GOMTV StarCraft 2 Open Ro32 Day 4 - Live Report

Does the Thor rush appeal to you as a WarCraft 3 with the Thor as a hero?

- Before, he understimated Thors because of the marine, marauder. But if you have scvs reparing it it a little bit like a hero in warcraft 3.

You defeated a legend, slayersboxer. how far do you think you'll go in the tournament and what matchup are you the most comfortable with?

- He felt that SayersBoxeR was the most difficult opponent in his group, so now that he has defeated him, he feels confident. He also feels more confident against Protoss.

14:21 - Aaand, we have the full Round of 16 matchups done. Notable games: Polt against JinrO, NesTea versus Maka and MC against JulyZerg!

Round of 16:

December 2 11:00 CET
IMNesTea vs. MakaPrime
ST_GgoBooGie vs. TSL_Rain
BitByBitPrime.WE vs. TSL_FruitDealer
TheBestfOu vs. HongUnPrime.WE

December 3 11:00 CET
MarinekingPrime.WE vs. LeenockfOu
oGsMC vs. ST_July
IMmvp vs. choyafOu
PoltPrime.WE vs. LiquidJinrO

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Winner interview with Polt soon.

14:15 - Polt moving up again, with 20 marines, and a banshee. Three siege tanks outside. BoxeR trying to flank it, but there is no way. Too many marines and tanks.

BoxeR says GG. 2-1 to Polt!



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BoxeR comes over to Polt's booth to congratulate and shake hands.

Game 3 - BoxeR vs. Polt @ Jungle Basin

BoxeR in the top as red, Polt in the bottom as blue.

Three barracks for BoxeR, same build order as last time. Polt with a factory, similar build as well.

BoxeR has his pocket expansion. Polt with Starport on the way, with tech lab being built. Banshees?

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Banshee out, harassing the mineral line of BoxeR. The banshee is cloaked, so nothing BoxeR can do right now. "His economy is gonna fall apart," says Artosis.

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More banshees to the main, three tanks coming in as well, plus some amrines. SlayerSBoxeR trying to kill it off with SCVs and marine, marauder. Not a lot of gunpower left. But, he holds it off.

Lousy economy now for BoxeR, if Polt can get some more units in, it coudl be it. He could also decide to bakc up and macro ahead.

Furter banshee harass.

14:01 - More marines moving in, PoltPrime with siege tanks to defend, not enough. Moves down his SCVs backed by medivacs. Holds it off for now, but the second wave from BoxeR is on the way - with stim and marauders added to those marines.

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Polt moves out with his tanks, but has to run back with BoxeR stimming in to the expansion of Polt. Marauders and marines just too much for Polt. GG, 1-1!

Game 2 - BoxeR vs. Polt @ Blistering Sands

13:54 - Game 2. Polt in the top right, BoxeR in the bottom left.

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Fast expansion by BoxeR. PoltPrime with a reactor barracks, and Factory on the way. BoxeR with tooons of marines, having pumped from four barracks. 11 marines advancing on Polt's position.

Oh! Polt losing tow Vikings to the marines, not having landed in time. But can hold off the attack, BoxeR falls back.

BoxeR vs. Polt @ Delta Quadrant

13:47 - Game one has started. Mad cheers from the crowd for BoxeR. Double Barracks BoxeR at the expansion's minerals. Polt laying down a bunker in his main.

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Thor rush in the making for Polt.

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Polt moving in. Many marines and the lone Thor. Loses the hellion to the bunker, but the Thor lives and takes out the bunker. Polt moves in, one tank versus two Thors. No chance, even if you're SlayerSBoxeR. GG from BoxeR. 1-0 to Polt.

13:42 - If the stream dies now, we understand why. The Emperor himself is taking on Polt.

13:41 - Winner interview with choya:

Your next opponents in the RO16 and RO8 will be Terran players. How confident are you in your Protoss versus Terran matchup?

Against Terran, his chances are even. If he can adapt to playing in the booth, he thinks he can take it.

Was repeating the same build in game 2, after losing with it in game 1, a psychological play or was it due to the circumstances?

He prepared the same build for both set 1 and 2. he wanted to go with it even if he lost. as for the buidl in the last game it was a build zerg has difficulty with even if they find out about it.

13:30 - Had some stream difficulties, but Check seems to have lots of roaches out, but choya seems so far ahead with his many stalkers, zealots and sentries backed by phoenixes. choya taking out the top left expansion.

Check wanting to counter-attack, but gets caught by choya's massive force of warpgate units and colossi back there. Check GGs. 2-1 to choya.



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SlayerSBoxeR coming up soon.

13:22 - Check spots the Stargate. A Void Ray and a Phoenix on its way to Check's main. Choya just now taking his natural expansion.

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Lots of mutalisks out for Check.

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Check going for an attack, all-in with his zerglings and mutalisks. Tons of Phoenixes killing off the mutalisks. Oh my, such a huge blunder for Check. Losing so much.

Game 3 - choya vs. Check @ Xel'Naga Caverns

13:18 - choya at the bottom, Check top right. choya warping in a pylon at the expansion spot for Check, hindering him from taking his hatchery. Spawning pool done for Check.

choya goes Gateway -> Cybernetics Core - > Forge. Early expand or offensive cannoning? Expand it seems, warping in that pylon at his own expansion spot.

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Stargate on the way too.

Game 2 - choya vs. Check @ Delta Quadrant

13:08 Game two has begun.

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Standard Protoss opening, stalker on the way. Check with Roach Warren on the way, with natural expansion taken.

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Choya moving in with his zealot, stalker army. Tons of speedlings and a handful of Roaches for check, microes pretty well, but choya's many units could get tough.



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Natural goes down! choya with a pylon just outside, being able to warp in units like there's no tomorrow. Protoss moving in with his troops into the main of Check. choya wins! 1-1!

13:04 - Six stalkers, four zealots out for choya. Check with 14 zerglings, three spine crawlers. choya outside the expansion, wanting to attack.

choya attacks in, but Check takes it with his spine crawlers, zerglings and queens. 1-0 to Check.

Game 1 - choya vs. Check @ Steppes of War

12:58 - Game one has begun, Check spawning at the top right, choya at bottom left.

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Hatchery first for Check. Forge first for choya, attempting a cannon rush. Check cancels his Hatchery not to lose it. choya moves back, and Check rebuilds it.

A little zealot/probe attack from choya, but Check defends well with double queen, spine crawler and zerglings.

12:55 - The third series coming up soon. Check versus choya.

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Steppes of War
Delta Quadrant
Xel'Naga Caverns
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12:54 - Winner interview transcript with mvp:

Your team mate nestea was the winner last season. how does his playstyle differ from IdrA's?

- They borg use baneligns and speedligns int he beginning of the game. the difference is that nestea prefers roaches, while idra perfers mutalisks.

Did you lose some confidence after losing on steppes of war, which is usually heavily terran-favored?

- Although his confident didn't falter after the loss, he was quite angry at himself as the game didn't go as he wanted.

Because you beat arguably the best zerg in the world, what do you think ur chances are to take the whole tournament?

- His goal is to win the tournament, he wants to make it to the final.

12:43 - mvp moving out with marines, having a go at the expansion of IdrA, but the spine crawler and the zerglings are there to defend.

Double tech lab for mvp, researching stim and combat shield. mvp takes his natural expansion. IdrA with Baneling Nest, and Lair on the way.

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A marine, marauder timing attack for mvp. Great timing attack from mvp, IdrA has very little to defend with.

IdrA GGs, has nothing to defend with. mvp moves on, 2-1.

Game 3 - IdrA vs. mvp @ Metalopolis

12:40 - Getting some crazy lag on the stream. The IdrA effect?

Game three has started. Close positions on Metalopolis, IdrA in the bottom and mvp to the right.

Hatchery first for IdrA, double barracks for mvp.

12:34 - Mutalisks are up, 11 of them roaming the air field. IdrA taking the gold expansion to the right, trying get up to four bases. mvp still only on two-base.

mvp now pushing out with his marine, medivac, siege tank push. Pushing back the creep.

19 mutalisks now.

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IdrA counter-pushes, moves in with banelings, zerglings and mutalisks. Taking out a looot of tanks. Great move by IdrA, cleaning things up. mvp is now pushed back.

IdrA has tons of units. Moving in again, the mutalisks take out the tanks, the rest of the units of mvp gets taken out. IdrA now rallying in to mvp's base. GG from mvp! 1-1!

12:29 - Double Factory for mvp. Command Center on its way to land at mvp's natural.

IdrA placing a baneling nest in his main. Playing very safe.

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We'll see Blue Flame Hellions from mvp. IdrA needs to get roaches and not just rely on zergling/baneling.

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mvp runs up the ramp of IdrA with two hellions, gets taken out.

IdrA has moved down with creep tumours, now with creep in the middle of the map, guarded by zerglings and banelings. Spire on the way.

Game 2 - IdrA vs. mvp @ Steppes of War

12:25 - IdrA at the top, mvp in the bottom.

Two barracks for mvp. One marine and one SCV on the way to IdrA's expansion. Lays down a bunker, drones trying down there to block. Second bunker being built, blocking the ramp to prevent zerglings. Bunker gets killed off thanks to the drones, IdrA can hold it off. IdrA instead moving to mvp's main with his zerglings. Barracks block there though, so he runs back home.

12:20 mvp wants to kill the gold expansion of IdrA. Moves in with his marine, marauder force, but IdrA is quickly there with banelings and zerglings. mvp falls back.

IdrA with mutalisks on the way.

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mvp waited for the medivac and the tank. Attacking once again to the gold expansion of IdrA. mvp kills off a lot of troops, but IdrA can temporarily fend it off. mvp with more units on the way, marines and medivacs engaging. Zerglings with little to put up with, great siege tank placements, utilizing the terrain.

IdrA GGs, mvp shows why Koreans he may be the best player in the world.

12:16 - 10 marines moving out from mvp. IdrA spots it with his zergling scout outside, and starts morphing some banelings. Baneling speed getting finished soon.

mvp moving out with a marine, marauder force. IdrA attacks it, banelings popping, killing off most of the marauders. mvp moving back, hurt.

Game 1 - IdrA vs. MVP @ Blistering Sands

12:12 - Game is on! IdrA as Zerg in bottom right, MVP top right as Terran.

MVP laying down two barracks at the bottom of his natural expansion. IdrA goes hatchery first.



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IdrA scouts the main of mvp, not sure if he spotted the barracks.

Artosis lets us know that IdrA and ret have been practicing a solid build against the two-barracks marine all-in. We see a spine crawler being added to the creep of the natural.

Overlord spots the two barracks and command center at the natural of mvp. Barracks getting moved to the entrance to block off.

12:10 - We have IdrA against MVP on the way!



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12:08 - JinrO! Here's the winner interview transcript:

After beating such a big name in esports and a wc3 legend, how do you feel and who do you think will be your biggest competition in the tournament?

- I feel good when I beat anyone really. To be a legend you have to beat a legend, right? There are some good players obviously, but I wouldn't say right now there's someone i'm worried about. JulyZerg surprised me yesterday, I didn't think he had turned so good yet. I guess I'm worreid about people from previous seasons or on battle.net that have become much better. The unknown.

What has contributed most to your quite drastic and heavy improvement. You haven't had any big wins yet, but now you're arguably one of the best macro terrans in gsl?

- The first step is obviously practice. The second is... I think ret coming down here. I think him arriving and giving me a lot of macro pointers made me very focused on making a lot units.

11:56 - Moon with no income at all, all he has left is his mutalisks. JinrO has a big blog of units just moving around the map. Very close to victory. Moon does not want to tap out.

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JinrO moves in for the attack, this will be it. GG from Moon, JinrO advances after 2-0!

11:51 - The supply is really in JinrO's favour. A drop on the way to Moon's main, luring the mutalisks to go up there to move in with 12 siege tanks and some thors and marines. Moon going to lose his top right expansion again.

Moon in the mean time counter-attacking. JinrO moving back, taking out the ground forces but mutalisks flying off.

11:44 - JinrO must be more aggressive, Moon taking more and more expansions.

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Well done, JinrO. Taking out the bottom right expansion of Moon.

Moon moving in with mutalisks and banelings at JinrO's gold expansion. Moon with tons of mutalisks now. Takign out tons of marines in the middle of the map at JinrO's sige parking.

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Moon is now down on two base, JinrO having taken out most of the expansions of Moon. Tons of siege tanks out for JinrO.

11:39 - Banshee out, spots the evolving banelings in the middle, forces Moon to cancel. Moon has a spire on the way.

JinrO taking his natural expansion.

Moon taking his second expansion at '3. Banshee finds it, starts firing at it. Mutalisks coming in to hold it off.

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Mutalisks looking for a hole to harass some. Doesn't find a hole. JinrO making his third command center, will likely pick the gold expansion. Yup.

Game 2 - Moon vs. JinrO @ Xel'Naga Caverns

11:34 - Moon at the top, JinrO at the bottom. Hatchery first for Moon. Drone having scouted JinrO's base, seeing the standard barracks play. Didn't see the Factory.

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A Hellion out for JinrO, going to put some early pressure on Moon, four marines and a Hellion at the expansion of Moon. JinrO picking off the overlord, setting Moon in a supply block. 10 kills on the hellion.

JinrO transitioning to marine, banshee. Moon having invested lots of minerals into zerglings from that early push. Needs to macro up.

11:28 - Moon GGs after running in to the sieged area at the Watch Tower. JinrO up 1-0!

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Team mates ret and HayprO happy about that of course.

11:25 - Moon attempting an attack, moves in with banelings, zerglings and mutalisks, but has to fall back with JinrO's big big Terran ball. JinrO turtling now.

Moon also has tons of Roaches. "Moon not getting the necessary upgrades," says Tasteless. Nothing on the roaches, compared to JinrO's 2+ attack on marines.

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JinrO picking off Moon's gold expansion. JinrO now on three-base, Moon back to 2-base.

11:21 Moon taking a gold expansion. Several mutalisks up, flying in to the main base, but JinrO having several turrets in there. A thor out as well!

11:17 - JinrO expands, setting himself up nicely on the match. Tank on the way. The reaper having done some harassment on Moon's Queen at his natural expansion.

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Moon attacks with his 10 or so Zerglings on the barracks, but gets hit by tank fire and falls back.

JinrO adding two more barracks now. Viking already out. Spire being built for Moon at the expansion.

Game 1 - JinrO vs. Moon @ Scrap Station

11:33 - And the game is off! We have JinrO spawning at the top as red Terran, and Moon at the right as blue Zerg.

JinrO lays down a barracks outside his own expansion. He takes his both gas. Moon's scouting drone spots the barracks.

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Reaper being built by JinrO, also laying down a Factory.

11:11 - The stream is live, and the players are preparing for the match.

10:47 - Another interesting fact: out of all the participants left, only Maka has made it to all three seasons' Round of 16. Should Check today, he will become the second player to do so.

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GosuBets are slightly favored for JinrO, with 59 per cent of the minerals locked on him. XLBet.com's odds have 2.50 on Jinro while only 1.47 for Moon.

Korean site PlayXP betting has 61 per cent on Moon.

What we do know already is that maps will be Scrap Station, Xel'Naga Caverns and Blistering Sands.

10:20 - Being the last day of the Round of 32, yes, the players you've been waiting for will be playing today. IdrA, JinrO, Moon, Check and SlayerSBoxeR will all have a go today.

First up today is JinrO against Moon (playing under Liberty). It will be a great match, and many fans will be tuning in. Swedish fans and WarCraft 3 fans especially.

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"I'm coming for you, JinrO!"

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While I brew some more coffee in the wait of it all to begin, check out these cool Artosis clips.