EPTBoxeR (Marineking) vs NesTea
Preface:
A scrappy rookie with a legendary name stands against a titan who hasn't dropped a single set all tournament. Can the power of destiny stand in the way of a god? This is GSL Open Season Two; this is
Previous Reports:
Fruitdealer vs Rainbow
Set One: Delta Quadrant
Set Two: Lost Temple
Set Three: Kulas Ravine
Set Four: Desert Oasis
Set Five: Scrap Station
FoxeR vs NesTea
Set One: Shakuras Plateau
Set Two: Lost Temple
Set Three: Scrap Station
Set Four: Jungle Basin
Set Five:Steppes of War
FoxeR spawns in the 2 o'clock position; NesTea spawns across the map in the 8 o'clock. The scoreboard is even at 2-2 after Nestea showed his skill and tied the series up on Jungle Basin. Looking to recapture the magic from the first two games, Foxer relies on his rock; two barracks at his natural ramp. Nestea diverges from his standard play, going gas first at 14, followed immediately by a pool.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Wezdabl.png)
With Hatch first impossible on Steppes, Nestea sets out to be more aggressive.
Foxer scouts Nestea's base and gets an orbital while using his first marines to scare away overlords. As the SCV scout leave his base however, Nestea puts down a roach warren, setting down lings at the ramp to keep it hidden.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/gannQaD.png)
Nestea prepares a Roach-flavoured death for Foxer.
Nestea starts speed as two marines and SCVs push towards his ramp. He moves back to the defensive high ground, but Foxer drops two bunkers, blocking off the bottom of the ramp.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/e8az3fh.png)
Foxer sets up the contain to begin his aggression.
However, roaches are on the way and Foxer still has no idea. The korean terran attempts to scout but a queen and zerglings deny any units from pushing up the ramp. Foxer is posturing dangerously at the top of the ramp with his units, poking dangerously far from the safety of his bunkers. He finally spots the first roaches, but it's too late, as speed finishes and Nestea goes in for the kill.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/fy1gLre.png)
Lings wrap around and the roaches go to town.
Stuttering like a pro, Foxer manages to get 4 marines back to the bunkers, but Nestea forces his way in, using the roaches to knock down the bunkers one at a time. Foxer pulls back for a retreat, managing to get a salvage off on one bunker thanks to indecision by Nestea.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/U8ddV6o.png)
Foxer's forward position is lost.
Foxer starts bunkers at home which finish just in time to house his retreating marines. Nestea has a large force of speedling/roach, but with two bunkers and a bunch of marines, Nestea pulls back and expands, cancelling his baneling nest. However, Foxer's expansion is already finished and he's starting a factory. He attempts to scout for the expo with an SCV, but lings kill it.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/P9DtVQZ.png)
Oh wait, he's terran. Foxer scouts the expo.
Having established more of an economy, Nestea restarts the baneling nest, but Foxer is already pushing out on the map with a large marine force. With only a handful of roaches, Nestea is forced to retreat away to his main ramp.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ZnPglO2.png)
The marines advance for Foxer. Business as usual.
Nestea's hatchery is just about to finish and he needs to decide whether or not to cancel. With more roaches on the way, he elects to let it finish, despite marines quickly dropping it in to orange health. Foxer tries to push the ramp but Nestea has a concave of roaches and holds him back. By now, the reinforcements are arriving and Foxer has to leave. The hatchery lives!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/LcTJO8G.png)
Five roaches chase Foxer down, with even more in hot pursuit.
Foxer is finishing up his first siege tank and starts a second factory. Meanwhile, Nestea's committed a lot to units and has a low drone count. He chooses to be aggressive and pushes out with tons of zerglings and roaches, morphing in some banelings. Foxer starts to set up an unbreakable position, bunkering down on to the low ground.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/KhQfOd7.png)
Tanks, bunkers and a flotilla of marines; Foxer is set up for the winter.
Foxer finishes setting up his production with tons of add-ons, preparing to take combat shields and stimpack. Nestea, on the other hand, has only one outlet for his spending; banelings. He morphs in twenty in the middle of the map and prepares to assault the front of Foxer.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/gou1Qjq.png)
With one early tank kill, Nestea's force heaves in to the front of Foxer.
Nestea bullies his way up in to the natural, crushing through the entire marine force, taking out all the bunkers, all but one tank and the add-ons at the wall. Butchering Foxer's units, he looks to be in a good position, but Foxer pulls out all his SCVs and gets a surround, repairing the tank for a clutch hold.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kCNSjhk.png)
SCVs; like mechanical bees, tear apart the roach army.
Nestea, having already committed too much, continues to make zerglings, but Foxer has set up in the middle of the map with bunkers, tanks and depot walls. Nestea desperately techs to lair and morphs more banelings at home, but Foxer is slowly constricting him to death.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/7hxVjw9.png)
The great terran serpent moves across the map.
Over the course of the next couple of minutes, Foxer advances the tank line to the cliff at the side of Nestea's natural. With no way to assault the position of Foxer, Nestea is forced back and unable to engage. The tanks siege up against the cliff and Nestea is forced to go in.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ivRqmW3.png)
Marines take the high ground and stem the roach advance.
With his army crippled and Foxer keeping him in a stranglehold, Nestea has no choice but to surrender and bring the series to match point.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/aMTPWsq.png)
GG! FoxeR 3-2 NesTea.
Foxer regains his momentum in the series on a map which he needed to win. A loss on Steppes would have been crippling for the Prime Terran, but he managed to take the win he needed. With only Xel'Naga Caverns and Metalopolis, the best maps for zerg, left in the series, he'll need to continue to ride the wave of this victory if he hopes to keep his championship chances alive. Nestea suffered a crippling loss, but in the next two games he'll be able to return to his trademark hatch first play, and with it, his comfort zone. Can he tie up the series again, or will Foxer finish him off? To Be Continued...
