LotV has introduced alot of exciting new units that appear to have one grand concept at its core; however the manner in which Blizzard has (thus far) chose to implement some of these ideas seems much too timid.
BLIZZARDS LotV CONCEPTS:
Ravager:
Core concept: Skill shot, break forcefields another answer to air units
Secondary: Is essentially a Roach + Hydra
Adept:
Core concept: Teleports through the use of a much faster invulnerable shadow
Secondary: Strong attack vs light ground, harass unit
Cyclone:
Core concept: Long range lock on missiles
Secondary: Strong attack vs ground and air units
PROBLEM:
Instead of finding an idea or role and going all in on that idea, Blizzard have created units that attempt to solve too many problems all at once. This timid approach makes for fairly all round and somewhat massable units that don't quite make the most of their core concept.
Sometimes the best answer to fitting a unit in is to keep it simple and drive home that core concept in the most powerful way possible, leaving it open to broadsides with vulnerability in other areas but that's what makes it fun within the game for your opponent.
Generally units that fullfill all round roles, attacking air and ground with good dps are low tier fast low hp units (marine) or super late game capital ships (Battlecrusier).
Strong midgame units usually have distinct weaknesses to allow them to be really powerful but with some extreme shortcomings to balance it out (siege tank).
The two units that seem to fit into the game most easily are the Lurker and the Disruptor. Devastating anti ground units that are essentially powerless to stop attacks from the air or even their own prey of ground units, when not in "attack mode".
When the core concept is so prominent great decisive units are created that can be balanced to their limit of power. Timidness however; giving the unit more roles than it needs, steps on the toes of other worthy units within the race, making the new unit less useful in fulfilling its original idea but more abuseable by the user as they can be massed to accomplish many goals at once, creating less opportunities for an opponent who maybe behind.
IMPERFECT NEW UNITS:
The Ravager and Cyclone are two fine examples of timidness in design and not enough confidence to trust in their core concepts. The Ravagers skillshot (core concept) currently seems underpowered (compared to its potential strength), while their somewhat unnecessary secondary attribute as a cheap early game Roach/Hydra combination seems to be what is all powerful about the unit.
The Cyclone on the other hand is powerful, within reason but being an all around, fast, high range unit it gains power exponentially with numbers, it is essentially a super midgame marine.
The adept seems to suffer from not going far enough to accomplish its concept, as its core ability relates to mobility while its secondary attributes gain attention from devs and players alike for apparently being underpowered.
KEEP IT SIMPLE:
RAVAGER:
The greatest problem I have with the Ravager; it evolves from the Roach to become a better Roach+Hydra, a slight HP reduction and higher supply(?) besides, it is a no brainer, you want to morph it, discarding the Roach, as there are few downsides. Compare this to the Hydralisk to Lurker, there is a clear downside, the units are entirely different and one does not make the other redundant.
The Ravager also steps on the toes of the Hydralisk itself, being faster, more convenient, arguably better against ground units and even with a soft (powerful) answer for air units.
My attitude to this is; if you want hyralisk attributes get hydra tech, a cost efficient roach tech shouldn't answer all your worries allowing your opponent to find solutions if they are good enough.
I believe we all know that the coolest thing about the Ravager is its "skill shot" a powerful splash ability that rains from the sky and encourages micro. I would encourage Blizzard to drop all ulterior attributes for the Ravager and go ALL IN on its bile attack, an ability that currently needs to be weaker as the unit is already powerful enough as a Roach+Hydra combination.
A bile bomb that can be brought to the limits of its power, being otherwise helpless would create for a much more interesting unit with wider area of effect, making it better at zoning out the opponents army.
But is a one trick Pony Ravager unit the best possible outcome?
ANOTHER APPROACH TO RAVAGER:
COMBINE THE TWO GROUND SUPPORT UNITS: RAVAGER + INFESTOR
Zerg seems to have alot of units in LotV that step on each others toes in terms of roles.
The new Swarm hosts can be considered as a good substitute for infested terrans and the Ravager currently out performs the infestor as an area of effect, zone controlling unit, making the infestor somewhat redundant. The thought then occurred to me that the Ravager design that goes all in on its CORE CONCEPT would fuse very well with the Infestor allowing it to perform its role better, creating one superior unit.
Retaining the benefits of both units, burrow movement and casting bile bomb burrowed just as the infestor would do the same with infested terrans.
Obviously combining fungal growth with bile bomb would be ridiculous, but if fungal had a 50% slow it is somewhat doable in terms of balance and makes for a Ravager*Infestor combination possible. This would do away with Roach hydra style base attacks allowing the unit design to go ALL IN on its core concept which preserve the role of basic attacking units.
Bile bomb and Fungal would then require mana in this situation, helping limit the use of bile bomb and asking zerg players to make a decision between saving energy for fungal or performing a vast number of cheap bile bombs.
A Ravager + Infestor combination would see the infestors abilities used more often and allow bile bombs to perform better against air units like voidrays, while also doing away with the unpopular current fungal growth that robs the opposing player of unit control for a short duration, which is especially powerful against clumped air units (pheonix, muta, interceptors)
Clumped air units that I must add; are already countered by the Vipers new irradiate ability, making it a simply over powered combination with the current fungal growth.
These Ravager + infestors could be gained by morphing Roach warren to an infestation pit as early as Hatch tech retaining early access to Ravagers and force field breaking, however fungal would have to be researched at Lair tech and a new "Viper Nest" building could be introduced for access to Hive tech.
RAVAGER+INFESTOR ABILITIES:
Stronger Bile Bomb + superior area of effect
Fungal Growth: 50 % slow + damage (enough to nullify medivac heal)
Neural if its deemed necessary
No base attack
CYCLONE:
I currently think Blizzard is on the money with the Cyclone, its powerful, fast and encourages micro which is fantastic. However as I mentioned above mid game units in StarCraft usually have a trade off for such power, this usually comes down to a vulnerability to either ground or air. In terms of the Cyclone I believe it should be Anti air only with a passive ability that aids ground assault.
The siege tank is already a mid game unit designed specifically to dominate the ground, sacrificing any ability to defend itself from the air. The Thor is a strong ground unit with the capacity to deter clusters of light air units. The Cyclone can fulfill the role of a dedicated anti air unit because anti ground mech can already be very strong.
This dedication would allow the Cyclone to become even better in its role helping fight off armoured Carriers, corruptors, overlords, Collosus (air), broodlords without worrying about being too strong against Ultralisk, Thors or even stalker and roach.
A passive ability could be introduced to aid ground assaults so that it isnt competely redundant without air units to attack. i.e repair drone or a less powerful built in pdd
THE GENERAL IDEA: GOING ALL IN ON AN IDEA, INFLATING DESIRED STRENGTHS AND EXPOSING WEAKNESSES
ADEPT:
Quite unlike the other units I believe the Adepts greatest problems stem from a timidness to go further with its core concept combined with its actual lack of utility.
Being an early game unit I do not believe Adepts need to be a dedicated anti ground unit. As a Diamond Protoss I can tell you that the GREATEST problem protoss has is their lack of an answer to Mutalisk without Pheonix!
Without Stargates, if you are blind sided by 40 Mutalisk (we have learned to always be wary of this switch but is it good game design?) there is little option but to basetrade, as you will be chipped away, with little hope of gaining new expansions. The Adepts strong anti light and "splash" seemed perfect for dealing with mutalisk, along with its high shields and fast shadow teleport, it could chase them down/ out of your base and trade regenerating shields just the same as the muta can with regening health.
To me, the problem with the Adept is Blizzard's focus on it being a gateway harass unit. I believe if Blizzard balances the adept to combat mutalisk from the ground, it will be a much better unit and if it naturally performs good worker harass unit well thats cool as well.
ADEPT ENHANCING CORE CONCEPT:
The core concept of the Adept is its shadow teleport, something I would like to see Blizzard go further with. Any change to this ability would be entirely motivated by the Mutalisk and helping track it down! In this way the Adepts shadow could fly, ignoring terrain, differentiating it from blink! If the shadow expires over a gorge or unplayable terrain the teleport would be cancelled but in this way Adepts could quickly find harassing mutalisk to defend an assault.
To stop early game abuse this ability would have to be researched but mid game worker harass could still potentially be a thing.
I do not believe another reaper unit, redundant in the mid to late game is a desirable outcome for the Adept when Protoss has such a big problem with Mutalisk without Pheonix.
CONCLUSION:
I believe Blizzard has thought up some fantastic unit concepts for their final expansion, I just hope they are brave enough to believe in their core ideas and embrace them without such timidness, that makes for half hearted units that do not have their own unique role when keeping things simple and driving home a single idea would likely do much more for themselves and their game!
Thanks for reading!
features.
A Diamond Protoss.