EPT
+ Show Spoiler [No 6gate guide on TL??] +
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Y8u6L.png)
More recently, I did some more thinking on PvT 6gate.
The build order for a 6gate is necessarily flexible, since it's a two base push, there are a lot of things the Terran player can do beforehand, and map architecture impacts the 6-warpgate all-in a lot. People will do 6-warpgate all-ins off of 1 gate FEs, HuK 1 gate FEs, and even 2-gate 3-stalker rushes. 6gating is risky for a number of reasons, mostly due to lack of detection and robo tech, but there's nothing to stop a 6gater from making a robo and an observer (basically cutting a stalker and a sentry) against a terran who takes a fast gas and makes only marines, etc-- you could have a gate robo expand transition into a 6gate just by not using the robo to make immortals.
So, all things considered, 6gate is a pretty flexible timing push. You could make a forge and get +1, or gradually tech to HTs, or both, as a transition out of the 6-gate attack. You could attack, deal minimal damage, pull back and make a 3rd base. You could try to make more sentries and FF him away from his bunkers. Also, you can be reactive-- making more stalkers to 2-shot or 3-shot bunkers, or using terrain advantages like the cliffing of Tal'Darim Altar to warp in units behind the Terran wall.
This sort of explains why there's no PvT 6gate guide. The defining aspects of the 6gate, which is the thought that it takes to play it, the flexible fast expanding build order, the requirement of scouting the Terran and reacting appropriately to early aggression-- this is all complicated. 6gate is more viable on some maps than others-- and its viability is also contingent on the opponent's build. It's a low-tech high-army attack, a 2-base 4gate in a sense, but there are a lot of variables involved. Natural chokes come in a lot more shapes and sizes than Main chokes. A lot of Terran attacks happen between 6:00 and 8:30 that a 4gate doesn't have to fight but a 6gate has to look out for.
So, more to the point-- I want to put together a pretty decent guide on the 6gate. Ideally it would be a thread with a title like [G] The 6gate Compendium or something equally baller. I think it would have to be a compendium, too-- it would take more than just a 2-3 replays, since there are a lot of situations in which 6gate is viable but needs to be executed differently.
The problem I've run into is that I am not a Master League Protoss player. At all. I don't off-race often, but when I do I play Zerg. So, I can't get Master League PvT 6gate replays by playing Protoss-- I can only get them by playing Terran. Now, I could crank out about 600 ladder games, 200 of which would be against Protoss, and maybe about 15% of the time I'd be 6gated (generously). Then I'd be able to get like 30 6gate replays and select from them a wide variety of maps and styles to use for the guide.
This would probably take a long time.
So instead, maybe I could get it done in custom games? To generate these replays I need an opponent of my skill (or ideally, slightly to somewhat stronger) who's willing to 6gate me several times. Currently my Protoss practice partners are all either worse than me enough that their 6gating isn't helpful, or out of practice/busy. If you want to help write the guide, or publish it yourself, that's even better-- but being willing to 6gate me about 15 times is good enough. Actually, I could really use help writing this article ._. because I'm not really sure WHEN you're supposed to 6gate based on scouting information, etc. Though I'm sure in time I'll figure it out.
So, in summary, if you're a mid-to-low Master League Protoss player interested in spending 2 hours straight 6gating the same Terran, let me know :D
