Code S Ro32: Group E Preview
By: Fionn
Group E: LG-IM_Mvp, CJ_Bbyong, CreatorPrime, MVP.DongRaeGu
We saw the first group of death play out so that Polt and Parting advanced, and then watched the hipster group of death become the group of life when by.Rain decided being a cowboy would be more fun than trying to make it to sin city, with Yoda and Hyun making it out. Now, with the MLG season over, we look forward to the GSL Grand Finale in only a few weeks time in Las Vegas along with IPL5. Starting the second week of Ro32 will TeamLiquid's choice for group of death, featuring three Korean champions and the most mysterious elephant of the herd.
The King of Wings (of Liberty)
With Mr. Chae stating that he wouldn't be surprised if this was the last WoL season, with 2013 maybe starting up with Heart of the Swarm (doubtful, but still), LG-IM_Mvp is trying to win the elusive G5L trophy that escaped him in last season's final. With four championships, six final appearances, and numerous major title victories on multiple continents, he will be ending the WoL Era as the greatest player to ever touch the game. There is no one who will be able to surpass him in the short time this era has left, and all we have left to wonder now is if he can win his fifth title before it's all over.
His crusade for the trophy that was specifically made for him will begin with one of the toughest groups he'll have ever had to encounter. Last season he had to begin his road to the finals with an opening round group of MMA, Taeja and Mana, and back in GSL August (which he won), he had to open up with games against Polt, MC, and the up-and-coming (at that time) Noblesse. Mvp made it through both of those groups of death, and if he wants to be going for his fifth in Vegas, he'll need to get out of this one as well.
Gunning for his 10th straight season in Code S, Mvp can close out the year with his very own Nestea award with a trip to another quarter-finals. With his body still broken down and his peers wondering why when he'll finally hang up the mouse and keyboard for a few months so he can recover fully, Mvp seemingly won't stop until he is standing in front of the finals crowd with that G5L trophy clutched into his hand. He doesn't need another title to define his legacy, but that won't stop him from doing everything in his power to win it.
The Black Elephant
Every family has its black sheep. The one that doesn't really fit in and is the odd ball of the group. With the KeSPA players, CJ_Bbyong would be the black elephant of the group. He doesn't have the star potential of Rain and Flash. He didn't get the hype like Soulkey, Roro or Baby. He didn't dominate Code A like Bogus or sOs. Hell, he doesn't even have a cool ID like Terminator that we can use to make him sound better than he actually is. He's simply Bbyong, the KeSPA player who was below .500 in Brood War and followed that up with a slightly below average 2 - 4 record in this season's Hybrid Proleague in SC2.
When looking at his games in Code A, none of them come out and scream Code S monster. First, Genius, and Heart are all good players, and on their best days can even make it into Code S, but he didn't have a single dominating performance. He sneaked by with 2 - 1 victories in all three series and got into Code S with no one really noticing.
He is the only KeSPA player that is being given no chance to advance from his group. People are expecting him to be the elephant sacrifice to the Gods while Mvp, DRG, and Creator feast on him. By the looks of his Code A performance, he shouldn't be able to match three of the best players in their respective races, and KeSPA players have had a hard go of it so far this season in the Up/Downs and first week of Code S. But maybe Bbyong will turn some heads?
Mvp has shown us it doesn't matter how impressive your wins look. All it matters is to win any way humanly possible, and Bbyong has done that so far in his GSL campaign.
The Heir of Aiur
CreatorPrime will be the best Protoss in the world one day. MC, Seed, Rain, Parting, Squirtle, Hero, whatever. Doesn't matter. I don't care if Bisu rises back from the depths of despair and wins the GSL along with the OSL, Creator one day will be the best Protoss in the universe. He was already close to that title a few months ago with his victory in WCS Korea, taking down the now considered #1 Protoss Rain, and beating Squirtle, another contender for the title, in the finals, but his hype died down when he couldn't qualify for the fourth season of GSL and didn't do amazingly at the Asian finals for WCS.
Now getting back to Code S for the second time in his career, he'll take his shot at grabbing that Protoss crown. With Rain blowing off GSL to get sixth place at MLG Dallas, Squirtle slumping and losing to foreigners constantly at international tournaments, and MC not even in this season's tournament, Creator has a chance along with a few other Protoss like Parting and Seed to confirm their place on top.
TSL4 and WCS Korea champion, Creator wants more. His first blip on the scene was over a year ago in the Super Tournament against fellow group mate Mvp in the first round. Creator, then a 14-year-old newbie that was simply canon fodder for Mvp, actually gave the GSL champion a fright, putting on an epic three game series that the champion finally closed out against the green rookie. Creator is no longer that rookie Mvp faced in the Super Tournament, and he could even be considered a favorite if the two face off.
The Vengeful Zerg
It's amazingly how that at this point, going into the final season of GSL,MVP.DongRaeGu might not even be considered one of the two best Zerg in the world. With how well Life and Leenock have played lately, DongRaeGu has become kinda old news in the Zerg world. Yeah, he did very well in OSL, but then ran into Rain in the finals, losing to him in a lopsided 1-4 series. Last season in the GSL, DRG did decently, making it to the Ro16, but losing to Polt and Taeja when getting there, ending his dream of his second GSL championship.
This could be DRG's season to shut up all the doubters. He can either show up, kill everyone, and get to the semifinals in Vegas, reaffirming his spot atop of the Zerg mountain, or he can just continue to spiral further downward with another half-way knockout. Ever since his semifinal loss to MC in season three, DRG has been on a roller coaster ride of emotions with more downs than ups. With his gut punch loss to MC, then his GSTL semifinal defeat to FXO, and ending it with the epic knock out blow by Rain in the OSL finals, you have to feel bad for the former best player in the world.
He started the year as undoubtedly the best Zerg in the world, but has been on a downward turn since his championship win in the first season against Genius. He is still one of the most talented players in the world, but the same swagger that he had at the start of the year is gone. Can he get his groove back, or will he be a casualty to another player's over arching story?
Predictions:
- Don't bet against Mvp in the Ro32.
- Bbyong isn't Flash or Rain, so it's okay to bet against him.
- Creator is really good.
- DRG is really good, but who knows where his head is at.
Taking all of this into consideration, let's go with:
Mvp > Bbyong
Creator > DRG
Creator > Mvp
DRG > Bbyong
Mvp > DRG
Creator and Mvp advance.
Writers: Fionn
Graphics and Art: Meko and shiroiusagi.
Editors: Waxangel.