EPT
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/classicRO16.png)
Despite churning out some excellent games, this tournament is still the least popular of the four tournaments. That being said, the OSL is in it's semifinals and the MSL will be there soon as well. Proleague is in it's final week and the top 6 are not yet decided. Over here in the GOM Classic we're slowly getting to the Ro8, the first games of this round being played on Sunday. Keep in mind that this tournament is going to last until September so there will be plenty of action for another 2 months yet.
To celebrate the awesomeness of this tournament we've put together a bracket competition. For your chance to win $25 check out this thread. Also, there is a little rumor floating around that winners of the competition may get more than $25. More details of this to come at a later date
So get your brackets into me and you might just get some very cool prizes. Just trust me, enter the contest now because when i do reveal what this is you'll wish you had Due to the whirlwind WWI which swept up all of us in a frenzy of excitement and a number of other events and projects, there’s only one Battle Report this week and a brief overview of whats happening tonight. Now, if you’ve got nothing to do tonight then seriously consider staying around for this because the games tonight will be huge. Tasteless has also returned from Paris and will resume his casting duties and I think GOM will still be running their user commentary service, where anyone can cast the stream and have people listen and tune in. Last week R1CH and PsyonicReaver stepped up to the plate and showed Jason Lee what was up and it was great fun to listen into.
In this snapshot of the Round of 16 I’ll be looking at Anytime vs Memory, not the most anticipated matchup but the games were semi-decent. In the other results of the week we had;
- BackHo managed to defeat GanZi 2-1, with Ganzi playing an amazing game in set 2 and Backho demolishing Ganzi in set 3 with some brilliant Reaver use (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
- Flash took Lucifer to school in a cheese-free series 2-0. Flash’s superior mechanics and skill took Lucifer way out of his depth and resulted in a fairly easy win for the Ultimate Weapon (Game 1, Game 2)
- Stork showcased some of his former brilliance and shut out Iris 2-0 adding the latest chapter to a long rivalry. Despite Iris showing some decent form in the tournament thus far, he was no match for Stork’s honed PvT sense and mechanics and succumbed to the might of the Birdtoss (Game 1, Game 2)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/Picon_small.gif)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/Ticon_small.gif)
Despite Andromeda's heavy imbalance towards Protoss, this map isn't too bad for TvP as there are lots of options for Terran players to take. Also there have been some great Terran wins on this map in the past, Memory was hoping to chalk his name up along side the likes of Nada as one of the few to be able to win on this map. Anytime, however, was determine to join his 5 teammates in the quarterfinals and would have nothing of the antics that Memory was going to pull. Anytime (Teal at 5) opened up with a standard 14 Nexus build, optimising the mineral only expansion very early on. Memory (Yellow at 7) played a semisafe wall-in into Command Center before Tank opening putting him one step behind Anytime in terms of the macro war that was about to unfold.
Both sides denied scouting and things evened up pretty quickly. Anytime, knowing that Memory would have undoubtedly expanded himself, expanded again to his gas natural and looked poised to enter a long game. With less than half a dozen military units, it was easy to question his decision to expand again so soon; Memory's scout came back in and saw the gas natural running and seized all power in the game. Knowing that Anytime would be low on units he expanded quickly to his own gas natural and entered into 3-base macro mode.
Anytime was able to see the third command center with his observers, and after cleaning up 2 vultures laying mines positioned himself to expand a fourth time. After a few skirmishes Anytime expanded a fourth time to 3 and quickly followed up that expansion with another to the gas natural of 1. The armies suddenly became very fierce and they prepared for a battle. With some clever movements, Anytime was able to flank Memory's push perfectly, but had the wrong goon-zeal ratio.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/1.jpg)
If you play Protoss, this must be a familiar scene. All your Zealots died to vultures and mines leaving you with pure goon vs pure tank; a battle which invariable ends badly. Indeed Anytime lost the majority of his troops to the push and was at a firm disadvantage. After realizing that his troops were of the wrong ratio, Anytime had built pure zealots rendering him useless until Dragoons came out. Memory pushed harder toward Anytime and set up a contain outside his base. With Anytime safely contained, Memory abused the proximity of the mineral only expansion to the low ground and began sieging the probe line.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/2.jpg)
Anytime could do nothing but withdraw his probes and wait for his units to come out. A lone tank took down his expansion at 3 and his situation was looking dire. After a second batch of Dragoons popped and his Arbiters took flight he was ready to break out, and with some nice control was able to destroy Memory's push - although he was still at a disadvantage.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/3.jpg)
Memory had used the push to expand to 11 and was now running 4 bases to Anytimes 5. Memory also had dropships out, and was able to get a drop down at 1 and demolish the expansion.
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Anytime knew he needed to act soon as the disadvantage was mounting. Anytime tried to shutdown 11 with a reasonably strong push but despite getting up the ramp and stasis'ing vultures on the ramp, his force was reduced to 4 dragoons which were mopped up pretty quickly.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/5.jpg)
Anytime readied his arbiters and recalled into Memory's main - a move which caused some trouble for Memory. The recall did fairly good damage.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/6.jpg)
Anytime also launched an initiative simultaneously with his recall; but was forced to retreat against a wall of tanks. At this point in the game, the Terran juggernaut could not be stopped.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/7.jpg)
Memory, after killing the nexus at 1, moved his tanks down to siege 3 from outside the base and with the aid of his dropship.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/8.jpg)
Anytime attempted to shut down 11 again, but once again found no success. With his economy in shambles, Anytime took one last recall into Memory's gas natural and upon seeing the mammoth army of Memory conceded the game to his Terran adversary.
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Anytime 0-1 Memory
Eager to come back from the one game deficit, Anytime (White at 5) was eager to secure a economic advantage over Memory (Purple at 11) with an identical build to the first game. Despite not seeing the 14 nex for a long time, thanks to scouting strangely, Memory reacted just as he did before, with a wall-in into Command before Tank. And just as he did in the first game, Anytime expanded again with less than 6 units. The Nexus neared completion and Memory began his third expansion - thus far the game had progressed exactly like the first game.
This game would progress slightly different, Anytime opted for a later 4th expansion than the first game and produced a large army instead. As both sides continued to produce troops, Anytime was quick to move out and push towards Memory. Anytime positioned himself perfectly and was able to force Memory to pull SCVs from his third expansion, but once again a lack of Zealots meant he could not push the attack as hard as he wanted. Some careless troop management also resulted in him losing the advantage he would have gained is he had just retreated.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/10.jpg)
Nevertheless, Anytime took his fourth and looked to take the 3rd base of 1 as well. Memory opted to take his mineral only at 9 to put the squeeze on Anytime and also teched to dropships. Anytime teched to Arbiter once again and had his army floating about the middle trying to intercept Vultures. But Memory had no intention of progressing through the middle, and had sent two dropships down the side of the map to drop goliaths and tanks on the cliff above Anytime's third.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/11.jpg)
Anytime just managed to kill the drop using his dragoons on the low ground and an arbiter giving vision and was only set back a little bit from the incident. With a second arbiter ready Anytime pushed into Memory hard.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/12.jpg)
For the third time in the series, he found himself short of Zealots and was forced to retreat - taking a tour of 9 on the way. He managed to kill a number of SCVs there, but it couldn't take down the CC as Memory's forces descended upon him too fast.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/13.jpg)
Meanwhile Anytime had taken his fifth expansion, however, it was only a few moments before a Dropship headed over there and two tanks begun sieging the probeline and nexus. Without a shuttle to help him, Anytime's dragoons couldn't stop the tanks and he lost the expansion.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/14.jpg)
Anytime rallied up his troops and ran into the tank line of Memory. Memory showed some clutch defense with some epic EMPs to render the Arbiters useless; and once again the battle ended up Dragoons vs Tanks.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/15.jpg)
After retreating and trying to pressure 9 from below, Anytime expanded to the main of 1 in a desperate attempt to save his economic situation. With his situation becoming dire, Anytime dodged Memory's oncoming train of units and went around the edge and countered in Memory's 3rd. He pushed hard and managed to get as far as Memory's natural before his forces were reduced to goo.
Memory simply gathered up the remnants of his forces and cruised over to Anytime's base were he found little resistance. With his last few units vaporizing, Anytime conceded the game and went hope winless.
![[image loading]](/staff/Plexa/GomTV_Classic/16.jpg)
Anytime 0-2 Memory
You can find the vods of this series here: Game 1, Game 2
After two weeks, we finally have ourselves the round of 8! All the information you need can be found on this bracket:
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/pachi/bracket/AIClassic.png)
It's interesting to note the insane concentration of Lecaf players in the Round of 8. There are four: Lomo, Jaedong, ForGG and Backho with one of them guaranteed to go through to the semifinals. I don't know what theyre putting in the water over there, but Lecaf is flourishing everywhere.
So whats in store for us this evening?
fOrGG vs 
YoonJoong
Jaedong vs LomoMaps: Othello, Blue Storm, Katrina
These are some excellent matchups and, seeing as I am a staunch Shuttle fan I'll be tuning in to give Tastless and Shuttle some support. But let's break these games down a bit and see whats really in store for us.
This is going to be an awesome match between these two. Shuttle is one of the rare Protoss players who can elegantly mix micro and macro up into a splendid display of Protoss art. This makes him a awesome player to watch and it's really difficult not to love his play style. Meanwhile, ForGG is hot off his victory over Kal in the MSL which showcased his rock solid macro. Shuttle will be out to avenge his team mate while ForGG is out to prove that he is the real deal and the best macro Terran in the world right now. The bookie will tell you that ForGG is the favorite for this series, but Shuttle certainly has a chance.
For this round, Andromeda and takes a back seat and the tournament welcomes Katrina back into rotation. The map pool is pretty good for the young Protoss and has Katrina sitting at game 3; a nice Protoss map to give him that edge in the final set. ForGG will be looking to shut him out 2-0 as to avoid Katrina. Othello is currently 6-0 in favor of Terran over Protoss in this tournament, thus ForGG should be pleased with that as the opening map.
The deciding match in the series really should be Blue Storm. Blue Storm is a map which tends to yield results for the better player hence everything's on the line. With ForGG taking set 1, and Shuttle taking set 3 - it all comes down to Blue Storm to settle the dispute. I have a feeling ForGG's macro Terran style works well on this map and hence will be able to shut out poor Shuttle 2-0, although i wouldn't count Shuttle out to use some nice tricks to pull it out. Nevertheless, I have to side with ForGG on this one to take it 2-0. Although if Shuttle takes Blue Storm he should win 2-1. It's a exciting and difficult matchup to call.
Jaedong, the scariest ZvT'er in the world, against Lomo, one of the most promising Terrans, should be another eagerly anticipated matchup. Lomo plays an elegant and graceful Terran, in stark contrast to the cold hard macro of his "brother in arms", ForGG, and he has played some spectacular games against Zerg. Just glance at his series with Kwanro to see what i mean. Despite Jaedong not performing well in the OSL- he has been tearing it up in the MSL and is currently in the Semifinals against Much - the last CJ hope. Jaedong's ZvT is unquestionably brilliant and thus the resulting game between a brilliant ZvT and an elegant TvZ should be jaw dropping.
Lomo is the stern underdog in this matchup, but Jaedong has a history of performing badly against teammates. This could swing in Lomo's favor as he will be able to predict what Jaedong will be doing as he knows his style inside out from all the practice games they've shared. Although this swings both ways, Zerg are the most hampered by this as Zerg are a must more stylistic race than say Terran or Protoss. Othello is a good play to start in the series, although Lomo should be able to win here; it will be a nice fight. Blue Storm as the second map will benefit Jaedong immensely and should take this set with ease. Lomo must be careful not to lose the first game because he can't risk depending on the Blue Storm game for survival.
This series should be decided by Katrina - a map which has produced some brilliant ZvT's in the past. There's the whole Metal TvZ drama along with Savior's epic struggle against Mind on Katrina. This map is made for exciting TvZ's, too bad the Protoss imbalance eliminates all other races. Nevertheless, this should be a down to the wire encounter with some sweet back and forth battles.
Oh i am so excited for these games tonight
You would be a fool to miss these games, and seeing as they are happening in just over 9 hours you should definitely plan to be there for what will be a great evening of Brood War.
Also, don't forget to send in your Brackets to me to be into win $25 and some other stuff
That's all from me this week! G.S)Naruto, the best SC2 player on the face of the planet (take that Blizzard!) will be back next week to lend a hand So until then!Plexa
G.S)Naruto
. I haven't heard Tasteless in a while either so I am definitely looking foward to these games.
