[PvP] Countering the infamous 4 Gate.

If you follow this guide and practice the following build, you will NEVER lose to 4gate on maps with a ramp ever again.


Consider 4gate an artifact, some random build you see on TDA and Bel'shir, but never anywhere else.


While 4gate was already on its way out thanks to nerfs and builds that can better handle it, the spreading of the information here should solidify its extinction for those who read it.


1 Gate before Twilight
This build is extremely tight. Your goal is to be able to chain force-field the ramp from the second your opponent has the ability to warp in on the high ground (finished pylon + vision + wg cool downs ready) to the time you can actually engage his army straight up. 


9 Pylon
12 Gate
14 Gas
15 Pylon
17 Core (earliest scout; feel free to scout later)
17 zealot (18 if you scouted on core, 17 if you haven't scouted yet)
20 (2nd) Gas
22 Stalker; no chronoboost
22 WG; Chronoboost x3
24 Pylon (25 if you scouted before core)
26 Stalker; 1 chrono boost
29 Twilight Council
30 Sentry
32 (2nd) Gateway (Cut probes at 32 food: 24 probes; 1 zealot; 2 stalkers; 1 sentry)
32 Pylon
32 Blink Research (DON'T CB YET)


This will bring you to a few ticks after the 5 minute mark. The build diverges here.
If you're getting aggressively 4gated...

(32) 4th cb on WG
Upon the completion of your 4th pylon, resume probe production. Here's why:
33 (3rd) Gateway
33 (2nd) Sentry This should be out in time to chain ff with the first one; You should have exactly 100 gas when the WG cooldown is ready with metalopolis's shitty geysers. So you shouldn't have any trouble with this one.


You should have taken out the 2 pylons at the base of the ramp by now, as you should be ignoring his units and focusing down only the pylons, 1 at a time. But the units are still alive and will kill you if they make it up the ramp (6 stalkers, 5 zealots). You will also die if you drop your FF chain for just a fraction of a second, or if you miss it by a hex and allow your opponent to get a warp in above the ramp.


CB your 1st warpgate once you reach 25 energy; This will happen at exactly 5:58


Your 3rd sentry from your 1st WG will be out just in time to chain with the 2nd forcefield
Get a 4th sentry if your opponent is still humping the ff at the bottom of the ramp. Once this sentry is out, the 4gate is officially over and you can devote the rest of your CB to blink until it's finished. I recommend adding a 4th gate, but go ahead and grab a robo if you want to be REALLY safe. Leave your base when blink is about done and go kill your opponent

If you're not getting aggressively 4gated...

If there's no pylons warping in at the base of your ramp at this point, or you've collected other information you're not getting 4gated.


(32) Resume probe production
(33) Begin chronoboosting Blink Research
33 (3rd) Gateway

If delayed 4 gate comes--as in he didn't warp in under your ramp--ff with the one sentry you already have and warp in as many as you need to chain ff until you have enough units to fight his units (you should have blink if you want to try to fight this army). Until then, keep warping in sentries. Mind the energy on your first sentry. Don't waste gas on an additional sentry if you can afford a second forcefield from this sentry.