Hey everyone, My friend and I have a ZT 2v2 team that we play a lot (we're beginners, just bronze league, our record is like 73-76) but for some reason I always question my build order and strategy. We scout and stuff, but when we play like PP or PT or even like PZ, I always feel the need to fast tech to hydras because I don't want to be dead in the water if a few void rays come rolling in. I normally do an Overpool build (10 pool and 10 OL), then throw out like 6 lings while building my queen and toss a spine crawler down. However, I always question when to get double gas (or even the first gas for that matter), whether to get ling speed or just get a lair, etc. If I end up rushing to hydras, I normally don't have many if a big ground rush comes, and I don't have much of anything else because the hydras are so costly early on. If I throw down a quick expansion (mostly on those maps where the natural isn't very secure) I fear it'll get taken out fast and be a waste, any thoughts on this? I would just like to have a solid opener and hear your thoughts on some things I could possibly do, I never really know what to mix and match. If I mass lings and roaches, it helps us defend ground but I get massacred by air. If I rush hydras, I can fend off air for a bit but my resources starve out fast pumping pure hydras and trying to get upgrades, etc. Can any of you offer advice for what I could try/ways to improve? Thanks!
I'm quite bad 2v2 myself, but my first advice would be not to pump hydras. If you fear void rays, build evo chamber + spores or build a couple hydras, but don't pump. Only mass them if your enemy masses air, in the other case, go for economy and for ground counters. Zergling speed is always good to have to scout the map and take down unprotected expos. Also, nearly every ground force you might faces requires lings to beat, so speed is always handy. Usually you should get your first gas right after your pool (for speed upgrade), except you wanna fast expand first, which is risky.
This is what I use for a build order (occasionally modified if I'm being cheese or something) with my Protoss teammate 10 Extractor Build another drone Cancel extractor (either scoute/harass with that drone or grab a watchtower) 11 Overlord when I have 100 minerals Timing is perfect so that as soon as the overlord pops, you can make 3 drones at once While these 3 drones are morphing, I usually throw down my real extractor (put 3 drones on it ASAP) When those drones pop, I'm at 13 supply, usually I make another drone then throw down a spawning pool If my timing is right, I should have enough minerals and gas to simultaneously make a Queen and research zergling speed as soon as the spawning pool is done, then I start pumping speedlings. Tech switch according to scouting. Typically after this, I'll use my next 100 gas and get to Lair tech (or banelings). This works pretty well for my teammate and I, since most opponents don't rush or cheese in 2v2, so the delayed speedlings usually ends up being alright (because then my economy is so well off, I can pump speedlings a lot until I know what tech to switch to).
You or your friend should tech just a bit. roaches? hydras? whatever. the other should get spawning pool asap and queen. pump some lings (like 8) and research speed. send the lings out so speed upgrades as you near one of the players base. run past any units he has made and hit his mineral line. you should be able to kill all if not most of his drones before the lings die. keep pumping speedlings at the same time and send in waves. your partner should be able to send in a decent wave of roaches or hydras by your 3rd or 4th set of lings. they will not be able to produce units if they have to keep replacing drones. 2v2 is by far the easiest team match if you both are on the same page before the match starts. *side note* if terran is blocked in dont bother, hit the other guy
Your biggest mistake is probably expecting what your opponent will build as opposed to _knowing_. Zerg have got a really nice early game that transitions really easily to some anti-air. So scout up early and see what he's going. Is it a gateway build? Are there starports yet? Remember that some maps have nice high ground near the expo that you can hide your overlords on to keep tabs on your enemies economic expansion (obviously if they both expand then you wont be seeing early void rays). If you're seeing "the usual" (gateways and barracks) I'd suggest going a standard build with both speedlings and roaches to apply some early pressure to prevent quick teching from your opponent (as they will have to deal with your units). If you go roaches you'll want burrow (for the purposes of healing and hi-jinks if he hasn't got detectors) so you're already going for a lair and double gas meaning that you can drop a hydralisk den just in case of an air rush. A lair also means you can upgrade one of your scouting overlords to an overseer and get those changelings to scout the enemy "post-wall" and find out what's really going on and modify your "t2 build" accordingly. I'm only a low silver league 2v2 player but I have been through this period of anti-air fear myself as a zerg player and your best defence is to scout. Additionally for anti-void rays i'd grab a few corruptors instead. Their corrupt ability is incredible. Obviously hydras are much better against vikings though.
Thanks for the help so far guys, I used some of the tips and I'm getting more comfortable, we're number 1 in our bronze league now, lol. However, don't void rays counter corruptors? I thought I read that somewhere?
Depends on the number and whether or not the void rays are charged up...but corruptors do bonus damage to massive units (not armored), however they're still pretty good against void rays (especially with corruption).
