Serral vs DnS
(EEST, Helsinki, Finland)
One of the most exciting and long series of the Group Stage came from an unexpected source, as the French Protoss DnS took Serral for a spin in the late game of Zerg vs Protoss!
Even if the score of the series ended up being 2-0 in favour of Serral, it was far from boring! We got to see a nearly 50-minute-long clash between the two players on Ice and Chrome!
Win: Ever Dream (map 1)
With small early game skirmish, the game starts off relatively even. DnS opts for stargate play with phoenix to deny Serral's overlord vision.
Serral goes for a big push through a nydus worm with ling/ravager/queen comp. DnS holds the attack with sentries and immortals, and Serral is forced to retreat, and resume drone production.
Serral nibbles at the edges of DnS' third to keep him on his toes, but isn't able challenge the Protoss' 4 immortals and a 2 colossi.
Serral's lurkers and ravagers hop into the Protoss main through a nydus and DnS has to run back to defend as the main chunk of his army close on Serral's side of the map. DnS takes down a base but decides to return back to the ruins of his production buildings.
Serral advances and moves his lurker mine field on DnS' side of the map and they decimate everything that's left of the Protoss army, forcing the French player to GG.
Win: Ice and Chrome (map 2)
If you missed this game, we highly recommend you go and check it out yourself!
DnS starts the game with a pylon block on Serral's natural, forcing him to expand to the third base location. The early game is relatively calm besides some mild harrash with adepts and oracles, from which Serral's economy takes a hit, but from which he is still able to recover.
Serral's infamous ling runbys force DnS to be more passive than he would like, and the mid-game continues with relatively small losses.
As the timer is clicking towards late game, Serral throws down a double spire, planning for heavy corruptor production when DnS's air units of choice are carriers, void rays and a mothership. Serrals adds broodlords to counter the feedbacks and storms on the ground.
A long stalemate ensues with the person with the most patience being rewarded, as the far-out bases are taken down in turns. With small victories here and there, Serral manages to get the superior composition and economy, with a slightly larger bank, especially in terms of vespene gas.
In the final engagement Serral puts his spellcasters to work, injuring the Protoss units with fungals, parasitic bombs and abducts. The game ends with the protoss armada burning down, and Serral taking another 2-0 in Group B!