PvAnything Mineral Block
Author: AtomicKitten
For money maps: No
Difficulty: Intermediate
Comments: 15 (Watch for comments!, Add to favorites)
Views: 4298
This is my first strat, so don't bite my head off if it doesn't work =O.
Part 1 - Placement
So anyways, assuming you know how to play toss, go for the normal build with using your 9th probe to scout out the enemy and their local mins, but once you have teched to core, send a probe to their nearest mineral patch and block it completely with cannons, 1 pylon and...8 cannons around it with each mineral patch, considering a map like LT, a player has around 3-4 mineral patches near their main base, and all routes to other parts of the map go through these. During the building cannons around their nearest 3 mineral patches, mass crazy amounts (24~) of zealots with leg enhancements (you can skip upgrades) and send groups of 8 to each group of cannons. Now for the next part, how to win with this placement.
Part 2 - Preperation
With the cannons and lots covering their mineral expo patches, make sure to expo at least twice so you have a steady income of mins and gas (3 geysers are nice). Mainly, make more gates and pump out way more lots and some goons, a 3:1 ratio of lots:goons works out nicely. Base defence shouldn't be a problem since the cannons and lots basically cover all of the exit points out of their main base and the cannons can at least delay their attack.
Part 3 - Strike
With the cannons covering range and the lots defending melee, not many combos can take this down, even tanks won't work due to the lots and their speed. Now that they know their mins are covered, they will just try to crush the cannons instead of attacking you, so move your main force near your cannons and wait for them to pop out. once they do, just micro well around your cannons, drawing free hits by the cannons. Most likely, with the minerals they have in their main base, they can attempt around 4 "liberation's" of their mineral patches before running out. After, draw all forces and just overwhelm their base, if they have heavy static defence, just retreat and rebuild, after all, they have no minerals, and by that point you've won due to overwhelming number of forces and money.
Part 4 - Useful units, DT's and HT's are useful at the cannon blockades due to storm and hallucination (yes hallucination). Storm works well on incoming zerg hordes and hallucination improves the chances of your lots surviving an encounter with tanks (which they should own anyways).
FYI: This actually has worked in real life, against noobs or not, i do not know.
Thanks, and I'm always open to suggestions.
Part 1 - Placement
So anyways, assuming you know how to play toss, go for the normal build with using your 9th probe to scout out the enemy and their local mins, but once you have teched to core, send a probe to their nearest mineral patch and block it completely with cannons, 1 pylon and...8 cannons around it with each mineral patch, considering a map like LT, a player has around 3-4 mineral patches near their main base, and all routes to other parts of the map go through these. During the building cannons around their nearest 3 mineral patches, mass crazy amounts (24~) of zealots with leg enhancements (you can skip upgrades) and send groups of 8 to each group of cannons. Now for the next part, how to win with this placement.
Part 2 - Preperation
With the cannons and lots covering their mineral expo patches, make sure to expo at least twice so you have a steady income of mins and gas (3 geysers are nice). Mainly, make more gates and pump out way more lots and some goons, a 3:1 ratio of lots:goons works out nicely. Base defence shouldn't be a problem since the cannons and lots basically cover all of the exit points out of their main base and the cannons can at least delay their attack.
Part 3 - Strike
With the cannons covering range and the lots defending melee, not many combos can take this down, even tanks won't work due to the lots and their speed. Now that they know their mins are covered, they will just try to crush the cannons instead of attacking you, so move your main force near your cannons and wait for them to pop out. once they do, just micro well around your cannons, drawing free hits by the cannons. Most likely, with the minerals they have in their main base, they can attempt around 4 "liberation's" of their mineral patches before running out. After, draw all forces and just overwhelm their base, if they have heavy static defence, just retreat and rebuild, after all, they have no minerals, and by that point you've won due to overwhelming number of forces and money.
Part 4 - Useful units, DT's and HT's are useful at the cannon blockades due to storm and hallucination (yes hallucination). Storm works well on incoming zerg hordes and hallucination improves the chances of your lots surviving an encounter with tanks (which they should own anyways).
FYI: This actually has worked in real life, against noobs or not, i do not know.
Thanks, and I'm always open to suggestions.
|
Out of 9 voters, most think this strategy is Average!
|
Other Submissions:
|
| 1, McNewgin | |||||||
|
Assuming you have enough minerals to get your cannons in place before they begin to expand I think this strat might works. It's risky though because if they rush and cripple you a lil early and it takes time to rebuild then you'll never get the cannons there in time. Tho I think this will work well, but I would definatly use your suggestion of adding HT's to the Zealot mix for a little extra protection, especially from groups of Mutalisks. Good Job! | ||||||
| 2, Shoyo | |||||||
|
.... Yea impressive, but i think you forgot that cannons dont walk. So your playing vs a Terran.... You place 8 cannons anywhere so early.... How do you counter the Tank + Vultures push? Praying? So your playing vs Zerg.... He spots your early pylon ( HE WILL unless he is a mental deficient) 6 lings either go for your soon to born cannons or, even worse, your main base.... Praying again? Or if he is really mean, he just tech as quick as he can and get defilers or guardians, no way you can match the teching and get templars in time. So your playing vs Protoss... He sees your bright idea and just get 1 shuttle and 1 reaver.... GG probes, GG cannons. Cannons DONT WALK. |
||||||
| 3, AtomicKitten | |||||||
|
Mmmmm... thanks for the feedback, but there's a few things that i'd like to bring to mind. It's not just cannons, 6 lots can do considerable damage to tanks and reavers alike. Lets say toss somehow gets to reavers while being starved in. He gets in the shuttle admist 8 cannons and unloads one reaver, considering this is an Uber reaver and kills all of my lots at once, and all my lots from the other "outposts", the 8 cannons will rape it and its dropship before it gets away. With the tank/vulture push, i flank the tanks with lots from my other cannon outposts and rape the tanks, if the vultures come, i retreat to the range of my cannons, it's an iffy strategy, but it works if you're fast enough. the one thing that might stop this is if there's a rushing zerg, or an early expo zerg player. i see your point, but its all a matter of luck. most people dont go scouting with 6 lings, they scout with a drone. by the time they get 6 lings in, assuming they go 9 pool, there's a chance that i can get cannons in. like i said, its a matter of luck. thanks for the feedback. -AtomicKitten * and in the strat, when i said "using your 9th probe to scout out the enemy and their local mins, but once you have teched to core", i meant teched to forge >.> kthnx -AtomicKitten |
||||||
| 4, firedraco | |||||||
|
God strat...but if you are terran, and playing on LT, couldn't you just build a bunk to block their ramp to prevent the zeals from rushing and then seige a couple of tanks to take out the zeals/cannons? maybe even just scv block the ramp and kill zeals with unseiged tanks maybe. And about the reavers...if they have a reaver...reavers outrange cannons, and will splash your zeals badly...especially if they have more then one. or they could use one tank to lure your zeals up to marines mass or other seiged tanks...probably will slow them down though while they have to tech up. Still, a nice strat. Well written and has enters and sections! | ||||||
| 5, Shoyo | |||||||
|
8 cannons = 8 x 150 = 1200 Unless your playing fmp, and Im assuming you are not. 1200 minerals throw away so early = loss, unless you have 3x your opponents apm. I might consider the idea you use the cannons offensively with zealots for a quick kill. Anyways, cannons in PvP should only be used for cliffing purposes. Anything else is turtling. Cannons in PvT only if your opponent is crazy enough to try an early marine medic. Cannons in PvZ = cool, for static defenses near nexus. Btw, 6 lots cant damage a reaver, never, ever. 12 lots cant either, and so cant 24 or 36. Reaver+Shuttle+Micro > any number of zeas. I would like to see a replay of you winning with this kind of turtling. Specialy vs a terran or a protoss. Zerg might have a hard time if he is not skilled enough. |
||||||
| 6, SwoleMarine | |||||||
|
This strat would only work if done early and effeciently, without your opponent noticing. You couldn't afford enough cannons to spread around to do any real damage plus an army to defend them, not to mention the extra income it costs to expand as many times as you mention. Waiting until you get a core is waaaayyyy too long, as any amount of active scouting would point out what you are doing to your opponent. If you try to pull this off like in the old days with the offensive cannons early, then that is the only feasable way I can see this working. The way you describe sounds like a good idea on paper, but you have to keep in mind your opponent is also building and teching, not just sitting idly by while you expand and fill the map with cannons. This would only work on the lower end of sc players, as most players with any kind of skill should be able to quash your cannons with little or no trouble. To play devil's advocate, I would say that if you are playing an allied game, and coordinate well with your ally, you could try this strat but focus more on just zeals and cannons while having your ally focus on containment and defending your cannon push. I do like to see people coming up with new strategies. It is good to see people are out there playing and tuning up on real maps instead of playing those "fastest ever" maps out there. |
||||||
| 7, MrBobby | |||||||
|
sounds interesting. i reckon they would scout and stop you. some good points from both you and other commenters. ima give this a good. | ||||||
| 8, hihihihihi | |||||||
|
one word, "sucks" | ||||||
| 9, AtomicKitten | |||||||
|
O.o um. right. mind telling me why this sucks so i can make the next one better? ktnx -AtomicKitten |
||||||
| 10, Icarus | |||||||
|
I most deefinitely agree with starving your enemy to death, this strat is effective, this strat dont suck at all...lol. I do have some "suggetions" =)8 cannons per mineral cluster are a tad bit too much and quite expenssive (8x150=1200 minerals), dont yah think? Seige tanks and hydras can make quick work of cannons. 2-4 cannons is ok and use the rest of the minerals for units instead. And place the cannons on the minerl clusters closest to his main because thats where he will probably expand first and as for the other mineral clusters actively scout them with ur units and destroy any attemps to expand there, this way you use your resources on units and other structures instead. If he attacks the cannons you have units to counter. Got a couple of more suggestions but run out of space, but good strat though. voted good | ||||||
| 11, Icarus | |||||||
|
looks like i wasnt the first to notice 1200 minerals on 8 cannons...this is just an addition to my earlier comment. sorry shoyo didnt mean to copy your comment...=) I ussually dont read the comments first before i start writting so that my comments are my own and not influenced by somebody elses... | ||||||
| 12, BLooDBRiNGeR | |||||||
|
I will agree with icarus, the cannonsare good, very original and thought out, but you have to mant, some more mobility will help. its a good strat because of the starve but i think with as many cannons you have you will need to expand first which means he will have time to. |
||||||
| 13, FEAR101 | |||||||
|
13, sorry it looks bad i have 2 broken fingers on my dominant hand,happy face, i was in a block in what to put | ||||||
| 14, cmalberg | |||||||
|
This is actually a pretty valid strategy. Sure, they might spot the pylon/one or two cannons early on. What will they do? They will attack it with strength and you see exactly their tech level. Even if the cannons don't survive, it can be useful for recon. Best of situations, you get an HT or two there before your cannons are toast. Even one cannon can be enough to piss them off as it slows there expo (first builder out runs of course) and gives you an eye on things. Good, although you don't need 8. Hmm...sorry for the double post, but you might want to consider that this will NOT work against Zerg if they go for 4,5, or 6 pool. If I can get lings inside a base by the time the first cannon is just finishing up, no way I won't be able to kill ones outside of my own base before the are even half way there. |
||||||
