You're definately getting the hang of zerg, if you use mutas you gotta be careful they are extremely fragile, I have lost plenty groups of mutas to a slight mistake and a group of thors

About overlord placement, you did very well. However do be careful because if you lose control of the game and have to go on the defensive they can go overlord hunting and cripple your supply/economy. This is less of a problem against terran though, they seem to be more content to turtle, also they have no real way to take air superiority from you, both zerg and toss opponents do.

Rowen

United States76 Posts

October 23 2010 08:54 GMT

#42

Bump a few days later with a new replay. I've progressed to Silver now and feel, as my opponent said at the end of the match, that I'm playing at a much higher level than I'm ranked. I'm still winning 66%+ of games and the ones I lose convincingly I watch the replay and think to myself "Who is this noob behind my keyboard?" For example a Scrap Station ZvP where I scout his complete wall-in, check his unit comp is VERY light on gateway units and he stays on one base, and think "Void rays void rays void rays void rays" but NEVER find a stargate. Instead of thinking he's proxying them like any normal player, I assume I'm wrong and he's just doing...nothing? Of course void rays show up and rape my three queens and I scramble to try to defend but lose 10 minutes later. I knew what he was doing, I was CONVINCED, then talked myself out of it and failed to defend the attack I knew should have been coming. *headdesk*

Here's the replay I wanted to show you though. I play a similar-rated Protoss on Metalopolis, do my now-usual 14pool to expand and scout his 2gate robo. I fend off his early pressure pretty well and harass for the rest of the game until he finally buckles under the weight of muta/ling. Please critique my macro, specifically, as my money got OBSCENELY high but I was simply unable to spend it! I eventually dropped a second hatch (my third, total) in my natural to get more larvae out but was still making more than I was spending. I couldn't justify getting another expo since HE hadn't, and in my experience if I overextend and take two more bases than the protoss player, he'll simply crush me with a larger army, but I couldn't seem to spend any more money! Should I drop more in-base hatches??

Rowen

United States76 Posts

November 17 2010 10:09 GMT

#43

I thought it was important to show the community how far I've come because of your help (and in no small part, day[9]'s dailies). I know this is a bit of a necro, but hopefully you'll indulge me my graciousness to those who helped me out from back when I thought having below 600 minerals was "good enough"

http://www.sc2replayed.com/replays/105896-1v1-terran-zerg-scrap-station is my latest game, and actually my last game before promotion into Platinum. Near the end of the game my minerals still shoot a bit high but I was frankly out of things to spend it on until my newest expo finished. I three base an essentially one-basing Terran on Scrap Station who attempts some cute tank drop crap before being pretty well slaughtered by my ling/bling/muta gang.

My play has improved unbelievable amounts since I originally made this thread, and I wanted to thank you all for giving me the advice I needed to go from bronze noob to propelling up the ranks and hitting platinum. May diamond come soon~

Thanks,
Rowen

Chocobo

United States1108 Posts

November 17 2010 13:01 GMT

#44

It's always good to see bronze players try to improve, ask for help, then learn what you should be doing and then learn to actually do it and become a better player. Congrats on working your way up the ladder, instead of becoming a b.net forum poster complaining that zerg is underpowered.

7:30- You have a lot of drones... really a lot, and almost no army. Looks great for this particular game, but keep in mind that you'll be running into more players who will be putting 10 roaches or stalkers into your base by this point in the game.

Nothing much to the game after this. You have a giant econ advantage, easily shut down a weak drop, and completely overwhelm a considerably weaker player.

13:00- You have 2000 minerals... still need to spend a little faster. I recommend 1 (or more if needed) extra hatchery in your main for the sole purpose of extra larva, you can never have enough lings if you can afford them. Expansions are best of course, since they let you get more gas and make more non-zergling units. You could also spam spinecrawlers/spores at your newest and most vulnerable exp, if it feels threatened... just get rid of that money one way or another.

I have no doubt you'll be diamond soon, you did just about everything right in this game. Also your APM is double mine, and I've been in diamond since early on... just keep fighting the war against unspent minerals and soon I'll probably be asking you for advice. Come to think of it maybe I should post a thread and ask sometime... my APM's always been abysmal and I've never quite understood how even new players surpass me so easily, I must be doing something wrong.

Crackensan

United States479 Posts

November 17 2010 14:47 GMT

#45

@ Chocobo: First, awesome name. :D Second, APM is about muscle memory and knowing your current move, your next move, and the 10 next moves after that. :D Having a plan, being able to modify that plan then going back to your plan when you dealt with the thing that interrupted your plan is a decent mindset to work with. Also, the key I found to improving my APM is to have a solid foundation of play, which is your macro. Injects, expanding, creep spread are the keys to solid Zerg play.

Using SC2Gears, my APM about 1 month ago was about 60APM, which in game APM is ATROCIOUS. It's like 40 APM in game. It was sad. Now I'm hovering around 90-100APM, which is roughly 70ish APM in game. Some of it is warm up spam in the beginning, but after I get 2 base and start my creep spread, upgrades, multiple injects, ect, I'm averaging around that 90-100 mark. Most of that is from trying to build a solid foundation of play. Watch the Day[9] Daily when he live coaches DJWheat, as it gives you a pretty good idea of what your thought process should be and what you should be clicking on or looking at.

ALSO NOTE: APM!=skill. APM means how fast can I click a button or mouse button. Watch other players. Is it wasted APM? Wasted APM=wasted mouse clicks=wasted time which could have been spent elsewhere. If your play is tight, and your mouse/hotkey clicks are efficiant, your APM may be lower, but each click has more benefit to your overall goal of victory.