EPTI am at my most nerdiest core, not particularly good at starcraft, 2 specifically but honestly the BW campaign gives me a spot of bother from time to time so this would apply to that as well.
I picked up Star2 about 6 months after launch and things started poorly, armed with nothing but some poorly made youtube videos and everything the Zerg race has at its disposal I began on the greatest losing streak of my life. Placed into bronze I began stinking up the ladder so bad Blizzard were promoting people out just to get them away from me.
But then I found friends, friends who played the game and loved it as much as I did, I switched to Random and eventually Protoss and things began to look up. I could easily go on 10 game winning streaks with any of the races in my league but that promotion seemed out of my grasp. Around this time came league of legends.
LOL stole me away from my first love and introduced me to an exiting world of people shouting at me for not being very good instead of shouting at myself.
Some time passed and the game took it's toll and I was prepared once more for the terribleness that was my SC2 play, after a quick stop to buy a new account (my old one is in the hands of another now, very much against my will but it's there all the same). Along with returning to my favorite game I also returned to my favorite race, Zerg.
It started poorly once more, placed into silver this time I once more lost horrible against everything, my ideas of the metagame were stuck back from when I had played originally and as the others shifted I lost my ladder points and enjoyment of the game.
But then came MLG, then came something that got my passion back. The screaming crowds for MMA, finally seeing Moon once more (War3 was a previous love), and seeing the rivalry develop between Idra and MC.
Once again I threw myself into the game, this time thing went better. By the time the season 2 ladder lock came round I was a much improved player, top 8 in my silver league and I took top 3 the day before the ladders reset.
I have never been good at placement matches so I left as mine began, regardless I was placed into Gold.
This started well winning more than I lost and feeling myself become better as a player.
You join me a short time after this, after a two week break due to travelling and family commitments I found my play lackluster, and decided to take action.
This blog is my attempt to record this action, I want to become as good as possible of a player in any manner available, the blog will be a way of keeping myself motivated as knowing just one person is aware of what I am doing means I will have a tiny bit more encouragement to carry on.
The player I am
So right now I am a 20-30 Gold league zerg in the middle of a poor run of play, at my heart I know it is my basics that are letting me down rather than any easier to fix issues. Scouting has completely fallen by the way side in my play and games when I remember to do such a thing go far better than the games that I forget.
I am a macro heavy player, I often finding my self waiting for max to attack, which I am aware is not really the way to play zerg.
The match ups:
ZvP:
Protoss were at one point my most feared adversary, I just could not defeat them, luckily this has now changed, early pressue I deal with well and aside from DTs I feel comfertable scouting many of their openings (I just can never tell when my opponent goes DTs and other than seeing the shrine I'm not sure what I should be looking for). My playstyle is a roach and infestor heavy one, highly upgraded and sometimes good creep spread (Another thing to fix). I feel this match up needs the least work but is still far behind where I would like it to be, overdroning is often an issue and proxy pylons are the bane of my existence.
ZvT:
Early pressure from Terran is GG, I just don't deal well with as it goes badly against my far to drone heavy style. Macro games however I win much more than I lose, good muta harras and baneling control keep me afloat before I can just run there armies down with my expansion lead. My playstyle is Mutaling Bane, with BL transitions. Though I have been playing around with Some Second Ultra transitions against heavy starport play.
ZvZ:
I don't even.... I expect all in's at all times, and then can't macro up quickly enough after defending against them, my lack of scouting is a particular issue here as Mutas often beat me down
The day I've had
So I only had one lesson today so I got home early to play some SC2, as is becoming a running trend in this post it started badly.
I only have time for 5 games today as I have work to do on less entertaining things
However this allows me to discuss them in there entirety 
Game 1:
A reasonably quick ZvZ
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I go for a 12 pool as I'm completely clueless about BOs in ZvZ and this seemed like as good a timing as any, I drone up to hard even though I scout his one base and then make the stupid decision to kite Speedlings with Slowlings, while I hold off the first push a line of roaches ends my day when I become stupidly aggresive
Replay
Game 2:
A reasonably dumb ZvZ on my part
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I open with a more standard pool timing but then don't take gas for reasons I don't quite remember. I hold off his first push reasonably well but better Drone micro could have put me ahead. I hold his next pushes well, but then over commit to an attack after it's already put me ahead and lose the advantage I took, then his mutas arrive, I didn't scout at all because I'm terrible GG
Replay
Game 3:
A game I do not deserve to win
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I open my standard 14 pool 13 gas build, and seeing my opponent go for an early expansion than men I attempt to punish it, I like this move but it was not successful enough for me to justify it's entire cost but it did give me a much easier time later on when I push out, I expand to match him and hold a few pushes, scouting (FOR ONCE) a spire I throw down a Hydraden, not wanting to compete in muta numbers when he has had his spire far longer than me, the harras I expected never came so I throw down my third and macro hatch and push out, taking down his already weakened natural and large amounts of drones, he however pushes back killing my lair and 30 drones before I stop him. With my army unit advantage he GGs giving me a game I do not think I should have won. The replay makes it look less close than I felt at the time but I feel with a few moves in different places i could have been beaten.
Replay
Game 4:
A game where I can finally play to a better standard
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I go for a 15pool-15hatch build which I use on maps with close positions or only two bases. I scout a three rax push coming and hold it off reasonably well but did not trade cost effectively and he took a lead in the supply count. My choice of third base is not one I would choose again as I felt it was extremely weak in the game. I make use of the Tasteless secret hallway but my attack is poor and could have done far more damage with simple micro. I nearly lose due to some over extending with far to many banelings and his large marine numbers cause havoc when I cannot take them down quickly, however I eventually hold the push and my doubling his base pulls my win through.
This match is my preferred match up and I think I showed more to my level, however my micro was horrible, I Overextended once more and my scouting was non existent late game. This game however I feel shows I am not bronze league standard just yet even if my other games are of a poor level.
Replay
Game 5:
The finest game I've played in a short while
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I open 14 hatch as it's a multi-base map, I keep a ling on the towers and at the front of his base, and remember to scout, which lets me see his Hellions and the blue flame push he is planning, I cancel my Baneling nest and throw down a roach warren and I then hold off his push with no drones lost, my game plan continues from here as normal, fast third, and muta tech. I scout once more which confirms the mech play and his the thors which will come out soon, I hold another push easily and scout the map for hidden expansions, destroying the one I find. I throw down my fourth and infestation pit to make a tech switch to brood lords (in hindsight Im not sure about this idea) so my spire is not totally useless with his thors. As I do this however his push comes and I roll over him for a good GG taking todays record to 3-2
This game however was still not great, I forgot upgrades and tech'd to tier 3 to late, I panic'd when I saw the thors and this has made realize I need to find the counters for more units, overall a good game but one which still highlights the need for imrpovements
Replay
The way I feel
Overall:
I feel like there is hope, I played well against the terrans and poor scouting lost me one of the games against the zergs, I did not feel as bad about my play as I did after yesterdays session, this blog could be good for me.
ZvZ
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This is such a volatile match up and is my least favorite, I cannot understand when or how I just tech or when to expand and when to attack, this needs serious work
ZvT
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I understand this match up more, I am still unsure how to play versus mech however, or more specifically what to do late game, I find BL's poor against Thors and Ultras are just poor in general, needs work
ZvP
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The same as before
*I apologize about the large amounts of text this should be the only update like that
If any EU gold/silver league player wants a practice partner or if you just generally want to get in touch add me at Jay.1894
