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[D] NsP Genius's Safe PvT Build

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
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AnAlbumCover
Profile Joined September 2010
United States138 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-01-09 19:46:43
January 07 2011 22:31 GMT
#1
This isn't a spoiler thread so don't get your panties in a wad. This is a post to discuss Genius' recent build in the GSL.

Link (M 5 set 1) : http://www.gomtv.net/2011gslsponsors1/vod/59094

I'm calling it his build even though Tastosis accredited it to mouZMana, but Genius is the player doing the build in the above VOD. Don't turn this into a flame war or imba shouting match; I just want to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this build 1) in general 2) on Shakuras Plateau and 3) on any map.

here is the build:
+ Show Spoiler +

9 Pylon
12 Gate
14 Gas
16 Pylon
17 Core
18 Gas
20 Warpgate (at about 3:40 as a reference time)
21 Stalker
23 Pylon
24 Sentry
27 Robotics Facility
28 Gate
31 Sentry
32 Pylon
33 Observer (reference time is about 5:40 for starting the obs)
33 Pylon
(Warpgate finishes at about 5:57)
36 Nexus
Two more sentries
42, or thereabout, another Gate
43ish, he scouts his opponent with the observer and reacts.


Now I'm pretty sure about all the times and population references. The one thing I have no idea about is Chronoboosts. I know he at least chronos the first two probes but other than that, I don't know. I included some reference timings so that maybe some of you that had a better grasp on timings might know how he distributed his chrono a bit better than myself.

1) I think that this build does well in general because of the fact that it gets sentries out early and can hold the ramps while he gets other units and gets his obs out to scout what the T is up to. Obviously it would do well against banshees with the quick robo. I don't know about how it would do against the two thor timing attack though, but I'm just not sure when that hits. IN general it seems pretty good, but I'm asking what you all think.

2)On Shakuras Plateau, which is a huge map, it seemed to do well (not a spoiler). Obviously on a big map, you have extra time that it takes for armies to traverse between mains that helps out "slower" builds.

3)On other maps, I think it still has potential. Because you have two sentries out after your initial stalker, you could hold the ramp on any map that had a ramp, I would think, for at least long enough to get at lease some other units out of your warp gates. Even if your sentries had just popped when the attack came (which could not happen bc there is some time between the first and second sentry) you would at least have 30 seconds to hold the ramp with perfect forcefields (each one lasts 15 seconds). However, you will have at least some extra energy on your first sentry, if the attack comes at least after your first sentry comes out of your gate.

Overall, this game has made me want to really start trying to go with this build as my main BO in PvT (before I was just rallying my first Stalker to the T's main, skipping the zealot, and trying to harass as long as I could until a marauder can out or if they were going marines into banshee or something I could usually just keep rallying stalkers to his main off two gates and usually win outright.)

But most importantly, what do you think TL?

Edit: Here is a link to the first game in the Dreamhack finals between MaNa (P) and Naama (T), you can get to the other games in the series from there.

http://day9tv.blip.tv/file/4444676/
for a nerdgasm: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=197809
habermas
Profile Joined June 2010
United Kingdom304 Posts
January 07 2011 22:56 GMT
#2
Isn't it a standard 2 gate robo?
whoopadeedoo
Profile Joined June 2010
United States427 Posts
January 07 2011 23:00 GMT
#3
Look like the usual 3 gate robo to me, but more sentries than I normally build for PvT.
Robellicose
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
England245 Posts
January 07 2011 23:17 GMT
#4
you can't build a stalker on 22 supply then a pylon on 23 - the supply would jump from 22 to 24 when the stalker begins building. Unless you have the stalker building on supply 21 or 20.
Portentious and Pretentious
AnAlbumCover
Profile Joined September 2010
United States138 Posts
January 07 2011 23:19 GMT
#5
with just an emphasis on early sentries?
for a nerdgasm: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=197809
AnAlbumCover
Profile Joined September 2010
United States138 Posts
January 07 2011 23:20 GMT
#6
On January 08 2011 08:17 Robellicose wrote:
you can't build a stalker on 22 supply then a pylon on 23 - the supply would jump from 22 to 24 when the stalker begins building. Unless you have the stalker building on supply 21 or 20.


thanks for pointing that out, I'll fix it, it's supposed to be at 21 ^^
for a nerdgasm: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=197809
DennyR
Profile Joined July 2010
Germany379 Posts
January 07 2011 23:53 GMT
#7
You should write about the real deal of this build. Its the Nexus. You throw down a nexus no matter what after the robo. Then your Observer enters the terranbase and if you see an expo... you are ahead, because yours is up earlier. If you see tech then react to it and stick with the expo. If you see an allin then cancel the Nexus and hold the push with sentries.
Moriarity
Profile Joined December 2010
United States91 Posts
January 07 2011 23:59 GMT
#8
Like the others said looks like a standard 3 gate/robo with more sentries.
Chronald
Profile Joined December 2009
United States619 Posts
January 08 2011 00:10 GMT
#9
The difference is the in the nexus timing.

You must remember to cancel the nexus if you see a rush coming and drop down gateways and chrono out some immortals.

It is so safe since it is reactionary, focusing on what you see with your observers. You react to what the terran has, using all of the require tech structures. Because of warp gates this can be done relatively easily with good scouting.

Really fun build. mouZMana is the other play who does this I believe is what Tastosis said.
Got that.
terran151
Profile Joined November 2010
Canada103 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-01-08 00:17:05
January 08 2011 00:15 GMT
#10
I only thing this would work on On Shakuras Plateau unless u get some good scouting info since u only have 4 sentries and a stalker just after u throw down ur nexus. He could have gotten a much faster expo (edit: with a 1 gate expand) but instead he got sentries faster for more energy and a really fast observer for scouting. I think this is a good idea.

What did he scout and what was his responce?
RevSynC.177 Server: NA
iChau
Profile Joined December 2010
United States1210 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-01-08 00:35:58
January 08 2011 00:22 GMT
#11
In my opinion, 1 Gate FE is more suitable for larger maps like Shakuras Plateau. It also works in close positions if he is teching or expanding as well (for some reason o.o).

Can you have a section that compares this to 1 Gate FE? The pressure allows you to expand earlier, too, unlike in this build you have to place double gates + robo before Nexus.

How well does this build works in close position? I know it might no be successful, due to the small rush distance, but I at least want to know how well it will work since you have a lot of defensive units.

EDIT:


On January 08 2011 09:27 Jayrod wrote:
The main part of this build that stands out from other openers is the complete lack of zealots. It frees up some extra money to throw down an earlier second gas and focus more on sentries. This is weaker to marauder pokes and not good if you want to be aggressive... however, you get earlier sentries so they can build up energy. Its stylistic to a degree, but koreans are also more apt to pull their scvs in an all in, which is where the extra sentries will shine... if the Terran does a clever timed attack on your expansion you can go up the ramp and hold it off alot longer than if you made 1 late sentry and had to keep warping in more to hold the ramp and tech to collossuss. I would say that this opener is more viable against an aggressive korean style terran than, for instance, a NA terran who might do an early poke, but won't do that constant aggression until the expansion is broken that you see from the koreans with superior multi-tasking.

Watch any HuK PvT on the korean servers. They attack him early and often and dont let up, if that expansion could fall you'll be glad you made some early sentries so you can tech to collossus without spending 100 gas over and over while you're trying to build collossuss just to hold the ramp.


Hmm, sentries are the reason, eh? Don't they do bad against MM, though, as you need zealot/sentry to destroy MM balls, with a sprinkle of stalkers due to their low DPS, despite guardian shield and forcefield.

So 1 Gate FE is personally for less aggressive people. Never thought of that. ^_^

EDIT2: Oh, I see now, woops. Basically, forcefield, move back, attack with your whole army while half of their army cannot due to the fact that you have no melee units for him to shoot at. That's pretty cool.
us.battle.net/sc2/en/profile/1688911/1/SaniShahin/ | http://teamenvy.net/
Jayrod
Profile Joined August 2010
1820 Posts
January 08 2011 00:27 GMT
#12
The main part of this build that stands out from other openers is the complete lack of zealots. It frees up some extra money to throw down an earlier second gas and focus more on sentries. This is weaker to marauder pokes and not good if you want to be aggressive... however, you get earlier sentries so they can build up energy. Its stylistic to a degree, but koreans are also more apt to pull their scvs in an all in, which is where the extra sentries will shine... if the Terran does a clever timed attack on your expansion you can go up the ramp and hold it off alot longer than if you made 1 late sentry and had to keep warping in more to hold the ramp and tech to collossuss. I would say that this opener is more viable against an aggressive korean style terran than, for instance, a NA terran who might do an early poke, but won't do that constant aggression until the expansion is broken that you see from the koreans with superior multi-tasking.

Watch any HuK PvT on the korean servers. They attack him early and often and dont let up, if that expansion could fall you'll be glad you made some early sentries so you can tech to collossus without spending 100 gas over and over while you're trying to build collossuss just to hold the ramp.
resilve
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United Kingdom678 Posts
January 08 2011 00:31 GMT
#13
Thanks for transcribing, nice safe build that allows you to expand before 40 supply and still gives you decent protection from early timing pushes/pressure ^^

Socke Fighting!!!!
terran151
Profile Joined November 2010
Canada103 Posts
January 08 2011 00:32 GMT
#14
On January 08 2011 09:22 iChau wrote:
In my opinion, 1 Gate FE is more suitable for larger maps like Shakuras Plateau. It also works in close positions if he is teching or expanding as well (for some reason o.o).

Can you have a section that compares this to 1 Gate FE? The pressure allows you to expand earlier, too, unlike in this build you have to place double gates + robo before Nexus.

How well does this build works in close position? I know it might no be successful, due to the small rush distance, but I at least want to know how well it will work since you have a lot of defensive units.


Based on my experiance playing protoss (which isnt that much :/) i dont think he has much to defend his nexus on smaller maps since the forcefield will be less effective without the ramp. I would think that a 1 gate fast expand would be better on a smaller map becasue it is faster and can be hold off all ins a lot of the time(correct me if im wrong).

I havnt tryed this build order though. The terran window of attack may be very short and the protoss could cancel his nexus if he doesnt like what he sees with the observer so i think i would have to test it out and see.
RevSynC.177 Server: NA
B.I.G.
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
3251 Posts
January 08 2011 00:35 GMT
#15
i didnt read everyting that was said here, but for ppl who like this kind of build, be sure to check out PvT replays from mouzMana. Hes a very good PvT player that utilizes very solid and safe builds, getting him to the finals of dreamhack, even beating players like fenix along the way.
Farkinator
Profile Joined August 2010
United States283 Posts
January 08 2011 00:58 GMT
#16
This is exactly the build that almost every single Protoss user has been using if they don't want to die but expand reasonably early. The benefits of a 2gate 1robo expansion are:
-Gets you a fast observer and immortals. Both these are keys to surviving marine/marauder aggression early on.
-Sets you up to go for a reasonably early collosus if that's you're thing
-Since immortals are useful in gateway unit compositions, it's not a HORRIBLE idea to just pump immortals/observers out of that robo and go for templar and expand
-This also allows you to do drops, a HUGE element of this play that I think is being massively overlooked by Protoss players. Immortals kill supply depots/reactors/techlabs hilariously fast. Also if going for Templar play, these warp prisms can be used to do storm drop for maximum econonmy damage.
Get some bases, smash some faces.
AnAlbumCover
Profile Joined September 2010
United States138 Posts
January 08 2011 01:04 GMT
#17
On January 08 2011 09:10 Chronald wrote:
Really fun build. mouZMana is the other play who does this I believe is what Tastosis said.

thanks! I'll add it to the OP
for a nerdgasm: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=197809
AnAlbumCover
Profile Joined September 2010
United States138 Posts
January 08 2011 01:08 GMT
#18

Based on my experiance playing protoss (which isnt that much :/) i dont think he has much to defend his nexus on smaller maps since the forcefield will be less effective without the ramp. I would think that a 1 gate fast expand would be better on a smaller map becasue it is faster and can be hold off all ins a lot of the time(correct me if im wrong).

I havnt tryed this build order though. The terran window of attack may be very short and the protoss could cancel his nexus if he doesnt like what he sees with the observer so i think i would have to test it out and see.


Yeah I agree, that's what other's have said as well about it: It's all about getting the nexus up and then scouting to see if it was a good decision or not.

Does anyone else have any replays of this style/BO losing to something? I know it has it's weaknesses and a good VOD or replay exposing a timing window would really be helpful (I don't mean a loss to poor FFs).

Thanks for all the positive feedback
for a nerdgasm: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=197809
Kogut
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States147 Posts
January 08 2011 06:10 GMT
#19
On January 08 2011 09:22 iChau wrote:
Hmm, sentries are the reason, eh? Don't they do bad against MM, though, as you need zealot/sentry to destroy MM balls, with a sprinkle of stalkers due to their low DPS, despite guardian shield and forcefield.

So 1 Gate FE is personally for less aggressive people. Never thought of that. ^_^

EDIT2: Oh, I see now, woops. Basically, forcefield, move back, attack with your whole army while half of their army cannot due to the fact that you have no melee units for him to shoot at. That's pretty cool.



Welcome to using sentries on a ramp. And yes, this is a build that allows you to poke at the Terran, rather than just sit tight like the 1GFE
CHILL GET OUT
Tsabo
Profile Joined September 2010
Russian Federation266 Posts
January 08 2011 07:15 GMT
#20
Watch dreemhack finals, Mana used it a few times there.

There is no timings that this build will loose to early game if you react correctly to what you scout with your obs, but you are at a disadvantage against 1rax FE compaired to 1 gate FE.
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