Passing the P1 Head-On Final Exam - Solo Mutation: #53 Delivery Guaranteed - Zagara P1 (9/17/2024)

This mutation solo was performed under the conditions of TwoTuuu's Test Time rules. For an in-depth description of the test, please refer to TwoTuuu's Test Time associated with the commander being played.

Zagara Test Time Video:    • [Test Time] Zagara  

Testing Rules (Credit: TwoTuuu)

-No Slim Pickings, Microtransactions, etc.

-Nothing the commander is generally bad against
(Zag VS Missile Command, Tychus VS Kill Bots)

-No insanely difficult mutations
(Aggressive Recruitment, Cold is the Void)

-No Cheese

-LV 15, 90 Mastery

-Regular solos rules (For full list, please refer to the Mutation Solo Community Spread sheet Solo Rules Tab) [I can't link it myself due to this channel being considered virginal, according to YouTube.]

-Can't load from replay after encountering enemy

-Can't use ally's base/resources

-Can choose enemy comp

Test Difficulty Descriptions (Credit: TwoTuuu)

Quiz - For anyone who wants to test their skills with the commander.

Midterm - Anyone with decent mastery of this commander should be able to pass this.

Final Exam - Even seasoned veterans may need a few tries.

Dissertation - Only players of the highest caliber can pass this.

Mutation Description: "All of the Dark God's might is focused on ensuring his shuttles escape Kaldir. Void energies shield his forces from harm and invigorate them with unnatural fortitude. All of his nuclear ordnance is being unleased indiscriminately upon the battlefield. Amon is committing to everything, and you must respond in kind. The shuttles cannot be allowed to escape."

Mutators:

Just Die! - Enemy units are automatically revived upon death.

Going Nuclear - Nukes are launched at random throughout the map.

Barrier - Enemy units gain a temporary shield upon the first time they take damage.

Special Notes: P1, Submission for TwoTuuu's Zagara Test Time, Classic Infantry, Raiding Party, Shadow Disruption, and Devouring Scourge cannot be selected as the enemy compositions.

Commander: Zagara
Prestige: Scourge Queen (P1)

Advantages:
-Max supply increased by 50.
-Zerglings and Scourge spawn one extra unit per egg.
-Baneling Nests will spawn an additional 4 free Banelings and Scourge Nests will spawn 4 free Scourge.

Disadvantages:
-Zagara is unavailable.

Masteries: 30 Zagara and Queen Regen, 30 Zergling Evasion, 30 Baneling Attack Damage

Enemy Composition: Hope of the Khalai

Kimmo's Notes for the P1 Head On Final Exam:

The most impactful mutator is Just Die, as is the case in most mutations. Lava Bursts and Going Nuclear make camping the conduits implausible and Barrier makes things that are hard to kill harder to kill.

Burst damage will only be able to avail you against the Shuttles in the form of Scourge and the only sustainable AOE Zagara possesses is the Bile Launcher. Since the Lava Bursts do not permit camping the conduits, they must be committed to the defenses from attack waves. However, there is a spot on the left-side expansion where they can still reach the conduit on that side and also the right, as well. But the side where you're expanded towards is the more conducive location since it can help with both Shuttles and defenses.

This was awfully difficult to do because of the map mechanics and mutators. There is virtually no way to speed up the mission progression and no way to sustain optimal setups against shuttles.

And the way the shuttles deploy is out of your control. This is most prevalent in the final sequence and is more often than not, the deciding factor for if you succeed. This can make the map feel all-or-nothing similar to Temple of the Past. Except Void Launch has more factors out of your control and yet you're expected to be prepared for all of them.

A technique that I'd like to share that was important for succeeding is Scourge Ponging.

Because of Just Die, the shuttles have to be killed twice. However, there is a 1-second invulnerability which makes the Scourge not target them and thus other air enemies, wasting precious Scourge. On waves with more than one set of Shuttles that are within close proximity, you bomb one set, and while the invulnerability passes, you go to the other one, waste their invulnerability, then pong back to the first set to kill it and then pong again to the second set to kill those as well.

This inspiration for this technique being born is from a Violent Night Artanis solo run I did three years ago that was published on the now-obsolete starcraft2coop YT channel. It features a quirk that showed gifted Scourge from Amon ping-ponging around triangulated Observers that I had that they couldn't hit but know of their existence.

That technique turned out to be the key in saving Scourge and winning relatively soundly in the final set of Shuttles.