GSL October: Quarter and Semi-Finals recap + GF Preview Part 1/2
BlizzCon 2011 is at our doorstep and so is the GSL October Grand Final. The two finalist have indeed walked a long road to get here and now have the chance to play a kick-ass series in front an ecstatic international crowd.
The Quarter Finals
Despite the lack of race diversity, it was overwhelmingly exciting to watch such a quarter final round. Multiple champions, young stars, team aces: the concoction was, almost literally, explosive!
NesTea vs MVP
Game 1 @ Belshir Beach. When I said "explosive" in my previous sentence I also meant "stinking of burning zerg meat". MVP's opened the series with a devastating and unending preigniter harass, that step-by-step brought NesTea to his knees. The worker killed counter showed near 90 drones at the end. A flaming start to the quarter finals.
Game 2 @ Daybrek. The second game was a small holiday to all ZvT fans. MVP opened with double proxy rax but NesTea defended with a sick drone micro and transitioned to a steady macro play. MVP followed this up with a 2-pronged preingiter aggression and seized more than 30 drones but NesTea lived till lair tech, allowing him to deny MVP's third with a roach/mutalisk attack. However, stupidly attacking into a tight choke, gave MVP the freedom to act as he pleases and he reexpanded at the centre.
From there, MVP launched an attack towards NesTea's fifth but had to draw back as NesTea launched a counter attack at terran's main. After the zerg pest was cleared, MVP swung forward for the jugular, but brood lords popped in the last second to hold the push and win the game.
Game 3 @ Tal'Darim Altar. NesTea continued adapting to MVP's early aggression style to his best and lost just 13 drones to the double-reactor opening. MVP followed this up with a strong 2-base marine/tank push but by that time NesTea's baneling and mutalisk counts were ridiculous. The zerg got a 2-1 lead.
Game 4 @ Dual Sight. MVP continued with the hellion opening, this time using a double-factory preigniter but to everyone's silent admiration, NesTea's defense was so impeccable that not a single drone fell victim to those blue flames. NesTea then transitioned to infestor/muta-centric play but MVP's mech army was extremely versatile - banshees and vikings ruled the sky for the terran and his ground units kept every single expansion safe. Even with his tier 3 air army, NesTea could not find a crack in terran's defense and as his minerals and brood lords started running out, the zerg had to gg.
Game 5 @ Metalopolis. The final set saw NesTea finally picking the aggression himself and rain one roach drop after another onto MVP's play but the terran had a secret weapon - an unscouted fast third, which kept him alive till the later stages of the mid-game when he started inching forward of NesTea, who never could engage to the best of situation or make an adequate army trade. Eventually, the zerg champion had to GG and let his teammate pass through.
Ganzi vs Supernova
Game 1 @ Xel'Naga Fortress. Supernova got an early edge by scouting Ganzi's 5-rax opening and responded with a banshee tech plus a mass rax of his own. Unfortunately for him, Ganzi nimbly sniped the banshee threat and responded with a marine elevation push that killed Supernova's +1 bio attack. Using this upgrade advantage, Ganzi mustered his forces to break the central line of Supernova's defense and march in for the 1-0.
Game 2 @ Metalopolis. Ganzi opened with a double proxy rax but as it got scouted, he was forced to fly his buildings back and transition to a starport play. However, SuperNova's tech pattern was better and faster and he answered with a cloak banshee of his own, the latter scoring over 30 kills! From that point on the game was practically over for Ganzi and knowing that, the SlayerS terran GG-ed out.
Game 3 @ Dual Sight. Someone probably helped Supernova transition his Metalopolis banshee to set 3 as after opening reapers, his pesky flier scored nearly 20 kills. But Ganzi had something to say himself and went for a marine/tank elevation, followed by continues medivac drops that not only hurt SuperNova's facilities gravely but also supply blocked him so heavily that Ganzi took an unchallenged supply in the mid-game, allowing him to even take a gold as his third relatively safely.
This was actually Ganzi's most important move for the game as he almost threw the game away by making one sloppy push after the other to nearly put himself in a disadvantage but the golden economy of his kept him alive and healthy despite his mistakes. 2-1 for the SlayerS terran.
Game 4 @ Daybreak. Ganzi opened with a quick CC but as Supernova scouted that with his reaper, he reacted with a fast third of his own. Most of the mid-game was marked by not quite the best engagements from either side until Ganzi finally got a perfect flank onto Supernova to win a crushing advantage...
...Which he eagerly threw away by stimming in and running into a planetary fortress (also sieging his tanks within firing range). Under the cries of disappointment from Tastosis, Ganzi gg-ed out for the 2-2 tie.
Game 5 @ Antiga Shipyard. SuperNova was the first to spark the flames of war in the final set, preigniting most of Ganzi's SCVs to make him go for, basically, an all-in counter attack. However, SuperNova tasted the flaw in his plan as Ganzi's attack struck before SN's siege tech was actually done in order to help him defend. Thus, after a few minutes of hopeless struggle, SuperNova surrendered his tournament life to Ganzi, who would advance to face MVP in the semi-finals.
Clide vs MMA
Game 1 @ Dual Sight. Clide rushed for an early +1/stim but his timing attack intentions were thwarted by MMA's banshee who leashed Clide's marines to his natural so he doesn't die to a single unit. MMA used this newly acquired advantage to build up his economy (which was barely hindered when Clide finally geared to make an actual push) and catch-up in tech, finishing Clide with a medivac drop, followed by a simple tank/marine attack at the front.
Game 2 @ Tal'Darim Altar. The second set saw MMA fighting his way back from a tough disadvantage whose start was at the hands of Clide's preigniter hellions happily roasting marines, and which was amplified as the SlayerS monster eagerly rushed into an uphill (also true when topographically speaking) battle against Clide's siege tanks.
Somehow, though, MMA sprung back to his mighty feet, outmacroing Clide even despite the upgrade disadvantage and his very, very late siege tech. The 30 supply deficit turned to a 40 supply lead and Clide was forced into an SCV all-in which, as you might guess, spelled D-O-O-M for him.
Game 3 @ Terminus. Going for a fast third gave Clide the income surge that his mech tech needed and neither with early marine attack, nor with a later medivac drop could MMA break his opponent. Naturally, the game developed as every other bio vs mech scenario with MMA getting as many bases as possible and Clide patiently turtling and saturating his expansions. The actual fun started when Clide fourth at the center put him directly into the conflict and MMA started searching for cracks in the mech lines. Sadly for him, though, there were none and although with both supply and upgrade advantage, MMA could not pass the center of the map and was forced to GG.
Game 4 @ Crossfire. Being one set ahead was probably the reason behind MMA's move this game. Clide opened with a fast CC into starport, aiming for a solid macro game, but MMA was quick to initiate a stim/SCV all-in, which almost caught Clide off-guard. To Clide's luck, a banshee popped out in the perfect moment to make MMA's fingers strike the G key twice.
Game 5 @ Xel'Naga Fortress. What better way to finish the series with the most SlayerS-esque move in the book - a marine/hellion drop, which hit Clide just before his bunker finished to protect his (now already dead) marines. With the survival of the hellions, Clide was brought down to 13 SCVs to 26 of MMA and the SlayerS terran had already a second base going up. All hope faded for Clide and he surrendered the series 2-3.
Happy vs Coca
Game 1 @ Daybreak. The second ZvT in the round began with a daring cheese from Happy's part, who proxied a barracks right under Coca's nose and in his very main. Failing to scout that in time, Coca was soon under marine pressure and as his petty ling counter attack crashed into the depot wall, Coca left the game, giving Happy the early lead.
Game 2 @ Tal'Darim Altar. The second set saw another quick game as Happy opened with reactor hellion, transitioning into the standard reactor/stim mid-game composition. Coca's reaction was a hidden third at 6 o'clock but that did not elude Happy's sight for long. As it got scouted and destroyed in seconds, Coca's horrible position got him for the throat. Especially when Happy finished his siege tech and A-clicked for the 2-0.
Game 3 @ Crossfire. It is never good to overreact to a double rax rush and Coca showed us why exactly is that the case. Even though his lings chased Happy's marines back, Coca craved for blood and spawned a huge round of lings in attempt to decimate the terran army in the center. Few seconds and a micro battle later, all lings lay dead and Happy walked home with such a huge advantage that Coca had no means at all to produce enough units and stop the marine/tank timing attack that crushed his face for a 3-0.
The Quarter Finals
Despite the lack of race diversity, it was overwhelmingly exciting to watch such a quarter final round. Multiple champions, young stars, team aces: the concoction was, almost literally, explosive!
NesTea vs MVP
Game 1 @ Belshir Beach. When I said "explosive" in my previous sentence I also meant "stinking of burning zerg meat". MVP's opened the series with a devastating and unending preigniter harass, that step-by-step brought NesTea to his knees. The worker killed counter showed near 90 drones at the end. A flaming start to the quarter finals.
Game 2 @ Daybrek. The second game was a small holiday to all ZvT fans. MVP opened with double proxy rax but NesTea defended with a sick drone micro and transitioned to a steady macro play. MVP followed this up with a 2-pronged preingiter aggression and seized more than 30 drones but NesTea lived till lair tech, allowing him to deny MVP's third with a roach/mutalisk attack. However, stupidly attacking into a tight choke, gave MVP the freedom to act as he pleases and he reexpanded at the centre.
From there, MVP launched an attack towards NesTea's fifth but had to draw back as NesTea launched a counter attack at terran's main. After the zerg pest was cleared, MVP swung forward for the jugular, but brood lords popped in the last second to hold the push and win the game.
Game 3 @ Tal'Darim Altar. NesTea continued adapting to MVP's early aggression style to his best and lost just 13 drones to the double-reactor opening. MVP followed this up with a strong 2-base marine/tank push but by that time NesTea's baneling and mutalisk counts were ridiculous. The zerg got a 2-1 lead.
Game 4 @ Dual Sight. MVP continued with the hellion opening, this time using a double-factory preigniter but to everyone's silent admiration, NesTea's defense was so impeccable that not a single drone fell victim to those blue flames. NesTea then transitioned to infestor/muta-centric play but MVP's mech army was extremely versatile - banshees and vikings ruled the sky for the terran and his ground units kept every single expansion safe. Even with his tier 3 air army, NesTea could not find a crack in terran's defense and as his minerals and brood lords started running out, the zerg had to gg.
Game 5 @ Metalopolis. The final set saw NesTea finally picking the aggression himself and rain one roach drop after another onto MVP's play but the terran had a secret weapon - an unscouted fast third, which kept him alive till the later stages of the mid-game when he started inching forward of NesTea, who never could engage to the best of situation or make an adequate army trade. Eventually, the zerg champion had to GG and let his teammate pass through.
Ganzi vs Supernova
Game 1 @ Xel'Naga Fortress. Supernova got an early edge by scouting Ganzi's 5-rax opening and responded with a banshee tech plus a mass rax of his own. Unfortunately for him, Ganzi nimbly sniped the banshee threat and responded with a marine elevation push that killed Supernova's +1 bio attack. Using this upgrade advantage, Ganzi mustered his forces to break the central line of Supernova's defense and march in for the 1-0.
Game 2 @ Metalopolis. Ganzi opened with a double proxy rax but as it got scouted, he was forced to fly his buildings back and transition to a starport play. However, SuperNova's tech pattern was better and faster and he answered with a cloak banshee of his own, the latter scoring over 30 kills! From that point on the game was practically over for Ganzi and knowing that, the SlayerS terran GG-ed out.
Game 3 @ Dual Sight. Someone probably helped Supernova transition his Metalopolis banshee to set 3 as after opening reapers, his pesky flier scored nearly 20 kills. But Ganzi had something to say himself and went for a marine/tank elevation, followed by continues medivac drops that not only hurt SuperNova's facilities gravely but also supply blocked him so heavily that Ganzi took an unchallenged supply in the mid-game, allowing him to even take a gold as his third relatively safely.
This was actually Ganzi's most important move for the game as he almost threw the game away by making one sloppy push after the other to nearly put himself in a disadvantage but the golden economy of his kept him alive and healthy despite his mistakes. 2-1 for the SlayerS terran.
Game 4 @ Daybreak. Ganzi opened with a quick CC but as Supernova scouted that with his reaper, he reacted with a fast third of his own. Most of the mid-game was marked by not quite the best engagements from either side until Ganzi finally got a perfect flank onto Supernova to win a crushing advantage...
...Which he eagerly threw away by stimming in and running into a planetary fortress (also sieging his tanks within firing range). Under the cries of disappointment from Tastosis, Ganzi gg-ed out for the 2-2 tie.
Game 5 @ Antiga Shipyard. SuperNova was the first to spark the flames of war in the final set, preigniting most of Ganzi's SCVs to make him go for, basically, an all-in counter attack. However, SuperNova tasted the flaw in his plan as Ganzi's attack struck before SN's siege tech was actually done in order to help him defend. Thus, after a few minutes of hopeless struggle, SuperNova surrendered his tournament life to Ganzi, who would advance to face MVP in the semi-finals.
Clide vs MMA
Game 1 @ Dual Sight. Clide rushed for an early +1/stim but his timing attack intentions were thwarted by MMA's banshee who leashed Clide's marines to his natural so he doesn't die to a single unit. MMA used this newly acquired advantage to build up his economy (which was barely hindered when Clide finally geared to make an actual push) and catch-up in tech, finishing Clide with a medivac drop, followed by a simple tank/marine attack at the front.
Game 2 @ Tal'Darim Altar. The second set saw MMA fighting his way back from a tough disadvantage whose start was at the hands of Clide's preigniter hellions happily roasting marines, and which was amplified as the SlayerS monster eagerly rushed into an uphill (also true when topographically speaking) battle against Clide's siege tanks.
Somehow, though, MMA sprung back to his mighty feet, outmacroing Clide even despite the upgrade disadvantage and his very, very late siege tech. The 30 supply deficit turned to a 40 supply lead and Clide was forced into an SCV all-in which, as you might guess, spelled D-O-O-M for him.
Game 3 @ Terminus. Going for a fast third gave Clide the income surge that his mech tech needed and neither with early marine attack, nor with a later medivac drop could MMA break his opponent. Naturally, the game developed as every other bio vs mech scenario with MMA getting as many bases as possible and Clide patiently turtling and saturating his expansions. The actual fun started when Clide fourth at the center put him directly into the conflict and MMA started searching for cracks in the mech lines. Sadly for him, though, there were none and although with both supply and upgrade advantage, MMA could not pass the center of the map and was forced to GG.
Game 4 @ Crossfire. Being one set ahead was probably the reason behind MMA's move this game. Clide opened with a fast CC into starport, aiming for a solid macro game, but MMA was quick to initiate a stim/SCV all-in, which almost caught Clide off-guard. To Clide's luck, a banshee popped out in the perfect moment to make MMA's fingers strike the G key twice.
Game 5 @ Xel'Naga Fortress. What better way to finish the series with the most SlayerS-esque move in the book - a marine/hellion drop, which hit Clide just before his bunker finished to protect his (now already dead) marines. With the survival of the hellions, Clide was brought down to 13 SCVs to 26 of MMA and the SlayerS terran had already a second base going up. All hope faded for Clide and he surrendered the series 2-3.
Happy vs Coca
Game 1 @ Daybreak. The second ZvT in the round began with a daring cheese from Happy's part, who proxied a barracks right under Coca's nose and in his very main. Failing to scout that in time, Coca was soon under marine pressure and as his petty ling counter attack crashed into the depot wall, Coca left the game, giving Happy the early lead.
Game 2 @ Tal'Darim Altar. The second set saw another quick game as Happy opened with reactor hellion, transitioning into the standard reactor/stim mid-game composition. Coca's reaction was a hidden third at 6 o'clock but that did not elude Happy's sight for long. As it got scouted and destroyed in seconds, Coca's horrible position got him for the throat. Especially when Happy finished his siege tech and A-clicked for the 2-0.
Game 3 @ Crossfire. It is never good to overreact to a double rax rush and Coca showed us why exactly is that the case. Even though his lings chased Happy's marines back, Coca craved for blood and spawned a huge round of lings in attempt to decimate the terran army in the center. Few seconds and a micro battle later, all lings lay dead and Happy walked home with such a huge advantage that Coca had no means at all to produce enough units and stop the marine/tank timing attack that crushed his face for a 3-0.
