Group A: Iloveoov, Nal_Ra, Yellow, Goodfriend, TheMarine, Sync, IntotheRainbow GoRush, Mumyung, Cloud.
Group B: [Red]Nada, July Zerg, Kingdom, Xellos, Boxer, Chojja, [Oops]Reach, Rage, Terato, ArtofHan.
TeamLiquid.net KT-KTF Premiere League Games of the Week for Week One:
Nal_Ra (Kang Min) v [Red]Nada (Lee Yoon Yeol) on Requiem
Astoundingly, Ra is missing from the OSL and will not be in the next one either. But the invitation-only format of the Premiere League, with Nal_Ra being a member of the sponsor's team, was always going to see one of the biggest names in the game taking centre stage once more. And he could hardly be facing a more worthy opponent, with reigning champion Nada having swept all before him in the last Premiere League.
Ra (protoss at the six o'clock position) went for an assimilator prior to his first gateway while Nada (terran at three) opted to wall in with a depot and barracks. Ra harassed the wall early with his scouting probe, almost destroying the first building SCV then blowing up the second one before sneaking in to take a look at the terran main after Nada lifted his rax momentarily.
Ra's first zealot headed straight for the three position to start hammering away at the blocking supply depot and despite facing marine fire stayed there long enough to be joined by the protoss army's first dragoon. The attack force retreated as Nada's first tank rolled off the production line. In his main, Ra had gone for two gates and range, with Nada opting for double factory. Ra started warping a pylon then a nexus at the nine position as he took advantage of momentary unsieging of Nada's first force tanks to destroy the walling supply depot.
Nada had finally got up a force of vultures and sent them out to take a look around, prompting Ra to cancel his nexus at the nine main, instead climbing to four gates and observatory. Nada was working on a second command centre as Ra's first shuttle appeared at his robotics facility, and loaded up with four zealots. Ra started his second nexus at his natural as his dragoons headed out again towards the centre to clear out the terran minefields.
As Nada followed form and tried to establish his expansion Ra struck and struck hard. A zealot bomb swooped in amongst the siege tanks that had set up at the top of Nada's ramp, supported by an all out frontal assault from the protoss dragoon army. The timing could hardly have been worse for Nada, with his SCVs climbing his ramp and heading for his new expo, rapidly turning around in confusion and heading back to the main. Nada lifted his command centre and floated it back to safety.
Ra didn't let up. As Nada attempted to solidify his defence a second shuttle glided in from the south, depositing zealots among the new group of tanks at the base of his ramp, with the dragoons attacking once more. Confusion broke out in the terran main, with tanks shooting in all directions. Nada was trying to establish his expo for a second time but as his command centre tried to escape the protoss assault Ra's dragoons focussed their fire on it and obliterated it even as Nada's SCV desperately clustered to try to repair the structure.
Once again Ra bombed zealots into the terran main, this time with little success. As Ra started a new nexus back at the nine position, Nada finally mustered an army sizable enough to escape from his box and pushed out towards the centre. However, as he tried to push further Ra surged forward with massed dragoons and speedlots. Even as the zealots were destroyed he continued attacking, overwhelming the terran force with a combination of weight of numbers and expert maneouvring. The terran army folded and there were more speedlots on the way from the protoss main.
With his entire army destroyed and no hope of getting back into the game, the champion typed out of the opening game of his title defence.
An incredible display by Ra, who utterly dominated the champion.
Premiere League Record: Nal_Ra 1 - 0 [Red]Nada 0 - 1
Chojja (Jo Yong Ho) v GoodFriend (Lee Byeong Min) on Luna
Chojja (zerg at the two o'clock position) early expoed to his natural while GoodFriend (terran at 10) opted for a standard two barracks build. Both players were happy to avoid early exchanges as Chojja started an early lair and his terran opponent's first marine force stood guard and watched over the construction of an academy, factory and starport.
With his first dropship awaiting orders at his starport, GoodFriend dispatched his marines and firebats for an attempted drop at the alien main, the first offensive move of the game. Chojja, now armed with lurkers, spotted the approach but substandard lurker placement allowed the terran infantry to take down the zerg spawning pool before fleeing without any real losses. The reason for Chojja's patience became apparent when his lurkers and lings disappeared into a group of overlords and set off along the top of the map towards the terran main. Fortune favoured the terran, however, as he scanned the alien base just as the half-dozen loaded lords set out on their journey.
As the overlords arrived at GoodFriend's base he was waiting. Chojja's attacking forces dropped out of their transports into the heart of the terran main and went at the defenders. However, the drop floundered without the surprise factor and the attackers were eliminated without causing significant destruction. GoodFriend immediately counterattacked, sending his tanks and marines towards the zerg natural, hoping to catch Chojja before he could adequately reinforce. The situation looked perilous for the zerg but Chojja had been morphing his hive and a defiler mound as he launched his initial drop and as the terran army prepared long-range bombardment his first defiler covered the terran army with dark swarm, the zerg launched a breakout assault and at the same time more overlords dropped lurkers and lings into the now undefended terran main as GoodFriend found himself under attack at front and rear.
The minimal zerg numbers in the terran main continued their slow destruction of the terran infrastructure until finally eliminated. However, just as GoodFriend started to breathe easier, Chojja came at him again with a perfectly timed double drop at the terran natural and main, keeping the pressure on. The zerg forces swarmed across the Luna landscape and, once again showing his excellent timing, Chojja caught the terran army out of position and cut the troops off from their own natural expansion with burrowed lurkers and defiler support. Chojja's attacking lurks laid waste to the mining SCVs at the terran expansion as GoodFriend finally lifted his command centre. The mineral supply at the expansion cut off, Chojja commenced his assault on the terran main, while his own economy was healthy thanks to a new hatchery at five.
Chojja now had cracklings available and sent them across the top of the map, taking out tanks on the way. Now in complete command, Chojja launched final five-overlord drop at the undermanned terran main. GoodFriend had sent his meagre army towards the undefended five expo but as they attacked the non-essential zerg expansion their own main base was being devastated by the zerg, under cover of dark swarm. With no economy, and soon no buildings, GoodFriend left the game.
Premiere League Record: Chojja 1 - 0 GoodFriend 0 - 1
Yellow (Hong Jin Ho) v Boxer (Lim Yo Hwan) on Luna
It was just like old times as Yellow clashed with Boxer in front of a massive, screaming crowd. Perhaps they should have played on Nostalgia...
Boxer (terran at seven) opened with the standard two barracks, while Yellow (zerg at the five o'clock position) went for early expansion at his natural. As Yellow morphed a single sunken colony at his expansion and waited for his lair to finish, Boxer constructed an academy and started work on an early second command centre, taking his natural and erecting a second comsat station. Yellow's first flight of mutalisks burst out from their eggs and headed towards the terran position but Boxer scanned them just as they left the zerg main and sent his marines to defend the SCVs busily mining at his natural. Yellow demonstrated once again his mastery of muta manipulation as he swooped his lisks in and out of range, picking off SCVs one by one. As Boxer set to work on his first factory he was forced to pull his SCVs away from his expansion as his marines were unable to cope with Yellow's microed air bombardment.
Yellow's first lurkers were scuttling across the Luna landscape and he was expanding again to the one o'clock main. He positioned his forces at low centre on the extreme outskirts of the terran base, seeing it guarded by two bunkers, and started another expansion at 11. In the terran base, Boxer was working on a starport, which was followed quickly by a science facility. Yellow's army of five lurkers was forced back with scan but, losing concentration for a moment it seemed, Boxer suicided a squad of marines in among the retreating lurks as they reburrowed.
Meanwhile in the zerg base there was a major morphing project under way as Yellow made maximum use of his burgeoning economy with a hive followed by both a greater spire and an ultralisk cavern.
Realising that he was falling way behind, Boxer tried to push out with his army of marines and tanks but were held by Yellow's force of lurkers which had not grown to at least 10 with zergling support. Boxer moved his forces back then sent them off in the direction of the 11 expo. At the southern edge of the map Yellow's flight of mutas had retreated into cocoons as they took on guardian aspect. Yellow opted to attack with his ground forces, necessitating the recall of Boxer's army to defend. However, Yellow now had full hive tech available, with both ultras and guardians at his disposal. The guardians, attempting to attack Boxer's natural came under surprise attack from a newly arrived flight of wraiths but as the wraiths finished them off and headed for the zerg base to pick of as many drones as possible Yellow attacked again with his ground forces. Ultralisks and zerglings thundered into the terran army, as lurkers scuttled around in their midst before burrowing. The undermanned terran army folded and Yellow surged into the terran natural. SCVs were being destroyed left, right and centre as Yellow sent more reinforcements. Yellow's swarm entered the terran main and Boxer finally admitted defeat.
A tour de force from Yellow, who was on top from start to finish. Boxer never got momentum and was always struggling to stay with his old foe.
Premiere League Record: Yellow 1 - 0 Boxer 0 - 1
Other Games:
Sync (Byeon Kil Seop) v July Zerg (Park Seong Joon) on Nostalgia
July (zerg at seven) has looked out of sorts since he stormed to the Gillette OSL title and this game was little different. Sync (terran at one) went for an aggressive build with three early barracks and an engineering bay with immediate marine upgrade, while July went for an orthodox early expo to lurker build. Sync's army of marines hit the zerg expo early, oblitering three sunkens. Sync surged into the main as July desperately maneouvred his lurkers for defence. As July quelled the assault more marines arrived, running into the zerg main again and finding no resistance. July had tried to counter by sending his entire force at the terran base but could not get beyond the top of the ramp. As the first terran science vessel appeared, July left the game.
Premiere League Record: Sync 1 - 0 July Zerg 0 - 1
Rage (Kim Hwan Joong) v Iloveoov (Choi Yeon Seong) on Luna
Rage (protoss at five) launched an early zeal attack and caused some disruption in the terran main but was forced onto the back foot after Oov (terran at 11) put out the initial fire. Oov surged across the map with an army of marines, vultures and tanks at the same time as he started his expansion. Oov hit the protoss ramp, with Rage rallying everything he had to defend. Two vultures made it into the protoss main, with Rage's dragoons struggling to cope with newly-placed mines. Rage finally destroyed the invading vultures and, armed with a new support bay, dropped a reaver and two zealots into the terran natural, taking down a tank and a few SCVs. Picking up his force he sent them into the terran main, netting another tank and more SCVs. Hoping to take advantage of this temporary success, Rage headed for the terran base with new dragoons and a shuttle and reaver. As he clashed with the terran army he saw his reaver quickly eliminated and his dragoons were forced back by marines and tanks. Oov was now in charge and headed up the ramp into the protoss base, taking down the protoss gateways, obliterating a final reaver and forcing Rage to quit.
Premiere League Record: Iloveoov 1 - 0 Rage 0 - 1
TheMarine (Kim Jeong Min) v Kingdom (Park Yong Ook) on Requiem
Like Rage, Kingdom (protoss at nine) launched an early zeal attack, causing some early disruption, and the arrival of his first dragoon saw TheMarine (terran at three) throw up a timely bunker for protection. The deciding moment came relatively early as TheMarine exited his main for the first time. His tanks were set up at the top of the ramp, with vultures for support. Kingdom attempted to force the issue with a zeal bomb attack and frontal dragoon assault but TheMarine was saved by his fortunate lack of spider mines plus some excellent targeting of the dropped zeals. With the tanks surviving the assault and his attack force obliterated for little gain, Kingdom was on the back foot. TheMarine moved forward into the protoss main and finished the game.
Premiere League Record: TheMarine 1 - 0 Kingdom 0 - 1
[Oops]Reach (Park Jeong Seok) v Cloud (Cha Jae Ook) on Requiem
A short but scintillating game with Cloud (terran at three) trying a marine and mass SCV assault on the protoss base at six. Two dragoons plus a host of probes fought pitched battles with the invaders as Cloud desperately tried to erect a bunker in the protoss main. The game was on a knife edge as the bunker was finished and a single marine stepped forward to take shelter... only to be cut down at the final moment by a protoss zealot, probably saving the game for Reach. With the SCVs forced to flee back to the terran base the result was in little doubt. Reach built up his dragoon force and delivered the coup de grace.
Premiere League Record: [Oops]Reach 1 - 0 Cloud 0 - 1
ArtofHan (Han Oong Nyeol) v IntotheRainbow (Kim Seong Jae) on Nostalgia
Rainbow (protoss at 11) went for early dark but found Han (terran at seven) able to defend his base with mines. After both players took their expansions, Han continually harassed the protoss natural, while Rainbow warped in a stargate and went for relatively early carriers. Han pushed out of his base for a full assault on the protoss expansion, with Rainbow having insufficient ground forces to hold back the advance. His smoking nexus was only saved by the timely intervention of a giant carrier. As Han expoed to six Rainbow tried to attack with a single carrier but Han had sufficient goliaths. He erected a forest of turrets around the new expo and sent his goliaths up towards the centre. The terrans forced the protoss army back and Han took down a new alien expo at 12. Han attacked the protoss natural again and a single mine detonated in the centre of the mineral line, sending the entire stock of probes up in smoke. Rainbow tried to fight back zeals and dragoons and carrier support, but to no avail.
Premiere League Record: ArtofHan 1 - 0 IntotheRainbow 0 - 1
Xellos (Seo Jee Hoon) v Mumyung (Seong Hak Seung on Nostalgia
Mumyung (zerg at seven) aggressively assaulted the terran base early. Xellos (terran at one) had to defend stoutly to stay in the game after the zerg lurker/ling assault forced him to cancel his second comsat and lift his expansion command centre. As the zerg swarm gained entry to his main Xellos hung on and waited for siege mode to quell the attack. As Mumyung's surprisingly vicious early assault began to run out of steam, Xellos finally established his expansion and gradually took control of the game. Xellos expanded his army and headed across the map, taking down a new zerg expo at six before assaulting the natural. Mumyung found himself with nothing but an ineffective flight of mutalisks as Xellos took an iron grip on the game. As the natural fell and the terran army entered the zerg main, Mumyung left the game.
Premiere League Record: Xellos 1 - 0 Mumyung 0 - 1
GoRush (Park Tae Min) v Terato (Park Jeong Kil) on Nostalgia
Terato (protoss at one) opted for one gate, assimilator and core into stargate while GoRush (zerg at seven) early expoed and put up a spire at his natural. The deciding moment in the game came after GoRush expanded to 11. Terato opted to attack with zealots and three archons but completely misdirected his archons, allowing the zerg mutas to bombard the zealots unheeded as the zeals tried to take down a host of sunken colonies, leading to the entire protoss army being destroyed. Terato never recovered.
Premiere League Record: GoRush 1 - 0 Terato 1 - 0
And the TeamLiquid.net KT-KTF Premiere League Player of the Week award goes to:
None other than the mighty Nal_Ra. Kang Min looked at the top of his game, smacking Nada around like a Battle.net chobo. Enough said.