EPT(Archive 03292011)
Tonight is the night before the reset of the Battle.net ladder. Many a times last season I have cowered away from laddering, it was something to be feared after all. It is an unkind wilderness out there, Full of 4 gates and Cannon rushes, of Mutalings, and Protoss Death balls, of Siege Tank Marine, and of course Banshee 1/1/1 builds. Now this Blasterion has reigned over the Bronze Division of Taldrim Uncle for months on end as King, It wasn't much to be the King of Bronze, but at least it was the king of something. But the King feared the ladder, for the possibility of defeat, humiliation, and self frustration. The King of Bronze looks to his friends, close friends whom he has made through Local LAN tournaments. Many were Masters, some were Diamonds, and some were top 200 NA players. But the King was happy to be where he was, Though he envied his fellow players for their skill and success at the game, He was the king of Bronze. Despite always being roflstomped in a game of 1v1 Obs with many of his friends (lol).
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/crhBf.jpg)
Soon the King of Bronze found his status quo to be very unsatisfactory. He wanted to get better, despite his in ability to keep his minerals under 1000 after 10 minutes into the game, his inability to split his marines in a baneling push, despite not being able to hold a Void Ray rush, He wanted at least that shiny Platinum Badge on his 1v1 page. (The Bronze one is pretty shiny though).
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/nyaRn.jpg)
One night, His Friend came to him, and told him, Masters League. And that he will assist the King in his efforts. The price to pay was merely to play ladder games. The king wanted to get better, but the fear of laddering still tugged at him. After all treading upon the unknown frontier, is frightening, what frightened him more was the fact that he might lose to other members of Bronze. But despite that, He clicked the "Find Match" button. With his Masters friend backing him up on the stream he was sent to the Loading screen.
TvP, It was one of the King's stronger match ups. He has fallen many Protoss in his days to Bronze rank 1, Though it may be underhanded to 3 Rax your way to the top of Bronze, It was a viable strategy no one can fault him for it.
So has started the match. doing his 4-2 scv split and going for a 2 rax expand into factory starport build, he soon has fallen to a 3 gate protoss whom he was unprepared for because the king forgot to put his units into the bunker.
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/4aPXa.png)
Though shaken, but not discouraged, His friend analyzed his faults on his macro to him. Not making enough SCVs, Teching too quickly, Forgetting about the expansion. Micro, Macro, Not getting stim quick enough. There were too many to count. The king wondered how the hell he got to rank 1 bronze in the first place.
Rebuffing his confidence after analyzing his mistake the king once again clicked the "Find Match" button, This time it was TvZ on Metalopolis. The king was quite shaken from the last game but felt he might do well on this one. Going through the 2 rax build order through his head the last time he dropped the first barracks. However the enemy's scout drone appeared. unable to place his second barracks and losing 2 scvs to this intial harrass devastated the king and as the game went on it was clear that the king will fall, and fall he did to a million mutalisks, which he killed with his 3/3 marines only of which fell quickly to a billion million banelings. Not enough tanks I guess.
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/tGQNs.png)
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/wjESR.png)
The next TvZ went rather rough as well, after holding on a 6 pool, losing his marines many times to banelings and his tanks to mutalisks, there wasn't much to speak of.
The king looked at his match history and stared into the 3 skulls with red numbers next to them. He was of course frustrated, at himself of course. After all Artosis is right in there is no such thing as imbalance in lower skill brackets.
After a short coffee break the King resumed his quest of climbing the mountain from chobo to gosu, at this time the King finds no milk in his fridge, he cursed and filled his cup with black coffee and 4 teaspoons of sugar. It didn't taste well, but it did wake him up.
Regaining some awareness, He finds the next match and talking about some strategies over with his friend, He was welcomed to a TvP with the loading screen of Shakuras Plateau. Going with his friend's suggestion the King went straight with a 1 rax expand build. And quickly scouted a 4 gate on the move. According to his friend's advice he made bunkers and marauders. He pushed out with 2 marauders to put on some pressure. Quickly sniping out a stalker, the King saw units warping in and quickly retreated. The enemy gave a heavy chase with a large army of stalkers. only to run into a Wall of bunkered Marauders. The Protoss player was angry, he spouted words of spite and hate, qq and imba, tears and anger. Then quickly leaving the game, the king was disturbed by this and attempted to comfort the enemy after the game only to find himself ignored. "Well, then tell him to fuck himself"-Said the friend, So the king did, the player of course can't hear him but it was sent regardless of the fact.
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/ry9tD.png)
With finally a win under his belt, The king was ready for another match and was soon put into a TvT. With what he is used to, the 111 build was the way to go. the King of Bronze realized there was so many turrets up. The match soon disolved into an marine siege tank battle, But the King was stronger, in many aspects. (Mainly because there is a Masters League coaching him on the stream) But he had 5000 minerals, he was no gosu that was for sure. But soon the opponent did succumb to the King's push just because the King had 11 Barracks pumping out marines.
With 2 wins under the king's belt, and the short hand of the clock hitting 4, the King ended his day. He wonders to himself whether the dream of him becoming pro is achievable. But why not give it a try, Rather than envying pros, become pro. With his friends supporting him how far will the King of Bronze rise? How far will he fall.
The rest will be revealed in the next Entry
*Archive end*
