So today's game is yet another long one, probably the longest I've had recently. Zergs at the level I'm playing now really don't like letting me get into crazy safe macro mode where my carriers shine the brightest. I've been contemplating creating a new sort of stargate->double expand build to be able to do such a feat. Since hydra/ling or mutas seems to be the current meta for zergs, perhaps making oracles for defense against lings early on, then making either phoenix or more oracles later on depending on the zerg's tech path, could help me secure my 2nd and 3rd bases... (I only say double expand because that seems necessary to make up for the time/resources put into fact, defensive oracles).
Tomorrow's daily will be theory crafting the above build, maybe I'll grope around in the dark to get a grasp of what I want to do.
Into the game!!!
replay : http://drop.sc/342731
The Game
Early Game
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Starting off the game with nothing out of the ordinary, a fast expand from the zerg and an FFE from me. I slip up a tiny bit with the timing of my 1st pylon (8 instead of 9 supply! Oh the horror!) but it doesn't really affect me too much. I try some querky annoyances by placing down a pylon at his natural (canceled before creation).
Awww how cute, Johnson had his first pylon! And it's a proxy too!
I end up letting the zerg get his third fairly uncontested, although I usually am not in a very good situation to put up a fight anyways. Meanwhile I go into my awkward phase of trying to get down a stargate and produce voidrays while not actually having enough money to do so (it's terrible build wise, but it works... that's also why I really need to find a real "build" for PvZ ).
And this is what I'd be using all my money on... IF I HAD ANY!!!
Since I've been trouble forcing the zerg to divert money from drones early on, I tried to harass a ltitle bit with my voidray today. It didn't gow ell, with my voidray getting warded away before getting any damage in at all. Heck, the only thing I did was to force spores. I suppose that showing the voidray did make him decide to go for hydralisks though... which is great for me, as long as it's not mutalisk I'm happy with PvZ.
My zerg enemy gets his remaining assimilators at around 9:39, soon after my 3rd base goes down. From here usually is where I make or break the game, this critical time of securing my 3rd.
Ew, what's that smell?
My scouting this game is fairly good. I was pretty scared of mutalisks because of another recent loss to them, so my sentries were scouting around with hallucinations vigilantly. My hallucinated phoenix manages to snag on to confirm that he's going hydralisks, and actually just barely see his army moving out as well.
Wheee!
Mid Game
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At 13 minutes in the zerg prepares to attack with his army of ling/hydra. Right at the same time, my researching of psionic storm also completes. My BS build actually is getting stuff on time! Perhaps my keen instincts actually are better than I thought... or my BS build fits perfectly with the meta game. Either way, prepare for a defense!!!
Zerg army VS Toss army! Who wins? Who's next? YOU DECIDE!!!
My prediction that he would attack my 3rd base was incorrect, but probably ended up better since it left my ground army in a position to block off the zerg's retreat. As he moves up the ramp to my 3rd, voidrays and zealots/HTs move in to intercept.
I actually utilize force fields for once, stopping his advance, while blasting out a storm. He doesn't stick around inside of it for too long, but my HT are already quite fueled up on energy.
Pillar or psionic-ness!
His units get a quick and easy surround onto my ground units, but having served their purpose of killing off hydralisks, I think that they were lost for a good cause.
The hydra count is shredded down just enough, and my voidrays scare off the zerg for the time being. I also even managed to save my HT by merging them! What a deal!
Now that's a 2 for 1 sale...
Now I'm where I like to be! 3 fully saturated bases, adding on mass gateways, adding on a fleet beacon and boosting out upgrades. I float a lot more minerals than I would want, but it's OK since I don't like having too many zealots (weaker air army). I probably should consider getting a robo at about this time int he game to utilize zealot warp-ints into their base to both waste resources and deal damage (maybe even snipe tech!).
I'd say some joke about Sim-City but... no one would want to live in such a badly arranged town.
Since I have so many resources just stock piled up, I decide to expand and build as many cannons as possible all around. My enemy starts building corruptors, because... ya know, voidrays are beat by corruptors?? no.
End Game
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This game ends up turning into a massive turtle fest by the zerg. After a fairly good engagement, the only thing that really keeps me out of his base is a wall of spore/spine crawlers that he smacks down. In retrospect I probably could have broken through, but I didn't want to take the risk of losing my fleet.
Eat some void to the face!
In my opinion, the zerg overmade drones this game. His drone count is at 81 (even higher before making the static D) and to be quite honest it probably starts to hurt his army size more than complement it with income. Zerg suicide forces can be so strong because of the ability to re-max, but when they're not being aggressive that obviously is irrelevant.
Random macro-ing. Raggle fraggle.
I also start some light harassment with DTs, mostly to be annoying. No hard damage down.
He attempt a ling run-by, but I actually utilize my minimal map awareness to force field them out.
WELL DONE PHALANX, YOU LEARNED TO FF!
To prepare for a final push, my ground army goes ahead and kills off the spore wall.
And so comes the last battle! Quite a good deal of corruptors in his army, probably expecting to kill my air units off then finishing me with hydras. But neigh, no such zergy-win shall be rewarded by I!
Oh gawd all the storms...
Pew pew, roll into his base for the win! Warp in mohr gateway units and archons help out with eliminating the remaining corruptors too.
GEEGEE!!!!!
Aw yiss, so another day, another few ladder points that fluctuate. Actually have a win rate that's less than 50% now... gotta work on that! Tomorrow, once again, will be theory crafting by me to try to make myself a new and improved PvZ build. Check in tomorrow if you want to contribute or mooch off of ideas!
Thank you, as usual for reading! Your views fuel my passion! Recognition/acceptance from random strangers over the internet means so much in this world. Have a great day, and GL HF on the ladder!
P.S.
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P.S.S.
Now part of Not A Chance Gaming, Phalanx provides a helpful link for you feeble folks support NAC!!
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P.S.S.S
Corgi must sniff shoe!
edit : Corgi is now is proper working order