GOMTV StarCraft 2 Open Round of 8 Day 1 - Live report

14:15 - TOMORROW: SlayerS_BoxeR vs NaDa and Zenio vs NesTea!

14:15 - HopeTorture interview:

Q: (from SlayerS_BoneR, another user making Artosis laugh) Was the thor rush something you had planned, or did you decide to go for it after the two first games?

I had planned it beforehand, and I used it on Xel'Naga Caverns since I feel that protoss has an advantage on that map so I went for an all-in build”

Q: You defeated another high-level protoss player, do you find it easier to play protoss than terran/zerg?

Protoss is a strong race, and a hard race to face, I was lucky today. I don't know why I keep being the one defeating the last protoss left in the tournament”

Q: Do you think you can repeat being in the finals, and who is the hardest opponent left in the tournament?

I really want to make it to the finals and win the whole thing. I will be meeting FoxeR in the next round which is going to be tough, and if I meet a zerg in the finals I will have a hard time”

14:07 - NEXGenius is out of the tournament, HopeTorture wins 3-1 and is moving on to the semi finals!

14:06 - NEXGenius tries to attack, but loses all of his units to the huge army of HopeTorture, this looks like the end for protoss in GSL season 2, HopeTorture is now engaging.

14:04 - Ghosts are now mixed in HopeTorture's army. Two colossus, four void rays and stalkers is what Genius has to defend, along with a phoenix.

HopeTorture attacks the third base, kills the nexus, stims and runs out of there.

14:02 - Thermal lance is being upgraded, and a colossus is out for Genius. HopeTorture is making a bunker at the third base of Genius delaying a potential third base from the protoss. But the third base is being made now, while HopeTorture is moving out with his huge biological army supported with two vikings.

Great force fields along with colossus make a BBQ of the bio army, but HopeTorture did manage to kill a lot of units, and killed both of the colossus, only the void rays survived.

A third base is going up for HopeTorture as well now.

14:00 - Four void rays killed the reactor, HopeTorture does have a lot of marines already though, and he also has two vikings. Genius has his expansion up and running.

13:58 - Genius' style reminds me of the early void ray mixed pushes from WhiteRa during the beta.

Three void rays are now out, making an attack, but the marines again forcing them to back off, one void ray was just a few hit points from being killed, so he needs to be careful.

13:57 - The void ray goes for an attack, but the marines forces it to back off. It did not take any damage. Genius makes more void rays.

13:55 - Two barracks for HopeTorture, and a command center is being made, while Genius is making a stargate. A reaper for HopeTorture will probably get to scout this though, and he does.

13:53 - We have NEXGenius at the 2'O clock position, HopeTorture at 12. Close air positions.

13:50 - GG from Genius, and HopeTorture is now up 2-1. Will this be the end for protoss in GSL Season 2? Next map is Metalopolis.

13:49 - A nexus has been put down for Genius, HopeTorture is sending out marines and SCVs, but Genius knows about this attack. The thor is also on it\s way, the nexus is still being made.

The army of HopeTorture has arrived, the nexus gets canceled, but Genius is just being ran over by this thor rush.

13:48 - HopeTorture is making a factory below the main of Genius, it is not for scouting as he's making an armory and a tech lab to his factory, so we'll see a thor rush.

13:44 - The next game is starting, it's on Xel'Naga Caverns. HopeTorture spawns at the bottom position, Genius at the top.

13:35 - GG from NEXGenius, and we're on 1-1.

13:33 - HopeTorture seemed to get the best out of this, now Genius is attacking once more, a cloaked banshee is there but Genius got an observer. At the same time HopeTorture is doing great damage in Genius' base, only his stalkers left, HopeTorture is going to take this second game who scans and kills the observer.

13:31 - HopeTorture's banshee is on it's way to Genius' base, no dark templars after all, but blinked Stalkers are now inside HopeTorture's base. Genius loves those blinking stalkers, kills off a lot of SCVs. Cloaked banshees are out, one in the main of Genius, and one saving his base. An even match, both killing each other's economy.

13:28 - A pylon is going up in the top right corner, and he's making a twilight council. We'll probably see dark templars soon. HopeTorture is making a starport.

13:26 - The second game has started with cross locations on Delta Quadrant. HopeTorture the red terran in the top left corner, Genius, the blue protoss in the bottom right.

13:22 - Four void rays at HopeTorture's main now trying to do something, but pulls them back. Genius is now moving out with his ground army as well, zealots, a couple of sentries and stalkers and the void rays. Still a big bio army from HopeTorture with medivaks.

A big attack now, nice force fields, the void rays deals a lot of damage, it looks like this attack is successful, the Protoss seems to take the first game.

GG from HopeTorture, 1-0 for the only protoss left in the tournament.

13:21 - Genius now has three void rays out, both players are expanding. Void rays moving out.

13:19 - HopeTorture's build is a perfect counter to what Genius is doing, Genius is now putting down a nexus at his expansionas well while his void ray has moved out. Now HopeTorture is moving out with a big bio army of marines and marauders, I don't think Genius can hold this off, but he did cancel his nexus.

13:18 - Genius is going for void rays most likely as his stargate is being made. HopeTorture has got two barracks, making biological units looking for a push any time soon probably.

13:15 - We have NEXGenius on the right side position of Lost Temple, and HopeTorture on the bottom mid position. NEXGenius is the blue protoss, HopeTorture the red terran.

13:12 - The maps will be Lost Temple, Delta Quadrant, Xel'Naga Caverns, Metalopolis and Shakuras Plateau in that order. A best of five in a Protoss vs Terran with the last protoss of the tournament left.

13:06 - NEXGenius vs HopeTorture coming up

13:05 - FoxeR interview:

Q: Why didn't you add tanks in the second and third game, like you did in the first behind your wall-in?

I was planning to attack with mass marines before the banelings came out, but Kyrix was more agressive than I thought”

Q: Do you use marines against the banelings just for the show?

I wanted to prove that you can defend against banelings with just marines, I've been practicing that for a while now”

Q: Will you go by the FoxeR name like you said you would?

If the fans want it, I will go with FoxeR”

12:56 - The game has evened out again, FoxeR now pushing out, looking to actually make a huge comeback, AND HE DOES!

FOXER WINS THE GAME AS KYRIX GGs! AMAZING COMEBACK!

I think my brain just had an orgazm” - Tasteless

12:54 - FoxeR tried to counter attack right after he held off a push from Kyrix, but Kyrix managed to push him back in the middle with banelings dealing some decent damage to the marine army.

12:53 - Kyrix keeps on pushing, now with a 30 supply lead on FoxeR.

Kyrix is loading up his overlords with banelings.

12:50 - Kyrix with a big attack while Foxer was planning on taking his golden expansion, killed some SCVs with banelings, but all the roaches died from the tanks, and FoxeR actually in the supply lead again after that attack.

But a new push from Kyrix made him able to kill some SCVs with his banelings, FoxeR tries a counter attack, but lost all of his units, now losing his siege tanks defending, this looks bad for FoxeR.

12:49 - Kyrix with a brilliant timing attack on Foxer's army, Foxer managed to spread out his marines very well not taking a lot of damage from the banelings, but the roaches cleaned it up afterwards. FoxeR tried to attack at the golden expansion at the same time, but the roaches again were too much. Now Kyrix is suddenly in the lead again.

12:46 - FoxeR is actually ahead in the unit count right now. Kyrix is making a third base at his gold now, still going for banelings and mutalisks, but the roach speed is being upgraded. Foxer is going for marines and siege tanks with medivaks still.

12:45 - Kyrix has his creep spread all the way down to Foxer's golden expansion. Foxer is now pushing out, probably his last chance, great micro with the marines and the siege tanks take down the banelings, mutalisks flying around the army, Foxer takes down the hatchery at Kyrix's third base. An important move for Foxer to stay in this game.

12:43 - FoxeR with an important drop at the third base of Kyrix, but zerglings and mutalisks came to rescue the hatchery while the drones are dead. But this game is still looking very good for Kyrix, and it's going to be very hard for FoxeR to came out of this alive.

12:40 - One banshee died from the queens, now Kyrix had a ton of banelings being made hidden behind the bushes outside FoxeR's expansion, but a banshee spotted them, leaving FoxeR kinda prepared for the attack and held it off.

More zerglings are coming though, and Kyrix has made his third base at the same time he's preventing FoxeR from using his expansion.

12:39 - FoxeR is making a command center at his expansion now as well, Kyrix is using his zerglings to attack the rocks at his golden expansion, the banshee finds them and the zerglings are moving down to FoxeR's base but pulls them back soon afterwards.

12:38 - Kyrix has his expansion up, FoxeR is still at one base making a banshee build.

12:33 - The commercial break is done, the fifth and deciding match will be played on Xel'Naga Caverns.

We have Kyrix in the top right corner, and FoxeR in the bottom left.

12:24 - FoxeR teaches the watchers of GSL how to play TvZ at scrap station, doing a very good job with his banshees, killed off the spire before it finished and Kyrix is just trying to make spore crawlers to survive, but this is going to be GG, an we should see a fifth and deciding match very soon.

GG from Kyrix, and 2-2.

12:21 - A suicidal overlord spots the second starport and the banshee that is now in Kyrix's base. Two banshees doing harassment now, but the queens are forcing them to back off. Three bashees are out, and two of the are being repaired. Kyrix got an overseer, so cloak is not going to be a problem, but four banshees are doing some great damage to the queens, all the queens, to be precise, four queens died, and the banshees are free to do a lot of damage now. The spire is not close to be completed.

12:20 - We have a dual starport banshee build coming up from FoxeR and a roach warren is up for the zerg. A zerglings spots the starport, and now a lair is going up for Kyrix.

12:19 - FoxeR actually made a really fast gas this time, and the factory is being made while Kyrix is expanding.

12:17 - We have Kyrix on the right side position and FoxeR in on the top left position.

12:16 - The fourth game will be on Scrap Station, and it will start any second now.

12:12 - FoxeR is still alive actually. Baneling speed is being upgraded, roach warren and the golden expansion is up. Now zerglings and banelings are pushing FoxeR, and the terran has a very good micro, but it's not enough to hold off all of the units Kyrix sends at him.

FoxeR GGs and it's 2-1 for the zerg.

12:10 - Banelings now busting the front of FoxeR, and it looks like Kyrix is going to take the second game as well.

12:08 - The baneling nest is being made now while FoxeR is upgrading his marines' attack as well as stim packs.

Kyrix is making a hatchery at the top gold expansion, and is morphing in a lot of banelnigs.

12:06 - FoxeR lost all of his marines, but did some decent damage. Now zerg is countering, FoxeR is making a command center and a bunker, bunker finishes right after he held off the zerglings. Two-base vs two-base. FoxeR is walling up with barracks.

12:05 - FoxeR again delaying the geyser, Kyrix has expanded and this is looking much like the first two games, except from that FoxeR is now moving out with six marines and four SCVs. No speed is being upgraded yet from Kyrix who now has around 10 zerglings.

12:03 - The third game has started, it's on Steppes of War. BoxeR is in the top right position as the red terran, and Kyrix the blue zerg in the bottom left corner.

12:01 - Kyrix wins the second game in this best of five.

12:00 - A bunch of banelings now enagaging, FoxeR cleverly made two engineering bays outside his wall where the supply depot and the reactor blocked, but the banelings did get through, some zerglings now inside his main dealing damage while many more banelings coming, this is not looking good for the terran.

11:57 - Speedlings are out, but FoxeR has pulled out a ton of SCVs, lost almost all of them, I have no idea why he did that. Three barracks has walled up though and his economy is still pretty strong.

A baneling nest is being made from Kyrix.

11:56 - FoxeR is now pushing out with five marines and an SCV, doing some nice micro killing off zerglings, now the queen is pulled off the creep, FoxeR kills all the zerglings, more zerglings coming up, one queen dies, hard pressure from the terran now.

11:54 -FoxeR did in fact make a fast expansion, and is now walling up with barracks outside his expansion.

11:53 - The terran is not making any wall. Kyrix is expanding. Terran is not making a gas eiter, so we could see a fast expansion from FoxeR again, or an early push.

11:52 - FoxeR in the top middle of Lost Temple as the red terran, and to his left at the 9'O clock position we have Kyrix as the blue agressive Zerg he is.

11:48 - It is still commercials, but an interesting note from last game is that FoxeR never researched the combat shield, even though he handled the marines that well.

We're back in the studio now, commercials are over and the second game is coming up soon.

11:39 - Sweet micro again from FoxeR who now counter attack Kyrix's main, this is looking very good for FoxeR who spreads a lot of marines for the banelings.

FoxeR takes the first game of the best of five, next match coming up after the commercials in Korea.

11:37 - Artosis:
Most Terrans would've lost this game”

11:36 - A big baneling/roach push coming from Kyrix now, but FoxeR holds it off and pushes the Zerg back while he scans to kill off the creep tumors.

11:35 - Unfortunately I got started a bit late today, making the report of this first game very short unless it goes on for a while. It is a really entertaining game though, FoxeR is putting on a lot of pressure continuously, just made his third base, now dropping Zerg's third base top left.

11:31 - BoxeR had a drop, losing no units, and now he keeps on pushing. His micro really looks like the real SlayerS_BoxeR, spreading the marines very nicely again!

11:30 - The first game between Kyrix and BoxeR is already being played, with BoxeR in the top right corner and Kyrix in the bottom left of Shakuras Plateau.

BoxeR had an early expansion, Kyrix tried to baneling bust the Terran but BoxeR spread his marines very nicely.

Now BoxeR is pushing out with siege tanks and marines.