"We Few Still Fear the Fog"
TOSS VS ZERG: The fight for equality in Lost Temple
Introduction:
Most people believe that in order to win this fun match up from the toss side
they either have to play an inferior opponent or be extremely lucky. This is
generally true as long as the toss player won't take any risks early in the game and
agree to play with an economical disadvantage.
A normal, shy development will allow the zerg player to take and secure his natural pretty easily. Of course, there are quite a few worthwhile 1-base toss strats, but they require precise timing, micro and some luck to be dangerous. I might be wrong, but so far I've experienced that if zerg uses the right units he can counter the toss army and win with his lead in econ.
In my opinion toss's best chance is being rude and not accept playing at a
disadvantage.
There are 2 ways to do that:
(1) Hard rush
AND/OR
2) Fast expanding
(1) Hard rush
There are a billion ways to rush a zerg but I'll only describe my favorite:
Double gate at 11-12 with an initial strike force of 2 zealots and 4-5
probes.
This can take a greedy zerg pretty easily (greedy = 12 hatch at exp, 12
pool).
If zerg was cautious try to make as much damage as possible, forcing the
zerg to make more lings/sunks while making probes and zeals. It is essential to micro
well, keep your red zeals in back rank and your force surrounded by your probes.
If you can't push anymore because of sunks stop making zeals and make a nexus with your hot keyed probe which is waiting at your natural when you have the cash.
Retreat and defend there.
You have advantageously transposed to (2).
(2) Fast expanding
There are many ways to fast expand:
nexus->forge, nexus->gates, 1 gate then exp, exp after rushing, etc.
They all share the same principles:
- Always have an advanced probe for recon.
- Use probes to defend your exp from lings. Dont be greedy and want them to
mine all the time, you will have 2 nexus and huge economy eventually, the important thing is to defend your expo which is impossible to do without probes.
- Always be alert and ready to defend as most zerg's will attack your expo
ASAP.
You have survived the initial 8-12 ling attack (if not practice with
microwars ^^) and you now have 2 nexus building non-stop probes. Soon you will have 2 full bases capable of producing unbeatable toss army.
In fear of that your zerg opponent has 2 main choices:
ZA:
Tech fast with 2 gas early to mutes/lurks with drop to directly hit the toss
economy.
ZB:
Try to control the map initially with lings, take expands and continue
with low tech
army (hydras-lings) getting grades AND/OR lurks eventually.
The proud toss user has also 2 main choices:
PA:
Tech fast with 2 gas to cors, reavers, temps trying to hit the zerg's econ
with various types of drops with corsairs support.
PB:
Power hard zealots with very fast +1 and leg with minimal gas.
The optimal choice is to scout zerg and if he goes A you go A, if he goes B you go B. However it is relatively easy for zerg to deny recon AND/OR change strat.
This can lead to 4 different situations:
ZAPA:
You can see what Zerg is doing with your 1st corsair so there will be no
surprises. He'll most probably switch to hydras and try to take map or attack so you
might need more cannons to protect your expo before you get psi. Its good to mass corsairs anyway as they are great anti-drop, drop support and disruption web rocks too!
Get both islands (you will need more gas) and try to have all your speed shuttles at the move (raiding or probe transferring to islands). Since transferring to islands is kind of slow and Zerg won't let you have any land bases, you would better remember to stop wasting money on probes from your 2 land nexuses. Late game carrier-corsair combo with psi support is unstoppable unless Zerg has become too huge and uses defilers too, in which case chances are even.
ZAPB:
This is the most frequent unpleasant situation as Zerg's easy recon enables him to change strat. If he goes mutes you have good chances with counter attacking as you make cannons and goons at the same time. If you manage to keep at least 1 base you might be ok, depending on the amount of damage that you do in the counter attack. If he goes lurks/drop and you didn't know it in time to make observer and goons - your in deep shit cuz you can't attack, cliff drop will own your expo and Zerg can take the map easily.
I've never won an above-average zerg in this situation. Desperate thing to
try include:
a. moving the zealots inside zerg's base, past the lurks to make as much damage as they can (their life for aiur) while you get observer -psi and switch to goons.
b. keep your zealots safe, focus in solving the cliff lurk problem fast and when yuu have enough psi break out and micro godly as you mercilessly slaughter the huge mass of hydras, cracks and lurks coming from everywhere with perfect psi and minimal losses. Mass ultras will be coming shortly after so make archons.(gl :P)
If he goes muta with a few lurks to defend you can't counter so focus in
defending with cannons/goons and search for expands. He either had gas hack or early access to 2 vespene.
If your recon didn't suck you would have done strat A and if you were suspicious you would have run 4 probes in your lone assimilator from start to be able to make 1 corsair w/o delaying leg too much, at the expense of 5 lots.
ZBPA:
Your 1st corsair will determine your course of action:
- many hydras will require more cannons
- while if you see many expands u have to show great multitasking abilities with your shuttles (raids/drops, taking islands).
I suggest to go 3-4 robo and get reaver damage upgrade for doom drops. If your 1st corsair doesn't spot a lair, don't make a second one soon, they will be pretty useless at the time. However in late game you will most probably need corsair as a smart zerg will go guards to combat reavers so start grading air early.
ZBPB:
While you are making constant probes and zeals try to see the amount of lings in the center of the map. While you might have a chance to do damage, its very easy for a tricky zerg to kill a dozen of slow zeals with hidden speed ling you were unaware of. Be extra cautious.
Starting with +1 and core at the same time, leg and +1 will be complete at about the same time. Sometime before that happens its advisable to stop probe production, make constant zeals w/o queuing them and try to keep your mineral count to zero by building gates and pylons. You should easily have 10+ gates (all rally-ed at your expand) at around 110 population, just before your grades are complete. (It is better to have more gates than to queue zealots cuz when the battles in the center start you won't have much time for your base and your cash will increase.
If you can play battle and base at the same time w/o screwing up you can probably do with 8-9 gates but I prefer to go up to 11-12 gates in order to spend and produce en-masse). Then you burst out in flames with your 30+ proud warriors and shred in pieces every single insect in your way. =) Non-carapaced lings are a joke and well-flanked hydras stand no chance. However, lurks will stop your advance and you should stop making army for 10 seconds, make a 2nd forge, archives, 2nd gas, robo and take your mins only with cannons (if convenient).
Defend against slow lurk drops and when you have obs you're unstoppable.
-TIPS-
- Very deadly is a 4 or 8 dt drop at zerg's main with cors support when u
can take most of zerg's key buildings fast.
- With corsair support you can cannon the cliff of zerg expands and secure it. At most bases you can place cannons in such a way that they hit zerg army passing by as well. The only way to be more annoying than that is to type "kekeke" as well >;)
-Transfer 2-3 temps to islands to defend against drops and guards. This is
very important because islands will be your only income late game and cannons alone don't
suffice.
-If zerg is taking too much map early and your doing strat A you can secretly
try to take another expand too. Defend it with heavy cannons and temps later. Its better to take a natural in order to have its plateau safe and ready to take at your will.
-If zerg doesn't expand but instead 12 hatches, 12 pools, 12 gas inside his
main I don't recommend fast expanding since speed lings/early mutes will own it.
In this case do your favorite 1-base strat.
(Mine is 2 gate goons to obs initially)
-You can experiment with hybrids between A and B when unsure or when Z is doing strange things. Even if your powering hard zeals a corsair will bring crucial info. Remember that you pay 5 zealots for that.
-Always be alert to defend vs various types of rushes. Have your probes ready and recon well.
Most dangerous rushes include:
4-8 hatch speed lings with burrow and maybe +1.
3-5 hatch hydras.
If you defend your expo its basically GG.
-Place cannons in an appropriate order depending on the unit your expecting:
vs lings: behind pylons and in such a way that they cant be easily reached.
vs hydras: in a row and from above in order to hit all together.
vs mutas: create a phlegm of cannons supporting each other, not too close to each other.
-Always use your 1st corsair to scout zerg's main ASAP and only then take
Overlords.
-Here's my favorite way to start depending on starting positions:
P6: Nexus->gates, if Z9: 2xgate rush->exp.
P9: Nexus->forge, if Z6: 2xgate rush->exp.
P3: Nexus->gates, if Z12:2xgate(no rush) (u don't scout 12, u see the Overlord).
P12:2xgate rush or Nexus->forge, if Z3: 1 zeal rush.
That's it...
GL to Toss ^^
favorite quote:
"Zealots only is bad manner"
PS: I would never take the time to write this if I wasn't stranded in the
Army with severe symptoms of lack of BW, my one addiction. ;(
sataNik
