• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 18:19
CEST 00:19
KST 07:19
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Code S Season 2 (2026): RO4 and Finals Preview12TL.net Map Contest #22 - Voting & Ladder Map Selection6Code S Season 2 (2026) - RO8 Preview5[ASL21] Finals Preview: Two Legacies21Code S Season 2 (2026) - RO12 Preview2
Community News
[BSL22] Non-Korean Championship from 13 to 28 June2Weekly Cups (May 25-31): Clem doubles, 2v2 circuit heads toward finale0StarCraft II 5.0.16 PTR Patch Notes may 26th151Weekly Cups (May 18-24): MaxPax wins doubles0Crank Gathers Season 4: BW vs SC2 Team League6
StarCraft 2
General
TL Poll: How do you feel about the 5.0.16 PTR balance changes? Oliveira Would Have Returned If EWC Continued TL.net Map Contest #22 - Voting & Ladder Map Selection Code S Season 2 (2026): RO4 and Finals Preview What kind of tool would you be interested in?
Tourneys
Maestros of The Game 2 announcement and schedule ! Douyu Cup 2026 GSL Code S Season 2 (2026) Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament WardiTV Mondays
Strategy
[G] Having the right mentality to improve
Custom Maps
[D]RTS in all its shapes and glory <3
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 529 Opportunities Unleashed Mutation # 528 Infection Detected Welcome to the External Content forum
Brood War
General
BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW fans in southern Sweden, look here! 25 Years Since Brood War Patch 1.08 BW General Discussion BW animated web series: seeking contributors
Tourneys
[BSL22] Grand Finals - Sunday 21:00 CEST [ASL21] Grand Finals [Megathread] Daily Proleagues Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 2
Strategy
Any training maps people recommend? Why doesn't anyone use restoration? Muta micro map competition [G] Hydra ZvZ: An Introduction
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread PC Games Sales Thread Nintendo Switch Thread ZeroSpace Megathread Summer Games Done Quick 2026!
Dota 2
Looking for a Dota Mentor Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Trading/Investing Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine YouTube Thread
Fan Clubs
The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
[Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books [TV/BOOK] *SPOILERS* Game of Thrones Discussion Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread McBoner: A hockey love story Formula 1 Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread Facing Challenges in Mobile App Development
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
An Exploration of th…
waywardstrategy
I'm an arrogant trash talke…
FlaShFTW
Gauntlet SC2: A Retrospectiv…
Ctone23
Esportsmanship: How to NOT B…
TrAiDoS
Why RTS gamers make better f…
gosubay
ASL S21 English Commentary…
namkraft
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 21354 users

[G] TvZ Only marines

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
Post a Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next All
vVvPastry
Profile Joined September 2011
United States244 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-09-23 02:39:29
September 23 2011 01:34 GMT
#1
I don't know if there is a thread like this already and if there is, admins are welcome to close this thread.

I AM NOT TAKING CREDIT FOR ANY BUILD THAT MIGHT BE SIMILAR TOO. I JUST STARTED DOING THIS AND WANTED TO SHARE IT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

Anyway I am a decent masters on the NA ladder. I have fallen to about 1.1k after a recent slump. I am a member of vVv gaming and hope you enjoy my guide. This build just works for me and I hope it works for you too.

I always see people use siege tanks in TvZ, but for the last 1 month I have just been doing mass marines in this matchup. Being that the siege tank's only role is killing banelings so that your marines live longer, I thought it was logical to just make more marines and get more bases than making expensive tanks.

I normally do pure bio builds in every match up so I have a lot of experience with drop play and mmm micro, but I feel that anyone can do this build effectively. My macro is very bad, my micro is decent at best, and my multitasking is sub par. Most games I am floating 2k minerals the whole game just to prove it.



The Build

Marines
[image loading]

Medivacs
[image loading]

I normally start off with a 2 rax expand

10 supply
12 rax
14 rax
15 orbital
CC when comfortable

If it is on a map where 3 rax can block ramp (Shakuras, New maps) I do a 16 marine drop after I expand
you can find build in Hansk's thread
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=267242

However if it is not a block able natural I just expand without 16 marine drop and add 2 more barracks and 2 more gasses and just rush to medivacs when getting upgrades.

Upgrades are so important in this strategy because it is basically a race to 3-3 where marines become little gods

Expanding should be constant after the you secure your natural, I know I don't follow this perfectly in my replays, but I try to constantly have at least 1 CC making the whole time.

Remember to keep adding barracks. 3 per expansion should be good to keep minerals low and have an unlimited supply of marines

Game play

Once you either do your 16 marine drop or the 4 barracks into medivacs, the dropping should be totally constant. Just have your medivacs on shift drop(SHIFT+MOVE+ D where you want them to drop) so they drop automatically. This will stress the zerg out, and you can see in the replays I kill some zergs with just pure drop play. It also makes macro 10x harder for zerg because of all the multitasking you are making them do making them float minerals.

Now I know that your all thinking about infestors and fungal growth. But the thing is when zergs go fast infestors, drops only do that much more damage. He will be forced to go muta or die because you have so many marines and medivacs coming out that infestors aren't mobile enough to cover all his bases eventually starving him out because he will have to stay 2 base most of the game when you are comfortably expanding.

After he gets a good size flock of mutas, you kind of have to shut down most of your drops and just go all out with attacks on foot. If you saw MKP vs Kyrix it is kinda like that except you are on more than 2 bases and making no tanks and a lot more marines. Just keep attacking everywhere and since he is going mutas good micro can beat sling bling with no infestors.

I can't really explain to you what you can see in the replays, but you just need to send good sized groups to expansions and just keep killing them. Since your army is cheaper you will be gaining the upper hand if you trade effectively.


REMEMBER to keep attacking and dropping and expanding and making more barracks and life will be good =D


Replays of my last 8 ladder games and I am currently on 8 streak in TvZ

* Don't pay attention to the maps I didn't feel like looking up all the map's names again so they are all wrong*
*Yes I have 2 accounts*
*Sorry if I uploaded the same replay twice*
*Tell me if they don't work in the comments please*

http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/13417
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/13418
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/13419
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/13420
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/13421
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/13422
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/13424
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/13426

I am sorry if this was poorly written or to descriptive this is my first thread and hope I did it okay. If there is anything I should change please tell me.
vvv-gaming.com Favorite for Each Race Boxer/ Alicia/ Losira Supporting MMA/Teaja/sC/Marineking/Idra/White Ra/Ryung/BitByBit/MC/Team SlayerS
skatbone
Profile Joined August 2010
United States1005 Posts
September 23 2011 02:58 GMT
#2
Thanks for the contribution. I don't play T in 1v1 anymore, but I do recall a time, last fall, when Jungle Basin was a ladder map, when mass fine/medivac and fast ups was popular (MarineKing). I was going mass fine then and, soon after that, fine/raven.

Here are a couple of threads, one detailing a build not unlike yours.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=215196

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=136921

The first thread does have a build order and delineates a general strategy. Considering how long ago that thread was made, I'm all for opening up a new discussion through your proposed build.
Mercurial#1193
vVvPastry
Profile Joined September 2011
United States244 Posts
September 23 2011 03:03 GMT
#3
Well thanks for posting the other threads. I am pretty new to TL in general so I didn't know. I guess I will just keep the thread up and hope someone finds it helpful.
vvv-gaming.com Favorite for Each Race Boxer/ Alicia/ Losira Supporting MMA/Teaja/sC/Marineking/Idra/White Ra/Ryung/BitByBit/MC/Team SlayerS
thobel
Profile Joined August 2010
United States37 Posts
September 23 2011 03:05 GMT
#4
What are your upgrade priorities? I like to do tiny pushes on combat shields and +1 armor, because with the combination of the two marines actually trade evenly with speed lings with no micro whatsoever, in small groups of about 10. No other combination of two upgrades has this happen (not even stim + shield).
vVvPastry
Profile Joined September 2011
United States244 Posts
September 23 2011 03:17 GMT
#5
I normally get stim first, then combat then +1 attack then +2 attack and +1 armor together etc.
vvv-gaming.com Favorite for Each Race Boxer/ Alicia/ Losira Supporting MMA/Teaja/sC/Marineking/Idra/White Ra/Ryung/BitByBit/MC/Team SlayerS
zhengsta
Profile Joined February 2011
United States126 Posts
September 23 2011 03:17 GMT
#6
dude thanks god. i'm really starting to get owned with mech builds.
Biggiex
Profile Joined September 2011
England2 Posts
September 23 2011 03:21 GMT
#7
Thanks man, will try it out - having trouble with zerg lately, much appreciated
If in doubt, flat out.
FabledIntegral
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States9232 Posts
September 23 2011 03:24 GMT
#8
It's a fun style to play, personally I incorporate Marauders as I think you need some sort of "tanky" unit vs banelings. So you stim and run away with rines and the lings will be hitting your rauders which stand in a wall, making your rines far more effective to just 1v1 banelings.
Seeker *
Profile Blog Joined April 2005
Where dat snitch at?37095 Posts
September 23 2011 03:27 GMT
#9
I'm confused. You mention that, "tank's only role is killing banelings so that your marines live longer, I thought it was logical to just make more marines and get more bases than making expensive tanks."

Okay, so then how are we supposed to fight against MASS blings? Do u just want us to micro the crap out of our marines? Or do we have so many that it doesn't matter how many blings the zerg has?
ModeratorPeople ask me, "Seeker, what are you seeking?" My answer? "Sleep, damn it! Always sleep!"
TL+ Member
CatNzHat
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
United States1599 Posts
September 23 2011 03:28 GMT
#10
btw you can support more than 6 rax per base...

I've played around with rine medivac in TvZ, but i've found it's quite gimmicky, if your opponent goes ling bling infestor you tend to just die unless they have horrible multitasking and manage to lose to drops (which is nothing to do with the strat you're doing or they're doing, and isn't a good thing to rely on).


Once you no longer have the army advantage on the ground, a muta switch can pin you back and put some serious hurt on. You can't beat ling bling infestor with just marine medivac unless you've already won the game earlier.

This means that doing a marine medivac timing and then transitioning into something that's viable once zerg gets a decent infestor count would be a much more solid game plan.

Gimmicky at best, the fact that it's a weird build that zergs don't see often, they don't read it too well and even if they do figure out what's going on, they tend to react improperly.
vVvPastry
Profile Joined September 2011
United States244 Posts
September 23 2011 03:30 GMT
#11
On September 23 2011 12:27 Seeker wrote:
I'm confused. You mention that, "tank's only role is killing banelings so that your marines live longer, I thought it was logical to just make more marines and get more bases than making expensive tanks."

Okay, so then how are we supposed to fight against MASS blings? Do u just want us to micro the crap out of our marines? Or do we have so many that it doesn't matter how many blings the zerg has?


If you see the replays the zerg throws away all his banelings on my marines and I have a whole new batch of marines by then. So yes micro as best as you can but you can you will be trading cost effectively
vvv-gaming.com Favorite for Each Race Boxer/ Alicia/ Losira Supporting MMA/Teaja/sC/Marineking/Idra/White Ra/Ryung/BitByBit/MC/Team SlayerS
vVvPastry
Profile Joined September 2011
United States244 Posts
September 23 2011 03:31 GMT
#12
On September 23 2011 12:28 CatNzHat wrote:
btw you can support more than 6 rax per base...

I've played around with rine medivac in TvZ, but i've found it's quite gimmicky, if your opponent goes ling bling infestor you tend to just die unless they have horrible multitasking and manage to lose to drops (which is nothing to do with the strat you're doing or they're doing, and isn't a good thing to rely on).


Once you no longer have the army advantage on the ground, a muta switch can pin you back and put some serious hurt on. You can't beat ling bling infestor with just marine medivac unless you've already won the game earlier.

This means that doing a marine medivac timing and then transitioning into something that's viable once zerg gets a decent infestor count would be a much more solid game plan.

Gimmicky at best, the fact that it's a weird build that zergs don't see often, they don't read it too well and even if they do figure out what's going on, they tend to react improperly.


If you see the replays one of they games I go against infestor ultra and manage to win as well as other zergs going pure infestor.
vvv-gaming.com Favorite for Each Race Boxer/ Alicia/ Losira Supporting MMA/Teaja/sC/Marineking/Idra/White Ra/Ryung/BitByBit/MC/Team SlayerS
thobel
Profile Joined August 2010
United States37 Posts
September 23 2011 03:41 GMT
#13
Do you have a replay where zerg goes 2 base + macro hatch? It's the only problem I've had with a bio-heavy style, and you can usually fix it by adding in a VERY small # of hellions, which doesn't really mess up your mobility (also you'll have the factory sitting around anyway).
vVvPastry
Profile Joined September 2011
United States244 Posts
September 23 2011 03:45 GMT
#14
On September 23 2011 12:41 thobel wrote:
Do you have a replay where zerg goes 2 base + macro hatch? It's the only problem I've had with a bio-heavy style, and you can usually fix it by adding in a VERY small # of hellions, which doesn't really mess up your mobility (also you'll have the factory sitting around anyway).

No sorry these are the most replays I have
vvv-gaming.com Favorite for Each Race Boxer/ Alicia/ Losira Supporting MMA/Teaja/sC/Marineking/Idra/White Ra/Ryung/BitByBit/MC/Team SlayerS
Shiluk
Profile Joined April 2011
United States11 Posts
September 23 2011 03:56 GMT
#15
I think it would be hard to get drops in with good infestor bane positioning to 3 bases on most maps and if the zerg has very good unit control he only really needs 6 mutas to stop drops (again dependent on the map)
This seems a lot like mass roach drop play vs protoss which relies on just out multi tasking the other player. I can't view replays right now but it doesn't seem like mass marines could engage something like 12 infestors with bane/ling.
Still if you did something like drop play do delay expands mutas and infestors and after your drops started getting shut down start teching ghost with more bases that zerg or something like that this build would be like crazy scary. Maybe you already do as I said, I can't view replays ^^
Daniel C
Profile Joined October 2010
Hong Kong1606 Posts
September 23 2011 04:02 GMT
#16
I really like watching this style of play, and I wish I could emulate it...it's a wrist-breaker
In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.
vVvPastry
Profile Joined September 2011
United States244 Posts
September 23 2011 04:04 GMT
#17
On September 23 2011 13:02 Daniel C wrote:
I really like watching this style of play, and I wish I could emulate it...it's a wrist-breaker

So the replays worked for you?
vvv-gaming.com Favorite for Each Race Boxer/ Alicia/ Losira Supporting MMA/Teaja/sC/Marineking/Idra/White Ra/Ryung/BitByBit/MC/Team SlayerS
thobel
Profile Joined August 2010
United States37 Posts
September 23 2011 04:05 GMT
#18
On September 23 2011 13:02 Daniel C wrote:
I really like watching this style of play, and I wish I could emulate it...it's a wrist-breaker


I have found that mass marine makes your pinky really tired from hitting "a" a billion times.

I should just bind f to a or something ;D
Azzur
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Australia6267 Posts
September 23 2011 04:14 GMT
#19
Watch MarineKing (Boxer a.k.a Foxer at that time) vs Kyrix, GSL Open Season 2, ro8 set 1 on Shakuras Plateau.
FabledIntegral
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States9232 Posts
September 23 2011 04:21 GMT
#20
Where he forgets combat shields and his marines die to banelings after one stim instead of 2^^
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 1h 42m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
elazer 117
ProTech103
StarCraft: Brood War
Sea 1391
Artosis 202
Dewaltoss 119
910 32
Dota 2
LuMiX1
League of Legends
Doublelift2942
Super Smash Bros
hungrybox453
Other Games
summit1g12335
Grubby3605
shahzam600
FrodaN472
C9.Mang0288
byalli258
ZombieGrub52
UpATreeSC39
ViBE7
Organizations
Other Games
BasetradeTV183
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 13 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hupsaiya 47
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Other Games
• imaqtpie798
• Shiphtur281
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
1h 42m
The PondCast
11h 42m
Maestros of the Game
16h 42m
Serral vs Rogue
herO vs SHIN
OSC
1d
Replay Cast
1d 1h
Maestros of the Game
1d 15h
Replay Cast
2 days
CranKy Ducklings
2 days
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
2 days
BSL22 NKC (BSL vs China)
2 days
eOnzErG vs Mihu
Messiah vs XuanXuan
Jaystar vs TerrOr
Dewalt vs Bonyth
eOnzErG vs XuanXuan
Mihu vs TerrOr
Messiah vs Bonyth
[ Show More ]
Sparkling Tuna Cup
3 days
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
3 days
BSL22 NKC (BSL vs China)
3 days
Jaystar vs Dewalt
eOnzErG vs TerrOr
XuanXuan vs Bonyth
Mihu vs Dewalt
Messiah vs Jaystar
eOnzErG vs Bonyth
TerrOr vs Dewalt
OSC
4 days
Wardi Open
4 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

BSL Season 22
2026 GSL S2
Heroes Pulsing #1

Ongoing

IPSL Spring 2026
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 2
Acropolis #4
CSCL: Masked Kings S4
YSL S3
Acropolis #4 - GSB
SCTL 2026 Spring
WardiTV Spring 2026
Maestros of the Game 2
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Murky Cup 2026
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026

Upcoming

BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
CSLAN 4
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
CranK Gathers Season 4: BW vs SC2 Team League
HSC XXIX
Douyu Cup 2026
Heroes Pulsing #3
Heroes Pulsing #2
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 2026
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.