[G] [L] Optimized 2 Rax Marauder Poke & FE (TvP)

*EDIT: A bit tired, because I've been playing this build all day, so I'll rewrite this properly tomorrow when I have some spare time. SORRY I MEANT TO PUT THIS IN STRATEGY Section, admin please delete this thread I've already reposted.
**How to use the build graphs: hover your mouse over the units buildings and research it will tell you when they start and finish, this build is time around a 4-gate and 1 Gate FE timings; click whatever you like on the sidebar
***but if there are gaps bigger than 3 seconds that is cutting army or economy and is not recommend. move your thing to 10 seconds forward and it should be okay.

A Proposal to you Personally:
If you dump the old 12 Rax 13 Gas opening, and 12 Gas 13 Rax instead when doing a 2 Rax Marauder Poke; and in-exchange I'll give you a faster build and stronger timing or a faster Command Center (2) that can go on the low ground and have a Marauder within 20 seconds and still pressure Protoss at the same timing.

Or you can just Marauder FE,
http://www.sc2planner.com/#TaaaaoEaaoFaaaoCjoDoAcfaoEaoPakuWaaoFoFjafoCajiKajfajajajaoQoQaaf >> if you prefer doing a 1 Rax FE a bit safer.
*Produce extra Marauders as you lose them with this build.

Intro:
I hate the passivity of a 1 Rax FE, into MMM and how weak it is before Stimpack.

http://www.sc2planner.com/#TaaaaoEaaoFaaaoCjoAfaoEjaoFjaoHaoDoDjacacoCjfjajjoIafaaoQaoQoEaaaaoEfoRaiZaiZoEqauZafiZiZ << Hence my old build
(used it for a 5 rax 1-1 timing); stole it off MarineKing from a Day9 Daily. (Did I mention, my micro is horrible)
But, it did not have any ability to pressure a fast expansion until 8 mins and...
the reactors finish just as a 4-Gate hits...

The Problem and Solution:
I get 4-Gated, A LOT, I'm not even joking, about 50% of my TvP games (the rest are Expand > Tech builds); I just could not use the 1 Rax FE and feel comfortable anymore; so I had to come up with a Pressure Expand build. (Mainly to improve my micro management.

So, I've been messing around with the build order of a normal 2 Rax, for ages.
And came up with a faster version of it that got rid of the excess Vespene Gas from a 12 Rax 13 Gas opening. But, a wall-off meant having to cut something like workers so I wrote it off as trash.

http://www.sc2planner.com/#TaaaaoEaaoFaoDaacoCjoFoQfaoEaaiZoPoEaiZakuWafiZoEkaiZaaoA
*Standard Two Rax Marauder Poke, CC (2) Timing = 5.40, if you cut army after Marauder (2) (200 Gas Banked); no one does this cut for CC (2) but this is as fast as the build can manage a CC (2), without cuts and makes a bunker rush impossible as well.

I know everyone claims a stupidly high rate of wins from their builds. I have a 100% rate surviving 4-gate builds, and any early attacks; because I scout religiously and just know the very few number of opening Protoss can do that make sense and this build just auto kills most one base non-Colossus rushes.

It just cause people cross their fingers and hope their build works in silver, I KNOW my build holds all-ins; because I would not use it otherwise.

Just to note: I have tried this build against Masters players doing 4-gates and everything else 1 base, and except for one base Colossus, I held with ease (you cant micro against Bunkers ), no SCVs lost no huge army loss either (a lot of dead bunkers though).

Why on Earth would I use this build?
Because the 2 Rax build is extremely safe against Warpgate rushes, if you find the proxy; you need to be active on the map until Warpgate finishes. And, you can attack a fast Nexus (2) build and still walk away with an economic edge. And, if I know my Craft those are the two main things Protoss do in the early game, and you can punish both and come out a head.

And, happened to come up with this variation version that makes the CC (2) after Supply Depot (3). And, can hit the same timing as the Gas-heavy version.

Why Should We Listen to You?
I write for Liquipedia, to keep active in Starcraft 2, but I'm only Silver... (mainly because of micro) but only recently have had a computer powerful enough to run SC2 without terrible lag past 100 food. So, that is what it is, please discuss the build on its merits and not me personally.

For the same reason, I am not going to post my own replays as they are just that Silver level, until I can get some replays against Master level Players if at all. I do not see the point; but will if necessary.

http://www.sc2planner.com/#TaaaaoEaaoDaoFiXaaaoCjoFoQoEfaaoEoPiYaiZauWoAiZakoEafiZakiZaiKjaiZaoC << THE BUILD GRAPH
The Opening:
*10 - Supply Depot (1)
*12 - Refinery
*13 - Barracks (1)
*16 - Orbital Command (1)
*16 - Barracks (2)
*16 - Marine (1)
*17 - Reactor
*17 - Supply Depot (2)
*19 - Supply Depot (3)
*19 - Tech Lab < Add two SCVs to Gas
*20 - Marines
*22 - Command Center (2)
*23 - Concussive Shells
*26 - Marauders (to 2)
*28 - Supply Depot (4)
*37 - Stimpack
*41 - Orbital Command (2)
*Continue Marauder production if you want to continue on the map.
**Or use this build order as a normal three rax > reactor starport build and just add the extra Barracks later.

*Important: Cut Marauders @2 if you want Stimpack as soon as Shells finishes and no cuts around Orbital Command (2) finishing. Then carry on Marauder production after that Marine.
*Build Command Center (2) on the low ground, Protoss has about 20 second window to do some damage with ye old Zealot Stalker poke (SK_MC's 1 Gate Poke FE), then Marauder (1) finishes.
*1 Rax FE, CC (2) timing = 3.00 This Build, CC (2) timing = 4.20 without cuts

The build just produces units as normal as soon as the buildings and the add-ons are done, but the timings until Marauder (2) are extremely tight important; I think they call it an efficiency build? I cannot change the build order myself without worker or army cuts.

The only variation I've come up is getting Barracks (2) as soon as it can be afforded and then the build becomes a Bunker rush strategy

Adaption:
Only one thing here, if you lose your army add two Barracks before Refinery (2), to get Marine count back up to defend any counter pushes.

This is my standard build except for huge ass Maps that make it hard to get to the enemy's base in time to pressure. I still do this build order to counter WarpGate rushes, but if I scout an FE; I just do a 1 Rax Reactor Double Expand.

For Protoss wondering how to hold a two Rax poke in General:
Target fire the Marauders and then its just an early Marine poke; Zealots are completely useless against this poke as well in my humble opinion.
Hard Counter: 1 Gate Robo Expand, so you have the Immortals and Sentries to hold the attack and crush it.
Soft Counter: 1 Gate FE into Super Fast (5 Chrono Warpgate) 3 Gate: Simply, out-produces the build and probably gifts you Terran's forward army as well.

Replays:
If you folks insist on replays, give me a while to practice the hell out of this build so I can at least not look like a complete moron... I'd rather not though, silver and all. I would prefer someone else but yeah; not likely. So let me know if you want this.

TL;DR:
*I am so comfortable with this build and its timings that I feel I OWN the early game in TvP; I hope you the same strong feeling with this build.
*This build is safe against all Warpgate rushes, but you need to find the proxy or they can out produce your army size with Chrono Boost and a Worker production halt.
*You can Bunker rush and Expand with this build, see the Build Order Graph.
*See for Protoss on how this build is hard-countered.
*Bunker up once Warpgate finishes, and work up to Medivacs, Stimpack and +1 Weapons. And you'll have the same army production @10 mins as a 1 Rax FE but off 4 Rax instead of 5.
*IF YOU STILL HAVE A HARD TIME, you need to work on your micro or switch to Siege Tech expand expand. Sorry.

***FOR NEWBIES***:
How to Stutter Step; right click away from Zealots and attack move (or right click S Right Click S); once they are dead; right click the ground towards Sentries and Stalkers and then target fire them one at a time and move as close as possible.
Against Colossi: Ctrl Click Marauders and Stutter Step towards them and fire at only the Colossus. This also forces them to move away from Marines.

Spread before Battle: Grab 1/3 of your army and move into an arc around where you think the army will come from. Move these lot as grounds when engaging and pick of Templar and Colossus using these Groups.

Try to keep the front line many Marauders.

Last edit: 2012-08-13 09:58:00

DT Rush: "This build is generally weak to any kind of forge opener, or very strong, early, aggressive attack. Also, it counters itself..." Whinny Zerg: "If a scan costs 270 minerals, then all zerg buildings cost INFINITE minerals."