Monday night Property’s Starcraft team faced off against Imaginary Gaming from France in Cascade Clan League, best of seven game. Here we have a review for those who missed the games.
Map 1: Iron Fortress
Zanster Z (Top Left) vs Welmu P (Bottom Left)

Zanster opened up with a Hatchery first into Gas > Pool, while Welmu goes for a Nexus first. Grabbing a regular timed speed, Zanster decides to get up to 12 zerglings in the early game to try and slow Welmu down. However this actually has very little effect and in the end works more against him than doing any damage or buying time. This in turn delays Zanster’s third base heavily (started at 6:15).

With a very slowed down economy, Zanster has a very weak army to tackle the powerful Immortal/Warp Prism All-in that Welmu is forging back at home.
Once the attack moves out, Welmu walls himself out of his Natural Base with a pylon, thwarting Zanster’s attempt at a zergling counter-attack.

Back at home, Zanster has Hydralisks on the way with range and +1, but it is still not enough to stem the wave of Protoss that keeps pushing him back. Losing the majority of his roaches and hydras to the first initial wave of force fields, lacking substance to his army Zanster eventually crumbles under the pressure, giving Welmu the first map score to his team.
Map 2: Expedition Lost
Naniwa P (Top Right) vs Welmu P (Bottom Left)

In map number two, Naniwa decides to open with a fast Stargate into Pheonix while Welmu goes straight into 3 gate Blink. After a small exchange of fire with Naniwa’s phoeonixes doing no damage, Welmu manages to pull off a contain with up to five sentries under Naniwa’s ramp, forcing him to break the ice rocks in the back of his base for another exit point.

Using the time bought, Welmu establishes his natural and goes into Immortal production. Naniwa however has already been forced to make 3 Immortals of his own, and managing to grab his natural, he then goes robo bay and makes a single Colossus to go all-in.

Not finding an opening into the natural, Naniwa breaks in towards the rocks and makes his way into the main of Welmu from the rear, establishing a pylon and good use of a warp prism to take control of the game. However, Welmu has 3 warp gates that finish up, giving him the production he needs to take the fight. Eventually after a drawn out battle of the ramp Naniwa is forced to surrender, thus giving Welmu yet another map.

Map 3: Coda
Zanster Z (Top Left) vs Welmu P (Bottom Right)

For the third map it is once again up to Zanster to turn things around. This time he goes for a faster third base, cutting out the gas for some time and playing towards hydra/ling as his composition. Once again, Welmu pulls out the same build of Immortal/Warp Prism and with decisive action breaks in between the natural and third base of Zanster.

Welmu makes good use of force fields to lock down the zergs ability to reinforce. Fighting valiantly making a last stand in his natural Zanster ends up falling yet again to the Finnish Zerg.

 

Map 4: Iron Fortress
StarNaN P (Top Left) vs Welmu P (Top Right)

Landing back on Iron Fortress for map 4 and what looks to be the final game StarNaN is brought to bear. Welmu drops a stargate that is scouted by the probe of Starnan, who goes for a twilight council and blink. However Welmu cancels his stargate and goes for a TC of his own, lining up the blink with that of StarNaN. He then manages to soft contain the Swede on one base as he grabs an expansion of his own.

Going for a dark shrine and a warp prism to try to even things out StarNaN manages to continuously deny a third base for his opponent. However the power of +2, Charge and the immortals stop StarNaN from taking a third of his own, limiting him to a two base economy. With four colossus he holds out in his natural, still denying a third base for Welmu at every turn but eventually Welmu puts his foot down and goes in for the kill.

With overwhelming numbers Welmu manages to clench the win, taking the clan war 4-0 to Team Imaginary Gaming.

Property’s manager Pedram ”Alurian” Suneskog said this after the game: ”Welmu and Imaginary gaming played a solid game in their 4-0 victory against us, we thought that we had the right tactics to take them out. But our tactics didn’t pan out. And Welmu played really great. it’s always tough to lose but we have to learn from this loss and take the next step so we can beat the best opponents in the tournament, as I’ve said before i think Imaginary gaming is one of the top dogs of the whole tournament and you will have to watch out for them”

Written by prOp Tenshi