Millipede Base Defence/Ambush unit

Hey guys,

I was reading the topic about the centipede and I got a different idea on how to use a "long" unit. My idea is to have a millipede shaped unit mutated regularly from larvae. These units have no attack, have "burrow" by default, and when they burrow, they don't leave a tiny hole like most Zerg burrowers. When these units burrow, the shape of their "hole" is the shape of their body, as if the millipede just left an imprint of itself on the ground.

Now why is this useful? Well, when the millipede is burrowed, it has an ability that immediately unburrows it, and enters the millipede into a fortified wall-ish type mode. Millipedes have pretty tough armour in the real world already. Using these two abilities, you can setup a trap whereby you burrow millipedes into the ground, and then unburrow them when a group of enemies pass by, effectively splitting them up, and killing them while they are divided.

Another level of utility that these millipedes could have is the way you move them. Unlike regular units, you would control millipedes by directing the HEAD, and the body will follow accordingly. This would allow you to have a pretty wierdly shaped millipede and an equally wierder shaped trap. You could form a circle using 2 or 3 millepedes and then trap a group of units in a walled circle, and then obliterate them.

Anyways, just a thought.

 

owerup: 4 u!

I love original ideas, and the way that circling around takes Cobras' movement pattern shown in the Thor demo into a new strategy is just amazing. Great possibilities for this idea, and congratulations for your originality once again. :good:

EDIT: Just something that came into my mind: if there were a way to target exactly the behind of this 'millipede', you could command one to follow the other's tail, and controlling the one on front, create more easily a circle around the enemy, preventing it from moving. Just an idea for its mechanics.

 

hmm.. nice idea after all there are sunken colonies which should sink into the creep :thumbup:

 

Indeed a very nice idea. However, I can only see it being useful if there are object (doodads, units) that let you see through them with your units but will stop your missile attacks (this is especially important against terran). If this millipede did this (or even blocked sight as well if it was tall enough) then it would completely insulate armies into smaller groups which would make an easy kill for the Zerg player and almost instantly decide the outcome of the battle.

In conclusion, it's a great idea. Something that is not an über killing machine but a strategically important member of any Zerg army.

 

Maybe this idea could be beneficial for both teams, like, say you have 3 marines and as they're running a millipede pops up infront of them and turns into a wall. Before the marines can go around the millipede a group of hydralisks begins attacking the marines from the other side of the millipede.
[img width=465 height=297]http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd63/Alasdair22/LOLMILLIPEDE.jpg[/img]
Once the fighting begins, the marines are close enough to the millipede to gain the benefits, which are that it acts as cover for the marines givning them +5 armor?

So even though it can trap and cut off groups and give you the advantage, if used improperly it will give the enemie an advantage. Altough the cover system doesn't seem too Starcraftish

 

Cover systen not starcraftish? Thas how bunkers work, they provide cover for your infantry units during combat.

 

The unit seems to be a bit specialized. In StarCraft, units are typically useful in both offense and defense. This unit, because of the complexity of controlling it, its' size, and its lack of other useful abilities, would be totally useless in an attack.

Also, it closely mirrors the new sinkable Supply Depot mechanic, reducing the individuality of each race if both are implemented. This is something that Blizzard tries to avoid doing.

 

Not only are bunkers a type of cover, also hills. Remember, standing on high elevated ground gives a chance for units to dodge ranged units. And if I recall, standing under a tree in Starcraft does the same.

 

Forgot about that.

Maybe this millipede idea could be a kind of mobile defence building. But have something like it can only be build so far from a center because it would need the center's power to have it be able to raise and lower into the ground.

 

owerup: for the idea! I'd love to see this unit in the game, since it adds a lot more strategic option to the zerg arsenal. I for one would use it against an opponent to trap them into smaller groups, and then eliminate them with guardians/any long ranged attacker. It's true it's quite similar to the submerging supply depots, but the difference is, that supply depots are built by SCV:s, AND are visible to enemies. The millipede, however would be invisible to all units, except for detectors.

 

Great idea, i got 2 ways to use this from reading it here they are

just gotta balance HP, armor and price for these babies correctly, otherwise they may end up being too strong or too weak.

And for being able to be put to use for offense and defense they can.

You dont have an army? Put several rows of these to slow the enemy down untill you get some more units, or for attack you have the 2 situations i "drew", im a bad drawer dont flame me for it i know.

 

However, if the millipeds are like other units/buildings, they would be destroyed instead of the enemy being funneled into a choke point.

As for the second picture, it would require all of them to be raised, meaning that the enemy might see them, and would know its an ambush, thus they would find another way around.

 

no, both of them are burrowed in a place where you expect the enemy to move through, when they do, select all of them, and burrow them out at the same time since all units that have the burrow command when selected can be unburrowed at the same time, and attack.

Since you can select up to(currently at least) 150 units that wont be a prob.


Edit: I mean just think if banelings could burrow the possibilities, the enemy has nowhere to run and their stuck in a huge hole with dozens of bombs about to go off. Fun times.

 

Oh yeah, forgot about the 150 selection. This would work, as long as they aren't using and detectors.

This will work wonders on coms, but I'm not so sure how it will work out against human players.

 

well, thats the whole point of an ambush, place it where the enemy wont expect it.

I mean an ambush when the enemy knows it wont work

So its timing and taking a chance.

 

Yeah, I really like the idea, but thinking again it kind of reminds the burrowing bunkers in functionality. Perhaps they're too alike...?

 

well that was just an idea, they cant burrow yet

And bukers are purely defensive, whereas this is offensive, defensive and you can ambush.

 

I think it should have a lot of armor, like 10 or so, to make it really useful. Most units will have a hard time killing it with that much armor, so you would have to use really powerful units like siege tanks to deal with them.

 

Then what is the bunker offence strategy?

Bunkers can be used offensively is SC; the bunker rush! Build bunkers near your opponents base and fill then with marines. This will keep your enemy from expanding, and leads to a great offence when used by a skilled player.

 

Its still stationary though.

By bunker rushing it, you defend certain areas, you cant truly attack with it, you can only build it in certain place to defend those areas.

This is a unit that you can move around.