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Hi guys! I'm writing this guide in order to provide a great new popular opening strategy versus Zerg. In addition it uses a very nice transition aswell.
I first saw this played by  ThorZaIN pretty recent after his return from Korea in DH Valencia vs DRG in the final (I believe Day9 analyzed this game on daily #348), so this has probably been seen more on the Korean scene I can imagine. Later on I recognized the opening when for example MMA played his TvZ vs LosirA in the MLG Global Invitational so this makes me feel it is really such a strong strategy.
Next section is gonna be seperated in parts for easier viewing:
General idea:
First thing in this opening is pointing towards the first attack/pressure against the zerg with the use of double reactors. You will have1 at a barrack and 1 on the factory allowing 4-6 hellions and a nice amount of marines to be out in time for a medivac elevator play in the mainbase. Meanwhile you get a fairly fast expand with huge production, great for a timing attack with loads of marines and 4-6 tanks while rallying to your troops setup.
Opening BO
+ Show Spoiler +10 Supply 12 Barrack 13 Refinery 15 Orbital 16 Supply Train [3] Marines 19 Factory 21-23 Command Center Reactor on Barracks & Factory ~24 Supply ~24 Starport ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ygG3j.jpg) This is what your base is likely to look like.
Attack
+ Show Spoiler +Now you're moving out with medivac, hellions and marines. Time to get some harassment done! Find a good ledge in the mainbase of your opponent, try to spot an overlord for your marines to kill if possible while you unload hellions up to the cliff. This part is greatly micro intensive if you want to deal alot of damage, hellions kill the lings/drones/banes while healed marines generaly focus queen/overlord while deal additional damage and sometimes act as tanking unit for the hellions to stay behind. Use the medivac for fancy escape mecanism if banelings or roaches try to focus your marines or hellions. ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/xKK9S.jpg) Charge!
Transition
+ Show Spoiler +Alright! First attack is on the way, time to gear up for the next one and take advantage of your nice economy. Techlab after your first medivac and build 1 Banshee Lift Factory and build Techlab Build Barrack on the Reactor Lift Starport after Banshee Build Barrack on the Techlab Add Barrack+Techlab ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/8HmTf.jpg) -- Build Ebay Siege tank and start 3rd Refinery Get Siege tech, Stimpack, Combat shield, +1 Attack Infantry Marines, Tanks, Medivacs are gonna come out in huge numbers :-)
Execution
+ Show Spoiler +As any other guide this requires general game knowledge like reacting to a scouted early spire and everything SC II has to offer in gameplay, this is a guide, for a specific strategy, not your overall play.
While you attack with your second huge push if you choiced to do so, planting a 3rd command center and adding more factorys+barracks while also more upgrades from ebay and armory is a great idea!
Map choice
+ Show Spoiler +Preferely used on smaller maps but can have great success on even the largest map, Tal'darim. Every game is gonna be different, so just try to make the best out of the situation.
Replays
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VOD
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I myself am not taking any credit for this strategy, I only try to contribute. I didn't find any post nor guide about this specific strategy so I decided to take a few hours and write it. If someone with greater knowledge then me can contribute or wish me to edit something out, tell me so. I'm only a diamond terran on the EU server.
Thanks for reading, feel free to give feedback or just discuss the strategy in this thread.
Peace!
Infinity gaming's thThechronic
EDIT *4
It seems like some high end user figured he would edit my whole liquipedia post, so it looks nothing like this post.. I hope its still usefull to someone, as I wont be updating that liquipost anymore..
*EDIT 3*
Been cleaning up the Liquipedia page, how do you guys like it?
*EDIT 2*
It's been officially added under matchup TvZ - Double reactor
*EDIT 1*
I started to add this to the Liquipedia duo request. How does it look so far?
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Double_reactor_(vs._Zerg)
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Marine Hellion Elevator. Nice contribution! Really helps me as a zerg to find the timing for it for me to counter it
Very nice.
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This worked surprisingly well in the game you mention. Really strong push that doesn't have any massive drawbacks... I'm eager to try it.
Thanks for the BO
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Thanks for the build order, I've been trying to mimic it since I saw MMA use it but couldn't quite get it right.
On October 06 2011 00:27 Neddy wrote:
This worked surprisingly well in the game you mention. Really strong push that doesn't have any massive drawbacks... I'm eager to try it.
Thanks for the BO
Roach play can be difficult to deal with and kinda forces you into defensive play, but can always drop hellions. At least in my experience.
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when do you build your second gas?
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On October 06 2011 02:25 radiantshadow92 wrote:
when do you build your second gas?
Watching the replay of Thorzain he gets it in the middle of making the Tech lab for the Factory. I seem to get it around the same time aswell. You dont generaly want to get behind on gas if your gonna get alot of early siege tanks and upgrades which you are. Around "moving out with CC to expand" seem to be a good time.
Also thanks guys for replying! Have fun with the build while the zergs still dont expect it ;-)
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why not just go for the slayers TvZ BF hellion elevator style? Plus this is easily stopped with 3 queens sniping the medevac if the base is small.
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thx for the time you've put into that.
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On October 06 2011 02:49 padfoota wrote:
why not just go for the slayers TvZ BF hellion elevator style? Plus this is easily stopped with 3 queens sniping the medevac if the base is small.
This actually happend to me in a replay I posted on Shattered. I'll provide some neat screenshots to tell the tail.
+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Ogky0.jpg) ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/1NtNN.jpg) He lost the 3 queens ,_,
As for the BF opening, I dont really know why since I havn't compared them but having early BF compared to early double Reactor in this state I think reactors might be better.
If your gonna tech to tanks anyway might aswell save the BF gas and get your structures built earlier and units built earlier. Correct me if im wrong though.
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awesome post! im gonna try it next tvz i play fighting!
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On October 06 2011 03:15 s00pr wrote:Show nested quote +On October 06 2011 02:49 padfoota wrote:
why not just go for the slayers TvZ BF hellion elevator style? Plus this is easily stopped with 3 queens sniping the medevac if the base is small. This actually happend to me in a replay I posted on Shattered. I'll provide some neat screenshots to tell the tail. + Show Spoiler +He lost the 3 queens ,_, As for the BF opening, I dont really know why since I havn't compared them but having early BF compared to early double Reactor in this state I think reactors might be better. If your gonna tech to tanks anyway might aswell save the BF gas and get your structures built earlier and units built earlier. Correct me if im wrong though.
You're right, bf is only +5 damage now, another hellion is a lot more.
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s00pr, or thechronic, that was a great VOD set you posted. I cannot access replay files on my computer at work, so I always appreciate VOD/streams to show off a build.
The build is very strong. Seems the Zerg must invest a lot of production time in dealing with the drop while you build an army at home... and by the time its dealt with, you have an army twice the size waiting back at base.
I did see you stockpiled 1000+ minerals pretty often during that initial drop. How much more powerful would the follow-through be if we worked on our macro during that first drop! I say so because I have the same trouble keeping my mineral low. This is a solid opener which isn't cheese or all in at all. Keep practicing keeping your money low as well as dealing some damage, and I figure it would be very very difficult for the Zerg to keep up!
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As Day9 said in his daily, many people [including me] stress about getting upgrades very fast, but they neglect army size. I notice this build gets into the 150+ food range extremely fast as well as offering consistent threat so the Zerg is pressure to produce more to deal with it. It is making me rethink my TvZ, as my only build lately has been 2 rax into fast upgrades... and here I wonder why I get demolished in the mid game so much!
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Thx!!
Nice write up, i will try it.
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I use this build exclusively in TvZ right now, after having it used on me a few times. 8 marines and 4 hellions can kill an astounding amount of lings/queens, and even with sloppy followup this build gets you super far ahead using almost only mineral units, leaving you free to tech to whatever you want and slowly add gas as necessary. the only thing I've ever had trouble with was a roach build, but most of those people just go all-in with those builds at my level, and marines and hellions up a ramp aren't too bad against roaches.
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Looks solid, will try out and give some feedback later tonight.
Edit: Worked okay in all the TvZs played today but I'm a bit shaky with the execution and the transition, so lost more games than I should have.
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Addind this also to Liquipedia would add infite <3 of gratefulness to your work
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High Master/GM zerg here.
This build is super hard to deal with, especially because of how limited the Zerg's vision is. From our perspective, it's hard to figure out what you're exactly doing, because as opposed to a regular hellion expand, there isn't a factory in front yard to let you know of timing for roach warren, etc. Unless you've played against this build a few times, or have seen it in action a lot, it's hard to exactly know when it's coming.
Like the OP mentioned, using three queens to snipe the medivac can result in some big loss, if the terran's any good. It's highly unlikely that you have creep spread all over the edges of the main base by the time this attack strikes, so queens will never be able to catch up to a well-microd medivac.
I've seen Idra defend this with spine + queen +ling, but then again it's Idra..... and the Terran also made some bad micro mistakes during the engagement.
I think the only safe way for the zerg to defend this is to get some early roaches, but I always feel like carving out my own flesh when I do this, because roaches are so expensive and they provide so little mobility/map control in comparison to lings.
I'm sure some super smart Korean player will come up with a way to deal with this, but as of right now, I basically do 2 base roach openers every time just to stop this + hellion expands which are the most popular builds atm.
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I also hate the OP for posting this because every Terran that I face on ladder for the next 134314 days will be using this
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On October 06 2011 04:39 jhk0219 wrote:
I also hate the OP for posting this because every Terran that I face on ladder for the next 134314 days will be using this
Don't worry, tomorrow there will be a guide posted on how to beat this
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very interesting build order i will try this =)
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I wanted to do this so bad yesterday but played 7 terrans in a row instead -__-
Why 3 marines? Wouldn't a single marine + bunker be better since you can expo at 19 and then add bunker after? Or does that miss the 5RR timing?
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that's a pretty sweet build thanks
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On October 06 2011 15:59 Cibron wrote:
I wanted to do this so bad yesterday but played 7 terrans in a row instead -__-
Why 3 marines? Wouldn't a single marine + bunker be better since you can expo at 19 and then add bunker after? Or does that miss the 5RR timing?
You are making marines so that you can eventually attack with them. If you don't build those 2 marines then, you will never have the opportunity to make them.
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I'm pretty sure the naked 111 slayers style drop is much better.
You attack much earlier, you expand much earlier and you can transition much better. There is no timing window for both a baneling bust or roach bust since you never stop producing and you can get your starport much faster and use it as part of the wall if need be.
This feels more allin because it comes so much later, if you don't do damage, Zerg's econ will be too good and your next push will get crushed hard.
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What is the difference between this build and the so called Slayers build, where you have 4 hellions and 8 marines elevator push on zerg base while expanding behind that?
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On October 07 2011 07:22 WickedSkies wrote:
What is the difference between this build and the so called Slayers build, where you have 4 hellions and 8 marines elevator push on zerg base while expanding behind that?
Slayers makes great use of the blue flame (before the nerf). This is also followed by a banshee..
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I was watching Thorzain do this and Ret proved the soviet theory that if you have more drones then they have bullets, you can't go wrong
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Thanks for posting. I like this alot more than the slayers blueflame drop build.
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nvm, saw answer on first page
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http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Double_reactor_with_great_transition_(vs._Zerg)
Started to add it to Liquipedia guys! How does it look so far? 
On October 06 2011 04:15 Waah wrote:
Looks solid, will try out and give some feedback later tonight.
Edit: Worked okay in all the TvZs played today but I'm a bit shaky with the execution and the transition, so lost more games than I should have.
Yeah the part where you micro your units and add your buildings, switching addons and move out with your cc is so hard. Really shows you need great multitasking to get ahead. Just stick to it and practice the transition, micro as little as possible yet still be as efficient as possible with ur drop.
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On October 10 2011 08:08 s00pr wrote:http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Double_reactor_with_great_transition_(vs._Zerg)Started to add it to Liquipedia guys! How does it look so far? Show nested quote +On October 06 2011 04:15 Waah wrote:
Looks solid, will try out and give some feedback later tonight.
Edit: Worked okay in all the TvZs played today but I'm a bit shaky with the execution and the transition, so lost more games than I should have. Yeah the part where you micro your units and add your buildings, switching addons and move out with your cc is so hard. Really shows you need great multitasking to get ahead. Just stick to it and practice the transition, micro as little as possible yet still be as efficient as possible with ur drop.
Please continue. I will be watching both the thread and the wiki page quite a bit. I'm assuming you just double bunker if you suspect roach reaction?
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On October 10 2011 10:35 Emperor_Earth wrote:Show nested quote +On October 10 2011 08:08 s00pr wrote:http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Double_reactor_with_great_transition_(vs._Zerg)Started to add it to Liquipedia guys! How does it look so far? On October 06 2011 04:15 Waah wrote:
Looks solid, will try out and give some feedback later tonight.
Edit: Worked okay in all the TvZs played today but I'm a bit shaky with the execution and the transition, so lost more games than I should have. Yeah the part where you micro your units and add your buildings, switching addons and move out with your cc is so hard. Really shows you need great multitasking to get ahead. Just stick to it and practice the transition, micro as little as possible yet still be as efficient as possible with ur drop. Please continue. I will be watching both the thread and the wiki page quite a bit. I'm assuming you just double bunker if you suspect roach reaction?
Yeah for sure, also if you feel you can get a tank out in time aswell I feel that usually helps me, but I dont get roach rushed that much.
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Hiya, first of all thanks for the good guide and adding it to LP! Just a question in regards to possible cons, if i recall correctly, FXOLucky hardcountered this against MMA by a very strong Roach/Ling push off 2 bases, can the double reactor build hold against this or is this a hard counter?
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On October 23 2011 22:41 Kelwyn wrote:
Hiya, first of all thanks for the good guide and adding it to LP! Just a question in regards to possible cons, if i recall correctly, FXOLucky hardcountered this against MMA by a very strong Roach/Ling push off 2 bases, can the double reactor build hold against this or is this a hard counter?
For me if he has many roaches when I try to drop it gets stopped usually while also queen focus the medivac, either fall back or try go around to his natural with only hellions to take off some drones, but if you mean an attack that hits before the drop I have held of those with just the marines and extra aoe from hellions, also whenever the medivac comes out you also get healing :-) If someone seen something else please provide :D I wonder if FXOLucky did the hardcounter cause he was thinking reactor hellion? But surprise also got many marines ^^ If everything with the transition went well, you can hold off pretty much any roach aggression later on 9-11 min with your tanks and possible bunkers.
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very solid build ,love it
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EPT![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/Ticon_small.png)
