StarCraft 2 WCS America Coverage

Why StarCraft 2 Is My Favorite eSport

The acquisition of perfection is an elusive thing and in a competitive environment, whoever comes closest to that point of unequivocal greatness is the victor.

Yet, the acquisition of perfection in StarCraft 2 is not just elusive, it is nigh impossible. I would even venture to say that it is simply impossible if I wasn’t compelled by the golden rule, “never say never”.

There is always a point in a StarCraft 2 match that reaches a chaotic state. It is within the game’s entropic nature derived from its depth, complexity, and nearly endless amount of possibilities. Here, amidst the chaos, the best players in the world navigate through the waters as if the rough seismic waves were as tranquil as a Japanese pond garden. That is until they collide.

The more titanic the player, the more disruptive their impact on their opponents calm disposition, and as the battles rage more intensely the opportunity for a safe voyage and perfect play evaporates at astronomical rates.

When buildings, armies and workers collapse ripples are cast outward that if not handled with surgeon-like precision, can have cascading effects that eventually leads to a tsunami.

What I witness during a professional StarCraft match is never perfection. What I marvel and admire so greatly is the constant strive to reach an unclimbable precipice. It is a the determination for growth and one that has no cap, no limitation.

It is this impossibility that makes StarCraft 2 so mesmerizing, so addicting, and in my opinion, the best eSport this generation has to offer.

WCS America Season 2 Premier League Ro32 GROUP C

Alicia Vs. Neeb Game 1 - Newkirk Precinct

Group C kicked off with a match between one of last season's Protoss finalists Alicia and fifteen year old WCS debut player, Neeb.

Alicia

Alicia opens with a standard one gate expand while Neeb goes straight into factory/expand on the high ground. He begins hellion production while denying any vision from Alicia's mothership core with marines. Neeb then sends four hellions to attack Alicia’s mineral lines, but was denied any chance to deal damage by a promptly activated photon overchage and two stalkers blocking entry to the main. Neeb manages to escape with all his hellions, albeit with little life. In an attempt to make something of the hellions, Neeb drops them into the main, but his plans were thwarted by Alicia's observer, as the protoss positioned the two stalkers who blockaded the hellions first attempts at the main in a position to prevent the hellions’ aggression. Neeb in a desperate attempt to make something happen manages to burn three probes to the ground, but at the cost of all four of his hellions, only escaping with his medivac.

Alicia begins warping in a robotics bay for some colossus play while Neeb lands his command center at the natural and Alicia looks to have a strong economic advantage with both his main and natural well saturated.

After a very short interim of macroing Neeb chooses to aggress again, this time in double pronged fashion: two medivacs in the main containing four hellions and a handful of marines and two hellions at the natural. Alicia fends off the attack, losing three zealots an immortal and four workers in the process while Neeb loses all his forces. Neeb’s attack might have been more effective, however his attention was focused almost purely on the two hellions hitting the natural as he did not micro his forces in Alicia’s main at all.

Alicia feigns some aggression by bringing four stalkers outside of Neeb’s natural, who responds by building two bunkers and pulling thirteen SCVs off the mineral line in preparation to repair. Alicia, with no real intention of striking, promptly pulled his stalkers back. Meanwhile Alicia techs for high templars, ground upgrades and zealot charge while building a warp prism and adding a couple additional gateways. Fortunately Neeb finishes constructing his command center on the high ground to help close the economic disparity.

The macroing interim again doesn’t last very long as Neeb aggresses again with a rather large bio force with stim, +1 attack and concussive shells on the cusp of completion. As his forces depart however, Alicia drops a handful of zealots in Neeb’s main, causing him to pull SCVs at the cost of some economy. Alicia manages to score eight worker kills with his drops while fending off Neeb’s attack with a colossus, immortal, and a handful of gateway units. All the while Neeb lands third base while Alicia begins warping in his own, although Alicia doesn’t manage to finish his as Neeb scores a solid victory by denying Alicia’s expansion with his stimmed bio force as the Nexus neared completion. Neeb actually pulls further in the economic lead as he denies the expansion again as he camps a small bio force just north of Alicia’s third, forcing the Protoss player to bring on the aggression.

Battles occur on three fronts, Neeb’s bio force that caused the two successive Nexus cancels attacks Alicia’s natural while both sides main forces battle at Neeb’s third. The warp prism from earlier warps in zealots in Neeb’s main, killing a ton of SCVs, reducing Neeb’s worker count to a mere nineteen.

Alicia tries once again to get his third while Neeb brings a large bio force while pulling a lot of SCVs for an all-in. Alicia’s army at the time of Neeb’s last ditch effort consisted of plenty of zealots, a handful of high templars and three archons.  The storms tear apart Neeb’s army and without any ghosts to stop the templars and archons, Alicia’s AoE damage proves too formidable prompting the GG following the very one-sided skirmish.

Alicia Vs. Neeb Game 2 – Bel’shir Vestige

Alicia opens standard with a 13 gate 15 gas, and a cybernetics to follow while Neeb goes for a proxy barracks and factory. Alicia identifies that some shenanigans are in play with his scouting prob. Immediately Alicia chronoboosts out a zealot, stalker, and mothership core in preparation.

Alicia drops a robotics facility, anticipating widow mine play, as well as a pylon at Neeb’s natural with his scouting probe in anticipation to counterattack as a follow up to his defense since Neeb’s combative unit production structures are out of place and would be unable to defend effectively.

Neeb begins with two widow mines and a reaper. In an attempt to diverge Alicia’s attention with his reaper coming from the left, Neeb positions his mines in front of Alicia’s ramp. The tactic works kind of, managing to burrow his mines at the front of Alicia’s ramp which successfully snipes Alicia’s mothership core, but Neeb loses his reaper to Alicia’s stalkers and six pulled probes. Neeb attempts to advance one of his widow mines but Alicia picks it off promptly before it can reburrow.

Alicia warps in a handful of stalkers at the proxy pylon which inevitably lead to Neeb’s defeat. Neeb responds by sending a handful of hellions to fight the stalkers, but by the time they get there it’s too late, plus hellions aren’t effective at all against the Protoss armored unit.

Need sends a few hellions into Alicia’s base to maybe pick off some probes, but thought it better to just GG the already finished game - Alicia triumphs over Neeb in 2-0.

Apocalypse Vs. Minigun Game 1– Newkirk Precinct

Minigun

Minigun opens 13 gate while grabbing gas at 15 and 16, suggesting quick tech. Apocalypse also with tech in mind goes barracks to quick factory, but opts not to wall off with his first supply depot and barracks. As a result, Minigun freely scouts out Apocalypse’s factory play with a probe. Minigun’s chooses Stargate as his tech choice, but not until after his Mothership core and stalker are completed and follows the Stargate with an expansion.

Apocalypse, on the aggressive camps a widow mine inside Minigun’s natural, preventing mining from the yet to complete Nexus until detection is obtained or the mine’s cooldown activated. Minigun Chronoboosts an Oracle following the Stargate’s completion and sends it towards Apocalypse’s westbound base, at which point Apocalypse’s Medivac, filled with 2 Hellions and four Marines, is already halfway to Minigun’s main.

Minigun, well equipped for the strike likely due to his sufficient scouting, thwarts the drop with two stalkers, one sentry, a zealot, and the mothership core along with its promptly activated photon overcharge. Apocalypse knows better to push forward and immediately picks up his units, boosting away with his medivac to Minigun’s natural, dropping the units just to pick them back up without dealing any damage of value, while sacrificing one marine to Minigun’s forces. Meanwhile the westbound Oracle manages to pulsar down four SCVs and causing many more to flee before being shooed away by four marines. The Oracle also identifies Apocalypse’s expansion before parking it just north of its enemy’s natural.

Apocalypse sends out a banshee shortly after his first drop failed while Minigun’s swings by again with his oracle. Minigun’s harassment pays off better a second time, as his Oracle picks off an SCV from the natural and four defending marines and two SCVs in the main before getting taken out by a widow mine while the banshee only manages to pick off one probe.

Transitioning from the light harass play, Apocalypse pushes out with a couple of Hellions, three Medivacs, a group of Marines, a half HP Banshee, and a widow-mine. Meanwhile Minigun begins construction on a colossus to accompany his three-gate army. By the time Apocalypse arrives at his opponent’s natural, Minigun, with his colossus complete, has a formidable force causing Apocalypse to pick up and try from another angle. Minigun aware continues to repel Apocalypse’s forces causing the Terran player to pick up and retreat, albeit at the cost of the banshee. Minigun chases with phoenixes, but Apocalypse escapes without any further losses.

Minigun follows the relatively uneventful skirmish with a third, which Apocalypse begins to threaten upon the Nexus’ completion. Minigun identifies this push with his Phoenix squadron. Minigun continues to stall with his phoenixes while he saturates his third, but as soon as Apocalypse finishes his +1 Armor and Concussive Shells, he commits, marching forward with his bio army accompanied by Vikings and pulled SCVs.

The battle ends up pretty one sided, with Apocalypse’s Viking count too much for the phoenixes to handle as they all target fire Minigun’s colossi one by one. Once they collapsed, Apocalypse’s bio army decimated the Protoss’ ground forces leaving the phoenix’s with no option to retreat against the copious Marine Marauder army. Apocalypses presses the natural and Minigun GGs. The Terran leads 1-0.

Apocalypse

Apocalypse Vs. Minigun Game 2 – Bel’Shir Vestige

Minigun aims for quick aggression with a 10 gateway/gas opening, following with a cybernetics immediately after the gate’s completion. Apocalypse goes reaper opening to a command center. Minigun produces a Zealot that he sends towards Apocalypse’s main following with a Stalker and Mothership Core at home. As soon as Apocalypse’s reaper arrives the stalker completes ready to fend him off. Minigun sends all his forces, with the zealot reaching Apocalypse’s main first, killing an SCV building an emergency bunker. This move seems like divine providence for Minigun who manages to stick his zealot in between the incomplete bunker and incomplete command center, forming a tight spot in which the zealot could fight pulled SCVs without being surrounded. Apocalypse puts an SCV into finishing constructing the bunker but pays dearly for it as Minigun’s Zealot, Mothership Core, and Stalker slaughter the Terran’s workforce. Minigun miss micros his reinforcing Stalker and in the end loses all his units except for his Mothership Core, he did however manage to kill 14 SCVs putting him miles ahead in the match.

Minigun follows with a Nexus at his natural, two additional gateways and a robotics facility to robotics bay while poking at Apocalypse’s front with two Stalkers and his Mothership Core. Sniping two marines, but overcommits and loses both of his Stalkers in the process.

Apocalypse looks for any openings to push Minigun to try and put him back in the game, but given Minigun’s economic advantage and fresh colossus, any threat that Apocalypse’s forces posed were abolished. Minigun pushes forward with a mixed Gateway army bolstered by two colossi in the rear. A small skirmish occurs by the Marine occupied center Xel’Naga Watch Tower. The Terran player manages to pick off two sentries before retreating from the much more powerful Protoss force only to be decimated shortly after.

Minigun strikes from two fronts, a Warp Prism Zealot drop in the main and a colossi push at the natural. Apocalypse holds for a bit, repairing the damage the bunkers were taking from Minigun’s colossi, but Minigun’s warp ins from his forward pylon force the GG.

Series ties up 1-1.

Apocalypse Vs. Minigun Game 3 – Neo Planet S

Apocalypse opens Command Center first on the high ground while Minigun opens 13 Gateway followed up with two gases and a Cybernetics Core. Minigun produces a Zealot, Mothership Core before grabbing his Nexus. Minigun kills Apocalypse’s scouting SCV, preventing him from seeing much at all while he sends his Mothership Core to scout Apocalypse’s main. Apocalypse however, has enough Marines to fend off the Mothership, although Minigun manages to eventually scout three of Apocalypse’s Barracks.

Minigun opts to pressure Apocalypse’s natural with a small force of Sentries, Stalkers, and Zealots, but it’s adequately defended with two Bunkers filled with Marines and Marauders forcing the Protoss to retreat. Apocalypse begins construction on his third at the 12 O’ Clock base while pressuring Minigun with a decently sized bio-force. Minigun activates his photon-overcharge, preventing any of Apocalypse’s forces from being aggressive. The Protoss player techs to HighTemplars with storm accompanying the casters with Charge-lots and sentries. Minigun identifies Apocalypse’s third with a hallucinated Phoenix and attempts to grab his own third at the 6; it is however, denied by Apocalypse’s well positioned bio army.

Minigun rebuilds his third and opts to push forward with his Sentry, Templar, and Zealot army, but as his army moves out Apocalypse drops a two Medivac filled force in Minigun’s natural, damaging solid economic damage. Minigun regardless, moves forward, but an EMP from Apocalypse’s Ghosts drains all the energy from Minigun’s sentries, causing him to retreat towards Apocalypse’s third. Minigun manages to kill a few SCVs and forces a CC a lift off, but Apocalypse moves his army in such a way to cut off Minigun’s more lethargic army. Minigun gets caught in the middle in an unfortunate move command causing him to eventually lose all his forces with terrible trades. Apocalypse also attempts a drop in Minigun’s natural, but it is promptly dealt with by some Zealot warp-ins. The one-sided skirmish leaves Minigun with a 65 supply deficit, foreshadowing a Terran victory.

Identifying the clear advantage, Apocalypse sends his bio-army to clean up the small force Minigun is able to muster, forcing the GG giving the Terran player the 2-1 victory.

WINNERS MATCH: Apocalypse Vs. Alicia Game 1 – Derelict Watcher

Both players open very similarly, Apocalypse with a Reaper expand while Alicia goes for a 1 Gate expand to a Mothership Core. Apocalypse’s scouting Reaper gets pinned to the Nexus and killed by the probes as the Reaper ventures to close to the mineral line. Because the reaper was denied vision, Apocalypse plays it safe by building a missile turret in his main, but this proves useless as Alicia opts for a Robotics Facility instead.

No combat occurs for a good amount of time as Apocalypse builds a sizable bio-army while Alicia goes for Chargelots and High Templars. Apocalypse begins his third expansion at the 3 o’clock position while pushing Alicia’s natural before storm research finishes, but it doesn’t matter as photon overcharge in conjunction with the zealot, stalker, sentry, and single immortal force proves too formidable, although many of Alicia’s Zealots fall in the process. In vengeance to their fallen comrades, Zealots are deployed via Warp Prism to deny Apocalypse’s constructing third. The Warp Prism then tries to move to Apocalypse’s main, but gets cleaned up before dealing any damage.

Apocalypse again tries to push Alicia’s natural, kiting back zealots with concussive shells, but is eventually pushed back by Alicia’s storms. Apocalypse retreats to gather himself while Alicia techs to Robotics Bay, however he does so only on two bases.

Another skirmish occurs on Alicia’s side of the map, and the two players trade some blows. Eventually they both pull back and Alicia builds a third at the 9 o’ clock position while dropping zealots at Apocalypse’s 3 o’ clock base, which gets cleaned up quickly by some bio and Vikings, giving Apocalypse an economic lead.

Apocalypse initiates the game’s first influential battle – Apocalypse manages to use a handful of EMPs, eliminating the shield of an Archon and depleting the energy of most of the Templars, but not all. Alicia retreats back into his natural and Apocalypse pushes forward, Alicia showers Apocalypse’s bio with two storms and two colossi at a choke point. Apocalypse manages to kill off one of the two colossi but suffers huge losses.

Alicia, feeling confident after the engagement decides to go on the offensive. Moving his observers into forward positions, Alicia gathers his army of Templars, Zealots, Colossi, and Archons and pushes towards Apocalypse’s natural and third. Apocalypse, waiting for the encounter positions his ghosts forward, while Alicia keeps his Templars in the backs. Seeing this with an observer, Alicia picks of a few of the ghosts, but before killing all of them Apocalypse manages to land an EMP on three of Alicia’s Templars. Fortunately for Alicia he still has another pocket storm which deals sizable damage to the Terran’s bio, but only bringing Apocalypse’s forces to the yellows. Apocalypse gains the upper hand temporarily as he pushes forward, managing to pick off the rest of Alicia’s forcers as Alicia falls back to his reinforcing pylon. Warping in a huge amount of Zealots, Alicia pushes Apocalypse back to his natural with archons and zealots to finish off the remainder of Apocalypse’s forces and draws the GG.

Alicia goes up 1-0.

WINNERS MATCH: Apocalypse Vs. Alicia Game 2 – Bel’Shir Vestige

Apocalypse spawns on the bottom right while Alicia spawns on the top left. Both players open pretty standard, Alicia with a gate at 13 to cybernetics and two gases. Apocalypse opens Barracks to gas and constructs an engineering bay halfway to stall Alicia’s expansion before getting shooed away by a probe. Alicia, aware of Apocalypse’s maneuver allows his preemptive Zealot to complete in order to kill the building, warping in his Nexus immediately after. Meanwhile Apocalypse begins construction of his own Command Center.

Alicia goes Robotics and Twilight Council suggesting either Chargelot or DT drops, but Apocalypse follows up with double reaper scout. The reapers bypass Alicia’s Zealot, Sentry, and Mothership Core as Alicia botches a force field in an attempt to trap the Reapers at their entry cliff. Although one Reaper is eventually picked off, the two manage to get 3 probe kills and a full scout of Alicia’s tech structures before retreating. Apocalypse throws down a turret in his natural as he already had one constructed in his main in response. Alicia identifies this play with his observer and cancels his Dark Shrine before it completes.

Apocalypse pushes Alicia’s natural with a small bio force consisting of a handful of Marines, the surviving Reaper, as well as a single Marauder. Alicia activates a photon overcharge and a couple of force fields in response, but Apocalypse manages to pick off four probes at the cost of the Reaper, the Marauder and a Marine. Meanwhile Alicia sneaks his Warp Prism just right of Apocalypse’s base outside the Terran’s field of vision, but doesn’t use it just yet.

Alicia techs into blink and colossi while Apocalypse goes for stim, medivacs, and more bio forces. Apocalypse again tries to push, drawing out the photon overcharge and a few force fields before pulling back.

Alicia drops two zealots into Apocalypse’s main with his Warp Prism that kill a few SCVs before getting taken out by the Terran’s freshly produced bio units. Apocalypse attempts multi-pronged aggression, one force in Alicia’s main while bringing two medivacs to the left side of Alicia’s base. Alicia identifies this play with an observer and intelligibly splits his armies into two, bringing blink stalkers to deny the drop in the main while leaving his Mothership Core, Colossus, a few Sentries and Zealots to defend the natural and it plays out wonderfully in Alicia’s favor. In Alicia’s main, the blink stalkers snipe one almost completely loaded medivac before working on the second, killing it shortly after before it also gets to drop off all of its cargo. In Alicia’s natural, Apocalypse pushes on the right side of Alicia’s Nexus and the Protoss responds with force fields, trapping the bio next to the Zealots, Colossus beams and a Photon Overcharge. Apocalypse loses nearly his entire strike force and Alicia pulls ahead with a 93-82 supply lead.

Apocalypse does get a buffer however, managing to pick off a fully loaded Zealot Warp Prism with four Vikings. This also shows Alicia that his opponent does in fact have Vikings on the field, although he already has storm on the way. Apocalypse identifying the switch and responds with ghosts. During the interim, Alicia throws down his third at the top right position while Apocalypse lands his own. Alicia also manages to sneak a couple of pylons on the west side of the map, one of which is identified and destroyed by Apocalypse. Alicia warps in four Zealots with the undiscovered pylon and manages to take out four SCVs in Apocalypse’s third before getting cleaned up. Meanwhile similarly-minded Apocalypse sneaks a widow mine into the mineral line of Alicia’s third, sniping off three Probes and a Zealot before getting detected by a photon cannon and dealt with.

Apocalypse brings his bio army splashed with Ghosts and Vikings to Alicia’s third, hitting the majority of Alicia’s units with EMPs, albeit not the Templars. For a moment, it’s the battle of casters as Ghosts and Templars exchange EMPs, storms, and feedbacks. Apocalypse pulls away while Alicia continues to warp in Zealots to harass Apocalypse’s third and natural. The Zealots manage to slice up about 10 more SCVs, granting Alicia map control as Apocalypse is forced to pull his army back to his respective base to deal with the harass. Alicia capitalizes by grabbing a fourth as well.

Apocalypse moves his army out on the right side of the map Alicia moves out on the left, Alicia however, decides that it’s better to defend and pulls the zealots from his army to strike Apocalypse’s third while the rest of his army moves to defend his own third. He reaches it too late and evacuates his probes to his fourth while his harassing Zealots kill a bunch of SCVs and forces a lift.

Apocalypse pushes towards Alicia’s main in attempt to close out the game, but Alicia expertly positions his Templars in the back avoiding all the EMPs while the colossus shred apart the ghosts. With the Templars energy intact, Alicia showers the remaining bio units and Vikings with storms. Alicia’s supply is nearly double that of Apocalypse’s following the engagement (141-83). Meanwhile the zealots in Apocalypse’s third continue to deny any mining while Alicia’s evacuated probes fully saturate his previously vestigial fourth.

Alicia pushes forth with his overwhelming force and Apocalypse quickly throws in the towel. Alicia takes the series 2-0.

LOSERS MATCH: Neeb Vs. Minigun Game 1 – Akilon Wastes

Neeb spawns as the Blue Terran on the bottom right and Minigun spawns as the Red Protoss on the top right.

Minigun opens with 13 Gate followed by a Cybernetics and two gases, while Neeb opens Reaper Command Center. Neeb’s Reaper arrives at Miniguns ramp, but is fended off by the Protoss’s Zealot and Mothership Core. Despite the Reaper’s first attempts at harass being repelled, he manages to pays dividends later, delaying Minigun’s expansion by sniping the probe he intended to build a Nexus with and following up with a scout on Minigun’s Stargate.

Neeb responds to the Oracle with Missile Turrets in his main and natural, denying Minigun’s Oracle any harassment. Minigun tries to move his Oracle through another avenue, but Neeb stutter steps his Marines to quickly pick it off.

Minigun begins Colossi and Phoenix production while Neeb completes his third and pushes out with a bio force supported by three medivacs. By the time Neeb reaches Minigun’s natural, he’s ready with two high energy sentries, a colossus, and a few freshly warped in Zealots. Forcefields trap a set of marines pushing up the ramp and the two players trade Marines and Zealots. Neeb pulls back and attempts a drop, but decides against it as he spots the second Colossus hitting the field and a squadron of Phoenixes.

Minigun destroys the rocks and transitions to a third after Neeb pulls back his forces. Putting his Phoenixes to work, Minigun scouts out Neeb’s third while picking off a couple of SCVs. Meanwhile Minigun constructs additional Command Centers to take his fourth and turn a couple into defensively positioned planetary fortresses while Minigun grabs a fourth at the 9 o’ clock.

Things become a little unorthodox for awhile - Minigun picks up a fifth and sixth base while poking at Neeb’s Planetary with his colossi while SCVs repair. Vikings trade shots with Phoenixes and Templars and Ghosts try to snipe one another. Eventually Neeb pushes forward with a fantastic engagement. EMPs blanket some of the Templars while Minigun tries to cover his retreat with storms. The Vikings take out nearly all the colossi and the High Templars Minigun attempts to flank with are dispatched instantly by Neeb’s ghosts. During this encounter however, Minigun managed to get some DTs in Neeb’s main, doing a bit of damage, the Protoss player also had a huge bank with a ton of production buildings so that he could remax quickly following the demise of nearly his entire standing army.

Back on 200 supply, Minigun attempts an assault on Neeb’s newly acquired fifth, but Neeb holds him off with some fantastic engagements. Minigun takes some pretty bad trades, but it doesn’t matter because he’s fueled by such a strong economy. Constant warp and multiple robotics facilities replenish his army over and over again, eventually overwhelming Neeb, earning Minigun to eventual victory.