Match Rating: 7/10
Click here to display the full match recap and commentary (spoilers)
Game 1 – Blistering Sands – NesTea went hatch first while TheWinD got fast banelings. NesTea survived the initial zergling/baneling rush, but afterward TheWinD took down the destructible rocks with zerglings and exploited the fact that NesTea’s roaches were too slow to adequately defend both entrances to the main. However, TheWinD never landed a knockout blow. He severely damaged the expansion hatchery–but never killed it. He took out some drones with zerglings and banelings–but not more than a few. His best move, sneaking two banelings into NesTea’s base, was defended by a razor-thin margin by NesTea. Still, TheWinD expanded behind his pressure and seemed to be headed towards a win with an advantage of several drones. NesTea was effectively on one base since he could never protect drones at his natural, so he played like it, suddenly massing units and then pushing out. Although TheWinD had switched to roaches, he wasn’t ready for the attack. TheWinD’s 11 roaches and 2 banelings fought NesTea’s 11 roaches and about 20 speedlings outside TheWinD’s natural. NesTea controlled his speedlings carefully, didn’t lose too many to the banelings, and then overcame TheWinD’s defenses even though he had a longer reinforcement distance to secure the come from behind win.
Game 2 – Delta Quadrant – TheWinD did the same fast baneling opening he used in game 1, but in close positions NesTea’s overlord was able to scout it. NesTea went one base speedling into roach with a spine crawler to hold off the initial pressure. His strategy scouted and prepared for, TheWinD wisely only made two banelings and otherwise stuck with speedlings, though he did waste the two banelings in a futile effort to sneak past NesTea’s spine crawler and queen. Although TheWinD got a roach warren, he stuck with speedlings and got a drone advantage, but NesTea once again shifted to unit production and moved out. With mainly speedlings and perhaps two roaches or so to defend, TheWinD was unable to hold off the attack and got eliminated.
Commentary: The players seemed about even mechanically, but NesTea had a far superior sense of timing (not surprising given his SC1 experience). He won both games by exploiting narrow timing windows despite falling behind. Often that sort of game isn’t very exciting to watch, but I felt game 1 was the most exciting ZvZ game yet in either GSL.
Game 2 – Delta Quadrant – TheWinD did the same fast baneling opening he used in game 1, but in close positions NesTea’s overlord was able to scout it. NesTea went one base speedling into roach with a spine crawler to hold off the initial pressure. His strategy scouted and prepared for, TheWinD wisely only made two banelings and otherwise stuck with speedlings, though he did waste the two banelings in a futile effort to sneak past NesTea’s spine crawler and queen. Although TheWinD got a roach warren, he stuck with speedlings and got a drone advantage, but NesTea once again shifted to unit production and moved out. With mainly speedlings and perhaps two roaches or so to defend, TheWinD was unable to hold off the attack and got eliminated.
Commentary: The players seemed about even mechanically, but NesTea had a far superior sense of timing (not surprising given his SC1 experience). He won both games by exploiting narrow timing windows despite falling behind. Often that sort of game isn’t very exciting to watch, but I felt game 1 was the most exciting ZvZ game yet in either GSL.
Foxer vs. TSLSangHo
Match Rating: 6/10
Click here to display the full match recap and commentary (spoilers)
Game 1 – Delta Quadrant – True to his reputation as an aggressive player, Foxer went two barracks, proxying his second at his gold expansion. Sang Ho didn’t scout it, but he went sentry after zealot and followed with three more sentries while getting a fast robotics. When Foxer’s rush arrived, he force fielded the ramp twice, but his third force field was misplaced, allowing Foxer to get marines, marauders, and several SCVs into Sang Ho’s main. Although Sang Ho did he best to defend, Foxer had concussive shells for his marauders and was able to snipe the immortals that were Sang Ho’s last chance, forcing him to concede.
Game 2 – X’el Naga Caverns – Foxer opened with marine-only fast expand, building it on the low ground at about 20 supply. Although Sang Ho didn’t make four sentries this time, his conservative three gate robotics build fell behind economically. Foxer moved out and traded armies right before SangHo’s colossus were ready. With both armies having to be rebuilt, Foxer’s advantage in economy and production facilities sent him way ahead. After adding Vikings and a few dropships, he pushed forward again and by this time was up 130 to 99 in supply. Attacking from both directions into Sang Ho’s natural, Sang Ho was only able to force field one side, and even that wasn’t a complete wall. Vikings and marauders made short work of two of Sang Ho’s three collosus while the few accompanying gateway units melted as well. When Sang Ho didn’t immediately concede Foxer was confident enough to build about ten barracks in the middle of the map.
Commentary: Sang Ho will be disappointed to have lost the first game on such a basic mistake, but the fake BoxeR looked a class above even in the second game. Foxer’s reputation as a fearsome ladder player seems well-earned. Although he’s aggressive, he does it without going all-in, and he clearly has a very good sense of the timings in TvZ and TvP.
Game 2 – X’el Naga Caverns – Foxer opened with marine-only fast expand, building it on the low ground at about 20 supply. Although Sang Ho didn’t make four sentries this time, his conservative three gate robotics build fell behind economically. Foxer moved out and traded armies right before SangHo’s colossus were ready. With both armies having to be rebuilt, Foxer’s advantage in economy and production facilities sent him way ahead. After adding Vikings and a few dropships, he pushed forward again and by this time was up 130 to 99 in supply. Attacking from both directions into Sang Ho’s natural, Sang Ho was only able to force field one side, and even that wasn’t a complete wall. Vikings and marauders made short work of two of Sang Ho’s three collosus while the few accompanying gateway units melted as well. When Sang Ho didn’t immediately concede Foxer was confident enough to build about ten barracks in the middle of the map.
Commentary: Sang Ho will be disappointed to have lost the first game on such a basic mistake, but the fake BoxeR looked a class above even in the second game. Foxer’s reputation as a fearsome ladder player seems well-earned. Although he’s aggressive, he does it without going all-in, and he clearly has a very good sense of the timings in TvZ and TvP.
NEXGenius vs. oGsInCa
Match Rating: 6/10
Click here to display the full match recap and commentary (spoilers)
Game 1 – Lost Temple – Both players had fairly similar build orders, with a normal expansion timing into collosus. The difference was InCa played it safe early by getting two gateways before his cybernetics core, then took a risk in the mid-game by expanding a little earlier and rushing to collosus without making many units. Genius didn’t scout InCa’s faster collosus and ended up getting rolled over by InCa’s superior collosus numbers in the first engagement.
Game 2 – Metalopolis – In cross positions, Genius did a blink stalker rush while InCa used a very similar build to the previous game. Apparently Genius beat WhiteRa with the same strategy in the same positions on Metalopolis at Blizzcon, but even though according to Artosis WhiteRa only barely lost, InCa never had a chance. InCa’s only hope of defending Genius’ push in the early mid-game was force fields, and Genius’ stalkers blinked past them easily and swept away the few defending zealots and stalkers. With no units around them, the immortals were focused down as they emerged from the robitics facility, ending any hope for InCa to hold.
Game 3 – X’el Naga Caverns – Once again both players did similar builds, going straight to blink, but InCa added a dark shrine while Genius just pumped stalkers out of three gates. Genius’ stalker force ambushed InCa’s fewer stalkers out in the middle of the map and destroyed them. For some reason InCa tried to wall off his ramp with gateways even though Genius’ stalkers had blinked during the battle (perhaps InCa wasn’t looking at the right time). Needless to say, Genius blinked past the gateways and killed InCa’s units just as the first DTs came out. Genius had no detection, and with one DT in his base while another attacked his army, he looked like he might be in trouble despite having completely destroyed InCa’s army. Genius lived up to his name and created a hidden robotics in the upper left while running his probes to the lower right and letting the DTs kill them there. Meanwhile he let the other DTs chase his stalkers until the observer was out, then brought his remaining stalkers there and killed the DTs pursuing them. From there, he killed the rest of InCa’s probes and got to work on his buildings. With only one DT left hacking on one of Genius’ pylons compared to Genius’ six stalkers with the observer, InCa had to concede.
Commentary: Like the Idra/oGsZenio games, this mirror matchup was almost entirely dictated by build orders in the first two games. In game 3 however whereas InCa uselessly walled in against blink stalkers, Genius calmly hid a robotics to defeat the DTs, so in the end the winner was decided by Genius’ quick thinking. Genius is now the only Protoss left in the tournament, but as arguably the best Protoss in the world right now he’s a worthy flagbearer.
Game 2 – Metalopolis – In cross positions, Genius did a blink stalker rush while InCa used a very similar build to the previous game. Apparently Genius beat WhiteRa with the same strategy in the same positions on Metalopolis at Blizzcon, but even though according to Artosis WhiteRa only barely lost, InCa never had a chance. InCa’s only hope of defending Genius’ push in the early mid-game was force fields, and Genius’ stalkers blinked past them easily and swept away the few defending zealots and stalkers. With no units around them, the immortals were focused down as they emerged from the robitics facility, ending any hope for InCa to hold.
Game 3 – X’el Naga Caverns – Once again both players did similar builds, going straight to blink, but InCa added a dark shrine while Genius just pumped stalkers out of three gates. Genius’ stalker force ambushed InCa’s fewer stalkers out in the middle of the map and destroyed them. For some reason InCa tried to wall off his ramp with gateways even though Genius’ stalkers had blinked during the battle (perhaps InCa wasn’t looking at the right time). Needless to say, Genius blinked past the gateways and killed InCa’s units just as the first DTs came out. Genius had no detection, and with one DT in his base while another attacked his army, he looked like he might be in trouble despite having completely destroyed InCa’s army. Genius lived up to his name and created a hidden robotics in the upper left while running his probes to the lower right and letting the DTs kill them there. Meanwhile he let the other DTs chase his stalkers until the observer was out, then brought his remaining stalkers there and killed the DTs pursuing them. From there, he killed the rest of InCa’s probes and got to work on his buildings. With only one DT left hacking on one of Genius’ pylons compared to Genius’ six stalkers with the observer, InCa had to concede.
Commentary: Like the Idra/oGsZenio games, this mirror matchup was almost entirely dictated by build orders in the first two games. In game 3 however whereas InCa uselessly walled in against blink stalkers, Genius calmly hid a robotics to defeat the DTs, so in the end the winner was decided by Genius’ quick thinking. Genius is now the only Protoss left in the tournament, but as arguably the best Protoss in the world right now he’s a worthy flagbearer.
Loner vs. SlayerSBoxeR
Match Rating: 7/10
Click here to display the full match recap and commentary (spoilers)
Game 1 – Metalopolis – Loner decided to pressure with marines and a hellion while BoxeR simply made reactored marines. Although Loner had the better composition, BoxeR won the micro battle at his ramp, destroying the hellion and routing Loner’s marines. Only slightly behind, Loner used his first medivac to drop marines and a marauder in BoxeR’s base, but it arrived just as two vikings came out of BoxeR’s starport. BoxeR also had a sieged tank covering his mineral line, so Loner was forced to drop on the tank. He killed it, but at the cost of the dropship and rest of his force, which was cleaned up by the vikings when they landed. Boxer then countered by sending his vikings to Loner’s base, landing, and picking off SCVs and units. Between this damage and an earlier expansion, BoxeR had a sizable economic advantage in addition to a stronger army. He immediatly began a slow siege tank push that started near BoxeR’s base and pushed all the way to Loner’s natural, ending the game.
Game 2 – Steppes of War – Boxer poked with three marines and an SCV but Loner held it fairly easily. He countered with marines and a single hellion, just like in game 1, and just like in game 1, BoxeR defeated it decisively, this time using three SCVs to block the hellion from getting up the ramp. Although Loner didn’t try a drop this time, he still got the medivac first and found himself at a disadvantage to BoxeR’s vikings. Using the vikings to snipe the medivac and then provide vision for his tanks, Boxer once again slowly pushed down the map and once again Loner couldn’t find a way to stop it.
Commentary: Apparently this SlayerSBoxeR guy knows a thing or two about playing Terran. While that’s not surprising, I expected the transition to SC2 to take longer for him, but he looks like the best TvT player in the tournament. Against Loner, who among his other accomplishments came in second at Blizzcon, BoxeR won every battle and ruthlessly exploited advantages whenever he got them. Ironically, the only Terran who has impressed me as much is the fake BoxeR. SlayerSBoxeR vs. oGsNada in the quarterfinals is surely going to be the most anticipated game in Starcraft 2 history.
Game 2 – Steppes of War – Boxer poked with three marines and an SCV but Loner held it fairly easily. He countered with marines and a single hellion, just like in game 1, and just like in game 1, BoxeR defeated it decisively, this time using three SCVs to block the hellion from getting up the ramp. Although Loner didn’t try a drop this time, he still got the medivac first and found himself at a disadvantage to BoxeR’s vikings. Using the vikings to snipe the medivac and then provide vision for his tanks, Boxer once again slowly pushed down the map and once again Loner couldn’t find a way to stop it.
Commentary: Apparently this SlayerSBoxeR guy knows a thing or two about playing Terran. While that’s not surprising, I expected the transition to SC2 to take longer for him, but he looks like the best TvT player in the tournament. Against Loner, who among his other accomplishments came in second at Blizzcon, BoxeR won every battle and ruthlessly exploited advantages whenever he got them. Ironically, the only Terran who has impressed me as much is the fake BoxeR. SlayerSBoxeR vs. oGsNada in the quarterfinals is surely going to be the most anticipated game in Starcraft 2 history.
No comments:
Post a Comment