EPTHello TL! After an about 2 week break from Sc2 I'm back into it again, prying myself from Brood War. I used to play alot more back in season 1, achieving a high diamond rank and was playing Masters (but unfortunately never got in). Today I used Hydra Lurk to contain and eventually starve out a Protoss and finally beat my first d+ player, It inspired me to try a different approach to my Zerg play in general, I translated the ideas to my ladder games in SC2, to pretty good avail so far. Here's my first ladder blog!
I began playing again last season, got Platinum on my placement matches and have been there since, playing mostly high plats and Diamonds. My big trouble has always been Macro games vs Protoss and Terran. (I'm a Zerg Player) Especially if I cannot deny or at least decently pressure my opponents 3rd. However, today I've focused on denying/delaying expansions.
Although it seems pretty obvious now, I've noticed improvement in situations where I know I would of dropped or messed up somewhere, particularly in games like the ZvP in the replay I posted. Before I would try to simply get a base ahead, maybe an upgrade or so, and begin trying to force engages, usually resulting in them holding it and then proceeding to steam roll my presence on the map. Today I implemented more static defense, and played more focused on holding my expansions and deflecting pressures, and using counters to deny/pressure expansions. Rarely did I send my entire army to attack a position, instead merely track my opponent and try to hit where they are not.
TL;DR
Im finding being more selective on when and where im engaging, and not being afraid to spend that hideous floating mineral count on some spines is really helping! Playing more of a "starve them" style vs Terran and Protoss especially to great effect. This way I feel I get stronger as the game goes on, rather then weaker, which is helping my mind set and also my play entirely, its little break throughs in play like this that make this game so enjoyable!
http://sc2rep.com/replays/(Z)AngryZerG_vs_(P)Phaedrus/18252
Here is a Ladder ZvP. here I focus on pressuring/denying expansions, the map eventually becomes split and with good positioning I eventually starve him out
http://sc2rep.com/replays/(T)RedGhost_vs_(Z)AngryZerG/18251
Finally took down a Diamond practice partner, epic game on one of my favorite maps.
Does anyone else get reminded of Fighting Spirit when they play Korhal Compound?
