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I read many blogs on TL of people wanting to go pro or how they plan to drop everything and be a progamer....To all of those people it's time for some real going pro story time. Told from my perspective about the upcoming player Illusion, Terran player for Vile gaming.
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It's not often I get to watch a player improve quite like Chris has over the past year, after some games tonight I got all inspired to go on a writing spree and share a story that I think people may find interesting about this upcoming Terran player!
When I first saw this guy in November 2010(or so) at a local lan he was a simple, nothing special mid masters zerg player, (maybe even low masters I don't even remember) who was screwing around playing multiple races and didn't seem like much of anything. He had just recently joined a new team I believe, Revoki gaming which had a bunch of mid tier players. (eventually all the good Rev players left for sponsored teams and poor Rev died but that's another story for another day lol)
There are always thousands of virtually unknown players who plod through mid/high masters ranks on average mid tier American teams, never making a name for themselves, never really standing out ever and then they just fade away. I experience this because I play at around a high masters/gm level in NA and see many people come and go. (I sort of remain same skill level and get to watch people pass me or crash and burn while I stay same old same old, but this is also another story for another day) Every now and then things seem to fall into place for particular players though, I've observed it online often, but my story watching Illusion runs a little deeper than the usual jump to stardom I might watch online. Little did I know when first seeing him play that Illusion could do it. After watching him 3-0 demuslim convincingly tonight to qualify for IEM Sau Paulo, I felt a sort of circle had completed in a story that I could share...
I didn't think much of Illusion at first, he continued coming to lans, always placing fairly high, he switched to main terran I believe sometime shortly after I first saw him over the fall/winter of last year. It wasn't until a lan in May 2011 that I actually felt something, felt like he could have some serious potential.
I had played vs him before a few times at lans, always winning pretty easily. Something quite different happened during a day of a lan in May 2011 though. It was quite odd actually and I never really talked about it, only a few people know this story. We both played each other in the morning for an online tournament totally unrelated to the LAN (it was some qualifier for some other IEM event or something) and I won 2-0 over illusion there in pretty easy wins. Didn't really think much of it at all) Besides I'm "supposed" to beat totally unknown random 15 year olds...5 or 6 hours later we met again in the semifinals of the lan and he won 3-1 I believe in a bo5, with some quite different play vs my quite similar play.
I was actually too pissed at the time of losing at that time to really realize that he had analyzed the replays of our morning games from the online event and simply adjusted perfectly vs my style, all in a very short timespan. He went on to defeat a high masters zerg player in the finals of that lan that day, but I remember leaving the place wondering if I had actually played poorly in the semifinals, or if this illusion guy actually had quite a bit more depth to his play than I ever thought. I didn't feel like I played any worse than I had in the morning and yet in the late afternoon I was taken out in a bo5 by the same player. I saved the replays of all games we played that day (I think we played each other 8 or 9 times) and watched them later that night. The difference of play in morning/afternoon was pretty remarkable. Simple adjustments were made but they were perfect and perfectly executed.
Now most players can make adjustments given replays and time. But for most average players they need to practice the adjustment many times before executing it. Top tier players will usually grind out games and be able to fall into adjustments as needed. Something Illusion did that day was adjust literally on the fly, something that I did not expect at all and definitely not something I typically see from a player so young. I know and have played against other young players, (pokebunny for example) although he has QUITE a bit more RTS background than illusion. Illusion comes from next to nothing before sc2, (casual CS player?)
Anyway shortly after that lan event in May Illusion traveled to NYC to compete in a WCG event. I remember watching this event and his games because at that time I had taken a bit of extra interest in him. I forget who he lost to deep in the tournament (perhaps pokebunny?) where he was literally SUPER far ahead the entire game and then suicides an entire army into a tank line and had some really bad decision making in general from what I observed. I remember getting annoyed watching, myself being a more experienced RTS player I could actually see things in his play that if he improved he could be so much better. I told him he should practice mech/positional based builds more (I still tell him this) but his strengths were always in micro/harass builds which actually suits terran perfectly in SC2. One of the reasons I think I'm not as successful playing terran in sc2 is its better for unpredictable/harass/aggression, all things Illusion does well. I'm aggressive but I prefer to play a more structured/practiced style where I need to practice builds 50 times before I would ever consider using them in a tournament.
2011 summer went on, I forgot exactly when he joined Vile(June?) but I remember thinking that was a perfect fit for him. I knew many Vile players (still do) and thought it would only benefit him. It sure as hell did...
Can't remember exactly his specific mlg results before Providence. I remember he had difficult brackets but did well. He had to play his teammate Spanishiwa round 1 I think in Raleigh. He ended up making it to losers round 7 or 8 where he lost to a solid NA protoss player, rsvp. He was another MLG as well, maybe one of the earlier ones (Columbus? Anaheim?)
Providence was his first real big splash and I actually watched most of his games. Somebody I enjoy following fairly closely as well is Kawaiirice. Illusion and Kawaii played each other in Providence which I remember hating hardcore. (Lose-Lose!) It was funny because I'm pretty sure they both asked me how each other played (I know illusion did) and I lied, I told Illusion that kawaii played mech style lol... T_T
I <3 both kids BUT Kawaii was still > Illusion due to broodwar background, plus I owe Kawaii for trying to help my god awful broodwar tvz...so I help out wherever possible including feeding bullshit info to his opponents at mlgs. but this is another story for another day.
Despite these shenanigans Illusion ended up winning and went on to take out Sheth and play amazing sick series vs TLO/Haypro and others. When he was playing vs Sheth/Haypro so many people were like "Who the fuck is this kid? Is he good? Why have I never heard of him?" I just remember standing there thinking, am I really watching this guy tearing through MLG bracket? A year ago at the same time he was getting roflstomped by a random mid masters protoss in a PvZ in a lan in a random backyard lan center....now random guys are asking me who the hell this gosu as fuk kid is.
Was kind of surreal to me. I think it's been surreal to him too. As most players rises they don't ever really expect it, it sort of just happens as they keep improving and getting better. I spend many mornings browsing TL blog section reading about how billy bob the gold leaguer is going pro. Meanwhile I'm actually watching it happen.... This is how it actually happens folks. Hours and hours of hardwork, months of practice and dedication. That's why watching high level bw/sc2 never gets old to me. Just thinking about how hard that person is working to get to where they are...pretty mind boggling.
There's more to be told and I'm sure some of my facts might be wrong but it's been fun to watch this player from my perspective!
People watch top players and leagues like ESL/IPL/NASL/GSL and you see the games, but the stories of how they rise don't always get told. I've always had huge respect for top players in bw/sc2 because I know how much work it requires, you have to want it more than anything else really and dedicate yourself so hard to get to the level you see players at. When it pays off...it's really quite amazing, especially considering how difficult it is for new players to break out. You have to navigate a labyrinth of koreans and the 2-3 dozen already established pros who get invited to the same top tier events, it's actually quite a bit harder for new players to break in, once there I suppose it's easy to stay. But everyone's earned it at one point or another.
gL @ IEM Illusion you just qualified for a major international event...I think all of DC area supports you 100% I know I do, >_>; !~!~
 
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Many of us have been saying it for a while.
The kid is good. I know talent when I see it.
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GO ILLUSION! Nice Blog 
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Nice read and perspective on an up-and-comer. Gratz to Illusion, and thanks for this Luckyfool
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♥
I'm pretty sure they both asked me how each other played (I know illusion did) and I lied, I told Illusion that kawaii played mech style lol... T_T
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On January 13 2012 15:16 vileIllusion wrote:♥ Show nested quote + I'm pretty sure they both asked me how each other played (I know illusion did) and I lied, I told Illusion that kawaii played mech style lol... T_T ._.
I think I give kawaii bad luck, whenever I get eliminated at mlg first thing I do is go find where he's playing and I end up watching him lose which just makes me more depressed....happened when he played vs sjow at colubmus I think it was, saw him get 4-0'd by demuslim in an extended series once which was hella depressing (Columbus or raleigh cant remember)
later in the year during IPL3 I remember I went over to see his championship bracket match and found out he had to play huk and lost 0-2...
maybe I should just avoid him at lan events and he'll go undefeated.
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Korea (South)11596 Posts
I played Starcraft since before he touched a mouse. Now he's winning tons of stuff. sick life.
I love you illusion, you're a true nerd baller. (and I love you too LuckyFool)
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On January 13 2012 15:31 LuckyFool wrote:Show nested quote +On January 13 2012 15:16 vileIllusion wrote:♥ I'm pretty sure they both asked me how each other played (I know illusion did) and I lied, I told Illusion that kawaii played mech style lol... T_T ._. I think I give kawaii bad luck, whenever I get eliminated at mlg first thing I do is go find where he's playing and I end up watching him lose which just makes me more depressed....happened when he played vs sjow at colubmus I think it was, saw him get 4-0'd by demuslim in an extended series once which was hella depressing (Columbus or raleigh cant remember) later in the year during IPL3 I remember I went over to see his championship bracket match and found out he had to play huk and lost 0-2... maybe I should just avoid him at lan events and he'll go undefeated.
dont touch me ever again irl
seriously i will smash a table if my kiwis see u within 30 feet from me while im playing
D:
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-At other youth aspiring to starcraft glory: The harder you grind, the easier it looks. This something not many people get. I didn't get it when I was younger though I thought I did. You only start 'getting it' when you try and put it in practice every single day.
-At Vile, you must be a young asian child. "Jinxing" is a real phenomenon. I know how pride, even a milliliter of it, can distract the chinese mind. The best is to simultaneously accept and reject praise.
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nice blog mate, good read.
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Nice blog. Grats Illusion
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I've also had the pleasure of seeing Chris develop, going from an average mid-masters Terran to defeating me handily within 2 months and is now to the point where he can improvise a build and still take me out with ease. This is coming from a Zerg player that has beat many of the top Terrans on ladder. He seriously has the best TvZ I have ever seen.
To any kids wanting to go pro like Illusion, as LuckyFool says: you have to WANT it. Not only that, but you have to work towards that. There were many times where Illusion would message me in the middle of a 16 hour practice session for some games because "all the other Zergs I know are dodging me." This is astounding -- He's playing so much but not dropping off. After 5-6 hours of practice, I become mentally fatigued. After 12-14 hours, after tiring out all of his practice partners, he is still messaging more people for games and defeating them with ease.
If you have the desire, and the work ethic, anything is possible. But you also need to be able to be critical of your own play and be able to make adjustments as you see fit.
Great blog LF.
- Drone
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the responses by illusion and kawaiirice are pure gold ^^''' LOL
in all seriousness though, nice job@illusion ^^
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gogo illusion!
Nice blog, Rob :D
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I couldn't have written this better.
Rob and I are like Illusions two fath..
er nevermind that.
That's okay, when Illusion wins a GSL, I can be like "yo I remember this kid when he was in masters!"
Illusion #1 Hipster-fan right here! Maybe I'll put that into my Sig... hmm.
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I'm proud to have been there since the beginning ^^
Ignore torenhire, he's not the #1 fan 
I actually talked to your mother, so I'm more like your father than anyone ! hoooooooooo
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Me and my buddies watched him play Live at Providence. We had the perfect spot because he wasn't too far away from the outer ring of the competitors area. It was really entertaining watching him play I gotta say. We also got to watch MKP (who sat in the same seat after Illusion was done) annihilate DarkForce so the difference in skill was very apparent when we made the comparisons lol, but Illusion is no joke brotha.
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If I was trolling I'd summarise by saying that mid-masters Zerg switches to main Terran, then shortly afterwards rockets up the ranks to become Pro. But I'm not, so GJ Illiusion and nice blog.
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Korea (South)17174 Posts
this one fixed himself...
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Uhm yes very nice but I will make a judgement when Illusion has made a name for himself in big tournies. Otherwise I think of him just as generic NA terran whos pretty good, like ThisIsJimmy, TriMaster, or Drewbie. (the list goes on there's tons of NA terrans who are "good" by NA standards)
QXC will always be my favorite NA Terran with most potential imo <3
Edit: Oh hes only 15? Is this a trend? 15 year old terrans who are good? DarkHydra, HeRoMaRiNe, and now Illusion.. lol weird. I think its funny how the Korean 15year old terran (TaeJa) is still miles ahead EU and NA 15 year old terran.
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Interesting to hear this. It sounds like adaptability is still very important in SC2. I think that will prove to be especially important when HotS is released, and all the 1-build-abusing players get thrown back into bronze league, where the real pros will quickly morph their style to accommodate.
It's interesting to watch what players evolve over time and which stagnate or even regress (as other players get better/figure out their builds).
The best players are the ones who rely on their game sense, mechanics, and understanding of deeper strategy, rather than clever builds. It's always much more interesting to watch that manifest itself rather than, "oh hey, it looks like his build just countered that other build."
And as always, good to see you still posting Rob.
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5 stars
and that game against sheth was amazing
soo many marine drops
im def excited to see what will happen with chris in the future though
gl
illusion fighting
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Thanks for the blog, I love all these pro blogs that we had since the new year .
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Man blogs like these make me wanna switch to sc2 lol.
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illusion to korea this summer?
here's to the best chris~
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Nice write up LuckyFool.
I remember when I was finishing my 2nd to last semester that I was thinking whether or not I wanted to try taking SC2 seriously or not after graduating. I decided not too but at the time I was looking for training lessons. Even though I'm borderline GM I still felt that it would benefit me to get some training from other terrans for other perspectives on the game. I remember seeing Illusion had low prices at the time but I never pursued this probably because I was too busy with school and work. Now his prices are like doubled.
Like a few months later there is Illusion shitting all over the competition at age 15. I feel weird trying to talk to him/about him because he's so young.
The other point that I wanted to make was, I purposely didn't give a shit about HS. Did terrible, barely passed HS. Now have graduate degree. My blog post was more for just college because you shouldn't waste time when going for a career. The only good thing about H.S. is that it could help you get into a better school.
Good luck Illusion.
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Ilusion looked good in the IPL Team Arena as well defeating Choya and Lucky. Demuslim said on his stream that he got 3-0'd by Illusion for a qualifier of some sort. Definitely going to be following this guy.
Lucky I remember those practice games you had with Kawaii, he was streaming and it was just before TSL2 right? Destination/Heart Break Ridge era? I remember this because Kawaii kept saying you only needed 1 gas on 2 base doing m&m TvZ until science vessels.
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On January 13 2012 21:45 Snuggles wrote:
Me and my buddies watched him play Live at Providence. We had the perfect spot because he wasn't too far away from the outer ring of the competitors area. It was really entertaining watching him play I gotta say. We also got to watch MKP (who sat in the same seat after Illusion was done) annihilate DarkForce so the difference in skill was very apparent when we made the comparisons lol, but Illusion is no joke brotha.
i have never been to MLG.
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i like how you have a 1:100 poster to reader ratio
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ah cool blog, I'll have to have an eye out for illusion. I knew he was young but didn't think much of him until now.
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I remember playing Illusion right when he switched to terran, even right when he switched he still gave me really good games and won most of the time. I am glad to have seen him improving so much. I had to play Illusion for my tryout for Revoki was a fun game.
Illusion fighting! <3
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Illussssssion~! I remember this kid as well from when he first joined vile and I think I'm on the same page as you with his very rapid improvement (and builds). GL
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On January 28 2012 06:30 DarKFoRcE wrote:Show nested quote +On January 13 2012 21:45 Snuggles wrote:
Me and my buddies watched him play Live at Providence. We had the perfect spot because he wasn't too far away from the outer ring of the competitors area. It was really entertaining watching him play I gotta say. We also got to watch MKP (who sat in the same seat after Illusion was done) annihilate DarkForce so the difference in skill was very apparent when we made the comparisons lol, but Illusion is no joke brotha. i have never been to MLG.
Hilarious post of the year.
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Good luck Illusion! Rooting for ya bud.
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Wow major name dropping by JP on MLG Live in support of Illusion!
Grats on the celeb status
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excellent blog
will keep my eyes for illusion
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I am really glad that I actually came back to his stream when I first saw it, when he was still playing zerg. wich isn't my main race.
The thing that impresses me the most is his awesome thoughts that he gives during his stream, he really figures things out - goes about it, explains why and all. He is really talented and only want to see him do well in the near future. He is aswell a guy who just wants to make his stuff work, even tho everybody says how bad it is, he finds the weak spots in people. really cool to see,
gg!
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I've been away forever, but it's good to still see you around and kickin' Lucky
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EPT
