P1 TLAF-Liquid`Tyler < Xel'Naga Caverns > Prae.ThorZaIN T7

The RO16 of TSL3 kicks off with ThorZaIN suffering a moment of nervousness and could not properly split his SCVs. While Tyler makes a trademark sentry after his zealot, ThorZaIN erects a bunker to defend any sort of early aggression, as he looks to tech higher up the tree with his factory + tech lab. A siege tank and 4 marines would guarantee his safety from any Protoss advancement, and ThorZaIN comfortably drops a command center, while continuing teching up to starport. At this point, Tyler’s observer is already on its way over, and a 3gate + robo expand with heavy sentry play is looking like Tyler’s game plan. ThorZaIN’s expansion gets up slightly faster than Tyler’s, and both players begin upgrades for their units, +1 ground for Tyler and +1 armor mech for ThorZaIN, respectively.

ThorZaIN’s raven and vikings deny observers any critical amount of information. Tyler takes his gold but a hellion scouts it the second it went up. Tyler begins to pressure and try to deny ThorZaIN his gold, but finds his position too risky and retreats back. ThorZaIN attaches some SCVs to his mech army, heavily consisting of blue flamed hellions and thors, with +2 armor upgrade. Tyler has 8 colossi, and is taking his 4th, but both armies are near max and ThorZaIN looks prompt to clear up some of that supply. Tyler moves down the left Xel’naga Tower and runs into ThorZaIN’s army. The hellions melt through zealots with charge and with PDD support, stalkers were render useless, and colossi were just huge moving targets for vikings. ThorZaIN utilizes the 250mm strike cannons to deal with the remaining colossi, forcing Tyler to make an all-out retreat. ThorZaIN swings forward and takes out Tyler’s two latest expansion, cutting Tyler’s income down to less than half that of ThorZaIN’s.

Tyler counterattacks to clear out ThorZaIN’s gold, but pulls back just in time before ThorZaIN had made it back to defend. After repairing all his units, ThorZaIN charges out once again with his maxed army. While Tyler had been able to pump out 7 immortals in time, they were stunned with the strike cannons and effectively taken out of the fight, leaving Tyler no choice but to gg. [19:24]

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P6 TLAF-Liquid`Tyler < Terminus RE > Prae.ThorZaIN T9

Even before scouting his opponent, ThorZaIN skips his gas to make the quickest command center possible. Tyler does not make a zealot, but opting to chrono boost his stalker instead, and continuously churning out stalkers. ThorZaIN pumps out his marines from two barracks while researching stim. A twilight council is hidden at Tyler’s smoke area, and Tyler sets up for a 3 gate blink attack. Tyler begins poking at the front with his stalkers, losing only shields while picking off marines. Tyler blinks two stalkers past the bunker in order to gain vision up top, and utilizing a pylon on the low ground to blink the rest up. ThorZaIN pulls all SCVs to defend, and a tank is doing an absurd amount of damage to these stalkers before it is sniped. Tyler tries his best to micro and warp in units at the same time, but ThorZaIN just simply had more units and stim kicks in just in time for ThorZaIN to clean up the mess.

Tyler loses all his stalkers and drop a nexus to have a chance to crawl back into the game. ThorZaIN macros off of two bases, and keep a sustaining 20 food lead ahead of Tyler. Pulling half a dozen SCV to repair his tanks, ThorZaIN marches out as combat shield is about to finish. Tyler catches glimpse of the incoming push with his observer, but he does not have the economy to support his macro, and being supply blocked as the push arrives at his front door does not help. Tyler tries to catch the tanks unsieged, but their DPS in tank mode is just as devastating. With no army and a food deficit of 71, Tyler resigns, leaving ThorZaIN with 1 game away from reaching the elite eight. [13:06]

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P12 TLAF-Liquid`Tyler < Metalopolis > Prae.ThorZaIN T6

Players spawn cross positions on Metalopolis. ThorZaIN does a more standard 1 rax + tech lab FE, while Tyler feels more comfortable with 3gate+robo. ThorZaIN’s reaper scouts the expansion, and Tyler’s observer maps out ThorZaIN’s entire base. ThorZaIN uses his scans to pick off observers, limiting Tyler’s vision. ThorZaIN begins his upgrades extremely fast; as his +1 infantry weapon is halfway done before Tyler’s double forges are done warping in. Tyler’s army is extremely zealot/sentry heavy, with his stalkers parked inside his base in fear of a potential drop.

Tyler looks to put on some pressure, and the supply is now dead even at 121. Seeing no colossi, ThorZaIN lands all his vikings and pulls all SCVs at his natural to defend. Seeing multiple bunkers surrounding the command center, Tyler has second thoughts about his attack and slowly traces back to his natural, only to walk back to check whether ThorZaIN had a third base running. It is ThorZaIN’s turn to apply some pressure onto Tyler. Both armies hover around 180 food and +2/+2, but zealots without charge are extremely vulnerable to concussive shells. Landing some crucial force fields to split up ThorZaIN’s army, Tyler having to pull back his zealots each time costs him dearly as the zealots are slowed before they could make their retreat.

ThorZaIN streams in reinforcements, and even with charge, Tyler could not overcome the sheer amount of units being produced by ThorZaIN. As ThorZaIN takes out the third, Tyler mysteriously disconnects from the game, but it is an unanimous decision that the game was beyond reparable for Tyler. ThorZaIN sweeps our TSL2 champion and claims the first spot in TSL3 RO8. [18:26]

P3 oGs.MC < Metalopolis > Duckload.White-Ra P9

The player spawn in cross positions on metal, the same as the game during the GSL World Championship Team Event in which White-Ra defeated MC. The game opens less normal than most PvPs, with MC choosing to make a robo after 1 gate and White-Ra using his first 3 chronoboost on stalkers instead of warp gate research while delaying his 4th gate slightly. A his first immortal is building, MC adds another 2 gates and a twilight counsel, looking towards blink research.

As in the WC game, White-Ra makes a robo quickly after 4 gates and immediately pumps out a warp prism. He chooses for a two pronged assault, dropping 4 zealots into MC's mineral line while attacking up the ramp. MC splits his army well and defends without losing many attacking units but loses around 10 probes, bringing his worker count drastically below the Ukranian's. MC walks his army to White-Ra's base and after blinking over the forcefield on the ramp White-Ra is forced to leave. [12:04]

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P2 oGs.MC < Xel'Naga Caverns > Duckload.White-Ra P7

White-Ra looks for no funny business in this game, ramping straight to 4 gateways as early as possible. MC on the other hand looks to play the same as the previous game, making a robotics after 1 gate as soon as the scouting probe is gone. This time he makes 3 additional gates instead of choosing blink tech.

A few successful forcefields buy him time, and he easily repels White-Ra's aggression with 2 immortals. [8:43]

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P7oGs.MC < Crevasse > Duckload.White-Ra P2

For the first time, MC makes 4 gates. White-Ra builds a nexus after two. The game is over before it really begins. White-Ra closes out the match with a thought. [6:48]



Duckload.White-Ra < 0-3 > oGs.MC

T7 FXO.qxc < Xel'Naga Caverns > Mill.Adelscott P2

Qxc begins the match with a 2 barracks opening, getting both a tech lab and reactor. Adel starts with 3 gates off a single gas, presumably planning pressure while getting an expansion. Qxc's initial forces score a free marine, but are quickly overpowered by Adel's largely stalker force. Terran retreats to his base, building a command center and a bunker. Adelscott starts a nexus, and with the help of a forward pylon prepares an army to keep qxc busy.

All goes to plan as Adel's stalker-sentry army bursts up the non-walled ramp and quickly overtake both qxc's army and scvs. [8:20]

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T12 FXO.qxc < Metalopolis > Mill.Adelscott P3

Qxc again opens with early aggression, proxying a barracks and adding a tech lab. The first 2 marauders keep Adelscott occupied, while qxc starts on a command center and quickly adds more barracks. A clever forcefield blocks retreating marauders to end the early game, Adel quickly starts on a nexus and forge to set up for a strong midgame.

Qxc finds himself right in his element, attacking the front, then dropping the back, then attacking the front again. Adelscott keeps up, but barely, as his army is eventually whittled down to nothing. The forces streaming in from qxc bring the series back to even. [15:55]

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T3 FXO.qxc < Terminus RE > Mill.Adelscott P9

Adel showed what he is known for, making a nexus after a single sentry while qxc ramps up to a banshee and immediately starts on cloak research. By the time the first 2 banshees make it to Adel's side of the map, he has already started on his third nexus and the delayed robo means it is time for banshees to get to business. Nearly two dozen probe kills later. the players find themselves on each possessing 3 bases, but qxc has the far superior army.

As Adelscott tries to leave his base and position an army in the middle of the map, he runs into a marine-marauder attack force. The armies trade, and Adel is forced back to his choke as qxc's reinforcements arrive. After adding a colossus into the mix, Adel is able to successfully make it into the center of the map but only briefly as qxc brings 3 medivacs full of units into the Protoss main and floats a command center to his 4th base. While both players remake units, qxc's 4th base kicks in and is overwhelms Adelscott's natural to go up 2-1 in the series. [24:56]

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T7 FXO.qxc < Crevasse > Mill.Adelscott P5

Adelscott once again displays his love for expanding, getting a nexus at his back expo before gateway. Qxc meanwhile takes one nearly as early. For the next few minutes not much action happened, both players added tech, made units, and started their third before the first engagements. Qxc's first poke with marauders turns dangerous, as it runs into a colossus and a handful of stalkers. The Protoss army chases them back to Terran's natural, where they set up a small contain and are able to break the rocks at the ramp.

While qxc is housed in his base, he turns to drop play and harasses with several marauders. The attack isn't hugely successful, trading a few marauders for some probes and stalkers, but sets up a chain of events that see the lead change hands several times over. When Adelscott's stalkers in the front moved to intercept the dropship as it headed home, it left 3 colossus unguarded, which qxc's viking force saw and subsequently destroys 2 of.

Attempting to take advantage, qxc stimms his marine-marauder army and runs into Adelscott's army. He is chased back, where Adel is able to forcefield the ramp to block most of the retreating army. Qxc begins to ferry units over the blockade, picking them up in a dropship and letting them go on the other side, but it turns disasterous when one is picked off as it carries several units.

Qxc tries a larger drop in the back with more units, which runs into most of Adel's army and dies without much consequence. When this trigger's Adel to attack his front the Terran finds himself hopelessly behind, losing his third and then the plentary at a newl taken fourth. Adel brings the series to its final, deciding game when he runs his gigantic stalker, sentry, zealot colossus army into what little marines and marauders qxc can muster up. [20:15]

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T5 FXO.qxc < Tal'Darim Altar > Mill.Adelscott P2

Unsurprisingly, Adel takes his natural immediately after killing qxc's scout, before his first sentry is completed. Qxc opens with 2 barracks, also looking for an early expand, but decides to attempt pressuring with a bunker when he finds Adel's completed nexus. Adel kills the opposing army by way of sacrificing a handful of probes at his natural, the continues by adding a forge and more gateways.

Qxc looks to take the intiative back by dropping, first the natural and then the main in quick succession. Both are relatively short lived, he takes down one forge but Adel is unlikely to care as he now has 3 nearly saturated bases and is able to add 2 more while ramping up to 10 gateways isntead of choosing any robotics tech.

Firmly in control, Adel runs to stop qxc's third from mining and is able to overpower the main Terran army in the process. Not long after, qxc admits defeat and Adelscott enters the round of 8. [16:08]



FXO.qxc < 2-3 > Mill.Adelscott

T1 oGs.NaDa < Crevasse > Empire.Kas T5

Both players greedily skip gas for a quick expansion, deviating when NaDa grabbed both gases while Kas makes two additional barracks. Kas is constantly pumping out marines out of 4 barracks, while lining turrets at questionable places. NaDa makes banshees, looking to do some damage, but Kas justifies his turret placement by denying the banshee any and all sort of harassment possibility. The banshee gets taken out by a turret when NaDa isn’t paying attention, and Kas’s attempt to break into NaDa’s main is halted by a bunker.

Kas, feeling comfortable with his map control, takes a quick third. Kas attempts a drop inside NaDa’s backdoor expo, trading a dropship full of marines for a single tank. Both players load up 2 octodrops, but neither are really to deal damage due to phenomenal turret positioning. Kas sieges up outside NaDa’s base, slowing down NaDa’s third. As NaDa is busy taking down the destructible debris, Kas sets up his siege line, catching NaDa off-guard and takes out NaDa’s CC. Kas sandwiches NaDa’s army in the most non-cost effective manner possible, but with 5 bases running, Kas easily replenishes his army, and moves in for the kill. [18:40]

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T1 oGs.NaDa < Xel'Naga Caverns > Empire.Kas T7

Kas opens standard into a reaper while NaDa skips gas again for a quick CC. NaDa moves out with three marines, but the Kas’s reaper + marine at the watchtower makes quick work of NaDa’s marines, leaving the reaper with 2 hp. Kas gets his expansion up and running before NaDa, as NaDa hesitates, fearing any attempt of pressure from Kas. NaDa cannot apply any pressure, and is falling behind in tech + food count.

NaDa has absolutely zero map presence, and Kas takes full advantage of that, confidently building an orbital at the gold. Both players swing around the map with their army, looking fo a base trade, but as soon as NaDa made Kas lift the gold, he dashes back to defend his base. Both players trade army, but Kas’s 2 base economy triumphs NaDa’s mined out main, and a 2nd wave of units just overran NaDa. [15:56]

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T7 oGs.NaDa < Shakuras Plateau > Empire.Kas T1

Kas opens reaper into expo, while NaDa feels more safe with a reactored barracks before CC. NaDa is slow to tech up, relying on marines and marauders while running on a single gas. Kas prefers to tech up, get upgrades, and is slowly pulling away from NaDa in supply. NaDa destroys the rocks near his side of the center on his way out, but turns away immediately once his scan reveals Kas’s siege tanks. Both players load an octodrop going in opposite directions, but both are scouted before they could wreak havoc in their respective mains. Kas pushes forward and wins a decisive battle, keeping all his siege tanks intact and proceed to siege below the main. NaDa has a hard time cleaning up, but Kas is in macro mode, claiming a third and dropping additional production facilities.

Once NaDa has sacrificed two small armies to clear out the threat, Kas has already doubled NaDa’s supply. Kas pulls back the remnants of his first army to join up with the rest, and turns his attention to NaDa’s main entrance. Once again sieging below the ramp, NaDa is forced to pull all SCVs to defend, but they simply evaporate from marine and siege tank fire, and so does NaDa’s chance of making the TSL3 RO8. [16:25]