EPTEvening folks. After lurking and reading (and I have to admit: trolling at balance threads) at TL.net for a while, I thought it's time to give back to the community, especially after utilizing the strategies of Griffith, Antisocialmunkey and iEchoic. I have hesitated for a while, because it's my first (and so far only) unique opening I have developed. But hey.. I guess if now it becomes a nice opener that is commonly used in TvT, it's something to be proud of.
I'm by no means a really high level player, hanging around 2.5k Masters (with ~200 bonus pool), but the build has served me well in against an EPS (UK) player - before he outmacroed me. So if you want to poke holes, poke away. This ain't a bible.
I also want to credit iEchoic for the formatting that I shamelessly copied - because it's good.
Oh.. and feedback is greatly appreciated.
Overview
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This opener focusses was inspired by day[9] and his mantra of attacking and expanding. We sacrifice tech time for economy and aggresion. This build uses an early stim timing to poke at the opponent and read his build. It holds up well against all common Terran openers and usually sets me up in an economic lead, even if the poke is defended.
Usually this build results in an ecomomic lead, that I try to hang on to. I make 3-5 tanks just to cover my territory and invest the rest of the gas in air superiority for drop play and to even out the lower number of tanks. As soon as I am on three bases, I move to BC for the finishing blow.
Usually this build results in an ecomomic lead, that I try to hang on to. I make 3-5 tanks just to cover my territory and invest the rest of the gas in air superiority for drop play and to even out the lower number of tanks. As soon as I am on three bases, I move to BC for the finishing blow.
Build Order
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10 supply
12 rax#1
13 ref
From here on, I will just give the order of building things. This is because you want to build stuff as soon as you can.
@rax#1 completes1 1 marine and start OC
start 2nd rax
@rax#1 marine complete: start tech lab, then make 1 marine and 3 marauders
@OC complete: Drop mule, do NOT make SCV right away
start supply depot before SCV #16
@100 gas: stim
@rax#2 complete: continous marine production
Produce from both barracks and the OC constantly, while building two more supply depots. There may be a few seconds, where you are capped by minerals or supply. In his case prioritize units over SCVs.
Around 5:40 mins game time, you should be in the following state:
3 marauders
6 marines (6th just about to pop out usually)
Stim 80% done
Your OC will approach 50 energy for the 3rd time. The first 2 energy chunks you used as MULEs, the 3rd will be a scan.
Move with your force towards the opponent.
You notice you have massed up 400 minerals so drop a CC. From now on SCV production regains it's usual priority. Both barracks start producing marines and you make the following buildings in this order:
Factory
Supply depot
engi bay
2nd gas
The Stimpush
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You move out as soon as you have 4 marauders and 5 marines. Ideally you will approach the opponents ramp as your stim research completes. Note that this lines up nicely with your Orbital gaining 50 energy. Do a scan and assess, if you want to assault:
1) We see no bunker and no sieged tank:
Attack. Stim will win you the encounter. You trade infantry and will force SCVs off the mineral line. Note that you will beat most siege tech timings if you crisply executed the build. You can pick off any unsieged tank.
2)You see a bunker or a sieged tank:
This depends on the amount of units. Just a bunker and up to 2 marines you can overpower as marauders with stim rip through the bunker. A bunker and an unsieged tank is doable, too and a worthy trade. A bunker with 3+ SCVs or a sieged tank is too much.
3) Two bunker+
Don't attack
4) More than 12 marines
Retreat and start bunkers at your natural.
1) We see no bunker and no sieged tank:
Attack. Stim will win you the encounter. You trade infantry and will force SCVs off the mineral line. Note that you will beat most siege tech timings if you crisply executed the build. You can pick off any unsieged tank.
2)You see a bunker or a sieged tank:
This depends on the amount of units. Just a bunker and up to 2 marines you can overpower as marauders with stim rip through the bunker. A bunker and an unsieged tank is doable, too and a worthy trade. A bunker with 3+ SCVs or a sieged tank is too much.
3) Two bunker+
Don't attack
4) More than 12 marines
Retreat and start bunkers at your natural.
Scouting - what do I look for?
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I recommend sending your 13th SCV on 2 player maps or your depot SCV on 4 player maps. Ideally you want to arrive at his base after his rax have finished and before the marine pops out. Make sure he has gas and is mining from his refinery and check for a second barracks retreat as the marine pops. If there is no gas, you are either facing a marine all in or a fast expand. By keeping your SCV around and looking for another rax beyond the first you can hopefully see what's coming at you. For fast expand, you should push out earlier and deny his expand. You have 2 rax and he has one, so you should be able to prevent bunkers from going down on the natural. If you see more than 1 rax and no gas, it's safe to build a bunker at home.
Reacting to Terran Openings
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Assuming you have scouted a standard 13 gas 15 OC from your opponent, you will gain knowledge about his opening choice when you push. Usually the scan and the units at the ramp tell you what you will face in the next minutes. All options imply, that your opponent had his ramp defended and you did not attack his base:
1) Marine/Tank/Viking
Transfer your factory to the barracks techlab and start your own siege tech and tank production. Use your stim force to delay him on the way to his contain. Float your 2nd OC to your natural, get 2 gas up and use your gas advantage to catch up and surpass him in tech. Once you have your tanks in place at your natural and vikings in the air, you should be golden, because you expanded faster than he did and have eco advantage.
2) Cloaked banshee opening.
The banshee will pop shortly after you can push. Oftentimes you will break his front, lose your marines and the banshee will mop up the marauders, while you trade them for SCVs (or ideally target the port techlab to cancel cloak). Either way, that's why you have started the engi bay just before you tried for the push. Throw up 3 turrets for vision and use the marines with stim you have produced during your attack timing to fend off the banshee. Use your 2nd OC for extra SCV production and scans. Make a reactor on you factory and a starport, double pump viking and then float your OC to your natural. With proper sim city, 3 turrets and 4-6 marines will completely negate the 2 banshees usually employed. You are now ahead in economy (and probably also in army size). Second round of starport production is 2 medivacs and go counterdrop
3) Hellion drop (with or without blue flame)
Oftentimes you will catch that drop just as the 3rd hellion pops and the medivac wants to leave. If you can't break the fronts due to bunkers, get concussive shells at home and swap the techlab rax from marine production to marauder production. With stim and shells you should be able to fend off the drop without much problems. Proceed with expansion.
4) Rax expand
This can be tricky depending on the accessability of the natural. Use the above guidelines to see if you can break his defense (which is often the case). Use your scan to determine where on the tech path he is. If you are ahead (which is likely), reactor starport with dual medivac will give you 2 full medivacs with marine marauder and stim to drop and wreack havoc.
5) Mass bio play
If you see a great amount of bio at the top of the ramp, it's wise to retreat. Expand, fortify with bunkers and get siege mode ASAP. With 2 bunkers and repair plus stim you can hold all pushes against your expand that can come before siege mode.
1) Marine/Tank/Viking
Transfer your factory to the barracks techlab and start your own siege tech and tank production. Use your stim force to delay him on the way to his contain. Float your 2nd OC to your natural, get 2 gas up and use your gas advantage to catch up and surpass him in tech. Once you have your tanks in place at your natural and vikings in the air, you should be golden, because you expanded faster than he did and have eco advantage.
2) Cloaked banshee opening.
The banshee will pop shortly after you can push. Oftentimes you will break his front, lose your marines and the banshee will mop up the marauders, while you trade them for SCVs (or ideally target the port techlab to cancel cloak). Either way, that's why you have started the engi bay just before you tried for the push. Throw up 3 turrets for vision and use the marines with stim you have produced during your attack timing to fend off the banshee. Use your 2nd OC for extra SCV production and scans. Make a reactor on you factory and a starport, double pump viking and then float your OC to your natural. With proper sim city, 3 turrets and 4-6 marines will completely negate the 2 banshees usually employed. You are now ahead in economy (and probably also in army size). Second round of starport production is 2 medivacs and go counterdrop
3) Hellion drop (with or without blue flame)
Oftentimes you will catch that drop just as the 3rd hellion pops and the medivac wants to leave. If you can't break the fronts due to bunkers, get concussive shells at home and swap the techlab rax from marine production to marauder production. With stim and shells you should be able to fend off the drop without much problems. Proceed with expansion.
4) Rax expand
This can be tricky depending on the accessability of the natural. Use the above guidelines to see if you can break his defense (which is often the case). Use your scan to determine where on the tech path he is. If you are ahead (which is likely), reactor starport with dual medivac will give you 2 full medivacs with marine marauder and stim to drop and wreack havoc.
5) Mass bio play
If you see a great amount of bio at the top of the ramp, it's wise to retreat. Expand, fortify with bunkers and get siege mode ASAP. With 2 bunkers and repair plus stim you can hold all pushes against your expand that can come before siege mode.
Tips and Tricks
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- Try to hide your second barracks from the opponents scout. This will increase the chance that you can break his ramp and cause major damage
- Build your base in a rather tight cluster, so that three turrets will cover everything. Build your factory directly above or below your techlab rax for a quick emergency swap in case of an early tank push by your opponent.
- If you can't push in, try to maximize the time you have the base advantage by using your stim force to make him worried about moving out. Ideally he has to siege hop out of his base netting you an extra minute to widen your economic lead.
- You can use this build as a base for an all-in. Depending on how all-in-ish you want to be, you can use the amassing minerals for proxy rax (remove 1 SCV from gas after you started stim) and pull as much SCVs as you deem neccessary.
- Build your base in a rather tight cluster, so that three turrets will cover everything. Build your factory directly above or below your techlab rax for a quick emergency swap in case of an early tank push by your opponent.
- If you can't push in, try to maximize the time you have the base advantage by using your stim force to make him worried about moving out. Ideally he has to siege hop out of his base netting you an extra minute to widen your economic lead.
- You can use this build as a base for an all-in. Depending on how all-in-ish you want to be, you can use the amassing minerals for proxy rax (remove 1 SCV from gas after you started stim) and pull as much SCVs as you deem neccessary.
FAQ
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Will be filled with your questions.
Replays
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Example of how stim the push - executed with delay - hits before siege tech.
Successful stim push against a Terran trying to execute the iEchoic 2fact 2port build.
Stim push encounters 3 rax bio and fail, costing me most of my force. Still I do enough damage to delay his push and can fend it off. I get contained but transition into BC.
Stim push vs 2 rax (tech+reactor) play that goes for a later timing. I cancel my push and focus on defending the expand.
Successful stim push against a Terran trying to execute the iEchoic 2fact 2port build.
Stim push encounters 3 rax bio and fail, costing me most of my force. Still I do enough damage to delay his push and can fend it off. I get contained but transition into BC.
Stim push vs 2 rax (tech+reactor) play that goes for a later timing. I cancel my push and focus on defending the expand.
