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MSL Ro8 Match A
November 1st, 2007
Match A - Mind vs. TheManiaMST
Game 1 - Python
Game 2 - Zodiac
Game 3 - Blue SStorm
Game 4 - Loki II
Game 5 - Python
Results
+ Show Spoiler +
Match A - Mind 3 - 1 TheManiaMST
Game 1 - Mind > TheManiaMST on Python
Game 2 - Mind < TheManiaMST on Zodiac
Game 3 - Mind > TheManiaMST on Blue Storm
Game 4 - Mind > TheManiaMST on Loki II
![[image loading]](http://www.fomos.kr/board/photo/1193918173_1.jpg)
Game 1 - Mind > TheManiaMST on Python
Game 2 - Mind < TheManiaMST on Zodiac
Game 3 - Mind > TheManiaMST on Blue Storm
Game 4 - Mind > TheManiaMST on Loki II
I woke up Thursday morning with a grimace on my face. Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays are usually days I wake up excited, eager to find out which warrior emerged victorious from today’s MSL/OSL. But today, I wake up knowing I will have at least 3 TvT’s to watch, and if God wanted to be cruel, possibly 5.
Game 1 - Mind vs. TheManiaMST on Python
Looking at statistics only, Mind is clearly the favorite to win. Having gotten to the Quarter Finals with NOTHING but TvT’s to play, Mind has shown some fair statistics, going 4-2, with 2 of those wins coming from Oov himself. Meanwhile, TheManiaMST’s statistics were showing an awesome 0-5 TvT record. Quite an embarrassing record for something who just 2-0’d July the round before.
Both players opened with a fast expansions build, but a slip from Mania quickly tipped the game. Having lost a minor vulture battle at the start of the game, Mind rushes in with 4 vultures, getting a fair amount of SCV kills in the process. From there the game was downhill for Mania. With a stronger economy Mind kept up the pressure with dropships, and continued to pound on Mania until Mania was forced to his knees.
Game 2 - Mind vs. TheManiaMST on Zodiac
Mind decides to play a wild card and opens with a 1 fac 1 starport build, a build that isn’t used nearly as often as it once was. Though the early wraiths did little more than killing a handful of SCVs, it later proved to be much more effective when only 2 wraiths found 2 defenseless dropships and shot them down.
But the small lead was not enough to end the game. Mania continues to add dropships and Mind soon follows suit. With both players expanding and playing a fairly normal TvT game (which means boring), dropping, defending, expanding and…. Well you know the drill. The game nears an end as Mania succeeds in securing and protecting a crucial expansion at 9, while Mind fails to take more expansions. In the end Mania took the better positions, and outplayed Mind… just barely.
Game 3 - Mind vs. TheManiaMST on Blue Storm
An interesting scene is unravels early as both players send out an early SCV, most likely for a sort of proxy rush. Unfortunately the two mischievous SCVs greet each other in the middle of the map, and both are forced to abandon their strats and opt for a regular opening.
Mania decides to play around with Wraiths, while Mind opens with a normal tanks+gols to dropship build (after the expansion, of course). The two players share minor skirmishes, none dealing any critical damage. Mind then pulls out the first real strike as he flies in 4 dropships into the main of Mania. Mania had sieged his tanks in the middle of the map at the time, preparing for a standoff at the mid-section, and ultimately allowing little defense in his main, where the real battle was ensuing.
The drop proved to be effective as Mind gained massive SCV kills, and from then on Mind stuck to his advantage, denying multiple expansion attempts of Mania until Mania once again admits defeat.
Game 4 - Mind vs. TheManiaMST on Loki II
Game 4 on Loki II was the longest game of the series, yet was probably the most accurate display of the player’s skills. Mind, after opening with a fast expansion, proxies 2 factories outside his base, attempting an early vultures rush, with a fast dropship to boot. Mania meanwhile plays fairly normal, and choosing his method of harrassment as a goliath drop. Both players drop units (4 gols for Mania, 4 vults for Mind) in each other’s base, and precedes to wreak havoc. Both defend the drops without a fair amount of damage, but the key point is that while Mania played relatively normal, having a 2nd expansion ready, while Mind had opened with proxy facts, putting him at a disadvantage.
But Mania fails to do much with the lead. As Mind expands his territory across the map, putting up turrets and sieging tanks, Mania flies his dropships back and forth looking for an opening. Mind continues to fortify his posts to buy time, while he takes his expansions to catch up to Mania. The game lasts for an extra 20 minutes with both players making minor moves, while taking the expansion….. Mania continues to look for opening and does succeed in a few drops, but Mind proves to be a tough opponent as he bounces right back into the game.
The game turns around as a few Wraiths of Mind’s plays a crucial roll in various battles. Hunting down defenseless tanks, restricting air space for Mania’s dropships to move in, and acting as patrol units, the wraiths prove to be much help for Mind. In the end Mania fails to keep his advantage for long, and allows Mind to take the game from under his fingers.
Overall Analysis:
As predicted, this wasn’t the most exciting matches in the MSL. Both players played fairly well, but neither stood out as anything special, to me, at least. But Mind proves to be the better TvT player as he takes 3 games away from Mania while only letting 1 away. And with this victory, Mind now must face the Maestro in the semi finals. I’m personally looking forward to the thrashing the Maestro will give this undeserving lad with a fairly good TvT and a lucky draw.
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