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PvP builds explained by Huk and Whiplash - Page 2

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
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DamageInq
Profile Joined April 2010
United States283 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-12 11:28:24
May 12 2010 11:27 GMT
#21
Based on this Robo would be the best blind choice every time.

Personally I think a 4 gate early push and expand has a HUGE advantage over a 2-3 gate immortal build. Generally there will only be 1-2 immortals, ~8 stalkers/zealots/sentries vs my 18-20 gateway group. If he holds off your initial push, tech charge and go zealot heavy to take out the immortals.
"Scissors are OP. Rock is fine." -Paper
Ftrunkz
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
Australia2474 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-12 11:37:46
May 12 2010 11:36 GMT
#22
On May 12 2010 20:27 DamageInq wrote:
Based on this Robo would be the best blind choice every time.


well, yeah, but thats assuming that everyone you play against has an equal chance to do one of the 5 or 6 builds they listed here, which is not the case, since robo counters the most, it is therefor the most commonly used, making the build that specifically counters this much more viable than if everyone you played against was rolling a dice on which build to go... Then you get into the situation of "well, he thinks imma go collosi, and go voidray, so i should go blink stalker" then the other person levels you by actually going robo and immo's instead etc. etc. Hence why a lot of people believe the idea of mirror MUs to be rock paper scissors(Not saying I do, just its obvious where it comes from ;P).
@NvPinder on twitter | Member of Gamecom Nv | http://www.clan-ta.com | http://www.youtube.com/user/ftrunkz | http://www.twitchtv.com/xghpinder
Entropic
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Canada2837 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-12 12:13:24
May 12 2010 12:12 GMT
#23
On May 12 2010 20:27 DamageInq wrote:
Based on this Robo would be the best blind choice every time.


I think it's moreso that "Robo build would be the best choice MOST of the time", with the other builds thrown in to vary your play and prevent the opponent to simply counter a Robo build.

Not that I play P or anything. Just wanted this particular statement.
Infiltrator
Profile Joined February 2010
Montenegro80 Posts
May 12 2010 12:16 GMT
#24
A lot of the matchups are heavily dependent on the map.. I mean if you wanna go collo on scrap or blistering you're in for a nightmare against a 4 gater. But on Steppes it's a lot easier.
Infiltrator out.
Hold-Lurker
Profile Joined October 2007
United States403 Posts
May 12 2010 12:28 GMT
#25
4-5 warpgate is not nearly as all-in in PvP because the other protoss will not have expanded either. It's more all-in vs. zerg and FE-terran because if you lose your army in the push, you're way behind.

That said, I agree with the other posters that 4-5 warpgate should crush 3gate immortal. You're heavy on zealot/sentry, making his immortals worthless, and then you go into infinite forcefield on his ramp (or straight up kill him if there's no ramp to split your troops) while you expo and tech to colossus.
Markwerf
Profile Joined March 2010
Netherlands3728 Posts
May 12 2010 13:09 GMT
#26
Pretty useless chart to be honest, it implies that the tech builds such as the colossus build or blink stalkers do this without any scouting. Scouting is generally quite easy early on in PvP as there is no way to kill the probe before the first stalker arrives, for example a fast voidray build can generally be scouted quite well and thus the colossus build can adapt by simply not making the support bay...
Also all these builds are 1 base apparently, is there any reason why a decently fast expansion (say 25 population) with some cannons is impossible? Blink stalkers and colossi don't care much about a cannon defense but 4 gate for example does.

Going by this chart colossi build seems best as long as you scout that your opponent didn't go stargate. I actually agree with this, so regardless of the method I do agree with the outcome.
Personally I think PvP on most maps is just about who has the most colossi, especially since the sentry nerf, you just have to reach that point safely which is difficult as the initial investment of robo and support bay is quite big. Scouting and determining when to make your robo and support bay is key to understanding this matchup but as long as you can defend while starting the colossus' race first you have a big advantage.
Nightmarjoo
Profile Blog Joined October 2006
United States3360 Posts
May 12 2010 13:40 GMT
#27
I don't understand why colos is so strong vs immortal builds. I feel like until the colos opener has atleast 3 colos and range upgrade the immortal opener has a big window to either end game (depending on map) or expo and make more gates, then being able to pick his battles in middle and flank the colos army or in some way minimize colos splash. Does the timing not work out this way at all? My experience in pvp is that unless the immortal opener does something retarded like attack into your nat he's going to be ahead in unit count, have a faster expo, and have map control.
aka Lyra; My favourites: July, Stork, Draco, MistrZZZ, TheStc, LastShadow - www.broodwarmaps.net - for all your mapping needs; check my stream: high masters mech terran: twitch.tv/lyrathegreat
phamou
Profile Joined April 2010
Canada193 Posts
May 12 2010 13:43 GMT
#28
therefore according to your graph, PvP we should always go blink stalkers? your graph shows that Blink Stalkers is the way to go, it is not inferior to anything (its inferior or equal to collosi, etc)
MaTRiX[SiN]
Profile Joined September 2003
Sweden1282 Posts
May 12 2010 14:00 GMT
#29
Almost all builds in pvp are extremely timing dependant. You've mostly decided which build is better as if these were lategame unit composition choices which is extremely flawed.This is especially true since pvps rarely get past the early game.

For example you put 4-5 gate all-in as ≤ 2-3 gate immortal and in the description you say that 4-5gate allin is ahead early on then falls behind. The 4-5gate all-in is as you've allready described in the name of the build *an all-in*. this is like saying going fast dt drop in pvt puts you behind *insert random build* the times you dont do any damage, well duh.

Another example, you put dark templar rush ahead of 2-4gate mass blink stalker. The player going stalker isnt going to have detection but you're playing a hyper aggressive build getting a lot of units early on versus a tech build. Unless the player teching dt's outplay his opponent in someway he's not going to survive to get dts or if he does he wont without taking damage and/or his tech being scouted before it's finished.

Then there's also map considerations, like mass blink stalker as well as mass zeal/sentry are much stronger on blistering sands than on other maps. Adding the fact that a good player can adapt his build based on what he scouts claiming that pvp is like rock paper scissor is just as misguided a description in sc2 as it was in bw.
aka StormtoSS
threehundred
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada911 Posts
May 12 2010 14:07 GMT
#30
and i thought PvP was just proxy zealot wars =X
KimTaeyeon MEDIC MU fighting! ^^;;
Weasel-
Profile Joined June 2009
Canada1556 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-12 14:28:47
May 12 2010 14:15 GMT
#31
This is really awesome but I have to say that a lot of this varies on a map per map basis (blink stalkers are far more effective on Kulas Ravine, etc).
I think the best transition out of an immortal opening once you scout an enemy's 4 warpgate build is to throw down a stargate. When they see immortals they're likely to stop building stalkers, at which point you hit their mostly zealot/sentry composition with void rays/phoenixes along with the rest of your gateway army and hopefully come out ahead.
HuK
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
Canada1591 Posts
May 12 2010 14:22 GMT
#32
sorry i figured ppl reading would use common sense, idiots
ProgamerLive like a God or die like a Slave 11:11
BlasiuS
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
United States2405 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-12 14:32:29
May 12 2010 14:27 GMT
#33
On May 12 2010 17:06 NzaR wrote:
Nice read, although the graph might suggest that its a rock-paper-scissors match up when it's really not. So to everyone, please do read the rest of the article.


suggest? The OP outright says that it is a rock-paper-scissors matchup:

On May 12 2010 16:24 Whiplash wrote:
As of now PvP can be accurately described as a rock paper scissors match up.


btw you can probably condense the chart to:

-robo-builds
-warpgate builds
-stargate builds
-templar build
next week on Everybody Loves HypnoToad:
Starparty
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
Sweden1963 Posts
May 12 2010 14:28 GMT
#34
amazing chart youve done there, i wish someone could do something similar for all mu's
The artist formerly known as Starparty
NonY
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
8751 Posts
May 12 2010 14:34 GMT
#35
In my experience, if you scout with your first Phoenix, you can still win against the builds that Phoenix are good against, but you can also survive the builds that Phoenix would lose against. I would change Phoenix build to being equal to Blink and DT. Phoenix might be > than DT actually because the DT player will have barely any gas to get anti-air but the Phoenix player will get detection in time to defend against DT's. I think 4 warpgate is still > Phoenix, though I'm hoping the Sentry change will shift that a little bit.

I think Warpgate/Robotics builds that don't go Colossi can come out ahead of Colossi builds by expanding faster and then going Phoenix.

I think DT builds can often do better than you think against builds that get Observers. Usually, a Robotics player gets only one Observer and by the time he sees his opponent going DT's, the DT's are at this base. Then the Observer has to fly all the way back and that time period can really hurt. After the DT tech, the DT player can play 4-5 Warpgate without having to worry about anti-air or detection.
"Fucking up is part of it. If you can't fail, you have to always win. And I don't think you can always win." Elliott Smith ---------- Yet no sudden rage darkened his face, and his eyes were calm as they studied her. Then he smiled. 'Witness.'
Clearout
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Norway1060 Posts
May 12 2010 14:43 GMT
#36
Wow very nice post, gives me things to work upon but my own feeling of the matchup Thank you
really?
Floophead_III
Profile Joined September 2009
United States1832 Posts
May 12 2010 14:45 GMT
#37
On May 12 2010 23:34 Liquid`NonY wrote:
I think DT builds can often do better than you think against builds that get Observers. Usually, a Robotics player gets only one Observer and by the time he sees his opponent going DT's, the DT's are at this base. Then the Observer has to fly all the way back and that time period can really hurt. After the DT tech, the DT player can play 4-5 Warpgate without having to worry about anti-air or detection.


Very true. You can rack up quite a number of kills if the defending player doesn't have multiple observers/cannons. In addition you can still pin him in his base long enough to transition.
Half man, half bear, half pig.
beakermimi
Profile Joined April 2010
Ireland13 Posts
May 12 2010 14:50 GMT
#38
I just played a game where I saw the other protoss going for a 2 gate push with zeals. I countered it with stalkers and then he went mass void ray......... easy win tbh
Fast and Free
Splendour
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Bulgaria129 Posts
May 12 2010 15:04 GMT
#39
I don't think getting colossi before expanding is viable at all. Without the support of a lot of gateway units they're very easy to snipe, be it with blink stalkers, immortals, immortals in a warp prism, voidrays or phoenixes. Expanding with this build isn't advisable as you have to wait for the range upgrade to complete while the opponent can take a much faster expansion and get a huge macro lead.
Tanatos
Profile Joined April 2010
United States381 Posts
May 12 2010 15:12 GMT
#40
Awesome! It's just really sad that I couldn't see any of these builds due to earl 2gate rush
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