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Catz's 7 pool on Shakuras Plateau (ZvP)

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
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wikipal
Profile Joined July 2011
Ireland18 Posts
October 03 2011 13:20 GMT
#1
I was watching Catz's stream last week, and while he was laddering he came up against the same protoss player twice in a row on Shakuras Plateau.
Catz's lost the first game after some gimmicky Void Ray play, and when he was matched to the same guy on the same map, he said:
Watch me rape this guy. He's never seen this before.

Catz proceeded to build one drone, put down a 7 pool, and attack the protoss player, and then transition into a 16 hatch.
I was amazed by the economic damage done by Catz by using this build, and decided to write a quick thread on it.

+ Show Spoiler +

Send O/L to Closest possible Spawning location.
7 Pool
Drone to 9
Your 9th drone and Pool should pop around the same time.
Double Extractor Trick, Build 6 lings.
12 O/L
@150 Minerals Build Queen
16 Expand.


This will do significant damage to an FFE. You can kill the initial pylon, supply block him, get him to pull his probes off the line, and kill 4-5. That's 300-350 minerals worth of damage and delay mining time significantly. Since this a semi-all-in, you are trying your best to keep the Toss player from mining as long as possible, so you can afford to lose all your initial lings.
With a Gate-way First player, while you are unlikely to encounter a Zealot by the time you attaci t is essential you kill the pylon in this Scenario, you do not want that zealot spawning, or you will be too far behind to win the game.
This will only probably work on Shakuras Plateau due to there being only two spawning locations. (Cross Map, and Double Top/Bottom)
This could also work on Xel'Naga Caverns, but I have not tested it yet.

Replays will be available ASAP.
ReaperX
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Hong Kong1758 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-03 13:59:49
October 03 2011 13:23 GMT
#2
This seems cool for Zerg players to start doing, but scary for Protoss players like me to face on ladder. Thanks for sharing!

+ Show Spoiler +
I was being sarcastic lol, this is so old!
Artosis : Clide. idrA : Shut up.
TTneko
Profile Joined August 2011
Australia70 Posts
October 03 2011 13:24 GMT
#3
Hasn't this been done for about a year? nothing new here I don't think :S ?
Come watch my Grandmaster Zerg stream! // http://www.twitch.tv/ttneko
Jermstuddog
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2231 Posts
October 03 2011 13:27 GMT
#4
Nothing new, see Fail Pool in liquipedia,

The links to discussions have a lot of input from CatZ.
As it turns out, marines don't actually cost any money -Jinro
Arcanefrost
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
Belgium1257 Posts
October 03 2011 13:28 GMT
#5
You can just wall with forge and 2gates.
Valor is a poor substitute for numbers.
Antieque
Profile Joined January 2011
Korea (South)79 Posts
October 03 2011 13:28 GMT
#6
Very old, nothing new here.
wikipal
Profile Joined July 2011
Ireland18 Posts
October 03 2011 13:33 GMT
#7
The Fail Pool, is actually different. Its 2 Lings, O/L 2 more lings. The difference in the build is the double extractor, which allows you to get the zerglings just that bit quicker. And while I did search for this on liquidipedia, I thought it deserved its own thread due to it being slightly different and more structured than the Fail Pool.
TTneko
Profile Joined August 2011
Australia70 Posts
October 03 2011 13:33 GMT
#8
No it doesn't
Come watch my Grandmaster Zerg stream! // http://www.twitch.tv/ttneko
BearDK
Profile Joined March 2011
Denmark101 Posts
October 03 2011 13:35 GMT
#9
if you scout it, it should be quite easy to get that wall up at the natural in time.
Jermstuddog
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2231 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-03 13:37:43
October 03 2011 13:37 GMT
#10
On October 03 2011 22:33 wikipal wrote:
The Fail Pool, is actually different. Its 2 Lings, O/L 2 more lings. The difference in the build is the double extractor, which allows you to get the zerglings just that bit quicker. And while I did search for this on liquidipedia, I thought it deserved its own thread due to it being slightly different and more structured than the Fail Pool.


I put a section in there saying you can vary it up however you want: 9 drones, double extractor trick into 6 lings or 8 drones, ovie, then 8 lings are both very good options. The 9 drone is a bit more economical, the 8 drone has a bit more punch.

On the other side, there is what I call "The Hero Drone." I always send one because he can block buildings to leave a door open for your lings and generally be annoying, but it is very costly to do so ~100 minerals. On 2 player maps, the drone is optional, but on maps like Shakuras or LT, you almost always want to send one because it also scouts for you.

The article is not the only way to do things, it's just an example.
As it turns out, marines don't actually cost any money -Jinro
kAra
Profile Joined September 2004
Germany1453 Posts
October 03 2011 13:39 GMT
#11
should be defended easily with a 12 forge + wall of afterwards, no?
mada mada dane
Antieque
Profile Joined January 2011
Korea (South)79 Posts
October 03 2011 13:44 GMT
#12
You guys are missing the point, the build isn't a 7 pool all in, it's just a 7 pool opener. This means that the even if the Protoss scouts it, they will have to react with a wall off, which requires them to cut probe production. This allows the zerg to catch up on economy because they are droning after the 6 initial lings anyway. For the Protoss to know if it's not a 6 pool all in, they just simply count the larva on your hatchery, if it's laying around until the pool pops, it's an all in, if the larva isn't laying around and turning into drones, it's likely not a big commitment. It can also be scouted by checking for the fast 2nd overlord which usually is made right after the zerg player puts down the 7 pool, of course thats if the zerg player is planning to commit to the fast pool.
-Dustin-
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
United States718 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-03 13:50:27
October 03 2011 13:49 GMT
#13
Wait I'm confused as hell about all these early pool subjects now. When Toss talk about 6Pool they say its OP on a FFE, but 7Pool is "easily held off" could someone explain the difference? I understand the Lings will be slightly delayed.

Seems solid may try it out on ladder as I like to do an early Pool vs Toss as it can give me an advantage/straight up win the game, but at a risk, if I fail to do any damage its pretty much game. I like the risk vs reward of a early pool. I see everyone saying its old, I understand that but I've never seen the exact BO for it as I don't look at Liquipedia much.

I also second what Jermstuddog is saying I love to send a scouting Drone just to block buildings harass the Toss and eventually do a little tanking for my Lings.
mage36
Profile Joined May 2011
415 Posts
October 03 2011 13:53 GMT
#14
how is this different from other 7 pools? I'm pretty sure 6 pool can be held off by FFE, so why can't a 7 pool be? Granted you have to pull some probes, but you'd be ahead in probe count just so long as you don't lose a whole lot of them.
Sbrubbles
Profile Joined October 2010
Brazil5776 Posts
October 03 2011 13:58 GMT
#15
Early pool plays vs Protoss are quite strong and may be played into economic variants. Still, this build is as old as heck, so I'm not sure it warrants a new thread.

Bora Pain minha porra!
Chemist391
Profile Joined October 2010
United States368 Posts
October 03 2011 14:40 GMT
#16
CatZ did this to me on Shakuras at MLG Anaheim. I took no economic damage from the 7pool and then proceeded to lose after making extremely silly decisions. Also, CatZ is far better than I am.

FFE can easily defend this.

Replay
Gotmog
Profile Joined October 2010
Serbia899 Posts
October 03 2011 14:47 GMT
#17
I use 7pool quite often, when i remember on some maps in ZvP. Just making 6 lings, and proceeding to expand/drone up non stop, gass/queen all normal stuff. The point is to stop the horrible lead that protoss gets when he is allowed nexus 1st, or nexus before canon, or forge FE in general....

If he opens normally...well dunno, never happened yet. You are behind, can't really do any dmg.
"When you play the game of drones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground"
Jermstuddog
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2231 Posts
October 03 2011 14:47 GMT
#18
On October 03 2011 22:44 DemoraliZ wrote:
For the Protoss to know if it's not a 6 pool all in, they just simply count the larva on your hatchery, if it's laying around until the pool pops, it's an all in, if the larva isn't laying around and turning into drones, it's likely not a big commitment.


This is not true and only going to steer people wrong.

The big commitment is in getting the pool so early, not the lings. The difference between making 2 lings and 6 lings after making a pool at 7 isn't really that much. You might as well make the 6 since the 2 will be largely ineffective. Pooling larva is negligible.
As it turns out, marines don't actually cost any money -Jinro
SoKHo
Profile Joined April 2011
Korea (South)1081 Posts
October 03 2011 14:51 GMT
#19
I mean, you'll only do damage if you go nexus first. You can wall off easily with 3 builds b4 lings come
"If you don't understand my silence, you won't understand my words"|| Big Nal_rA fan boy!! Nal_rA, Bisu, Huk, MC, Hero fighting! SKT1---->
BroboCop
Profile Joined December 2010
United States373 Posts
October 03 2011 14:57 GMT
#20
this build was created by catz within the first couple months of the game. on steppes of war, a notoriously broken map which zerg couldn't possibly win on catz created this strategy. It lead to protoss to saying steppes was broken for zerg because since the rush distance was so quick there was absolutely nothing the protoss could do and honestly was a very strong build. Moreover, at MLG dallas 2010, protoss would ban steppes of war vs catz because they knew he would do it. As for vs gateway openings, it is possible to come out even or in a slightly favorable position, however, it is very difficult and requries very high apm (efficient) which will only be able to be executed by grandmaster and very few high masters players. Moreover, if a protoss goes forge,gate,gate b4 cannon, the zerg will be able to kill the forge and get in meanwhile droning back home.
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