• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 05:22
CET 11:22
KST 19:22
  • 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
RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview8RSL Season 3 - Playoffs Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups C & D Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups A & B Preview2TL.net Map Contest #21: Winners12
Community News
Weekly Cups (Jan 5-11): Clem wins big offline, Trigger upsets0$21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7)12Weekly Cups (Dec 29-Jan 4): Protoss rolls, 2v2 returns7[BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 103SC2 All-Star Invitational: Jan 17-1822
StarCraft 2
General
SC2 Spotted on the EWC 2026 list? Weekly Cups (Jan 5-11): Clem wins big offline, Trigger upsets Weekly Cups (Dec 29-Jan 4): Protoss rolls, 2v2 returns Spontaneous hotkey change zerg Chinese SC2 server to reopen; live all-star event in Hangzhou
Tourneys
$25,000 Streamerzone StarCraft Pro Series announced $21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7) WardiTV Winter Cup WardiTV Mondays SC2 AI Tournament 2026
Strategy
Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ?
External Content
Mutation # 508 Violent Night Mutation # 507 Well Trained Mutation # 506 Warp Zone Mutation # 505 Rise From Ashes
Brood War
General
Potential ASL qualifier breakthroughs? BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion StarCraft & BroodWar Campaign Speedrun Quest Data analysis on 70 million replays
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL21] Grand Finals - Sunday 21:00 CET [BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 10 SLON Grand Finals – Season 2
Strategy
Game Theory for Starcraft Simple Questions, Simple Answers Current Meta [G] How to get started on ladder as a new Z player
Other Games
General Games
Beyond All Reason Nintendo Switch Thread Awesome Games Done Quick 2026! Mechabellum Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
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
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Trading/Investing Thread
Fan Clubs
White-Ra Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List TL+ Announced
Blogs
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Physical Exercise (HIIT) Bef…
TrAiDoS
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
James Bond movies ranking - pa…
Topin
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1210 users

Defining Cheese in SC2

Forum Index > SC2 General
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
MrBitter
Profile Joined January 2008
United States2940 Posts
May 11 2010 01:06 GMT
#1
I finally got a Beta Key! Yay! Found out about the GameStop pre-order deal, and haven't left my computer chair since Saturday.

So far, in spite of tanking my ranking games and getting placed first in bronze =(, I absolutely love the game. But in all its newness, I'm finding that BW build orders don't hold up so well, and new ones, at least in my experience, seem awfully prone to nerd-rage.

Playing Zerg, and in an atmosphere rife with cheese, I've been 10 pooling virtually every game and matchup, simply because it feels so safe. Often times, my first 6 lings show up before the other guy even has units outs. (lol silver is hard)

In fact, it's happened so often that I'm starting to wonder if 10 pool is "cheesey". I played BW to C (nothing special) but I didn't cheese my way there, and I don't want to cheese my way to Platinum, either.

Of course, this whole thread is just a veiled attempt to brag about a game I just played where some angry nerd raged on me for twenty minutes for being "scrubby"... But my questions still stand.

Check out the replay for rage and lulz.

http://www.sc2rc.com/index.php/replay/show/4643
Kantutan
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Canada1319 Posts
May 11 2010 01:07 GMT
#2
One person's definition of cheese will differ from another's.
Zeke50100
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States2220 Posts
May 11 2010 01:10 GMT
#3
Cheese is generally defined as an all-in maneuver where your win chance in the game becomes a black and white "0% or 100%" situation.

Of course, it's deviated a ton XD
RonNation
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States385 Posts
May 11 2010 01:11 GMT
#4
cheese is an overused term that should be banned from this website
RoarMan
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada745 Posts
May 11 2010 01:13 GMT
#5
"One man's cheese is another's standard."
All the pros got dat Ichie.
Zergneedsfood
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States10671 Posts
May 11 2010 01:17 GMT
#6
I always just thought that cheese was an all-in attack that either

a) wins you the game

b) puts you at such a high advantage that you have a transition from your risky maneuver or

c) fails and you lose the game because the move was so risky and so costly that you're not at too much of a disadvantage to come back.
/人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ Make a contract with me and join TLADT | Onodera isn't actually a girl, she's just a doormat you walk over to get to the girl. - Numy 2015
qaswedfr25
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
United States212 Posts
May 11 2010 01:18 GMT
#7
I would say SC2 10 pool is closer to BW 9 pool in terms of speed. It's not really cheese, unless you pump nonstop lings and make it allin.
seRapH
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States9777 Posts
May 11 2010 01:21 GMT
#8
10pool is definitely not a cheese, its a very easy opening to transition out of. a 10pool into roach allin or baneling bust allin would be cheese, but even 10poolspeed can transition into an economic build.

6pool, on the other hand...
boomer hands
blyn
Profile Joined April 2010
Canada57 Posts
May 11 2010 01:25 GMT
#9
Cheese is anything that kills me before i'm ready to die.
neobowman
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Canada3324 Posts
May 11 2010 01:28 GMT
#10
Mr. Bitter got to C on iccup?
EZjijy
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States1039 Posts
May 11 2010 01:29 GMT
#11
Cheesing doesn't necessarily mean all-in.
{ToT}ColmA
Profile Joined November 2007
Japan3260 Posts
May 11 2010 01:29 GMT
#12
Should ask idra bout that topic
The only virgins in kpop left are the fans
Azarkon
Profile Joined January 2010
United States21060 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-11 01:35:43
May 11 2010 01:31 GMT
#13
The standard definition of cheese is any strategy that relies on not being discovered, and which fails dramatically if discovered. I don't think cheese requires that there to be no follow-up - it is entirely possible to go fast DT rush and then to follow it up with high templars. However, since the effectiveness of DT rush relies on the tech not being discovered, it is considered a form of cheese.

In addition to cheese, there is also the concept of an all-in. An all-in is a strategy that has no follow-up, or at least very limited follow-up. Bringing all your scvs in an early push is an all-in, whether the opponent discovers it or not.

All-in and cheese are not mutually exclusive. A cheesy all-in would be 6-pool: the opponent has to know it's not coming, and there is no real follow-up because you're so economically behind if you don't cripple or destroy your opponent. By contrast, proxy cannons in your opponent's base is clearly a cheese, but it is not necessarily an all-in if you also forge expand.
KwarK
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States43444 Posts
May 11 2010 01:37 GMT
#14
It's a new game, is there any chance we could just dodge all this cheese bullshit this time round. We could use different descriptions of builds, like good or bad for example.
ModeratorThe angels have the phone box
xmo
Profile Joined April 2010
United States60 Posts
May 11 2010 01:38 GMT
#15
On May 11 2010 10:31 Azarkon wrote:
The standard definition of cheese is any strategy that relies on not being discovered, and which fails dramatically if discovered. I don't think cheese requires that there to be no follow-up - it is entirely possible to go fast DT rush and then to follow it up with high templars. However, since the effectiveness of DT rush relies on the tech not being discovered, it is considered a form of cheese.

In addition to cheese, there is also the concept of an all-in. An all-in is a strategy that has no follow-up, or at least very limited follow-up. Bringing all your scvs in an early push is an all-in, whether the opponent discovers it or not.

All-in and cheese are not mutually exclusive. A cheesy all-in would be 6-pool: the opponent has to know it's not coming, and there is no real follow-up because you're so economically behind if you don't cripple or destroy your opponent. By contrast, proxy cannons in your opponent's base is clearly a cheese, but it is not necessarily an all-in if you also forge expand.


Well said!
Quotes are hard. Let's go shopping!
Atlare
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Australia893 Posts
May 11 2010 01:38 GMT
#16
On May 11 2010 10:29 {ToT}ColmA wrote:
Should ask idra bout that topic


LOL.

My definition of cheese:
A strat/build order that either

A) Attempts to win completely by surprise or timing (Early attack)... eg. the 6 pool.
B) That if failed, put you in a position where you cannot come back if the opponent knows about your situation.
C) A last ditch attempt counter something someone has done by using A).

Probably wrong, but thats off the top of my head

Considering learning BW
MrBitter
Profile Joined January 2008
United States2940 Posts
May 11 2010 01:40 GMT
#17
On May 11 2010 10:28 neobowman wrote:
Mr. Bitter got to C on iccup?


Damn straight. Granted it was as P, so maybe I should just say D-. =p
illu
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada2531 Posts
May 11 2010 01:42 GMT
#18
I believe a so-called "cheese" is basically playing strategically while downplay mechanics.
:]
Azarkon
Profile Joined January 2010
United States21060 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-11 01:53:04
May 11 2010 01:49 GMT
#19
On May 11 2010 10:37 KwarK wrote:
It's a new game, is there any chance we could just dodge all this cheese bullshit this time round. We could use different descriptions of builds, like good or bad for example.


It's just a way to characterize strategies. Cheesy builds are not necessarily bad. They just depend more on chance and mind gaming. I think the choice between whether to cheese or not is a personal one. JF was known in BW for his cheese (and reaver micro). Idra, by contrast, hated JF's play-style and cheesy builds in general. Yet they both succeeded in their own ways in tourneys.

Although, Idra has a different definition of cheese than the standard one. To him, almost anything that beats him - except standard play - is cheese.
SuperXlax
Profile Joined March 2010
United States197 Posts
May 11 2010 01:54 GMT
#20
Read this : http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=123613
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 1h 38m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
SortOf 104
StarCraft: Brood War
Sea 4607
Rain 1940
Horang2 912
Shuttle 674
Mini 446
Larva 446
Hyuk 372
Stork 355
actioN 292
ZerO 259
[ Show more ]
Leta 231
Mong 183
Soma 147
Zeus 135
EffOrt 132
Hyun 98
Nal_rA 97
Rush 76
Killer 75
910 75
ggaemo 72
JulyZerg 60
hero 46
Light 40
Sharp 39
zelot 35
Mind 32
Terrorterran 21
Sexy 20
Free 20
soO 15
scan(afreeca) 15
ajuk12(nOOB) 13
Noble 12
Bale 10
Sacsri 10
Dota 2
XcaliburYe102
NeuroSwarm98
ODPixel85
League of Legends
JimRising 460
C9.Mang0385
Counter-Strike
olofmeister1604
shoxiejesuss944
allub245
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King110
Other Games
summit1g7388
ceh9574
Pyrionflax257
Fuzer 156
ZerO(Twitch)10
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick2965
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• iopq 4
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Jankos2075
• Lourlo1241
• Stunt543
Upcoming Events
WardiTV Invitational
1h 38m
PiGosaur Cup
14h 38m
WardiTV Invitational
1d 1h
The PondCast
1d 23h
OSC
2 days
OSC
3 days
All Star Teams
3 days
INnoVation vs soO
sOs vs Scarlett
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
4 days
All Star Teams
4 days
MMA vs DongRaeGu
Rogue vs Oliveira
Sparkling Tuna Cup
4 days
[ Show More ]
OSC
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Wardi Open
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-01-12
Big Gabe Cup #3
NA Kuram Kup

Ongoing

C-Race Season 1
IPSL Winter 2025-26
BSL 21 Non-Korean Championship
CSL 2025 WINTER (S19)
OSC Championship Season 13
Underdog Cup #3
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S1: W4
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
HSC XXVIII
Rongyi Cup S3
Thunderfire SC2 All-star 2025
Nations Cup 2026
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
ESL Pro League Season 23
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 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.