Starcraft – What exactly is a “cheese” in Starcraft 2

starcraft-2terminology

I seem to see commentators mention "cheese" with regards to Starcraft 2, but I'm not quite sure what they mean.

If a particular build/tactic is called a "cheese", does that mean it is a considered to be uncounterable? Or does it just mean that it is considered to be a tactic that is "too easy" with regard to its effectiveness? Or is there some other more subtle meaning that I am missing?

Best Answer

The term "Cheese" comes from the adjective "Cheesy". The not-so-subtle innuendo there is that a victory via so-called "cheese" did not come from the players own skill, but was merely because the loser was unprepared for the "cheesy" tactics that lead to their loss.

What qualifies as "cheese" will undoubtedly vary from player to player, but generally the term refers to exploiting system mechanics in a way unanticipated by your opponent, or otherwise not balanced around.

Many people dislike cheese because it is hard to predict and counter if you are not prepared for it.

Several Examples:

  • Thor Rush -- build a factory near your opponent, attack with Thor + repair SCV's around 7 minute mark.
  • Photon-Cannon Push -- rushing a forge and placing photon cannons around your opponents base.
  • Banshee / Void Ray rush vs. Zerg -- takes adavantage of the fact that Zerg has little viable anti-air at T1 other than mass queens.
  • Proxy Rush -- Building a unit production facility much closer to your opponents base than your own so that you can reinforce your troops faster.
  • Worker Rush -- in 2v2 (or more), making no units, and instead attacking another player with your workers alone.
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