StarCraft II – Terran Strategy: TvZ Reaper Expand [Guide]

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• Overview
• Build Order
• Strategy

In Wings of Liberty, the Terran versus Zerg matchup was quite frustrating due to the Infestor’s overly effective Fungal Growth and the DPS of Infested Terrans. But when it was nerfed in Heart of the Swarm, the metagame has become fun again and Terran has started to regain ground in this matchup with both harassment and straight-up play. The balance between both can be achieved through this strategy — Reaper Expand.

Overview

The ability to hamper Zerg economy early in the game is something that gets worked on in the highest level of competition, and regular players can take part of the high jinks as well. The Reaper has become the ultimate early-game harassment unit that can go in and out of the enemy base and scout while killing workers. Combat Drugs has also done wonders to heal sustained damage, and the lack of need for a Tech Lab means that they have become viable for this strategy, which has seen more use after Wings of Liberty.

Build Order

10 Supply Depot
12 Barracks (skip 1 SCV)
12 Refinery (resume SCV production)
15 Orbital Command
15 Reaper (constant Reaper production)
17 Supply Depot
17 Try Bunker pressure with scouting SCV at opponent’s natural

@400 Mins, build 2nd Command Center
@150 Gas, build Reactor on Barracks, and Factory
@400 Mins, build 3rd Command Center in-base
@100% Factory, swap Factory onto Reactor (constant Hellion production), start Techlab on Barracks, and get 2nd Refinery
@100% Techlab, research Stim

Strategy

This build can also incorporates Hellions to take out even more drones and zerglings, which is good if you’re not up against a 6-pool. If you are, then you’ll have to wall up and make marines, especially since that cheese is not that effective against a walled-off Terran.

You can send your SCV to scout early, then push out with your first 2 Hellions at around 7-minute mark if your opponent has slow lings, or with 6 Hellions against speed lings at around the 8-minute mark. You can then go forth wtih 3 Reapers to kill drones. While you harass the mineral line in the natural, you kill drones in the main. This double pronged harass will frustrate the Zerg opponent early in the game and force him to make mistakes and produce certain units that you can counter later on.

You can then transition into Marine/Tank or Bio/Widow Mine quite well with this build since you have the Barracks and Factory set up. All you need to do is to get Stim, and you’ll be right as rain.

Get your Barracks as quickly as possible and then two Engineering Bays in order to start with your mid-game army. Continue to apply pressure with your Hellions and Reapers while you produce either Siege Tanks or Widow Mines. You can then take your third base when it’s safe enough to do so.

You may also transition to Hellbat/Marauder. Hellbat drops are quite strong against Zerg, especially when you get quick +1/+1, as well as straight-up pushes accompanied with Marauders.

This is a strong build due to its aggressiveness, but take note that it’s weak against things like early roach and speedling pressure since you’re committing to Reapers so much in the early game. Always scout whether the opponent is also intending to be aggressive. When you see them coming, get behind your wall-off and start mustering enough defenses to fend them off before you go for a counterattack.