LR7 of SC2 at IPL5: Liquid`HerO vs. MVP.Sniper Recap

Game 1 on Cloud Kingdom

Sniper opens up with a 15-hatch, while HerO goes for a safe opening with a photon cannon before gateway at his natural. Sniper then spawns a third hatchery, which is slightly delayed by a pylon. HerO builds an early stargate and surprisingly builds a void ray before a phoenix. The void ray gives HerO map control as he uses it to guard the Xel'Naga Tower.

The game goes to a macro game with each player expanding and building up tier-three units. HerO mistakenly blinks onto the high ground offensively, losing a group of stalkers at the tower as the rest of his army chases down an overlord. However, he makes up for it with an excellent engagement at his third, where he uses forcefields to blunt Sniper's aggression.

As the game continues, Sniper plays defensively until seizing the perfect moment to move out against the Protoss player. Using mass infestors, brood lords, and corruptors, Sniper overwhelms HerO, who is forced to gg despite having a mothership and archons.

Game 2 on Ohana

Again, HerO opens safe and standard. Sniper opts for an economic opening with three hatcheries before queuing up zerglings. HerO decides on a robotics facility as opposed to a stargate. He attempts a warp prism drop in Sniper's natural and is able to take out two overlords.

Sniper charges into HerO's natural and is able to stall the third Nexus and take down the forge, halting +2 research. HerO responds by trapping a number of roaches with his forcefields, taking out a huge portion of the Zerg army.

HerO continues to apply pressure with warp prism harass, which Sniper counters with his mutalisks. Sniper is able to destroy HerO's main, and the Zerg player pulls ahead in economy. Sniper does further economic damage by taking out HerO's natural with the same flock of mutalisks. However, HerO's ground force is much larger than Sniper's so he attempts to force a fight but he cannot move out due to the mobile mutalisk harass.

HerO displays incredible micro by forcefielding out Sniper's banelings to protect his colossi and blink stalkers while taking out a chunk of the mutalisk flock. But Sniper is relentless and continues to remax on mutalisks, which force HerO to return home everytime he tries to move out.

There is a huge battle in the middle of the map between the mutalisks and blink stalkers. Unfortunately for HerO, there are far too many mutalisks and Sniper brings forth his queens for transfuse, and HerO concedes the game, ending his time at IPL5.

Match Score: Sniper 2 - 0 HerO

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Source : ign[dot]com