[SPL] Samsung KHAN vs SK Telecom T1

There's often an underlying image or characteristic that is associated with each race in Starcraft. I'm not sure what the other two races are supposed to be, but for Protoss (which is the best race, after all), the associated characteristics are masculinity, bravery, and strength. In live broadcasts, both MBC and OGN broadcasters often use phrases like “growing strength of the Protoss army ball,” “brave zealot push at Zerg’s 3rd base,” “what a masculine looking Protoss player,” and so on.

However, this player spotlight is NOT about the Mantoss. It’s about a brave player who’s got brave looks and has shown bravery in his brave matches so far. Can you (bravely) guess who?



Brave (Korean name: Lim Tae Gyu) is a 19-year old Protoss rookie player in Samsung Khan. His debut match was back in 2009 when he faced Really in SPL. He made 7 more appearances in SPL 09-10, finishing with a respectable record of 4-4. In the ensuing summer, Brave defeated Light 2-1 in the 1st set of Ro36 of Korean Air OSL Season 2 but lost 0-2 to Fantasy in the 2nd set. Back then, broadcasters/commentators noticed that this new Protoss certainly showed potential in terms of fundamental skills and gameplay, but lacked overall decision making and multitasking.

Samsung Khan is traditionally a Protoss fortress, led by the flawless commander Stork and the not-so-flawless Jangbi. For those that kept an eye on Brave, they predicted that Brave’s appearance in SPL 10-11 may be limited despite the change in the format. Coach January thought otherwise, and gave Brave an ample number of appearances to prove himself – and Brave did just that. In SPL 10-11 so far, Brave has a record of 8-1. Brave didn’t bravestomp through a bunch of scrubs either; he has defeated (this year) top-class players like Stats, Kal, and Action.

Featured match:
SPL 10-11 R2: KHAN vs STX, Brave vs Kal on Bloody Ridge



Both players start the same: first gate – cybernetics core – goon range upgrade – second gate. When Kal’s scout leaves his base, Brave goes citadel – templar archive. This is a great move that shows Brave’s thought process is one level above Kal’s. Because the Kal saw the 2nd gateway and range upgrade, Brave knew that Kal would have assumed that Brave was going standard 2gate into robotics facility, so he decided to go the other tech route. Taking advantage of having two gates, Brave produced two dark templars, one of which he used to defend against Kal’s 3-gate push and the other which he rushed to Kal’s base to get 9 probe kills. Knowing that he’s at a great advantage, Brave expanded to his natural while acquiring high templars. Kal, as Brave anticipated, went for a 3-gate all-in push with 2 reavers. With excellent storms and probe blocking, Brave defended the push successfully and proceeded to crush Kal with superior economy.

In the past interviews, Brave said the following:
- PvP is his most confident match-up
- He prefers playing against the upper-class players rather than other rookies
- His playing style is 20% Stork, 20% Jangbi, and 60% lack of apm
- He wants to gain one additional fan for every win, but so far the fans haven’t been coming =(
- Despite the success in SPL so far, he knows that he must also achieve good results in individual leagues in order to become a top-class player

In today’s match against SKT1, it is very possible that January will use Brave as a sniping card against Bisu or Best. As mentioned above, Brave is most confident in PvP, and he has not lost a PvP so far this season. Since Khan does not have a reliable Zerg card other than Great, January must use at least one non-Zerg card to take out SKT’s Protoss lineup. Can Brave continue his hot streak in SPL and earn his 9th win of the season? We shall see!