The TvZ Mindset - Compositions

This series will be everything there is to know about TvZ (in a Terran's perspective). However, for this first part of the series, it can apply to both Terran and Zerg. If you feel that anything here is inaccurate or needs refinement, please leave a comment below!

TvZ is the matchup that demands a high APM like no other, especially considering the current metagame of Ling / Bling / Muta for the Zerg and what I like to call the ‘revamped’ MMM for the Terran (Marine / Medivac / Mine). This is my favourite matchup by far, both to watch and play, as the game feels much faster paced compared to other matchups (especially TvT). Harassment also takes a greater role here, as Zerg are able to out produce harvesters compared to other races.

Zerg builds have quite changed nowadays as they now have the option to go for the early Burrow upgrade for early Roach aggression. I have also noticed that players also like to go for early Lings combined with Speed. This is due to the fact that most Terran players love to go for the 2 Reaper Expand build which I will explain in more detail later. Mid game is where the matchup truly flies as this is where trades and blows start to happen in the form of Medivac harassment, Ling / Bling timings, Muta harassments and much more.

Zerg Compositions

In the early game, Zerg generally go for the one of the following options: The first is the Hatch before pool (usually @ 15 harvesters) and then proceed to take gas and pool afterwards (they can choose to delay this if they want to produce additional harvesters). The second option is to go for quick Ling Speed for quick map control and to be safe from Terran all-ins (e.g. the dreaded proxy 2 Rax Reapers / Marines).

There are 2 major compositions in the mid game that the Zerg can utilise. This consists of the Ling / Bling / Muta that has existed since the Beta days of Wings of Liberty. The other is the Roach / Hydra / Viper composition. As Zerg is designed to be a mostly reactive race, their composition will almost always be based on what our composition is.

Ling / Bling / Muta is a composition that is used mostly when Terrans go for the revamped MMM. This way, the Zerg can be able to match (and overtake) the mobility of the Terran MMM and can deal damage / protect their bases in time. Additionally, Muta harass can be effective if there are weak spots in the Terran defence (no missile turrets covering their mineral line etc.). As another incentive, Zerg can always opt to go for a Ling / Bling run by every once in a while to keep the Terran on their toes.

The Roach / Hydra / Viper composition exists to try and counter the Mech army that Terrans can go for. Roaches tank the damage from Tank shots, while Hydras can attack at a relatively high DPS. On top of that, Vipers can swoop in and snatch a Tank or two to make attacking / defending easier for the Zerg.

Of course, Zerg can always go for unconventional compositions that are not mentioned above. Examples of this include mass Roaches that is designed to hit the Terran before they have enough Tanks to defend. Another example would be a Ling / Bling bust (without Muta) that catches a surprising number of Terrans off-guard.

Terran Compositions

There was a time in StarCraft history where Terrans went for a composition that solely relied on high DPS to decimate the Zerg army. This was also seen in GSL matches in the WoL days. MarineKingPrime was one of the pioneers for this delicate and unique type of play. Yes, you guessed right, it was the Marine / Medivac that was mostly used in TvT but can be adapted to accommodate the TvZ matchup. If you have a high enough APM, this composition is as deadly as any composition can be. Considering the fact that Marines are also easily mass produced, there seems to be no significant drawbacks when going for this given the fact you have the required APM.

Today however, as mentioned earlier, Widow Mines can be mixed into this composition to deal with the Zerg more efficiently. Widow Mines can act as a siege unit similar to the Siege Tank in the sense that it keeps the Zerg feel trapped and uneasy to break into your ‘siege lines’. This keeps the Zerg under control while you can expand more freely. Widow Mines can also be pesky harassment units. Loading 4 in a Medivac and dropping them in the Zerg’s mineral line can be very frustrating to deal with as you either need a Spore Crawler or an Overseer to even see the burrowed units, and producing those takes time in which Drones will not be able to safely mine. Note that you can use a couple of Marauders to soak up Baneling hits shown below.

Another deadly composition available in the Terran arsenal is Mech. This composition consists of Siege Tanks (to deal large amounts of damage from afar), Hellbats (to tank Roach / Hydra damage and also to fry Lings), and Vikings to deal with Vipers / Corrupters that will inevitably come. Thors can also be thrown in if Mutalisks prove to be a nuisance. On paper, this is one the absolute deadliest composition that exists in TvZ. Despite this, there are major drawbacks that keep some Terrans from using it. This is mentioned below.

 

These are the major points that you should consider when going for either composition. Both takes time to get used to as they tend to cater to players with different styles.
Again, there may be other compositions, such as Sky Terran (mostly focusing on Banshees, Ravens, Vikings and Battlecruisers). However if you can master both of these basic compositions, you will definitely be a TvZ master.