MSL: XellOs give commentators 'heart-attack'

The MSL continued today with the games of week 2. The MSL does not suffer from OGN's lack of protoss. Todays four games featured three protoss players. Read on for the results and battle reports.

Nal_rA vs Bisu at Blitz X

Nal_rA has an impressive 16:4 PvP stat and with that he warps in on the right side of the map. Bisu doesn't have a MBC PvP stat and warps in on the left side. rA goes for a gate, gas, core build, while Bisu opts for building some zealots before he starts his core. He does not get any probe kills with his first lot, thanks to a zealot, a goon and some probe micro from Nal_rA. rA also puts down a manner pylon in Bisu's base which he allows to finish. Bisu adds another gate, while rA goes for citadel of adun, templar archieve and then a forge.

Bisu has the same idea as rA and heads for the templar archieve as well. As Nal_rAs dark templars leave his base both players expand. Instead of sending the DTs straight through the middle (you can do that in the new version of Blitz) rA sends them the long way around. It doesn't matter, Bisu has added a third gate instead of a forge or robotics facility. As rA's DTs start ripping probes apart, Bisu puts down both, but it is quickly clear that rA will not allow them to be of any use.

The only option left for Bisu is a DT counterattack. He goes straight through the middle and as rAs cannons at his exp finish Bisu sneaks into the main. He tries to send his remaining goons to deal with the cannons and start an elimination race. There are too many however and Bisu types out. GG.

IriS vs Canata at Desert Fox

The second and last mirror match of the day. IriS lands at 7 and opens with gas, barrack and one factory before he puts down his command center. Canata lands at 11 and opens with a command center before barrack and then adds two factories. Canata's economy is stronger from the start and he can afford to add two more factories after his starport. IriS stay at his two factories and starts ferrying units into the middle. He walks them to the mineral only of Canata and ferrys them across the minerals there to attack the natural from the ridge behind it. Five tanks and 5 goliaths. Canata brings the scvs off the line to deal with it, but it doesn't cause too much trouble.

“	IriS is forced to retreat, rather quickly.

Both players are now flying around the map with loaded dropships. IriS decides to drop outside Canata's main to set up a slow push into his base. Canata on his part decides there's no point in that and drops directly into the main and forces IriS to lift his CC. It is dealt with shortly after, although it was a bit of a sloppy cleanup. IriS then drops Canata's mineral only, where there's nothing but two turrets. Canata sends in his dropships to prevent him from advancing on the natural from there. IriS is forced to retreat, rather quickly.

Canata now takes the natural at 3 while being harassed by a firebat. Canata answers by dropping IriS' natural and with a quick reinforcement of the drop IriS has no choice by to lift his CC. Canata has now secured the 3 natural and taken the island at 12. His economy is by far the superior one. IriS drops the empty mineral only of Canata again, but as he advances on the back of the natural his forces are wiped out with relative ease and he gives up. GG.

JJu vs LighT at Reverse Temple

JJu spawned at 9 and opened with a 12hatch at his natural followed by pool. LighT landed at 6 and walled in with a supply and barrack before starting his CC at his natural. JJu put down a third hatchery in his main and then started his tech to spire. Light added some barracks, an ebay and a factory before he started turreting up. The mutalisks of JJu doesn't do much in terms of harassing, but they keep LighT in his base and allows the zerg to take 12.

JJu decides to attack the front with his mutaling army. As the lings get slaughtered and JJu draws back he looks disillusioned at what he just did, while LighT looks like he's concentrating on seeing the hidden picture in one of those 3D posters. Terran, with his newly gained advantage, tries to take out 12. He is decisively stopped by mutaling though. Zerg puts down a dual evolution chamber and as LighT moves out with his main army towards 12, JJu attacks the front again.

JJu runs sacrifices some lings and runs his four lurkers and the mutas he has into the main. He is unable to do too much damage though as LighT just sieges up under turret cover while the scvs run to the gas. Terran sees his opportunity and diverts his main army toward the zerg main instead. It is far too massive for JJu to handle and his defences crumble before he types out. LighT's MBC TvZ record is now 5:0. Looks like Hwasin is not the only one with a nice TvZ. GG.

Free vs XellOs at Longinus II

XellOs lands at 11 and sends out what seems to be a very early scouting scv. Instead he builds a barrack first in the middle of the map. The commentators sound amazed by this risky build. Free lands at 7 and goes for an early expansion in his natural. This sends the commentators into a frenzy and there was definitely a mention of GG in there. XellOs starts up a bunker in range of the expansion nexus and forces Free to cancel it. Then he starts harassing the pylon for the gateway. Free on his part now has lots of cash after cancelling his natural and adds a gateway and some pylons. The first zealot manages to hold the marines off a bit, but only after they killed quite a bit of probes. When the first goons warp in, the marines are restricted to their bunker.

“	This sends the commentators into a frenzy and there was definitely a mention of GG in there.

XellOs was probably hoping to keep Free contained until his tanks could arrive. Free had other plans. He runs a zealot and 2 goons past the bunker and to XellOs' empty main. The terran sends some of his bunker marines back and desperately researches mines. They finish in time for XellOs not to take any serious losses. Free keeps running his forces past the bunker and a micro battle between goons, siege tanks without siege and mines follows at the terran choke.

XellOs finally gets control and puts down a CC in his natural shortly after Free has taken out his bunker and restarted his expansion. The terran fails at a vulture raid while Free techs up to reavers. XellOs sends his entire force to the high ground outside Free's mineral only and starts his push there. He puts down some turrets, mines and sieges up. Free flies his shuttle to the terran main, although it is spotted early. There's a turret and two tanks, but Free manages to take down one tank and the turret. He also harasses the scv with some success before he withdraws the shuttle.

XellOs has now advanced his push to the protoss choke and in building a supply depot in the choke. He's also sieging up, adding some turrets and putting down lots of mines. Free sees the danger and tries to break out. The first attempt fails, but he has lots of gateways and tries again shortly after. The second try almost breaks through, but not quite. XellOs reinforces and when Free fails to break the contain for the third time he is force to realize reality and type out. GG

MBCGame StarLeague, Week 2
Nal_rA	>	Bisu	Blitz X
IriS	<	Canata	Desert Fox
JJu	<	LighT	Reverse Temple
Free	<	XellOs	Longinus II

The games today were short, but very good. rA displayed his superior timing in defeating Bisu. Canata dominated Iris from start to finish with a better build order. LighT has an excellent TvZ, but he didn't really win his game. JJu lost it. XellOs takes a step back from his reputation as a standard terran, but stays true to his nickname, the perfect terran. This barrack first build is something you should remember to get when you look for these VODs in a few days.

Links
GosuGamers - MSL week 1 battle reports and results
FighterForum - Picture source