EPT
Our first encounter has the Indigenous Iglooian, Liquid`Crystal, facing off against the Fervent Frenchman, Elky. This series had two main objectives: Elky getting revenge vs Crystal for his loss to him in the 1st TL.net Invitational Tournament, and so Elky could get some practice for his paramount game vs Reach that loomed in the future. The second objective is evident because Crystal (who is a Random player) used Protoss in each game, and 3 of the games were played on Neo Bifrost (The map Elky had to play vs Reach in OGN).
Game 1
Map: Gaema Gowon
Matchup: PvT
The Game: Crystal started at 8, Elky started at 11. Crystal did a standard 2 gate goon obs build, Elky did a Gundam style rush + push. Elky's initial attack decimated a few of Crystal's goons. After that Crystal added on a few more gateways and a citadel in a frantic attempt to mass up enough to beat the push back. Unfortunately, Crystal could never muster up a force large enough to beat back tanks + mines + vults + bunker + turrets + floating ebay, and the game ended soon after.
1-0 Elky
Game 2
Map: Neo Bifrost
Matchup: PvT
The Game: Crystal got jewed by a rax and bunker behind his minerals because he didn’t scout it. See rep for further details.
2-0 Elky
Game 3
Map: Neo Bifrost
Matchup: PvT
The Game: Crystal started at 1, Elky started at 7. This game was the most interesting games in the series. Crystal, anticipating the jewing again, went pylon - forge. As expected, Elky went depot in his choke, and an offensive rax float. Crystal made cannons by Elky's depot in the front, and on the ledge next to Elky's expand. Crystal also early expanded and Elky just landed his rax as Crystal's probes came. The rax was positioned so that the first 2 marines made would be trapped, giving them an impermeable defense vs the probes. Elky managed to kill a few probes not long before a cannon warped in and a zeal came and fended off the attack with Crystal sustaining minimal damage. Soon after, Elky began his onslaught of mines and tanks at astics front door. But astic had a myriad of gateways up, which eventually pumped out enough zeals to break the attack. After that Crystal was far ahead and kept sending zeals in while macroing and sealed the game.
2-1 Elky
Game 4
Map: Neo Bifrost
Matchup: PvT
The Game: Crystal started at 1, Elky started at 7. This was the non-cheese game of the series. Both players played relatively standard, with Elky early expanding to his natural and Crystal goon rushing and hitting the front and sneaking around the backside to kill a depot and some scv's. Both players macro'd well in this game. Elky abused the terrain grandly and as the replay will show, this should be the blueprint of basic TvP on Neo Bifrost.
3-1 Elky wins the series. (Replays will be posted soon)
Rekrul's Rating on the overall quality of the games in this match on a 1-10 scale, 1 being the worst 10 being the best, is a 3.
Elky gets revenge for his "agonizing" loss in the TL.net tournament. He also managed to get in some good practice games preceding his match vs Reach.
Since Elky won, he got to choose the player he will face in the next Team Liquid Exhibition Match. To all of your delight, I'm sure, he chose Blackman (Polish, 3rd at WCG, Zerg user). Elky got 4th at WCG and thinks that Blackman got an easier bracket (His claim is that Blackman didn't face anyone good other than Oddysay until he already had 3rd place secured). He was somewhat angered by this and now he has his chance for revenge. Stay Tuned!
