NeuroSwarm Profile Joined March 2014 United States 19 Posts #1 An Assertive Approach to ZvZ with 14g14p



‘Agitate him, and ascertain the pattern of his movement.’ -Sun Tzu



Early Game ZvZ



From 12 pool, to 13g12p, to 3 hatch before pool, build order choices in the Zerg mirror matchup can feel like a gamble. 17h18g17p19ov has solidified itself as the safe economic opener, but with difficult defensive procedures against various cheeses and inability to immediately punish greed.



14g14p expand cuts a middle path between army and economy focus, allowing the player to exercise both macro and micro to create advantages against all builds in the early game. You will not be taken by surprise against cheese, having 2 powerful tools to defend and press back. You are equipped to strike greed and take quick victories, and will have full reign of the map against defensive play.



The Build



14g14p14ov

Extractor trick 15th drone

2 more drones up to 17 supply

@ 100% Pool, Ling Speed + Queen

Ling production

@ 50 gas, Bane nest using 1 drone pulled from gas

To All-In: pull drone from minerals instead keeping 3 on gas with no expansion

21ov

Poke the opponent front with first 4-6 Lings to scout their setup, then retreat and morph banes

Rally new speedlings across the map to join the fight

Continue morphing banes offensively as long as you take favorable trades (Drones, 4+ lings, larva)



The Attack



As your Lings are rallying across the map, send a drone to your natural expansion

After spending your first inject cycle into Lings, take a Hatch when you get 300 minerals



Spend gas heavily into baneling unless the opponent defends especially well

If the opponent defends, drone with map control of Ling/Bane outside their base

If the opponent continues to leave openings, press the attack and use your natural for larva

If the opponent attacks, defend with Bane/Queen



The Transition



An economic checkpoint in the ZvZ matchup is 3 hatcheries, 2 bases of minerals, and 2 gas with a Roach warren. Making Roach/Ravager with a Ling flood behind is especially deadly, so you want to know whether your opponent is going for this attack themselves or investing in Lair tech or upgrades.



Sending 2-4 lings into the opponent base will inform you of the best counter to their economy size and composition at very little cost. If you are unsure of their tech path, take Lair and Overseer scout as soon as possible to get a thorough read. Remember to frequently check for gas count and mineral saturation--a Hatchery does not necessarily mean a fully saturated base.



The Mechanics



Using a camera management technique like Base Camera, Camera Location Hotkeys, or control groups assigned to hatcheries is crucial for keeping up with injects when producing Zerglings, the most larva intensive Zerg unit.



Assigning 2 separate control groups for Zerglings and Banelings improves your ability to leverage their abilities where they will be most effective.



Using the ‘Steal’ version of Add to Control Group reduces the keystrokes required to move banelings into their own control group, and is highly recommended.



The Execution



Morph Banelings in a column so they will be easier to micro offensively.



Try to keep 1 leading ling in front of your army so you know what lies ahead and are not caught off guard by forward banelings.



When moving lings across the map, keep a long line formation so you are not vulnerable to banelings.



Move command banelings into lings and drones. Banelings 1 shot larva, so if you have 1 Bane remaining, it’s usually better to kill larva than to damage drones (which heal over time).



Right click Lings onto opponent Queens (the hardest counter to your Banes) and use your Banes to defend your lings against the opponent lings/banes.



Box-select 1-2 Lings and right click opponent banes for a great trade, 3 lings for an even trade.



Try to bait your opponent’s lings into your banes by presenting less lings than they have, then retreat into your banes.



Banes trade decently well vs spines which are a high-dps obstacle to your attack. Often it is worth trading Banes into a spine if it opens up their front to continued aggression. If they have built multiple spines, droning and expanding into an economy lead and/or running speedlings around the spines are often better solutions than trading directly.



The Mindset



There exists a unique relationship between your build order and the various builds you will face on the ladder. Do not be discouraged if you lose to a new build and aren’t sure what to do against it. These experiences create a lesson to be learned from. In the replay, identify the mistakes in your progression, the objectives of the opponent and their build, and the weaknesses you can exploit next time you face it.



The VOD -Sun TzuFrom 12 pool, to 13g12p, to 3 hatch before pool, build order choices in the Zerg mirror matchup can feel like a gamble. 17h18g17p19ov has solidified itself as the safe economic opener, but with difficult defensive procedures against various cheeses and inability to immediately punish greed.14g14p expand cuts a middle path between army and economy focus, allowing the player to exercise both macro and micro to create advantages against all builds in the early game. You will not be taken by surprise against cheese, having 2 powerful tools to defend and press back. You are equipped to strike greed and take quick victories, and will have full reign of the map against defensive play.14g14p14ovExtractor trick 15th drone2 more drones up to 17 supply@ 100% Pool, Ling Speed + QueenLing production@ 50 gas, Bane nest using 1 drone pulled from gasTo All-In: pull drone from minerals instead keeping 3 on gas with no expansion21ovPoke the opponent front with first 4-6 Lings to scout their setup, then retreat and morph banesRally new speedlings across the map to join the fightContinue morphing banes offensively as long as you take favorable trades (Drones, 4+ lings, larva)As your Lings are rallying across the map, send a drone to your natural expansionAfter spending your first inject cycle into Lings, take a Hatch when you get 300 mineralsSpend gas heavily into baneling unless the opponent defends especially wellIf the opponent defends, drone with map control of Ling/Bane outside their baseIf the opponent continues to leave openings, press the attack and use your natural for larvaIf the opponent attacks, defend with Bane/QueenAn economic checkpoint in the ZvZ matchup is 3 hatcheries, 2 bases of minerals, and 2 gas with a Roach warren. Making Roach/Ravager with a Ling flood behind is especially deadly, so you want to know whether your opponent is going for this attack themselves or investing in Lair tech or upgrades.Sending 2-4 lings into the opponent base will inform you of the best counter to their economy size and composition at very little cost. If you are unsure of their tech path, take Lair and Overseer scout as soon as possible to get a thorough read. Remember to frequently check for gas count and mineral saturation--a Hatchery does not necessarily mean a fully saturated base.Using a camera management technique like Base Camera, Camera Location Hotkeys, or control groups assigned to hatcheries is crucial for keeping up with injects when producing Zerglings, the most larva intensive Zerg unit.Assigning 2 separate control groups for Zerglings and Banelings improves your ability to leverage their abilities where they will be most effective.Using the ‘Steal’ version of Add to Control Group reduces the keystrokes required to move banelings into their own control group, and is highly recommended.Morph Banelings in a column so they will be easier to micro offensively.Try to keep 1 leading ling in front of your army so you know what lies ahead and are not caught off guard by forward banelings.When moving lings across the map, keep a long line formation so you are not vulnerable to banelings.Move command banelings into lings and drones. Banelings 1 shot larva, so if you have 1 Bane remaining, it’s usually better to kill larva than to damage drones (which heal over time).Right click Lings onto opponent Queens (the hardest counter to your Banes) and use your Banes to defend your lings against the opponent lings/banes.Box-select 1-2 Lings and right click opponent banes for a great trade, 3 lings for an even trade.Try to bait your opponent’s lings into your banes by presenting less lings than they have, then retreat into your banes.Banes trade decently well vs spines which are a high-dps obstacle to your attack. Often it is worth trading Banes into a spine if it opens up their front to continued aggression. If they have built multiple spines, droning and expanding into an economy lead and/or running speedlings around the spines are often better solutions than trading directly.There exists a unique relationship between your build order and the various builds you will face on the ladder. Do not be discouraged if you lose to a new build and aren’t sure what to do against it. These experiences create a lesson to be learned from. In the replay, identify the mistakes in your progression, the objectives of the opponent and their build, and the weaknesses you can exploit next time you face it. All exist some distance from perfection