EPT
)As stated in my previous blog, I'm desperately clawing my way out of Bronze. I'm currently still number 1 in my league with a very solid point lead. The matches keep telling me that the opponent is favored or slightly favored and occasionally even. When I check their ranks after the game, they are always mid-ish bronze, which confuses me. ButI digress.
I said I wanted to move away from the 1 base roach > Lair > Expand opening because it crushes too easily and I can never get to the mid game to practice there. So I began trying and pacticing the 15 hatch > 14 pool opening for a heavy economic lead on bigger maps as long as spawning locations weren't close. But I've come to a very harsh realization that I already knew, but was just smacked home. Cheese is heavy in bronze league. If I don't have an early army or a big enough one to combat 6pool (which happens WAY to often in ZvZ might I add), or some cannon rushing action then I'm in trouble. I've not run into a cheesey terran at least, and those games are some of the most fun. So, in order to survive I went back to my guns, the solid 1 base roach. With early scouting if I spot a 6 pool, or an early forge with a pylon right outside my base, I can quickly pop out zerglings instead of focusing on Roaches and squash most cheeses putting me significantly ahead of my opponent and finishing off the cheesers.
But I've also changed things up a bit as well. As I said in my previous blog, if the opponent is able to hold off my roach/ling rush, I felt I was ultimately screwed because I had cut drone production, setting to to the area of about 15 or 16 drones total at that point, while they would have 20 or so. But what I've adapted to doing is if they seem to have a solid wall off or good defense, break it with the roaches and have my lings run by and head right for the supply line, attacking their workers. They are then forced to pull the workers, halting the mining for a bit, and pull the army back to defend, giving my roaches some time to work at the front door a bit.
Back at home I've skipped Lair first and during the attack once I hit 200min, I send out my drone to prep for an expand first while pumping drones during the attack as best I can. When the attack is said and done, they usually are on their way to counter (in bronze I've realized most will just box and click after they've been hit to hopefully recover their loses or win). On a few games I've been able to enter the mid game with this strat, and after watching the replays I notice I even up the drone count usually and then pull far ahead.
The next goal is to put a third base down at a good time and keep that economy strong. I need to figure out whens a good time to drop that 3rd and keep expanding. I feel like I wait WAY to long to expand because I'm afraid it'll get taken down. I'd also like to find a practice partner and perhaps a coach. And hopefully I'll get promoted in due time.
As always, thanks for reading.
-Mathas
