EPT![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/pachi/front/batoo_starleague.jpg)
This is a first, an OSL report just moments after the games have been played. But that's for a very good reason this week. And that is, that the games this week were awful. Not below average, they were abysmal in every sense of the word. There is one bright sign from this weeks groups though, and we'll cover that in due course. My only hope is that this round of the OSL is eliminating all the trash so that the real OSL will be filled with action packed awesome games. But with players like Bisu missing, that doesn't look too likely as a reality. Anyway, onto the terrible games...
Group I
 |  |  |  |  |
 YellOw | Tears of the Moon | Medusa | Return of the King |  910 |
| 43 - 31 | 17-13 | 1-4 | 6-5 | 4 - 6 |
910 was never expected to do anything in this group. And that's exactly what he delivered. In fact, I'm reasonably sure that he felt the same way about his presence in the OSL for reasons which will be made apparent. So in Game 1 910 actually comes equipped with a good game plan - fake mech into 3 rax. However, Yarnc doesn't fall for it one bit, and after fast lair with both hydra and muta tech, builds 3 hydras and moves out and pressures 910 while building mutas. 910 sees the Hydras move out and moves out with his own mnm force and squelches the three hydralisks. Well, that is until 8~ Mutalisks are glaring over head. It isn't long before Yarnc dissects 910 with sublime Mutalisk control and takes the first game without breaking a sweat.
In game 2, 910 opted to play the standard FE into Mech on Medusa. Yarnc on the other hand plays 12 pool to pressure the wall and make scouting and life difficult for 910. He then techs a very fast lair like before and adds a spire once again. 910 proceeds to continue with his mech play and by the time he has a handful of Goliaths, Yarnc has already mustered up a small mutalisk army and proceeds to wrangle the life out of 910's units. It isn't long before Yarnc is also pressuring 910's wall and busts through into 910s natural sealing the game for him. Yarnc advances easily with a 2-0 win.
Up next was none other than the mighty Rock, as was the game of the night. Game 1 actually started very well for Rock, he opened with his pylon in his main and was able to pull off a decent hatch stall against Yarnc. Yarnc had opened 9 pool, as one would expect, and as a result, once Rock moved out with his first army Yarnc wasn't in the best position to defend. But Rock is Rock, and he managed to lose a dragoon for absolutely nothing and hence lose the sting in his attack. Yarnc followed up with both Lurker and Mutalisk tech.
Rock had already anticipated Yarnc going Mutalisk and had produced a good number of Corsairs to tend to the threat. Once Yarnc sees the Corsairs he quickly scampers away without suffering any major damage. However with his Mutalisk's hiding in fear, Rock was free to kill a huge number of Overlords with his Corsairs and looked poised to take the game. With his lead, the only thing hampering him was the lack of an expo - which was being stalled by a few lurkers. Rock cleared them out with his brand new reavers and took his expo, finally.
Yarnc was not about to give up on this game. He powered everything he had into replacing his lost overlords and a brand new Hydra/Lurker army. While Rock was still waiting for the economic boost from his economy, Yarnc had prepared one last mass drop to save the game. And the mass drop completely devastated Rock and killed off all his detection and templar tech. With Rock now holding on by the skin of his teeth, Yarnc was free to power hard and stall Rock some more with minor Lurker drops here and there. After awhile, Yarnc had amassed a very impressive army of Lurker/Hydra and contains Rock.
With copious numbers of Lurkers, Yarnc successfully prevents Rock from getting out or taking his third and vastly out expands Rock. Rock, on the other hand, has many units randomly idling around his base not serving any useful purpose. It isn't long before Yarnc seizes control of Rock's natural and with it, the game. Yarnc takes the game of the week easily from a really disadvantageous position in the early game.
With a really difficult game behind him, Yarnc was in no mood for messing around in game 2. Despite Rock's perfect cannon timing for Yarncs 9 pool, Yarnc was able to do a run-by and get 5 lings into Rock's main. From there the game was easy, Yarnc picked off 8-10 probes with his lings and from that massive economic disadvantage the game was well and truly lost. Yarnc simply teched up a bit while harassing, and then rushed Rock's wall with Lurker/Ling and broke it with ease. Yarnc advances into the OSL with a cool 4-0 score.
Group J
 | | | |  |
| HiyA | Tears of the Moon | Medusa | Return of the King |  YoonJoong |
| 10 - 6 | 3-1 | 11-23 | 9-8 | 2 - 10 |
If the last group wasn't depressing enough, this group certainly would make you want to slit your eyes. There was quite a bit of expectation from the community on HiyA to perform and well, he did not step up to that challenge. Both players opened standard on Tears of the Moon and HiyA tried to execute an fd rush. Obviously, as most Protoss will tell you, fd rushes are really easy to stop now. I don't think anyone told HiyA that - and his entire rush force was destroyed by YoonJoong's dragoon force.
Nothing much else happened, YoonJoong continued to produce units off two base, then took his third at the usual timing. Then HiyA decided to push out at about 64 supply with a tank heavy army. While normally this would be scary for a Protoss, Shuttle had enough flank room and a Shuttle full of Zealots to stop the push. With minimal vultures, HiyA stood no chance against YoonJoong and YoonJoong effortlessly pushed through HiyA and basically won the game right there. A few minutes of sloppy control later, and YoonJoong had taken the game and gone 1-0 up.
Game two was equally as bad as the first. YoonJoong opened with a 2-gate pressure build and just about killed one of HiyA supplies in his supply wall, but retreated as siege-mode finished. YoonJoong decided to stay on one base, and kept up the pressure by producing more dragoons, a shuttle, and a few zealots. Next he moved out as if his shuttle has a Reaver, which was scouted by HiyA, and then attacked HiyA's natural. HiyA managed to defend with a cute SCV wall - but lost all but one of his tanks.
After reducing HiyA's tank count, YoonJoong returned home to pick up his Reaver and elevated his new army up onto the high-ground arm of HiyA's base. He then marched his army into HiyA's main and did significant damage - and at that moment that game was beyond repair for HiyA. One or two more attacks was all it took for YoonJoong to topple HiyA and move on to take on Luxury for a spot in the OSL.
Those who expected great games from this series, myself included, were left bitterly disappointed. These games were beyond abysmal. In fact, I know no word in my vocabulary that can appropriately describe my disgust at this series. Game 1 was Luxury emulating by.hero with a 3hatch ling run-by. YoonJoong went out to pressure with three early Zealots, which were raped by lots of Zerglings - and with those Zealots lost and only one cannon at home there was nothing he could do to stop the onslaught of 3hat ling (despite Luxurys poor micro). Game 2 was Luxury going 5 pool into 3 hatch mutalisk. Needless to say, YoonJoong couldn't defend yet again (cannon timing was off) and proceeded to get raped in a boring fashion. Well done Luxury, you cheesed your way into the OSL over YoonJoong of all people.
And that is what happen this week in the OSL... depressing, isn't it?
Next weeks games don't promise to be any better, although I guess getting to watch July and Jaedong destroy should be pretty fun. Oh and maybe Really will perform finally. Anyway, a full preview will be released closer to the date. But for now take solace in the thought that this is the last week of OSL Round 1 and that the really good games should be happening very soon in Round 2. But for now, that is all!
Plexa
