Well I seemed to be having a bit of trouble finding a game, so when [HS]Persian asked for a 1v1 I didn't just say yes because of his snazzy logo. So I joined his game on not Lost Temple but the i2e2 observer version, nice bit of variation eh? Now I've heard Persian is quite good, so I had mixed feeling about him chosing toss in response to my terran, while I enjoy the matchup it is quite demanding.

So I start the game at 9, and start a terran wall in at my choke. Now a sneaky probe turns up almost as soon as I start my barracks, early scouting indeed, and my barracks SCV is under attack, but he kills the offending probe at the small cost of delaying my barracks. But the probe didn't manage to penetrate my base, so I send out a scouting peon of my own, seeing as he scouted me so early I guess he is at 12, but he is neither there or 3, and when I arrive at 6 the ramp is blocked by zealots :( So no recon all round.

But at home I have a 2nd barracks, academy, and comsat, Persian can't stop me scouting him with comsat can he??? So I scan and see 2 gateways, he has indeed foiled me, where could he have hidden his tech buildings? I return to my base alarmed to see my gas is at 276, I should have started my factory at 100 gas :( But at least now I can comsat a second time, and hit the jackpot, a robotics facility and warping support bay.

My factory finishes, immediatly I begin a starport, and a machine shop to research seige mode. Meanwhile I have been pumping M&M, and soon tanks, and dropships :) Fearing reavers I have a seiged tank by my CC and scattered M&M, so Persian's drop of 1 goon and 2 zealots doesn't worry me overly. The reaver comes next and is dispatched my an unseiged tank and a few marines. Immediatly I load up my 2 dropships with a tank, and 12 M&M, landing just across the gully in Persians base, I quickly seige the tank, while the M&M guard the tank from zealots/goons. The tank kills a cannon and reaver, giving the marines free reign to stim down the nexus.

My dropships have since returned to base and are heading towards Persians natural with more tanks, and M&M. The rest of persians forces who were stationed in the center of the map charged with containing me, arrive back at his gutted main, but the important buildings have already been razed, and Persian quits. I assume he hadn't managed to expand to his natural or he would have carried on.

Well both pleased by my victory and dreading revenge I am asked for a rematch. This time I am faced with a random opponent, far worse than toss. Starting at 6 my SCV are cramped for space putting me slightly behind on my 2rax, academy build, and my scouting SCV finds lings and morphing creep colonies at the bottom of 12's ramp. My marines are soon on the scene but are forced to retreat in the face of sunkens and lings.

My scouting SCV is back however and starts a bunker in order to contain Persian, a suicide attack of lings and my poor SCV dies, so I quickly send up another, while hastily constructing a factory having noticed my excess resources. I am currently quite worried as I have hurt my economy by building for my failed rush, my troop count is low, but my moral is raised by a number of hydra dying to my bunker and stimmed marines. Tanks are now on their way, but the bunker is a little far away for my tanks to assault the sunkens from behind my bunker, however I am presented my the more immediate threat of two lurkers. The lurkers are quickly dispatched with the aid of comsat, but a third lurker has managed to survive, due to awful turret placement, and is beating on 1 tank and my bunker. My comsat is at 35 mana,so I retreat the tank and repair the bunker until I can scan.

Now I decide I need to do some damage, so while my natural expansion is coming on line, I send a marine to scout 9, a tank and a couple of M&M to seige the cliffs at 3, also a dropship and science facility is being constructed. The tank at 3 kills a sunken, the marine at 9 kills a drone, a single marine at my ntural wards off an OL, and my dropship heading for my bunker spots several OL and a drone in the gully between my base and 9. The dropship picks up some M&M from my bunker, and heads for Persians peon line, several marines are dispatched to kill the OLs near my base, but are killed by lurkers!!! Now I understand he is trying for a non-speed assisted lurker drop, as soon as I discover this the lurkers load up, but are foiled by my newly produced tank and 2 marines.

My first SV pops out and is sent to my bunker, meanwhile I remember about my dropship and am suprised to see 4 M&M left and a dead hatchery, as I send my dropship to the tank on 3's ledge, the marines are finally killed by a few lings. A tank and a few marines land at his ntural cliff, seeing a morphing hive and spire. With the aid or irradiate I clear up slightly hampered by the odd scourge, but it's the marines that are doing the real damage and I am prepared to concede a few small victories here.

I hadn't really planned on playing a 3rd game as it was getting late in my time-zone, but Persian insisted :) Besides it seemed nice to play each of the three races. Now terran vs terran is a very rare matchup, so I am a little unexperienced here, but so I am assuming is Persian. I start at 3 this time, and conservatively build a barracks before refinery. A daring enemy SCV gains entrance to my base, but soon I have a marine to wax the pesky little blighter, this enemy scout must have seen my factory and lack of marines, and I am fearing a swift retaliation. So While my SCV is out looking for Persian's base, another SCV constructs a bunker, and partial wallin. As soon as my factory is done I start dual ports, and vulture production. I find Persian at 9 with a similar bunker on ramp, but I am not distressed as to my lack of recon as TvT is fairly limited strategy wise.

Fearing Persian mirroring my strategy I start an ebay, and build an addon to my first starport. Soon I am constructing a dropship, wraith and reasearching cloak. 3 Vultures load into the dropship and are unloaded behind Persian's minerals, killing many SCV before a tank counters them. On their way however are my first 4 wraiths, the tank is no match now and with cloaking neither are Persians few marines. The vulture drop killed the SCV working on an ebay so my wraiths are feeling quite cocky. So they kill the tank and many SCV as Persian sneakily completes his ebay, many turrets are destroyed before being completed, but somehow 1 is finished, and my wraiths pick on some depots instead.

Back at home I have an additional starport, and tank ready to drop his naturals cliff. My own natural expansion is now in full flow, and I construct a physics lab since I have the resources. Another 3 vultures assault his natural expansion and swifly return for my tank. Not waiting for my dual armouries to finish upgrading 10 wraiths attack the 2 turrets guarding Persian's main CC and finally destroy his main base. My wraiths are soon foiled by a bunker and turret combination, but make some hit and run attacks from his natural cliff. Persian drags the game out while my wraiths patrol, and finally I am victorious.

Lessons learnt.

I have to keep spending my money as soon as it comes in.
A wall in doesn't mean heavy metal, it just means you can't scout.
Don't try and contain someone with the drop capability.
When you think you've won keep pumping troops rather than waiting for them to surrender :)

Willzzz