• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 18:09
CEST 00:09
KST 07:09
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Power Rank - Esports World Cup 202547RSL Season 1 - Final Week9[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall15HomeStory Cup 27 - Info & Preview18Classic wins Code S Season 2 (2025)16
Community News
BSL Team Wars - Bonyth, Dewalt, Hawk & Sziky teams4Weekly Cups (July 14-20): Final Check-up0Esports World Cup 2025 - Brackets Revealed19Weekly Cups (July 7-13): Classic continues to roll8Team TLMC #5 - Submission re-extension4
StarCraft 2
General
Power Rank - Esports World Cup 2025 Jim claims he and Firefly were involved in match-fixing RSL Revival patreon money discussion thread RSL Season 1 - Final Week The GOAT ranking of GOAT rankings
Tourneys
Esports World Cup 2025 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond) FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series
Strategy
How did i lose this ZvP, whats the proper response
Custom Maps
External Content
Mutation #239 Bad Weather Mutation # 483 Kill Bot Wars Mutation # 482 Wheel of Misfortune Mutation # 481 Fear and Lava
Brood War
General
Ginuda's JaeDong Interview Series BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ ASL20 Preliminary Maps BSL Team Wars - Bonyth, Dewalt, Hawk & Sziky teams BW General Discussion
Tourneys
CSL Xiamen International Invitational [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [CSLPRO] It's CSLAN Season! - Last Chance [BSL 2v2] ProLeague Season 3 - Friday 21:00 CET
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers I am doing this better than progamers do.
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread [MMORPG] Tree of Savior (Successor of Ragnarok) Path of Exile CCLP - Command & Conquer League Project
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread The Games Industry And ATVI Stop Killing Games - European Citizens Initiative
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[\m/] Heavy Metal Thread Anime Discussion Thread Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece Korean Music Discussion
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NBA General Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Installation of Windows 10 suck at "just a moment" Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Ping To Win? Pings And Their…
TrAiDoS
momentary artworks from des…
tankgirl
from making sc maps to makin…
Husyelt
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Socialism Anyone?
GreenHorizons
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 559 users

[G] PvZ Mothership Rush

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
Post a Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 Next All
iSTime
Profile Joined November 2006
1579 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-08-25 21:31:42
August 15 2011 03:04 GMT
#1
Introduction
+ Show Spoiler +

Want a way to beat your newbie friends without ruining their fun?
Looking for a way to cheese NA zergs without getting flamed for all of eternity?
Or maybe you just want to build a motherfucking mothership?

Then this build is for you!

Some details: Mothership at 8:45 with 4 gates, and some early zealot pressure to slow them down. Works best on Xel'Naga and Shakuras.


Build Order
+ Show Spoiler +

9 Pylon
13 Gateway (you have used 2 chrono on nexus thus far, also don't scout with probe, you need all the resources and your zealots can scout for you on Xel'Naga/Shakuras)
14 Assimilator
15 Assimilator
@Gateway Completion chrono 3 zealots out and attack with them(3rd starts after cyber core)
23 Cyber core
26 Pylon
@Cyber Core Completion Stargate, Stalker (chrono the stalker), warp gate research
@Stalker Completion Sentry then Zealot
@Stargate Completion Fleet Beacon
@Fleet Beacon Completion Mothership

Add 3 additional gates as minerals permit. Before starting the mothership you should have 25-26 probes, and 100 chrono boost. Warp in Zealot+Sentry to push out with, then stalkers once you get there with the pylon (this way you will have maximum number of force fields).


Some Explanation of the Build Order
+ Show Spoiler +

The reason we are chrono boosting 3 zealots early and delaying the cyber core is that you will not have enough gas to get the mothership anyway faster without going gas before gateway, and by putting pressure on the zerg early, you can force mistakes and make the 4 gate+mothership push stronger.

The stalker is chrono boosted to a) deal with stray lings and b) to shoot down overlord scouts. Usually your build will be pretty obvious since they can easily see the stargate, but whatever, you're building a mothership.

Sentry after the stalker is to prevent death via lings/roaches (see game vs Mark for example), and when the fleet beacon finishes you will have ~375 gas after making the sentry, so it delays the mothership very little.

You can experiment a little with making a Carrier after the mothership. Sometimes that's kind of fun, too.

I'll also include a replay of a 2 base carrier+mothership push that I tried before I arrived at this build. I'm pretty sure it's terrible, but that's ok.


Execution
+ Show Spoiler +

Initial 3 zealots are used to harass the zerg, force lings, kill as many as possible. You can use the first 2 to wall your ramp to make it easier to deal with annoying zergling harass. Alternatively you can just wall at your ramp, but I prefer having a few extra minerals and the gateway near my nexus against 6/7 pool.

Once the mothership builds and arrives at their base, it will have ~90 energy. At this point you want to use force fields to kill as many units for free as possible, and if the opportunity arises, force field their ramp then mass recall into their base. Typically this will end the game immediately, and if they try to counter you can just force field your ramp by warping in sentries at home.

Or better yet, pretend you're about to do this then force field their ramp when their units all run up to prevent the mass recall!

Before pushing out, be sure to wall your ramp completely, as ling runbys are very painful.

And obviously, there will be times where your opponent either doesn't have detection ready, or only has 1 or 2 exposed spore crawlers/overseers. Sometimes you can kill them and just win the game immediately. Other times you can win by vortexing half their army, using good force fields and just winning a straight up fight.

Basically just use your head, some basic micro tactics, and anything fun you can think of to do with a mothership.


Other concerns
+ Show Spoiler +

Q:In all of the replays you provide, the zerg players make obvious mistakes and you wouldn't win if they didn't!

A: ...

Q: Why don't you just 3 gate expand/Whatever other standard play you are stupidly asking me about?

A: ...

Q: Actual question/suggestion?

A: I will gladly answer/Try out suggestions!


Replays
+ Show Spoiler +

Against Roach/Ling aggression:
http://replayfu.com/download/qzp9Xf

Against mass speedling/baneling:
http://replayfu.com/download/hsBv9s

Against Hydra/Ling/Queen:
http://replayfu.com/download/Qpmkwf

Against Roach/Ling:
http://replayfu.com/download/Cvq1jd

2 Base Mothership/Carrier Rush:
http://replayfu.com/download/0ZdL5c

2v2 Mothership/1-1-1:
http://replayfu.com/r/0jj2z
http://replayfu.com/r/WQrD5p


EDIT: Added some 2v2 replays from the recent NE-SE 2v2 tournament
www.infinityseven.net
Probe1
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States17920 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-08-15 03:17:09
August 15 2011 03:06 GMT
#2
Cute :3

When you don't wall in the front if a zergling catches sight of that fleet beacon it should be a pretty big tell and you have to be extremely vigilant against the scouting overlord but there are few things more fun to play against than a mothership rush.

Fun fact: If Zerg somehow does scout it and makes infinity super placed spine/spores, just recall into his main!

Screenshot of mothership popping for people in disbelief
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]
우정호 KT_VIOLET 1988 - 2012 While we are postponing, life speeds by
Yoshi Kirishima
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States10332 Posts
August 15 2011 03:10 GMT
#3
holy shit 8:45 with 4 gates???

Awesome, thanks for sharing! :D
Mid-master streaming MECH ONLY + commentary www.twitch.tv/yoshikirishima +++ "If all-in fails, all-in again."
Aerodynamic27
Profile Joined March 2011
Canada115 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-08-15 03:11:41
August 15 2011 03:11 GMT
#4
Have you tried adding a void ray or carrier to the actual push? They are really useful and you definitely should have enough resources for them after starting the mothership. I think getting a void ray will help defend any roach/ling agression as well.
lazydino
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada331 Posts
August 15 2011 03:11 GMT
#5
I've seen cruncher do this :D!!
"I have this moron thing that I do, it's called thinking" - George Carlin
Drake
Profile Joined October 2010
Germany6146 Posts
August 15 2011 03:14 GMT
#6
..... i did this for some time but after a post here i think i have to find a new tac
Nb.Drake / CoL_Drake / Original Joined TL.net Tuesday, 15th of March 2005
FireBlazzer
Profile Joined August 2011
4 Posts
August 15 2011 03:18 GMT
#7
interesting.. i wish the mothership was slighty better of a umit.. its deffintily nor the "uimtamate protoss vessle the said it would be".. and i dont blam them. i dont want to to be all over powerd and stuff.. but.. i wish it was more cost effective. .and worth it
GhostKorean
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States2330 Posts
August 15 2011 03:23 GMT
#8
I suggest you build a proxy nexus so the mothership gets to their base faster

8D
iSTime
Profile Joined November 2006
1579 Posts
August 15 2011 03:25 GMT
#9
On August 15 2011 12:23 GhostKorean wrote:
I suggest you build a proxy nexus so the mothership gets to their base faster

8D


I'd probably have to build all 3 gateways after the mothership to afford this, but I'll see what I can do.
www.infinityseven.net
Yoshi Kirishima
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States10332 Posts
August 15 2011 03:30 GMT
#10
On August 15 2011 12:25 vVvTime wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 15 2011 12:23 GhostKorean wrote:
I suggest you build a proxy nexus so the mothership gets to their base faster

8D


I'd probably have to build all 3 gateways after the mothership to afford this, but I'll see what I can do.


wow that is actually an interesting idea! a mothership is so slow, it might actually pay off on large maps like tal'darim cross?

for example if you spawn top right, and he's bottom left, you can take the base at the left 9 o'clockish, where you can fly right into his backdoor where there's a ton of space to warp in o.o
Mid-master streaming MECH ONLY + commentary www.twitch.tv/yoshikirishima +++ "If all-in fails, all-in again."
tuho12345
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
4482 Posts
August 15 2011 03:30 GMT
#11
I just wish mothership is a lil bit faster and build time quicklier. That's much more awesome, and carriers has lil more health hehe

Nice strat tho. Gonna try this out ASAP
TitleRug
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States651 Posts
August 15 2011 03:34 GMT
#12
i see cruncher do this too. And works pretty well too!
coLCruncher fighting!
Kuja
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
United States1759 Posts
August 15 2011 03:39 GMT
#13
wanted to incorporate motherships into my play, thanks!
“Who's to say that my light is better than your darkness? Who's to say death is better than your darkness? Who am I to say?”
Bippzy
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States1466 Posts
August 15 2011 05:11 GMT
#14
On August 15 2011 12:18 FireBlazzer wrote:
interesting.. i wish the mothership was slighty better of a umit.. its deffintily nor the "uimtamate protoss vessle the said it would be".. and i dont blam them. i dont want to to be all over powerd and stuff.. but.. i wish it was more cost effective. .and worth it


Its more of a rediculous harassment unit in 1v1s. You go on a rampage in your enemies base where you know you wont be able to escape their army and then you mass recall outta there. Also, vortex lets you get really good army positioning vs zerg.

I think it is worth it, and that it will come back as a revolution in PvZ
LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK LEENOCK
NoisyNinja
Profile Joined February 2011
United States991 Posts
August 15 2011 05:35 GMT
#15
I know archon toilets have been nerfed slightly, but they still do decent splash damage after the vortex. Maybe try screwing with those a little too?
vpatrickd
Profile Joined November 2010
Indonesia279 Posts
August 15 2011 05:42 GMT
#16
Tried it, It works wonders lol!
Thanks for sharing!!
CrazyF1r3f0x
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States2120 Posts
August 15 2011 05:58 GMT
#17
How gosu! :O
I'll definitely keep this one tucked away for a rainy day
"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery."
skatbone
Profile Joined August 2010
United States1005 Posts
August 15 2011 07:06 GMT
#18
This is a FAAAST Mothership! I've been two-base mothershipping with carriers for fun against diamond Z. But I miss arbiter recalls and I like how you've incorporated recall into the strat. Thanks for this and your 2gate-expo-10-16 build, Time.
Mercurial#1193
Ranir
Profile Joined June 2011
413 Posts
August 15 2011 07:45 GMT
#19
This is crazy I will have to try it 4 sure thanks for posting but what is the right responce in your opinion that the zerg is supose to have? Have you played a zerg that destroyed you when you did that mother ship rush? thanks.
iSTime
Profile Joined November 2006
1579 Posts
August 15 2011 07:49 GMT
#20
On August 15 2011 16:45 Ranir wrote:
This is crazy I will have to try it 4 sure thanks for posting but what is the right responce in your opinion that the zerg is supose to have? Have you played a zerg that destroyed you when you did that mother ship rush? thanks.


Yeah, there are many ways to beat it. I think the easiest is just to macro well and have a lot of roaches+queens. In my experience hydras are pretty easy to beat, since they won't have many when you get there and they're very weak against guardian shield+lots of zealots.
www.infinityseven.net
1 2 3 4 5 6 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 11h 51m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Hui .274
Nathanias 211
BRAT_OK 44
Nina 10
StarCraft: Brood War
Sexy 30
Bale 8
Dota 2
monkeys_forever376
LuMiX1
Counter-Strike
Fnx 1098
Foxcn289
taco 1
Super Smash Bros
AZ_Axe110
Liquid`Ken26
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu407
Other Games
tarik_tv10053
summit1g7468
Grubby3233
FrodaN1584
C9.Mang0221
Sick44
Maynarde14
Organizations
Other Games
BasetradeTV32
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 21 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• davetesta80
• poizon28 49
• musti20045 38
• Hupsaiya 38
• RyuSc2 3
• Kozan
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• Eskiya23 19
• Azhi_Dahaki7
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• masondota22708
League of Legends
• Doublelift3141
Other Games
• imaqtpie1260
• Shiphtur416
Upcoming Events
Esports World Cup
11h 51m
Reynor vs Zoun
Solar vs SHIN
Classic vs ShoWTimE
Cure vs Rogue
Esports World Cup
1d 12h
CranKy Ducklings
2 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
2 days
CSO Cup
2 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
2 days
Bonyth vs Sziky
Dewalt vs Hawk
Hawk vs QiaoGege
Sziky vs Dewalt
Mihu vs Bonyth
Zhanhun vs QiaoGege
QiaoGege vs Fengzi
FEL
3 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
3 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
3 days
Bonyth vs Zhanhun
Dewalt vs Mihu
Hawk vs Sziky
Sziky vs QiaoGege
Mihu vs Hawk
Zhanhun vs Dewalt
Fengzi vs Bonyth
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
[ Show More ]
Online Event
5 days
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL Xiamen Invitational
Championship of Russia 2025
Murky Cup #2

Ongoing

Copa Latinoamericana 4
Jiahua Invitational
BSL20 Non-Korean Championship
Esports World Cup 2025
CC Div. A S7
Underdog Cup #2
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25

Upcoming

CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
ASL Season 20: Qualifier #1
ASL Season 20: Qualifier #2
ASL Season 20
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
BSL Season 21
RSL Revival: Season 2
Maestros of the Game
SEL Season 2 Championship
uThermal 2v2 Main Event
FEL Cracov 2025
HCC Europe
ESL Pro League S22
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.