Table of Contents
Only Four Remain
Intro
oGs vs FXO
Match Results
StarTale vs HoSeo
Match Results
Check out the GSTL on Liquipedia
Only Four Remain
Last weekend the GSTL shrunk down to just four teams. Four teams competing for trips abroad to the first foreign-located finals, in what GOM seems to think will be a glamorous vacation if the promos are any indication. Mr Chae's twitter is hinting at dreams of k-pop, at the very least.
With not much time left it makes sense that the teams bring their “A” game and plow forward with as much force as possible. Looking through the game list, however, one will note that there were still a few surprises last week, showing that in a best-of-9 contest even the strongest of teams have a few wild cards they're willing, or required, to show.
See who played and how they did, see how things have been running and what you can expect in the coming days of play.
Old Generations
FXOpen
Game One – oGsInCa vs FXO_Choya – 3/5
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Calm Before the Storm
Choya opens with 2 gates an an expansion in the back while InCa starts the game by attempting to proxy a robotics and apply 4 gate pressure as well. Choya sees the hidden robo and forces a cancel, and InCa responsd with an expansion.
The mid game starts unfolding normally, until Choya decides to proxy 2 stargates on the bottom of the map near InCa's expansion. They go undetected for a long time, and when Choya finally moves in with them he has nearly a dozen phoenixes and kills a huge number of probes at InCa's expansion as well as sniping 2 colossus. Choya moves into colossus production of his own while InCa moves out for a counter.
His sans-colossus army is unable to do any damage and Choya continues to be annoying with phoenixes while taking a third. InCa grabs a third as well but when their armies finally meet, Choya has the superior colossus numbers and wipes him out.
Winner: FXO_Choya
Old Generations (0 – 1) FXOpen
Choya opens with 2 gates an an expansion in the back while InCa starts the game by attempting to proxy a robotics and apply 4 gate pressure as well. Choya sees the hidden robo and forces a cancel, and InCa responsd with an expansion.
The mid game starts unfolding normally, until Choya decides to proxy 2 stargates on the bottom of the map near InCa's expansion. They go undetected for a long time, and when Choya finally moves in with them he has nearly a dozen phoenixes and kills a huge number of probes at InCa's expansion as well as sniping 2 colossus. Choya moves into colossus production of his own while InCa moves out for a counter.
His sans-colossus army is unable to do any damage and Choya continues to be annoying with phoenixes while taking a third. InCa grabs a third as well but when their armies finally meet, Choya has the superior colossus numbers and wipes him out.
Winner: FXO_Choya
Old Generations (0 – 1) FXOpen
Game Two – 2.5/5
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oGsFin vs FXO_Choya – Belshire Beach
The game starts normal enough, nexus after gateway and command center after barracks. Choya warps in an early twilight counsel after, and dark shrine as soon as he can while adding in a robotics bay shortly after, while Fin gets a factory after an additional 2 barracks.
Choya's DT drop goes into the main where Fin has no turrets, and does more than enough damage by killing a handful of workers, a reactor, a tech lab, and a few marines. Expanding behind it, Choya adds colossus to his army and looks to press his advantage with double upgrades.
After cleaning up, Fin moves out into the map with a pair of medivacs and his army, and is able to kill the third immediately after it warps in as well as sniping a colossus. Adding in vikings and starting his own upgrades, the two dance around the center of the map while growing their armies.
The final engagement comes in the center when Fin moves vikings in to get a few shots on colossus. It triggers an attack from Choya, but his 2-2 is a small bit from finishing and his army melts to the greater marine-marauder army of Fin. He GGs shortly after.
Winner: oGsFin
Old Generations (1 – 1) FXOpen
The game starts normal enough, nexus after gateway and command center after barracks. Choya warps in an early twilight counsel after, and dark shrine as soon as he can while adding in a robotics bay shortly after, while Fin gets a factory after an additional 2 barracks.
Choya's DT drop goes into the main where Fin has no turrets, and does more than enough damage by killing a handful of workers, a reactor, a tech lab, and a few marines. Expanding behind it, Choya adds colossus to his army and looks to press his advantage with double upgrades.
After cleaning up, Fin moves out into the map with a pair of medivacs and his army, and is able to kill the third immediately after it warps in as well as sniping a colossus. Adding in vikings and starting his own upgrades, the two dance around the center of the map while growing their armies.
The final engagement comes in the center when Fin moves vikings in to get a few shots on colossus. It triggers an attack from Choya, but his 2-2 is a small bit from finishing and his army melts to the greater marine-marauder army of Fin. He GGs shortly after.
Winner: oGsFin
Old Generations (1 – 1) FXOpen
Game Three – 1/5
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oGsFin vs FXO_GuMiHo – Entombed Valley
GuMiHo opens with gas first, aiming to get a quick factory, but Fin spots it when his SCV walks past the first marine. Fin makes a reactor with his barracks, and begins on hellion production when his factory is finished.
They both add starports, with GuMiHo getting a banshee first and Fin making a viking. The first banshee is repelled easily, and Fin amasses a handful of hellions.
When he walks them across the map he finds that GuMiHo has elected to expand with no bunker, and the hellions kills his army, and then his workers, while vikings take care of the banshee. GuMiHo never sees his expansion finish.
Winner: oGsFin
Old Generations (2 – 1) FXOpen
GuMiHo opens with gas first, aiming to get a quick factory, but Fin spots it when his SCV walks past the first marine. Fin makes a reactor with his barracks, and begins on hellion production when his factory is finished.
They both add starports, with GuMiHo getting a banshee first and Fin making a viking. The first banshee is repelled easily, and Fin amasses a handful of hellions.
When he walks them across the map he finds that GuMiHo has elected to expand with no bunker, and the hellions kills his army, and then his workers, while vikings take care of the banshee. GuMiHo never sees his expansion finish.
Winner: oGsFin
Old Generations (2 – 1) FXOpen
Game Four – 3/5
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oGsFin vs FXO_Lucky – Cloud Kingdom
Fin starts the game by making 2 barracks, one of which Lucky does not see, and constructing a bunker at Lucky's natural far out of range of the hatchery. Lucky is late on attacking it an the bunker goes up easily, and when Fin starts a second that can attack the natural they enter a long drawn out battle. Lucky stops it before he dies, but falls behind from having to make so many lings.
After taking his natural, Fin follows it up with a marine and tank timing attack before stim. He engages poorly twice, first against spines and later against pure lings, and loses his tanks. Lucky buys just enough time to get banelings and trades favorably a third time, and they both safely get up a third base.
Lucky moves on to infestor-ling production while upgrading from 2 evolution chambers, while Fin tries to stop him by harassing. Lucky responds to him well and catches all the drops with infestors before they do any damage.
Fin moves out again to stop Lucky's fourth base from going online, but a well timed flank from Lucky demolishes the marine and tank army once again. From here Lucky simply has to stop one more split push from Fin before he gives up and calls GG.
Winner: FXO_Lucky
Old Generations (2 – 2) FXOpen
Fin starts the game by making 2 barracks, one of which Lucky does not see, and constructing a bunker at Lucky's natural far out of range of the hatchery. Lucky is late on attacking it an the bunker goes up easily, and when Fin starts a second that can attack the natural they enter a long drawn out battle. Lucky stops it before he dies, but falls behind from having to make so many lings.
After taking his natural, Fin follows it up with a marine and tank timing attack before stim. He engages poorly twice, first against spines and later against pure lings, and loses his tanks. Lucky buys just enough time to get banelings and trades favorably a third time, and they both safely get up a third base.
Lucky moves on to infestor-ling production while upgrading from 2 evolution chambers, while Fin tries to stop him by harassing. Lucky responds to him well and catches all the drops with infestors before they do any damage.
Fin moves out again to stop Lucky's fourth base from going online, but a well timed flank from Lucky demolishes the marine and tank army once again. From here Lucky simply has to stop one more split push from Fin before he gives up and calls GG.
Winner: FXO_Lucky
Old Generations (2 – 2) FXOpen
Game Five – 1.5/5
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oGsJookTo vs FXO_Lucky – Dual Sight
Both make hatcheries first, and transition into ling-baneling battles normally from there. JookTo ramps up to 4 gas quickly and makes a liar, looking ready for a spire later, but Lucky stops that plan when he makes a lot more lings and banelings and attacks the front. A pair of banelings find their way into JookTo's main after he runs all his drones there, and detonate on a clumped up pile, killing 15.
A second again from Lucky is more of the same, and from there he takes a third while both players transition to roaches. JookTo moves to infestors after his first emergency attack is thwarted easily, and takes a third as well, but is far too behind for it to matter. Lucky amasses roaches and hydras and plows through a few good fungals to win.
Winner: FXO_Lucky
Old Generations (2 – 3) FXOpen
Both make hatcheries first, and transition into ling-baneling battles normally from there. JookTo ramps up to 4 gas quickly and makes a liar, looking ready for a spire later, but Lucky stops that plan when he makes a lot more lings and banelings and attacks the front. A pair of banelings find their way into JookTo's main after he runs all his drones there, and detonate on a clumped up pile, killing 15.
A second again from Lucky is more of the same, and from there he takes a third while both players transition to roaches. JookTo moves to infestors after his first emergency attack is thwarted easily, and takes a third as well, but is far too behind for it to matter. Lucky amasses roaches and hydras and plows through a few good fungals to win.
Winner: FXO_Lucky
Old Generations (2 – 3) FXOpen
Game Six – 3/5
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oGsSuperNova vs FXO_Lucky – Antiga Shipyard
The game opens about as poorly as possible for SuperNova. He opens reactor hellion into cloak banshee, his hellions are stopped easily by lings and his cloak is spotted while Lucky takes a fast thrid. Even so, the first banshees do their best to help and they buy a bit of time for him to take his own third.
Lucky puts pressure on SuperNova's third with lings and banelings, which looks promising until he runs all his banelings through sieged tank fire and loses them for nothing. The game moves to more normal Antiga play, lings and infestors while SuperNova amasses medivacs, marines, and tanks.
Lucky takes the center base and tries to take control of the map. He runs lings and infestors into SuperNova's sieged up position and routinely trades unfavorably. SuperNova takes his own fourth in the center, and begins to creep across the map.
Lucky opts for ultras over broodlords, and the game moves to a phase wher Zerg repeatedly rams his head against a maxed out Terran army, trading but poorly each time. After a number of iterations of this happening and Lucky controlling his army less-than-optimally, he finally runs out of steam against SuperNova's still largely intact army and the game ends.
Winner: oGsSuperNova
Old Generations (3 – 3) SuperNova
The game opens about as poorly as possible for SuperNova. He opens reactor hellion into cloak banshee, his hellions are stopped easily by lings and his cloak is spotted while Lucky takes a fast thrid. Even so, the first banshees do their best to help and they buy a bit of time for him to take his own third.
Lucky puts pressure on SuperNova's third with lings and banelings, which looks promising until he runs all his banelings through sieged tank fire and loses them for nothing. The game moves to more normal Antiga play, lings and infestors while SuperNova amasses medivacs, marines, and tanks.
Lucky takes the center base and tries to take control of the map. He runs lings and infestors into SuperNova's sieged up position and routinely trades unfavorably. SuperNova takes his own fourth in the center, and begins to creep across the map.
Lucky opts for ultras over broodlords, and the game moves to a phase wher Zerg repeatedly rams his head against a maxed out Terran army, trading but poorly each time. After a number of iterations of this happening and Lucky controlling his army less-than-optimally, he finally runs out of steam against SuperNova's still largely intact army and the game ends.
Winner: oGsSuperNova
Old Generations (3 – 3) SuperNova
Game Seven – 2/5
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oGsSuperNova vs FXO_asd – Crossfire
The game starts with SuperNova getting a command center as he makes a banshee, while asd opens with what looks like a hellion drop. SuperNova runs home with his banshee after seeing a hellion in the center, neglecting to scout at all with it as tends to be normal.
When asd makes it to SuperNova's base he finds it sealed off, and sits in the front having accomplished nothing and not dropping. After SuperNova sets up his expansion, asd chooses to go all-in and push heavily off a single base. It appears SuperNova made quite the mistake by never poking his head into asd's base with his banshee, because he has no idea what is coming.
Asd is able to walk into SuperNova's natural and begin sieging the front with tanks. The battle is quite long but asd never looks in trouble, he leapfrogs his tanks towards SuperNova's main and constricts him to death bit by bit. No second base needed.
Winner: FXO_asd
Old Generations ( 3 – 4) FXOpen
The game starts with SuperNova getting a command center as he makes a banshee, while asd opens with what looks like a hellion drop. SuperNova runs home with his banshee after seeing a hellion in the center, neglecting to scout at all with it as tends to be normal.
When asd makes it to SuperNova's base he finds it sealed off, and sits in the front having accomplished nothing and not dropping. After SuperNova sets up his expansion, asd chooses to go all-in and push heavily off a single base. It appears SuperNova made quite the mistake by never poking his head into asd's base with his banshee, because he has no idea what is coming.
Asd is able to walk into SuperNova's natural and begin sieging the front with tanks. The battle is quite long but asd never looks in trouble, he leapfrogs his tanks towards SuperNova's main and constricts him to death bit by bit. No second base needed.
Winner: FXO_asd
Old Generations ( 3 – 4) FXOpen
Game Eight – 3.5/5
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Liquid`HerO vs FXO_asd – Daybreak
The game opens with asd making a hidden second barracks, while HerO cuts gas to make a nexus as soon as he can after a gateway. When asd spots it, he pulls SCVs and gets ready to assault the quick expansion, forcing HerO to cancel and wall off his ramp with pylons. HerO chases away the marines without losing anything due to some nice micro, and the game is on its way.
HerO goes on the offensive while waiting for his nexus to finish and causes a lift and some annoyance to asd, but he has 3 orbitals already and when he finally gets medivacs HerO has to run. HerO pressures the third after it lands with some zealots while keeping his main army roaming the center, and HerO keeps asd's army busy while he takes his own fourth and stops mining at the Terran third.
HerO simply presses his advantage repeatedly by attacking in multiple places and being annoying, and eventually has enough units to overpower asd.
Winner: Liquid`HerO
Old Generations (4 – 4) FXOpen
The game opens with asd making a hidden second barracks, while HerO cuts gas to make a nexus as soon as he can after a gateway. When asd spots it, he pulls SCVs and gets ready to assault the quick expansion, forcing HerO to cancel and wall off his ramp with pylons. HerO chases away the marines without losing anything due to some nice micro, and the game is on its way.
HerO goes on the offensive while waiting for his nexus to finish and causes a lift and some annoyance to asd, but he has 3 orbitals already and when he finally gets medivacs HerO has to run. HerO pressures the third after it lands with some zealots while keeping his main army roaming the center, and HerO keeps asd's army busy while he takes his own fourth and stops mining at the Terran third.
HerO simply presses his advantage repeatedly by attacking in multiple places and being annoying, and eventually has enough units to overpower asd.
Winner: Liquid`HerO
Old Generations (4 – 4) FXOpen
Game Nine – 3/5
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Liquid`HerO vs FXO_Leenock – Metropolis
The game opens normal as can be, quick 3 base from Zerg and Protoss forge-expanding into a stargate. Leenock spots the stargate quickly and the first 2 voidrays fail to do much, besides the obligatory forcing of spores. HerO turtles up and gets his third, while Leenock gets a fourth without much trouble.
Leenock switches into mutas from the normal roach early game, and starts a reign of terror on the workers at all of HerO's bases. As HerO is busy in his main he runs lings and roaches in to kill the third, and HerO begins to amass a phoenix force as well as get the phoenix range upgrade.
They play a mutlitasking battle where Leenock threatened the natural and third with ground forces while flying mutas around wherever he can, forcing the Protoss army to be everywhere at once. It continues for a while but Leenock slowly builds an advantage, controlling slightly better in several engagements and keeping the probe count down to a mimimum. When the nexus at the third finally falls again HerO has to give up and GG as Zerg units swarm over his army and base.
Winner: FXO_Leenock
Old Generations (4 – 5) FXOpen
The game opens normal as can be, quick 3 base from Zerg and Protoss forge-expanding into a stargate. Leenock spots the stargate quickly and the first 2 voidrays fail to do much, besides the obligatory forcing of spores. HerO turtles up and gets his third, while Leenock gets a fourth without much trouble.
Leenock switches into mutas from the normal roach early game, and starts a reign of terror on the workers at all of HerO's bases. As HerO is busy in his main he runs lings and roaches in to kill the third, and HerO begins to amass a phoenix force as well as get the phoenix range upgrade.
They play a mutlitasking battle where Leenock threatened the natural and third with ground forces while flying mutas around wherever he can, forcing the Protoss army to be everywhere at once. It continues for a while but Leenock slowly builds an advantage, controlling slightly better in several engagements and keeping the probe count down to a mimimum. When the nexus at the third finally falls again HerO has to give up and GG as Zerg units swarm over his army and base.
Winner: FXO_Leenock
Old Generations (4 – 5) FXOpen
Overall results
+ Show Spoiler +
InCa < Choya
Fin > Choya
Fin > GuMiHo
Fin < Lucky
JookTo < Lucky
SuperNova > Lucky
SuperNova < asd
HerO > asd
HerO < Leenock
Old Generations 4 – 5 FXOpen
Fin > Choya
Fin > GuMiHo
Fin < Lucky
JookTo < Lucky
SuperNova > Lucky
SuperNova < asd
HerO > asd
HerO < Leenock
Old Generations 4 – 5 FXOpen
StarTale
New Star HoSeo
Game One – ST_Curious vs NSH_flower – 2/5
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Belshire Beach
The newcomer, flower, starts the game by making a pool first and attacking with lings against a normal 14 hatch. He makes a baneling nest immediately after, and his first lings and banelings kill a handful of drones as well as 2 queens. Flower expands behind, and both players move into roach production.
Flower tries an attack but is stopped by a handful of spines at Curious' choke as well as his own compliment of roaches. Curious has started on upgrades earlier, and when they finish he moves out and easily overpowers flower.
Winner: ST_Curious
StarTale (1 – 0) HoSeo
The newcomer, flower, starts the game by making a pool first and attacking with lings against a normal 14 hatch. He makes a baneling nest immediately after, and his first lings and banelings kill a handful of drones as well as 2 queens. Flower expands behind, and both players move into roach production.
Flower tries an attack but is stopped by a handful of spines at Curious' choke as well as his own compliment of roaches. Curious has started on upgrades earlier, and when they finish he moves out and easily overpowers flower.
Winner: ST_Curious
StarTale (1 – 0) HoSeo
Game Two – 2.5/5
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ST_Curious vs NSH_Jjakji – Calm Before the Storm
The game opens passively and like many other TvZs on Calm Before the Storm, starts with a command center first and a hatchery. They play out passively through the midgame, Curious takes a third and fourth and renders a few drops harmless.
Eventually as Curious hits hive but before his endgame army has started, Jjakji pushes through the center with marines, marauders, and tanks while dropping the fourth. Curious doesn't have enough fungals to stop it, and his last ditch ultras run into tanks and marauders before they are able to stop the Terran force.
Winner: NSH_Jjakji
StarTale (1 – 1) HoSeo
The game opens passively and like many other TvZs on Calm Before the Storm, starts with a command center first and a hatchery. They play out passively through the midgame, Curious takes a third and fourth and renders a few drops harmless.
Eventually as Curious hits hive but before his endgame army has started, Jjakji pushes through the center with marines, marauders, and tanks while dropping the fourth. Curious doesn't have enough fungals to stop it, and his last ditch ultras run into tanks and marauders before they are able to stop the Terran force.
Winner: NSH_Jjakji
StarTale (1 – 1) HoSeo
Game Three – 4/5
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ST_July vs NSH_Jjakji – Daybreak
The game starts with a reactor hellion for Jjakji, which doesn't get much scouting information from July. July moves into an early third, and is annoyed by hellions until he stops it with some lings. Jjakji gets a relatively early third, and July gets ready to shift into mutalisk play.
July's mutas aren't able to accomplish much on their own, but they let July get a nice opening as Jjakji's army moves to the third to stop the harassment threat. July begins throwing what he has straight at Jjakji's front, busting it easily with banelings, lings, and the mutas.
Jjakji holds the first time, and as he recovers July slams into him again, doing the same bust right as the wall is being reconstructed. July gets much more this time, killing a huge number of workers and going into the main. In typical July fashion this happens for several minutes, Jjakji barely holding and july making more banelings and throwing everything he has at the Terran.
It looks like Jjakji is dead several times, but manages to hold slightly with clever micro and good building placement. As his marine and tank numbers dwindle he is able to keep a sizeable medivac force due to July mostly attacking with lings and banelings, and they help turn the tide and make small groups of marines virtuall unkillable. Meanwhile outside his base Jjakji is running around a medivac full of marines, stopping July from mining at his third or fourth.
After several more minutes of constant attacks, July runs out of steam due to having no income and is forced to GG, having failed to kill Jjakji before he beat him in an incredibly drawn out race to kill workers.
Winner: NSH_Jjakji
StarTale (2 – 1) HoSeo
The game starts with a reactor hellion for Jjakji, which doesn't get much scouting information from July. July moves into an early third, and is annoyed by hellions until he stops it with some lings. Jjakji gets a relatively early third, and July gets ready to shift into mutalisk play.
July's mutas aren't able to accomplish much on their own, but they let July get a nice opening as Jjakji's army moves to the third to stop the harassment threat. July begins throwing what he has straight at Jjakji's front, busting it easily with banelings, lings, and the mutas.
Jjakji holds the first time, and as he recovers July slams into him again, doing the same bust right as the wall is being reconstructed. July gets much more this time, killing a huge number of workers and going into the main. In typical July fashion this happens for several minutes, Jjakji barely holding and july making more banelings and throwing everything he has at the Terran.
It looks like Jjakji is dead several times, but manages to hold slightly with clever micro and good building placement. As his marine and tank numbers dwindle he is able to keep a sizeable medivac force due to July mostly attacking with lings and banelings, and they help turn the tide and make small groups of marines virtuall unkillable. Meanwhile outside his base Jjakji is running around a medivac full of marines, stopping July from mining at his third or fourth.
After several more minutes of constant attacks, July runs out of steam due to having no income and is forced to GG, having failed to kill Jjakji before he beat him in an incredibly drawn out race to kill workers.
Winner: NSH_Jjakji
StarTale (2 – 1) HoSeo
Game Four – 2.5/5
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ST_Squirtle vs NSH_Jjakji – Crossfire
The game opens completely standard gateway/barracks before nexus/command center, into a few more production facilities. Squirtle gets a robotics facility, and pumps out 3 immortals before attempting a small poke at Jjkaji's natural. At home he gets a forge and starts teching to high templars.
Seeing a bunker and enough marines to stop him, Squirtle pulls back and regroups at his base, adding high templar and researching storm. Jjakji decides to follow him all the way there with his first 4 medivacs, and then....pulls all his SCVs to get ready for an attack as his 1-1 completes.
Unfortunately for Jjakji, storm finishes a few seconds before he attacks and the electric spell crushes him efficiently and easily.
Winner: ST_Squirtle
StarTale (2 – 2) HoSeo
The game opens completely standard gateway/barracks before nexus/command center, into a few more production facilities. Squirtle gets a robotics facility, and pumps out 3 immortals before attempting a small poke at Jjkaji's natural. At home he gets a forge and starts teching to high templars.
Seeing a bunker and enough marines to stop him, Squirtle pulls back and regroups at his base, adding high templar and researching storm. Jjakji decides to follow him all the way there with his first 4 medivacs, and then....pulls all his SCVs to get ready for an attack as his 1-1 completes.
Unfortunately for Jjakji, storm finishes a few seconds before he attacks and the electric spell crushes him efficiently and easily.
Winner: ST_Squirtle
StarTale (2 – 2) HoSeo
Game Five – 3/5
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ST_Squirtle vs NSH_Seal – Dual Sight
The game starts with a forge expand and 3 quick bases as we're accustomed to seeing. Squirtle moves into void ray and phoenix harass from there, picking off a few queens and forcing some spores, while Seal adds a spire to deal with it.
Once his spire is completed he makes a spattering of mutalisks and corruptors, and stops the void ray. By this time, however, Squirtle has attained a single colossus and moves out with it, which ends up being stopped by Seal's meager army. Squirtle takes a third while Seal begins amassing mutalisks.
The game goes on from here for a while as Seal harasses with mutalisks but is rarely able to do damage. He gets some nice positioning with muta-ling play but never quite has the force to get anything done, aside from securing his own fourth and making more and more mutas.
Eventually squirtle decides he has had enough, around the time he finishes storm and adds archons, and moves out. They enter a base trade, but Squirtle's army is big enough to not be afraid of any muta force and his third is well enough defended to protect him from backstabs. They trade a few bases, and when Seal's mutas clump up together and all die to a few archon shots it all ends.
Winner: ST_Squirtle
StarTale (3 – 2) HoSeo
The game starts with a forge expand and 3 quick bases as we're accustomed to seeing. Squirtle moves into void ray and phoenix harass from there, picking off a few queens and forcing some spores, while Seal adds a spire to deal with it.
Once his spire is completed he makes a spattering of mutalisks and corruptors, and stops the void ray. By this time, however, Squirtle has attained a single colossus and moves out with it, which ends up being stopped by Seal's meager army. Squirtle takes a third while Seal begins amassing mutalisks.
The game goes on from here for a while as Seal harasses with mutalisks but is rarely able to do damage. He gets some nice positioning with muta-ling play but never quite has the force to get anything done, aside from securing his own fourth and making more and more mutas.
Eventually squirtle decides he has had enough, around the time he finishes storm and adds archons, and moves out. They enter a base trade, but Squirtle's army is big enough to not be afraid of any muta force and his third is well enough defended to protect him from backstabs. They trade a few bases, and when Seal's mutas clump up together and all die to a few archon shots it all ends.
Winner: ST_Squirtle
StarTale (3 – 2) HoSeo
Game Six – 2.5/5
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ST_Squirtle vs NSH_Sting – Antiga Shipyard
Sting's game opens normal as can be, a command center after barracks and 2 more barracks. Squirtle deicdes on the opposite, and proxies a stargate near Sting's natural.
He chooses the 3 void ray variant, and gets ready for the attack by charging up on a proxied gateway. Thanks to an early stim as well as a viking, Sting is able to last through the ensuing chaos though he loses much of his SCVs. Squirtle tries to buy some time with phoenix harass while he takes his own natural, and warps in gateway units so a counter attack doesn't kill him.
Sting moves out, and turns around once he reaches Squirtle's natural and sees plenty of sentries ready to forcefield. As he is going home, for some reason Squirtle chases with his army, and then decides to engage on open ground.
Had he sat at his ramp and defended Squirtle would have entered a normal mid game, but his choice to pursue mean Sting's army quickly overcomes him and as he runs to the Protoss natural Squirtle has to GG.
Winner: NSH_Sting
StarTatle (3 – 3) HoSeo
Sting's game opens normal as can be, a command center after barracks and 2 more barracks. Squirtle deicdes on the opposite, and proxies a stargate near Sting's natural.
He chooses the 3 void ray variant, and gets ready for the attack by charging up on a proxied gateway. Thanks to an early stim as well as a viking, Sting is able to last through the ensuing chaos though he loses much of his SCVs. Squirtle tries to buy some time with phoenix harass while he takes his own natural, and warps in gateway units so a counter attack doesn't kill him.
Sting moves out, and turns around once he reaches Squirtle's natural and sees plenty of sentries ready to forcefield. As he is going home, for some reason Squirtle chases with his army, and then decides to engage on open ground.
Had he sat at his ramp and defended Squirtle would have entered a normal mid game, but his choice to pursue mean Sting's army quickly overcomes him and as he runs to the Protoss natural Squirtle has to GG.
Winner: NSH_Sting
StarTatle (3 – 3) HoSeo
Game Seven – 3.5/5
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ST_Virus vs NSH_Sting – Cloud Kingdom
The game opens with Virus proxying a barracks and adding a tech lab, attempting some marauder pressure. Sting sees no barracks in his opponent's main, and places a bunker at the top of his ramp. The pressure is unable to do any damage, but buys more than enough time for Virus to get his natural up and running.
Sting moves out with a nice looking marine, tank, and banshee army, but by the time he gets to Virus' side of the map there is a tank lineup good enough to defend. As he goes home he adds a lot of vikings into his army, looking to gain air superiority in the coming fights. While Sting adds a natural Virus takes a third, securing an advantage.
Sting moves out with a strong 2 base army, which is able to stop Virus' third and kill it when his banshees and vikings run free. Virus stops him with a few thors, and both players take their third (Virus reclaiming his).
The game gets messy here as it moves into typical mech play, each player trading blows on 3 bases but not accomplishing anything of note. When they both take a fourth, Virus moves out to the map and stops Sting from mining at his, and moves a cloaked banshee into the natural to kill off some SCVs.
Virus slowly chokes Sting to death here, denying him mining and trading army when he can. Sting moves out to try and stop the fourth of Virus, but when he is unable the game is over and he calls GG.
Winner: ST_Virus
StarTale (4 – 3) HoSeo
The game opens with Virus proxying a barracks and adding a tech lab, attempting some marauder pressure. Sting sees no barracks in his opponent's main, and places a bunker at the top of his ramp. The pressure is unable to do any damage, but buys more than enough time for Virus to get his natural up and running.
Sting moves out with a nice looking marine, tank, and banshee army, but by the time he gets to Virus' side of the map there is a tank lineup good enough to defend. As he goes home he adds a lot of vikings into his army, looking to gain air superiority in the coming fights. While Sting adds a natural Virus takes a third, securing an advantage.
Sting moves out with a strong 2 base army, which is able to stop Virus' third and kill it when his banshees and vikings run free. Virus stops him with a few thors, and both players take their third (Virus reclaiming his).
The game gets messy here as it moves into typical mech play, each player trading blows on 3 bases but not accomplishing anything of note. When they both take a fourth, Virus moves out to the map and stops Sting from mining at his, and moves a cloaked banshee into the natural to kill off some SCVs.
Virus slowly chokes Sting to death here, denying him mining and trading army when he can. Sting moves out to try and stop the fourth of Virus, but when he is unable the game is over and he calls GG.
Winner: ST_Virus
StarTale (4 – 3) HoSeo
Game Eight – 2/5
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ST_Virus vs NSH_Tassadar – Entombed Valley
This game closes out the series rather unceremoniously. After expanding off a gateway/barracks, Virus goes up to 5 barracks and makes marines. Then he walks them into Tassadar's natural, waits for Tassadar to use all his energy on them, and kills the sentries, stalkers, and most of the probes there.
Virus takes a third and leisurely adds things like medivacs and upgrades, while Tassadar starts in on double forge upgrades and colossus tech while going towards a third. They play a passive game, building up armies and not really attacking.
Eventually when he maxes out, Virus bashes his head into Tassadar's army and wins. A simply tale of getting an early lead and keeping the advantage.
Winner: ST_Virus
StarTale (5 – 3) HoSeo
This game closes out the series rather unceremoniously. After expanding off a gateway/barracks, Virus goes up to 5 barracks and makes marines. Then he walks them into Tassadar's natural, waits for Tassadar to use all his energy on them, and kills the sentries, stalkers, and most of the probes there.
Virus takes a third and leisurely adds things like medivacs and upgrades, while Tassadar starts in on double forge upgrades and colossus tech while going towards a third. They play a passive game, building up armies and not really attacking.
Eventually when he maxes out, Virus bashes his head into Tassadar's army and wins. A simply tale of getting an early lead and keeping the advantage.
Winner: ST_Virus
StarTale (5 – 3) HoSeo
Game Nine – 2.5/5
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StarTale won 5 – 3.
Overall results
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Curious > flower
Curious < Jjakji
July < Jjakji
Squirtle > Jjakji
Squirtle > Seal
Squirtle < Sting
Virus > Sting
Virus > Tassadar
StarTale 5 – 3 New Star HoSeo
Curious < Jjakji
July < Jjakji
Squirtle > Jjakji
Squirtle > Seal
Squirtle < Sting
Virus > Sting
Virus > Tassadar
StarTale 5 – 3 New Star HoSeo
Writer: Heyoka.
Graphics: Pathy.
Editor: Heyoka.