Before I took my break from the game, I played about 10 or 12 games against a friend of mine. He wanted to try out some bunker strategies and I wanted to try defending myself against bunker strategies...so it worked well.
Going into the games I was afraid I'd bias my build / actions towards something that would be good vs his early bunker rush, so I would make a decision, "I'm going for X". Just some really super basic strategy, like Dark Templar, or mass Blink Stalker or early Zergling pressure into Roach / Hydra.
I rolled my friend. Hard. Eventually he gave up the bunkers altogether and just played and I, keeping my "come up with a plan first" strategy, continued to beat him game after game after game.
I find that having a plan, even a simple outline of one like that, makes a huge difference. It takes some of the pressure off, I don't have to worry about coming up with a good strategy based on what he's doing. I just focus on my game, scout, defend and attack when appropriate. A big battle happens? No need to think during the fight, I already know what I should be doing when I throw in my macro, and when the fight's over I can go right back to full time macro. No "okay..what do I need to build now" thinking time.
So going into these fights, that's the most important thing for me. I see the opponents race and the map and once I spawn I see my race. I set my guys to mining and then take a second to think "alright, what's my plan".
Opening into the game today I saw I was playing on Scrap Station vs a Terran. Personally, I hate Scrap Station. As any race, really. Something about the way it's laid out..I never feel totally comfortable. When the map finished loading I was it would be a TvT and I needed a plan.
My Terran play is very simple. Build Marines, build Marauders, don't stop building Marines or Marauders, get upgrades. I then take this and do slight variants. Some Siege Tanks, or Vikings or Medivacs. Sometimes a game calls for Thors or even Banshees or Ghosts. But usually Marines and Marauders and I'm set.
So given the layout of Scrap Station my thought was "God I don't want to be running my Marines around here" so I decided to go for an even Marine / Marauder / Medivac build. I finalize the "plan" in my head and tell my opponent "gl!" He responds "prepare to win". Great...
I wasn't entirely sure if he was just having a bad day, or a bad week and just expected to lose. Or I know some players are "intimidated" by the Random during the load screen and assume I must be good. Either way I went about building my SCVs and Barracks.
Typically I open heavy early Marauder with Concussive, but vs Terran I opt for a Marine heavier build with Stim first.
He opted for Turtling. This isn't the most uncommon tactic for Terrans from my experience, and when I'm also Terran I'm more than happy to see it. You want to build Bunkers and Siege Tanks and protect your little one-base? Please...please do. I'm happy to have free reign to build.
Finally I pushed out with a little force of Marines. I killed his Expansion that was starting and then broke myself on his Banshee and Siege Tanks...but it was okay. I cost him 400 minerals in his Natural's CC and I saw what Tech he had. I also hadn't stopped building stuff so at this point I already had two Medivacs with Marines and Marauders heading towards the back of his base.
He had a Sensor Tower up at this point to protect that angle...but must not have been paying attention to it because I'd destroyed all of his SCVs by the time he reacted, allowing me to retreat with no losses.
I paused for a few minutes here (in terms of agression) to get my expand fully up and running and do a little base management. I need to get better at doing that stuff while doing other things....I'm not sure how other than keep trying. He took the opportunity to sneak a few cloaked Banshees into my main mineral line which cost me a few SCVs before I was able to get my Vikings back there with Scan to destroy them.
Ultimately I did win. I pushed and destroyed his expand again while double expanding and when he pulled his army out to defend his Natural I loaded into my Medivacs and dropped into his main. Siege Tanks are great for defense, but when you roll them out against a more mobile army...it never really ends well.
Anyway, one win for me. Though I feel bad for him. I looked at his stats, he'd lost the previous 4 or so games he's played today. He's Gold Leagued but with only 10 games or so under his belt, so I'm guessing he placed there (unlike my "last in the Bronze league" initial placement).
+ 26 points, Silver League Division Rank 5
http://www.sc2replayed.com/replays/143741-1v1-terran-scrap-station
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