EPT![[image loading]](/staff/alffla/NATEMSL_bannerSemisB.jpg)
Banner by Alffla
Introduction
This Saturday, there will be an event to trump all others. I am not talking about the upcoming final round of TSL qualifiers, but the most exciting Starleague series that we will see in this Starleague season. Of course I am talking about Jaedong vs Kal.
The games that they play are the most anticipated games for me, and they should be for you as well. Usually, semifinals are subordinate in hype to the finals to come. There are situations where this is not the case, and these are when great players lie on both sides of the bracket. The Nate MSL is one such situation, and the possibility of Flash vs Jaedong in the final is on everyone's mind. Jaedong is the closest thing that we have had to a bonjwa in the past couple of years, and Flash is the one who is now eclipsing him in terms of skill. The rivalry between Jaedong and Flash is one that is very exciting for fans, and creates very anticipated games. These two titans met in the OSL quarterfinals and the result was famously disappointing. This is a primary reason why a series between them is not as wildly exciting as this upcoming MSL semifinal.
Jaedong's play has not declined substantially since his super-human spring and summer season, but Flash is simply playing better. It is commonly acknowledged around the forums and elsewhere, that Flash is on top of the StarCraft world at the moment, and he cemented that with a 2-0 result against Jaedong in that quarterfinal series. I would like to hope otherwise, but a Jaedong vs Flash final is likely to be a disappointment. This is a contentious assertion, and I'm sure that it seems outrageous to some. That is fine, because that's not what I'm really here to prove to you. I'm here to tell you that Kal vs Jaedong is going to be epic.
Kal is a player who is closer in skill level to Jaedong at this very moment, after a monumental rise to prominence during the current Proleague season. The rivalry between Kal and Jaedong is not as developed as Jaedong's rivalry with the child wonder, but they do have a long history of excellent competition. ZvP is a matchup that both players are masters of, and they will be playing on a set of maps on which they are both undefeated. Both Jaedong and Kal have been having a great year, and are at the top of their respective games. It will be PvZ at the very highest level.
The Players
![[image loading]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/nakiko/stx/23.jpg)
Kim Ku Hyun, Goojila, Kal. Since his debut in 2006, Kal has developed into a stunning player. His command of the Protoss race garnered him a position among the legendary 6 Dragons of the winter season of 08-09. Since that peak for Protoss players, many have fallen off the radar. Stork slumped in early 2009, and Jangbi suffered an apocalyptic slump from which he is only now recovering. Bisu had a strong spring and summer, but has underwhelmed fans in the latest Proleague season until recently. Free's performance also declined after the age of the dragons.
In contrast to his scaly compatriots, Kal's play has improved. It has improved a great deal. Since the end of the 08-09 Proleague season, Kal has done little but dominate. He has crushed everyone and everything sent his way, with few exceptions. The very short list of players who have bested him since October is a pantheon of some of the strongest players on the scene at the moment, such as Jaedong, Stork, and Really.
In the past couple of weeks, Kal has been replacing Calm as STX's go-to Ace. He has been displaying impeccable play with a level of consistency that is unprecedented for him. Since the start of this Proleague season, Kal has gone 22 wins and 8 losses, which is 73.33%, a very impressive winrate that has translated into his #4 rank by Elo.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/NeverGG/natemsl/06.jpg)
Yes, you have reason to look so chipper.
While PvT is statistically Kal's strongest matchup, his PvZ is what has garnered him renown. His overall record in the matchup is currently 47 and 33, or 58.75%. This winrate does not seem to indicate phenomenal PvZ, but this is a result of his formerly trademark inconsistency. Kal's play against Zerg is known to be frightening. He has strong multitasking abilities and is capable of vicious harass-based games.
Kal is a terror right now. A force to be reckoned with. I have briefly dropped truth bombs about Kal's recent play, but if you want to know more about him as a player, his style and history, 538 has written a great article about him, which you can find here: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=104513
![[image loading]](http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk5/neverggg/playoff2/19.jpg)
In the booth across from Kim Ku Hyun is the legendary Lee Jae Dong. Jaedong is a player that can inspire nothing but awe in the eyes of spectators and peers alike. His rise to dominance reached its peak in 2009. It truly was Jaedong's year. He claimed successive OSLs and a very heavy mouse. He singlehandedly carried Hwaseung Oz to the bloody mountaintop of Proleague finals. The most impressive thing is that his play really did not decline all year. Despite a few ZvZ hiccups early in the 09-10 Proleague season, Jaedong has still been smashing nerds with the same alarming frequency. He has amassed a record of 26 wins and 9 losses (74.29%) since the start of the current season. There is no doubt that at #2 Elo rank, he is the best Zerg player at the moment.
ZvP is Jaedong's second strongest matchup, after his unreal ZvZ, and his record stands at 87 and 42, a 67.44% winrate. He is currently on an 11 game winning streak in the matchup, incidentally with a victory over Kal at the start of it and as his latest conquest. He has not lost a game against Protoss since the start of this season.
![[image loading]](http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk5/neverggg/playoff2/01.jpg)
Honestly, there is little to be said about Jaedong that has not been said over and over. He is among the most accomplished and strongest players to ever play the game. Several wonderful articles have been written about the man, including this one: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=102206 and this one: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=64396
Head to Head
Kal and Jaedong have had, if not a rivalry, a long history of competition. Their current record is Kal 3, Jaedong 9. These statistics are somewhat misleading though, as many of their games have not been as asymmetrical as their record is.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/NeverGG/proleague4/02.jpg)
In each of their last five meetings, Jaedong has won. The latest took place just on Monday, the 11th, in Proleague. It was on outsider SE, and Jaedong won using a 3 hatch hydralisk bust, which Kal scouted slightly too late. People are saying that Jaedong simply did not want to reveal any of his strategies in light of this upcoming series. There was some criticism that Kal was exposing his style to Jaedong, though through their history of conflict, I'm sure both players are well acquainted with one another's tendancies.
![[image loading]](http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk5/neverggg/playoff2/37.jpg)
They met in the Avalon MSL round of 16 on July 16th, and Kal got overrun 0-2. Jaedong simply outclassed him in that series, and nothing seemed to go Kal's way. It is very important to understand that Kal has improved vastly since that time, and he is more capable of keeping his corsairs alive in the face of relentless scourge play (as was a huge problem on their second game on Byzantium 3).
The last time that Kal beat Jaedong was on the last day of 2008 on Colosseum II. It was a straight-up game, in which Jaedong made few mistakes and Kal beat him by force of skill. I expect epic games of this quality, which you ought to see if there are any doubts in your mind about Kal's PvZ, to be the order of the day in their upcoming series.
The Maps
We have a very nice selection of maps for this series, with Match Point as the repeated map. This feature of the map pool alone indicates the potential for this series, as anyone following Proleague knows it produces some excellent PvZ games. The other maps, including the largely untested MSL maps, should produce some quality sets, and will encourage players to show off different facets of their game. One important thing to note about this map pool is that both players are undefeated on each map.
1st set – Match Point
2nd set – Fighting Spirit
3rd set – Ultimatum
4th set – Odd-Eye
5th set – Match Point
Match Point
ZvP record: 14-17 (45.2%)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/235_Match%20Point_thumbnail.jpg)
2nd set – Fighting Spirit
3rd set – Ultimatum
4th set – Odd-Eye
5th set – Match Point
Match Point
ZvP record: 14-17 (45.2%)
Match point has been very exciting for ZvP. The map architecture is such that expansions are aligned vertically for each player, creating short air distances between each player's camp. Protoss has the opportunity to harass easily, and corsair/reaver has proven an effective choice in the past. Kal's harass based play is a strong point in his game, and I expect to see it shine on Match Point.
The close air distances that appear once the map has been divided down the middle also create opportunities for Zerg, and a Protoss who cannot control the low ground area on their side is very exposed to drops directly into the main and natural. I would not be surprised to see a doom drop from Jaedong if he can get an advantage or secure map control by the late midgame.
The air distance, and Protoss propensity for corsair/harass builds on this map means that the Zerg will often seek decisive air dominance. Mutalisks are a common choice, and for Jaedong, with the greatest mutalisk control of all time, it would be surprising not to see them in spades. If Kal goes for a corsair/reaver build, I expect Jaedong to aggressively try to eradicate the corsairs and deny the Protoss air power.
Fighting Spirit
ZvP record:15-13 (53.6%)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/237_Fighting%20Spirit_thumbnail.jpg)
ZvP record:15-13 (53.6%)
There have been many ZvP games on Fighting Spirit recently, and we have seen a wide selection of strategies employed. A great deal depends on the Zerg's choice of third base on this map. If he chooses to take a base at another natural, zealot strike teams and timing attacks can be quite strong. If instead, the Zerg takes a cardinal direction high ground base, he is better defended, but cannot secure the fourth gas as easily.
From the Zerg perspective, mutalisks are an attractive choice. The natural is easy to harass, and they can secure map control, allowing the Zerg to take a frightening amount of gas expansions along one side of the map. If Kal allows Jaedong to secure air control, I feel that he will have an extremely hard game and will likely be outmassed and overrun.
In general, I expect to see standard, safe play out of both players in this set.
Ultimatum
ZvP record: 1-2 (33.3%)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/263_Ultimatum_thumbnail.jpg)
ZvP record: 1-2 (33.3%)
Ultimatum has some difficulties for Zerg. The most likely third base is another natural, quite far from their starting natural. This allows Protoss to exert pressure on the isolated expansion more easily. In the round of 16 against Saint, Kal used a dragoon/corsair build that pressured the third very effectively, and followed up with an impressive number of overlord kills. Because of this, I expect to see some pressure build, probably with a large number of corsairs from Kal.
We have seen the Zerg take the close-by mineral natural instead of another bases natural as a third, as in the case of July's game vs Stats in the final game of the round of 32 group D. Even if Jaedong opts for this choice, the distance to the fourth creates opportunities for the Protoss to strike one base to open up another for attack. Kal's multitasking is quite good, and he can execute these multi-pronged attacks flawlessly.
Because of some inherent difficulties in the map, I would not be surprised by some cheese from Jaedong. He can execute cheesy builds with frightening grace, and this possibility is not to be overlooked. If he opts for more standard play, I would look for a mutalisk-heavy strategy. This is because, if a Protoss is allowed uncontested air superiority, harass is a powerful option, and the island expansions can be easily secured.
Odd-Eye
ZvP record: 1-2 (33.3%)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/262_Odd-Eye_thumbnail.jpg)
ZvP record: 1-2 (33.3%)
The few PvZ games on Odd-Eye have been somewhat standard. The close-by third base is a boon for Zerg defending early, but puts the pressure on them to delay or prevent the Protoss from acquiring it too early.
In his round of 32 group, Kal played Type-b on this map, and used a fast +1 attack and zealot leg speed for a quickly timed attack and followed with dark templar. Jaedong is of a much higher caliber than Kal's opponent at the time though, and I do not expect a similar strategy at all.
While this map's architecture has not been particularly telling in this matchup, I would expect standard metagame play from both players. This prediction ignores some factors of the best of five format though. If either player has secured a 2-1 lead, I would not be surprised to see cheese from them in this set.
Conclusion
Because you have heard my opinions for quite some time now, I figured that I would conclude with an interview from both a Jaedong and a Kal fan. Both of these fellows are quite active here, and they are probably familiar names. A big thank you to both of these guys for helping me out and sharing their opinions on the match.
Interview with Avidkeystamper
- What do you think about PvZ these days?
I'm no expert but PvZ has gotten better nowadays. Maybe because of the maps, maybe because of the choice of DAs, maybe because of new Protoss faces. It's now on par balance wise with the other two MUs, and the PL stats reflect this. PvZ is so complex that I feel a game is already decided most of the battle before the climactic clash. The variety is also astonishing; both sides can choose from many utterly distinct strategies. - What result do you expect?
I think Jaedong has a great chance to sweep, a decent chance of dropping the first set, and little chance of losing. Kal used to be known as a joker, so I expect a cheese or unorthodox play in one game. He will most likely try and tackle Jaedong head-on but still 2 stargate in one game. After going so heavy with lurkers in his series against Stats, I predict that Jaedong will go hydra heavy to keep his game fresh. Maps are slightly slanted toward Protoss, but nothing that would really affect this series unless Kal pulls out a wicked map-specific cheese. - Why should readers cheer for your favorite?
I was captured by professional Starcraft after stumbling onto Jaedong's game against Sea @ Demon's Forest. Seeing that VOD, I deeply felt Jaedong's fury and relentless power that enthralled me. When Jaedong wins, it's a tsunami crashing on the beach, and people should cheer for him because you know there will be blood and excitement. Also, who wants a Flash/Kal finals over a Flash/Jaedong finals?
Interview with 538
- What do you think of PvZ these days?
I think PvZ definitely seems less scary from a Protoss point of view than it did in the last few months, mainly due to some steady and decent performances from bigger names like Bisu, Stork and Kal himself, and some impressive/promising results from a handful of up-and-coming players like Movie, Violet and Flying. Whether it's a slow metagame shift, some natural fluctuation, the effect of the current maps, or just the general decline in Zerg performance, I believe this is not the appropriate thread (yet
) for such discussions. We should just rejoice as neutral StarCraft fans that this beautiful matchup has not continued to tilt, and we have seen arbiters and dark archons along the way back. - What result do you expect?
I think while most would pick Jaedong to advance, Kal will show that he is no pushover. It was interesting to see the psychological war already unfolding with their recent clash in PL on Outsider (where Kal has been showing off some sexy one-base play lately), but this time Jaedong just 3-hatch hydra busted his FE in a rather lackluster fashion, clearly giving him the mental edge going into this series, and reminding Kal of their lifetime stats (9-3 in favor of the tyrant now).
Still, I think JD has to be very careful not to enter the arena this Saturday too overconfidently, his interview upon passing the Ro8 certainly seemed to show worrisome signs of that.
I expect Kal to try to capitalize on his multitasking and restless harass on the games on Match Point - should they get into the lategame. He will probably try a han-bang reaver attack on Fighting Spirit as zerg simcities and contains are very strong there (let us not forget his dragoon-based timing attack either that he showed off on Ultimatum to counter Zerg's over-reliance on simcity), or he may try to cut the game short on Odd-Eye too depending on the standing of the series before game 4.
It's also interesting to note that both Match Point and Ultimatum look rather decent for sair-reaver openings.
As for Jaedong, I expect him to rely a lot on a beastly mutalisk play, especially on Odd-Eye and Match Point (those 3 wins are enough to take the entire series), or to play cocky and standard, always forcing a macro game, where I think he can be seriously surprised by Kal's abilities and preparation.
Realistically I have to predict Jaedong to advance 3-2 (or even 3-1), but as a fan of Kal and of entertaining StarCraft, I'm hoping for a 3-2 Kal victory in a very memorable and entertaining series. - Why should readers cheer for your favorite?
I think I've done my fair share of elaborating on that in my article about Kal around two months ago. Hopefully this additional semifinal appearance will gain him some more respect and fans around the forums. For now let's just all cheer for an amazing series.
Kim Ku Hyun fighting!
I look forward to hearing what everyone else in the community has to say about this series, and I am excited to finally see it.
Thanks to NeverGG for photos and 538 for his suggestions and support.
Statistics courtesy of TLPD.
