EPT
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/KizZBG/odtbanner.jpg)
The Ongamenet Dual Tournament will be starting this week in order to weed out the 12 players who will join Savior, Nada, Iris and Casy for Starleague Season 1.
Let us examine the participants, starting with the recent winners of Superfight 5, the Protoss.
The list of Protoss players is as follows:
Protoss (11)
Anytime[gm] P (Oh Yung Jong)
Much[gm] P (Park Yung Min)
Bisu[Shield] P (Kim Taekyong)
PuSan[S.G] P (Park Jiho)
free[gm] P (Yoon Yongtae)
Dream.t)Jangbi P (Hu Youngmoo)
Kingdom P (Park Yongwook)
Ever) P (Park Sunghoon)
[Oops]Reach P (Park Jungseok)
teSteR..[gm] P (Seo Gisoo)
stork P (Song Byunggoo)
This is as strong and as large a Toss ensemble that we have seen in any ODT for quite some time now. Each and every single one of these players has proven themselves in one way or another, opening the possibility of a significant Protoss presence in the OSL since who knows when.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Anytime%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
The king of the fall season, Anytime. As much as it saddens me to say this, history has shown us that it is unlikely that he will make it through the ODT, because for some unknown reason this guy just cant seem to play anywhere near his true level during the spring.
If for some reason he decides to actually show his "A" game, his PvT and PvZ are among the best, with tricky use of darktemplars giving him the nickname of Sasin 死神 Protoss. Desipte having top-level micro and macro, for some reason he likes to rely on cute builds that make or break the game for him.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Much%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
A part of what could be called the "third generation" Protoss players (consisting of Much, Bisu, Free and perhaps Tester), he has already shown his abilities in OSL, MSL and proleague throughout the latter half of 2006. He has experienced a meteoric rise in both exposure and skill level it seems, as he manhandled top Zergs and Terrans such as GoRush and Nada during OSL with a particular expertise on HitchHiker.
Preferring the Fast Expansion in PvZ (*but certainly not afraid to 2 gate rush or proxy gate/cannon) and Specialty builds in PvT, I am not exactly sure what to expect from him during a dual league format especially against a Terran. If I had to place my money, I would expect him to advance.
*proxy gate/cannon vs silver, 2 gate rush against Aqua.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Bisu%5BShield%5D.jpg)
The reigning champion of the MSL, with convincing victories over Light, rA, and Savior. Those are wins in PvT, PvP, and PvZ against very high quality opponents. His PvZ is his best matchup, followed by PvP and then PvT. If there is a weakness, it would have to be his PvT.
The "Bisu Build" has been gaining immense popularity among the Pro's. An FE build followed by constant corsairs and 2 dt's into gateway macro, it allowed him to win 3-0 agianst Savior, then proceed through PSL without any trouble.
His PvP has been certainly impressive, defeating Anytime during Proleague playoffs on Peaks, and destroying rA 3-0 during the GOM semifinals.
His weakpoint PvT could spell the end of him during ODT, considering the high number of top terrans (22 of them). There are most likely going to be two terrans in his group, and depending on the map, he could be the victim of an "upset" even against a lesser terran.
Although everyone expects him to get back into the Starleague, he'll have to be careful to not step on any mines.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Pusan.jpg)
The "Spirit" Protoss, Park JiHo. Although he is most commonly noted for his zealot factory style play, I personally think he has a dual-natured style. At times his play is unpolished yet powerful, true to his spirit style. But at times he is a master of finesse and style, as evidenced by his games against Canata in ODT and FBH in Proleague. Always a player to fear in PvT and to a lesser extent PvP, he has not shown much in PvZ ever since proclaiming the matchup as "his best" before the Shinhan 2005 Semifinals vs July.
However it is true that he was able to defeat July in a bo3 in the MBC team tournament (unofficial), so there is at least some untapped PvZ capacity in his hands.
Last time we saw him in OSL, he was dying to terrans by using Pusan Build (ie 14 nexus -> loss). He is always an entertaining player to watch, and an asset to starcraft progaming.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/free%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
One of the players in the wave of new generation protosses in 2006, Free[gm] shines the brightest in the PvZ matchup. Excelling in this area where so many other protoss players fail to succeed is something that sets him apart from his peers. Apart from Nal_rA, the longtime master of PvZ, and Bisu, the new king of PvZ, free has to be considered next in line in this matchup, with great use of Dark Archons and Reavers in the late game. His complete stomping of Jaedong in Survivor immediately comes to mind.
His PvP and PvT have made for incredible games as well. You may recall the abundance of PvP stalemates on Blitz during proleague this season; Free sure enough was the architect of one such game. A true talent at Storm use, he is capable of turning around a game with that 75 mana expenditure. One may recall his astonishing display of storm usage on Desert Fox vs Xellos, which if not for the utter imbalance of the map, may have swung in his favor. Despite losing, he clearly demonstrated that he was the superior player that day.
Free has shown his raw potential in all 3 matchups, but the lack of game numbers makes an accurate assessment difficult. Possessing such unmeasured abilities makes him one of the players to watch for in the ODT.
Free's PvT should not be downplayed either. There was a godly clip of his dragoon vs mine micro on Longinus last season. My sentiments exactly that he hasn't gotten enough exposure to prove himself a great, although I think he's gotten the opportunities. He just needs to keep his runs alive and get some good games in.
- sweatpants
- sweatpants
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Dream.t)Jangbi.jpg)
A new protoss hope, we may as well put Jangbi and Tester into "Generation 4" of Protoss players. He showed a strong PvZ in Survivor (although against lesser zergs), and a more than competent PvT during PSL (against Canata was it?).
He is already in MSL, and I wonder as a fan, whether I truely want him to get into OSL. This is because I feel that a two league schedule for such a young player might be a bit heavy to handle.
In any case, as one of the most promising new Protosses to come up (along with Tester -okay i know he's not that new, but he hasnt been in any leagues yet- and chalrenge) neither a win nor a loss would surprise me much. I personally hope to see PvZ from him, as he has a very nice style in this matchup.
Jangbi is the only toss to ever beat a Terran on Desert Fox. Since it was a Survivor match, it didn't get as much exposure as it should've, but Jangbi pulled off some incredible storms in that match. And it's not like Darkelf's an awful TvP opponent either - he rolled over Anytime not long afterward.
- Silverflame
- Silverflame
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Kingdom.jpg)
Where there is a "Hero", there is a "Devil". The new SKT1 captain is hoping to lead by example in getting his team out of a general funk. Known for extremely aggressive play in all matchups and a deadly reaver in PvT, he is capable of winning against almost any player.
Despite not having any high finishes in the leagues during 2006, he was still able to participate in 2 out of 4 MSL. At a time when big names were stuck in the qualifier level, his name in the game listing was a welcome sight for many fans. He definitely made those appearances count, leaving us with memorable games against Reach on 815 III and vs Boxer on Rush Hour.
Although Kingdom typically chooses early pressure builds in all matchups, he is not afraid to choose unexpected builds for specific occasions. He showed perhaps the most disgusting macro in all the games played in 2006 -- Blitz in PvT --, going Quadruple Nexus and obliterating the terran with an endless stream of units.
One of the big thee "oldschool" Protosses still in the active scene, there is no shortage of fans yearning for his long awaited return to the Starleague.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Ever)P(TT.jpg)
As much as the general fanbase loves Nal_rA for his creative builds and cheese strategies, Ever)P(TT can't seem to get the same love from the fans.
Known for his cheeses during Shinhan 2 (especially vs Nada), any matchup can turn into a win for this guy if the opponent doesnt catch the all-in. No one really expects him to advance, and yet he's a guy you want to pay particular attention to.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Reach.jpg)
The return of the "Hero" Protoss to the ODT. The last time we saw him here was during the dual league parallel to Shinhan 2005 I believe. He has literally done nothing aside from being a great 2v2 team with YellOw, and getting a win vs SaviOr in proleague with a 2 gate proxy on Arcadia. Granted, he was in Pringles 1 MSL, but was handed a loss by his fellow oldschool Protoss, Kingdom.
While there would be nothing better for Protoss fans to have him back in the Starleague, I honestly have to put his chances of advancing past ODT as one of the lowest among this stellar Toss group.
If he does not face a top notch zerg, and his PvT macro regains its past form, we could very well see him in the Starleague.
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Tester%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
A feared user of the Protoss race for quite some time in the online setting, he was never able to truely break out in the league settings. However, the 2006 proleague season was different. He and Cool[fou] formed a 2 man team (and Upmagic's prowess would emerge soon after) that carried E-stro out of the doormat position into a resectable standing in the rankings.
Simply an all around powerful player with no flaws or standout qualities, it will be intersting to see what he can do in such a pressure packed setting as ODT, and perhaps even OSL. Many fans have been awaiting his emergence as a top level player for quite some time now, while the 3rd generation tosses have run past him in a hurry. Could this be the time Seo Gisoo truely rises?
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Stork%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
Upon winning his group in PSL, Stork was willing to admit problems in his motivation and preparation routine during the year 2006, where he literally accomplished nothing. A particular master of reaver sair, he has shown magnificent games in the past, including vs GoRush on Requiem, and vs Xellos on Neo Forte. He is a stylish protoss, much like Nal_rA, except with less propensity for cheese proxies.
A balanced player in all matchups but traditionally a steady player, his performance in 2006 was truely unexpected. One of the three "New age tosses" of the second generation along with Pusan and Anytime, it is about time that he showed the 3rd generation protosses his true worth.
[Stork] is particularly known for his pvp. Prior to slumping, he defeated every protoss, and went 1-1 to reach. This was a time when we had 5 inshape protoss players (nal_ra, reach, pusan, anytime, stork) and was quite scary at the time.
- Plexa
- Plexa
It is truly refreshing to witness a revival of the protoss race in the Starleague qualifiers, and potentially the Starleague itself.
edit: make sure to read the comments in the replies here. There's a lot of additional information that I wasn't able to cover (read: totally forgot about). Props to you guys
.edit2: decided that I should add some of the additional insights from comments into the newspost itself
. 
sadly my knowledge is only from late 2005, hence the inaccuracy. 
perhaps more fitting of the ODT results thread (because the brackets are in there), but any post that shares additional information about the players is deemed a good one here 
