Its the fall and there are 2 Protoss in the Ro4, its entirely possible we might end up seeing Snow and Bisu battle it out in the finals thus fulfilling the legend of the fall. However, BarrackS has been waving the banner for Terran standing since the start of the elimination stage, could he shock against Snow? He does have a history of underperforming towards the end of a season.

You can't take Soma lightly either as he has managed to tear through his opponents so far, ZvP against Bisu might be no joke but Soma has shown so far that he is entirely locked in, this semifinal match is a lot closer than you think.

Liquipedia

BarrackS continues his darkhorse run through ASL20 into the semifinals, where he’ll matchup against one of the tournament favorites, Snow. Will we see BarrackS continue his miracle run all the way to the finals, or will Snow bury Barracks beneath his reaver pressure?

BarrackS

BarrackS is going to look to keep his momentum going after beating Mini 4-3 in a dramatic series, ending with a gutsy BBS against Mini’s 12 nexus on Radeon that sent the underdog to the semifinals in what most people would consider an upset (but yours truly predicted the result hehe). And we should give credit where credit is due, BarrackS played well, and he’s not afraid to mindgame and throw wrenches into plans. I actually had expected Mini to be the more chaotic player in that series, but BarrackS seemingly used it as a double edged sword and got into Mini’s head several times. We’ll see if he’s leveled up that mentality to face off against Snow.

But there’s holes in his play, especially against Reaver. In several of the games, like the game on Metropolis, BarrackS was extremely vulnerable to reaver harass. And while he still ended up winning that game, Mini made some critical errors with his reaver control that I don’t expect Snow to do the same. He’ll need to be much more diligent about his turret placement and how he gameplans around Snow’s looming aerial threat.

Snow

Snow advances to the semifinals for the fourth straight ASL. That’s right, the guy who’s known for being an “offline choker,” has advanced to his fourth straight semifinals appearance. Frankly, it’s probably the second most impressive feat in ASL during this Soulkey-era. His consistency and his ability to play under pressure has leveled up, and he’s got his specialty matchup, PvT. And in this string of semifinals appearances, he is 12-4 against Terrans, even beating BarrackS 4-1 back in the lone Soop Starleague in the Ro8.

In that series, no games really got that far, and Snow demonstrated excellent micro along with crisis decision making where games got extremely scrappy. His reaver micro was naturally on point, but even his low goon count micro was immense, defusing mines and getting clutch tank snipes constantly. Snow should feel very confident about the early-mid game play, so he’ll be focused on deflecting BarrackS’s sharp timing attacks.

Game 1: Roaring Currents

Snow’s first pick on Roaring Currents shows he’s probably got something cooked up. With extremely long rush distances, 12 nexus is very common on this map, as is 14cc or rax expand. And given the air battle that takes place on this map, Snow is going to feel right at home with his shuttle reaver style. We’ve seen some online games where Terran tries to utilize cloaked wraith to shut down the early game shuttle play, so expect a potential whacky opener from BarrackS.

Game 2: Pole Star

I could definitely see Pole Star being the map that gives Snow a bit of trouble on, this also being the first picked map by BarrackS. A sharp timing attack here could give BarrackS the victory, and he demonstrated a very sharp 3 tank stab against Mini that won him a quick and decisive victory.

Game 3: Dominator SE

Another good reaver map for Snow, he’s not afraid to pull out some proxy robo strategies here either, executing a proxy robo-gate against BarrackS in their ASL17 meeting as well. But both players have opportunities to mix things up on this funky reverse ramp map, so expect forward gate and early factory pressure openings from these two.

Game 4: Knock Out

Terrans often were very comfortable on Circuit Breakers in this matchup, but that was during a time where the game was much slower. Now, a faster paced meta means Terrans may not be quite as comfortable taking a match to late game. However, if BarrackS can emerge out of the early-midgame unscathed, his mid-game army control is excellent, and we may see Snow feel the pressure of getting some damage early to weaken the push.

Game 5: Litmus

Of course, the 2p map as the last pick from Snow. Though I honestly think that Snow is going to use the backdoor as a red herring against BarrackS while preparing something else that will be tricky. Maybe an in-base proxy gate, given the size of the mains? Or maybe proxy gates in the backdoor? Whatever it is, BarrackS will need to keep his eyes sharp and remain ever vigilant against Snow’s potential cheese.

Game 6: Metropolis

BarrackS really didn’t have many other good options for his 3 map choices (maybe Radeon?) so Metropolis was his last pick, likely begrudgingly. Given the map’s main layouts, it will be no surprise to anyone when Snow opens fast reaver on this map, so perhaps BarrackS will have something mapped out to counter him. Or the gameplan may be to keep Snow on 3 bases and block any attempts at a fourth to constrict his gameplay.

Game 7: Radeon

Could we see another BBS from BarrackS in this game? Who knows honestly, but I feel that after he did it against Mini, he wouldn’t do it against Snow. And Snow, knowing that the chance of back to back Game 7 BBS is unlikely, still might just 12 nexus anyways. But, if it gets to a normal game, we all know how Snow’s reaver control on this map is (see complete demolition against Speed in ASL17).

Snow Advances To The Finals 4-1!

The ASL20 semifinals bring together two players whose paths back to this stage could not be more different. Bisu, the most decorated Protoss player of the Kespa era, is chasing another shot at the title after several seasons of disappointment. Soma, once one of the most promising Zerg players in the league, is back in form after a long break for military service and eager to finish the story he started years ago.

As one announcer mentioned, "It's as if Bisu was created to punish Zergs". He now faces Soma in a matchup that will test this truth more than ever. Bisu enters this series in the most positive form we've seen since his deep run to the VANT 36.5 Starleague finals. ASL17 ended in a quarterfinal exit at the hands of Snow, a result that underlined the gap between his midgame strengths and the final hurdles he has struggled to clear. ASL18 brought a modest step forward, as he defeated Jaedong in a group opener but fell to hero in the deciding match. ASL19 proved even tougher, with early exits against Queen and Action preventing him from advancing beyond the Round of 16. Across those three tournaments, his PvZ series record was one win and three losses. Yet something has flipped in Bisu. The changes he's made in the office have turned him into amazing PvZ player.

Soma returns to the semifinals as a player whose career has been marked by moments of high potential and difficult setbacks. His best result remains a runner-up finish in ASL10, where he defeated Mini, Shuttle, Snow, and Flash on the way to the finals before narrowly losing 4–3 to Zero. That run showcased the depth of his ZvP understanding and his ability to prepare for multiple opponents in succession. However, his progress slowed soon after. In ASL16, he fell in the Round of 16 with losses to EffOrt and Calm and then stepped away from competition to fulfill military service. ASL20 marks his first full return to form, highlighted by a convincing 4–2 quarterfinal win over BeSt and a 1-0 victory over Mini. Soma’s dominance over two of the best PvZ players in recent years means that he has the ability to take on any Protoss players remaining in this tournament.

Map Outlook

Radeon: Bisu has been consistent here meanwhile Soma suffered a bad loss to Best in the round of 8 on this one. Bisu takes game 1.

Dominator SE: Protoss tends to perform well on this map, and Bisu started the tournament off with a big win on this map against BTS. This is the map we got to see Bisu come to life and I’d expect to see him to it again against Soma. Bisu takes game 2.

Metropolis: A large map that rewards scouting and expansion planning. Bisu’s play has been stable here, but Soma’s ability to pressure early could make it close. Both players have done well on this map and it could go either way. Some takes game 3.

Pole Star: Both players have had success on this map, but Soma did manage to give up a game to BeSt in the previous round. Bisu’s looks comfortable on Pole Star and will take game 4.

Roaring Currents: This map favors Zerg, particularly with air control and hidden expansions. Soma likely benefits the most as Bisu’s is probably just going to throw his entire army at sunkens and lurkers again. Soma takes game 5.

Knock Out: This map was unplayed by Soma vs Best, but Bisu got practice in his win against Larva. That extra stage experience on the map will help him prepare better for Soma. Bisu takes game 6.

Litmus: If it does make it this far, this map certainly will be the litmus test for who the better player is. Soma feels like the more clutch player, but in a close series Bisu doesn’t usually buckle under pressure. It’s coming back from being down a few maps that we usually see Bisu struggle with mental issues.

What It Will Take

For Bisu, this series is about controlling the pace and limiting Soma's aggression. His most successful games come when he builds gradual advantages and maintains tight control over the map. If he can avoid overextending and keep Soma from dictating the flow, his mid game power level will be too high for Soma to manage. Bisu must find a way to scout well each game and overcome any tricks Soma has planned for Bisu.

For Soma, the key is to create pressure early and often. He thrives in scenarios where the Protoss player is forced to respond rather than execute a set plan. Aggressive openings, flexible transitions, and the ability to exploit terrain advantages on maps like Roaring Currents and Knock Out will be central to his approach. Bisu is notoriously bad if he suffers any economic damage before taking a third or going all in off two bases. If Soma wants to win, he must disrupt Bisu's mining at his main and natural early and often.

In the end here, we find both players have great momentum, solid mental states, and terrific play styles that counter each other. Never have I believed I could make this prediction three times in a row, but here it goes:

Bisu Advances To The Finals 4-2!

---

Writers: FlashFTW, BisuDagger
Graphics: v1
Editors: BLinD-RawR