Preparing for a Clan League Match: Arkanoid, BO1

The video is in Bulgarian. This page sums it up in English.

Preparing for a best-of-one clan league match: the map, the opponent, why Protoss needs early Cannons on Arkanoid, and a 52-minute PvZ on Big Game Hunters.

Try these in your next game

Tick a lesson once you have practised it.

• Before a best-of-one clan league match, study the map's statistics and your opponent's style in advance.
• On maps with neutral walls and eggs (like Arkanoid) build a Forge and Photon Cannons early to stop a Zergling rush from breaking in.
• Don't rely on Gateways alone on maps with wide entrances: once the neutral walls fall, Protoss is wide open.
• On maps with huge resources such as Big Game HuntersBig Game HuntersA classic four-player map with huge mineral fields, popular for team and casual games., expand on time so you don't fall behind the Zerg economy.
• Against Defilers don't bunch your units under Plague, which takes your army down to 1 HP.
• When storming flying Zerg units (Guardians and Devourers), cast Psionic StormPsionic StormA High Templar spell: a storm that deals 112 damage over a few seconds to every unit in the area, your own included. ahead of their path.
• In best-of-one formats stick to your prepared build order: with no rematch, early experiments and mistakes aren't forgiven.

What this episode covers

1. Grast opens episode 19: preparing for a best-of-one match in the Shinhan Tank ProLeague (STPL) clan league.
2. The STPL format (run by Qikz, with casters such as Rapid) and why a week of preparation for one map and one opponent matters.
3. Grast's coming match as Protoss against the Chilean Zerg Babo on the unusual map Arkanoid.
4. Arkanoid's features: neutral eggs and buildings that block the wide entrances to the bases.
5. Four Arkanoid replays showing why Protoss needs an early Forge and Photon Cannons against a Zergling rush.
6. Live online play, starting on the popular map Big Game Hunters.
7. A dramatic 52-minute PvZPvZProtoss versus Zerg, seen from the Protoss side. on Big Game Hunters: Carriers, Corsairs and High Templar against Guardians, Devourers and Defilers.
8. What Dark SwarmDark SwarmA Defiler spell: a cloud that stops ranged attacks from hurting units under it. Melee, Psionic Storm and Reaver scarabs still work. and Plague do against big Protoss air and ground armies.
9. A quick PvPPvPProtoss versus Protoss. on Fighting SpiritFighting SpiritA four-player map and one of the most played 1v1 maps in Brood War. with a two-Gateway opening to practise aggression.
10. Final advice on organising practice and staying focused.

Test yourself

4 quick questions on this episode.

Questions this episode answers

Full summary

This episode is about preparing for one competitive best-of-one (BO1) match in an international clan league, the Shinhan Tank ProLeague (STPL). It is for players of every level who want to learn how to study unusual maps, build a plan against a specific opponent and stay focused during a match.

Grast explains the STPL format (run by Qikz, with casters such as Rapid) and looks at his coming match as Protoss against the Chilean Zerg Babo on Arkanoid. The map is known for neutral buildings and eggs that block the entrances, which makes it very hard for Protoss. Going through four replays, Grast shows why Protoss needs an early Forge and Photon Cannons to stop a Zergling rush once the neutral walls come down.

In the second half he plays live online, including an epic 52-minute PvZ on Big Game Hunters: Carriers, Corsairs and High Templar with Psionic Storm against Guardians, Devourers and Defilers with Dark Swarm and Plague. The episode ends with a look at expanding and map control.

Players mentioned

Keep learning

• Scout your opponents before the match with Repalyzer
• EP 21: Practice Session II: Warm-up, Ladder and Replays
• Mastering PvZ: the matchup from the Protoss side