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Text by: procyonlotor

Scrimmage report

Hasuobs 2-1 DarkForce
VODs: Game 1 on Antiga Shipyard /// Game 2 on Odyssey /// Game 3 on Dual Sight

DarKFoRcE vs HasuObs, in which carriers were made to great success. It seems characteristic of NASL PvZs to transition into mothership vs broodlord fights, and following Hasuobs’ efficient use of carriers, we have to wonder whether other protoss players couldn’t include them in their mothership composition. The resource heavy late game is the perfect time to bring out the big guns.

Ryung 2-0 Nony
VODs: Game 1 on Antiga Shipyard /// Nony forfeited Game 2

With game two being forfeited due to lag, this series tells us little besides confirming that NoNy is still not there yet. His mass stalker three colossus push, an antiquated style, was going up against upgraded mass bio supported by vikings with +1 weapons, making an already narrow window even smaller. With the initial push unsuccessful, Ryung kept on it, predicting NoNy’s templar transition and striking at his third nexus before the protoss could muster much of a defense.

Sjow 2-1 Dimaga
VODs: Game 1 on Antiga Shipyard /// Game 2 on Odyssey /// Game 3 on Ohana

It doesn’t take much to die to tank/marine, and while Dimaga can be said to be an able defender, his attacking, at least in this series, left somewhat to be desired. We saw him leave his broodlord force open to counterattack while failing to defend critical hatcheries from drops, ironically switching to ultralisks, the symbol of defeated zergs, before falling, and even leading entire armies into corners impossible to escape.

Hero 2-0 CrazyMoving
VODs: Game 1 on Antiga Shipyard /// Game 2 on Daybreak

This is not a good time for zerg players to be facing HerO, a notable PvZ specialist. It’s fair to suspect CrazyMoving wasn’t too thrilled about this, especially having lost to HerO on more than one occasion, including an exciting Code A match, and he would have been right to be weary. Both games played on a single theme: that of HerO gaining a critical advantage through timing attacks, then exploiting that advantage to win the game at a later point. It was a textbook strategy executed beautifully by a player whose control is to protoss what PuMa’s is to terran.

My little NonY

For someone who used to be one of the best foreign Brood War players, NonY has seen little of that skill translated into his Starcraft 2 career, or more likely, the lack of practice, owed to various reasons, has stunted his otherwise brilliant mind. Switching back to his Brood War moniker was a much hyped event, as though signifying a return to form, though it is more likely a return to the original intention of bringing out the whole of his ability. With so much downtime, however, it seems ever more likely that NonY will require far more time to reach the level of HuK and other Korean protoss players. If the transition happens soon, we’re going to see it on NASL, but for now, he’s going to be shaking hands with Grubby as one star twinkling in a very busy sky.

Division overview and standings

Division 2 after week three
Hero	3-0	+5
DeMuslim	2-0	+4
Ryung	2-1	+2
HasuObs	2-1	+1
Nony	1-1	0
Dimaga	1-2	-1
Sjow	1-2	-2
Crazymoving	0-2	-4
Darkforce	0-3	-5

In NASL2 HerO finished first in his division, and the event is likely to repeat itself. Having seen his continuing stellar play, we have little reason to believe Liquid’s protoss can be stopped by anyone but DeMuslim, who may yet fall to Ryung. Behind the three are Hasuobs and Dimaga, their middling performance keeping them afloat while DarKFoRcE and Sjow surprisingly sink to the bottom. At this point their chances of rising to the surface are rapidly evaporating, but they still have the ability to toss sticks in the top players’ wheels.

Barely clairvoyant: Week 4 on May 3rd

Division 2 Week 4 matches

Ryung

DeMuslim

CrazyMoving

Nony

Hero

Sjow

DarkForce

Dimaga

Ryung and DeMuslim go into what is likely to be a deciding matchup. Both being contenders for the first spot in their division, the result of their bout will go a long way to pushing one player up and the other down.

It’s easy to think that NonY is doing much better than CrazyMoving, what with one sitting comfortably in the middle and the other at the near bottom, but the difference between is one match, either won or lost. If CrazyMoving takes this, they’re going to be on equal terms with 1 - 2. If NonY wins, CrazyMoving may have to take the bottom space away from DarKFoRcE, whose series against Dimaga, whether win or loss, may end up keeping him in last place regardless.

In HerO’s debut MLG performance he took a game from Sjow with pure stalker micro, taking virtually no losses. Since then, HerO has had a history of taking down better terran players than Sjow, now looking to face oGsSupernova in the Code S round of eight. Sjow had better bring his A game, because HerO’s going to bring his, whistle and all.

My little Nony: NASL 3 W3D2 recap