Zerg Build Orders

From: http://174.34.157.8/showthread.php?t=772

Zerg Build Orders
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Zerg 7 Pool Rush

Matchups: Zvz, Zvp, Zvt, Multiplayer, close locations

Theory: This is very much a risk/reward build. In 1v1 play it is best meant for 4 player maps or less, where you can figure out where he is by time the lings pop out their eggs. It can be done in any matchup, and in multiplayer, but locations must be close. In general you are going for early harassment, the point of your attack will vary for each race. To begin, scout with your overlord to the nearest base.

Build:
7/9 - Spawning Pool
7/9 - Overlord
8/9 - Scout with drone
8/17 - 6 Zerglings
11/17 - 2 Zerglings*

*Optional, you may also go with a drone here.

In Zvz, if you get to his base and his pool is not done, target his spawning pool with your lings. If it is done and there are eggs, take as many drones as you can before the lings pop out. For Zvp, he will have a zeal that just popped out, or is about to. If his gateways are powered by one pylon, you can take out the pylon and force the zeal to address you. If the zeal is by himself, you can take it on. With decent micro you will not lose a ling in the process. A good protoss will have scouted you and placed the zeal in his eco so his probes can surround and suffocate the lings. Here just harass his buildings and try to force the zeal to come out. Zvt is a similar process. He should have enough SCVs to kill the lings, just harass the barracks and his SCVs to stall his mining, and make sure he doesnt get a marine or two planted among his workers. If he walled, target the depot while adding more drones and an assimilator to begin teching. In multiplayer this build is fine, but watch out for counters. Make sure your partners got your back and can protect you from a hardcore zealot rush while you catch up in economy.
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Zerg 9 Pool Speedlings Rush

Matchups: Zvp, Zvz, Multiplayer, close locations

Theory: One of the classic and original zerg builds, 9 pool speedlings has withstood the test of time and continues to be a viable build today. For Zvp speedlings followed by harassment is normal (you may pull some or all drones off the extractor if you wish), while in Zvz starting a lair with the first 100 mins is normal. In multiplayer this was a popular build, but the ovy-hatch builds are more common now. This build is enhanced greatly by the presence of close locations.

Build:
9/9 - Spawning Pool
8/9 - Overlord
9/9 - Extractor
9/17 - 6 Zerglings (Scout with drone when pool finishes if you have not found the enemy as of yet)

When the extractor finishes, pluck three drones off the minerals and get some gas. When you get 100 vaspene in Zvp, upgrade speed for your lings while you harass and add a second hatchery. You may transfer some or all the drones back to minerals for a spell while your mineral-based economy rebounds. For Zvz, lair tech is fashionable since you can survive for a while with that few drones and catch up later once you have all rushes guarded.
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Zerg 9 Pool Hatch

Matchups: Zvp, Multiplayer

Theory: This is a newer build tailor made for Zvp, although it has some uses in multiplayer as well. Here the pool is delayed for a spell in favor of an overlord so extra drones can be made to support a faster 2nd hatch.

Build:
9/9 - Overlord
9/9 - Spawning Pool
11/17 - Hatchery
10/17 - 6 Zerglings (Scout with a drone here if you wish)

These lings are more of the harass and defensive type, with the second hatchery at the ramp or in an expo even. From here you can immediately go for gas and begin to tech, or you can continue to amass lings and drones while your hatchery warps. The exact build of course varies now that you have lings.
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Zerg Muta Rush

Matchups: Air, Hybrid

Theory: This is one of the standard builds for zerg on air and hybrid maps. It leaves enough gas for a muta pump, while getting the drop/speed upgrades one at a time.

Build:
9/9 - Overlord (Scout with this overlord as well if the other one did not find him as of yet, retreat or hide either overlord when you find him so they cannot be found and killed as easily)
9/9 - Extractor
12/17 - Spawning Pool
14/17 - Lair
15/17 - Hatchery
16/17 - Overlord*
18/25 - Spire
18/26 - Drop Upgrade
21/26 - Overlord

*For Zvp an evo chamber and a creep colony will be needed here to defend against corsairs (spore), this can be done at a later time in the other two matchups.

When you reach this part of the build, start saving larva so you can make six mutas (may add in some scourges if Zvz) when the spire finishes. The thrid overlord came early so you can have enough supply to fit in all of the mutas. When the first upgrade is finished, on hybrids you can slow drop a drone to expand (if the expo is close on pure air you can do it here as well). Against protoss it is wise to get two pairs of scourge so you can pop their stronger corsairs. Use a mix of muta and scourge to control double stargate corsairs until you have ovy speed as well.
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Zerg 12 Pool Build

Matchups: Zvp, Zvz

Theory: This is a simple ovy-pool build that has a great range of flexibility. You can gas up at any time after the pool is down, hold larva for lings, or power drones until the pool completes for a good economy.

Build: (Larvae save for lings)
9/9 - Overlord
12/17 - Spawning Pool (scout with one of the drones)
12/17 - Extractor (optional, but recommended)
11/17 - Hatchery
10/17 - 6 Zerglings

This is a nifty build to rush/harass while acquiring reasonably fast tech.

Build: (Power drone variation)
9/9 - Overlord
12/17 - Spawning Pool (scout with one of the drones)
12/17 - Extractor (optional)
13/17 - Hatchery

When the pool finishes, you may make lings in pairs if need be. The pool will be done fast enough to hold whatever any other race can throw out at you.

There are so many variations for Zvp and Zvz that it is really fruitless to talk about each. This is a very general guide in this case.
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Zerg 9 Hatch 9 Pool Fast Expo

Matchups: Zvp, Zvz

Theory: This build from the theoretical standpoint differs for each of the matchups, especially when it comes to what follows the opening. It allows a very fast expo hatch in such a fashion that creep should be there before enemy troops arrive with a sacrifice of economy. You could do this build in a Zvt, but there are expo builds that are more effective econ-wise for that matchup. For Zvp this is the safest fast expo build, but of course there are other, more aggressive ones.

Build:
9/9 - Overlord* (When ovy is half done send drone to expo)
9/17 - Hatchery in expo
9/17 - Spawning Pool
11/17 - Begin saving larvae^
10/18 - 8 Zerglings

*If you can fit in a quick extractor trick where you lose only a few crystals maximum, then you can and it wont affect the build at all. If you can't, then do not try and just follow the above build. If you do try it, it will be a 10/17 hatch as a result.

^You can think about adding an extractor here. You do not have to put drones in it as soon as it is done, however. In Zvp you can quickly collect 100 gas for speed upgrade than send them back to minerals to bring back up the economy.

From here you shouldnt need a sunken colony right away since the 8 lings that pop out should be good enough. If you find that he is not rushing, do not make the lings. Options that are available is to add a sunken, quick extractor at expo, and tech hard, while scouting to determine how many extra lings you have to fit in to hold any rush attempt. In Zvz fast tech is necessary so your spire is not later than his, or you will have serious harassment problems with muta and/or lings.
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Zerg 9 Hatch 11 Pool Fast Expo

Matchups: Zvp, Zvt

Theory: This is the "safe" Zvt fast expo build where offensive bunker is more easily defended, but beware that amassing of tech units will take slightly longer because of the sacrifice in economy if he tries to test that expo with a rush(you will need to spend money for at least one sunken). Scout well to make sure you do not make sunkens you do not need. In Zvp this is another decent fast expo build that is safer than the 12 hatch - 11 pool version.

Build:
9/9 - Overlord* (send drone to expo when overlord is half done, scout with this ovyerlord as well)
9/9 - Hatchery
11/17 - Spawning Pool
12/17 - Hold Larvae for zerglings^
12/17 - 8 Zerglings

*Here you may do a extractor trick for the 10th drone. If you are not well versed at doing it fast enough to make it worth the slight cost in minerals (if any if you are really fast), do not do it. In this case the extractor trick will make it a 10/17 Hatchery.

^You may include an extractor at this point, you may wait until the expo is up, then make a pair of them simultaneously.

Again you will have 4 larvae ready to morph when the pool is finished. If he decided to tech, then do not make any lings, and begin teching hard while continously scouting.
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Zerg 12 Hatch 11 Pool Build

Matchups: Zvp, Zvt, Zvz, Multiplayer

Theory: This is arguably the most popular zerg opening in Brood War right now. In Zvz it can be done if the enemy does not find you right away, you can expo with this build in Zvt (much more riskier in Zvp) and its perfectly fine for multiplayer. This yeilds both a good eco, and larva for lings.

Build:
9/9 - Overlord (Scout with overlord when it completes)
12/17 - Hatchery
11/17 - Spawning Pool
13/17 - Extractor*
12/17 - 6 Zerglings
15/18 - 2 Zerglings
Overlord

*In Zvt if you expo make sure you have a drone at the expo ready to make a sunken. Rally both hatches at that moment to the expo as well. You should send this drone now, since it is around here where most offensive bunker rushes begin. Should you be a victim of this, send a couple other drones to kill the scv, it is the most important part of the rush, and make sure the hatches are rallied to the area.

From here you can harass with the lings in Zvp, and think about expanding and teching with your gas. You can even go 3 hatch ling into a sauron-style zerg. It is best to get a sunken and try to push out as many drones as possible in Zvt along with hard tech; the lings are indeed optional. Make sure to go lurks if he tries to rush, and if he techs go muta should there be a cliff above the expo. What you do from here is really up to you, and rather flexible.
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Zerg 3 Hatch Pool

Matchups: Multiplayer, FFA

Theory: This is an aggressive, risky build that if successful will give you an excellent economy that can support a heavy speedling rush. This build is best suited for multiplayer games or FFA. A double toss or zerg rush can put this build in serious jeopardy in you are paired with a terran. It is best to be paired with a quick rusher in order for this build to work. Now if they scout you late, then most likely you will be able to pull off this opening.

Build:
9/9 - Overlord (scout with this ovy)
13/17 - Hatchery
14/17 - Hatchery
14/17 - Spawning Pool (scout with drone)
14/17 - Extractor
13/18 - Overlord (begin saving larvae from this point)
13/18 - Creep Colony (near mineral line)
13/26 - 10 Zerglings, Sunken

Use defensive techniques such as blocking off the sunken if you are rushed and waiting for the lings to come out. From here upgrade speed, lair with the 2nd set of 100 gas, and you should not need any more drones and can pump pure ling until its time to expand (this is the beauty of this build order). With three hatches pumping ling, the lings will add up quickly and you can deal what can be a fatal strike on unwary opponents.
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Zerg 3 Hatch Ling Rush

Matchups: Zvp, Multiplayer

Theory: This build has lost some popularity in Zvp in favor of tech builds, but its still thrives in multiplayer games. It is not the power build that 3 hatch pool is, but it is a much safer way to have three hatches pumping ling. However, the ling pump will not be as strong as in the other 3 hatch build.

Build:
9/9 - Overlord (scout with this overlord when it completes)
[b]12/17 - Hatchery
12/17 - Spawning Pool
13/17 - Extractor
13/17 - Hatchery (Save larvae)
12/18 - 8 Zerglings* (scout with drone)
Overlord

*You will not have 200 ready to morph them all, you will have to make them as money allows.

From here once you have 100 gas, upgrade speed, then put the drones back on minerals so you can support lings from the 3rd hatch when it completes (you may mine another 100 gas for lair, but then it will sacrifice your pump somewhat). A sunken is not included in this build because you will not have the cash for it. Pump lings from the three hatches, but make sure to tech in a timely fashion so your lings won't get owned by tech combinations (MnM, Zeal/Goon, or Zeal/Arch). Usually sauron-style zerg emerges from this type of opening from 4 or 5 hatches.

FYI- These builds are kinda outdated, maybe a nice Zerg player can come and explain why and how. But still, these are good builds to memorize and play around with if you are new to Zerg.

5 hatch hydra ftw XD