August 29, 2012 Sports
Start of the largest international exhibition of computer games Gamescom 2012 Not only lovers of games of various genres were waiting, but also professional e -sportsmen – in the framework of the Cologne event, representative tournaments were held Starcraft II And League of Legends .
Global Challenge in German
The first "big" finale of the seventh season from Intel Extreme Masters – Global Challenge Cologne with a prize more than $ 30,000, passed on a grand scale. Behind the ringing coin and loud glory, professional Starcrafts from South Korea, the USA, Chile, Australia, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Holland, Finland and other countries gathered in Cologne.
[[Bullet]] Among visitors to the popular Gamescom 2012 exhibition, there were many lovers of Starcraft II.
Our countries did not remain in debt and put up experienced Artem Garavtsov ( Rox.KIS.Slivko ) and Mikhail Gaidu ( Empire.KAS ) having prizes on international tournaments in the track record. Of course, no one considered them simple “tourists”, but the stars habitually recorded the elite oldcraft from Korea, who this time arrived almost in full force: SK.MC , ST.Bomber , IM.MVP And IM.Nestea. The latter deserves special attention – many consider Nestea the most titled grave in SC II , In addition, he comes to Europe infrequently.
There were only two
Most traditional championships begin with the group stage, but the organizers Global Challenge Cologne Continued a glorious business Gamegune And they decided to experiment. Initially, in four groups “sowed” only sixteen players. The eight other slots were played out in qualifications-several full-fledged playoffs, with upper and lower nets. By the way, many elite Koreans, read potential winners, were forced to break into groups just through the playoffs. They mostly climbed into the group stage: Real , Bomber , MVP , Nestea , Puma , MC And Forgg. Manuel Schengheisen ( Grubby ) became the only European who jumped onto the footing of the leaving train.
It's sad: Ukrainians Bly , Strelok And White-ra They also participated in the struggle for eight treasured quotas, but for the most part they lost their matches – our steel offenders Yonghwa , Killer , JYP , Nestea And Bomber.
After the list of participants in the group stage was published, our fans played experts, evaluating the chances of Slivko and KAS to exit from their groups. Ukrainian fell into a very difficult group B, where in addition to him were the Australian Pig , Belgian Feast And three top -end Korean: MVP , Nestea and Violet. And if a resident of the Green Continent seemed easy prey, then with the rest it was necessary to give up two hundred percent. If KAS, of course, wants to go further ..
But Artem Garavtsov ( Slivko ) I got into a lighter group C (Bomber, Elfittaja , Minigun , M00nglade , Grubby ). In composition, it was much more even, and less eminent players gathered in it less. And the Russian exit was formally more than the Ukrainian.
"Empire is attacking"
KAS played his first group. He came across rivals in the first round, perhaps the most incorrect opponent – Violet Grain. If Koreans MVP and Nestea lovers of SC II gave in advance the first two places of the group, then Violet and Feast were the main rivals in the struggle for the last passage. The intrigue was also fueled by the fact that the previous team of the Korean was precisely Empire. The first two matches of the winner did not reveal (1: 1), and the decisive third set Ukrainian lost – Violet was perfectly controlled with the swarm of the gibbings and cockroaches.
This defeat significantly worsened the chances Empire.KAS to exit the group, and there were still matches with MVP and Nestea ahead. The next rival is the Belgian protoss Millenium. Feast , It was impossible to lose.
[[Bullet]] Scene and a piece of the gaming zone IEM S7 Global Challenge Cologne.
On the first map Daybreak The Belgian tried to show early aggression with his stalkers, but the Ukrainian successfully defended himself with the help of bunkers. Realizing that a successful frontal attack would not work, Feast Scheduled the momentum and gradually went into the bunch of “sentry + colosses + stalkers + zilota”. Terran, in turn, did not invent a bicycle and traditionally set up a lot of infantry with medical media, to which he later added Viking.
When it already seemed to us that the game slowly reel to Leita, the Ukrainian under the steampak attacked the third Nexus Protoss. Under the wreckage of the most important building, Feast decided to give the final battle, but his stalkers, zilotes and colosses unlocked unlocked unlocked. After this battle, the Ukrainian received a significant advantage, which he calmly brought to victory (1: 0).
On the second map OHANA The venture KAS with the construction of the plant near the protoss base and subsequent attacks by the Gellions failed. Then the Ukrainian seems to have lost the thread of the game, and the Belgian equalized the score (1: 1).
The defeat is next Entombed Valley , Most likely, would put a cross on dreams of going out in the playoffs. Michael, understanding the importance of this match, decided to play carefully, without early aggression. Having at first built a yurki gibleus, KAS conducted excellent intelligence and obtained information that suggests what Feast was going to get into.
At the sight of the composition of the Belgian army, for some reason, we remembered their first set-everything was too similar to the situation Daybreak. And a few minutes later, the similarity became completely indecent – KAS with infantry and Vikings, as in the first match, successfully caught the protoss army and crumbled their horns. The Belgian, of course, tried to level the situation, but did not pull. Terran victory – 2: 1.
[[Bullet]] Ripper – multidisciplinary terrane fighter. Now in the games of the best he is almost never found, but a year ago it was very popular.
The next two meetings, with the Australian and Korean legend MVP , It ended differently: Pig was easily beaten with a score of 2: 0 (for the entire championship, the southerner was able to scratch only one map of Feast), and the matches with the Korean turned out to be a worthy defeat of 1: 2. Before the last round, the player of the Empire went in fourth place, it was possible to break into the playoffs only by plunging a strong IM.Nestea.
Play was to Metropolis And Atlantis SpaceShip. NESSTEA, really not knowing the style of the Ukrainian, did not dare to “chit” the opponent or invent something special-there was a way out of the group. The first ten minutes passed actually without collisions, the players divided the card and agreed to play "Leyite". Zerig calmly entered the gibbings and ultralisk, and Terran equipped the army with infantry, medical tanks and siege tanks. The match lasted decently, and a few minutes later the Korean received a great chance to finish him. After the next approximately equal exchange Nestea I set up a bunch of grabings and went on the attack on the command centers of the terrane. One planetary fortress fell very quickly, but he did not give the other Ukrainian, retaining the chances of winning the first map.
The next battle on the third https://prive-gb-casino.co.uk/ expand of the terrane ended for the Fiasco Zhiga, Nestea lost all the owners of the pack and destroyers, while half of the “cosmic people” troops survived. Having suffered an offensive defeat in several battles in a row, Zerg suddenly realized that he had no minerals for a new army. Russian streamers were surprised to say to each other: “A KAS -it will win now … ", it seems, without fully believed in his words. Michael really won the first match that lasted more than forty minutes. Before the first real loud sensation, another victory was needed for Atlantis SpaceShip.
[[Bullet]] We get acquainted – “elite” Korean grave IM.Nestea.
The second game turned out to be shorter than the first-“only” twenty-eight minutes. During this time, the players managed to go to the late stage and clash several times. The South Korean remained faithful to himself and continued to build gibbings and ultralisk, despite the fact that Empire.KAS went to tori and infantry. The main army of Zerg "parked" in the middle of the map; Terran held two successful “drops” and destroyed the lost elephant in the center. And the marines descending from transporters demolished several locations of the swarm. The difference in the limit, meanwhile, reached fifty, and KAS I brought the matter to victory – 2-0!
Three points received for the victory over Nestea saved the Ukrainian, and he left the group from third place. Korean representing the famous team Incredible Miracle , Sensationally left the championship.
Now it's about Slivko!
After a successful first group day, we waited for the triumphal second – leaving the group Slivko. The best Russian Zerg the first tour won 2: 1, however, the opponent he came across a passing – American Col.Minigun. After that, Artem, without much chance, “flew off” from a very strong Korean terrane, the favorite of the group Bomber (0: 2).
The expected results ended on this – there were matches with three approximately equal rivals ahead. The first in line was the Australian Andrew Pender ( M00nglade ). Living in a non -e -sports country itself, he nevertheless reveals a rather formidable power – for some time he lived and trained in South Korea.
[[Bullet]] Australian Andrew Pender not only plays well, but also comments well.
The first two cards went to the piggy banks of both players, but on the third – Daybreak , At first everything was quiet and calm. Both players put an additional two locations and went to Midheim. But the Australian, apparently, knowing how strong the Russian at the late stage did not want to delay and decided to attack the cockroaches and gibbings. Although Kamikadze exploded and crookedly, for a moment it seemed to us that our Ural guy would be given the same.
But, thank God, it cost, Andrew burst into the second location of the Zerg and, having met with reinforcement Slivko , lost all his cockroaches and missed the advantage. "Stylevara" did not have to ask to win twice – having received an advantage by the limit, Slivko created an effective army of cockroaches and hydraulis and simply demolished the opponent from the card. 2: 1 – and our second player in groups has excellent chances of exit.
With the same score, the legend was soon defeated soon Warcraft III, Dutchman Grubby. The last rival was waiting ahead – Finnish protoss Elfittaja ; Victory over him provided the Russian second place in the group.
The winner of the first game was determined by the excellent force of Finn in a battle under the third base of the Zerg. Having cut off the half-Armia Slivko , Elfi with impunity fired at stalkers first one part of the cockroaches, and then the second. Artem, angry, confidently won the second game. And again everything was decided on the third map.
In the last match of the group stage Elfi I decided to play through dark templars and stalkers. But this did not have a surprise for our Zerg – excellent mycoses of infectious breeders gradually increased Finn's lag in the limit. Having made a sufficient advantage, the Russian attacked a bunch of cockroaches and infectors on the protoss and quickly finished the match. Another Slivko victory in the group, and he after Bomber It takes second place.
Terrible Korean SK.MC
Thus, two of our players successfully overcame the group stage and had good chances to compete for high places. Not everyone played the 1/8 finals, the triumph of groups the first round of the playoffs missed and automatically got into 1/4. But not Artem Garavtsov. He had to tinker in 1/8 with the opening of the last months, the Swedish Zerg Sortof. And because ZVZ – The strongest matchup Slivko, the fuss came out for our athlete easy and pleasant – 3: 0.
But Mikhail Gaida ( KAS ) after the strongest group came across the best, in our opinion, protoss of the world, SK.MC. However, KAS at this tournament has already obtained a high -quality Korean scalp and was not going to give up. The first game was held with the full advantage of the Ukrainian and ended in his favor. Two more such victories – and Gaida would be the creator of the main sensation of the tournament!..
But on the second map, OHANA , MC decided to change the strategy and entered the dark templars, and also created a combat prism. There was no particular activity, the rivals were worth each other, and the game smoothly moved to Leyite smoothly. At maximum limits (200 to 200), athletes agreed to a major battle. The Ukrainian, although he showed a wonderful microcontrol in places, failed to cope with a large number of reinforcements. The account in the series was equal – 1: 1.
The second game on Atlantis SpaceShip passed with the full dominance of the Korean. Three factories of robotics and a well -groomed MC economy resulted in a qualitative and quantitative advantage of the troops – KAS could no longer do anything against such storms.
The chances of pulling out the game were on Cloud Kingdom – The fourth map of this Best of Five. But MS had their own plans and their trump card in the sleeve on this score. Korean decided to take a chance and build several aircraft carriers. The main difficulty was not to create, but to hide the producing buildings from the opponent and somehow survive until powerful combat units appear. And the Ukrainian, not expecting from Ms Such agility did not particularly go on the attack – and calmly let Korean bring his insidious plan to life. When the infantry KAS ’A, going to the center of the map, I saw aircraft carriers high in the sky, it was too late to do anything … MS gave Gaida and deservedly went to the quarterfinals.
“Since he is MS, then let me Im.MVP!"
And the next stage was the last for the only one of our remaining. The rivals "Stalear" came across IM.MVP – The strongest Terran of the world and, perhaps, the most titled player in the second "Starcraft".
[[Bullet]] “MVP, you are careful there – the next rival Slivko!"
True, everything began – you can’t think better. On Antigua Shipyard With equal limits in a hundred Korean, he decided on the "semi -oll" (from English. all-in) furs by looters and gellions. Perhaps this venture would bring success to the chief favorite of the championship, if not for Gravtsov’s excellent game. Artem brought to the front line all his queens and, well managed with them, did not lose any of five – we can only applaud such skill!
Having gained an advantage in the +30 limit, the best Russian Zerg took the thread of the game in his hands. The Korean, however, leveled the situation a few minutes later, but the first few owners of the pack and destroyers returned everything to their place. MVP I tried to pull off his death with “drops” on the location of the grave on Antigua Shipyard , And he really succeeded – but not for long.
Unfortunately, it did not work out in such a vein – the Korean won the next three matches and went to the semifinals.
In principle, as in the situation with Empire.KAS , It was noticeable that our players were not yet ready to win the Best of Five series from elite Koreans. Separate cards-yes, but not three or four in a row. And the matter here is not only a fear of playing with a variety of strategies, show aggression and surprise the enemy, but also in a psychological aspect. For some reason, it seems to us that the Slavs lose such series even before they begin. Although progress, of course, is – earlier ours from players of such a high level “flew away” like peas from the wall.
The revenge did not work out
The rest of the quarterfinal couples gave us two surprises and one loud sensation. So, violet Suddenly easily got off with Bomber – 3: 0, a Nerchio with a similar score destroyed the great MC. Most put on a Korean who was supposed to rehabilitated for defeat at the hands of the same Pole on Homestory Cup v , – And now we can state: “Potter” has become an uncomfortable opponent for MC.
But the main surprise was still waiting ahead – Vortix , brother of the famous Spanish player Lucifron , Giveled MTW.Supernova with a score of 1: 2, managed to win 3: 2 and go to the semifinals.
[[Bullet]] “Is it really easy to take and“ ride ”SK.MC?"
Thus, in the four of the best there were two Koreans and two Europeans. What happens, the difference in the level of the game of Asians and Europeans is really reduced? After all, the strongest Koreans arrived in Cologne (only MMA , DRG And perhaps, POLT ).
THIS IS INTERESTING: Three grains were in the four – and forum fighters immediately clung to this, who once again remembered that the “Grands of IMBA”.
If the Spaniard Vortix , representing the young team Karont3, he had no particular chance – 1: 3 in favor MVP , then Violet with Nerchio "butt" notable – to enter the final Pole, all five matches were required (3: 2).
The battle of the strongest
The finale between Acer.Nerchio And IM.MVP Not disappointed. On OHANA , The first final map, MVP from the very first minutes of the game went to All-in and put a bunker bunker on the second location. Wanting to give the Pole, Terran built only marine infantrymen and brought them to the enemy base.
When the Korean threw his workers on the attack, it seemed to us that the magic of Potter was about to run out, but the gralyings and drones Nerchio Fighted out. Having lost almost all the workers, the Korean found himself in a very difficult situation: it was necessary to continue to crush, but there were no resources to create an army. Meanwhile, the Pole, having run into the granglings on the unprotected terrane base, put a bold point in the first match. 1: 0 in favor of nerchio.
On Cloud Kingdom MVP abandoned the early attacks and decided to play standardly. The Korean made the main emphasis on equipment-created several tori, a couple of tanks and one or two raven . But, having met in the center of the card the army of Zerg (cockroaches, infectors and grabings), all this sophisticated pile of iron fell apart. Having dealt with the detachments MVP , The Pole was significantly broken down by the game limit (+50) and became a clear favorite on the second map.
[[Bullet]] LG and Acer on the T -shirts of the winners. The best world manufacturers of iron are versed in who should sponsor.
And then hidden talents woke up at MVP: in such a difficult situation for himself, he played almost perfectly in all tense moments. The decisive battle occurred with equal limits (both of two hundred), and MVP imposed Nerchio In an inconvenient position: the troops of the Zerg had to rise on the ramp of fire with a tank and torrans torran. Nerchio writes “GG”, and the account in the series becomes equal.
Atlantis SpaceShip And Metropolis also remained with the Korean favorite, which became the champion IEM Season VII Global Challenge Cologne. No, do not think that the Pole surrendered without a struggle, he played with dignity, but there was no longer such confidence as in the first game. Apparently, the second meeting of the Poles broke, and he himself lost his victory over the "Great MVP ".
South Korea> Europe?
If earlier everyone talked about the full advantage of Koreans in Starcraft II , then this year the situation, at least at large European championships, is not so unambiguous. It seems that representatives of the old woman Europe have learned to beat the strongest Koreans: Thorzain won Dreamhack Stockholm Eizo Open, And Nerchio is recent Homestory Cup v.
The Europeans also presented several high -profile sensations on Gamescom: KAS Knocked Grozny Nestea , Vortix – Beginner MTW Supernova , a "Polish Harry Potter" got off with Violet And he resisted the “king of all terraces” MVP well. It turns out that without team training bases, without prestigious GSL and other online leagues, the level of the game of top -end Starcrafts in Europe nevertheless continues to grow. It's small – learn to keep a blow and not be afraid of authorities!
IEM SEASON VII Global Cologne IEM List
1st place- IM. MVP (South Korea) – $ 6,500
2nd place- Acer. Nerchio (Poland) – $ 3300
3-4th places- Azubu. Violet (South Korea) and K3. Vortix (Spain) – $ 1700
