TAKING ON THE ZERG
Author: Daktakpaklak

The Terrans can do quite well against the Zerg; Terran defenses are quite powerful and usually have no trouble dissecting the Zerg's numerous but weaker. Siege Tanks deciamte all Zerg ground forces, and Firebats chew up anything they can touch (especially Zergling). Despite these strengths, there are still several tactics a Terran player should be aware of.

The first concern a Terran player has with the Zerg is an early Zergling rush.  Many Zerg players are fans of a build order in which one of the original four Drones is used to mutate the Spawning Pool. This allows the Zerg to morph 6 Zergling before the other races have any defenders. The best solution to this problem is to either screen your SCV's/Marines with other buildings, or totally plug your base's choke point with a Bunker or Supply Depot. Refer to the section on Building Placement for more information.

Lurkers pose an interesting situation for the Terrans. They have a greater firing range than Bunkers. They're also relatively fast, so Lurker offenses can catch an unprepared Terran off-guard. Lurker drops are a serious problem. Be sure to have good Missile Turret coverage around both your base and any remote Bunker outposts. Lurkers tear open infantry like shelled peanuts, so support all offenses with either Science Vessels or ComSat scan for detection.

The Queen's Spawn Broodling ability is a real pain against Terran ground forces, and is particularily effective at destroying Siege Tanks and Goliaths.  The Terrans should place high priority on killing Queens as soon as they're found. Even with anti-air support, a Queen is difficult to eliminate before her deadly broodling has been launched against a ground unit. Tanks should be protected with Missile Turrets and Marines, or even a few cloaked Wraiths. Be sure to constantly scan your units for Parisites, especially the SCV's and Dropships. If necessary, research Restoration at the Academy so your Medics can cure the Queen's ill effects. Blinding enemy Queens or Irradiating them are the best ways of keeping them from striking twice.

The most effective way for a Terran player to clean off a Zerg opponent is with a strong Tank Push supported by Marines and Medics. After surviving the initial exchange, build two Factories in quick succession.  Research Siege Mode and StimPack, and pump out Siege Tanks while continuing to produce Marines/Medics in a 3:1 ratio. Attack-Move the entire force to the edge of a Zerg base, and push forward with the Siege Tanks while supporting with Stimmed Marines and Medics. ComSat will be necessary to counter any submerged Lurkers, but you should have no problem defeating the Zerg player unless you've somehow slacked off unit production and your opponent hits your base.

As soon as a Terran player finds a Zerg Spire, s/he should think about countering Guardians.  Guardias are very powerful air units that have an extended firing range and can destroy ground-based air defense without taking damage. The best ways to counter Guardians are with Wraiths; Wraith missiles are quite effective at mopping up air units, and the Guardians are no exception. For added security, cloaking the Wraiths ensures that no Zerg anti-air support will be able to target the Wraiths unless Overlords are brought along. Also, Goliaths with Charon Boosters (air-attack range upgrade) perform well against Guardians, but only if the terran is not too restricting.

Defilers are also big trouble for Terrans. The Defiler's Dark Swarm ability protects units under its shroud from ranged attack, and a common Zerg tactic is to Dark Swarm Terran defenses while attacking with Zergling. Many Terran players have neglected to incorporate melee units (ie: Firebats) into their defenses, and as a result have fallen victim to this tactic. Be sure to have reserves of Firebats on hand incase a Zerg player uses Dark Swarm. Try to lure enemy units protected by the swarm out from under its blanket.  Have Science Vessels on hand equipped with Defensive Matrix for your Siege Tanks and Irradiate for the enemy hoardes. As with Queens, Defilers should be eilminated as soon as they're discovered, especially considering that a Defiler equipped with Consume can Dark Swarm or Plague an entire Terran base in moments.  Irradiate is the most effective way to ensure a Defiler's death.

Mutalisk are no worry to the Terrans. In the early game, a prepared Terran player will have no trouble countering a Mutalisk rush.  Missile Turrets only cause 10 HP of damage to Mutalisk, but SCV safety is assured when Turrets are coupled with a Bunker of Marines.

Battlecruisers are powerful units, but they can be taken down rather quickly by a competent Zerg player. Devourers and their deadly Acid Spores not only essentially ignore the Battlecruiser's armor, but also further decrease the Battlecruiser's already-slow firing rate. Swarms of Hydralisk are also effective, as their attack rate far exceeds the rate of the Battlecruiser's Laser Cannon. When coupled with Scourge, Ensnare and Acid Spores can bring down a fleet of Battlecruisers very, very quickly. Plague also shortens the Battlecruiser's lifespan. Battlecruisers should ALWAYS be supported with both Medics (to Restore Ensnare/Spores/Plague) and Science Vessels (armed with Defensive Matrix and Irradiate).

The Vulture's Spider Mines are an excellent way to assassinate enemy units and gain intelligence about troop movements. Mines can also be used to ferret out and destroy any burrowed units in the area. Ranged attackers, such as Hydralisk, are able to fire at Mines as they approach. However, Hydralisk are explosive and Siper Mines are small, which means that Hydralisk do only 5 HP of damage per hit. Therefore, two or three Mines are guaranteed to score kills against any number of enemy units.