EPT
After a fiercely fought OGN Starleague, two gamers have made it to the finals, with JulyZerg who has established himself as one of the most dangerous gamers around today and GoodFriend, whose solid play has been demonstrated time and time again.
Game 1: EVER Forte
July starts at 7, GF starts at 5
Because 8 rax bunker is always a danger on this map, especially in cross positions, July starts with a gas trick 10 pool build, while GF goes a standard 2 rax. Instead of taking his nat, July expands secretly at the 11 main. GF rests marine production to get a fast acad up, while July starts to plant sunks above the ramps in both of his bases. When his lair finishes, July makes a spire, while GF, sensing something astray, scouts July’s secret base at 11. He sends his mmf force northwest, but July has 2 sunkens and a third building. GF goes up the ramp anyway, taking out 2 sunkens, but July uses drones and 2 freshly hatched muta to ward off the attack.
July now starts his mutaharass, while GF quickly rushes to vessel tech. July starts another expansion at the 1 o’clock main—with his game plan now evident—expanding at mains with ramps, harassing with muta, and eventually to gain a huge gas advantage to overwhelm GF with fast guardian or hive tech units. GF now moves his force toward July’s 1 o’clock base, which July quickly fortifies with more sunken and his muta force. GF backs off, waiting on tank/vessel, while GF begins a CC for his natural. July’s hive is now finished and his greater spire almost pops.
However, while July seems to be in control, he makes a HUGE newbie error, letting his entire muta force of around 12 muta get taken out by m and m in the middle of the map. GF rushes toward July’s 11 expo with tank and vessel support, and begins to siege the sunkens above the ramp. July has managed to mass a few muta and begins to make guards, but GF discovers the cocoons, irradiates, and forces July to cancel. In the meanwhile, GF has begun 2 port wraith production. July finally makes around 7 guardian and chases off GF at the 11 expo, but AGAIN July loses around 8 muta to m and m.
However, GF has not been able to take out any of July’s expos due to mass sunkens so instead he decides to take his entire army toward July’s main, which only now has started producing ultras. GF begins to siege the sunkens, and simultaneously sends his wraith force towards July’s 11 expo, taking out the drones there. GF has also discovered July’s newly hatched expos at 11 1/2 and takes it out with m and m. GF fortifies his force in front of July’s main, and also takes out one of July’s expo at 1 with wraith. Soon after, he also sends m and m toward July’s last working expo at the top of the map. July has somehow managed to fend off GF’s force with ling ultra at the base of his main, but it’s only a matter of time as he has no working bases. July GG’s after sending his last straggling ultra/ling units at GF’s main, which are annhiliated as they come.
A very creative gameplan by July but his incredibly stupid control errors losing his muta cost him the game.
GF 1: July 0
Game 2: Neo Requiem 2.0
July spawns at 6, while GF starts at 9.
July daringly takes his nat while GF goes 2 rax in his base.
GF executes a slightly delayed cheese rush with around 4 marines and 7 scv. July brings out many drones to try to snipe marines, but GF doesn’t lose a single marine. However, July micros his newly hatched lings to prevent GF from completing a bunker and takes out the offending force, despite losing some drones in the process. July immediately goes on the counterattack, getting into GF’s base, forcing GF to pull all his scv for defense, and kills around 5 marines.
July has reinforced his drone count, planted a few sunken, and while GF just finishes his acad, July takes his island expo and starts a lair. July plants 7 sunken, making a pure m and m attack impossible, while GF has only just started his factory, skipping scv production for 1 last rush. July expands again at the 12 main with nary a worry.
July’s first muta begin to harass GF and the game effectively is hugely in July’s favor, as he has a large enough muta count to keep GF in his base, and also having the luxury of sacrificing his mutas to kill GF’s tank. Knowing he only has 1 last shot, GF proceeds from his base with his entire army, and July in turn rushes into GF’s main with almost 3 groups of muta, effectively taking GF out of the game.
GF manages to take out July’s natural, but it’s only a matter of time until the muta blob returns for defense—and when they do, GF taps out.
GF 1: July 1
Game 3: LunatheFinal
July 5, GF 1
July takes his nat while GF goes the standard 2 rax. When the bunker rush doesn’t come, July begins a third hatch above his ramp. GF sends out his first marines, but loses 7 of them to zergling, a huge error this early in the game. GF is forced to add another barracks, as July continually reinforces his zergling force. July has researched burrow, slowing his lair timing, but applies ling pressure, forcing GF to gather more troops before heading out. GF pushes out, moving across burrowed lings, but a lone firebat allows him to win the fight. However, July sneaks about 10 lings into GF’s base, doing some damage before being fended off, and GF’s attack at July’s nat fails due to drone support and three sunkens.
GF is forced to pull gas scv, while July has already produced lurkers and holes up GF in front of his natural. GF starts a CC, still not gathering gas, while July expands at the 8 natural. July rushes in with around 24 ling and 4 lurkers, but GF micros nicely to win the fight, leaving July with only 1 lurker.
July has finished his spire and manages to again sneak around a half dozen lings into GF’s base. Soon afterwards, July sends about a group of muta to GF’s base, taking out three turrets. July is simultaneously threatening GF’s natural with ling lurk camped out front, making it difficult to GF to pull all his forward troops for main defense and in the end buying more time to take 2 more expansions at the bottom of the map. GF starts a second factory for mass tanks but July has produced many more lurker ling hydra and his hive is almost completed. July plays it safe despite his obvious advantage, gathering more troops and expanding two more times at the top of the map near the 11 main. GF finally starts to push out with around 5 tanks but July outmasses him considerably and GF loses all of his tanks and is forced to run. The camera immediately flashes to July’s many muta morphing into guards, which commence raining death on GF’s natural. July finally rushes in with his entire HUGE army, finishing GF and treating him like a C+ PGT noob.
A completely one-sided game after GF lost his early marines. Losing early marines at pro level to possibly the best zerg on the planet = death :-P Textbook dissection by July.
GF 1: July 2
Game 4: Ride of Valkyries
GF 7, July 5
July fearlessly takes his natural while GF goes *6* rax. July scouts the early rax with a drone and cancels his natural hatchery, starting a pool in his main. GF begins a bunker anyway in front of July’s natural, while July begins a second hatch in his main. GF, with a VERY low scv count, begins acad with his sole rax. However, July runs past GF’s bunker with around a dozen lings towards GF’s main. GF hurriedly tries to wallin with a depot but it is too late and GF is forced to lift all his buildings. However, GF takes all of his forward troops for a final all-in attack, which July is unable to defend.
July loses ALL of his drones and his pool and just manages to kill GF’s rines with some new zergling. However, GF has chased off July’s lings from his main and his economy is up and running. July can do nothing but make drones while GF’s factory is almost complete, and GF begins 2 starports as soon as his factory finishes. July is able to start his pool only now and it is only a matter of time. When GF’s first wraith arrives at his main, July taps out.
GF 2: July 2
Game 5: EVER Forte
The final deciding game of the 5 game series takes place on Forte, where GF was able to pull out a victory in game 1 due to July's mistakes. July seems determined not to make the same mistake twice, as his pudgy face is now a wall of stone, especially after the humiliation of the last game.
July starts at 11 while GoodFriend splits his SCV perfectly at 7.
July hatches a second hatch in front of his ramp while GF goes 2 rax. GF builds a supply to delay July’s expansion and builds a second depot after canceling the first. July sends his freshly hatched lings at GF and finally begins his expansion hatchery. GF begins a quick factory, clearly aiming for a fast tank push. July starts his lair and only now gets his expansion up and running. The scenario is a clear textbook case of when to execute a fast tank build – zerg 3 hatch, late tech, close rush positions. July starts his spire as soon as his lair pops, while GF has a tank and a second in the oven.
GF pushes out now with a sizable group of m and m and 2 tanks—July chooses to try and go backdoor towards GF’s main with a few lings but a bat and marine guard the ramp. GF has already arrived at July’s base and begins to siege the sunkens there. July furiously replaces the sunkens to slow the push, and sends his first muta to harass GF’s main. GF has already taken down the forward sunken and the forward hatchery, forcing July to keep building sunkens for defense. However, July is no noob and has massed quite a few muta, microing them with peerless control and finally at the best possible moment engages GF with all of his muta, taking out GF’s entire army. July commences to GF’s base, but it a bit overzealous and loses almost 10 muta despite lowering GF’s marine count.
GF has added a third barracks and manages to gather quite a few m and m, and again pushes toward July’s base, sieging July’s newly built sunkens. July does his best to cut off reinforcements with his muta, forcing GF to back off to unite his army with freshly produced troops.
GF now commands a nice sized army, and July again is forced to slow GF with sunkens and cut off GF’s reinforcements with muta, and he does a superb job of making sure GF’s army in front of his base doesn’t grow. He also snipes at GF’s tanks, and with incredible sense of timing, finally goes in for the kill with a gathering ling muta force, winning the fight decisively.
While GF has started a secret expo at the 5 main, July is now fully in control, immediately countering with ling muta and taking out all of GF’s buildings on low ground. GF’s only hope now is his 5 expo, as his resources in his main have all run out, but July scouts it with a ling and it’s simply a matter of time. July takes his entire army and points southeast, eradicating GF’s expo and lifeline. GF lifts his main CC and goes for a final rush—however, July has lurkers cooking and as GF has lifted his CC, he has no scan and the game is effectively over. July puts the exclamation mark on his victory by taking out all of GF’s m and m with around 5 stop lurkers.
Good!
Game!
July 3: GoodFriend 2
A masterful performance by July, considering GFs very strong and persistent tank/mmf pushes. There is no zerg better at countering fast tank builds and his ability to wait out for the perfect moment, cut off reinforcing troops, and delay the push are simply textbook.
Congratulations JulyZerg for a fantastic series of wins, and also to GoodFriend for showing why he is a top Terran who can only get better.
