Terran vs Protoss StarCraft 2 Legacy of the Void - Terran Bio with drops

Here is a Terran vs Protoss game in Legacy of the Void. This play is a platinum level play. Terran goes for a bio push with a set of 4 medivacs with marine and maruader. And Protoss plays a passive 3 base play with gateway units, an immortal and high templar. Terran shows the power of drops in this game by utilizing the protoss's greedy play after a lack luster oracle attempt. With stem and +1 attack the probes and nexuses don't stand a chance against the Terran drop force.

Terran build order:
1 depot, command center, 1 barracks, additional depot, 2 more barracks, 2 refineries. Make marines, and then get stem as soon as you have the gas. Get an engineering bay after 3mins when you have minerals, built turrets in your mineral lines one that completes. After stem has started and you have attachments on your other barracks get a factory, +1 attack. Once the factory gets closer to completing get 2 more refineries for producing medivacs 2 at a time and getting the remaining upgrades. Make a third command center once your mules bring you to 400minerals.  Once you have medivacs start applying pressure and dropping until the game ends.

NXL Virginia Beach Open Aggressive Paintball Breakout

We’re not going to send anyone out wide. It didn’t work well with our main play, or the adjustment we made to that play. So we’re going to keep everyone going short with guns up to try and pull an advantage as quick as possible off the break by hopefully getting a kill otb, and also by keeping our 5 guys alive through the breakout. Because they’re most likely going to shoot their lanes wide because they know we’re down points, and we already tried sending people wide. So we’re not going to risk bodies out wide off the break. Instead we’re going to get a guy into the Dorito because it on the back row and it isn’t too hard to make. Send a guy to this aztec shooting for a corner runner to make sure they can’t get out to the tape. And then we have two double the back center hitting those solid lanes. 5th guy is going to sit in the open and edge the back center. He’s also shooting that open area like he’s standing in. Especially if the other teams been doing it.

Now what you’re probably thinking is, dude, this isn’t an aggressive play at all. Now, ha ha, that’s the illusion we want to give. This is just the setup stage. But before we get into that, let me explain this illusion we are trying to give.
Have you ever been on the field and you expect a team to push the snake because they’ve been doing it all day, and then you lane it and you don’t see anyone even come to your side because they pushed the Dorito side. And you’re like just alright…where did they go did they even come onto the field… Well that’s what we want to create, that confusion because we’re down points and we already went wide so they’re expecting us to do that because we need to try and play aggressive to win points.. So as for this setup stage. Now how can I explain this.
So Say we are drag racing. You have that setup stage where you heat your tires up, get into position, raise your rpms, then you launch. We’re doing pretty much the same thing here.

We’re trying to get those quick kills, get into positon, have our guns rolling, and then we launch. Now what’s happening is the guys going to go up to the X. Now we still have our guy in the open. This entire time, he’s been gaining and keeping dominance on this back center. So when our guy gets to the X, he can then wrap the X and take control of that dominance on the the back center. Now our guy in the open is going to let up off that, let his teammate control that guy for him. The guy in the aztec needs to determine who he needs to shoot at, depends on where they’re at. If he needs to shoot his mirror to clear this gap, he needs to do that.
Alright. So now our guy in the open has a better chance to make it through this gap and into the corner right away.

Now let’s take a minute to analyze our position. So now we have a guy in the X, and snake corner. So now we’re in a position most teams put themselves in. From this point, this looks just like an aggressive breakout most teams run. Except, we did something a little different to get us into this position.
Our setup was different:

• Rather than just running our guys to this position off the break,
• We attacked that back center more.
• We made sure our guy could get into that snake corner alive.
• Other teams wouldn’t have done this. They’d just risk a guy out to the corner otb.
• And getting to that corner is so make it or break it. We have to get our guy out there alive. So we created a more effective way to get our guy out to the snake corner safetly.
• Doing so, we haven’t risked bodies, so we should be 5 alive still.
• And to boot, Maybe we shot someone on the break, hopefully, We at least created a great chance to. We doubled up the back center, had the guy gun in the Aztec gun up, and a guy edging. That’s 4 guns up making great shots that should be practiced. If the guy going to the Dorito can make it gun up that’s 5 guns.

Alright so we’ve done all this to get into this posititon, now what. This is the second part, and this is the part where most teams fail. You have to get people up the field. That’s the point of the aggressive play. Alright we want to launch our guys again. We’ve heated the tires up, got into position, raised the rpms, made our initial launch, but now we need to shift into second gear to launch this car again down the track more. We need to get this snake corner down the snake. We also need to get this dorito player down the doritos.

So we are going to have these two paintballers left in the backfield help launch these players. We can’t have them just sit in the backfield, hoping they can land a shot. It’s an aggressive play, we need to get down the field to shoot people. And these backfield guys they’re like the clutch in this shift. They need to disengage, and get out of their bunkers a little bit. Do what you need to do, to get your guys down the field. As you sit in your comfortable bunker, you’re just handing the other team the win. So disengage, move around to get shots on players, get dominance, help put players in, so your teammates can go in that next gear and get down the field. This guy in the aztec will most likely need to come out to get an angle on that snake corner if someone is there. Or move around to get better shots on the mini-races, aztec, etc. Same with this guy in the back center. He can come out here around the x and over the tall cake and shoot at the back center. Then his teammate puts in his mirror and goes up the doritos.

Through this entire process. The guy at the X should have taken over the dominance on the back center, helped his teammate get into that corner, held dominance on the back center while he he addresses the field, sees where players are. And then goes and gets as many people as he can off the field. At the bare minimum, he needs to trade out with someone. It creates some havoc up the middle, and that really helps free up guns or lanes for those back field clutches when they disengage, and for the rest of that 2nd gear push.

Now those players should have made their bumps into the next dorito and into the snake. If they didn’t make it alive, then the back players need to fill their position and continue that push.

But let’s say all 4 are alive because they should be, and the 2 should be pushing the tapes, and the 2 back field players need to continue to help them push up the field. The dorito side player is going to do this by attacking the center of the field. You want to spread the field and make players on the other team have to play both sides of their bunker to open up opportunities for either of the players on your side of the field to make bumps. So basically once the guy say he’s in the dorito, once he looks inside at the guy up in the center, the guy on the tape make his bump. If switches back to shoot at the tape, the guy in the center wraps and looks for kills and tries to bump further up the field. He goes and takes more people out. And you just keep working that side of the field like that.

The snake side, the guy in the aztec keeps shooting the snake or snake corner to get his teammate up the snake. Once his teammate is up the snake. He then goes up the middle either to the X or to these pillars and and tries to eliminate as many bodies as he can as quick as possible and let your teammates on the tapes finish the games out and pinch any remaining players out.

If you only had 3 players left, whoever was left would still do what they were doing if 4 were alive. That lone player on one side would just need to play more cautious, you don’t want to give them a completely open side. But he still need to play aggressive, but cautiously. Let your teammates break the game open. You need to also let your teammates know your by yourself over there, so they can try to make something happen before the other team realizes the situation and has a better chance to shut down any potential moves.

But yeah, that’s the aggressive play broken down. This is a nice little play that can be applied to many different layouts. So make sure to practice something like this in practice. It’s a great play to be able to pull out of your pocket and gain some quick effective points.

5 Practice Tips before NXL World Cup

Alright so you guys want to prepare for NXL World Cup, but the layout isn't not released yet. So what should you guys be doing in practice? Here's 5 things I think you should be doing in your paintball practices leading up to world cup.

First thing you want to do. Get everyone on your team together. Go to a quiet spot and have a little team meeting. There shouldn't be any food, cell phones, guns, or anything else that is distracting.

You're going to take a half hour, maybe even an hour or two. However long it takes. You're going to talk, and figure out what has been working this year thus far, and what hasn't worked for you guys. You need to address all these situations as a team so everyone is on the exact same page.

You can't have great chemistry on the field, if everyone is thinking the team should be doing something different. You need to find the problems, and come up with solutions as a team.

Be honest. Be critical. If you've been seeing something happen all season that needs fixed. Right here is the chance to bring it up so you can fix it going into world cup. Don't pussy foot around it. Bring it up. And don't get butt hurt. You're on a team together. If someone thinks the lanes have sucked this year and you've been the one doing the majority of lanning. Swallow your pride, and just
say ok. And then get the entire team to work with you and do drills so you can improve the lanning. Maybe that's not even the best solution. Perhaps the better solution is to have someone else to lane, and sending you to the corner, and if that is what the team decides is the best solution. then that's what needs to happen. Now you go play the corner as best as you can. It's a team sport, get your team involved and figured stuff out.

Second thing you want to do in practice. Go back and work on the fundamentals. You've went all year playing, probably picked up some sloppy tendencies along the way. Get back to the fundamentals and come in strong to world cup.

Third thing. Work on communication. This is the perfect time to work on communication. The layout hasn't be released yet but you can still work on communication. Make sure everyone on the field always knows the kill counts and where bodies are. Get people communicating back and forth to make moves happen and shut the field down.

You want to Work on fundamentals and communcation now, so when the layout is released, you can focus more on developing and executing game plans.

Fourth thing. Go over everyone's gear on the team. Make sure the exterior loops on packs are tight and still holding pods well. Look at the condition of your pods. Check to make sure all hoppers and guns are functioning properly. Do you need a new lens. Make sure you have enough squeegees, pods, barrel covers, and microfibers for the team in the pits. You've been beating the crap out of your gear all season, make sure it is all in working order coming into world cup. Shouldn't be getting down hoppers or guns at the event.

5th thing. Take these practices seriously. At the start of every practice, set goals for the practice, and exceed them. Too many teams just go through the motions, they just play random points and only take it seriously once the layout is released. Take the time now to fix mistakes the team has had all season so the team can head into practices on the layout and focus on the tournament.

Read more Paintball Tips at Macedonian Athletics Sports Academy

New Eclipse Gun to use AA Batteries

I'm so glad to hear that Planet Eclipse is switching to AA batteries. I had a 9v charger and rechargeable 9vs for a couple years only because of my paintball guns. I don't have anything else that takes 9v batteries so after my 9v charger died, I never replaced it because I could find a 9v charger in any of the local stores. I'm sure I could of got one off the internet but I just never did, so I have been using disposable 9vs ever since. What sucks about 9vs is that they cost more, and some gas stations don't even carry 9vs. So when you run out, and need to go out and search for 9vs which can be hassle and a definite inconvenience because a lot of paintball fields are no where near an actual store that carries 9v batteries. Rechargeable AAs and the chargers are much easier to come by. Even the disposable AAs are much cheaper and almost every store and gas station carries AA batteries. I can't wait for my guns to incorporate this switch to AA batteries. With the high end loaders using AA batteries, now I just need to carry AA batteries in my gear bag for my guns and my loaders which is great.

Check the News Release of the Planet Eclipse CS1

"It's a valid question. When we sit down to brainstorm a new product we revisit all of the things that people complain about on our existing products and try to address those things wherever possible. The cost and life of 9V batteries is something that players have been complaining about for years and so this was one of the things that we chose to address. The choice of AAs rather than some other form factor was an obvious one as this is the battery used in all of the high end loaders." - Steve Monks, Planet Eclipse

Being A Champion

I am a champion, as are you. Not because of the trophies and titles. But because of the obstacles that you overcome and the effort you exert. To find what it is to be your best and to aim to do it. Because you decide to, and recognize that it is your right, and your responsibility to do so. Encourage others, and continue to aim for great things. We are a champions.

NXL Virginia Beach Open Layout Tips

This video covers the lanes of the National Xball League (NXL) 2015 Virginia Beach Open Layout. Need a better way to stop the snake push and in turn help yours? Check out this video brought to you by Macedonian Athletics Sports Academy.

So with how the lanes are on the NXL Virginia Beach Open Layout, you don't have a solid lane snake side either from the back center. Usually most layouts you'll have a clean lane to shoot before the god and the corner or even in front of the snake. But really with this NXL VBO Layout your solid lane is right after the first aztec.
Now you do actually have shots over the cake and pillars into that snake corner, but you don't have a clean shot before the god, because those pillars force your paint higher in the air to shoot over them,
so he's most likely just going to slide right in if he makes it passed that initial lane after the aztec.

Now some ways we can remedy that issue is if you come into the snake side cake or sit in the open a little bit, you get a solid lane directly before the snake. So if a team is constantly going
to snake off the break, you can shoot that. But if you don't have solid game play on this snake side,
and you're relying on that shot every point to hit that guy going in off the break. Your team is not going to win the NXL Virginia Beach Open, let's just be honest. That shot is nice to give the other team a little wake up call let them to know they're not going in right off the break every point. But you can't rely on this shot to take you to the finals, teams will just stop short and make you pay later.

The better option in my opinion on the NXL Virginia Beach Open layout, is either going up the middle to the X or going to the tall cake on the dorito side, you get a cross shot into the mini-races and you can catch him there.

You're going to want to lane right before the first dorito every point. If you're better at lanning, you're going to try and hit that corner lane as well all at once.
Depending on where you're sending people on this dorito side, shooting back at the guy lanning in the back center is a good shot off the break.
With these cakes here, I love to sit behind em, block myself out, and rain paint back at the back center. Or even dropping down pretty low and safe and hitting those cross shots.

Hope these tips for the National Xball League Virginia Beach Open layout helps your team accomplish your goals. If you have any questions please leave a comment.

Macedonian Athletics Sports Academy 

The Fight of The Century

Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

This is going to be an exciting, technical fight. And it's definitely going to be the fight of the Century. I can't wait to see these two go at it.

Manny Pacquiao's Boxing Style:
Manny uses a southpaw style of boxing. Which is generally regarded as the stronger style against the traditional style that Floyd uses. Pacquiao is able to easily pivot and square up to get power behind his punches directly onto the traditional style. He's shown it plenty of times his effectiveness to do this against his opponents. He loves to throw different combinations of punches then back off and turn his opponent and go at him again. He has strong hits, and doesn't let up.

Strengths:
The fact that Manny can last 12 rounds and he conditions for it. Unlike Floyd's other opponents, they seem to of not been able to last past 6 rounds. They would get significantly slower as the match went on. Manny can also take a punch pretty good. For that reason, his movement and his punching is going to be a big factor. Everyone else didn't move too much against Floyd, they would the first few rounds and they would throw a lot of punches and end up winning those rounds. Sure Floyd likes to play the pocket off the ropes but Manny is going to still try to make him turn and come off the ropes. Pacquiao definitely gets hit quite a bit too and people tend to land some good hits, but Manny is still always bouncing around and great on his feet the whole match. Floyd is known more for accuracy and speed and to not have the strongest hits, and Pacquiao has faced much harder hitters like Cotto who got some good hits on him. So being able to take punches and still having great energy just means Pacquiao is going to be going strong this whole match. Pacquiao also has strong hits especially when he is jumping in up close and using all of his weight. With his constant movement, he's going to be hard to predict and counter.

Weakness:
 Manny's weakness is that he jumps into a lot of his punches. He doesn't have the longest reach, especially compared to Floyd, and Manny jumps into his opponent and throws furries of punches. And that jumping in and commitment is going to be his weakness in this fight. He sees opening in the standard guard and comes off his southpaw, squares up, and comes in and attacks. The 4th match that he had against Marquez shown that weakness as he got knocked out. Although it took Marquez 4 different matches to finally learn Pacquiao's style and timing and was able to predict and anticipate his jump and was able to catch him and knocked him clean out.

Floyd Mayweather's Boxing Style:
Floyd uses the traditional stance, however his style is different. He keeps his hands up more in his guard than most traditional boxers do. He does do a great job keeping his hands up when he's coming into his opponent. When he gets defensive he boxes a lot like his father in keeping his left hand down to his side and his left shoulder lifted("rolled") up to protect his jaw. He's great in the pocket, and great with learning his opponent and finding the opportunities to strike. As he's learn his opponent and gets out of the pocket, he's great at recognizing, anticipating, moving, and taking advantage of mistakes by his opponent.

I think his father did a great job teaching Floyd when he was younger, and it definitely shows, he has the best intelligence and awareness in the game, and he has the best defense in boxing. He's really taken his father's style and perfected it.

Strengths:
Floyd's defense is the best in the sport and arguably the best boxing has ever seen. His also has arguably the best awareness and instinct in boxing right now. He's great at playing the pocket, countering. He keeps his hands raised higher when in the traditional stance. Great at reacting and counter punching. He throws very accurate and quick punches and scores a lot of points. You can't out score him in a 12 round match for that reason. Like Pacquiao he also comes in with great conditioning to easily last the full match. He's fast and moves a lot in the ring.

Weakness:
He doesn't have the power in his punches. He has great accuracy, but he just lacks the power to knock opponents out. It requires a lot of good hits over many rounds to knock opponents out. He also typically loses the scoring on the first rounds of fights when people come out swinging a lot at him. If a boxer is able to sustain that throughout the match, they will be able to outscore Floyd. I feel that not enough people attack Floyd's body either, they focus too much on trying to get to his jaw and Floyd can take a punch or two to the jaw and he protects it very well and that his bigger weakness is the body so when it comes to the later rounds where Floyd really shines, he doesn't have the energy that he usually has.

The Fight:
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is going to come out and try to feel out Manny Pacquiao and really move around a lot. Trying to not let Pacquiao hit him right away because Pacquiao is going to come out swinging like he always does. Pacquiao is going to try and turn Floyd a lot, but Floyd isn't going to throw sloppy jabs like the rest of his other opponents. And after a few rounds of that going back and forth, Floyd is going to let Pacquiao come to him and get up against the ropes and try to out play Pacquiao with his strong defense and counters. Floyd is going to shoulder roll and do the body shots with his right, and following with the left when Pacquiao tries to gets in close with his Southpaw stance and won't be able to turn Mayweather. Then after some rounds once Floyds feels Pacquiao starts to feel deflated with Floyd playing his strong defense, Mayweather is going to come out and start to take advantage of Pacquiao's tendency to open up a bit before he punches and take advantage of the better timing window now that Pacquiao is tired, and Mayweather is then going to start being able to land clean hits on Pacquiao. Pacquiao is still going to be strong though and keep swinging all match and scoring points on Floyd. Other than a few good counters from Floyd and his good defensive pocket play, Pacquiao is going to dictate the fight.

Prediction:
It's going to go to go the 12 round distance. And Pacquiao is going to manage to come out with the win on the score cards because he is going to win more rounds at the start and isn't going to get a lead that Floyd can't fight back from. Pacquiao is not going to get as tired as all of Floyd's other opponents have shown. Pacquiao will most likely win the first 3-4 rounds, Mayweather will come back and win the next 2 or 3 with his pocket play and good counters, and then they are going to go back and forth from there for the remaining rounds, but Mayweather is not going to be able to express his dominance as much to get a ruling for a win. Manny is still going to be moving and swinging at the later rounds and Pacquiao will come out the winner.