Safe opening build order examples

Zerg

1. 13 Pool - Gas
2. 16 Queen
3. 18 Overlord / Roach Den / Roaches
4. Expand if possible, if opponent is going to 3rax / 2gate then dont, (dont do this in ZvZ
normally, only on some maps like desert oasis)
5. Continue producing Roaches..if you expand you need to tech for hydras asap.

Protoss

1. 9 Pylon
2. 13 gate, gas , core, (cannon if you are against Terran or Zerg, because 1 cannon is
effective)
3. 2nd gate , 2nd gas (Produce 2-3 zealots meanwhile )
4. 18 Robotics Facility, start warpgates immediatly when gateways finish.
5. *Start immortal* immediatly when robotics facility finishes, build atleast 2 immortals,
then move to colossus , meanwhile decide for timing attack or expanding pending on what
the opponent is doing.

Terran

1. 10 Depot
2. 12 Barracks / nonstop scv pump / gas / orbital command immediate after barracks / 1
marine
3. 16 2nd depot / Tech Lab on Barracks and pump marauders from 1 barracks
4. Build 2nd barracks , Mule when Orbital command finishes. Reactor on 2nd barracks
and pump 2 marine / 1 marauder nonstop
5. Then factory -> starport / medivak or Siege Tank
6. Expand with M&M&M (marine / marauder / medivac) or go for timing push once you
have 2 Medivacs and the non-stop M&M pump.

How to effectively zergling rush in sc2

by Ligaozin

In SC2 Drones, Probes, and SCV's eat lings alive. They'll destroy them fast, so fast in fact
that you may not even kill off one before you lose your initial 6 lings. For this reason a lot
of people don't really know how to rush. They'll throw the lings in the mineral line go back
to their base and deside it is a waste of time and effort when they come back to 6 dead
zerglings. I will detail what I do during my Zergling rush in this little article here. I'll try to
follow it up with a few youtube videos in the future.

You don't want to just run in your opponent's peon line and start attacking, there is some
finesse to rushing in SC2. You run in like you are going to kill their peons, even targeting
one, make your opponent pull 5 - 6 peons off the mineral line, then retreat temporarily.
Stopping those peons from mining is about 50 minerals lost for your opponent right there. If
your opponent keeps following your lings that is more money, and you can probably pick off
one or two with no loss to your lings.

If you do that 5 to 6 times, you have made your cost of your six lings and some. Please know
that a rush isn't made to win the game (although it is a nice bonus of course if that does
happen), but to slow down your opponent, and get him off his game.

For each race you have to do something different:

Terran

If you get in:

Play chicken with the scv's (as described above) until a marrine comes out. Try to time a pull
back from his peons as the marine pops. When the marine pops kill him, rinse and repeat
with scvs.

If he walls off:

Attack two supply depots with three lings each. Normally you'll get one because it'll take 3
scv's on each depot just to keep it up. After you knock one down kill a few SCVs. By this
time you are almost dead and he has a marine. 1 Supply depot + 1 SCV + repair time on
two depots and you have made your money back in his losses and hopefully slowed down
his unit production. After that send the remaining lings to watch towers in order to heal up
(should have at least two left after this).

Note: this is a rush so you can usually get there before the marine pops.

Protoss

You have to get here early for this to work right and have a little luck on your side. If you
get the lings over soon enough you'll beat the first zealot out. When you get there target
the pylon powering the gateway. The zealot will more than likely come out while you are
focusing down the pylon. Micro your lings until the pylon is down (move the ling the zealot
hits to the other side of the pylon).

After Pylon is down do the peon dance described above. Two runs away from the
minerals will be 50 minerals (about) and anything else you do in his base is win!

Note: While doing this you should be teching to Roaches because he probably will not have
stalkers out soon enough to deal with them and will be over compensating with zealots
anticipating more lings.

Zerg

Harder to do because they usually can have more lings out faster but still possible. For this
match-up I'll set my rally point in their base and continue to build lings at home. Generally I
get there and they have lings being made, and or a queen out (sometimes both if they are
trying to do the same to me).

Scenario 1: No defensive units

If you get there and do not see a Queen, or any Zerglings try to focus down their spawning
pool. If you get it down you'll win the game. I generally don't go after drones right away
because I'll need every Hit Point for when their lings do pop out. If he starts pulling drones
from the line to attack your lings, dance and run away until the lings get out. Ensure that you
continue to build lings in your base during this entire process.

Scenario 2: With Defensive units

When my 6 lings arrive I target the queen right away (lings there or no lings there). Microing
of course to save as many lings as possible. Once the queen is down you have already
slowed their production and made your money back. Queens are the easiest early game
target and have a great effect on the Zerg player's game.

Once the queen is down I usually leave his creep area until a few more lings arrive. Most of
my lings will be in the red and won't do anything to his 6 that are going to be popping soon
(if they haven't already). If my extra 2 that I built while I was downing the queen arrive I'll run
back in there with them leading the charge and usually will down his 6. Now I just play tag
with his drones while I keep building lings from my base.

Always with Zerg vs Zerg tech to fast lings vs before anything else. Zerg early game is
usually a ling vs ling battle for a very long time, and the first to speed lings will have a huge
advantage.

While I don't win as often as I use to in SC1 with 6 lings, it still is possible. I hope with
this guide you too can get cursed out by your opponent in the first 5 minutes of play ;)

********************************************************************************************************

If you are defending a rush build your gateways at the entrance to you base with a hole just
big enough for a pylon to fit between them. DO NOT build a pylon between them, this is
just the necessary space for larger units like stalkers and immortals to walk out. Place your
zealots in between your gateways to prevent a zergling or zealot run through.
Protoss Rush

* 9th probe – pylon.

* 10th probe – gateway. Chrono boost two more probes while a gateway is building.
* 12th probe – 2nd gateway, 2nd pylon then make another probe.
 * 1st gate way is completed: chrono boost a zealot and make another probe.

At this point you should have the enough resources to support making a zealot at each
gateway in succession and probes at your nexus. You’ll be ready to rush your opponent
when you will have a food supply of 26 with roughly 5 zealots and 16 probes.

A special note against terran players: Generally terran players will try to reaper rush a toss
player, so you’ll want stalkers instead of zealots. To produce stalkers quickly, substitute a
cybernetics core for the 2nd gateway and make an assimilator with your 13th probe instead
of a 2nd pylon. Only make 2 zealots and make a pylon as needed. Pull 3 probes off of your
minerals as soon as your assimilator is finished and make a stalker ASAP.
Protoss Non Rush

* 9th probe – pylon.

* 10th probe – gateway. Chrono boost four probes (one boost per two probes).
* 13th probe – 2nd gateway 2nd pylon. After your 14th probe comes out make a
zealot and then chrono boost two more probes.
* 16th probe –your 2nd gate should be finished, or very close to finishing. You should
now have the resource collection rate to continue to make zealots and pylons as needed.
* 18th probe – make two assimilators and a cybernetics core. When assimilators are
finished pull 6 probes off your mineral line and place 3 on each geyser. Continue to make
probes and chrono boost them whenever it’s up.

Zerg Rush

Both general strategies assume you use the queen ability spawn larva as often as possible.
The number of drones in the strategies below corresponds to your current number of drones,
since you lose drones when you building a structure.

* 10th drone – spawning pool. Build another drone, so you’re back to 10, and then
make an overlord. When the pool is done, make your six zerglings followed immediately by
your queen.

Note: Depending on how your initial attack goes you may want to continue making lings or to
start to tech up. If you are defending a rush, you can substitute spine crawlers for lings or do
a mix of both.

If you decide to tech:

* 13th drone – extractor, when completed, pull three drones from mineral line to
harvest gas.
* 14th drone – roach warren. Make an overlord. When warren is completed make
roaches as needed.
* 15th drone – extractor, when completed, pull three drones from mineral line to
harvest gas.
* 22nd drone – Lair. From here you can decide to go air or hydra. You’ll have to
decide which is more valuable depending on what your opponent has.

Zerg Non Rush

 * 10th drone – extractor, when you have enough money, make another drone and
cancel your extractor. This should leave you with a 11/10 food supply. When this is finished,
make an overlord.
* 14th drone – spawning pool.
* 15th drone – expansion hatchery.
* 18th drone – overlord. Then make 2-3 spine colonies at your main to walk down to
your expansion hatchery when it finishes. When your expansion hatchery finishes make a
queen there. Produce drones at your expansion and make overlords as required.
* 18th drone – two extractors. When finished pull 6 drones off your mineral line and
place 3 on each geyser.
* 20th drone – roach warren and lair upgrade when you have 100 gas. From here
you will be setup to go any tech you want.

Terran Rush

I am going to detail how I reaper rush. You may want to rush to marauders with the
concussion shell upgrade instead—which will depend on the opponent you are playing.
Most toss players will assume you are going to reaper rush and go for early stalkers, which
makes marauder rushing with the concussion shell upgrade very effective. If you decide to
go marauders instead of reapers, research concussion shells as soon as your tech lab is
finished and proceed to make marauders.

* 9th scv – depot. When this scv finishes making the depot, have it make a barracks
(which will generally occur just after your 11th scv is built). When your barracks is finished,
immediately attach a tech lab and set your rally point in your opponents base. When the
tech lab is finished you will have exactly 50 minerals and 50 gas to begin making reapers.

Note: You should always build your initial depot and barracks at the entrance to your base to
act as a turtle.

* 11th scv – refinery. This should be built at almost the exact same time as your 9th
scv begins to build your first barracks. When completed, pull two scvs off your mineral line
and place them on gas. At this time you should also turn your Command Center into an
Orbital Command.
* 15th scv – depot (at the entrance to your base to seal it off). When it finishes the
depot, have it make your second barracks.

From here you will have the resource collection to either make additional barracks or to start
teching up. If you decide to tech, use your 16th scv to make your 2nd refinery, and continue
to make scv’s for minerals.
Terran Non Rush

This build order assumes you produce marines from your barracks when they finish.

* 9th scv – depot. When this scv completes the depot, have it make your first
barracks. Again, you’ll want to build your initial depot and barracks at the entrance to your
base to act as a turtle.
* 13th scv – second barracks. You should also now turn your Command Center into
an Orbital Command. When this barracks is done, you should build another (your third) with
the same scv (your 13th).
* 14th scv – depot. When this depot is done, use this scv to make a refinery.
* 16th scv – fourth barracks.
* 19th scv – second refinery. Your 14th scv should be done with his depot, and be
building the first refinery a little before you start this one. When they are completed, pull four
scvs off your mineral line and place two on each geyser (each refinery will have 3 scvs to it).

You should now have the resource collection rate to go any direction you want: be it tanks,
air, or MMMs (marines, marauders, medivacs).