"Owning micro)machine is like crucifying kittens"
- |]agomar
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| AnderKryst vs. Maelstrom7 (Game 2!) | | | Author: | | | IP: | XXXX | | Date: | 10/07/99 01:10 | | Game Type: | Starcraft | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 2, Max: 7, Min: 6
Lifetime Rating for AnderKryst: 6.2000 |   | In association with no one in particular, I present to you the follow-up to Games 0 & 1. :)
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Game 2
Map: The Lost Temple *groan*
Races:
Maelstrom7: terran (chosen)
AnderKryst: zerg (random)
Start spots:
Malestrom7 9:00 (middle left)
AnderKryst 12:00 (middle top)
Before the game:
As usual, I was idling in the league channel, CSL (Editor's note: Now a dead league since August 1999), when in pops one of the players I've lost to countless times, Maelstrom7.
Mael had just got done wiping the floor with me on Fading Realm and Hidden Shrine (see previous report on Games 0 & 1) a few days ago. The HS game was close, as we had both controlled the forces of zerg, and had used our macro abilities (well, Mael managed his troops, I just pointed and clicked to send mine on their merry way) to our fullest extent. I eventually lost the game to guardians, and quite simply, I would have won if I had waited for 3 more hydras to take out his main. Needless to say, I was ticked about that loss. :) The opportunity, no matter how small, of getting back at Mael was too great.
Pre game antics:
After exchanging the usual insults about who sucks more, Mael offered to beat me down again. I of course, obliged, having nothing else better to do, and, had no risk of my ego shrinking any further. I was chosen to create the game, and I decided to pick Lost Temple (I hate LT, because I never won on it), just to see 'what all the rage about it was.' (Editor's note: Author started viewing BR.com around this time, and prior to these games, had played about 3 times in the past 6 months)
In the pre-game room, we discussed the previous HS game. Mael of course complimented me, I of course downplayed it with the usual statements about my game play, ranging from 'I suck, I got lucky that I razed the expansion', to 'You just rock.' Mael then announced he was going terran. He discussed the new 'tactic', mainly involving vulture, tanks, and everything else that comes out of the factory that is capable of ruining a well designed base. I said something to the effects of 'Heavy Metal' (which I had recently read about at Battlereports.com). Mael wasn't quite sure what I meant, but I did. I geared up to get beat down, and stayed with the race of champions...random.
The Early Game a.k.a. Opening Moves:
I cursed, I swore. As soon as the game started, I said 'GG'. I drew zerg, my worst race. I thought about doing a 4/5/6-pool, then realized that never worked for me, because I could never do it right. In short, I was up that creek. I began harvesting, and sent my overlord to the southwest from my 12:00 starting position. At least I wouldn't have to worry about the add-on problem at the 12:00 natural since I was zerg. :)
I pooled on 9, and proceeded to make a hatchery at my ramp. I had a feeling I needed sunkens, for all the good they would do me if Mael would execute his chosen strategy with even a fraction of competence. I just needed some sort of psychological crutch to make me feel better. My scouting overlord seemed to be taking its own sweet time, but eventually made it to its first destination...my luck was good, he was at 9:00. I still had no plan of action. My OL saw a few depots, SCVs, and marines. Upon that discovery, my OL decided it would be a good career move to hightail it out of there.
I put two creep colonies down next to my ramp hatchery when the hatchery completed. My full intention was to make Sunken colonies there. I began to queue drones from my first hatchery, zerglings from my ramp hatchery. I also executed a textbook move. If you would look in your 'Guide To Playing Starcraft & Brood War', under the zerg section, chapter 3, you will find the following statement: All zerg players must send their initial 6 zerglings to their opponent, regardless of whether or not they will do damage. I promptly followed the only part I remember of the guide, and sent my original 6 zerglings to their deaths. They made it to the barracks, and died (he didn't guard the ramp to his base well). Mael had 2 rax and gas production. I still didn't know what I should do. I queued up gas production, and crossed my fingers.
After The Opening:
I decided to follow what I did from the HS game: Expand anywhere, excluding my natural. I felt the 3:00 start was a good position. I uncrossed my fingers too, as they were hampering my mouse and keyboard actions. :) In order to 'fool' Mael, I had 12 zerglings patroling the choke to my main. I wanted him to think that I expanded to my natural.
I threw down an evo chamber, and a hydra den. I began to queue a few hydras at my main, still using the ramp hatchery to produce zerglings. The first terran unit I encountered in my territory was a mean vulture (Editor's note: True to the Heavy Metal build I believe, you scout with the vulture). He attacked my 12 zerglings, and then fled to his base. I was so preoccupied with getting my expansion online and pumping troops, I let my zerglings die. I just sent 12 more to my choke, not even bothering to mourn the loss of the original dozen choke security guards. I queued up gas production, feeling I would need it for upgrades. A few hydralisks went to the southwest part of my starting plateau, to gaurd against drops.
Then, the brilliance of my decision began to shine. A vulture found my expansion. Of course, it was defenseless. I began to research burrow, and turned a few drones into creep colonies to spare them from death. I kicked myself in the head (an amazing thing to say the least since I was sitting down and preoccupied with the game at hand), and sent zerglings to help. They were squished along the way by vultures no less, and now, I was in trouble. I managed to get 2 sunkens up though, so I saved my expansion, partially. I sent my drones back to work. I made more zerglings, and started on land carpace upgrades. I also made a lair, and a queen's nest (you never know). The lurker aspect upgrade began to be researched by the zerg hive. I decided to turtle up briefly, to mass my troops, and overpower my opponent.
Suddenly, in an instant, 12 zerglings died in the valley by my ramp. I sent 4 out to scout, and saw the problem. On the 3:00 plateau, was a tank. I knew this because he destroyed my 4 zergling scouting force. Then my expansion went down, in a mess of blood and organic stuff. I hate tanks. My concept was so good in theroy...I cursed and swore to myself that the 6:00 start was a better expansion choice.
Turrets were constructed on the 3:00 plateau, as I would later find out, and the infamous Terran Tank Push of Doom™ began. However, Mael could not make it up the ramp, as my number of zerglings, even though they died, attracted enough fire to eliminate any opposing tanks. Vultures accompanied the tanks, and soon, we reached a stalemate. He couldn't advance into my base, I was stuck. I sighed, and began to research ventral sacs. It was time to hide on an island to make a last stand.
Mid-game:
We remained at the stalemate. I couldn't budge, but neither could he. At least until he brought the dropship in. The dropship began to spot for the tank on the lower ground just hanging outside my base. I managed to take out the tank, but my choke was going down. I thought 'Well, I can scrap cracklings...what else should I do?' Then it hit me: 'Hey...with all the zerg anti-air (valks, science vessels, M&M, goliaths), he wouldn't expect me to go air now would he?' I slapped down a spire, and laughed. That will show him. :)
As soon as I had 3 mutas, I cleared out the lower ground by my ramp. But, stupidity prevailed, and I lost my mutas to the turrets on the 3:00 plateau. But, by now I could expand to the northwest island, as my transport upgrade (re: ventral sacs) was finally researched. I did that, and began to use my main hatchery as my muta builder. The ramp hatchery, still alive, produced zerglings. Once again, the temporary stalemate was at hand.
I decided I was going to get brave (or stupid again), and bring the fight to him. In a short while, I had 9 mutalisks, so I grouped 6, and went to his natural. I found him in the process of expanding. I removed that possibility, then hightailed it back to the plateau surrounding Mael's expansion at 9:00. I felt good...I killed something useful. :)
I now had 6 mutas at my base, so I swapped them with my expansion killers. This time, my new attack group was going to target the SCV line. I flew in, and attacked. Once again, rather than stick around and attack his production, I felt my greatest threat was the turret and the goliath. When I went down to 2 mutas, I flew to the south of his base. I did get some valuable recon, mainly of his supply depots and one of his armories that had been built on the southern edge of his base. I began to think...
My expansion was barely up and running, before I began to airlift drones over there. Some drones were for production, while others were used for the production of an evo chamber and a spire. I began to quickly move that hatchery up to lair, then to hive, even though my main had a lair. I had a feeling I would lose my main, so my choice to use the island as a last stand was not a bad idea. I needed the hive at my island ASAP so I could fit all of the possible tech buildings onto that small island.
The tank push finally got moving again, and destroyed my ramp defenses and buildings. I however, built a hatchery nearby to my first, and continued along. Any intrusions would be removed, but this felt like a painful death to me. I was hemmed in, and he was just bring more stuff in. It did not feel like a fair trade-off for me. He lost two units, I would lose at least twelve. Desperation begin to ease up right beside me. I had to do something more than just piddly hit and run attacks, and fast. I counted my mutas. I had 9 at my base, and 2 in the southwestern corner that were still admiring the crystal clear water. I took 6 from my base, and moved them to my natural expansion. Nothing there. I moved them to the plateau overlooking that expansion and again, found nothing. I moved them to where I stupidly lost my original expansion (at 3:00). Nothing there. I decided to pay the tank on the ledge a vist (the one that would blast anything that managed to get down the ramp. I attacked that tank on the ledge. There were only one turret guarding it thankfully. I destroyed the turret, since the tank can't fire back at mutas, then conconcentrated on the tank. Then I ran (ok, flew), to the southeast island. Nothing there, which was a surprise to say the least. I flew over the 6:00 expansion and start, and found nothing. I then joined up with the two mutas who were still admiring the water in the corner of the map. I now had 8 mutas hovering in the southwestern corner.
Late Game:
Eventually, I had 12 mutas at my expansion, and 12 more at my base. I began to focus on mainly muta production. The 12 mutas at my island expansion flew to Mael's natural expansion, and found activity. I again destroyed an expansion of his, the difference here is that his CC was built and he had a few SCVs mining. I retreated back to my island after the destruction.
For what was probably the sixth time, terran tanks began to come base, and drive down my property values. Fortunately this time, they didn't do as much damage as before. I decided do an attack as well. My 8 mutas in the SW corner flew to his base, and attacked the armory. I then retreated. My troops at home defended the tank/vulture/goliath attack, but not without casualties (what a surprise...zerg losing troops).
I then camped my 12 mutas at his expansion. I sent my bottom group, now at 6 mutas, back to the 6:00 expansion. One lonely marine died. I then went back to the SW corner. Suddenly, I felt something, something odd. I could win this game! Maybe...
I brought 3 mutas in for reinforcements to the south (stupid move, flying them across the map), then attacked his depot area on the southern edge of his plateau. As soon as he responded to this invasion, I decided to display my awesome micro and troop deployment technique and move my northern muta group into his base. Suddenly, them terrans didn't look so mighty and tough. I began to remove SCVs, SCVs repairing anti-air defences, anti-air defences, and anything else that would cause me harm. Whenever he repaired a bunker, I attacked the SCVs. Since I had two groups, I felt fairly confident I could wear him down. I began to move more mutas in...and Mael conceeded. I finally felt justice for my idiocy from the previous battle. I finally got my revenge for the last loss. :)
Final Thoughts:
--Recon recon recon! Neither one of us did much of that. One could argue I didn't need to, since I knew what Maelstrom was doing. But, it might have helped to know my base was going to be removed from existance.
--Science Vessels! I talke to Mael after the game, and asked if I could borrow some of his drugs. :) I told him I only went mutas because I was hoping he didn't have SVs. Maybe that would have helped.
--Queens! I should have broodlinged the tanks. I never made a queen (bad, bad Ander!), even though my intent was. I never made a lurker either. :P
--I think if Mael continued to move towards my base, I would have panicked. I certainly was not the model for staying cool under fire. Also, I think his tank push could have used more support, anti-air or otherwise (probably an expansion would have helped).
--Upgrades: Bad, bad, bad players! Like the games before this, I rarely upgraded. I don't think Mael did either. I only started on air upgrades near the end of the game, and I believe my ground upgrades were 0(both lings and hydras)/1.
As with games 0 & 1, I appologize for the 'oldness' of these reports. Comments welcome as always.
AnderKryst |
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