In a nutshell this build is based on surviving the early game with a big enough economy to do heavy roach play with upgrades and infestors peppered in. The mid game deviations are less concrete than the early game ones. However, if you've survived the early game, you should most likely have a lead or have already won the game (if executed correctly).
Build order (only concrete parts - everything else is a deviation):
9 Overlord
13 Scout drone
14 Gas
14 Pool
15 Overlord
At around 60 gas - pull one drone off gas send to minerals.
Deviations:
*If your opponent is opening gas then pool (speedling) check with scout drone to see if they remove drones from gas. This indicates he is going for a speedling expand. Punishable by bane nest after speed, throw drone back on gas. At 50 gas, get bane nest, pull one drone back off gas (only need 2 to support banes to punish this). Constant pump lings, gear up to take own expo while punishing him - Don't drone. If he is continuing to mine gas - match this by getting your own, don't take an expansion. Get your bane nest. Get 2nd queen. Get spine crawler at the edge of your creep towards to your ramp. Try to get into his base to see what his plan is. Most likely become ling/bling wars. Micro better and win. If he's roaching, clear out the queen at your nat with your first queen and expo.
*If your opponent is opening fast expand - Check to see his gas timing! If he's getting a gas relatively early (15, 16, 17 supply - around same time or earlier) this is punishable by baneling nest (as shown above) because he is likely going for speedlings asap or fast roach. He will have neither (or VERY few roaches) by the time your speedling + baneling timing hits - He can't leave his ramp otherwise lings will flood into his base. If he's getting a delayed gas (or none at all) prepare a 2nd queen asap, after first inject move out and clear his overlord from your natural. Then speedling expand. He is now in the dark and you are droning hard plus taking your own expand. He won't have speed or anything that can attack you. Worst case scenario you are even. He will have likely put up spines or is getting roaches or too many lings. Nothing here that can threaten you at this point - drone up.
*If your opponent is going pool/gas roughly same timing this USUALLY (but not always) indicates 1 base roach + expand. There are several 1 base roach all in plays on hatch tech some on lair tech as well. Very seldom will this be a late speed opener, but you are safe vs this as well since he cannot move out with lings if you are getting speed first. If roach opener is what you see with scout drone, proceed to pull all drones from gas at exactly 100, and speedling expand. The reason you pull drones from gas is because you DONT need a baneling nest. Your speed finishes before his, roaches can't move out, if he gets banes without speed he's pretty immobile. You have freedom to pump a big round of drones here as your speed will complete before his (if he is going speedling) and roaches this early are NOT a threat. Make sure you build a pair or two of lings so you can scout. Keep droning, poke ramp. If you see his roach count growing during pokes, match it with by pumping lings. Eventually you will need to sac an OL to see if he's going for lair (one base roach speed or burrow) or if he's going roach + bane (all-in - where you will need your own roaches). These builds are pretty vulnerable to speedling counter attacks, so punish him if he moves out and prepare for a base trade.
*If he is getting early pool (6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - basically anything before first Overlord), immediately cancel gas (if you've scouted it soon enough - unlikely) or if gas is finished, pull all drones from gas and get minerals. If the pool is SUPER early 6 or 7 - keep droning til 17 (skip Overlord). Now when 6 lings show up, stay in mineral line and mineral walk to get surround. If he brings all his drones, try no to engage until you have lings. If he brings one drone and starts building a spine and babysitting with lings, build your own inside your mineral line, get a queen, pump lings while his spine is attacking your hatch or pool. When your queen/spine are done, assault him with everything - uproot spine and root in range of his. If the pool is later 9 or 10 with gas it's a pressure build, pull guys from gas, begin to make a lot of lings when you can. He will likely get speed first, you can't leave your base, get later speed, play from there scout his ling count + base when your speed hits. Until then constant ling pump. If it's 9 or 10 with NO gas - this probably big ling pressure with potential all in. Pull your gas drones and get your own lings - no spine necessary. Don't lose drones until your lings pop out, then fight simultaneously.
The key to this opener is that it's flexible vs everything zerg can open with. You cannot fall behind vs any opener (in my opinion) as long as you execute correctly. Your production may not be as great as a FE, but your econ can become better while having map control - which I value WAY more than early production.
Mid game guide - coming soon.
Questions?
Build order (only concrete parts - everything else is a deviation):
9 Overlord
13 Scout drone
14 Gas
14 Pool
15 Overlord
At around 60 gas - pull one drone off gas send to minerals.
Deviations:
*If your opponent is opening gas then pool (speedling) check with scout drone to see if they remove drones from gas. This indicates he is going for a speedling expand. Punishable by bane nest after speed, throw drone back on gas. At 50 gas, get bane nest, pull one drone back off gas (only need 2 to support banes to punish this). Constant pump lings, gear up to take own expo while punishing him - Don't drone. If he is continuing to mine gas - match this by getting your own, don't take an expansion. Get your bane nest. Get 2nd queen. Get spine crawler at the edge of your creep towards to your ramp. Try to get into his base to see what his plan is. Most likely become ling/bling wars. Micro better and win. If he's roaching, clear out the queen at your nat with your first queen and expo.
*If your opponent is opening fast expand - Check to see his gas timing! If he's getting a gas relatively early (15, 16, 17 supply - around same time or earlier) this is punishable by baneling nest (as shown above) because he is likely going for speedlings asap or fast roach. He will have neither (or VERY few roaches) by the time your speedling + baneling timing hits - He can't leave his ramp otherwise lings will flood into his base. If he's getting a delayed gas (or none at all) prepare a 2nd queen asap, after first inject move out and clear his overlord from your natural. Then speedling expand. He is now in the dark and you are droning hard plus taking your own expand. He won't have speed or anything that can attack you. Worst case scenario you are even. He will have likely put up spines or is getting roaches or too many lings. Nothing here that can threaten you at this point - drone up.
*If your opponent is going pool/gas roughly same timing this USUALLY (but not always) indicates 1 base roach + expand. There are several 1 base roach all in plays on hatch tech some on lair tech as well. Very seldom will this be a late speed opener, but you are safe vs this as well since he cannot move out with lings if you are getting speed first. If roach opener is what you see with scout drone, proceed to pull all drones from gas at exactly 100, and speedling expand. The reason you pull drones from gas is because you DONT need a baneling nest. Your speed finishes before his, roaches can't move out, if he gets banes without speed he's pretty immobile. You have freedom to pump a big round of drones here as your speed will complete before his (if he is going speedling) and roaches this early are NOT a threat. Make sure you build a pair or two of lings so you can scout. Keep droning, poke ramp. If you see his roach count growing during pokes, match it with by pumping lings. Eventually you will need to sac an OL to see if he's going for lair (one base roach speed or burrow) or if he's going roach + bane (all-in - where you will need your own roaches). These builds are pretty vulnerable to speedling counter attacks, so punish him if he moves out and prepare for a base trade.
*If he is getting early pool (6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - basically anything before first Overlord), immediately cancel gas (if you've scouted it soon enough - unlikely) or if gas is finished, pull all drones from gas and get minerals. If the pool is SUPER early 6 or 7 - keep droning til 17 (skip Overlord). Now when 6 lings show up, stay in mineral line and mineral walk to get surround. If he brings all his drones, try no to engage until you have lings. If he brings one drone and starts building a spine and babysitting with lings, build your own inside your mineral line, get a queen, pump lings while his spine is attacking your hatch or pool. When your queen/spine are done, assault him with everything - uproot spine and root in range of his. If the pool is later 9 or 10 with gas it's a pressure build, pull guys from gas, begin to make a lot of lings when you can. He will likely get speed first, you can't leave your base, get later speed, play from there scout his ling count + base when your speed hits. Until then constant ling pump. If it's 9 or 10 with NO gas - this probably big ling pressure with potential all in. Pull your gas drones and get your own lings - no spine necessary. Don't lose drones until your lings pop out, then fight simultaneously.
The key to this opener is that it's flexible vs everything zerg can open with. You cannot fall behind vs any opener (in my opinion) as long as you execute correctly. Your production may not be as great as a FE, but your econ can become better while having map control - which I value WAY more than early production.
Mid game guide - coming soon.
Questions?
