Starcraft Brood War strategy?

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Some questions...

1. What's the strength of reaver-shuttle in a standing battle, where you'll have meatshields standing in combat, disabling your reaver-shuttle parthian shot?

2. What's the point of dragoons and hydralisks aside from being anti air? I think it's probably obvious that dragoons are pretty worthless for ground based combat, their ranged damage is low against many important targets, and their meatshield ability is crappy compared to zeals. Hydralisks also suffer from the same problem. Though, before zeals get speed upgrades, hydralisks and dragoons can perform passably against zeals by using their speed and range superiority.

3. Can stimmed firebats with armor upgrades kill their cost in marines? Thus, firebats aren't utterly useless units?

4. What is the point of a carrier in an "Open Field" situation where you don't have any need for siegecraft? Is the damage support actually worthwhile?

5. How does protoss stop a ling rush targeted at your probes? Zeals are too slow to chase lings, and dragoons deal insufficient damage. Do you have to build photon cannons simply to stop lings?

The secret to Starcraft is that everything is Rock Paper Scissors, but at different intervals.  For some reason, using units with the same rate of fire is only effective against certain units, so diversification actually helps.  Four marines will deal quick and light damage, but three marines and a firebat will deal 3 quick attacks and one slower but more powerful close range attack, which helps against both groups of weak enemies and slow but strong enemies.  Four firebats would be too slow, unless fighting a slower unit.  Diversification is the key to winning, you'll notice Koreans intermix marines, firebats, ghosts, anything that provides several different "rhythms" in combat instead of just one unit.

Protoss rely on safety- by having good defense and shield regeneration but with higher cost, they're like Chinese in C&C Generals- slow but effective when you do manage to build up an empire.  But against early and fast attacks, they lack defense.

Starcraft's greatest achievement is that everything has a strength and weakness.  Only practice, experimentation, and sticking to what works best for you once you've discovered it are the keys to beating the Koreans.  Good luck.

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WHERE IS THE PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE?

-unfortunately, when fighting a ranged light armor army, a firebat tends to be a high priority target and can expect to be picked off in a mixed army. Meatshielding against marines:

marines are 50 min for 40 v(virtual hp considering armor)hp, firebats are 50 min 25 gas for 58.222 vhp. Considering the fact that firebats don't deal any damage unless they're in melee range... on other hand, what about stimpacks? 50/30VHP, 50+25/36.66 VHP. And armor +1 is slightly more effective in concert with medics, since medics ignore armor with their heal.

-I would rather compare protoss to War3 races, they're more intent on keeping their units alive than meatgrinder zerg and terran.

-So, we've agreed, in fact, Protoss needs Photon cannons to stop a zergling rush. Maybe, one or two cannons near mineral line for long term anti drop defense, then some zealots to attack lings that threaten the mineral line.

-Is that why I'm so bad with China? They're the only race that actually needs to build defenses just to stop raid and harass? Hmmm, that means my tank general needs modification... at least he doesn't get an extracosted gattling tower unlike with bunkers. Still, gattling towers do jack shit against nuke tank suicide attacks... maybe against nuke china I should build 2man rocket bunkers instead.

-By extension, how should demolition GLA proceed with affairs? Probably my failure with Demolition GLA and mass raptor AFG is that I fail to strike their production facilities. 1200 cost for technical deployed terrorists to demolish their warfactory(compared to 1300 cost with normal terrorists, lol @ more expensive demo general vehicles). 3 non upgraded raptors can take out a non GLA warfactory, and remain cost effective as long as only 1 raptor dies.

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