Counter-attack
A counter-attack is the category of attacks made in response to an offensive or defensive positioning move or state of economy or army of the opponent. They can vary greatly in their size, timing, and effectiveness. How effective a counter-attack is depends on many factors, such as army positioning, production speed, and unit composition.
Breakdown[edit]
Counter-attacks broadly fall into two categories. The first is when your army can easily strike at the enemy base (preferably so that the enemy cannot exploit your commitment), as occurs with the superior mobility of Zerg or an offensive position when opponents leave the base. This may be termed backstabbing.
The other category involves having a significant production advantage. Committal to a clash may end fairly evenly, with both sides losing most of their units, but with a player having significant ability for greater production leaving the opponent vulnerable to counter-attacks without their units.
Backstabbing[edit]
Backstabbing is the action of waiting for your opponent's army to leave base, and then immediately taking your own army into their hopefully undefended base. It is often an opportune time to do a significant amount of damage, and it can also buy you time at your own base by forcing their offensive army to return to their base to defend against your backstab.
Backstabbing is most commonly used by Zerg players, although it can be effective for all races. Backstabbing usually involves rushing into an enemy's base to shut down their economy by killing the workers or town hall.
Backstabbing is most significant in the early or mid-game since the army may not be great enough to hold both an offensive and defensive position. The risk of backstabs is much of what prompts base-standing in some matchups, especially when defense puts more momentum in favor of defenders regardless.