Best Zerg Opening Game Theory

So I took a look at my statistics today. One of my best matchups, ZvZ, is now only just over 50%. What happened?

Well I can tell you that I stopped doing my usual thing. After getting six pooled a couple of times on two player maps, I thought that perhaps a small adjustment was in order. It would now appear as though I was wrong.

I started ten pooling on two player maps. Instead of the usual 15 Hatch into early ling bling attack. Sure, it’s the correct thing to do if you’re getting six pooled. But if the other guy goes 15 hatch, it’s going to put you behind.

After thinking about it for a while, I had to reason. When you play on ladder, you have to play for statistics. Whether or not it’s better to ten pool or fifteen hatch, depends entirely on how often people six pool you. How often do people six pool me? I don’t know for sure, but I have a vague idea, and in this case, that’s probably enough.

If I get six pooled on two player maps more than half the time, it’s better to ten pool. But I don’t feel like I get six pooled half the time. I feel like it’s probably closer to 10% of the time. Therefore, its better to 15 hatch, just suck up the build order loss of a six pool.

Game theory, ftw. If I’m right, I’ll be writing back in a week or two about how I got my ZvZ up so high.

Terran v Protoss

Terran v Protoss

Well after reviewing my statistics, it’s clear that I have a problem. My worst matchup, by far, is Terran v Protoss.

Now if you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I’m a fan of early attacks. I’d prefer to win in the first few minutes then later on in the game. This of course, capitalizes on the fact that I’m random, and so I can make use of the early advantage of my opponent not knowing my race. But in this matchup, it’s a little more complicated.

We would all agree that Skytoss, or even simply late game Protoss, is the most powerful army in the game. They’re nearly invincible. Blizzard seems determined not to change the dynamic of the game so that Zerg and Terran can have comparable armies. Which means that the only real way to stop Skytoss is to stop them from getting there in the first place. Hence an early attack.

But as Terran, I don’t like any of the options. As a matter of fact, when I reach into my Terran bag of tricks, I don’t see any real rush strategies. I admit, I need some more tools in my terran tool box. That being said, my earliest attacks as terran come from a 1-1-1, or a quick siege tank or two. Cloaked banshees or a hellbat drop. For me, terran rushes simply don’t come any earlier.

After rushing a drop on the protoss, I find I can make it work. I can kill probes. I can do damage. But not enough to hold the counter push which comes after that.

One of my biggest fears is the two immortal attack that many Toss players are fond of nowadays. Even if I know it’s coming, I really don’t know how to defend against it. Just two immortals and a well placed forcefield can ruin my day. And if all my minerals were spent on tech to send a medivac to his base, I definitely won’t be able to defend it.

Please, let me know of any good openers you have for the Terran v Protoss matchup. Until then, I’ll do my best to find one.

16 May 2013

So now that I’m in Diamond league, my average win rate is much, much closer to 50%. It’s kind of a shame. A sad sorrow. I’ll miss beating up on Platinum league players. I even took screenshots of my win percentages after my promotion. I’ll always love you, 75% v Terran.

This season, my worst matchup is anything Terran. But specifically, Terran v Protoss. I can’t seem to make it work, for the life of me. I’m trying to incorporate more widow mines into my play. Since they do extra damage v shields and all.

On the other hand, I feel like almost no terran is safe when its the other way around. When I play as a toss, I feel pretty confident pulling off a good old fashioned five gate. Even better is to add on a Robo and pump out two Immortals before you attack. Follow that up with an Observer. With the Immortals, you'll be able to pop open any bunkers with ease. With your MSC you can spot the high ground if necessary. And when the observer finally gets its lazy ass to the fight, you can pick off the widow mines. As a terran, I still don’t know how to stop these kinds of pushes.

My best matchups and ZvT and ZvZ. Which doesn’t surprise me at all, because I use the same opening build for each of these. My classic 2 base bane bust. It beats every greedy terran opening out there. It forces a terran to play honest, and use his initial resources to defend. Same can be said for ZvZ play. And while many complain that this build is cheese, I see it as simple game theory. There’s no reason to kill your opponent at the 20 minute mark, if you can kill him at the 7.

Chargelot / Voidray

Well now that I’ve had a few days to play, I’m happy to say I’m back in the Diamond league. While technically, nothing much has changed on my end, I can’t help but feel that now I can blog again. As a platinum player, what’s this blog really worth? But as a Diamond! Now I can give some great advice on how to play.

The topic is Protoss play. Unit composition. Chargelot/Voidray. Great Unit comp, or greatest unit comp?

What I love about this composition is how well it works in every matchup.

PvP Is where this composition really shines. It works so well because voidrays can’t be hit by ground units, like zealots, immortals, or colossus. But they also do extra damage against stalkers and nearly every other protoss unit. I could, with confidence, go chargelot/voidray in any PvP.

PvZ The composition works. An early voidray to clear overlords nearly always pays for itsself. If you continue to pump out voidrays, you’ll have enough to counter mutes, should your opponent make them. If your opponent goes for roaches, you’ll be able to eat those up, too.

PvT is perhaps the weakest matchup to use chargelot/voidray. But I can say that it works right up until about Diamond league. In a recent game, I was narrowly bested by a Terran player who had fantastic micro. The truth is, it’s hard to micro marines against chargelots while also dealing with voidrays. But it is doable. For that reason, at higher levels of play, this is the one matchup where I might not reccomend it. But chargelot/voidray is still good, because it forces your opponent to studder step mico, while all you have to do is A-move.

If you lose all of your archons, simply retreat the voidrays and make another wave of attack after warping in more zealots. Adding in a few colossus, or templar, or tempests, can really make this unit composition unbreakable.

WarHound, Great Unit or Greatest Unit?

WarHound, Great Unit or Greatest Unit?

Last season Terran was my weak race. I had an abysmal win rate. Something like 33% or less. But this season, I’m upwards of 60%, nearly 70%. Why? In one word, the WarHound.

For both TvZ and TvP matchups, I started doing one thing with my build order. Teching straight to WarHounds.

Whereas before, I tended to rush for Stim. I’ve found a great balance in unit production. Get a reactor on your first barracks. Then use your next 100 gas on a factory. After the factory, make an armory and a single widow mine. That single widow mine makes a huge difference. It dissuades many rushes. It helps you hold both a four gate and a baneling bust. After the widow mine, add a reactor on the factory as well.

Nowadays, I tend to go for combat shields instead of stim. The idea is having a much beefier bio mass. Where stim took away your army’s health, combat shields and reactored Hellbats increase it.

Against zerg, lings will be worthless. They will literally melt away and disappear, because of those reactored Hellbats.

Against Protoss, Zealots will now be completely negated by the Hellbats. Which means only good force fields can save a Toss from the army you’ll build.

TvT is about the only matchup where Hellbats aren’t the tech to rush to. Although they still make for game winning mineral line drops.

10 Depot

13 Barracks, Refinery

@100 Barracks, Orbital, Depot, Reaper

@100 Depot Command Center

Reactor on Barracks

@100 gas, Factory

@100% Factory, Armory, widow mine

@100% widow mine, Reactor on Factory

Bunker around this time

Add two more barracks with tech labs, and a starport. Research combat shields

Attack around the time you have a couple of medivacs and combat shields.

The only modification is if you scout your opponent going for air, either heavy voids or mutes. In which case, you’d probably want 2xreactored barracks and 1xtech lab.

Now go forth and please Victory!

Victory, why have you forsaken me?

Well the new season is upon us. I explained what this means to my girlfriend,. That I would be out of Diamond league, and have to play one match to be placed in a new league.

I was a little scared to see that my placement match was against a platinum player. I won. And was placed into Platinum. When I first saw that tiny, platinum icon on my screen, my heart skipped a beat. I could hardly imagine it. Why, oh why would Blizzard demote me? Why would they put me back there, when just a day ago I was banging with the Diamond players and holding my own.

Then I got over it. I remembered how much fun it was a season ago, to be tearing up the gold league when I felt that I really belonged in Platinum.

But then I started playing a few games. I’m one for six today! I was even matched against a gold league player, who beat me.

Victory, why have you forsaken me?