The Highest Protoss Order


Volatile - no more

Throughout SCII's history, there has always been discussion, complaints even, about the volatility of the game. Build orders played too big of a role, inferior players could take games and even series off their betters through cheeses and all-ins - those are some of many beaten-to-death arguments. All that seems to have improved in Legacy of the Void. The better players generally seem to win more often. That trend is exemplified by results in Korea's individual leagues. Dark, Solar, Zest, Stats, TY and Dear are names that have been in contention for the ever elusive title of "best player in the world" for a while now. Dark, Stats and Solar went on to form the top 3 of Starleague Season 1. TY has already advanced to the GSL finals where he awaits the winner of this semifinal - (P)Zest or (P)Dear. The top players have all justified their reputation through high placements and strong results, a fact perhaps indicative of decreasing volatility in the game.

Volatile - more than ever

All that matters very little in PvP however. While WoL and HotS played fairly similarly through large portions of the game, PvP in Legacy is something completely new. Blizzard's goal was to eliminate deathballs by toning down the colossus. That gambit has somewhat paid off, as PvP is now dictated by more flashy armies, but make no mistake: it still revolves around deathballs. What has changed however is that disruptor usage has made engaging in fights even more difficult than ever before. A game can swing back and forth through single disruptor hits, making strategic advantages very difficult to capitalize on past a certain point. The power of disruptors in PvP by design leads to a more volatile matchup.

It's only logical then that a lot of players will try to cut that part of the game out entirely or work up an advantage so large that they can starve out their opponent rather than fighting them head on. This is where the matchup becomes even more unpredictable. A lot of players will try to take a risk early to adjust and gather that advantage. Whether it be through mothership core scouting, aggressive pylon overcharge rushes or greedy passive openings, players are generally looking to get ahead early in PvP. All these options come with a risk however and can backfire spectacularly.

Protoss Ideals

I bring all of this up because it is precisely why this match is incredibly hard to call. (P)Zest and (P)Dear are undoubtedly two of the best players in the world, and they each represent one of these aspects of Protoss play very strongly.

Zest is perhaps the most refined player in the world. He will use only the best builds, he will use them only if they are refined to perfection and he will execute them with no hiccups. That is who he is, a smith of finesse and detail. He is always aware of every possible scenario and his builds are all flexible enough to let him respond to any and all of them.

Dear, while no fool himself, cannot compete with him in that aspect. No Protoss, perhaps no other player can. But Dear excels in other aspects of the game where he can outdo Zest. Across a number of matches - especially in (but not limited to) PvP - he has displayed fantastic mechanics and control. It showed in their Proleague meeting earlier this year. Zest worked himself into a great position with a brilliant early game build, timing out a stalker/observer hit squad perfectly to snipe Dear's observer and follow up with DTs. Dear however adjusted well and, through superior control, was able to swing the game back in his favor and eventually win it. That game perhaps serves as the perfect example of what to expect from this series - and why it's so difficult to call.

Prediction:

To me this series is as 50/50 as it gets. Both players come off a loss in their last PvP, despite both being good at the matchup. The two's strengths lie in different aspects of the game. I expect Zest to stamp his mark on as many games as possible and take control that way. I consider his game management second to none, which means he won't be afraid to play out macro games. That however is where he enters Dear's comfort zone of fantastic engagement control and decisiveness.
In other words: I expect a fight to the teeth. I expect both players to be able to play to their strengths. I expect a fantastic series between the two best Protoss players in the world.

Zest 4 - 3 Dear