Welcome BR fan!
I am glad to welcome you to my first ever battle report! This game I played on Dark Temple is by no means the greatest game I have ever played! However it is a game I am willing to test my BR skills on. I hope you enjoy reading this BR and if you don't, you can expect future ones to be more interesting and overall better. If you have gotten this far and intend on reading the BR then thank you for taking the time out to do so! I had hoped to be able to make the background grey but I couldn't because of limitations at the site so this will have to do. Enjoy...

Biketurtle was the game's observer. Although he didn't write the BR, he supplied me with the pics he took during the game. I hope the game gave him the opportunity to learn some new skills, tactics and strategies and if not well at least he had a laugh!

Dark Temple (UMS)
2v2 (1 observer)

Mogas  /  Random  /  Protoss  /  6:00
JHill1 (Me)  /  Chosen  /  Terran  /  3:00
VS
Xel'Naga_God  /  Random  /  Zerg  /  9:00
Winkies  /  Chosen  /  Terran  /  12:00

Get to know our dear friends: the players!

JHill1 having chosen Terran had a lot to prove. Terrans have always been labeled weak and said to be dominated by Protoss and Zerg. Today however JHill1 wanted to show this was not the case. Would he succeed in doing so or would he just prove half the SC community right? His build order was certainly an ambitious one: 8 Depot, 11 Depot, 12 Barracks at choke. From there he started to build a CC at his natural hoping the early exp would push him in front of his opponents but it also left him wide open for early zergling rushes.

Xel'Naga_God decides to expand early on in the game hoping just like JHill1 that it would gain him the advantage early on. He performed the standard Zerg build but bypassing creating any lings. Once he expanded to his natural and set up a few sunkens bunched together for defense against any rushes he began morphing his hatchery to lair and drone to hydra den. It was now completely clear that lurkers were going to star in this game although not for awhile.

Winkies begins the game with a two barracks build which is the safest build for Terran also allowing the player to be more flexible later in the game. By placing the two barracks at his choke, we see that Winkies has decided to climb the tech tree but at a pace which allows himself to defend and possibly attack. Unlike his partner Xel'Naga_God he doesn't expand to his natural straight away hence the blocked choke.

Hope for the best but always prepare for the worst:
With Mogas having 8 zealots nice and early he decides to scout out the enemy. He sends all 8 zealots (why 8 when 1 will do?) to Xel'Naga_God base. As he enters upon the creep, the sunkens begin attacking the zealots. Mogas instantly retreats them losing one as they just leave the range of the sunkens. JHill1 seeing this says to Mogas:

"Leave the Zealots there. Contain him and I will come with support"

Or words to that effect anyway. JHill1 all this time hasn't been sitting around producing just marines. He's climbed the tech tree very efficiently having the option to build bats/meds and now tanks. When his first tank rolls out of the factory he immediately sends it to siege up outside Xel'Naga_God with the zealots already there to protect the tank whilst it eats through the sunkens. However newly hatched lings come and tear the tank apart as Mogas scrambles to try and stop the tank from being destroyed. He fails. He retreats his force backwards for the moment awaiting further support from JHill1. The whole time Mogas hadn't been massing units back at his base but instead expanded to his natural and allowed his resources to stockpile. He had just concentrated on microing his zealots albeit badly. He had however created two reavers and a shuttle ready for a drop but apart from that he was doing nothing at home.

During these first few battles JHill1 has been producing tanks/marines and meds at home. His two bases were now thriving and he was able to keep massing units. When he set up a tank at his choke for defense JHill1 sent another tank to Xel'Naga_God and this time it was more successful as it had some marines sent along for backup. The zealots and marines easily killed the random zerglings going for the tank, so the tank was left to start plowing through the defense when Winkies decided to join in the fun - probably because Xel'Naga_God was asking for help. Just as Winkies' support came down from his base in the form of marines and medics, Xel'Naga_God now had 10 newly morphed lurkers ready for battle. He sent them down to where JHill1 had his attack set-up and within just 8 seconds the only trace of an attack was the blood on the carpet! However Mogas managed to save four Zealots from destruction. During this Mogas shuttled the two reavers from his base to the back of Xel'Naga_God's base managing to decimate all the mining probes but finally being killed off to 10 new hydras.

JHill1 having just scanned Xel'Naga_God saw the lurkers leaving the base and the direction they were heading in. He warned his ally instantly and decided to comsat for his partner as he had no way of detecting the lurkers. His four zealots retreated to his exp where the lurkers came running in and burrowed. JHill1 scanned numerous times for his team mate yet the zealots exploded before they could kill any lurkers. The lurkers then began to destroy the probes at the exp and then moved on to Mogas's main ripping everything apart! There was no sign of activity from Mogas now so everyone was expecting him to leave pretty soon. JHill1 decided to send one group of bats/marines and meds down to his partner's bases to try and rid the lurker presence but to no avail. The lurkers just tore through the infantry before any serious damage could be dealed.

During the annihilation of Mogas, Winkies sent a newly constructed CC over to the top-left island to begin mining for minerals and gas. The decision not to expand to his natural was taken because a comsat cannot be built at that exp. Luckily for him this late exp hadn't effected him too much as he wasn't the focus of the game.

As one last attempt to stay alive in this game, Mogas sends a lone probe out to the mineral only exp outside his partner's base. JHill1 hadn't seen this as if he had he would have placed his 7 siege tanks one the cliff overlooking that exp to help protect Mogas but he didn't. At this point Xel'Naga_God sends his lurkers to the middle of the map surprised to find the beginning of a supply depot and engineering bay wall in. Xel'Naga_God burrows under and attacks the buildings whilst JHill1 does nothing to prevent this.

Mogas's futile attempt to stay alive was just that - futile as Winkies sent down 4 tanks with marines and medics for support. They made short work of the probe and warping buildings and they moved with the lurkers to the middle of the map. They decided not to attack together most probably because of the limited space in the choke meant many units wouldn't be attacking but be free targets for the 7 siege tanks on the cliff edge of JHill1's base.

2v2 Now 2v1!
First went Xel'Naga_God with his 9 lurkers straight in to the two tanks and marines at JHill1's choke with the 7 siege tanks firing down upon the lurkers too.
Luckily for JHill1 he had just enough for a comsat to rid the lurkers from his choke without losing a single troop! Next came Winkies with some goliaths from his main and they came running in to the range of the tanks. JHill1 slaughtered Winkies' tanks before they could siege up and the marines/meds and goliaths were then killed shortly after just losing one tanks and a few marines scattered around.

There is hope! Or is there?
JHill1 knew he had to expand now otherwise the game would be over soon than he would like. So his next move was to prepare some drop ships, extra tanks and marines with some SCV's. Hopefully with that force he could just manage to hold on to an expansion. After scanning around a little more he realizes that there is a free island for him to take but decides that would corner him so he decides to expand to the 12:00 expansion. JHill1 then decides to change his plans again using the new units for extra defense thinking the enemy won't know of his new expansion until it was too late so he sends down an SCV to being building an CC at the exp with backup.

Winkies and Xel'Naga_God were plotting the whole time and had finally agreed upon they plan. They were to do two simultaneous drops in JHill1's base. So Xel'Naga_God loaded up his 28 hydras which had been waiting patiently for the right moment to attack along with 12 lurkers. These two units work well together and if dropped right in the middle of a base can really dish some damage. Winkies who hadn't achieved much the whole game prepared tanks, marines and goliaths and loaded them up in to the drop ships. When ready they both went for it.

Xel'Naga_God's drop happened just before his partner's and the hydras and lurkers were dropped almost on top of the tanks but not quite giving some of tanks the opportunity to kill the hydras as and when they came out from the Overlords carrying them. In the meantime several wraiths of JHill1's had killed two of the Overlords and were attacking some of the hydras but eventually were all taken down. The lurkers immediately burrowed under when they could and began dishing the damage but the comsat scanned and revealed the hidden pests and JHill1 removed them but suffering heavy losses due to pause between the lurkers burrowing and the scan to reveal them. 

Just as JHill1 began feeling any attempts to stop this attack would prove to be pointless in came Winkies attack in the back of his enemy's base. The drop ships unloaded and tanks sieged up and began blowing SCV's like there was no tomorrow. The few remaining tanks that survived the hydra drop made their way to the invading Terrans but were blown apart before they could siege. In came the remaining marines and medics which hadn't been killed by the hydra drop although heavily damaged and managed to kill off a few units of Winkies attacking force but it wasn't enough so the attack proceeded on in JHill1's base.

All this time JHill1 had completely forgot about his expansion at 6:00 but then he remembered it and sent down one remaining tank and a group of marines and bats to help guard it. This was his last remaining force left on the map. The rest had been killed off from the drops although he still had quite a bit of money left over. The tank sieged up just above the CC with the marines and bats right next to it. Obviously the game was over with there being no way for JHill1 to stage a comeback. 

Then just as JHill1 began mining that expansion a massive group of zerglings numbering around 65 from Xel'Naga_God came across JHill1's new expansion and took down the tanks with minimal loss and then the remaining forces. JHill1 quickly grabbed an SCV and began a CC at the 6:00 main but the lings came up the ramp and destroyed that too. GG's were given by all the remaining players and the game ended.The last few words muttered in the game were those of Winkies:

Game winners:
Xel'Naga_God and Winkies

Post game comments:
Xel'Naga_God: "My ally sucked! All he did was build stuff and that 1 drop towards the end"

Looking at his performance, I as this BR writer and JHill1 in the game I have to agree with Xel'Naga_God. He only ever did enough to survive and never anything beyond that. Only when the situation was looking definitely looking like JHill1 would lose did he attack. Team games are about working together and supporting each other's moves. Winkies didn't do this!

JHill1: "Once my ally had been defeated, of which I should have tried more to save, I went too defensive. Only now do I realize I was still in the game and should have attacked soon after Mogas left. 2v1's are no easy task at the best of times especially not at 1:00am in the morning!"

Lessons learnt:

• Always support your allies. In team games it is all about team work! If one of you is in trouble, risk your presence in the game to save their butt and visa versa. Support each other in attacks. If you don't it will cost you the game
• When the game situation suddenly turns from 2v2 to 2v1 you need to think differently. You HAVE to be more offensive! If you don't you allow them to expand, stockpile resources and mass units which will inevitably plow through your bases!
• Microing is important but so his everything else. You need to find the right balance of managing your base, controlling your troops, recon, attacking, defending etc...
• Don't give up. I did and I regret it!
• And so many more which are too obvious to both writing here.

Last comments and credits:

My thanks goes to Xel'Naga_God for supplying me with his side of the story letting me piece together what went on in the other team. Thanks to Biketurtle who observed the game and uploaded all the screenshots he took for me to use in this BR. There will be more BR's soon I promise. Until then feel free to e-mail me at jhill_home_@hotmail.com or you can e-mail Xel'Naga_God at praetor225@hotmail.com.