Clarity Bop - Zerg Replay Pack #2!

Thanks to DUCKVILLELOL for the VOD!

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Download here!

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Hey, I'm Clarity Gaming’s Nick “Bop” Brock, back with another replay pack! I’m excited to show you how my play has changed, improved and evolved since my first replay pack!

My creep spread has improved dramatically, due to a better understanding of map structure. I’ve also started limiting my number of tumors to two per direction; I’ve learned that two is all you actually need to get the creep as far out as you need to by the time the cooldown is up.

My play has also gone more towards standard play. I used what I learned I could get away with from playing unorthodox or “goofy” styles and applied it to standard play. Carving that out has made a still-somewhat-unorthodox style feel very comfortable and “right” in my hands.

I recently read Ver’s “God of the Battlefield” series on TeamLiquid (Part 1 / Part 2) and was inspired by the idea that sAviOr would practice other races to gain better understandings of his own matchups. After practicing Terran under the tutelage of Clarity’s own ElhayM and his replay pack, and Protoss with some help from Kontinue’s replay pack (ElhayM / Kontinue), my play has improved in those matchups substantially. Playing PvZ and TvZ from the non-Zerg perspectives has done a fantastic job of showing me what I should try to do damage to, what their weaknesses are, and how best to exploit them. I also am currently playing both Terran and Protoss at a Master level.

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In ZvZ, I’m trying to transition into more standard roach styles. However, that doesn’t stop me from still letting my own personal playstyle shine through. I still utilize Nydus play routinely, both in macro and all-in strategies. I have also made it a point to keep my play on the aggressive side of things, and no composition is off-limits to achieve this style. Counterattacking is still of the utmost importance, especially in Ling vs Roach styles. Run-by success rates stay high as a result of my higher APM, which allows me to properly tax their multitasking.


I didn’t choose the Nydus life; the Nydus life chose me.

I still maintain a Brood War mentality in this matchup, holding the position of the aggressor throughout the entire game, while expanding and macroing behind it. Keeping them on the back foot creates so many opportunities and so much space for me to effectively do whatever I want.

Watching Symbol’s yet-short-lived stream taught me that you can use Nydus Worms positionally (pulling their army out of position to get a better position for yourself and improve the quality of engagements you can take). Most of the other changes I’ve made have been more minor and nuanced, and will hopefully be noticeable.

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This matchup hasn’t changed too much; it remains my strongest matchup and, as such, lends itself well to practicing macro styles. One substantial change, though, is that my creep spread has much-improved the space I have to take engagements. Both gas and gasless openings function well in this matchup; both are safer because my new method of limiting tumors in spreading creep has also left my Queens with more energy for Transfuses. I’ve been working more within Lair-based compositions that allow me to stay aggressive. I go to Hive as soon as I take a major engagement, since they’ll be at a deficit where they have less aggressive options to stop such transitions (as learned from watching DongRaeGu’s stream.


Every unit has an application against Terran, even heavy Hydra.

Studying and practicing both Bio and Mech styles of Terran has given me invaluable insight. Learning Terran builds has also helped me identify and exploit the holes in build orders, and lets me find the best moments to push, harass, or take fights. I also better-know when to take engagements, how strong a parade push will be, where rallies end up going, etc.. This all-encompassingly lets me stay as aggressive as I’m comfortable being, by also showing me when and where the best times to take engagements are. The main subjects of my study of Terran have been Bomber, Maru, and Bbyong.

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This matchup is still where I feel the most comfortable pushing the envelope of what Zerg is capable of. Again, nothing is off-limits; the matchup remains dynamic enough that the basics of the other matchups hold little meaning. Recovering from deficits is more common, engagements are more meaningful, and experimentation is more rewarding. Low-tech aggression and high-tech defense are equally viable, as is everything in-between. Where many struggle with Skytoss styles, I use Queens and a ton of patience to deal with such compositions. The key to dealing with air is not getting too anxious.


Making myself at home in his home, again.

Nyduses are still a major facet of my play, especially in terms of countering high-tech builds. Using heavy Queen compositions in such games is key; between spreading creep in their base and being resilient against air, I feel like they are the unit that holds the idea of Nydus play together. There’s not a whole lot of outside influence on this style; it’s been largely experiential and is the only matchup that remains entirely self-taught. This matchup is my idea farm.

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There's 18 replays in this pack. 6 ZvP, 6 ZvT, and 6 ZvZ. The vast majority of these games have been against top-8 Master or GM-level players on ranked NA ladder. All replays are labeled with tags that will help identify the content of the replay. I made it a point to include a variety of different strategies and situations, so hopefully there will be something for everyone!

I’ve been streaming pretty frequently lately. I appreciate any feedback or input on my strategies, style, reactions, or anything within a more narrow or wide scope.

Also, please support me, and my team, Clarity Gaming, and please support our sponsor, Ownaj! Also, special thanks to DUCKVILLELOL for the VOD that accompanied this release!

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@ClairtyBop
Twitch.TV/Boppo
GGTracker

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@Clarity_Gaming
Facebook.com/ClarityGaming
Twitch.TV/Clarity_Gaming
ClarityGaming.com

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