GSL Code S Ro16 Foreigner Special: EG.IdrA
By TrueRedemption
7 EGIdra vs TLSClide 1 @ Xel’Naga Caverns:+ Show Spoiler +
Idra opened pool first, in contrast to his game against Ensnare. Clide went 2 rax, but with a limited ability to pressure he quickly started an expansion and began a factory. Idra having scouted the initial marines reacted with additional zerglings, preventing Clide’s expansion from mining until he moved out with 4 hellions. Using just speedlings, a couple of well placed spinecrawlers and his queen, Idra deflected the initial hellion harass, but Clide kept his hellions alive, setting up a frightening hellion marauder marine push. Incredible control and patience by Idra allowed his spire and initial mutalisks to finish just as the push reached his natural, Clide’s 7 were marines not enough to take down the mutas, and Idra’s strong control limited any damage the marauders and hellions could do before being cleaned up.
Just a little too slow, this timing push had a distinct inability to shoot up.
Immediately counter attacking, the mutas were met with limited anti air. As reinforcing mutas joined the front, Idra was able to take down barracks and any marines he could find.
This is a really, really bad sign when you're terran.
Clide was desperately building turrets marines and replacing rax, but Idra’s great muta control and incredible macro was simply overwhelming, easily getting a third expansion and 40 food lead.
Despite the +1 turret range upgrade and the sheer number of turrets Clide frantically made, Idra's mutas found hole after hole in the defense.
After finally stabilizing as Idra set up his gold 4th, Clide desperately moved out in attempt to take his own gold, but the muta ling baneling army was far too big. Having completely dismantled Clide, all that stood between Idra and a guaranteed spot in the Ro8 was NSPGenius.
Clide probably regretting calling out the Gracken.
1 EGIdra vs NSPGenius 7 @ Xel’Naga Caverns:+ Show Spoiler +
Genius placed his first pylon down the ramp, indicating forge first play against Idra’s hatch first. Genius was able to force a cancel of the hatch however, walling his probe in with 3 pylons behind the minerals quickly adding a couple cannons.
600 minerals spent to cancel a 300 mineral hatchery, without an expansion nexus of his own yet.
The hatch and one of the cannons canceled, Idra quickly expanded to the 3 o’clock position, Genius getting up his own natural and gateway. With only one cannon, Idra’s roach army was more than a match for the protoss defense, Genius desperately warping in new cannons and a brave stalker.
Not nearly enough to defend an expansion 7 minutes in.
After taking out a couple cannons, a gateway, the nexus and the cyber core Idra pulled back relying on a strong 2 base economy. Attempting to retake his natural, Genius moved out with a small stalker sentry force, but with a speedling roach army and a creep highway connecting the distant bases, Idra would not be denied from this strong of a spot.
Genius' desperate attempt to catch up only made things worse.
As roach speed finished, Idra crashed through Genius’ natural, the first few hydras rallying to the front before Genius’s first void rays could clean up the roaches, and a thoroughly crushed Genius could only type out.
Didn't take a genius to see that this game was over.
3 EGIdra vs oGsNada 6 @ Lost Temple:+ Show Spoiler +
Idra opened hatch first, but Nada’s 1 rax play managed to snipe a drone before retreating, going for a fast thor drop play. The first thor was unable to do much damage however, Idra immediately surrounding it with lings and making sure not to lose a queen.
This seemed a little stronger way back in April...
This was only the start however, Nada quickly repaired the thor and pushed out with some SCVs, marines, 2 thors and 2 medivacs. Idra was quite prepared, his banelings able to make quick work of the SCVs and most of the marines. The zerglings able to overwhelm the rest, Nada was forced to pick up the thors and retreat yet again, now significantly behind in worker count.
A close-up of the carnage as Idra pulled ahead.
Nada was committed though, again repairing the thors and moving out, this time 4 thors and a few marines. Idra had begun roach production however, and once again repelled the attack with ease, this time killing two of the thors.
If at first you don't succeed...
Still on one base Nada was now desperate to do some damage, attacking with one last marine thor push, but Idra cleaned it up with ease in a dominating 3-0 performance , securing a top seed for the Ro8.
Try, try again, and finally GG out after looking like a 1 basing noob.
Here is GOM's post game interview transcribed, all rights and credit to GOMtv, Artosis, and the questions asked on their forum. To watch the full, unedited interview, head over to the official GSL website.
Hey everyone I am Artosis! And along beside me EGIdra who just won the group of NSPGenius, Clide, and Nada, Wow you are so good. Alright we have some questions from the GOMtv.net forums, John isn’t here because Idra speaks English and so do I, goodbye John. Alright from TieMyShoe: What does it feel like to finally reach the Ro8 and do you think you can win this GSL?
It's awesome to make the Ro8, this is such a bizzare tournament because I thought I would have trouble maintaining Code S. I haven’t been playing very well, I don’t like the state of Zerg, and I keep going in to every round thinking I will lose and then it works out. So no I don’t think I can win, but that hasn’t stopped me so far.
Wow that’s actually really interesting, maybe you should always think you’re going to lose.
Yeah maybe.
From Newbert: How does it feel to beat TSLClide who rivals the love of Tasteless and I for you?
Yeah I was really jealous going into the match I had to earn your love and all that. Nah it's just another match he’s a good terran but hes not the best, so it's not huge.
From DarkOmen: How do you feel about Artosis betraying the Zerg and race switching? What kind of question is that when you just won the Group.
Uh I dunno you’re a lot smarter than me so I guess I’m jealous of you.
That’s how smart he is, he knows I’m smarter than him, now that is… that’s impressive. Well that was so quick because we didn’t have to translate so let’s ask you a few more questions. Obviously you didn’t expect to win the group but how do you feel about actually beating Nada? Is this a good thing or a bad thing because of whats going to happen tomorrow?
It was a weird game. If it had happened before the last patch it would have been a lot better but with the thing with the auto targeting it becomes a lot less strong, and the banelings took out the SCVs anyway, it felt like a throw away game and I don’t feel much about winning it.
Well what do you think about the person, you’re going to play whoever gets second in tomorrow’s group, Who do you hope that to be and who do you think it’ll be?
I hope it's not MC, I can’t beat a good Protoss right now, and the Terrans, on these maps, I’d be very happy playing any of the Terrans there. So I really hope its not MC, I get the feeling it will be.
Alright well I guess that’s it. You have anything to say? Anyone to thank? All that good stuff.
Thank you to Slog4pg, all my friends and family for supporting me, also to Team EG and all our sponsors, Intel and Steelseries they make everything possible so a huge thanks to them.
Alright, thank you so much Greg and good luck trying to win the GSL.
Next: TLAF-Liquid`Jinro Round of 16!
With one foreigner already through to the Ro8 and looking super strong, be sure to tune in tonight as our own Swedish Superhero Liquid'Jinro battles through group D! What better way to get pumped for the second TSL3 qualifier? And be certain to not to miss EGIdra's Ro8 match against the second seed from tonight's group, scheduled for next Tuesday January 18th!