2011 GSL January Code S Finals

For the first time there's two Terrans in the GSL finals, but MarineKingPrimeWE's style is so unique they are about as different as you can imagine a mirror matchup being. IMmvp carries the banner of standard play, perfected to a point that he's almost unbeatable, while MarineKing is peerless in microing marines in small or large numbers. Lately MarineKing has been switching up his builds, so his play isn't quite as predictable as it has been in the past, but still the strength of his game is infantry. Whoever wins this best of 7 match will clearly be the best Starcraft 2 player in the world.

IMmvp Terran #27 2010 Results: DNQ, ro32, ro16 GSL 4 Results: W TSLFruitDealer W oGsjookTo W oGsZenio W TheBestfOu W oGsHyperdub W choyafOu W TSLTrickster (3-0) W IMNesTea (3-1)	vs.	MarineKingPrimeWE Terran #5 2010 Results: DNQ, second place, ro8 GSL 4 Results: L TSLClide W SlayerSLegalMinD W SlayerSLegalMinD W LiquidJinro W STRainBOw W oGsNaDa (3-0) W LiquidJinro (3-1)
Maps: Scrap Station, Metalopolis, Xel'Naga Caverns, Blistering Sands, Shakuras Plateau, Lost Temple, Jungle Basin

IMmvp (T) vs. MarineKingPrimeWe (T)
Match Rating: 6/10
VOD Link

Click for match play by play and commentary

Game 1 - Scrap Station

No gas fast expand for both players. MarineKing's command center slightly ahead of mvp's.

Two barracks for mvp, bunker and factory for MarineKing

MarineKing scouts with his original barracks

mvp pokes with his marines, sees the bunker, and attacks the rocks at the expansion

Starport and siege mode for MarineKing, factory for mvp

mvp breaks through the rocks just as MarineKing's first tank comes out. Siege mode just over half done.

MarineKing pulls his SCVs and delays until siege mode is done, then he pushes the marines out with siege tanks

Armory for MarineKing, stim for mvp

MarineKing lands two vikings in mvp's mineral line but loses them both after only doing a little damage

Blue flame and two more factories for MarineKing, two reactors and siege mode for mvp

mvp drops eight marines on the high ground above MarineKing's expansion, then stims and runs down

Two siege tanks are there and they kill all the marines in two volleys

mvp starts a command center at the gold base but MarineKing scouts it immediately

mvp moves and takes up a position at MarineKing's eventual third

MarineKing drops four blue flame hellions in mvp's base. mvp reacts quickly but loses a fair number of SCVs.

MarineKing moves downward and sieges up near mvp's forces. MarineKing has air superiority.

mvp brings up some vikings and gets the first volley off. MarineKing unsieges and attacks into mvp's position.

mvp has marines supporting his tanks and wins the battle decisively

MarineKing gets together a smaller army and marches downward

mvp has way too many tanks. He even lands vikings as he crushes MarineKing's army.

mvp now advances toward MarineKing's main, cutting through the few units left defending

MarineKing concedes

Scrap Station isn't really a good map for MarineKing's infantry style, so it wasn't a bad map to try something different on. Thing is, playing less than your A-game against IMmvp is a recipe for defeat.

Game 2 - Metalopolis

Cross positions, mvp at 3 and MarineKing at 9

No gas fast command center for both players...but MarineKing builds his in the smoke at the 12 o'clock main

Two more barracks for MarineKing, factory for mvp

mvp actually scouts the 12 o'clock main and looks in the smoke

mvp sends four marines but MarineKing floats it out and lands it at the gold in the center of the map

Marines skirmish outside mvp's base. MarineKing loses a few marines but then mvp has to retreat.

Both players getting starports. Stim for mvp, shields for MarineKing

MarineKing building a command center at his natural now.

Engineering bay for MarineKing. mvp sends a dropship full of marines toward MarineKing's main

mvp's troops force MarineKing to bring marines back to his main and meanwhile he hits the gold base, killing almost all the SCVs there

mvp gets tanks in range of the gold command center. MarineKing lifts it and retreats.

Meanwhile MarineKing counters to mvp's natural. mvp's returning army flanks him and wipes out MarineKing's army

mvp's army moves out again and heads around toward MarineKing's natural. Meanwhile he drops MarineKing's main as he attacks.

Unable to attack into mvp's siege tanks, MarineKing counters to his main

mvp anticipates this, blocking his ramp with SCVs and sieging tanks in his main

MarineKing picks up his army with dropships to avoid the ramp block but mvp spots it coming and gets marines in position to defend

MarineKing concedes

Clever move by MarineKing to hide the command center and an even better recovery after mvp scouted it. Despite that advantage, mvp's defense and harassment was just too much for MarineKing to handle.

Game 3 - Xel'Naga Caverns

Two barracks for mvp with the second at the far side of his natural, fast command center for MarineKing

mvp attacks with his initial marines but MarineKing uses a few SCVs and successively holds the initial attack

mvp gets two more barracks while MarineKing gets a factory and then starport

mvp's natural is up and running before MarineKing floats his command center into place

Two more barracks and shields for MarineKing, mvp moves out with about 14 marines

mvp has a few more marines, so MarineKing has to retreat, lifting the command center from his natural.

MarineKing sends SCVs to repair it but the orbital command is shot down just before they can get there.

MarineKing moves his army up to mvp's natural, then brings all his SCVs as well

mvp gets a good concave as they come into the natural. MarineKing has medivacs but mvp's superior numbers are still too much and his army melts.

MarineKing concedes

mvp is now one game away from the championship. MarineKing doesn't seem like he has any answers to mvp's play.

Game 4 - Blistering Sands

Gas into factory for mvp, gas into command center for MarineKing

Two more barracks for MarineKing, hellion and command center for mvp

mvp attacks with a few marines, an SCV, and a hellion. MarineKing has plenty of marines.

MarineKing easily shoots down the hellion and drives out the marines.

Siege mode for mvp, stim for MarineKing

Small skirmish in the middle of the map as a small group of marines and a marauder run into a larger force from mvp and get killed

MarineKing tries again with a larger group but mvp's tanks are sieged this time, crushing MarineKing's units

mvp moves tanks up to MarineKing's natural and sets up a contain

Some of MarineKing's units get marooned outside by the containing force.

mvp charges into MarineKing's natural, routing the marines and SCVs that try to defend.

MarineKing has to move his command center into his main, so he's down a base apart from his army losses

mvp pulls his army back to the center of the map

MarineKing moves to try to take out the rocks in the back of his main

mvp gets an even larger army and moves back into where MarineKing's natural was

He charges up the ramp and into MarineKing's main. MarineKing counters to mvp's main, but once again mvp is ready for it

mvp only has one siege tank and MarineKing takes it out immediately, but mvp's SCVs and marines manage to take out MarineKing's army anyway

MarineKing surrenders

Yet another crushing victory for mvp. This time both players played their "style" but again it was no contest.

Commentary: Right from the beginning, when MarineKing played differently from his usual style, it was clear that MarineKing thought mvp was the better player. This certainly turned out to be the case. mvp won using his standard marine/tank style and he won using MarineKing's infantry style. Not only did he not lose a game, he didn't even come close to losing. It's a shame the finals were so straightforward, but never has a GSL champion looked so dominant from start to finish.