2007 EVER OSL - Nov 30

2007 EVER OSL - Nov 30 - Ro8-2/3

DJEtterStyle

United States2766 Posts

December 01 2007 20:54 GMT

Thanks to KizZBG for this amazing banner!
OSL Ro8-2/3
30 November 2007

Results
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Up < Hwasin @ Blue Storm
Up > Hwasin @ Katrina
Up advances 2-1 to the semifinals!
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Jaedong < Light @ Fantasy II
Jaedong > Light @ Persona
Jaedong advances 2-1 to the semifinals!
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Bisu > Savior @ Katrina
Bisu > Savior @ Fantasy II
Bisu advances 2-1 to the semifinals!
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Stork < Flash @ Persona
Stork > Flash @ Blue Storm
Stork advances 2-1 to the semifinals!

Supplemental Links
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GrandInquisitor's Results & Standings
.dragoon’s Live Report Thread

DON'T MISS FAKESTEVE'S BRAND-NEW POWER RANK. COMMENT ON IT HERE.

I know what you’re thinking. Well, maybe I don’t, but I’m sure some of you are thinking, “There were eight games this week. Is he going to try to write reports on all of them? Won’t this news post balloon to two or three times its normal size?”

Yeah, probably.

Up’s game against Hwasin on Blue Storm did not bode well for the evening. Up tried to build a proxy barracks inside of Hwasin’s base, and Hwasin caught him in the act. Hwasin then seized his economic advantage and used it to pressure Up into submission with two marines and, later, a sizable force of vultures.

Somehow, Up, I don’t think that lone wraith is going to cut it.
In stark contrast to their first game of the evening, Up and Hwasin’s game on Katrina was phenomenal. The two consistently matched each other in expansions, with Hwasin applying non-stop pressure. Up defended admirably, and when the time came for him to strike back, he did so without hesitation. With Hwasin’s army halfway across the map at Up’s newest expansion, Up struck in much the same way that Zergs frequently do, trading an insignificant expansion for a significant one. Up then halted the inevitable counterattack upon one of his significant expansions. From there, Up’s army never seemed to be out of place. He completely dictated the remainder of the game.

The beginning of the end for Hwasin.
Jaedong vs. Light on Fantasy II was uninteresting. Jaedong opted for a high-pressure, two-hatchery mutalisk build against Light’s fast expansion. Light eventually outlasted Jaedong’s harassment and moved out with a force of marines and medics for the win.

From time to time, Jaedong can’t win a game with mutalisks alone.
In his game against Jaedong on Persona, Light was, in a word, late. By the time his vultures arrived, Jaedong was prepared for them. When his wraiths showed up, Jaedong was prepared for them. And by the time Light got around to filling his four dropships with infantry, Jaedong had a doom drop of his own prepared—a much larger one.

Even this picture fails to adequately illustrate just how much trouble Light is in.
I cannot stress this enough: watch Bisu vs. Savior on Katrina immediately. If you’ve already seen it, watch it again.

Only Bisu could turn this…

… into this.
Bisu’s game against Savior on Fantasy II was reminiscent of his game against GGPlay earlier in the OSL. Bisu dominated from to start finish, harassing effectively and expanding when and where he desired. Though Savior put up a stronger showing than GGPlay, Bisu was never in any sort of danger.

Please direct your eyes to the minimap.
In his post-game interview, Stork said, “I prepared a lot, but my hands weren't cooperating today” (HonestTea, source). After watching his game against Flash on Persona, I believe him. Stork crumbled against Flash’s early vultures and delayed push. His only offensive actions (and they really were offensive) involved losing reavers carelessly and hurling units into spider mines.

Somehow, I don’t think a reaver is going to be quite enough.
In their game on Blue Storm, Stork opted for a two-gate zealot expansion build. Flash responded with a two-factory push. Stork managed to halt the push with some miraculous reaver use as he transitioned directly into carriers. True to form, Flash conceded at the first sight of Stork’s interceptor-laden blimps.

Only Stork would consider this a fair fight.
Credit for these videos goes to yakii and BaeZZi.
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Up vs. Hwasin @ Blue Storm
Up vs. Hwasin @ Katrina
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Jaedong vs. Light @ Fantasy II
Jaedong vs. Light @ Persona
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Bisu vs. Savior @ Katrina
Bisu vs. Savior @ Fantasy II
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Flash vs. Stork @ Persona
Flash vs. Stork @ Blue Storm

All credit for creating and maintaining this incredibly cool bracket goes to pachi.
Next week, we’re being treated to a match that has the potential to be amazing or horrible. Will Up elevate his play to Jaedong’s level? Will he trust in his off-the-wall builds? Or will he lose horribly to the newest master of ZvT?

Predictions
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I like Up a lot, but I can’t imagine a situation in which he would win more than one game against Jaedong in a Bo5 on such a Zerg-friendly set of maps. Blue Storm, Fantasy II, and Persona are all excellent ZvT maps, and even Katrina isn’t that bad for Zergs. Still, Up is an unpredictable and intelligent player with nothing to lose; no one expects him to win this series, which makes him a dangerous opponent.

ShaLLoW[baY]

Canada12499 Posts

December 01 2007 21:28 GMT

I seriously seriously seriously seriously want UpMagiC to take the whole thing. Thanks for the analysis Etter