One-Two Punch -- Zerg versus Zerg
1. Introduction
Good day ladies and gentlemen of Team Liquid!
My name is Tim "Tang" Clark, and I'd like to welcome you to a guide featuring an aggressive approach to Zerg versus Zerg. The One-Two Punch is a cheesy name for a 2-stage timing attack. It's fitting, because it's kind of a cheesy build.
Punch One: 12 Speedlings arrive ~5:45
Punch Two: 20 Roaches and 36 Speedlings arrive ~10:00
This is a style of sequenced aggression: the aim is to open with "light" Speedling pressure (Punch 1), and follow it up with a massive mid-game Roach-Ling attack (Punch 2). There is also the potential for subsequent "punches", but the primary intention is to win with the second attack.
There is also room for different variations of Punch 1 and 2, but for simplicity's sake, this guide will focus on a single build. Keep in mind, though, that this is absolutely the kind of style that you should customize once you're familiar with it, and I look forward to seeing what some of you come up with
2. Build and Benchmarks -- Speedling Opening
This sample build order (shown in 2 stages) operates under the assumption that your opponent does not try to all-in you. A section on early defense is included later in the guide. Unmarked increases in supply are Drones.
Speedlings. This picture shows the build in a nutshell: Pool, Gas, Expansion. 16/Drones Main, 2-Per-Patch.
Click here to view Tutorial 1: Opening Build and Punch One
9 Overlord
15Pool (Rally 14th Drone)
15Gas (Rally 14th Drone)
16Expansion Hatch (~2:50)
15Queen (Started ~3:10)
17 Zergling (Scout opponent's main)
18Overlord
18 Remove from Gas/Start Zergling Speed (~3:40)
18 Drone (Reach 16/Drones mining )
19 Zergling (Deny scout with Queen + 2 Lings)
20 Drone
21 Queen (First queen pops, inject and move to expansion)
23 Overlord (Start Droning)
@ First Inject -- 4 More Lings (Total 12 Speedlings started at ~5:10)
Punch One: 12 Speedlings arrive ~5:45
The first punch serves two key purposes: it helps you to apply pressure and secure map control. The main goal is not necessarily to do direct economic damage, but if you can kill a Queen and a few Drones, by all means do it. Sacrificing the lings needlessly can cost you the game though, so if you poke in and pull back that's fine; don't feel like you have to do damage. Any Speedlings kept alive will contribute to the follow-up attack, remember.
What you really want to do is force an over-reaction while keeping your Speedlings alive. When your opponents see Speedlings move out at 5:10, many will think that you are going for a ling flood / all-in. However, our little 12-ling jab is not a huge commitment; it just looks like one. You're fully saturated in the main (16), and even have a few Drones mining at the expansion (4). So if your opponent makes some extra Zerglings, Spines, or Banelings, then you're going to pull ahead in mineral economy, and that's going to give you the advantage and make the follow-up Roach attack a game-ending one.
2. Build and Benchmarks -- Roach Follow-Up
This follow-up assumes that your opponent does not try to all-in you, and supply counts may vary if you lose Zerglings.
Roach/Ling. This picture shows the follow-up in a nutshell: 38 Drones for 2Gas/2Mineral Field, and Roach production from roughly 44 - 84 Supply.
Click here to view Tutorial 2: Follow-Up and Punch Two
30 Queen
32 Overlord
32 Spine x2 (Unless opponent is gasless, always get 2 Spines started before 6:00)
30-44 Drones (Drones built after Spines should refill first gas)
36~ Start and fill second gas. Both gases should be refilled no later than 6:45)
44~ Roach Warren (Start Warren around 7:00, as you reach 2 base saturation with 2 gas, 38~ Drones)
44 Overlordx6
44-84 Roaches (Roach production no later than 8:00)
Overlordx2 (Push out @20 Roaches or around 9:00/9:30)
84-100 Speedlings (Rallied to the Roaches)
Punch Two: 20 Roaches and 36 Speedlings arrive ~10:00
Essentially, the goal after the first Punch is to reach 38 Drones as efficiently as possible, so you can hit a strong timing with Roach/Ling. Off of that economy, you want to produce 2 rounds of slow Roaches (about 20), and 1 round of Speedlings. Make sure you build a lot of Overlords, as you will go from about 44 to 110 Supply with Roaches and Speedlings!
To improve your mechanics, hotkey your Roaches and Speedlings into separate control as you build them. Remember to de-select excess larva so that you're only adding soon-to-be units to control groups.
3. Early Defense
Because it can be such a volatile matchup, you often need to adjust the opening if your opponent goes for an early pool or 1-base baneling bust. But this build is generally quite safe against those types of timings. With early Speedling production, a third Queen, and safety Spines, it is possible -- with proper crisis control -- to hold most all-in attacks.
Don't be shy about building an earlier Spine if your opponent does not have an expansion.
Click here to view Tutorial 3: Early Defense
The tutorial covers how to properly scout early timings with Overlords and Zerglings, and how to properly defend them with Spine/Queen positioning. Except for Zergling Speed, this is a mineral-only, sans-Banelings style of early ZvZ, and that comes with some strengths and weaknesses.
Notice that two Queens wall the ramp, and the Spine crawlers are spread apart to avoid Baneling splash.
In the tutorial, one point that I overlooked was scouting with your first 2 Zerglings. Try to always get them into the main to scout the amount of gas your opponent as mined, as well as whether they are producing Zerglings or Drones. For example, if he's mined exactly 100 gas and he's making only Zerglings, it might be wise to prepare for a ling flood.
4. Transitions
Even though the goal is to win with Punch Two, not all games goes go perfectly. It is important to have a next step in the event your opponent survives the Roach-Ling attack. For most games, this will involve taking a third and moving into upgraded Roaches; it does not make a lot of sense to switch into Spire though some players may prefer Mutalisks. Either way, you should start the third base right after you make the big wave of Zerglings, and start droning at least to a fully saturated 2 bases with 4 gas (44+ Drones).
This picture shows the next step: 44 Drones, Upgrades, and a third base.
Click here to view Tutorial 4: Transitioning
It costs you one thing to go for Punch 2: Tech. Since you're delaying your Lair for so long, your opponent will almost always be ahead in that regard (Spire or Roach Upgrades). For this reason, you can abandon hopes of doing Punch 2 and transitioning into a fast fully-saturated three bases. Your opponent will kill you with Mutalisks or Upgraded Roaches long before then. You also can't move out with another Slow-Roach timing, it's just too risky.
The best option that I've found is to play defensive "catch-up". Start your Lair, your evolution chambers, and your third base; and in the meantime, reach at least a total of 44 Drones to fully saturate 2-bases (2 mineral fields and 4 gas). Your goal is to maintain full 2-base saturation while defending against whichever option your opponent chooses (Mutas or Speed Roaches) until you have tech of your own.
If your opponent goes Mutalisks, you need build a lot of Spores (I usually build about 8-10) until you have sufficient Hydralisk/Infestor to move out. If your opponent goes Speed Roaches, you need to continue Roach production and defend via superior numbers, as your opponent will have the upgrade advantage for at least a time.
Hopefully, you will do enough economic damage with Punches 1 and 2 to make up for your tech disadvantage. Sometimes, you will not; but that's StarCraft baby!
5. Replays and Tutorials
Click here to view Tutorial 1: Opening Build and Punch One
Click here to view Tutorial 2: Follow-Up and Punch 2
Click here to view Tutorial 3: Early Defense
Click here to view Tutorial 4: Transitioning
Click here to view Tutorial 5: Sample GM Game 1
Click here to view Tutorial 6: Sample GM Game 2
Click here to view Tutorial 7: When Things Go Wrong (Desperation Tactics)
Click here to view Tutorial 8: Gasless Variation (More Desperation Tactics)
Click here to download Replay 1: Vs 10 Pool Bane All-In
Click here to download Replay 2: Vs 2 Base Roach-Ling All-In
Click here to download Replay 3: Vs 1 Base Bane All-In
Click here to download Replay 4: Vs Mass Ling-Bane All-In
Click here to download Replay 5: One-Two with 2/2 Roach Transition
Click here to download Replay 6: One-Two with 1/1 Roach Transition (All-In)
Click here to download Replay 7: FAIL on Vaani
Click here to download Replay 8: Vs Early Pool Ling/Drone All-In
Click here to download Replay 9: One-Punch All-In (Speedling Flood)
Click here to download Replay 10: Random Ladder Replay
6. Conclusion
Thank you again for reading this guide on the One-Two Punch. If you are interested in being trained in this style or a similar style, contact me @ www.TangStarcraft.com.
Produced by Team All-Inspiration and the All-In Academy.
Stay positive, stay aggressive.
gl hf
Tim "Tang" Clark