EPT
Game 1 – Anytime vs. FireBatHero
Hitchhiker
Hitchhiker, the new 2 player OSL map, gets it’s first PvT in this exchange between the top toss in the world and a relatively new young Terran. Anytime (5) opened with a one gate goon into obs build and FBH (11) opened with a marine heavy version of the typical luna style FE build. Anytime built his initial pylons in odd places to throw off his opponent and it seemed to work as FBH scouted the upper areas of the map obsessively, looking in all the typical spots for proxies, while there were none to be found. They clashed early in the center with the typical micro exchange we’ve all seen 1000 times. Anytime, being the machine that he is, lost no goons and was able to kill every rine and scv FBH brought with him. The Terran was forced back, laying mines on the way, saving his tank and vult.
Anytime’s nat expo was slightly faster than FBH’s, but the two were essentially tied as the game slowed down. Anytime teched up to reavers, which should have served him well seeing as FBH was doing a very Nada-esque no e-bay build, but he ended up losing the initial reaver to distant tank fire before doing much scv damage.
FBH, with no more fear of harassment and 5 pumping factories, decided it was time to move out. He lead his forces across the narrow... let me repeat this to do it justice... the insanely, stupidly, ridiculously, why would anyone design a map this way-ly, narrow path toward his opponent’s base.
Anytime picked up his second reaver, but he didn’t have much time to react. Before he knew it, his nat was being fired upon and he was in no position whatsoever to flank.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_1_2/Anytime_FBH.bmp)
Oh yeah, that contain looks very breakable. Good luck beating Oov or Nada on this bad boy.
Anytime had been working toward carriers, anticipating this type of play from his opponent. However, he was working only off of his nat and main, with a late 3rd expo coming and he only had 3 interceptor light ships. It was inevitable at this point. FBH expoed again and got some golies and dropships ready. Anytime toyed around with his reaver and carriers as his nat and 3rd were stomped. He typed out before even losing one carrier.
FBH > Anytime
FBH played a very nice game, pushing at the right time and reacting well to the reaver harassment. His keen tank positioning and movement caught Anytime off guard and got him the first reaver without issue, so I won’t take away from his win. Good for him.
However, I am quite perturbed at the way this game played out. Anytime, the strategic master, had no answer to the incredibly tight walkways and super close distances of Hitchhiker’s terrain. I don’t know how our 2 Protoss heros are going to come up with an answer to this. All I can do is cross my fingers.
Game 2 – Much vs. Dongrae
Longinus
Much (3) opened with a standard 2 gate ranged-goon build, while Dongrae (6) made a rax/bunker wall in front of his nat and expanded early. Much responded, taking probes off of gas to take his own nat and soon after, the upper gas expansion.
Much teched up to reavers and failed to get either an obs or shuttle into the Terran main. Why you ask? Well that would be because Dongrae built a dozen turrets, completely surrounding his main and nat. This was not for the sake of reaver protection, but to hide the 4 raxes that were going up in his main.
The Terran soon moved out and was met by a lone reaver and a handful of lot/goon. There was a prolonged clash in the center that continued due to constant reinforcements from both sides, but once Much had the enemy containment force widdled down, he doubled a speed lot group back, and countered the Terran main.
Templar tech kicked in at the right time and Dongrae saw his attacking force melted by storm while his main was ravaged by Protoss warriors.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_1_2/Much_Dongrea.bmp)
Biomech melts under zealot fists and reaver fire.
Much > Dongrae
Dongrae, scared and facing a superior opponent, threw out a random and terrible build in the hopes of getting lucky. There is no room in the star league for this nonsense Dongrae. Better luck next time.
Game 3 – Light vs. Chojja
Arkanoid
Light (7) opened with a CC first, while Chojja (5) morphed a fast lair before he expanded to both of his in base expansions. He followed that up with a hydralisk den, which was confusing until we all saw his overlord speed upgrade kick in. With lurker and drop research presumably on the way, Chojja was going for early mobility. Light, expecting muta, turreted up his mineral lines as he pursued a 2 port wraith build. Both players transitioned together, Chojja switching to a muta heavy army while Light planted a row of raxes and started vessel production.
Light built up his wraith numbers and harassed Chojja’s drones while he baby sat the ridge between their bases. Chojja made a sleek move and protected his drop with mutas in spite of Light’s forces, doing a decent amount of damage.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_1_2/Chojja_Light.bmp)
Chojja hurts his Terran opponent with a solid hydra/lurk drop.
Light fought the drop off and began to tear through the neutral buildings toward the Zerg main. Chojja did an excellent job stalling him with muta harassment and eventually lurk/defiler drops. He worked his way up to guardians and made a solid run for it, but in the end, he lost far too much economy to Light’s constant small drop ship raids. As his main was run over and his expansions neutralized, Chojja gave up.
Light > Chojja
A very exciting game from these two. They both adapted well to each other and kept up a fast pace full of drops of all sizes and tons of harassment. Nice tech use by Chojja as well, but it just wasn’t enough. If you’re a TvZ fan and you can stomach watching games on Arkanoid, you should definitely watch this one.
Game 4 – Good Friend vs. Casy
Reverse Temple
GF (9) went with a conservative 2 factory build while Casy (12) went 1 factory starport. The 2 Terrans danced their rines and vults with each other as Casy’s wraiths and cloaking tech progressed. GF couldn’t take advantage of his superior ground army since Casy walled off the entrance to his main, and suffered scv harassment as the invisible planes fired down on them.
Casy expanded much earlier than his opponent and had the luxery of taking it slow. He hoarded up dropships and counter attacked GF’s lame attempts to muscle in on his main. Casy then tank dropped GF’s nat, taking away mineral production for a decent period of time and expanded to the 6 o’clock main. At this point Casy had so many tanks he simply walked in on GF and took the game.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_1_2/GF_Casy.bmp)
GF’s attack is easily deflected.
Casy > GF
Casy was in complete control the whole time. He’s clearly got quite the knack for the matchup and GF is showing all the expected form of a KTF player. He simply wasn’t up to it.
Game 5 – Iris vs. ForGG
Reverse Temple
ForGG (12) went with a 2 port build and faced some solid wall harassment from Iris (3) who went with a one factory port build. ForGG proceeded with wraiths from both ports and didn’t get an add on for cloaking. Iris on the other hand, got the upgrade at the expense of troop production.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_1_2/Iris_ForGG.png)
ForGG’s lack of ground troops leaves him open to wall harassment and Iris takes full advantage.
ForGG enjoyed some mild wraith harassment at first, but when Iris finished his cloaking research, ForGG was forced back. From this point, Iris laid down some turrets and expanded to his natural after putting up a wall of his own. ForGG attempted to harass and counter attack, but his vult/wraith force was completely inadequate to meet Iris’ goly/tank/wraith army. The game was over.
Iris > ForGG
ForGG played a massing strat and was beaten by style and upgrades. As much as we all like to rag on Iris, myself included, his TvT is top notch.
Game 6 – Zergman vs. Hwasin
Arkanoid
Both players laid a misplaced expansion first, Zergman at 11 o’clock and Hwasin at 7 o’clock. Hwasin planted 2 raxes and an academy and started a path through the neutral buildings, to put pressure on his opponent. He made his way to the front entrance of the Zerg base, but was deflected by sunken colonies. He then started to chip away at the building in front of the lower natural expansion, to force his opponent to build more sunkens.
Zergman pulled a cute move, placing 2 hold position lurkers in the path of Hwasin’s reinforcement line, but when he attacked the Terran infantry he was unlucky. Reinforcements pincered the retreating MnM force and his lurkers were dealt with quickly. Zergman then attempted a relaliation drop, but Hwasin had a ton of turrets and a tank/bunker waiting for him. The drop did nothing.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_1_2/Hwasin_Zergman.bmp)
Hold lurkers always pack a punch, but convenient reinforcement timing saves Hwasin from really bad loses.
Hwasin then muscled his way into the gaping hole that he created earlier in the wall surrounding Zergman’s natural. The game was over.
Hwasin > Zergman
I’m very impressed with Hwasin. I voted for Zergman this week, thinking that his track record of solid play would pan out over the seemingly streaky Hwasin, but this Terran clearly means business. Hwasin knew exactly how this game would play out every step of the way, as soon as he knew the initial starting positions. That win over Savior wasn’t a fluke.
So that’s the second week of OSL groups.
Recommended VOD of the week.
ManaBlue isn’t picking a protoss game!!???!! The world must be coming to an end!!!
In all seriousness, the Chojja/Light game was the best one this week. Cool tech usage and strategy/unit switches. Both of these guys were using their heads. As much as I like to hate on Chojja, the man has more natural talent for the game than 90% of current top pros. This man is the most entertaining Zerg out there right now. Watch his games.
Well that’s it for this week. The next group round is coming your way soon. Until then, Mani and I are off to rest for the weekend.
Pick up the games on our tracker if you please. The link is in the top blue bar of the site. (Thanks Saro )
