• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 06:55
CEST 12:55
KST 19:55
  • 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
[ASL21] Ro16 Preview Pt2: All Star10Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - The Finalists16[ASL21] Ro16 Preview Pt1: Fresh Flow9[ASL21] Ro24 Preview Pt2: News Flash10[ASL21] Ro24 Preview Pt1: New Chaos0
Community News
2026 GSL Season 1 Qualifiers17Maestros of the Game 2 announced92026 GSL Tour plans announced15Weekly Cups (April 6-12): herO doubles, "Villains" prevail1MaNa leaves Team Liquid24
StarCraft 2
General
Maestros of the Game 2 announced 2026 GSL Tour plans announced Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - The Finalists MaNa leaves Team Liquid Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool
Tourneys
2026 GSL Season 1 Qualifiers INu's Battles#14 <BO.9 2Matches> Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament GSL CK: More events planned pending crowdfunding RSL Revival: Season 5 - Qualifiers and Main Event
Strategy
Custom Maps
[D]RTS in all its shapes and glory <3 [A] Nemrods 1/4 players [M] (2) Frigid Storage
External Content
Mutation # 522 Flip My Base The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 521 Memorable Boss Mutation # 520 Moving Fees
Brood War
General
ASL21 General Discussion Data needed ASL21 Strategy, Pimpest Plays Discussions Pros React To: ASL S21, Ro.16 Group C BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/
Tourneys
Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 2 [ASL21] Ro16 Group D [ASL21] Ro16 Group C Small VOD Thread 2.0
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers What's the deal with APM & what's its true value Any training maps people recommend? Fighting Spirit mining rates
Other Games
General Games
Diablo IV Nintendo Switch Thread Total Annihilation Server - TAForever Dawn of War IV Starcraft Tabletop Miniature Game
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
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Canadian Politics Mega-thread YouTube 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 McBoner: A hockey love story Formula 1 Discussion Cricket [SPORT]
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
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: 1746 users

LMaster's "Macro Only" Ladder Adventure

Forum Index > BW General
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
L_Master
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8017 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-12-24 00:25:14
December 23 2018 20:57 GMT
#1
I've talked about it, other people have talked about it, it's time to have some fun!

Of course by "it" I mean the idea that if you have solid macro and production you can quite easily jump to a high(er) rank. Usually, in both RM and in ICCup this was around C (RM), or C- (ICCup). I figured it's time to put this to the test.

I'm going to be ranking down an account this evening. Tomorrow I will stream for 5 hours, and see what rank I can achieve on this account. The "rules" will be as such:

  • No micro, outside of "essential micro" (scanning, positioning obs so vision, setting down a reaver, burrowing lurkers, etc),
  • Following set, standard build orders in each matchup. No major deviations.
  • No hidden bases or sneaky expansions
  • No harassment


Stream will start at 01:30 GMT (+00:00) at: L Master's Macro Only Stream

Anything else you'd like to see or ways I should amend this are welcome.
EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!
Rodya
Profile Joined January 2018
546 Posts
December 23 2018 21:05 GMT
#2
Do you play Protoss?
Banned for saying "zerg players are by far the biggest whiners in sc2 history" despite the fact that this forum is full of such posts about Terrans. Foreigner Elitists in control!
L_Master
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8017 Posts
December 23 2018 21:23 GMT
#3
On December 24 2018 06:05 Rodya wrote:
Do you play Protoss?


I will be playing random and shouting.
EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!
Falling
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
Canada11498 Posts
December 23 2018 21:46 GMT
#4
He did. Then he switched to Zerg. And then last I saw, he was playing Random. So who knows?
Moderator"In Trump We Trust," says the Golden Goat of Mar a Lago. Have faith and believe! Trump moves in mysterious ways. Like the wind he blows where he pleases...
EndingLife
Profile Blog Joined December 2002
United States1600 Posts
December 23 2018 22:25 GMT
#5
So you're going to attempt to play like TT1?
L_Master
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8017 Posts
December 23 2018 23:11 GMT
#6
On December 24 2018 06:46 Falling wrote:
He did. Then he switched to Zerg. And then last I saw, he was playing Random. So who knows?


I was playing random to get back in the groove and get mechancis back. And because it's good as a caster to try and get some experience with all races. Toss was my original main, and is still my best race. Zerg is my current main.
EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!
L_Master
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8017 Posts
December 23 2018 23:45 GMT
#7
The way I'm going to play each matchup:

PvP - 3 gate obs -> reaver into 4 gates citadel -> 6 gates -> archives ->3rd
PvT - 21 nex -> 6 goon take third -> add tech and gates -> 4th after 8 gates
PvZ - forge expo, 1 gate star + citadel into temp tech -> 8 gates -> third

TvP - FD, 2nd fact, ebay, armory, academy, 4 facts, cc, expo, 200/200 2/1
TvT - dunno what I'm doing. Open with tanks, expand, add like 4 facts, expand again, add more facts
TvZ - 6 fact gol, attack, expo

ZvP - 3 hat spire -> 4 base lurker/hive turtle
ZvT - 3 hat lurker -> defiler -> ultra ling
ZvZ - okay, not a macro matchup. Gonna turtle with sunk/spore and go hydra.
EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!
TT1
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada10035 Posts
December 23 2018 23:47 GMT
#8
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) i approve ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
ab = tl(i) + tl(pc), the grand answer to every tl.net debate
L_Master
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8017 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-12-24 00:00:59
December 24 2018 00:00 GMT
#9
Turns out tomorrow is a little busier than I expected. I will be doing this tonight starting in .
EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!
Heyoka
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Katowice25012 Posts
December 24 2018 00:13 GMT
#10
Love this!
@RealHeyoka | ESL / DreamHack StarCraft Lead
L_Master
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8017 Posts
December 24 2018 02:08 GMT
#11
We are started!
EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!
L_Master
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8017 Posts
December 24 2018 08:02 GMT
#12
Made it to E today. So far results are promising. Quite a fun wins and only 5 losses, those coming to a B player, 2 C players, one where I messed up and played super greedy, and one to an E TvT guy that made hidden expos and lots of tanks. (Turns out A moving doesn't work very well against sieged tanks in TvT)

Pretty sure this will go to D. Less confident of C.

I will be doing this again tomorrow if I have time, otherwise it will happen the day after XMas.
EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!
JieXian
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
Malaysia4677 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-12-24 08:25:35
December 24 2018 08:25 GMT
#13
On December 24 2018 17:02 L_Master wrote:
Made it to E today. So far results are promising. Quite a fun wins and only 5 losses, those coming to a B player, 2 C players, one where I messed up and played super greedy, and one to an E TvT guy that made hidden expos and lots of tanks. (Turns out A moving doesn't work very well against sieged tanks in TvT)

Pretty sure this will go to D. Less confident of C.

I will be doing this again tomorrow if I have time, otherwise it will happen the day after XMas.


surely you should be allowed to seige up right?

Anyway this looks like an interesting experiment!
Please send me a PM of any song you like that I most probably never heard of! I am looking for people to chat about writing and producing music | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noD-bsOcxuU |
Navane
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Netherlands2751 Posts
December 24 2018 09:00 GMT
#14
Proper siege pushing is not 'just solid macro'. Neither are attack timings based on scouting.

I do believe in the message behind: "solid macro will get you really far," but I've done too many stupid attacks myself which strategically or tactically make so little sense that I throw away an entire army for nothing... It is also hard to purposefully play without the game sense that you have acquired in all the years you've played to really simulate a 'just solid macro' style.
Navane
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Netherlands2751 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-12-24 09:30:29
December 24 2018 09:28 GMT
#15
All matchups:
- you can't base your push timing on his expansion timing
- Don't take advantage of the terrain.

TvP
- FD push requires micro; should do siege expand.
- 200 2/1 push with only solid macro: so no vessels to emp arbiters: you will get stasised or recalled
- Either a-move without the perfect retreat-and-siege move, or very slow siege push.

TvT
- you can't determine which locations can be pushed or not
- you can't edge forward with tanks using scans/wraiths or floating rax

TvZ
- no irridiate
- 6 fac gols is actually a great just-macro build

If you can manage to really tone done your play to just macro, I think this can reveal what else is required to not fumble like a vanilla A.I.
prosatan
Profile Joined September 2009
Romania8680 Posts
December 24 2018 09:36 GMT
#16
On December 24 2018 18:28 Navane wrote:
All matchups:
- you can't base your push timing on his expansion timing
- Don't take advantage of the terrain.

TvP
- FD push requires micro; should do siege expand.
- 200 2/1 push with only solid macro: so no vessels to emp arbiters: you will get stasised or recalled
- Either a-move without the perfect retreat-and-siege move, or very slow siege push.

TvT
- you can't determine which locations can be pushed or not
- you can't edge forward with tanks using scans/wraiths or floating rax

TvZ
- no irridiate
- 6 fac gols is actually a great just-macro build

If you can manage to really tone done your play to just macro, I think this can reveal what else is required to not fumble like a vanilla A.I.


Whoa ! Good post Navane !
Lee JaeDong Fighting! The only church that illuminates is the one that burns.
fLyiNgDroNe
Profile Joined September 2005
Belgium4076 Posts
December 24 2018 13:00 GMT
#17
tvt is going to suck so badly.
Drone is a way of living
Muff2n
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United Kingdom251 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-12-24 13:26:02
December 24 2018 13:24 GMT
#18
deleted due to poor quoting understanding
Muff2n
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United Kingdom251 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-12-24 13:28:46
December 24 2018 13:25 GMT
#19
On December 24 2018 18:00 Navane wrote:
I do believe in the message behind: "solid macro will get you really far," but I've done too many stupid attacks myself which strategically or tactically make so little sense that I throw away an entire army for nothing... It is also hard to purposefully play without the game sense that you have acquired in all the years you've played to really simulate a 'just solid macro' style.


I echo this. Your message about macro is an important one to spread. Once people hit their C level through macro, just be aware that you need to then explore timing attacks, harass, etc. in order to develop 'game sense'. I was devoid of game sense for too long!
TelecoM
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United States10708 Posts
December 24 2018 16:10 GMT
#20
On December 24 2018 07:25 EndingLife wrote:
So you're going to attempt to play like TT1?

LOL brilliant
AKA: TelecoM[WHITE] Protoss fighting
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Escore
10:00
Week 4
escodisco1884
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
OGKoka 288
Lowko233
SC2Nice 15
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 65424
Mini 370
BeSt 291
actioN 232
Stork 217
EffOrt 194
Soma 175
Snow 171
Light 163
Larva 135
[ Show more ]
Soulkey 123
Hyun 104
Dewaltoss 96
ggaemo 96
hero 71
Pusan 59
Shinee 43
JYJ 42
Free 39
soO 35
sSak 33
Sexy 28
Barracks 23
scan(afreeca) 19
Shine 19
sorry 17
[sc1f]eonzerg 17
Movie 17
Sacsri 15
Noble 10
GoRush 8
Dota 2
XaKoH 484
Gorgc482
XcaliburYe217
ODPixel152
Counter-Strike
shoxiejesuss1435
allub247
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King103
Heroes of the Storm
Trikslyr23
Other Games
gofns15387
singsing1312
crisheroes288
Livibee58
B2W.Neo31
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream12137
Other Games
gamesdonequick560
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 13 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Jankos1274
• TFBlade877
• Stunt567
Upcoming Events
INu's Battles
5m
ByuN vs Zoun
ByuN vs Rogue
IntoTheiNu 1
RSL Revival
6h 5m
Big Brain Bouts
6h 5m
PiG vs DeMusliM
Reynor vs Bunny
Replay Cast
13h 5m
WardiTV Map Contest Tou…
1d
Classic vs SHIN
MaxPax vs Percival
herO vs Clem
ByuN vs Rogue
Ladder Legends
1d 4h
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
1d 4h
BSL
1d 8h
Sparkling Tuna Cup
1d 23h
WardiTV Map Contest Tou…
2 days
[ Show More ]
Ladder Legends
2 days
BSL
2 days
CranKy Ducklings
2 days
Replay Cast
2 days
Wardi Open
2 days
Afreeca Starleague
2 days
Soma vs hero
Monday Night Weeklies
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
Afreeca Starleague
3 days
Leta vs YSC
Replay Cast
5 days
The PondCast
5 days
KCM Race Survival
5 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Escore
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-04-22
RSL Revival: Season 4
NationLESS Cup

Ongoing

BSL Season 22
ASL Season 21
CSL 2026 SPRING (S20)
IPSL Spring 2026
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 2
Escore Tournament S2: W4
StarCraft2 Community Team League 2026 Spring
WardiTV TLMC #16
Nations Cup 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
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
2026 GSL S1
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
BLAST Rivals Spring 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.