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[OSL] Reach For The Stars
November 21st, 2009 06:56 GMT
Banner by SilverskY
The coveted group selection ceremony has been finished and we find ourselves on the road to yet another OSL Round of 16. Yes, the OSL is indeed upon us and we find ourselves looking forward to some incredibly promising groups. Pretty much all the big names have qualified this time around (minus one handsome Protoss) and luckily for us, they haven't been all shoved in the same group to eliminate eachother before the Quarterfinal round.
Yet again we find ourselves with a zerg dominated tournament, half of the players belong to the overmind this time around. Hopefully the zerg won't dominate the quarterfinal bracket. While these players have certainly earned their spot in the StarLeague, the most varied selection usually leads to the best games. After the ZvZ nightmare that was Bacchus/Avalon 09, it's probably safe to say that the less zergs make it past the Ro16, the better.
While everyone expects the likes of Stork, Flash, and Jaedong to perform well; the real pressure is on the newer faces to prove themselves worthy in such a fierce competition. The possibility of a royal road victory isn't so remote, with Calm making it to the OSL for the first time ever. All in all, the OSL looks electric and you owe it to yourself to stay up to watch each excellent group. The EVER StarLeague has a history of greatness, July winning 2 of his 3 OSL victories under the EVER sponsorship and Jaedong his first.
Taking a look at the groups, it truly is a dynamic and varied collection. The massive amount of zergs have been spread out nicely through groups A, B, and D. C has found itself with a high concentration of zergs, meaning 2 of them may get eliminated right off the bat. Each group has it's favorite, but there is no certainty this time around. Get ready for a bombastic Round of 16. Get ready for the EVER 2009 OSL.
From left: go.go, Pusan, Jaedong, Movie
Group A at first glance might look like mere fodder for Jaedong. While he is definitely a favorite to advance from this group, the question as to who will be the second to advance is one of interest. Pusan has lackluster PvZ these days and Jaedong shouldn't have any difficulty running over him. The match-up of go.go versus Movie is another easy one to predict; go.go's TvP is historically about as abysmal as firebathero's while the young CJ Protoss has performed quite well in the match-up.
The Movie versus Jaedong matchup has received a lot of hype around the forums and for good reason too. Their last meeting on Heartbreak Ridge was an incredible and action-packed PvZ. Movie's PvZ has been on fire recently and he might just be the protoss to beat Jaedong in this OSL.
go.go just might take a game off of Jaedong, whose ZvT has yet to be tested recently, but will probably lose his games against Protoss, in his weakest match-up. Movie is also unfortunately weak against Protoss, while Pusan has performed quite decently in both PvT and PvP. If Movie manages to beat Jaedong, he will probably advance, taking a match off go.go as well. However, Pusan advancing to the Round of 8 would be an far more exciting occurrence. Nothing builds hype on TL like old school players doing well.
The biggest possibility for upset here is Jaedong going 1-2. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if Movie managed to take out Jaedong, but as we've yet to see his ZvT, there is the possibility it isn't quite up to snuff. Although he is the Tyrant, losing to Movie and then go.go is a distinct possibility. In that case, Movie and Pusan will probably advance from this group. But if you can count on one guy to win, it's Lee Jae Dong.
From left: ZerO, Pure, Hwasin, YellOw[ARNC]
While this group has been proclaimed to be the "boring group" by netizens of TeamLiquid, it's sure to feature games with an entertainment value far beyond the star power of the progamers playing them. Hwasin has a decent chance of making it to the quarterfinals, where he may excel in such a zerg heavy tournament. This could be a trip all the way to the semi-finals for Jin Yung Soo, a player who has consistently qualified for StarLeagues.
While this group lacks in immense starpower, it makes up for that in the likely entertainment value and uncertainty surrounding its games. While ZerO looks incredible, his ZvZ is lacking, Pure's PvZ is beastly, and Hwasin has been playing great in all match-ups. Predictions are hard to make here and that's probably for the best. The suspense here is thick, so choose your liquibets wisely.
Yarnc versus Pure might not be such a close game, even if the twin zerg has come out of his slump. Yarnc is infamously bad at ZvP while Pure is most comfortable playing against the swarm. ZerO and Hwasin is sure to be an incredible game, both players playing in strong match-ups. Hwasin has a decent chance against both ZerO and Yarnc, playing his favored TvZ. Pure's PvT has looked pretty good in his recent series against Leta, but Hwasin also played a pretty convincing series against Guemchi. Hwasin could easily advance here, but this group is hard to make predictions for. Be sure to stay up for these games.
From left: fantasy, Shine[KaL], Calm, EffOrt
Here we go again with the immense concentration of zergs. Jung Myung Hoon sticks out like a sore thumb in this group, unfortunately in an all-zerg group he will be at his greatest disadvantage. While TvZ is the match-up he is often credited with revolutionizing, it is still his weakest. The caliber of zergs here is nothing to understate, both Calm and EffOrt are playing extremely high level StarCraft. If there's such a thing as a "Group of Death", this is it.
ZvZ is well-known as a matchup prone to upsets and while EffOrt is the favorite in his game against Shine, nothing is for certain. Shine himself is in a precarious position. His group has the most "big-name" progamers, while it's only recently that Shine has received any attention. The attention isn't really for his stellar gameplay, handsome features, or dominant statistics; rather he's well-known merely for his elimination of Bisu in the previous group stage. There is a lot of pressure on Shine to prove himself as being worthy of this stellar group. If he's eliminated easily by EffOrt, Bisu fans will be even more upset. No one likes seeing their favorite player eliminated by a no-name only to be knocked out easily in the next round. The WeMade Zerg needs to play his absolute best this time around.
Fantasy versus Calm is going to be in all likelihood an incredible match. While fantasy excels at outsmarting his opponent with creative strategies and highly tactical play, Calm is strong in the same areas of play and isn't a player prone to losing in the mental game. All in all, things don't look so good for fantasy. But don't take him totally out of the picture. Fantasy is a creative player, if anyone can pull himself out of a disadvantaged group with a bit of brilliance, it's fantasy.
From left: Kwanro, Stork, Flash, type-b
An excellent and dynamic group. Stork and Flash have both been playing really well recently, as has Kwanro. I can't say much the same for type-b, but he hasn't really played enough to say for sure. Flash should be satisfied with a 2 zerg group, his TvZ has looked beyond invincible recently and he should take out Kwanro and type-b with ease. His TvP has shown a bit of weakness, while Stork has always been a PvT powerhouse. Flash might drop a game to the dinotoss, although the two of them will likely advance.
Kwanro and type-b can't be counted out. While they are dwarfed in terms of star power, Kwanro did make it to the MSL finals last season and has started playing pretty well in Proleague again. If anything, Stork's PvZ will be his downfall and cause an upset. It hasn't looked too shabby recently though and this group might be one of the safer ones to bet on. The Flash versus Stork matchup is sure to be hyped to high heaven. For good reason too.
Flash versus Stork in the GOMtv Star Invitational Grand Finals was an incredible and important TvP series. Their next series, in the Bacchus OSL finals, revolutionized TvP and ushered in a new age of Terran strategy. Stork has constantly reinvented himself as a PvT player and has consistently been at the top of the match-up. He took down fantasy, a top TvP player, in the Incruit OSL finals to win his first gold medal. Both players are in some of the best shape of their careers. An epic clash awaits us.
These are the times we all look forward to. Another chance for gamers to prove their might, to become the worlds best. Lee Jae Dong, the reigning champion has proven his worth against countless odds, his mouse shines a bright gold in his hands. Those with the guts to make it this far are ready to challenge him. Rookies and Veterans alike will do battle on the EVER stage, to take the most prestigious title in all of E-Sports. To be the OSL champion.
The Tyrant and his Treasure
There are those who would walk the royal road, those who would dominate and win championship after championship, and those who have faced many defeats in the past. Who will claim the prize this season is anyones guess. But the door to the hall of champions has opened once more. EVER has a legacy to uphold and now it rests on the shoulders of our beloved progamers. Reaching for stars, the weak will fall, the strong will survive, and one will stand out above all the rest. That is the destiny of a Starleague champion. Let the games commence. The EVER 2009 OSL has officially begun.
Credit to FOMOS for the photos and TwoEightSix for the chart
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Thx for the writeup! I'm rooting for Flash this time. Kid is such a great terran. Definetly gonna watch all games.
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movie cartoon is exactly the same
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Nice write up, I'm looking forward to the Stork vs Flash game among many others.
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great writeup lol at the drawn effort
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those drawings are funny. effort's looks really nice.
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Predictions: A: Jaedong, Movie B: ZerO, Yellow C: Fantasy, EffOrt D: Flash, Stork
Gogogo!
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I'm happy the drawings I posted are getting used in a lot of places
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holy crap stork is skinny now
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pripple
Finland1714 Posts
splendid writeup, some parts gave me chills! go JD, one more OSL win and maybe then i have the right to call you BONJWA around the forums of TL. (although you sure as hell can't draw, wth man)
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Nice stuff! GO ZERGS SWARM THE SHIT OUTTA OSL!
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lol fantasy's drawing looks a lot like him
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Russian Federation1208 Posts
On November 21 2009 15:56 DoctorHelvetica wrote: Stork has constantly reinvented himself as a PvT player and has consistently been at the top of the match-up. He took down fantasy, a top TvP player, in the Incruit OSL finals to win his first gold medal.
His only gold medal.
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Radfield
Canada2720 Posts
I'm pumped for the BW highlight reel potential of these matches. Can't wait.
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ver nice ready doctor. Ty very much for rhis
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I can't wait for the games to begin! Its gonna be amazing! Happy OSL & MSL everyone!
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Final -----------> Flash vs Jaedong
It would be the most epic final since Boxer.
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On November 22 2009 02:54 paulinepain wrote: Final -----------> Flash vs Jaedong
It would be the most epic final since Boxer.
Since it is fall, the final should be Stork vs. Flash. It will symbolize how Protoss overcame the greatest Terran only in the fall. And it will also mean the end of swarm season with no zerg in the final.
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i dont think stork will advance, kwanro/type-b should knock him out.
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Awesome writeup.
Obviously, I'm hoping for Stork to make it out of his group...hopefully with Flash. I also hope that Jaedong makes it through as well. Beyond that, though, I'm just hoping for most of the Zergs to get eliminated now; if we can end up with just Jaedong and one or two other good Zergs (i.e. Calm, Zero, or Effort) in the next round, I'll be very happy.
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I don't understand how OP somehow believes that Pure has "incredible PvZ".
Maybe you got him confused with Bisu or Movie?
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yarnc's picture is freaking hliarious
ever osl!
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effort already wins at art
now to win at starcraft, effort hwaiting!
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I just hope that Stork wins this OSL, he needs another OSL and its fall... Flash is going to help him eliminating Jaedong and Effort.
Go Stork!... well if he gets eliminated, lets go YARNC! =D
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rofl, the drawings itself is win enough
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Are you fucking serious that type b has a chance at taking a game from stork? Kwanro has more of a chance than type b. And fantasy will probably roll over effort and calm.
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I sense much darkness in the heart of whoever drew JD.
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In the last paragraph it says "and one will stand about above all the rest." but should say "and one will stand above all the rest."
Good writeup. I am looking forward to Stork vs Flash.
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This is Flash's OSL. And rofl at the drawings. win.
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On November 22 2009 05:20 numLoCK wrote: I sense much darkness in the heart of whoever drew JD.
Jaedong himself drew it. Those drawings are all "progamer self portraits"
It'll serve as the tracking chart for eliminated players.
Maybe EffOrts drawing will keep him from being eliminated. It would be funny if all the worst drawings got eliminated right off the bat.
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Jaedong's drawing is disturbing o.O
But I laughed out loud so hard when I saw Effort's. I was like, "It's Link!"
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My Hopes: A: Jaedong Movie B: Zero Hwasin C: Effort Fantasy D: Stork Flash
If it plays out this way there will bea nice balance going into the next round. At the moment it promises to be a good tournement.
Hoping for a stork silver mouse... and that he doesn't do something stupid and get killed by Kwanro.
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Baa?21243 Posts
Pft Zerg hate.
I wish for Calm v Jaedong finals :<
(are they on the same side of the bracket? :<)
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Interesting interpretation of Effort's face in the cartoon.
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intrigue
Washington, D.C9933 Posts
wow, jeez, every group has good mus and is reasonably balanced. haven't seen such a nice spread like this in a while!
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On November 22 2009 05:10 MuffinDude wrote: Are you fucking serious that type b has a chance at taking a game from stork? Kwanro has more of a chance than type b. And fantasy will probably roll over effort and calm.
type-b is 1:0 vs Stork. He has a >60%vs T win rate with wins against big name terrans. Current z>p metagame(debatable). Yes, type-b has a chance of beating both Stork and Flash.
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what happens when someone gets a 4th osl champion title? golden keyboard?
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Pusan over Movie? your nuts
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Let's go Stork!! One more gold and your silver legacy will finally be broken! My fanboyism is once again at an all time high, last time Stork almost let me down against fantasy, but luckily, Fantasy's the only one that chokes under pressure more than Stork, lol. You can do it!!
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On November 22 2009 09:13 Rucky wrote: what happens when someone gets a 4th osl champion title? golden keyboard?
Nothing, but 5 osl wins is the platinum mouse.
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United States17042 Posts
Great writeup. These groups this season are amazing, and the overall level of play is larger than we've ever seen before. Time for the real osl ^^
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ROFL those drawings are funny as hell! Stork's is pretty weird wtf
edit:drawings
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Anyone else think that group C is going to be INCREDIBLE?!?
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On November 22 2009 10:35 s[O]rry wrote: Anyone else think that group C is going to be INCREDIBLE?!?
I'm not looking forward to all the ZvZ, but I wanna see Fantasy vs Calm and Calm vs EffOrt.
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Seeing fantasy crawl his was out under the swarm of zerg will be awesome. I don't agree that Movie will 1-2 but other than that, I think the Doctor's predictions are pretty good.
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Fave portraits: Hwasin and Fantasy.
Edit: Poor Jaedong... and Flash wth!
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Stork is looking ridiculously strong lately, he will single-handedly keep up the legend of the fall.
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On November 22 2009 01:35 Bifur wrote:Show nested quote +On November 21 2009 15:56 DoctorHelvetica wrote: Stork has constantly reinvented himself as a PvT player and has consistently been at the top of the match-up. He took down fantasy, a top TvP player, in the Incruit OSL finals to win his first gold medal. His only gold medal.
Somehow, everybody forget that Stork does have a WCG gold medal.
That is a real solid gold medal. It's just not a Korean medal, that's all.
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On November 22 2009 17:29 dukethegold wrote:Show nested quote +On November 22 2009 01:35 Bifur wrote:On November 21 2009 15:56 DoctorHelvetica wrote: Stork has constantly reinvented himself as a PvT player and has consistently been at the top of the match-up. He took down fantasy, a top TvP player, in the Incruit OSL finals to win his first gold medal. His only gold medal. Somehow, everybody forget that Stork does have a WCG gold medal. That is a real solid gold medal. It's just not a Korean medal, that's all.
and an ief gold...not that it counts for much heh
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Poll: Ideal finals? (Vote): Jaedong vs FlaSh (Vote): Jaedong vs Stork (Vote): Stork vs FlaSh (Vote): Calm vs FlaSh (Vote): Calm vs Stork (Vote): EffOrt vs FlaSh (Vote): EffOrt vs Stork
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As PvZ is my favorite matchup, Jaedong vs Stork would be sweet
But I'd be happy with any combination of Stork, Jaedong, Flash
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Fantasy actually looks a lot like fantasy......
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I predict Flash will win all three of his games. Who gets the second spot is anyone's guess. Movie and Jaedong should advance their group. Group B and C is very difficult to predict, but I'll take a shot at it.
Group B: Hwsain and Pure Group C: Fantasy and Calm
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A: JD and Movie B: rly dunno... or dont care. C: Calm and Effort D: Flash and Stork
Can't wait for all the games :D.
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Awesome writeup! Hope JD can do what Nada hasn't by claiming that 4th OSL title!
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misleading title, wheres the mantoss?
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as long jd rapes i dont care about the rest 
group c is my fav, no "stupid" movie s, pusan s or typ b`s or so^^
i want see flash vs many many zerg winning the n.die_(by)Jaedong
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Great writeup and nice pictures ^^ I'm really looking forward to Flash and Hwasin's advance into the ro8.
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Only person i can see overcoming Jaedong is consistently is Flash. Possibly Hwasin, since his timing on TvZ is quite unpredictable. Not in just a BO1, but even in BO3, or BO5. I am a stork fan (even over Bisu, doesn't mean i think stork's better, just means i like stork better.) but I can't see him beating Jaedong in a multiple game.
GO PURE!! I would LOVE to see a 7th dragon.
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LOL at calling Fantasy + 3 Zergs the group of death.
No. Just fucking no.
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On November 23 2009 05:22 Turbovolver wrote: LOL at calling Fantasy + 3 Zergs the group of death.
No. Just fucking no.
Why? That group has 3 S-Class players, which is a more dangerous spread of high level gamers than any of the other groups imo. Also, the fact that ZvZ is such an unpredictable matchup adds another level of intensity to the group as well.
Fantasy + "3 Zergs" makes it sound ridiculous. But Calm and EffOrt are incredible players. Shine is up and coming, but who knows what he can do.
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motbob
United States12546 Posts
On November 23 2009 05:22 Turbovolver wrote: LOL at calling Fantasy + 3 Zergs the group of death.
No. Just fucking no. #3 KeSPA. #5 KeSPA. #6 KeSPA. And at #46 KeSPA, the guy who knocked out Bisu.
It's a powerful group.
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On November 23 2009 03:42 TossNub wrote: Only person i can see overcoming Jaedong is consistently is Flash. Possibly Hwasin, since his timing on TvZ is quite unpredictable. Not in just a BO1, but even in BO3, or BO5. I am a stork fan (even over Bisu, doesn't mean i think stork's better, just means i like stork better.) but I can't see him beating Jaedong in a multiple game.
GO PURE!! I would LOVE to see a 7th dragon.
Movie's gonna grab BeSt's spot imo. His PvT/PvZ are beastly. If his PvP improves at all, he's gonna be one hell of a force. But my predictions are usually wrong, so who knows. Maybe the next dragon will be herb[shield]
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United States10328 Posts
FLASHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HWAITING
but group D prediction - if a zerg will beat Stork, it'll be Kwanro, not type-b (whose ZvP is pretty blah.)
but this looks like one of the strongest OSLs ever (with few, if any, low A-class players)... looking forward to good games!
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Group D is ridiculous Flash and Stork
ahah Group C is also bad (Calm , Effort) but i still think a Flash/Stork showdown would be soo much more epic
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Flash vs. Jaedong or Flash vs. Stork final
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Where's the MANTOSS?!?!?!
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On November 22 2009 03:14 yhnmk wrote: i dont think stork will advance, kwanro/type-b should knock him out. quoted for future posterity =p
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Personally, I'm hoping for Flash versus Calm. Calm is a crazy creative player and I'd looooove to see what he'd pull against the Ultimate Weapon in a series game. I don't know how the brackets are gonna play out but I'd be content to see them play a Bo5 at any stage of the StarLeague.
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On November 23 2009 10:25 r3z3nd3 wrote: Where's the MANTOSS?!?!?!
i know right? confusing thread title. :|
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I don't know why anyone would expect an OSL News Article to be about Park Jung Suk
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but... Reach was nowhere in this article
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lol too easy for Jaedong. 2 protoss and go.go
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No Reach >:{
Rooting for Stork. And Fantasy. Stork vs Fantasy finals would be sweet O:
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hahaha someone who drew the picture is effort's fangirl/boy
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On November 23 2009 05:22 Turbovolver wrote: LOL at calling Fantasy + 3 Zergs the group of death.
No. Just fucking no.
f yes, effort and calm wud advance
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On November 23 2009 15:10 DoctorHelvetica wrote: I don't know why anyone would expect an OSL News Article to be about Park Jung Suk
In the world of StarCraft Reach is a name before being a noun.
Title of the article is very very misleading
+ Show Spoiler + Ok, it's all a silly joke. But with this title , I really can picture the MANTOSS being sent in a spaceship to the outer space, to fight the North Koreans! (ok, that was way too much, better stop now.... Cholera's broadcastings are messing with my head =D
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On November 23 2009 12:58 JFKWT wrote:Show nested quote +On November 22 2009 03:14 yhnmk wrote: i dont think stork will advance, kwanro/type-b should knock him out. quoted for future posterity =p
Agree about stork. Disagree with the redundancy.
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On November 24 2009 00:51 AlwaysGG wrote: hahaha someone who drew the picture is effort's fangirl/boy
EffOrt drew the picture of EffOrt. He's an EffOrt fangirl.
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plz plz plz Flash vs Jaedong or Flash vs Stork!!
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OP IS DUMB FOR THINKING STORK WILL LOOSE TO TYPE-B.
stork just underestimated jaedong at WCG his PvZ was actually really good.'
And there is a HUGE difference between Jaedongs Z and Type-B z.
Anyways Flash will win it all.
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On November 24 2009 08:03 Illusion. wrote: OP IS DUMB FOR THINKING STORK WILL LOOSE TO TYPE-B.
stork just underestimated jaedong at WCG his PvZ was actually really good.'
And there is a HUGE difference between Jaedongs Z and Type-B z.
Anyways Flash will win it all.
Thanks bro.
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i want fantasy to win his first gold so much but... iono... lol
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On November 22 2009 05:10 MuffinDude wrote: Are you fucking serious that type b has a chance at taking a game from stork? Kwanro has more of a chance than type b. And fantasy will probably roll over effort and calm.
Fantasy can't roll over anyone besides a protoss.
Certainly not in his weakest matchup.
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Are people forgetting that type-b beat Stork in the Ro16 last OSL? Although I feel Stork should be more wary of the doom-bringing Kwanrolling machine -- Kwanro!
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Speaking of Kwanro, he is alooot shorter than what I imagined him to be like. Yes type-b is a good zerg and I am a big fan of cell even though cell needs to absorb more zergs, but have you seen how much rape Flash and Stork have been dishing out? kwanro and b have been doing decent and they've got a shot(kwanro early game aggresion, type-b mid-early late game), but the clear favourites are Flash and Stork.
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Which is why I predict them to advance from the group ^^
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On November 24 2009 02:45 r3z3nd3 wrote:Show nested quote +On November 23 2009 15:10 DoctorHelvetica wrote: I don't know why anyone would expect an OSL News Article to be about Park Jung Suk In the world of StarCraft Reach is a name before being a noun. Title of the article is very very misleading + Show Spoiler + Ok, it's all a silly joke. But with this title , I really can picture the MANTOSS being sent in a spaceship to the outer space, to fight the North Koreans! (ok, that was way too much, better stop now.... Cholera's broadcastings are messing with my head =D
isn't a name a noun . . . I think you meant verb buddy.
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I'm rooting for Pusan to go all the way here.
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i expected jaedong vs fantasy in the final
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On November 24 2009 20:42 mos wrote: i expected jaedong vs fantasy in the final
fantasy's gonna bunker rush to take revenge for the 4 pool
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Snet
United States3573 Posts
Pusan & Pure gonna lay the smack down.
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Is this game still alive haha ^^
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Movie Kwanro finals please.
Anyone else notice Effort's group picture looks like he's gonna eat someone?
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Jaedong fighting! Go get that 4th OSL Title!
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Lol I love the fact that Effort is the only one who can even remotely draw. Also like Yarnc's and Stork's fairly funny self pics. Jaedong has made himself looks like a serial killer. I think Hwasin had the best idea - keep it simple. Calm's is a nice 2nd place though =)
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