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My Background
+ Show Spoiler +Terran Starcraft 2 ---member of team Root / Winner of gosucoaching tournament / second place in VT gaming tournament / ITL champion for 5+ weeks / 2200+ Diamond player / played in MLG KotBH / winner of triple strike tournament / 2nd place smuft's battle tournament / played in team liquid invitational (North American) / OMFG.fm reigning champion / original author of the build order tester / So you think you can micro? set of maps / EMP Challenge
I'm going to be doing a q&a session this thursday starting around 6 10 pm PDT. I'll be taking questions from posts here as well as comments posted in the stream itself.
Questions can really be about anything but remember that my specialty is Terran. Questions that aren't about the game's workings are also welcome.
For example - Quack - how much time do you practice?
Well Timmy, the doctor plays a variable amount of time due to requirements from school. Toward the end of the week often times upwards of 6-8 hours while at the beginning of the week 1-2 or not at all depending on homework load and other things going on in RL.
Starting @ 620 P.M. PDT Thursday 6/17
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/qxc-the-quack
my twitter | http://twitter.com/qxc0000
First stream was a big success. I've still got about 10 questions left from the thread that I didn't get to answer this week. I'll be hosting another show next week starting at 6 10 PM PST on Thursday night. Leave questions in the thread or post them during the show and hopefully I'll get a chance to answer yours next time.
*** anyway to get myself added to TL stream section / schedule? Not sure how that works
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What exactly does KiwiKaki do to you?
:>
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Besides youself, who do you think is currently the best Terran player?
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What are the most difficult openings for you to deal with in TvP?
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What's your favorite "alternative" terran strategy outside more mainstream things like mech vs zerg, bio + ghost vs toss, MMM or fast hellion openers...
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What zerg strategies annoy you most when you're going mech? What do you feel is the most solid zerg opener in TvZ/ZvT?
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QXC-
Do you watch the Day9 Daily?
Best player of each race?
Best player period (other than yourself if you're egotistical)?
Sheth or Artosis?
Is any race OP in your opinion (or if you don't like the word overpowered, which race has favorable matchups vs the others)
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Do you think that mech is overpowered? Why or why not? How would you beat mech as zerg? As protoss?
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In TheElitists podcast with Rise he said you pay for gosucoaching lessons with incontrol. Is this true?
This isn't a joke by the way in case it sounds ridiculous. Because I think it sounds pretty ridiculous.
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who's your favorite zerg player whose name starts with a C and ends with a Z?
edit: gogo kevin!!! looking forward to this
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How would you define "RTS balance"?
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ok patch 15 raped terran...... i asked lz gamer how he adapted but he hasnt had a chance to play round with a new strat.
now im asking you. for TvZ if im going mech WTF DO I DO? mix in a couple of marines? or just dont go mech at all. my mech army feels naked now 
-Roscowe(Diamond)
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On June 16 2010 10:53 Bosu wrote:
In TheElitists podcast with Rise he said you pay for gosucoaching lessons with incontrol. Is this true?
This isn't a joke by the way in case it sounds ridiculous. Because I think it sounds pretty ridiculous.
He HAS paid for lessons. Obviously since he has become a top SC2 gamer he hasn't been taking lessons with me.
LOTS of people have so you can dispel with the attitude.
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woops, inc on unc's account btw
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If you are working on a build for yourself, let's say.... while beta is down.... using your build order tester (lol)...
How far into the clock do you go to keep things optimized? At what point is it pointless because it is going to be too based off scouting? Or should I just practice every pretend scout I can think of and reacting accordingly?
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What is your favorite Terran unit? Do you feel like any Terran units require significant changes, or are you satisfied with how the race currently plays?
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I love you QxC <3
So what exactly does Kiwikaki do to you?
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What would you suggest as the best ways to improve for a terran player who is pretty new to RTS (fps background)?
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How exactly should scouting and proper unit composition be done in TvT? I always seem to have the wrong units.
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For a beginner, would you recommend practicing Micro or Macro first? which do you think is the most important overall to learn first and in pro level?
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What are your thoughts on the current state of TvT?
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How should you go about getting the edge in a TvT viking/tank stalemate? Is there a way to safely break out of a viking/tank stalemate without giving the opponent an advantage?
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Protoss is supposed to be the easiest race and Terran is considered the deepest one but every Terran unit is played at the moment while there are still unplayed units as Protoss. So don't you feel there's potential for Protoss to be way deeper than it is now ? Because I'm feeling there's room to play with different army compositions in the future while I think we've seen in the beta what Terran will be in the next years.
And a bit the same question about Zerg, for the past months Zerg was described as bland but now people start to use more different units. Does the fact that Zerg and Protoss take more time to stabilise may mean Terran will be considered the easy or bland race in the future ?
Do you think in the future professional games like Starcraft 2 will cost as much as any professional software ? Starcraft 2 will be around $180 with its 2 extensions, and there will also be a special expensive version for big tournament admins to run on lan.
Do you think since the Quake pro scene stagnates there's a way for RTS to become as popular in America and Europe as it is in Asia ?
Also do you practise with your build order tester or with the cracked AIs now the beta is down ?
Do you have plans to make melee maps ? What do you think lacks in the current Blizzard maps ?
Do you think that there's no chatroom in Starcraft 2 because there's an agreement with Facebook ? (So basically if you want to chat just go to facebook).
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I'm an D+ SCBW zerg. I played all the beta as Z. During the down time all I've been doing is watch day[9] and a couple other SC2 commentators. Because I started playing SC2 while it was still a larva, I think I've grown alot on this game. I was diamond when the beta ended (I started there anyway) and I believe I've improve a lot.
From the replays, dailys and more, I'm starting to have much more fun playing T. Now the question is:
I see alot of potencial playing T's mech. Don't you think it's a little bit over-powered TvZ?
I played Z a lot throughout the beta, it only came a little closer to balance with the last patch but roaches still cost 2 supply and that makes my army useless against a lot of tanks, a couple marauders and some more rines. What could they do to get this alot less impossible to deal with? What do you think about Tasteless's suggestion (see his last interview by Artosis) about removing the smart target fire (or whatever) back to over kill?
I have a couple more questions on this (TvZ mech) so please let me know if you like the subject.
~Chiri
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If you where a beginning, but ambitious player, how would you go about to become great at the game; what aspects of the game would you focus on; ultimately aiming for becoming a competetive player in your own right?
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On June 16 2010 15:47 chirievalord wrote:
I'm an D+ SCBW zerg. I played all the beta as Z. During the down time all I've been doing is watch day[9] and a couple other SC2 commentators. Because I started playing SC2 while it was still a larva, I think I've grown alot on this game. I was diamond when the beta ended (I started there anyway) and I believe I've improve a lot.
From the replays, dailys and more, I'm starting to have much more fun playing T. Now the question is:
I see alot of potencial playing T's mech. Don't you think it's a little bit over-powered TvZ?
I played Z a lot throughout the beta, it only came a little closer to balance with the last patch but roaches still cost 2 supply and that makes my army useless against a lot of tanks, a couple marauders and some more rines. What could they do to get this alot less impossible to deal with? What do you think about Tasteless's suggestion (see his last interview by Artosis) about removing the smart target fire (or whatever) back to over kill?
I have a couple more questions on this (TvZ mech) so please let me know if you like the subject.
~Chiri
spoiler cuz i dont wanna be a troll in my kevin's sexy tv show!
+ Show Spoiler + just wanted to point out the Ai-nerf to going back to overkill was discussed by Raelcun myself and others in vent, then Raelcun made a post about it here on team liquid where artosis posted soemthing like 'that's pretty much exactly what i was thinking' i think the interview with mr plott came later, but i think if there's any credit to be given on an idea that sadly wasnt even implemented, credit's due to Mr Raelcun.
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On June 16 2010 10:57 wrags wrote:
paris hilton
in oder aus?
That's a nish-nish
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Qxc!!! <3 You're awesome. Anyhow.
My question(s):
* Who is your favorite player and why?
* Is there any player that you admire the most? If so, whom?
* what got you started in starcraft?
I dont think I have more questions at the moment! But you are awesome ^_^ Good luck!
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As i can see you already have some tournaments under your belt, what are your plans for sc2, are you aiming for a pro Top carrier or just taking part to some semi-pro leagues/tournements while developing mods ?
Thx for all the maps you developed so far.
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is there a meaning behind the qxc name? and how did you end up choosing that as your gaming id?
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How well do you think a nydus would have countered your dropship harass? Also, why did you decide to skip tanks completely in TvZ?
Great game. I've never had a comeback like that, although I had a few that awed me.
edit: context is the game you analysed with day[9] on his stream.
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QXC, When facing the decission of killing the minearl line, or the unit producing buildings, which should I go for? Does it depend on the race of my opponent or game time?
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I love watching your aggressive play, and often you split your army for a drop or a two pronged attack. What influences the ratio of units you use for the attacks/drops, balancing between how many to be effective without losing too much if it fails?
Thanks
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You forgot "former member of OD, best clan in the universe!" Woot I'll be watching your show tommorow qxc!
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Hi QXC
I've been wondering about why people don't really go air (Im focusing on TvZ here as a terran)
With an army compesition of banshee/viking/raven with an opening 1/1/1 while going helions. I know this is gas heavy and thats why Im throwing in helions must for some harash that can help an early exspan for more gas. I would like to hear your thoughts on this because I havn't really had the chance to try it out since beta is down
Great show on day 9 ^^
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qxc, how much of an effect do you think crowd control abilities have on overall game balance? (Phoenix with graviton beams, Infestors with fungal growth and neural parasite, Sentries with force field, etc.). Do you think Terrans are at a disadvantage without any kind of cc ability?
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On June 16 2010 10:28 Spiffeh wrote:
Celtics or Lakers?
yes pls
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In general, how do you feel about the TvT match-up? Do you feel that there is enough diversity to keep/make the match-up interesting in the future? Are there any particular units you've been using that may be a little bit unorthodox from previous TvT fights in older patches?
In TvZ, do you think Ghosts can be used effectively in any part of the match-up?
Now for the dumb, but fun questions:
Favorite unit in StarCraft 2?:
Why do you play Terran?
What do you think is the most fun match-up in StarCraft 2?
Thanks for all the fun Terran play, qxc. I'm a fan :D
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Q: Is there a story behind the name "QXC The Quack?"
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Dear Dr. Quack,
As a Silver League player without a practice partner, I find it difficult putting my nose to the grind wheel and work on my mechanics (keyboard habits, focusing on food/minerals/minimap, etc.), however getting a build order down is much easier--especially since you released your build-order tester. Is there anything you can prescribe to help improve my eye focus and finger movement, or is my competitive condition terminal?
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What do you think of terran's position with heavy air in fights outside of TvT?, I find that trying to run with a heavy air army is not very versatile and is almost a little to easy to counterattack, this can cost a game fairly easily. This does seem to change a bit once enough 3/3 battlecruisers are out however, but the cost on them make them far more ineffective to pickup until very late game.
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How do you recommend using bio against muta/baneling?
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What is your favorite unorthodox strategy for each race?
(By unorthodox i mean gimmicky, random, and completely insane)
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QXC- do you think that the map pool currently favors terran heavily? Which map is the most balanced, and which is the least?
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What is the best way to deal with Thor drop strategies TvT? I usually favor fast banshee openings (especially since tank nerf), is it possible to do well/recover quickly if you open banshee vs Thor drop?
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Do you feel that hellions are "shallow" that is to say, lacking depth, compared to vultures?
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I have a question about hotkeys. As a terran, there are can be situations where you have 6 or 7 different unit producing structures (with tech labs and reactors), I've noticed that most players seem to put all barracks for example on one hot key then tab between the tech lab, reactor, and vanilla. Others just put all rax, facts, and ports on one hotkey and tab through them like a madman. I'm sure there may even be a few people who rock it BW style and macro with the F5-F8 keys.
What style of hot key set up do you find is the easiest to macro? I'm a new player, and just find that having all buildings on one hotkey is great for never mis-rallying, but is harder to just execute and time. I want to learn efficent macro mechanics, and I feel that there are enough people still on the fence about which macro setup is better to ask. Thanks.
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Could anyone give me the time of this european style, because it is not listen in the TL calendar?
i r confuse.
I have a question too ;/
Do you feel that the current 8 mineral patch 2 vespene geyser blizzard have made standard on every map make the current macro game lack tension and ends up promoting too much one / two base play? Would straight up reduceing the mineral patch count be better than takeing away 500 from each patch?
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Whats you favorite unit combination for harassment/ fast pressure? How important is having these unit combinations in your style of build orders, or do you just make do with what you have on hand at different stages of a game based on more driving factors?
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I seem to like to box alot of things, eg. at the start of the game i would box my probes and sent them to work and then im ready to box again to split of some probes off to another mineral patch, however as i do this i just get into the habit of boxing everything. all my units, leading to control group 1 syndrome. my point is its limiting my ability to hotkey. i was wondering how often you "box" in comparison to clicking/hotkeying? thanks
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this is gonna be awesome, can't wait! docta quaaaaaaack
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As a European i think this starts at 02:20, this is a bit late for me so can you make sure its recorded and uploaded to youtube r blip.tv afterwards :>
As for my question:
I really loved the aggressive dropship play seen in the replay that was shown on Day[9]'s daily. Do you ever use aggressive dropship techniques when using mech? For example, Thor drops/hellion harrass drops or siege cliff drops? What has your experience of success been with them?
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Doctor quack, i have a condition, it is called the 1 control group syndrome, what medicine should i take to treat it? In other words what is, in your opinion, the best course of action at transitioning from using 1 control group to using 3-4 control groups. How should i manage those groups?
Could you name some of the micro tricks or mechanics that might not be obvious for the players that haven't played BW extensively?
For example what is the fastest and most efficient way to position your army in a nice arc?
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United States2095 Posts
Doctor quack, for newb zergs such as myself, what opening do you recomend vs. skilled terrans who go quick factory with hellions start? Do you recomend either fast zerglings with queens + a spine crawler, or do you recomend trying to block ramp with a queen and getting a few roaches? What opening do you find the hardest to play against as a zerg opening? Hope that wasnt too many questions! =)
Edit: I changed Vultures to Hellions
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On June 18 2010 03:16 Sheth wrote:
Doctor quack, for newb zergs such as myself, what opening do you recomend vs. skilled terrans who go quick factory with vultures start? Do you recomend either fast zerglings with queens + a spine crawler, or do you recomend trying to block ramp with a queen and getting a few roaches? What opening do you find the hardest to play against as a zerg opening? Hope that wasnt too many questions! =)
well hey there little buddy, as the doctor's representative i wanted to stress noob questions from the likes of you can't be taken seriously if you call hellions vultures.
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QXC,
1. You mentioned that you play on a variable schedule, sometimes lighter in the beginning of the week and heavier towards the end. While this is very understandable given changes in how much free time due to work, school or other constraints, would you think that longer practice sessions are the reason you get ahead or consistency? I have heard Day[9] mention that he generally needs to take 2-3 hours of playing to get into the groove and feel that he's improving, and wonder about the length and/or intensity of play sessions. As a player looking to improve asking a player who has improved in a short period of time, should I focus more on consistency (playing at least 10 games every day), duration (playing when I have free time instead of forcing those games in on days I don't have much time or are worn out) or intensity (playing the amount of games it takes to get something down, like a build order, and focusing on primarily that)?
Obviously desire to play and time should drive my practice sessions, but you have to train hard to expect success. I'm looking to train, however I do have a very busy schedule with work, school, exercise and nutrition, so I'm curious on your thoughts.
TL;DR - Is consistency or intensity the better approach to improving your game?
2. What are your thoughts on people coming over from ICCUP with low rankings and their placements/perceptions on their game? It seems anyone that could achieve a D on Iccup can get into Platinum and Diamond easily, and as a D level Iccup player, I have done so. Much to the lament of the serious and good players, this creates the illusion that people are much better than they think they are (countless "advice from a top plat" threads), when in reality their elite ass mass reaper build is working because their opponents are horrible. Do you think Blizzard's hook of people playing because they think they are good will have ramifications on the esports scene and viewership?
3. As a Protoss player, I'm curious as to if you have tried out a Combat Shield Marine push with a Ghost or even a tank in TvP. I have a bit of trouble dealing with the 55 health Marines, especially if you have a medivac or two in the early or early midgame. I typically do zealot/sentry with a few stalkers in case of reapers and go into robo tech, but I generally don't have the robo up when you're coming out. Is there any solution you have encountered other than gosu forcefields against your marine push?
Thanks and keep kickin' ass.
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This is awesome, qxc always delivering to the community!
I got 2 questions.
1) Are you gonna try to go pro in starcraft 2 once its launched ?
2) whats your opinion on the world cup ball
=) I hope I can make it and listen to it
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whats the best way to beat viking/tank in TVT (besides more viking/tank)
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Awesome idea , its hard to find ood players that dont act arrogant ;P
Anyways Q:
Why Terran?
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what was your highest rank on iccup
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Going live in just under an hour. Thanks again for all the questions. I'll still be taking q's during the show assuming there's time.
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all set and ready to go, gogogo kevin!
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adding another question . during downtime, ive been playing ai vs sc2manager greentea AI. which helps alot.
Do you play alot with your own build order alot now? or have you been playing vs ai scripts? or maybe this is a chance to relax for a while?
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looking forward for the next one, good stuff!
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are you going to put this Q&A on demand or upload the recording somewhere? I kinda missed it :C
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I forgot to hit record -_-+.
First stream I've ever done so still working out some of the kinks. Had some sound issues @ the beginning & closed the stream early by accident. Check it out next Thursday @ 610... I'm pretty sure I answered one of your q's too.
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What team do you play for on Brood War and why? 
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Hi qxc,
1) to get your stream in the tl list:
quoted from TL Ustream tutorial
+ Show Spoiler +Adding your stream to the teamliquid.net User Streams list
There are no requirements to add your stream to the non-featured streams list on the site, here is how you should prepare.
Step 1: Make a thread with all the relevant information in the appropriate forum (SC2 general mostly). Your name, your stream's name, a link to the stream, what the stream will feature, why your stream is better than everyone elses, visual quality, and epeen size.
Name the thread: [Stream] Stream name (Ex: [Stream] Ghen playing starcraft)
Step 2: Send a private message to SonuvBob here
Include a link to your stream's thread and a URL directly to the stream.
Step 3: Be patient! It won't take too long, but sometimes Admins take a few days off for family, etc.
2) do you upload your stream in future on blib?
because the time is really bad for eu ^^
3) tactical questions:
TVZ
As terra against zerg you make a fast first push to get his ling count up and his drone count down
there are several ways to push fast
hellion rines, bansche mass, bansche cloak, follow by rush thor drop or mass hellion drop
by the first push you only know exp or not and not what hes really doing so i dont think the push depends on scout.
so what do you think is the best first push against a zerg? (mech build)
and if you think it totaly depends on scout, on what infomation you choose what push?
TVT
the airrace lets me think over totaly skipping air.
you give aircontroll away but push fast and hard with tank and thor and save eng for scan if he goes cloak bansche or to kill tanks on his natural cliff.
Later you can push bw style with turrets over the map.
sure he has the air controll and the tank vission advantage but you should mass him out on ground.
do you think this will pay off or do you think you HAVE TO go into the airrace?
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Hey, saw the day9daily when you where on, your like pure Sun Tzu man, ever read The Art of War?
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Yea I read Art of War a few years ago and a second time when I started playing BW competitively
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Melbourne5338 Posts
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EPT
