Thursday 24 January 2013

North American Regional Qualifiers' Results

It's the North American Regional for IPL6. The qualifier was jam-packed with big names. After all the carnage, we were left with four names: "RainieYang" (Scarlett), "IVNMaSsan," "EG.HuK," and "GosuOstojiy." The races, for those who want to know, were three zerg players and one protoss.

Winner's Semi #1

MaSsan vs. Scarlett (RainieYang)

Game One

Scarlett's game-winning engagement

Both players started with relatively equal terms, but Scarlett had the leg up in technology.

Scarlett wins game one with overwhelming team comp. This stalemate would continue with both players' engagements and even toward the mid-game. Both players did not break the other's resolve and both boast similar economies. It came down to one engagement, Scarlett's hydralisk and infestor composition vs. MaSsan's roaches for Scarlett's victory.

Game Two

Scarlett's defensive stand

Scarlett handled the early MaSsan zergling pressure with composure and timing. After the first few attacks, both players droned up and played the mid-game with roaches and infestors. MaSsan continued the aggression with Scarlett's defense holding off attack after attack. Scarlett's infestors hit clump fungal after fungal on MaSsan and repel every attack. The stalemate created the preparation for late game, MaSsan with an economic advantage and Scarlett's technology advantage. A strong engagement in MaSsan's fourth base cleared the way for Scarlett and her army/economy. She used the advantage and closed out the set.

Winner's Semi #1

EG.HuK vs. GosuOstojiy

Game One

Huk's superior scouting leads to expo kill

The game started slow, both players taking cautious approaches in engagements. HuK used four gates to create a sentry/zealot aggression while Ostojiy played an early zergling strategy. Unfortunately, bad scouting one Ostojiy side, and good scouting for HuK, created the first base fight in Ostojiy's expansion. The key mistake in this match, Ostojiy's late expansion. HuK took care of the lack of economy with a sentry force and claimed game one.

Game Two

HuK wins base race

HuK began the game with a huge lead. His aggression and beautiful micro created the gap between himself and Ostojiy. However, zergs can never be counted out, and with several key engagements, Ostojiy tied the economy and army deficit when he equaled HuK's three bases with his own. HuK's initiated a semi-base race, but was met with a strong stalemate in both engagements and army composition. Despite all the resistance, it was HuK's clutch forcefield play and high ground that took care of Ostojiy's last army.

"How did I lose?" Ostojiy said.

Finals

EG.HuK vs. Scarlett

Game One

Scarlett's surprise attack on HuK's army

The finals for the tournament pitted popular player, HuK and the last zerg remaining, Scarlett. Scarlett started the game slow, she opted to expand to three bases instead of extensive harassment, while HuK opened with an immortal/sentry build with an emphasis on gas. Unfortunately, Scarlett's base advantage also took away from her upgrade timings. She countered this by having a surprising game-changing charge with her roaches and took out an important immortal and sentry. This was the opening act because she charged back and finished off the rest of HuK's army shortly after.

Game Two

Scarlett's broodlord deathball in motion

HuK began the game with a pressure build, early expansion, and three gateways. Scarlett's scouting was on-point for the beginning and she countered by droning very heavily. HuK made early mistakes again with a late notice to Scarlett's early zergling army to kill a few sentries. The aggression was all from HuK, however, as he warped in plenty of reinforcements to fight into Scarlett's natural because of his pressure build. While Huk's initial pushes were fought off, he still held a stronger economy and upgrade advantage over Scarlett -- chalk that up to better macro play. Another bad engagement by HuK, immortals in the front of the army, took the advantage right out and created a stalemate. The late game tech began and HuK took the initiative with a stalker/collosus army composition. His charge, however, was too short and Scarlett took care of HuK's entire army with strong fungal play. Scarlett's late game army composition with her brood lords were too much for HuK and she took care of the qualifier with flawless aggression.

Too many mistakes from opponents and Scarlett's great history in qualifiers made this one a clean sweep. She took care of every player despite playing behind in the majority of her matches. The mistakes from every opponent Scarlett faced was capitalized and she will be heading to IPL6 with a free ride.


Source : ign[dot]com

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