TvZ: Hellbat/Marauder Opening

If you've played any TvZ at all recently, you'll know and be irritated by the current meta where Zerg just makes a lot of units early and tries to kill you; and when you're going 3CC double Ebay, you'll probably die to it a lot, especially the well-executed ones - even if you scout it because you just won't have the infrastructure or unit count to stop it. Recently the Korean pro Terrans like Flash and Ryung have been opening with a sick new comp that looks really solid against heavy Zerg pressure.

You open like you would open with 3CC, BUT instead of getting the 3rd CC and early double Ebays, you throw down an earlier 2nd gas (around when the factory starts) and an extra 2 rax. When the factory finishes you start an Armory and port. You still get out 2-4 Hellions (for scouting/harass) before you start Hellbat production for drops.

10 supply
14 CC
15 rax
16 gas
18 Marine (SCVs cut for a few seconds to avoid supply cap)
19 2x OC
20 Bunker and 2nd Marine
@150 gas, fac and reactor on rax

Your mid-game infrastructure will end up being:
1 rax reac
2 rax tlab (it can vary here, you can also go 2rax reac/1rax tlab)
1 fac reac
1 port reac
1 ebay (after port)

Because you delay the 3rd CC and upgrades, this build allows you to push out more units, and what better to help hold all-ins than an early Hellbat/Marauder combo (let's face it, even with bunkers Marines and Hellions still don't cut it sometimes) into MMM/H which then lets you pressure/kill even if they didn't all-in because the push hits so much faster than normal that they'll be forced to make a lot of units to hold it, and because they'll still be on low-tech assuming they took a 3rd, there really is no unit combination (as long as you micro against the banes) that will be cost-efficient in stopping it.

* This build can still transition into a normal bio-mine composition, it is just not as greedy as 3CC
* Finish your natural wall around 6:00, this is when ling speed normally finishes

Replay: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=284204
This game was a wash, it was my first attempt at that Hellbat/Marauder opening before I could find the actual BO, so I did it wrong. I would've probably held with the normal 3CC as well. I haven't had much time to ladder, I'll get better replays later.

Condemned Ridge First Impressions

Terran is a race based on early aggression whether it be in the form of pressure or early harass, you cannot sit back on your hammock with your sunglasses like P/Z, you need to get something done or you just fall behind in economy. This map is a huge middle-finger to Terrans, not only is it HUGE, but it lacks chokes and has three very close, easy, bases with a central pathway that makes it a no-brainer as to where the defensive position should be. This map looks essentially like an open battlefield map with bases on the outskirts. Without much pressuring and positional options, the lack of strong reinforcing mechanics like larva inject or warp-ins will really show here.

This is hands down the worst map in the pool for TvZ, IMO. Short of a Terran all-in, Z can safely take and defend a third off a bunch of Queens. I can play Daybreak, Tal'darim, Ohana, Shak etc. just fine with pressure/harass, but this map seems heavily Z favored, goodluck getting anything done past mid-master. Close 3 bases with a central big pathway, open wide center, big airspace, my god... The open center means tanks won't be as good short of perfect control, flanks will be inevitable, and there is really only one path of attack dependent on how you spawn - into a big open area. The airspace means drops will not be very good, because they will see it,  and Mutas will have a field day; so the one Viking seems imperative here to try to deny the insane OL spread that will happen. "But, what about the ridge at their third!" Well, the only way to get anything there is going to be with a mass Medivac drop, which they will spot. Against a competent Z there is no way you're walking up there. But look at it this way, if there is Muta harass you'll get to merry go-round your Marines up and down the ramp to defend, then up and down your other two ramps.

I'm a bit less gloomy about TvP here, it doesn't seem to put Terrans at any significant disadvantage. The Protoss third, though close, is not as easy to take as there is so much open area meaning FF's won't be as good and spreading against the deathball much easier. In this case the air space will be to the T advantage with drops, Protoss will have to watch a lot of areas, especially the ridge at the third, it looks to be pretty abusable. Haven't played much TvP here, but looks okay at first glance.

If I had only one veto, this is it.

TvP: Engagements

One thing a lot of Terran players are really lacking in on the NA server is their engagements and micro. It seems common for players to mis-attribute losses to other things like macro, build order, strategy. Yes, while those things are always in need of improvement, I feel like engagements in TvP can make or break an entire game, or at the very least, have lasting repercussions. What really took my standard TvP play, which was in ruins for a good while, was that I started focusing more on my engagements and micro, less on my macro. Suddenly, in my mid-late game, I did so much better playing standard against P: I didn't feel like I was playing from behind and I felt more confident putting on pressure and controlling the map, less scared of any all-ins because of my new found control. There were several things I drastically had to improve on to get better at TvP.

1. FF's: Don't ever get caught by them, ESPECIALLY before medivacs come out or you can insta lose. When you get Medivacs you can pick up pretty safely if they don't have blink. Most don't have it early-mid usually sticking to a more standard Zealot/Sentry/some stalks & immortals comp, something quite abusable by MMM. You can really abuse ledges, especially if they have tech near. This is the biggest thing I've improved on, always trying to juke out the FF's, run around it, use it against the P, etc. It really does make or break engagements.

NooOooo!

2. Medivac drops: Don't ever ever lose them early, so it is imperative to watch them early on if you try; I have just stopped doing early drops altogether since decent P's knows the timings. However if they go the Collossi route, it becomes much easier to abuse drops while your main army/Vikings are moving around. If HT's are out it's a lot riskier to drop, less you scan first. When your first two Medivacs come out (and your next two rallied), this is usually the best timing to put on pressure/attack because it's just before their AOE comes out.

3. Kiting/Surface area: So important, always do this, it is a free way to increase the effectiveness of your army. Unless your army is substantially bigger the Chargelots need to always be kited and isolated as much as possible while not getting trapped from FF's. Running to chokes where surface area is reduced as much as possible (if there is no AOE out). Once they get Collossi/HT, spreading and picking where your engagement happens becomes insanely important in trying to reduce the AOE damage as much as possible and make the Protoss have to funnel his units towards you. This is why concaving on ramps is always an amazing defensive position.

4. Storms: Admittedly still the hardest thing I need to work on; in my constant storm dodging and Ghost control. A proficient Storm user is going to mat the area with storms, this is why dodging and Ghosts are absolutely needed to deal with them or you will just melt. Unless you can take out/drain most of the HTs, I would personally just straight up kite/run back, not engaging the army if given the choice. We should abuse the fact that HTs are much slower, this is a good way to get the P to pull back.

In conclusion, the best way I've believe to improve one ones TvP is to always watch the army and micro the !@#$ out of it if P army is near. If you need to look away, make certain you won't get caught off guard by having your army in a retreating/defensive position. Yep, meticulously watching your main army control in TvP should help anyone improve in standard MMM play, as a bonus you will often see that blur and get to kill an observer. Don't get me wrong, you still need a good foundation in macro, scouting, timings, etc, but engagements should be #1 priority. TvP late game is tough, so you really need to be on top of everything, but most of all your engagements.