EPTI’ll start with some background information. I never wrote a blog, so it might be a bit long. Just skip to the battle report if you don’t feel like reading it, it's not really special anyway.
Introduction
I never played BW competitively, only did the campaign very casually when I was about 13, but I liked it quite a bit. Also saw the NGC documentary about professional BW in 2005 or so, which I found very interesting, but I still didn't watch it until I started watching SC2. I started following SC2 around 2.5 years ago and started playing 2 years ago. I first finished the campaign and then started to ladder a little bit on my brother’s account. I didn’t have an own account and he didn’t care about 1v1. I choose Terran, because that was my favourite race from SC1 and I obviously got placed in Bronze.
I think I played about 40 games on his account. I got to Silver pretty quickly because my knowledge of the game was decent for a Bronze player and I did a 3rax stim push every game. I can’t really remember what happened after that, but I decided to play random for various reasons, which I still do. I think I also played quite a bit on a friend’s account who was Gold. Looking back on it, I can’t really recall anything Starcraft related from that period, because I was mostly focused on other things I guess.
Anyway, I got my own account during Season 1 of 2011. I got placed in Platinum. And there I stayed until today. I hardly played the game, even though I though it was awesome, because I would get annoyed very quickly to how terribly bad I am at the game. One stupid loss was enough to not play anymore for a week or so. I played on average maybe 5 ladder games a season, some 1v1 customs, but mostly team games with friends in which we just did dumb stuff.
I got a beta key to HotS 2 months ago through a Raptr competition and this set me free from my mindset. The beta to me was a pressure-free environment and I laddered a lot on it. I noticed big improvements in a week time and made it to Diamond, but didn’t really care for it since it’s only the beta (the level of play I experienced there was noticeably lower than what I was used to on EU). After the first week of playing on the beta, I started playing semi-regularly. I kept improving slowly but steadily and finally made it into Diamond today, taking no less than 2 years in total
.Battle report
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/89TOT.jpg)
I got matched up against a fellow random player on Entombed Valley. Him as Protoss in the top right, me as Zerg in the bottom left, we both announced our races. As you will see, we both didn't play very good this game.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/g0SOX.jpg)
My opponent opens with a gateway first, while I just try to get my 3 bases up.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/S1sXj.jpg)
He tries to do some damage with 2 early zealots. I defend while only losing a few lings. However, he pylonblocked my 3rd and my drone count isn’t that good. At this point I think I’m behind.
Not much happens for a few minutes as we both try to macro, you know how ZvP goes.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/G0fsi.jpg)
My oponent tries to do some 4gate pressure with +1 zealots while he sets up for an expansion, but I scout his proxy pylon and my roaches pop just in time.
It this point I don’t have a game plan at all and just try to wing it. My overlord scouted double assimilator at his expo which should mean he’s teching up and probably expanding, but at my level that might still be somewhat random I think.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/cLqWA.jpg)
I scouted his 3th with an overseer, so I take a 4th. Still clueless about how to procede, I decide to make both a spire and an infestion pit and just take it from there. I couldn’t really attack because his base is too well defended. Also, as you can see I just started lingspeed because I forgot it.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Z7atL.jpg)
Here I decided I would try to do some attacking, so I made a small pack of muta’s for a double pronged attack. (Couldn't get a good picture of a hatching muta flock
.)![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/po3ed.jpg)
My lings and roaches lure his army while my mutas swoop in and get a decent amount of worker kills.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/XqzZB.jpg)
I retreat with my main army because I obviously can’t get anything done.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/9ih4p.jpg)
In the mean time, I had moved my mutas to the main base and they cleared his mineral line.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/uuHwV.jpg)
On the way out I also kill a colussus, but lose most of my mutas directly afterwards. Making 12ish random mutas may not have been the best plan, but killing 40 workers, it worked out in this case.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/JaK2n.jpg)
Obviously he counters immediately and I’m in big trouble. I don’t have any infestors because I completely forgot about them. Researching ventral sacs because I missclicked
.![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/gQwwo.jpg)
The battle ensues and I lose a lot quickly. At this point I realize I have been greatly neglecting my injects and might lose right here because I simply can’t spend my resources. I try to hold of while trying to take down his 2 colossus so I can clean up with lings.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/bmYBw.jpg)
I barely lose and try to focus on my injecting as much as possible.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Xorrj.jpg)
With his reinforcements, he kills my 4th, but he is not paying attention which allows me to kill his colossi, forcing him back.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Y0TH5.jpg)
At this point I stabilized and kept my injecting up, so I decided to attack him because his army isn’t that big probably. Also, some corruptors have finally entered the battleground.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/rUExW.jpg)
He makes the mistake of moving down the ramp and I quickly surround his army.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ouUzZ.jpg)
I finally destroy his army, he gg’s and I get greeted by the following:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/12SbT.jpg)
So this game itself was definitely not the best I have ever played (in fact it was really sloppy), but getting that promotion felt amazing. Onwards to Masters in another 2 years I guess :p. If you have read everything, thanks and I hope you enjoyed it.
People should make battle reports more often!
