VS.

Finally, after much anticipation and many people forgetting this EVER happened, I am able to deliver the game reports of the anti-climactic OLD SCHOOL vs. NEW SCHOOL Team Melee tournament!

Old School vs. New School you ask? What the hell is that? Team melee? And a tournament involving such? What gives?

Well, a while back there was lots of turmoil, some heated ego's and just basic mayhem all around. Name calling was in abundance, sides were taken and lines were drawn. The best way to figure a way out of the mess was to have a tournament to let the real men (or women, you never REALLY know) stand out on top. After some heated debates a decision was rendered to hold a Team Melee torunament. And instead of numerous misaligned and malfucntioning teams, a revelation dawned to have two properly represented teams involving those classified as OLD SCHOOL and of NEW SCHOOL. A date was set and everyone showed up to fight for their cause.

In the channel at game time, it was total chaos for a bit. Sides had to be officially declared. After mush bravado and grab-assing the sides were set and games began. For the most part Mark4, Hawk4 , .Praetor, and :necrosausage!: made up the OLD SCHOOL team (yes, Hawk had a gay name change for tournament, no offense Mark =), while a ton of people (everyone else in the channel) made up TEAM NEW SCHOOL. I don't recall everyone but I do remember ProtecterofAiur, Basic, Enforce, SlingsNArrows, CynicalMagician, SixtyWatz, and myself, Dr.Zchivago were all a part of Team NEW SCHOOL. (ok, right now, if you were here and I didn't mention you, sorry, my memory is not that great and this WAS a long time ago) The point is there were a TON of new schooler's and not nearly enough old school. It didn't really matter though, as TEAM OLD SCHOOL pretty much layed the whoop-ass down and very soon we were faced with Team Mark4/Hawk4 vs Team .Praetor/:necrosausage!: in the tournament finals. So, it was not a question anymore if TEAM OLD SCHOOL would come out on top, but which of the OLD SCHOOL would vie as champion!

OLD SCHOOL vs. NEW SCHOOL

Team Melee Finals, Best of 3

TEAM 1: Mark4/Hawk4

Mark4: co-creator of battlereports.com, strategist extraordinaire, has more experience at Starcraft than a Buddist Monk being celibate, not to mention he is older than dirt (in SC years that is).

Hawk4: bastard child of Mark4, his great SC skills are only in question when he smack talks himself in over his head. fortunately, it doesn't happen all that often. Hawk lives and dies by his voracious aggressiveness, both by the blade and the pen.

TEAM 2: .Praetor/:necrosausage!:

.Praetor: Legend in his own time. His superior creativity can be seen both in his mad SC skills and in his awesome fan-fic series. Highly skilled player ready to lay it all on the line for TEAM OLD SCHOOL. Not Hall of Fame for nothing!

:necrosausage!: Stalwart of nohunters. Brings his unique european flare to all his encounters. Been around for a long time and knows his opponents well. As long as his brain is on track and he listens to it, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Observers:  Basic and Dr.Zchivago

With the introductions out of the way, we are ready to begin. DoH!!!! We can't seem to get started. .Praetor is having some b.net/ISP conflictions and is split into the great unknown. He tries to get back and we wait, but to no avail, the b.net gods declare he will not participate any further tonight. So......

Enter POA

ProtectorofAiur had initially played on TEAM NEW SCHOOL. He was sort of borderline anyway and with everyone's consent, POA joins :necrosausage!: and steps up to take .Praetor's place. A very competent player in all phases: SC skill and ability to smack talk his way with the best of them. Will he be the secret weapon that lays down the law to the "4" brothers, Mark4/Hawk4? We shall see. Lets get going already.

Game 1:

The first game is played on Snowbound. A map introduced on the BW Ladder. It is the snow version of Dire Straits, well sort of.  Ok, not really, just that all the starts are on an island.

Mark4/Hawk4 are primarily protoss with a lone SCV thrown in the mix. They find themselves the color Yellow at the 9:00 start and quickly expidite a build order as they know they better not sit on their laurels with the likes of their opponents. Of course, Hawk4 finds some time to comment on all the pretty lights he is seeing. Go figure Mark4 is left to task the opening moves while Hawk4 spams recklessly.

Necro/POA are also primarily protoss but have a single drone joining the ranks of their probes. They have found themselves at the 6:00 start bearing the color of Teal and unlike Hawk4, immediately set to task with a fervor.

Uncannily, build orders are identical both in choice and in rate of progress.  Pylons are thrown down, Assimilators follow, the token Stargate is next, and the irreplaceable Cybercore rounds out the initial build.  Still matching each other structure for structure Robotics Bays are warped in.  Finally, the twin builds begin to differ.

Necro/POA build an additional Robo Bay.  Both teams slap a Robotics Support Facility down, but with the extra resources available by NOT going double Robo Bay Mark4/Hawk4 are able to get a dragoon and a probe into a shuttle first.

This shuttle drops its cargo at the nearest expansion and continues on a scouting mission finding their enemies at the closest start spot at 6 o'clock.  Necro/POA got their shuttle out in due time and unloaded a drone at their nearest expansion and scouted to the north.

Observatories are found warping in at both bases.  Mark4/Hawk4 looking to build a Nexus in the southwestern most corner and Necro/POA morphing a Hatchery to the immediate northeast expansion.

Now, so far very few offensive units had been built.  A couple of dragoons were visible and both bases were awaiting the weapon of choice...  Reavers.  Mark4/Hawk4 were able to crank one out first, coupled it with a dragoon and went off to initiate the first drop of the game.  This was quite a surprising and deadly attack.  Necro/POA had inadvertently began scouting in the wrong direction and were only just now to the conclusion of where the enemy was.  Luckily, they were able to fend off the first attack with a dragoon and a reaver of their own.  Precious probes were lost, though.

Necro/POA began the scramble to make up for lost probes and to try and establish their own counter.  This planning was very shortlived as Mark4/Hawk4 are right back at them with two reavers.  They had saved the shuttle and a reaver of the first attack and picked up another one to strike again.  What was funny about this is that Necro/POA had just sent their counter drop when this one came.  Again, they fought it off, but not before losing more probes.  And the problem with the fighting off of the two attacks so far is that they have not managed to kill the shuttle or more than 1 reaver.  This allows Mark4/Hawk4 time to regroup with reinforcements.  Or so we would think, as Necro/POA have finally gotten their counter attack off!

And attack they do.  Maybe Mark4/Hawk4 thought they were too hurt with their first one to get an attack off, maybe they just got caught by surprise.  Either way, Necro/POA are able to execute successfully and took down a good many probes before more reavers forced them to lift off and try to regroup on their own.

I find it quite amazing that both teams have the same idea all the way.  Mark4/Hawk4 have reavers in a shuttle just hovering near the enemies base awaiting a rendezvous with reinforcements.  Necro/POA have the same idea and mimic that plan with their own.  And believe it or not, Hawk is relatively quiet right now!

Again, both teams strike almost simultaneously.  Mark4/Hawk4 are able to get in first and start ripping it up with 2 more reavers.  Necro/POA are able to land their strike force, too, but are not able to penetrate very deeply and find themselves facing the reinforcments of Mark4/Hawk4 well away from the target of probes.  There is some good micro in both bases, but it soon becomes clear that Mark4/Hawk4 own the upper hand and destroy a much needed shuttle of their opponents while defending the attack.

With their main attack force lost and not near the ability to fend off the enemies in their base, Necro/POA are in major trouble.  To add insult to injury Mark4/Hawk4 plan a vicious attack...  The patented 8 probe drop!  

With the humiliation presented, Necro/POA leave quietly and Game 1 goes to Mark4/Hawk4.  Such arrogance and attitude should not be lauded, but I have to say they definitely had the unit of the game.  Seems as though the very first reaver produced not only survived the entire game, but was in on every attack.  No matter if you like seeing an 8 Probe Drop, you got to like a reaver with so many kills.  Of course, we all know Mark was the one controlling the reaver.  I am sure Hawk never touched it!

With that crazy game finished, lets get to Game 2!

Game 2:

Everyone was still in high spirits back in the channel and Game 2 was soon underway.  Mark4/Hawk4 were feeling very confident after the last win and decided to go primarily terran for this game.  They got a yellow (color hack) Command Center located at 9:00.

Necro/POA were not phased at all in the first loss and decided to keep things the same way they had in game 1 as far as races go.  They received a blue Nexus at 6:00.

Builds begin and scouts are sent.  This time Necro/POA are the benefactors of lucky scouting.  They find Mark4/Hawk4 first and decide that the way they are building is the way to go.  They did not build any zealots but waited for their lovely dragoons.  Of course, Necro let it be known he feels it is not just if you win, but if you look cool doing it!

There was a brief pause in the game here.  I can't remember who paused or even what for.  But during the break Mark and Hawk let everyone hear huge plans of terror death and destruction.  Also, we decided to save here.

Mark4/Hawk4 are diligently working on their build.  1 Barracks and 1 Factory are already present.  The Factory had just added on a Machine Shop and an SCV was just beginning construction of a bunker near their choke.  2 marines were scouting to the south in the direction of Necro/POA.  A group of 5 dragoons meet the marines in between the bases.  The marines accomplish nothing other than stalling the protoss posse and alert that they are on the way.

The dragoons immediately set fire upon the SCV erecting the bunker.  Mark4/Hawk4 come to a fast realization they had better get mine laying availability pronto, or it would be all over.

Necro gets a little happy over seeing their dragoons marching into the enemy base practically uncontested.  Hawk actually tries to rally his team!

And rally they do.  Mark4/Hawk4 bring in the troops they have to try and fight the dragoons, mighty SCV's!  Micro begins on both sides as not only are SCV's in the fray now, but it seems as though 2 vultures have also made it out of the Factory.  And just when it looks like the dragoons are going to end it all, Mark4/Hawk4 have a prayer answered as shown in the first mine being planted by a vulture.

The scene gets even uglier for Necro/POA.  Not only have mines become a factor, but in the targeting of vultures and marines the SCV's have actually been successful in taking down a dragoon.  There are only 3 dragoons left to try and combat the master mix of marines, mines, vultures and SCV's.  There are more troops on the way but they will not make it in time.  Necro is not pleased about the turn of events.

The teams take a moment to regroup.  Necro/POA made a nice enough dent in their enemy they decide to tech and expand.  A Citadel of Adun is followed immediately by an Archives.  And a Hatchery is morphed in the bottom right corner expansion.

Mark4/Hawk4 were badly hurt yet manage to erect 2 more factories.  Things may yet get interesting.  However, as soon as the Templar Archives is finished Necro/POA begin speaking of dark templar.  Mark4/Hawk4 have recovered well enough, but are only beginning the construction of an Engineering Bay when the first pair of dark templar are on the way.

And then the bad thing happens.  We get a wait screen.  Waiting on Hawk.  We actually waited a few times, but each time the count starts from a lower number.  Soon enough we were without one of the players and a team was reduced to "half" of what it was.  Now, if the team was really hampered by this or not is irrelevant.  We must start again.

Blah.  We didn't save all that recently.  It would be nice to have saved from this exact point.  But as it is, the nearest save begins right before the initial troop movement.  There is a lot more to this report and in the spirit of letting you all feel the consternation we felt in this game when Hawk was disconnected inadvertently (it doesn't matter, its's Hawk), I am stopping Part I right here.

Muahahahaha.  Now go read Part II !!!!!

-Dr.Z