EPT
After watching Boes fail cannon rushing for the 10th time, I've decided to write a small guide on how to properly do the manliest cannon rush in team games.
What is the BOSS Cannon Rush?
BOSS cannon rush is when you make pylons that wall off behind the opponent's workers and then make walled-off cannons. It's only effective against T and P opponents, specifically P opponents (since they can't lift off).
Like this:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/BdVPb.jpg)
This probe... is THE MAN.
Hidden CR vs BOSS CR
Hidden cannon rushes suck. They are easily defended if scouted, and almost everyone scouts for them once they see your forge. They often require more resources, cannons, and time. The BOSS cannon rush is in your face. It screams "I don't care what you do, or that you see this, you will watch my cannons go up and kill you." It is the epitome of manly cheese, almost as manly as making gates right next to someone's nexus.
Do not underestimate the crippling psychological blow that the BOSS cannon rush deals. It's one thing to die to cannons you don't scout, it's another thing to die to cannons warping in while your units sit helpless and their probe laughs in his comfortable walled off cave.
Basic Build Order
1. pylon on 9
2. send your probe to desired cannon rush location
3. forge on 12
4. save money for blocking pylons
How to execute
1. Make sure your probe looks as innocent as possible. You're not going to make any pylons until you have 300-400 minerals anyway, so try to look like a normal scout.
2. Stay within his vision so he doesn't send a chaser probe/scv to follow you around, as those are annoying and make your BOSS CR harder to execute. The more noob you look by not moving your probe around, the better. I tend to just park the probe a few squares away from his nexus.
3. The first pylon you make should be the one that walls the smallest gap. Example on 6:00 position on Toxic Slums, in order of build:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VP7jz.jpg)
Ditching the "follower"
Most players send a worker to follow your probe. These are annoying, but if you can evade it from blocking your pylon quite easily.
A few matrixes away from where you want to build your first blocking pylon (the "1" spot in the above picture) you hit "S" and let the worker attack you, then you zoom away from it and build the pylon. Make sure you build it so you end up on the right side of the pylon (in this case/picture, below the pylon). Then simply build pylons #2 and #3 (and when necessary, #4).
The timing on ditching the worker might take you a few tries of practice but it's not hard. If you properly execute it you will get enough separation from the enemy worker to build.
Backup Blocking Pylons
In Brood War, you could remake a building immediately after it was killed by melee units, which would re-block. You can't do this in SC2. But you can make a pylon one matrix behind. Take this into consideration when you build. Example:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/T4ReU.jpg)
Notice the back up pylon, which is in green. This can be made immediately after the opponent's workers kill pylon #3.
Example Pylon Placements
Ideally, you want to choose a location that is wall-able using only 3 pylons. Waiting for 400 minerals for 4 pylons is a bit scarier, since often you can't properly ditch the following worker sometimes. Backup blocker pylons are in green, where possible.
They're pretty easy to figure out, here are some examples:
4v4 Map Toxic Slums
+ Show Spoiler [Cannon Placements] +
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ybZZI.jpg)
6:30 position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/PCft0.jpg)
5:00 position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/gnwsC.jpg)
2:00 position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/JpSCH.jpg)
12:00 position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/SAqCO.jpg)
11:00 position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/3hSqS.jpg)
10:00 position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/UId7m.jpg)
9:00 position
Don't forget that around the gas geyser are some pretty cool cannon spots too:
3v3 Map Monsoon
+ Show Spoiler [Cannon Placements] +
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Wtj1B.jpg)
Bottom center position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/da9Kh.jpg)
Bottom left position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/5qDoK.jpg)
Bottom right position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Nsx3k.jpg)
Top center position
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VrIfH.jpg)
Top left position, so much space!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/fwqyO.jpg)
Top right position
Other Fun Stuff
Some maps have some hilarious cannon spots, and completely imbalanced positions.
Like on the original first 3v3 map Arakan Citadel bottom center position:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/3wHWW.jpg)
Or on the center positions on the 4v4 map Lava Flow:
http://i.imgur.com/URIzh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pL7BI.jpg
Yes, that first cannon is 100% tight, even pushes your own probe out. Just have your ally send an overlord over the cliff.
Good luck and happy cannon rushing!
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Hot_Bid/SS2.png)
