Jaedong < Stork @ Persona Jaedong > Stork @ Katrina Jaedong > Stork @ Fantasy II Jaedong > Stork @ Blue Storm Jaedong wins the OSL final 3-1 over Stork!
While there was a lot of talk about Stork and Jaedong “sucking” at, respectively, PvZ and ZvP, even the most pessimistic fan can probably agree that the two still fall within the top five players in the world in the two matchups. I went into this final feeling nothing but excitement; the two players looked like an exceedingly even match on paper. Both hovered around a 50% winning percentage in PvZ/ZvP. The map pool was varied and, while difficult for Protoss, not insurmountable. I went into this final knowing that one player would elevate his game beyond anything we’d seen from him before, and I was correct.
But which player would it be?
The first game of the Bo5 final took place on Persona. Stork made great use of his initial scouting probe, harassing drones and delaying Jaedong’s expansion with some well-placed pylons and fantastic micromanagement. Jaedong opted for a low-economy lurker build. Stork expanded quickly and started on two starports, the beginnings of a strategy revolving around corsairs and reavers. But it never got to that point. Jaedong, knowing that his build only had one chance to succeed, tore into Stork’s natural expansion with a small force of lurkers and zerglings. A “hero cannon” kept Jaedong's lurkers from taking up residence behind Stork’s natural mineral line. Jaedong conceded as Stork’s corsairs ripped into his overlords.
Check out the hero cannon!
I’ll confess Stork’s opening on Katrina had me concerned. “One gateway harassment?” I thought. “Is he insane?” But his opening proved effective due to his amazing micromanagement. Stork secured his natural in total safety as he forced zergling production and killed a few drones. Once he had a handle on Stork’s harassment, Jaedong started on mutalisks. At the same time, Stork was starting on a citadel and a stargate. So he was safe, right? Right?
Well, no.
For the second time in the game, I found myself asking if one of the players was insane. With Stork’s small fleet of corsairs and handful of cannons guarding his main nexus, Jaedong sent his mutalisks and scourge on what I believed was a suicide mission. When the dust settled over the scene, each and every one of Stork’s corsairs had died to a duo of scourge, and Jaedong’s mutalisks were happily firing away at Stork’s completely undefended nexus. Stork attempted to attack Jaedong with a force of zealots, but he conceded shortly after the attack failed.
I couldn’t manage to get a still image that summed up this attack. You have to watch it for yourself.
The first two games of the series were nice enough, but I was still “hungry” for some late-game management. Both games had involved one-shot timing attacks from Jaedong; I was left wondering if Jaedong had simply called up JulyZerg and said, “Hey, how do I beat this guy?” Thankfully, the game on Fantasy II satiated my hunger.
Stork opened with a fast expansion build. Jaedong went for a relatively fast spire, using scourge to keep Stork’s corsairs at bay. Stork took his island expansion and pumped corsairs as Jaedong expanded aggressively and produced upgraded hydralisks. From this point on, Jaedong was in total control. When Stork tried to reaver drop, Jaedong was there. When Stork tried to expand, Jaedong had a burrowed unit nearby. Jaedong showed what I can only describe as total map control. The game ended when he destroyed Stork’s island expansion with a massive drop and still had a large enough force on the mainland to thin and eventually crush Stork’s sizable land army.
DOOM.
The fourth game of the series took place on Blue Storm. Stork opened with a fast expansion, and Jaedong went for yet another relatively fast spire, produced a few scourge to deal with Stork’s corsairs, and expanded two more times. Then began The Jaedong Show. His map control was exquisite; he frustrated Stork’s every attempt to attack with an army of lurkers and upgraded zerglings. But it wasn’t until he reached hive tech that the true artistry began. I can’t really describe it; suffice to say, the word “abuse” was in the forefront of my mind during the remainder of the game. Stork would hammer and hammer away at Jaedong’s army, and he was constantly met with dark swarms, plagues, masses of inexpensive, fully-upgraded zerglings, and observer-slaughtering scourge. Jaedong added ultralisks only as a finishing move—over a dozen of them, to be exact. When Stork conceded the game, Jaedong rushed out of his booth and, after hugging his coach, made a beeline for, yes, his mother.
Absolutely brutal.
Credit for these videos goes to yakii and BaeZZi. + Show Spoiler +
I can't help but feel that games 2-4 were *boring*. Stork's play was uninspired. He didn't accomplish much (no attacks, a few useless harasses), went with strange strategies (most obviously DTs when J had overlords everywhere), and let J take all the initiative. Only in the second half of the 4th game did he light up, but then it was far too late. /my 2c
Geeze, I can't believe I almost left this thread without giving you props for this season's coverage DJ. Well done as always, carrying the most important tournament's coverage all on your own.
A couple of psionic storms may have helped stork with that incident going on in the third pic. + Show Spoiler +
But to be honest, I think stork got a little bit perturbed by the way that JD handled his zeal harassment and came back in the second game. Losing that second game that he felt was so in his hands threw him off in the third and fourth games. Until stork improves his mental game I don't see him becoming a champion.
Exactly what you say kramus. After game 1 I thought Stork was gonna dismantle Jaedong either 3-0 or 3-1. While watching game number 2 when stork was harassing his drones so brilliantly I thought omg Stork really is going to fuck up Jaedong bad. Great come back by jaedong with a flawless muta/scourge attack in game 2 gave him the mental strength to fuck stork in the ass. His ZvP looked as if he was playing ZvT, it was a cute different style. With the excitement of these games plus the appearance of lilsusie made this OSL final completely fun.
lol, stork will be the next yellow , raping everyone on his road and then fail miserably in the final his was second in last seasons msl and his second again,
On December 24 2007 09:08 kramus wrote: A couple of psionic storms may have helped stork with that incident going on in the third pic. + Show Spoiler +
But to be honest, I think stork got a little bit perturbed by the way that JD handled his zeal harassment and came back in the second game. Losing that second game that he felt was so in his hands threw him off in the third and fourth games. Until stork improves his mental game I don't see him becoming a champion.
The reaver there did kill like 20+ hydras on its own before the hydras finished killing the nexus and all the cannons and finally decided to attack it.
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Great coverage Etter! Besides your semifinals poems, I enjoyed every one of your write ups for this OSL.
There is only one Bisu, none else can deal with the PvZ at this level. Stork just lost in his games, in the same stupid way i lose many PvZ.
Game 1, do u mind if i win the noob mode and go all in? Stork minded.
Game 2, do u like muta? Unexpected and with the help of some imba scourges -> isy win. Corsair? LOL
Game 3, do u like mass expanding? You never have enough stuff to counter :-)
Game 4, do u like ling/ultra? The expansion at 6 made the difference ... attacking this point defended by sunk and lurk was a suicide mission but also the only way to win that match back. Stork attack almost succeded ... almost.
... my final consideration ...
Can a match where Z can use only basics units for 3/4 of the games and deal vs P tech 3 and then grab the victory easily with Ultra be balanced? My answer is NO, unless u are one in the world of course ...
Can a match where Z can use only basics units for 3/4 of the games and deal vs P tech 3 and then grab the victory easily with Ultra be balanced? My answer is NO, unless u are one in the world of course ...
Well.. if you add great use of lurkers all through the game (until ultras anyway),a build giving good upgrades, fighting downhills at all times, fantastic micro and one of the better map controls I've seen lately... then my answer is YES it is balanced but this time there were one superior player with a superior strategy.
On December 24 2007 18:00 IH4t3z3rg wrote: Can a match where Z can use only basics units for 3/4 of the games and deal vs P tech 3 and then grab the victory easily with Ultra be balanced? My answer is NO, unless u are one in the world of course ...
Thank you Baezzi, the enabler to my Starcraft addiction. Is there any place I can find a listing of videos on that site? (Reading Korean right about now would be really helpful -_-)
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