• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 11:42
CET 17:42
KST 01:42
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT28Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book19Clem wins HomeStory Cup 289HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview13Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info8
Community News
Weekly Cups (Feb 16-22): MaxPax doubles0Weekly Cups (Feb 9-15): herO doubles up2ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/0247LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16)46Weekly Cups (Feb 2-8): Classic, Solar, MaxPax win2
StarCraft 2
General
Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT How do you think the 5.0.15 balance patch (Oct 2025) for StarCraft II has affected the game? Oliveira Would Have Returned If EWC Continued Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book
Tourneys
WardiTV Team League Season 10 PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar) RSL Season 4 announced for March-April The Dave Testa Open #11 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament
Strategy
Custom Maps
Publishing has been re-enabled! [Feb 24th 2026] Map Editor closed ?
External Content
Mutation # 514 Ulnar New Year The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 513 Attrition Warfare Mutation # 512 Overclocked
Brood War
General
Soma Explains: JD's Unrelenting Aggro vs FlaSh CasterMuse Youtube ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/02 BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ TvZ is the most complete match up
Tourneys
Small VOD Thread 2.0 Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 1 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [LIVE] [S:21] ASL Season Open Day 1
Strategy
Fighting Spirit mining rates Simple Questions, Simple Answers Zealot bombing is no longer popular?
Other Games
General Games
Battle Aces/David Kim RTS Megathread Path of Exile Nintendo Switch Thread Beyond All Reason New broswer game : STG-World
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Mexico's Drug War Canadian Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Ask and answer stupid questions here!
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
[Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books [Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion TL MMA Pick'em Pool 2013
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Laptop capable of using Photoshop Lightroom?
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
YOUTUBE VIDEO
XenOsky
Unintentional protectionism…
Uldridge
ASL S21 English Commentary…
namkraft
Inside the Communication of …
TrAiDoS
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1502 users

Playing ZvT in the dark?

Blogs > Zorkmid
Post a Reply
Zorkmid
Profile Joined November 2008
4410 Posts
April 06 2011 13:41 GMT
#1
Poll: What is the best overall way to play ZvT in the dark?

Defensively (drone hard and react) (9)
 
60%

Aggressive (Baneling Bust/Early Roaches etc.) (6)
 
40%

Other (Please describe) (0)
 
0%

15 total votes

Your vote: What is the best overall way to play ZvT in the dark?

(Vote): Aggressive (Baneling Bust/Early Roaches etc.)
(Vote): Defensively (drone hard and react)
(Vote): Other (Please describe)



Hi everyone!

Sometimes playing ZvT, a Terran player will wall off his ramp and make 1-2 marines. Sometimes the map is large and its tough to get an overlord to scout before the 5 minute mark, sometimes I just outright forget to change my overlord's direction. Sometimes you can't keep your scouting drone alive long enough to get a clue about what tech path he is following...

A terran player could be doing many different builds at this point.
- Mass Bio
- Blue Flame Hellion
- Fast drop
- Cloaked Banshee
- Feign aggression into expand
- Early CC

I'd like to gather some idea from TL about the different reactions a Zerg player can opt for in such situations. (My ZvT opening is nearly always 15 hatch 15 pool 17 gas.) I personally like to get a 3rd queen quickly and drone as hard as possible. Next, I get ling speed, lair, and take a second gas and then react to what I scout.

What I'm curious about is the option of going for an offensive response. What if instead of getting a third queen and lair....you get a fast Baneling nest and mass lings for a bust?

The advantages are that you have a chance of doing major damage, you'd get a good scout of what Terran is doing. The disadvantages are that you're vulnerable to banshees and drops, and early aggression comes at the price of sacrificing much of your economy, if the bust fails big time, you lose.

I'd love to get your thoughts on the best way to play ZvT in the dark, and adjustments you can make in your build based on the things that you scout (add-ons etc).



*
OmniscientSC2
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United States713 Posts
April 06 2011 13:57 GMT
#2
If I'm in the dark, I usually do a 30-40 drone baneling bust with +1. I'll use an evo chamber,spine, and queen to narrow the choke of my natural in case it turns out they are doing blue flame hellions. I usually don't get a lair, and I've found this build works best if your opponent is already taking an expo. Otherwise, you're probably better off with a JulyZerg baneling bust (no queens). 3 Queens can handle most banshees if you have a spore behind each mineral line, banes can kill most of a terran's ground army (hellions and marines), the only thing I think is troublesome in ZvT is close map spawns. Lemme know if you have any other questions :O
"Did you know about Day and the Wicker Basket?" - Harem "Hi, I'm from Texas." -TLO
Kuzmorgo
Profile Joined May 2009
Hungary1058 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-06 14:06:04
April 06 2011 14:01 GMT
#3
I personally always prefer slow, defensive play in early game, getting a big econ. So if you can't scout him with the drone, and his base is too far for an ovie to get there in time, than its also too far for him to get to your base too quickly. I mean, on a 2 player map, he can't block if you scout early enough, and even if he does (early second rax or smthing), you can get your first overlord there in time. The only case when you can't scout in time, is if your are cross-postitions on a 4 player map (in close spawns, overlord scouts one base, drone the other, so the only way you can't get in is by being cross-spawn). However in this case it will take him more time to get his army across the map. So you can build a spine, or throw down a roach warren (if you prefer them to lings), and camp 1 ling at his ramp, 1 a bit further away, so you can see when he moves out, and build roaches at the last moment.
Anyway thats how I played ZvT when i played Z

EDIT: Well if its close spawn, but he gets lucky, and kills your ovie before it can see what he does, than i guess maybe the agressive aproach is better. I just don't feel comfortable allin-ing.

EDIT2: also i thumb-downed DQ..
"No, whine not! Play, or play not! There is no whine."
PandaCore
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Germany553 Posts
April 06 2011 14:17 GMT
#4
If I'm completely in the dark I usually get 1 extra queen at each hatchery to survive most of the stuff they could throw on me until I get to lair tech for overlord/overseer scouting.

Queens at least help against (Blue Flame) Hellion, (Cloaked) Banshee... which is usually what I died to most of the times before.

Also they help against Bio or Mass Marine because they can help keeping Spinecrawlers alive with Transfusion.
I has a flavor
FlaShFTW
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States10318 Posts
April 06 2011 14:17 GMT
#5
if you are in the dark, i just go for a roach mass army and try to get overseers and suicide into the main. if possible, land a changeling. muta/bling is also a viable option since it stops hellions and strong against the 3 rax tank push.
Writer#1 KT and FlaSh Fanboy || Woo Jung Ho Never Forget || Teamliquid Political Decision Desk
TL+ Member
Kuzmorgo
Profile Joined May 2009
Hungary1058 Posts
April 06 2011 14:22 GMT
#6
On April 06 2011 23:17 PandaCore wrote:
If I'm completely in the dark I usually get 1 extra queen at each hatchery to survive most of the stuff they could throw on me until I get to lair tech for overlord/overseer scouting.

Queens at least help against (Blue Flame) Hellion, (Cloaked) Banshee... which is usually what I died to most of the times before.

Also they help against Bio or Mass Marine because they can help keeping Spinecrawlers alive with Transfusion.


Dammit.. Im so dumb I completely forgot my favorite line:
"When in doubt, build queens!"

And i also forgot, that one of the reasons i switched from Z was, because i got sick of 2 port banshees every second game....
"No, whine not! Play, or play not! There is no whine."
infinity21 *
Profile Blog Joined October 2006
Canada6683 Posts
April 06 2011 15:36 GMT
#7
Leave your ovie by the Terran cc and the attack into a barracks wall with all your drones :p
Official Entusman #21
Zorkmid
Profile Joined November 2008
4410 Posts
April 06 2011 16:04 GMT
#8
On April 07 2011 00:36 infinity21 wrote:
Leave your ovie by the Terran cc and the attack into a barracks wall with all your drones :p


HAHAHAHA! HE KNOWS!
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 7h 18m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
ProTech149
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 35750
Calm 4328
Sea 1714
Rain 1644
Jaedong 1510
Shuttle 1276
firebathero 411
Larva 406
Stork 383
Soma 316
[ Show more ]
ZerO 308
BeSt 210
Rush 123
Sharp 92
Dewaltoss 89
EffOrt 87
hero 86
Mind 54
Hm[arnc] 53
Barracks 36
Backho 36
Aegong 36
Rock 33
ToSsGirL 28
Noble 22
IntoTheRainbow 22
sorry 21
scan(afreeca) 17
Terrorterran 17
Dota 2
Gorgc4868
qojqva2024
Counter-Strike
Fnx 826
Heroes of the Storm
MindelVK13
Other Games
singsing2007
hiko847
B2W.Neo778
DeMusliM448
crisheroes164
Hui .139
ArmadaUGS108
QueenE105
Mew2King54
KnowMe38
Trikslyr38
ZerO(Twitch)12
tarik_tv1
Organizations
Counter-Strike
PGL438
Other Games
BasetradeTV43
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 16 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• iHatsuTV 17
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Nemesis5228
• TFBlade1307
• Scarra333
• Shiphtur175
Other Games
• WagamamaTV263
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
7h 18m
Korean StarCraft League
1d 10h
CranKy Ducklings
1d 17h
OSC
1d 18h
SC Evo Complete
1d 20h
DaveTesta Events
2 days
AI Arena Tournament
2 days
Replay Cast
2 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
2 days
[ Show More ]
Replay Cast
3 days
Wardi Open
3 days
Monday Night Weeklies
4 days
Replay Cast
4 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
6 days
The PondCast
6 days
KCM Race Survival
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-02-22
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Acropolis #4 - TS5
Jeongseon Sooper Cup
Spring Cup 2026
WardiTV Winter 2026
PiG Sty Festival 7.0
Nations Cup 2026
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025

Upcoming

[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round Qualifier
ASL Season 21: Qualifier #1
ASL Season 21: Qualifier #2
ASL Season 21
Acropolis #4 - TS6
Acropolis #4
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
RSL Revival: Season 4
NationLESS Cup
IEM Atlanta 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
FISSURE Playground #3
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Finals
ESL Pro League S23 Stage 1&2
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.