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I was watching the GSTL recently and noticed ImYongHwa do a peculiar wall-in during a PvZ match (which figures since this wall-in is so, well, Korean). Here's an example I created:
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/i3UmL.png) A smarter wall-in?
The reason this wall-in caught my attention at all was because it wasn't the standard PvZ wall off I'm sure you all are familiar with:
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/smcfj.png) The wall in you all know and love.
Now you may argue that the standard wall in is better for several reasons. A main reason I see many people use this wall in is because of the fact that your pylon is much less exposed to zerglings/banelings/etc. Since your pylon has much less hp than your gateway and cybernetics core, it's best left where it can't be threatened. A less obvious reason for the familiar wall-in might be that on some maps it creates a corridor that you can line up zealots along, if the case arises that you need to.
However, I argue that the pylon really isn't the the weak point in your wall-in, it's your zealot. Wzp's recently popularized 3 roach rush speedling all-in makes direct use of this fact, roaches can range your zealot from the low ground.
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/mxm99.png) Shenanigans!
The fact that roaches can target the weakest point of your wall even if you force field your ramp makes this rush a nightmare. Perhaps the best response is to wall-off completely with a pylon but then that pylon becomes exposed too. This is where our new wall-in really shines. The weakest parts of your wall are all out of harms way!
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/bKvxD.png) Can't touch this.
Still not convinced that this is the wall in you should be doing? Another benefit of this wall-in is that the initial pylon placement gives you more walling in options. Options baby yea!
Scout a 6 pool? Wall off completely (if you feel that's the appropriate response):
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/gqdBl.png) And without needing an extra early pylon.
Another nice feature about the pylon placement is that since it's hugging your gateway it can't be completely surrounded and it gives you a nice pocket to tuck a zealot in. Other posts have also noted that it allows you to open up your ramp to allow easier access to your main/natural (or if you get an archon stuck) during the midgame by killing off that pylon rather than a key structure.
Feel like doing a pseudo old wall-in? You can do that too (although I wouldn't recommend it):
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/duLKS.png) The hipster way to wall-in.
Of course this wall-in is not without its own drawbacks. For one it is more vulnerable to baneling busts. Although personally I feel that its benefits outweigh this small drawback. Plus, I feel that baneling busts aren't very popular anymore and aren't very effective against Protoss in the first place. It has also been pointed out that this wall-in gives you slightly less vision outside of your main, but the difference seems negligible.
There is one spawn location that I know of where this wall-in is not possible, the 5'oclock position on Delta Quadrant (but that ramp is seriously flawed, go check it out for yourself). If there are any more spawn locations like this let me know and I'll update the information here.
If there's anything I didn't cover about this wall-in or if there is some glaring weakness too it, please discuss! Hope you enjoyed this guide =].
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oooo I am amazed :F
I'm actually going to be trying this out! So cool because it's cheaper to react to a 6 pool <3
Thanks for interesting and entertaining writeup! Although, I would really like to see the match that you saw this in as well!
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I remember seeing that in the gstl and thinking it was a weird wall in... I now understand, thank you
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seems like a much better way to wall in just gotta be on the look out for bling bust but as you said there now much of a problem.
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This is really interesting. I'll take my chances being vulnerable to banelings if it helps me against fast roaches.
Does this type of wall-in give you any less vision down the ramp?
Thanks for putting this together.
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On February 19 2011 16:18 DOMINOSC wrote:
seems like a much better way to wall in just gotta be on the look out for bling bust but as you said there now much of a problem.
Nah if you get banelings running up your ramp, FF the top and bottom of your ramp and let the sentries pop them all. Baneling bust is like the worst allin a zerg can do up a ramp.
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Whoa. That's actually really cool. Neat guide!
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It's kinda funny because if I recall correctly, this was among the first wall-ins Protosses did way back in the Beta, and around release there was a big shift towards using the just gateway + cyber core wallin.
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Wow thanks for sharing! Isn't it amazing how wonderful a game Starcraft is, where the smallest things can make such a difference and the smallest things keep evolving over time? First the Gate/Cyber was like, "omg can't believe I didn't think of that," and now this!
Gonna start using this now. And yeah I agree, bling busts aren't very common unless it's like a team game. Anyways, if you're good and pay attention you should be ready to FF the ramp if there's blings. By the time he busts you'll probably already have more pylons ready too.
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i dont like that cyber core and/or gateway being more exposed to the roaches on low ground... thats my main gripe about it... sure even with the standard wall-in the gateway/core can be hit by the roaches, but there are ways with the standard wall in to make those buildings less vulnerable.. if you lose the core its gg either way, and you can always pull probes if you need to with the standard wall in.. this new way gives more surface area for that core/gate to be surrounded by lings and the roaches still hitting from low ground
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On February 19 2011 16:09 CecilSunkure wrote:
oooo I am amazed :F
I'm actually going to be trying this out! So cool because it's cheaper to react to a 6 pool <3
Thanks for interesting and entertaining writeup! Although, I would really like to see the match that you saw this in as well!
I'm glad you like this as much as I do =].
I finally found the match. The reason it took me so long was because that GSL labeled IMYongHwa as a Terran player (I thought I was going crazy for a second). The wall-in didn't really come into play but here's the match if your interested.
GSTL Final Match 4: ST_July vs IMYongHwa
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On February 19 2011 16:31 AbeToss wrote:Show nested quote +On February 19 2011 16:09 CecilSunkure wrote:
oooo I am amazed :F
I'm actually going to be trying this out! So cool because it's cheaper to react to a 6 pool <3
Thanks for interesting and entertaining writeup! Although, I would really like to see the match that you saw this in as well! I'm glad you like this as much as I do =]. I finally found the match. The reason it took me so long was because that GSL labeled IMYongHwa as a Terran player (I thought I was going crazy for a second). The wall-in didn't really come into play but here's the match if your interested. GSTL Final Match 4: ST_July vs IMYongHwa
Buahaha of course it's from YongHwa xD
Thanks for linking the match. I must not of seen this one because I only watched matches with Protoss (and it's labeled Terran D: ).
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Pretty interesting. It seems like from your first picture that even if a baneling bust were to occur and destroyed your zealot + pylon a single FF would still be able to cover that entire opening.
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On February 19 2011 16:21 AirbladeOrange wrote:
This is really interesting. I'll take my chances being vulnerable to banelings if it helps me against fast roaches.
Does this type of wall-in give you any less vision down the ramp?
Thanks for putting this together.
It does very slightly. The difference is hardly noticeable and you can still see down your ramp. I'll update the OP with this though.
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On February 19 2011 16:18 DOMINOSC wrote:
seems like a much better way to wall in just gotta be on the look out for bling bust but as you said there now much of a problem.
I agree. pylon will die to some blings no prob.
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Really good example of a picture with the roaches attacking from low ground with overlord sight, thats such a well thought out scenario and I'm sure it happens all the time. I will keep this in mind whenever I offrace now. Good stuffs
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On February 19 2011 16:28 eGoTricKShoT wrote:
i dont like that cyber core and/or gateway being more exposed to the roaches on low ground... thats my main gripe about it... sure even with the standard wall-in the gateway/core can be hit by the roaches, but there are ways with the standard wall in to make those buildings less vulnerable.. if you lose the core its gg either way, and you can always pull probes if you need to with the standard wall in.. this new way gives more surface area for that core/gate to be surrounded by lings and the roaches still hitting from low ground
Your right the roaches can still his the cybernetics core from the low ground, but this is still the case with the standard wall-in as you pointed out. And yes, there is more surface area for zerglings to attack the gateway and core but you should have a sentry or stalker out in time to deal with this. Really your zealot should be enough to deter zerglings from taking your whole wall down. Remember a cybernetics core has 1100 hp and armor.
Could you elaborate more on the ways to make the gateway/core less vulnerable with the standard wall-in?
Edit: I take this back, your gateway/core still has the same surface area (you could fit maybe 1 extra zergling in). Check out the pictures.
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Don't want to be losing my cybernetics core to 3 roaches =/
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EPT
