Dark is a Zerg who is currently teamless. He is known for having the some of the best ZvT around. Even though he only gained the spotlight in 2016 Dark has been active in the professional scene since 2012 during his time on SlayerS. Dark would contribute heavily to Slayer's Zerg lineup alongside Min and Coca.
Dark won his first tournament on the 9th of April 2016 against Stats in the SSL finals off the back of a 91% win rate against Protoss. Dark came runner up in the 2016 Blizzcon finals after losing to Byun.
Q. How are you feeling about recording your first win in Proleague? It was natural for me to think I'd win. My first win didn't make me incredibly happy, I'm just a little glad.
Q.Why were you so confident you'd win today? Originally I had confidence against Terran. But in practice I ended up losing quite a bit. I was a bit anxious versing Terrans but since my opponent was Dream I was able to relax a bit.
Q. Do you really mean to say that you think Dream is a weak player? Yes, exactly. I watched him in the preliminaries [GSL] so that's how i know.
Q. Isn't it a worry that the SKT zergs always come in second place? Coming second is still really good. I think in 2014 one of the SKT.Zergs might end up taking a championship. If it was only me I don't think it would be possible but with Soulkey and Soo I think it will happen.
Q. In Code S you were able to make two consecutive seasons. Is it harder for you to perform in Proleague. Because I won today I think ill be appearing more often than last season. By definition competition is meant to be difficult, so when on SKT there are so many great players I don't get to participate.
Q. In today's match you didn't use Muta/Ling/Bane and instead went for Roach Hydra. Is there a special reason? From way before I've been preparing this build on this map particularly Hydralisks seem like the right answer.
Q.Do you have any goals for this individual season (Code S)? To get to the round of 8. And by the end of the 4th Proleague round I want to get about 5 wins.
Q. Anything else you'd like to say? To my parents that are always cheering me on I want to say thank you. To the executives of SKT thank you. And to the coaches who trusted me to participate, thank you. Today I was only to perform to about 60%, I'll practice harder by lifting my game to 100% in the practice room.
Great play by Dark today in Code S. Dark advances to the ro16 for the first time in his career.
Against Bbyong's bio he showed impenetrable drop defence and against mech his patient play with swarmhost spreads meant he could ride his bank to a victory.
Against Zest's proxy 2 gate Dark hid 2 drones to make spine crawlers while he ran the rest of his drones around, so despite playing a very greedy build he was able to hold off the pressure unfortunately he was far enough behind that he couldn't quite hold off Zests 2 base timing.
Dark has a pretty easy group, Maru will be his biggest challenge but nothing that Dark can't overcome. Dark showed pretty one-sided ZvT when he went 4-0 against Bbyong in the ro.32.
Woosh. Sign me up for sure <3 Mah boy is going to advance to Ro8 with 5 other SKT players, sadly, T1 this season can't get all 7 but we will achieve 8/8 one day. #thedream
Unfortunately Dark got eliminated in the ro16 of Code S. He showed good games particularly game 1 vs Maru. Each season he's getting to a higher round so hopefully next season he can make it to the quarter finals.
Congratulations to Dark who got revenge on True after being knocked out of the ro16. Dark overcame probably the biggest build order disadvantage possible in ZvZ. With a hatch + gas first he was able to beat True's 9 pool. I'll definitely put up the VOD in the OP later.
Thanks for this hopefully he starts tweeting soon.
Also Dark managed to beat CJ.herO with some great zergling control, i'll put the proleague VOD in when it gets released. Hopefully this gets him some more attention since he's been playing amazingly in proleague whenever he gets sent out.
Dark qualifies for the bracket stage of Korean MSI Beat qualifier. His first opponent will be Bbyong, last time they met Dark went 4-0 over Bbyong in GSL ro32 season 2.
Thanks for the reminder Gumba, Dark beats parting in the first match now he faces Bbyong in the winners match. Last time Bbyong and Dark versed was in the ro32 of GSL season 2 where Dark went 4-0 in long macro games. Lets see if he can keep up his winning record.
Edit: And of course i'll be translating Darks interview when he inevitably advances.
On September 30 2014 20:28 GumBa wrote: Woop Dark! Wins his group :D
Can't say I didn't expect it.
If anyone wants to copy Dark's corruptor ZvT style the most important thing to remember is that you stay on 6 gas (even after going up to 5 bases). Get a late spire (around 11 mins) and make between 6 and 8 corruptors. Because this composition seems to be not as good against drops its important to be attacking the terran player. That's why we saw Dark fighting a lot off of creep.
Dark has qualified for both the SSL and GSL 2015 season 1. Congratulations to Dark, one of only a handful of Koreans that will have to juggle SSL, GSL and proleague.
I'll do translate an interview once he makes ro16 in SSL. But from a quick browse from his two recent qualifier interviews Dark's worst matchup is verse Protoss where he says "Even if I know what they're doing I don't really know what they're doing."
Also: Added royalroadweed (sorry for late reply there has been quite a gap in Dark's last activities).
It feels like Parting gave me a good Christmas present. Before I arrived in the studio I was really worried. I know his style really well so I was fully ready for him.
Q. Were you expecting a 3:0 win?
I knew that Parting wasn't confident in macro games. I thought if I just prepare for an all-in rush I can win easily.
Q. In the interview you ended up provoking your opponent.
I didn't intend to provoke him first. But when doing the interview I thought he'd try and provoke me so I thought should say something too.
Q. In the interview you said that you were really worried. But in your matches you always seem to manage to crush your opponents?
By nature I'm a person that worries a lot. After recording good results in last seasons pro league I thought i should try to face my matches with more confidence.
Q. Lately zerg haven't been doing very well. Do you have an opinion on that?
I thought I would be the last remaining zerg, I think zerg are weaker compared to last season. It seems I caught a good chance this time around.
Q. What type of group do you want to go into for the ro16?
One with lots of terrans. I'll advance if I get into a group with 3 terrans. Am I asking for too much if I want to avoid a teamkill?
Q. Any last words?
I'm very thankful for the people that helped me in practice. Thanks to them I was able to win like this (3:0).
Dark finally being picked as ace for SKT. In the past times Dark and Maru have versed Dark won most of the macro games. Dark will just have to make extra sure he doesn't get caught out by a proxy 2 rax.
Great game by Dark in SPL, ill be adding the VOD to the OP once its uploaded.
Definetely a game that pushes the current understanding of ZvP.
Edit: In honour of Dark's win in PL today I'll translate the first half of his big interview. And i'll finish it off with his next win (hopefully in his GSL group).
Q. Nice to meet you, please introduce yourself to the fans
Hello I'm Dark, a zerg that has been with SKT for 2 years.
Q. You started your progaming career on Slayers in 2012. I'm curious as to what motivated you to become a progamer.
Since Starcraft 1 I had friends that would all play together, one day I realized they were all playing Starcraft 2. When I saw that I naturally started playing starcraft 2. Back then there wasn't any information about Clans or teams so I just dilligently played the ladder alone. It was at that time that I got onto the slayers team with a second place in a selection match.
After that, while I was an online practice partner, the GSL preliminaries had started. While I was there the coach gave me notice that I'd be living in the players lodge which is when I started practicing full time.
Q. On slayers there were many famous players such as Boxer, MMA etc. When you first started living in the players quarters was there any particular feeling?
I was training with the players I had seen on TV. The food was very good and so was the accommodation so everything was interesting (laughs). Back then the lodging was in Gim-Po and so there was absolutely nothing to do but play the game. I didn't have any other thoughts so it was play until you drop.
Q. And you moved to SKT-1. For 1 year you didn't have any impressive results, did you ever think about giving up?
When I first joined SKT my internal results were better than I expected. But originally I didn't use a specific concept while playing and tended to play more freely. I tried to play more systematically but I realized that my ability was decreasing. But I found my own style and my ability slowly improved. That was around the first time I qualified for code S in 2014.
Q. When you first joined SKT did they treat you well? Or was the practice environment what you expected? How was it?
At first I was a little bit worried but Best, Bisu, Fantasy etc, really treated me well. So I was able to adapt, there wasn't any really difficult part but because it was a Kespa team I had to adapt to their systematic training which was really difficult (laughs).
Q. Do you think the first time you started to get some recognition was your first 2014 Code S?
I think it was when I participated in the later half of the 2014 Proleague season. Code S was before that but even when I practiced my abilities didnt show and changing my style was really hard. So there was times in the middle of the year that I wanted to give up. So towards the end of 2014, while I always able to catch some opportunities to play, my games steadily got better.
Q. In interviews you always seem to provoke the competition, I didn't realize you were like that. Who do you think is the real 'Dark'?
I've always been a confident guy. During broadcasts I simply like to use a provocative concept (laughs). I want people to recognize my name, so it seems necessary that I have a big mouth. I think I'll keep provoking others until I win an individual league.
Q. Recently your condition has looked really good. You've been recognized as SKT 1's zerg rising star. And now sometimes you've been referred as SKT's zerg ace.
When I was losing I learned a lot of things. Every time I lost I tried to absorb as much useful information as possible. While going through this process I can feel my ability improving. And recently I feel like ive been misunderstood. Compared to my vT I have an image of not doing well against Protoss, right? I've never thought to myself that I can't play against Protoss. In the IEM qualifiers and Proleague I've lost a few times (vP) so I think that's where it started. If I end up versing a protoss I want to show my ability.
Q. I hope you win. Can you describe your playstyle to the fans that don't know you very well?
In a straightforward way I like to push around my opponents. More than the trivial battles I intend to win with an overwhelming force. Shall I say that I like to Prod and push my opponent using brute force. Up until the midgame all zergs are similar but after that we're slowly becoming different. It's like even I have my own style.
Q. In 2014 your teammate SoO had a lot of good results. Did being teammates with SoO impact your own play?
He was really impressive in 2014. When I was watching his play I thought 'how can he win like this?' But he has a different style to me so I wasn't very influenced. Just some small tips and basic builds. It was the same for SoulKeY.
Some people think that my recent performances are all thanks to SoO and Soulkey. But I tend to cling to my own style and develop it alone.
Q. You still haven't participated in any foreign tournaments. Don't you want to?
Of course there's been opportunities, it would be good to have good results overseas but I don't feel that it is necessary. I'm satisfied with my lifestyle on SKT and I have a lot of motivation here. I tend to focus inwards but I need to be in an environment that makes me look outwards. So I'll say that I'm satisfied for now.
Q. You and Rogue are 2 zergs that are still surviving for in both leagues. Do you consider Rogue to be a rival?
Recently Rogue and I have been receiving attention. In the past I felt a rivalry with other zergs but now I have a mindset that I should just be the best. I've heard here and there that Rogue considers me a rival but I just don't care for that (laughs). I'm not friends with Rogue so I want to become more friendly through this interview.
Q. Recently you've been using corruptors against terran. Can you give us some details why?
In ZvT the basic composition is Ling/Bane/Muta. You need to get a lot of mutalisks for them to be worthwhile and that's when your Ling/Bane count can start to drop off so I realized there were a few times where I was being fruitlessly pushed around. I think a lot of Zergs will agree with me. But even if you have just a few corruptors you can start to see a benefit. Simply I had found it difficult to stop medivac harass so I thought 'Today I played Muta's, tomorrow I'll use corruptors.'
Q. There's been a lot of talk that 'Terran are overpowered.' What do you think about current balance?
Terran are definetely strong. But even though terran have gotten good its not like they've suddenly become S+ class. They've gotten better but they've all reached a high standard together. So no matter which terran I verse its not a big scare. Even if I say that Terran are alright I sit next to Classic and keep seeing him lose to widow mine cheeses, afterwards he makes a deep sigh (laughs). When I see this it seems that Terran is strong.
Q. Even though your atmosphere has been good there are still times when your play looks messy. How do you deal with it when that happens?
Korean players have a higher level of play than foreigners but their builds/compositions are similar. So I've been getting inspiration from foreign tournaments. Particularly I've been watching a lot of Liquid.Snute and that's been really helpful for me.
Q. In your opinion who do you think are the top 3 players for each race?
I'll start with a terran; Maru, Innovation and Cure. Maru was good even when Terran were in a slump. And lately terran have gotten good so it's like Maru found his wings just in time. Innovation has really strong standard play, versing him is tiring. As for Cure, out of all the terran players I've met in recent tournaments I end up losing to him the most so I chose him.
For Protoss it would be sOs, Zest and herO. Naturally sOs uses tricky builds, I can never get a clue of what his build is trying to do. Zest, like Innovation, plays standard. He tends to play the best by using solid styles. Lastly herO's blink stalkers are hell for Zergs. I'm not sure about zergs. Maybe Rogue?
Q.The 2015 season has started, the map pool is the exact same as 2014 season 3. What do you think about that?
I think the 2014 season 3 map pool was very good for terrans. Their recent feeling has also been good so I expect the terrans to be in full force. But I'm confident in my ZvT so it doesn't matter for me.
Q.Thanks for the interview today. Finally can you tell us what your goals are for the future.
While being a pro-gamer my goal is to win 10 individual league titles. I'm not joking, really 10 wins. Recently the atmosphere feels like the chance for my first championship has finally come. I've also recognized it. While I'm practicing I hope my fans cheer for me a lot. Thank you.
Wow, if Maru wouldve patrolled that marine with just 1 more inch, it wouldve made such a difference. HOW are you so good Dark! Beautiful play, now destroy him!!
Unfortunately Dark gets knocked out of GSL.Hopefully Dark can show a good performance in Kespa Cup and Proleague to make up for the early eliminations in SSL and GSL.
On April 29 2015 23:13 TameNaken wrote: Unfortunately Dark gets knocked out of GSL.Hopefully Dark can show a good performance in Kespa Cup and Proleague to make up for the early eliminations in SSL and GSL.
On May 10 2015 05:17 xtorn wrote: in expectation for the oh-so-great-yet-another-no-zerg DH final i watched the Dark vs Life match where he 3-0ed Life. Wow, that was just brutal.
you do know that in the last two DH finals, 3 of the 4 players present were zerg right
Dark advances to ro4 in Kespa Cup with a win against Byul. Dark's been in a lot of 3-0 ZvZ's recently hopefully he keeps on winning them more than he loses them.
Congratulations to Dark on getting another 2nd place in Kespa Cup, with SoO having won a major tournament it's now up to Dark to carry on the next zerg Kong line T.T
Dark gets knocked out of GSL in the ro 16 after showing some good games. Hopefully he can get past the ro16 wall soon, he only seems to live up to his ability in the Kespa Cup.
Game 1 against Solar, and game 2 against Zest are worth watching, I will add them to the OP later.
Dark is unfortunately out of Blizzcon. With only one day of proleauge remaining for Dark he ends his HotS career as one of the best ZvT players. I hope to see him play well in LotV where he can finally get that championship he deserves.
Holy carp. If Dark keeps up this type of performance he'll be the strongest LotV player as of this season's end. His control is just frighteningly good.
I've added all the most recent sign-ups. @Ciaus237 Yeah Dark is doing super well he should be able to take this SSL since he's already slain Stats and Solar once each. Also he's in a class above the competitors in his GSL group, Right now he has a pretty good shot of getting the first double GSL and SSL title (i'd put SSL at 65% and GSL at about 20% at this moment).
Yeah, that'd be sick! Although Solar is really good he just isn't the Zerg force I can see being truly dominant. I've always felt like in terms of championship winning brilliance there has been Life and then a huge gap before the next Zerg, but maybe, just maybe SKT can send LotV into the Dark ages >: )
On April 10 2016 04:36 xtorn wrote: Does anyone have any ingame replays of him from LOTV, by any chance?
He hasn't played in any tournaments that have released replays yet so I doubt you'll have much luck. Maybe if GSL finishes you'll get replays of both Korean leagues.
Dark advances to Code S against one of the hardest Code A opponents he could have with a 3-2 against Innovation. That will probably be the hardest opponent he faces until the ro4.
That was underrated what Dark did. Innovation played soooooo well . Any other Zerg in the world would have lost that game against Innovation. I dont know where to start what he did better than any other Zerg its too much. Overlord spread. Ravager control. kept sniping mines. counter ling harass. creep. had overseers at all times. burrowed lings more and more and more and that in all the games and all at once
Yeah, I wonder how other Terrans will fare against Dark. For sure Zerg need Dark to represent their race more than Terran needs Innovation atm. So I guess that might soothe the pain a bit...
Also I am pretty sure that Innovation will be of great use for Dark when preparing for other Terrans.
Breathtaking games 6 and 7 by Dark, definitely worthy of the chance to defend his title in the SSL finals! I'll have to add games 6 and 7 to the OP later.
Congrats to Solar, really didn't think he'd be able to beat Dark. Was a good series overall and Dark's back to back finals in SSL is still the best performance we've seen this year.
Hope to see another Kespa cup finals and Blizzcon finals with Dark in it.
DAAAAAAAAAAARKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a game, what a game! the fight continues!!!
---- Amazing effort, Dark! Just world class exhilarating skill. Definitely number one Zerg in the world right now, and for a long time onwards.
I'm a bit disappointed that he lost, but that's expected I think he's clearly the best player this year in term of consistency and that kind of stuff. Gogo Dark
^ Can't believe I missed the stream. I would of loved to see his games on ladder against Byun. Thanks for the heads up I'll have to look out for the stream.
I admit that he had balls, and picked a strong opponent. Question what happens next during group selection if he has the opportunity to pick? Will he pick some weak player, or he will be stubborn and will re-pick Classic again to get revenge for todays loss?
Dark destroyed Innovation 3-0 in the masters coliseum. He is one of these over looked guys who can win it all at Blizzcon.
SoO made back to back GSL finals so he deserved all the props and Rogue has been great lately, solar is certainly a great player. Dark however still might be overall the best Zerg on earth. He was the top all around player last year.
On August 22 2017 16:28 Rolltide wrote: Where is everybody?
Dark destroyed Innovation 3-0 in the masters coliseum. He is one of these over looked guys who can win it all at Blizzcon.
SoO made back to back GSL finals so he deserved all the props and Rogue has been great lately, solar is certainly a great player. Dark however still might be overall the best Zerg on earth. He was the top all around player last year.
his zvt could win him anything but his zvz is painful sometimes and his zvp is weak to stupid shit.
On August 24 2017 03:25 kajtarp wrote: Innovation still looks unbeatable in TvZ when it comes to bo5 / bo7 and finals.
In an offline Bo7 (like the GSL semis where Dark will meet Inno, if they both advance) I wouldn't favor any Zerg in the world against INnoVation. Not even Dark.
On August 24 2017 03:25 kajtarp wrote: Innovation still looks unbeatable in TvZ when it comes to bo5 / bo7 and finals.
In an offline Bo7 (like the GSL semis where Dark will meet Inno, if they both advance) I wouldn't favor any Zerg in the world against INnoVation. Not even Dark.
Exactly. I know he lost some best of 3 games against Zergs here and there, but the longer the series the more i favour Inno. Thats too bad because i like when Zergs win.
On August 24 2017 03:25 kajtarp wrote: Innovation still looks unbeatable in TvZ when it comes to bo5 / bo7 and finals.
In an offline Bo7 (like the GSL semis where Dark will meet Inno, if they both advance) I wouldn't favor any Zerg in the world against INnoVation. Not even Dark.
Exactly. I know he lost some best of 3 games against Zergs here and there, but the longer the series the more i favour Inno. Thats too bad because i like when Zergs win.
Dark is very strong in ZvT, and he has the record to back it up. In 2017, he's 14-6 in offline ZvT series, a 70% winrate.
But Inno is just insane. His offline TvZ series record for 2017 is 28-3, over 90%. Twice as many wins and half as many losses. Simply put, there is no Zerg in the world that can stand up to peak Inno.
Why are people talking about how unbeatable Innovation is against Zerg when Dark destroyed him and eliminated him from the Master's Coliseum tournament 3-0?
Innovation failed to make the semi finals in both GSL's so far.
On August 24 2017 23:24 Rolltide wrote: Why are people talking about how unbeatable Innovation is against Zerg when Dark destroyed him and eliminated him from the Master's Coliseum tournament 3-0?
Innovation failed to make the semi finals in both GSL's so far.
Because online tournaments don't count for much. Inno (and every other player) can lose to just about anyone when they aren't taking things seriously. And his TvZ record in offline tournaments (which count for a lot more) is close to unbeatable. It's not rocket science.
Sure, he hasn't won a GSL yet this year. He has still won more big tournaments than any other player this year.
Don't get me wrong, Dark is a very tough opponent for any player (including Inno), but he won't be favored if they meet in the semis.
Dark and Solar are my 2 favorite players right now with Zest out of the picture and Rain playing broodwar. What sets Dark apart is that he is good enough to win this thing. He is good enough and solid enough to win the world championship.
He certainly has the best chance among the Zergs and he can match up well with the best players of the other 2 races. I don't see any foreigner taking him out though a match with Serral would be a fun ZvZ.
Dark should beat Dear and would be favored to beat Classic and a chance to beat Stats in SSL. After how he beat TY Innovation is certainly possible in GSL.
How about Stats? Already in the SSL final and in the GSL semi final. That's incredible. Having the best year ever.
He's doing it mates. He's on to the semi final. Looked dicey in the first 2 games but made some adjustments and dominated after that.
Seeing that it is an all Protoss affair with Classic next and then Stats if he wins, preparation should be no problem. He can focus entirely on Innovation and Terran for the next 2 days.
This was more about Innovation's incredible play than Dark's lack of incredible play. Dark was very resilient and resourceful especially in that third game. Innovation might have been the only player in the world who could have beaten Dark that day.
Inno starts out with air attacks to force Dark into Hydras. Then he goes full mech which overpowers a Hydra army.
You could criticize Dark's aversion to Muta's which could have won him game 7. Inno had no marines and just a few Thors and Vikings. 25 Mutas could have given him air superiority and done a number on those tanks turning the tide in his favor.
It was also unusual to see a 7 game series in which the Zerg player doesn't at least one time try a Zerg run by attack or early Roach push. Inno put Dark on the defensive all series so give him credit. That's atypical of Inno to do bunker rushes.
On September 09 2017 22:34 Rolltide wrote: This was more about Innovation's incredible play than Dark's lack of incredible play. Dark was very resilient and resourceful especially in that third game. Innovation might have been the only player in the world who could have beaten Dark that day.
Inno starts out with air attacks to force Dark into Hydras. Then he goes full mech which overpowers a Hydra army.
You could criticize Dark's aversion to Muta's which could have won him game 7. Inno had no marines and just a few Thors and Vikings. 25 Mutas could have given him air superiority and done a number on those tanks turning the tide in his favor.
It was also unusual to see a 7 game series in which the Zerg player doesn't at least one time try a Zerg run by attack or early Roach push. Inno put Dark on the defensive all series so give him credit. That's atypical of Inno to do bunker rushes.
Well said. Dark played like a god all 7 games, especially that Game 3 hold. But he made a few small mistakes in the macro games and against Inno's mech that's a few mistakes too many.
Dark could've beaten any other Terran in the world easily, and he gave Inno one hell of a fight. Fortunately he still has SSL, and no Inno to worry about there.
On September 09 2017 22:34 Rolltide wrote: This was more about Innovation's incredible play than Dark's lack of incredible play. Dark was very resilient and resourceful especially in that third game. Innovation might have been the only player in the world who could have beaten Dark that day.
Inno starts out with air attacks to force Dark into Hydras. Then he goes full mech which overpowers a Hydra army.
You could criticize Dark's aversion to Muta's which could have won him game 7. Inno had no marines and just a few Thors and Vikings. 25 Mutas could have given him air superiority and done a number on those tanks turning the tide in his favor.
It was also unusual to see a 7 game series in which the Zerg player doesn't at least one time try a Zerg run by attack or early Roach push. Inno put Dark on the defensive all series so give him credit. That's atypical of Inno to do bunker rushes.
I think a handful of Queens+ Ultras would've sufficed to win him game 2 and 7, especially game 2.
Dark's late game strategy against Mech, was to first eliminate the Air threat using mass Vipers/Hydras, paving the way for the Broods/Hydras to obliterate the ground. Problem is: by the time he took out the air army, his Hydra count wasn't big enough to directly engage the Tanks and with Dark being the aggressor, Inno could rally Vikings fast enough to force the Broodlords to retreat.
With 3-5 Ultras to reduce the unit count (Thors/Hellbats) protecting the Tanks while also soaking Tank fire away from the Hydras allowing them to eliminate the Vikings with fewer losses; and with Queens transfusing the Broodlords long enough to take down the Tank count. If Zerg doesn’t overwhelm Terran, Dark can still max out on Ling/Hydra/Ultra to win the game. Incidentally, that's how he won Game 3 in SSL.
Dark is streaming right now as I write this. Playing against Alive. A truly gifted player!
Regarding Dark's macro losses to Innovation. I always love Ravagers as a more muscular addition to the army than Hydras. They have 25% more firepower and can absorb 25% more hit points. With proper micro they can be good vs Seige tanks.
Dark went 3-0 in his Super 'tournament qualifiers. He beat Rookie 2-0, Leenock 2-0 and Creator 2-0. He is on fire and despite his loss to Innovation at GSL still my favorite at blizzcon.
FYI Leenock was eliminated from the qualifier and since he had said this would be his last tournament he is now retired.
Frustrating loss to Stats 4-3. Did not play well in games 5 and 7. In game 5 he used Zerglings to attack pylons and really accomplished nothing. Should have attacked Stats' mineral line. Did not macro or micro especially well in game 7. Stats was very greedy in game 7 and a Zergling rush by Dark would have certainly won the map and the SSL title.
Still a nice run by Dark in both GSL and SSL and you would have to consider him the 3rd best player in the world only behind Innovation and Stats.
The top 5 players in the world right now in my opinion.
On September 24 2017 21:29 Rolltide wrote: Frustrating loss to Stats 4-3. Did not play well in games 5 and 7. In game 5 he used Zerglings to attack pylons and really accomplished nothing. Should have attacked Stats' mineral line. Did not macro or micro especially well in game 7. Stats was very greedy in game 7 and a Zergling rush by Dark would have certainly won the map and the SSL title.
Still a nice run by Dark in both GSL and SSL and you would have to consider him the 3rd best player in the world only behind Innovation and Stats.
The top 5 players in the world right now in my opinion.
Innovation Stats Dark TY Neeb SoO
I would replace soO by Gumiho. Gumi in the only player manage to steal a series from Innovation in last GSL.
On September 24 2017 21:29 Rolltide wrote: Frustrating loss to Stats 4-3. Did not play well in games 5 and 7. In game 5 he used Zerglings to attack pylons and really accomplished nothing. Should have attacked Stats' mineral line. Did not macro or micro especially well in game 7. Stats was very greedy in game 7 and a Zergling rush by Dark would have certainly won the map and the SSL title.
Still a nice run by Dark in both GSL and SSL and you would have to consider him the 3rd best player in the world only behind Innovation and Stats.
The top 5 players in the world right now in my opinion.
Innovation Stats Dark TY Neeb SoO
I would replace soO by Gumiho. Gumi in the only player manage to steal a series from Innovation in last GSL.
I think Neeb will get rekt by any top Kor at blizzcon (like soO or gumi or TY...)
Also very good first match Dark, still hope for a Classic or INno vs Dark in finals.
Let's remember Blizzcon last year. Dark destroyed the 2 top foreign players back to back. He beat Neeb 3-0 in the rd of 8 and Elazer 3-0 in the semi final.
The obvious issue for Dark is being able to finish and win a big tournament. He is making the semi finals of every significant tournament he plays in(GSl s3-ST-Masters) and made the final of SSL but his inability to finish off those events against elite opposition suggests he likely cannot win Blizzcon. The talent is there. He will not stumble and fall to a lessor player.
I'm not sure about winning Blizzcon, winning Blizzcon won't be an easy path for anyone but I can see Dark making the semi-finals with a high probability. His hardest competition will come from Innovation, Stats and Rogue in my opinion.
It depends on the draw in the quarter finals. He could be playing anybody from circuit players like Neeb, Serral or Elazer to Innovation or Stats. Elazer made the semi finals last year because he got Showtime in the rd of 8.
Hero is in a similar position to Dark. A great talented player who is in very good form right now.
he was not in good shape at all. I saw the games he played vs herO and realized that he would be eliminated later if he keep play like that, and he actually gone earlier.
On October 31 2017 12:52 ParksonVN wrote: he was not in good shape at all. I saw the games he played vs herO and realized that he would be eliminated later if he keep play like that, and he actually gone earlier.
Not just Dark. Some Koreans seem not on tip-top form for BlizzCon at all. TY and Stats are all shaky. Stats is of course gone now. His first game vs Special was the worst game I ever saw from him in big stage. TY was barely making it through though he has been a bit of weaker form compared to early this year. Stats has been very consistent until BlizzCon. Completely fell off the cliff.
Dark has been streaming a lot. He's playing Terran today. No worry about a changeover he is just Master's level with that race.
A good sign that he is right at work getting ready for a great year.
As far as form is concerned at Blizzcon that first best of three match seems wide open. We saw what Showtime did to Byun last year and TY and Rogue losing this year. The group format allows players to stumble early but hit their form as they go.
Tough way to lose. I was more impressed by Dark than by Maru in the finals overall. But there's no excuse in doing so horribly against the predictable proxy 2rax. Rogue would have made shutting it down look easy.
On April 09 2018 12:32 yangluphil wrote: Has Dark ever won a game 7?
Yes. In the semifinals of 2016 SSL Season 2. That puts his record in game 7s at 1-6.
Thanks for looking it up! On the other hand, he has an impressive 9-4 record in game 5 of offline Bo5's. He is pretty clutch normally but anti-clutch in the finals.
I don't want to be too hard on the kid. He has been one of the most solid and consistent players in the world for the last 3 years. He's just in a slump now. That 3-0 loss to Rogue was an indication in Kung fu cup that he was not in top form.
It's hard when you practice and play for 10-12 hours a day for 6 days a week. Sometimes you need a break.
He still has another GSL and super tournament to go and is already 5th in WCS points. He'll be fine.
On June 01 2018 00:25 Rolltide wrote: Well so much for a slump. He won Kung Fu today and beat Rogue 3-0 in the final.
when u play sc2 at the highest level, things are so volatile that little mistakes will instantly lose you games. just because you get knocked out tournament after tournament doesn't mean a player is in a slump. The amount of tournament games a progamer plays is miniscule compared to amount they play on ladder + customs. As long as someone continues to play a lot of games and maintain the same skill level then they aren't in a slump even if they never win a tournament. "oh dark lost 4 games to protoss in row that means his zvp is garbage" "maru lost a game against patience, he's falling off", acting like progamers aren't just humans like everyone else and can never have a bad game/day in their entire life. this is all bogus and not true
On June 01 2018 00:25 Rolltide wrote: Well so much for a slump. He won Kung Fu today and beat Rogue 3-0 in the final.
when u play sc2 at the highest level, things are so volatile that little mistakes will instantly lose you games. just because you get knocked out tournament after tournament doesn't mean a player is in a slump. The amount of tournament games a progamer plays is miniscule compared to amount they play on ladder + customs. As long as someone continues to play a lot of games and maintain the same skill level then they aren't in a slump even if they never win a tournament. "oh dark lost 4 games to protoss in row that means his zvp is garbage" "maru lost a game against patience, he's falling off", acting like progamers aren't just humans like everyone else and can never have a bad game/day in their entire life. this is all bogus and not true
GSL is not just another few maps out of hundreds played it is bigger than 10 Kung fu cups. Dark had a week to prepare for his match with Classic and knew there was a good chance he would be playing Trap also.
On June 01 2018 00:25 Rolltide wrote: Well so much for a slump. He won Kung Fu today and beat Rogue 3-0 in the final.
when u play sc2 at the highest level, things are so volatile that little mistakes will instantly lose you games. just because you get knocked out tournament after tournament doesn't mean a player is in a slump. The amount of tournament games a progamer plays is miniscule compared to amount they play on ladder + customs. As long as someone continues to play a lot of games and maintain the same skill level then they aren't in a slump even if they never win a tournament. "oh dark lost 4 games to protoss in row that means his zvp is garbage" "maru lost a game against patience, he's falling off", acting like progamers aren't just humans like everyone else and can never have a bad game/day in their entire life. this is all bogus and not true
Who said that Dark's ZvP is garbage? Was it on this fan thread? I did not see it. Where is it?
So let me get this straight. A poster quotes something that was never said. You put quotation marks around a sentence that is a quote.
A poster dishonestly or erroneously claims something was said that was not said and another poster gives him a massive high five? Somebody needs to get a clue.
On August 03 2018 19:56 Toua wrote: Dark destroying Neeb for the third time and looking in really good form, think he has a really good shot at the finals
With how Maru has been playing, maybe even a championship :D
On August 03 2018 19:56 Toua wrote: Dark destroying Neeb for the third time and looking in really good form, think he has a really good shot at the finals
With how Maru has been playing, maybe even a championship :D
Would Love to see that, have been hoping for that since the end of 2016
Dark getting the recognition he deserves after being put as #1 in the April 2019 power rank. Be sure to check out his match against Classic tonight and watch as Dark reaches his first GSL finals!!! Dark fighting!!!
Great tournament from Dark who definitely played the best of any player throughout the whole season. A very deserving championship capping off a great career of deep tournament runs. Highly deserved!
What a run to the finals: Inno, Dream, Rogue, now PartinG
Let's see what styles he will bring to the last stage against Trap! Pumped for this finals, rematch of 2019, no matter who wins this will be the best GSL finals in a long time.
Darn, foiled again by ZvZ haha. Dark has just never found consistent ZvZ in all these years, a few high profile wins here and there notwithstanding
In other news though, the ZvT in the semis was so clean! Does anybody else feel like Dark's ZvT reminds them of some of the things discussed about saviOr's play in the TL Final Edits (https://tl.net/forum/final-edits/226236-god-of-the-battlefield-part-1)? Like, Dark always prioritizes having units out on the map for potential counterattacks / flanks / cutting off reinforcements, even if it means he stays on a lower drone count, and his various tactics with burrowed infestors, lings, nydus, ultra runbys etc are all trying to keep the Terran uncomfortable and to make the optimal decision (how much army to leave at home & where to leave it) impossible to find. Matchups and forms come and go, but I have always loved watching Dark's ZvT above all else
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Vo9rmaF.png)
Dark is a Zerg who is currently teamless. He is known for having the some of the best ZvT around. Even though he only gained the spotlight in 2016 Dark has been active in the professional scene since 2012 during his time on SlayerS. Dark would contribute heavily to Slayer's Zerg lineup alongside Min and Coca.
Put me in please!
played really well but couldnt win his last bo3 ZvT D: Hope he does well in GSL!
![[image loading]](https://s23.postimg.org/v599ab217/16.12.png)
