BROOD WAR SEASON I TOURNAMENT FINALS D22-soso vs. Chris_Low Game: Four Map: Polaris Prime Players: D22-soso Protoss Yellow Mid Left Chris_Low Protoss Aqua Mid Right Length of Match: 34:44

(6)Polaris Prime

With Chris_Low now having a two to one lead in the best of five games match, the action moves to the space platforms of Polaris Prime. Both players choose to lead the noble Protoss army in the upcoming battle. Chris_Low takes residence at the middle right edge of the battlefield, while D22-soso materializes across the platform at the middle left island. Without a land route between the two starting locations, both commanders begin to build up for a longer conflict, concentrating on erecting key buildings instead of masses of troops. Both D22-soso and Chris_Low build Assimilators, Gateways, Cybernetics Core, and Robotics Facilities in a rapid-fire fashion. Both players recognize the extreme need for effective reconnaissance on a map so large, and they also construct Observatories. Chris_Low decides to use a strategy relying on Dark Templar and Corsairs, and adds a Stargate, Citadel of Adun, and Templar Archives to his growing base. If his Corsairs can find and destroy D22-soso's Observers, his Dark Templar will be very difficult to stop. D22-soso will again rely on Reavers and Dragoons shuttled about the battlefield, and constructs a Robotics Support Bay. Both players take their first Shuttle and scout the immense space station for the signs of their opponent. Each Shuttle also takes the time to unload a Probe onto the resource area south of each player. Observers warp onto the field for both players, and the search for the enemy intensifies. D22-soso makes the first contact when his Observer spots Chris_Low's expansion Nexus, and Chris_Low soon responds by finding D22-soso's expansion with his Shuttle. The Observer continues upwards towards Chris_Low's main base, and D22-soso spots Dark Templar constructed moments ago. Both players reinforce their defenses with Photon Cannons, expecting an attack at any moment.

D22-soso makes the first move, unloading a Reaver and Dragoon onto Chris_Low's expansion. The Reaver quickly tears down the defending Photon Cannon with its explosively charged Scarabs, but two Dark Templar and a Dragoon arrive as reinforcements from Chris_Low's main base. D22-soso's Observer in the area is spotted and destroyed by two Corsairs with the help of a nearby friendly Observer, and now the Dark Templar assassins can go to work with their warp blades. Unable to fire at the invisible assassins, the Reaver and Dragoon are quickly dispatched.

Chris_Low responds to the attack with one of his own, landing a single Dragoon onto D22-soso's expansion. The base is well defended by a pair of Photon Cannons, and the Dragoon retreats out of D22-soso's sight. Chris_Low takes this opportunity to expand once more, choosing the bottom middle island as a location for another Nexus. He then reinforces his Dragoon with two Dark Templar, but the attack is soundly repulsed when D22-soso's Shuttle fleet unloads multiple Reavers supported by Observers.

D22-soso decides to expand once more to the platform right above his main to keep himself swimming in resources. D22-soso's Shuttle fleet continues to grow in number, and now with Shuttles available D22-soso attacks Chris_Low's main base. D22-soso unloads five Reavers and three Dragoons at the edge of Chris_Low's base. Three defending Dragoons try to intercept the Shuttles, but concentrated fire from the Reavers blow the Dragoons apart.

The Reavers now begin the slow march into Chris_Low's base. High Templar have been waiting in Chris_Low's base for just this contingency, and suddenly the air crackles and the attacking Reavers feel the fury of Psionic Storm. D22-soso also does not have any Observer support, so Dark Templars dart in and destroy the last of the Reavers.

Now with six Shuttles and a host of new Reavers and Dragoons awaiting transport, D22-soso almost immediately attacks again. This time D22-soso chooses to hit the expansion below Chris_Low's main that is hopefully not quite as well defended as his main base. Taking no chances, D22-soso drops seven Reavers and five Dragoons for air support. Even after High Templar in the area bring Psionic Storms down on D22-soso's troops, enough Reavers survive to kill many Probes and Templar before being destroyed themselves by a small flight of Scouts from Chris_Low's main base of operations.

Counting on the savagery of the attacks to momentarily distract Chris_Low, D22-soso brazenly attempts to create a Nexus in the center of the map. The boldness continues when another full load of Reavers and Dragoons are dropped off by D22-soso into Chris_Low's bottom middle expansion. Chris_Low's air force arrives too late, and the massed Reavers rapidly crack open the Nexus like an egg. Even losing so many expensive Reavers, D22-soso appears to have won the skirmish.

D22-soso now begins to build three Gateways at his new centrally located base. Chris_Low's air group of Corsairs and Scouts intercepts D22-soso's defenseless Shuttle fleet, and the Shuttles retreat to the safety of Photon Cannons in the center base.

The Scouts then begin to attack the Gateways nearby that are outside of the defense umbrella of Photon Cannons, but when Dragoons begin to materialize from the Gateways the Scouts retreat. Chris_Low then sends in three Carriers into the middle, but they too are repulsed by additional Dragoon reinforcement

D22-soso begins to produce large numbers of Dragoons in his central expansion, then continues the offensive pressure by sending a control group of Dragoons to attack the enemy expansion just north of Chris_Low's main base. The Dragoons don't need Shuttles, as there is a land path to this expansion. The Nexus is nearly undefended, and the Scouts and four Carriers that do arrive are driven off by the powerful Phase Disruptors of the Dragoons as well as by the small Corsair fleet that D22-soso has been quietly building up.

The action continues fast and furiously when D22-soso attacks Chris_Low's northeast island expansion with another devastating Reaver and Dragoon drop from D22-soso's ever present Shuttle fleet. Dozens of Probes die swift deaths when the Reavers fire their Scarabs into the mass of Probes harvesting minerals, and suddenly another of Chris_Low's expansions is shut down permanently.

Beginning to become more desperate and realizing the strategic importance of the central enemy expansion, Chris_Low attacks the base with his small Carrier fleet. D22-soso's Dragoons are already on the move and marching towards the expansion below Chris_Low's main, and D22-soso decides to not stop the attack. As Interceptors fly out of their bays and begin their attack runs on D22-soso's base, Phase Disruptor bolts are also now pounding Chris_Low's base. D22-soso is able to defend his expansion with several Psionic Storms from nearby Templar and his ever-growing Corsair force, but Chris_Low has no answer for the massive Dragoon wave now wreaking havoc in his secondary base. Chris_Low is now down to one last source of resources at tbe bottom middle of the map, but it doesn't take long for D22-soso to discover this last base. When the legion of D22-soso's Dragoons begins firing upon the lightly defended Nexus, Chris_Low knows he has lost and resigns the battle. The two combatants match scores are now tied and one final game will determine the champion of the tournament.

Victor: D22-soso