SC2 Replays - Best Starcraft 2 Replays

In Starcraft 2, replays can be used to significantly improve your game. In this article, I will reveal the secret method for making the most out of SC2 replays so that you can take your game to the next level.

Replay List

Below, you will find assorted SC2 Replays that you can view, along with some additional strategy and commentary. I have listed key points in each replay where there are lessons to be learned:

Protoss vs Terran

Terran Colossus Counter - Thor + Banshee

Protoss vs Zerg

Protoss Fast Expand

Zerg vs Terran:

How to Stop Mass Reapers

Thorship (Thor Drop - excellent strategy)

Baneling Drop

Terran vs Terran

Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran Replay

Whenever you ask for help in Starcraft 2, players always will respond with the same advice: watch SC2 replays. However, it seems that most players have no idea what they are even looking for when watching replays and end up wasting their time. Below, I will clear this up and explain exactly what you are looking for when watching a replay.

First off, note that there are two types of Starcraft 2 replays you should be watching: professional replays and your own replays. Most people just like to watch SC2 replays of professional players and have no idea what they are even supposed to look for in their own replays.

Professional SC2 Replays

The primary benefit of watching profession Starcraft 2 replays is that you can pick  good build orders. Just watch a few players who use your favorite race and copy whatever they do! It is quite easy when you think about it that way.

Additionally, you can watch these SC2 replays to see how players deal with tough match-ups. For example, you can find replays on youtube of professional Protoss players easily stopping a Roach rush and then replicate that exact strategy in game if you are put in a similar position.

However, I feel the most benefit from replays comes from watching your own replays (particularly when you lose)!

Your Starcraft 2 Replays

When watching your own replays, in the top left corner of the screen you have access to a panel which displays a variety of stats. Of most importance are the three categories:

- Spending
- Income
- Units Lost
- APM

The Spending category is very important. This indicates how much money a player is spending on units, technology and their economy.

If your enemy spends twice as much on his army as you, it is only natural that he will win because his army has twice the funding. Watch the replay and see how your enemy was able to accomplish this, why you were not able to do this, and then mimic your enemy's strategy yourself when placed in a similar situation.

Maybe you spent too much on tech or structures and did not build enough units. Maybe he had more expansions. Perhaps the opposite was true and you failed to spend all your resources. Next game, correct whatever the mistake you made.

Income is also very important. You never want to fall behind in this category. If you do, figure out why. Was your enemy expanding the map while you sat on one base? If so, how did he do this? Was there a window for attack while he expanded? How can you find that window next time? Hint: scout regularly!

Did he harass your harvesters? If so, how could you have prevented this? Could you do the same thing to your next opponent? This process will make you a better player and is often very enlightening.

Units lost is probably the most important category to pay attention to when watching SC2 replays. Each time you or your enemy loses a unit, this feature keeps track of that. You want to chip away at your enemy's units and avoid losing your own units to the best of your ability. The person who loses the least amount of units usually wins.

Look for situations where you lost a lot of units and think of what you could have done differently to avoid that loss. Could you have retreated? Did you pursue too far into a fortified area?

Additionally, look for places where you could have inflicted more unit losses and think about how you could have handled that situation more effectively. Did you pull back too early? Did you not focus-fire units?

The final thing to look at is APM. This simply refers to actions per minute, literally how many times you issue commands per minute. At a very basic level, this is a reflection of how well you control your troops.

Whenever new players ask for help, the response if often "improve APM noob" or something like that. This is not very helpful as it tells the player nothing and the newbie proceeds to try to improve APM without learning anything about the game. APM will come with time and comfort with the game.

In general, the player with the highest APM will win the game. However, this measure is not entirely accurate. Spamming right click can boost this your APM to high levels and does not do much to help out your game.

Additionally, I do not consider average APM over the duration of a game to be of any relevance. I only consider APM during combat to be important. I have been ranked very high in the Diamond league with a game average APM of around 37. I routinely beat players with an average APM that is double mine. Issuing pointless commands for the sake of raising APM is a waste of time.

However, during combat, your current APM should be over 100 if you want to get in the Diamond league and do well. Professional players have often shown off a combat APM over 200 (even 300 in some cases) in their SC2 Replays.

If your APM is low, work on hotkeys and unit control. Be sure to bind unit groups to number keys so you can issue as many commands as possible with your keyboard. Your APM will rise dramatically the more you can rely on your keyboard for playing Starcraft 2.

Note that a good APM does not necessarily mean you will be good at the game. Make sure you still learn unit counters, appropriate strategies, scouting, and the like. If you are not sure where to start, sign up for my free 6-part Mini Course which you can find to your left. All of the basics you need for well-rounded play are covered in that series.

Conclusion

By following these strategies when watching your SC2 replays, you can significantly improve your game. The key is to think critically when watching your own SC2 replays so you can figure out what you will do differently next time.

Over the next few months, I will slowly be adding Starcraft 2 replays to this section, so check back regularly!