This is the first group of the round of 16. Like all the groups not called Group B it's full of dangerous players:
| Player | | Code S Rank | GSL4 | 2010 Results |
|---|
| IMNesTea | Z | #2 | W PoltPrimeWE
W MakaPrimeWE | ro64, Champion, ro8 |
| SlayerSBoxeR | T | #9 | W oGsHyperdub
W oGsTheWind | DNQ, ro4, ro32 |
| oGsZenio | Z | T-#14 | W oGsjookTo
W TSLFruitDealer
L IMmvp | ro32, ro8, ro64 |
| TSLTrickster (sSKS) | P | #19 | W ZeNEXKyrix
L choyafOu
W TSLRain | ro8, DNQ, DNQ |
If you're any kind of GSL fan, IMNesTea needs no introduction. He has to be considered the best Zerg player in the world until he goes on a losing streak or one of the other top Zergs like TSLFruitDealer can prove they belong in the conversation again.
I thought SlayerSBoxeR was a little overrated in earlier tournaments, since for all his impressive micro and battle tactics his overall game sense and macro seemed a little weaker than the other top players. In his two games so far in GSL 4 he looks to have improved in these areas, but he's going to have to prove it now against a better set of players, including IMNesTea who defeated him 4-0 in the GSL 2 semifinals.
oGsZenio has something of a reputation as a ZvZ player, but to be honest I think that's just because he beat EGIdrA in GSL 2. IdrA is good, but Zenio is facing a monster in IMNesTea today, a monster who knocked him out of GSL 2, in fact.
TSLTrickster (AKA sSKS, AKA Tester) has a lot to prove given his great reputation and poor results in past tournaments. He beat some good players in the round of 32 but he can dispel any lingering doubts by getting through this tough group today.
This time GomTV provides Korean-commentated highlights of each player. In the
group A VOD, as is standard by now, the game 2 player highlights are at the end of game 1.
IMNesTea (Z) vs. oGsZenio (Z) on Xel'Naga Caverns
Match Rating: 6/10
Click for match play by play
Pool first for Zenio, hatch first for NesTea
Zergling speed for Zenio, roach warren for NesTea
Zergling speed for NesTea, whose natural is getting extremely minor harassment from Zenio's zerglings
Baneling nest back home for Zenio, NesTea's first group of roaches are almost out
Three banelings just outside the natural for Zenio, but he has to cancel when NesTea's roaches step out of the natural
Zenio's zerglings loop around back to the natural, but the roaches just ignore them and go up to Zenio's expansion
The roaches catch some banelings morphing and take some potshots, but the banelings hatch and zerglings surround and kill the roaches
NesTea loses another roach to a surround but he runs his zerglings by and manages to assassinate the queen in Zenio's main
Zenio is ahead in supply but of course he lost the queen. Roach warren out for Zenio as well now.
NesTea pressures with a larger group of zerglings than Zenio has, but Zenio has two banelings
One baneling hits zerglings, the other doesn't. With still a slight advantage, NesTea's zerglings and a few roaches do a lot of damage to the natural
With a spine crawler and a few roach reinforcements Zenio stabilizes, but he lost the queen at his natural as well as quite a few drones
NesTea does some minor harassment with a few zerglings, Zenio getting lair
Zenio hits NesTea's expansion and there's only a few roaches there to defend, but he gets driven off
NesTea has been stockpiling roaches in his main. He moves out with an army of at least 20 and slams into Zenio's natural
Zenio's roaches are far inferior in numbers. They try to fight under the spine crawler but it goes down quickly.
NesTea's probably got the battle won regardless but reinforcing zerglings make it a fait accompli
Zenio concedes
NesTea's play is beautiful but he looks so secure the whole game the spectator value suffers. Zenio never looked threatening.
SlayerSBoxeR (T) vs. TSLTrickster (P) on Shakuras Plateau
Match Rating: 7/10
Click for match play by play
Lower positions, BoxeR at 4 and Trickster at 6
BoxeR walls in on the low ground but when Trickster's fast scout harasses the SCV building the barracks it sneaks into the main over a lowered depot
As the probe saw, BoxeR didn't take any gas, and sure enough he gets a command center up around 25 supply
Two barracks now for BoxeR. Trickster's opening is still standard so far.
Nexus for Trickster at 30 supply. BoxeR puts a bunker at his natural.
BoxeR scouts the nexus and starts an engineering bay. Trickster is up to four warpgates.
Twilight council now for Trickster, BoxeR already building a turret
Dark shrine now for Trickster, factory for BoxeR and three more bunkers
Stim as well for BoxeR, who looks very secure with four bunkers and a turret at his natural
Starport and three more barracks for BoxeR, robotics and forge for Trickster
Two DTs warp in. The first dies instantly thanks to the turret while the other sits at BoxeR's probable third.
Robotics bay for Trickster, who also warps a pylon in on the low ground underneath BoxeR's main
Ghost academy and some more turrets for BoxeR, extra warpgates and thermal lance for BoxeR
A DT gets warped in the main, drives off most SCVs, kills the ones who don't flee
BoxeR making his third as well as a nuke (!) at the ghost academy
BoxeR scans and kills the DT after 9 SCV kills
More DTs being warped in. One destroys the reactor on the starport, others continue to cause havoc.
Colossus coming for Trickster as well as blink
BoxeR moves out with a large group of four medivacs almost completely full
BoxeR drops, scares away the probes, nukes the probable line of engagement
After taking a ton of DT damage finally BoxeR cleans up the pylon that was allowing them to warp into his base
The drop doesn't end up doing a huge amount of damage (though it does kill the forge in the middle of an ugprade) but the whole force escapes unhurt
Armory coming for BoxeR and another nuke
BoxeR making vikings but he doesn't have very many yet
The two armies skirmish in the center of the map, but Trickster has 3 colossus so his army is basically invincible
BoxeR drops some marauders at Trickster's third while his army is occupied and snipes the third nexus, killing it with practically the last shot before they die
Trickster heads toward BoxeR's third with his massive army
BoxeR attacks from two sides and EMPs, but there are four colossus and not many vikings
When the smoke clears, three colossus are left (but wounded) and only about five stalkers
Reinforcements arrive for both players, but the few vikings pick off the colossus one by one and marauders pursue the retreating stalkers
Trickster stars a nexus at his fourth, BoxeR starts a command center at his fourth but a DT kills the SCV and forces a cancel
BoxeR deals with the DT and starts his fourth again, then sends a dropship on to Trickster's fourth
Trickster has plenty of stalkers there to defend so BoxeR's one dropship tries to withdraw, but it gets shot down
Trickster is sending a DT through the rocks, but BoxeR is building a turret on his side
Trickster starts a fifth and gets zealot legs. He's still making colossus. BoxeR making a lot of vikings.
The two armies begin jockeying for position in the center of the map. Templar archives coming for Trickster.
The vikings take out a free colossus as the two armies dance around each other
When the actual battle begins, Trickster has excellent position and crushes the infantry
Blink stalkers kill the vikings and retreating dropships
Trickster still has three colossus and about two dozen stalkers. BoxeR doesn't have a lot to defend.
Trickster moves toward the production buildings with only small groups of infantry to oppose his army
BoxeR concedes
For a while BoxeR gave as good as he got, but in the end Trickster's expansion timing, map control, and army management proved superior in the long haul.
Match 1 winner vs Match 2 loser
Match Rating: 7/10
Click for match play by play
IMNesTea (Z) vs. SlayerSBoxeR (T) on Shakuras Plateau
Cross positions, BoxeR at 2 and NesTea at 7
BoxeR builds his first barracks behind the grass at the top watchtower
Second barracks there as well. Pool first for NesTea
Zergling speed for NesTea, who hasn't sent out a scouting drone
Hatchery on 19 for NesTea, BoxeR coming with a bunch of marines and an SCV
He pauses to kill an overlord caught in the middle of the map
Now BoxeR floats his barracks even closer and goes to create a four barracks wall with two more
Just moments before the last barracks land, NesTea sends a bunch of zerglings underneath
It's enough zerglings to kill the marines...
Boxer surrenders
Artosis and Tasteless look like someone just kicked their puppy after seeing BoxeR's genius strategy come about a second away from working. I have to say I feel the same way. But credit to NesTea for playing aggressively with his speedlings and catching on to what was happening despite losing that initial overlord.
Match 2 winner vs Match 1 loser
Match Rating: 7/10
Click for match play by play
oGsZenio (Z) vs. TSLTrickster (P) on Lost Temple
Close air positions, Zenio at 9 and Trickster at 6
A probe spots the scouting overlord. Trickster goes pylon then forge at the natural's chokepoint.
Zenio patrols a drone at the bottom of the ramp. Trickster warps in a pylon at the natural, then adds a cannon to his choke.
Zenio gets both gasses and starts attacking the pylon with a drone and his initial zerglings
Trickster already is warping in his nexus and adding another cannon
Lair for Zenio now. Artosis swears he's going nydus.
Zenio tries to get Artosis fired and gets a spire instead. Trickster adding more gateways...he's up to six.
Trickster already warping stalkers outside his base. Mutalisks and zergling speed coming for Zenio, but only 4 mutalisks so far.
Zerglings and mutalisks hold off the initial wave
More stalkers are warped in from a proxy pylon but they get swamped by zerglings.
Only two mutalisks survived and they head to Trickster's main
Joined by two more, they harass a pylon, then dart into the mineral line and kill probes
Zenio is getting his third while all this is happening.
Stalkers initially drive the few mutalisks, but an enormous number of mutalisks arrive to reinforce and there's not many stalkers
Trickster concedes
Truly, no one is good enough to handle the curse of Artosis hype. Trickster got the Clide treatment and got a Clide result. Clever build by Zenio, especially if it was a reaction to Trickster's forge opening.
Deciding Game(s)
Match Rating: 7/10
Click for match play by play
oGsZenio (Z) vs. TSLTrickster (P) to decide who advances and who is eliminated
Close ground positions, Zenio at 12 and Trickster at 9
Trickster goes pylon and forge at the low ground again and he has a probe hidden in Zenio's main
The probe darts out and swoops in to put a pylon at the ramp, but a drone miraculously is there and blocks it
The two workers fight briefly, then suddenly Trickster gets an opening and plants two pylons
Now comes the cannon behind it. Trickster puts two as the drones harass the pylon, but when they fail he cancels the second one.
Spine crawler and macro hatch for Zenio, gateway, then cannon and nexus for Trickster
Trickster sneaks a probe into Zenio's main, scouts, then kills it with the cannon before Zenio's units do
With the spine crawler in position on the high ground, the pylons go down
Zergling speed and baneling nest coming for Zenio, who uses only two zerglings to kill the now-unpowered cannon
Zenio moves out with a huge number of zerglings. Trickster has four cannons and two sentries. Total.
Zenio makes 12 banelings and still has plenty of zerglings left over.
The banelings move in and kill the forge, but force fields block the zerglings
A few zerglings slip in and kill many of the sentries but most are shot down by the banelings
Trickster warps in more sentries. The second wave kills a huge number of probes, reducing the count down to 30.
Trickster has a ton of warpgates however and is warping in zealots now in addition to sentries
Zenio surrenders
Valiant effort from Zenio. The patch that would have prevented the two pylon wall-in just didn't make it to Korea in time for poor Zenio. But Zergs have been dealing with these pylon wall-ins for quite a long time at this point, so it's still a fair result.
Group A Results and Commentary
Click for results, standings, and commentary
Results
IMNesTea (1-0) defeats oGsZenio (0-1)
TSLTrickster (1-0) defeats SlayerSBoxeR (0-1)
IMNesTea (2-0) defeats SlayerSBoxeR (0-2) [NesTea advances, BoxeR eliminated]
oGsZenio (1-1) defeats TSLTrickster (1-1)
TSLTrickster (2-1) defeats oGsZenio (1-2) [Trickster advances, Zenio eliminated]
Standings
1. IMNesTea
2. TSLTrickster
3. oGsZenio
4. SlayerSBoxeR
Commentary
Surprisingly short games today but full of quality play and innovative strategies. IMNesTea looked a cut above everyone else, pretty much as I expected. SlayerSBoxeR looked like he was just the slightest cut below, which I didn't expect, but his brilliant Shakuras strategy was still very impressive despite, er, not working. Zenio had a tough day, getting eliminated after losing two very tight games to NesTea and Trickster. I said after his round 32 games that NesTea looked like a contender to win the tournament and that still is true. Despite Artosis' praise, Trickster doesn't look unstoppable and might even be in the bottom half of the quarterfinalists, but unlike other players who had a time in the wilderness after GSL 1 like oGsTOP, ZeNEXLiveForever, etc. he doesn't look rusty in the slightest.
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