EPTBlizzCon News Thread
WCS Global Finals
Opening Weekend
by TL Writers
It's opening weekend of the biggest event of the year! Though it oddly begins a week earlier than expected, every single competitor will hope to perform to the best of their abilities to make the main stage at BlizzCon next week. The opening round matches are packed with big names and fan favorites, and it's difficult to say for certain just who's going to advance.
There have also been a lot of big news leading to today, so make sure to read all the latest developments:
- GOMeXP and SpoTV to run two Korean leagues next year
- KeSPA has announced changes to Proleague as well as KeSPA Cup
- Blizzard announce changes to WCS 2015
+ Show Spoiler [Updates] +
17:00 GMT (+00:00) - 17:28 GMT (+00:00) - A fuse blew and the stream went down. Oops?
17:30 GMT (+00:00) - Ro16 officially starts! Intro is on.
17:35 GMT (+00:00) - Intro says that MMA is considering retirement
17:37 GMT (+00:00) - Intro ends. Awesome opening.
17:40 GMT (+00:00) - Player/match intro interviews for Bomber and Jaedong
17:42 GMT (+00:00) - Player vetos for Bomber vs Jaedong. Jaedong vetos Nimbus, Bomber Deadwing
17:48 GMT (+00:00) - Bomber vs Jaedong finally starts!
18:50 GMT (+00:00) - Bomber vs Jaedong ends.
18:58 GMT (+00:00) - Winner's interview with Bomber
19:11 GMT (+00:00) - Pre-game intro featuring MMA and Stardust
19:16 GMT (+00:00) - Map vatos for MMA vs Stardust, Stardust vetos Merry Go Round, MMA Overgrowth
19:20 GMT (+00:00) - MMA vs Stardust begins!
20:29 GMT (+00:00) - MMA vs Stardust ends.
20:31 GMT (+00:00) - Winner's interview with MMA.
20:51 GMT (+00:00) - MC vs herO begins!
21:48 GMT (+00:00) - WCS Stream hits 70,000 viewers
21:49 GMT (+00:00) - MC and herO finish the best game of the night so far.
22:12 GMT (+00:00) - MC vs herO concludes.
22:13 GMT (+00:00) - Winner's interview with herO. Redeye gives shoutout to r/leagueoflegends.
22:22 GMT (+00:00) - Pre-game intro featuring Captain America and GSL Champion Classic.
22:28 GMT (+00:00) - Deadwing and Catallena vetod, match begins.
23:25 GMT (+00:00) - Polt has apparently been possessed by the spirit of Bbyong, playing one of the most off-the-wall crazy TvP builds in recent memory.
23:53 GMT (+00:00) - Polt vs Classic - a series that had everything a fan might wish for - concludes.
23:57 GMT (+00:00) - Winner's interview with Classic.
00:06 GMT (+00:00) - Kim Phan talks WCS 2015 and their overarching plan for SC2 eSports.
~00:40 GMT (+00:00) - jjakji vs San begins
01:37 GMT (+00:00) - jjakji vs San concludes, winners' interview with San.
07:00 GMT (+00:00) - The games finally end wtf
Make sure to check this thread for any other updates from WCS Global Finals Opening Weekend. Now, on to the games!
Races Left
4 Terrans 
3 Protoss 
1 ZergPrize Pool
$250,000 Total$100,000 First Prize
Eliminated:
Jaedong jjakjiStardust Zest
MC soO
Polt HyuN
WCS Global Finals Round of 16 Recaps
18:00 GMT (+00:00)
Casters: Artosis and Tasteless
Bomber <Overgrowth> 
JaedongDespite a power outage delaying the stream, both players decided to go for a largely safe start on Overgrowth. Jaedong went for a hatch first with quick pool and gas after, while Bomber went for his usual rax into CC. Yet, Bomber wasn't satisfied playing completely safe - he went for a risky third CC, denying Jaedong's scouting for a crucial minute or two. Jaedong somehow sensed it and attempted to catch Bomber off guard with a +1 armor roach push, but they were scouted by Bomber's agile hellions. As roaches poked and prodded the terran's natural to no success, Jaedong macro behind his pressure. Unfortunately for the EG zerg, Bomber already had medivacs out. With his spire only just started, there was no way for him to deny the drops completely. Two pairs of medivacs tormented Jaedong, first killing 15 drones then stopping ling speed just before it finished. Though the game would last several more minutes, Bomber's tech and eco advantage, coupled with surprisingly deft marine splits, eventually crushed Jaedong in the opening game of the tournament.
BomberJaedongDown a game after what should have been a favorable map, Jaedong looked in trouble heading into King Sejong Station. Though the second game started similarly, Bomber's choice for the map was mech after his quick 3 ccs. Jaedong realized that Bomber might be doing something similar, and he prioritized overlord speed for his scouting. His first foray into Bomber's base revealed the Red Bull Terran's greed and composition, and Jaedong decided he wasn't going to sit idly by. With a big round of roaches the EG zerg attacked, catching Bomber spread too thin as he took the back door expansion instead of the standard third. Bomber managed to hold several waves of the swarm, but even though he was eventually able to get thors and hellbats, the never ending stream of units wore him down under 100 supply. The immobility of mech became a liability due to his expansion pattern, and Jaedong tied the series at 1 apiece.
BomberJaedongIt was only fitting that a map named Merry Go Round featured a brutally chaotic match. Bomber deviated from his pattern in the series so far and chose a hellbat/banshee push, while Jaedong went for the same build and got the scout off. With three hatches and a spore up, Jaedong saw an opportunity. Doing what nobody expected, Jaedong rushed all of his lings towards Bomber's nat, catching the terran off guard and forcing his hand. It seemed like a base trade for a while, yet ultimately Jaedong held off with desperate banes and the power of queens. Managing to hold the third as well, Jaedong left Bomber bruised, beaten and bloodied, on one base yet tied in SCVs. Bomber decided to go for a last ditch drop, which Jaedong countered with another massive bust. Mastering the art of praying and desperation, Jaedong managed to push the drop back with a big drone pull, while Bomber was practically left dead. With one doomed-to-fail push left, Jaedong snatched the win and a lead in the first series of the day.
Bomber <Catallena> JaedongWith his life on the line, Bomber showed just how confident (or desperate?) he was. Realizing that Jaedong was prioritizing quick gas for overlord speed, Bomber 2 raxed in the middle of the map. Jaedong played as he had in the first three games, with drones and gas before pool, and suffered the consequences. The natural was forfeit, and Jaedong was on the ropes. He needed something clever to make a come back, and he attempted something straight from the CatZ playbook. He researched burrow after getting a roach warren, and used burrow micro to break through the contain with minimal losses. Bomber was able to retreat with few losses, and Jaedong expanded behind his pressure. Bomber already had bunkers at home however, forcing Jaedong to tech to a spire. Unfortunately this would prove to be the wrong decision as Bomber's stim was already done. Jaedong did have burrow and desperately placed 4 baneling mines in Bomber's path, but the Red Bull Terran miraculously pre-split his bio and scanned the ramp to reveal more mines. With few banelings left and the terran stimming in his natural, Jaedong had no answers left and gg'd.
Bomber <KTV Foxtrot Labs> JaedongWith the series tied, both players ended up in cross positions on the most atypical map of the season. Neither player elected for any early game shenanigans, but both players did alter their plans slightly. Bomber, famed for his macro and never ending parade pushes, took the gold as his third and prioritized defending it. Jaedong on the other hand delayed his spire in order to amass a large ling baneling force in hopes of overwhelming terran pushes. Jaedong tried his best to ambush and flank, but Bomber could not be caught in a bad position. All of Jaedong's counter attacks were met with resistance, and Bomber's army continued to grow. The lack of mutalisks allowed Bomber's fleet of medivacs to grow, and no amount of baneling traps could stop Bomber's march. One by one, Jaedong's bases, dreams, and hopes fell, leaving the runner up as BlizzCon's first casualty. The #1 seeded player escaped by the skin of his teeth, but it was largely due to a strong showing from Jaedong.
Bomber wins 3-2 and advances to the Ro8!
+ Show Spoiler [Recommended Game Polls] +
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (11)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (7)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (4)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (3)
56 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Bomber vs Jaedong Game 1?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★ - Good game (16)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (8)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (5)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (3)
53 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Bomber vs Jaedong Game 2?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (8)
★★★ - Good game (7)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (5)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
47 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Bomber vs Jaedong Game 3?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (6)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (6)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (4)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
41 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Bomber vs Jaedong Game 4?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (11)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (8)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (7)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (4)
50 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Bomber vs Jaedong Game 5?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
Back to Top
19:30 GMT (+00:00)
Casters: Apollo and Tasteless
StarDust<King Sejong Station MMA Both players opened standard, with MMA going up to three barracks and StarDust opting for blink before robo. But instead of choosing to pressure with the blink, StarDust threw down double forge and a robo bay. Upon scouting the greed, MMA cranked up to five barracks before putting down his third CC. A drop managed to snipe the double forge before 2/2 finished for StarDust, but MMA was unable to deal further economic damage. Consequently, StarDust's deathball of colossi, blink stalker, chargelot traded too efficiently for MMA to keep up without ghosts. By the time he did manage to get ghosts out and take a fourth, StarDust was knocking his front door again. MMA could not hold and MacroDust took the first set.
StarDust <Nimbus>MMAStarDust went for the same blink before robo followed by double forge colossus build, but MMA opted for a hellion marine pressure after his reaper expand. StarDust defended well, however, getting wap prism and dark shrine off the tail end of it. The zealot-dark templar drop killed a good number of SCVs, but MMA's army postured outside of StarDust's main on Nimbus prevented him from taking a third until the 17 minute mark. Despite having 3/3 before MMA's 2/2, StarDust did not have the army count to pressure any further. Knowing that he did not have long before MMA's economy would get out of control, StarDust attacked with 3/3/1 into MMA's maxed out ghost viking bio ball. The protoss deathball evaporated and the ensuing counter dealt critical damage. MacroDust conceded the second game after his last colossus fell.
StarDust <Deadwing> MMACorrectly anticipating the same blink build from StarDust, MMA chose a light widow mine harass into drop harass-focused strategy to keep StarDust contained on two bases until the 13 minute mark. Having established a third much earlier than his opponent and as a result begun triple viking production earlier, MMA pulled his SCVs as soon as StarDust''s third finished, rolling over his opponent with a 50 supply lead.
StarDust <Catallena> MMAMMA opted for a widow mine and marine drop on Catallena, but StarDust wisely shook things up and elected for robo before blink off a single forge. He defended MMA's light drop harass and managed to secure his own third at the same time as the terran, but MMA's clever maneuvering with large medivac drops caught him out of position. StarDust made an about-face in his defense, losing colossus after colossus clumsily to MMA's pressure. Drops continued to rain in on all sides and StarDust, caught transitioning to storm while suffering from horribly inefficient trades, conceded his Blizzcon hopes rather pathetically.
StarDust <KTV Foxtrot Labs> MMAMMA wins 3-1 and advances to the Ro8!
+ Show Spoiler [Recommended Game Polls] +
★★★ - Good game (9)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (4)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (0)
29 total votes
Your vote: Recommend MMA vs StarDust Game 1?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★ - Good game (10)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (2)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (1)
31 total votes
Your vote: Recommend MMA vs StarDust Game 2?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★ - Good game (7)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (2)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (2)
25 total votes
Your vote: Recommend MMA vs StarDust Game 3?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (7)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (3)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (1)
24 total votes
Your vote: Recommend MMA vs StarDust Game 4?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (6)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (3)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (3)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (3)
23 total votes
Your vote: Recommend MMA vs StarDust Game 5?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
Back to Top
21:00 GMT (+00:00)
Casters: Rotterdam and Nathanias
MC <Merry Go Round> herOherO proxied a stargate in between the two possible bases at which MC could have spawned, but the oracle only got a few kills before dying. MC had opted for blink, but followed up with a proxy oracle of his own, which ended up dying without any kills. herO took his natural while getting his own blink and sending in another oracle. MC pressured herO's nexus and killed the mothership core but could not break herO. The oracle got a few more kills for herO, but his overeager move down the ramp into MC's larger army forced an engagement he didn't want to take. With a smaller and more damaged blink stalker count, herO was forced to concede the first game.
MC <King Sejong Station> herOherO opened straight blink, while MC opted for a 1 gate expand into robo. herO pressured the building nexus heavily, damaging it enough to be able to kill it quickly under photon overcharge fire. Recognizing that an immortal was still on the way, herO blinked into MC's main and reduced the gateway unit count so that by the time the immortal came out, he could immediately snipe it. With very few units left and no photon overcharge. MC tapped out.
MC <Overgrowth> herOBoth players started with 3 gate blink into robo then expansion. They continued to mirror each other with a tech up to colossus. However, herO chose to start his +2 attack and take a third while MC made a big 2 base push. He killed herO's third but could not finish the game. herO pushed MC back and retook his third. Going for one final 2 base allin, MC attacked herO at his natural. An extreme colossus shuffle ensued, and by the skin of his teeth herO hung on. Now with a third base and a superior colossus count, herO was able to counter and kill MC at his desperation third base.
MC <Catallena> herOMC chose a 3 gate pressure build, but after losing his proxy pylon probe he pulled back to play macro. herO made 3 oracles throughout the midgame as players teched up and took their thirds, racking up quite a few probe kills. herO pressured at MC's third but MC took a favorable engagement. herO backed off and both players took a fourth. herO postured for another big attack at MC's fourth once he got up to 8 colossi, but MC once again took the better fight and caught all of herO's colossi retreating while maintaining 3 of his own. herO's army was too weak to recover, and MC's push at his fourth ended the game.
MC <Deadwing> herOMC proxied a dark shrine and followed up with 4gate blink. herO went for expand into oracle, managing to squeeze out a second oracle in time to defend the dark templar. The first oracle went to MC's base and killed quite a few probes and forced a recall, so herO's natural was still alive. Capitalizing on his economic lead, herO threw down a robo and stockpiled, buying time with photon overcharge. MC continued to prod but herO's defense was too strong, and with the other oracle killing more probes, MC desperately through his meager blink stalker force at herO's 3 immortals, but to no avail.
herO wins 3-2 and advances to the Ro8!
+ Show Spoiler [Recommended Game Polls] +
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (5)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (2)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (2)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (2)
26 total votes
Your vote: Recommend herO vs MC Game 1?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★★ - Good game (3)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (1)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (1)
22 total votes
Your vote: Recommend herO vs MC Game 2?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (13)
★★★ - Good game (5)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (1)
53 total votes
Your vote: Recommend herO vs MC Game 3?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (20)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (2)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (1)
★★★ - Good game (1)
85 total votes
Your vote: Recommend herO vs MC Game 4?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (12)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (6)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (1)
38 total votes
Your vote: Recommend herO vs MC Game 5?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
Back to Top
22:30 GMT (+00:00)
Casters: Rotterdam and Nathanias
Polt <King Sejong Station> ClassicGame 1 on King Sejong Station opened very passively with both players showing great respect for one another. Then, in traditional Polt fashion, he orchestrated a multi-pronged attack at Classic's natural and third, taking down multiple colossi. Classic responded with a counterattack which Polt held comfortably, prompting both players to take a fourth. While Classic made great use of his warp prism, Polt responded well with drops of his own but neither player could crack the other. As Classic wiped out Polt's fourth and fifth, Polt's doom drop did massive damage in the Protoss main, forcing Classic to retreat and leave his fourth wide open. Polt snipes the nexus and the game evens out once again. However, Polt would proceed to lose the main battle mid-map as he was overwhelmed by colossi, archons, and templars. This decisive defeat forced Captain America to tap out.
Polt <Nimbus> ClassicAfter a back-and-forth game 1, Classic opened up game 2 with an off-the-wall crazy colossus drop on Nimbus. As Polt's army was across the map, the colossus and zealots dealt nearly critical damage to Polt's natural, killing off multiple scvs. Having accomplished nothing to compensate, Polt was forced to retreat with his forces in order to clean up the threat in his natural. However, Polt fell too far behind and was powerless to stop the follow-up push. Smelling blood, the SKT Protoss marched across the map with a stalker/colossus army and easily sealed the game.
Polt <KTV Foxtrot Labs> ClassicDown 0-2 in this Bo5, Polt needed to start one of his classic comebacks on Foxtrot Labs. Meanwhile, Classic shook up his opening once more with an oracle into phoenixes. This left the Protoss with a small ground army, which Polt quickly mowed down with his bio ball, taking nearly 20 probes with him. Is response, Classic launches a counterattack, but is deflected after a drawn out battle in Polts natural. This prompted Classic to take the gold base to get back in the game, and after trades all over the map and a widow mine that took out 4 archons, Polt eventually overran Classic's shield-based army.
Polt <Overgrowth> ClassicPolt opens up with a CC first again, with Classic going gate into nexus. A Scan from Polt reveals the natural of Classic, showing a robo facility and the nexus. Polt starts up blue flame and adds factories, opting to play a biomech style. Classic responds to this by taking another early third. The early infrastructure from Polt gives him a massive army at the 12 minute mark, as he pushes out with it. Classic decides it's time to take the fight, intercepting Polt before Polt can take position in between Classic's bases. The gigantic biomech army from Polt is enough to win the initial fight, and Polt pushes into Classic's third base, taking it out. Polt endlessly rallies his biomech army into Classic, and in a last ditch effort to salvage the game, Classic pulls probes but it isn't enough to hold the unorthodox composition from Polt, and GG's.
Polt <Merry Go Round> ClassicHaving dropped the first two games, Polt showed great tenacity and composure to claw his way to a final game on Merry Go Round. Just like in game 3, Classic opened with the same oracle into phoenix build. Somehow, Polt managed to sneak four medivacs into the Protoss main, but Classic held well to stay in the game. As the CM Storm Terran was wandering mid-map, a storm drop devastated the main and natural mineral line. While Polt was distracted with that, Classic killed half of his opponent's bio force. Seeing this small window, the SKT Protoss pushed across the map and slowly whittled down the Terran with mass zealots and great storms. Captain America fought valiantly but just couldn't land the right EMPs and once again lost the final engagement. Polt nearly pulled off yet another miraculous comeback, but in the end, it was the GSL S2 champ who would advance on to the quarterfinals.
Classic wins 3-2 and advances to the Ro8!
+ Show Spoiler [Recommended Game Polls] +
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (13)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★★ - Good game (2)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (1)
49 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Classic vs Polt Game 1?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (21)
★★★ - Good game (4)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (2)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (1)
59 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Classic vs Polt Game 2?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (7)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (3)
★★★ - Good game (2)
50 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Classic vs Polt Game 3?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (14)
★★★ - Good game (5)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (2)
116 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Classic vs Polt Game 4?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★ - Good game (12)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (9)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (3)
57 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Classic vs Polt Game 5?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
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00:00 GMT (+00:00)
Casters: Rotterdam and Nathanias
San <KTV Foxtrot Labs> jjakjiAfter a lengthy delay, both players began the series with relatively normal openings. While jjakji opted for an unassuming reaper expand, San sought to surprise his opponent with a proxy stargate. Despite being scouted before the stargate even finished, San’s oracle still took out all of jjakji’s marines and a few SCVs to boot. From there San gradually assembled all the pieces for a hard contain. Using a few sentries, a quick gold base, and oracles for revelation, San fenced jjakji inside his base for 14 minutes. The terran desperately tried to break the contain with a 4 medivac drop, but San’s angle of engagement and reinforcements proved too much.
San <Catallena> jjakjijjakji looked undeterred by his loss as he swiftly decided to go CC first. Luckily San was more interested in getting his tech online, rushing for a 6:30 robo bay. However, the protoss had taken a page out of Classic’s book by choosing a colossus drop. Catching the terran off guard inside his base, it caused havoc and forced jjakji into an ill-advised counterattack. San followed it up with a dedicated 2 base colossus push a la Squirtle. jjakji didn’t have enough vikings to hold the attack and tapped out.
San <King Sejong Station> jjakjiThis time the mYinsanity star went on the offensive, throwing down a proxy engineering bay at San's natural after starting his own CC. He also took care to guard his flank, successfully holding off San's proxy oracle without trouble. The game settled into a series of pokes and prods. Besides a disastrous drop attempt at San's main, neither player tried to force an opening until both were maxed. jjakji's sharking around the protoss' third and fourth was initially frightening but produced measly results, merely showing off some effective usage of nukes; meanwhile, San accumulated an immense bank behind his army. Slowly over time the small skirmishes turned into highly efficient trades for the protoss, and jjakji soon found himself broke against an opponent with 8000 minerals and 6000 gas. Unable to take cost-efficient fights, jjakji soon bled out and conceded the series to San.
San <Deadwing> jjakjiSan <Merry Go Round> jjakjiSan wins 3-0 and advances to the Ro8!
+ Show Spoiler [Recommended Game Polls] +
★★★ - Good game (7)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (6)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (6)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (5)
38 total votes
Your vote: Recommend San vs jjakji Game 1?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★ - Good game (7)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (7)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (2)
27 total votes
Your vote: Recommend San vs jjakji Game 2?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★ - Good game (9)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (8)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (6)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (6)
39 total votes
Your vote: Recommend San vs jjakji Game 3?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
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01:30 GMT (+00:00)
Zest <King Sejong Station> LifeIt’s a quiet beginning, both players opening with expansion first builds. Zest took an approach similar to his last series against Life, opting for stargate into phoenixes. Off his 3 hatch before pool build Life powered up for a massive roach/corruptor push, moving out to strike before Zest could finish his second colossus. Zest admirably deflected the the first few waves but a large zergling swell snuck its way into the main, allowing Life to kill the third. With 4 bases and a tech switch into mutas, Life managed to hold off Zest’s strong counterattack.
Zest <Overgrowth> LifeGreed prevailed once again in Game 2. Life opened with the same build for a second time, Zest mirroring him with a fast expand. This time Zest elected for a forge into +1 attack, hoping to hit the zerg with a powerful 8 gate timing attack as soon as his third finished. Unfortunately Life anticipated this move. As soon as he saw the third, Life produced 36 zerglings to synchronize with the completion of zergling speed. The huge swarm of units overwhelmed Zest, who panicked and recall his small army into the waiting arms of Life’s army. After destroying all the sentries he went up to the main to chew on some probes. From there Life just kept up the pressure with roach/ling production, securing the win when Burrow finished.
Zest <Nimbus> LifeDepending on your point of view, this is one of the best or one of the worst games of the year. All you have to know is that 50+ tempests died, almost every base was mined out by the end, and Zest became so desperate for gas he tried to long-distance mine it next to Life's army.
Zest <Merry Go Round> LifePerhaps suspecting Life would try to exploit Zest’s fatigue from the last game, Zest opened gateway first for safety. This proved fruitless against Life’s 3 hatch build and it seemed that he would get the economic advantage again. However, Zest brilliantly deviated from his standard play with a proxy dark shrine. This gambit completed caught Life off guard, killing his third and parrying the roach/ling counterattack. Soon the game devolved into a strange 2 base vs 2 base battle: Zest committed hard to a 2 base blink stalker attack, but could not break Life’s newly made hydralisks. After killing the majority of Zest’s army the zerg saw his chance and all-ined with his seemingly superior hydra/ling army. This superiority was only an illusion though. Zest slowly whittled down Life’s force with good positioning and splits, finally eliminating it with a full-on assault backed by probes.
Zest <Catallena> LifeThe climatic finale demanded strangeness, and it certainly delivered. Opening forge first, Zest decided to go for broke upon seeing a drone leaving to make the third. He walled off the tiny corner in front of the zerg’s natural and started a cannon rush, one that should’ve worked considering the map and the late pool. Yet the KT protoss’s micro slipped up when he needed it most, letting both his probes die before they could make the second cannon. That error effectively cost him the game. Behind in tech with 10 less workers, Zest was helpless to affect Life besides some feints with a flock of phoenixes. Unlike Nimbus Life did not squander his lead by waiting until the lategame. He amassed a considerable force of speedling/hydralisk and punched his way through Zest’s wall-in, knocking out the Blizzcon favorite.
Life wins 3-2 and advances to the Ro8!
+ Show Spoiler [Recommended Game Polls] +
★★★ - Good game (5)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (2)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (2)
34 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Life vs Zest Game 1?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★ - Good game (8)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (5)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (5)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (5)
37 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Life vs Zest Game 2?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (19)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (10)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (6)
★★★ - Good game (2)
88 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Life vs Zest Game 3?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (19)
★★★ - Good game (3)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (2)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (1)
57 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Life vs Zest Game 4?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (8)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (8)
★★★ - Good game (4)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (3)
45 total votes
Your vote: Recommend Life vs Zest Game 5?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
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03:00 GMT (+00:00)
Casters: Apollo and Artosis
soOTaeJaTaeja opened boldly with a proxy 11/11. With a 15 pool 15 hatch, soO had the initial upper hand in build orders but made some cursory mistakes in defending it. He lost a handful of lings, 2 queens, and an overlord before forcing the terran to retreat. Going into the midgame, soO tried to overwhelm Taeja with a ling/bane bust but failed to punish the 3 CC followup. This left soO behind in upgrades and army, typically a death sentence in TvZ. Incredibly soO managed to hold off Taeja's attacks for the next 15 minutes, utilizing top-notch macro and army positioning to smash every fight. Yet despite winning several battles and ravishing Taeja's third, he could not get into the production or snowball off a won fight. After a long time soO finally made the critical error, losing most of his banelings on a thor. Taeja seized this opportunity to snipe soO's fifth. From there soO could do nothing to stop Taeja's gold base and was gradually worn down into defeat.
soO <King Sejong Station> TaeJaIn game 2, soO was able to play his game completely unmolested in the early game. Because of that he was able to take a large economic lead, into the mid game. It then became a game of cat and mouse as Taeja tried to poke and prod at the fringes trying to get soO to over commit to an attack. soO did, but his economic lead was too large and he was able to trade. Taeja kept trying to fight back and extended the game with great defense and drops, but soO was able to finally close it with infestor ultra ling bane muta.
soOTaeJaWith the series tied after two incredible games, Nimbus once again proved to be the map of the evening. With both players appearing well matched, neither player could find a way to to deal damage in the early game. soO's macro had proven close to unstoppable in games 1 and 2, and the lack of harassment by Taeja heading into the mid game suggested that soO was going to overwhelm him once again. soO even had the leeway to get an early infestation pit for hive and 3/3, keeping up with the terran upgrades. They would take the entire map and trade blows for the next 20 minutes. It seemed like soO was going to win when his bank reached 8k/2k, but some incredible fights from Taeja drew things even as soO desperately remaxed on ultras repeatedly while neglecting support. Taeja intelligently adjusted his composition to soO's every army, and he eventually broke the zerg's back 38 minutes into the game. One of the best games of the evening.
soOTaeJaAfter a decisive blow in the last game, soO took a page from Zest and attempted something sneaky to bring things back. He took gas before pool on one base while Taeja built a CC first on the low ground, and it looked like the Liquid Terran was doomed. It was a situation that was all but winnable, but Taeja was ready. Realizing the all in was coming, Taeja desperately walled in his main with all of his buildings. Even with a reactor building just as the bust began, Taeja somehow, someway held the all in with remarkable ease. Too many banelings were spent on buildings with few left to wreck the economy, and soO was in trouble. He built a roach warren at home for one final attack, but Taeja spotted it with his hellions. The roaches knocked on the terran front door but there was a barbeque in the zerg main. The roaches died, and there would be no second place for the soOlver surfer.
soO <Deadwing> TaeJaTaeja wins 3-1 and advances to the Ro8!
+ Show Spoiler [Recommended Game Polls] +
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (17)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★★ - Good game (3)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (1)
93 total votes
Your vote: Recommend TaeJa vs soO Game 1?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (19)
★★★ - Good game (4)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (2)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (2)
49 total votes
Your vote: Recommend TaeJa vs soO Game 2?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (8)
★★★ - Good game (4)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (4)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (2)
218 total votes
Your vote: Recommend TaeJa vs soO Game 3?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (12)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (10)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (10)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (2)
46 total votes
Your vote: Recommend TaeJa vs soO Game 4?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
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INnoVation vs HyuN
04:30 GMT (+00:00)
Casters: Apollo and Artosis
INnoVationHyuN12 hours into the Ro16, the last match of the evening finally began on King Sejong Station. While Apollo and Artosis expected INnoVation to employ conservative builds and HyuN to play aggressively, both players proved the casters wrong. INnoVation opened CC first while HyuN built his pool 2 drones early before his hatch. This enabled HyuN to pressure with some lings to little effect. The game normalized, but INnoVation was the one who wanted to play with initiative. He refrained from building a third CC and built more raxes instead for a big 1/1 push. HyuN was able to scout it though, and spent all of his larvae on units. The ROCCAT zerg was able to hold on until his mutas arrived, and he constantly denied the terran push until INnoVation had nothing left in his 2base tank.
INnoVation <KTV Foxtrot Labs> HyuNGame 1 surprised many with the reversal of roles, and HyuN once again tried to play a more macro oriented, roachless style on Foxtrot. INnoVation on the other hand reverted to his standard 4M push style, but an early game trade ended up giving him the lead. His reaper hellion opening roasted 12 drones just as HyuN's roach warren was finishing. Though he would lose 5 SCVs to a runby, the trae was favorable to the SKT Terran. With queens dead and drones down, HyuN was on the backfoot while INnoVation powered to three bases and his ideal composition. The lack of creep spread heading into the mid and late game proved disastrous as he could never take a favorable engagement, and INnoVation overwhelmed him with his parade.
INnoVation <Nimbus> HyuNAfter two long macro games, HyuN finally threw in an all-in into the mix. After holding off INnoVation's reaper-hellion pressure, HyuN finished his roach warren and baneling nest for a big roach bane attack. Though INnoVation attempted to wall off the ramp with all his buildings, the banelings just detonated everything. It looked like the SKT Terran was dead, but some poor macro from HyuN—often floating over 1000 minerals during his attacks—allowed him to survive. HyuN followed up with even more attacks, this time speed lings and banes, but INnoVation once again held against the swarm. 15 minutes of non stop attacks taxed HyuN's macro while INnoVation's medivac fleet grew, and the all-in sputtered 25 minutes into the game. With no tech, no spire, and no more bases, HyuN was forced to quit after coming so close from taking the lead.
INnoVation <Merry Go Round> HyuNThe last game was such a deflating loss for HyuN, as it appeared that all of his tricks could not kill off INnoVation. The game began normally once again with HyuN's quick expansion and a reaper expand from INnoVation, following up with another reaper hellion pressure. This time however the SKT Terran added 2 banshees, and it caught HyuN by surprise. Though it would not net many drone kills, it did kill a queen and give him an opening to harass the third. HyuN was able to clean it up, but INnoVation was not done yet. His follow up of marines, hellions and medivacs proved too much as a one sided fight in the terrans favor shattered the zerg defense. Unable to rally enough units to clean it up, HyuN was forced to concede and INnoVation was through to the main event.
INnoVation <Catallena> HyuNINnoVation wins 3-1 and advances to the Ro8!
+ Show Spoiler [Recommended Game Polls] +
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (4)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (3)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (1)
22 total votes
Your vote: Recommend HyuN vs INnoVation Game 1?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (2)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (2)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (1)
17 total votes
Your vote: Recommend HyuN vs INnoVation Game 2?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (5)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (5)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (4)
★★★ - Good game (3)
33 total votes
Your vote: Recommend HyuN vs INnoVation Game 3?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★★★ - Good game (5)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (4)
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (1)
20 total votes
Your vote: Recommend HyuN vs INnoVation Game 4?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
★ - Do not see this game no matter what (3)
★★★★ - Highly recommended game (2)
★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do (1)
★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year (1)
13 total votes
Your vote: Recommend HyuN vs INnoVation Game 5?
(Vote): ★ - Do not see this game no matter what
(Vote): ★★ - Not recommended unless you have nothing better to do
(Vote): ★★★ - Good game
(Vote): ★★★★ - Highly recommended game
(Vote): ★★★★★ - One of the best games of the year
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That'd be wayyy too big of a change
