• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 16:20
CEST 22:20
KST 05:20
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall5HomeStory Cup 27 - Info & Preview18Classic wins Code S Season 2 (2025)16Code S RO4 & Finals Preview: herO, Rogue, Classic, GuMiho0TL Team Map Contest #5: Presented by Monster Energy6
Community News
Flash Announces Hiatus From ASL33Weekly Cups (June 23-29): Reynor in world title form?12FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event16Esports World Cup 2025 - Final Player Roster14Weekly Cups (June 16-22): Clem strikes back1
StarCraft 2
General
The SCII GOAT: A statistical Evaluation Weekly Cups (June 23-29): Reynor in world title form? StarCraft Mass Recall: SC1 campaigns on SC2 thread How does the number of casters affect your enjoyment of esports? Esports World Cup 2025 - Final Player Roster
Tourneys
FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event HomeStory Cup 27 (June 27-29) WardiTV Mondays SOOPer7s Showmatches 2025 $200 Biweekly - StarCraft Evolution League #1
Strategy
How did i lose this ZvP, whats the proper response Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 480 Moths to the Flame Mutation # 479 Worn Out Welcome Mutation # 478 Instant Karma Mutation # 477 Slow and Steady
Brood War
General
[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall Flash Announces Hiatus From ASL Help: rep cant save Where did Hovz go? BW General Discussion
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL20] GosuLeague RO16 - Tue & Wed 20:00+CET The Casual Games of the Week Thread [BSL20] ProLeague LB Final - Saturday 20:00 CET
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers I am doing this better than progamers do.
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Path of Exile What do you want from future RTS games? Beyond All Reason
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Trading/Investing Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Stop Killing Games - European Citizens Initiative Russo-Ukrainian War Thread
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece [\m/] Heavy Metal Thread Korean Music Discussion
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread NBA General Discussion Formula 1 Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
from making sc maps to makin…
Husyelt
Blog #2
tankgirl
Game Sound vs. Music: The Im…
TrAiDoS
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Heero Yuy & the Tax…
KrillinFromwales
Trip to the Zoo
micronesia
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 631 users

SC2 Notes: Life's Transitional Play ZvP

Blogs > SC2John
Post a Reply
EsportsJohn
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States4883 Posts
October 19 2013 07:09 GMT
#1
This has also been posted in the strategy section of the forum. I am including this in my blog so I can keep a running catalog of my blog posts. If you have significant input, it would be greatly appreciated in the strategy section .


SC2 Notes: Life's Brilliant Transitional Play ZvP (AKA Life's WTF ZvP)

After watching IEM, I was stunned not only by how well Life played, but in the way that he seemed to have a series of transitions already laid out all the way to the lategame. I decided to take some notes from his games against Naniwa to try and get a better idea of his ZvP style and how he manages to make "low economy" play work. I originally wanted to take select games from his games versus HerO and Zest too, but it's far too much work hahaha.

FINALLY, one for you zerg players! Enjoy .

Game 1 (Polar Night):
The build: + Show Spoiler +
10 overlord
Extractor trick
11 drone scout
15 proxy hatch
17 natural hatchery
18 extractor
18 spawning pool
18 overlord
18 3rd hatch (4:30)
19 queen
@100 gas -> zergling speed (5:00)
**Pull drones off gas**
21 queen
25 overlord
**@5:30 zergling poke**
26 queen
**Nonstop ling production**
@7:00 attack with ~30 speedlings
Drone behind pressure

@lair tech -> burrow, roach speed, and +1 range
After scouting void ray/zealot/templar -> queen/roach/infestor
Trade roaches for swarm hosts


Transitions:
  1. speedling attack (7:00)
  2. roach/ling poke after lair
  3. hydra/roach attack
  4. swarm host/queen transition and roach harassment
  5. 4th base and adding infestors/hydras
  6. spire transition

The goal in this game was to delay Naniwa's natural for as long as possible while slowly gaining an economic edge. Life opens with a proxy hatchery at Naniwa's natural while taking 3 hatcheries and speed behind it. Unfortunately, Life loses his 3rd hatch, but is able to put on massive amounts of speedling pressure and deny Naniwa's natural by over 3 minutes. Behind this, Life transitions into a 3rd base (delaying Naniwa's 3rd for as long as possible) while setting up a roach/hydra attack. When his roach/hydra attack backfires, Life uses constant burrowed roach harassment to buy enough time for a swarm host/queen transition. After reaching a critical mass of swarm hosts, Life is able to repel Naniwa and take his 4th while transitioning into infestors and adding hydras to his roach/queen/swarm host mix. When Life maxes out, he starts to set up a spire transition, but manages to win a big engagement and the game before the spire comes into play.


Game 2 (Akilon Wastes):
The build: + Show Spoiler +
10 overlord
extractor trick
15 hatch
16 gas (@2:30)
16 pool
17 overlord
@100% pool -> double queen
@100 gas -> zergling speed
*pull drones off gas*
23 zerglings(x1)
25 overlord
30 hatch (5:05)
*drones back on gas ~5:30*
39 overlord
**flood lings when speed finishes (6:00)**
@100 gas -> lair
@7:30 evo + gas(x1)
@9:00 gasx2
@9:30 hydralisk den
@10:30 infestation pit + gas(x1)

Life scouts for proxies ~6:00
Poke at natural ramp @6:30
+1 melee attack into +2 attack/+1 carapace
Hydra/ling followup + fast hive
@hivetech -> add queens


Transitions:
  1. speedling attack (7:00)
  2. hydra/ling attack
  3. 4th base and adding infestors
  4. queen/ultra transition

Life makes a concentrated effort to again deny the 3rd base while setting up a solid 3-base economy. Life transitions into a hydra/ling attack to keep his opponent pinned back while adding on a 4th base, infestors, and queens. After doing tons of economic damage as well as constantly trading units for Naniwa's high-tech units, Life is able to make an early hive transition to ultras to finish the game.


Game 3 (Bel'Shir Vestige):
The build: + Show Spoiler +
10 overlord
extractor trick
15 pool
15 hatch
15 overlord
15 queen
17 zerglings(x1)
21 3rd hatch (3:50)
22 queen
24 overlord
31 overlord
34 queen
@5:30 gas(x2)
@6:00 roach warren
@100 gas -> zergling speed
@next 100 gas -> when safe, lair
@7:30 gas (x1)
@8:15 gas (x1)
@9:00 4th hatch + gasx2
@lair tech -> roach speed, infestation pit, extra gases, and burrow

Zergling poke @6:00, spots moveout
+1 melee attack into +2 attack/+1 carapace
Adds on queens after scouting void rays and 3-base saturated
roach/queen/infestor attack @13:30


Transitions:
  1. ling pressure (~9:00)
  2. 4th base and adding infestors
  3. roach/queen production
  4. nydus worm attack (13:30)
  5. EXTRA: roach/hydra followup attack
  6. EXTRA: swarm host transition

In this game, Life opts out of his normal early ling speed aggression (perhaps he thought the 3rd was too easy to take on this map?) and instead goes the macro route. Opting out of the roach/hydra mid game phase, Life goes directly into infestor production while delaying Naniwa as long as possible with zerglings. Certain of his lead, he pumped nothing but roach/queen and did a powerful nydus attack. After losing concentration for a bit, Life transitions back into a roach/hydra composition to try and end the game but fails and is unable to get swarm hosts out in time to defend Naniwa's counterattack.


Game 4 (Whirlwind):
The build: + Show Spoiler +
10 overlord
15 hatch
18 hatch
18 gas (3:10)
18 pool
17 overlord
19 overlord
@100% hatch -> double queen
@100 gas -> zergling speed (4:40)
*drones off of gas*
26 overlord
27-29 zerglings(x3)
32 queen
33 overlord
**@100% ling speed -> flood lings (7:00)**
**mass drones behind aggression**
*drones back on gas* (~7:30)
@7:45 roach warren + gas(x1)
@100gas lair
@9:00 evo
@9:30 gas(x4)

@lair tech -> roach speed, burrow, and +1 ranged attack
@11:00 roach/ling poke
(4th gas)
hydra/ling transition + queens
Nydus worm attack (14:30)
After failed aggression, 4th base and swarm host transition


Transitions:
  1. speedling attack (7:00)
  2. roach/ling poke after lair
  3. hydra/ling/queen nydus attack (14:30)

In this game, Life starts with his patented early ling aggression at 7:00 while droning and behind and teching to lair. At lair tech, Life swells roach/ling to poke the 3rd while preparing a hydra transition. After scouting Naniwa's chargelot/void ray composition with no templar, Life transitions into hydra/ling with queen support. After killing the 3rd, Life sees weakness and commits to a nydus worm attack designed to win. Unfortunately, Naniwa defends with amazing micro and a quasi base-race ensues.


Game 5 (Yeonsu):
The build: + Show Spoiler +
10 overlord
extractor trick
15 pool
15 hatch
15 overlord
15 queen
17 zerglings(x1)
21 overlord
21 queen
25 queen
**zergling poke @4:30**
33 overlord
37 queen
39 overlord
@5:30 gas(x2)
44 overlord
@6:30 double evo
@100gas -> lair (7:00)
@7:00 3rd hatch + roach warren + gas(x2)

Queen production in response to phoenixes
@lair tech -> burrow, roach speed, +1/+1
@9:30 infestation pit + gas(x2)
Infestors + 4th base


Transitions:
  1. feigned roach pressure (10:00)
  2. queen production + creep spread
  3. 4th base and infestors
  4. roach/queen/swarm host transition
  5. adding hydras and spire transition
  6. adding vipers and corruptors

Life opens passively with a delayed 3rd hatch and gas. Completely skipping zergling speed, Life instead opts for a queen-heavy defense while teching heavily (double ups, burrow, roach speed, infestors, swarm hosts all before any pressure). Life's queen opening allows him to spread creep very far out on the map, making a swarm host transition safe. After securing a 4th base and adding infestors, Life continually adds roaches, queens, and swarm hosts while setting up a spire transition. In a disastrous trade, however, Life loses his entire army and is unable to stop Naniwa's army from moving across the map.


Game 6 (Frost):
The build: + Show Spoiler +
10 overlord
extractor trick
15 hatch
17 hatch
18 gas
18 pool
18 overlord
@100% pool -> queen(x3)
@100 gas -> zergling speed (4:30)
*drones off gas*
28 overlord
30 overlord
**@5:30 overlord scout**
*drones back on gas*
**zergling production + spores for DTs**
@100 gas -> lair
@7:00 roach warren + gas(x1)
**@7:30 ling poke**
@8:00 gas(x1) + @8:30 gas(x1)

Ling swell after spotting 3rd
hydra transition behind ling aggression


Transitions:
  1. speedling attack (7:00-9:00)
  2. hydra/ling attack (11:30)

Life opens the game with triple hatch before pool with a very early gas. After scouting and deflecting DT pressure, Life puts on counteraggression, spotting a greedy 3rd nexus from Naniwa. Life floods lings while teching to hydralisks, destroys the 3rd, and sets up for a final hydra/ling attack with no upgrades.


Conclusions

While Life opens up in a large variety of ways and transitions differently each game, there are some underlying currents and some very obvious orders of transitions. Life's ZvP, in particular, revolves around a handful of aggressive stages used to pressure the opponent while he drones behind it. These aggressive stages range from early pool aggression to speedling attacks to roach/hydra attacks and allow Life to power heavily behind it; while perhaps his greatest strength is his unit control and ability to get the most out of his units, Life's ability to smoothly transition from one composition into another is what gives him such power in this matchup. In other words, Life is always able to retain units well and use them effectively in a later composition.

Life's order of transitions goes something like this:
  1. Speedling pressure (6:00-7:00)
  2. Lair attacks (roach/ling, hydra/ling, roach/hydra)
  3. SH/Queen transition augmented by roaches or hydras
  4. Taking a 4th base and adding infestors (and hydras)
  5. *Ultralisk transition* (often skipped)
  6. Spire transition


Life's army composition flows like this:
  • speedlings ->
  • roach/hydra + speedlings ->
  • queen/SH + roach or hydra ->
  • hydra/queen/SH + infestors ->
  • hydra/queen/SH/infestor + hive tech and/or corruptors


There are times, of course, when Life skips certain transitional stages or reverses the order of two. These are generally responses based on scouting and the style of your opponent, but they are always geared toward the lategame army of hydra/queen/SH/infestor + hive tech. For instance, Life entirely skips over the first two transitional stages in Game 5 (Yeonsu), making an almost immediate sprint to 4 bases and a roach/queen/SH army. In Game 3 (Bel'Shir), Life switches the order of getting infestors and his roach/queen/SH transition. The nydus worm attacks are attacks specifically designed to kill his opponent based on scouting certain weaknesses; in these cases, the nydus worm transition is almost a replacement for the swarm hosts and allows Life to do huge lair tech attacks.

Of course, it's difficult to put this all in perspective based on scouting, especially since Life's play was so varied and Naniwa played almost the same game every game. It would be a difficult task to put this all together based on scouting and playing against colossus or void rays or big blink aggression, etc., etc., but at least this provides a guideline of the general flow of ZvP.


I hope you enjoyed the notes! Since zerg is not my primary race, I may be missing some obvious things or lacking certain knowledge. If there's anything that needs correcting or some thoughts needed to be voiced, let me know! Otherwise, discuss!

_


****
StrategyAllyssa Grey <3<3
Paljas
Profile Joined October 2011
Germany6926 Posts
October 19 2013 08:18 GMT
#2
very good notes.
the yeonsu game was in partiular interesting, because life uses a very different style in this game.

also, he still goes extractor trick in every game, just like other korean zergs.
TL+ Member
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
OSC
20:00
Mid Season Playoffs
SHIN vs Bunny
Cham vs MaNa
SKillous vs TBD
PAPI vs Jumy
Gerald vs Moja
ArT vs TBD
SteadfastSC269
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
SteadfastSC 269
IndyStarCraft 209
UpATreeSC 131
goblin 126
ProTech83
Livibee 52
StarCraft: Brood War
Aegong 78
scan(afreeca) 34
yabsab 15
Dota 2
Gorgc7438
Pyrionflax171
League of Legends
Grubby4062
Dendi1103
Counter-Strike
fl0m2095
pashabiceps607
Foxcn216
sgares13
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu563
Khaldor173
Other Games
summit1g5936
FrodaN1777
Beastyqt636
mouzStarbuck446
Trikslyr84
Sick73
Mew2King66
ZombieGrub54
Organizations
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 22 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• HeavenSC 39
• davetesta32
• intothetv
• sooper7s
• Migwel
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• IndyKCrew
• Kozan
• AfreecaTV YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
• 80smullet 23
• Eskiya23 1
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• WagamamaTV644
League of Legends
• Jankos2597
• Doublelift2080
• TFBlade1363
• masondota2486
Other Games
• Scarra1041
• imaqtpie1040
• Shiphtur232
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
3h 40m
The PondCast
13h 40m
RSL Revival
13h 40m
ByuN vs Classic
Clem vs Cham
WardiTV European League
19h 40m
Replay Cast
1d 3h
RSL Revival
1d 13h
herO vs SHIN
Reynor vs Cure
WardiTV European League
1d 19h
FEL
1d 19h
Korean StarCraft League
2 days
CranKy Ducklings
2 days
[ Show More ]
RSL Revival
2 days
FEL
2 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
3 days
RSL Revival
3 days
FEL
3 days
BSL: ProLeague
3 days
Dewalt vs Bonyth
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
The PondCast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2025-06-28
HSC XXVII
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
BSL Season 20
Acropolis #3
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
Championship of Russia 2025
RSL Revival: Season 1
Murky Cup #2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025
YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025

Upcoming

CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
uThermal 2v2 Main Event
SEL Season 2 Championship
FEL Cracov 2025
Esports World Cup 2025
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.