Starcraft – Countering terran’s initial rush in 2v2 co-op vs hard AI

starcraft-2

Related question (but not quite duplicate): How do I learn to effectively transfer to 2v2 hard AI as Zerg?

We're playing Zerg and Protoss and using co-op vs AI as a training ground to practice the macro cycle before experimenting on the ladder. We're having a problem defending against terran during the initial rush in 2v2 vs the AI.

We can both beat the hard and very hard AIs individually, and we can easily beat 2v2 hard AI by cheesing (the AI especially doesn't like being cannon rushed). However, as we're trying to practice macro, cheesing seems counterproductive.

The problem is, the hard AI predictably moves out around 6:30 with an aggressive timing push which is quite difficult to hold with "normal" openings. If we go up against two Zergs or Protoss, we can hold reasonably effectively. If we have one terran opponent it's a bit scrappy – if one of us fast-expanded we usually lose the expo, but we can usually kill the AI's expansions in return and go on to win. If we have two terran opponents we can't hold.

I've had a quick look over our replays and we're not doing anything differently in the matches we're struggling with. The causal factor seems to be the terran.

The timing push consists of around 10 marauders and 12 marines. It hits around 7 minutes. We'll usually have 8 gateway units (3 zealots, a stalker, a sentry, and one round of warpins from 3 gates), an immortal, and around 30 zerglings.

  • Do we need more (or different) units?
  • Is there an obvious counter I'm missing?
  • Is there anything you can think of that we're likely to be doing wrong in the opening?
  • Is 2v2 vs AI just not good for this kind of practice?

As I say, we're trying to practice macro, so we'd rather avoid doing anything obtuse – e.g. it's pretty easy to 1v4 hard AI if you cheese + exploit the AI's weaknesses (the AI hates being cannon rushed…), but that's not very good macro-cycle practice.

Thanks in advance!

Best Answer

As you are expanding and the opponent (AI) is not you have to use static defenses (Spine crawlers / Cannons / Bunkers etc.), because you will usually have a unit disadvantage.

The logic works like this:

  • You expand.
  • You scout -> opponent does not expand
  • This means: Cheese / Timing Push (with or without tech) / All-In
  • Your task: Deduce the strategy of your opponent
  • Your response: build static defenses accordingly (cannons and spore crawlers vs air or cannons and spine crawlers vs ground)

Hold the attack, wait for your better economy to kick in and attack. Expand behind your push.

In your special scenario it might be enough to build 1 or 2 spine crawlers, transfuse with Queens and pull your workers.

Related Topic