Replay Analysis: Cannon Rush

General Disarray (GenDisarray) sends us another rush strategy replay - this one using the Protoss "cannon rush" strategy. I walk through the short game twice, highlighting some things to keep in mind for both the attacker and defender in this "cheesy" scenario.



And a slew of bullet points for the blog readers!

Using a cannon rush:

• Scout early!
  Really early. Your first pylon and forge will build relatively quickly - you should be ready to place your proxy pylon as soon as you enter the opposing base. Hopefully you can do this before any army units are trained!
• Send a second scout
  All but one of the 1v1 ladder maps have 4 spawning/starting locations - if you guess wrong in the scouting order, it could take well over a minute to scout the last one. If the first close position is empty, send a second scout to the other close position while your first probe goes to the far position. This second scout can also aid as a backup if the first probe gets ambushed.
  
• Micro the scout
  The first probe that makes it into your enemy's base is your sole army. An army of one ;-) Keep it alive as long as possible. Don't forget that it's shields recharge over time - so keeping it on the move really extends it's lifespan. This strategy is half surprise and half execution - and your probe is key to both. Don't ruin the surprise by rallying into the middle of the base - sneak around the edge!
• Snuggle the pylon
  When placing your pylon - snuggle it up against a cliff edge, or in a corner, or even nestled between mineral patches. By reducing the available surface area, you make it harder for enemy workers (or melee units like zerglings or zealots) to attack it. The same thing applies when placing your cannons.
• Start multiple pylons
  Take advantage of the probe's ability to start multiple buildings in quick succession. Your opponent will likely focus on one pylon. Cancel the warp-in before it finishes and use the minerals to build another pylon - or your first cannon.
  
• Look for counter-cheese
  A common reaction to rushing can be a rush attack in return. The obvious one - when playing PvP, scout for pylons in or near your own base!
• Prepare to transition
  As your opponent is distracting by killing probes and pylons, you should be preparing for the next step - just in case. Go ahead and start down your favorite tech path. And build a few defending units - players who thwart a cannon rush may be pretty grumpy and looking for payback - and assume you have nothing at your base. Prove them wrong.
  

Defending against a cannon rush:

• Scout for pylons
  Whenever playing against Protoss, it's a good idea to scout around your base, looking for pylons. Proxy pylons are used by both cannon rushes and the standard 4-Gate strategy. Don't forget to scout just outside your base as well.
• Scout their base
  Scouting the enemy's base early is key for detecting "cheese". If you get there early, and all you see is a pylon and a Forge, it's a good guess a cannon rush is coming.
• Keep an eye on the mini-map
  Always keep that mini-map in the corner of your eye. Pylons are stationary and show up even if you've lost direct vision of them.
• Train an army unit quickly
  A single army unit can make sure that the cannon rusher needs to micro his probe. It can also be a sentry at the front of the base to spot incoming probes.
• Use as few workers as possible to kill the pylon
  As the defender, you likely have an economic advantage. Don't lessen it by sending all your workers to kill one pylon - especially if the enemy probe is gone. Just send enough - maybe 4-5?
• Stay calm - and win!
  Cannon rushing costs minerals and takes attention away from managing a base. Multi-tasking is one of the hardest skills to master, so unless you're playing against an expert rusher, you will likely be at a significant advantage after the rush is twarted.

Before I watched the replay, I figured there wasn't much to say about cannon rushing - but I guess I was wrong! Good luck and have fun with your cannon rushing! Oh wait - please discourage all cannon rushers by holding them off and winning the game :)

Update 11/1/2011: I updated the video to point at my new YouTube channel.

Replay Analysis: 6-Pool!

Today we take a look at the Zerg 6-Pool strategy, thanks to a replay sent from GenDisarray (General Disarray). The discussion includes map considerations, rush distances, and the "defender's advantage" in a rush scenario.



And of course, the bullet points (with a few extras for the blog readers!):

Using a 6-Pool:

• Know your maps! - While the map is loading, look at the starting locations and decide the order in which you'll scout them and get a feel for the rush distances. Better yet, play some test games vs Easy AI to time rush distances between starting locations on the different 1v1 ladder maps.
• Use your overlord! - Use your overlord to scout one of the positions - this is one less location for your scouting drone to investigate.
• Micro the first group - The first group of zerglings is crucial, it's your rush advantage - don't waste it! If there's a defense at the opponent's base, pull back your zerglings. Better to have them heal and contribute to the next wave than be killed.
• Bring a drone - In ZvZ, you can use this drone to build a spinecrawler in the opponent's base - major cheese here! In all match-ups, the default AI for army units will attack workers first - so your drone can draw fire away from your zerglings.
• Macro behind aggression - Be prepared for your rush to fail. Don't forget to train drones and overlords. Good players can transition out of a rush into a more balanced strategy.

Defending against a 6-Pool:

• Know your maps! - Most 1v1 maps have a variety of long and short rush distances. While the map is loading, look for the closer starting positions - scout those first.
• Don't panic. - Once you've seen an early pool, don't panic. Depending on how far along the pool is and the rush distance, you'll have time to train defending units. And remember, if you survive the rush, you'll likely be in a better economic state than your opponent.
• Remember the Defender's Advantage - As the defending player, you are at an advantage. Both time-wise and unit-wise, you have the advantage in your base.
• Don't waste defensive units! - It may be tempting to sacrifice some army units to stall the first attack - don't do it. Those units are much more effective when backed up by reinforcements or the workers at your base.
• Use your workers! - I can't stress this enough. In a rush scenario, your workers represent a sizable portion of your defense (possibly your only defense!). Don't underestimate their attack capability! They can turn the odds in your favor - and well controlled, can fend off 6 zerglings by themselves.
• ZvZ: Do a 10-Pool - If playing as Zerg, you can safely build 10 drones before your Spawning Pool - ok maybe less if the rush distances are close. But don't forget - as soon as the Pool finishes, you'll need to make defenses - don't get supply-blocked or caught training drones when you need zerglings!
• ZvZ: Build a spine crawler before a queen. - The spinecrawler has more hit points and does more damage than a queen, and builds in the same time. It also doesn't cost supply. Use your workers or zerglings to protect it while it's building - it can turn the tide of a battle.

As you can tell, there's so much more we could discuss about this strategy or rushing in general - but that's enough for today :) Have fun and good luck with doing your own 6-Pool... or defending against one!

Update 11/1/2011: I updated the video to point at my new YouTube channel.

Replay Review: GenDisarray - TvT Panic Attack

Yesterday GenDisarray sent me a replay of his Season 3 qualifier, asking for "some constructive criticism". He claims he's "horrible" at TvT, and admits to having an "initial panic attack" when he saw the loading screen. Is he really "horrible"? Knowing him I doubt it, but let's see his panic attack in action...



The bullet points:

• Keep building SCVs from your Command Centers - at least until you hit max for 2 bases (60 SCVs).
• Keep building marines from your Barracks - especially if you went for the 1-1-1 build, as they are critical to your balanced approach.
• When you expand, build more production buildings - doubling the amount you would sustain on a single base is a good guideline.
• If high-priced units like tanks, ravens, or vikings are in a bad position, retreat and repair. Most (all?) air units can out-run marines. Even with numerous production buildings, it takes time for Terran to build these expensive units.
• If caught off gaurd, keep tanks in Tank Mode. They have a fine damage-per-second in this mode, and will do more damage before they die than if you take the time to change them into Siege Mode.

So all in all, GenDisarray just needs to keep up his pace. Going for the quick expansion really paid off on the economy side, but it takes some practice to take advantage of the extra income. This is something I struggle with as well - apparently we both need more practice ;-)

Update 11/1/2011: I updated the video to point to my new YouTube channel.