Game 1 - Jaedong vs. Larva on Transistor
In the days leading up to the match, Larva had practiced with Shine and Where dozens of games. Going down Larva's match history, the results were littered with loss after loss save only four or so games. Meanwhile, Jaedong had been more than capable in ZvZ, butting heads with hero, and having winning margins over Soulkey and Action. The precedent was set for who was distinctly better and worse for these two players. How exactly the two would dance around the mindset of the other proceeds to unfold in an electric cascade.

Jaedong spawns in the 9 o'clock while Larva spawns in the top right. The ominous gong of war is sounded first by Jaedong. An early 9 pool is placed, an insanely risky move by Jaedong. The first piece put into play is somehow apt for the bygone Tyrant trying to catch his former spark of incredible daring.

Unfortunately, Jaedong must pay the price for the gamble he has made with fate. As he plays his card, Larva plays his own, the nefarious gas before pool build. The build has enough lings to defend Jaedong's and a higher gas count. At every corner it reigns supreme. The long rush distance and comfort of defending an expansion from the ramp only compounds the ineffectiveness of Jaedong's build. Jaedong's premature attempt to outsmart Larva based on his higher stature going into the game. Larva, predicting that JD would play the riskier move despite his better standing in an average game, countered with the perfect build to gain the upper foot. As far as the game of wits, JD played right into Larva's hands.

By the time JD's lings arrive to Larva's ramp, the unwelcome sight of lings waiting to receive them strikes the impulse of action into JD. For every second that passes is a second Jaedong falls behind, and so must do all he can. An intense battle ensues. At first fended off by Larva, JD swoops in again, this time with ling speed, outmaneuvering Larva. JD, threatening the other side of the ramp with a few of his reinforcements now forces Larva to relinquish ramp control and defend his main choke point. JD slips his lings freely into Larva's natural, naming the entire breadth of Larva's base his playground.

Two reinforcement lings pluck away at the mineral line as JD's main ling force threatens a hatching egg. JD who once had a threatening position though falters as his multitasking is pushed to its limits. All at once, his main ling force takes a bad engagement, coupled by reinforcing lings rallying blindly to their deaths. In total, JD picked off only 1 drone. He stands before an opponent that possesses far more lings and 2 hatcheries worth of larva.


The lings are on a downpour of fury, a grim sight for Jaedong. Jaedong, a shallow, thin pan of paper, does not drive against Larva's raging current, but instead follows, gradually subduing the raging bull. With drone pulls, a sunken colony, and careful ling micro, Larva's attack peters out. JD hurriedly sends his muta cross map as Larva sends yet another wave of zerglings to JD. In the exchange Jaedong is reduced to 25 minerals and 1 drone while Larva is much the same.

In the process of breaking down Larva's unmorphed creep colonies, Jaedong haplessly loses a muta. His further attempts to do ling runbys and abuse his air superiority falter in the face of Larva's spores and 2 hatchery production. With each passing second, Larva's supply vastly exceeds the infantile economy of Jaedong. Eventually, the passing rhythm of the game now beats for Larva as JD taps out to Larva's en route Mutas.

Game 2 - EffOrt vs. Shuttle on Transistor
EffOrt spawns in the 9 o'clock while Shuttle spawns in the top right. The game quickly transitions into the midgame where EffOrt has gone 3 hatch spire and Shuttle has gone for sairs and speed zealots.

The initial push at EffOrt's bases prove futile as Shuttle is more than prepared for the puny blows. Shuttle poses an elaborate distraction of speed zealots to make way for his DTs to wreak havoc. While EffOrt quickly notices the imminent threat, one of the dark templars makes its way to EffOrt's main base ungraced by an overlord's presence.

The attack is minor in the greater economic workings of EffOrt as his fourth base pays himself dividends. Shuttle's position only continues to worsen as his 2 base assault finds no openings in EffOrt's unassailable sunken and lurker fortifications. A petty storm drop finds much the same success, dying to hydras and managing to unload only one high templar in its death throes. A single storm takes only three drones.

EffOrt expands his outer reach to the other main base, sealing his economic advantage. The game quickly leading to his advantage, EffOrt is pushed to make his next move. An attempted doom drop is made, but is flicked off like dust motes on Shuttle's shoulder. EffOrt continues to make further hapless attacks, almost to the beat of a metronome, attacking Shuttle's fourth, but with each wave of units less effective than the next. Several plagues appear to spell doom for Shuttle's army, but Effort is unable to gain a direct engagement. Before long, the protoss army is in full swing, clad with the maiden force of a dozen archons.


EffOrt then takes a haphazard engagement, with too many lurkers and too few supporting units. The shocking absence of defilers beckons the doomed failure of the army. Shuttle's storms and the hardy resilience of the archons makes little work of EffOrt's ragtag group. EffOrt continues his efforts of an all out assault, attacking Shuttle's army and his 4 o'clock before finally momentum swings in Shuttle's favor. Shuttle's snowballing army of reavers and archons surely but gradually defeats EffOrt's attempts at battle at every turn.

EffOrt's wasted attacks have drawn the ire of the Zerg gods as all hope has been exhumed from him. A bank left hollow and the will to fight all, but extinguished, Shuttle's army soon overwhelms EffOrt's natural. Sighing at the advantage lost, EffOrt concedes.

Winners' Match - Shuttle vs Larva on Third World
Larva spawns in the top right while Shuttle spawns in the bottom left. Shuttle opens 1 gate FE while Larva expands to the third, reachable only through a mineral walk from his main. Shuttle's precocious zealots take a poke at Larva's natural, but Larva's wit bests Shuttle. Hiding four lings in the shadows, Shuttle is too far entrenched in Larva's territory to back out of the disadvantageous fight.

Larva pokes at Shuttle's gateway before taking a passive stance. He again attacks on Shuttle's next moveout, felling the damaged gateway and doing a ling runby. Meanwhile, Shuttle's en route zealots are made little work of. Despite the chaos, Shuttle is still prepared, arming himself with four stargates of corsairs and two robotics bays worth of reavers and shuttles. Shuttle expands to the bottom right while doing reaver harass with mixed results.

As the game appears to settle, Larva does a surprise attack at Shuttle's natural. Before that the entire focus of the game was on the other side of the map. Shuttle barely hangs on, making use of d-web. Larva alternates an attack to the other side once again to Shuttle's isolated fourth base. Shuttle's many gateways fell to the hydra siege as once again Shuttle barely defends. As the gateways are made, Shuttle's dominant hand takes root, a force made on the other side to contest Larva's expansions.


With one fell swoop, Shuttle wins an engagement that fells Larva's top left base. Further engagements fall into Shuttle's favour, toppling Larva's expansions and running his bank dry. Shuttle slowly forges on to win, with a snowballing army value and Larva who is left with no mining bases. Shuttle advances to the Ro8!

Losers' Match - Jaedong vs. EffOrt on Third World
EffOrt spawns in the top right and Jaedong spawns in bottom left. Both players having the longer game in mind open 12 hatch, but EffOrt noticeably makes his second hatchery on the other side of the map.


Jaedong makes his move to pressure EffOrt's natural by trying to glitch lings through the wall. However, despite the repeated attempts, no lings manage to pass through. Meanwhile, EffOrt launches a surprise attack on the right side of the map, complete with nearly two control groups of lings. Jaedong who has been droning happily, is completely oblivious, not expecting so many lings from just one hatchery. His lings are too close to beat a hasty retreat, awkwardly forcing JD to split his lings into two. However, unable to conjoin the two parts, his lings and drones suffer massive casualties. In the muta followup, Jaedong's two muta flock falls to EffOrt's, prompting the surrender.

Final Match - EffOrt vs. Larva on Gladiator
Larva spawns in the top left while EffOrt spawns in the top right. Larva opens with the cautious 12 pool while EffOrt lunges first with the aggressive 9. The ling attack from Effort comes in fast and steady, taking a rousingly good first engagement against Larva's lings. Larva, knowing his dire circumstances, pulls upwards of 5 drones. A later engagement cuts even where both players lose several lings. Larva, pressed to make use of his 2 hatcheries, goes for a committed ling attack. In an almighty push, Larva's lings break EffOrt's ling concave and quickly make their way to the exposed mineral line. Drone after drone falls as a painfully late sunken manages to save all, but one drone for EffOrt. Larva manages to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Shuttle and Larva advance to the Ro8!