The Zerg and the Brood War
Although the Zerg's ability to generate huge swarms of military units has slightly weakened, their bolstered defensive structures and new genetic strains make the Zerg even stronger than before. Previously, the Zerg were vulnerable early in a battle, because their Sunken Colonies were ineffective, as were Zerglings and Hydralisks in small numbers. An early attack by Terran Marines or Protoss Zealots could end the Zerg's fight prematurely.
Furthermore, outside of a quick Zergling rush against the enemy supply line, the Zerg found it difficult to mount an early offense against either the Terrans or the Protoss, whose own defenses tended to work very well against small numbers. In the end, the Zerg had to expand their territory quickly and overwhelm the opponent through sheer numbers of Hydralisks or Mutalisks, made possible by vast reserves of resources, all while ignoring many of their other units that demand more micromanagement.
It is no longer plausible for the Zerg to mindlessly swarm the enemy position; fortunately, their newly upgraded defenses and units make the Zerg much more formidable early on, allowing them to plan a long-term strategy rather than constantly struggle with a kill-or-be-killed situation.
Production Strategy
Hatcheries generate larvae slower than before, slowing unit production noticeably. This does not affect the Zerg early on, because their first Hatchery begins with three larvae. But once a fledgling base has been established, the Zerg will find it impossible to generate a substantial defensive garrison with just one Hatchery, and will have to build another to maintain a reasonable supply of fighting units. Fortunately, the Hatchery itself is less expensive to produce than before, although it does take longer to build than either the Terran Command Center or the Protoss Nexus.
This longer build time is especially problematic as the Zerg try to expand to other resource nodes; since the Zerg cannot construct defenses like Sunken Colonies until the Hatchery is complete, they are the most vulnerable of the three races as they build up new bases. At the same time, the Zerg still rely heavily on Vespene Gas, especially with their new Lurkers, which can be very useful for defending Hatcheries under construction. And early in the battle, defending is exactly what the Zerg should do. They must aggressively hold their ground and keep a sharp lookout for enemy scouts as they gather as many resources as possible. And since Hatcheries are comparatively inexpensive, it is often worth the risk for the Zerg to try to expand very quickly to get a head start on resources over the opponent. Just remember to cancel the structure before its completion, should the enemy discover your intention.
Next: The Zerg Defensive Strategy
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