EPT
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/weeklies/comcups734.jpg)
Weekly Cup Competitions Week of July 27 - August 2It's time for another round of weekly overreactions! After some well-balanced results in the prior weekly cycle with all three factions represented across five different winners, the final week of July saw Zerg come out on top. SHIN was at the head of the charge, taking two of the weekly cups and also taking first place in the two-week WardiTV Summer Cup.
*Partial brackets may be shown.
July 27: WardiTV Mondays #97
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/weeklies/wardimon097.png)
The week began with Rogue getting his first weekly cup win of the 5.0.16 patch, which was somewhat of a surprise given his impressive showings in GSL CK and the ongoing RSL Season 6. Rogue's difficult tournament path saw him defeat ByuN, Classic, and herO in the lower rounds before taking down surprise finalist Percival in the championship bout (VOD).
Late-game TvZ had helped Percival score an upset against SHIN in the semifinals—with the buffed Ghosts playing a key role—and patient turtling allowed him to take a map against Rogue in the finals as well. However, Rogue ripped Percival to shreds in the other three games, with his nimble Mutalisk play being a highlight (minus an almost-throw due to being too far ahead in one game).
*****
July 27: Monday Night Weeklies #60
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/weeklies/mnw60.png)
herO seems to have found his consistency again after some initial difficulties in the new balance patch, taking at least one cup win for the fourth straight week. A fortunate MNW bracket meant herO only had to take on ByuN among the elite cup-players, who he defeated twice en route to winning the cup (VOD).
herO's 2-1 finals win against ByuN saw him take a brief break from playing PvT as cheesily as possible in 5.0.16, instead engaging ByuN in fairly straight-up games. He was made to regret this choice in game one, as ByuN survived herO's Tempest siege to achieve Terran's attrition victory condition. However, the standard approach worked out for herO in the following two games, as he tied the series with conventional macro in game two, followed by a hold against ByuN's 2-base all-in in game three.
*****
July 28: Sparkling Tuna Cup #139
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/weeklies/sparklingtuna139.png)
SHIN got his first win of a very successful week in the Sparkling Tuna Cup, besting the cup's other top contender Classic in the finals (VOD).
Like fellow top Protoss herO, Classic showed that post-patch PvZ has become a match-up where it's very important to mix things up (at least for now). Classic's first attempt at an off-kilter strategy didn't go that well, as his 2-Stargate Phoenixes were quickly felled by a Roach-Ravager-Zergling all-in. However, his Glaive-Adept + Immortal timing in game two was a total success, with the beefed up Force Fields helping him divide and conquer the Zerg swarm.
After that, Classic reverted to what passes for standard PvZ these days—a fast Mothership supporting a Templar-centric ground army. This almost worked out for him in game three, as it let him progress toward his favorite thing in the world: a Skytoss deathball. However, SHIN was able to show why mass Infestors are at least theoretically the counter, as he capitalized on Classic's inattentiveness to win with devastating Neural Parasites. The final game was far less dramatic, with SHIN winning easily by striking 15 odd seconds before Psionic Storm research was complete.
*****
July 28: PiGosaur Cup #92
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/weeklies/pig092.png)
herO added to his weekly tally in the PiGosaur Cup, notching wins against two top Terrans in ByuN (3-0) and Clem (3-1) along the way (VOD).
herO's new identity as the most degenerate and successful gambler in the scene was on full display, as he vexed his opponents with builds such as blind Nexus first, proxy-Void Rays + Batteries, proxy-Gate, and even more proxy-Gate. The deciding game of the finals actually saw both herO and Clem open with proxy buildings, with herO winning the cheese-duel after a moment of misfocus caused Clem's Marauders to be surrounded by Probes.
*****
July 29: Kung Fu Cup #17
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/weeklies/KFC2026_17.png)
SHIN took the Kung Fu Cup for the second week in a row, adding to his growing list of cup titles in 5.0.16. It feels like herO has been responsible for half of the increased build variety™ in the new patch, and SHIN narrowly survived his trickery to take a 3-2 win in the finals (VOD).
herO opened the series with a too-obvious Glaive-Adept timing, and a cautious SHIN defended well to take an easy win. However, herO's second hand of Oracles into Glaiveless Adepts hit the mark, sending SHIN reeling in the early-game. Yet, herO got a little too creative for his own good, and his bizarre follow-up army of Chargelot-Archon-and-some-random-Tempests was mauled by SHIN's well-composed Zerg force.
On the verge of being swept, herO fought back in game three with the mass Void Ray build he has used often in 5.0.16. This time, it came with a twist—instead of committing hard to Void Rays, herO made a timely pivot to Templars and Zealots. SHIN couldn't make his own adjustment in time, and his Hydra-centric army ended up getting fried to a crisp. Then, almost as if he was making up new challenges for himself, herO tied the series in game four by overpowering SHIN with an entirely splashless force of mass Stalkers and Immortals.
herO looked like he was up to more devilry in game five as brought out a Phoenix opener for the first time in the series. Alas, we never discovered what his plan was, as SHIN finished the series with his own trickery in a Zergling all-in.
*****
July 9 -31: Crank Gathers #4
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/weeklies/crankgathers4.png)
Check Liquipedia for group stage results
The StarCraft: Evolution Complete (SC2 vs BW mod) continues to get semi-regular tournaments, with the Korean scene particularly interested in the unique offering. The latest such event was Crank Gathers #4, which featured a teamleague-style competition. ONSYDE came out as the eventual champions, thanks to ace player Maru's carry-job throughout the season and a great 3-win contribution from Zoun in the grand finals (VOD (final day))..
While Maru isn't a regular participant in SC:Evo tournaments, his previous foundation in Brood War and strong RTS fundamentals seem to make him a natural. The deciding game of the finals featured an especially strong theorycrafting performance from Maru. Facing off against Cure's SC2 Terran, Maru assembled a mech-Ghost-Medic combo that countered everything Cure could do. In the decisive battle, Maru swept the field by using Lockdown on Cure's Ravens and using Medic Restoration to quickly undo the Interference Matrixes that had gotten through. It's games like that which really show you what SC: Evo can be at its best.
*****
July 18 - August 2: WardiTV Summer Cup
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/weeklies/2026wardisummercup.png)
Check Liquipedia for group stage results
SHIN continued to pile up the wins, as he came out on top in the $1000 WardiTV Summer Cup. While the ONSYDE Zerg did benefit from a friendly playoff bracket, when you consider his performances in the last few weeks, no one would dare call it a fluke (VOD (final day)).
SHIN flexed his ZvZ skills in the final two rounds, defeating both YoungYakov (3-0) and Rogue (3-1). The new patch hasn't done anything to change the volatile nature of ZvZ, and the finals happened to be extra cheesy with Rogue going for one-base all-ins in the first two games. However, SHIN's defenses held firm to give him a 2-0 lead, and he split the following two Ling-Bane games to win the finals 3-1.
