EPTFirst, the game in question.
replay : http://drop.sc/354656
Long story short, the guy went for a 13 pool and just overran my first gateway at the wall before my sentry could pop out. Looking back on it the positioning of my gateway was terrible (so much surface area) but even if I had gotten out that sentry my gateway probably would have died. It got me thinking on how I need to deviate my opening to make sure that stuff doesn't happen...
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/cpPkMap.png)
It could just come down to bad gateway positioning, but i gotta be sure.
The biggest problem that I could see from the outcome of those early lings is that I just can't get a sentry out in time for a pool that is so early (13) if they make about 6 lings. In my case my enemy was commiting more than a normal zerg by making 3 pairs right off the bat, but it is none the less important for me to see if there's any way of stopping said lings.
By the way I'm sure there are many people already out there who have perfectly figured out how to execute gateway first against zergs, but I want to make sure I get it figured out myself <3. Also mine's a bit different because I gof or a walloff with the gateways.
First off, 13 pool - pool went down around 1:50, lings came out at about 3:20. The lings actually reached my base around 4:00~4:10. I varied my build very slightly by getting 16 nexus/cyber and chronoboosting out the zealot, as opposed to 17 nexus followed by zealot after the 2nd pylon was built.
Now, if I were to have used the normal way I go and have made my 17th probe, my first zealot would have only just started building when the zerglings hit - a fair enough move for me to have made to save supply.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/CqwdIdy.png)
trial and err.
Now if I had gone for cyber-zealot-pylon-nexus-sentry... the sentry would have been done about 15-20 seconds earlier than the game I played. This may be the right response, but if the enemy doesn't commit heavily to zerglings it seems like my nexus and 2nd gas is delayed oh so much. I don't know for sure if anything before 15 pool is always aggressive or not, but since on small maps I don't have the luxury of being risky, I'd suppose delaying my nexus is better than losing the game.
making the gateway first at the wall is pretty hard to hold against any early pressure, even very small pressure. Until my first sentry is out I basically have to watch what ever structure is in front get beat up by lings. It allows for my greedy build, but it's pretty hard...
Don't know if I'm going to even bother going in depth to look in to 6-10 pool responses since I'd just shit my pants and try to defend hard rather than expanding anyways. The mentatily that I have that I NEED TO EXPAND FAST might be what makes the early pools hard to hold with the gateway wall off too.
Well I didn't learn much but I did learn that when the enemy gets a pool I should actually delay my expo more. Also I think that i'll start assuming 13 pools are agressive.
Cheers!
P.S. I'm sad that the last day before ladder lock and I'm going to be busy, probably can't ladder up enough
