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GOMTV GSL Ro64 Day 6 - Event Coverage
This was the day we had all been waiting for. Dario, TheLittleOne, enters his booth to set up.
Setting up white balance.
Checking equipment.....
.... and settings.
After I introduce myself to Nazgul and Jinro, I ask how they felt about Dario's soon to be performance against LosirA. "He will win, 100%." Jonathan replies with a smirk. "This is his best match up, and he is fully prepared. He will win" replies Victor. I felt their confidence. Like many followers of TLO, his creativity and skill level have shown us that he is no push over. For many, a win for Dario seemed inevitable, but his opponent isn't a nobody. LosirA was a B-team Broodwar pro, and unlike many BW crossover players, is quite young.
Chillin' out, watching their team mate put on a clinic.
Young, fresh out of BW, LosirA is hungry for a kill
If you watched Friday's games, then you know that LTO was extremely prepared for this match, and debuted some great builds that showcase his ability to leave no stone unturned when searching for an advantage. TLO's fast hellion build required constant and accurate control, but payed off in a unit composition that allowed for speed, good damage output, and a good transition into the late game.
TLO's hunger for Korean BBQ knows no bounds.
To put it short, TLO's build allowed for early harass, superior mobility, and a late game evolution that was matched to his opponents unit composition. Despite this, LosirA was no push over. Even though his army was composed primarily of roaches, LosirA applied continuous pressure that kept TLO on his toes for a majority of the game. "I didn't expect him to be that good. I was surprised" admitted TLO after the match
In many ways game two was much more standard, as TLO decided to evolve into a more marauder / medivac harass build. But, the aspect of this match that was the most remarkable to me as an audience member was something that often gets lost in the intensity of pro Esports: fun and playfulness. I could tell that while TLO was focused on the win, he was really enjoying himself. The moment became apparent was when I saw this:
Never a good thing to see as a zerg player.
TLO, dancing his medivacs all over the zerg base, decides to drop maurauders into the zerg unit ball to snipe banelings! While all of this provides a tactical advantage to TLO, this is definitely flair, which was a treat to see so early in the tournament. TLO was having a blast, and it was great to watch. Needless to say, LosirA was toast.
For possibly the first time in the entire match, TLO gets to close his eyes.
Representing for the weagook community.
The German Terran, always a gentleman.
Next up was the match between CheckPrime and NewWeRRa. Game one was, well, laughable. Let's just say ......
...Dario had no idea what was going on.
Checkprime took 7 of the 12 expansions (compared to NewWeRRa's 3), including both islands using nydus worms. NewWeRRa sat, made stalkers, and lost. While the second game showed NewWeRRa coming out of his turtle shell a bit, CheckPrime merely took advantage of the mobility of speedlings and overlord drops to increase an already 2 base advantage and take game 2. For the most part, a one sided affair.
Couldn't cut the mustard.
Baller.
Next up was oGsHyperDub vs. DosWeRRa. The Team Liquid crew made sure to stay to show support for their oGs housemate.
Making sure HyperDub's skills are up to snuff.
I must have confused him when asking for a pose...
DosWeRRa was all smiles.
DosWeRRa opened with 5gates, 1 robo, and 1 stargate, which was confusing, but ended up being the correct choice. Hyperdub decided to go mass banshee with a small marine support, and the combination of storms, pheonixes, and observers from DosWeRRa was too much to handle.
In game two TLO, Jinro, and Nazgul all agreed that DosWeRRa's choice to send out 3 probes to assure that he enter's Hyperdub's base ASAP was a mistake. While Dos got a very fast 2 gate proxy in his enemy's base, Hyperdub reacted perfectly, building a bunker near his minerals, and sneaking out a reaper to decimate his opponent. Easy win.
Hyperdub must have not been in the mood to draw things out, as he went for the jugular in game three with a 4 rax, 2 reactor, all marine timing push that worked beautifully. A great scan to detect a warping cannon on higher ground prevented any hope for DosWeRRa's defense, and oGs gets another player into Ro32.
super
duper
happy
The studio was quite packed in comparison to the other days, with the bleachers pretty much full. Also, Fans were cheering loud for their favorites, and even brought signs!
TorcH checking out the events on his last day in Korea. We'll miss you!
The crew member with the shoulder mounted camera loves to watch the games in the downtime, and is one of my favorites. And, when he jumps up and rushes to a booth, you know someone is about to win. It adds energy to the climaxes of each round.
Gettin' some downtime.
The final match between eScJung and justfakeWeRRa opened with eSc building 4 gates, a stargate, a council, and a robotics bay. When justfake pushed with an all-in consisting of tanks and marines, eSc's army was too thin and too spread out. Even though he managed to lift 3 tanks, eSc could not defend
A more elegant build order would have helped eSc
Electorlites, good for any sport.
Game two follows the same suit: justfake creates a superior composition and, as Artosis put it, "steamrolls" eSc into oblivion.
weRRa in the spotlight once again.
The only downside of these matches was that TheLittleOne's refreshing style made the games following seem a little dull. That dullness, combined with talking shop with members of team liquid, made the rest of the games seem like a blur. Nevertheless, some great all in strategies were shown, and we are one step closer to the Ro32.
Those lights are hot!
The team in high spirits.