EPTHello! I am LRM)nOoNe on iccup. I have been using this build exclusively in zvp for the past four or five months and have had great success with it. It was introduced to me by LRM)Game, but since then I have made a few tweaks to it.
The build focuses on early hatcheries and drones. Instead of using spire tech to deal with protoss's midgame options, you rely on hydralisks. You will eventually have a hydralurk army. You will have absolutely no air control with this build. Your midgame economy will be much stronger than normal. On maps with distant thirds, this build will not work.
Build Order
9 Overlord
9 Spawning Pool
11 Hatchery, scout
10 Six Zerglings
13 Hatchery
18 Overlord
18 Hatchery
27 Hatchery
26 Extractor
25 Extractor
24 Two Overlords
@50 Gas - Hydralisk Den
@100 Gas - Lair
General Notes:
This build only works vs forge expanding protosses.
Don't put your third hatch down until you scout protoss. Larva will build up, but it is necessary to prevent deaths versus 2gate.
All foods not listed are drones. If you don't build up your economy early, you won't be able to produce out of all five hatcheries.
Versus early pressure, such as three zealots, you will need to add on four more zerglings.
You do not get early ling speed. Wait at least until lurkers are out.
Just because you can make hydras doesn't mean you should. Economy is the most important part of this build.
Hydralisk upgrades go: Speed->Range->Lurkers. You CAN NOT fall behind on these upgrades. Lurkers come out at a very key time.
Differences From Normal Play:
You do not have a spire, meaning protoss has complete vision of what you are doing. This means that protoss does not need to build defense versus the threat of mutalisks. Also, once there is a threat of drops from the protoss, you should leave hydralisks at each base to defend until you get a spire.
You do not have ling speed unless you open with a build that gets it. This means it's impossible to completely shut down scouting versus a protoss player with good probe control. This also means that the threat of a ling allin is small.
Your midgame army will be larger than normal. However, you do not have the luxury of templar sniping with mutalisks. You must tactically position your hydralisks behind a moving protoss army to snipe templar. You can not engage a protoss army that has a large number of templar in it.
Reacting to Scouting Information
You should have an overlord in protoss's main. On two player maps, it is unnecessary to drone scout. On three or four player maps, you need to drone scout to avoid stupid deaths versus 1base protoss.
Vs Early Stargate into Templar Tech:
Make only a few hydralisks to hold off the corsairs. Making more does not serve any purpose, as early attacks will be shut down by storm. Make a few more rounds of drones and then start hydralisk production.
Vs Early Stargate into Templar Tech with a fast third
You have two options here. You can flood with hydralisks to try to prevent the third, or you can ignore it and quickly take a fourth. Only try to bust it if his zealot count is low and you are confident in your storm dodging.
Vs Early Stargate with mass Corsair into Templar Tech
Make ~18 hydralisks to hold off the corsairs. Send zerglings to all the possible places for him to expand. If you see he isn't expanding, expect a mass zealot followup. If he does expand, add on a few more hydralisks and take a fourth base. Alternatively, you can try to mass hydralisks and shut down the third. However, if you lose your hydralisks to storm, your overlords will be exposed.
Vs Early Stargate into 2-4 Gate Zealot
You will most likely need to build 1-2 sunks at your natural and third versus this build. Flood hydralisks as soon as your hydralisk den finishes. Once you have held off his attack and have a comfortable number of hydralisks, you can push out. If he didn't switch to templar tech fast enough or built a good number of cannons, you can end the game here. If he took a third and has no cannons or templars there, kill it. If he took a third and has cannons or templar there, do not try to break it as you will only waste. Instead, switch back to drone production and take a fourth while containing him. If he didn't try to take his third but has cannons or templar in his natural, switch back to drone production and take a fourth while containing him.
Vs Early Stargate with mass Corsair and 2gate mass Zealot (Neo Bisu Build)
Make two sunks at your natural and third and flood hydralisks. Because his templar tech is very delayed, you can win in this situation simply by attacking once you have a large enough hydralisk force. Make sure you bring your overlords in the attack so spawning dark templar do not force you back. See my game vs dsaqwe at the bottom for a good reference.
Vs Early Stargate with mass Corsair and Reaver
Keep at least six hydralisks at each base to defend, do not move these unless the shuttle has died.
Vs Double Early Stargate
Go kill him.
Vs No Stargate 4gate Speedzeal
Make 2-3 sunkens at your natural and third and flood hydralisks. Make sure you have overlords everywhere versus this build. You need to check if he is taking a third or adding on more gateways. If he continues adding on gateways, do not drone up and do not take a fourth. Focus on units and getting lurkers out as soon as possible. If he takes a fast third, you can either mass hydralisks and try to bust it, or drone up and wait for lurkers to take a fourth.
Upgrades
I add on two evolution chambers as soon as I feel safe in the midgame. I get +1 Missile and +1 Carapace, then +1 Melee and +2 Carapace.
Hive Timing
Until only recently, I have been making my queen's nest at the same time I make my fourth expansion. However, I was being killed right before my hive tech kicked in. For the past week or two, I have been adding on two more hatcheries before my queens nest for a total of eight. Once my fourth base finishes and has been saturated, I take my fifth and add on another two hatcheries in my main for a total of eleven. I do not make any ultralisks until I have five fully saturated bases. If I start earlier, many of my hatcheries will have idle larva.
Maps
You can only use this build on maps with a close third. If it's too far away, it becomes very difficult to defend zealots or corsairs.
Examples of good maps: Fighting Spirit, Icarus, Empire of the Sun (horizontal spawn), Blue Storm, Heartbreak Ridge, Tau Cross, Destination, etc.
Example Games
http://www.repdepot.net/replay.php?id=42209 LRM)nOoNe vs NrG.DraGon (A-)
http://www.repdepot.net/replay.php?id=42210 LRM)nOoNe vs NrG.DraGon (A-)
http://www.repdepot.net/replay.php?id=42211 LRM)nOoNe vs dsaqwe (B)
http://www.repdepot.net/replay.php?id=42212 LRM)nOoNe vs TriX_PL (B+)
http://www.repdepot.net/replay.php?id=42213 LRM)nOoNe vs ToT)iNfeRnaL( (A-)
