SC2SEA.com - Starcraft 2 SEA eSports Community Site

Hey everyone!

As some of you may know, I have been recently involved in many SEA Lan tournaments/events within the last fortnight (16-09 -> 25-09), such as the Blizzcon Invitationals in Sydney, the Gigabyte E-Sports at the Respawn Lan in Melbourne, and the WCG Brisbane Qualifiers. During this time, I got to meet some truly amazing people, and am really stocked I can now call these people my friends. I had quite some ups and downs in terms of StarCraft, but came away at the end of the fortnight with a lot of positive energy and motivation to continue the pursuit of excellence. I really wanted to share with you guys this experience so I've decided to begin this blog, it may be a long read, but I hope you guys would be able to enjoy it and feel abit of the amazing experience I've went through. Me and Benji recorded quite abit of footage (including some awesome AZKziek moments), and we'll get to uploading them as soon as we can.

I'm sorry folkes for the delayed part 4, I've been extremely busy with the missus and my new job. I also felt that the video gave you guys enough content/things to talk about. Although I was a little discouraged to continue writing, having felt that many of the comments towards the video was more towards the revelation of Zanooku rather than the journey itself. However, I also couldn't help but also notice the tremendous amounts of love and support the community has for myself and team Xeria.

This is the final part of my journey, which will focus on the WCG Qualifiers in Brisbane.


Part IV - Zerg Domination, Internet Warrior Faces His Victim

Beeep beep beeep *ignores* beep beep beep *ignores*
"Guys wake up!!!" I threw myself up on my top bunk at the sound of Benji yelling at us two lazy asians. Looked at my phone, 5am, FML. My flight to Brisbane was at 7am that day, so, very unwillingly, I dragged my legs to the car and we headed towards the airport. After a bigass breakfast and a little snooze at the airport, I was up in the air on my way to Brisbane.

As tired I was for the lack of sleep, I couldn't get any sleep on the airport because I was thinking about how excited and unprepared going into Brisbane I was (Oh and also cause it was a plane of uni students flying off to the Uni Games... real sport PFFT TRIED THAT GOT BORED Jokes BBall !!!). The new patch has just hit - possibly completely changing PvP, and I was looking at 2 big Protoss players (who are both extremely good at PvP) in Azz and Sensei. I wasn't worried about Terran too much, as I thought I could probably handle KJH (not physically no) and Hut. I wasn't too worried about Zerg either - although PvZ is probably my weakest MU at the time, I thought I could probably take on Pig and Shuffle's PvZ (Had no idea JimDiddy was going to be there). I went through my little notebook that I wrote builds on in the 10 hour drive to Melbourne to refresh my memory on how I was going to play my MUs, and then I remembered that although my PvZ and PvT strats were pretty precise and clean, my PvP strat was just an entire list of what counters what and having no idea of what actual strategy I'm going to use. "Ah screw it" I said out loud possibly scaring the two people sitting next to me for talking to myself suddenly), I'll just rely on on the prepatch Robo-Twilight build that I've has tremendous success on if it comes to it. Aside from my pre-tournament anxiety, I was very excited to finally meet TALost, TASensei, KJH, to finally see Zanooku, and ofcourse, hang out with the folkes I met back in Sydney for Blizzcon (Paz, Dox, MG and Raamon).

The first feeling that I felt as I exited the plane in Brisbane was something that I haven't felt in 2 days - WARM LEGS. Damn its nice to be up North when you've only got shorts! I ran straight for the train station as I was already reasonably late (landed at 10:10), I was then more stressed to see that the next train comes in 25 minutes and my phone was completely out of battery, so I couldn't even call anyone to tell them to wait up. I bought my ticket (NO FREAKING CONCESSION BTW WTF) and waited at the platform, just getting ready to videotape myself when... suddenly I hear "doors closing", and I freaked. In Sydney, when the platform announces "doors closing", the train freaking goes! Luckily in foreign land of Brisbane, the train stays there for a few more minuts and you can actually press a button to open the train door... PHEW! Things I noticed about the Brisbane train - 1. Their trains are clean, 2. There was no people in it. 3. All the carriages were connected. 4. An Indian lady waved to the camera as I recorded myself (I think Benji edited that part out).

Hoping off at Fortitude Valley and finding Elysium net cafe extremely easy, I was relieved to find that the event hasn't even started yet. Quickly saying Hi to everyone and setting up at my computer in the corner next to TALost. This entire time, the whereabouts of Zanooku and KJH was on my mind. Next thing, Dox sets up the tournament nicely (with himself and the other admin playing in it too hahaha) and it got underway. I had a look through the brackets and saw myself and Pig on either side as the 1st and 2nd seeds, Azz(3rd) was on my side and Shuffle(4th) was on Pigs side. Hmm fair enough, I thought, probably have to go through Azz for a qualification spot when I stumbled onto a name that horrified me -> aLtJimDiddy. %$*(%&$#*()%&#$)*(. This guy's PvZ is so solid and refined that I find him on the same level as MG (PvZ wise) or even worse. Looking at the bracket more carefully, I see that he and Azz would need to play before they play me (if I came through my side), and we play for one of the qualification spots. Although I didn't want to play PvP, I was hoping Azz would win because I definitely didn't want to play JimDiddy.

After KJH came out, I said my hellos and he seemed to have calmed down. I spoke to him for a while and he seemed really frustrated with Zanooku's racists behaviour online. I guess if it had happened to me I would probably feel the same, but seeing the little boy in real life I don't think I could ever wish pain on him (or anyone to be honest). & I also feel like he was being really polite to Paz that day and as AZKSmoke has said, he seems genuinely wanting to change for the better - I definitely hope so but yeah I am a little doubtful (& Rossi will be first one to tell me that I'm an idiot for ever giving Zanooku any ounce of belief).

As I waited for the lower brackets to catch up, I saw myself almost falling asleep a times(so damn tired), watching my mates Jason, Paz, Dox and Andrew get knocked out and Azz never returning after his loss to JimDiddy (had somewhere to go?). I was matched up against TAHectic who beat about 7 players on his way for a rematch with me. Game one saw me holding off a 6 pool on Shakuras (A winning strategy if the Protoss player doesn't use his first pylon as part of the wall), onto a quick wwin with 6 gates. Game two on Tal'Darim brought me to my comfort zone again as I macroed, sat back patiently, and eventually got a mothership (Had to please my audience behind me) and about 10k in banked resources. He congratulated on my win as I felt awful for beating him twice to knock him out of the tournament because he was really a freaking top bloke.

Eventually it came down to the winner of Hut and Shuffle to challenge me for the final qualification spot. This is where I saw Hut go on a nice lead against Shuffle until Shuffle got broodlords. With only 50ish drones and not much resources to resupply, Shuffle threw away the bulk of his ground army to Huts ground defense. Unfortunately, the 3 reactored Startports of Hut had their rally points directed right at the Zerg air army. Having also 95 of his supply in SCVs and about 5k total resources banked up, Hut just continued to lose his vikings instead of building a nice amount of them and lost pretty much to pure broodlords and like 7 corruptors. The next game saw him build 95+ SCVs again, but it was nowhere near as close. Hut didn't seem distraught at his lost and was pretty satisfied at his placing (good for him!). I have to place an entertaining side note here - Shuffle reacts angrily (Throws down his head phones and slams the table) whether he wins or loses, this confused the crap out of JimDiddy). Anyway, this meant that it was me vs Shuffle for the final qualification spot. I went into the series rather nervous because I was ridiuclously tired at that point, but I knew I had to up the energy, to bring it back for the boys in Sydney.

With almost the entire net cafe as my audience sitting behind me, my energy level revitalised for this series! Game 1 on Tal Darim Altar, I found myself once again in my favourite PvZ map. Finding Shuffle on cross position, I got a quick 10 minute third and turtled hard. He continued throwing various multi-pronged attacks at me. But from cross position on Tal'Darim attacking a tightly packed 3 base - Protoss, the multipronged attacks were futile as I produced a Collosi/Void ray heavy 200/200 death ball off of 4 bases by 16 minutes. Getting a really good engagement against T1 units/Infestors + Rainbanes, I rolled my way to victory.

Game 2 on Crevasse saw myself playing on a map I am extremely unfamiliar with. Having remember Soulman play a 15 Nexus (no scout) into 3 Stargate Void rays on this map once, I decided to try to mimick this. The 15 Nexus + no scout part worked quite well, but my timings on the Stargates and buildings were really off, and as my first void ray (with a bunch already made) went to his base, I saw a bunch of Mutas pop (I just got hard countered). I quickly tried to switch to phoenix production but it was too late, Mutas was already at my natural, and having only 1 gateway and 1 stalker for defense, my economy fell behind and all my void rays died to the mutas. I tried to get a 3rd base and held off a crazy amounts of attack but finally ran out of steam... and probes to defend with. GG!

Game 3, THE DECIDING GAME was on my new map of hate for PvZ - Shakuras Plateau. Although going into this game I already had a plan - Knowing Shuffle almost never opening with Roaches in all his games (I consulted Sensei and Lost for their games), with Sensei telling me he beats Shuffle on the ladder with +1 Zealot/Stalker 7:30 warpgate rush, I decided Shuffle was not going to be able to defend this. He didn't, and my audience exploded with applause behind me. Shuffle came over to say gg and shake my hand and tells me he forgot ling speed (shux =[), something which I didn't expect from him but was really really admirable. He didn't seem angry, but more upset and dissapointed at himself, which I can totally understand as a competitor myself, therefore I can say for certain that you will be back Shuffle - as competitors like us do!!! Hopefully next time you won't forget your ling speed! Heres a quick shoutout to Sensei, who stayed behind just to cheer me on and help me plan for my series against Shuffle, your truly a top bloke mate and I'm sorry I've ever ever doubted that. You also cracked me up with your line "Zanooku brought a knife? If by knife you meant two fat guys then yea". Classic!

Since I've already gotten a qualification spot, it hardly mattered to me that Pig (the king of ZvZ) beat JimDiddy and I had to vs him in the lowers bracket finals. I put in about as big of an effort as I could whilst my head wandered into micro-sleep and lost two quick games like a really really bad player (I DON'T CARE!). I was ready to get out of there!!! Sadly... we had to freaking watch Pig and JimDiddy play 7 games of ZvZ before we finally were able to leave (about 10pm). We found a really nice mexican place that was just about to close as we came through. They seem really annoyed that they had to serve another 15 people lol. After two 600mls of Mother and the company of lovely people around me, I was able to endure until the waiter kicked us out hahahah. We said our goodbyes to everyone, with me, Dox and Paz heading over to Paz' place which was really nearby. *THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING STAY at yours PAZ, you and your mother are the biggest sweethearts *. After great hospitality from Paz, I was off to the airport once again waking up at 5... and this time I fell asleep on the Taxi and the plane!!! & slept for 4 hours when I got back to Sydney.

When I woke up, I realised that my experience should not go to waste, and here I am, at the end of documenting this wonderful experience I have had, hoping all of you caught a glimpse of what I had seen, had abit of an idea of what wonderful people I have met, and know that we can really do something for E-Sports in Australia, given the determination of people like myself, and great ambassadors to represent us like Dox/Benji.

I know this was a really tedious read, my writing is really poor since this is a straight out brain-to-paper writeup, and I havent written anything since my last year in Uni last year T_T, but I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you all enjoyed it as much I had writing it! After 1.5 weeks of returning, I've since started my new job, started on a healthy food plan and spent much more time with the Missus then I ever had... But oh I do need to start practicing my SCII ><"

LADDERING TIME!


Quick shoutouts to our Sponsors - Kingston Technology, for being so awesome and allowing us to be our team that we want to be. To V Energy drinks, which will always be available to Team Xeria for that extra energy boost we need at LAN events. And to City Hunter Internet Cafe, a cafe we can call home.


Signing out,

Rayray 'Light'
Xeria Gaming