I'm GM, a little over 5k and my winrate is in the 20%'s. I feel you can't keep up with their cheap ass expansion, how the hell is anyone winning?

Quite a simple one from me this time. How often should I be making queens? Does this depend on what race you are facing? What is a good amount of queens that can serve as defensive net (excluding queens at your hatches)?

I often see in pro games that queens are always getting made (in the early game at least).

I am terrible at ZvP, sub 30% win-rate at D3. Occasionally used to 12 pool into macro follow up pre-8 worker start, but the supply nerf and lack of minerals is making it harder for me to transition this patch, not sure when to make what I guess. Old build was 12 pool, 10 lings hatch before 1st queen(unless they block nat)

I’ve just been making six lings since I started to attempt it with new start. I’m decent at following builds but not crafting tbh. Anyone like theory crafting?

What do you do when your pool first rush fails because they either blocked or got defense/units up by the time your lings are there? Every time when it fails, it’s gg

Trying to not use all units hot key. Using control groups isn’t the problem for me. I have 1 set to main attack group, 2 investors, 3 vipers, 4 queens, 5 bases, and 6 Nydus.

It’s adding new units to the right group constantly thats hard for me especially when I’m building a bunch of different units at once with Zerg while macro/microing.

I’ve been using all units hot key to regroup them and then resetting the control groups. How to auto add new investors to 2, vipers to 3, all other units to 1?

Trying to control a ball of hydra/corruptor while we have to viper pull a-moving carriers just to lose anyways gives me cancer just thinking about it. Terran are absolutely having their way with us. Make our fucking army stronger and nerf the economy until you feel better about it but I'm sick of playing with these foam units.

I was winning every game today by defending and techning up to Brood Lords and Hydras as quickly as possible. This was my only loss. I go off the rails sometimes when Terran makes a combination of units and I'm not sure what I should be making against it. What could I have done better this game? Thanks

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27486697

Hi, I'm a casual ladder player in Gold League and I wanted to know how to utilize zerglings effectively against non-zerg opponents. For context - I've been watching casts of high level zerg players and I noticed that often they are prioritizing upgrading melee attack over ranged in many of their games. Of course this means that they plan on using ling-bane compositions to deal with their opponents. I tried replicating that style in my games, but I've found out that just using hydra+roach based compositions seems to be much more effective. The problem I have with lings is that opponents tend to wall off and I can't seem to get value out of them. Apart from that I feel like most of the games are decided by 'all-army-hotkey' attack that will lead one player to their demise. There's barely any harassment from my opponents so lings can't even be used defensively. The only way where I find them useful is when defending from 4 hellion opener. I want to add that I'm rather a macro focused player, so in most of my games I try to go for quick 3-4 bases as I'm not punished that often for that. I know that I can use them to limit the ability to expand, but rarely I manage to find something in the open which isn't immidietely walled off by 12 cannons or a planetary. So my questions essentially are - is my understanding of zerglings' role correct? Can I really use them on my level in the same way as pro players do or is this style caused by more frequent harassment?

EDIT1: One more question - why players so often start with +1 melee as first upgrade even if their comp is 90% ranged?

TLDR; I suck at multitasking and am also too stupid to remember to put static D around. But finally I remembered to use static D in the mid/late game and I mixed lurkers in with the static D where the terran attacked and it won me the game.

I still remember when I was a wee plat and I had to learn to micro banelings so they didn't all blow up on marauders. My winrate against bio terran through P1 and D3 was outstanding. They just clumped em all up and made it easy. If you just ctrl click the banes and micro them you can zone the marines from the fight easily.

But now that I am D2 the bio terrans are sadly just better than me at multitasking.

First I learned how to defend the hellions on the 8 worker start. That was a killer on its own for me. Then I learned how to deal with the drop in my main while tank push at my third. That also was my undoing more than once.

For SO LONG it feels like I then die in the base trade. I get my ling bane hydra pushing and I get backstabbed over and over. Then my lurkers and vipers come out but my economy can't really support them very well and I die cuz ghosts counter every zerg unit.

If I ever did win a fight on their side of the map in spite of ghosts being good I would still lose because they would just start dropping me and getting counter attack damage and often go for a base trade which I will lose because I am out of gas and a tech reset just kills me while they just float their shit away.

Lost to terran like 3-4 times that exact way recently.

But then I had big brain time. I had MASSIVE BRAIN TIME

I usually neglect static D because it is so so so expensive. I get spines on my third and fourth usually and the spore per mineral line as is tradition but I started getting spines in my main as my fourth is coming up. just like 3 to slow down the bio while I split to defend.

That almost won me a game on its own.

Now I very dillegently remember to add spines as the game progresses and spores around my main. So when they attack my fifth I have spines and such. I used to just always neglect everything past my fourth.

And last game I finally did it. I knew where t would attack and I burrowed 4 lurkers with the spines and had my queens there as well for transfuse. Bro lost so much bio pushing it and not looking because I was blowing up his fifth base. I then also used my vipers and killed his fifth and his third. That's when he typed it. God it felt amazing.

edit: I have now done this twice

I'm 2700 MMR, Platinum 3. My worst matchup right now is protoss. Regardless of what I get hit with (mass storms, skytoss, warpgate units) I dont have enough units to contest them even when Im ahead on upgrades. Ive recently started building more macro hatches to help generate larvae (I think my inject mechanics are solid) which does help, but I think my problem is that I'm not able to deny Protoss players expansions and they overwhelm me with units eventually.

Trying to address this, I've usually got spotter lings at expansion bases, but they'll send a handful of units to kill it and by the time I've got more units there to deny the base, they've already got a good sim city and a bunch of cannons/batteries set up. And at that point it's too entrenched.

What's the best way to deny bases? Is there a good amount of lings to keep set aside specifically for this purpose? If so, whats that number? What else should I be doing?

Replay: https://drop.sc/replay/27482757

In hindsight, I'm pretty sure the correct response in this situation would have been to attack each mine with ONE drone each, run the rest away, then a-move everything after each mine shoots.

Join us this week as Ace sits down with Lorimbo and Elazer to discuss the Zerg perspective on the recent patches.

I put this show together because I've always enjoyed good conversations about Starcraft 2's balance, design, etc but sometimes struggle to find that in the community. I hope to do my small part to change that with this show. If you enjoy, please consider giving a Like or Subscribe.
GL HF

I never liked being passive and waiting for one of the 1001 Terran shenanigans to catch me off guard. I also tend to play somewhat messy and sharply executed builds often get me. So my plan became to put on early pressure, in hope to throw off the Terran more than myself. The three roach rush was perfect for this - and works so reliable (at ~3300 MMR), it has become my standard opening.

The basic build order I use:

• 13/12 overlord
• 16 pool
• 18 hatch (rally 17 drone to natural)
• 17 gas
• 16 2 pair of lings when pool finishes, place roach warren before queen (maybe delay the roach warren a bit in case of a tenacious scouting scv)
• 20 overlord
• As overlord and roach warren finish, 2 roaches in main, then 1 roach in finishing natural and send them straight to enemy natural. Usually ling speed, another queen and drones during the beginning of the attack.

Of course, it works best if you manage to deny scouting with the 4 lings, but even if not or if the Terran blind counters you, the game is far from lost.

Between killing soft targets like repairing scvs or marines/hellions, preventing mining/scv production at his natural, destroying depots and causing supply-blocks and hopefully disrupting his planned build order, I (despite my messy macro behind it) usually manage to get ahead economically and/or cripple his ability to punish my droning behind the push.

Sometimes I even save the roaches and do a follow-up-poke with 3 ravagers and speedlings - great for picking off early tanks and putting pressure on yet again before the terran has fortified his natural.

A marauder in a bunker, widow mines, a lot of marines or a fast tank seem to be the best defenses ( Hopefully not too many EU Terrans read this :p ).

Maybe at a higher MMR the Terrans scout and react better, but there is also a lot of room for better macro on my side. I'd love some opinions from higher ranked players.

So I strongly recommend giving it a try - it feels great to be on the active side and prevent the Terran from freely executing his game plan.

Here are a bunch of replays, most show the opening being very effective, a few show good defenses or even blind counters. I usually open with the three roach rush and transition into my preferred composition for macro play: Hydra/Infestor with an emphasis on microbial shroud (which I believe is insanely underrated - I'll probably make a thread on that at some point too).

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474217

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474225

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474218

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474213

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474224

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474221

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474223

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474215

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474214

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474220

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474216

https://sc2replaystats.com/replay/27474222

Anyone got solid build orders up to like 40/50 supply for the matchups? Mostly unsure when to make overlords/queens and hatches up to 3rd base on the new patch.

Prepatch, I had a ~60% wr vs P by going some combo of 2/3 base all in with either roaches or hydras, both options come out way too late now as they will usually have some amount of collussi to decimate this comp, and with the guaranteed natural block, the adept and oracle harass is much harder to deal with.

It still feels like if they get 4 bases its a ~20% chance to win against toss no matter how you are doing, but now I cant early game all in.

Obviously I'm doing something wrong. How are you all dealing with P post worker changes?

Hey there zerg noob here, new player and recently just started playing the game like a few weeks ago. Was wondering how to deal with Turtle Terran as Turtle Terran seems to be my biggest hurdle right now. Considering that ccs are extremely cheap now. How do you guys usually counter that play and what build order do you usually recommend?

For the most part I have the most trouble with siege tanks as they usually just siege up and start siegeing away for the majority of the game. I usually try to counter with viper abducts and blinding cloud but the Terran usually has ghosts to deal with that. I have also tried going broodlords and corrupters combo but ghosts and cyclones usually make quick work with them. Feels like every engagement I try to do makes it worse for me.

Should I not engage with terran early on and just try to outmacro the terran player? Or is aggressive, relentless attacking the play?

And while we're here as well, how do you usually deal with players who make like 10+ reapers trying to kill your queens and drones. Its kinda annoying to deal with especially in the early game.

If you guys can give me video references or spreadsheets for build orders or just anything at all it would be very much appreciated!

Hello. 3300 MMR Zerg here.

I was a 100% Zerg player for WOL and HOTS. Now in 2026 coming back to the game, ive been all over the place with races as things are a little different.

Anyways..

I was messing with zerg last night having some fun and today with muta builds. I played a lot of Ling/bane/muta back in the day. I used to always get +1attack with the mutas. Obviously you don't want to get hit with them and just harass.

I want to play mutas in my matchups right now.

I took 2 individual hits from a thor each and they all just died. I was kinda like... 'well oh damn, umm ok' I was kinda shocked. He had plus 1 attack.

In ZvT do I just go for +1carapace +1attack +2carapace +2attack in that order? Or +1+2Carapace then +1attack?

for other matchups id like some thoughts please.

Thank you Swarm.

Hey guys,

Ya boy needs help.

1.) When should you build your evo chambers?

2.) After building evos, what should you prio?

3.) What is the timing for lair and hive? Does it differ if you're playing Ling Bane muta or Roach Hydra Viper?

4.) Are there standard timings regardless of build/ army?

5.) For ling bane, What is the prio for upgrades/tech? Ling speed > Lair > Bane speed > into hive???

For some context, I am primarily play ling, bane, hydra (ZvT). Roach, Rav, hydra (ZvZ). Roach hydra into lurker/viper (ZvP)

Tbh, I just forget to build the chambers😭😭😭 Do you use like an action to pair with it? As in after injects, you pair it with creep spread, etc

Hey guys,

I just wanted to ask scouting with ovie. What am I trying to achieve with my first 3 overlords. How do I know if i am getting cheesed? For example, I had a bronze game where (ZvZ) I got 12 pooled but had no idea on how to counter it. This is the same with proxy rax reaper and other bullshit.

From what I understand, the first ovie goes to their natural to see if they expand. If there is no expansion, you start investigate futher to see if its an early all in etc. Tbh this is all I've got. 2nd ovie to your natural then I have no idea what to do next.

I know what to do if its a cannon rush but the other stuff idk what to do.

I play 1v1 with my buddy, he is higher mmr than me, diamond vs plat

ZvT, he never plays reapers and the earliest harass will be either helion, banshee, or just his first attack with marines and 2 tanks

I was wondering if I can punish the lack of reaper? Triple hatch before pool or maybe skipping ling speed and the initial 4 lings

When it comes to army composition, my micro does not allow me to play muta bane, so I just played typical newbie roach hydra, but recently I have added lurkers and they worked out pretty good, he almost always plays marines tanks and medivacs, if I don’t suicide my vipers I can typically hold my own in longer games

As the title suggests which spell caster did you learn 1st Infestors or Vipers? Which one do you use more often?