Starcraft 2 Beta - Zerg Build Order and General Strategy
Just leaving some notes - someone as bad as me might find this interesting or (maybe) useful while playing the Starcraft 2 Beta. It should at least give someone a place to start off while playing Zerg and heading off to the Bronze League (awwwyeah). I think I’ll also try to write a build-order simulator to search for optimal builds given different utility functions when I have the time. Also keep in mind this lolnewb theorycraft. Helpful critique is gladly accepted though.
Key Ideas:
- You are larvae-constrained at the beginning of the game. Each larvae should be used ASAP.
- You are vespene-constrained early game. The extra minerals you get should be used for 1) Expansion and thereby more larvae, more vespene 2) Base defense 3) Zerglingslololol if you want to maintain pressure
On to the build:
Roach Rush BO
- 10 Overlord
- 13 Spawning Pool
- 14/15 Extractor (Basically whenever all your larvae are used up)
- 15 Overlord
- SP finishes, Queen, Roach Den, one pair of zerglings for scouting purposes
- Pump out Roaches
Edit: safer alternative on small maps, where you might see really early rush or proxy bases.
- 14 Extractor
- 14 Drone
- SP finishes, Queen, 2x Zergling
At this point, you should have 6 Roaches popping out. This will be enough against any early rush (though if I see double reactor barracks or triple stargate or something dumb, I’ll lay down a spine crawler or two to use up extra minerals) AND fast enough to send against a fast expand or fast tech for at least a little harassment.
If you think you can win the game from there, keep pumping out the roaches and zerglings when you don’t have enough gas.
If you can’t take them out and see some higher tier stuff that needs countering, upgrade to Lair and head to your mid-game, usually Roach/Muta or Roach/Hydra. you can probably look to expand at this point as well if they seem to be passive.
If you fail at taking them out and see shittons of low-tier units, pull back, get some spine crawlers up and get that baneling nest going. It’s what I’ve found to be most effective against large amounts of M&M early, though you’ll want Mutas eventually.
Win conditions/Goals for early game:
- You’re safe and have a expansion, they dont. (Safe as in they’re not showing up at your base with void rays and all you have are roaches. Safe as in there’s not 20 M&Ms airdropped in your drone line)
- You’re at a higher tech level, they don’t have an expansion, they don’t have the counter in place for your tech unit (Usually Mutalisks, esp. vs Protoss or Zerg)
- You’ve just completely f*cked up their base.
Few additional notes:
- Do you have more minerals than you know what to do with? EXPAND
- Scoutscoutscoutscout. Sacrificing a zergling or even an overlord is worth it to see what you’re up against.
- Banelings will keep you alive v M&M
- Mutas early will wreck Protoss and Zerg who don’t see it coming. Though be careful of phoenixes or hydras.
- Hydralisks early is a flexbile option against Protoss/Zerg
- NYDUS WORMS ZOMG. Dumping Roaches or Banelings directly into their supply line can single-handedly win you the game.
Edit:
- Your safest route for ZvZ is Roach/Hydra since Roaches counter zerglings and Hydras counter Mutas. This is going to be a macro game - you need to out-expand or mass enough units to kill his expansion. There is no middle ground.
- End-game Muta+Corruptors+BroodLords seems to be stronger than Ultralisks
I’ll edit this as I find things out. Also want to try out David Kim’s 13Hatch BO and I’ll post something about it when I dooooooooo.
