Code S October Group A: MVP, Ensnare, Clide, Noblesse
The sole terran-only group opened the new season of Code S. And although many expected MVP to plough through it like nobody's business, there stood three promising terrans ready to give him hell.
MVP vs Ensnare @ Dual Sight
For his opening Code S game this season, MVP took the path of the bio tech and went for a faster third. This created a window of opportunity for Ensnare, as MVP's smaller bio army could not efficiently secure a dominating map position as it could've had the reigning champion stayed on two bases.
So Ensnare took that opportunity to move out and deny the third of MVP but a sudden flank threw him in the supply disadvantage. And as is well known, you cannot give such a lead to MVP. Although his plan for economic domination was thwarted, MVP's next attacks were devastating, flanking yet again Ensnare's tanks which for some reason kept standing in the middle of nowhere, completely out of position. This brought on the win for the reigning champion.
This is what happens when you misplace your mech army
Noblesse vs Clide @ Antiga Shipyard
Uncalculated early attacks by Noblesse put Clide in a permanent 20 supply advantage, which gave him the power to push through the map and apply pressure to his opponent. Giving up the idea of catching up to Clide in terms of ground army, Noblesse rushed to BCs off of three bases, a move most dangerous at this stage of the game. Clide smelled the window and with a swift stroke destroyed two of Noblesse's bases with a daring attack but had to fall back when the BCs emerged on the field.
There were inches of hope for Noblesse, nonetheless. His air advantage brought him victories in the next few battles but ultimately he had to tap out when he could not protect his expansions any longer: Clide had a massive tank/hellion force, which even BCs could not kill fast enough to make a difference.
Noblesse might be winning the battle but the war is still far beyond his grasp
MVP vs Clide @ Terminus
Clide opened with an early stim marine pressure but had to fall back at the sight of a full bunker and preigniter hellions at MVP's base. Which proved to be a good decision considering that MVP had damage plans of his own, grabbing nearly 20 kills with cloak banshees tech and which could have been more if Clide's main was butt naked.
To recover from this, Clide backed up his bio play with triple expanding, going up to six bases to MVP's three. On the other side of the map, MVP was taking the traditional mech approach, staying on three bases until being maxed and then switching to air play. The BCs of MVP made Clide give up the centre and reposition his army which in turn allowed the reigning champion to triple expand on his own, coming now even with his opponent.
What followed was a long, positional chess game with the mate coming as MVP found a hole in Clide's positioning and with two moves sieged his army at the enemy factories and landed his vikings to shoot down Clide's starports. In desperation, Clide launched a final attack through the choke leading to MVP's natural but there were already forces waiting for him there. Clide tapped out, giving MVP the first place in the group.
It's all about vikings and BCs these days...
Ensnare vs Noblesse @ Tal'Darim Altar
After Noblesse couldn't do much with his cloak banshee opening, Ensnare decided to show him how real harassment is done and went wild with his preigniter hellions and fly-in/fly-out vikings. Noblesse tried to hold on to his best but the supply difference grew larger by the minute, reaching nearly forty at some point, 15 of those in SCVs. When Ensnare grew tired of playing with his mouse, he executed a low ground push at Noblesse's natural to deny his only additional mining base and hammering the nail even deeper. Noblesse would go to the up-and-down matches.
Viking harass is the new black
Clide vs Ensnare @ Metalopolis
As every viking/hellion mirror battle went into Clide's favour, the TSL took the wise decision to push forth to and destroy Ensnare's third. Ensnare tried to reposition to the gold and, when that failed as well, to the 9 o'clock but Clide was always there to put a stick in his wheels. Enjoying a hefty supply lead and a superior tank count, Clide met Ensnare's army in the alley between their bases, smashed it to pieces and pushed in to gain his Code S spot.
Tanks, vikings, and a Code S spot
Code S October Group A Standings
MVP20
Clide21
Ensnare12
Nobless02
MVP vs Ensnare @ Dual Sight
For his opening Code S game this season, MVP took the path of the bio tech and went for a faster third. This created a window of opportunity for Ensnare, as MVP's smaller bio army could not efficiently secure a dominating map position as it could've had the reigning champion stayed on two bases.
So Ensnare took that opportunity to move out and deny the third of MVP but a sudden flank threw him in the supply disadvantage. And as is well known, you cannot give such a lead to MVP. Although his plan for economic domination was thwarted, MVP's next attacks were devastating, flanking yet again Ensnare's tanks which for some reason kept standing in the middle of nowhere, completely out of position. This brought on the win for the reigning champion.
This is what happens when you misplace your mech army
Noblesse vs Clide @ Antiga Shipyard
Uncalculated early attacks by Noblesse put Clide in a permanent 20 supply advantage, which gave him the power to push through the map and apply pressure to his opponent. Giving up the idea of catching up to Clide in terms of ground army, Noblesse rushed to BCs off of three bases, a move most dangerous at this stage of the game. Clide smelled the window and with a swift stroke destroyed two of Noblesse's bases with a daring attack but had to fall back when the BCs emerged on the field.
There were inches of hope for Noblesse, nonetheless. His air advantage brought him victories in the next few battles but ultimately he had to tap out when he could not protect his expansions any longer: Clide had a massive tank/hellion force, which even BCs could not kill fast enough to make a difference.
Noblesse might be winning the battle but the war is still far beyond his grasp
MVP vs Clide @ Terminus
Clide opened with an early stim marine pressure but had to fall back at the sight of a full bunker and preigniter hellions at MVP's base. Which proved to be a good decision considering that MVP had damage plans of his own, grabbing nearly 20 kills with cloak banshees tech and which could have been more if Clide's main was butt naked.
To recover from this, Clide backed up his bio play with triple expanding, going up to six bases to MVP's three. On the other side of the map, MVP was taking the traditional mech approach, staying on three bases until being maxed and then switching to air play. The BCs of MVP made Clide give up the centre and reposition his army which in turn allowed the reigning champion to triple expand on his own, coming now even with his opponent.
What followed was a long, positional chess game with the mate coming as MVP found a hole in Clide's positioning and with two moves sieged his army at the enemy factories and landed his vikings to shoot down Clide's starports. In desperation, Clide launched a final attack through the choke leading to MVP's natural but there were already forces waiting for him there. Clide tapped out, giving MVP the first place in the group.
It's all about vikings and BCs these days...
Ensnare vs Noblesse @ Tal'Darim Altar
After Noblesse couldn't do much with his cloak banshee opening, Ensnare decided to show him how real harassment is done and went wild with his preigniter hellions and fly-in/fly-out vikings. Noblesse tried to hold on to his best but the supply difference grew larger by the minute, reaching nearly forty at some point, 15 of those in SCVs. When Ensnare grew tired of playing with his mouse, he executed a low ground push at Noblesse's natural to deny his only additional mining base and hammering the nail even deeper. Noblesse would go to the up-and-down matches.
Viking harass is the new black
Clide vs Ensnare @ Metalopolis
As every viking/hellion mirror battle went into Clide's favour, the TSL took the wise decision to push forth to and destroy Ensnare's third. Ensnare tried to reposition to the gold and, when that failed as well, to the 9 o'clock but Clide was always there to put a stick in his wheels. Enjoying a hefty supply lead and a superior tank count, Clide met Ensnare's army in the alley between their bases, smashed it to pieces and pushed in to gain his Code S spot.
Tanks, vikings, and a Code S spot
Code S October Group A Standings
MVP20
Clide21
Ensnare12
Nobless02
