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On this installment, PiG explains how to wrestle the initiative back as zerg in the ZvT matchup. While zergs often play the reactionary race, it's also possible to put on pressure while not sacrificing your economy back home. ByuL's roach ravager pressure is the perfect way to hold off initial harassment while putting pressure across the map.

Link to the Spawning Tool Build

ByuL's Anti-Hellion Roach Ravager Pressure

Terrans have experimented with just about every unit in order to pressure zergs and stop their droning, but one unit that can cause havoc more than any other is the hellion. Just a few seconds of inattention can lead to a whole roast of drones, and players high and low (in MMR) have been caught either unawares or overreacting to the sight of hellions rolling across the map.

This build is a modern take on early roach pressure builds from way back. It wrestled the initiative from would-be hellion harrassers while transitioning smoothly into the mid game.

18	Gas
17	Pool
17	Hatchery
2 zerglings + a queen
Zergling Speed and leave drones on gas
3 more queens as money allows
@100% natural hatchery -> pull 2 drones off gas
36	3rd base
~3:30 put drones back on gas
~3:35 (~47 supply) get your roach warren and 2x gasses
@100% roach warren -> 7 roaches
70	(~4:30) 2x evolution chambers
Melee Carapace upgrades
75	(~4:50) Lair

Strategic Tips

While this build is tailored to counter hellion openings, it can defend just about anything. However, it is important to keep scouting due to the mobility of hellions and the possible lack of vision due to overlords being cleared up by vikings. You don't want to over-prepare for a hellion runby only to be surprised by liberators or a mine drop from unexpected angles.
If the terran is being greedier than a fat leprechaun behind his initial hellion squad, it is possible to do heavy or crippling damage. However, most terrans will err on the side of caution and tech up to liberators, siege tanks or mines, and this light investment ensures they stay on their side of the map.
One of the best things about this attack is the timing when it hits. The roaches arrive before most terrans are comfortable heading out with their harassment force, and it will often result in a huge overreaction. If the build of choice was hellions, then he will be forced to switch his tech in order to defend what could be an all-in.
Once the terran is pinned in his base—building units and not being greedy—it's time to go back into macro mode. However, if the terran takes your units lightly or overcommits, it is possible to get away with killing depots, ebays, or even break the wall entirely.
Never overcommit with your units unless you can do massive damage. You need to have units on his side of the map so that the terran pisses off.

VODs

Byul’s Shoutcraft Kings games

Vs Byun

ByuL hits at 5:30 even after getting overlord speed and walking across the map. He has 48 drones as he attacks.

Vs Keen

In this game, he launches his assault at the same time but with more drones but no overlord speed.

Byul’s GSL Games

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/120556078?t=2h55m0s

In game 1 against aLive, it showed that aLive did not do his homework. When the hellion overcommit and score little damage, ByuL sees the opportunity to go for broke. He masses lings and attacks, knowing that there are no more hellions behind the wall and that there was a good chance he'd be able to break the front with a large commitment.

In game 3, ByuL repeats the build but only nets the ebays. Still a worthwhile investment.

Brought to you by the TL Strategy Team
Writer: PiG/TL Strategy
Graphics: shiroiusagi

ruypture

United States367 Posts

February 18 2017 03:56 GMT

very interesting. definitely something i've been looking for in my zerg play lately.

Why gas before hatch though? what is so important about ling speed that early?

Saechiis

Netherlands4989 Posts

February 18 2017 11:28 GMT

On February 18 2017 12:56 ruypture wrote:
very interesting. definitely something i've been looking for in my zerg play lately.

Why gas before hatch though? what is so important about ling speed that early?

That's exactly what I was thinking. Ling speed that early is only going to help if you want to defend 3 rax reaper with zerglings. In general I'm surprised to see most good Zergs opt for quick speed timings (~3:30) and even sooner in this build despite hellion pressures only becoming dangerous with 4 hellions (~4:10) and the 16 marine stim timing hitting even later (~5:10).

Since you're planning to go roaches regardless with this build it would seem more logical to delay gas, get the third sooner and then the roaches sooner foregoing ling speed until later.

It's possible Byul wants to be able to clear the reaper to secure his 3rd and hide his roach attack, but since he's not all-inning that seems a rather inefficient resource expenditure. The threat of pool first should keep the reaper at home and by foregoing gas you can even get the 3rd before a reaper can get there.

brickrd

United States4894 Posts

February 18 2017 15:19 GMT

i think the gas pool opener is just an "i'm a good player and i can easily macro out of a less optimal opener" move. if you don't build more than one set of lings the impact of pool first really isn't that harsh and it's possible the terran overreacts too, because on smaller maps gas pool roach rushes are still a viable cheese

Saechiis

Netherlands4989 Posts

February 18 2017 16:36 GMT

I think pool first is a solid opening versus Terran; you get the Queen out in time to hold of the reaper and you can run by with 2 lings and get perfect scouting plus a possible kill on the SCV building the CC. You don't have to build the extra lings nor lose resources on running drones and building extractors etc.

I'm moreso questioning what speed timings between (3:00 - 4:00) minutes accomplish if you're planning on playing macro.

Ej_

47656 Posts

February 18 2017 18:04 GMT

gas first is for early ling speed to defend 3rax reaper

bulya

Israel386 Posts

February 18 2017 18:14 GMT

Pool first is enough to defend 3 rax reapers, a RW, ling speed cancel, good ovie placement so that I know where the reapers are, and roach defense (targeting the same reaper, and not leaving creep while the queens connect the bases and spread the creep to the edges of the base).

I guess the gas first is for the faster ovie speed, if he can confirm it will be hellions he can put 2 more gases early enough and make this pressure, otherwise this pressure doesn't worth it. So he must confirm early enough whether it worth it or not (the cost is a lower economy, the reward is intel and better preparation).

Qwyn

United States2781 Posts

February 19 2017 00:31 GMT

If you play the opener like Byul seems to do and only rally drones onto gas rather than cut for them then the speed timing is no different than if you were to go 17H/18G/17P, both finishing at around 3:30.

This pool first opening seems to be used entirely as a metagame play and has some interesting connotations. I don't necessarily think one is better than the other but I've found that hatch first (classical opening) seems to end up getting me better econ overall.

I just do a similar timing off of hatch first and don't bother making ravagers unless he's 100% going hellions. I've also experimented with taking one extra gas for some more mineral income.

It's a nice opener either way. Bit scared of how it plays out against 2/1/1 though.

Xelothar

Germany3 Posts

February 19 2017 08:22 GMT

On February 18 2017 20:28 Saechiis wrote:
In general I'm surprised to see most good Zergs opt for quick speed timings (~3:30)

Zergs do that because after saturating the mineral line with 16 workers you send the next 3 workers into gas for more effecient mining.
Like this you can start 2x queens, 2x lings and lingspeed at the same time.

On the other hand you could gamble for no 3rax reaper, delay gas by 2 workers and send them to mine minerals, those two workers will still have a 99% and 97% effeciency (due to cuting other workers and walk to the closest available patch). The question is will those more minerals help you? Can you even spend them that early ?

PiGStarcraft

Australia1003 Posts

February 19 2017 10:17 GMT

#10

On February 19 2017 09:31 Qwyn wrote:
If you play the opener like Byul seems to do and only rally drones onto gas rather than cut for them then the speed timing is no different than if you were to go 17H/18G/17P, both finishing at around 3:30.

This pool first opening seems to be used entirely as a metagame play and has some interesting connotations. I don't necessarily think one is better than the other but I've found that hatch first (classical opening) seems to end up getting me better econ overall.

I just do a similar timing off of hatch first and don't bother making ravagers unless he's 100% going hellions. I've also experimented with taking one extra gas for some more mineral income.

It's a nice opener either way. Bit scared of how it plays out against 2/1/1 though.

Actually if you check the VoDs you'll see Byul does put all 3 on gas immediately, otherwise he would take the gas after the hatchery and still be able to rally the excess (over 16) drones there with no wasted minng time.

RE: Hatch/first vs Pool-first and faster gas timings:

Byul does the same pressure off hatch first some games, so it isn't contingent on the opening. However gas-pool is great vs 3-rax reaper, offers complete scouting denial from the reaper as it needs to stay at home to protect the CC and by the time it comes across the map ling speed is finishing. It also offers some faster-than-normal ling attacks - though they're very gambley so you'll usually only see Impact use these.

As Saechii's said earlier, you can achieve the same goal without as many aggressive options and ways to deny terran scouting and be a little more efficient with a pool-hatch-gas - and indeed the advantages of that sort of style is actually why there was a period around IEM Gyeonggi where Pool-hatch-hatch with a SUPER late gas (3:00?) became popular.