[D] Mass Infestors - Dominate ZvP Mid-Game - Page 2

Safely get to lair and infestor tech

On April 19 2011 10:27 nymeria wrote:


1 -- This is more theory before evidence. In my experience, I do not lose to well placed forcefields that do exactly what you say.

2 -- This also is theory before evidence. Another idea that seems to make some sense until you try it in a game.

There's just so much to say about both arguments here that I don't know where to start.

Well here goes anyway.
---1--- Forcefields
You can cancel them with a colossus or an ultralisk.
You don't have to continue the engagement.
They prevent his army from advancing forward.
A completely isolated protoss army means none of their zealots can hit any of your zerglings.
Your zerglings take shots while your infestors can still fungal.
Your 2-3 fungals will kill all of their sentries.

--2-- Targeting A Channeling Infestor
Feedback tickles.
Are they using their entire army to focus down the infestor? just the chargelots? just the stalkers? so all 16 stalkers target your infestor...does that mean 7 shots were wasted on overkill? the range of np is 9. i don't think stalkers match that. Are you using the fungaled void rays w/ less range to chase down each infestor? In my experience, it's just too difficult/costly for them to go after my thiefs.

On April 19 2011 12:53 Yoshi Kirishima wrote:
Thanks for sharing, and the youtube video was fun to watch xD must have been rare to get that far into the game with such big and diverse protoss deathballs (the last one was so fun to watch :D).

Anyway, here's another advantage:

Zerglings move super fast so they are very good at reinforcing an army; they get their before the battle ends.

On April 19 2011 12:52 rollout wrote:


Agreed...the getting to this is the serious issue in ZvP

Also it seems to me that the sheer micro and energy requirements are too high...if you are looking to be fungling and neuraling repeatedly, you're gunna need a TON of infestor. Also accounting for any infestors being sniped off means you need even MORE, Where's this gas coming from?

On April 19 2011 13:09 ShamTao wrote:


Just a couple things in response-

It's important to note that ALL colossi really should be hit with NP (assuming they have thermal lance at this point). I keep my colossus in a separate control group than my army so that if one of them is NP'd, I can have them target the infestor, because both abilities have the same range. If all of them are NP'd then the lings and fungals that tie up the stalkers/sentries/zealots and keep the infestors safe for a longer period of time.

I'll try to get some replays to back this, but this is through my experience as a protoss player in masters (not to sound snarky- I'm no pro).

On April 19 2011 13:14 drcatellino wrote:
I was playing a game earlier today where he had the deathball coming to me (6 void rays, 4 colossus, gateway units). I used fungal 8 times on the army: in the end, only void rays and colossus survived and he killed me with these.

Yeah I died, but I realized that fungal can really help you buy time to prepare for the incoming push and kill the annoying sentries.

On April 19 2011 14:09 windsupernova wrote:
Hmmm, sounds pretty interesting. I can't wait to try this out when I play a ZvP.

I have one question:

Do you think that this could work with a lower Infestor count(maybe just only matching the colossi numbers, maybe a little more) and a more Roach heavy composition?

Roaches are better in holding the line and do decent against a Gateway army and with a "meatier" it would be harder for the P to snipe your Channeling infestors?

Anyways, good to see some people not giving into QQ and trying new stuff, hopefully this can help Zergs

On April 19 2011 14:17 Chinesewonder wrote:
In the ZvP matchup theres been so much discussion on how to overcome it. I still will always stick by baneling drops because I feel theres just nothing that depletes it faster than baneling drops. Also it opens room up for mineral harass which are really hard to defend as protoss.

This seems viable but also very volatile way to play it. Infestors are so delicate and depending on NP just seems really risky. I also wonder if you've ever faced a complete 200/200 death ball with ~5-6 colossi, 6-7 void rays, and stalker + sentry support. I can watch all your replays because Im on my laptop right now, but the one youtube clip the protoss didnt have much.

I still really prefer baneling drops. Nothing wipes the protoss clean quite like these

On April 19 2011 14:23 darkscream wrote:
This strategy kind of works before colossus but I really feel like neural parasite just doesn't cut it for dealing with them. Normally I get great NP's by using cliffs but Colossi see up cliffs. Also colossi are almost always safely in the back, meaning your Infestors can be attacked by the gateway units, and your lings are guaranteed to take damage from the colossi.

All in all, I like going this route but I think you just have to get Ultralisks or Corruptors/Brood lords anyways. Infestors with neural parasite are just not reliable enough, too micro intensive, to fully counter colossi and forcefields. however the rest is true, a straight ling infestor build is great against any non-colossi comp. If you can't get a surround with your lings though (maybe a nasty choke or forcefield donut) you pretty much lose the game.

On April 19 2011 15:18 PopoChampion wrote:
Feedback or a competent protoss who can snipe the NPing infestors would be pretty effective against this. Seems like it would be almost a hard counter?

On April 19 2011 15:48 DarthXX wrote:
I have started using Ling Infestor too recently, and I love it. Infestors beat VRs, they beat phoenixes, since ur not spending ur gas on anything else (like corruptor roach hydra) you can get a shitton of infestors who really do roll collosi, since you get heaps of NPs to burn. Also transitions nicely into Ultras later in the game if you need to since you will laready have melee attack upgrades for ur lings, or if u choose to go BLs the broodlings are updraded too.

On April 19 2011 15:48 Carmine wrote:
I don't have any evidence but i think that roach-infestor would be a better unit composition. There are several reasons.

-Roaches cost a little gas. This gives you something to spend gas on other than just infestors/upgrades. This is important because of saturation reasons.

-Roaches can burrow-move similar to the infestor. This gives you more incentive/rewards for researching burrow.

-Roaches and infested terrans both share the same attack upgrade. A synergy you wont enjoy with zerglings.

-Roaches have a ranged attack. This would be more useful against fungaled zealots. Also, less stalkers would be able to attack your army at a time.

-Fungal growth and Neural parasiting Colossi are both going to give you a lot of DPS vs the protoss army, so I think the tankier roaches would compliment this better than the zergling (with high dps, low health.)

I'm not saying you shouldn't get some Zerglings, but i think a very roach heavy army would compliment the infestors more. Also ofc making Zerglings when remaxing could be a good idea because of the fast build time.

On April 19 2011 15:48 Attica wrote:
That video is deceiving. The only time it was 200 vs 200 was the last part and the zerg didn't have ling-infestor. He had lings, banelings, infestors, and ultralisks while the toss had like 5 immortals. I'd like to see how it does vs a real deathball of 5 colossus and 7+ voids with ground support,

On April 19 2011 15:52 theMarkovian wrote:
What I have found, trying to go Ling(/Bane)/Infestor is that, to survive midgame pushes, you need Burrow just as you would get Burrow for heavy Roach styles, and Banelings. 6Gate is though, as it always is, but with Burrow you can engage with your Ling/Bane army, he will have to forcefield himself into a wall to not die to the banes, which means you can Burrow your entire army and wait for reinforcements. He can't move due to forcefields (and after forcefields, can only retreat, as there are baneling mines in your natural choke). Once your reinforcements pop, engage again and repeat until the push is dead.

All other one-base pushes and early two-base pushes can be dealt with with Ling/Spine (maybe an emergency Roach Warren), Queens or Burrow/Bane. For Two-base Colossus timings, you will have Fungal and drop.

Banelings are essential in any melee focussed midgame IMO and are nice tech to have if the Protoss decides to go heavy Zealot/Sentry in response to your Lings. If he goes pure Stalker/Colossus(/Void) lategame, just don't make any more Banelings. Also, +2 Banes are awesome when dropped on mineral lines.

Just make sure you have Burrow in time, start mining gas at 5.00-5.30 (if you aren't already) and start Lair at 6.00-6.30 and you'll have Burrow in time for any 6Gate.

On April 19 2011 15:48 Carmine wrote:
I don't have any evidence but i think that roach-infestor would be a better unit composition. There are several reasons.

-Roaches cost a little gas. This gives you something to spend gas on other than just infestors/upgrades. This is important because of saturation reasons.

-Roaches can burrow-move similar to the infestor. This gives you more incentive/rewards for researching burrow.

-Roaches and infested terrans both share the same attack upgrade. A synergy you wont enjoy with zerglings.

-Roaches have a ranged attack. This would be more useful against fungaled zealots. Also, less stalkers would be able to attack your army at a time.

-Fungal growth and Neural parasiting Colossi are both going to give you a lot of DPS vs the protoss army, so I think the tankier roaches would compliment this better than the zergling (with high dps, low health.)

I'm not saying you shouldn't get some Zerglings, but i think a very roach heavy army would compliment the infestors more. Also ofc making Zerglings when remaxing could be a good idea because of the fast build time.