Starcraft 2: Multiplayer

[Shakermaker]

Been playing with the Zerg tonight. They're a lot more fun than Terran. I practiced a little against the AI, doctored up my own little rush strategy, and tried it online. Basically it is going 8pool, 3 drones for vespene, a queen asap for the extra larvae and spawn zerglings until you've researched metabolic boost. Send out what you have (usually it should be around 28 of em) and go for the resources. It is not a real rush in the sense that you need around 6 or 7 minutes before you can attack, but that is quick enough to win in Bronze most of the time. Won 5 out of 7 times that way. Not bad for a beginner.

 

[Warped]

I wonder whats the fastest finish in multiplayer. like probably under 5 mins right??

 

[Shakermaker]

I wonder whats the fastest finish in multiplayer. like probably under 5 mins right??

Yeah, about. I enclosed my quickest win of the night. I enter his base at around the 6th minute, gg's 2 minutes later.

 

[Yuri]

Me tav and Pitz played a FFA game and i died Pitz won

Almost had him though. Too bad my late game is such garbage.

 

[ktimekiller]

Shaker, unfortunately, a solid wall off will stop any kind of aggression of that fashion without a few banes or roaches.

 

[Ennui]

my friends and i were deliberately losing our 2v2 placements so we'd get placed lower (= more pwnage in the long run) and we accidentally won a worker rush. game was like 1 minute 49 seconds from glhf to gg

 

[Shakermaker]

Shaker, unfortunately, a solid wall off will stop any kind of aggression of that fashion without a few banes or roaches.

Fortunately even in Bronze not everyone walls off. And if they do, you can simply burrow the Zerglings, mutate them to Banelings and you have a great minefield.

 

[15357]

I think the server hates me or something. It keeps matching me up with Diamond people.

Last game, I learned that high templars are VERY good at killing marines. Almost won that game too. I nearly destroyed that last pylon when my last command center burst.

 

[Yuri]

my friends and i were deliberately losing our 2v2 placements so we'd get placed lower (= more pwnage in the long run) and we accidentally won a worker rush. game was like 1 minute 49 seconds from glhf to gg

Man, you just suck all around, don't you?



How can you tell which league your opponent is in?

 

[15357]

Man, you just suck all around, don't you?



How can you tell which league your opponent is in?

When the game ends, you just r-click on their names on the score screeen and click view profile.

 

[Yuri]

oh derp, thank you

Played 1v1 finally after two weeks vacation, lost one to void rays (TURNS OUT TANKS AREN'T SO GREAT AGAINST THEM, GG SCOUTING), but then won 2 in a row using a banshee rush on that one U-shaped map. ****ing sweet.

 

[StarBob]

I think the server hates me or something. It keeps matching me up with Diamond people.

Last game, I learned that high templars are VERY good at killing marines. Almost won that game too. I nearly destroyed that last pylon when my last command center burst.

That's a given, but usually when you encounter HTs you should be past marines. I like to have a ghost or two around for such situations.

 

[<RJMC>]

I would like to do things in the map editor like those videos whit 3rd person cameras or the rpg final fantasy one,but I suck a programming stuff

but how long it would take to "learn" that? or there is some page in the internet that help whit that? I found some but havent checked them

or maybe do maps like the mission in singleplayer where you control some units like the nydus worns one

or maybe stick to trying to make a decent multiplayer map though I dont think I know much about multiplayer to make something worth it

 

[15357]

That's a given, but usually when you encounter HTs you should be past marines. I like to have a ghost or two around for such situations.

Nah, I always like to keep marines around until the game ends. Very versatile and are good anti-air in large numbers. And significantly more useful against protoss and Terran than SC1. (In SC1, it was always all mechanical for me)

My micro is somewhat shit, so Ghost sniping is kinda hard for me. Besides, Thors can handle HT without much micro, so I usually send them first (or Maruaders so that Thors can stay behind and survive lol) Actually, come to think of it, I should have used a couple of ravens to pick off grouped HT with their seeker bombs.

I curse my lack of micro abilities.



Oh, and if anyone wants to see my rather uninspiring TvT Fast Air strategy (vs Korean Platinum) here's an attachment. I think I handled scouting and counter-scouting very well. I won the game, anyway. I messed up the macro and micro because of my lack of talents, though.

 

[StarBob]

Don't snipe them, emp those bitches! That will blank their energy and make them just some slow moving jerks with fancy animations. Not to mention you can emp anything else if you have a couple and it will ruin Protoss's day. Turns an immortal into a wuss. I've been tryin to work some ghost/nuke strats lately. I'm so glad there's no dot when yo nuke anymore so you can effectively nuke ANYWHERE and people have no choice but to panic and just run blindly. Nukes as a secondary element are just great... even if you only use one nuke and one ghost, you can smash an expansion or, if you're lucky, take out an entire army. Thne you just follow up with a relatively small force and win. My biggest complaint is that ghosts aren't set to hold fire by default so they always reveal themselves when I'm trying to get them in position.

Banshees are my new way to win 1v1 with TvT.

 

[<RJMC>]

Don't snipe them, emp those bitches! That will blank their energy and make them just some slow moving jerks with fancy animations. Not to mention you can emp anything else if you have a couple and it will ruin Protoss's day. Turns an immortal into a wuss. I've been tryin to work some ghost/nuke strats lately. I'm so glad there's no dot when yo nuke anymore so you can effectively nuke ANYWHERE and people have no choice but to panic and just run blindly. Nukes as a secondary element are just great... even if you only use one nuke and one ghost, you can smash an expansion or, if you're lucky, take out an entire army. Thne you just follow up with a relatively small force and win. My biggest complaint is that ghosts aren't set to hold fire by default so they always reveal themselves when I'm trying to get them in position.

Banshees are my new way to win 1v1 with TvT.

there is dots,I have seem them,once whit playing against shaker

 

[15357]

Don't snipe them, emp those bitches! That will blank their energy and make them just some slow moving jerks with fancy animations. Not to mention you can emp anything else if you have a couple and it will ruin Protoss's day. Turns an immortal into a wuss. I've been tryin to work some ghost/nuke strats lately. I'm so glad there's no dot when yo nuke anymore so you can effectively nuke ANYWHERE and people have no choice but to panic and just run blindly. Nukes as a secondary element are just great... even if you only use one nuke and one ghost, you can smash an expansion or, if you're lucky, take out an entire army. Thne you just follow up with a relatively small force and win. My biggest complaint is that ghosts aren't set to hold fire by default so they always reveal themselves when I'm trying to get them in position.

Banshees are my new way to win 1v1 with TvT.

Ah, EMP. Lol. I completely forgot about them. I really should use Ghosts in my ladder games. Nukes are awesome, but I've heard that if you press space as soon as the nuke alert goes off, your screen goes to the red dot zone (assuming that you can see the area about to be nuked).

Anyway, my nuclear strategy is to use 3 nukes at once - resource centers, supply buildings, etc. Hitting a group of supply buildings is probably one of the easiest and devastating blows you can do with a nuke, imo.

My lack of micro abilities prevents me from building a sizeable army and nuking places simultaneously, though. :/


And yeah, RJMC is right, there are dots. Also, Banshees are awesome.

EDIT: Btw, does EMP have area effects?

 

[flamingdts]

EMP is area effect, and takes away 100 shields. It practically makes Immortals useless. If I'm correct you don't need to research for it, and it has longer range than the Storm and takes immediate effect. It also reveals cloaked units.

All it takes is a couple of cloaked ghosts to win a battle against Protoss.

Ghost could also be pumped out much earlier than High Templars. They move faster and are more defendable due to their cloak.

Edit: I forgot to mention it also drains all energy in the affected area.

 

[15357]

Cool. Definately using Ghosts now.

 

[StarBob]

EMP is area effect, and takes away 100 shields. It practically makes Immortals useless. If I'm correct you don't need to research for it, and it has longer range than the Storm and takes immediate effect. It also reveals cloaked units.

All it takes is a couple of cloaked ghosts to win a battle against Protoss.

It's not just the shield, it also takes away ALL energy. Everyone groups their HTs anyways. The fact that it's AOE makes it great it all situations against protoss.

If you have enough Banshees and you've properly distracted someone, they can take out a command center and then they can't scan and your ghosts are free to do as they please... becasue no one ever builds a raven (who the hell made that tech tree?) and even if they have a bunch of turrets you can dodge most or take out one and have at it. Banshees are actually fairly cheap too, they just take sooooo looooooooooong to make. The problem is that even if you have like 6 or 8 they take a long time to drop a command center, long enough for them to lift off, but they can't scan while flying.

 

[bbson john]

I am in noob league. Basically, when battle get intense and I see a large group of army gathered. I nuke them and win. :hmph:
I expect this work only against noobs.

But how do you counter ghosts' nuke? ~.~

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

That. Besides the obvious (killing the ghosts with the aid of detection before they get into position), is there any time you have to stop the nuke post-warning-message?

 

[<RJMC>]

any tips you can give me as a zerg player?

also how people get to mass so many units whit upgrades so quickly?

 

[StarBob]

If you kill a ghost before the nuke actually falls (appears on your screen) then apparently the nuke vanishes in to space. Best thing about nuking bases is that you can take out every single supply depot people have and lock them for like 10 minutes while they rebuild them.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

/makes note to spread supply depot areas apart in vT matches

 

[Shakermaker]

any tips you can give me as a zerg player?

also how people get to mass so many units whit upgrades so quickly?

Micromanage your economy. Devise a strategy for the first couple of minutes to build what in which order. This is a good tutorial for a zerg rush:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uunAmNqYLWw

 

[Warped]

Finally getting better at this game, but still loving the Co-op games against the AI. It was sloppy but we won

 

[Shakermaker]

Just got the 5 win streak achievement. \o/ All thanks to my own little sustained rush strategy for the Zerg. It is hardly foolproof and I won't win any eSports tournaments with it, but it seems to be working wonders against Bronzers. Basically it's 10 pool, 11 gas, quick queen, quick evolution chamber and pumping out zerglings until the first melee combat upgrade is done. If possible / necessary I get the speed upgrade as well, but that depends on how well I managed my gas. When I have about a full stack I barge into my opponent's base. Go for resource gatherers first, deal with any troops that try to defend, and it is gg within 8 or 9 minutes. Right now I have won 12 of my 17 games with the Zerg. Silver here I come!!

 

[ktimekiller]

The problem with a strategy like that is your basically doing an early game all in, with insufficient econ to back you up later in the game.

 

[Yuri]

Just got the 5 win streak achievement. \o/ All thanks to my own little sustained rush strategy for the Zerg. It is hardly foolproof and I won't win any eSports tournaments with it, but it seems to be working wonders against Bronzers. Basically it's 10 pool, 11 gas, quick queen, quick evolution chamber and pumping out zerglings until the first melee combat upgrade is done. If possible / necessary I get the speed upgrade as well, but that depends on how well I managed my gas. When I have about a full stack I barge into my opponent's base. Go for resource gatherers first, deal with any troops that try to defend, and it is gg within 8 or 9 minutes. Right now I have won 12 of my 17 games with the Zerg. Silver here I come!!

Careful against Terran, or even Protoss. Walls would kill you for sure.

 

[Warped]

Just got the 5 win streak achievement. \o/ All thanks to my own little sustained rush strategy for the Zerg. It is hardly foolproof and I won't win any eSports tournaments with it, but it seems to be working wonders against Bronzers. Basically it's 10 pool, 11 gas, quick queen, quick evolution chamber and pumping out zerglings until the first melee combat upgrade is done. If possible / necessary I get the speed upgrade as well, but that depends on how well I managed my gas. When I have about a full stack I barge into my opponent's base. Go for resource gatherers first, deal with any troops that try to defend, and it is gg within 8 or 9 minutes. Right now I have won 12 of my 17 games with the Zerg. Silver here I come!!

I fear as though time progresses, you'll run into problems with the Defensive players. They chew up your armies, then invade when you're scrambling to make a replacement rush. In that case, don't forget to make a few defensive members for safety

 

[15357]

I'm currently #1 in my league team thingy, but when do you get to the next league?

 

[ktimekiller]

You are 1st in the division.

You get promoted based on the wins vs higher opponents.

Also probably related to MMR and such.

 

[Quixoticism]

This is for Xevrex to see. <--Replay link
I played my first non-placement 1v1 ladder match and he turned out to be in Diamond league. It was PvZ and I thought that I played really well.
I picked random but felt Protoss coming my way(and that's what I got) so I planned on doing the 2gate wall into fast expand on Blistering Sands opening and it worked really well.
Had the zerg player gone hatch before pool it might have ended early but instead I got to play a great game against some decent muta/ling. I had some great unit movement at times in cutting off his thrusts into my defense and he did really well at keeping my stalkers on their toes running around the map to save my probes.
When I pushed into his base and took out his main my army of zealots had weapons 1 and the zerg had no armor upgrades so the lings didn't have a chance.
We had some more back and forth action and then I ended the game with a small push into his expo with a few zealots and 1 DT. Since he had no way to make detection at this point he GG'd and left the game.

I think that I could have done better by building a couple Stargates and a handful of Phoenix to more effectively deal with the Mutalisks, expanding one more time after I destroyed his main, and using more Sentries in the later game to weaken the Mutalisks attack.
He could have pulled ahead but he slipped pretty hard on his macro.
All in all it was pretty epic for my first real league match.

 

[Shakermaker]

I fear as though time progresses, you'll run into problems with the Defensive players. They chew up your armies, then invade when you're scrambling to make a replacement rush. In that case, don't forget to make a few defensive members for safety

Careful against Terran, or even Protoss. Walls would kill you for sure.

A walled-in terran player is sort of a problem. I have critical mass though. I go in with about 24 zerglings and might lose half of them breaking through a terran wall. It only goes wrong when the wall is protected by a bunker. If it's just marines I can deal with them. I simply have to make sure that I move on to the to the SCV's after I have broken through. Reinforcements deal with repair crews while the original attack force keeps on destroying resource gatherers. And you simply bypass a Protoss wall of turrets. I played against a dude who put three up before I started my attack, but I simply ran past those. I might lose a couple of zerglings while doing that, but enough survive to wreck my opponent's economy.

The problem with a strategy like that is your basically doing an early game all in, with insufficient econ to back you up later in the game.

It's not like I totally ignore income after my spawning pool is ready. I keep adding one drone for about every three zerglings I make. That way my income keeps going so I won't cripple myself. I try to build a spire when I start my attack, so I won't just have zerglings to stand up against a counterattack.

 

[StarBob]

A walled-in terran player is sort of a problem. I have critical mass though. I go in with about 24 zerglings and might lose half of them breaking through a terran wall. It only goes wrong when the wall is protected by a bunker. If it's just marines I can deal with them. I simply have to make sure that I move on to the to the SCV's after I have broken through. Reinforcements deal with repair crews while the original attack force keeps on destroying resource gatherers. And you simply bypass a Protoss wall of turrets. I played against a dude who put three up before I started my attack, but I simply ran past those. I might lose a couple of zerglings while doing that, but enough survive to wreck my opponent's economy.



It's not like I totally ignore income after my spawning pool is ready. I keep adding one drone for about every three zerglings I make. That way my income keeps going so I won't cripple myself. I try to build a spire when I start my attack, so I won't just have zerglings to stand up against a counterattack.

Your best friend vs a wall is a baneling bust. If it has supply depots you can take them out fairly cheap. Banelings will ruin most early Terran builds but if they see you, you're gonna get a bunch of marauders and helions up in ya grill makin ya cry.

My new favorite (since I learned how to execute it in 2v2) is thor-helion. It works great vs Zerg because there's basically not really a great simple counter. It doesn't work as well vs Terran and Protoss because they have some decent counters, but my last game with my protoss 2v2 partner was amazing. I was trying helion-thor with my teammate going stalkers and, in my effort to save him from attack I lost my entire army. They tore down my little wall and rushed my command center before my teammate could flank behind him and finish them off. So all I had was a bunch of SCVs, a thor that finished right after my base cleared, and about 600 minerals. I sent about six SCVs to build another CC at my expansion and set out with my thor and the remaining SCVs. That thor managed to get 38 kills while those SCVs repaired him and he and my teammates stalkers won the game. I watched him take out at least 8 stalkers at once while being repaired. I just walked him through the bases blasting pylons and powering down everything. It was magnificent. I never did get to build any offensive units.

 

[Shakermaker]

I <3 the zerg. Love 'em. I am on an eleven win streak at the moment, building on my 10 pool strat with extra new and improved early mutas. They are an ideal contingency for walled off opponents. Keep em busy with zerglings while I put up a spire, so I can flank him from the air. If I can't go through the front door, I'll simply take the back. The good thing about walls is that your opponent has to focus on a spot that is usually quite a bit away from his command center. He can only be in one place, so if I can keep him pinned to his beloved wall by harassing it, he won't be able to defend his workers in the back.

Still trying to figure out why I seem to have clicked with the zerg. The main draw I think is that their mechanics stimulate an attacking play style. If you lose a couple of units you simply insta-spawn a bunch more with the help of a queen and if necessary an extra hatchery. What race do you all play with atm?

 

[Quixoticism]

Random. Terran feels like my best though. I play Protoss the most though due to random favoritism.

 

[CyberPitz]

Random. Terran feels like my best though. I play Protoss the most though due to random favoritism.

I play Random also. Terran is my best, I feel. I have their mechanics down the most. Although, Zerg is my worst, and that's all Random gives me....

 

[flamingdts]

Your best friend vs a wall is a baneling bust. If it has supply depots you can take them out fairly cheap. Banelings will ruin most early Terran builds but if they see you, you're gonna get a bunch of marauders and helions up in ya grill makin ya cry.

My new favorite (since I learned how to execute it in 2v2) is thor-helion. It works great vs Zerg because there's basically not really a great simple counter. It doesn't work as well vs Terran and Protoss because they have some decent counters, but my last game with my protoss 2v2 partner was amazing. I was trying helion-thor with my teammate going stalkers and, in my effort to save him from attack I lost my entire army. They tore down my little wall and rushed my command center before my teammate could flank behind him and finish them off. So all I had was a bunch of SCVs, a thor that finished right after my base cleared, and about 600 minerals. I sent about six SCVs to build another CC at my expansion and set out with my thor and the remaining SCVs. That thor managed to get 38 kills while those SCVs repaired him and he and my teammates stalkers won the game. I watched him take out at least 8 stalkers at once while being repaired. I just walked him through the bases blasting pylons and powering down everything. It was magnificent. I never did get to build any offensive units.

Your opponent should've pumped our Immortals the moment he saw Thors.

Immortals are a hard counter against mauraders, tanks and thors. Though they are still too expensive imo for an effective counter against MMM. Even till now I'm having trouble against MMM. Stalkers and Zealots are just not effective against them at all, that is unless your army is bigger than theirs.

However, one thing I'm most surprised with after winning several games is the complete wreckage 5 void rays could inflict to a base. Voidrays take about 7 seconds to charge up, and has a 5 second period before the charge up disappears. Once you sneak about 5 void rays in a base and charge them up by attacking the command center, there is little to no stopping it. Void rays only suffer from weaknesses when it isn't charged, but when it is charged it is the most effective anti-everything.

It took me about 2 seconds to destroy one BC and Thor with my 7 void rays. Soon I'm going to target my own buildings to charge them up before direct combat.