Starcraft 2 Ranting - 1v1 screws up my 2v2!

I've been playing a lot more 1v1 on ladder instead of my usual 2v2, and while I'm enjoying Spanishiwa, my 2v2 strategy is suffering terribly - I'm trying to play it like a 1v1, and it's not working.  Worse, I'm not syncing with my partner very well - it's like we're each trying to play separately, despite being on ventrilo and everything!

Grrr...

Things to remember:

• Attack (or defend) together
• Follow up with a successful attack, but don't throw units away, or I'll die to the counterattack!
• Make sure at least one player builds anti-air and detection.  Losing to DT's when you would have won is very disappointing.

Starcraft 2 Zerg Strategy - An alternate Spanishiwa Build

Despite what it says on the Team Liquid Wiki, Spanishiwa has altered his build on occasion to the following (you can see it in some of his replays):

This Zerg build order is good in ZvT match-ups.

• 9 Overlord
• 13 Hatch
• 15 Spawning Pool
• 16 Overlord
• Double Queen when Spawning Pool finishes
• 2 Zerglings for scouting
• Use both Queens for Creep Tumors first
• Spinecrawler at Expansion
• Once at 40 supply, take all 4 gas
• Double Evo Chamber
• Lair with first 100 gas
• Roach Warren
• +1 Range / +1 Carapace Upgrades
• Roach Speed
• Lots of Roaches, big Roach push to deny expansions
• Infestation Pit
• Spire ---> Greater Spire for Broodlords

This list isn't a complete step-by-step for this build - it obviously starts changing depending on what your opponent is doing.

Starcraft 2 Zerg Strategy - How to, the Spanishiwa Style

Well, after some more laddering with the Spanishiwa style that I referred to in my last blog post, I've learned the following:

Queens:

• You HAVE to make 4 Queens as soon as you possibly can.  Building this many Queens doesn't come naturally, and it feels weird, but is absolutely essential.
• Queens must be used to block your ramp
• You must not fail to transfuse your Queens.  Try to use your Queen energy such that you have at least 1 Queen that can transfuse in the early game, and make sure that Queen isn't the first one to engage the enemy!
• When fighting against Zerg, put your Queens between a Spinecrawler and your expansion Hatchery.  Zerglings will do very little damage to them if they can't get a surround.

Timings:

• In general, you're supposed to make drones until 40 food with this build, THEN get gas.
• Despite the above, if your opponent slows you down for any reason (such as a bunker rush), you need to get the gas earlier, or you will die to things like Marine / Tank pushes.  You MUST have banelings and Speedlings by that time, or you are dead.
• Don't be afraid to abandon the build if you see your opponent 10-pool, for example.  While it's possible to hold it off, it requires really good micro.  If you're not a high-ranked player, you're risking a loss.

Scouting & Creep:

• Creep spread saves your Zerg in this build.  You NEED to be able to move your Queens between bases quickly, and you NEED your slow-Lings to be on creep.  The creep also helps banelings, because you won't have speed for them for awhile, either.
• Scouting on 9 is key.  There are games I would have lost if my opponent had scouted and pushed just a bit earlier, and there would have been nothing I could do.

Rush Defense

• If you suspect your opponent is going to go for some early pressure with Zerglings or Marines, a Baneling Nest becomes very important.
• Alternately, plan on building at least 1 Spinecrawler, and vs. Zerg, if he's 1-basing, expect a Zergling Rush, and you can defend it with your own slow-lings and Queens.  Make sure you snipe Banelings with Spines or Queens.

Starcraft 2 Zerg Strategy - Discovering the Spanishiwa Style

So I recently discovered the Zerg style of Spanishiwa - a heavy macro-style Zerg with early-game weakness traded for mid-to-late game dominance with Broodlords.

You can see the guy's stream at Justin.tv - here's a sample of some streamed games.

Anyway, what's intriguing about the style is that it works against all 3 races, but takes gas REALLY late. This means no speedlings almost until getting your third base! He drones heavily until about 40 food, then takes all 4 gas. He takes his third around 50 food typically, and relies on an early 4 queens (that means ASAP), Spinecrawlers and Zerglings to defend even against ground pushes. None of these things require gas, meaning a massive mineral surplus.

I think one of the strengths of the build is that it plays upon the strength of Zerg - with a lot of minerals you can build workers faster than any other race, and as long as you can hold off a few early pushes, your midgame soars because of your high drone count. You can even get Hive around the 16 minute mark! You can also get a lot of gas-heavy units and sustain their production once you are on 3 bases with 6 gas, and Zergling / Speedling / Infestor into Broodlord seems to work pretty well for Spanishiwa. He often throws in Roaches and/or Banelings, and 5-10 Mutas for harassment.

Other tricks I've seen him use:
- Burrow banelings beneath your opponent's next expansion mineral line. 4 Banelings means a lot of dead workers, and they are pre-positioned!

Experimenting with 1-base Zerg

Experimenting with 2-Hatchery, 1-base Zerg

So, I know this isn't a pro-level Starcraft 2 strategy, but I'm a bit curious why 1-base Zerg, by design, frankly sucks.

Ever notice that:
Extra Hatchery + Baneling Nest + Spawning Pool:
minerals = 300 + 150 + 200 = 650
gas = 50

2 Barracks + Factory + Starport
minerals = 300 + 150 + 150 = 600
gas = 200

3 Gateways + Core
minerals = 600 (+50 for Warp Gate)
Gas = 0 (+50 for Warp Gate)

All three indicate an early-game building set.

Looks similar, doesn't it? Why doesn't anyone build the macro hatch where it's safe, and 1-base until after the first push, or until you hit 24 Drones? All you're doing is getting on equal footing with the Terran or Protoss player, who can build extra production buildings, and can still build workers while they build military units!

I had this done against me once in a 2v2 - the Protoss player went Zealot / Sentry, and the Zerg player built a macro hatch FIRST, then proceeded to roll us over with 40 Zerglings plus the Protoss force.

While I see the economic weakness in 1v1 vs. Terran (who can drop MULES), and it doesn't quite match the ability of Protoss to chrono-boost upgrades, we still have the Zerg strength of massive unit or drone production, due to larvae.

I won a game against Terran (as Zerg) in this replay with a macro hatch first.

EDIT:  Here is a very interesting article from the Teamliquid forums that discusses the use of an in-base Hatch.

Starcraft 2 Hardware Review: The vertical mouse

For those aging gamers out there - thought I'd mention this one.  This (picture) is the mouse I use, and I find it's helped stave off some carpal tunnel.

The mouse feels a little weird at first, but after awhile, you get equally proficient with it - I even switch between this one at home, and a normal mouse at work, so that I work different muscles in my hand.  I haven't experience a lot of wrist pain since doing this (and some regular stretching).

So... forget that Razer mouse or whatever fancy things are available now, and try this weird-looking but effective mouse.  Comes in wireless with more or less buttons, too.

Starcraft 2 Strategies That Stop Working

I was doing very well with one of my 2v2 partners originally doing a Roach + Marine rush.  Very powerful, tends to annihilate one opponent, and then easily fend off the reinforcements / counterattack by the other opponent.  However, as we started playing against Diamond and Platinum teams, our super-strategy stopped working.  Why is this?

Simply put - scouting and preparedness.  Good opponents know how to interpret what they see in your base, even if it's just gas and when your buildings get produced.  The trick is to do this yourself, and counter what they are doing.

For example, we lost a game recently to a Zealot - Marine all-in, which was obviously directed at me, the Zerg player, since I can't wall off my base and shoot the attacking units.  I scouted it, but didn't build Spine Crawlers to fend off the massive push.  Even with my ally matching the Marine numbers of the attackers, I couldn't take on the Zealots without Roaches or Spines, and lost (despite my banelings).

This situation is similar to what cannon-rushing opponents sometimes find as they climb the ladder - eventually their cheese stops working, and they have to abandon the strategy and start learning new ones.

Morale:   Brush up on other races' builds, not just your own, and know what's coming, and when.