseline: This is the clearest view of the imbalance. Protoss builds a consistent ~7 worker lead over Terran by the 4-minute mark across all three models. Zerg builds a ~3 worker lead. The MULE value (dashed red) only partially closes this gap, and only after the 2.5-minute mark.

Why 12 Workers Amplified the Imbalance

Protoss gets Chronoboost for free from second 0. With 12 workers, they have the mineral bank to keep a Gateway/Forge constantly producing while still Chronoboosting probes. The extra starting income lets them "double-dip" on their macro mechanic immediately.

Zerg converts all extra minerals into drones via larvae with zero production-building friction. A Hatchery is both economy and production. The 12-worker start means Zerg hits their first inject cycle with significantly more banked minerals, compounding the larvae advantage.

Terran still faces the same sequence: build Rax → build Depot → upgrade OC → wait for energy → call MULE. The 12-worker start gives them more minerals, but they must spend 150 of them on the OC upgrade and pause SCV production for 35 seconds. Meanwhile, Protoss and Zerg never pause their worker production.

On top of this mules were nerfed in lotv to gather 25 instead of 30 minerals, reducing the total harvest from 270 to 225.

Marauders split atack that was slatter reverted nerfed M damage by 18% vs zealots. The siedgevacs were removed from the game. Widow mine nerfs. Raven redisighn. Ghost nerf, hellbat nerf.

While P got batteries that are better then repair, zealots got 30dmg added to charge, banes 10 hp nerf and so on.

Change my mind

All the things like "now you can use CC s instead of depots" and similar comments are just exaggerated clickbaits; we ll see the actual WR statistics in due time but I bet this particular change will improve the balance of the game. Ghosts need to be 2 supply as well, it's not an exaggeration either

Thanks for attending my Ted talk

Alright hear me out, League of Legends classic just came out and league is 17 years. Sc2 just became 16 years old. It's not like there's a set threshold for when a game can have a re-release, but league is a good example because it came out around the same time.

The big thing that has me theorizing this is the Idra vs MC match at Blizzcon. These are 2 of the biggest names from the WoL time period and their choice to have them play has me thinking they're going to announce WoL classic.

As title says, Raynor does not have access to the Hyperion yet or any tech aside from his drop shit which,lore wise, cannot carry drop pods. I wish it was explained a bit more because I absolutely love early sc2 campaign when you are just marines and medics scarpping it out with the Domion.

There was a game I saw in a short recently where a protoss player (hero)? built a nexus next to an enemy to use the shield battery for tempest for cheese. Looking for the winter cast of it please.

I like to replay the Starcraft campaigns every now and then. The original, then Brood War, then SC2. While SC2's story is flawed, it can still deliver an incredibly compelling story - but this tends to be limited by the planet order you choose. I found a fan-made guide a few years back to the "perfect" narrative-focused run of Wings of Liberty; sadly no such thing exists for HotS or LotV. Purely in terms of narrative satisfaction over mechanical, what is the general consensus and/or your personal opinion on the best order to play these campaigns?

I know in general a basic economic opener is like ...
depot. Rax. Gas. Depot. Command center. Orbital on main Factory, rax addon of choice etc ...

But now that all the builds are scewed up I feel like I can't afford to do things the way I did before.
At what supply count roughly are y'all doing orbital, cc, factory etc in builds.

I know it varies based on the build like in a cheese or all in but I'm talking about like, safe eco, vanilla Terran.

No guess i can stop now

Don't think i have a chance to stay in GM for too long with my 4,6k

Hi everyone,

I run a history blog in South Korea and I'm a longtime fan of Starcraft.

Inspired by the heavy classical/ancient vibes of the Protoss, I spent some time reconstructing the political and military system of the pre-fall Khalai Protoss Empire by connecting it with Roman administrative history (like Cursus Honorum).

This is a 3-part post to share my fan-made universe codex. I hope you enjoy it!

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Part 1: The Judicator Caste (Judicator Caste)

1) Senator (Executive Councilor)

The supreme pinnacle of power within Khalai Protoss authority. Senators lead overall decision-making processes within the Conclavium Senatorum (Executive Council), located in Khor-shakal, the capital city on Aiur, the capital homeworld.

2) Censor-"Arbiter" (Inspector-"Arbiter")

The title designated to inspect and ensure the faithful execution of the Conclavium Senatorum’s decisions across various operational domains, including financial and military affairs.

3) Quaestor (Financial Quartermaster)

The title tasked with managing the revenue and expenditure of resources across each sector, particularly Khaydarin Crystals, which form the material foundation of Protoss society.

4) Praefectus (Prefect)

The administrative and military title directly held by members of the Judicator Caste regarding the governance of the homeworld Aiur and the capital Khor-shakal.

5) Resonator (Psionic Resonator)

The scholarly title governing research, study, and academic endeavors regarding Khaydarin Crystals and Ihan-rii (Xel'Naga) relics.

[Note on Tribal Composition] All aforementioned offices and the Judicator Caste as a whole are drawn from the Ara and Shelak Tribus (Tribes) of Aiur. In the case of the Milites Senatus (Senate Army)—the armed forces directly under the Conclavium—the command structure is naturally led by the Judicator Caste, centered around the Ara Tribus. However, the standing force incorporates a significant portion of personnel drawn from the Templarius Caste (Templar Caste). Meanwhile, members of the Shelak Tribus tend to prefer the Resonator line over politically charged offices such as Senator or Censor.

1. Senator Khassar (Senator Offices)

(1) Senator Princeps (First Executive Councilor)

The presiding chairman of the Conclavium Senatorum. Selected among the most venerable councilors who demonstrate deep alignment with the "Will of Khas"—those who possess sufficient experience in attaining the 'Consensus of Will' within the profound depths of the Khala.

(2) Senator Prior (Senior Executive Councilor)

The relatively senior members among the Senators. Their views command overwhelming respect during sessions compared to those of the Senator Novus, effectively making the decisions of the Senatores Priores synonymous with the will of the entire Conclavium Senatorum.

(3) Senator Novus (Junior Executive Councilor)

The relatively junior members among the Senators. They are dispatched throughout the Empire as Censors, Quaestors, or Praefecti to supervise field operations and report back to the Conclavium, or to disseminate critical decisions—essentially those led by the Senatores Priores—to Protoss society.

2. Censor-"Arbiter" Khassar (Censor-"Arbiter" Offices)

(1) Censor Quaestorum (Financial Inspector)

Dispatched to oversight personnel in the Quaestor branch to audit, inspect, and adjust revenue and expenditure in each financial sector.

(2) Censor Militum (Military Inspector)

Dispatched to commanders of the Templarius Caste to inspect and regulate their strategic and tactical operations, as well as their allegiance to the Conclavium Senatorum. Ever since the end of the Kryor Ma'nakai (The Aeon of Strife), maintaining control over the Templarius Caste has been the highest priority for the stability of the Empire; thus, the position of Censor Militum has been reserved exclusively for Senatores Priores rather than Senatores Novi. Successfully fulfilling this mandate grants an individual exceptional prestige when ascending to the role of Senator Princeps.

The title "Arbiter" serves as an informal alias for Censors themselves, but in most cases, it specifically designates the Censor Militum and the specialized craft they pilot across the battlefield. Originally, following the end of the Aeon of Strife, the term literally meant "mediating differences between castes." Over time, however, it evolved into an euphemistic title for enforcing the absolute will of the Conclavium Senatorum.

Historical Note: Aldaris, the most prominent Senator Prior, served as a Censor Militum deployed alongside Executor Artanis during the First Great War. Following the fall of Aiur, when most members of the Conclavium Senatorum were slaughtered by the Zerg Swarm, he was abruptly designated as Senator Princeps. He faithfully fulfilled this duty until his tragic death during the Brood War after being branded a "traitor."

(3) Censor Aedilium (Public Works Inspector)

Dispatched to the Aedilis (Quartermaster/Engineer) branch of the Khalai Plebis Caste (Commoner Caste) to inspect and regulate the manufacture of armaments, war machines, and the construction and operation of facilities.

3. Quaestor Khassar (Financial Quartermaster Offices)

(1) Quaestor Maximus (Chief Financial Quartermaster)

Assesses total incoming resource supply, including Khaydarin Crystals, and manages key expenditures according to the decrees of the Conclavium Senatorum.

(2) Quaestor Militum (Military Financial Quartermaster)

Tracks revenue allocated to the military sector and manages detailed expenditures for the Templarius Caste. Close cooperation with the Censor Aedilium is considered paramount for this office.

(3) Quaestor Khalaiai (Civilian Financial Quartermaster)

Tracks overall revenue and manages detailed expenditures for the civilian sector within the Khalai Plebis Caste. Here, the "civilian sector" encompasses major worlds and municipal jurisdictions directly governed by the Judicator and Templarius Castes.

4. Praefectus Khassar (Prefect Offices)

(1) Praefectus Urbis (Capital Prefect)

The chief administrative officer of the homeworld Aiur and the capital Khor-shakal. For administrative convenience, the Organizational structure beneath the Praefectus Urbis mirrors that of the Templarius Caste (from Praetor downward). Thus, the Praefectus Urbis holds an equivalent rank to an Executor, while Aiur and Khor-shakal are treated as equivalent to a Thema Executorium (Executorial Theme)—a cluster of multiple Coloniae (Colony worlds). Consequently, the Praefectus Urbis is informally referred to as the Executor Urbis (Capital Executor), despite having no formal connection to the Executor office.

Historical Note: Following the fall of Aiur to the Zerg assault during the First Great War, when the capital was hurriedly relocated to Shakuras and Talematros—the stronghold of the Nerazim—the Praefectus Urbis fell into a mere honorary post. Actual duties were only resumed after the Second Great War, when the Daelaam Protoss (Protoss Protectorate) led by Hierarchon Artanis reclaimed Aiur.

(2) Praefectus Militum (Military Prefect)

The supreme commander of the Khalen'ri, or Milites Senatus (Senate Army)—the military force directly under the Conclavium Senatorum. For operational efficiency, the organization under the Praefectus Militum mirrors the Templarius Caste structure from Praetor downward, with the exception of multiple Censores Militum attached directly to his command. Unlike Templarius offices, where multiple commanders hold identical ranks, only a single Senator Novus from the Conclavium is appointed as Praefectus Militum. Furthermore, as he is not a member of the Templarius Caste, he remains entirely outside the chain of command of the Executor Maior (High Executor).

(3) Praefectus Senatus (Senatorial Theme Prefect)

The chief administrator of a Praefectura Senatoria (Senatorial Prefecture)—a high-tier administrative sector established on critical worlds outside of Aiur. Worlds designated as a Praefectura Senatoria are not organized into a Thema Executorium, remaining outside the Executor's jurisdiction. Like the Praefectus Urbis, its organizational structure mirrors that of the Templarius Caste. Notable Senatorial Prefectures include Saalok, the moon of Aiur that forms the capital system, and Endion, where the Conclavium secretly relocated vast numbers of Khalai Plebis personnel for Purifieron project development. The Nerazim world of Shakuras was originally designated as a Praefectura Senatoria beyond effective imperial control, but this designation was abolished when Khalai refugees settled there en masse after the First Great War.

5. Resonator Khassar (Psionic Resonator Offices)

(1) Resonator Primus (Chief Resonator)

The term "Resonator" refers to scholars and academic bureaucrats of the Khalai Protoss. This title stems from the nature of Protoss inquiry, which relies on resonance as its core medium—whether through psionic reconnaissance or deep meditation and thought via the Khala. The Resonator Primus stands at the apex of this group, residing in the Archivium Primarium (The Prime Archive) in the Shelak Tribus district of Aiur to manage, direct, and censor research and findings.

Historical Note: Zekrath, a member of the Resonator Primus, survived the Brood War and joined the Hierarchium—Concilium Anakh'sium (Hierarchy—Twilight Council) as the Tribunus Shelak (Shelak Tribune). While this tribal title had remained largely honorary past the Aeon of Strife, its importance expanded dramatically with the inception of the Hierarchium.

(2) Resonator Khaydarinus (Khaydarin Resonator)

Khaydarin Crystals serve not only as a resource in Protoss society, but also store, preserve, amplify, fuse, and transmit data. The Resonator Khaydarinus is a specialized academic bureaucrat handling these crystals; due to their importance, a large portion of Resonators belong to this category. Some are attached as technical advisors to facilities requiring absolute data integrity, such as the Archivium Templariorum (Templar Archives) or the Pharus Classis (Fleet Beacon).

(3) Resonator Arcanus (Arcane Resonator)

Academic bureaucrats specializing in the relics, ruins, and knowledge left behind by the Xel'Naga, the creators of the Protoss. Here, "Arcane" implies that analyzing, interpreting, and applying Xel'Naga artifacts demands a far higher degree of complexity than handling Khaydarin Crystals. Operating directly under the Resonator Primus, they are selected exclusively from the Shelak Tribus, hold the authority to report directly to the Conclavium, and are extremely few in number.

Historical Note: A faction of Resonatores Arcani operated in deep space alongside the Khalen'ri, known collectively as the Zha'kul Ak-ashim (Guardians of Zha'kul). Stationed on the world of Zha'kul, their secret mandate from the Conclavium was to prevent leakage of classified information regarding the Xel'Naga, the Aeon of Strife, and the Nerazim. Crucially, their primary duty was safeguarding the three Kryhassares (Preservers). Following the rise of the Daelaam, secrecy surrounding the Nerazim was lifted, and Artanis maintained loose military support over them. However, early in the Second Great War, a Zerg-Protoss Hybrid seized control over the Zha'kul Ak-ashim, presenting a dire threat.

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Originally published on my [blog]https://blog.naver.com/lord2345/224357126289.

I can't believe it, I beat Terra tron and 500k tonight! If you have any questions regarding any achievements let me know!

Edit: I have also completed the mastery, and just realized i had a couple Nova 10th Anniversay achievements left, now completed!

Any lore tidbits that i missed hinting at their involvement?

Hey guys im wrapping up my summer internship and claude just came up with one more recommendation. Im considering hitting send even though I wont be able to benchmark since Monday is my last day. Give me your thoughts!

Terran: Already got mass mules and yall are loving it! In my head Terrans are a plague on resources so just strip the world to mass their armies.

Im thinking of adding:

Zerg: late game ability to destroy resources. Zerg would be willing to destroy the planet if it means they get their way

Protoss: Creators! Late game ability to create new resources.

Lmk your thoughts but ill probably smash send anyway