For the best Terran in the world, it was business as usual as he destroyed yet another championship Zerg on his path to the GSL Final. The third quarter-final of the GSL was a quick affair, as INnoVation took three quick and brutal games off Samsung_RorO. Game one had Innovation just play a standard macro game, constantly putting on pressure and picking off units until he was 50 supply and able to stomp through RorO's bases.
While game one was a standard steamroll, game two was a very unorthodox one – but a beatdown nonetheless. Innovation's double proxy rax opener led to an incredible battle of adaptation and on the fly thinking with players furiously trying to outsmart each other. RorO countered the cheese with a pool-first build after scouting, which was then countered by Innovation's mass-bunker contain, which was countered by a hidden base way off in the corner. Innovation noticed that there was a scouting drone still unaccounted for, discovered the hidden base, and diverted a portion of his forces to take it down. RorO used the diversion to bust down his ramp with banelings and took double expansions, finally giving the game a semblance of a normal macro-game. RorO decided he needed to cut corners and over-drone to get back in the game, but he just couldn't muster enough defenses in time to handle Innovation's first marine-medivac push out. With too much ground to cover with just ling-bane against Innovation's dropship micro, RorO GG'd out.
RorO seemed fed up in game three, as he opened with an extremely greedy triple hatch, only as a mask for a powerful roach-bane all-in. It did massive damage as it killed 43 SCVs, but Innovation used his high HPM (hellbats per minute) to stage a comeback. With hellbats and medivacs out against a severe lack of anti-air defense on the Zerg side, Innovation was able to cripple RorO's economy and then finish him off with a hellbat-marauder-medivac push.
Innovation looks stronger with each series he takes, and an Innovation championship seem more and more imminent as he has now beaten the best players in the world one after the other. His current list of victims in the GSL: Rain, Hyun, Flash, Life, Roro. While the other three semi-finalists are all incredibly strong in their own right, Innovation is without a doubt the one people expect to be kissing the trophy when it's all said and done.
Bomber Rule #2 (Bomber will only do well in an earlier round in order to cause a bigger disappoint later on) was in full effect last night as he crashed out of his first quarter-finals in over a year after barely putting up a fight. Bomber was unable to deal with Symbol's aggressive Roach bane style, as the Azubu Zerg finished Bomber off 3 - 1 in a series of short games. The only game Bomber won was the first, where he expected and defended well against an early roach bane attack. From there he macroed his way to victory, with Symbol only going through the motions after taking such an early disadvantage.
However, from game two on out it was all Symbol as he took the series by the horns and showed that if at first you fail, you really should try and try again. The second game started off looking an awful lot like a macro game, with both players getting up to three bases without incident. Symbol even got an infestation pit, which Bomber scanned. Unfortunately for Bomber it was a fake as Symbol had gone for a massive speed-roach bane attack off of three bases, which he did not see coming until it was far too late.
It wouldn't be a Symbol series without a Nydus worm (Symbol is 13 - 3 in GSL games where he has used nydus worms), and Symbol took a win with his signature strategy in game three. Bomber decided to go for the EU meta with hellbat drops, but was found out and had his drops thwarted after killing just three drones. While Bomber failed with his drops, he had vision of his entire base and a strong bunker defense at his front door. However, it just took some simple misdirection for Symbol to take the game, as he faked a frontal attack as a distraction while a the fatal nydus exit completed in Bomber's main.
The fourth and final game was a miniature repeat of game two, as Symbol once again broke Bomber with a 3 base Roach bane attack that Bomber couldn't hope to stop with just a handful of mines.
With this victory, Symbol is on the path to being the first runner-up to ever reach consecutive GSL Finals. Unfortunately for him he is going up against the strongest Terran in the world at present, who has yet to look the slightest bit mortal against any of his Zerg opponents in this GSL. If Symbol wants to win this, he will have to go into full Nydus mode, and hope his creative use of the unique Zerg unit can steal enough games off his fearsome opponent.
I hope we get to see an Innovation vs sOs final. I just honestly dont see any zerg ever beating Innovation in longer series. sOs could put up fight . Innovation for hots bonjua
wasnt it symbol who beat innovation in the last wol GSL, in the ro8? Those were some really good games, hoping the bottom side of the bracket will also deliver some great games! also, when are teh 5th/6th decider matches played, is that known already?
Innovation should be able to take this victory further and crush Symbol in yet another TvZ. Chances are slim, but I hope that sOs can make it through the semis and win in the finals!
On May 17 2013 08:53 igay wrote: Lol symbol must be shaking in his boots, imagine if he drops to innovation people will freak out
??? Don't you mean the other way around? I bet most people are imagining Symbol will drop to Innovation. Someone's probably making a Woongjin vs Innovation banner.
If Symbol beats Innovation though, in Innovation's current TvZ form. I might freak out at that.
On May 17 2013 08:53 igay wrote: Lol symbol must be shaking in his boots, imagine if he drops to innovation people will freak out
??? Don't you mean the other way around? I bet most people are imagining Symbol will drop to Innovation. Someone's probably making a Woongjin vs Innovation banner.
If Symbol beats Innovation though, in Innovation's current TvZ form. I might freak out at that.
On May 17 2013 09:37 Lisker_ wrote: Is gomtv.net the only place to view these games? I signed up but I can't view the whole set of games due of not paying.
Innovation vs. Soulkey final. Soulkey vs. sOs should be good, team mates with a lot of familiarity with each other. Feels like Soulkey is stronger late game, should pull him ahead. Innovation will crush Symbol. He has already beaten Life and Roro, both of whom are better than Symbol and Symbol already lost to Roro last season. KeSPA is here to stay and Innovation will have superior prep and planning.
On May 17 2013 09:20 largehadroncollider wrote: Good lord, INnoVation without threat of a TvT. He's going to dominate.
True, I think only Soulkey can stop him atm. And Symbol, you can't cheese or all-in Innovation in BO7 lol
You think symbol really care about you, little anonymous innovation fan ? No. He will cheese and all-in innovation in a Bo7. I foresee a max of 2 macro game from symbol. In this season, symbol looked to have brought zerg all-in to a whole new level .
On May 17 2013 09:37 Lisker_ wrote: Is gomtv.net the only place to view these games? I signed up but I can't view the whole set of games due of not paying.
On May 17 2013 09:20 largehadroncollider wrote: Good lord, INnoVation without threat of a TvT. He's going to dominate.
Yeah that's why I wanted bomber to win. Although none of the other guys are going to be that easy. Symbol has a unique enough playstyle to make it tough for him. sOs and Soulkey are the main reason Woongjin has been crushing proleague and either of them could do well in the finals.
That being said I have to say I really want an sOs vs Innovation final and I see Innovation winning it
Man, I fell asleep yesterday when Bomber was ahead 1-0... To see him losing 1-3 was absolutely not what I'd expected (or hoped for).
As for INnoVation, not much you can say other than beastly performance. I fell off my chair after seeing him win that last map, RoRo had the tools to absolutely crush him at one point.
This is turning out to be a very exciting season 1 to the WCS. Wasn't expecting Roro to go down 3-0 against Innovation. But I guess it is still Innovation, who has already beaten several of the best players on his way to the round of 4. Hope he takes the crown!
On May 17 2013 09:20 largehadroncollider wrote: Good lord, INnoVation without threat of a TvT. He's going to dominate.
True, I think only Soulkey can stop him atm. And Symbol, you can't cheese or all-in Innovation in BO7 lol
Symbol is more than capable of playing macro games. He cheesed Bomber so many times because it was Bomber's weakness. He is known for using Nydus in the late game to great extent, even in WoL he was doing that.
Also, I don't think that he will beat Innovation, I still think he can take 1-2 games from him.
On May 17 2013 08:08 Koerage wrote: wasnt it symbol who beat innovation in the last wol GSL, in the ro8? Those were some really good games, hoping the bottom side of the bracket will also deliver some great games! also, when are teh 5th/6th decider matches played, is that known already?
yes he has.. still i think
bogus vs symbol 4:2/1, if bogus dont fall for the cheesy all ins like bomber. soulkey vs sos 4:2 soulkey has way better late makrogame and a very good response to all kind of allins.
Symbol plays a very high variance style of game, which is probably the sort of gameplan you need to beat Innovation at this point (and he did it last season, so he will have enough confidence).
Innovation however needs to realise that that is probably the only way he loses to Symbol, and he should play that little bit safer against him knowing that if he can push the games past the 15min mark with regularity, he's going to come out on top in the long run.
I just finished watching the vods and damn, I see that TL writers actually made 4/4 predictions! And didn't even toot their own horn. How modest of you.
IIRC last season TL went 0-for-4 at this stage. Which makes sense considering pretty well every match ended in an upset.
The only way I see Innovation getting a run for his money is for sos to beat soulkey so that innovation doesn't play TvZ in the finals.
Innovation's TvZ is so ridiculous I don't think any Zerg can withstand it at the moment. Innovation's TvP is probably great as well, just maybe (I do say MAYBE) not as legendary as his TvZ.
EPT
RorO <Daybreak> 
INnoVation![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/WCS2013/Korea_1/ro4bracket.png)
. Innovation for hots bonjua
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