If you were to take a look at AX.Ryung's new life as an Axiom player, it's been a good few months. Though we only get limited glimpses at him through the GSL and what gets posted in the internet, we've seen him call out the Blizzard ability to balance the game, party like a rock star doing karaoke with his teammates, and look adorable playing with team owner Genna's son. On top of that he made the Code S semi-finals and became the undisputed ace of a team—not a bad turnaround for the former second son of SlayerS.
Unfortunately, with the long layoff between Code S seasons, Ryung has been somewhat lost in the shuffle. Other players have overshadowed him with their more recent accomplishments and made his semifinal showing at Las Vegas seem like a distant memory. Code S Season Five is already considered by many as the most volatile tournament in GSL history, and half of the top eight getting eliminated in the first round of this season (including the two finalists) hasn't done much to improve its reputation. Being overlooked and disregarded is nothing new to Ryung, but he's in danger of suffering his biggest snub yet. If he can't keep up his good form from last season, then it will be remembered more for the shot he took at Blizzard and Sniper in the semi-finals than the great games he played to get there.
When you look at the current hierarchy of Terran, this season is also a huge opportunity for Ryung. Mvp and Taeja are injured. Bomber, MarineKing, and Gumiho can play amazing, but haven't been a part of the GSL title picture for a very long time. Polt decided to leave Code S and become a college student in Texas. KeSPA Terrans have shown great potential, but none of them have shown consistency. Right now you'd have to say a hobbled Mvp is still the head of the Terran race, but almost every Terran seems to have a question mark over him at the moment. Ryung's is that he hasn't played a meaningful game in nearly two months, but he has as good of claim as anyone else to be called the best Terran in the world after his Code S heroics of last season.
Facing off against Ryung in the first round will be our old feline friend LG-IM_LosirA, who finally made it back to Code S after a lengthy sabbatical down in Code B with guys like BitByBit, Fnatic's Rain, and the entire HoSeo team. Losira made a Code S finals, people. Don't you remember that? It was the one where Nestea and Losira came out of Pepsi bottles, the master beat up the student, and we were all reassured by the fact that Zergs would never be good enough for us to have to tolerate another ZvZ final again (how foolish we were). Losira would never get back to that spot again, falling back to the bottom of the Code S mountain and dropping out not too long after, making us remember him as a very good player, but not one you'd rank as one of the greats in Wing of Liberty history. He outdid himself in the July season, got further than anyone expected, and met a rightful end by getting trounced by the more experienced and talented mentor in Nestea.
This is a season of redemption for the former finalist, wanting to prove that he wasn't a fluke finalist. Losira shot up through the various Codes, getting through Code A and then getting himself back in Code S, almost looking like Nestea's fall to Code B inspired him to return to his old ways. He was able to transition his skills from the ladder to the GSL for the first time since 2011, reminding us that before DongRaeGu and Life came onto the scene, Losira was the rightful heir to Nestea's throne.
Becoming the God of Zerg may not be in the cards with Life already holding two GSL crowns and countless foreign accomplishments, but there's no reason why Losira cannot return to being who he was before: a player who was always considered a threat to make it to the Ro16 and someone who could make a Ro32 much tougher to get out of. It's been a long, long time since July of 2011, and Losira can finally open a new chapter in his career.
When talking about the 2011 July season, we can go straight to our next competitor in this group. Back then, ByuNPrime knocked Bomber out of the Ro8 in one of the biggest upsets in GSL history. After heading into the semi-finals with a ton of momentum, ByuN was forced to learn exactly how Bomber had felt in the previous round, losing to Losira. Sadly that wouldn't even be the worst semifinal loss of Byun's career. That moment came one year later in 2012 Season Three when he threw away a 2-1 lead against Seed, choking away a huge advantage in the fourth game of the series.
Not to take anything away from champion Seed or runner-up MC, but Byun was the best player that season. His TvP was at its peak, he was playing like a man possessed after rolling through Nestea 3 - 0 in the quarterfinals, and he had the series against Seed locked up before he decided to take his entire SCV line and go for a random "am I going all-in or not, let me decide for a few minutes while I collect no income" attack to blow the game. While he might have showed the best overall skill, his nerves did not hold a candle next to Seed and MC, both who have shown time and time again they can keep their cool in pressure situations.
If you don't watch Byun closely, take a look the next time a match is about to begin. A lot of times you can see Byun holding his hand over his heart, or you might see him look like he's about to throw up in the booth with his entire body shaking in anticipation. Seed, jjakji, and Sniper might always be remembered as the "irrelevant" champions, but there's a reason why those three have GSL titles and players like MKP, HerO and Byun, ones who might be considered better overall than those champions, are usually looking distraught by the time their GSL season is done with. ByuN is one of the best Terran players when on his game, but so far, his nerves have always held him down.
Money. Cash. Bucks. Bills. Dough. Gold. Gravy. Bank. Green. Simply put, these words can all describe SKT_PartinG heading into 2013. When 2012 started, Parting was a relative nobody. I jumped on his bandwagon early simply due to his fashionable glasses, but almost every new Protoss at that time was getting hailed as the new hope of Aiur. Alicia, Brown, Puzzle, and many others were getting put up on a pedestal before they accomplished anything of note. Everyone wanted a new MC or someone with even half of his ability. MC was the only Protoss to win a championship in the first two years of GSL, and everyone was searching for his successor who could one day surpass him.
While Parting didn't win a GSL championship in 2012, he became the Protoss that people had been waiting for to one day follow in MC's path. Winning two world championships in 2012, Parting raked in over $125,000 in only a few short months, ending the year by almost winning his first GSL (the Blizzard Cup) and only losing when having to face his former teammate Life in the finals. Rain might have won the OSL, and Seed might have grabbed the second GSL for Protoss, but Parting was the best Protoss of 2012, being the only member of Aiur to stay in Code S throughout the five seasons. He excelled in foreign and Korean competition, always keeping himself a threat in every tournament he entered.
With 2012 ending and his contract with Startale up, Parting had a decision to make. He could either stay with on the team where he had become a star, which would mean less money but more freedom, and staying with the people who had been his family. Or he could return to KeSPA where he was once a B-teamer, make the money he deserved as one of the best players in the world, at the cost of a much stricter practice schedule and less freedom. In the end, Parting went to the team with the money, putting himself up for a lottery and getting picked up by SK Telecom T1 when everything was all said and done (the similarly wealthy KT Rolster also bid for his services, and lost).
A lot of people will say that Parting is a traitor and should have stayed with Startale, the team that brought him into prominence, but you know what? Parting does not care. He is going to make around $70,000 in an eight month period, fly around the world to foreign tournaments all the same, and sleep soundly on pillows stuffed with a therapeutic combination of Dollars, Euros and Won. Family and loyalty can only go so far, and Parting made the choice to go for stability and money. We've seen plenty of great players fall from grace before they could cash out, and PartinG made sure to avoid that fate.
Parting is a young and very exciting player, but this might be the peak of his worth. His personality made him stand out in 2012, his skills are world class, and he is the first prominent ESF player to return back to KeSPA after making a name for himself in Starcraft 2. You hear all sorts of rumors of players moving back to KeSPA, but none of them will get the deal PartinG did. He had the smarts to cash in while he was worth the most, before there were any candidates to compete against, and is now sitting pretty on his throne of dough. Last time PartinG hit the jackpot by winning the WCS Finals, he bought pizza for the GSL audience. Now that he's signed with SKT, it's time to go a step further and make it rain.
Overall thoughts and predictions:
This is one of the best groups in terms of skill if all four can play to their absolute best. Byun has nerve issues, but he's a monster when focused. Losira might have been gone from Code S for a long while, but his online results and ladder record show that he's still a force to be reckoned with. Ryung might have lost some luster from his final four showing with the long break and how the two finalists fared in the Ro32, but he's one of the only Terrans in Code S you could say is consistent at the moment. Parting, well, win or lose, he's going to be making some good money this year and traveling across the globe as SKT T1's new star with his newly colored hairdo.
Seed, jjakji, and Sniper might always be remembered as the "irrelevant" champions, but there's a reason why those three have GSL titles and players like MKP, HerO and Byun, ones who might be considered better overall than those champions, are usually looking distraught by the time their GSL season is done with.
Blasphemy. You can't mention a list of greatest non-GSL champions without mentioning Leenock
Seed, jjakji, and Sniper might always be remembered as the "irrelevant" champions, but there's a reason why those three have GSL titles and players like MKP, HerO and Byun, ones who might be considered better overall than those champions, are usually looking distraught by the time their GSL season is done with.
Blasphemy. You can't mention a list of greatest non-GSL champions without mentioning Leenock
I took it as more of an attempt to anger everyone by reminding them sniper existed, than to make an accurate list of something
Seed, jjakji, and Sniper might always be remembered as the "irrelevant" champions, but there's a reason why those three have GSL titles and players like MKP, HerO and Byun, ones who might be considered better overall than those champions, are usually looking distraught by the time their GSL season is done with.
Blasphemy. You can't mention a list of greatest non-GSL champions without mentioning Leenock
I took it as more of an attempt to anger everyone by reminding them sniper existed, than to make an accurate list of something
Sniper makes me less angry now that he is out of code S. Now if he would please go down to code B that would be case for celebration.
Seed, jjakji, and Sniper might always be remembered as the "irrelevant" champions, but there's a reason why those three have GSL titles and players like MKP, HerO and Byun, ones who might be considered better overall than those champions, are usually looking distraught by the time their GSL season is done with.
Blasphemy. You can't mention a list of greatest non-GSL champions without mentioning Leenock
I took it as more of an attempt to anger everyone by reminding them sniper existed, than to make an accurate list of something
Sniper makes me less angry now that he is out of code S. Now if he would please go down to code B that would be case for celebration.
Sniper will never leave D: He's going to try his hardest to earn more fans with spinecrawler rushes and mass ultras. Then HoTS will come out and Ultras will be the new infestor brood lord and people will rage at him again
slight typo think you forgot the word consider, or something similar, " but he's one of the only Terrans in Code S you could consistent at the moment."
also fnatic rain retired so using hims as an example as someone stuck in code b might not be the best idea.
great article as always though. hope losira makes it through and dont really care about whom out of the other 3.
now that losira made it back to code s i keep hoping for virus to make a comeback but considering i havnt seen him play for like a few months starting to think hes never coming back.
Despite me still being a Parting fan and the fact that he has a great chance of advancing, I will not be rooting for him. I have to go for Losira and Ryung(as the ones I want to see advance.) I'd love to see Losira make it far. It's time for his comeback. For my number 2, I want Ryung. Hopefully he's still at the level he was during the last GSL.
PartinG is by far the favorite to get out of the group, but unfortunately for him he's competing against 2 strong terrans. According to PartinG himself, PvT has become his worst match-up. Recent up-set losses at IEM Katowice to MVPDream seemed to support that claim. In his series against Dream, he was outplayed at almost every corner: he was out smarted by the triple cc build that Dream pulled; his multitasking and battle handling were less than stellar; his drop defense was way less than bulletproof. In fact, his only win was through a one base immortal bust that Dream mishandled while defending..
He's definitely still a force to be reckoned with, even against Terrans (3-0 win against LG-IM_YoDa in the same IEM tournament, showing us that he's still probably the best stormer of the game), but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets knocked out by either of the Terrans. If he gets the chance to play LosirA though, I really don't see PartinG losing in a bo3.
Great writeup. I could see the matches going just like u said, except i think Ryungs TvT will come out on top against Byun. I think the only important TvT ryung ever lost, was his Super Tournament Game against MMA. He just knows how to win at this matchup.
Altough I agree that Parting is a reasonable pick for the first place, just cuz he has balls of steel and especially Ryung is suspectible to Protoss All ins. I'm not convinced that he has this in bag. He lost to Dream at IEM, and it was quiet the beatdown, and he also said, that he does not feel confident against Terran at the moment. Yes he beat yoda, but yoda kinda choked in that Series, or at least he decided to go for wonky builds (Banshee into triple command against 5 gate?!). So facing Byun and Ryung could become his downfall.
Losira... i dont think he will make it out. He looked good in the up and downs. But not Ryung GSL 5 good. Not Parting at foreign event good.
I think that PartinG and Ryung will take first and second, respectively. Ryung's TvT is better than Byun's imo, but we'll see. I'm looking forward to this group. :D
Seed, jjakji, and Sniper might always be remembered as the "irrelevant" champions, but there's a reason why those three have GSL titles and players like MKP, HerO and Byun, ones who might be considered better overall than those champions, are usually looking distraught by the time their GSL season is done with.
Blasphemy. You can't mention a list of greatest non-GSL champions without mentioning Leenock
I took it as more of an attempt to anger everyone by reminding them sniper existed, than to make an accurate list of something
Sniper makes me less angry now that he is out of code S. Now if he would please go down to code B that would be case for celebration.
You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your fuckin' fingers and say, "That's the bad guy." - Sniper
Tbh, almost any combination of winners/ losers wouldn't surprise me that much. This group seems quite hard to call. PartinG is obviously good, but he's also quite an emotional player. Ryung and Byun are both solid terrans who are sometimes brilliant, and Losira is a zerg.
Feels like the writers really fucking hate MKP for some reason. "MarineKing, and Gumiho can play amazing, but haven't been a part of the GSL title picture for a very long time." Back to back Ro8 doesn't mean anything?
On January 28 2013 23:53 Kihshra wrote: Edit: one more thing I'd like to add :
Not to take anything away from champion Seed or runner-up MC, but Byun was the best player that season.
Symbol was even better that season.
Byun did better than Symbol in group stage 2, and he advanced to Ro4 in a 3-0, where Symbol lost 2-3.
ByuN just lacked the hype because he didn't have the chance to go to other tournaments.
That's not quite right. Symbol losing in ro8 2-3 is the same as Byun losing in ro4 2-3 since they both lost to the same person and they both lost after Seed made a comeback.
Symbol got more hype because of Tastosis and his reverse all-kill of IM, at that time he hadn't entered any other tournaments. Byun was playing the best games of his life and was probably the best Terran in that 1-2 week period, but the same could be said for Symbol (best zerg for that 1-2 week period). The difference between the two is that Byun should have won his games but lost because of nerves. Symbol lost his games because he stuck to his cool ultra-bane-infestor mix and wasn't able to break Seed. Because of that Symbol never used that composition against Protoss again and just stuck to BL-infestor.
As PartinG debuts for SKT1, I think he could give a good showing; however, I would put my vote towards byun more than anyone else. It would be good to see a Kespa player make it past his group so I would be a little indifferent. Again, edge goes to Byun.Prime
ByuN never beat Losira, not in 2011 or 2012, not even in a team league when they faced off. I don't see that trend changing, Parting and LosirA to come out of the group.
On January 29 2013 00:52 karis wrote: slight typo think you forgot the word consider, or something similar, " but he's one of the only Terrans in Code S you could consistent at the moment."
also fnatic rain retired so using hims as an example as someone stuck in code b might not be the best idea.
great article as always though. hope losira makes it through and dont really care about whom out of the other 3.
now that losira made it back to code s i keep hoping for virus to make a comeback but considering i havnt seen him play for like a few months starting to think hes never coming back.
On January 28 2013 23:53 Kihshra wrote: Edit: one more thing I'd like to add :
Not to take anything away from champion Seed or runner-up MC, but Byun was the best player that season.
Symbol was even better that season.
Byun did better than Symbol in group stage 2, and he advanced to Ro4 in a 3-0, where Symbol lost 2-3.
ByuN just lacked the hype because he didn't have the chance to go to other tournaments.
That's not quite right. Symbol losing in ro8 2-3 is the same as Byun losing in ro4 2-3 since they both lost to the same person and they both lost after Seed made a comeback.
Symbol got more hype because of Tastosis and his reverse all-kill of IM, at that time he hadn't entered any other tournaments. Byun was playing the best games of his life and was probably the best Terran in that 1-2 week period, but the same could be said for Symbol (best zerg for that 1-2 week period). The difference between the two is that Byun should have won his games but lost because of nerves. Symbol lost his games because he stuck to his cool ultra-bane-infestor mix and wasn't able to break Seed. Because of that Symbol never used that composition against Protoss again and just stuck to BL-infestor.
That's not right, when Symbol played against Seed he already had finished 2nd at Iron Squid and at MLG Spring Arena 2 before.
On January 28 2013 23:53 Kihshra wrote: Edit: one more thing I'd like to add :
Not to take anything away from champion Seed or runner-up MC, but Byun was the best player that season.
Symbol was even better that season.
Byun did better than Symbol in group stage 2, and he advanced to Ro4 in a 3-0, where Symbol lost 2-3.
ByuN just lacked the hype because he didn't have the chance to go to other tournaments.
That's not quite right. Symbol losing in ro8 2-3 is the same as Byun losing in ro4 2-3 since they both lost to the same person and they both lost after Seed made a comeback.
Symbol got more hype because of Tastosis and his reverse all-kill of IM, at that time he hadn't entered any other tournaments. Byun was playing the best games of his life and was probably the best Terran in that 1-2 week period, but the same could be said for Symbol (best zerg for that 1-2 week period). The difference between the two is that Byun should have won his games but lost because of nerves. Symbol lost his games because he stuck to his cool ultra-bane-infestor mix and wasn't able to break Seed. Because of that Symbol never used that composition against Protoss again and just stuck to BL-infestor.
That's not right, when Symbol played against Seed he already had finished 2nd at Iron Squid and at MLG Spring Arena 2 before.
I've got to side with Fionn, Parting feels like the guy with biggest chance to go through, with Byun being slightly higher on my own little rating list than Ryung is. I don't have that much info on Losira so it's harder to predict him.
It could just go either way, can only wait and see!
When 2012 started, Parting was a relative nobody. I jumped on his bandwagon early simply due to his fashionable glasses
Takes a person of character to admit that, lol.
And interesting to see you predict two players from the same side of the bracket to advance. That's how I called it too in the liquibet. This season's ro32 has been so topsy turvy, why not.
When 2012 started, Parting was a relative nobody. I jumped on his bandwagon early simply due to his fashionable glasses
Wataf! PartinG had already made a name for himself with the best storm play around. He wasn't producing results yes, but he certainly was one to watch for the good games.
When 2012 started, Parting was a relative nobody. I jumped on his bandwagon early simply due to his fashionable glasses
Wataf! PartinG had already made a name for himself with the best storm play around. He wasn't producing results yes, but he certainly was one to watch for the good games.
iirc he made a name for himself with the storms during 2012 Season 1
I used to always cheer for Parting, but since he left Startale, I just can't do it anymore. Maybe I'll cheer for Losira tonight out of simple nostalgia.
I am feeling parting and ryung. I think the biggest match will be if ryung and byun if they play. I am a little upset at this group though. a bunch of my favorite players all in one place T.T
Ryung, though he hasn't been consistent since GSL RO 4, is still one of the best terrans in the world, while his TvP has not been that great, his TvZ and TvT should be more than sufficient to deal with Losira and Byun. Despite the tier 1 curse this time, I think Ryung can make it through in second. parting taking first is pretty much a no-brainer. Both Losira and Byun have been good enough to get into Code S, but not spectacular, and I don't think it'll be enough against Parting/Ryung
On January 28 2013 23:53 Kihshra wrote: I don't think Parting will make it out actually. Even though he'd beat Ryung and Losira if he had to play them, he'll lose twice to Byun imho...
Seed, jjakji, and Sniper might always be remembered as the "irrelevant" champions, but there's a reason why those three have GSL titles and players like MKP, HerO and Byun, ones who might be considered better overall than those champions, are usually looking distraught by the time their GSL season is done with.
Blasphemy. You can't mention a list of greatest non-GSL champions without mentioning Leenock
I took it as more of an attempt to anger everyone by reminding them sniper existed, than to make an accurate list of something
Also, to be fair, though I agree that Leenock is one of the best players to not take a GSL trophy, the paragraph was talking in terms of good players whose nerves have failed them, and that's never seemed like Leenock's problem to me.
Even though I'm sad that both Parting and Squirtle left the Startale (at least Life is still playing like a goddam monster, and Bomber's done good so far but he does have a reputation to disappoint...) I still want them to do well.
On January 28 2013 23:53 Kihshra wrote: Edit: one more thing I'd like to add :
Not to take anything away from champion Seed or runner-up MC, but Byun was the best player that season.
Symbol was even better that season.
Byun did better than Symbol in group stage 2, and he advanced to Ro4 in a 3-0, where Symbol lost 2-3.
ByuN just lacked the hype because he didn't have the chance to go to other tournaments.
That's not quite right. Symbol losing in ro8 2-3 is the same as Byun losing in ro4 2-3 since they both lost to the same person and they both lost after Seed made a comeback.
Symbol got more hype because of Tastosis and his reverse all-kill of IM, at that time he hadn't entered any other tournaments. Byun was playing the best games of his life and was probably the best Terran in that 1-2 week period, but the same could be said for Symbol (best zerg for that 1-2 week period). The difference between the two is that Byun should have won his games but lost because of nerves. Symbol lost his games because he stuck to his cool ultra-bane-infestor mix and wasn't able to break Seed. Because of that Symbol never used that composition against Protoss again and just stuck to BL-infestor.
I remember his interview after victory against Seed in a rematch of ro16 code s. He stated how much he hates broodlord infestor but had to use it against seed because he was too good.
PartinG will NOT get past the ro32. Look at how this is organized: There is actually a solid possibility at PartinG getting knocked out: Ryung<>Losira PartinG<>Byun Byun, a TvP master, and Ryung: a very good tvz player. A possibility: Ryung > Losira Byun > PartinG PartinG >Losira Ryung > Byun (Do not doubt Ryung's TvT) Byun > PartinG I can imagine Byun using his TvP powers like bomber and send Parting to the RO36. Want Ryung and Losira-cat though I miss that cat edit: spelling
Seed, jjakji, and Sniper might always be remembered as the "irrelevant" champions, but there's a reason why those three have GSL titles and players like MKP, HerO and Byun, ones who might be considered better overall than those champions, are usually looking distraught by the time their GSL season is done with.
Blasphemy. You can't mention a list of greatest non-GSL champions without mentioning Leenock
he chose mkp/hero/byun because they are emotional players AND they therefore haven't won GSL titles; Leenock is good and he's not an emotional player but hasn't won a GSL title. There's tons of players who are good and didn't win a GSL. But MKP/HERO perfectly classify what the writer was going for, hasn't won a GSL title because of nerves
Parting's PvT has looked suspect lately, which makes him extremely vulnerable to Byun. I can't see him losing to Losira, so it might very well come down to a set against Ryung, which is one I'm quite looking forward to.
Does anyone know if Taeja has pulled out of Code S? or is he going to gut it MVP style?
On January 29 2013 09:06 isaachukfan wrote: Ryung, though he hasn't been consistent since GSL RO 4, is still one of the best terrans in the world, while his TvP has not been that great, his TvZ and TvT should be more than sufficient to deal with Losira and Byun. Despite the tier 1 curse this time, I think Ryung can make it through in second. parting taking first is pretty much a no-brainer. Both Losira and Byun have been good enough to get into Code S, but not spectacular, and I don't think it'll be enough against Parting/Ryung
this is the group of death for me but I must say, i will be holding my heart as much as ByuN does. ByuN and Losira have been my all time favorite players. It's going to be a rollercoaster of emotions for me tonight. nevertheless, i think it can be done. If byun can avoid tvt in the 2nd place match, ByuN and Losira make it out with ByuN first and Losira 2nd
Parting does not care. He is going to make around $70,000 in an eight month period, fly around the world to foreign tournaments all the same, and sleep soundly on pillows stuffed with a therapeutic combination of Dollars, Euros and Won.
Best quote thus far 2013. amazing!!
Awesome writeup, agree on everything, except I think Losira might do better than anyone thinks.
EPT
AX.Ryung, 
LG-IM_LosirA, 
SKT_PartinG
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/hBlKJ.png)
I miss that cat
