Starcraft 2 HotS Guide - The Grandmaster Manual - by Top Pro-Gamers on SEA
The Grandmaster Manual is a comprehensive Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm Starcraft 2 guide specifically aimed to help lower league players improve their game and get easily into diamond and then eventually into masters or grandmasters. Check out the amazing testimonials we have received! It has been updated in May 2013 with the latest HotS strategies.
PiG and mOOnGLaDe travel to Gemany to represent SEA in the IEM Global Finals.
PiG wins WCS Australia
mOOnGLaDe wins WCS Oceania
Revenant wins WCS Singapore
July 2012
Jazbas wins WCS New Zealand
PiG wins ACL Melbourne
April 2012
GLaDe wins ACL Pro Sydney
January 2012
GLaDe wins ACL Pro Gold Coast
November 2011
Revenant wins the Cyberfusion League Malaysia 2011
September 2011
GLaDe wins the SEA Blizzard invitational, Jazbas finishes second.
Revenant wins the E-Sports Thailand Championship(ESTC) 2011
August 2011
mOOnGLaDe finishes top 8 at the IEM Global finals in Cologne, Germany beating HuK and Tarson to finish #2 in his group.
September 2011
nirvAnA just won the WCG Singapore Starcraft 2 National Finals and will be representing Singapore in the WCG Grand Finals in Busan, Korea.
FlashRevz wins IESF Singapore Starcraft 2 and will be representing Singapore in the IESF Grand Finals in An-dong, Korea
PiG & mOOnGLaDe have just won the 2 spots in the SEA IEM qualifiers with PiG beating GLaDe 2-0 in the finals. Coach iaguz finishes #3. GLaDe can't make it at IEM so both PiG and iaguz will be representing the SEA Region in the IEM Global finals in Guangzhou, China.
GLaDe wins Blizzard SEA Invitational for $5,000 USD.
iM'YoonYJ wins $1,500 AUD and finishes #2 in Gigabye ESports @ Melbourne.
October 2011
xGkingiaguz , aLtJimDiddy , mOOnGLaDe , aLtPiG and i'MYoonYJ have all qualified for the WCG Australian Finals @ Gold Coast. What do they have in common? They are all TGM coaches/author - taking up almost half the total finalist spots and showing once again the level of quality the guide is supported by.
FlashRevz wins ESTC 2011 in Thailand , beating home favourite RedArchon in the finals 3-2 and taking home $1,600 USD
December 2011
GLaDe finishes first in his WCG group, which contained powerhouses like Sen, elfi, F91 and Socke. He narrowly losses to MKP 1-2 the knock out stage.
TGM Authors and Coaches iaguz, Revenant, PiG, nirvAnA, GLaDe, YaMaMa and YoonYJ finish in the top 16 of the season 4 Grandmaster ladder, taking up a massive 50% of the top spots at the end of the ladder!
If you ever experienced the following this Starcraft 2 Guide will be useful to you:
Love Starcraft 2 and want to be good at it but just don't have the time to "put in the hours".
Curious to know all the tricks & secrets the top players have used to get to where they are.
Experienced but not satisfied with your current skill level and want to get better .
Seemed to have reached a skill ceiling and don't feel they're progressing anymore and can't get promoted from their current league.
Constantly lose to cheese or the same "imba" strategies repeatedly and still do not know how to beat them.
"Forever Bronze!".
Have ever been tempted to resort to using cheats or win games by constantly cheesing. Become naturally good the ethical way which will demand true respect from your peers.
Dream of one day playing with the big boys, winning competitions and getting casted in VODs.
The Grandmaster Manual written by nirvAnA, mOOnGLade, PiG & OxygeN will help you:
Learn the knowledge and secrets from the top players in SEA and the step by step strategies they used to get to where they are. Fully understand the mistakes that have kept you from progressing with detailed exercises and checklists on how to improve your micro, macro and mechanics. Learn all the correct ways to counter cheese and "imba" strategies, explained in detail with replays and illustrations. A walkthrough build and a variety of advanced build orders with replays, pictures and explanations for every single matchup. Cut the "hours needed to be put in" in half thanks to all the knowledge and secrets shared in this guide. Use this newfound knowledge to blast your way through the leagues, reaching your goals quickly and easily. Lastly, further increase your knowledge with our bundled coaching plans at highly discounted rates. (Optional)
All testimonials will now link to their SC2SEA member profiles. For those new to the SEA community, you may not know these people but they are actually familiar names in our community forums with hundreds of posts. You can see their post histories and stuff by clicking in their names. Everything here is exactly as it was written, by the members of our community who have benefited from this guide.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
It has something big to deliver for ALL races and most player styles. With everything from small tips and hotkey tricks, down to the mindset of the player, this is just an amazing manual. As a diamond player I found the Anti cheese section extremely helpful (as you could imagine), and after reading sections like this, the annoyances of bad players just cheesing you and keeping you from being promoted started to turn around into a more "hey I got this guy now, big mistake buddy". This manual is so good, even for those who don't like reading so much content. Every little thing you read in here will help you just that little bit more, and you can just keep coming back and reading little sections your are really having trouble with. which is what I did XD Eventually I did read the whole thing because reading into the races that I DIDN'T play still meant I could get a little more of an idea of how the other races worked, and even how to counter their counter haha. I would definitely Recommend this to anyone who is looking to improve their skills in SC2, as it will NOT disappoint. Definite bang for your buck, and if not for this guide I would never have got into masters, and absolutely not in this period of time. Still staying subscribed to keep getting more to come and of course coz I'm not yet in GM! Thanks to everyone who helped to create this guide, Great work.
Content: 8/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 9/10
The manual says its there with the potential to guide low level players to masters, and it gives everything that you'd need to achieve that goal. I especially love moonglade's section, it is SO to the point and under-complicated that I'd definitely recommend it for any zerg struggling with concepts.
Content: 8/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 9/10
This is an excellent guide. Unlike most of the threads you can read on TL (and even here) it goes beyond just telling you things you should do, and helps you understand why you should do them, and what they mean in the context of the game.
Since reading this guide, in the last week I've already gone from Gold to Platinum, and am getting evenly matched against Diamond players now.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
Amazing! The Grandmaster Manual takes you on a step-by-step learning process where you can pace yourself, regardless of whether you are a beginner or trying to get into Grandmaster League. Before reading TGM, I was stuck in Diamond league, and was feeling like I couldn't improve. Since reading it I feel like my mechanics and strategical/psychological mindset have improved drastically, which have allowed me to advance into masters within just a few days.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
Hi Azron here. At first I was hesitant in purchasing this, but I'm glad I did as if you hit that plateau in skill, this is what you really need to elevate yourself to the next level, as it gives you a studied and detailed insight of the game. I was longing for a SEA community so when I saw this was by SEA players I was definitely on board. If your in diamond just like myself - this really helps change your mind set in terms of gaming, which was one of the major factors holding me back. Shout out to nirvAnA for being so helpful - hopefully to 'SEA' you guys soon, hilarious aren't I!
"The race sections are the best part! You're given the best economic opener for your race & then detailed descriptions of what happens in the early/mid/late games, what you should be aiming for & the reasons behind them. The explanations make its so much more useful than hard numbers or simplistic BOs you normally read about - that end up meaning nothing past 5 minutes into the game due to harass or scouting. This guide teaches you the game the right way, by increase your understanding and not simply regurgitating BOs!"
"2 words for those thinking about purchasing the subscription: STOP THINKING!
Get it now. 2 thumbs up for the great pictures, content and tips throughout the guide. No other guide matches this one. "
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"To be honest, i was very skeptical to get this guide at first because 90% of online guides are just rip offs. However ... i really wanted to get out of this freaking Silver League! The depression and despair threw all sense of caution overboard and made me get it in the end! I really have to say that i am impressed about the information found inside this manual. Of course alot of stuff is common sense and some parts you already know if you played SC2 for some time but there are always some little details that you probably have never heard of even if you are a higher league player. I am actually only done with the Basics Section and flew a bit over the protoss race explanation. I did not go into the real detail yet and can already see a really big improvement on my gameplay. I actually get expansions at the right times, crush most types of cheese, win almost every macro game and even let zerg shiver from my forcefield skills.
Since words can say alot i will also add my screenshots from the day i got the guide and 2 days later to prove that it actually works.
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Seriously the best guide out there!! I'm not the strongest player out there, and I was struggling with beating bronze players LOL, but just 1 week after getting the guide, I am now able to win against gold players 50/50. It is really in depth, the coaches have put a lot of effort and time into this and it has paid off. Definitely worth every penny!"
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Everything you could ever need to help your SC2 play. When you think you've found everything, look again, this guide just keeps going. If you want to help your play - Start Here."
Content: 8/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 9/10
"Thanks for writing such a great guide, has helped me immensely. I have gone from top diamond to about top 15 masters at the moment. It helped so much with the basics, which I thought I knew but didn't really.
An hour of coaching from YoonYJ was great too, can't believe such an awesome player #1 on SEA gave me an hour of coaching just for buying the guide. I think I understand the game a lot better now, but I'm sure there is still a massive amount to learn and I am still learning new things here every day."
Content: 9/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hello my fellow members of SEA, Dumbledore here, purchased a subscription of 6 months for TGM. I'm a protoss player so have been looking through the toss chapters, everything is very detailed with replays included. I'm currently diamond hoping to get into masters soon. Thanks Nirvana, I love you, I want to have behbehs with you. On EU Server my name is: TSPMetacry US: Dumbledore TW: Uniden
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall score: 10/10
"I had tried other guides before and wasn't really finding any information I couldn't get for free anywhere else, so I wasn't all that sure about what I was buying into. The choice to buy was mainly to support the community. I was amazed at the resources available, the exercises, the dedication to continuing to improve it over time, and the way that the information was presented. With multiple contributors (legitimate progamers among them, not some low league player who watches a lot of Day9) I feel it has directly influenced my improvement. You hear a lot about "this is how to get promoted" from a lot of places, and it never seems to be so simple. One of the biggest things I noticed about TGM is that what it says is very clearly correct, there are no grey areas. It is thorough, complete, and I'm glad I have the sub."
"Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
I have only had time to briefly read part of the zerg section, and already I can see results. I found myself reaching my limit of skill sitting around top 10 platinum and losing consistently to protoss, and struggling with zerg openings. Since reading the protoss section, and watching only a few of the many replays given, I have won 7 games in a row, including 4 against protoss.Knowing what to build and when has helped me profoundly. I now understand the match up and what I should actually be doing
I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to improve. The guide is extremely detailed, so dont expect to not have to put any effort in to getting better. Id gladly respond to any PM's about my experiences with the guide.
Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the guide
"I would personally like to thank all the people who wrote TGM guide. i was stuck in platinum for a while and when i thought hard about it i didnt truly understand the game mechanics properly. after subscribing to TGM my understanding of the game has got alot better. i now scout correctly and adjust my games accordingly and this has helped me reach diamond!
so thanks alot. now...... on to Masters!"
- JaimeDesmond
"Congrats on the promotion. I, too, would like to thank the guys for putting together TGM. I've looked at other guides and have been disappointed because all they seem to do is focus on the campaign or point out information that can be found in the help menu of SC2. This is the first guide I've seen that has a legitimate recipe for success that anyone can follow. I'm only in silver, but I'm already seeing my gameplay improve. I'm hoping a promotion will be right around the corner for me, too. Congrats again JaimeDesmond!"
Testimonial from our SEASL #2 Sponsor Soulja who was so happy he even went on to sponsor a major tournament of ours!
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hit Master's the other day. This testimonial is overdue. The combination of this manual and some good ole' hard experience and practice made me the SC player I am today. I am the 2%! Can't thank you enough!
I was stuck in Platinum for months.
Diamond league came first, then I was promoted to Master's the other day. I had a SC marathon pulling an all nighter dedicated to 1v1 (NA) winning 95% of my games. I know my MMR was already at Master's/Top Master's because that's all I was playing. After looking at a very successful (and green) Match History I was about to call it a night until I told myself one more game. It was against a Top Master Zerg player on a small map. I executed a perfect proxy 2Rax() Satisfied with the win I waited for the score screen to appear, and around 3AM that's when I received the Rank 11 Master promotion.
I just wanted to echo the original post and thank all those who wrote and contributed to the manual. If you need a practice partner in NA, feel free: [FIVESTARSIX.950] Thx again."
Content: 10/10
Value for money: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
"Hi, I'd just like to start off by saying your guide is terrific!!
I've spend money on other guides before like Shokz and Hotkeyit (which were both helpful mind you). But this guide is leaps and bounds beyond them. As a gold league player myself trying to get better i constantly found i had hit a wall and was slowly getting better but i can already tell this guide will definitely assist me above and beyond my expectations. If i could go back i would save my money and pay for this one straight up.
I especially like the interactive exercises and the check list stuff which assists to create a learning experience as opposed to a lump of information. I also like the reference to this guide being a text book!. I only bought this guide yesterday but i'd just like to thank you for not ripping me off!
For anyone that is reading this and thinks 'This feedback is probably the people who wrote this guide making numerous accounts and spamming positive feedback to trick people'.. That's what i thought but being the compulsive buyer i am i paid for the guide... and i assure you, its worth it!"
Some feedback. Great guide. I just signed up for second time. This time for infinity and put a friend onto this who is new to sc2. It doesn't leave any stone unturned. I've switched from terran to zerg and this has made the transition so much quicker and easier. Really taken the guesswork out of it.
Thank you for making this invaluable resource available to the community.
-----
Another from ASCH who is all the way from Costa Rica! He made the original thread here. This is the shorter version!
"Hi, my name is Allan Andres i am from a far country in Latin America Called Costa Rica...
I am here with my new account i am not new in this forum have more than a year !! but i think its my first post! Sorry for my english I am not a natural english speaker! If I have some mistakes maybe you can help me improve it!
IDK how we reach here from so far away from my country but a friend and I were beginning to play again Starcraft after like 6 years!
We played broodwar in our school sometimes we miss some classes because a endless battles in our coffee internet or in lan in houses of friends!
We start playing and a few day later we found this TGM guide!!... For a Test we bought a 6 months subscribed so we both use the account to read it (I know its not right for the community but we where afraid that was scam so we bought just one) !!
I start reading and stop when I read something like: KEEP READING WHEN YOU REACH DIAMOND!
I took me those 6 months to reach top diamond, i start first just playing 4v4 or free for all games like that
then we all the afraid of the world make the league placements matches
The 1 season of 2012 I ranked Gold took me those 6 months of the subscription to reach diamond so i cant continue reading lol !!
But i can tell that the guide here help me alot to continue improving everyday here with team liquid giveme a lot i am current NA hots Masters and there is a lot of way to go!
I remember always to stories from here the one from KFC and from Abraham Lincoln
So I want to return something to this community that give me a lot of help with the guide and MAFIA that helps me alot !! And start participating more here! tournaments etc etc"
To extreme detail, build orders, timings, replays and many different strategies for each matchup
Weekly Updates
Most offer static ebooks or have news posts that were last updated in 2010.
New replays and content weekly
New content
Most updates are small fixes
We don't just do small updates but produce entirely new content for our subscribers
Community Site
Their sites were created solely to sell their guide.
We were born from a vibrant community with alot of potential practise partners to find, tournaments to play in, forums to discuss, dedicated practice channels - all of which provide a great environment to grow as a player.
Exclusive Coach Support Forums
Most have no forums, none have specialized race coaches, or coaches for that matter
We have a special forum where our specialised race coaches help answer questions members have.
Interaction with Authors
Mostly through email for access issues not related to the guide
At any point and at any chapter in the guide!
Written by Grandmasters
They are at best unknown diamonds who have since stopped playing starcraft after making a quick buck.
The very top players and most well known names on the SEA server
Ever had problems with dealing with cheese? This guide will cover all the popular cheeses for each race, how to scout/identity them, the common mistakes people use to counter them, the right way of countering them and a replay to see it all in action. Learn to crush cheese easily!!
Alot of the times it helps to have a fresh pair of eyes or a player with a different perspective to go through the games and spot stuff which you didn't see. The authors and coaches will personally go through certain member submitted replays from silver to diamond, featuring the games and doing write ups which suggest areas that can be improved to hopefully help you to break the next barrier to promotion.
Bonus 3. Game Analysis of ladder games from the pros!
As part of our "constantly updated" feature in The Grandmaster Manual, every week we will try to add new valuable content that will enhance our subscribers experience. This section will contain a series of analysis by chosen Grandmaster Guest Pros / Coaches who go through 10 Ladder Games of their wins/losses from their perspective.
And best of all instead of charging $5, $10, or $20 or even a single cent more for these sections, these are all available absolutely FREE as they are included with the subscription!!!
Yes, in our best value for money package, this guide is also bundled with one free hour of coaching with a sc2sea coach of your choice! If you have not tried coaching before but were always curious, now would be the best time to start. Without our package, some coaches charge up to $30/hour at their own rates, but with the special rate you effectively pay just $10 more for 1 hour of coaching!
A relatively unknown player till recently, PiG spent time honing his skills in NA andy made a name for himself after taking #3 in a NA ESL Go4Sc2 Monthly Invitational. He soon followed that with strong lan performances including winning a City Hunter Charity Tournament in Sydney. He has also done well in online SEA competitions, finishing high in community opens and all killing teams in the KOF.
Apart from SC2, PiG is an avid writer who's studying humanities at university and he likes spending time with his Asian girlfriend!
Server Access: SEA, NA and KR
Hourly fee: $20/hour AUD
Package Offer:
I offer several extra services to my new students for the first lesson, and for all lessons if they book four lessons in advance:
1) 10-15 minute prep-sessions where we have a quick chat about problems you're facing and I give you some basic builds to practice if the ones you are using aren't optimal.
2) Replay Analysis: After lessons you send me replays with questions or simply for pointers and I will email you back points to improve upon.
3) Extra lesson time, usually running between 10-15 minutes extra. This allows us to spend extra time practicing the really essential foundations aswell as a more laidback timeframe so we can comfortable with each other.
Champion in City Hunter Charity Tournament March 2011 (Zerg) #2 in sc2sea.com’s Community Open #12 February 2011 (Zerg) #2 in sc2sea.com's Community Open #17 May 2011 (Zerg) #2 in sc2sea.com's Community Open #22 June 2011 (Zerg) #2 in Z33k Random Race Tournament #3 March 2011 (Random) #2 in Empirisoft Aus-1 1v1 Open January-May (Zerg) #2 in SEA Starleague Code A Qualifier #3-4 in sc2sea.com's iMaster of SEA #2 March 2011 (Zerg) #3-4 in Z33k Random Race Tournament #2 March 2011 (Random) #3-4 in North American Solo League Tournament #7 January 2011 (Zerg) #3-4 in Comon Gaming Cafe Tournament #2 April 2011 (Protoss) #3 in 3 ESL (NA) Go4sc2 Weekly Cups (6/2/2011, 9/2/2011, 21/2/2011) (Zerg) #3 in ESL(NA) February Monthly Invitational Finals March 2011 (Zerg) Committed two all-kills in KOF #3 May 13th 2011
Before the lesson even starts: I get replays from my students and watch them. I also have a quick chat asking the problems my students think they're having and what they want to improve on. From this I gauge their skill level, where and what to focus on. I will check that my student is performing their basic mechanics and openers correctly.
Coaching outline over 1 hour (For a student who wants general improvement): I start from the basic level ensuring all my students really UNDERSTAND how to build their economy in a safe and efficient way and how to control their units and structures effectively. We start around perfecting safe openers for each matchup , including how to react to your opponent and exactly how to deal with all the popular forms of aggression. We will practice against a friend or myself and make sure that there is an understanding of how to defend just about anything whilst building economy.
For higher level players or players whos problems are much more focused around decision making, positioning and micro, I give much more specialised lessons. These are also based on what you have problems with and what I see in replays you provide.
Some students feel they can learn macro on their own and would rather focus on aggressive tactics and want to learn some new cheese and timing attacks. For this I have a variety of techniques and cheese builds which we will run through against friends of the students or myself until you are capable of inducing nerd-rage all across ladder.
Jack 'Audacity.764' McClatchey – Platinum to Diamond
"Jared 'altPig' is the most amazing starcraft player and manly man you will ever meet. After a mere 3.6 seconds of tutoring I was #2 grandmasters (second only to the man himself) while Idra, Sen and Nestea pestered me for builds and practise. Shortly after my lesson's conclusion, I looked down to discover I had grown a full beard. The only thing I would criticize was the breaks in which aLtPig would plug in a new keyboard, having set fire to the previous one with his furious apm."
Lolz aside, he wrote a serious one as well:
"Jared “aLtPiG” is a great teacher, far better than I expected. He is very easy to work with and provides great overall help on any part of play that you might have trouble on. Information that helps in the long run such as the analysis of replays is also covered. If you are thinking about having lessons with aLtPiG I would greatly recommend it, I believe he was the main factor in my promotion to the diamond league."
Josh 'Volition' Davenport – Gold to Platinum
"I joined PiG as a lowly gold zerg, having played terran previously. Before we started, PiG took the time to ask the way I wanted to play, what I believed were my strengths and weaknesses and the parts of the game with which I personally struggle. With this information, in conjunction with my replays, PiG was able to teach me builds that fit with my mid and late game styles. However, the lesson did not just involve the memorisation of builds - it also involved information, lots and lots of information. PiG isn't one of these coaches that will try to change your playstyle so that it is exactly like the way he plays - and the training is better for it as the solutions/builds he presents are possible for you to execute. The lessons are structured with lots of notes, mostly typed by PiG. Make sure you save them to your pc - I still refer to mine when I am struggling with a matchup.
One of the things i have noticed during my time being taught by PiG is that he is very specific, whether that be in instructions, timings or playstyle. Everything he does and teaches seems to be done for a reason, and those reasons are explained thoroughly. I come away from each lesson feeling like I have gained a greater understanding of the zerg race, and with a greater knowledge of the game in general. With greater knowledge and understanding, the game becomes more and more interesting as you start to see things you would have previously overlooked.
While there is no guarantee lessons with PiG will get you promoted or rank 1 in your division. I have, however, been promoted since starting my lessons (to a lowly plat player). However, becomming a better player is only part of the benefit of obtaining coaching from PiG - I find I want to play more and understand why I am winning or losing. Add to this that he is always online to answer questions, it is extremely good value for the hourly fee.
I have no problems in recommending coaching from PiG, and I have lined up more lessons in the future. If you have any questions and are too shy to approach the man himself (dont be, he is nice), do not hesitate to shoot me your questions."
Frank 'Sangyerians' Li - Masters to winning a laptop!
sangyerians.287
"When you get training from PiG, you definitely get value for money. PiG played practice games with a friend of mine before a big LAN tournament and helped him win first place (Kayz winner of Cityhunter Anniversary Festival Silver division, won a laptop!). If that’s not a direct correlation between PiG’s coaching and success, I don’t know what is.
Not only is PiG a great coach, strategist and general SC2 connoisseur, but the reason I chose him above others is because he is an all round good person. What sets PiG apart other coaches is that not only is he a fantastic player, but I realised that he is a great guy from the posts and contributions he makes to UNSW/USYD StarSoc (shameless plug) amongst other mutual forums we frequented.
I had the pleasure of meeting with PiG in person and chatting with him and you could not meet a nicer person if you tried. No really, don’t even bother. His mentality and focus on helping the student become better and to, above all, have fun embodies his love for the game and ability to convey his vast knowledge of the game to any level of player. Patient with those who need it and efficient with those who prefer it, you can try and find a zerg coach who not only has value for money (not that that’s important, PiG is worth every penny) and is friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, skilled and above all, humble in his teachings, as PiG is. A+++ would buy again."
Steve 'FaDeEveTs' Hunt - Master to Grandmaster
fadeevets.153
About 4 weeks ago i was a mid-high masters player and had my first lesson with pig.
He went over some macro mechanics, taught me the exact amount of drones to make and how to tell, and also provided me with a new and more solid hotkey setup (previously i was using the backspace method, which is easy for laziness and makes you feel pro, but trust me when you get used to pig's method it's much better). Jared really cleaned up my macro and polished some edges in my play, including army positioning and use, i went off to ladder and practice for a few weeks. After feeling more confident in TvZ which is the matchup we covered, i came back to pig and went over a solid roach playstyle for ZvP, mere days after the session i was consistantly beating protosses such as pRoRenson on ladder ( )
So yep, now that GM has been unlocked i've slid right into GM and am currently around the 70th mark, which is much higher than i would've achieved without pigs help. Considering pig is also considerably cheap for the level of play that he is at, i would honestly recommend him to any zergs who want some help in any aspects of their play. GLHF!
Although probably the youngest coach, Revenant is no stranger to the RTS scene. Formerly a two time Warcraft 3 national WCG champion, he started the game late but still managed to dominate the Singapore Warcraft 3 scene. His work ethic is regarded as one of the best and success soon followed in Starcraft 2 where he managed to take down competition after competition. Regarded as one of Singapore best players, Revenant is the player with the most local titles under his belt and is looking to add more trophies to his cabinet.
Revenant is currently studying in Poly and he enjoys outings and hanging out with his friends.
Server: SEA (also plays on KR and NA)
Hourly fee: $25 / hour
Package fee: $90 / 4 hours (can be used separately)
E-mail: sacredboy_1992@Hotmail.com
Skype: sk.rev
Generally, it will be catered to each player's individual needs and forms of improvements. However, these are the general points of focus:
Replay analysis
Zerg as a decision making/reactionary race
Long term planning/playstyle
Reading build orders of opponents
Reacting to build orders once scouted
Positioning of structures correctly(different for different matchups)/Base Builds
Common build orders
Unit composition counters
Build order counters
Scouting(When to do it. map control important, etc)
Efficient Larvae usage
Thought process at each point of time(aka Things to look out for, reading what opponent is doing/thinking)*
P.S.:It would be optimal for you to have a few friends/opponents that you can pull along that you absolutely can't beat, as I'll guide you to be able to eventually be on par with your friend/opponent.
I was considered as a very low level zerg player when I started off competitively in SC2. So after much recommendation, I seeked inF for help to improve my game to the next level. Before we even talked about scheduling our 1st lesson, Revenant was very professional to ask me several qns to carefully rate my skill level, weakness and strengths so that we could start working on the precise and most crucial problems I had with my games.
On my very first lesson itself, I was very surprised on how when we went through my first replay on ZvP, that he really tackled on not only the problems that I asked to be tackled but also the spotted so many minor yet significant mistakes that in a long run on my ladder games really changed the way how I played zerg.
Initially before coaching I out of every 10 games on my weakest matchup ZvP, I could only won 3-4 games. But after coaching I could really nail 8-9 games easily on a consistent and simple build order with scouting rotation that Revenant set up for me.
YoonYJ was originally a Starcraft 1 player who appeared out of nowhere to take the SEA Starcraft 2 ladder by storm. After getting Starcraft 2 relatively late, his presence was felt when he topped the top 200 ladder lists for literally 3 months, boasting a 75% win ratio. His success continued in season 2 where was was one of only 3 players on SEA who managed to hold a > 70% win ratio at the end of the season. His victories at various lans and online tournaments gained him further fame.
When he's not playing starcraft he enjoys playing competitive bball and has plans one day to open a business of his own.
Server Access: SEA / NA / KR
Hourly fee: $30
Package fee: $100 for 5 lessons
Contact: msg me on sc2sea with your contact details and we will speak through msn / skype
Will discuss with the student, find his weaknesses and mistakes, fix them. I will also help change the way a player thinks about the game to the level I see it.
Will discuss with the student, find his weaknesses and mistakes, fix them. I will also help change the way a player thinks about the game to the level I see it.
Roz has been an extremely consistent player, having held positions at the top spots in the ladder from the beginning till now. Also the clan leader of inFi, Roz is a dedicated team leader who has led his team to many victories, most recently the PSTL championship over nGen. The undisputed #1 player in Hong Kong, Roz probably also has the most experience with students, helping them level up (lol!) their accounts as well as coaching alot of them.
Aside from gaming, the american accented Hong Kong player is one of the nicest and chillest person you'll meet.
Server: SEA (also plays on KR and NA)
Hourly fee: $25 / hour
Package fee: $90 / 4 hours (can be used separately)
Contact freddy_chi@hotmail.com
To begin I watch a replay of the student playing their best in a macro style to see where they are at in their development as a player. I then go through the various stages of the game really quick to see any misconceptions or troubles the student has. This followed by in-game coaching to correct mindset and form good habits leads to quick progression in skill by the student.
Typrix: I thought the instruction and feedback were pretty clear and useful, the practice games were very useful since you brought me through the decision making processes and i learned quite a bit from them. all in all, the coaching did help me in my games as i am able to identify moments where what you taught came into play when i'm laddering on my own
depylon: The lesson actually helped me a LOT, my pvp is one of my stronger MU's now. I feel like the lesson could've been a bit more structured but it drastically improved my pvp so i would definately like another lesson.
Q: Who wrote this guide? Can the authors actually play Starcraft?
A: Yes they can!! And unlike other guide authors, this was written not by just random diamond players, but by the very top players on the SEA server. In fact in the previous biggest regional tournament, the "WD PSI finals" which had a prize pool of USD $5,000 - the authors of this guide finished in #1, #2 and #3!!
nirvAnA did the bulk of the writing in the General and Protoss section with mOOnGLaDe and OxygeN writing the Zerg & Terran sections respectively. Update: nirvAnA just won the WCG Singapore Starcraft 2 National Finals in September 2011 and will be representing Singapore in the WCG Finals in Korea. GLaDe just won the WCG Australia Starcraft 2 National Finals in October 2011 and will be representing Australia in the WCG Finals in Korea.
Q: I cant access the payment page, it says I don't have permission, help!
A: Your sc2sea account has not being created, or if it has it has not been validated yet. To validate your account make sure click on the link in he confirmation "welcome to sc2sea" email sent to you. It sometimes appears in your spam/junk folder depending on your browser so check there first. If you still have troubles validating it send me a message and I will manually activate if for you.
Q: Why did you write this guide?
A: I originally wrote a small article helping identify the mistakes that lower level players were making them prevented them from going to diamond. I then realised that there was so much more to share that i had to include. I also realised that although there were many guides around, there wasn't a well written one written by actual grandmasters or well known players in the scene which players could truly benefit and learn from. Lastly, because it took over 200 hours of time to write we felt it was only fair to charge a small fee.
Q: Why not just release it for free?
There is always a correlation between price and quality/performance. This can be seen in all walks of life from salary end of year bonuses, customer tips, job promotions, commissions, etc. Simply put, usually the more you pay for a product the better quality it is. Having a dedicated paid team work on a project will not only let it become sustainable allowing continual updates with high quality material, but also ensure a higher quality product compared to if done by the same people "for free".
You will not find a guide of this quality and with everything so carefully put together to get BSG players all the way into masters league and beyond anywhere else.
Q: Is this much more comprehensive then the other guides out there?
A: Yes it is! It has over 60 sections so its very detailed and basically impossible to be read in one session. There's alot of material from basic stuff to advanced concepts as we wanted to have something for everyone. However, lower league players will benefit most from this as after mastering the basics they can master the advanced stuff as well. As for the guide's quality - well it was written by the very best players on the server!
Q: If i don't understand something about the guide, can i ask the authors?
A: Yes you can! That is the other big reason why we did it on the forums, we want to maximise user interaction. If you have any question at any point during a section you are welcome to add a reply to comment or ask our authors/coaches, as well as see what others have to say!
Q: Does this cover team games or FFA?
A: Unfortunately no, as it focuses on specific matchups in the 1v1 format. However, we believe the fundamentals and strategies taught are transferable to other game formats and thus will allow you to become very good quickly in them as well.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: The cheapest version will cost just $19.90 and gives you access for a month, more then enough time to absorb most of the material. The best valued package is for 6 months and costs $39.90. If you pay slightly more you can bundle it with a free hour of coaching with the coach of your choice and the 6 month subscription $49.90.
To get the best value out of this coaching, it is recommended you understand the guide first, practise the lessons taught and then request for your coaching. Depending on demand, prices may be subjected to increase in the future if coaches are overloaded and the guide is found to be too cheap.
Q: Ok, i've subscribed! How do i access the content?
A: After subscribing, a navigational "members" menu will automatically be displayed in the navigational bar as shown below. These links can only be seen and are only accessible by subscribers.
Q: How does coaching work?
A: After subscribing, if you have signed up under one of the coaching plans you will be able to see the "coach request" link as above where you will be taken to an area to fill up a form to choose your coach. In this form you can also specify your trouble spots are areas you would like your coach to spend more time covering, and the times you will be available for coaching. All this is so the coach will have the best information to help you. The session is not confirmed until the coach PMs you and confirms the time.
Q: Will this be constantly updated?
A: Yes it will be! That is one of the big reasons why we choose to go with the subscription model instead of the static ebook version. As the game gets patched fresh replays will be uploaded and strategies will be edited to reflect current trends.
Q: How does subscription work? Can I get access instantly?
A: After your payment has been successfully received, you will be given instant access to The Grandmaster Manual forums. This process is automated and there is no delay time. A "members" link will then appear on the top navigation bar. You will also be able to request coaching if you signed up for that package.
Q: Can i copy this elsewhere?
Starcraft 2 images and replays are trademark of Blizzard Entertainment and we do not claim any ownership over them. However, the content of this guide is intellectual property and protected by international copyright laws and all content in this guide is copyright of sc2sea.com. In the event that copyrighted content is found or law breached, the necessary actions will be taken against the guilty parties.
Q: Can i share this with a friend?
You cannot share your account with your friend, and we have IP address checks in place to prevent this. However, if you like to tell your friend about how much you liked this guide, then yes you are highly encouraged to show them our site! We also have a refer a friend program where if your friend subscribes because of you, your membership gets extended.
Questions? Feedback? Post them here! For support please PM me and i will attend to them as soon as possible.
I heard of this, excited to see how fast its progressing. Although, I'd like a different colour than white for the title, so it doesnt blend into the background so much.
Looks amazing! Can't wait to see it. Whats the estimated time on this?
Tentatively under 1 week to release, definetly under 2 weeks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pokerface
how do you get the data for the mechanics/strategic/psychological level of each league?
i came to that conclusion after watching many replays at the various levels and after some discussion with other top players. basically we identified the main problem that kept players at their current levels and what would be best for them to work on to get promoted. of course it may not be entirely accurate for every player but its a good indicator for the general population.
for instance in BSG it was macro that was lacking most, diamond to masters it was subtle strategy variations and timing windows and for masters to grandmasters it was knowing when to squeeze out small advantages by cutting corners and also understanding metagame dynanamics. I felt by highlighting this it would let e.g BSG players focus on the key problem areas first which would take them to the next level, without having to worry about things like metagame or fancy build orders yet.
yeap that was the original idea and the early chapters are especially geared towards them. after completing it however, i realised the quality was really high as mOOnGLaDe and OxygeN guest wrote the other specific matchups chapters, i mean with this quality material u could probably even get ur offrace to diamond easily. so i also added an "Advanced" section for people to read once they got pass diamond with some advanced concepts for diamonds and masters to learn as well.
this guide was also the reason why i started laddering again where i held the top spot in gm for about a week then became inactive again lol! wanted to make sure what i was saying was credible and all the strats etc were current and updated and the replays/screenshots done.
Thats one of the benefits of putting it in a restricted access forum instead of in a static ebook pdf never to be touched again lol.
The guide will be updated with the new patches and as the gameplay changes and of course new replays by the authors every now and then.
Also its still forum based so theres lots of room for interaction/discussion and people can leave comments and ask questions on parts they arent sure of at any point in the guide.
This guide might be the point i start learning zerg .. lol. Seems like a lot of fun.
I definitely think this has the potential to be the best guide out there.
Well the official starcraft 2 guide book was good but kind of too general and probably now already outdated. I bought it just for the multiplayer guide.haha.
Looking forward to this one but what are the plans for people like me to get access to the guide since i'm not BSG players nor am i staff or donator :S
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Previously known as FaNaTic
Don't like the fact that you have to either win a bsg/be a substantial contributor (calrify this please, is it just strategy/quality posts or monetary contributions?).
This should be open to everyone to view as it looks like you have put alot of work into it, i assume sc2sea.com is trying to be the teamliquid of sea, tl does not charge for any of it's strategy forums or whatnot.
Letting this information be viewable by anyone will help to grow the average skill level of lower league players on sea (and other servers) and it will allow higher tier players to also contribute with their knowledge (or fixing mistakes if any are found in the guide)
Wow, just wow. And you say it will be updated? As a diamond leaguer (on NA anyway, got lucky with my placement, but still plat on SEA), the BSG is out as one option, but donating is fine by me. You mention "substantial" afterwards, but I'd be looking to pay $10-20 for such a guide, is that fair?
Also: how will we be receiving updates? Being alerted via PM when a new one is available for download? Or sent directly to an email of our choice?
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