EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/o2nUe.jpg)
Hello everyone and welcome to my first guide. I am a master league zerg player on the NA server and I have always been playing this style of ZvP. I expect some critical responses and negative impressions. I am just excited to show a completely opposite style other than the standard 3-base mass roach style that is also viable at the NA master level. There should be more than one way to play the game and this is how I play it.
Yes, I stay on 2 bases for a long time. Yes, I use hydralisks a lot.
Key strengths of this build:
- hydralisk timing is strong against all protoss units
- initial attack diminishes protoss sentry count and weakens later pushes
- allows the zerg to gain an upgrade advantage
- zerg becomes aggressive and protoss becomes defensive
Roach Hydralisk Synergy (This is a joke, but not really... haha)
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- roaches are helplessly weak against forcefields, immortals, voidrays, and upgraded stalkers
- roaches are only good at dying
- hydralisks are good at dishing out lots of damage
- roaches do the dying while hydralisks do the damaging
- roaches are only good at dying
- hydralisks are good at dishing out lots of damage
- roaches do the dying while hydralisks do the damaging
TLDR Build Order:
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14 pool
15 hatch
14 2x lings
16 ovie
16 queen
21 queen
34 gas 1+2
32 queen
@100gas lair
- roachwarren + evo
- gas 3+4 shortly after
@100%lair
- hydra den
- roach speed
- +1 range
@100%hydraden
- hydra range
- attack with 6 hydras 6 roaches
- take third
15 hatch
14 2x lings
16 ovie
16 queen
21 queen
34 gas 1+2
32 queen
@100gas lair
- roachwarren + evo
- gas 3+4 shortly after
@100%lair
- hydra den
- roach speed
- +1 range
@100%hydraden
- hydra range
- attack with 6 hydras 6 roaches
- take third
OPENING: 14p15h
10/10 overlord
14/18 pool
15/18 hatch
14/18 2 pairs of zerglings
16/18 overlord
16/18 queen
21/28 queen
22/28 overlord
Threats:
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scouting probe(s)
- send a drone to attack the scouting probe as soon as you see it
- prevent cannon rushes and pylon blocks
- use your micro against his shift-move commands to damage the probe
- this will make him place his pylon down earlier and delay his structures at home
- you can potentially kill the probe
- use your zerglings to take watch towers scout for probes and guard the protoss ramp
pylon block at the natural
- as soon as you see the pylon go down follow this alternative build order
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- send a drone to attack the scouting probe as soon as you see it
- prevent cannon rushes and pylon blocks
- use your micro against his shift-move commands to damage the probe
- this will make him place his pylon down earlier and delay his structures at home
- you can potentially kill the probe
- use your zerglings to take watch towers scout for probes and guard the protoss ramp
pylon block at the natural
- as soon as you see the pylon go down follow this alternative build order
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15/18 overlord
15/18 2 pairs of zerglings
- use the zerglings to take out the pylon
17/18 hatch
17/26 queen
@100%queen inject larva and start 2nd queen (in your main)
@100%queen creep tumour and walk to natural
15/18 2 pairs of zerglings
- use the zerglings to take out the pylon
17/18 hatch
17/26 queen
@100%queen inject larva and start 2nd queen (in your main)
@100%queen creep tumour and walk to natural
Overlord placement
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- #1 send to the ramp to scout how chronoboost is used (forge, cyber, gateway?)
- #2 send to the edge of main base for an overseer scout later
- #3 send to the edge of the third base, preferably near natural gas geysers
- #4 send to the edge of main base near the fourth expansion
- the rest send to common proxy pylon locations
- #2 send to the edge of main base for an overseer scout later
- #3 send to the edge of the third base, preferably near natural gas geysers
- #4 send to the edge of main base near the fourth expansion
- the rest send to common proxy pylon locations
Ending the game:
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the rare chance that your opponent went nexus > gateway > forge > cannon and did not pylon block you
- your zerglings will reach his ramp before the cannon is finished
- target the cannon being warped in
- target the artosis pylon at protoss ramp
- make additional zerglings only when you are sure the pylon will go down
- your zerglings will reach his ramp before the cannon is finished
- target the cannon being warped in
- target the artosis pylon at protoss ramp
- make additional zerglings only when you are sure the pylon will go down
EARLY GAME: drones and gas timings
34/36 ~5:15 gas 1+2
- queen
- overlord
@100 gas start lair
- roach warren at natural ramp
- evolution chamber at natural ramp
- creep tumour at natural ramp
- before evolution chamber finishes take gas 3+4
@100% evolution chamber
- +1 ranged attack
- drones to ~ 64 food
Threats:
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zealot stalker poke
- scout this with overlord #1 and your zerglings
- 3 queens target zealot
- run the queen that is being targeted by the zealot
- zerglings target the stalker
chronoboosted zealot push
- scout this with overlord #1
- if there are two zealots and the gateway is still being chronoboosted
- make 1 spinecrawler behind your roach warren and evolution chamber wall
+1 zealot attack
- this attack will come late enough that your roach warren will be finished
- make around 4 roaches and defend with support from queens
- scout this with overlord #1 and your zerglings
- 3 queens target zealot
- run the queen that is being targeted by the zealot
- zerglings target the stalker
chronoboosted zealot push
- scout this with overlord #1
- if there are two zealots and the gateway is still being chronoboosted
- make 1 spinecrawler behind your roach warren and evolution chamber wall
+1 zealot attack
- this attack will come late enough that your roach warren will be finished
- make around 4 roaches and defend with support from queens
Ending the game:
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2-base speedling+roach attack
- if your opponent opened gateway expand
- if your opponent has a terrible wall off
- instead of a lair, save up around 200 gas for 8 roaches
- instead of an evolution chamber add a few more overlords
- make 8 roaches, start zergling speed, and constantly rally zerglings
- start a lair
- if your opponent opened gateway expand
- if your opponent has a terrible wall off
- instead of a lair, save up around 200 gas for 8 roaches
- instead of an evolution chamber add a few more overlords
- make 8 roaches, start zergling speed, and constantly rally zerglings
- start a lair
MIDGAME: Reaching lair and +1 timing
@100% lair
- hydralisk den
- roach speed
- overlords to ~ 64/124
- overseer scout with overlord #2
- poop creep on expansions with overlord #3 and #4
@100% hydralisk den
- hydralisk range
- make 6 hydralisks
- make 6 roaches
- take third expansion
Threats:
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early aggressive 6 gateway attack
- this will hit before your hydralisk den is finished
- make roaches with all your gas
- make 3 spinecrawlers instead of a hatchery
- make hydralisks as soon as you can
tech oriented all-in
- this includes blink stalkers, sentry immortals, mass gateways
- constantly make roaches hydralisks and zerglings based on your opponent's unit composition
- still try to take your third whenever you can
- this will hit before your hydralisk den is finished
- make roaches with all your gas
- make 3 spinecrawlers instead of a hatchery
- make hydralisks as soon as you can
tech oriented all-in
- this includes blink stalkers, sentry immortals, mass gateways
- constantly make roaches hydralisks and zerglings based on your opponent's unit composition
- still try to take your third whenever you can
Attacking the Protoss: +1 range, roach speed, hydralisk range
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goals in order of priority
- trade armies at least evenly
- snipe the forge (which should be researching +1 armour or +2 attack)
- target fire tech units with your hydralisks such as immortals and voidrays
- snipe the cybercore if the opponent went blink stalkers
- continuously replenish your army
- sneak drones in gradually
- trade armies at least evenly
- snipe the forge (which should be researching +1 armour or +2 attack)
- target fire tech units with your hydralisks such as immortals and voidrays
- snipe the cybercore if the opponent went blink stalkers
- continuously replenish your army
- sneak drones in gradually
Ending the game:
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protoss was too greedy and does not have sufficient defence
- attack, rally units, regroup, repeat, follow priorities listed above
- attack, rally units, regroup, repeat, follow priorities listed above
TRANSITION: Protoss defends and is teching to tier 3
Macro: Key structures and upgrades
- zergling speed
- spire
- +1 carapace and second evolution chamber
- drones mining minerals at third
- spend excess minerals on zerglings and overlords
- gas 5+6
- marco hatchery at home or at 4th base
- +1 flyer attack
- +2 ranged attack and +2 carapace
- if protoss is on 2-base make 6-8 corruptors and max out on ling/roach/hydra
- if protoss is on 3-base make mutalisks and zerglings
Micro: Staying active with your army
- continue to watch overlords #3 and #4 for third base
- take watch towers
- try to catch the protoss army in a bad position and trade armies at least evenly
- morph a second overseer and take turns contaminating robo (this will delay 2-base collo all-in)
- spread creep like mad
Threats:
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2-base collo push
- there may be 1 or 2 collo in the push before your spire is finished
- ideally you would have killed most of his sentries already
- be patient before you rush into his army on creep for a surround
- target collossus with hydralisks
- reinforce with roachling
2-base storm push
- research burrow and tunnelling claws
- delay the push by poking with roaches and burrowing them
- amass a large enough roach count to overrun the protoss army
- there may be 1 or 2 collo in the push before your spire is finished
- ideally you would have killed most of his sentries already
- be patient before you rush into his army on creep for a surround
- target collossus with hydralisks
- reinforce with roachling
2-base storm push
- research burrow and tunnelling claws
- delay the push by poking with roaches and burrowing them
- amass a large enough roach count to overrun the protoss army
Ending the game:
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protoss failed 2-base push
- your opponent is poor and has no army to defend a third
- starve him or bust him with the help of air units
protoss setting up a third base
- send in mutalisks to find weak spots
- poke with ground army to find weak spots
- target probes with mutalisks
- target nexus and expansions with ground army
- do not force it and lose too much army or else a counter attack can kill you
- your opponent is poor and has no army to defend a third
- starve him or bust him with the help of air units
protoss setting up a third base
- send in mutalisks to find weak spots
- poke with ground army to find weak spots
- target probes with mutalisks
- target nexus and expansions with ground army
- do not force it and lose too much army or else a counter attack can kill you
LATEGAME: Hydralisk Corruptor Broodlord
Macro: Hive Tech
- infestation pit for hive (no infestors)
- expand aggressively so you have empty expansions ready and extra larva
- +3 ranged attack and +3 carapace
- crackling upgrade
- greater spire
- ultralisk cavern
- +1 melee
Micro: Recycling your maxed tier 2 army
- constantly send overlords to expansion locations to poop
- optional: research oviespeed and burrow to help delay expansions
you made up to 20 mutalisks so stay active with them
- do not be afraid to lose them
- replace them with corruptors and hydralisks
you made corruptors and maxed your ground army
- trade a few roaches for up to 12-14 corruptors
- continue to trade armies and replenish with broodlords and hydralisks
Introducing the Broodlord Hydralisk Corruptor composition:
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Broodlords
- gives you the option to force engagements
- allows you to apply constant pressure
- split them appropriately and a-move
- target firing not required
Hydralisks
- provides maximum DPS at the most crucial moment when the protoss blinks under your broodlords
- keep hydralisks at a safe distance and let the broodlords apply pressure
- when the protoss blinks under your broodlords with stalkers, your 3/3 hydralisks will be ready to rip them apart at a safe distance where collossus cannot reach them
Corruptors
- target fire voidrays and motherships to push them back
- if the protoss is voidray-collossus heavy then use your broodlords to target the collo, corruptors and hydralisks to target air units
- gives you the option to force engagements
- allows you to apply constant pressure
- split them appropriately and a-move
- target firing not required
Hydralisks
- provides maximum DPS at the most crucial moment when the protoss blinks under your broodlords
- keep hydralisks at a safe distance and let the broodlords apply pressure
- when the protoss blinks under your broodlords with stalkers, your 3/3 hydralisks will be ready to rip them apart at a safe distance where collossus cannot reach them
Corruptors
- target fire voidrays and motherships to push them back
- if the protoss is voidray-collossus heavy then use your broodlords to target the collo, corruptors and hydralisks to target air units
Threats:
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Since you are constantly pressuring the protoss, you should be constantly adjusting your army composition based on your opponent.
- it is perfectly suitable to poke and pressure before your broodlords
- it is also suitable to poke and pressure with low numbers of broodlords
- do not overcommit
Continuously scout the main base to determine the level of tech you opponent is at.
- is there a dark shrine? is there a fleet beacon? is there a templar archives?
- defend harassment antics and establish expansions
- it is perfectly suitable to poke and pressure before your broodlords
- it is also suitable to poke and pressure with low numbers of broodlords
- do not overcommit
Continuously scout the main base to determine the level of tech you opponent is at.
- is there a dark shrine? is there a fleet beacon? is there a templar archives?
- defend harassment antics and establish expansions
Ending the game: Death push into mass counter attack chaos
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once you have maxed out on a suitable ratio of broodlord corruptor hydraling
- use your ground army to secure expansions and deny harassment
- once everything is stable then proceed with your death push
you both traded armies and now you must re-max
- make mass zerglings and ultralisks, with some corruptors and/or hydralisks
- send them everywhere and destroy the protoss economy
- nydus worms are useful for sending lings into the main base
- use your ground army to secure expansions and deny harassment
- once everything is stable then proceed with your death push
you both traded armies and now you must re-max
- make mass zerglings and ultralisks, with some corruptors and/or hydralisks
- send them everywhere and destroy the protoss economy
- nydus worms are useful for sending lings into the main base
REPLAYS
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FFE stargate robo
http://drop.sc/224827
FFE 1gas 8gate all-in
http://drop.sc/224822
FFE 6gate robo
http://drop.sc/224823
FFE 6gate
http://drop.sc/224824
FFE 7gate third
http://drop.sc/224825
FFE 7gate
http://drop.sc/224826
Unfortunately I don't have any lategame replays at the moment.
http://drop.sc/224827
FFE 1gas 8gate all-in
http://drop.sc/224822
FFE 6gate robo
http://drop.sc/224823
FFE 6gate
http://drop.sc/224824
FFE 7gate third
http://drop.sc/224825
FFE 7gate
http://drop.sc/224826
Unfortunately I don't have any lategame replays at the moment.
