3 rax bo in TvZ (or Fireworks/Flaming Terran) Wizard
Thanks for all the input. I have changed this guide to make it shorter, reason being, the information from the different posters in this thread was great and explained a lot of the information I had wanted to convey but in a much fuller manner.
Introduction to the guide:
The three barracks build order is an interesting and fun strategy against zerg. Interesting in that it can be manipulated in ways to make it all-in or to transition into a standard game, and fun, because – well, it’s fun.
This strategy was popularized by progamer Sync, who received the nickname "Sparks Terran"
Here is a highlight video of him using the 3 rax build:
Basics:
The 3 rax opening is centered around attacking the zerg with a timing based attack before the lair tech.
Build order:
The bo is simple.
9 depot 11 barracks 13 barracks 14 depot
From here:
18 gas 21 depot
Once this depot is complete, begin the academy.
Then, being another depot. Once it is complete, being the engineering.
The third rax should be added when there are enough minerals.
First, when the academy is complete, upgrade stim and than range (add scanner to CC). For the eng bay, there are two options of course: armour or attack. In general, if there are a lot of sunkens (based on scouting information) and lings, get armor +1, otherwise, cash into attack.
That is the build order in a nut shell.
Flow:
The three rax bo rests upon the concept of attacking the zerg with a timing based attack before the lair tech. When should I move out? I move out when I have the right number of units, and of course, dependent on the zergs progress in tech. I don’t follow specific medic/marine ratios: it depends on whether the upgrade was into armour or attack, and on how confident I am with the micro. Often times, I have as little as 4 medics, sometimes as much as 8. However, a point to make is that I move out with at least one and a half to two control groups of rines and bats (I follow the control grouping of medics into 1, and marines/bats into 2, 3, etc.).
Containing him: here the need for micro comes into action. Position the bats and the medics in the right manner, and make sure to not sacrifice units to micro mistakes. This is the most difficult aspect of the 3 rax build, whether or not the sunkens will break.
Find holes in the zerg's game. Sunkens positioned in an incorrect manner, sneak through holes and kill his drones from the other side, rush through the ramp/choke and into his main. Once again, micro: focus fire on sunkens, if drones come to attack (or to make new sunkens), shift-select and kill them.
how is this different from ye olde 2 rax opening? the gas and academy timing look the same.
are you timing this against a 3 hatch build? It looks like that zerg will be at lair at least as fast as you can get your 3rd rax up if they go 2 hatch, meaning you aren't getting that much out of it? What precisely does have that 3rd rax do? give you like 4-5 more marines?
The third barracks usually just provides the extra units to break the Zerg's sunken lines. 4-5 more Firebats and/or Medics can make all the difference.
+1 atk is better when their sunk count is 4 or less. +1 armor is better when there are 6+ sunkens.
This is a very generalized BO of this that i watched from the fpvod of sync on youtube.
9 depot 11 rax 13 rax 14 depot 17 gas 21 depot ~when depot is done, start ebay -- when ebay done start +1 atk ~depot ~when depot is done, build acad -- research stim first then range ~depot ~barracks
**constant production of marines **watch the supply **give a false impression that you are doing a normal 2rax acad build (so he doesnt put tha tmany sunks up)
here the youtube vod
The amazing part of this BO sync does is that it fits perfectly with the timing. Usually, you will catch him before his lair tech kicks in, aka the lurks or the mutas.
Then ur best bet would be to tech while breaking the sunks, esp if he went lurk tech. Ideally, you wanna at least get his expo hatch. Get tanks, finish the job a minute later.
This isn't contributory to the thread, but every single time I see those Sync videos I am constantly amazed by how he shreds the sunken lines like they're not even there.
This build is highly underrated. Everyone should give it a try, in casual games at least. Breaking Sunken lines is an art - you'll either storm through them like they're not even there, or you'll end up losing everything and killing nothing.
Intrigue did this to me on Longinus, combined with fake expansion, and I was 100% fooled. It was an epic build.
As Zerg, how would you counter this? I mean, if the T is decent and hides most of rines/meds/bats from view it would be hard to know if he's teching or just massing and timing his attack. By this time you are already on lair and dedicated to mutas or lurks and again, if he's good he will scan and know when to move out.
Only thing I can think of is to sacrifice a lord to try to see what he's doing or mass sunken and maybe burrow =p.
EDIT: Like Chill said, if he fakes FE, that's even harder to read GAH
9 depot 11 rax build up minerals til about 14-15, and then you will have enough to get gas and 2nd rax same time. Leave only a single scv on gas Time engineering bay so as that lone scv gets to 100 gas ebay is built or close to built. Then cut gas production.Upgrade weaps.
Constant rine/ scv production the whole time. Money build up and add 3rd rax and acad.
As acad starts put 3 scv back on gas. Then you just keep up with MMF from 3 rax and as the upgrade finishes you will have like a group and a half-2 groups of units, and ~400 minerals.
You can also use that 14 gas 14 2nd rax to do the tank push.
standard (defensive) zerg play vs 2rax is 3 sunks. zerg must have an over or one ling (overlooking terans choke) to see when and with what the teran moves out (preferable ovie). if you see more than 2 firebats or more than a dozen m&m you add 2-3 (it actually depends on how much lings the zerg has at that time) more sunks and pump lings.
the distance between the bases will be somewhat of an issue but by the time teran moves out the zerg should be fully droned and on pumping lings anyway. of course, the zerg has the "pull the mining drones" options which should be used only as a last resort because you'll loose a good part of them, then loose the game 3-4 min later.
if he fakes FE you have only one sunk, delay as much as you can his marines, add 2 more sunks, pump lings, pull drones and hope for a miracle
i see this bo working against 3 hatch mostly (only) because if the zerg goes 2 hatch fast tech by the time teran moves out the zerg lurks should be morphing.
Nice, I like this build (use it when I dodged a ZvZ and went terran instead. ) but I feel that i really do not know how to do it, so this guide is very welcome.
A few things that I would like in the OP, of which some has already been answered/mentioned:
1) When must the ebay and academy go down to get +1 and stim+range uppgrades ready just before lair kicks in? the build in the OP wants both down almost simultaneously at around 20 (if i understood correctly), im blind wants ebay at like 23-24 (?) and academy quite a lot later.
2) holding scv/rine production. Im always freaking out over this one when I try to do the build... I guess I need to hold scvs to get up gas,ebay and academy asap, but should I hold rines as well? How many more scvs should i build after both upgrade buildings are done?
3) Third rax. when is that supposed to go down? Should i hold scvs to make it go up faster?
4) How many medics/bats do I want? I imagine it depends on what the zerg does, but im sure you could give some guidelines.
5) How to micro the attack? I've always sent my medics in first to take the first hits, to make sure they can reach the target rines in the front line and to block incoming lings. Sync however sent his rines in first.
6) Replays with the build!! Helps a lot for me.
I'd love the guide if you could answer some of those questions! I realise that many of those depends on style and/or what the zerg does, but then explain your style, and tell us what we should look for in the zergs play.
Hope you're not taking offence, I'm just trying to help you extend the guide by telling you what newbs (me) need to know.
The fast rush style is a completely forgotten art in tvz, its a real shame
About as year ago I developed a tvz build which I guess is similar to this but dare I say probably better, when executed right it succeeds around 97-100% vs 3 hatch(works just as well against 2 hatch but its more or less untested as hardly anyone 2 hatches).. this is from my own experience over about 80 games total, if they go muta its basically autowin(no I wasn't playing noobs).
As I havn't played sc in 7 months but might come back at some point(not likely but I hope) Im tossing up whether or not to share it, if there is enough interest I might no promises though, maybe it can be my legacy in the sc world to fuck up tvz balance forever, who knows..
Some zergs make more sunk then they need. and works perfect vs that 3 rak rush. Hell if i see more then 12 marins i make 6-7-8 sunks :D And i use this in my tvz when i play t and some zerg have many sunks to
EPT
) but I feel that i really do not know how to do it, so this guide is very welcome. 
