Understanding Army Building

Army building in StarCraft TMG uses two resource budgets: Minerals for units and upgrades, and Vespene Gas for Tactical Cards.

Minerals Standard games give you 2,000 minerals. Spend them on units (each has a point cost printed on its card) and optional upgrades.

Vespene Gas You get 10% of your mineral budget as gas. At 2,000 minerals, that is 200 gas. Spend it on Tactical Cards, which unlock additional army slots.

Faction Cards Every army needs exactly one. It sets your race, your starting army slots, and a unique faction ability. For example, Raynors Raiders gives 3 Core, 1 Hero, and 1 Support slot.

Tactical Cards These cost gas and provide more army slots. Barracks (25 gas) gives +1 Core. Armory (30 gas) gives +1 Elite. This is how you expand beyond your Faction Card limits.

Filling Slots Each unit has a slot type: Core, Elite, Hero, Support, or Air. You can only include a unit if you have an open slot of that type. The slot is consumed when you add the unit.

Upgrades Most units have optional upgrades that cost additional minerals. These add weapons, abilities, or stat improvements. Choose wisely as they can double a unit cost.

The Stimpacked list builder handles all of this automatically: minerals, gas, slots, and upgrade costs are tracked live as you build.