Chapter 466: Sweet Potato's Determination
On the day of the match between Sweet Potato and Origin.
The venue for this competition was a specialized arena, with a style as simple and clean as before.
Outside the venue, various spectators and reporters were all eagerly anticipating the outcome of this match.
Although it was a battle on behalf of humanity, Sweet Potato first and foremost represented his own country, and only then all of humanity.
There were many "Warcraft" players on site, as well as many of Sweet Potato's personal fans. These people cheered him on as he entered, since it was clear from his expression that he was under immense pressure this time.
None of these people could enter the venue, but there was a TV outside where everyone could watch the live broadcast.
Chen Mo, Li Jingsi, Goph, and the others had all come as well, causing a small stir among the audience. They signed autographs for many fans before sitting down.
The match was about to begin, and the atmosphere quickly grew quite solemn.
Goph appeared as steady as a mountain on the surface, but inwardly he had no confidence: "I wonder if the tactics we carefully prepared will work."
Li Jingsi looked at the big screen and said, "The tactics have a chance of success. It all depends on whether Sweet Potato can fully execute what he prepared."
The script was well-written, but whether Origin would cooperate with the performance... that was hard to say.
...
The match between Sweet Potato and Origin officially began!
As soon as the first game started, everyone's heart sank.
Large map, far spawn points!
Obviously, this wasn't good news. Far spawn points meant that no matter how much pressure was applied in the early game, it was impossible to crush the opponent. The tactics were simply unfeasible, and the match would inevitably drag into the mid-to-late game.
By then, Origin would inevitably gain some advantage in chaotic battles through its own micro.
On the small screen, Sweet Potato's expression was also very grim. He stared intently at his computer screen, barely daring to blink.
Unable to gain an early-game advantage, Sweet Potato instead went against the grain and started fast-expanding. Every time he established a new expansion, he erected a sea of arrow towers, clearly aiming for a turtling playstyle.
This tactic did have an immediate effect. After Origin tried to charge the arrow tower formation a few times and failed, it decisively gave up.
This allowed Sweet Potato to enter the mid-game with an even or even slightly advantageous position.
"There's hope! Sweet Potato's turtling move was clearly well-prepared. Even Origin couldn't break through the arrow tower formation!"
"No kidding. Arrow towers shoot automatically. Whether you're an AI or have amazing micro, you still get hit."
"For the first time, I'm glad humans have arrow towers..."
The audience on site was filled with hope. However, the faces of several experts were clouded with worry.
Li Jingsi sighed softly. "It's not going to work."
Goph also said, "Sigh, but with a large map and far spawn points, this is the only way to take a gamble. What else can you do? Any other approach would lead to an even faster death."
Chen Mo knew very well that Sweet Potato's choice could indeed help him drag the game into the late stage, but the problem was, when it came to a 100-population army clash in the late game... he still couldn't win!
Comparing full-population army micro against Origin? Was he out of his mind? Even with its APM limited, it would still utterly crush a human.
As for the fast-expand economic advantage that many were hoping for, it never materialized.
Because... after Origin judged that it couldn't break through the arrow towers, it stopped charging and started expanding itself!
"This Origin... holy crap, isn't this the 'random expansion' strategy? How is it playing that too?"
"The position it chose... damn, that's really sneaky. Sweet Potato has no idea!"
"Sweet Potato might think he has an advantage in the number of expansions, but he really doesn't. Both sides have the same number of expansions!"
After seeing that Origin could also expand, and even use the random expansion strategy, the audience on site was completely thrown off.
By the mid-game, these spectators finally realized that both sides had similar expansions and economies. But every time a small skirmish occurred, it seemed like Sweet Potato was the one taking losses!
He would lose a few units here, a few arrow towers there. Although the impact wasn't obvious, it added up, and the gap slowly widened.
In the final decisive battle, both sides had full-population armies. But at this point, the difference in micro became apparent. Sweet Potato's population dropped noticeably faster than Origin's. Eventually, after the Archmage fell, Sweet Potato helplessly typed "gg" and quit the game.
And Origin, with almost zero delay, replied with a "gg."
This AI was quite polite...
But that didn't make the onlookers feel any better.
"Sigh, what a shame. Couldn't win the final team fight."
"But it feels like the gap is smaller than in those two matches against Starlight. If it keeps going, maybe he could win?"
"Sigh, the smaller gap this time is only because both sides were expanding early on. Sweet Potato used a turtling strategy, but turtling can't solve Origin either. It just delays the inevitable."
"Exactly. In other words, it's a slow death. How hopeless... From the mid-game on, every team fight felt unwinnable. If I were Sweet Potato, I would have surrendered long ago..."
"Maybe that's the dignity of a pro player. Hope luck is on humanity's side next round..."
...
As everyone was sighing, after the break, the second game began.
And this time, the spawn points made everyone's eyes light up.
Large map, close spawn points!
This was already the best possible spawn for a human Tower Rush strategy! Because on a large map with close spawn points, the distance between the two sides was even shorter than on a standard two-player map. The closer the distance, the more advantageous it was for a human Tower Rush!
"Sweet Potato's scouting Peasant scouted counterclockwise and immediately found Origin's base location. Close spawn points!"
"Great! The long-awaited Tower Rush is finally here! Sweet Potato didn't hesitate at all. He's calling the Militia!"
"He's going all out!"
Clearly, luck was now on Sweet Potato's side. If it had been another large map with far spawn points, he might not have had the confidence to drag the game into the late stage.
After discovering it was close spawn points, Sweet Potato immediately called the Militia, preparing for a Tier 1 Tower Rush!
And Origin reacted very quickly. According to its original plan, the Demon Hunter was supposed to go leveling, and the opening was entirely standard. But after seeing Sweet Potato's scouting Peasant, it immediately canceled its leveling plan!
Its own scouting Wisp hadn't spotted Sweet Potato's location, but clearly, if Sweet Potato's Peasant could reach its base at this time, it had to be close spawn points!
"Holy crap! Origin's reaction is way too fast and decisive!"
"And it doesn't seem to hesitate at all! Obviously, it has a complete set of countermeasures for a Tower Rush, right?"
"Damn, this is a narrow-road encounter, bayonet to bayonet! The key is whether Sweet Potato can fight it out and get those arrow towers up!"