PvZ: 4 Carrier Rush & Gladept Timing

LavarsBalls - Winner!

• Race: Protoss 
• League: Master
• Spawn Location: 3:00

A.I. 1 (Very Easy)

• Race: Zerg 
• Spawn Location: 12:00

PvZ Build: sOs Crazy 4 Carrier Rush+ 15 Gladept Timing @ GSL. New 2 Base Semi-All in!

*Possible Spoilers* This is one of those builds that on paper, it shouldn't work, but the strategy actually makes sense! It is a 4 carrier rush into glaived adepts on 2 base. sOs pulled off this crazy build during game 2 of GSL SuperTournament 2020 against Rogue. And he was able to win this game after transitioning into blink stalkers.

Keep in mind, this build approaches all-in territory, as the Protoss third base does not start until 7:00 min. The execution wasn't the best, even losing carrriers to Corruptors, but sOs was able to kill 31 drones with the Adept shades. He was able to transition into blink stalkers and sentries and force a winning engagement against Ravagers at the Zerg's 4th Base. I believe this build is best suited for maps like Purity & Industry.

I took your suggestions to write an abridged version of the build: I will include timestamps and supply benchmarks. However, I won't include pylon timings, and every time you need to warp in an adept. So play efficiently, prioritize the carriers and then warp in adepts when you have open production cycles!

VOD: https://youtu.be/cGma3yiTimo?t=751

Here are two of my replays against easy A.I.:

https://drop.sc/replay/13607386

https://drop.sc/replay/13607614

They are somewhat sloppy, no real scouting or harass like sOs. I didn't attack with my first two carriers. They are really just an approximation of the build. I just tried to connect on most of the benchmarks, to give you an idea on how to interpret this build. ---

Build: Normal Gateway Expand, Gateway Scout

2:13 23 Stargate 1 before gateway unit.

24 Adept, then warp gate.

29 Adept

33 @ 100% Stargate: Phoenix (Do not chrono, only chrono nexus probes).

3:15 39 Assimilators 3 & 4. You need to take earlier gas before mineral saturation at the natural.

45 Stargate 2

45 Fleet Beacon

4:28 benchmark: 44 workers. Cut Probes at Full 2 base saturation

4:34 52 Carrier 1

58 Carrier 2

64 2x Gateway

70 Carrier 3

76 Carrier 4

5:40 Twilight, @ 100% Research Glaives

82 2x Gateway, 7:00 Nexus & Forge

Execution: 6:40 Attack 3rd Base with 2 carriers. At 7:30 Group all 4 carriers together and attack Zerg Main. Meanwhile, 15 Adepts will shade back and forth between drone lines.

Supply & Production Benchmark @ 7:30 right as the attack commences: 105/126 Supply Army: 4 Carriers, 15 Adepts, 1 sentry, 1 Phoenix, 46 probes Structures: 3 Nexi, 2 Stargates, 5 Warpgates, Forge

Discussion: Here it is ATP. Our version of the TvZ BC rush. If left unscouted, this is a build that will outright kill a Zerg opponent. Rogue was able to sniff it out and start a spire and go into corruptors. But in your own games, the 15 glaived adepts and 4 carriers can probably kill the average Zerg player in a frontal assault and drone harass with the shades bouncing back and forth. The multiprong assault allowed sOs to kill 31 drones and then fall back on his late third base, after having taken the lead. He then transitioned into +1 attack and Blink and shut down the ravager army in the late game. Anyhow, try it out and post replays here! GL and HF!