So I recently started actually laddering. I did a bit back in the beta, did a bit at the game's release, then kind of stopped doing 1v1s in favor of team games with friends. Now I'm actually doing 1v1s with the mindset of improving. This is something I haven't done since like '09 on iccup when the teamliquid op was active.
I seriously hate this game.
I'm stuck in high platinum, but my MMR is matching me with mid-diamond players -_-. I recently race-switched to T from Z.
There's a couple things I've learned...
I have no clue how to micro against banelings. If I can't out-macro my opponent, I just straight up lose against Z. There's nothing else to it. It's fucking annoying. I also hate it when Zs go ling/roach/baneling. Marines suck against roaches, marauders suck balls against lings.
I cannot...CANNOT...ABSOLUTELY CANNOT beat a competent P. Plat and below, sure, I'll steamroll them because they have no clue how to macro...but get any higher, and suddenly I have no idea how to deal with tons of colossi when the majority of my ball is made up of marauders. Kiting doesn't fucking work, 'cause colossi will still whittle you down while he gets to throw storms exactly where your shit's moving. Seriously...charge zealots can go fucking die. Definitely the worst idea ever. If it weren't for those fuckers, we'd still see tanks in the matchup. God, I miss vulture/tank TvP ):
Oh, then there's every other fucking toss 4-gating. I hate opening three rax expand. I like being a bit risky and going with a 1 or 2 rax. Sure, 4-gate kind of sucks now, especially when the P doesn't have more than 50 APM and can't warp in four units at that gay fucking pylon right below my fucking ramp...
Oh...then there's force fields...that ramp force fielding is fucking horrible. Blizz definitely decided P should stay the gay race in SC2. That never really made itself evident to me until recently.
Shockingly, TvT is the only matchup I really feel any confidence at all in. I tend to play a really defensive style after going with a risky 1 rax expand. I sort of creep across the map to take a third, then just split the map while picking apart my opponent with better macro, better tank placement, and drops. I really hate mirror matchups, but sadly that's the only one I've been winning in. It's honestly really easy...you just make a bit of extra effort to position your tanks properly and your opponent can't do shit.
Despite all my bitching, I'm more or less having fun. I still really really need to learn how to micro against banelings...I really wish lurkers were still in the game in lieu of those little fuckers. I spent a lot of time learning to spread back in BW... ):
It's definitely going to be a while before I get promoted, though.
The thing I hate most about laddering is the BM. It ranges from hilarious to just plain shitfuck retarded...
I definitely hate offensive "gg"'s the most. Those are just annoying and infuriating all at once. Then there are the assholes who cuss you out when their baneling bust all-in or 4-gate fails. Apparently you're at fault for not losing to an asshole who all-ins every fucking game. You can tell the difference. If they don't cuss you out and rage quit, they probably don't do that every game. Only retards relying on that shit will take it personally.
It's also fun when you don't say anything in a game except the customary "glhf" at the start and the "gg" at the end...then when you lose, the fucker decides to chase you after the game and tell you all about how bad you are...I really don't understand this, to be honest.
This game is just...ugh. Losing every other game to 4-gates and to mis-micro'ing against banelings is so fucking annoying...and I'm already so far behind in bonus points. You should just like...not be able to talk in ladder games. I don't need BM to add insult to injury when I already know I'm bad.
What I hate the most is that I can't re -.- I'm still figuring this game out and, at low diamond coming from bw, once the game goes stable I rape them. So I lose to these rushes I've never seen before and then get bm'd and then can't do anything about it. But I 100% agree about tvz, I can't for the life of me figure out how any competent zerg doesn't win 100% of his tvz. Everything rapes my bio so hard, I'm literally terrified that I'll met a z who actually spends his surplus, I can barely deal with 1k 1k banking as long as they have baneling or infestors. Drops and aggressive third denying have been working but, watching my own replays, anyone good would shut everything I do down with ease.
Right? Banelings are so just...infuriating. Bring back lurkers T_T
I never do any damage with my first push off two bases. If I don't get lucky and manage to kill drones with a faggy bunker rush, I end up just completely unable to take a third (depending on the map), and I end up just breaking my keyboard in half while the Z takes the map and just wins with a-move mass ling/bling. -_-
On May 21 2011 17:30 PH wrote: Right? Banelings are so just...infuriating. Bring back lurkers T_T
I never do any damage with my first push off two bases. If I don't get lucky and manage to kill drones with a faggy bunker rush, I end up just completely unable to take a third (depending on the map), and I end up just breaking my keyboard in half while the Z takes the map and just wins with a-move mass ling/bling. -_-
Bio isn't good for anything other than dropping without tank support, unless you have MKP level micro. Try 1 rax fe builds with fast upgrades into 2 fac BFH. The hellions will give you complete map control, unless Z goes for mutas, which will get raped by your 3/3 marines and a few thors you mix in with the tanks. If Z doesn't have map control, he can't drone or expand freely, because there's always the risk of a push coming right when he has no units.
This video really changed how I play TvZ. Of course now I don't go purely marine thor, because that dies too easily. You really need tanks and have to learn to use them, otherwise playing against good zergs is pretty much impossible.
I used to hate tanks because microing them around and leapfrogging was such a pain in the ass, but I just kept doing it anyway until I became good at it. 6 tanks will pretty much rape any ground army Z can have at mid game and with 2 factories, you'll have those tanks up in no time.
Thanks for that video. I'll definitely check it out.
I fully understand the necessity of tanks. Despite that, it's fairly difficult to maintain two factory production until you get a third, from what I've experienced. It's hard to get a decent number of medivacs AND get upgrades and whatnot without the third base's gas.
I like to have a large number of tanks for exactly the reasons you put forth, but waiting past when your third or fourth tank pops just makes the Z too comfortable. It's annoying. Maps that don't have an easy third are the bane of my existence.
I have a high winrate against Z on maps like Tal'darim and Shattered Temple, just not on anything else -_-
@GoDLy MD: I definitely need to look up that map, btw. I saw it way back when. To be honest, the most annoying part of splitting marines is having medivacs in the way. I always end up loading some marines into the medivac by accident... T_T
Marine + Tank push in TvZ. I play as Zerg, the things we hate the most are 2 rax bunker bullshit, hellion harrass, and marine tank pushes.
Marine Tank pushes are the most reliable it seems. It puts LOADS of pressure on us to get out of the contain so that we can attempt to deny or destroy your third. If you do get your third up, then expect Hive tech, because we can't keep up with you on 3 Bases with the typical mid-game mix of Zerg units.
And successful blue flame hellion drops make us RAGE. I get so mad every time I mess up and miss a drop, and watch my drones get roasted while my army comes in a few seconds too late to clean up the hellions.
On May 21 2011 18:21 PH wrote: Thanks for that video. I'll definitely check it out.
I fully understand the necessity of tanks. Despite that, it's fairly difficult to maintain two factory production until you get a third, from what I've experienced. It's hard to get a decent number of medivacs AND get upgrades and whatnot without the third base's gas.
There's a lot of solutions to that. You can support 2x fac with 2 bases, but you've gotta stop it at some point anyway, this is a good time to squeeze some medivacs. Too many tanks are bad, because mutalisks will just rape you. If you want medivacs earlier, produce a few rounds of extra hellions for harassing and use the tank gas for medivacs. Usually though I just delay the medivacs a bit.
I like to have a large number of tanks for exactly the reasons you put forth, but waiting past when your third or fourth tank pops just makes the Z too comfortable. It's annoying. Maps that don't have an easy third are the bane of my existence.
I don't think it makes the Z too comfortable, if you know how to put on a bit of pressure before the hellions pop out. You can easily move out with your marines, kill a few creep tumors, clear towers etc. this will usually stop Z from droning too hard, since he'll be expecting a push. You can also always go 2 rax, if the map/positions allow it.
As for the third bases, I can't really think of a map that doesn't allow for a relatively easy third. I thumbs down scrap station and the only other map with hard third I can think of is slag pits. Remember that it's even harder for Z to take a third in maps like those, when you have hellions roaming around the map.
I have a high winrate against Z on maps like Tal'darim and Shattered Temple, just not on anything else -_-
If anything, out macroing Z is way easier in maps like XNC compared to Tal'darim. I don't think maps are your problem.
EPT
