Hot on the tail of Group E, where two Zergs advanced, Group F saw another same-race duo progress to the Ro16. The Terran duo of FXO.GuMiho and STX_INnoVation proved to be just too good for SKT_Rain and Quantic.HyuN, who were left behind in a trail of afterburner exhaust.
GuMiho – a player capable of incredible highs and abyssal lows – showed up in his best Code S form in perhaps over a year, going 4 - 0 over two tough opponents and reaching the Ro16 without a scratch. Against HyuN, the runner up of the final Code S of 2012, Gumiho had it surprisingly easy. He reacted quickly against two consecutive roach all-in builds (one at hatchery, the other at lair), solidifying his defenses and taking insurmountable leads after thwarting the attacks.
The winners' match against SKT_Rain was much more difficult, but that made his wins that much more impressive. Rain had come up after defeating INnoVation in his first match, showing solid defenses against Terran's flavor of the month all-in: a maxed out army attack with the help of SCVs. A two base colossus all-in of his own got Rain the second win, rounding out a solid performance on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
However, Gumiho was a different beast entirely, using his aggressive style to take the game to Rain from the very beginning of game one. Despite having his proxy factor and barracks scouted, Gumiho was able to pile on enough pressure and do the damage to bring himself up to even with Rain's fast expansion. Things looked grim once Rain started assembling his deathball, but Gumiho's used marvelous splitting and the power of hellbats to stomp bulldoze through Rain's forces. After that, Gumiho took the second game with the assist from Rain. As he charged in with a similar SCV-pull timing to the one Rain held off against Innovation, but Rain had conveniently forgotten to research extended thermal lances, and forgot to put down a time warp as well. Gumiho's forces marched on to victory, giving him a 4 - 0 sweep on the night and a spot in the Ro16.
Down in the losers' match, HyuN suffered yet another one-sided 0 - 2 defeat. HyuN had looked a bit off against Gumiho and he continued to look the same way against Innovation, losing 19 drones to some rudimentary hellion and widow mine harass in game one. After that kind of start, it was all too easy for Innovation to yank HyuN around on a leash with his medivac play and crush him with ease. The second game didn't go any better for HyuN, as he had yet another roach rush thwarted, after which he had little hope of winning the game.
That left Innovation to face Rain in a rematch for the final Ro16 spot up for grabs. While Rain had looked a level above in the first series, Innovation gathered himself and turned things around in their second meeting. The first game saw Rain attempt a big stalker all-in after holding off some early medivac-mine harass from Innovation, but unfortunately for Rain, Innovation had played it safe with bunkers and mines on defense. In game two, Innovation was finally able to show off his drop play in TvP, taking advantage of rare lapses in Rain's defenses. Rain struggled to cover all the ground in his base, and was overwhelmed when Innovation gathered all his forces for a frontal attack. Unable to avenge his defeat at MLG Dallas, Rain GG'd out and conceded the Ro16 spot to Innovation.
Code S Ro32: Group H Preview
by Fionn
Image: petad_ *Group G has been rescheduled to next Tuesday
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.
On April 18 2013 12:05 Azriel wrote: Flash and Soulkey have this no poblem!
And Rain had it no problem yerserday For what we saw of maru and bbongbbong in Hots, you're maybe a little bit confident (and sc2 have a high volatility).
Bogus hype is bigger then his play, though he did look like a great terran yesterday in his second match against Rain, the hype was getting "Nestea" silly.
Looking to this match i'd say Soulkey and a suprise of either maru (no idea what his level of play is atm) or B4 to go through. Just for kicks ofc, i'd be so amused to see "god" fall early.
On April 18 2013 15:19 Schelim wrote: probably gonna have Soulkey and Maru advancing.
mark my words: Flash will never win a GSL in his life.
i think he already won a BW gsl? haha
that doesn't count. was it even called GSL in BW? never followed BW so i dunno.
don't get me wrong, Flash is a great player, but so are other people and if he keeps playing as predictably as he has been (and i've been told he did the same thing in BW, but the game was so hard mechanically that he won anyways) then he might make it far, but i doubt he can win a whole season.
In my opinion there are so many overhyped players and so many underrated ones these days... Well, only time will prove me right or wrong. Anyway, I'm going for Soulkey and Maru for this one. It really depends upon how Flash is going to play.
Dunno, but the way Flash played in the tournaments I saw, I think his playstyle is too predictable (I have to admit, I haven't seen that many matches of Flash). Might work for matches without a long time to prepare for a specific opponent - but the opponents in this group will have had enough time to prepare and they'll abuse Flash's predictability, if he has not changed since... lets say MLG.
On April 18 2013 17:40 Swisslink wrote: Dunno, but the way Flash played in the tournaments I saw, I think his playstyle is too predictable (I have to admit, I haven't seen that many matches of Flash). Might work for matches without a long time to prepare for a specific opponent - but the opponents in this group will have had enough time to prepare and they'll abuse Flash's predictability, if he has not changed since... lets say MLG.
They said that about 14cc in BW too. Look how that turned out..
On April 18 2013 17:40 Swisslink wrote: Dunno, but the way Flash played in the tournaments I saw, I think his playstyle is too predictable (I have to admit, I haven't seen that many matches of Flash). Might work for matches without a long time to prepare for a specific opponent - but the opponents in this group will have had enough time to prepare and they'll abuse Flash's predictability, if he has not changed since... lets say MLG.
They said that about 14cc in BW too. Look how that turned out..
But Flash's game-sense in SC2 is far below his level in BW. I agree that he might do incredibly well in the future, but right now I see him as... A good player, with insane macro and Multitasking, who's getting punished over and over again because he's too predictable :-P
u still CANT compare bw and sc2, never ever will u can compare it...sc2 is just still so random and u can get every 3th game buildloses. thats what flash did at the begining with his fast cc over and over again. btw flash literaly destroyed bbong, very very aggresive. i like it. waiting for soulkey!
The first 2 games between Maru and Soulkey were amazing. I honestly think Maru showed better skill than even Flash in that first game. His multitasking and micro were unreal, and he still almost won despite being way behind from the start.
"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."
hard to read something like this... you want to hype the player to make it more enjoyable for the viewers, but those kind of comparisons are so silly... Maru yes is a great player but no, he's not at that level of Life and Creator. just a miracle or 2 (i mean 4) really unorthodox games could allow him go through this
On April 19 2013 00:32 zEEzz wrote: "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."
hard to read something like this... you want to hype the player to make it more enjoyable for the viewers, but those kind of comparisons are so silly... Maru yes is a great player but no, he's not at that level of Life and Creator. just a miracle or 2 (i mean 4) really unorthodox games could allow him go through this
edit: lol already happened
I would argue that Maru can be at the level of Creator, perhaps Life. He's just, like other Prime terrans, so wildly inconsistent that he can never put together a string of good games. Today, he showcased absolutely brilliant play in one game, only to lose by playing like a different player entirely in the final match a few hours later. Unlike Creator and Life, Maru rarely lives up to his potential, and you have to be around those rare times to actually appreciate the truth in that statement.
On April 19 2013 00:32 zEEzz wrote: "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."
hard to read something like this... you want to hype the player to make it more enjoyable for the viewers, but those kind of comparisons are so silly... Maru yes is a great player but no, he's not at that level of Life and Creator. just a miracle or 2 (i mean 4) really unorthodox games could allow him go through this
edit: lol already happened
You must have not watched the same Maru I just watched. Even though he lost that first game vs Soulkey, he showcased basically the best micro I've seen in sc2 yet, no matter how big or small his army was. Even more impressive, his multitasking never failed once despite him literally always having at least 1 drop going at all times.
He was everywhere at once, trading blow for blow with Soulkey, outmicroing him all game long, and if he hadn't been hugely crippled from that early game roach timing then he would have won that game almost certainly. Not to mention his proxy reaper rush in game 2 was basically flawless. I don't think that could have been executed any better.
On April 19 2013 00:32 zEEzz wrote: "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."
hard to read something like this... you want to hype the player to make it more enjoyable for the viewers, but those kind of comparisons are so silly... Maru yes is a great player but no, he's not at that level of Life and Creator. just a miracle or 2 (i mean 4) really unorthodox games could allow him go through this
edit: lol already happened
I would argue that Maru can be at the level of Creator, perhaps Life. He's just, like other Prime terrans, so wildly inconsistent that he can never put together a string of good games. Today, he showcased absolutely brilliant play in one game, only to lose by playing like a different player entirely in the final match a few hours later. Unlike Creator and Life, Maru rarely lives up to his potential, and you have to be around those rare times to actually appreciate the truth in that statement.
ow yeah buddy i agree with you.. the problem isn't in his potential.. he can be like life/creator and surpass his prime king comrade (which might happen earlier)
EPT
INnoVation <Whirlwind> 
Rain
HyuN <Akilon Wastes> ![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Waxangel/WCS2013/grouph.jpg)
^^
