Estonia4505 Posts
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(unplayed games will be given random description to avoid spoilers).
+ Show Spoiler [Game 1] + Slightly onesided, but had it's tense moments. If you have time and are really bored, why not watch it? + Show Spoiler [easter-egg] +Special request by Harem:
+ Show Spoiler [Game 2] + BO-win, but showcasing some clutch defence attempts. If you have time.
+ Show Spoiler [Game 3] +
+ Show Spoiler [Game 4] + Semi-allin timing push into gg. No.
+ Show Spoiler [Game 5] + Demolished. Too demolished to be watched, in fact. No..
+ Show Spoiler [Game 6] + Good, strategic play leads to indecisiveness, and thus, a loss. A bit sloppy, but still entertaining.
+ Show Spoiler [Game 7] + This TvT is fast, quick, and bloody. If you have a few minutes, you probably have better things to do.
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Poll: Who are you cheering for?MBCGame HERO (8) 50% STX SouL (6) 38% I'm neutral. Like Switzerland. (2) 13% 16 total votes Your vote: Who are you cheering for? (Vote): MBCGame HERO
(Vote): STX SouL
(Vote): I'm neutral. Like Switzerland.
Poll: Who will win?MBCGame HERO (9) 69% STX SouL (4) 31% 13 total votes Your vote: Who will win? (Vote): MBCGame HERO
(Vote): STX SouL
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/SLTOf.png)
The fan interviews are back! I’m very excited to do one of these again, and I hope you are too. To top things off, they’re back where they started, with STX vs. MBC. Both these teams have had troubled times recently, but the fans still hold strong, and I hope that they’ll hang on - better times are almost certain to come. Now, without further ado, Carnivorous Sheep (STX), and Ryo (MBC), the veteran fans!
1) To start this with a positive tone, let us think of what makes us fans in the first place. What was the definitive MBC/STX moment for you this season and why?
Ryo: So many great moments, it’s hard to pick one. The most recent one is Kingdom’s ending commentary for Jaehoon’s game against Zero. Actually Kingdom has been full of praise for Jaehoon since round 5. For someone as great as Kingdom to approve of Jaehoon, it’s a heart-warming thing to hear for an MBC fan. That also typifies the spirit of the HERO team - even when most people have written you off in the past, never give up.
Carnivorous Sheep:For a long time, Kal was slumping quite hard, going from first not winning games to eventually disappearing from the roster all together. Imagine our surprise when Kal was fielded for the ace match in a very important game against Samsung Khan against great. It even prompted this post from hardcore STX fan mustaju:
On June 06 2011 15:46 mustaju wrote:
WTF WTF WTF
Kal, I love you man, but honestly, you are probably better off on the bench today. :S
Indeed, things were looking quite grim for Kal as the game progressed, but then slowly our doubt melted as Kal played one of the best PvZs of his life for the clutch comeback win to seal the victory for STX.
On June 06 2011 16:24 mustaju wrote:
I'm still so happy. I love you, STX. Sorry I ever doubted you.
A convincing win against Zero followed, and it seems that the ace win signals the return of Kal.
2) Last rounds match between MBC and STX was nailbitingly close, barely ending up in a STX 4-3 win. What should be learned from that match for both teams?
Ryo:What did I learn about MBC? Nothing new, but that scoreline pretty much emphasized how weak MBC has been in Ace games this season. Countless 3-4 losses this season. What MBC can learn from that match? Start sending one of their protosses for Ace. Also, MBC players should start drinking pocari sweat instead of Woongjin tea on match days.
What did I learn about STX? That what one MBC commentator said is completely true- the only player who has truly improved on the STX team this season is Bogus. What STX can learn from that match? Bogus is their best player now.
Carnivorous Sheep: For STX, I think it will be a matter of continuing to believe in yourself. We saw Calm take down Sea in his weakest matchup, ZvT, on the Terran favored La Mancha, and Kal also contribute a win in the midst of his slump. Bogus, despite winning set 1, returned to take it home in the ace. STX truly has it in them to be a great team, and they need to remind themselves of that.
3) Please assess your teams current form for the people who haven’t been paying attention to it lately.
Ryo:There are pretty much only 4 senior players left for MBC (unless Pusan decides to finally make an appearance or Saint somehow reverses time on his career) and a bunch of rookies with potential but no experience. Out of the 4 senior players, 2 are playing well, 1 has been inconsistent and 1 is in a deep deep slump. MBC has no form- not enough senior players to win matches regularly. That’s about it.
Carnivorous Sheep: STX has been slumping for this season, true, but the past few games have showcased the abilities of STX when we play to our potential. STX is definitely on a comeback again, and taking down Samsung and Woongjin recently is a great sign. Expect a much stronger and scarier STX in R6 and the playoffs, which I feel we’ll definitely make.
4)Both teams have heavily varied their lineup during the season, and we have seen them invest heavily into the future. Which player has grown the most during this season?
Ryo: Jaehoon 5.0.
Tyson has the best record on the MBC team this season. At any other time, he’d be identified as the player who has grown the most. But Jaehoon’s transformation this season has just been shocking. It’s like MBC recruited a new protoss in the body of the old Kim Jaehoon. What confidence can do for a person is nothing short of incredible. Jaehoon will get more wins in this 1 season than he had between his Proleague debut in 2007 and October 2010.
For almost 4 years Jaehoon was plagued with the tag of “a player with the force of Kim Taek Yong in the practice house but completely crumbles in televised matches”. That was the most often quoted phrase about Jaehoon among MBC fans on dcinside. It became almost wishful thinking that Jaehoon would one day turn good. But he has. And he keeps improving with every round. I credit Mumyung and Pusan with that, especially Pusan. If you watch the VOD for Jaehoon’s win against Skyhigh, you’ll notice that after Jaehoon wins and high-fives the team, the coaches approach him and put their arm around him. That’s the kind of coaches Jaehoon needed to overcome his phobias. Lots of patience and encouragement on the coaches’ part.
In the longer run, if Jaehoon decides to continue with gaming and MBC still has a team, things will only get better for him. Lately he’s been getting more fangirls too, with the “HERO’s best looking” poll win and then January becoming a fan etc…
Carnivorous Sheep: Without a doubt it’s Bogus. When Calm was occupied with MSL and Kal was slumping, Bogus definitely took over the role of STX’s ace for the period, and has shown some of the most solid Terran play in Proleague, second probably to only Flash. Indeed, Bogus is still ranked as the top Terran in FPL right now, an accurate reflection of his phenomenal growth.
5) In a similar vein, what are your thoughts on the rookies of both teams? Predict when we will see them fulfill their full potential.
Ryo: So far the only MBC rookie who has shown us glimpses of what he is capable of in the practice house is Zerg[kal]. Check and Wow completely wiped out the competition at the rookie evaluation competition prior to the spring draft and also beat players like Tempest and Flying in Dream League. But so far they haven’t played well in Proleague. Since they only turned pro less than 3 months ago, they probably need more time to adjust to televised matches. I hope they can get their first win before the season ends. I’m not worried about the rookies, they just need more time.
Carnivorous Sheep: Though not strictly a rookie, hyvaa has seen increased playtime, and took quite a few good wins. I feel like STX doesn’t have many true rookies, but a lot of the players who haven’t gotten a lot of playtime are starting to put out good showings, such as Classic and Modesty.
6) The map Alternative will not be played, and both teams usually play Zergs or Protoss there. Which team will benefit more from it’s omission, in your opinion?
Ryo: I don’t think it will make much of a difference. MBC has had a bunch of mixed results on that map. It’s usually a Hyun map but since he’s so out of sorts lately, he might crash and burn on any map he’s played on.
Carnivorous Sheep: Definitely MBC, whose Zerg line is quite weak and whose Protoss line is, in my opinion, much weaker than STX’s Kal and Shuttle. It’s unfortunate, but I believe STX will overcome this.
7) The Ace match will be played on Icarus. If it comes to it, which played should be fielded to best counter the opposing team?
Ryo: Tyson or Jaehoon. I’ve lost track of how many times Sea has died to either muta harass or carriers on Icarus.
Carnivorous Sheep: Icarus gives me a similar impression as Fighting Spirit in that it doesn’t have a clearly defined race bias. We have seen both MBC and STX field a large variety of players for the map, with no clearly defined specialist. Therefore, if it comes to the ace match, it will once again be a matter of the strongest players of the team playing against each other if applicable – for MBC, Sea is the clear choice, and he has played on the map before. For STX, I’m expecting Bogus to come out, since he has shown very strong TvT, and has also played a few games on the map. Calm and Kal, I think, are much less likely choices.
8) With the end of the season, the offseason trades may help the teams lineups greatly. Pretend that you are the teams manager and „hire“ a player who would fit well into your team! Pick only two, a unrealistic choice and a realistic one
Ryo: I’m not choosing Bisu, Jaedong or Flash because they might not fit in that well with the rest of the team. If this question was asked in February, I’d have said Stork as the unrealistic choice. But now I think Fantasy as the unrealistic choice (not playing particularly well at the moment but I think next season he’ll pick up form) is better and Baby as the more realistic one.
Frankly, I don’t think there are any truly “realistic” choices simply because MBC doesn’t buy players, they just scout & nurture great talent and then sell them to wealthy teams after 3-4 seasons.
Carnivorous Sheep: This may sound strange, but truly, I wouldn’t change a thing about STX’s lineup. We have solid players in all three races, and its just a matter of playing to their potential. Realistically, there’s no player that’s going to add a huge amount to STX’s already deep roster. Of course any time would love to have, say, a Flash or Bisu player in terms of consistent wins, but STX doesn’t need them. It’s not our style to have one S class super ace to carry the team on his shoulders.
9 ) Kal and Sea were said to be slumping, but since have given in good performances. However, Hyun is on a 7 game loss streak and hero is on a 8 game losing streak. What do you think could be the cause of those lossstreaks and when will they start winning again?
Ryo: Oh Sea is slumping alright, not nearly as bad as Kal was but it’s a mini slump for someone who is supposed to be known for his Proleague record. Sea has been moody all season. He’s been around for a long time and his continued inability to progress in individual leagues has really frustrated him this season (among other things), taking a toll on his Proleague performance as well. Mumyung mentioned that Sea and Hyun are annoyed at being known as entertainers during the MSL ceremonies but non-achievers in the actual MSL competition. Sea especially so.
Honestly, only the MBC players/coaches know what’s up with Hyun. It’s a rollercoaster ride with that one. His playing style is like that and his personality is like that too.
When will he start winning again? I hope sometime soon. Maybe if he faces Hero, but I’m not 100% sure. But when he starts winning again, all will probably be well in the world of Hyun and he will be happy and joyful again… until his next slump. I just hope his parents' health is okay. They were quite poorly off in April. So I wish them all the best.
Hero hit a slump after he got rolled in the MSL and then got depressed because of that result. When will he start winning again? Maybe if he faces Hyun. But then again, you never know.
Carnivorous Sheep: hero has consistently suffered from inconsistency. I don’t think there’s much to say here beyond that he’ll start winning when he starts winning. Hero is also a player who benefits a lot from general team atmosphere, and I think the resurgence of STX will help hero’s performance.
10) Ruby was recently released from Air Force ACE. How will his likely return influence MBC in your opinion?
Ryo: It’s hard to say. Ruby injured his hand early in the season. He said it’s completely healed but I have my doubts. His record has been very poor this season, in part due to the injury.
Many things have changed at MBC since Ruby left for the army. He might find it hard to secure a regular starting position in MBC’s line-up. The situation in the practice house right now is supposedly very competitive. At best, he will be the 5th choice player after Sea, the two protosses and Hyun. Ruby's influence will be more psychological than anything. He's a popular player and his return to MBC will draw more fans to MBC matches. He's also great friends with all the senior players on the team. Perhaps that will boost team morale.
Carnivorous Sheep: I don’t have much to say here. Ruby played well on ace, for sure, but it doesn’t change my opinion that Ruby is, overall, a very average player. Another solid choice for MBC’s shaky lineup, but won’t be overly important in the grand scheme of things.
11) After the OSL semifinal, Modesty disappeared, and recently reaappeared from out of nowhere, demolishing Really and playing a decent match against Bisu. Do you think he’ll get fielded a lot during round 6, from what you’ve seen, or will he just suddenly fade away again?
Ryo:The STX coach made a mistake in removing both Modesty and Frozen from the roster in May. You need at least one experienced sniper on the bench, no matter what their form is like. Modesty won’t fade away but at the same time, he won’t play in every match.
Carnivorous Sheep: I think he’ll get a lot of playtime for sure. His ZvT has consistently been improving – 2 Hatch Muta is still very very strong, and Modesty has probably the best Muta micro on the scene right now. In addition, he’s starting to show increased understanding of all the matchups, and his return will definitely bolster our lineup.
12) How confident are you in your teams playoff chances?
Ryo:STX has a much higher chance of qualifying for the playoffs than MBC because of the sheer depth of the STX team. But there’s still hope for MBC if they can get a winning record in this round.
Carnivorous Sheep: Very. We defeated Stars and Khan, other competing mid-tier teams, in very good series, and our players are all showing stronger games overall.
Finally, any last words?
Ryo:Two months ago I started writing a blog about all things HERO. It’s frustrating when your team doesn’t get many wins and even when they win, some of the players get slammed nonetheless. Korean MBC fans have the HERO Gallery on dcinside to take to, where they can gather and talk about all things related to the team. It’s a great/fun place. Non-Korean fans don’t have such a platform. Hence I wrote the blog so that fans who like the team can read regular updates about the players and coaches and talk about them too. I don't really have big expectations for the team. If they make the play-offs, it would be fantastic. If not, I just hope the present team stays intact and they bounce back next season. Realistic expectations = less stress for me. MBCGame HERO Fighting!
Carnivorous Sheep: I already jotted down most of my thoughts on STX for the upcoming R6 and playoffs in the last Proleague writeup. Check it out! http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=232468
Countless thanks to Ryo and Carnivorous Sheep!
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/5yBx1.png)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/teams/4.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/teams/5.jpg)
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MBCGame HERO vs STX SouL![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/teams/icons/uniforms/5.png){kind=icon}
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Sea < Circuit Breaker > 
hyvaa
Tyson < New Empire of the Sun > ![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/OzrEF.png)
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/209Bk.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/7qZoQ.png)
