[PiG]

Hi guys,

Sorry for late post here on sc2sea had to run out the door when posting on TL last week!


I've written up a new guide here on a really fun and challenging way to play ZvT. I did a VoD showing the build in action vs Thorzain as well as a full build guide written below.



This build gives the zerg the power to stop all damage from the Terran, get very fast infestors and burrow and play an incredibly reactive game. You can explode into aggression using burrowed infestors and ling multi-prong or flanking attacks if the Terran ever overextends. Alternatively the early fungal and powerful creep-spread with this build means you can get a very fast 4th and play extremely defensively without ever being open to taking damage.

Opening Build Order

• 15h-16p-16g
• 3rd queen immediately at natural
• @100 gas ling speed
• 5:45 - lair + 2nd gas (42 supply)
• 6:30 3rd + 4th gas (50 supply)
• 7:00 -infestation pit + burrow + evo chamber
• 7:30- 3rd base + overseer scout (60 supply)
• 7:50 pathogen
• 8:20 first 2-3 infestors start
• 9:00 add 2nd evo + 4th queen
• 9:15 first infestors pop
• 9:30- 1-1 ups + 4th base OR macro hatch
These timings don't have to be exact. If stuff is a bit late on this it's not that big a deal.

Notes:

• Don't drone your 3rd base immediately. Invest in as many infestors as possible as quickly as possible, their energy is more valuable than droning your 3rd quickly. Also always have a small but decent pack of lings to support these before you start adding the drones and 4th base.
• Always push across the map with your infestor-ling off 2-base saturated. Try to use burrow to land fungals to catch any units they have on the map. If they try to take their 3rd before 11:00 you can usually get a sick amount of damage done by cutting drones and just doing a big ling-infestor attack right around here. This often will win the game for you. However if they have turrets to block burrowed-infestors and take a slow 3rd, just play more economically and defensively. Pull your infestor-ling back after a minute or two of pressuring with them.
• Mass helion play won't be scouted in time. You just have to just pull into main and block ramp and micro well with queen-ling. Holdable, but good micro required. If this is a common issue squeeze a spine into your build.
• There is no need to be too paranoid about blocking with queens vs early harass.
• You have fast ling speed to deny all helion-damage, and fast overseer to deny banshee damage. You just always aim to have about 5 zerglings for every 2 helions. Likewise a fast overseer and your 3rd queen ready in your main denies Banshee damage.
• The previous point means there's no excuses for missing injects or production during harass!
• Burrow ling + poop creep on 3rd for mega-delay and great vision

Mid-Lategame

Saturation
You never want to drone past about 8 drones on your 4th. Gas there isn't important you just need to boost your income a little, and then take gas as you maynard drones from your main base.

Engagements
You just want to have infestors waiting around the map to counterattack or fungal your opponent in the rear. Also burrowed lings everywhere give fantastic vision so you should never be caught off guard and always be able to flank a Terran force before they find an excellent position. If their marines pull back out of fungal range very quickly you can often use your infestors behind to land key fungals.

Composition

You can go broodlords from here, however it's much safer to go Ultralisk-baneling with your ling-festor then steadily transition into broodlords with a 5th base. As I often skip banelings in the early and even midgame I will often be upgrading Baneling speed along with Ultralisk armour in the lategame.

You basically want to crush any aggression with your standard flanking engage, try to fungal scvs with sneaky burrow-festors and do your best to deny a Terran 4th base.

Denying the Terran Economy and Forcing Engagements with Ultralisks

• Sneaky pairs of burrowed infestors using two double-fungals to clear the 4th mineral line is a great move and you should always look for the chance to do this.
• When the terran camps at his 4th with most of his army, sending half your army to charge into his natural and main is a fantastic way to damage his rally, economy and production. Use banes to smash through depot walls. When the Terran reacts, bring the other half of your army in on the 4th base and clear it, burrow a ling and pull-back. The half of your army in the natural will usually die, but will often do enough damage to make it worthwhile. This also clears up supply for a Broodlord-switch
• Big Ling-bane runbys are fantastic for attacking the production of Terran, potentially crippling your opponent. At the least this forces the Terran to spread himself thinly

Denying Drops

• Don't mass spore/spine unless you're ahead and can afford it. Usually just 1 or two in key locations is helpful
• Most important is just leaving a squad of about 10 lings and 2 banes at your main and at your 3rd/4th.
• Try to kill any vikings on the map, even if it costs 2xfungals and 2 infested terrans.
• Replace overlords so you see drops coming
• Use lings on the edges of the map to spot drops (cheaper than overlords)
• When they start double-dropping leave a few more lings behind and an infestor at each base. Alternatively just kill them as soon as you see the drops leaving. Two, 2 Medivac drops = 32 marines. That seriously weakens their army. Just sayin'


First-person VoD of an ambush: http://www.twitch.tv/ttpig/c/1862480

Replays: http://drop.sc/packs/1433

I will edit in a FAQ based on the responses in this thread. I appreciate any feedback.

[TCPstormz]

I've been using this build well something very similar against terran ever since watching that video it works extremely well. Thankyou so much

[eCKo`Zenabi]

PiG, can you get any more handsome? Shall be trying this out once I get SC2 to work again!

You are an awesome baller nerd!

[FvRGwaiLo]

Love any kind of fast burrow plays in ZvT. Just one question, if you're playing against mech, do you still choose to go ultra or is the switch into brood lord infestor still achievable?
(or are you expecting to do a lot of damage with the ling infestor push vs mech?)

[PiG]

Originally Posted by FvRGwaiLo

Love any kind of fast burrow plays in ZvT. Just one question, if you're playing against mech, do you still choose to go ultra or is the switch into brood lord infestor still achievable?
(or are you expecting to do a lot of damage with the ling infestor push vs mech?)

vs Mech you pretty much want to completely swap to roach-infestor. You should scout mech with your first overseer around 7:30 by spotting extra factories.

You still want to get a good number of infestors as soon as possible as they shut down helions and with good control infestor-ling-roach is fantastic vs mech. Watch the GSL finals from October 2012 of Life vs MVP. Life shows exactly how to adapt vs mech with an infestor-ling style.

You can still use burrowed units for great scouting and ambush fungals.

edit: the natural transition vs mech is broodlords with carapace upgrades

[ToRLuneth]

This makes me want to play zerg x.x

[IrisCrimson]

Love this sort of style, particularly when the top players (ST.Life always so aggressive with infestors/lings) pull it off. Thanks for the vid/reps, will have to try it for myself .

[pX.PLoTTeL]

Wow thanks for this PiG, looks awesome been struggling with ZvT lately definitely gonna give this a try

[Konayuki]

I really like that infestor following the army thing. It looks really awesome. Thanks PiG! Will deffinitely give this a try, I normally do the sneaky infestor into their mineral lines thing too! So awesome when they are out of position

[Eluce]

Another build to add, tough to master but gonna give it a few goes in ladder. Cheers

[ASCH]

This for HOTS does it works great !?... Any variations!?... Or its just not viable!


Thanks!

Quick Comments

NXZ:

Its not nearly as strong in HotS, medivacs are much harder to deal with and infestors are much weaker

[PiG]

Originally Posted by ASCH

This for HOTS does it works great !?... Any variations!?... Or its just not viable!


Thanks!

The burrow-ling tricks work, rushing the infestors however isn't very effective .

[ASCH]

Originally Posted by PiG

The burrow-ling tricks work, rushing the infestors however isn't very effective .

Oh so sad !!... What do you do agains bio mine !? and mech!?

for you what is more effective!

[PiG]

Originally Posted by ASCH

Oh so sad !!... What do you do agains bio mine !? and mech!?

for you what is more effective!

iI really enjoy Life's Larva-build and have been coaching it a bit on my stream if you go through the vods www.twitch.tv/x5_PiG or check out the mlg finals vods by googling 'spoilerfreesc' and finding the link through there.

Essentially a fast 3rd, fast macro hatch muta-ling-bane build with a very nice economy and masses of larva!

[xGKingSatu]

Originally Posted by PiG

iI really enjoy Life's Larva-build and have been coaching it a bit on my stream if you go through the vods www.twitch.tv/x5_PiG or check out the mlg finals vods by googling 'spoilerfreesc' and finding the link through there.

Essentially a fast 3rd, fast macro hatch muta-ling-bane build with a very nice economy and masses of larva!

Prompted me to watch your coaching session with soundwave, I'm in need of solid builds.