by Fionn



God Enters

Here we are, at the moment everyone has been waiting for since KeSPA announced they were transitioning to SC2. The God of RTS games himself, KT_Flash, will make his debut in the premiere SC2 league in the world. No player has ever had more pressure on him in his first Code S run, with most people - fans, Blizzard, and GomTV - already pegging in (and hoping for) a Flash vs. Life final. Having a rivalry that could be at the same level of the old LeeSsang Rok between Flash and Jaedong in Brood War would certainly spark more interest in the Korean scene. That's not to say that a Flash vs. Life final would make SC2 the biggest thing in Korea, but a continuation of the epic rivalry between two prodigies from two generations would help help merge the worlds of BW and SC2 that remain separated even now.

Unfortunately, with how Flash has been playing lately, it might be a bit of daydreaming to already be thinking of a Flash final against a player like Innovation or Life. While he was doing well in HotS, getting second place at MLG Dallas and rolling along in Proleague, he has been in a bit of a slump lately, losing his last four in Proleague, even getting replaced by his trusty sidekick Stats as KT's ace in their last match against EG-TL. Everyone goes on losing streaks - even Gods - and this shouldn't mean it's time to doubt Flash and put money on him falling in the Ro32. But it's something to think about as he enters a group where he is a heavy favorite with his KeSPA comrade.

The Deadly Strategist

Woongjin_Soulkey's life has been pretty good. He was a top player in Brood War who transitioned to SC2 and continued his dominant ways, becoming recognized as one of the two best KeSPA Zergs alongside GSL champion Roro. His team, Woongjin Stars, are running away with the lead in Proleague and can already start planning their travel plans to the finals, five games up on their closest rival and having an insane +36 game differential. With sOs, Zero, Light, Flying and the rest of Soulkey's formidable teammates, Stars is the deepest team in Proleague, hosting the ability to throw out top players at every race and even give their core members rest if need be.

3 - 1 in HotS, Soulkey will be heading into this group as either the favorite or second place favorite in the minds of most, the two KeSPA players heavily valued over their ESF foes. Soulkey and Flash should both be considered top five in their race, both showing the skill that you'd expect from challengers to the championship throne. Soulkey had to watch Roro take the championship last season, falling in the quarterfinals to Taeja, but with his improved play throughout his first two seasons in Code S, a semifinal or even a final appearance is possible in his third go around.

His greatest strength is his game planning for his opponents, having stopped Life two seasons ago in Code S. Soulkey announced afterward that he had only planned for one player in the group - that being Life - and it worked to perfection, going 4-0 over the defending GSL champion and knocking him out of the league in shocking fashion. With an equally scary Flash in his group, you would think that Soulkey would be zeroed in on the KT Rolster ace, hoping to face him in the winners' match.

Revenge of the ESF

Flash and Soulkey are the favorites, but the two ESF players in this group won't be walkovers. BBoongBBoong, one of Azubu's Zerg pillars alongside Violet and Symbol, has been a surprise the past few seasons in GSL, getting to the Ro16 last season and playing excellently even in defeat. He will be a heavy underdog against Flash in his first match of the night, but God is slumping, and B4 might be able to continue the losing streak for Flash and sneak into the winners' match.

Finally, we have MaruPrime, the forgotten member in the trio of new generation talents alongside Creator and Life. Creator went on to win WCS Korea, TSL4 and got second place at the WCS global finals, and Life went on to win...well, everything, and Maru has been stuck watching his two peers excel while he's been bouncing around Code A and B for the last few months. There will be people that say Maru shouldn't be compared to Creator or be in the same universe as Life, but there have been brief flashes of Maru brilliance that makes you believe he can be at the same level of Creator and maybe even Life. His micro, at times, is out of this world, even better than his teammate MarineKing's. He isn't consistent, following up great performances with disaster, but if he could only play at the same high level for an entire night of play, Maru could be the player with the most people talking about him by night's end.

Overall thoughts and prediction:

The easy pick is Soulkey first and Flash second. Soulkey has been very consistent, is on the best KeSPA team, and has been to the quarterfinals the past two seasons. He's great at group play, usually focusing out a single player in the group and taking him out no matter what. Flash, while on a slump, is still Flash, possibly the greatest RTS player we've ever seen and a player who might want a Code S championship more than anyone else. You can look at his four losses and say that the trend will continue, but betting against Flash is not the smartest thing to do when he's motivated to grab his first championship in SC2.

B4 is a player who has continually upset favorites, but this group might be a bit too difficult for him to get out of. If you're looking for a player who could turn everything on its head, it'd be Maru, the prodigy that never was. His play in HotS has been better, and he was able to pull himself out of Code B and get all the way back into Code S in a short amount of time. Maru probably looked up to Flash as a kid growing up, but this might be the night where the new Terran prodigy is able to take out the prodigy turned God.

But...it's Flash, so we're going to play it safe and say that he'll find a way to advance.

Soulkey > Maru
Flash > B4
Soulkey > Flash
Maru > B4
Flash > Maru

Soulkey and Flash advance.