Best style as Zerg in 3v3's?

[Wankenstein]

This obviously doesn't pertain to the league at all, but I've been curious about general Zerg strategy in 3v3 pub games against people that don't suck.

Most of the time you see a zerg do some mass macro > mass +1 hydra timing that synergizes with the other allies. What happens when you get double or triple rushed, and you have shit allies that can't or won't help you? Can the mass hydra build hold that or are you basically fucked without aid? It seems like most people I see do it barely make sunks and they just get lucky and never get attacked before they have mass.

[Grrrr...]

in my opinion, the best way is to non choke and just make 3 sunken per minutes, with lings//hydras to help allies.
it all depends of match up, but if vs 2x T, lurk//lings can work well. if another zergs, lings speed are op.
again, it always depends of what your allies//ennemies does.

[Puppy]

3s with Zerg:
Lurker tech is super strong, it forces fast detection tech which slows opposing mass. Terran will have scan when +1 finishes, so micro accordingly. The lurker was built as the hard counter to Marine + Medic from T and mass Zlots from P.

9 hatch no choke, then 9 pool + ovie (order is preference really no diff and there are gas tricks)

go into 3 hatch + save larva. This will allow you map presence and the ability to support your allies with 6 lings.

If you've been scouted, go 2 hatch + sunkx2 to prevent sunken rushes + scv stack etc first 2 zlots if he doesnt protect his minerals...etc. Also remember marines can range drones so place sunkens in smart locations.

Stack drone attack +4-5 sunkens can stop PP from dealing any damage to Z, try to pull the T into attacking head on instead of waiting for tanks. If you're getting PTvZ in a 3s, ur parts will be able to counter the T easily in the mid game.

5 hatch hydra mass with 0 ups can win the game on the spot if z goes untouched till 5:30 in the game.
1 den works best for this build

3-4 hatch 1-1 hydra + lair. You need to add on gas and transition immediately into lurker when the Lair finishes since your mass is smaller.

2-3 hatch Lings. This build is a pretty solid early pressure but it has to deal real damage. Time this with allies or use it to counter when your ally is holding an attack.

Drone max base is around 85 drones. This cannot support poor micro air, so don't lose units. If you tend to lose a lot thru misclicks/mismicro, expand and add 5 gas. You should have around 12 hatches from which to mass. (2-3 control groups give or take everytime u macro)

If you're sitting at 168-180/200 and have 0 gas. Make lings to add to your army.

Defiler + zerglings buy time for mutas and learning to properly micro these units together will win you games. They also hard counter goons and allow into tech switch lurker defilers r guardians.

Have vision and try to determine when you're going to be attacked and sunken up accordingly. Watch how your partners attack. If you are 3on1ing someone, the opponents can 2on1 one of either you or your allies. PT and PP can kill any race at this point in the game if the army is out of position.

3s are either very aggressive or super passive till the mid game. If you notice 1 player choking, scout the other players chokes and see if 1 is lacking. You can kill people this way and win games early on.

5 pool rush, 4 pool if you want, but I believe 5 pool is best. 6 pool can add a choke which does have advantages, but this is a cheese. The sooner ur lings are on their minerals, the sooner they have to pull and aren't mining. Your allies cannon placement/bunker + scv stack will affect if the player dies. Keeping lings alive is more important than killing that last probe. There will be future opportunities to attack probes without zlots nearby.

Not the best Z around, but I've played my fair share
GL HF

[Wankenstein]

Thanks for the tips guys.

My late game zerg is pretty strong, I'm very comfortable with lurk swarm and all the hive tech stuff.  It's that early/mid game that seems to fuck me up. I'm bad at knowing when to start making gas, and whether i should add just one for a while, or wait and all 3-4 all at once. Also knowing when to drone vs when to drop sunks. A lot of times when I try that 5:30 hydra timing I'll just get triple rushed and its lights out a lot of times for me, especially if one of our allies is Z and he doesn't have anything to help with.

I do ZZR v  in a lot of 3's with a friend of mine, and it definitely seems like 2 z vs a ppt or triple P comp can be tough sometimes surviving to mid/late game.

[Puppy]

Gas after sets of hatcheries (3 hatch, add gas, add 3 hatch, add gas). You will have additional production capacity when they finish and zerg units require gas if you want to win.

You can get more hatches down off 1 gas, 3 gas means mutas or lurkers. I add 1 gas at 13-14 psi  then add den + another gas. When gas finishes 3 on gas + build another gas. Upgrade Hydra range so you can hide behind sunks + hatcheries easily. Speed if your parts under attack and you need to move across the map asap to reinforce.

Hydras can snipe down MM through correct micro, but lurkers are the hard counter. Don't fully engage without your ally unless you have overwhelming numbers.

Critical # of hydras vs PP is generally the 4th-5th control group depending on what has happened to your partner.

Pool + gas can wall off zealots and allow drones to snipe down the front lines or spread to block sunks and protect vs PP I generally build on either side of the sunkens as you want to prevent marines from obtaining strong tank positioning.

vs strong T, protect tech with sunkens as T will micro and walk ur entire outer base until they find a weakness.

Vs cannons, expand to ur gas side and behind ur main with heavy sunkens in front of your hatcheries. Sunks can beat cannons if micro'd correctly.

I protect 1 hatchery behind my main, this makes me somewhat weak to drops as there could be sunkens in place (I like 5-6 lurkers around main for drop d + tech guards over main etc), but I want a proper main in case of main snipes + 2 hatcheries unprotected to start the game, I place sunken hidden between pool + gas and may or may not make 6 lings for cannon contains and to prevent cannons on my hatcheries.

[Wankenstein]

Gas after sets of hatcheries (3 hatch, add gas, add 3 hatch, add gas). You will have additional production capacity when they finish and zerg units require gas if you want to win.

You can get more hatches down off 1 gas, 3 gas means mutas or lurkers. I add 1 gas at 13-14 psi  then add den + another gas. When gas finishes 3 on gas + build another gas. Upgrade Hydra range so you can hide behind sunks + hatcheries easily. Speed if your parts under attack and you need to move across the map asap to reinforce.

Hydras can snipe down MM through correct micro, but lurkers are the hard counter. Don't fully engage without your ally unless you have overwhelming numbers.

Critical # of hydras vs PP is generally the 4th-5th control group depending on what has happened to your partner.

Pool + gas can wall off zealots and allow drones to snipe down the front lines or spread to block sunks and protect vs PP I generally build on either side of the sunkens as you want to prevent marines from obtaining strong tank positioning.

vs strong T, protect tech with sunkens as T will micro and walk ur entire outer base until they find a weakness.

Vs cannons, expand to ur gas side and behind ur main with heavy sunkens in front of your hatcheries. Sunks can beat cannons if micro'd correctly.

I protect 1 hatchery behind my main, this makes me somewhat weak to drops as there could be sunkens in place (I like 5-6 lurkers around main for drop d + tech guards over main etc), but I want a proper main in case of main snipes + 2 hatcheries unprotected to start the game, I place sunken hidden between pool + gas and may or may not make 6 lings for cannon contains and to prevent cannons on my hatcheries.

Nice, thanks.

Would you say that 2's Z played pretty differently than 3's?