A happy FoCuS. Photo by: Julia Christophers, ESL.
The 69th ZOTAC edition sees an all-Korean final where FoCuS used headhunters and kodo beasts in style to defeat FoV in the grand final.
The difference in this week's ZOTAC was the numbers of Korean participating. Last week the only one fighting from the well-known Asian country was Winners. Today's he was not the only one in it - SocceR, Shy and the duo from the final match - FoV and FoCuS were also there. The last Korean player mentioned was the one who eliminated last ZOTAC's winner LucifroN in the semifinal match. FoV on the other hand, took down FoCuS's teammate Shy in his semi final.
In the final, FoCuS quite easily took down FoV on the opening map - Twisted Meadows. As FoV took revenge in the second game on Ancient Isles, and evening the score to 1-1, FoCuS's rage began. Beginning with a fair win on Lost Temple, FoCuS plays firm and solid in the fourth game on Turtle Rock and as FoV's types out after losing major battle, FoCuS wins the ZOTAC #69. A sleepless night for the Korean player pays him back in 100 Euros.
Game 1 @ Twisted Meadows
Pretty standard opening from both sides. FoCuS goes for blademaster with grunts followed up by teched grunts with sh and t2 units. FoV goes fiends supported by Lich and surprisingly Pit Lord. As FoCuS dominates the early game phase by successful harassment with his bm, FoV tries to rush upon his base in t2 stage. Although FoCuS loses major part of his army, thanks to spirit linked peons and headhunters forces FoV to tp out.
From now on Orc players focuses on kodos and headhunters which pays him off when he's creepjacking FoV and taking down his Lich before the Undead player backs off to his base. Few creepings later, FoCuS places his exp in a safe location below his base, which atrracts FoV's attention. After tping to his exp, the Orc player manages to take down the Death Knight which leaves FoV with nothing else to do than admit defeat.
Game 2 @ Ancient Isle
As nothing changes in the opening phase compared to Game 1, the mistakes of players make the difference in the midgame. When the first encounter between FoV and FoCuS takes place, undead player's got Death Knight and Lich backed up with fiends + obsidian, where FoCuS's having Blademaster with Tauren Chieftain with some grunts and first headhunters. Nevertheless, Death Knight and Blademaster are killed almost at the same time.
Despite having beastmaster back from tavern he dies again, but helping FoCuS with taking down Lich seconds later. In another fights, this time kodos + headhunters from FoCuS and DK/Lich/Ranger from FoV, our Orc player seems to have an advantage as he successfully focuses undead's heroes, sometimes leaving him heroless army only for some time.
As the gold runs out for both players, FoV goes all in by unsummoning all his buildings and goes for Orc's expansion. There the final fight takes place and as Blademaster can't handle DK/orbed Lich/Ranger even with Tauren's help, FoCuS types "GG" and we have a 1-1 score.
Game 3 @ Lost Temple
Both players go for a fast exp with FoV's picking the Crypt Lord as a first hero. Unfortunately for him, in the first face to face encounter in the field, the Beastmaster forces FoV to tp out. What's worse - after FoCuS windwalks near his base, he is able to take down a half-hped Crypt Lord. In the middle game, FoV is again the one who fails to succeed. First of all, FoCuS finds out he's plan to place another expansion at the bottom left and prevents him to do that with his BM.
Later on, FoCuS strikes on Undead's base, while killing heroes and forcing FoV to stay in his base. This advantage helps FoCuS to place some other expos in the bottom of the map. When economy rings the bell, FoCus goes another time for the Undead, leaving only Death Knight (second hero) alive from the hero trio (CL, DK, Lich) and destroying the altar.
As FoV's barely alive restores his altar and patiently waits for some heroes and units, FoCuS with his 3 mines got simply too powerful to be stopped and the games ends with 2:1 for FoCuS.
Game 4 @ Turtle Rock
The build order as well the opening phase is quite a mirror of Game 1. DK/Lich/Fiends from FoV vs BM/Tauren + kodos and headhunters from FoCuS. As we know Orc gets rough in tier 2, when the encounter while creeping happens, FoV is forced to back off. As the creeping parts comes to an end, FoCuS defends his base quite easily from the Undead, despite FoV bringing some Blight to the battlefield.
In the meantime, FoCuS manages to place down his expo. This, as it happened in games before, will be a hotseat for both players, where couple minutes later the final battles takes on. Unfortunately for FoV, the kodo/headhunter combo is too powerful against single fiends backed up by one Obsidian only. That means a third point on FoCuS's account which ends the series 3-1 which makes FoCuS the ZOTAC #69 winner!
Links
GameSports.net - Full tournament grid
