[MSL] Ro32 Group D - Page 14

Introduction

Bisu is Hope.

Hope for Protoss since the dark ages of the Terran reign. Hope that the dominion of sAviOr and his ilk over Protoss would cease . Bisu is, after all, the Revolutionist. His is a bloodline not of the Khala and its brightest sons, Tassadar and Artanis (Stork and JangBi), but that of Zeratul and the legacy of the Void. His annihilation of the Maestro marked the beginning of the modern era, not just of PvZ but of Broodwar as a whole. He is the First Dragon.

Nevertheless, doubt lingers. The glory of his race has always been fleeting. Despite their vaunted psionic power, the Protoss are a dying race. They were not made to change themselves like the Zerg, to assimilate others for evolution. They were not made to reproduce and survive like the Terran, building ingenious craft for war.

But they were made to endure. And in the midst of darkness and despair, hope shines all the brighter.

Objectives

Ro4-Finals

As the only Golden Badge holder in this group, Bisu is a perennial contender in the MSL. However, the past few years have been unkind to Kim Taek Yong. He has stood in the shadows while his Terran and Zerg peers have taken title after title. Even after monstrous surges in Proleague, he has not tasted individual league success since his Batoo OSL run. The time is ripe. Bisu has revitalized the race, has begun conquering his demons, and is on the warpath. The people (Protoss) sing the song of angry men. It is time for another revolution.

Analysis

Bisu is the current hottest progamer right now (in more ways than one). Having won the Winner's League title for his team by defeating Jaedong and Flash successively, his momentum is as high as it ever will be. Moreover, this is his best chance to defeat Flash in an individual league. Historically, his PvT series play has shown vulnerability. Specifically he crashed and burned against Fantasy, Iris, and Mind. Since Flash is the best PvTer currently - as well as of all time - he has reason to be worried. On the other hand, a single match against him will not eliminate Bisu outright. Bisu can afford to lose to Flash the first game, and win against Sea and Jaedong. What he cannot afford is to lose to Flash and for Flash to lose the winner's game, forcing him to win against Flash to stay in the MSL.

The first map is Monte Cristo, a new and untested PvT map. Look for Bisu to play strategically hoping for a quick win. Some map features favor Carriers, and if Bisu is honest with his personal assessment of Carrier micro, then he can still take it to late game and win. If he gets the win, then odds are high that he defeats his next opponent and moves on as the first seed. If he doesn't, he still has a good chance of advancing as long as Flash wins his next game.

Not So-Historical Representative

Bisu is Alexander the Great. Having used Phalanxes (DTs) and cavalry (Corsairs) to conquer most of the known world (PvZ), he is one of the greatest generals of history. He revolutionized ancient warfare, and put together one of the largest empires in history. His Hellenic education also made him an honourable warrior (all Protoss are honourable warriors). However, he died at an early age due to hubris (probably too much of a pretty boy). Must be wary of elephants (Tanks).

Introduction

Jaedong is Death

The void left by sAviOr’s downfall led to a civil war. Various Zerg scrambled and clawed their way to the Overmind’s Throne. The resulting carnage saw one being emerge, and to this day he holds in thrall most of his brethren. That being was Jaedong, the living embodiment of July’s hyper-aggression and micromanagement, GGPlay’s late-game management, and the Maestro’s spine-chilling game sense. No Zerg has come close to his death-dealing play. No Zerg has forged such an iron will. The more you push Jaedong to the edge, the more he can overwhelm you with ee-han timing and insanely reckless all-ins.

The defilement of the Maestro’s legacy requires a cleansing. Thus, a Zerg must rise far above all Zerg before him and seize an immaculate crown. In doing so, this Zerg must exemplify its racial trait: violence. Who better to exhibit this than the Legend-Killer himself? The Tyrant lusts for blood once more. Only absolute victory can sate him. Let the world tremble and fear. Death returns.

Objectives

Finals

Having come so close to matching the Tornado Terran’s title count, Jaedong is probably the most determined progamer in the MSL. Last season, Flash lost early, and it fell on Jaedong’s shoulders to chase history and the spot of the Greatest Of All Time. Unfortunately this burden proved too heavy. sAviOr’s descendant, Hydra, usurped the Zerg throne in a series that left Lee Jae Dong fans wondering whether time and superior Mutalisk micro - long his sole possession - had finally defeated their champion. His resilience is unquestionable. His desire is unmatched. Nothing short of a Golden Badge will suffice for the greatest Zerg of all time.

Analysis

No group could be worst for Jaedong.

His first matchup is his easiest. While the map is unfavorable, Jaedong himself has said that at the pinnacle of Broodwar, imbalance does not dictate the victory. The title of the strongest is taken by those whose skills surpass the imbalance of the maps (hear that, Bisu?). This means that Sea is in for a world of hurt.

All the same, the real threats come right after. Whether he wins or loses, Jaedong faces the two players who have stood against him toe-to-toe for years and won. Flash needs no introduction. The two have faced each other more than 50 times (including non-standard leagues). Flash is Jaedong’s eternal rival. When the time comes, their children will probably be the two best Starcraft 3 players in the world, continuing LeeSsang rok. Still, Flash owns the lead, and has recently dominated Jaedong (in 3 straight finals no less). If you had to bet your life on anyone to defeat Jaedong in a single game or in series play, Flash is the best option (as Rekrul found out the hard way).

Bisu is the second best option. Imagine a matchup as lopsided as ZvP. Now imagine it flipped on its head. Bisu is 70% LIFETIME against Zerg. The guy is crazy. Even worse for our Zerg hero is the fact that Bisu has stomped Jaedong the past 2 out of 3 games they played (the loss coming from a Lurker build vs too few cannons and late observers). In fact since June 2009, Jaedong has only won once in six serious games against Bisu. Moreover, Bisu defeats Jaedong at his own game – multitask and micro. I am not the only Bisu fan who squealed like a little girl when I watched him micro Zealots against Zerglings on Judgment Day, or even that sexy Corsair micro in a losing effort on Benzene. The Revolutionist was made to fight someone like the Tyrant.

Given this, Jaedong is like Han Solo: never tell him the odds. His play is sublime. He steps his game up to his peak when he needs to, and can innovate on the spot. I will never forget the TLFE Heir Apparent. Jaedong learned ZvP DURING A GAME. We also need to consider that he has created a matchup solution for ZvZ that no one can deconstruct or even hope to emulate (EffOrt was doing fine but I don’t hear people calling Mutalisks effortlisks). There is none more qualified than Jaedong to change the metagame for Zerg in modern Broodwar. For Bisu and Flash fans, there is one thing to say: Caveat Emptor.

Not So-Historical Representative

Jaedong is Genghis Kahn. The most fearsome conqueror of Europe and Asia, Temujin never balked when faced with steel-laden Knights (Tanks). One of the most brutal conquerors ever, he used prisoners of war to shield his own troops and massacred entire city populations for resisting him. Nothing was sacred to him but victory. The European princes (Fantasy) and kings (Stork) were fodder for his lightning fast Mongol Horse Archers (Mutalisks). Only time was great enough to defeat the Kahn.

Introduction

Flash is Destiny.

From the time of BoxeR, Terrans have ruled the universe. The Emperor, The Monster Terran, and the Tornado Terran were the first three Bonjwas to have ever existed. As time decayed the Bonjwas' sovereignty, no new Terran appeared to claim his birthright. So began the dark ages.

It was written on the stars that in these darkest of hours, the Chosen One would be born. The perfect player, endowed with the greatest of the Bonjwas’ gifts. Yet the prophecy did not say he would arrive perfect. The sharpest steel required the hottest fire. And so it was that the Terran child Flash came into the scene a cheeser, and ironically, lived under the Storm Zerg’s care. The world forsook him, deriding his “turtle” style and his personal failures. They said he was just a mechanical freak, doomed to the oblivion of mediocre Proleague Terrans. Still, he labored carrying those around him time and time again until his back and wrists would break. The early supernova was burning out.

And it was to become a black hole that would consume all creation. Flash knew what no one else did. He knew, not because of his outstanding mind, but because of his great heart. Destiny was no trifling matter to be given him without sacrifice. Like matter, it was neither created nor destroyed. Destiny, that majestic triumph of the Terran lineage (BoxeR, iloveoov, and NaDa) and its inherent ingenuity (Midas and XellOs), had to be earned.


Objectives

Finals

Flash is the greatest player of our time. Flash is going to become the greatest player of all time. All that he needs is that one, final title to shatter NaDa’s record. Sure, NaDa has other records, but the most prestigious is his Golden Mouse and Golden Badge combination. No other gamer has that. Not iloveoov. Not BoxeR. Not sAviOr. Flash needs that Golden Badge. Fans may say that he doesn’t need that to be the GOAT, but it will validate his long years of hard work. It will justify his sweat and tears and bloody fingers. It will affirm his potential as the Ultimate Weapon.

Analysis

Lee Young Ho is as close to perfection as can be. He has no weakness.

Early game, he is the best bunker-rusher of all time along with BoxeR. Bunker rushes require intense micro and the largest balls of all. Sure, 4 pool is riskier, but its purpose is two-fold: (1) to end the game early/get an advantage and (2) mess with your opponent’s mind. Losing a 4/5 pool will still accomplish one of the two. It's essentially a sacrifice with a sure reward in series play. Bunker rushes are tests of willpower. Failure will not necessarily defeat you but set you back, so it’s mostly a question of how committed you are to your strategy and how you will transition given success or failure. It’s even a very questionable move because in the face of greedy builds, the Terran still has the option to simply play for a timing attack which is much safer than a bunker rush. Flash has memorized the handbook of bunker rushing and has even amended its provisions. His other cheeses are artistic masterpieces of micro and innovation, be they BBS or proxies.

Mid game, he is the best timing-pusher of all time. He reads his opponent very well with prescient scans and in-game analysis (worker counting, anyone?). He also has a very solid defensive style that negates all forms of midgame cheese. He gets early turrets to counteract Mutalisk aggression or Reaver harass. He positions his Tanks in graduated clumps so that they protect several areas and at the same time overlap to provide killing power. His Vultures are such a pain to deal with because he’s so good at timing a surround + mine to ensure that not all mines are shot down.

Late game, he is the most durable player. I think the most exemplary games of Flash have involved comebacks from the most massive deficits (Flash v Fantasy MSL game 1, Flash v firebathero Neo Medusa, Flash v Leta OSL, Flash v Mind Proleague 10-11, I could go on and on). He simply does not give up. In late-game battles, he manages to be incredibly cost efficient. At a time when most players are so drained physically and mentally, Flash is so laser-focused he can still target-fire tank clumps and navigate his Dropships to destroy the most important tech buildings.

Overall, Flash has unequalled game sense. He detects things from the smallest details. He understands when to play aggressively and when to play passively. I cannot stress this enough. This is why his anti-fans hate him for either turtling (because it looks like his opponent just keeps sending waves of units to crash against an immovable tank and turret line) or cheesing (because it looks like Flash just walks in his opponent’s nat/expos and simply obliterates him in one fell swoop). This is a result of constant, instinctive thinking. It’s an oxymoron, to be sure, but Flash’s genius is not rational. His mechanical talent can be learned, but his mental talent is the only one of its kind. Is his opponent gunning for an economic lead? Is he going for an all in? One by one, Flash analyzes his opponent’s options and eliminates them one by one, forcing the other player to ride his cadence.

Flash is favored in every single matchup in this group. It may be called the Group of Death, but realistically, Flash can simply look at it as the Group of “Just another day in the Office”.

Not So-Historical Representative

Flash is Napoleon Bonaparte. No one ever dreamed as loftily, nor influenced so many facets of human life – war, politics, law, science, literature, art and culture. From his military genius to his personal charisma; from his political savvy and arrogance; from his rise and fall, Napoleon was the most influential and decisive leader in history. Waterloo is history. Flash the Bonjwa is the present. Flash the GOAT is the future.

Introduction

Sea is Perseverance.

In all stories of fantasy, danger, and death there are always characters who are heroic without being heroes. In Le Morte d’Arthur, you have Sir Gawain, who will always be the lesser knight when compared with Launcelot, Tristram, or Lamerok. Portrayed as a hot-headed character of sorts who does stupid or sometimes evil things, Gawain was unfairly shown up every single time in the stories by other knights. In the Lord of the Rings, you have Boromir, who was a great warrior and a noble Captain of Gondor, and yet the movies demonize him into some kind of power hungry villain. In A Song of Ice and Fire, you have Sandor Clegane, a man of violence hated by all of Westeros.

All of this shows what the world wants Sea to do: fall over and die. Sea is that unchanging rock in the middle of the sea (heh) that serves no glamorous purpose. Right now he is being brushed aside in the mad dash to hype a Flash Jaedong Bisu Broodwar triumvirate. And that’s where he wants to be. The underdog is always fun to root for. His perseverance is the story of our lives. At the end of the day, Sir Gawain remained fiercely loyal to King Arthur to the very end. Boromir redeemed his honor. Sandor Clegane saved Sansa and Arya Stark.

After all, a rock (iceberg) in the middle of the sea sank the Titanic.

Objectives

Survive Group D – Ro8

Sea is well-known to be a Proleague workhorse. The Terran ace of MBC since the beginning of time (no, Light was an ace sniper – there’s a clear difference), Sea has consistently put up win after win after win to help his team. This culminated in a Proleague championship, a Winner’s League silver, and zero individual acclaim. Off the top of my head I’m morally sure that he is statistically the best player never to have reached an individual league final. He is the gatekeepers’ gatekeeper.

This is why fate should not be so cruel to deny him a taste of success. In the MSL Group Selection, he was overheard hoping out loud not to be put in a group of death with the TaekBangLeeSsang. In a dark twist of fate that would make Roald Dahl smirk, that was exactly what happened. Now, Sea is a strong player. He’s a 60% player who excels in all match-ups. However he’s up against the great wall of Korea here, facing the best three players of all three races. Lady luck is out of magic. Sea has to transcend everything he has ever been to make it out of this group alive.

Analysis

Sea has a bad chance to win a single game, but Sea has also been dealt with the best of hands possible in this group.

First, his initial matchup against Jaedong is on a Terran-favored map. La Mancha is 64% TvZ. Also, his previous victory in the Korea OSL was on Zergliner (although his other recent win on Polaris Rhapsody was only due to Jaedong’s stubbornness in sticking to Mutas after dissecting Sea’s base with amazing micro). It’s a hard fight, but Sea himself said that Terran is a little imba once you get tanks. Look for a midgame mech transition or a Marine-Tank push against Jaedong in this game. Late-game is not an option after being destroyed by Neo.G_Soulkey with Defiler play.

Second, he might not have to play Flash at all. That is his only sure loss (0-8 is such a great head-to-head hahaha). Since Flash is still favored over a red-hot Bisu in his current status as Bonjwa, Sea can lose to Jaedong, win against Bisu in the latter’s worst matchup, and have a rematch against Jaedong on Dante’s SE where he has a 100% winrate (in one game). Cross your fingers Sea-fans.

Third, God exists. Somehow, some way, Sea has GOT to break through his mental block vs the S-Class. All his patience and hard work will pay off. He might not be the most talented, but he has done so much for the Starcraft scene (and TL.net) due to his innate friendliness and likeability that he deserves nothing less than to escape from his Starleague curse. Sea is like Flash without that special spark. It’s time to stop wishing for luck and to rely on skill, strategy and instinct. All players can lose on any given day.

Not So-Historical Representative

Sea is Scipio Africanus. The Roman Hannibal was an incredible military commander, defeating Hannibal Barca decisively and saving Rome from its Scourge. However, Hannibal was already severely weakened by war attrition. Furthermore, Scipio was unable to capitalize on his military success because he did not seize the moment, and was defeated and surpassed later on by Julius Caesar. Sea must rewrite the history books to achieve what all men want, but few ever do.