If you're playing against a Terran computer player on a map with small chokepoints, there is a strategy that will allow you to prevent the computer from rushing or expanding landwise (for a time). In a small chokepoint that is the entrance to their base(s), make a bunch of Dark Templars, send them over to the chokepoint, straighten them out to form a line blocking the entire chokepoint, and then tell them to hold.

A variant to this strategy is that if you have an Arbiter, make a bunch of Zealots or even Probes, use them to block the chokepoint, and put the Arbiter behind the line far enough away so that it doesn't get shot but cloaks the line of units and then tell it to hold. When the AI rushes you, they will be blocked and should run around (Much like the Supply Depot trick), except that if they touch that invisible line, they will take damage. The only problem with that is that the AI might use a Comsat Station when damaged by the cloaked units.

Personally, I think that the Probe line + Arbiter is the best way to block the AI because Probes don't automatically attack units. Therefore, the AI will never use a Comsat Station on your Probes. The Probe line is also quicker and cheaper.

The reason you shouldn't do this against a Protoss AI or a Zerg AI is that by the time you get Dark Templars or Arbiters, they will probably have Observers out. And the Zerg AI always makes all of it's Overlords wander around the map, so your cloaked units will be quickly discovered and destroyed.

I know this isn't related to the topic, but as I was writing this, is it possible to make early dragoons against an AI and have a Probe line in front of them without the AI attacking the Probes? I think I'll go try this.

If you have questions regarding this topic or a related topic, email me at: lajoiemh@netscape.net

I would like to thank CreepColony for making this wonderful website. I'm already telling all my StarCraft playing friends to bookmark this site.

CreepColony's Opinion: The Dark Templar wall can also work against humans, if they don't bring detectors with their attack.