[BaD] to the Bone

It was raining on the way home from work today.  Poo.  I wanted to wash my motorcycle and take a spin.  The damn sun was out earlier!  Bah, hmmm....  Perhaps some good Starcraft today will wash away my ill mood.

I logged on as my usual Dr.Zchivago and just clicked JOIN as soon as I was there.  I played a little warm-up  public 2v2  and wound up in an easy win game.  I always feel a little better after a win, no matter if they were not that great (I am not that great either =P ), it was what I needed.  After the one game I headed on over to NoHunters.

Now, NoHunters is a place I have not really frequented in the past.  I have only begun going in there since I posted my first report.  I still have a ways to go to meet all the people I want to (pretty much the entire BR.com staff & raters).  Needless to say I was pretty excited when I saw a "2v2 obs welcome:  davy/davy" come across my screen.  I joined immediately and asked to make sure if it was cool for me to observe the game.   I was allowed my spot for obs and after some discussion and waiting, we finally had a game going.

1st Verse:

Lost Temple
[BaD]DJ	Protoss  6:00
[BaD]Davy	Protoss  12:00
Jack9	Protoss  9:00
YouWinILose	Zerg     3:00

I am kicking back with the other observer, Mithrandir.  He asked if I knew any of the players, I answered "nope".  Conversation was soon flowing pretty freely at the start of this game.  I was pleased it seemed as everyone was pretty cool, but I just wanted to observe a good game.

"On the Day I was Born (dun, dano danuh) Nurses all gathered 'round"

Mith and I chatted a little as we saw all the Toss going 2 gate builds.  YouWinILose got scouted pretty quickly by Davy but put up his Hatchery above his ramp anyway, showing no fear.  Davy attacked it for a little while with his probe.  The probe was not really gaining any ground on the massive larvae-spewing morph, and since a Spawning Pool had been already completed, the probe decided to go warp in a pylon at YouWinILose's natural ---- right smack where the expansion Hatch should go!  YouWinILose did not see this as of yet, so the pylon was able to complete.

Feeling very good about their plans so far, Davy and DJ exchanged a few comments and decided to conquer the zerg of YouWinILose.  Davy had about 3 zealots and accompanied them with 2 probes.  DJ matched him for zealots and they combined together at the ramp of the zerg.  YouWinILose immediately started a Creep Colony and waited with his 6 zerglings at the top of the ramp.  Micro, micro, micro happened here and the 6 lings, joined by about 4 more and some drones were able to successfully defend their plateau.

Well, the zerg brood of YouWinILose was not going to let such a rude outburst into their territory go uncontested.  A pack of roughly 10 zerglings started to scamper out towards Davy's base.  The lings penetrate all the way back to the mining probes, but only get a couple of them as zealots are all charging about the base coming out of fresh warps.

Pretty much we have had some fast scouting by all, a devious trick by Davy in warping a pylon where an expansion hatchery is to go at the 3:00 natural (YouWinILose is taking care of that now), a failed rush by the BaD toss on the zerg, and a successful 'scouting' foray (or a failed rush) by zerglings into Davy's base.  The game is moving along with a small lull as YouWinILose is the first to expand.  He has also morphed another hatchery in his main, so he has a total of 4 hatcheries now.  Still no Lair, but a Hydra Den is fully functional now.

The two toss players making up BaD team are not sitting idle.  DJ has warped more gates, and teched to Templar Archives.  Davy looks to be teching for Reavers.  Jack9 seems to have been scared off by seeing the threat to his partner and is setting up all of his cannons for his defense.  He happens to place 3 along his northernmost edge by his ramp and is totally successful in severely damaging a group of 5 zealots from DJ, who just came marching right by all nice and single file like hugging the high ground terrain.  DJ lets out a small curse and quickly regroups his zealots in the top corner of the 9:00 natural.

DJ is rallying all of his goons and zealots to right outside of his natural's choke.  Obviously he is intending on joining his small group containing Jack9.  All of the Hydras that YouWinILose has been making have different plans.  The Hydras reign green spikes from hell upon the unsuspecting troops of DJ (a white Overlord can be seen hovering just out of range of the Toss troops here, heheh).  The zealots and goons don't stick around to see who really has the upper hand, it is clearly the hording hydras, as they are soon joined by some of Jack9's forces (Jack9 bravely beat down the blue forces hiding/waiting/useless-if-they-are-standing-still at his natural and continued to assist the onslaught started by his partner).

"The head nurse spoke up (dun, dano danuh) Said leave this one alone"

The zealots run back to try and defend at the ramp.  There is even a High Templar on the high ground and I await for the air to crackle and end this invasion, but no storm!  Don't tell me.  Oh my, the Templar has not enough energy, he is the first one out of warp!  Uh, oh.  White zerg and Orange toss are successful in making up the ramp.  Davy is screaming at his partner to get Dark Templars and DJ is frantically running his Templar around the base trying to keep it alive long enough to get a storm off!  Davy sends all of his available troops for aid.  DJ takes a quick second ensure he has DT's cued.  It looks bad.  He is losing Gateways that I am sure had DT's almost warped and his remaining two are being pelted.  Ah ha! Where is that Templar?  There he is---NOOOOO!  The Templar is toasted without getting a storm off.  Ah well, a lone DT made it out of warp and with the assistance of Davy, DJ is allowed to live.  His base is in tatters, however.

Jack9 decided to take use of the crippling combo attack and begins his expansion at his natural while YouWinILose also meant to take advantage.  He had quickly made a bunch of zerglings and sent them hard at 12:00 hoping to catch Davy with his pants down from helping his partner.  This time DJ sends help in the form of DT's.  They never really helped though.  Davy fended off the zerglings with everything he had, probes and all.  The zerglings were under 20pts away from killing the Support Bay, so close.

Things get quiet for only a moment.  DJ actually expands to his natural!  Wow, I thought he was down hard, looks like a good rebound.  Davy has yet to expand yet.  And the group of hydras headed his way don't look like it is going to be an option right now.  The hydras approach and scream in agony as Davy has placed a SuperReaver on his ramp!  With the help of what few zealots he has, the reaver is the major factor in killing the vile zerg creatures and boasts 12 kills from the foray.  Hmmm, possibly a unit of the game here, but I don't think this reaver is going to survive.  The hydras brought the reaver to 3/80 3/100 on the damage scale.  And now Jack9 has just pulled the Temp/Goon/double Zealot drop!

Or course, he dropped to close to the SuperReaver which immediately killed the Templar and damaged the others.  The only good thing about this drop for Jack9 was that one shot from the goon sent SuperReaver back to Aiur (Boos and hisses are heard from the crowd).

Davy started ferociously trying to make dragoons and good thing too.  YouWinILose had changed units again and brought in a whole group of Mutas to push the attack.  The goons chase, the mutas flee, the mutas return, the goons chase...the mutas are successful in pulling down the Cybernetics Core in hopes of preventing more goons to warp in.  And somehow Davy survives.  Davy makes a few comments about the survival of team BaD.

"She could tell right away...They were not BaD to the bone" (at least not yet)

Davy figures it must be good luck and expands, finally, to his natural.  YouWinILose has a solid income (as does Jack9) and points his mutas to raid the 6:00 expansion of DJ.  The mutas successfully take out 1 Templar and hide over the cliffs awaiting the main force.  The zerg and toss combine and lay down the law to the 6:00 expansion razing it fairly quickly and efficiently.  Davy sends help and is able to do considerable damage to the forces threatening DJ, but after the expansion is lost.  A frantic last minute push is made by DJ to rid his faltering main of the invaders but with no mining available to him it is futile and he concedes leaving Davy to fend for himself!

A few guardians have appeared and are demolishing Davy's expansion as the DJ wrecking crew are making their way north.  He has some goons though, and a few more reavers and looks prepared to fight this battle out.  But when Queens arrive and starts the evil instant cocoon morphing process of turning goons into broodlings, it is more than Davy can take and he asks for a rematch before leaving the game.

Break:

Hmmm, team BaD tried to rush early and got caught trailing behind.  YouWinILose had a real nice cohesion to his attacks.  First lings, then hydras, mutas, then guards and queens.  Is there a book or something on that?

Well, it was no time at all before we had the rematch game going.  I think Davy and DJ were a little more determined this time.  Anyway, we start the...

2nd Verse:

Lost Temple
[BaD]DJ	Protoss  6:00
[BaD]Davy	Terran   12:00
Jack9	Protoss  9:00
YouWinILose	Terran   3:00

It is only the 5 of us in the game this time.  DJ and Davy have made a comment or two about that last game being the first game of the day for them.  YouWinILose has made a few encouraging remarks to his partner Jack9.  Everyone seems to be in high spirits and expectations as game 2 begins.  I notice that everyone is in the exact same starting position and team BaD has somehow managed to re-claim their previous colors.  This is a mirror image Terran/Toss battle.

"I'll make a rich woman beg (dun, dano danuh) Make a good woman steal"

Jack9 mentions he will go scout as everyone commences their builds.  Davy and DJ are not to be left without the knowledge of scouting and very quickly everyone knows who and where everyone is.  Isn't it nice when it works out like that?  Davy is going double Rax and soon starts 2 factories.  DJ has opted for  for double Gates and starts gas immediately for his his goons.  Jack9 places his first Gate at an interesting place.  It is on the lower ground right below his ramp.  YouWinILose has erected a 'by the book' wall in (2 depots 1 rax) at the top of his ramp and starts teching like a whore.

All is pretty quiet at the start of this game.  Jack9 had left a probe in DJ's base and after he confirms via a 're-scout' the progression to goons, the probe is dealt away with by said goons spider-walking to their ramp.  Davy has vultures and starts working on a Starport and also makes a few comments that he feels his partner should know.  DJ and Jack9 are both on their way to the mighty (or 'gay' as some people like to call them) High Templar.  YouWinILose still has only 1 marine guarding the wall in, but has teched to Nukes!  Already a science vessel is out for detection and I see the Covert Ops structure blinking like crazy.  A fresh Silo is blinking too.  Hmmm, will this highly undefended Terran be allowed to wreak havoc with early nukes?  We shall see.

DJ expands to his natural, and is soon followed in that maneuver by both YouWinILose and Jack9.  Davy makes an observance and confirms to his partner that indeed YouWinILose will tank up on the high ground and prevent Davy from leaving his base unhindered.  It is here that we soon see the first confrontation.  Dueling Engineering Bays!  Yes, the two E-Bays engage each other in the air, hovering over the small valley in-between the two Terran bases.  The E-Bays square up on each other and commence with a serious staring contest.  Ooo, it is intense, I can feel the evil glares coming out of both E-Bays as they hover!  Dangerous stuff here, who is going to lose?  Well, seems like Davy has had enough of the staring contest and moves his E-Bay away.  Whew!  That was crazy!  For now, both sides are content to just toast anything that moves in the valley.

YouWinILose attempts to get a jump start on expanding at his natural, but it is thwarted by a lone Dark Templar that DJ has conveniently placed there.  YouWinILose decides to float his Command Center to the lower right island.  He figures since the DT will see what direction he is floating it will be the diversion he needs to get his first nuke off.  A lone Dropship and 1 SV maneuver around to place the lone ghost at the rear of DJ's base.  He gets the nuke off and fires off an EMP shock to the structures.  Davy tried to warn his partner but the nuke landed.  It was focused on the well placed cannon, took out several probes, and severly damaged several of the structures.

Davy had decided to totally take over the upper right island above the 3:00 terrans.  About 4 tanks 5 turrets and a bunker were placed there.  2 vultures place mines on the island, too (overkill?  maybe not).  He did this to prevent a turbo-newbie on himself and to crush YouWinILose's gas from the lone tank spot you can reach it with on the island (the E-Bay that left the staring contest is providing eyes for the tank).  This island encampment was ferocious in its size and was not challenged the entire game.  There was a short pause of the game here as someone decided answering the phone was more important than playing the game (at least that is what the excuse was.  I guess if you have to wank, you have to wank).

Jack9 had already expanded to his natural and it was fully functional.  Davy had gotten his mineral only expansion up while he was preparing the upper right island.  Jack9 decided Davy had too much cash rolling in and destroyed the min only with a group of zealots and goons.

Hmm, a nuke on DJ, Davy loses his min only.  Seems like things are going sour again for team BaD.  YouWinILose has erected 4 more factories and Jack9 has started several Stargates.  Well, not quite so.  DJ shuttled over a few troops and prevented the floating CC of YouWinILose to land on the bottom right island.  And Davy has been making a ton of wraiths.  The wraiths provide an escort to 2 Dropships.  Davy then turbo-newbies the cliffs above the 3:00 natural VERY effectively.  Davy has effectively removed YouWinILose's gas intake (makes a comment along the lines of "good, now he has no gas") and expands to natural and regains his min only natural.  DJ also expands to his min only.  Davy's wraiths go on a quick rampage and take out the floating E-Bay and floating CC of YouWinILose (the E-Bay was scouting the cliffs for turbo newbie, but scouted too late.  The CC was leaving the bottom right island where expansion was denied and I suppose it was floating to the top left where no one was).

"Make a old woman blush (dun, dano danuh) Make a young girl squeal"

All this bad news for YouWinILose forces him to commit heavily to his mineral only expansion.  He expands there and with vultures out of his ass (hmm, I have no gas, what can I make?), mines the whole damn area all over his min only area.  It looks like YouWinILose is determined to hold his only source of income.

DJ has tons of troops.  Not much for air, but a total butt-ton of goons and mixed zealots, DT's and templar.  Jack9 has started pumping carriers and has several now.  Davy has been concentrating on containing his enemy Terran (and has succeeded quite effectively), and YouWinILose looks to be totally out of luck, but refuses to go down easy.

A lot of action in the form of small skirmishes broke out now.  Jack9 took some of his carriers and freed up the cliffs so YouWinILose could use his natural again.  YouWinILose and DJ continually fought over the bottom right island.  YouWinILose expanded to the top left island since an expansion on the bottom was moot.  Jack9 fought over Davy's min only and YouWinILose fought a hard battle pitting vultures against goons at DJ's min only.  The center of these skirmishes is at YouWinILose's mineral only.  It is a giant teeter-totter here.  Tanks/marines/wraiths fighting vultures/mines/carriers.

Back and forth it was here, but YouWinILose had convinced Jack9 he 'could not lose this expansion' and somehow the SCV's continue to mine.

"I'm here to tell ya, honey (dun, dano danuh) We are BaD to the bone!"

All of these battles were very close on a timeline and most were simultaneous.  My computer was working full time to keep up with the action.  It was going either way until the vultures were killed at DJ's natural.  Jack9 brought in 3 carriers to try and finish it off, but strayed too close to DJ's high ground main.  In a beautiful move, DJ answered his 'I have no air' question by Mind Controlling 2 of the carriers with two of the several Dark Archons he had in waiting.  Of course, it was short lived as DJ decided to try and see what he could stir up with the newly acquired carriers.  He strolled right into range of Jack9's Templar and with two sharp bursts from the pissed of temps, the new carriers died to Storm.  Doh!

Here we take a note to see a large number of Dragoons praying at the Lost Temple.

Davy is livid about this show of religious gratuity and screams for his partner to use the damn things.  YouWinILose soon is distracted by newly dropped tanks bombarding his upper island expansion and the huge dragoon force of DJ starts its evil rampage through the natural, then the main of YouWinILose (not many pics of this, it was a day in the park for the goons).  Jack9 had lost many carriers over the min only battles and was sending zealots out to try and stall the mass goons.  They were no match.

It is painfully clear now the large forces of DJ and Davy will go mostly uncontested now throughout the rest of the map.  YouWinILose has again taken the top left island, but has no tech buildings left as his main and natural are in ruins.  He gives his regards to his partner.  Davy and DJ set their sites on the protoss base at 9:00 and raze the living hell out of it.  Jack9 fought hard, but did not have the resources to last a long campaign.

Team BaD has won game two.  Rematch is again heard, but Davy mentions something about food and YouWinILose says he is off to find another game.  Regretfully I have no scores for this game.  This second game was an awesome game to watch.  I can only hope I gave it some of the flair I was able to experience.  GG's to all.  I think I am going to put some Thorougood on the stereo and go kick some ass.

-Dr.Zchivago

For those with NetScape that have probs viewing:  sorry, I use IE.

For those with 56k modems that had to wait forever:  sorry, get cable or DSL, it's the year 2000 for Christ's sake.

Now go play some Starcraft!