[Megathread] StarCraft 2

[Deleted]

no templars or voidrays, i don't think that army can be considered a "deathball"

[Last Attempt]

I didn't want to make a new thread on this so I guess I'll post it here. So I started playing SC2 about 1 month maybe a little longer and I just got into the silver league and I was just wondering whats the best way to become better? I mostly play Zerg/Terran my friend plays Protoss so I know how they work. I guess the thing I need to work on the most atm is knowing what to make from seeing what they're making from scouting their base. I'm sure most of this comes in time with practice and playing a lot but are there any good videos I could watch that would help a player like me? Or if anyone on here could give me a few tips I would appreciate it a lot!

[Deleted]

Generally considered to be among the best videos for learning and learning to analyze your own game are Day [9] and Axslav:
http://day9.tv/
http://www.twitch.tv/axslav

Also reading the Strategy section of teamliquid helps.

[Millennía]

I didn't want to make a new thread on this so I guess I'll post it here. So I started playing SC2 about 1 month maybe a little longer and I just got into the silver league and I was just wondering whats the best way to become better? I mostly play Zerg/Terran my friend plays Protoss so I know how they work. I guess the thing I need to work on the most atm is knowing what to make from seeing what they're making from scouting their base. I'm sure most of this comes in time with practice and playing a lot but are there any good videos I could watch that would help a player like me? Or if anyone on here could give me a few tips I would appreciate it a lot!

Day9 is the guy you want to watch. He has helped me a lot especially with these 2 videos on mechanics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUohpQKVf_A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKPDKtK4IMo

I started out in Bronze as Terran about a few months ago and I was terrible. Someone directed me to Day9 and I have watched him since and now I just got into Platinum Zerg. You also just need to practice a lot to and identify your faults and fix them accordingly.

[Last Attempt]

Day9 is the guy you want to watch. He has helped me a lot especially with these 2 videos on mechanics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUohpQKVf_A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKPDKtK4IMo

I started out in Bronze as Terran about a few months ago and I was terrible. Someone directed me to Day9 and I have watched him since and now I just got into Platinum Zerg. You also just need to practice a lot to and identify your faults and fix them accordingly.

Thanks, I'll definitely check him out.

[Wass]

Well I had a bit of up and down on the ladder recently. I was in Gold and was on a 9 game winning streak but then all of a sudden I lose 4 games in a row. I played 2 games there now and lost the first against a Zerg then destroyed a Protoss in the second with Muta-Ling. I win the game and leave and I get the message that I have been promoted to platinum league.

That was certainly unexpected but pleasantly surprised. Just a couple questions though. Bronze/Silver I was told are the rush/cheese leagues and Gold is more expansion based play. What can I expect from Platinum level players? Just so I can be aware and prepare. Yay

Being top platinum myself I can tell you that it quickly ramps up. Gold, plat, diamond and masters all differ quite a lot from each other. Backbone of it all is control, speed and decisionmaking. Geting out of gold means you have honed your basics well enough and got an understanding of the meta. After that you need to progressively get better by analyzing games, i.e. what did you do wrong here and there etc. Below plat it's not so much analyzing as the answer generally is quite simple: I didn't macro, I didn't micro, I didn't scout, I didn't etc etc etc...

It's gonna sound silly but you basically need to become a better player from here on >.<

If you're bored I can recommend arcade maps designed to help you improve the details of your play, such as marine split challenge. Every race benefits from that, even if you split marines against banelings.

[Millennía]

Being top platinum myself I can tell you that it quickly ramps up. Gold, plat, diamond and masters all differ quite a lot from each other. Backbone of it all is control, speed and decisionmaking. Geting out of gold means you have honed your basics well enough and got an understanding of the meta. After that you need to progressively get better by analyzing games, i.e. what did you do wrong here and there etc. Below plat it's not so much analyzing as the answer generally is quite simple: I didn't macro, I didn't micro, I didn't scout, I didn't etc etc etc...

It's gonna sound silly but you basically need to become a better player from here on >.<

If you're bored I can recommend arcade maps designed to help you improve the details of your play, such as marine split challenge. Every race benefits from that, even if you split marines against banelings.

Would love it if you could recommend any arcade maps. I haven't made much use of the arcade yet if i am honest. I have only used it for monobattles ^^ but i will try the marine split challenge and if you know of any more then please do recommend.

First game of Platinum and I got proxy Zealot rushed

[Wass]

Would love it if you could recommend any arcade maps. I haven't made much use of the arcade yet if i am honest. I have only used it for monobattles ^^ but i will try the marine split challenge and if you know of any more then please do recommend.

First game of Platinum and I got proxy Zealot rushed

Aww

Marine split challenge is the only one that comes out of the top of my head right now... I'll get back to you on that.

Good luck in platinum. Remember that you need to do all the basic things from here on.

[Wildmoon]

Well I had a bit of up and down on the ladder recently. I was in Gold and was on a 9 game winning streak but then all of a sudden I lose 4 games in a row. I played 2 games there now and lost the first against a Zerg then destroyed a Protoss in the second with Muta-Ling. I win the game and leave and I get the message that I have been promoted to platinum league.

That was certainly unexpected but pleasantly surprised. Just a couple questions though. Bronze/Silver I was told are the rush/cheese leagues and Gold is more expansion based play. What can I expect from Platinum level players? Just so I can be aware and prepare. Yay

I am now in diamond as terran and from my experience it isn't really that different except that cheeses get a lot much more dangerous in plat+. Bronze and silver players cheese not because they are good at it or want to but they just don't know how to do other things effectively. I would say you may even see the same amount of cheesy and rush play in higher league especially from fucking Protoss right now. Just by defending cheeses can get you a lot of wins but again cheeses in higher league are quite well excuted.

[Deleted]

Played a 2v2 today with a mate and got put against a GM and someone on a smurf in which they only made mass planetary fortress' and battlecruisers. Just LOL! Scouted it too late as the fist planetary fortress went up and it was pretty much just a case of us trying to hang on as we got our asses raped!

[Slaughty8]

Hmm, I was wondering what was my rank when SC2 was released, I played it casually but was very good at it, mostly 1vs1, I checked and saw that I was Diamond yey. Hopefully I will repeat this feat, well, if time allows and there are now 2 more leagues on top Comparing SC2 enemies now and back when SC2 was released, is it harder now or easier? I mean, has players skill changed alot?

[Wildmoon]

Hmm, I was wondering what was my rank when SC2 was released, I played it casually but was very good at it, mostly 1vs1, I checked and saw that I was Diamond yey. Hopefully I will repeat this feat, well, if time allows and there are now 2 more leagues on top Comparing SC2 enemies now and back when SC2 was released, is it harder now or easier? I mean, does players skill changed alot?

Of course, player has gotten a lot better in both basic mechanic and build order. Their play are more refined now.

[Slaughty8]

Of course, player has gotten a lot better in both basic mechanic and build order. Their play are more refined now.

Dman, that's bad I am not fully into "u must play perfectly like a script/bot or you lose" type of competition

[Wildmoon]

Dman, that's bad I am not fully into "u must play perfectly like a script/bot or you lose" type of competition

Well, that's the point of Starcraft. You could be creative and come up with a lot of unorthodox way to win but players with better mechanic to excute their strategies and better understanding of economy and timing in the game will be more solid. They may even hold "build order win" with just sheer mechanic. In the end, strategies that don't rely on surprise factor rule. If you are good enough you could even let your opponent see what you are doing but still win.

[Duncanîdaho]

Dman, that's bad I am not fully into "u must play perfectly like a script/bot or you lose" type of competition

You don't have to play like a bot to win, that's not what he's saying. It's just more competitive, it's a good thing and makes better games. There's no difference if you played diamond at release but have to play gold now because the skill level of the average player has improved. Your still playing people at your level and should be having a blast win or lose

It's just you don't see complete noobs in the field anymore for the most part that you are just going to walk over. People know the race macros now and the counters like Wildmoon said. If your playing SC2 to and expect to dominate or even win every game you play your going to have a bad time. Don't worry so much about your rank, just always try to improve each game you play.

It's usually possible to beat someone better then you at micro/macro simply if you have a good knowledge or your capabilities, of what they are doing(scouting) and patience to wait for your moment.

[Wass]

I've got some time again today. If anyone wants to play customs or teamgames then hit me up.

/Peace

[Deleted]

Anyone found a decent all-in or eco for ZvP? Pretty much every one I have tried from WoL just gets shutdown due to that nexus uber cannon with its imba range.

[Gamdwelf]

Anyone found a decent all-in or eco for ZvP? Pretty much every one I have tried from WoL just gets shutdown due to that nexus uber cannon with its imba range.

idk about ZvP but PvZ is one my easiest match ups, they have answers for almost anything a zerg can throw at you, except maybe swarm hosts.

I would recomend swarm host with the upgrade because even if they have observers the locusts go so far from the SH so that you can just keep sending wave after wave of locusts to take out buildings and armies while you macro into a big army with hydras. Roaches are not as strong as they used to be against protoss.

[Deleted]

idk about ZvP but PvZ is one my easiest match ups, they have answers for almost anything a zerg can throw at you, except maybe swarm hosts.

I would recomend swarm host with the upgrade because even if they have observers the locusts go so far from the SH so that you can just keep sending wave after wave of locusts to take out buildings and armies while you macro into a big army with hydras. Roaches are not as strong as they used to be against protoss.

ZvP used to be my easiest match up until HoTS but now I find Terran pretty easy and Protoss near impossible. I've been trying to just counter deathballs with hydra, bling and corrupter before they max out but even then I need to have like 4 hatcheries over their 2 nexus. Plus that only seems to work if I manage to scout their oracles in time and don't lose my queens and drones. Even had a max army with upgrades of hydra/corrupter wiped out in seconds due to mass voidray and that new instant charge that never seems to be on cooldown.

I've seen a few swarm host builds but I really hate that unit and the viper for that matter. Swarm hosts just feel like a shit version of a siege tank that reloads unbelievably slow and needs at least 10 of them (costing 30 supply) to even seem viable. Plus they get slaughtered if an army moves out with an observer and you don't get them out of range fast enough.

/endmoan.

[Shinzai]

idk about ZvP but PvZ is one my easiest match ups, they have answers for almost anything a zerg can throw at you, except maybe swarm hosts.

I would recomend swarm host with the upgrade because even if they have observers the locusts go so far from the SH so that you can just keep sending wave after wave of locusts to take out buildings and armies while you macro into a big army with hydras. Roaches are not as strong as they used to be against protoss.

That is hugely recommendable, also agreed on the Roaches, perhaps use them as a transition, to push back any early gate pressure/harass, then drop them like they're hot(s). Also:

ZvP - 3 base into fast Ultra/Hydra/Viper

I'd probably recommend adding Swarm Hosts to any ZvP comp though, simply because they're such a frustrating harass for a Protoss player who's trying to tech up behind a wall, or by expanding. It tends to lock them into a 3 base cap, with the 3rd constantly under attack. Just park about 10-20 Hydras ontop of the hosts while you macro, or even send a small herd of Queens out to assist the Hosts. As a side note, a ball of 20 Hydras with basic upgrades will destroy 10 Void Rays, even with prismatic up.