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EDIT**
No this isn't a balance whine, I'm actually pretty ok with the way hellbats currently function in the ZvT match-up. And my rant only includes ZvT really. I think this change does help the PvT and TvT match-ups.


This change actually doesn't help ZvT that much, and you should still fear the hellbat drop, heres why:

The main issue at high levels with the hellbat drop is that they were so fearful and potent, zerg (any race really) would box their entire worker line and pull it away in fear of those flame throwing bastards.

This would cause massive losses in mining time, regardless of how many drones you might lose (usually very few at high levels of play)

Even if you shut the medivac down, it is not a big investment by the terran player (300 minerals, 100 gas). But this small investment would cause you to lose a LOT of mining time with 2-3 medivacs patrolling around. This ability to pin the zergs back also made terrans extremely safe, allowing them to do pretty much whatever they wan't back at home.

The other issue when facing these drops is the follow-up push with ~6-8 hellbats and a bunch of MMM, before your third really gets up, before spire is out, and before you can gain a significant upgrade advantage.

None of the issue with this hellbat nerf really change how we currently deal with hellbats.

You will still pull all you workers away when the hellbats come into your base. Yes the hellbats take 3 shots to kill a worker instead of 2, but that only gives you around a ~1 second window to STILL pull all your workers, which good players would do ANYWAY, and thus resulting in the circumstances I mentioned above. Hellbats, regardless of this nerf, still 2 shot lings, and still do the same damage to banelings as banelings aren't light units, so the follow up push is still going to be as strong.

So to summarise, you should still be very afraid of hellbat drops and follow up timings and Terrans, you should still be executing them.

EDIT 2**
I'm typically speaking to very high levels of play, Top GM, tournament winners etc, who TYPICALLY (no not always) see the drops coming and pull their workers in time. Secondly, this change actually rewards sloppier play, as it gives zergs more time to react and pull their workers, when they should have been watching their minimap and seen the drop coming!