Introduction

Hey guys, my name is Gemini and I'm a Grandmaster Protoss player who has been making guides since 2011 on various sites. The Build of the arbitrary interval of time 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 the Spawning Tool Build for all-in variant
Link to /r/allthingsprotoss Guide.

[PvZ]Trap's Stargate into Gladept pressure

....And we're back to Stargate openers again.

It's not my fault the pros STILL think Stargate is the most safe, versatile, and well-rounded opener, even AFTER Blizzard nerfed early-game Zergling drops. Thus, no one has really shown any reliable non-Stargate builds other than the good 'ol DT drop.

Regardless, this week I'm introducing a very solid build that has been effective ever since the 4.0 patch was released back in November, with Jin Air's Trap using it as his PvZ bread and butter for a while. Stargate into Glaive-Adepts, followed by double-Robotics Facilities gives Protoss a powerful one-two punch early on if the Zerg isn't prepared for it. The build also transitions into double-Robo faster than other builds such as Zest's 4 Oracle build, reducing the danger of losing to a Roach all-in.

Build Notes

Build Explanation & Example Games

What's great about introducing this build is that Trap used it a ton during his quarterfinal run at IEM Katowice, tweaking his execution depending on the style of his opponent. That let me study his decision-making and follow-ups very carefully, so I feel like I have a decent understanding of how the build is supposed to play out in various scenarios. Trap used this strategy once in his series vs DaNa, once vs Elazer, twice vs Dark, twice vs Serral, and he would probably have used it vs Losira if there hadn't been a Zergling all-in in every single game. Trap transitioned into an all-in variant in two of those games, and I've provided build notes for that. Also, there were some very small tweaks to the specific units built out of Gates/Robos depending on scouting information. This is going to be a longer Build Explanation section than usual, with a lot of details and nuances covered.

Just like any other Stargate-first strategy, we begin with the normal 20 Nexus opener that leads into a Chrono Boosted Adept right when the Cybernetics Core finishes. I may have mentioned this in some of my other BotWs, but you should be delaying Warp Gate research so that you can make your Stargate first and [i]then start Warp Gate research when you have another 50 gas (there's really nothing you need an eight-second earlier Warp Gate for). You should also use dual Chrono Boost on your Nexuses once your natural expansion is finished. I previously split my Chronos between a single Nexus and my Stargate, but it turned out Trap only uses a single Chrono on his first Stargate unit before committing to boosting Probe production. This will give you a small economic boost that lets you afford the follow-up units and tech.

Follow your first Adept with a second Adept as is standard—however, the third Gateway unit depends on what's produced from your Stargate. Whenever Trap went for Phoenix-first, he got a third Adept. When he went for Oracle-first, he went for a Stalker as his third unit. Since this build gets a fast Twilight Council after Stargate, it helps to deny any scouting Overlords. Trap actually went for Phoenix-first in most of his games, choosing to deny vision instead of prioritizing the quick scouting and harassment potential of an Oracle. In the games where he did go Oracle, he got a Stalker to kill the scouting Overlord before he started warping in his Twilight Council (the only downside to making a Stalker is that you might have to delay your third Gateway just a bit to make sure everything lines up, but that's not really a big deal).

Once your first Stargate unit is done, make the other unit next (if you opened Phoenix, then the next unit should be an Oracle and visa versa). Then, start warping in extra Gateways (you can squeeze in Gateway #2 earlier if you feel safer completing your wall-off faster) and a Twilight Council at 50 supply. Extra gasses start warping in at 4:00, as well as a few extra Pylons so that you don't get supply blocked once Warp Gate is finished researching. When the Twilight is finished, Resonating Glaives research should be started immediately, with two or three Chrono Boosts to help it along. You can use three, but if you aren't planning on being super-aggressive with the Adepts, then it's not necessary to have Glaives so early. In some of his games, Trap opted not to sacrifice his Adepts for Drone kills (as in the first example game versus Elazer).

Depending on what Trap scouted with his Oracle and Phoenix, he chose to play the mid-game slightly differently. In the game vs Elazer, he scouted no Drones at the third base, so he shaded his pair of scouting/harassing Adepts into the Zerg natural to discover that extra Zerglings had been hatched. Follow-up scouting with Oracle Revelation on Zerg's third base showed no gas being taken for a while, leading Trap to believe there would be some sort of Roach all-in. He kept his Adepts at home instead of trying to be aggressive, while adding a few Shield Batteries for defense. Elazer never ended up committing to an all-in, transitioning into Hydras and Lurkers instead. Trap continued to keep tabs on the army and tech of Elazer, transitioning as he needed to. All the while, Trap was pumping out constant Immortals from his Robotics Facilities to stay safe.

If you see a healthy Drone count from Zerg, and nothing that would suggest early pressure, then you can move out with your seven Glaive-upgraded Adepts to try and get some damage done. Be careful with your shades, as you don't want to run headlong into their base. While this is the right move sometimes, you want to learn how to read the situation and play it correctly. Try faking an aggressive shade-in a few times before actually committing to the dive. It will keep the Zerg on their toes, mess with their concentration, and if they're lower league, then you're likely to catch them napping after a number of attempts.

Something else that Trap changed depending on the situation was whether or not he got a fast Warp Prism. In the IEM games, it seemed like any time Trap felt like his Gladept pressure didn't do enough damage, he made a Warp Prism immediately as the Robotics Facilities finished so that he could continue applying small amounts of pressure onto the Zerg. With the early Prism on the map, Zerg needs respect the threat and stay back a bit, giving Trap more time to get Immortals and other units out. Speaking of which, Trap also stays on Gladept/Immortal for a decent length of time as well, which helps to defend against any potential big attacks at his third base. He only goes into Charge once his Templar Archives starts warping in, and uses Gladept/Sentry/Immortal to defend his 3rd base (if you try to use Zealots without Charge to defend, you'll be in a rough spot).

As you're preparing to go into the mid game, get three extra Gates at 6:00, followed by Templar Archives, Charge, and Forge around 7:00, and then even more Gates when you have the money. From there, you just play a very normal Chargelot/Immortal/Archon/Templar composition that is meant to absorb all of the Zerg aggression that will be thrown at you while you do as many counter attacks as possible with Warp Prisms and Zealot runbys.

If you want to do a follow up all-in, then you can open exactly the same way up until 5:00. You will only get one Robo instead of two, stop Probe production at 45 supply, and get five extra gates at 5:40 while going up to five Sentries and mass Gladept with one Immortal. You can still do the initial Gladept pressure, which turns this into an even stronger one-two punch that can catch a lot of Zergs off guard (especially if you already played them and did the macro version of this build). If you do this all-in version, it's definitely better to get the Phoenix first out of the Stargate to deny vision early so that you can make only Adepts out of your Gateways. You'll also want to be sure to use all of your Warp-in cycles to get as many units out as possible. Trap does three warp-ins in total of Adepts before getting any Sentries, and then goes full-on Adepts. He also uses the early Warp Prism to fake some light pressure and pull the Zerg's attention into their main while he pushes with the rest of his army to the third base. He then warps in at the Prism and shades the Adepts over to meet up with the main army. You only take a third base to deceive the Zerg, similar to Dear's Gladept-Immortal all-in. In the example game vs Serral (below), Serral realized what was happening right as Trap was preparing to push out, but still had no chance of holding against it. Zergs needs to detect the all-in follow-up very early to be able to defend, especially if they opened Ling/Bane. If they opened Roaches then it's easier to hold, but the defense is still tough if they don't react well.



EVEN MORE REPLAYS:

Trap vs Elazer Source Replay: https://lotv.spawningtool.com/34779/
The game I ripped most of the build from. Shows Trap's scouting patterns and reactions to suspected aggression.

Trap vs Dark Game 3 Source Replay: https://lotv.spawningtool.com/34652/
Very even game where both players couldn't do much pressure to each other.

Trap vs Dark Game 5 Source Replay: https://lotv.spawningtool.com/34654/
On Abiogenesis. Shows a much more passive version of the build.

Trap vs DaNa Source Replay: https://lotv.spawningtool.com/35027/
All in variant.

Trap vs Serral Source Replay Game 2: https://lotv.spawningtool.com/34651/
All in variant that I ripped the build from.

Trap vs Serral Source Replay Game 5: https://lotv.spawningtool.com/35068/
Accidentally didn't cancel the shade in with the Gladepts so was playing from behind.