First LotV Zerg Guide -- Editing Phase!

Good day ladies and gentleman of Team Liquid -- thank you for viewing this guide!

My goal is to present what I think is a very reasonable first build for Zerg players to use in LotV. The reason I chose this build is because it is simple but effective. It is the kind of build that newer players can use to develop their basic mechanics, while more experienced players can use it as an opening into more advanced styles of play.

If you're the kind of player who enjoys being the aggressor, then you will likely enjoy this build because you'll be able to pressure very early. But I think that even players who prefer to play more economically will find value, since this is one of the earliest and most aggressive attacks that a Zerg can use against you. Regardless of your preferred play-style, it is worthwhile getting to know how to execute and defend these types of attacks.

Another function of this guide is to remind Zerg players of some important key mechanics learned in HotS and WoL. By "key" mechanics, I literally mean efficient keyboard usage. Whether or not this particular build is viable in the LotV meta two months from now, it sets the minimum bar in terms of basic Zerg mechanics.

Developing efficient ways to hotkey, rally, and manage units -- even if they are only Zerglings for now -- will pay dividends regardless of the build(s) you eventually settle with.

This build is best-suited for Zerg vs Zerg and since it is an early attack, it works better on smaller maps (ZvZ on Ulrena is a dream scenario). However, it could still be effective on larger maps and perhaps even against some Protoss and Terran opponents (if they do not wall-in).

*Note* -- unmarked increases in supply are drones, ie. "14 gas" implies building 2 drones at the start of the game.

A Basic Zerg Build Order:

14 Gas
14 Pool
14 Extractor Trick to 15 Supply
15 Overlord
15 Queen
17 Zergling Speed Upgrade (Remove from gas @100)
17-22 Zerglings
22 Hatchery
21 Zergling
22 Overlord
22 Queen
24-28 Zerglings
28 Overlord
28+ Zerglings

In a nutshell, this opening build allows you to put on preliminary pressure with slowlings around 2:00, and then more heavy speedling pressure around 2:40.

The primary goal is to cripple your opponent's production (ie Queens/Expansion Hatchery) since that will win you the game outright. Drones are another great target because if you kill enough workers, you do not necessarily need to win the game outright. You will sometimes find yourself in situations where you've dealt enough damage to have an advantage later in the game.

Also, different players can approach this build in different ways: some may prefer to stick with overwhelming force and shove Zerglings out until the end of days; some may transition into aggressive Roach and Baneling play; some may even macro out of it. It's completely open to stylistic adaptation, once the basic build and mechanics have been mastered.

This guide sets the minimum bar in terms of three basic Zerg mechanics:

1. Hotkeying
   
2. De-Selecting
   
3. Rallying

These are not the only important mechanics, but they are ones you must know to be successful. I can't guarantee you'll go pro if you master them; but I can (almost) guarantee you won't go pro if you don't master them.

1. Hotkeying

Perhaps the most important mechanic, unit hotkeying is absolutely crucial to your success in SC2. The ability to micro-manage your units, to reinforce your army, and to respond to your opponent -- all of these rely on unit hotkeys.

To illustrate how to efficiently hotkey units, assume that you have Zerglings on the field and you want to set "1" as your hotkey for them. This is called a Control Group and it is done in two steps:

1. Select Zerglings
   
2. Hold Control and Press 1

This is simple enough, but keep in mind that all unit-eggs (pre-hatched units) can be hotkeyed to save time. In fact, your goal should be to hotkey and organize every single Zergling-egg before it even hatches. That means that as soon as you start making Zerglings, the Zergling-eggs should be immediately added to Control Group "1".

This process is called Shift-Adding to Control Groups, and once again it is done in two steps:

1. Select Zergling Eggs
   
2. Hold Shift and Press 1

For example, say you currently have 3 sets of Zerglings on the field in control group 1. Your goal is to construct three additional sets of Zerglings and add them to control group 1. The first step is to select the larva:



Then hold down "Z" to construct the three sets of Zergling:



Then (with the three eggs still selected), holds Shift and Presses "1". This will add the three eggs to the existing three Zerglings for a total of 6 sets of Zerglings.



Then once the Zergling complete, you have a total of 6 sets (12 Zerglings) conveniently in control group 1.



This is a very basic example of hotkeying, and it is a technique that competitive Zerg players cannot do without.

2. De-Selecting

De-selecting goes hand-in-hand with hotkeying mechanics. In fact, the ability to combine de-select and hotkey mechanics is the mark of a truly efficient and organized Zerg player.

Look at the screenshot below (which shows Zerglings in production). Note the unused larva in the selection bar. If the player were to press Shift-1, they would add not only the Zergling-eggs, but the unused larva too. That's disastrous; the player MUST de-select extra larva before pressing Shift-1.



There is almost nothing worse than adding unused larva to your army control group. Once you spend those larva, you'll often end up with Drones and/or Overlords moving across the map looking for trouble. What you want to do is de-select the excess larva BEFORE you add the unit-eggs to your control groups.

There are a few ways to de-select larva. The best method is to control-click the EGGS (control-click what you want to keep). If you have larva and eggs selected, and you control-click the eggs, then it de-selects the larva.



Then, once all excess larva has been de-selected, you can add the Zergling eggs to the control group with Shift-1:



The final process should look something like this:

1. Select Larva
   
2. Build Zergling(eggs)
   
3. Hold Control and Left-Click Eggs (deselecting larva)
   
4. Hold Shift and Press 1 (add Zergling eggs to 1)

And voila! An organized control group ready to go before the units even hatch. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's actually very quick once you've practiced it enough. It's basically just: 4szz / Control-Click Eggs / Shift-1.

An alternative method to de-select excess larva is to Shift-Control-Click the LARVA (shift-control-click what you want to remove), but you will probably find control-clicking the eggs to be easier.

It is important to note that de-selecting is important for reasons other than hotkeying units efficiently; there are many other applications of the de-select mechanic. Below is a quote from xPiG about using the de-select mechanic to split Zerglings around the map to scout:Assuming your Zerglings are on control group 1, here is the step-by-step process to scouting three locations with this technique:

1. Press "1" to select your Zerglings
   
2. Issue a move command to the first location.
   
3. De-select one Zergling that you wish to stay at the first location (Shift-Left Click one Zergling).
   
4. Issue another move command to the second location.
   
5. De-select one Zergling that you wish to stay at the second location.
   
6. Issue another move command to the third location
   
7. De-select one Zergling that you wish to stay at the third location.
   
8. **Hold Control and Press 1** (Otherwise your 3 scouting Zerglings will be a part of the army control group, which you don't want).

As PiG notes, it sounds complicated but it is actually... In short, the combination of De-select and Hotkey mechanics is the most important thing in the world to aspiring Zerg players. As far as utility, these mechanics are second to none.

3. Rallying

Where to set your white (unit) rally point is often a concern for Zerg players. We've all had essential reinforcements sit idly at our hatcheries, and worse, we've all sent units/Overlords across the map to their death for no reason. For newer players, I recommend the Shift-Rally method, which solves the Overlord problem and acts as a back-up if you forget to hotkey your unit-eggs.

To implement a Shift-Rally, there are two steps. First, select your hatcheries and Right-Click somewhere on a map to choose an initial rally point:



Then, while still selecting your hatcheries, hold Shift and Right-Click a Zergling:



Now you have a shift-rally. If you move your Zerglings, the second way-point changes:



And if the Zergling your Shift-Rallied onto happens to die, at least your initial rally point remains the same. It's better than having your units sitting at your hatcheries!

That being said, as you improve your hotkeying mechanics, you should rely on rally points less and less. The goal, remember, is to immediately hotkey all unit-eggs to your control groups. But a quick shift-rally is a nice back up.

The replay pack features about 12 games from my own ladder experiences. I would love to include games from professional Zerg players, but for now I have to work with what I have, which is my own humble efforts in the mid-high master range.


In future guides I hope to include builds and replays from top-tier players, so if you happen to stumble across some excellent replays please send them my way! Over the following months, I look forward to spending a good chunk of time studying replays of the best aggressive Zergs in the world.

Any help finding those replays is very appreciated!

I just want to take one last minute to thank you all for reading, and encourage you to approach the new meta with an open mind.

If I could offer one piece of advice to anyone who feels frustrated with LotV, it would be to take things in stride. It is very easy with a new expansion to fall into a negative mindset and blame the units, the game, your opponents. Do not fall victim to that way of thinking because there is no gain in it.

Stay confident, keep composure, learn and adapt. Char wasn't built in a day (to the best of my knowledge anyway).

GL HF
Tim "TangSC" Clark