When most players start playing StarCraft, one of the first things they often look for is a build order they can do in every match up. Realistically there is no build order that works well in every match up, every race is so different that variations in builds are needed to optimally play against each race.
With that being said, at the lower levels of the game, other aspects are often much more important to improving and winning games than having different build orders for each race. This series of guides will aim to teach a basic opening and eventually some basic timings that will work well enough at lower levels and allow you to focus on improving your macro. My goal is to eventually release a follow up to this basic ZvX build order which includes adaptations that you can learn after learning the ZvX build for each match up. Eventually afterwards some guides on going from those simple build orders in each match up to the detailed and specific higher level guides which are already on the website, which include reactions and more detailed information.
TLDR; ZvX builds are not ideal for playing the game, however this simple build order can get you started and help you learn and focus on your macro. The next guides will explain later parts of the build order and how to transition to learning builds for each match up.
Build Order
For part 1 of the series I will be going over a relatively standard opening that is used in every match up. There are slight variations that can be done to this opening to optimize it for each match up, however they are generally minor and don’t need to be learned until you have learned this opening and the rest of this series.
ZvX Build Opening
(If you don’t know the specifics of the 16 Hatch opening you can read about them here!)
13 – Overlord
16 – Hatchery
18 – Extractor (Gas)
17 – Spawning Pool
>Rally 3 Drones into Gas
20 – Overlord
@100% Spawning Pool – 2x Queens + 4x Zerglings
26 – Metabolic Boost
30 – Third Hatchery
31 – Overlord
31 – Queen
40 – Overlord
Benchmark @~3:15 | the Overlord on 40 supply should start around 3:15. At no point should you be supply blocked (except for at 14/14 supply when there is no good way to avoid that supply block). You should have 28 Drones, 2 Queens (with 1 in Production), 4 Zerglings and Zergling Speed on the way.
Next Steps
- Taking Drones Off Gas
- Taking Drones off of gas is done in most Zerg vs Terran and Zerg vs Protoss build orders. Generally Zergs will take 2 Drones off of gas just before 100 for Zergling speed or as soon as they start Zergling speed as Zergling speed is the only thing requiring gas that you need gas for. Having the extra mineral income allows you to build more Drones and afford more Queens in the early-mid game. Taking 1 or 2 Drones off gas is also done in Zerg vs Zerg, but they are often put back on gas much faster than the other two match ups, so it is less important to learn this for ZvZ quickly. Generally the most standard time to put Drones back on gas is by rallying 2 Drones from the larva that is produced by your first inject back into the gas. This rally happens around ~3:05 and again, is when the inject in your main finishes and you get the first larva boost. If you miss this timing, you can put 2 Drones from your mineral line back on gas around 3:30, when those Drones would normally finish and start mining gas and then rally 2 Drones from your main base back to minerals to fill the mineral line again.
- Baneling Nest in ZvZ
- Baneling Nest is often the first tech structure that you build in ZvZ and it is often started much earlier in this match up than a tech structure in either of the other match ups. One thing you should learn early on for ZvZ is to get your baneling nest right after your third base at ~2:50. When your Baneling Nest finishes, you should morph 2-4 defensive Banelings right away. This will help keep you safe from basic Ling Bane pressures.
