Terrific pairing, the strongest match-up for each respective player
With HBR in the first and last sets, definitely expecting some cheese from PianO in a couple of these games He rarely seems to switch to mech, but PianO's SK Terran and M&M drops are outrageously effective
Whether he wins or loses, PianOvZ is unique and very entertaining to watch (obviously bias zergs beg to differ)
few terrans can emulate his multiprong harass style to perfection which can completely bamboozle any noob or unprepared zerg.
EffOrt usually plays a very defensive 4 base style which run in direct contrast to PianO's hyperaggression that enable to maintain pressure from 2base while simultaneously taking 3rd and 4th, often onstream I see effOrt struggles to deal with his harasses effectively and do not do enough counterplay.
With two HBRs in the mappool it will be interesting to see if EffOrt can adapt in time to PianO's tactics, fighting fire with fire (2hatch muta?) or just simply defend perfectly against his drops/harass. Punish PianO expanding freely behind his aggression, EffOrt would be a step ahead as Piano's transitional mech play is relatively mediocre without the initial advantage
from recent competitive games ZerO has shown to be more experienced and comfortable at dealing with piano's style
personally i want PianO to win so we can avoid a drab ZvZ finals (and more punishment for EffOrt's "muh winXP" attitude)
On September 03 2015 11:37 c3rberUs wrote: If there's someone not named Hero who can beat PianO in a Bo5, it's winxp zerg.
PianO transitions into battlecruisers instead of mech.
he doesn't really transition to BCs, the BCs are primarily to pressure and scare the zergs into producing excessive scourges/wasting defiler energy so that his dropplay becomes more effective. He can stop making BCs anytime and transition to standard SK or mech.
On September 04 2015 20:05 dRaW wrote: Seems like Piano isn't trying to win. Saw similar stuff in the series against Zero @ Sonic SL. At least the series is very entertaining.
If you followed Piano the last few weeks you would know that he often plays like that also with huge success vs other zergs. Those mass drops are just so scary and there were so many points in the game were a little slip up by Effort would have won him the game. I was so tense throughout the game. The cruisers are also always part of the play to waste gas and all his scourges, though it often seems like he could be more effective with them. Zergs have/had a really hard time vs that strat and they are slowly adapting. It is really interesting seeing the progress over the last few weeks.
Pls no bully, Piano is awesome ;_; but so is Effort!
On September 04 2015 20:09 bioboyAT wrote: If you followed Piano the last few weeks you would know that he often plays like that also with huge success vs other zergs. Those mass drops are just so scary and there were so many points in the game were a little slip up by Effort would have won him the game. I was so tense throughout the game. The cruisers are also always part of the play to waste gas and all his scourges, though it often seems like he could be more effective with them. Zergs have/had a really hard time vs that strat and they are slowly adapting. It is really interesting seeing the progress over the last few weeks.
Pls no bully, Piano is awesome ;_; but so is Effort!
What's the transition out of the BCs that PianO likes to go for tho?
Seems like PianO spent all his gas on BC tech and there was no follow up answer to the mass ultras.
On September 04 2015 20:09 bioboyAT wrote: If you followed Piano the last few weeks you would know that he often plays like that also with huge success vs other zergs. Those mass drops are just so scary and there were so many points in the game were a little slip up by Effort would have won him the game. I was so tense throughout the game. The cruisers are also always part of the play to waste gas and all his scourges, though it often seems like he could be more effective with them. Zergs have/had a really hard time vs that strat and they are slowly adapting. It is really interesting seeing the progress over the last few weeks.
Pls no bully, Piano is awesome ;_; but so is Effort!
Yeah, BCs can make a lot of sense, but don't send them in 1-2 at a time so they're easy taken out by scourge. If you accumulate to at least 4-5, they would kill a lot more scourge I think and be much more harder to deal with for Zerg.
By annoying with the BCs he can swipe in with a mass drop without worrying too much about ten scourges killing his five dropships. I think he did it like that in the last game. Effort also just seemed to be prepared just in time with that one spore so the remaining BC couldn't attack drones for another minute. Also Efforts overlord was alive all the time so he could spot the 2nd wave of BCs and react again.
On September 04 2015 20:48 Probemicro wrote: looks like its effOrt's game to lose. hes well prepared for PianO' style so he deserves it.
hoping for teh hive tech in ZvZ finals
standard ZvZ in Brood War is beautiful enough. just want good games for the final
you cannot get a better chance for hive ZvZ than a ZerO v EffOrt finals this 2 are the only ones i see that still occasionally try to muck with hive zvz nowadays
On September 04 2015 20:09 bioboyAT wrote: If you followed Piano the last few weeks you would know that he often plays like that also with huge success vs other zergs. Those mass drops are just so scary and there were so many points in the game were a little slip up by Effort would have won him the game. I was so tense throughout the game. The cruisers are also always part of the play to waste gas and all his scourges, though it often seems like he could be more effective with them. Zergs have/had a really hard time vs that strat and they are slowly adapting. It is really interesting seeing the progress over the last few weeks.
Pls no bully, Piano is awesome ;_; but so is Effort!
Yeah, BCs can make a lot of sense, but don't send them in 1-2 at a time so they're easy taken out by scourge. If you accumulate to at least 4-5, they would kill a lot more scourge I think and be much more harder to deal with for Zerg.
Well I don't think a terran can afford to wait and make 4 bcs then attack since he won't be making vessels during that time. Usually if the zerg doesn't expect it 2 bcs can actually do a lot of damage and can also knock a player off their rhythm but in Piano's case since he does it so often zergs expect it and the bcs end up not doing much.
On September 04 2015 20:48 Probemicro wrote: looks like its effOrt's game to lose. hes well prepared for PianO' style so he deserves it.
hoping for teh hive tech in ZvZ finals
standard ZvZ in Brood War is beautiful enough. just want good games for the final
you cannot get a better chance for hive ZvZ than a ZerO v EffOrt finals this 2 are the only ones i see that still occasionally try to muck with hive zvz nowadays
How much better of a chance do you guys think since everyone (the pros) hates playing ZvZ these days?
On September 04 2015 20:48 Probemicro wrote: looks like its effOrt's game to lose. hes well prepared for PianO' style so he deserves it.
hoping for teh hive tech in ZvZ finals
standard ZvZ in Brood War is beautiful enough. just want good games for the final
you cannot get a better chance for hive ZvZ than a ZerO v EffOrt finals this 2 are the only ones i see that still occasionally try to muck with hive zvz nowadays
How much better of a chance do you guys think since everyone (the pros) hates playing ZvZ these days?
i recall ZerO going for hive tech in a competitive COSL vs Fengzi a few months back, and also a few other games i can;t remember I remember seeing EffOrt going for fast defiler+plague after being behind in muta count in some random(?) ZvZ i saw some time back i don't recall hero/larva going for hive if ever, they struggle with regular zvz as it is. killer is inactive
not saying we will definitely see hive ZvZ obviously, 1 set of it is a nice chance i feel
On September 05 2015 04:21 Amanebak wrote: Thank you for LRing, HyralGambit. Reading through it was as if I was watching. PS: the results in the OP are not displaying well.
Watching the VOD from EffOrt's perspective. Just a beastly performance throughout. So incredibly tense watching the guy defend drop after drop after multi-dropship drop with a handful of zerglings, lurkers and defilers... then to not only survive, but win
On September 05 2015 05:46 prech wrote: Thanks for the updates, all.
Watching the VOD from EffOrt's perspective. Just a beastly performance throughout. So incredibly tense watching the guy defend drop after drop after multi-dropship drop with a handful of zerglings, lurkers and defilers... then to not only survive, but win
Very entertaining games and effort put on quite the show. However, I have to comment that piano lost 2 games from a position where no pro gamer would've ever lost back in "hardcore training" days. He just lacked the multitasking to execute properly. Credit to Effort for punishing mistake after mistake though.
On September 05 2015 20:39 orth0dox wrote: Any chance for FPVODs?
i uploaded the fpvods myself if you are still wondering about them here is the link enjoy - SPOTimes Starleague Season 1 Playlist - http://tinyurl.com/p494pex
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ks6C7mql.png)
Spotimes Starleague Semifinals Day 1![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/wA1EYiT.png)
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/TkXLjD8.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kYyRpMz.png)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/players/581.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/players/92.jpg)
EffOrt vs 
PianO ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/1cJypin.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/pbTdw0j.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/C7yDBIN.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VFbIPih.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/738LHA6.png)
PianO in a couple of these games 
He rarely seems to switch to mech, but PianO's SK Terran and M&M drops are outrageously effective
EffOrt's perspective. Just a beastly performance throughout. So incredibly tense watching the guy defend drop after drop after multi-dropship drop with a handful of zerglings, lurkers and defilers... then to not only survive, but win 
Jaehoon puts up a good against 
