A scrappy rookie with a legendary name stands against a titan who hasn't dropped a single set all tournament. Can the power of destiny stand in the way of a god? This is GSL Open Season Two; this is
Previous Reports:
Fruitdealer vs Rainbow
Set One: Delta Quadrant
Set Two: Lost Temple
Set Three: Kulas Ravine
Set Four: Desert Oasis
Set Five: Scrap Station
FoxeR vs NesTea
Set One: Shakuras Plateau
Set Two: Lost Temple
Set Three: Scrap Station
Set Four: Jungle Basin
Set Five:Steppes of War
Set Six: Xel'Naga Caverns
Destiny awaits for Nestea and Foxer.
Set Seven: Metalopolis
FoxeR spawns in the 9 o'clock position; NesTea spawns close by ground in the 12 o'clock position. Everything is on the line in this final showdown and the spawn locations favour FoxeR's aggressive style. The destiny of these two players is on the line. Knowing the stakes, Nestea opens with a hatchery first, his old fall-back build. Foxer, meanwhile, is also falling back on old habits...
The Two Rax: Foxer's signature build.
Nestea sees that Foxer hasn't spawned close by air. He knows that it's possible that Foxer has spawned close by to him. Despite the substantial risk of a big attack, Nestea goes ahead with his greedy build and sends an overlord out to the front of his base.
Foxer sends out an SCV to scout. Nestea does the same with a drone. They meet half way and both know what it means; close spawns. Foxer now knows that the best conditions for his two barracks rush have been met. His scout sees the quick hatchery and unfinished pool and he begins to rally in marines. Nestea patrols a drone at his ramp to stop a bunker going down.
...But a patrolling drone won't stop this many SCVs.
As the SCVs arrive, Nestea realises the threat and takes it seriously, pulling almost all his SCVs from mining and bringing them to help defend.
Starcraft is a Game of Drones; you win or you die.
With the hatchery finished, Nestea can't cancel it for more minerals; he has to defend at the natural if he wants to win. Foxer tries to push in but the drones pull back in to the corner. Foxer can't overcommit but he can't let Nestea stall out for zerglings. Foxer pushes on to creep to begin the attack but the sound of zerglings bursting down the ramp prompts a retreat.
Foxer retreats, but everything is pulled for Nestea.
The first engagement begins. Nestea pulls round his drones, denying any further retreat from Foxer and taking down large numbers of marines. He tries to stutter-step out to the right, but a flank of zerglings comes in just in time to complete the surround.
When his micro gets denied, Foxer dies just the same as the other terrans.
With the push crushed, Nestea takes a massive advantage. His expansion is finished and he has large numbers of zerglings. He pulls them back to defend and returns drones to mining. Building a Spine Crawler at his natural, he takes a sigh of relief, but perhaps it's too soon.
Foxer's behind, but there's still one hope left: a second all-in.
Foxer charges across the map with an enormous force of marines and SCVs. The spine finishes, but he has a huge advantage of numbers. With everything on the line, Foxer pushes in to the expansion of Nestea...
The spine makes a warning shot to force Foxer back.
Knowing he can't throw everything in, Foxer positions his marines to attack the hatchery. If it goes down, he'll still be able to fight his way back in to the game. The Spine is out of position and any attempt to move it will lead to it going down.
Unable to hit the marine force, the spine can't stop the hatchery falling in to yellow health.
With the marines in position and a large backing of SCVs defending them, things are beginning to take a grim turn for Nestea. But, unbeknownst to Foxer, he's been macroing the whole time, and just when Foxer thinks he has a shot, this happens:
Every drone comes off the line as zerglings pour in!
The final engagement begins; both players have everything on the front lines. Nestea goes in for another surround with the drones, but Foxer greases his marines through, pulling them out of the surround and stutter-stepping back. However, with his enormous army, Nestea has the numbers advantage.
With this many zerglings, it would take the best micro in the world to win...
The marines never stop moving, stuttering back and splitting in different directions, but the zerglings begin to overwhelm the forces of Foxer. With nearly 30 zerglings on the field to just a handful of marines, the light of hope begins to fade for Foxer.
Drones go back to mining; Foxer's attack is crushed.
With a short rush distance, there's not far for Nestea to go to counter attack. Foxer tries to hold the ramp, but the zerglings crush on through, exploiting the hole in Foxer's wall.
Lings flood in to signal that Nestea has arrived.
Foxer pulls all his SCVs, but they die almost immediately. Spawning marines attempt to micro, but with zerglings camping the production, there's no more hope for Foxer. Both players take their hands off the keyboards.
Two very different kinds of tears.
With his barracks down and no units left on the map, Foxer finally surrenders, losing game seven and with it his chances of the GSL Open Season Two.
GG! NesTea 4-3 FoxeR.
Nestea is the second GSL Open Season champion!
Let nobody call him ZergBong ever again...
With Nestea crowned champion, his dreams of progaming success are finally realised. As a player who never managed to get to the top tier of greatness in Brood War; whose hope died as he grew older and his wrists turned stiff, he had almost lost all hope. But now, he had what he had fought for for so long...
Meanwhile, his opponent lost, but in doing so he shocked the world, gained their love and admiration and set out on the beginning of his own journey. He may not be Boxer just yet; he may not be the Emperor, but for now, at least, he's still the Marine King...
Next time, a charismatic and fantastical player steps up to the plate, but the dark horse who just won't give up poses the ultimate threat to his championship. Battle Report: MC vs. Rain, coming soon...