As I catch up on all the games I didn’t get to see during my last big bunch of travel, I saw something beautiful. Something that I don’t think we see enough from Protoss of any level. Here are some quick thoughts on the game:

The map was Metropolis, and it seemed to me that throughout the series, but especially in this game, HerO had great mapped out responses to whatever TaeJa did.

The game starts out as standard as can be.

- Fast Expansions by both players.

- Denial of good scouting by both players.

- Fast 3rd CC by TaeJa

- Fast Robo by HerO

Nothing fancy there. HerO also opts to get a very fast Robotics Bay for Colossus tech. At this point, HerO still could have branched in a number of ways. He could have done a one Colossus build, he could have gone for Forges, he could have gone for a Colossus allin.

Then, at 8:22, still when HerO had just 3 gates and 1 Colossus building, his observer scouts exactly what TaeJa has done this game (3 fast CCs, slower Starport).

Immediately, HerO starts Thermal Lance, and adds 3 Gateways.

HerO then goes into a 48 Probe 2 base attack, using 3 ranged Colossus, 6 Sentries, 6 Zealots, and as many Stalkers as he can muster.

While this isn’t ground-breakingly extravagant or fancy, it is beautiful in its own way. With strong execution, especially on this map, it gives HerO an excellent chance to kill TaeJa at a very specific and somewhat easy to hit timing attack. With the fast 3 Colossus, HerO abuses the lack of Starport production time (not enough time to make Medivacs and Vikings). With the 3 very early Sentries (and 3 more added on after buying his Colossi as fast as possible), HerO abuses the relatively small choke point at TaeJa’s expansion.

Players often times get caught up in the way they play, or the way they think the matchup should go. This instant, decisive, and perfectly executed reaction is awesome to see, and shows one of the many reasons why HerO is one of the best in the world.