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[PiG Strategy Articles] Taking a 3rd in PvZ

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
9 CommentsPost a Reply

[PiG Strategy Articles] Taking a 3rd in PvZ

Text byTL Strategy
Graphics byshiroiusagi
February 13th, 2017 15:56 GMT
The PiG DailyTaking A Third in PvZA Guide to Walling OffKeys to a Good Defence



PiG Daily Articles




Welcome to the third PiG Daily strategy article! The PiG Daily is a show by Jared "PiG" Krensel that focuses on StarCraft 2 strategy and becoming a better player. We've joined forces to create an article series that summarizes his dailies into short, digestible articles that provide insight on builds, tactics and game sense. By combining with Spawning Tool, this series will bring you the most comprehensive learning experience for build orders and strategies.

How to use Spawning Tool

We highly recommend using Spawning Tool in order to follow the basics of these builds. The PiG Daily and our strategy articles will serve as supplementary guides to understand the subtleties behind each decision.

Today, we change paces and feature a build for protoss against zerg. Expanding is one of the most crucial decisions in StarCraft 2, and nothing can be more frustrating than being broken right after building a new base. PiG gives some advice on how to handle zerg pressure and survive until your economy gets into gear.

Link to the Spawning Tool Build

Taking a Third in PvZ






This is a textbook replay and build order of a simple gladept opening that does a sharp pressure whilst securing a very early 3rd. This is one of the safest and most solid build orders in the book. The Daily attached goes over the many details that go into making you solid defensively vs the huge range of attacks zerg can throw at you.

Textbook gladept opening
15Pylon
16Gate
17Gas
19Nexus
20Cybercore
212nd gas
222nd pylon
@100% gateway -> adept (chrono) + warpgate
Nonstop adept production until you have 4
@100 gas -> twilight council
@100% twilight council -> Resonating Glaives (swap chrono between Glaives and WG)
@300 minerals -> 2nd and 3rd gateways
~3:40 2 pylons at the 3rd base
@400 minerals -> third base then start mothership core
@100% WG -> turn into warpgates and warp in 3 adepts
Pressure with your adepts + MSCore to the 3rd base
Flexible at this point. Choose your tech or stay defensive with more gateways.




A Guide to Walling Off






Walling off is one of the basics of PvZ, and it's important to learn all the ways to effectively wall of your base. A poor wall off can either unwittingly let units into your base or cause your structures to be vulnerable from certain spots. This guide shows you how to secure your bases on the most popular maps in the pool.

Keys to a Good Defense



A good defense takes a lot of practice and discipline. Even the best pro players forget one or two things during the madness of a tight game. With time, these tips will become second nature to you and you'll be able to ward off even the most powerful timing attacks.

  • Wedge units in between minerals and chokes. Put 2 adepts in between minerals at the 3rd base as you’re taking it.
  • Always keep a unit in your choke once ling speed is done. You might choose to bring all 7 adepts for your pressure when glaives finishes if you want to take the risk and know you have more warpins soon.
  • Build extra pylons at your 3rd or natural (wherever they’re attacking). Pylons will be the first things targeted down and you’ll need more options for overcharge as well as more supply so you can keep producing.
  • Hold position your guy in your wall
  • Always send 2nd/3rd adept or a probe to check for a ling drop; don’t rely on a pylon to cover an entire side of your base.
  • Keep warping in during the action.
  • Steadily fall back and use choke points/mineral line area to avoid being surrounded by lings.
  • As you pull back, it buys you APM to focus on warping in, dropping pylons/extra gates, and other macro tasks.
  • Stutter step if your adepts are focusing on roaches. This way they will “re-target” more effectively on the lings — lings are the big damage dealers.
  • Add extra gates as soon as the zerg shows an aggressive stance. Normally, go up to 7 gates soon after dropping your 2nd tech structure (TC is your first).
  • “Sim City” wall off your natural if they’re trying to break you there.
  • If they ever move between your 3rd/natural, don’t get lured into the open. Just build gateways to fully wall off your natural and stay in the tight chokes around your 3rd mineral line.
  • Remember all you need to do is buy time! Your units are so much more valuable and as your numbers grow the zerg units will become ineffective.
  • Never give up! Even losing a 3rd isn’t a death sentence. You usually still have a bigger economy and can retake it once you stabilize.
  • Shading adepts out front to get forward warning of attacks is a nice way to use bonus APM.
  • MSC should float out front a bit for forward warning of incoming attacks — every extra second to react is vital.
  • As soon as you, stabilize drop a templar archives. You will have banked gas from building so many adepts and focusing on defense, so archons are a perfect way to spend your cash and give you a bit of beef for your counter push.


Brought to you by the TL Strategy Team
Writer: PiG/TL Strategy
Graphics: shiroiusagi
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CursOr
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States6335 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-02-13 22:22:38
February 13 2017 22:21 GMT
#2
As a zerg I've always felt like this whole MU revolves around a Protoss getting their third. How easily they can take it, when, and how many units are made before. Given I am only diamond, but ZvP is by far my best winrate. I base everything around the 3rd timing and it seems to have served me fairly well. If they go too soon, I'll sell out to deny it.

Great guide, I just hope no one I play soon looks at this too closely -_-
CJ forever (-_-(-_-(-_-(-_-)-_-)-_-)-_-)
fezvez
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
France3021 Posts
February 15 2017 14:49 GMT
#3
A bit late, but that's exactly the type of content I need to step up my game. I think I am even going to use Spawning Tool
fezvez
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
France3021 Posts
February 15 2017 18:17 GMT
#4
Well, damn Spawning Tool is a cool thing

If I may, there is one major issue I am running into, when there is a timer available, it switches back to the beginning when the last check is passed, which means that I often miss the last / last two timings. Know any fix?
lichter
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
February 16 2017 02:13 GMT
#5
On February 16 2017 03:17 fezvez wrote:
Well, damn Spawning Tool is a cool thing

If I may, there is one major issue I am running into, when there is a timer available, it switches back to the beginning when the last check is passed, which means that I often miss the last / last two timings. Know any fix?


I'll bring this up with them if you can give me a gif of it or explain it better xD
AdministratorYOU MUST HEED MY INSTRUCTIONS TAKE OFF YOUR THIIIINGS
Koneko1
Profile Joined July 2017
2 Posts
July 06 2017 09:27 GMT
#6
Sorry
You see,I'm not from an English speaking country,so please don't use any abbreviation if you decide to answer me,thanks.
As I know,an adept need a core isn't it?But in the text you said build it after a 100%gate,is that mean I should wait until a 100% core?
Saechiis
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Netherlands4989 Posts
July 06 2017 09:41 GMT
#7
On July 06 2017 18:27 Koneko1 wrote:
Sorry
You see,I'm not from an English speaking country,so please don't use any abbreviation if you decide to answer me,thanks.
As I know,an adept need a core isn't it?But in the text you said build it after a 100%gate,is that mean I should wait until a 100% core?


Yes, they mean cyber core, not gateway.
I think esports is pretty nice.
Koneko1
Profile Joined July 2017
2 Posts
July 06 2017 10:03 GMT
#8
On July 06 2017 18:41 Saechiis wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 06 2017 18:27 Koneko1 wrote:
Sorry
You see,I'm not from an English speaking country,so please don't use any abbreviation if you decide to answer me,thanks.
As I know,an adept need a core isn't it?But in the text you said build it after a 100%gate,is that mean I should wait until a 100% core?


Yes, they mean cyber core, not gateway.

I see,thank you so~ much XD
Kerdinand
Profile Joined November 2016
Germany113 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-07-06 17:56:18
July 06 2017 17:55 GMT
#9
Hmm, I never ever lost my third in a PvZ anyways....

+ Show Spoiler +
Proxy Dark Shrine every game


Thanks for the good tips nevertheless
Na jakar me'nah. - sOs - PartinG - Stats
GaussyGauss
Profile Joined October 2017
1 Post
Last Edited: 2017-10-09 19:56:57
October 09 2017 19:41 GMT
#10
Loved this tutorial for its thoughtfulness and thoroughness. Any thoughts on how we would have to adjust these approaches once the mothership core is removed in the upcoming balance patch? I've been playing around on the test map but I haven't really figured out an effective way to incorporate the shield battery into my builds.
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