EPTFruitdealer vs HopeTorture
Preface:
The first GSL Open Season was hallmarked by the story of Fruitdealer, who overcame the difficulties that zerg players at the time had been having to make it to the finals. There he fought against HopeTorture, formerly InToTheRainbow, in a climactic best of seven to determine the first GSL champion of Starcraft 2. This series of battle reports will look back on the first true championship finals of Starcraft 2.
Previous Reports:
Set One: Delta Quadrant
Set Two: Lost Temple
It's set three, and Fruitdealer is about to mix things up...
Set Three: Kulas Ravine
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VfEmH1E.png)
Artosis drops the knowledge bomb.
Fruitdealer spawns at the 5 o'clock position; Rainbow in the 7 o'clock. Before the game even begins, Artosis drops the sage advice; Rainbow needs to adapt to Fruitdealer. Artosis identifies a timing where Fruitdealer is susceptible to attacks on two bases, but will Rainbow identify it in time?
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/muu2JH3.png)
Rainbow opens standard. He has failed to adapt.
The game begins with Rainbow building a barracks at his choke. Fruitdealer prepares for a hatchery first build, but there's a twist; he's expanding to the rich mineral location just North of his main base.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/SzeYKa0.png)
Because Rainbow refused, Fruitdealer chooses to adapt instead.
However, Rainbow knows that something is up. He sends in an SCV to scout his opponent's base. From how late the pool is and the fact that there's no hatchery at Fruitdealer's expansion, the Korean terran knows that there's something else out on the map somewhere. Seeing nothing in the main other than a gas beginning to morph in, the SCV shoots off to the North...
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Ej2Av8G.png)
Rainbow knows!
With a clear indication of what Fruitdealer is planning, Rainbow starts up a factory to close off his choke point, but Fruitdealer is already working on saturating his gold base and morphing in a roach warren. Given the ledge next to the exposed rich mineral base, it seems likely that Rainbow will opt for another tank drop. Fruitdealer seems to know this and has an overlord in position to spot the ledge.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/PVWI9ay.png)
Rainbow sets up for another aerial tank assault.
As a tank begins to churn out of the factory, Fruitdealer begins morphing in a lair at his main. A daring SCV scout from Rainbow catches a glimpse of this before being promptly ploughed down by zerglings, but the timing's off for any kind of mutalisk intervention in the tank drop. Rainbow confidently moves out with his dropship; armed with a tank, 2 SCVs and a couple of marines to deny overlord vision.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/WqQ8LPG.png)
Spines versus Tanks: round two is about to commence...
Rainbow deploys a tank on the ledge, pressed to the back where it's out of range of the spine crawlers. His marines attempt to shut down the overlord, but the spines quickly destroy them. Out of nowhere, roaches sprint up to the back of the ledge and focus fire the tank. With some quick repair micro by Rainbow, he's able to save the tank and get it back in to the medivac, but he's no longer able to attack the hatchery.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/G9kPV9D.png)
Fruitdealer perfectly prepares to defend his rich mineral expansion.
However, Rainbow's not failed just yet! He pulls in a viking, which snipes the overlord and allows him to regain control of the ledge, as Fruitdealer no longer has vision. the drones are forced to make a full retreat to Fruitdealer's natural as he attempts to establish a hatchery there. Finally, it looks like Rainbow's managed to out-think Fruitdealer. But he's forgotten something.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/PElVhBE.png)
Surprise motherfucker!
A nydus worm bursts out of the ground in Rainbow's main base. With his attention and forces concentrated at the gold base, he has nothing at home to deal with the enormous numbers of roaches and lings that have entered his mineral line. The tank attacks the gold base but Fruitdealer has moved back to his natural.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/vp8g3GD.png)
Fruitdealer guts his Terran rival.
As the SCVs die and Rainbow's production is destroyed, he lifts his orbital and takes it to the in-base expansion, along with a couple of workers in a medivac. Meanwhile, he attempts to use a marine drop and 2 vikings to pressure Fruitdealer, but the zerg player has queens and zerglings in place to defend. Rainbow lands his vikings in to a burst of flame. Rainbow GGs.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/3kDJdtU.png)
Fruitdealer 3-0 Rainbow
It's another dominant win for Fruitdealer. Having now cleared the three deadly maps in the pool for zerg players, Fruitdealer has a strong chance of obliterating Rainbow and taking the first GSL trophy against all odds. Rainbow now feels completely outclassed. Every time he gets close to outsmarting or outplaying Fruitdealer, the zerg finds a way to humiliate him all over again. Looking forward, he's hoping to reclaim his honour, as well as a shot at the championship...
To be continued...
