TeamLiquid StarLeague 5 in 
EPT+ Show Spoiler +
That's right! I had TWO holes in my wall!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6OGWyqi.jpg)
But as the old saying goes: Third time's the charm. The game was supposed to be challenging but still winable. So I joined a D/low D+ game on "Wind and Cloud 0.99" (which I had previously played against the computer) and got a terran opponent. (In the good old days PvT used to be my favorite matchup)
+ Show Spoiler [irrelevant backstory for whoever cares] +
I started playing bw around 2001 mainly "fastest possible map" with a few friends of mine. About an year later I decided to make the move to normal maps and began laddering on WGT, playing protoss only. I managed to enthuse one of my friends to start playing normal maps, too. Over the course of a week we played through the whole WGT mappack: me - protoss, he - every race (no random though). It was tons of fun discovering all the different maps, especially after playing a single map (fastest) for over an year. Added enjoyment came from the fact that I was easily winning 90% of the games. After we finished the mappack, we continued to play only on a selected few maps (6-7) and he picked protoss as his only race. For about two weeks I dominated him completely (close to 100% win ratio made PvP my favorite matchup), but he didn't give up. Besides our games he played 10-15 more games a day (although half of them on fastest) and at some point he started not only taking PvPs from me, but fully destroying him to the point where I could only win by sheer luck. Being the kind guy he is he switched to play his off-races... and still dominated me with zerg. However, in PvT it was an even 50/50 situation so at some point he sticked to terran. BW became extremely exciting and interesting. Every game was nail-biting and very close. My "skill" increased: I had a variety of strategies, I started doing zealot bombs and playing with stargate units, and my apm increase from meager 100 to over 130. This way PvT became by far my favorite matchup.
...but all good things come to an end... while I was playing 4-5 games a day, he was churning out 15-20 games and a month later I was no match whatsoever for him. I dropped bw and moved on to wc3:tft. He continued with bw, won a bunch of "fastest" tournaments, joined a team in bwcl division 1 (for normal games), and played against guys from Germany's B-team.
The game starts and I find myself in the lower left corner of the map. Having had great success with the fast reaver drop in my first iCCup match against terran I decided to opt for this build yet again. It should be mentioned, however, that my actual "build" constitutes of pylon at 8 supply and winging it afterwards...
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/5wniUXv.jpg)
Nailed it! Pylon at 8 and the probe is sent scouting. Why so early? Maybe I really wanted to know where my opponent is. Or maybe I wanted to know on which side my ramp is because I couldn't remember...
I found the terran at the first location I scouted (Yay!) and continue with my build: Gateway->Core->Assimilator
Possessed by sheer ingenuity I make this impactful tactical decision:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/V5vogLh.jpg)
A pylon placed in the corner of my base so I can hide my robo tech there! Brilliant!
While still questioning my reaver micro ability against someone who doesn't have the handicap of a mouse pad my core finishes and I notice something odd:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/vAbBXUq.jpg)
That's not enough gas for a robo!?
By the way, notice that I got supply blocked at 17... and later at 25... and then again and again...
Trying to salvage the situation, I decided to place an expansion instead of going robo. I figured I won't do too much damage with a delayed reaver against a semi-competent opponent. In retrospect, I have to say that I'm actually unsure if the reaver would have been delayed. I actually do not know what the timing should be...
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/uZQmDri.jpg)
I sent my first dragoon in front of my base and even built a second one before more gates/range in order to prevent the scv (I saw it leaving the base while probe was still alive in his base) from scouting my expo
After setting up the scout prevention measures, I stop unit production in order to get range and two more gates for production in case of him attacking me early.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/QT093zZ.jpg)
So much for scout prevention... The scv walks by and scouts the expo and my entire base.
I remembered that when I used to play a lot of bw I always went for a fairly fast robo against terran, but I couldn't quite recall why. And then it hit me! The vultures' mini-nukes are nasty!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/QVvQxWu.jpg)
I did get to hide my robo! Also, notice the "neat" placement of my gates.
I started churning out goons and added a fourth gate so I don't get overrun by some wacky timing attack. I figured unlike my first terran foe this one might not consent to a "15 min no rush" game.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/yzgCrM4.jpg)
Attack at 7:00. Apparently, not a peace-loving person.
I had sent out two goons half way to his base as a precaution in case he attacks, so I was able to spot his movement early enough. Luckily I had a lot of goons waiting at my base and even more were in production.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VO9rvZj.jpg)
Sandwiched!
Turns out 5 goons don't beat 4 tanks with scvs/marines/vultures...
However, with my reinforcements I managed to push him back. Apparently, he tried to contain me. He even built a few turrets, but I killed those after he turned his tail.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/pQur98c.jpg)
After 3 years without bw, it turns out that my multitasking is somewhat "rusty". After the battle I had banked up 1.3k minerals, so I decided to place a third nexus.
Did you notice the 5 white dots in the screenshot above? Those nasty vultures wanted to swing around and kill innocent probes!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/o68SEQ0.jpg)
My split-second reaction (and goon massing) prevented any real damage. Only 4 probes died.
In the meantime:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/nuHG2hJ.jpg)
Apparently, my opponent is not a macro monster either. 5 idle scv's and no more in production
Nothing much happens in the next few minutes. He tries to set up a position in between our bases, laying tons of mines. I clear those out with barely any casualties on both sides. He finally sends an scv to build a third CC. I manage to let my macro slip yet again despite 9 gates. And of course, I also manage to get a goon stuck due to bad gateway positioning.
At some point (around 170 supply) I decided to attack into his siege line. I was supply blocked yet again so instead of waiting for my pylons to finish, I figured I can suicide a bunch of units and maybe reduce his tank count.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/1N0VrM7.jpg)
The trail of tears
Despite being 40 supply ahead before and after the engagement, I not only didn't win, but also allowed him to push further towards my base...
So I decided to set up a flank with a bunch of zealots and try to push him back again.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/OM9ajjx.jpg)
So much for my flank. Of course I ran my bunched up zealots into 3 mines.
None of the zealots died, but 5 were left with 6 hp and the rest was softened up, too. So I decided to send them into his third, which I had scouted with one of my four observers.
Another observer of mine let me see that he moved a huge chunk of his army after my zealots attacked his third (presumably to defend it). So I took the chance and attacked his position in between our bases with everything else I had.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/M2iixrP.jpg)
Like a real progamer - attacking at two positions at once!
I cleared his position inbetween our mains and my harrassement did a decent amount of damage even causing him to lift his CC for a while. However, it turns out that his units, which I saw moving after my zealots reached his third were actually meant to kill my third. Without me noticing he crossed through the middle of the map and sieged up my third.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/AhkaJ42.jpg)
Surprise!
I immediately sent my whole army to deal with his attack and managed to stop it before acquiring any significant losses at my third. Actually, neither my nexus nor any of my probes there died, since his tanks autotargeted the four cannons I had placed there first.
By the way, did you notice the green dot in the bottom right corner in the past 3 screenshots? That's a probe I sent there in order to build a fourth base. After chilling there for 3 minutes, it finally placed a nexus.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/X5ys2p6.jpg)
Turns out, I'm not the only one attacking two places at once. While sieging my third, the terran sent 3 vultures to check for a fourth base. Luckily my goons arrived before it died.
After successfully establishing a fourth, I work on reducing my massive bank of 3000 overmins and equally absurd amount of gas. My opponent decides to push towards me again and sieges on the huge ramp in front of my base
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Mu96HUh.jpg)
Tanks on high ground - something all dragoons dread!
The green line next to the sieged up high ground are units of mine that are going to the middle of the map in order to flank his position. Yet again I have no observer in the middle despite having 6 observers out at this point of the game. However, this time around there are no mines there to cripple my units.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/PXnFDp9.jpg)
An awesome flank! Sun Tzu would be proud of me!
After a lengthy engagement and second zealot only flank, I regain control of the whole path between our bases. His tanks finally stop me when I reached his natural. However, in the meantime I put down a fifth base.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/921867n.jpg)
Things are looking grim for him. I decided to "poke" his third.
My fifth is already running, while his fourth is still under construction.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/FbJxOKW.jpg)
Those goons had a field day in his third!
He barely manages to clear them out.
I also sent some forces into his natural. They were stopped at the very end, but I had accumulated a new huge army in my bases.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/x9fwjwG.jpg)
A lone archon striking awe in the terrans' hearts!
After three dragoons destroyed all scv's at his fourth (and 80-ish supply marched into his natural), he finally conceded!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/xZMwj9V.jpg)
The obligatory question, when losing to a D-rank player with no games played.
Thus I achieved my first "real" win on iCCup after 3 years of bw abstinence. I really missed the thrill and pleasure bw offers
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