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[I]Zerg Building Positioning

Forum index > Brood War Strategy 1 2 3 4 5 Next All
  Chef   Canada. August 13 2009 08:14. Posts 5699Profile Blog # 
Zerg Building Positioning

Fellow Zergs, do you remember the day Terrans started realising they could fast expand too? Oh how we giggled and snorted and tittered away. How for so long we'd made them think only we could fast expand. Fellow Zergs, do you remember the day Protosses started realising they could fast expand too? Oh how we giggled and snorted and tittered away. How for so long we'd made them think only we could fast expand. But fellow Zergs, they are laughing at us right now. How a Terran knows to place his supply depots just above his barracks to make an impassible wall. How a Protoss knows to place his gateway just above his forge to make an impassible wall. But somewhere inside of us, we're realising we can wall too. We can place are buildings as cleverly as any Protoss or Terran.

+ Show Spoiler +


It's not news to high level Zergs that building positioning is still important. It isn't news now, and it wasn't news in 1999. But so many low level Zergs think that because they're not Protoss or Terran, they don't have any good options or reason to choose especially where they place their buildings. This is a wake up call. I'm telling you it is, and it will save your butt in a lot of games. I'm not a great player myself, so I won't say any of the following are the best positions. But I will say that they have thought in them, and your building positioning needs thought too. Even if it's on the fly and you aren't memorising anything, be sure to keep this is mind next time you play.

[image loading]

This is something I do a lot in ZvZ. The spawning pool is build to the right of the extractor, helping to block my peons that are mining gas. My peons that are mining gas are helping to block the sunken colony from Zerglings as well. With some good drone micro, you can cost your opponent a lot of Zerglings and save yourself a number of drones with these tight spaces. Notice also that the extractor helps to block the sunken. Notice that the sunken protects the most important buildings, the extractor, and the spawning pool (and of course the hatchery and the mineral line). Don't build your spawning pool in some stupid random location in a ZvZ. If you build a second hatchery, and you need a second sunken, you should build your hatchery in such a way that it will help protect your new sunken from two sides. IE right under the first hatchery, 1 or two matrixes to the right.

Remember also that when you build ANYTHING, especially in ZvZ, use the drone that is mining from the farthest minerals to build it, or at least move a drone that was mining from a far away mineral to a close mineral that you just took a drone off of.

[image loading]
+ Show Spoiler [edit] +


Destination is one of the most important maps to be making maximum use of your buildings. Against Terran, the above settup will help prevent a vulture runby. Notice that the Terran would get stuck on your hatcheries and den if he went straight in. Notice that the drones mining minerals and gas would make it still difficult to swoop around. Notice that the sunken is right at the edge between the bridges. This is very good against a meching Terran. Mech is very common on Destination.

[image loading]
+ Show Spoiler [edit] +


Destination ZvP is also demanding in the way you must place your buildings. If your opponent is rushing with many Zealots, and an archon, this can be a powerful settup. Notice how the sunkens are placed behind the buildings. Walled off like cannons behind a forge and gateway. Notice the path zealots must take to get to them for a surrond. Through the drones? How troublesome. An evolution chamber is a small investment even if you don't need the upgrade right away, but defence is critical. Sometimes it's better than another sunken. Imagine your frustration when medics block your zerglings from attacking marines. That is the frustration the Protoss faces in this set up. A-move is not enough against a smart settup.

[image loading]

A fast zealot push is always a pain. Against 2 gate zealots, do you often complain? Learn to position your units then, idiot. Maybe you don't have three hatch, but there is no reason to throw your sunk down way out in front. Put it right beside you hatchery. This will help you. Make sure you leave room for large units (like ultralisks) in the late game to run through.

[image loading]

It isn't limited to just your main, or your natural. All expos should have thought put into them. This settup risks the evolution chamber's saftey, but if you are being threated by a very fast attack, it may be exactly what you need.

Again, I am no expert, and there are probably even better ways to position your buildings than these examples. I just want to stimulate thought about Zerg building positioning, and make sure any nooby Zergs aren't ignoring a very important aspect of Zerg play. Please post positions you've found helpful if you can.

*******************


On August 25 2009 07:24 Saracen wrote:
These building orientations are zeal-proof

Hatch/Evo
+ Show Spoiler +

Hatch/Den
+ Show Spoiler +

Den-Evo
+ Show Spoiler +

Spire is really fucking tight and can block most things.



On August 25 2009 08:57 Chef wrote:
The following are visual examples of possible walls. Yellow means lings can go between the buildings, but Zealots can't, Red means neither can. A light blue 'H' means Hydras CAN go between them, but Zealots can't.

+ Show Spoiler +




+ Show Spoiler [A wall I got really excited over] +
Last edit: 2009-08-25 08:59:47
997 ESPORTS Bucks... on BISU! *steely stare*
Old Post

  gumbum8   United States. August 13 2009 08:27. Posts 659Profile Blog # 
As a D+ zerg who has recently discovered walling, I give this thread an A+ rating, and maybe I'll experiment around with some placements. We need a screen of the 3rd on heartbreak, incase someone doesn't know.
but really, has anyone REALLY been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
Old Post

  Marine50   Australia. August 13 2009 08:33. Posts 1745Profile # 
What about if the Terran runs vultures around the right hand side of your minerals and into your main? He could only take 1 or 2 hits from the sunken and completely bypass it.

Thanks for the zvp positioning on desti. I always have trouble with that
IRIS FIGHTING!!! >> Flash >> Stork >> Jaedong >> the rest
Old Post

  woody_   Spain. August 13 2009 08:35. Posts 37Profile # 
Walling is creative! You post very well placed builds.
Last edit: 2009-08-13 08:36:49
"I was captured by its magic- the powerful and undeniable magic of destiny called Starcraft∙∙∙." Lim Yo Hwan
Old Post

  SnIpEuOuT   United States. August 13 2009 08:39. Posts 236Profile # 
http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/games/12272_Horang2_vs_Jaedong/vod

I haven't watched this game in a while, but Jaedong had really good building positioning for the bottom position's 3rd base on desti that really influenced the outcome of the game.
Last edit: 2009-08-13 08:42:21
Old Post

  SnIpEuOuT   United States. August 13 2009 08:41. Posts 236Profile # 
edit* sorry double post, delete please
Last edit: 2009-08-13 08:41:58
Old Post

  Chef   Canada. August 13 2009 08:42. Posts 5699Profile Blog # 

On August 13 2009 08:33 Marine50 wrote:
What about if the Terran runs vultures around the right hand side of your minerals and into your main? He could only take 1 or 2 hits from the sunken and completely bypass it.

Thanks for the zvp positioning on desti. I always have trouble with that

I think that it still buys you time (imagine what happens without a wall at all?). You also get a lot more than 1 or two hits with the way those bridges are positioned... You'll kill the vulture if it's alone for sure, and if it's not a map with bridges, I always put the sunken closer to the hatchery. It's not like you don't have any zerglings either, it's just that you can't engage vultures with Zerglings in open ground where they have room you micro. But for sure if he's dicking around by your minerals, 4-6 lings will screw him up.

Anyway, if you have a wall that works better than that, or a good reason why the wall is worse than not walling at all, I'd love to hear it.
997 ESPORTS Bucks... on BISU! *steely stare*
Old Post

  Chef   Canada. August 13 2009 08:46. Posts 5699Profile Blog # 

On August 13 2009 08:39 SnIpEuOuT wrote:
http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/games/12272_Horang2_vs_Jaedong/vod

I haven't watched this game in a while, but Jaedong had really good building positioning for the bottom position's 3rd base on desti that really influenced the outcome of the game.

Yeah, and even though there are gaps where a zealot can walk between buildings (which would be singlefile and bad anyway) look at the way the morphing eggs make it even harder on the Protoss. Jaedong would have had to spend so much more on defence if he hadn't walled.
997 ESPORTS Bucks... on BISU! *steely stare*
Old Post

  ryuu_   United States. August 13 2009 08:50. Posts 1039Profile Blog # 
This is great info to know and the images are nice too! haha
Simple placements could cost a game after all
Kpop. ♣ Jaedong. Stork is my hero. Calm.
Old Post

  Harem   United States. August 13 2009 09:03. Posts 4205Profile # 

On August 13 2009 08:42 Chef wrote:

Show nested quote +


I think that it still buys you time (imagine what happens without a wall at all?). You also get a lot more than 1 or two hits with the way those bridges are positioned... You'll kill the vulture if it's alone for sure, and if it's not a map with bridges, I always put the sunken closer to the hatchery. It's not like you don't have any zerglings either, it's just that you can't engage vultures with Zerglings in open ground where they have room you micro. But for sure if he's dicking around by your minerals, 4-6 lings will screw him up.

Anyway, if you have a wall that works better than that, or a good reason why the wall is worse than not walling at all, I'd love to hear it.

Place the sunk closer to the nat gas.

Also, I'd move the den back towards minerals a bit.

And at bottom, I know you can completely seal with spire to left of extractor but I haven't tried it at top. >_>

Awesome thread though.
[iHs]h8m 。◕‿◕。 "but i remember when everyone thought backho was terrible and imo 99.9% of people calling him terrible had very little understanding of what he was doing" - Liquid'Tyler
Old Post

  mptj   United States. August 13 2009 09:14. Posts 291Profile Blog # 
wow. This is going to be very helpful to nob zergs like me. Great writeup and I can't wait to face some terrans
im just gonna bisu this :)
Old Post

  Murdoink   Chile. August 13 2009 09:21. Posts 887Profile # 
Thanks for the othello pics, I was having trouble defending the 3rd
POWER OUTAGE HWAITING
Old Post

  heyoka   United States. August 13 2009 09:24. Posts 3119Profile Blog # 
I have a lot of trouble with Z building placement, thanks a lot for this
I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.
Old Post

  icystorage   Philippines. August 13 2009 09:39. Posts 1859Profile Blog # 
CHEF WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
oh no, im now afraid of zergs...
Leta for bonjwa | Forever Iris fan | BuGzlToOnl is my hero
Old Post

  APurpleCow   United States. August 13 2009 09:41. Posts 735Profile Blog # 
Agreed with Marine50.

Stronger positioning vs vultures:
[image loading]
Old Post

  Ziph   Netherlands. August 13 2009 09:47. Posts 970Profile Blog # 
Zerg Walls are so imbalanced PvZ damn especialy with some lurker + sunken backup they make entire protoss armies freak out and die. Pisses me off big time ;D
Last edit: 2009-08-13 09:49:28
Starcraft 2 - Beta
Old Post

  aokces   United States. August 13 2009 09:48. Posts 202Profile # 



[image loading]
09182958.png


[/img]

Sunken placement is everything. In the above picture the sunken covers the gas, but doesn't protect your workers mining the bottom minerals. A few marines/vultures behind the mineral line can still do a lot of damage.

Personally I would move the sunken down more, but still enough to cover the extractor from melee units. I've seen a few ZvZ games where one player screwed the other over because he could zergling snipe the extractor before mutas come out, just because the sunken was a tile too low.
Old Post

  KinosJourney2   Sweden. August 13 2009 09:58. Posts 1023Profile Blog # 
TBH, i think most Zergs on iccup already walls like that in ZvT (ive seen people do it) but simcity is hot anyways.

About the third and fourth picture, is it possible to squeeze in a sunk at the mineral line without affecting the mining?
ocho wrote: EDIT: NEVERMIND, THIS THING HAS APM TECHNOLOGY OMG
Old Post

  Chef   Canada. August 13 2009 10:07. Posts 5699Profile Blog # 

On August 13 2009 09:41 APurpleCow wrote:
Agreed with Marine50.

Stronger positioning vs vultures:
+ Show Spoiler +


I don't like the bridge control that sacrifices, which becomes important later in the game, but I added it to the OP.
997 ESPORTS Bucks... on BISU! *steely stare*
Old Post

  APurpleCow   United States. August 13 2009 10:10. Posts 735Profile Blog # 

On August 13 2009 10:07 Chef wrote:

Show nested quote +


I don't like the bridge control that sacrifices, which becomes important later in the game, but I added it to the OP.


=S

What bridge control? If a mech Terran pushes into your natural, I think you're doin something wrong.
Old Post

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