what can 8 lings do if they arrive at doorstep at 3.30?
ZvT
standard wall off finish at 2.45, marine pop out at 3.15. 3.30 8 lings reach? 1 marine stand behind wall shoot 8 lings for free.
ZvP
experiment on metalopolis. standard 9 pylon scout.
after 9 pylon, go to edge of base, depends see overlord or not, can scout opponent at 1st try. longest possible distance = cross spawn, probe reach at 1.36, realize pool spawning, at home throw down a forge wall, wall off complete at 2.25. 1 cannon behind shooting anyone?
ZvZ
assuming most zerg go for standard 14 gas 14 pool.
close air position, overlord reach at 1.30, which is about 12 food, opponent see you throw down pool, so i can throw down pool too, in a mirror build of ling aggression, the defender always have advantage because defender reinforcement can battle right away, dun need to travel to opponent base.
if cross spawn assuming standard 14 gas 14 pool drone till 16, get queen speed only start ling production, at 3.30 i will only have 2 sets of ling in production, and you have 8 llings at my house already. but as i said....defender has the advantage of stalling for time for more reinforcement. and speed queen is in production already. unless this 8 lings can win 16 drone + 4 lings, i still think 14 pool is more solid.
my advice for early pool lover.
learn from this guy, he is the professor in early pool. pin point all ur bench mark, throw down pool at specific seconds and micro the heart out of you, cuz early pool is a big risk.
There are 50% chance the terren will not block or either still building the rax same as protoss, take out the pylon, you stop the production. Beside i usually early ling and does give me 50% chance taking them out either workers or structure. But you gotta have 2 side of the brain working as im massing worker and upgrading while control the ling harassment at the enemy base, so hard but im getting use to it.
Against 6~7 pool Zerg, Yes some Zerg player do 6 pool on me. By the time they reach my base, my lings already pop out and kill them before doing any damage.
Early pool depend on the player. Some can and some cant. And i do watch pro play, but all and all, the start of development is my way not theirs. I say pro go to 14 and some 18 and make units at 5 mins !!