DENIED.
A guide to Zerg walls. More coming soon!
For those who do not know, a Zerg wall that does not require any units standing guard can be created. It can be made with 2 Evolution Chambers and a Spine/ Spore Crawler.
Wings of Liberty
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Complete Zerg Walls:
Version 1. This is the most efficient wall. All Zerg units can fit through.
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For ALL Zerg units to pass through, the minimum requirement is for the 2 Evolution Chambers to be 1 grid square apart diagonally, with a Spine crawler fitted snugly in the middle.
Version 2: The 'OH SHIT I'M GONNA DIE' version. It is as compact as it can get without a total wall-off. Only zergling-sized units can fit if it is opened.
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The 2 Evolution Chambers are placed corner-to-corner with a Spine crawler in the centre once again.
Version 3: The macro version. All Zerg units can fit through.
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Both Hacheries have the corner of their building grids touching each other, with a Spine crawler fitted in between. Might come in handy in the lategame.
Walls Version 1-3 are ABSOLUTELY zergling-tight when closed, costs no supply and no ground unit can bypass the wall without attacking into it. The Spine Crawler acts as a pseudo-depot and can be unburrowed to make way for your own units. For those worrying what this wall-in will do to the Zerg lategame, I assure you that ultras can fit through the first version of the wall-in when it is opened.
This wall plus a few ranged attackers at the back can be used to deflect zergling floods, hellion openings and zealot rushes effectively whilst researching on tech. To build it, just place a Spine crawler in between 2 Evolution Chambers (Make sure the side of the Spine crawler and Evolution Chamber are touching) . The second version of the wall limits the amount of melee units attacking the Spine to 1 Making it good for holding off ling pushes, but units bigger than zerglings, such as roaches and queens, are unable to fit through when opened
Using walls Version 1-3 as a reference, I have constructed a wall at the ramp.
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Looks different from the walls I mentioned earlier but still works. However, ultralisks are unable to fit through.
Note: The Spine crawlers cannot be placed next to a cliff, or it will allow small units like zerglings to pass through.
The placement of the Evolution Chambers and Spine crawlers depend on the map you are playing.
HOW IT WORKS
Zerg wall-in mechanics
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Complete Wall-ins
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The arrows also represent the number of zerglings that can attack the Spine crawler at a time.
Incomplete Wall-ins
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Zerglings can leak throught these walls.
Legend:
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Other walls:
Version 4: The Hellion Filter. The Spine crawler allows the zerglings and workers to pass through, but not those fat hellions.
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Lets your workers/zerglings run past the wall when closed, but not units like queens, roaches, hellions etc.
I need to research more on this.
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Implications of walls in ZvX matchups
ZvT
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ZvP
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ZvZ
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Version 1. This is the most efficient wall. All Zerg units can fit through.
+ Show Spoiler +
For ALL Zerg units to pass through, the minimum requirement is for the 2 Evolution Chambers to be 1 grid square apart diagonally, with a Spine crawler fitted snugly in the middle.
Version 2: The 'OH SHIT I'M GONNA DIE' version. It is as compact as it can get without a total wall-off. Only zergling-sized units can fit if it is opened.
+ Show Spoiler +
The 2 Evolution Chambers are placed corner-to-corner with a Spine crawler in the centre once again.
Version 3: The macro version. All Zerg units can fit through.
+ Show Spoiler +
Both Hacheries have the corner of their building grids touching each other, with a Spine crawler fitted in between. Might come in handy in the lategame.
Walls Version 1-3 are ABSOLUTELY zergling-tight when closed, costs no supply and no ground unit can bypass the wall without attacking into it. The Spine Crawler acts as a pseudo-depot and can be unburrowed to make way for your own units. For those worrying what this wall-in will do to the Zerg lategame, I assure you that ultras can fit through the first version of the wall-in when it is opened.
This wall plus a few ranged attackers at the back can be used to deflect zergling floods, hellion openings and zealot rushes effectively whilst researching on tech. To build it, just place a Spine crawler in between 2 Evolution Chambers (Make sure the side of the Spine crawler and Evolution Chamber are touching) . The second version of the wall limits the amount of melee units attacking the Spine to 1 Making it good for holding off ling pushes, but units bigger than zerglings, such as roaches and queens, are unable to fit through when opened
Using walls Version 1-3 as a reference, I have constructed a wall at the ramp.
+ Show Spoiler +
Looks different from the walls I mentioned earlier but still works. However, ultralisks are unable to fit through.
Note: The Spine crawlers cannot be placed next to a cliff, or it will allow small units like zerglings to pass through.
The placement of the Evolution Chambers and Spine crawlers depend on the map you are playing.
HOW IT WORKS
Zerg wall-in mechanics
+ Show Spoiler +
Spine crawlers have this weird hitbox that prevents it from being used as mobile siege walls.
As you can see, the actual hitboxes of buildings are octagonal, not square as it may appear in the building grid.
When Spine crawlers are put next to each other, even though it may look like a complete wall-in, the weird hitbox allows many units to pass through, including but not limited to, roaches, queens, stalkers, hellions etc. However, when the Spine crawler is put next to an Evolution chamber, the gap between the two is so negligible that no unit, not even the slippery zergling, will be able to breach the defences.
The Hatchery's hitbox is just a scale-up of and Evolution Chamber's. The empty spaces in the corners of the building grid are also larger, so you would have to make necessary adjustments to the placement of the Spine crawler if attempting to use a hatchery for a wall.
+ Show Spoiler +
As you can see, the actual hitboxes of buildings are octagonal, not square as it may appear in the building grid.
When Spine crawlers are put next to each other, even though it may look like a complete wall-in, the weird hitbox allows many units to pass through, including but not limited to, roaches, queens, stalkers, hellions etc. However, when the Spine crawler is put next to an Evolution chamber, the gap between the two is so negligible that no unit, not even the slippery zergling, will be able to breach the defences.
The Hatchery's hitbox is just a scale-up of and Evolution Chamber's. The empty spaces in the corners of the building grid are also larger, so you would have to make necessary adjustments to the placement of the Spine crawler if attempting to use a hatchery for a wall.
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Credit to Orek for the image
Complete Wall-ins
+ Show Spoiler +
The arrows also represent the number of zerglings that can attack the Spine crawler at a time.
Incomplete Wall-ins
+ Show Spoiler +
Zerglings can leak throught these walls.
Legend:
+ Show Spoiler +
Other walls:
Version 4: The Hellion Filter. The Spine crawler allows the zerglings and workers to pass through, but not those fat hellions.
+ Show Spoiler +
Lets your workers/zerglings run past the wall when closed, but not units like queens, roaches, hellions etc.
I need to research more on this.
+ Show Spoiler +
Credit to nick00bot for the Hellion filter picture and Magwado for mentioning it to me.
Implications of walls in ZvX matchups
ZvT
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These walls are made particularly to keep hellions outside your base and away from your drones, where your queens can outrange them. Hellion filters will also work in this matchup, although marines can run through the wall. A few Spores can also help in the wall to keep cloaked banshee play from ruining your wall.
ZvP
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This wall can easily hold off a 2-gate zealot rush and, in theory, the wall and some queens and spines can be used to hold off a 4-gating Protoss long enough for roaches to appear on the scene. In the mid-lategame, infestors can be used to chain-fungal the Protoss when they try to push up the ramp, while sniping important units like Collosus with corruptors.
ZvZ
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This matchup is where walls really shines. Any early pressure from your opponent (not sure about a roach rush) will be completely and utterly denied if your wall is not denied, while you continue to macro up and get a substantial drone lead if your opponent over-extends on units. Also prevents zergling run-bys in any stage of the game, especially in the lategame, where an infestor/corruptor/broodlord army would be too slow to get back to defend.
HotS BALANCE PATCH #7
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Zerg
Spine Crawler
This unit now completely blocks pathing when placed next to other structures, including other Spine Crawlers.
Zerglings and other small units can no longer squeeze in between Spine Crawlers.
The scale of this unit has been increased from 0.85 to 0.95.
Spine Crawler
This unit now completely blocks pathing when placed next to other structures, including other Spine Crawlers.
Zerglings and other small units can no longer squeeze in between Spine Crawlers.
The scale of this unit has been increased from 0.85 to 0.95.
Poll: Do you like the new Spine crawler update?
Its so good! No more runbys! (23)
58%
Blizzard is trying to make mech viable, and they add this to stop hellions? I hate it. (9)
23%
Mixed feelings. (8)
20%
40 total votes
Blizzard is trying to make mech viable, and they add this to stop hellions? I hate it. (9)
Mixed feelings. (8)
40 total votes
Your vote: Do you like the new Spine crawler update?
(Vote): Its so good! No more runbys!
(Vote): Mixed feelings.
(Vote): Blizzard is trying to make mech viable, and they add this to stop hellions? I hate it.
Please state your honest opinion.
Spine crawlers have their hitboxes increased, and now zerglings cannot fit through 2 Spine crawlers when placed side-by-side. I will do further testing on the implications of walling after my research is complete.
Since Spine crawlers have a larger hitbox, Spine crawlers should be positioned carefully in the mineral line if the player wishes to do so. Side effects for poor Spine crawler placement in the mineral line is including but not limited to: Lower income, blocked pathing and wasted minerals in the Spine crawler.
"Why would I use a Spore to wall? It doesn't attack the units I'm trying to wall-off from."
The simple fact is, that Spore crawlers have +100 more health than Spine crawlers AKA same health as supply depots, only 25 minerals cheaper! Coupled with a few Spine crawlers in the back, it can shoot both air and ground with detection. In the mid-late game, it will prevent zealots/ DTs from running right into your main and killing workers while dealing significant damage to the force before your army arrives.
"Hmm... I already have 2 Evolution Chambers and I don't want anymore... Solution?"
Any Zerg tech structure, bar the Spire, can be used as part of the wall-off, although more important tech structures should remain inside the base.
"This is @#*&shit! This wall doesn't even work etc.
Leave this thread immediately and try it yourself. If you are still unconvinced, forget you ever read this.
"This wall sucks... I know a better one."
This is the kind of constructive criticisms I want! If you have anything to add, kindly make a post about it in this thread. Make sure you got your facts straight before posting!
Even though this wall is known by some Zergs, they are hardly utilized. More Zergs should try to adopt this for early-game defence, especially against the reactored hellion opening in ZvT. This thread is open to discussion about other (effective) Zerg walls. May us Zergs wall like Terran...
ZERG... UNITE!
Credit to LiquidTLO for inspiring me to try out Zerg walls after holding off a Baneling all-in with one.