Squadron TD is a refined Tower Defence game with several innovations; played with 2 teams of 4, players must work both alone and together, spawning units in place of buildings to defend their lane.
Losing all units in a single round will result in a ‘leak’, allowing enemy units to proceed toward a team’s Security System, which when defeated will end the game and award the win to the opposing team.
Units able to successfully defend their lane will enter a nearby portal and be teleported to help defend the Security System from other leaks. All units are revived at the beginning of a new round.
This unique addition adds a cooperative element not found in most Tower Defence titles; leaking is not the end of the game, so long as your team members are able to maintain their defence, and by selecting complimentary unit combinations, can withstand a much larger force.
Income is generated by killing enemy units and purchasing units with Gas, which is harvested by workers that can be purchased in place of units. Gas units purchased are sent to your opponents’ lane in the following wave, and careful timing can lead to devastating results. Balancing income and units is the key to long survival in Squadron TD.
Though, perhaps the most interesting component of SQTD is the level progression, which by using data stored locally allows RPG style advancement offering new builder choices, each with their own unique units and abilities.
When first beginning, players may only select the Radom Builder option; however, after increasing in level may select from unlocked builders with preference.
The complexity of SQTD once the basic concepts have been learned makes it a highly challenging, and equally addictive mod with immense potential – many players have already begun submitting Build Orders for specific builders, and serious tournament play is on the horizon.
It’ll likely be a while before true balance is achieved, though at the time of writing SQTD is polished and enjoyable from beginning to end, and as it’s currently holding a well-deserved #1 slot on the StarCraft Arcade, it’s incredibly easy to join a game.
The StarCraft 2 Arcade is a Custom Game Lobby available for free to all StarCraft 2 owners.