Starcraft 2 Mass Reapers

Note: This build is no longer very effective due to the patches.

First off, Roaches now counter Reapers outright due to now having 4-range.

Additionally, Reapers cannot get the speed upgrade until getting a Factory, which slows this build down significantly.

A valid alternative is the Marine + Bunker push. Whenever a Zerg player is opting for a fast expansion, you can grab a few quick Marines (out of a 12 barracks) and build a bunker quickly outside the Zerg player's base.

Usually, you can drop your Bunker down right as the first Hatchery if finishing up. It does not always work in Diamond League, but it works very well in lower-ranked leagues.

If you get inside the bunker, then the game is most likely over, or at the very lease you will have a very large advantage over the enemy player by the time they are able to take out your Bunker. Marines inside Bunkers destroy Zerglings, Drones, Queens and buildings.

You can also open with a 2-rax to make this build quite effective as well, getting an 11 and 13 Barracks or a 12 and 15 Barracks. On a Hatchery before Spawning Pool, go 11 and 13; on a Spawning Pool first, go 12 and 15. The 12 and 15 Barracks lets you grab your own expansion; the 11 and 13 Barracks allows you to put out pressure on a greedy Zer player.

Naturally, this works best on small maps where the travel distance between the bases is short.

Old Article:

One of the hottest strategies right now for Terran players to use in the Starcraft 2 Mass Reapers build. This is also known as the "5 Rax Reaper" and occasionally referred to as the "MorroW" build, after the high-level player who helped popularize it.

This is not very common in the lower leagues at the moment, but it is very popular in Diamond and Platinum level play. I find this somewhat unusual as its practically a guaranteed win in the lower levels (once you get a few games to practice the unit control) and higher level players have an easier time countering it.

At any rate, here is a basic overview of the strategy:

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- Terran player builds 5 or more Barracks in order to pump out massive Reapers (5 Barracks on 1 base, more after expansions).

- The Terran player is very aggressive throughout the entire game and never stops pressuring the Zerg player with Reapers.

- Reapers are great versus Zerglings and also outrange and out-run Roaches and Queens. Basically, there is no easy way for Zerg players to stop this tactic.

- Terran player applies constant Reaper pressure and continues to pump out tons of Reapers.

- The Terran player never sends his Reapers in for the enemy's mineral line. He attacks directly and goes for offensive units and buildings first. It is not worth the risk of losing units in order to pick off a few Drones.

- The overall goal is to either mass enough Reapers to either kill the Zerg player outright or force him to make Roaches. Either way the Terran player is trying to delay a Lair and keep the Zerg player contained within his base.

This leaves the Terran player able to expand the map and move into Marauders and Marines. Marauders roll the floor with Roaches, so all those Barracks with Tech Labs make the perfect transition for an easy win.

Here is a typical build order:

- 10/11 - Supply Depot

- 12/19 - Barracks

- 13/19 - Refinery

- 15/19 - Tech Lab

- 16/19 - Orbital Command / Reaper

..and then from there, keep pumping out Reapers, finish off your SCVs at your main base, and building more Barracks as you have the minerals.

As a reminder, this is specifically for use against Zerg players. It is much easier to use a faster and shorter-lived Reaper rush versus Protoss players then progress into a typical MMM + Tank or Air build (depending on enemy's army make-up).

I keep repeating the same thing - that the Starcraft 2 Mass Reapers strategy is not at all like the Starcraft 2 Reaper Rush. You are not trying to sneak a few kills on Drones and then lose all your Reapers. You are literally using Reapers to whittle down the enemy's offensive units and ultimately win the game.

It requires a bit of practice to stay out of range of Queens and Zerglings, but the effort is well worth it. Many Zerg players are getting quite good at countering the typical mech build and this Reaper build will give you a new, effective strategy go use against Terran players.

The thing I really like about the Starcraft 2 Mass Reapers strategy is that is all about offense. It forces the Zerg player inside their own base and keeps them contained to just their natural. This gives you the opportunity to expand the map without fear of Zergling and Roach pushes.

You can also use your Reaper ball to pick off Spires and Baneling Nests in order to set the Zerg player back quite a bit. Remember that Reapers do 30 damage a swing to buildings; 12 Reapers will take out a building in 2-3 hits! You can easily come in, snipe a building, and run out with minimal damage. That tactic alone significantly slows down the Zerg player.

Reapers also make great expansion patrols. You can roll into a Zerg players' 3rd expansion, take out the Queen in 2-3 seconds, all the Drones in 4 more, kill the Hatchery and run off in literally 10-15 seconds total.

Conclusion

The Starcraft 2 Mass Reapers strategy is one of the most powerful Terran vs Zerg strategies out there at the moment. I recommend everyone give it a try. It is so effective, it will feel like cheating!

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