90% of my ZvPs are FFE
I think Time FFEs nearly every map now too (altho he doesn't play as much).
I actually sort of get annoyed facing gateway expand simply because I face it so infrequently that I don't know what to do to it. I usually get a quick ling speed, take a 5:30 3rd and go to lair at like 8-830 depending on what I'm seeing, but it's still not as comfortable for me.
2 gate expand isn't very good I think. Just go 1 gate expand and chronoboost sentries out of your gateway (rather than chronoing warpgate... then throw down 2-3 more gates after your nexus goes up as part of a wall at your nat). I see this most often on Metal because some Toss don't like having to build 2 cannons as part of an FFE on that map. But on nearly every single other map it's FFE.
I copied my build vs FFE almost entirely from DRG MLG Winter Arena replays, with some tweaks to account for the fact that I'm slower than him and can't read scouting info as well (so I play a little safer). And by slower and not as well, I mean I look like someone with a mental disability compared to him.
I then defend any 2 base pressures with roach/ling and, assuming I survive, transition accordingly. My preferred transition is muta/ling (typically vs. robo play or a greedy 3rd such as one taken off 4 gates and +1). If it's on a map where I feel like I can just kill him, I'll sometimes just go massive burrow move roach or roach/hydra, but mutaling is the safest. Mutas to the main, roaches/lings to the 3rd and if the map allows for it occasionally I'll attack the nat, the 3rd and the main all at the same time. I take a 4th while all of this is happening.
If I can keep him contained to 2 bases (on maps like Khoral many times the game plays out with the Protoss just stranded in his nat/main and maxing out there), then I'm taking a 4th, building 23423 spines and going for a base trade. As soon as he moves out I spine up my main, my nat, my 3rd, hell whatever I want and base trade. If he has a 2 base army he's not going to win the base trade ever unless I make a very, very bad mistake.
If he secures a 3rd, I desperately try to deny his 4th and depending on his tech and the map I may still continue on muta/ling and go for a base trade. However, the optimal transition is to infestor/BL/corruptor. I'm just really bad at that. the protoss is going to want to go mothership/archon/storm off of 4 base w/ 3-5 colossus.
vs. gateway expand you are going to either see a 6 gate or a 7 gate blink push (both with or without observer or immortals depending) or, most commonly, prob a 4 gate 3rd. 6 gate and 7 gate off gateway expand just aren't very strong if I take a quick 3rd. I always have a pack of 15-20 lings sitting outside his base if he hasn't FFE'd and that delays him from moving out for a long time. Vs this play I usually go ling/hydra to hold off any 2 base pushes and then transition into muta or roach/hydra or whatever depending on his comp.
karakian zvp loss 1
this guy i played last night was really, really good and i definitely liked his build. that said, if this weren't my last game of the night and i wasnt on monkey tilt and tired, im pretty sure i should have won. his big push comes at the 21 min mark and i could have had bl/infestor out by then. he micro'd pretty well tho despite losing a couple HTs for free and really put on a clinic here i think on how to deal with someone who goes mass muta play without transitioning into bl/infestor (read: a bad player like myself)
i also took my lair way too early
http://drop.sc/139277
game 2
here's a really nice 2 base build that creamed me yesterday when i misread it and stopped droning too early. really great play with the warp-ins on the high ground taxing my multi-tasking and causing me to inefficiently split my units. i stood no chance vs this guy. i have no idea why i was playing someone this good. my mind just melted trying to keep up with what he was doing.
http://drop.sc/139279
game 3
here's time making a massive comeback vs me from last week. he was all but dead and i managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. ill disclaim this with it was my first game of the day :-P
http://drop.sc/139281
so there, 3 karakian zvp losses :-P
Last edited by Karak; 03-20-2012 at 09:01 PM.