EPT![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Kennigit/WeeklyRoundUp/WEEKLYROUNDUPBIG.png)
By Saracen
Grab your beach towels, slip on those swim trunks, and slap on the sunscreen, because summer's finally here. But let's face it. You're not heading to the beach anytime in the near future (especially not if you live near the Gulf Coast like me). Instead, you're sitting in your dark and clammy cave of a room, f5ing TL, waiting for that new and horrendously inaccurate thread to pop up so you can give the OP a piece of your ever-so-enlightened mind. Or maybe you're staring at your clock, counting down the hours until the next Day[9] Daily. Well, even though beta, for the moment, is dead, the excitement in your life doesn't have to be! Here are a couple what's-whats to help you chug through the torture of a downtime.
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For TLers? Maybe not...
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Tournaments? Perhaps I should refer you to the very epitome of tournaments, the worldwide quadrennial event with its own subforum, the World Cup. Or, if you're living in good ol' 'merica, don't miss game seven of the epic Boston-LA rivalry, tomorrow at 9:00 EST. But maybe sports really aren't your thing. Don't worry, we understand - we are a Starcraft site, after all. Go ahead and check out the preliminaries of what's hyped to be the most promising Starleagues ever. With a lineup chock full of the biggest names in progaming, this is definitely a run you won't want to miss. But, let's face it. You live for Starcraft 2. Well, here are a few tournaments for the near (and yet so far) future.
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What you should be watching.
The Micro Macro Tournament
This monstrous 128-man single elimination tournament boasts all of your favorite North American and European gamers (and, interestingly, your favorite casters as well). But it doesn't stop there: remakes of your favorite Brood War maps are featured in the map pool, giving us a nostalgic blast from the past. It all starts July 10th.
The Global Gamers SC2 Invitational
A somewhat smaller tournament, and one with a community-donated prize pool, this tournament features the biggest players in the SC2 scene. Itching to see Sen, Maka, and Tester duke it out with the western champs? Well, be on the lookout for this tournament once Phase Two begins.
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Though the beta is down, the Starcraft 2 community is still terrorizing the forums in full force. Prepare to be serenaded by TL's sexiest pair of legs as you browse through these gems.
Looking to jump start your game during the break? Well look no further. One of the best North American Zergs, Artosis, has released yet another replay pack. So pull out your notepads and pens, kids, 'cause summer classes are about to begin. But maybe you've already went to prep school, and you're just bursting to show off that limitless supply of Starcraft knowledge. Well, jump into TTOne's high level PvP discussion, and give him a piece of your mind. (Also, the metagame police might want to make a quick pit stop). And finally, your favorite rising Terran star, qxc, has his very own stream. If you don't plan on watching the NBA finals, be sure to check his question and answer session tomorrow! And if you can't get enough of that view from the top, there are recent interviews of Day[9], HuK, and White-Ra buried somewhere under the piles of threads in the Starcraft 2 forum.
Beta withdrawal got you down? Well, it doesn't have to. Liquin's got a thousand and one things for you to do as you wait for the 28th. But maybe you need something a little more, well, Starcraft 2-y. With the following nifty maps and tools, you'll be laughing and playing again in no time. Refine your strategies with one of many build order testers, or yet another build order tester every kid and his mom has heard of. Or, if you're ready to take it to the next level, there's a fun multitasking trainer that will make you feel like a pro, and an AI that plays like you do. Hands feeling a little slow and rusty from your break? Warm yourself up with a custom-made mouse accuracy trainer (posted at the bottom of the first page). And here's a tool that will help you analyze all the games you have yet to play, the very nifty match up counter.
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www.sc2mapster.com, my Alcoholic's Anonymous.
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Unsurprisingly, we've got nothing here. So here's a little completely unbiased and most definitely serious bit of what would've happened, if the beta was still up:
Terrans have been 1a mech sieging their way to a 80% win rate across all servers, tossing wimpy Zerg players about like rag dolls as whiny Protoss players groveled at their feet and secretly prayed to Blizzard for a rare gem of a buff. However, a great change rocked the foundations of the Starcraft world. Spearheaded by the outlandish avilo's infinite nydus worm strategy (more discussion here and here), Zergs at last exploited this completely unfair and imbalanced trick to their hearts' content, taking the ladder and competitive events by storm. Auir's warriors, long oppressed, finally had enough. Donning their invisible Dark Templar cloaks, they raided the Blizzard headquarters and single handedly implemented a patch making both motherships and templar tech viable. ...or not. But don't worry, orb, you can always dream.
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Quote: Hot_Bid then somehow ends behind some bars in dominatrix clothing holding the whip and all.
...not quite
Speaking of which, want to look like the sexiest nerd gamer alive? Well, take a look at Razer's new line of Starcraft 2 gear, designed specifically to make you a little bit more Korean. Or, if you want to take nerdiness to the next level, join the Dominion. It's what all the cool kids are doing.
If you missed it last time: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (kittens). And on a related note, global play? Maybe. It's not a guarantee, but it's better than nothing. Plus, the future of B.Net got you down? SC Legacy's got it all covered, and more, with their comprehensive and extremely in-depth review. Check it out.
That concludes this issue of the Round-Up, thanks for reading! If you’ve got a tournament, stream, contest or other content you feel maybe of value to the Round-up, feel free pass it along. Until next week, Good Luck and Have Fun
