Zhon's
Survival
by
Orion
Effective
early raiding to kill enemy builders
Many people scoff at the lowly goblin. However, given Zhon's weakness
at early expansion, the only way I've been able to beat the best
players is to utilize goblins to kill as many enemy builders as
possible in the early game. The best game plan is to not attempt
an expansion as fast as your enemy, but rather to slow the enemy
down to your level and occupy their units that they would otherwise
be used to kill your handlers.
Defense
of your early handlers
I've seen it happen many times, the Zhon player reaches 10-15 units
quickly, sends them off and has his handlers killed by a horseman
or a quick zombie drop. Against a good player, you shouldn't be
looking to end the game early as Zhon, you should be looking to
survive. Controlling choke points with units is essential as Zhon.
A good player can easily distract that wall of Trolls surrounding
your handler with a quick in and out attack, causing them to create
holes for other units to exploit. Putting some impassable terrain
behind your handler should be a priority, be it the edge of the
map or a natural wall.
The
use of Thirsha on the battlefield
I'll be the first to admit that attacking an enemy base with Thirsha
is a "cheese maneuver." However, because of Zhon's mana and multiple
level 1 factory expansion weaknesses, you should be prepared to
be outnumbered in the level 1 category in the first 10 minutes of
the game. Having Thirsha right behind your first battle group is
often essential in the long run. Moving Thirsha forward to trash
the enemy troops with a wind wave often allows you to make a temporary
push into an enemy base. Do as much damage as you can to keep your
opponent's expansion in check. Against newbies, this tactic is often
fatal in your first strike. They may scream "cheapness", but against
a good player, it's often the only way to insure your eventual victory.
Force
your enemy to become defensive
If goblin raiders are hitting
your enemy at regular intervals from all sides and Thirsha escorted
battle groups, they often have to become defensive to prevent Thrisha
from continuing to tip the numbers advantage in skirmishes with
her wind wave. Excessive wall and defensive structure investments
and units that are tied up to protect home are exactly what you
want your enemy to be building. In the next article we'll take a
look at all the Zhon units and what application of tactics they
best serve.
