BROOD WAR SEASON II TOURNAMENT FINALS [5th]Fire vs. LARRY-THE-WEIRD Game: Two Map: Showdown Players: [5th]Fire - Terran - Aqua - Bottom LARRY-THE-WEIRD - Terran - Red Top Length of Match: 21:41

(2)Showdown

For the second game of the match LARRY-THE-WEIRD decides to face his opponent, [5th]Fire, on a battlefield that has served him well: Showdown. LARRY-THE-WEIRD has effectively used the Terrans on this terrain in the past, and [5th]Fire decides to match his opponent's choice of race by also choosing to command a Terran force. The conflict begins with both commanders ordering their SCVs to harvest minerals with additional SCVs joining the effort in quick succession. Lone SCVs are also sent from each Terran base towards the enemy. Reconnaissance always plays a crucial role in games on Showdown. Supply Depots are built first by both sides, but afterwards the two commanders make different choices.

LARRY-THE-WEIRD decides to save up the 400 minerals required to produce a Command Center. A resource node with Vespene Gas lies directly east of his starting base, but there is no direct land route to the resources. The Terran Command Center's ability to lift off and fly to this base well before air transports are otherwise available is a key ability LARRY-THE-WEIRD is using to his advantage. [5th]Fire decides upon a more conservative approach, and constructs a Barracks after his first supply depot. The SCV sent by [5th]Fire finally reaches LARRY-THE-WEIRD's main base, and the worker spots LARRY-THE-WEIRD's second Command Center being built. [5th]Fire tries to harass the SCV constructing the Command Center by ordering his own SCV to attack. LARRY-THE-WEIRD is forced to order a SCV away from mineral gathering duty to drive the attacker away.

A few marines are sent from [5th]Fire's main base north towards the enemy, but the trek north proves too long for the reinforcements to stop the construction of the Command Center. The marines are able to kill LARRY-THE-WEIRD's SCV that is chasing [5th]Fire's scout. Their long walk was not in vain. The two commanders now proceed to build bunkers at the nearby chokepoints leading into their respective bases. Marines take station inside the bunkers to provide early warning of any incoming attacks. Factories are now built in both bases, with [5th]Fire having an important edge. His decision to create an early Barracks instead of a second Command Center allows him to have two Factories constructed before LARRY-THE-WEIRD has even finished one. A Machine Shop is added to one of [5th]Fire's Factories, and Vultures begin to roll off the assembly lines. [5th]Fire is hoping to quickly attack LARRY-THE-WEIRD and make his enemy pay dearly for expanding so early. With four Vultures ready and the speed upgrade for the hoverbikes nearly completed, [5th]Fire makes his move. At this point LARRY-THE-WEIRD has completed his Factory, and now begins to construct two Starports. LARRY-THE-WEIRD appears to be trying to leap forward quickly to Wraith production.

[5th]Fire's Vultures quickly race up the valley and blow past LARRY-THE-WEIRD's bunker guarding the chokepoint, but LARRY-THE-WEIRD has the perfect counter ready for the Vultures: a Siege Tank. Using precise control, LARRY-THE-WEIRD begins to blow apart each hoverbike one by one. The Vultures respond, but the concussive weaponry of the Vulture does little damage to the armored skin of a Siege Tank. Two Wraiths launch from LARRY-THE-WEIRD's now operational Starports, and the fate of the Vultures is now sealed. Two more Vultures race into the enemy base looking for revenge. But before the Vultures can finally destroy the accursed Siege Tank, the Vultures perish in flames. LARRY-THE-WEIRD decides to counterattack with his two Wraiths, and sends the attack fighters to the south. The Wraiths arrive in [5th]Fire's base and begin to attack SCVs gathering resources, but [5th]Fire repels the attack with a hastily built Missile Turret and Wraiths of his own.

The center of the battlefield is a key spot of contention on Showdown with the two resource nodes in the area, and both commanders now move to secure the area. [5th]Fire sends four Wraiths through the center of the battlefield, and the Wraiths intercept LARRY-THE-WEIRD's Dropship trying to land an SCV onto the central ridge. The Dropship is blown out of the sky, and the Wraiths now target the defenseless SCV below. The SCV on the plateau and an additional SCV of LARRY-THE-WEIRD's attempt to create Missile Turrets to defend themselves, but the SCVs are singled out and destroyed before the Turrets can be completed. LARRY-THE-WEIRD's own Wraiths try to stop the slaughter, but [5th]Fire has a slight advantage in numbers and comes out ahead in the ensuing air battle. [5th]Fire's Wraith losses are heavy, and now the focus of the fight for the middle turns to the ground.

Both players bring Siege Tanks to the middle of the map, and actually start to create defenses quite near to each other. Missile Turrets are constructed first to ward off the ever dangerous Wraiths flying overhead, and Siege Tanks are positioned nearby. [5th]Fire makes a critical mistake, and does not have his Siege Tank next to his Missile Turret. LARRY-THE-WEIRD is able to destroy [5th]Fire's forward deployed Missile Turret without taking any return fire. LARRY-THE-WEIRD's additional expansion he secured with his floating Command Center is now beginning to turn the tide of battle in his favor. With the additional resources available to him, LARRY-THE-WEIRD can construct more Wraiths and Siege Tanks than his opponent. LARRY-THE-WEIRD secures the skies above the central high ridge with his more numerous cloaked Wraiths, and then [5th]Fire's forward base is wrecked when an additional three enemy Siege Tanks arrive on the scene. Tanks open up with a thunderous barrage of Arclite Cannon fire, and [5th]Fire's ground defenses are soon laid to waste. [5th]Fire retreats to a secondary outpost south of the central ridge, but is unable to prevent LARRY-THE-WEIRD from securing the high ground above. Siege Tanks and SCVs are quickly transported to the high ridge by LARRY-THE-WEIRD, and suddenly the entire center area is firmly in his grasp. Siege Tanks once more rain down death upon [5th]Fire's troops.

Both players have expanded to the Mineral only expansions near their main bases, but [5th]Fire has expended the majority of his available troops and resources in the unsuccessful attempt to hold the center of the battlefield. LARRY-THE-WEIRD's additional island expansion has allowed him to build a superior force that [5th]Fire cannot easily match, and the central resources are now completely controlled by LARRY-THE-WEIRD. Sensing his situation to be hopeless, [5th]Fire resigns from the battle. LARRY-THE-WEIRD now only needs one more victory to claim the championship.



Victor: LARRY-THE-WEIRD