About a week and a half ago, WCS America season 1 Premier League had a group (stage 2, group C) with 3 Zerg players. With the patch out increasing Spore Crawler damage against Mutalisks, we got to see what ZvZ looks like when you can actually do different things.

Before this balance patch (which doesn’t have its own number, unfortunately), ZvZ was all Mutalisks. Early game was Zergling and Baneling trades, where the defender usually had the advantage. Once it got to Lair, Zergs would invest gas in Mutalisks, and getting the 1st volley or having 1 or 2 more Mutalisks was the difference.

Post-patch ZvZ looks more like WoL ZvZ. The early game is the same, the midgame is mostly Roaches, and then you mix in Hydras or Infestors (and eventually both) until the late game comes late. Most games would be decided around 3 bases in the midgame, however.

So the builds. Unfortunately, the matchups, cheeses, and technical difficulties mean that we have 3 games between Suppy and Revival and only 1 between Revival and Scarlett, but this is a good set of them. All of those are below in long form. Just a few notes ahead of time. I’ll be updating my Zerg strategy guide based on the recent changes to ZvZ, so read that for the bigger picture.

1. Suppy is an Extractor trick guy. I don’t like it as much as I think a 9 Overlord does about as well and is simpler to do
2. Suppy likes getting a 3rd base before Lair. I don’t like this either because I myself am not confident enough to defend it, but it is what it is.
3. The builds I transcribed are the non-cheesy ones. Most are pretty standard, but check out Scarlett’s Ultralisk build. That is a nifty one
4. The builds don’t have everything, but Zerg is more about relative timings than it is about exact units

Suppy v Revival on Star Station

Suppy Roach Hydra

• 10 Overlord
• Extractor Trick
• 15 Spawning Pool
• 16 Hatchery
• 15 Overlord, Extractor
• 15 Queen
• 22 Queen
• 24 Zergling Speed
• 31 5:00 Baneling Nest
• 5:45 Spine Crawler
• 6:30 Hatchery, Lair, Extractor x2
• 7:00 Evolution Chamber
• 7:30 Roach Warren, +1 Ranged Attack
• 8:30 Roach x10, Roach Speed
• 10:00 93 Supply
• 10:20 +2/+1
• 11:45 Hydralisk Den
• 12:50 Hatchery

Revival Roach Hydra

• 9 Overlord
• 15 Spawning Pool
• 16 Hatchery
• 15 Overlord
• 15 Queen
• 17 Zergling
• 22 Queen
• Evolution Chamber x2 (to wall)
• 6:00 Extractor x4, Roach Warren
• 7:00 Lair
• 7:15 +1 Armor
• 7:45 +1 Ranged Attack, Roach x5
• 8:20 Roach Speed
• 8:30 Hatchery
• 10:00 100 Suply
• 10:20 +2/+2
• 11:30 Hydralisk Den
• 12:50 Hatchery
• 14:00 Infestation Pit