The players attending were UpMagic, Oov, Luxury[gsp] and Shudder_V_.
I didn't know what to expect really but it's always nice to catch games of premier terrans like UpMagic and Oov...who well used to be awesome.
So with 3 terrans in the group and only one zerg, we could look forward to a couple of sweet TvT:s Yes, I do actually like TvT:s in most cases, because it's a very strategic MU, and nowadays when alot of dropships are used, it rarely get's into a stalemate for too long.
UpMagic played Shudder_V_ and lost, seemingly underestimating Shudder ALOT. He had like zero expos, while Shudder had a couple and only used his dropships to drop the same corner of Shudders main all the time. Very uninspired play by UpMagic indeed, but maybe his TvT isn't that good (TLPD to the rescue!)
Edit: I was right, he is 11-12 in TvT which really isn't top notch.
Then next comes a great game with Shudder against Luxury[gsp], a real nailbiter lemme tell ya.
Luxury goes fast lings and rushes Shudders base at 11, while Shudder makes some odd 1 rax/1 fac build with vults. Both players micro like crazy, while Shudder is trying to fight off Luxurys endless stream of zerglings who try to break into the Terran main.
However Shudder manages to fend off the zerg swarm with awesome micro, and I thought many times that he would loose the game.
However he eventually gathers up an small m&m force followed by tanks to the zerg nat at 5 and starts pounding away at the sunkens.
At this point Luxury only has a couple of mutas and the game seems very even at this point, because Luxury could possibly kill off the Terran intruders with his mutas.
However Shudder proceeds to kill off the zerg nat and Luxurys mutas fly to Shudders base, but he realizes that the game most likely is lost when seeing Shudder entering his unprotected main.
Whoa, this became very detailed, but it was indeed a fun, short, intensive game which was exciting to watch.
Then Oov went up against Luxury and rarely have I seen a pro-gamer play that sloppy.
Oov FE:d and built up an m&m force with 4 rax. Then he moved out with everything, leaving his main and nat totally undefended, and with no turrets.
A minute or so goes by and you get the feeling he doesn't really know what he is doing (wtf Oov, this is TvZ...you fucking hold the TvZ record!?)
So he charges his m&m force into luxurys sunkens and dies to sunkens and mutas and GG:s.
It was ridiculous tbh, like he was avoiding late game at any cost.
Oov is definately out of the loop...I was so hoping that he would come back to Starleague.
The Oov vs UpMagic TvT was kind of spectacular as well and very long (!), and finally the referee had to pause the game as it ended in a draw, and I was fucking pissed!
I was rooting for Oov, seeing his passion when the cameras zoomed in on his face; his mouth open, eyes intensively staring on the screen, drops of sweat on his forehead.
UpMagic on the other hand looked cool as a cucumber, like nothing in the world could ever disturb his equilibrium.
The game was even and finally it looks like UpMagic has it won, with a gazillion upgraded BC:s. However Oov in some weird way manages to pump out ALOT (!) of wraiths, we're talking like 4 control groups here eventually.
Oov also makes an awesome goliath drop right by UpMagics BC:s, managing to decimate UpMagics armada down to almost nothing.
It was beautiful to watch 25-30 gols pound away at the BC:s who couldn't hide anywhere fast.
This is the point where I got fucking annoyed and pissed off at UpMagic who I think played a bit cowardly/safe, although many people would have done the same. He had one base left, after Oov had razed almost all of his remaining buildings around the map.
UpMagic had a million turrets around the command centre and his last BC:s and a couple of valks on the top of it.
...and he just sat there.
The FP-view just shows him clicking around for fun, doing nothing of value at all. He obviously knows Oovs flying armada is vastly superior and is looking to end the game in a draw, and that annoyed me alot.
Besides I was rooting for Oov which fueled the fire.
So, the judge pauses the game and it ends in a draw.
And UpMagic wins the re-match...that shit is fucked up, damn you base-camping coward.
Oov was to me the rightful winner.
Shudder and UpMagic advance.
I was pretty impressed with Shudder, and I've seen many replays of him and it would be fun if he would start playing with the big boys.
His micro against Luxury was great and he has balls.
Alright, that will be all for now.