The Escapist Presents: Starcraft 2 101: Showdown #2

[sune26]

With all this i just started wondering.
Is there any Escapist Starcraft groups out there?

 

[RandV80]

What is the "new" zerg's take on the chokepoint barricading tactic?

Like John said there really isn't one for the Zerg now, especially since the Sunken Colonies replacement Spine Crawlers are a fair bit weaker. The good news is that they are no longer entirely stationary as they can lift up and move around. So you can start building them immediately close to your hatchery, and once you're creep has expanded to the chokepoint can relovate them. Further more when you're ready to move to that expansion thats nearby with a new chokepoint you can move the same ones further out to that point. This way you only ever really need half a dozen or so to guard a chokepoint, backed up by regular units.

Where the Zerg improve on the other hand is with the Queen unit. You can get them out once you have a Spawning Pool, can lay these egg things that quickly spawn creep and can continuously reproduce once rapidly expanding the creep, and inject extra larva into the hatchery basically eliminating the need for a second one just for additional larva. They also attack ground and are good anti-air units. So overall the Zerg don't really lose anything they just become more fluid, unless you're really into static defense.

 

[razormint21]

What is the "new" zerg's take on the chokepoint barricading tactic?

There really isn't one early-early-game, since the earliest you can start expanding the Creep is once you get a Queen out.

Instead, I just like to fill my ramp with Zerglings as I tech to Roaches. Spawn a Queen, lay a creep tumor - which can replicate itself - and once I have creep near the entrance, put two Spine Crawlers on either side of the ramp. Zerglings on the ramp itself, and roaches/Hydras behind it. Anything that wants to attack me needs to get through the zlings while being attacked by the spine crawlers/ranged units.

It's not perfect, but it's the closest thing I've found.

What is the "new" zerg's take on the chokepoint barricading tactic?

Like John said there really isn't one for the Zerg now, especially since the Sunken Colonies replacement Spine Crawlers are a fair bit weaker. The good news is that they are no longer entirely stationary as they can lift up and move around. So you can start building them immediately close to your hatchery, and once you're creep has expanded to the chokepoint can relovate them. Further more when you're ready to move to that expansion thats nearby with a new chokepoint you can move the same ones further out to that point. This way you only ever really need half a dozen or so to guard a chokepoint, backed up by regular units.

Where the Zerg improve on the other hand is with the Queen unit. You can get them out once you have a Spawning Pool, can lay these egg things that quickly spawn creep and can continuously reproduce once rapidly expanding the creep, and inject extra larva into the hatchery basically eliminating the need for a second one just for additional larva. They also attack ground and are good anti-air units. So overall the Zerg don't really lose anything they just become more fluid, unless you're really into static defense.

Ahhhhh, i see. Well, better than nothing right?
Thanks for the input guys!!!

 

[Slycne]

Starcraft 2 101: Showdown #2

Team Escapist is back for Round 2 in a 2v2 Starcraft 2 match. The teams are Jordan Deam [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Slycne].

Watch Video

Do more video's where you guys have a close match. Don't fake it, just play together until you get a very close match and don't waste time explaining about the yellow minerals.

That's exactly what we do, we play sets of 5 matches and choose the most interesting match from the bunch. As for explaining the minerals, we wanted to be sure to show the map a little, something we didn't do in the first video.

 

[benoitowns]

Be careful not to catch the starcraft disease.

 

[stiver]

Being "not pros" is an understatement, but much love still.

In the Video: Protoss don't normally ever wall off, neither do Zerg. You don't want to block your ramp completely so you can get to your expo quickly, and immortals aren't trapped when built. Usually you create a narrow choke you can block off with a few Zealots.
Please for the love of god harass workers. If you have free reign of a base for a few seconds, use it to cut off workers, not take out a tech lab or Roach Warren. Void rays are better building/tier 3 air snipers.

For Muta as terran: In a 1v1 it's going to be stimmed Marines since you aren't going to be letting them mass too many without apply pressure. In larger games or FFA you are going to be using Ravens with Hunter Seek Missiles. HSM do 100 splash damage, so if you think about it Mutas have 120 health.
Just an Example, in my first and only game since joining beta yesterday was in a FFA and my noobish 50APM ass destroyed a 100+ apm zerg because he massed Mutas. 3 control groups of ~70-80 Mutas went POP because I had 3-4 Ravens on hand. Mutas are a terrible unit to get versus Terran. the Gas alone required for Mutas is such an investment that being able to lose so many so fast because of splash + stacking makes them pointless.
Thors work too if you already are going for Mech, otherwise it is to much of an investment for the tech switch. But if you are transitioning into Tier 3, you really want to go for ravens and not thors to take out mass Mutas.

 

[Kavachi]

I love these! I never played Starcraft 1 because I got into RTS aroun d the C&C, AOE era, just after Starcraft. However seeing all those Escapist videos lately, I think I'm gonna buy Starcraft 2. Thanks guys!

Next yound I'm for John's team, because of his awesome last name

 

[starhaven]

i have the beta as well