• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 17:19
CET 23:19
KST 07:19
  • 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
[ASL22] Finals Preview: Sweet Victory!12[ASL22] Ro4 Preview: Mirror Mirror6[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: Within Reach5[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: In A Tizzy11[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Holy Diver5
Community News
Weekly Cups (Oct 26 - Nov 1): MaxPax, herO, Solar win0Weekly Cups (October 19-25): Clem triples first in 5.0.175Evil Geniuses - shutting down23ISSL (IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League): Premier7Weekly Cups (October 12-18): 5.0.17 era begins1
StarCraft 2
General
Username Change Request - Toxickej Kapr No more SC2 streamers on team liquid? [D] Hacker peak in sc2 ? Liquibets sc2 season 30 Evil Geniuses - shutting down
Tourneys
Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament WardiTV Mondays ISSL (IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League): Premier Stellar Fest TWO the Moon (Dec 16-20) RSL goes to London! 2026 Offline Finals Nov 21-22
Strategy
[H] ZvP Mid-Late Game: Stalkers Collossi HT
Custom Maps
Starcraft 2 Advance [D] the control group Simple Questions/Answers [G] How to playtest arcade maps
External Content
Mutation # 550 Graveyard Shift The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 549 Endless Sparkles Mutation # 548 Shining Bright
Brood War
General
Rollback Netcode in Brood War BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Sagi.gg Launcher Released Top Players of October 2026 (EBPD Rankings) BW General Discussion
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 4 [Mixed-Gender CK] Rush+4 vs Best+4 [BSL23] RO24 Group F - Sunday 21:00 CET
Strategy
50,000-Word Terran Builds Memo 2026-10-22 Cliff Jump Revisited (1 in a 1000 strategy) Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Deus Ex 3!? Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Armies of Exigo - YesYes?
Dota 2
Dota 2 Champions League Season 3 Begins April 25!
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine The Chess Thread
Fan Clubs
Fan Club Resource Thread Reynor Fan Club The Flash Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Recent Gifted Posts
Blogs
Why I built Repalyzer (1.1.…
BlueStar
Innovate or Game Over?
TrAiDoS
ShieldBattery on Mac
Kraekkling
[ASL22] Ro4 Day1 Ticket Giv…
bITt.mAN
Can Bots Beat Pros?? Starcr…
namkraft
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 11428 users

ZvZ Build Order.

Blogs > Tadzio00
Post a Reply
Tadzio
Profile Blog Joined October 2006
3340 Posts
Last Edited: 2007-08-04 15:16:58
August 04 2007 15:04 GMT
#1
Although I haven't been playing any exceptional zergs, I've been having a lot of success with this build order. I stole it from a ZvZ replay of sAviOr. I don't know if it's anything special... maybe it's a perfectly average build order, but it's been working for me.

This build is probably weak to pools faster than 9 pool, and as with most ZvZ builds, major micro/macro errors will lose you the game. Also, the build is very resource efficient in the early-mid game, so drone scouting isn't something I'd suggest unless you tested for the ideal time to do it (I haven't). Maps with ramps and no more than 4 bases (2 base is ideal because of lack of drone scout) are best for this build, imo. Anyway, here it is:

9 Ovie (scout after its done)
12 Pool
11 Gas (directly after pool)
12 Hatchery (at natural)
11 2 zergling eggs (rally to ramp)
13 zergling speed; 2 zergling eggs
15 lair; 1 zergling egg; take 2 drones off gas (don't take the drones off in anticipation of 100 gas, do it after you make lair. If you take the drones off in anticipation, your spire will be late)
16 overlord

From here you mass zerglings, making drones only when you can't pressure and don't need more lings for defense (often I don't make any extra drones until after spire completes, though that may be a failing of mine). I think you should always attempt to pressure with lings if your opponent has taken his nat. If you opponent defends well, attempt to run past his lings into his main's drones. Cause havoc. As soon as you place your spire, put 2 drones back on gas, and if you've made a few extra drones, make another gas at your nat. Once your spire is complete, judge what your opponent's ling count looks like. If he has a greater ling count, you should probably build muta, if your opponent has a similar ling count or muta already, you should probably spend all your gas on scourge to take out overlords and any muta your opponent might be making/have. From here go into normal ZvZ, produce as many muta as you can and make lings/drones with excess minerals.

Disclaimer: I'm not a good player, and as I said I haven't used this build vs solid zergs. None of my games with this build have lasted longer than 7 minutes, so I'm not sure how it performs if you're forced into the zerg late-game. I'm not advocating this as the best ZvZ build order by any means, I've just noticed its been working for me so far... I'm sure it has weaknesses I haven't had the chance to experience/identify.

Replay: Here's a game of me using the build order vs a friend of mine. He lost our first two zvz's very quickly and I told him my build order for this game, which he used (though his ling timing was a bit different, and he made lair before speed, I believe). So we're using close to identical build orders here-- I know, probably not the best example of how the build works, but this is among the longest zvz I've had with this build. Note: I miss my overlord in this game and "make up for it" by making way too many... those minerals should've been going toward zerglings.

Gosu Replay: Here's the game I stole the build order from. It's sAviOr vs Sen game 1 on Blitz X. I think I read somewhere that people thought sen had the superior build order, and they're probably right. Sen had more than enough lings to defend, and of course he had more gas (his drones stayed on gas the whole game), but if sAviOr's build choice puts him behind, he never looks very far behind and because of the faster pool combined with the many lings and the fact that this build provides and a spire that is about as fast as Sen's, he's constantly threatening to do enough damage to even the odds.... And yeah, sAviOr's micro was godly, so that helps, hehe.

Hope someone finds this handy!

****
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24809 Posts
August 04 2007 18:48 GMT
#2
That's so specific at first that I wonder how hard it is for the opponent to force you to change it a little bit and throw all the numbers off...
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
Tadzio
Profile Blog Joined October 2006
3340 Posts
August 04 2007 19:08 GMT
#3
Thats a good point, but the specific bits are so early I dunno what your opponent can do about it short of 5 pooling. I mean, you could always delay your spire or build a sunken if you scout that your opponent is skipping his tech for all-in lings. When it comes down to it with this build, though, I suspect micro errors or making blind decisions (lack of scouting) will kill you more than anything else.
7c.nEptuNe
Profile Blog Joined October 2005
United States153 Posts
August 05 2007 01:08 GMT
#4
i don't see how 9 pool wouldn't beat this. They have 6 lings at your base while you have 4 and get speed faster than you do. I'll assume you have very good control xP
Tadzio
Profile Blog Joined October 2006
3340 Posts
August 05 2007 02:27 GMT
#5
9 pool 9 ovie 9 gas makes 6 lings at 2:05, starts zergling speed at 2:35, morphs lair at 2:55.

This build makes 4 lings at 2:25, starts zergling speed at 2:40, morphs lair at 3:00.

So, you're right, if that particular 9 pool finds you immediately you'll feel some pressure. And my control isn't very good, unfortunately. I have lost 2 games with this build and both were to 9 pools on peaks. First game I goofed micro and lost. Second game, I successfully stopped the first 6 lings but overextended on my counter rush losing too many lings, and didn't pay attention to the fact that he delayed his spire to pump lings so I got run over that way. :/ I doubt its an auto-lose situation, though. You do have defender's advantage... faster reinforcements, larva advantage, creep, ramp, drones if necessary.
stenole
Profile Blog Joined April 2004
Norway870 Posts
August 05 2007 09:14 GMT
#6
It seems like a nice opening on maps with some distance like blitz X. In my head a 9 pool can't get more lings than you have. On a map with more normal distances, I would personally prefer making the 3rd zergling egg.

This build seems like it has no sharp edges. It seems geared towards just getting enough lings to fend off early lings, getting speedling upgrade in time to not get murdered by the opponent's speedling timing, getting enough larva to not be overwhelmed by zerglings, having spire early enough to not have to build evo chamber and having a slight drone advantage on anyone who tries anything "sharp". So really, a perfect build to take out an opponent assumed to be weaker.
5HITCOMBO
Profile Joined March 2006
Japan2239 Posts
August 05 2007 10:18 GMT
#7
The reason this build was so good was because Savior showed all the signs of adapting to his opponent - he didn't choose this build because it was the strongest economically or mass-wise, he chose it because it allowed him to adapt to either of the two.
I live in perpetual fear of terrorists and studio gangsters
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 41m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Nathanias 110
mouzStarbuck 56
EmSc Tv 10
EnDerr 6
Dota 2
syndereN323
monkeys_forever170
League of Legends
Doublelift3189
JimRising 246
Counter-Strike
pashabiceps1592
Fnx 1279
zeus244
jkaem80
Other Games
summit1g5481
tarik_tv4859
Grubby2819
Coldzera 839
FrodaN708
singsing706
shahzam314
PiGStarcraft234
XaKoH 185
byalli179
Pyrionflax167
Liquid`Hasu155
C9.Mang0153
NeuroSwarm66
Fuzer 51
ViBE47
Mew2King36
Railgan23
Organizations
Other Games
BasetradeTV130
Counter-Strike
PGL114
StarCraft: Brood War
lovetv 12
StarCraft 2
EmSc Tv 10
EmSc2Tv 10
[ Show 17 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hupsaiya 71
• davetesta5
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Laughngamez YouTube
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• HerbMon 1
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• WagamamaTV470
League of Legends
• Jankos2834
• Nemesis2721
Other Games
• imaqtpie754
• Shiphtur298
Upcoming Events
OSC
41m
IntoTheTV X SOOP
1d 12h
Reynor vs Solar
ByuN vs SHIN
Clem vs MaxPax
herO vs Rogue
IPSL
1d 18h
WorsT vs nOmaD
Dewalt vs andersOn
AI Arena Tournament
1d 20h
IntoTheTV X SOOP
2 days
IPSL
2 days
Azhi_Dahaki vs ggnore13
Double vs WIZARD
Replay Cast
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
4 days
WardiTV Invitational
4 days
YoungYakov vs Lambo
SHIN vs TBD
Percival vs Shameless
Solar vs TBD
[ Show More ]
PiGosaur Cup
5 days
The PondCast
6 days
KCM Race Survival
6 days
WardiTV Invitational
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-11-04
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
HCC Season 3

Ongoing

Acropolis #5
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 4
International ShieldBattery League
BSL Season 23
IPSL Winter 2026-27
Calamity Cup Div. A Season 8
IEM Beijing 2026
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 5
1win Private Club #2
Thunderpick World Champ. '26
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
1win Private Club #1
Logitech G Play Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026

Upcoming

Sector 951
SC4ALL II: Brood War
BSL 23: Non-Korean Championship
HSC XXX
Stellar Fest 2: Lunar Cup
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
Underdog Cup 2026 Div 2-3
PGL Bucharest 2027
BLAST Bounty Winter 2027
eXTREMESLAND 2026
PGL Major Singapore 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 6
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026
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 © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.