WCS Europe Round of 16 Results (Group D)

A good day of games as predictions stood strong.  The VODs are here and what follows is my look at the games themselves:

 

 MC 2  Nerchio 1

 

The expected result, albeit not a walkover.  Game one MC opened with oracles which killed off a couple of queens and a few drones as he began to build void rays; MC anticipated hydras, but Nerchio went for mutas which forced MC to recall his army as he moved out; despite the game going on for quite some time with MC building phoenix, Nerchio went for a muta/corruptor force that he added infestors too and a good fungal ended the game.  In game two MC went for a forge fast expand into phoenix and a fast third; Nerchio went for a quick roach/hydra push, but chose not to attack; MC went up to colossus as Nerchio added vipers; MC got feedbacks on the vipers (Nerchio only built two initially) and chased his army back to Nerchio's base, killing the fourth, but losing most of his army to the re-max; MC held the counter attack with just blink stalkers as Nerchio went for unupgraded ultralisks; Nerchio's next push was easily deflected; MC attacked and despite losing his colossus was able to take a supply lead with blink stalkers (benefiting from his better upgrades) and shortly afterwards the game.  In the final game MC went for a gateway opening with pressure on Nerchio's third, buying time to add immortals and the all-in crushed Nerchio.

 

 San 2  BlinG 1

 

A closer than expected result, but still following predictions.  Game one San opened with stalker pressure and BlinG took a ton of damage as he'd gone for an early stargate and simply died.  Game two San went for an early expansion as BlinG went for a dark shrine, but San scouted it out; BlinG went for an immortal drop, which San responded to in kind--BlinG killed off some probes while San killed the mothership core with a feedback (he didn't do much with his immortals); BlinG went for a colossus-based composition, while San went zealot/archon; San killed the third while harassing the main as he built tempests; BlinG chased down San's army while harassing San's main; San held on but chased after BlinG's army and got crushed and had to tap out (this was the best game of the series).  In the final game BlinG went for a proxy DTs while San went for blink; San figured out the DTs and took no real damage from it; San killed off the dark shrine and twilight council putting him very far behind; San went into colossus while BlinG went heavy into immortals; San's attack was initially held, but furthered his advantage and BlinG was forced to tap out shortly afterwards.

 

 San 2  MC 0

 

A little more one-sided than many expected.  Game one San went for an oracle, transitioning into a robo as MC went for blink and then robo; MC went for a late two-base all-in with both players having similar army composition--MC attacked up a ramp and got crushed.  Game two San went for DTs with a blink follow-up while MC went for blink; San actually made no DTs despite the dark shrine, but the building made MC paranoid and he built a later natural; MC pressured with stalkers without actually attacking and then San did the same except actually attacked a bit (not doing any serious damage); each player went up to three bases as they both went up to colossus and archons; San maxed out and attacked with +3 and rolled over MC.

 

 Nerchio 2  BlinG 0

 

Despite the one-sided score the games were competitive and the British player was one decision away in each match from doing very well.  Game one BlinG went up to a quick three bases while Nerchio went for a proxy spire; Nerchio pushed with roaches and BlinG (unaware of the mutas) followed and lost a ton of units and tapped out moments later.  BlinG went for an oracle into a third and then up to three stargates and heavy void ray play; Nerchio scouted the strategy and queen/hydra/infestor; BlinG snipped the natural with voids and recall, but Nerchio attacked before BlinG had his AOE (he was headed towards colossus) and got his army fungaled and died immediately.

 

 MC 2  Nerchio 0

 

After Nerchio's initial win in their first series MC went 4-0 against him, which suggests the only loss for the Boss Toss was a matter of luck for the Polish player.  Game one MC went for the now old school zealot/stalker/mothership core harass which was easily pushed away by queens; MC added +1 with a late robo, making a sentry push that almost killed the roach warren, but he was forced to recall out; MC transitioned to colossus but before they were out was caught out on the map and forced to recall again; Nerchio built corrupters as MC cut colossus production at two; MC used Nerchio's third to zone out the Zerg army and despite losing his colossus crushed Nerchio's initial force along with his follow-up, forcing the Polish player to tap out.  Game two MC went for a two-base four-gate that Nerchio scouted out and tried to hold off with queens and slow lings which didn't work.

 

San and MC moved on.

 

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)