Zerg BGH Build
From Liquipedia StarCraft Brood War Wiki
BGH BuildStrategy Information
Creator(s):
Matchups:
Zerg versus ?, multiplayer
Type:
Opening
Popularized by:
Unknown
Purpose[edit]
To harass and delay any sort of tech builds from Protoss or Terran, and to provide a mental advantage for what's to come if your rush fails. P/T will most likely play on the defensive after this, wasting time and resources on unneeded defensive measures. However, if your rush does not do any significant damage to the opponent's economy, then consider yourself in bad hands (Quick! Someone call Dennis Haysbert!).
Build Order(s)[edit]
Note: Most of these BOs come from courtesy of StrategyWiki's StarCraft section. You can find the link below in the External Links section.
Zerg 7 Pool Rush[edit]
Match-ups: ZvZ, ZvP, ZvP, Multiplayer, close locations
Theory: This is very much a risk/reward build in 1v1 play. It is best meant for 4 player maps or less, where you can figure out where he is by the time the lings pop out their eggs. It can be done in any match-up, and in multiplayer, but locations must be close. In general you are going for early harassment, the point of your attack will vary for each race. To begin, scout with your overlord to the nearest base. Keep in mind if you use this strategy, your economy will be very weak compared to your opponent, so if you fail to do significant damage to him, you'll be at a huge disadvantage later.
Build:
- 7/9 - Spawning Pool
- 7/9 - Overlord (as usual, best to scout with this one and your first Overlord)
- 8/9 - Scout with drone
- 8/17 - 6 Zerglings
- 11/17 - 2 Zerglings
In ZvZ, if you get to his base and his pool is not done, target his spawning pool with your lings. If it is done and there are eggs, take as many drones as you can before the lings pop out. For ZvP, he will have a zeal that just popped out, or is about to. If his gateways are powered by one pylon, you can take out the pylon and force the zeal to address you. If the zeal is by himself, you can take it on. With decent micro you will not lose a ling in the process. A good protoss will have scouted you and placed the zeal in his economy so his probes can surround and suffocate the lings. Here just harass his buildings and try to force the zeal to come out. Zvt is a similar process. He should have enough SCVs to kill the lings, so don't let your lings become surrounded by them, just harass supply depots and his SCVs to stall his mining, and make sure he doesn't get a marine or two planted among his workers. Do not try to kill barracks unless you have no other choice, as all he has to do is lift to prevent you from killing it. If he walled, target the depot while adding more drones and an extractor to begin teching. If he has multiple barracks, try to take down his supply depots. This will prevent him from making more marines or SCVs until he can rebuild them. In multiplayer this build is fine, but watch out for counters. Make sure your partners got your back and can protect you from a hardcore zealot rush while you catch up in economy.
The 9pool (w/ speed) Rush[edit]
This variant of the traditional 9pool build (located below) sacrifices minerals in order to harass more effectively. When using this build, be sure to pump out drones or zerglings according to the opponent's status. If they are warping in cannons, retreat. If they are building probes, pump lings and rally to their choke and harass their economy.
- 9 Morph Spawning pool.
- 8 Morph Overlord
- 9 Morph extractor
- 9/17 Send 6 lings to opponent's choke
Remember to add three drones to gas as soon as the extractor is finished, and research zergling speed upgrade once it's available.
9pool (w/o speed) Rush[edit]
- 9 Morph spawning pool
- Create 1 more drone to return to 9/9.
- Morph an extractor, build another drone, then cancel the extractor to be at 10/9 drones.
- 10/9 overlord with next 100 minerals.
Overlord should finish 1 second before the pool finishes. Build 6 zerglings for 13/17.
Zerg 9 Pool Hatch[edit]
Match-ups: Zvp, Multiplayer
Theory: This is a newer build tailor made for ZvP, although it has some uses in multiplayer as well. Here the pool is delayed for a spell in favor of an overlord so extra drones can be made to support a faster 2nd hatch.
Build:
- 9/9 - Overlord
- 9/9 - Spawning Pool
- 11/17 - Hatchery
- 10/17 - 6 Zerglings (Scout with a drone here if you wish)
These lings are more of the harass and defensive type, with the second hatchery at the ramp or in an expo even. From here you can immediately go for gas and begin to tech, or you can continue to amass lings and drones while your hatchery warps. The exact build of course varies now that you have lings.
12Hatch, 11pool build[edit]
This build is to counter teching opponents or those who are far away from your side (an example would be an enemy spawning at 12 o'clock and you spawning at 6.
- 9 overlord
- 12/17 Hatchery (preferably near your main, or it can be at an expansion too)
- 11 Spawning Pool
From here on out you can choose to create one more drone and pump out lings.
Or, you could switch to lair tech by morphing an extractor at 14/17 population.
Additionally, you can create an extra hatchery at 13/17 population and just defend with sunken colonies throughout.
Zerg 3 Hatch Ling Rush[edit]
Match-ups: ZvP, Multiplayer
Theory: This build has lost some popularity in Zvp in favor of tech builds, but its still thrives in multiplayer games. It is not the power build that 3 hatch pool is, but it is a much safer way to have three hatches pumping ling. However, the ling pump will not be as strong as in the other 3 hatch build.
Build:
- 9/9 - Overlord (scout with this overlord when it completes)
- 12/17 - Hatchery
- 12/17 - Spawning Pool
- 13/17 - Extractor
- 13/17 - Hatchery (Save larvae)
- 12/18 - 8 Zerglings (scout with drone)
- 16/18 - Overlord
You will not have 200 ready to morph them all, you will have to make them as money allows.
From here once you have 100 gas, upgrade speed, then put the drones back on minerals so you can support lings from the 3rd hatch when it completes (you may mine another 100 gas for lair, but then it will sacrifice your pump somewhat). A sunken is not included in this build because you will not have the cash for it. Pump lings from the three hatches, but make sure to tech in a timely fashion so your lings won't get owned by tech combinations (MnM, Zeal/Goon, or Zeal/Arch). Usually sauron-style zerg emerges from this type of opening from 4 or 5 hatches.
Things/Tips to look out for when playing as Zerg in BGH[edit]
Since BGH is a relatively neutral map, meaning it has no obstructive ridges, cliffs, or unbuildable terrain, Zerg tends to be the most fragile race here. Most teams will often take out the Zerg first, since they usually have the weakest units.
This is why you must create sunken colonies/spore colonies as needed and keep an eye on the opponent's army to know when they're pushing out. Having overlords in your allies/enemies base helps as it provides a useful detection backup for when your allies get DT-harassed or lurker dropped.
Send your spare overlords over the water where it is out of range of ground units yet can still view their approaching army.
It is important to expand heavily when playing Zerg in BGH (as it is in most other maps too), since even though you have a near unlimited supply of resources, Zerg's economy needs a quick jump-start early game.
What to do if an opponent zealot rushes you?[edit]
By the time an opponent has a zealot in your base, you should have at least a few zerglings (if you do, then there's no need to build a creep colony yet) or one creep colony morphing into a sunken.
Gather 4-6 drones (depending on how many zealots there are) and surround your morphing creep colony. Target fire the one zealot or prevent it from attacking your creep colony.