This is (by far) the best StarCraft 2 I've ever seen.

Get ready for an epic Starcraft 2 showdown: Clem vs. Rainer in the World Team League playoffs!

Welcome back to the most professional Starcraft 2 with the new world champion in the red, the top-tier Terran for Team Liquid, it's Clem. But he's up against the only Zerg player who seems to be able to keep up with him lately, the Italian Stallion for Team Basilisk, it's Reynor. This is the World Team League Playoffs, which means it's not a best of three, five, or seven, but instead, these two players' teams had to face each other not once, not twice, but thrice. This means we have six games between these two, and it could be a 6-0 sweep one way or, less likely, the other. Or we could split the difference. Either way, it’s very likely to be good games for the fans.

We're starting things off on Post Youth, which might not describe these players but almost certainly describes the aforementioned fans. Before we start things off, it’d be awesome if you could smash that like button and maybe even subscribe. Jimmy, what are we at? This is the only break we're going to get; they have like 1,000 APM. If we get 1,45 likes on this video, I'll cast another one while these two are still playing, which is hopefully a long time. I'll probably do it anyways, but thank you for watching. Hopefully, you've had a good day so far, and hopefully, it's about to get a little bit better.

The drones are now under fire from the very first Reaper. Clem's Reapers deal incredible emotional and physical damage to Zerg. Name a more iconic combo. Well, Clem's Marines, mines, and ghosts as well. We'll just go through the list. He kills a drone right off the bat. Post Youth actually has an incredibly short rush distance. Brenda bounces down the ramp, and already three command centers are behind, so Clem is taking full advantage of the fact that this map has a single ramp and that kind of odd mineral wall to keep you protected. While Reynor is not one to shy away from early all-ins, we will be watching these matches in order, so I doubt this is the first time they're facing off.

A very key point is they don't know they're going to be facing off until the players are sent down. Instead of Serral multiple times, they said no, Reynor is the one. And you know what? I think it's because Reynor's speed. At the risk of sounding like the jaded old man that I pretend not to be, Serral is an incredibly smart player, but Clem is just on the bleeding edge of Terran micro. To combat that level of speed, only one player can keep up, and right now, he's desperately trying to dodge with the slowest units he can possibly build.

Finally able to get down the ramp, Reynor is rushing a lair at 4 minutes in, but the Queen's caught on the wrong side of the creep. He backs off with one badly bruised Hellion. A grenade tries to split the difference there, and Zerglings are able to target down one of the Hellions, chasing down another and getting both. The Reaper is going to come in for another pass. Overlord speed is on the way, and mutas are starting things off against a double medivac play.

The reason mutas are not usually used is because of things like this: you can get the medivacs with stim Marines out by the time the mutas start flapping over the field. But Reynor has gotten this so quickly that Clem may be caught off guard. The most likely thing you'll see with this early, delayed third is a roach timing, maybe some sort of Queen push or nydus. Occasionally, I see a rush to Hive as well, but straight-up mutas—well, this is my favorite unit composition in the history of Starcraft 2. A history which is over half the lifetime of both these players ago, back in Wings of Liberty before Widow Mines, before the Thor was buffed, before ghosts—well, ghosts were used a lot—mostly before Widow Mines and the economy changes. Mutas found a lot more opportunities; they could usually get in even though you sacrifice some of your own economy. It takes longer to progress as the Terran up to that level of tech to deal with them, so you have to make a big commitment. But as you see now, Reynor got mutas about as quickly as you can while still having a decent economy. In fact, he's a couple of workers down from Clem, and those mutas are only popping out right as the Marines are at the bottom of the ramp. He's going to force the pickup.

=> 00:05:28

In Starcraft, early success with Mutas can be a game-changer, but maintaining that momentum is a costly and risky endeavor.

The composition in the history of Starcraft 2 has evolved significantly, especially considering the long history of the game, which spans over half the lifetime of both players involved. Back in the Wings of Liberty era, before the introduction of Widow Mines, the buff to Thors, and the frequent use of Ghosts, Mutalisks found a lot more opportunities. They could usually infiltrate enemy lines, even though this required sacrificing some of the player's economy. It took longer for Terran players to progress to the necessary tech level to counter them, necessitating a significant commitment.

As observed now, Rainer got Mutalisks as quickly as possible while maintaining a decent economy. Despite being a couple of workers down from Clem, those Mutalisks emerged just as the Marines reached the bottom of the round. This forced Clem to pick up his units, and with Zerglings underneath, Rainer might be able to clear the Medivacs out of the sky, setting the tone for the game. Clem, completely blindsided, tried to target down the Mutalisks, managing to get one or two before picking up again. However, with a lot of Zerglings on the ground and no upgrades for the Marines, the Zerglings overran the ground forces, targeting the Medivac and taking it down. The Mutalisks chased down the Marines, and Zerglings went after the tanks and any reinforcements, already dropping Mules mid-fight and taking out another Siege Tank. Clem managed to pick another Mutalisk out of the sky, but with 10 SCVs down, Rainer's efforts could be considered a success despite losing a few Mutalisks and having no upgrades.

The economic damage and momentum Rainer achieved were significant. Even with Vikings coming out to take down the Siege Tank and more Zerglings on the way, Baneling speed was completed, indicating Rainer's direction. Combat Shield and 1/1 upgrades for the Marines were finished, making it harder for the Zerglings to inflict damage. However, Banelings, especially in large numbers, could still be effective. The Engineering Bay, usually in a safe location, was targeted by Banelings trying to breach the third base, but Clem reacted quickly. A Widow Mine on the ground and some Marines out in front allowed Clem to drag out the shot with a single Baneling successfully. Meanwhile, Mutalisks in the main base were cut down, with Rainer losing six more Mutalisks, highlighting the difficulty of managing multiple fronts even with high APM.

The big struggle with Mutalisks is their high cost, making it challenging to pursue other strategies. Spending 100 gas on each Mutalisk becomes a financial and strategic risk as the game progresses. As Clem approached 200 supply and advanced towards 2/2 and possibly 3/3 upgrades, Rainer needed to either secure a significant fight where Banelings could make impactful connections or tech up towards Hive to stay competitive in upgrades and unit composition. Currently, Rainer was down 15 supply against a Terran with superior upgrades, a situation likely to persist for some time. Despite early progress, Rainer needed to avoid counting his Mutalisks before they hatched, especially with Thors already on the field.

The map's wide-open nature and short rush distance allowed for relatively easy surrounds, even at the gold base where mineral patches created a partial wall. Mutalisks were slammed by Widow Mines, and Rainer's 1/1 upgrades were nearly completed, with Burrow done as well. Although 2/2 upgrades were starting, Clem was already maxed out with the upgrade advantage, making this the most dangerous time for Rainer in the game. If Clem continued to build on his advantage, Rainer would face significant challenges ahead.

=> 00:10:13

Rainer's relentless aggression keeps him in control, but the game hangs in the balance as both players push their limits.

I like breaking it out early on as well. This map is wide open; it's a short rush distance, but almost every location can be relatively easily surrounded. Even this gold base, where the mineral patches create something of a wall, can be surrounded. Muta slammed by the Widow mine and over where were you better late than never. One-one is nearly completed for Rainer, and burrow is done as well. Two-two starting—no, I take that back. I just reflexively said that; I zoned out for a moment. Two-two starting, sorry, peering into the future. Baneling a single sacrifice marine and now GLM is maxed out with the upgrade advantage. This is the most dangerous time for Rainer in this game, at least. If Clen makes a lot of progress here, the game doesn't continue. But Raina, on the other hand, needs to crush this army or do a devastating counterattack.

Rener says "p no do," or however you say that in Italian. Big counterattack up towards the north side, but enough reinforcements out of Cl are able to box it out. Metax is kind of caught in front; another wave of banelings is on the way. Big hit from the Thor splash damage all across the mutas, but the zerglings shut down a single Widow mine, drawn out into the SCVs. Meanwhile, the fight continues with more banelings rolling through, but Rainer will get the mineral lock and the muta count. He's got 22 of them and counting, which is quite a liability but also a benefit if he's actually able to clear out these Thors. The Marines are still going to work, assassinating one of the queens. Meanwhile, the banelings—he does have burrow, so he could potentially use that, though it's a very unreliable strategy when you're already on creep, and he's very likely to scan. The zerglings are still trickling through, with Rainer keeping up towards near 200 supply. CLM is only now reestablishing his third base, or no, he isn't, as there are burrowed zerglings underneath.

Mutas in the main—the turret dies immediately, and the engineering bay is exposed. Plus three armor is not going to happen; he even contaminates it, which he doesn't know how close the upgrade is to finishing, so might as well deny it. Widow mines are scattered throughout on the other side of the orbital, just knocking out the turrets one by one, easily enough for the mutalisk to do so. He's working on more upgrades for himself, with plus two flyer attack on the way. Rainer, at a casual 1200 APM, is chasing things down. The Thor drops from Clen are his mobile anti-air turret—a risky maneuver. A single Thor is likely not enough to stop the mutas, and another wave of banelings is on the way. It's a bit of a liability relying on that single Thor, but Rainer is all around the map. He's just now building an infestation pit, but CLM still hasn't reestablished his third. The main army, but no—oh, the traffic jam! Oh no, the banelings between the hatchery, by the way—a sick macro hatch, but still maxed out. Rainer heads towards the main base yet again. Widow mines are going to be dealt with; he sees a couple in that main mineral line. Not only did he not kill the mine, but he's going to eat a couple of hits, losing a couple of mutas. But wait, there's more mines killing even more SCVs, though that third base is still not landed. Another mine hits, but he splits off the muta that's targeted. CLM—they're both still at 200 supply. Rainer is only now starting to build up a bank. The Widow mines need to be cleared out, but Rainer is still making progress.

We're not at the point where CLM has 74 command centers, unlimited mules, and scans with extra APM that effectively amount to map hacks. We're not there, and I'm not even going to say "yet" because he's doing such a great job of keeping track of these command centers. But again, the banelings are rolling in, trying to trickle through the Marauders, but the Thors are taking the damage. He misses a pickup, but overall, it's a successful attack so far. Another wave of Banes is coming in, trying to draw the Widow mines into the army. There's another scattered minefield. CLM, of the age to be a Minecraft player himself, I'm sure. But eight more mutas are on the way. How many has he lost? Seventeen. He's got 20-something on the field. Thirty mutas is enough to one-shot pretty much anything, but it's also quite a liability. Widow mine taken down; he picks up the Thor, which is stubbing its toe away from death. I think the Widow mine just killed a Thor. Yes, and they've been battling back and forth for two minutes straight, thousands of units or thousands.

=> 00:14:28

Rainer's relentless muta and baneling attacks are wearing down Clem's defenses, turning the tide in a fierce battle.

The banelings are rolling in, trying to trickle through the Marauders, but the Thor's are taking the damage. A missed pickup occurs, but overall, it has been a successful attack so far. Another wave of Banes is coming in, attempting to draw the Widow Mines into the army. There's another scattered minefield, and CLM, known to be a Minecraft player himself, is facing eight more mutas on the way. He has lost 17 mutas but still has 20-something on the field. With 30 mutas, he can one-shot almost anything, though it’s also quite a liability. A Widow Mine takes down a Thor, which was already close to death.

The battle has been going back and forth for two minutes straight, with thousands of resources lost but not quite thousands of units yet. Rainer has managed to lose 300 zerglings and counting, which is not a very efficient exchange. However, he manages to take out one of the early ghosts. Ghosts are generally good, with their auto-attack being quite effective against Lings and Banes, and sniping mutas would be a great option. Although mutas are probably the best unit to escape from the Snipes, there’s no building armor, leading to the loss of one muta but the destruction of another base. Limiting Clem's economy is crucial at this point. Rainer has 69 drones across all his bases, putting him in a favorable position compared to Clem's 46 workers. Despite Clem having a ton of army supply, if he can't reinforce it, eventually the Lings and Banes can whittle it down and leave Clem with nothing.

Some baneling mines are out on the field to complement those Widow Mines. Although technically, you can autocast the unburrow, it just unburrows the moment a Marauder walks over, which is why no one does it. Meanwhile, the mutas are trying to Magic Box onto the Thor using the stop position to maintain the spread. Rainer has adrenal glands on the way and has made it to Hive tech, while Clem is still scrambling. He has been chasing the mutas around the map mostly unsuccessfully. Another couple of Widow Mines will soften things up. Rainer rebuilds eight mutas and adds a few more to replace the ones he lost. He has 125 zerglings on the map and dozens of banelings as well, with a thousand gas in the bank. Clem is maxed out with five orbital commands, which is significant.

A Marine stands on the most dangerous location on the map for Marines, but ironically, one Marine is somewhat safe. Trying to chase down the Thors, more Lings and Banes trickle through, aiming to trigger the minefield. They maybe get another Thor but do not find the pickup. There’s a baneling counterattack that almost kills all of these units. A scan accidentally spots the baneling mines. Scanning forward to figure out the situation, another Widow Mine connects, thinning out the mutas mostly in the attack. Twenty SCVs are dead at that base, and in the smoke, Clem didn’t notice the burrow. Rainer has Clem down to 120 supply and 23 SCVs.

The mutas have continued to dictate the pace of the game. Clem, usually successful at constant aggression, is being picked apart. The mutas are taking a lot of damage but heal quickly. Widow Mines are taking out dozens of zerglings, making it a painful exchange for both sides. Rainer’s 3/3 upgrades just finished, and he did all that with an upgrade disadvantage, so it’s only going to get easier. He’s still going for mutas with a single Infestor on the way. He already has burrow done. Rainer has exhausted his bank, and the army supplies are still near even. The income is in Team Basilisk's favor, giving Rainer an advantage, but it isn’t so decisive that he can just throw away dozens upon dozens of Lings and Banes. He controls his entire side of the map and is starting to work towards Clem's.

There are a couple of mines by that sensor tower targeting the orbital, which gets knocked down. Another command center that was going to expand is also targeted. Back at the home front, Marines pick off just one muta on the way out. Rainer needs to rebuild those overseers, but zerglings are back into the third base.

=> 00:19:08

Rainer's relentless aggression is paying off, but Clem's resilience keeps the battle intense.

Rainer has exhausted his bank, and although the Army supplies are still near even, Team Basilisk's Rainer has the advantage. However, it isn't so decisive that he can just throw away dozens upon dozens of Lings and Banes. He has his entire side of the map and is going to start working towards Clem's. There are a couple of mines by that sensor tower targeting the orbital, which knocks it down. Another command center that was going to expand is also taken out. Back at the home front, Marines pick off just one Muta on the way out, and Rainer needs to rebuild those overseers. Zerglings are back into the third base, and 10 more Banelings are on the way. Clem, who's not going all in here, is producing five SCVs at a time.

Rainer almost catches a huge clump with the Widow Mine. Clem has ground out his position while the Mutas just fly into the main, looking to gut the production. However, this leaves Rainer without them to fight the main army. Enough Marines head back home, possibly to take down that mineral wall. Rainer tries to draw Widow Mine hits, unburrowing to dodge them, and the Widow Mine hit almost kills the Medivacs. Rainer is throwing away Overlords, which results in him being supply blocked at 197 over 194. Clem is holding it together, although Rainer has lost 3,000 more gas and a couple of thousand more minerals. However, Rainer has mined 7,000 more minerals and an astonishing 6,000 more gas, creating a massive disparity. Having all these bases for this long is starting to pay off, but Clem is back up to 134 army supply, which Rainer cannot match.

Rainer is playing a dangerous game, trying to kill Widow Mines before they go off. He is keeping it together with an impressive 750 APM, which is just over 12 actions per second. Switching to the Rainer cam, we see Mutas, Infestors, Lings, and Banes looking to get the setup but not quite finding the opportunity. Rainer builds a lot more Banes and uses Fungal Growth, but the Widow Mines help out significantly. The Mutas didn't find overwhelming success, and there are still so many mines and Marines. In 22 minutes, 38 mines and 200 Marines have died, with 70,000 resources lost, approaching the record these two set in the past.

For reference, the income right now is about 3,000 per minute for Rainer and not even 2,000 for Clem. When both players have their maximum economy, they might reach around 4,000 each. Losing that many units while continuously building them is something only players of this caliber can do. The Mutas in the main and Zerglings are still looking to defend, but the Minefield is intact. Another Widow Mine hits the Banes, and the Mutas clear out yet another command center. Clem is down to three orbitals, making mining a greater threat as he runs out of economy and has less energy for scans.

The Widow Mines get big hits, forcing Rainer to cancel his plans. Rainer has been unable to take the base right beneath his main. The crazy part is that the Mutas have served their purpose; Clem has not been able to attempt a single drop since the initial one that ended disastrously. The Mutas have denied Clem his greatest strength, though his army is still looking very strong. While Rainer has 4,800 minerals, he only has 28 gas. He gets the Bane mine, and the classic scan follows after the Bane mine—a very barn door locking situation. As the orbital count dips lower and the need for mules grows, it will be harder for Clem to commit to anything besides these tiny Widow Mine drops. He needs to try to pick a fight, but the situation remains tense.

=> 00:24:05

Rainer's relentless aggression finally breaks Clem, securing game one with 780 APM and overwhelming muta-ling-bane tactics.

The main highlight of the game is that the mutas have served their purpose. Clem has not been able to attempt a single drop since the initial one that ended disastrously. The mutas have denied Clem his greatest strength, though his army still looks very strong. While Rainer has 4,800 minerals, he only has 28. He gets the Bane mine and the classic scan after the Bane mine, a very barn door locking situation. As the orbital count dips lower and the need for mules grows, it will become harder for Clem to commit to anything besides these tiny Widow Mine drops. He needs to try to pick a fight, but as he looks away, he only ends up losing. The next battle didn't start yet on the battle report, and they've been fighting so much that it's actually screwing up the overlay. It sometimes bugs out if they're constantly fighting.

Clem continues to be on the ropes, like a trapeze artist here. Banelings unburrow, and for the seventh time, Rainer is forced to cancel that base. The mutas have slowly but surely cleared out the main. There are turrets at the edges, and ghosts line up a couple of Snipes, throwing out the Changelings. Clem killed the Changelings instantly, but here come some zerglings, overrunning the reinforcements. Now Clem has to sprint back home as his Barracks are under attack. The zerglings are looking to flank, but the Widow Mines don't find a connection. Just Lings and Banes are not going to be enough, but the main base is crumbling. Rainer has stretched Clem so thinly around the map, and now, while he's bent over and over again, it's finally time for him to break. Rainer is closing in. These Widow Mines are certainly not helping, but if Rainer can keep this level of aggression up just a little bit longer, Clem will simply have nothing left. The mutas are splitting off to eat the mine hits, just to open things up quicker. The Ultralisk Cavern is on the way as Rainer approaches 800 APM.

The Bane mine, the bio, and Rainer are clearly dominating. A Widow Mine hit splashed over the Lings underneath, and if anything is going to bring Clem back into this game, it's hits like that. However, the Lings are back in the main base, and many of the Medivacs are already badly bruised. There are barely any units left, and Clem is being overrun. The Medivacs are dead, Clem dips under 100 supply, and the Thors are here. More mutas are picked off trying to reinforce, and liberators are attempting to protect the base, but it's not going to be enough. He takes out the Engineering Bay, and there's one more at the back. Clem never got building armor or high-sec auto tracking. There are three Ultras in production as Rainer and the Bane mine pop to the Changeling spot. He keeps two, and this is where that extra scan would actually make a difference. Hits him on the way out, and I think he's done it. Rainer has taken down the world champion, at least to start things off. Here come the Lings; Clem's dead and he just doesn't know it yet. GG, game one goes to the Italian Stallion, ending the game at 780 average actions per minute.

Rainer, a purist, only built one infestor, and I'm not even sure it was intentional. He used it like it was, but otherwise, he had 870 Lings and 100 Banes, and those are just the ones that died without attacking. He had 82 mutas and kept the pressure on. If at any point he had slipped and lost those mutas, that would have been the game. If he had taken a bad engagement and left without enough Lings and Banes, if he didn't respect them, there are just so many things that could go wrong. But he kept making sure that they went right. What a game, making MutaLing Bane work. I'm not going to say he made it look easy; it was the opposite of that, but it clearly had the intended effect of shutting down Clem's greatest strength.

=> 00:29:21

Rainer's relentless multitasking and strategic plays shut down Clem's strengths, proving that perseverance and precision can grind down even the toughest opponents.

The game was intense, with 870 Lings, 100 Banes, and those are just the ones that died without attacking. 82 Mutas were also involved. The player kept the pressure on consistently. If at any point he had slipped and lost those Mutas, that would have been the game. If he had taken a bad engagement and left without enough Lings and Banes, or if he didn't respect them, there were just so many things that could go wrong. However, he ensured that everything went right. What a game, making MutaLing Bane work. It was not easy, but it had the intended effect of shutting down Clem's greatest strength, which is the constant multitasking and drop play. By limiting the amount of places Clem could focus on, the Mutas would hunt down and kill any Medivacs sent out. The big weakness of Mutas is in a straight-up fight, as they are not great fighting units. They are for running around and being exactly where you're not. Rainer kept just enough army supply and brought the Mutas back in right when they were needed, not a moment before. A couple of times, it looked like he might lose a critical mass, but he kept building them and persevered. For the low cost of nearly 800 APM, he eventually ground Clem down in 28 minutes.

Then, we just jumped right into the next game. Oh my God, can we take a breather? Real quick, like, subscribe, and grab some water. Right, Crimson Court, Game Two. So right now, the only clean sweep on the table is Rainer. I doubt Clem will allow that to happen. Now we shall see. Clem tried to sneak out the third base, adding the SCV to block the third at the normal location, and then the Reaper, of course, hunting down Zerglings in his own base. Three Command Centers for Clem, once again going for maximum economy.

Rainer was thinking about the creep tumor, trying to bait Clem in with the Zerglings. The Reaper's dead, ladies and gentlemen, we got him. Finally, Hellions were thinking about darting in. What is this queen drop? This is a German Taxi Build. He's going to drop the queens, and with the Reaper dead, there's no chance of jumping into the main. There's a Banshee on the way with cloak, but there's already a lair done. Clem doesn't know it yet, but the Queens are coming. The Hellions at the front, the Zerglings snuck out. He didn't actually have a Dropper Lord, but more Dropper Lords are on the way. The Hellions were sharking around, and I think Clem was starting to get a little suspicious.

The Zerglings just overran the natural. The Dropper Lords were way too late to complement this, but a bunch of Hellions came back to try to defend, already losing a lot of SCVs. But that's only the beginning. Operation Overlord was going to drop in the Frenchman's main and try to overrun it. The Queens arrived at the natural. What's that bunker for? Maybe don't trash talk; that's bad karma. Rainer just wins. Clem, with no respect, dies without it. Rainer takes two. We hadn't even warmed up to this game, and clearly, Clem hadn't either. The Queens dropped in, and Clem dropped out. Two for Rainer.

=> 00:34:32

Rainer's mind games and relentless pressure are paying off big time against CLM.

To complement this, a bunch of the Helens are coming back to try to defend, already losing a lot of the SCVs, but that's only the beginning. Operation Overlord is going to drop in the Frenchman's man and try to overrun it. The queens of the natural have arrived. Oh, what's that bunker for? Maybe don't trash talk; that's bad karma. I don't know, Rainer just wins. CLM with no respect and dies without it. Rainer takes two. We hadn't even warmed up to this game, and clearly CLM hadn't either. The Queens drop in, and Clen drops out. Two for Rainer.

Somewhat amusingly, because of the rules of the World Team League, we're going to do it again. We're going to play that same map again because they play two matches at a time. The maps are picked, I believe, with each of those matches. This is not Deja Vu—well, it kind of is. We have been in this place before, but at least for our sanity's sake, they're on the other side of the map, so it's clearly a different game. It's very interesting that they face off and end up on the same maps again. CLM was here on Crimson Court. It's great if you could survive long enough to get a third and a fourth base up. Attacking as a Zerg is improbable to impossible, but Rainer circumvented that. He masked it so well. Killing that first Reaper was very helpful, and I like how he did the mining on the mineral wall off to the side in an area that looks very much like a third, but there's no way for Clen to get in and see if it is a third or if it's a bunch of Zerglings loading up in overlords. Rainer showed him what he expected to see and used it against him—some top-tier mind games. So far, Rainer seems like he has the edge.

I love the stylistic choices. Of course, Clen could have easily taken a really good fight in either of these games, taking the games, and then we'd all be like, "Well, yeah, of course CLM is winning; that's what he does." But Rainer's willingness to keep the pressure on him is so far paying off. Let's see if he has any more cards to play. I do want to point out again that Rainer is the only person who's taken games off CLM, especially Zerg on Team Basilisk, at any time lately. So I am not surprised. After that first set, of course, you're going to send out Rainer. It'd be dumb not to. Now, Serral's going to show us how it's done. It's like, "Alright, Serral, move over old man, let the 800 APM children here." Amusingly, Clem's nickname is "the kid," popularized by Rainer, who is about a year younger than Clem.

Rainer is named after the character Jim Raynor, except he didn't know how to spell it correctly because he was young and English was a second language. That's why Rainer is called Rainer. I'm not one to throw stones about unoriginal names. In fact, the fact that it is spelled differently than Jim Raynor adds a lot of extra character. Where did CLM get his name? Well, his name is Clement, so he really pulled a Jaedong with that one. Shout out to Lee Jaedong. Then there's Dark, who, when asked in GSL what his greatest fear was, said "darkness" unironically. Most of the GSL players agreed that his personality fit his name better than any other player. Dark is the only other Zerg who's recently looked capable of taking on CLM for very different reasons. Rainer is fast enough to keep up, whereas Dark is just... oh my, okay, wait, that's enough about Dark.

=> 00:39:56

Rainer's relentless strategy and quick thinking keep him ahead, even when it looks like he's on the back foot.

Players agreed that his personality fit his name better than any other player. Dark, the only other Zerg who's recently looked capable of taking on CLM, does so for very different reasons. Rainer is fast enough to keep up, whereas Dark is just... oh my, okay, enough about Dark. Rainer is mining out the other mineral wall, a tactic rarely seen. It's not that hard—three drones to mine through, seven minerals a piece, three trips or three drones one trip. Yes, you lose a tiny bit of efficiency, but did he notice? Oh my God, nobody's looking for it. This is another one; he's using the mineral wall again. This time, he doesn't have the same advantage. He saw the drone at the gold minerals, caught him red-handed. The zerglings are streaming through, and you can see on the mini-map that CLM at least closed the door in time. The Hellions are sprinting back, putting on the afterburners.

CLM says, "I'm not locked in here with you." Well, actually, he is. Here come the roaches. At first, CLM felt a little smug about his defense, but Rainer just has more stuff. He's building drones behind 20 SCVs dead, and it's not over. The Banshees are all tied up, the Marines are dying to the roaches, and Rainer is droning behind this. More SCVs try to come out. It's a disaster for CLM. It's not unrecoverable, but 29 SCVs dead, 29 SCVs left. Three Banshees are a lot to contend with, with just Queens. "No, friend, I told you to put the creep down, Suan. How many times?" This is not on me though, you got to be more explicit. "Oh, I'll be explicit," you Banshees sneaking in, well, not really sneaking but at least cloaked. Thankfully, the Queens are fing through the mineral wall. Maybe they want to take care of that but don't want to get caught with the cloak Banshees on the edge.

Double Bay as well as double Evolution Chamber. Rainer is up to 63 drones as the Queens scamper up to the main base again, and they do have the Overseer nearby. One Banshee split off; two Banshees are all you need to kill. Two Banshees, one shot, gone in a single volley. Four gases on the way for Rainer, really looking to ramp up that production. The mineral wall can be walled off with a single Depot, but a Depot can be killed. Minerals are actually the best wall-offs in the game. If only you could pick up those minerals and slap them down somewhere instead of converting them into boring things like Supply Depots. Not even a nuke, only the lowly or the hardworking and well-respected essential drones, the essential workers of the Zerg and the Terran.

Now, CLM with those mules as a backbone and the space bought by the Banshees, still has enough economy to make a real game of it. By no means did Rainer get critical damage done; it did set CLM back dramatically, but Rainer wasn't in such a strong economic position that it didn't cost him. Now, CLM does have an opportunity, and very importantly, Rainer does not have Mutas, which means CLM can actually drop the base. Another couple of Overlords slurps up the Marines, heading straight for the main where another couple of Overlords are potentially going to be picked off. Heads out into the corner, infestation pit is on the way. Both players are in the 60s of workers here. Marines need to be a little careful. Hydralisk Den is on the way; looks like he wants to rush Lurkers. He could be going Hydras in this scenario, but it's likely Lurkers. 1-1 upgrades are done, 2-2 started. Rainer actually has the upgrade advantage here, which is going to pay dividends as time goes on. The Banshees get away. The Armory is completed, plus two armor starts for CLM. Not sure if he noticed, but there's a plus two weapons upgrade. It's just a bunch of Marines, and the upgrades are even. Rainer has the advantage.

=> 00:44:43

Rainer's relentless strategy and upgrade advantage keep him in the game despite heavy losses.

The game is intensifying as both players navigate their strategies. Rainer is making significant moves with his infestation pit on the way, while both players maintain a worker count in the 60s. Marines need to be cautious as the hydralisk den is also on the way, signaling a potential rush towards lurkers. With 1/1 upgrades done and 2/2 started, Rainer holds the upgrade advantage, which will pay dividends over time. Meanwhile, banshees manage to escape, and the armory is completed, allowing plus two armor to start for CLM.

Rainer's lurker den is progressing alongside Hive and roach-ravager units, supported by queens. The center base is vulnerable to siege tank fire, especially without vipers, forcing Rainer to rely on brute force. The lings wrap around the back, targeting siege tanks, but the Marines are left exposed at the front. The siege tanks fire in all directions, unable to concentrate their firepower effectively. Despite some imperfect targeting from Rainer, CLM grinds through the front line, knocking out a few more overlords. However, Rainer remains at 200 supply, chasing down ravagers with queens making crucial saves.

CLM recognizes the opportunity as the siege tanks hold their ground. Despite Rainer's strong start, CLM continues to push forward. Finally, another overseer arrives, and the banshees are taken down unceremoniously. Battling up the ramp, the siege tanks are thinned out, and Rainer holds the position, but at a significant cost. CLM manages to kill almost double the resources in that fight. Rainer, however, maintains his bases and economy, with 69 drones, positioning him well to transition into Hive Tech, especially with the rich vespene gas at the center base.

Lurker range is on the way, although no vipers are in production yet. Hydras are already popping out, and there isn't much Marine-Marauder presence. A corrosive bile hit lands, and with 2/2 upgrades done, Rainer has the advantage in this fight, helping the roaches compete with the Marines. CLM is beaten back again. Hydra seismic spines are nearly completed, and the Viper and ghost academy are just finishing. With 2/2 upgrades about to complete for CLM, this is crucial as it allows him to compete in the war of attrition. Rainer hasn't started his 3/3 upgrades, giving CLM an opportunity to retake the advantage.

As 3/3 upgrades start for CLM, lurkers are on the way. Rainer, with 530 APM, is managing his Roach-Hydra composition, which is less micro-intensive but more strategic. The lurkers burrow, hiding their faces to avoid rebuke. Meanwhile, drops continue to pressure, but one is lost as hydras fail to target fire the medivac, though everything underneath is already dead. Ghosts and siege tanks are in production, but CLM misses an EMP on one of the vipers, allowing Rainer to abduct the tanks. Rainer remains maxed out, with lurkers advancing. There aren't enough ghosts to dislodge the lurkers, and CLM lacks the energy for snipes, even if he could get close enough.

CLM desperately needs this base, but the lurkers' shots interrupt the snipes. Without ghost cloak, every second counts. Rainer, working on five bases to CLM's three, has the economic advantage. Despite the lurkers being chipped away, Rainer eviscerates two more ghosts, and the SCVs aren't mining, struggling to repair. The battle continues with high stakes for both players.

=> 00:49:45

Rainer's relentless pressure keeps CLM on the ropes, but a critical misstep costs him the game.

Underneath is already dead ghost in production Siege tanks and oh no, the EMPs, but he actually misses one of the Vipers. He's able to yank in and abduct the tanks, and Rainer is still maxed out. Lurkers are getting closer, and there's not enough ghosts to dislodge this. You need two shots for a lurker, and there's not nearly enough energy for that, even if he can get close enough to land the Snipes. Glen needs this base desperately. The shots are coming out, and the lurkers are interrupting the Snipes. He doesn't have ghost cloak, and every second counts here as Rainer is working on five bases to three. He has the economy, and even though the lurkers are getting chipped away, he just eviscerated two more ghosts. The SCVs aren't mining; he's trying to repair the orbital, but it's still burning. Typical contractors.

Now, Overlord speed is finishing up, bringing the overseers up, but he even needs overseers now. He's starting to lose a lot of lurkers to the Snipes, just buying as much time as possible. What happened here? The roaches got through the rocks, CLM hitting the counterattack, STMs forward. What's back home to defend? It's so hard to dislodge this if you don't have the ghosts in position at the start. 33 is not quite done yet, which means the hydras have an opportunity. But while he's fighting that, the lurkers jump on the Siege tanks, blinding cloud and interrupting even more Snipes. More SCVs dead, but CLM plummets to a four-worker lead. Another drop loaded up, CLM not dead but again in a very tough position. The lurkers, oh yeah, remember he took down the well and finally with a Supply Depot there, Grer missed an opportunity to target down those medivacs.

Now, CLM has a dangerous army. I feel like his army, once it gets to be more Marines and Marauders than it is Marina and Marauder, that's when you reach the end game, assuming you're at 200 supply and not like 50. Oh no, the Frenchman assassinates the queen, revolutionizing strategy. The production tab is empty for Raina right now as he sets up a massive lurker drop, knocks out one of the medivacs, even tried to pick up those extra Marines, repositioning the Spore crawler. The ghosts, do they have cloak? No, only has the banshee cloak, and that doesn't work for the ghosts. All right, that's how it is. Fin up more shots, oh gets interrupted on the snipe, picks up some more lurker drops headed in. The Lings and Banes trying to run over the sensor tower. I don't know if he spotted it, but now headed in towards the third. There's a single missile turret, ghosts on the way, tries to line up a snipe. Meanwhile, fight at the front, Rainer trying to take advantage of the lurkers in the main and any distraction they may cause. Those are going to get cleaned up, but can he actually win the fight? Drags in some ghosts as well as Siege tanks. Rainer will lose every single last lurker in the main base, and he doesn't have the money to replace them. He may have bitten off much more than he could chew.

CLM is still nearly maxed out. He has more workers, he's now on five bases, and Rainer just threw away... I mean, there was an intent, but now the supply is dangerous. The lurker count is damn high, but the ghosts are nearly equal, and he doesn't have the vision to continually hit the ghosts here, even without cloak on them. Only now is CLM starting him, but before the lurkers are even able to get the shots up, just the Snipes. But he wasn't looking this way; he had a sensor tower and didn't notice the lurkers coming in. So focused on the Snipes, Rainer is keeping the pressure on. I think this is the right call. It doesn't matter if you barely have enough to keep going; you can't sit back. You can't let CLM take the initiative because that is a very quick downward spiral. You need to try to find the fights with the lurkers, and so far, he's doing a pretty good job of it. The ghosts softened up, more scans, but there's just not enough here. Again, dislodges the third base. The lurkers, how many every time technically they can get through... Oh, he just taps it out. He knows where it's going. Oh, look at the supply. The end, 41 lurkers dead. It started off so well, but CLM still had the infrastructure to bounce back, and Rainer was unable to keep the pressure on, especially since CLM had... without mutas, you can't control the skies, and that leaves him with that mobility and multitasking, eventually getting the army.

=> 00:54:39

Even the best gamers face intense pressure and exhaustion, but it's their relentless drive and adaptability that keep them in the fight.

Initiative is crucial because a downward spiral can happen very quickly. You need to try to find the fights with the lurkers, and so far, they are doing a pretty good job of it. The ghost softened up more scans, but there's just not enough here again to dislodge the third base. The lurkers, however, every time they technically can get through, he just taps it out. He knows where it's going. Look at the supply at the end—41 lurkers dead. It started off so well, but CLM still had the infrastructure to bounce back, and Rainer was unable to keep the pressure on. Especially since Clen had, without mutas, you can't control the skies, and that leaves him with that mobility and multitasking. Eventually, he gets the army, and Rainer knows it's very hard to recover from that position. So, CLM is on the board, keeping Team Liquid in the fight. Honestly, if anyone's going to H, we're going to Dynasty.

Rainer is going to expand to the outside. What a crazy set of maps, by the way. We've played Post Youth, Crimson Court twice, and Dynasty. These are pretty much the worst maps for Zerg. Maybe not Post Youth; Post Youth is actually not terrible as you have so much open space despite the rush distance. But Dynasty and Crimson Court are just statistically difficult for Zerg players against Terran, and the higher level you go, the more pronounced that gets. That does leave some opportunity for counter-mind games, but very simply, you have to play around this gold base. You can't ignore it, and it's very unlikely you'll be able to pressure a Terran without doing some sort of early all-in. That is why it's kind of rare to see in this matchup. He's already sending out drones; we'll see if CLM scouts for it. I assume he will.

Exhausting games, these two. Just a quick anecdote: I was playing Age of Mythology Retold. I never played the original; I'm not that old. During the playtest a month ago, I played like 11 hours straight. Very good, by the way. It's great; I recommend it when it comes out. It has the premium sale on. Anyways, recommended, not sponsored. After 11 hours, back pain, headache. Back in the day, these two young gamers played 12 hours of Starcraft 2, woke up, and did it again the next day. That was like a regular day, no matter how many drones I lost to a Reaper for no reason. Well, probably wouldn't continue playing too long if I kept losing drones to Reapers. But these two are playing at such ridiculous speed under insane pressure, back-to-back-to-back games. It's just exhausting to watch, let alone play. Maybe it's easier if you're playing; I doubt it.

This is a message from the Hatchery Owners Association: Get back here, young man. You can't go in; that's private property. These Reapers don't know their place. Okay, Brenda, let's get you back to creep. Shut up, Susan. There's a Zergling in the main but taken out. A roach warren on the way is Rainer. Well, the roach warren is spotted, so that is an unfortunate turn of the reaper. A lair on the way. It's very hard to hide what you're doing here as there's simply no way to keep the reaper out, and it can pretty much scout the entirety of the creep. While there is a very limited opportunity to proxy buildings as Zerg, it's not very practical. Already a Banshee on the way, Evolution Chamber. Unfortunately, those Evolution Chambers are not helping Rainer so much as trapping the drones in. The Queens on the ramp tried to bar the ramp, but the reaper, like I said, is very hard to keep out for various reasons.

Drop a lord on the way. Edna, Syil, Dorothy, we're not the B team; we're the alternative team. While our overlords might be slow, our inspiration and our jokes are not.

=> 01:00:18

Rainer's relentless roach strategy keeps the game alive against all odds!

Evolution Chambers are not helping Rainer so much as trapping the drones in. The Queens are on the ramp, which is bad. He still manages to get another one, with 14 DRS. The Queens tried to bar the ramp, but the Reaper is very hard to keep out for various reasons.

Meanwhile, the Dropper Lord is on the way. There's a lot happening as the roach ravager approaches. A single Marine out in front gives some warning time to pull the SCVs, and the Queens have arrived. The corrosive biles are causing significant damage. He tries to take out the tank but fails, resulting in a disastrous situation. The Dropper Lord barely has enough energy for one transfuse for the escape route.

Rainer is dropping the creep, one of my favorite tactics, though it's usually impractical due to the cost in both APM and resource investment. The Queen Dropper Lord is creeping all over the map, and the Queens are blocking the base. They are trying to drive back the Vikings, but this is a symptom of how far behind Rainer is. He simply doesn't have any other options. CLM has 20 more workers, with one-one on the way, and stim done. Combat Shield and medivacs are also ready.

Another wave of corrosive biles obliterates a Queen. Rainer is starting to use the gold base against CLM, making some progress, but now the Marines are dropping with a vengeance. Rainer keeps building roaches, but he has almost no drones back at home. Another Overlord goes down, and there's nothing to stop these Vikings besides praying with corrosive biles. He loses another Overlord, but there are more roaches.

Rainer is successfully taking up a position outside the base, poking with corrosive biles and knocking out tanks. He tries to spread the creep tumor, but the Marines are there to fight. If the Marines kill off the ravagers, it would be a winning move. The Marines are slurping up left, right, and center, with more siege tanks arriving. The SCVs are continually running away, and Rainer has turned this into a game.

The Marines are finally dealing with the creep tumors, with two-two on the way for the Marines. The ravagers are still here, and another wave of corrosive biles denies CLM mining yet again. Rainer is still at only 55 drones, and the Marines have made it across the map. No overlords are left to stop them.

=> 01:05:42

Epic comeback in the making: Rainer vs. Clen, tied up and heading into the final showdown!

Vikings on patrol—what a crazy match this has turned into. The siege tanks are hitting well. Did he miss? No, there are some supply depots under there. SCVs are continually having to run away. I can't believe Rainer has turned this into a game, but here we are. The Marines and he didn't kill that tank. Who's flanking who? He's going to finally deal with these creep tumors. Two-two's on the way for the Marines, medivacs slurping up Marines left, right, and center. Still a siege tank, but the ravagers are still here. He's going to whip out another wave of corrosive B, and CLM is going to be denied mining yet again. Rainer is still at only 55 drones. Finally, the Marines have made it across the map. No overlords. Oh no, he's actually just targeting the hatch, which of all the things you could target here, I think is by far the least valuable as he's almost mined out. The gas is gone as well. Viking hits the deck and will die immediately.

It's all about solidarity like the Heart of the Swarm trailer and a whole bunch more Roaches on the way as everybody piles together yet again. No ravager, so he has to get right up on top of the siege tanks. We can't exactly see what's going down under there, but we can see the supply, which is going down under there. And that's without the two upgrade advantage that PL's about to have. In fact, Rainer only has armor upgrades. Oh, it's a planetary now. Rainer has been in a very long death animation. A scan—there's no Hive, that's all he wanted to know. And with no Hive, there's no tech that can threaten this army composition for Clen. He doesn't have lurkers, he doesn't have vipers, and let's not even joke about ultralisks or even more hilarious brood lords. It's not happening. Clen just needs to put it all together and finish him off.

I really wonder how the maps are chosen. As a Zerg player here, it's not like Rainer didn't make a titanic effort to try to make this a thing, but Clen is more than capable of zooming out. It looked for a moment like he might overcommit and end up losing any sort of map control, but he holds on to it. It's very hard once you get that third base up and running to really kill the Terran's momentum. So now it's all tied up, two apiece, but we go into the final showdown—two more games. Wow. Team Liquid at 99% strength, Team Liquid at 100% strength, Team Liquid at 99% strength.

Our first relatively standard map of all the matches is Sight Delta. In fact, this one is a bit tilted towards Zerg last I checked, but anything close enough to stay. I don't know how Rainer wants to play. Obviously, I would not have said mutas at the start. Then again, the only other player I've seen go mass muta anytime recently is Dark. So, that should have been at least in the expectations. But will we see it again, or will Rainer go with a more conventional Ling Bane, or will Clen just kill him before we can find out any of that? I'm not going to say Clen has the momentum now because Rainer is someone who's uniquely unaffected by that. Rainer has come up with a disproportionate amount of reverse sweeps. This isn't really a sweep situation, but he seems to be very capable of just shrugging off losses and turning it around, which is very difficult to do on the ladder, let alone at this level.

I think Clen only very recently overcame that. Clen has always been a very emotional, kind of momentum-based player, and that is what kept him from that pedestal, from that world championship level. I think Clen has always had the potential—by always, I mean for like the last three years. Clen on his best day could have been a world champion, but only in the last year or so has he made those days happen on a regular basis. So it's amazing to watch, intimidating, and a bit discouraging because I look at it and I'm like, well, what am I supposed to learn from this? And then I go watch Cure games and I'm like, ah, there it is—the people's Terran, living perpetually under the bus. Get down, another Reaper dead.

=> 01:10:56

Glen finally turned his potential into consistent performance, making him a world champion contender.

I think CLM only very recently overcame that. GLM has always been a very emotional, momentum-based player, and that is what kept him from that pedestal, from that world championship level. I think Glen has always had the potential; by always, I mean for like the last three years. Glen, on his best day, could have been a world champion, but only in the last year or so has he made those days happen on a regular basis. It's amazing to watch, intimidating, and a bit discouraging because I look at it and think, "Well, what am I supposed to learn from this?" Then I go watch Cure games, and I'm like, "Ah, there it is."

The people staring, living perpetually under the bus, get down another Reaper dead. I'm getting a bit greedy with them. Rainer is getting Zergling speed just a couple of seconds earlier than usual; it's usually done around 3:35. Rainer keeps getting speed, and I'm not exactly sure how. The math is pretty simple, but those seconds obviously matter when it comes to whether or not the Zergling is able to grab the Reaper's leg and rip it to the ground before it jumps up. Not even a second matters there.

I want to also thank World Team League as well. If you can check them out live, you should take an opportunity to do so and watch the full matches, which obviously are quite involved. They are doing some of the coolest things. I think team leagues, while they don't make as much sense in an individual sort of sport like Starcraft 2, are still one of the coolest concepts. What I really wish is that team games were more of a thing in Starcraft 2. I wish there was any effort put into team games that wasn't just here are some mediocre maps that occasionally we change out, and let's jam two players and then play it out like normal. If there were things like building on your teammate's creep or more easily sharing units and stuff like that, it would be great. Unfortunately, it is widely considered to be imbalanced and uncompetitive at the highest level. Up until the Clem and Rainer level, I think you could have real competition, but as soon as you put players of this caliber on it, it's mostly just cheese after cheese.

Oh, there's a spire on the way. It's mutas again. Hellions are looking for an opportunity. Does he have an armory? No, just darting around with the Hellions, poking and trying to keep things lit. There's a treasure chest down there. Moving on, double Evo chamber is on the way. Where's the baneling nest? He doesn't have a baneling nest, but there will be enough for seven or eight mutas to start things off. Clem has got to have that in the back of his mind, maybe closer to the front. I'm not actually sure how it works, but can he cloak? Ten mutas on the way, and there's the baneling nest as well. Ten mutas is a very dangerous number, more than enough to fight small groups of Marines and take out medivacs. Without double medivac Marine catching the mutas alone, I think a lot of players, including Clem, are not really as experienced recently at fighting mutas. Gauging the fights is a little harder, like knowing whether or not you have enough to fight and win. I think that's part of why it was so successful in game one; a few times Clem fought, and Rainer just took out his units because mutas, while they're fragile, they're not weak.

The Queens are holding the line while the mutas fly directly into a completely unprotected main. And so it begins. The main base will be ransacked by the mutas, and now we see whether Rainer can hold on to his fourth. It's going to be a no; the Marines take it out. Five SCVs dead so far. Rainer has 68 drones right now, and he's working on an alternative fourth base. He hasn't done the critical damage he needs in order to keep Clem from continually attacking forward. He loses one muta, takes out a few more SCVs, and is chased into the back corner. Hellbats are on the way. Mutas are being chased around, still no missile turrets. Mutas are almost entirely cornered here, but if he can drag these units out of position with the Zerglings, it looks like he's going to be able to make it out. Missile turrets are coming online, and Clem is now very well aware of what he's dealing with. He's got 2-2 on the way.

=> 01:15:23

Rainer's relentless attacks cripple CLM's economy, but the battle rages on with both sides taking heavy losses.

The main base will be ransacked by the mutas, and now we see whether Rainer can hold on to his fourth. It's going to be a no; the Marines take it out, with 5 SCVs dead so far. Rainer has 68 drones right now and is working on an alternative fourth base. He hasn't done the critical damage he needs in order to keep CLM from continually attacking forward. Rainer loses one muta, takes out a few more SCVs, and is chased into the back corner. Hellbats are on the way, and the mutas are being chased around. Still, there are no missile turrets, and the muta is almost entirely cornered here. However, if he can drag these units out of position with the zerglings, it looks like he's going to be able to make it out. Missile turrets are coming online, and CLM is now very well aware of what he's dealing with. He's got 2-2 on the way and is in a much better position to deal with it directly.

Now we have four Siege tanks alongside quite a force of CLM wanting to get some damage done. 1-1 is not completed yet for Rainer; it's seconds away. Baneling speed is there, and that fourth base is very apparent here as CLM targets it. Banelings trickle in, soften up the hellbats, and are finished off by more Lings and Banelings. Mutas are going to try to cut off reinforcements, but the standing army is difficult enough. If he can get any of the siege tanks, that would be a huge deal at this stage. He is going to cut off some more of the reinforcements. CLM cloaks the Banshees to escape, and by the way, the Banshees survive. Lings and Banelings crash in, though, and that means there's not going to be much left on top of the tanks. Another Medivac is picked up, along with more Marines. If he's going to go, he has to go very soon, or these reinforcements are going to join up. The mutas are swinging around, and the turret at the third is way too late on the repair. Ling Bane and the muta count is so damn high. Drilling Claws are on the way, and the Widow Mines are picked off. Another turret is there, but there was no turret at the natural. Seven more SCVs, eight of them, but CLM maintains the attack. More Ling Bane, and a fourth base is attempted by CLM, who is going to protect it with his Marines. Very, very importantly, he's going to have 2-2 done momentarily, and I think then is when he really presses the issue and tries to find these efficient fights before Rainer can even think about going up to Hive.

Some huge pickoffs for both sides, getting several mutas but also taking out the Medivac turrets and more SCVs. Rainer does not have an Infestation Pit; he's just now starting 2-2 despite the fact he's done so much damage and will continue to do so in the main as he takes out another missile turret. CLM is diving forward; he's got the Marines, a couple of Widow Mines behind trying to soften things up, but the siege tanks are in position. Marines from the north side are evaporated by the Banelings, mutas in the main. I think he just took out the Engineering Bays, but he already got those 2-2 upgrades, so that's all he really needs for now. Another Engineering Bay on the low ground will be taken down. 18 SCVs alongside Marines are still going forward. Queens are caught in the crossfire, Siege tanks on the backline, more Widow Mines, but he's drawing out the shots. He actually hits the Terran more than the Zerg. The Banshees from the north side, the Queens are cut down. Meanwhile, the mutas are still going in towards the Engineering Bays. He keeps trying to build them at the back. How many times do I have to teach you this lesson, young man? 27 SCVs dead as Rainer continues to ransack the bases, gutting the economy. CLM maintains a very high supply, and it feels like we're having something of a repeat of game one. But the Medivacs are out of energy, the Marines nearly out of life, and the Medivacs have to retreat. The supply is dead even, mutas cornered yet again. Is there a Thor anywhere? No, no Thor, so the mutas are just patrolling back. Oh, he tries to go up the center; he's going to lose a lot of them here. Drilling Claws is done, the muta count back up to 14, still no Infestation Pit. Widow Mines almost latch on, but CLM has whittled down the muta count to single digits. Rainer does not have a Hive, though that is less problematic than it would be if he hadn't taken out the Engineering Bays or undercut CLM's economy. Despite the lack of Hive, CLM is not going to have 3-3, and he does not have Thors; he lost his Armory.

=> 01:20:38

Intense back-and-forth battle with Marines and Mutas, but Rainer's relentless pressure might just turn the tide!

The Marines are nearly out of life and the meta forces them to retreat. The supply is dead even, and the mutas are cornered yet again. There is no Thor in sight, so the mutas continue patrolling. As they try to advance up the center, they risk losing many units. The drilling Claws are done, and the muta count is back up to 14, but there is still no Infestation Pit. Widow Mines almost latch on, but CLM has whittled down the muta count to single digits. Rainer does not have a hive, which is less problematic since he took out the engineering base and undercut Clem's economy. Despite the lack of a Hive, CLM is not going to have 3-3 upgrades because he lost his Armory.

Now, the Widow Mines are in position, and the banelings are rolling in. The Widow Mines are just as dangerous, and a turret is taken out at the fourth base. Lings and Banelings force a pickup, and the planetary itself is under threat. The Marines trickling in one at a time are not enough, and the mutas back off after another attack. The Banshee is still active but is finally taken down. A Thor is in production, and the mutas are looking for an opportunity but not finding one. A scan reveals the lair, notably not a hive, giving Clem a sigh of relief. Widow Mines are taken out, and Clem finally finds a breather to start his 3-3 upgrades. The Banshee at 13 minutes and 37 seconds is taken out by the elite mutas. The Infestation Pit, burrow, and Overlord speed are in production. The lack of Overlord speed contributes to extra muta losses to Widow Mines.

Banelings are on the way back, and SCVs are on the run. Rainer goes through the Supply Depot and starts the orbital burning. The Hive now starts, providing a surprising breather. The mutas spot the Marines before being detected themselves, staying on the edge of things. Burrow is not quite done yet. CLM is maxed out and working on the 3-3 upgrades. There is no reason to sit back at home; he needs to keep the pressure on to prevent Rainer from reaching Hive tech for free. Most of the mutas are up north, and a beautiful split avoids the Widow Mines. A Thor is behind Rainer, who is preparing for a huge counterattack.

The next round could be decisive. A single Widow Mine splashes over every muta, and CLM comes back to deal with this. Rainer buys more time, but another clutch Widow Mine hit occurs. The Marine count is very high, and Rainer tries a burrowed Baneling tactic but loses a hatchery in the process. He manages to knock out some Marines and finds a few Medivacs. The single burrowed Baneling undercuts everything, though the mutas might have won the fight at the cost of a few more units. The Ultralisk Cavern is now in play.

Both players are maxed out. Rainer has a lot of minerals but not much gas. Meanwhile, CLM has six missile turrets in production but no Ghost Academy. If Rainer can sneak out five or six Ultralisks, it could be a game-changing move. Mines are burrowed on both sides. A lot of Medivacs accidentally run into the mutas. The action intensifies on the left flank, where Widow Mines are taken out, and the base is overrun. CLM sprints back to defend, but the Widow Mines are dealt with. The Marines have to be loaded up, and the mutas take out missile turrets before being countered by Marines. Despite losing nine mutas, Rainer still has ten on the field and continues fighting. CLM is overrun at the third base. Although he whittled down the muta count, Rainer can still max out and potentially refill his forces, as he now has the resources to do so.

=> 01:25:57

Epic battle of strategy and endurance, but at what cost?

I don't know exactly what's going on there, but the Widow Mines are taking out units. He got caught up, I think, on a single Marauder. Another mine was laid down, and Clen either spotted it or anticipated it. Either way, the Marines had to be loaded up, and the Mutas were on top of the missile turrets. They took out all three, but now the Marines will take them down. Tur's trying to fight, but it may be a classic mistake. He may win, but at what cost? He lost nine Mutas there. There's still ten on the field, and he's still fighting.

The Marines' two plus two fire attack is done. CLM is overrun at the third. He whittled down the Muta count, but Rainer can still max out. He can refill potentially now that he has the money. He just has to make the call, and there it is. Kitness plating is already on the way, and 33 for Rainer as well. For all the dozens, hundreds, thousands of Zerglings he's lost, only 340, which seems remarkably low for how this game has gone. He just burrows a single Ling because why not? Another mine is in position, and the turrets are coming up. He takes out the mine, but I don't think that's enough Marines to fight this. There's no reason to lose extra Mutas in a fight you know is not going to continue.

Oh my God, give it to me, thank you! A Baneling mine connects, and CLM is down 30 supply. He gets the Thor, but CLM still has a very dangerous army. He picks up and unburrows the mines, but the Banelings can't unburrow the planetary. He takes out so many SCVs with it. The Mutas chase down 17 SCVs dead alongside that planetary, and now the long-term prospects of CLM went from bad to worse. CLM is down to two not particularly fresh bases. He is up in army supply overall, but how many Medivacs are left? Ten of them, but they never seem to all be in the same place, which is probably a good thing. Another clutch of units to the south, CLM trying to reland another base, but it's not going to happen. He chews up the Marauders, desperately building Widow Mines and Liberators now. CLM sees the Ultras for the first time, and his time is starting to run out.

Multiple hatcheries are taken out by this group. Down goes a full Medivac. The Mutas, Lings, and Banelings to the north. A Widow Mine just trundled over the creep spread. Rainer is barely keeping up with 670 APM, which is almost 100 less than game one. Can you really blame him? He's down to 11 actions per second. The Mutas are still looking for an opportunity up to the north side. A single Medivac drop, and Clen is desperate, just preemptively sending out those Lings to deal with the Widow Mines. Another mine drop is on the way. Nineteen more Banelings. Rainer does not have the gas to rebuild easily, so he still needs to be very careful about losing Mutas, losing Ultras, and throwing away Banelings.

CLM is starting to consolidate. Oh no, he's not looking! Oh no, a dozen drones and the Mutas! It's a disaster. Rainer is now thrown into a fight, dragged into this fight, but it's going to be a painful one for CLM. He's going to evacuate the SCVs, but you can't evacuate the Mules. The Liberators are pincushioning whatever they can. No, don't drop them! What a bloodbath on both sides, but clearly heavily taxed by this game. Rainer lost so much of his economy. He was drawn into yet another fight, but CLM is able to gun down enough of Rainer's supply to stay right in it.

Clen is starting to slip across the board as well, but he's made the play. Now there's no gas left for Rainer. He has to be so careful, though there are still plenty of Banelings on the field, kiting back the Ultras. A Ling-Bane counterattack, the Liberator overhead, he picks up the SCVs yet again. He has to be careful of his own Widow Mines. There are no more Mutas; they've gone extinct. The orbital is dead, so that means Widow Mines and Medivacs can go uncontested in the skies. But is there enough on the ground? He has to be so careful of his own Widow Mines. He's dropping SCVs out. Rainer is out of gas, but he still has so many minerals, dozens of Zerglings, and a single Corruptor. He's relying on Queens. What does that bring?

=> 01:31:10

Rainer's relentless strategy and sheer willpower lead him to a hard-fought victory, proving that persistence pays off even in the most intense battles.

Supply is staying right in it, but CLM is starting to slip across the board. He has made the play, and now there's no gas left for Rainer. He has to be so careful, though, as there are still plenty of Banelings on the field. Kiting back the Ultras, a Ling-Bane counterattack, the Liberator overhead—he picks up the SCVs yet again. He has to be careful of his own Widow Mines. There are no more Mutas; they've gone extinct. The orbital is dead, which means Widow Mines and the Medivacs can go uncontested in the skies. But is there enough on the ground? He has to be so careful of his own Widow Mines. He's dropping SCVs out. Rainer is out of gas, but he still has so many minerals, dozens of Zerglings, and a single Corruptor. He's relying on Queens.

CLM is holding on desperately. The income is plummeting for both sides, but Rainer has reestablished the top right corner. He's back up to 69 drones, which seems to be the sweet spot for him. The army supply, though, is still in favor of CLM. He has 13 Medivacs, which is actually a bit misleading in the current scenario, but that's enough Medivacs to pick up his entire army and then some. The Liberator will take out the Queen, so the Corruptor takes out the Liberator. Another Corruptor is chasing down the Medivacs to the north side, making use of those fly attack upgrades. Another Widow Mine will burrow and hit, and the Ultras are being contested without Ghosts. Rainer can't seem to get enough of them. Did he get Ultra speed? He did not, which is kind of a critical mistake at this stage of the game as he can't close the distance easily off the creep. The Ultras are just going to go for the wrap-around. Another base is landed. The Liberator is still overhead; a single Corruptor is not going to be enough. Another drop to the right side is going to be cleaned up. Rainer is up 80 supply, and GLB taps out. He almost dragged it all the way back, but Rainer grabs it and slams it to the ground. Now, Rainer has taken at least half the matches, 3-2.

What a purist! He lost 619 Zerglings, 54 Mutas, 10 Banelings, a single hero Ultralisk, and 13 brave Queens. But through all the fire and fury, he was able to survive long enough. This brings us back to the court for the third time out of six matches. We will be on Crimson Court yet again. I don't know what it is about this map for both sides, but the score on it is one to one. If Rainer wins this outright, he just wins it for his team. If CLM takes it, then he has to rely on the others. Either way, it's exhausting, but we're not done yet.

Before we get into this final match, you made it this far, so wake up! I once again want to beg you to like and subscribe. Hopefully, you've enjoyed the commentary. I hope I'll bring something unique and maybe entertaining on top of just your standard commentary. I like to think so because otherwise, that'd be pretty depressing. Thank you for watching. At this point, these games have been so hectic and exhausting that I honestly can't remember pretty much everything I've said for the last two games. I hope it was profound, articulate, inspiring, and somewhat amusing. Thank you for watching. I hope you had a good day so far, and I hope this last game continues to make it just a little bit better.

Rainer reaches for the Reapers for the first time out of all six games. How many will it be? Rainer is mining out the mineral wall, trying to open up an opportunity to evade the Reapers before they get too high in number. He did make it; he's going to be able to get the base. There's no Zergling speed on the way at all, which means these Reapers can continue to get the damage done. It's going to be up to the Queens, as it so often is. He even puts a creep tumor on the ramp where CLM shouldn't be able to pick it off.

=> 01:36:22

Rainer's relentless muta micro and aggressive expansions keep him ahead, while Clem fights back with precision, making every game a nail-biter.

I hope you had a good day so far, and I hope this last game continues to make it just a little bit better. L reaches for the Reapers for the first time out of all six games. How many will it be? Rainer is mining out the mineral wall, trying to open up an opportunity to evade the Reapers before they get too high in number. He did make it; he's going to be able to get the base. There's no Zergling speed on the way at all, which means these Reapers can continue to get the damage done. It's going to be up to the Queens, as it so often is. He even puts a creep tumor on the ramp where CLM shouldn't be able to pick it off before it finishes. He saw it, but he knows the Overlord's looking. Got to put that APM somewhere.

The Reapers run to bounce, trying to set themselves up. Another double bounce goes in for more. One drone looking for more, the citizens arrest though hold off the line, but he somehow slips away with one and into the main. Three kills and he will escape. "Yeah, go tell your friends what happened here," I'm a Terran player, I don't have friends. Yeah, that tracks. I don't know, double Barracks with stim on the way, third Command Center for Clem. I really wonder what Rainer's going to choose. He's made the mutas work; he's 2-0 with the mass muta. Sure, last game eventually they all got swatted out of the sky, but the damage was done. It's not like CLM messed up his micro. Sure, you can always target fire a little bit better, but anyone else maybe even loses those mutas well before that point. The amount of speed, the amount of APM, the sheer attention that you must put into the mutas to get anything out of them, but once you do start making progress, well, smack and spiral.

To Clem's credit, he almost turned it around despite all the damage, despite how many losses he suffered. He still picked up his Command Center and landed it back down again until he couldn't anymore. Now he's just fighting to draw even. I bet Rainer is really wishing this was the score in the best of five they played at the world championship. Unfortunate he transfused a creep tumor. I didn't even really realize you could do that. Check that one off your bingo cards. You shouldn't have had it on there; you should have thrown that bingo card out. It makes sense, but because transfuses cost twice as much energy as just building another creep tumor, it's effectively never seen.

The double drop comes in. Rainer actually gets a little supply block by it. Those Zerglings do not have speed. By the time they do, the Marines have already gone down a huge amount of their number. Now the Frenchman is going to guillotine a few more of the Queens. The transfuses are holding on, the Marine count is whittled down to an amount that fits comfortably in one Medivac. Rainer, he's already got a fourth again. He's going for the aggressive expansion. He expanded to a fourth already, so he's just trading out minerals to keep his economy alive. He can replace those Zerglings, he can replace those Queens, but he cannot replace bases easily. He cannot replace drones easily. So, throwing Lings and Queens at the problem—the problem being the Marines—is a more cost-effective trade than trying to deal with exactly this.

Oh my, by the Marines and gets another Queen. Rainer is starting to consolidate. He's got 72 drones and counting, but that's pretty much enough for now. He has not built a Spire, he has not built a Hydra Den, and that means Rainer is rushing up to Hive—not quite a rush, but look at that creep spread as well, looking very, very good right now. The Queens get off my creep. It's one out of back, and immediately CL took offense to that. Bane speed is a long way away, 1-1 about to complete for CLM, but unfortunately not able to get it done before he's driven back into the Medivacs. Bane speed is closing in, Hive is halfway there, Ling Bane going to be...

=> 01:41:35

Rainer's relentless counterattacks are turning the tide just when it seemed like CLM had the upper hand.

Rainer is starting to consolidate his position with 72 drones and counting, which is pretty much enough for now. He has not built a SP or a Hydra, and that means Rainer is rushing up to Hive, though not quite a rush. The creep spread is looking very good right now, with the Queens actively managing it. CL took offense to that, but Bane speed is still a long way away. One-one upgrades are about to complete for CLM, but unfortunately, he is driven back into the metax before he can get it done.

Bane speed is closing in, and Hive is halfway there. Ling bang is going to be targeted, with CLM keeping the pressure on. This is challenging for Rainer as he doesn't have mutas, allowing CLM to continue chipping away at every side. The creep is expanding forward optimistically, and Rainer is now at 86 drones while CLM has 69 SCVs, which is enough to continue his aggression. CLM has just gone up to eight WS, with eight Rags done, and the Octo Rags timing is online. He is trying to target down another hatch, but the Baings are closing in. CLM ends up losing a bunch of Marines but drops into the main with another set, targeting down even more. He really wants that hatch, but Rainer has more options for expansions and another Spore crawler.

CLM gets a bit greedy, and the most obvious burrow ban mine is unfortunate for Rainer, just a second late from where he might have been able to P it off. It’s likely CLM would have scanned up there anyway. Widow M's are drawn into the metax, which almost goes down. That’s all the mines for now, and CLM picks up again. Rainer has taken much of the map, with his high tech coming online. He has adrum glands but no vipers or ultralisk cavern yet, and he still has to deal with the drops. CLM has more meta than Marines to put in them, and supplies are dead even in our final match.

A Widow mine eats a bunch of the banelings, and CLM drops again. Will he finally get the hatch? No, he targets down the overseer and picks back up. Now we’re seeing the value of the mutas as these metac are incessant. CLM keeps dropping the base, and now a mine drop as well. They just happen to have a mine in their join. Clause is done, and 3-3 upgrades are almost ready for both sides, with Rainer having a slight advantage. A medac goes down, Marines are chased, and Rainer selected it but wasn’t quite on the mark. Unfortunately, baneling mines don’t have range or hit air.

Another phase sees a whole lot of bruised metac in the main base and Marines jumping into them. Rainer is building another spawning pool, expecting this one to go down. Either way, it might be worth it to have an extra. A Liberator sieges up, but a Queen takes it down. Rainer is holding on but still has no other Hive tech; it’s just Lings and Baines. CLM keeps sending out drop after drop, raining men across the field. The ultralisk cavern is now up, but it’s uncertain if it will find success as there are already ghosts on the way.

Rainer, while holding his own, launches a huge counterattack. He got through the mineral wall, and it seems Raider mined that area. Drones are bringing minerals from the scene of the crime at the center base. Widow mines hit the liberators, and CLM’s reinforcements are completely gutted. Zerglings are in the main, taking out the siege tank on the high ground, and now the production is under attack. Just when it looked like CLM was solidifying his position, he takes out a hatch and keeps the pressure on, but the SCV count is starting to dip. More zerglings are in the main, and a scan is needed to clear them out. CLM is just now taking a fifth base.

If Rainer had lost this Hatchery to the South, it would be an unqualified victory for CLM. However, CLM actually has a supply lead, and Rainer is hurting for gas. He threw so much at CLM, killing SCVs and some production, but he didn’t remove any bases or take out a significant portion of the army.

=> 01:46:10

Epic battle of endurance: Rainer and CLM trading blows, with Rainer's relentless aggression pushing CLM to the brink, but CLM's resilience keeps him in the fight.

Zerglings in the main are taking out the siege tank on the high ground, and now the production is under attack. Just when it looked like CLM was starting to solidify his position in this game, he takes out a hatch and keeps the pressure on. However, the SCV count is starting to dip. He's got more Zerglings in the main, and a scan is required to clear them out. CLM is just now taking a fifth base. If Rainer had lost this hatchery to the south, it would be an unqualified victory, but CLM actually has a supply lead. Again, Rainer is hurting for gas; he threw so much at CLM, killing SCVs and some production, but he didn't remove any bases or a significant portion of the army. Therefore, CLM still has a lot of options and is more than happy to use them as he continues to fly around the map.

33 is now done for Rainer, giving him a few moments of advantage. The scan will spot the drone transfer, and CLM knows about the base to the north side. With the upgrade complete, another wave of Ling Bane might be able to kill the Li Ator with the Zerglings. CLM does well with the Widow Mines technically, but the brave sacrifice of the Zerglings is notable. Meanwhile, up to the north side, drones are in the wrong place at the very wrong time. Zerglings and Ultras are on top of the base to the right flank, taking down the planetary and targeting some of the Banes. Another Marine is taken out, and a Medivac is down. CLM maintains a slight supply lead throughout all this, but Rainer continues to rebuild. Somehow, our final game is more even than the rest.

The Zerglings trigger the Widow Mines as well. Ultralisks are getting sniped but manage to survive, forcing CLM to lift up yet again. The income is just tilting back and forth, probably with the drop of the Mules. With only three orbital commands, Baneling Mines are an existential threat right now. CLM desperately wants to drop Mules but simply can't. An Ultra completely cleaves a ghost into pieces, and with only one ghost left, that's not enough. CLM wants to cancel that harder than Blizzard would, and now the Medivacs will boost away. The Widow Mines take out a whole bunch of the counterattacking Lings, the Queens, and two Ultras. Meanwhile, a Liberator is on top of everything. Ultras are coming in again, and the mineral field has opened up enough for the Ultras to move through, but the Liberators are making things difficult. Meanwhile, Zerglings are actually taking out more.

Both players' economies are still incredibly high, with two to three mining bases each. They are not even entirely mined out of the main yet, partially because of all the workers dying and partially because we are still early on. CLM is about to be mined out of that last mineral patch, right around 15 minutes when that starts happening. Another queen is taken out, and CLM has a 30 supply lead. Rainer feels like he's firing on all cylinders until his engine explodes. That's his normal way of playing the game: either his opponent just dies, or he completely runs out of everything simultaneously and loses. Right now, he's on the bleeding edge of that second scenario. At 170 supply, he's still trying to throw units at CLM to keep him busy, but CLM has managed to hold on.

The difference between Rainer keeping those Mutas active on the field and relying on just Lings and Banes, without being able to control the air, is noticeable. CLM is now back in the driver's seat. A moment of respite allows CLM to find some space for building upgrades, sniping some of the Corruptors, and knocking out a few more ghosts. The choke point leaves Rainer caught between a rock and a hard place. Another huge counterattack sees the Banelings rolling in, the SCVs rolling out, and more Banelings interrupting the ghosts. The Ultra leaves through, but there are not enough ghosts, and the Liberators are out of position. CLM dips 20-30 supply. Another Baneling mine hits the Marines, and Rainer is making it happen. The ghost count has dipped precipitously low, with only one or two, three ghosts in total, and it's unclear where the other two are. Does he even have cloak? He does not. Another hatchery is attempted, and Rainer is keeping it together, maxed out yet again.

=> 01:51:25

The most epic Starcraft 2 battle ever, with relentless action and incredible comebacks!

Upgrades are sniping some of the corruptors, knocking out a few more. The ghost is tanking the damage here, but the choke point leaves Rainer caught between a rock and a hard place. Another huge counterattack unfolds as the banelings roll in, targeting the SCVs. More banelings roll out to interrupt the ghost, and the ultra leaves through. There aren't enough ghosts, and the liberators are out of position. CLM dips 2030 Supply as another mine hits the Marines. Rainer is making it happen; the ghost count has dipped precipitously low, with only one or two, three ghosts in total, and their locations are uncertain. Does he even have cloak? He does not. Another Hatchery is attempted. Rainer is keeping it together, maxed out yet again but with nothing in the bank. What a game—the final game, the best of them all in a series of some of the most incredible games I've ever seen.

Down goes another ultra. A dangerous game indeed, as the zerglings come again. The Liberator will tax them, but the zerglings will kill the SCVs. The Widow mines cause so much damage. Down goes another Ultra, but three more follow up. Rainer is losing a lot of supply trying to chase down that army. The same can be said on the counterattack. He finally takes down the Liberator, but at what cost? 19 SCVs dead. Queens have to be pulled in; there are just corruptors flinging every which way. He had to build a Spire just to deal with the Liberator, and we are no closer to a conclusion. Rainer has the income advantage, with only three orbitals left as Clen feels obligated to continue building planetary fortresses across the field.

A Widow mine drop on the high ground might be able to take out the corruptor. Splitting is taxing even Rainer's ridiculous APM, but he's keeping it up. Both players are at 180 supply with nothing in the bank. A single infestor is a strong army out of Clen. Rainer needs that infestor; it is very important for dismantling that army. Both players go back to their sides to rebuild, and there won't be much left to rebuild after this. This war might be fought with ultras and ghosts, but the war after this will be Marines versus Queens.

Rainer tries to take advantage of Clem's lapses in attention, but those are few and far between. The most obvious burrow tactic is used, but he gets into the main, targeting the orbital command. Even if he knows they're burrowed there, the ultras come in from the north side. However, Clem has the high ground. Rainer forces a retreat back. Where's that infestor? The Marauders are caught on the corner, but the Snipes come through. Zerglings are cleaned up in the main, and another set of ultras are chased down.

After 20 minutes, both players have nothing in the bank. Incomes are even, and upgrades are as well. The army composition is tilting slightly towards Clen; he's got the ghosts and some liberators but lacks the bank of orbital commands usually desired at this stage. He doesn't have cloak for his ghosts. There's still an infestor somewhere. The zerglings overrun the field again, and the map is sliced in half vertically. The infestor lands a massive fungal, hitting the entire army. One infestor to rule them all. Despite this, Rainer still struggles to power through the bio army, which is very efficient.

CLM still has units and even the supply lead. Rainer is throwing so much at him—almost a thousand zerglings in 20 minutes. The ultras chase back to the barracks, back to the natural. More Snipes and reinforcements from the outlying bases chase down units. It feels like the units are slowing down as they get jammed up. Another ultra dies, and the supplies are still dead even. Clen still has units, and there's still one infestor. The Widow mines work both ways, unburrowing and reburrowing. The medivacs go down alongside the mines, but not enough of them. Rainer is down 20 supply, and that's it. There's nothing left; the engine exploded, and the hatcheries are dead.

Clen wins in the best game of Starcraft 2 I have ever seen. The Widow mines are actually running so fast they're outrunning the lock-on, but you can't outrun forever. Run, Rainer, run. The corruptor, Clem, is still mining from the right side. Rainer can't put together enough units to deal with this anymore. I think that's it. How appropriate that this match will likely end dead even, 3 to 3. Rainer, in any other match, would have tapped out, but he has that infestor and a dream. Clen does not present a large enough target. The infestor is directly underneath, trying to line up the hit. It pops out and dies. The Widow mines explode. Clen ties it up after 1,000 zerglings dead, 18 ultras, and 100,000 resources lost in 23 minutes—over 4,000 resources a minute. That's how it ends.

What a game, what a match. The two most evenly matched players need oxygen masks for how high up they are compared to everyone else right now, even Serral.

Thank you for watching. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope to be casting many more of these matches for as long as possible. If you enjoyed it, it would be awesome if you liked and subscribed. If you have the means and motivation, check out Patreon or YouTube membership. Also, make sure to check out the World Team League because we wouldn't be able to see matches like this without them. If you get the opportunity, make sure to watch them either on YouTube or mostly on YouTube. Thank you for making it to the end. I assume you didn't just skip here; you missed out. Thank you, see you next time. Good luck, have fun.