EPTOpen aggressively. Especially on larger maps, players will be tempted to do one of two things mostly in ZvZ. Players will often 6-10 pool to get a meta-advantage on the second most likely option, which is a FE. So to account for both of these possibilities, I open aggressively with 14 gas 14 pool baneling play. This allows for me to establish a quick expansion (~21 supply) and also gain an economic advantage by microing properly with baneling ling. Also, if I open in this way I'm not vulnerable to 6 pools, 8 pools, 10 pools -- whatever fast pool strat my opponent uses.
Mid-game tech behind your aggressive open. This is a part of my strategy that needs a little more thought, admittedly. I generally strive for a 7:30 - 9:00 lair, depending upon how my aggression is going (and when I remember lol). Sadly, most of the games I lose are lost here. Either my opponent pushes while I tech too quickly, or s/he takes advantage of my late teching and gets out fast mutas of their own. I tend to find that when one player gets more mutas faster, that player wins. Thus, my mid-game strategy is to get out mutas as safely as possible, but also as quickly as possible. Finding the balance here can be quite challenging.
Mid- to late-game harassment. Keeping the muta count high is seemingly the most important thing to do in this stage of the game. Also, upgrades are extremely helpful here. Another objective in this game stage is to get up more expansions (safely, carefully though) than your opponent. This is where I find myself floating minerals and like to build lots of extra lings for mobility and also spine crawlers to prevent suicide roach/hydra/infestor attacks. But, it's important not to lose sight of the fact that this is where a lot of damage can be done. All overlords on the map should be killed at this point, all expansions scouted for, and then finally it's really easy to pick off extraneous gasses at various expansions of the opponent's. This picking off of gasses puts you way ahead in your mutalisk to mutalisk count, or your muta to hydra count.
Late game, whatever. Here is where you've already won the game, and can go towards whatever kind of lategame you like. I find myself playing against hydra roach A LOT. I'm not sure why I don't see a lot of diamond players going for this composition, as opposed to faster and more infestors, but for me the easy counter is getting up a good bane/ling count and attacking with the intention of my ground army just killing hydras/infestors, and then mutas cleaning up. Granted this choice is one that you'll have to make on the fly, just in a responsive way to your opponent's tech choices. banes can also effectively devastate mineral lines in this stage of the game, especially if your opponent went for some kind of roach/infestor play and is less mobile than you. Do something like pull their infestors away with harrass then suicide ~15 banes to kill many, many drones elsewhere. The key to lategame for me is to stay mobile with my whole army, however hunkering down once you've secured your marginal advantage can also be a good move.
This style works very well for me, but I'd love to hear your [critical] input.
Ok, well, that's about it from me. I'll post one replay with this, and maybe edit in a few later once I find them. Please give me your comments on both substantive matters, and also on the format of this brief guide! Thanks a lot.
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/16685
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replay-videos/16686
I'm gEnKiipUucHu.266 please add me with questions or for some games! Also, I stream pretty frequently on this site (although I think it's been disabled from the non-featured section even) as "sivadnivek"
