2012 DreamHack Winter Finals Replays & VOD's

The replay packs for 2012 Winter DreamHack are out http://files.dreamhack.se/replays/DreamHack_Winter_2012_Replays.zip

They also have the VOD's up at http://www.dreamhack.tv/

To see all the replays I have blogged about, just click this Label replays other Labels can be found in Label cloud at left side of Blog, or at bottom left of every blog post.

If your looking for a specific player's replays or something else specific on my Blog, google is the best tool.

Just cut and past my blog's name Cliff's Esport Corner into Google and add whatever keyword(s) your looking for like TLO and/or replays.

Hope that helps, I have tried the Google widget for Blogger, but it didn't work very good, regular Google is a LOT better.

Elfi Replay Pack Starcraft 2

Some replays I found today from Elfi.

Replay pack http://drop.sc/replays?player=%23190048


Also this game he uploaded today while streaming  http://www.2shared.com/file/B8XcoXjt/Cloud_Kingdom_LE__60_.html

Thanks Elfi!

For all Replay Packs I have posted just click this replays Label, other Labels can be found in Label cloud at left side of Blog, and also at bottom left of every post.

If your looking for something specific on my Blog, Google is the best way to find it, just cut and past my Blog's name Cliff's Esport Corner, into Google, and add whatever keywords your looking for, I am still looking for better ways to organize data here, it would help a lot if it was possible to build array with Labels, ie "Catz" + "replays"

Unfortunately Blogger doesn't support that yet T_T

TLO Replay pack November 7, 2012

http://www.teamliquidpro.com/news/2012/11/07/razer-replaypack-of-the-week-48-liquidtlo

Thanks TLO & TL!

To see all replay links I have posted just click this Label replays, Labels can be found at bottom left of every post, as well as in the Label Cloud at left side of Blog.

If your looking for something specific on my Blog, regular Google is the best, you can just copy & paste Cliff's Esport Corner into Google then add keyword(s) your looking for like Stephano + Replay.

I did try Google's widget for blogger, but that didn't work half as well as normal Google, so I removed it.

GL HF,

Cliff

Reminder no Thundertoss Top 200 KOTH tonight, because of GESL

Thundertoss is casting & etc at GESL this weekend, so no Top 200 tonight :(

Should be back next week AFAIK.

Good news is Ascend did update the Top 200 King of the Hill replays recently, you can find them here http://ascendtv.com/top200koth/replays.php

So you can watch Top 200 replays tonight, and everyone should follow GESL!!!!

Also Dreamhack Summer Open Sat-Mon this weekend, so much awesome SC2 this weekend, giving me Nerd Chills.

Four Days!!!!!  Wish I had my new computer allready, I can only watch 1 or 2 Streams at a time right now, have to make some real touch choices at times.  T_T

Stephano Replay Pack from Redbull

http://www.mediafire.com/?otf7hl2bpplz3w9

For previous Stephano replay pack on my SC2 Blog http://cliffsesportcorner.blogspot.com/2012/03/stephano-replay-pack-march-5-2012.html


For more click replays Label, more Labels can be found in the Label Cloud at left side of Blog, or at bottom left of every post.

I am also adding playlist from Stephano, TLO, Catz,  Drewbie, etc as I find them, please feel free to post links to replays or playlists in the comments.

Or requests for players you can't find here yet.

GL HF,

Cliff

Thundertoss Top 200 KOTH Replay pack update

Ascend just updated the replay packs from Top 200, you can find them here http://ascendtv.com/top200koth/replays.php

A lot of really good top level games, useful for study or casting.

TLO Awesomeness 2012 Edition

A really great game between TLO & Axslav, on Metropolis, cast by Ipp, from RageQuitTV.  Uploaded May 2, 2012


Replay:  http://drop.sc/170291

I like this game a lot!

Starcraft 2 Skills: Build Integration

In this Idra vs sWs game, cast by Ipp of RageQuitTV, you can see that though Idra is changing his build, or strategy, he doesn't seem to have all the element coordinated yet.

I am not picking on Idra here, it just seems clear to me that he is either changing some of his game play, because of the influence of Stephano, or at least testing some of those concepts.

Since Idra is such a high profile, skilled player, I feel these games that show that even high level GM's have a learning curve for new builds may provide inspiration to others.

See also Idra vs Bound for a related post.

Replay:  http://drop.sc/148362

My comments & observations, with spoilers below the VOD.



Early in the game, Ipp makes a point about Idra not getting Roach speed, I think he missed the fact that Lair hadn't finished yet, so Idra couldn't get Roach speed till it finished.

I like several of the things Idra did or tried to do in this game, I really like him taking the Gold as 3rd, that is something I have been coaching Zerg players to do on several maps.

Since I am convinced in general it makes defending an expo easier for Zerg, Zerg units tend to be short ranged or melee units, so they need to get good surrounds.

The Central Gold bases on almost every map that has them is far more open than normal Naturals or thirds.

However, at ~13:26 game time (9:47 VOD time), Idra puts his 4th hatch down in the normal location for a 3rd.  I believe that was a rather large error.

I think he should have taken the other Gold base, the one closer to his Protoss opponent.

This would have provided several advantages:

• faster reinforcement for his Roach aggression
• deny logical 4th base to his opponent
• lots of minerals with 2 Gold bases, so he could have spined up a lot more, like Stephano does at times
• would have provided another layer of defense (aka Defense in Depth), both for his first gold base, but also for his main, layered defenses enable flanking, rear, & surrounding attacks
• in connection to denying his enemy a Gold base & adding a layer to his own defense, even if he lost the second Gold, he would have taken some of the resources from it, so it would be worth less to his enemy, additionally it would cost the enemy more time and units to take it, so if the game was really close it might throttle opponents income significantly even if enemy took it away from Idra
• It would also have strengthened the containment on Protoss

To see more posts about Idra just click the label Idra, that label & others can be found at the bottom left of every post.  Also selected Labels can be found in the Label Cloud at left side of blog.

Idra vs BounD

EG.IdrA vs BounD, on Entombed Valley, cast by Ipp from RageQuitTV.

Replay of this game at http://drop.sc/144693

Some of my comments, with spoilers, below the VOD.



I have thought for a while that Zerg is the strongest race in Starcraft 2.

I think once Zerg players figure out how to effectively use and coordinate their units and structures, Blizzard will probably have to nerf Zerg a fair bit.

I think this game provides some support for those opinions of mine, even though Idra made several strategic mistakes in this game, he still won pretty easily, his Protoss enemy made some mistakes, but they were far less obvious.  At least to me.

I don't think Idra fully understands yet, or perhaps he understands but doesn't have his build refined yet, using Mass Broodlords with Spine & Spore support.

I have covered this a bit already in Starcraft 2 Thoughts: Broodlords Support units Part 1 (ZvT focus) and in Starcraft 2 Thoughts: Broodlord Support Units Part 2 (ZvP focus).

Some of the keys points that I feel Idra missed, some which I have mention in previous posts, and some I have discussed with other players & coaches.

Not in any particular order, Idra should have done the following, in addition to the things he did correctly:

1. Expand TOWARDS the enemy, just like Meching Terran, for the same reasons a Meching Terran does it.  This keeps your newest & most important mining base as the most protected, because it is close to your powerful but slow moving Army.   This also makes your defense more cost effective, because your bases have less surface area.
2. More Queens for Transfuse and Creep spread.  This would make mass Broodlord with Spine & Spore support a LOT more efficient.
3. Nydus for defense and rapid support at the front, also to cross connect bases.
4. Massing Overseers for Contaminate of key enemy production structures!!!
5. Possibly Hydras, with Creep they are as fast as Stimmed Marines & Maruaders, with Nydus they can move from one side of the map to another instantly.  They also shoot up and down, so they can help defend Broodlords.  Also vs Protoss they dominate everything except for Colossus or HT with Storm, so after a big fight, Hydras will tend to dominate remaining Protoss Army, if you focus down Protoss Colossus & HT with Broodlords, the Hydras will clean everything else up! 
6. To many Infestors, Queens & Hydras are a better use of your supply.
7. Combined Harassment with Overseers + Nydus +Hydra/Ling 

 What should the Protoss player have done?  That is not so clear to me yet.

Some things worth trying:

1. Sentries and Hallucinate, I am not saying this because it was Idra, I think using them as a damage buffer, and to draw Fungals & Neural Parasite to waste Infestor energy.  As well as Guardian Shield & Hallucinated Phoenix scouting
2. Two or three Warp Prisms, with Prism Speed upgrade, one of the standard counters to a Meching Terran is drop play.  I think a Pair of HT for Storm Drops with an Immortal is best.  Immortal to provide Roach and Structure killer with Zealot warp in support, and when HT out of energy you could make them into an Archon.  One Immortal and one Archon with Zealots warped in, would be good at killing Zerg tech structures.  You could just do 2 HT and round of Zealot warp ins, and run away with Prism and HT.
3. More Observers.
4. With the additional Observers, and better Scouting, including Hallucinated Phoenix, Drops could be a lot more effective!  Know were critical tech structures and in base defenses are located.
5. Put down a Proxy Nexus or Assimilators at Zerg's likely 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc expos.  This will delay Zerg's Teching.  I really like putting Assimilators on all the gas at say 3rd & 4th, or 4th & 5th.  They only cost 75 Minerals each, but have 900 total HP + shield.  This also provides more Scouting information, and if Zerg is lazy, may pull whole army or big portion (ie One whole hotkey) to kill them.  Creating opening for a drop or attack from your main Army.

Lone Star Clash VOD

Lone Star Clash Invitational Tournament, thanks to TeSPA, CSN, and Quantic

I haven't seen any youtube casts of the Lone Star Clash yet, but they have TwitchTV VOD's up.

These are all in one VOD's, I have listed length (time) for each, hope this helps all the people that end up on my site looking for these replays.

Day 1 http://www.twitch.tv/lonestarclash/b/311964215 [Time 12:12:26]
Day 2 http://www.twitch.tv/lonestarclash/b/312086279 [Time 13:16:15]

For other replays on my Starcraft 2 Blog, click replays, that link can also be found in the Label Cloud at left side of blog.

TLO Replay Pack

TLO's replay pack ^_^

Released March 2, 2012 http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/AresEffort/TWIR/TWIR_24_2.zip

To see other replays on my Starcraft 2 Blog click replays, you can also find that link and others in the Label Cloud at left side of Blog. 

You may also be interested in the playlist I have on my Blog from various pro players.

EG's LzGaMeR Replay Pack

 LzGaMeR released a replay pack, this is was released February 2012

http://drop.sc/packs/604

To see other replays on my Starcraft 2 Blog click replays, you can also find that link and others in the Label Cloud at left side of Blog. 

You may also be interested in the playlist I have on my Blog from various pro players.

MLG Winter Arena 2012 Replay Pack

http://s3.majorleaguegaming.com/files/WinterArena.zip

MLG has released the replay pack from the 2012 Winter Arena, thanks MLG!

To see other replays on my Starcraft 2 Blog just click replays, you can also find that link and others in the Label Cloud at left side of Blog. 

You may also be interested in the playlist I have on my Blog from various pro players.

Stephano Replay Pack March 5, 2012

Stephano just release another replay pack a few days ago, here is the link for the replay pack http://www.mediafire.com/?6p9vnsacje7dy19

<333 Stephano

To see other Stephano replays I have linked http://cliffsesportcorner.blogspot.com/2012/01/stephano-replay-packs.html

To see other replays on my Starcraft 2 Blog click replays, you can also find that link and others in the Label Cloud at left side of Blog. 

You may also be interested in the playlist I have on my Blog from various pro players.

ASUS ROG Winter Assembly 2012 Replays are out!!!!

Yes!!! Winter Assembly 2012 Replays are out!!

ASUS_ROG_Winter_2012_StarCraft2_Replaypack.zip

To see other replays on my Starcraft 2 Blog click replays, you can also find that link and others in the Label Cloud at left side of Blog. 


You may also be interested in the playlist I have on my Blog from various pro players.

Polt vs Snute

Uploaded 2/24/2012 : TSL.Polt (T) v GL.Snute (Z) on  Tal'Darim Altar cast by Ipp from RageQuitTV.

I am sure after ASUS ROG Assembly Winter 2012, a lot of people will be looking for Polt Replays, one of the reasons why Ipp is one of my favorite VOD casters, is that he always includes the replay that he casts, see link below, on his youtube VOD's.  If you like him please follow him on Twitter or youtube!

Replay: http://drop.sc/119109

For more replays on my Blog just click replays, you can also find that link in the Label Cloud on left side of the Blog.  For more stuff from Ipp click Ipp, which is in Label Cloud as well.

WhiteRa vs Devil

And interesting Protoss vs Zerg game cast by Ipp from RageQuitTV.

I liked Devil's response to the FFE from WhiteRa, I have been looking at various Zerg responses to FFE this last week, see also Fast Ling Drops vs FFE.

One of the reasons I follow Ipp, is because he always seems to include link to the replay of the games he casts!  I really appreciate that!!

Replay:  http://drop.sc/116514

To see other replays on my Blog click replays, you can also find that Label in the Label Cloud at left side of my Blog.

Playhem Showmatch replays VileIllusion vs ItsGosu HwangSin

http://gosu.ws/8h9na

To see other replays here click on replays, you can also click on the label in the Label Cloud at left side of the blog or bookmark it.

TargA vs Stephano VOD

SEACast: TargA vs Stephano, mirror matchup, cast by SystemSC2

This game from TargA's replay pack: http://www.sc2sea.com/showthread.php?t=3519
so we know there is at least one Stephano replay in there!   ^_^

To see other replay packs, click on replays, you can also find that Label in the Label cloud at left side of Blog.

Losira vs Naama on Shakuras Plateau, from Korean Ladder 2/16/12

IM.Losira vs eSahara.Naama cast by Ipp from RageQuitTV

Replay of this game here:  http://drop.sc/113191

To see other replays I have blogged click replay label, you can also find this label and others in Label Cloud at left of Blog, or at bottom left of every post.