[MSL] Grand Final

Original
+ Show Spoiler +

In the run-up to this heavily anticipated final, we’re well on our way to thirty pages of hype. To give you all something to hold you over until the MSL team drops a more thorough write-up, I decided to contact a few fans to get their opinions on several of the things that I consider notable or at the very least worth discussing. Thanks to hacklebeast and _Quasar_, who represent the ZerO camp, and TwoToneTerran for bringing Flash’s perspective to the table.

• • •

We now find ourselves approaching the ABC-Mart MSL finals between ZerO and Flash. On one hand, we have a creative if sometimes inconsistent player who many regard as one of the most talented progamers to never win a Starleague. On the other, we have one of the most consistent and accomplished players of all time entering his fifth Starleague final in just over a year. What are your general thoughts on the match-up?

hacklebeast: I think it's rather intriguing from Flash’s stand point. Consider the five TvZ finals he has had before this. They may have been against only two opponents, but he has had an opportunity to show the full range of his ability. He faced the old school “my muta micro is invincible” style of Jaedong in NATE MSL, the quirky timings of Effort in Korean Air OSL S1, cheesy Jaedong in Korean Air OSL S2, and a more macro focused Jaedong in Hana Daetoo MSL and Bigfile MSL. Now he will be going up against ZerO, who has a style that is like none of them. General story line for me going in is how each player prepared. Will ZerO work hard to perfect his queen usage, and usher in the newest chapter to the storied TvZ metagame, or will he practice (with no PL mind you) a more traditional strategy and hope to catch Flash off guard? Will Flash take the challenge head on, and go mech each game to show that he can beat anyone’s strategies, or will he circumvent the queens and revert back to an SK terran? Or will we see a super revert from Flash back to 2008 where he cheeses in 3 of the game, considering this is ZerO’s first finals, and his weakest part of the game is the opening?

TwoToneTerran: It is an excellent match-up. It's rare players beat Flash by just being generally better, but Flash said it best himself -- he finds most of his losses come when the opponent prepares something special he's never seen before. Zero is not, strictly speaking, better than Flash in any particular way, but what he is is clever. Trying to just stand up and play Flash by his own game does not work in a Bo5, which is what happened to Jaedong in their finals. But when you can be unpredictable and clever, you might just steal a title the same way Effort did.

_Quasar_: Personally I think ZerO is the favorite to win this. He has everything that is needed to overcome Flash - he has decent muta micro, he has defence skills not to die early game and he has a WAY better lategame than Hydra. Unless he fucks up really badly he should feel quite comfortable in this series. His state of mind seems more than ok nowadays, and he learned to go into the important games with an "empty mind" and no unnecessary worrying. Really. Flash is good. OMG motherfucking good. But he doesn't really present anything new that wasn't seen before, and there's enough time to prepare for it all. IMHO ZerO should play standard and not do any crazy shit until mid-late game... OFC there's enormous amount of skill required to counter all of Flash's possible timings and not let him tear you up by his impeccable micro, and also to properly harass / attack / control the map on your own, but come on. ZerO has it all. It's just a matter of that he should show it when it's required. He already showed that he can do things when they're needed most. So, this will not be the first time! And last: ZerO shouldn't really worry THAT much - he's already made an ascension "from zero to hero", so we all admit he's an absolutely awesome player and this is surely not his last deep run into a Starleague. So he just should calmly go and show what he can!

• • •

We often hear talk of the collaboration between ZerO and Soulkey, and ZerO mentioned that it played a large part in his victory during the round of four. How important will this teamwork be during preparation for the finals?

hacklebeast: Teamwork is important for most series, but it is especially important when you want to use a new strategy. ZerO has Light, which is a great asset to have, but if Light practice 14cc -> mech every game, and Flash opts for 8 rax early pressure, the practice will have been for naught. If I was ZerO he is what I would do: Get progamer you know, including your team, your friends from other teams, hell, give ggplay and MVP a call, and have them write down how they would beat queen style play on a slip of paper. Have SK look through them and take out the duplicates (because you wouldn’t want to spoil yourself), then play a lot of games vs Light where he pick a strategy out of a hat before each game. Flash is going to do his strategy better than everyone he can practice against, but if Flash opts for something you have never seen before, then there is no chance. You need a network of people to think of every strategy possible to make sure that Flash won’t be a surprise.

TwoToneTerran: Nominal. Zero was a super creative and intelligent player before anyone knew who Soulkey was. Soulkey is a good player and clearly better to have on your side than not, but I don't think it's that big a deal. I think most of the accreditation they give each other is in jest, but pretty much everything you see coming out of Zero in this series is gonna be by his hand, not someone else's.

_Quasar_: I think it's pointless to try to guess. If something like this happens it won't be "planned" in any sense and a good plan is a plan no one (else) knows about. It can be some "wild card" in this meta game between Flash and ZerO, and wild cards are something that cannot be predicted.

• • •

KT Rolster recently acquired both Crazy-Hydra and Coach Kim Sang-Hoon from Woongjin Stars. Given the creative and sometimes unorthodox play often showcased by Woongjin's leading zergs, how do you feel this will benefit Flash?

hacklebeast: It is a boost, no doubt about it, but I think it can be easily overstated. They can tell Flash general themes and a few particular tricks about queen play, but Flash is an intelligent enough player to be able to gather those general themes and tricks from watching his vods. CH will probably end up being a better practice partner than action, as he has been well indoctrinated into the queen style, but at the end of the day, he is still a poor substitute for ZerO.

TwoToneTerran: At first glance it looks like this would be really helpful, but frankly, I think Zero comes up with his builds and tricks on a case by case basis. I'm sure they'll have some specifics on the way Zero executes things, but I doubt they'll give Flash any real insight to what builds Zero is gonna use in a ZvT Bo5, considering this is Zero's first.

_Quasar_: I think that Flash has / will have practiced enough vs. Queens and other unorthodox strategies, but I don't think this will decide the games. Personally I think that Queens as a lategame strategy don't have a hard counter, but ZerO surely must practice these builds too and look for vulnerable timings / opportunities for opponent in them. But I think that when it's late game with Terran on 4+ and Zerg on 6+ bases, then Zerg should only be aware of all the things he should be normally aware of - so it all comes down to normal multitasking and micro issues...

• • •

Woongjin also made an acquisition this season when they bought Light from MBC. How beneficial will this be for ZerO now that he shares a team with arguably the best TvZ player next to Flash?

hacklebeast: This feeds into the teamwork aspect that was talked about earlier, so I will refer back to that. Light (and really to same extent) is needed to act as a mimic to Flash’s strategies. I think an example will illustrate my point best. Let’s say that in going around the strategy I talked about earlier, ZerO makes his way to free. Free responds “well, I would go with 14cc -> 3 rax pressure, into 2 starports: one to produce SVs, and one to produce wraiths. If my zerg opponent goes standard, then, as Flash, can just use my gosu marine control to hold them at bay, then use a growing wraith fleet to force them into hydras, then crush them with a mech switch. If they go queens, my 3 rax pressure will be too great, and they will just die.” ZerO now wants to practice against this strategy, but (because we are pretending that stars bought no one) the best he can play against is hon_sin. Hon_sin goes on to lose every practice game to stop lurkers, and ZerO doesn’t get any better. You need a team to help you identify every threat Flash can through at you, but at the end of the day, you need someone good to be able to pull off the threats.

TwoToneTerran: This is undoubtedly useful, but I'm not sure how much. Whenever progamers are in a finals, typically they can get top notch help from whichever player they want. I'm unsure if Light wouldn't have helped him anyhow, but he clearly is now and that can only aid Zero's cause, considering Light plays like a slightly worse, less creative Flash in TvZ.

_Quasar_: Yes! I think this has to benefit ZerO very much, if Light REALLY puts hell of an effort into literally beating the shit out of him with all the kinds of bio builds and timing attacks. He simply has to do this. Really, please, Light, help ZerO practice really, REALLY hard, so that he would be prepared for anything. Because, as I've said before, I think that the game-deciding factor will likely be whether ZerO will be able to smoothly get out of the initial pressure of Flash and transition to mid/late game, and if he will - the game will favor him.

• • •

Queen play in TvZ has become the basis of much discussion and even more comics lately. Will queens come into play and, if so, will Flash be able to effectively counter them?

hacklebeast: Well, that’s the question isn’t it? It’s why I’m excited about these finals. I think that ZerO will go queens, Flash has shown time and time again that he dominates TvZ, so if you want to change that, you need to do something different. As for if Flash can stop it? Well, I’m excited to find out.

TwoToneTerran: I think we will see them, and I think the only way we will see them is when Zero is in a lategame situation where he's clearly winning and all he has to do is break Flash's tank line to win. I don't think there is a specific counter to Queens for Terran besides just doing enough damage to force them to spend their money on combat units. There's really no counter in the game for airborne spellcasters besides scourge, EMP and just killing your opponent's units and catching the casters in the fight -- it's why arbiters and science vessels are always floating around.

_Quasar_: No, I don't think they are very likely come into play. But anything might happen. As of Flash's ability to counter them - maybe yes, maybe not, anyways I don't think that either of these games will provide terran with some "hard counter" to Queens.

• • •

In their most recent game during SWL, ZerO won a decisive victory over Flash. Is this a sign of things to come or a one-off?

hacklebeast: Even as a ZerO fan, I‘m going to say it’s a one-off. It was the first time Flash had encountered such a strategy, and he wasn’t prepared for it. Flash will be prepared this time. That isn’t to say that ZerO can’t win, but Flash will put his best foot forward, and as a fan of starcraft, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

TwoToneTerran: No, people beat Flash all the time, it has never stopped him from beating them later. All it does is serve to prove the point that Zero is very good and not to be underestimated, and was by no means a one-off because it won't be the last time Zero takes a game off Flash.

_Quasar_: I think this (coupled with Polaris Rhapsody game, when he played well but omg turtling crap strategy saved Flash in the times when Queens didn't give this world a favor of their serene presence ) will give ZerO some psychological confidence that he can compete with Flash. But I don't think this is that important. I think these games are overhyped in the sense of being related to this series. This series is completely different story. And there will be likely bionic play, not Mech, like it was on Benzene and Polaris....

• • •

I'm sure that by now you have read or heard of the recent interview in which Flash described the current condition of his wrist. It seems that this unfortunate news has renewed the motivation of many fans and softened the position of some anti-fans. What are your thoughts?

hacklebeast: As a huge oov fan, I can’t help but draw comparisons to him. It’s sad. I am by no means a Flash fan, but no one should want to see a legend go out like that. On some levels I can really feel for Flash, because I had to stop playing sports due to injury, but on another level: to have to give up something you do 12 hours a day, every day, for 4 years, to the point where it is your entire life, is something that I will never be able to comprehend. I hope it turns out well for him.

TwoToneTerran: It's worrying news, as chronic wrist conditions are what brought about the early retirement of GGplay, and I'm sure many other gamers. Flash has played noticeably more sloppy since last year and I'm wondering how long he can keep up his level of play.

_Quasar_: I'm sure that it would be a HUGE loss for all Starcraft scene to lose such a player in the zenith of his power. As a fan of BROOD WAR as a whole I just sincerely hope that Flash gives himself a rest after this MSL for as long time as it's necessary, and has his wrist cured. Even if he will have to stop playing BW for a while in order for his wrist's treatment to work. Really. He has all life ahead, he must not ruin it by not taking care of his health at a young age. And I hope he stays in Brood War "a little" longer than just this season. I truly hope so. *_*

• • •

What are your thoughts on the maps?

hacklebeast: Meh, maps are nothing special. The 4 player maps are all rather standard, and monte cristo hasn’t had enough games for me to get a good feeling of it yet. I don’t think any of these maps are going to go down as one of the greatest maps played, but I don’t think either side is screaming inbalance.

TwoToneTerran: Better for Terran, but most imbalances besides the glaring, unavoidable ones (BELTWAY) don't really come into play when you go into a Bo5 with tons of preparation time. Both players know the ins and outs of the maps and will make builds designed to cater to those facets, and it's why map balance within a 10% margin is largely unimportant in series play, moreso than just who's smarter. (Just ask Savior)

_Quasar_: I personally think that <Dante's Peak> is the most "anti-terran map" in this pack. It has very open center areas that are great for Zerg to engage terran army. It forces terran to go mech outright or do a mech switch early in the game (to abuse the cliffs and ridges and partly ignore the openness of the space due to "you will die before your 'surrounding' units even reach me kekeke"). Which can be perfectly abused by Queen play style. <Monte Cristo>... hmm. I don't think this is really a Zerg map. 5-1 ZvT in the stages before ro4 is really misleading imo. I don't know why, but I think ZerO should play 2 hatch muta there. His micro is as good as it could ever be, and in full powered macro this map favors terran imho. So it's a good idea to bring this game to as early harass and battles as possible. <Circuit Breaker> - I don't have any special thoughts about it - IMHO the map is as standard as it's humanly possible. <La Mancha> - I don't get why this map is considered so much T favored - IMHO for Zerg engagements it's better than Monte Cristo. Once again - it's not just ZvT it's ZerO vs Flash. I don't know how the map will favor the exact player against another. I think it's a standard map, relatively open center and all this... I think La Mancha is the most suitable map for ZerO to pull out some crazy shit. I dunno why, just have this feeling.

• • •

Any predictions about the final results?

hacklebeast: I think the series is won or lost in the first set. ZerO has talked a lot about his improved mental condition in interviews, but I’m slightly skeptical it will hold on the big stage if he drops the first set. On the other hand, in those 5 TvZ finals Flash has played he is 3-1 after winning the first set, and 0-1 when losing it. While Flash is versatile between series, and versatile in games to make close losses into close victories, I don’t think he can make a major shift to his game plan if he wiffs game 1. While a Flash sweep is very possible, I think ZerO can pull it out 3-1

TwoToneTerran: Flash 3-1. I believe there will be 2 amazing games, which they split, and 2 games no one likes because Flash did something "broken."

_Quasar_: I clicked on 3-0 ZerO. I really don't think this will happen, but one can hope that everything goes right and ZerO plays perfectly in all games - then this might happen. Generally, no prediction. It's just pointless, imo. You need to see the state of players before the final, in the exact day... you need to know how they practice, how they fell and all this. Just too many of things to take into consideration... And fans cheering, yes. Flash has a biiiiiiiiig fan base, and these fans are very dedicated. But ZERG race in general has more fans. I encourage all the Zerg to cheer for ZerO in this matchup. Really guys. Zerg race needs this win really badly, and it needs YOUR support! The supposed rise of the zerg race cannot be complete without at least one impressive victory. Let's try to make this moment closer Even with the small efforts that we can do.
• • •

Final words for the fans?

hacklebeast: When you root for ZerO, you’re not only rooting for an original player, or one of the most dynamic personalities, or for a veteran to win his first starleauge. You are also rooting for the strategy. This is a copy-cat league, and if the best player in the world can’t stop queens with as much practice as you can give a player, then it will instantly move from “quirky twist” to standard. You will see all the zergs from JD to hydra to calm adopting and then slightly changing the template until terran can come up with a response of their own, and Starcraft will continue to prove its elegance and fluidity through the constant change of strategies.

TwoToneTerran: No matter who wins, both players are clearly deserving of this title, and I don't think it's the last time we see either of these players in a final, no matter what's said about wrist conditions and inconsistency. They're two amazing players and I'm sure the most important thing to everyone is that we have an amazing finals, or else you've got your priorities mixed up. ;p

_Quasar_: Ehhh.... pretty much said it all in the previous answer. Go ZerO and go SWARM!

• • •