Have you ever entered a battle with at least 30% more units over the enemy and lost? I am sure many people have and it begs the question: Was it the right time to engage? Chances are after looking at the replay the answer is 'No'. So this topic is to help you look for the signs of a good time to fight your enemy. It can help turn the tide of a losing game or seal the deal when you need that perfect engagement for the win.

Where is best on the map to have a fight?

Such a simple question, but is difficult to answer. The first thing worth asking yourself is what type of army do you have for the fight? If you have a mobile army then things like having the ability to manoeuvre terrain quickly or being able to by-pass (i.e fly over/blink) obstacles completely then you have more options available to you as to where on the map you can fight.

However there is the opposite of this where you may have units that have specific purposes that means they are only effective in certain situations, for example Zealots are great in melee and places where they can get up close and personal with the enemy so the last thing you want to do is engage when the enemy has range on you and maybe majority air army. If this is the case then walk away and get it to your advantage.

Seeking the advantage

For all the races there are distinct ways that you can play so you have the advantage. And knowing these will help you win battles. A good example and a very popular example is the use of Terran's medivacs to drop into an enemy base, catching them off guard and destroying mineral and gas income as well as loss of technology buildings. So obviously this is a natural advantage for Terran players, however it is always good of other races to think forward of the possibility of this happening. This could be you seeking the advantage and your way of saying "I know you can drop me, therefore I am going to be waiting for you!"

Another way to seek the advantage of simple fights is making good use of your scout. If you can read what build the enemy is going for then you can naturally pick the counter to that build. Alternatively you could see that you have a greater army and the simple answer is to take the fight to them.



A few tips and tricks

So knowing when to engage is half the story. The other half knows the little things you can do during a fight that can help as well.



- Observers - These cloaked units can help Protoss armies see up ramps and cliffs allowing units to attack or a neat trick is the allowance of Stalkers to blink up into bases catching the enemy off guard and then blinking away to avoid loss of units

- Scanner Sweep - This can have a similar use of a Protoss' Observer in the sense of seeing the high ground. The best use of this is for Siege Tanks. Allowing Siege Tanks to have that extra range can be vital in taking out units to even out the numbers. But also it allows the ability to see cloaked units like Dark Templars or burrowed units. The only disadvantage of the scans is they cost energy and only last for 12 seconds.

- Burrow - Zerg's don't often burrow, but it is a great thing to have when the circumstances are right. Burrowing half your army and waiting for the enemy to engage the other half of your army then un-burrowing behind the enemy so you get a nice surround.



It is knowing these things that will help you gain a distinct advantage if the enemy is caught off guard. Also it's worth noting that this is a way to be the aggressor in an engagement as opposed to receiving the aggression. What can be said to this though is you need to also read when you are in a position to attack.

Taking Stalkers into the back of a base to kill off some workers could prove costly on your behalf if you are attacked at a similar time on a different front. That said it is possible to be successful on two front in battle as this can stretch their forces allowing you to break through.

So with these ideas in mind, try some out next time you are in battle and see if it gives your that winning edge we all wish for!

Hope you enjoyed reading and remember have fun!