On October 15 2007 23:35 ZerG~LegenD wrote:This is a guide to how to play a macro based 3 hatch mutalisk opening
vs Terran fast expanders and academy rushers during the early game. There's also a very large section about early game scouting, and how to modify your build order.
The build order part applies for maps with a -not too wide- choke point and a total of 2 gases in your main and natural together. Examples of maps where this guide applies is
Longinus,
Luna and
Python. Examples of maps where it does not apply is
Vampire (3 gases),
Rush Hour (too wide choke point) and
Estrella (island map).
I must stress the point that there are indeed builds meant to counter specific situations that are slightly, in some cases almost unsignificantly, better than this one. But finding out exactly how the terran is dividing his resources during late early game is one hell of a task which you probably won't succed with. And if you guess wrong, you'll fall terribly behind instead. This build is meant to give you a safe walk into the mid game and put you in a good situation no matter what he does, as long as it's some kind of fe into bionic. It gives you a good stamp off to abuse surperior midgame skills, if that's not your forte you might pick a cheesier build or experiment some with lurker openings.
Overlord ScoutingWhere to send the first overlord? This depends on whether you want to find one base as fast as possible, two bases as fast as possible or if you want to reach a camp able spot overlooking his choke as fast as possible.
If I 9 overpooled on a 4 player map I'd want to find 2 bases as fast as possible. If the bases are placed like on Lost Temple or Python, then I'd send my first overlord to the second closest base, if I'm at 6 then that's the 3 base. Then I'd send my my second overlord to the closest base, if I'm at 6 then that would be the base at 9. In this way I will successfully have scouted 2 out of 3 bases with only my overlords in time for my pool to finish. This means I'm 100% sure where my opponent is and that I'm guaranteed to send my zerglings to the right position. However, on some maps, like Luna and R-Point, there are no close base and no far base, all bases are far away. This means that you need to bring a drone off and scout with it if you want to 9 pool on these maps. But it also means that these maps are worse for 9 pooling as you has to bring the drone off.
Let's take another example. I'm going to 12 hatch expand on Longinus. I spawn at the 3 position. In this case I want to send my first overlord to the far away base, at 6. More precisely the cliff overlooking the choke of the 6 base. Then you send your second overlord to the cliff overlooking the choke of the 11 base . You want to manually micro your second overlord so it at all time is seeing as much as possible of the ground path between your base and the 11 base. However, you mustn't see too much as that would mean you won't be able to reach the safety of the unreachable high ground before you die, in case a marine should come walking there. The reason you send your overlord like this is of course to see if he sends his first marine to harass you or not. When sending your overlords like this you won't need to drone scout on Longinus. The same principle is usable on Tau Cross at the 9 position, except a 8raxer will be able to kill your second ol if he's at 1. If you're at 1 you can still do it, but your second ol dies if found no matter the build, as long as it's the second ol and not the first whom is traveling the right way.
If you 9 pool or 9 overpool on a 3 player map you want to send your first overlord to the closest base, in order to as fast as possible know where to send your zerglings, and if you're lucky get to know the strength of your opponents defences.
If you 12 hatch on a asymmetrical 4 player map (like Temple (except the 6 pos) or Python) you send your first overlord the the closest base, if he's not there you move on to the far away base. Your second overlord is sent to the second closest base. If I'm at 3 on Python this means that my first overlord goes to the 12 base and then continues to the 9 base while my second overlord goes to the 6 base and stays there.
If it's a symmetrical 4 player map (like Luna) the situation gets more complex. These maps can look like anything! 2 different maps can, and are very likely to, have 2 different scouting patterns.
Lastly, remember that that not all maps have safe scouting paths nor safe camp spots overlooking the chokes. With a 9 pool (or similar) your objective is always to determinate where your opponent is with as little drone scouting as possible. If you 12 hatch your objective is to find a camp spot overlooking his choke as fast as possible. Go figure how to do on more maps.
Drone ScoutingThere is not much to speak about here. There are only three questions to ask. When shall I drone scout? What shall I do once I'm inside his base? And how long shall I stay outside his base?
Generally this applies, but there might be some exceptions, like maps with HUGE distances. If you send your drone at 12 you will be able to enter one base before he gets a marine out while if you send it at 9 you will be able to enter 2 bases.
So if it's a 3 player map you 12 drone scout, or don't drone scout at all, see the Overlord Scouting part above. And it it's a 4 player map you 9 drone scout. Once you're inside his base you want to look at the number of barracks, and if he's taking the gas or not. There might also be dead give-aways, like a Command Center building or an academy going up. A gas is likely to mean an academy rush but could also mean some kind of cheese build.
Only 1 barrack but no gas means he's either fast expanding or building proxy. If he has only one 1 barrack and has taken his gas you want to sacrifice your scouting drone to find out what he's up to. A drone is faster than a marine but the marine has perfect acceleration so you want to travel in as straight paths as possible abusing your maximum speed. Going through his mineral line is another trick to use. All in all you might not be able to stay alive for a very long time but he will have to make his tech buildings quickly so you might be able to find them anyway, unless they're proxied.
On to the last question, if he's 2 raxing, or 1 raxing without gas you want to move out of his base in time to save your drone and place it in his choke so that you can see if he moves out to harass you. Stay there until he moves out or until your overlord arrives to take over the duty.
Note that if he's 8 raxing you won't be able to enter the second base with a 9 scout nor the first base with a 12 scout.
When to add Sunkens Colonies?You want to get away with as few sunkens as possible, as late as possible, but still live. How many you need do of course depend on how large army he has, but that's something you'll have to learn your self. Generally 2-4 should be enough unless he goes 3 or 4 rax.
What's easier to tell is when you need them. The first thing you need to ask yourself is this: Is the time it takes him to walk to my base from the position where my scout is placed longer than the time it takes to build a sunken? If the answer is yes, then you only want to add sunkens when you see him move out. If the answer is no, then you want to pre-add creep colonies, but do not morph them into sunkens. Morph them into sunkens only when you see him move out.
So when to pre-add the creeps? Add the first one around 20 supply, unless he moves out before of course. But if he moves out before you should be able to fend him off even if the sunk isn't completely finished when he arrives. If he tries to run by you do of course pull off your drones.
The second one should be pre-added just before you make your spire (this means the spire will be made at 26 instead of 27) and the third one just after you make your spire. Unless you've managed to scout a fast expansion build. Then you can add the second one just after the spire is laid down, and the third once he gets medics out. If you don't know if he got medics or not then add the third slightly after the second, maybe 3-5 supply inbetween.
OMFG IT'S A SWIZZERCHEESE!How to tell a cheeser from a player whom this build is meant to counter? Asuming our scouting drone finds nothing? An academy rusher is most likely to move out in the time frame around when your lair finishes (1 rax acarush would be faster, but also weaker), a fast expander is likely to have taken his expansion even earlier. That is what we're going to use. Instead of trying to tell if he's cheesing we're going to find out if he's not cheesing, and then assume that he's cheesing if it turns out he's not doing a non-cheese build. So if he has neither moved out nor expanded by the time your spire has started, let's say been morphing for a while. After all some people are doing slow academy rushes. Though they're not as efficient as quicker ones they do still exist, and a stupid move can turn into a genius one if we assume he will not do it. So, if he has neither moved out nor expanded by the time your spire has been morphing for some 10-20-30 seconds (pick one! I'd get get suspicious of him at 10 and convinced at 20) - he's very likely up to something sneaky. Now you have very little time to prepare for a cheese, but little is better than none at all.
Some General Advice- Always pre-add overlords during mid game. Having to wait for an overlord to finish is far worse than having wasted 100 minerals on an unneeded overlord.
- Put a fourth drone on your natural's gas if it's placed to the right or below your natural hatchery. If your main gas is placed to the right or below your main hatchery, then place your third hatchery below or to the right of the gas. If that's not possible then put 4 drones on the main gas too.
- Spread out a few zerglings across the map during the mid game so you always know where your opponent has his army.
- Always try to flank your opponent. Flank=attack from at least two sides. The move might take some multitask to pull off but practice makes perfect.
- Always try to delay the fight with your opponents main army. Terrans tend not to reinforce their main army once it has moved out. Use this to your advantage and reinforce your own army for as long as possible.
- Plague owns anything that is bionic.
- Always keep zerglings patroling the remote exps that you have not taken. The terran mustn't get another base without fighting for it.
EPT
get better soon (drink some tea and stay hydrated- that has always helped me lol )
