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For the Swarm is a basic challenge in StarCraft II.

The challenge has its focus on teaching the player what zerg units to use to counter protoss units.[1]

Gameplay[]

"Some of your units are more effective against certain enemies. Try to counter enemy units with the right mix of your own units."

- In-game Help Hint(src)

In the challenge the player has to defend three spires from attacks. The spires are located at three different locations, meaning you have to divide your army in thirds. The player has to study the enemy to calculate what unit would make the best counter. The challenge has three rounds. In every new round, the player gets new units, and has to counter a new mix of enemies.

As a general Help, the Pre-loader Tip states:

  • Pulling units out of a fight when they are low on health can often be the difference between a Bronze, Silver or Gold rating. Burrowing overall is very effective for this.
  • Use the infestors in the more difficult battles, to keep the casualties low.

Round One[]

In the first round the player is given the control over:

The player then has to counter:

The In-game Help states:

  • Colossi have a powerful splash attack. Use ultralisks to destroy them. Be sure to keep your ultralisks spread apart to prevent multiple ultralisks being hit by the same attack.
  • Immortals have a Hardened Shield that reduces powerful attacks to 10 damage. Use the zergling's small rapid attack to bypass this defense.
  • Void rays have an attack that slowly grows in strength, making them ideal for killing large units with high health. Use your hydralisks to overwhelm them.

Infestor Help

  • Colossi - With the colossi, the infestor may neural parasite a colossus. They can also fungal growth them with good targeting.
  • Immortal - It is not recommended, but the infestor can neural parasite the immortal and the zerglings can attack command it. No zerglings will be killed.
  • Void rays - The infestor can fungal growth the void rays, which can do a lot of damage. You can also burrow the hydralisks and the infestor, and let infested terrans attack the void rays. They won't count as kills.

Round Two[]

In the second round the player is given the control over:

The player then has to counter:

The In-game Help states:

  • Zealots do heavy damage but have trouble focusing their attacks. Use roaches to counter them. Burrowing wounded roaches can keep casualties low.
  • Void rays specialize in killing large units with high health. Use the small and numerous mutalisks to overwhelm them.
  • Stalkers are fast, and do respectable damage, but they cannot escape the ultralisk's sweeping area attack.

Infestor Help

  • Which other one you choose, the best choice is probably fungal growth while your units beat away at them.

Round Three[]

In the third round the player is given the control over:

The player then has to counter:

The In-game Help states:

  • Immortals and stalkers: Use brood lords to destroy them both from a distance
  • Archons and zealots: Use ultralisks to block and kill the zealots. Use your roaches to add damage from behind your ultralisks.
  • Carriers use interceptors to damage and distract enemy units. Have your corruptors ignore the interceptors, and focus on the carriers themselves. (Corruptors can use Corruption on carriers to increase their damage.)

Infestor Help

  • Immortals and stalkers - The infestor can either fungal growth the stalkers, or neural parasite an immortal, since immortals slaughter armored units.
  • Archons and zealots - Since zealots are biological, the infestor can neural parasite an archon and focus the zealots.
  • Carriers - It isn't recommended to use them here, but you can either fungal growth or spawn infested terrans.

Achievements[]

ForTheSwarmBronze SC2 Icon1 For the Swarm: Bronze
Points

10 Achievement SC2 Game1

Criteria

Score the rank of Bronze in the “For the Swarm” challenge mission, by defending the Spires.

Edit
ForTheSwarmSilver SC2 Icon1 For the Swarm: Silver
Points

10 Achievement SC2 Game1

Criteria

Score the rank of Silver in the “For the Swarm” challenge mission, by losing 20 units or less.

Edit
ForTheSwarmGold SC2 Icon1 For the Swarm: Gold
Points

10 Achievement SC2 Game1

Criteria

Score the rank of Gold in the “For the Swarm” challenge mission, by losing 10 units or less.

Edit

References[]

  1. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Challenge: Wings of Liberty, For the Swarm (in English). 2010-07-27.
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