EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Q791Sbo.jpg)
Hello TeamLiquid,
I'll preface this guide with a bit of an introduction:
I'm a 17 year old Rank 50~ GM Zerg player that usually likes to play macro games, however, Legacy has introduced a number of cool/creative ways to approach the game for me.
Anyways,
The build order:
17 hatch
18 gas
17 pool
@100 pool, 4-6 lings for reaper and speed
36 gas and 3rd queen
continuous queen production at natural
@100 gas lair
44 3rd gas
@100% lair, continuous queen production, hydra den
@100% hydra den, lurker den
@100% lurker den, push with 6-8 hydras (morph at Terran base) and 6-8 queens
Early game:
Not all that different from a normal game, use queens and lings to deflect reapers and hellions. Against hellbat builds, hydras should finish just in time to deal with them along with 4-5 queens that are available at the time they hit.
Mid game:
During the mid game, the most important part of this build is to make sure you can establish a creep highway from your base to the Terran base. Losing queens trying to establish the highway early is detrimental to the push so, in my experience, is to have 3-5 overlords along the attack path (depending on map size). The build should hit before any type of viking opener can clear your overlords, so make sure you spread ovies sort of a long the eventual path to their base. Try to keep the overlords out of the way so they are seen, but close enough so that when it comes time to march across the map, they are easily accessible.
Execution:
When it comes to the all-in itself, there are two approaches:
Against hellion/hellbat and heavy liberator (2+) I usually go for a “kill move” (see VoD vs Polt), forcing the lurkers into the natural with transfuse and aggressive creep spread via overlord to force the Terran to lift from the natural at least. From there, if Terran commits too much to defend the natural, you can move lurkers on top of production in the main. If not, you can contain to just the main base for a while, teching to mutas or roach ravager to end the game.
Against safer, 3CC, defensive tank openers, I’ve found the best approach is to contain the Terran to 2 base while expanding and teching to 1-1 roach ravager (see VoD vs EJK). If they commit defending the third too hard, you can push into the natural and try to end the game as well
Side notes:
If the Terran reacts by pumping out liberators, fear not, for liberators are pretty bad. In my experience, if Terran commits to liberators, assuming the transfuses are on point, the 6-8 queens with 10+ transfuses should deal with them with ease. The only potential problems with liberators are something like a RuFF-esque 3 port build, or potentially the Bunny build, however, in the case of the Bunny build, the lurkers hits before liberators have their range so you should be able to get damage in before the liberators have their upgrade
If Terran reacts by pumping out BOTH tanks and medivacs, and you can't kill them because the Terran is on top of their micro, it is better, in my opinion to simply forget the natural and opt for the 2 base contain, while you tech to a kill-move option (roach ravager or muta).
Maps:
The perfect map for this build has: short rush distance, and a low ground natural with a wide ramp or no ramp at all. Therefore, the best maps, in my experience, are Prion, vertical Lerilak and maybe Ulrena*, with close spawn Seras and horizontal spawn Central Protocol being viable options.
*Ulrena is a very hit or miss map for this build. If the Terran scouts the lurker den and has a brain, it's likely they'll siege up the choke point at the end of the path in the middle, making it incredibly hard to get your lurkers/queens on their side of the map. If they don't scout the build, or forgot their brain and you can get your stuff on their side of the map, this map is perfect, however, there is definitely a large element of risk when doing this build on this map.
Stream highlight of my POV vs EJK:
http://www.twitch.tv/calebaracous/v/43608881
Polt stream highlight from his POV from month or so ago:
Few replays of the build:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0zDf7aJBbx6blUtRzZRRnVjZ0k/view?usp=sharing
If you enjoyed the guide, I encourage you to follow on Twitch at:
www.twitch.tv/CptButtBeardSC2
and/or on Twitter at:
www.twitter.com/CptButtBeardSC2
