Here's the second part of our Code S RO32 preview, featuring groups C, E, F, and G.



TSL_Clide - After getting to the quarterfinals last season, the greatest player in the world embarks on a quest to make it to the semifinals for the very first time. Clide, who has never fallen out of Code S, will have to play his very best and get to at least the quarterfinals for the second straight season not to fall back into being "16Clide" once more. Last season, he defeated Ryung in to make it to the round of sixteen for the first time in his career, going on to take MMA to the edge, only losing in the final game of a five game series.

His RO32 group is tough this time around, but Clide is good enough to get through it. He will have to take on Huk in the first game and then face either July or Puzzle after that. Clide isn't very good against Protoss compared to his other two match-ups, but due to the lack of toss in the past few seasons, he really hasn't been tested that often against them. If Clide wins this tournament, I will be starting a petition for Artosis' to name his unborn child Clide. Yes, even if it is a little girl, she will be known as Clide.

EG.HuK - The only foreigner in Code S comes off a disappointing season, getting beat in the group stages by losing twice in a row to Virus, the player he picked to face in the group selections. Huk, with his usual luck of the draw, gets one of the best groups he could have hoped for. He massacred July at MLG Orlando, Clide isn't very good against Protoss, and against Puzzle, well, it's PvP. After his MLG win, Huk should be looking to step up his GSL performances as well, and get into the semifinals for the first time in his career, becoming the first foreigner to reach such heights since Liquid`Jinro almost a year ago. It's going to be difficult, but with his performance at Orlando, he has shown that he has the skill and determination to get it done.

ST_July - July announced at the group selections that this would be his last year of playing before enlisting in his mandatory service in the army. First off, can you imagine July in the army? I don't want to be too mean, but July + physical activity brings a certain image to mind...

In terms of his actual play, July is going to have a tough road ahead of him. He got beat badly by Huk at Orlando and hasn't looked very good ever since losing to MVP in the semifinals in August. We all know that July has the intellect and game sense to get it done, but can his skill keep up with the rest of the players in the GSL? I go back to what I said in last season's preview article. July is a bear; he gets deep into a GSL tournament and then hibernates for a few seasons before waking up, kicking ass and getting deep into Code S. Sadly, winter is coming and it's going to be a while before this bear wakes up, I'm afraid.

SlayerS_Puzzle - The former Code A champion comes into a group after getting 0-2'ed last season and almost falling into Code A in the Up-and-Downs. Don't get me wrong, Puzzle has all the potential in the world and is one of the most exciting players to watch when he is playing well. Last season he made a highly questionable decision by picking Bomber in his group and paid the price for it. This is Puzzle's chance for redemption, and I believe he has a good shot of making it out of the group. His PvP is excellent and his vs Zerg is also nothing to scoff at. With a ton of talent surrounding him on Slayers, Puzzle will have no trouble finding practice partners to help him for this group.

Predictions: 1. Puzzle, 2. Clide, 3. HuK, 4. July





IMHappy - If you're looking for the next superstar of the GSL, look no further than Happy. While Bomber has been hyped up as the next big Terran who might eventually take over MVP as the king, MVP's teammate has actually been doing better than the erratic ace from Startale. In his first GSL, he narrowly got knocked out of the group stages by Nestea and MMA (both GSL champions) and then came back last season by powering his way into the semifinals before finally falling to the eventual champion MMA. Happy's mech play is only second to his champion teammate, and he has improved leaps and bounds overall since his Code A debut where he lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion Puzzle. Back in Code A, I said that Happy had all the tools to be the next big thing, and I still believe in those words. He might not be flashy or as dominant as some other Terrans, but his rapid improvements show that he is aiming for the top of the GSL.

MVP_DongRaeGu - Come on, DongRaeGu! I put you third in my Power Rankings last month, raved about how stupendous you are, and then you lost to Supernova in the first round of the knockout phase. Supernova has proven in the last month that he might be one of the top five Terrans currently in the world, but I was still expecting you to get further in your first Code S tournament. In the only two GSL tournaments he has competed in, DRG lost in the second round of Code A to JYP and then to Supernova in the second round of Code S.

There is no need for me to hype him up any more for you guys. We all know how good DongRaeGu is and how much insane skill he possesses, but it doesn't mean anything if he can't at least get deep in a GSL. This is your chance, DongRaeGu. MMA proved himself last season that he deserved his MLG Code S spot by winning the entire tournament. It is your turn to step up to the plate and prove that you are truly S-class.

FXOGuMiho - Hey GuMiho. Sometimes I think you're really good. Sometimes I think you're really bad. Every time it feels like I pick you to do well, you play like you're half asleep and have no clue what you're doing. When I pick against you in Code A, you crush sC and make me look like a fool. I want to know who the real GuMiho is. Is it the one that looks like he belongs in Code S and can hang with any player in TvT, or is it the one that makes me put my face in my hands and wonder what the hell you were thinking when you thought up that build that failed. I really don't know, and in a group with three beasts, he is truly the wild card. He might surprise everyone and go 2-0, or he might do the expected thing, go 0-2, and drop down to the lower levels of Code A where he must rise up once again.

ST_Bomber - I've given up trying to predict Bomber. I know he is good. In terms of raw skill and mechanics, he might be the second or third best player in the entire world. I know that he beat MVP that one time in the Code A finals and destroyed everyone at MLG Raleigh. Even with all this knowledge about him, you can't look past the most important stat: he has been in four GSL tournaments (Code A excluded) and has not gotten past the quarterfinals in any of them. Yes, yes, he had to play Nestea in the Round of 32 in the Super Tournament and then MVP last month in the round of sixteen, but he still got smashed in both those series. That doesn't even include possibly the biggest choke in GSL history against Byun in the semifinals of GSL July or his below average performance against Keen in the round of sixteen in August. Bomber has been noted to have nerves and that is one of the main reasons why it took him so long to get into Code S, but he has to get over them to be considered a top level player.

Predictions: 1. DongRaeGu, 2. Happy, 3. Bomber, 4. GuMiho





SlayerS_CoCa - Coca had a solid showing last tournament, getting to the quarterfinals before being pummeled by Happy in his weakest match-up. The ace Zerg from Slayers will need to bring his best in this group, going up against two extremely talented Terrans and sneakily one of the best Protoss players in the entire world. I said last season that I expected good things in the future with Coca, and I still believe he could be a future champion if he can improve his vT. With the new format and the excess of Terrans more than likely going down after this season, it could be the best thing to ever happen in his career. With the best training partners in the world for his weakest match-up, watch out for Coca in November.

FXOOz - Are you a wizard, Mr. Oz? It feels like it was just yesterday that most people only knew of you because you were the designated Korean on the foreign FXO team. Now, a few months later, you've surprised many, including me, by getting all the way through Code A, almost winning it, and then wrecking your Up-and-Down group to get into Code S. I have to say, out of all the Protoss currently in Code S, Oz might be my favorite to go the farthest. MC and Huk should still be considered the best of the bunch, but Oz has, while under the radar, been doing well in various tournaments and looking good against top opposition. Now, just like how Curious ran through Code A and then got bounced out of Code S in two games, the same can happen to Oz. Code S is a different beast, and he will need to take down a difficult group to get through. Between the other three players in the group, he feels like the weakest, but you never know with Oz. He knows how to make magic happen.

SlayerS_Taeja - No, it's not MMA, Ryung, Ganzi, or Boxer. It's Taeja! The fifth Slayers terran, coming back into Code S after dropping to Up-and-Downs last season due to two straight losses against DongRaeGu and Polt. With his life on the line, Taeja played exceptionally, beating everyone in his group, including sC, to make his way back up to the heaven known as Code S. Now back, and with experience under his belt, Taeja will be trying to follow in the footsteps of his brothers and get deep into the GSL. For the second straight tournament, he will be put into a highly difficult group, but I think he'll have an easier time this go around. DongRaeGu has the best ZvT in the world, and in his second game, he went bio vs. bio against Polt, one of, if not the best, bionic versus bionic terran in the world. Last season was where Ganzi emerged, and November might very well be the coming out party for Taeja.

oGs.NaDa - Last season, for the first time in his GSL career, Nada wasn't able to get out of the group phase. The tournament before last, when no one thought a Terran could lose to a Protoss, he got upset against Huk in the round of sixteen. Is Nada starting to fall off from his consistent form in the first year of GSL, or is he just in a small slump that he will break out of this tournament? Without Keen to kick around for the twenty sixth straight GSL, can Nada get out of his group with three hungry new players who want a taste of glory? No one in this group except for Nada has ever gotten into a semifinal, so he has the experience and credentials on his side, but he'll need to play better than he has the last two months to make it out of this tough group.

Predictions: 1. Taeja, 2. Oz, 3. CoCa, 4. NaDa





oGs.SuperNoVa - Let a new curse begin. With Polt losing in his group (sad, sad day), I now have to impartially choose a player to win the championship. In the end, after narrowing down my choices to only a few , I selected the clear choice to win this GSL. No, I'm not going to be boring and pick Nestea or MVP like every other genius e-sports journalist in the world. I am going with the player who has gotten himself into the semifinals of the current WCG, quarterfinals of Arena of Legends, and last season's GSL quarterfinals before being bounced out by Ganzi in a close series. It is weird to say this, but last tournament I made a comment about how Supernova was one of the gate keepers in the GSL; someone who will beat the weak, but lose to the strong and be a litmus test to see if a player is truly good enough to be in Code S. I take all of that back, Mr. Nova, and after watching your games the past month, have fallen in love with your style and strong mechanical play. No, you will not be taking the place of Polt in my heart, but for now, you are my champion. Also, he looks like Effort's long lost alien twin, so what is there not to love about our future November champion? I am already preparing my "NOVAmber" article when he wins. Get hyped.

ST_Virus - The story of Virus career: he will always get chosen early in Code S, no one will remember what he looks like before he plays on the day of his group, and then he will more than likely deliver solid games before getting knocked out in the second. He has the ability to upset any, but I wouldn't favor him against 99% of Code S. To be honest, I predict he will be the one falling into the hell known as the Ro42 of Code A, but with Ensnare finally gone from Code S, there is an empty spot for the player who somehow stays in Code S without reason. Sadly, he has to face our future November champion in the first game, so I don't expect to see Virus last that long.

TSL_Killer - The manliest protoss in Starcraft 2 takes the stage in Group G. He made it to the round of sixteen last season, surprising many (including yours truly) by beating Polt twice in a row to get into the knockout phase of the GSL. He got dispatched easily in the next round by Coca, but Killer has shown he has the ability to beat top notch terrans and will have his chance in this group against three of them. I wouldn't say Killer is one of the better protoss in Code S, and I might even say he is the worst of the five still remaining, but he has the experience on his side and is in a group with three players he could definitely beat if he plays at his highest level.

Ns_HoSeo_Jjakji - In the last two Code S tournaments, Jjakji has been one of the last players picked. From the games I've seen, I wouldn't rank him with one of the scariest terrans in the league, but he surely has the potential to be a monster if he continues on his way. If I had to rank him with the other four players in the group, I would put him second only behind Supernova in terms of skill, but he still needs to have a good showing this tournament if he doesn't want to drop back into Code A.

Predictions: 1. SuperNoVa, 2. Jjakji, 3. Killer, 4. Virus

P.S: I apologize to SuperNoVa when he loses 0-2 in the group stages and falls all the way to the Ro42 of Code A.