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-   -   Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale (/blogs/showentry.php?e=377)

ThePandarine Mon, 26th-Mar-2012 11:52 PM
Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
So, yeah. I think I've put off getting a promotion from to far too long. So, to kick myself into gear, I'm going to try to keep a blog on my journey there

This is a special entry for three reasons:-
  • It’s on a Monday and not your usual ‘end of the week’ entry.
  • This is my final entry for Panda’s Road to Gold.
  • I finally hit
It has been a long journey in my honest opinion. It took me approximately 45 days and 60 games to get to . And you know what? It was worth it. What do I plan to do after this? I don’t really know as exams are coming and the harsh realities of life are waiting for me come summer. But that’s something for the future to think about! Onwards, to my final entry and the last few games that led me to the coveted (well, to me)

Here's the replay pack for those who want to watch me finally hit Gold.
Panda’s Road to Gold VII Replay Pack – The Finale

The Games

+ [Game 1-ThePandarine vs Hawkins] +
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Metalapolis, Close Air
I go for my 2Rax opening while my opponent goes Nexus first. I trade very poorly for 10 Probes, 1 Zealot and maybe a Stalker for 3 Marauders and a handful of Marines. I am now not only economically behind but techwise too. Eventually, my MMM Ghost Viking army is just too small and underupgraded to combat the Protoss deathball. I try to do a ‘Doom Drop’ (as everyone who watches me play like to call my big drops) and force a base race but my opponent just mechanically destroys 85% of my buildings before returning to wip out the invading curs.

+ [Game 2- ThePandarine vs EdPPLilTrikke] +
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 8
Map: Shattered Temple, Cross Spawn
He just 4Gates while I go for a 1Rax 1Gas FE. As my CC in my natural lands, I put down the bunker which is 50% completed. I am unable to raise my wall and Zealots get in shredding the few Marines I had. Eventually I have to ‘gg’ out as his Stalkers just pick apart everything I had.

+ [Game 3- ThePandarine vs baba] +
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 8
Map: Shakuras Plateau, Cross Spawn
My opponent goes for 1-1-1 with a Marine Hellion drop which is defended by my larger number of Marines with Cobat Shields from my 1Rax FE build. I eventually get Medivacs and decide to drop. An early scan showed that he had Tanks with Siege Mode, so I have to be extra careful. The poor bloke unsieges them at the wrong moment and my 2 Medivacs full of Marines stim forward to snipe them before dealing with the small force of Marines he had.

+ [Game 4- ThePandarine vs Veka] +
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Cloud Kingdom LE
A lil bit of banter goes to and fro between us. I go Reactor Hellion Expand and the Zerg goes 15 Hatch 15 Pool. Now, I had some coaching in regards to TvZ and it turns out that my 3Tank Siege Push is actually very weak and should be avoided. Another thing I learnt was that, Reactor Hellion Expand use to be a good build way back when but now it is easily countered by Roaches. Which brings us to what I did differently this game. I went Mass Marauder and Mass Hellion and just kept harassing and dropping, always making sure to snipe vital tech structures whenever I could, until my Zerg opponent has to ‘gg’ out.

+ [’Game 5- ThePandarine vs Lockholster] +
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Metalapolis, Close Air
I try to recreate what I did in the earlier TvZ match but am not able to. Eventually, my wall is broken down and a stream of Zerglings and Roaches decimate me.

+ [Game 6- ThePandarine vs WEK] +
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Shattered Temple, Close Air
He goes FFE while I go 2Rax. With the initial force, I notice that, at a certain angle, the Cannons cannot hit me! Good part? The Pylons powering them is right in the front. Best part? The two Gateways he has, which are being Chrono-boosted, are powered by the very same Pylons. Can you say Snipe-and-Strike? I just keep sending a trickle of units, pressuring him, killing probes and eventually killing of the expansion. In between all that, I take my own expansion, add more Raxes and get Medivacs. I go for my big push at his main when his small army engages mine.

+ [Game 7- ThePandarine vs hydarnes] +
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 50
Map: Metalapolis, Close Air
A pretty intense game with a player from across the Causeway. I go for 2Rax while he goes for (I am assuming) a 3Gate Robo Expand. My pressure comes in, killing units but not really doing so much damage. Our expansions go up and are completed around the same time. I decide to send in the (Hero) Scouting Factory and I spot a very exposed Robotics Facility. I send a drop in to snipe it and to my surprise, as I watched the replay, I denied him a Collosus. I delay the Collosi number and am able to get my Vikings out. An engagement in the middle of the map literally leaves me with no army while he still has a sizeable Stalker force. It is out of sheer luck he does not come in for the killing blow. Constant harassment forces him to constantly pull back or continue risk losing more tech which works to my advantage but not before losing my natural expansion. Eventually, he pushes out one more time for my base. More luck and better upgrades play a big role in this game as I stim out of Storms and into corners where his large number of Zealots count for naught. I go on the counter-offensive and eventually get the ‘gg’

+ [Game 8- ThePandarine vs Ratt] +
Matchup: vs (rolls )
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Metalapolis, Cross Spawn
I 2Rax while he attempts to 1Rax+Proxy 3Rax Reactor Combat Shield (ok, I don’t know what the **** did I just write XD) me. His undefended base falls to mine while I keep my as I had bunkered up and was waiting for the cheese.

+ [Game 9- ThePandarine vs Ratt] +
Matchup: vs (rolls )
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Shattered Temple, Close Air
Same fella I played just before! D: Oh well, I go 2Rax while he tries to 4Gate me. Yes, I do not scout the proxy Pylon but it matters not as my pressure comes in with good timing that he has to warp units in his base. I return home, expand and macro up while my opponent is in a weird spot. He expands and goes Double Robo. I am sure he was hoping to pump out as many Collosi as possible to kill me but a drop delays this. I eventually go in with a 2-1 MMM to take the ‘gg’.

+ [Game 10- ThePandarine vs camz] +
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 50
Map: Shakuras Plateau, Cross Spawn
He tries to Baneling Bust me. Don’t ask me how I know but it was. I got lucky that my wall was reinforced. However, poor transitioning and lack of harassment eventually led to my downfall as I constantly made Marauders and Hellions to counter his Roach Ling army which was just a decoy as Broodlords soon dominated me.

+ [Game 11- ThePandarine vs EsotericG] +
Matchup: vs (rolls )
Opponent League: Top 50 igold
Map: Shattered Temple, Close Air
I decided to 2Rax again while my opponent goes for a 3Rax Fac Starport off one base. Now, I’m sure this would have worked had he dropped in my base with Marines and Hellions as I’m sure he intended to. But impeccable timing and Stim works wonders as I kill 14 workers and 16 other units for my 18 Marines and Marauders. He drops anyways which is completely obliterated by the MM force I have. He eventually asks for the game to be ended with me delivering the killing blow. However, a scan shows Mass Marines with Medivac support which in many Terran’s book is superior to MMM. I decide to play safe, get more units and upgrades then go in. A close shave but playing cautious helped and earned me the ‘gg’

At the end of this game, I was greeted by the Promotion Screen. I cannot tell you how much seeing that meant to me or my entire SCII playing career. Of course, I forget to screenshot it but hey, it’s the memories from then till now that counts right?

Final summary at the end of this road? 35 - 25 in Season 6 before I got to . Not even a week but definitely a great start to one. Yes, I am now where I want to be but looking back, I still see a lot of my gameplay that can still be improved. However, I have come a long way from when I was . And that for now will suffice as exams and reality slowly begin their march towards me. Whether I continue on to rise through the leagues, remain in Gold or just take a long hiatus from SCII, only time will tell.

Special shout out to the following people:-
  • The boys of , for being there, constantly cheering me on, and being general bad asses at all things we do as a clan.
  • The Replay Feedback Thread Team, for when I gave my replays, they gave me good, precise analysis on what went wrong and what could have been done better.
  • The coaches who came and instructed me
  • The players who played custom games and observed me, who either gave me good advice or complimented me or even both!
  • The people of sc2sea, for just being a great community.
  • Nemo and Brultze for showing me how a Reactor Hellion Expand is done and what comes after.
  • And lastly, BakaInu, for kicking me out of the habit of the 1-Hotkey Army and improving my overall execution of my mechanics.
Here’s to SCII, good games, health, a great community and SEA E-Sports. This is Panda’s last entry for his Road to Gold. I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope to bring you all something in the future once reality has settled down for me.

GLHF
ThePandarine

Previous Entry :: Final Entry


Hide Replies
Spo0k Tue, 27th-Mar-2012 12:01 AM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
long time coming man wd

Theend Tue, 27th-Mar-2012 12:08 AM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
This is prove that ToR actually help its member in their game. Gj,Wp.

Spartaz Tue, 27th-Mar-2012 4:26 AM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
Congratz buddy well well deserved!

tgun Tue, 27th-Mar-2012 6:58 AM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
Yo dude, congrats! Was awesome reading your blogs on the way. Now the road to platinum?

Doctor Tue, 27th-Mar-2012 11:16 AM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
Congratulation man , i'll be waiting for ur "road to platinum" blog ! XD

SmotPokingFish Tue, 27th-Mar-2012 7:28 PM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
Congratz on gold bro, you deserved it
and dont take too long off bro, i want to play you when i get back

kiP Tue, 27th-Mar-2012 9:28 PM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
OMG! Congratulations Panda! I knew you could do it! I also think that you shouldn't have much of a problem getting to Plat either if you keep chugging along

On a side note, Smot can you please change the ZorBa to Bloodmyst in your sig.... I leveled up and have evolved now :P I haven't seen you around much lately either, where you be fishy?

FutureBoy Wed, 28th-Mar-2012 2:48 PM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
Good work dude! I can take som inspiration from this. I'm in silver currenty and hoping to hit gold soon. Have worked my way up the ladder nicely and now sit just putside top 8.
Keep it up! You could be a good practice buddy.

ToRMaverick Sat, 31st-Mar-2012 6:00 PM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
It was always going to happen, just a matter of time. Well done agian, plat is just around the corner!

ToRPatto Mon, 10th-Sep-2012 8:36 PM
Re: Panda's Road to Gold VII - The Finale
 
That's awesome Panda. This is what im going for but in not so much detail. Great to read and well earned


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