BenQ GSTL
Season One

Week 8 Recap
4 - 3 scores all around in spooky matches


Week 9 Preview
LG-IM vs. Prime
Azubu vs. Axiom-Acer


Brackets and results on Liquipedia

Things have stayed tight in this season of the GSTL, with just a few series and maps separating the eight competing teams. However, we might see the first team effectively fall out of playoff contention in week nine, as the 1 - 3 Prime goes up against the mighty LG-IM. While a loss wouldn't 100% mathematically eliminate Prime from the playoffs, it would still bring them into EG-TL territory, so this is our first true do or die match of the GSTL season.

Week 8 in Review: Things That Go Bump in the Night

by Waxangel

In a match between Startale and Team MVP, you'd expect the headliners to be players like Life, Bomber, and DongRaeGu. Nope, in a battle between two of the strongest teams in the GSTL, the less heralded members of each team's roster did all the heavy lifting after their aces failed in their duty. For Startale, Avenge picked on the ailing DongRaeGu in the first game, and all-in'd Keen out in the second, giving his team a comfortable two game cushion with none of their core members played.


However, MVP's Halloween duo of Vampire and Monster (now known as Super and Nakseo) proved to be scarier than Startale's entire roster, combining for four wins to take the victory. Monster was truly terrifying, tearing up Avenge and Bomber in macro games while holding off Life's early ling-bane attacks for a brutal three-kill. Though Curious was able to vanquish Monster with a ling-bane silver bullet, he couldn't escape the fangs of the Vampire as he went down to a two base all-in in the ace match.

The match between LG-IM and Azubu also went all seven sets, in what effectively ended up being a PvZ exhibition series. Outside the opening match where they used ByuL, LG-IM opted to lean on their greatest strength in their Protoss line, fielding YongHwa, First, and Squirtle consecutively. On the other side of studio, ex-TSL Coach Lee seemed to be filling in for a day, deploying an all-Zerg quartet of BBoongBBoong, viOLet, Sleep, and Symbol.



The two line-ups seemed evenly matched (except for Sleep, who lost in a game that explained why head coach IntoTheRain mocks him every interview), and they slowly chipped away at each other until only Symbol and Squirtle were left to face each other in the final match. Both players opted to play a macro game on Whirlwind, assembling their end game armies while preparing to go toe to toe.


If this were WoL, that probably would have meant a crushing defeat for Squirtle after he foolishly made carriers, thinking they were some kind of solution to brood lords and infestors. Fortunately for Squirtle, this is HotS, and tempests annihilate unprotected brood lords. In what must have been a highly enjoyable, cathartic experience, Squirtle cut through Symbol's late game hive army like a hot knife through butter, forcing the GG and taking the win for his team.

Upcoming Matches

by stuchiu



Hanging onto a cliff with just one finger, and LG-IM looming over them ready to stomp, Prime is in a very dire position. Their depth issues and lack of credible Zerg option are very real, but there's also rumors and whispers of financial problems and a lack of sponsors behind all that. With both MKP and Creator slumping, things have never looked worse for the Prime team.

But this has all happened to Prime before. During the first round robin GSTL season of 2011, Prime was also in a rough spot with their team members all playing poorly, and the team just 1 game away from being eliminated. But a miracle happened: BBoongBBoong put on a great performance against F.United by all-killing them, while F.United went on to beat oGs 4 - 2 on the back of Fenix's performance. With that sequence of events, Prime was able to make the playoffs, even with a losing record in the group stage.

Prime will be hoping for that miracle again, but before they look to other teams to falter, it all has to start with Maru. Maru hasn't shown much good play in this GSTL, and tonight he will have to transcend to a whole new dimension of play if Prime wants to have a realistic hope of making the playoffs.

Luckily for Prime, LG-IM doesn't need this match as much. While IM is still stuck in sixth place and beneath the playoff cutline, they seem to feel comfortable about their chances against defeating Prime, deciding to send out one of their newer Zerg pickups in RagnaroK in a classic coach Kang move. The ex-TSL player was one of their main players in the preseason and contributed greatly to the IM victory back then, but hasn't really been heard from since. If Maru can take out LG-IM's first player and build momentum, Prime could very well make LG-IM pay for not bringing their 100% A-team.

Prediction: LG-IM 4 - 2 Prime




As the weeks go by the games grow more important. For Axiom, a win here means they retake first place, and could probably sneak into the playoffs even if they lost every single game after. For Azubu, a loss here tosses them back into the bottom three, where they will have to worry about the prospect of elimination week to week. Not surprisingly, both teams have decided to go with less adventurous starters, sending out solid and proven Zerg options on the expansive Whirlwind.

For Azubu, they are most likely going to use the B4, Violet and Symbol combination like they did last week against the mighty LG-IM. Last week they seemed totally okay using Symbol a day after his GSL games, so he's definitely in play after 1 day's rest. However, they probably won't take the risk of using Sleep this time, and instead have the Code S-returned Supernova in the wings. For Axiom, Scarlett will try to show gameplay as impressive as her great hair, not having had a chance to play last week despite warming up in the #2 booth. ZvZ could be the best match-up for Axiom against Azubu's Zerg heavy tendencies so far, and Scarlett has proven she has strong ZvZ in the past (although she lost to viOLet in WCS AM). The problem here is that BBoongBBoong was always clutch for Prime during these moments of GSTL when they needed someone to grab a win or two, and if he can give Azubu a cushion to start, then things will become difficult for Axiom-Acer.

Prediction: Axiom-Acer 4 - 3 Azubu

Writers: stuchiu and Waxangel.
Graphics: Pathy.
Editor: Waxangel.