How does the Roach work?

[RamiZ]

Here is where i disagree. Damage sponges aren't that dangerous by themselves, but attacking the weaker units is a click nightmare, that's why this kind of units work. If you give Roaches a high attack, people would just build Roaches, unless they cost a ton of money, but then they would be an Ultralisk.

If you have a few Roaches and a lot of Zerglings, attacking the Zerglings first is a nightmare. The unit would work as expected for a sponge.

No, it wouldn't really be a nightmare to a player with half brain. When Roaches first attack and than Zerglings, you will obviously be attacking Roaches, but you just need to move back a little, and you will be attacking the Zerglings, since they are the closest targets that attacks you, and while moving back Roaches would stop attacking for a few sec just what Zerglings need to take agro on them. The same way in SC1 are Terran Players killing Zerglings in Ling/Lurker combo, by moving back. Now you will say Lurkers are immobile, that is true, but when they unburrow they are a lot faster then a Roaches. Blizzard is still balancig the Roaches, I hope they came up with something good.

[Norfindel]

No, it wouldn't really be a nightmare to a player with half brain. When Roaches first attack and than Zerglings, you will obviously be attacking Roaches, but you just need to move back a little, and you will be attacking the Zerglings, since they are the closest targets that attacks you, and while moving back Roaches would stop attacking for a few sec just what Zerglings need to take agro on them. The same way in SC1 are Terran Players killing Zerglings in Ling/Lurker combo, by moving back. Now you will say Lurkers are immobile, that is true, but when they unburrow they are a lot faster then a Roaches. Blizzard is still balancig the Roaches, I hope they came up with something good.

It doesn't matters at that point, you already have a swarm of Zerglings that received no damage, are next to you, and probably even had some free time to attack. The Zerg player can also Burrow/Unburrow his Zerglings, and you will be attacking Roaches again. Every time a Zergling dies, a Roach could be auto-targeted, as it's attacking the unit "continuously".

Also, notice that the tactic you mention can be used in Ultra+Ling, and that obviously no player can stop Ultra+Ling so easily, or nobody would use that combination anymore.

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[Raisk]

Every time a Zergling dies, a Roach could be auto-targeted, as it's attacking the unit "continuously".
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This made me think. What if the Roach's attack was indeed continuous. Sort of like the Disruptors attack looks, but if it also worked like this. So give it a really fast attack rate and low damage, since enemy units will always target the unit that last damaged them they would auto-target roaches if not microed.

So let's say the Roach attacks at the rate of a crackling but with a damage of just say 1+1vs light. I know this is low, but I'm just using it as an example, obviously actual numbers would be determined by what was appropriate.

EDIT: Just realized armor would make them completely useless. So how about giving them an armor penetrating attack that ignored say 1 point of armor. But the gist of my idea remains the same, ie. a really fast attack that is continuously hitting opponents for low damage, but with an equal DPS to its current attack strength.

[Nicol Bolas]

Or you can just make Roaches dangerous enough that people will want to kill them quickly.

[Raisk]

Or you can just make Roaches dangerous enough that people will want to kill them quickly.

Yeah the more I think about it, the more my idea sucks. But I'm just throwing random ideas around.

[RamiZ]

Also, notice that the tactic you mention can be used in Ultra+Ling, and that obviously no player can stop Ultra+Ling so easily, or nobody would use that combination anymore.

Because, if you are watching carefully, all players Focus Ultras first with his 40+ Marines.

[DemolitionSquid]

We've been over this. Roaches are not Ultras. Ultras get targeted in Ultra/ling because they:
- are big and thus easier to see and target than lings
- can get mixed in with the lings better because they're melee
- actually pose a damage-dealing threat to everything

Roaches fail on all these accounts.

[n00bonicPlague]

Wild idea:

Roaches can use their own HP to heal other zerg units in their immediate vicinity.

Suddenly your 20 hydras become 30 because you just added a few roaches.

M&M, make way for H&R.

[MattII]

without roach zerg cant effectly expand early because any such expansion would be decimated by zealots/distrupitors or hellion/reaper or zerglings and zerg player would be econimically/productively behind for early game probably loose before mid

Roaches have 3 range, at best 14 damage, and are fairly slow, the Zerg aren't going to do real well with or without them. The only place Roaches can be of any value currently are while attacking, and given their cost and actually attach, they're probably still going to end up getting targeted last.