Introduction:
Hello everyone, Polt has had a successful build he performed on iem taipei against soulkey and on the kings of craft tournament against hyun. This is not a build for beginners, I repeat: this is NOT a build for beginners. This is a build for players who understand and master tech paths, income and production.
Note that he does not do this build on every game, nor on every map!
He did the build only on Dusk Towers. This build can be executed on any map that runby and drop will pull apart the opponent, which with good execution can work on most maps.
lets start from the end, here are the sources:
1) Replay from IEM taipei.
2) VOD from Kings of craft.
What does it look like? 6 helions that can morph into hellbat, 12 marines(can wait 14 if you want) with stimpack, and 2 medivacs. around ~5:40. Behind it literally every option is possible, 3erd base+upgrades or addiitional raxes.
Build & Execution
Gaseless expand(yeah no reaperino):
-Standard depo, worker rallied from Command Center.
-100% complete supply depot -> Barracks.
-400 minerals -> before Barracks completed, get a Command Center.
-100% Barracks -> Orbital Command upgrade and marine(constant production, 4 marines)
Polt uses these first marines to hunt for overlords(first 2) and to deny scouting of base.
-Supply depot(#2).
-@150 minerals -> double Refinery.
-@100gas 150minerals -> Factory
-@150 minerals -> Second Barracks.
-@50gas -> reactor on Barracks
-100% factory -> Starport + swap Factory onto reactor from the first Barracks. Start producing 2 helions, go up to 6.
-As you begin your first 2 helions -> build depot(#3). now constant depo producion.
Polt uses his helions even before the push as scouting units, poking the creep to see if he can deny creep tumours. This is important to see if some kind of agression is coming.
-first Barracks, after swapping with factory -> get tech lab.
-Second barracks complete -> get reactor
-100% tech lab(first rax) -> get stimpack upgrade.
-100% Starport-> (probably short delay in favor of stim) make viking.
-100% Viking -> swap Starport onto reactor (Factory)-> start double Medivac.
-Continue building supply depots, now add one while another is building.
-Build armory when you can after starting 2 medis.
100% double medivac, go for drop in main while helions attack third or join the marines with the helions for a frontal attack. Around when his medivacs are ready, polt scans the main to see what kind of tech he can reveal.
Transition:
keep going and what happens? you get extra minerals, notice that 3erd and 4th gases are not taken.
Both games polt did:
@400 minerals Command Center
+2 refineries @natrural
+2 engineering bays.(100% start 1-1 immediately) start +
+3 barracks.
+reactor or tech lab on factory(widowmine/tank).
+1 vehicle weapons.
after taking third(fully saturated +mining), add +3 more additional Barracks to go up to 8. And finnaly you can add additional factories.
Polt goes for marine tank against Hyun and Marine Marauder widowmine against soulkey. Against soulkey he went 8 rax with 4 tech labs and 4 reactors(1 factory 1 port). Against Hyun he went 5 rax reactor with 3 factories and 1 port.
notice that with additional resources, for example minerals, you can add additional barrracks, its all about watching the production and mineral income (hard stuff to be honest )
Really any transition is up to you, i guess you could even go mech off of this, although polt does not go mech, it all comes down to additional production facilities/base income.
Stength and Weaknesses:
Strength: this will outright kill players who have been too greedy and do not have enough army to fight at 2 places. Its very strong against ling bane muta style as it hits around the same time as muta and obviously does very well against it. It also allows players with good controls to deal damage. Its flexible, you can also go for frontal attack with everything or drop.
Weaknesses: before the medivacs poop out there is basically just 1-2 rax marines and helions for defense, so 2 base allins or even 3 base mass unit(zerg can defend attack easily and then counter) can be very difficult to hold. This build has 2-1-1(2rax-1fac-1port) as its core. Many builds try to get 3erd cc faster like 1-1-1 with 3 cc, so this build is not dangerous compared to them. Only the 3-1-1 is safe against mid game zerg allins. I think its still possible to hold agression with this build i just don't have replays to back it up.