This replay is a good example of tight mirroring build orders, ways to react to various threats and the power of +1 roach timing attack. With careful examination, one could see how different players choose to approach their mid-game tech of choice by doing slight reorders in the pattern so that they can get small or bigger advantages during different stages of the game, depending on their style or the way their opponents play. It is also a nice lesson of how to come back from a big disadvantage by using cool tricks, not yet extremely popular in modern highest-tier ZvZ.
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The players spawn at the top of the map with Idra on the left as the blue Zerg and Catz on the right as the red Zerg and both open 15 hatch with gas before pool. Catz and Idra mimic each other almost perfectly up to the point when the hatchery and pool get completed. True to his macro style, Idra goes for the immediate double queen, while Catz skips his second in favour of two pairs of lings, which will play the role of scouts.
Idra sends a reconnaissance ling and as he sees the relatively high ling count of Catz, he puts down a baneling nest (around the 5-minute mark). Seconds later Catz does the same to keep the ultimate zerg mirror intact. Small ling/baneling battles break out but neither player suffers too serious damage and thus they both transition into the mid-game tech.
At the 7th minute, Catz starts Lair and puts a Warren immediately after while taking the remainder of his three gasses. Idra delays his own Lair just a bit in favour of a quicker warren and evo chamber. More importantly, however, he times his extractors a lot differently, taking the first just prior to the Lair, the second at 25% and the third at 50%, giving him a much fluent economy scale of the gas and mineral incomes.
As Catz's Lair finish at 8:30, Glial Reconstitution and Burrow are started. Idra's tech pattern seems almost the same, but he chooses to swap burrow with overlord speed and has a +1 attack already on the way thanks to his faster evo chamber (Catz's own +1 would start much later when Idra's would be almost complete).
Catz goes for faster Lair and techs to Roach speed and Burrow right as it finishes
At 10:20 both players put down their third hatch but while Idra chooses to stay on the defensive, Catz moves out to put pressure, aiming to do two things - get an air of safety for his third and infestation pit to get up and in turn pressure Idra's expo. He forces a cancel but is quickly chased away by Idra's +1 roaches. Idra rebuilds his base and, seeing that he has the upgrade advantage, charges forth to Catz's third while, similarly, puts down his own infestation pit.
After a moment of hesitation at the watch tower, Idra storms the enemy base just seconds before +1 attack is finished for Catz. Had the attack been delayed a bit more it might have looked differently but as it was, Idra got the better deal out of it, killing the hatchery of Catz and ending up with 17 more roaches.
At the 16-minute mark, Idra moves out for a second time, heading once again towards Catz's third. However, Catz is quicker in throwing the fungal growths and catches a huge clump of roaches out of position, winning an early edge in the battle. Furthermore, he succeeds in fungaling Idra's infestors as well and as they fall, Catz empties the remaining energy to chase out Idra with infested terrans.
Idra secures a tremendous lead, only to lose it five minutes later
But south of the battle lies the bigger victory for Catz - he has managed to get up his fourth base, while Idra's is just starting. The Peruvian, though, is even more sneaky that it is apparent. Despite him getting burrow early in the match, he doesn't reveal it at all, his infestor and roaches never seeing the underground of Tal'Darim Altar so they don't push Idra into throwing down the necessary defences. Thus, at 20:00, four infestors reach Idra's fourth undisturbed, just as it begins to get saturated. 17 infested terrans spawn in few seconds, shredding the hatchery in no time, putting Idra immensely behind.
As half of Idra's army is drawn back to clean up the infestation, Catz hits the forces left behind and a tense engagement begins. Both armies stay quite equal throughout the fight but with Catz one base ahead there is little hope left for Idra. As the larvae injects pop, Catz's supply leaps straight up to max and when Idra scouts the reinforcements with an overlord the game is over.
The finishing moves of Catz. Idra is caught completely off guard both times.
Replay highlights
Both zergs open 15 hatch into gas/pool
~ 5:00 - two baneling nests go up to defend possible ling aggression
7:00 - Catz goes for Lair -> Warren; Idra puts Warren and Evo first, then techs to Lair
8:33 - Catz researches burrow and roach movement as Lair finishes
13:23 - Idra destroys the third of Catz
16:00 - Idra moves out again; gets stopped by Catz and loses his earlier advantage
20:00 - Catz destroys Idra's fourth with infestors
I hope you guys enjoy this week's edition of GosuGamers "Replay of the Week" feature. Stay tuned for more kick-ass replays and comment on our efforts, especially if you want to see something specific in the future issues.
Download the replay!
The players spawn at the top of the map with Idra on the left as the blue Zerg and Catz on the right as the red Zerg and both open 15 hatch with gas before pool. Catz and Idra mimic each other almost perfectly up to the point when the hatchery and pool get completed. True to his macro style, Idra goes for the immediate double queen, while Catz skips his second in favour of two pairs of lings, which will play the role of scouts.
Idra sends a reconnaissance ling and as he sees the relatively high ling count of Catz, he puts down a baneling nest (around the 5-minute mark). Seconds later Catz does the same to keep the ultimate zerg mirror intact. Small ling/baneling battles break out but neither player suffers too serious damage and thus they both transition into the mid-game tech.
At the 7th minute, Catz starts Lair and puts a Warren immediately after while taking the remainder of his three gasses. Idra delays his own Lair just a bit in favour of a quicker warren and evo chamber. More importantly, however, he times his extractors a lot differently, taking the first just prior to the Lair, the second at 25% and the third at 50%, giving him a much fluent economy scale of the gas and mineral incomes.
As Catz's Lair finish at 8:30, Glial Reconstitution and Burrow are started. Idra's tech pattern seems almost the same, but he chooses to swap burrow with overlord speed and has a +1 attack already on the way thanks to his faster evo chamber (Catz's own +1 would start much later when Idra's would be almost complete).
Catz goes for faster Lair and techs to Roach speed and Burrow right as it finishes
At 10:20 both players put down their third hatch but while Idra chooses to stay on the defensive, Catz moves out to put pressure, aiming to do two things - get an air of safety for his third and infestation pit to get up and in turn pressure Idra's expo. He forces a cancel but is quickly chased away by Idra's +1 roaches. Idra rebuilds his base and, seeing that he has the upgrade advantage, charges forth to Catz's third while, similarly, puts down his own infestation pit.
After a moment of hesitation at the watch tower, Idra storms the enemy base just seconds before +1 attack is finished for Catz. Had the attack been delayed a bit more it might have looked differently but as it was, Idra got the better deal out of it, killing the hatchery of Catz and ending up with 17 more roaches.
At the 16-minute mark, Idra moves out for a second time, heading once again towards Catz's third. However, Catz is quicker in throwing the fungal growths and catches a huge clump of roaches out of position, winning an early edge in the battle. Furthermore, he succeeds in fungaling Idra's infestors as well and as they fall, Catz empties the remaining energy to chase out Idra with infested terrans.
Idra secures a tremendous lead, only to lose it five minutes later
But south of the battle lies the bigger victory for Catz - he has managed to get up his fourth base, while Idra's is just starting. The Peruvian, though, is even more sneaky that it is apparent. Despite him getting burrow early in the match, he doesn't reveal it at all, his infestor and roaches never seeing the underground of Tal'Darim Altar so they don't push Idra into throwing down the necessary defences. Thus, at 20:00, four infestors reach Idra's fourth undisturbed, just as it begins to get saturated. 17 infested terrans spawn in few seconds, shredding the hatchery in no time, putting Idra immensely behind.
As half of Idra's army is drawn back to clean up the infestation, Catz hits the forces left behind and a tense engagement begins. Both armies stay quite equal throughout the fight but with Catz one base ahead there is little hope left for Idra. As the larvae injects pop, Catz's supply leaps straight up to max and when Idra scouts the reinforcements with an overlord the game is over.
The finishing moves of Catz. Idra is caught completely off guard both times.
Replay highlights
Both zergs open 15 hatch into gas/pool
~ 5:00 - two baneling nests go up to defend possible ling aggression
7:00 - Catz goes for Lair -> Warren; Idra puts Warren and Evo first, then techs to Lair
8:33 - Catz researches burrow and roach movement as Lair finishes
13:23 - Idra destroys the third of Catz
16:00 - Idra moves out again; gets stopped by Catz and loses his earlier advantage
20:00 - Catz destroys Idra's fourth with infestors
I hope you guys enjoy this week's edition of GosuGamers "Replay of the Week" feature. Stay tuned for more kick-ass replays and comment on our efforts, especially if you want to see something specific in the future issues.
