EPT![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Tadzio/LSMSL/mslbanner14.jpg)
This week I will rate the eight MSL games based on the amount of awesomeness they showed. My criteria went like this: If I yelled at my computer, spilled my drink, or had my wife ask me why I was chanting the name of a Korea teenager out loud, then the game gained points. If I closed the game window to download the newest episode of COPS, talk to FakeSteve on MSN, or ban someone, it lost points. I’ll stop there as it is all very scientific and complicated.
Anyway, if you haven’t watched them, this should help you decide which games to spend your time on. If you have watched them, this will give you time to spew your disdain at my choices all over this thread. To be honest, I was hoping to get some material to pound out some scathing attacks on the players, but all things considered, it was a great great week of MSL games!
Number One: Luxury vs Hwasin on Destination
While this might not have been, *ahem*, the most technically perfect game of the week, it surely was the most entertaining. Both players went retro, breaking out strategies from 2002 or so, with Hwasin deciding against expanding and Luxury sticking with a two base macro pump. This was the SC version of Ward vs Gatti, and in the end the casualty count showed there were no true winners. Watch it now and be highly entertained, but also be warned. If you are the type of person who likes mistake-free SC, move along.
Number Two: Savior vs UpMagic on Carthage
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
“Oops, sorry, didn’t see you come in there. Don’t mind me, just sitting here watching some StarCraft? What? The tissue? Oh, I was just … crying … because … his play was so beautiful. Really.”
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
Now he's back and things'll be fine
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
You're gonna be sorry you were ever born
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
(Hey he knows I wasn't cheatin'!)
(Now you're gonna get a beatin'!)
Game Three: NaDa vs Tempest on Destination
I heard some people call this game cheese. CHEESE! Darth Vader disagrees with you and gives this game two black vinyl thumbs up. Just to recap, Tempest tries for the ballsy 14 nexus into gas steal. NaDa laughs, blocks him like the chump he is, and then floats a second factory into the back of Tempest’s main. After that, I sat there with a big dopey grin on my face because NaDa’s micro was so great. This is why NaDa vs Jangbi is going to happen in the next round, and why it will be glorious.
Game Four: Jangbi vs Frozen
To be honest, when I started this I didn’t think Frozen was going to be a contender for anything in the top five. (I wasn’t alone, fan voting gave Jangbi a 95% chance of winning). However, his game against Jangbi was really close, and really good. Jangbi was eating some huge pressure in the mid game, but managed to escape a containment with a couple good stasis’. From that point Jangbi was able to save his expansions and attack with recalls. Very entertaining.
Game Five: Flash vs Leta
Flash is 14-2 and we are only halfway through the month of February. To put this in perspective, the most games Yellow ever played in a whole month was 15 (and that was because of the bizarre KPGA Championship league). Not to sound old but man, things have changed. For Flash though, he just keeps getting stronger. He shrugged off everyone’s favorite shiny toy Leta, as the two factory attack on his expansion failed. After that, he switched up to cloaked wraiths to keep Leta off balance, then dominated him up the map. Leta wasn’t even able to mine a third expansion. Despite how much he plays, Flash continues to improve.
Game Six: free vs ForGG on Destination
This was like a mouse poker game. “I see your cheese” (proxy gate/manner pylon) “and raise you MORE cheese!” (proxy fac). Sigh, poor free. I want to cheer for him but he makes it so hard.
Game Seven: Stork vs Kwanro on
Look, nothing against Kwanro. He did what he did. He had nice micro. His build worked. He won the game. But STORK. CMON MAN! You are making dopey guys like Kwanro look like S-Class progamers. Even your coach thinks so:
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Manifesto7/januaryfacepalm.jpg)
Game Eight: Yellow[arnc] vs ZerO on Destination
It wasn’t that this game was bad, it was just so lopsided that it is more of a pity festival than anything. Yarnc, who had already played in winners league (more than once) that day dropped a hidden expo and then kicked sand in ZerO’s face for ten minutes. Then it was over. Big bully.
(sorry, not VOD for this one).
Bracket Contest! Naked Girls!
Ok, the second part is a lie. But, if you successfully fill out this bracket, then the $50 dollars I will send you will buy you some drinks in a strip club ^^
Anyway, the rules are simple. DL the bracket photo, kindly made by jwd241224. (He wont eh bracket making contest by default, and gets three entries) Decide the result of each matchup, and the eventual winner. PM THE BRACKET TO ME, IF YOU POST IT HERE ONLY IT WON’T COUNT.
The person who successfully predicts the entire bracket will get fifty bucks! If two or more people guess correctly we will have a hilarious contest to see who wins it. I’m not made of money. Cotest closes before the games start on Thursday.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Manifesto7/lostsaga_msl_bracket.jpg)
Good luck!
Just a heads up, next week game two AND three of each series is played. There could be some long nights ahead. Eat well, exercise, and don’t sleep.
Cheers,
Mani.
![[image loading]](/staff/Fzero/lostsaga_msl_bracket.jpg)
