GomTV GSL News: Starcraft 2 Tournament RO4 Day 1  | read this item

*Spoiler Warning: Results will be revealed in this story*

Today marks the first day of the semi-finals of the Starcraft 2 GSL tournament. Yesterday, the number of remaining participants in this GomTV GSL competition widdled down eight to four.

Now that we’re into the RO4 matches, the Starcraft 2 tournament format transition from a “Best of 3″ set to a “Best of 5″ set. Meaning, players must now win 3 games to move on to the finals instead of just 2. This gives players more time to adapt to their opponents strategy as well as making cheese strats a definite possibility as losing an all-in manuver wouldn’t result in falling into a must win situation.

The Prize Pool for this round of GomTV’s GSL Starcraft 2 tournament is also significantly higher than the RO8 prizes. By even making it this far, each player has earned approximately $8600. By winning their matches today and tomorrow, they win $25,700 guaranteed. They also have a shot at winning the $85,000 grand prize.

Today’s matchup features Kim, Tae-Hwan (NEXLiveForever) and Kim, Won-Ki (a Fruit Dealer). Both players have solid gameplay that has gotten them this far. However, only one of them can move on to the Starcraft 2 GSL finals. Let’s take a look at how the games have turned out today.

Kim, Tae-Hwan (NEXLiveForever) vs Kim, Won-Ki (a Fruit Dealer)

Game 1 – Metalopolis

In the first game of the semi-finals of this season of GomTV’s Starcraft 2 GSL tournament, NEXLiveForever finds himself in the southern base with a Fruit Dealer in the northern. The far positions definitely favor Fruit Dealer as a Zerg player. LiveForever opts for Barracks and Tech Lab while Fruit moves into a fast expand. LiveForever attempt to distract with a proxy bunker. However, the SCV is pushed out by Drone.

Early Reaper rush shows up from LiveForever. Sending many SCVs to Fruit Dealer for building many bunkers at once. A couple bunkers do finish despite Fruit constantly knocking them off. The Reaper harass continues. Using the proxy bunkers to knock out Fruit’s expansion. Fruit pushes into fast Roaches to counter. The Reaper rush is pushed back, but Fruit does take significant harvester damage.

LiveForever transitions into a few Marauders and then switches towards Banshee Cloak. Fruit’s Lair shows up a little late which means there wouldn’t be detection from morphed Overseers ready for when the Banshee hits. The Banshee does get a few free shots before being destroyed by Overseer/Queen combos. Banshees do continue the harass one-by-one as LiveForever moves into his natural.

Fruit also opts to move into a third base as LiveForever masses a Marine/Marauder ball. The push from the Terran is discourage on Fruit’s natural with Mutalisks and Spine Crawlers. As a result, LiveForever goes after the less defended third base. Fruit lets the expansion fall to save his army. At the same time, LiveForever moves into Thors to counter the Mutalisks.

After a few skirmishes, LiveForever attempts to take down Fruit’s now fourth base with a marine drop. However, Zerglings rush in and saves the base. However, a multi-pronged attack sets up LiveForever to take out the fourth base.

While masses up a few Banelings, Fruit techs up into Infestors, Nydus, and Ultralisk. He also sets up a fifth base. LiveForever masses up marines, medivacs, sieges and thors. When the two armies engage, a huge fungal growth stops the marines as banelings take down the entire marine mass. While the Ultras clear out the tanks. Using the momentum, he moves against the third terran base. Dispite the SCVs attempting to repair the Planetary fortress, Fruit fungal growths some SCVs to cut down on the repairing as the Ultras finish off the base.

Continuing in, Fruit Nydus’ the Terran main bases and successfully drops in a large army as the Ultras move in for the kill against Terran’s natural. Amazing comeback from Fruit to earn a huge GG in the first game.

Game 2 – Scrap Station

For the second game, NEXLiveForever is placed in the left position, with Fruit Dealer placed in the right base. Standar builds as the Terran opts to build a wall with Factory, barracks, and depots. LiveForever attempts to rush with a couple Hellions but is driven back by Fruit’s fast Roaches and runs them back to the Terran map.

Fruit dealer moves into his natural as LiveForever reinforces his wall with bunkers and moves into Vikings and more Hellions. LiveForever moves and hits Fruit’s natural hard and takes out quite a few drones before Fruit is able to clear them out.

LiveForever moves into a mech build by producing Thors and Sieges. As he moves into his expansion, Fruit moves in with a small group of Mutalisks and knocks out quite a few SCVs including sniping the Missle Turret builders delaying the defensive setup and allows him to take out even more SCVs

LiveForever moves his mech army against the destructable rocks and Fruit flanks from behind and pulls Fruit back to defend the Terran main allowing him to buy time to build his counter army. Fruit moves into a fourth base. LiveForever preps marines to move in and waits for the Hatchery to finish to make sure it can’t be canceled. He then moves in but a group of Zerglings run in and saves the Hatchery with very little health left.

While LiveForever sets up his mech army, Fruit sets up multiple small groups to create many flanking manuvers. In an amazing setup, Fruit begins a Roach/Zergling push against the Terran natural. LiveForever pulls back to deal with the move, which allows Fruit to flank the mech army with banelings and lock it down with fungal growth. Everything hits as the original Roach/Zergling army finishes off what is less than half of the forces opposing. Quickly clearing out the army, Fruit rushes into the main and causes catastrophic damage.

Huge win for Fruit Dealer as NEXLiveForever taps out with a GG.

Game 3 – Kulas Ravine

In the third game of the matchup, NEXLiveForever ends up in the northeast base and Fruit Dealer ends up in the Southwest base. LiveForever walls in while Fruit opts for a one-base build with a low-pool setup. Both players end up taking the scenic route with the scouts and end up with somewhat late scouting. This sort of luck allows a quick attack unit to intercept the scouts and prevent the scouting altogether.

LiveForever goes fast Factory and produces quick Hellions while Fruit once again goes quick Roaches. The Hellions do run into a couple Roaches and take them out however a second push again runs into Roaches and dispite nearly dying is able to use the Hellions to scout and LiveForever sees Fruit’s one-base build. LiveForever immediate moves into three racks to setup.

Fruit does in fact luck out as a passing Hellion misses an expansion. He also get a Spire up and begins producing Mutalisks. When Fruit pushes, LiveForever send his entire army against Fruit. This sets up a base race. Both mains are wiped out. However, Fruit’s set up with an expansion give him the advantage as he produces more Mutalisks to take out LiveForever’s army. Dispite trying to move his Command Center into a new base there are simply too many units from Fruit and the final GG is forced.

Final: NEXLiveForever 0:3 a Fruit Dealer

That means that whoever wins tomorrow will be taking on the best Zerg player in the world. Find out tomorrow who that is.