So I've come to favor this build that's been working well for me, but I want advice because I'm only in Bronze league (though I was surprised, considering I won 3 of my 5 placements, but, anyways). It follows close to the basic 3 rax build, except the first rax does NOT build a single marine, it immediatley builds a tech center/researches concussive nades/builds a marauder. Then 2nd rax, reactor immediatley, then engineering bay and weapons 1 asap. SCVs the whole time when you can, and making sure not to get supply blocked, research stim as soon as nades is done, and roll out when stim/weapons 1 finishes. Usually with an army of 25ish. Sometimes something comes up like an early zealot or zerg push, but my choke is blocked by the 2nd/1st rax and supply depo, and if I need to I repair damage until 1st marauder finishes. The only difference between what I do is timing. If I scout out a void ray build I push earlier (say, while weapons and stim is still researching, army of 10-15ish) because I know they're spending a lot on teching instead of more zealots. Zerg sometimes fairs slightly better with baneling, but with good micro you can fend them off and live them sitting on useless deaths. Toss replay : http://www.sc2replayed.com/replays/52978-1v1-terran-protoss-scrap-station Zerg replay : http://www.sc2replayed.com/replays/52979-1v1-terran-zerg-desert-oasis Note, in the Toss battle I DO produce 2 early marines because I scout his close pylon. Ever since I started using it I've gone probably 13-1 or 14-2 or something, with this build. Is it a sound build for any level of play as long as you counter a good defense well?
not much of a terran player but it seems a bit to slow to me. maybe less upgrades and more units in the beginning would make it more versatile against a variety of attacks. with the build you have zerg could easily do a speedling and baneling rush just as fast which i believe would destroy or blocked off choke and units and would be GG.
I do a 2 rax build as my opening against any opponent (except other terran, then it's always 1-1-1). Then once I've figured out what my opponent is doing, I tech switch accordingly. Often against toss I add 2 more raxsand a ghost academy and just go big bio with emps. Where my build differs from yours is I do build 1 marine before my techlab. I mean, it kills scouting workers that could steal your gas. It can push away proxy barracks/pylons (it can't kill the whole barracks, but it can shoot down the scv). And it pushes away scouting overlords. It just has too much utility to pass by. I agree with you completely about concussive shells researched quick. Usually you have 4 marauders before your reactor is done and you can pump out marines. Against a zlot rush or even ling/baneling rush, the shells + micro can mean the difference between victory and defeat. The +1 weapons is an interesting choice. That 100 gas can be used to build a factory, tech up to higher tier units. Do you find it really makes you that much more effective? All in all an interesting build. I'd like to try using it, and as I push drop my first expo. To quote Edmund Duke, "Could work"
Well with such a good sized army I find the +1 weapons makes a difference. The more units you have toting +1, the more useful it is, especially once you stim up. An army of 15 with +1 and stims hits probably somewhere close to an army of 40 with nothing. It's very easy to stop there and tech up to factories or starports and an exp too. I find myself winning to Zerg no matter WHAT they build. Mutas are too slow, Roaches lose to Marauders, early zergling pushes come to a choke. Banelings are a pest but I find so few zerg players rush it, and with bad micro on their part or great on mine I can still win it. Protoss I tend to not have much issues with either. As long as you play smart on the ramp and don't let them split your forces up with a sentry, you can take their stalkers easy. Void rays take too long and drop to stim packed marines too quick, and your marauders can rush the stargates. TvT is my worst matchup I'd say. I got rushed by mass marines/medivac drop recently and couldn't handle it. He was probably pushing them out with 4 rax or 2 with reactors it seemed, and with shields, so not a good time. I'm thinking my opener for terran might be something more defensive, an earlier push without the upgrades to scout/do damage, then tech up to startport with reactor for 2 viking pump, and 2 factories with tech lab, then expand. Not sure though I need more practice, it's also my least common matchup I find.
