Edit: This build no longer works due to the recent balance update that made drop overlords lair tech, rather than evolution chamber.

The third Scarlett series article will focus on the early zergling drop builds that Scarlett used against sOs at IEM Pyeongchang in games 3 and 5. The goal of each build is to end the game early with heavy zergling aggression. The two builds vary in that the build used in game 3 was a pool first variation while the game 5 build is a hatch first variation.

Professional Vod 1

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnTINa7818c?start=2429]

Professional Vod 2

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymYqKFj6XiU?start=1105]

Vod Analysis

In each of these games Scarlett wins by putting on heavy aggression with zerglings to dismantle sOs. In the first game she is able to attack the worker line of sOs while killing the front wall gateway, eventually leading to an unstoppable zergling flood (which never happens because sOs ggs once the wall is down).

In the second game scarlett is able to sneak zerglings out across the map and breach sOs’s base before the wall is created. Then dropping zerglings and attacking the newly created wall until too many probes have died and she wins the game.

Build Order

Pool First (single drop)

13 – Overlord
16 – Extractor (0:36)
16 – Spawning Pool (0:47)
17 – Hatchery
17 – 4x Zerglings
19 – Metabolic boost //Transfer 2 workers from gas to minerals
19 – 2x Zerglings
20 – Queen
22 – Overlord
22 – Evolution Chamber (2:04)
21 – 10x Zerglings
26 – 2nd Queen //with first queen inject and send to natural base
Constant zergling production, morph an overlord into a drop overlord when the evolution chamber finishes.

Hatch First (double drop)

13 – Overlord
17- Hatchery
18 – Extractor (1:02)
17 – Spawning Pool
20 – Overlord
@100% Spawning Pool – 2x Queen, Metabolic Boost, 4x Zerglings //Take 2 drones off of gas
Constant Zergling Production
30 – Hatchery
@3:00 Evolution Chamber
Morph 2 overlords to drop 16 zerglings in the protoss main and use the rest of your zerglings to pressure the front wall

Notes

Try to attack adepts/stalkers when you have a good surround and spread your zerglings out at the front so that you aren’t wasting lings (if you a move they will all try to attack the adept/zealot/stalker in the wall but few will actually be able to).

If the protoss doesn’t have a stalker or phoenix and turns on their oracles, you can pick up your zerglings and waste their energy (don’t always do this, but it is a situational option).

Generally you are going to want to focus probes and try to kill as many workers as possible until the game is unwinnable for the Protoss.