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JackalThe Jackal is a highly mobile infantry-support unit built from the Barracks, requiring both an ghost academy and tech-lab.SpecificationsLook: Bionic/Ecotoskeleton-suit/psionic/agileRequired Tech: Barracks—>Tech-Lab—>Ghost AcademyCost: 200-minerals/150-Gas/40-Seconds/2-SupplyAttributes: Biological, PsionicAttack: NoneSpeed: 3.75Health: 125Upgrades: An standard energy upgrade at the Ghost Academy would probably be a good idea. Ability upgrades for balance as needed.(Note1: All specifications and/or values are rough estimates and placeholders set in order to flesh out an economic and strategic standing of the unit.Note2: The Jackal should be nothing less than. The unit has no offensive capability to exploit its mobility. It is purely a support unit and an expensive one at that, such speed is warranted)Abilities:Kinetic Shield- Creates an barrier on a single target biological unit for 7 Seconds, which negates all incoming damage dealt to the target from it’s front facing side. All damage dealt from the rear or flank sides of the unit are unaffected by Kinetic Shield. Range 9. 75 EnergyPlace Shift- Instantly swaps positions with another friendly unit. Range 11. 25 Energy.Lockdown- Stuns target mechanical unit for 5 seconds. Affected unit can be attacked, repaired and targeted by other abilities. Range 7. 100 Energy.The Jackal’s role in every matchup is to increase late game Bio-army viability in direct engagements through micro intensive abilities. The goal with the Jackal is not to disincentives the harassment potential of Bio-armies, but to allow more compelling and challenging late-game engagements for players on each side of the match-up. The Jackals interactions with ling/bang/muta/ultra, Marine/Tank, Pure Mech, Sky-Terran, Protoss death-ball and Sky-toss will stimulate both greater micro and multitasking engagements. I will be going through each ability in regards to the matchup (and each associated composition) vs the Bio/Jackal army in order to depict a more comprehensive understanding of the unit.At first look, It may seem off-putting that both Kinetic Shield and Lockdown are very similar, or in the latter’s case nearly identical, to their predecessor’s equivalent, but it is critical to understand how different each respective game is. In Starcraft 2 where maxed out armies of hyper cost-effective units, such as Colossi, dominate competitive play, Lockdown will be invaluable and will allow Terran to be less reliant on the Viking in the Bio vs Deathball. Jackal’s will be attempting to flank said army, avoiding feedback, Lockingdown Colossi, while the MMM Kites the zealots. If done successfully the Terran player will be able to dissect the Protoss by splitting the gateway units from the Colossi. Overall, Lockdown would spread out the entire Bio vs Deathball engagement, while requiring more multitasking from the Terran (multitasking both bio/ghost and Jackal) as well as the Protoss (Colossi position, Templar spread for effective storms and defensive feedbacks.. Further, Lockdown would greatly impact both Air-Air and Ground-Air engagements in all three of the Protoss/Terran matchups. Air-Air combat is sadly some of the most uninteresting, and frankly boring, engagements in all of Starcraft 2 and that doesn't look like it will change in LotV. So by having a ground unit that would strengthen viability of non-viking units, to combat Air forces would increase unit diversity and complexity substantially. Lockdown would also create an interesting back and forth relationship with the coming Disruptor. Lockdown(range: 7) would seem to soft counter nicely the Disruptor if cast prior to it’s activation. This could add positive complexity. Sadly, more speculation would be weak with our current understanding of LotV and how this unit will affect the Deathball composition.The Place Shift ability grants additional mobility to the Jackal in hopes to create more synergy with its other abilities and army compositions. It is relatively simple, swapping the Jackals place with another friendly unit, and will likely be most valuable in the TvT and TvP matchups vs mechanical units when coupled with Lockdown. The ability would allow Jackals (with near full energy) to Kinetic Shield themselves, close the rather short range required for Lockdown, disable the unit and Place Shift out. This would allow Jackals to be cost effective, when microed correctly, even when engaging very defensive positions (Tanks, Lurkers, Deathball). In the scenario stated, feedback would be the most obvious counter and vulnerability to this tactic. Overall, Place Shift is a little less cost efficient then blink, in both resources and energy (something will likely die in its place), but could add up to more creativity (TLO back to Terran?) with the unit and fulfill the Jackal’s inherent need to be agile.Kinetic Shield (KS) is likely the most game affecting ability from the Jackal. In all matchups Bio’s late game direct engagement potential is stunted by its own virtue of being a glass cannon. This low health high damage/mobility and apparent vulnerability to AOE has created arguably the most compelling gameplay in Starcraft 2’s history, with players needing to utilize micro (splits, drops, etc) to overcome the compositions weakness. That understood, KS is not an attempt to change this composition design in the slightest, but supplement it so greater army control can yield more value. The ability’s design to be only frontal damage prevention creates an dynamic that both players must utilize. In TvZ, for example, KS would increase the value the role the marauder plays in current meta. Small creep clearing pushes turn into full scale army engagements with the marines splitting behind the marauders and the Zerg attempting to detonate his Banglings on the marines. KS would be cast on the forces in front at the start of the engagements and incentivize Zerg players to flank and be more conscious of their detonation or they could be lost on an single unit. KS would also be invaluable for taking aggressive engagements into defensive positions of Lurkers in LotV. Similar to how KS would be used against Tank lines vs Mech, units protected would be able to aggro the AOE long enough for their army to engage. Of course an top Zerg would have opportunities to pick off these shielded units with Mutas from the rear or sides before they engaged or target fired with Lurkers. Vs Ultras Kinetic Shield would greatly increase positioning and terrain advantages in tight closed off areas by bottle-necking with shielded units. In open areas, Ultras would have to be microed in order to not derp wasting attacks on shielded units. KS in TvP, as with Lockdown, would spread out the engagements. KS would be cast on units in the front line to tank Chareglot/Archon/Colossi, while the rest of the Bio army would stutter step retreat. This would add difficulty for the Terran player for each unit shielded would have to be separated from their control group. If the shielded unit were to stutter step and leave their back vulnerable, they would die quickly. It is important to note at this point that both KS and the Jackal are expensive, neither should be thrown away lightly. If controlled correctly shielded units would be able to tank enormous amounts damage from a poorly controlled Deathball. Therefore, storm would increase in value, by being able to damage shielded units, while Colossi would decrease. Obviously, if Colossi were target firing skillfully their value would be maintained, but either way KS would increase micromanagement and Bio-late game engagement viability. KS in TvT would be hugely innovative in all three Bio vs Mech Bio vs Marine/Tank and Marine/Tank vs Marine/Tank matchups. KS would allow one marine to tank multiple volleys of unmicroed Tank lines. This would allow for far more aggressive engagements and FAR LESS incentive for Turtle Mech. Bio would finally be able to harass in multiple areas, then take a favorable engagement when the Terran player is unawares targeting an KS. Overall, the strength of KS in terms of design is its ability to make one unit indirectly valuable. Design often focuses on how quickly X unit defeats X unit or how many units will X damage X, but by giving a single or few units, unsubstantial by themselves, the ability to, not destroy, but distract a miscontrolled army gives depth to gameplay and allows for new play styles and continual innovation. When a ability/composition/strategy is both strong and vulnerable it creates an obstacle that must be overcome by both players simultaneously. That is competition worth watching.