EPT
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/pachi/banner/08AIClassic1.png)
I know everyone is probably brimming with excitement after the sheer brilliance of the latest episode of Teamliquid: Attack! In fact, I'd wager there are people that are creaming themselves as we speak as MBC have offered to have Light or Pusan do an episode as well. While TL is holding down the fort for the foreigners- our lone boy in Korea, Tasteless, is pulling in the viewers for the GOMTV Classic. Indeed, no matter where you look, things have never been better for the foreign scene.
Tasteless is only half the entertainment, the pimp semifinal lineups are the other half. Both semifinals promise to be creative encounters fused with pure Starcraft passion. Each has their own unique element; Semifinal A has the classic Rookie Vigor vs The unstoppable Zerg Steamroller. While Semifinal B will have to wait for next week
. Tonight, YoonJoong, better known as Shuttle, will take on Jaedong in a Best of 5 matchup. And it's going to be explosive 
But let's get acquainted with last weeks events thanks to my good friend G.s)Naruto!
Set 1: Othello
The first set of the night begins with BackHo warping in at 7 and Stork warping in at 4. Both players decide to open with 1 gateway/cybernetics core build. The first action of the game begins with BackHo manner pyloning Stork but Stork having a Zealot and Dragoon already out is able to quickly kill the pylon without losing to much mining time.
As the game progresses their build's begin to deviate. BackHo decides to opt for a Dark Templar rush while Stork decides to by pass a Robotics Facility to get a faster Nexus. Not having any Observers by the time the DTs arrive Stork quickly types out.
Set 2: Blue Storm
The second set is on Blue Storm, after some difficulties the game begins. Stork is spawns at bottom left while BackHo warps in at top right. Both players open with 2 gate Zealots into a Nexus, which is the standard on Blue Storm. After the scouting probes have died both players deviate from similar builds with BackHo opting for a DT drop and Stork deciding to go for a Dragoon/Robotics build. By the time the DT drop arrives Stork has a Observatory created but has decided to Shuttle/Reaver before his Observer allowing BackHo's Dark Templer to get a few probe kills off before it's killed.
Having gone Templar tech BackHo's army consists of HTs/some Dragoons/ and a large force of Zealots. After a some small harass and some probe kills by BackHo's HTs both players move to the middle and large fight ensues. With some incredible storms BackHo rips apart Stork's army and Stork's reavers take pot shots at BackHo's predominately Zealot army. After a couple tense seconds both players back off with similar sized armies after the battle. Due to being behind economically from the DT drop and storm harass Stork's third base is much slower than BackHo's. Stork noticing this decides to double expand to regain the lead. While expanding Stork decides to attempt a DT drop at BackHo's natural but due to there being 2 cannons there it is largely ineffective. BackHo realizing Stork is double expanding and will have less units decides to attack while having the unit advantage over Stork. BackHo's army advances towards Storks side of the map and proceeds to rip through Stork's small force and Stork quickly types out.
Set 1: Othello
The first game of the series begins with Flash spawning at 4 and Memory at 1. Despite the fearsome hair Flash is sporting tonight Memory seems calm and collected going into the game. After the standard video cut to both players the commentators finally focus on the game. It quickly becomes apparent that both players are deciding to have a macro war with both opening 14 CC. Flash fearing a proxy barracks in the middle decides to scout out so he can be prepared for any skulduggery Memory might have prepared which then makes Flash's CC slightly slower than Memory's. As the game progresses both players opt to go for a 2 factory follow up but with Memory's 2nd factory being considerably slower than Flash's. After Flash's first factory is complete he sends out his first vulture in hopes of snagging some SCV kills but due to a bit of miss micro he is only able to get one at the cost of a marine and vulture.
Both players then settle down for a couple seconds and macro up. After amassing a small army consisting of about 2-3 tanks and 2 goliaths each they push towards each other and siege up. But, due Flash having his first drop ship earlier than Memory's he is able to take break Memory's first push quite easily and move towards Memory's natural forcing Memory to go on the defensive. Flash realizing he is ahead after destroying Memory's first force quickly takes a 3rd base at 9's 3rd base and a 4th at 9's natural and sets up a standard TvT defense of tanks to defend while macroing up.
The game progresses and there is a bit poking and prodding without either player committing to a battle. Flash begins to expand quickly and frequently while Memory is more tentative at expanding. Having a large economy Flash decides to tech to Battle Cruisers.
Finally after more poking and prodding the action starts to pick up with Flash having amassed a large force of BCs and Valkyries begins to attack Memory's expansions and portions of his army. Memory with a sizable force of wraiths attempts to snipe the BCs but the Valkeryie/BC force is to large and Memory finally GGs.
Set 2: Blue Storm
The 2nd set is on Blue Storm. Both players decide to forgo a 14 CC and open with a 1 fact and CC follow up. Flash deciding to contain Memory with a bunker at the top of Memory's ramp into his natural is able to get his CC up faster. Both players set up to go into a macro war. After a passive few minutes, Flash decides to take his mineral only and defend and let his superior macro put him into the lead. Memory possibly realizing he can't compete with Flash in a macro war decides to transition into some drop ship harass but Flash is prepared and end's up only losing a couple SCVs. After failing to do any damage with his drops Memory takes a third base and both players settle into a macro war by taking their own sides of the map and transition into BC play once again.
After taking their own side of the map both players set up on their own side of the middle gully and turtle up and both players slowly progress towards a Yamato war.
After a series of Yamato/EMP wars Memory finally gains a large advantage over Flash and Flash finally concedes.
Set 3: Katrina SE
The final match was on Katrina SE, both players decide to open with a standard barracks/gas opening but Memory opts to build his 2 factories in the middle while Flash opts for a semi-fast CC. After starting his CC Flash adds 2 factories himself. After building a couple tanks and researching vulture mines, Memory moves out to Flash's natural and set's up a couple siege tanks and a mine field hoping to contain Flash.
Shortly after amassing a small army Flash decides the time is ripe to attack Memory's contain and with a handful of SCVs, a few tanks and goliaths Flash attacks Memory's contain. With some amazing micro Flash breaks Memory's contain and begins to push towards Memory's main with a sizeable force. Memory realizing he's behind lays down a large minefield and sets up a couple siege tanks to defend against Flash's attack and attempts to expand and rebuild his scv count. But having a much stronger economy than Memory, despite losing quite a few scvs breaking Memory's contain, Flash quickly amasses many more units that Memory and attacks Memory's feeble defense forcing Memory to concede.
Once again, sick job Naruto!
So what do we have going tonight? We have the entertaining antics of the newcomer YoonJoong against MSL Finalist, stud and the man who leaves carrion in his wake - Lee Jae Dong.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/Zicon_small.gif)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/Picon_small.gif)
Unlike it's predecessor, Katrina SE actually boasts decent balance in PvZ (from official games that is). While it is still generally considered that the map favors Protoss, Zergs have learned to adapt and they are performing well. Now personally, I'm a huge Shuttle fan, but I'm not letting that delude me here. Jaedong time and time again has proved what an absolute monster he is in ZvP - and is without doubt the best ZvP in the world. After cleaning up Much easier than picking up after your dog, he looks unstoppable.
Sadly, despite Shuttle's tricks and amazing comebacks I don't see him winning this match at all. Jaedong should go an easy 1-0 up.
Ever since Blue Storm went from 1.1 -> 1.2 the balance on this map has flipped something crazy. PvZ, statistically, is balanced; meaning that on Blue Storm 1.2 Protoss have been beating Zerg much more often than Zerg have been beating Protoss. Indeed the ZvP winrate is a dismal 5-12 (29.4%) since the "upgrade". Does this mean that Shuttle stands a chance? Perhaps... There's a very real possibility that his new style will simply decimate and exploit the map to his advantage.
But let's glance at Jaedong once again. Jaedong doesn't like losing. And Jaedong doesn't care what the statistics say. He does what he needs to do to win, and crushes anyone in his way. Despite the imbalance, Jaedong should cruise away with the game quite easily and go up 2-0.
On a map where a Zerg can easily can three bases, harass you like crazy, expand more himself, and abuse your lack of mobility you know you're going to have problems against Jaedong. Othello is not the friendliest PvZ map, with most Zerg's opting for fast mutalisks. And well, Protoss haven't really come to grips with this yet for some bizarre reason. Anyway the key to this map is abusing the lack of mobility the other race has when it comes to defending. Expanding to a fast third base spread out the area that needs defending quite considerably and hence means that defense is difficult.
Jaedong is going to abuse Shuttle like a schoolgirl on a Japanese subway and run away laughing with the win and go up 3-0.
If there was any map in this map pool Jaedong is assured a win on it's colosseum. Jaedong is a sick 4-0 on the map with three of those wins coming against Protoss players. Namely, Bisu, Lucifer and Much. Every single one of those games he's looked untouchable. Shuttle is no where near as good as Bisu in this matchup, and will stand less of a chance than he will.
This is Jaedongs map, and any other result is a travesty. Hence, Jaedong goes up 4-0
After everything I've said I'm sure you can tell my prediction for the final game. That's right, Jaedong. Jaedong is more experienced and hence can better conduct himself if the series gets this far. Obviously it won't, but if it does Jaedong will pounce on Shuttle like he did in the first game. There's really nothing Shuttle can do in my opinion. The best thing for him is to go down swinging with some classy/unorthodox builds.
Jaedong 5-0 Shuttle. There's no way that Jaedong is losing this series quite frankly.
Although the games should be rape, Shuttle has a habit of turning the most impossible situations into miraculous victories. A talent which has got him through to the Semifinals. Should he pull the charm on Jaedong it will be an event that you simply do not want to me. Of course, Tasteless will he ready to go and will take you on a audio/visual experience of a lifetime at 18:00 KST with his humor, wit, knowledge and passion. It's going to be yet another brilliant evening of GOM Classic Starcraft.
Plexa
G.s)Naruto
I hope Shuttle does better than predicted because I made a friendly bet with my friend that he would win. Of course I know Jaedong is currently 2nd in Kespa and the number 1 Zerg in the world but the bet is one sided in my favor. Shuttle HWAITING!!! 
