Ketroc Profile Joined May 2010 Canada 66 Posts Last Edited: 2014-03-15 23:19:43 #1 Video Link for this Build



Introduction



This build is my highest win rate at low masters / high diamond (71% 32W-12L). CC first at gold, 4 mining bases by 10minutes, with basically no army... yet it's quite safe. Straight into mass raven composition (not mech) with harass heavy style. I believe this strategy can be even better in lower leagues as it's not apm intensive, and can probably work in higher leagues if for no other reason than the surprise / meta-game factor.



Forget everything you know about standard TvZ... reaper expands, hellion harass, creep denial, multiple OCs... none of this applies to this very different strategy of TvZ. The basic idea of this build is that you can get to 4 bases very quickly, with reliance on static defense, build up an early gas bank to translate into mass mid-game ravens, then go a heavy harass style from there with autoturrets and your hellbat mineral sink.



There is also a meta-game edge to this style. Not only is it something your zerg opponent has probably never faced, but it also looks like turtle mech (but plays nothing like mech). Classic mech responses like swarm hosts or brood lords actually make for the easiest compositions to deal with as they are immobile and make your harass runs so much better... (plus seekers + detection vs clumped stationary shosts... lol). Taking every base is another response to mech, but again, this makes harassment easier.



Expect to see hilarious Units Lost tabs as there is a lot of energy for units trading happening with this build.





Build Order



(there is some important simcity etc, so the video description (at top of post) may be better, but here it is in text)



9 supply

13/19 send scv to gold, build CC

14/19 gas (built before CC)

16/19 barracks @nat ramp

18/19 cut scvs

@250min build 2x eng bay @nat ramp (solid wall)

queue scvs to 20

lift rax when complete to let structure scvs back to main

PF @gold

marine, OC @main, marine

push out with 2marines/8scvs, while getting CC @nat

push out clears watch tower, feints aggression, then transfer these scvs to gold and send marines back to nat

factory (into tech lab and 1 siege tank asap)

depot, bunker, depot (connects main ramp bottom to nat CC)

get up to 4 marines in total

PF @nat

@400min CC in main

take all gas geysers

turret ring your bases (emphasis on gold as it's best/easiest/closest target for mutas)

structure armor and hi sec autotracking

starport on tech lab

@CC complete, move it to 4th with scv transfer and high ground siege tank cover

PF, 2gas, 3 missile turrets @4th

1 viking (overlord hunter), corvid reactor

supply depots (wall off gold)

build production (total: 6starport - tech labs, 3 factory - 1tech lab, 2 reactor, 1armory)

blue flame, vehicle armor

constantly produce ravens & hellbats (and CCs, depots, vehicle armor ups)

WIN



Safety vs Zerg Aggression



4:15 lings (15hatch timing)... will arrive to an upgrading PF at the gold, and a solid wall +1marine at your natural... so they can't get anything done.

7:30 baneling bust... not enough damage to kill the PF at the gold (especially as PF can focus fire baneling to great effect). Banelings can bust through your solid wall, but behind it you'll have a bunker, a wrap, scvs to repair and block run by, and half complete PF so lings can't get anything done

7:30 roach rush... can't kill the gold PF. Can break into your natural, but with a little repair micro on the wall and wrap and sacrificing a few scvs in the process, the PF will be complete in time meaning he can only kill off your wall.

10-13min'ish Roach/Ling/Bane (or variant)... will be able to take down your 3rd or 4th but you'll still be ahead, so he'd really have to kill your main. At this point, your natural will have solid wall, siege tank, PF, wrap, bunker, many scvs to repair, and possibly the ability to make banshee(s) depending on the timing.

12:00 Mutas... turret ring is complete by 10min (closer to 11min at 4th base), with structure upgrades done soon after. Plus 90% of zergs will attack the gold first where your turrets are heaviest. This will break his hope of muta success and bring out the map hack accusations, lol.



Execution



Raven/hellbat is not something you want to engage directly into his army. Harass where he isn't, and defend at your PFs, don't engage in the open as hellbats + raven spells will typically just result in a lost battle and dried-out ravens (even winning the battle at the cost of your raven energy can be a bad trade).

Be aware of where his army is. Use your OC for scans from 16min+. Think of stuff like: "After I harass here with autoturrets, he'll probably intercept me with mutas before I get back to the cover of my base, so I should save some energy for the trip back to zone him out with seekers"... or "he sees my hellbats moving out on the left and will probably send his mutas there, perfect time to send out my ravens on the right"

vs Mutalisks

First off, avoid them when possible. Double-tap mutas with seeker missiles. 2 seekers is enough to do devastating damage to them if he continues to chase your ravens, and at worst causes him to flee for only 150energy. If he tries to put his mutas on top of your ravens, simply change your raven pathing by 180degrees as the seekers are launching, then laugh.

vs Swarm Hosts

As tempting as it is to seeker missile swarm hosts, instead use this time to autoturret harass. Swarm hosts means his army is out of position and pretty immobile. You can get a lot of damage done while he's just forcing PF repair with locusts. You can always seeker the swarm hosts after as he's trying to clean up the damage you dealt to his bases.

vs Ultralisks

Ultralisks can be tough as they laugh at autoturrets, seekers, and PFs. Don't engage ultras with ravens (waste of energy), instead counterattack/base trade as much as you can while you transition into a classic sky terran. Get out bcs/yamato or a lot of banshees to deal with the ultra aggression, then add in vikings and rejoin your ravens for PDD before pushing out to deal with the inevitable corruptor response.

vs Brood Lords

Seeker missiles are actually very inefficient vs Brood lords. Instead use this opportunity to counter attack with ravens vs his immobile army. Build vikings from your starports and make missile turrets behind your PF while repairing the PF. As vikings arrive, you can kill the brood lords and kite the corruptors falling back to the missile turrets whenever they engage abusing that viking range.



Notes



Typical overlord pathing never sees your scv leave your main or build the CC @gold, but when it is spotted, I like to send an scv to the watch tower as a drone pull to harass the CC scv can be really annoying. Zergling aggression won't arrive in time though (assuming 15hatch opener).

90+ scvs is ideal as it will provide the mineral intake to support hellbat production and a good scv count at each base for repair. You don't need a large supply set aside for army as ravens are so supply efficient/expensive (100gas/supply).



Hard Counters



6-13pool into zergling attack, 2-base doom drops into main, 2-base 9minute mutas (sometimes). You can scout for / adjust your build to compensate for these, but since they make up less than 1% combined of my TvZs, I just ignore these hard counters.



Replays



http://ggtracker.com/matches/4836866

http://ggtracker.com/matches/4836861

http://ggtracker.com/matches/4836864

http://ggtracker.com/matches/4836857

http://ggtracker.com/matches/4836863

http://ggtracker.com/matches/4836856

http://ggtracker.com/matches/4836860

http://ggtracker.com/matches/4836858



VODs



VOD 1

VOD 2

(Almost every TvZ I do is mass ravens... where the opener is different on other maps, the raven usage can still be seen there... so you can look up VODs on youtube.com/ketroc21 and twitch.tv/ketroc)



Feel free to ask any "what if the zerg..." questions as I've been playing mass ravens since WoL. This build is my highest win rate at low masters / high diamond (71% 32W-12L). CC first at gold, 4 mining bases by 10minutes, with basically no army... yet it's quite safe. Straight into mass raven composition (not mech) with harass heavy style. I believe this strategy can be even better in lower leagues as it's not apm intensive, and can probably work in higher leagues if for no other reason than the surprise / meta-game factor.Forget everything you know about standard TvZ... reaper expands, hellion harass, creep denial, multiple OCs... none of this applies to this very different strategy of TvZ. The basic idea of this build is that you can get to 4 bases very quickly, with reliance on static defense, build up an early gas bank to translate into mass mid-game ravens, then go a heavy harass style from there with autoturrets and your hellbat mineral sink.There is also a meta-game edge to this style. Not only is it something your zerg opponent has probably never faced, but it also looks like turtle mech (but plays nothing like mech). Classic mech responses like swarm hosts or brood lords actually make for the easiest compositions to deal with as they are immobile and make your harass runs so much better... (plus seekers + detection vs clumped stationary shosts... lol). Taking every base is another response to mech, but again, this makes harassment easier.Expect to see hilarious Units Lost tabs as there is a lot of energy for units trading happening with this build.(there is some important simcity etc, so the video description (at top of post) may be better, but here it is in text)9 supply13/19 send scv to gold, build CC14/19 gas (built before CC)16/19 barracks @nat ramp18/19 cut scvs@250min build 2x eng bay @nat ramp (solid wall)queue scvs to 20lift rax when complete to let structure scvs back to mainPF @goldmarine, OC @main, marinepush out with 2marines/8scvs, while getting CC @natpush out clears watch tower, feints aggression, then transfer these scvs to gold and send marines back to natfactory (into tech lab and 1 siege tank asap)depot, bunker, depot (connects main ramp bottom to nat CC)get up to 4 marines in totalPF @nat@400min CC in maintake all gas geysersturret ring your bases (emphasis on gold as it's best/easiest/closest target for mutas)structure armor and hi sec autotrackingstarport on tech lab@CC complete, move it to 4th with scv transfer and high ground siege tank coverPF, 2gas, 3 missile turrets @4th1 viking (overlord hunter), corvid reactorsupply depots (wall off gold)build production (total: 6starport - tech labs, 3 factory - 1tech lab, 2 reactor, 1armory)blue flame, vehicle armorconstantly produce ravens & hellbats (and CCs, depots, vehicle armor ups)WIN4:15 lings (15hatch timing)... will arrive to an upgrading PF at the gold, and a solid wall +1marine at your natural... so they can't get anything done.7:30 baneling bust... not enough damage to kill the PF at the gold (especially as PF can focus fire baneling to great effect). Banelings can bust through your solid wall, but behind it you'll have a bunker, a wrap, scvs to repair and block run by, and half complete PF so lings can't get anything done7:30 roach rush... can't kill the gold PF. Can break into your natural, but with a little repair micro on the wall and wrap and sacrificing a few scvs in the process, the PF will be complete in time meaning he can only kill off your wall.10-13min'ish Roach/Ling/Bane (or variant)... will be able to take down your 3rd or 4th but you'll still be ahead, so he'd really have to kill your main. At this point, your natural will have solid wall, siege tank, PF, wrap, bunker, many scvs to repair, and possibly the ability to make banshee(s) depending on the timing.12:00 Mutas... turret ring is complete by 10min (closer to 11min at 4th base), with structure upgrades done soon after. Plus 90% of zergs will attack the gold first where your turrets are heaviest. This will break his hope of muta success and bring out the map hack accusations, lol.Raven/hellbat is not something you want to engage directly into his army. Harass where he isn't, and defend at your PFs, don't engage in the open as hellbats + raven spells will typically just result in a lost battle and dried-out ravens (even winning the battle at the cost of your raven energy can be a bad trade).Be aware of where his army is. Use your OC for scans from 16min+. Think of stuff like: "After I harass here with autoturrets, he'll probably intercept me with mutas before I get back to the cover of my base, so I should save some energy for the trip back to zone him out with seekers"... or "he sees my hellbats moving out on the left and will probably send his mutas there, perfect time to send out my ravens on the right"First off, avoid them when possible. Double-tap mutas with seeker missiles. 2 seekers is enough to do devastating damage to them if he continues to chase your ravens, and at worst causes him to flee for only 150energy. If he tries to put his mutas on top of your ravens, simply change your raven pathing by 180degrees as the seekers are launching, then laugh.As tempting as it is to seeker missile swarm hosts, instead use this time to autoturret harass. Swarm hosts means his army is out of position and pretty immobile. You can get a lot of damage done while he's just forcing PF repair with locusts. You can always seeker the swarm hosts after as he's trying to clean up the damage you dealt to his bases.Ultralisks can be tough as they laugh at autoturrets, seekers, and PFs. Don't engage ultras with ravens (waste of energy), instead counterattack/base trade as much as you can while you transition into a classic sky terran. Get out bcs/yamato or a lot of banshees to deal with the ultra aggression, then add in vikings and rejoin your ravens for PDD before pushing out to deal with the inevitable corruptor response.Seeker missiles are actually very inefficient vs Brood lords. Instead use this opportunity to counter attack with ravens vs his immobile army. Build vikings from your starports and make missile turrets behind your PF while repairing the PF. As vikings arrive, you can kill the brood lords and kite the corruptors falling back to the missile turrets whenever they engage abusing that viking range.Typical overlord pathing never sees your scv leave your main or build the CC @gold, but when it is spotted, I like to send an scv to the watch tower as a drone pull to harass the CC scv can be really annoying. Zergling aggression won't arrive in time though (assuming 15hatch opener).90+ scvs is ideal as it will provide the mineral intake to support hellbat production and a good scv count at each base for repair. You don't need a large supply set aside for army as ravens are so supply efficient/expensive (100gas/supply).6-13pool into zergling attack, 2-base doom drops into main, 2-base 9minute mutas (sometimes). You can scout for / adjust your build to compensate for these, but since they make up less than 1% combined of my TvZs, I just ignore these hard counters.(Almost every TvZ I do is mass ravens... where the opener is different on other maps, the raven usage can still be seen there... so you can look up VODs on youtube.com/ketroc21 and twitch.tv/ketroc)Feel free to ask any "what if the zerg..." questions as I've been playing mass ravens since WoL. SC2 Videos: www.youtube.com/ketroc SC2 Stream: www.twitch.tv/ketroc