EPTChinChin#11635
Table: (ctrl+f to quick search)
> Intro
> Unit Composition
> Pylons
> Walls
> Mid
> Syncing
> Upgrades
> 1v1 Basics
> 1v1 Essentials
> 1v1 and the Role of Income
> Lane Control
> PUB Carry
Intro
At its core, NW is always a bait and switch game. Perhaps your build is successful, and you earn a 90% PUB win rate because of it. I wouldn't be surprised.
You can thank the disorganized nature of PUBs for that. Remember there is NO matchmaking in NW, and to play a competitive game, you'll need to seek out better players.
Things to keep in mind:
- What is your army weak against? How would you intend to deal with its counters?
- Should you continue to finish your mutas mid if an Archon appears?
A successful player baits the enemy into a string of counters that have endless answers to all weakness in their army.
The fastest way to train this game sense is through 1v1s. By managing an entire team's economy and supply, you'll effectively see a wider scope of the game. Don't you think continuing the SAME exact build order betrays the essence of a Tug of War game?
Unit Composition
It isn't sound to discredit the viability of a single unit because it can be countered by two different units. Any one unit can be countered by two. Even supply for supply.
Ultimately, you want to min-max the balance of range, DPS, and AOE of your army per collision box. Therefore, amassing a single unit, say in a 1v1, is a poor idea because it's an incredibly one-sided army.
Pylons
There are two separate sources of minerals in Nexus Wars. Kills and income. You increase your income through buildings, and the Pylon increases your income without units. With 10 income to start, your minerals will increase every 20 sec.
Playing too greedy will result in losing lane control. Only pylon when you are about to start pushing. Coordinate with your team for income.
The second pylon has the worst returns. Be conscious of this when in control of multiple pylons.
Banpei 1 16/ 175 = 0.09142857142
Banpei 2 16/ 250 = 0.064
Banpei 3 32/ 450 = 0.07111111111
Banpei 4 64/ 900 = 0.07111111111
Banpei 5 128/1800 = 0.07111111111
If your wall is incomplete, build your pylons in the protected end of the wall (opposite of the short end). Avoid placing your pylons near mid so that your units mid can support and defend each other.
Walls
The wall serves to funnel your army into the off lane temporarily so that your ENTIRE ground army comes into contact with both lanes.
This allows you to push the walled lane without worrying about the off lane.
How to do it:
Fill up a lane vertically at the edge of the ramp, leaving no space in between buildings.
-Set rally points left
-Add an additional three buildings extending from mid at the lane the wall opens up
How to know you did it correctly:
-One lane (meta is top lane on Team 1) is COMPLETELY walled off with buildings leaving NO space in between buildings
-Absolutely NO ground units escape from the WALLED lane
-There are NO air units built into the WALLED lane
-Air units are built in the back, saving space and not !@#$ing up the agros
-The off lane with NO wall has three buildings extending out of mid, thus dubbed the "leg" of the wall
-Your units behind the walled lane are funneled into the off lane
Mid
Mid is a game mechanic that serves to send ANY unit to ANY lane, meaning extra reinforcements to a pushed lane or clever swings to trade nukes that end the game.
Info:
-First mid holds a total of 20 building spaces
-One player can mid 14 carriers max
How to mid ground (without wall):
FROM the edge of the cliff, build a 1x2 column (length x height). Then after a 2x1 space, build a 2x2 square of units. Continue the squares with the same space.
How to mid ground (with wall):
ONLY difference is the first 2x1 space from the cliff switched out for a 2x2 space, making room for the units funneled by the wall.
Syncing
Syncing focuses your army in waves. Via hotkey esc, you are able to cancel production. Units will automatically sync to the in-game timer every 10 sec (same as income board timer). You can also sync manually via the esc + binded unit key without waiting for the same in game timer.
Keep in mind, every unit are on separate timers:
30
40
45
50
55
Many strats involve syncing like syncs together. Make it an effort to sync units on units already insync with each other rather than cancelling total production for 1 new unit.
Generally, you want to keep your army focused into waves, but the exception to the rule are casting units. These units are only worth what they’re casting abilities are.
The following are units NOT to sync:
- Mothership Cores
- Infestors
- Vipers
- Specters
- Ultras (if to counter viper)
- Sentries (1v1s)
- High Templars
- Science Vessels
NOTE: Sharing controls with experienced players will promote teamplay! Ask them questions!
Upgrades
Generally, begin your upgrades past 900 pylon or maxed in supply with 450 pylon. Upgrades begin late game PUBs, but are mid game in 1v1s. Be sure to upgrade with purpose. For example, upgrading Marine ARMOR makes little sense, because its specialty is in DPS, not tanking damage. Likewise, Archon SHIELD upgrades take priority over their ATK upgrade.
There are exceptions to these rules, but those are very niche strats often developed on your own.
1v1 Basics
This is much harder than a team game.
You are no longer amassing a singular unit and praying it works. You are managing an entire team by yourself. 1v1s done correctly amount to a string of baits and switches that outplay the other player.
Things to consider:
income
- Income battle, when're the right timings to pylon?
- Unit synergy, are you aware of how balanced your army is without the 90 supply cap?
- Idle minerals, are you missing income???
The following is the "Do or GG" of 1v1.
*Failing to do so will result in an uphill battle*
Build all four pylons from leaver builders immediately.
The caveat is IF your opponent builds first. Build units AFTER your first pylon.
You could then hold their army with two Firebats built next to the Nexus. Ideally, you want a strong enough hold to finish your pylons.
At this point, you should be so far ahead of your opponent your four tanks will handle their one immortal with ease.
1v1 ESSENTIALS
At different points of the game, your priorities will shift.
@10-25 min, the income battle is the most important and will decide who attacks first during the early-mid game.
- You are essentially dancing around to maneuver yourself into a position of power and trying to CONTROL the push
- The basics of lane control has a player pyloning RIGHT when they are about to push, and making units ahead of time against the enemy’s push
- The most successful lane control will see ZERO nukes pulled
- Keep in mind: the game is flexible! You can sacrifice a nuke to get ahead! Think outside the box and be inventive
@25-35 min is officially the solid mid game time. Your early game actions will define the battle here. At this point, UPGRADES will decide who comes out on top. If you play your cards right, you can finish the game before the late game. This means to allot your upgrades with purpose, direction, and BEFORE your enemy starts theirs. Keeping key upgrades constantly chrono’d will help you win by default. Remember, having less upgrades at a time means you’ll have more income to build more key units. This would mean you will have to push for an all in if you hope to end the game before 40 min.
@45+ min is the start of the late game. If you did an all in, the income player will have a HUGE advantage. At this point, the investment income played from the early game will have an inseparable impact over the end game. Here, HEROs and UNIT COMPOSITION finally completes the 1v1. The timing shifts over to favor the player who completes their upgrades later but has more income, because now, they will win the war of attrition.
1v1 and the Role of Income
There are two dominant playstyles revolving around income. The greed play and the rush play. Both players are on the opposite side of the spectrum, both recognizing the importance of income, but seeing different POVs of the game.
The greed play:
This strategy builds only the minimal amount of units for lane control to min-max income. They aim to either accumulate enough for a timing push mid game or win the late game attrition war.
The rush play:
This strategy sees the advantage in rushing @74 income board. The timing here is strong because IF the enemy PYLONs (you can build your zergling @6 sec income timer to juke them out), they will NOT have enough income to respond effectively against your rush. Their goal is to win WITHIN 35 min.
Lane Control
The early game lead's snowball extends far into the late game. SunTze once said to use your lead to further the gap.
With this in mind, holding your units via "esc" will deny the enemy team minerals from unit kills. Because of this, you have a HUGE defender's advantage early game, putting your tier 2 unit timings ahead.
At the highest level of NW play, players practice perfect games, which punishes sloppy play. A good chunk of 4v4 NW strats are in timings.
The early game lead's snowball extends far into the late game. SunTze once said to use your lead to further the gap.
With this in mind, holding your units via "esc" will deny the enemy team minerals from unit kills. Because of this, you have a HUGE defender's advantage early game, putting your tier 2 unit timings ahead.
At the highest level of NW play, players practice perfect games, which punishes sloppy play. A good chunk of 4v4 NW strats are in timings.
PUB Carry (Tanks to Carrier)
Marine
Firebat
Hellion
Tank x6 mid
Pylon x2
Carrier x6 mid
Air ATK Upgrade x3 + Interceptor Upgrade
Pylon
Carrier x8 mid (switch out tech buildings)
Air ATK Upgrade x6
OR
Marine
Hellion
Tank mid
Pylon
Tank x2 mid or wall
Pylon x2
Carrier x6 mid
Air ATK Upgrade x3
Pylon
Carrier x8 mid (switch out tech buildings)
Air ATK Upgrade x6
