"Another great report. All I can say is... the staff at this site should be checking their email this week ;)(NOTE: this is mainly here for posterirty purposes. da blizz loves us all - FW)"
-David N. Blizzard Entertainment
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| The Shared Base Manifesto of War - Volume 1 - Firebases | | | Author: | | | IP: | px4cl.gvXXXX | | Date: | 12/09/00 10:12 | | Game Type: | Starcraft | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 2, Max: 7, Min: 6
Lifetime Rating for WindUpCommunist aka CynicalMagician: 7.6000 |   |
This BR does NOT contain an unhealthy number of images, so all those of you with your hamster-in-a-wheel modems can put away the miniature asthma puffers and just relax.
For the uneducated and wholly uncool of the population of BR.com that have not heard of the lastest teen sensation that is sweeping battle.net, I will give you a brief overview of 3v3 Shared Base. These are maps that consist of 3 basic parts. On the top and bottom of the map is a large open expanse with no hills, dips, or terrain formations. Massive amounts of minerals and gas vents are arranged in orderly lines along the edges of the map, and this is where the start positions are. In between the two sides of the conflict there lies a massive land bridge, one of proportions unheard of since the theoretical Bering Land bridge. That is all. One massive collective choke seperating two massive nations of newbies. For reasons as yet unknown, this 3v3 Shared Base panic has hit battle.net hard and fast, and as a result, I've been sucked into the situation, wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery. Therefore, this is the first in a series of 3-5 BR's in which I will explore various tactics that can and do exist in Shared Base maps, and are most likely unapplicable on any other map.
Without further adieu, The Shared Base Manifesto of War - Chapter 1 - Firebases.
(Editor's Note: These may seem like cheap knockoffs of the BGH Strat of the Day series, but I assure you, these strategies are an entity complete of themselves, and cannot be employed on anything but 3v3 Shared Base.)
I began my journey from the relative safety of channel clan ~Nohunters listening to the crisply moronic chatter of Frost^^ and Alazuren (or some derivative thereof) arguing about who had had Starcraft longer, and therefore, who had a larger penis. After becoming frustrated with the human spirit, I saught consolation in a Shared Base map. After scrolling through the list of melee games for a short time, I found an anomaly, that is a map named, "3v3 Shared Base Islands." After some quick contemplation, I figured that this was worth my effort. I joined in a heartbeat, myself being the 4th person to join. 2 people were already downloading the map, so I calmly awaited my turn.
Eventually, after some gentle explaining on my part about how exactly to go about starting a game (It turns out that you have to move the mouse over ok, and THEN click. Ohhhhh, I get it.), we got going. I decided that I would like to play Terran, and so I chose my race as the countdown began. Most of the people in the game decided to go the same route as me, and so as the counter reached 1, there were 4 Terran players and 2 Protoss. The hideous and often promiscuous Zerg broods had been left behind this time.
Upon entering the actual game, I shouted out the letter B (signalling that I was on the bottom of the map, and that all those who were also on the bottom should ally with me). After allying with my comrades in arms, I noticed that all 3 of us on the bottom had Terran, meaning that we would be facing off against 2 Protoss and a renegade Terran. I suppose that one of my partners, LukerNuke, came to the same conclusion as I did, but to him it held much grimmer prospects, and so he left the game without even typing help first. The nerve of some people. This sudden exodus prompted one of the players on the opposing team to leave as well, showing just how much honour and justice there still exists in the battle.net public gaming community. My remaining partner pointed out this just in case I hadn't noticed it, and just then started his SCV's mining (I was at about the 9th SCV mark). I can only guess that he was feigning inactivity in order to present himself as a decoy target.
I can't really say exactly what build order Xenabar}{123 (my partner, aka Brown) used, but I would be forced to imagine that it was grossly inefficient. I on the other hand, built up my SCV's rapidly, and sacrificed troop count for a second command center. I continued building SCV's out of both command centers for some time, stopping only when absolutely necessary due to supply restrictions. With my flourishing economy, I began producing both mass amounts of barracks as well as a formidable supply depot foundation. 6 SCV's worked around the clock building barracks, and 2 more were specialists in depot construction. Within but a few short minutes, I had 12 barracks along with roughly 60 free supply at my disposal. Note that I had not been producing marines or troops of any kind, just barracks. Also note that I had started gathering gas, and with this had begun weapon and armour upgrades, as well as range and stim for future troopers.
 With the completion of my 12th barracks, it was time to move out. I lifted all of my barracks' off the allied soil, and after hotkeying them, sent them on their way across the map to the opposition's base. After a quick scan from my partner we discovered a perfect beach-head that we would be able to establish a firebase on. By the way, when I say we, I mean it only in the most rudimentary form of the word, as the ratio of my floating barracks to his was 12:1.
 After roughly 2 minutes in the air executing elaborate loops and dives, my barracks finally reached the other side of the ocean, where they landed on the beach in the same way that goats fly: Hard, and loud. Once settled, I began producing dozens of marines with my hefty 100 supply and 2500 minerals that I had amassed. My partner landed his sole barracks and started medic production. He also realized that he was not contributing a fair amount, and so informed me that he would "make seiges". I nodded to no one in particular, and watched as 3 factories started the long journey across the ocean, each seemingly unaware of the other's prescence.
With 12 barracks, 24 marines come relatively fast, and with these first brave troopers I charge headlong into the world of intense pain which is the fighting of cannons. Numbering in the upper fives, photon death gets hurled constantly, causing a great deal of claims to the Worker's Compensation Board to be filed. However, the raw power of marine stubbornness combined with my pure, electrifying talent for pressing attack move pays off, and the cannons crumple. As more and more marines join in the fray, as well as several medics, the victim of this attack, True..Akuma gives into the pressure and leaves. Shortly thereafter, his partner in crime, Andy_F, who has been allied and visioned with us the entire time, perishes as well.
What you just witnessed was the clear and utter perfection of a technique known as firebasing. It is a relatively simple concept which can earn you tremendous rewards if executed properly and efficiently. There are 6 major steps to establishing an effective firebase.
1) Build lots (8-16) barracks or factories.
2) Scout the enemy shoreline and find an empty area.
3) Lift off and start for the empty area.
4) Accumulate money and extra supply.
5) Land on the other island.
6) It's rapin' time!!
However, this is only the simplest example of a firebase. More advanced versions include multiple types of unit producing structures, sending over command centers, escorting your buildings with an air force, or even landing troops along with your firebase. All of these are very acceptable, although considerably more difficult to pull off. However, they can also reap the greatest rewards. For example, I once landed 8 barracks, 5 factories and 2 CC's on my enemies shoreline and even began mining from his land before striking. Needless to say, the battle was over almost as soon as it had begun.
Also, firebases are possible with other races, although they take considerably more planning and micro to achieve. For example, you can build a hatchery followed by a nydus canal on an enemies base in order to send drones through and build another base on their land, or as Protoss you can drop probes and warp in new buildings. The drawback of the Prozerg firebase is time though. It is considerably more difficult to remain unseen while building something of that size. But never lose hope, as it can be done.
Here's to the best of luck, commander, and long live the motherland. The next episode of The Shared Base Manifesto of War should be out within a week and a half.
One final note, this is published under the name WindUpCommunist for reasons that will become clear in the future. Do not trouble yourself over it now, my children of darkness. Leave it. Your day will come. Yes.... Oh how your day will come.....
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