• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 19:10
CEST 01:10
KST 08:10
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall10HomeStory Cup 27 - Info & Preview18Classic wins Code S Season 2 (2025)16Code S RO4 & Finals Preview: herO, Rogue, Classic, GuMiho0TL Team Map Contest #5: Presented by Monster Energy6
Community News
Firefly given lifetime ban by ESIC following match-fixing investigation12$25,000 Streamerzone StarCraft Pro Series announced6Weekly Cups (June 30 - July 6): Classic Doubles6[BSL20] Non-Korean Championship 4x BSL + 4x China9Flash Announces Hiatus From ASL66
StarCraft 2
General
Firefly given lifetime ban by ESIC following match-fixing investigation The SCII GOAT: A statistical Evaluation TL Team Map Contest #4: Winners Weekly Cups (June 30 - July 6): Classic Doubles The GOAT ranking of GOAT rankings
Tourneys
$25,000 Streamerzone StarCraft Pro Series announced FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series WardiTV Mondays
Strategy
How did i lose this ZvP, whats the proper response Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 481 Fear and Lava Mutation # 480 Moths to the Flame Mutation # 479 Worn Out Welcome Mutation # 478 Instant Karma
Brood War
General
BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ ASL20 Preliminary Maps [G] Progamer Settings [ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall SC uni coach streams logging into betting site
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL20] Non-Korean Championship 4x BSL + 4x China [BSL20] Grand Finals - Sunday 20:00 CET CSL Xiamen International Invitational
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers I am doing this better than progamers do.
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Path of Exile What do you want from future RTS games? Beyond All Reason
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Positive Thoughts on Setting Up a Dual-Caliber FX
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Summer Games Done Quick 2025! Stop Killing Games - European Citizens Initiative
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece [\m/] Heavy Metal Thread
Sports
Formula 1 Discussion 2024 - 2025 Football Thread NBA General Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
momentary artworks from des…
tankgirl
Culture Clash in Video Games…
TrAiDoS
from making sc maps to makin…
Husyelt
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 636 users

[Hype] TSL: A Best Of Compilation

Forum Index > PokerStrategy.com TSL3 Forum
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
Heyoka
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Katowice25012 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-05-12 11:27:41
May 12 2011 09:52 GMT
#1
[image loading]
(Wiki)TSL3 on Liquipedia


This weekend the TSL wraps up when Thorzain and NaNiwa play live from our secret New York batcave. Thus far its been quite the ride with a lot of amazing games, but life gets busy and there are tons of Starcraft tournaments happening these days, you know? Who can be expected to follow every game in every tournament? It is hard for me sometimes and Starcraft is all I do.

To help my fellow fan I've compiled a list of memorable games, originally it was a top 10 but now there are 12 games so its like a hotdog pack that gives you 20% more! You could probably watch all of these in one sitting but I wouldn't recommend it as some are 50 minute back and forths that involve the map being mined out. Maybe you should space it out and watch a few a day, to maintain the right level of excitement without being too excited.

A few are for pure entertainment because they played out weird, and some are simply close games with evenly matched gamers. They are in no particular order, enjoy reliving the magic.

[image loading]oGs.MC vs [image loading]mouz.ThorZaIN
Round of 8, Tal'Darim Altar

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
In ThorZaIN's first match against GSL champion FruitDealer, he surprised us all when he was able to dispatch of him with relative ease. In his second round, he killed TSL2 winner Tyler, again as a bit of an underdog. His third match was against oGs.MC, recently coming off his second GSL win. Being the unknown against a well established opponent is kind of his thing.

Well by game 4 Thorzain found himself up 2-1, and the fight MC put up here is astounding. His back against the wall in the series, he opens with a nexus first build and the game goes into long-haul mode. By the 25 minute mark Thorzain has 3/3 on his bio units, against 0 armor for MC yet thanks to using 3 robos for immortals he is able to not only hang on but push Thorzain back repeatedly. Very long, very cool PvT.


[image loading]Zeerax vs
[image loading]
MYM.Mondragon

Round of 32, Crevasse

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
Mondragon is the biggest wild card of any wild card in Starcraft history. Having not played in any notable tournaments before TSL, no one had seen him play. Is he good? Is he practicing? No one knows. No one ever knows. Chill summed it up best.

I don't want to know. I want to close my eyes until the actual day of the match. Why spoil Christmas?


And Christmas was awesome. Bulgarian Protoss ZeeRaX made void rays, Mondragon made himself famous when he made roaches. Roaches and more roaches, forever enshrining his place in SC2 history.


[image loading]IM.MVP vs [image loading]Mill.Adelscott
Round of 32, Metalopolis

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
Another GSL winner facing against someone who is mostly known for being good and European. The story of the early rounds. After beating Mvp with heavy gateway play in game 1 (his signature move), he opens game 2 on Metalopolis with a nexus before gateway build.

Mvp is unable to kill it right away, but does manage to take control of the game through much of the middle. Adel manages to hold on, only by the most narrow of margins time and time again to take Mvp to a late game with the advantage.


[image loading]
IM.NesTea vs [image loading]ESC.GoOdy

Round of 32, Tal'Darim Altar

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
GoOdy make tanks. GoOdy smash.

While it seem all of Europe knows that, NesTea must not have received the memo because he seems surprised at the mech builds in this series. This is a series where many of us completely counted out the German's ability, after all he is a passive Terran against a previous GSL winner.

As became a trend in TSL, this was not wholly true. This game on Tal'Darim goes the distance, with GoOdy making mechanical units and NesTea trying to out flank him, when some mistakes in the Zerg's army positioning lead to a base trade scenario that goes down to the last units.


[image loading]Liquid`Jinro vs
[image loading]
mouz.Morrow

Round of 32, Xel'Naga Caverns

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
TSL3 will end with Sweden vs Sweden, but it also began with some dual-Swede action. Unlike a lot of the other games, there aren't any outside circumstances that made this especially exciting, aside from them both being very good players playing at the top of their game.

Jinro opens with a bunker and as MorroW defends it the game transforms into a sweet back and forth battle tha shows a lot of good jockeying for position.


[image loading]FXO.Qxc vs [image loading]MVP.Genius
Round of 32, Xel'Naga Caverns

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
Back when we thought the Korean players would dominate easily, Qxc was considered an underdog against the man who stomped through Blizzcon like it was nothing. Qxc showed we maybe underestimated him when he beat Genius' phoenix play in game 1, and what followed was one of the longest games in TSL history.

The game starts with an unorthodox reaper opening, the goes into what seems like a normal PvT midgame on Xel'Naga - players fighting for the center and eyeing to split the map. From there all hell breaks loose as Qxc uses mid-game reapers attacks, cloaked ghosts, and nukes.

The map becomes not only split but nearly mined out, with each player mining the very last of their resources as the game ends.


[image loading]SlayerS_Boxer vs
[image loading]
FnaticMSI.Sen

Round of 16, Crevasse

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
When Boxer beat Prae.NightEnd and made it to the Round of 16, people were ecstatic. The timing for his next match was amazing: he had just dropped out of Code S and there were questions about how good his TvZ really was. His opponent, fan favorite Sen, had just shown some incredible games in the GSL World Championship Showmatch and it looked like the Terran master might roll over and die without note.

When the series becomes tied at 2-2, Boxer shuts down fears about his current shape. As viewers we end up being pretty lucky, as we get to watch this incredible game 5, a tense and hilariously aggressive game on Crevasse with everything on the line. It was really hard to pick out a game from this series, they're all worth watching and at least until this weekend its still a strong contender for best overall series.


[image loading]dignitas.Naniwa vs [image loading]ESC.GoOdy
Round of 16, Shakuras Plateau

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
By the time this game was played, NaNiwa was well known as the champion of MLG Dallas, while GoOdy was still mostly shoehorned as "guy who makes tanks". The series msotly played out that way, with GoOdy making tanks and NaNiwa sometimes stopping them. In this game three, the series was tied at one game a piece and out of nowhere one of the most fun games of TSL happened.

Despite an old reputation for cheesy, aggressive play, NaNiwa has done a good job in the last months of showing he is capable of many styles. Not here, in this game he attempted to proxy 2 gates, and when that failed miserably he immediately built a nexus that was forced to be canceled. Adding the sweetest of cherries on top of unique build cake, he went from there into 1 base 4 gate. Waxangel was so moved by it he chronicled NaNiwa's journey in a blog that details the history of the two.


[image loading]Empire.Kas vs [image loading]mouz.ThorZaIN
Round of 4, Crevasse

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
Thorzain said before this match that TvT was his weakest matchup, and Kas is well known for having one of the best TvTs in Europe. Thorzain an underdog again? Shocking!

Thorzain pulls a crazy defense here to give a super action packed TvT, using superior upgrades on his marines to "run circles around Kas" as Lovedrop puts it.


[image loading]coL.CrunCher vs
[image loading]
MYM.Mondragon

Round of 16, Metalopolis

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
CrunCher, hot off his victory over IdrA got to show his skills in PvZ a second time. This game 4 had a series of earlier interesting games, Mondragon using his patented roach skills in one and CrunCher the same style on Shakuras that he defeated IdrA with.

This game was immediately following a cannon rush on Tal'Darim, making it that much more intense and exploding the live report. Mondraon tries an interesting opening involving a lot of mutas, and it seems to work but Cruncher masses up a typical Protoss late-game army and freely roams the map, very intense and tight game.


[image loading]dignitas.Naniwa vs [image loading]coL.CrunCher
Round of 8, Shakuras Plateau

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
CrunCher came into this match known almost solely as "destroyer of IdrA and Mondragon", perhaps making him the most hated Protoss all year. NaNiwa was regarded largely as the favorite, as people tend to do when they go 24-0 at MLG.

CrunCher is rather hardy though, taking some games off NaNi and keeping the series close. While this is a PvP, its also a very weird PvP and has some entertaining play. Cruncher opens with phoenix while NaNi makes fast colossus, the players take some bases and have some real skirmishes. In PvP! That is just how amazing TSL is.


[image loading]Liquid`Tyler vs [image loading]mouz.Strelok
Round of 32, Tal'Darim Altar

+ Show Spoiler [Circumstances and Details] +
Champion of previous TSL, Tyler shows his stuff. Tal'Darim has proved itself to be an awesome PvT map overall, this one opens with Tyler doing a double forge build he was known for at the time.

He ends up behind at a point in the midgame but a miraculous zealot is able to pull him back in, good solid PvT play on a big map.


The story each game tells is the most interesting part of Starcraft. Each match is a new chapter in the life of our game, a new waypoint where a career unfolds and the scene marches towards destiny. There are many good games in the TSL not listed here, make a case for others and share the love. I got excited re-watching these and remembering how funny they were, hopefully you do too.
@RealHeyoka | ESL / DreamHack StarCraft Lead
SmoKim
Profile Joined March 2010
Denmark10304 Posts
May 12 2011 10:04 GMT
#2
when TSL4 comes around and the new members ask about why TSL is so legendary and hyped, i'm just gonna link to this thread

good job heyoka
"LOL I have 202 supply right now (3 minutes later)..."LOL NOW I HAVE 220 SUPPLY SUP?!?!?" - Mondragon
TheSilverfox
Profile Joined December 2010
Sweden1928 Posts
May 12 2011 10:16 GMT
#3
On May 12 2011 18:52 heyoka wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
I guess we all know what happened by now. Thorzain refuses to go down no matter the odds. This game lasted nearly an hour of in-game time, in which Thorzain and MC battle furiously back and forth across the huge plains of Tal'Darim. MC has some interesting plays, tripple robo immortal switching into HT but it just isn't quite enough to defend a 3/3 marine-marauder ball in the end, crazy game that is among the most fun PvTs to watch in recent memory.


Great post! But I think you got something wrong here - MC won game 4, it was actually quite enough to defend the 3/3 mm ball.
Also known as Joinsimon on Twitter/Reddit
sVnteen
Profile Joined January 2011
Germany2238 Posts
May 12 2011 10:17 GMT
#4
nice
MY LIFE STARTS NOW ♥
ionize
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Ireland399 Posts
May 12 2011 10:27 GMT
#5
Oh I love the idea behing this. Over the past weeks I struggled behind on the TSL3 Vods, but finished watching every single one of them two days ago. I will re-watch the games you posted above with the comment you placed on them and enjoy one more go on the more exciting/fun games to watch.
I just love video games, what's your excuse?
Heyoka
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Katowice25012 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-05-12 11:28:22
May 12 2011 11:12 GMT
#6
On May 12 2011 19:16 TheSilverfox wrote:
Show nested quote +
On May 12 2011 18:52 heyoka wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
I guess we all know what happened by now. Thorzain refuses to go down no matter the odds. This game lasted nearly an hour of in-game time, in which Thorzain and MC battle furiously back and forth across the huge plains of Tal'Darim. MC has some interesting plays, tripple robo immortal switching into HT but it just isn't quite enough to defend a 3/3 marine-marauder ball in the end, crazy game that is among the most fun PvTs to watch in recent memory.


Great post! But I think you got something wrong here - MC won game 4, it was actually quite enough to defend the 3/3 mm ball.


WHOOPS, changed to reflect what actually happened. Crazy that MC fought 3/3 bio for so long with no armor and fended it off.
@RealHeyoka | ESL / DreamHack StarCraft Lead
StimiLant
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States534 Posts
May 12 2011 11:42 GMT
#7
this is awesome because if you missed any of the series' you can go to this thread and watch the high lighted games. awesome job heyoka ^_^
anatem
Profile Joined September 2010
Romania1369 Posts
May 12 2011 11:54 GMT
#8
this compilation is great, thanks for taking the time to put all these into one easy-to-go place.
'Tis with our Judgements as our Watches, none / Go just alike, yet each believes his own.
Lizarb
Profile Joined March 2011
Denmark307 Posts
May 12 2011 13:40 GMT
#9
Shame on me for actually missing out on some of these. Guess I have some warm up to the finals weekend now. Thanks for posting.
Only thing I know is that I know nothing.
Ares[Effort] *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
DEMACIA6550 Posts
May 12 2011 13:52 GMT
#10
Nice list, thanks!
Moderatorgold coin
BillyHardcore
Profile Joined October 2010
Denmark104 Posts
May 12 2011 14:19 GMT
#11
Great summary slash hype thread, also, really liked Chill and Wheats commentary during this TSL
One does not simply walk into maraudor
Euronyme
Profile Joined August 2010
Sweden3804 Posts
May 12 2011 14:54 GMT
#12
Loved it ♥
Good job!
I bet i can maı̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̨̨̨̨̨̨ke you wipe your screen.
garbanzo
Profile Joined October 2009
United States4046 Posts
May 12 2011 14:57 GMT
#13
Great list! I will have to share it with my friends who wouldn't listen to me and didn't watch the TSL. Blasphemy; I know.

Thanks for making the list. Especially adding the description of each game.
Even during difficult times, when I sat down to play the game, there were times where it felt like god has descended down and played [for me].
psychopat
Profile Joined October 2009
Canada417 Posts
May 12 2011 15:37 GMT
#14
I really liked Thorzain/MC game 5. Even if you disregard the whole underdog aspect, you've got an insanely tense series full of back-and-forth games and it comes down to a single game to decide who moves on.

Everyone, including MC, knew what build Thorzain was going to do and how ridiculously strong it was. Everyone felt that if there was an answer to it, MC would have it due to having seen the strategy against Tyler & having enough time to come up with a proper response. Even if that response wouldn't be popular (ie: proxy gates vs White-Ra), he would have done it and pulled it of immaculately.

The game itself rolled on as expected until the big moment, everyone on the edge of their seats to see if MC could pull a rabbit out of the hat and turn the tide as the Thor-based army slowly plodded down for the coup de grace... MC put forth a valiant attempt with hallucinations but it was all for naught; he overdid it on the Immortals to the point of ridiculousness, making it obvious that several were fake. Scan spam easily solved the problem, allowing the 250mm cannons to all hit the real Immortals.

Long story short - this game almost single-handedly caused the Thors to be nerfed in the last patch.
Ack1027
Profile Blog Joined January 2004
United States7873 Posts
May 12 2011 15:37 GMT
#15
Great list.

I thought it would be a highlight vid but I'm sure that coming and not sure that would do it justice anyway.

Boxer vs Sen was incredible, my favorite series.
peekn
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States1152 Posts
May 12 2011 17:18 GMT
#16
It's been a very fun ride indeed. As this being my first TSL the hype from the previous TSL's got me more excited just to see this one. I hope that there will be many more great TSL's to come in the future. What a better way to transition them in than with this great list of games.

TL fighting!!
antilyon
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
Brazil2546 Posts
May 12 2011 18:45 GMT
#17
Good job.
made me watch adeslcott match once again.

but, not enough "" imo.
Irave
Profile Joined October 2010
United States9965 Posts
May 12 2011 21:27 GMT
#18
I enjoy getting more out of my hot dogs so thank you! Great list of games, very memorable.
FenneK
Profile Joined November 2010
France1231 Posts
May 12 2011 21:56 GMT
#19
I've loved this tournament.
good luck have batman
Krimancer
Profile Joined April 2011
Sweden150 Posts
May 12 2011 22:03 GMT
#20
Legendary tournament, still take quite some time to look over all the games again but oh so fun!
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 50m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
ZombieGrub149
ProTech81
StarCraft: Brood War
Artosis 718
NaDa 77
sSak 4
LuMiX 1
Dota 2
NeuroSwarm9
League of Legends
Grubby3978
Counter-Strike
Fnx 2008
taco 1449
fl0m1346
Stewie2K968
sgares89
Super Smash Bros
Liquid`Ken57
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor151
Other Games
summit1g8717
C9.Mang0224
Maynarde151
ViBE97
JuggernautJason80
Sick56
kaitlyn30
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick48693
BasetradeTV80
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 20 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• RyuSc2 120
• HeavenSC 32
• davetesta30
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• Eskiya23 26
• ZZZeroYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• masondota22600
League of Legends
• Jankos2264
• TFBlade972
Other Games
• imaqtpie1700
• Scarra1184
• Shiphtur395
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
50m
RSL Revival
10h 50m
ByuN vs SHIN
Clem vs Reynor
OSC
13h 50m
Replay Cast
1d
RSL Revival
1d 10h
Classic vs Cure
FEL
1d 16h
OSC
1d 20h
RSL Revival
2 days
FEL
2 days
FEL
2 days
[ Show More ]
CSO Cup
2 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
2 days
Bonyth vs QiaoGege
Dewalt vs Fengzi
Hawk vs Zhanhun
Sziky vs Mihu
Mihu vs QiaoGege
Zhanhun vs Sziky
Fengzi vs Hawk
Sparkling Tuna Cup
3 days
RSL Revival
3 days
FEL
3 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
3 days
Bonyth vs Dewalt
QiaoGege vs Dewalt
Hawk vs Bonyth
Sziky vs Fengzi
Mihu vs Zhanhun
QiaoGege vs Zhanhun
Fengzi vs Mihu
Replay Cast
5 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2025-07-07
HSC XXVII
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
Acropolis #3
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
Jiahua Invitational
Championship of Russia 2025
RSL Revival: Season 1
Murky Cup #2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025

Upcoming

2025 ACS Season 2: Qualifier
CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSL Xiamen Invitational
CSL Xiamen Invitational: ShowMatche
2025 ACS Season 2
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
uThermal 2v2 Main Event
SEL Season 2 Championship
FEL Cracov 2025
Esports World Cup 2025
Underdog Cup #2
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.