EPTCode A RO48 Preview: Week One
by: Probe1
As the mercury dips and the Autumn of Terrans gives way to winter, the race balance in Code A is starting to go back to normal. The new format brings a draft of fresh air to Code A, and players old and new are ready to fight it out for greater rewards than before. Though there are some returning players like Monster and FruitDealer who are simply trying to eck their way into the Up-Down matches, there are others who could immediately make a splash in Code S as well. Here are the sixteen players and eight match-ups to be played on the very first day of the new Code A.
November 7th: Code A – RO48, Day One
MVP_Keen vs 
TSL_RevivaL
Interesting. Both players saw their stocks rise earlier this year, only to experience a precipitous fall. Keen got his share of hype during his run into the Code S RO8, while Revival received a lot of attention frequently playing as the ace of the TSL team in GSTL. Since then, Keen suffered a career nose dive, and is now in danger of being eliminated from GSL tournaments entirely. Revival lost his share of the limelight after the GSTL season ended, and blew his chances to open new avenues for himself both in last month's Code A and at IEM Guangzhou (as a disapproving Zenio shook his head). It's a shame that the two players seeking redemption have to meet here, as it's such a long way back to relevance, and just one short slip to the abyss.
IMMinSeOk vs SlayerS_YuGiOh
MinSeOk, also known as Yeah, is a unsung Zerg gentleman from IM who's age is only rivaled by his teammate Nestea. The 29 year old Korean stepped over Jinro 2-1 in the final bracket of the preliminaries, and now he faces an important test against ex-Code S player YuGiOh. If Yeah cannot keep down a Zerg with an unimpressive 40% win rate, he will leave GSL November the same way he left his only other TV appearance in March: immediately and without fanfare. Everyone loves the story of an older player fighting off progamers who are a decade younger, and I personally hope Yeah shows up and puts an end to the trap card jokes early this month. However, while never truly impressing, YuGiOh has shown an uncanny ability to remain in Code A throughout the seasons, and MinSeOk is definitely the underdog going into this match-up.
Liquid`HerO vs iSCrazymovING
Infinity Seven is being represented for the first time in the GSL. This is quite incredible, considering that even the wealthier teams in Western scene have had trouble making a splash in the GSL. iSCrazymoviNG, a 20 year old Korean unknown, broke through the preliminaries for his first tournament appearance. After defeating more well-known opponents in SlayerS`Min and IMTrue in the qualifiers, he has been placed against the fan favorite HerO. I'm hesitant to tell you any more without gushing bias for HerO but let's just say Song Hyeon Deok has much better... hair. I mean track record. HerO may have disappointed many of us by falling to the deadly one base roach rush last season but in the down time he kept himself busy in NASL, IPL and MLG, all with solid performances. As long as he avoids being too greedy against one base Zerg play (CrazymoviNG is an admitted all-in'er when the situation calls for it), HerO will be as unstoppable as an ice storm.
FXOasd vs MVP_GuineaPig
What kind of insane person switches to Protoss before the 1.4.2 patch, when the race was at the lowest point in the history of the game? Apparently that's how tough it is to try to play random, as GuineaPig decided he'd be best off playing Protoss entirely instead of trying to master all three races. Even with the Protoss situation appearing to be recovering, I don't think GuineaPig will be happy with his first test in the form of FXOasd, aka Nuclear. According to players at the FXO house, he is one of the very best players on the team, and everyone knows that most good Terrans make a snack of Protoss players before moving onto more substantial courses in Zerg and fellow Terran. At the same time, it will be nice to see GuineaPig play his best race again, as his last few appearances on GomTV saw him get torn apart while playing Zerg and Terran. We haven't seen the Protoss side of GuineaPig for a while, and perhaps it will surprise us yet.
ST_SUPERSTAR vs SlayerS_Brown
Remember the last Round of Sixteen, when all Zergs went temporarily insane and cheesed their way out of the running? This is their chance to return to the fold with safe, sane and credible play. By chance, I mean their last chance. SUPERSTAR has been given a chance to make up for his loss against Oz with an early ZvP against the untested Brown. Brown, most notable for beating oGs.HerO in GSL May, is back in the GSL after a 7 month absence and has a lot to prove with a 1-2 all time record. However he did defeat the proven IMYoDa to claim his spot, which goes to show that every progamer qualified for Code A is a threat. SUPERSTAR, notable in equal parts for his solid performance against Tassadar (repeatedly) and comical antics, has three times as many appearances but the same 40% win rate. That is not to say that this is a battle of the bad, but no matter who wins, he will have a long and difficult season ahead.
ST_Curious vs oGs.TheStC
That brings us to our winter storm warning: Curious versus TheStC. Coming off an undefeated 9-0 run last month, it looked like Curious had finally found his way into the spotlight. However, Curious looked strangely lost in his Code S November group, and was harshly cast back down into Code A. It was strangely reminiscent of Taeja's performance in the previous Code S, where a leviathan of the lower leagues became a minnow on the grandest stage. Curious didn't play anywhere near as well as he played during his undefeated run, proving once again, that nerves play a large part in the competitive world.
In this battle of top five ELOs, TheStC brings his experience, with both an astounding 78% win rate in the match-up internationally and nearly 100 games played in the Korean theater. Curious may have impressed us all last month by shredding his competitors, but TheStC represents a greater challenge than any of those from last season. He has proved at MLG and IPL that he is a relentless snowstorm of medivac drops and flawless macro.
TheStC has waited a very long time to finally play in the GSL, and he's warmed up on some of the grandest stages. His results prior to this meeting are a harrowing warning to Curious: bring your best or you can spend a chilly December in the Code-A qualifiers.
MVP_Dream vs SlayerS_BoxeR
You need a remarkably frigid heart to root against Boxer. Lim Yo Hwan has been entertaining us for over a decade, and some of the most memorable games in ESPORTS history bear his signature. However, the last time BoxeR took the gold was... well, against Yellow. In fact, the last time Boxer won more than 3 TvTs in a row was January. But he has still managed to keep a 60% win rate in his mirror match-up, easily making it his best chance of advancing in an SC II tournament. Dream, on the other hand has given us plenty of good puns thanks to his name but little else. MVP fans may not like it but let's face the facts: Dream is 10-14, a 15 year old Terran in a league of the best Terrans in the game and hasn't made it past the round of 16 in the last 5 months. I'd like to get you excited about his sensible marine tank play, and he's definitely going to get better in the future. But this time around, Dream will be sent home before frost.
oGs.TOP vs ST_Parting
TOP was a GSL finalist just two months ago, and he's looking to make short work of PartinG, a young Protoss who's goal is to make spectators stop asking who the hell Parting is. However, after his 0-3 loss to a previous unheralded Gatored at IEM New York, I'm willing to give any Protoss player a fighting chance against the silver medalist.
November 7th: Code A – RO48, Day One
MVP_Keen vs TSL_RevivaLInteresting. Both players saw their stocks rise earlier this year, only to experience a precipitous fall. Keen got his share of hype during his run into the Code S RO8, while Revival received a lot of attention frequently playing as the ace of the TSL team in GSTL. Since then, Keen suffered a career nose dive, and is now in danger of being eliminated from GSL tournaments entirely. Revival lost his share of the limelight after the GSTL season ended, and blew his chances to open new avenues for himself both in last month's Code A and at IEM Guangzhou (as a disapproving Zenio shook his head). It's a shame that the two players seeking redemption have to meet here, as it's such a long way back to relevance, and just one short slip to the abyss.
IMMinSeOk vs SlayerS_YuGiOhMinSeOk, also known as Yeah, is a unsung Zerg gentleman from IM who's age is only rivaled by his teammate Nestea. The 29 year old Korean stepped over Jinro 2-1 in the final bracket of the preliminaries, and now he faces an important test against ex-Code S player YuGiOh. If Yeah cannot keep down a Zerg with an unimpressive 40% win rate, he will leave GSL November the same way he left his only other TV appearance in March: immediately and without fanfare. Everyone loves the story of an older player fighting off progamers who are a decade younger, and I personally hope Yeah shows up and puts an end to the trap card jokes early this month. However, while never truly impressing, YuGiOh has shown an uncanny ability to remain in Code A throughout the seasons, and MinSeOk is definitely the underdog going into this match-up.
Liquid`HerO vs iSCrazymovINGInfinity Seven is being represented for the first time in the GSL. This is quite incredible, considering that even the wealthier teams in Western scene have had trouble making a splash in the GSL. iSCrazymoviNG, a 20 year old Korean unknown, broke through the preliminaries for his first tournament appearance. After defeating more well-known opponents in SlayerS`Min and IMTrue in the qualifiers, he has been placed against the fan favorite HerO. I'm hesitant to tell you any more without gushing bias for HerO but let's just say Song Hyeon Deok has much better... hair. I mean track record. HerO may have disappointed many of us by falling to the deadly one base roach rush last season but in the down time he kept himself busy in NASL, IPL and MLG, all with solid performances. As long as he avoids being too greedy against one base Zerg play (CrazymoviNG is an admitted all-in'er when the situation calls for it), HerO will be as unstoppable as an ice storm.
FXOasd vs MVP_GuineaPigWhat kind of insane person switches to Protoss before the 1.4.2 patch, when the race was at the lowest point in the history of the game? Apparently that's how tough it is to try to play random, as GuineaPig decided he'd be best off playing Protoss entirely instead of trying to master all three races. Even with the Protoss situation appearing to be recovering, I don't think GuineaPig will be happy with his first test in the form of FXOasd, aka Nuclear. According to players at the FXO house, he is one of the very best players on the team, and everyone knows that most good Terrans make a snack of Protoss players before moving onto more substantial courses in Zerg and fellow Terran. At the same time, it will be nice to see GuineaPig play his best race again, as his last few appearances on GomTV saw him get torn apart while playing Zerg and Terran. We haven't seen the Protoss side of GuineaPig for a while, and perhaps it will surprise us yet.
ST_SUPERSTAR vs SlayerS_BrownRemember the last Round of Sixteen, when all Zergs went temporarily insane and cheesed their way out of the running? This is their chance to return to the fold with safe, sane and credible play. By chance, I mean their last chance. SUPERSTAR has been given a chance to make up for his loss against Oz with an early ZvP against the untested Brown. Brown, most notable for beating oGs.HerO in GSL May, is back in the GSL after a 7 month absence and has a lot to prove with a 1-2 all time record. However he did defeat the proven IMYoDa to claim his spot, which goes to show that every progamer qualified for Code A is a threat. SUPERSTAR, notable in equal parts for his solid performance against Tassadar (repeatedly) and comical antics, has three times as many appearances but the same 40% win rate. That is not to say that this is a battle of the bad, but no matter who wins, he will have a long and difficult season ahead.
ST_Curious vs oGs.TheStCThat brings us to our winter storm warning: Curious versus TheStC. Coming off an undefeated 9-0 run last month, it looked like Curious had finally found his way into the spotlight. However, Curious looked strangely lost in his Code S November group, and was harshly cast back down into Code A. It was strangely reminiscent of Taeja's performance in the previous Code S, where a leviathan of the lower leagues became a minnow on the grandest stage. Curious didn't play anywhere near as well as he played during his undefeated run, proving once again, that nerves play a large part in the competitive world.
In this battle of top five ELOs, TheStC brings his experience, with both an astounding 78% win rate in the match-up internationally and nearly 100 games played in the Korean theater. Curious may have impressed us all last month by shredding his competitors, but TheStC represents a greater challenge than any of those from last season. He has proved at MLG and IPL that he is a relentless snowstorm of medivac drops and flawless macro.
TheStC has waited a very long time to finally play in the GSL, and he's warmed up on some of the grandest stages. His results prior to this meeting are a harrowing warning to Curious: bring your best or you can spend a chilly December in the Code-A qualifiers.
MVP_Dream vs SlayerS_BoxeRYou need a remarkably frigid heart to root against Boxer. Lim Yo Hwan has been entertaining us for over a decade, and some of the most memorable games in ESPORTS history bear his signature. However, the last time BoxeR took the gold was... well, against Yellow. In fact, the last time Boxer won more than 3 TvTs in a row was January. But he has still managed to keep a 60% win rate in his mirror match-up, easily making it his best chance of advancing in an SC II tournament. Dream, on the other hand has given us plenty of good puns thanks to his name but little else. MVP fans may not like it but let's face the facts: Dream is 10-14, a 15 year old Terran in a league of the best Terrans in the game and hasn't made it past the round of 16 in the last 5 months. I'd like to get you excited about his sensible marine tank play, and he's definitely going to get better in the future. But this time around, Dream will be sent home before frost.
oGs.TOP vs ST_PartingTOP was a GSL finalist just two months ago, and he's looking to make short work of PartinG, a young Protoss who's goal is to make spectators stop asking who the hell Parting is. However, after his 0-3 loss to a previous unheralded Gatored at IEM New York, I'm willing to give any Protoss player a fighting chance against the silver medalist.
Interview with oGs.TheWind
by TeamLiquid
Interview by: WaxAngel
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/GSL/Nov11/thewindsmall.jpg)
First, could you introduce yourself to TL's non-Korean fans?Hello, I am oGs head coach* Park Sang Ik (TheWind). I was a pro-gamer since the Brood War days and I started playing Starcraft II after completing my military service. I was a player at first, then a player-coach, and now I'm a full-time coach.
Foreign fans are aware that Korean team houses have managers and coaches to help the players, but we don't know exactly what it is you guys do. Could you talk about what you do as the head coach?
At a base level, I manage the players' schedules and work to acquire sponsors. In terms of gaming, I help with the players' practice methods and keep track of their strengths and weaknesses, and also advise them about the mental aspects of the game.
Overall, you could say that I take care of everything so that players can focus solely on playing the game. And I help them so that they can become better.
oGs had good results during the early seasons of GSL but has been faltering as of late. There are eight (at the time of the interview) oGs players in this season of Code A, and it seems like a good opportunity to jump back. What kind of expectations do you have for your players?
They have all been practicing hard since before they made it to Code A, and even if they can't make it to Code S this season, I'm confident that they will make it eventually. I think that all of them are Code S worthy once they get enough broadcast game experience. I hope that they'll be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Is there any player in particular that you think will do well? Of course, ForGG/Fin is attracting a lot of attention; do you think he has the skill to make it to Code S?
Of the players who haven't been in Code S, I think ForGG, Luvsic/J, and TheStC will do well. ForGG had three IDs in the top ten of the Korean ladder even before he joined the team, for quite a while. I think a player like that could probably get into Code S, haha.
TheStC has emerged on everyone's radar through MLG Orlando and IPL3, and I expect good things. It's a little unfortunate, though, that Luvsic hasn't been feeling well lately, so I'm worried if he will be able to play to his best.
TOP and Inca are also competing, and they've had GSL Finals experience. There's talk of a GSL runner-up jinx in the foreign community; why do you think they had trouble in the following seasons?
Jinxes exist to be broken, but I think they got a little overconfident, and maybe a little bit lazy. Still, I'm thankful that they set their heads straight and practiced, coming up again. Also, I think they could have been a bit unlucky.
The team coach oGs.Gon recently left to fulfil his military obligations. How did it affect the oGs team's preparation for Code-A preliminaries, and how will it affect you going into Code-A?
We didn't want to distract the players competing in the qualifiers, so we kept it a secret until the day before the preliminaries. We told them this was the last time he would be able to see them play before he went to the military, and so to please try their best to make it through.
Presently, I don't have much time to help the players prepare. Gon was the team driver as well, and I don't have a license yet. So I've been taking driver's ed courses on top of my usual duties, so I can't find the time to take care of all the player's preparations individually. It's gotten really busy, trying to do the work of two people ^^.
What are your plans to fill the coaching position?
We are looking now. We're trying to be cautious about the selection process, so it will probably take some time.
If I could change the topic, the last GSTL season saw a lot of the teams people expected to do well get eliminated early, while the so called 'weak' teams performed well. Do you think the skill-gap between teams has grown smaller?
You can read a lot about your opponent's thinking by watching replays, so the skill-gap has been reduced a lot on the whole in SC II.
So you expect the next GSTL season, if it opens, to be tougher than the last?
Whenever it opens, I don't think it's difficult. Making sure the players continue to work hard, and then reading the flow of matches on gameday, knowing the condition of the players and utilizing my players appropriately based on that information is my job, so it's on me to do better.
Considering its members, oGs doesn't get good results in the Team League. What do you think the reason is? And if you predicted oGs' performance in a future Team League, how would it be?
Well if I knew the answer, we would have had good results. We lost a lot of games when we were ahead by two sets. I think this part might suggest overconfidence. Also, sometimes players can't play even half as well as they normally do.
It's a team league, so players should be relying on each other and having good team spirit. In individual leagues if you lose, then it's just yourself that loses. But in team leagues, your team's victory and defeat is decided as well, so I think the players feel more pressure.
You said that sometimes players don't play as well in broadcast games as they do in practice, how heavily do you think the 'mental'** part of the game weighs in?
Hmmm... I think ESPORTS is a 'mental' game. I think it accounts for about 70%.
It's easy to see a player's skill when you look for new players, but how do you know how strong their 'mental' is? For instance, you recently recruited Cho Jae Won (oGsIllusion, previously ZeNEXIcecream), a young player with no broadcast game experience.
I'm of the opinion that 'mental' isn't something you scout for, it's something you develop for your players. When I scout for players, I look at their mindset, things like how much passion they have for the game, and how much effort they put in.
Ok, as much as this is a TL interview, we can't end without talking a bit about Liquid Players.
Jinro did very well early in his career, but he's going through a long slump. How do you think he can escape from his slump?
I don't consider my opinion on this to be the 'correct answer.' But living together, there's a lot of things I try to tell Jinro. Because of the language gap I can't tell him everything as detailed as I want, so I can only tell him so much. But I think you have to get out of a slump with your own strength. If it was something other people could easily fix for you, then we wouldn't even need to talk about slumps. It's not something that gets fixed by playing a ton of games.
I think if he talks about his problems with a lot of people, hears what they have to say, and tries to get over it through a variety of methods, then maybe he can get out of this long, hard slump.
Regarding HerO, he's been performing better in GSL and getting good results in foreign tournaments ever since joining Liquid. Do you ever feel any regret about letting a good player go?
I think it's great because oGs and Liquid became even closer as a result. Honestly, HerO was one of our top prospects when he left the team. We had wanted to send a player to Liquid for a while, and wanted to send a player who could quickly rise in skill. I have absolutely no regrets about it. oGs and Liquid are one family.
Any Liquid guys you'd like to see back at the oGs-TL house?
I think that's a question Victor should answer;; If anyone wants to come, our doors are always open.
When HuK left Liquid, a lot of Liquid fans were sad about it. How did you, and oGs as a team feel about it?
It was very sad, because we had become close over time. I asked him a lot if he couldn't just stay with Liquid, but he thought hard about it and made a decision, so I couldn't do anything about that. I just said come back to Liquid in the future ^^
Did he ever get you that birthday present?
Nope ^,.^ He said he left it in the hotel, lol.
I thought he said he'd get you something else instead?
Maybe because he buys me chicken a lot, that's the present? I didn't hear it directly, but I heard that he was going to buy a present for the oGs team before leaving the house, but we haven't received that either, LOL.
Ok, any final comments or shout outs?
We haven't been doing well, but we'll step up as the strong oGs team of the past, so please cheer us on, and cheer for TeamLiquid as well. I might have some chances to go abroad, so I hope to see foreign fans there ^^.
It's really great to see how hard the oGs players are practicing now, and I hope we can all try together and get some good results. I love you guys!
Notes
*The Korean word Gam-dok is used to describe a variety of managerial positions in professional sports. These include positions which focus more on the on-field aspects of the game, such as a head coach in basketball, and positions that focus on more overall operations such as a manager in the English Premier League. Though Gam-Dok is frequently translated into English as 'manager,' this can be an issue when the separate position of manager exists within the team as well. This is the case with oGs, so I have decided to refer to TheWind as the 'head coach' of the team.
**Koreans use the English word 'mental' to refer to the various psychological attributes needed to perform well in televised matches and other important games. 'Composure' would be the best single word translation, but there are other elements involved as well.
Writers: Probe1.
Interviewer: WaxAngel
Graphics and Art: disciple, Lip the Pencilboy, and SilverskY.
Editor: WaxAngel
Interviewer: WaxAngel
Graphics and Art: disciple, Lip the Pencilboy, and SilverskY.
Editor: WaxAngel
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