EPTRecently, I started picking up an interest in tvp. A while ago, I remembered posting a guide that was supposedly written by Nada. as the source's author dictated that he translated it from a korean site. The source no longer exists, but I am confident that the guide was at least written by a very knowledgeable terran player.
Onto the details.
This tvp guide is pretty old. The strategies used during this time were common on LT/Luna because the two main openings focus on wall-off into 2fact 4 vult, and the traditional FD.
So this guide is old. Why should I read or follow this guide?
This guide is outdated, but the contents are good. The guide explains transitions and provides reasons for some of the advantages and disadvantages you need to be aware of. It also gives you two options depending on how confident you are in your micro. I believe that terran players at the D+/C- level will benefit from learning how the game of TvP flows from start to finish. True, today's strategies revolve more around faster expansion and stronger macro games, but today's newer brood war players up to the mid yellow ranks cannot properly utilize that macro anyway (in my experience). Ultimately, learning and understanding the raw facts about the way TvP works is going to help you become a better player in the long run.
+ Show Spoiler +
For reference on how this may help, read a post by Artosis that provided some good insight on how skilled korean players use repetitive training
Will this guide become useless after I hit C+ on iccup?
While you may not need to use the full article's help any longer, I believe that the basics provided in the article is useful as a reference to fall back on anytime you lose focus of TvP. Anyone can hit slumps and become lost once in a while. When this happens to me, I simply go back to the basics and recover from there.
Because the source itself is no longer valid, I'll post the contents that I copy pasted from the thread I made, in bold:
Hi everyone I've just finished translating Nada's TvP guide and I'd like to share it with everyone.
This strategy is based on 4 player-regular maps like Lost Temple or Luna where your natural has a gas.
Opening:
There are many TvP openings, but my favourite opening are these two:
1.Block at choke and double factory to make 4 vultures, expand.
2.No block. One barraks one machine shop. 6 marines+1 tank+1 vulture, expand.
Both openings are taking advantage of decieving opponent in order to fast expand, which I think is the most important aspect of TvP(fast expand). However, both openings have pros and cons:
The first BO when facing a dragoon rush with good micro will always turn out bad. When protoss realize I am getting 4 vulture harass>dual base they can always choose to expand early than me. Usually I have my vultures to show up at their choke and lay mines at their natural. However if the protoss expands when they have 4 dragoons then my BO will not have any advantages.
The second opening is more flexible, adapted to both offensive and defense strategies. However against protoss with better micro than me I won't be able to rush. I usually let them see my army just to scare them and I'll expand as fast as possible. But this expo will be a bit later, as well as my turrets and scanner. If protoss decides to DT drop I'll also be in a situation a bit tight.
However both BO are pretty neutral. It doesn't give me a big advantage but it never put me into any disadvantages at all.
Mid/late game:
What's the most important aspect of Mid-game in PvT? IMO it is endurance. There are two choices for mid-games:
1.Harass+Mass units
2.Slow push+Mass units+upgrades
I usually take route one. I usually get 2 dropships with 4 tanks and take a bunch of vultures. Using the high mobility of this army and the stealthiness of the mines to rapidly lay waste to protoss army and micro. This strategy has two problems:
1.Takes up a lot of resources. I have to make control tower as well as machine shop. This way I have to spend a lot less money on defense, directly weakening my defensive force to be lacking firepower, easilly to be hurt by DT drops.
2.This strategy also takes up a lot of my micro, and compared to me the protoss at the defensive side seems to have less micro needed to do compared to mine. As long as protoss are prepared and we're at the same level, I won't get too much of an advantage.
The second route is more focused at late game. At first glance it doesn't look as powerful as it is but many terrans seems to have overlooked its potential. The slow push has the following flow:
Dual base>Dual factories make tanks non-stop
2 more factories when I have 8-10 tanks
Start getting vultures(speed+mines)
4-6 vultures leave base to deny protoss getting 4th base>push outwards to second expo when I have 12 tanks.
Scanner should be made at 50 population. 2 armories should be made at 70 population. Upgrade non-stop.
When 3CC is build population should have reached 130 with +1/+1 while protoss has 180 army. Push out again to get my 4th and 5th expo. Increase factory count to 10.
Full scale assault when I have 180 army with +2/+2 upgrades. All factories start making goliaths.(at this moment protoss should have 200 army, 5 bases with 3 stargates ready to mass carriers.
No protoss army at 200 will be able to beat 180 army with +2/+2 ups. After a head on battle I should have 150 army while protoss pop count lowers to 120.
Send goliaths to deal with carriers appearing at the front line.
Defend bases from carrier harass with goliaths. Make 24+ vultures.
Destroy protoss expos with vultures.
Protoss should soon be down to 1 resource nodes and 12 carriers. Use 3/3 goliaths to micro against carriers.
Critical disadvantage of slow push:
1.Not great against protoss who sneakily fast tech to carriers.
2.Does not pressure the protoss enough and they often drop me.
3.Vulture harass is not as strong as other mathods.
How I deal with the disadvantages.
1.Scout often to find where protoss places their stargates. Many times I have faced protoss who risks and fast tech to carriers under the situation where their ground force is not enough. My solution is to leave the searching of new expansions to my vultures and have my scanners to find their stargates all times. I have my vultures to cover an area as large as possible on the map and avoid contacts with enemy forces. That way I still can search for their new expos and focus my scanners on their stargates. Attack when their stargates are flashing or else when I have 180 pop. With 18 tanks + 24 vultures I only have to be swift at seiging those tanks and if done properly I will be able to conserve the mines for later uses. A 200 protoss army will be no match for my upgraded army.(+2/+2)
2.Make excess SCVs. The disadvantage of slow push is that it does not pressure the protoss as much. Thie results in protoss expanding everywhere. Also faster protoss players will be able to harass with templar drops. Many times I won't be able to stop the psi storms and all I can do is run my SCV. However with extra SCV I will be able to pull fresh comers to replenish those lost. Slow push does not require as much micro as other strategies so that it is easy for me to make SCVs non-stop.
3.Sneak an expansion. With excess SCV it'll be easy to sneak an expansion unseen. Because of all those workers even if I'm found I won't suffer a lost too great. If I've successfully stolen an expansion I'll earn much much greater than the risk I've paid.
Summary of slow push:
50 pop scanner.
60 pop 4th factory
70 pop dual armories
100 second natural 6th factory start sneaking expos.
130 pop 8th factory continue to attempt sneaking expos.
180 Start assaulting 10th factory. Should have 2/2 upgrades on my ground forces with a 3:2 ratio of tank:vulture.
Translated by close.ads
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EDIT: One thing I forgot to mention was the fact that carriers were popular late game tech switches for protoss players back then. Because arbiters are more popular now, you may need to control the number of goliaths used and how science vessels/turrets come into play. Remember, this is a guide to improve your understanding of the game. You will have to adjust your strategies accordingly.
