[x5.Crescendo]

I had the pleasure of watching Soundwave and Azz casting the clanwar tonight, and while their antics were entertaining, the games themselves trumped the comedy duo in terms of sheer entertainment value.

Here is my recap of how ETL v DGTV went down tonight


Game 1 - [ETL] pSymOn v [DGTV] RadAir on Catallena

pSymOn opened CC first against RadAir who started with a gateway and cybercore, denying me my cannon rush viewing pleasure. RadAir, in the grand tradition of protoss, sent out a zealot and stalker to do some early harassment. Several marines and scvs die to the brave pair before they die. RadAir, with a large worker lead, put down a robo and more gateways. pSymOn built several barracks without a factory, and massed marines. RadAir moved out to attack with 2 collossi and several zealots, warping in stalkers from a proxy as he engaged. pSymOn tried to counter with a drop, but RadAir had Collossi at home to clean it up. In the end RadAir took game one for DGTV


Game 2 - [ETL] Ice v [DGTV] RadAir on Nimbus

Both players opened with Gateways, once more dashing my hopes of ever seeing a cannon rush in a clan war again. Ice moved into an early stargate while RadAir repeated the tech path of his previous game. Inevitably, an Oracle made its sneaky way across the map. RadAir's stalkers shut out the Oracle's first run, and Ice made a second stargate, committing to phoenix play. RadAir moved out to attack with two immortals, two stalkers, and several zealots. Although Ice fought to hold his base with phoenix alone, RadAir's zealots wreaked bloody slaughter on the mineral line at his natural. Ice returned the favour, sending his phoenix across the map, and succeeded in buying himself some time. However, it wasn't enough time as RadAir teched up and moved out with a powerful force of archons and zealots, taking his second game in a row and defeating an opponent a league above him.


Game 3 - [ToR/ETL] DJVillain v [DGTV] RadAir on Overgrowth

DJVillain manneredly reminded RadAir of the need for vigilance re Dropbears while RadAir scouted. Engaging man-mode, DJ went hatchery first while RadAir chose a forge fast expand. However, he elected to play with honour, and only faked a cannon rush. I cried a little at what could have been. DJ took a third base and droned up while RadAir prepared an immortal-based play. DJ built a spire and speedlings to hunt down proxy pylons, and RadAir started moving out. A massive force of speedlings and 7 mutalisks crushed the initial force. Mutalisks harassed RadAir's base until stalkers forced them to back off. However, DJ followed up with a devastating ling/bane bust, killing most of RadAir's workers and ending RadAir's run.


Game 4 - [ToR/ETL] DJVillain v [DGTV] EviLAcE on Deadwang

DJVillain, concerned for EviLAcE's welfare, reminded him of the dangers of dropbears. In this case 'dropbear' referred to the proxy hatch DJ was building in the base of EviLAcE. Roaches and a queen started dealing out pain to probes in the protoss main. EviLAcE's last words were simply a despairing 'why' followed by the gg. Zerg watchers felt a glimmer of evil joy in their hearts at the sight.


Game 5 - [ToR/ETL] DJVillain v [DGTV] Raiders on Undergrowth

The first TvZ of the night, Raiders prepared a proxy rax. DJVillain's overlord scouted it, and sent out drones. However, his drones were sent too late to deny it and only achieved some lost mining time. A zergling run-by arrived with better time to delay the Terran expansion. However, 11 zerglings died to kill that one scv. Nonetheless, DJVillain maintained a strong worker lead and prepared a 1/1 roach push, spreading creep at an impressive rate. Raiders prepared tanks and a planetary fortress for home defence then continued teching up for bio play. DJVillain's first roach push was pushed away by Raiders' defence, and he build a nydus worm. Raiders moved out with a large force of marine/marauder/medivac with two tanks to add to the pain. A nydus worm erupted in Raiders' main at the same time as Raiders sent a drop into DJVillain's main. However, the roach force was too strong, and DJVillain won another game with incredible style.


Game 5 - [ToR/ETL] DJVillain v [DGTV] Exan on Catalelelelelena

Finally, a ZvZ in the Clan War! I'd begun to worry by this stage that we weren't on SEA any more. However, both players chose a standard 15-pool timing. DJVillain took a gas to work towards baneling play while Exan continued gasless. DJVillain's first ling runby fails to do significant damage, thanks to Exan's queens, with the banelings not given a chance to morph. Exan moved out with a large force of 1/1 speed roaches. DJ villain managed to get mutalisks out before Exan could achieve significant damage. Many lings died, but DJVillain maintained a worker lead and a 3rd base. However Exan sent another squad of roaches out to kill DJVillain's 3rd and, as has so often been proven, roaches do damage to bases faster than mutalisks can stop them. Exan transitioned to a Roach/Hydra assault while DJVillain defended with Muta/Ling/Bane, easily cleaning up Exan's 3rd wave of aggression while he took a 4th. During this time, Exan had remained on two bases, and the income difference began to show in DJVillain's favour as he could afford a transition to ultralisks with 3/3 and ultralisk plating already on the way. However, the Muta/Ling/Bane composition was able to clean up the last of Exan's aggression and the DGTV zerg tapped out.


Game 6 - [ToR/ETL] DJVillain v [DGTV] ZergCola on King Sejong Station

With the threat of an all-kill imminent, ZergCola came out for DGTV for another ZvZ. SEA Clan War #Confirmed. DJVillain went pool first preparing a 7-roach rush with burrow, while Zergcola went hatchery first into speedling/baneling play, seeking revenge for his loss to DJVillain in the GPDL. ZergCola, not unaware of DJVillain's shenanigans, built a spore crawler and held the attack with ease. ZergCola's ling/bane snapback dealt crippling damage and the DGTV zerg achieved his vengeance and prevented the all-kill.


Game 7 - [ETL] Swarmstika v [DGTV] ZergCola on Nimbus 5000 Broom

Alright, I get it, SEA Server and ZvZs. 'Be careful what you wish for' I guess Here ZergCola opted for pool first while Swarmstika went hatch first.. Swarmstika made two spines, expecting ZergCola to play his ling/bane style, but ZergCola instead droned up for a roach play. Swarmstika took a third at the same time as ZergCola moved out with his roaches to discover Swarmstika's defensive position was not worth assaulting. Shortly after Zergcola took his own third Swarmstika moved out with 1/1. The first roach engagement was inconclusive, and with his retreat Swarmstika still held the greater supply, but ZergCola boasted more workers. Swarmstika renewed his assault, and a poorly timed supply block hampered ZergCola's defender's advantage.In the end, Swarmstika's superior army supply roached ZergCola into the ground and closed out the clan war for ETL. GGWP!


Final thoughts: MVP

When it comes down to it I was, above all else, truly entertained by DJVillain. Although he didn't quite manage the all-kill, the diversity of builds he brought into the clan war tonight made me a fan, and I hope to see more of him in 2015.

Thank you to ETL and DGTV for bringing us fans of SC2 a really fun Clan War. Good luck with the next one!