Starcraft 2 (Info on first post!)

[Overswarm]

....mass baneling.

 

[Zankoku]

While one or two people massing tier 1/1.5 is almost necessary to beat any half-decent team, it's kind of boring to have a team full of only tier 1/1.5. I mean, sure, you just won going all marines/stalkers/marines/banelings (ok admittedly mass mass banelings is pretty exciting regardless), but... how is that different from a normal 4v4 game?

It’s an exciting time in StarCraft II history. The first ever season is drawing to a close, and Season 2 is about to begin. We have some important information on how the end of season process will happen, and the times and dates for each step.

During maintenance next Tuesday morning, March 22, the ladders will be locked. The lock will mean that no further league promotions or demotions can occur, and bonus pools will stop growing. So now’s the time to push for that promotion! Once locked to a league and division players can continue to play out their bonus pools and compete for standing within their division until the actual end of the season.

During morning maintenance the following Tuesday, March 29, Season 1 will end and Season 2 will begin. Season milestone rewards will be distributed (more info about these in an upcoming blog), and bonus pools will start over. Internal skill ratings used for matchmaking and league placement will carry over from the previous season, so players who have played their placement matches in the previous season will only need to play one new placement match.

A couple weeks later we'll be ready to launch the Grandmaster league the morning of April 12. For more information on this premiere league check out our recent blog at-
http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/2452060#blog

 

[Omni]

ankoku, (or anyone for that matter)

when i get some time and you're available i need some advice on creating chokeholds. right now i'm trying to learn Xel Naga caverns and i start off on the bottom left. my goal is to create really strong defensive formations/walls at the key choke points (those two gaps leading into the natural).

basically my goal is to just create really efficient wall-in's as i transition into grabbing my expansions (primarily my first two, but for now focusing on the first). so like for example:

when i'm ready to expand on the bottom left corner my first goal is going to be to build off the ramp so what im doing now is:

- grab 2 SCV's
- have one build bunker on top part of ramp (on low ground)
- have other build bunker next to the hole
- have two Siege Tanks stay on the high ground close to the edge of the first base in siege mode
- have a single turrent next to both tanks in case of anti-air
- put in 8 marines in once bunkers is finished

etc. it's easier to show then write so that's why id like to talk with someone in-game

basically, the concept is to have two turrets always supporting each other
wall-in one of those chokeholds (the left one) with a factory w/tech, and a barracks w/reactor
place two bunkers on both sides of the gap
have one of those turrets in the middle
and have two siege tanks behind each bunker (starting off with 1 early game in order to cover the other chokehold)

then depending on who i'm playing or what i scout i may support those wall's with either thors or ghosts. thors for muta/phoenix. ghosts for gateway heavy protoss.

and of course there could be obvious deviations to the plan according to many variables but for right now im just trying to build my core plan.

 

[Zankoku]

Generally simcity'ing a natural as open as Xel'Naga simply involves protecting your workers (and the path into the main) from harm, since attempting complete wall-offs on level ground even near the level of what you can accomplish from your main are a lot more trouble than they're worth. The general plan is to have Siege Tanks watching the main entrance, supported in front by marines or structures, and turrets in the main to protect your production structures back home from harassment. A turret outside of the main or any resource line is generally only useful for defensive detection (Dark Templar, Burrowed Roaches) until you can produce a Raven, so I would recommend simply getting more Marines and/or Thors rather than Turrets to protect your Siege Tanks from air units. Save the Turrets for the base. The next issue is realizing that as Terran, you have more to benefit by expanding forward rather than to the side - you have amazing, essentially relocatable, defensive options like Bunkers and Siege Tanks to claim a new location, and you can quickly fortify your new base by transforming a Planetary Fortress. Using this to slowly advance puts pressure on an aggressive opponent to either break through your expansion or starve, rather than the other way around. This is why Terran players typically take their third at the gold, rather than one of the two side expansions.

 

[Pakman]

As teran on Xelnaga Caverns you can use a Engineering bay to protect that hidden corridor from rushes.

 

[Omni]

yea i was wondering if taking the Gold with the style that im using would be more effective than going for the 3rd expansion to the right side one.

good point about the ravens as well. forgot all about them.

@pakman: yea i was just about to ask that. what should i put behind the EB? a bunker/turret/siege?

 

[Fortress | Sveet]

A good place to practice building placement and what not is in the map editor.

while that defense you described sounded pretty strong, remember that you dont have to defend against every possible army, but only the army that he can support. By spending money defending something your opponent isn't doing, you have essentially wasted money and put yourself behind.

Generally, its better to defend with units rather than turrets/canons/spines/spores because those units can be used in many more situations. Marines can hit more than just air and can move around the map and receive upgrades. In most cases I think it is overspending if you build more than 3-4 turrets on 2 bases vs mutas, since you will need a thor to deal with large numbers anyways. The turret isn't meant to defend on its own, but rather to keep mutas from flying through that area for free. Marines should be your main defense against mutalisk.

Similar things can be said about bunkers, but bunkers have that awesome return policy . Bunkers are basically 400 HP for a 100m deposit. If you have the extra cash, go ahead and spend it.

 

[Omni]

6 bunkers surrounding my natural. mmm mmm mmm.

 

[Fortress | Sveet]

could be spent as 4 extra barracks or 12 extra marines.....

 

[Zankoku]

6 Bunkers around the natural is when the Terran elevators Siege Tanks into your main.

 

[Omni]

It's not for TvT.

 

[Nasty_Nate]

Omni do you watch gom? Your question can be easily answered by simply watching a TvZ game and trying to imitate how the terran expands

Almost any question here can be answered by simply observing gom matches

 

[Zankoku]

Or when he warps in Dark Templar. Or throws in a Nydus. Or walks Colossi up the cliff. Or flies Mutalisks right in. Or...

Terran's not the only one who can exploit overkill on defensive structures up front, they're just a really obvious example because Medivacs are the most commonly used drop unit among the three.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

Walling in every time you expand may seem safe, but if your opponent is competent enough to harass even decently, your wall means nothing. It just makes it so no one will attack into you, but that can be prevented by some tanks and 1 or 2 bunkers. 6 is a waste of money. To be honest you really shouldn't be worrying about that at this point. The only walls that are really important are those on top of your ramp in TvZ. And on Caverns putting an Engi bay in the corridor into the natural vs Zerg, but you don't need anything behind that. If you're getting attacked there just move a few units over. Seems like you're trying to play super safe. I'd try working on your harass instead. That keeps you safe because it keeps your opponent scared and forces them to waste money.

 

[Roman.]

I haven't been playing much lately, but don't worry, I'll be on, just tell me whenever you can. If tomorrow evening is good for you it would be perfect.

i'm really sick actually but i'll try to make it tonight

 

[M@v]

As teran on Xelnaga Caverns you can use a Engineering bay to protect that hidden corridor from rushes.

And as toss you do a double pylon there.

 

[TheYoster]

could be spent as 4 extra barracks or 12 extra marines.....

when can you play?

 

[victra♥]

im having problem applying early pressure as zerg

once 1 void ray comes out, it doesn't matter how much speedlings or roaches i have, and it takes 5 hours for lair/hydra and especially lair/spire. As well, if i see them making mass voids i don't know how i can stop it since you need 3 hydras per void ray to take it out and 3 hydras are so slow...not to mention how long it takes for lair/hydra.

i think i asked this before but i don't think this was answered.

and yes i am still getting ***** by mass voids

 

[Nasty_Nate]

Scroll back, me and about 5 other people answered it for you....

 

[Lore]

I'm gonna practice my macro today! For some reason, I feel totally hyped up on sc, lol.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

im having problem applying early pressure as zerg

once 1 void ray comes out, it doesn't matter how much speedlings or roaches i have, and it takes 5 hours for lair/hydra and especially lair/spire. As well, if i see them making mass voids i don't know how i can stop it since you need 3 hydras per void ray to take it out and 3 hydras are so slow...not to mention how long it takes for lair/hydra.

i think i asked this before but i don't think this was answered.

and yes i am still getting ***** by mass voids

You should be harassing before void rays come out. Also spore crawlers and queens while you tech to defend. Hydras are slow so you need creep. Dealing with voids shouldn't really be that tough =/

 

[victra♥]

You should be harassing before void rays come out. Also spore crawlers and queens while you tech to defend. Hydras are slow so you need creep. Dealing with voids shouldn't really be that tough =/

yeah i know, i try my best to prevent the expo while i have expo'd myself....but its not like you can kill them off before they get a stargate/voidray.

once that happens you have to go on defense?

yeah i am a scrub at this game

Scroll back, me and about 5 other people answered it for you....

yeah i got a lot out of those comments but i don't think i got that particular answer i was looking for. (apply pressure, and attacking against someone who has voids as opposed to teching and going on D)

 

[Zankoku]

Not the answer you're looking for? Voids cost almost three times as much as Hydras. You say you need three Hydras to beat one Void, so there you go. If he's massing Voids, just make tons of Drones and Hydras because he's not making the unit that punishes that (Colossi). Or if he attacks with a Void and you have no Hydras, just throw all your roaches and lings at his front because he probably has a ****ty ground force.

I noted here that your biggest issue was that you simply had far smaller of an army than he did:

20 Hydras is 2000 minerals/1000 gas/40 supply
15 Void Rays is 3750 minerals/2250 gas/45 supply

I know that Hydras are supposed to counter Void Rays, but come on, he's spent twice as much money as you have on an army of a unit that gets pretty devastating in critical mass.

 

[Nasty_Nate]

^yes. I mentioned how you have a problem thats a combination of bad macro and scouting, then told you how to improve each. Ankoku is simply highlighting the macro part. The harassing aspect is important, but even if you literally dont harass at all, you should still be able to ALWAYS come out far ahead (unless its an FE void/colossi timing which is slightly trickier)

Seriously though we've told you everything you need. We cant play the game for you

 

[M@v]

Sooo.....how bout' dem forcefields?


*glares at ankoku since he would know what I'm talking about*

 

[victra♥]

awesome thanks guys

 

[Lore]

Hey, what can Zerg do to counter immortals? I've lost a couple rounds today to swarms of them.

 

[rhan]

You can look under the help menu and look at unit counters. But I'm pretty sure it's Lings.

 

[Nashun]

hydra are pretty good. sometimes i feel like roaches do okay against them rofl.

 

[rhan]

Immortals chew through anything armored. Roaches have 16 attack that would be reduced to 10 while they would eat 30-33 damage per hit.

 

[Sensei Hanzo]

Yeah, Roaches are definitely not the right call against Immortals. Ling/Hydra sounds pretty good, though. Gonna go out on a limb here and say that some Mutas might help, but it depends on how many Stalkers they have. If anything they'd draw the Stalker fire away from your other units, but you probably don't want to be using mutas as meatshields anyway.

 

[Roman.]

Cynan beat me 2-0

game 1 shak TvZ

game 2 metal ZvZ

ggs

 

[Cynan Machae]

Won 2-0 over Roman

Games:

Cynan (T) > Roman (Z) on Shakuras Plateau
Cynan (Z) > Roman (Z) on Metalopolis

GGs!

 

[Zankoku]

Sooo.....how bout' dem forcefields?


*glares at ankoku since he would know what I'm talking about*

It is my personal belief that Force Fields are a serious problem in SC2, due to their effects on both present and future balance of the Protoss race.

 

[M@v]

for those that don't know, Ogs MC completely ****faced july in gsl grandfinals with ffs as his primary weapon. Guy had sooo many sentries.

 

[rhan]

Link to videos?

I wanna see how it all went down before I give a verdict.

 

[Cynan Machae]

Yea while he played very well with those FFs the final was a disapointement to me to watch

FF in itself is badly designed imo

 

[fkacyan]

People are only just now seeing how stupid in concept that move is?

I've been saying it's ******** since beta.

Of course, I'm bad so nobody listens to me.

 

[rhan]

I personally see nothing wrong with FFs.. Of course I only seen them used defensively and to trap and/or split armies.

I'm going to assume the videos aren't out yet cuz all that was livestreamed? ._.

 

[Nashun]

I know, right? Heaven forbid toss has a useful gateway unit.