Ladder Blog #1

In Zerg vs Terran, I've been opening up 15 gas/15 pool speedling expand. The timing is a bit weird so I won't get into that. The general plan is to get a second base up quickly while being secure against any threats like 2 rax and keeping the possibility of counteragression open. I find that 14 hatch 14 pool is too hard to secure and speed just keeps you safe against so much, but you don't need it as fast as 14 gas/14 pool. I found that 15/15 is a good compromise.

In Mid-game I generally revolve my game around mutaling baneling. I've tried mixing in roaches into the play but I find that it's less effective. Assuming the Terran doesn't go for any funky openings, I get a bane nest when my lair is halfway done and research burrow when the lair's done. My gas timing depends on what the Terran opens up with. I usually don't have money for it right away, but I get these other things in order: Bane speed, overlord speed, spire, overlord drop. These are only if I get the luxury to afford them.

Most Zergs prefer to use Mutas more extensively. I preferred burrowed banelings in pairs. Plant them in a spot where terran is likely to walk over them, like a Xel-naga tower, and unburrow for explosive goodness. If they scan, it's basically trading 100 minerals and 50 gas for a scan. I won't say it's cost-effecient but it's definitely not terrible. If they get a raven then they're cutting out gas for their tanks, which is better for your banes. I haven't really felt disadvantaged at all by going for the bane heavy composition.

Another mid-game composition I'm playing around with is plain mutaling with heavy upgrades. I haven't used it enough to be comfortable with it yet but I think it's cool. The problem is that the counterattacks lead to a lot of base races. I love base races but they feel pretty unstable for obvious reasons.

Infestors, I'm not a huge fan of. They die easily and are difficult to control in groups. That said, it's a good thing I didn't play BW competitively since defilers would've been hell for me to use. Still, infestors have their uses and I mix them into my play every now and then.

Late-game, I almost never deal with. I just mass expand and Sauron Zerg the enemy to death.

ZvZ is a pretty volitile matchup for me.

Right now, I'm experimenting a lot with a Day9 build he showed in Steal This Build. I forgot who used it but it's the queen/spine crawler opening with the 15 pool pure drones. I like it a lot, but still have gaps in my understanding of it. If the opponent is close air on Metal or Shattered though, I go 15 hatch 15 pool.

Mid-game ZvZ is crazy right now. A standard ZvZ mid-game involves making as many infestors as you can, and spending all your minerals on roaches. The roaches are basically to stop your opponents roaches from killing your infestors, and to kill your opponents infestors. They do the second part pretty terribly. It becomes a micro war that's really intense. Unfortunately, as I previously stated, I dislike using infestors so this is pretty hard for me.

I've tried out hydras. They're a pretty viable option, and not terrible, but I've yet to do any big testing on it.

Muta is where I want to lean to. They were my bread and butter back before the infestor-air patch, and ever since the infestor buff/nerf where fungal is reduced to 4 seconds, I've wanted to use them again. It compliments the style that Day9 showcased in his steal this build thingy, and it works really cool. I've had some success, but it feels really fragile. If you let up even a bit in harass, or if your opponent's defense is just too solid, then the infestors build up and your mutas will die pretty easily.

Zerg vs Protoss is by far my favourite match up right now. It feels solid, and I can really do well if I play to my best.

My opening build is 11 pool econ. It's actually really cool since you can get a pretty big economy really fast while being relatively immune to obvious cheese like cannon rushes (not that anyone's actually tried that in a million years). I haven't dealt with any early zealot harass though, which might be a problem. It's not really done at all in this day and age so I'm not too worried about it.

My favourite composition is muta/ling baneling. I get the upgrades and tech in the same order as in ZvT, but burrow my banes in larger groups since toss units have more health. I try to aim for the zealots and sentries if possible. This works out really well since it forces toss to get an observer and crushes almost all citadel first builds. Blink stalkers is a bit of a problem but with proper micro, I can fend it off.

The problem comes after mid-game if both the toss and I are both even by mid-late game. Mutaling baneling is an excellent composition in small numbers, and if mutas can reach critical mass (aroud 20+). However, in larger fights, it really doesn't fare as well, especially once storm's out. I've been trying out roach transitions and they're pretty good, but need to learn the best way to do it a bit more. Writing this though, I feel that a fast switch into ultras while skimping mutas would work wonders. I should try that out.

Infestors, again, are a bit iffy for me. I use them more than I do against Terran, but they're clunky and fragile. Hydras, I really like, but colossi and Storm eat them up so I avoid them unless it's for a specific purpose like an early anti-gateway bust.