MSL 2008 Group D game report

So! It's firebathero along with two very popular Protoss, Bisu and Much. What more could you ask from a MSL group? Definately not BackHo that's for sure...!

Much vs firebathero @ Destination

My my my... First game of the group between firebathero and his archrival Much. FBH no doubt will be eager to take revenge for the pylon heart extravaganza that Much pulled off last time they met.

Map is the choke-happy 2-player map Destination with Terran at north and Protoss at south. FBH shocks everybody as he sends a ton of SCVs along with marines at amazingly bunker rushes Much's 14 nexus opening! He quickly retreats his SCVs and Much is now left at a massive disadvantage.
He sneaks by dragoons but with excellent micro, FBH fends off any comeback attempts. As Much takes out the critical bunker, FBH is expanding himself; something the Protoss wants to counter with a reaver drop. The drop does decent damage but nothing amazing to hinder FBH dominance over the game.

The Terran even attempts a drop of his own but is stopped cold by dragoons. At this point, FBH is successfully taking advantage of the map and is using the bridges to secure his slow push down the map.

After another distracting drop, fbh is at Much's doorstep and pounds down his 2nd expansion at bottom right. After some pathetic struggle for his life, Much's army is reduced to smithereens and it is clear now that FBH is just toying with him, not wanting to land the killing blow.

Much obviously thinks he has a chance rather than conceding the game and is completely forced into defence, as he is teching to arbiters. With no flanking opportunities and a nice little dance by a science vessel who d-matrixes a dragoon (!!) Much admits defeat.

Bisu vs BackHo @ Athena 2

Second game of the group, a PvP vs Bisu and BackHo.
Bisu is clearly a favourite here; sporting a far superior PvP than BackHo, but with a few upsets in this MSL (ie Flash not advancing) who knows what will happen...

Both players start off as standard as PvP can be with Bisu at 2 o'clock and BackHo at 9. BackHo is however at quite an advantage as he has sneaked a probe into Bisu's base while the opposing scouting probe is blocked off by a well-placed zealot.

Bisu is now completely in the dark and BackHo is getting tons of information about every single move his opponent makes. Eventually, a dragoon deals with it and Bisu is bracing himself for a possible drop.

The drop actually never comes and now observers provide Bisu with very late scouting. The two Protoss eventually meet in the middle but Bisu displays some excellent reaver/shuttle micro and beats BackHo off. He follows with a reaver drop and nicely blows half of BackHo's probes, as the yellow Protoss seems completely oblivious!

With a wrecked economy BackHo pushes forward but Bisu sniped off the reavers and BackHo with wrecked economy concedes.

Bisu vs firebathero @ Byzantium 2

Things are getting exciting in this winners' match between Bisu and firebathero on Byzantium 2. FBH has a pretty bad TvP but he DID take out Much just before, a very respectable PvTer.

Protoss at top right and FBH at top left. Terran starts off with a 2 factory opening and Protoss with a rather usual 1 gate into robotics. He then follows this with a brief harrass and a quite fatal expansion. Clearly not knowing that FBH went for a 2-factory opening, greedy Bisu is punished as a respectable tank/vulture force presses forward, ignores the nexus and absolutely annihilates the probe line.

Unbelievably, Bisu is still in the game, slowly boosting his economy with his two nexus (nexii?).

He stalls FBH with a reaver harrass and the Terran plays right to it as Protoss takes another expansion as tanks scramble to deal with the annoying reaver.
The game now shifts to a macro battle with minor harass from each player, vulture drops and dark templar attacks.

FBH used the same tactic and with constant drops he managed to push forward his massive metal army and settled in the middle of the map very close to the Protoss base. But Bisu would not stand still and made a nice little recall into Terrans' main taking down countless depots!

But now firebathero is swallowing Bisu whole as he takes down expansion after expansion with his unstoppable force. Bisu again proves a tough nut to crack as he runs with everything he has to the Terran main and now it’s clearly a battle for elimination! Both players are really in utter ruin and things are just ridiculous when FBH floats up his buildings and is eager to level Bisu's remaining nexus with everything he has!

He also wisely had 2 comsats operational at an expansion of his and fends off any dark templars and cloaked dragoons! Bisu eventually takes down the remaining Terran forces but he is has 0 resource intake while FBH is on one expansion.

After a last ditch assault by Bisu the Protoss Empire crumbles and FBH dances his way out of the group!

Much vs BackHo @ Byzantium 2

Losers' match with BackHo at bottom left and Much at top right. Things spice up from the very beginning as both players opt for dark templar! But BackHo just blows the commentators away as he stalled Much's faster DT with 2 dragoons and then blocks the ramp with a couple of dark templars of his own!
Awesome stuff! He then calmly gets observers to deal with the pest but it has cost him as Much has got an expansion up and running. Eventually he pushes forward but with cannons supporting the dragoon army and essentially a double economy, Much takes the win!

Much vs Bisu @ Medusa

Final match between these two Protoss stars. Medusa is the battlefield with Much at 10 o'clock and Bisu at 7.

Both obviously do not want to take any chances and start off as safe as physically possible. Things start off very calmly with little harrass by both, teching to robotics and both players taking their natural.

Eventually, after 8 minutes of play, Bisu moves out and at the same time reaver drops Much's main taking down a few probes. This infuriates Much as he storms down the map to revenge those poor probes. But he is completely decimated as 3 reavers are clearly better than 2 and Bisu leaves no survivors.

A couple of reaver drops and a final push by Bisu seals Much's fate in this MSL as Bisu alongside firebathero advance from the group!