Snute vs Polt

This week’s replay comes from our Event’s page, where you can view statistics on replay packs from tournaments like the 2016 WCS Circuit: Summer Championship or our Test Map KotH.

This week’s replay comes from the Guantlet Season 1 Global Finals:

This replay is game three of the semi-finals between Snute and Polt. You can download the replay or view statistics about it here: http://sc2replaystats.com/replay/3612058

Setting the Pace

Polt opens with a standard double Medivac stim drop followed by double engineering bays into a third, but Snute quickly researches Pneumatized Carapace and scouts the opener.

With his Queen-heavy opening,  Snute has plenty of creep tumors (and a few well placed Overlords) giving him plenty of map vision around his base so his units are always in the right position to drive off the double Medivac drop, while a few Zerglings delay Polt’s third.

Safe from any early aggression, Snute is able to power up to 4 fully saturated bases and start massing Roach Ravager Infester.

But Polt’s been busy on his side of the map, too, amassing Siege Tanks to keep himself safe from any attempted Roach Ravager pushes.

A Terrifying. . . Mid-Game?

Yes, that’s right: At only 12 minutes into the game, Polt’s first big push runs headlong into 5 Brood Lords. Unperturbed in the early game, Snute was able to quickly reach Hive  and begin constructing the ultimate Zerg army.

Polt’s instincts kick in fast: two Star Ports start instantly, and two Medivacs split off to buy Polt time. Meanwhile, his main army still threatens and pushes back creep, making use of the Brood Lord’s slow speed.

But Polt, either over-confident or desperate, pushes too far on creep with his Vikings balled up — and suffers the cost, losing all of his Vikings and subsequently his now defenseless ground army.

Not to say he’s in a bad position. With 5 mining bases vs Snute’s one, Polt is economically ahead. But with that much of an army supply deficit, the danger of losing to an immediate counter-attack is always present.

 

An equally terrifying Late-game

Luckily, Snute opts not to counter attack with the slow speed of Brood Lords on cross-spawn Frost.

But Polt’s worries aren’t over.  Although he put himself in a good position by avoiding Snute’s army, he’s yet to find an army that can actually beat Snute’s head-on, and as Snute begins to amass enough Brood Lords to cover multiple areas at once, avoiding his army becomes more difficult.

And the clock is ticking as a wave of creep, riddled with Spore Crawlers, pushes toward’s Polt.

Polt’s almost pure-Viking army is decimated by Fungal Growth, Parasitic Bomb, Corrosive Biles, and a hail of Queen spines. Polt has plenty of bank to rebuild with — but what? 

 

Polt’s choice: Battlecruisers.

Sadly, we don’t get to see much of them: Even though Polt has a bank, he doesn’t have time. He tries to buy some with a drop again, but this time Snute just ignores it and goes for the kill. It takes Snute down to only one mining base, but this time that’s more than Polt.

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- Sc2replaystats.com staff

 Post written by Justin “TheSkunk” Purdy