Taming the Newbies
Taming the Newbies
Game name: Newbies 2v2 no rush/lag
Time of Day: 11:00 est/Thursday (not a holiday)
Map: Island Hop (five-player max. map)
Type: Melee
Players: Peon-virus (me) & ice=babey vs. Protoform`x & Spitfire114
PREFACE
It's a rare weekday off work with not much to do but sit on my ass and get killed in a few BroodWar games.
Yours truly is a veteran newbie. Veteran, because I'm 30 yrs. old, been playing BW/SC for over a year, and have easily played 600+ games; Newbie, because I still suck! No matter how many battlereports and strategy guides I read, and witnessed all the moves that have defeated me, I still suck, and I can't micro-manage for shit! Thus, newbies games are the only ones that I can put up a competitive fight!
Enough about me, how about that battle -
IN THE BEGINNING
We start as follows: Me (peon-virus) Random - draw Protoss - yellow (green), start at 10:30 top left corner.
My partner (ice-babey) Random - draw Protoss - red, start at 4:30 bottom right corner.
v.
Spitfire114 - Protoss, white, start at 12:00
Protoform`x - Zerg, blue, start at 3:00

Lesson one: Scout
"He who hesitates to scout, is lost"
I build with heavy gas early, one gateway, forge, core, robotics fac., robotics, observ. Yet with all this building, the only scouting on my partner or me is done a lone, early overlord - which my cannons toast. All he sees is my gas, gateway, and forge. Now that I have some observers, I begin to scout. White Protoss to my right, Blue Zerg to the middle right, and no one expanding below me. Time to expand!
However, I'm not too happy; my partner has cannons all over his island and only one gateway - Shit! Zerg should have a few guardians by now - Looks like I need to take the heat from my opponents early, and hope my partner catches up.
Lesson two: Prevent early drops
"Cash only, no checks no credit cards"
My early scout with the observer reveals White Protoss has no cannons or units next to his gas - time for Reaver drop! He'll be hurting without any probes!
Lesson three: Protect strategy
"Protect your hand from shifty eyes"
I really don't expect the Reaver drop to do much. Maybe get some peons and see what White Protoss is upto. Well, the drop is perfect, and it takes out all of White's probes, two cannons, and WAIT - is that 6 carriers I see? Man, newbies love carriers! Now at this point, I have no air force at all; just Templar with storm, Dragoons, and cannons for defense. Time to build Scouts!
THE PLOT THICKENS
Lesson four: know your island
"Never let them see you sweat, or land on you island unmolested"
I get a real laugh here - I look over to see my partner with aprox. 15 cannons on the Blue Zerg Home Island right outside the creep. Blue Zerg must have his head up his ass! Well, when the cannons are close enough to hit his HIVE, Blue sends in the Guardians - I say more Scouts, more Scouts, and energy up grade those Templar!

Lesson five: Expand
"Can't get something for nothing"
I'm building up my forces, especially Templar and Scout, upgrading and now expanding to the 7:30 main bottom left corner, giving me three expands. My observers reveal no expands for White Protoss and one at the top right corner for Blue Zerg. I smile until I look at my partner - 7 Stargates are still warping in, and no other defense but cannons, and one nexus beginning to warp in - HOW AM I STILL IN THIS GAME? - Ahhh true newbies!

Lesson six: Don't expand unprotected
"Don't play in the street"
The Blue Zerg expansion is up and running, but no sunkens, spores or units to protect it. I dispatch 1 Zealot and 2 dark temp., who raze the hatch, kill all the drones before the White Protoss Carriers wipe those noble warriors out. Blue Zerg types - "You'll pay for that" Hmmm, what's next.

CLIMAX OF THE PLOT
Lesson seven: Destroy expansions first
"Didn't your mommy tell you not to stick your nose in a hornets nest"
Luckily, White Protoss and Blue Zerg both attack me, together at my main, with a fleet of Carriers and Guardians. Lucky because my first, left middle expansion is only guarded by 3 Templar and my full division of Scouts. Lucky because my partner has NO UNITS from those 7 Stargates!
In the attack, I lose most of my Scouts and a couple Templar, but not before all White's Carriers and Blue's Guardians are obliterated. No buildings lost!
Lesson eight: Don't attack together at opponent's strength
"Sometimes there is no quote"
If the Guards. and Carriers had come in from different approaches, my Templar storms would have not taken down so many units - they were on me 2v1; they had enough units to hurt me more - especially since my partner HAD NO AIR UNITS!
RESOLUTION OF THE PLOT
Lesson nine: Counter attack
"He who hesitates is a moron"
Finally, my partner has his fleet of Carriers and 2 Arbiters - but he just sits in his base! "Attack damn-it" I bark. He probably was watching the Smurfs while I was defending for my life! I support his attack with my refreshed scout fleet - which is totally unnecessary. Zerg falls first, then Protoss.
Lesson ten: Don't quit
"No one likes a quitter"
When all of Blue Zerg's units and half of his buildings destroyed, he quits. I consider allieing with White Protoss, but the truth is Blue Zerg was toasted anyway. Nothing is left but the brave shouts of White's protoss worriers as they vaporize in a blue cloud of dust.

And thus, the true newbies have been tamed - one victory among hundreds of defeats for this old man!
En taro Adun!
*As you can see my BR role model is YourRoleModel (not that my report is remotely as good as any of his). |