Checklist: do this
- Forge first, nexus at the natural, one or two cannons; the probe scout decides how many.
- Gateway, cybernetics core, stargate by 4:30 for corsairs that kill overlords and scout.
- Citadel of Adun for zealot speed, forge ground weapons +1 by 8:30; the two arrive together.
- Four gateways on two bases; templar archives by 7:30 for storm and archons.
- The +1 speed zealot attack at 9:00 with templar behind, corsairs above; take the third nexus during it.
- Robotics facility for an observer against lurkers; reavers on maps with tight naturals.
- Six to eight gateways on three bases; +2 weapons, then armor; archons against mutalisks and lings.
- Scout with the probe at 2:30 and the corsair at 5:00: pool timing and the spire or den change the cannons and the army.
Why it works
Zerg out-expands everyone, so Protoss cannot win by economy alone; it wins by making every Zerg base cost an army. Cannons hold the natural while the economy catches up, corsairs kill the overlords that give Zerg its vision and supply, and an upgraded zealot-templar army with storm beats hydralisks and lurkers in the open. The tempo is set by the +1 timing: attack when the upgrade finishes, before Zerg has its fourth base saturated.
The build
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Supply8
Time0:55
Pylon at the natural
The forge and cannons stand at the natural.
-
Supply10
Time1:30
Forge
Cannons by 2:45 if the pool is early; +1 later.
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Supply12
Time2:00
Nexus at the natural
The expansion Zerg cannot prevent.
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Supply13
Time2:30
Photon Cannon (one, or two against an early pool)
Cannons hold zerglings so no gateway units are needed yet.
-
Supply14
Time3:00
Gateway, Assimilator
The core and the stargate need them.
-
Supply18
Time3:40
Cybernetics Core
Corsairs and dragoons.
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Supply22
Time4:30
Stargate
The first corsair at 5:30 kills overlords and scouts.
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Supply26
Time5:00
Citadel of Adun, second Gateway
Zealot speed for the +1 timing.
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Supply30
Time5:45
Ground Weapons +1, Assimilator 2
Finishes around 8:30 with speed.
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Supply36
Time6:30
Gateways 3 and 4
Four gateways produce the attack.
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Supply42
Time7:30
Templar Archives
Storm and archons with the attack.
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Supply56
Time9:00
Attack with +1 speed zealots, templar, corsairs; third Nexus
The timing Zerg must hold with an economy still growing.
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Supply70
Time10:30
Robotics Facility, Gateways 5 and 6, second Forge
Observers for lurkers; +2 with armor.
Research, in this order
Ground Weapons +1 at the Forge+1 zealots kill zerglings in two hits instead of three; the attack is built around it.
Leg Enhancements at the Citadel of AdunSpeed zealots catch hydralisks and escape lurkers.
Psionic Storm at the Templar ArchivesStorm is the answer to hydralisk numbers.
Ground Armor +1 at the ForgeZergling and hydralisk damage drops a step for the whole army.
Khaydarin Amulet at the Templar ArchivesTemplar arrive with a storm ready.
Gravitic Boosters at the ObservatoryObservers must keep up with speed zealots.
Ground Weapons +2 at the ForgeNeeds the templar archives. A second forge keeps armor going.
The army, stage by stage
- Opening
Photon Cannon
ZealotCannons hold; one zealot for a runby.
- Corsairs
Corsair
Zealot
DragoonTwo to four corsairs hunting overlords; a few dragoons at home.
- The +1 timing
Zealot
High Templar
Corsair
DragoonTwelve speed zealots, four templar, corsairs above, dragoons for lurkers.
- Three bases
Zealot
Archon
High Templar
Observer
DragoonArchons against mutalisks and lings; observers for lurkers; +2/+1.
If you scout…
A pool before the hatchery (nine pool or earlier)
When The probe scout
Do Two cannons before the nexus finishes, a probe on hold at the cannon, gateway sooner.
Why Early zerglings kill a nexus with one cannon; two cannons with probes repairing nothing but blocking hold it.
Twelve hatch and a third hatchery by 3:30
When 3:00 to 4:00
Do One cannon only, gateway and core sooner, corsairs on time, the +1 attack at 9:00 at the latest.
Why A three-hatch Zerg has few units before 6:00; the timing attack meets a half-built army.
A spire
When The corsair at 5:30
Do Cannons at each mineral line, corsairs in numbers with air weapons, archons with the army, dragoons at home.
Why Mutalisks kill probes and templar; corsairs with upgrades and archons make them useless.
A hydralisk den and many hydralisks
When 5:30 to 7:00
Do Templar and storm before the attack, zealot speed, dragoons and a shield battery at the natural.
Why Mass hydralisks break cannons and zealots without storm; with storm they die in clumps.
Lurkers
When 8:00 onward
Do Observer with the army, storms on lurker lines, zealots only after they are seen.
Why Lurkers unseen kill zealots; seen, they die to dragoons and storm.
Counters
| They have | You answer with |
|---|---|
| Cannons early, +1 zealots, archons +1 zealots two-shot zerglings; archon splash ends flocks. | |
| Storm, speed zealots, reavers Hydralisks clump; storm and scarabs punish clumps; zealots close the range. | |
| Observers, dragoons, storm Seen lurkers are slow targets; storm kills them where they lie. | |
| Corsairs, cannons, archons Corsair splash and archons melt stacked mutalisks. | |
| Storm the swarm, zealots and archons under it Melee units and storm work inside dark swarm; ranged ones do not. | |
| Dragoons with upgrades, dark archons on some maps Ultralisks die to focused ranged fire. |
The mistakes that lose this matchup
- Too many cannons
The sign Four cannons at 3:00 against a twelve hatch.
The fix One cannon unless the pool is early; every extra cannon is a gateway later.
- No corsair
The sign Overlords everywhere, Zerg sees your +1 timing coming.
The fix Stargate at 4:30, a corsair by 5:30, keep it alive.
- The +1 attack late
The sign Moving out at 11:00 into lurkers and a fourth base.
The fix Speed and +1 both done by 8:30, attack at 9:00 with what you have.
- Templar without storm
The sign Templar dead to hydralisks with energy unused.
The fix Storm researched before the archives finishes its first templar; amulet later.
- Zealots into unseen lurkers
The sign Twelve zealots gone at a choke.
The fix Observer with the army from 10:00; dragoons and storm first at chokes.
By level
Newcomer
Forge, nexus, one cannon, gateway and core. Then the cycle: probes, a zealot from every gateway, pylons ahead, a gateway at 400 minerals. Corsair by 5:30, zealot speed and +1, attack at 9:00 with everything and build the third base while you do.
Learner
The build within thirty seconds; scout at 2:30 and 5:30 and pick from the forks; templar with storm in the +1 attack; observers by 10:00; six gateways and +2 on three bases.
Competitor
Corsair control against scourge, storm placement on hydralisk lines, zealot-archon engagements under dark swarm, the reaver-shuttle harass that keeps drones down, and reading the fourth base timing to hit before it saturates.