EPT![[image loading]](http://files.getdropbox.com/u/4422/TL/translations.PNG)
Original author: Kim Yeon Woo.
Source: http://www.pgr21.com/zboard4/zboard.php?id=free2&page=1&sn1=on&divpage=6&sn=on&ss=off&sc=off&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=37892
Original Date: June 8, 2009.
Even a month is too long a time for the rapidly changing ZvP trend. It must be the third time I'm writing about the ZvP trend since '08. All I have been doing was writing something every time something significant has happened in ZvP. In fact, between the last time I wrote something on ZvP and this time, there have been two changes, so ZvP has evolved even more than I let on.
Why today's ZvP is balanced
Let us talk a little bit about the past, about 3.3 [the day Bisu stomps Savior].
During the 3.3 revolution, Savior and Bisu's builds are as follows.
Muta-lurk, Corsair-dark.
Muta-lurk is the representative strategy of the era. It eats up Zeal-temp. But the build that completely eats up Muta-lurk is the Corsair build, the 3.3 build.
Before the 3.3 build, ZvP looks like this:
Hydra-ling < Zealot-temp < Muta-lurk.
Zerglings and Hydras cannot out-battle Zealots and Templars, while Zealots and Templars are crushed by Mutalisks and Lurkers. Because of this exceedingly simple chain of counters, Zerg simply goes Muta-lurk to own Protoss. Protoss players get owned even as they know that Muta-lurk is coming. That's because there is no build to counter the Muta-lurk build.
3.3 is the day when the Corsair card is played against Muta-lurk. Mutalisks were always weak against Corsairs, but it is realized that the Lurkers' inability to attack air is a huge setback as well. Of course, Bisu's outstanding use of Corsairs as scouts and superb army management cannot be left out of this realization.
Anyway, as a result of these changes, the Zerg's solve-all build falls apart and the Protoss enjoy wielding the solve-all build, which, until late 2007, becomes the definitive PvZ build. The ZvP has then evolved as follows.
Hydra-ling < Zealot-temp < Muta-lurk < Corsair.
During this era in which Protosses walk all over Zergs, Savior continues to attempt Muta-lurk against the Corsair build. Even through the decline of the Muta-lurk build, it is Savior trying to salvage ZvP in his own way. However, even he could not stop the evolution of PvZ.
But there is another Zerg who counters this evolution in his own way. His name is Park Sung Jun. JulyZerg's Hydra-ling out-battles Zealot-temp. As a result, even through the decline of Muta-lurk, JulyZerg remains strong at ZvP.
Here, Jaedong redefines the interplay between Hydra-ling and Corsairs with the Neo-Sauron build.
Hydra-ling < Zealot-temp < Muta-lurk < Corsair < Hydra-ling.
With Neo-Sauron, Zerg achieves economic superiority, and uses the build that takes most advantage of superior econ -- Hydra-ling. Through Jaedong's efforts, ZvP finally evolves to a complete build cycle.
After this, ZvP has been a chase around this build cycle.
During the era in which Zealot-temp and Muta-lurk are definitive builds, Zergs are strong.
Bisu introduces Corsairs, Muta-lurk and Corsairs are definitive builds, and Protoss is strong.
Jaedong introduces Neo-Sauron, Corsairs and Hydra-ling are definitive builds, and Zerg is strong.
Led by T1 Protoss, the Zealot-temp-2-archon build is introduced, Neo-Sauron and 2-archon are definitive builds, and Protoss is strong.
After this, Muta-lurk revives as a counter to Zealot-temp-2-archon, Muta-lurk and 2-archon are definitive builds, and Zerg is strong.
ZvP's build cycle is completed in 2007. Strategic evolution simply becomes a chase around the cycle and huge favorable swings towards either race disappears. That is why ZvP is now balanced.
Muta-hydra, 2-archon-corsair
During this cycle-chasing era, Zergs of late have been developing something peculiar. After the completion of the ZvP build cycle, the Neo-Sauron style that revolves around Hydras begins to incorporate Mutalisks and Lurkers. Lately, one can tell by the almost textbook opening of Neo-Sauron Hydra-Muta that recent ZvP builds are very dynamic.
The Protoss response is no less impressive. It is the revival of the 2-archon build.
The speedlot + 2-archon build is the prototypical Zealot-temp build. During 1.07, Zeus greatly enjoys using speedlot + 2-archon. After the tremendous evolution of Mutalisk micro, it is discovered that this build suffers terribly from templars getting sniped. Thus, the build is eaten up by Muta-lurk.
But just as Zerg adds Muta-lurk to Neo-Sauron, Protoss adds Corsairs to 2-archon. Two to three Corsairs protect Templars from getting sniped. This becomes the norm. Recent Protosses, particularly Bisu, changes this up a bit, and adds 3-4 more Corsairs for a total of 6-7 Corsairs to snipe Overlords and take the game.
Thus, if Zerg masses Mutalisks and Lurkers, Protoss follows the cycle and masses Corsairs. As Protoss masses Corsairs, Zerg needs to mass Hydras and Lings. This cycle of responses dominates today's ZvP.
It is truly an era in which "the better player wins." In today's ZvP, neither race has a superior build that unilaterally decides games.
Effort's early to midgame Zergling management
The mentioned trend is today's ZvP. These changes lay the foundations of the the build cycle put together by Bisu, Jaedong, and others. Now, a new build starts to wriggle out of the established build cycle.
Management and game sense were two things Savior excelled at. He had a natural talent for managing Zerglings early to midgame.
Even during his debut, Savior's Zergling management was more than impressive. In his first televised game, a 2-0 victory against Pusan, to his impressive victory over Jju on Detonation, to his victory over iloveoov in Cyon, his Zergling management was greatly effective. Savior's good Zergling management has remained effective even today, and as a result, his ZvZ remains relatively strong.
However, in today's ZvP, early to midgame Zerglings are nowhere to be found. Besides denying scouts, Zerglings do not get any spotlight at all. Only after Adrenal do we see mass Zerglings. The reason lies in the Protoss unit composition. With Zealot-temp, 2-archons completely annihilate Zerglings. With Corsair-Reaver, Reavers create a Zergling slaughterhouse. Protoss builds naturally produce Zergling counter units, so Zerglings are nowhere to be found.
Zerglings follow the maxim, "the longer alive, the less effective." The strong attack power of Zerglings does ridiculously well against Dragoons and other units at close range, but once Protoss produces Zergling counter units, no number of Zerglings can overcome them. Therefore, if Zerglings do not get destroyed and stay alive longer, Terran and Protoss can simply change their builds to counter Zerglings, and Zerglings instantly take on no more than the "about to get destroyed" role [presumably to free up food].
Thus, to excel at early to midgame Zergling management, the player must clearly understand his opponent's situation, his own situation, and the current environment. It is a management that teeters at the border, where one mistake can lead to failure. Make too few, all get slaughtered. Make too many, all lose value.
Late 2008, Protoss takes advantage of this fact and pressures Zergs. Protosses go double Nexus followed by 1gate, pumping 5-6 Zealots to pressure Zergs. This timing is before Hydras; that is, when Zergs have to build drones. To block 6 Zealots, Zerg has to make quite a few Zerglings. However, these Zerglings become a waste because Reavers and Archons, which slaughter Zerglings, soon follow.
But Effort is different. His Zerglings are not the response to a pressuring Protoss. His Zerglings are pressuring Lings used to annul Reavers and Archons. It is undeniable that Reavers and Archons slaughter Lings, but that is only when the situation allows for it. If there are no support units or the grounds unfavorable, the Zergling counters become countered by Zerglings.
Effort takes advantage of this small exception. As soon as he scouts the Protoss build with some Scourge, he uses Zerglings to thwart a measly group of Protoss units trying to setup a second expo and messes up the Protoss build.
Once Zerglings effectively pressure Protoss, the saved up gas is then used to pump Mutalisks and Scourge to dominate Corsairs. It is then that the gas-free Zerglings show yet another reason why they are effective.
It is completely different from Hydra-muta. Hydras cost more minerals and gas than one would expect, and as a result, a 3-gas Zerg does not properly produce Mutalisks. Zerglings cost only minerals, and as a result, 3-gas can be converted completely into Mutalisks and Scourge.
Unlike Hydra-muta, losing one round of Mutalisks allows for another round. That is because Hydralisks are not the main combat units. Through the sacrifice of Zerglings, the saved up gas allows for an easy transition into Muta-lurk, and this leads precisely into Savior's ZvP strategy that dominated Protosses for an entire era.
I wrote a lot about Effort's innovative ZvP, but it is up in the air whether Effort himself can continue to lead these changes. That is because Zerglings are Effort's ZvP foundations and their usage window is very narrow. Therefore, it is hard to tell whether Effort's impressive use of Zerglings is due to his good build in general or his personal management of them. That is, is his Zergling play an extension of the 2007 Savior build, or is Savior's build a natural extension of his innovative early Zergling strategy?
This question can be answered simply, because we have Bisu, the best PvZ player of today, or possibly of all time. Therefore, if Effort's build defeats Bisu, then it means that even Bisu's management cannot overcome the build and that the result is due to a clash between builds, one superior and one inferior.
The days of Zeal-temp and Muta-lurk are gone. The current build cycle created by Bisu and Jaedong dominate ZvP today. It remains to be seen whether Effort's build, which has stepped out of the cycle, will end up like a tempest in a teapot or flip ZvP upside down and lead to a revolution.
Some Netizen comments:
Pina (mirrored by our own iNfeRnaL): The resources it takes Zerg to tech-switch from Hydraling to Muta-hydra is far less than the resources it takes for Protoss to tech-switch from Zealot-temp to Corsair. So even though the times have changed, Zergs still hold the better card. Bisu has fast hands and amazing multitasking skills so he can out-guerrilla the Zerg.
So it seems like this article is not really 'PvZ' but 'Bisu v Z'...
Kim Yeon Woo's reply: Yes, in terms of switching, Zerg has it cheaper than Protoss.
But Protoss has something over Zerg as well. That is the ability to out-battle frail Zerg units. In terms of comparably expensive units, Protoss units are much more efficient than Zerg units, and Lurkers are needed to turn the tables.
Because these two points are Zerg and Protoss favoring respectively, if each race plays up its advantage, they should cancel out.
Nostradamus: After Storm, I upgrade Maelstrom and use one DA to stop Mutalisks from sniping Templars. Like Zerg's Ensnare, it threatens the opponent's build altogether from working, so I'm wondering whether this fast DA could be the right response... What do others think? I don't think I'm just theorycrafting.
Kim Yeon Woo's reply: In terms of the DA, its effectiveness is good but it delays High Templars. Though gas usage is not too big a problem, clicking Maelstrom in Templar Archives could delay Storm. So even if you pour enough resources to attain both Temps and DAs, they won't be ready simultaneously. It's also hard to do this in addition to getting a Robo for Observers.
So the unit you can get at the same time, Corsairs, seem to be a better choice.
Some scrub: I'm wondering if Effort owning Stork was something else, because yesterday Stork did a very risky build. If he succeeded with it, it would have been great, but clearly it was a big risk.
Kim Yeon Woo's reply: First, the Zergling strat is good when the scourge scouts a fast third expo.
If there are at most 2 gateways, then the Protoss is going High Temps with photons leading to a fast third. This build is popular on maps that beg for it, such as God's Garden.
I'm wondering, if Zerglings can be put more to use, can they be more useful than in this case? As for now, it seems that 'harassing Protoss' third' is the only really effective use for it. Often, Protoss just makes 6 gateways before making a third.
Kim Yeon Woo's reply: Because Lair-timing battles are advantageous for the Protoss, Zerg must play defensively until Hive. If Zerg goes Hive, Protoss tries to match the Zerg's expo count. Otherwise, with the han-bang Protoss takes some advantage with Lair-timing battles.
I don't know too well for TvZ. I'm a toss user... [in response to another question -- now we know he plays Toss!]
