Build order: tvt openings

3.5 / 5 ( 4 votes )

STANDARD 10 DEPOT
10 depot
11 rax
12 gas
14 OC
14 rine

STANDARD 9 RAX (Fast OC, faster tech)
9 RAX
10 gas
11 OC
11 depot
11 rine

Here are some builds I've used in the past:

1) Fast siege, FE - this is currently the one I use the most.

Use the STANDARD 10 DEPOT opening or 9 RAX opening if it's a small map (prevent cheese) then get..
factory
tech lab
starport(if you scout a banshee opening, otherwise marines are fine)
research siege
make tanks
CC when you have the minerals
2nd gas after CC
i usually get a reactor on my barracks
always make supply depots when needed (~4 away from max supply)

You may need to bunker with marines at the start if he plans on early pressure. Scout!

And of course make marines for tank support with extra minerals you may have.

2) 1 rax 1 fact 1 port Banshee/cloak opening

Use the STANDARD 9 RAX Opening then get..
2nd gas
factory
tech lab on fact
starport
swap with factory
research cloak
create banshees
always make supply depots when needed (~4 away from max supply)

You may need to bunker with marines at the start if he plans on early pressure. Scout!

And of course make marines for support with extra minerals you may have.

this will work wonders if they're unprepared in any way, and even if they are. Good harass opening which can transition to pretty much anything as you have 1 of each building.

3) 3 rax 2 tech Lab 1 reactor stim all-in

Use the Standard 10 DEPOT Opening then get..
tech lab
rax rax
1 marauder
research stim
reactor when available
tech lab when available
always make supply depots when needed (~4 away from max supply)
etc etc

go when you have enough energy after your 3rd MULE for a scan.

When attacking scan choke (up cliff) if needed.


4) 2 Tech Lab upgraded reaper harass FE

Use the STANDARD 10 DEPOT Opening then get..
tech lab/2nd gas
2nd barracks with tech lab
upgrade reaper speed as soon as first tech lab is done + gas available
make around 5+ reapers (personal preference)
create CC when minerals available
harass with reapers(distraction)
always make supply depots when needed (~4 away from max supply)

You may need bunkers or a planetary fortress until you get tanks if they plan heavy early pressure.



Tips:
-create barracks for scouting (more cost efficient than a MULE)
-sometimes I like scanning on my 2nd energy accumulation to scout, esp if i'm not sure, or if my rax is too far away/can't make an extra one in time
-later in the game in TvT MULEs aren't very useful as you will have an excess of minerals, scan to your heart's will
-marauders will really hurt tanks, make sure to have marine support or marauders of your own against mass Bio
-claim as many geysers as possible
-late game BCs are very powerful. Transition to them carefully, but not too late. Always have a reactor starport to make vikings for support, you need to mix them with your BCs. Yamato cannon is a must, use them to snipe enemy vikings.

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Playing a better ai for practice.

3.5 / 5 ( 4 votes )

So we all know that the SC2 Beta AI is just too easy. Basically a couple of units win you the game. Not very helpful if you arnt being pressured enough to really have the need to try in the slightest bit.

Obviously playing on the ladder will always be the best practice, but this is not for trying out a new strategy

But more of macro/micro practice but mainly macro. 

This AI provides you a less stressful gameplay where you do not need to worry about strategy too much, or the anticipation of cheese. The AI plays a standard level of play and does harass so you do need to worry about that.

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Mothership

3.3 / 5 ( 3 votes )

The Mothership

             Before Yo Mommaship got so fat, it was quite the unit to aspire to and get out to the field as soon as possible. Not only did its devastating Vortex ability cost 75 energy units, allowing it to be cast in every battle easily – it was also a fighting beast itself.

             With 400/400 hp/shields, a powerful, rapid attack that could take down workers (sans SCVs) and Marines in a single shot, a base armor of two, and an insta Town Portal button, the Mothership was often seen patrolling the skies all by itself, looking for prey. What was the risk?

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Starcraft 2 general guide

5 / 5 ( 2 votes )

This guide is a combination of various tips and strategies I learned from watching tons of replays online. Unfortunately, I do not have a beta key, but from watching the replays I have analysed some things better players do and some things rookies do that hurts them. As I compile more information, I will improve organization and add in more tips and media. This is the 1.0 version.

Rush/Cheese

This is a type of strategy. It means making units very early on instead of investing and focusing on an economy and making a large army to thwart your opponent. Your aim in this is to catch your opponent off guard with your very early attack and then cripple or defeat your opponent this way to give you the edge over the mid-game.

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Photon cannon rush counter

2 / 5 ( 2 votes )

PCR (Protoss Cannon Rush)

You guys already know what I am talking about especially if you are a Protoss player.

There's some guys that play Protoss and exclusively use this strategy versus other Protoss players.

A guy used this on me so I checked his profile, he is a Gold 1v1 with over 80 wins and 60 loses. So I decided to check his matches, and I saw that every single match he had against a Protoss player, He Photon Cannon Rushed them and won.

Here's the basic Strategy for this and what you could be thinking of doing as it happens to you:

1 ) Enemy builds a Pylon, then Forge at his base.
* Whether you scouted it or not. Lets assume you know 100% that the guy will try to photon cannon rush you.

2) Enemy reaches your base with a Probe.
* You cant stop the probe by building structures before he gets there and after he does he, he just micros, it and he brings more probes in as well.

3) Enemy proceeds to build 2 pylons on your base.
* Even if you destroy those pylons, you have to keep sending in more and more of your workers do to so. The enemy will just continue building more and more pylons, and as soon as you are overwhelmed he will begin building cannons. Your economy is going no where and its obvious he has the upper hand.

4) He proceeds to build cannons and gain control of your base.
* Even if he is unable to beat you. He already owns an entire section of your base. Not only that all he needed was 1 - 3 probes to do this. While you needed almost all of them to stop his probes, cannons and pylons.

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Insufficient Strategies

1) "Fight Fire With Fire"
a. Do the same thing he does. Photon Cannon rush his Nexus and Probes, while he does the same to you.
b. Just make sure you have 1 probe survive and build a nexus else where.
* This strategy is stupid. I don't think it should even be considered.
[COLOR="Red"]

2) "Zealots and Nexus Sacrifice"
a. Build a pylon and Gateway near his base. Build 2 Zealots. Take 1 Probe to safety with 400 Minerals.
b. Attack enemy base with Zealots, build a new Nexus with that Probe.
* This one is just plain hopeless, all the guy has to do is build some cannons and send his probes to kill your Zealots then your at a really big disadvantage.

3) "Zealots Defend till Immortal"
a. Build a pylon and Gateway and send out Probes to stop him for as long as you can. quickly build out 2 Zealots to stop him as long as you can.
b. Build an Assimilator and  Robotics Facility and try to build an Immortal quickly then use it to take out any Photon Cannons he builds. Keep retreating it when its hurt.
* This one is difficult to pull off and if the enemy builds his Photon cannons close to each other and gets them near your Probes then you will be finished.

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Photon Cannon Rush Counter

On an optimal setting where the ramp to your base can be blocked off by
"You Shall Not Pass"
A. Build a Pylon near your ramp.
B. Put 3 probes in front of your ramp and put them on "Hold Position" to stop any of his probes from entering your base.
C. Build a Forge then as soon as it's built, build a Photon Cannon to block the ramp.
F. After the Photon Cannon is built send your probes back to gather minerals and such.
* You will be at a starting disadvantage after this. So be warned.


For every plan I came up with not one resulted in the player ending up in a better situation than the PCR. The only method I found at all useful was this one:
Lets consider the worst possible scenario. Its a map with a large ramp and large area around your Nexus and the enemy player is a Diamond player that perfected this rush.

"The Best Defense is a Good Offense"

A. Hotkey 1 Probe and make it build a Pylon near the ramp just so the Matrix fills up half of the Ramp so you'll be able to see any scouting Probes.

B. Now send that Probe to patrol the middle of your ramp left and right until the Pylon is built. After it's built then send it back to gather minerals. Until the Pylon is built this Probe will be your PRIORITY. As soon as you see an enemy Probe near it, make it attack it, and leave it at that unless the enemy Probe retreats.

C. Build your Forge as close to your Nexus as you can. Then make sure you have at least 100 minerals with you at all times. After the enemy builds a pylon you will need to build one near his as well. After the enemy has built a pylon make sure to save up for 150 minerals. From this point on you need to always have exactly 150 minerals to spare until his Probes retreat. If it goes above 200 build a Probe and chrono boost it.

D. Select that Hotkeyd 1 Probe on your base and Hotkey 3 Other Probes. Now get ready if the enemy does indeed Photon cannon rush you, you will have to micro both these groups at once.

E. If after the Forge is built you did not see any Probes go up your ramp then immediately build a Photon Cannon infront of it. After its build and no enemy probes are in your territory then you are safe from any PCR. Otherwise continue with the other steps.

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