Using Banelings like spider mines?

In starcraft 1, I remember once or twice where I used Infested Terrans as spider mines. Burrow them along the trail from my base to the enemy's base. When the enemy walks drectly above the infested terrans, I would unburrow them, killing the majority of units they sent out. But I don't use it that often because 100 minerals and 50 gas is quite expensive for using it like spider mines.

So in starcraft 2, you can probably do the same thing with banelings. Burrow them near or outside the choke to your base, then wait until the enemy steps right on top of them, you unburrow and let the banelings rip the damage. Let's hope the banelings will not be that expensive to make in starcraft 2, so it can actually be viable to use them like spider mines. Not to mention putting them along a top of a cliff, and when enemy passes by down below, the Banelings will roll down the cliff and destroy them.

 

Hm. That would involve a fair bit of micro I would imagine. Because if they work similarly to Inf Terrans then their own splash could prove to be their downfall, you couldn't just a + left click the ambush.

Def a cool idea though. If they're noob-friendly with splash damage, they could be the easiest way to wipe out a bunched up enemy.

 

do we know if banelings can burrow yet?

 

You bring up a good point. They certainly dont seem like they can burrow. Hm, too bad MC2, that was a cool idea.

 

Even if they could not, one could simply place a line burrowable units in the middle of the track while the banelings sit at the edge out of sight of the enemy then suddenly send them in. However this would take alot of scouting and preperation as setting traps in starcraft (the more complex ones not the simple lurker/spider mine line) can be rather hard.

 

hmm would be interesting to see if those rolly pollys do in fact burrow

 

i think its just gonna be a lot of microing and not for a first timer

 

They don't look like they can.. as they roll around, I don't see their legs, so I dunno how they could dig.
But anything depends on Blizzard..

 

It wouldn't make sense that the Banelings can't burrow. All zerg ground unit should be able to burrow, even the ultralisk.

But after thinking about it, I'd it's probably too expensive to use them like spider mines. But it will be very useful in maps with cliffs leading to choke points.

 

Infested trran could burrow? I tried that idea only except aplied it as a kamikazee unit. It didn't work. It kept running to another unit, rather then the closest unit as I wanted. Even with droping on SCVs.

 

Another problem with using them to scout enemy locations is if the banelings are further up the tech tree. If they are tier 2 or tier 3, you probably already know where the enemy base is so the scouting function is kind of limited. I'd also like to see it's movement and HP compared to the Zergling's. if the Zergling is faster and/or more HP, they'd probably make a better unit to move into the fog of war and see what's going on in an enemy base.

Also zerglings can burrow and can attack without blowing themselves up.

When I played zerg more often, I would use them kind of like spider mines, but would try to mostly concentrate them on workers. They could do repeated damage (and heal!) which spider mines can't.

 

i agree
in the starcraft: ghost trailer there was an ultralisk that suddenly splurted out from the ground...
but banelings digging...i cant imagine that

 

Why not.  I bet they lie flat on the ground when not moving but roll up when they move.

 

ummm no there wasnt. there were a few zerglings that popped up, but the ultra came running down the canyon like the hundreds of other zerg present.
just when you first see it its reared up on its hind legs. not unburrowing.

 

Very true, but if you let each gamer play the game and units at their own level it makes an enjoyable experience for all.

 

Using Banelings is a big deal with the big armored Units thats what i thought

 

banelings were rather slow in the gameplay trailers... will there be a speed upgrade as well?

 

No idea of there'll be a speed upgrade, but they're fine without one. I mean, they're (presumably) cheap, easy to produce, and do a lot of damage. You wouldn't be able to use them to take out an active defense, but say... sneak some Zerglings in early on, burrow them, morph them all over before the target can react...

 

Well i think the reason why BAnelings are too slow, like they say that it has a chemical inside of it thats why he is hard to move faast because of the chemical inside

 

Not all Zerg units should be able to burrow. Most certainly not the Ultralisk because Ultra's are just to big to be able to hide in the ground. But with Banelings burrowing, unless the evolution from Zergie to Baneling cost a LOT, they would be way too powerful. Just imagine how easy it would be to overrun an enemy.
The player could just mass Zergies, morph them into Baneling and burrow them to set up a pincer ambush outside the entrance to the enemies base, and have a third group burrowed a bit further back. When their attack marches out it would be instantly mashed by the ambush. The team's defenses would come out to try and assist the attack, and get blown up by the Baneling survivors of the ambush and the third group could just roll in to cripple their base. (Although I made that sound complicated, it is actually very easy to set up. I do a similar thing with 2 groups of Lurkers and a third group of Zergies in BW.)
So if Banelings could burrow they would have to be very expensive, which would make more sense, because no-one should be able to just morph 50+ zergies into bombs once they breach their opponents base.