Expert: Denny Lin - 7/19/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hey man, it's me again.  Miss me yet?  Probably sick of me, sorry about that Mr. expert :P.  I'm really loving the advice tho.  I have a friend who said he beat Zv7random a long time ago but he can't do it now so he's no help.

http://68.81.24.40:8081/replays/
Those tips were extremely, extremely great.  I didn't realize that I made so many mistakes!  Not noticing the lurker for so long was really embarrasing, wow.  I really tidied up my start per your suggestions and can get tons of gas now.  I wanted to show you my last games.  One, zv7random_7oclock_sheesh.rep, is my best attempt to remember your tips.  I even got a chance to attack a terran with a few muta.  Alas, the same story in the end.  I get overwhelmed.  Perhaps, 7oclock isn't good for expansion?

I have another replay that I hope you find interesting, zv7comp_queenscout_1terrout.rep.  It is my strategy that I had been developing previously.  It seems to be working better now with your tips.  The idea is that with a little luck with where the terrans start and queen scouting, to find out where the terrans are and lurker them to death early since they really suck at handling lurkers. I was getting sick of restarting because I was rarely getting 7/11/12 starting positions and/or 4spool lings killin my starts.
Hey, I'm not sure if there is a limit as to how many questions to ask but definitely don't worry about answering so quickly if you're busy.  Your advice has been invaluable so far.  Whereas I was about to give up, I can feel that my game has improved 'dramatically' since writing you.
Any more advice?
John
ps- the link to my question on your page goes to a weird spot.

ANSWER: Hi John,

I like your last game at 7 whedre you did pretty well to harness the gas and stuff... A few things to take note from that game..

-Your mutalisk rush onto the terran base at 9 was splendid, but you kind of suicided the mutalisks when half of them rushed into the turret and marines... You should have bunched them together and take out workers..and as marines run to you, they suicide themselves...

-I was really surprised how long that 1st evolution chamber lasted. However it was down at 1 of the most cirtical moments. You should have destroyed it yourself earlier and rebuild another in its place.

- Your mutalisks pretty suicided themselves in defense. You needed to put them behind your sunken colonies...


- 1st research on queens should be broodling
- Your proportion of mutalisks was too extreme. If you wanted to mantain that lurker volume..it's fine as well. But do get more queens.

- You notice the time you get overwhelmed is always the time the seige tanks push in. Try overcoming that with more queens. The exact number of queens is determined by the number of terrans in the game...
I generally don't get more than 12 queens in a game. Simply upgrade their ENERGY capacity and you have tons more broodling and ensnare.

- You did well with mutalisks... use them to take out workers..and when you see an attack coming, pull them back to defense.

- You notice you have tons of minerals but less gas right? Build more hatcheries with them.

- Upgrades of armour and attack are not as important at the start/mid game. Focus on technology (i.e. lurker, broodling, mutalisks..etc)



YOu are almost to winning past that mid game. Once you survive that tank phase you'll be fine.

Remember lastly, as you get queens/muta/lurker to stall that mid game. You should be aiming and TECHING to guardians. Guardians will be what help you stall those tanks even later on...

Note though that you'll see wraiths and other crap coming after you get guardians. That's where the mutalisks and ensnare comes in. 1 ensnare reveals wraiths and slow their attack + speed to make them free food.


All the best in your next game.. you're almost there to the win

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Denny,
I've played about 3-4 hours today with really, really bad luck.  I never got the 11 o clock position.  In fact, the computer doesn't like giving me that position at all - I've only gotten it once or twice since asking you questions and those times, I was still figuring out how to get the expansion timing.
Anyways, I got the 12 o clock position twice tonight and both times protoss/terran came out and wiped my 2nd expansion very early (like around or slightly before a 4 spool) and the block wasn't together.  I had the 7 o clock position maybe 3-4 times and I had a few 4 spool ling rushes kill me.  One game where I thought the block was gonna stay up, they decided to knock down the hatchery (non stop) instead of focusing on the sunken.  I'm so frustrated with it right now.

O, I found this interesting youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_D96xTM5cI

I tried to follow his pattern of about a 20 hydra drop that gets 2 computer bases early but it seems that the guy was lucky because the siege comes really late and by the time it knocks his block down, he's got 2 bases down.

I need a break..maybe I'll try again sunday.

Thanks again.

John

Answer
Hi JOhn,

Do take a break... you'll need some luck. There isn't really a sure win way in 1v7random...

I'm not for hydralisk drops as hydralisks do crap against tanks...


Try this for simplier build

-Sunken defence (save on the zerglings..they dun really help much)
- Rush for lurkers (12 max will do)
- Rush for queens, with broodling (6-8 1st... eventually expand up to 12)
- Guardians.... (Queen Nest helps u upgrade)
- Rush with mutalisks and a few guardians (morph to devourers if you face air units)


Key is to avoid getting your lurkers raped.. Control them well... If you do well, you can rush half of them and take out 1 or 2 guys with them.

One way is to place lurerks a distance outside your defensive wall.
Keep pressing "STOP" using them..till enemy units walk directly ON TOP OF them..then release the button and massive mayham to all the seige tanks there. ONly do this when you have enough of them... The OVERLORD TRANSPORT upgrade will help you ferry about 6 lurkers up to 9 o'clock if you're at 7. That usually takes out a terran easily... (if that's terran) Does the same for 6 o'clock. Basically do it to a terran who is adjacent to you.


Remember to spam extra minerals on additional hatcheries and overlords... Save you gas. It's CRUCIAL...

I've won a few games on zerg... it's possible... Queens might work better than muta for you to broodling...same for lurkers.

Good luck...


Denny