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I picked up SC2 back in December 2010. New to the RTS scene (played typical RPG games like Maplestory in the past), and also excited by watching VODs of Jaedong smashing Stork in the WCG Finals, I was like, hey, SC2 looks like my new main game. I was promoted to Silver just after a few games in Bronze. Slowly, throughout 2011, I climbed to Masters by watching Day[9] dailies and streams. I guess I was more of a visual learner as I didn't practice much on the ladder, only custom games with a friend and watching lots and lots of videos. 2012 came, it was time for me to serve national service, much like Korea's, just that weekends were given to us. Without much time to play nor watch SC2, when I finally got the time to play again, I realize I was Platinum equivalent. Perhaps back in 2011, like what everyone likes to say, macro alone can get you to Masters. Maybe macro isn't enough anymore, everyone's improving, more and more people know how to macro. It isn't about who can make more units anymore, it's already more about decision making from Diamond onwards. I tried to fight my way up, but I just hit a brick wall where I just lose and remain in Platinum.
TLDR: Climbed from Bronze to Masters by watching VODs, deproved to Platinum after not playing for a while.
I waited for a very long time, even till today, I don't have a HotS key in my email. I'm playing HotS with my friend's account now, and strangely, he doesn't really want to play SC2 anymore. I thought this could be a fresh start, if I start in HotS early, perhaps I could work my way back up to Masters one more time. Fooled around with unranked as random to get used to the new units and overlay first, went on a winning streak before meeting a GM (played PvZ) and Diamond (TvZ) (yeah, I know the matchmaking for HotS is really that screwed up). Of course, I lost to them. Not to shabby after all, considering that I could put up a fight against them.
So I went on to play ranked, got 3-2, lost to 2 all-ins. "Congratulations, you have been placed in the Silver league!" or something like that appeared on my screen. Really? Not even at least Gold? It's alright, I can climb back up, no problem. Next match, matched against a Zerg, I asked, "Are you silver?" and he replied "You said it". Hmm, okay, this should be easy. 20 minutes later, I went down in an attrition war of Swarm Hosts and Siege Tanks, where he eventually had more stuff than me. This can't be. Losing to Silver? Is my macro really that bad?
Score screen came up. Oh, he's Diamond. What was supposed to be a demoralizer became a morale booster. I could actually put up a fight against a Diamond player in HotS. If I played more, I'm quite sure I could become Platinum at least in HotS.
*Side note: Apparently, from all the discussions, your league in HotS should be about one or two leagues below your WoL league.
The next few matches were very heart-wrenching ones. I played against Protoss for the remaining of the time. First a Gold oppponent, 4 gate comes. Next, silver, 4 gate. At last, silver once more, 4 gate. You could imagine Buzz Lightyear saying "4 gates, 4 gates everywhere" now. It's just so hard to hold 4 gate as Terran, now that there is the Mothership Core. At this rate, I'll just plummet down to Bronze.
But I'm not giving up, I'm going to stand up and fight my way through the 4 gates till I see no more of them. Hopefully the next time I blog about something, I would have that shiny golden border around my portrait. Hopefully the next time I blog about something, I wouldn't see as many all ins as there is right now. Hopefully the next time I blog about something, it would be something worth your time reading.
