After an exciting day of BlizzCon it was time for the fans to heed another clash of universal weight: the reigning champion Mvp was to defend his title against the great pretender and Boxer's apprentice SlayerS_MMA. All fans knew the odds and the statistics, all that was left was to see if they would come true.
Game 1 @ Daybreak
Right off the bat, MMA opened with a double proxy rax plus a proxy factory at the center of the map, throwing a reactor on one of his raxes and a teach lab on his factory for siege tech to greater increase the potency of his rush. Eventually, Mvp scouted MMA’s plan but it was a bit too late – MMA was already on his way.
Mvp’s situation worsened when he failed to snipe the initial tank which would’ve made the rush come to an end. Thus a few strokes later, MMA was all over Mvp’s base having a lot more marines, three siege tanks, a spotting rax and near 20 dead SCVs to his account. Mvp held on for a while but a GG was imminent.
Game 2 @ Dual Sight
As opposed to Mvp’s straight-on cloak banshee tech, MMA opened bio and sneaked a gold base at the top left, surging to a significant income advantage. Mvp tried to banshee and hellion it down multiple times but MMA’s marauders and marines were always on the spot, protecting the precious gold minerals.
Despite his early game misfortune, though, Mvp easily survived till mid-game and set up a nice 3-base economy, which was more than enough to support his mech play. Things were looking good for Mvp as his opponent hadn’t really made a great use of his gold base – the supplies were even, techs were even and neither player had overwhelming map control over the other.
Slowly, MMA started losing ground as Mvp’s mech was growing too strong – direct engagements were not an option for the marauders and Mvp’s drop defense was pristine. That was until MMA found an unexpected gift at the center of the map – a pack of unsieged tanks ready for the taking. MMA rushed to sweep his spoils and that clicked the button of Mvp’s slow upcoming defeat. Although the supplies were still fairly even, the remacro capabilities of mech were puny compared to the blooming of MMA’s bio. Step by step, Mvp fell into a horrendous supply disadvantage due to constant medivac drops and at the 27th minute he tapped out.
Game 3 @ Tal'Darim Altar
Knowing that he can take the risk on that particular map, MMA went straight for a CC first but soon found himself in a very familiar position. Mvp would not allow his opponent to have his way and rushed straight for 1-base siege tank rush, summoning some SCVs to aid his cause.
In a heartbeat, MMA was against the ropes (poisonous, electrified ropes with barbed wire around them, that can move swiftly and grab you for your neck). The bunker for Mvp was done, his fast CC was dead and he had no way to break through the contain. The score gap got smaller at 2-1.
Game 4 @ Xel'Naga Fortress
Needing to play safe in order to make the score more desirable for him, Mvp opened with the very standard cloak banshee, while MMA sprinted to a 5-rax/CC build, almost hard-countering Mvp's build. For a moment it seemed that the SlayerS terran was everywhere - part of his marines were weighing down the wall-off of Mvp, another was home-stationed, repelling every banshee attack and he was teching to his e-bays absolutely unchallenged.
Having the mid-game advantage of the bio army, MMA moved out to set a position at the center of the map and used a succession of low-ground pushes to down the factory count of Mvp, putting him in a very uncomfortable position. Furthermore, MMA had prepared a massive transition into siege tanks, which made his containment that much stronger.
However, Mvp had a strong ally: his banshee tech helped him push the now marineless force of MMA back and reclaim the center ground. From there, Mvp pushed through the low-ground corridor towards MMA's natural, but the SlayerS terran just swung around with a portion of his army, sniped Mvp's natural and a base trade ensued.
The banshees of Mvp gave him, for a limited amount of time, a control over the situation but the truth was in fact different - MMA had a running base (previously his fourth), a small but enough production capabilities and a supply advantage. As Mvp exited the main of his enemy, MMA surged in to destroy his army and win the set.
Game 5 @ Terminus
This insane game began with MMA's CC into tank/marine contain, which cornered Mvp in his main and allowed MMA to take a third. With exemplary patience, though, Mvp found a way to push the contain back a little bit and secure his third, but MMA just regrouped, strengthened his contain and triple expanded!
Meanwhile, cornered like a wild beast, Mvp was furiously searching for a way to break out. His now three mining bases were almost dry and MMA's position in front of his chokes had almost everything in the terran arsenal - tanks, thors, marauders, marines, vikings... It was almost a mission impossible: MMA was even transitioning to quadruple nukes!
However, with his last remaining resources, Mvp gathered a ball of death, now reinforced with four battlecruisers that slowly pushed MMA back. He initiated course towards the bases of the SlayerS terran but MMA himself dropped his marauders in Mvp's main to start destroying him from within. Once again, it would be down to a base trade.
For long and long minutes, the two players stripped each other of buildings, clinging just to a single orbital (MMA) or two at the most (Mvp). MMA had the advantage of a mining base down at the '6 but Mvp had the scarier death ball which was marching southwards to end the set. After a long and hard advance, Mvp was finally at the gates of MMA last mining position but the SlayerS terran had bought enough time to jump ahead in the viking count thanks to his triple starports. The last air battle fort the game ensued and, landing his vikings a bit too late, Mvp suffered cruel defeat. The IM terran tried to hold to his last orbital but the end was already scribed - MMA was the new GSL champion!
Final comments
Talk about a final series! I... am honestly dumbfounded by the way things turned out and I bet I am not the only one.
MMA's approach to the whole series was stunning, marvelous, an insignia of perfection. His aggressive approach on Daybreak and Terminus was a testament that the SlayerS ace was not afraid of the player who is world-widely labelled as the undisputed TvT master that few have the strength to defeat. Apparently, this title will have to be... tuned down a bit.
Some might say Mvp's defeat was due to a jet lag, combined with the exhausting BlizzCon schedule prior to the GSL finals. This, of course, seems reasonable and had both players entered the series at equal grounds things might have been different but as is, it is hard to not be convinced by MMA's achievement. An achievement actually augmented by the fact that Boxer's protege used bio in every single macro game - a composition that has been falling more and more behind of mech.
Finally, Code S October set the potential for a new rivalry, which is to develop to overwhelming magnitudes. Is MMA the new TvT king? How and when will Mvp's revenge come? Was this grand final too influenced by factors beyond players' reach? There are many questions like these and the answers better come soon.
