EVER OSL: Group A
OSL: Group A
The latest EVER OSL began on the 16th April. For those not familiar with the Ro32, the format is relatively simple. The Players are divided into 8 groups of 4, and then paired off within those groups. In each group 5 games are played: two initial matches; then playoffs between both winners and both losers; and the final match between the loser of the winners match and the winner of the losers match.
All the games are listed on the events calendar at www.teamliquid.net. If you are interested in watching the games live, you can use Daum’s Pot Player. Instructions for downloading and using the Pot player can be found here:
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/view...topic_id=56443
Overview
The last OSL was a major let down, except for the finals which were exciting if short. Most of the games were short, low quality affairs or horribly one sided. I am really eager to see the opening stages of this OSL however , largely due to the new maps. When maps first come into play there is a lot of scope for players to spring new builds or proxies upon each other which diminishes over time. A classic example of this is Blue Storm. When Blue storm first came into play a many players tried out proxy builds or cannon/barrack rushes because there were lots of places to hide pylons, barracks, gates and so on. As the map matured this happened less and less often, simply because with more experience of the map there were less surprises and the standard route for scouting a map would often include checking all the previous hidey-holes for proxies.
Group A
For an alternative overview of the games try TL’s reports:
http://teamliquid.net/forum/viewmess...page=1#cutnews
Game 1: Jaedong vs Casey on Hwarangdo, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/177_Hwarangdo “The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game”
This was a game lost on inches, when Jaedong’s scout routed past Casey’s proxy barracks, there were inches between discovering what he was up to and continuing on oblivious to the ensuing bunker rush. Casey clearly knew that he would be safe, just as long as Jaedong let the AI route his drone towards his base, his practise matches and preparation served him well. Jaedong loses most of his drones fighting off the bunker rush, and Casey sealed the game sneaking two vultures past the sunken at Jaedong’s natural. With some excellent micro the bikes killed off half a dozen lings and as many drones, and the game ends as Casey sieges over Jaedong’s natural, and then his main.
Jaedong passes achingly close to Casey’s Proxy.
Game 2: Backho vs GGPlay on Hwarangdo, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/177_HwarangdoGGPlay dominated this game from start to finish. Backho’s FE build forces him to use cannons in his early defence, and as his anaemic army is killed time and time again he is forced to place an ever increasing number of cannons at each base. GGplay’s mutalisk harassment was excellent at the mineral line of both the main and the second expansion just to the south, transitioning between the two and keeping Backho stretched, and killing a large number of drones. Though losing his 7o’clock hatchery several times, GG was never hard pressed, teching to lurkers before Backho manages to put down his Robo Fac, though the wall of cannons from Backho draws the game out for some time.
What is worse than over investing in cannons ?
Leaving a gap at the mineral line for a lurker when you have yet to put down your observatory.
Winners Match: Casey vs GGPlay on Andromeda, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/175_Andromeda One crucial mistake was all it took for Casey to lose this game. After fending off a relatively ineffective mutalisk harass from GGplay, Casey teched to Sci- Vessels anticipating lurkers and more mutalisks. Placing his Svi-Facility on the bottom edge of his main, near a ridge and behind his Star-Port allows GGPlay to pick off the SCV, then the Sci-Facility itself and harass the marines which try to drive off the mutalisks darting back and forth over the edge. With both Sci-Vessels and irradiate delayed GGplay is able to push ahead in tech, using his lurkers to contain Casey and defend his 7o’clock expansion with judicious use of a nydus canal. Teching to defilers and finally ultralisks, while keeping Casey contained and denying him several expansions, allows GGPlay to over run the unfortunate terran.
Casey’s M&M force is unable to defend the poorly placed Sci-Facility.
Losers Match: Jaedong vs Backho on Andromeda, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/175_Andromeda Being rushed twice in one night must have left Jaedong with a bitter taste in his mouth. If the Two-gate rush from the centre is repeated, I suspect we will see a drone scouting diagonally as standard, with overlords scouting the closest two starting positions. Crazy as it may seem Jaedong is such a good player he probably still had a slim chance when he cleared the zealots from his ramp, but throwing his army away on the cannon wall at Backho’s expansion after destroying the gateways in the middle of the map left the way clear for upgraded speed-lots to charge into his natural and take to down for a second time. A disappoint exit for the MSL champion.
A mob of zealots from two proxy-gates make short work of Jaedong’s second hatchery.
Final Match: Backho vs Casey on Troy, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/168_Troy Poor decisions and poor play led Casey to his defeat in this game. Opting for a double barracks rush, but failing to scout early left him unsure where to send his marines, combined with Backho managing to kill three marines with his first zealot and then scout the double rax, the SCV rush was simply too slow to be effective. Backho does a good job of pulling his probes to stop the bunker rush and from here Casey is microing a dozen SCVs against an endless stream of Goons.
Casey's half-dozen marines are swiftly surrounded by probes and cut down by Backho's zealots.
Summary
The new maps bring some exciting all in strategies, and Jaedong is the casualty once the dust settles. Backho excelled himself twice, even if both games involved high-risk strategies; GGplay’s game was very solid. GGPlay looks good going into the RO16, but there are questions over how Backho will cope in more standard games.
The latest EVER OSL began on the 16th April. For those not familiar with the Ro32, the format is relatively simple. The Players are divided into 8 groups of 4, and then paired off within those groups. In each group 5 games are played: two initial matches; then playoffs between both winners and both losers; and the final match between the loser of the winners match and the winner of the losers match.
All the games are listed on the events calendar at www.teamliquid.net. If you are interested in watching the games live, you can use Daum’s Pot Player. Instructions for downloading and using the Pot player can be found here:
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/view...topic_id=56443
Overview
The last OSL was a major let down, except for the finals which were exciting if short. Most of the games were short, low quality affairs or horribly one sided. I am really eager to see the opening stages of this OSL however , largely due to the new maps. When maps first come into play there is a lot of scope for players to spring new builds or proxies upon each other which diminishes over time. A classic example of this is Blue Storm. When Blue storm first came into play a many players tried out proxy builds or cannon/barrack rushes because there were lots of places to hide pylons, barracks, gates and so on. As the map matured this happened less and less often, simply because with more experience of the map there were less surprises and the standard route for scouting a map would often include checking all the previous hidey-holes for proxies.
Group A
- Jaedong , http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/players/211_Jaedong
- Casy, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/players/187_Casy
- BackHo , http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/players/221_BackHo
- GGPlay, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/players/167_GGPlay
For an alternative overview of the games try TL’s reports:
http://teamliquid.net/forum/viewmess...page=1#cutnews
Game 1: Jaedong vs Casey on Hwarangdo, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/177_Hwarangdo “The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game”
This was a game lost on inches, when Jaedong’s scout routed past Casey’s proxy barracks, there were inches between discovering what he was up to and continuing on oblivious to the ensuing bunker rush. Casey clearly knew that he would be safe, just as long as Jaedong let the AI route his drone towards his base, his practise matches and preparation served him well. Jaedong loses most of his drones fighting off the bunker rush, and Casey sealed the game sneaking two vultures past the sunken at Jaedong’s natural. With some excellent micro the bikes killed off half a dozen lings and as many drones, and the game ends as Casey sieges over Jaedong’s natural, and then his main.
Jaedong passes achingly close to Casey’s Proxy.
Game 2: Backho vs GGPlay on Hwarangdo, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/177_HwarangdoGGPlay dominated this game from start to finish. Backho’s FE build forces him to use cannons in his early defence, and as his anaemic army is killed time and time again he is forced to place an ever increasing number of cannons at each base. GGplay’s mutalisk harassment was excellent at the mineral line of both the main and the second expansion just to the south, transitioning between the two and keeping Backho stretched, and killing a large number of drones. Though losing his 7o’clock hatchery several times, GG was never hard pressed, teching to lurkers before Backho manages to put down his Robo Fac, though the wall of cannons from Backho draws the game out for some time.
What is worse than over investing in cannons ?
Leaving a gap at the mineral line for a lurker when you have yet to put down your observatory.
Winners Match: Casey vs GGPlay on Andromeda, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/175_Andromeda One crucial mistake was all it took for Casey to lose this game. After fending off a relatively ineffective mutalisk harass from GGplay, Casey teched to Sci- Vessels anticipating lurkers and more mutalisks. Placing his Svi-Facility on the bottom edge of his main, near a ridge and behind his Star-Port allows GGPlay to pick off the SCV, then the Sci-Facility itself and harass the marines which try to drive off the mutalisks darting back and forth over the edge. With both Sci-Vessels and irradiate delayed GGplay is able to push ahead in tech, using his lurkers to contain Casey and defend his 7o’clock expansion with judicious use of a nydus canal. Teching to defilers and finally ultralisks, while keeping Casey contained and denying him several expansions, allows GGPlay to over run the unfortunate terran.
Casey’s M&M force is unable to defend the poorly placed Sci-Facility.
Losers Match: Jaedong vs Backho on Andromeda, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/175_Andromeda Being rushed twice in one night must have left Jaedong with a bitter taste in his mouth. If the Two-gate rush from the centre is repeated, I suspect we will see a drone scouting diagonally as standard, with overlords scouting the closest two starting positions. Crazy as it may seem Jaedong is such a good player he probably still had a slim chance when he cleared the zealots from his ramp, but throwing his army away on the cannon wall at Backho’s expansion after destroying the gateways in the middle of the map left the way clear for upgraded speed-lots to charge into his natural and take to down for a second time. A disappoint exit for the MSL champion.
A mob of zealots from two proxy-gates make short work of Jaedong’s second hatchery.
Final Match: Backho vs Casey on Troy, http://teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/168_Troy Poor decisions and poor play led Casey to his defeat in this game. Opting for a double barracks rush, but failing to scout early left him unsure where to send his marines, combined with Backho managing to kill three marines with his first zealot and then scout the double rax, the SCV rush was simply too slow to be effective. Backho does a good job of pulling his probes to stop the bunker rush and from here Casey is microing a dozen SCVs against an endless stream of Goons.
Casey's half-dozen marines are swiftly surrounded by probes and cut down by Backho's zealots.
Summary
The new maps bring some exciting all in strategies, and Jaedong is the casualty once the dust settles. Backho excelled himself twice, even if both games involved high-risk strategies; GGplay’s game was very solid. GGPlay looks good going into the RO16, but there are questions over how Backho will cope in more standard games.
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