The new year is here and with it, the first GSL tournament of 2011. GomTV has announced some updates and clarifications about the 2011 league structure, but we'll have to save those for another day because Group A matches happened on the morning of January 2. To review, Group A is:
| Player | | Code S Rank | 2010 Results |
|---|
| IMNesTea | Z | #2 | ro64, Champion, ro8 |
| MakaPrimeWE | T | #10 | ro8, ro32, ro16 |
| PoltPrimeWE | T | #23 | ro32, ro64, ro16 |
| TheBestfOu | T | #29 | DNQ, ro64, ro16 |
The structure for the round of 32 is single game round robin...sort of. Actually, it's not a full round robin. Basically, it's a "first to two wins advances, first to two losses is out" system. Players are matched up initially by seed, then based on the previous game's results. Under this system usually only 5 games are needed but occasionally more might be required.
The top two players when the dust settles move on to the round of 16 and another group stage. The bottom two players will have to fight for their Code S positions in the relegation tournament. Although both will be in danger, the third place finisher will have a much better chance, so there should always be incentive to fight even after being assured of elimination from the main tournament.
GomTV released all the group A action as
a single VOD, though of course it is split out by game the way match VODs were in the 2010 tournaments. Note the first match also includes the pyrotechnics-heavy stage introduction of all 32 Code S players and a short interview with Blizzard balance designer David Kim. Match three begins with an amusing set of predictions from the Korean commentators (with some English subtitles, ala "Bad boy image of EGIdrA is an issue!") as well as thoroughly subtitled interviews with all four Group A players. Match four opens with a mostly incomprehensible humor sketch.
IMNesTea (Z) vs PoltPrime (T) on Blistering Sands
Match Rating: 5/10
Click for match play by play
Hatch first for NesTea, barracks at the ramp for Polt
Polt sends two SCVs to NesTea's expansion and puts a bunker at the chokepoint
Drones come out for NesTea and force Polt to cancel
Command center on 21 for Polt, who wasn't seriously pressuring
Zergling speed for NesTea, factory and two gas for Polt
Command center lands at Polt's expansion, siege tank and siege mode coming
Baneling nest coming for NesTea, who also clears the rocks at the gold
Stim for Polt, spire for NesTea then baneling speed
The zerglings start working on Polt's rocks, spotted by a patrolling marine
They move back to Polt's expansion, but he has a bunker, supply depot wall, and plenty of marines so they settle for a contain
NesTea takes the gold base, starport coming for Polt
Mutalisks coming for NesTea, turrets going up in Polt's base
The mutalisks pick off the patrolling marine, then get repelled by the turrets
Zerglings go back to working on the rocks, but have to pull back as Polt moves his marine//tank army out some distance from his base
Polt continues toward the gold base, NesTea makes about twenty banelings
Five siege tanks on the high ground above the gold base, small groups of marines move down to skirmish with defenders under cover of the tank fire
Initially the fighting is inconclusive, but Polt reinforces and manages to get a siege tank on the low ground
NesTea attacks the marines with mutalisks while flanking with banelings
Polt kills most of the mutalisks and has a few tanks left once the banelings are gone, but the next ground of zerglings are able to clean up
NesTea counterattacks with a large group of zerglings through the rocks and into Polt's main base, but tanks and marines push them out
Polt has a command center floated to his gold but zerglings kill the turrets being built there, preventing it from landing
Marines try to drive them out but get surrounded by a larger force and only barely make it back to base
NesTea goes down to the gold again and the mutalisks pick off the command center
Almost certain to win, NesTea expands two more times and makes 40 banelings to go with his twenty mutalisks
NesTea's army plows into Polt's base and occupy the area around the production buildings
Polt concedes
Not a bad timing attack from Polt, really. The geography around the gold base is difficult for zerg to defend. But while Polt got there quickly, he attacked too cautiously and let NesTea stall for time and muster enough units from his three bases to rout Polt's two base army.
MakaPrimeWE (T) vs TheBestfOu (T) on Metalopolis
Match Rating: 6/10
Click for match play by play
Close ground positions, Maka at 6 and TheBest at 3
Standard openings for both players
Maka gets a command center on 19, TheBest getting a factory
Three more barracks for Maka, hellion coming for TheBest
The hellion goes down with a marine escort and picks off several of Maka's marines that were outside the wall-off
TheBest moves up to the top of the ramp and fight the defenders
Massive marine losses for Maka before he can repel it, reinforcing hellions and marines end up in a contain position
The hellions do more damage in another skirmish, but TheBest is switching into cloaked banshees
Turrets going up for Maka, and he pushes the hellions out of his expansion with his marines
The first banshee arrives but gets killed almost immediately by a scan, turret completes at Maka's expansion so it's nearly secure
Maka counters with a large marine force to TheBest who still doesn't have a second command center
Maka tries to push up the ramp with his marines and some SCVs but a tank sieges just as he does, forcing him back
A banshee harasses the retreating marines and forces two scans
TheBest pulls his SCVs and moves in with marines and three siege tanks
He sieges in range of the command center and then puts his infantry as a screen in front of the tanks
Maka only has marines and TheBest has a dropship to spot the high ground
Maka is forced to lift his expansion command center, but marines snipe it
Maka manages to put together a clever flank with some marines while attacking down his ramp, but TheBest's position is too good and he wins the battle fairly easily
Maka concedes
He won't win any awards for his banshee play this game, but TheBest's one base hellions with tank followup countered Maka's marine-only strategy perfectly.
Match 1 winner vs Match 2 loser
Match Rating: 7/10
Click for match play by play
IMNesTea (Z) vs. MakaPrimeWE (T) on Blistering Sands
Wall in at the bottom of his ramp for Maka, pool first this time for NesTea
Second barracks for Maka near his watchtower, missed by the scouting overlord
Zergling speed coming for NesTea
Maka pressures with a few marines and an SCV, but NesTea didn't expand until about 21 so he has more than enough zerglings for now
Command center coming now for Maka behind his marine pressure, zerglings begin working on Maka's rocks
Maka walls off his natural choke with two barracks and a bunker and chases the zerglings away from his rocks
Starport and stim coming for Maka, lair for NesTea
Baneling nest and roach warren for NesTea, dropships and tanks being built by Maka
Baneling speed for NesTea, siege mode for Maka
NesTea works on the gold rocks with his zerglings but Maka comes in with a dropship full of marines and forces NesTea to pull back
NesTea has 11 banelings and follows the dropship with roaches, forcing it to withdraw
The roaches move to Maka's rocks, then when Maka sieges tanks above it he switches to the chokepoint
Roaches and banelings smash through the bunker and move into Maka's main, but siege tanks clean it up pretty easily without taking serious damage
Spire coming for NesTea, Maka getting a second factory and sticking with marine/tank
The dropship moves around the Zerg base, NesTea takes out his own rocks to improve his mobility
The dropship tries to force NesTea to cancel his third at the gold, but zerglings for a retreat
Mutalisks are out and clean up the medivac
Maka tries to float a command center to his regular third but mutalisks spot it and force it to pull back
NesTea adds some spine crawlers to defend the gold base while he pumps mutalisks and upgrades their attack
Thor coming for Maka to answer the mutalisks, his infantry manages to escort the command center to the non-gold expansion
NesTea goes up the back ramp into Maka's main with zerglings and mutalisks, picking off a turret, some tanks, and the thor before marines force him to withdraw
NesTea lost a number of mutalisks but quickly builds back up to 23 afterward, he takes his fourth as well
31 banelings as well for NesTea, there's enough mutalisks that they can clean up missile turrets if there are no marines to help defend
The mutalisks outmaneuver Maka's large marine ball and continue harassing, doing things like taking out an extractor at Maka's third
20 mutalisks, almost 50 banelings now for NesTea
The mutalisks actually pick off the command center at Maka's natural before Maka's marines can arrive to defend
91 banelings now for NesTea, who is maxed.
The mutalisks pick off a thor and delay Maka's attempt to take the gold
NesTea building an enormous reserve...almost 6000 minerals and 1000 gas
Finally the enormous baneling army moves in through the back door into Maka's main
Humorously the buildings aren't really worth killing, so the banelings head back and kill a thor and some stray infantry
NesTea replacing with zerglings using his mineral reserve, streaming them into Maka's base
The last mutalisks all die, 11 ultralisks coming to replace them
The ultralisks smash through what's left of Maka's army, all he has left are two thors and a bunch of vikings Maka made after scanning the greater spire
Maka's main and natural are eliminated, but of course Maka is only mining from the gold and his fourth
Four ultralisks kill Maka's command center at the gold before he even lifts it
Maka down to a single base attacked on all sides by ultralisks and zergling
Maka concedes
Maka seemed off balance right from the beginning when he tried to do an early two barracks pressure but NesTea had gone pool first. He never seriously threatened NesTea throughout the game. Down 0-2, Maka is on the brink of elimination from the tournament.
Match 2 winner vs Match 1 loser
Match Rating: 3/10
Click for match play by play
TheBestfoU (T) vs PoltPrimeWE (T) on X'elNaga Caverns
Standard openings for both players, though TheBest gets a reactor
Tech lab and starport for both players, TheBest's is slightly ahead
Siege tank coming for Polt, raven for TheBest
Cloaked banshees on the way for Polt, TheBest making tanks now and switching to dropships from the starport
Siege mode coming for TheBest, first banshee is almost into his base
The raven is in the middle of the map with TheBest's army, so he lets the viking pick off the banshee and continues
TheBest keeps going and moves up the ramp, but siege mode finishes for Polt and he deflects the attack
Meanwhile, the viking didn't actually pick off that banshee due to cloak. TheBest basically has no SCVs. Interesting.
The counter arrives from Polt: three tanks, two cloaked banshees, and about ten marines
Polt sacrifices the banshees to take out TheBest's defending siege tanks, then moves in with his surviving forces
TheBest concedes
Very surprising mistakes from TheBest. His build seemed designed to counter the cloaked banshees, then...he just didn't. Ouch. A good result for Maka, who is still alive in Group A, though he would need help from NesTea.
Deciding Game(s)
Match Rating: 5/10
Click for match play by play
PoltPrimeWE (T) vs. TheBestfOu (T) on Metalopolis, winner advances and loser is eliminated
Close ground positions, TheBest at 9 and Polt at 12
Standard openings for both players, both head into starport
TheBest pressures early with marines, a hellion, and an SCV to repair the hellion
All of Polt's defending marines die, he's forced to pull SCVs until he gets a tank out to clean up the hellion
Raven coming for TheBest, medivac and tank being built for Polt
Viking now for TheBest, Polt moves out with two tanks and three marines and sieges up at the bottom of TheBest's ramp
The medivac is able to spot for the tank and TheBest doesn't have siege mode yet
TheBest's viking cleans up the medivac and allows the rest of his units to clear away Polt's army
Polt adds two barracks and gets a viking of his own, banshee coming for TheBest
TheBest pushes out with two tanks, about eight marines, and a viking and raven
He sets up outside Polt's low ground since Polt's tanks are all on the high ground
Point defense drone allows the TheBest's banshee to take out a siege tank
TheBest sieges up at the natural, Polt has three vikings and cleans up TheBest's banshee
TheBest expanding behind his contain while Polt tries to inch a tank down his ramp
TheBest scans and kills the tank, Polt drops marines and tanks on the low ground
Polt manages to pick off one of TheBest's siege tanks with his low ground forces
TheBest regains air superiority with a few vikings and just the threat of point defense drone, his expansion is up
Polt moves down his ramp with SCVs, marines, and tanks. There's enough marines to clean up the contain.
Polt now counters with three tanks and about 15 marines, but sieged tanks at TheBest's natural repel easily
Polt tries to set up a position on the high ground above the natural, but TheBest pushes him back
The two base advantage is kicking in for TheBest, who is almost double Polt's supply
Polt floats a command center to his expansion but TheBest is on the high ground
TheBest withdraws and goes around to elevator his tanks into Polt's main
Polt's units respond and manage to clean it up, though TheBest probably came out ahead despite Artosis' complaints
TheBest ahead by about 12 supply, but he has double the SCVs
TheBest moves back to the high ground between bases. He has air superiority with vikings, but Polt has a large number of marauders
Polt stims and charges TheBest's natural, but TheBest's tanks are sieged and he lands vikings around Polt's tanks
TheBest counters to Polt's natural and manages to clean up his infantry around the natural
Polt is forced to lift his natural command center and TheBest moves up into Polt's main
Polt surrenders
Somewhat sloppy game, although Artosis' never-attack theory of Terran tank fighting strikes me as overly cautious. Polt is eliminated and thanks to Gom's weird approach to round robin that's it for today.
Group A Results and Commentary
Click for results, standings, and commentary
Results
IMNesTea (1-0) defeats PoltPrimeWE (0-1)
TheBestfOu (1-0) defeats MakaPrimeWE (0-1)
IMNesTea (2-0) defeats MakaPrimeWE (0-2) [NesTea advances, Maka eliminated]
PoltPrimeWE (1-1) defeats TheBestfOu (1-1)
TheBestfOu (2-1) defeats PoltPrimeWE (1-2) [TheBest advances, Polt eliminated]
Standings
1. IMNesTEa
2. TheBestfoU
3. PoltPrimeWE
4. MakaPrimeWE
Commentary
Disappointing day for Prime as both their players got eliminated from the tournament. While Maka isn't bad, he seems to have slipped a long way from the days of the beta, and now he's going to have a do-or-die game to avoid relegation. NesTea looks as strong as ever and is clearly a contender to win the whole tournament. TheBest played decently but will have to step up his game to get through the round of 16 group stage.
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