• STX_Innovation
  
  Strengths
  - His timing attacks are the best we've seen in SC2 from a Terran.
  - Brilliant micro.
  - So good that he can a-move into victory.
  
  Weaknesses
  - Early pressure against him can be effective.
  - Bad karma for annoying so many people by changing his ID from Bogus afters using it for years.
  
  
• Woongjin_Soulkey
  
  Strengths
  - Excellent game planning for a single opponent.
  - Strong mechanics all-around.
  - Excels in small scale micro, especially with speedlings.
  
  Weaknesses
  - His ZvT didn't amaze anyone at MLG Dallas.
  - Might be a ZvZ-only specialist in disguise.
  
  

Innovating the Game

The pro-gamer formerly known as Bogus changed his name to Innovation, hoping for a fresh start and also simply because he thought name Innovation was cooler. He got some Backlash for changing his name after having solidly established himself in Brood War as Bogus, but if he can actually make it Vegas, it will be Innovation who everyone in the United States will come to know as one of the strongest Terran in the world. Trying to live up to his name as best as possible, Innovation has used every timing attack possible to make it to the quarter finals.

Besides Leenock who was able to out-innovate the innovator, no one else has been able to keep up with Innovation's strategies. Looking back at his Ro16 performance, Polt and Sniper gave him a hard go of it, but Innovation simply countered whatever they were trying to do. Polt went for a super quick cloaked banshee? Innovation wins by the skin of his teeth with a hellion drop aided by some vikings that gives him the victory. And against Sniper, his marine/hellion timing on the third map of their series won it all for him, tearing down the weak defense of the Zerg and forcing the GG.

While you could say it's been a bit of luck for him to get here by winning mostly by early game attacks, it's not like anyone could pull these timings off. It has taken extreme micro and great decision making to allow Innovation to always find a hole in the defenses of his opponent. Clocking with a 14:59 minute average game time this season (in 11 games), he has played the second fastest games of the quarter-finalists, with only Creator finsihing his games faster at a 13:14 average.

Bogus has already played Soulkey once during the OSL Dual Tournament, beating him and then falling to two Protoss to be eliminated. His past results against Zerg aren't very impressive, with only a 5-6 record against the swarm, but statistics don't really matter when it comes to Innovation. Before qualifying for Code A, he had a miserable 1 - 8 record overall in SC2, but has been able to turn his public perception around this season by entering the final eight with an 8 - 3 record. Destroying the Korean GM ladder for the past few seasons with only Life having similar winning percentages, Innovation must have more tricks up his sleeve than he is letting on.

Innovation is an eccentric player that we don't see much in Code S. A much more polished, rich man's version of Heart and BitByBit, he hasn't gotten the same flack most Terrans get when they get deep into a tournament from mostly early game pushes. Instead of people harping on how cheap it is to win in the early game, people have come to appreciate his insane micro, EE HAN! timings, and variety that he brings to every match-up.

Heralded as one of the best KeSPA players and one of the scariest to face online, you have to believe behind the timing attacks there is an even scarier monster lurking. So far, no one has really pushed Innovation to a super late game to show off how he can handle a scrappy 40+ minute brawl, but maybe Soulkey will be the first to see if Innovation can stand up in the late game, or if he truly is just a Bogus, one trick pony.

The Notebook of Death by Soulkey

"I think the biggest reason was because I paid too much attention to only Life. I came to the studio telling myself "let's take down Life and only Life." It's not like I completely ignored Leenock but I just wasn't ready for him. Leenock also played well and I wasn't able to use my prepared strategies. I just don't think I dissected my opponent enough."

And it worked like a charm, as Soulkey battered the defending champion 4 - 0 and knocked him out of a GSL that many thought was his to win again. Soulkey scouted and dissected Life's style, and then came into the studio to destroy him and break the player who had been destroying everyone for the past two months. His games against Leenock were lackluster, getting stomped by the seventeen-year-old ace of FXO, but that wasn't in Soulkey's book of plans. He came to the studio with one goal in mind to kill Life, and he exited the building having killed the best player in the world(?).

Life has looked weak at points, falling behind in long series or tripping up against Flash at MLG, but he was always able to steady himself, read his opponent, and then make a comeback. Mvp, Flash and Leenock all had leads on Life, but couldn't stop the middle schooler from making a comeback and ending up as the victor in each of those Bo7 clashes. Soulkey, on the other hand, simply knew exactly what Life was going to do at all times and didn't let him get off the ground. He crushed him 4-0, got his ticket to the next round, and showed that his scouting for an opponent might be the best we've seen. Not even Mvp could stop Life, the guy known for his insane preparation, but Soulkey could and did it without breaking a sweat.

Soulkey didn't look all that impressive at MLG Dallas, losing in pool play quickly to Revival and then Crank, pushing him down to the championship bracket at the lowest point. He did make a run of it, taking out StarDust, Idra, TheStC, hyvaa and then Golden before getting stoped 0 - 2 by Taeja, but you expected more from the player who at the start of the KeSPA transition to SC2, was the most hyped up player, with people saying he had the talent to be in Code S from day one from when the Frankenstein Proleague started.

Innovation is a lot like Life. They like to be aggressive and be the attacker, and they are both not afraid to try to end games early. This would play into Soulkey's plans, loving to sit back, defend, and then counter-attack when he's stopped your aggression at the start of the game. More likely than not, Soulkey is going to push Innovation into the late game for one of the first times in his GSL career. Out of the final eight, the opposite of Innovation, he has the second longest average game time, clocking in at 20 minutes and 9 seconds, only nine seconds under Ryung's average time of 20:18.

Innovation, you were written down in Soulkey's notebook. He has taken all your games in Code A, Code S, and Proleague, watched them extensively and knows what you like to do. Even worse, being maybe the only KeSPA player not to hide behind a bar code on the ladder, Soulkey knows who you are on the ladder and can even get information from that. He is dialed in, will be waiting for you to attack him, and then be prepared to end your life with all the data he processed.

Overall thoughts and prediction:

It's a battle between the wild, free thinking offensive player against the cold, calculated, defensive player who probably has a notebook filled with every build Innovation has ever done in the history of Starcraft. Innovation seems to not be afraid to stand out from the pack, not using a bar code ID and even changing his Brood War moniker to something new, but Soulkey proved against Life that even the best can be broken down.

Innovation seems to be the player that would be easiest for Soulkey. Attack oriented, loves to win in the early game, and even has the gall to change his ID to his publicized Battle.net account that he could get even more information and builds from if need be. Innovation is asking Soulkey to come and get him, and we'll see tonight if Soulkey's scouting and preparation is good enough to catch the timing attacker.


Prediction: Innovation 3 - 2 Soulkey.

• MVP.Sniper
  
  Strengths
  - Neck and neck with DongRaeGu for the position of MVP ace.
  - Steady, consistent improvement through 2012.
  - Has shown solid ZvZ when required.
  
  Weaknesses
  - Inexperienced compared to the opponent in terms of stage experience.
  - Never been tested in this format before.
  - Has played very few recent ZvZs.
  
  
• FXO.Leenock
  
  Strengths
  - Presently, the hottest Zerg player on the planet.
  - Creative, unpredictable and had to prepare for.
  - Has shown stellar ZvZ in his last few tournaments.
  
  Weaknesses
  - Spotty performances in Code S playoffs.
  - A lot of broadcast ZvZ games for opponent to dissect and analyze.
  
  

A cursory glance at the history of Code S reveals that this meeting carries no small amount of significance. We have to look all the way back to Code S July in 2011, when Nestea defeated CoCa 3 - 0, to find the last time two Zergs faced off in the Code S Ro8.

By almost every standard, the game played today differs greatly. Not only in terms of the change of structure, but the names, the game play and the new found strength of Zerg as Wings of Liberty wanes. While Life carried the torch last season by becoming a fabled Royal Roader, his fall did not mean the end of Zerg strength in the GSL, with new heroes rising to take his place.

Leenock

The more renowned of the two competing for a semi-finals spot is Leenock. He does not fit the bill of the Zerg new generation as well as his peers; he is an old if historically inconsistant presence in the GSL. Always known for his flashes of brilliance and his creativity, Leenock has learned to use these traits to set himself apart from the field in meaningful, championship-winning ways.

Leenock has come into his own as a player possessing different gears. He first got known for being a miniature JulyZerg, relentless attacking his opponent to see who's body would give out first. His real rise came in Code S November, where Leenock looked destined to take the tournament, especially after he came out on top in a spectacular semi-final against perennial favorite Mvp. However, Jjakji triumphed in the finals, which in turn has dampened Leenock’s reputation in many ways. Had he won on the day, a lot of the perceptions about him would inevitably have been different. As is, he is thought to be a premier Zerg, capable of deep runs in Code S certainly, but not quite a made name.

Yet, it was the Zerg runner up who went on to become one of the most successful Korean Zergs internationally, while the winner simply fell into obscurity. If the double MLG championships would have been coupled with a Code S title, there would be little doubt that Leenock would have to be considered as the best Zerg in Korea in the post-Nestea era. Instead, Leenock is just another one of the players vying for the prestige of being considered the top dog, alongside players like DongRaeGu and Life.

Last season saw Leenock once more bow out as he found himself with a clear shot at grasping what has become an elusive second finals appearance. The defeat to Taeja might not have been unexpected, but looked rather strange. It is rare to see Leenock struggle for ideas more than anything else. He has become a very commanding player in terms of dictating both tempo and play style. There might be an issue with how he mentally adopts to the pure elimination style of the playoffs, but what seems more likely is that he has yet to find a real strength in a format where freestyle play and sheer mechanics become rarer and pure preparation is king.

Looking at both distant and recent past, Leenock’s growth while amassing wins and potent finishes is impressive. The creativity and spark that seemed restrained is now in full flow. The way he can coldly outplay his opponents has gone from something seen if the opponent allowed it to something we almost expect. His one remaining weakness seems to be the lack of a full transformation into a playoff player who can demonstrably identify his strengths and fashion a Bo5 plan for how to both play to those while counteracting his opponent. His often off-beat and sometimes outrageously unorthodox style serves him perfectly against opponents ready for a standard game, but it has yet to be proven that it still can be a potent weapon when coming up against those who have had time to study the fine details of his tactics.

Sniper

While Leenock is a juggernaut whose potential was readily apparent coming into his own, Sniper has looked like a player struggling to find any kind of permanence as a Code S player. While it might have been obvious that he could be, he has failed to materialize as much more than a solid, second best Zerg on MVP. But as DRG went through a tumultuous time in the Korean scene, Sniper grew and matured. He's no longer someone MVP throws out as the set-up man to the closer; he now stands as a legitimate ace for his team. He has also shaken off his propensity for atrocious decision making with everything on the line, a characteristic that haunted him in his first Code S entries.

His journey to the top eight of Code S has followed what is becoming a recognizable pattern. While struggling in Code A and doing relatively well in the GSTL, his play betrayed the secret of a player ready for more. And while true individual success has been some time coming, when it finally appeared it has been the result of solid standard play and very stylistic tendencies. This has become a rather staple recipe for how to break into the top echelon of Code S; rarely will we see a completely standard player just playing better than everyone else to make it to a top eight. Rather, it is that infusion of distinct characteristics melded into commanding standard play that seems to be the golden ticket.

Sniper certainly qualifies for being a player with particular traits. It has been on display in his ZvP for some time, where his army splits and flanks in particular have set him apart from the stock Zerg. He has gone through a similar process to that of Life, where a Zerg with strong macro and good overall defense has found a way to take his strong points and create a game play that is favorable. While Life was able to take what was cheesy openings and almost reckless aggression and turn it into a style Terran in particular seemed to find no answer to, Sniper has shown that he can take his army movement and keen eye for engagements, fashioning it into a personal weapon across most matchups and against most styles.

What we have seen in Sniper this season is something we have seen in multiple champions of the past. Recently, Jjakji, Seed and Life have all gone into the tournament with little to base their eventual success on in terms of past achievements. They all looked like they could stumble at times, but they all made it to win decisive looking victories. Sniper has not looked like a Code S champion so far. But what he has looked like is a player with momentum, a player that will continue to grow stronger as the competition gets fiercer and we are approaching the end of the season. It bears remembering that those are the characteristics of break through performances rather than the solid, dominating runs that look good in earlier parts but seem to inevitably fizzle out as the final approaches.

It remains to be seen whether Sniper will go on to create a legacy this season. He looks not quite the finished product, but that has clearly not been an unwavering indicator of failing in Code S before. Facing Leenock is a monumental task, and his relative lack of experience will have to be harnessed into bravery and almost wilfully ignorant self-belief to make it. But once such confidence starts to grow it becomes very difficult for more established players to take away, especially within the span of a single season.

Overall outlook

It seems fitting that the two Zerg that face one another in the round of eight are not only heavily to thank for their team’s success in the GSTL, but also known for their ZvZ prowess. For Leenock, that his skill at that particular matchup was on display in the round of sixteen, beating Symbol and Soulkey emphatically. For Sniper, it has been a persistent part of his deployment in team leagues and was part of his rise to prominence.

Game play wise, both players have a very solid standard game, not shying away from roach/infestor into hydra then hive play. As a part of the MVP Zerg line-up, Sniper has a tendency to go into mutas either briefly or massively before teching to infestors, trying to control the map and limiting his opponent’s choices through the air presence. Leenock however has a bigger toolbox when it comes to the openings he has shown himself capable of deploying; his run through this season of Code S starting to popularize nydus play across all matchups and remaining difficult to predict because of the variance he displays.

For Leenock, it becomes a struggle to replicate his results in weekend tournaments and group play in a Bo5. He may trip on his own ingenuity; his midgame looks more volatile than that of Sniper for certain. For the MVP Zerg, the struggle will revolve around being able to anticipate and directly counter his opponent’s zanier brand of Zerg. If he should be able to, he will likely find himself in favorable midgame situations and thus will have to take out one of the best Zergs in the world through his engagements and positional play. As much as Leenock looks like the player with more potential, it becomes a double edged sword as he is also the one with more potential to self-destruct.


Prediction: Leenock 3 - 1 Sniper