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.
Anytime[gm] P (Oh Yung Jong)
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.
Much[gm] P (Park Yung Min)
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.
Bisu[Shield] P (Kim Taekyong)
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.
PuSan[S.G] P (Park Jiho)
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.
free[gm] P (Yoon Yongtae)
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
Dream.t)Jangbi P (Hu Youngmoo)
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
Kingdom P (Park Yongwook)
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.
Ever) P (Park Sunghoon)
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.
[Oops]Reach P (Park Jungseok)
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.
teSteR..[gm] P (Seo Gisoo)
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?
stork P (Song Byunggoo)
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
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 .
Very nice writeup, however, you say stork is a well balanced player, whereas he 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.
All in all, it was very nicely done (bar a spacing mistake heh!)
Hoping pusan, stork, kingdom, free, much, and jangbi advance!
Wow great article/insight. I really like these type of posts; analyzing progamers is such great discussion starters. Anyway keep up the good work Haji, great read.
My thoughts on this generation of protoss hope:
Anytime: Eh, I don't know right now, for me he looked a bit sloppy in the latest superfight but of course, superfight doesn't mean all that much. (Especially on brand new maps) I have never had much confidence in his PvZ and his unfortunate raping from July makes me wary. Prediction: Not advancing.
Much: : I personally don't like Much's play very much, be he has shown me some solid play in the past. I just feel that some zerg might be the bane of his OSL glory. Prediction: Not advancing.
Bisu:: The guy is on fire right now, he's been just killing big names left and right. As much as I dislike his utter dismantaling of Nal_ra, his superfight game vs Nada made me a fan. He's looking pretty strong all around, and for me it will be an upset if he doesn't advance. Prediction: Advancing.
Pusan: : He has shown most of tl.net that he can be a dominant force at times, but I haven't seen enough of him lately to really assess whether he will do all that great in the ODT. Do I have whole-hearted faith in him, no. Is there a chance he will prove me wrong, big chance. Prediction: Not Advancing
Free: : Alright, time for a bit of an upset. Most aren't thinking this kid will do much, but I think that he's gonna have a great ODT. All I know is I got chills when I watched that PvP vs Tester on Blitz. My gut is telling me, he's going to do something special. Prediction: Advancing.
Jangbi: : I really do not know much about this guy. I do know he has been playing well lately, already advancing into the MSL. I think that Haji hit the nail on the head, I just don't think he will be able to handle both the MSL and OSL. Predicion: Not Advancing.
Kingdom: : My favorite toss of all time, behind Nal_rA. His play on Arkanoid vs some terran( can't think of name right now) recently was pretty superb. Unfortunately my instincts are telling me he just won't make it through this time, my horoscope is telling me terran will knoch him out. Prediction: Not Advancing .
TT: : Sad to say I don't like him at all, he just seems like a weak player to me. I don't see him doing well in this ODT and honestly would rather see almost any other toss besides him advance. I don't see many stellar qualities in any of his match ups. Prediction: Not Advancing.
Reach: : Again, another player I respect and would absolutely love to see qualify for the OSL. I have to agree with what was said above, he just doesn't seem on par with some of the talent that's going to be in the ODT. Me thinks this hero will leave a zero. Prediction: Not Advancing.
Tester: : Hmm, another player that I really can't say much about. I've only seen him a bit but he does intrigue me. I can see him having more success in future tournaments, but I don't see him making it through this OSL.
Stork: : Last but not least, my beloved Stork. Truly a player that is oozing with greatness, he just hasn't shown it yet. I am a huge fan of his PvZ and think he will K.O. some favorites in the ODT. I really think he has a chance to do well this OSL and hope he can prove his skill and talent. I'm totally riding the stork-mobile. Prediction: Advancing.
Overall assesment, 3 of the 11 protosses will advance. I think that at least one protoss is going to have a big impact on the OSL, I just don't know who yet. Hopefully the protoss race will finally start getting some of the glory it deserves. For Aiur!
Wow, I just read some of the comments people have been making, and am thinking this is not the right type of post for this news article. Sorry if I stole any of your thunder Haji.
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
awesome post! hope protoss rides the momentum from the superfight victory! i'm not sure how the mappool of hitchhiker/arkanoid/longinus will affect their chances.
at first i thought it was 11 players out of ODT 24 spots, until checking the ODT results thread again. advancing is going to be tough for anybody. i'm hoping most for bisu, stork, and much.
On April 02 2007 02:42 thedeadhaji wrote: sadly my knowledge is only from late 2005, hence the inaccuracy. Thanks for the information Plexa, I'll keep it in mind as I follow him this yea.r
its okay haji the report was brilliant nonetheless =[ i miss stork's insane pvp rape T.T
I'm hoping for Stork to advance. His play in 2005 Shinhan (or whichever one it was where he got hatch bugged by YellOw) was superb, and since then it's been terrible.
I'm not a fan of Pusan, but he's got a good chance of making it. I just have a feeling
And... um.... Ever)TT ((Park Sunghoon)) has the same name as July/Zergman? I might have to start cheering for him
Awesome writeup. The only thing I think you should add is that 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.
Great read, haji. I was just talking to a friend about the resurgence of protoss in this ODT. I can't wait, really. The protosses are the ones that really put on a show. Anytime's making sure his presence isn't being forgotten and Bisu simply cannot be extinguished right now. But at the end of the day, I know anyone with a soul is pulling for Reach. I agree with your generational breakdown. I'm a big fan of most on that list, and am excited to see more of the "4th gens." Jangbi, in particular, caught my attention some time ago. Another thing on my mind: 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. I really am mostly rooting for protoss this minor league season. Fuck you terran, and forgive me, my overlords!
Stork and Kingdom are the ones I wish could advance. I don't even care much for the others, but Bisu and Anytime are of couse the other two.
Still, I wait for nothing more than seeing Kingdom finish top 4 once again, and once again showing why he is amongst the greatest old school players the game has ever known.
On April 02 2007 13:08 sweatpants wrote: Another thing on my mind: 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.
oh wow, was that free? Yea that control was amazing (albeit a little bit lucky ;P)
I'm looking forward to a Bisu vs. Sea (terran) matchup. Same team and Sea has really strong TvP. Still, I think Bisu's PvT is being touted as too much of a weakness recently only because his PvP and PvZ is too strong.
He still knows how to play PvT with the best of them among the top Protoss players. For PvP, seriously if he gets to the mid-game, the opponents chances are slim to none.
Other Protoss players have mirrored his PvZ build of late but with only moderate success, its anything but a one-trick pony. It's his incorporation of what that build is capable of combined with already strong core play that makes HIS use of the build so effective. Adding abuse of Cannons, Corsairs, Dts to his Dragoon, Zealot, Templar, Shuttle/Reaver play is sick.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/KizZBG/odtbanner.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Anytime%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Much%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Bisu%5BShield%5D.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Pusan.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/free%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Dream.t)Jangbi.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Kingdom.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Ever)P(TT.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Reach.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Tester%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/images/liquibet/players/Stork%5Bgm%5D.jpg)
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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 
