• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 18:28
CET 00:28
KST 08:28
  • 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
Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book15Clem wins HomeStory Cup 289HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview13Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info8herO wins SC2 All-Star Invitational14
Community News
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16)12Weekly Cups (Feb 2-8): Classic, Solar, MaxPax win2Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker8PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar)12Weekly Cups (Jan 26-Feb 1): herO, Clem, ByuN, Classic win2
StarCraft 2
General
Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker How do you think the 5.0.15 balance patch (Oct 2025) for StarCraft II has affected the game? Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book Weekly Cups (Jan 12-18): herO, MaxPax, Solar win Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info
Tourneys
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16) PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar) Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament RSL Season 4 announced for March-April WardiTV Mondays
Strategy
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ? [A] Starcraft Sound Mod
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 512 Overclocked Mutation # 511 Temple of Rebirth Mutation # 510 Safety Violation
Brood War
General
Gypsy to Korea Liquipedia.net NEEDS editors for Brood War ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/02 Recent recommended BW games [ASL21] Potential Map Candidates
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues Small VOD Thread 2.0 Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 1 KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Strategy
Fighting Spirit mining rates Zealot bombing is no longer popular? Simple Questions, Simple Answers Current Meta
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Diablo 2 thread Battle Aces/David Kim RTS Megathread ZeroSpace Megathread EVE Corporation
Dota 2
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
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Vanilla Mini Mafia TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread Ask and answer stupid questions here! Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Sex and weight loss
Fan Clubs
The herO Fan Club! The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
ADHD And Gaming Addiction…
TrAiDoS
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2950 users

[H] ZvZ: Holding off a 10-pool all-in (Diamond)

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
Post a Reply
LoKi-
Profile Joined May 2011
United States121 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-12 20:00:38
December 12 2011 19:41 GMT
#1
Hey guys,
I'm a mid-diamond Zerg, just played this game and I'm not entirely sure what I should've done to hold it off.
What happened:
He went 10 pool, then attacked with 6 zerglings and 8 drones (with 4 more zerglings in production). He built a spine crawler on my creep with one drone and attacked with the rest.
I went 14/14, scouted the all-in with my overlords just as he was leaving his base and built spines and lings as soon as my spawning pool finished. They weren't up in time and he still utterly bear-mauled me.

REPLAY: http://drop.sc/73825

My first instinct is that I need to buy more time to get more lings out so I can actually engage his army without dying. The problem with this is that I need to kill his spine crawler before it's up, or I feel I'll lose. I'm not sure if me trying to plant spine crawlers was a mistake or not.
Help please? :3
Meff
Profile Joined June 2010
Italy287 Posts
December 12 2011 19:56 GMT
#2
The description is actually incorrect: he attacked with 8 drones. 4 drones were left at home for reinforcing.

In this specific case, you were at 15 drones against 6 zerglings and 7 drones (one was building a crawler).
Crawlers take indeed too long to build and they automatically rob you of one drone. It's better to simply pump zerglings, put a queen in production and engage with the drones if really needed (and in this case you could have just bought time by moving around off-creep while your zerglings spawned).
trew
Profile Joined May 2010
Sweden93 Posts
December 12 2011 19:57 GMT
#3
At 3:34 I think you had too many spines building. If you're just going to run away with your drones, you shouldn't build them at all. Also your lings were badly controlled when they popped. They should be together with your drones when you engage. There is no rush in killing the spine. His units are way more dangerous. What if you kill the spine, but you have no drones left?
LoKi-
Profile Joined May 2011
United States121 Posts
December 12 2011 20:00 GMT
#4
Sorry Meff - didn't notice that. I'll fix it.

So, to clarify, do you just suggest I dance around with the drones until I have more lings popped, ignoring his spine?
kryx
Profile Joined October 2011
Germany4 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-12 20:05:57
December 12 2011 20:04 GMT
#5
mid Diamond

Gotta agree with the rest - plus:

* You pull your drones off gas too late
* Your pool is 50 Mins too late - call me smartass, but any second counts on this matter
* If possible I usually wait some extra seconds to build that 15 Overlord, because of these cheeses. In your case it was just a waste of larvae and minerals
* 1 spine seals the deal. Building none makes his pretty nasty if completed with full health, plus you distract him as well

EDIT
Youre waiting for your inital 6 lings and do only engage, when you can pick him off guard.
LoKi-
Profile Joined May 2011
United States121 Posts
December 12 2011 20:19 GMT
#6
Thanks for the help guys. Although kryx - your last point about the spine confuses me. Can you please elaborate?
Greenhit
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States200 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-12 20:54:14
December 12 2011 20:52 GMT
#7
Personally when I get rushed I try to focus on

A) continuing to harvest as much as I can minimalizing the delay of your zergling speed will make crushing him should he try to transition even easier then it probably already will be, however losing a bunch of drones for that 100 gas is never a good trade that early, so follow this bit with caution.

B) making sure any lings I have out or am waiting to get out don't get killed, queue queen, make sure you spend all available larvae on lings prior, as they are not as easily surrounded. however all personal preference, you could argue that the delay on the queen only strengthens the rush.

C) Only engage with lings supported by drones odds are you
1. wont lose any drones and deal with the threat quickly, losing mining time still hurts.
2.Can immediately counter with the lings you've had building up, and most importantly, be able to engage with fewer ling numbers during the initial defense.

Also make sure to touch upon the few points Kryx made as well, especially about the pool timing.



"And where do you live Simon?" "In the weak and the wounded, Doc."
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 32m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
mouzHeroMarine 520
NeuroSwarm 206
StarCraft: Brood War
Artosis 471
Mini 123
firebathero 70
NaDa 39
Dota 2
syndereN714
canceldota207
capcasts56
Counter-Strike
adren_tv360
taco 138
minikerr21
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King133
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor173
Other Games
summit1g4812
Grubby3740
shahzam367
ToD267
Liquid`Hasu160
C9.Mang0100
ROOTCatZ39
ViBE31
JuggernautJason8
Organizations
Other Games
BasetradeTV61
StarCraft 2
angryscii 20
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 16 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• davetesta22
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• WagamamaTV704
• masondota2449
League of Legends
• Doublelift3583
Other Games
• imaqtpie1450
• Shiphtur235
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
32m
Escore
10h 32m
LiuLi Cup
11h 32m
Serral vs Zoun
Cure vs Classic
Big Brain Bouts
17h 32m
ByuN vs GgMaChine
Serral vs Jumy
RSL Revival
1d 3h
RSL Revival
1d 8h
LiuLi Cup
1d 11h
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
1d 12h
RSL Revival
1d 18h
Replay Cast
2 days
[ Show More ]
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
LiuLi Cup
2 days
Replay Cast
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
LiuLi Cup
3 days
Wardi Open
3 days
Monday Night Weeklies
3 days
OSC
4 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
4 days
Replay Cast
5 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
5 days
Replay Cast
6 days
The PondCast
6 days
KCM Race Survival
6 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-02-10
Rongyi Cup S3
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals
Nations Cup 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S1: W8
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 1st Round
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 1st Round Qualifier
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round Qualifier
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
RSL Revival: Season 4
WardiTV Winter 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
FISSURE Playground #3
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
ESL Pro League Season 23
PGL Cluj-Napoca 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.