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ZvZ Build Order.

Blogs > Tadzio00
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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 States24701 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
Norway868 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
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