Ghost vs Organic

Ghost vs Organic​

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As we all know the Ghost is designed to take out Light, preferably Biological or Fleshy, units. Armed with both Snipe and a specialised attack dealing an additional 200% damage to Light units, it's definitely seems as though it's prepped for the job. At first I thought that Snipe dealt 150 damage to all Biological units, but after doing a tad of investigative journalism (research) I found, as most of you probably know already, that it deals fifty damage to any Biological or Fleshy unit and a bonus hundred to Light armoured units. It only uses fifty energy, meaning that, Uncloaked and with full Energy, it can Snipe four targets before running out of Energy.
I've listed how many Snipes or shots it would take to take down all the snipable units, how much Energy will be used and how many Ghosts required to take the unit down. Every Zerg unit can be Sniped while only Terran and Protoss infantry can. I've also taken EMP, which I've heard uses a hundred Energy, into account for the Protoss units.
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Zerg

Drone 1 Snipe or 3 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Overlord 2 Snipes or 12 shots. 100 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Zergling 1 Snipe or 2 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Baneling 1 Snipe or 4 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Roach 2 Snipes. Shots dependant on regeneration rate. 100 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Infester 1 Snipe or 7 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Hydralisk 1 Snipe or 5 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Lurker 3 Snipes or 21 shots. 150 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Ultralisk 12 Snipes or 100 shots. 600 Energy used. 3 Ghosts required.
Mutalisk 1 Snipe or 7 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Swarm Guardian 4 Snipes or 34 shots. 200 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Corrupter 4 Snipes or 34 shots. 200 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Nydus Wyrm 5 Snipes or 42 shots. 250 Energy used. 2 Ghosts required.
Infested Terran 1 Snipe or 2 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Queen 2 Snipes or 9 shots. 100 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Lair Watcher 2 Snipes or 14 shots. 100 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Hive Matriarch 4 Snipes or 34 shots. 200 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
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Terran

SCV 1 Snipe or 4 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Marine 1 Snipe or 3 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Reaper 1 Snipe or 3 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Ghost 1 Snipe or 4 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Marauder 2 Snipes or 14 shots 100 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
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Protoss

Zealot 2 Snipes, 1 Snipe and 1 shot, or 9 shots. 100 or 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Zealot with EMP 1 Snipe or 6 shots. 150 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
High Templar 1 Snipes or 5 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
High Templar with EMP 1 Snipe or 3 shots. 150 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Dark Templar 1 Snipe or 7 shots. 50 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Dark Templar with EMP 1 Snipe or 3 shots. 150 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
Archon with EMP Cannot be Sniped, but 2 shots. 100 Energy used. 1 Ghost required.
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My initial reaction on my findings about the Queen, Lair Watcher and Hive Matriarch were that Snipe was a tad overpowered. One Ghost can single handedly take out a Hive Matriarch, but more realistically, two infiltrating Ghosts would be able to take out out almost instantly. The Zerg player wouldn't have time to realise what's being hit, what's attacking it, and Deep Tunnel to safety. The Ghosts would also be able to track her down due to their new ability to Detect units with Energy, meaning that Burrowing the Queen wouldn't help but also that they have a good chance at discovering where she Deep Tunnels to, if she does, by detecting where she appears in the fog-of-war.
It's almost as if they've become specialist Queen hunters. I think to balance this, at least the hive Matriarch, but possibly the Lair Watcher as well, should be classified as Armoured units. This could help them against Ghosts, but would open them up to other units such as Siege Tanks, might would help to balance it all out.
Another comment I'd like to make on the Ghost is its ability to take out an Archon. Archons are way outside the Ghost's comfort zone, they deal minimal damage against them and can't be Sniped, but can still be taken out in two shots with the use of an EMP. In my opinion, it really shows the versatility and potential of the Ghost.
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What do you think? Is the Snipe ability too powerful? Is it too weak? Should it be further altered to effect some units more than others? Should the cost of the Snipe be increased? Should their maximum Energy be reduced?
What are your thoughts?


Bonus 600 minerals for a great post

 

Very nice, I just wonder where your source for "specialised attack dealing an additional 200% damage to Light units" comes from. As far as I know, the Ghost's attack deals 5 damage + 30 vs light (which would change your list a bit).
A drone would die from two shots, for instance.

So, where's your source?

 

I don't think the Ghost is as overpowered as suggested. It looks like SC2 is going to place much more emphasis on detectors which would stop sniping raids by ghosts. If you don't have detectors ghosts are the least of your worries besides nydus worms, infestors, banshees, etc.

As long as you can get detectors early and the ghost remains a tier 1.5 unit (is that still the case?) then it should be fine.

 

My source is sc2armory.com. It says that it deals six damage normally, and an additional twelve to Light targets. I know it can be unreliable and I did see the topic on the Ghost on this forum, but our discussion was when the Ghost was first released. It's bound to have changed since then. However, if it's not, I'll be happy to make the appropriate adjustments.

 

VERY good post! owerup:


I think the snipe fits the ghost well, it will require micro, so it is balanced IMO. And yes, I think the Queen, as a Hive Matriarch (or whenever the Ghost becomes capable of sniping) should be considered an Armoured unit, so it doesn't fall prey too easilly to the ghost.

 

Snipe's bonus damage to Armoured units should be decreased by 25~50, and the energy cost should be increased by 25. Also, maybe a short-moderate cooldown timer. The ability to deal ~150 damage four times back-to-back seems a bit much to me.

Also, From what I know the Hydralisk is considered an armoured unit, I'm guessing from the same source as GMG (starcraft wiki?), so it would be 2 snipes to down a Hydralisk if that info is correct.

 

Hydralisks can not possibly be armored, I am sorry. Remember that the Zealot is considered light, and it has more hp ( + shield) and start with 1 armor. The Hydralisk must be considered light too.

 

Btw sc2armory is not exactly the most credible source. I will ask Jon to take a look at this thread and check the stats. But very nice analysis.

 

I already asked him Psi.

 

I think the ghost is great where it is at. Detectors do ruin a lot of things for the ghots and they are not to hard to get. I think they will be a very adequate source to be used in the terran campaign. Just think run in snipe as much as you can before you get detected and then come in with you main force and wipe crap out Or even nuke then keep sniping so they get uber owned! yeah i know they wont have enough energy but that is why you have more than one!!!!

 

2 Ghost could cause a lot of trouble. Just have Overlords at the correct points of your base, along with Lurkers on the perimeter so when a Ghost is detected, the Lurker sends spikes into him.
There are a lot of units which will force you to stay alert thru out the game for all races.

 

Imagine one Ghost points the Nuke, while a couple more snipes the incoming Overlords trying to find them! Would be so usefull! And dangerous to the Zerg!

 

same with protoss nuke and destroy detectors. it is going to be one very sweet strategie

 

Except that Ghosts will not detect the Observers, neither can they snipe observers....

 

Overlords don't detect, Overseers do.

 

overseers overlords same thing and i dont think they have totally figured out if overlords lost there detector ability it is up in the air still

 

Who haven't figured out if their detection's lost?

 

I ready on the confirmed zerg page the it wasnt confirmed whether or not they had lost the detection ability

 

They have lost their ability to detect, I promise. Overseers detect now.

 

Yes, whatever, Overseers than... I meant the organic detectors that can be sniped...