EPT
vs ZeNEXLine 
Jinro has almost hit bottom on his recent slide from success. Ever since his first amazing run deep in the third GSL open, his results have been RO4, RO16, RO16, RO32, and demotion to code A. Hopefully the format that first propelled him to stardom will be the format that reinvigorates his GSL career. He is in somewhat of a TvZ slump, having gone 1-6 in his past seven matches against zerg, but his opponent definitely seems weak enough to all but guarantee a strong start in this tournament. The only BOx Line has ever won as a Korean pro was a 2-0 victory in the second Open over the protoss player Sage.
Game 1: Bel'shir Beach
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(Warning- I lost my original recap of these games, so the recaps of this match are from memory and a quick skim.)
Line opens pool/expand/speed. Jinro opens with reactored hellions, but Line easily kills the reactor, showing the inherent positional imbalance of add-ons and putting Jinro's build behind. Jinro responds by making hellions one at a time and building a command center. Line gets a lair and a spire. Jinro starts building a marine/tank army off one factory. Line takes his gold for his third, but Jinro pushes out with a smallish army and kills it. Jinro foolishly continues to push and attempts to siege beneath Line's natural. By this time, though, Line has built up a sizable mutalisk flock which returns from wrecking Jinro's mineral line to easily clean up Jinro's shieldless, stimless, small marine/tank force. Line expands to his third and send his mutalisks back into Jinro's base, leaving him down 26 workers to 54. Jinro makes up part of the difference with a marine drop, but is still worlds behind in economy. Line retakes his gold as his fourth. Continued mutalisk and baneling harass keep Jinro on a meager income, and it is only a matter of time before Jinro is forced to gg.
That original reactor death seemed to mess with Jinro's head.
Line wins
Line opens pool/expand/speed. Jinro opens with reactored hellions, but Line easily kills the reactor, showing the inherent positional imbalance of add-ons and putting Jinro's build behind. Jinro responds by making hellions one at a time and building a command center. Line gets a lair and a spire. Jinro starts building a marine/tank army off one factory. Line takes his gold for his third, but Jinro pushes out with a smallish army and kills it. Jinro foolishly continues to push and attempts to siege beneath Line's natural. By this time, though, Line has built up a sizable mutalisk flock which returns from wrecking Jinro's mineral line to easily clean up Jinro's shieldless, stimless, small marine/tank force. Line expands to his third and send his mutalisks back into Jinro's base, leaving him down 26 workers to 54. Jinro makes up part of the difference with a marine drop, but is still worlds behind in economy. Line retakes his gold as his fourth. Continued mutalisk and baneling harass keep Jinro on a meager income, and it is only a matter of time before Jinro is forced to gg.
That original reactor death seemed to mess with Jinro's head.
Line wins
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Metalopolis, close-by-air positions
Line again goes pool/hatch/speed. Jinro again starts with reactored hellions and expands. Jinro sticks with mainly bio this time after his first four hellions do little damage, getting shields/stim much more quickly than last game. Line gets a lair and a spire. Jinro loads up three medivacs worth of units, but gets spotted and has to retreat. Line takes a third and builds a macro hatch as his muta flock slowly grows. Jinro eschews heavy tank production this game, instead making thors out of two factories to defend against the ever-larger mutalisk threat. Line gets banelings, infestors,and a fourth base. Jinro builds a third. Line gets his hive and a greater spire. Jinro sees the greater spire, but has very few vikings and only a single starport. He sends a two-medivac marine hit squad to try to destroy it as he pushes across the map towards Line's fourth with his almost exclusively marine army. But gigantic fungals from line at 12:10 followed by a wall of banelings kill forty marines in a matter of seconds, and Jinro immediately gg's, marking his third consecutive first-round exit from a Gom tournament.
Line wins.
Line again goes pool/hatch/speed. Jinro again starts with reactored hellions and expands. Jinro sticks with mainly bio this time after his first four hellions do little damage, getting shields/stim much more quickly than last game. Line gets a lair and a spire. Jinro loads up three medivacs worth of units, but gets spotted and has to retreat. Line takes a third and builds a macro hatch as his muta flock slowly grows. Jinro eschews heavy tank production this game, instead making thors out of two factories to defend against the ever-larger mutalisk threat. Line gets banelings, infestors,and a fourth base. Jinro builds a third. Line gets his hive and a greater spire. Jinro sees the greater spire, but has very few vikings and only a single starport. He sends a two-medivac marine hit squad to try to destroy it as he pushes across the map towards Line's fourth with his almost exclusively marine army. But gigantic fungals from line at 12:10 followed by a wall of banelings kill forty marines in a matter of seconds, and Jinro immediately gg's, marking his third consecutive first-round exit from a Gom tournament.
Line wins.
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Jin-nooooooooooo :-(
Line wins.
Line wins.
Match 26: ZeNEXKyrix
vs NSHoSeo_vanvanth 
Kyrix is one of those highly stylistic players that is extremely difficult to predict. His probably of winning depends much more on his opponent’s style of play than on race statistics and past performance. We’ve seen him 2-0 great players and flailingly lose to relative unknowns all based on how his strategies have worked with the plans made against him. Banbans, on the other hand, has yet to beat a solid player convincingly. A win over Kyrix would show that he could hang with the big boys. Both competitors are 3-7 in their past ten matches, so we’ll see who is able to break out of their slump and perhaps even up his past10 record with a 2-0 win.
Game 1:
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Metalopolis, cross positions
Kyrix goes for a gasless pool/expand. BanBans two-gate expands behind a bunch of sentries. Kyrix gets his gas for speed, roaches, +1 melee and a liar. Banbans gets a forge and two more gateways. Kyrix takes his third. Banbans moves against it with his gateway army. Some very slick forcefields help him kill a bunch of drones and, eventually the hatchery after a long, intense fight. Unfortunately, after losing his entire army, Banbans is left with a forty supply deficit, So Kyrix just counterattacks and wins.
Kyrix apparently missed two injects during the tense battle for his third hatchery, which is bad news if he wants to get deep in this tournament. Banbans also had some very questionable decision making, especially when it came to cost/benefit analysis.
Kyrix wins.
Kyrix goes for a gasless pool/expand. BanBans two-gate expands behind a bunch of sentries. Kyrix gets his gas for speed, roaches, +1 melee and a liar. Banbans gets a forge and two more gateways. Kyrix takes his third. Banbans moves against it with his gateway army. Some very slick forcefields help him kill a bunch of drones and, eventually the hatchery after a long, intense fight. Unfortunately, after losing his entire army, Banbans is left with a forty supply deficit, So Kyrix just counterattacks and wins.
Kyrix apparently missed two injects during the tense battle for his third hatchery, which is bad news if he wants to get deep in this tournament. Banbans also had some very questionable decision making, especially when it came to cost/benefit analysis.
Kyrix wins.
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Crevasse, Kyrix clockwise
Kyrix hatches first. Banbans goes nexus first without any forge to speak of. Both players focus on building their economies for a bit. Kyrix takes his third and gets a lair. Banbans builds five gateways all at once, bringing his total to six. Kyrix gets zergling speed and a roach warren. Kyrix spots Banbans's army as it stops to take out the rocks in the middle of the map, and so has plenty of time to build a huge roach defense force. Banbans's mediocre micro lets Kyrix's roaches trade very efficiently, and soon, Kyrix is up by sixty supply without ever having even been in BanBans' base. When his last stalker falls, BanBans gg's.
In both games BanBans was able to execute his strategy completely unmolested by his opponent, then just attacked and lost to absolutely standard builds. That is a strong sign of a weak player to me.
Kyrix wins.
Kyrix hatches first. Banbans goes nexus first without any forge to speak of. Both players focus on building their economies for a bit. Kyrix takes his third and gets a lair. Banbans builds five gateways all at once, bringing his total to six. Kyrix gets zergling speed and a roach warren. Kyrix spots Banbans's army as it stops to take out the rocks in the middle of the map, and so has plenty of time to build a huge roach defense force. Banbans's mediocre micro lets Kyrix's roaches trade very efficiently, and soon, Kyrix is up by sixty supply without ever having even been in BanBans' base. When his last stalker falls, BanBans gg's.
In both games BanBans was able to execute his strategy completely unmolested by his opponent, then just attacked and lost to absolutely standard builds. That is a strong sign of a weak player to me.
Kyrix wins.
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Silly Banbans, Kyrix just wins!
Match 27: IMJunwi
vs ST_Virus Both players have horrendous records in this matchup so far in their careers, with win rates at around 30%. However, Junwi has 0-2’d out of every single GSL event he has participated in- except one which he 2-2’d out of, whereas Virus has at least made it to Code S and even got past the group stage once. Virus seems the likely winner in this match.
Game 1:
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Crossfire
Junwi hatches first without gas. Virus two-raxes and starts to bunker the natural. Virus uses the terrain of the map to do serious damage to the probe line and the natural, causing Junwi to run by with zerglings in order to pick off the reinforcements. But Virus smartly pools his backup marines and takes out that zergling detachment as well. Junwi gg's when his natural's hatchery falls.
Virus wins.
Junwi hatches first without gas. Virus two-raxes and starts to bunker the natural. Virus uses the terrain of the map to do serious damage to the probe line and the natural, causing Junwi to run by with zerglings in order to pick off the reinforcements. But Virus smartly pools his backup marines and takes out that zergling detachment as well. Junwi gg's when his natural's hatchery falls.
Virus wins.
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Xel'Naga Caverns
Junwi pools first for early speed. Virus two-raxes with one hidden, but opts for a command center instead of aggression when he sees no second hatchery. Junwi expands, gets a baneling nest, and builds a macro hatchery. Virus builds to two factories (Tx) and three barracks (Txx) for blue flame hellions and expands. Virus has trouble getting in with his first eight hellions, so transitions to two-factory tanks and builds a third command center. Junwi gets his lair, a spire, then takes his third, then his fourth. Both players are content just to macro for the time being. Junwi sticks to x-ling/muta, while Virus builds a marine/tank/medivac army with some thors mixed in after taking his gold.
Junwi takes his own gold, meaning he has his entire side of the map and is up 4 bases to 3. Both players max out. Virus starts across the map. Junwi lets him kill two bases, including the gold, while he waits for the perfect time to attack. Junwi executes a relatively successful nydus worm (12:20) that could have been easily prevented, but instead kills a lot of scvs. The first engagement goes in Junwi's favor, giving him a sixty supply lead and resetting Virus's tank count. Junwi starts getting infestors finally, and a hive gives Junwi access to +3/+0 cracklings to combat Virus's +3/+3 marines. Virus takes his interior third. Junwi retakes his gold. Junwi nails around forty marines in the middle of the map with fungal growth. Junwi take's Virus's lateral third and gets a greater spire. Junwi hits a perfect baneling landmine, killing around twenty marines at once. After so many huge losses, and with Junwi on such a huge economy, Junwi is eventually able to overrun Virus with dozens of zerglings, banelings and infestors with broodlord support.
Junwi wins.
Junwi pools first for early speed. Virus two-raxes with one hidden, but opts for a command center instead of aggression when he sees no second hatchery. Junwi expands, gets a baneling nest, and builds a macro hatchery. Virus builds to two factories (Tx) and three barracks (Txx) for blue flame hellions and expands. Virus has trouble getting in with his first eight hellions, so transitions to two-factory tanks and builds a third command center. Junwi gets his lair, a spire, then takes his third, then his fourth. Both players are content just to macro for the time being. Junwi sticks to x-ling/muta, while Virus builds a marine/tank/medivac army with some thors mixed in after taking his gold.
Junwi takes his own gold, meaning he has his entire side of the map and is up 4 bases to 3. Both players max out. Virus starts across the map. Junwi lets him kill two bases, including the gold, while he waits for the perfect time to attack. Junwi executes a relatively successful nydus worm (12:20) that could have been easily prevented, but instead kills a lot of scvs. The first engagement goes in Junwi's favor, giving him a sixty supply lead and resetting Virus's tank count. Junwi starts getting infestors finally, and a hive gives Junwi access to +3/+0 cracklings to combat Virus's +3/+3 marines. Virus takes his interior third. Junwi retakes his gold. Junwi nails around forty marines in the middle of the map with fungal growth. Junwi take's Virus's lateral third and gets a greater spire. Junwi hits a perfect baneling landmine, killing around twenty marines at once. After so many huge losses, and with Junwi on such a huge economy, Junwi is eventually able to overrun Virus with dozens of zerglings, banelings and infestors with broodlord support.
Junwi wins.
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Tal'Darim Altar, Junwi clockwise
Junwi hatch/pools without gas. Virus four-raxes with no addons and manages to hide it. Virus attacks with all of his units, including every scv at 6'30”, and wins.
Junwi seems very vulnerable in the early game. His scouting was exceptionally poor, not even seeing the push coming until is was virtually on his creep.
Virus wins.
Junwi hatch/pools without gas. Virus four-raxes with no addons and manages to hide it. Virus attacks with all of his units, including every scv at 6'30”, and wins.
Junwi seems very vulnerable in the early game. His scouting was exceptionally poor, not even seeing the push coming until is was virtually on his creep.
Virus wins.
Match 28: ZeNEXCoCa
vs oGsNaDa Coca had a break out Code A performance this past season, making it to Code S and demoting Jinro to the lower league the process. But Nada has made more RO8 appearances than just about anyone, and it’s hard to see the living legend going down in the first round to a Code S neophyte. Both players are around 50% in this matchup, but Nada has been playing against much more difficult players, and almost certainly has a huge edge in this match.
Game 1:
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Terminus RE – cross positions
Coca hatches first. Nada two-raxes but doesn't seriously attack. Instead he expands and builds two more barracks; all four barracks stay naked of add-on for quite a while. Coca expands. Nada attacks with marines and trades roughly evenly due to solid defense by Coca, but does take out two, and almost three, queens. Nada adds on a single tech lab for shields/stim and techs to starport for tanks and medivacs. Coca gets his lair, a spire, banelings, and a fairly delayed zergling speed. Nada expands. Nada sieges in the middle of the map and sits there waiting. When the time comes, Coca easily breaks the light contain with a huge zergling/baneling army and a handful of mutalisks for backup. Nada, meanwhile, has built two more orbitals that are now stranded in his base because of his lack of map control. Coca attacks Nada's front, but loses the battle to sieged tanks that have been streaming out of four factories, allowing Nada to inch forward and take his forth. Coca takes his fourth and the counter-clockwise natural as well. Coca gets his infestation pit and loses his fifth base to a marine squad.
Coca attacks Nada's fourth before infestors hit the field and the problems with Coca's low-tech x-ling army become apparent as Nada's four-factories worth of siege tanks cause a sixty supply swing in Nada's favor. Nada uses the advantage to take a fifth, putting him up a base. Nada moves out across the map just as infestors spawn for Coca. Nada manages to kill Coca's fourth base anyway, forcing the zerg into long-distance mining. Coco gg's soon thereafter.
Coca played very well early, but failed to tech soon enough to deal with Nada's tanks. He made very few mutalisks, leaving Nada's economy completely unharassed and his tanks unthreatened. By the time infestors finally got in the game, it was too late as he was already against an equal-based terran with way too many tanks.
Nada wins.
Coca hatches first. Nada two-raxes but doesn't seriously attack. Instead he expands and builds two more barracks; all four barracks stay naked of add-on for quite a while. Coca expands. Nada attacks with marines and trades roughly evenly due to solid defense by Coca, but does take out two, and almost three, queens. Nada adds on a single tech lab for shields/stim and techs to starport for tanks and medivacs. Coca gets his lair, a spire, banelings, and a fairly delayed zergling speed. Nada expands. Nada sieges in the middle of the map and sits there waiting. When the time comes, Coca easily breaks the light contain with a huge zergling/baneling army and a handful of mutalisks for backup. Nada, meanwhile, has built two more orbitals that are now stranded in his base because of his lack of map control. Coca attacks Nada's front, but loses the battle to sieged tanks that have been streaming out of four factories, allowing Nada to inch forward and take his forth. Coca takes his fourth and the counter-clockwise natural as well. Coca gets his infestation pit and loses his fifth base to a marine squad.
Coca attacks Nada's fourth before infestors hit the field and the problems with Coca's low-tech x-ling army become apparent as Nada's four-factories worth of siege tanks cause a sixty supply swing in Nada's favor. Nada uses the advantage to take a fifth, putting him up a base. Nada moves out across the map just as infestors spawn for Coca. Nada manages to kill Coca's fourth base anyway, forcing the zerg into long-distance mining. Coco gg's soon thereafter.
Coca played very well early, but failed to tech soon enough to deal with Nada's tanks. He made very few mutalisks, leaving Nada's economy completely unharassed and his tanks unthreatened. By the time infestors finally got in the game, it was too late as he was already against an equal-based terran with way too many tanks.
Nada wins.
+ Show Spoiler +
Crossfire
Coca pool/expands without gas. Nada again two raxes into four barracks(xxxx) and an expansion. Coca gets gas for speed, banelings, and a lair. Nada is using the exact same general build, getting a single tech lab for infantry upgrades while teching up to siege tanks and medivacs. Coca gets his spire, but a marine drop from Nada catches four overlords in the middle of the map, putting Coca way behind in supply. Coca takes his third. Nada's first push gets stalled by clever high-ground spine crawlers on a plateau, and then beautifully triple flanked by x-lings at 13:10. But Nada is still ahead in both supply and workers. Nada takes his third. Coca is doing a much better job harassing with his mutalisks this game, keeping Nada pinned in his base. Coca takes his gold and makes a macro hatch as his infestation pit starts. Nada moves out with +2/+2 marines and relatively few tanks as he only now builds two more factories to maximize tank production. His upgraded marines tear through Coca's unupgraded x-lings and mutalisks, allowing Nada to kill Coca's gold, putting him up by twenty supply. Nada takes his own gold, putting him up a base as well. Coca's infestors again show up just barely too late, and Nada is able to siege on Coca's natural's plateau. This prompts Coca to try for an all-in counterattack that easily falls to Nada's now four-factory siege tanks.
Nada seems to know this matchup very well. He did essentially the same build both times and got the same results both times. Coca probably could have beaten many other terrans with his lower-tech, defensive strategy, but against a player which such godly macro and control, it just played into Nada's strengths and allowed him to control the game.
Nada wins.
Coca pool/expands without gas. Nada again two raxes into four barracks(xxxx) and an expansion. Coca gets gas for speed, banelings, and a lair. Nada is using the exact same general build, getting a single tech lab for infantry upgrades while teching up to siege tanks and medivacs. Coca gets his spire, but a marine drop from Nada catches four overlords in the middle of the map, putting Coca way behind in supply. Coca takes his third. Nada's first push gets stalled by clever high-ground spine crawlers on a plateau, and then beautifully triple flanked by x-lings at 13:10. But Nada is still ahead in both supply and workers. Nada takes his third. Coca is doing a much better job harassing with his mutalisks this game, keeping Nada pinned in his base. Coca takes his gold and makes a macro hatch as his infestation pit starts. Nada moves out with +2/+2 marines and relatively few tanks as he only now builds two more factories to maximize tank production. His upgraded marines tear through Coca's unupgraded x-lings and mutalisks, allowing Nada to kill Coca's gold, putting him up by twenty supply. Nada takes his own gold, putting him up a base as well. Coca's infestors again show up just barely too late, and Nada is able to siege on Coca's natural's plateau. This prompts Coca to try for an all-in counterattack that easily falls to Nada's now four-factory siege tanks.
Nada seems to know this matchup very well. He did essentially the same build both times and got the same results both times. Coca probably could have beaten many other terrans with his lower-tech, defensive strategy, but against a player which such godly macro and control, it just played into Nada's strengths and allowed him to control the game.
Nada wins.
+ Show Spoiler +
Nada got craaaaaazy on Coca's stuff
