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
And we are back for another entry in Panda's Road to Gold. Wow, I’ve come a long way and I can actually see it . I’ve decided to stick to the spoiler method as it looks neater and my readers can jump to whichever game they want to read about I also added maps now :3 However, this week was really lacklustre and I felt like I was drowning. Possibly because I am officially sick on TvZ and want more TvP or possibly TvT? Who knows? On to the blog!
Here's the replay pack for those who want to watch the me flail this week D: Oh, and the old replay system still exists (^_^)
The leagues and ranks of the players here are as of the time I am writing this and not when I saved the replay! Some players may have gone up or down in league and/or rank. Also, some players may have been but I no longer remember who is what :/
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 8
Map: Shakuras Plateau
I go for my 2Rax opening but not getting my opponent’s SCV out of my base ASAP gave him the knowledge to bunker up. The timing is held off and my opponent techs to Banshees which I should have prepared from the number of bunkers. The Banshees hurt me while my opponent gets Siege Tanks and mass Marines. He assaults me just as I drop him. I attempt a base trade but a combination of bunkers and Tanks kill my forces as well as his much superior force destroying my base forces me to ‘gg’
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 50 (was ‘Favoured’; suspected smurf)
Map: Shakuras Plateau
My opponent goes Forge first while I got 2Rax. I could have broken through but a second Cannon goes up and I decide to back off. The decision to tech up and expand was a poor choice as he goes mass Zealots and High Templars. Zero scouting leads to me having little units and when I see the push, the only thing that came to mind was ‘FUCK’. I get the wall off but Storms tear my small force to shreds while the Zealots tear through my wall. Eventually, I have to ‘gg’
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 8
Map: Shakuras Plateau
I try to Mech this game after going for a 1Rax FE. Going Mech, I know I will be vulnerable to Mutalisk so I get enough (to me) Turrets in my main base. What I did not account for was my natural and the Muta number is too big for my single freshly minted Thor.
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 25 (self-announced smurf; unconfirmed)
Map: Cloud Kingdom LE
A lil bit of banter goes to and fro and my opponent is a ‘’ smurfing away. I try to go Mech. It works somewhat burning a lot of things here and there with the initial mass of Hellions but pretty soon Roaches just shut em out. I eventually push out but a lot of Roaches and Broodlords just decommissions everything I have that I have to ‘gg’ out
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 8
Map: Cloud Kingdom LE
Funny story is that I was playing team games as Protoss and forgot to check when I decided to ladder again. I don’t have a clue what I was doing, so don’t ask me :P PS: I still lose XD
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Unranked
Map: Shakuras Plateau
He DCs. Seriously people, check your modem, router or ISP before laddering! I do not like free wins! D:<
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 8
Map: Shattered Temple
I decide to try to 1Rax FE and see how it goes. Strangely, no pressure comes and I’m allowed to macro, upgrade and expand (somewhat) in peace. A drop finds out the hard way that Collosi are in play. Superior upgrades and a good engagement favours me and my opponent leaves without a ‘gg’! D:
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Shakuras Plateau
I decide to try my luck with a 1Rax FE here. Drops allow me to kill his expansion in the South-West corner. As I take my third, I do one of the most insane things I have done in my SC2 life, mass Rax to wall off and create chokepoints. In combination with the cliffs and the spamming of turrets, I am able to kill enough to push out. Eventually, my opponent ‘gg’s as he sees his Ling Bling Muta composition vanish.
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Metalopolis
Reactor Hellion Expand! I spot Roach Warren is done and Roaches have popped! D: I pull back and as I do that, I wonder, ‘What if I made Marauder?’. So I make a few. My Hellions get picked off but that lets me raise my wall and put Marauders in my bunkers. I push out immediately. My opponent decides to get a lil but greedy and take the Gold expansion which I punish. Using the Gold base as a beachhead, I lay siege to him. His natural expansion goes down but not before I lose 75% of my army. It is only by luck and some Missile Turrets my forces are not wiped out. Reinforcements trickle in and eventually my opponent ‘gg’s as he runs out of resources.
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: Top 25
Map: Shakuras Plateau
Reactor Hellion Expand with poor macro. The Ultralisks are a surprise and I am caught with my pants down. He just steam rolls right across, killing everything and I mean EVERYTHING in his way.
Matchup: vs
Opponent League: (could’ve sworn he was higher than that)
Map: Shakuras Plateau
I decide to 2Rax but I realise that the distance on Shakuras makes it difficult. I instead decide to expand and defend it. A lil bit of a tense moment when his initial Stalker and Zealot push up my ramp but the Marauder comes out just in time. I know I am in deep shit so I throw down a bunker and then another 2 as the lone SCV holding the Xel Naga Tower spots units streaming across. I spot a proxy Pylon and shut it down as I am sure it would be for when he gets vision up the ramp. I deflect his push and expand and macro up. I make Ghost pre-emptively and pleased to know my investment pays off as I spot Archons and High Templars. As I attempt to go in for the blow, I throw down a scan and I manage to snipe the forward Observer. I send my cloaked Ghost in to EMP and then it was just a matter of walking in with my MMM. I earn a ‘gg’ and even a mannered ‘wp’.
Summary? 28 - 21 in Season 6 for the Week 6 of the new season for me. Coin flip week. The only reason I am still where I am is because of those dropped games. I spotted holes in my scouting and macro which need to be fixed. Special shout out to TAChadMann, JoFritzMD and QwertyHunter for some epic TvP customs as well as the lads who have been observing my games and saying I am good for a player and definitely worth becoming . Here’s to next week. Any feedback on my replays are welcomed. See you guys next week
Hey Panda, look dude. If you really want to improve at a faster rate.
STICK TO ONE BUILD EACH MATCH UP!
Your doing different builds man. One T v Z your going for a 1 Rax Fe, the next you are going for some mech game, the next one after that your doing a reactor Hellion FE. Just stick to one build and learn it inside out! Obviously, if your that keen to improve this is one way to accelerate that.
So please, just decide on 1 build for each MU and go from there. It is much easier for people to watch say 3 T v Z games of reactor hellion FE and pick out your weakest point to work on in that build. Same goes for T v P, if you send us 3 T v P replays where you are going for a 1 Rax FE it's much easier for everyone to to pick your "weakest points" in the game to work on.
There is no use at looking at 1 match up where we see T v Z matches and they are all different builds.... I mean, if you always keep doing those same 3 builds that great and obviously you will improve, but I'm just saying that you will improve much faster if you just stick to the one build.
So please, before your next blog post.... pick a build for each match up and stick with it! Post us those replays and I'm sure this will not only be beneficial for those who want to help you.... but also yourself as you can focus all your efforts on 1 thing at a time.
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