• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 02:24
CEST 08:24
KST 15:24
  • 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
[ASL22] Ro4 Preview: Mirror Mirror4[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: Within Reach5[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: In A Tizzy11[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Holy Diver5[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Rough Waters10
Community News
5.0.17 Patch Notes - October 7, 202614Weekly Cups Results (Sep 28-Oct 4)0SC4ALL: II SC2 Complete Invited Player Lineup10StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026)78Weekly Cups (Sept 21-27): herO and ByuN double2
StarCraft 2
General
5.0.17 Patch Notes - October 7, 2026 [Old] StarCraft 3 Reportedly in Development StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026) How do you feel about the mass reverts in the 5.0.17 PTR? Weekly Cups Results (Sep 28-Oct 4)
Tourneys
RSL 2026 Offline Finals LCQ Sign-Ups Stellar Fest TWO the Moon (Dec 16-20) ISSL (IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League): Premier Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament 2026 GSTL Grand Finals
Strategy
[H] ZvP Mid-Late Game: Stalkers Collossi HT
Custom Maps
[M] (2) Sweltering Sands [M] (2) Frigid Storage
External Content
Mutation # 546 Catch the Train The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 545 And Drops and Rifts Mutation # 544 Double Trouble
Brood War
General
Sagi.gg Launcher Released Fantasy returning? BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion GG Lan Fest Sofia, Bulgaria [this November]
Tourneys
[ASL22] Semifinal B [ASL22] Semifinal A [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL22] Ro8 Day 4
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Cliff Jump Revisited (1 in a 1000 strategy) Replay Review Process - What do you do?
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread General RTS Discussion Thread Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Total Annihilation Zero
Dota 2
Dota 2 Champions League Season 3 Begins April 25! Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Canadian Politics Mega-thread Artificial Intelligence Thread US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread
Fan Clubs
Serral Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Movie Discussion! Diablo Animated Series on Netflix
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Recent Gifted Posts
Blogs
[ASL22] Ro4 Day1 Ticket Giv…
bITt.mAN
Escaping Into Video Games: G…
TrAiDoS
38 yo Retired SWE loo…
PurE)Rabbit-SF
Can Bots Beat Pros?? Starcr…
namkraft
[meme] I finally understa…
LUCKY_NOOB
Regacy Esports:Our Goa…
regacyesports
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 8989 users

The role of harrassment in PvZ

Blogs > Felo
Post a Reply
Felo
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Germany392 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-05 13:37:37
June 05 2011 13:35 GMT
#1
Disclaimer: 1,1k ML Protoss

This is just something quick and dirty that I posted in a thread that got closed. I liked how it turned out so I decided to conserve it for later usage. Enjoy!


In that Match-Up Protoss isn't in the role of "My Hellions kill 1/3 of your drones". Instead we're trying to achieve something along the line of "I'll scare you so much that you won't even have 1/3 of the drones you'd like to have".

To do that we utilize certain strategies:

0. The Generel Idea of moving out

Biggest fear in the Protoss mind in PvZ is "Oh my god, if I leave my base I get swarmed to death". Well, you are either doing a.) a Stargate opening (Which will make you know whats going on, so you don't have to worry) b.) a DT opening (refer to a.)) or you are going for a sentry heavy expansion.

And in that last case a lot of players are scared to lose their sentries, but actually thats not neccessary. With the FFs from 6+ Sentries you are able to close off your path on nearly any map to make for a safe retreat. So whenever you encounter a zerg army thats too much to handle then just throw down a couple of FFs and retreat. This should give you much more security in moving out of your base and this is really important for whats coming.

1. Deny Map Control

Regularly the Zerg tries to get a good read on what you're doing with spreaded units and Xel'Naga-Towers. Some Zerglings will wait in front of your choke, an Overlord sitts over your third and he's devoted to get the Xel'Naga-Tower. Clear those out! Always dart at least a little bit out of your base, try to clean up every spotter you can find and go to the Xel'Naga-Towers regularly (If the Zerg tries to ambush you then refer to 0.).

What you are doing with this is you're denying the Zerg knowledge - and he needs this knowledge to judge when and how much units he needs to get to be safe from your attacks.

2. Clear out creep


As soon as you get your first Observer it is neccessary that you start to push back the Zergs creep. Try to kill as many of the tumors as possible - I regularly use three stalkers for that with the Observer slightly ahead of those so I can retreat with them quick enough to my army that should be at a utilizable choke (e.g. at Xel'Naga Caverns I leave my army behind the rocks of my gold expansion while my Stalkers clean out the Tumors around the Towers).

3. Fake pushing

Whenever you go to clean out Xel'Naga Towers you can dart in the general direction of the Zerg, utilizing your FFs to get away if he tries to overwhelm you, from time to time it can be a good idea to let the Zerg have a Tower just to let him see how you march in his generel direction (The effect of this gets multiplied when you bring a probe along and slap down a proxy pylon in front of his base).

4. Any Harrassment that your build offers

Phoenix, DT, Blinkstalker, Immortaldrops, you name it. Whatever your build offers you to play around with can be used


*****
EU GML P | Check my Stream (with commentary!) -> www.twitch.tv/xFelo
eTcetRa
Profile Joined November 2010
Australia822 Posts
June 05 2011 15:19 GMT
#2
Very good write-up on the role of harassment in PvZ, it certainly helped me today.

Previously my PvZ win ratio would be about 20-25% compared to my PvT of 80-85%, and nearly as good PvP, and i was stuck in the mindset which you mentioned in point zero. And now i won half my PvZ (ladder games my zerg friend still wrecks me).

Thanks again!
Retired Mapmaker™
Chef
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
10810 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-05 15:30:22
June 05 2011 15:29 GMT
#3
That's just a list of a few things you can do (some of which aren't even harassment). It doesn't really talk about the role of harassment. Role of harassment is generally to attack your opponent's concentration, disrupt his game-flow, and overall make the game more interesting.

Think about the word "harassment." It actually means what it means for StarCraft and for the real world. You are trying to be as annoying as possible.
LEGEND!! LEGEND!!
Felo
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Germany392 Posts
June 05 2011 15:57 GMT
#4
Hello Chef,

I guess "Ways of Harrasment" would have been a better title but I always sucked at finding good and descriptive titles ^^

As you said Harrassment is utilized to get the Zerg away from what hes planning to do - that is getting up the strongest possible economy at point X (which is the last moment where he's not threatened) to pump out enough units to hold your push at point Y (Which is when your units arrive at his base).

Harrasing from the Protoss PoV always tries to mess with the timing of X and Y and thus hurting the game plan and the economical plans of the Zerg - instead of going to kill something specific in the Zerg base or instead of diverting away the Zergs army you are trying to cut into his production capabilities to prevent those threats from showing up.

And in that sense everything that gets the Zerg away from doing "his thing" is harrassment in my book.

(Of course all of this is tailored to early game, in the mid- or even lategame a new spectrum of possibilites arises as implied in point 4.)

@Holiver - Thank you, keep up the good work
EU GML P | Check my Stream (with commentary!) -> www.twitch.tv/xFelo
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Replay Cast
08:00
QMC Community Tournament 1
Liquipedia
OSC
07:15
Masters Cup #151 Group C
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Nina 120
StarCraft: Brood War
Rain 3943
Mong 80
sorry 35
ToSsGirL 17
Icarus 8
Noble 8
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King161
Other Games
summit1g7044
WinterStarcraft599
C9.Mang0268
ceh9171
Sick144
[ Show 15 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• practicex 36
• StrangeGG 20
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• Azhi_Dahaki28
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• lizZardDota2276
League of Legends
• Lourlo1020
• Stunt402
Other Games
• Shiphtur522
Upcoming Events
OSC
16h 37m
Big Brain Bouts
1d 3h
Rex vs INexorable
GgMaChine vs HeRoMaRinE
Reynor vs herO
AI Arena Tournament
1d 10h
BSL: Ladder Tournament
1d 12h
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
Patches Events
2 days
BSL Open Qualifier
2 days
BSL Open Qualifier
2 days
WardiTV Weekly
4 days
PiGosaur Cup
4 days
[ Show More ]
The PondCast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL 2026 AUTUMN (S22)
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Copium Cup

Ongoing

ASL Season 22
Super Anchor Qualifying S3
Acropolis #5
Acropolis #5 - GSB
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
1win Private Club #1
Logitech G Play Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026

Upcoming

Acropolis #5 - GSC
BSL Season 23
SC4ALL II: Brood War
BSL 23: Non-Korean Championship
HSC XXX
Stellar Fest 2: Lunar Cup
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
HCC Season 3
eXTREMESLAND 2026
PGL Major Singapore 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 6
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026
IEM Beijing 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 5
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
1win Private Club #2
Thunderpick World Champ. '26
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.