• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 16:09
CET 22:09
KST 06:09
  • 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
Rongyi Cup S3 - RO16 Preview3herO wins SC2 All-Star Invitational10SC2 All-Star Invitational: Tournament Preview5RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview8RSL Season 3 - Playoffs Preview0
Community News
Weekly Cups (Jan 12-18): herO, MaxPax, Solar win0BSL Season 2025 - Full Overview and Conclusion8Weekly Cups (Jan 5-11): Clem wins big offline, Trigger upsets4$21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7)20Weekly Cups (Dec 29-Jan 4): Protoss rolls, 2v2 returns7
StarCraft 2
General
StarCraft 2 not at the Esports World Cup 2026 [Short Story] The Last GSL Oliveira Would Have Returned If EWC Continued Stellar Fest "01" Jersey Charity Auction PhD study /w SC2 - help with a survey!
Tourneys
$21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7) OSC Season 13 World Championship $70 Prize Pool Ladder Legends Academy Weekly Open! SC2 All-Star Invitational: Jan 17-18 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament
Strategy
Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
[A] Starcraft Sound Mod
External Content
Mutation # 509 Doomsday Report Mutation # 508 Violent Night Mutation # 507 Well Trained Mutation # 506 Warp Zone
Brood War
General
[ASL21] Potential Map Candidates BW General Discussion Gypsy to Korea Which foreign pros are considered the best? BW AKA finder tool
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues Azhi's Colosseum - Season 2 Small VOD Thread 2.0 [BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 10
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Current Meta Soma's 9 hatch build from ASL Game 2 Game Theory for Starcraft
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Battle Aces/David Kim RTS Megathread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Beyond All Reason Awesome Games Done Quick 2026!
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
Vanilla Mini Mafia Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas
Community
General
Russo-Ukrainian War Thread US Politics Mega-thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread NASA and the Private Sector Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine
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
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
How Esports Advertising Shap…
TrAiDoS
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
James Bond movies ranking - pa…
Topin
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1659 users

[G]Zerg vs Terran A roach opener - Page 7

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
Post a Reply
Prev 1 5 6 7 8 Next All
ODKStevez
Profile Joined February 2011
Ireland1225 Posts
March 01 2012 20:06 GMT
#121
On January 27 2012 09:16 Khainer wrote:
Love your guides, straight to the point and no bullshit theorycrafting. Keep em coming


Yeah the guides are awesome but theorycrafting is so important, though I think it should be put in spoilers if it is there cause there are lots of people like myself that are very interested in it.
Luppa <3
Hairy
Profile Joined February 2011
United Kingdom1169 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-02 09:32:17
March 02 2012 09:31 GMT
#122
On March 02 2012 04:35 blade55555 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 02 2012 00:38 Hairy wrote:
On January 27 2012 09:00 blade55555 wrote:
--------Build order--------

9 - overlord
10- drone scout (this is personal preference i'll explain later)
15 - hatchery
14-16- spawning pool (will explain this later as well)
16 or 17 (your preference) - overlord
as soon as pool finishes 4 lings and 2 queens (1 for each tower, 2 to scout around)
27-29 - make a spine (2 on maps with big naturals will explain more later)
Make a third queen as soon as your first 2 finish
gas at 5 minutes if 1 spine, 5:20-5:30 if 2 spines (will explain reasoning later)
2nd gas at about 5:40-5:50
6:10-6:30 - roach warren
as soon as it finishes make 4-5 roaches more if necessary
soon as roaches are out take a third
get ling speed with next 100 gas after roaches
go lair on next 100 gas
Soon as you start third take last 2 gases


Not meaning to nitpick, but the build described above is actually wrong (or, at least, it's not what you did in the 'Game 4' replay against the helion marauder).

In the replay you get your roach warren at ~5:30 (not "6:10 - 6:30" as described), and the gas timings work out really nicely so that when your warren finishes you have gas for 4-5 roaches. Following the described build you could actually get zergling speed BEFORE roaches and still have gas for roaches when the warren finishes.

Also, it looks like you are building an evo chamber to help block the helions (built at 6:00 in the rep I watched). I appreciate that the timing for this may not be firm, but it would be good to mention in the OP as otherwise the reader is missing what I think to be important information.


Oh that was when I made an adjustement to my roach timing, forgot in that fourth replay I uploaded a week or so after I wrote this. The 5:30 roach timing makes it crush the 1/1/1 marine/hellion drop ^_^. Thanks for pointing it out completely forgot about that.

No problem. I was trying to follow the build through and found the timings didn't work well at all (big stockpile of gas), so I grabbed a replay to see you perform it and found you were doing something else! I'm surprised no-one mentioned anything.

I'll be practicing this so it's smooth and then I'll go smash some terrans! And those dastardly helions can sod right off.
Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits
Lobotomist
Profile Joined May 2010
United States1541 Posts
March 02 2012 21:08 GMT
#123
Could you talk about evo chamber and baneling nest timings? Do you adjust these based on what you scout or keep them relatively consistent? I've been following the build up to the third and zergling speed but then going evo, lair, baneling nest. I'm not sure if I like my variation better or worse. Also, when do you take your 5th and 6th gases? About when you put down the spire?
Teching to hive too quickly isn't just a risk: it's an ultrarisk
blade55555
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States17423 Posts
March 02 2012 21:12 GMT
#124
On March 03 2012 06:08 Lobotomist wrote:
Could you talk about evo chamber and baneling nest timings? Do you adjust these based on what you scout or keep them relatively consistent? I've been following the build up to the third and zergling speed but then going evo, lair, baneling nest. I'm not sure if I like my variation better or worse. Also, when do you take your 5th and 6th gases? About when you put down the spire?


Evo chamber should be put down at around 6 minutes I would say. This is a good timing so that if he is going cloak banshee's you are ready and you can start +1 carapace/melee.

I normally start my lair and then immediately baneling nest next, but I have also put my baneling nest right before lair. Up to you really don't think it matters either way unless your lair is later then you meant to. 5'th/6'th gases pretty much the second drones start getting there I start the gases, a little before the spire sometimes as soon as the spire. It really depends what the terran is doing.

If they are doing a 2 base all in/presure I would probably not get the 5'th/6'th gas as I would need the minerals more, but if he is taking a faster third which is normal in the current zvt game, I would get 5'th/6'th gases as I said before spire starts or as soon.
When I think of something else, something will go here
OPL3SA2
Profile Joined April 2011
United States378 Posts
March 06 2012 05:48 GMT
#125
I absolutely love that this guy is feeding zergs the 'don't make a bunch of roaches' line. For terrans like me who make 4 hellions and then lift off and switch back and start tank production, this allows 7 roaches to pop out just in time for my 2 base push. Then they use the rest of their apm screaming at me
Playoffs? You're talking about playoffs?
blade55555
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States17423 Posts
March 06 2012 05:50 GMT
#126
On March 06 2012 14:48 OPL3SA2 wrote:
I absolutely love that this guy is feeding zergs the 'don't make a bunch of roaches' line. For terrans like me who make 4 hellions and then lift off and switch back and start tank production, this allows 7 roaches to pop out just in time for my 2 base push. Then they use the rest of their apm screaming at me


What zerg makes 7 roaches at the 2 base timing at 9 minutes :o.
When I think of something else, something will go here
OPL3SA2
Profile Joined April 2011
United States378 Posts
March 06 2012 07:06 GMT
#127
On March 06 2012 14:50 blade55555 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 06 2012 14:48 OPL3SA2 wrote:
I absolutely love that this guy is feeding zergs the 'don't make a bunch of roaches' line. For terrans like me who make 4 hellions and then lift off and switch back and start tank production, this allows 7 roaches to pop out just in time for my 2 base push. Then they use the rest of their apm screaming at me


What zerg makes 7 roaches at the 2 base timing at 9 minutes :o.


No i mean they switch off roaches and go back to zerglings. Or make only drones. Zerglings banelings and 7 roaches is what they have when they die
Playoffs? You're talking about playoffs?
blade55555
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States17423 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-06 07:20:36
March 06 2012 07:19 GMT
#128
On March 06 2012 16:06 OPL3SA2 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 06 2012 14:50 blade55555 wrote:
On March 06 2012 14:48 OPL3SA2 wrote:
I absolutely love that this guy is feeding zergs the 'don't make a bunch of roaches' line. For terrans like me who make 4 hellions and then lift off and switch back and start tank production, this allows 7 roaches to pop out just in time for my 2 base push. Then they use the rest of their apm screaming at me


What zerg makes 7 roaches at the 2 base timing at 9 minutes :o.


No i mean they switch off roaches and go back to zerglings. Or make only drones. Zerglings banelings and 7 roaches is what they have when they die


Well they are doing it wrong then. I have done this vs GM korean terrans and won so I know its viable lol I made sure I played with it a lot before posting it to make sure it was viable and yes they have done 2 base pushes which are amazingly strong and held just fine ^_^.
When I think of something else, something will go here
theMarkovian
Profile Joined June 2010
Netherlands183 Posts
March 07 2012 01:07 GMT
#129
I have been testing this out on maps with free thirds, and I really like it. As you said, the Roaches allow you to take your third much faster than normal 2 base tech builds do.

I have seen Stephano do something similar (on ladder). There even are a couple of replays in his just-released-pack of him doing 7-10 Roach + Zergling timings off a 6 min Roach Warren in order to secure his third.

I like the options this gives me; a couple of Roaches for map control and that quick third, a lot of Roaches for a push or even an all-in (Roach/Bane style). Very nice!
Hit me up ingame! ID: Markovian.126; Diamond@EU
archon256
Profile Joined August 2010
United States363 Posts
March 07 2012 01:19 GMT
#130
Some of the most fun games I've had are when some hapless Terran goes blind blue flame hellions into mech against this.
3-base Roach into expanding around the map into Roach drops and insta-remax :D

I suppose that says something about the level I play at :x
"The troupe is ready, the stage is set. I come to dance, the dance of death"
Tobberoth
Profile Joined August 2010
Sweden6375 Posts
April 11 2012 12:33 GMT
#131
What do you recommend as for evo timings? For example, I see in your metropolis replay that you didn't build evo chambers until around the 13 minute mark, which is of course WAY too late to deal with hellion expand into cloaked banshees. What do you scout to decide the evo timing, and when do you feel it's good to put them down?
Morphs
Profile Joined July 2010
Netherlands645 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-04-11 14:40:58
April 11 2012 14:38 GMT
#132
Do you need to do damage with this particular opening? I'm asking since I've been trying out an earlier roach opening by Mr. Bitter that can come as a surprise to Terrans, but requires you to do some damage.

The Mr. Bitter version puts the roach warren down around 28 (with gas around 17). You can make 5-6 roaches and defend any hellions that are around and then push his natural. You drone behind this and you can take the 3rd.

Since the current metagame is pretty much a reactor-hellion expand you'll catch the Terran by surprise if you hid the Roach Warren (else he can make some Marauders). You can and should do quite a bit of damage when pushing with the roaches. Best part about these roach openers is the fact that the pressure is more on Terran while mapcontrol goes to Zerg.
Th1rdEye
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
United States1074 Posts
April 11 2012 14:40 GMT
#133
Good guide, i agree with you... I open a few roaches to stop hellions, and there's nothing better than roaches vs 2-3 fact hellion openings, and you can take your third.. sometimes it forces marauders from terran too.. only thing that is bad , like you said, is slower lair / muta tech etc.. which can be weak against banshee.
from the days of: TheMarine [NC]...YellOw [H.O.T.]-Forever99 OgOgO [_MuMyung_] ChRh PlayGrrrr.... SlayerS_`BoxeR` [Oops]Reach [ReD]NaDa [DF]zergboy..!! Pusan[S.G] Nal_rA GARIMTO SSamJJang ChoJJa JinSu Silent_Control iloveoov H_PauL_WII JulyZerg [DaK]JoYo
Tobberoth
Profile Joined August 2010
Sweden6375 Posts
April 11 2012 14:58 GMT
#134
On April 11 2012 23:38 Morphs wrote:
Do you need to do damage with this particular opening? I'm asking since I've been trying out an earlier roach opening by Mr. Bitter that can come as a surprise to Terrans, but requires you to do some damage.

The Mr. Bitter version puts the roach warren down around 28 (with gas around 17). You can make 5-6 roaches and defend any hellions that are around and then push his natural. You drone behind this and you can take the 3rd.

Since the current metagame is pretty much a reactor-hellion expand you'll catch the Terran by surprise if you hid the Roach Warren (else he can make some Marauders). You can and should do quite a bit of damage when pushing with the roaches. Best part about these roach openers is the fact that the pressure is more on Terran while mapcontrol goes to Zerg.

Nah, you don't need to do damage with this opening, I don't even think you can, the roach warren is far later in this variation and I doubt 6 roaches will do anything at this point unless the terran went for like 8 hellions or something.
Jermstuddog
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2231 Posts
April 11 2012 15:03 GMT
#135
This is definitely not a roach pressure build. The purpose of the roaches is simply to secure a faster
3rd and push the hellions back.

No need, and very little potential to do any damage to T what-so-ever.
As it turns out, marines don't actually cost any money -Jinro
PandaMonk
Profile Joined June 2011
United States300 Posts
April 11 2012 15:21 GMT
#136
When do you throw down your evo chambers? right after the third or after you get lair/speed, or what??
InfectedGoat
Profile Joined December 2010
Canada444 Posts
April 11 2012 15:29 GMT
#137
I've been playing with a similar style for a while now... Since the IPL, every terrans seem to open 3 CC cloaked banshee so I find it really hard to take an early third. I tried to pressure with this opening and it's been working half of the times I'd say (master league)
and i was like BANELINGS x 3
blade55555
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States17423 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-04-11 17:13:08
April 11 2012 17:11 GMT
#138
On April 11 2012 21:33 Tobberoth wrote:
What do you recommend as for evo timings? For example, I see in your metropolis replay that you didn't build evo chambers until around the 13 minute mark, which is of course WAY too late to deal with hellion expand into cloaked banshees. What do you scout to decide the evo timing, and when do you feel it's good to put them down?


Ah I need to update that in. My style of play has changed in terms doing 1/1 into ling/infestor so Evo's are actually set down pretty early now, especially compared to before. I will update that sometime today ^^. I would say 5:30-6 for the first one.

On April 11 2012 23:38 Morphs wrote:
Do you need to do damage with this particular opening? I'm asking since I've been trying out an earlier roach opening by Mr. Bitter that can come as a surprise to Terrans, but requires you to do some damage.

The Mr. Bitter version puts the roach warren down around 28 (with gas around 17). You can make 5-6 roaches and defend any hellions that are around and then push his natural. You drone behind this and you can take the 3rd.

Since the current metagame is pretty much a reactor-hellion expand you'll catch the Terran by surprise if you hid the Roach Warren (else he can make some Marauders). You can and should do quite a bit of damage when pushing with the roaches. Best part about these roach openers is the fact that the pressure is more on Terran while mapcontrol goes to Zerg.


No you do not need to do damage with this, at least I don't do damage with it 90% of the time. It is just a defense and maintain map control and make a ton if he's doing some sort of all in. I rarely do damage when pushing (especially since this comes later then mrbitters version). They should have a bunker.

On April 12 2012 00:21 PandaMonk wrote:
When do you throw down your evo chambers? right after the third or after you get lair/speed, or what??


I need to update OP, but I think 1st one around 5:30 then go into ling/infestor on most maps.
On April 12 2012 00:29 InfectedGoat wrote:
I've been playing with a similar style for a while now... Since the IPL, every terrans seem to open 3 CC cloaked banshee so I find it really hard to take an early third. I tried to pressure with this opening and it's been working half of the times I'd say (master league)


Yes, going into cloak banshee's is extremely popular right now. I do think you will have the third done before cloak banshee so you should still be able to take it and be defended properly, but have to see the cloak coming first obviously xD.
When I think of something else, something will go here
NaumNaumers2
Profile Joined June 2011
4 Posts
April 11 2012 18:30 GMT
#139
Thanks for this post. You and Tang are a great help to the Zerg playstyle.
Mikantoray
Profile Blog Joined March 2012
United States25 Posts
April 18 2012 13:09 GMT
#140
Super helpful

I'm a bronze zerg and you don't know HOW DAMN LONG I HAS BEEN STRUGGLIN WITH TEH BIO MECH
gogo!
Prev 1 5 6 7 8 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 11m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
RotterdaM 2024
IndyStarCraft 462
TKL 381
ProTech145
UpATreeSC 111
Nathanias 31
StarCraft: Brood War
Calm 2400
EffOrt 265
Shuttle 154
Dewaltoss 145
BeSt 86
ggaemo 62
910 25
Dota 2
420jenkins938
syndereN312
Counter-Strike
fl0m2318
Fnx 846
byalli637
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King40
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu527
Other Games
gofns11891
Grubby2417
FrodaN1107
Beastyqt886
mouzStarbuck215
DeMusliM110
Livibee95
QueenE93
ZombieGrub23
Chillindude20
Organizations
StarCraft 2
angryscii 25
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 17 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• StrangeGG 72
• Kozan
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• Migwel
• intothetv
• Laughngamez YouTube
• IndyKCrew
StarCraft: Brood War
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• lizZardDota245
League of Legends
• Nemesis2554
• TFBlade1547
Other Games
• imaqtpie1598
• Shiphtur228
Upcoming Events
The PiG Daily
11m
ByuN vs Solar
herO vs Classic
Reynor vs Cure
Solar vs herO
RongYI Cup
13h 51m
SHIN vs Creator
Classic vs Percival
OSC
15h 51m
BSL 21
17h 51m
RongYI Cup
1d 13h
Maru vs Cyan
Solar vs Krystianer
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
1d 14h
BSL 21
1d 17h
Wardi Open
2 days
Monday Night Weeklies
2 days
OSC
3 days
[ Show More ]
WardiTV Invitational
3 days
WardiTV Invitational
4 days
The PondCast
5 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-01-20
OSC Championship Season 13
NA Kuram Kup

Ongoing

C-Race Season 1
BSL 21 Non-Korean Championship
CSL 2025 WINTER (S19)
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Rongyi Cup S3
Underdog Cup #3
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025

Upcoming

Acropolis #4 - TS4
Escore Tournament S1: W6
Escore Tournament S1: W7
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
HSC XXVIII
Nations Cup 2026
Tektek Cup #1
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
IEM Kraków 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.