Lucifer strikes again in ZOTAC #260

Another week, another ZOTAC, another success for Lucifer.

Forgive me if the introduction sounded a little uninspired, but this week’s ZOTAC final was very much a routine victory for the legendary undead player. Despite facing an equally storied opponent in Infi, the 3-0 win did not flatter Lucifer in any way. This series of clone games started out on Turtle Rock, setting a familiar tone as Infi went for a fast expansion in the middle of the map. Most of the game revolved around that base, with Lucifer almost ceaselessly assaulting towers and workers. Eventually both players backed off to creep a little, and for Lucifer to take his own expansion. When he returned it was with a superior army and better heroes, leading to a 1-0 score.

Amazonia was almost a carbon copy of game one, with Infi opting to counter-harass after taking his expansion. Lucifer simply towered up his own base and was safe to take out workers and tower until the human portaled home. Eventually, the undead was able to kill the expansion entirely. Just as Infi began long distance mining he lost his hero to a coil/nova combo and decided enough was enough.

Last Refuge proved to be a semi-appropriate name in the sense that it would be the last map, but it proved no refuge for Infi. Again he went for a fast expansion, and again it was harassed by fiends for most of the game. Lucifer opted for a mid-game expansion of his own, very close to his opponent’s and it paid off in an unexpected way. As Infi moved into attack it, he got his Archmage caught out of position without a town portal and it died in seconds. A previously even game had suddenly turned, and when Lucifer got a frost wyrm to work as a mobile nerubian tower for his opponent’s heroes, there was no way for the human player to run.

Replays: Game one, Game two, Game three,