It was a Random Vs Protoss game, me staying with random while my opponent, shyra, picked Protoss at the last second. The map was Lost Temple, and the game was a pubbie one. Once the countdown finished and I saw what spot and race I had been granted, I thought I might be in for a treat of a game. My spot was 3 o’clock, and my race was Zerg. This gave the game the thrilling possibility of 3v12. Knowing he was Protoss made me think of the new hydra rush that my buddy, and teacher, nT^gOpHeR had just taught me. It is a perfect 3v12 build, when done right. I doubted I could do it right, but you have got to fall off the bike a couple times before you learn to ride. And once you learn to ride, you know how to for life. Here was my chance to fall on my face, and see what I needed to do differently next time. I badly wanted to know if he was 12, because it really affected what way I would build. If he was not at 12 I would do a 3 hatch build order. I needed to find out quickly so my chance to use the hydra rush didn't disappear on me.

I cloned my Drones and sent my Overlord North. I built up to 8 drones, built an Overlord, and then another Drone. Then my scouting Overlord spied a warping in Pylon, located nearly directly underneath the Protoss Nexus. Yes, he was at 12! Now I knew what I was doing, and it was my chance to use this new Hydra rush. I Built a 2nd Hatchery on 11, a Spawning Pool on 11, an Extractor on 13, and then a Creep Colony on 13. I saw he had 2 Zealots holding guard on his ramp. They were slacking off though. One had pulled naked pictures of Brittany Spears out of his wallet, and they were both extremely distracted. But, well, who could blame them?

A second Gateway had just finished, and an Assimilator was coming also. Once I saw a Cybernetics warping in, my Overlords slowly made their way out of his base.

As soon as my Extractor finished I put 3 Drones on it immediately. I had built another 3 after the Creep, as well as an Overlord. This is a no Zerglings Hydra rush (when you can get away with it), leaving me with just the sunken for protection in the early game. Needless to say it must be well placed. Being at 3 o’clock, I had placed my second Hatchery underneath my first, with a gap in between the two Hatcheries just big enough for a Sunken. I had then placed my Spawning Pool in the left side of that crack, and in the last little square I had placed my Sunken. This all worked out so that only one side of the sunken was accessible to melee units. That side was facing the Drones. If zealots came, I could use the Drones to fight very easily.

He scouted this, and I guess he knew that a Zealot rush would be somewhat hard to accomplish, so he teched and left me alone. As soon as I had collected 50 gas I built a Hydralisk Den up by my Extractor, and as soon as the Den finished I started on researching Hydralisk speed. Then the Hydra pumping began. I had my Hatcheries hotkeyed to 4 and 5, and rallied to the bottom of his ramp. I kept building until I only had 2 supply left before exceeding my limit, and then built an Overlord. By then I had 6 Hydras mingling at the bottom of his ramp, foaming at the mouth and anxious for battle. There were more Hydras with a lust for death traveling to the location. Whether it was their own death or someone else's did not seem to matter.

The speed upgrade came in, and I made my move.

I hotkeyed my 6 Hydras at the bottom of his ramp to number 1, and charged. He still only had 2 Zealots, but he also had 2 Goons on his ramp. The Zealots were now ready though, since they had quickly hidden the pictures that were so entertaining them when they had seen the Dragoons coming to join them in guard duty. I targeted one Zealot and it fell, but so did one of my Hydras. I targeted the second Zealot, then added the other Hydras which had just arrived to the bottom of his ramp into the assault. Seeing my Hydra count at 8, he made a smart game saving move. He ran.

I got 1 Goon before he got away, and charged up his ramp with 8 Hydra. He ran to his mineral line with his tail between his legs, and I gave chase like an 11 year old girl who sees a member of N’sync walking down the street. When he got to his Nexus he sent Probes out to fight, and his force of 5 Probes, 1 Zealot, and 3 Goons held strong. I targeted the Zealot and it dropped, but then had to run. He was no stranger to micromanagement, and had skillfully started surrounding my Hydra's with his 5 Probes, making it so they couldn't get to the Goons. Then 2 more Goons came out of his gateways, and I only had 4 hurt Hydras left. I saw where this was going, and high tailed it out of there.

I had been denied like a bird trying to fly to freedom through a closed window. My freedom being the fall of his base, and the result being me banging my head against the glass repeatedly, all the while wondering "why is this air so hard?". Rejected, I ran my troops back down his ramp, and met up with the new reinforcements.

I redid my hotkey, and with 8 Hydras, 4 badly hurt, I tried to get up the ramp again. Unfortunately for me, this was not to be had. After losing a few Hydra to high Dragoons (no, not off weed, they were on the top of the cliff), I backed off. I needed a change of strategy. I went to start researching Hydra range, and then stopped. I picked Zergling speed instead and started pumping Zerglings. When I had 10 Zerglings and about 6 Hydra, I tried the ramp again. He had around 6 Goons up there, strongly holding their ground, being the stoic warriors they are. I attack moved the Zerglings first, followed by the Hydra.

Bad move. The Zerglings clumped on the ramp, and the Hydras without range (and what seemed like aim as bad as drunk French men with rifles), could not hit anything. I got fucked up. But I was persistent, another 6 Zerglings were waiting and I sent them in also. I slowly started taking him down, and got him down to 3 Goons, but another 2 arrived. I pulled back saving 4 Zerglings and 1 Hydra.

I was mad because I knew I could have taken him with that last attack. If I had just right clicked my Zerglings to run past the Goons, and then surrounded them, I would have been fine. It would be GG no rematch, thnx. But instead I am still pumping Zerglings, I still have 1 Hydra, and I want to take that ramp. I need to take that ramp. So far I have been getting rejected like a big fat cock trying to slide it’s way into a tight virgin pussy. The package I was trying to deliver was getting stuck in the door, too big to make it through. Actually, that reminds me of this one night I had with this little cutie pie named Rachel, but that's another story.

Not only do I need to get up that ramp just as badly as a heroine addict needs a fix, I'm scared that if I don't I will lose. I never play Zerg without expanding first, so I have no idea what to do past early game in a no expansion Zerg game. And things are looking very good for him as time progresses. So I expand to my natural and finally remember to start the Hydra range upgrade. Then I get ready to battle again.

Once I have another 12 Speedlings, plus the 4 I already had and the 1 Hydra, I try again. This time it nearly works, cause I do it the smart way. I right click the Zerglings past the Goons, and they run up the ramp. Then I attack click and they surround the Goons and start pounding away on the Goons legs like a horny dog pounds away on the mailman’s leg. Unfortunately, I just don't have enough men, and they all die. With the exception of that 1 Hydra, who yet again runs away. I’m starting to wonder if this Hydra is a tough, strong hero who is surviving through skill, or a yellow bellied pussy who is not willing to give his life for me. Oh well, this is no time to decide.

I pull back to my 2nd natural. I’m starting to get scared since he is doing a great job of building up his dragoon force, while massacring my troops that are attempting to ascend his ramp. I have a bad feeling that he will be able to push out of his base very soon and take me out. So I put 11 Zerglings and my 1 Hydra on one hotkey, and another 8 Zerglings on a new hotkey. The first group I put towards the left of the map, close to 12 o’clocks hidden second natural. The other 8 Zerglings I position at my 2nd natural. My only hope is to catch him in transit and surround his army. And as if he hears my thoughts of fear, he makes his first offensive move of the game.

With an Overlord I have on the cliff that overlooks the valley which his ramp empties into, I see him move 8 goons out of his base. What is this? He's coming with 8 Goons? They come out and head towards my base, and when they get to my second natural I send my 2 forces to surround them, hitting from both sides. A wave of relief passes over me, since I know he has made a big mistake moving out with such a small force. This will be easier than I thought. Then suddenly without warning, a Scarab explodes and kills 6 Zerglings. Oh shit, Reaver Goon Vs Zerglings. GG thnx, you > me. Luckily I have more Zerglings coming from my main, and the Zerglings from my first control group own the Goons quickly. I then send the Zerglings to surround the Reaver, and only lose half of my remaining force to it. This little battle leaves me with about 8 Zerglings and my hero (or coward?) Hydra, who has survived much in his short life.

Things are getting very intense now. I know I have gained a small advantage. He lost a Reaver and his main Goon force. I know I need to push up his ramp now, and I need to keep building guys. I'm getting very into the game now, and am sweating like a fag eating a corn dog. My fingers start doing a ritualistic motion,

• 4, s, z
• 5, s, z

• 4, s, z
• 5, s, z

over and over while mobilizing my forces to go for the next attack.

My natural finishes building, and I hotkey the Hatchery as number 6. I then start building Hydras from that Hatchery, and Zerglings from the first two Hatcheries. I take my little remaining forces and send them up the ramp, right clicking now after learning from the first massacre, and surrounding 3 Goons standing guard. I take them out, and I spy another Reaver slowly creeping up on me. I quickly send a Zergling to the Reaver’s front and it takes the entire Scarab all by itself. I go to my rally points and send the new forces in, and build some more using my hotkeys, my fingers flying like a blur. I'm in the zone now, the ramp is mine now, and he's not saving it again.

• 4, s, z
• 5, s, z
• 6, s, h

• 4, s, z
• 5, s, z
• 6, s, h

  My forces keep coming, and I know I can have this. I just have to push. I can't stop this blur my fingers are making. They will win it for me.

  I send another Zergling to take another Scarab, then send the new ones to surround the Reaver and own it quickly. Now there are Hydras coming in along with the Zerglings, and I start targeting things with them. He has gone back to building a few Zealots, and the slow Zealots get owned by the Hydra while the Zerglings surround the last 2 Goons, and it's over. Another wave of Zerglings are coming, another Hydra is hopping his way over, and I target a gateway and take it out. Seeing that he's as finished as fairness is in the electoral process, my opponent concedes the game, leaving me to jump with joy. Literally.

  It was a great game to play since for once I did not just hide behind some Sunkens and mass. I was offensive the whole game, and micro mattered more in this game than it has in most other games I play. Usually with Zerg I never micro, I just aim for getting to the late game where I can macro as many Hatcheries as possible and just send the warriors in. At the most I would position my units for good flanking, but usually I do nothing like I did this game. After the initial fighting, there was really barely any time that was not spent fighting. There were lulls where we would reorganize our troops, but the battling felt very constant. I barely even saw my base, I just hit those hotkeys as quickly as I could to keep the swarm flying in. I must say playing this style is much more exciting, but much more risky. No expansion Zerg is all about pressure, at least I think. I am sure that if I had played a good Protoss player, I would not have won this game. Luckily I got someone closer to my skill level. So thanks to nT^gOpHeR for the build order. I know I need to work on it though. And thanks to everyone for reading. Also to see other things ~ZC~ does, check us out here. Sorry for the plug. ^^