Evolution Chamber choices in the HOTS campaign: one is between Splitter and Hunter Banelings.
Splitter banelings split into smaller bombs while Hunter banelings have a Kamikaze pounce.
What are the advantages of each? Which works better in the campaign? What is the best mutation depending on what type of Baneling I chose?
Mutations
I played the game on hard and brutal, and found that using the Hunter strain works the best.
They "auto" jump to the enemy that is the closest to your Baneling and they require the least micro, leaving you free to micro other units.
I found the splitters to be best VS. clusters of enemies, but all over the Hunters is the best in my opinion.
The different upgrades for the baneling, depens on the mission at hand!
Splitter: Best for breaking up frontal walls. More robustness for baneling army. Especially good with rupture mutation.
Hunter: Best for targeting specific units or buildings to kill. Able to do surgical strikes. Especially good with corrosive acid mutation. I suppose this one would be good for frontal assaults when combined with zerglings, as the banelings won't get in the way.
In my opinion,choice of the zergling evolution(raptor or swarmling) definitely affects your baneling choice. If you want to go for a HUGE army that can access almost any area of the map and destroy enemy bases in an instant,then you have to go for the Swarmling and Hunter choices. But if you want to use banelings just for backup(personally I think that is the worst choice; letting the banelings attack AFTER other Zerg units will result in damage to your forces,unless you have the Regenerative Acid mutation)WHILE your other units storm an enemy base,go for Raptor and Splitter. And if you want a mighty army which can engage anything go for Raptor and Hunter. That way you can attack more than one enemy base at a time(as you can allocate your forces between the bases as required). Otherwise,if you want the might of numbers,go for the Swarmling and the Splitter strains. That will punish any enemy waiting to attack till he has a HUGE army(after all,zergs have the strength of numbers,don't they?)
I like Raptor and Hunter because it allows your heavy hitters do go on the frontal attacks while your Raptors and Hunters are recking the enemies eco and sometimes splits its army weakening his total strength. Once he starts attacking your Raptors and Hunters, get them out of there and wait until they leave and then harass again.
