Countering High Templar plays in Starcraft II involves using units that can quickly engage them before they can cast their powerful spells. Spread out your units to minimize the impact of Psionic Storms and focus on mobility to outmaneuver the High Templar's slow movement speed.
Scouting and Awareness
One of the fundamental ways to counter High Templar plays in Starcraft II is through scouting and maintaining awareness of your opponent's tech choice. It is crucial to be diligent in scouting your opponent's base to identify whether they are investing in High Templars. Keep an eye on their gas-mining pattern and tech structures to anticipate when they might have High Templars in their composition. Utilize units like observers, overseers, or scans to gather information about your opponent's tech choices without directly engaging their army.
Engagement Tactics
When facing an army composition with High Templars, it is essential to adjust your engagement tactics accordingly. High Templars are extremely powerful due to their Psionic Storm ability, which can deal devastating area-of-effect damage to grouped units. To counter this, it is vital to spread out your units during engagements to minimize the impact of Psionic Storm. By spreading your units, you reduce the effectiveness of the High Templars' AoE damage, making it more challenging for them to wipe out your army efficiently.
Targeted Elimination
An effective strategy to counter High Templar plays is through targeted elimination of the High Templars themselves. Since High Templars are relatively fragile units, they can be easily picked off if exposed. Utilize units with long-range or air superiority to snipe High Templars from a safe distance. Air units like Vikings (for Terran) or Void Rays (for Protoss) can effectively target High Templars without getting caught in the Psionic Storm crossfire. Alternatively, employing spells like Snipe (for Terran Ghosts) or Feedback (for Protoss Templar) can quickly neutralize High Templars before they have a chance to cast Psionic Storm.
Splitting and Flanking
Splitting your army and executing flanking maneuvers are crucial tactics when facing High Templar plays in Starcraft II. By dividing your forces into separate control groups and attacking from multiple angles, you force the High Templar player to split their attention and Psionic Storm casts. This split focus can lead to inefficient Psionic Storm usage, as the High Templar player may struggle to cover all angles effectively. Additionally, flanking maneuvers can catch High Templars off guard, making it harder for them to retreat or reposition to maximize their AoE damage potential.
Counter-Unit Composition
Building a counter-unit composition is another effective way to deal with High Templar plays in Starcraft II. Units like Ghosts (for Terran), Vipers (for Zerg), or Phoenixes (for Protoss) can provide valuable tools to counter High Templars. Ghosts can utilize EMP Rounds to drain the High Templars' shields and energy, rendering them unable to cast Psionic Storm. Vipers can use abilities like Abduct to pull High Templars into your army for easy elimination. Phoenixes excel at sniping High Templars due to their speed and range advantage. By incorporating these counter units into your composition, you can effectively neutralize the threat posed by High Templar plays.
Economic Pressure and Timing Attacks
Creating economic pressure and executing well-timed attacks can also disrupt High Templar plays in Starcraft II. By harassing your opponent's economy with drops, runbys, or proxy attacks, you force them to divert resources away from High Templar production. This economic pressure can delay High Templar tech or limit the number of High Templars in their composition, weakening their overall effectiveness. Additionally, well-timed attacks that hit before the High Templar player reaches critical mass can catch them off guard and prevent them from amassing a formidable High Templar army. By combining economic pressure with strategic timing attacks, you can hinder the High Templar player's progress and gain a significant advantage on the battlefield.