• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 02:07
CEST 08:07
KST 15:07
  • 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
Serral wins HomeStory Cup 2914Serral wins Maestros of the Game 243ByuL, and the Limitations of Standard Play3Team Liquid Map Contest #22: Results and Winners7Code S Season 2 (2026): RO4 and Finals Preview12
Community News
Weekly Cups (July 27-Aug 2): SHIN's big week0SC4ALL II: Brood War - $2500 - Dec 5-66SC4ALL II announced - $10,000 prize pool, Dec 5-64PIG STY FESTIVAL 8.0! (13 - 23 August)11Neeb returns to progaming; rejoins ONSYDE15
StarCraft 2
General
SC4ALL II: StarCraft 2 Player Announcement 2/8 Balance hotfix patch 5.0.16b (July 16) August World Ranking: Clem climbs to #2 Daily SC2 Player Grid - feedback wanted Weekly Cups (July 27-Aug 2): SHIN's big week
Tourneys
SC4ALL II announced - $10,000 prize pool, Dec 5-6 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament PIG STY FESTIVAL 8.0! (13 - 23 August) RSL Revival: Season 6 - Qualifiers and Main Event INu's Battles #19 2-Days Event
Strategy
[G] Having the right mentality to improve
Custom Maps
Nexus Wars 2021 GUIDE [M] (2) Industrial Park
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 537 Hostile Territory Mutation # 536 Railroad Switch Mutation # 535 Assembly of Vengeance
Brood War
General
[Personal Project Share] Terran Defense v0.60 BW Drama: Terror's Debt Incident + C9 disbanding BW General Discussion Recent recommended BW games ASL22 General Discussion
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues 2v2v2v2 Tournament SC4ALL II: Brood War - $2500 - Dec 5-6 Escore Tournament - Season 3
Strategy
Any training maps people recommend? Fighting Spirit mining rates Simple Questions, Simple Answers Odyssey Mineral Stack Saturation
Other Games
General Games
General RTS Discussion Thread ZeroSpace Early Access is Now Live! Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Beyond All Reason
Dota 2
Looking for a Dota Mentor Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish TSM pausing esports and CLG Dead
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Power Rank TL Mafia Community Thread NeO.D_StephenKing vs This Guy From 1 Million Dance
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Artificial Intelligence Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine
Fan Clubs
The Clem Fan Club INnoVation Fan Club The Scarlett Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread Movie Discussion! Series you have seen recently... [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 Formula 1 Discussion MLB/Baseball 2023 McBoner: A hockey love story
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread Simple Questions Simple Answers FPS when play League Of Legend on laptop
TL Community
The Automated Ban List Northern Ireland Global Starcraft
Blogs
Please support my new stand…
Peanutsc
What is a Gamer?
TrAiDoS
Hello guys!
LIN1s
ASL S22 English Commentary…
namkraft
Poker (part 2)
Nebuchad
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 3693 users

! [G] 12 Hatch Zerg Guide

Forum Index > Brood War Strategy
Post a Reply
1 2 3 Next All
listal
Profile Joined August 2003
United States228 Posts
Last Edited: 2007-10-18 18:50:27
July 01 2005 10:35 GMT
#1
http://starcraft.strategy-gaming.com/sc/viewtopic.php?t=124

By yours truly. I've been working on it since about last October with the SC community in mind. It's quite broad, and the guide itself is relatively long. Hopefully it's a help to those in a jam with Zerg, those learning Zerg, those searching for a read, etc. Insightful criticism, suggestions and corrections are much appreciated. Pray you like it!
artofmagic
Profile Blog Joined March 2005
United States1951 Posts
July 01 2005 10:41 GMT
#2
i like this! it reminds me of how to play as a zerg.... IM A ZERGLING NOW.. RAra!
evolve or die
LazyTorrasque
Profile Joined March 2005
United States125 Posts
July 01 2005 12:29 GMT
#3
oh thats one nice guide thanks Listal
Testie has no balls
Chanoipy
Profile Joined May 2004
Canada320 Posts
July 01 2005 12:39 GMT
#4
hm.. The only thing I have trouble with is your ZvZ fast expand. You're saying that you want to expand yourself in response?

Why don't you just build the 350 minerals of zerglings he's given you and run him over, or tech to mutas and harrass him to death?
...
exalted
Profile Blog Joined March 2004
United States3612 Posts
July 01 2005 12:59 GMT
#5
If Player A and Player B have identical macro/micro ability, when Player A attacks Player B he will lose, every single time.

Therefore, in Starcraft, there are three ways of getting "ahead" of your opponent and therefore having a successful attack.

a) Expanding - allows you to have a greater economy and hence a larger macro than him

b) Teching - allows you to hurt him becuase your units are efficient at killing his (ala lurker/marine medic) or can hurt his mineral line (dropship for harassment, mutalisk), or prevent him from attacking (say, DT in shuttle vs Terran push)

c) Attacking - if he is doing too much of a or b, the way to stop that is c, hence why pvp is all about the first expand and going up to 4-5 gates before it's thrown down.

Whether a-b-c or is the best decision solely is based on matchups, positions on map, and the maps themselves. For example, in ZvT, often they will do an a, b (fast expand, sunkens - tech to lair), use the b to get an a (mutalisk contain, lurker containing), then b again (to hive, or speed drop for further contain), then finally c.

However, it all depends on what you scout that ultimately decides what is the best choice - if you scout a 1fac cc in the very early stages of development with obs, you can go double expand, tech to DT drop, or atttack with 3 gate + shuttle. If it's late, your options are still the same but a much slower (and less effective) chance of success. If you let your opponent get away with one of these options without really forcing him to pay for it somehow, you will certainly lose.

This is why in low level TvP T's bitch about Protoss being unstoppable - they have little concept of timing and the Protosses aren't very good with it either, Terran expands, Protoss expands, Protoss keeps pumping probes becuase he doesn't know the Terran should attack now, Terran wants to wait until 24 tank, Protoss suddenly has so much money he goes 13-15 gateway vs the Terran 5-6, Terran pushes out, gets raped, calls imbalance.

Good guide!
too easy
radiaL
Profile Joined August 2003
Andorra2690 Posts
July 01 2005 13:27 GMT
#6
Ooh, I liked your post a lot exalted, fun read. Never really understood why that's so hard to gasp for newbies
sideproject: twitch.tv Starcraft II Viewers data - http://twitchsc2data.com/
Sorrow_eyes
Profile Joined February 2005
United States1007 Posts
Last Edited: 2005-07-01 13:58:00
July 01 2005 13:38 GMT
#7
O god... the sacred tome of zerginess! It's a freakin PHD essay!! very very nice.
O and exalted, good points
K just finished the whole thing... It seems that Z knows what is P doing the whole game! O the doomsday ~_~
Myacctmessup: People tried to create a Perfect language that the whole world can communicate with out difficulty, that it is universal and easy to learn. Do you hapen to know what language is it? Fireblast: You mean love?
listal
Profile Joined August 2003
United States228 Posts
July 01 2005 13:45 GMT
#8
Exalted; so true. I would include this into a separate guide, but I believe someone else on SCU may be redoing his beginner's guide (his guide was lost when SCU site admin couldn't upload the old forum's materials for X reason(s)); I think something along the nature of what you wrote is something that belongs in a guide for people that really don't understand the game yet.
exalted
Profile Blog Joined March 2004
United States3612 Posts
July 01 2005 14:28 GMT
#9
This actually isn't for newbies, at higher levels of play its difficult to understand when to come out when it comes down to the subtleties of Zerg vs Terran, or if a wrench is thrown into the mix like, what if an island expo is taken in Protoss vs Terran, you think he's 2 base so you don't attack, what happens when you eventually scout it and you're behind.

Ideally, you need to realize that if it's 2 base vs 2 base, you need to get an academy quickly, becuase his options are:

2 base -> carrier
2 base -> DT -> expand
2 base -> Reaver harass -> expand
2 base -> Island

All require comsat.

If he's going 3 gas defiler in Zerg vs Terran, what should the Terran be doing, attacking straight into lurker ling? Expanding? Teching, and if so, what? Then of course the whole concept of "being ahead, how much can you get away with to even "increase" the lead" (aka, double expanding, how many probes can you get away with based on how many turrets / starport / whatever you see), and the concept of harassment completely blurrs timing and makes Starcraft the way it is.
too easy
[GiTM]-Ace
Profile Joined September 2002
United States4935 Posts
July 01 2005 14:58 GMT
#10
pad making guides. <3
I may not be the best player right now but I think I can beat any 'best' players. I'll beat all the best players and become the best player. Watch me. - Jju
NovaTheFeared
Profile Blog Joined October 2004
United States7232 Posts
July 01 2005 15:49 GMT
#11
I like how you cover aspects of adapting to different strategies for each race but 12 hatch 11 pool isn\'t the optimal way to open every game, even though you can give yourself a chance with it vs. almost anything (the purpose of the guide, yes?).

-Some of the advice was either incomplete/not explained well like \"you absolutely must have 6 sunks vs. 3 rax\". No. You may gradually build up to 5-6 sunks IF your muta harass or lurk/ling stuff isn\'t doing it, but you shouldn\'t be making 6 early. Just imagine making 4 and hatch 3 on time. Much better unless the terran is charging you with a giant M&M army RIGHT NOW.

-ZvZ: I still think 12 hatch 11 pool vs. 9 pool is bad times, much worse than you say. And if they get cheesy and pool earlier than that it\'s GG on the spot. Luckily most zergs will go 12 gas/pool and 12 hatch is advantage there.

I like the guide quite a bit, there are very few builds that really work vs. all races (even if they are to varying degrees). For example vs. random I like to go 12 pool 12 hatch/gas if Z, and 3 hatch @ ~15 if T or P. I don\'t hatch first because random zerg is almost always 9 pool thinking I will hatch first ^^; I think you can go a long way with a 9 pool, 10/9 overlord into 3 hatch vs all too, although that is much harder and requires excellent multitasking to micro your first 6 lings plus balance your econ.
日本語が分かりますか
Caution
Profile Joined September 2004
2059 Posts
July 01 2005 16:12 GMT
#12
wowsa nice guide thank you
listal
Profile Joined August 2003
United States228 Posts
July 02 2005 05:13 GMT
#13
On July 02 2005 00:49 nova_442 wrote:
I like how you cover aspects of adapting to different strategies for each race but 12 hatch 11 pool isn\'t the optimal way to open every game, even though you can give yourself a chance with it vs. almost anything (the purpose of the guide, yes?).

-Some of the advice was either incomplete/not explained well like \"you absolutely must have 6 sunks vs. 3 rax\". No. You may gradually build up to 5-6 sunks IF your muta harass or lurk/ling stuff isn\'t doing it, but you shouldn\'t be making 6 early. Just imagine making 4 and hatch 3 on time. Much better unless the terran is charging you with a giant M&M army RIGHT NOW.

-ZvZ: I still think 12 hatch 11 pool vs. 9 pool is bad times, much worse than you say. And if they get cheesy and pool earlier than that it\'s GG on the spot. Luckily most zergs will go 12 gas/pool and 12 hatch is advantage there.

I like the guide quite a bit, there are very few builds that really work vs. all races (even if they are to varying degrees). For example vs. random I like to go 12 pool 12 hatch/gas if Z, and 3 hatch @ ~15 if T or P. I don\'t hatch first because random zerg is almost always 9 pool thinking I will hatch first ^^; I think you can go a long way with a 9 pool, 10/9 overlord into 3 hatch vs all too, although that is much harder and requires excellent multitasking to micro your first 6 lings plus balance your econ.


You're right, but I only meant this guide to be for 12-hatch. I'll write 12 pool, 11-10 pool/gas, 9 pool, 10/9 pool + 11 hatch, etc. things in the future. I have plans!
sundance
Profile Blog Joined May 2004
Slovakia3201 Posts
July 02 2005 06:38 GMT
#14
Nice basics.Nothing new to me , but i belive there are many people who would afford this guide.
I don't agree with some things but it's ok in overall.
GJ.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
17070 Posts
July 02 2005 08:18 GMT
#15
The guide is very nice for a beginner, mainly because it focuses a bit on timing (an issue many people have trouble with). I'm looking forward for other articles written by you in the future
Moderator
listal
Profile Joined August 2003
United States228 Posts
August 27 2005 08:40 GMT
#16
i reupdated a ton of this guide! i added many many many many openings to expand it out of 12 hatch so that it is not seemingly focused on beginner zerg players. i edited the beginning too. people mentioned a lot about my lack of an explanation regarding upgrades, so i fixed it. i also fixed an "equation" / explanation on z economy or whatever in the intro by almost completely removing that area and adding something else. please check it out and give me some feedback
NeX-HamartiA
Profile Joined May 2005
United States244 Posts
August 27 2005 09:04 GMT
#17
Ahhhhh thank you, GodlyRice
In The Arms Of.
OneOther
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States10774 Posts
August 27 2005 13:59 GMT
#18
Thank you ^_^ nice work
NovaTheFeared
Profile Blog Joined October 2004
United States7232 Posts
August 27 2005 15:19 GMT
#19
Yes this was definitely a good piece before and it's good now. This is how you help out the community!
日本語が分かりますか
[GiTM]-Ace
Profile Joined September 2002
United States4935 Posts
August 27 2005 17:21 GMT
#20
its fine kinda long tho. i still prefer my usual "what did i do wrong" when we watch reps 2gether. it helps me alot more
I may not be the best player right now but I think I can beat any 'best' players. I'll beat all the best players and become the best player. Watch me. - Jju
1 2 3 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 2h 53m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Nina 145
StarCraft: Brood War
Rain 3788
GuemChi 2470
Calm 2234
Tasteless 264
Leta 231
sorry 32
Bale 30
PianO 26
ZergMaN 14
Icarus 13
[ Show more ]
Noble 12
League of Legends
JimRising 764
Counter-Strike
Coldzera 1255
m0e_tv536
Other Games
summit1g6136
Fuzer 70
Livibee15
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick705
StarCraft: Brood War
UltimateBattle 74
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 15 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• practicex 28
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• Mapu48
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• lizZardDota2137
League of Legends
• Lourlo1123
• Stunt431
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
2h 53m
Kung Fu Cup
4h 53m
Replay Cast
17h 53m
The PondCast
1d 3h
OSC
1d 3h
INu's Battles
1d 4h
Percival vs Cure
Classic vs Clem
Replay Cast
1d 17h
Escore
2 days
IntoTheTV X SOOP
2 days
RSL Revival
3 days
herO vs SHIN
Clem vs Solar
Serral vs Rogue
[ Show More ]
RSL Revival
4 days
WardiTV Weekly
5 days
The Patches Monday
5 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
6 days
PiG Sty Festival
6 days
PiGosaur Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-08-03
CranK Gathers Season 4: BW vs SC2 Team League
Eternal Conflict S2 Finale

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 3
K-JUNGMAN
Acropolis #5
RSL Revival: Season 6
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 2026
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S3: W6
Escore Tournament S3: W7
CSLAN 4
ASL Season 22
Escore Tournament S3: W8
Acropolis #5 - TRS
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
HSC XXX
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
PiG Sty Festival 8.0
Big Dog Cup 2026 Div 1
Thunderpick World Champ.
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
Logitech G Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #5
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
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 © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.