EPTOverview
While watching the GSL team league, there were some particularly interesting PvP games. One of the most interesting however was a match between IMYongHwa and ZeNEXFFMon. FFMon did a boring 3 gate blink stalker build, whilst IMYongHwa did a peculiar 3 Gate Robo build.
Current 2 or 3 Gate Robo builds just die to a well executed 4 Gate, and this is a sad fact. In order to get your robo up and get immortals out, AND be safe from a well executed 4 Gate, you need to delay the 4 Gate somehow. This build utilizes a fast 3 stalkers to deny proxy pylons in order to buy enough time to get a force out capable of defending a 4 Warpgate Rush.
Link to GSL match (fifth set): >> link <<
The Opening Build
- 9 Pylon
- Scout
- @100% Pylon Chrono Nexus
- 12 Gateway
- Slight probe cut
- Resume Probe production; Chrono Nexus
- 14 Assimilator
- 16 Pylon
- @100% Gateway Cybernetics Core
- @75% Cybernetics Core Gateway
- Slight pause in probe production
- @100% Cybernetics Core Stalker (Chronoboosted); Warpgate Technology
- Resume Probe production
- @75% Stalker Assimilator (Second Assim)
- @100% Stalker Stalker (Chronoboosted)
- Once second Gateway finishes chrono a stalker out of it**
- After your third Stalker is ordered place a Pylon as fast as you can followed by a Robo and then a Gateway. Directly after this order a Sentry and spend one Chronoboost on it.
- **In order to get this Stalker out in time you have to have exactly 24/26 supply. If you constantly make probes you'll end up with 25/26 unless your initial scout probe dies. If your first scout probe doesn't die you HAVE to stop probe production (until the next pylon finishes) to get your third stalker out as fast as possible!
Your sentry should finish just as Warpgate tech finishes, and your robo should finish shortly thereafter. Morph both gateways into warpgates, and warp in two zealots. Ideally you'll be up your ramp with three stalkers two zealots and a sentry, with a double chrono immortal about to pop, with the third gateway just finishing.
Note: Every single stalker has one chronoboost, the sentry has one chronoboost, and the immortal has two chronoboost. Only two initial chronoboosts are spent on the Nexus.
3 Stalkers
This build revolves around your three initial stalkers. These stalkers are what are going to keep you alive against a good 4 gate rush. You use them to kill off the Zealot Stalker and Probe (if you can) and then snipe the proxy pylon. Your goal in using these three stalkers is to force your opponent to proxy their warpin pylon as far away as possible. With good micro it is entirely possible to kill off their stalker, zealot and probe then return to your base. I've been able to win with this build as long as I can get the proxy pylon a good distance away from my base.
In order for this build to work you have to be able to be very active with your first three stalkers.
Defending the 4 Wargate Attack
Assuming you've pulled everything off decently (instead of perfectly, if you pulled the build off perfectly they would have no proxy pylon at all), you should end up with 2-3 stalkers, a sentry, 2 zealots, with an immortal almost completed just as the enemy runs up your ramp with about 5 stalkers that warped in from a far away proxy pylon. Use your force field to split their army in half. When you do this make sure to get a good chunk of their army above the ramp so you can kill it off, but don't let too much up.
![[image loading]](http://oi52.tinypic.com/w8ninc.jpg)
This is the type of situation you'll be in if you execute the build correctly.
Reacting
The beauty of this build is the ability to react to your opponent in the event that they do not show a ton of aggression. Perhaps they are also teching. Once your robotics facility completes you can chrono out an observer and head it on over to the opponent's base! This is precisely what IMYongHwa does in his PvP match during the first GSL Team League against ZeNEXFFMon. The ideal reaction to every scenario the opposing Protoss can force you into is very unexplored, although a very good reaction to 3 Gate Blink Stalkers can be seen in the VOD linked at the top of this post. This section will be updated as time passes and people figure out what to do from where depending on scouting info gathered.
Replays and VODs
Here is a GSL 2011 Championship match of TT1 vs sanZenith.
Here is a GSL prelim match between WhiteRa and mouzMana.
Here is a GSL prelim match between WhiteRa and Socke.
Combatex showing some random dude how to do the 3 Stalker opening into 4 gate blink.
IMYongHwa vs SlayerS_Alicia in the March 2011 GSTL.
Here are my most recent replays uploaded:
- http://www.mediafire.com/?0807ffws73nwi7i
- http://www.mediafire.com/?a690gcsl109fa28
- http://www.mediafire.com/?i2wyubshtw5wt7y
Here is a small replay pack of me trying this build out. Bear with me, as the only reference I had for this build was the VOD during the last GSL, so I had no clue exactly what to do against a typical well executed 4 gate. I win a decent amount of matches very convincingly. You should easily be able to tell some key things about what to do and what not to do with this build by watching my trial and error process.
Here is the GSL match that this build was derived (stolen) from.
Video guide by Artosis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb_X8Jlfj5g
Interested in finding builds on your own? Don't know exactly how to learn from better players like I did in this post? I just happened to be streaming and recorded the entire creation of this build order! Check it out here: http://bit.ly/gpH3wS
will look into this closer
he couldnt stop the double proxy pylon at the bottom of his ramp with zealot warpins though.
