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[G][H] Muta ZvZ

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
Post a Reply
sivadnivek
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States45 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-29 20:08:13
December 29 2011 17:29 GMT
#1
Hi TL! This is my first guide, and I basically want to just get down some of my thoughts on what I think is a superiour ZvZ style. I'm a platinum player who often gets matched up with low/mid tier diamond. I find that against these diamond players, I win very frequently in the ZvZ matchup with my strategy. However, I do struggle quite a bit in the ZvP matchup especially. Regardless, I'd like to touch on some critical points of my strat, and then add some thoughts for various stages of the game. So, my strat is more or less as follows:

Open 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"
agahamsorr0w
Profile Joined April 2011
Netherlands359 Posts
December 29 2011 17:38 GMT
#2
3rd muta guide for zvz or something. You didn't mention that armor for mutas are more valuable, though it costs more. Ling upgrades are also very helpful to keep the base advantage. If you have already won the game in the late game then your opponent is doing something wrong...
Isomer
Profile Joined November 2010
United States186 Posts
December 29 2011 19:22 GMT
#3
1. 14g14p is not an aggressive opening in ZvZ. It's actually the safest opening because you are safe against early pools (6-8) and slightly early pools (10-12).
2. 6-8 pools are actually not advantages against 15hatches who have proper decision making, as shown in a recent guide on TL. It is actually an even battle if you cancel the hatchery and use your drones to defend your morphing pool, considering you will have 15+ drones to fight with and he will only have 6 zerglings initially.
3. "7:30-9:00 or whenever I remember lol" is not a good Lair timing. If you are going mutas, you should strive to get your Lair slightly after your opponent, because mutalisks thrive when you are playing with an economic lead. This is because they stack really nicely and they are very fast, so the more of them you have the more cost efficient they can be. Furthermore, the chance of losing them to infestors is lessened if your opponent is behind because he will need to drone up or tech and risk losing to an all-in before infestors.

Think your play could use some refinement! There are some really good guides out there by blade, dApollo, chanmanV, MrBitter, and others which might help you on your quest for ZvP improvement. Personally, I go roach-ling and early 3rd (against FFE) and then go for quick hive tech (as opposed to mutas).
There's nothing cooler than being proud of what you love
sivadnivek
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States45 Posts
December 29 2011 19:29 GMT
#4
Thanks guys! @Isomer, I wasn't suggesting using mutas in ZvP, I agree with your suggestion. Also the 3."7:30-9:00 or whenever I remember lol" is admittedly the weakest part of this style of play for me. I like the idea to get it slightly after them, as yes economy is the most vital part of this play style.
Kaien
Profile Joined August 2011
Belgium178 Posts
December 29 2011 19:41 GMT
#5
on maps like meta and anitga, you should not go for muta but instead take a fast third and go roach/hydra.
it will practicly win evry time over muta
sivadnivek
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States45 Posts
December 29 2011 20:27 GMT
#6
@Kaien what are you basing that on? I don't mean to disagree directly, but you should check out that first replay; and I'm just wondering what your thought process is on that. Now granted, in that replay, neither me nor my opponent is playing anywhere near perfectly, perhaps not even that well.
sivadnivek
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States45 Posts
December 29 2011 20:28 GMT
#7
Also, Kaien, the thing about what I tried to outline above is that I don't let my opponent take a fast third, I keep the bane/ling pressure on them until I am comfortably ahead
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