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Some math on late-game PvZ

Blogs > RemarK
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RemarK
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
United States452 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-06-27 09:56:40
June 27 2012 03:27 GMT
#1
This is going to be a really short blog post, but I was wondering how quickly Protoss needs to start teching to Stargate / Fleet Beacon / Mothership in order to have a vortex ready for a Brood lord + infestor push. Here's what I found - the timings I used start from a typical midgame scenario

Zerg

50 seconds infestation pit

100 seconds to start hive

100 seconds to greater spire

Corruptor morph to BL time = 34 seconds

Rush distance? give or take 30 seconds? (rush distance is relevant because the Zerg will be morphing his brood lords on his half of the map, and brood lords are slow)

Zerg total time to OP: 284 seconds (314 with rush distance factored in)

Protoss

60 seconds to build stargate

60 seconds to build fleet bacon

160 seconds to build mothership (you can fit 5 chronoboosts in, each one takes off 10 seconds of build time) = 110 seconds with constant CB

89 seconds to have vortex

Protoss total time to OP: 319 seconds

Protoss total time to OP without Stargate build time factored in: 259 seconds


What does all this mean? Well, put simply, if you want to have a mothership with energy for a vortex by the time the Zerg has brood lords on the field, you have to either:

1) Match his infestation pit timing with your stargate

or

2) Match his hive timing with your fleet beacon

If you do either of those and don't miss a beat on starting the mothership, chronoing it constantly, etc, then you'll have it out in time and with enough energy for a vortex.

Another thing to look at is when the Zerg starts his hive, that means he will have brood lords on the field in 234 seconds (about 4 minutes). So if you want to hit a timing attack before brood lords, that's your window to be killing him.

*****
I <3 StarCraft.
EtherealDeath
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
United States8366 Posts
June 27 2012 04:26 GMT
#2
Nice benchmark to have
Cascade
Profile Blog Joined March 2006
Australia5405 Posts
June 27 2012 05:28 GMT
#3
This is good information. I think there are a lot more things you can do with this info, apart from the two you present. Some things that comes to my mind as a low diamond zerg:

3) (feign) agression at about the time the corruptors are being built, to force him to use the gas for defensive units, or at least morph the BLs in a defensive position, which will give you more time. Back off as soon as BLs are out, and retreat to vortex.

4) try to snipe infestors as he will be weak. He will not have gas to rebuild infestor and BLs.

5) Attack distant expansion just as BLs are morphing. Specially if you can spot where the corruptors are well in time. He will either have to start chasing you around (dance a bit all over the map until vortex done), or base-trade (build MS on the last base he will get to in a base-race, so you can come back and take out his army when you got vortex).
morlakaix
Profile Joined February 2011
United States860 Posts
June 27 2012 07:12 GMT
#4
it really is sad that PvZ has come to this...they even said it on ItG, PvZ has turned into broodlords vs mothership
mazqo
Profile Joined September 2010
Finland368 Posts
June 27 2012 07:32 GMT
#5
On June 27 2012 16:12 morlakaix wrote:
it really is sad that PvZ has come to this...they even said it on ItG, PvZ has turned into broodlords vs mothership

Just wait, soon TvZ will turn into broodlord+corruptor+infestor vs mass ravens.
StatikKhaos
Profile Joined January 2011
United States214 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-06-27 07:49:01
June 27 2012 07:48 GMT
#6
dude, this game is almost perfectly balanced,

people only bitch to vent, so this math isnt even worth that much time, ps the game has fine balance only pro's should complain
edit: i didnt finish what i ment to say
Those Bitches
las91
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
United States5080 Posts
June 27 2012 08:32 GMT
#7
On June 27 2012 16:48 StatikKhaos wrote:
dude, this game is almost perfectly balanced,

people only bitch to vent, so this math isnt even worth that much time, ps the game has fine balance only pro's should complain
edit: i didnt finish what i ment to say


Even if he is complaining about balance, he's giving incredibly useful timings for both Z and P players when you are transitioning out of the mid-game and into late-game, which is actually how I see his post.

Thank you for the timings, although I kinda knew the "start the fleet beacon when he starts his hive" thing.
In Inca we trust
Th1rdEye
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
United States1074 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-06-27 09:30:41
June 27 2012 09:27 GMT
#8
Telling people to attack before broods come out is an easy way to teach toss players to lose

If you attack before broods come, and you lose your army, you might as well just leave ^^

Sorry for you toss users who play a broken race with a broken design...basically, any time you attack, its all in.. and It sucks for you

Zerg builds are meant to have enough to hold off an all in before broods, with spines infestors and ling/corruptor ^^

Toss's better option is to use warp prism at this point to harass and deny bases and be where the zerg isnt. Also picking off the greater spire, which only good protoss do to me and scout properly. 8-10 zealots cannot be stopped if they attacking the GS before it dies....Ive also lost hives at this point in the game before, which puts you back quite a bit.

Then your whole "timing" thing goes out the window.
from the days of: TheMarine [NC]...YellOw [H.O.T.]-Forever99 OgOgO [_MuMyung_] ChRh PlayGrrrr.... SlayerS_`BoxeR` [Oops]Reach [ReD]NaDa [DF]zergboy..!! Pusan[S.G] Nal_rA GARIMTO SSamJJang ChoJJa JinSu Silent_Control iloveoov H_PauL_WII JulyZerg [DaK]JoYo
Skyda
Profile Joined November 2011
United Kingdom23 Posts
June 27 2012 10:12 GMT
#9
On June 27 2012 16:48 StatikKhaos wrote:
dude, this game is almost perfectly balanced,

people only bitch to vent, so this math isnt even worth that much time, ps the game has fine balance only pro's should complain
edit: i didnt finish what i ment to say


lmao so ignorant
http://www.fm-esports.org
SeriouR
Profile Joined November 2010
Spain622 Posts
June 27 2012 10:53 GMT
#10
Wow, I was really off in my timings here. Thank you very much :D
Trance music makes the fairys dance
Cronusd
Profile Joined May 2011
Finland19 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-06-27 11:14:38
June 27 2012 11:14 GMT
#11
On June 27 2012 18:27 Th1rdEye wrote:
Toss's better option is to use warp prism at this point to harass and deny bases and be where the zerg isnt. Also picking off the greater spire, which only good protoss do to me and scout properly. 8-10 zealots cannot be stopped if they attacking the GS before it dies....Ive also lost hives at this point in the game before, which puts you back quite a bit.


If the zerg is any good he wont let you kill the GS with warp prism. It's incredibly dumb to base you're builds assuming your enemy will make a major mistake.
ErAsc2
Profile Joined May 2012
Sweden256 Posts
June 27 2012 11:37 GMT
#12
I dont think that's a good rule of thumb. I just get my stargate as soon as i feel like my 3rd is secure and the fleet beacon as soon as my stargate finishes. 2 Vortexes are 2x better than 1 Vortex.
Swedish GM Protoss http://eu.battle.net/sc2/en/profile/2336142/1/MilkEA/
TheBamf
Profile Joined June 2011
Denmark366 Posts
June 27 2012 14:40 GMT
#13
Simple but important stuff, thanks a lot!
IM.Nestea | IM.MvP | MvP.DongRaeGu. | Genius | ST.Parting I SlayerS.MMA
how
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States538 Posts
June 27 2012 15:32 GMT
#14
Really cool man, good shit to know.
http://twitter.com/howsc
RemarK
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
United States452 Posts
June 28 2012 04:16 GMT
#15
On June 27 2012 20:37 ErAsc2 wrote:
I dont think that's a good rule of thumb. I just get my stargate as soon as i feel like my 3rd is secure and the fleet beacon as soon as my stargate finishes. 2 Vortexes are 2x better than 1 Vortex.


That sounds like excellent advice / timing to me.

Also, I think there's a little confusion about this blog post - it's not meant to have advice, or tell anyone to do anything. It's just math :p
I <3 StarCraft.
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