Tools of the Trade

This update has unfortunately taken longer then expected, primarily beacuse I wanted to have enough practice time with the issue at hand. But after a long while, I have finally written an update. As promised, it is a non-match update. Infact, due to circumstances, I am likely going to forego the old match system and use a different method to show my progress. But I will talk more about that later. First, I will concentrate on the main topic of this update and that is hot keys.

Hot keys are the essential tool of any Real-Time Strategy player. Without them, the player lacks sufficient control and dexterity to be competitive against other players. Both macromanagement and micromanagement rely heavily on the good use of hotkeys. For this reason, one of the most important things a new player must learn in order to improve are hot keys. All of you are probably well aware what those are. However, in order to refresh your memory, here is the link to the Hot Keys and Special Commands list located on the StarCraft Compendium.
Even more important are the race-specific unit and building hot keys (Protoss players can find theirs here , you can find the hot keys of the other races in their respective sections on the website). However, unlike the other two races, the Protoss have a rather unique issue in this regard and that is the fact that their worker hot key (P for Probe) is located on the right side of the keyboard. While this may not represent a problem to those who are used to doing various activities (such as reading) from right to left, it is not particularly intuitive for those who are used to doing things from left to right.

At this point, you are probably bewildered as to what do I mean by this, so I will try to explain. Among Protoss players, it is generally accepted that the best way to produce Probes from your initial Nexus is to bind the Nexus to 0 (zero) since it is right next to the P button. While this is not a problem in itself, it preety much sets you in a position to binding your keys from right to left. When I tried doing so in practice, it ended up being awfully confusing (since I am used to doing things the opposite way). Unfortunately, the alternative (binding Nexus to 1 and then clicking for Probe production) is not exactly good. While some progamers do use such a scheme (for example, Nony), you need quick hand speed to compensate for the less optimal Probe production. In addition, it forces you to divert attention between the production boy and the main screen/minimap.

After trying a few ways, I finally decided on a compromise scheme by binding my initial Nexus to 0 (and my natural Nexus at 9, if I can remember to do that) and then binding the rest from 1 onward. While this does force me to move my hand across the keyboard, it is still easier for me to use. Also, the fact that I have to move my hand so much is compensated by the fact that I can produce Probes more quickly. So far, I have been rather comfortable with this scheme, although whether or not I will stick with it remains to be seen.

Speaking of hotkeys, another tool we cannot forget to mention is, naturally, the keyboard itself.
Nick Plott a.k.a Tasteless, arguably the most famous english StarCraft commentator who now works for GOMTV, started a blog on Starfeeder where he explains some of the important aspects of StarCraft foreign players tend to have problems with and provides advices on how to overcome them. For his initial posts, he chose the topic of how to create and use a competitive StarCraft keyboard. Interestingly, he explains that it is best to use a cheap basic keyboard with no exotic buttons and shapes, since those only detract from your efficiency. He further instructs the player to remove certain keys (such as the Windows and F1 keys) which do nothing in the game and can potentially hinder the player (however, it is worth to note that certain plugins, such as those within the Chaoslauncher, can disable unnecessary keys without the need to physically pull them out). From there, he explains how to use initial hotkeys. While the guide is primarily Protoss-oriented (Tasteless is a Protoss player), it is a worthy read for any StarCraft player. If you are interested, parts 1 and 2 have so far been released.

Another thing Tasteless mentions is the (optional) practice of certain players of removing vital keys from the keyboard and replacing them with those from a differently-coloured keyboard. This is ment for easier orientation in case you need to quickly glance at your keyboard in order to find the key you need. Those of you who follow the Korean progaming scene will know that the Protoss player Jangbi is famous for his "checkerboard" or "chessboard" keyboard.

I personally am considering doing something like this as well, in order to speed up my learning process. I already own an old keyboard which I can use for such a purpose, so all I need to do is buy a cheap black keyboard and replace some of the vital keys. However, we shall see if such a task will be necessary to begin with.

That concludes this update. It is somewhat lengthy, but deservingly so after such a long period of silence. I hope this has been as useful to you as it has been for me. If you have experience with keyboard schemes and settings, please do not hesitate to comment. I am sure all of us would love to hear it.

The next update will not be far off. As I said at the beggining, I will most likely be foregoing the old match system in favour of a new kind of setup. For that reason, I would like to sincerily thank stebo88, dillinger and lurkers_lurk who selflessly volunteered to play with me and thus help me improve in all three matchups. Hopefully, their time has been well spent and I am a better player thanks to them. At this point, you are probably wondering what this new "setup" will be, but I will talk about that in my next post. Until then, keep practicing. I certainly will...especially since I will be facing stebo88 again on the Armory 1v1 ladder soon. :)

PvP match with Stebo: Race of the ironmongers

While I did promise in my last update that I will make more non-Match posts, I was unable to avoid one this time around. I did not have time to practice the thing I wanted, Stebo was already wondering when I was going to put this on the blog and time was running out. As such, I will first present my second PvP match with Stebo. Hopefully, my next update will follow soon after.

In any case, near the end of the previous month, me and Stebo managed to get a match going on the 30th and we met on Battle.net. Originally, we planned to play on the map Desolation. However, since an observer wished to watch (which was none other then Raspy, another member of SC2Armory and a dedicated follower of my blog), we later opted to play on Blue Storm. Unfortunately, it seems that Observer spots are bugged, since we suffered latency issues both then and when Stebo and Raspy played, which forced Raspy to leave the game. Nevertheless, the match went underway.

Match Summary

Map: Blue Storm

Replay Link

I started out at the 1.30 position while Stebo was, naturally for this map, opposite of me at the 7.30 position. It seems we were of similar thoughts that day as we both opted for a 4-gate build in an attempt to steamroll each other (at least that way my intention; Stebo later revealed that he just wanted to see how I would cope against a 4-gate build). However, while he opted to produce Zealots, I went for mass Dragoons instead.

As is usual for me, I used my scout to steal his gas. However, this time, it payed off more then ever before. Not only did it delay his tech, it also served as a scout which showed me that my opponent was going for a 4 Gateway build as well. This only prompted me further to proceed with my original plan. After gathering enough forces, I sent them (with some trouble, thanks to poor AI pathing which is much more noticable on Blue Storm) to Stebo`s front door. However, just as I began to attack his front door, Stebo sent a Shuttle with a Reaver towards my base.

While a slugmatch ensued as I moved my Dragoons back and forth to engage Stebo`s Zealots at his front door, he dropped his Reaver at my main and proceeded to cause considerable economic damage. While I used freshly produced Dragoons to kill the Zealot he dropped, the Shuttle along with the Reaver escaped. I sent additional reinforcements to my forces at Stebo`s front while he expanded to the 6.30 position by dropping a Probe there. After slowly but surely destroying Stebo`s Zealots, I proceeded to destroy his main. He used this chance to execute another drop. While he did some damage, I managed to pull away most of the Probes in time.

After destroying his main, I sent my Dragoons to search around the map for expansions (since he did not get eliminated). After finally stumbling upon it and destroying his sole Reaver, Stebo finally called "gg".

Match Analysis

Stebo intentionally did not attempt to win this match, so my victory does not amount to much. This game still showed that Stebo is very much a superior player and that I have a lot to learn. The only positive thing I can count about my performance is that I did not have as much resources lying uselessly around as I usually do. Having said that, here are some of the mistakes I have noticed:

1. Poor macromanagement: An attack is usually the best time to expand since your opponent is distracted. However, I did not use that opportunity. Had I done so, I would have been able to support more Gateways and thus end the game more quickly then it did.

2. Poor unit composition: The sole reason why Stebo was able to keep my attack at bay for so long was a general lack of Zealots on my part. Since Dragoons do not respond well to melee attacks, I had to micro them to minimise the damage. If I had more Zealots, I would have been able to bring the fight to Stebo`s base much sooner.

3. Poor micromanagement: Even the Zealots I did have were not microed well, since I tended to put them in the same group as Dragoons. That is, of course, a bad idea since Zealots are microed differently from their Dragoon counterparts. As such, my Zealots ended up standing around during battle and thus not having much effect.

4. Lack of cannons: This is probably one of the the most disturbing aspects of my play, since I have lost many matches beacuse of this fatal error. I generally forget to build any Photon Cannons at my bases. This leaves them completely exposed to enemy harassement, as can be seen from this match as well. Since a Forge does not cost much and is preety important in all three matchups, it is vital I get in the habit of building cannons.

As always, I would like to thank Stebo for selflessly aiding me in my StarCraft training. I would also like to thank all others who have been helping me. A great number of people have shown interest in my training by either being willing to play with me (such as Cr4zy Jeff and Kishime, with whom I have not had a chance to play yet) or providing advice (particularly Dreadwave, who has taken time to write entire articles of advice as you can see in the comments for both previous monthly matches). I am eternally grateful for this and I hope I will not let you down.

For the next update (which will probably come in the next few days), I will be writing an article about Protoss hotkeys. Both Dreadwave and Michael (who has been doing a great job on his blog and who has been daring me to try and challenge his superior skill :) ) have been warning me that I should work on my hotkeys, which I have indeed attempted. That said, Protoss hotkeys have turned out to be an issue in themselves. The problem is not in the fact that they are hard to learn, but more in the fact that they are hard to get used to. However, I will speak more of this in my next update. Till then, I will practice them and see what comes from it.

PvZ match with lurkers_lurk: Death from below

Protoss versus Zerg is considered one of the best and most challenging matchups in StarCraft. For this reason, I wanted to find someone who would be willing to be my training partner in PvZ. The blessing came in the form of lurkers_lurk who, in a random thread on the Armory, expressed that he would be willing to have a match with me. This prompted me to ask him if he would be willing to be my PvZ training partner. I was very glad when he agreed to do so and we met on Battle.net not long after that.

However, that would turn out to be not the only dose of the PvZ matchup for me. Broodie, another member of SC2Armory, managed to organise the site`s first ever Brood War tournament which he nicknamed "Engagement of Braves". Eager to test my skills and learn more about the game, I naturally applied. However, I was in for a shock as both my first and second opponent turned out to be players of none other then Zerg. Having only minimal training in the matchup, I braced myself for the worst.

And the results? Contrary to the title, you will find below the summaries of my Best of Three with lurkers_lurk as well as both matches from the tournament. If you want to see the matches for yourself, you will find Fighter Replays replay links below the title. Naturally, if you wish, you can skip the summaries to see the final analysis of my play. Without further delay, here are the summaries:

Tom Phoenix vs lurkers_lurk #1


Map: Python
Replay Link

The first match started with me in the 1 o`clock position while lurkers_lurk started in the 7 o`clock position. I went for a standard Speedlots (Zealots with Leg Enhancements upgrade) and Templar strategy, whereas lurkers_lurk opted for a Cholera build (two Hatcheries into Lurkers). He sent his initial Zerglings to harass. However, since I managed to block my ramp with two Zealots, he kept them at my front door and proceeded to gather more Zerglings there. Once I felt I had enough forces, I broke out. After managing to clean up lurkers forces at my front door, I established a Nexus at my natural expansion. Since I did not attack, this gave my opponent the respite he needed to get Lurkers. After gathering enough forces, he attacked and revealed his Lurkers. Since I did not have any Observers, I was forced to retreat. From there, lurkers was able to slowly push into my natural which I was eventually forced to abandon. After destroying the Nexus there, lurkers_lurk contained me into my base and teched to Hive just in case he needed it. After a few unsuccessful attempts on my part to break out, lurkers_lurk managed to force his way into my base and I was forced to surrender.

Tom Phoenix vs lurkers_lurk #2


Map: Python
Replay Link

This match started with me in the 2.30 position, while lurkers_lurk found himself at the 1 o`clock position. While he went for a three hatchery Lurker strategy, I decided to go for some semblance of a fast expand. Since he sent his Overlord in the right direction, he immediatlly found me. However, this told me where to send my own scout and I was able to occupy his gas with an Assimilator. As he used all his Drones to destroy it, I set up a front door blockade with three Photon Cannons. However, lurkers sent his Zerglings to my base as the Cannons were warping in and three of them managed to pass through unharmed. However, I disposed of them with my Probes at the cost of only one of my workers. Lurkers, seeing that I set up a formidable blockade at my front, opted for a Lurker drop on my main. Without any Cannons there, his Lurkers were quick to destroy all my Probes there. After I killed the Lurkers with some Zealots, I began licking my wounds by producing Probes. However, lurkers_lurk quickly responded with a second Lurker drop on my natural. While I saw this one coming, a mismicro on my part blocked the way out for my Probes and they got massacred. Although I disposed of those Lurkers as well, I knew that I would never recover from the damage done to my economy. As such, I was forced to call "gg".

Tom Phoenix vs Ineluki

Map: Longinus

Replay Link

This was my first round match in the "Engagement of Braves" tournament, where I faced off against Ineluki. RiSE from TeamLiquid.net in his PvZ Strategy Guide does not recommend Fast Expan builds to unexperienced players. For that reason, I avoided that strategy.

I started in the 2.30 position whereas Ineluki began in the 10 o`clock position. While I opted to gain Speedlots and Templar, Ineluki went for 3 Hatcheries into Hydralisks. Although I sent my initial Zealots to harass, they were quickly disposed. After fortifying my front door with Cannons, I produced a Corsair which I used for Overlord hunting and scouting. Seeing how my opponent was going for Hydralisks, I opted to stick to my strategy. However, when I noticed Lurkers I immediatlly went to put down a Robotics Facility and Observatory. What followed was a slugfest as we both threw units at each others and fought between our bases. I used Speedlots with some Dark and High Templar, whereas Ineluki used Hydralisks with some Zerglings and Lurkers. Eventually, I prevailed and managed to destroy Ineluki`s main. However, by that point, Ineluki had spread himself around the map and I was forced to look around and destroy his expansions.

As I prevented him from placing new expansions, I placed two of my own and teched to Arbiters as I mistakingly though the 1 o`clock and 9 o`clock were islands (this was my first time playing on Longinus). When I realised that both of them had ramps leading up to them, I did not hesitate to attack them. After some more pointless sacrifices on my part, I managed to begin destroying his final base when Ineluki finally decided to give up.

Tom Phoenix vs Bloodwolf

Map: Blue Storm

Replay Link

After defeating Ineluki, I advanced into the second round of the tournament. This time, I faced Bloodwolf.

I started out in the 7.30 position, while Bloodwolf was directly opposite of me at 1.30. My plan was similar to the one in the previous match, meaning going for Speedlots and Templar while also producing a Corsair for Overlord hunting. However, Bloodwolf was aiming for an early Zergling harass and then into a Lurkers rush. Since it was a two-player map, I quickly scouted my opponent and occupied his gas with an Assimilator. After Bloodwolf destroyed both my scout and my Assimilator, he went for some harass. Beacuse I only had one Zealot who was blocking the narrow entrance to my natural, Bloodwolf managed to sneak his Zerglings around and into my main. Due to a poor worker drill, the Zerglings managed to pick off my Probes one by one. Before I managed to dispatch them, my economy was seriously hindered. However, since my defeat would mean my end in the tournament, I was not willing to give up yet. I began to rebuild my probes and continue teching. Bloodwolf sent some more Zerglings for harass but they were easily disposed this time around. However, then came the Lurker push. Without any detection, I was helpless against it. As the Lurkers began to rampage my main, I finally conceded defeat.

Final Analysis

I must admit that my matches with lurkers_lurk were easily some of my worst performances since I began playing. My first serious encounter with the PvZ matchup left me dumbfounded and I felt like I was just starting to play StarCraft all over again. However, through these matches, I have learned many things that will help me in my future encounters with the Zerg. Plus, considering Bloodwolf continued to take the 3rd place in the tournament, I do not feel to bad losing to him. He is a very good Zerg player with excellent timing and he can go far (although he currently plays Random).

And what of my own potential? That I do not know. What I do know is that I still do many glaring (as well as those less so) mistakes. Therefore, here is the analysis of my play:

1. Poor macromanagement: To be honest, my inability to spend resources is slowly beginning to irritate me. Infact, among some of the members of the Armory, I have gotten a dubious reputation beacuse of it. Unfortunately, until I learn to remain focused on macro even while attacking, it does not seem that I will be able to do this well. However, putting additional Gateways would certainly not hurt.

2. Poor micromanagement: This critique actually encompasses two issues. The first is fighting Lurkers with Zealots. Lurkers are very powerful against Zealots. However, I needlessly lost many of them precisely to Lurkers since I used them to fight the Lurkers. Using Archons or High Templar is a better option.

The second issue is my use of Psi Storms. My Storms would often completely miss their marks or would even accidently storm my own units. Precision is important with Psi Storms, even if you are not Jangbi. As such, greater practice of it is important.

3. Poor use of Cannons: There is no going around it. My use of Cannons was very poor. This was quite evident in both my matches with lurkers_lurk. Had I placed Cannons on key locations (and sooner), I would not have lost to a Lurker rush/drop. At the very least, I would have withstood a lot longer then I did. Another glaring evidence of this error was my match with Bloodwolf where I did not use Cannons or place a Forge in the first place. Had I done so, I would have been prepared for either Mutalisks or Lurkers and might have survived Bloodwolf`s tech onslaught. Either way, Cannons would have been a lot better option then the Zealots I produced.

4. Still mediocre scouting: My scouting Probe still dies very quickly. I think that preety much covers it.

With that out of the way, I would like to thank several people. First, I would like to start with lurkers_lurk who, like Stebo and dillinger, has selflessly helped me in my endavour to become a decent player and has even added a link to my blog on his own blog. For this, I would like to thank him by providing the link to his blog called Training in StarCraft, which I will naturally add to the list on the right. If you can, go and read his articles as they are quite interesting.

I would also like to thank Broodie as he fulfilled my long time desire for an Armory Brood War tournament and who took it upon himself to organise all of it. I would also like to thank my two opponents from the tournament, Ineluki and Bloodwolf, as well as a reader called Michael (he simply calls himself that :P) who has gone to some length to help me become a better player. For this, I intend to add the link to his StarCraft blog Gaming With Redus. He has written some interesting articles as well, so be sure to check him out.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who read my blog and especially those of you who have contributed your own comments. I was pleasantly suprised when my last article spawned a record number of comments. I am glad so many people find my blog interesting and/or are willing to help me in my cause. As always, I appretiate your participation.

Speaking of which, there is something that has been on my mind regarding the blog. Lately, the blog has become too centered on my progress. While the point of this blog is to record my progress, the way I have done so lately has only shown my success so far and has not provided much in information that would be valuable to others. As such, I am going to try and make a return to my general-like articles as I wrote in the beginning. That way, my experience would also benefits those in a similar situation as mine.

Finally, I have some good news. Although university exams are crawling to me, that will not mean another long silence on the blog. Infact, I already know for at least two issues I want to write about on the blog. This is not mentioning if I manage to get any of the matches with Stebo, dillinger or lurkers_lurk going, which I will naturally write to you about. So overall, things are looking up for the blog. Hopefully, my StarCraft learning process will go the same way.

PvT match with dillinger: Jeopardy at the Lost Temple

First of all, I would like to wish a happy new year to all the readers of my blog. While it has not lasted for very long, your advices have helped me become better and have given me much more hope of reaching my goal. As such, I hope you will be successful, in StarCraft or otherwise. With that said, I have a new instalment for the beginning of this year.

Last month I was hoping to have both the PvP and PvT match to show you. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties and time constraints, me and Stebo were unable to get a match going and we have been forced to move it to this month. Hopefully, we will be luckier this time around. But while Stebo left to enjoy his well-earned time with family for the holidays, I had a match with dillinger, another fellow member of SC2 Armory.

When I posted the summary of my PvP match with Stebo, dillinger kindly volunteered to be my opponent for PvT practice matches. Gratefully, I accepted his offer and we decided to have a best of five (whoever reaches three victories first, wins) series and we met on Battle.net on the 27th last month. After some technical issues caused by my firewall, we were finally able to get going.

Below is the summary of all the matches. My "summary" of my match with Stebo was more of a battlereport, something I cannot afford to do here. As such, this time the summaries will actually be summaries and you will, unfortunately, have to watch the replay in order to see it all. However, I will now be uploading all the replays on Fighter Replays, the links to which you will find below the pictures of maps. Gratitudes go to DSExpert for the link. With that said, here are the summaries:

Match #1

Map: Lost Temple

Replay Link

The match started with me in the 12 o`clock position and dillinger in the 8 o`clock position. I opted for the SafeToss approach (a two Gateway/Range strategy) whereas dillinger decided on a Vulture/Tank push. After gathering enough forces, I pressured his front door until I was driven away by his first tank. I kept my forces near his choke (entrance to his natural) while I sent Observers into and near his base. I later expanded and executed a Dark Templar drop, which was somewhat successful, but they quickly got killed. Dillinger flew a Command Center to the 4.30 position, which I never noticed. I teched to Arbiters, produced one and researched Stasis Field. When the Arbiter was done, I used it and my forces to attack dillinger`s choke. The attack failed since the Arbiter did not have enough energy. I expanded again and went to research Recall, which I then used to teleport a group of Dragoons within dillinger`s base. As I ordered them to destroy dillinger`s supply, he decided to use the chance to move out. Hoping to catch his tanks mid-transition, I attacked him with my own forces and managed to destroy his. With the bulk of his fighting force destroyed and little supply, dillinger called "gg".

Match #2


Map: Double Jeopardy

Replay Link

This match went underway with me in the 10.30 position while dillinger was located at the 4.30 position. We started with the same strategies, me going 2 Gate/Range while dillinger went for two Factories. After killing his scout, I sent my first Zealot in front of his ramp. After getting my first Dragoon, I immediatlly applied pressure on his wall. This continued with additional Dragoons and I even managed to destroy one of his Supply Depots before dillinger used his tank to siege and drive away my forces. Ironically, both me and dillinger were of similar thoughts as I teched for a Dark Templar drop while he went to build Starports for a Tank drop. I was faster and proceeded to kill all his mining SCV`s. He sent his Dropships, but I saw them and sent my forces at his front door to intercept. After I managed to destroy his Dropships and one of the Dark Templar managed to survive and attack his Factory, dillinger surrendered.

Match #3

Map: Lost Temple

Replay Link

This time, me and dillinger found ourselves quite close to each other, me at the 8 o`clock position and him at the 7 o`clock position. But while I proceeded with the same strategy as before (2 Gate/Range), he decided to suprise me by going for a quick tech to Battlecruisers. I applied early pressure, but to little effect. I kept my forces near his ramp while I expanded and went to tech to High Templar. He then proceeded to attack me with his Battlecruisers and the majority of the match turned into a slugfest between him sending the Battlecruisers for repairs and then attacking while I continued to produce Dragoons to throw at him. I attempted a High Templar or Storm drop, but which resoundingly failed as the Shuttle and both High Templar were killed without doing any damage. Beacuse the majority of my forces were defending against the Battlecruisers, dillinger managed to fly a Command Center to the 4 o`clock position. I then proceeded to tech to Arbiters and then used it to Recall a few Dragoons into dillinger`s base which I combined with my forces near the ramp. But while I succeeded in doing a lot of damage, the Battlecruisers were too much for my forces. I later used another Recall on his expansion at the 4 o`clock position and destroyed it. Dillinger soon ran out of gas, so he sent his Battlecruiser for one more attack. After his last Battlecruiser was destroyed, he decided to throw in the towel.

Set Analysis

While I did win the set 3-0, it is obvious this was more due to the fact that dillinger was out of shape then beacuse of me being a good player. Even now, I am fairly certain that if he was in his form, he would be storming down upon me with Hell March sounding in the background. Unfortunately, he had not played StarCraft in a while and this was the result. Regardless, I learned a lot from our engagements. Here are some of the mistakes I made.

1. Poor Macromanagement: This has slightly improved since my match with Stebo, but continues to be a serious problem. This was most glaring in the first match where I had up to 10,000 minerals in my bank. My production also wavered in all three games, beacuse of which I sometimes tended to suffer due to lack of forces.

2. Poor Micromanagement: While crescendo in his PvT guide says that Dragoons are units that do not require a lot of attention, this does not justify how I threw them piecemeal into dillinger`s Battlecruisers. A greater awareness on my part could have preserved my forces longer and could have ended the match much quicker. Also, my use of the Dark Templar could have been better as well.

3. Slightly slower pursuit of tech: This has improved since my match with Stebo, but still requires some refining. While I did not pay a great price for it this time, my Storm drop did fail beacuse of it. As such, I better improve before it does cost me a great deal.

4. Mediocre scouting: This has also seen improvement, but could have been done better. My initial scout still died very quickly in all cases and I did not watch all the locations where dillinger could expand. Beacuse of this, he was able to make a hidden expansion without me noticing in the first game.

5. Mediocre Pylon placement: My Pylons are no longer solely placed in a straight line (thanks to the replays of professional games I have been watching), but quite a few of them still were. This gave me a lot less flexiblity in my placement of buildings. Also, while I did not face many drops this time around, I most likely will in the future. As such, it would be beneficial to place my Pylons as such that they will help in my defence.

With that, I would like to thank dillinger for being willing to practice with me, especially so near the holidays. Even though he lost this set, he has assured me he will practice until our next face-off. I am quite confident he will and that he will most likely beat me next time, perhaps even with Hell March in the background. But in any case, I am grateful to his dedication and I hope our matches will be as beneficial to him as they were to me.

I am also still looking for a Zerg opponent to hold matches with me on a monthly basis. The PvZ matchup is widely considered to be one of the best in StarCraft and it would be a shame if I had to purely rely on random Battle.net matches in order to practice it. That is why I ask any Zerg player to help my cause if they have the time. If someone does decide to do so, I will be very grateful.

This has been a nice start of the new year, but I have quite a challenging month ahead of me. My obligations are stockpiling while the things I wish to do are numerous and StarCraft II is drawing ever closer. Regardless, I intend to practice StarCraft as much as possible and, hopefully, have a match with both Stebo and dillinger. So while the days in front of me will be long and difficult, I intend to end them in a good state. Who knows? Maybe I will be a better player by the end of the month and that much closer to achieving my ultimate goal. While I cannot say for certain, I certainly intend to make that happe. For Adun!

The Art of (Initial) Scouting

After a period of silence, I finally managed to write a new entry in the blog which proves both that I am infact still alive and that I still fully intend to write in this blog. Ironically, I got the inspiration for this entry`s topic as I was initially writing the entry in the form of a status report where I said that I have no concrete topic to discuss. But as I wanted to mention some of the mistakes I currently tend to make, I remembered one of the most vital technical difficulties I encounter in my games...scouting.

Scouting is a vital activity for any StarCraft player during a match. On a basic level, it reveals your immediate surroundings, where additional mineral patches and gas geyers are located and whether are you on a land or island map (although professional players practice the maps they play on well in advance and know all that information beforehand). More importantly, it is a source of vital information such as if your opponent is moving out with his forces and what buildings he has created (which serves as an indicator as to what strategy your opponent is pursuing). With this information, a player can, with proper skill and timing, counter that strategy and turn the game into his favour. As such, gaining the right information at the right time can mean all the difference between victory and defeat.

Nic "Hautamaki" Hautamaki, in his unfinished strategy guide, especially stresses out the importance of scouting for Protoss players. He describes the Protoss as a "countering race", meaning their advantage lies in the ability to counter and then destroy their opponents. However, he also warns that out of the three races, the Protoss have the least favourable means of scouting. As such, good scouting is an important factor in the success of a Protoss player. An example of such a player is the Korean Protoss player Bisu[Shield], which the famous english commentator Diggity describes as someone who "lives and dies by his scouting".

Accordingly to it`s importance, scouting is not an easy thing to do. This especially applies to initial scouting, when one has the most chance of seeing what the opponent plans to do. Initial scouting is done shortly after the beginning of the game with a worker (Zerg also have the choice of using their Overlords, although they need to be wary of anti-air in order to not risk losing it and thus having their supply impared early on). A player must use the worker to find his opponent`s base and then keep it alive for as long as possible while generally annoying his opponent with it (denying his gas geyser, killing his workers, damaging buildings...). But the bigger challenge lies in being able to do so while continuing to develop your economy and/or tech. Good use of a scout is useless unless you capitalise on it.

In his guide, Hautamaki suggests that one should almost always use his seventh Probe (when supply reaches 8) for scouting, which I have done so till this point. Using the seventh worker does have it`s advantages, since more often the not you manage to find the enemy`s base on time for it to slip inside. However, for an inexperienced player such as me, the use of the seventh worker for scouting can be problematic. Since I am not very capable in combining scout micro with general macro, my scout will more often then not die before it can see anything of value. The only plus for me currently is that I manage to disrupt my opponent`s gas for at least a short while. That is why I have been considering using a later Probe for scouting at least until I manage to learn proper scout micro. Of course, a later scout runs the risk of not being able to see anything, but it is also more certain that you will see something useful.

What about you? What is your experience with scouting, particularly initial scouting? Any useful tips and advices are always appretiated.

PvP match with Stebo: The Ice Aeon of Strife

Not long ago, stebo88, one of the greatest contributors to my blog and a fellow member of Starcraft II Armory, contacted me and made a proposal. He suggested that me and him hold a match every month which would serve as an indication of my progress. Impressed by his great advice and willingness to take time out of his schedule to aid me in my training, I accepted. After some more messaging, we agreed to play on the 21st. When we were discussing maps, Stebo suggested either Crescent Moon or Ice Floes and said that I choose one. I chose Ice Floes, primarily beacuse I never played on a Ice map (outside the singleplayer missions) before.

With everything said and done, we met on the US East gateway of Battle.net along with Wrath Dagger 13 (another member of SCII Armory). With Stebo being optimistic as ever and me being a bit nervous, we both eagerly engaged in battle. Thus began my first ever multiplayer match.

If you want to see the match for yourself, I uploaded the replay on Sendspace (by the way, if you know of a good website where I can upload my replays, please let me know). Otherwise, I have written a report on the match below. If you cannot be bothered to read it or watch the replay, just skip the report and look at my Match Analysis below it.

Match Report

The match began with me being in the 11 o`clock position and Stebo in the 5 o`clock position (for those of you who do not know, locations on a map are described like positions on a watch). After I used the seventh Probe to place a Pylon, I immediatlly sent it to scout and located Stebo`s base. However, since I left it to fight the other workers, I lost the scouting Probe before I could see anything out of the ordinary.

While I went for early gas (for reasons I cannot remember, but which were likely very foolish), Stebo went for a second Gateway. When his supply reached 14, he sent his own scout cross-map. I was relying on putting two Zealots on the ramp in order to block the scout. But by the time the second Zealot was produced, Stebo`s scout was able to sneak into my base and see my tech. After establishing a warp-in for a Cybernetics Core, I ordered two of my Probes to give chase. Finnaly, I was able to corner the scout and eliminate him, but the damage was done.

While Stebo was producing Zealots out of his two Gateways, my one Gateway was producing Zealots and then Dragoons. I sent another Probe to scout in hopes of gaining more information. The scout intercepted a group of Zealots Stebo sent towards my base. Since it was set on attack-move, it attacked the Zealots and thus warned Stebo. But by the time he reacted, I was able to sneak the scout into his base and see his two Gateways and warping third.

As Stebo proceeded to kill my scout, I was warping a second Gateway, researching the Singularity Charge (range upgrade for Dragoons) and sent Probes to look for a expansion location. Meanwhile, Stebo sent his Zealots outside his base (while killing the nearby Ursadon; I guess Stebo is not much of an animal lover ;)) while continuing to pump Zealots. I began to warp-in another Gateway, but my production was faltering due to my lack of concentration. I sent another Probe scout to find out more, but it was quickly dispatched by the Zealots near Stebo`s base.

Finally, Stebo began to warp-in a Cybernetics Core as well as a Forge. While I sent the expansion Probes around the map to scout for any possible expansions, Stebo warped in a Citadel of Adun and sent his Zealots (more then a control group of them) to contain me. I attempted to push out with three Zealots and a few Dragoons. But other then a few potshots done by my Dragoons, we both quickly retreated to our previous positions.

Stebo sent his Zealots near the 2 o`clock position. As he was producing his first Dragoons and researching the first Armour Upgrade, I was producing Zealots in order to make the numbers more even and warped-in a Citadel of Adun and Forge. I also began to warp a Nexus at the 10 o`clock position. I immediatlly began to research Leg Enhancements (speed upgrade for Zealots) as well as the first Weapons Upgrade.

As I slowly moved out my forces towards the lower ramp, Stebo complemented his defences with three Photon Cannons. He also warped-in a Templar Archives as well as a Robotics Facility. I myself warped-in a Templar Archives while producing Probes at my expansion. I finally decided to push out and engaged Stebo`s newly produced forces that were gathered outside my main. However, Stebo flanked me with the Zealots he had at the 2 o`clock position and I was forced to retreat back up the ramp. He did not pursue and backed away to continue the contain.

As I began to set up two Photon Cannons on my upper ramp and began researching Psi Storm, Stebo produced Dark Templar. Meanwhile, he also researched Singularity Charge and the first Weapons Upgrade as well as began warping-in an Observatory. For a unknown reason, he moved his Dark Templar up my lower ramp but then decided to pull them back. I saw the ripling movement and immediatlly realised what I was up against. I responded by producing Dark Templar of my own and sending them to Stebo`s base. However, he noticed them and pursued with a group of units, but did not have any Observers in place to take them out. Due to my poor micromanagement, I lead them directly into Stebo`s Photon Cannons and they were killed before I could do anything worthwhile with them.

I built an Observatory of my own and sent my Dark Templar to engage the group outside of my main. But after a short rampage, Stebo moved Observers into position and they were disposed of. Meanwhile, Stebo set up an expansion in the 4 o`clock position.

Stebo then sent his Zealots to attack my expansion. With only three cannons in place to defend it and my main contained, he made quick work of it. Realising I would lose it, I decided to use the chance to break out and possibly attack his main. However, my Observers were not in place to detect the Dark Templar and I was forced to retreat. Although I used a High Templar to cast a Psi Storm, this did not help much. By the time I brought the Observers, I had too few forces to fend off the Dark Templar.

Then Stebo brought in the Zealots which destroyed my expansion and decided to push into my main. With my remaining defence consisting of two cannons and a High Templar, he quickly destroyed them and proceeded to raze my base. As a last desperation attempt, I sent my Probes to defend but they were no match to the Zealots and Dark Templar. With all my forces gone, I was left with no choice but to admit defeat by calling "gg".

Match Analysis

For any player, it is important to analyse his replays and discover the mistakes he made during a game in order to improve. As such, after seeing the replay several times, here are some of the most glaring mistakes I made during my match with Stebo.

1. Poor Macromanagement: There is no excuse for this error. I have hotkeyed my Gateways, but still failed to produce units on a regular basis. By this, I allowed my opponent to outproduce me and keep me in check.

2. Poor Micromanagement: This primarily is aimed towards my handling of Dark Templar. I recklessly sent them straight into the Cannon line, causing their deaths. Had I been more careful with how I pushed through, I could have reached the mineral line and cause havoc with impunity. But as things really occured, I only caused a waste of resources.

3. Slow pursuit of tech: Even though I was aiming for a Dragoon strategy, I should have continued to pursure tech as I had an advantage in technology at the beginning. Had I done so, I would have had high tier units before my opponent would have had an answer to them. Although now I realise that Dark Templar are a better choice, even High Templar could have stemmed the tide in my favour. But I did not pursue tech for very long, which allowed my opponent to catch up and build high tier tech before me. As such, by the time I had Dark and High Templar in place, they were no longer in a position to greatly affect the outcome.

4. Lack of aggressiveness: Throughout the match, I had a rather defencive stance. However, this was a mistake. Had I pushed out more, I could have taken the initiative or at least I could have been in a position to defend my expansion. But since I did not, I practically left map control to my opponent and he continued to capitalise on that advantage.

5. Lack and poor use of Observers: I was fortunate that Stebo did not push in with his Dark Templar. Had he done so, I would not have had anything in place to defend myself from them. But even if he did not have Dark Templar, my late use of Observers was a grave misjudgment on my part. Had I produced them on time, they could have revealed valuable information to me as well as protect me from my opponent`s stealth units. Plus, even when I did have Observers, I did not make good use of them towards the end of the match.

I am fairly certain there are many other mistakes that I have missed, but these are some of the most obvious ones. Hopefully, I will be able to learn from the experience and perform better in the future.

Now that I presented my report and analysis, I would like to publically thank Stebo for aiding me in my training. Not only has he supported me in my endavour since I began this blog, he even took time from his schedule to practice with me. Thanks to him, I have learned plenty in a short amount of time. As a sign of my gratitude, I have added the link to his Diablo III website, Diablo 3 Camp, on the Links list on the right. While it is currently still under construction, it is already shaping up nicely. So thank you, Stebo, and good luck with your website!

This has been a preety extensive update, but I have one more issue which I need to bring up. After our match, Stebo suggested that I should also practice Protoss vs Terran and Protoss vs Zerg matchups and he kindly volunteered to play those races. But while Stebo is a good player, it would greatly benefit my learning process if I faced against players who specialise in those races. As such, I am looking for volunteers that would be willing to play PvT or PvZ matches with me on a monthly basis. If anyone decided to do so, I would be very grateful.

With that, I conclude my update. While there are quite a few topics to discuss, the next update will most likely not come very soon. Nevertheless, I am playing on Battle.net on a regular basis now, so I will not be slacking in the meantime. Until the next update, I would greatly appretiate any comments and criticisms you can provide on my match with Stebo.

A magic cloning box

Before I begin with today`s update, I would like to apologise for being late. My obligations (combined with the recent "Wrath of the Lich King craze" :P) did not allow me a lot of time to practice. Nevertheless, I still managed to get some training done.

One of the focuses of that training was proper control of abilities. Do not be fooled by the title, it actually contains the names of two techniques used by StarCraft players for such purposes. Most of you will probably know them, but I will still add a short description for each for those who do not.

1. The Cloning Technique

The first technique is referred to as "cloning". It is executed by ordering a group of (same) units to use an ability on a target, pressing SHIFT and clicking on a unit portrait to remove it from the group, ordering the rest of the group to use the ability on another target and then repeating the process until each unit is assigned to a diffrent target. This technique is very precise and also the quickest way to use abilities for players with high amount of Actions Per Minute (meaning for players who quickly execute orders with their mouse and keyboard). For this reason, professional gamers use cloning with all their unit abilities, from assigning workers to specific mineral patches and targeting Scourge at various targets to using Ghost`s Lockdown or the High Templar`s Psi Storm. For a more detailed description of cloning, check my repost of shockwave`s original post on the Battle.net forums (just scroll down to find my second post in that thread). Also, Bloody0Sword0SMI posted a YouTube video which demonstrates the use of cloning.

Personal experience: After practicing the technique according to shockwave`s suggestions, I have concluded that there is no easy way to learn it. Since the steps required to execute it are relativly simple, the only remaining option to become proficient with it is to use cloning whenever possible and thus become better at it`s use over time.

2. The Magic Box Technique

As you are probably aware, StarCraft lacks the modern RTS feature of Smartcasting. Nevertheless, I like to consider this technique as "a diffrent kind of Smartcasting".

If you order a group of (same) units to use an ability, they will very likely all use the ability on that specific target which results in a lot of uselessly lost energy (or minerals, in case of Reavers). However, if the units are spread out within a limited space or "box" (195x195 pixels for ground units, 258x258 pixels for air units), they will cast their spells evenly across the target area according to their formation. While this technique is less accurate, it allows units to use their abilities simultaneously on a large area without wasting many of those abilities on a single target. However, professional gamers more use this technique to make their units move in a specific formation and prevent them from bunching together. For a more detailed explanation, I warmly recommend skyglow1`s thread on TeamLiquid, which also includes a YouTube video by culture which demonstrates the technique.

Personal experience: Despite seemingly simple, I have not been able to execute this technique, at least not in the desired way (although, admittingly, I have not practiced it much). The positioning of units needs to be quite precise in order for abilities to not overlap between one another, but that is difficult to do in the middle of a match where are plenty of other considerations. I assume that once I have a better grasp of the rest of the game, it will become easier to use this technique.

Anyway, that is all for now. However, I will write up an important update (later today or tommorow) regarding my progress. Until then, please share your experience on proper use of unit abilities. As always, it is greatly appretiated.