EPT![[image loading]](/staff/disciple/GSL/9_copy.jpg)
Banner by disciple. Pictures from playxp & FOMOS.
Whoever our champion may be on Saturday, it’ll mark another chapter in GSL history. While the process to find our first Terran champion was predictable and anticlimactic, our finalists could not have been any better. MVP kicked off the year with a 9 game tournament winning streak before it was snapped by none other than MarineKingPrime.WE. That loss was quickly erased as MVP came back and took the series 3-1, and never looked back since then. Now sitting at a record of 28-3 for 2011, MVP looks unstoppable as he yearns for his first title of the year.
MarineKingPrime.WE has seen similar success to his career, and has continuously pursued the top in search of his first gold. MarineKing’s unique style led him to peculiar situations that were the best rated games among the epic TvTs exhibited during GSL January. To avenge his loss in the Gainward playxp tournament, MarineKing will look to show MVP that his mobile style has been polished, and that he will not waste a second chance at a GSL title. It could not be any harder of a task. While Lee Jung Hoon may be the king of marines, MVP is the king of all terrans.
![[image loading]](/staff/Lovedrop/gsl4/finals/side2side.jpg)
IMMvp vs. MarineKingPrime.WESet 1: <Scrap Station>
Set 2: <Metalopolis>
Set 3: <Xel'Naga Caverns>
Set 4: <Blistering Sands>
Set 5: <Shakuras Plateau>
Set 6: <Lost Temple>
Set 7: <Jungle Basin>
Links and Resources:
- GSL January - Ro32-Ro8 Recap by Hot_Bid
- Liquid`Jinro - January Code S RO4 Foreigner Special by Lovedrop
- Liquid`Jinro & EG.IdrA - January Code S RO8 Foreigner Special by Lovedrop
- Liquid`Jinro - January Code S RO16 Foreigner Special by Lovedrop
- EG.IdrA - January Code S RO16 Foreigner Special by TrueRedemption
- Liquid`Jinro & EG.IdrA - January Code S RO32 Group H Foreigner Special by TrueRedemption
- "A New Year" - GSL January Preview by tree.hugger
- GSL Results and Standings / Brackets Thread by motbob
- http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/2011_Sony_Ericsson_Global_StarCraft_II_League_January
Semifinals Recap
Semifinals A
G1
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/images/blackstar.png)
3.5 - 
IMNesTea > 
IMMvp - + Show Spoiler [Show Recap] +NesTea plays it safe and go pool first, with mvp not pulling any strings and playing standard gas after barracks. MVP upgrades blue flame for his hellions and begins a CC right after, and brings 3 hellions to go harass. Nestea's beautiful positioning of spine crawlers and quick reaction minimizes drone damage taken, and MVP leaves unscathed. MVP pushes forward with a small army with hellions/tanks/marines, but NesTea gets in position to cut off reinforcements. NesTea counterattacks and wipes out the rest of MVP's forces at his main, and indecisive targetting at the other end halts MVP in his tracks. NesTea adds a hatch at his natural while expanding to the gold at the same time. With baneling threats and mutalisk harassment, MVP has a difficult time getting his gold up. Once maxed, NesTea charges in with his muta-baneling army and effectively end the game with a powerful and swift attack.
![[image loading]](/staff/Lovedrop/gsl4/recap/mvp1.jpg)
Denying the third.
Denying the third.
3.0 - IMNesTea < IMMvp - + Show Spoiler [Show Recap] +MVP fakes an aggresive bunker at NesTea's natural, but is forced to cancel as NesTea pulls a crazy amount of drones to defend. Seeing that MVP has walled in his natural for a soon to follow fast expand, NesTea immeadiately grabs a third. MVP techs up and grab a banshee in order to gain some map control, NesTea responds appropriately with spore crawlers at his bases. MVP drops additional barracks and breaks down his backdoor rocks, using it as an attacking path for his tank/marines army. Sieging his tanks on the low ground, MVP drops a small amount of marines and begins attacking NesTea's main. NesTea uses his mutalisks to pick off units coming to reinforce. NesTea finally decides to engage but a key siege tank blocking the ramp funnels the banelings into tank splash, and NesTea is unable to hold off MVP's attack. As MVP takes out the key tech structures, one last round of units for NesTea gets blown into pieces before he is forced to tap out.
![[image loading]](/staff/Lovedrop/gsl4/recap/mvp2.jpg)
Crucial tank block.
Crucial tank block.
2.5 - IMNesTea < IMMvp- + Show Spoiler [Show Recap] +Ignoring the long rush distance on Blistering Sands, MVP goes double barracks and then blocks off NesTea with bunkers at the ramp. The marines make it safely into the bunkers and NesTea's hatchery is now endangered. However, NesTea is able to keep his spine crawler alive while delaying the completion of additional bunkers and held off the rush fairly well. MVP expands with 3 additional barracks to follow, preparing for a combat shield + stim push. The spine crawler is killed with it being in the middle of nowhere, and MVP had little trouble tanking with his marauders and dealing massive damage from marines. NesTea loses his hatchery, and with no banelings leftover, NesTea resigns.
![[image loading]](/staff/Lovedrop/gsl4/recap/mvp3.jpg)
Narrow choke with marines = profit.
Narrow choke with marines = profit.
3.5 - IMNesTea < IMMvp - + Show Spoiler [Show Recap] +MVP 1 rax FE while NesTea safely goes hatch first on Jungle Basin, both looking to go for the longer game. This time, MVP delays his starport, prioritizing his tank tech and stim for marines. The refineries at the natural are only taken after he had enough minerals for defensive units. NesTea does a great amount of damage with his mutalisk harass, forcing several turrets and supply depots to be canceled, and catching the marines out of position repeatedly. Meanwhile, NesTea grabs the third at the center expansion. With enough defenses at his main, MVP pushes out from his pinned down position and attempt to take a third. The predictable positions of banelings were too obvious and MVP wastes little time to drop a scan and eliminate every single trap NesTea had laid down. A huge blunder by NesTea as his mutas skim by MVP's marines, resulting in a massacre that cut NesTea's mutalisk numbers in half. MVP siege hops down one of the alleyway, and the splash helped kill off enough banelings to ensure the survival of MVP's marines. After shutting down the third and NesTea's potential fourth on the left, MVP claims his own third and now the tanks are in front of NesTea's base. Facing elimination, NesTea desperate tries to push out of his own main entrance, but could not break the soft contain. MVP switches his attention to the right expansion. As the fourth is taken out, MVP moves on to the finals.
![[image loading]](/staff/Lovedrop/gsl4/recap/mvp4.jpg)
Typical MVP marine spread
Typical MVP marine spread
Semifinals B
G1
3.5 - MarineKingPrime.WE < Liquid`Jinro - + Show Spoiler [Show Recap] +G2 2.5 - MarineKingPrime.WE > Liquid`Jinro - + Show Spoiler [Show Recap] +G3 2.5 - MarineKingPrime.WE > Liquid`Jinro - + Show Spoiler [Show Recap] +G4 4.0 - MarineKingPrime.WE > Liquid`Jinro - + Show Spoiler [Show Recap] +MVP - By The Numbers
1 – Games lost by MVP through his GSL January run.
92 – MVP’s TvT win percentage in 2011's major tournaments.
12 – MVP’s longest game winning streak in 2011, snapped by NesTea in the semis.
MarineKingPrime - By The Numbers
2 – Games lost by MKP through his GSL January run.
27 – More televised TvT games MKP has played compared with MVP
3 – Final appearances in major leagues.
3 Things MVP will need to beat MKP
1. Don't underestimate. MVP may be the best player in Sc2 right now, but his GSL run has been extremely cushy. His first two group placements were extremely easy. TesteR is not MC. Against his teammate NesTea, he drew backdoor positions on Shakuras and got to close the series out on Jungle Basin. This final will be his toughest test yet by a mile. If MVP spent his practice time measuring his trophy case, he'll be in trouble here. His preparation cannot be in doubt for this series.
2. Stay ahead. MVP comes into this series as the favorite, and both players know it well. But this is MVP's first ever appearance on this big a stage, and he has only trailed once in this entire tournament. Meanwhile, MKP has experience on this stage and is an exceedingly resourceful player. If MVP drops the opening game or falls behind in the middle games, he may have more difficulty rebounding than will his opponent.
3. Scout, scout, scout. In his semi-final appearance, MKP undid the best laid plans of Liquid'Jinro with some seat-of-the-pants improvisation that Jinro routinely did not catch up on. MVP must be careful to avoid the same mistake. He cannot expect the same unit compositions from MKP, and he cannot expect the same timings. He's best off expecting the unexpected, and making sure he's not going to be surprised.
3 Things MarineKing will need to beat MVP
1. Abuse his mobility. MK’s unique style of TvT has caught many by surprise. It is highly probable that its success will diminish greatly as he shows his hand more and more, so he better make the most of it. MVP has been able to replicate this mobile MMM style with great success as well, so it’ll come down to whoever can maunever his way to victory.
2. Switch things up. No one likes a one trick pony. A quick cheese or high tech play (NaDa RO8 game 2 & Jinro RO4 game 3 comes to mind) grabbed MK wins in earlier rounds, and there’s no doubt that it can ultimately reproduce the same results against MVP.
3. Stay composed. Being the first player to make it back to the finals is tough. 2010 was marred by second placed runs, and that is definitely a factor still lingering in his mind. MK has got to get rid of the notion of potential silver surfer, and focus for his A-game.
Staff Predictions
tree.hugger:
IMMvp <2-4> MarineKingPrime.WE - + Show Spoiler +The crucial difference between MVP and MKP is the middle letter. "K" comes before "V" in the alphabet, so I'm going with the king. Also, he's scrappy as hell.
Xxio:
IMMvp <4-1> MarineKingPrime.WE - + Show Spoiler +Too often MKP wins through gimmicks or an opponent's mistake, and not often enough by robust strategy. MVP will rock him.
Lovedrop:
IMMvp <4-2> MarineKingPrime.WE - + Show Spoiler +MVP has shown he's a class above current Terrans & has won convincingly over MKP in recent games. MKP will improve to take a game or two off of MVP, but he won't be able to overcome this hurdle.
Hot_Bid:
IMMvp <3-4> MarineKingPrime.WE - + Show Spoiler +Both players are going to make a lot of marines. They're going to play MKP's style, with at least a few of the games coming down to weird, non-standard late games, situations where MKP thrives. MarineKing will find a way.
Next: Finals Recap
Lovedrop recaps the IMMvp and MarineKingPrime.WE final taking place in approximately 8 hours ! Expect battle reports, analysis, and our infamous awards for the season ! Thanks for reading !
