Levels of Strategy
Because we're on the subject of strategy, I would like to use SlayerS_`BoxeR`, also known as the Emperor of Terran, as an example. The main reason is because he is one of the few old progamers left, along with the most experience and the vast amounts of knowledge he has acquired as a strategist.
There are many levels of strategy - the most basic being the build-order. But just using a set build-order and being ignorant of the enemy and other details of the game will not necessarily help one win successfully. There are many build-orders and approaches to the game, but one particularly deep level of strategy used by Boxer that I've noticed was his ability to manipulate the opponent on many levels, between series of games as well as within a single game.
Manipulation between games:
Boxer (5 o'clock) vs GGPlay (1 o'clock) on the map R-point. Boxer expanded early, targeting for a win in a mid-late game. Unfortunately, the drone-bug occurred as Boxer attacked his way towards GGPlay's front hatchery, and they had to re-do the game.
In the re-game:
(1) Boxer (1 o'clock) remembered how GGPlay (11 o'clock) made an extractor on the front expansion earlier, before the hatchery was finished, so that he could increase the creep movement and defend the entrance up to the main base. So Boxer made a gas refinery on
GGPlay's front expansion, delaying GGPlay's ability to defend the main entrance with sunken colonies. Boxer later uses fast academy to stim past the late sunken colonies, going up to the main.
(2) Boxer's fake movement of the marines made GGPlay think that Boxer was at 7 or 5 o'clock, which helped Boxer to find an attack timing, as GGPlay's zerglings were not nearby.
(3) Boxer changed his strategy completely, from an early expansion/macro-based game to an extremely fast tech, low-economy and dropship-based classic play that were seen in his historic days.
Manipulation within a single game:
Boxer (11 o'clock) vs ToSky[S.G] (5 o'clock) on the map R-point. Though the rush distance was the longest, being 11 and 5, Boxer continuously attacked the Zerg base with streams of marines, medics, and firebats, forcing ToSky to keep making lurkers and sunkens, which was what Boxer wanted, as he prepared seige tanks and vessels to end the game.
There are many levels of strategy - the most basic being the build-order. But just using a set build-order and being ignorant of the enemy and other details of the game will not necessarily help one win successfully. There are many build-orders and approaches to the game, but one particularly deep level of strategy used by Boxer that I've noticed was his ability to manipulate the opponent on many levels, between series of games as well as within a single game.
Manipulation between games:
Boxer (5 o'clock) vs GGPlay (1 o'clock) on the map R-point. Boxer expanded early, targeting for a win in a mid-late game. Unfortunately, the drone-bug occurred as Boxer attacked his way towards GGPlay's front hatchery, and they had to re-do the game.
In the re-game:
(1) Boxer (1 o'clock) remembered how GGPlay (11 o'clock) made an extractor on the front expansion earlier, before the hatchery was finished, so that he could increase the creep movement and defend the entrance up to the main base. So Boxer made a gas refinery on
GGPlay's front expansion, delaying GGPlay's ability to defend the main entrance with sunken colonies. Boxer later uses fast academy to stim past the late sunken colonies, going up to the main.(2) Boxer's fake movement of the marines made GGPlay think that Boxer was at 7 or 5 o'clock, which helped Boxer to find an attack timing, as GGPlay's zerglings were not nearby.
(3) Boxer changed his strategy completely, from an early expansion/macro-based game to an extremely fast tech, low-economy and dropship-based classic play that were seen in his historic days.
Manipulation within a single game:
Boxer (11 o'clock) vs ToSky[S.G] (5 o'clock) on the map R-point. Though the rush distance was the longest, being 11 and 5, Boxer continuously attacked the Zerg base with streams of marines, medics, and firebats, forcing ToSky to keep making lurkers and sunkens, which was what Boxer wanted, as he prepared seige tanks and vessels to end the game.
Great post. I've made an account just to compliment your posts.
Posted by
Giblak |
9:14 AM
Post a Comment