Friday, December 2, 2011

Starcraft 2 Skills: PvT Beating Bio with Phoenix & Drop

Puma vs Hero game below for illustration, cast by NanMan, note this is not a DreamHack game.

My comments are below the VOD.  I will also be referring to some of my earlier Starcraft 2 Skills postsClearing defenses for Drop, and PvT Beating Bio.

This is a follow up to my previous PvT Beating Bio post, the previous post covered a DT/Zealot approach.  This covers a Phoenix opening, with a high level game that clearly illustrated the opportunity that Phoenix play can create. I think of this as a Phoenix/Zealot approach.






I like the Phoenix play, seems like Protoss in general are starting to realize the power of the Phoenix. They are one of the very few Toss units that can be effective in small numbers. Other main unit Protoss has that works well in small numbers is the Dark Templar of course, see PvT Beating Bio for some of my thoughts on DT.  I think a very strong case can be made that most Protoss builds should involve early Phoenix or DT.

Phoenix play generally gives Protoss control of the Air, which creates a weakness that can be exploited by drop play.  After his successful Phoenix harass, Hero should have gone Robo for Warp Prism, instead of the Twilight Council into HT that he did.

With a Warp Prism, Hero could have done Zealot drops into the main, to build on the success of his Phoenix play.  Followed by Colossus if needed for late game.  That would have been a LOT stronger.

At ~11:33 in the Puma vs Hero game above, Hero starts a Twilight Council which costs 150 Minerals 100 gas 50 seconds to build, he could have got a Robo for 200 Minerals 100 gas 65 seconds by just delaying the probe he started before the TC.

At ~12:47 Hero does another attack at the main with 6-7 Phoenix, which is completely successful.  But imagine how much more damage would have been done if he dropped 4 Zealots into the main to support the Phoenix!  He would have only been risking cheap (mineral only) units, additionally the Zealots would have been able to provide rear guard if needed to save the more expensive Phoenix!

Note, even unsupported the Phoenix were able to camp in Puma's Main till ~14:06 with even 4 Zealots supporting the Phoenix in the main Puma would have had to pull most or all of his army.

I really think that would have easily been GG, since Hero would have been able to at least deny Puma's 3rd, maybe even kill the Main or Natural with Force Field block of the ramp.  I can't see any real obvious defenses for Puma to Robo into drop play if it started at the 12:47 mark.   I got this idea from the game I covered in Clearing defenses for Drop.

Even if defended, it would have given Hero time to get Colossus out, with more than enough Phoenix to deal with any realistic numbers of Vikings that Puma could have produced.  And a serious economic lead.


Subtle Tip: if Hero had followed Phoenix play with Warp Prism drops, it would have been very efficient to get Air Armor Upgrade at the Cybernetics Core.  Not only does this benefit all Air Units (including the Prism), but it gets more value/use out of the Core, and provides a high value use for Chronoboost.

It would have been a better choice for the Minerals/Gas than the +1 Attack Hero startred at ~11:32 right after +1 ground Armor finished (also same time he started Twilight Council).

The only Protoss units that benefit significantly, at least against Terran, from attack upgrades are Dark Templar & Immortals, and to a much lesser extent Colossus.  A Phoenix actually has more life at 120 HP/60 Shield than a Zealot 100 HP/ 50 Shield.


GL HF

~Cliff

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