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More WCS Korea coverage Check link for VODs, news and match info   Maru 3-1's Symbol in opening day upset


Having no significant achievements on his account, Maru came as the undisputed underdog in the series against Symbol, a finalist in the first Code S season for 2013 and a top four finisher in the previous WCS Korea. 

Game 1: Newkirk Precinct

??Right of the bat, the series was off to a straightforward start. Clearing the overlord east of his base allowed Maru to sneak in a four widow mine drop past Symbol's scouts and unload enough damage to kill 13 drones of Symbol, severely weakening his economy. This harass was followed by an elegant triple CC +1/+1 bio push and with not enough units to defend his base, Symbol suffered his first defeat for the day.


Maru winning game one in a single motion

Game 2: Anaconda

Spawning on Anaconda. Symbol opted for a three base into quick spire play but once again he was in a situation where he was the receiver of Maru's aggression. The Terran had plans of destruction in his head and he followed them diligently, flying in with medivacs, sniping the third and flying away untouched.

Forced to either make a difference with his mutalisks or go down 0-2, Symbol tried to harass his heart out but to no avail. The tempo was well in Maru's hands and once the third hatchery was sniper yet another time, Symbol was looking defeat in its eyes - the Terran was coming to him with gunfire and 20 supply advantage. The Code S finalist held his ground as best as he could for the disadvantage he was in but it wasn't long before he had to admit defeat. 

Game 3: Star Station

Things were not looking good for Symbol at the start of game three as well. Preferring an opening with a fast gas and a delayed expansion, Symbol found himself economically behind Maru who, after minor proxy reaper harassment, transitioned into a quadruple CC with a siege tank to keep him safe.

Not until Maru made his first major blunder in the series did Symbol get lucky. The two scans which the Terran dropped to survey the enemy base missed Symbol's entire tech, allowing him to initiate his mutalisk raid successfully in surprising motion, drone up to 100 and switch back to army production.

Despite his blooming income, however, Symbol spent the majority of the late game on a smaller army than his economy would've suggested, a move that could've been easily interpreted as a mistake or a result of larvae miss-injects. What Symbol's plan consisted of, in fact, was a sudden explosion of ultralisks which successfully swept away Maru, who was easily on his way to taking it 3-0.

Game 4: Akilon Wastes

By the fourth game, Symbol was seemingly figuring out Maru's aggressive - even over aggressive at times - style and thus decided to stay on a low-tier roach/baneling army and catch the Terran in motion. At the 13th minute, this strategy had greatly paid of for Symbol and the Zerg was knocking at Maru's doors, threatening to raze his natural to the ground. 

As Maru held and pushed the enemy back, though, Symbol was in for a hard realization. He was sans fourth base, his tech was delayed and Maru was quickly reestablishing his map presence, his bio army growing by the second. By the time Symbol managed to spawn army of high enough tier to battle Maru, the Terran numbers were already too great and a 3-1 was coined in Maru's favor.


Maru - 20 supply ahead and equal on bases with Symbol - approaches a 3-1 victory
 

Innovation blanks Soulkey, takes revenge for KR Season 1 finals


In the most expected match-up of the quarter finals, Innovation found himself looking an old rival in the eyes - Woongjin Stars' Soullkey, the man who scored four wins in a row in the last Code S finals and barred the Terran maestro from the desired championship.

This time around, Innovation would have none of that and in three series Woongjin's ace was down with little to no opportunities to make the legendary comeback of last season. 

Game 1: Newkirk Precinct

The first minutes of the series were largely into Soulkey's favor. Aggressive ling control combined with burrowed zerglings all over the map pinned Innovation to his side of Newkirk Precinct. This in turn led to Soulkey safely teching to spire and, later, get fat on mutas to establish air control as well.

If that level of early-game domination would be of lethal problem to other Terrans, Innovation was not as easily broken and the STX Terran simply sat tight, defended to the best of his abilities and waited for Soulkey to screw up. Said screw up was not long delayed: an attempt to climb a ramp of Innovation's with a large group of banelings turned out to be an overcommitment by Soulkey and as a widow mine shot splattered galons of Zerg ooze around, Innovation walked out to seize the opportunity. 

A lightning fast attack leveled one of Soulkey's hatcheries to the ground and swung the macro scales in Innovation's favor, a strong indication that trouble was about to ensue for the Zerg. Though he maneuvered his mutalisks and zerglings relentlessly, looking for any kind of opening, Soulkey lagged more and more behind as Innovation was macroing up beyond an iron curtain of Terran defenses. Minutes later, Soulkey was reminded why you just can't go head to head with a macroing Innovation. 

Game 2: Star Station

Losing a game that was almost his had a tangible negative effect on Soulkey's play. Actively trying to avoid another late-game scenario against the TvZ beast, Soulkey went for a mid-game push with a massive roach army. As that was deflected relatively easily, all Soulkey had was a massive roach army - one, if not the most ineffectual composition to fight off incoming endless bio waves.

Game 3: Gwangali Beach

??Down two games, Soulkey was against the ropes and having to play on Gwangali Beach certainly did not make it easier for him. Innovation went straight on for a 24/7 bio aggression off three bases and established a continuous stream of marines and marauders down the beach line, leading right into Soulkey's third and then his natural.

While the reigning champion had a couple of things going right for him - such as being allowed to establish a four base economy and drone up heavily enough to match Innovation's raids for good minutes - he was ever in the disadvantage. As Soulkey poured all his hopes and chances into one final (and largely unsuccessful) flank, he had to GG out for the third time, conceding the rematch. 


The river of blue will soon overwhelm the yellow of Soulkey for the 3-0.

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