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Iccup challenge

Blogs > Crawler
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1 2 Next All
Crawler
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Estonia248 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-11-08 09:53:40
November 07 2010 18:03 GMT
#1
Few weeks ago a certain person told me that I could reach D+ in 3 months and offered me something if I reach C+ in 2 months. I am currently only ~1500 D. I would like to prove that I can reach deccent rank in only 2 months so I would like to hear tips for fast improvement and also your experience from iccup (how easy is it to go from D+ -> C- compared to C -> C+). We talked about it today and the challenge probably begins somewhere in January ( if next season ends on 1st March then I probably have to start on 1st January).

PS! I am a zerg.

EDIT: I meant 1500 D iccup rank not some sc2 diamond crap.
EDIT2: http://www.iccup.com/starcraft/gamingprofile/alkhz.html
My iccup link. Was ~1500 before I thought that I will improve faster when playing at least D+ players only. Don't have any other smurf accounts so this is my entire bw experience.

Please don't spam C+ is impossible unless x,y or z. Challenge wasn't meant to be piece of cake and it's much more interesting for me to have a really hard time achieving it. I am just looking for tips that aren't in liquipedia or useful bw zerg strategy links (again stuff that isn't in liquipedia). Would like to thank everyone who gave some advice so far!

PS! Does anyone know around what time next season will begin? I'll probably start playing iccup 2 months before the end of next season.

Navane
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Netherlands2749 Posts
November 07 2010 18:14 GMT
#2
It takes most people years to even reach C-. Of course I don't know anything about your gaming/RTS background, but If you have no RTS background and you are not some underaged german kid, you will reach C+ in 2012-13.

Tips for fast improvement are clever use of the search function on this site and the ability to type in liquipedia.net in your browser.
tryummm
Profile Joined August 2009
774 Posts
November 07 2010 18:15 GMT
#3
Here's a tip. Don't try to go from D to C+ without first reaching C-. Your success to reaching C+ will be progressive, meaning it takes steps. You can't just go from point A to point B. Make a realistic plan to achieving your desired results. Focus right now at getting to D+, then C-, and so on.

Its a lot easier to reach C- than it is to go from C- to C+. Ranks get exponentially harder as you go.
OMin
Profile Blog Joined August 2007
United States545 Posts
November 07 2010 18:17 GMT
#4
On November 08 2010 03:03 Crawler wrote:
Few weeks ago a certain person told me that I could reach D+ in 3 months and offered me something if I reach C+ in 2 months. I am currently only ~1500 D. I would like to prove that I can reach deccent rank in only 2 months so I would like to hear tips for fast improvement and also your experience from iccup (how easy is it to go from D+ -> C- compared to C -> C+). We talked about it today and the challenge probably begins somewhere in January ( if next season ends on 1st March then I probably have to start on 1st January).

PS! I am a zerg.


i am only c-, but here are some tips people told me that separates c- from c/c+
-better macro - this I feel is an instinct thing, cuz it's kind of thing you have to just do without thinking.... like once you have your army fighting and set up in a battle, you should just automatically go to ur base or macro hotkeys and spam units.
-constant worker production --> not only producing them, but sending them to work immediately as they come out.... having idle workers is like having 50 minerals wasted for nothing.
-supplies -> never forget supplies. someone put it to me this way on not underestimating the effect of getting supply blocked: forgetting a supply sets you behind by however many seconds it takes to build an overlord... lets just say it's 20 seconds.... 20 fucking seconds? you can't afford to waste that kind of time.
-solidness of build orders: get really good with a couple build orders, so you can execute them without a problem almost unconsciously, and also so that you know enemy timings relative to yours. For example, as a terran, i know that if i siege expand and am not able to scout my opponent and thus have to prepare for the worst (proxy dts), i know i can get a turret up in time if i build my ebay after my first tank, before starting siege mode. know those kinds of things so you can't get ur ass cheesed cuz thats a stupid way to lose.
-which leads to my next point - know how to fight off cheese.
-better harass - this piece of advice i got from a B+ korean. this may apply more to terran, but he said c-/c barely use vulture harass in tvp, but c+/b- it becomes a lot more noticable. i guess regardless of race, this goes to the point that you have to be able to do more at the same time while keeping up macro - harass is not worth it if your macro will take a big hit for it.
Zergneedsfood
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States10671 Posts
November 07 2010 18:26 GMT
#5
Only D+, so I won't give overarching words of advice. I will however say this:

1500 Diamond means basically nothing in BW. The two games are pretty different with one another, and BW is much harder to manage things than in SC2.

Unlike in SC2, sticking to solid build orders and refined timings will be the key to success because these things have been solidified for years compared with SC2's gradually evolving timings and build orders.

I would recommend you to 4pool your way to C+....but meh.
/人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ Make a contract with me and join TLADT | Onodera isn't actually a girl, she's just a doormat you walk over to get to the girl. - Numy 2015
Crawler
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Estonia248 Posts
November 07 2010 18:29 GMT
#6
~1500 D not 1500 diamond :D I am talking about my iccup points not sc2. Challenge is to get from D to C+ not from E to C+
Zergneedsfood
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States10671 Posts
November 07 2010 18:35 GMT
#7
On November 08 2010 03:29 Crawler wrote:
~1500 D not 1500 diamond :D I am talking about my iccup points not sc2. Challenge is to get from D to C+ not from E to C+


lol

Sorry that's my bad then. I'm so used to all these SC2 posts that I just sort of assumed every time I see numbers if the 1000s.

But yeah. If that's the case.....urgh....1500 to 4000 (which is C rank) is a pretty daunting task. Once again, solid build orders and timings are important. Against Terrans, it's important to get things like the 3hatch and 2hatch timings down. Against Protoss, it's that 5 hatch hydra stuff.

To get to C/C+, I'm not sure what advice to give you.

If you want, I'm a D/D+ Terran if you need a practice partner every once in a while, though I rarely ever get to follow through. >.>
/人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ Make a contract with me and join TLADT | Onodera isn't actually a girl, she's just a doormat you walk over to get to the girl. - Numy 2015
Crawler
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Estonia248 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-11-07 18:40:45
November 07 2010 18:38 GMT
#8
+ Show Spoiler +
On November 08 2010 03:17 OMin wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 08 2010 03:03 Crawler wrote:
Few weeks ago a certain person told me that I could reach D+ in 3 months and offered me something if I reach C+ in 2 months. I am currently only ~1500 D. I would like to prove that I can reach deccent rank in only 2 months so I would like to hear tips for fast improvement and also your experience from iccup (how easy is it to go from D+ -> C- compared to C -> C+). We talked about it today and the challenge probably begins somewhere in January ( if next season ends on 1st March then I probably have to start on 1st January).

PS! I am a zerg.


i am only c-, but here are some tips people told me that separates c- from c/c+
-better macro - this I feel is an instinct thing, cuz it's kind of thing you have to just do without thinking.... like once you have your army fighting and set up in a battle, you should just automatically go to ur base or macro hotkeys and spam units.
-constant worker production --> not only producing them, but sending them to work immediately as they come out.... having idle workers is like having 50 minerals wasted for nothing.
-supplies -> never forget supplies. someone put it to me this way on not underestimating the effect of getting supply blocked: forgetting a supply sets you behind by however many seconds it takes to build an overlord... lets just say it's 20 seconds.... 20 fucking seconds? you can't afford to waste that kind of time.
-solidness of build orders: get really good with a couple build orders, so you can execute them without a problem almost unconsciously, and also so that you know enemy timings relative to yours. For example, as a terran, i know that if i siege expand and am not able to scout my opponent and thus have to prepare for the worst (proxy dts), i know i can get a turret up in time if i build my ebay after my first tank, before starting siege mode. know those kinds of things so you can't get ur ass cheesed cuz thats a stupid way to lose.
-which leads to my next point - know how to fight off cheese.
-better harass - this piece of advice i got from a B+ korean. this may apply more to terran, but he said c-/c barely use vulture harass in tvp, but c+/b- it becomes a lot more noticable. i guess regardless of race, this goes to the point that you have to be able to do more at the same time while keeping up macro - harass is not worth it if your macro will take a big hit for it.


Thanks for these tips, as a terran player how many builds do you have against each race? I know that practicing only 1 opener into same build just won't work in long run when I have to react to opponent's build. Can't really perfect 10 different builds against each race in 2 months so I probably have to improve strats with highest chance of beating cheese and common builds.

On November 08 2010 03:35 Zergneedsfood wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 08 2010 03:29 Crawler wrote:
~1500 D not 1500 diamond :D I am talking about my iccup points not sc2. Challenge is to get from D to C+ not from E to C+

+ Show Spoiler +

lol

Sorry that's my bad then. I'm so used to all these SC2 posts that I just sort of assumed every time I see numbers if the 1000s.

But yeah. If that's the case.....urgh....1500 to 4000 (which is C rank) is a pretty daunting task. Once again, solid build orders and timings are important. Against Terrans, it's important to get things like the 3hatch and 2hatch timings down. Against Protoss, it's that 5 hatch hydra stuff.

To get to C/C+, I'm not sure what advice to give you.

If you want, I'm a D/D+ Terran if you need a practice partner every once in a while, though I rarely ever get to follow through. >.>


If I accept the challenge in January then I might give you a pm!
Navane
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Netherlands2749 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-11-07 18:45:24
November 07 2010 18:38 GMT
#9
I see that you are Zerg, and I recently joined the C- ranks while coaching myself with this document: https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AbzABwzZb87MZDlxY3ozYl8xNWY5cnI4YmRo&hl=en&authkey=CIX9jbgN

edit: I use 3hat muta vs T, 3hat spire 5 hat hydra vs P ( http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=163577#8 ) and 12p11h10e vs Z
Mortician
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Bulgaria2332 Posts
November 07 2010 18:38 GMT
#10
To reach C- you need A solid build order and somewhat of a decent macro.

from C- to C+ tou need solid decision making and solid macro and a lot of build and how to adapt to what you see.

Basicly this
"If anything, the skill cap in sc2 is higher [than sc1] because there are a lot more things you can do at one given time. " darmousseh
Crawler
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Estonia248 Posts
November 07 2010 18:47 GMT
#11
On November 08 2010 03:38 Navane wrote:
I see that you are Zerg, and I recently joined the C- ranks while coaching myself with this document: https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AbzABwzZb87MZDlxY3ozYl8xNWY5cnI4YmRo&hl=en&authkey=CIX9jbgN



Haha thanks! Although doing all this at the same time will require insane apm. Saved the link.
Pads
Profile Blog Joined January 2007
England3228 Posts
November 07 2010 19:21 GMT
#12
One of the most helpful things I was told a long time back (in PGT) was that D+ was the hardest rank to get. I guess that isn't quite true when you think of the leap between A and A+, but it the lower ends it really is harder to get from D to D+ than it is C- to C for example. Goodluck.
#1 Kwanro[saM] fan!
phyren
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States1067 Posts
November 07 2010 19:21 GMT
#13
When you say 1500 D, do you mean that is your current true skill, or that you have just started laddering this season and have reached that point so far? If the former, I'd say there is no way you're going to make it to C+ in 2 months without doing something cheesey and maybe only playing a certain match on a certain map where your cheese is favored. I wouldn't say I'm all that good, but I went from D to C- in 2 or 3 iccup season of infrequent play, and then managed C after another season or 2. This is all without real practice (i.e. concentrating on a specific set of build orders or watching pro/my own replays to get relative timings memorized), but I still found it difficult to advance at that pace.

The biggest thing that will get you into D+ has got to be macro; just constant worker production for the first several minutes and then always keeping your production facilities active. You'll win plenty of games against people with more game knowledge by just having more units than them. Beyond that you will need some basic ideas about builds (not specific what food to build what techs, but sort of broad picture ideas) and what maps they are strong on to progress.

For zerg specifically, your apm does need to be decent. People argue about how important apm is, and certainly it doesn't make one a good player, but it does set your potential for how much you can do. Zerg play often requires you carefully micro a single group of units, but it will require massive army control just as often. In addition to solid macro, these are just skills that come with practice. A much less obvious skill is drone timing. Zerg is capable of exponential growth, but you have to know when it is safe to really power drones.

I decided to try zerg this last season and managed to scrape my way into C-, but I lost several games in which it felt like I had a significant advantage, because I just did not have the drones to remake my army once it eventually died.
Grobyc
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Canada18410 Posts
November 07 2010 19:27 GMT
#14
Sorry, but unless you play like 24/7 it's near impossible to reach C+ in 2 months. C+ is definitely above average though, I wouldn't classify it as "decent". I would recommend taking a look at Day[9]s podcasts and earlier BW dailies for some really good tips and suggestions.
If you watch Godzilla backwards it's about a benevolent lizard who helps rebuild a city and then moonwalks into the ocean.
aztrorisk
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States896 Posts
November 07 2010 19:28 GMT
#15
Only D+, so I won't give overarching words of advice. I will however say this:

1500 Diamond means basically nothing in BW. The two games are pretty different with one another, and BW is much harder to manage things than in SC2.

Unlike in SC2, sticking to solid build orders and refined timings will be the key to success because these things have been solidified for years compared with SC2's gradually evolving timings and build orders.

I would recommend you to 4pool your way to C+....but meh.


Have you ever played SC2? I do not think so because there is no such thing as C+ in that. What would C stand for? Chromium? Please do not denounce a game that you have never played.
A lock that opens to many keys is a bad lock. A key that opens many locks is a master key.
ilovezil
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States4143 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-11-07 19:33:00
November 07 2010 19:32 GMT
#16
I'm a protoss player, but I'm willing to help if you're strongly dedicated to this. I'm always willing to help players, but literally every single one of them except 1 or 2 have quit on me within one or two days. Here's my main reference account:

http://www.iccup.com/starcraft/gamingprofile/Mallow[x].html

Send me a pm if interested. I ask that you take it seriously if so.

EDIT: you'll have to copy paste the link since it won't take brackets for some reason
Zergneedsfood
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States10671 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-11-07 19:48:56
November 07 2010 19:48 GMT
#17
On November 08 2010 04:28 aztrorisk wrote:
Show nested quote +
Only D+, so I won't give overarching words of advice. I will however say this:

1500 Diamond means basically nothing in BW. The two games are pretty different with one another, and BW is much harder to manage things than in SC2.

Unlike in SC2, sticking to solid build orders and refined timings will be the key to success because these things have been solidified for years compared with SC2's gradually evolving timings and build orders.

I would recommend you to 4pool your way to C+....but meh.


Have you ever played SC2? I do not think so because there is no such thing as C+ in that. What would C stand for? Chromium? Please do not denounce a game that you have never played.


You didn't read my post did you? >.>

1st. Yes. I have played SC2. 2nd. No. I wasn't referring to C+ in SC2's ladder. I was referring to reaching C+ in ICCup's ladder. I know that C+ doesn't exist in SC2.

3rd. I wasn't even denouncing the game. All I said was: SC2 and BW are different. BW is harder to manage than SC2. SC2 is still evolving so their build orders and timings don't exist. None of those even remotely touch on "denouncing" the game. >.>

*ahem* Please do not denounce a post that you have never read.

And I agree with Grobyc. Day[9]'s podcasts and earlier dailies (emphasis on the dailies) are really good for any aspiring player.


/人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ Make a contract with me and join TLADT | Onodera isn't actually a girl, she's just a doormat you walk over to get to the girl. - Numy 2015
n.DieJokes
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States3443 Posts
November 07 2010 20:04 GMT
#18
Its impossible to go from D to C+ in two months. With daily practice c- is do-able
MyLove + Your Love= Supa Love
craz3d
Profile Joined August 2005
Bulgaria856 Posts
November 07 2010 20:07 GMT
#19
All I can say is good luck. I played infrequently on iccup for 3-4 seasons and everytime I managed to reach C-, I got stomped back down to D+. But maybe you can do it:D
Hello World!
Neivler
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Norway911 Posts
November 07 2010 20:43 GMT
#20
Getting down 1 solid build order is the thing that will take you all the way to C+.
You can be gimmicky and reach C-, but if you want to go further learn 1 BO for every MU. Only do that BO whenever you play. When you get decent at that you will sky rocket through the ranks.

But the most important thing is to play regularly and at a daily basis. Then you wont forget the diffrent timings you can attack, but more importantly the timing\rush attacks the P and T will do to you.

3 hat muta zvt (2 hat muta also works)
3 hat - 5 hat hydra (I guess?) zvp
12 pool\9pool\12 hat zvz
I pwn noobs
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