Recap

Last week I shared my dream balance patch with the community: A StarCraft II Balance Patch By WildCardsc

The community gave me some really solid feedback! After some additional thought, I've made some large changes to the original patch notes. I hope you have a chance to consider these changes altogether and provide more awesome feedback, so I can continue tailoring this amazing patch to the interests of you all!

Now here is an updated version of my dream patch for StarCraft II!

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Philosophy

My approach to these balance changes focuses on five core principles to enhance StarCraft 2’s depth and enjoyment:

1. Fun/Exciting: Introducing dynamic mechanics to keep gameplay engaging.
2. Versatility: Expanding strategic options across all races for diverse playstyles.
3. Nuanced Interaction-Specific Changes: Targeting specific matchups to promote healthy counterplay.
4. Easy to Learn: Ensuring new mechanics are approachable for newer players.
5. Hard to Master: Rewarding skill and precision with high-skill-ceiling additions.

These updates aim to invigorate mid-to-late-game dynamics while preserving each race’s identity.

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Terran Adjustments

Goal: Strengthen Terran’s mid-to-late-game versatility while curbing early-game dominance, emphasizing micro-intensive support and anti-air options.

Marine

• Stimpack: Duration reduced to 8 seconds (from 10).
  • Reason: Shortens bio pressure windows with Medivac support, rewarding precise micro while keeping bio skill-dependent and viable.

Widow Mine

• Sentinel Missiles: Can no longer cancel its attack once a target is acquired (manual target switching disabled).
• New Upgrade (Factory Tech Lab): Lockshift Protocol
  • Effect: Allows Widow Mine to switch targets after acquiring one.
  • Cost: 50 minerals / 50 gas | Research Time: 41 seconds.
• Refactor Upgrade: Drilling Claws
  • Now only grants invisibility while reloading (no longer doubles burrow speed).
• Stats Change: Burrow & Unburrow speed doubled by default.
  • Reason: Easier battlefield deployment, reduced early-game worker harassment power due to inability to switch targets by default.

Reaper

• New Upgrade (Barracks Tech Lab, requires Armory): Shockwave Grenade
  • Effect: KD8 Charge damage increased to 10 (from 5); units hit are stunned for 1 second post-knockback (cannot move or attack).
  • Cost: 100 minerals / 100 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Elevates Reapers into late-game disruptors, synergizing with reworked hellions/hellbats and bio.

Hellion / Hellbat

• Removed: Infernal Pre-Igniter upgrade.
• New Upgrade (Factory Tech Lab): Scorched Wake
  • Effect: Leaves a 3-second fire trail dealing 3 damage per 0.71 seconds (4 cycles, 2.84 seconds total) to light units (non-stacking).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Visual: hellion and hellbat attack is now a blue flame
  • Visual: orange fire burns on the ground for the duration of Scorched Wake.
• New Upgrade (Factory Tech Lab): Hellfire Sweep
  • Effect: Doubles Hellion attack width; with Scorched Wake, fire trail width doubles too.
  • Cost: 100 minerals / 100 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Replaces Pre-Igniter’s slowball with zoning tools, boosting Hellion harassment and mid-game relevance.

Raven

• New Default Ability: Disruption Pulse
  • Effect: Launches a missile (7 range) pursuing a target for 21 seconds. On detonation, Zerg units within 2.88 radius cannot burrow for 15 seconds (affects burrowed/unburrowed units; burrowed units stay burrowed but can’t re-burrow after unburrowing).
  • In-Game Description: “Launches a splash missile that denies Zerg units the ability to burrow for 15 seconds.”
  • Energy: 50.
  • Reason: Encourages Raven use over Ghosts against Lurkers.

Cyclone

• Base Stats Rework: Damage reduced to 9 (+1) from 18 (+1), attacks doubled to 2. Range unchanged (5 ground/air).
  • Reminder: Lock-On default deals 400 damage over 14 seconds.
• Mag-Field Accelerator Rework:
  • Lock-On vs. air targets: 600 damage over 14 seconds (unchanged).
  • Lock-On vs. ground targets: Remains 400 damage over 14 seconds.
• New Upgrade (Factory Tech Lab): Multi-Target Skirmisher
  • Effect: Lock-On air range increased to 9; can target 2 air units or 1 ground + 1 air simultaneously.
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Reduces mid-game ground power, enhances scalable anti-air support.

Thor

• New Upgrade (Fusion Core): Deflector Plating (Passive)
  • Effect: Mutalisk attacks don’t bounce; Lurker spines stop at Thor; Disruptor disks can’t pass through; Adept shades can’t pass through; Yamato Cannon deals half damage to Thors.
  • In-Game Description: “The Thor’s armor halts attacks from Mutalisks, Lurkers, Disruptors, Adepts, and Battle Cruisers.”
  • Reason: Enhances Thor’s matchup-specific role, revitalizing it post-reworks. Encourages Thor use over Ghosts against Lurkers.

Ghost

• Removed Ability: Snipe
• New Default Ability: Neuroblind Bullet
  • Effect: After aiming for 1.43 seconds (canceled if damaged), fires a sniper round reducing target vision to 0 permanently (any unit type). Range: 10.
  • Energy: 50 (restored if canceled).
• New Upgrade (Ghost Academy): Mobile Tactical Strike
  • Effect: Ghost can move freely after calling a nuke (cast range 12) if staying within 12 range of the marker; moving outside cancels it.
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Shifts Ghost utility to vision denial and mobile nuking.

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Protoss Adjustments

Goal: Bolster Protoss’ mid-to-late-game flexibility and survivability, enhancing utility and deception to counter mobility and flanks.

Cybernetics Core

• New Upgrade: Advanced Gateway Technology
  • Effect: Unlocks major upgrades for Zealot, Stalker, Adept, High Templar, and Dark Templar; disables Warp Gate permanently (existing Warp Gates convert to Gateways, new ones stay Gateways).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 41 seconds.

Zealot

• New Upgrade (Twilight Council): Wrathful Impact (Requires Charge and Advanced Gateway Technology)
  • Effect: Charge adds +8 damage on impact.
  • Cost: 100 minerals / 100 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Boosts Zealot aggression with Advanced Gateway investment.

Adept

• New Upgrade (Twilight Council): Psionic Dampening (Requires Advanced Gateway Technology)
  • Effect: Enemy ranged units contacting an invulnerable Shade lose 1 attack range for 2 seconds (resets while in contact).
  • Cost: 100 minerals / 100 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Revives Adept mid-to-late-game relevance with micro-intensive disruption.

Sentry

• New Upgrade (Cybernetics Core): Phantom Echo (Requires Advanced Gateway Technology)
  • Effect: Hallucination creates double the units (e.g., 1 Phoenix becomes 2, 4 Probes become 8).
  • Cost: 50 minerals / 50 gas | Research Time: 41 seconds.
  • Reason: Enhances mid-game mind games at a balanced gas cost.

Stalker

• New Upgrade (Twilight Council): Resonance Echo (Requires Advanced Gateway Technology)
  • Effect: After blinking, leaves a Stalker Hallucination at the original position.
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds | Cooldown: 21 seconds (1 hallucination per 3 blinks).
  • Reason: Improves late-game survivability and deception.

High Templar

• New Upgrade (Templar Archives): Phase Shift (Requires Advanced Gateway Technology)
  • Effect: Becomes invulnerable and untargetable for 3.5 seconds (no attacks or spells).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds | Energy: 50 | Cooldown: 15 seconds.
  • Reason: Aids escapes and fortified position breaks, offsetting slow speed.

Dark Templar

• New Upgrade (Dark Shrine): Shadow Drain (Requires Advanced Gateway Technology)
  • Effect: Drains 25 energy from a target on hit (auto-cast vs. energy targets).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds | Cooldown: 20 seconds.
  • Reason: Boosts late-game DT threat vs. casters and energy-reliant structures.

Phoenix

• New Upgrade (Fleet Beacon): Disruption Web
  • Effect: Casts a 1.5-radius plasma web (10 seconds) silencing ground spellcasters (not buildings) from 7 range; cancels Neuroblind Bullet and Neural Parasite.
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds | Energy: 50.
  • Reason: Enhances zoning vs. Ghosts, Templars, Queens, and Infestors.

Colossus

• New Upgrade (Robotics Bay): Gravitic Anchor
  • Effect: Roots in place for 15 seconds (uncancellable), gaining +2 range and displacement immunity (e.g., Viper Abduct).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds | Cooldown: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Improves PvZ viability vs. late-game Vipers, solidifying siege role.

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Zerg Adjustments

Goal: Enhance Zerg’s late-game swarm synergy and anti-air presence, adding utility and survivability to key units.

Hydralisk

• Removed: Lunge upgrade (moved to Brood Lord).
• New Upgrade (Lurker Den): Aerial Barbs
  • Effect: Grants +1 range vs. air (doesn’t apply to ground).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Sharpens Hydralisks as late-game anti-air support.

Baneling

• New Upgrade (Baneling Nest, Hive Req.): Corrosive Residue
  • Effect: Ranged units damaged by a Baneling deal -5 damage for 1.5 seconds.
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Boosts late-game survivability vs. ranged bio, aiding Zergling surrounds.

Brood Lord

• New Upgrade (Greater Spire): Swarm Dive
  • Effect: Dives forward with increased speed for 2.5 seconds.
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds | Cooldown: 14 seconds.
  • Reason: Adds mobility to siege dynamics without breaking its role.

Corruptor

• New Upgrade (Greater Spire): Pustule Bloom
  • Effect: On death, spawns a 1.5-radius cloud dealing 15 damage over 5 seconds (stackable).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds | Cooldown: 79 seconds.
  • Reason: Enables diving tactics and strengthens counterplay vs. mass Carriers.

Roach

• New Upgrade (Roach Warren, Lair Req.): Burrow Rush
  • Effect: Grants +2 speed for 2 seconds after unburrowing (applies only while unburrowed).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds | Cooldown: 20 seconds.
  • Reason: Rewards creative burrow plays with outmaneuvering utility.

Infestor

• New Default Ability: Biofoulant Weld
  • Effect: Targeted mechanical structure cannot be repaired for 15 seconds.
  • Energy: 75.
  • Reason: Boosts utility vs. fortified Terran positions, breaking stalemates.

Ultralisk

• New Passive Upgrade (Ultralisk Cavern): Frenzy Aura
  • Effect: Grants +10% attack speed to friendly units within 3 range (doesn’t stack or affect other Ultralisks).
  • Cost: 150 minerals / 150 gas | Research Time: 79 seconds.
• Stats:
  • Supply increased to 8 (from 6).
  • Model size increased by 10%.
  • Reason: Anchors late-game swarms, encouraging direct engagement.