Patch 1.3.3 PTR Notes - Updated 04/25

[protoswarrior]

Now time to hallucinate archons to screw with the terran's concussive!

GENIUS!

Also, this patch is BY FAR the best one yet.

[Genopath]

This patch pretty much destroys the 3RR +24 ling push against Protoss.

[flak4321]

Archons massive....YES!!!! Maybe chargelots with archons in PvP. LOLZ.

Such big changes to protoss.....
-Pylon power radius decrease: Probably have to change the way we wall off. Might not be able to do the standard walloff vs zerg anymore/might make the pylon flush against the core and gate. Have to test it out...but unfortunately it's on on US PTR as usual. Actually the way the pylon radius has been from low ground is that you could just fit in enough space to warp in zeals that only stalkers and marauders could barely hit the pylon. Basically this will make those pylons at the bottom of ramp within range of marines/sentries/immortals.
EDIT: Wait a minute....FFE is the pylon in range of roaches up against the forge with this change??

-Warpgate research time and gateway unit build time change: With the normal builds now of protoss the change matches up with like the second normal warp-in now. As is the normal second warp-in now would be around the time of first warp-in with this change. Kinda surprised but it does work out that way with the times. Basically at the time of the first warp-in with these new times we should have an influx of units. Gateway units just finished from all gates then all get warped in.

But here's the interesting thing....our units which warp in if the small marine/marauder poke kills our zeal and 1-2 ranged units...reinforcements come out like 28-32 secs later......hello roach/marine&marauder pressure.

This change kills 3 gate aggression though with a normal build. The first warp-in was essential for that. Does seem like if protoss wants more options for early game pressure it would be opening 2 gate. Saving more chronos for wg research should make up for later core.

I don't feel this kills 3 gate at all. The decrease to build time should allow for some quicker units while the research gets done. It just alters the timing some. Furthermore, a quick gas and core with 2 gates first followed by the third gate as the research starts should keep the timing similar. If anything, this helps my 4 gate in all MUs rather than nerfs because my gas is normally late (i go for early zealot pressure). I agree warpgate plays will be mildly delayed, but just build an extra gate or 2 after core and pop a couple extra units.

[hyde]

Wow, I might actually be able to do an Early Ghost Push now with that resource cost "buff". All they need now is a tier3 upgrade for snipe to deal more damage and/or affect all units.

Seriously, not being able to snipe Probes is a joke.

[Wankey]

These are great changes but fucking all it'll do for 2v2 and 3v3 is mass zealot rushes.. WHICH MEANS, MASS BANELING COUNTER MUHAHAHAHAHAHA

[JackhammerIV]

I don't feel this kills 3 gate at all. The decrease to build time should allow for some quicker units while the research gets done. It just alters the timing some. Furthermore, a quick gas and core with 2 gates first followed by the third gate as the research starts should keep the timing similar. If anything, this helps my 4 gate in all MUs rather than nerfs because my gas is normally late (i go for early zealot pressure). I agree warpgate plays will be mildly delayed, but just build an extra gate or 2 after core and pop a couple extra units.

It does flak. Cos the influx of units comes 30+ secs later. If the push you do is at about 7mins+ maybe 8mins then it's fine.

Now think 3 gate sentry expo vs zerg. You have 1 zeal and 2 sentries out at 6mins and plant the nexus. Can immediately warp in 3 more sentries. Now those 3 sentries come in 30secs later. That 3gate expo build even builds gates pretty much as soon as they can be afforded. Maybe you can cut it down to getting the 3 sentries 20secs later (with improved build etc) than normal but it's still later. Problem being protoss resource distribution can't really afford gates sooner going gate->core->gas+gates unless you stop probe production for a while. Opens up a timing for lings to deny nexus. Would completely negate 3gate expo as it is now. Protoss would be forced to expo later.

And any poking using the first warpin against terran is negated since it basically is weaker due to warpgate research time increased. It changes every build. The time when we are "vulnerable" and when we can apply pressure with gateway units. It changes every matchup involving protoss up to when the new change sort of meets with the old change. Timings get pushed back making early game versus toss more comfortable for the other races. It's not like we had a particularly scary early game beyond 4gate.

[IchibanBaka]

Now that I think about it, the warp gate research nerf indirectly nerfs the hallucination research timing (unless you go hallucination first T_T)

[JackhammerIV]

Now that I think about it, the warp gate research nerf indirectly nerfs the hallucination research time (unless you go hallucination first T_T)

Going hallu first further pushes back your warpins. The normal builds we do now where we convert gates to warpgates as they finish. There's a 5sec time to convert units into warpgates. So 5 sec less build time in this PTR change will put out units at the end of the production cycle instead of the beginning. But every following warp-in missed by delaying warpgate puts our production 5 secs behind.

With the build time increase and if we put more chronos on wg research then it'll finish basically after the first full production cycle pumping units out of gateways. With the conversion time to warpgates it means all protoss production off gateways will be 5 secs late. Not that horrible. But starting hallucination will be around 30secs later. Especially important for 3gate sentry expands. More time in the dark basically.

No one really cares much about that though. Basically everyone is focusing on 4gate wars in PvP. Wanting PvP to reach the midgame where it is blink vs phoenix vs colossi wars. LOL. PvP will always be micro intensive and played on a hair trigger even in the midgame. It will always be a bit of rock-paper-scissors. PvP will never reach the lategame at high levels of play. Just expanding puts you behind enough that you can be killed by the opponent.

Even with no 4gate, people will start complaining in PvP that the moment someone expands the other person 1bases it and most of the time wins. With the change sure it won't be 4gate but in the end it'll be really micro intensive just with higher tech units. TvT is the strategic mirror matchup (getting nice siege lines and slowly trying to edge out an advantage). ZvZ is the sort of showdown mirror matchup (seeing who pools first and who's greedy enough to make 5 drones instead of 4). PvP is the micro and perfection matchup (one small slipup like an early supply block or moment of mismicro and you can lose).

This whole wg research time change just changes what you have to micro in PvP.

[Jabber Wookie]

Can someone please explain to me how exactly the archon change affects the unit? I know that it can now destroy force fields, cannot be slowed by concussive shells (?), takes more damage from void rays and other units that deal additional dmg to massive units... but how does the archon now deal more damage as I thought someone mentioned?

[almostfamous]

The Archon does more damage to biological units anyway (41 or so), but now without the slowing affect of marauders, they are going to be able to get into a bio-ball much faster and destroy the marines, which are what actually do the damage to most units. The breaking of force fields is just a plus.