This is the July 2017 entry of  Metagame Build Orders. 

Vs. Protoss

Terran generally use the typical Reaper expand into 1-1-1 now, and players make minor changes accordingly when they move to the 3-1-1 convergent point. You can read about it in the June entry.

Since Protoss go for one Gateway expand into Stargate half of the time, I think it is nice to have certain planned reaction against that. I like MajOr’s recent build in WCS Valencia, and this is what I am going to show below.

14 – Supply Depot
15 – Refinery
16 – Barracks
@100% Barracks – Reaper and Orbital Command
@400 mineral – Command Centre (@100% – Orbital Command)
@100 gas – Factory
@100% Reaper – Reactor (@100% – Marine production)
@75 mineral – Refinery
@100 mineral – Supply Depot
Constant Marine production and build Supply Depot accordingly hereafter
@100% Factory – Widow Mine, and proxy Factory
@100% Widow Mine – Cyclone
@100% Factory (proxy) – Cyclone

Commence attack with Marines and Cyclone when the first Cyclone from the proxy Factory is ready. Bring some Scvs for repair.

This is a reaction against an one Gateway expand into Stargate build, and it is based on the standard 15 gas Reaper expand 1-1-1. The build order difference is to proxy a Factory instead of Starport. You just put down two Barracks and one Starport in your main to transition out.

 

 

Vs. Terran

The metagame is still these three: 15 gas Reaper expand, 15 and 17 double gas Reaper tech aggression, and proxy Reaper. Since I used 15 gas Reaper in the last MBO post, I will share a double Refinery build this time. You can read more about it here.

14 – Supply Depot
15 – Refinery
16 – Barracks
17 – Refinery
@100% Barracks – Reaper, Orbital Command and Factory
20 – Supply Depot
@100% Reaper – Reaper
@100% – Factory – Cyclone and Starport
27 – Supply Depot
@100% Reaper – Tech Lab
@100% Cyclone – Hellion
@100% Starport – Swap Starport onto Tech Lab for either Raven or Banshee
@400 mineral – Command Centre

The two vods below are fresh from IEM Shanghai. The first vod is against proxy Reaper, and the second vod is against Reaper expand. If you are not confident in holding against proxy Reaper with Reaper expand, this is a good alternative opening.

 

Vs. Zerg

Since the Zergling, Baneling, and Hydralisk composition is so popular now, I recommend a standard Hellion and Raven build. Obviously, it does not directly counter the composition, but it has a minor edge in the mid game. A weakness of this composition is its inability to kill a Raven parked at the dead air space behind the mineral line. You can continuously send the Ravens to drop Auto-Turret at the Zerg mineral line all game long until Zerg put down a spire. I have not seen a pro-player does exactly the build I show below, because I sort of build on other builds to fit my idea.

14 – Supply Depot
15 – Refinery
16 – Barracks
@100% Barracks – Reaper and Orbital Command
@400 mineral – Command Centre (@100% – Orbital Command)
@100 gas – Factory
@100% Reaper – Reactor
@75 mineral – Refinery
@100 mineral – Supply Depot
@100% Factory – Starport. Swap the Factory onto the Reactor for 2x Hellions. Build a Tech Lab with Barracks next to the Starport
Constant Hellion production until you have made six.
@100% Starport – Swap Starport on Tech Lab for a Viking, and a Supply Depot.
Build Supply Depot accordingly hereafter.
@25 gas – Tech Lab on Barracks (@100% – Stim)
@100% Viking – Raven (@100% – Raven)

This is a basic Reaper expand into Hellion and 1-1-1. Previously, players like to get a Raven then Banshee (read the April entry), and later most go for Banshee straightaway after the Raven patch. The general idea is still the same.

Opponent expects you to make a Raven when the Overlord scouts the Starport with Tech Lab but no research. They will make Spore Crawler accordingly, and they will pay extra attention to the Auto-Turret at the start. They may even position the Queens to anticipate the Raven before it can go into the dead air space. There is actually nothing wrong to just go for a Raven, but the benefit of an early Viking outweighs the benefit of a Raven that opponent is prepared for. The main goal is to ensure the two Raven survive until the mid game, whereby you can drop Auto-Turret in mineral lines while you attack from the front with your bio. Below vod does not use this build, but it shows how effective it is in the mid game when Zerg do not have Mutalisk or Corruptor.

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