Should this be StarCraft 2 Game of the Year?
Table of contents
- In the high-stakes world of Starcraft 2, every decision counts; one wrong move can shift the balance from victory to defeat.
- In the game of strategy, sometimes the smartest moves are the ones that seem the simplest.
- In the heat of battle, it's the small strategic moves that turn the tide—like burrowing Zerglings for map control.
- In the heat of battle, vision is everything; those burrowed Zerglings are the unsung heroes guiding the way to victory.
- In the heat of battle, it's not just about the army size; it's about finding the right angle to strike before your resources run dry.
- In a game of strategy and survival, Rogue proves that sometimes the best offense is a relentless wave of Zerg, turning the tide with sheer numbers and tactical brilliance.
- Rogue redefined late-game Zerg strategy, proving that sometimes it's not about the units you build, but how you use every last resource to dominate the battlefield.
- In the heat of battle, vision is everything; Rogue's mastery of changelings and overseers gives him the edge to outmaneuver his opponent.
- In the battle of strategy and vision, Rogue's use of changelings and burrowed units proves that information is power, turning the tide in unexpected ways.
- In high-stakes strategy, it's all about the right moment and the right units; sometimes, the boldest moves don't pay off, but that's the risk of playing for the win.
- Rogue proves that even in the toughest battles, strategic choices and adaptability can turn the tide and lead to victory.
In the high-stakes world of Starcraft 2, every decision counts; one wrong move can shift the balance from victory to defeat.
Welcome back to the most professional Starcraft 2 commentary, featuring the former world champion Zerg in the red, the Executioner, it's Rogue. He is up against another former world champion, the Terran of the blue, we have Olera. This is a best-of-three Terran versus Zerg showdown, highlighting Olera's razor-sharp timings against Rogue's tendency to live life on the edge. I expect incredibly good games for the fans. If that's something you want to expect on a regular basis, well, join me in today's tribute to the algorithm by smashing that like button. If you haven't made it there yet, it would be awesome if you could subscribe.
Now, Jimmy, what are we at? We have 1,440 likes on this video. If we hit that milestone, I'll cast another one, although I’ll probably do it anyway. Thank you for watching; hopefully, you've had a good day so far, and hopefully, it's about to get just a little bit better.
As the game unfolds, an Alion Reaper heads across the map while the Zerglings move to intercept. They can't catch the Reaper if Olera is paying attention, but that doesn't mean they'll stop trying. Unlike a dog chasing cars, those Zerglings know exactly what to do if they catch it. The entire early game depends on this flirtatious dance between the early Zerglings and Queens and the Reaper. We may heat things up a little bit with the Hellions, but the focus is on keeping control of the creep and ideally denying a third base, despite whatever the Hatchery Owners Association says about it.
Olera almost gets out of the way in time, but the Zerglings and the Queen create a bit of a mess right now. Olera is going for the Drone; he might get it, but actually, it gets taken down by the Queen. "Get off my creep!" Good job, Brenda. The first blood goes to Rogue, who bit off a lot more than he could chew with that Reaper. Olera really wanted that drone to delay the third base. Any delay on the third means more delay on production, economy, and larvae, which, of course, gives the Terran an advantage as time goes on. Olera already has a third Command Center nearly done, and he will have his third base before the Zerg does, as is often the case nowadays.
But will he be able to land it at his third base location? That really depends on how well this early game goes. A Viking starts things off, pillaging its way through the Overlords across the map and possibly covering for what is that Banshee speed. He’s not even faking it; if you were going to fake something for the Overlord to see, you'd go with interference Matrix, which costs half as much. Hyperflight rotors, however, increase Banshee speed to ludicrous levels, making it faster than pretty much everything except a Mutalisk. This makes it very difficult to deal with.
The downside, of course, is that most of the targets you need to deal with still need to be in range to engage. The Hellions lose two of their number to the Queens, who are getting a surprising amount done early here. Rogue is not complaining; the destructible rocks are taken down in record time. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone take down a set of destructible rocks before the five-minute mark. Dustin Browder is crying tears of joy somewhere, and he doesn't know why.
A single Zergling shuts the door at the top of the ramp, but the Banshee speed is on the way. It doesn't look like Olera is going for some sort of all-in. The Hellions are traded for one Zergling, which is a very important Zergling. Meanwhile, four more Barracks are behind this, leading to a bio explosion the likes of which we've never seen since at least the last time someone went Ravagers. With Stim, Banshee speed, and plus one infantry weapons and armor on the way, Rogue has already gotten a Lair. He’s got a dozen creep tumors in production as he metastasizes across the map, and his Evo Chambers are just now starting.
Now, did Olera just go for one or two speed Banshees? Did he mean to get cloak? There's an argument on both sides of it. Cloak can potentially allow you to find opportunities to get a ton of kills, but speed Banshees are obviously more maneuverable. Rarely do you see speed without cloak, but you see cloak without speed plenty of times. I understand the irony of most of these statements.
If Queens and Spores are in position, it still shouldn't be too huge of an issue. You know what? I think Olera might be regretting not getting that cloak.
In the game of strategy, sometimes the smartest moves are the ones that seem the simplest.
In the current match, it appears that one player has gotten a lir, although he has a dozen creep tumors in production as he is metastasizing across the map. His Evo Chambers have just now started, and he is maintaining his strategy. There seems to be a question regarding whether he went for one or two speed banshees and whether he meant to get cloak. There are arguments on both sides regarding cloak; while it can potentially allow for a ton of kills, speed banshees are obviously more maneuverable. It is rare to see speed without cloak, but plenty of times cloak is seen without speed.
Despite this, if queens and spores are in position, it shouldn't be too huge of an issue. However, it seems he might be regretting not getting cloak, as he cannot outrun the knitting needles. Unfortunately, he lost the Banshee early on, which is a bit of a negative. No matter how fast you run, you still need to get in range of the mineral line, which the queens are protecting with lethal vengeance. The creep spread is already extending heavily across the map, and the downside of not using those banshees with the early Hellions is that there is pretty much no control.
Interestingly, the speed banshees seem to be too good; they are so fast that they might have been mismanaged. They are potentially Furious, making them difficult to micro effectively, and you still need to hit those DRS. There are very questionable moves with the Banshees, but not so questionable with everything else behind. Ola has more army supply and is working on combat shield, with one-one upgrades done. The Armory is already completed, allowing for two-two upgrades to start right behind. He has reached the halfway mark at the Watchtower and is beginning to clear the creep.
Rogue, on the other hand, has 79 drones but is a bit supply blocked at 153 supply. He is considering how to fix that as he lines up the lings and banelings, already taking down the rocks in the center. It is worth noting that Rogue has the lowest APM ever seen from a modern professional Zerg. While Sarah's APM usually hovers around 400 to 450, Rogue is under about 350 APM, which is concerning for Zerg players. Despite this, he manages to execute some of the most efficient Zerg gameplay, demonstrating that he doesn't seem to skip anything. In fact, he has performed some of the most ridiculous high APM strategies. Rogue works smarter and not harder, which is why he has been the villain SL hero of many Starcraft tournaments in the past.
Despite the seemingly strong exchange for Rogue, it is important not to underestimate the Terran attrition. The creep spread has been pushed back, and Ola maintains a similar supply. He still has siege tanks and medivacs rolling, and banelings off creep come at a heavy cost. The upgrades are even, and the army supplies are similar, but now the queens can be pulled into the fray. They will attempt to take down some of the medivacs, enduring a bit of a pounding from the tanks and marines.
As the battle unfolds, Ola demonstrates good target fire, picking off some of the marines, but not all will make it out. The siege tanks are taken down as the monarchy bears down on them with the weight of the Imperial Zerg Empire. Although I never said they were articulate, the medivacs manage to get away for now. Ola is down 15 supply, and there is a hive on the way along with a Hydralisk Den as Rogue angles for lurkers. We may see his trademarked mass changeling strategy, usually employed as a counter to the more turtly ghost and liberator style.
As the game progresses, Rogue has so many Zerglings on the field, and while the creep spread was once looking good, it is not as good as before. Ola finds another queen and picks off most of those marines while trying to collapse on this army. The Widow Mines will burrow, and he will protect them with some of the marines. They do not get any hits off, and he doesn't need detection either, whether through manual detonation or just clicking the Banshees. He deals with it effectively. Now, with two-two upgrades done, the upgrades are dead even for both sides, which is somewhat redundant but significant nonetheless.
In the heat of battle, it's the small strategic moves that turn the tide—like burrowing Zerglings for map control.
In this intense match, we see a counter to the more turtly Ghost and Liberator style, as opposed to the attrition-based Marine meta. The strategy involves using Siege Tanks and perhaps some Widow Mines, but Rogue has so many Zerglings on the field. The Lings and Banelings are crucial, and while the creep spread was once looking good, it has now diminished.
Ol Vera finds another Queen and picks off most of those Marines. Meanwhile, he attempts to collapse on this army; the Widow Mines will burrow, and he’ll protect them with some of the Marines. However, they don’t get any hits off, and he doesn’t need detection either—whether manually detonated or just clicked, he deals with it. Now, with 2/2 upgrades done, the upgrades are dead even for both sides. This is somewhat redundant, but more Widow Mines are pre-splitting the Lings. They will absorb some hits, but there isn’t much more behind it. The doors open, and the Zerglings will tear it down anyway.
As the Banelings roll into the third, a counterattack occurs with a set of Medivacs on both sides. The SCVs will be gutted as they get in behind the wall and rip through the economy. At the same time, the Marines are taking down Queens. Another set of Marines seems to have lost track of their objective, heading for the Hatchery in the bottom right. The Marines are forced back, while Lings are pushed out, with a couple more infiltrating the main base. The Zerglings are ripping down the defenses, and as they tear down the wall, they find another target.
Although he doesn’t have Adrenal Glands yet, Rogue is working on Lurker Range. The Marines return for more, but the Hydras are able to push them away. Despite the superficial damage that Rogue was able to inflict, Ol Vera maintains 62 Supply. The Command Center is burning, which is quite significant, and we’ll keep tabs on that. Vipers are on the way, but still no Adrenal Glands—it’s fine, right?
In a humorous moment, one SCV is contracted out to repair this entire Command Center. Typical. The Banelings will actually spot a Command Center floating over to the bottom corner. The result of that battle seems like a draw, but one thing that Rogue is doing well is utilizing the burrowed Zerglings and the unburrowed Banelings. He left two Banelings, but there are burrowed Zerglings right outside the base, and unburrowed Zerglings are taking down the Command Center at the 6:00 position.
Rogue has successfully gotten Adrenal Glands, which allows the Zerglings to attack for just a couple of seconds, often going unnoticed by Zerg players. However, Rogue, to his credit, was able to recognize this opportunity. There goes the Widow Mine drop, but no more Minecraft—this game isn’t on Game Pass yet. Uh-oh, the Widow Mines dealt minimal damage, but more mines are covering the field. Adrenal Glands are nearly done, and a Nidus is on the way.
Rogue has 69 creep tumors, which is a nice creep coverage but could definitely be better. The Mings rolled in again and got six more SCVs, and things slow down because both players took significant hits. There are so many Widow Mines, and they have drilling claws, of course, so they remain cloaked. The Liberator is finally taken out, but there’s no Spire on the way, which means eventually, Liberators could become deadly.
This is the real win here: Rogue’s ability to play smarter through the little details. He burrowed the Zerglings, spending only 1 or 2 APM depending on how he selected and used them. Now he has effective map hacks in those angles and doesn’t even need to scan for it; he knows where the army is moving out. The Ghosts keep walking over the burrowed Zerglings, which is a bit more obvious, but that Zergling is just too cute to land on. Until it gets revealed by a scan, a Nidus in the main is ready.
The SCVs are pulled, and Banelings roll in on top of the Planetary Fortress; it should be just enough to take it out, alongside 14 SCVs. The Ghosts, the SCVs, and the Siege Tank will take out the main. Plus 3 Carapace is now done for the Zerg, while plus 3 infantry weapons and armor for the Terran are also complete, along with plus 1 Mech plating.
Dozens of Lurkers and Banelings are morphing, and a nuclear missile has entered production as both players attempt to recover after the devastating full-on fight. They are trying to circumvent the brunt of their opponent's forces. Oh my God, there was a burrowed Zergling providing vision! The boys are pulled, and another Nidus is on the way. Does he have two now? He does! Always looking to increase that throughput, the Nidus is well-positioned for the next phase of the game.
In the heat of battle, vision is everything; those burrowed Zerglings are the unsung heroes guiding the way to victory.
The boys are pulled, and Banelings are rolling in on top of the planet. It should be just enough to take it out, with 14 SCVs alongside it. The Ghosts and the SCVs of the Siege Tank will take out the main, plus three Carapace is now done for the Zerg. Obviously, plus three infantry weapons and armor for the Terran have also been completed, along with plus one Mech plating. We have dozens of Lurkers and Banelings morphing, and a nuclear missile has entered production.
As both players attempt to recover after the devastating full-on fight, they are trying to circumvent the brunt of their opponent's forces. Oh my god, there was a burrowed Zergling providing vision. The boys are ready, and this one’s going to finish. Another Nidus is in play; wait, does he have two now? He does! Always looking to up that throughput, the Nidus is well-positioned. This is a bit of an awkward setup, as Oliv has established his base very well to deny exactly this.
A Venn diagram of freedom is raining down from the Liberators, and I feel like this is the most efficient way to launder hundreds of minerals and gas into Lurkers toward your opponent. In the last 45 seconds, Ola has killed 3300 to 2100 in resources, compared to 18250. Not only are these the best deals here from Rogue, but the Banelings are rolling in, smacking up another planetary fortress. It’s not the cheapest thing, but it is effective. Another drop to the north side targets the Medivac, taking it down; Marines will be next.
There are burrowed units everywhere. Oh, another Overseer just glides through the main, slapping down a Nidus in the process. More units are streaming across the map; both sides are nearly maxed out. While Rogue is maxed out, Oliv is not far from it, having 128 army supply. He has significantly fewer workers, thus leveraging a lot more on the field. However, that’s a lot of Ghosts and Liberators, with some Changelings mixed in here. The Vipers yank out several of the Liberators out of Siege mode, and Hydras will finish off the last one.
The Changelings are kind of getting in the way of his own Banelings; I'm not exactly sure that's the ideal move. Another wave of Hydra, Ling, and Bane is coming in. The Nidus was dealt with, but there’s another one in the main, though—Nidus number eight. The Banelings whittle down the forces, and the Ghost count grows dramatically. However, the double Nidus will overwhelm a single Siege Tank, but not the Marauders. The real MVPs are those burrowed Zerglings, constantly providing the vision he needs to make smarter decisions.
So far, Rogue continues with that attrition-based Hydra, Ling, and Bane strategy. He has thrown a few Vipers into the mix, and Ola is looking good. Oh my, I was going to say he’s looking good economically, but I brought up this tab, and that does not look very good economically. Even with Mules, he doesn't have the iron bank of orbitals to just drop down an entire stable of Mules; he only has four of them. Honestly, he probably needs all of them for scans against Lurkers and burrowed units. He probably needs to be scanning with every ounce of energy—maybe even the grams. No, that's wrong; it's definitely ounces. Don’t be dumb!
An EMP lands on the Vipers, but he already yanked the tank into the fray. Banelings are chewing through the front line, while Hydras cushion the rest. The double Nidus has Ola scrambling to defend yet again. The Marauders should be enough, but Rogue has money in the bank. He doesn’t have any sort of tech switch; he has more Hydras and more Zerglings. I assume we’re going to see more Lurkers and Banelings. He’s got a Nidus over to the right flank, and the burrowed Zerglings are finally getting cleaned up. I think the one in the center got incidentally killed, maybe scanned as part of dealing with Lurkers.
Another Nidus is in play, and multiple screams are heard. He’s got just a couple of Lurkers in there, easily sniped out. As Ola secures those outer bases, of which he has two to three, they are pretty happily mining—or at least mining; I’m not here to judge their emotional state. A nuclear launch is detected as Ola Vera prepares to strike. However, the double Spore is countering the Liberators. Will it be in time? Just barely—both Liberators survive, but the nuke will land, killing several unhappy larva. The drones are looking to go back to work, but it’s a hazardous working environment.
Meanwhile, the Medivac is dropping out to the north side, but that’s not going to happen. Ola is starting to mine out of his bases, while Rogue doesn’t have much more of a bank, especially in gas, where it’s dead even. This army is valued at 6200 to 3100 for Ola Vera, which is 1500 less in minerals and a few hundred less in gas for Rogue, who is completely focused. What was that? I heard a weird sound; I heard a Ghost. It actually had a voice—was that Nova? He’s got the Nova skin, right? I think Nova may have died, just like her game.
Well, another nuke is on the way, and Lurkers are trying to overwhelm, but so far, they are not finding success.
In the heat of battle, it's not just about the army size; it's about finding the right angle to strike before your resources run dry.
In the ongoing battle, time just bears on as both liberators strive to survive. The impending nuke will land, killing several unhappy larva. The drones are eager to return to work, but it's a hazardous working environment. Meanwhile, Metag is dropping out to the north side, which is not going to happen. Ol is starting to mine out of his bases, while Rogue doesn't have much more of a bank, especially in gas, where it's dead even. The army values stand at 6200 for Ol and 3100 for Rogue, with Ol having 1,500 less in minerals and a few hundred less in gas. Rogue is completely focused, but there’s a moment of confusion as he hears a weird sound, reminiscent of a ghost.
Was that Nova? He has the Nova skin, and it seems that Nova may have died just like her game. Another nuke is on the way, with lurkers trying to overwhelm the field but so far not finding success. The lurkers are running over the field and scurrying back into the Nidus, depending on their position. However, another BOD L and another Nidus are in play, and right now, Ol seems to be losing this nightmare mode campaign mission. He is struggling to deal with the situation, but as the saying goes, it's the economy, stupid. Rogue is running out of bases to mine from, and we are getting close to the point where we need to start counting how many mineral patches are left.
The Widow mines are taking a toll as the Zerglings come by, and both players are completely drained of gas. There’s no Fusion Core, which means no Liberator range, no Caducus reactor, and the nuke takes out five drones. The lurkers are dotting the field, cross-hatching anything that comes close. Ol realizes he needs advanced tech to deal with the situation, and he is finally getting the Fusion Core. He hopes to get Liberator range and Fusion reactor, while also working on high-sec auto-tracking, missile turrets, planetary range, and building armor.
Rogue finally finishes off the rocks he started on ages ago, which will open up another path. With 19 more overlords on the way, Rogue is back at it again. The Nidus is all throughout the main, slicing through the entirety of the production. An attack is launched over to the right flank, while another targets the center. The mines are doing a great job of zone control against them, chasing down the army in the center. It seems that Ol's forces may not be able to lock on. This is Rogue's main now; he has two of them and a single corruptor on the way. If he disconnects the entire network, those units will be deleted from the game.
However, they must remain in the worms while the worm and the network die. Still, the possibility is there. Ol is down to 168 supply, but he still has the army value lead. There aren't too many ghosts left as the main army continues retreating backwards. The overseers are in place to box out the lurkers, making it much harder to snipe. Both changelings and overseers can easily draw the snipes out if using the rapid-fire magic wand style instead of individually picking out lurkers. Terran have sat for too long with their magical snipes, just machine-gunning down lurkers.
Rogue has found himself in a truly campaign mission scenario. As we delve deeper into Starcraft 2, it seems we start imitating the campaign, unironically using mass Nidus and mass overseers. Perhaps Rogue was just playing the campaign a bunch during his military service, as they are still allowed to play, but not in tournaments.
What a game it has been! Despite being on all sides, Ol is still finding progress. He still has more army supply; he just can't find an angle to bring it to bear effectively. However, Rogue doesn't have a ton of money in the bank, and one particularly bad fight could leave him completely tapped out. Using the overseers to tank the mines, as there are no more ghosts to cover, the situation escalates into a full-on base trade. The Hydras, with their superior utility, and lurkers will take down multiple planetaries. Banelings roll in, and the ghosts will melt in their presence. Yet, more units are coming in, and the overseers are not enough. The Liberator hovers over the top, and Rogue loses a lot of his lurkers, as he accidentally burned the Hydras alongside the lurkers.
In a game of strategy and survival, Rogue proves that sometimes the best offense is a relentless wave of Zerg, turning the tide with sheer numbers and tactical brilliance.
What a game! Rogue has shown incredible resilience, finding progress despite being set on all sides. He still maintains more army supply, but he just can't find an angle to bring it to bear effectively. It's important to note that Rogue does not have a ton of money in the bank; one particularly bad fight could leave him completely tapped out.
Using the overseers to tank the mines is a strategic move, especially since there are no more ghosts to cover. The ghosts are on the other side of the map, and we are heading into a full-on base trade. The hydras, along with their superior evolution, and lurkers will take down multiple planetary fortresses. Banelings roll in, and the ghosts will melt in their presence. However, there are more units, and the overseers are not enough. The Liberator overhead causes Rogue to lose a significant number of his lurkers, as he accidentally burned the hydras alongside them.
Ol Vera is trying to staunch the bleeding here, applying a liberator tourniquet on his expansions. Will it be enough? The hydras take down another Liberator, but he never got advanced ballistics on that Fusion Core. Additionally, there’s no more Fusion Core because the main and the natural are gone. Ol Vera is down to five Barracks. What is the income situation? Rogue, the economic powerhouse, stands at 143 to 100 supply, but it's not like he can build much more either. The army supplies are still dead even, as Ol Vera has fewer SCVs than he started with. He is repairing his precious orbitals and has three ghosts, two liberators, eight medivacs, and 16 Widow Mines, which are usually a strong choice in a base trade. However, there are so many lurkers that the Widow Mines eat most of the shots.
The overseers are overhead, and the lurkers are lining up for a face-off down the center. There is still a very real chance that Ol Vera can push through; he has the unit composition and the ability to win the war of attrition. He also has a very strong tactical position and, of course, that strong tactical advantage right now. He sends out a medivac on its own mission, as is the late-game tradition. Many Terran players have a superstition that a mass medivac drop at this time will lead to losing the war of attrition.
At the end of the day, anyone leave a comment? Oh, in the pipe 5x five right, boys? Yeah, you want a piece of meat, boy? Does anyone know this guy? Oh my god, they found it! He was a little slow on the turn. Rogue drags in the medivac, but no! Get over here and get out of here! He knocks it down. Ol Vera has to rebuild Supply Depots. This is not a war of who wins but who is left. More changelings are coming in. This mass marauder is not going to last long against the hatchery. Oh my God, it’s down! But if he overstays his welcome, he’s not welcome at all.
By default, that expectation is one of us in the game. Oh, he made it! Rogue has Ol Vera trying to pick up the scraps through the fire and fury of this 28-minute game. Here come the lurkers—so many of them! The overseers are in a bit of an awkward position, not blocking too many snipes, but there are only three ghosts and one liberator left. The tide of lurkers has come again. He’s taking down changelings, but it may cost him time and attention, and eventually, it may cost him the ghosts.
Oh my God, they are individually targeted; there are just too many! The changelings are trickling in, and Ol Vera is forced to evacuate one of the last relatively safe locations. He is still mining to the south but is running out of mineral patches. Rogue has retaken the north and has four out of 48 drones over there, with 18 more zerglings on the way. The army supply has dwindled for Ol Vera; his medivacs are badly bruised, and all of his core units have been taken down.
In the end, Rogue takes it! What a game! GG! With 700 zerglings, 200 marines, and hundreds of banelings, Rogue ends up losing 69,000 resources alongside 1,187 units, but not the game. He truly utilized every bit of his resources. Rogue uses 100% of the Zerg; he didn't build a single infestor. Why build an infestor or two when you could build 17 Nidus Worms?
All right, riddle me this! Wow, I'm not sure how we are going to follow that one, but we do play a best of three. Rogue has proven he can hang with one of the best late-game Terrans in the world in a straight-up brawl, effectively redefining how to play that late game.
Rogue redefined late-game Zerg strategy, proving that sometimes it's not about the units you build, but how you use every last resource to dominate the battlefield.
Metac is badly bruised; all of his core units have been taken down, and there's just not much left. Rogue takes it! What a game! With 700 Zerglings, 200 Marines, and hundreds of Banelings, Rogue ends up losing 69,000 resources alongside 1,187 units, but not the game. He truly utilizes every bit of his resources, using 100% of the Zerg. He didn't build a single Infestor; why build an Infestor or two when you could build 17 Nidus Worms?
All right, riddle me this. Wow, well, I'm not sure how we're going to follow that one, but we do play a best of three. Rogue has proven he can hang with one of the best late-game Terrans in the world in a straight-up brawl, kind of redefining how to play that late-game Zerg as well. It's not a massive shift, but at least a variation—a new evolution of Zerg, if you would. Since it makes me sound clever, I definitely would.
With the Overseers that we've seen, Nidus or Zergling drop or burrow before, there seems to be a level of commitment required. It seems like sending a Nidus every now and again is not going to work; they’re going to have Marauder Siege Tanks. Sending in three Nidus Worms well ups your likelihood; it's a bigger investment but potentially an exponentially larger reward. What a game!
Well, I'd like to take this tiny bit of starting H—the warm-up. We're not going to call it downtime; we'll call it the warm-up. Here at the beginning of game two on Ocean Born, as the Zerglings flirt with the Reaper and the Reaper plays hard to get, I want to thank the big Leo Le Cup for sending me the games. I believe his name is Saber from the community. It's awesome to see these tournaments as well as to take another opportunity to beg you for the likes and subscribes, especially the subscribe. We're going for a quarter million ideally by the end of the year, which is a nice round number. I wish half those people would show up every day, but I digress.
There's another Queen on the high ground. Here we go again! The Reaper lives, but the Drone also gets the third. By this point, most people know the schedule for games. If you want to find some new Starcraft 2 content, it's most days that end in "Y." I am looking forward to some of the new projects coming out and updates as well. If you want to see more info on those and just other sorts of content, you can check out the second channel, Winter Gaming TV.
I've been enjoying a lot of the streams, and I'm looking forward to Factorio, which is just like SCV simulator with even more imbalanced Terran versus the new Factorio Space Age, where it's effectively more Starcraft than Starcraft is. I just got to get those mods where it straight up turns the Biters into Zerglings. I already have the mod where it turns the Drones into Probes with the sound and everything.
I don't know if the hyperflight was a good choice; I feel like it was maybe he uses grid hotkeys, but hyperflight was such a weird choice and ended up hurting more than helping. Oh, get off my creep! Now you got him again, Brenda! Oh, don't be condescending; that means talking down, which you have to do since you can't fly.
Brenda Patricia, you're new, so I'm going to tell you this once with all due respect: shut up. Now the Banshee is acting as a glorified targeting adviser to help take out the Overlord. The Queens are congregating to drive back the Hellions. This time, the Hellions are very well microed, keeping them all intact, though the creep is going to continue pressing out. Double Banshee cloak is done; Rogue is not stingy with the Overseers—anything but!
As for the fourth base, he might get some of the Drones, but it's unlikely to find too much success. Did he actually notice the Banshee moving? He did! One Drone, two Drones, red Drone, blue Banshee. Melee Carapace is on the way, but already plus one infantry weapons and armor is halfway there. The Banshees—well, Rogue is going to lose a few Drones but build exponentially more. He is at 82 Drones and four bases at 6 minutes and 45 seconds, which will translate into a massive economic boom as you can see.
In the heat of battle, vision is everything; Rogue's mastery of changelings and overseers gives him the edge to outmaneuver his opponent.
This time, the Hellions very well keep them all intact, though the Creeps are going to continue pressing out double Banshee. The cloak is done, and Rogue is not stingy with the overseers—anything but. The fourth base might get some of the drones, but it is unlikely to find too much success. Did he actually notice the Banshee moving? He did manage to take down one drone, then two drones, and then the red drone and blue Banshee.
Melee Carapace is on the way, but already plus one infantry weapons and armor are halfway there. The Banshees are causing Rogue to lose a few drones, but he is building exponentially more. He is at 82 drones and four bases at 6 minutes and 45 seconds, which will translate into a massive economic boom. As you can see, the Y-AIS is not very dramatic; there is only a twist of a few hundred minerals of the Mule.
The Marines and Mines are moving out, with 1-1 finishing. This creates a triple threat or quadruple threat here with infantry weapons and armor, Stim, and Combat Shield. If you want to count the Medivac into that, I won't disagree. However, getting a bit forward, he is right on the edge of the creep. Baneling speed is not quite done yet, and he is going to have most of these upgrades before Baneling speed is there. The Mines are very hard to deal with until you have Baneling speed.
Changeling is gunned down, and the Zerglings perform their ritual sacrifices, getting three out of four of the Mines. He is going to try to draw another shot, but that one was good; he retargeted onto the clump. Aiming for the clumpiness is a tried-and-true strategy. OLA is able to whittle down a lot of Rogue's initial Banelings, and he is just keeping the pressure on here, staying right at the edge of the creep so he can dance back and slurp up into the Medivac if needed. He has done a good job keeping those Medivacs almost entirely healthy and is now chasing down more Zerglings.
It is still very similar on Supply, which is a tough situation for the Zerg. He is not able to cross through, and some Hellbats are joining in. More and more are heading out, and drops are attempted, but Rogue bottled it up in his base. He just started his Infestation Pit; there is no Hive tech on the way. In fact, he didn't even start his plus two upgrades, which means OLA will have a significant advantage with plus two plus two. Any sort of edge here can cut all the way into the Heart of the Swarm. He really needs those upgrades as soon as possible, but he also needs a Hive, which generally requires more Vespene and Gas.
Another great hit from the Mines is able to draw out a couple, and still no plus two upgrades. The Marines are in a bit of an awkward engagement, trying to drag them into the Mines, but the Zerglings will diffuse them explosively. This is becoming a significant issue now; he is going to have a full upgrade advantage. It looks like Rogue is going to try to win; he is just attacking outright with mass Hydra-Ling-Baneling. He has the economy to perpetuate this, and there is a full minute until that upgrade advantage kicks in.
Rogue is looking to kick in the door beforehand. Those SCVs are not even evading this; 16 SCVs are dead to the Banelings, just casually moving across. At the same time, OLA targets the Hatchery; transfuses are attempted but are not remotely enough. OLA takes down the fourth base, but he doesn't take down the drones with it, so they can just transfer over to the alternative fourth. Congratulations on your promotion!
Changeling is doing their awkward hand walk across. You ever feel like that most Mondays? I don't know what I am in life. Two more Hatcheries and a Hive—that's not happening quickly. He cancels three, and Ghosts are already in production, solidifying his position. Rogue just started those plus two upgrades. Oh no, that is a wide window! OLA is building the right army.
What Rogue is doing differently than really other Zergs is the vision. The way he uses all the tools—the Overseers with the Changeling, the Burrowed Lings throughout the games, and just the Changelings in general—not just for covering against the Ghosts, but constantly following the armies. Creep spread is a very useful but obvious tool that Terrans are well trained to deal with. However, Changelings, on the other hand, are surprisingly difficult to deal with despite the lore.
Adrenal Glands are on the way, but OLA knows that anything without Banelings involved is going to be easy pickings for any concentrated Terran.
In the battle of strategy and vision, Rogue's use of changelings and burrowed units proves that information is power, turning the tide in unexpected ways.
In the ongoing match, Rogue is demonstrating a unique approach compared to other Zerg players, particularly through his use of vision. He effectively employs overseers, changelings, and burrowed lings throughout the game. The changelings, in particular, serve multiple purposes—not only do they protect against ghosts, but they also constantly track the movements of enemy armies. While creep spread is a well-known tool that Terran players are trained to handle, the changelings present a surprisingly challenging obstacle.
As the game progresses, adrenal glands are on the way for Rogue, but any strategy that does not involve banelings could become easy pickings for a concentrated Terran force. Meanwhile, Oliv is aware of Rogue's movements, allowing him to reposition his army effectively. A notable difference from previous encounters is that Oliv has maintained a nearly even economy and is maxed out with an upgrade advantage. If the game continues for long enough, he could build the right army to win the war of attrition.
A fusion core is on the way for Oliv, indicating that he is teching up ideally before Rogue can respond adequately to what is currently on the field. Instead of focusing on the ground units, he opts to go above the field, which presents a more consistent option, forcing Rogue to choose between hydras and lurkers—a devil's choice indeed.
As the game unfolds, there is a remarkable lack of defense on Oliv's part. Although he has walled off part of his base, the other side remains vulnerable. The Zerglings manage to break through, resulting in the loss of 28 SCVs and counting. This drop is completely cleaned up, and the medivac is knocked out of the sky, leaving Oliv with insufficient resources to deal with the situation. Rogue successfully buys time for his upgrades to complete and maintains a supply lead, although Oliv's army supply remains quite intimidating.
With plus three armor about to complete and infantry weapons progressing a bit slower, Rogue's strategy focuses on soft targets, as the outlying bases are planetary. However, the next bases will prove to be more challenging. Meanwhile, more ghosts are in production, and a Widow Mine takes a chunk out of Rogue's forces, leading the charge with another link.
Rogue's creep spread has significantly slowed down, as he only has four Queens and has barely rebuilt them. Consequently, once the creep is cleared, it takes a considerable amount of time to reestablish itself. The changelings manage to infiltrate the main base, providing vision for the Nidus, while more mines are deployed. Rogue is forced to drag out the shots and clear the minefield, allowing the Nidus to pop out. However, the Liberator count poses a significant threat.
Instead of retreating, Rogue chooses to reposition his forces. He launches a drop to the north and another to the left, showcasing a strategic maneuver. He pops some hydras out of the Nidus, which feels somewhat unconventional. Although he manages to semi-dodge some of the lurkers, the ghosts effectively snipe many of the remaining units. The supplies dwindle on both sides, and Rogue pops back into the Nidus due to the presence of cloaked ghosts, which lack detection.
Despite the setbacks, Rogue makes some progress and temporarily gains an economic lead. A couple of SCVs attempt to chase down the orbital command as it lands again, while the burrowed Zergling continues to be the real MVP. The burrowed Widow Mines also play a crucial role in the ongoing skirmish. As changelings trickle through, the situation remains tense. A spore crawler is positioned at the front, but without an overseer, Rogue must rely on other tactics.
Another Nidus appears in the main, accompanied by a wave of changelings and a couple of lurkers to zone out the outline. The Zerglings swarm the base, leading to the destruction of the planetary fortress.
In high-stakes strategy, it's all about the right moment and the right units; sometimes, the boldest moves don't pay off, but that's the risk of playing for the win.
In the recent match, cloak ghost was deployed, but there was no detection. Consequently, Ola cleaned it up and managed to stop the bleeding. Although Rogue found some progress and took a bit of an economic lead, at least for a time, a couple of SCVs tried to chase down the orbital command as it landed again. The burrowed Zergling proved to be the real MVP, while the burrowed Widow mines were probably a better version of the same tactic. Changelings continued to trickle through, leading to an intense exchange.
A spore crawler was placed out in front, but it can't always have an overseer. Another nidus was established in the main, accompanied by a wave of Changelings and a couple of lurkers to zone out at the outline. Zerglings were positioned on top of the base lurker as well, and the planetary fortress was taken down. Another nidus was attempted, with Ola putting them down as quickly as they could pop up. However, he only had one Nidus Network for now, which was just not enough to get the job done.
Ola cleared up the Changelings in the main and eliminated a few lurkers, leaving Rogue with very little to actually deal with this army. Instead, Rogue chose to go for the planetary fortress, which would yield a lot of resources. The burrowed Baneling was an interesting choice, but he might not actually kill the planetary fortress. He lost his Hatchery and couldn't mine from this base, though he didn't seem to realize why he pulled the drones away in the first place. To make matters worse, he could lose even more to a liberator. Although Rogue was nearly at equal supply, suddenly his income flatlined. Ola also lost a significant portion of his forces.
The Liberator count was astonishing, with nine of them on the field, resembling the Olympic rings of liberation. However, it was uncertain if they were enough. Rogue put the overseers in a position that blocked his targeting of a liberator, and Ola just crushed Rogue's defenses. Rogue did not have a spire, no way to deal with that number of liberators, and he lacked vipers. Consequently, he had no means to clear out that amount of liberators. He needed a much better economy to deal with hydras, as hydras are not an anti-air unit; they were merely lurker eggs in training. In a pinch, they could serve as anti-air, but that situation was more than a pinch.
As the match progressed, both players were tied going into game number three. It appeared that Rogue had the edge strategically, possessing the better strategia marce, while Ola demonstrated very solid mechanics, which is a staple of Terran play at this level. However, if one commits to mass nidus and mass lurker strategies, they need to achieve something significant because they are spending money just to attempt these strategies. It's not as if they can just try and walk away; they had already invested in the nidus. When the attempts do not pay off repeatedly, it cuts into the economy. Rogue plays a high-risk, higher-reward style, but the results did not pan out for him this time, making it an entertaining match to watch.
Despite this, Ola adapted well with the mass liberator strategy. Rogue definitely tried to avoid the spellcaster style, and while we are not counting overseers, he really favored a swarm Zerg approach, where he would triple his units. For instance, niduses were tripled, overseers pentupled, and lurkers were spread everywhere, along with a few dozen more Banelings. The strategies he was not relying on included the typical turtle brood lord and infestor style, which usually involves too many vipers. All of these elements, normally associated with Zerg late game, were not even showing up at all. In game one, he built a spire but only produced one corruptor throughout the entire match, acknowledging that at some point, he needed to engage.
As the match continued, the Reaper was dead, and now the Zerglings were knocking at the door. Thankfully, for Ola, he was able to finish the command center, but losing the Reaper to slow Zerglings was an inauspicious start for our Terran player. With Overlord speed on the way, Rogue had already denied the scouting efforts of Ola, ensuring that he couldn't pull off any surprise tactics.
Rogue proves that even in the toughest battles, strategic choices and adaptability can turn the tide and lead to victory.
Acknowledging that at some point, the game took a dramatic turn. "Come on in, come out and play," Brenda said, but the Reaper's not coming. He had mentioned he would arrive at around one minute in, but now it was actually like 2:45.
Ladies and gentlemen, we got him! The Reaper is dead, and now the Zerglings are knocking at the door. Thankfully, Forber was able to finish the command center, but losing the Reaper to slow Lings is an inauspicious start for our Terran player. Overlord speed is on the way for Rogue, who has already denied the scouting of Ola and is making sure that he can't pull anything. The only risk here is on Aon; with close air distances, it can easily become a surprise battle cruiser sort of game. So, the Overlord speed is an immaculate choice and, in fact, it's going to be a Medivac.
Wait, does he see it? Yes, he sees the Medivac; he spotted it. He knows the Queens are scrambling back, at least one. Another Overseer will confirm it, and the Overlord will get away in time. Overlord speed may save the day yet again. If he loses this Overlord, he's actually supply blocked now, but he just finished a couple more. Now, double Evo is on the way for Rogue.
Ola does not have a third command center finished, and he doesn't have those engineering bays. He has the ghetto Viking and the Marine back here, but the Overlords are not quite fast enough and will require some chasing down. Overall, Rogue is still easily able to dispatch a double engineering bay. It just feels like Ola is a bit off balance to start things off. Losing that first Reaper, while not being a massive physical blow, is emotionally devastating.
Another Overlord pops in, going to get a beat on the usual. He knows what this is; he knows what he's looking at. So, Ola is not hiding anything; he's just going to build a bunch of Marines and a chunk of Mines. Sure, he'll go with that and continue dropping the base. The Queens, though, are not big fans of this trap.
Ola loses a couple of drones, and the Medivac will be taken down. A lot of Zerglings are dying just because they know it's coming. Well, the Marines have taken a lot of damage; he's targeting the Medivac. The drones are fighting the Marines, but he takes down a Medivac. Ola may have overcommitted, but Rogue actually only loses one drone, so it certainly could have been worse.
That was about as perfect of a choice as you could have made there. Rarely do the drones get pulled without being slaughtered by the dozens, but that was the exact scenario where he needed it. Oh, that wow, M, they work both ways, and hello, the ritual sacrifice of the Zerglings. There are a couple more Mines, but Rogue drags him out and is knocking on the door. There's still the Medivac at the front, and the door's open. Rogue has an upgrade advantage, which against unshielded Marines adds up very quickly.
Burrow is already on the way, and I love how Rogue is using it. He slurps up another round, drops out yet again, but despite the supply, the upgrades are so comfortable. He's already got a fourth base. If Rogue can get to Baneling Speed without taking major economic hits, it will be a significant advantage.
The Zerglings at the natural will take out the Widow Mines. I can't stress how nice it is to have your opponent walk into a bunch of Banelings while also having an upgrade advantage. "Brenda, what was fine the whole time? Don't worry; you know that was mostly just luck." Brenda responds, "I'm feeling lucky, Susan, I'm feeling lucky."
Sorry, back out, another Mine drop is trying to dodge it with the Drone, sacrificing one at the end of the day. Banelings are rolling in, and he's trying to chase it all down, but a few Banelings are rolling by. Uh-oh, this is bad. Those Banelings are almost dead, but that's kind of the problem. They get to the ramp; it could have been so much worse, but the door is being ripped down.
A Liberator is sieging up as Ola tries to retake control of the situation. He will lose his fourth base, but the Liberator is finding some real damage. Rogue just now finished those plus two upgrades. Another wave of Lings and Banelings is coming in, and Spore Crawlers are repositioning. The Liberator is there, but another Queen is going to try to take out some of those Medivacs.
Here come the Lings and Banelings; there are 21 Marines, and he's rolling in again. The Zerglings are all over the SCVs. Ola doesn't have that many units left over. The Marines are splitting at the natural, but the Banelings are rolling right through the mineral line. The SCVs explode, and the Marines survive for now, but the Armory was taken down, dropping the Mules. The third orbital is gone, and Ola is at half the supply.
The Zerglings are on top of everything. Rogue has won! He's done it again; he finds that opportunity. The Executioner will claim another, and Ola felt like he was a bit tilted. It's not over, but he lost the third orbital, the most important part of all this—the orbital commands with their Mules. That's it. GG Rogue 2 to 1!
What a series! Rogue is proving he's very much back in the running as one of the greatest Zerg contenders and just one of the greatest players in the history of Starcraft 2. Well, that was certainly an experience—one I'd love to have again, and I'm looking forward to more and more. Rogue has completed his military service and seems to be maybe even better for it.
Hopefully, this major day is just a little bit better as well. Thank you to the Big Le Le Cup, and thank you for watching. If you got the means and motivation, be awesome and check out Patreon or YouTube membership. But I hear liking and subscribing is still free, at least for now, so make sure to check out the second channel if you want some more content. Otherwise, I'll see you next time. Good luck, have fun, and congratulations to Rogue! Thank you for watching, and stay chill.