New game. New season. New teams (and some foreigners).
The GSTL returns with a spectacular opening weak, pitting champions against champions and two rivals against each other.
The battle report
Incredible Miracle
vs 
FXOpen
To put it bluntly, it wasn't the most star-laden start for the new GSTL. Admittedly, Lucky was relatively known withing the community for a couple of Code A/Ro32 Code S finishes and that IPL 3 second place some ages ago but not the case for Ruin. Imagine the pressure on that young protoss' shoulders having to represent the preseason champions in the opening GSTL game against the back-to-back GSTL winners of the regular season.
Whatever plans Ruin had for a laid-back macro game were shred to pieces as Lucky hit a lethal Hydra/Roach/Abduct timing that isolated and evaporated the opposing Colossi. The brutal efficiency of the Zerg rolled over Ruin and gave for a very one-sided opening match.
As Ruin fell, YoDa stepped in for IM. The IEM champion promptly tied the score as a single Widow Mine screwed Lucky's Baneling all-in but, like Ruin, his time in the booth was short. By building a Fusion Core instead of Armory against Hurricane and having no Vikings during the final engagement against Protoss' deathball, YoDa was forced to step out, passing the baton to the only player who'd end up playing more than two sets.
Enter Squirtle, IM's newest recruit and with more tournament experience than all of that day's FXO line-up put together. Squirtle quickly disposed of Hurricane after the FXO Protoss walked down his ramp and let a DT in his base and the proceeded to beat down JKS in statement that Heart of the Swarm can have a very boring side. The set saw Squirtle go for mass Void Ray, forcing a mass Queen response from JKS, and once that mono-unit composition started to lose efficiency, he immediately switched to mass Archon. A game as interesting as watching a paint dry but a win is a win and who are we to judge?
Leenock was chosen as FXO's last hope but he too could not get past the dreaded IM pokemon. Leenock tried to fancy up the match-up by going Nydus/Swarm Host but as a Protoss attack cut him short one base, Leenock could not secure the necessary economy to fund his siege.
Incredible Miracle 4-2 FXOpen
MVP
vs 
Axiom-Acer
Like the Saturday match, this one too went set for set and kill for kill, the rosters perfectly matched in terms of skill. Keen took the first game for MVP by maddening Alicia with Medivac drop nightmares and intelligently avoiding any direct engagements against the Archons. Forty minutes later, however, Keen exited the booth in defeat as Ryung had overpowered him in a very WoL-esque Marine/Tank Terran mirror.
The tug of war continued as Ryung threw his victory away as he ran into a better upgraded Protoss army with Photon Overcharge support (not the smartest decision you can make), giving TAILS the chance to tie the score. But again victor's reign was short-lived: the game-breaking Widow Mine of Heart put half of TAILS's probes to ruin and the Terran made the score tied once again, only to lose to the Roach timing into Mutalisk transition of NAKSEO. By that time, the series was officially labeled "insane".
To nurture this insanity, Axiom-Acer released their final weapon, a Terran who was off the radar for quite a while but one who was "thirsty for victory" - MMA. Opening in the good traditions of WoL, MMA pressured NAKSEO with Marauder/Hellion build but the intel of the Zerg was top notch: NAKSEO was well prepared and with a Roach flank and some Banelings, the Terran threat was cleared.
Following this small defeat, MMA fell back to the old saying "if you can't beat him - bleed him". Avoiding any direct confrontation, MMA proceeded to drop bio everywhere, peeling NAKSEO apart and forcing a GG down his throat. The score was tied once again, the time came for the final battle.
Realizing that the style he so much fancied in WoL is even stronger now, MMA did not hold back and unleashed it upon an old rival of his - DongRaeGu. The Marine drops were again unstopping, Drones died left and right and the DongRaeGu was quickly bent into position where he had no economy and no big enough army to fight whatever units MMA had on the map. "One-sided" is the phrase that best describes this match.
Axiom-Acer 4-3 MVP
vs FXOpenTo put it bluntly, it wasn't the most star-laden start for the new GSTL. Admittedly, Lucky was relatively known withing the community for a couple of Code A/Ro32 Code S finishes and that IPL 3 second place some ages ago but not the case for Ruin. Imagine the pressure on that young protoss' shoulders having to represent the preseason champions in the opening GSTL game against the back-to-back GSTL winners of the regular season.
Whatever plans Ruin had for a laid-back macro game were shred to pieces as Lucky hit a lethal Hydra/Roach/Abduct timing that isolated and evaporated the opposing Colossi. The brutal efficiency of the Zerg rolled over Ruin and gave for a very one-sided opening match.
As Ruin fell, YoDa stepped in for IM. The IEM champion promptly tied the score as a single Widow Mine screwed Lucky's Baneling all-in but, like Ruin, his time in the booth was short. By building a Fusion Core instead of Armory against Hurricane and having no Vikings during the final engagement against Protoss' deathball, YoDa was forced to step out, passing the baton to the only player who'd end up playing more than two sets.
Enter Squirtle, IM's newest recruit and with more tournament experience than all of that day's FXO line-up put together. Squirtle quickly disposed of Hurricane after the FXO Protoss walked down his ramp and let a DT in his base and the proceeded to beat down JKS in statement that Heart of the Swarm can have a very boring side. The set saw Squirtle go for mass Void Ray, forcing a mass Queen response from JKS, and once that mono-unit composition started to lose efficiency, he immediately switched to mass Archon. A game as interesting as watching a paint dry but a win is a win and who are we to judge?
Leenock was chosen as FXO's last hope but he too could not get past the dreaded IM pokemon. Leenock tried to fancy up the match-up by going Nydus/Swarm Host but as a Protoss attack cut him short one base, Leenock could not secure the necessary economy to fund his siege.
Incredible Miracle 4-2 FXOpen
MVP
vs Axiom-AcerLike the Saturday match, this one too went set for set and kill for kill, the rosters perfectly matched in terms of skill. Keen took the first game for MVP by maddening Alicia with Medivac drop nightmares and intelligently avoiding any direct engagements against the Archons. Forty minutes later, however, Keen exited the booth in defeat as Ryung had overpowered him in a very WoL-esque Marine/Tank Terran mirror.
The tug of war continued as Ryung threw his victory away as he ran into a better upgraded Protoss army with Photon Overcharge support (not the smartest decision you can make), giving TAILS the chance to tie the score. But again victor's reign was short-lived: the game-breaking Widow Mine of Heart put half of TAILS's probes to ruin and the Terran made the score tied once again, only to lose to the Roach timing into Mutalisk transition of NAKSEO. By that time, the series was officially labeled "insane".
To nurture this insanity, Axiom-Acer released their final weapon, a Terran who was off the radar for quite a while but one who was "thirsty for victory" - MMA. Opening in the good traditions of WoL, MMA pressured NAKSEO with Marauder/Hellion build but the intel of the Zerg was top notch: NAKSEO was well prepared and with a Roach flank and some Banelings, the Terran threat was cleared.
Following this small defeat, MMA fell back to the old saying "if you can't beat him - bleed him". Avoiding any direct confrontation, MMA proceeded to drop bio everywhere, peeling NAKSEO apart and forcing a GG down his throat. The score was tied once again, the time came for the final battle.
Realizing that the style he so much fancied in WoL is even stronger now, MMA did not hold back and unleashed it upon an old rival of his - DongRaeGu. The Marine drops were again unstopping, Drones died left and right and the DongRaeGu was quickly bent into position where he had no economy and no big enough army to fight whatever units MMA had on the map. "One-sided" is the phrase that best describes this match.
Axiom-Acer 4-3 MVP
The plays
• Like Life, Lucky goes for mass Ling/Baneling composition against a Terran trying to Swarm through him like in the HotS campaign. Unlike Life, Lucky eats a surgical Widow Mine shot right in the center of his Baneling force and loses the game two milliseconds later.
• In attempt to make ZvP enjoyable, Leenock goes for a cool Nydus/Swarm Host play but forgets that a) he has no minerals and b) Colossi are still present in Heart of the Swarm. Still, a Zerg playstyle that deserves some more attention and dissection in order to make it viable.
• Keen flies an Afterburned Medivac over the entire army of Alicia to drop a single Ghost and EMP all of Alicia's High Templars, denying him psi storm during the battle.
• Heart takes a page out of YoDa's book and blows up 11 of TAILS's probes in one shot. Although the game went on for 10 or so more minutes, it was already technically over.
• The Terrans push Medivac/Bio drops to their limits and make their opponents look bad (although they really aren't). Not exactly a meta-breaking play but considering it was the most popular strategy that weekend, it's simply worth mentioning.
The playmakers and their words
IM.Squirtle
Once IM called forth YoDa in the booth, I was convinced that it'll be him about whom I'll be writing in this very article. Winning IEM World Championship in the first ever premier HotS tournament makes people expect something from you, after all.
Unfortunately, by the power of not being in his best form that day, YoDa stepped aside and made way for Squirtle and the Protoss did not disappoint. Not that it was entirely surprising: Squirtle has been around for ever and brutally beating people has been his trademark so the only unanswered question was how good he was in Heart of the Swarm.
After watching his games this weekend, we still don't know how good he's in HotS but we do know that he's still pretty damn good at StarCraft. Squirtle did not go full fancy, using every new unit to make extravagant plays. He wasn't abusing the new expansion per se, but rather sticking to the fundamental concepts of StarCraft: attack when you have to, defend when it's necessary and react accordingly to the threats. Nothing lavish, just simple efficiency.
AA.MMA
Technically, MMA was not really a playmaker in this one. He came last for Axiom-Acer just to clean up the series so if you want to be nitpicky he's more of a classical ace than anything else.
So why do we feature him? How about because he triumphed over one of his oldest rivals, DongRaeGu? How about because this is his first premier victory in a long (long!) time? How about because he's f***ing MMA and deserves every single amount of curtsy for still having it in him to prevail?
We're not going to delve deep into how MMA did it, let's see what he had to say instead (Interview by Thisisgame.com, translation by todobienn).
You won your first match. How do you feel?
I have been thirsty for victory. I’ve been dying for a win, and from today on I hope to throw away my poor performance and continue to improve.
Was your entry planned?
It was a situation in which MVP still had their ace in their pocket. I personally am more confident in TvZ so I asked if Scarlett or Miya could go in, but as the person with the most experience as an ace, I was chosen.
That was an incredibly back and forth series, were you nervous at all?
I usually keep my nerves under control but I was extremely nervous this time around. Especially when Tak Hyung Seung (NAKSEO) won, my hands and feet were shaking.
Your match was good enough to say that you are still in prime condition.
No, I still feel that I am lacking. I am working to return to my top form. Every night before I go to sleep I relive my past victories.
The interview takes a pause here to mention Scarlett during which she says that she'll be ready whenever she's called. It then continues:
It said in a previous interview that she [Scarlett] played Heart of the Swarm for the first time when she came to Korea.
She is incredibly good. She is especially good at transitioning into Hive tech and excels at engaging in battles. If Stephano is strong in the mid-game and then overwhelms in the late-game, Scarlett is a player that keeps hold of any advantage so she can use it in the late-game.
It seems there aren’t many people on your roster. Does this give you trouble when preparing?
We have some restrictions so we can only practice with 3 Zergs from Woongjin Stars. I want to take this time to say my thanks.
It said in a previous interview that she [Scarlett] played Heart of the Swarm for the first time when she came to Korea.
It’s going to be a tiring battle. We were absolutely rolled over in the pre-season, so we will prepare to show them a different side of our team.
You face LG-IM next time, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be easy.
It’s going to be a tiring battle. We were absolutely rolled over in the pre-season, so we will prepare to show them a different side of our team.
Before we go, any last words?
I want to thank the rest of the Acer family in Germany along with the CEO uwe, Fred Gau, and the rest of our fans. We will show you exciting matches in our match against LG-IM as well. Thank you to Jenna and John Bain for providing us with a place to stay here.
P.S. Squirtle might not be on ST anymore and SlayerS is now long in the past but the presence of Smix and Megumixbear totally justifies the inaccurateness of the picture used, right?.
Once IM called forth YoDa in the booth, I was convinced that it'll be him about whom I'll be writing in this very article. Winning IEM World Championship in the first ever premier HotS tournament makes people expect something from you, after all.
Unfortunately, by the power of not being in his best form that day, YoDa stepped aside and made way for Squirtle and the Protoss did not disappoint. Not that it was entirely surprising: Squirtle has been around for ever and brutally beating people has been his trademark so the only unanswered question was how good he was in Heart of the Swarm.
After watching his games this weekend, we still don't know how good he's in HotS but we do know that he's still pretty damn good at StarCraft. Squirtle did not go full fancy, using every new unit to make extravagant plays. He wasn't abusing the new expansion per se, but rather sticking to the fundamental concepts of StarCraft: attack when you have to, defend when it's necessary and react accordingly to the threats. Nothing lavish, just simple efficiency.
AA.MMA
Technically, MMA was not really a playmaker in this one. He came last for Axiom-Acer just to clean up the series so if you want to be nitpicky he's more of a classical ace than anything else.
So why do we feature him? How about because he triumphed over one of his oldest rivals, DongRaeGu? How about because this is his first premier victory in a long (long!) time? How about because he's f***ing MMA and deserves every single amount of curtsy for still having it in him to prevail?
We're not going to delve deep into how MMA did it, let's see what he had to say instead (Interview by Thisisgame.com, translation by todobienn).
You won your first match. How do you feel?
I have been thirsty for victory. I’ve been dying for a win, and from today on I hope to throw away my poor performance and continue to improve.
Was your entry planned?
It was a situation in which MVP still had their ace in their pocket. I personally am more confident in TvZ so I asked if Scarlett or Miya could go in, but as the person with the most experience as an ace, I was chosen.
That was an incredibly back and forth series, were you nervous at all?
I usually keep my nerves under control but I was extremely nervous this time around. Especially when Tak Hyung Seung (NAKSEO) won, my hands and feet were shaking.
Your match was good enough to say that you are still in prime condition.
No, I still feel that I am lacking. I am working to return to my top form. Every night before I go to sleep I relive my past victories.
The interview takes a pause here to mention Scarlett during which she says that she'll be ready whenever she's called. It then continues:
It said in a previous interview that she [Scarlett] played Heart of the Swarm for the first time when she came to Korea.
She is incredibly good. She is especially good at transitioning into Hive tech and excels at engaging in battles. If Stephano is strong in the mid-game and then overwhelms in the late-game, Scarlett is a player that keeps hold of any advantage so she can use it in the late-game.
It seems there aren’t many people on your roster. Does this give you trouble when preparing?
We have some restrictions so we can only practice with 3 Zergs from Woongjin Stars. I want to take this time to say my thanks.
It said in a previous interview that she [Scarlett] played Heart of the Swarm for the first time when she came to Korea.
It’s going to be a tiring battle. We were absolutely rolled over in the pre-season, so we will prepare to show them a different side of our team.
You face LG-IM next time, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be easy.
It’s going to be a tiring battle. We were absolutely rolled over in the pre-season, so we will prepare to show them a different side of our team.
Before we go, any last words?
I want to thank the rest of the Acer family in Germany along with the CEO uwe, Fred Gau, and the rest of our fans. We will show you exciting matches in our match against LG-IM as well. Thank you to Jenna and John Bain for providing us with a place to stay here.
P.S. Squirtle might not be on ST anymore and SlayerS is now long in the past but the presence of Smix and Megumixbear totally justifies the inaccurateness of the picture used, right?.
