Tank Placement and Control

The Early Tank Push

This is one of the most common things one will want to use while playing the Terrans. Once you manage to push him in you will have an advantage. But alot of players misses multiple details while they are trying to push. The tanks dies easily to just some Zealots or Dragoons. One storm is killing two or three Tanks. A Dark Templar is undetected and can kill some Tanks until you detect it and can annihilate it. All this can let the Protoss - or the Zerg, or even the Terran - back in the driving seat again, and your for a short moment advantage is nowhere to be seen.

Let us feign that you are doing a very fast Tank push against a Protoss while producing Marines from one Barracks constantly, and builds Tanks from two never idle Factories. If you are doing the Tank push correct, you will most likely win. But that is just the question; how do one do it correct?

When you feel it is the right moment to attack - begin pushing your opponent - do it. Unsiege your Siege Tanks and begin moving them just outside your base (down the hill on Temple; to your expansion at Hunters etc.) while still getting more Tanks and Marines - now maybe from two or three Barracks. Move one Marine ahead of your group to spot incoming threats, if a group of Zealots are coming you have to be fast. If feasible, try get some Firebats along your group if you suspect your enemy is going for massive ammounts of Zealots. You should begin siege your Tanks farthest away from the front. Do not unsiege all Tanks if you have a small number of Marines (under 12 or so). Why? The enemy can just run his Zealots to the Tanks and just getting hit by the ones at the back, and they are also dealing out splash damage to your own Tank(s)! If you have a number of 12 or more Marines, siege all tanks in a spread out line (but remember, the Tank way back there should be able to fire at the Zealots too). With this in mind, the Zealots have to run a farther distance to get to your Tanks, and all the while having Marines firing at them. When the Zealots (or whatever it is, not higher tech units than Dragoons in this case) is coming all Tanks are sieged and ready to fire. Let the first (the one closest to the enemy units) fire one or two shots based on how close the units are. Then promptly mark it - which it should be already - and press "O" (Siege Mode), so it will be unsieged just in front of the surprised enemy units. When the Zealots are hitting it just run it away backward and Siege it - press "O" - beside your backmost Tank. At the same time you should see if the enemy is hitting your Marines or your Tanks. If they are dumb enough to follow your unsieged Tank just run it around until they stop chasing it and then siege. if they are going for your marines dance the one(s) who are being lashed around and let your Tanks just shoot. But, if they are going for your next Tank in the line you have to immediately unsiege him and do as you did with the first Tank of yours. Repeat this and the enemy should have no chance at all. One thing to also have in mind is if some Zealots are hurt your unsieged Tank can run just a short distance (if not followed) and fire at the hurt Zealot. Remember, Tanks not in Siege mode are also very good. One sieged Tank is dealing out a good ammount of damage - 70, and with that comes the splash damage (to your own units/buildings as well) and they have a great range. But their firing rate is terrible. One unsieged tank does the same damage as the sieged one in the same time, the only positive with sieged tanks are therefore their great range and the splash damage.

Now let us say that no enemy units are to be seen but you still of course wants to push him in. Your marine is now just outside the enemy base and your tanks can move safely through the map, but do not move all Tanks at the same time to your scouting Marine.

Stop 1.5-2 screens away and begin sieging two Tanks (spread out of course), and move the rest one screen closer your enemy. Siege another two Tanks there at the same time you unsiege your other Tanks (the one you sieged first). Now you are just a half - one screen away from your Marine. Carefully move all tanks there and siege all of them spread out beside the marine. Remember to unsiege your sieged Tanks as well! Phew.

Now, you have him closed in. If you were smart you also brought an SCV or two to repair the tanks or build things with. (If you were fighting against the Zealots repair the tanks that runs away.)

Begin building a Bunker outside their camp and remember to always bring new Tanks and Marines there! Put 4 Marines or if you have Firebats - 3 Marines and a Bat (not if they have Dragoons of course.) With the other SCV build a Turret (you should have Bay by now, which you promptly float just outside the enemy base.)

(Factories, In Case Of Emergency)

Now you can choose, will you begin pushing him so much that your Sieges can hit is outmost buildings and risk that he can break out easier. Or you can camp outside his base constraining him to expand. You have to opt what to do by scouting him and see. If he is very templar happy you can just push him in more, while building Bunkers closer to him so he cannot storm your Marines. If he is very Zealot happy just let it be. Versus Dragoons it is harder to choose, base it on the number of units he has. See if you can push him in or not. Take a risk if worth it. Do what you feel best about.

(This one is trying to attack my outpost...)

(...Not a very wise move as he was attacking my Engineering Bay alot of the time and all the while getting hit by my Tanks. I also did unsiege my Tanks closest to the Zealots, just one Tank died in this fight)

(Now you can simply begin to move up the ramp, watch out for Dark Templars!! Spend all your money to kill him, no need to save them for the future, 'cause it will be no future for this guy)

(Dead meat... This guy has High Templars, therefore I build alot of Bunkers. The Engineering Bay is hiding Tanks under it, not now but before, and later)

If facing a Zerg, you can just run away your Tanks against numbers of Zerglings just like you did versus the Zealots. But remember, do not siege all tanks if facing Zerglings. Unsieged tanks kills Zerglings in the same time as sieged do. But that is not really why. Zerglings can easily overwhelm a tank and it is an impossible task to run it away if they do. You have to be ready from the start, do not let Tanks die too easy against a Zerg or he will overwhelm the rest of them without problem. It is hard to do this flawless, but practise practise practise! Versus Hydras you have to be more careful, do more Marines along with Medics, and then begin Tank pushing. Although if you do a very quick Tank push the few Hydras he will have should die. Watch out for Lurkers, do not let them get close to your Tank. If you see them running against it, unsiege it as fast as you can and start firing at it. If he burrows just run away and place the Tank out of range and siege (if he stays burrowed). If he follows your Tank fast, do not unsiege, you will want to fire him as much as possible when over ground.

Against a Terran you will most likely face ranged units from the beginning, but Marines will bite the dust against alot of Tanks and some of your own Marines. You will in most cases not need to unsiege tanks, even if they are moving their Marines just by your Tanks. If they do your own Marines can gain some free hits against the weak Marines - and the other Tanks as well. You dont have to unsiege your tanks because always some Marines can be targeted.

The Late Game

This is the key to win battles. Feign you are playing a tight battle seemingly endless! Now, a good push using mixed units and alot of Tanks can totally blow up the enemy. This is an important knowledge. This is how you most effiectively mix units. Read...

This can be extremely hard to perform; but you need a good mix on units based on what your enemy is going for. Against alot of air units Goliaths and Wraiths are very good. They kill Guardians, Mutas, Carriers, Battle Cruisers and Wraiths (only); although both Wraiths and Goliaths just does 10 (50%) damage to Mutas. Marines can help too. If your enemy is going for huge numbers of Marines along with maybe a few Tanks your many Tanks along with Marines & Medics and Science Vessel should do it. Versus huge number of Marines sieged Tanks kills Marines every shot, the Medics cannot help. But if they are unsieged they only do 30 damage, therefore the Medics can heal. Always have your Tanks sieged when facing alot of other Marines. Matrix your Tanks that are being lashed. Irradiate Marines that stands close to others. EMP group of Medics if possible. This does the splash damage dealt out by the Tanks more effective. Build Vultures also, spread out mines everywhere to control the map.

Against Protoss you have to research all spells for the Science Vessel. EMP everything you see (especially Archons, Carriers, Dark Archons, and Templars. You can also irradiate both High Templars and Dark Templars. If they are going for huge numbers of Zealots irradiate them too. The defensive matrix should be casted on your own Tanks and maybe your Goliaths if needed. Try placing your Tanks on ledges so they cannot be hit except if he drops on them. More about this later on!

If facing a Zerg your Science Vessels won't need EMP. Irradiate everything you see!! Queens, Hydras, Ultras, everything, except for Zerglings or Broodlings (not cheap units). Good luck...

Now let us move over to the funny part, the tricks and the almost abusive things to really wipe out our enemy with!

Tank Push  -->
Tips & Tricks: Early Tank Drop -->
Tips & Tricks: Late Drop Tricks -->
Examples -->