EPT
TeamLiquid.net KTF-fimm Game of the Week:
Kingdom (Park Yong Ook) v [Red]Nada (Lee Yoon Yeol) on Nostalgia
While Nada (terran at five) opted for a one factory early expo build, his opponent had a surprise up his sleeve in the shape of a one gate fast carrier opening. Kingdom (protoss at 11) moved up to three gateways and took his natural as he waited for his first capital ship to arrive. #image# However, once Nada had a comsat station and started work on an armoury, he went on the offensive, no doubt realising Kingdom would be undermanned in terms of ground forces. The machine terran's army of tanks and vultures met little resistance as they set up near the protoss natural and immediately obliterated the nexus while under fire from the first carrier (picture left).
Kingdom's strategy had received a major setback but he immediately restarted a nexus at his natural and a new expo at 12, while in the terran main goliaths were rolling off the production lines. Nada had a new expansion at six and was working on a command centre at seven. Kingdom's first shuttle headed towards the six position but blundered into an army of goliaths, tried swerve away from the hail of fire but was destroyed.
Nada now moved his forces out to towards the centre, setting off an unpredictable chain of expansion demolition. Nada headed for 12, while Kingdom's growing carrier fleet picked off a new command centre at nine. As Nada's tanks and goliaths battered the 12 o'clock nexus Kingdom's dragoons and carriers feinted towards the terran natural then moved towards six. The undefended six expo folded but at the top of the map Nada was looking to deliver a killing blow as he closed in on the protoss natural for a second time.
Even as Kingdom's carriers took down yet another expansion at seven his own natural was wiped off the face of the map and the terran army surged up the ramp and into the protoss main (right). Nada had reinforced his own natural, safeguarding his mineral flow in the short term and Kingdom's army and airforce hurried back to save his own main base. The terran attackers were destroyed but Kingdom's mineral flow had been cut off. He did have a warping expo at the one o'clock position but Nada launched a lightning raid with goliaths, breaking through a barrier of pylons, to kill off the nexus
Kingdom's forces made a desperate bid to take down the terran natural (left) but returning goliaths ended the attempt and Nada had somehow found the resources to put up command centres at seven and three.The seven expo fell quickly as Kingdom attacked with carriers and dragoons but Nada was building new expansions faster than the protoss pro could destroy them and he had a new command centre at one.Kingdom's Devil Toss supporters, wielding miniature red tridents, watched in dismay as it became apparent that the end was near. Kingdom's dragoons were caught by Nada's growing army and were destroyed and his attempt to take out the one o'clock expansion came to nothing as Nada's goliaths rallied to frighten off the depleted air force. With only a meagre force of carriers and no resources, Kingdom conceded the game.
Other games:
Xellos (Seo Ji Hoon) v Chojja (Jo Yong Ho) on Luna
Chojja has looked in superb form in recent weeks, notching up a string of impressive wins to join the league leaders. He expanded early here against and teched to lurker as Xellos (terran at five) went for a two starport build. Chojja (zerg at 11) responded to overlord harassment with a quick evolution chamber as he fended off the early wraiths with hydra to buy time to morph spore colonies. As Chojja probed for an opening in the terran defences, Xellos took his natural. However, Chojja had been waiting for overlord transport and his massed hydras boarded for the short flight into the terran main. Wraiths and turrets could do nothing as the hyrdras and lurkers dropped and started laying waste to the terran base. Xellos' defenders struggled to put out the fire as his marines were shredded by lurkers. The MBC Game camera showed a stream of hydralisks and lurkers heading towards the terran natural, hitting it hard and forcing the command centre to lift. Xellos managed to stay in the game by holding his ramp and hit back with dropped marines taking down a new zerg expansion at one. Chojja poured on the pressure with a second, even bigger drop into the terran main, forcing the SCVs to flee to the re-established natural and the command centre to lift. The attackers obliterated the terran supply depots. Chojja now had queens flying over the moonscape. Xellos made a desperate attempt to go on the offensive with marines and tanks but was forced back and as he saw his command centre infested by the swarm he typed out.
ArtofHan (Han Oong Nyeol) v Rage (Kim Hwan Joong) on Luna
Rage was coming off his first win of the tournament while Han was looking to build on his strong showing so far as the two clashed on Luna. Han (terran at two) opened with a one factory expo build, Rage (protoss at 11) opted for two gate ranged dragoons. Having established his expansion Han quickly moved up to five, then six, factories and started to mass metal. As Han started to push across the high part of the map towards the protoss base Rage tried to circle low and break or at least delay the terran attackers but never seemed to have the sheer numbers needed to resist the push. Han rolled into the protoss natural then main in a routine heavy metal mashing.
[Oops]Reach (Park Jeong Seok) v Terato (Park Jeong Kil) on Arizona
A tricky opening from both players, both opting for somewhat ineffective manner pylon with Terato throwing in a gas rush for good measure. Once both players had cleared their mains of enemy structures Reach quickly took command, having destroyed a few probes with well-microed zealot harassment. Reach moved up to three gates and attacked, out-gunning his opponent and forcing Terato to retreat into his main. Reach immediately took his natural and started to turn the macro screw. Reach had established his natural and moved up to five gates, while Terato was still mining off his main and trying to get some counterplay with reavers. Reach spotted the support bay with his observer and kept a close eye on his mineral lines. The game was decided in the first major engagement as Reach took down one reaver and his opponent's shuttle and persuaded him the game was a lost cause.
Boxer (Lim Yo Hwan) v July Zerg (Park Seong Joon) on Luna
July (zerg at two) opened with a standard early expo build while Boxer went for three barracks and started recruiting a sizable force of marines very early as it became clear he was going to try to overwhelm his opponent quickly with infantry. Boxer launched his infantry at the zerg base, attempting to take down four sunkens. However, his force was supported by exactly zero medics and no firebats and proved no match for the zerg static defences. July had teched to lurker and had a spire coming, while Boxer had established his natural but still had no factory. July's rapidly growing forces attacked, his seven lurkers facing no resistance as Boxer's unsupported infantry was shredded. Seven lurkers overwhelmed the terran position to secure an easy win.
KTF-fimm League standings:
Chojja 6 - 3
July Zerg 6 - 3
[Oops]Reach 6 - 3
[Red]Nada 6 - 3
ArtofHan 5 - 4
Boxer 4 - 5
Xellos 4 - 5
Kingdom 3 - 6
Terato 3 - 6
Rage 1 - 8
TeamLiquid.net KT Megapass Game of the Week:
Sync (Byeon Kil Seop) v GoRush (Park Tae Min) on Arizona
GoRush (pictured left) has continued to put in strong performances and his record yet puts him within striking distance of leader Yellow, who he is yet to play. GoRush (zerg at five) went for a pool first followed by expansion, rapidly teching to lair and den. Sync (terran at two) opted for one barracks, factory and starport.Sync caused early irritation with a single vulture skidding around the zerg main. GoRush quickly started morphing his spire while expanding to six. Sync, had been unable to do much damage with his wraith and put up two more barracks as he looked to switch to infantry. By the time he had three barracks, with science vessels now available, GoRush was expanding again to nine and started morphing a queen's nest.
Despite still having no tanks, not even a machine shop on his single factory, Sync went on the offensive with his sizable infantry force supported by vessels overhead. GoRush had expanded again to 11 and was mining at positions all over the map undisturbed. Sync held position outside the zerg natural, facing a host of lurkers and four sunken colonies. In his main GoRush had a hive and was morphing in a defiler mound and a greater spire, readying to break the terran forces outside his base.
Sync now took his natural and at last took action to retard the growing zerg economy, with a group of marines destroying the undefended hatchery at 11.The zerg now started a steady advance, pushing out from their natural under cover of dark swarm. Mutalisks had now retreated into their cocoons ready to take on guardian aspect and in the zerg main the never ending stream of tech continued, with a morphing ultralisk cavern. GoRush now attacked from two directions, guardians picking off SCVs and marines from off the terran natural while the zerg ground forces continued their advance at right centre. Sync had put up a command centre at 11 but he was now at the whim of the surging swarm. Ultralisks, lurkers and zerglings charged forward under dark swarm, soon to be supported by hydrlisks and scourge ready to pick off science vessels.
The zerg army took down the terran natural, sending the SCVs fleeing back to their main (as shown left), hydralisks destroying the command centre as it tried to lift to safety.The swarm diverted to 11 and broke into the new expansion, followed by a deciding engagement in the centre, scattering the remnants of the terran army and forcing Sync to quit.
GoRush wins yet again and keeps the pressure on Yellow at the top of the KT Megapass League, as well as adding to his scintillating record against the top terrans, offing Oov, Nada and now Sync.
Other games:
Nal_Ra (Kang Min) v TheMarine (Kim Jeong Min) on Nostalgia
Ra (protoss at seven) opted for two gate ranged dragoons, with TheMarine (terran at one) opening with a one factory expansion build. Both player quickly took their natural expansions and as the terran forces moved out to the centre, Ra warped in a stargate and fleet beacon. Ra held off the terran army while waiting for carriers to become available. As Ra waited, TheMarine expanded to three and 11 and later to five also. Ra's carriers fleet moved to attack 11 and as TheMarine moved his goliaths to try to defend the protoss ground forces tried to break through in the centre but failing. The terran ground army moved on the six expansion, destroying it then heading for the new protoss nexus at nine. After taking down the expansion at 12, Ra defended his own expansion at nine furiously with a shield battery assisting his carriers against the terran goliaths. Eventually the expo fell but Ra took took advantage of his carriers' mobility to destroy the command centres at three and five. However, he was now out of resources and the game hinged on whether he could destroy the re-established terran expansion at 12. TheMarine put up determined resistance and gradually picked off the protoss carriers until Ra realised it was a hopeless cause and typed out.
GoodFriend (Lee Byeong Min) v IntotheRainbow (Kim Seong Jae) on Luna
Rainbow was looking to build on his success from last week against the unpredictable GoodFriend. Friend (terran at two) attacked early with marines, one tank and one vulture and the situation looked dangerous for Rainbow (protoss at seven) who was in the middle of a one gate reaver build. He microed his dragoons effectively to destroy spider mines and neutralise the offensive before countering with a devastating reaver drop at the turretless terran base, oblitering a host of SCVs and turning Friend's intended one factory expo build into a one factory no expo build. Rainbow came back with a second reaver drop, microing to take out more SCVs against the bewildered Friend, before following his natural with an expansion at six. Rainbow did not let up and a dark templar drop set the terran army back again, with Rainbow intentionally dragging two mines into the terran miners. Friend had managed to establish his natural but lost even more SCVs to a high templar drop. Rainbow delivered the coup de grace with a combined zealot, dragoon, carrier assault on the undermanned terran army.
Yellow (Hong Jin Ho) v Mumyung (Seong Hak Seung) on Luna
A routine game, with both players following the familiar pool, lair, spire path and the game being decided by mutalisk superiority. Yellow won the first major battle at the 10 minute mark after an ill-advised Mumyung attack. Yellow started to increase his advantage and Mumyung launched a desperate ling attack into the enemy main, managing to destroy Yellow's spire. However, this simply galvanised Yellow into immediately launching his significantly superior airforce at the opposing main. Mumyung could not defend his expansion and quickly quit.
Iloveoov (Choi Yeon Seong) v Cloud (Cha Jae Ook) on Luna
Oov (terran at one) opted for two factories with double machine shop, while Cloud (terran at five) went for quick starport and armoury after he had put up two factories of his own. Oov spotted the starport with his floating barracks and started erecting an armoury. As Cloud's first wraith swooped in to harass the enemy main Oov launched fast counter with tanks and marines. Cloud's main looked in danger but he rallied SCVs and dropped in some goliaths to obliterate the attacking tanks and stabilise his position. Having knocked out Oov's early tanks Cloud set up a containment near Oov's natural, his tanks preventing Oov from setting up his expansion. Cloud took his own natural and started to utilise his economic advantage. Oov made desperate attempts to ferry units out by dropship to attack Cloud's expansion, failing utterly. In a final attempt to break the containment he sent his SCVs at the enemy tanks. At the same moment his tanks were destroying the advancing miners, Cloud dropped the enemy main and Oov conceded.
KT-Megapass League standings:
Yellow 7 - 2
GoRush 6 - 3
Cloud 5 - 4
Sync 5 - 4
TheMarine 5 - 4
Goodfriend 4 - 5
Iloveoov 4 - 5
Mumyung 4 - 5
Nal_Ra 3 - 6
IntotheRainbow 3 - 6
And the TeamLiquid.net Player of the Week award goes to the machine terran, [Red]Nada. Nada made all the right moves against Kingdom's fast carrier build and his relentless macro and expansion overpowered the Devil Toss in an entertaining encounter.
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