Exit from the silver mine

Yay, Bronze and Silver Playhem again!

Fortunately no Terrans this time, so I didn't had to show how bad I am. Really, I can't find anything that I will like and that will not die something stupid. I know, most of loses are because I just don't scout enough, have bad control of my army and other things like that, but as we all know, mirror loses can't be blamed on imbalance

Another short Playhem, again Ro64,32 won and in 16 I was knocked out. It must be the map, for sure!

Round of 64 - TvZ on GSL Antiga Shipyard vs Cosworth.
I've checked his ZvT he played few games before. It always amazes me that people die use Hydras. And it still amazes me how much damage they can do even if You know what's coming. Pool first into hatch and hydras. Sounds weird, but let's play typical tank/marine.

I started on the right, so he obvioulsy had to be on the left

When I scouted him, he had pool planted already, so it was pool first. I was able to send marine down the ramp and kill his scouting drone before it made to the ramp. I've even pulled my SCV back, which is rare in my case. I queued it on patrol command for ninja expands.
What amazed me was that I had everything on time and just as I should've it.

As pointed out in previous blog comments - I went for four helions which on ladder proved to be better. Also I wasn't afraid of expanding right away. Thanks Pokebunny!

My helions checked for fast 3rd and saw nothing. In the natural I was greeted by some mass lings and was able to roast some and back off just as spine crawler popped out! Perfect.

This time I went stim before combat shield. Not sure why I did that, but I felt it might be good.

Unfortunately my push was late, but I had medivac and stim, so I wasn't feeling that bad. I went straight for his 3rd rocks, so I had highground. That was the moment I saw this:

It's not like I wasn't suspecting hydras, I just don't like them. Anyways I was sure he was behind because, let's be honest, hydras in ZvT aren't popular for a reason.
At the same moment I sent my 3rd CC to it's place.

Of course I was trying to be brave and poked his natural little bit, but WHAT IS THAT

Runby was shut down pretty fast, but still, I was afraid of more.

He still had mass lings + hydras in natural, I wasn't sure what follow up he is going to do.
I dropped his main with 5 marines and killed his queen for cost of medivac and said marines, I think it was fine trade, because his production was painfully lowered.
After this he sent his gigantic wave of lings and broke my siege line and ran in direction of my base. I wasn't waiting, I ran my marines to his base too. Lost them all

I prepared for his aggression by building bunkers in front of my base and siegeing there for a while, but I wasn't sitting idle, I dropped his main again.
I achieved canceling his just started +2 armor. I know I could've went for drones, but with my +3 attack soon kicking in, I was more concerned about his upgrades.

When nearly maxed I decided to move out again. He ran by my all defenses and went for my natural. I've probably lost some SCVs from splash damage, but He lost some good number of lings and I was able to move forward. Again, I went for his 3rd, he just wasn't able to do anything about it and I knew it.

After scanning his natural I saw lings, banes and hydras. It still was something strange, but all of the sudden

WHAT THE FUCK? Next time I will remember that music+SC2 can kill me in such shameful fashion.
But what is he going to do when I push his nat? He is going to roll me over with banelings. Fortunately I had 8 tanks which I sent for suicidal mission of having him concerned about his base, not about attacking.

But again, why would I leave some units to defend from another nydus? Fuck this shit, more raxes everywhere, more marines to his base. Let Your lings destroy flying buildings when I lift them.

About 6 hydras vs 12 medivacs and some marines? Good luck! My force died, but who had more marines and was supply blocked? It was me :D I knew I played badly, I knew I had ping about 500, because my stim was kicking so late, but I was winning after sacrificing my main and nat. 13k minerals and I was still sending mules sometimes, just wanted to not forget about macro lol.

I left some buildings in his main and went straght for his 3rd, again.

I wasn't sure about one thing - is he going to BM me like people on ladder who dies from just marines. He said gg and left, so nice from him

Things to consider: in-game sound level compared to my music, scouting more, working on timings more, dropping more and more, but at least I tried and done something.
What I am happy with: denying his 3rd, trying to use highground there to gain advantage.

Round of 32 - TvZ on TalDarim Altar LE vs Scratchmane.
Another TalDarim, another Zerg. I like this map, because I'm Terran and natural is siegable, but I don't like rocks. I'm just bad at splitting my army so I don't have anything to destroy them. At least I can use it to hide my 3rd and get away with it saying that I ninja expanded :D

I hate when zergs put their overlords on this little highground on TDA. Why not lift raxes? :D My opponent was smarter, he backed off his overlord to it's previous position, but why not lift raxes AGAIN? :D

Yup, that is overlords blood. Of course after this I had to misplace my reactor.

I've done something wrong because I couldn't afford helions. This time I sent them to check for pocket third base, but saw nothing. In his nat I saw roaches so went to see if he is destroying rocks and roasted some lings there. Another minor victory!

In this game I went for combat shield first, because I still hasn't played with stim first enough. Again roasted some lings near watchtower.
I moved out with 3 tanks and started my next CC. My force denied his 3rd base, but OH MY GOD

This time, let's remember about turning sound effects on.
I had to cancel my CC so we were in nearly the same situation. He surprised me, but I threatened his natural. I decided to sacrifice my helions so my tanks and marines had some free shots. It worked well in my opinion, I was left with one tank near his base, but I loaded it in medivac and flew to my base. His next wave from nydus was easily defended and I killed the worm.

I moved out again and started more infrastructure.
He again had to cancel his 3rd and I destroyed his roach force supported by some spine crawlers. Marines for the win!
I recieved gg at about 18:30, but game continued till 21:47. He tried to rebuild himself in his pocket 3rd.

Things I don't like about this game: nydus + music + silver player, destroying rocks in 3rd, macro.
Things I like: denying 3rd, surviving nydus better this time.

Round of 16 - TvP on NASL TPW Artifice vs Jens.
I don't know what's up with this map, but I lose here everytime. It's probably not problem with map, but now I have disadvantage in my mind on this map.

I decided to go for gasless expand, because with 2rax I sometimes overextend and when my opponent defends I can't do anything about counter attack. It was probably problem with this game, because lately I was trying 2rax and as I discovered my gasless wasn't that good. My scouting SCV scouted nothing special, but when he arrived at my natural

I've pulled SCVs, but it was already too late.
GG

I just played badly this game, I missclicked my SCVs when chasing probe and pulled all of them, my macro was bad, my upgrades were timed not in the way I wanted and all that stuff. I'm not going to rage about how Immortal busts are unstoppable bla bla bla, but I think that there is something wrong.

The end. NOT.

After this loss I was frustrated, but anyways I decided to go for ladder. I died to some kind of roach rush, but it was my bad, because I just messed so much with my buildings, macro and everything. I was raging over myself, because it was bad decision to play seconds after losing to immortal bust and being frustrated, but if I can't play under some kind of pressure,

how can I play in Playhems?
I proceed to 2rax some fast expanding protosses. At least I recieved GG.

After this I was matched against another Zerg.

TvZ on Metalopolis vs BurstRazyel.
Reactor helion, tank push at about 10 minutes, no fancy things. And I had to focus on game and not on saying how bad I am in this game after losing to roach rush.

His drone decided to attack my SCVs, but no SCVs died on that day in my base. On the other hand my SCV died from lings. It happens all the time, I just don't know when lings come out.
My reactor was late so I built techlab on factory before switching. My CC was already building.

My helions attacked some roaches walking to my base, and I knew that my scouting force is dead. I went for his main, forced some mining time and killed 4 drones and what I liked much - delayed his attack and knew it was coming.

Moments later his force came to my base

I lost my bunker, I lost one tank, but I defended it. Unfortunately my upgrades were late, because my 2nd gas was late.
Some marines died, because they were following roaches. My 3rd started.

Another attack from him: some lings killed one, badly positioned tank in my natural. With my 3rd done and transforming into OC I decided it's time to move out. At the same time I was starting my infrastructure so I had a way to spend my minerals.

When I stepped on creep I saw army I probably couldn't fight with.

I knew my control is bad and I don't want to die just because I can't split. I killed two creep tumors and backed off. When going back to base, my army was attacked by some lings, but I haven't lost much.

My 3rd was up and running and I decided to attack again. This time my target was his 3rd. When I saw some banelings rolling in front of my army to position themselves near his base I stopped and sieged as soon as I could. I stimmed 6 marines to see what's up and got killed by one baneling, one ling and nearly dead queen. I've split my marines a bit, they still were vurnelable to banelings, but some would survive.

I scanned to see what I would face and it was best thing I scanned

6 baneling mines. I'm not going to fall for this now.
He tried to flank my army, but I held it. When my tanks were moving (all at the same time...) he attacked with his lings, but marines saved the day. Again

I saw gg and was like "meh, TvZ is probably my strongest atm", but my menu loaded in strange way.
[image loading]

OH MY GOD I'M IN GOLD :O
I even forgot to do screenshot of this, but I'm in gold league!

I finally made it to the gold. I knew it was coming, because nearly all S6 I was playing 90% with golds, sometimes even plats, but it still made me happy like a little child.

I would like to thank all people who supported me, especially my girlfriend, my friends who know I'm taking part in those tournaments and Pokebunny, because he pointed few things that made my TvZ better.

Things to do in Gold: learn TvT, drop more, don't mess up openings. Oh, and don't get caught by nydus.

Hopefully I won't become one of those beasts that BM after every lose

Replays here.

Thank You for reading

Exit from the silver mine

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