The Competitive Player's Guide to Zerg

#1. Zerg at a Glance

Zerg is the tempo and board-presence faction.

• What you have: arrivals where the opponent isn't expecting them (BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) at 18", Six Pool flanks, VENTRAL SACS (Overlord), the Omega Worm), hiding from shooting (Burrow, HIDDEN), and IMPACT charges that stack modifiers no other faction can match.
• Your army: cheap per body, the most models on the table, and Hydralisks with some of the best ranged damage in the game.
• How you win: control where and when combat happens. Land first on the markers, burrow through the enemy's big shooting turn, then charge on your terms.
• How you lose: trickling units into a gunline, forgetting that Burrowed units can't hold markers, or bleeding cheap Supply for free VP.

#2. Rules That Decide Zerg Games

Leapfrog, step by step. It applies to every repositioning action: Move, Run, Deploy, Disengage, BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) and other PLACE effects. The coherency distance is 3" (4" for units with SQUADRON: Zerglings, Raptors, Swarmlings, Hydralisks, Ravagers).

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" (4" with SQUADRON) 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 3-4" 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 3-4" 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 Speed 4 Zergling squad (4" coherency) advances its front ~8" per Move, then charges from the new front model. That's a threat of ~15-16" from where it started the round.

#3. Faction Cards: Which Swarm Are You?

RAPID BURROWING is the best defensive card in the Zerg book. You move a unit onto position in the Movement Phase; later in the same phase (after the enemy has committed), you burrow it for free. It's now HIDDEN with Evade vs everything through the opponent's Assault Phase. The cost: it doesn't contest markers while burrowed, so plan to pop it with NASTY SURPRISE (Roach Warren) or an action before Scoring.

The Omega Worm (Structure, Supply 0, Armour 5+, HP 10, Size 3) is a forward Entry Edge.

• Units with a combined Supply of 2 or less may deploy through it each round.
• The FAQ confirms BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) works from it, and it's immune to PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus).
• It's a SOURCE OF CREEP and removes HIDDEN within 6".
• Any friendly unit ending a Move, Disengage or Run in base contact can be pulled back to Reserves.
• It can't use its abilities the round it's placed, and it creates no Zone of Influence.

Pick Zerg Swarm for Roach/Hydra/Ravager ranged-attrition lists with Queen support. Pick Kerrigan's Swarm for Kerrigan, the Raptors and the stacked-IMPACT charge.

#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

Zergling — 12 for 180 (Supply 1) / 18 for 220 (Supply 2)

• METABOLIC BOOST (Zergling / Raptor / Swarmling · 1 BM): charge with best-of-2D6. Average charge goes from 7.5" to ~8.5", +1 more on Accelerating Creep.
• Leapfrog math: with the 4" coherency from SQUADRON (on the Zergling card), a Speed 4 Zergling squad's front advances ~8" per Move or Run. Move ~8" in the Movement Phase, then charge from the new front model, and the squad threatens roughly 15-16" from where it started the round (17"+ with METABOLIC BOOST and Accelerating Creep). Opponents who measure only Speed + D6 will be caught out.
• 18 Zerglings for 220 is Supply 2 for 220 minerals, level with 9 Marines (210) as the cheapest marker-control Supply in the game, and it comes with 18 bodies.
• ADRENAL GLANDS (Zergling / Raptor upgrade · 20): PRECISION (2) on Claws. Shredding Claws (10): adds Armoured Surge. Both are cheap; take them. BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade · 20/30): deploy by PLACE (18) from your Entry Edge (not within 10" of enemies). The rest of the squad is set within 4" of the placed leader, so the front lands up to ~22" out.
• Size 1: they hide behind Size 1 crates and low walls that don't hide anything else.
• Weakness: 9 Marines kill ~10 per volley, and they drop from Supply 2 to 1 after only 6 losses. Don't walk them into open fire lanes.

Swarmling (Zergling) — 18 for 260 · Supply 1 from 7 to 18 models

• ZERGLING RECONSTITUTION (Swarmling · 1 BM, Movement Phase): RESPAWN 2, or 3 ON CREEP.
• The point is the Supply profile: the opponent needs 12 kills to score 1 VP. It's a durable screen, a Gather-action body and a tarpit. It won't win fights on damage.
• Respawn can't raise the Supply bracket, so it only helps while you're still at 7+. Keep them topped up before they drop.
• The only upgrade is BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade · 20). Shredding Claws and ADRENAL GLANDS aren't options for Swarmlings.

Roach — 3 for 170

• BURROW (Roach / Vile / Corpser · 2 BM) + REGENERATION (Roach / Vile / Corpser): when Activated while burrowed, HEAL (2).
• TUNNELING CLAWS (Roach-family upgrade · 10): Move and Run without losing BURROWED, and pass through other units' bases. Take it. Now a Roach squad advances HIDDEN, heals every activation and pops up next to a marker.
• HYDRIODIC BILE (Roach-family upgrade · 10): Acid Saliva gains Light Surge D3+1. That's +25% damage vs Marines and Zerglings for 10 minerals.
• GLIAL RECONSTITUTION (Roach-family upgrade · 20): +1 Speed (+2 ON CREEP). BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade · 20): the mid-board drop.
• They lose Supply only when 2 of 3 die, and at Armour 3+ Marines barely scratch them (~0.6 kills per 9-Marine volley). Marauders, Tanks, Stalkers and Immortals are what kill Roaches.

Vile (Roach) — 3 for 200

• DEBILITATING SALIVA (Vile · Reaction, 1 BM): when an enemy within 8" declares a Ranged Attack, its ranged weapons get −1 to Hit. Three hits into a 9-Marine squad (3+ → 4+) is a 25% damage cut. This is your anti-gunline Roach.

Corpser (Roach) — 3 for 240

• ROACHLING INFESTATION (Corpser · 2 BM, once per game): SUMMON 3 Roachlings (Supply 0, Armour 6+, HP 1). They're free screens and Supply-0 marker holders that score nothing when killed.
• The melee Roach. Good in Kerrigan's Swarm.

Ravager — 1 for 160 (Supply 1) / 2 for 270 (Supply 2)

• Plasma Discharge: 12", Ground, RoA 4, 3+, Light Surge D3+1.

• CORROSIVE BILE (Ravager · 1 BM, Movement Phase): one token per Ravager, within 14", no LoS needed. At the end of the Assault Phase, every unit within 1" of a token suffers HITS 5 (1) per token. Friendly units too.

  • It's area denial: the opponent has to move off the marker or eat 5 hits.
  • Brutal vs units that can't move: Sieged Siege Tanks, units already Activated, and Engaged enemies (they can only Disengage in the next Movement Phase).
  • BLOATED BILE DUCTS (Ravager upgrade · 20/40): 2" radius. POTENT BILE (Ravager upgrade · 20/40): the target also gets −1 Armour against the hits.

• DEEP TUNNEL (Ravager · 1 BM): place a burrow token within 12"; at the End of the Round the Ravagers relocate to it. That's repositioning after scoring, ready for next round.

#Elite

Hydralisk — 2 for 140 (Supply 2) / 4 for 260 (Supply 3)

• The best ranged profile in the Zerg book, arguably in the game. Four Hydras average ~6 dead Marines, ~2.7 dead Zealots or ~11 damage into Marauders per volley. The Surge hits almost everything that isn't a hero.
• LUNGE (Hydralisk · Reaction, 1 BM): when another friendly unit within 10" is shot, the Hydras move Directly Towards the shooter after the attack. Good for pulling your Hydras into range of a gunline that just fired.
• GROOVED SPINES (Hydralisk upgrade · Long Range 16"), ANCILLARY CARAPACE (Hydralisk upgrade · TOUGH 1 on the first Armour Roll each activation), LURKING (Hydralisk upgrade · Stationary → Evade vs the first Ranged Attack each round, +1 ON CREEP; cheap at 10/20). All three are good; LURKING is the value pick.
• Warning: they're Supply-dense. Four Hydras = Supply 3 in 4 models, so each one that dies costs you roughly 1 VP. Hide them.
• Four Hydras need 3 Elite slots, so plan for Hydralisk Den (2 Elite).

Raptor (Zergling) — 12 for 240 / 18 for 300

• RAPTOR STRAIN: moves through Impassable Terrain of Size 4 or less and changes elevation without Access Points. They go over walls and onto High Ground. The FAQ confirms Coherency Links trace through that terrain too.
• ADRENAL OVERLOAD (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor · 1 BM): +1 to IMPACT Hit Rolls.
• They can't cross Force Fields (FAQ).

Kerrigan Swarm Raptor — 6 for 250 · Kerrigan's Swarm only, Unique

• LEAP (Kerrigan Swarm Raptor · 1 BM): +2 to Charge distance. Plus ADRENAL OVERLOAD.
• The upgrades are built in. Their Claws already hit on 3+ and Surge vs Light and Armoured (D6), better than a Raptor with Shredding Claws (4+, D3), and they're INSTANT. They have 2 HP and Armour 5+, where a Raptor has 1 HP and 6+. Nothing on the card is bought: the 250 is flat, and ADRENAL GLANDS, METABOLIC BOOST and BURROW AMBUSH aren't options for them.
• INSTANT means no LIFE SUPPORT (Medic), no INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay), no IMPROVED BARRIER (Immortal), no DAE'UHL (Daelaam faction card), no HALLUCINATION (Sentry upgrade) vs their attacks. A precision tool for killing protected targets.

#Support

Queen — 150 · Supply 1

• SPAWN CREEP TUMOR (Queen · 1 BM, any phase): Tumor in base contact.
• TRANSFUSION (Queen · Reaction, 1 BM): another friendly Bio unit within 4" suffers damage → −2 Total Damage (it also works on Structures, like the Omega Worm).
• PSIONIC LINK (Queen): with 7+ friendly models within 6", one ability per round costs 1 BM less. Zerglings make every Tumor free.
• Talons (6", RoA 4, Light Surge D3, Damage 2) are a nasty short-range gun. IMPACT (4) 3+.
• CREEP SPEED (Queen upgrade · 10): +2 Speed ON CREEP. Take it; Speed 4 is slow. DOMINEERING PRESENCE (Queen upgrade · 10, 1 BM): another unit within 6" gets +1 Supply for markers.
• Acid Spines only target Flying. Ignore them.

#Hero

Kerrigan — 250 · Supply 1 · tags Biological, Psionic only, so no current Surge triggers on her

• COMMANDER (Kerrigan · +1 Supply for markers and Disengage).
• CRUSHING GRIP (Kerrigan · 1 BM, Movement Phase): an enemy within 12" counts as Activated this phase. It can't Move, Deploy onward or Disengage. Use it on the Marine squad about to stim-push, the Stalkers about to BLINK, or the unit that needs to Disengage from your Zerglings.
• MUTATING CARAPACE (Kerrigan · 1 BM): pick an enemy within 18"; Kerrigan gets Evade 4+ vs its attacks this round.
• LEAPING STRIKE (Kerrigan · 1 BM, Assault Phase): PLACE (6). PLACE in the Assault Phase may end in Engagement Range, so it's a guaranteed "charge" with no roll. It doesn't trigger IMPACT (that needs a successful Charge), but it gets Kerrigan into the fight or onto a marker.
• Blades: RoA 6, 4+, Damage 2, CRITICAL HIT (2). IMPACT (4) 4+. Energy Blast: 8", RoA 5, Light/Armoured Surge.
• Kerrigan's tags are Zerg only, so she's legal in Zerg Swarm too if you buy a Hero slot (the Overlord card).

#Summoned

Roachling (via Corpser's ROACHLING INFESTATION): 3 models, Supply 0.

Omega Worm (via the Kerrigan's Swarm faction card): see Section 3.

#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: Zerg is two armies, a 1-2 melee wave and a 5 back line (Hydras, Ravagers), with Vile Roaches bridging at 3. Lists that blur the two (Hydras walking forward with the Zerglings) lose both.

Tanks: the Swarm's anchors

• Roach (Tank). The Zerg Marauder: Armour 3+, HP 4, and Supply 1 until two of three are dead. It's your marker holder.

  • The tank loop: burrow when the enemy's guns turn on it (HIDDEN, Evade vs everything), REGENERATION (Roach / Vile / Corpser) heals 2 every time it activates while burrowed, and TUNNELING CLAWS (Roach-family upgrade) lets it creep forward without surfacing.
  • The catch: Burrowed units don't contest. Surface (NASTY SURPRISE (Roach Warren), or just act) before Scoring, then go back under next round with RAPID BURROWING (Zerg Swarm faction card) or LIE IN WAIT (Hatchery).
  • Pair it with the Queen: TRANSFUSION takes 2 off Total Damage, and creep under the Roaches turns on the +2 Speed from GLIAL RECONSTITUTION (Roach-family upgrade).
  • Marines barely scratch them. Spend the Roaches on the markers Marauders and Stalkers can't easily reach.

• Vile (Tank). The anchor for a gunline matchup. DEBILITATING SALIVA (Vile) puts −1 to Hit on any squad within 8" that shoots, so park it on the marker the Marines are aiming at.

• Corpser (Tank). The melee anchor. It holds the marker, counter-charges with IMPACT (3), and its Roachlings add more bodies to the pile.

• Roachling (Tank). Supply 0: a free sponge that scores nothing when it dies. Use it to block charge lanes, absorb a volley, and sit on an uncontested marker.

Damage Dealers: hit, then get out of the open

• Zergling. Charge, don't stand. In the open they're a 6-casualty-per-Supply VP gift. Out of LoS until the charge turn, then IMPACT and Claws. Once Engaged, they tarpit (the enemy's other units can't shoot into the combat).
• Swarmling. Printed as a Damage Dealer, but 5+ Claws say otherwise. Their real value is 12 kills per VP and Respawn. Use them as a tarpit and a Gather-action body.
• Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor. Flankers. RAPTOR STRAIN (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor) lets them charge from terrain the enemy thought was safe. KS Raptors' INSTANT claws are the tool for killing units that rely on reactions (Medic-backed Marauders, Shielded Immortals).
• Hydralisk. A firing platform. Keep it 10-12" back in cover behind a screen, Stationary for LURKING (Hydralisk upgrade). It's the most Supply-dense model in your army (Supply 3 in 4 bodies), so never let it get charged or caught in the open.
• Kerrigan. A Damage-Dealer hero. No weapon's Surge triggers on her (no Light or Armoured tag), so she can walk into fire that would delete a Hydra. Her damage turns are set up by CRUSHING GRIP (Kerrigan); late game she becomes a +1 Supply COMMANDER on a marker.

Lifesaver: the Queen keeps the anchors alive

• Queen. TRANSFUSION (−2 damage) within 4", RESTORATION, and creep for everyone's buffs. Stay 4" behind the Roaches, not in front.
  • Size 3 means she's hard to hide, but Armour 4+ and HP 9 at Supply 1 make her a reasonable secondary holder herself.
  • Keep 7+ friendly models within 6" so PSIONIC LINK (Queen) makes a Tumor or TRANSFUSION free.

Tacticians: shape the board

• Ravager. CORROSIVE BILE is its point: it pushes enemies off markers, punishes Stationary Siege Tanks, and zones charge lanes. DEEP TUNNEL (Ravager) repositions it after Scoring. It's Size 3 and Supply-dense, so it's not a front-liner.
• Omega Worm. A forward Entry Edge and creep source. Place it centrally, 10"+ from the enemy, behind something. It's Supply 0, so killing it scores nothing, but it shuts down your network.

#5. Tactical Cards & the Gas Budget

All Zerg Tactical Cards produce 1 BM except the Six Pool (2 BM). Creep Cards produce nothing.

Burrow economy. The Roach's own BURROW costs 2 BM, so plan your burrow cycle around cards, not the unit ability.

• Free burrows: RAPID BURROWING (Zerg Swarm faction card), LIE IN WAIT (Hatchery), and BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) arrivals that don't break burrow.
• Free unburrow that still lets you act: NASTY SURPRISE (Roach Warren).
• BM resets every round. There's no saving it for a big turn, so spend whatever's left on Tumors, TRANSFUSION (Queen) or Respawn rather than letting it lapse.

The gas-priority trick. At Competitive events the player who spent less Vespene Gas gets Priority (colour + choice of draft). Zerg can build strong lists for 170-180 gas.

#Card Economy: Ability or Resource?

Every card makes one decision per round: flip it for BM, or flip it for its printed ability. Which cards you don't flip for BM 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 Zerg 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 Tumor is needed and nothing needs to burrow, Hatchery is 1 BM. If there's no Hydra target in 12", Hydralisk Den is 1 BM.
2. A Movement-only card you didn't use is free BM for later phases. Hatchery and Cocoon are the first cards you flip to pay for METABOLIC BOOST (Zergling / Raptor / Swarmling), LUNGE (Hydralisk), TRANSFUSION (Queen) or DEBILITATING SALIVA (Vile) in the Assault Phase.
3. Guard the cards your plan depends on. If Roaches are burrowed, Roach Warren must stay Ready until the Assault Phase for NASTY SURPRISE, or they shoot nothing and contest nothing. If you're charging this round, keep Overseer (PNEUMATIZED CARAPACE) and Evolution Chamber (EXTENDED CLAWS) Ready, and keep Spawning Pool Ready for FERAL RAGE in the Combat Phase.
4. The Zerg Swarm faction card is often worth more as RAPID BURROWING than as 1 BM. A free burrow saves you the 2 BM Burrow ability. RAPID BURROWING works even after the unit has activated, so hold the card until the last Movement activation, once you've seen where the enemy's guns went.
5. Match the Six Pool (2 BM) to 2-BM costs: BURROW (Roach / Vile / Corpser) or ROACHLING INFESTATION (Corpser). Never pay a 1-BM METABOLIC BOOST with it; the extra BM is lost.
6. Let the Queen's discount save cards. PSIONIC LINK (7+ friendly models within 6") makes a 1-BM Tumor cost 0, which means no card flipped at all.
7. Don't hoard reactions. One Reaction per enemy activation: BROOD INSTINCT (Zerg Swarm faction card), CARAPACE (Evolution Chamber) and TRANSFUSION all compete. Keep one or two Ready, convert the rest.
8. Card abilities need an active unit (FAQ). Once you've Passed, you can't use Active card abilities for the rest of that phase.
9. Nothing carries over. Whatever is still Ready in the Combat Phase should become FERAL RAGE (Spawning Pool cards), TRANSFUSION or CARAPACE, or it's lost at Cleanup.

Read the opponent's cards too. A Ready Overcharged Nexus means PHOTON OVERCHARGE will hit your Six Pool or VENTRAL SACS (Overlord) arrival. A Ready Orbital Command in the Movement Phase means COMSAT STATION or SCANNER SWEEP can still land. Make them spend it first.

#6. Sample Lists (verified legal)

#A — "Tunnel Vision" (Zerg Swarm · 1,990 min · 200 gas · 12 Supply)

Cards: Zerg Swarm, Accelerating Creep, Hydralisk Den, Roach Warren ×2, Evolution Chamber, Spawning Pool, Lair, Overseer → 8 Core / 4 Elite / 2 Support, 9 BM per round. Want Priority? Drop the Spawning Pool and the Swarmlings, put the freed minerals into upgrades (POTENT BILE (Ravager upgrade), LURKING (Hydralisk upgrade), GLIAL RECONSTITUTION (Roach-family upgrade), BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) on the Vile), and come in at 175 gas.

#B — "Queen of Blades" (Kerrigan's Swarm · 2,000 min · 170 gas · 10 Supply)

Cards: Kerrigan's Swarm, Malignant Creep, Lair, Spawning Pool (Six Pool), Overseer, Evolution Chamber, Hatchery → 7 Core / 3 Elite / 2 Support / 1 Hero, 8 BM, 170 gas (Priority edge).

#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. The +3 Raptor Wave (Kerrigan's Swarm).

   • Needs: Raptors ON CREEP, Malignant Creep, the Evolution Chamber card Ready, and 1 BM for ADRENAL OVERLOAD (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor).
   • Do it: charge ON CREEP and stack MALEVOLENT MATRIARCH (Malignant Creep · +1), EXTENDED CLAWS (Evolution Chamber · +1) and ADRENAL OVERLOAD (+1). The FAQ confirms they stack. Add METABOLIC BOOST (Zergling / Raptor / Swarmling) or PNEUMATIZED CARAPACE (Overseer) so the charge actually lands, and use RAPTOR STRAIN (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor) to charge from behind the wall they climbed.
   • Payoff: IMPACT (1) 5+ becomes 2+. Eighteen Raptors in Fighting/Supporting Rank generate ~15 armour-roll hits before the Combat Phase. Into 9 Marines that's ~5 dead, then ~36 Claw dice (ADRENAL GLANDS PRECISION 2) add ~7 more.
   • Watch for: enemies walking within 1" of your Tumors to kill the creep, Force Fields (Raptors can't cross them), CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder) shortening the charge, and COMBAT SHIELD (Marine upgrade) giving Evade vs the IMPACT hits.

2. BURROW AMBUSH → RAPID BURROWING.

   • Needs: Roaches with BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) and TUNNELING CLAWS (Roach-family upgrade), the Zerg Swarm faction card and a Roach Warren.
   • Do it:
     1. Round 1: the Roaches PLACE 18" up the board next to a marker.
     2. Later that Movement Phase, RAPID BURROWING (Zerg Swarm faction card) makes them HIDDEN with Evade vs everything.
     3. Next round, TUNNELING CLAWS lets them walk burrowed (and trigger REGENERATION).
     4. NASTY SURPRISE (Roach Warren) in the Assault Phase pops them to shoot or charge.
   • Payoff: a squad the opponent can't shoot from beyond 4", sitting on the marker by Scoring.
   • Watch for: detection (SCANNER SWEEP (Orbital Command), Observer, NERAZIM FARSIGHT (Nerazim Watchers)) and enemy screens spread forward so there's nowhere legal to land >10" from them.

3. CORROSIVE BILE the Anchor.

   • Needs: two Ravagers with BLOATED BILE DUCTS (Ravager upgrade), ideally POTENT BILE (Ravager upgrade) too.
   • Do it: drop 2" tokens on a Sieged Tank, an Engaged unit, or a marker holder that has already Activated. No LoS needed.
   • Payoff: HITS 5 per token at the end of the Assault Phase (10 if you stack both), −1 Armour with POTENT BILE, and the enemy is forced off the marker before Scoring.
   • Watch for: targets that Run off the tokens, units spread so one token catches one unit, and COMBAT SHIELD (Marine upgrade) or DAE'UHL (Daelaam faction card) cutting the damage.

4. CRUSHING GRIP and Go.

   • Needs: Kerrigan within 12" of the enemy's key Movement-Phase unit, 1 BM, and a charge unit nearby.
   • Do it: CRUSHING GRIP (Kerrigan) the Marines about to stim-push, or the Stalkers about to BLINK out.
   • Payoff: the target "counts as Activated" and is frozen in place. Your Zerglings charge it with nothing moving out of the way.
   • Watch for: opponents activating their key units before Kerrigan, or staying more than 12" away.

5. Hydra LUNGE Trap.

   • Needs: a bait unit (Swarmlings) forward, Hydras 10" behind it in cover, 1 BM.
   • Do it: when the enemy shoots the bait, LUNGE (Hydralisk) moves the Hydras directly towards the shooter.
   • Payoff: next Assault Phase they're in 12" range with 12 Damage-2 dice.
   • Watch for: the opponent ignoring the bait and shooting the Hydras first, or holding a unit back to counter-charge them on arrival.

6. Free Ravager.

   • Needs: the Cocoon card, a full 3-Roach squad, 1 Available Supply and a Ravager model.
   • Do it: RAVAGER MORPH (Cocoon, once per game) turns the squad into 2 Roaches + 1 Ravager.
   • Payoff: a Supply-1 Ravager with CORROSIVE BILE, and no VP given away: Roaches stay at Supply 1 from 2-3 models. (The FAQ says any Supply loss from a Morph scores for the opponent, but 3 → 2 Roaches loses none.)
   • Watch for: morphing a squad that's already at 2 models. That drops it to Supply 0 and the opponent scores.

7. Omega Shuffle (Kerrigan's Swarm).

   • Needs: the Kerrigan's Swarm faction card in Round 1.
   • Do it: place the Worm >10" from enemies, ideally near the centre marker. From Round 2, deploy up to 2 Supply per round from it (BURROW AMBUSH works from it too), and pull damaged units into it to deny kills.
   • Payoff: a forward Entry Edge that COMSAT STATION (Orbital Command) and PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus) can't touch.
   • Watch for: enemies crowding its base, Shock Cannons and TITAN KILLERS (Praetor Guard) on the Size 3 Worm, and the Queen protecting it being killed. Anything still in Reserves at Round 5 Scoring counts as destroyed, so bring units back out.

8. PREDATION Turn.

   • Needs: the Lair card Ready and the charge that decides the game.
   • Do it: PREDATION (Lair) gives one unit's melee weapons INSTANT.
   • Payoff: LIFE SUPPORT (Medic), INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay), IMPROVED BARRIER (Immortal), DAE'UHL (Daelaam faction card), ZEALOUS ROUND (Zealot upgrade) and HALLUCINATION (Sentry upgrade) all stop working against that charge.
   • Watch for: opponents pre-healing in the Movement Phase, or using CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder) and Force Fields, which act before the attack and still work.

#8. Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• The best deployment flexibility in the game: 18" ambushes, flank edges, forward entry edges, end-of-round drops.
• Stacking IMPACT modifiers. No one else turns a 5+ into a 2+.
• Burrow/HIDDEN denial of the opponent's shooting turn.
• Hydralisks: an elite gun that surges into both Light and Armoured.
• Cheap Supply for marker control (18 Zerglings = Supply 2 for 220; 2 Hydralisks = Supply 2 in two models).
• Tons of activations. You can out-activate Protoss badly and Terran moderately, which means you often see their moves first.

Weaknesses

• Fragile bodies give cheap VP. Zerglings drop a bracket every 6 deaths.
• Burrowed units don't score. Every burrow play has a scoring cost.
• Creep is fragile. Enemies ending moves within 1" delete Tumors. Protect your chain or don't depend on it.
• Detection hard-counters your plan. SCANNER SWEEP (Orbital Command), Observer and NERAZIM FARSIGHT (Nerazim Watchers) turn off HIDDEN within 6".
• Force Fields stop RAPTOR STRAIN (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor) and TUNNELING CLAWS (Roach-family upgrade · FAQ).
• Slow base Speed (4 on most infantry) without creep and buffs.

#9. Round-by-Round Game Plan

Standard missions: 6 Supply in Round 1, +2 per round, unlimited in Round 5. Anything in Reserves at the final Scoring Phase is scored as destroyed.

• Round 1 — Seize the board. Queen + Tumor (free with PSIONIC LINK if 7+ friendly models are within 6"). BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) Roaches next to the forward markers, then RAPID BURROWING (Zerg Swarm faction card). Place the Omega Worm (Kerrigan's Swarm) or run creep with Hatchery CREEP SPREAD. Deploy one Zergling squad to screen. Don't expose Zerglings to 9-Marine volleys in Round 1.
• Round 2 — Threaten. Get Hydras into cover within 12" of the enemy's key units. Set CORROSIVE BILE on the anchor. Six Pool TIMING PUSH if the flank is open, and watch for COMSAT STATION (Orbital Command · Terran) and PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus · Protoss). Unburrow before Scoring on the markers you need.
• Round 3 — Commit. This is usually the charge turn. The opponent's big units are on the table; Kerrigan Grips one, Raptors hit the next. Hold back enough unexhausted cards in the Movement Phase to pay for PNEUMATIZED CARAPACE (Overseer) and METABOLIC BOOST (Zergling / Raptor / Swarmling) on the charges that matter this round (BM doesn't carry over, so plan within the round, not across rounds).
• Round 4 — Grind. Respawn Swarmlings, TRANSFUSION (Queen) the key unit, keep Supply on markers. DEEP TUNNEL (Ravager) and VENTRAL SACS (Overlord) set up the final round (they resolve after Scoring).
• Round 5 — Swarm. Unlimited Supply: everything left comes on. BURROW AMBUSH units land at 18". Zerglings contest everything.

#10. Missions & the Draft

Draft advice. Bring Supply Drop + Frontlines (or Gather the Resources). With Priority, take Deployment control and choose deployments with shorter no man's land. The rulebook explicitly notes tight deployments favour melee armies.

#11. Matchups

#vs Terran

• Their plan: shoot you off the board before contact, using Marines vs Light, Marauders and Tanks vs Armoured, Medics to erase damage, and CP tricks (TERRAN TENACITY (Terran Armed Forces faction card), ORDERS (Jim Raynor) double-moves).
• What hurts: 9 stimmed GRENADES – FRAG Marines kill ~13 Zerglings a volley. CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder · −2 on your charge) and COMSAT STATION (Orbital Command · deny your flank edge). SCANNER SWEEP (Orbital Command) strips HIDDEN.
• What wins: keep Zerglings out of LoS until the charge turn. Your Roaches laugh at C-14s (Armour 3+). Burrow through their stim turn, then charge. Target Medics and Raynor's escorts first; Raynor himself has no Light or Armoured tag, so your Surge won't trigger on him.
• Kerrigan Swarm Raptors (INSTANT) and PREDATION (Lair) shut off LIFE SUPPORT (Medic) and INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay) for the combat that matters.
• CORROSIVE BILE Sieged Tanks. They can't move, lose HEAVY PLATING (Siege Tank) and become Size 3.

#vs Protoss

• Their plan: few elite shielded models, Zealot IMPACT, Stalker BLINK, Immortal shots, Sentry Force Fields.
• FORCE FIELD (Sentry) tokens stop Zerglings, Raptors and Roaches with TUNNELING CLAWS cold (FAQ: RAPTOR STRAIN (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor) doesn't cross them). Charge from angles the Sentry can't wall, or kill Sentries first. They're Size 1 and Light, so Needle Spines and Talons shred them.
• Immortals: IMPROVED BARRIER caps damage at 1 while Shielded. Grind the Shield (6) off with massed Zergling dice, then hit with Hydras. Four Hydras into a Shielded Immortal average only ~5.5 damage.
• Zealots out-trade Zerglings in melee. Counter-charge them with Roaches (Armour 3+ vs Psi Blades) or shoot them with Hydras.
• Nerazim HIDDEN tricks: bring Overseer detection. The Omega Worm and NERAZIM FARSIGHT (Nerazim Watchers) both strip HIDDEN too.
• PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus · HITS 3) punishes Six Pool, VENTRAL SACS (Overlord) and flank deploys, but not units entering from the Omega Worm (it's your own Entry Edge, per the FAQ).

#vs Zerg (mirror)

• Detection wins burrow wars. Take Overseer.
• CREEP REMOVAL: your units ending moves within 1" of their Tumors wipe them.
• Hydras decide ranged exchanges; IMPACT stacking decides melee. Charge first.

#12. Countering Enemy Signature Plays

Every faction guide in this set lists its own signature combos. These are the answers from the Zerg side. Remember that Ready/Exhausted cards are public, so check their face-up cards to see a combo coming.

#vs Terran

• Double-Move Stim Push (~25" with leapfrog).

  • CRUSHING GRIP (Kerrigan · 12", Movement Phase) the squad before it activates. Better still, CRUSHING GRIP Raynor: he "counts as Activated", so no ORDERS (Jim Raynor) this phase.
  • A squad that overextends ends deep in your half, inside Zergling and Raptor charge range for the Assault Phase.
  • DEBILITATING SALIVA (Vile · −1 to Hit) on the squad when it shoots.

• TERRAN TENACITY (Terran Armed Forces faction card). You'll see it in Round 2 or 3. That round, RAPID BURROWING (Zerg Swarm faction card) / LIE IN WAIT (Hatchery) your exposed units, or keep them out of LoS. Once it's used, it's gone.

• Coordinated Tank Strike.

  • Charge the spotter or the tank. A Sieged tank's POINT BLANK (Siege Tank) means it can't shoot units it's Engaged with (though INDOMITABLE (Goliath / Siege Tank / Immortal) lets it shoot others).
  • It can't move, so CORROSIVE BILE (Ravager) is guaranteed hits, and it loses HEAVY PLATING (Siege Tank) while Sieged.
  • RAPTOR STRAIN (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor) gets you over the walls protecting it.

• The Medic Wall.

  • INSTANT shuts it off: Kerrigan Swarm Raptors' Claws, or PREDATION (Lair). No LIFE SUPPORT (Medic), no INFANTRY ARMOR (Engineering Bay).
  • Otherwise, LIFE SUPPORT is once per round per Medic squad, so bait it with a cheap attack first.
  • CORROSIVE BILE needs no LoS (14"), so it reaches Medics hiding behind the Marauders.

• FREEDOM FIGHTERS Anchor (Jim Raynor).

  • Out-supply it: DOMINEERING PRESENCE (Queen upgrade · +1), Kerrigan's COMMANDER, Hydralisks (Supply 3 in four bodies).
  • CORROSIVE BILE the cluster on the marker; one token catches every unit within 1" (2" with BLOATED BILE DUCTS (Ravager upgrade)).
  • Hydra Surge won't trigger on Raynor (no Light or Armoured tag), but the spines still do Damage 2.

• Dropship Save. STRAP IN! only works on Unengaged units. Tarpit their damaged squad with Zerglings and it can't leave.

• Orbital Command: COMSAT STATION or SCANNER SWEEP.

  • COMSAT STATION closes one whole side, so run the TIMING PUSH (Six Pool card) down another. On Typhoon and Meeting Engagement your target corner is reachable from two sides, so COMSAT STATION can't seal it. The Omega Worm is immune.
  • SCANNER SWEEP is a 6" bubble around a point: spread your burrowed units so one SCANNER SWEEP can't reveal them all. Detection removes HIDDEN, but Burrowed units keep their Evade vs every attack.

• CONCUSSIVE SHELLS (Marauder). It's a once-per-round Reaction per Marauder squad. Lead with a cheap charge to draw it, then send the real one. METABOLIC BOOST (Zergling / Raptor / Swarmling) / PNEUMATIZED CARAPACE (Overseer) make up the −2.

• COMBAT SHIELD (Marine upgrade). Marines that paid its 1 CP this round get Evade 5+ vs your IMPACT hits and your Claws, all round.

  • Check the Marine squad's upgrades on its card, and watch whether they spent the CP in the Movement Phase.
  • If the Shield is up, charge the Marauders, Medics or an unshielded squad instead.
  • Or push PRECISION and volume (ADRENAL GLANDS (Zergling / Raptor upgrade), FERAL RAGE (Spawning Pool cards)). You have no Anti-Evade like the Marines' SLUGTHROWER (Marine upgrade), so dice count is the answer.

#vs Protoss

• Khala Hammer.

  • Don't feed Zerglings to Zealots. Counter-charge with Roaches (Armour 3+ vs Psi Blades), or tarpit with Swarmlings (12 kills per VP).
  • Once Engaged, the Zealots are stuck with you, and their other units can't shoot into the combat.
  • Their CHARGE (Zealot / Praetor Guard) costs 1 PE per squad, so count their Ready cards.

• Shade Strike. Kill the Adepts (Light, Size 2: Hydras or Zerglings), and the Shade vanishes with them. Otherwise step out of the Shade's 4".

• BLINK-Heal-Hide.

  • OVERSIGHT MODE (Overseer) or the Omega Worm strips HIDDEN within 6".
  • Stalkers are Armoured and Size 3, so they can't hide behind Size 2 walls, and Hydras and Shredding Claws surge into them.
  • FURY OF THE NERAZIM (Stalker upgrade) makes Stalker shots INSTANT only against units that have already activated this phase, so keep your Reaction-dependent units unactivated until the Stalkers have fired.

• Artanis Swap / HIERARCH'S STAND.

  • CORROSIVE BILE isn't a Ranged Attack (Ravager), so it can't be redirected. It also ignores GUARDIAN SHIELD (Sentry) and HALLUCINATION (Sentry upgrade); both only affect Ranged Attacks.
  • HIERARCH'S STAND (Artanis) only works when Artanis is a valid target, and it's once per round. Bait it with Queen Talons first.
  • INSTANT weapons (KS Raptors) can't be answered by it.

• Immortal Shield Discipline.

  • Strip the Shield with Zergling volume in melee. Every Claw is Damage 1, so IMPROVED BARRIER (Immortal) does nothing.
  • INSTANT switches off three defences entirely: IMPROVED BARRIER, SHIELD OVERCHARGE (Immortal upgrade) and PLASMA SHIELDS (Robotics Facility). So KS Raptors or a PREDATION (Lair) charge hit it at full strength.
  • INDOMITABLE (Goliath / Siege Tank / Immortal) means a tarpit doesn't stop it shooting other units, so kill it, don't just tie it up.

• Zeratul Ambush.

  • Overseer or Omega Worm detection near your Hydras.
  • When he VOID BLINKs in, let him land on cheap units: SHADOW STRIKE (Zeratul) does HITS 4 to each unit Engaged with him, so keep the Hydras out of the scrum.
  • Your Surge won't trigger on him (no Light or Armoured tag), and he has Shield 3 + HP 5 at Armour 5+, and PROPHETIC VISION (Zeratul) gives Evade 4+. Volume kills him: Zergling Claws, Kerrigan's Blades (CRITICAL HIT 2 goes past his Armour).

• FORCE FIELD the Charge Lane.

  • Size 2-or-smaller can't cross it, and Coherency Links can't pass through it, so leapfrog can't hop it.
  • A Queen or Ravager (Size 3) removes it by moving over it; send one at the wall before the charge.
  • Otherwise charge from an angle the Sentry can't wall. Each FORCE FIELD (Sentry) is 1 PE, and SOLID-FIELD PROJECTORS (Sentry upgrade) gives at most two per round.
  • Kill the Sentries: Size 1, Light, Shield 2 + HP 4, Armour 5+.

• WARP CONDUIT / Pylon Forward Warp.

  • CORROSIVE BILE the Pylon (area effects hit Structures, per the FAQ).
  • Shredding Claws surge vs its Armored tag. Crowd its base with Zerglings.
  • Stand a fast unit on the Warp Prism's Faction Indicator to waste that deploy.

• PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus) hits off-edge arrivals (Six Pool, VENTRAL SACS (Overlord)) for HITS 3. Arrive via the Omega Worm instead, which is immune, or wait until the Overcharged Nexus has been exhausted for PE.

#Mirror: vs Zerg

• The +3 Raptor Wave.

  • Delete their creep: end your moves within 1" of their Tumors. No creep means no Malignant Creep +1, no Speed bonus, no WILD MUTATION (Kerrigan's Swarm faction card).
  • Put Roaches (Armour 3+) in front so the IMPACT dice bounce. CARAPACE (Evolution Chamber · TOUGH 1) on the target.
  • Charge them first; the charger gets the IMPACT.

• BURROW AMBUSH → RAPID BURROWING.

  • Your own detection (Overseer, Omega Worm).
  • Spread Swarmlings forward so their 10" no-landing radius covers the markers.

• CORROSIVE BILE the Anchor. Spread out, and don't leave a unit sitting still near their Ravagers at the end of the Assault Phase. Kill Ravagers with Hydras (Armoured Surge).

• CRUSHING GRIP and Go. Activate key units before their Kerrigan does, or CRUSHING GRIP their key unit first.

• Hydra LUNGE Trap. LUNGE brings their Hydras directly towards your shooter, so park Zerglings behind it to counter-charge them.

• Omega Shuffle. The Worm is Armoured, Size 3, HP 10. Shredding Claws and CORROSIVE BILE it. Crowd its base, and kill the Queen keeping it alive with TRANSFUSION.

• PREDATION Turn. When their Lair is Ready, your CARAPACE and BROOD INSTINCT (Zerg Swarm faction card) won't work against that unit's attacks.

#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 Zerg Staging & Forward-Deploy Playbook

Preferred deployments: Gauntlet and Meeting Engagement (short gaps), Acropolis (the side brawls suit melee), Typhoon (corner fights). Breach is a 42" walk unless you flank: top/bottom edges put Six Pool Zerglings 6" from every outer marker. On Proving Grounds, Red gets the free bottom edge straight at both Blue markers.

Staging principles

• Charges need no LoS. Stage melee units behind Size 2 walls, inside charge threat (Speed + 4" leapfrog on the Move, then Speed + D6/2D6 on the charge) but outside the enemy's shooting. Zerglings and Raptors (Size 1) hide behind statues and crates.
• Grass: your ground units destroy it by moving through it. Route around the patches you're using for cover, and trample the ones the enemy is using.
• Hydras sit back on High Ground (Temple Plateau) or behind walls with a lane. LURKING (Hydralisk upgrade · Stationary) means pick the spot in Round 1 and stay.
• Temple Plateau / Twin Temples: RAPTOR STRAIN (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor) climbs High Ground without Access Points. Raptors are the only Zerg unit that can charge a gunline perched on the ramp, so take them into those layouts.
• Creep lanes: chain Tumors 6" apart along your attack lane, using Hatchery/Lair CREEP SPREAD (within 6" of your Entry Edge or a Tumor, no LoS) and the Queen. Place them where enemies won't end a move within 1", like behind your own screen or in corners. On Crossroads, the quadrant walls protect a creep chain well.

Forward-deploy tools and where to use them

• BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade): PLACE (18) from your Entry Edge, >10" from enemies.

  • Gauntlet: it lands on the centre line (level with Marker 5).
  • Breach: it lands on the column of your two half markers (18" in).
  • Acropolis: from either corner it reaches the marker pair or Marker 5's surroundings.
  • Then RAPID BURROWING (Zerg Swarm faction card) to protect it.

• Omega Worm (Kerrigan's Swarm): placed at Ground Level >10" from enemies. It's an Entry Edge from next round (up to 2 Supply per round), and BURROW AMBUSH works from it (Zerg unit upgrade; FAQ): 18" + 4" from the Worm reaches almost anywhere.

  • Best spots are central but hidden. It's Size 3, so only the Lost Temple Ramp truly hides it; otherwise go deep, out of the enemy's firing positions.
  • Near Marker 5 for Supply Drop's Round-5 marker.
  • On a flank you plan to overload in Acropolis.
  • Within 4" of the Queen so TRANSFUSION can protect it.

• Spawning Pool (Six Pool) – TIMING PUSH: Zerglings from any non-Entry edge, >10" from enemies, with no first-deploy limit. Same landing spots as above. Do it the round their Orbital Command card is exhausted.

• Overlord – VENTRAL SACS: end-of-round deploy at a Faction Indicator set >10" from enemies. Put it where they can't stand on it by End of Round: behind your Zerglings, or across a wall. EXCRETE CREEP (Overlord · Assault Phase) seeds a Tumor at the landing site first.

• Ravager – DEEP TUNNEL: a 12" relocation at End of Round, positioning CORROSIVE BILE for next round's anchor.

#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).

#Zerg-Specific Edge Cases

• ON CREEP is checked at the start of a move (FAQ). A unit that starts within 6" of a Tumor keeps the Speed bonus for the whole move, even after leaving the creep.
• PLACE doesn't trigger CREEP REMOVAL (FAQ). Only Moves, Deploys, Runs, Charges and Disengages ending within 1" of a Tumor remove it, so enemy BLINKs and teleports next to your Tumors are safe.
• FORCE FIELD tokens stop Raptors and TUNNELING CLAWS Roaches (FAQ): RAPTOR STRAIN (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor) only covers Impassable Terrain, and Force Fields block Size 2-or-smaller units. Only a Size 3 Queen or Ravager clears one, by moving over it (PLACE doesn't, per the FAQ).
• Raptors' Coherency Links pass through terrain they can cross (FAQ). Squads can straddle a wall.
• The IMPACT stack is legal: Malignant Creep + EXTENDED CLAWS (Evolution Chamber) + ADRENAL OVERLOAD (Raptor / Kerrigan Swarm Raptor) = +3 (FAQ).
• Accelerating Creep and the Queen's CREEP SPEED stack with each other and with other speed bonuses. WILD MUTATION (Kerrigan's Swarm faction card) and GLIAL RECONSTITUTION (Roach-family upgrade) are both BUFF Speed, so they don't stack with each other (FAQ).
• Burrowed units can be walked through by other models (as long as they don't end within 1"), count as Supply 0 for Disengage, and get an Evade Roll vs every attack. They don't contest markers. Detection removes HIDDEN, but not Burrowed's Evade.
• The Omega Worm and BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade): the Worm counts as your Entry Edge, so BURROW AMBUSH can launch from it. It's immune to PHOTON OVERCHARGE (Overcharged Nexus) and creates no Zone of Influence (FAQ). It allows a combined 2 Supply of deploys per round.
• TRANSFUSION works on Structures (the text says so), so the Queen can keep the Omega Worm alive.
• CORROSIVE BILE tokens survive the Ravager's death. They also hit your own units within 1".
• CRUSHING GRIP on an Engaged enemy (Kerrigan) in the Movement Phase means it "counts as Activated", so it can't Disengage that round.
• SPAWN LARVA (Cocoon) can Respawn Roachlings and Swarmlings (Size 1, non-unique Biological), but Respawn never raises the Supply bracket.
• Morph VP: a Morph that drops the Roach squad's Supply scores for the opponent (FAQ). 3 → 2 Roaches stays at Supply 1, so it's safe.

#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.

Zerg pair ideas

The two sample lists in Section 6 (A: Tunnel Vision, B: Queen of Blades) form a rush/attrition pair.

#16. Tournament-Day Checklist

Before the event

• Rosters are open and due a week before. Count how many Marine and Hydralisk squads are in the field.
• Build your list pair (Section 15) and a 2 × 2 matchup plan for each likely opponent.
• Specialists must be WYSIWYG (Zerg has none now). Declare every upgrade on deployment.

At the table

• Agree terrain Sizes, Grass (it's destroyed when a ground unit moves through or ends on it), Access Points and passable gaps before the draft. Raptors and Size-1 units care about every Size-1 piece.
• Track your Tumors. They're tokens with STAY IN PLAY (from your Creep Card); note which ones enemies removed.

Every round

• List your Burrowed units before Scoring. Burrowed = not contesting.
• Know your BM: burrow (2 BM each) is expensive, so use cards.
• Measure charge threats: Speed + D6, best-of-2D6 with METABOLIC BOOST/PNEUMATIZED CARAPACE, +1 ON CREEP (Accelerating), +2 with LEAP.
• SQUADRON (Zerglings, Raptors, Swarmlings, Hydralisks, Ravagers) is 4" horizontal coherency. Spread vs Blast and Flamer Templates, and use it to leapfrog: every Move, Run or Deploy, set the squad up to 4" ahead of the leader and lead the next action from the front model.

Clock & scoring

• 2h30m rounds including the draft. You have the most models; play fast. Rules questions run on the asker's clock.
• Result bands (Standard): 10+ VP = Annihilation (5 TP), 7-9 = Decisive (4), 3-6 = Breakthrough (3), 0-2 = Stalemate. Most missions end immediately at a 10+ lead (12+ on Supply Drop).

#17. Common Zerg Mistakes

• Burrowing everything, then losing the Scoring Phase because no one is contesting.
• Paying 2 BM per Burrow when RAPID BURROWING (Zerg Swarm faction card), LIE IN WAIT (Hatchery) and BURROW AMBUSH (Zerg unit upgrade) are free.
• Running Zerglings across an open fire lane in Round 1 or 2.
• Forgetting the IMPACT modifiers need the charge to be successful. A failed charge wastes the whole activation.
• Taking the Queen's Acid Spines seriously (Flying only).
• Letting the enemy walk within 1" of your key Tumor and kill your creep chain.
• Burrowing a unit that then gets hit by SCANNER SWEEP (Orbital Command). Detection works at 6" around a point that needs no LoS.
• Leaving units in Reserves (including units pulled back into the Omega Worm) at the end of Round 5.

The Swarm hungers.