EPT
The only catch to this great experience were the commercials that would air. Oh, how I loathed those commercials. Tetris Friends had 1 commercial every 2 games...until now. They made one of the most worst decisions in my opinion which was making a commercial air once every game. It was soul crushing to go through so much wasted time and the Tetris games only lasted 2 minutes. That was essentially 30 seconds of play time whisked away from me excluding the loading time of the video and the button pressing.
They do have a game on Facebook which has gained quite a bit of popularity and differs in a few aspects and one of the most important aspects are the commercials. Since then I've stopped playing Tetris Friends, but I always thought if I played Tetris friends I could warm up my hands and raise my apm for StarCraft playing.
I've started playing around with the races and below I shall detail my recent thoughts on how I approach certain matchups with particular races and keep in mind that I don't guarantee what I do is essentially correct, the best way, or even a good way in general coming from a low level skill player. In fact, I'm not even sure if I know what I'm talking about, and yes, I know, I have much to learn. "You have much to learn, young one, for your ignorance shall be your downfall!"
First, the Zerg, of course. The one and only race ruled by the Queen of Blades that boasts quantity over quality, the most menacing soulless creatures alive, frighteningly fast agility, and a hungering for human flesh. The Defiler, Queen, and other such abilities make it a versatile race in the late game compared to Terran in my opinion which only has the almighty Science Vessel.
The Zerg vs. Terran matchup is a tricky one, eh. I always look out for any possible aggressive 1 base plays, which in most cases I will end up going creep colonies always transforming them into sunken colonies only when the terran moves out. Decisive play! I usually just go Mutas, always, I don't really have anything else in mind that I feel comfortable doing and with my sweet Julyzerg esque Muta micro I snag a 3rd base, get my Lurker Aspect researched just in time, and slow down the Terran forces. I eventually go Ultra/Crackling with them sweet upgrades, and if the Terran is really good, I go Defilers for extra measure depending on how far ahead I am. If it's for fun, I just go plain Ultra/Ling
If the Terran goes mech, then that's a problem. Mech to me is a rather tricky dicky situations that requires the utmost thought and careful maneuvering on the Zerg's part. I personally have never encountered mech play that much so I don't know what to do in terms of late game, but I know Muta first to force Goliaths and then a Hydra tech switch are standard ish? Whenever the Terran decides to push out, I camp my units outside his entrance. If the Terran doesn't push, he risks the Zerg letting him take the whole map. In almost every game you can expect to have a much higher resource count than the Terran in most cases. I've heard Hive Tech is advantageous towards mech tech.
Zerg vs. Protoss. What a howdeedoo matchup this here matchup is. I'd best describe this as a DT, HT, Archon harass fest where you have to defend. I don't always go 3 Hatch Hydra, but when I do...it is a failure. You just not gonna give up those bases with that Hydra force. Then shimmy your way up the tech tree to Ultra/Ling and maybe Defiler. I've also done Ling builds where you get +1 carapace to counter +1 attack speedzeal timings which works like a charm. The Zerglings....ohhhh the Zerglings. Watch out for storm drops and above all things, watch out for DT's because the "your base/units are under attack" sound doesn't activate since DT's kill off workers in 1 hit, so just be alert for mineral lines. I can recount the countless, countless times of a mineral line with no Drones...and the perpetrator escaping unscathed. The darn Protoss. Revenge for the swarm!
ZvZ, the matchup that I almost forgot about! Who could possibly forget about the epic ZvZ matchup. Overmind vs. cerebrate gone rogue with the epic ZvZ biting battles, the mighty aerial combat in the skies, and the bane of all Zerg-the Defiler. I just go 10 hatch, 11 Pool, 12 Pool, and if I want to go 12 Hatch, I do it in base. I then quickly go with gas thereafter, but if the enemy is going Mutas faster, I just drone up, spore up, sunk up at appropriate times with proper evolution chamber blockades. That's the thing with the evo chamber. It conveniently covers all sides unlike other zerg buildings, so it's good for sim city in my opinion. Although often times I get a terrible imbalance with the whole late Muta tactic, still experimenting which I got off of another player on BW. Just you wait, we're gonna revolutionize the ZvZ matchup!
I used to have trouble going against Hydralisks in ZvZ. It's a long, long story, which I shall tell of you right now in a succinct manner. Throwing some vocabulary your way! I used to drone drone drone Muta Muta Muta when I played 1v1 games with this 1 person so my gas was used up. I never bothered going Zerglings and sought for the traditional all knowing, wise, slimy, and trusty sunken colony which in fact is terrible against Hydras compared to mass Zerglings! It is because of this very mindset I decided to go Hydras too. Yes, that's right, we'd have massive Hydra vs. Hydra battles in the middle, everywhere you go. That all stopped when I discovered what was the almighty power of the Crackling, all confidence was regained and now I can stare Hydralisks in the face and give them a one two pow. A heart wrenching story that is known as the Hydralisk paradox-the story of a troubled ZvZ player.
Second, the almighty psionic clobbering, gut wrenching, blood spilling, religiously fanatical, zealous, devastating, and advanced race is here to overwhelm the Terran and Zerg. They use their advanced technology for such units like the Arbiter, the Dragoon, the flexible zealot, and of course a large array of psionically gifted murder machines that range greatly for one of the most diverse spellcasting groups comparable to the Zerg. They come in quality, they ravage the Zerg home worlds, they have no mercy, they slay the humans...they are....the Protoss.
If there's one matchup that I'm absolutely not confident at, it would be PvT. Siege Tanks, Siege Tanks, Siege Tanks, and more Siege tanks, and Vulture run bys. End of story!
PvP
Protoss vs. Protoss is an interesting animal. It reminds me of one of those carnival games I watched in an anime. The player had to use what resembled a cheap wooden pan about 6 inches in diameter with a soft paper bottom...and they had to use it to catch a turtle! It's a tricky subject this is. You have to be able to lift the turtle cautiously without applying too much stress to the paper bottom, lest you let the turtle fall into the water and lose 500 yen! At the same time you must be able to firmly, yet gently whisk the turtle out of the container of water with an utmost skill that resembles a seasoned veteran of Jenga.
Like Jenga, you must be careful with what your opponent decides to do, and must respond accordingly depending on the situation. If they pick out a wooden piece in the middle you don't want to take the wooden piece that is next to the middle piece for there would be no balance!I sometimes go 2 gate first builds which can rattle a Protoss going cyber first as long as they aren't in a diagonal direction from me, which in that case, would make my zealot troops delayed significantly. I usually opt for the almighty Cybernetics Core before or after the 1st zealot, I'm still not sure which one is best to do. After that, I wing it.
PvZ
Ah, yes, the infamous PvZ matchup that includes getting killed by mass zergling all in builds and an endless wave of Hydra, zerglings, and Ultralisks. The common trend nowadays is the economy based FFE build which I don't enjoy since I like to do 1 base somethings, all of which get deflected by the Zerg sadly. When my 1 base aggression fizzles out and bears no fruit from the Zerg's rugged carapace, I then do an expand with cannons to back me up, which at that point makes me fall very very far behind the Zerg in terms of everything. When I do FFE, which is unheard of, I have no idea how to follow it up, so overall the PvZ as enticing and action packed as it sounds, I simply am made into a stale, bland, and raw culinary dish that seems like it's not sure what it's supposed to be.
Terran vs. Terran
I never do play this matchup at all, and when I do, it usually ends with me being frustrated at my lack of being able to break siege lines, dying to nukes, being contained from every side possible, and blasted away so intensely by tanks I go all the way back to earth.
Siege Tank: Ready to roll! We're gonna show these Dominion pigs what the Confederacy is made o- *destroyed by siege tank barrage*
A worthy adversary includes the all knowing and snooty Protoss. the PvT matchup is of one that has some positioning, some sneaky Vulture laying of mines, and doing my own fun run bys. I don't really know any opener other than FD, 2 Fac builds, and 1 siege tank expand. From there, I improvise using spider mines decisively splitting apart the main base and any vulnerable expos the protoss may have. Divide and conquer as the British would say. I set up my spider mines, I go round about with my Vultures, picking off any undefended Probe lines, mining the map to restrict protoss map control, and most dastardly of all, laying spider mines at expansions. Heheheh. For the most part TvP is one of my weaker matchups.
I do redeem myself with the grand TvZ matchup mostly using 1 base plays which is what I'm most comfortable with, I've learned quite a bit from several Terran players who bested me when I was but a lone zergie learning the ways the world works and how harsh life is. I sometimes go 1 rax fac siege tech pushes which is one of the simplest with a bunker for added effectiveness. Other times I go 2 rax academy, siege tank pushes which requires an Engineering Bay for either the Muta harass if they go attack your base or detection for Lurkers. If I go mech, I rush to Ion Thruster vultures. By the time Ion Thrusters is researched, I have 4-6 Vultures out, and if the zerg didn't sim city, then you're gonna do a lot of damage. Afterwards I go 3 fac, get my Goliath tech out, siege tanks, and win the game! Sometimes I go an old fashioned rush to Dropship build where I can load and unload my whole army into the Zerg's main base. This most of the time does not work, but I've seen Boxer do it, so it must work! The 'ol 2 fact wraith build, only works if your micro is good, and Zerg isn't expecting it with no spore or Hydra tech prepared for your aggression. Otherwise you're gonna fall behind significantly. If I do something as strange and unsafe like a Rax expand build then...I can only do the Ayumi build, otherwise my macro slips and I have lots of money in the bank. It's the case of the palpable and the non palpable TvP matchup. Humans unite!
I think that's enough writing for one day now. I'll blog more tomorrow, and for your reading efforts, here's a grand music video that will evoke memories of a lost childhood, an older time of Disney animation filled with mind blowing high definition animation, and the greatest special effects imaginable! I present to you...Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins. Dig it! If only I put this much effort into my schoolwork.
