PvP practicing

http://day9.tv/d/Day9/day9-daily-439-huks-pvp-dt-play/

The plan
1) Relatively fast DT --> go poke with 2 dt:s
gate
gass
core
gass
twilight
2 gates
dt shrine

• twilight only after scouting opponent
• against aggressive builds kill the probe with stalker
• mostly warp stalkers as a defence

If worried of early pressure (stalkers & sentires?):
2 gates
exp
 twilight
dt shrine

2) Expand with zealots & archons --> try to kill off with chargelot archon army
exp
2 gates
charge
2 guys in gass

3) 2 Robo play --> attack with 3 colossai
Robo
2 gass (not too early)
bay
forge
+1 attack
2nd Robo
push with 3 colossai

Finding out benchmarks
Generally good benchmarks are when you star building (put down) a key tech building, gate/rax number achieved, expansion timings, upgrade timings and if your plan involves an attack, the number of each unit in your attack.

1)
twilight put down
dt shrine put down
2 dt:s in enemy base timing

2)
nexus put down
charge ready
2 gates ready
2 archons ready
2 archons + chargelot army @ enemy base + zealot count

3)
Robo put down
Bay put down
+1 attack ready
2nd Robo put down
3 colossai ready
3 colossai at the enemy base timing + army composition

sumHots drafting

- fast oracle
   * gate - core - stargate
- expand
- make 4 tempest -> attack

--> mommaship core seems nice - especially the slowpokefield, early can be used to defend

PvZ - PartinGs immortal sentry allin

I decided to try to grab a new build for my PvZ. To get things started I searched day9.tv for PvZs and the episode #522 caught my eye. I watched the episode and gathered a structure for the build:


The build starts with a fast expand:
16 nexus
17 forge
17 gate
3:30 cannon (because 3:30 the 1st lings will appear in his base)
2 x gass
chrono the 1st stalker use it to deny scouty overlards
go 4:15 to check if there is a 3rd base, if not add another cannon?

Build an early robo and add gates:
5:30 robo + 3rd gass
chrono out immortals
1st immortal & +1 attack
2nd immortal & 4th gass
3rd immortal -> stop making probes
as you have money add gates up to 7-8

Attack with 7 sentries, 3 immortals & wp before 9:15
During travel to his base add zealots and sentries and stalkers (mainly zealots)
During attack micro with wp

If the opponent remains in game prepare for 3 base, 3 colo & stalker allin
warp a round of sentries into base
add twilight
add bay
add 3rd base
build colo 1st, then range
add 4-5 gates
attack when 3 colossai


Now I only need so benchmarks before trying spam practice:
forge put down
forge ready
cannon put down
gate put down
core put down
robo put down
3rd immortal popping out
8 gates
when does the attack start moving out
units @ 9:15
units @ 9:30
units @ 10:00
units @ 10:30
twilight & bay
3rd base
1st colossus
3rd colossus
2nd attack
units @ 2nd attack

Update on progress and upcomming practice plans

Argh! I have been so lazy during this month. Somehow the ladder seems scarier than ever. Earlier I loaded a ton of master and gm level replays from drop.sc. I was aiming to find 3 builds for each match up. However, after having a brief discussion with my coach, I was confident that I should 1st get only one for each match up and practice the hell out of those.

Now that is something that I realized just recently. I have been swinging new builds a couple of times (5-10) before hitting the ladder. Then I spent a week practicing this one build by myself. Seems that the best way for me to get a build going nicely would be to just repeat - repeat - repeat it against bot or alone.

As a new years resolution, I have decided to play at least 5 ladder games each day. Not today though - because of the hangover :D

Making builds tighter by playing against compu

Moments to pay attention to

1) 3rd pylon has to be built before nexu if no workers cut - OK x2
     - getting blocked by this affects A LOT

2) right after nexu - gass and another pylon(? or is nexu enough supply) - OK x2
     - if nexu is actually built in time it will be enough - OK x 1

3) if making many units from one gate the 2 gates will not arrive when warptech

4) after 3+ gates pylons seem to get forgotten -> leads to floating minerals

5) seem to lack gass to make all templars
    - how many sentries required?
    - make rest of the warp round zealots

6) nice timing with respect to upgrade being ready in 1st, in 2nd had to wait for +1 attack
    - maybe because twilight was way earlier than forge
    - with forge 1st goes nicely - OK x2
    - twilight should be built somewhat later? will defense hold without chargelots?

 +1/1 ready 12:59
charge ready 11:19
storm ready 12:00
attack @ 13:29
with 58 probes, 15 zealots, 2 archons, 4 sentry, 1 ht

do not make so many units but try to get 3 gates earlier -> was able to defend
make more gates, but when?
---
+1/1 ready 12:58
charge ready 11:43
storm ready 12:17
attack @ 13:17
with 50 probes, 22 zealots, 1 stalker, 1 archons, 2 sentry, 2 ht
blocks @: 16, 52, 108
floating @: 12min

for next game:
avoid 16 supply block - OK
make more probes - :(
put forge right as you have munny- OK
chrono upgrades more - OK (count chronos in next game)
---
+1/1 ready 12:20
charge ready 11:32
storm ready 11:36
attack @ 13:40
with 50 probes, 14 zealots, 3 stalker, 4 archons, 2 sentry
blocks @:60
floating @: 12min

add 2 gates + pylon after opening is greatness
then forge right when you have the munny, if not one base add forge first and then gates?

for next game:
avoid supply block @ 16 and 60 - OK
again chrono forge like a mad man - OK
make more probes - (check pauses in probe production) - OK
write down when adding gates in relation to other buildings and time
---
+1/1 ready 11:28 (5 chrono, forge 6:18 right after 2 gates)
charge ready 11:06 (1 chrono)
storm ready 11:28 (2 chrono)
attack @ 12:01
with 58 probes, 7 zealots, 2 stalker, 2 archons, 2 sentry, 3ht
blocks @:
floating @: still floating around the time of attack

no chrono @ core
no supply block at 16 or 60
2 gates after templar archives
natu gasses after twilight, even earlier like after forge

for next game:
after forge take gasses from natu - OK
after templar arch - add gates - added already after twiligt
leave base before timing finnishes - OK

---
+1/1 ready 11:30 (5 chrono, forge right after 2 gates, maybe one chrono to core to get gates + core at same time)
charge ready 11:20 (2 chrono)
storm ready 12:00 (2 chrono)
attack @ 12:00
with 55 probes, 17 zealots, 2 stalker, 1 archon, 2 sentry, 3ht
floating @: still floating around the time of attack

---
+1/1 ready 11:28
charge ready 10:48
storm ready 10:21
attack @ 11:37
with 47 probes, 12 zealots, 2 stalker, 1 archon, 2 sentry, 2ht
floating @: no more floating, more gates faster solves the problem: 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 7

maybe should make only 6 gates if wanted to expand, or just miss a warp in round..

for next game:
chrono forge even more?

---
+1/1 ready 12:26 (forge started 6:54, 7 chrono)
charge ready 11:20
storm ready 11:26
attack @ 12:28
with 57 probes, 11 zealots, 1 stalker, 2 archon, 2 sentry
floating but had blocks @ 26, 52, 84

!!! more chrono to the forge, upgrades more precicely, forge earlier!

---
+1/1 ready 10:55 (forge started 5:53, 8 chrono)
charge ready 10:40
storm ready 11:32
attack @ 11:31
with 49 probes, 10 zealots, 2 stalker, 3 ht, 1 sentry
floating but had blocks @ 26, 52, 84

!!! more chrono to the forge, upgrades more precicely, forge earlier!

for next game:

1. make forge and twilight right after the 2 gates
2. take natu gasses right after twilight
3. put charge only after archives 

---
+1/1 ready 11:26 (forge started 6:25)
charge ready 11:00
storm ready 11:51
attack @ 11:58
with 55 probes, 13 zealots, 1 stalker, 2 archon, 2 ht, 1 sentry
floating but had blocks @ 26, 52, 84

for next game:

1. make forge and twilight right after the 2 gates - OK
2. take natu gasses right after twilight
3. put charge only after archives - OK

---
+1/1 ready 11:32 (forge started 6:20)
charge ready 11:39
storm ready 10:55
attack @ 11:39
with 50 probes, 12 zealots, 1 stalker, 2 archon, 2 ht, 2 sentry

for next game:

1. take natu gasses right after twilight - OK
2. do not ff with sentries but do guardian - OK

----
+1/1 ready 11:18 (forge started 6:04)
charge ready 11:09
storm ready 10:39
attack @ 11:28
with 52 probes, 10 zealots, 2 stalker, 2 ht, 2 sentry

for next game:

Just a thought..x2

1) I should try to remember the prizes for different buildings and try to add them as fast as possible. pylon is 100, gate 150, gass 75, probe 50 and core 150 but that's about it.

2) I should make better usage of the hotkeys. When checking the hotkey usage in sc2grears i seem to be using mostly 1 (nexus), 2(gates) and 6(main army).

A PvT match after the looong break

A long break because of work, watching replays and something I can not right put my finder to..
However feeling very fueled due to this weekend Dreamhack stream <3


Had a game against a diamond Terran

Major mistake nro 1: 3-4 mining bases & only 6 gates
Why: still not remembering to always add gates/robos when expanding?
Next time: when expanding always add production before or right after

THIS IS ACTUALLY SO IMPORTANT MISTAKE THAT I SHOULD SOLVE IT RIGHT NOW BEFORE CONCENTRATING ON ANYTHING ELSE!

Major mistake nro 2: No "victory plan" ?
Why: No predecided time/times when to attack and kick ass
Ponderings: This is what I very often seem to be missing. This build feels very strong when the storm and upgrades finish. Maybe I should use that and try to build a strong army for that particular point in game. Maybe add colossus tech and expand behind if seems that can not break the opponent?
Next time: Practice building a strong army for that point and then test in ladder what it loses to and learn to scout it?

Major mistake nro 3: No nice tech switch to colossus
Why: Bay was late. Robo also?
Next time: Build bay if the attack does not seem to crush the opponent.

Minor mistake nro 4: Army position and spotters
Why: Was not able to defend 3rd because army at ramp & not in between. Also did not see the attack in time because pylon was so close to the nexus.
Next time: Have an observer hanging out in the attack route to the 3rd. Or a zealot. A zealot would have more psychological effect?

What about 'em probes: 5/10/15 was 18/38/53

Things to celebrate:
Upgrades kept coming ^-^
Nice storms man ^-^
Nice defenses during early game ^-^
Remembered the build even if it was only 2nd time swinging it ^-^