EPTThis game... Artosis and Tasteless were stoked and so was I. Dear played so well and that combined with a BO advantage to start out just walked over DRG in this game. I repeat: walked over DRG! DRG. Walked Over. DRG... Oh Dear indeed. DRG didn't look at all phased after the loss, but that may have been his downfall in this group. I don't think he realized how strong Dear was, I certainly didn't.
Taking such a bold and fast 3rd nexus is crazy regardless, but Dear did it on a map with a notoriously hard to take 3rd base with hardly any units at all. And he made it work in dominant fashion. Artosis started playing this style on ladder the other day, I'll go look through his VODs to see if there's a good one of him doing it there, otherwise here's the links to the GOM VODs.
GOMTV.net VOD
Twitch.tv VOD
Note: + Show Spoiler +
This build is fairly passive and this specific game played into that, so the supply numbers used in build orders are able to provide a good timing much farther into the game than normal, so that is why I continued to use that metric well into the 90's of supply. Dear only loses one probe at 43 supply as his second scout is picked off, which is normal enough that I don't adjust supply numbers, so technically if you're doing this build and you lose nothing you'd be +1 supply over Dear at the 4:30 mark on. I have also marked out the time of many important hurdles from the beginning as that's also a good metric and doesn't really ever lose or gain accuracy or importance assuming your build is still on track.
Dear's safety in this game makes the followable build order go WAY WAY longer into the match than your typical build as the tech paths are really well planned and only somewhat reactive and the game in question is really passive for the most part.
The Build: + Show Spoiler +
I'm not sure what to call this one, it has an Oracle opening, fast 3rd timing, Voidray, Blink Stalker use, but not for an all-in or attack timing, then it gets Colossus later on. So I'll post a for fun poll at the end of this blog to see what you guys think about some names I came up with. I just don't think "Oracle into fast third" or "Voidray Blink" quite describe this gem.
<FFE> Nexus First variety
*This isn't just a one tech build, this is a late-game plan, so it's pretty long/detailed. Be prepared to deviate if you don't scout similar tech to what DRG was doing
*Constant Probes the whole time until all 3 bases are saturated
*Chrono's are noted when visible in VODs, but do not account for it all. I'd assume probes for
most of it, 1-2 on most upgrades as well. More play testing will reveal Chrono logic better.
9 Pylon
16 Nexus (Scout) [2:25]
17 Forge
17 Pylon
18 Gateway (1) [3:15]
19 Cannon
20-21 Gas x 2 (1,2) [3:45]
25 Cy Core [4:20]
30 Zealot
35 Stargate @Cy Core 100% [5:20]
35 +1 Gas (3)
40 Sentry (1)
42 WG Tech [5:40]
46 Oracle (Chrono) @ SG 100% [6:20]
48 Sentry (2)
50 +1 Gas (4) [6:40]
54 +1 Attack [7:00]
55 3rd Nexus [7:16] (!!!)
-> Oracle to opponent's 3rd Base
55 Voidray (Chrono)
60 MsC [7:45]
65 +5 Gateways
70 Twilight [8:30]
*See Benchmark*
85 Blink Tech [9:40]
+2 Attack
+2 Gas (5, 6)
96 +2 Gateways (7, 8)
97 Robo [10:29]
-> Move out to pressure 4th/main w/ 3 Voidrays + MsC (don't lose these)
11:50 Robo @100% Obs ->Prism
Robotics Support Bay
+3 Attack
12:50 Charge
13:00 Robo Bay @100% Colossus/Thermal Lance
14:30-15:00 Move out with army, take 4th base
Show colossus tech (Force opponent to Muta or Corruptor)
+ 2 Stargates (2, 3)
Dear also builds 1 phoenix to have a bit of mobile scouting for tech/positioning
Use Warp Prism harass to scout opponent's reaction force (muta or corrupter)
Prioritize Phoenix if Mutas (Also cannons), Voids if Corrupters
If you haven't won yet add Templar Archives ( for archons feedback and storm) to deal with the Hive tech that can hurt you still (Ultra/Infestor/Viper techs), BL's are a non-threat IMO unless you lose your voids or something. But with Blink, Voids, Air and Ground attack upgrades that would be a bad choice for Zerg IMO.
Benchmark: 9:30
- 3 Bases up
- 57 Probes (1 dead due to scouting in Dear vs DRG)
- 2 Voids (+1 building)
- 1 Oracle
- 1 MsC
- 3 Sentries
- 1 Zealot
Killing Composition: (In the actual engagement, not counting reinforcements)
- 13 Zealots
- 17 Stalkers
- 3 Colossi
- 6 Voids
- 2 Sentries
- MsC
- Dear does lose all of his Sentries at one point, and remakes only 2 for the main attack. Dear also uses them for Guardian shield over FF's, so he doesn't need all that many. I'm not sure if he would have liked to have FF's in that main battle, he did kind of wipe the floor with DRG anyway
I prefer to keep my Prism and use it to warp in during the battle, or make a new one. Dear doesn't think so or forgot it. Either way his reinforcements have to stream pretty far across the map, so that could've been better.
If I end up posting this in the strat forum I'll go into more detail on what Dear does but as this isn't really a [G] build guide I'll skip most of the really subtle stuff assuming that you either understand the game enough to assume it all or at least took the time to watch the VODs and pick up on what exact units Dear adds and when, etc.
God Dear is such a boss (except for forgetting about his Prism D: ). Even after I had watched this game 3 times I was still blown away by how greedy he was being. He got really lucky in that DRG played an anti-gate expand style and ended up ahead due to it, but then he takes a 3rd off of 1 Zealot, 3 Sentries, an Oracle and 1 gate. So sexy. He did have a good idea of what DRG was doing though, so it's not like ALL of his greed was blind coin flipping or prepared metagaming.
There are two important early Scout timings that Dear uses. Once on the initial scout with the probe that built the Nexus and again at 4:45 to check the third and gas timings + other tech. He gets a bit more scouting with his oracle later on, then moves out for the first time basically once he has a few sentries but doesn't actually cross the map until he has blink and a good stalker count. He gets pushed back by DRG's Hydra/ling force and has to defend until his colossus finishes, (with his +3 attack in almost perfect sync), then it's DRG's turn to retreat. The 3 colossi, 7(!!) Voids + Gateway force that Dear finally pushes out with is SO strong against DRG's Hydra/Corrupter/Ling army. It's important to note that if you plan on using this build in your games that you are aware of the earlier scouting timings and possible alternate decisions you would have to face against a different Zerg than DRG. If you scout an all in with your Oracle/earlier with a probe you'd have to rush your MsC, cannons or more Gates sooner, and later with your Prism harass scouting Corrupter or Muta tech you will have to differ from Dear's style a little bit.
This game is a bit of a special case since Dear was basically able to do whatever he wanted the whole game, including forcing DRG down the tech paths he wanted and crushing it with strong counters, while DRG never tried anything outlandish or non standard. I like that about this build/game as it gives us a really good view of Dear's ideal plan, and not some build he prepared then had to abandon down some contingency avenue, making us guess at the original game plan. So while you may not get to play this one out flawlessly every time, you can at least get a pro-level view of what exactly your game plan should be in that case. With a little study and some play testing anyone should be able to do this IMO, and since the build is so laid out so far into the game I think it's a great one to use if you're not too great at the game (i.e. me :D )
I'm gonna go look over Dear's other games from this group tomorrow, so stoked to go over these goodies. It's so rare that such a smart player gets to prepare for ONE matchup for so long and gets to execute them all perfectly. Dear is now one of my favorite Protoss.
If you liked this at all, check out SC2John's blog, specifically this Dear themed one. He does this sort of stuff all the time, and also helped write the most recent TL Strategy Article about a Stable PvP 2 Gate expand that is responsible for my own recovery in the mirror match up department.
Thanks SC2John! You're a boss.
Build Name Ideas:
I think something clever involving Dear would be cool and silly, especially because something specific like "Immortal All-In" or "2-2-2 All-In" won't do this one justice. We need a "Man Train" "Soul Train" type name me thinks. I like "Dear Itself", as in "There is nothing to fear, other than fear itself." But Dear instead of fear. Get it? Boy I am clever.
How about one of these:
Poll: Dear's complicated build name
The "Oh, Dear" (5)
42%
Oracle into Fast 3rd into Void/Blink/Colossus (2)
17%
"Dear Itself" (1)
8%
"Dear-struction" (1)
8%
"The Dear Express" (1)
8%
"Zerg is dumb" (1)
8%
Something actually clever. (Post a suggestion then why don't you) (1)
8%
"Dearcraft" (0)
0%
"Up yours Zerg" - Dear (0)
0%
12 total votes
Oracle into Fast 3rd into Void/Blink/Colossus (2)
"Dear Itself" (1)
"Dear-struction" (1)
"The Dear Express" (1)
"Zerg is dumb" (1)
Something actually clever. (Post a suggestion then why don't you) (1)
"Dearcraft" (0)
"Up yours Zerg" - Dear (0)
12 total votes
Your vote: Dear's complicated build name
(Vote): The "Oh, Dear"
(Vote): "Dear Itself"
(Vote): "Dear-struction"
(Vote): "The Dear Express"
(Vote): Oracle into Fast 3rd into Void/Blink/Colossus
(Vote): "Dearcraft"
(Vote): "Zerg is dumb"
(Vote): "Up yours Zerg" - Dear
(Vote): Something actually clever. (Post a suggestion then why don't you)
Thanks for reading! I'm pretty bad at this game, so if any of my conclusions are wrong feel free to dispute them, I do not claim to be 100% right on anything. Cheers!
Kommatiazo
