EPTRight now the meta in PvP is largely gateway pressure with a Mothership Core, to abuse greedy Stargate openers. This build holds 4gate aggression, 3gate aggression with or without a Mothership Core, and does so pretty seamlessly. The idea is that while aggression would normally hit, the Dark Shrine isn't done so you'd need some way to buy time before you die. This build gets a MSC in time to Nexus Cannon right when they show up, and the Nexus Cannon lasts up until the Dark Shrine is finished building. It also has enough units (3 Stalkers and MSC) to deny a majority of 4gate advancements up your ramp, forcing them to warp in further away from where they would like.
Worst case scenario is somebody blind-countering the build with Blink + Obs, but Blink + Obs is extremely rare right now (at least on the NA ladder), so this build will remain strong for quite a while. The other bad scenario is if an opponent blind-counters the build with a forge expand opener, so your DTs won't do anything and your Nexus will be behind. I guess the last troublesome situation is going against the same build, but this usually turns into a weird game where decision-making wins or loses it. Still, it has reasonable protection from mirror builds if you can run the build tightly and be clever with hold position, time warp and good building placement.
Build Order
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9 Pylon
--Scout with 10th Worker for Cheese--
Double Chronoboost on Probes @ 100% Pylon
14 Gateway (rally 13th probe to gateway spot)
16 Assimilator 2x (rally 15th probe to one geyser)
17 Pylon (rally 16th probe to pylon spot)
18 Core (rally 17th probe to Core spot)
Fill both geysers with 3 probes each when Core is started
19 Chronoboost Probes
Stalker @ 100% Core
Warpgate @ 100% Core - Chronoboost
23/25 Mothership Core (might need to cancel a probe to get this started the instant you have 100 gas/minerals)
25 Pylon
Stalker @ 100% Stalker (#2) - Chronoboost
Twilight Council @ 100 gas
Stalker @ 100% Stalker (#3) - Chronoboost when possible
Dark Shrine @ 100% Twilight Council
2nd Gateway @ 100 Minerals
33 Proxy Pylon - Scout his base with this probe
You should supply cap yourself at 34 with 3 Stalkers, 1 MSC and 26 probes
I have found that there is a lot of risk and marginal reward to get Stalkers out on the map to search for pylons, stray workers and/or units. Often times it can put you out of position and cause a loss if you make a mistake. I just hold position on the 3 Stalkers at the top of my ramp and keep the MSC back about 1/2 the distance from the ramp to my Nexus. If you have the APM/comfort level to get out on the map with your Stalkers to potentially kill forward pylons or stray units, go for it, but I find that it doesn't offer a big enough benefit to take the risk.
--Scout with 10th Worker for Cheese--
Double Chronoboost on Probes @ 100% Pylon
14 Gateway (rally 13th probe to gateway spot)
16 Assimilator 2x (rally 15th probe to one geyser)
17 Pylon (rally 16th probe to pylon spot)
18 Core (rally 17th probe to Core spot)
Fill both geysers with 3 probes each when Core is started
19 Chronoboost Probes
Stalker @ 100% Core
Warpgate @ 100% Core - Chronoboost
23/25 Mothership Core (might need to cancel a probe to get this started the instant you have 100 gas/minerals)
25 Pylon
Stalker @ 100% Stalker (#2) - Chronoboost
Twilight Council @ 100 gas
Stalker @ 100% Stalker (#3) - Chronoboost when possible
Dark Shrine @ 100% Twilight Council
2nd Gateway @ 100 Minerals
33 Proxy Pylon - Scout his base with this probe
You should supply cap yourself at 34 with 3 Stalkers, 1 MSC and 26 probes
I have found that there is a lot of risk and marginal reward to get Stalkers out on the map to search for pylons, stray workers and/or units. Often times it can put you out of position and cause a loss if you make a mistake. I just hold position on the 3 Stalkers at the top of my ramp and keep the MSC back about 1/2 the distance from the ramp to my Nexus. If you have the APM/comfort level to get out on the map with your Stalkers to potentially kill forward pylons or stray units, go for it, but I find that it doesn't offer a big enough benefit to take the risk.
Early-game Transitions
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The first and most obvious transition is that if you scout cheese, you need to abandon the build order and handle the cheese in whatever way you can. Cheese is exclusively pertaining to proxy gates, cannon rush, etc.
When you place the Proxy pylon for your DTs on 33/34 supply, you are going to check to see if his army is at his base. If your probe freely walks into his base, you need to follow the DEFENSIVE transition, because his army is out on the map and will probably attack you soon. If your probe is killed (because his army is at home), you need to follow the ECONOMIC transition. You need to follow these transitions as precisely as possible, because they are most definitely going to win you games or put you ahead if you control properly. Likewise, if you miss important timings in the transition, it could cost you the game.
DEFENSIVE transition
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ECONOMIC transition
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When you place the Proxy pylon for your DTs on 33/34 supply, you are going to check to see if his army is at his base. If your probe freely walks into his base, you need to follow the DEFENSIVE transition, because his army is out on the map and will probably attack you soon. If your probe is killed (because his army is at home), you need to follow the ECONOMIC transition. You need to follow these transitions as precisely as possible, because they are most definitely going to win you games or put you ahead if you control properly. Likewise, if you miss important timings in the transition, it could cost you the game.
DEFENSIVE transition
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Use this transition if your probe is able to freely walk into his base.
Stop probes (you should have 25 probes mining in your main, which is ideal anyway)
2x Gateways when minerals allow
Use Nexus Cannon if they start to advance your ramp. Give up ramp control and force them to engage into the Nexus.
Stalker at 100% Warpgate, chronoboost gateway
Stalker at 100% Gateway #2, chronoboost gateway
Pylon in the main
1 forward DT at proxy pylon
1 defensive DT at home
Use any additional chronoboost on the gateways that produced the DTs. When you hold the attack, expand and try your best to contain him or catch him out on the map. Research Charge.
Stop probes (you should have 25 probes mining in your main, which is ideal anyway)
2x Gateways when minerals allow
Use Nexus Cannon if they start to advance your ramp. Give up ramp control and force them to engage into the Nexus.
Stalker at 100% Warpgate, chronoboost gateway
Stalker at 100% Gateway #2, chronoboost gateway
Pylon in the main
1 forward DT at proxy pylon
1 defensive DT at home
Use any additional chronoboost on the gateways that produced the DTs. When you hold the attack, expand and try your best to contain him or catch him out on the map. Research Charge.
ECONOMIC transition
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Use this transition if your probe is killed without seeing the inside of his base, or if he has a Nexus building.
Natural Nexus when minerals allow (34 supply)
Robo at 200 minerals
2 forward DTs at 100% Dark Shrine
Observer from Robo when available
Spend chronoboost on extra probes, and do your best to keep him in his base with DT harassment
Natural Nexus when minerals allow (34 supply)
Robo at 200 minerals
2 forward DTs at 100% Dark Shrine
Observer from Robo when available
Spend chronoboost on extra probes, and do your best to keep him in his base with DT harassment
Available mid and late-game transitions
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There is a bit of a scary point if you get a Nexus down on an economic opener and they simply do not expand. If this is the case, you need to be willing to give up your natural Nexus, not make too many probes, but still use the Nexus to buy some time while you fortify your main with as many units as possible. The unfortunate thing is that you are basically forced to get a Robo to not die to DT plays which you probably won't be able to scout, so you might have a fairly useless building against Stargate all-ins. If you can scout that it is a 1-base all-in, try to get up to 4 gateways as soon as possible, or get a Forge down and try to get cannons up to hold the all-in. Researching Charge will definitely help if you can stall them for long enough.
Secondarily, if they are on one base, you can usually deal some damage with a DT counterattack (just 1) while they are away from their base. In particular if it is a Stargate all-in, they are forced to keep units home and their all-in is much softer.
Assuming they expand, you need to get an observer in there and figure out what they are doing. The most common transition right now is 2x Stargate Void Ray, to which you should respond with Double Forge and Storm. Attack/trade when they take a 3rd base and take your own at the same time, and start adding in Phoenix production. This way, if they continue to make Void Rays, you have two avenues to shut down Void Rays after you should have traded reasonably well in the mid-game with the Storm/Zealot/Archon timing, ideally with really nice upgrades like 1/1 or 2/2.
Colossus is pretty easy to scout and beat - use your own double SG Void Ray and charge on the Colossus. They will have Zealots or Stalkers left over, and your own Zealot Archon force will mop it up pretty easily. At least one Forge is recommended.
Very rarely, the opponent will try their own Storm build with no provocation, and I think the best answer is to just not research Storm and take a really fast 3rd base. If he continues to just use Storm + Zealot Archon, start diversifying your 3-base tech to Void Ray (or Phoenix) + Colossus. Phoenix are a nice answer to absorb some templar energy and possibly lift the Templar before they are able to Storm.
Secondarily, if they are on one base, you can usually deal some damage with a DT counterattack (just 1) while they are away from their base. In particular if it is a Stargate all-in, they are forced to keep units home and their all-in is much softer.
Assuming they expand, you need to get an observer in there and figure out what they are doing. The most common transition right now is 2x Stargate Void Ray, to which you should respond with Double Forge and Storm. Attack/trade when they take a 3rd base and take your own at the same time, and start adding in Phoenix production. This way, if they continue to make Void Rays, you have two avenues to shut down Void Rays after you should have traded reasonably well in the mid-game with the Storm/Zealot/Archon timing, ideally with really nice upgrades like 1/1 or 2/2.
Colossus is pretty easy to scout and beat - use your own double SG Void Ray and charge on the Colossus. They will have Zealots or Stalkers left over, and your own Zealot Archon force will mop it up pretty easily. At least one Forge is recommended.
Very rarely, the opponent will try their own Storm build with no provocation, and I think the best answer is to just not research Storm and take a really fast 3rd base. If he continues to just use Storm + Zealot Archon, start diversifying your 3-base tech to Void Ray (or Phoenix) + Colossus. Phoenix are a nice answer to absorb some templar energy and possibly lift the Templar before they are able to Storm.
Handling DTs
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The overall idea behind the DTs is that he really can't afford to have his army in two places on the map, with detection in both places. Your DTs are almost always going to either outright win the game because of a lack of detection, kill probes, or deflect an attack.
If you are warping in two forward DTs, you need to check to see if they have detection with the first one while keeping the 2nd one behind, so you don't lose both. If they do not have detection when your first DT shows up, do your best to kill probes or disable tech based on the circumstance. For example, if you know the Robo is finished and it's only a matter of time before they get an observer out, try to target probes and then run away with the DT when the observer finishes. If their Robo is in production or if it is powered by only 1 pylon, target either the Robo or Pylon to disable detection and you get a free win. If you are forcefielded out of his base, do your best to hide DTs in hopes of stopping an expansion attempt and pushing your economic advantage.
If you are warping in two forward DTs, you need to check to see if they have detection with the first one while keeping the 2nd one behind, so you don't lose both. If they do not have detection when your first DT shows up, do your best to kill probes or disable tech based on the circumstance. For example, if you know the Robo is finished and it's only a matter of time before they get an observer out, try to target probes and then run away with the DT when the observer finishes. If their Robo is in production or if it is powered by only 1 pylon, target either the Robo or Pylon to disable detection and you get a free win. If you are forcefielded out of his base, do your best to hide DTs in hopes of stopping an expansion attempt and pushing your economic advantage.
Some replays
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Bear in mind that these reflect the openers, but I was still learning intricacies about the game as I went along. If I die it's because I did something wrong, and corrected it in another game.
http://drop.sc/317637 - (Win) This is the most common example of this build in action. The opponent does some kind of aggressive gateway opener, they do absolutely no damage and don't have detection up in time.
http://drop.sc/317636 - (Win) Example of fighting another DT build, and the methods you can use to at least prevent taking damage in this scenario.
http://drop.sc/317635 - (Win) Example of the build being blind countered by some weird Forge opener, but the midgame transition is strong.
http://drop.sc/317634 - (Loss) The opener runs ideally, I just make poor choices throughout the game and take a 3rd base way too late.
http://drop.sc/317633 - (Loss) Perfect example of bad building positioning and really poor DT management in my main base.
http://drop.sc/317637 - (Win) This is the most common example of this build in action. The opponent does some kind of aggressive gateway opener, they do absolutely no damage and don't have detection up in time.
http://drop.sc/317636 - (Win) Example of fighting another DT build, and the methods you can use to at least prevent taking damage in this scenario.
http://drop.sc/317635 - (Win) Example of the build being blind countered by some weird Forge opener, but the midgame transition is strong.
http://drop.sc/317634 - (Loss) The opener runs ideally, I just make poor choices throughout the game and take a 3rd base way too late.
http://drop.sc/317633 - (Loss) Perfect example of bad building positioning and really poor DT management in my main base.
Envisage
