[LGShaft]

Crash Course is an educational Starcraft 2 YouTube series that takes a magnifying glass to the Starcraft 2 meta-game, micro, and other niche segments. Our content can at times be highly controversial, but always comes from leading experts in the field. Some of the show's regulars include Ninth Legion's IXLRunAmoK, Starcraft 2 Strategy.com's WhiteWing, and the Clan EAT Casting Crew's very own Shaft.

Lucoda's Swarm Host-less ZvP - Mutalisk Tech Switches

Lucoda, Irish Zerg extraordinaire, comes on Crash Course to talk about ways to avoid using Swarm Hosts in ZvP. A lot of players feel locked in to using Zerg's awesome mid-game positional units, and this is just one viable alternative.

Lucoda's style begins with any opener into a roach hydra mid-game. This composition in the mid-game allows for reaction to any situation while establishing a strong economy. Once an efficient engagement can occur, Lucoda shows how to properly tech switch into a large Mutalisk ball -- every Protoss's nightmare!

Please enjoy on YouTube!

+ Show +

Defending Reaper & Hellion Harassment (ZvT)

Since the latest patch, Widow Mines have been a much weaker defense early in the game; still viable in the mid game, there is a timing window now in which marine-first or command center-first openers will not have enough defense to hold a well-timed rush. We explore this topic much more in-depth here in a previous video.

This video will focus on a less all-in, longer term, standard macro style. It is still a ling baneling mutalisk composition, yet the timings are significantly different, and the defense timings are more different still.

Please enjoy on YouTube!!

Performing a Lightning Fast Roach Max with Burrow Movement (Zerg versus Protoss)

Today we'll be taking a look at a wonky, crazy style to add to your arsenal of builds. This is NOT one of those builds you'll be able to pull off 2 or 3 games in a row against the same opponent, but it's a great build to mix into a best of 3 or into your ladder play.

This build is a spring-off of Stephano's roach max, this time utilizing a very early burrow movement upgrade in order to minimize damage from MSCs and to make Force Fields deal-withable.

This style is particularly potent against Stargate openers: reason being, no observer for quite some time. There is also an abnormally weak defense at the front of a Stargate opener, usually relying on a sole cannon or two with little gateway backup. This makes a roach max build particularly potent -- it won't be very cost effective, but it definitely gets the job done!

Please enjoy on YouTube

(ZvT) Roach-Baneling - A Post-Patch Perspective
This video will be taking a look at Terran openers since Widow Mines got patched to bits. Some players are choosing to be a lot more greedy than they should, and it's wise to know how to punish them. Also, this will be taking a look at what ZvT meta may become, courtesy of Taeja!

Please tune in on YouTube

(ZvZ)) MutaLing / Bling / Swarm Host - Blade55555's ZvZ
Blade55555 is a writer for TeamLiquid, and one of the more prominent players in the North American scene. Always one to give back to the community, Blade has written a second look at Zerg in Heart of the Swarm, detailing multiple styles for every match ups with good solid tactical and strategic advice. Anyone interested in checking out his article can feel free to visit it on TeamLiquid: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/view...opic_id=428262

This video will be looking at the reasoning and methodology behind a style of Zerg he mentions: Speedlings with Baneling defense, into a very fast Mutalisk build, into a third base, and Swarm Hosts to defend that third, with the overall intentions of reaching a VERY fast Ultralisk Cavern.

This style is a very gas starved, under-utilized style of play, with devastating potential. Any Zergie having issues with this match-up should be encouraged to try it a good dozen times, pronto.

Please tune in on YouTube

(ZvP) Playing an Aggressive Mid-Game
@TheOnlyShaft teaches a powerful new ZvP style: [Roachling] into [Hydraling] into [Mutaling] or [Roach Hydra Corruptor]! It's all about the economic setup early game. A must-see!!!

Please tune in on YouTube.

(ZvT) TLO's Modern Mutaling
This VoD includes replays of LiquidTLO, with topics including decision making, gambits and tactics he uses to be super greedy early game for that all-powerful late-game. We see what happens when TLO lets Hellions into his base, and even for a point of comparison, take a look at a JaeDong game and analyze the decision-making between the two. If you're having issues making Mutaling viable in this match up, this is the VoD for you!

- Build orders
- Tech timings
- Drone counts
- Queen placement
- Mid-game goals
- Transitioning to late game

Please tune in on YouTube.

Protoss Spell Casters Control
Starcraft 2 Strategy.com's WhiteWing comes on to talk about how to effectively use Protoss spellcasters, how to keep them alive, and how to be much more cost-effective than your opponent. We take a look at how to use the most common (and some not so commonly thought of) spellcasters per match-up, detailing some of the more common ways to make them even more cost-effective. If this is an area you find yourself struggling in, then please come take a look!

All videos are organized according to match-ups, though the first match-up listed, in this case Protoss versus Protoss, will include some overlap into the other match-ups. Please enjoy guys!

Some of the topics covered include:
- Oracle map hacks (Revelation)
- High Templar positioning
- Evading EMP with Warp Prism
- Using Force Field to peel your opponent's army like an onion
- and more!

Please tune in on YouTube.

Zerg Spell Casters Control
Shaft comes on to talk about how to effectively use Zerg spellcasters, how to keep them alive, and how to be much more cost-effective than your opponent. We take a look at how to use the most common (and some not so commonly thought of) spellcasters per match-up, detailing some of the more common ways to make them even more cost-effective. If this is an area you find yourself struggling in, then please come take a look!

All videos are organized according to match-ups, though the first match-up listed, in this case Zerg versus Protoss, will include some overlap into the other match-ups. Please enjoy guys!

Some of the topics covered include:
- Burrowing infestor sandwiches
- Baneling land mines
- Utilizing the Viper
- Fungal kiting
- and more!

Please tune in on YouTube.

Terran Spell Casters Control
@IXLRunAmok demonstrates and teaches how to properly use Terran Spell Casters.

Please tune in on YouTube.

Advanced Unit Control - Drops, Pincer Attacks, Patrol Splitting and More!
This episode displays a lot of higher-level concepts within Starcraft. Most of the things in this video seem small, but are also the things that most commonly cause people to get overwhelmed or frustrated with the game. We will show you how to be aware of the map, respond to what you see effectively, so you can easily move on to other tasks.

- Patrol Splitting
- Mini-Map Awareness & Usage
- Flanking
- Pincer Attacks
- Surrounding the enemy army
- Dropping

This video was intended for Zergs, and does include Zerg-specific ideas but is still a viable learning tool for other races, as well!

Please tune in on YouTube.

Basic Unit Control - Boxing, Grouping, Splitting and More!
This episode will detail a lot of different things about unit control. This video will begin on a basic, fundamental level, and then begin combining different principles covered for some really awesome effects. Some of the subjects you can expect to enjoy in this short episode of Crash Course:

- Different types of rallying
- Splitting your army
- Big boxing versus small boxing
- Binding control groups and using them effectively
- Adding and subtracting small numbers of units to existing control groups

This video was intended for Zergs, and does include Zerg-specific ideas (e.g., egg rallies) but is still a viable learning tool for other races, as well!

Please tune in on YouTube.

(ZvP) Mapping Out One Gate Expansions
In this 90+ minute video, we look at three different types of 1 gate expands, including early timing attacks, mid-range timing attacks, and tech-oriented play.

This is a fairly long video, so for those who may not have the time, I would recommend the first two sections (2:45-6:45 and 6:45-10:00). The last section is mostly just showing the advantages of preparing for certain timings.

Also, my apologies for the volume, the HoTs volume bug caught me. I tried to normalize everything as best I could, but there are still a few times where I know it's hard to hear me.

Please tune in on YouTube.

(ZvT) How to Handle Hellbat Drops
This episode compares a Fast 3 Command Center build's economics to that of a Hellbat Dropping Terran, exposing key weaknesses in the build, as well as recommended scouting times to prepare exactly the right response.

Techniques for dealing with the drops themselves include:
- Queen targetting Medivacs
- Roach support
- Possible Spore Crawler placement and timings

This is a how-to guide for dealing with Reaper openings as a Zerg player. This is a technique tutorial, not a build order one -- that is to say, the lessons taught in this video will apply to almost any build order.

Please tune in on YouTube.

(ZvT) Dealing with Reapers
I've had several students complain over the last few weeks about how imba reapers are. They seem to be stuck in this situation where they're losing games to Reapers, so they start over compensating. Making spines before they need to, too many lings, et cetera. Of course, this cuts into their drone count, and while this does fairly well against actually beating Reapers, what happens if the Terran doesn't do that? Quite simply, the Zerg loses. They're sacrificing economic potential for absolute safety, which quite frankly doesn't exist. This is an attempt to explain direct damage versus indirect damage, and how to minimize both in your play.

This is a how-to guide for dealing with Reaper openings as a Zerg player. This is a technique tutorial, not a build order one -- that is to say, the lessons taught in this video will apply to almost any build order.

Please tune in on YouTube.