[DHW] Our New HerO

Game 1 was on Metalopolis with the players spawning in close air positions; HerO at the 7 o’clock and PuMa at the 9 o’clock. Puma goes a gasless 1 barracks into a fast CC with a 4 barracks follow up. HerO opens with a 1 gateway cybernetics core into a robo off 1 base, while gearing up for an expansion

PuMa gears up for a mass marine push as he pumps from his four barracks but as he attempts to send an initial scouting party, HerO’s insane micro snipes 3 marines and an scv with 1 stalker as PuMa attempts to seize the Xel Naga tower. HerO attempts to tech to colossus but it seems to be too little too late.



PuMa completes his concussive shells upgrade and transitions into marauders out of 4 barracks. HerO is doing his best to delay until his colossus is ready. With some great scans, PuMa manages to snipe an immortal!



Somehow HerO delays long enough to get his colossus out, and with the help of guardian shield he is able to fend off PuMa’s push without taking too much damage.



Feeling comfortable, HerO goes for some warp prism play and sets up for a 2 pronged attack at the front and back of PuMa’s base. HerO feels like he is in a good spot to do damage as he warps in zealots at PuMa’s mineral line.



PuMa, in a moment of brilliance, takes a small squad of marauders around the map to snipe the proxy pylon!



And crush HerO’s forces in an incredibly well executed flank attack that left HerO unable to forcefield PuMa’s bio ball.



After losing his entire standing army, HerO is left exposed at home; PuMa advances and ruthlessly forces the GG from HerO, topping it off with some manner mules.


PuMa 1 - 0 HerO

Game 2 is on Daybreak with PuMa spawning at the 1 o’clock and HerO at the 7 o’clock. This is widely considered a Protoss map and HerO demonstrates his comfort with the map by going Nexus first. PuMa sticks to his 1 barrack into fast CC build.

HerO follows up his fast Nexus with 4 gateways, while PuMa builds 3 barracks and double gas. After allowing PuMa’s bio ball to take down the rocks at the centre of the map, HerO engages the handful of marines and marauders with a sentry, zealots and some stalkers.



While HerO was crushing the small group of units in the middle of the map, he warped in a small squad of zealots and sentries to assault the natural of PuMa. This forced scvs to be pulled as HerO’s forces from the middle of the map joined the party.



HerO attempts to force the issue but apparently repair is a really good skill and he cannot bust through the supply depot wall



HerO transitions into double forge play while taking his third base. PuMa is contained on one base allowing HerO to secure a 24 supply lead. With great forcefields and micro HerO snipes units from the low ground.



After seeing that PuMa has stim and medivacs out, HerO retreats but not before sniping a tech lab just before combat shields finishes reasearching. While contained, PuMa teched to ghosts, hoping for some superhuman EMPs to get him back into the game.



And just in case the ghosts weren’t enough, PuMa brought all of his scvs along for the party. The problem with this is – HerO is just to good!



All i can say is.. HOLY FORCEFIELD BATMAN!



HerO ties the series up at 1 game each

Game 3 begins on Dual sight with HerO spawning at the 3 o’clock and PuMa at the 8 o’clock. PuMa quickly denies HerO’s probe scout with a wall off while taking his gas. This is unlike like games 1 and 2 where PuMa opted for a wall in and fast CC.

As this map is Dual Sight, HerO must be expecting some 1/1/1 shenanigans and he was pretty accurate. However, he responds by going stargate! HerO begins pumping phoenixes while PuMa is setting up his 1/1/1 with cloaked banshees.

HerO’s phoenix and observer timing is just too much for PuMa to handle!



After his banshees had been completely nullified; HerO continues to harass with his phoenixes, sniping siege tanks, scvs and MULEs. After realising that his 1 base play was useless, PuMa GGs!



PuMa 1 - 2 HerO

Game Four begins on Tal’Darim Altar with PuMa spawning at the bottom left and HerO at the top right. PuMa opts for his standard 1 barracks into fast CC opening. HerO spots the fast CC and drops 2 more gateways as he begins to head for a 3 gate pressure push. PuMa thought he was safe with the bunker at his front door, but apparently stalkers have legs and can walk past these immobile structures. Not only did HerO walk past the bunker, but he gained vision of the high ground.



This was the beginning of the end for PuMa on this map;



After realising the lead he had taken, HerO backs away. PuMa was incredibly skilled to survive HerO’s push and looked to play catch up. PuMa pushed across the map with a small bio ball but HerO’s forcefields were just too much to handle.



It was only a matter of time before HerO secured victory.



PuMa 1 - 3 HerO

Game 5 was on Shakuras Plateau with PuMa spawning at the 5 o’clock and HerO spawning at the 7 o’clock. HerO opens nexus first with PuMa again opting for his standard 1 barracks fast CC opening. HerO follows up his Nexus first with a 1 gate robotics while PuMa immediately techs to 3 barracks with tech labs and reactors. PuMa also gets a fast ghost academy because.. well ghosts are pretty damn good!

Unfortunately, HerO’s observer is better...



HerO holds off the initial push from PuMa and looks to secure a 3rd base. There is a lot dancing in the middle of the map with units but PuMa eventually secures the high ground at HerO’s 3rd base and they engage!



Both armies are traded but PuMa maintains a 30 supply lead! HerO is desperately trying to delay while teching to DTs. Some great forcefields and unit control allow HerO to survive the next engagement but only barely!



Eventually after some ineffective and wasteful DT play and a massive supply disadvantage, HerO overextends while chasing some Terran forces, loses his army and is forced to GG



PuMa 2 - 3 HerO

Game 6 begins on Terminus SE with PuMa spawning at the 12 o’clock and HerO at the 9 o’clock. Due to the size of the map, HerO opens nexus first. PuMa scouts the Nexus with his scv and changes from what looked like a 1 barracks fast CC into a 1 base 4 barracks play! PuMa pushes across the map with a large bio ball...



HerO cannot get his gateways up in time and warpgate is just too late! Despite an incredibly cheesy play, it was ridiculously intelligent from PuMa and a perfect response to his scout!



PuMa 3 - 3 HerO

Game 7 opens on Antiga Shipyard with HerO spawning at the 8 o’clock and PuMa at the 2 o’clock. PuMa again opts for his safe 1 barracks into fast CC opening while HerO goes 1 gateway cyber core into Nexus. PuMa sneaks a scout into HerO’s base and sees the 3 gateway follow up and immediately secures bunkers at his front door.



Unable to exert any pressure, HerO backs up and continues to macro while scouting with his observer. Noticing a large bio army, HerO cleverly plants a cannon at his front door. This made Artosis a very happy man



Both players proceed to take their 3rd base at the exact same time, and after some posturing outside HerO’s natural there is a great engagement! HerO gets off some more ridonculous forcefields and cleans up the bio ball of PuMa.



After going double forge HerO was trying to make his advantage pay off – here we can see 3/3 about to finish before PuMa will have 2/2.



Unfortunately, HerO attempts to make his stand at a Planetary Fortress at PuMa’s third base.

Now i want everyone to listen closely. In this next shot – PuMa scans, EMPs and then SNIPES ALL THE TEMPLAR as they are/before they can morph into archons! This micro, these skills!



And again we can see PuMa’s incredible control with more Templars being sniped before getting any spells off!



After more dancing outside HerO’s bases; PuMa decides to engage at HerO’s third base! Both armies are so close it cannot be called who wins!





After somehow winning the engagement, HerO begins to secure an advantage. He continues to macro and expand and red Terran begins to feel the blue Protoss creeping in.



PuMa attempts to maintain any grasp on the game by going for another expansion, but a large squad off stalkers and zealots manage to snipe it before PuMa can even obtain a good enough position to defend it and he loses his expansion.



HerO again attemps to engage at PuMa’s 3rd base with a Planetary Fortress, knowing this is the last of his mining bases. This time however, he maintains superior positioning and army supply. After some beautiful storms – 3 storms actually – melted the Terran army, the zealots were able to make short work of the Planetary.



HerO could sense his advantage and knew it was time for the killer blow! His tech and army composition was fearful! With 5 archons, 2 colossus and stalkers and zealots, HerO pushed towards PuMa’s natural sensing victory...



One final engagement and one of the most epic Best Of 7 series in the history of Starcraft II was over



PuMa 3 - 4 HerO

I present to you, YOUR DREAMHACK WINTER 2011 CHAMPION!