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The role of harrassment in PvZ

Blogs > Felo
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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
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