ZvP: Fighting against Airtoss

This article is focused on analyzing different avenues available to Zerg players against their Protoss counterparts when the latter chooses to go down the Stargate route. Hydralisks have traditionally been the go to anti-air unit for Zerg while Infestors are also useful if you successfully catch a clump of units and chain fungal. But I feel that the one unit that needs to be utilized more is the Queen. A Queen Roach timing, either utilizing a creep highway or via a Nydus might be a strategy that has yet to be properly explored in Heart of the swarm.

Why do I bring up the first Queen? Well their anti-air range (7) and damage (9) is higher compared to their anti-ground range (5) and damage (4). They only cost minerals (150) and are a lot tankier than Hydralisks that may all be picked up and melted by a big enough phoenix flock. They also are great at complimenting Roach Hydra compositions as they spread creep and can keep Transfusing weakened units to keep the victory march going. Another added bonus to having Queens in your composition is their creep spread.

Protoss players normally transition into Robo based armies after a Stargate opening (on occasion going for Void rays) so to buy a Zerg player enough time, the Creep spread would keep the Protoss on their toes till they can get out a greater Spire or a hive for either the Corrupter/Viper follow up. By spreading creep, having extra anti-air fire power along with the Transfuse ability, Queens become a force to be reckoned with and are an excellent complement to the Zerg’s Roach/Hydra arsenal.

Some of the limitations of this strategy are if the Protoss decides to play passively and secure a third (before you can get the Queens across the map) or if he switches to Colossi earlier than expected. A faster switch can be devastating as Colossi can cut through a Zerg forces like a hot knife through butter, so to ensure you aren’t caught with your pants down it's best to keep trying to pop in and out of the Protoss’ base with Overseers. Also, it is very crucial to not underestimate the Protoss doing a tech switch into Dark Templar. You may be able to deal with the Void rays and Phoenix’s but by choosing to not throw down at least one spore crawler at each base (preferably in the mineral lines), you leave your bases open to a desperate mass DT play that could potentially cost you the game.

A factor that might be limiting is the decision to be aggressive or to macro behind seeing the Stargate. By being aggressive with a swell of Roaches and speedlings, you may be able to overwhelm your opponent, tearing apart their front door thus forcing a GG. By being greedy, you may be able to secure 4 bases extremely fast, pumping out as many drones as possible securing the economic lead. This would allow you to get the tech/upgrades along with getting up a very scary Zerg army that can trade even better than normal with the Protoss and go for the W.

 

Another avenue to explore is the Infestor/Swarmhost. Infestors in Heart of the Swarm may have been hit hard by the nerf hammer but fungal growth still has the ability to not only damage but to apply a temporary snare. The snare effect also resets the unit’s movements (i.e if they were going in one direction and get Fungaled, they will stop moving unless they are aggro’d or moved after the Fungal growth wares off) so if the Protoss player gets complacent it could possibly lead to a few free units for the Zerg. But the biggest asset of having Infestors is the money Fungal. This of course means landing one Fungal that catches either all or the bulk of the Protoss forces. This is followed up by additional Fungals that leads to a lot of dead Protoss unit’s. Of course with the changes from instant cast to projectile, catching and chaining Fungals is easier said than done. But, due to units in Starcraft 2 clumping up (even more so in the air), there still is a high possibility of pulling it off.

A path less taken is the Corrupter Mutalisk route. Mutalisks in Heart of the Swarm are a lot stronger than they were in Wings of Liberty but their weakness against Pheonix play is still as evident as ever so by adding on Corrupters this style is still capable of working. Also, by teching to Vipers, the Corrupters will be able to take down Phoenixes with greater ease, or in the case that Anion pulse crystals are researched, Protoss players will still need to be on their toes or risk losing their units.

Finally the Swarmhost. While their locusts cannot shoot air, when complimented by Queens, Spores, and some nice creep spread, against Stargate based play they can be a brutal, if not fatal, to Protoss players. An added bonus of Swarmhost play is the fact that once burrowed they are stealthed so unless the Protoss adds on an Oracle or goes for a Robo to get out an Observer.

While Zerg players also have a plethora of different tech choices available to them, if they choose the wrong path, it could be fatal. Through proper scouting and experimenting with different compositions, a Zerg player can continue to improve and develop his own unique style.