This is the July 2020 entry of Metagame Build Orders. 

All builds are taken from the recent DreamHack Masters 2020 Summer Season Finals.

Vs. Protoss

14 – Supply Depot
16 – Barracks
16 – Refinery
@100% Barracks – Marine and Orbital Command
@400 mineral – Command Centre (@100% – Orbital Command)
@100% Marine – Reactor
@100 mineral – Supply Depot
@150 mineral – Factory
@75 mineral – Refinery
@100% Reactor – 2x Marine
@100% 2x Marine – 2x Marine
@100% Factory – Starport; swap Factory on Reactor for 2x Hellion; build a Tech Lab with Barracks
Send the 5 Marines across the map.
@100% 2x Hellions – 2x Widow Mines
@100% Starport – Medivac

Reaper expand into Widow Mine is the most common build in TvP, and Protoss often blindly prepare for it. This build uses a Marine expand instead of a Reaper expand for opening. It then follows up with an orthodox timing. I had already written extensively about Marine expand and this build in my last article.

Vs. Terran

14 – Supply Depot
16 – Barracks (proxy)
16 – Refinery
17 – Refinery
@100% Barracks – Reaper and Orbital Command
@100 gas – Factory
@100 mineral – Supply Depot
@100% Reaper – Reaper
@100% Factory – Tech Lab
@100% Reaper – Reaper
@400 mineral – Command Centre (@100% – Orbital Command)
@100 mineral – Supply Depot
Build Supply Depot accordingly hereafter
@150 mineral – Cyclone
@100 mineral – Mag-Field Accelerator
@100% Cyclone – Cyclone
@100 gas – Factory
@100% Cyclone – Cyclone, 2x Refinery
@100% Factory – Tech Lab

This build may seem to diverge from what we normally see in TvT, but it is actually very similar to the build I discussed in the May MBO post. Both start with Reapers and converge to two Tech Lab Factories on two bases. Mech with early Mag-Field Accelerator upgrade is very popular now. Mass Cyclones are very strong in the early game, as they are good anti-air and anti-push units. This allows you to transition to mid game safely with a good mech production set up. As shown in the vod below, Cure’s first four Cyclones gave him the map control against Maru, and they essentially shut down Maru’s push attempt with Ravens and Tanks before it even reached his side. The map control allowed Cure to secure his third base early.

The subsequent production depends on what the opponent does. Generally, you start to make a few Siege Tanks after you already have some Cyclones controlling the map. The subsequent production varies according to opponent’s composition. You can get away with fewer Siege Tanks in mech mirror, but you want to have more Siege Tanks against bio or risk being overrun.

It appears that the current understanding of TvT mech is to get Factory early and then expand. Subsequently, you get Mag-Field Accelerator and produce Cyclones with two Factories. The first major convergent point is 1-2-0 on two bases. What you do with the Barracks early is secondary, so it does not matter if you proxy or not. I think proxy Marauders could be an option too. Mvp used to do proxy Marauders and transition to mech back in Wings of Liberty. I thought of writing a separate article on this new mech style, but I already have a few articles queued up. I may write one when this style becomes more refined.

Vs. Zerg

14 – Supply Depot
16 – Barracks
16 – Refinery
@100% Barracks – Reaper and Orbital Command
@400 mineral – Command Centre (@100% – Orbital Command)
@100 mineral – Supply Depot
@100% Reaper – Marine
@100 gas – Factory
@75 mineral – Refinery
@100% Marine – Reactor
@100% Factory – Starport; Swap Factory on Reactor for 2x Hellion; Supply Depot
Build Supply Depot accordingly hereafter
@100% 2x Hellion – 2x Hellion (constant production)
@100% Starport – Fusion Core and Tech Lab
@400 mineral – Command Centre
@100% Fusion Core – Battlecruiser
@150 mineral – 2x Refinery
@150 mineral – Weapon Refit
@100% Battlecruiser – Battlecruiser
When you can afford – 2x Factory

This is a standard Reaper expand into 1-1-1 with Battlecruiser. There is nothing new about the build itself, and you can read more about it here. The recent popularity of Battlecruiser is partly the result of metagame cycle. Zerg were using different Roach timing, so Terran went for Banshee with 1-1-1 to counter it. Zerg then responded by not getting Roaches, and this gave room for Terran to get Battlecruisers. Battlecruiser builds are weak against Roaches, because Terran have nothing but Hellions at that time frame.

Notably, in the vod below, INnoVation cancelled the Marine that we normally see with 16 Refinery Reaper expand opening. He later made two Marines after he started producing Hellions with Reactor. If he wanted two Marines while he was building the Starport (to deny Overlord scouting, he could always produce one more Marine after the Reactor swap. I don’t think the difference is significant enough for a dedicated tactical trade off. Please let me know in the comment if you have a good explanation.

Shout out to Wolf (Bonjwa patron), Jensiii, and 绝迹 (Code-S patron) and for their support!

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