Recovering from the New Year's festivities, I quickly got down to business and by that I mean that I sluggishly got out of bed and tried my best to play some games while chugging a couple redbulls. Over the past two days I played a total of 44 ladder games (4 hours the first day and 5 hours the second day) and spent a significant amount of time watching some replays that I have collected with the goal of expanding my build orders. Notably I want to include some air play in my PvP and introduce some new timing attacks to my PvT.
As usual, if anyone has any advice or sees any significant flaw in my game play please let me know. The following is a link to my game replays:
www.megaupload.com/?d=10VAMULI
Statistics
Vs. Zerg 10 wins - 6 losses; 62% win rate
Vs. Terran 6 wins - 7 losses; 46% win rate
Vs. Protoss 8 wins - 7 losses ; 53% win rate
Overall 24 wins - 20 losses 54% win rate
Summary of my Progress
Of my match ups my PvT is clearly my weakest though it has already improved with the introduction of warp prism play. I want to be able to include a couple new timing attacks just so that I can punish some of the greedy builds that I have been seeing. Also any advice from Terran players on specific builds or timings that they find particularly annoying or hard to manage would certainly be appreciated.
While I have several PvP builds up my sleeve, I have become increasingly confident with this 4gate warp prism build that I have been using. This being said, I hope to include some of my other builds in the future, specifically 3gate blink stalker. Having watched a few replayed and having fallen a few times to phoenix play, I also want to include this sort of air play as an alternative to the warp prism play that I have enjoyed recently.
Finally though I have had plenty of success with my PvZ builds and there is little that I would like to change, I feel that air play following FFE is growing a little stale. In this light, I hope to include fast 4gate blink stalker (following FFE) into my play in the future.
The Future of the Blog
On a side note, I will likely start streaming this weekend and hope, in the future, to include streamed lessons with some local pros (I have Quantic.Inka in mind). Also, having followed through with the first couple days of practice I have decided to finally post this blog on the Team Liquid forums in hopes of attracting some more traffic.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Some Fun for the Holidays.
Since I have been traveling and will be until tomorrow I have decided, in lieu of my own games, to post some recently played pro-games that I enjoyed. Unfortunately it seems that many tournaments make it very difficult if not impossible to find actual game replays, so where I couldn't find replays I have posted links to the streams (you'll have to bear HD's commentary this one time).
PvZ:
To start, here is a 50min game from IPL3 between Mill.Stephano and Reign.Kiwikaki:
www.megaupload.com/?d=IETRS98C
If you haven't already seen this one, than you are not truly a SC2 fan. This game is not only one of the best SC2 games ever played but probably competes for most epic RTS game of all time.
Anyways this game showcases Kiwikaki's brilliant mothership play and really highlights his potential as a player (if only he would stop doing he same build over and over again). While I do not want to ruin this game for anyone, I should note that the archon toilet (the mothership strategy used in the final fight) has become almost standard against mass broodlord largely in reaction to this game.
My next choice match is between Naniwa and IM.Nestea:
www.megaupload.com/?d=0NFGCH6Z
So as many of you know I play protoss, and, therefore, I have many arbitrary opinions about silly questions like "who is the best protoss player in the world right now."
His name is Naniwa. Having preformed so well as of late, I started watching his stream and he is succeeding with builds that put him leagues above other protoss at the moment, namely he has been defending ridiculous zerg all in's while going 16nexus. Though he does not win this game against NesTea he displays some serious defensive abilities and goes on to win the series.
PvT:
My first PvT is another IPL3 game between Slayers.MMA and Whiter:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkXleFAj2sY
Whitera is my hero and should be your hero to. MMA's comeback in this game is spectacular, but whiterta's special tactics, his prism play, give him a huge lead in this game. I hope to see other players adopt this sort of style more in the future (I know Huk and MC have been working on this sort of play).
My second PvT choice is a game (yes from IPL3) between Hero and Puma (this game is brilliantly executed by Hero):
www.megaupload.com/?d=M2GORUFT
As most of you know PvT is all about protoss trying to beat the bioball (or the 111), and this cannot be done with chargelots alone. As a result, HighTemplar and Colossi have become an integral part of PvT. Unfortunately terran has a perfect counter for both colossi and hightemlar (vikings and ghosts). This means that protoss players must be able to switch tech in order for their forces to remain competitive. The trick is figuring out when and how to do this. In this game, Hero goes colossi first, but uses hallucinate to maintain the illusion slowly adding more and more colossi, which allows him to switch into templar tech while puma is still anticipating colossi.
PvP:
This last game between Inori and Finale comes to us from the IPL TAC:
www.youtube.com/user/IGNProLeague?feature=watch#p/search/26/X44zJ-cwpqE
If you are a protoss player, you likely know that in pvp you must always 4gate on Tal'Darim Altar... except if you are the best PvPer in the world. Watch as Inori beats a 4gate with only 3 gates. Not only in this game but elsewhere Inori has shown that he is, by far, the best PvPer in the world and builds like this will likely revolutionize the match up.
Hope you enjoy! and Happy Holidays!
PvZ:
To start, here is a 50min game from IPL3 between Mill.Stephano and Reign.Kiwikaki:
www.megaupload.com/?d=IETRS98C
If you haven't already seen this one, than you are not truly a SC2 fan. This game is not only one of the best SC2 games ever played but probably competes for most epic RTS game of all time.
Anyways this game showcases Kiwikaki's brilliant mothership play and really highlights his potential as a player (if only he would stop doing he same build over and over again). While I do not want to ruin this game for anyone, I should note that the archon toilet (the mothership strategy used in the final fight) has become almost standard against mass broodlord largely in reaction to this game.
My next choice match is between Naniwa and IM.Nestea:
www.megaupload.com/?d=0NFGCH6Z
So as many of you know I play protoss, and, therefore, I have many arbitrary opinions about silly questions like "who is the best protoss player in the world right now."
His name is Naniwa. Having preformed so well as of late, I started watching his stream and he is succeeding with builds that put him leagues above other protoss at the moment, namely he has been defending ridiculous zerg all in's while going 16nexus. Though he does not win this game against NesTea he displays some serious defensive abilities and goes on to win the series.
PvT:
My first PvT is another IPL3 game between Slayers.MMA and Whiter:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkXleFAj2sY
Whitera is my hero and should be your hero to. MMA's comeback in this game is spectacular, but whiterta's special tactics, his prism play, give him a huge lead in this game. I hope to see other players adopt this sort of style more in the future (I know Huk and MC have been working on this sort of play).
My second PvT choice is a game (yes from IPL3) between Hero and Puma (this game is brilliantly executed by Hero):
www.megaupload.com/?d=M2GORUFT
As most of you know PvT is all about protoss trying to beat the bioball (or the 111), and this cannot be done with chargelots alone. As a result, HighTemplar and Colossi have become an integral part of PvT. Unfortunately terran has a perfect counter for both colossi and hightemlar (vikings and ghosts). This means that protoss players must be able to switch tech in order for their forces to remain competitive. The trick is figuring out when and how to do this. In this game, Hero goes colossi first, but uses hallucinate to maintain the illusion slowly adding more and more colossi, which allows him to switch into templar tech while puma is still anticipating colossi.
PvP:
This last game between Inori and Finale comes to us from the IPL TAC:
www.youtube.com/user/IGNProLeague?feature=watch#p/search/26/X44zJ-cwpqE
If you are a protoss player, you likely know that in pvp you must always 4gate on Tal'Darim Altar... except if you are the best PvPer in the world. Watch as Inori beats a 4gate with only 3 gates. Not only in this game but elsewhere Inori has shown that he is, by far, the best PvPer in the world and builds like this will likely revolutionize the match up.
Hope you enjoy! and Happy Holidays!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Days 1 and 2
Before I start, I would like to summarize where I was before starting this training regimen. I have been a high diamond level protoss player since release and I mostly played casually. I am a big fan and have watched a lot of SC2 so my build though not perfect emulate builds that I have seen pros using. Overall I am pretty good for the past couple months I have been on the verge of Masters league but never played frequently enough to make it.
Day 1 12/29/11:
Day 1 was the quintessential warm up day. My goal was to play at least 10 games then work on material for the blog, and this is essentially what I did. If you look at the first 10 replays you will notice that though I play well I am a little rusty. I need more pvp builds and my pvt is rather weak (in this list I will include download links and short game descriptions).
For the most part I spent my time figuring out how I will stream (hopefully this will be up soon) and how I would organize/share my replays.
Day 2 12/30/11:
Today I played 23 games (I believe) and started putting together the blog. My games were good and I am on the verge of Masters. I am Planning on spicing up the blog a little to make it SC2 themed and working out a few lessons with some progamers before I go to sleep.
Replays:
The replays are provided in a Zip file enjoy!
www.megaupload.com/?d=Z1X2CKQF
Statistics:
Vs. Zerg 7 wins - 3 losses; 70% win rate
Vs. Terran 3 wins - 4 losses; 43% win rate
Vs. Protoss 7 wins - 8 losses; 47% win rate
Metalopolis: vs P 54% win rate; vs. T 100% win rate; vs Z 0% win rate
Shakuras: vs P 50% win rate; vs. T 0% win rate; vs Z 100% win rate
Arid Plateau: vs P 33% win rate; vs. T 100% win rate; vs Z 100% win rate
Entombed Valley: vs P 60% win rate; vs. T 50% win rate; vs Z 0% win rate
Tal'darim: vs P 60% win rate; vs. T 50% win rate; vs Z 0% win rate
Shattered Temple: vs P 66% win rate; vs. T - ; vs Z 0% win rate
Antiga Shipyard: vs P 75% win rate; vs. T - ; vs Z 0% win rate
Xel'Naga:vs P 50% win rate; vs. T - ; vs Z -
Overall 17 wins - 15 losses; 53% win rate
Day 1 12/29/11:
Day 1 was the quintessential warm up day. My goal was to play at least 10 games then work on material for the blog, and this is essentially what I did. If you look at the first 10 replays you will notice that though I play well I am a little rusty. I need more pvp builds and my pvt is rather weak (in this list I will include download links and short game descriptions).
For the most part I spent my time figuring out how I will stream (hopefully this will be up soon) and how I would organize/share my replays.
Day 2 12/30/11:
Today I played 23 games (I believe) and started putting together the blog. My games were good and I am on the verge of Masters. I am Planning on spicing up the blog a little to make it SC2 themed and working out a few lessons with some progamers before I go to sleep.
Replays:
The replays are provided in a Zip file enjoy!
www.megaupload.com/?d=Z1X2CKQF
Statistics:
Vs. Zerg 7 wins - 3 losses; 70% win rate
Vs. Terran 3 wins - 4 losses; 43% win rate
Vs. Protoss 7 wins - 8 losses; 47% win rate
Metalopolis: vs P 54% win rate; vs. T 100% win rate; vs Z 0% win rate
Shakuras: vs P 50% win rate; vs. T 0% win rate; vs Z 100% win rate
Arid Plateau: vs P 33% win rate; vs. T 100% win rate; vs Z 100% win rate
Entombed Valley: vs P 60% win rate; vs. T 50% win rate; vs Z 0% win rate
Tal'darim: vs P 60% win rate; vs. T 50% win rate; vs Z 0% win rate
Shattered Temple: vs P 66% win rate; vs. T - ; vs Z 0% win rate
Antiga Shipyard: vs P 75% win rate; vs. T - ; vs Z 0% win rate
Xel'Naga:vs P 50% win rate; vs. T - ; vs Z -
Overall 17 wins - 15 losses; 53% win rate
The Beginning
Hello,
I am a 22 year old college student who studies philosophy and psychology. Among many things I am a runner, a chess fanatic, a connoisseur of trolling (I own a Guy Fawkes mask :P), but most of all I am a gamer.
Like many of you, I am one of those many casual StarCraft2 players who despite having non-gaming ambitions has always revered those players who have the opportunity to raise their past time to a profession. There is a Cinderella element to these underdogs who show up out of nowhere and surprise the community with fantastic victories; yet what truly inspires my praise is the fact that many of these individuals succeed in making a living doing what they love.
Anyways, long before sc2 came along I was a chess fanatic and I similarly praised those chess players who having started at a young age succeeded in becoming professional players. Despite being very good at chess I always put it beyond my means to become a professional player. Those who start younger tend to have the best chances of becoming professionals and a special type of genius, a natural talent, always seems to be required. Still I devoted myself to chess, and, though I never made it to a professional level, I did have the opportunity at times to play with the best. This ultimately brought me to the conclusion that genius, though prompted by natural talent and an ability to learn, was mostly just a matter of practice, dedication, and work ethic.
Along came StarCraft2 and though I have since the beginning aspired to become a progamer I have never had the time nor the diligence to do so... until now.
For the month of January I will be playing StarCraft2 6-10 hours a day (depending on my schedule) and will track my progress with the goal of reaching a competitive level by the end of the month (by competitive level I mean top in a master's division or Grandmaster).
Each day I will post a summary of my practice along with replays of all of my games, and statistics on those games. While I will be doing research on ways to improve my builds and expand on my current play, I will also be looking for advice from the community on how to improve my game play. I will really take advice from anyone as long as I deem it noninflammatory and helpful, so feel free to check out the replays and trash me for my terrible play!
Can just anyone become a StarCraft2 master?
Watch and enjoy as I get there or die trying.
I am a 22 year old college student who studies philosophy and psychology. Among many things I am a runner, a chess fanatic, a connoisseur of trolling (I own a Guy Fawkes mask :P), but most of all I am a gamer.
Like many of you, I am one of those many casual StarCraft2 players who despite having non-gaming ambitions has always revered those players who have the opportunity to raise their past time to a profession. There is a Cinderella element to these underdogs who show up out of nowhere and surprise the community with fantastic victories; yet what truly inspires my praise is the fact that many of these individuals succeed in making a living doing what they love.
Anyways, long before sc2 came along I was a chess fanatic and I similarly praised those chess players who having started at a young age succeeded in becoming professional players. Despite being very good at chess I always put it beyond my means to become a professional player. Those who start younger tend to have the best chances of becoming professionals and a special type of genius, a natural talent, always seems to be required. Still I devoted myself to chess, and, though I never made it to a professional level, I did have the opportunity at times to play with the best. This ultimately brought me to the conclusion that genius, though prompted by natural talent and an ability to learn, was mostly just a matter of practice, dedication, and work ethic.
Along came StarCraft2 and though I have since the beginning aspired to become a progamer I have never had the time nor the diligence to do so... until now.
For the month of January I will be playing StarCraft2 6-10 hours a day (depending on my schedule) and will track my progress with the goal of reaching a competitive level by the end of the month (by competitive level I mean top in a master's division or Grandmaster).
Each day I will post a summary of my practice along with replays of all of my games, and statistics on those games. While I will be doing research on ways to improve my builds and expand on my current play, I will also be looking for advice from the community on how to improve my game play. I will really take advice from anyone as long as I deem it noninflammatory and helpful, so feel free to check out the replays and trash me for my terrible play!
Can just anyone become a StarCraft2 master?
Watch and enjoy as I get there or die trying.
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