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Zerg Road to Diamond: day [1]

Blogs > Symph
Post a Reply
Symph
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
Japan14 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-01-01 11:40:04
January 01 2012 11:38 GMT
#1
Hello guys!

Basically I have this whole month as a holiday, as it's Summer holidays from where I'm at, and wanted to dedicated a nice portion of that time on improving in Starcraft 2!

so I thought to myself

Why not make a daily blog, everyday of my holidays on what progress I have made on that day!

Don't state the obvious, I know this sort of blog has been done many times before.

But I will make sure not to make this another one of those half-finished "fighting/road to whatever" blogs floating around the starcraft2 community!


Backround Information

+ Show Spoiler +

I started playing Starcraft 2 around October 2011, and entered around season 3, got placed in bronze as a usual noob, and chose Protoss as my race of choice.

I ended up getting into gold and from there a made it into platinum, as Protoss.

But during the middle of season 4 I made the switch to zerg, and I'm glad I did

So now, I'm basically at mid platinum level, with the goal of making it into diamond.

Diamond has been, from my point of view, when someone is finally seen as pro or in other words has a good knowledge of the game and can perform at a good level.


So today was a fairly progressive day, I did a few 2v2's with a good friend and then got into some 1v1's.

So today I went 8 Wins to 5 losses and gained top 25 position on ladder, not to bad I guess.

+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


I've been having trouble with drone timing, in Terran and Protoss matchups, basically the only real timing I know is that I can freely drone all the way up to 8:30 whenever versing a Protoss that is FFE.

So playing against a FFE is most enjoyable for me.

Hell, I even beat a masters player when he went for a FFE and I attacked him, maxed out at the 12 minute mark. But that probably wasn't to good for my starcraft "ego" As I failed twice today against a FFE T_T.

So I was playing a Protoss who FFE'd on shakura's and I was feeling pretty comfortable, and attacked as usual when I was maxed... Then this....

+ Show Spoiler +
A decent mix of Ling/Hydra/Roach at 200 vs a 104 supply protoss?[image loading] floating 4k because I was maxed (durp)


You guessed it.

+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading] And he was expanding behind it....


And GG

+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


Carrier and Mothership is really powerful! I probably could of held if my macro was more decent... After my maxed push failed I didn't have enough larvae to spend and floated.. 5k mins T_T and didn't have any gas for hydras so I was dead... Didn't even expand to a 4th either, but this whole strat did catch me off guard.

So, yet another moment where I vs a FFE. This time I scout him chrono'ing forge and cyber so I was expecting a 6-gate all-in... I was maxed and ready, but It never arrived So I took it into my own hands....

+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


He basically did a defensive 6-gate all-in T_T, still haven't really gotten used to how zerg's units are just so dam weak (well tier 1 and 2, anyway)

And... I obviously lost. Sad face.

+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


ZvT is still a confused mess for me, played a custom game against a diamond Terran and ended up losing all of my drones to 6 hellions with no blue flame, even though I did have 2 spines in my nat.. he just drove past them, and I only had 2 queens to defend.

I'm still confused as It is with Protoss, I havent started to think about Terran. But I have been succesful on occasions using aXa's mass ling festor build... been meaning to try that out a bit more.

But in the mean time!

+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


BANELING BUST!

I know, how am I ever supposed to improve if I just cheese every Terran I come against... And the answer Is I'm not.

I guess I'll just keep trying in custom matches until I can get some sort of grip on the matchup.

Anyways, that was all for today. Hope to make even more progress tommorow.

I'm dying for assistance in my trip to diamond, so if anyone reading would be so kind to lend me a hand or give me some advice on my gameplay, it will be GREATLY appreciated.

My IGN and code are, Symphony.365

If you read this far, thank you for reading and hoped to enjoyed it (if there is anything there to enjoy T_T) Please do leave a comment, if you have time!

Thanks, and see you tomorrow!

-Symphony

**
hersenen
Profile Joined November 2011
Belize176 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-01-01 11:53:54
January 01 2012 11:45 GMT
#2
You don't stop mass carriers+a mothership with more hydras, it just doesn't work. Trust me I know from personal experience. You need to scout it before he gets too much of a mass of them and then when you see hes going it hopefully you can get a spire up for corrupters and an infestation pit for some infestors. (See DRG vs MC where MC went carriers and DRG held it off perfectly, I think it was Code S up and down matches)

Also in all the games it looks like you're maxing and then going "well I'm maxed I better go throw all my stuff at him" and then your maxed army of tier 1 units gets steam rolled. Don't be scared to sit back and macro even more, get upgrades, get higher tech units, eventually reaching that nice infestor/broodlord composition. If you become maxed off of tier1 units definitely trade blows to free up supply but dont throw away your entire army, put up spines before you do it too so when you throw away half your army to free up supply he cant come and kill you. Floating a lot of minerals? build more defensive spines or more macro hatches. Continue to take bases even after you reach 3 fully saturated ones, for the gas and for less saturation on the assumed 3 saturated bases (5bases with 16 drones per mineral line is better than 3 bases with 24 drones per mineral line)
Tshu
Profile Joined January 2012
Australia4 Posts
January 01 2012 11:49 GMT
#3
Looking forward to reading more of your blogs :D
Black[CAT]
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Malaysia2589 Posts
January 01 2012 14:13 GMT
#4

Why not make a daily blog, everyday of my holidays on what progress I have made on that day!


No.... http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=288563
My first thought that somehow popped in suddenly....
You mean ESPORTS isnt a synonym for SC2? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ -Proud owner of a Filco Majestouch 2 with Cherry Blue Switches- BW or SC2? Why not both?
kraggy
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
Denmark30 Posts
January 01 2012 14:55 GMT
#5
cool idea! looking forward to reading more!
GeoffreyStarcraft
Profile Joined March 2011
20 Posts
January 01 2012 15:21 GMT
#6
i think for mass carriers you just need to base race. the fact that his carriers are slow you can just lings stream in from everywhere to kill of his buildings and also you have 4k mins so you should be able to put hatcheries everywhere. i honestly felt you should have won that game if you countinued.
diophan
Profile Joined September 2011
United States1018 Posts
January 01 2012 17:24 GMT
#7
I'm in a similar situation to you--I was diamond Terran and now I switched to zerg and am high gold (yes I know that's bad but I only switched about 2 weeks ago). Anyway, for ZvT if you're having trouble holding early-mid game timings (like marine/tank pushes at 8-12 minutes) I suggest trying the Stephano style of mass upgraded lings and infestors. I think ling/bling/muta is harder to hold off the pushes, especially the typical ones that come around 9 minutes because you don't have your spire up.
Symph
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
Japan14 Posts
January 02 2012 00:13 GMT
#8
On January 01 2012 23:13 Black[CAT] wrote:
Show nested quote +

Why not make a daily blog, everyday of my holidays on what progress I have made on that day!


No.... http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=288563
My first thought that somehow popped in suddenly....


Just read that, and I thought this was probably not the first blog of it's kind.

I really do want to improve, and I'm not writing this from a "bronze-gold" point of view as the writer suggests, I at least know
something about the game from a Platinum level.

What it all comes down to is just recounting my progress, I don't mind if a get a 1-star rating or no comments. It's basically a notebook to write down progress to me.

That's not to say I would still love some help from anyone reading.

Thanks for everyone who has posted help!
Khazroul
Profile Joined May 2011
United Kingdom206 Posts
January 02 2012 03:17 GMT
#9
Hey you didn't mention if you are EU/ NA server etc I'd be happy to give some help/advice/games when I'm on if you're EU! (khazroul.213)
Endymion
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
United States3701 Posts
January 02 2012 06:27 GMT
#10
"Diamond has been, from my point of view, when someone is finally seen as pro or in other words has a good knowledge of the game and can perform at a good level." false, that would be people who win GSLs, diamond players are people who can find the A key on their keyboard.
Have you considered the MMO-Champion forum? You are just as irrational and delusional with the right portion of nostalgic populism. By the way: The old Brood War was absolutely unplayable
Divinek
Profile Blog Joined November 2006
Canada4045 Posts
January 02 2012 06:32 GMT
#11
On January 02 2012 15:27 Endymion wrote:
"Diamond has been, from my point of view, when someone is finally seen as pro or in other words has a good knowledge of the game and can perform at a good level." false, that would be people who win GSLs, diamond players are people who can find the A key on their keyboard.


I suppose diamond players also know how to hotkey units, and are very adept at aimlessly throwing around terms incorrectly like "rush" "timing attack" "cheese" or "all-in", they certainly do not have a very good understanding of the game. I actually watched a replay of a recent stuck up mid-masters player who thought he was quite good and couldnt understand why he lost to a 3 rax all in when he expoed and didnt scout the build at all. Sigh
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Oh goodness me, FOX tv where do you get your sight? Can't you keep track, the puck is black. That's why the ice is white.
Tshu
Profile Joined January 2012
Australia4 Posts
January 02 2012 08:17 GMT
#12
On January 02 2012 15:32 Divinek wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 02 2012 15:27 Endymion wrote:
"Diamond has been, from my point of view, when someone is finally seen as pro or in other words has a good knowledge of the game and can perform at a good level." false, that would be people who win GSLs, diamond players are people who can find the A key on their keyboard.


I suppose diamond players also know how to hotkey units, and are very adept at aimlessly throwing around terms incorrectly like "rush" "timing attack" "cheese" or "all-in", they certainly do not have a very good understanding of the game. I actually watched a replay of a recent stuck up mid-masters player who thought he was quite good and couldnt understand why he lost to a 3 rax all in when he expoed and didnt scout the build at all. Sigh


They may have a good understanding of the game but maybe their mechanics do not match that understanding? Just stating that could be a possibility due to lack of practice?
Azera
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
3800 Posts
January 02 2012 09:54 GMT
#13
On January 02 2012 15:32 Divinek wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 02 2012 15:27 Endymion wrote:
"Diamond has been, from my point of view, when someone is finally seen as pro or in other words has a good knowledge of the game and can perform at a good level." false, that would be people who win GSLs, diamond players are people who can find the A key on their keyboard.


I suppose diamond players also know how to hotkey units, and are very adept at aimlessly throwing around terms incorrectly like "rush" "timing attack" "cheese" or "all-in", they certainly do not have a very good understanding of the game. I actually watched a replay of a recent stuck up mid-masters player who thought he was quite good and couldnt understand why he lost to a 3 rax all in when he expoed and didnt scout the build at all. Sigh


I think players like that probably got high MMRs from doing a single (maybe slightly overpowered) build from before. Perhaps when 4 gate reigned and they just 4 gated to a high MMR and now still have a high MMR but can't really maintain it.
Check out some great music made by TLers - http://bit.ly/QXYhdb , by intrigue. http://bit.ly/RTjpOR , by ohsea.toc.
Symph
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
Japan14 Posts
January 02 2012 12:19 GMT
#14
On January 02 2012 12:17 Khazroul wrote:
Hey you didn't mention if you are EU/ NA server etc I'd be happy to give some help/advice/games when I'm on if you're EU! (khazroul.213)


I'm on NA . Thanks heaps for the offer though!

On January 02 2012 15:27 Endymion wrote:
"Diamond has been, from my point of view, when someone is finally seen as pro or in other words has a good knowledge of the game and can perform at a good level." false, that would be people who win GSLs, diamond players are people who can find the A key on their keyboard.


<3 you.




Divinek
Profile Blog Joined November 2006
Canada4045 Posts
January 02 2012 13:05 GMT
#15
On January 02 2012 17:17 Tshu wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 02 2012 15:32 Divinek wrote:
On January 02 2012 15:27 Endymion wrote:
"Diamond has been, from my point of view, when someone is finally seen as pro or in other words has a good knowledge of the game and can perform at a good level." false, that would be people who win GSLs, diamond players are people who can find the A key on their keyboard.


I suppose diamond players also know how to hotkey units, and are very adept at aimlessly throwing around terms incorrectly like "rush" "timing attack" "cheese" or "all-in", they certainly do not have a very good understanding of the game. I actually watched a replay of a recent stuck up mid-masters player who thought he was quite good and couldnt understand why he lost to a 3 rax all in when he expoed and didnt scout the build at all. Sigh


They may have a good understanding of the game but maybe their mechanics do not match that understanding? Just stating that could be a possibility due to lack of practice?


no
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Oh goodness me, FOX tv where do you get your sight? Can't you keep track, the puck is black. That's why the ice is white.
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