7 Roach + Burrow Rush Build - ZvP

JaqMs

United States73 Posts

February 06 2013 07:00 GMT

7 Roach Rush + Burrow Build

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I'd like to introduce a strong and flexible roach+burrow rush for ZvP that I've been working on. This rush hits at 6:00 with 7 roaches with burrow (they don't all arrive at the same time though). Some key points of why this build can be effective:

1. The roach warren is built after you make a set of lings, so opponent's scouting may be denied. Pretend to send a drone to your natural if need be.

2. Unlike other roach rush builds, not all the roaches are built at the same time once a larva inject pops. This allows you to "cancel" the rush based on what you scout.

3. With proper micro, you basically have an invincible army due to burrow. Retreat and burrow injured roaches one at a time, while the others do damage. This takes practice.

Build Order

9 - Overlord
13 - Pool
13 - Extractor
15 - Overlord + lings + queen
18 - Drone
19 - Drone
20 - Roach warren (once lings chases out scouting probe)
@100 gas - Burrow
19 - Overlord
19 - Drone
20-34 - Roaches, rallied to opponent's base
...expand or continue building units

Against FFE, you're almost guaranteed to do heavy damage. At 6:00, the toss will not have the production or tech to deal with burrowed roaches. If there are multiple cannons at the wall, it's better to walk/bust through, ignore the cannons, and burrow heal once inside the base. At this point, you can probably take down a nexus or kill many probes. The most important part for the rush's success is to burrow roaches one at a time (away from cannon's detection range) once they reach low health. This allows you to stay in the base for a very long time while you either macro up or wait for reinforcements.

I've found this build to be at least safe against 1 base play, since you do have burrow roaches to hold any pushes. It might not be effective against 3 gate sentry expands or the like, but I haven't seen that around in a while. This build may also work in ZvT, as it will hard counter any fast expands.

Here is a replay of the build: http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=22975548121858716384

Let me know what you guys think and if there are any effective counters to the build.

BigRedDog

461 Posts

February 06 2013 07:44 GMT

TangSC did a similar guide (just check the forum). His guide is a bit later. You build your hatch first. Then pool, extractor....

This is a one base play (almost all-in). If you don't do significant damage to the exp, the toss has a big lead.

The probe scouting your exp and not seeing a hatch might be suspicious of your play (i know i would).

Targe

United Kingdom14103 Posts

February 06 2013 08:30 GMT

On February 06 2013 16:44 BigRedDog wrote:
TangSC did a similar guide (just check the forum). His guide is a bit later. You build your hatch first. Then pool, extractor....

This is a one base play (almost all-in). If you don't do significant damage to the exp, the toss has a big lead.

The probe scouting your exp and not seeing a hatch might be suspicious of your play (i know i would).

I thought seven roach rush was always considered all in?

neoghaleon55

United States7435 Posts

February 06 2013 08:56 GMT

yea
I really really don't like this build for several reasons.

1. It's an allin, you cannot drone well after sending the roaches because you're stuck with 1hatch worth of larva supplies
2. Protoss sees you on 1base with the scouting probe and they will throw up a whole mess of cannons, then you're screwed.
3. There really isn't a followup if you don't do enough damage, just type gg.

doggy

Germany306 Posts

February 06 2013 09:09 GMT

Please don't get that wrong, i dont wanna be offensive.. but:

First of all, Tang has made (and i even dont like his guide/build at all) a similiar build, and his is a lot better. If you go for a 13pool followed up by gas BEFORE you have zerglings out, all alarm clocks should ring for protoss. Means, he just goes for tons of cannons to not allow you enter with anything, be it roach with burrow or roach ling. Furthermore its even more allin than tangs build, i think doing that BO results in one loss after another

There is no chance you will ever catch a scouting oponent off-guard with this. And even if you do, you have just 15 drones and one base at home. So even if you somehow kill the natural, protoss should still be ahead. But i doubt that you will even achieve killing the natural if your opponent isnt on autopilote mode

tar

Germany991 Posts

February 06 2013 12:32 GMT

I don't see it working either since burrow is not helping u the slightest.

if ur opponent is FFEing and u roach rush him, it's all about breaking the front, if u can, u win or do tremendous amounts of damage, if u don't - well - u r screwed.
Protoss response is gonna be almost all the time to thicken their wall, ie closing gaps with buildings and setting up a second perimeter. if that happens cannot go in, touch the cannons or do anything at all with ur burrow.
The toss in ur replay even saw the roaches passing along the watch tower yet all he did was pulling 3 probes to help the zealot block the gap and only when they died he decided to try to block with a pylon that then was easy for u to kill and walk in.

So if u want to go for that kind of rush and don't rely on ur opponent to totally screw up I'd recommend trading burrow for more or faster roaches.

However, if u want to give it a try PM me and we check out how this build fares against certain types of FFEs

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