The day that EffOrt made his first known appearance on Afreeca playing ZvT on fish on Mong's stream. A former S-class player who had an OSL under his belt, and was away playing the sequel of the greatest game of all time, there was a lot of excitement about what this meant for the scene and his fans. Was this a one-time thing? Is he coming home? As time passed, much to our joy, he started up his own stream and became a consistent streamer, showcasing his unique playstyle as he slowly regained his skills with each passing day. It's been about 4.5 years since he returned and much like other BW players, he left recently to do his military service.
However, EffOrt's accomplishments in the post-KeSPA era are matched by few, if any Zergs, and in order to truly comprehend them, a walk down memory lane is needed. Without further ado, here's EffOrt's story.
EffOrt arrived months before SSL11, the biggest offline BW tournament at the time, was set to start in 2015. Receiving an invitation as a legacy player alongside Bisu and ZerO, he became a poster child for a tournament that was brimming with both old and new participants, and brought forth a lot of hype with his appearance. After all, this was a great opportunity for the fans to watch his offline performance since the KeSPA era:
For his part, EffOrt played well in his first tournament back, topping his group in the Ro32. Alas, he quit in the Ro16 in a fit of rage after losing to Mind on Neo Jade citing launcher problems, favoritism and personal issues. This elicited a negative reaction from the community, and Kongdoo, his agency, ended up releasing an apology for his behaviour. Even though this blew our expectations in a different way, many were still excited to see what EffOrt could accomplish with his next target being the VANT36.5 National Starleague at the end of 2015!
Carrying the fans' expectations, EffOrt did not disappoint showing why he was considered one of the best Zergs around. He made it past the Ro32 and Ro16 finishing in second place by beating Pure, ZeLoT, July and Rush before he defeated GuemChi and ZerO to make the finals. There he beat Bisu, 3-1 to claim his first championship in this era. This was no easy feat as he won the most premier BW tournament about a year after he returned.
With this win, EffOrt grabbed the Zerg throne for himself, unseating hero who sat there mere months prior.
Having met the fans' expectations, many were excited to see just how far EffOrt can go. Can he maintain his current form for future tournaments? Will he become a dominant force, perhaps a bonjwa in the post-KeSPA era? Sadly, that did not happen.
Every spectator who has kept an eye on EffOrt's games can confirm that he is a fantastic Zerg who can read games well, and knows how to manipulate the game flow to his advantage, taking small wins and compounding them to a greater victory. However, luck of the draw and/or subpar performance meant that EffOrt was no longer able to reach the top again in non-invitationals. In ASL, his highest finish was the Ro16. For 5 straight ASLs from 2016 to 2018, EffOrt managed 4 Ro16 finishes and a single Ro24 exit.
For a player of his caliber and potential, this was certainly disappointing to see...
Now, he did manage to win a small invitational tournament, SSL Classic which took place in the beginning of 2017. He went 6-1 in round robin there before beating free 3-1 to win the championship. But he was still missing the most prestigious trophy of all. The one that was constantly eluding his grasp was an ASL trophy. In order to secure it, EffOrt had to show us his championship form once again and this time, the odds were against him. Many former top players had returned since his VANT win, and he would have to beat the best BW players on the planet to win it.
A chance to shut up his critics and delight his fans, EffOrt finally got a great opportunity to do just that with ASL6. Things looked grim early on when he lost to Action on Sylphid, but the rest was history. Determined to win this ASL after saying that he'll meet and beat Flash in the finals, EffOrt wholeheartedly fought to get there. He topped his Ro16 group defeating Soulkey and Snow before laying waste to Rain in the quarterfinals. Up against Last who had won KSL just recently by defeating Soulkey and Jaedong in the semifinals and finals respectively, EffOrt showed what he's made of, going 3-2 while showcasing his mole strategy for everyone to see.
His final challenger was Flash, the 3-3-3 winner who was more than delighted to meet EffOrt and get revenge for Korean Air OSL. The two faced off in one of the most anticipated and heated finals in years. Playing on the highest stage and facing off against his hardest opponent who knew how to use the 1-1-1 to its potential, EffOrt soon found himself staring defeat in the face. Though not the same 0-2 scoreline from 8 years ago, it was finally time for EffOrt to show us his grit, to unleash his potential for all to see. And just like that, EffOrt came out victorious; a 3-2 victory over a player that many deemed invincible. At the end of the night, EffOrt cornered Flash and in their final game, he showed that Flash is a mortal who can bleed.
He had finally won ASL, keeping true to his word and accomplished a truly extraordinary feat that few have accomplished in this era. Above all, EffOrt allowed us to break the mental shackles of conventional ZvT. He allowed us to rediscover Starcraft on the biggest stage in the biggest tournament against the strongest opponent of all time!
Heading into ASL7, many were hoping that EffOrt would still retain his form and to some degree, he has. After topping his Ro16 group, EffOrt beat Mind 3-1, but succumbed to Mini's wacky builds in the semifinals, losing a close 2-3 series where he almost made a comeback. While his average ZvZ winrate over the years sat at 51% according to TLPD, his ZvT and ZvP sat at 59% and 71% respectively showing that he was quite the formidable opponent. Here's a small sample of games in no particular order that showcase his skills at their best:
6
VANT36.5 Finals Bisu vs EffOrt on Matchpoint
5
SonicTV BJ Starleague 11 Ro24 EffOrt vs free on Neo Jade
4
Afreeca Starleague Season 6 Semifinals EffOrt vs Last on Neo Transistor
3
SSL Classic Season 1 Round Robin free vs EffOrt on Matchpoint
2
Afreeca Starleague Season 6 Quarterfinals EffOrt vs Rain on Neo Transistor
1
Afreeca Starleague Season 6 Finals Flash vs EffOrt on Autobahn
With his departure, his legacy ends for now. Nonetheless, he will continue to be celebrated as the most decorated Zerg and remembered as one of the most feared players when he's in-form.
Farewell EffOrt!
Writer: Bigfan Graphics: v1 Thanks to: 2Pacalypse- for css support Photo Credits: Blizzard
The only living and breathing thing in the universe that can stand against the unbeatable God and his currently sole nemesis! He just literally snatched, teared up with his teeth both his championships vs. FlaSh (remember endless OSL tiebrakers back then and afterwards reverse sweep at finals, and now barely making finals after tricking monstrous Last). He is also first pre ASL Afreeca tournament winner, defeating Bisu in bloody battle at VANT Starleague finals. Truly and unquestionably cemented himself as the one of the best zergs of all time.
I would like to see more notable games on list, because I remember many of them. F.e. series EffOrt vs. Guemchi from VNSL ro8 were epic (remember reavers that crawled back without shuttle). Also vs. Rain from ASL2 (I think that's where Artosis said when Rain's cannon rush failed that "EffOrt just gosu'ed the fuck out of him").
Effort is quite amazing. He doesn't have the stats of Jaedong, but he's made it clear he is one of the best there has ever been. I hope he can return to form quickly. Mandatory service is only 1.5 yrs now so this should be quick.
As an STX and Calm fanboy I was always bitter against Effort for getting way more love on TL during the Swarm Season. But eventually I had to give him respect and props. His ASL6 run was fucking amazing and arguably the toughest road anyone's made for a gold in modern era, and definitely the funnest one to watch. Thanks for the write-up.
I still use a lot of the things effort taught me in my games every day, thank you effort His tournament preparation is one of the best there is when he tries his best I look forward to his return~ we love you mae ^_^ o heung~
Thank you for this! Great read! I've been following Efforts rise since his first televised games and he truely is one of the most spectacular players. His mechanics and management is simply ludicrous. Second to no zerg except JD in the Kespa days and currently none, when in form. Got a chance to chat with him after a proleague game when I was studying in Korea, which is one of my best memories from my time there. He was funny and seemed like a cool guy to hang out with, also gave me a CJ sweater which I bring out for his big games. Will be waiting for his return!
EffOrt was always my favorite Zerg player, and like so many others I was starting to think that despite his extremely convincing gameplay, he would never overcome his Round of 16 curse. But in that ASL run, he displayed such deep understanding and tenacious play that it made us wonder why we were ever in doubt. The fact that he single-handedly stopped the 1-1-1 train that was shredding top Zergs left and right is almost unfathomable - that rare combination of theory and execution that is necessary to dismantle such a dominant new strategy. The breadth of strategies he utilized on his way to the championship is also remarkable - 3 Hatch Before Pool into burrowed speedlings, 2 Hatch Defiler, cancelling Hydra Den into Spire, cancelling Lair into Hydra Den, and pioneering Hatch Gas Pool as a 2 Hatch mindgame - those games will be studied for years and it seems like most Zergs simply don't have the game sense to emulate EffOrt's extremely devious and tricky plays. That ASL6 win was the perfect cherry on top of a fantastic career. Along with Flash and Mind, he's one of only three players to have won a Starleague in both the Kespa and Remastered eras. I'm gonna miss seeing him playing Brood War, and it would make a lot of sense for him to call it quits here, but I'm hoping he'll come back stronger than ever and show the rest of us Zergs how it's done.
EffOrt was one of my favorite zergs when he played SC2, I don't watch BW but it was great to be able to read how it went for him after going back to BW. Happy he really got good results and I hope he will be back after his military service, good luck to him and thanks for all the great games!
One of the most mechanically gifted and insane players of all time. Deeply saddened that we were unable to witness more of his greatness in the past couple years with multiple, unfortunate early exits but happy he got to showcase his talent by completing the most challenging road to a championship ever.
ASL 6 was the ultimate storytelling victory rivalling that of JangBi's. A former champion who, despite being named the biggest competitor in each tournament, never got past round of 16. Just when everyone begins to ridicule him as a pigeon (Effort's nickname 'Mae' means hawk), and he too loses hope, he decides to try just one more time. Then he beats the three strongest players in Last (recently won KSL), Rain (recently won ASL), and Flash to take the championship in a time where ZvT is less balanced than PvZ.
On June 16 2019 09:40 RWLabs wrote: ASL 6 was the ultimate storytelling victory rivalling that of JangBi's. A former champion who, despite being named the biggest competitor in each tournament, never got past round of 16. Just when everyone begins to ridicule him as a pigeon (Effort's nickname 'Mae' means hawk), and he too loses hope, he decides to try just one more time. Then he beats the three strongest players in Last (recently won KSL), Rain (recently won ASL), and Flash to take the championship in a time where ZvT is less balanced than PvZ.
My favorite player of all time. It's cathartic thinking back on the countless hours I've spent cheering him on from a couch or chair or just watching his games. Almost from the beginning he was my favorite Zerg player. Here's the game that got me on the effOrt train:
Truly great players use everything at their disposal, even the most minor overlooked resources. Especially after his ASL finals against Flash, I felt like effOrt really exemplified this ability more than other Zergs. From a description of the builds you'd think it was Shine playing five games on ladder. But the way effOrt played these games made me feel like he didn't even use a build order. He was just playing pure Starcraft, going as far as to shuffle drones on and off gas constantly to streamline his econ while blockading Flash's 12 o'clock main with lurkers.
One other thing I love to see about great Zergs is their ling micro. I won't say microing ranged units is easy, but microing melee units in BW is not just a-move-win. Even in the smallest inconsequential engagements effOrt always surrounds with his lings. There's an aesthetic to his unit control that I've always appreciated.
It's been said of countless past players that sometimes they play out of their minds and it looks like nobody could beat them, but they spend most of the time in human form. I could say the same of effOrt. Like ZerO, both of them seem to perform worse in tournament settings than their skillset would suggest. The ro16 curse in ASL was evidence of this. Especially effOrt's losses to other Zergs were painful, because we all *knew* he could beat Flash if he just go there. And get there he did, and play out of his mind he did.
The one thing I wish I could have seen effOrt do was to win a Code S or Blizzcon in SC2. Unless I'm mistaken, Rain and Soulkey are the only two players to hold highest titles in BW and SC2 (code S and ASL championships). But neither ever won an OSL. It would have been cool to see effOrt be the only player in history to win an OSL, a code S, and an ASL.
I'll be watching old effOrt VOD's back to back for the next few years if anyone needs me.
you can really appreciate the finals match against flash on Autobahn. Effort played brilliantly. but the next match of the series totally went the other way, haha. what a great series!
Zergs are already so strong right now in the current state of SC, with ZerO being able to beat FlaSh's Terran. EffOrt coming back will be really interesting and adds another S-tier powerhouse for Zergs. Protoss are crying right now. Can't wait, hope he can return to form.