GSL 2013 Season 1 Code S

Ro16: Group B Recap
Squirtle, Symbol, MKP, Soulkey


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by: stuchiu

Results from Live Report Thread by Shellshock1122.
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History repeats itself as Minchul (Soulkey) and Symbol defeat Squirtle to advance

In a season where the first cycle of Starcraft 2 will come to an end, last night's games hearkened backed to the events of an earlier age. It was an eerie repeat of GSL 2012 Season 3 Code S, with the Ro16's Group B featuring the exact same four names - with the difference of trading one Min Chul (MC) for another (Soulkey). Like it was in 2012, Group B was a story of loss and grief, of redemption barely denied.

In the first match of the night, one time GSL runner-up Squirtle would dispatch of Azubu.Symbol easily with an unscouted 4-gate, followed by a strong 3-base attack to take a quick 2 - 0 win. Woongjin_Soulkey would have a slightly harder time in the other opening match, dropping his first game against MarineKingPrime after failing his roach-bane bust. However, Soulkey came alive in the next game, taking the victory after punishing MKPs early push and refusing to let go of his lead. Soulkey kept the momentum going in game three, using a roach drop to punish MarineKing's attempt to go for mech.

In the winners match, Soulkey would meet Squirtle in a highly contested match where Squirtle took the first game with great multi-tasking and late game management on Bel'Shir Vestige. However, Soulkey came back from behind once more, putting on a game of the night performance in game two. Soulkey would surprise Squirtle with a very fast bane bust that went unscouted, but Squirtle avenged the loss of his natural with a strong all-in of his own. Squirtle impressed the casters and fans by using good micro and decision making to stay in the game and even things up as much as he could, but he couldn't overcome his early disadvantage as Soulkey rolled him over in the late game. Soulkey would then wrap the series up in the third game with a broodlord-infestor push as Squirtle was trying to transition into mass void rays.

Fall of the Kongs

Going into this season, there was an added sense of weight and importance to this GSL, it being the last one to be played in WoL, a grand finale to a game that had defined the lives dozens of players for over two years. It made every win more important and every loss more devastating. This was especially true last night for the two fan-favorites MKP and Squirtle. Both players were at one point or another considered the strongest players in the world, players that were considered favorites to win a GSL. Both had come incredibly close, even getting to the 7th game of a GSL final. But both could not deal with a 11/11 rax when it mattered the most. One could not execute it, and the other could not defend against it. This was their last shot at a championship, one last chance at glory.

It was not meant to be.

Symbol was just as determined and just as desperate to move on, and would knock both silver surfers out in succession. In the losers match against MKP, Symbol took an early lead with a drone scout that found MKP’s proxy 11/11 rax. He was able to force a cancel on one of the barracks, and make MKP completely alter his plans. Symbol would then counter MKP’s mech style perfectly, tech switching from roach drops into mass mutalisks for the victory. MarineKing tied the series up in game two, coming with an infantry only build that Symbol could not stop. It was a vintage MKP performance, but unfortunately it would be his final victory before bowing out. The third game saw MKP go mech against Symbol once again, who countered with the same roach drops into mutalisk transition. MKP fared much better the second time around, and both players went up to four bases on Daybreak. The game ended up breaking down into a massive base trade, one where Symbol would take the victory on the strength of a superior remaining army.

The final series of the night was between Squirtle and Symbol. After his loss to Soulkey, Squirtle seemed to have lost his edge. Squirtle went for a modified, 3-gas version of the Soul push, but was overrun by Symbol’s mass roach and ling army. In the second game, Symbol would use roach hydra to pressure Squirtle all game while teching up to broodlords. By the end game, Symbol was able to perform some backstabs that would eliminate Squirtle’s third and do enough economical damage that Squirtle was forced to try to counter all-in, but was stopped by Symbol’s perfect defense. With that Symbol would move reenact history and move on to the Ro8 by eliminating both MKP and Squirtle.

While the hopes of MKP and Squirtle have been stopped, both players can hold their heads up high knowing that at the end of WoL, they are still two of the best players to have ever touched the game. MKP is the last player to have been in every GSL since the second GSL open back in 2010, making him one of the most consistent players in Starcraft 2. Squirtle gave us some of the best games to have ever been played in the history of Starcraft 2, had the best run up to the finals in GSL history, and was also one half of the best finals the GSL has ever seen.

Writers: stuchiu.
Graphics: Meko.
Editor: Waxangel.