SaSe's Aggressive 2 Gate Expand (vs. Protoss)

[e][h]SaSe's Aggressive 2 Gate Expand Opening

Strategy Information

Creator(s):

SaSe

Matchups:

PvP

Type:

Opening

Converted Form:

Tech SC2's TL Forum Thread

Overview

This build aims to expand off 2 Gateways whilst pressuring your opponent in a manner that will force them to play passively. This will allow you to get up your Natural Expansion uncontested, giving you a massive lead heading into the mid-game phase. You also have the option to transition into a defensive 4 Gateway opening should you scout that the opponent is going for a 4 Gate Rush. As you will have more units when their attack hits you will be able to crush their all-in and again head into the mid-game with an economic lead.

Basic Build Order

"SaSe's 2 Gate"
9 Pylon 13 Gateway 14 Pylon 16 Assimilator 17 Assimilator 18 Zealot 21 Pylon 22 Cybernetics Core 22 Zealot 25 Gateway 26 Warpgate Research 27 Stalker 29 Pylon 31 Stalker 33 Stalker 43 Nexus ~6:00

Notes

• You spend three Chronoboosts on your Nexus after the first Pylon finishes. Afterwards you save your CB.
• On 13 Supply, scout the most obvious proxy locations to check for a proxy 2 Gate Zealot Rush.
• 4 additional Stalkers will be built out of your 2 Gateways after the first. Spend all your Chronoboost on them to get them out on the field as soon as possible.
• Once you have 5 Stalkers, Chronoboost Warpgate Research until it is finished.
• Don’t be overly aggressive with your first two Zealots and your first Stalker. This can result in your two Zealots being picked off by a 3 Stalker rush build and then you will lose a lot of the firepower for your push. Use your 2 Zealots and your Stalker to prevent proxy Pylons being placed near your base, but do not over-extend!
• If you cut Probes at 25 (4 gas, 21 minerals) you will have 400 Minerals saved up to plant down a Nexus at ~6:00. This is in the midst of your attack at the front so this requires a lot of multitasking to get down correctly.
• Do not forget to put down a proxy Pylon in time for Warpgate Research finishing.
• If for some reason you cannot break their ramp with your push (they have an Immortal out or they have enough Sentries to constantly Force Field the ramp, for example) then warp-in two Sentries as your first two units instead of 2 Stalkers. This will allow you to Force Field them into their own base whilst you secure your Nexus and throw down your chosen Tech structure.
• Try not cut Probes after your Nexus is started, but there might be exceptions for your follow up tech choice after you get the Nexus up. For example, if you scout a Blink-All-In and want to go for a Robotics Facility, you will need to cut Probes for a few seconds so that you can get the Robotics Facility as soon as possible after the Nexus is built.
• As soon as you plant down your Nexus, put 1 extra Probe on each gas so that you end up on the optimal 3 workers per geyser.

Mid-Game Follow Up

There are a few follow-ups that you can do with this build. Below are listed a number of different PvP openings and some suggested responses. You should be able to get any scouting information you require during your push, but if you cannot get any scouting information then it is best to play safe and go for a Robotics Facility follow-up as described in the first example.

4 Gate Blink All-In/Blink Obs

You want to go 5 Gate Blink Stalker with a delayed Robotics Facility for an Observer (which will allow you to Blink in and out of the opponent's base). Once you have your expansion planted down you will start your Twilight Council as soon as you have the Minerals for it. Get three more Gateways after throwing down the Twilight Council and then resume Probe production. In order to support 5 Gate Blink Stalker you need to get a third gas running at your natural, take it whenever your 3 extra Gateways finish up.

Immortal Openings

You need to cut Probes to get a Robotics Facility out as soon as possible after your Nexus is built. Add 2 more Gateways and start adding in Immortals as soon as the Robotics Facility finishes. You can safely get an Observer out after the first two Immortals. Your Gateway production will be the same as your opponent's, but you have the economy available to get Immortals on top of Stalkers and so should be able to out-produce them for the win.

Against DT Rush

You will do damage to a DT rush build if they skip Sentries as they will not have the fire power to actually kill off your initial 7 Stalkers and 2 Zealots (2 Stalkers should be warped-in to support the pressure). They will need to warp in at least 1 DT to defend your aggression so make sure you go for their economy to do as much damage as you can with your units. Do not worry about retreating your units, just keep attacking with them so that you do the most damage possible. Behind this, cut Probes to throw down a Robotics Facility as soon as possible and chronoboost out an Observer - you may need to run your units away from a DT for a few seconds, but you should have enough time to get out an Observer as a single DT will not kill the Robotics Facility fast enough to prevent one finishing.

Against Stargate Openings

There are two different Phoenix openings, the 3 Gate Phoenix opening and the 2 Gate Phoenix Immortal Opening. The 2 Gate Immortal opening is safe against everything but gets a lot of Tech on 1 base, so you should be able to do damage if their BO is not 100% crisp. The 3 Gate Phoenix build is the weakest variation for the mid-game, but can lead into a strong all-in if they choose not to expand. Regardless of the build they go for, a 5 Gate Blink Stalker follow-up is recommended.

Against 4 Gate

Thank them for going for a 4 Gate because you basically have an auto-win. You will have more firepower at 5:45 than them and with your superior Stalker count they should never get a Pylon up at your ramp (or even close to your secondary ramp). Warp in 2 Sentries as soon as your Warpgates are done and then use Forcefields to defend your ramp whilst going up to 4 Gateways before expanding. Expand as soon as you can handle their army and then counter-attack. If they have tried to expand then your counter-attack will kill them, so the worst case scenario is that you will force them to make a lot of Sentries in order to defend their main base from your counter-attack. After building your expansion Nexus, get a Robotics Facility up to keep yourself safe from a DT or 4 Gate Blink follow-up. You will have a massive economic lead heading into the mid-game, so if you do not make any mistakes and play safely then you should easily win the game from this position.

Maps

This build is usable on all maps except for Tal'Darim Altar. This is as Tal'Darim Altar does not have a ramp into the main base, making it impossible to defend against a 4 Gate by using Sentries to Forcefield a ramp.

Replays & VODs

	Tech	Phoenix follow-up.
	SnakeQ
	Date: 2012-05-07
	Patch: 1.4.3	Replay

	Tech	5 Gate Blink follow-up.
	TomMoore
	Date: 2012-05-23
	Patch: 1.4.3	Replay

	Tech	5 Gate Blink follow-up.
	Gravity
	Date: 2012-05-23
	Patch: 1.4.3	Replay

	Tech	Defending against Dark Templar rush.
	Illias
	Date: 2012-05-13
	Patch: 1.4.3	Replay

	Tech	Defending against a Blink Observer build.
	Illias
	Date: 2012-05-13
	Patch: 1.4.3	Replay

	Tech	Base race against 1 base Colossus.
	Illias
	Date: 2012-05-13
	Patch: 1.4.3	Replay

References

• A guide for this build posted on the TL.net forums by TechSC2.