Starcraft 2 HotS Guide - The Grandmaster Manual - by Top Pro-Gamers on SEA
The Grandmaster Manual is a comprehensive Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm Starcraft 2 guide specifically aimed to help lower league players improve their game and get easily into diamond and then eventually into masters or grandmasters. Check out the amazing testimonials we have received! It has been updated in May 2013 with the latest HotS strategies.
PiG and mOOnGLaDe travel to Gemany to represent SEA in the IEM Global Finals.
PiG wins WCS Australia
mOOnGLaDe wins WCS Oceania
Revenant wins WCS Singapore
July 2012
Jazbas wins WCS New Zealand
PiG wins ACL Melbourne
April 2012
GLaDe wins ACL Pro Sydney
January 2012
GLaDe wins ACL Pro Gold Coast
November 2011
Revenant wins the Cyberfusion League Malaysia 2011
September 2011
GLaDe wins the SEA Blizzard invitational, Jazbas finishes second.
Revenant wins the E-Sports Thailand Championship(ESTC) 2011
August 2011
mOOnGLaDe finishes top 8 at the IEM Global finals in Cologne, Germany beating HuK and Tarson to finish #2 in his group.
September 2011
nirvAnA just won the WCG Singapore Starcraft 2 National Finals and will be representing Singapore in the WCG Grand Finals in Busan, Korea.
FlashRevz wins IESF Singapore Starcraft 2 and will be representing Singapore in the IESF Grand Finals in An-dong, Korea
PiG & mOOnGLaDe have just won the 2 spots in the SEA IEM qualifiers with PiG beating GLaDe 2-0 in the finals. Coach iaguz finishes #3. GLaDe can't make it at IEM so both PiG and iaguz will be representing the SEA Region in the IEM Global finals in Guangzhou, China.
GLaDe wins Blizzard SEA Invitational for $5,000 USD.
iM'YoonYJ wins $1,500 AUD and finishes #2 in Gigabye ESports @ Melbourne.
October 2011
xGkingiaguz , aLtJimDiddy , mOOnGLaDe , aLtPiG and i'MYoonYJ have all qualified for the WCG Australian Finals @ Gold Coast. What do they have in common? They are all TGM coaches/author - taking up almost half the total finalist spots and showing once again the level of quality the guide is supported by.
FlashRevz wins ESTC 2011 in Thailand , beating home favourite RedArchon in the finals 3-2 and taking home $1,600 USD
December 2011
GLaDe finishes first in his WCG group, which contained powerhouses like Sen, elfi, F91 and Socke. He narrowly losses to MKP 1-2 the knock out stage.
TGM Authors and Coaches iaguz, Revenant, PiG, nirvAnA, GLaDe, YaMaMa and YoonYJ finish in the top 16 of the season 4 Grandmaster ladder, taking up a massive 50% of the top spots at the end of the ladder!
If you ever experienced the following this Starcraft 2 Guide will be useful to you:
Love Starcraft 2 and want to be good at it but just don't have the time to "put in the hours".
Curious to know all the tricks & secrets the top players have used to get to where they are.
Experienced but not satisfied with your current skill level and want to get better .
Seemed to have reached a skill ceiling and don't feel they're progressing anymore and can't get promoted from their current league.
Constantly lose to cheese or the same "imba" strategies repeatedly and still do not know how to beat them.
"Forever Bronze!".
Have ever been tempted to resort to using cheats or win games by constantly cheesing. Become naturally good the ethical way which will demand true respect from your peers.
Dream of one day playing with the big boys, winning competitions and getting casted in VODs.
The Grandmaster Manual written by nirvAnA, mOOnGLade, PiG & OxygeN will help you:
Learn the knowledge and secrets from the top players in SEA and the step by step strategies they used to get to where they are.
Fully understand the mistakes that have kept you from progressing with detailed exercises and checklists on how to improve your micro, macro and mechanics.
Learn all the correct ways to counter cheese and "imba" strategies, explained in detail with replays and illustrations.
A walkthrough build and a variety of advanced build orders with replays, pictures and explanations for every single matchup.
Cut the "hours needed to be put in" in half thanks to all the knowledge and secrets shared in this guide.
Use this newfound knowledge to blast your way through the leagues, reaching your goals quickly and easily.
Lastly, further increase your knowledge with our bundled coaching plans at highly discounted rates. (Optional)
All testimonials will now link to their SC2SEA member profiles. For those new to the SEA community, you may not know these people but they are actually familiar names in our community forums with hundreds of posts. You can see their post histories and stuff by clicking in their names. Everything here is exactly as it was written, by the members of our community who have benefited from this guide.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
It has something big to deliver for ALL races and most player styles. With everything from small tips and hotkey tricks, down to the mindset of the player, this is just an amazing manual. As a diamond player I found the Anti cheese section extremely helpful (as you could imagine), and after reading sections like this, the annoyances of bad players just cheesing you and keeping you from being promoted started to turn around into a more "hey I got this guy now, big mistake buddy". This manual is so good, even for those who don't like reading so much content. Every little thing you read in here will help you just that little bit more, and you can just keep coming back and reading little sections your are really having trouble with. which is what I did XD Eventually I did read the whole thing because reading into the races that I DIDN'T play still meant I could get a little more of an idea of how the other races worked, and even how to counter their counter haha. I would definitely Recommend this to anyone who is looking to improve their skills in SC2, as it will NOT disappoint. Definite bang for your buck, and if not for this guide I would never have got into masters, and absolutely not in this period of time. Still staying subscribed to keep getting more to come and of course coz I'm not yet in GM! Thanks to everyone who helped to create this guide, Great work.
Content: 8/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 9/10
The manual says its there with the potential to guide low level players to masters, and it gives everything that you'd need to achieve that goal. I especially love moonglade's section, it is SO to the point and under-complicated that I'd definitely recommend it for any zerg struggling with concepts.
Content: 8/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 9/10
This is an excellent guide. Unlike most of the threads you can read on TL (and even here) it goes beyond just telling you things you should do, and helps you understand why you should do them, and what they mean in the context of the game.
Since reading this guide, in the last week I've already gone from Gold to Platinum, and am getting evenly matched against Diamond players now.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
Amazing! The Grandmaster Manual takes you on a step-by-step learning process where you can pace yourself, regardless of whether you are a beginner or trying to get into Grandmaster League. Before reading TGM, I was stuck in Diamond league, and was feeling like I couldn't improve. Since reading it I feel like my mechanics and strategical/psychological mindset have improved drastically, which have allowed me to advance into masters within just a few days.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
Hi Azron here. At first I was hesitant in purchasing this, but I'm glad I did as if you hit that plateau in skill, this is what you really need to elevate yourself to the next level, as it gives you a studied and detailed insight of the game. I was longing for a SEA community so when I saw this was by SEA players I was definitely on board. If your in diamond just like myself - this really helps change your mind set in terms of gaming, which was one of the major factors holding me back. Shout out to nirvAnA for being so helpful - hopefully to 'SEA' you guys soon, hilarious aren't I!
"The race sections are the best part! You're given the best economic opener for your race & then detailed descriptions of what happens in the early/mid/late games, what you should be aiming for & the reasons behind them. The explanations make its so much more useful than hard numbers or simplistic BOs you normally read about - that end up meaning nothing past 5 minutes into the game due to harass or scouting. This guide teaches you the game the right way, by increase your understanding and not simply regurgitating BOs!"
"2 words for those thinking about purchasing the subscription: STOP THINKING!
Get it now. 2 thumbs up for the great pictures, content and tips throughout the guide. No other guide matches this one. "
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"To be honest, i was very skeptical to get this guide at first because 90% of online guides are just rip offs. However ... i really wanted to get out of this freaking Silver League! The depression and despair threw all sense of caution overboard and made me get it in the end! I really have to say that i am impressed about the information found inside this manual. Of course alot of stuff is common sense and some parts you already know if you played SC2 for some time but there are always some little details that you probably have never heard of even if you are a higher league player. I am actually only done with the Basics Section and flew a bit over the protoss race explanation. I did not go into the real detail yet and can already see a really big improvement on my gameplay. I actually get expansions at the right times, crush most types of cheese, win almost every macro game and even let zerg shiver from my forcefield skills.
Since words can say alot i will also add my screenshots from the day i got the guide and 2 days later to prove that it actually works.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Seriously the best guide out there!! I'm not the strongest player out there, and I was struggling with beating bronze players LOL, but just 1 week after getting the guide, I am now able to win against gold players 50/50. It is really in depth, the coaches have put a lot of effort and time into this and it has paid off. Definitely worth every penny!"
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Everything you could ever need to help your SC2 play. When you think you've found everything, look again, this guide just keeps going. If you want to help your play - Start Here."
Content: 8/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 9/10
"Thanks for writing such a great guide, has helped me immensely. I have gone from top diamond to about top 15 masters at the moment. It helped so much with the basics, which I thought I knew but didn't really.
An hour of coaching from YoonYJ was great too, can't believe such an awesome player #1 on SEA gave me an hour of coaching just for buying the guide. I think I understand the game a lot better now, but I'm sure there is still a massive amount to learn and I am still learning new things here every day."
Content: 9/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hello my fellow members of SEA, Dumbledore here, purchased a subscription of 6 months for TGM. I'm a protoss player so have been looking through the toss chapters, everything is very detailed with replays included. I'm currently diamond hoping to get into masters soon. Thanks Nirvana, I love you, I want to have behbehs with you. On EU Server my name is: TSPMetacry US: Dumbledore TW: Uniden
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall score: 10/10
"I had tried other guides before and wasn't really finding any information I couldn't get for free anywhere else, so I wasn't all that sure about what I was buying into. The choice to buy was mainly to support the community. I was amazed at the resources available, the exercises, the dedication to continuing to improve it over time, and the way that the information was presented. With multiple contributors (legitimate progamers among them, not some low league player who watches a lot of Day9) I feel it has directly influenced my improvement. You hear a lot about "this is how to get promoted" from a lot of places, and it never seems to be so simple. One of the biggest things I noticed about TGM is that what it says is very clearly correct, there are no grey areas. It is thorough, complete, and I'm glad I have the sub."
"Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
I have only had time to briefly read part of the zerg section, and already I can see results. I found myself reaching my limit of skill sitting around top 10 platinum and losing consistently to protoss, and struggling with zerg openings. Since reading the protoss section, and watching only a few of the many replays given, I have won 7 games in a row, including 4 against protoss.Knowing what to build and when has helped me profoundly. I now understand the match up and what I should actually be doing
I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to improve. The guide is extremely detailed, so dont expect to not have to put any effort in to getting better. Id gladly respond to any PM's about my experiences with the guide.
Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the guide
"I would personally like to thank all the people who wrote TGM guide. i was stuck in platinum for a while and when i thought hard about it i didnt truly understand the game mechanics properly. after subscribing to TGM my understanding of the game has got alot better. i now scout correctly and adjust my games accordingly and this has helped me reach diamond!
so thanks alot. now...... on to Masters!"
- JaimeDesmond
"Congrats on the promotion. I, too, would like to thank the guys for putting together TGM. I've looked at other guides and have been disappointed because all they seem to do is focus on the campaign or point out information that can be found in the help menu of SC2. This is the first guide I've seen that has a legitimate recipe for success that anyone can follow. I'm only in silver, but I'm already seeing my gameplay improve. I'm hoping a promotion will be right around the corner for me, too. Congrats again JaimeDesmond!"
Testimonial from our SEASL #2 Sponsor Soulja who was so happy he even went on to sponsor a major tournament of ours!
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hit Master's the other day. This testimonial is overdue. The combination of this manual and some good ole' hard experience and practice made me the SC player I am today. I am the 2%! Can't thank you enough!
I was stuck in Platinum for months.
Diamond league came first, then I was promoted to Master's the other day. I had a SC marathon pulling an all nighter dedicated to 1v1 (NA) winning 95% of my games. I know my MMR was already at Master's/Top Master's because that's all I was playing. After looking at a very successful (and green) Match History I was about to call it a night until I told myself one more game. It was against a Top Master Zerg player on a small map. I executed a perfect proxy 2Rax() Satisfied with the win I waited for the score screen to appear, and around 3AM that's when I received the Rank 11 Master promotion.
I just wanted to echo the original post and thank all those who wrote and contributed to the manual. If you need a practice partner in NA, feel free: [FIVESTARSIX.950] Thx again."
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hi, I'd just like to start off by saying your guide is terrific!!
I've spend money on other guides before like Shokz and Hotkeyit (which were both helpful mind you). But this guide is leaps and bounds beyond them. As a gold league player myself trying to get better i constantly found i had hit a wall and was slowly getting better but i can already tell this guide will definitely assist me above and beyond my expectations. If i could go back i would save my money and pay for this one straight up.
I especially like the interactive exercises and the check list stuff which assists to create a learning experience as opposed to a lump of information. I also like the reference to this guide being a text book!. I only bought this guide yesterday but i'd just like to thank you for not ripping me off!
For anyone that is reading this and thinks 'This feedback is probably the people who wrote this guide making numerous accounts and spamming positive feedback to trick people'.. That's what i thought but being the compulsive buyer i am i paid for the guide... and i assure you, its worth it!"
Some feedback. Great guide. I just signed up for second time. This time for infinity and put a friend onto this who is new to sc2. It doesn't leave any stone unturned. I've switched from terran to zerg and this has made the transition so much quicker and easier. Really taken the guesswork out of it.
Thank you for making this invaluable resource available to the community.
-----
Another from ASCH who is all the way from Costa Rica! He made the original thread here. This is the shorter version!
"Hi, my name is Allan Andres i am from a far country in Latin America Called Costa Rica...
I am here with my new account i am not new in this forum have more than a year !! but i think its my first post! Sorry for my english I am not a natural english speaker! If I have some mistakes maybe you can help me improve it!
IDK how we reach here from so far away from my country but a friend and I were beginning to play again Starcraft after like 6 years!
We played broodwar in our school sometimes we miss some classes because a endless battles in our coffee internet or in lan in houses of friends!
We start playing and a few day later we found this TGM guide!!... For a Test we bought a 6 months subscribed so we both use the account to read it (I know its not right for the community but we where afraid that was scam so we bought just one) !!
I start reading and stop when I read something like: KEEP READING WHEN YOU REACH DIAMOND!
I took me those 6 months to reach top diamond, i start first just playing 4v4 or free for all games like that
then we all the afraid of the world make the league placements matches
The 1 season of 2012 I ranked Gold took me those 6 months of the subscription to reach diamond so i cant continue reading lol !!
But i can tell that the guide here help me alot to continue improving everyday here with team liquid giveme a lot i am current NA hots Masters and there is a lot of way to go!
I remember always to stories from here the one from KFC and from Abraham Lincoln
So I want to return something to this community that give me a lot of help with the guide and MAFIA that helps me alot !! And start participating more here! tournaments etc etc"
To extreme detail, build orders, timings, replays and many different strategies for each matchup
Weekly Updates
Most offer static ebooks or have news posts that were last updated in 2010.
New replays and content weekly
New content
Most updates are small fixes
We don't just do small updates but produce entirely new content for our subscribers
Community Site
Their sites were created solely to sell their guide.
We were born from a vibrant community with alot of potential practise partners to find, tournaments to play in, forums to discuss, dedicated practice channels - all of which provide a great environment to grow as a player.
Exclusive Coach Support Forums
Most have no forums, none have specialized race coaches, or coaches for that matter
We have a special forum where our specialised race coaches help answer questions members have.
Interaction with Authors
Mostly through email for access issues not related to the guide
At any point and at any chapter in the guide!
Written by Grandmasters
They are at best unknown diamonds who have since stopped playing starcraft after making a quick buck.
The very top players and most well known names on the SEA server
Ever had problems with dealing with cheese? This guide will cover all the popular cheeses for each race, how to scout/identity them, the common mistakes people use to counter them, the right way of countering them and a replay to see it all in action. Learn to crush cheese easily!!
Alot of the times it helps to have a fresh pair of eyes or a player with a different perspective to go through the games and spot stuff which you didn't see. The authors and coaches will personally go through certain member submitted replays from silver to diamond, featuring the games and doing write ups which suggest areas that can be improved to hopefully help you to break the next barrier to promotion.
Bonus 3. Game Analysis of ladder games from the pros!
As part of our "constantly updated" feature in The Grandmaster Manual, every week we will try to add new valuable content that will enhance our subscribers experience. This section will contain a series of analysis by chosen Grandmaster Guest Pros / Coaches who go through 10 Ladder Games of their wins/losses from their perspective.
And best of all instead of charging $5, $10, or $20 or even a single cent more for these sections, these are all available absolutely FREE as they are included with the subscription!!!
Yes, in our best value for money package, this guide is also bundled with one free hour of coaching with a sc2sea coach of your choice! If you have not tried coaching before but were always curious, now would be the best time to start. Without our package, some coaches charge up to $30/hour at their own rates, but with the special rate you effectively pay just $10 more for 1 hour of coaching!
A relatively unknown player till recently, PiG spent time honing his skills in NA andy made a name for himself after taking #3 in a NA ESL Go4Sc2 Monthly Invitational. He soon followed that with strong lan performances including winning a City Hunter Charity Tournament in Sydney. He has also done well in online SEA competitions, finishing high in community opens and all killing teams in the KOF.
Apart from SC2, PiG is an avid writer who's studying humanities at university and he likes spending time with his Asian girlfriend!
Server Access: SEA, NA and KR
Hourly fee: $20/hour AUD
Package Offer:
I offer several extra services to my new students for the first lesson, and for all lessons if they book four lessons in advance:
1) 10-15 minute prep-sessions where we have a quick chat about problems you're facing and I give you some basic builds to practice if the ones you are using aren't optimal.
2) Replay Analysis: After lessons you send me replays with questions or simply for pointers and I will email you back points to improve upon.
3) Extra lesson time, usually running between 10-15 minutes extra. This allows us to spend extra time practicing the really essential foundations aswell as a more laidback timeframe so we can comfortable with each other.
Champion in City Hunter Charity Tournament March 2011 (Zerg)
#2 in sc2sea.com’s Community Open #12 February 2011 (Zerg)
#2 in sc2sea.com's Community Open #17 May 2011 (Zerg)
#2 in sc2sea.com's Community Open #22 June 2011 (Zerg)
#2 in Z33k Random Race Tournament #3 March 2011 (Random)
#2 in Empirisoft Aus-1 1v1 Open January-May (Zerg)
#2 in SEA Starleague Code A Qualifier
#3-4 in sc2sea.com's iMaster of SEA #2 March 2011 (Zerg)
#3-4 in Z33k Random Race Tournament #2 March 2011 (Random)
#3-4 in North American Solo League Tournament #7 January 2011 (Zerg)
#3-4 in Comon Gaming Cafe Tournament #2 April 2011 (Protoss)
#3 in 3 ESL (NA) Go4sc2 Weekly Cups (6/2/2011, 9/2/2011, 21/2/2011) (Zerg)
#3 in ESL(NA) February Monthly Invitational Finals March 2011 (Zerg)
Committed two all-kills in KOF #3 May 13th 2011
Before the lesson even starts: I get replays from my students and watch them. I also have a quick chat asking the problems my students think they're having and what they want to improve on. From this I gauge their skill level, where and what to focus on. I will check that my student is performing their basic mechanics and openers correctly.
Coaching outline over 1 hour (For a student who wants general improvement): I start from the basic level ensuring all my students really UNDERSTAND how to build their economy in a safe and efficient way and how to control their units and structures effectively. We start around perfecting safe openers for each matchup , including how to react to your opponent and exactly how to deal with all the popular forms of aggression. We will practice against a friend or myself and make sure that there is an understanding of how to defend just about anything whilst building economy.
For higher level players or players whos problems are much more focused around decision making, positioning and micro, I give much more specialised lessons. These are also based on what you have problems with and what I see in replays you provide.
Some students feel they can learn macro on their own and would rather focus on aggressive tactics and want to learn some new cheese and timing attacks. For this I have a variety of techniques and cheese builds which we will run through against friends of the students or myself until you are capable of inducing nerd-rage all across ladder.
Jack 'Audacity.764' McClatchey – Platinum to Diamond
"Jared 'altPig' is the most amazing starcraft player and manly man you will ever meet. After a mere 3.6 seconds of tutoring I was #2 grandmasters (second only to the man himself) while Idra, Sen and Nestea pestered me for builds and practise. Shortly after my lesson's conclusion, I looked down to discover I had grown a full beard. The only thing I would criticize was the breaks in which aLtPig would plug in a new keyboard, having set fire to the previous one with his furious apm."
Lolz aside, he wrote a serious one as well:
"Jared “aLtPiG” is a great teacher, far better than I expected. He is very easy to work with and provides great overall help on any part of play that you might have trouble on. Information that helps in the long run such as the analysis of replays is also covered. If you are thinking about having lessons with aLtPiG I would greatly recommend it, I believe he was the main factor in my promotion to the diamond league."
Josh 'Volition' Davenport – Gold to Platinum
"I joined PiG as a lowly gold zerg, having played terran previously. Before we started, PiG took the time to ask the way I wanted to play, what I believed were my strengths and weaknesses and the parts of the game with which I personally struggle. With this information, in conjunction with my replays, PiG was able to teach me builds that fit with my mid and late game styles. However, the lesson did not just involve the memorisation of builds - it also involved information, lots and lots of information. PiG isn't one of these coaches that will try to change your playstyle so that it is exactly like the way he plays - and the training is better for it as the solutions/builds he presents are possible for you to execute. The lessons are structured with lots of notes, mostly typed by PiG. Make sure you save them to your pc - I still refer to mine when I am struggling with a matchup.
One of the things i have noticed during my time being taught by PiG is that he is very specific, whether that be in instructions, timings or playstyle. Everything he does and teaches seems to be done for a reason, and those reasons are explained thoroughly. I come away from each lesson feeling like I have gained a greater understanding of the zerg race, and with a greater knowledge of the game in general. With greater knowledge and understanding, the game becomes more and more interesting as you start to see things you would have previously overlooked.
While there is no guarantee lessons with PiG will get you promoted or rank 1 in your division. I have, however, been promoted since starting my lessons (to a lowly plat player). However, becomming a better player is only part of the benefit of obtaining coaching from PiG - I find I want to play more and understand why I am winning or losing. Add to this that he is always online to answer questions, it is extremely good value for the hourly fee.
I have no problems in recommending coaching from PiG, and I have lined up more lessons in the future. If you have any questions and are too shy to approach the man himself (dont be, he is nice), do not hesitate to shoot me your questions."
Frank 'Sangyerians' Li - Masters to winning a laptop!
sangyerians.287
"When you get training from PiG, you definitely get value for money. PiG played practice games with a friend of mine before a big LAN tournament and helped him win first place (Kayz winner of Cityhunter Anniversary Festival Silver division, won a laptop!). If that’s not a direct correlation between PiG’s coaching and success, I don’t know what is.
Not only is PiG a great coach, strategist and general SC2 connoisseur, but the reason I chose him above others is because he is an all round good person. What sets PiG apart other coaches is that not only is he a fantastic player, but I realised that he is a great guy from the posts and contributions he makes to UNSW/USYD StarSoc (shameless plug) amongst other mutual forums we frequented.
I had the pleasure of meeting with PiG in person and chatting with him and you could not meet a nicer person if you tried. No really, don’t even bother. His mentality and focus on helping the student become better and to, above all, have fun embodies his love for the game and ability to convey his vast knowledge of the game to any level of player. Patient with those who need it and efficient with those who prefer it, you can try and find a zerg coach who not only has value for money (not that that’s important, PiG is worth every penny) and is friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, skilled and above all, humble in his teachings, as PiG is. A+++ would buy again."
Steve 'FaDeEveTs' Hunt - Master to Grandmaster
fadeevets.153
About 4 weeks ago i was a mid-high masters player and had my first lesson with pig.
He went over some macro mechanics, taught me the exact amount of drones to make and how to tell, and also provided me with a new and more solid hotkey setup (previously i was using the backspace method, which is easy for laziness and makes you feel pro, but trust me when you get used to pig's method it's much better). Jared really cleaned up my macro and polished some edges in my play, including army positioning and use, i went off to ladder and practice for a few weeks. After feeling more confident in TvZ which is the matchup we covered, i came back to pig and went over a solid roach playstyle for ZvP, mere days after the session i was consistantly beating protosses such as pRoRenson on ladder ( )
So yep, now that GM has been unlocked i've slid right into GM and am currently around the 70th mark, which is much higher than i would've achieved without pigs help. Considering pig is also considerably cheap for the level of play that he is at, i would honestly recommend him to any zergs who want some help in any aspects of their play. GLHF!
Although probably the youngest coach, Revenant is no stranger to the RTS scene. Formerly a two time Warcraft 3 national WCG champion, he started the game late but still managed to dominate the Singapore Warcraft 3 scene. His work ethic is regarded as one of the best and success soon followed in Starcraft 2 where he managed to take down competition after competition. Regarded as one of Singapore best players, Revenant is the player with the most local titles under his belt and is looking to add more trophies to his cabinet.
Revenant is currently studying in Poly and he enjoys outings and hanging out with his friends.
Server: SEA (also plays on KR and NA)
Hourly fee: $25 / hour
Package fee: $90 / 4 hours (can be used separately)
E-mail: sacredboy_1992@Hotmail.com
Skype: sk.rev
Generally, it will be catered to each player's individual needs and forms of improvements. However, these are the general points of focus:
Replay analysis
Zerg as a decision making/reactionary race
Long term planning/playstyle
Reading build orders of opponents
Reacting to build orders once scouted
Positioning of structures correctly(different for different matchups)/Base Builds
Common build orders
Unit composition counters
Build order counters
Scouting(When to do it. map control important, etc)
Efficient Larvae usage
Thought process at each point of time(aka Things to look out for, reading what opponent is doing/thinking)*
P.S.:It would be optimal for you to have a few friends/opponents that you can pull along that you absolutely can't beat, as I'll guide you to be able to eventually be on par with your friend/opponent.
I was considered as a very low level zerg player when I started off competitively in SC2. So after much recommendation, I seeked inF for help to improve my game to the next level. Before we even talked about scheduling our 1st lesson, Revenant was very professional to ask me several qns to carefully rate my skill level, weakness and strengths so that we could start working on the precise and most crucial problems I had with my games.
On my very first lesson itself, I was very surprised on how when we went through my first replay on ZvP, that he really tackled on not only the problems that I asked to be tackled but also the spotted so many minor yet significant mistakes that in a long run on my ladder games really changed the way how I played zerg.
Initially before coaching I out of every 10 games on my weakest matchup ZvP, I could only won 3-4 games. But after coaching I could really nail 8-9 games easily on a consistent and simple build order with scouting rotation that Revenant set up for me.
YoonYJ was originally a Starcraft 1 player who appeared out of nowhere to take the SEA Starcraft 2 ladder by storm. After getting Starcraft 2 relatively late, his presence was felt when he topped the top 200 ladder lists for literally 3 months, boasting a 75% win ratio. His success continued in season 2 where was was one of only 3 players on SEA who managed to hold a > 70% win ratio at the end of the season. His victories at various lans and online tournaments gained him further fame.
When he's not playing starcraft he enjoys playing competitive bball and has plans one day to open a business of his own.
Server Access: SEA / NA / KR
Hourly fee: $30
Package fee: $100 for 5 lessons
Contact: msg me on sc2sea with your contact details and we will speak through msn / skype
Will discuss with the student, find his weaknesses and mistakes, fix them. I will also help change the way a player thinks about the game to the level I see it.
Will discuss with the student, find his weaknesses and mistakes, fix them. I will also help change the way a player thinks about the game to the level I see it.
Roz has been an extremely consistent player, having held positions at the top spots in the ladder from the beginning till now. Also the clan leader of inFi, Roz is a dedicated team leader who has led his team to many victories, most recently the PSTL championship over nGen. The undisputed #1 player in Hong Kong, Roz probably also has the most experience with students, helping them level up (lol!) their accounts as well as coaching alot of them.
Aside from gaming, the american accented Hong Kong player is one of the nicest and chillest person you'll meet.
Server: SEA (also plays on KR and NA)
Hourly fee: $25 / hour
Package fee: $90 / 4 hours (can be used separately)
Contact freddy_chi@hotmail.com
To begin I watch a replay of the student playing their best in a macro style to see where they are at in their development as a player. I then go through the various stages of the game really quick to see any misconceptions or troubles the student has. This followed by in-game coaching to correct mindset and form good habits leads to quick progression in skill by the student.
Typrix: I thought the instruction and feedback were pretty clear and useful, the practice games were very useful since you brought me through the decision making processes and i learned quite a bit from them. all in all, the coaching did help me in my games as i am able to identify moments where what you taught came into play when i'm laddering on my own
depylon: The lesson actually helped me a LOT, my pvp is one of my stronger MU's now. I feel like the lesson could've been a bit more structured but it drastically improved my pvp so i would definately like another lesson.
Q: Who wrote this guide? Can the authors actually play Starcraft?
A: Yes they can!! And unlike other guide authors, this was written not by just random diamond players, but by the very top players on the SEA server. In fact in the previous biggest regional tournament, the "WD PSI finals" which had a prize pool of USD $5,000 - the authors of this guide finished in #1, #2 and #3!!
nirvAnA did the bulk of the writing in the General and Protoss section with mOOnGLaDe and OxygeN writing the Zerg & Terran sections respectively. Update: nirvAnA just won the WCG Singapore Starcraft 2 National Finals in September 2011 and will be representing Singapore in the WCG Finals in Korea. GLaDe just won the WCG Australia Starcraft 2 National Finals in October 2011 and will be representing Australia in the WCG Finals in Korea.
Q: I cant access the payment page, it says I don't have permission, help!
A: Your sc2sea account has not being created, or if it has it has not been validated yet. To validate your account make sure click on the link in he confirmation "welcome to sc2sea" email sent to you. It sometimes appears in your spam/junk folder depending on your browser so check there first. If you still have troubles validating it send me a message and I will manually activate if for you.
Q: Why did you write this guide?
A: I originally wrote a small article helping identify the mistakes that lower level players were making them prevented them from going to diamond. I then realised that there was so much more to share that i had to include. I also realised that although there were many guides around, there wasn't a well written one written by actual grandmasters or well known players in the scene which players could truly benefit and learn from. Lastly, because it took over 200 hours of time to write we felt it was only fair to charge a small fee.
Q: Why not just release it for free?
There is always a correlation between price and quality/performance. This can be seen in all walks of life from salary end of year bonuses, customer tips, job promotions, commissions, etc. Simply put, usually the more you pay for a product the better quality it is. Having a dedicated paid team work on a project will not only let it become sustainable allowing continual updates with high quality material, but also ensure a higher quality product compared to if done by the same people "for free".
You will not find a guide of this quality and with everything so carefully put together to get BSG players all the way into masters league and beyond anywhere else.
Q: Is this much more comprehensive then the other guides out there?
A: Yes it is! It has over 60 sections so its very detailed and basically impossible to be read in one session. There's alot of material from basic stuff to advanced concepts as we wanted to have something for everyone. However, lower league players will benefit most from this as after mastering the basics they can master the advanced stuff as well. As for the guide's quality - well it was written by the very best players on the server!
Q: If i don't understand something about the guide, can i ask the authors?
A: Yes you can! That is the other big reason why we did it on the forums, we want to maximise user interaction. If you have any question at any point during a section you are welcome to add a reply to comment or ask our authors/coaches, as well as see what others have to say!
Q: Does this cover team games or FFA?
A: Unfortunately no, as it focuses on specific matchups in the 1v1 format. However, we believe the fundamentals and strategies taught are transferable to other game formats and thus will allow you to become very good quickly in them as well.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: The cheapest version will cost just $19.90 and gives you access for a month, more then enough time to absorb most of the material. The best valued package is for 6 months and costs $39.90. If you pay slightly more you can bundle it with a free hour of coaching with the coach of your choice and the 6 month subscription $49.90.
To get the best value out of this coaching, it is recommended you understand the guide first, practise the lessons taught and then request for your coaching. Depending on demand, prices may be subjected to increase in the future if coaches are overloaded and the guide is found to be too cheap.
Q: Ok, i've subscribed! How do i access the content?
A: After subscribing, a navigational "members" menu will automatically be displayed in the navigational bar as shown below. These links can only be seen and are only accessible by subscribers.
Q: How does coaching work?
A: After subscribing, if you have signed up under one of the coaching plans you will be able to see the "coach request" link as above where you will be taken to an area to fill up a form to choose your coach. In this form you can also specify your trouble spots are areas you would like your coach to spend more time covering, and the times you will be available for coaching. All this is so the coach will have the best information to help you. The session is not confirmed until the coach PMs you and confirms the time.
Q: Will this be constantly updated?
A: Yes it will be! That is one of the big reasons why we choose to go with the subscription model instead of the static ebook version. As the game gets patched fresh replays will be uploaded and strategies will be edited to reflect current trends.
Q: How does subscription work? Can I get access instantly?
A: After your payment has been successfully received, you will be given instant access to The Grandmaster Manual forums. This process is automated and there is no delay time. A "members" link will then appear on the top navigation bar. You will also be able to request coaching if you signed up for that package.
Q: Can i copy this elsewhere?
Starcraft 2 images and replays are trademark of Blizzard Entertainment and we do not claim any ownership over them. However, the content of this guide is intellectual property and protected by international copyright laws and all content in this guide is copyright of sc2sea.com. In the event that copyrighted content is found or law breached, the necessary actions will be taken against the guilty parties.
Q: Can i share this with a friend?
You cannot share your account with your friend, and we have IP address checks in place to prevent this. However, if you like to tell your friend about how much you liked this guide, then yes you are highly encouraged to show them our site! We also have a refer a friend program where if your friend subscribes because of you, your membership gets extended.
Questions? Feedback? Post them here! For support please PM me and i will attend to them as soon as possible.
I heard of this, excited to see how fast its progressing. Although, I'd like a different colour than white for the title, so it doesnt blend into the background so much.
Looks amazing! Can't wait to see it. Whats the estimated time on this?
Tentatively under 1 week to release, definetly under 2 weeks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pokerface
how do you get the data for the mechanics/strategic/psychological level of each league?
i came to that conclusion after watching many replays at the various levels and after some discussion with other top players. basically we identified the main problem that kept players at their current levels and what would be best for them to work on to get promoted. of course it may not be entirely accurate for every player but its a good indicator for the general population.
for instance in BSG it was macro that was lacking most, diamond to masters it was subtle strategy variations and timing windows and for masters to grandmasters it was knowing when to squeeze out small advantages by cutting corners and also understanding metagame dynanamics. I felt by highlighting this it would let e.g BSG players focus on the key problem areas first which would take them to the next level, without having to worry about things like metagame or fancy build orders yet.
yeap that was the original idea and the early chapters are especially geared towards them. after completing it however, i realised the quality was really high as mOOnGLaDe and OxygeN guest wrote the other specific matchups chapters, i mean with this quality material u could probably even get ur offrace to diamond easily. so i also added an "Advanced" section for people to read once they got pass diamond with some advanced concepts for diamonds and masters to learn as well.
this guide was also the reason why i started laddering again where i held the top spot in gm for about a week then became inactive again lol! wanted to make sure what i was saying was credible and all the strats etc were current and updated and the replays/screenshots done.
Thats one of the benefits of putting it in a restricted access forum instead of in a static ebook pdf never to be touched again lol.
The guide will be updated with the new patches and as the gameplay changes and of course new replays by the authors every now and then.
Also its still forum based so theres lots of room for interaction/discussion and people can leave comments and ask questions on parts they arent sure of at any point in the guide.
This guide might be the point i start learning zerg .. lol. Seems like a lot of fun.
I definitely think this has the potential to be the best guide out there.
Well the official starcraft 2 guide book was good but kind of too general and probably now already outdated. I bought it just for the multiplayer guide.haha.
Looking forward to this one but what are the plans for people like me to get access to the guide since i'm not BSG players nor am i staff or donator :S
___________________________________
Previously known as FaNaTic
Don't like the fact that you have to either win a bsg/be a substantial contributor (calrify this please, is it just strategy/quality posts or monetary contributions?).
This should be open to everyone to view as it looks like you have put alot of work into it, i assume sc2sea.com is trying to be the teamliquid of sea, tl does not charge for any of it's strategy forums or whatnot.
Letting this information be viewable by anyone will help to grow the average skill level of lower league players on sea (and other servers) and it will allow higher tier players to also contribute with their knowledge (or fixing mistakes if any are found in the guide)
Wow, just wow. And you say it will be updated? As a diamond leaguer (on NA anyway, got lucky with my placement, but still plat on SEA), the BSG is out as one option, but donating is fine by me. You mention "substantial" afterwards, but I'd be looking to pay $10-20 for such a guide, is that fair?
Also: how will we be receiving updates? Being alerted via PM when a new one is available for download? Or sent directly to an email of our choice?
substantial contributor (calrify this please, is it just strategy/quality posts or monetary contributions?)
it will be free for anyone whom i feel has spent substantial time of their own to help develop the sc2sea community. be it for any trusted tournament organiser, reliable caster for our events, prize sponsor or any donation above >$50, image designer, site coder, site moderator. sc2sea has had alot of help along the way and i feel this is one way i can give back.
Avelestar yea its not gonna be expensive, the cheapest option will be below $20. the one thats bundled with the discounted coaching will be abit more expensive but nothing crazy.
gerlan, wish i could give it for free but ive spent way too much time and also paid a decent amount for the content (even though they are my buddies i felt obliged to pay them as the content was really comprehensive and took alot of time to be written) so ill at least want to breakeven
anyway i feel that if we created a truly valuable product people loved and priced if affordably people will be more than happy to pay for it. And well at the same time it can be used as a reward for donators/staff on the site and also as an encouragement for more pple to enjoy the BSGs.
Honestly, I think that this is an extremely good idea to gain some revenue for the website that has been helping to push the SEA community closer. Truth is, maintaining a community forum/website is a really tough job, with the amount of time put into it, sadly, most of the site's contributors don't earn anything at all. Good things don't come free, and I'm sure contributors will be more motivated to bring the community more quality content when they see their work getting rewarded.
I foresee that this will turn out to be a success, and I urge all patrons of this site to give them the support.
Kudos to the sc2sea dudes and dudettes
___________________________________
Team manager for Flash eSports
Don't like the fact that you have to either win a bsg/be a substantial contributor (calrify this please, is it just strategy/quality posts or monetary contributions?).
This should be open to everyone to view as it looks like you have put alot of work into it, i assume sc2sea.com is trying to be the teamliquid of sea, tl does not charge for any of it's strategy forums or whatnot.
Letting this information be viewable by anyone will help to grow the average skill level of lower league players on sea (and other servers) and it will allow higher tier players to also contribute with their knowledge (or fixing mistakes if any are found in the guide)
Gerlan this is obviously a time-consuming project and I'm sure Nirvana/whoever else is updating it won't be charging an excessive fee for access. With the huge amount of work Nirvana puts into running the site and constant events already I only think its fair that he gets fed :P.
Seriously though, sc2sea is awesome, and growing exponentially, but will never be a teamliquid, not for atleast another 5 or 10 years (assuming we see the English-speaking SEA e-sports community grow drastically). Till then whilst growing the site is admirable, it won't be bringing in any more income then a small pittance.
Also there are many top players on NA who post snippets on TL advertising their detailed guides just like this one, and they charge for them. So yeah basically just saying its not gunna cost alot and i think charging for it is the right idea.
yea basically all top players share the same sentiment.
zerg is the most mechanical race and protoss the least.
injecting alone from multiple queens every 25 seconds + multiple creep spread + overlord spread
missing a few chronoboosts here and there is still acceptable but with zerg you get penalised hard for missing injects and storing up energy. you wont be able to make enough units. im actually really happy as a protoss cause im lazy to do all those mechanical stuff and it lets us focus more on the strategic aspect
Don't like the fact that you have to either win a bsg/be a substantial contributor (calrify this please, is it just strategy/quality posts or monetary contributions?).
This should be open to everyone to view as it looks like you have put alot of work into it, i assume sc2sea.com is trying to be the teamliquid of sea, tl does not charge for any of it's strategy forums or whatnot.
Letting this information be viewable by anyone will help to grow the average skill level of lower league players on sea (and other servers) and it will allow higher tier players to also contribute with their knowledge (or fixing mistakes if any are found in the guide)
On TL strategy forum you usually have to sort through the crap to find pieces of gold. Even then you cant be sure its real gold.
Sure, the strategy forums have improved recently but when I see stuff like 1 base +1 speedling builds that dont show the author wanting to take any expansions at all...
You mention IP checks to stop multiple people using the same account, but I don't have a static IP. Each time my modem resets or is turned off (fairly frequently, like twice a day....the exchange in my area has been HORRIBLE for the past year), I get a new IP.
I've had troubles with Rift "coin-locking" me when my IP changes, thinking that my account has been hacked. Other sites do the same thing, asking me for my secret question/answer because I'm "logging in from a new location"
Well i don't know, The preview's seem very basic common knowledge with nothing that special in there. I might buy a month and see what it's like but a month does feel like a big commitment.
Oh wow this is one of the must comprehensive Starcraft 2 guide I have ever stumbled upon. Good job guys, this will definitely help newbies understand more about Starcraft 2.
Yea cause some of our members were getting harassed i disabled PMs for new members under a week + less than x posts. once you have a bit more posts you get to PM. or you could always msg me here http://www.sc2sea.com/sendmessage.php
Well the best way is if you have access to the NA server, and your coach can go through games with you directly. If you only have a EU account, t he other way will be to share your screen through skype / teamviewer or have your coach analyse your replays with you simultaneously.
fourby is also an active and helpful forum poster who donates regularly to the community tournament prize pool. More relevant though is his recent entry into masters league Grats man, look forward to see you ranking high in some of our tournaments soon
A lot of SC2 players would be digging this for sure - amateurs to experts. By the way, do you guys have an affiliate program for this? I also happen to be a mid skilled blogger and I think this is something I want to promote. I'd really appreciate answers... more so if it's a YES.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
Hi Azron here. At first I was hesitant in purchasing this, but I'm glad I did as if you hit that plateau in skill, this is what you really need to elevate yourself to the next level, as it gives you a studied and detailed insight of the game. I was longing for a SEA community so when I saw this was by SEA players I was definitely on board. If your in diamond just like myself - this really helps change your mind set in terms of gaming, which was one of the major factors holding me back. Shout out to nirvAnA for being so helpful - hopefully to 'SEA' you guys soon, hilarious aren't I!
im currently in BSG, and ive been here forever, except for my NA account who i when i laddered was broken, cause it flew to PLAT, im not really good at all,, my APM sucks , macro and micro sucks and im afraid to take a 3rd expo and unfamiliar with the timings, i really wanna learn , i know i can get better at this.
you guys think the tgM will atleast get me out of bsg? :P
Last edited by porkchop; Thu, 28th-Jul-2011 at 6:11 AM.
yeap of course content is very relevant to EU players as well and it is available to them, we have quite a few European subscribers too as for tactics, its pretty similar, remember how glade finished as the highest foreigner in cologne in the IEM world finals? only tricky part is the coaching, you need to have NA or SEA access for it to interact with your coach in game otherwise it is just gonna be skype/replay analysis and discussion.
wow. i stopped playing for almost half a year and didn't come on as well, everything has changed so much! all the best and may the site grow from strength to strength! will subscribing to the guide pay for server upkeep as well?
I was a subscriber for TGM but i think it has expired. haha
Is there a link that you can direct me to if i want to renew it? If possible at a discounted price since i have already purchase it before.
I saw you guys offering a different pricing for those who wish to continue the subscription.
Our TGM team have been producing some sick results lately. Only natural to update our achievements in the original thread!
August 2011
mOOnGLaDe finishes top 8 at the IEM Global finals in Cologne, Germany beating HuK and Tarson to finish #2 in his group.
September 2011
nirvAnA just won the WCG Singapore Starcraft 2 National Finals and will be representing Singapore in the WCG Grand Finals in Busan, Korea.
FlashRevz wins IESF Singapore Starcraft 2 and will be representing Singapore in the IESF Grand Finals in An-dong, Korea
PiG & mOOnGLaDe have just won the 2 spots in the SEA IEM qualifiers with PiG beating GLaDe 2-0 in the finals. Coach iaguz finishes #3. GLaDe can't make it at IEM so both PiG and iaguz will be representing the SEA Region in the IEM Global finals in Guangzhou, China.
GLaDe wins Blizzard SEA Invitational for $5,000 USD.
iM'YoonYJ wins $1,500 AUD and finishes #2 in Gigabye ESports @ Melbourne.
October 2011
xGkingiaguz , aLtJimDiddy , mOOnGLaDe , aLtPiG and i'MYoonYJ have all qualified for the WCG Australian Finals @ Gold Coast. What do they have in common? They are all TGM coaches/author - taking up almost half the total finalist spots and showing once again the level of quality the guide is supported by.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"To be honest, i was very skeptical to get this guide at first because 90% of online guides are just rip offs. However ... i really wanted to get out of this freaking Silver League! The depression and despair threw all sense of caution overboard and made me get it in the end! I really have to say that i am impressed about the information found inside this manual. Of course alot of stuff is common sense and some parts you already know if you played SC2 for some time but there are always some little details that you probably have never heard of even if you are a higher league player. I am actually only done with the Basics Section and flew a bit over the protoss race explanation. I did not go into the real detail yet and can already see a really big improvent on my gameplay. I actually get expensions at the right times, crush most types of cheese, win almost every macro game and even let zerg shiver from my forcefield skills.
Since words can say alot i will also add my screenshots from the day i got the guide and 2 days later to proove that it actually works.
This is an except from "TvZ - Part 3: Advanced play" which is about 2% of the whole Terran Section
Terran vs Zerg Part 3: Advanced play
Advanced Game Tips :
Grandmasters is perfectly obtainable without using any of these tricks but they are fun and useful to know and will add depth to your game. The Engaging the Zerg Army tutorial however is of absolute importance and can be the difference between Diamond and Grandmasters.
Healing and dropping at the same time - A little known trick, medivacs are unable to heal and drop at the same time, UNLESS they aren't moving. Getting off "free" heals when dropping makes a humongous difference to your drop play. So do this by right clicking your medivac to the targeted area then shift clicking the drop command on the Medivac unit itself - shift clicking basically queues up the self drop command and makes this possible.
Engaging the Zerg Army - Spreading Marines and Staggering Tanks
Pre-emptive Spreading of Marines
A much easier way rather then to have insane MarineKingPrime level type of micro is to very simply, do your split BEFORE engaging! It is just as effective and alot of the time the more practical thing to do.
Allows you to spread your marines PERFECTLY in pockets before the engagement and greatly nullifies banelings.
Poke with a small group, baiting him to engage. At the same time take medivacs and drop different bases. Basically try and bait him into engaging into your perfectly spread army.
When the Zerg engages, most probably his whole army will be wiped out and your backline army will survive and together with your reinforcements you will get a big edge.
MMA sets up another perfect staggered tank position against a seemingly unstoppable roach/ling deathball. His staggered tanks were instrumental in winning the fight.
The biggest weakness of this is if the zerg attempts a run-by and circumvents your army by going around it. To counter this, you need good scouting by sending single marines as spotters on the edges so you know if hes trying to run around, as well as a good sim city at your base so when he reaches, his lings can't enter and he will be trapped between your base and your returning army.
Staggering Tanks -
Never clump 2 or more tanks together. It is optimal to have one tank by itself and this is because when tanks are spread out they:
Don't take baneling splash damage damage dealt on splash damage dealt on tanks next to them.
Drag out the battle and force the banelings to travel a much further distance across the total distance of all tanks.
Dragging out engagements vs Zerg is always good because the banelings take huge tank damage from the other tanks which are alive because of the staggered spread.
MMA pre-emptively sets up his marines and perfect staggered tank positioning before baiting LosirA into making an attack
Grandmaster Tip: Staggering of tanks may seem a daunting and micro-intensive task, but this is made extremely easy with the use of shift-queuing. What you want to do is unsiege your tank, hold on to shift, right click the target located you want it to be sieged at, then press siege mode and let go of shift. Its super awesome to watch your tanks on auto pilot moving to that area and sieging up by themselves while you are freed up to do other important stuff during the engagement.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Seriously the best guide out there!! I'm not the strongest player out there, and I was struggling with beating bronze players LOL, but just 1 week after getting the guide, I am now able to win against gold players 50/50. It is really in depth, the coaches have put a lot of effort and time into this and it has paid off. Definitely worth every penny!"
Content: 9/10
Value for money: 7/10
Overall score: 8/10
"This guide is:
- Well structured/ organised/ easy to follow
- Professionally presented and visually interesting
- Robust informative content that is kept current
- Has longevity (you can keep coming back to it after trying something out)
- Good replay examples"
I am keen for this... just seems like a limited selection for Terran coaches... Not doubting Yoon is fantastic... i would just like to maybe try afew different coaches for different perspectives
I stopped playing SC2 for a long time (was in plat) but am considering playing again. If this guide is still recent, it should help me catch up with all the updates and patches I've missed in the past 6 months or so and I will consider purchasing it...
Hi GorE, at the moment there just aren't any more suitable Terran coaches. We are on the look out though and if you notice our TGM coaches are really exclusive and high level and we wish to keep it that way.
TGM just went through a big update 2 weeks ago, here is what was posted in the update section.
Latest Updates!
25th October: Another Big Update! Terran players rejoice! I buffed every matchup with updated build orders and my own style of play for this current patch. Check out the TvP and TvZ sections especially as these are my preferred styles which different from the OxygeN builds. Also Terran exercise 2 is finally out!! I hope the wait was well worth it, have a look at it here!!
New Strategies / replays added:
Two more mothership replays against the best SEA Zergs.
1.4.1 Ladder nirvana vs mafia 3
A short but very solid macro game which is the best of the mothership games as it really shows the power of the mothership in a short and sweet game, letting me come back from "behind" which protoss always are. 1.4.1 Friendly nirvana vs PiG 2
PvT - Added a new strategy in the advanced section being experimenting to decent success mothership plays vs Terran too
With the substantial 1.4.1 revamps to the Protoss and Terran sections, finally next in line will be a massive zerg overhaul with tons of replays / content with the help of PiG & GLaDe
You will lose access to the guide. Thats why the 1 month is so cheap is more of an evaluation thing, people can resubscribe at 50% off the normal price after the first month.
You will lose access to the guide. Thats why the 1 month is so cheap is more of an evaluation thing, people can resubscribe at 50% off the normal price after the first month.
Ok thanks. Sold.
If I don't make diamond/masters after using this guide, I will consider myself a failure and quit Starcraft 2 for good lol
Hi GorE, at the moment there just aren't any more suitable Terran coaches. We are on the look out though and if you notice our TGM coaches are really exclusive and high level and we wish to keep it that way.
[/B]
Hi nirvAnA
I understand.. i am sure you guys will find some other suitable coaches... i take it Oxygen isn't available either?
I subscribed anyway.. might see how i go with yoon.. i have no doubt he is fantastic..
This looks great! However, I am a little concerned about paying for something and then loosing access to the information once my subscription runs out. Have you considered releasing the information in PDF form or even a printed copy?
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Everything you could ever need to help your SC2 play. When you think you've found everything, look again, this guide just keeps going. If you want to help your play - Start Here."
Content: 8/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 9/10
"Thanks for writing such a great guide, has helped me immensely. I have gone from top diamond to about top 15 masters at the moment. It helped so much with the basics, which I thought I knew but didn't really.
An hour of coaching from YoonYJ was great too, can't believe such an awesome player #1 on SEA gave me an hour of coaching just for buying the guide. I think I understand the game a lot better now, but I'm sure there is still a massive amount to learn and I am still learning new things here every day."
Content: 9/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hello my fellow members of SEA, Dumbledore here, purchased a subscription of 6 months for TGM. I'm a protoss player so have been looking through the toss chapters, everything is very detailed with replays included. I'm currently diamond hoping to get into masters soon. Thanks Nirvana, I love you, I want to have behbehs with you. On EU Server my name is: TSPMetacry US: Dumbledore TW: Uniden
I am really considering this also, and would like to see a sneak peak of one of the terran vs (t/p/z) sections if possible?
This was posted earlier in the thread. It is an except from "TvZ - Part 3: Advanced play" which is about 2% of the whole Terran Section
Terran vs Zerg Part 3: Advanced play
Advanced Game Tips :
Grandmasters is perfectly obtainable without using any of these tricks but they are fun and useful to know and will add depth to your game. The Engaging the Zerg Army tutorial however is of absolute importance and can be the difference between Diamond and Grandmasters.
Healing and dropping at the same time - A little known trick, medivacs are unable to heal and drop at the same time, UNLESS they aren't moving. Getting off "free" heals when dropping makes a humongous difference to your drop play. So do this by right clicking your medivac to the targeted area then shift clicking the drop command on the Medivac unit itself - shift clicking basically queues up the self drop command and makes this possible.
Engaging the Zerg Army - Spreading Marines and Staggering Tanks
Pre-emptive Spreading of Marines
A much easier way rather then to have insane MarineKingPrime level type of micro is to very simply, do your split BEFORE engaging! It is just as effective and alot of the time the more practical thing to do.
Allows you to spread your marines PERFECTLY in pockets before the engagement and greatly nullifies banelings.
Poke with a small group, baiting him to engage. At the same time take medivacs and drop different bases. Basically try and bait him into engaging into your perfectly spread army.
When the Zerg engages, most probably his whole army will be wiped out and your backline army will survive and together with your reinforcements you will get a big edge.
MMA sets up another perfect staggered tank position against a seemingly unstoppable roach/ling deathball. His staggered tanks were instrumental in winning the fight.
The biggest weakness of this is if the zerg attempts a run-by and circumvents your army by going around it. To counter this, you need good scouting by sending single marines as spotters on the edges so you know if hes trying to run around, as well as a good sim city at your base so when he reaches, his lings can't enter and he will be trapped between your base and your returning army.
Staggering Tanks -
Never clump 2 or more tanks together. It is optimal to have one tank by itself and this is because when tanks are spread out they:
Don't take baneling splash damage damage dealt on splash damage dealt on tanks next to them.
Drag out the battle and force the banelings to travel a much further distance across the total distance of all tanks.
Dragging out engagements vs Zerg is always good because the banelings take huge tank damage from the other tanks which are alive because of the staggered spread.
MMA pre-emptively sets up his marines and perfect staggered tank positioning before baiting LosirA into making an attack
Grandmaster Tip: Staggering of tanks may seem a daunting and micro-intensive task, but this is made extremely easy with the use of shift-queuing. What you want to do is unsiege your tank, hold on to shift, right click the target located you want it to be sieged at, then press siege mode and let go of shift. Its super awesome to watch your tanks on auto pilot moving to that area and sieging up by themselves while you are freed up to do other important stuff during the engagement.
5th Jan 2012: Updated with iaguz's comprehensive 1.4.3 build 2nd Jan 2012: The Final Exercise - Zerg Exercise 2 is done. Check it out here! 18th December: added a new section on zerg control written by PiG. Check it out - Optimal Zerg Mechanics 16th December: Added kice's aggressive TvP opener. 15th December: Protoss players rejoice! A whole bunch of replays await for those having trouble with the PvZ and PvT matchups. Added them to TGM as well already. 27th November: Exclusive 1.4.2 Replays for each race with the latest ladder trends and builds. Featuring new replays from YoonYJ, mOOnGLaDe and nirvAnA 26th November: Big Zerg Update thanks to PiG who buffed up a ton of content! Added them appropriately to their sections and all the new stuff can be seen below. I have also now rightfully given PiG credit as an Author of the Zerg section! Random snippets of advice from TGM Coach YoonYJ who switches to the other side for a brief moment to give advice on how the good Zergs should approach the matchup. (removed)
25th October: Another Big Update! Terran players rejoice! I buffed every matchup with updated build orders and my own style of play for this current patch. Check out the TvP and TvZ sections especially as these are my preferred styles which different from the OxygeN builds. Also Terran exercise 2 is finally out!! I hope the wait was well worth it, have a look at it here!! New Strategies / replays added: (removed) 12th September: Big Update! Remember these are the freshest and newest replays and you don't have to change versions to watch them! 28th September: Seriously beefed up the TvZ and TvP sections, writing up my own versions of the standard walkthrough builds. Check out the TvZ part here and the TvP one here.
25th August - 2nd Sep As some of you may have already noticed, I did a massive overhaul to the Protoss section over the past week. Every matchup is now updated with the most current strats and metagame, new replays (check out the games vs Tgun, and MaNa) as well as the comprehensive Exercise 2: Protoss Check List & Timings which you can view here 13th August Added a new page under introduction, which provides a clear overview of TGM! Moved "Order of Digestion" as an Appendix. Check out the new overview page here. 2nd August Introducing the Coaching Corner!! Occasionally our coaches will share their thoughts and write articles about certain techniques they personally use or talk about the current metagame. Azz's new article is about about choking and it can be viewed here. 1st August Yoon's latest replay pack has been released! YoonYJ ladder replay pack
29th July I'm in the process of setting up the E-Store so exercises will be delayed by just a few days. Don't worry they will be well worth the wait! 21st July Updated the early chapters making it clearer and easier to understand, as well as adding in more pictures. Added in various replays as well. The very important Exercise 2 will be out by the end of the month and for all races. 11th July Updated PvT walkthrough section with the collosi/phoenix build. Two games worth a look. Replays: Friendly Game nirvAnA vs OxygeN
I do my nexus first opening and then transition into phoenixes. Friendly Game nirvAnA vs OxygeN 2
I open more standard with a stargate and 2 gateways. 9th July nirvAnA's 10 ladder game series is out here! 7th July Exercise 3 is out! Read more here! This will help train your analytical skill and learning methods and incorporate them naturally in you, helping you develop a wonderful lifelong attitude & skillset that encourages critical analysis instead of just "massing gaming". This exercise is available in PDF versions (for printing and writing out IRL) and Excel version (for writing in your computer) 5th July - We have a special treat today! Our TGM Authors mOOnGLaDe and OxygeN battle it out in an intense high level ladder game. A Must watch! Download it here!
29th June - Done alot of misc tweaks, making the first few chapters more readable and fleshing out the exercises more so they are easier to understand. Futher tweaking and addition of the race exercises to come soon. 18th June - Two New Chapters added, An order of digestion chapter which shows how to best read the guide depending on your user type, and the Basics: Check-list exercise, the first of our 3 exercises designed to help you incorporate what was taught in TGM into your game. 15th June - Been busy with the SEACL but do not worry, we have two awesome additions today! First up a TGM Member's Replay Analysis featuring platinum player and familiar face Paroxysm - Replay analysed by TGM zerg coach PiG! Check it out here!
Next up is the third instalment of our 10 ladder game analysis series featuring iaguz, TGM terran coach and the current rank #1 player on the GM ladder with a massive 1520 points! Check it out Check it out here!
Lastly, as suggested i am going to be adding a printable detailed exercise section for the 2nd chapter for each race to help people easily follow the exercises. Will be out before this Sunday so stay tuned! 9th June - New protoss ladder replays added to the protoss section. 1) A nice macro PvT game vs yoon added to the walkthrough build which showcases reactive play vs drops perfectly in a long game, 2) a new nexus first build vs Voices has been added in the advanced section and 3) a 1 base blink stalker build vs fellow coach PiG (who had just beat me the game before!) in the PvZ advanced section. 8th June - New Replay Anaylsis of our members! Subscribers feel free to submit your replays here! Silver - Baugi 5th June - Azz Replay pack as requested by Avelestar is now up! Includes games vs MLG players Slush, Strifecro, etc Azz ladder replay pack 2nd June - New Replay Analysis of our members! Subscribers feel free to submit your replays here!
Replay Analysis #2 - Diamond - nard - http://www.sc2sea.com/showthread.php?t=1486
Replay Analysis #3 - Platinum - Zeion - http://www.sc2sea.com/showthread.php?t=1488 1st June - In total, 20 replays were added to beef up the individual sections, and in particular!! If you're having trouble with specific matchups it is recommended you download those specific replays to see exactly how the pros do it! Alternatively, you can download all 20+ new/ and fresh replays here. Also, some more TGM member replay analysis will be done tomorrow. jimdiddy ladder replay pack jesse ladder replay pack
30th May - Replay Analysis for TGM members #1 - Gold - BadgerWatch added here! 29th May - Replay Analysis for 10 ladder games series #2 - with Jesse added here! 27th May - Fresh Replays and screenshots of the following.
Chapter 6.5 ZvT Mass roaches/infestor vs Mech explained - Jimdiddy vs cArn
Chapter 7.6 TvP Two games of 1 base Art - OxygeN vs CO back to back champ nGenLight. Must see for the ending! 26th May - PiGs full analysis of his 10 ladder games can be viewed here! 25th May Touched up the Terran action, added more clarity. 24th May Jeese's/PiG's 10 ladder game analysis will be up soon 23th May Fixed many miscellaneous typos, added some content
This guide WITHOUT DOUBT is the BEST guide out there! Thanks so much for Nirvana and the others for spending the time and effort into compiling and constantly updating this! For such a low price and the amount of high level content being offered- it's a steal!
Highly recommended for anyone looking to get good!
"Content: 10/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall score: 10/10
I had tried other guides before and wasn't really finding any information I couldn't get for free anywhere else, so I wasn't all that sure about what I was buying into. The choice to buy was mainly to support the community. I was amazed at the resources available, the exercises, the dedication to continuing to improve it over time, and the way that the information was presented. With multiple contributors (legitimate progamers among them, not some low league player who watches a lot of Day9) I feel it has directly influenced my improvement. You hear a lot about "this is how to get promoted" from a lot of places, and it never seems to be so simple. One of the biggest things I noticed about TGM is that what it says is very clearly correct, there are no grey areas. It is thorough, complete, and I'm glad I have the sub."
Hello Nirvana if I may ask, I want to try to subscribe for a month first and after a month of subscription, if I want to continue again the price will be the same again(AUD19.90)?
Hello Nirvana, I just received my SC2 SEA edition and I felt that I've COMPLETELY lost my touch for the game lol. Do you think I should subscribe for the 1 month? Or do I start with 6 months?
Can you please PM me about the price that I have to pay to continue the subscription if I am happy with what I see during that 1st month of subscription? hehe thanks and sorry for the inconvenience caused man!
Wanted to share a testimonial for Kice/YaMaMa/Chobo's coaching with you, as I've really enjoyed my sessions with him.
After a chat with Kice where he was confident he could produce results and seemed like a fairly decent dude, I decided to go with his 4 lesson package. His lessons are well structured and he incorporates a mix of theory, tactics and strategy with build order refinement.
After 2 lessons (starting at gold), I feel my game has improved drastically, just as he promised it would. We've covered a very solid foundation for a couple of matchups so far (our agreed format is to cover one matchup per lesson for the first 3), which has given me confidence in all matches. I don't ladder often, instead focusing on custom practice matches with PRACBUD people, but when I do ladder I find I have an incredible win rate, and to be honest, the only reason I think I haven't been promoted yet is because I haven't put the effort in on ladder (only about 7 matches played this season).
I look forward to my next lesson and I'm certain I will continue to use Kice's coaching services in the future.
"Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
I have only had time to briefly read part of the zerg section, and already I can see results. I found myself reaching my limit of skill sitting around top 10 platinum and losing consistently to protoss, and struggling with zerg openings. Since reading the protoss section, and watching only a few of the many replays given, I have won 7 games in a row, including 4 against protoss.Knowing what to build and when has helped me profoundly. I now understand the match up and what I should actually be doing
I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to improve. The guide is extremely detailed, so dont expect to not have to put any effort in to getting better. Id gladly respond to any PM's about my experiences with the guide.
Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the guide
hi nirvana, im interested in paying for it, but would like a look at it, before i buy. is it possible if ican get a sneak peek into the protoss section? also, is there any other way to buy it (bank transaction)? thnx.
hi nirvana, im interested in paying for it, but would like a look at it, before i buy. is it possible if ican get a sneak peek into the protoss section? also, is there any other way to buy it (bank transaction)? thnx.
Best way it to use paypal, you can use BPay / Polis I believe and just have to add your card to paypal thats how most pple do it. If you don't wish to use paypal anymore after that just remove it after the purchase! Here are some more samples. Each race has about 10 chapters.
The next 2 images are about 15% of the PvZ walkthrough chapter.
Hey Nirvana just sending a feedback email on Huts Terran Coaching. He's a great coach i would recommend him to any level Terran, reason for me saying this is because of his understanding of the game and the race he plays, at the start of the coaching he asked to see replays of each match up, whilst doing this he discusses the data's you are free to start coaching and hes always happy to start right away.
The Lesson starts by him asking the over view of the 3 replays that you had sent and makes key points over all that him and your self will be working on over the time period after this brief discussion he asks whats the match up you have the most trouble with. Mine was ( TvP) so we opened the replay that was sent prier and ran through the things that was either good about my build or bad and what to expect from the protoss and how to prepare/ hold it. and explains to you his insight through out the game and what you could do to make the build better. But also if he believes your capable of doing completely different builds he will sagest a replay out of his personal pack and ask to watch it and if you like it he will explain step by step what to build what to look for when doing the build and go through the pros and con.
Over all hes a Perfect coach hes clear and easy to Understand and if you don't understand something he will go back to the point where you don't understand a transition and tell you in depth on his thinking and hes change to this by observing his opponent
New Coaching testimonial for SQLyang by pRoepsilon
I know that there is a section for coaching testimonies but I feel Yang definitely deserves more attention on his coaching ability so I decided to start a thread on spreading the for Coach Yang
Going into my first ever sc2 coaching lesson with Mark aka Yang, I didn’t really know what to expect but I definitely came out of it feeling confident that I have a better understanding on my weak match ups( PvZ and PvP). Mark is such an easy going guy with tremendous patience; I think I asked over few hundred questions over our 2 hour session on PvZ and PvP. He was able to answer all my questions with ease; honestly to those that are thinking of taking up coaching lessons from Mark which I recommend, he is like an open book of toss secrets and strategies, so ask away and all secrets shall be revealed.
The lessons covered a lot of replay analysis of my losses and making sure that I understood the reasons that I lost and how I can do better to avoid them and practice matches as well. He helped lay the foundation of knowledge for those match ups so I can utilize that knowledge to better my decision making skills during the match ( ie – what to do if a Zerg does a fast 3 hatch, when to cannon up for a roach ling all in, the signs of a 4 gate or when to expand in PvP). I definitely feel that even though the lessons were filled with tons of new information, it was explained in such a way that it was very easy to understand and to be utilized later when laddering. This is evident in such that when I went to Mark I was only playing at a high level but now I am a Rank 1 Protoss playing against high diamonds and awaiting my promotion to in probably a week or so.
The last thing I like to mention is how lenient he is with the lesson timings, even when the lesson has gone way past the hour mark, he still counts it as a single hour lesson which surprised me. I have huge respects for Mark for being such an awesome teacher and person. He also provides a lot of help outside of the lesson by being online to chat with regarding a recent loss or queries on mechanics or even just a random chat. I look forward in scheduling more lessons with Mark in the future to achieve my goal of getting and to support Mark in his goal being the boss toss of SEA and hopefully be able to see him in international competitions!
Like to say a big thanks Yang for taking the time to help! Really appreciate it!
Anyone else who has had lessons with Yang and want to say something, please don't be shy to pile on in this thread!
I just wanted to write you and give you some feedback on my last session with Hut.
I think he's a very good coach who takes the time to thoroughly explain things and makes sure you understand them before moving on. He also helped me realize that there wasn't one big stumbling block holding me back, but rather a whole slew of little things.
As we watched the replays he'd pause and point out many different areas where I could improve and discussed not only what I should, but more importantly why.
I am eager to hop on ladder and start putting some of what he shared with me to the test.
"I would personally like to thank all the people who wrote TGM guide. i was stuck in platinum for a while and when i thought hard about it i didnt truly understand the game mechanics properly. after subscribing to TGM my understanding of the game has got alot better. i now scout correctly and adjust my games accordingly and this has helped me reach diamond!
"Congrats on the promotion. I, too, would like to thank the guys for putting together TGM. I've looked at other guides and have been disappointed because all they seem to do is focus on the campaign or point out information that can be found in the help menu of SC2. This is the first guide I've seen that has a legitimate recipe for success that anyone can follow. I'm only in silver, but I'm already seeing my gameplay improve. I'm hoping a promotion will be right around the corner for me, too. Congrats again JaimeDesmond!"
Hey mate, a quick question, as i work away from home and a decent Internet connection, with a subscription will i be able to print out / download the guide to read or is it online only..?
A(nother) Personal Thanks (Originally posted in TGM member forums)
Testimonial from our SEASL #2 Sponsor Soulja!
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hit Master's the other day. This testimonial is overdue. The combination of this manual and some good ole' hard experience and practice made me the SC player I am today. I am the 2%! Can't thank you enough!
I was stuck in Platinum for months.
Diamond league came first, then I was promoted to Master's the other day. I had a SC marathon pulling an all nighter dedicated to 1v1 (NA) winning 95% of my games. I know my MMR was already at Master's/Top Master's because that's all I was playing. After looking at a very successful (and green) Match History I was about to call it a night until I told myself one more game. It was against a Top Master Zerg player on a small map. I executed a perfect proxy 2Rax() Satisfied with the win I waited for the score screen to appear, and around 3AM that's when I received the Rank 11 Master promotion.
I just wanted to echo the original post and thank all those who wrote and contributed to the manual. If you need a practice partner in NA, feel free: [FIVESTARSIX.950] Thx again."
Doghead yes of course, most strategies are still very relevant.
Recently updates include TvT strategies, 4 Zerg strategies for all the matchups and replays of new protoss variants of timings. The T and P section will be further buffed in the next few days.
A macro orientated PvT build order which allows you to harass aggressively with stalkers as you can simply blink away. This mobile build allows you to complete shut down early drop play and is a nice alternative opening to collosi first openers. You will usually transition quickly into templar tech before switching into collosi later on, kinda like the reverse order of the current PvT builds. It is a strong build with a lot of flexibility and was inspired by MC's play.
The Build Order:
Food Supply
What to Build
9
Pylon
10
Chrono probes
13
Gate (scout) (chrono probes
14
Gas
15
Pylon (chrono probes)
17
Cyber
18
Zealot
22
Warpgate research
22
Stalker (chrono)
24
Pylon
26
Stalker (chrono)
30
Cut probes
30
Nexus
30
Poke with zealot/stalker/stalker to scout - if you see an expansion, keep the stalkers outside his natural (if youre confident with your minimap awareness, if you arent, move them to the Xel'Naga tower.
30
Gate
30
Gate
30
restart probe production
32
Pylon
32
Robotics Facility
Early Game Notes:
The most important part of the early game is to determine if he is doing a one base play or expanding. You should have been able to figure out with your zealot/stalker/stalker poke and if you aren't sure, play safe! Your observer scout should confirm exactly what he is doing and do not continue with the twilight play if your opponent is on one base. Your would need to cut probes and focus churning out units from 6 gates. Check out the anti-cheese section to find out how to deal with 1/1/1 play.
Mid Game:
If your opponent has expanded and is playing a macro game like most normal terrans, this is when you can safely use this early twilight style of play. Add your twilight when your robo is at 50%, and take the double gases at your natural. Research blink and be aggressive and control the map with your stalkers. With blink, you can be very aggressive without the threat of losing the stalkers, as you can simply blink away from concussive shells and aggressive stims. This mobility allows you to know exactly when your opponent moves out, should give you great scouting and shut down any drop play. If you have good observer positioning you can snipe fully loaded drop ships easily. Sometimes if your opponent over commits with a premature attack you can even win the game right there, as he units will not be able to retreat because of your blink upgrade.
With good harass you can even pick off units or force stims while losing nothing.
The mid games is also where the key fork in the build is and your play will be very reactionary depending on what your opponent is doing. It is crucial to scout with your first observer to look out for ebays/CCs to determine if he is doing a fast 2 base timing or a fast third CC in his main. With this build your early mid game composition should be around 3 sentry and 10 stalkers before adding a templar archives. Research charge as gas allows and throw down 2 more gateways to take your gateway count to 5.
How to react in the various scenarios
Scenario 1: - You scout your opponent playing heavy macro, a fast third CC and heavy upgrades are good indications of this.
In this scenario, you need to play greedier yourself, you basically have 2 options, you can take a fast third and go up to 8-10 gateways and add 2 forges later on and play catch up with upgrades, or you can double forge immediately, and expand later. Start storm immediately, and build as many HT and zealots as possible. You should save your HT for storm in both scenarios, including a couple of archon in your army is ideal, but saving HT for storm is much more important. You should only build archons when you have at least 4 HT saved for storms.
Scenario 2: - You scout your opponent being or preparing to be aggressive off of 2 bases.
In this scenario you need to morph your HT into archons as he will probably hit at an early timing then cut probe production at 44 probes (22 on each base) and add 2 more gates to take you to 7, and make as many archons and zealots as possible. Once your opponent is on the map, move your stalkers into your main in case of a drop. If you are dropped, you can clean it up with stalkers and zealot warp ins, if you get hit at the front, blink your stalkers over and with archon/zealot and solid macro you should be able to hold 2 base pushes. Blink gives you the ability to deal very cleanly with the common 2 base multi prong aggression from terrans. Once you have dealt with the initial push, add 1 forge and start saving HT for storms.
I'm currently mid-level silver Terran player. I ordered the manual + 1hours of coaching, I'll give you an update 1 week after the recpetion of the manual + the coaching session to see how it goes.
= )
I would like to be Low Diamonds by the ends of the season.
Feedback: The Complete Grandmaster Manual Strategy Guide
I just wanted to make this threads to testify how great this Guide really is and to encourage anyone not so sure about buying to: tu buy it.
I was in the Silver League and I'm still in there right now as we speak, but, the Top 5 Silver League, thoses with more than 700+pts overall....are not there. I just raped the #3 TvT and honestly, he wasn't there for a single secondes during the game.
I did everything the Guide says to do, I worked on it, I trained against the computer for hours and here I'm...detroying the League I was a bit struggling on.
This Guide works. If you put yourself to it seriously, yeah its a game and I have no ambition to become a Top Terran player, but I got tired of losing.
If you want, give it a try, it cost few pennys, yes, but there is exercises and Pro Coach can't do it for you and you only have to work it throught it yourself.
IMO, before asking lessons of a Pro Gamer, buy the Guide and do everything they say, ask questions and when you'll be in the High Diamond, now its time to ask for a Pro Coach for starts and BO.
Before that, I now can say its useless, you can't build a house with weak fundation.
I think I might have to buy it. Been looking for a guide for SC2 and it would be good to support the SEA community. Just asking what form is this guide? Like are there videos or is it all text. Thanks
___________________________________
| | |
SEA - ToRPatto.890
NA - Patto.680
Check out my progress blog here
I think I might have to buy it. Been looking for a guide for SC2 and it would be good to support the SEA community. Just asking what form is this guide? Like are there videos or is it all text. Thanks
Ok. So I bought the guide tonight and I am already in love with it. I am only up to reading about the basic mechanics but the guide is extremely helpful with justification for everything it is telling you to do. Its kind of a bummer that it runs of a subscription payment model but I am going to make the most of this month and study it constantly. Been 2 hours and I'm already going to say a big thanks to nirvAnA, mOOnGLade, PiG and OxygeN (love alternating caps ahaha) for creating this and putting so much effort into it. Good to see that the pros are still willing to look after the 'little ones' ahaha
___________________________________
| | |
SEA - ToRPatto.890
NA - Patto.680
Check out my progress blog here
Makuly not yet, I will send you a msg personally the moment we do but right now its just not a priority. I have to say there is no magic bullet quick fix because the current PvZ is pretty much there already maybe 90% up to date and you will get GM easily if you can execute perfectly whats been written already. There are only small differences and refinements in builds, not much has changed from the fundamentals written down.
In about a month I'm going to do one last big final update for the WoL portion and then from then on wards the guide will be focusing on HoTS. So TGM covering HoTS is 100% confirmed now and a single subscription will get you access to both guides of course. For those who get the unlimited subscription, your subscription will very likely cover the legacy of the void installment too and any other premium guides we produce.
I've also added updates on the Authors/Coaches achievements.
August 2012
PiG and mOOnGLaDe travel to Gemany to represent SEA in the IEM Global Finals.
PiG wins WCS Australia
mOOnGLaDe wins WCS Oceania
Revenant wins WCS Singapore
July 2012
Jazbas wins WCS New Zealand
PiG wins ACL Melbourne
April 2012
GLaDe wins ACL Pro Sydney
January 2012
GLaDe wins ACL Pro Gold Coast
November 2011
Revenant wins the Cyberfusion League Malaysia 2011
September 2011
GLaDe wins the SEA Blizzard invitational, Jazbas finishes second.
Revenant wins the E-Sports Thailand Championship(ESTC) 2011
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hi, I'd just like to start off by saying your guide is terrific!!
I've spend money on other guides before like Shokz and Hotkeyit (which were both helpful mind you). But this guide is leaps and bounds beyond them. As a gold league player myself trying to get better i constantly found i had hit a wall and was slowly getting better but i can already tell this guide will definitely assist me above and beyond my expectations. If i could go back i would save my money and pay for this one straight up.
I especially like the interactive exercises and the check list stuff which assists to create a learning experience as opposed to a lump of information. I also like the reference to this guide being a text book!. I only bought this guide yesterday but i'd just like to thank you for not ripping me off!
For anyone that is reading this and thinks 'This feedback is probably the people who wrote this guide making numerous accounts and spamming positive feedback to trick people'.. That's what i thought but being the compulsive buyer i am i paid for the guide... and i assure you, its worth it!"
- Ryan "RyRymanpie" Hay
=============
Also, all testimonials will now link to their SC2SEA member profiles. For those new to the SEA community, you may not know these people but they are actually familiar names in our community forums with hundreds of posts. You can see their post histories and stuff by clicking in their names. Everything here is exactly as it was written by the members of our community who have benefited from this guide.
Very top of the page, under the SC2SEA banner, there's a link called "MEMBERS"
No download.
Nvm i just found it myself! Thanks
You guys should rename this to Guide or include a link in this thread, im quite surprised im the only person that had trouble finding the actual product ^^
Hi is the Grandmaster manual being updated for Hots? I got this when playing terran and found it to be extremely helpful. Now going zerg so thinking of resubscribing
There will definitely be a HotS update coming within 1-2 months. The pros have got to learn the game first and make sure the builds they teach are viable enough to stand the test of time. Game's still pretty unstable atm.
The basic and still applicable skills taught here should be still very helpful till then!
There will definitely be a HotS update coming within 1-2 months. The pros have got to learn the game first and make sure the builds they teach are viable enough to stand the test of time. Game's still pretty unstable atm.
The basic and still applicable skills taught here should be still very helpful till then!
nice to hear about the update! definitely looking forward to it!
Some feedback. Great guide. I just signed up for second time. This time for infinity and put a friend onto this who is new to sc2. It doesn't leave any stone unturned. I've switched from terran to zerg and this has made the transition so much quicker and easier. Really taken the guesswork out of it.
Thank you for making this invaluable resource available to the community.
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Another from ASCH who is all the way from Costa Rica! He made the original thread here. This is the shorter version!
"Hi, my name is Allan Andres i am from a far country in Latin America Called Costa Rica...
I am here with my new account i am not new in this forum have more than a year !! but i think its my first post! Sorry for my english I am not a natural english speaker! If I have some mistakes maybe you can help me improve it!
My history
IDK how we reach here from so far away from my country but a friend and I were beginning to play again Starcraft after like 6 years!
We played broodwar in our school sometimes we miss some classes because a endless battles in our coffee internet or in lan in houses of friends!
We start playing and a few day later we found this TGM guide!!... For a Test we bought a 6 months subscribed so we both use the account to read it (I know its not right for the community but we where afraid that was scam so we bought just one) !!
I start reading and stop when I read something like: KEEP READING WHEN YOU REACH DIAMOND!
I took me those 6 months to reach top diamond, i start first just playing 4v4 or free for all games like that
then we all the afraid of the world make the league placements matches
The 1 season of 2012 I ranked Gold took me those 6 months of the subscription to reach diamond so i cant continue reading lol !!
But i can tell that the guide here help me alot to continue improving everyday here with team liquid giveme a lot i am current NA hots Masters and there is a lot of way to go!
I remember always to stories from here the one from KFC and from Abraham Lincoln
So I want to return something to this community that give me a lot of help with the guide and MAFIA that helps me alot !! And start participating more here! tournaments etc etc"
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TGM will be updated with HotS builds very very soon. Latest end this month
hi i have purchased the guide for one month and 3 months a year ago, can i get discoutn if i would like to purchase the infinity subs? cos last year there wasnt any
thanks
Yes. You can get a discount on the infinity package if you were an existing subscriber. Only the HoTS Terarn section is done now, the rest will be done this weekend.
hey my subscription stopped. wondering if you guys would add on the guide, how to learn from streams and so on, or give a story how you learnd the game, like how you learn meta game yourself etc. i have printet the guide up b4 my sub stopped in case i would not pay more for it wich is the case now ^^ but if u would do somefing like that and how people should copy build orders and at what point we should stop follow suply count etc. i would deff subscribe agian!
sc2rofl: we already do have that chapter on meta and we stress having a pro-learning approach throughout the guide! you actually try to have a mindset that you don't need to rely on a chapter to teach you that.
@Nirvana
Yes the guide, have a chapter on metagame, but it more explain what it is. What im refering to is like players who played only 5 games in beta or so, of hots for eaxmple, and then when it was released it took them less than a week to get into the metagame, and using the right strategies. how did they manged to do so ? what did they look for, to know what was standard and not.
Iknow the chapter explains how to use advanged of standard vs not standard play, but it dosent explain how to learn the metagame extremly fast like top 8 masters who never played hots but only WOL and when they get into hots they already kno the strats and metagame etc without even havent played it or watched streams or events that much. The guide does NOT cover that part, or how / what exatly to watch for when learning for streams, and watching GSL. or how to copy a build (like what point we should stop using suply numbers etc.)
Im not saying the guide is bad, its brillant. but to make the lillte dot over the "i" ifeel like it needs this.
I purchased the SC2 GM Manual around 2 years ago and I have had to take an elongated break from the game due to poor health.
How has the guide been updated from WoL to HotS? I am also not sure on which race I wish to play yet so would be hoping for new information for all three races?
I can't find my old username/password (could possibly find the paypal details) for the old purchase so had to make a new account.
The guide is extremely different from two years ago as heaps of content has been added since then.
As for the HoTS section - Our Terran and Zerg sections have already been updated with the latest HoTS strategies by iaguz and PiG respectively. Our Protoss is section is 1/3 done.
And yes we have an introduction to all the new units for each race talking about their strengths and weaknesses so you could probably decide there
Im a complete noobie in sc2 and want to get really good.
I just started to play it today and have no previous experience wizh sc(coming fr lol).
Now i want to ask if the guide is still relevant after the 2 years of its release and of there are most up to date tactics included?
Also will the guide be helpfull to me since im so bad atm.
Mhm... ok and when i want to buy a 1 month subscription will that mean that i will loose acces to the guide after 1 month and when a new addnon comes out or the guide will be updated i need to buy the guide again?
Also what makes this guide better from the free guides at Teamliquid? (They gor multiple guides for Master + players)
Cause i really dont wanna buy smth. when i can get the same for free and maybe even better...
Im so sceptical because i didnt really saw any recent posts or reviewa concernong the guide in this thread
Last edited by No Limit; Sat, 10th-Aug-2013 at 4:24 AM.
Yes, when your subscription ends you lose access to the guide.
Its a lot more comprehensive, there is nothing like this anywhere else. We have over 10 WCG titles between us and we teach you everything from the basics to micro to macro to mindset to exercises and walkthrough build orders and replays.
Do go through our testimonials, we have heaps of them!
Really thinking about getting this, at the start of the year i made it my goal to reach diamond by my birthday, after reaching top 8 in the world in gold league i hit a massive wall and couldnt progress, i was number 1 on both SEA and NA servers by a clear 250-350 points and no promo. It's now only 62 days till my birthday. Will this guide get me over that bump in my play?
well since returning to sc2 im just setting small milestones been away from play for about 5 weeks since my last 2-3 game spurt. first day after having the manual and focusing mainly on the right mindset stuff going decent in ladder. na server current 38-10
I was wondering the same thing. I've been checking in fairly regularly since Svenvg posted the above comment. It's a shame if they've let it go. I'll try via PM and post the response
Unfortunately this hasn't been updated in a while. A lot of the old coaches have retired, only PiG and Revz are really active. Of the new generation of players, some do coaching, but not through the GMM, so if you're interested best to enquire via PM or their twitter.
Or if it's builds and replays you're after, ask in chat, i'm sure people will point you in the right direction.
Hey. Any chance you can make this public for historic purposes? I was using the guide loong time ago, and remember it having useful general non-current meta tips+tricks.
I doubt anybody subscribes to this nowadays, might as well share the history? Thanks
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