An Introduction

Hey guys, my name is Gemini and I'm a past three time Grandmaster Protoss player who has been making guides since 2011 on various sites. The Build of the Week is my most popular series of build order guides that I've been making for about three years now on /r/allthingsprotoss. With the help of TeamLiquid.net and Spawning Tool I'm now bringing my guides over to TL as well!

Each write-up includes build order notes, an explanation/analysis of how the build works, and a VOD section so you can check out the source game and how it should go. I'll also include the Spawning Tool link so that you can practice it in game yourself and download the replay of me doing it. I hope you enjoy and be sure to read the whole write-up before asking any questions as I'm sure some of them will be answered in here!

How to use Spawning Tool
Link to the Spawning Tool Build

Link to /r/allthingsprotoss Guide.

Trap's 3 gate gladept into 2 stargate phoenix

This extremely solid build from Trap was used to advance out of his GSL Code S group over Armani and Solar in some very exciting PvZs. Instead of favoring the turtle to carrier style that so many foreign protoss have been favoring, Trap favored a quicker storm in his games which I have noticed many other Korean protoss favoring as well. Trap shows a nice way to get to that point and how to transition after it too.


Build Notes



*Note: The build displayed in Spawning Tool will show each step of the build without context. This is an elaborated version of the build to be used as a supplement.

Build Explanation

This is a very fun build that leads into a very solid macro style. Now to note: in his 3 total PvZ series (where he all won 2-1), Trap only did the 19 nexus version of this build twice, and once was due to him playing vs an early pool opening. The other times he did it off a nexus first. There is really not much difference between the two except that the 19 nexus version is of course a little bit safer than nexus first, so that's what I decided to copy as the opener and suggest that you try to learn it. What I did was take the 19 nexus opener, and then combine it with the convergence points of the nexus first openers. It seemed like no matter how he did it, he always got to a convergence point after the 3rd base with the same tech structures, which I will explain later.

The build itself is very similar to the old 3 gate gladept pressure that Neeb popularized last year. Instead it just has a 2 stargate follow up. Trap also does it slightly differently by not using chrono on all 4 of the early adepts like Neeb's old build did, instead you get the 3rd adept before the 2 extra gates instead of after which allows you to chrono WG for a bit as well.

The idea is basically exactly the same though:

4 adepts out of the gate --> 3 adepts out of the warp in --> Pressure the zerg.

Depending on the game, sometimes it's better to wait until you have a few phoenix out and a few more adept warp ins after taking the 3rd to pressure. Trap does this a few times, once after the early pool opening vs Solar in the 2nd series.

From the adept pressure you chrono out 2x phoenix constantly up to no more than 10. They are used to clear out early overlords and of course to harass. Like I said earlier, sometimes it's a good idea to wait for a powerful combo of the adept and phoenix together to make a stronger push. Try out both to see what you like better. You secure the 3rd base while the pressure is going on. The mothership core is also tough to fit out in this build while keeping constant phoenix production, so you'll have to either cut one phoenix to get it out earlier if you prefer to get it to defend the 3rd, or just get it later.

The Convergence Point

Now this is the really cool part of Trap's build. He doesn't do the dumb turtle to carrier memes that every one keeps saying is broken. Instead he goes for a much more ground focused composition that I really like that emphasizes fast storm. The convergence point between all of his games using this style (whether it be nexus first, 19 nexus, or after an early pool opening) is after the 3rd is done he gets the following:

- Robo
- Forge
- Templar Archives
- 4-6x gateways
- Charge




Out of the robo he gets an observer and then a warp prism to start doing more harassment. The forge starts +1 attack and charge comes either before the templar archives or after along with storm. This gives him a very solid ground army threat, protection vs mutas with the phoenix, and a way to keep the army back with the warp prism and also the phoenix. This gives you a very robust ground army that can deal with the heavy ling/bane styles that have become so popular recently. Once storm is done you shouldn't have any problems dealing with any mid game pressure the zerg can throw at you so long as you don't take stupid engagements and abuse the fact that zergs have to run through multiple storms to get to you.

If they happened to defend the early adept pressure with primarily roaches and chose to do a large roach/ravager based follow up push, then use the phoenix to endlessly harass and focus on earlier immortals and even a 2nd robo instead of a templar archives if they really commit to it. However, that shouldn't really be a possibility since they'll need anti-air to deal with the phoenix otherwise they're just asking to lose.

Be sure to have at least 4-6 HTs for storm and then plenty of archons to soak up the banelings. The more banelings there are, the more archons you'll want. It's also important to try and keep the zealots back from the banelings at the beginning of the fight if you can micro them. Control clicking the zealots away and letting the archons tank while you storm is a good way to do this.

Since Trap focuses more on faster storm and archons compared to immortals, this gives your robo plenty of time to make warp prisms consistently. Be sure to always have at least one warp prism out to harass and snipe exterior bases. Trap always tries to have at least one on the map harassing in the down time and when the zerg is trying to push him. He only adds immortals later on when he doesn't need to make more warp prisms.

Usually at this point the zerg would have tried to break you and you would have defended well enough with storm and harassment to be able to do a nice push to end it. If not, then your early two stargates provide an easy transition into the late game.

Late Game Transition

Something very interesting that Trap does in his games is that he gets a very fast mothership. One of the games he has it out pre-10 minutes. This is a very neat way to abuse the lack of detection out of zerg if they don't mass overseers (which can be feedbacked) during their big frontal assaults. It's very difficult to simply A move their huge bane/hydra or ling/bane/ravager army into a cloaked army with storm and archons. This gives you a nice defenders advantage and an easy way to transition into late game carriers. 11 - 12 minutes is a more normally timed fleet beacon for the mothership and carrier transition out of Trap, but that one example shows that he's willing to do it earlier just for the mothership. If you can get to the end game composition with some carriers/storm/archons then you shouldn't really lose to any zerg composition except for brood lords, in which case you just get tempest instead of carriers. Trap also chose tempests instead of carriers in the one game vs Armani when he was against lurkers.

VODs

Trap vs Armani - GSL Code S Group H Match 3 Game 1

Nexus first variant.

Trap vs Armani - GSL Code S Group H Match 3 Game 3

19 Nexus. Defends early ling pressure, kills Armani with the adept/phoenix combo.

Trap vs Solar - GSL Code S Group H Match 5 Game 2

Gateway first opener vs early pool, transitions into adept/phoenix.

I highly recommend watching the other PvZ games he played on Daybreak using a single stargate opener too. The opener is different but the convergence point is the same and it shows how to use that composition mid-late game as well.