EPTI was just watching the GSL and took some notes on things I noticed. I hope you find some of this useful in your ladder triumphs.
NaNiwa v Genius Game One - Naniwa's blink buildFor me, this was one of the rarest of pro games that show where extra time in offline practice can really pay off. After some mouse problems were resolved, Genius and Naniwa were back in their PvP on Antiga Shipyard. In my eyes, Antiga is a great map for learning PvP because builds from blink stalker to one base colossus can work out really well. In this game, Naniwa and Genius both decide to go blink stalker off of 3 gates. But what made this game special? Naniwa ended up with 7 more probes than Genius by the six minute mark. To start things off, both players opened standard, with a second gas when their core was about half way done.
The differences pop up once the first stalkers are out. After both player’s stalkers left the gateway, Genius began cutting probes and threw down a twilight council, executing the typical blink stalker rush. Meanwhile, Naniwa delayed his council until his second stalker came out, continuing probe production the entire time. Genius threw down two more gateways at 4:41, while Naniwa threw his down at 5:01. It’s also critical to note that Naniwa could afford these two gateways as well as the probe production due to getting a sentry out, foregoing a quick third stalker.
Genius' fastest possible twilight council couldn't even start researching blink for 20 seconds, allowing Naniwa’s to begin at almost the same time. Naniwa went on to easily hold Genius’ failed timing, expand, and win with his already large advantage. By the 7:30 mark, the game was essentially already over, with Naniwa having a 7 probe advantage, blink at the same time, and even a faster robo. After holding Genius' thin timing (despite missing two forcefields that could have delayed it even longer) Naniwa was so far ahead that it would have been difficult to lose.
The builds compared visualy:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VX31V.jpg)
As you can see above, there is a very thin timing in which Genius is actually ahead in units, but even without getting the forcefields that he desired, Naniwa was still able to hold with his in base warp in. If you manage to get the forcfefields off and warp in, than you are infinitely ahead, with a completed robo and a 7 probe advantage. Naniwa’s blink build seems unanimously better than Genius’
Virus v SuperNoVa Game 2 - PositioningIn this game, Supernova opened proxy cloak banshee, normally a strategy not worthy of much analysis; however, I found the battle of positioning that later occurred on this map very helpful. This game showed the value of three things: constant threatening of the third base, controlling the edges of the map, and having balls of steel.
1. Threatening the third
Virus ended up winning this game, and for good reason. He relentlessly aggressed on Supernova’s third, and it finally payed off in a final engagement. All game long Virus moved up the small hill just south of Supernova’s base and finally, after 15 minutes of meeting Supernova’s army, he got the perfect positioning that he wanted.
For me, and in all matchups, this demonstrates the importance of picking out areas on the map where you feel you have the advantage if the engagement occurs there. Once you have those few key areas, you must try as hard as you can to force the engagement there. Virus clearly wanted to engage by that third base, and after around 12 minutes of trying, he finally did and won the game because of it. Persistence is essential to engaging where you want to.
2. Controlling the Edges of the Map
Virus was able to use drops to pull Supernova out of position all game long, and his drops were only so successful due to his ability to control the sides of the map with a single marine. I believe that this tactic that is becoming so important in TvT can also be used in other matchups. Overlord spreading is important for Zerg, but perhaps even Protoss should begin using Zealots to watch for drops. Even ST_Legend, the GOM observer, was having trouble keeping up with all of the single marine battles going on, battling for control of the edges of the map that now are so essential for spotting drops.
3. Balls of Steel
So we established that Virus won because of his positioning, but he did so only with balls of steel. If you’re going to walk around so boldly fighting for the place on the map in which you want to engage, you absolutely have to be willing to force the engagement. The very second that Virus reached the position he had been fighting for, he stimmed in without scanning, sieged up, and attacked. It was this same boldness that allowed him to take the upperhand in the prior two engagements, sieging and stimming in the very second that he sees his opponent. Most players are much more timid than Virus, but I really loved how willing he was to capitalize on his advantage the very second that he saw it.
NaNiwa v Virus Game 2 - One Gate Expand Into Safe PressureNaniwa continued to impress me with his build orders in his opening against Virus. 1 gate/1 rax fe has become standard TvP these days, and Naniwa did a neat little follow up pressure before going robo, allowing him to pressure without going all in, and without the quick 3rd base that PartinG likes to do.
The Build:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/c5sRq.jpg)
This build seems really cool to me, you delay your robo and end up cutting a probe or two in exchange for a very powerful potential timing
One small addition - I find it extremely helpful to get a stargate when you’re sure you’re so far ahead as Naniwa was this game. Getting just a couple phoenixes can completely shut down drops – one of the few ways that terran can force a comeback.
Genius v SuperNoVa Game Two - Late Game TvPOvertime, I’m finding Daybreak to be one of my absolute favorite maps. Supernova demonstrated a superb understanding of late game TvP in his game against Genius. Traditionally, once protoss and Terran near maxed armies, they begin butting heads into one another, doing little harassment and focusing almost entirely on army movement and macro. This is due to the assumption that once a cannon and high templar are at every base, there’s little that harassment can accomplish. Supernova showed the folly of this line of thought though, demolishing Genius through brilliant multitasking that seemed near impossible to keep up with.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/bqDjx.png)
Combined with drops, the nuke is essential to picking apart a late game protoss
At about the 18 minute mark, after a failed engagement, the fun really gets started. Supernova used constant threatening of Genius' main army to constantly hit Genius’ other expansions with drops and cloak ghosts for nukes. In TvP, once it gets late game, one battle usually decides everything. Supernova made sure he got the upper hand in the micro wars by constantly forcing multitasking with drops and nukes. Supernova’s tactics can be used in every matchup as well, with multitasking allowing for denying the spellcasters of every race. It was a blast to watch SuperNova peel Genius apart
SuperNoVa v Virus Game One - A Brief OpeningI just wanted to briefly mention Supernova’s build here, it should be an easy win if you’re confident of your multitasking over an opponent and willing to take a small risk. Supernova went gas first into a banshee expand, but got a reactored factory, 4 hellions and a medivac, and then switched the reactor onto a barracks. This allowed him to do some nice damage with a quick banshee, and then follow it up with a quick hellion drop. I just thought it was a neat TvT opening worth pointing out.
