2011 GSL January Code S Quarterfinals: Day 2

For the second tournament in a row, there will be a foreigner in the semifinals. But which foreigner? EGIdrA, macro Zerg powerhouse? Or LiquidJinro, macro Terran master? We could be in for some very long games when these two play. As exciting as that game is, the second game promises to be just as interesting. MarineKingPrimeWE and oGsNaDa are not only good but they have dramatically different styles that make it hardly seem like a mirror matchup. MarineKing, despite his preference for fast expand builds, will put ceaseless pressure on his opponent once he is on two bases. NaDa on the other hand has often been content to macro and out-expand his opponents. In GSL 2, NaDa lost to SlayerSBoxeR in part because BoxeR's micro was better. MarineKingPrimeWE may have the best combat micro of any Starcraft 2 player, so that could be a problem. But perhaps NaDa's high economy style can give him the higher tier units needed to crush MarineKing's marine-dependent armies.

EGIdrA Zerg #21 Map Veto: Delta Quadrant 2010 Results: ro32, ro16, ro32 GSL 4 Results: L LiquidJinro W oGsEnsnare W CheckPrimeWE W TSLClide W NsPGenius W oGsNaDa	vs.	LiquidJinro Terran T-#11 Map Veto: Blistering Sands 2010 Results: DNQ, DNQ, ro4 GSL 4 Results: W EGIdrA L CheckPrimeWE W oGsEnsnare L MarineKingPrimeWE W oGsMC W oGsMC
Maps: Xel'Naga Caverns, Metalopolis, Shakuras Plateau, Jungle Basin, Lost Temple

MarineKingPrimeWE Terran #5 Map Veto: Jungle Basin 2010 Results: DNQ, second place, ro8 GSL 4 Results: L TSLClide W SlayerSLegalMinD W SlayerSLegalMinD W LiquidJinro W STRainBOw	vs.	oGsNaDa Terran #20 Map Veto: Lost Temple 2010 Results: DNQ, ro8, DNQ GSL 4 Results: L oGsMC W oGsInCa W oGsInCa W NsPGenius W TSLClide L EGIdrA
Maps: Shakuras Plateau, Lost Temple, Xel'Naga Caverns, Steppes of War, Metalopolis

EGIdrA (Z) vs. LiquidJinro (T)
Match Rating: 6/10
VOD Link

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Game 1 - Xel'Naga Caverns

Hatch first for IdrA, factory for Jinro

Roach warren for IdrA, hellion for Jinro

Jinro starts a command center and pressures with four marines and an SCV

Starport for Jinro, the hellion joins the marines

Roaches come out for IdrA and force Jinro to retreat

The roaches go all the way to Jinro's ramp and start hitting Jinro's barracks

Lair and zerglings speed for IdrA...the roaches come very close to taking down the barracks but SCVs repair it

Jinro's first banshee comes out so the surviving roaches retreat

Jinro floats his starport and command center to the natural, tries to build a bunker but a roach kills the SCV

Spire for IdrA, stim for Jinro

8 mutalisks and air attack on the way for IdrA as well as a baneling nest

The banshee harasses creep tumors but gets killed by a queen

Armory and turrets being built by Jinro as the mutalisks fly toward his main

The mutalisks snipe a medivac, then kill a few SCVs in Jinro's main

IdrA has taken his third and is getting baneling speed, siege mode coming for Jinro

Zerglings take out the rocks at IdrA's gold

Jinro also takes out the rocks, mutalisks snipe the tech lab on his factory

IdrA still making mutalisks, third command center almost done for Jinro as well as a second factory

IdrA attacks Jinro's forces near Jinro's gold, killing a few tanks with mutalisks while the marines run from the banelings

Jinro moves toward IdrA's gold but IdrA kills his units and counters up toward Jinro's gold and magic boxes a thor

Hive coming for IdrA, three more barracks for Jinro

IdrA's huge group of about twenty mutalisks move into Jinro's main and pick off a reactor

IdrA up to 27 mutalisks and is maxed

IdrA attacks with everything he's got, killing the marines and then positioning his mutalisks over Jinro's production buildings

Jinro concedes

Great game from IdrA.

Game 2 - Metalopolis

Close ground positions, IdrA at 12 and Jinro at 9

Gas then pool for IdrA, Jinro walls in the bottom of his ramp

Jinro builds two barracks at the bottom of IdrA's ramp

IdrA sends in drones and kills one SCV before it finishes the bunker but the other finishes

Jinro's marines arrive while zerglings try to take down the unfinished bunker

IdrA concedes

Well, that certainly didn't look unwinnable to me. Especially considering it was Metalopolis with the Terran-favored Jungle Basin and Lost Temple still to come, very surprising that IdrA wouldn't at least take things a little farther.

Game 3 - Shakuras Plateau

Lower positions, Jinro at 7 and IdrA at 4

Once again Jinro walls in on the low ground, hatch first for IdrA

Jinro builds a bunker just outside IdrA's natural

IdrA makes a spine crawler once the hatchery finishes

Command center for Jinro, zergling speed for IdrA

Jinro walls in his natural with barracks while he fences with IdrA at IdrA's natural

Jinro's command center lands at his expansion, factory coming

Lair and baneling nest now for IdrA, who has cleared away Jinro's bunker

Starport, stim, and more barracks for Jinro

IdrA's zerglings start taking down the rocks between bases

Baneling speed for IdrA, then a spire

Jinro heads across the bottom of the map with two medivacs and some marines

IdrA makes banelings as the marines move into his main

The marines shoot down a queen, then pull back when banelings are made

IdrA expanding to a third and getting mutalisks, Jinro getting siege mode

Tanks and marines pour across the bottom of the map

IdrA takes out the siege tanks but plenty of marines survive the banelings

Jinro moves into IdrA's main and kills banelings that are morphing

Zerglings whittle down the marine numbers but reinforcements continue to arrive

IdrA concedes

Now IdrA is in trouble, playing an elimination match on Jungle Basin. Good play from Jinro.

Game 4 - Jungle Basin

IdrA 6-pools, Jinro gets two barracks

Jinro's late scouting SCV misses the zerglings.

The zerglings move up the ramp and destroy one of the barracks

The first marine makes a run for a bunker built behind Jinro's mineral line

The zerglings attack the orbital command and get it to low health, but Jinro builds another bunker that can cover it

IdrA surrenders

If IdrA had just managed to kill that marine the game was his, but Jinro managed to get it back to the bunker.

Commentary: I don't think anyone expected this match to involve two cheese games, but that's why they play the games. IdrA's 6 pool was actually pretty clever...Artosis said it was based on Jinro's scouting patterns and sure enough he got almost all the way to Jinro's main without Jinro knowing it was coming. As for Jinro's bunker wall-in, I suppose you can't argue with the results. I wonder if IdrA regrets giving up so quickly, however. I understand he's trying to avoid going on tilt but that was "his" map and he needed to hold serve there. Jinro is now in very select company: only IMNesTea and STRainBOw have made the semifinals of two GSLs, and only RainBOw did it back to back the way Jinro has.

MarineKingPrimeWE (T) vs. oGsNaDa (T)
Match Rating: 10/10
VOD Link

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Game 1 - Shakuras Plateau

Cross positions, MarineKing at 10 and NaDa at 5

Gas then factory for NaDa, no gas fast expand for MarineKing

Two more barracks for MarineKing, starport for NaDa

MarineKing pokes out into the center of the map but then moves back

NaDa gets a hellion while making a banshee and researching cloak

The hellion harasses MarineKing's front but gets shot down

The first banshee arrives at MarineKing's expansion and kills three SCVs

MarineKing making turrets and getting stim, NaDa making a command center

MarineKing scans and kills the banshee with his marines

Seocnd banshee arrives at MarineKing's natural, then moves to the main and kills some SCVs

Another scan and kill for MarineKing

MarineKing getting a starport, NaDa getting two more barracks, a second factory, and an engineering bay

MarineKing sends a large group of marines to the center of the map, NaDa getting stim and making tanks

Third command center going up for MarineKing

MarineKing loads up two medivacs full of marines and drops NaDa's natural, killing SCVs and marines

Two dropships full of marines heading toward MarineKing's side of the map for NaDa

The dropships go all the way up to MarineKing's main and attacks the mineral line

MarineKing turns around to deal with the drop, NaDa's army follows into the center of the map

MarineKing suddenly turns on NaDa's army, stims, and moves in and kills the siege tanks before they can siege

MarineKing pushes all the way into NaDa's main

Both players took huge losses. MarineKing lost his main's command center and a lot of SCVs while NaDa's tank count is reset.

MarineKing loads a huge number of medivacs and heads into NaDa's main

NaDa counters to MarineKing's natural with a marine/tank army

NaDa's large infantry force plows through MarineKing's main. MarineKing destroys NaDa's main command center.

MarineKing floats his buildings to the corner and tries to rebuild production facilities at his third

NaDa's last command center is shot down, he gets revealed

MarineKing tries to build a starport but NaDa's army finds it

MarineKing still has one command center floating around the edge of the map while he kills NaDa's supply depot

MarineKing probably can't win but he may be able to force a draw since NaDa has no air units

MarineKing flying his marines around in medivacs and picking off NaDa's SCVs

NaDa forces a brief battle with MarineKing's units and inflicts heavy losses

NaDa lands his starport in hopes of making a viking but he doesn't have the supply to make it

Maybe if NaDa kills his own units and makes a viking...but then MarineKing still has enough left to kill him

Artosis claims MarineKing can't win but technically he could. He has plenty of minerals and an orbital command. He needs to build an SCV or two somehow.

MarineKing's dropships find the starport and shoot it into the yellow...but not quite into the red

NaDa moves troops into position to defend the starport and starts killing his own units

MarineKing flies away...he's landed his orbital command on the other side of the map and is mining with mules

MarineKing kills most of his own units, destroys NaDa's last supply depot, then builds an SCV

NaDa's army narrowly misses seeing MarineKing's orbital. MarineKing builds supply depots in a part of the map

MarineKing lands his barracks and starts making marines. NaDa moves to attack with his army.

NaDa's army forces MarineKing to lift his barracks again, shooting down one of them

MarineKing builds bunkers around his orbital command.

NaDa's army moves in to MarineKing's little base. He kills a bunker but his marines are almost dead. He goes instead and starts killing supply depots.

MarineKing pursues with his marines and wipes out NaDa's marines.

NaDa concedes

Totally insane game. Very interesting to see both players trying to adapt to an almost completely novel situation. You'd think NaDa's experience would come in handy, but MarineKing was the one who came up with a solution. I'm especially impressed with MarineKing's turn back on NaDa's army in the middle of the map, since without that bold move he surely would have gotten contained and lost.

Game 2 - Lost Temple

Close ground positions, MarineKing at 9 and NaDa at 12

MarineKing builds a second barracks on the edge of his base. The second barracks then floats to the low ground to avoid getting scouted.

Reaper for NaDa. MarineKing sends a ton of SCVs with his marine rush.

SCVs kill the reaper. That done there's nothing much to stop the marines.

MarineKing's marines cut through the SCVs, killing them all.

NaDa concedes

The opposite of game 1, I suppose. MarineKing has such a reputation for fast expand builds that it's tough to deal with a sudden marine rush.

Game 3 - Xel'Naga Caverns

Both players get quick command centers. NaDa's is actually slightly ahead and built at the expansion as well.

Second barracks and stim for MarineKing...then he cancels it and gets shields instead

Factory for NaDa, then later a factory for MarineKing as well

Starport for NaDa, stim now for MarineKing

Banshee and cloak for NaDa, starport for MarineKing

Three bunkers at NaDa's expansion, siege mode researching

Engineering bay for MarineKing as the first banshee arrives at his natural

MarineKing scans and kills the banshee after only 4 SCV kills

MarineKing's first group of marines is just outside NaDa's natural but waiting for reinforcements

The second banshee arrives at MarineKing's natural and forces him to pull back marines to deal with it

The banshee remains coy so MarineKing moves out again with his large marine army

Stim coming for NaDa, MarineKing mkaing two more barracks

MarineKing loads his dropships and drops the back of Nada's main, bypassing the bunkers

The marines shoot down NaDa's starport and engineering bay, then withdraw in their dropships

NaDa's second banshee pokes back into the main and is killed. MarineKing takes out the rocks at his gold.

NaDa has eight siege tanks and plenty of marines. MarineKing bypasses it and goes around to NaDa's expansion

MarineKing attacks NaDa's expansion but there are multiple bunkers and siege tanks there

Meanwhile NaDa moves into MarineKing's main and ravages the main

MarineKing shoots down NaDa's last command center and has built one at his natural fourth.

Once again NaDa has a superior army but MarineKing has the orbital command

NaDa builds a command center at MarineKing's old natural.

MarineKing builds starpots for banshees. Meanwhile NaDa shoots down the command center at his fourth

MarineKing has hidden supply depots all over the bottom of the map. Meanwhile he adds tech labs to his starports.

NaDa pushes toward MarineKing's last command center but MarineKing goes in with his marines and kills them

NaDa's floating barracks finds the starports. The first banshee is out, but no cloak yet.

The banshee immediately gets killed by NaDa's marines. MarineKing seems to abandon banshees and takes NaDa's gold instead.

While NaDa attacks the starports, MarineKing attacks his production facilities

NaDa pursues MarineKing's units but MarineKing turns and wipes out some of his forces

NaDa's tanks force MarineKing's orbital to lift, but meanwhile MarineKing takes down NaDa's barracks

MarineKing makes a viking and starts shooting the builds NaDa has floating in the upper left corner of the map

Meanwhile the two ground armies engage and MarineKing defeats NaDa's army

NaDa surrenders

Brilliant play by MarineKing. Once again he seemed like he was at a disadvantage when the elimination race began but he turned it around with clever maneuvering and superior small unit group micro.

Commentary: As I thought, MarineKing's micro was superior to NaDa's. Somehow MarineKing managed to find situations where he could turn this to his advantage. Instead of engaging NaDa's armies in games 1 and 3, he traded bases and then outfought NaDa with what was left over. And game 2 of course was a micro-intensive marine/SCV all-in. It's possible, as I think Tasteless suggested, that MarineKing's style means he plays these sort of matches much more frequently. That would explain why he seemed so much more effective than NaDa, but again I think a big part of it is the simple fact that MarineKing can find ways to win battles he shouldn't. NaDa moved his units around and attacked things, but MarineKing made dynamic moves with his stimmed marines to eke out advantages wherever he could.