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Terran LotV builds

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
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1 2 Next All
Jer99
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
Canada8157 Posts
November 12 2015 01:58 GMT
#1
Hey guys! Been playing a lot of LotV today and i’ve been tinkering with some builds. I’ve been able to rough down one per match up, and have had good records with them. They are in no way optimal yet, but hopefully these can give you basic openings for the time being.

TvT:

+ Show Spoiler +
Build order:

14 supply
16 barracks
16 gas
19 reactor
19 command center
19 supply depot
20 factory
2x marines
23 gas
4x marines
30 starport
30 tech lab on factory (skip marine 7/8 for siege tank)
31 siege tank (resume non-stop marine production)
40 medivac
47 siege tank
55 medivac
Barracks 2/3


This is a build I’ve been using since Day 1 of the beta, and it’s probably one of the best ones. It’s definitely the most refined build I’ve been able to make, and is an all around solid opening. The basics are:
  • Quick command center to kick-start economy
  • high number of early marines to hold cheese
  • quick factory/starport to help hold against tech pushes

Rather than start making marines with the barracks, you’ll want to start a reactor immediately after it’s done. You’ll have 52 gas at this point so you can start it right away. Maybe it’s vulnerable to a mass proxy barracks strategy, but for any reaper timings you’ll already have double marine production on the way to hold. Follow this up with a 1:40 command center to start the economy. Next up is the factory and second gas timing, I aim for the second gas at around 2:20; this is the timing that will give you 125 gas as soon as your tech lab finishes on the factory. A quick note, skip marines 7 and 8 so that you will have 150/125 for when the tech lab finishes, and as soon as you start the tank start marine production again.

Right after you finish the factory, start the starport with the same SCV. You’ll be slightly behind in gas for the first medivac, but the delay won’t be long and you can start it early on. Optimally I make two siege tanks and two medivacs, and use them for siege tank drops. After both are done, I drop my second and third barracks and start more addons on the factory and starport so that I can start stim/combat shields.

You have many options here. You can either continue to use the siege tanks to harass your enemy while you tech and economy up, or you can use them defensively if you are being attacked. You can also make a big timing push with the two siege tanks, two medivacs, and the ~16 marines you’ll have out at that time.



TvZ:

+ Show Spoiler +
Build order:

17 CC
18 barracks
19 gas
21 reactor (start 2x marine production)
22 command center
26 factory
31 gas
47 medivac
2x ebay
2x barracks

This is a ragtag variation of the 4M opening from HotS. Still needs a lot of ironing, but the gas timings line up well with +1+1 and bio upgrades. Scouting early on here is key. You need to know if they are going for an early bust, and that will decide whether or not you can drop the early reactor or not. After four marines you can swap the factory onto the reactor and start double hellion production, and continue on with 4M from there. It’s important to get an early second gas so that you can afford +1/+1 and stim at the same time.

Use your hellions to prevent creep spread as normal, and behind it make your extra addons and structures from there. Again, I play bio so I dropped more barracks, and all the timings are similar to the HotS 4M playstyle. From here it’s the same, continue your upgrades, float your third command center to the third base location when you are on full 2 base saturation, and start applying pressure when your first two medivcas are out.



TvP:

+ Show Spoiler +
Build order:

14 depot
16 barracks
16 gas
19 reactor
19 command center
20 factory
2x marines
30 widow mine
32 starport
38 gas
38 widow mine (tech lab when finished)
45 medivac (tech lab when finished)
2x barracks


Notice anything similar? This build is almost identical to the TvT opening, with the first difference coming at the gas timing. This build is just a widow mine drop, with lots of marines to compliment. Get the early reactor for big marine production, follow it up with a factory and two widow mines, and a starport and a medivac. This will gear you up for two widow mines and four marines in a dropship, while you have a decent chunk of marines back at home to defend.

After the two widow mines and single medivac are done, drop tech labs on the factory and starport and start your 2nd and 3rd barracks so that you can start bio upgrades. I haven’t played around with variations from here, so you can either drop a third command center, or go with the 4/5 barracks before third and play from there.



Hopefully this helps you Terrans get a little kickstart in the expansions! There will be more to come when we figure out more precise timings and play the game more, stay tuned!
StrategyTaeJa #1 || @TL_Jer99 || "seeker seeked out his seeking"
PinheadXXXXXX
Profile Joined February 2012
United States897 Posts
November 12 2015 02:27 GMT
#2
I'm skeptical about playing a mine drop opening in TvP. I find it difficult to hold really aggressive stalker disruptor play if you don't have the bio army and production you'd have from a CC first opening (which is now even stronger--you can afford 3 barracks and a gas before you build your orbitals.)

In your TvZ build how do you hold ravager pushes without a banshee or very much bio?
Taeja the one true Byunjwa~
Jer99
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
Canada8157 Posts
November 12 2015 02:35 GMT
#3
These were just from 13 games, I haven't had a chance to play vs. everything yet so they won't be fullproof at all, this was just to give some baseline builds for people who haven't been able to find anything.
StrategyTaeJa #1 || @TL_Jer99 || "seeker seeked out his seeking"
Golgotha
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Korea (South)8418 Posts
November 12 2015 03:20 GMT
#4
Do you have a fast CC going for double liberator with widow mines build? a build that I can use in all 3 matchups
Krugessin
Profile Joined August 2011
Sweden54 Posts
November 12 2015 05:00 GMT
#5
Thank you extra much for also including the early game plans with the builds, it's somewhere to start and I immediately feel less lost even if it probably turns out I have to adjust everything to my skill level. *cough*
Pursuit_
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States1330 Posts
November 12 2015 05:01 GMT
#6
I'm pretty sure opening Hellion Banshee is necessary because of ravager timings, and CC first is super vulnerable to a lot of builds- like 1 base baneling bust- even if you see them coming in the new economy. 1 base baneling bust hits at 3:10, which is before your factory or reactor are even done with cc first. Which isn't to say you can't do it, but you're basically just accepting an autoloss vs this.
In Somnis Veritas
PinheadXXXXXX
Profile Joined February 2012
United States897 Posts
November 12 2015 06:24 GMT
#7
On November 12 2015 14:01 Pursuit_ wrote:
I'm pretty sure opening Hellion Banshee is necessary because of ravager timings, and CC first is super vulnerable to a lot of builds- like 1 base baneling bust- even if you see them coming in the new economy. 1 base baneling bust hits at 3:10, which is before your factory or reactor are even done with cc first. Which isn't to say you can't do it, but you're basically just accepting an autoloss vs this.

Is 1 base baneling bust any harder to defend in LotV than in HotS? Because if it isn't, then CC first is fine.

Hellion banshee seems mandatory but I've seen a few pros do more bio-heavy builds instead.
Taeja the one true Byunjwa~
Pursuit_
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States1330 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-11-12 06:49:54
November 12 2015 06:49 GMT
#8
On November 12 2015 15:24 PinheadXXXXXX wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 12 2015 14:01 Pursuit_ wrote:
I'm pretty sure opening Hellion Banshee is necessary because of ravager timings, and CC first is super vulnerable to a lot of builds- like 1 base baneling bust- even if you see them coming in the new economy. 1 base baneling bust hits at 3:10, which is before your factory or reactor are even done with cc first. Which isn't to say you can't do it, but you're basically just accepting an autoloss vs this.

Is 1 base baneling bust any harder to defend in LotV than in HotS? Because if it isn't, then CC first is fine.

Hellion banshee seems mandatory but I've seen a few pros do more bio-heavy builds instead.


Like I said, your factory isn't even finished when it hits. It's like 2/3 done iirc. In HotS your first two hellions were popping when the banelings hit. And to me it looked like the LotV one hits with a lot more lings, but I could be wrong.

It takes a little over 2 minutes and 40 seconds to build a barracks, factory + reactor and 2 hellions. 1 base baneling bust hits at 3:10. CC first makes it very difficult to hold.
In Somnis Veritas
Jer99
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
Canada8157 Posts
November 12 2015 11:46 GMT
#9
On November 12 2015 12:20 Golgotha wrote:
Do you have a fast CC going for double liberator with widow mines build? a build that I can use in all 3 matchups


I haven't played around with liberators yet, I've just been keeping things relatively simple until I figure out more precise timings.
StrategyTaeJa #1 || @TL_Jer99 || "seeker seeked out his seeking"
LoneYoShi
Profile Blog Joined June 2014
France1348 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-11-12 12:33:11
November 12 2015 12:32 GMT
#10
I'm not too fond of going CC first against Z. I have only tried it twice (what a sample size, I know :D), but I feel like it gives Z's way too much comfort early on.

What I'm currently doing to (some) success has been going gas first into reactor helions (while fitting a CC somewhere in there), and then add a 3rd CC soon after (and getting a viking). From then on, you add more barracks, Ebays, etc etc. It's safer: you have your helions earlier and you can kill OL's (so no Nydus shenanigans). You can also put more pressure on the Z, and whle you generally can't stop the 3rd from going up, you should be able to prevent your opponent from droning it up super early. The only thing I haven't managed to nail down so far is the gas timings and the upgrades.

Maybe it puts you slightly behind economically, but it gives you control over the early game.

Edit: woops, I almost forgot: Thanks Jer for giving us those tips :-)
FromtheAbysS
Profile Joined August 2013
32 Posts
November 12 2015 12:52 GMT
#11
Some interesting builds right there. I use to do "Racks reactor CC into Factory Spatio" in TvT. It is a good opening. Once I have been crushed by a "1base 2 Racks reapers" unscouted...a real a slaughterhouse ! (tank was not yet pop out)

I do think to myself : what's about gaz 15 ?
I saw Bomber did it on his stream in every matchup. On LoTV it is interessting because it doesn't delay your fast CC, and you have 50 gaz for reaper just when the racks is done.
Jer99
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
Canada8157 Posts
November 12 2015 13:03 GMT
#12
I did get beat by a proxy 2 rax reaper as well, but this was because I was unfamiliar with the timings. Now that I know the timing, I can adjust with a bunker while waiting for my tanks.

Scouting is key here; I send my SCV just after i start my barracks. No gas = proxy 4 rax marine, gas = proxy 2 rax reaper. Bunker the ramp to your main if it's a gasless proxy, the marines will be at your natural before you can get the bunker up. If it's a proxy reaper, you might be able to bunker the natural but I'll have to check the timing.
StrategyTaeJa #1 || @TL_Jer99 || "seeker seeked out his seeking"
Tenks
Profile Joined April 2010
United States3104 Posts
November 12 2015 18:50 GMT
#13
In it's present state is there a reason to build Cyclones?
Wat
Makro
Profile Joined March 2011
France16890 Posts
November 12 2015 19:39 GMT
#14
On November 13 2015 03:50 Tenks wrote:
In it's present state is there a reason to build Cyclones?

that's what i'm wondering
Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of shitposting, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven".
TL+ Member
Pursuit_
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States1330 Posts
November 12 2015 19:56 GMT
#15
On November 13 2015 03:50 Tenks wrote:
In it's present state is there a reason to build Cyclones?


From my reasoning, no. Theyre 'okay' as a defensive early unit against Protoss, but that's about it.
In Somnis Veritas
Tenks
Profile Joined April 2010
United States3104 Posts
November 12 2015 20:09 GMT
#16
To really be safe in TvT are you pretty much forced into 1/1/1?
Wat
Charoisaur
Profile Joined August 2014
Germany15920 Posts
November 12 2015 20:22 GMT
#17
On November 13 2015 04:56 Pursuit_ wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 13 2015 03:50 Tenks wrote:
In it's present state is there a reason to build Cyclones?


From my reasoning, no. Theyre 'okay' as a defensive early unit against Protoss, but that's about it.

hellion cyclone openings seem pretty strong imo. Just need to stop cyclone production at some point because they don't scale well in the lategame.
Many of the coolest moments in sc2 happen due to worker harassment
Ctone23
Profile Blog Joined December 2012
United States1839 Posts
November 12 2015 20:24 GMT
#18
On November 13 2015 05:09 Tenks wrote:
To really be safe in TvT are you pretty much forced into 1/1/1?

Not necessarily, with good positioning i've had success in defending the dreaded tank drops with nothing but marines after a macro opening.
TL+ Member
Tenks
Profile Joined April 2010
United States3104 Posts
November 12 2015 20:33 GMT
#19
On November 13 2015 05:24 Ctone23 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 13 2015 05:09 Tenks wrote:
To really be safe in TvT are you pretty much forced into 1/1/1?

Not necessarily, with good positioning i've had success in defending the dreaded tank drops with nothing but marines after a macro opening.


My concern mostly lies with Liberator openings and not having Vikings
Wat
Pursuit_
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States1330 Posts
November 12 2015 20:39 GMT
#20
On November 13 2015 05:09 Tenks wrote:
To really be safe in TvT are you pretty much forced into 1/1/1?


It's basically the same as HotS in this regard, 1/1/1 is just superior to bio openings.
In Somnis Veritas
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