Disclaimer: 1. The purpose of this guide it to break down popular build orders, their purpose, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. This guide should be helpful to novice and intermediate zerg players. For advance zerg players, this guide may be used as a reference to string together many different openers for clan wars, and tournaments.
2. Once you approach GM mmr, players will modify build orders to suite their play style. the build orders listed here is a rough guide line.
3. The build orders in this guide stop after 40 supply. In zvz build orders can and do go beyond 40 supply. However, due to the large amount of cheese in zvz, and many mid game options (muta play, 1/1 lings, 2 gas bane all in, 1 gas bane all in, roach play, burrow roach play, 1/1 roach timing, 2/2 roach timings, infester swarm host play, ect ect) Builds orders will be capped at 40.
4. zvz mid game strategies are a separate topic, and will require a different thread, However, please discuss what openings and mid games you like to pair together.
5. Zvp and Zvt build order break down, and selection guides will be posted in the soon to be future.
I hope this helps ^_^, with love, End Of Line. ZvZ build order openings (Rock, Paper, Scissors)
Pool, Hatch standard opener: Purpose: to get to the mid game Strengths: Jack of all trades opener. Ability to react to any zvz build Safe vs most builds.
Weaknesses: Less eco vs more greedy hatch first styles, Slower gas, predictable play style Un-Scouted speed ling all ins can be a problem. Standard 15p 15H Queen ling Ext and ling. 18 OV 21Queen 23Ov 32 ling speed 32 Ov 32 Bane nest 40Ov
Ancient speedling expand builds: Purpose: to get an advantage in the mid game, map control Strengths: good vs all cheese, aggressive options Macro potential
Weaknesses: Weak vs hatch first builds Less eco less larve Must deal damage or mind game an opening into making unnecessary defense, or you will be behind.
Safe version. Rally 14th drone to gas Rally 15th drone to pool location 15 Ov Speed (leave one drone in gas for Bane nest, lair, upgrades) Queen, 3 pairs of lings, 21 Hatch 20 Queen 22 Ov 35 Ov
Standard version 15 P 15 G 17 hatch 16Queen 18 ov 21 queen 23 ov Drones off gas at 100 for speed 32 ov
All in version 14 G 14P 15ov queen 3 pairs or lings Speed 21 ov Bane nest.
Hatch, Pool, Gas builds Purpose: To get into the mid, to have an eco advantage vs pool openings Strengths: More eco, and larve compared to pool, hatch openers Ability to have a very strong mid game
Weaknesses: Weak vs early (9-10) pool aggression (with gas) Weak vs un-scouted speedling all ins (Because of later bane nest)
Aggressive version (weaker vs early pools, stronger vs speedling all ins) 15 H 17G 17P 2 queens 2 lings 25 Speed 25Ov 25Bane nest (before 5 min) 32 ov 40ov
Early pool openings Purpose: to kill, to mind game in a b03 Strengths: Good vs hatch first, and most greedy play
Weakness: Most do damage or lose speedling openings Standard 15 P openings
6-7 P, Ling + drone pull + spine Ext trick at 10 to squeeze out another pair of lings, and send all drones with first 3 pairs of lings
10P Double spine all in
10p, Double ext trick 12ov 3 pairs of lings pop, send all drones except 4 (for more ling production) rally all lings to their base. double spine
10p Speed all in
10P 10 G 10ov lings Speed 16queen
10 P macro play
10p double ext trick 12ov 4 pairs of lings 16 hatch 16 queen 18ov 21queen 23ov 25 third queen, or/and spine depending on damage done
10P Bane all in
10p 10g 10ov 3 pairs of lings bane nest keep making lings, kill them
Gasless openers 4 queen
Strengths: Safe vs most cheese Safe vs most speed ling or bane timings Safe vs most early roach timings Most eco
Weaknesses: Fast enemy third bases Greedy tech play
15 H (or P) 15P (or H) 18ov 2 queen 2 lings 25 (spine if they are speedling expand) (If they are on one base, make 3 spines) Or (ov if standard play) 28, 2 queen 31 ov and spine (if they play standard) 36 2 gas 40 ov.
Nice write up ! And I can attest to the variations of build orders when you approach GM level. In zvz, I prefer to go double evo melee/carapace ups into a 3rd. This comes of full saturation of my main/nat, and keep making lings to deny his 3rd or any all ins he does, somewhere in there i make enough drones to saturate my 3rd's gas, and keep making units. It's kinda all in, but at the same time its not if that makes sense. Good luck!
If you want a exchange a bit of economy for more safety against speedling all-ins you can use the standard pool hatch build and add in 2 sets of lings at 30. Use the first set to scout the zerg just as they are about to move out with their army and use the other set to morph banes.
On December 30 2013 05:19 BuiBui wrote: Disclaimer:
Pool, Hatch standard opener:
Standard 15p 15H Queen ling Ext trick and ling. 19 OV 21Queen 23Ov 32 ling speed 32 Ov 32 Bane nest 40Ov
Thanks for writing them all up nicely - when do you build the gas in this standard build? Also, after I have enough for gas speed, do I still leave all 3 drones for gas? And what happen after I build Bane Nest, do I pull any drone(s) out at all?
When you don't mention anything (let's say between 32 Bane Nest and 40Ov), does it mean you are droning up?
On December 30 2013 05:19 BuiBui wrote: Disclaimer:
Pool, Hatch standard opener:
Standard 15p 15H Queen ling Ext trick and ling. 19 OV 21Queen 23Ov 32 ling speed 32 Ov 32 Bane nest 40Ov
Thanks for writing them all up nicely - when do you build the gas in this standard build? Also, after I have enough for gas speed, do I still leave all 3 drones for gas? And what happen after I build Bane Nest, do I pull any drone(s) out at all?
When you don't mention anything (let's say between 32 Bane Nest and 40Ov), does it mean you are droning up?
Sorry about that. Fixed. You leave drones on gas always, unless you lost some early drones, or had to force out lings, and you are hurting for more min. then you can take them out.
On January 01 2014 01:18 Usus wrote: It seems very brief your guide. I would like to add in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJQYSwmUCqs 9 Pool baneling, in my opinion the strongest version of a baneling all in.
Do you have any replays/VOD of the last BO (4 queens gasless) in ZvZ? I will try it but I would also like to see it work (for instance how it defends an all-in/early push and then the transitions). thanks!
On January 09 2014 21:07 WGT-Baal wrote: Nice guide thank you.
Do you have any replays/VOD of the last BO (4 queens gasless) in ZvZ? I will try it but I would also like to see it work (for instance how it defends an all-in/early push and then the transitions). thanks!
Jaedong plays this style alot so make sure to watch his stream . I play this style on ladder too, the thing though is, that you shoud only play this on maps with a small ramp or a chock point to the natural (basically all ladder maps besides Daedalus Point work). You should also only play this style when u are sure they cant scout your gas (4 player maps or maps where the 1st overlord cant reach ur main before your queen spawns and kills it). If they scout your gas, then they have the advantage cause they can just take an easy third and drone up. If u play against somebody who went Pool/Hatch or Hatch/pool u can always try to snipe his ovi which will be waiting before ur natural since they wont have speed in time. Next thing is to make sure that you are safe to speedling all ins. Most people which play against me (Diamond/Master) think they can just mass speedlings and win the game. Luckily this build leads to Roach plays (if u want mutas they will be way too late, same goes with ur third, u need roaches to save ur third). Make sure to wall-off ur natural with 2 evo chambers and a roach warren and with the queens. Dont know exact supply or timing, i just do it shortly before or after my 3rd and 4th queen is out. Also take 4 gases and just drone up, get 1/1 and some roaches, take ur third and be sure to morph an overseer immediatly after ur lair finished to see if he goes mutas (most of the time u will know though since people who will go mutas tend to have alot of speedlings. If he goes mutas u make spores and just try to stay calm, drone up your base and mass roach/hydra. Even if he switches to roaches, ur upgrades will be far superiour so u just go kill him if u feel like u got the right amount of army. If he goes no muta, and just normal roach with upgrades aswell... well there is no solution right now since roach vs roach is the standard zvsz right now, but its kinda a lucky game since nobody knows who has more roaches, earlier upgrades etc. It will more come down to who can harass more and have better concaves in fights. Have fun
Thanks so much for this. After doing 15/15/15 pool gas hatch every zvz practically, I was looking for a list of variations on openers. By any chance, do you (or does anyone else) know the 13/12 gas/pool opener that Catz does?
Excellent list! Any chance of getting a couple replays added? I'd love to see specific interactions like defending a speeding all-in with hatch first or reacting to a scouted gasless properly
On January 01 2014 01:18 Usus wrote: It seems very brief your guide. I would like to add in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJQYSwmUCqs 9 Pool baneling, in my opinion the strongest version of a baneling all in.
Nice thanks for this vod will definitely give this a go
On January 15 2014 08:34 Lobotomist wrote: Excellent list! Any chance of getting a couple replays added? I'd love to see specific interactions like defending a speeding all-in with hatch first or reacting to a scouted gasless properly
sure thing. I will look at my replays when I get home from work ^_^
On January 15 2014 08:34 Lobotomist wrote: Excellent list! Any chance of getting a couple replays added? I'd love to see specific interactions like defending a speeding all-in with hatch first or reacting to a scouted gasless properly
sure thing. I will look at my replays when I get home from work ^_^
Hook it up bro!!!
jk no pressure. Though I would like to see them if you've got time.
This is what one should do vs gasless: Drone, tech up, and expand. Assuming you, see that they are going gasless, you can do all of these things faster, because the gasless much invest in 4 queens and a wall.
However if you watch this. dont worry about what Boomer does. Drone up, tech, and expand if he is oging for speed roaches, muta, crazy plays like he did. ect ect http://drop.sc/371185
I personally like one evo. so I have more min/gas to use for units int he mid game. But really everyone has their own style.
On January 18 2014 04:51 Xapti wrote: Where's 11 overpool? Can open into nearly anything competently, economic queen>hatch works well (best hatch first economy).
10P macro play looks like garbage and I don't think it should be there — at least the way its written.
I have not seen 11 over pool in zvz in like a year. where I have seen that 10p macro play once a day
11 overpool is simply a bad 15 pool -you won't do damage to hatch first unless the opponent really does something horrendous. -15 pool holds any cheese so you could say 11 overpool is oversafe.
I really don't see a reason to go for 11 overpool.
I agree on the 10P part. Why only 4 lings? you won't force a cancel, not even vs hatchery first. What's the point? You should go up to 8 and expand at 18.
On January 18 2014 17:28 Karpfen wrote: 11 overpool is simply a bad 15 pool -you won't do damage to hatch first unless the opponent really does something horrendous. -15 pool holds any cheese so you could say 11 overpool is oversafe.
I really don't see a reason to go for 11 overpool.
I agree on the 10P part. Why only 4 lings? you won't force a cancel, not even vs hatchery first. What's the point? You should go up to 8 and expand at 18.
4 pairs of lings. That won't force a cancel vs hatch first?
EPT
. I play this style on ladder too, the thing though is, that you shoud only play this on maps with a small ramp or a chock point to the natural (basically all ladder maps besides Daedalus Point work).
