The Competitive Player's Guide to Terran

#1. Terran at a Glance

Terran is the shooting and tempo faction.

• What you have: the best dice-per-mineral ranged profiles in the game (Marines), armour-killers for every size of target (Marauders, Raynor, Siege Tanks), Medics that delete incoming damage, and CP, which buys extra movement, re-activations and initiative.
• What you don't have: durability per model, or reliable melee.
• How you win: shoot the enemy off Mission Markers before they arrive, win the initiative battle so you shoot first, and trade cheap bodies for expensive enemy Supply.
• How you lose: getting caught in combat, getting out-activated, or wasting CP on low-value plays when a high-value one was available in the same round.

#2. Rules That Decide Terran Games

These are the rules every Terran player has to be fluent in. Most lost Terran games come down to getting one of them wrong.

Leapfrog, step by step. It applies to every repositioning action: Move, Run, Deploy, Disengage, the 2" Move from GO! GO! GO! (Barracks / Proxy / Tech Lab cards), PLACE effects.

1. Move the Leading Model along a measured path, up to its full distance.
2. Set the rest of the unit anywhere Wholly Within 3" of the leader. They are set, not moved, so they ignore obstacles in between, but each still needs a valid Coherency Link and can't end within 1" of an enemy.
3. Set the front models up to 3" ahead of the leader.
4. Nominate the frontmost model as the Leading Model for the unit's next move action.
5. Repeat for every separate move action. The front of the squad gains about 3" on top of the move distance each time, so a unit with two or three move actions in a round gains that bonus two or three times.

Example: a stimmed Marine squad that Moves 7", takes a GO! GO! GO! 2" Move, then Moves 7" again from ORDERS (Jim Raynor) puts its front ~25" forward, not 16". See Combo 1 in Section 7.

#3. Faction Cards: Which Terran Are You?

TERRAN TENACITY is the strongest once-per-game effect in the faction. Use it in the Movement Phase of your big turn: you keep every Movement activation and still go into the Assault Phase holding the First Player Marker. That means you choose who shoots first without having to pass early. Save it for Round 2 or 3, when both armies are in range for the first time.

Raynor's Raiders trades that for Jim Raynor's hero slot plus the drone. The drone's POINT DEFENSE LASER (Point Defence Drone) strips 2 dice from any non-INSTANT Ranged Attack at a friendly unit within 4". That's roughly a free GUARDIAN SHIELD (Sentry) on your most important squad, and it redeploys every round for 1 card.

Pick Armed Forces if you want Siege Tanks and Goliaths (you get a native Elite slot) and a guaranteed alpha-strike turn. Pick Raynor's Raiders if you want the bio blob, double activations via ORDERS, and Raynor's marker tricks.

#4. Unit-by-Unit Breakdown

Costs are from the September 2026 Cost Table. Each unit's card (front and upgrade side) is shown in full, so check stats and exact wording there; the notes below are about how to use it. The images live in the cards/ folder next to this guide.

#Core

Marine — 6 for 160 (Supply 1) / 9 for 210 (Supply 2)

• The best unit in the faction. Nine Marines throw 18 dice at 3+. Into 18 Zerglings that's about 10 kills per volley before stims. Stimmed with GRENADES – FRAG (Marine upgrade), it's about 13.
• STIMPACK (Marine / Raynor's Raiders / Marauder · 1 CP): +3 Speed, and the C-14 and melee weapons gain PRECISION (3). That turns 3 misses into hits. You take 2 Non-Lethal Damage, which doesn't kill anyone by itself but stacks with the next real hit. Heal it with a MEDPACK (Medic) in the same Movement Phase.
• Upgrades that matter:
  • GRENADES – FRAG (Marine upgrade · 10): the Surge die becomes a D6 within 8". Take it every time.
  • Rocket Launcher (40, SPECIALIST): 4 dice, INDIRECT FIRE, Long Range 18", SIDEARM, so it fires in addition to the C-14 and hits things you can't see. The best 40 minerals in the book for denying hiding spots.
  • SLUGTHROWER (Marine upgrade · 10/20): Anti-Evade (1) within 8". Good vs Engaged, Hidden and High Ground targets.
  • COMBAT SHIELD (Marine upgrade · 20/30; Active, 1 CP in the Movement Phase): for the whole round, Evade (5+) vs every Close Combat Attack and vs all damage from enemy Special Abilities.
    • That includes IMPACT hits (they come from DEVASTATING CHARGE, a Special Ability printed on most melee units' cards), CORROSIVE BILE (Ravager), SHADOW STRIKE (Zeratul) and PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus).
    • Turn it on in the Movement Phase of any round an enemy charge can reach you; it covers the Assault and Combat Phases that follow.
    • It's one of the faction's best answers to Zealot and Raptor charges.
• AGG-12 (10, SPECIALIST): Armoured-surge rifle, 18" Long Range. It's fine in a list that lacks Marauders, and you must model it (WYSIWYG is required for Specialists at Competitive events).
• Bayonet: skip it. You don't want to be in melee.
• Take the 9-model squad. Supply 2 for 210 is the best marker-control rate in the faction, and it takes 3 kills to drop each bracket.

Raynor's Raiders (Marine) — 6 for 230 · Supply 1 at every model count

• RAPID REINFORCEMENTS: deploy by PLACE (10) from another friendly unit (not within 8" of enemies). This is a mid-board arrival from Round 1, and with leapfrog the front Raider lands up to ~13" from the unit you placed off.
• RAIDERS ROLL!: stim for 1 CP less on deployment, so it's free.
• The Marine kit is built in. GRENADES – FRAG, SLUGTHROWER and the Bayonet are on the Raiders' datasheet at no cost. The 230 price already includes upgrades a Marine squad pays 20-30 extra for. COMBAT SHIELD, the AGG-12 and the Rocket Launcher aren't options for them.
• The Supply profile is the real trick. The opponent must kill all six to score the single VP, and even one survivor still contests at Supply 1. Park them on a marker and they're a nightmare to clear efficiently.

Marauder — 2 for 150 (Supply 1) / 4 for 280 (Supply 2)

• Your Roach, Stalker and Immortal killer. Four Marauders into Roaches average about 8 damage (≈1.7 dead Roaches) per volley.
• CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder · Reaction, 1 CP): when an enemy declares a Charge against a friendly unit within 8", that enemy gets −2 Speed on the charge. This is your anti-melee tool. Against a Zergling charge (Speed 4 + D6), −2 turns an average 7.5" charge into 5.5". The FAQ confirms you only need LoS to the friendly unit, not the charger.
• KINETIC FOAM (Marauder upgrade · +1 HP → 6) is strong. VETERAN OF TARSONIS (Marauder upgrade · Armour 3+ within 3" of a marker) makes them excellent objective anchors. LASER TARGETING SYSTEMS (Marauder upgrade · Long Range 16") is good on open tables.
• Stimmed Marauders gain PRECISION (2).

#Support

Medic — 3 for 110

• LIFE SUPPORT (Medic · Reaction, 1 CP): another Bio unit within 4" suffers damage → reduce Total Damage by 1 per Medic within 4". The FAQ confirms Total Damage includes damage already on the unit. A damaged Marauder that takes 1 more can have all of it wiped. With STABILIZER MEDPACKS (Medic upgrade · +1 effective Medic) that's −4 per trigger.
• MEDPACK (Medic · Active, 1 CP): HEAL = Medics within 4". Use it to clear stim damage.
• OPTICAL FLARE (Medic · 2 CP): target enemy's ranged weapons get −4 Range and can't use Long Range. It shuts down a Hydralisk squad, a Stalker pair or an Immortal for a round.
• ADVANCED MEDIC FACILITIES (Medic upgrade · 60): the Medic's Supply counts as 0 for the Supply Pool. In Round 1 (6 Supply Pool) that's a free unit on the table. The strongest upgrade in the Terran book for tempo.
• Reaction limit warning: only one Reaction per player per enemy activation. If you use INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay) on the Marines' Armour Roll, the Medics can't LIFE SUPPORT in the same activation. Choose before the dice roll.
• The Academy card's ADVANCED TRAINING knocks 1 CP off a Support unit's ability once per round without exhausting the card. That's basically a free LIFE SUPPORT every round.

#Hero

Jim Raynor — 250 · Supply 1 · tags Biological, Ground only, so no current Surge triggers on him

• COMMANDER: +1 Supply for markers and Disengage.

• FREEDOM FIGHTERS: friendly units within 8" can't drop below Supply 1 for contesting markers. Your broken 3-Marine remnant still counts as 1.

• ORDERS (Jim Raynor · REPEATABLE, Movement Phase, another Bio unit within 8"):

  • 1 CP: first weapon gains CRITICAL HIT (2) this round
  • 1 CP: ignore the Disengage penalty
  • 2 CP: remove that unit's Activation Marker, so it moves again.

• Commando Rifle: 18", RoA 3, 3+, Armoured surge, PIERCE Armoured (3), so 3 damage per die vs Armoured. It's BULKY (can't fire while Engaged). The "Justice" Revolver is a SIDEARM with PINPOINT, so Raynor can shoot into a combat your Marines are losing.

• The free C-14 swap (RoA 6, Burst Fire 8" +3) turns him into an anti-Light gun. Take it into Zerg-heavy fields.

#Elite

Goliath — 190 · Supply 2

• One model, three weapon batches: Autocannon (12", RoA 9, 4+, Long Range 18"), Underbelly MG (8", RoA 6, 3+, Light surge, PINPOINT, SIDEARM), plus the missile slot.
• Hellfire Missiles only target Flying, and there are no Flying targets. Always swap them. Haywire Missiles (40) give an Armoured-surge PIERCE (3) SIDEARM. Scatter Missiles (30) give 18" INDIRECT, LOCKED IN (6) (+6 RoA vs Stationary targets), Long Range 24".
• TARGET LOCK (Goliath · 1 CP): the Autocannon gains Surge Light and Armoured, D3+1.
• INDOMITABLE (also on the Siege Tank and Immortal): it can shoot Unengaged enemies while Engaged, and be shot while Engaged. Zerglings can't pin it.
• ARES-CLASS TARGETING SYSTEM (Goliath upgrade · 20): PRECISION (1) on Autocannon and MG. Cheap and good.
• Size 3 means it sees over Size 2 walls and gets seen over them. Plan to be shot.

Siege Tank — 220 · Supply 2

• Unsieged: Twin Cannon, 12", RoA 8, 3+, Surge Armoured D6, PIERCE Armoured (2). HEAVY PLATING gives TOUGH (1).
• Sieged: Shock Cannon, 18" Blast Template. Attack dice = models covered + 4. The Surge result equals the number of models covered, vs Light and Armoured. AFTERSHOCK ROUNDS: damage per die = the target's Size. Into Stalkers, Immortals, Queens, Ravagers, Goliaths (Size 3) every unsaved die does 3.
• MODE TRANSFORMATION is mandatory (Siege Tank upgrade, 20 minerals). Without it the tank can never enter Siege Mode. Read that again before you submit a list.
• SHAPED BLAST (Siege Tank upgrade · 10, once per game): Sieged → PINPOINT + LOCKED IN (4). SMART SHELLS (Siege Tank upgrade · 10, once per game): Sieged → INDIRECT FIRE + Long Range 24". COORDINATED STRIKE (Siege Tank upgrade · 20): fire the Shock Cannon at anything within 8" of, and visible to, a friendly spotter, ignoring range. Pair it with Raynor's Raiders dropped forward or an ARMED AND READY (Barracks (Proxy)) flank squad.
• Sieged tanks can't move, lose HEAVY PLATING, and are Size 3. They're a magnet for CORROSIVE BILE (Ravager) and melee. Don't siege where a Zergling squad can reach you next round.
• POINT BLANK (Siege Tank): a Sieged tank can't target units it's Engaged with. But INDOMITABLE still lets it shoot other units while Engaged.

#Summoned

Point Defence Drone (summoned by RAPID INGRESS on the Raynor's Raiders faction card): a Structure with Supply 0, and it can't be the target of abilities. Put it next to whatever the opponent most wants to shoot. It does nothing vs INSTANT weapons (Sentry beams, Zeratul, Stalkers with FURY OF THE NERAZIM, anything with Nexus ANCIENT PRIDE).

#Playing to Each Unit's Role

Every unit card prints a Combat Role: Damage Dealer, Tank, Lifesaver or Tactician. Treat the role as the unit's job description. Most wasted units are ones asked to do a job their card doesn't support: Damage Dealers parked on a marker eating a charge, Tanks that never touch an objective, Lifesavers standing out of range of the thing they're supposed to keep alive.

Combat Range bars. The back of each card has a 5-segment bar running from Close Combat to Ranged Combat. The rulebook (5.2) defines it as "the preferred distance this Unit seeks to maintain from Enemy Units." It's design intent, not a rule, but it tells you where the unit expects to fight. In the tables below, 1 = hug the enemy and 5 = stay at maximum range. Structures and pure support pieces show a greyed-out bar.

Read across the faction: nothing in the Terran book wants to be in melee. The whole army is built around distance, so every inch of no man's land you keep is damage you deal for free.

Tanks: hold the ground, don't die

• Marauder (Tank). The Quad K12 does real damage, but the Marauder's main job is to stand on a marker and refuse to give up Supply.
  • The statline is built for it: Armour 4+, HP 5 (6 with KINETIC FOAM (Marauder upgrade)), and VETERAN OF TARSONIS (Marauder upgrade) makes it Armour 3+ within 3" of a marker.
  • The Supply profile is forgiving. A 4-Marauder squad is still Supply 2 at 3 models, so the first death costs you nothing.
  • Each casualty means chewing through 5-6 HP at 4+ (or 3+).
  • Pair them with Medics. Park a Medic squad within 4" behind the Marauders:
  • LIFE SUPPORT (Medic) takes 3 off Total Damage per trigger, 4 with STABILIZER MEDPACKS (Medic upgrade). Because it counts damage already on the unit, it often wipes an entire wound track.
  • MEDPACK (Medic) in the Movement Phase cleans off the 2 Non-Lethal Damage from STIMPACK (Marine / Raynor's Raiders / Marauder), so you can stim them for the move or PRECISION (2) and start the enemy's turn back at full health.
  • The Academy makes the first of those effectively free each round.
  • CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder · −2 to an enemy charge on any friendly unit within 8") makes the marker they're standing on miserable to assault.
  • How to play them: walk them onto a contested marker early. Shoot whatever comes into 12" (PIERCE makes them dangerous to Roaches, Stalkers and Immortals). Make the opponent spend whole activations failing to dislodge them.
  • Don't use them as a strike force that runs ahead of the Medics. And remember the one-Reaction-per-enemy-activation limit: if INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay) fires, LIFE SUPPORT can't in the same activation.
  • They're Armoured, so Hydralisks, Stalkers, Immortals and Shredding-Claw Zerglings surge into them. That's exactly when the Medics earn their points.

Damage Dealers: trade up, from where they can't be hit back

• Marine. Volume shooters. Their job is to kill, not to hold: Armour 5+ and HP 2 means they evaporate in melee. Fight from 8" (GRENADES – FRAG range) to 12", behind or beside the Marauder anchor, with CONCUSSIVE SHELLS cover. Stim on the round they have a target, not every round.

  • Exception: late in the game a 9-man squad is Supply 2, and even a Supply-0 remnant controls an uncontested marker.

• Raynor's Raiders. A Damage Dealer with an anchor's Supply profile (Supply 1 until the last model). Drop them in with RAPID REINFORCEMENTS (Raynor's Raiders), shoot, then let them sit on a far marker the opponent must fully wipe to score a single VP.

• Goliath. Three weapon batches and INDOMITABLE (it shoots out of combat). It's the Damage Dealer that tolerates being caught. Point it where it can split fire across two targets. At Size 3 it will be seen, so accept the hits.

• Siege Tank. Pure damage from a fixed spot. Siege it in a fire lane outside enemy charge reach, or behind a Marine/Marauder screen. It's not an objective unit; a Sieged tank on a marker is a CORROSIVE BILE (Ravager) magnet.

Lifesavers: stay in range of the thing you save

• Medic. Its whole value is "within 4" of the Bio unit taking damage." Keep the squad behind the unit it's protecting, ideally out of LoS. It's fragile and not an objective holder. ADVANCED MEDIC FACILITIES (Medic upgrade) puts it on the table for free Supply in Round 1. Use OPTICAL FLARE (Medic) when no one needs healing that round.
• Point Defence Drone. One shot of −2 attack dice. Drop it next to whatever the opponent most wants to shoot this activation.

Tactician: enable, don't brawl

• Jim Raynor. His job is the 8" bubble: ORDERS (Jim Raynor) re-activations, CRITICAL HIT (2) and Disengage fixes, plus FREEDOM FIGHTERS (Jim Raynor) and COMMANDER for marker counts.
  • Stand him within 8" of the action, not in front of it. Enemy Surge never triggers on him (no Light or Armoured tag) and he has 8 HP, so he can absorb some fire, but losing him turns off your tempo engine.
  • The Revolver (PINPOINT) lets him help a squad losing a melee without stepping into it.

#5. Tactical Cards & the Gas Budget

Every Terran Tactical Card gives 1 CP (Barracks Proxy and Barracks Tech Lab give 2 CP) or one use of its printed ability per round.

The gas-priority trick. At Competitive events, the player who spent less Vespene Gas gets Priority: they pick colour and which draft (Mission or Deployment) to control. Minerals only break ties. Coming in at 175 instead of 200 gas often wins you the draft. Terran can do this easily by taking a second Barracks (25) instead of a 40-gas unique.

CP budgeting. A typical Terran list has 7-8 CP per round, and the card abilities compete for the same cards.

• CP is use-it-or-lose-it. Every card refreshes in Cleanup, so there's no banking CP for a later round. Spend all of it, every round.
• Plan within the round. Before the Movement Phase, decide how much CP to keep back for the Assault and Combat Phases versus Movement-Phase plays:
  • Later phases: CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder), LIFE SUPPORT (Medic), INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay), INFANTRY WEAPONS (Engineering Bay).
  • Movement Phase: Stim, MEDPACK (Medic), ORDERS (Jim Raynor), GO! GO! GO!.
• Round 1: little is in range, so dump spare CP into MEDPACK, COMBAT SHIELD (Marine upgrade) or the Orbital Command's COMSAT STATION / SCANNER SWEEP rather than letting it lapse.

#Card Economy: Ability or Resource?

Every card makes one decision per round: flip it for CP, or flip it for its printed ability. Which cards you don't flip for CP matters as much as which you do. A Ready card is an option you still hold: a Reaction waiting for its trigger, an Assault- or Combat-Phase ability you haven't reached yet, or a threat your opponent has to play around (Ready/Exhausted is public information).

When each Terran card's ability can be used:

How to sequence it:

1. Pay Movement-Phase costs with cards whose abilities you aren't using this round. If no one is flanking, Orbital Command is just 1 CP. If no Bio unit needs the 2", a spare Barracks is just 1 CP.
2. A Movement-only card you didn't use is free CP for later phases. Its ability window has closed but it's still Ready, so it's the first thing you flip to pay for CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder), LIFE SUPPORT (Medic) or OPTICAL FLARE (Medic) in the Assault Phase.
3. Keep Reaction cards Ready through the opponent's big activations. Engineering Bay's INFANTRY ARMOR and Armory's VEHICLE PLATING only work if the card is unexhausted when the attack lands. Flipping Engineering Bay for a Movement-Phase Stim also throws away INFANTRY WEAPONS (CRITICAL HIT 1) for your own shooting.
4. But don't hoard reactions. Each player gets one Reaction per enemy activation, and it competes with LIFE SUPPORT and CONCUSSIVE SHELLS. Two Ready reaction cards rarely both fire on the same attack. Convert extras to CP.
5. Match 2-CP cards to 2-CP costs. Barracks (Proxy) and Barracks (Tech Lab) produce 2 CP, and excess is lost. Spend them on Raynor's ORDERS re-activation or OPTICAL FLARE, never on a 1-CP Stim.
6. Academy pulls double duty. Use ADVANCED TRAINING to discount a Support ability (the card stays Ready), then flip it for CP later the same round.
7. The faction card changes value over the game. Before TERRAN TENACITY (Terran Armed Forces faction card) is spent, the Armed Forces card is the last thing you exhaust. Once it's used, TACTICAL RETREAT (Terran Armed Forces faction card) is situational and the card is usually just 1 CP.
8. Card abilities need an active unit (FAQ). Once you've Passed in a phase, you can't use Active card abilities for the rest of it, but you can still pay for Reactions.
9. Nothing carries over. Whatever is still Ready in the Combat Phase should be converted into LIFE SUPPORT or MEDPACK (Medic) value, or you lose it at Cleanup.

Sample round, List A (8 CP):

Read the opponent's cards too. Before you charge or shoot, count which of their reaction cards are still Ready.

#6. Sample Lists (verified legal)

#A — "Raynor's Bio" (Raynor's Raiders · 2,000 min · 175 gas · 12 Supply)

Cards: Raynor's Raiders, Barracks ×2, Barracks (Proxy), Engineering Bay, Orbital Command, Academy → 9 Core / 3 Support / 1 Hero, 8 CP per round, 175 gas (Priority edge).

#B — "Iron Line" (Terran Armed Forces · 2,000 min · 180 gas · 13 Supply)

Cards: Terran Armed Forces, Factory (Tech Lab), Factory, Armory, Barracks ×2, Engineering Bay → 6 Core / 6 Elite / 1 Support, 7 CP, 180 gas.

#7. Signature Combos

Each combo is laid out the same way: what you need, how to run it, what it gets you, and what the opponent will do about it.

1. Double-Move Stim Push (Raynor's Raiders).

   • Needs: a Marine squad, a Barracks-family card Ready, 1 CP for STIMPACK (Marine / Raynor's Raiders / Marauder), 2 CP for ORDERS (Jim Raynor), and Raynor within 8" of the Marines.

   • Do it:

     1. Stim the Marines (Speed 7) and Move.
     2. Take the free 2" Move from GO! GO! GO! (Barracks / Proxy / Tech Lab cards). It's a separate move action.
     3. Later in the phase, Raynor Moves, then spends 2 CP on ORDERS to remove the Marines' Activation Marker, and they Move again.

   • Payoff: with leapfrog, each move action advances the front of the squad by its distance + 3":

     Step	Leading Model	Front of squad
     Move (stimmed)	7"	~10"
     GO! GO! GO!	2"	~5"
     ORDERS → Move again	7"	~10"
     Total	16"	~25"

     That's ~25" of reach in one Movement Phase, and the squad still shoots in the Assault Phase with PRECISION (3) rifles. Use it to take an enemy-colour marker on Hold Position (2 VP) or a retake on Frontlines (+2).

   • Check: a lane wide enough to string the squad forward, a valid Coherency Link each time, and no model ending within 1" of an enemy.

   • Spread it across the army: GO! GO! GO! is on Barracks, Barracks (Proxy) and Barracks (Tech Lab). List A (Barracks ×2 + Proxy) gives three different Bio units a free 2" Move each round (~5" of frontage each). One per unit per round (FAQ), and each use exhausts that card instead of giving its CP.

   • Arrival version: Deploy (4" + 3") then GO! GO! GO! (2" + 3") puts the front of a fresh squad ~12" off your Entry Edge. Raynor's Raiders using RAIDERS ROLL! (free Stim on deploy) reach ~15".

   • Watch for: CRUSHING GRIP (Kerrigan) on Raynor or the Marines before they activate, Sentry Force Fields across the lane, and a counter-charge into the squad that's now deep in their half.

2. TERRAN TENACITY Alpha (Armed Forces).

   • Needs: TERRAN TENACITY (Terran Armed Forces faction card) unused, plus Stim, POUND 'EM FLAT (Factory (Tech Lab)) and VEHICLE WEAPONS (Armory) Ready.
   • Do it: play all your Movement activations, fire TERRAN TENACITY, and walk into the Assault Phase holding the First Player Marker.
   • Payoff: you take the first Assault activation and unload Stim + POUND 'EM FLAT + VEHICLE WEAPONS on whatever just walked into range, without having passed early.
   • Watch for: opponents hiding key units out of LoS in Rounds 2-3 because they know it's coming. Fire it the round they have to be exposed.

3. Coordinated Tank Strike.

   • Needs: a Siege Tank with COORDINATED STRIKE (Siege Tank upgrade) sieged in your Zone of Influence, and a forward spotter squad.
   • Do it: deploy Marines near the enemy with ARMED AND READY (Barracks (Proxy)) or RAPID REINFORCEMENTS (Raynor's Raiders).
   • Payoff: the tank fires its Shock Cannon at anything within 8" of, and visible to, those Marines, at any range. Add SMART SHELLS (Siege Tank upgrade) for INDIRECT when LoS is the problem.
   • Watch for: the opponent killing or charging the spotter, CORROSIVE BILE (Ravager) on the stationary tank, and Raptors or BLINK (Stalker) getting at the tank itself.

4. The Medic Wall.

   • Needs: two Medic squads, the Academy card, and the unit you're protecting within 4".
   • Do it: use ADVANCED TRAINING (Academy) to make the first LIFE SUPPORT (Medic) free without exhausting the card. Clear stim damage with MEDPACK (Medic) for 1 CP.
   • Payoff: a 9-Marine squad effectively ignores 4 damage per enemy activation.
   • Watch for: INSTANT attacks (KS Raptors, PREDATION (Lair), Zeratul, FURY OF THE NERAZIM (Stalker upgrade)), and the one-Reaction-per-activation cap. Opponents bait LIFE SUPPORT with a small attack first.

5. FREEDOM FIGHTERS Anchor.

   • Needs: Raynor within 8" of two marker-holding squads.
   • Do it: park Raynor (COMMANDER, +1) between the markers. FREEDOM FIGHTERS (Jim Raynor) makes every remnant count as Supply 1 minimum, and Raynor counts as 2.
   • Payoff: add the Supply Depot card's +1 or VETERAN OF TARSONIS (Marauder upgrade) Marauders on the marker and it becomes very expensive to flip.
   • Watch for: the opponent killing Raynor or pulling the fight outside his 8".

6. Dropship Save.

   • Needs: the Dropship card Ready and an Unengaged damaged squad.
   • Do it: in the Movement Phase, STRAP IN! (Dropship) pulls a battered 9-Marine squad (4 models left, about to hit Supply 0) back to Reserves.
   • Payoff: 1 VP denied, and the squad redeploys later.
   • Watch for: charges that tie the squad up so it can't leave. Always redeploy by Round 5: anything still in Reserves at the final Scoring Phase is scored as destroyed.

7. Orbital Command vs Zerg: COMSAT STATION or SCANNER SWEEP.

   • Needs: the Orbital Command card Ready early in the Movement Phase.
   • Do it: the card is one use per round, so pick the job each round:
     • Flank round: before the Zerg player can run a TIMING PUSH (Six Pool card), or Protoss a WARP IN (Warp Gate) flank, name a side with COMSAT STATION.
     • Burrow round: SCANNER SWEEP the marker the Roaches are burrowed next to.
   • Payoff: either that whole side of the table is closed for the round, or the burrowed Roaches lose HIDDEN and your Marauders can target them from 12".
   • Watch for: Pylons, the Omega Worm and the Warp Prism, which aren't table edges, and deployments with free edge on three or four sides.

#8. Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• The highest volume of efficient ranged dice in the game; Marines are a top-tier unit at every level.
• The right tool for every target: Light (C-14, GRENADES – FRAG, Goliath MG), Armoured (Marauder, Raynor, Twin Cannon, Haywire), big models (Shock Cannon damage = Size).
• Damage prevention scales absurdly with Medics + Academy.
• Initiative control (TERRAN TENACITY (Terran Armed Forces faction card)) and re-activations (ORDERS (Jim Raynor)) nobody else has.
• Flank and deep deployment: Proxy Barracks, Raynor's Raiders, Dropship.

Weaknesses

• Fragile per model. Marines at Armour 5+ and HP 2 melt to IMPACT and massed melee dice.
• Poor melee. Once Engaged, your squads lose their best weapon (the Unengaged target rule) and roll Strike/Bayonet at 5+.
• CP-hungry. STIMPACK, MEDPACK, LIFE SUPPORT (Medic), CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder), ORDERS and TARGET LOCK (Goliath) all want the same 7-8 CP.
• Tanks are static. Sieged tanks can't move and become Size 3 targets.
• Anti-hero weakness: your Surge never triggers on Kerrigan, Artanis or Zeratul (no Light or Armoured tag). You need raw dice or PIERCE-less volume.

#9. Round-by-Round Game Plan

Standard missions start at 6 Supply and add 2 per round (Divide and Conquer: 8 +2, 4 rounds). The final round has unlimited Supply, and units still in Reserves at the final Scoring Phase count as destroyed (the opponent scores them).

• Round 1 — Set up, don't commit. Deploy Medics with ADVANCED MEDIC FACILITIES for free, one 9-Marine squad and a Marauder pair to contest your side's markers, and hold the rest. Pass early to claim the First Player Marker for the Assault Phase. Markers don't score in Round 1 on most missions (Supply Drop and Divide and Conquer are the exceptions), so VP comes only from kills.
• Round 2 — First real volley. The opponent's melee is now arriving. Keep one card unexhausted for CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder) later this round, stim the squad that has the best target, and shoot the unit sitting on or heading to your markers. Whoever loses Round 2 badly gets the First Player Marker for Round 3. Expect the counterpunch.
• Round 3 — Your big turn. TERRAN TENACITY (Terran Armed Forces faction card), ORDERS (Jim Raynor) double-moves, Proxy flank deploys. Take the enemy-colour markers.
• Round 4 — Protect the lead. Pull damaged squads out with STRAP IN! (Dropship) or TACTICAL RETREAT (Terran Armed Forces faction card). FREEDOM FIGHTERS (Jim Raynor) and Supply Depot keep marker control with fewer bodies.
• Round 5 — Dump everything. Unlimited Supply: every reserve unit comes on. Use leftovers as marker contesters, since even a Supply-0 squad controls an uncontested marker.

#10. Missions & the Draft

Each player brings 2 Missions + 2 Deployments. The player without control of a draft bans 2 of the 4; the controller picks 1 of the 2 left. Under Dual List Format, each roster brings its own draft cards.

Draft advice. Bring Hold Position + Frontlines as your Mission pair. If you have Priority, take Deployment control when your opponent is a melee army: deployments with wider no man's land give you an extra volley before contact.

#11. Matchups

#vs Zerg

• Their plan: arrive mid-board fast (BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) PLACE 18, Six Pool flank, VENTRAL SACS (Overlord), Omega Worm), charge with IMPACT, and grind with Roaches that heal while burrowed (REGENERATION).
• Your targets: Zerglings and Raptors with GRENADES – FRAG Marines (Light Surge D6). Roaches with Marauders (≈1.7 Roaches per volley). Hydralisks as a priority, since four of them average ~6 dead Marines a volley.
• Watch for:
  • RAPID BURROWING (Zerg Swarm faction card) and LIE IN WAIT (Hatchery), which make a unit HIDDEN and burrowed after it moves. Bring SCANNER SWEEP (Orbital Command), and remember HIDDEN units can still be targeted within 4".
  • CORROSIVE BILE (Ravager) tokens near sieged tanks: HITS 5 per token, resolving at the end of the Assault Phase.
  • DEBILITATING SALIVA (Vile Roach · −1 to Hit on your volley).
  • CRUSHING GRIP (Kerrigan · 1 BM): your unit "counts as Activated" this phase, so no stim push.
• Key rule: Burrowed units can't contest markers. If they're burrowed at the end of the round, they don't count.

#vs Protoss

• Their plan: few, expensive, shielded models; Zealot IMPACT charges; Stalker blinks; Immortals.
• Immortals: IMPROVED BARRIER caps weapon damage at 1 while Shielded (Shield 6). Strip the Shield with volume first: Marines (18 dice, ~6 damage) or the Goliath Autocannon. Once Total Damage exceeds 6, Shielded is gone and your Marauders, Tanks and Haywire do full damage. The Shock Cannon's AFTERSHOCK ROUNDS (3 damage per die vs Size 3) is devastating after the shield drops.
• Stalkers are Size 3: Shock Cannon does 3 per die. Stimmed Marauders average ~12 damage into a pair.
• Watch for: GUARDIAN SHIELD (Sentry · −1 die per batch, so it hurts multi-weapon Goliaths more than Marines), HALLUCINATION (Sentry upgrade · free Evade), Force Fields blocking your advance, PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus · HITS 3 on anything you flank-deploy), and INSTANT weapons that bypass LIFE SUPPORT (Medic) and Point Defence.
• Artanis's HIERARCH'S STAND redirects shots at friendly units within 8" to Artanis, and your Surge won't trigger on him. Kill his escorts from beyond 8", or shoot him with raw volume.

#vs Terran (mirror)

• Initiative is everything. TERRAN TENACITY (Terran Armed Forces faction card) vs TERRAN TENACITY: track whether your opponent has used theirs.
• CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder) matter less; OPTICAL FLARE (Medic · −4 Range) matters more.
• Their Medics' LIFE SUPPORT is a Reaction, and each player gets one per enemy activation. Split your damage across two activations on the same squad to get past it.

#12. Countering Enemy Signature Plays

Every faction guide in this set lists its own signature combos. These are the answers from the Terran side: what to do when the opponent tries them. Remember that Ready/Exhausted cards are public, so you can usually see a combo coming by checking which of their cards are still face-up.

#vs Zerg

• The +3 Raptor Wave. It needs a successful charge while ON CREEP (for Malignant Creep's +1).

  • Kill the creep: ending a Move, Run, Charge or Disengage within 1" of a Tumor removes it. A cheap squad walking over the Tumor chain switches off Malignant Creep's +1 IMPACT and the Speed bonus from SPEED ON CREEP (Accelerating Creep).
  • Shrink their reach: CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder · −2 Speed) on the charge. Measure their threat as Speed + leapfrog (4") + best-of-2D6 + 2 for LEAP (Kerrigan Swarm Raptor), and stay outside it.
  • Shoot the Raptors the round before they charge. They're Light, so GRENADES – FRAG Marines (D6 Surge) shred them.
  • COMBAT SHIELD (Marine upgrade · 1 CP, lasts the whole round) gives Evade 5+ vs the IMPACT hits (DEVASTATING CHARGE on the attacker's card is a Special Ability) and vs the Claws that follow. Turn it on in the Movement Phase whenever the wave can reach you. Against a +3 IMPACT stack that hits on 2+, it's the only thing standing between your Marines and the dice.

• BURROW AMBUSH → RAPID BURROWING.

  • BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) can't land within 10" of any of your models, so spread cheap units forward to deny landing zones around the markers.
  • SCANNER SWEEP (Orbital Command · no LoS needed, 6") strips HIDDEN. HIDDEN units are still targetable from within 4".
  • Burrowed units don't contest. Take the marker, make them surface (NASTY SURPRISE (Roach Warren)) to score, and keep an unactivated shooter for the Assault Phase to punish them when they do.

• CORROSIVE BILE the Anchor.

  • Tokens resolve at the end of the Assault Phase. Any unit that hasn't activated can Run off them; units that have to keep shooting take the hits.
  • Never siege a Tank within 14" of a Ravager, and spread out so one token only catches one unit.
  • COMBAT SHIELD gives Evade vs ability damage. The Ravagers are Armoured and Size 3, so Marauders and the Shock Cannon kill them.

• CRUSHING GRIP and Go. CRUSHING GRIP (Kerrigan) is 12" and resolves during Kerrigan's activation.

  • Activate your key Movement-Phase units (the stim-push squad, Raynor) before Kerrigan's player activates her, or keep them more than 12" away.
  • Gripping Raynor shuts off ORDERS for that phase, so give him a back-up position.

• Hydra LUNGE Trap. LUNGE drags the Hydras Directly Towards your shooter, full distance, which brings them into your range too.

  • Hold a second unit unactivated to shoot the Hydras when they arrive.
  • Better: shoot the Hydras first and ignore the bait. They're Supply 3 in 4 bodies, about 1 VP per dead Hydra.
  • OPTICAL FLARE (Medic · −4 Range) blunts a Hydra round.

• Free Ravager (Cocoon Morph). If a Roach squad is already down to 2 models, the Morph drops it to Supply 0 and you score the VP (FAQ).

• Omega Shuffle.

  • The Worm (Armour 5+, HP 10, Size 3) is worth 0 VP but it's their Entry Edge, creep source and detector. The Shock Cannon does 3 per die to it.
  • Crowd its base: deploying units can't be set within 1" of your models.
  • A Queen within 4" can TRANSFUSION it, so kill the Queen first.

• PREDATION Turn. When the Lair is Ready, assume the charged unit gets no Reactions: no LIFE SUPPORT (Medic), no INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay).

  • Pre-heal with MEDPACK (Medic) in the Movement Phase.
  • CONCUSSIVE SHELLS still works, because it triggers on the Charge declaration, not the attack.

#vs Protoss

• Khala Hammer (two charges back-to-back).

  • Each Marauder squad can CONCUSSIVE SHELLS once per round (named Reaction), so two Marauder squads = two shells.
  • Zealots threaten ~20" with Move + LEG ENHANCEMENTS (Zealot upgrade) + ZEALOUS CHARGE (Gate Chronoboosted), so deny with distance.
  • Shoot them the round before: they're Light, so GRENADES – FRAG Marines get D6 Surge.
  • COMBAT SHIELD (Marine upgrade) gives Evade vs the Zealots' IMPACT hits (12 dice with MY LIFE FOR AIUR, a Zealot upgrade) and their Psi Blades for the whole round. Activate it in the Movement Phase before the hammer lands.

• Shade Strike. Kill the Adepts and the Shade disappears (a destroyed unit's tokens are removed). That cancels both the PRECISION bubble and the teleport. Adepts are Light, cheap and Supply 0 at 2 models, so it takes 3 kills to score. Otherwise, move your units out of the Shade's 4".

• BLINK-Heal-Hide.

  • SCANNER SWEEP (Orbital Command) removes the HIDDEN from PATH OF SHADOWS (Stalker upgrade / Nerazim Watchers).
  • FURY OF THE NERAZIM (Stalker upgrade) only makes Stalker shots INSTANT against units that have already activated this phase. Leave your Medic-backed units unactivated in the Assault Phase until the Stalkers have fired, and your Reactions stay live.

• Artanis Swap / HIERARCH'S STAND.

  • It only redirects if Artanis is a valid target for that attack. Shoot from where he's out of LoS or range, and the redirect can't happen.
  • It's a named Reaction, once per round. Bait it with a low-value attack (Raynor's Revolver, a 3-Marine remnant), then fire the real volley.

• Immortal Shield Discipline. The opponent gets one Reaction per activation.

  • Use a multi-weapon shooter like the Goliath (Autocannon volume + Haywire PIERCE in the same activation). If they use IMPROVED BARRIER (Immortal) on the Haywire, the Autocannon gets no TOUGH. If they use SHIELD OVERCHARGE (Immortal upgrade) on the Autocannon, the Haywire hits at full damage.
  • Otherwise strip the Shield with Marines first (Damage 1 ignores IMPROVED BARRIER anyway), then commit Marauders and Tanks.

• Nerazim / Zeratul Ambush. Zeratul is HIDDEN after every action.

  • SCANNER SWEEP around your key units; he's targetable from 4".
  • Once he VOID BLINKs into you he's Engaged: your Engaged unit can shoot him (he gets Evade), and the Goliath's INDOMITABLE lets it fire too.
  • PROPHETIC VISION (Zeratul · Evade 4+) is a REPEATABLE Reaction but still one per activation, so volume (Marines) beats it.
  • COMBAT SHIELD gives Evade vs the ability damage from SHADOW STRIKE (Zeratul).

• FORCE FIELD the Charge Lane.

  • You mostly don't need to walk through it; you shoot.
  • A Goliath (Size 3) removes a FORCE FIELD by moving over it. PLACE moves (RAPID REINFORCEMENTS (Raynor's Raiders), READY FOR PICKUP? (Raynor's Raiders faction card)) skip over it entirely because PLACE isn't movement.
  • Each FORCE FIELD is 1 PE they're not spending on GUARDIAN SHIELD (Sentry).

• WARP CONDUIT / Pylon Forward Warp.

  • The Pylon (Shield 2 + HP 8, Armour 5+, Size 3) is worth 0 VP but it's their Entry Edge. It's tagged Armored, so Marauder and Tank Surge apply.
  • Crowd its base so arrivals can't be set legally.
  • Stand a model on the Warp Prism's WARP CONDUIT Faction Indicator to waste that deploy (FAQ).
  • COMSAT STATION (Orbital Command) doesn't stop either; neither is a table edge.

#Mirror: vs Terran

• Double-Move Stim Push.

  • Their squad ends ~25" forward, usually inside your gunline. Pass early in Movement to take the First Player Marker for the Assault Phase and shoot it first.
  • OPTICAL FLARE (Medic) it on arrival (−4 Range, no Long Range).
  • Kill or isolate Raynor: ORDERS needs him within 8".

• TERRAN TENACITY (Terran Armed Forces faction card). Track whether it's been used. In Rounds 2-3 assume it's coming, and keep your best units out of LoS the round you expect it. Once it's spent, initiative goes back to normal passing.

• Coordinated Tank Strike.

  • The tank can hit anything within 8" of the spotter, at any range. Kill or back away from the spotter, and spread out vs the Blast Template.
  • A Sieged tank can't move, so it's a fixed target for your Marauders (Armoured Surge).

• The Medic Wall. LIFE SUPPORT is a named Reaction: once per round per Medic squad.

  • Bait it with a small attack from one unit, then hit the real target in a later activation.
  • INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay) is a card, so it's gone once exhausted.
  • Rocket Launchers (INDIRECT FIRE) reach Medics hiding behind the line.

• FREEDOM FIGHTERS Anchor (Jim Raynor). It only works within 8" of Raynor. Kill Raynor or pull the fight away from him. The Supply Depot card's +1 is once per round.

• Dropship Save. STRAP IN! needs an Unengaged unit in the Movement Phase. Finish damaged squads in one volley rather than chipping them across two rounds.

• Orbital Command: COMSAT STATION or SCANNER SWEEP. COMSAT STATION closes one whole side. Pick a deployment with free edge on three or four sides (Typhoon, Meeting Engagement, Acropolis) and it can't stop ARMED AND READY (Barracks (Proxy)); on Gauntlet and Breach, take the other side.

#13. Terrain, Deployments & Staging

Geometry below is taken from the Standard (54" × 36") Deployment Cards and the six Standard map layouts in the Core Rules (printed pp. 116-121). Coordinates read the table landscape: 54" left-to-right, 36" top-to-bottom. The rulebook maps are printed portrait, so rotate them to match the Deployment Card. Terrain Sizes aren't printed on the layouts; agree them with your opponent before the draft (walls are typically Size 2, the Lost Temple Ramp is High Ground, shrubs are Grass, the Head Statue is Size 1).

#13.1 Reading a Table in 60 Seconds

Before the draft, walk the table and answer five questions:

1. Where are the fire lanes? These are straight 6"+ corridors running from one deployment zone toward the other. Gunlines want them; melee armies want them closed.
2. What hides what? Under the Full/Direct Cover rules, a Size 2 wall hides Size 2 models but never hides a Size 3 model (Stalkers, Immortals, Goliaths, Queens, Ravagers, Pylons, the Omega Worm, a Sieged Tank). Only Size 3+ terrain (the Lost Temple Ramp) or distance protects them. Size 1 models (Zerglings, Raptors, Swarmlings, Sentries, Roachlings, Kerrigan Swarm Raptors) hide behind crates and statues that hide nothing else.
3. Where's the High Ground, and where are its Access Points? Models on High Ground get Evade vs every Ranged Attack from lower down, see over almost everything, and can't be Engaged from Ground Level (only through an Access Point). Raptors ignore Access Points (RAPTOR STRAIN); PLACE effects (BLINK (Stalker), VOID BLINK (Zeratul), Phase) ignore elevation.
4. Which gaps are under 3"? Size 3+ units can't pass gaps under 3", and Size 1-2 units can't pass gaps under 1". This includes gaps between models (FAQ). Note every chokepoint a FORCE FIELD (Sentry) or a screen could close.
5. Where's the Grass? It blocks LoS but is destroyed the moment a ground unit moves through it or ends on it. Decide which patches you need intact and which you'll trample to strip the enemy's cover.

#13.2 The Six Standard Deployments

Every Zone of Influence is 6" deep.

#Gauntlet

• Entry edges: Red: whole top long edge. Blue: whole bottom long edge.
• Gap between zones: 24".
• Markers: Own markers 12" from your edge (Red 1 at 12" from left, Red 3 at 18" from right; Blue 4 at 18" from left, Blue 2 at 12" from right). 5 at centre.
• Free (uncoloured) edges for flank arrivals: Middle 24" of each short edge (the top and bottom 6" belong to the coloured zones).

#Typhoon

• Entry edges: Red: L in the top-right corner (24" of top edge + 18" of right edge). Blue: mirror L bottom-left.
• Gap between zones: Diagonal, long.
• Markers: Empty corners hold a pair: top-left has Blue 2 (6"/6" from the corner) + Red 1 (18" from left, 12" from top). Bottom-right has Red 3 (corner) + Blue 4.
• Free (uncoloured) edges for flank arrivals: Top edge left 30", left edge top 18", bottom edge right 30", right edge bottom 18". Both empty corners are open, right beside the marker pairs.

#Acropolis

• Entry edges: Split: Red top-left 18" + bottom-right 18". Blue top-right + bottom-left.
• Gap between zones: 24" across each short side.
• Markers: Each corner zone fronts its own marker (12"/12"). Red 1 and Blue 4 sit only 12" apart on the left side; Blue 2 and Red 3 on the right.
• Free (uncoloured) edges for flank arrivals: Middle 24" of each short edge, plus the middle 18" of the top and bottom edges (between the two enemy corners).

#Proving Grounds

• Entry edges: Asymmetric. Red: both short edges, full length. Blue: 18" in the middle of the top edge.
• Gap between zones: 18"-24".
• Markers: Top row: Red 1, 5 and Red 3 (all 12" from the top). Bottom row: Blue 4 and Blue 2 (18" from the sides, 12" from the bottom).
• Free (uncoloured) edges for flank arrivals: Bottom edge except the 6" at each end (42"), plus 12" of top edge either side of Blue's 18".

#Breach

• Entry edges: Blue: whole left short edge. Red: whole right short edge.
• Gap between zones: 42".
• Markers: All outer markers are 6" from the top/bottom edges. Your half holds your own marker (bottom row) and an enemy-colour marker (top row). 5 at centre.
• Free (uncoloured) edges for flank arrivals: Top and bottom edges except the 6" at each end (42" each).

#Meeting Engagement

• Entry edges: Blue: 18" middle of the top edge + 12" middle of the left edge. Red: middle of bottom + middle of right.
• Gap between zones: 24" (top ↔ bottom).
• Markers: Red 1 is bracketed by both Blue zones; Blue 2 by both Red zones. Red 3 and Blue 4 are contested (~12" from one side, ~13" from the other).
• Free (uncoloured) edges for flank arrivals: All four corners: 18" of top/bottom edge and 12" of side edge either side of every coloured section.

Entry Edges are the whole red and blue rectangles on the Deployment Card, including the 6" a corner zone runs up the adjacent side. Every uncoloured stretch of table edge is legal for ARMED AND READY (Barracks (Proxy)), WARP IN (Warp Gate) and TIMING PUSH (Six Pool card).

COMSAT STATION (Orbital Command) names a whole side of the table. It closes every uncoloured stretch on that side for enemy deploys this round. The flank cards can't use coloured sections anyway, so COMSAT STATION effectively shuts that entire side. How much it shuts down depends on the deployment:

• COMSAT STATION is decisive on Gauntlet and Breach (two flank sides; close the one nearest the marker they want), and on Proving Grounds (close the bottom edge and only the small top stretches remain).
• COMSAT STATION is weak on Typhoon, Meeting Engagement and Acropolis, where free stretches sit on all four sides. Typhoon and Meeting Engagement corners are reachable from two sides, so naming one side never seals a corner.

Pylons and Omega Worms work the same way: their base is an Entry Edge. A unit deploying from one starts its Leading Model touching the base and moves its Speed out in any direction, then the rest are set in coherency. That's a full 360° arrival radius of Speed + 3" (Speed + 4" for units with SQUADRON) around the structure, and COMSAT STATION can't touch it.

What each deployment rewards

• Gauntlet is the honest fight.
  • Every unit reaches its own markers on deployment (Speed + leapfrog ≈ 7-11").
  • BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade; PLACE 18 from your edge) lands exactly on the centre line, level with Marker 5.
  • Flank arrivals: the enemy-colour marker 12" from a short edge is Red 1 on the left (Blue's target) or Blue 2 on the right (Red's target).
• Typhoon is two corner brawls plus the centre.
  • Each player's nearer own marker sits ~13" from the tip of their L, and the paired enemy marker is right next to it.
  • Both empty corners are uncoloured edge, so flank arrivals land directly on the marker pairs: Blue 2 and Red 3 sit 6" from two free edges each.
  • Red flanks the top-left corner for Blue 2 (2 VP on Hold Position); Blue flanks the bottom-right for Red 3.
  • Long diagonal walks favour fast units and forward deploys.
  • Gunlines get the longest fire lanes on the diagonal.
• Acropolis splits both armies.
  • Decide before the game which half of your army enters each corner: units that start on opposite corners can't support each other until Round 3.
  • Each short side is a 24" brawl over two markers 12" apart.
  • Concentrating on one side (overloading it) and conceding the other often wins Hold Position and Frontlines.
• Proving Grounds is the most asymmetric deployment.
  • Blue's edge is 12" from Marker 5 and ~13" from both Red markers (2 VP each on Hold Position and Gather), but its own markers sit far away near the free bottom edge, exposed to Red's flanks.
  • Blue's 18" frontage also gets crowded with big bases.
  • Red has 72" of frontage and starts 6" from its own markers.
  • This decides your colour choice if Proving Grounds is in the deployment pool: shooting armies with big bases want Red; fast objective armies want Blue.
• Breach is a 42" no man's land with every outer marker hugging a free edge.
  • Each player has a near-free 2-VP enemy-colour marker in their own half (top row) and their own marker at home (bottom row).
  • The real fights are Marker 5 and raids across.
  • It's the best deployment in the game for gunlines (an extra volley before contact) and for flank arrivals (every marker is 6" from a free edge).
• Meeting Engagement: each player has an enemy-colour marker inside their pincer (Blue gets Red 1, Red gets Blue 2), worth 2 VP on Hold Position.
  • The game is decided on Red 3 and Blue 4, which are almost equidistant.
  • Two entry segments each means you can choose which marker each unit enters toward.
  • All four corners are uncoloured edge, and every outer marker is 12" from two free edges.
  • So the "safe" marker inside the enemy's pincer isn't safe: a flank arrival in that corner contests it (Red into the top-left for Red 1; Blue into the bottom-right for Blue 2), and the contested markers can be hit from their corners too.

#13.3 Mission × Deployment Hot Spots

#Hold Position

1 VP own/neutral, 2 VP enemy-colour.

• Where to stage: Lock your own markers with one durable unit each; mass the rest toward the nearest enemy-colour marker.
• Deployment notes: Breach and Meeting Engagement hand you an enemy-colour marker in your own half, so take it Round 1 and hold. On Gauntlet and Acropolis, enemy markers are 24" across: stage just outside their charge reach and take them in Round 3.

#Frontlines

1 VP each, +2 for flipping one.

• Where to stage: Concede a marker you can retake: stage a strike unit out of LoS within reach of it, and let them take it, then flip it back (+3 that round).
• Deployment notes: Control is sticky, so the threat of a retake is half the value. Acropolis's paired markers 12" apart are made for this.

#Gather the Resources

2 VP per enemy-colour marker; Gather action = +1 VP.

• Where to stage: Many cheap units within 3" of a controlled neutral or enemy-colour marker, Unengaged in the Assault Phase.
• Deployment notes: Your own-colour markers are worth nothing here. Breach / Meeting Engagement give you a safe enemy-colour Gather spot. Marker 5 is the shared Gather spot, so whoever controls it Gathers there.

#Supply Drop

Random markers activate; score = round number, then removed; ends at 12+.

• Where to stage: Central staging that reaches any marker in one Move + Run; forward deploys parked out of LoS.
• Deployment notes: Round 5 activates Marker 5, worth 5 VP. Stage everything to reach the centre in Round 5, and remember the unlimited-Supply final round. You can pre-control a Deactivated marker (FAQ), so sitting on likely markers early pays off.

#Divide and Conquer

Quarters by Supply; Marker 5 = 2 VP; 4 rounds.

• Where to stage: Supply-dense units Wholly Within quarters; one marker-controller per quarter (+1).
• Deployment notes: Acropolis puts each army in two diagonal quarters from the start. On Gauntlet you own your two home quarters; the fight is the enemy's. Watch units straddling the centre lines.

#Artefact Hunt

Claim enemy/neutral markers, carry home: 4 VP each at end of R5.

• Where to stage: Fast, Supply-stable carriers near the claimable markers closest to your Zone of Influence.
• Deployment notes: Breach (enemy marker 12" from your zone) and Meeting Engagement (enemy marker inside your pincer) give short carries. Carriers drop the marker when their Supply drops, before any PLACE, or when Engaged by more Supply.

#13.4 The Standard Map Layouts (Core Rules pp. 116-121)

All six use the same kit (walls, shrubs/Grass, statues, geysers, obelisks, banners) in point-symmetric arrangements. Roll a D6 or pick one; your TO will usually fix one per table.

• p.116 "Corner Bunkers": L-shaped wall corners near each flank plus a staggered central spine of diagonal walls, with geysers mid-flank. The L-corners are natural staging pockets a few inches from the flank markers; the spine splits the centre into two lanes.
• p.117 "Pens": two U-shaped wall enclosures facing opposite ways, with an open middle around the geysers. Pens are safe holding positions for Size 2 units. The open middle is a kill zone.
• p.118 "Pinwheel": walls spiral around the centre, with long walls on the central axis. The centre is cluttered (melee and Size 1 heaven); the flanks are open fire lanes.
• p.119 "Crossroads": long walls form a cross that divides the table into quadrants. Fire lanes are short, chokes are many, and every gap is a FORCE FIELD (Sentry) or screen opportunity. Strong for melee and for Divide and Conquer, where quadrant walls protect quarter-holders.
• p.120 "Temple Plateau": two Lost Temple Ramps form a long High Ground plateau down the middle. Whoever holds the plateau sees the whole board and has Evade vs lower shooters. Ground melee can only reach them through the Access Points; Raptors and PLACE effects ignore that. It's the one Standard layout where a Size 3 unit can be fully hidden (behind the ramps).
• p.121 "Twin Temples": two ramps at opposite ends. Depending on orientation they're near each player's zone (sniper nests) or on the flanks (contested High Ground).

Skirmish layouts are on pp. 122-124 (p.124 has a single ramp). Competitive events play Standard.

#13.5 Alternate-Edge Arrivals: Rules That Matter

• Restrictions stack:

  • The unit can never end its arrival inside the opponent's Zone of Influence.
  • Flank cards require >10" from every enemy model.
  • ARMED AND READY (Barracks (Proxy)) is unavailable if another friendly Bio unit already deployed this round; WARP IN (Warp Gate) if another friendly Ground unit did. They have to be your first relevant deploy of the round.
  • TIMING PUSH (Six Pool card) has no first-deploy limit.

• Reach on arrival: the leader enters from the edge and moves its Speed, then the rest are set within 3" (4" for units with SQUADRON: Zerglings, Raptors, Swarmlings, Hydralisks, Ravagers and Stalkers). For Speed 4 that's about 7-8" in from the edge on the turn you arrive.

• Best flank landing spots by deployment:

  • Breach: anywhere on top/bottom, 6" from a marker.
  • Gauntlet: left edge → Red 1, right edge → Blue 2 (each 12" in).
  • Acropolis: middle of either short side, between the marker pair.
  • Proving Grounds (Red): bottom edge, 12" from both Blue markers.
  • Typhoon: the empty corners. Blue 2 / Red 3 are 6" from two free edges, Red 1 / Blue 4 about 12".
  • Meeting Engagement: any corner. Each outer marker is 12" from two free edges, so Speed + leapfrog lands you a few inches short and an Assault-Phase Run finishes the job.
  • Acropolis: also the middle 18" of the top/bottom edges, aimed at Marker 5 (18" in).

• Counters to watch: COMSAT STATION (Orbital Command · Terran) closes one whole side of the table this round. PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus) does HITS 3 to any unit arriving anywhere but its own Entry Edge. Pylons and Omega Worms are Entry Edges, so they're immune. Opponents can stand on end-of-round Faction Indicators to waste them (FAQ).

• End-of-round deploys (READY FOR DUST-OFF (Dropship), VENTRAL SACS (Overlord), WARP CONDUIT (Warp Prism)) arrive after Scoring, so they don't score that round. They do start the next round on the table with a full Movement Phase. They also use this round's Supply Pool after casualties have freed some, so they're a way to get an extra unit down a round early.

#13.6 Terran Staging & Forward-Deploy Playbook

Preferred deployments: Breach (42" of free volleys), Gauntlet, and Proving Grounds as Red (72" of frontage for big bases, own markers 6" away). Avoid Acropolis when you can (it splits the gunline and the Medic bubble), and Blue on Proving Grounds (18" of frontage chokes on Siege Tank and Goliath bases).

Staging principles

• Marauder anchors sit on markers, Marines sit behind walls within 1" (Direct Cover) with LoS to the approach. Medics go behind both, within 4".
• Siege Tanks: a long fire lane, outside the enemy's Round-N+1 charge reach, and out of Ravager CORROSIVE BILE range (14"). Unsieged it's Size 2 and hides behind walls; Sieged it's Size 3 and doesn't.
• On the Temple Plateau map a Marine or Marauder squad on the ramp has Evade vs everything shooting from below and can't be charged from Ground Level. A Goliath (Size 3) up there sees the whole board. Watch for Raptors (they climb) and BLINK (Stalker · it ignores elevation).
• On Crossroads / Pinwheel maps, accept shorter lanes: Rocket Launchers (INDIRECT) and SMART SHELLS (Siege Tank upgrade · INDIRECT, 24") matter more. Screen the chokes with Marine bodies spaced under 3" apart to stop Size 3 units.

Forward-deploy tools and where to use them

• Point Defence Drone + RAPID REINFORCEMENTS (both Raynor's Raiders):

  • RAPID INGRESS (Raynor's Raiders faction card) puts a drone anywhere more than 1" from enemies.
  • Raynor's Raiders then deploy by PLACE (10) from the drone (it's a friendly unit), as long as they end >8" from enemies and outside the enemy's Zone of Influence.
  • That's a Marine squad arriving almost anywhere on the table, with the drone beside them to strip 2 dice off the next volley.
  • On Supply Drop, drop the drone beside the newly activated marker. The drone is removed at End of Round.

• Barracks (Proxy) – ARMED AND READY:

  • It must be your first Bio deploy of the round, so lead with it.
  • Breach: top/bottom edge onto a marker 6" in.
  • Gauntlet: Blue → left edge (Red 1), Red → right edge (Blue 2).
  • Proving Grounds as Red: bottom edge, 12" from both Blue markers.
  • Check PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus) is exhausted first vs Protoss.

• Dropship – READY FOR DUST-OFF: set the Faction Indicator >10" from enemies where they can't reach it by End of Round.

  • An enemy model on the marker wastes the deploy, so put it behind your own screen or beyond their Move + Run + leapfrog.
  • Good spots: behind a wall next to the marker you want next round, or on High Ground with no enemy near the Access Point.
  • STRAP IN! (Dropship) in Round 4 plus READY FOR DUST-OFF is a full relocation, as long as you're back on the board before Round 5 Scoring.

• READY FOR PICKUP? (Raynor's Raiders faction card, once per game): PLACE (12) a whole unit instead of acting. That's a marker grab or an escape, and the enemy can't block a PLACE.

• COMSAT STATION (Orbital Command): use it in your first Movement activation of the round, before their flank card. Name the side nearest the marker they want (Six Pool and Warp Gate cards are face-up, so you know they have it). It's a full lockout on Gauntlet, Breach and Proving Grounds, but only a partial block on Typhoon, Meeting Engagement and Acropolis, so value the Orbital Command card by the deployment pool.

#14. Niche Rules & Edge Cases

These are the rules (mostly from FAQ v1.0, some from the Core Rules) that rarely come up but swing games when they do. Know them better than your opponent.

#Movement & Positioning

• A Move or Run must change position. Moving 0" counts as Hold (FAQ). You can't "Run" a unit just to trigger something that needs a Run action.
• Directly Towards / Away moves must go the maximum distance (FAQ). Hydralisk LUNGE and similar effects can't stop short.
• Gap Clearance applies to gaps between models, not just terrain (FAQ). Size 2-or-smaller units need a 1" gap; Size 3+ need 3". A screen of your models spaced under 3" apart physically blocks Siege Tanks, Goliaths, Stalkers, Immortals, Queens and Ravagers, and under 1" blocks everything on the ground.
• High Ground edges count as Impassable for Gap Clearance (FAQ), so a Size 3 model needs a 3"-wide ramp.
• Ground units can't step between High Ground pieces that aren't connected (FAQ).
• Coherency can carry models up an Access Point: non-leading models can be set onto High Ground through an Access Point with no separate move (FAQ). But High Ground Cover (Evade vs lower-elevation shooters) needs every model on the High Ground.
• You may Deploy straight onto High Ground that touches your Entry Edge (FAQ).
• Grass is destroyed permanently the moment a ground unit's Leading Model passes through it or any model ends on it. Flying units only destroy it by ending on it. Trample the enemy's planned cover with a cheap unit.
• Charges can wrap around: Coherency Links pass through enemy models you're Engaged with, so charging models can be set on the far side of the target (FAQ).
• Disengage is lethal when surrounded. Any model that can't end strictly outside 1" of every enemy is destroyed. If the Leading Model can't, the whole Disengage fails and the leader is removed. Wrap-around charges make Disengaging very expensive.
• Tactical Mass: a Disengaging unit with more Supply than everything it's Engaged with ignores the Disengage penalty. Heroes with COMMANDER (Raynor, Kerrigan, Artanis) count +1 for this check; Burrowed units count as Supply 0.
• Leapfrog: see Section 2. The front of a squad advances about Speed + coherency distance per move action.

#Line of Sight & Cover

• Direct Cover works from any part of the terrain piece within 1", as long as the LoS line passes through that same piece (FAQ). The part you're touching doesn't need to be the part in the way.
• The long walls in the official map layouts are several separate pieces (FAQ). That matters for "same piece" checks like Close Quarters and Full Cover.
• Elevation Dead Zone: a ground model within 1" of the base of a High Ground piece can't see, or be seen by, a model on top of that same piece, unless they're within 3" (Close Quarters). Hug the cliff to dodge the High Ground gunline.
• Contesting a marker needs LoS and the same elevation. The marker counts as Size 0. A unit on High Ground 2" from a ground-level marker does not contest it, and nor does a unit behind a wall within 3".
• Flying models ignore Full Cover and never get High Ground Cover. Their attacks never count as coming from lower elevation.

#Attack Resolution

• Casualties are limited by visibility, not range (FAQ). A visible model outside weapon range can still be removed. But damage beyond the last visible model is discarded. As the defender, keep most of a unit out of LoS behind Direct Cover so the excess is wasted.
• Evade is rolled against Surge dice too (FAQ). Surge only skips the Armour Roll.
• Modifiers can't push a roll past 6+ or below 2+. Anti-Evade can't remove an Evade Roll entirely (FAQ).
• Surge can never move more dice than are in the Armour Pool.
• Batches are declared and resolved one at a time (FAQ). Shoot the unit you're Engaged with first; if it dies, your remaining batches can target anything.
• PRECISION, CRITICAL HIT and Surge apply to the whole batch, not per model. When a melee attack is split between two Engaged enemies, you choose how to allocate keyword effects across them (FAQ).
• Template Spillover gets no keywords, no Surge and no RoA modifiers. It only hits models that share at least one Combat Tag with the primary target and are on the same elevation (FAQ). GUARDIAN SHIELD (Sentry) applies to each Spillover batch separately.
• Indirect Fire only grants the target an Evade Roll if none of its models are visible (FAQ).
• LOCKED IN needs the target to be Stationary (FAQ). Every unit starts the round Stationary and loses it the moment any model moves or is PLACEd. A unit holding still for its own buffs is exposed to Scatter Missiles (+6 RoA) and SHAPED BLAST (Siege Tank upgrade · +4).
• PINPOINT lets you shoot into a combat, not out of one (FAQ).
• Shooting into a combat removes the rear models first (Engaged casualty priority), and never a model whose removal would end an Engagement while another valid casualty exists.
• HIDDEN units are immune to IMPACT. A Charge doesn't need LoS or targeting, so you can charge a HIDDEN unit, but you get no IMPACT hits from DEVASTATING CHARGE.
• A Burrowed unit that's Engaged must Close Ranks (which unburrows it) to attack in the Combat Phase. If it can't, it doesn't attack, but it can still be hit.

#Abilities, Cards & Reactions

• One Reaction per player per activation. Outside activations, it's one per trigger, and the First Player Marker holder resolves first when both players react (FAQ). REPEATABLE Reactions are still once per activation (FAQ).
• Active card abilities need an active unit on the battlefield (FAQ). An exhausted card can't use any of its Reactions (FAQ).
• Abilities don't work from Reserves. No STIMPACK (Marine / Raynor's Raiders / Marauder) or creep Speed bonus (SPEED ON CREEP, CREEP SPEED) on the Deploy move, unless the card explicitly allows it (RAIDERS ROLL! (Raynor's Raiders), PHASE PRISM (Artanis), ARMED AND READY (Barracks (Proxy))...) (FAQ).
• A unit is always within range of itself unless the text says "another" (FAQ). GUARDIAN SHIELD (Sentry), HALLUCINATION (Sentry upgrade) and RESTORATION (Medic / Queen / Sentry) can cover the unit using them; LIFE SUPPORT (Medic) and TRANSFUSION (Queen) can't.
• "While within" conditions are checked at the start and end of every action (FAQ).
• BUFF effects of the same keyword don't stack, but flat modifiers from different named sources do (FAQ).
• End-of-round deploy markers can be blocked. An enemy model standing on your Faction Indicator (VENTRAL SACS (Overlord), READY FOR DUST-OFF (Dropship), WARP CONDUIT (Warp Prism)) wastes the deploy. The leader must be in base contact with it and the rest set outside 1" of enemies (FAQ).
• Detection works at 6" because it targets a point, not a unit, so it ignores HIDDEN's 4" targeting rule (FAQ).
• Structures (Pylon, Omega Worm, Point Defence Drone) can't be targeted by abilities, but area effects hit them (FAQ).
• When a unit is Destroyed or returned to Reserves, its tokens go with it unless they're STAY IN PLAY. Kill a Ravager and its CORROSIVE BILE still resolves (the card says so). Creep Tumors are STAY IN PLAY via the Creep Cards.
• Shielded is lost when Total Damage exceeds the Shield, not when it equals it. Non-Lethal Damage strips it too. Damage reduction applied before assignment can keep it (FAQ).
• Morphing loses Supply, and lost Supply scores (FAQ).
• Specialist weapons can't be passed to another model (FAQ). The defender chooses casualties, so keep the Specialist alive by removing other models first.

#Scoring, Time & Tournament Procedure

• Coherency is only checked at the end of a move. Casualties never put a unit Out of Coherency, so it keeps contesting even if the middle models die (FAQ).
• Deactivated markers can still be controlled (FAQ). On Supply Drop, pre-control a deactivated marker. If it activates at the start of a later round, it's already yours (sticky), and the opponent has to beat your Supply there to stop you scoring it.
• Tied Supply never changes control, and a marker never goes back to neutral.
• Mission lead thresholds end the game in the Scoring Phase, before End of the Round effects. End-of-round deploys and teleports never happen.
• Units in Reserves at the final Scoring Phase count as destroyed and score for the opponent.
• When time is called: an activation in progress is rolled back; an attack whose hit rolls are made is finished; a Battle Round cut short scores nothing. A judge reviews any game that didn't complete two full rounds. Nobody starts a new round in the last 15 minutes.
• Chess clock at zero: you may only Hold (or Deploy into your own Zone of Influence) in Movement and Assault. You still make Armour/Evade Rolls, fight in Combat and score. If either player wants a clock, both play on one.
• Priority: whoever spent less gas, then fewer minerals, then a roll-off. The other player picks the table side. A draft not finished 15 minutes into the round is completed randomly by a judge.
• Disputes nobody can resolve quickly: roll off (2D6). The winner decides for this instance, and you check after the game. At events, call a judge instead of playing on under protest.
• Concession and Game Loss both score as Annihilation (0 MP / 0 TP for the loser).

#Terran-Specific Edge Cases

• STIMPACK damage isn't harmless (Marine / Raynor's Raiders / Marauder). Non-Lethal Damage can't kill on its own, but it stays on the Damage Marker. The next real hit adds to it and triggers casualties. MEDPACK (Medic) it off in the same Movement Phase, before the enemy shoots.
• CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder) needs LoS only to the friendly unit, not the charger (FAQ). It triggers on a charge against any friendly unit within 8".
• LIFE SUPPORT (Medic) reduces Total Damage, which includes damage already on the unit (FAQ).
• Siege Tank: MODE TRANSFORMATION costs 1 CP every toggle, and Siege Mode is lost if the tank goes back to Reserves. Large means the tank destroys Size 0-1 Impassable terrain it drives over. AFTERSHOCK ROUNDS (Siege Tank) vs a Burrowed unit (Size 0) still does at least 1 damage. Into a Shielded Immortal, IMPROVED BARRIER most likely caps AFTERSHOCK ROUNDS at 1 too; ask your TO.
• Goliath / Siege Tank INDOMITABLE cuts both ways. They can be shot while Engaged, but the defender gets an Evade Roll in either direction.
• Raynor's ORDERS (2 CP) can re-activate a unit that already moved this phase, which is what makes the leapfrog double-move work. His COMMANDER +1 also counts for Tactical Mass on Disengage.
• STRAP IN! (Dropship) and READY FOR PICKUP? (Raynor's Raiders faction card): a unit returned to Reserves stays Activated for the rest of the phase and keeps its damage.
• COMSAT STATION names one whole side (Orbital Command), closing every uncoloured stretch on it. Pick the side the Zerg Six Pool or Protoss Warp Gate needs; your opponent's cards are face-up.
• Point Defence Drone does nothing vs INSTANT weapons, and it's removed after one use.

#15. Tournament Prep: Building Your List Pair

At events using the recommended Dual List Format:

• You submit up to two rosters from the same faction. Each has its own 2 Mission + 2 Deployment draft cards and its own gas total.
• At the table, both players secretly choose one roster and reveal at the same time (or tell a judge privately).
• Rosters are open, so your opponent knows both of your lists, and you know both of theirs.
• If you submit only one roster, you play it every round.

How to think about the pair

• Cover each other's bad matchups. The classic split is anti-horde vs anti-armour, but tempo vs attrition, melee vs gunline, or objective-spam vs kill-list all work. The test: for every list you're likely to face, at least one of your two should be comfortable.
• Play it as a simultaneous-choice game. You pick without knowing their pick, so build a 2 × 2 matrix (your lists vs theirs) for each likely opponent. Choose the list whose worse result is better (minimax), not the one with the best dream matchup.
• The draft cards differ per list. Each roster brings its own missions and deployments. Pair a gunline list with Hold Position / Frontlines and a fast list with Supply Drop / Gather the Resources, so your choice of list also tilts the mission pool.
• Gas changes Priority. The player who spent less gas wins Priority (colour + draft control). Building one list at ~170 gas gives you a Priority option for games where the draft matters most.
• Share a core. Keep 50-70% of the models common to both lists so your execution doesn't suffer and your hobby time stays sane. Swap the specialists, upgrades and a few units.
• Pick at the table, not before. Tables are set before the round and you see the terrain first. A dense, LoS-blocking table favours your melee or close-range list; open fire lanes favour the gunline.
• Admin: bring both rosters printed, both sets of draft cards, and every model and card for both lists. Make sure Specialist models for both lists are WYSIWYG.

Terran pair ideas

The two sample lists in Section 6 (A: Raynor's Bio, B: Armed Forces Mech) are already a reasonable horde/armour pair.

#16. Tournament-Day Checklist

Before the event

• Rules cut-off is usually two weeks out; rosters are due a week out. Rosters are open: study the field.
• Build your list pair (Section 15) and a 2 × 2 matchup plan for each likely opponent.
• Model every Specialist (Rocket Launcher, AGG-12). WYSIWYG is mandatory for Specialists at Competitive events.
• Keep gas under 200 if you can for the Priority tiebreak.

At the table

• Agree terrain Sizes, Grass, Access Points and passable gaps before the draft.
• Declare every upgrade and non-represented weapon on deployment. Failing to disclose is a conduct penalty.
• Clock etiquette: if either player wants a chess clock, you both use it. Reactions are on the reacting player's time.

During the game, every round

• Before the Movement Phase: count CP, decide what this round is buying.
• Measure charge threats: enemy Speed + 6 (Zerg METABOLIC BOOST, Protoss CHARGE and the Overseer's PNEUMATIZED CARAPACE all roll 2D6 and keep the best). Keep squads outside or behind CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder) cover.
• Don't forget enemy leapfrog. A squad's front advances Speed + 3" per Move/Run/Deploy, or Speed + 4" for units with SQUADRON (Zerglings, Raptors, Swarmlings, Hydralisks, Ravagers and Stalkers). A Zergling squad that Moves ~8" then charges from its new front model threatens roughly 15-16" from where it started the round.
• Before Scoring: are your units In Coherency at their last move, within 3", with LoS to the marker, on the same elevation?
• Check which enemy units sit just above a Supply breakpoint and shoot those first.

Clock & scoring

• 2h30m per round including a ~15-minute draft. No new Battle Round in the last 15 minutes. Only completed rounds score.
• Result bands (Standard): 10+ VP = Annihilation (5 TP), 7-9 = Decisive (4), 3-6 = Breakthrough (3), 0-2 = Stalemate (1 MP each). Most missions end immediately at a 10+ lead, so if you're up 7-8, push for the kill that ends the game.

#17. Common Terran Mistakes

• Forgetting MODE TRANSFORMATION (Siege Tank upgrade) on the Siege Tank.
• Taking Hellfire Missiles into a game with no Flying units.
• Stimming in Round 1 when nothing is in range: 2 Non-Lethal Damage and 1 CP for nothing.
• Firing INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay), then wanting LIFE SUPPORT (Medic) in the same enemy activation (one Reaction per activation).
• Shooting a Supply-0 remnant that scores you nothing while a Supply-2 unit sits one casualty from a breakpoint.
• Leaving a unit in Reserves on Round 5.
• Moving a squad within reach of a Zergling charge "because they'll only get 7 inches". METABOLIC BOOST (Zergling / Raptor / Swarmling) is best-of-2D6.

For Terran!