EPTWhy just one replay being analysed? Because I both don't have the time to do sweeping replay analysis or ladder loads, let alone both. This replay is taking up a lot of blog space as it is, plus as I said in Improvement Log 3, university is imminent.
I would like to ask the TL community. Am I doing it wrong?
Map Details:
PvZ - The Shattered Temple close-by-land positions.
Advantages:
Close rush distances making early game timing attacks far more effective and less scoutable/preparable.This can be a double edged sword though. Because I want to stick with a relative game plan and because this is the first replay I wanted to analyse in this way, I refrained from doing an aggressive build like 4-Gate despite discovering close positions by land.
Disadvantages:
Xel'naga Watchtowers become useless at spotting early aggression due to how they are positioned. This probably explains why many tournament variations of these maps enforce cross or close-by-air positions.
Analysis:
My tactic was to open with a 3 Gate Expand making mainly Zealots and Sentries to handle zergling or roach aggression (I know Stalkers help hugely in that regard but they are expensive and forcefield micro can be very effective)
I also decided at the last minute to transition into a 5-Gate chargelot push, getting hallucination at the same time, hence my Hallucination research was a little bit late.
By the time I eventually got my third base (at a late time like 14 minutes), I slam down 5 more Gateways and get a Templar Archive seeing as I scouted an Infestation Pit on my Phoenix runby
I do a midgame push, completely denying my opponent by forcefielding his ramp consistently and take down his natural expansion with a small crack team of Zealots and Sentries with one or two Stalkers.
My opponent oddly enough went on 2 bases the whole game, getting his natural quite late for a Zerg player, around the 5 min 30 secs mark, and doing some huge attempts at tech, namely going Roach Hydra Infestor after losing his crapload of lings and his natural to my army in the midgame.
Was I supply blocked:
I do get supply blocked VERY significantly around the midgame when I am at around 110 supply.
The only realistic way to resolve this is to pay even closer attention to my supply count, even during a push, watching it very frequently and knowing when to lay down more Pylons, or to work out good pylon timings, which I have mostly managed well in the early game.
Was my money high:
After my first push, yes. It was very high. I was floating thousands of minerals. This can be resolved by paying far more attention to warping in more units than constantly watching the battle unfold.
By the endgame, I was floating a lot of gas as well, which could have been better utilised.
Furthermore, I was getting better tech and upgrades much later than I should have. I was only on +1 Attack whereas my opponent had +2 Attack and +2 Armor.
Was my scouting weak?
Only in the late game, but by then I had made two successful battles, and had a strong feeling my opponent wasn't in a very strong position after having sniped his natural once.
He wasn't playing your typical ZvP, that's for certain. Normally, Zerg aim to be ahead of protoss.
Did I have any flaws in my micro?
Only minor. The main goal of my forcefield micro was to prevent movement such as reinforcements getting to the natural expansion or zealot kiting as I was going a sentry zealot heavy army.
What two things I improve by game 2?
1) Concentrate harder on creating units in the middle of battles, especially when short term forcefield micro can deny my opponent anyway.
2) Focus a lot more on obtaining upgrades. +2 Weapons would have made my previous attacks far more dangerous.
The Replay:
Clbull vs Levithan on The Shattered Temple
Just a FYI, not all Gold levelled Zergs play this badly. Many are actually monsters on EU ladder.
