Starcraft 2 Zerg Counters
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Counters are more important for Zerg than any other race,
so be sure to study the charts below well.
The importance placed upon counters for the Zerg is not necessarily a disadvantage for this race, but rather
related to mechanics. In particular, since Zerg players produce units off of Larva instead of production facilities
(like the Barracks or Warp Gate), the Zerg is much more readily able to switch between unit types.
This makes it much more viable for a Zerg player to heavily focus on just 1 or 3 primary unit types. The goal
here is actually to try to get your opponent to over produce a certain unit type, which leaves them vulnerable to
your reinforcement wave.
For example, a Zerg player with 5 Hatcheries and every tech structure can make 35 Roaches (7 Larva per Hatchery)
with one Inject Larva wave, then 40 seconds later, make 30 pairs of Zerglings (should the Zerg have the resources).
If the Zerg's opponent builds Immortals to stop the Roach wave, they will be weak to the Zergling reinforcement
wave that follows.
Another example would be in Zerg vs Terran. Zergs typically open with several expansions followed by a lot of
Zerglings, Mutalisks, and Banelings. The Terran responds to this primarily through units produced from the Barracks
and Factory. The Terran typically will only add 1 Starport in the mid-game, as the only useful unit against
Zergling, Mutalisk, Baneling combo in the early to mid-game is the Medivac (no gas to spare for Ravens or extra
Starports this early).
No matter what units come out of the Barracks or Factory, they are all extremely weak against the Brood Lord.
The Terran must get out a sizable force of Vikings if they to stop Brood Lords. However, if the Zerg saves a lot of
resources and is able to get out 6+ Brood Lords backed up by 6 Corruptors and whatever Mutalisks are already on the
field, it often is too late for the Terran to stop the attack.
Zerg
The chart below is organized such that the left side lists Zerg units and the right 3 columns identify which
units easily counter the left side.
For example, in the "Roach" row, the units listed in the same row are all very effective versus
Roaches. So, in the "Weak Against the Terran's" column next to "Roach", you will see that the Marauder and
Siege Tank are both listed. The Siege Tank and Marauder are very strong versus the Roach.
To see which Zerg units beat other races' units, please see the second chart.
Zerg Unit |
Weak Against the Protoss's |
Weak Against the Terran's |
Weak Against the Zerg's |
Zergling |
Archon
Colossus
Sentry
Zealot (if
Zealots have upgrade advantage) |
Hellion
Hellbat
Planetary Fortress
Marine (with support and upgrades)
|
Roach
Baneling
Air units
Spine Crawler
|
Roach |
Immortal
Void Ray
Colossus (with
support)
Archon (on
a supply basis)
Stalkers (with
Blink)
|
Siege Tank
Marauder
Thor (with +3 weapons) |
Mutalisk
Brood Lord
Swarm Host |
Hydralisk |
Sentry
Colossus
High Templar
Tempest*
Phoenix* |
Hellion
Hellbat
Siege Tank
Battlecruiser**
Carrier** |
Brood Lord
Swarm Host
Infestor |
Mutalisk
|
Phoenix
Sentry
Archon
High Templar
Tempest
Stalker (soft)
|
Thor
Marine
Battlecruiser |
Infestor
Spore Crawler
Hydralisk (soft) |
Corruptor |
Stalker
Void Ray (only
while Prismatic
Alignment is up) |
Viking
Thor
Marine
|
Hydralisk |
Infestor |
Colossus
High Templar |
Siege Tank
Ghost |
Brood Lord
Swarm Host |
Ultralisk |
Immortal
Void Ray
|
Banshee
Battlecruiser
Marauders |
Roach (soft)
Brood Lord |
Baneling |
Colossus
Archon
Immortal
|
Siege Tank
Widow Mine
Thor
Marauder |
Mutalisk
Roach
Ultralisk
Swarm Host
|
Brood Lord |
Tempest
Stalker
Void Ray
|
Viking
Battlecruiser |
Corruptor
Mutalisk |
Queen |
Zealot
Stalker |
Marines
Marauders
Hellbats |
Zerglings
Roaches |
Swarm Host |
Void Ray
Colossus
Tempest
Warp Prism (soft)
Blink Stalker (soft) |
Banshee
Battlecruiser
Siege Tank (soft)
Marauders (in Medivacs) |
Brood Lord
Mutalisk
Ultralisk
|
Viper |
High Templar
Tempest |
Ghost |
Rarely used in ZvZ; Zerg have no true anti-caster. |
*The Phoenix and Tempest are strong against the Hydralisk when the numbers are small and decrease in
effectiveness as the size of each army grows.
**The Battlecruiser and Carrier do well against the Hydralisk supply for supply, but the Viper's Abduct
abilitycan be used in conjunction with the Hydralisk to counter these massive air units by pulling them over top of
a Hydralisk ball.
In the second Starcraft 2 Zerg counters chart (below) highlights which units Zerg players should build in order
to counter the enemy. So, if the left heading says "Zergling", you will want to build Zerglings to defeat all other
units which are listed in the same row.
Zerg Unit |
Counters Protoss |
Counters Terran |
Counters Zerg |
Zergling |
Stalker
Immortal
High Templar*
|
Marauder
Thor
Siege Tank
|
Zergling
Drone
Queen |
Roach |
Zealot |
Marine
Hellion |
Zergling
Baneling
|
Hydralisk
|
Immortal
Void Ray
Stalker
|
Marauder
Medivac
Viking |
Mutalisk
Corruptor |
Baneling |
Zealot**
Sentry |
Marine |
Zergling
Hydralisk |
Mutalisk |
Zealot
Immortal
Colossus |
Marauder
Hellion
Siege Tank
Hellbat
Medivac
|
Roach
Zergling
Baneling |
Corruptor |
Colossus
Carrier
Tempest (soft) |
Battlecruiser (soft) |
Brood Lord |
Brood Lord |
Immortal
Zealot
Sentry
Colossus
High Templar
Stalker (soft)
Archon (soft)
|
Marine
Marauder
Ghost
Siege Tank
Thor
Hellbat
Widow Mine |
Hydralisk
Roach
Zergling
Ultralisk
|
Ultralisk |
Stalker
Zealot
Sentry |
Marine
Hellion |
Zergling
Swarm Host
Hydralisk |
Infestor |
Zealot
Sentry |
Marine
Marauder |
Hydralisk
Zergling
Mutalisk |
Queen |
Void Ray
Oracle |
Reaper
Hellion |
Baneling
Mutalisk (soft) |
Swarm Host |
Zealot
Sentry
Immortal
High Templar |
Marine
Hellion
Hellbat
Thor |
Hydralisk
Roach
Spine Crawler
Queen |
Viper*** |
Colossus
Carrier
Archon |
Battlecruiser
Siege Tank
Thor |
Ultralisk |
*Psionic Storm can be strong against Zerglings if they are clustered, but a few Zerglings can be microed to
snipe unprotected High Templar, particularly when flanking or using a pincer attack.
**Not typically cost efficient. It takes several Baneling hits to destroy a Zealot. Zealots do not cost gas,
Banelings do.
***The Viper has no attacks of its own, but using Abduct to snipe large enemy units is a great way to thin the
opponent's army before engaging.
These two Starcraft 2 Zerg counters tables should help you out significantly in your online play. The strategy
is simple: if you no longer have the element of surprise, plan on taking out your opponent with your reinforcement
wave rather than your first attack. Use your first attack to inflict as much damage as possible and then with your
reinforcement wave mass whatever units will be strong against whatever your enemy has remaining.
At first, this might take a long time to learn. After all, there are quite a few unit counters in game. Just
keep playing and practicing the creation of units which counter the enemy. If you are a Zerg player or struggle
beating Zerg players, I would recommend printing these charts out. Then, as you are playing, you could reference
the tables to see what you are supposed to build (or avoid building) based on what units the enemy has.
These charts are very important Zerg. Since Zerg can rapidly go between producing dozens of air units to dozens
of ground units, being familiar with all the Starcraft 2 Zerg counters can help you easily switch between unit
types based on what your enemy has and what he is planning to get.
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