After our Best Games of January/February article was so well received, we've decided to continue with a March edition. We've selected a handful of the games for a special spotlight, and there's an even longer list of great games from March at the bottom of this post (or just click this link).
If you want to see the list of every great game since HotS was released, go and check out the Best Games/VODs of HoTS thread if you haven't already.
Note: Some of these games aren't so great as they are hilarious.
There is only one real shared experience between progamers and bronzies that play Zerg, and that's getting your natural getting cannon rushed by some dirty Protoss. Even after 3-years of practice, progamers are still getting sucker punched in big games. But if you had to choose a player to shamelessly cheese, why would you pick Starbuck?
A true mad scientist, Starbuck has a reputation for thinking of absurd strategies and making them work. In one of his games in the Ro32 against MMA, he proxied an infestation pit for surprise infested terrans, and it worked. Getting in an out of crazy situations is just what Starbuck does, and based on this game, he's probably mastered the art of beating cannon rushes. After getting locked in his base, he decided that there was only one path to victory: swarm hosts through an in base nydus. It's something that sounds like bronze-logic at first, yet ends up being so-crazy-it-acually-kinda-works.
We should start calling these "teabagging his natural"
While The Great Book of Protoss Bullshit has some of the best Protoss strategies known to man, it forgot to include one of the most basic and most revered strategies in PvP, the unscouted proxy 2gate. You'd think that early probe scouting would be normal in PvP, but instead we end up seeing players gambling $100,000 on the assumption of "nah, he won't proxy."
Even teammates aren't exempt from this dastardly tactic. Not even attempting to hide his balls, Classic built his gateways right in the middle of PartinG's natural. Classic seemed assured a victory after PartinG failed to scout, but he couldn't have expected what actually happened. Displaying some of the best decision making and micro we've ever seen in early game PvP, PartinG found a way to turn the situation around and somehow come out with a victory.
Look, we're going to ask you to trust us on this one. This is an hour-long mech vs. swarm host game. And it's actually really, really good.
Yes, Soulkey and Reality have caused irreparable damage to the reputation of mech vs. swarm hosts. However, it doesn't mean that it can't lead to great games in the hands of other players. DRG vs Flash was excellent. So was HyuN vs jjakji. We're going to go out on a limb here and say that this game, jjakji vs Revival from IEM, was even better. So please, give it a chance.
Last month, we featured a memorable game between SuperNova and Stats that involved an atypical carrier transition to beat mech. It seemed like a one off strategy that relied heavily on your opponent not having many units that shoot up, and despite it being awesome, much of its hype involved the appearance of carriers than actual gameplay. It was unicorn sighting and SuperNoVa got gored while he was rubbing his eyes in disbelief. After that, everything went back to normal.
We like to imagine that sOs saw the game and told himself, "Stats has the best carrier build? Oh hell no," while performing wheelies on his computer chair made of 20 dollar bills. Meeting jjakji in the second round of IEM WC, sOs would pull out the most normal and most sensible carrier build we had ever seen on Alterzim Stronghold. sOs opened with an oracle and followed it up with phoenixes, using their mobility to keep jjakji on his side of the map similar to mutas. After taking 3 quick bases and a ninja fourth, sOs warped in a fleet beacon, and there was no way anyone thought that was for phoenix range. sOs went on to slowly amass an army of carriers, colossus, archons and templar, redefining what it means to "get Protossed."
I think the list is great, though there is one serious omission: WCS Europe Group F Ro32 Grubby vs Kas. Perhaps not the highest profile players, but they played the craziest series I have ever seen. All three games were absolutely insane and showed some real skill from both players even though Grubby would come out on top, nail biter after nail biter.
On April 10 2014 02:24 Hood. wrote: I think the list is great, though there is one serious omission: WCS Europe Group F Ro32 Grubby vs Kas. Perhaps not the highest profile players, but they played the craziest series I have ever seen. All three games were absolutely insane and showed some real skill from both players even though Grubby would come out on top, nail biter after nail biter.
AHA so I'm not the only one who thought that the ESL map veto guy had something going on. Yeah, fuck yeah. FUCK YEAH for the banner. I fucking love the ESL map veto guy.
jjakji vs revival was just insane.. Very good example of why TvZ is such an exciting matchup. Probably one of the most high-level games I've ever seen. Losing your muta flock a couple of times doesn't hurt too much in the short run but in the long run, you end up wishing you didn't have to waste gas on replenishing that flock.
If anyone could watch the GSL Code S Ro16 match between Maru and Dear. Do a drinking game to everytime when tasteless says ''Nice'' . Thank me later, Drunk and a great game watched :D
I concur with the previous posts regarding Grubby vs Kas. I missed the series when it was originally played, but watched it now and was quite impressed. I guess it's hard to pick one of the games as a stand-out fit for this list, but... wow.
First post here, finally got a reason to create an account: telling you that if you haven't already seen game four in the hyun vs hero series you really need to. Best game in quite some time, great series all in all! Ok, that doesn't really do it justice, it's really the most exciting game I think I have ever seen, even counting numerous bw bouts.
On April 15 2014 07:40 Zionare wrote: First post here, finally got a reason to create an account: telling you that if you haven't already seen game four in the hyun vs hero series you really need to. Best game in quite some time, great series all in all! Ok, that doesn't really do it justice, it's really the most exciting game I think I have ever seen, even counting numerous bw bouts.
Welcome!
Now, I would like to get the link to this game that made you create an account.
On April 15 2014 07:40 Zionare wrote: First post here, finally got a reason to create an account: telling you that if you haven't already seen game four in the hyun vs hero series you really need to. Best game in quite some time, great series all in all! Ok, that doesn't really do it justice, it's really the most exciting game I think I have ever seen, even counting numerous bw bouts.
Welcome!
Now, I would like to get the link to this game that made you create an account.
EPT
NightEnD vs 
Starbuck on DF Yeonsu - VOD![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/sbucknightend.jpg)
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/partingclassic.jpg)
jjakji on Crux Heavy Rain - VOD![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/jjakjirevival.jpg)
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/jjakjisos.jpg)
