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Протосс vs Зерг · Forge expand

Protoss vs Zerg

Cannons buy the expansion, corsairs see, +1 speed zealots and templar take the map

Протосс Зерг

Checklist: do this

  1. Forge first, nexus at the natural, one or two cannons; the probe scout decides how many.
  2. Gateway, cybernetics core, stargate by 4:30 for corsairs that kill overlords and scout.
  3. Citadel of Adun for zealot speed, forge ground weapons +1 by 8:30; the two arrive together.
  4. Four gateways on two bases; templar archives by 7:30 for storm and archons.
  5. The +1 speed zealot attack at 9:00 with templar behind, corsairs above; take the third nexus during it.
  6. Robotics facility for an observer against lurkers; reavers on maps with tight naturals.
  7. Six to eight gateways on three bases; +2 weapons, then armor; archons against mutalisks and lings.
  8. 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.

If you remember one sentenceForge expand behind cannons, corsairs for overlords, +1 speed zealots with templar at 9:00, and the third base behind that attack.

The build

  1. Supply8 Time0:55 Pylon at the natural Pylon at the natural The forge and cannons stand at the natural.
  2. Supply10 Time1:30 Forge Forge Cannons by 2:45 if the pool is early; +1 later.
  3. Supply12 Time2:00 Nexus at the natural Nexus at the natural The expansion Zerg cannot prevent.
  4. Supply13 Time2:30 Photon Cannon (one, or two against an early pool) Photon Cannon (one, or two against an early pool) Cannons hold zerglings so no gateway units are needed yet.
  5. Supply14 Time3:00 Gateway, Assimilator Gateway, Assimilator The core and the stargate need them.
  6. Supply18 Time3:40 Cybernetics Core Cybernetics Core Corsairs and dragoons.
  7. Supply22 Time4:30 Stargate Stargate The first corsair at 5:30 kills overlords and scouts.
  8. Supply26 Time5:00 Citadel of Adun, second Gateway Citadel of Adun, second Gateway Zealot speed for the +1 timing.
  9. Supply30 Time5:45 Ground Weapons +1, Assimilator 2 Ground Weapons +1, Assimilator 2 Finishes around 8:30 with speed.
  10. Supply36 Time6:30 Gateways 3 and 4 Gateways 3 and 4 Four gateways produce the attack.
  11. Supply42 Time7:30 Templar Archives Templar Archives Storm and archons with the attack.
  12. Supply56 Time9:00 Attack with +1 speed zealots, templar, corsairs; third Nexus Attack with +1 speed zealots, templar, corsairs; third Nexus The timing Zerg must hold with an economy still growing.
  13. Supply70 Time10:30 Robotics Facility, Gateways 5 and 6, second Forge Robotics Facility, Gateways 5 and 6, second Forge Observers for lurkers; +2 with armor.

Research, in this order

  1. Ground Weapons +1
    Ground Weapons +1 at the Forge

    +1 zealots kill zerglings in two hits instead of three; the attack is built around it.

  2. Leg Enhancements
    Leg Enhancements at the Citadel of Adun

    Speed zealots catch hydralisks and escape lurkers.

  3. Psionic Storm
    Psionic Storm at the Templar Archives

    Storm is the answer to hydralisk numbers.

  4. Ground Armor +1
    Ground Armor +1 at the Forge

    Zergling and hydralisk damage drops a step for the whole army.

  5. Khaydarin Amulet
    Khaydarin Amulet at the Templar Archives

    Templar arrive with a storm ready.

  6. Gravitic Boosters
    Gravitic Boosters at the Observatory

    Observers must keep up with speed zealots.

  7. Ground Weapons +2
    Ground Weapons +2 at the Forge

    Needs the templar archives. A second forge keeps armor going.

The army, stage by stage

  1. Opening

    Photon CannonPhoton CannonZealotZealot

    Cannons hold; one zealot for a runby.

  2. Corsairs

    CorsairCorsairZealotZealotDragoonDragoon

    Two to four corsairs hunting overlords; a few dragoons at home.

  3. The +1 timing

    ZealotZealotHigh TemplarHigh TemplarCorsairCorsairDragoonDragoon

    Twelve speed zealots, four templar, corsairs above, dragoons for lurkers.

  4. Three bases

    ZealotZealotArchonArchonHigh TemplarHigh TemplarObserverObserverDragoonDragoon

    Archons against mutalisks and lings; observers for lurkers; +2/+1.

If you scout…

A pool before the hatchery (nine pool or earlier)

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

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

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

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

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 haveYou answer with
ZerglingsZerglingsCannons early, +1 zealots, archons

+1 zealots two-shot zerglings; archon splash ends flocks.

HydralisksHydralisksStorm, speed zealots, reavers

Hydralisks clump; storm and scarabs punish clumps; zealots close the range.

LurkersLurkersObservers, dragoons, storm

Seen lurkers are slow targets; storm kills them where they lie.

MutalisksMutalisksCorsairs, cannons, archons

Corsair splash and archons melt stacked mutalisks.

DefilersDefilersStorm the swarm, zealots and archons under it

Melee units and storm work inside dark swarm; ranged ones do not.

UltralisksUltralisksDragoons 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.