AboutDenny Lin Expertise My area is in Starcraft Original and Brood War. Seasoned player, and can answer complex questions/tactics and propose counter attacks, solutions..etc Will help in whatever I can offer.
Experience Played since Starcraft Original. Seasoned player. Seen all sorts of tactics played and counters. I've played with people at the top level and also entered different competitions, winning prizes as well. My speciality is more in the 1vs1 area, though I've participated in 2v2 and also 3v3 competitions before. I have also officiated the 1st World Cyber Games Competition (Singapore) in 2001.
Question QUESTION: I used to play PGL SC back in the day and am now just recently getting back into it, so altough I am rusty I am very experienced. I know it's lame, but I don't want to conform and buy the expansion so I only still play original.
I mainly just play with toss on LT 1v1. I probably win 80% of the games I play and played a guy 3 times yesterday who was 583-20. He beat me all three times, but gave him tough matches.
As a toss player on Temple, it almost seems like I HAVE to expand immediately. Is there another option? Can I stop a zerg from expanding in front of his main, and if not how should I handle him? Should I rush, or tech to storm right away? How do I beat a good terran player that goes all out tanks? Should I always quick expand? I rarely lose if I can get it up. Thanks in advance for all your help.
ANSWER: HI Ryan,
Glad to meet another experienced player.
In expansion it's hard enough for a toss vs terran match up, and considering terran goes the same stuff (Heavy machinery - Tanks, vultures, goliaths), it's almost unstoppable against a good terran player.
However, in general, the key is to go for map control as per usual in toss versus terran. Drop ships are a must, and upgraded speed zealots are a must to have. "PRay that your opponents are not as experienced to use vultures".
The usual is to go dragoons, and swap to zealots suddenly to surprise his tanks and overpower them 'surprisingly'.
Back to your main question about stopping the zerg expansion on LT.
(1) Don't try, as it's rendered almost impossible to stop an early zerg expansion on LT.
(2) The only way i've discovered 1 possible way to stop the expansion, is to have 'luckily' scouted the zerg base in your 1st or 2nd attempt with our probe. (Scout early... use your 9th probe to scout, or around there)
(3) If it's your 1st attempt, it will be before the expansion is built. Hug your probe on his drone to prevent him from building (slowing him down). You have to very much micromanage your probe also.
(4)If it's the 2nd attempt, (1st location is empty, 2nd base location, you will probably see the expansion hatchery building.
(5) In such a case, attack the hatchery with your probe. Micromanage it if he sends additional drones from his main to chase you away, and return shortly if he retreats. (The key is to make him waste drones chasing you)
(6) In the event that he ignores you totally. Your 'GODLY PROBE' should have weaken his hatchery to almost half hp by the time it has successfully built. WOW!!! It's bleeding!!
(7) In such a case, it is very possible to overun the expansion later if you have decided on a 2 gateway Zealot rush.
(8) Bring probes along with your zealots for the rush, micro them to hit zerglings while zealots tank the damage. You'll be suprised at how "GODLY" your probe support can be.
** Meanwhile continue teching to dragoons. Your enemy will most probably be too engrossed defending his expansion and lose out on resources and teching. Rush in before sunken colonies and built, or are building. (At tis time, the building colonies have less armour and are killed faster).
Good luck and hope it helps.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for your quick response! Ok, say stopping the expansion doesn't work. How do you stop a zerg on LT? I can beat good toss and terran players, but I can't even seem to beat an average zerg player on LT. I usually try and tech really fast to storm, but it's never enough.
Answer Hi Ryan,
Toss generally toasts zerg on LT usually.
I don't really recommend teching straight to storm. Try these few popular counters
Cosair > Mutalisk
Zealot (1weapon upgrade) > zerglings
1-2 Archons among zealots > MASS Zerglings
Storm/Revear+shuttle > Hydralisks
If your opponent is going hydralisks, revears toast them. Teching to shuttle with reveaver then get dragoon as main forces tend to toast them better. It also gives u ability to get observers should the enemy get lurkers (but of course i think you don't play brood wars, so this shouldn't be the main problem).
Storm owns, but you don't really need too many of them.
Without cosairs... The only way against mutalisks rushing into your probesz is a few canons there. Always do this should you know hre is going mutalisks.
Unfortunately the best is only dagoons. But Archons > Mutalisks too. ^^
