tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20981893217178743132024-02-18T23:58:00.970-07:00Learning Starcraft 2 StrategyStarcraft 2 Strategy from the point of view of an average player. Zerg strategies, Protoss Strategies, Terran Strategies, 1v1 tips, 2v2 tips, experiences on the ladder, etc.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-34784208480035464842019-06-19T19:43:00.000-06:002019-06-19T19:43:04.265-06:00Terran for FunI'm not a Terran player, but I've been thinking of trying the following, for fun:<br />
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<h4>
Idea #1: Nukes</h4>
<div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Marines / Medivacs / Mines w/claws (add Marauders vs. Protoss)</li>
<li>Marine upgrades</li>
<li>Ghosts w/ 3 nuke facilities</li>
<li>Mix in some blue-flame Hellions/Hellbats to flank or front-line</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<h4>
Idea #2: Air Terran</h4>
<div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Open hellion / banshee</li>
<li>Rush Battlecruisers w/ +1 attack</li>
<li>Add Vikings vs. enemy air</li>
<li>Add Ravens for harass/utility</li>
<li>Add orbitals in main for extra repair mules</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-43275504341791375132019-06-19T19:40:00.003-06:002019-06-19T19:40:30.327-06:00Zerg Tips and Gas Spending / Tech Choices<div lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" style="zoom: 1.4;" vlink="#954F72">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been laddering a bit and playing with friends, and watching "learning" videos again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some of my takeaways and thoughts on gas-spending:</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tips:</span></h4>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">More gasses at 35 drones</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Get to 70 drones!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">5min macro hatch w/ling/bane</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Use extra queen energy on 4<sup>th</sup> base hatch (you can stack injects, did you know?)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expect the 5 minute push</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leave some units in main base, to handle drops, and have them on a separate hotkey</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Early Gas usage choices:</span></h4>
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<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">100 - lair</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">100 - ovie speed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">100 - +1 melee or ranged</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">100 - ling speed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">50 - bane nest</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">50 - 2 drop ovies (needs lair)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<h4>
Next tech choices:</h4>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Nydus</li>
<li>Roach speed</li>
<li>3x ravager</li>
<li>+1 carapace</li>
<li>Hydra den</li>
</ul>
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Choices by Goal:</h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Map presence choice (first 300 gas):<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Speed, +1 melee, bane nest, 2 banes</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Tech choice (first 300 gas):<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>100 - ling speed</li>
<li>100 - lair, roach warren, evo</li>
<li>100 - +1 ranged</li>
</ul>
<br />
… into speed roach.<br />
<br />
Heavy-Harass choice (300):<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>100=Ling Speed</li>
<li>100=lair</li>
<li>100=ovie speed</li>
</ul>
<br />
… into heavy expand or Nydus. Build units based on scouting, and start double upgrades!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Tech Progression Choices:</h3>
#1:<br />
Roach/Ravager/Overseer + Viper/Corruptor (to protect the vipers), Maybe Add Swarmhosts (since we did ranged upgrades)? Endgame = Corruptor/Viper/Broods<br />
<br />
#2:<br />
Ling/bane/hydra/Overseer + Infestor (Endgame = Ultra/Corruptor/Infestor)<br />
<br />
… if Nydus and Hydra, harass or defend expansions with Lurkers.<br />
<br />
... add burrow for Banes/Roach tunnel/Infestor</div>
</div>
</div>
Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-41833082329830706802019-04-11T11:47:00.000-06:002019-04-11T20:12:36.291-06:00Learning ZvT and TvZ from Neuro<h4>
Introduction</h4>
Neuro is a Grandmaster Zerg-only player.<br />
<br />
I just watched "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsp8OIe7-gc&t=3553s" target="_blank">How to Endure a Turtled Terran</a>", and here are my take-aways.<br />
<h3>
Terran</h3>
<ul>
<li>Mules help you get your Production up (Barracks, Factories), and hit the Zerg with some mineral-only units (Marines, Hellions) to keep him from getting out of hand.</li>
<li>Try to entice your opponent to fight into Planetaries, chokes points guarded by Siege Tanks, and to defend Hellbat harass with Zerglings.</li>
<li>When you run out of cheap, buffer units like Hellions, you need to pull back and merge your forward army, with its remaining expensive units, with your reinforcements. "Going for the kill" against a Zerg that can re-max, is a good way to throw away all your slow, expensive units (Tanks, Thors)</li>
<li><br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>
Zerg</h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Don't force your way into a Terran's turtled position. Instead, take the map. Once you have a mineral bank, you can start dropping static defenses at your outer bases. Ensure that you have at least 1 spore and 2 spines on the way to many bases, to enable you to deter ghosts.</li>
<li>Creep spread is your friend, and allows you to use one of your best units and only healer, the Queen, in mid-map fights. You need to learn to use Rapid-Fire for creep spread, as it can get you ridiculous numbers of tumours, so even clearing them takes the Terran player long enough that you can rally units to prevent them from killing all your creep.</li>
<li>You need Queens on a hotkey.</li>
<li>If you have a big pack of Swarmhosts, which helps you pressure the Terran without throwing away units, it's better to save a few locusts so the Terran doesn't immediately push after you send a locust wave.</li>
<li>The more of the map you have, the more you can spread your units, and then retreat and collapse to concentrate your army when the Terran pushes forwards.</li>
<li>Take the farthest bases when you can. You want to mine out his side of the map, and slow him down from taking corner bases and immediately plunking down a Planetary, which is difficult to dislodge.</li>
<li>Gas is very important to Terran lategame composition.</li>
<li>You need to cap yourself at 70 drones in late game. If your drone count is too high, your army will be too small.</li>
<li>Your goal is to re-max with better units (Roaches that die should be replaced with gas-heavy units like Broods, Infestors, etc).</li>
<li>Creep slows down the Terran push, and speeds up your response</li>
<li>Try to pick Green as your colour against Terran, as it is easiest to find the nukes. Orange and Red are the worst colours.</li>
<li>Neuro says: "Starcraft is a game of: 'What is the most important thing to be paying attention to at any point in time'".</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Zerg Summary</h3>
<h4>
Take the map</h4>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Creep spread, and replace cleared creep</li>
<li>Mine his side of the map</li>
<li>Spread units defensively, then retreat and collapse vs. big pushes</li>
<li>Slow down his pushes with static defenses</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h4>
Harass with Free Units</h4>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Swarmhosts</li>
<li>Pull units with Vipers</li>
<li>Broodlords</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h4>
Endgame Composition</h4>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Queens, Broods, Hydras, Swarmhosts, Infestors, Vipers, Overseers</li>
<li>Max 70 drones</li>
<li>Drones into static defenses, especially vs. nukes</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-87929348404604799372019-03-03T17:27:00.001-07:002019-03-03T17:27:27.065-07:00Back playing and watching... 4.8.3 Starcraft Legacy of the Void & Streams<br />
Well, I'm playing (and watching) SC2 again.<br />
<br />
I'm still Plat Tier 2, which means that I guess I don't suck all that horribly. I played a ton of games against the Elite AI to get back into some good habits, but what really helped me get back into it was watching streams.<br />
<br />
I've been watching a bunch of streams that I think are really good:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUtDNm-8Td8AaJvMLxujtg" target="_blank">Neuro </a>(Zerg)<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/PiGstarcraft" target="_blank">PiG </a>(all races)<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WinterStarcraft" target="_blank">Winter </a>(all races)<br />
<br />
Neuro has a lot of Zerg-specific instructional stuff, in addition to streaming his games. He seems to take a calmer approach to instruction.<br />
<br />
PiG is probably the best player amongst the streamers listed above. I believe he played pro for awhile, and he's given instruction to the other two streamers (I think), in addition to having some detailed videos and coaching for all levels of players, of all races.<br />
<br />
I must admit that I mainly watch Winter for amusement. He's got some good content, but a lot of what he streams is ANGRY COACH, and stuff like that, which makes it harder to find instructional content.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-2715208955546455902013-11-04T09:28:00.000-07:002014-06-04T21:15:23.099-06:00Blog Absence - Dota2 and WoW take overWell, apologies to anyone who has been reading this, but Dota2 has now taken over my gaming time. My wife has also dragged me back into World of Warcraft, which I thought myself free of, but when WoW can suddenly become "time spent with the wife", then it's hard to say no...<br />
<br />
For anyone interested in getting into or even trying <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/570/" target="_blank">Dota2</a>, which I find to be a great game, it's available for free on <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/about/" target="_blank">Steam</a>, and here are a few good starter Dota2 articles, in order:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.purgegamers.com/welcome-to-dota-you-suck" target="_blank">Welcome to Dota, You Suck</a> (by PurgeGamer)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/DotA2/comments/1i6udf/10_quick_tips_for_new_players/" target="_blank">Reddit new player's tips</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dotafire.com/dota-2/guide/learning-the-ropes-a-beginners-guide-to-dota-8" target="_blank">DotaFire Introduction to Dota2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=123364976" target="_blank">Complete & Comprehensive Guide to Dota 2</a></li>
</ul>
In my own words, what's so good about Dota2:<br />
<ul>
<li>It's free to play and free to download. It's totally free. Did I mention free?</li>
<li>It's a team game. You can play with friends, and if you lose, it's (usually) not all your fault.</li>
<li>Your SC2 micro skills are valuable</li>
<li>You get to buy items / collect "loot"</li>
<li>Low time block commitment: A game takes slightly longer than an SC2 game, but it's still a "sit down for a 0.5-1 hour type of game. Game ends, you walk away and do other stuff.</li>
<li>The computer AI doesn't suck. Well, it does, but it will continue to challenge you for some time to come. You can also just play games against the "bots" when you feel like winning.</li>
<li>Ladder play: unlike the SC2 ladder, you don't have to know your ranking, so you don't know when you're not achieving the ranking that you think you want. Instead, you're just placed against another team of similar skill level.</li>
<li>Reporting system: if a player is a jerk, you can easily report his behaviour. Also, disconnectors / game abandonment is penalized in the sense that people who do that, get placed with others who do that. </li>
<li>Lots of variety and gradual skill improvement. There are 120+ heroes to choose from, meaning you'll get never bored of the choices, and even months after you start, you'll notice you're still gradually improving.</li>
<li>There are lots of events to take part in, and professional casts and videos to learn from .</li>
</ul>
Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-39269044334512519012012-01-31T16:30:00.001-07:002012-01-31T16:35:38.426-07:00Zerg Strategy: Stupid mistakes even pros makeI've watched a couple of Day9 dailies and GSL pro games lately, and I was struck by the following mistakes by Zerg players:<br />
<ul><li>Making a Spine Crawler wall without any Spore Crawlers for detection</li>
<li>Making Spines to protect against marine drops, but no Spore to kill the medivac, such that the marines can just pick up and fly away again. Spines also suck against upgraded marines, by the way!</li>
<li>Poor building placement, and not using buildings to wall off against hellions, for example</li>
<li>Failing to spread creep in one's main: for vision, Queen movement, and so that Spores can be placed to ward off drops and air units</li>
<li>Forgetting to retake Xel'Naga watch towers</li>
<li>Not building a single Overseer to accompany one's lategame army.</li>
<li>Attack-moving up a ramp with one's whole army, leaving all the units except one to dance around trying to attack the one cannon at range instead of mowing through the wall.</li>
<li>Overproducing Hydras. Seriously - Hydralisks suck for almost everything (other than perhaps defense against a Gateway army by Protoss), and even if they help you defend a push or air attack, they are terrible at counterattacking due to their low speed, and should be considered more of a slightly-more-mobile fixed defense. I think they are even worse than fixed defenses because of their low hp.</li>
<li>Moving your Infestors with the same hotkey as the rest of your army. Nothing gets these expensive, awesome units killed fast than letting them A-move to the front lines and get pulverized without doing a damn thing. </li>
</ul>While I don't advocate working on this at the expense of your macro if you haven't hit Diamond yet, if you're going to fix a few last things about your game play, do these too.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-74028938645490456802012-01-30T14:45:00.001-07:002012-01-30T14:46:00.447-07:00Zerg Build Orders You Really Shouldn't TryI just watched a GSTL match between Zenex and OGS, where the Zerg player, with the match on the line, used a Roach-Hydra based army in a ZvT.<br />
<br />
Why is this a bad idea? Simply put, Terran almost always uses Tanks against Terran, and Roaches die quickly to tanks, and don't even do well against upgraded marines because Roaches are too big to get a good position against the tightly-packed marines before they lose too many of their number. Worse, Roaches are nice beefy units, but aren't very supply-efficient. Thus, using Roaches in the later stages of the game is a bad idea.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-51620937144677243282011-11-08T16:42:00.001-07:002011-11-08T16:58:58.117-07:00Starcraft 2 - Remembering What "All-In" MeansEver try an all-in, and then think you can come back from it? There is no better way to frustration and the desire to BM your opponent than the thought that his build is unfair because your all-in failed and you couldn't come back from it.<br />
<br />
This situation happened to me the other day when I did a Roach/Ling all-in against a Protoss FFE and then railed at the unfairness of a 2-Stargate FFE build. Now - if I had made Hydras, this would be much less of a problem. However, after spending that much gas on Roaches, and cutting economy to get enough Roach/Ling produced, there's no way to truly come back from mass Void Rays - Spore Crawlers get picked off gradually, as do Queens. The Void Rays deny anything else until you get swarmed by Gateway units (even just Zealots + Voids will kill you at this point).<br />
<br />
What you have to remember when you choose that strategy is that if it fails, and you can't continue to push because he's hard-countered you (meaning his units will just crush yours no matter what you do), you might as well leave the game right then.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-38986059589411212632011-11-07T16:07:00.001-07:002011-11-07T16:07:50.152-07:00FFE and the Roach All-InI've come across a dilemna regarding the Protoss FFE - at the time you decide to all-in, you cannot tell if they are going double Stargate (your Overlord won't be there in time). If you try to Roach-Ling all-in the Stargate build, you will lose, because you won't have enough to stop that many Void Rays (even multiple Queens die too fast to that many Voids). Even if you do a lot of economic damage and balance the scales, 5-6 Voids will take your base apart. Throwing up a ton of Spores doesn't work because they can simply avoid them or pick off buildings outside your Spore Coverage. Your only way out is to build Hydras, which requires a Lair, which you won't have if you tried a Roach attack.<br />
<br />
I suspect Protoss players are gravitating towards this build because it forces Hydras, which are slow, cannot counterattack worth crap, and are vulnerable to Zealots (which Protoss can make after spending all their gas on Void Rays).<br />
<br />
Time to give up the Roach-Ling all-ins...Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-76698316720331435732011-11-06T10:10:00.001-07:002019-04-11T13:53:46.058-06:00Starcraft 2: How Platinum is Different From GoldWell, I've played a LOT of Starcraft 2 over the past 3 weeks, and what do you know? I got promoted to Platinum in Season 4. Yay me!<br />
<br />
Now I have a whole new set of problems. First, I'm losing a lot more. No one likes losing. Most of all, I'm losing to "early air strategies" against Protoss and Terran. But WHY am I losing? I'm losing because:<br />
<br />
I'M NOT SCOUTING PROPERLY!<br />
<br />
What does this mean? It means that I scout too late, don't scout BOTH the front AND the main base itself, and I don't Baneling Bust against tech builds, which should be a tool in my arsenal.<br />
<br />
Scouting the front is important because it will tell you things like army composition, and it will tell you about impending early-aggression builds such as Hellions. It will also tell you whether your own early aggression will pay off, such as "how many bunkers or cannons or spines did he build?". I suggest scouting the front at the 4, 5, 7 and 10 minute marks, at minimum.<br />
<br />
As a Zerg, you should be floating an Overlord into your opponent's main base at about the 30 supply mark (EDIT: in LotV, this should be at 4:00 - 4:30), which should give you an idea about his tech. If you're smart about the direction your Overlord comes from, he should see SOMETHING before being shot down.<br />
<br />
Taking Xel'Naga towers is another important one. I lost a game because I Roach-Rushed RIGHT BY A TOWER I didn't hold, giving my opponent the time to build Bunkers and Marauders, and then crush me with Banshee harass and a follow-up Marine-Tank push. /facepalm<br />
<br />
So... while Macro got me to Platinum, it's not going to get me into Diamond unless I get smarter about scouting.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-31051057117286642112011-10-11T11:06:00.001-06:002019-04-11T13:55:09.664-06:00Starcraft 2 - Macro DOES get you PromotedAfter struggling for two seasons to improve my league ranking, I've finally finished the season at Rank 2 Gold, and I'm now regularly playing (and beating) Platinum-rank players.<br />
<br />
What changed?<br />
<br />
Okay, MAYBE I've got better game awareness, and I've been playing more smoothly. I've stopped making some mistakes, and learned what builds I can get away with.<br />
<br />
However... my secret is MACRO.<br />
<br />
As Zerg, I've been nailing my injects, and this has allowed me to spend my resources. I couldn't believe how much of a different this made. For Terran or Protoss players, that would mean constant SCV / Probe production, and building enough production structures to match income. I just find that I have more stuff, and never get that moment of "Omg, how does HE have so many troops?".<br />
<br />
The second secret to Zerg macro that no one mentions is EXPAND AGGRESSIVELY. Don't worry so much if you can absolutely defend the expansion - most of the time, when you can afford the minerals to expand, it's time to expand. This step is similar to Protoss or Terran building more Gateways or Barracks/Factories. Hatcheries provide more larvae, which allow you to spend resources. Zerg also needs to aim for AT LEAST 70 DRONES, and since you only want 22 drones per hatch (16 on minerals for minimum saturation and 6 on gas), that means you want at least 3 bases mining by midgame.<br />
<br />
Some practice suggestions:<br />
- Play against the Very Easy computer, and try to get maxed on Roaches by the 13-minute mark (EDIT: in LotV, you can do this by the 7:30-8 minute mark). Yes, it is possible. Doing this will give you a sense of what your drone / expansion / queen timing should be when you're powering (for e.g. vs. a FFE Protoss).<br />
- Play against the Very Easy computer and try to get as many Drones out before the 9-minute mark, which is when a Protoss FFE build will start generating any significant number of attack units.<br />
- Play some custom games against your worst matchup.<br />
- Watch your replays. Focus on one aspect at a time. It's a lot easier to notice your mistakes when you're not in the game.<br />
<br />
But most of all, PLAY THE DAMN LADDER. Many people are nervous to ladder, but keep this in mind: if you're losing, you're getting closer to playing people of your skill level, which will be more fun than getting crushed all the time. Also, you never improve as much as when you're playing against people that are better than you.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-35786278433743338602011-09-12T01:31:00.001-06:002011-10-06T16:47:12.930-06:00Starcraft 2: Adding Harassment to a BuildOne of your goals in every Starcraft 2 match should be to keep your opponent on the defensive, even when, and ESPECIALLY when you don't have many units on the field. Unless you are going for an all-in push, you will be vulnerable to timing attacks while you get your economy going.<br />
<br />
What you want to do is harass, so plan for it! Here are some examples:<br />
<br />
<b>Terran:</b><br />
<ul><li>Mech? Hellion drop or driveby.</li>
<li>Bio? Early 2-rax pressure, or marine drops</li>
<li>Heavy air? Banshee harass.</li>
<li>Lategame? Nukes or Ghost drop with snipes.</li>
</ul><br />
<b>Protoss:</b><br />
<ul><li>Twilight Council tech path? Dark Templar.</li>
<li>Robo first? Try some warp prism drops or warp-ins.</li>
</ul><br />
<b>Zerg:</b><br />
<ul><li>Muta harass (typical)</li>
<li>Baneling drops on mineral lines (my new favourite)</li>
<li>Zergling run-bys or counterattacks whenever he moves out</li>
<li>Infestor drops</li>
<li>Burrowed Roaches or Infestors</li>
</ul><br />
The most common mistake to make when figuring out how to add harassment to a build is thinking that you have to add a lot to your build. Try adding as little as possible. If going heavy Roach, add Tunneling Claws and no more. If you're going Mech, don't try to marine-drop - just use Hellions as obnoxiously as possible. If you're doing a 3-gate robo, don't feel that you have to add DTs - just drop or warp some Zealots.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-76818471563100998072011-09-11T07:44:00.001-06:002011-10-06T14:48:37.351-06:00Starcraft 2: Roaches do not stop Bunker RushesI was trying this new(er) Zerg build order:<br />
<ul><li>15 pool</li>
<li>14 gas</li>
<li>16 hatch</li>
<li>18 Roach Warren</li>
<li>18 Overlord</li>
<li>18 Overlord</li>
<li>8-10 Roaches</li>
<li>Queen</li>
</ul>... but it's still weak to a bunker rush IF YOU LET THE BUNKER FINISH. The Roaches do NOT counter a completed bunker (unless you can hit it from the high ground, maybe), and DEFINITELY does not counter the ramp double-block. I suggest going Banelings if you get contained, and break out ASAP and counterattack - you'll be too far behind otherwise, especially if your expansion hatchery is destroyed.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-76561428763512026252011-09-05T19:32:00.001-06:002011-10-06T14:42:16.308-06:00Starcraft 2: ZvT Troubles with Thor+HellionI had an interesting game against a Terran player, where I could have held off his pushes with better building placement and better scouting. I was actually ahead in economy the whole game, but just couldn't fend off the last push (due to poor micro).<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=230116">The replay</a> shows that the Terran player was doing a 1-base push the whole time, where Zerg was on 2 bases. I think what did me in at the last was larvae - I had tons of resources but no way to spend them. An in-base hatch would have been the answer. Ah, beautiful hindsight.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-8735510785489078182011-09-01T21:50:00.002-06:002011-10-06T14:46:39.655-06:00Starcraft 2: Making the Wrong Counter in TvZSo you've scouted, you saw Roaches, so you make Marauders. Then a mass of 12 Mutas comes into your base, wipes out your few marines, and demolishes your base. What happened?<br />
<br />
It's easy to make assumptions based on what you see. It's important that you keep checking your opponent's army composition. If you watch GSL, Day9, HuskyHD, or read my previous blog posts, you may have heard the phrase "scout the front". Most players keep their armies near the front of their base, for the sole reason that it's where the attack usually comes from. This positioning means that by sending a single cheap unit to die, you can scout your opponent's army composition, and you should do it on a regular basis, so you aren't surprised.<br />
<br />
Buildings can't tell you everything, especially against Zerg! Don't rely on the fact that he build a Roach Warren that any Roaches will come out of it. Some buildings are "just in case" structures.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-83380440462091731672011-08-30T20:16:00.001-06:002011-10-06T14:40:03.254-06:00Starcraft 2: Learning to All-InA lot of us are of the opinion that a failed first rush pretty much dooms your macro. While this is true, it doesn't mean you can't all-in and counter your opponent's attempt to "get more ahead" by expanding. The following pro game shows how a failed 6pool rush by July leaves him very far behind in economy. However, instead of his Protoss opponent going for a 4-gate counter, HongUn decides to "get more ahead" (as emphasized as the "right" thing to do by Day9 and Artosis), and expand off 3 gates.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.gomtv.net/2011gslsponsors5/vod/66054">JulyZerg vs. HongUnPrime</a><br />
<br />
July foils this attempt with a large Zergling push, which, despite forcefields, allows him to eliminate his opponent's army and push him back into his main. July Zerg expanded just prior to the push, leaving him on 2 bases to his opponent's 1 base, and able to make drones without fear of counter.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'll leave you to watch the game (which anyone should be able to watch, even without subscription), to see how it ends.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-53794121480991621222011-08-27T21:28:00.001-06:002011-10-06T14:36:40.778-06:00Starcraft 2 and MLG Tournament PlayI was just watching <a href="http://pro.majorleaguegaming.com/live/sc2_red">MLG Raleigh</a> this weekend, and I was struck by the fact that many players go into their second game of the same match with an idea that they are going to try the same strategy again. I have seen at least two examples where the players made the same mistake in two back-to-back games.<br />
<br />
For example:<br />
<ul><li>IdRA makes too many Mutalisks and loses to a superior Marine-heavy ground army.</li>
<li>Players quit too early</li>
<li>Players make an assumption about what the opponent will be doing, and don't bother to scout and check</li>
</ul>On the ladder, using the same strategy or build repeatedly doesn't really matter - your opponents aren't exactly going to catch on. But in tournament play, change it up.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-75071224649481935082011-08-24T21:16:00.002-06:002011-10-06T14:35:51.781-06:00Starcraft 2 Micro Techniques for DropsJust found this article on how to execute drops with better micro, buried in the TeamLiquid Wiki:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft/Drop_Techniques#Move-Drop">http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft/Drop_Techniques#Move-Drop</a>Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-90005662055679166012011-08-24T20:41:00.002-06:002011-10-06T14:41:17.426-06:00Interesting Facts about Starcraft 2 in Korea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGP7e5nGE2Tg14k6R2S0tC2XxbYSJbEc9tqA5ZK_irWbLofhr8XNDSIc_JpTlrOAESxq1yS1jEbeDJYKJ347jCyYHd7IFsuB7Fjh00ZR0uc0-Nw5uUL6lkVv262ltkgsLj0J2o6ZmGw/s1600/StarKraft-SK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGP7e5nGE2Tg14k6R2S0tC2XxbYSJbEc9tqA5ZK_irWbLofhr8XNDSIc_JpTlrOAESxq1yS1jEbeDJYKJ347jCyYHd7IFsuB7Fjh00ZR0uc0-Nw5uUL6lkVv262ltkgsLj0J2o6ZmGw/s1600/StarKraft-SK.jpg" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.onlinegraphicdesignschools.org/starcraft-in-south-korea">http://www.onlinegraphicdesignschools.org/starcraft-in-south-korea</a></div>Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-35091715699139919432011-08-07T21:28:00.002-06:002012-01-30T08:51:13.582-07:00Starcraft 2 - 3v3 StrategyI just played a bunch of 3v3 games and did really well, so I thought I'd share my experiences.<br />
<br />
<b>The Early Attack</b><br />
First, discuss with your teammates what you consider an "early attack". I played (as Zerg) with Terran and Protoss allies, and my 10-pool build gave me a LOT of Zerglings before they even had much of a force ready, because they were using builds with later attack units. As a result, my economy was much smaller, I still hadn't expanded by 40 food (which is death for a Zerg player), and though we eventually knocked out one opponent, we couldn't take on the armies of the other two.<br />
<br />
You should NOT try the early attack strategy when your opponents have a common main. The whole idea of the early attack is to overwhelm one player and remove them from the game, turning the game into a 3v2, where even if your side has sacrificed economy for the push, your 3 economies will still beat (or at least keep up with) the 2 opponents remaining. If your early game push fails, you are going to lose the game unless you do a lot of economic damage. What sometimes happens on these big 3v3 maps is that the two attacking armies pass each other, and the game turns into a 2v2 as each side eliminates one opponent. <br />
<br />
<b>The Harass+Expand</b><br />
In another game, we illustrated the fact that if one player early expands (preferably not the one in the most vulnerable map location!) and chooses a harassment units (Mutalisks in my case), it can go very well. However, what sets apart a gold-to-platinum player from a bronze one is knowing when to switch out of the build. I've been both on the giving and receiving end of a partnership where one player massed nothing but Void Rays, and the opponent massed nothing but Marines. Needless to say, the Void Ray player loses, almost regardless of what the other two players do, UNLESS the Void Rays stay with the rest of the joint army. If they are used for defense or attack by themselves, they tend to get chewed up. What they SHOULD be used for is decimating bases and harassment.<br />
<br />
Alternately, if you don't want to go for the big mid-game push, you can pick one player for harassment, while the others expand and tech. However, if the map doesn't have common bases (i.e. each player is spread out), this approach can leave you highly vulnerable to pushes, since you don't have much ground defense.<br />
<br />
<b>Specialize</b> <br />
In general, 3v3 requires you to specialize. For example, the Protoss player could make an army with more heavy-hitting units, such as Colossi, Void Rays, or Immortals, while the Terran player goes MMM, and the Zerg player makes the meat shield of Roach. You'll frequently see things like mass ling+bane, mass hellion, or mass (blink) Stalker. Most massing strategies rely on fast units that can shut down enemy expansions and give map control such that those players can expand and switch into heavy-hitting endgame armies.<br />
<br />
<b>Big, High-Damage Units</b> <br />
The problem with big 3v3 battles is that they rarely take place in wide-open places where all units can attack. This means that if you're going for a big push, you need to have the big, high-damage units such as Colossi or Siege tanks to deal splash damage at range. Units such as Broodlords can be good (although very slow!), and anything with AOE such as Infestors or High Templar do more damage than in 1v1 or 2v2, where players don't have such a large mass of units, and can more easily micro the whole army around the AOE.<br />
<br />
<b>Fixed Defenses</b><br />
In smaller games, fixed defenses chew up a lot of resources that you could put into army. However, on big 3v3 maps, with so many opponents, the importance of denying harassment is game-winning. DO NOT expand without adding fixed defenses. At the very least, slowing down an opponent's attempt to deny expansions can give you time to call for help, and possibly even crush the opponents' combined army while they are in your territory and far from their own reinforcements.<br />
<br />
I don't know how many times I've turned around a big army by rushing 20-30 Zerglings into the opponents' main, or an expansion. Best of all, if the opponents are controlling their armies separately, you have a good shot at dividing the combined army and then killing the smaller army with the help of your allies. If your opponents don't build fixed defenses, or even just a good wall, more opponents simply means more targets.<br />
<br />
<b>Cheese</b><br />
If you die to cheese in a 3v3, you probably deserve it. There is really no such thing as "all in cheese", because even if one player sacrifices economy to "cheese", he has two allies backing him up such that he can recover economically.<br />
<br />
However, with the large maps and common main bases, cheese is extremely unlikely - it just doesn't arrive soon enough to be effective, and is defended too easily (even just with workers)! However, if you forgo scouting, and you get double 6-pooled, chances are that you won't have a wall up soon enough to block it out, and the game will be over. 3v3 doesn't mean you can omit scouting, or assume your allies will do it.<br />
<br />
I've seen things like a double-worker rush, where two players send workers to attack one player, and you MUST respond by pulling your own workers to save that ally, or else you will be the next target and things will only get worse from there. If you DO pull your workers, your side will have an advantage of numbers, and in reinforcements, and you should defend the worker-attack easily and win the game. Don't fall for this cheese.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-52294921234137236582011-07-30T15:52:00.001-06:002011-10-06T14:34:46.604-06:00Starcraft 2: Countering Proxies as ZergI just wanted to go over a defensive decision that all Zerg players should make part of their Starcraft 2 decision-making toolbox.<br />
<br />
The subject today is bunker rushes and proxy barracks / gateways. If you open with a hatch-first or early-hatch build with Zerg, YOU NEED TO CANCEL IT when you scout a lack of Gateways / Rax in the enemy base.<br />
<br />
Immediately throw down a pool if not already started, and you NEED to get a spine crawler up. I also recommend Roaches over Banelings, because early banelings can be kited and killed by good marine micro, and Roaches use less Larvae, which you will be severely limited on. Roaches are surprisingly good against small numbers of un-upgraded marines. But again, it's more about the larvae, so make sure to build a Queen, or replace her if you lose her. However, if you are really tight for money, build 2 Roaches instead of 1 Queen. However, chances are, with no Queen and only 1 Hatch of larvae, you will have plenty of minerals to build Queens with.<br />
<br />
If your opponent is NOT all-in (and most proxy rushes are), you can't afford to just make spines and be contained, because your larvae count will suffer. Make sure you check just how many marines your opponent continues to send to your base, even if he dares not attack because of your Spine Crawlers. If he expands and doesn't keep building marines, you need to bust out ASAP, and either expand yourself or counterattack.<br />
<br />
Counterattacking is always a good strat (if you manage to get units out of your base), because without his early barracks / Gateways at home, he won't have a wall-in. Even a few Zerglings, if you attack when he's also attacking your base, may go undetected long enough to kill a LOT of workers.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-45335638774439482652011-07-28T01:31:00.001-06:002011-10-06T14:34:30.223-06:00Starcraft 2: Zerg Strategy and UpgradesWell, I just played a <a href="http://www.sc2rep.com/replays/%28Z%29DeZrog_vs_%28P%29Wayneking_typhon_peaks_sc2rep_com_20110728/11779">game today</a> where something very interesting happened: my upgraded Roaches (+2/+2) took on a Protoss army built to counter it (Stalker/Immortal/Colossus, although not many of the latter two), and absolutely destroyed it. While I think micro had a lot to do with it, as well as Zergling support, it really emphasized for me the power of early upgrades, especially when you can stay ahead of your opponent.<br />
<br />
The difference becomes really evident when the numbers of units get higher - you don't want to upgrade early so that your early units are effective - when you're pressed, it's better to spend the gas on more units than on upgrades that you don't get as fast as you get units! Also, upgrades are no good if you have no units left for them to affect...<br />
<br />
The key to the game I linked above was probably offensive play. It's important for your opponent to feel pressured, and it's important, as Zerg, to have forward-positioned units to see attacks coming so you can pump reinforcements. Delaying my opponent's third, while getting my own up and running, was also highly effective.<br />
<br />
I also realized just how effective even 2-3 Infestors can be in slowing and damaging an approaching army. It's the only AOE (area of effect) attack that Zerg has, but it's very very good. The problem is that making TOO many infestors costs a lot of gas that could become units that keep attacking, rather than having energy-depleted infestors trying to clean up the last few units. Again, if things are tight, don't go with a pile of Infestors - get a base army going, THEN pile on some more Infestors. <br />
<br />
Yes, my macro could be much better.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-40635704886716048672011-07-18T22:07:00.002-06:002011-10-06T14:33:16.535-06:00Starcraft 2: Out of Shape and Out of Supply Well, I just had the crappiest run of losses I ever had in Starcraft 2. Sure, my strategy may have been okay, my build orders okay, but after about 30 supply, I started hitting the supply block wall. Supply blocking yourself FOUR TIMES in a game is pretty much a guaranteed loss.<br />
<br />
Here's an exercise for those with the same problem (thanks Powerfang!):<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Play the computer on Very Easy</li>
<li>You must make SCVs constantly. </li>
<li>Watch the replay </li>
<li>If you hit the unit cap without ever not making an SCV, you win. Otherwise, you lose.</li>
</ul>Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-38604145620104602982011-07-09T17:04:00.001-06:002011-10-06T14:26:01.623-06:00Roach before Queen Zerg Build Order: AdaptionI both love and hate the late-Queen, early-Roach <a href="http://learningstarcraft2.blogspot.com/2011/07/zvt-new-roach-rush.html">Zerg build order</a>. On the one hand, you can expand versus Terran or Protoss without worrying about an early couple of units taking you apart - slow Zerglings are easily killed by Zealots or Marines, but Roaches aren't.<br />
<br />
However, the key to this build isn't executing the build, it's using your firepower properly. In short, you sacrifice early counterattack capability (Sspeedlings) for a secure early expansion (Roaches). You also get the option of a Roach all-in if unscouted. But, if you are scouted just after your Warren goes down, you'd better switch back to your usual unit mix (i.e. Roach/Speedling vs. Protoss or Speedling/Baneling vs. Terran), or else you are going to lose. While Roaches work very well against small numbers of Marines, they fair poorly against larger numbers of Marines with upgrades. Speedlings are required vs. Protoss Stalkers, too, or your Roaches just get kited to death.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgYaRS9JMj7l8OnxUT71Ix56-EixyGFIcCDZj2EYevM5e3R3CCRHSv5sI1pqO4culquhgMdNFjBnBuTCjqY_63tfO2laMmU2w6dAEZj4rqQSy2bHzOb20PKVu-r8IYV5fmRwbFX_6-A/s1600/7RoachRush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; float:left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgYaRS9JMj7l8OnxUT71Ix56-EixyGFIcCDZj2EYevM5e3R3CCRHSv5sI1pqO4culquhgMdNFjBnBuTCjqY_63tfO2laMmU2w6dAEZj4rqQSy2bHzOb20PKVu-r8IYV5fmRwbFX_6-A/s320/7RoachRush.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For those Zerg players who hate-hate-hate bunker pushes against an early expand, this build is for you. However, I would recommend transitioning out of it before Terran opponents build Marauders, or else going all-in and trying a 8-11 Roach push. Don't wait for your last Roaches to come out, though, or he might have Siege tanks. Bring your first 5-6 Roaches and attack, rallying the others to his base.<br />
<br />
<b>Tip</b>: Have an Overlord to give vision of the high ground, so you can snipe buildings from below.<br />
<br />
<b>Tip:</b> Get Speed (Metabolic Boost) AFTER you've committed (or not) to a Roach push. If you get speed first, you won't have enough Roaches for a push, but you need Speed later.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098189321717874313.post-63240839166453767712011-07-04T19:43:00.001-06:002011-10-06T14:25:41.157-06:00ZvT - The new Roach RushI came across this Zerg build order on the TeamLiquid forums, and thought it was one of the best Zerg Strategies to come out in awhile (thank you JulyZerg!.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=201678">The build order</a><br />
*from TeamLiquid forums*<br />
<blockquote><b>The Build</b><br />
(Optional early drone scout)<br />
15 Spawning Pool<br />
15 Extractor<br />
16 hatchery<br />
(Optional 0-6 Zerglings)<br />
(Optional Metabolic Boost research)<br />
@150min Roach Warren<br />
Overlord x2 (Optional x1 if you made 4-6 lings)<br />
Roach x8-11<br />
<br />
* If you opt for 6 lings, you can allow meta boost to finish, and not impact your roach timing.<br />
<br />
* Be sure you have OLs spotting the ramp. Due to your map control, you should be able to position two overlords (one on either side of his ramp). </blockquote><br />
I like it because it's tricky - it shows the player one thing, and does another thing. Perfect scouting would cause this not to work, and it wouldn't work against Zerg, because without a Queen to chase away the Overlord, your opponent could simply park an Overlord above your base and see everything he needs to see.<br />
<br />
I've also been having an issue with ZvT lately (stupid bio pushes!) so this might be a good, aggressive answer to Terran stim pushes.Zrog (ESR)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09610162200721944106noreply@blogger.com0