The Climb: The StarCraft Ladder Experience

StarCraft 2 is a hard game. Are you a fellow working-class player just trying to "git gud?" On The Climb, join Will (L0rdCraniaL) and Dan (capt_hapa) as they discuss the competitive ladder scene. Whether it's looking for ways to improve, strategies to avoid the tilt or even just venting about the chaos of matchmaking, we can all share in the 1v1 experience.

The Climb Episode 33: Coaching Part 2 with Vindicta_SC2

A lot of work goes into coaching lower league players, from discovering their playstyle to crafting a lesson plan to help guide them up the ladder.  Vindicta joins Will and Dan to talk about coaching from his perspective. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa Please go follow our guest! Vindicta: twitch.tv/vindicta_sc2 vindictacoaching.com twitter.com/Vindicta_sc2

12-01
01:26:28

The Climb Episode 32: So you're thinking about coaching

While climbing through the ladder, it’s very natural to reach walls that seem nigh impossible to cross by ourselves.  Even with extensive replay analysis, we reach a point where we’re just not sure how to carry on.  Is it our macro?  Our decision-making?  Is our micro not good enough?  To get over these barriers, we need to ask for help from more experienced players.  Will and Dan will be talking about getting coaching and how to use these insights to continue our climb. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

12-01
01:32:58

The Climb Episode 31: It's Gouda Be A Good One

Will and Dan take the opportunity to discuss one of the most infamous and frustrating strategies to deal with:  cheese! Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

11-01
01:37:01

The Climb Episode 30: The EXP Farm

Think back to the first 10 games you played on the ladder.  You had no idea what to do or what was going to happen to you.  Now think about your 100th game, or your 1,000th game.  How much better could you read each situation and execute your plan.  Experience is a cornerstone of growth, and Will and Dan will be talking about how to gain it and how to use it. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

10-25
01:32:04

The Climb Episode 29: The Extended Ladder Experience

With 2022 Season 3 in full swing, Will and Dan have an extended discussion of their laddering experience, ranging from the new maps to the current meta they have been experiencing. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

10-11
01:42:56

The Climb Episode 28: Perseverance is Key

If you've ever felt completely overwhelmed by the laddering experience or feel like you can't go another day losing over and over again, you are not alone.  Every other player has experienced that feeling.  But when the going gets tough, the tough get going.  Join Will and Dan as they talk about how they persevere on the ladder and how to deal with the strain of laddering. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

07-29
01:29:25

The Climb Episode 27: Another Practice Episode, It's That Important

If you want to climb the ladder, you have to practice, practice, practice!  Will and Dan revisit the topic of practicing and share some of their insights on how you can improve you own practice sessions. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

07-16
01:17:17

The Climb Episode 26: Balance Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine

X unit is OP!  Y strategy is IMBA!  Z is so stupid to play against!  We've all heard the complaints, we've all been lectured about how our units are so much better, and maybe some of us have done the lecturing in the past.  Join Will and Dan as they talk about the ever-present balance whine within the community and how it can affect your game if you buy into it too much Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

07-04
01:37:41

The Climb Episode 25: Happy One Year! Let's Talk About Mentality

Keeping a healthy mindset on the ladder can be the difference between improving on the ladder and stagnating as a player.  Will and Dan talk about their own experiences with their laddering mindset, from getting frustrated to trying to keep positive. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

06-20
01:28:57

The Climb Episode 23: Want To Make SCII Harder? Try Streaming!

Will, Dan, and special guest Apoptosis discuss their experiences with streaming and how new streamers can get into the hobby. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa Apoptosis Twitter: https://twitter.com/Poptosis808 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/apoptosis808 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@apoptosis808

05-01
02:03:41

The Climb Episode 22: Ladder Loss is Inevitable

Despite our efforts, we all will lose many, many ladder matches as we climb up the ladder.  Will and Dan take some time to offer some healthy coping mechanisms and ways to turn losses into a more positive experience.   Will:   linktr.ee/l0rdcranial   Dan:   linktr.ee/capt_hapa  

04-17
01:38:58

The Climb Episode 21: Build Orders and You

Learning build orders is an integral part of becoming a better StarCraft II player.  With a build order, a player can hit tight timings, have a plan for each match, and have a mapped out response for anything your opponent may throw your way.  Join Will and Dan as they discuss how they learn build orders and how it has helped them climb the ladder.   Will:   linktr.ee/l0rdcranial   Dan:   linktr.ee/capt_hapa  

04-01
01:38:40

The Climb Episode 20: Want to Cast Some Games?

Joined by special guest RushiSC, Will and Dan discuss casting as a lower level SC2 player.  Casting can be very accessible, even if you are a newer player, and the trio discuss how to get started and what you can do to improve your casting experience Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa RushiSC: https://twitter.com/RushiSC https://www.twitch.tv/rushisc

03-27
01:35:12

The Climb Episode 18: A Game of Imperfect Info

There's a lot that can happen in a StarCraft game, and quite often we get tricked, bamboozled and completely deceived.  Join Will and Dan as they talk about trickery on the ladder and possible solutions to decrease the chances of falling for deception. Will: linktr.ee/l0rdcranial Dan: linktr.ee/capt_hapa

02-18
01:40:26

The Climb Episode 17: FOCUS

In StarCraft, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made before, during and after a match, and it can be difficult to figure out what aspect of the game we should be focusing on.  Sometimes we’re on top of our micro without realizing that our macro is suffering.  Sometimes we have a perfect setup for the late game but control our units horribly.  When we are practicing with a friend, what should you work on?  In this episode, Will and Dan will be going over how we figure out what to work on and what we prefer to focus on.   Will:   [https://linktr.ee/l0rdcranial](https://linktr.ee/l0rdcranial)   Dan:   [https://linktr.ee/capt_hapa](https://linktr.ee/capt_hapa)  

02-07
01:51:07

The Climb Episode 16: StarCrafting Some Content

Will and Dan have The StarCraft Observer on to discuss content creation in StarCraft II.  The trio talk about their recent adventures on the ladder as well as their experiences with making content for the community.  Whether you're an painter, audio/video editor, musician or any type or artist, don't be afraid to put your work out there!   Will:   linktr.ee/L0rdCraniaL   Dan:   linktr.ee/capt_hapa   The StarCraft Observer:   Twitter: twitter.com/thestarcraftobs   Instagram: instagram.com/thestarcraftobserver   TikTok: tiktok.com/@thestarcraftobserver   Podcast: thestarcraftobserver.com/podcast  

01-24
02:02:06

The Climb Episode 15: The Year-End Recap

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!  In this end-of-the-year episode, Will and Dan discuss what they have learned throughout the year, such as scouting opponents better, learning to make better calls with the information gathered, and unit positioning.  The hosts also discuss their goals and ambitions for the upcoming year. Will: https://linktr.ee/L0rdCraniaL Dan: https://linktr.ee/capt_hapa

01-01
01:48:21

The Climb Episode 14: Reading Opponents and Scouting

The StarCraft ladder can be a wild place, and players must know how to figure out what their opponents are doing.  In this episode, Will and Dan talk about how they determine what players are doing in a match, as well as their triumphs and frustrations with figuring out an opponent's plan. Will: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsmEQmeDkFZrln0Hte8WzCw https://twitter.com/L0rdCraniaL https://www.twitch.tv/l0rdcranial Dan: https://linktr.ee/capt_hapa

12-17
01:37:54

The Climb Episode 13: Practice, Practice, Practice

In order to climb up the ranks of the StarCraft ladder, players must practice their fundamentals.  From working on build orders to sparring with other players, Will and Dan discuss how they work on their own gameplay and tips on how to practice. Will: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsmEQmeDkFZrln0Hte8WzCw https://twitter.com/L0rdCraniaL https://www.twitch.tv/l0rdcranial Dan: https://linktr.ee/capt_hapa

12-17
01:37:42

The Climb Episode 12: The Pros We Follow

In this episode of The Climb, Will and Dan take a stroll through the pro scene and discuss the players that inspire them to ladder harder, take risks and learn new mechanics.   Catch The Climb live every other Wednesday at 7pm EST on twitch.tv/l0rdcranial   Will:   twitter.com/L0rdCraniaL   youtube.com/channel/UCsmEQmeDkFZrln0Hte8WzCw   Dan:   linktr.ee/capt_hapa  

11-12
01:46:37

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