EPT
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Challenge League Finals
Weeks of grueling competition comes down to this. A best of 5 between 2 magnificent
players, old school pro ForU and the young blood, stOrk[gm].
ForU vs stOrk[gm] Game 1@Alchemist:
ForU warps in at the 11:00 position while stork finds himself at 6:00. They mirror each
other's builds almost exactly except ForU's 2nd pylon is at a funny spot, stork's mineral line. Stork's first zealot immediately lays into the pylon as soon as it arrives. Just as the pylon falls, ForU's zealot makes an appearance. It managed to kill a single probe before being chased off.
The game progresses as both players get their cybercores, ForU's coming in significantly faster. ForU's first dragoons scurry towards his opponent and begin to attack the zealots but failing to kill any as some back and forth micro begins. Both players have started dragoon range as they choose their strategies. Stork opts for a 3rd gate while ForU begins a citadel. Both players seem content on sitting and waiting for the moment.
Stork's plan becomes obvious as he starts his natural expansion and begins his robo facility, but it could all be too little too late as ForU's templar archives warps in. Dark Templar soon follow and quickly move to 6. ForU attacks with all his units and try as he
might, Stork can do nothing about his invisible foe and GGs.
Game 2@Neo Guillotine:
ForU's nexus warps in at the 1:00 position whereas stork now appears at 11:00. Both players opt for Pylon - Gateway - Pylon builds, protecting themselves from zealot harrass and manner pylons. Stork shows some BEAUTIFUL building placement with his initiation pylons and gateway. Both players continue on by starting a 2nd gateway followed by assimilators. Both players start their cybercores but it is now Stork's turn to be ahead. As soon as the cybercores warp in their strategies diverge.
Stork looks to return the favor from last game and started a citadel in the corner of his base while ForU simply begins his range upgrade. It is not long before stork begins warmping in a Templar Archives only moments before ForU begins his robo facility. ForU now
moves his 9 zealots towards stork's base stopping just outside. He makes his move once he has 4 dragoons but decides to hold off on attacking into stork's main. ForU begins to warp in his observatory when he sees 2 blurs near his units and starts to retreat.
It is now a race against the clock, can ForU get an observer in time to save the game? Precious time ticks away for ForU with ever slash of the DT in his mineral line. A number of probes fall before the observer finally arrives and ForU is able to kill the DT. ForU now decides to counter and begins moving his zealot and dragoon army towards stork's main.
Wait a minute...
Wasn't there a second DT? *scrolls up*
Ah, there it is, in ForU's mineral line. The 2nd DT has hidden away at the bottom of ForU's main and snuck into ForU's mineral line while he was trying to counter, killing even more probes. An observer pops out just in time to salvage what is left of ForU's probes.
All is not over though as ForU attacks stork. Stork has set up a few cannons that are warping in exactly as ForU attacks. A battle ensues and both players micro furiously, stork's zealot speed upgrade finishing halfway through the battle. Despite stork's best efforts ForU comes out on top with 7 dragoons left. Looks bad? Well it just got worse for you. Yet another DT has found its way into ForU's main and has taken down all by 5 or 6 probes! Stork may still win!
Foru's only option is to continue into stork's main and attempt to win NOW. He shows some very very strong micro but the inevitable happens as more and more zealots come out of stork's gateways and slowly but surely take down what is left of ForU's army. ForU types
out.
1-1
Game 3@Requiem
Stork warps in at 6 as ForU winds up somewhere around 9. Both players once again opt for 2 gate and the game progresses until their strategies diverge once again at the cybercore. ForU begins range upgrade and a forge while stork begins a robo facility.
ForU begins to pressure stork once his range upgrade is complete while also starting a pylon at the top of stork's ramp. He picks off some units here and there but fails to do any significant damage. As the pylon warps in he begins making some cannons at the top of stork's ramp.
In the meantime stork has dropped 4 zealot's at ForU's natural and also landed a probe at his island. He then picks up a reaver and sends the zealots into ForU's main. Unfortunately for stork, ForU saw it coming from a mile away and he barely managed to do any damage at all.
Stork starts a nexus at the island which is soon scouted by ForU's shuttle. ForU's attempt to stop the expansion is quickly foiled by Stork as he drops a couple of zealots and a reaver to scare off ForU's dragoons. ForU decides to take another approach and attacks from the bottom of the expo, killing of stork's reaver. Little does he know that stork has continued to ferry units over from his main and stork begins to pursue ForU's dragoons. Stork finds
little luck in killing the dragoons until they find themselves trapped behind ForU's natural.
Stork begins to ferry units down from the cliff behind ForU's natural into his opponent's main. First 2 reavers and 4 zealots followed by several dragoons. ForU seeing the inevitable coming makes an ill fated attempt to counter stork's main but finds almost his entire army falling at the fierce hands(or spidery legs?) of stork's massive number of dragoons. ForU backs off with what little he has left and tries to defend his main, and successful does so. Unfortunately he has already lost almost all of his probes and decides to type out.
2-1 for stork[gm]
Game 4@Dreams of Balhae
The players once again find themselves at the 11 and 1 positions, with ForU occupying 1:00 and stork opposite him. Both players once again mirror each other completely, but this time with a 13 nexus at their natural, followed by a gateway, assimilator, pylon and cybercore.
Once again, they both choose very different strategies at this point.
ForU warps in the forever standard robo facility while stork begins a....stargate?! I'm as baffled as you are. ForU continues down standard lines with an observator shortly followed by a support bay while stork, opposite him in more ways than one, begins a fleet beacon followed by a second stargate and a forge. ForU starts 2 gateways on the low ground while stork begins to cannon up his main and nat. It isn't long until ForU scouts the unorthodox
build of his opponent. Stork soon warps in a 3rd stargate.
His response to the strategy? Move out his dragoons and cut off one of stork's sources of income. He positions his goons behind stork's natural minerals forcing stork to transfer all his probes back to his main. Shortly after, ForU expands to 3 while dropping 2 reavers
near stork's natural. In a move of brilliance he..uh..leaves them there for about 30 seconds or a minute until 3 carriers kill both reavers. ForU seeing that stork isn't letting up on his carrier plan begins 3 stargates of his own.
Stork begins to pressure ForU's dragoons with his now 5 carriers forcing ForU to back off. He then begins the slow treck around the outside of the map without ForU having the slightest idea. ForU begins a fleep beacon of his own and starts making scouts out of his
stargates. He then moves his goons back to behind stork's natural minerals forcing stork to once agian transfer all his probes to his main. By doing this, ForU unknowningly made a completely safe path for stork's carriers to dart right to his main island.
Stork quickly rips down ForU's natural nexus and continues on to ForU's main, laughing at the dragoons as they melt before him. The carriers, now numbering 7, begin to pelt ForU's stargates until ForU decides to make his move and attacks the carriers with his scouts. Unfortunately for ForU, the scouts are far from enough to stop stork and don't even take out a single carrier. Stork continues to rip apart ForU's main and it isn't long before ForU concedes.
3-1 for stork[gm]
STORK ADVANCES TO THE STARLEAGUE.
Very well played by both players.
sad
it's always to see new toss coming to the upper stage. stork is AMAZING, getting through OCL at his first journey!
