• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 20:34
CEST 02:34
KST 09:34
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Code S Season 1 - RO12 Group A: Rogue, Percival, Solar, Zoun8[ASL21] Ro8 Preview Pt1: Inheritors16[ASL21] Ro16 Preview Pt2: All Star10Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - The Finalists20[ASL21] Ro16 Preview Pt1: Fresh Flow9
Community News
2026 GSL Season 1 Qualifiers25Maestros of the Game 2 announced92026 GSL Tour plans announced15Weekly Cups (April 6-12): herO doubles, "Villains" prevail1MaNa leaves Team Liquid25
StarCraft 2
General
Code S Season 1 - RO12 Group A: Rogue, Percival, Solar, Zoun Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - The Finalists Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool MaNa leaves Team Liquid Maestros of the Game 2 announced
Tourneys
SEL Masters #6 - Solar vs Classic (SC: Evo) $5,000 WardiTV TLMC tournament - Presented by Monster Energy GSL Code S Season 1 (2026) FSL Season 10 Individual Championship WardiTV Spring Cup
Strategy
Custom Maps
[D]RTS in all its shapes and glory <3 [A] Nemrods 1/4 players [M] (2) Frigid Storage
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 523 Firewall Mutation # 522 Flip My Base Mutation # 521 Memorable Boss
Brood War
General
BW General Discussion JaeDong's ASL S21 Ro16 Post-Review ASL21 General Discussion Leta's ASL S21 Ro.16 review [ASL21] Ro8 Preview Pt1: Inheritors
Tourneys
[ASL21] Ro8 Day 1 [BSL22] RO16 Group Stage - 02 - 10 May Korean KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 2 [ASL21] Ro8 Day 2
Strategy
Fighting Spirit mining rates Simple Questions, Simple Answers What's the deal with APM & what's its true value Any training maps people recommend?
Other Games
General Games
Daigo vs Menard Best of 10 Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Dawn of War IV Diablo IV
Dota 2
The Story of Wings Gaming
League of Legends
G2 just beat GenG in First stand
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas TL Mafia Community Thread Five o'clock TL Mafia
Community
General
European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread 3D technology/software discussion Canadian Politics Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books Movie Discussion!
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion McBoner: A hockey love story
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
streaming software Strange computer issues (software) [G] How to Block Livestream Ads
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Sexual Health Of Gamers
TrAiDoS
lurker extra damage testi…
StaticNine
Broowar part 2
qwaykee
Funny Nicknames
LUCKY_NOOB
Iranian anarchists: organize…
XenOsky
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2067 users

Tournament Strategy?

Blogs > SupplyBlockedTV
Post a Reply
SupplyBlockedTV
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
Belgium313 Posts
August 12 2012 15:21 GMT
#1
I am going to play playhem today, but not done tournaments in a while.

What are good strategies?

During the BO1, would you go for a standard build with a decent winrate, or a wonky/cheesey build wich you know has a higher winrate, but can get shut down entirely if reacted to in the right way?

Also, in a BO3, would you play standard the first game, or non-standard, because your opponent will often think it is common that people play standard in the first game and only take refuge to cheesing once they are behind, meaning cheese will have higher odds in the first game?


Also, when getting matched against someone who you know will beat the shit out of you in a standard game, is it better to just try and take the win with wonky builds most people dont even know existed? :D

I did try some searching for tournament strategy on TL, but didnt find anything about this subject.

What are your common tournament strategies?


PEW PEW PEW
Lokk
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
Canada635 Posts
August 12 2012 15:24 GMT
#2
usually play macro game first them see if i wanna cheese after
+ Show Spoiler +
who am i kidding im terran cheese all game
@Lokk_2/Go Woori 우리
Provocateur
Profile Joined October 2010
Sweden1665 Posts
August 12 2012 16:18 GMT
#3
I would say that your strategy of choice should depend fully on who you're facing. If you're up against someone at equal or lower level you should probably play safe and go for the macro game, but if you're up against for instance a GM player just bust out your nastiest cheese ^^ at least do one cheese or very aggressive play in a bo3.
Nymphaceae
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States350 Posts
August 12 2012 20:58 GMT
#4
On August 13 2012 00:21 SupplyBlockedTV wrote:
I am going to play playhem today, but not done tournaments in a while.

What are good strategies?

During the BO1, would you go for a standard build with a decent winrate, or a wonky/cheesey build wich you know has a higher winrate, but can get shut down entirely if reacted to in the right way?

Also, in a BO3, would you play standard the first game, or non-standard, because your opponent will often think it is common that people play standard in the first game and only take refuge to cheesing once they are behind, meaning cheese will have higher odds in the first game?


Also, when getting matched against someone who you know will beat the shit out of you in a standard game, is it better to just try and take the win with wonky builds most people dont even know existed? :D

I did try some searching for tournament strategy on TL, but didnt find anything about this subject.

What are your common tournament strategies?

I would say play standard till your BO3s. If you get to the BO3s, then that's when you can start doing meta cheeses for poor scouts.

Cheesing in the BO1s is extremely inconsistent, since the better players know how to scout for the cheeses and will be counting your minerals. You might win 1-2 rounds with cheese, but probably not anymore. Good luck in the tourney though.
MysteryMeat1
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United States3292 Posts
August 13 2012 09:15 GMT
#5
For tournaments i woulnd't cheese until the bo3 unless you know the player. Me and my friends will enter tournaments together and I always cheese them if I play them. This is only because we practice all of our builds against each other that we know how to react properly.

As for people you dont know. In BO3 you should see how they scout the first game. If they scout on 13 then throw in a 2gate proxy or w/e because you know it will be really hard for them to react in time. If they scout earlier than i'd be wary of throwing a cheese and might switch to a one or two base all-in.
"Cause ya know, Style before victory." -The greatest mafia player alive
SupplyBlockedTV
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
Belgium313 Posts
August 13 2012 20:03 GMT
#6
Damn, managed to kill axslav and fenixhero (and two master leaguers before that)....but then got killed by TSL Revival...his skills are so insane..first game my all-in got shut down entirely.. then i just went desperate because it was my strongest PvZ build...and went for skytoss..for fun...and lost ofcourse.

I only recently got promoted to master league...feels good :D, but need a better BO3 strat..pulling out your best build in BO1 is easy..but BO3 hard..especially against some korean with insane skills.
PEW PEW PEW
Nymphaceae
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States350 Posts
August 13 2012 20:58 GMT
#7
Since you play protoss, I would suggest you to read in the "zerg help me thread," and whatever the terran help me thread is. You can see what gives the most people problems easily by it, and then you can see what the people in the thread are questioning. Generally if you have a build, in which they can not come up with a good answer on how to beat it, then it's probably something you should continue doing. I know the pros are a different story, and that you can't win every time, but in a BO3, this may make it tough enough on the pro to get you more than just 1 game against them.

One thing you can go for would be like macro cheese on a large map, where they may scout you really late. You should find a friend, in which you can practice something like this though. It's horrible if you play the map one in 5 games, and that you play against that match up 1 in 3 games (you won't really get good practice). On 2 starting position maps, you may be allowed to play more aggressively to put your opponent into the blind early game, then come out with a mid game cheese if you harassed well enough (again practice this with a partner, not ladder. I would recommend you telling your practice partner what you're doing, and tell him/her to do a select build too.).

Just imagine playing against some one in which the first game they come out with an aggressive opening. A lot of people would come to believe that this player is very aggressive, and perhaps even reckless. They may believe that they think they're the better player, and just need to play safe till late game, because you're only going for this high harass game, because it's the only way you can win.

Next game, if it's a 4 starting position map, go for the macro cheese. Your opponent may be thinking that they need extra defense because of your stupid aggressive play that beat him the first game, so then the 2nd game they end up realizing that they're like 20 workers behind, and unable to harass.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Replay Cast
00:00
StarCraft Evolution League #21
CranKy Ducklings51
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
SpeCial 105
ROOTCatZ 3
StarCraft: Brood War
GuemChi 5815
Artosis 601
910 28
NaDa 16
League of Legends
Doublelift4378
Counter-Strike
fl0m3630
Other Games
summit1g10159
tarik_tv6028
Day[9].tv656
C9.Mang0498
JimRising 360
Maynarde76
WinterStarcraft72
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick1069
BasetradeTV160
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream49
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 17 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hupsaiya 98
• davetesta27
• musti20045 23
• CranKy Ducklings SOOP3
• intothetv
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Other Games
• imaqtpie1151
• Scarra672
• Day9tv656
Upcoming Events
GSL
8h 56m
Cure vs TriGGeR
ByuN vs Bunny
KCM Race Survival
9h 26m
Big Gabe
11h 26m
Replay Cast
23h 26m
Replay Cast
1d 8h
Escore
1d 9h
OSC
1d 12h
Replay Cast
1d 23h
Replay Cast
2 days
RSL Revival
2 days
[ Show More ]
IPSL
2 days
Ret vs Art_Of_Turtle
Radley vs TBD
BSL
2 days
Replay Cast
2 days
RSL Revival
3 days
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
3 days
BSL
3 days
IPSL
3 days
eOnzErG vs TBD
G5 vs Nesh
Replay Cast
4 days
Wardi Open
4 days
Afreeca Starleague
4 days
Jaedong vs Light
Monday Night Weeklies
4 days
Replay Cast
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
Afreeca Starleague
5 days
Snow vs Flash
GSL
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-04-28
WardiTV TLMC #16
Nations Cup 2026

Ongoing

BSL Season 22
ASL Season 21
CSL 2026 SPRING (S20)
IPSL Spring 2026
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 2
StarCraft2 Community Team League 2026 Spring
2026 GSL S1
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Finals
ESL Pro League S23 Stage 1&2
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S2: W5
KK 2v2 League Season 1
Acropolis #4
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
CSLAN 4
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Maestros of the Game 2
2026 GSL S2
RSL Revival: Season 5
XSE Pro League 2026
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
PGL Astana 2026
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.