Best Games of November 2018

Compiled and written by Ej, Elentos, and Durn

Best Games of the Month is back! Competitive StarCraft II never sleeps, not even after the Global Finals. Whether it was BlizzCon, HomeStory Cup, or a variety of online tournaments, there were plenty of great games worth sharing in November.

Rogue vs TY on Lost and Found - VOD
2018 WCS Global Finals - Ro8

While the 2018 Global Finals was a momentous event in the history of StarCraft II, it came up conspicuously short in a certain area. You know, that thing that generations of Korean pro-gamers have promised to show us if we cheer for them. "Good games" were few and far in between at BlizzCon, but there were still a handful of must-watch matches.

In a rematch from BlizzCon 2017, TY and Rogue decide to kick it up a notch in game four of their semifinal clash. An initial proxy by TY was only used to disguise a very greedy 3 CC build, and he snowballed his lead considerably by taking out Rogue's fourth base. Even a novice could have told you that Rogue was as good as dead, with the rest of the game being merely a prolonged death animation. However, the 2017 BlizzCon champion was no ordinary player, and he busted out an unusual muta-ling-bane combo to try and force an unlikely comeback...

Serral vs TaeJa on Blueshift - VOD
HomeStory Cup 18 - Playoffs (upper bracket)

TaeJa vs Serral is a match few expected to ever see in the 2018 Best Games list. First off, it was doubtful that TaeJa would even come back to StarCraft II at all after finishing his two-year military service. After all, playing the game had caused him severe wrist issues over the years. And even if TaeJa returned, it seemed obvious that he'd need a considerable amount of practice before he could challenge championship-caliber players.

Of course, TaeJa ended up proving once more that conventional wisdom does not apply to him. In his return to live tournament play, he cut a swathe through the competition and earned a best-of-five match vs the reigning Global Champion. While TaeJa was clearly rusty from his stint in the military, he still managed to show us a glimpse of his peak form in one spectacular game on Blueshift.

INnoVation vs Serral on Lost and Found - VOD
HomeStory Cup 18 - Grand Finals

It's safe to say that 2018 was a bit of an off year for INnoVation. While he was the best player in the world for the majority of 2017, this year has been a struggle. His domestic results can be described as mediocre at best for a player of his résumé. His run at the IEM World Championship in Katowice was a colossal failure. But NationWars and HomeStory Cup? That's where he shined.

Still, even going into HSC18 as the reigning champion, INnoVation was far removed from his status as THE progaming machine. This particular game, however, against the best Zerg in the world on Lost and Found, INnoVation decided it was time to once again live up to the moniker. Great speed, impeccable macro, they couldn't be entirely gone—he'd made a career out of those after all. And thus unfolded a wonderful game between two true macro engines.

Rogue vs INnoVation on Port Aleksander - VOD
2018 WESG Korean Qualifier #2 - Finals

WESG might not have the history or prestige of other tournament brands, but it's still hugely important to progamers for due to its massive prize pool. Players will go through great lengths to qualify for the event, sometimes even defying the laws of StarCraft. With Maru invited to the Main Event already and Dark thoroughly bashing everyone along his way in the first qualifier, the 2nd qualifier seemed a lot more open. Many great names entered into the fray, but very quickly two behemoths emerged. Rogue and INnoVation dispatched of the competition. ByuN, TY, Solar, Zest and Dear were all mere stepping stones in the lead-up to this game. Ling-bane-muta vs bio-mine tug of war? Check! 50+ supply comebacks? Check! Late game turtling? No sir! This is without a doubt one of the best tournament games played in all of 2018.

SpeCial vs Classic on Lost and Found - VOD
2018 WCS Global Finals - Ro16

This game was technically played in October, but I think everyone will be okay with a little cheating to include the best game of the Global Finals group stage. For the past few months, the TvP meta has been very punishing. Most of the time, one player takes an early advantage—either through trickery or defense of said trickery—and snowballs the game to an advantage and victory in relatively short time. A true back and forth is a rarity, as even games where neither player snowballs early on generally just end with a single big fight. This game was a breath of fresh air (SpeCial's TvP matches at the Global Finals in general were) of entertainment in what appeared a cursed match-up. And it was not to be expected either, as Classic had built up a solid reputation as the best Protoss vs Terran in the world throughout the year. Instead of falling in line with the all-or-nothing TvP's of the past few months, the two players delivered a thrilling match that stood out above the fray.

The Has Award For Games so Weird They Warp Reality

INnoVation vs Dear on Kairos Junction - VOD
Kung Fu Cup Weekly #23 - Ro4

Dear is a bit of a special player. Sometimes, he looks like the best Protoss in Korea. Sometimes, he looks like a total fool. Sometimes, he even manages to appear like both in the same game. In this Kung Fu Cup, Dear certainly had one of his better days. But that doesn't mean he didn't play some weird games. The victim in this particular instance is INnoVation. He thought this would be his run-of-the-mill game where he just pushes on 2 bases and then wins or doesn't. However, Dear has sabotaged the mill and suddenly both players find themselves struggling with essentially neither economy, nor army.

More recommended games from November 2018

We highlighted the most notable games above, but there were plenty of other great matches played in November. As the end of the year is approaching, we'd like everyone to start sharing their favorite games of the year with us and make suggestions for the year-end-list that will surely come at some point™.

Recommended games of November:
TY vs Rogue on Para Site - VOD
Rogue vs Serral on Lost and Found - VOD
SpeCial vs Stats on Lost and Found - VOD
TY vs GuMiho on Para Site - VOD
uThermal vs Reynor Full Series - VOD
Dark vs FanTaSy on Acid Plant - VOD
Serral vs Bunny on Lost and Found - VOD

Best Games: August

Best Games: July

Best Games: June

Best Games: May

Best Games: April

Best Games: March

Check out the master list for ALL of the best games from 2018 - Soon™ to be updated to include January and February

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