Disclaimer: This build has been tested from the early alpha stages on throughout up until the Blizzcon 2009 build. So far the build has been found valid for every SC2 version, with minor adaptations of course. This build was not tested too much in the current beta though, so it might be not at all viable (Flame me then in this thread).
Update: The new macro mechanics and changes to units greatly reduce the effectiveness of this build. In needs a new follow-up to repel the now stronger Protoss counter attack.
Update 2: The reactor nerf pretty much killed this build. RiP.
This build originated when there was no Orbital command yet in SC2. As the OC seems to be critical for Terran now I encourage you to make suggestions on how to incorporate it into the build most effectively.
Purpose of the Zatic opening
The opening can be roughly compared to the FD in BW. The main goal of this build is to get an expansion up by pushing the Protoss back, not to kill the opponent. The build is still strong enough to punish greedy Protoss and can cause damage and set the Protoss back if they are caught off guard.
Basic BO
9 Supply at Choke 10/11 Raxx at Choke, place carefully (addon needs to fit) 11 Gas 1 Marine, kill Scout ~14 Raxx Supply either completing wall, or: @50 Gas, build tech lab addon completing Wall Take 1 SCV off gas Marauder Reactor addon as soon as 2nd raxx finishes Take 1 SCV off gas
Constant Marauders from 1st Raxx, constant Marines from 2nd. With 3 Marauders, 5-7 Marines and 2 SCV, go.
You will have 400 minerals about half way into the map, make sure to put that CC down quickly.
Engaging the Protoss
1. There are a number of differences considering micro that you will need to get used to in SC2. First, take care of your SCV! Unlike in BW, SCV in front will get autotargetted by the AI very quickly and they will in fact die first. You want to keep them though to make a bunker if the opportunity is there.
2. Beware of probes! You ranged units, especially the marauders, get murdered surprisingly easy by pulled probes. Don't get yourself trapped in a corner in the opponents base, the worker auto surround AI is very good and you won't be able to move in seconds when surrounded by probes.
3. Targetting: Pretty comparable to BW. If you face zealots / stalker, dodge the zealots and target the stalkers. There is a lot you can do additionally with your marauders, like individually target zealots to slow them down, then resume fire on stalkers. This just needs practice.
Pulling back
Again, this build is supposed to get your expansion up. Do not over commit! If you see a 2 or even 3 gate opening, pull back once you reached the P base. Against 3 gate get a bunker at your new natural as well. You only have to survive and you will have the game.
Against a hard teching protoss this opening is the most effective. You should be able to break the ramp easily against 1 gate openings and the attack will hit before any of the tech of protoss is available. Try to do as much damage as possible, but pull back again once they pull probes. Use an SCV to build a bunker at their natural and put your remaining units in there.
Against a fast nexus, try to get that bunker up! Again, priority number 1 is not to lose your SCV, so keep them in the back when engaging.
Transitioning
The main goal of this build is to get your expansion up and to get ahead in economy. Once you have your expansion, the build can transition into almost any tech path you want to chose. Just make sure you get your detection up quickly after you expansion against a teching protoss and get the orbital command as soon as possible after.
My personal favorite is the mass marauder with ghost and EMP followup, since you have the 2 barracks already. Obviously this depends on the opponents choice but against a pure ground army in the early midgame this is a deadly combination.
Viability
This build has been reported to be deadly against top foreign BW players as well as Korean progamers. Most recently FrozenArbiter beat our own Liquid`Nazgul in the SC2 Beta using this build.
Watch Artosis rape Savior at Blizzcon using the Zatic build:
On February 18 2010 17:59 genryou wrote: I've been wondering, since now we have beta up and running, will there be any updates in Liquipedia? Specifically for SC2 builds I mean.
or will there be 2 Liqupedia section/link? 1 for BW and 1 for SC2.
After playing with this build even more, I can say that it's one of the best builds right now (one of the only, more like it).
Because you have early Geysers, you can just dump more SCVs on them to tech. If you put early pressure on a Zerg and kill his first Queen (which usually happens if they don't overload on Spine Crawlers) then you can safely expand off of 6 Marauders/10 Marines as long as you get an EBay up for Mutalisks.
This build transitions very well into a very large Marine Marauder army off of 5 Barracks (3 tech 2 reactor) and a Starport with Reactor for Medivacs. The Terran infantry army is amazingly mobile, and Marauders tear through anything with Stim.
Naruto can you upload it so that this way protoss know what to expect? K thx! lol.
Zatic, you just HAD to make a TERRAN BUILD DIDN"T YOU! O and, the first one is actually chill's build that pwns the old fast pool and queen strategy that practically depended on the queen and was once considered "impossible to beat". Its still used when the zerg tries to pull off that old strategy. Especially since some zerg players forgot to read SC2 info after a while.
On February 19 2010 07:48 3FFA wrote: Naruto can you upload it so that this way protoss know what to expect? K thx! lol.
Zatic, you just HAD to make a TERRAN BUILD DIDN"T YOU! O and, the first one is actually chill's build that pwns the old fast pool and queen strategy that practically depended on the queen and was once considered "impossible to beat". Its still used when the zerg tries to pull off that old strategy. Especially since some zerg players forgot to read SC2 info after a while.
Umm, this dies to sunkens so im not sure what youre talking about.
On February 19 2010 07:48 3FFA wrote: Naruto can you upload it so that this way protoss know what to expect? K thx! lol.
Zatic, you just HAD to make a TERRAN BUILD DIDN"T YOU! O and, the first one is actually chill's build that pwns the old fast pool and queen strategy that practically depended on the queen and was once considered "impossible to beat". Its still used when the zerg tries to pull off that old strategy. Especially since some zerg players forgot to read SC2 info after a while.
Umm, this dies to sunkens so im not sure what youre talking about.
I meant that your old BO that you released to everyone earlier that was the basic counter to pool->queen->lings pwnage that people called imbalanced was the very first BO. Who cares if it dies to sunkens? Stay at the choke then and tech up while denying expansions(set up a contain in laymans terms).
On February 19 2010 09:22 The-Dom wrote: "Zatic Build".. so you were the first to do it?
Yes. He made it at WWI Paris iirc.
June 2008! When nobody knew wtf a Marauder is good for.
Just played 10 hours straight, only used the build twice. Won one by the book but lost the other against a sentry counter attack after my rush was deflected. Stalker / sentry is no fun as Terran, they crack even bunkers so easily.
Rest of the games were as Zerg which I really love now.
10 supply 12 rax 14 depot 15 cc upgrade rine take both gas pump rine ~4-5 rine call mule 2 rax at 300 pump more rines and scvs two marauder addons and a reactor when both rax finish
it's not exact and it probably comes a little slower but sets you up nicely for the mid game i think. the mule is really, really sick. i like it.
On February 19 2010 09:22 The-Dom wrote: "Zatic Build".. so you were the first to do it?
Yes. He made it at WWI Paris iirc.
June 2008! When nobody knew wtf a Marauder is good for.
Just played 10 hours straight, only used the build twice. Won one by the book but lost the other against a sentry counter attack after my rush was deflected. Stalker / sentry is no fun as Terran, they crack even bunkers so easily.
Rest of the games were as Zerg which I really love now.
Some bronze copied what louder did on his stream which is to get a quick sentry and a quick colossus, and move out with ~8 zealots ~4 stalkers... even though you get the expo up no problem, even with a bunker and massing MM you just DIE to this... any suggestions?
Someone in another thread said it might help to get a few reapers first to pick off the sentry, and alternately not to expand before you have tanks...
Yeah sentry/zeal/stalker is an excellent counter to this. I didn't have the time to test that much yet unfortunately but what I want to try is a ghost and EMP follow up to defend against the sentry counter attack. I don't know if it works at all but if someone could try to time ghosts so that they have EMP once the P counter attack reaches your base would be really interesting.
On September 22 2010 17:04 Avaclon wrote: A lot of people were asking which build Artosis was talking about in the video with NaDa. NaDa used this build the video found here: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=154911 during the IEM, I believe.
Perhaps this build is still viable and deserves a second look, even with in patch 1.1?
I wasn't aware that is was no longer viable. Artosis points the Zatic build whenever it comes up, like in the GSL hes pointed it out twice thus far.
I know this BO was basically shot down earlier in BETA, and I'm by no mean an expert but why wouldn't you just skip the reactor for the first push?
You need two cycles of Marines to catch up with the reactor, so if you're going to push at 3 Marauders you might as well keep pumping marines from Rax#2, and make the reactor only while you push?
1st rax pumping marauders + researching Conc Shells. 2nd rax pumping marines until first push, then Reactor, then continue building more marines.
That sounds like something that could catch a 4gater off-guard.
On September 23 2010 02:49 Phrencys wrote: I know this BO was basically shot down earlier in BETA, and I'm by no mean an expert but why wouldn't you just skip the reactor for the first push?
You need two cycles of Marines to catch up with the reactor, so if you're going to push at 3 Marauders you might as well keep pumping marines from Rax#2, and make the reactor only while you push?
1st rax pumping marauders + researching Conc Shells. 2nd rax pumping marines until first push, then Reactor, then continue building more marines.
That sounds like something that could catch a 4gater off-guard.
Because until like patch 3 in the beta the reactor used to build as fast as the tech lab (and I think was cheaper too? Not sure though). I tried both versions but back then the reactor was really worth it and got marines out really fast. Also note you didn't have to research concussive shells. Also when I originally used this there was no orbital command and no chrono boost.
To everyone: The "zatic build" is more like a running gag now, it's neither an actual build nor does it work as described in the OP. Artosis jokingly refers to everything involving early MM pressure into CC as the "zatic build" which lets the name live on, but how it's played today has little to do with what is described in the OP.
EPT
it makes me win sometimes
