The Genius of TY vs Phoenix/Adept (TvP Economic)

Description

Today we’re looking at “The Genius of TY” - an odd name for a build right? That’s because it’s not really something I’d recommend to ANYONE except him. The study of this replay and build is more about admiring TY’s cleverness and his exceptional control and execution of lategame than it is about giving a practical build for your average ladder Joe to use himself. However there will be a lot of practical takeaway’s and knowledge + understanding from this episode - specifically on combatting phoenix-adept as Terran.

We’ll start by looking at his opening:

*Build *

• Gas-First
• Barracks
  • Reaper
  • Reactor
  • Marine production
• 17 scv scout
• 20CC
• 20 Factory (delays scv slightly to get it faster)
  • Helion
  • Mine
  • Cyclone
  • Minex2
  • Build reactor
• 22 dept
• 23 (2:25) ebay block the natural mineral line of protoss
• Assuming they’re doing a normal expand build
• @100% Factory - Starport
  • Medivac
  • Viking
  • Viking
  • Tech lab
  • Lift and build reactor
• 25 (2:45) - 2nd gas
• 57 5:00 - 3rd CC
• 64 (5:40) 2nd + 3rd rax
  • Lift one onto tech lab and starts stim
  • Other builds tech lab + starts shields
• 66 (5:50) 2xebay
• 4th + 5th rax when you can afford it

From here strict build isn’t so necessary. Here’s the main points:

• Fast ghost academy
• Fast 2nd starport
• Stays 5-rax for a long time and EVENTUALLY (like 14:00) gets a 6th-7th rax (1 tech lab, 1 reactor) - so total 4 tech labs, 3 reactors

Notes:

• Scv stays on P side of the map to scout 3rd timing and possibly build bunker
• In this case nexus is down at 3:30 - if it wasn’t down by 4:30 - I assume TY wouldn’t go for this push as Stats would have more units out.
• This build order is assuming they go fast 3rd - and includes the bunker + cyclone/viking/mine push to defend it
• TY relies on the threat of a widow mine hidden in the bases to actually limit Stats damage - if Stats just went full yolo he would have done epic damage - still gets 4 scvs and denies mining, but not as bad as it could have been
• Specific scv micro required to “sell the story”
• Clumping on the pocket where it’s almost impossible to see the mine under scvs

  - The push to deny the 3rd “messes” the game up - something which is important as otherwise Stats is fantastic at pushing his greed - and with the absolute scouting of phoenix + oracle tagging - Stats knows how to get a sick lead off a fast 3rd adept-phoenix build

VOD

Replay - Stats v TYTY: Game 3 - Abyssal Reef LE

Build Order

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Analysis

Facing Adept phoenix

• TY recognises the strength of phoenix-adept as a super mobile, super powerful midgame army. It hits a strong powerpoint around 120-150 supply where if it gets on top of bio it can often shred it. There’s certainly no escape if you engage on the map.
  • However these units lose value with time - and so Protoss will do 2 things:
  • Try desperately to harass/mulitprong and force the Terran to take an engage or at least kill off a lot of scvs OR
  • Start a delayed transition and hope to hit a strong lategame army before Terran can start pushing into the Protoss bases
• So the goal of Terran against phoenix adept is twofold:
  • Don’t let the Protoss trade in the midgame - defend all harass and don’t let them in your mineral lines
  • Walls
  • Turrets/vikings/positioning to zone out prisms
  • Turrets/mines/bunkers to stop a frontal assault on the 3rd
  • Hit the Protoss with a push before they reach an ultimate lategame army
  • The 3rd potential option is to beat Protoss in the lategame and just play mega turtley - who knows maybe terran lategame is technically better? Know one’s crazy enough to try that. Though TY is the closest we get where he keeps looking for the chance to push but since Stats is so good at zoning and positioning he just carefully takes his time

12:00 - 2-2 Pre-Storm Timing (Won him the game on Proxima)

• Storm BARELY finishes before he gets on top of Stats base in this game - he is SO close to hitting before Stats gets the good lategame tech
• Attempts to win with a liberator ghost/bio push. Doesn’t work
• In the minutes following realises Stats won’t die and has to slow down with a fusion core and going to 80 scvs.
• Big mistake is forgetting 3-3 for so long afterwards

TY’s Insane SCV Count

• At 10:00 you think TY’s done with his rather heavy SCV count of 70. However at 15:00 when Stats is defending really well and the game’s dragging on, he’s going to a 5th and he sees it’s going to be a long drawn out match, he goes up to 80 scvs. 80!!
• I distinctly remember watching the finals in the audience and going “Omg wtf is this scv count… yet another Terran that doesn’t pay enough attention to their economy”
• Only to realise that TY’s actually a genius who understands that no matter what happens Stats ALWAYS finds a way to get adepts into your scv line - and normally he gets a terran down 20/30scvs down to 30-50 and T is crippled. Instead in this game TY hovers at 70-80 scvs and even when he loses 20 scvs he still has a beastly economy and instantly rebuilds it.
• One of the few times we’ve seen a Terran bounce back from these types of eco damage
• Normally Terran are of the mindset if they build so many scvs their army isn’t good enough - but TY uses his ghost/liberator range bio combo so effectively and positionally it’s ok
• Part of me wonders if it’s more efficient to just build a few extra orbitals - however I think that’s more expensive - even though in the long run the supply efficiency is worth it.
• 550 minerals for an orbital command centre = same cost as 11 scvs.

  - As much as I’m talking about TY being a god - let’s not forget there’s always a chance it was a mistake and he lost track of his worker count in such a drawn out game

Abyssal’s choke points

• Because of the choke points it’s harder for Stats to jump on top of TY’s armies - both sides have to be quite careful to not run through a choke and get massacred.

  - As a result TY does a huge amount with his mobile ghost/bio combo just looking for EMPs and snipes whilst a lot of libs and other bio sit back with his static D and planetaries.

• His style is very solid macro Terran - set up at the front, hit with big drops/counters from behind

• You can’t really force your way in with this army - so he just sets up in a threatening spot - and sends a big counter around
• Rinse and repeat until Protoss gets out of position and then BAM 19:00 - gets on top of the expansion because Stats army is out of position and does massive damage - forces Stats all-in.
• Jumps on Stats moment of indecisiveness and runs striaght past for the last expos - forces Stats to engage into him - which NEVER works for Protoss.

  - Even in ultimate lategame Stats has to pick away from afar with the tempests and create a lot of space between TY and his bases - the moment TY gets INBETWEEN stats and his base - he’s screwed. Last fight is brutal despite mass storm.

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Details

• Created by: PiG      
• Published on: Mar 20, 2017
• Modified on: Mar 21, 2017
• Patch: 3.8.0

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