News
Starcraft e-sport training sweat shops (aka: chicken coops) are a problem in Korea.
Kotaku Link
Original Article
Blizzcon tickets went on sale Tuesday the 2nd and the first round is already sold out. Some are already up on ebay for as high as $400.
SC2 beta got a full database wipe with Path 15.
Patch 14 happened
as did
Patch 15
Strategies
David discusses the importance of unit composition. As well as using the terrain to your advantage.
Joel reviews the Terran Reaper with questionable results.
A listener named Dook discusses caution with walling in your protoss. He also answers Kyle and I's question on Broodlord damage as well as a great tip on how to deal with them.
Dayghoul wants to know what units we hate/love the most.
Sonicboomer teaches us a zerg exploit.
Heychamp gives us a 3v3 strat.
And for you Zerg lovers here's Josh's full zerg tip from this week's episode.
Zerg Scouting
Being Zerg has its advantages, and the most obvious one is your ability to be in more places at once than your opponent. This not only means that taking the map will be easier for you, but it also means that maintaining good recon in areas you don't control will be easier too. Your natural advantage of numbers means that you can more easily spare the manpower to camp a few zerglings on each of the map's resource nodes, so do it!
Also keep in mind that this is generally going to be more of more importance in the middle stages of the game, as the threat of your opponent starting a secondary or more forward expansion will really only exist after some time has passed. Generally a ling or two (in case of a marine scout) is all you need to maintain constant vision at these spots.
Map control
Zerg need to expand quickly, pressure early, and take the map as early as possible. IMO Zerg is usually at optimal strength early to mid game when food levels are still under 150. In these stages you should be able to use your superior numbers and unit production to assert your control over the environment and try to deny your opponent any opportunities to expand. Denying your opponent economic equality is one of the easiest ways to seal your victory - not only does this diminish your opponents ability to mass tech against you, but it's also psychologically discouraging as well.
As with any race in SC2, you want to have economic advantage over your enemy, but i feel this is punctuated even more with the Zerg. Allowing your opponent to expand and actually mass Tech units can potentially create a scenario that immediately flips the game to their favor. Make no mistake, Protoss and Terran tech will punish the Zerg player when massed. Zerg has very few adequate responses to massed Colossi or Siege Tanks. You must do everything you can to deny your opponent the resources to mass these units against you.
Distraction tactics
If you happen to find a lightly defended expansion somewhere, don't attack it with the bulk of your units. Rather, send a suitable zergling force that is likely to destroy the expansion, but keep your main force out of the fight. Many players are going to have to respond with numbers they know will kill those zerglings and as such, will have split their units accordingly, allowing you to immediately barrel into their base with your primary forces, and diminishing the strength of their response to your attack.
Another distraction tactic that is useful is actually the primary engagement itself. Having a reserve of Speedlings on the side allow you to cause havoc on the opponents money lines during moments of engagement, when its most likely that your enemy has the bulk of his forces in the middle of the map. The size and speed of zerglings makes it difficult to keep them from wreaking havoc on the money line once they are actually in their base. If the base is walled off, go for a drop of lings. If the line is defended, try for supply depots and pylons.
