Pro secrets in Starcraft 2

One pro secret in Starcraft 2 is that they cheat, just kidding. In all seriousness, the there are many secrets that Pros use during games. One huge secret that no one talks about is the layout of the map. Pros often have specific build orders for every single map. For example, if the map is small, they don't expand at an early stage and vise versa. Knowing when you can expand gives you a huge advantage on the field. Next time you play on a four player map, build an expansion right after your first production building. Minerals will flow in so fast, that you probably won't know what to use it on, if you're not used to it. In high level games, players sometimes use the fact that they know their opponent will expand early and punish their opponent by using a one base all in, meaning opting not to expand and producing as many units as possible off of one base.

Another secret of the pros is that they have many different, very effective build orders that they can use in any game. This goes against the standard way of playing and catches their opponent completely off guard. It's very useful in ladder to use an abstract build when attempting to rank up. Most players expect and use the most popular build at the time, from and against their opponent. Next time you're playing, try an odd build order from a pro gamer. Chances are, your opponent won't know how to respond until you've already won the game. It is amazing how different game will pan out just by switching up a few buildings and units.

One lesser known secret, also mentioned in the fundamentals post from yesterday, is that a player at his or her weakest point in the game when their first expansion gets up. Attacking at this time will most likely result in a win. Do you remember games where you lost right after your expansion went up? It's due to the fact that your resources were spent on an expansion along with your other buildings, rather than units. Next time you expand, make sure you'll be safe enough to protect it. At the same token, make sure you switch it up in order to punish your opponent once his or her expansion finishes.

The last secret, for now, from pro gamers are that they practice with the same players, over and over again. That way, they can practice certain match ups and learn the advantages and disadvantages from both races. When laddering, it's like a lottery. Every game will be different and it's difficult to acquire core knowledge of the game. Next time, play one of your friends for a few games just for fun. You'll notice a lot of similar things during every game and the more you play, the more you'll notice.

That's all for now, but be sure to check back in here at pvp proz, your #1 blog for Starcraft 2.