Terran Mech play has a new addition to its mix, the “Widow Mine”. A new mine unit that is carrying huge fire power to each of its engagement, which can be used offensively or as a defensive unit. The Window Mine is quite an interesting unit, because it takes 3 seconds to burrow underground, before it can use its autocast ability of “Unstable Payload”.

This allows the widow mine to fire a missile that can hit targets within 5 range and causes 160 damage with 40 splash damage. The ability can also hit cloaked units and even air units. But in order to use “Unstable Payload” again, it takes 40 seconds to rearm itself, so during this period of time the widow mine is pretty much useless.

Being a mech unit, the Widow Mine is constructed in the factory and also if you were to have an add-on of a reactor attached, you can produce double the amount. The cost is 75 minerals and 25 gas and only cost one supply with 40 second build time.

Ways to Use the Widow Mine

There are many ways that Terran players can use the Widow Mine, one of these examples would be map control or containment. If the Terran player needs to protect their siege tank line defense, they could easily burrow a few widow mines to protect their siege lines from air or invisible targets.

For containment usages, burrowing a few in enemy mineral lines can cause quite a huge headache for players that lack detections. Or even to keep the enemy from moving out of their base, if there were Widow Mines burrowed in front of their base.

Widow Mine Offensive Options

Using the Widow Mine as an offensive tool isn’t that difficult, since the unit moves pretty fast itself, with the movement speed of 2.81. It’s quite a fast unit, so if you were to move out with your army, it might be the first few units in your army to reach a spot. Some good offensive choices are to use the widow mine as scouts, ahead of your main army.

So if you’re planning on pushing the enemy army, you could burrow a few Widow mines in an location and lure the enemy into the mine field or you could use it as an buffer to weaken the enemy army, before you attack with your main forces. Also it’s a good way of locking out enemies that might be attacking you from another angle, when you don’t expect it.

Window Mine Defensive Options

Using the Widow Mine as a Defensive tool is quite simple. It’s a mine, so it’s pretty much a protection tool for your base. Areas where the enemy might drop units or even behind your mineral lines, where air units might harass, are good places to plant your mines. When you are trying to take a fast expansion but you are scared that the enemy might swarm your expansion, planting a few mines around the ramp or above are good option choices of pushing the enemy back. The Widow Mine can also snipe invisible units, so you can use this to eliminate the enemy scouting options in your base.

Conclusion

The widow mine is quite an interesting unit; it might be a bit powerful with its 160 damage and 40 splash damage. But having to take 40 seconds to reload another shot is quite troublesome. Enemies could easily trigger your shot and run by your Widow Mines while it’s taking time to rearm itself for its next shot. It’s also quite weak, only 90 hit points, so when you’re trying to burrow the mine, within that 3 second period, the enemy could easily snipe your mines.

Overall it's an interesting addition to the Terran mech army play. Since it’s a unit that takes skill to manage and its options doesn’t seem limited at its current state. Maybe players will get to see more interesting play from the Widow Mine in the future.