EPTIntroduction
Hey guy's, it's me again. Maybe you'll remember the beloved 9 pool ZvZ build, or even the really avant-gardist Ling/bling/infestor ZvP style i wrote down 5 month ago.
Season 3 is up for several weeks now, and my 9 pool build is no longer that effective because of the new map pool. It forced me to use a more conventional style on large map. Anyway, don't expect to find in this thread an innovative build like i used to do, but a more refined 9 pool build and guide, as well as a revisited hatch first style, with an emphasize on the map and unit usage. Nothing crazy, but going in depth over some stuff could certainly improve your ZvZ, which is all about capitalizing on little edge to create an huge one.
I'm still doing quite good in ZvZ, fairly even in ZvT, and awfully bad in ZvP. It caused me a lot of frustration and i'm actually angry at the simple idea of laddering. This mindset is a motivation writing this guide to me, because i will focus on the game i like: Tight build, sharp timing, and macro-oriented game-play. Of course ZvZ does not uprise balance issues so we can certainly focus on the "Playing better than my opponent" than simply "Trying to survive the imba-cheese/turtling my opponent throwing at me every f**** game by being utterly gimmicky" This to be said, let's begin by taking a look at the map pool.
Map pool
My veto:
+ Show Spoiler +
9 pool:
+ Show Spoiler +
Hatch first:
+ Show Spoiler +
I think it's pretty clear why each map goes to each strategy, but i will clarify anyway: You can't expect to do damage or to scout in time on some large map, and there is a lot of large map this season.
Let's begin with the bread and butter 9 pool build
The build
+ Show Spoiler +
General goals and thoughts
I'm fond of words, even in english, hence this part will describe the build in a broad fashion.
First i'd like to say that 9 pool is not a cheesy build by any mean. You have a clear follow up, and the early pool is here to apply pressure.
The initial pressure will give you a lead, a lead you will secure by playing extremely defensive thereafter.
After a short amount of dronage, you'll have the economy to get aggressive by pulling out a nice timing, using roach speed and +1 missile upgrade. This timing is extremely deadly but is not an all-in either: You'll have an upgrade lead (+2 on the way when your hits your opponent's base) and a solid drone count.
Now, why it is so effective? Certainly not because of the clear superiority of the build. First, you have a clear plan, you know exactly what to produce and when to produce it. Second, you are the pace-maker of the game: You dictate what your opponent has to do, because of the 6 initial ling AND the roach timing, which lead us to the third point:
Third, your opponent has to make no mistakes, just in order to survive. He let you kill too many drones? Game over. He overreacted and produced too many ling instead of drone? Game over. He tried a silly all-in because he felt he was behind? Poor guy, get some confidence, and some pride too. He overdroned and has no army when your fierce roach army knock to his door? Don't even GG.
Of course, the higher your league is, lower are the chance that he will screw up. In master league, you can expect 80 to 90% win rate on the 9 pool map.
Scouting: Knowledge is power
Besides, having a nice overlord spread makes you look like a boss
Of course this part will only concern the 3 9 pool maps i mentioned before.
Xel naga:
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/uLKFB.png)
Overlord 1 will allow you to scout if any 9 pool is coming (Right when he passes near the west watch tower) He will not arrive into your opponents natural before the 6 lings, so be sure to quickly check if there is any hatch first with them. Right when he plants his expand down, move your 1st overlord to his third. You don't want to lose any overlord in a tight build like this.
Overlord 2 and 3 will help you to spot any kind of army movement all game long, And will help you to react accordingly when it comes to larvae management: (To drone or not to drone, that is the question.)
Overlord 4 is quite important: He will pop right around the time you'll go down your ramp with roaches and expand. The first spot will allow you to see any zergling going around and deal with them in an easier way. When your creep cover this area, send him over the brushes to spot any baneling-zergling shenanigans.
Overlord 5 will help you to spot any sneaky expand in this area, or muta if it comes to this.
I could go on with the next overlords, but they are not as critical as the 5 firsts. Spread them over each base and along the attack paths and you'll be fine.
Shakuras Plateau:
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/YgwFw.png)
Assuming you are spawning in the bottom left and your opponent in the top right position. Just transpose the whole thing if the spawning are different.
Overlord 1 will tell you in time where your opponent is, and thus you'll be able to go straight with your ling to his base. You'll have a quick look at his build too. Can't hurt!
Redirect him to the natural, then at his third when it goes down.
Overlord 2 3 4 5 will give you a whole sight of the only attack path of the map.
Shattered Temple:
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/7j9L7.png)
Assuming you spawn at bottom left and your opponent at top right, which is as bad as you can get.
Overlord 1 will quickly spot if your opponent is in close air position, then redirect him to the top natural. Again, when it goes down, send him to the third.
Right after building Overlord 2, send a drone (at 10 supply) to the close ground position to see if your opponent is there or not. If he is not (like in the drawing) then redirect your Overlord 2 accordingly. If he is, redirect your overlord 1. Sounds tricky but it's quite logical in the end.
Responding to your opponent build
Early game
-Your opponent will likely go 80% of the time to a standard speedling first build. In this case, target the drone and kill a maximal amount of them before the first sets of ling pops.
-If your opponent goes for hatch first, target the hatch until he cancels it, then go kill some drone, or zergling if they are already out.
-If your opponent goes for a 9 pool or an earlier one, he will likely go for an all in. You'll have the edge: You have a queen to defend yourself, just make sure to build extra ling in base and cancel his spinecrawler.
-If your opponent goes for a 11 pool or so, kill as much ling as you can. Don't send your queen too soon at your ramp, wait for the roaches.
Mid game
There are different types of reaction that your opponent will do, only one is correct and will lead both of you to late game, the others will give you an auto-win if you read it correctly.
1: Your opponent is massing zergling on 1 or 2 base and will try to counter attack you. Make sure to build extra roaches before lair and you'll be fine. Some dudes will try to baneling bust you. Laugh hard at them !
2: Your opponent is going a middle-ish way of unit, dronage and expansion. This is the type of reaction you have to expect the most. And the easier to win. When your timing has arrived, you will out number him in roach count, while he will have 5 extra drone compared to you. Insta win.
3: Your opponent handle your 9 pool well and is totally fine expanding and droning like a mad men, because he knows you won't attack him before 10 min mark. AND he is not overdroning and keep up with your roach count. When you see a roach count that you can't beat (don't forget to check upgrades, +1 is magic
back up and produce 14 extra drones, in order to saturate your natural and take the 2 extra gas. You are now in the late stage of the game, do whatever you're used to in order to win that part 
Unit control
6 zergling
A good player will try to surround your ling with drone using the mineral trick. Don't let your zerglings unmicroed and die stupidly.
When the drone mineral trick is done, right click away from the drone
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/T35sK.png)
Then A click on the ground
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/FEj6y.png)
And get the job done.
When you have 1 or 2 zergling left, target very badly injured drone to get extra kills. It goes really fast so act like a badass zerg !
Roaches
Your initial roaches need to stay down your ramp close to your natural in order to defend any kind of attempt to cancel your expand.
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/gUU7d.png)
But don't go too far from your queens or you'll die. Without transfuses, this battle is over:
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6RgHs.png)
Don't forget to get a good concave against your opponent roach army as well.The trick i use the most is to form a straight line while marching through the map, then right click beneath the opponent roach army to get a good positioning for the battle.
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6ZK9O.png)
Replays
Some fresh replays available. On my old thread, you can find a bunch more of them.
[url blocked]
[url blocked]
Hatch first
General thoughts
Hatch first is by far the best build on large map. They are safe enough to survive any 1 base play as long as you know what you are doing. There is no unique build following the hatch first, but different types of reaction who will allow you to survive through early and mid game. Thus i will not describe the build like i did for the 9 pool, but rather speak in a broad way about what to do. I'm a macro guy, hence my hatch first style is a reactive style. Some guy's will do a zergling all-in after an hatch first, others will go right into roaches. My way of dealing with it is to scout a lot, figure out what my opponent is doing, and reacting to it. The really interesting part of this hatch first guide will be my tactical use of units.
Spawning position
Quick summary about scouting: Send a drone at 13 food, use your first overlord to scout a main, send your drone to another one until you found him.
-If you do scout a one base play: Plant your pool and your extractor at 14 food right away.
-If your opponent is going hatch first in "close" position: at 15.
-If your opponent is going hatch first in cross position: Plant extractor and pool at 16 food.
(Get speed asap)
Then, produce 6 ling, use 2 to scout his base and 4 to defend yours
Reacting in early game
The 2 initial scouting ling will give you enough intel to make a first choice.
-If you see no drone at his natural, speed on the way, no gas mining, then he is certainly going for a speedling all in. Come back to your base, plant a baneling nest, a spinecrawler at his expand and start zergling production. When you have some baneling, consider starting a roach warren.
-if you see a roach warren, plant your roach warren and adopt a passive attitude (some roach, lot of drone)
-if you see a spinecrawler: Time to drone man, this guy is not attacking you any time soon.
Assure yourself that he is in fact going for what you thought he was in the first place. Start sending a zergling every 30 in game seconds at his base. It will give you a clear indication when to drone and when to make unit. If you survived the 10 min mark, then it is time to shine in the mid game.
Mid game plan
In the mid game, i use simple rules. Together, they shape my mid game plan. On one gas, i get speedling then +1 range, then my Lair. No need to know any kind of food number, your gas income is your time marker.
When your Lair is started, take all your gas. The aim is to saturate each base with 22 drone (16 at minerals, 6 in gas)
Start your third when Lair is halfway done.
Begin your infestation pit as your Lair is done. Start pumping roach until your third is done.
When your third is done, produce 22 more drone, saturate it (take the 2 extra gases asap). Make a macro hatch. This round of drone and the extra hatchery will allow you to produce 5ish infestors while keeping your money low.
Make a second evolution chamber, you should be upgrading +2 range and +1 armor right now.
When infestors are done, it's time to attack !
Being a true zerg
Being a true zerg implies to be a a vicious guy who knows what unit to do and how to use them.
Using Roaches
+ Show Spoiler +
Backbone if your army, they are here to take hits while other units make the difference.
Every zerg unit have a sneaky mode. As the game goes on, i suggest you to research burrow and burrow movement. Take several squad of 4 roaches each, go sneak behind mineral lines and watch your opponent cries. Nothing much more to say about them.
Using Infestors
+ Show Spoiler +
Surprisingly, a lot of player don't really know how to use them, including me few weeks ago. Are you one of those who fungal randomly pack of roaches? Don't lie to me, i know you do. Roach die in 3 fungal (or close to). Fungaling the whole army one time has no point at all. The key is to fungal a pack of roaches 3 times in a row. If you have 6 fungals available, you can fungal 2 packs at a time, etc. Sometimes, the positioning will allow you to fungal a pack of roaches that will prevent this roaches (or the other behind it) to reach your army. It's called Fungal Field, thank you Destiny, you sick nerd infestor user !
The sneaky mode of the infestor is cool as well: Burrow and sneak into an expand. Some guy's will fungal the drone, i'd rather spawn infested terran to kill the expand as well.
Using Hydralisks
In a late game scenario, usually before getting greater spire, you want to add some of those guy to your roach army. Some hydralisks behind your roaches will do tremendous damage. Nothing new here, beside the timing of the hydra den. Don't consider going for them before having 6 extractors running. Otherwise, Hydra are bad, they don't even have a sneaky mode.
Using Zergling
Zergling. Zergling zergling zergling. Didn't you guys know? This guys are so much underused. Sometimes, a good draw worth ten times a long speech !
+ Show Spoiler +
You are the blue guy, your opponent is yellow. (If he is really Yellow, just ragequit)
This situation represent a ZvZ around the time where you have 3 bases each, and when your infestors pop out.(Remember when i said "Time to attack!" ?)
The blue and and yellow rectangles represent your roach infestor army clashing with his roach infestor army. Meanwhile, your zergling squad (around 30) represented by a triangle, is used to deny the third. As you can see, your opponent can't defend it because he is engaged with your roach army. Zergling are like cavalery: Their high mobility should be used 1: As flank 2: Even better, at harassing were your opponent is not. Won me countless of ZvZ.
Another example on Antiga Shipyard
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/THyHN.png)
Zerglings are sneaky. So sneaky.
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/yuZiW.jpg)
Replays
[url blocked]
VOD
Definitely check http://blip.tv/day9tv/ahgl-google-vs-amazon-game-2-week-7-starcraft-2-5471568 ! Thx to Decon
It gave me the idea of making a VOD-guide of the build myself, but i have no idea how to make such a thing. Would someone with the required skill help me out?
Hey guy's, it's me again. Maybe you'll remember the beloved 9 pool ZvZ build, or even the really avant-gardist Ling/bling/infestor ZvP style i wrote down 5 month ago.
Season 3 is up for several weeks now, and my 9 pool build is no longer that effective because of the new map pool. It forced me to use a more conventional style on large map. Anyway, don't expect to find in this thread an innovative build like i used to do, but a more refined 9 pool build and guide, as well as a revisited hatch first style, with an emphasize on the map and unit usage. Nothing crazy, but going in depth over some stuff could certainly improve your ZvZ, which is all about capitalizing on little edge to create an huge one.
I'm still doing quite good in ZvZ, fairly even in ZvT, and awfully bad in ZvP. It caused me a lot of frustration and i'm actually angry at the simple idea of laddering. This mindset is a motivation writing this guide to me, because i will focus on the game i like: Tight build, sharp timing, and macro-oriented game-play. Of course ZvZ does not uprise balance issues so we can certainly focus on the "Playing better than my opponent" than simply "Trying to survive the imba-cheese/turtling my opponent throwing at me every f**** game by being utterly gimmicky" This to be said, let's begin by taking a look at the map pool.
Map pool
My veto:
+ Show Spoiler +
Searing Crater: This map sucks so hard in ZvP and ZvT
Abyssal Cavern: This map sucks so hard in ZvP and ZvT
Backwater Gulch: Lol.
Abyssal Cavern: This map sucks so hard in ZvP and ZvT
Backwater Gulch: Lol.
9 pool:
+ Show Spoiler +
Shakuras Plateau
Shattered Temple
Xel naga Cavern
Shattered Temple
Xel naga Cavern
Hatch first:
+ Show Spoiler +
Tal'Darim Altar
Antiga Shipyard
Nezarim Crypt
Typhoon Peaks
Antiga Shipyard
Nezarim Crypt
Typhoon Peaks
I think it's pretty clear why each map goes to each strategy, but i will clarify anyway: You can't expect to do damage or to scout in time on some large map, and there is a lot of large map this season.
Let's begin with the bread and butter 9 pool build
9 pool my love
The build
+ Show Spoiler +
9/10: Pool
10/10: 1st Overlord
10/18: 3 Sets of zergling
13/18: 1st Queen
15/18: 2 Drones
17/18: 2nd Overlord
19/18: 2nd Queen with extractor trick 1st larvae inject
First set of thoughts:
At exactly 3:23 in game time, is the time where you have to do 4 things simultaneously, within 4 in game sec:
-Produce another queen asap with the tight 150 mineral
-Produce an extractor, don't cancel it
-Inject asap as your first queen pop out
-Control your 6 ling and kill as much stuff as possible
In my previous thread, we had a controversy about 11/10 drone extractor trick. You can in fact squeeze another drone, but it will delay your 3rd zergling by a bit and quite mess out the timing. I tried the 11/10 trick for 2 weeks and i dropped 10% of my winrate or so, so i don't recommend it.
16/26: 6 Drones 2nd larvae inject
22/26: 3rd Queen
Second set of thoughts:
With your second queen, immediately plant a creep tumor to creep unto your ramp. Don't go asap with your 2 queens to wall off your ramp. Depending on the map and how your opponent managed your 6 initial zergling, you'll not be there in time and you can die to a large zergling counter. The safe way is to sit back in your base and defend in your mineral line until you get a third queen and creep coverage.
24/26: 1 Roach warren. Put 3 drone in gas 3rd larvae inject
23/26: 3 Drones
26/26: 3rd and 4th Overlord
Third set of thoughts:
When the 3rd larvae inject is done, you can finally go wall up your ramp. Be sure to put 3 drones in gas before making the roach warren, you'll see you can't do both simultaneously because after building your third queen, you won't have enough minerals left to do it for something like 5 more sec.
26/42: 4 to 7 roaches
36/42: 1 Expand
35/42: Lair
35/42: 2nd Extractor
34/42: Evolution chamber
33/42: 7 Drones
40/42: 5th Overlord
Fourth set of thoughts:
The amount of roach you'll have to do depends heavily on what your opponent is doing. I will talk later about scouting with overlord, but be sure to always follow this rule: If you don't see an expansion before yours, delay your Lair and your evolution chamber and make extra roaches, up to 7. The longer you don't see an expand, the more roach you'll have to make. Don't forget that queen tranfuse is the key to any all in. Let your roaches down the ramp in order to protect your currently building natural, but don't go too far and let your queen block the ramp until it's done.
42/42: +1 range attack upgrade
46/52: Roach speed and 6th overlord
52/52: Stop drone production, start Roach production with overlord.
84/84: +2 range attack upgrade
Final set of thoughts:
-Your expand should start at 6:10 and finish at 7:50 inject immediately and drone transfer
-Your lair start at 6:50
-Your +1 range attack at 7:40
-Your roach speed start at 8:15
-Your roach production start at 8:55
-Your roach timing move out around 10:20, as well as +2 range
You need exactly 32 drones in order to perform this timing well. It means 26 drones at mineral duty, 6 at gas. be sure to have no more than 16 drone at your main and around 10 at your expand to saturate them correctly.
10/10: 1st Overlord
10/18: 3 Sets of zergling
13/18: 1st Queen
15/18: 2 Drones
17/18: 2nd Overlord
19/18: 2nd Queen with extractor trick 1st larvae inject
First set of thoughts:
At exactly 3:23 in game time, is the time where you have to do 4 things simultaneously, within 4 in game sec:
-Produce another queen asap with the tight 150 mineral
-Produce an extractor, don't cancel it
-Inject asap as your first queen pop out
-Control your 6 ling and kill as much stuff as possible
In my previous thread, we had a controversy about 11/10 drone extractor trick. You can in fact squeeze another drone, but it will delay your 3rd zergling by a bit and quite mess out the timing. I tried the 11/10 trick for 2 weeks and i dropped 10% of my winrate or so, so i don't recommend it.
16/26: 6 Drones 2nd larvae inject
22/26: 3rd Queen
Second set of thoughts:
With your second queen, immediately plant a creep tumor to creep unto your ramp. Don't go asap with your 2 queens to wall off your ramp. Depending on the map and how your opponent managed your 6 initial zergling, you'll not be there in time and you can die to a large zergling counter. The safe way is to sit back in your base and defend in your mineral line until you get a third queen and creep coverage.
24/26: 1 Roach warren. Put 3 drone in gas 3rd larvae inject
23/26: 3 Drones
26/26: 3rd and 4th Overlord
Third set of thoughts:
When the 3rd larvae inject is done, you can finally go wall up your ramp. Be sure to put 3 drones in gas before making the roach warren, you'll see you can't do both simultaneously because after building your third queen, you won't have enough minerals left to do it for something like 5 more sec.
26/42: 4 to 7 roaches
36/42: 1 Expand
35/42: Lair
35/42: 2nd Extractor
34/42: Evolution chamber
33/42: 7 Drones
40/42: 5th Overlord
Fourth set of thoughts:
The amount of roach you'll have to do depends heavily on what your opponent is doing. I will talk later about scouting with overlord, but be sure to always follow this rule: If you don't see an expansion before yours, delay your Lair and your evolution chamber and make extra roaches, up to 7. The longer you don't see an expand, the more roach you'll have to make. Don't forget that queen tranfuse is the key to any all in. Let your roaches down the ramp in order to protect your currently building natural, but don't go too far and let your queen block the ramp until it's done.
42/42: +1 range attack upgrade
46/52: Roach speed and 6th overlord
52/52: Stop drone production, start Roach production with overlord.
84/84: +2 range attack upgrade
Final set of thoughts:
-Your expand should start at 6:10 and finish at 7:50 inject immediately and drone transfer
-Your lair start at 6:50
-Your +1 range attack at 7:40
-Your roach speed start at 8:15
-Your roach production start at 8:55
-Your roach timing move out around 10:20, as well as +2 range
You need exactly 32 drones in order to perform this timing well. It means 26 drones at mineral duty, 6 at gas. be sure to have no more than 16 drone at your main and around 10 at your expand to saturate them correctly.
General goals and thoughts
I'm fond of words, even in english, hence this part will describe the build in a broad fashion.
First i'd like to say that 9 pool is not a cheesy build by any mean. You have a clear follow up, and the early pool is here to apply pressure.
The initial pressure will give you a lead, a lead you will secure by playing extremely defensive thereafter.
After a short amount of dronage, you'll have the economy to get aggressive by pulling out a nice timing, using roach speed and +1 missile upgrade. This timing is extremely deadly but is not an all-in either: You'll have an upgrade lead (+2 on the way when your hits your opponent's base) and a solid drone count.
Now, why it is so effective? Certainly not because of the clear superiority of the build. First, you have a clear plan, you know exactly what to produce and when to produce it. Second, you are the pace-maker of the game: You dictate what your opponent has to do, because of the 6 initial ling AND the roach timing, which lead us to the third point:
Third, your opponent has to make no mistakes, just in order to survive. He let you kill too many drones? Game over. He overreacted and produced too many ling instead of drone? Game over. He tried a silly all-in because he felt he was behind? Poor guy, get some confidence, and some pride too. He overdroned and has no army when your fierce roach army knock to his door? Don't even GG.
Of course, the higher your league is, lower are the chance that he will screw up. In master league, you can expect 80 to 90% win rate on the 9 pool map.
Scouting: Knowledge is power
Besides, having a nice overlord spread makes you look like a boss
Of course this part will only concern the 3 9 pool maps i mentioned before.
Xel naga:
+ Show Spoiler +
Overlord 1 will allow you to scout if any 9 pool is coming (Right when he passes near the west watch tower) He will not arrive into your opponents natural before the 6 lings, so be sure to quickly check if there is any hatch first with them. Right when he plants his expand down, move your 1st overlord to his third. You don't want to lose any overlord in a tight build like this.
Overlord 2 and 3 will help you to spot any kind of army movement all game long, And will help you to react accordingly when it comes to larvae management: (To drone or not to drone, that is the question.)
Overlord 4 is quite important: He will pop right around the time you'll go down your ramp with roaches and expand. The first spot will allow you to see any zergling going around and deal with them in an easier way. When your creep cover this area, send him over the brushes to spot any baneling-zergling shenanigans.
Overlord 5 will help you to spot any sneaky expand in this area, or muta if it comes to this.
I could go on with the next overlords, but they are not as critical as the 5 firsts. Spread them over each base and along the attack paths and you'll be fine.
Shakuras Plateau:
+ Show Spoiler +
Assuming you are spawning in the bottom left and your opponent in the top right position. Just transpose the whole thing if the spawning are different.
Overlord 1 will tell you in time where your opponent is, and thus you'll be able to go straight with your ling to his base. You'll have a quick look at his build too. Can't hurt!
Redirect him to the natural, then at his third when it goes down.
Overlord 2 3 4 5 will give you a whole sight of the only attack path of the map.
Shattered Temple:
+ Show Spoiler +
Assuming you spawn at bottom left and your opponent at top right, which is as bad as you can get.
Overlord 1 will quickly spot if your opponent is in close air position, then redirect him to the top natural. Again, when it goes down, send him to the third.
Right after building Overlord 2, send a drone (at 10 supply) to the close ground position to see if your opponent is there or not. If he is not (like in the drawing) then redirect your Overlord 2 accordingly. If he is, redirect your overlord 1. Sounds tricky but it's quite logical in the end.
Responding to your opponent build
Early game
-Your opponent will likely go 80% of the time to a standard speedling first build. In this case, target the drone and kill a maximal amount of them before the first sets of ling pops.
-If your opponent goes for hatch first, target the hatch until he cancels it, then go kill some drone, or zergling if they are already out.
-If your opponent goes for a 9 pool or an earlier one, he will likely go for an all in. You'll have the edge: You have a queen to defend yourself, just make sure to build extra ling in base and cancel his spinecrawler.
-If your opponent goes for a 11 pool or so, kill as much ling as you can. Don't send your queen too soon at your ramp, wait for the roaches.
Mid game
There are different types of reaction that your opponent will do, only one is correct and will lead both of you to late game, the others will give you an auto-win if you read it correctly.
1: Your opponent is massing zergling on 1 or 2 base and will try to counter attack you. Make sure to build extra roaches before lair and you'll be fine. Some dudes will try to baneling bust you. Laugh hard at them !
2: Your opponent is going a middle-ish way of unit, dronage and expansion. This is the type of reaction you have to expect the most. And the easier to win. When your timing has arrived, you will out number him in roach count, while he will have 5 extra drone compared to you. Insta win.
3: Your opponent handle your 9 pool well and is totally fine expanding and droning like a mad men, because he knows you won't attack him before 10 min mark. AND he is not overdroning and keep up with your roach count. When you see a roach count that you can't beat (don't forget to check upgrades, +1 is magic
back up and produce 14 extra drones, in order to saturate your natural and take the 2 extra gas. You are now in the late stage of the game, do whatever you're used to in order to win that part Unit control
6 zergling
A good player will try to surround your ling with drone using the mineral trick. Don't let your zerglings unmicroed and die stupidly.
When the drone mineral trick is done, right click away from the drone
+ Show Spoiler +
Then A click on the ground
+ Show Spoiler +
And get the job done.
When you have 1 or 2 zergling left, target very badly injured drone to get extra kills. It goes really fast so act like a badass zerg !
Roaches
Your initial roaches need to stay down your ramp close to your natural in order to defend any kind of attempt to cancel your expand.
+ Show Spoiler +
But don't go too far from your queens or you'll die. Without transfuses, this battle is over:
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Don't forget to get a good concave against your opponent roach army as well.The trick i use the most is to form a straight line while marching through the map, then right click beneath the opponent roach army to get a good positioning for the battle.
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Replays
Some fresh replays available. On my old thread, you can find a bunch more of them.
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Hatch first
General thoughts
Hatch first is by far the best build on large map. They are safe enough to survive any 1 base play as long as you know what you are doing. There is no unique build following the hatch first, but different types of reaction who will allow you to survive through early and mid game. Thus i will not describe the build like i did for the 9 pool, but rather speak in a broad way about what to do. I'm a macro guy, hence my hatch first style is a reactive style. Some guy's will do a zergling all-in after an hatch first, others will go right into roaches. My way of dealing with it is to scout a lot, figure out what my opponent is doing, and reacting to it. The really interesting part of this hatch first guide will be my tactical use of units.
Spawning position
Quick summary about scouting: Send a drone at 13 food, use your first overlord to scout a main, send your drone to another one until you found him.
-If you do scout a one base play: Plant your pool and your extractor at 14 food right away.
-If your opponent is going hatch first in "close" position: at 15.
-If your opponent is going hatch first in cross position: Plant extractor and pool at 16 food.
(Get speed asap)
Then, produce 6 ling, use 2 to scout his base and 4 to defend yours
Reacting in early game
The 2 initial scouting ling will give you enough intel to make a first choice.
-If you see no drone at his natural, speed on the way, no gas mining, then he is certainly going for a speedling all in. Come back to your base, plant a baneling nest, a spinecrawler at his expand and start zergling production. When you have some baneling, consider starting a roach warren.
-if you see a roach warren, plant your roach warren and adopt a passive attitude (some roach, lot of drone)
-if you see a spinecrawler: Time to drone man, this guy is not attacking you any time soon.
Assure yourself that he is in fact going for what you thought he was in the first place. Start sending a zergling every 30 in game seconds at his base. It will give you a clear indication when to drone and when to make unit. If you survived the 10 min mark, then it is time to shine in the mid game.
Mid game plan
In the mid game, i use simple rules. Together, they shape my mid game plan. On one gas, i get speedling then +1 range, then my Lair. No need to know any kind of food number, your gas income is your time marker.
When your Lair is started, take all your gas. The aim is to saturate each base with 22 drone (16 at minerals, 6 in gas)
Start your third when Lair is halfway done.
Begin your infestation pit as your Lair is done. Start pumping roach until your third is done.
When your third is done, produce 22 more drone, saturate it (take the 2 extra gases asap). Make a macro hatch. This round of drone and the extra hatchery will allow you to produce 5ish infestors while keeping your money low.
Make a second evolution chamber, you should be upgrading +2 range and +1 armor right now.
When infestors are done, it's time to attack !
Being a true zerg
Being a true zerg implies to be a a vicious guy who knows what unit to do and how to use them.
Using Roaches
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Ah ah i love useless pics![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6YKRw.jpg)
Backbone if your army, they are here to take hits while other units make the difference.
Every zerg unit have a sneaky mode. As the game goes on, i suggest you to research burrow and burrow movement. Take several squad of 4 roaches each, go sneak behind mineral lines and watch your opponent cries. Nothing much more to say about them.
Using Infestors
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Damn, they won't allow me more than 25 upload a day 
Surprisingly, a lot of player don't really know how to use them, including me few weeks ago. Are you one of those who fungal randomly pack of roaches? Don't lie to me, i know you do. Roach die in 3 fungal (or close to). Fungaling the whole army one time has no point at all. The key is to fungal a pack of roaches 3 times in a row. If you have 6 fungals available, you can fungal 2 packs at a time, etc. Sometimes, the positioning will allow you to fungal a pack of roaches that will prevent this roaches (or the other behind it) to reach your army. It's called Fungal Field, thank you Destiny, you sick nerd infestor user !
The sneaky mode of the infestor is cool as well: Burrow and sneak into an expand. Some guy's will fungal the drone, i'd rather spawn infested terran to kill the expand as well.
Using Hydralisks
In a late game scenario, usually before getting greater spire, you want to add some of those guy to your roach army. Some hydralisks behind your roaches will do tremendous damage. Nothing new here, beside the timing of the hydra den. Don't consider going for them before having 6 extractors running. Otherwise, Hydra are bad, they don't even have a sneaky mode.
Using Zergling
Zergling. Zergling zergling zergling. Didn't you guys know? This guys are so much underused. Sometimes, a good draw worth ten times a long speech !
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God i love page !![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/rIN6l.png)
You are the blue guy, your opponent is yellow. (If he is really Yellow, just ragequit)
This situation represent a ZvZ around the time where you have 3 bases each, and when your infestors pop out.(Remember when i said "Time to attack!" ?)
The blue and and yellow rectangles represent your roach infestor army clashing with his roach infestor army. Meanwhile, your zergling squad (around 30) represented by a triangle, is used to deny the third. As you can see, your opponent can't defend it because he is engaged with your roach army. Zergling are like cavalery: Their high mobility should be used 1: As flank 2: Even better, at harassing were your opponent is not. Won me countless of ZvZ.
Another example on Antiga Shipyard
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Zerglings are sneaky. So sneaky.
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Replays
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VOD
TheDeconstructionist [ 0 posts | Profile | Buddy | Report ]
Subject: A VOD of your 9pool build (badly executed, though)
Date: 8/17/11 17:53
Just in case you're interested, Day9 casted a VOD where I did your build: http://blip.tv/day9tv/ahgl-google-vs-amazon-game-2-week-7-starcraft-2-5471568
It ended up as a strange game since I didn't expect an early pool from the opponent, and I was a little paranoid and waited too long with the expansion (and got an unnecessary spine crawler after scouting no expo from the other Zerg) but the idea was there, and it worked ;-)
(Also I didn't get much sleep, since I'm playing from EU in US night hours, which generally doesn't help)
Cheers on developing such an unorthodox and refined build,
-- Decon
Subject: A VOD of your 9pool build (badly executed, though)
Date: 8/17/11 17:53
Just in case you're interested, Day9 casted a VOD where I did your build: http://blip.tv/day9tv/ahgl-google-vs-amazon-game-2-week-7-starcraft-2-5471568
It ended up as a strange game since I didn't expect an early pool from the opponent, and I was a little paranoid and waited too long with the expansion (and got an unnecessary spine crawler after scouting no expo from the other Zerg) but the idea was there, and it worked ;-)
(Also I didn't get much sleep, since I'm playing from EU in US night hours, which generally doesn't help)
Cheers on developing such an unorthodox and refined build,
-- Decon
Definitely check http://blip.tv/day9tv/ahgl-google-vs-amazon-game-2-week-7-starcraft-2-5471568 ! Thx to Decon
It gave me the idea of making a VOD-guide of the build myself, but i have no idea how to make such a thing. Would someone with the required skill help me out?
Damn, i forgot the [G] ! Can i correct that?
Blog
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=283121
