Taeja and HerO, two players better known for their exploits outside the GSL, earned chances to prove that they could compete with the best in Code S. It was the first time HerO qualified for Code S in his Starcraft II career, and Taeja's second time. Meanwhile, defending Code S champion Jjakji dispensed of Virus to keep his spot, while TvT expert Ryung was victorious over SuperNOva.


SlayerS_Ryung 2 – 0 oGs.SuperNoVa

Despite an unfortunate re-game due to lag, Ryung was still able to flex his TvT muscles and force his way back into Code S. Both games came down to a base-trade situation, but Ryung handled them superbly each time.

Game one saw SuperNova open with heavy pressure off one base, but when it was all said and done, it had stabilized into a fairly even mid-game situation. A base race developed after the armies grew, but Ryung left behind enough defenses to hold off Supernova's force while his own army razed the opponent's base.

Ryung had a slight lead in game two before an untimely disconnect forced a restart, but there was no controversy (beyond the usual 'where's our LAN?' complaints) as Ryung won the re-game. Supernova went for mech while Ryung went for bio and tanks, and the game broke down into a base-trade once more. Ryung's superior mobility and multiple bases located across the map gave him the advantage, and he was able to win handily.


SlayerS_Taeja 2 – 0 ST_Squirtle

Taeja looked like he was going to have a rough start, as Squirtle's blind read of a 1/1/1 and following phoenix counter seemed to give him a massive lead. However, Taeja managed to transition out of his 1/1/1 into a normal Terran composition, and then won the game when a sloppy Squirtle overextended with his colossi and lost them needlessly.

Squirtle attempted to play aggressively in the second game, but he couldn't find a gap in Taeja's armor. First blink stalkers, then DT drops failed, leaving him with no useful defensive tech once Taeja gathered his forces and came knocking.


NSH_Jjakji 2 – 0 ST_Virus

Virus failed to be a challenge for Jjakji, despite the defending champion's poor TvT record. The first game was mech vs mech, with Jjakji's better positioning and execution in the air battle seeing him win convincingly. Jjkaji actually fell behind in the second game as Virus had an almost perfect build order to counter Jjakji's 1/1/1 attack, but he managed to throw away a twenty SCV lead. Jjkaji utilized his army far better than Virus, picking off units and getting free kills for almost no losses on his part. Jjakji's push rolled through Virus with surprising ease, and Virus had only himself to blame.

Liquid`HerO 2 – 0 SlayerS_GanZi

HerO broke into Code S for the first time in his career, clearing the final hurdle with almost ironic ease, considering the difficulty with which he arrived at that point.

The first game saw Ganzi go for a risky fast expand into banshees, where HerO was able to exploit the lack of defenses with only a handful of units. The second game told a similar story, as Ganzi went for a very risky double expansion, which HerO was able to easily defeat with a 4-gate rush.


Games of Note

Jjakji vs Virus, Game Two: A pretty remarkable comeback for Jjakji, considering how far behind he was. Virus had to be complicit as well, of course.

HerO vs Ganzi, Game One: HerO's dedication to kiting with stalkers was pretty entertaining to watch. Frustrating, actually, if you're a Terran player.