• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 14:36
CEST 20:36
KST 03:36
  • 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] Ro24 Preview Pt2: News Flash9[ASL21] Ro24 Preview Pt1: New Chaos0Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - Presented by Monster Energy16ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT30Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book20
Community News
Weekly Cups (March 23-29): herO takes triple6Aligulac acquired by REPLAYMAN.com/Stego Research8Weekly Cups (March 16-22): herO doubles, Cure surprises3Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool49Weekly Cups (March 9-15): herO, Clem, ByuN win4
StarCraft 2
General
What mix of new & old maps do you want in the next ladder pool? (SC2) Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - Presented by Monster Energy Aligulac acquired by REPLAYMAN.com/Stego Research Weekly Cups (March 23-29): herO takes triple herO wins SC2 All-Star Invitational
Tourneys
RSL Season 4 announced for March-April Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament StarCraft Evolution League (SC Evo Biweekly) WardiTV Mondays World University TeamLeague (500$+) | Signups Open
Strategy
Custom Maps
[M] (2) Frigid Storage Publishing has been re-enabled! [Feb 24th 2026]
External Content
Mutation # 519 Inner Power The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 518 Radiation Zone Mutation # 517 Distant Threat
Brood War
General
Pros React To: JaeDong vs Queen Gypsy to Korea How Can I Add Timer & APM Count? [ASL21] Ro24 Preview Pt2: News Flash ASL21 General Discussion
Tourneys
[ASL21] Ro24 Group E [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL21] Ro24 Group F Azhi's Colosseum - Foreign KCM
Strategy
Fighting Spirit mining rates What's the deal with APM & what's its true value Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Starcraft Tabletop Miniature Game General RTS Discussion Thread Darkest Dungeon
Dota 2
The Story of Wings Gaming Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
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
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas TL Mafia Community Thread Five o'clock TL Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread NASA and the Private Sector Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Canadian Politics Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books [Manga] One Piece Movie Discussion!
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion Cricket [SPORT] Tokyo Olympics 2021 Thread General nutrition recommendations
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
[G] How to Block Livestream Ads
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Funny Nicknames
LUCKY_NOOB
Money Laundering In Video Ga…
TrAiDoS
Iranian anarchists: organize…
XenOsky
FS++
Kraekkling
Shocked by a laser…
Spydermine0240
ASL S21 English Commentary…
namkraft
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1954 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 States9799 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 States43809 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
Ladder Legends
18:00
Amateur Showdown #3
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
ProTech150
JuggernautJason106
BRAT_OK 66
MindelVK 29
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 27104
Mini 313
Soulkey 160
Dewaltoss 142
firebathero 90
sorry 83
IntoTheRainbow 13
ajuk12(nOOB) 7
Dota 2
420jenkins543
League of Legends
Reynor8
Counter-Strike
fl0m2138
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King39
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor509
Liquid`Hasu424
Other Games
Grubby1881
FrodaN1522
Hui .136
Trikslyr35
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick1071
StarCraft 2
angryscii 24
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 21 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• printf 49
• Freeedom12
• intothetv
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• Migwel
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
StarCraft: Brood War
• Airneanach39
• blackmanpl 23
• RayReign 11
• 80smullet 8
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• C_a_k_e 2995
• lizZardDota2101
Other Games
• imaqtpie864
• WagamamaTV351
• Shiphtur137
Upcoming Events
BSL
24m
RSL Revival
12h 24m
Cure vs Rogue
Maru vs TBD
MaxPax vs TBD
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
19h 24m
BSL
1d
Afreeca Starleague
1d 15h
Wardi Open
1d 15h
Replay Cast
2 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
Kung Fu Cup
3 days
The PondCast
4 days
[ Show More ]
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
6 days
CranKy Ducklings
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Escore Tournament S2: W1
WardiTV Winter 2026
NationLESS Cup

Ongoing

BSL Season 22
CSL Elite League 2026
ASL Season 21
CSL Season 20: Qualifier 2
StarCraft2 Community Team League 2026 Spring
RSL Revival: Season 4
Nations Cup 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
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026

Upcoming

CSL 2026 SPRING (S20)
IPSL Spring 2026
Acropolis #4
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
CSLAN 4
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
IEM Rio 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.