Defeating Zealot Masses??

Hey everyone I am a Zerg player that enjoys fastest possible maps but I am wondering what is the counter for Protoss Zealot massers were they just pump them out I can't seem to beat them I've tried everything sunkens, hydras, zerglings I can't get Lurkers quick enough how do you counter it? Thanks.

 

I haven't had this problem since I always played team battles, but I'll try to help.

Try using a combined sunkern/ling force. If possible, try to build at least 5 sunkerns at the choke point, and use lings and hydras for support. While doing this, tech your hatchery and build a spire. A group of mutas will send the zealot's running. Keep producing mutas since zealots cannot hit air units.

After you begin to pump mutas, quickly counter attack if able. Most likely since they have been pumping lots, they probably will not have a secure base defence to defend themselves from the aireal attackers. If they try to build cannons, destroy them.

Also, remember to build more hatcheries whenever you can spare the resources, try to have al least 3 by the time they attack.

Aside from this, I'm not sure what would be more effective.

 

The trick to beating early zealot waves is to tie them up with numbers. Remember, about 4 zerglings are needed to take out a zealot. Zergling/Hydralisk combinations also work well., with the lings keeping the zealots busy whilst the Hydras kill them off, one by one. Midgame, lurkers are your best bet.

 

If you can tech fast enough, sunkens and lurkers are nice, especially since 'lots tend to travel single file.

 

If you can you could try to attack them before they attack you, but in most cases they'll have enough zealots at their base to fight it off unless you're doing a 4 or 5 pools ling rush. Your best bet is a mixed force of lings and hydras, with a fair number of sunkens. Don't worry too much about microing the lings, they're mostly there as meat shields. But do micro your hydras to pick off the lots one by one. Once you fought them off get some lurkers and mutas. If they've been doing a pure zealot rush with no other units, that probably means they either used most of their gas on teching or they've been making units such as dragoons and maybe even HTS if they were fast.. In the first case, they're not likely to have much dragoons and other anti-air units, so you should go mutas and keep harassing their mineral line. If you could take out a few structures, then even better. In the second case, it's a bit trickier. You could try going mutas and lings, or hydras and lings. Lurkers are also a good addition. If you want, you could get a queen to pick of HTs with spawn broodlings at this time. One last thing, remember to expand. On ZvP, you have to expand early and many times as you'll need to rely on numbers to defeat the protoss. Once you fight off the attack you could just go on from there.

 

two sunkens can hold off the 2-3 zealot rush at the very early stages

SO FUCKING ANNOYING I HATE IT

 

ok i will fiddle around with these strats thanks for the help everyone

still annoys me a bit how protoss just have to build one unit and i have to do all this complex stuff to beat them -.-

oh and remembre guys this is fastest possible so sum of these strats have to be tweaked a bit to fit the maps playstyle.

 

bah Fastest possible is borin map..just play BGH or LT. =]

but yeah...zerg are awesome! u can morph 3 things at the same time!! thats what makes them so awesome! =D

 

Yeah, the zerg are the fastest at building large armies because of thier ability to produce 3 units (6 if lings or scourge) at one time. All you need it a few hatcheries and a spawning pool and hydra den to make a formidable ground force.

On fastest maps, I tend to do a 9-pool, then imediately put down a few sunkerns. When the pool is finished, I usually have 1-2 hatcheries being mutated, and thier larva become lings. The lings plus sunkerns will usually defend nicely until I can build up a defence at my choke.

 

fastest is the most exciting map of all it takes away the boring economy side of things and just involves pure war!! thats my map!

 

getting the burrow advancement could also help in zealotmasses, have several zerglings in your base then burrow a ton outside of there range, when the zealots come engage them with your unburrowed zealots and then unburrow the ones behind the zealots to flank the zealots.

 

Also, if it gets bad enough, you could burrow your drones until your lings can fight them off.

 

2 well placed Sunkens + microed Zerglings would defeat mass Zealots. Try to dance your zerglings around while your sunkens take free shots at the Zealots. Upgrade the Zergling speed.

If the Protoss player is doing nothing but Zealots, you could just tech for Mutas. Of course, you need some sunkens + zerglings to defend yourself from his mass zealots. Once your muta is out, you could call it a GG.

 

Thats why you focus on the sunken first.

 

The Zerglings would block them, forcing them to run around, taking more free hits.

 

This is where micro comes in, you tell the lots to attack move then making the lots attack the lings, after the lings die/move focus on the sunkens again.

 

Even though Zerg are the fastest in terms of build time, it would still be hard massing units because the Hatchery only allows building 3 units (which makes 6 lings). This will make it hard defending against Zealots masses.

My usual trick here is this. You have 4 starting drones. Build 2 more drones then build the spawning pool. After which, get a drone from the 6 and build a creep colony and build 2 more drones. Earn minerals and build an overlord and 2 more drones. Get another drone and build a second creep colony, make your first colony into a sunken colony and build 2 more drones. Then get another drone and build a third colony, make the second colony into a sunken colony and build 2 more drones. At this point, minerals wouldn't be a problem anymore. Now, make the third colony a sunken colony and use your remaining time building lings. If you are fast, you can build aroung 8-12 lings. Note, make sure you build your colonies on a choke point.

Once the Zealots come rushing down, lure them to the colonies. If your enemy is a real player, he won't go near the colonies unless he's a noob or overconfident. If AI, the Zealots WILL attack your colonies.

Now, if battling a real player, use your micro skills to lure then chase. Usually both of you will do this. Use that time building a den and some hydras.

If battling AI, once you've lured the Zealots into a colony, they will focus on that building. Use your micro skills to attack the Zealot that is being attacked by your colonies. This way, the Zealots will die faster without you having the suffer severe casualties.

This is just my opinion on this case because for me, this usually works. It also depends really on your speed, skills and even your opponent.

 

Do alot of sunken colonies at your entrance and put hydralisks behind them. You can also put zerglings to block the entrace. The zealots will have to kill zerglings in order to get to the sunken colonies if you block properly. While they are busy with the zerglings, the sunken colonies can attack them.

You could also block with hydralisks.
Sit in your base untill you get either lurkers or mutalisks.

 

Zergling micro is the key... And small chokepoints. If you can't find a place where only 6 lings can fight in a row, than try not to waittill the enemy attacks, it is better to face the Zealots in the enemy base, there he will have less, if you attack early, and you can keep the enemy under pressure with Lings. Just mae sure he won't kill off all from the first 6. Then you are screwed.

 

I would think that choke points favour the Protoss player because only few units can engage in battle, which is exactly where the genereal "fewer but stronger" characteristic of the race stands out. Zerglings would need big open plains where zealots can spread out if not microd by the player. Once spread out, run past them with your zerglings and when they've mixed with them, hit an attack-move.