Doing good..

I trained pretty hard the last days...with my friend 'Plums (Masterleague)', the guy I mentioned earlier, so I improved alot in my multitasking, macroing - the basics - So I forced him to tell me that I have to Ladder. So I forced myself to ladder the whole day and yeah. I'm simply outclassing the retards in my league. I'll roll over my opponents with a 200 supply baneling army when they only have 20. So I managed to do this. (Mark - the losses are only 6Pool Worker allin T.T) So that was decently good and I thinkg that I'm easily able to get into Diamand so I cann reach my first AIM! :) *cheers* That's all for today no extra knowledge to share with you :)
As far (BTW I'm still working on the questions for my interview and I don't want to annoy the EAS-Players during them playing for the EPS. Hope you don't mind but I will do those interviews for sure!

ESL SkillCup :)

Today I played the ESL SkillCup

and I met my mortal enemy, the Protoss 2 Base 'X'-Gate + 'X'-Upgrade + evtl. Robo push. I only lost to this one push. Anyways, I managed to get 3rd Place in the ESL Skillcup. Here are my Replays of the Cup. :)
Round #1 vs Zerg
Round #2 vs Protoss
Round #3 vs Zerg
Round #4 vs Zerg (Quaterfinals)
Round #5 vs A-Move Toss G1
Round #5 vs A-Move Toss G2
Round #6 vs Protoss 3rd Place Game

Just a note: I lost to a 5 Gate into 9 Gate with 50 APM - Thats how easy Protoss is. Thx bye

~GGHF

Well I stuck to my guns...

sheet of paper I mentioned

Terran Terran, Cheese cheese chesse...
Okay yesterday I spend the whole day on practicing the build I posted and you can clearly see my progress. I told my good buddy "Plums" - a Masterleague Terran - to cheese the f*ck out of me! He 2Raxed, 3Raxed, Reactorhellions, Reaperexpand, Doublefactory Hellion and all the other fancy shit Terran has to offer. In the beginning I had to think so much about the build that I wasn't able to play properly good I had to look up on to the sheet of paper I sticked on my screen. I went into panicmode, gathered about 1k overmins (Minerals that are not spend) and eventually defend the push but I was a year behind in workers, tech and bases. Here are the first seven Replays of me failing totally hardcore. The next problem I had was if I was able to survive the first push I lost to a simple double drop.

Downloads:
Game #1 Hellion
Game #2 Hellion
Game #3 Dropplay
Game #4 Hellion
Game #5 BO Fucked up
Game #6 3Rax allin
Game #7 Dropplay

The Replays are uploaded on www.gamereplays.org just so you know where I uploaded the replays for you. =D
After I got my bud r*ped I tried to analyse what's my biggest problem. I am able to defend a Reaper easily, Hellions are not that frightening eitther but a 2Rax is still unholdable for me. Even if I scout the 2 Rax I get destructed so I figured: "Dude srlsy, just 2 Rax me and as a follow up you drop with whatever you want - Hellion drop, Banshee, normal followup..." So we literally made 7 Games 2Rax over and over again so I can try to defend it. I wasn't able and I didnt't thought about winnig at all but I was able to improve my build, drastically! Here are the replays of me getting destroyed!

Downloads:

2Rax G#1
2Rax G#2
2Rax G#3
2Rax G#4
2Rax G#5
2Rax G#6
2Rax G#7

After I had several games to train the Buildorder I thought that I was ready to make another game "real" game against him and it went pretty decent. Pretty decent game
I sadly lost 4 Drones which was a too big lost but it was okay I simply lost just because I hadn't grouped my surroundgroup. It was - as I wrote above - an okay game. I did not get stomped so.. thats fine! It wasn't even close though but... It was an improvement!
So as far as my progress against Terran goes it's okay! :D I have to look for a Protoss and a Zerg to improve those Matchups.
I'm pretty happy.
If you don't trust my replays, here is my Gamereplay-Video with all the Replays I uploaded so. HF watching them if you want. I'm out!
http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=member_replays&member_id=196569

~GGHF

My matchups...

As I wrote in the last post...
I am capable of playing like a cheesy buggah (14 gas 14 pool 19 expand - stop drone @15 - only Zerglings -> Kill dat EXPANSION [vs. P] or Sunkenrush into Nydus and so on) but playing Zerg like an abusive Terran doesn't make me progress in my skill. So my first matchup I'm trying to progress in is ZvP.

In my ZvP I like to copy the play of Stephano alot because he likes to build up a ridiculous amount of corrupters to prevent a big Protoss D-Ball from happening.

Basic Openings:
[1] 14 Gas 14 Pool 19 Expand (rather small maps)
[2] 15 Hatch 15 Pool 14 Gas (makro map)
(follow up) -> *Scouting* depending on the scouted buildings:

  - FFE -> 3Hatch 1Gas
   - 1GateFE -> 3Hatch 1Gas (Scouting = essentiall - awareness of techroute
    - 3GateFE -> 3Hatch 1Gas + Spines (possible 3Gate aggression)

-> Aiming on a macro game!

General gameplan:

Opening up savely - making sure to not die agains 4,5,6,7,8,9 - Gate/ 6 Gate + robo / 6 Gate +1 attacks etc --> PROPER SCOUTING <-- with roaches + spines

Double evo chamber (long term makrogame) Roach Upgrades + Early spire

-> attack with enough corrupter to snipe all collossi (fly into mainbase above robotics and snipe spawned = best harras!) -> good exchange (research OL dropp to make dem enemys go nuts) -> take enough bases to replenish -> T3 -> BL Infestor Corrupter!
 

The 3 Hatch tactic from TL

WIN! 


against Terran it's a littlebit more difficult. The opening can be the same but especially if you're not playing against Korean Terrans, that are more confident with playing Tank Marine instead of the mass Mech play, you have to conter the tactic of your enemy.

Against a Terran I'll open up with the regular 15 Hatch - 15 Pool  - 14 Gas and then I'll adept a lot from EG.IdrA and DongRaeGu because I like to rely on Mutaliskcontroll. If I am up against a meching Terran I'll copy alot from NeasTea, Losira and Leenock!

Basic Opening:
[1 and only]: 15 Hatch - 15 Pool 
*note* Terran is easy so when hatch finishes SPINE! - prevent hellionsdamage - and park an overlord above the hatchery to see bunkers that are getting placed near the hatch.




Next moves depend on the scouted building. Either Tank Marine [A] or Mech [B]
[A] - IdrA Style: 15 Hatch / 15 Pool / 18 OL / 18 Gas / 2xQueen (Spine at the expansion) 3rd Queen after the Queen at the Nat. finished/ @100 Gas Speed @100 Gas Lair 2nd + 3rd Gas directly after starting / @50 Gas Banelingnest / 2nd Scout with a ling and or OL (IMPORTANT)! @100% Lair - MUTALISK - Ling all over the map to see when enemy moves out - takes expand /
>ON MAP LIKE SHATTERED OR ZEL NAGA WHERE NO FAST 3rd POSSIBLE: put makrohatch in your main - only take 1 chamber and make +1 until 3rd base goes up<

Gameplan: Defend 2Rax / Defend Reactorhellion / Defend Blueflame -> Have a big f*cking advantage -> Stay defensive + good creepspread + Banelings starting when the push is coming / PERFECT MAPCONTROLL / Mutaharrasement / If he bunkers the fuck out of the map - OL DROP, Nydusworm mutalisk to pull opponent oop / Many upgrades! / Early T3 -
IF you are able to grap the early 3rd before inbase hatch --------------

The [B] approach will follow aswell I did not want to spam too much :)

ZvZ
For ZvZ I have no real inspiration besides IdrA ZvZ is still kinda unexplored and especially after the Infestornerf the matchup is more voletile again.
My basic BO
[1] 14Gas 14 Pool 19 Expand
and than it kinda stopps ... depending on the enemies unitcomposition
I'll follow it up with a Roachwarren and (IF BANELINGS) I'll place 1 - 2 Spines. If no aggression happends I am able to apply aggression with my Zerglings.
Early Evochamber! Trying to get ahead through playing good. I have to keep scouting the EXP. and the unitcomposition aswell as the Drones and the Tech with an Overseer!
~ as far as this goes I'll post up my matches in the next post!

Do I need a BO as Zerg?

Yesterday I spend my day playing...
costumgames against Diamand and Master Terrans / Protoss and their attacks reached my base so insanely fast. I struggled with a real buildorder to follow. As Zerg I usually played 15 Hatch 16 Pool 15 Gas against Terran but I had no real follow up except for me improvising. I overdroned without knowing what my opponend would be doing, I used to tech way too hard on 2 base (quadgase lair + warren + doubleupgrades) and I normally had a lack of T2 I used to forget about it pretty darn often... 
Normally I used many different strategies in the ladder but they were all improvable and not executed as well as they could have. (of course it's nice to have the occasional cheese prepared to screw a greedy oppnent of but you don't improve through 14gas 14pool mass Zergling or 6Pool)
So now I am trying out a different approach: (I actually hate monotony, that's why I played such unpredictable builds on the ladder [SUNKENRUSH *trololol*], that's why I have not tried this way of training.)
1. Finding a proper build for each matchup combined with a solid lategame plan.
2. Going on the ladder, playing those builds over and over again and prefection them
3. Watching / Uploading the replays and reacting on the individual possibilities that could occur
for EXP. the ability to protect myself against a bunkerrush / 2 Gate / Voidrays / DTs / Hellions etc. I have to be able to defent everything with the build!
4. The most important fact! I have to feel COMFTABLE with it. If it doesnt fit my style (I play somekind of a clear style - I don't like playing bit Roach some Lings Infestor that's why I don't like Stephano's playstyle)
I'll write the tactics I am going to use in my next post so stay tuned
~gghf

Get hyped...

I have a little story to tell..
As I played World of Warcraft (WoW) I realised an existing tool that you - as the average gamer  - can abuse. I call it the "WINDOW OF EXCITEMENT".
Okay, I'll illustrate it for you. Imagine: "You have the maximum gear that you are possibly able to get and you are totally bored of the game because there is nothing more to achieve so you go on youtube and randomly hit this video called:" OMGZOR best PvP Warrior ever ". You watch the video and during you watch it you realise "Warrior is pretty epic!" In this moment a WOE (window of excitement) is opening up for you. You (or I) immediately started twinking (a Twink = a second charackter besides your main char).
You have to find a WOE in Starcraft 2 so you are able to have enough enjoyment playing Starcraft. Starcraft is ment to be fun not raging and b*tching about it.
For me the big WOE opened up TODAY.
EG.IdrA winning 4:3 over SlayerS_BoxerHis mortal enemy in an INf*ckinTENSE series in some close battles. It was actually the first time I really really went crazy rooting for IdrA because it seemed like he would fall back into his old TILDMODE but he fighted and hang on in those games to finally pull of a BEAUTIFULL win.
For a moment I refused to play Zerg but see IdrA winning makes my heart GLOW!
~GGHF

Interview 'em all!

German ESL Amateure Series DIV. 1. 

AI Rmdx

That is one of my big future plans. I want to reach at least the first Division of the EAS (ESL Amateure Series). So I questioned myself: "What could help me getting into the EAS?" and I figured it would be awesome to interview the current EAS players. I went on to Rmdx's stream and asked him if he would like to get interviewed by me so I can share my problems with him and his answers with you and guess what? He agreed!
At the moment I'm thinking about good questions for him to, in the end, produce  a fine Interview. The downside he actually forgot his mic at take's house (http://taketv.net/) so I wont be able to do the interview in the near near future.

KnowMe

After having Rmdx to give me an interview I asked KnowMe for an interview because he's one of the favourites to get into the EPS (Esl Pro Series) and one of the nicest people on the internet. He agreed aswell!
So I am figuring out questions for both of them (I don't want to waste their time for nothing :)) and I am looking for a way to get the soundfiles from skype and a way to upload them. If the interviews are finished I'll write a new post on my blog but until I have enough questions to fill 10 mins I have to ladder :)
Rank #1 I'm on my way. 


~GG HF