[nirvAnA]

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.

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+ [Our Authors & Coaches Latest 2012 Starcraft 2 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

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)

Table of Contents:

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A sneak peak into the guide:

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One of the early chapters



One of the Zerg chapters




One of the Protoss chapters

Testimonials from subscribers:

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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.

- Sam "Fray`Fourby" Tham (SC2SEA Profile)

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.

- Charlie "Zergtastic / xGkingSatu" Potter (SC2SEA Profile)

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.

- Brendan "Erasmus" Cook (SC2SEA Profile)

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.

- Jaryd "FrOst" Moran (SC2SEA Profile)

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!

- Aron 'Azron' Canao (SC2SEA Profile)

"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!"

- Peter "Avelestar/PantlessPete" Hatcliffe (SC2SEA Profile)

"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. "

- Lance "FlashLance" Toh (SC2SEA Profile)

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.

Before: http://www.sepix.at/before.PNG
After: http://www.sepix.at/after.PNG"

- Thomas "Sepix" Pichler (SC2SEA Profile)

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!"

- Josh "Welshy" Welsh (SC2SEA Profile)

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

"

- Vincenzo "Delraich" Cascioli (SC2SEA Profile)

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."

- David "ToRZanderax" James (SC2SEA Profile)

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."

- Bloodbank (SC2SEA Profile)

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

- Alex "Uniden" Noble (SC2SEA Profile)

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."

- Nic "breadfan/BlitZKrieg" Dixon (SC2SEA Profile)

"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

- Doug "Sats" Ineson " (SC2SEA Profile)

A Personal Thanks

"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!"

- Response to Jamie/ Testimonial from Mattigans (SC2SEA Profile)

A(nother) Personal Thanks

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."

- Joshua "Soulja" Loya (SC2SEA Profile)

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 (SC2SEA Profile)

A new 2013 one from sTuCazZo :

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"

Comparison With the other guides out there

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Feature	Most Other Starcraft 2 Guides	TGM
Beat the Campaign Guide		We do not focus on the single player stuff
Get all the Achievements Guide		Our priority is in the 1v1 multi player aspect.
2v2 3v3 4v4 Team Guide		Our focus is on competitive 1v1 play.
Covers Specific Race vs Race Matchups	Just general coverage of the races	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
Success in competitions	They are unheard off.	The Authors have over $20,000 USD in combined Starcraft 2 tournament prize money winnings, not even including the coaches!
Includes Coaching	No coaching or interaction.	Bundled at a great discounted rate.
Price	Of the four major guides out, three retail around $37 and one at $27!	Our cheapest option is just 19.90!

Is there anything else included besides the manual?

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Yes!! Not only does it come with a super comprehensive manual, it also contains three very relevant sections to improving your game.

Bonus 1: The Anti-Cheese Guide

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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!!

Bonus 2: Game Analysis of TGM members

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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!

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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!!!

Coaching Information:

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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!

Zerg Coaches

aLtPiG.464

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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.

E-mail: jkrensel@hotmail.com
Skype: jared.krensel

+ [Accomplishments:] +

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

PiG v Spanishiwa (May 16th 2011:

You Tube

You Tube

I often stream coaching (www.twitch.tv/altpig) as long as the student is comfortable with it, and save the VODs so they can rewatch:

• Intro Mechanics lesson on hotkeys, injecting, macro and info on holding 2-rax (Ends around 1:15:00): http://www.twitch.tv/altpig/b/291669769
• ZvZ Platinum Roach-infestor positioning micro and +1 timing attack (starts at 5:00): http://www.twitch.tv/altpig/b/291606886

• ZvP Master level roachstyle coaching: http://www.twitch.tv/altpig/b/291546292

+ [Coaching outline over 1 hour:] +

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.

+ [Testimonials:] +

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!

Check out my schedule here:


PM PiG

FlashRevz.870

+ Show +

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

+ [Accomplishments] +

• #1 in sc2sea.com’s 2v2 Open #2[Two All-Kills] (May 2011)
• #1 iCHOR Monthly Open #2(April 2011)
• #3-4 in sc2sea.com’s iMaster of SEA #3 (March 2011)
• #1 in sc2sea.com’s Community Open #12 (February 2011)
• #1 in sc2sea.com’s iMaster of SEA #2 (February 2011)
• #1 in sc2sea.com’s iMaster of SEA #1 (February 2011)
• / #1 in NVIDIA Malaysia StarCraft 2 Tournament (January 2011)
• #2 in 2011 Singapore StarCraft League (January 2011)
• #2 in Dogsi’s SEA Open #4 (January 2011)
• #2 in 2010 Singapore StarCraft League (December 2010)
• #1 in 2010 Singapore StarCraft League (November 2010)
• #1 in 2010 Epic Gaming Convention 2010 (November 2010)
• #2 in SEA Weekly Open #9 (October 2010)
• #1 in SEA Weekly Open #2 (September 2010)
• #3-4 in SEA Weekly Open #3 (September 2010)
• #3-4 in SEA Weekly Open #1 (August 2010)
• Top 8 Code S SEA Star League Season 1(April 2011)

+ [Coaching Outline] +

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.

+ [testimonial by AZKGreenTea] +

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.

PM Rev

Terran Coaches

iM'YoonYJ

+ Show +

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

+ [Accomplishments] +

• #1 Sydney gamers league (LAN)
• #1 Come on tournament x 2 (LAN)
• #1 MSS cup #1 1st place
• #1 SEACO x 3
• #1 ESL
• Qualified for WCG AU Finals 2011
• Countless other small tournaments that I don't remember

+ [Coaching Outline] +

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.

PM Yoon here!

+ [Coaching Outline] +

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.

PM Yoon here!

Protoss Coaches

inF.330

+ Show +

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

+ [Accomplishments:] +

• #1 in sc2sea.com’s King of Fighter #3 (May 2011)
• #1 in PinoyStarCraft.com’s Team League (May 2011)
• #1 in Clan FaDe’s Monthly Open #2 (March 2011)
• #1 in sc2sea.com’s iMaster of SEA #4 (March 2011)
• #3-4 in sc2sea.com’s Community Open #14 (March 2011)
• #2 in sc2sea.com’s iMaster of SEA #1 (February 2011)
• #3-4 in sc2sea.com’s Community Open #12 (February 2011)
• #3-4 in scoceania.com’s Southern Cross Series #4 (December 2010)
• #3-4 in sc2sea.com’s Community Open #3 (December 2010)
• #3-4 in scoceania.com’s Southern Cross Series #1 (November 2010)
• #3-4 in SEA Weekly Open #9 (October 2010)
• #2 in SEA Weekly Open #1(August 2010)
• Invited into the StarCraft II SEA/ANZ Blizzard Invitational (September 2010)
• Code S SEA Star League Season 1 (April 2011)

+ [Coaching outline over 1 hour:] +

• Can do a variety of things that suits the player's needs. This can include:
• going over replays of the player themselves to see what they can improve on or did wrong
• going over replays of other people or myself
• going over standard builds
• how to micro units properly
• playing 1v1 against me or other people and having me comment on the game as it goes
• just having general discussions on what they should do in specific units such as positioning, timings and unit compositions

Other things are possible as well and all of this would depend on the the player wants and needs.

PM Roz

TAyang

+ Show +

Server Access: SEA / NA / KR
Hourly fee: $15
Package fee: 3 for $35 (save $10!)
Contact: ravager92@hotmail.com / markr155(skype)

+ [Accomplishments] +

• #1 MC Trans-tasman SC2 1v1,
• #1 Grass Roots SC2 LAN,
• #1 RFLan #36
• #2 SEA GO4SC2 #16,
• #3 Perth MC Tournament

+ [Coaching Outline] +

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.

+ [Testimonials] +

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.

PM TAyang here!

FAQ:

+ [General] +

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.

+ [Authors VOD highlights] +

You Tube

You Tube

nirvAnA vs dignitas.SelecT by HDStarcraft

You Tube

You Tube

nirvAnA vs dignitas.SelecT by SephyreSC

You Tube

You Tube

mOOnGLaDe vs LiquidTyler by HuskyStarcraft

You Tube

You Tube

mOOnGLaDe vs LiquidHuk by HDStarcraft

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.

+ [Coaching and Subscription] +

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: Who are the coaches?
A: Please refer to this.

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.

Subscribe Now!

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[solzafy3]

Hi Nirvana. Can I have a sneak peak on ZVT just like the one u posted so I can decide to whether i will buy it or not.
Thx u

[nirvAnA]

PMed you one of the three chapters of ZvT

[Crowned]

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?

[NPHMctweeds]

Can any amazing person please tell me what song is used in that trailer!?!?!?

[nirvAnA]

Originally Posted by Crowned

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.

[nirvAnA]

+ [Full list of TGM updates] +

Latest Updates!

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

Check out the new update by iaguz on how to open TvT in 1.4.3 http://www.sc2sea.com/showthread.php?t=3209

[Makuly]

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!

[nirvAnA]

New testimonial added.

"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."

- Nic "BlitZKrieg" Dixon

[KennyRedefine]

Hello Nirvana, as you know I am a newbie and have already posted an intro about myself in the "The new to the forum introduction thread!"

I would like to ask if a beginner subscribe to this, will it be beneficial? or is it too advance for a beginner?

Thanks!

[nirvAnA]

We have included enough material so that anyone from bronze and masters will be able to benefit from it.

And actually beginners benefit the most out of all of these players because they have the most to learn!

[KennyRedefine]

Thanks Nirvana i will subscribe to this after i got my Sc2 this coming Sunday. thanks again nirvana!

[KennyRedefine]

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)?

[nirvAnA]

Nope, theres quite a nice discount for current subscribers

[KennyRedefine]

Niceeeeeeeee..... OK I will get my SC2 SEA by tomorrow! Might subscribe during night time! Thanks for the infos Nirvana and thanks for being helpful.

[KennyRedefine]

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!

[dzonurnuts]

Im gonna subscribe now too!!

[nirvAnA]

Coaching Testimonial for Kice/YaMaMa/AsGChObo

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.

By "breadfan"

[nirvAnA]

New TGM testimonial added.

"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

Doug "Sats" Ineson "

[ToRSpartaz]

Time to get some moneys and improve after purchasing this ^^

[stronK]

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.