EPT
Some thoughts: The maps are Xel'Naga , Metal , Scrap station. That is the order win or lose. I went in thinking "well at least I have metal each series to fall back on." Xel is a bit of a toss up either extremely straight up or that is where some of the gimmick occurs. I also KNEW I didn't want to go into a game 3 vs a zerg with scrap being the deciding map. Koreans notoriously view that map as an EZPZ ZvX map and I tend to agree. You have to respect the muta there and virtually any other opening is just as strong if not stronger with the destructible rock entrance into your natural. That and the extended open middle and you have a tough ass time as a P. That is why at MLG you saw TT1 and other p's going 3 gate expand into a 5-6 gate timing with virtually no plan for late middle or late game... you have to end it there.
Round 1: I was nervous. I didn't want to be. I pride myself on my experience and count on that to carry me through LAN play. That wasn't the case. Traveling so far.. having so many people counting on me and playing in a new environment against foreign opponents made my nerves shot. I got a P the first round that nobody recognized and he scared the SHIT out of me. First game he 4 gate all ins and after I miss 2 FF's while going 3 gate robo I nearly shat myself. Pulling probes and hero microing for my life was the name of the day. Meanwhile I had proxied a pylon near his ramp and was able to make the daring decision to spend 2 of my warp ins on zeals to go for his mineral line. Fortunately that with a few correct FF's and a couple Immortals lead to me securing my ramp and minimizing his mining with a bunch of probe kills and then mining time missed. After that I rolled him and took a big deep breath as I had survived my own nerves.
Game 2 we got cross position on metal and it had me overthinking.. does he macro here or try the same thing? All the while I have been playing this ladder (1.5 days) the koreans HATE standard PvP opting for 4 gate variations. So I played it safe and did the same build. He 4 gated and after I thwarted it pretty hard I decided to head to his base knowing he was blink stalkering. With 2 no range collo and gate way units I got smashed by a ton of charge lots with his blink stalkers but he had no expo and I fell back on mine.. massed up and rolled. 2-0
Round 2: Another Protoss. By now I am calming down and getting my shit together. First game was standard collo v collo but I had faster +1 and a faster 3rd which he attacked into and defending collo vs aggressive collo is good for the defender. So I steam rolled and won.
Game 2 he 4 gated into my good micro+units and was gg'd in 8 or so minutes.
Round 3 The shit thing here is after round 2 they moved me and said I had to wait. I waited 2 hours. I hate waiting... most competitors will tell you they want to play and GET IT OVER. I am not blaming this but it sucked.. was impossible to keep my cool while sitting there thinking I am 1 bo3 away from making history. "
I checked TL and saw that my opponent was indeed a high ranked korean Z. I had the korean Z's pretty well figured out in my day point 5 of laddering.... THEY CAN'T PLAY PASSIVE. It is roach ling aggression 10000000000% and I knew that. So game 1 IdrA suggests I try the 36 probe 5 gate timing that nony had been doing. First time trying it and I slaughtered him in the open field when he was taking his gold but instead of rallying or backing off I pushed forward and got swarmed with no FF's to cover me. Bad decision and doing an unpracticed build cost me the game. Same game a week later and I win 100%
Game 2 on metal was the best game I have played in SC2. I am resting my hat on this game. Cross position metal and I tried a 4 gate with meticulous Pylon chaining down to his side. He ends up ambushing 2-3 sentry and 2-3 zeals and raping with speed ling. I retreat to my expo and he pushes the matter where I execute nearly perfect cannons and hold at my nexus. He STREAMS a bajillion roaches/lings and I barely hold. Thought the game was over but we scrap battle it out and I eventually stabilize. I robo -> obs -> immortal and about that time he returns with aggression. I barely hold again and obs sees he has taken his 3rd (FUCK). So I slap down a second robo and start going collo. After I get 1 collo out start my 2nd and have range going he shows up with 9-10 muta. THis is literally the worst feeling as a P. I had 100% predicted (nearly blindly) that it was pure roach/ling macro/aggression but double robo vs muta ling is death. I sit on 2 collo and pump upgrades / stalkers as I take my 3rd. Each moment of this game is battle battle FF survival and 9-10 P units in yellow health standing on the blue goo of their fallen comrades. Z is making me earn each and every yard I get this game. Eventually I get 3 collo and a decent army so I push out towards his 3rd. He ends up killing my 3rd while I kill his and instead of me trying to end the game I retreated and reinforced. He decided to try and intercept and with the final battle I cut his army into 3rds and reinforced with 4 dt's vs an overseerless army. WHEW I won.
I could do it...
Game 3 I am having thoughts leak into my head that despite going 0-1 vs a top korean Zerg I might pull this out. That game lifted my spirits. Scrap is hard but I can do this. I go 3 gate expand and everything is going "OK" but then I decide "lets fucking DT 4 gate timing him" so I through down the twilight council and just then he slow over scouts and sees it... Ihave to cancel and revert back to 3 gate expand but at this point I have slowed my self down. Everything from there is sad times. I get a decent sentry force and start my expo saturation when I notice he is crumbling the middle rocks with an impossible number of roaches and lings. I try and sever his army in half with good FF's but he just runs past into my main after that his roaches engage my now sentry heavy army and dice it up. I start to realize I had lost and the depression sets in.. GG, I'm out.
After match thoughts: I had only been in korea 1.5 days and with a few misscommunications with Hwanni (we were supposed to train with guemchi, puma and upmagic) as well as having to play on a laptop because IdrA forgot the monitor connecting chord in Arizona I had still done impressively well on the korean ladder. I laddered on IdrA's account and took out 2700+ pro gamers... like Amoeba[S.G] and GanZi. I was crushing PvP, doing well PvZ and getting PvT. I feel like the korean play style is VERY different but incredibly similar across the board so easier to figure out and start to adapt. NA/EU players all vary their play so it's harder to read them as a style/player but easier to out play mechanically.
Being able to sit and spend each day with IdrA discussing strategy is so incredibly invaluable I cannot even begin to describe the growth. I feel like my ability and potential in this game has doubled. I really do feel this trip was the best thing I could do for my future in SC2 and I don't regret a moment of this. I am sad that I do not have the added bonus of an exciting round of 64 to look to but you know what? I came over here on a dream and I sat with a tough group and came 1 fucking game away from doing what Inca, Guemchi, Sangho and other great P's could not: qualify.
I am going to stay here for another week and go home after greg plays in his round of 64 next week. In that time I am going to practice, learn, make connections and continue to plot my development as a SC2 progamer. I know I can do it and this trip has done nothing but make that an absolute fact for me.
Students: I will schedule our sessions the week I get back but not before just because I will probably need a day off due to the travel but also I am not entirely sure when I will get back since greg still has to qualify and then get scheduled for a ro64.
Everyone else: Huge thanks to those that supported me and said I could make it. Bottom line is in this past month I have been 1 game away from a top 8 MLG and 1 game away from the ro64 GSL. Like it or not I am a top non-korean and as I continue to learn/develop I will start producing the results that make that an absolute reality. Winning ladder matches and doing well in practice won't get me there.. I realize that. But stick around, there are few as motivated and equipped as I am. I will do everything I can to be the best and while I do that I want to raise this community up and represent everyone as best I can. Hopefully the supporters can help me make that true! The haters can try and have an open-mind.. I'd love to see a community that backs it's people instead of tries and holds them down.
I will watch this blog and try and answer q's as much as possible
<3
GET SOME
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/RbhD4.jpg)
