Sad State of BW Strategy

On October 28 2025 10:41 Kraekkling wrote:
I thought it might be fruitful to look at maps where Protoss has been doing well vs Zerg. Maybe we can identify some of the relevant map features and use them more frequently in the future.

Here's a selection of maps from eloboard where Protoss has a WR above 50%. I left out maps which are rather non-standard, e.g. Monty Hall or Minstrel. There actually aren't that many maps that fit this description, so I included three more maps with WRs very close to 50% (Apocalypse, Pole Star, Neo Sylphid).


maps that nerf the 973 build

KnockOut+ Show Spoiler +
Tempest+ Show Spoiler +
Revolver+ Show Spoiler +

Each of these three maps somehow nerf the 973 hydra builds. I'd really like to see both the low-ground stripe of KnockOut used more often in the future, as well as the particular double entrance layout on Revolver.


other

Butter+ Show Spoiler +
Citadel+ Show Spoiler +
Invader+ Show Spoiler +
PoleStar+ Show Spoiler +
Apocalypse+ Show Spoiler +
Neo Sylphid+ Show Spoiler +

Here it's somewhat harder to pinpoint a specific feature. To me it seems like on some of these maps its particularly hard to play the midgame hydra/lurker zone control as Zerg. As Zerg, you'd like to have a single, big Lurker field which can be constantly reinforced and Protoss is forced to attack into it. Some of these maps either have a layout where the expansions are positioned in such a way that it's awkward to set up this defensive lurker field (Citadel, Blitz, Invader); or the map layout is in a way such that Protoss can attack into the lurker field from an advantageous high ground position (Butter, Pole Star).

A somewhat recurring feature might also be the presence of easily defensible, single-ramp highground expansions.

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Last, there are some specific features that can be added to basically any map. One is the possibility to cannon rush at the natural, and another is the presence of tight spots at expansions where Zealots can be positioned so that only a single Zergling can attack them. Anything else?

Please add if anything is missing here and why you think the maps above are good for Protoss.

What other features could be used on maps that would help Protoss in this matchup? I think of particular interest are things that don't otherwise break or change the game too much, while also not having too big of an influence on the other matchups...