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Help Create Low APM Terran Midgame

Blogs > Glaucoma
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Glaucoma
Profile Blog Joined December 2011
Taiwan13 Posts
January 14 2012 03:34 GMT
#1
I'm a mid-silver newby with low APM and multitasking skills.

I open with a 3 rax (1 tech, 2 reactor) and push out at 7:30, also building a second CC while moving to attack. I win about half my games but if the first attack doesn't win the game, I have no midgame to rely on.

I need a strong army that works against all races and uses minimal micro (my APM is 30). What's a good Army for a mid-game push, say 15 minutes and maybe getting a third expansion while moving out?

Please give my your suggestions with buildings, upgrades and unit composition. As long as it gets me to Gold league and is low micro, anything is OK.



*
I don't know how to play.
FlaShFTW
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States10235 Posts
January 14 2012 03:42 GMT
#2
well the usual 3 rax build is 2 tech 1 reactor so basically you create a 50/50 split of rines to marauders.

a good army that doesnt require too much apm would be a tech to vikings. basically its still a 1a style game, just make sure u dont suicide vikings into stalkers. remember the usual medivacs and stuff.

however, lets say our toss friend decides not to go collosi... ghosts with emp, or tanks are also good. just 1 a, and then siege your tanks. or get ur ghosts and just hit e and spam click :D
Writer#1 KT and FlaSh Fanboy || Woo Jung Ho Never Forget || Teamliquid Political Decision Desk
TL+ Member
Zanno
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
United States1484 Posts
January 14 2012 03:43 GMT
#3
if your apm is that low the problem is most definitely hotkey usage

take a post-it note and stick it on the side of your monitor blocking the in-game buttons

do you also use a laptop touchpad to play or something? i've met people who do that, and it never really occurred to them that isn't playable
aaaaa
Thaniri
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
1264 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-01-14 03:49:53
January 14 2012 03:49 GMT
#4
Instead of tricking your way out of lack of mechanics, improve your mechanics by doing high apm strategies.

Edit: I got to diamond with roughly 30 apm, this is frustrating, but its what I did.

learn to macro.
Donnie_Par
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
Canada72 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-01-14 04:00:01
January 14 2012 03:59 GMT
#5
high apm isn't that necessary... mid-ish masters = 80apm in long tvt/tvp and 100 in micro-intensive tvz... you just need to have efficient apm usage. macro only really requires 30-40 apm or so
-the standards are all good for low apm, they just won't be as cost efficient.
darnaldo never end
Divinek
Profile Blog Joined November 2006
Canada4045 Posts
January 14 2012 04:32 GMT
#6
you can't have terran strategies that are low micro
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.
PineapplePizza
Profile Joined June 2010
United States749 Posts
January 14 2012 04:39 GMT
#7
Don't ask for a way to play this game with minimal effort, there are none...

well, could try switching to toss and just build fast DT's every single game, that will get you enough wins:

http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Dark_Templar_Rush
"There should be no tying a sharp, hard object to your cock like it has a mechanical arm and hitting it with the object or using your cockring to crack the egg. No cyborg penises allowed. 100% flesh only." - semioldguy
Scarecrow
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
Korea (South)9172 Posts
January 14 2012 04:49 GMT
#8
On January 14 2012 13:32 Divinek wrote:
you can't have terran strategies that are low micro

fe into mass thor? Would totally work at silver level and involves almost no micro.
Yhamm is the god of predictions
Mobius_1
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
United Kingdom2763 Posts
January 14 2012 04:58 GMT
#9
On January 14 2012 13:49 Scarecrow wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 14 2012 13:32 Divinek wrote:
you can't have terran strategies that are low micro

fe into mass thor? Would totally work at silver level and involves almost no micro.


Reactor Hellion --> Thor Hellion (+ Tanks as needed etc) is better than Marine/Tank by far IMHO in terms of control intensity because it's so much harder to deal with Banelings at lower levels without gosu splits. Difficult thing about Hellion opening is that you have to keep an eye on Hellions or at least the minimap in case they get surrounded by Speedlings or eaten by Roaches and you need to watch them in big battles (but not really Thors since they are EZ 1a units).

Synystyr has a nice guide to his fast 3-base Thor Hellion but given you are Silver keep it simple and just go with the composition and try to macro as best as you can and not worry too much about triple expanding in risky places. Also super fun build to do.
Starleague Forever. RIP KT Violet~
zOula...
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
United States898 Posts
January 14 2012 05:01 GMT
#10
On January 14 2012 12:34 Glaucoma wrote:
I'm a mid-silver newby with low APM and multitasking skills.

I open with a 3 rax (1 tech, 2 reactor) and push out at 7:30, also building a second CC while moving to attack. I win about half my games but if the first attack doesn't win the game, I have no midgame to rely on.

I need a strong army that works against all races and uses minimal micro (my APM is 30). What's a good Army for a mid-game push, say 15 minutes and maybe getting a third expansion while moving out?

Please give my your suggestions with buildings, upgrades and unit composition. As long as it gets me to Gold league and is low micro, anything is OK.



Well, in the situation you described it's going to be difficult to go into the mid game because if you open 3rax and they hold it off and you don't do damage you are going to be behind. I guess in general after you get your expo up you should make sure you have all the infantry upgrades from the barracks tech lab, make tanks, make medivacs/vikings. Your question is really too vague tho, and there is no "right answer"
Glaucoma
Profile Blog Joined December 2011
Taiwan13 Posts
January 14 2012 05:05 GMT
#11
I AM terran, and I AM low apm. That is not going to change. (Because I'm a 49 year old casual player with degenerative glaucoma, and a permanent ulcer.) My goal this year is to reach gold level. What's the best midgame army I can play?

I have thought about marines and thors, but I maybe I need a third unit like: tanks, raven, viking, banshee, medivac, maruader?
I don't know how to play.
darkscream
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Canada2310 Posts
January 14 2012 05:13 GMT
#12
If you are silver, you don't need APM to win. You posted this in blogs so you have managed to avoid a lot of the strategy forum snark, but I am here to provide you with a reality check.

You don't need to micro or even look at your army. You just need to make sure you spend your money and all your buildings are ALWAYS making units, not even idle for a second. I know you are not able to do this, because you are silver. If you do this, you will be platinum at least. It's not flashy, it's not glamorous or fun, but it's the truth. You can just make more stuff than the other guy and 1a to victory. You need to learn the basics.

You're asking for a build that will let you not micro very much, but what you actually need is a general rule of thumb of "how many buildings can I produce out of per expansion". I don't play Terran so I can't give this to you, but I assume its something like 3buildings + some upgrades per mining base. Try to expand every 5 minutes after your first one is finished.

Focus on improving your mechanics and macro. Higher APM will follow naturally through practice if you do it right.

Good luck!
FoeHamr
Profile Joined December 2010
United States489 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-01-14 05:19:58
January 14 2012 05:16 GMT
#13
I got from Bronze to Diamond as random with about 50-70 APM by building stuff and attacking. Just have some form of goal in mind. Something like "I am going to kill him with marines, marauders, and medivacs off 2 bases" or something like that. I just did 3 rax semi-all-ins vs all races and expanded behind it into upgrades and medivacs. It doesn't take much effort because you almost don't need to multitask at all during the attack. Banelings will give you trouble, but you should have stim and kiting isn't that hard.
Edit: Honestly at the low leagues what units you build almost doesn't matter. Sure if he goes mass void rays and you don't build any AA your fucked, but if you have a lot more shit than he does you can win a lot of games simply with macro.
I got 99 problems and a Terran ain't one
courtpanda
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
866 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-01-14 07:31:59
January 14 2012 07:31 GMT
#14
instead of resigning yourself to low apm, try to improve it. three things:

1) when you watch pros, most of their apm is with their left hand on the keyboard. if you can do it with your keyboard, do it with your keyboard.

2) practice -> experience -> speed. when you get experienced to the point where you don't have to think about things before you do them, you can do things a lot faster. even if youre limited by your body, you can still become faster by thinking faster.

3) up until maybe masters league, high APM doens't lead to wins with crazy micro, it's multitasking.and macro. micro wont make or break games, having a bigger army will.


to help with 2, you should do one solid build until you know it inside and out. 3 rax stim is a good one for TvP. it won't work at higher leagues, but it should help your mechanics and such


xxpack09
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States2160 Posts
January 14 2012 08:16 GMT
#15
On January 14 2012 12:43 Zanno wrote:
if your apm is that low the problem is most definitely hotkey usage

take a post-it note and stick it on the side of your monitor blocking the in-game buttons

do you also use a laptop touchpad to play or something? i've met people who do that, and it never really occurred to them that isn't playable


If he is using a touchpad I can assure you it is not the limiting factor. I can play with 150-160 APM on my touchpad.
Glaucoma
Profile Blog Joined December 2011
Taiwan13 Posts
January 14 2012 08:26 GMT
#16
Please don't respond about my apm. I just want a mid-game build. I was hoping you all could come up with some practical low apm build I can work on this week. I'll refine my mechanics after I have a clear midgame that builds on a 3-rax open.

I might even try marine-battlecruiser. With good macro, it might be enough. But it sounds so newby. Got anything better?
I don't know how to play.
xxpack09
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States2160 Posts
January 14 2012 08:28 GMT
#17
On January 14 2012 17:26 Glaucoma wrote:
Please don't respond about my apm. I just want a mid-game build. I was hoping you all could come up with some practical low apm build I can work on this week. I'll refine my mechanics after I have a clear midgame that builds on a 3-rax open.

I might even try marine-battlecruiser. With good macro, it might be enough. But it sounds so newby. Got anything better?


The point people are trying to make is you're doing things in the wrong order here. You should be thinking about mechanics first, and build orders second. Your plan (create some catch-all build and use it every game vs every race) is not going to win you games, and it certainly is not going to help you improve a lick.
Kashll
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
United States1117 Posts
January 14 2012 09:49 GMT
#18
Instead of looking for strategies that you can execute with low APM, why not try to raise your APM so you can execute more strategies?
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
dAPhREAk
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Nauru12397 Posts
January 14 2012 10:24 GMT
#19
mech is low apm and works against t and z well enough. not as good against p, but at your level, the type of units you go wont matter as much as how well you spend your money and support an econ.
FreeFruitFly
Profile Joined November 2011
Australia29 Posts
January 14 2012 11:15 GMT
#20
Here is a guide that might help:
Bumblebees' Guide to Playing with Low APM
Glaucoma
Profile Blog Joined December 2011
Taiwan13 Posts
January 14 2012 13:17 GMT
#21
FreeFruitFly,

Thanks for the link. I have already studied it, and it has been very helpful.


Kashll,

I know there are several master level players, including 'halby', who have 60-80 apm. At Silver level, APM is not my main problem. I can occasionally beat players with double my apm even now. After playing 20+ games in the Silver league here are my main problems:

A. Poor execution under pressure: I am about 30 seconds behind my 7:30 attack benchmark in a ladder game compared to playing against the computer. The 3-Rax open only requires a mid-20's APM, so APM is not holding me back.

B. No Midgame: after my first attack I am often ahead in econ or army but lose my advantage because I don't have clear, practiced plan for the mid-game. Higher APM will not do that much for me here either.

My goals for the next week are:
1. Improve execution by practicing at faster speed while not staring at my base. (mechanics+mutlitasking)
2. Practicing a low-apm mid game that builds on a 3 rax open. (strategy)

APM improvements can wait until I have developed these priorities. I can already click fast enough in Diablo to break several of my mouses. I prefer to play well slowly, then improve speed while continually playing well rather than the other way around of clicking like a monkey on crack trying to copy a pro strategy and losing every game in the silver league until something magical happens and everything suddenly 'clicks'.

So again the reason for this post is to ask for a low APM midgame strat that build on my 3-rax open. Can anyone help?
I don't know how to play.
HwangjaeTerran
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Finland5967 Posts
January 14 2012 14:17 GMT
#22
Just do everything a progamer would do but slower.
https://steamcommunity.com/id/*tlusernamehere*/
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