GRAND FINALS: Serral vs. Maxpax (ESL Pro Tour 2023)

An epic grand final between Serral & Maxpax from the ESL Pro Tour 2023 European regionals. Both Serral and Maxpax displaying some of the best starcraft ever.
Match: Serral vs. Maxpax
Tournament: ESL Pro Tour 2023 - European Finals
VODs: ‪@ESLArchives‬
0:00 Game 1
4:50 Game 2
11:48 Game 3
18:08 Game 4
27:27 Game 5
33:07 Game 6
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StarCraft 2 is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and released by Blizzard Entertainment.

[@SC2HL]

Took a while to edit but great finals! I added chapters in the video for each game - Should I keep them in or is this too much of a spoiler?

[@Bob96784]

Its cool!

[@uberculex]

I think it's fine. The video length is already a spoiler usually anyways.

[@estrayk]

it is perfect

[@rogaldorn5634]

Keep them

[@thomasvonbibra6157]

Not a fan of the chapters, especially here where game 6 could have been the length of a 6 and 7, but the chapters spoil the ending.

[@ManlyBog6448]

Hey man I just want to say thank you. I've been a casual player for a few years now and love watching these pro matches. You are by far the most reliable channel with fantastic editing I've seen. You really know how to balance caster jokes/discussion while also keeping games super engaging! I really appreciate your videos and have seen every single one over the past few years. Thanks man.

[@MrSnow24]

So true men!

[@mangstudio585]

Maxpax has gotten so much better in the last year, it's crazy. He used to only cheese not so long ago

[@tigera6]

The funny thing is, I think he could have better Serral if he mix in more cheese in this match.

[@jmgutierrez962]

He really is in another level now.. He is the number one Protoss right now outranking Hero in Aligulac.. Looking forward to more of his accomplishments in the near future.

[@Metaspace2]

My deepest respect to MaxPax, he really has stepped up his game, playing with such calm and precision. Also kudos for coming up with this effective blink stalker stasis ward oracle play style, which really had Serral struggling. And Serral, man. His learning curve speed, adaptability are second to none. Where others fight with their emotion and nerves, Serral coldly analyses the situation and finds a counter. Simply amazing!

[@Franpowah]

Serral going full Overmind in those last five minutes, swarms everywhere! What a scary dude to play against.

[@brrr5733]

That fight at 43:40 was beautiful, the spell combo really shows how strong zerg late game can be when controlled well

[@Black_Weekend]

Star Craft is everywhere! ❤

[@zes7215]

wrr

[@Chris_and_Cory]

Can't believe that overseer at 25:54 survives and gives site to the whole base the mothership could've shrouded.

[@Bob96784]

You have to upload the last game Serral vs. Clem!

[@SC2HL]

Its coming!

[@AceVenturaWhenNatureCalls]

Great game, maybe add a fake game 7 with extra time. Thanks for uploads.

[@tysonmcconnell7112]

My biggest gripe with Serral is his use of banelings. More often than not he absolutely wastes them, sometimes attack-moving would actually get him kills instead of just sending them to walk past troops.

[@SawyerSGN]

Actually, you are supposed to move-command Banelings through your opponent's army when playing against ground Protoss in this way. It's so critical to do, that on Serral's own livestreams, in such engagements he actively comments on how he must move command his Banelings to trade favorably. Just think about it. If they blow up immediately, they tank ZERO damage, and they only get a partial connection. If they're move-commanded, they will attract melee units, tank damage, and push much further into the enemy's army than if the Banes were A-moved, detonating upon first contact with units on the perimeter. Doing what you suggest actually decreases the effective surface area of their explosion. Baneling explodes radially, so surround them with units from all sides. If Banes are indiscriminately A-moved, then you can micro against them much more easily. Just slow down the video and watch the fights. Almost always the move-commanded Banelings will get more value than if they were A-moved. Rarely does Serral "absolutely waste" them. Any top-level Zerg will tell you the same thing, and once you realize the strength, you will be move commanding your Banes more often than you A-move them, I promise :D

[@pigzard01]

Awesome games and great effort from Max Pax he's really improving. First time I've seen a nydus + lurker attack too.

[@killerxn7758]

SPOILRES! I just love how Serral just chocked Maxpax in the final game! out! He really had him in the palm of his hand. I would get trauma from that game if i were Maxpax.

[@BlitkriegsAndCoffee]

+2 Banes man. Just brutal to fight.

[@BlitkriegsAndCoffee]

Wasn't it mathed out that recalling a probe is more economical than Chronoing more probes? As cute as the play was, the recall was worth it if the probe goes back to mining.

[@edgardo400zx]

the commentators said that a queen would kill it but.. what if serral decided to keep it alive trapped there, thats 1 supply that is stuck there doing nothing

[@paronzoda]

Sick games.

[@joshuaoya3]

Still can't get behind Zerg being allowed to abduct motherships and Colossus lol

[@ChocolatePancakeMan]

Making Mothership immune to abduct wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, now that I think about it. Certainly wouldn’t make it meta in PvZ at least.

[@tigera6]

@@ChocolatePancakeMan It would be terrible if you cant abduct Mothership in PvZ for the Zerg. That means they have to send 20 Corruptors to snipe it, through the Skytoss army and taking god knows how many shot doing that.

[@bluex610]

​@@tigera6give it a passive skill that nullifies targeted spells every 30 secs. It'll make it so you need 2 abducts. Imo that would make the mothership a lot more viable. As of right now, it sucks imo.

[@tigera6]

@@bluex610 Agree, thats actually a very nice idea imo. Mothership at the moment is just a glorified -400/-400 unit.

[@Rueffen]

keep it up mate c:

[@Jaryism]

amazing game

[@ElGranPanda]

Good casters and amazing finals

[@TheKarolans]

Why is nobody using sentries anymore? Feels like force fields would make all the difference to cut the swarm apart and maybe dull the pointy hydra spines a little bit...

[@tictcha612]

Nice video !

[@lolialf]

Serral is truly the swarm, an overmind i do not wanto mess with

[@NevermoreDazzle]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOUR VIDEOS MAKE MY DAY

[@DonDensho]

Serral op man

[@kchiem]

46:52 what was that?

[@adrianong360]

Yay new video :D

[@vazi011]

feedback should be in area like EMP

[@yemen242]

better make an extra chapter just to avoid spoilers. A random match should be fine

[@fluffydbeast7557]

Wow hats off to maxpax, he really played well!

[@trizer16]

wait, didn't Seral ever play protoss?

[@ruidasilvamartins]

I love Serral ! Anmd it's always a pleasure to see the protoss get rekt !

[@lanbir]

Zerg wins, I am shocked, absolutely shocked. Who could have seen this coming?

[@cousinpatsey2471]

It'd almost like that's bound to happen a lot when the highest skill ceiling race is played by the best player in the world.

[@zaiks0105]

I truly believe Zerg is unbalanced, has more advantages ... This is on SC devs part

[@Rath_9]

Never realized something could be more annoying than clems widow mine forests

[@kevincadelina8288]

Wing locked up armie

[@ja3482]

5:58 PAUSE!

[@Neowis3]

Who are the commentators?

[@jkkim6928]

Daddy Demuslim & Uncle Wardi

[@hitler69]

2023 and protoss still going for mass stalkers without support

[@VladimirovichChenel]

MAXPAX!

[@rhyvehr]

-> Manages to make enough lings and banes to fk the enemy economy while protecting his base while having a main army. -> ZeRg IsNt Op It's literally always zerg getting wrecked 2 to 1 upfront, then zerg abducts some tier 3 units and wins endgame no matter what

[@RuneKatashima]

It hurts me to watch Protoss players use Stargate so often but be absolutely allergic to Phoenixes and Void Rays even if they're the optimal answer just because Voids are seen as a bit of a noob unit.

[@Bandit5317]

Haven't watched it yet, but the Zerg wins.

[@sunghobaek3361]

🇫🇮💰🤏🛢

[@bradebronson8835]

Serral got revenge after his loss to MaxPax last series.

[@owlnsight3150]

protoss units are as garbage as ever. really need to nerf that extra damage on investors fungus

[@louisdrouard9211]

You don't remember old fungal then 😂 Storm does more than twice the damage and emp is even worst.

[@owlnsight3150]

@@louisdrouard9211 Yes empt is even worst, but storm is the only good thing that toss has. The rest is trash. Combine fungal with parasitic bomb and it is game over.

[@Dman40000]

maxpax outplayed

[@bluex610]

That'll happen when you're playing against serral. 😅

[@garyhapson]

why always zerg wins finals in this game?

[@Antuan_the_Swan]

How do you know my girlfriend, juicy Lucy?

[@bwhity]

zerg op

[@user-kr9dq2un8r]

It was a grand final but a boring one. none of them did something creative special or crazy. just standard PvZ match with oracle blink stalker and disrupter.

[@m0xmAn]

Caster is annoying when he says "damn" on every sentence. Use this video and take a drunk shot gaae every time you hear "Damn""

[@glacen]

Tuned back in to see how SC2 is doing after a year. Zerg still extremely boring to watch, damned if you attack damned if you dont. Back to Broodwar we go

[@Metaspace2]

Serral makes it looks easy. Late game Zerg is so hard to play. Despite 25 yearsof playing StarCraft, 200+ APM, I cannot make it work. And so few can

[@Spaminator3000]

Bye, Felicia! 👋

[@bradebronson8835]

MaxPax beat Serral last series tho... That means Protoss is boring? LOL Cry harder. Serrals #1 player in the world and still loses here and there.

[@glacen]

@@bradebronson8835 Lmao, average KZbin comment. Zerg is boring to watch, it's just constant remaxing whilst throwing wave after wave at the opponent. The only interesting part is the first 5 minutes if the opponent does any damage to the zerg player. Otherwise they just get enough queen's out to stop any early aggression and then it's a slow boring grindfest from then on out. But sure, get triggered by me calling your main race boring.

[@glacen]

@@Metaspace2 Hmmm seems I may have triggered a few people here because they can't read. Lemme be clear, I'm not saying zerg is hard to play or OP, I'm saying it's boring af to watch because past the early game it just gets stagnant of the zerg taking control of the map via creep spread then sending endless waves against the enemy until they break. There used to be so many more interesting unit comps, timings, nydus plays, droplords etc, now I never see any of these unique play styles and it just becomes zerg player holds off early aggression then grinds opponent into submission. Sure there are outliers but the exceptions prove the rule.

[@pehenry]

Somebody needs to have a chat with the "damn" dude and tell him to drop the word. Every now and again, dropping a "damn" might have in impact. But when you overuse it, it's just annoying.