WCS
ASL6 came to a close approximately 2 weeks ago, and with its conclusion came a shocking result that made headlines across the BW community. That of Flash's defeat at the hands of EffOrt yet again, and the fact that the 1-1-1 was now considered a solved build all thanks to EffOrt's games.
In a highly anticipated finals that went to 5 games, both players threw all they could at each other. It was a night full of mind, bizzare, and solid games. For such deep games, we brought in our expert Ty2 to do an analysis, and recap the games for you guys so make sure to read below for details!
With ASL6 finished, and the coverage concluded, we'd like to thank all our readers for their time and all our contributors for their tiresome effort. Hand in hand, our passion and love for BW can only help the game reach unimaginable heights!
The Ultimate Mind Game
By Ty2
On May 5th, 2016, Flash broadcasted his first Afreeca Brood War stream. Flash's return was a milestone in the era of renewed competition of returning ex-pros in the once small town of amateur StarCraft. Not long after, everyone was quickly reminded of why Flash was considered one of, if not the greatest player. He went on to dominate three consecutive ASLs, and became a permanent fixture in the online rankings at #1.
However, contrary to the name God, in his career, he has had moments of mortality. He's lost in various special events like the ASL Team Battle, the WEGL, and many online events. But when it came to the traditional format that favored days of preparation in between matches, Flash was king and the spotlight of the most prestigious tour, the ASL.
In the finals of that arena, Sea, Shine, and then Hero lost in one-sided series, cementing Flash's grip on the ASL. The only exception was losing to Snow in ASL5 in the quarterfinals, where the map pool was unabashedly skewed in Protoss' favor.
Joining the lineage of challengers was EffOrt, Zerg prodigy. His road to the finals stage was plagued with doubt, but bore an ember of hope as the next contender to dethrone Flash. His tourney run was surreal, guided by fate, and clouded by mystique, beginning with the shattering of his Ro16 curse. When faced by tougher obstacles each step of the way, EffOrt refused to fall. He made a fool of top Protoss Rain, and claimed a close victory over second-best Terran, Last.
The one question overshadowing Effort's chances though was how Effort would answer the 1-1-1. To recap briefly, in the latest game changing trend, Flash innovated his own version of the 1-1-1. His respectable 70% ZvT winrate became a monstrous near 90% winrate. Among the worst victims was EffOrt, at 5 wins and 46 losses, a winrate of 10.2%. The apocalyptic advent of the 1-1-1 would also mark the beginning of EffOrt's heightened interest in UMS maps, leaving a bad impression.
However, just like in the 2010 Korean Air OSL, EffOrt in a meeting woven by fate would once again face Flash only to show Gods can bleed. The following analysis is the story of how EffOrt shattered Flash's reign over the ex-pro scene and made history as the first Zerg in 8 years to beat Flash in a Bo5.
Game 1 on Autobahn:
In the beginning of the game, EffOrt opens with one of the fastest possible gases after hatch, an 11 gas, followed by 10 pool, tailor-fit for the 1-1-1. Usually Zergs would prefer the more macro-oriented 12 gas, but EffOrt's 11 gas allows him to get extremely fast Zergling speed and lair at the same time. Most importantly, the timing window where vulture speed hasn't finished yet, and lings are at the Terran's natural is extended from 15 seconds to 30 seconds compared to the 12 gas variant.
Flash himself likely sends an SCV at the latest time to account for this timing, where the lair is just 5 seconds earlier than a 12-gas. The subtlety, while small, is one significant enough to acknowledge
Flash meanwhile goes for a similarly low economy opener, a fast 10 barracks, followed by 10 gas. Cutting SCVs so early for a tech-heavy opening emphasizes the much faster 14 supply factory (as opposed to 16 supply). The opening feels left open to comfortably respond to the speedlings. He even goes machine shop first to emphasize faster vulture tech.
Flash already uncovers EffOrt's hand by scouting two spawning lings in addition to the four already chasing the SCV. If a Zerg makes any more than four lings, that's a probable sign of speedling aggression. That's because Zerg wants to maximize drone count, and four lings is more than enough to deny vulture runbys.
Flash responds accordingly by camping his vultures at home, not bothering to scout or risk kiting lings. With all cards uncovered, the only factor left was execution, where EffOrt excelled, and Flash utterly failed. The mismicro saw Flash's vultures at a standstill, turn around awkwardly in an attempt to hit lings, then try to retreat, all the while being decelerated. A swift loss follows, displaying EffOrt's superior unit control in small scale micro.
![[image loading]](/staff/Ty2/Capture3.png)
In an alternate explanation, Flash could have possibly mind gamed himself. He may have thought EffOrt would only make a few lings to cause him to overreact. When the ling numbers were unveiled though, Flash was a deer in the headlights.
Game 2 on Transistor:
Flash opens an unusual 11 barracks, 14 supply, then 14 barracks, instead of going two straight barracks. In the case EffOrt spawned in the bottom right and the overlord scouted him, Flash would want to show two supply depots before EffOrt has to retreat the overlord. This is to make his opener appear like a rax expand. Flash goes to lengths to hide the 2nd barracks on the opposite side of his base, and the SCV scout checks to see if EffOrt will be sending a drone scout in the case that he spawned center left. This is because the overlord scout pattern is counter clockwise, and drone scouts will go clockwise.
Here, Flash's play in this game is focused on abusing EffOrt's lack of information, and to hit a timing before EffOrt's 12 pool 12 gas mutas are out. 12 pool and gas is predictable due to its popularity on Transistor due to transistor's short air rush distance favoring mutas.
Flash sweeps the area to deter overlords from scouting his natural to see an expansion before retreating to defend against lings. EffOrt, upon sneaking an overlord, checks for the time a command center would have just started if it was a 1-1-1 build. Upon seeing none, EffOrt knows something is up.
One ling scout even sees the marines and medics en-route, and EffOrt is prepared with two sunkens in advance. He even attempts a blocking evo chamber, but before he can, Flash moves in, killing EffOrt before his mutas can spawn in time. A 3rd sunken here would've likely delayed the mutas greatly, and EffOrt's slightly late evo chamber was the tipping point to give Flash a win. EffOrt was already invested in making mutas, and probably felt confident in the defensive ramp leading to the debacle.
![[image loading]](/staff/Ty2/Capture.png)
Game 3 on Circuit Breaker:
Here due to EffOrt being situated in the top right and Flash in the bottom left, EffOrt's choice of speed before lair off of 3 hatcheries is significantly hampered. EffOrt's stubborn play works anyway when he traps two vults with vulture speed already completed, a heavy execution error by Flash probably due to nerves. Still, Flash is not in a bad position due to EffOrt's heavy investment. The burrow mostly fell flat, because there weren't two sizable burrowed groups that EffOrt could cycle unburrowing with to annoy Flash.
EffOrt's followup hydras was a nice touch, probably to give Flash uncertainty as to his followup and to defend vs. the wraith which will kill overlords. He also did the same followup vs. Last, but had actual upgraded hydras. The mutas catch Flash's wraith, which scouted late, off guard, making the defense a lot harder.
Unfortunately, EffOrt flubs his muta control, letting an irradiate kill a lot of mutas. This prevents EffOrt from controlling the science vessel numbers, and also gives Flash an opportunity to attack. EffOrt I guess wasn't expecting enough energy for a second irradiate, or had a panicked moment. Flash's desperate push with marines, a siege tank, and vulture succeeds in forcing EffOrt to continue making lings instead of drones.
Despite looking okay for EffOrt, Flash's science vessel count, the very deadly part of the 1-1-1, starts to snowball. The cost of losing those early mutas, and also having a slowed down economy is starting to kick in. Soon enough, EffOrt in a war of attrition is slowly whittled down despite the fact that his hydralurk composition is meant to respond to SK Terran.
Game 4 on Sylphid:
EffOrt in the center left opens 12 hatch, 11 pool, then 10 gas. Most players going for a 2 hatch lair, especially for the style EffOrt goes, would opt for gas first. However, Effort is most likely wary of 8 rax, and does a more safer opening at the cost of slightly slower tech.
Flash's SCV, which scouts for the tech and if there are more lings, ends up dying before scouting the hydra den or what pops from the eggs. The uncertainty keeps Flash at home and forces him to scan EffOrt's natural. The scan reveals no morphing, or just finished mutalisks, guaranteeing EffOrt has gone lurkers. It also shows how many lings EffOrt has gone by showing two just morphing drones with only two already mining ones. A healthier drone count would've had around 6 already mining. Flash even makes a forward bunker, knowing EffOrt is planning a backstab. He tries to win with one decisive maneuver, attacking with his marines and medics while relying on the two bunkers to defend the backstab.
The plan almost comes to fruition until EffOrt backstabs sooner than Flash expects leaving no time to switch out the front bunker's marines w/ just spawned firebats. Flash immediately retreats knowing he could possibly lose. If EffOrt hesitated even for a second, the outcome of the game would be much different. Also, due to scanning EffOrt's natural, Flash's remaining scan is used up, but fails to kill the lurkers, letting them do more damage.
![[image loading]](/staff/Ty2/capture_2.png)
Firebats left out in the open
Flash having to rebuild medics from scratch also makes stimming and future engagements worse. EffOrt's reinforcing lurkers pick off Flash's bio which desperately want to prevent the contain. Eventually Flash falls to the swarm push, his tanks too delayed to make a difference.
Game 5 on Autobahn:
Going full circle, both players alter their play, adapting to and putting twists from game one. In that regard, EffOrt completely mind games Flash into over-defending. Flash, so paranoid of another speedling attack, ends up opting out of the command center before starport, and doesn't go CC altogether.
Meanwhile, EffOrt, playing Flash like a fiddle has gone for the more macro-oriented 12 gas, then 11 pool. His play in game 1 has put Flash in a far more uncomfortable mentality, forcing an incredibly drastic change. Flash more determined to scout this time around, goes vulture before machine shop, letting him get some ling kills. Then, in an apparent repeat of the first game, EffOrt does a ling attack, but only makes a few to force out some defense, and keep Flash in his main.
Planning in advance for Flash to do a speed vulture move-out, EffOrt's backstab delays the bunker and lets his followup hydras kill the bunker off, further delaying Flash's natural. Still stuck on one base, Flash's dropship is anticipated by well positioned hydras.
EffOrt's followup mutas, another great transition, put Flash on the backfoot while EffOrt happily drones. The mutas are helped all the more by Flash's lack of an ebay, mistakenly making two science facilities probably from being tilted. Further SCV kills continue to hamper Flash's economy despite killing most of the mutas with cloaked wraiths.
EffOrt's seamless transition into crazy Zerg works wonders when he takes a favorable engagement versus Flash's siege tank push. With 0/0 upgrades vs. +1 carapace, Flash's push is quickly done in by ultras, before his natural meets the same fate. Flash's demise is the result of his failed aggression and massively delayed natural, courtesy of EffOrt's mind games pushing Flash into a mental corner. In the final and fifth deciding game, EffOrt claims victory.
![[image loading]](/staff/Ty2/Capture5.png)
Subverting Flash's domain of the late game, EffOrt instead struck Flash's Achilles heel, employing mind games and superior unit control to find victory again. Over 8 years have passed since a Zerg beat Flash in a Bo5 in an offline tournament, and today EffOrt is the last and first since to do so.
However, contrary to the name God, in his career, he has had moments of mortality. He's lost in various special events like the ASL Team Battle, the WEGL, and many online events. But when it came to the traditional format that favored days of preparation in between matches, Flash was king and the spotlight of the most prestigious tour, the ASL.
In the finals of that arena, Sea, Shine, and then Hero lost in one-sided series, cementing Flash's grip on the ASL. The only exception was losing to Snow in ASL5 in the quarterfinals, where the map pool was unabashedly skewed in Protoss' favor.
Joining the lineage of challengers was EffOrt, Zerg prodigy. His road to the finals stage was plagued with doubt, but bore an ember of hope as the next contender to dethrone Flash. His tourney run was surreal, guided by fate, and clouded by mystique, beginning with the shattering of his Ro16 curse. When faced by tougher obstacles each step of the way, EffOrt refused to fall. He made a fool of top Protoss Rain, and claimed a close victory over second-best Terran, Last.
The one question overshadowing Effort's chances though was how Effort would answer the 1-1-1. To recap briefly, in the latest game changing trend, Flash innovated his own version of the 1-1-1. His respectable 70% ZvT winrate became a monstrous near 90% winrate. Among the worst victims was EffOrt, at 5 wins and 46 losses, a winrate of 10.2%. The apocalyptic advent of the 1-1-1 would also mark the beginning of EffOrt's heightened interest in UMS maps, leaving a bad impression.
However, just like in the 2010 Korean Air OSL, EffOrt in a meeting woven by fate would once again face Flash only to show Gods can bleed. The following analysis is the story of how EffOrt shattered Flash's reign over the ex-pro scene and made history as the first Zerg in 8 years to beat Flash in a Bo5.
Game 1 on Autobahn:
In the beginning of the game, EffOrt opens with one of the fastest possible gases after hatch, an 11 gas, followed by 10 pool, tailor-fit for the 1-1-1. Usually Zergs would prefer the more macro-oriented 12 gas, but EffOrt's 11 gas allows him to get extremely fast Zergling speed and lair at the same time. Most importantly, the timing window where vulture speed hasn't finished yet, and lings are at the Terran's natural is extended from 15 seconds to 30 seconds compared to the 12 gas variant.
Flash himself likely sends an SCV at the latest time to account for this timing, where the lair is just 5 seconds earlier than a 12-gas. The subtlety, while small, is one significant enough to acknowledge
Flash meanwhile goes for a similarly low economy opener, a fast 10 barracks, followed by 10 gas. Cutting SCVs so early for a tech-heavy opening emphasizes the much faster 14 supply factory (as opposed to 16 supply). The opening feels left open to comfortably respond to the speedlings. He even goes machine shop first to emphasize faster vulture tech.
Flash already uncovers EffOrt's hand by scouting two spawning lings in addition to the four already chasing the SCV. If a Zerg makes any more than four lings, that's a probable sign of speedling aggression. That's because Zerg wants to maximize drone count, and four lings is more than enough to deny vulture runbys.
Flash responds accordingly by camping his vultures at home, not bothering to scout or risk kiting lings. With all cards uncovered, the only factor left was execution, where EffOrt excelled, and Flash utterly failed. The mismicro saw Flash's vultures at a standstill, turn around awkwardly in an attempt to hit lings, then try to retreat, all the while being decelerated. A swift loss follows, displaying EffOrt's superior unit control in small scale micro.
In an alternate explanation, Flash could have possibly mind gamed himself. He may have thought EffOrt would only make a few lings to cause him to overreact. When the ling numbers were unveiled though, Flash was a deer in the headlights.
Game 2 on Transistor:
Flash opens an unusual 11 barracks, 14 supply, then 14 barracks, instead of going two straight barracks. In the case EffOrt spawned in the bottom right and the overlord scouted him, Flash would want to show two supply depots before EffOrt has to retreat the overlord. This is to make his opener appear like a rax expand. Flash goes to lengths to hide the 2nd barracks on the opposite side of his base, and the SCV scout checks to see if EffOrt will be sending a drone scout in the case that he spawned center left. This is because the overlord scout pattern is counter clockwise, and drone scouts will go clockwise.
Here, Flash's play in this game is focused on abusing EffOrt's lack of information, and to hit a timing before EffOrt's 12 pool 12 gas mutas are out. 12 pool and gas is predictable due to its popularity on Transistor due to transistor's short air rush distance favoring mutas.
Flash sweeps the area to deter overlords from scouting his natural to see an expansion before retreating to defend against lings. EffOrt, upon sneaking an overlord, checks for the time a command center would have just started if it was a 1-1-1 build. Upon seeing none, EffOrt knows something is up.
One ling scout even sees the marines and medics en-route, and EffOrt is prepared with two sunkens in advance. He even attempts a blocking evo chamber, but before he can, Flash moves in, killing EffOrt before his mutas can spawn in time. A 3rd sunken here would've likely delayed the mutas greatly, and EffOrt's slightly late evo chamber was the tipping point to give Flash a win. EffOrt was already invested in making mutas, and probably felt confident in the defensive ramp leading to the debacle.
Game 3 on Circuit Breaker:
Here due to EffOrt being situated in the top right and Flash in the bottom left, EffOrt's choice of speed before lair off of 3 hatcheries is significantly hampered. EffOrt's stubborn play works anyway when he traps two vults with vulture speed already completed, a heavy execution error by Flash probably due to nerves. Still, Flash is not in a bad position due to EffOrt's heavy investment. The burrow mostly fell flat, because there weren't two sizable burrowed groups that EffOrt could cycle unburrowing with to annoy Flash.
EffOrt's followup hydras was a nice touch, probably to give Flash uncertainty as to his followup and to defend vs. the wraith which will kill overlords. He also did the same followup vs. Last, but had actual upgraded hydras. The mutas catch Flash's wraith, which scouted late, off guard, making the defense a lot harder.
Unfortunately, EffOrt flubs his muta control, letting an irradiate kill a lot of mutas. This prevents EffOrt from controlling the science vessel numbers, and also gives Flash an opportunity to attack. EffOrt I guess wasn't expecting enough energy for a second irradiate, or had a panicked moment. Flash's desperate push with marines, a siege tank, and vulture succeeds in forcing EffOrt to continue making lings instead of drones.
Despite looking okay for EffOrt, Flash's science vessel count, the very deadly part of the 1-1-1, starts to snowball. The cost of losing those early mutas, and also having a slowed down economy is starting to kick in. Soon enough, EffOrt in a war of attrition is slowly whittled down despite the fact that his hydralurk composition is meant to respond to SK Terran.
Game 4 on Sylphid:
EffOrt in the center left opens 12 hatch, 11 pool, then 10 gas. Most players going for a 2 hatch lair, especially for the style EffOrt goes, would opt for gas first. However, Effort is most likely wary of 8 rax, and does a more safer opening at the cost of slightly slower tech.
Flash's SCV, which scouts for the tech and if there are more lings, ends up dying before scouting the hydra den or what pops from the eggs. The uncertainty keeps Flash at home and forces him to scan EffOrt's natural. The scan reveals no morphing, or just finished mutalisks, guaranteeing EffOrt has gone lurkers. It also shows how many lings EffOrt has gone by showing two just morphing drones with only two already mining ones. A healthier drone count would've had around 6 already mining. Flash even makes a forward bunker, knowing EffOrt is planning a backstab. He tries to win with one decisive maneuver, attacking with his marines and medics while relying on the two bunkers to defend the backstab.
The plan almost comes to fruition until EffOrt backstabs sooner than Flash expects leaving no time to switch out the front bunker's marines w/ just spawned firebats. Flash immediately retreats knowing he could possibly lose. If EffOrt hesitated even for a second, the outcome of the game would be much different. Also, due to scanning EffOrt's natural, Flash's remaining scan is used up, but fails to kill the lurkers, letting them do more damage.
Firebats left out in the open
Flash having to rebuild medics from scratch also makes stimming and future engagements worse. EffOrt's reinforcing lurkers pick off Flash's bio which desperately want to prevent the contain. Eventually Flash falls to the swarm push, his tanks too delayed to make a difference.
Game 5 on Autobahn:
Going full circle, both players alter their play, adapting to and putting twists from game one. In that regard, EffOrt completely mind games Flash into over-defending. Flash, so paranoid of another speedling attack, ends up opting out of the command center before starport, and doesn't go CC altogether.
Meanwhile, EffOrt, playing Flash like a fiddle has gone for the more macro-oriented 12 gas, then 11 pool. His play in game 1 has put Flash in a far more uncomfortable mentality, forcing an incredibly drastic change. Flash more determined to scout this time around, goes vulture before machine shop, letting him get some ling kills. Then, in an apparent repeat of the first game, EffOrt does a ling attack, but only makes a few to force out some defense, and keep Flash in his main.
Planning in advance for Flash to do a speed vulture move-out, EffOrt's backstab delays the bunker and lets his followup hydras kill the bunker off, further delaying Flash's natural. Still stuck on one base, Flash's dropship is anticipated by well positioned hydras.
EffOrt's followup mutas, another great transition, put Flash on the backfoot while EffOrt happily drones. The mutas are helped all the more by Flash's lack of an ebay, mistakenly making two science facilities probably from being tilted. Further SCV kills continue to hamper Flash's economy despite killing most of the mutas with cloaked wraiths.
EffOrt's seamless transition into crazy Zerg works wonders when he takes a favorable engagement versus Flash's siege tank push. With 0/0 upgrades vs. +1 carapace, Flash's push is quickly done in by ultras, before his natural meets the same fate. Flash's demise is the result of his failed aggression and massively delayed natural, courtesy of EffOrt's mind games pushing Flash into a mental corner. In the final and fifth deciding game, EffOrt claims victory.
Subverting Flash's domain of the late game, EffOrt instead struck Flash's Achilles heel, employing mind games and superior unit control to find victory again. Over 8 years have passed since a Zerg beat Flash in a Bo5 in an offline tournament, and today EffOrt is the last and first since to do so.
