The Zerg Side of the Moon

(E/N: For Part 1, click here)





Stats against other South Korean players in Legacy of the Void:
ByuL vZ 7-3 (70%) in maps and 3-1 (75%) in series, overall 26-12 (68%) in maps and 11-3 (79%) in series
Solar vZ 48-32 (60%) in maps and 19-9 (68%) in series, overall 183-99 (65%) in maps and 68-25 (73%) in series

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the best zerg of them all? This match between ByuL and Solar might very well give us a good hint on how to answer that question. While both players were already at the top of the food chain of their race last year, Solar certainly has made a good case for himself as the current leading zerg in Legacy of the Void with his successes online and abroad. The SAMSUNG player started out early on the new game, as is visible in the huge amount of games he has to his name. Compare that to ByuL, who has played only the minimum number of games to get to where he’s at now. Will this difference in practical experience also be the deciding factor on the battlefield though?

It’s hard to say. Surely in this best of 5 variety in strategies and tactics is advantageous and in this regard Solar may be favoured, as he likely has been confronted with a greater range of styles than his opponent. However ByuL has the advantage of being able to look at Solar’s recent games and any weaknesses he may have shown there. For example the SAMSUNG zerg had a drawn out battle against Impact in Code A, which went to the last map—lots of material for his next opponent to study. ByuL himself has mostly dodged the mirror match-up so far and didn’t play a single one yet in 2016. Historically he’s solid in ZvZ however, as is his opponent.

It’ll come down to a mixture of their days form, build orders and their phenomenal controlling abilities. The latter are even more important than in the last expansion, as roach armies not only need to be maneuvered in a smart way now, but you constantly have to pay attention if you don’t want to be caught by a salvo of corrosive bile. The last ZvZs have also revealed the strength of a well timed mutalisk switch, which can easily catch the enemy off guard. In muta versus muta control of course is another important aspect, as these fights can snowball quite hard quite fast. Both players will probably be confident to play macro games against each other, but will surely also try a few quicker and dirtier approaches to end the series quickly with early zergling/baneling action.


Predictions

Even though we can’t really make out a heavy favoured player in this duel of the overminds one thing is for sure: This could be one of the most heated and exciting ZvZ series we’ve seen so far—and the winner is one of the favourites to take the first StarLeague title of Legacy of the Void and the position of best zerg with it.

ByuL 2 - 3 Solar