GSL October: Quarter and Semi-Finals recap + GF Preview Part 2/2
The Semi Finals
Ganzi vs MVP
Game 1 @ Xel'Naga Fortress. An early rax aggression colored the opening set of this semi-final series. MVP opened with a 2-rax build and launched a surprising marine/SCV all-in but Ganzi was prepared - he had two rax of his own and by pulling SCV and enjoying the defender reinforcement advantage he succeeded in gaining the early set advantage.
Game 2 @ Antiga Shipyard. MVP opened the set with a cloaked banshee but as it got easily defended, Ganzi transitioned into a standard hellion/tank mech and geared for a timing attack. He arrived at MVP's natural only to find himself in a total air disadvantage - MVP had more vikings and his banshee started reigning havoc upon hid units, forcing him to go back. MVP, though, would not let Ganzi escape that easily and followed with his mechs and fliers for the tie.
Game 3 @ Terminus. Going for banshees this time brought MVP a lot more dividents than it did on Antiga. With just two units, the IM terran held Ganzi in his base for the longest time, making it incredibly hard for him to move out without worrying about his base. When Ganzi finally found the strength and courage to cross the map, MVP met him head-to-head, tearing his army to shreds and putting the score to 2-1.
Game 4 @ Tal'Darim Altar. MVP taught a brilliant lesson on mech vs bio in the fourth set. His first step was securing a stable 3-base setup and later sneaking a fourth at the top left, away from Ganzi's sight. The SlayerS terran tried to make his bio as useful as possible but his trades were never as optimal as they should have. MVP kept supporting a strong mech force, which even the BCs could not defeat thanks to MVP's vikings. The IM terran was the first Grand Finalist who is to fly to Anaheim to fight for the October gold.
MMA vs Happy
Game 1 @ Dual Sight. MMA was not the only one to show an exemplary TvT play. MMA took the chance to unleash his skill at bio-centric play and pealed Happy apart SlayerS style. MMA took quick four bases and started launching drops and frontal attacks everywhere to eventually break Happy after 30 minutes of insane TvT.
Game 2 @ Daybreak. The air heated up as Happy and MMA entered their second set, going for almost mirroring marine/tank. However, the slight air advantage for Happy slowly pushed the game towards a base-race scenario, which spread both player's units and building all around the map.
But the power of the ring banshee could not easily be ignored. With ultimate patience, Happy shot his way to victory tank after tank, not without the help of a stable (relatively) economy that he somehow established at the 12 o'clock.
Game 3 @ Metalopolis. Happy opened with cloak banshee into preigniter mech but MMA's defense took care of everything necessary - the IM terran walked out with a healthy economy, a more than decent marine/tank army and a viking count that would make Happy's banshees obsolete.
Taking his natural, MMA moved out to apply pressure to Happy, who was forced to lift his natural and cuddle inside his main, furiously trying to devise a plan to break MMA's contain. SCV/hellion was his best choice and thus Happy marched the ramp but MMA's lines were way too much to handle. Tanks reigned death upon the hellions to force a gg out of Happy for the 2-1.
Game 4 @ Crossfire. As it befits every quality TvT on Crossfire, the banshee vs preigniter war soon elevated up in the air. MMA's aggressive expansion pattern soon put him close to Happy's territory. Multiple air battles ensued but it was not meant for the game to end soon. By the 25th minute mark, the players were already building battlecruisers and upgrading their air units madly.
Up against the ropes due to MMA's straight-on better micro, Happy tried to use nukes to force an unsiege or any other change of positioning but ultimately was forced into a direct fight where he met his end - MMA's massive thor count melted Happy's vikings in a blink of an eye and the SlayerS terran would be the second grand finalist for GSL October.
Champion vs Pretender: GSL Code S October Grand Finals Preview
So we come to a TvT finals. Again. But you should not hate that, friend, no not at all. If there is a TvT that should excite you to any degree it should be this one - GSL's most accomplished terran MVP and SlayerS brightest student and Boxer's protege MMA.
Both terrans hold a long (loooong) list of achievements. MMA has brought his team to two GSTL titles, won MLG Columbus, came second at Anaheim, won the GeForce pro against MVP himself and is, in short, THE scariest player of Team Slayers by far. However, many viewers and writer colleagues hold to the opinion that when looking at his personal performance, MMA just seems to lose his mojo - he has been and still is a true child of the GSTL.
Looking at his TvT score paints almost the exact same picture - although he hosts wins against one of the best terrans in the world, a 58% win rate does not speak to MMA's best, especially considering who his opponent is. You can't be decent at terran mirrors at such situation - you better be a pure genius!
Speaking of pure genius, MMA's opponent is none other than MVP - a player currently considered the best terran in the world. Or the best Korean in the world. Or - let's face it - the best player in the world! Looking at MVP's achievements sends chills of respect down every nerd's spine. The IM beast has six gold medals in his account, four of which won in TvTs. He holds the monstrous 75% win rate in terran mirrors - a score that few (or actually no) others can brag with. Impressed? Don't be hasty! How about if I tell you that in those four TvT finals, MVP has dropped a total of four sets. With such a monstrous statistics behind his back, Mr. Jung is coming to Anaheim to deal pain and to teach us how to play terran in its finest.
I am fully aware that placing my bet on MVP is not particularly original, or shocking or rebellious. I know it is the most boring and safe bet in the world, and with good reason. I would go even further, saying that the series would go into a seventh, or, very possibly, even a sixth set. MMA indeed has a small chance to defeat the overwhelming odds but history is not on his side at all. The cornerstones of GSL history are gathering to fit in MVP's palm and he will not even need to reach far to grab them!
Ganzi vs MVP
Game 1 @ Xel'Naga Fortress. An early rax aggression colored the opening set of this semi-final series. MVP opened with a 2-rax build and launched a surprising marine/SCV all-in but Ganzi was prepared - he had two rax of his own and by pulling SCV and enjoying the defender reinforcement advantage he succeeded in gaining the early set advantage.
Game 2 @ Antiga Shipyard. MVP opened the set with a cloaked banshee but as it got easily defended, Ganzi transitioned into a standard hellion/tank mech and geared for a timing attack. He arrived at MVP's natural only to find himself in a total air disadvantage - MVP had more vikings and his banshee started reigning havoc upon hid units, forcing him to go back. MVP, though, would not let Ganzi escape that easily and followed with his mechs and fliers for the tie.
Game 3 @ Terminus. Going for banshees this time brought MVP a lot more dividents than it did on Antiga. With just two units, the IM terran held Ganzi in his base for the longest time, making it incredibly hard for him to move out without worrying about his base. When Ganzi finally found the strength and courage to cross the map, MVP met him head-to-head, tearing his army to shreds and putting the score to 2-1.
Game 4 @ Tal'Darim Altar. MVP taught a brilliant lesson on mech vs bio in the fourth set. His first step was securing a stable 3-base setup and later sneaking a fourth at the top left, away from Ganzi's sight. The SlayerS terran tried to make his bio as useful as possible but his trades were never as optimal as they should have. MVP kept supporting a strong mech force, which even the BCs could not defeat thanks to MVP's vikings. The IM terran was the first Grand Finalist who is to fly to Anaheim to fight for the October gold.
MMA vs Happy
Game 1 @ Dual Sight. MMA was not the only one to show an exemplary TvT play. MMA took the chance to unleash his skill at bio-centric play and pealed Happy apart SlayerS style. MMA took quick four bases and started launching drops and frontal attacks everywhere to eventually break Happy after 30 minutes of insane TvT.
Game 2 @ Daybreak. The air heated up as Happy and MMA entered their second set, going for almost mirroring marine/tank. However, the slight air advantage for Happy slowly pushed the game towards a base-race scenario, which spread both player's units and building all around the map.
But the power of the ring banshee could not easily be ignored. With ultimate patience, Happy shot his way to victory tank after tank, not without the help of a stable (relatively) economy that he somehow established at the 12 o'clock.
Game 3 @ Metalopolis. Happy opened with cloak banshee into preigniter mech but MMA's defense took care of everything necessary - the IM terran walked out with a healthy economy, a more than decent marine/tank army and a viking count that would make Happy's banshees obsolete.
Taking his natural, MMA moved out to apply pressure to Happy, who was forced to lift his natural and cuddle inside his main, furiously trying to devise a plan to break MMA's contain. SCV/hellion was his best choice and thus Happy marched the ramp but MMA's lines were way too much to handle. Tanks reigned death upon the hellions to force a gg out of Happy for the 2-1.
Game 4 @ Crossfire. As it befits every quality TvT on Crossfire, the banshee vs preigniter war soon elevated up in the air. MMA's aggressive expansion pattern soon put him close to Happy's territory. Multiple air battles ensued but it was not meant for the game to end soon. By the 25th minute mark, the players were already building battlecruisers and upgrading their air units madly.
Up against the ropes due to MMA's straight-on better micro, Happy tried to use nukes to force an unsiege or any other change of positioning but ultimately was forced into a direct fight where he met his end - MMA's massive thor count melted Happy's vikings in a blink of an eye and the SlayerS terran would be the second grand finalist for GSL October.
Champion vs Pretender: GSL Code S October Grand Finals Preview
So we come to a TvT finals. Again. But you should not hate that, friend, no not at all. If there is a TvT that should excite you to any degree it should be this one - GSL's most accomplished terran MVP and SlayerS brightest student and Boxer's protege MMA.
Both terrans hold a long (loooong) list of achievements. MMA has brought his team to two GSTL titles, won MLG Columbus, came second at Anaheim, won the GeForce pro against MVP himself and is, in short, THE scariest player of Team Slayers by far. However, many viewers and writer colleagues hold to the opinion that when looking at his personal performance, MMA just seems to lose his mojo - he has been and still is a true child of the GSTL.
Looking at his TvT score paints almost the exact same picture - although he hosts wins against one of the best terrans in the world, a 58% win rate does not speak to MMA's best, especially considering who his opponent is. You can't be decent at terran mirrors at such situation - you better be a pure genius!
Speaking of pure genius, MMA's opponent is none other than MVP - a player currently considered the best terran in the world. Or the best Korean in the world. Or - let's face it - the best player in the world! Looking at MVP's achievements sends chills of respect down every nerd's spine. The IM beast has six gold medals in his account, four of which won in TvTs. He holds the monstrous 75% win rate in terran mirrors - a score that few (or actually no) others can brag with. Impressed? Don't be hasty! How about if I tell you that in those four TvT finals, MVP has dropped a total of four sets. With such a monstrous statistics behind his back, Mr. Jung is coming to Anaheim to deal pain and to teach us how to play terran in its finest.
I am fully aware that placing my bet on MVP is not particularly original, or shocking or rebellious. I know it is the most boring and safe bet in the world, and with good reason. I would go even further, saying that the series would go into a seventh, or, very possibly, even a sixth set. MMA indeed has a small chance to defeat the overwhelming odds but history is not on his side at all. The cornerstones of GSL history are gathering to fit in MVP's palm and he will not even need to reach far to grab them!
