ShoWTimE's 2 gate expand into robo/twilight (PvP Economic)
Description
Now originally PvP seemed like it was going to be a bit of a cluster fuck of early game all ins, however with the addition of the shield battery, this shouldn’t be something to worry about. This is an extremely safe and solid style that will get an expansion early and defend it well.
Replay - ShoWTimE v Socke: Game 1 - Blackpink LE
Build Order
| 1 | 0:00 | | |
| 14 | 0:18 | | |
| 14 | 0:23 | | |
| 15 | 0:36 | | |
| 15 | 0:38 | | |
| 16 | 0:43 | | |
| 17 | 0:50 | | |
| 17 | 0:52 | | |
| 17 | 0:59 | | |
| 18 | 1:04 | | |
| 18 | 1:05 | | |
| 19 | 1:16 | | |
| 20 | 1:24 | | |
| 20 | 1:28 | | |
| 21 | 1:33 | | |
| 22 | 1:40 | | |
| 22 | 1:51 | | |
| 23 | 2:00 | | |
| 27 | 2:27 | | |
| 31 | 2:38 | | |
| 31 | 2:44 | | |
| 31 | 2:58 | | |
| 31 | 3:05 | | |
| 36 | 3:13 | | |
| 35 | 3:24 | | |
| 36 | 3:32 | | |
| 37 | 3:47 | | |
| 35 | 3:50 | | |
| 35 | 3:55 | | |
| 38 | 4:03 | | |
| 40 | 4:15 | | |
| 48 | 4:33 | | |
| 51 | 4:46 | | |
| 51 | 4:51 | | |
| 53 | 5:05 | | |
| 60 | 5:19 | | |
| 63 | 5:29 | | |
| 63 | 5:35 | | |
| 63 | 5:37 | | |
| 63 | 5:47 | | |
| 67 | 5:53 | | |
| 67 | 5:58 | | |
| 67 | 6:15 | | |
| 67 | 6:21 | | |
| 67 | 6:22 | | |
| 69 | 6:46 | | |
| 75 | 6:53 | | |
| 81 | 6:58 | | |
| 83 | 7:05 | | |
| 85 | 7:19 | | |
| 93 | 7:31 | | |
| 93 | 7:32 | | |
| 93 | 7:36 | | |
| 97 | 7:37 | | |
| 105 | 8:05 | | |
| 107 | 8:23 | | |
| 85 | 8:40 | | |
| 81 | 8:56 | | |
| 83 | 9:04 | | |
| 91 | 9:31 | | |
| 91 | 9:32 | |
Analysis
Build Explanation
For this PvP build I offered two versions of it. One is the baseline version that ShoWTimE used vs. another passive opener which gives you a good idea of how the build is meant to go, and the other is an altered version that is a bit safer if you end up scouting any sort of incoming aggression. It also features a different follow up if you would like to try out some different mid game compositions.
This is basically the 4.0 altered 2gate safe expand. It works essentially the same as before, however it’ll need some small tweaks since you no longer need to spend 100/100 on a MSCore for protection. Since there are no overcharges to stop early adept shades, early adepts have become much more powerful. To combat this, some slight changes will need to be made to your early game defense. From now on, you should be walling at the top of your main ramp with your first pylon and two gateways and leaving a probe at the gap after expanding. This allows you to build a building in the gap as the shades attempt to shade in, and then cancel it when they cancel their shades. If you do not do this, the adepts will one shot your probes, thus making shield batteries ineffective. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t build those either. To be extra safe against adepts and oracles or any other pressure, you should build one shield battery in your main mineral line early on (around 2:30 in game time). Oracles four shot probes now with shield battery support, and a single adept basically will never kill a probe by itself with a shield battery if you have units fighting it. They are very strong buildings and should not be underestimated.
Now that we know the new additions to early game PvP, this explains why this opener starts with adepts. If your opponent did NOT take these precautions, then you may very well win the game with your first two adepts. You could gain an incredible early lead that is easily snowballed for a victory later on. They also allow for some early game scouting to check if they have expanded or not, which can help you determine if you need extra shield batteries or not. Following the two adepts are two stalkers, and then two sentries for defense and a follow up hallucinated phoenix scout. After expanding (you will be supply blocked on 31 with this build since ShoWTimE decides to get many units out early) you then get a Robo as well to start your tech progression, and a Twilight Council follows that up shortly as well for blink. A forge and immortal production, along with two extra gates, will complete the general setup of this opening which is basically identical to how people have been opening in PvP for the last few months.
Depending on what you scout with hallucinated phoenixes, you can decide to make even more gateways and take a slightly later expand like ShoWTimE does this game, or you can expand a bit earlier and then get the extra gateways. It’s dependent on what you think is a better option on a game by game basis. After that, you can then tech up to a normal chargelot/immortal/archon composition as has been so popular recently. ShoWTimE goes for adepts in this game, but I believe chargelots would have been a better option to go for.
For the defensive variation of the build, it basically just delays everything to get some faster immortals and more shield batteries out. Socke went for a blink aggression and ShoWTimE defended easily with immortals and shield batteries. He then teched up to blink and disruptors . You could very easily do a disruptor follow up with the baseline build as well, since it doesn’t seem set in stone which are the correct unit compositions to go for in PvP at the moment. Disruptors are still very strong if used properly, colossi seem to also be good vs heavy chargelot compositions, but chargelot/immortal/archon still has a great brute force ability that can break a lot of players before they have the proper composition. So try some different styles out, use this build as a general guideline, and build LOTS of shield batteries if you’re getting all inned.
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Details
- Created by: Gemini_19
- Published on: Nov 16, 2017
- Modified on: Nov 17, 2017
- Patch: 4.0.0
Comments (1)
On Nov. 8, 2023, 7:32 a.m., zmaj said:
I've been practicing this build and noticed that pylon at 36 supply isn't necessary because 2nd nexus finishes in time. Because of that you have enough minerals for a 3rd stalker instead of the 2nd sentry. That means you have more gas and earlier immortal.