Battlecruiser - not just ship for newbies (by Pyrochemik)

Battlecruiser is the first ship newbie players have unlocked. This is why many people assume, it is an easy to play, but weak ship. Most advanced players in public games assume so, because they always meet only beginners using this ship. However, this is the ship deciding tournaments.

## **So HOW do you play it?**

And this is what I may not tell you. Because this ship is so versatile, one build just does not cut it. The correct build is to look what enemy does, evaluate which enemy ships are a threat to your team, and select a build to counter them. What I can tell you are starting builds:

1. **2x engines, 2x sensors + 1 missile** - A traditional build designed to poke enemy ships, the big downside is that it is outranged by frigate.
2. **1x engines, 2x sensors, +1 missile, +1 additional missile silo** - you are much slower, but your damage is 16% higher
3. **Miniyamato ability, 1x engines** - you are also slow, but most damage. Scanner and rocket builds become more expensive to use later. Right now this is the best build. Remaining 25 minerals can be spend to shields, rocket or armor as you wish.

## List of skills, and how to use them

### Scanner Sweep

This is a powerful ability, which **reveals invisible** **objects** near battlecruiser, and this skill also **shows position** of all enemy main ships **on map** (with exception of frigate using *jamming systems*). Downside of this skill is, that it requires energy to be used. It has also quite high cooldown, that however decreases slightly with sensors upgrades.

Players in public games do not understand how powerful is the skill for teamplay, but in tournaments and in-house games, this is usualy **first thing you buy**, in order to avod warp trick. It can also be used offensively when conducting warptrick yourself, to quickly locate enemy.

As one would expect, scan is a counter to *Void Ray*, and it also counters *frigate*´s *magnetic mines*. It is quite useles against cloaked *wraiths*.

### Defensive Shield + upgrades

As the name suggests, this is a skill meant for defense. It is very strong in the beginning, but it also scales with shield upgrades. This skill not only absorbs damage (starts at 2000), it will also allow your shields and hull to regenerate when in combat, while the shield is in effect. For north american players, please note that terran ships do not regenerate in combat, since shield upgrades do not decrease the delay of regeneration after taking damage. So this skills is crucial for your survival. It also further scales throughout the game:

1. Per shield upgrade +50 HP to skill shield size, and shield regeneration goes up
2. Per defensive shield skill upgrade: +500HP shield size, +25 regeneration rate, life regen +5

Cooldown and duration of this skill is 20 seconds.

Having this shield means you can enter any part of battlefield, as long as you are not main target of enemy focus. This helps with your role of dealing damage, locking enemy support, killing interceptors, or just fighting with your missiles. Any build can find use for this skill. It also keeps beginners alive way longer than when they play normaly.

### Yamato cannon + upgrades

While this skill starts with 30 second cooldown and 3 second cast time, dealing just 1750 damage, it may seem inferior to Ion cannon. However, this is an upgradeable skill, each upgrade decreases cooldown by 10 seconds, and skill cast time decreases to 2 seconds. Suddenly, you can shoot 1750 shot (+250 bonus vs. mechanical units) every second. This is more devastating than a nuke, nuke can be escaped. And you can do it however many times your energy allows it. Please note, that enemy support, even if he has the cooldown ready, may only deny 200 energy points by EMP, and 300 in case of Feedback. Charging in with 800 points energy means you can still shoot 4 times despite getting denied.

There are few counters - Raven´s defensive matrix, absorbing the damage. So go after targets which are too far for him to reach. Second counter is enemy lockdown, but you can counter that with lockdown of your own. Arbiter may put ally into stasis, to avoid further shots, overlord may throw you away with *shockwave* and carrier may use *vortex* to stop you.

Furthermore, *Miniyamato cannon* skill decreases it´s cooldown by 1 second for each *Yamato cannon* upgrade, droping from 12s to 9s cooldown.

### Miniyamato cannon

This weapon gives Battlecruiser an unprecedented power. It melts shields, it melts even dreadnought in first minutes. This skill deals 1200 damage every twelve seconds, and fireing costs nothing, just like autoattack. You only need to face y´toward enemy, and enter range of 9 (same as your rockets with 2 sensors upgrades. If you have mastered moonwalking, this poses no problem. Currently, it is the most popular opening for battlecruiser.

### Missile pods

This skill exists for more reason, than just farming, as you can see some players do. What does it do? It shoots a volley of rockets in target area, dealing 125 (+475 vs massive) to all targets in there. Downside of this skill is, how slow the rockets fly. That makes it harder to hit moving targets the further they are, you need to predict and practice. This skill however is one of the few area skills, which scale in damage. Each missile silo adds +6 dmg to light targets.

This skill finds it´s use to **counter *carrier***, and **invisible *wraiths***. The area damage is nice for clearing mines or hitting invisible voidray, it can also be used on groups of enemies. It´s effect is quite big, so it works as a good bluff, but dealing 600 dmg to 3 targets is also quite good use. Most important is however to **counter *scourge***, which is a *guardian*´s skill. This skill sends a fast flying group of suicide units, each dealing 250 dmg when reaching main ship. If you hit them, you prevent enemy from dealing damage. This is however quite difficult to do, as they are fast moving target, and you need to position yourself well, in order to reach them. Using *thermal lance* is much more reliable, but tanks are more likely to be denied of energy than you.

### Nuke

*Nuke* is *Battlecruiser*´s ultimate ability, costing 400 minerals and 200 energy to use. Cooldown is 3 minutes. If you play against *Battlecruiser* who uses nuke as a skill, it is good to watch the timer, because you can approach safely during the cooldown of the skill, thus allowing much more aggresive playstyle. As supporter, it is also the best to not waste energy deny, when the skill is not ready yet.

Casting this skill sends a nuclear warning to both teams. Now, the voice warning is not really reliable, as it can be canceled by warning for another nuke, or delayed by announcer notifying everyone of upgraded minion wave every 10 minutes. "Nuclear launch detected" warning is sent if torpedo is used as well. Upon casting the skill, a rocket following the targeted ship is created, it has a speed and range of unupgraded seeker skill. If it hits, it deals 6000 HP damage to the target, applies 1500 nuclear burn and casts Lockdown effect. Please note that nuclear explosion is an area effect, so it hits both allies and enemies, including the caster.

Using nuke is rather difficult, and you will see many players wasting their precious resources. This is also an ability which is relatively easy to deny, so good supporters are watching out for this skill. The method to use nuke is relatively simple, but requires good control of your ship. For example, you need to be able to make 180° turn. The skill is casted while facing the targeted enemy, so turning your ship with Q shortens the time from nuclear warning to actualy launching the rocket. Possible launching range is similar to yamato cannon, but if you wanna guarantee hit, you need to almost hug enemy, and then quickly back off. Other use of nuke is as a deterrent. This is mostly used when retreating while being chased by enemy team, you turn your ship with Q, so it drifts toward your base, but faces them. Then you launch the skill. They have a choice to stop following, or taking nuke damage. If it hits, it also creates area lockdown effect inside their team, preventing the use of skills. Best target to hit is enemy support. However, if the teams are mixed up, you will be hitting allies. This skill is surprisingly quite good versus *Void ray*, while it rarely hits, it often disturbs his attack.

There is no way to counter the nuclear damage, it will always hit for 6000 dmg, ignoring armor and shielding skills, with exception of *Dreadnought*. *Dreadnought*s have a skill reducing damage to armor, called *Reinforced hull*, so they take 33% less damage even from nukes. They also tend to buy emergency shields and hug your teammates, making them a poor choice of a target in general.

### Lockdown

*Lockdown* is the most expensive skill for 250 minerals, with exception of nuke. And the most powerful one. Using this on mechanical ships locks their energy regeneration, removes 100 energy over 10 seconds and most importantly locks all their skills for the 10 seconds. Cooldown of this skill is 10 seconds. So you can keep one ship disabled permanently. Also, this skill freezes enemy cooldowns, so even if the enemy has energy when it ends, his skill did not return to ready state yet. For example dreadnought will have to wait a lot after you lock him down. *Lockdown* serves as a tank melter. It is also important counter to carrier, if you get in carrier´s range, you can completely disable the ship, as control over minions is locked as well. Minions will continue executing their last order when locked.

### Biosteel

This is an important ability, if you fight against Ovi´s *plague*. While your ship is not taking damage to hull, you get a health regeneration of 30. That is 1800 points per minute, for those who can´t do math, battlecruiser has 8000 base hull HPs. This regeneration is further increased with *Defensive shield* upgrades, while it is active. This skill not only serves the purpose of countering *plague*, it also allows you to take beating, heal up, and take beating again. The regeneration stops, once your ship is on fire. To offset this downside, battlecruiser has his next ability.

### Fire supression system

This is a skill which prevents you from burning, when you enter the red zone of HP. This means you can´t be killed with plague. If you have biosteel as well, you will regenerate to full HP eventualy.

### Armor

While it is not a skill, battlecruiser´s armor scales by +4 per upgrade, same as Dreadnought´s, which is worth to be noted here as an honorable mention. Buying some is how you face interceptors, wraiths, broodlords and other minions. 10 armor upgrades costs mere 475 minerals, but you reduce incoming damage by half, which is a lot in late game. As all terrans, armor upgrade means +100 maximum hull HP.

## Playstyles

### Support

This is a middle lane build, where you rush scan on first back. Then you provide lockdown. After that you build situationaly. Keep farming at 2-hit. You may skip the scan, if the enemy team´s and your team´s composition means they are unlikely to warp trick you, and there is no voidray. Scan is useful against mines as well, but that comes later. Your role is to stay behind tank, lock enemy tank, scan for voidray or for warptricks, if you are fed you can use nuke to disengage a teamfight on retreat. Do not target enemy tank, good tanks like to use enemy nukes against them. It can do more harm than good if the sides are too mixed. Definitely do not hi your supporter with the splash, it causes lockdown.

### Sidelane

Right now battlecruiser is one if not the strongest sidelaner. Definitely take *mini-yamato* skill. That leaves you only with some speed upgrades. Now to deal damage, do not forget to face enemy. Use Q to turn ship, or R which releases fighters. Moving your ship should be described in detail in different article here. Do not hug enemy, your rockets do not shoot him if you do so. To counter *Dreadnought*, you get lockdown. To counter leviathan and carrier, you get missile pods. Building lot of rockets keeps you in lane (by pushing enemy out). Nuke allows you to go for a kill.

### Assasin

A simple build relying on yamato cannon. You need above 375 energy to shoot 3 shots in a row, which is comparable to a nuke. People underestimate this build, because there is so many bad players who eat nukes for dinner. But it is 3x1750 dmg, which is much harder to prevent for a support. This also often finishes Leviathan and deals ton of damage to Dreadnought (once reinforced shield is off or on cooldown).

### Second tank

Just getting defensive shield, some shield upgrades and defensive shield upgrades gives you significant amount of sustain. You can help push, you can help cover, you can walk through middle of them and lock the key player. Or drift into enemy to nuke them. This is a theoretical build, as pure tank is useles. However when combined with any other role, it becomes powerful.

### Carry

Battlecruiser can also build rockets. It helps you fight on equal terms with a frigate. Almost. Yo do not have the range, you do not have the quick reload. And you cant farm with rocket area damage. So why? Because you can lock arbiter, so no forcefields will stop you. And you can kill PDDs with missile pods. Because the enemy support underestimates BCs rocket dmg. And because one rocket based ship is not enough to stop fed leviathan. Doing this will also help your team´s frigate to steadily deal dmg without taking any.

### Carrier´s best friend

In this build, you get missile pods asap when you spot *Carrier* in enemy team. Than you follow him around the map, killing interceptors with it. *Missile pods* is a skill which scales - with number of rockets (the upgrade of 50 100 200 ... minerals). This becomes a setback for *carrier*. Next is to get lockdown, so you can stop barrage or prevent vortex. Do not forget miniyamato to push carrier away. Make sure your lasers always shoot minions.

You can also deny enemy farm - just wait until a large group of your minions touches some enemy minions or fighters, and then throw missile pods. That way the allied minions can not kill your farm, so you get richer while carrier loses sanity.

## Final advice

Whenever the enemy team has their best player on *Voidray*, and he is getting fed, your whole team begs you to buy a scan and lockdown. Do not listen to them. Buy the nuke and kill your teammate with the splash damage. Who are they to help you win?!?