The 2017 season of Starcraft II has got off to a great start over the past five days. We’ve had upsets and stomps; epic macro showdowns and dirty cheeses. IEM Gyeonggi has arguably been the best weekend tournament of the 2016 calendar year, so especially after INnoVation and Stats’ enjoyable 2-1 Bo3 in the opening group stages, we settled in to watch them battle it out over a Bo7. What we got was not quite what we’d expected.
INnoVation battered Stats from start to finish. On asking stuchiu for a quick recap of the games, he said:
Stats got punched in the face 4 times there is your recap.
I was tempted to do just that, but after feeling a bit guilty, I started to watch the games to write this up.
We started out on Vaani, the bread and butter of macro TvP back in the day. As we learnt in 2015, widow mine drops are incredibly effective given the amount of dead space surrounding the main and the backdoor natural. Stats opted for a phoenix-adept composition to combat this, but could do little about INnoVation’s early double medivac push. Third nexus cancelled; widow mines scattered in the main mineral line; liberator shelling the natural. Down on bases, down on tech, and down on economy, Stats was already significantly behind. By the time the terran started his death push, Stats had managed to push out three colossi, but with his huge viking count and upgrade lead, INnoVation easily crushed through his opponent to take the lead.
Stats tried to force the tempo in game 2 on Habitation Station, proxying an oracle at INnoVation’s gold while pylon rushing the natural. Perfect timing from the terran though saw a turret pop up just in time, and Stats’ aggression found no damage at all. INnoVation’s constant harassment through drops and liberators kept Stats pinned on two bases with no scouting information at all, before almost lazily rolling through the protoss army with a 50 supply lead.
It was already clear that Stats was playing at a level far below his usual, crisp executions that we’ve seen so far this week, and if any one game demonstrated that fully, it’s game 3. On Whirlwind, Stats went for a variant of the WoL homage he debuted against Maru earlier in the quarterfinals, following up another proxy oracle with a void ray bust. In a combination of great terran defensive micro and botched protoss control, Stats failed. We’ve heard rumours that Genius is planning to come out of retirement for GSL next year; perhaps he can show us all again how it’s really done?
Interestingly, we’ve had two SC2 finals featuring a 3-0 start from INnoVation in the past; the obvious example being his inexplicable 3-4 reverse sweep to SoulKey in the GSL, but another being his 4-0 over sOs just days later in the WCS Season Finals. Looking at how Stats was playing though, only the most die hard of fans were still envisioning a repeat of the former example, and so it came to pass. Despite his moniker, INnoVation’s never been known to deviate from the norm all that often, so it was a surprise to see him opt for a new marine / cyclone proxy on Echo—a build he’s admitted to making up just this weekend—to round off the series.
We’ll see INnoVation again at the IEM World Championships at Katowice later in 2017, but for now, he reigns supreme in Gyeonggi.
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
Neeb vs Trap was never this one sided, game 4 was hype as fuck.
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
I feel like the last Proleague final topped anything that happened for the last few years.
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
I feel like the last Proleague final topped anything that happened for the last few years.
Solar vs soO was the worst one I've seen; the invincibility of his run through the tournament combined with the inevitability of the utter shitfest he served up in his best matchup. Pretty fucking painful to watch
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
I feel like the last Proleague final topped anything that happened for the last few years.
Byun vs sOs had the most hilarious game 1. At least sOs vs MarineKing was notably for him losing to a basic poke twice.
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
I feel like the last Proleague final topped anything that happened for the last few years.
Solar vs soO was the worst one I've seen; the invincibility of his run through the tournament combined with the inevitability of the utter shitfest he served up in his best matchup. Pretty fucking painful to watch
To me the Proleague finals have this added burden now that Proleague is discontinued. That total shitshow was the last thing we ever saw of Proleague.
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
soO vs INnoVation were actually pretty good, both series.
Also, Robogus seems to be back to that level where he roflstomped soO
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
I feel like the last Proleague final topped anything that happened for the last few years.
That was terrible. Like really terrible. The only half decent game was Jjakji vs sOs because sOs didn't finish it swiftly. And it was the last proleague final.
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
I feel like the last Proleague final topped anything that happened for the last few years.
That was terrible. Like really terrible. The only half decent game was Jjakji vs sOs because sOs didn't finish it swiftly. And it was the last proleague final.
A bop, awful cheese, a bunch of throws/attempted throws, and one of the worst cannon rushes of all time.
I mean, I will never forget this match, but it's for all the wrong reasons.
Was quite disappointed, especially after traveling three hours to get to the stadium.
Nothing tops the Proleague Grand Finals though, that one made me really angry. Made infinitely worse by the ominous ending video and the casters tearing up during the closing comments - I realized right then that Proleague was gonna end, what a nightmare.
Just woke up, haven't seen the games, but I can't say I'm surprised by the result, game 2 and 3 in there group stage match showed very little hope for Stats.
INno finally winning in 2016, that's great, glad he stopped slacking and playing LoL, time to grab that GOAT title in 2017!
On December 18 2016 17:51 ThreeActPlay wrote: most anticlimactic ending to an event since inca/nestea
Proleague Finals 2016 Neeb vs Trap KeSPA Cup 2016 ByuN vs sOs GSL S2 2016 INno vs soO IEM Gamescom 2015 sOs vs MarineKing Hot6ix 2014 (as funny as it was) Solar vs soO DH Stockholm 2014 INno vs soO GSL S3 2014 herO vs sOs IEM Katowice 2014 sOs vs Jaedong BlizzCon 2013 Mvp vs MKP GSL S1 2011
These are just off the top of my head, SC2 is famous for having garbage finals
EPT
INnoVation battered 
Stats from start to finish. On asking stuchiu for a quick recap of the games, he said:
