EPT
Game 1 – Much vs. GoRush
Hitchhiker
Much (5) opened with a proxy robo south of his opponent’s main, while GoRush (11) started with a hatch first at his mineral only above the low ground of his natural. GoRush soon took his nat after seeing Much’s passive lot/goon block at the Protoss ramp.
Much then threw up another 2 gates and began to pump lots as his reaver tech was readying. He broke out with a force of lots, a goon, and a shuttle with a reaver. GoRush was completely unprepared for the attack and had nothing but a single sunk and a handful of lings to defend with. He was run over easily but remained in the game until only his spire remained.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_R16_2/muchgorush.JPG)
That’s what you get for being such a greedy overlord. Smarten up GoRush!
Much > GoRush
Nice build from Much, poor play from GoRush. He wouldn’t have been able to stop any 3 gate build playing so greedy. I hate taking credit away from Tosses when they pull out a PvZ win, but GoRush certainly didn’t make it hard on Much at all.
Game 2 – Midas vs. Savior
Reverse Temple
Midas (6) opened with a quick rax but didn’t advance on Savior (2) due to the Zerg’s pool first build. Savior quickly transitioned into his standard 3 hatch build while Midas expanded to his natural.
Savior built both den and spire tech to keep his opponent guessing, but pursued a ling/lurk army and midas build up a standard 2 fact tank build. Savior got drop tech going quickly and threatened his Terran opponent with doom drops to his main as he took the upper left island.
Ignoring the threat of Savior’s drops, midas moved out with almost everything. Savior responded with his prepared doom drop and also laid 2 lurks below midas’ natural mineral line. As midas fought to wipe out the Zerg main his own base laid in ruin.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_R16_2/saviormidas.JPG)
These tanks would go on to be killed easily by this one lurker and a few stray lings, leading one to wonder when midas will pull the chicken bone from his throat for once.
Throwing away his tanks, midas lacked the power to flatten the Zerg main. Savior had also begun to produce drones at his now untouchable island base. Midas gave it a go, but it was inevitable at this point.
Savior > midas
Savior played a great strategy, maximizing the damage done with each unit with strategic dropping. Midas, though he probably was losing the elimination race anyway due to the island base, threw his chances away by losing those tanks for nothing. It was a frustrating mistake from everyone’s favourite choke artist. Even I’m starting to feel sorry for the poor emo Terran.
Game 3 – Oov vs. Yellow[name]
Arkanoid
Oov (5) went with the standard CC first, while Yellow (11) went with a 2 hatch Muta build. The monkey Terran transitioned into 2 port valk to combat the Zerg air force, but neglected ground defences for too long. Though his valk force was impressive, Yellow had no problem running through one of his naturals with hydras. From there it was a down hill run for the cheater, who as always, took another ten minutes to die.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_R16_2/oovyellow.JPG)
You can imagine how these plagued Valks did against Mutas... to put it lightly... not well.
Yellow > Oov
Yellow responded well to an odd build from Oov. Not sure what kind of success he had with it in practice games, but even in an air to air fight it seemed Oov was out gunned. A less than inspiring performance from the less than inspiring iloveoov who has failed to show his old form as of late.
Game 4 – Casy vs. July
Hitch Hiker
Casy (11) opened the game in an interesting way by blocking July’s (5) nat with an e-bay before even building his first rax. His blockage successfully stopped July from laying his third hatch at his natural until the four and a half minute mark and he continued his relentless early harassment as he stole July’s gas.
After July settled things at his main, he sunked up his natural and pursued a muta build. Casy was on top of him again quite quickly with a fast tank and rine squad camping out front and firing on his sunken line.
Casy succeeded in taking out July’s entire natural including both hatcheries but incredibly, as he pushed forward into July’s main, the Zerg was able to perfectly coordinate a counter mutaling attack just as a new sunk finished and destroyed the entire Terran force.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/ShinHan3_OSL_R16_2/casyjuly.JPG)
July doesn’t go down without a fight.
Mere moments after I was about to announce the game over, July had cleared his main and was laying down a hatchery at the bottom left gas expo. Casy built his forces up and attacked July again, but was once again deflected by some sunks and new hydras that were awaiting lurker research at the ramp to the Zerg main.
It seemed as though July was making a game of it, but with equal expos and upgrades in his favour, it didn’t take long for Casy to smarten up. He broke through the neutral buildings at the bottom of his main and levelled the Zerg expansion after the one and only bad flank we would see from July in this entire game.
Casy > July
Casy played a really nice, aggressive game but got over confident and July made him pay for it. The damage had been done though. Props to July in making such a solid comeback in this one. Rarely do you see a Zerg play so smoothly while he’s clearly losing.
VOD of the Game Day:
Casy vs. July
Watch this game to get a tutorial in how to maximize the power of mutaling and use terrain perfectly. It’s too bad the natural is still so vulnerable or July might have been able to play this differently. Nice battles in this game that even make you question your common sense. July had me convinced that he could comeback and win at many points.
The first game of each series is over now. We’ve seen some nerves and poor play from the SKT1 players, while the Zergs that many of us had counted out from the start have shown determination. Everything is up in the air as we look forward to the next set of matches.
I can't believe you guys are bringing that over here. 
Much love.
