by: Waxangel

Afternoon Matches - 04:10 GMT (+00:00)

Liquid`HerO vs. ST_Avenge

Avenge has some big shoes to fill after being passed the mantle of Startale Protoss ace following the departure of PartinG and Squirtle. He did a great job in his first appearance in that role, defeating KeSPA Eighth Team's TY 2 – 0 in the first round of Code A. Still, he has a very long way to go until fans believe he's a passable fill-in for the departed duo.

The next challenge for Avenge is going to be tough, but could end up being a great opportunity. Liquid`HerO outmatches Avenge heavily in terms of tournament achievements, having reached the GSL Ro4 and won several international tournaments. However, this is PvP, the match-up that's traditionally been the most prone to upsets. HerO did shore up his PvP in the latter half of 2012, but it's still not the match-up where he inspires the most confidence.

With Avenge coming in without having played a meaningful tournament PvP in nearly a year, it's tough to say what we should expect from him. In the absence of info, you have to give HerO the edge here as the established player, but Avenge may have hidden depths we have yet to see.

Prediction: HerO 2 – 1 Avenge


ByuNPrime vs. Quantic.Center

Center's following his Code A path from the previous season exactly so far, defeating Seed in the first round and drawing ByuN in second. If things keep going the same way, then we'll see Center defeat ByuN tonight and move onto the final round of Code A.

The two players looked extremely evenly matched in their previous series, with Center just barely winning at the end of some intense marine-tank wars. ByuN then got some revenge against Center in the Up/Downs by deflecting his two-rax cheese rush, evening the score at 2 - 2. From the games they've played so far, it's really hard to say either player is favored, but if I HAD to pick someone to win...

Prediction: Center 2 – 1 ByuN


Quantic.HyuN vs. SKT_LabyRinth
LG-IM_YoDa vs. CJ_Trust

People were surprised enough to see Trust and Labyrinth – trainee players on CJ and SKT – navigate their way through the Code A qualifiers, but we were certainly in for a shock when they managed to beat their first round opponents. Trust took out long time Code S player Genius, while Labyrinth upset the recent IEM Katowice champion First. While everyone likes an underdog story, it's hard to see the trainees making it past the Ro32 wall.

From the nature of their Ro48 games, I like Trust's chances just a little bit better than Labyrinth's. Trust actually played a macro game against Genius, one where he was at a disadvantage but found a way to fight back into the lead and take the win. In Labyrinth's case, he executed two 1/1/1's in a row, and had to thank First's poor defense at least a little.

HyuN isn't exactly on a roll since he lost in the previous Code S final, but he should beat a virtually unknown player as long as he doesn't fall asleep on the cheese-watch. YoDa should win as well, but he's a shakier player. I'm sure LG-IM fans will agree when I say I can see him getting caught off guard by an immortal/gateway all-in combo.

Predictions: HyuN 2 – 0 Labyrinth, YoDa 2 - 1 Trust.


Evening Matches - 09:10 GMT (+00:00)

MVP.Sniper vs. MaruPrime

Once known for being an extremely young and talented player, Maru has moved on to being famous for something less flattering: his love of cheese. At first, Maru used his cheese rushes as a clever mix-up in his game, but after the queen patch, cheesing has become a staple of his TvZ game. This trend has become worse and worse for Maru, and in his last GSL TvZ series against Losira, he actually went for proxy barracks rushes three games in a row (he lost the series 1 – 2).

This puts Sniper – the former champion who was knocked out of Code S 'at the speed of light' – in a familiar position. Going up against HuK in this season's Code S Ro32, he knew his foreign opponent was more prone than most for going for all-in builds, and prepared accordingly by playing safe . Alas, even knowing that didn't stop him from dropping one map, as his overconfidence led to poor execution against a deadly 8-gate rush. If Sniper lapses like that against Maru, then he's going to be looking at more than just going down one map.

For the prediction, I still have to go with Sniper, as easy as the lady-killing, SlayerS slaying Zerg player is to hate. I can't imagine how embarrassed he has to be about dropping out of Code S in the Ro32, and he's going to come into this series determined to prove that he deserved to win a championship.

Prediction: Sniper 2 – 0 Maru


CreatorPrime vs. LG-IM_YongHwa

Ow, what a painful match-up for Protoss fans. Creator and Yonghwa are two of the best Protoss players in the world when playing outside of the GSL, and it's unfortunate that they have to meet here. Luckily, the loser will still have a chance to make it into Code S through the Up and Downs, so it's not as dire a situation as if this were a Ro48 match.

Yonghwa recently ripped through the IPL International Qualifier, taking down players like TAiLS, Vampire, Snute, and even the vaunted Startale Life. A typical result for Yonghwa, when playing in a non-GSL tournament.

In Creator's case, he's been on a minor downswing since taking second place at the WCS Global Finals (remember that?). His Code S campaigns haven't gone that well, and he dropped out of the Ro32 this season after defeating ByuL but losing to Life and Symbol. However, there's no reason to start losing faith in him yet, not when he's been one of the best Protosses not named PartinG in the past few months.

This head to head is awfully tough to call. Yonghwa did well at PvP in recent online matches, while Creator has dropped games to players like Avenge and Oz. But that's really not enough data to go by for this kind of match, and any result is possible depending on who's in better shape on the day.

Prediction: Yonghwa 2 – 1 Creator


FXOLeenock vs. CJ_Bbyong

Leenock, one of the best WoL players to never win a WoL championship, was sadly thwarted in his final campaign. While he took down TY with ease, he was crushed by the two-time champ MC, and bested in ZvZ by the ever-reliable Curious. Now it's time to pick up the pieces, and move on.

For a bounce back match, Bbyong is one of the most convenient opponents he could have hoped for. Leenock has always looked the most impressive in ZvT, dating back to 2011, and Bbyong does not rank among the better TvZ players remaining in Code A. Bbyong is just 3 – 8 in TvZ since KeSPA made the full SC2 transition, and those wins came against Mr. ZergBong (the hideous darkside of the honorable Dr. Nestea) playing at his worst, and a game where he managed to defend an early attack from Soulkey. The CJ Terran is going to have to get very creative, or he's looking at a one way ticket to the Up and Down matches.

Prediction: Leenock 2 – 0 Bbyong


KT_Flash vs. Ax.Ryung

If you've been deeply saddened by HotS TvT so far, don't fear. As the Koreans say, it's time to "purify your eyes." Flash and Ryung, the two protagonists in one of the the best TvTs ever, are going to have another go at it, and this time it's in a full three game series.

The last time the two faced off, we got to see a fascinating contrast of strengths. Flash looked to overwhelm Ryung with a combination of brute force and excellent technique, displaying awe inspiring macro and beautiful, flanking engagements. Ryung countered with his superior awareness of the big picture. He ceded ground liberally, only took engagements when necessary, dropped Flash incessantly, and did all the things to set himself up to win in the late game. Slowly, but surely, Flash ran out of steam, and was forced to GG out to his more cunning opponent.

It's been over two months since then, and Flash has gained much SC2 experience in the meanwhile. He's 5 - 1 in TvT in 2013, and he has looked far more refined. In particular, he's shown glimpses of the invincible Brood War TvT when playing in mech vs. mech. Will that be enough to take Ryung down this time around?

While this should be a very close match, I'm still going to go with Ryung by a hair. Ryung's lack of championship pedigree makes him get overlooked a lot, but if you look at TvT alone, he's one of the best players of WoL. Flash might be insanely talented and hardworking, but I don't think he can overcome Ryung just yet.

Prediction: Ryung 2 - 1 Flash