EPT
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/KizZBG/starchallenge2.jpg)
image courtesy of KizZBG
StarChallenge 2008 Season 1 Group B
13 February 2008, 1930 KST/0230PST @ OnGameNet
Two playdays in the same calendar day! Wow, that's a lot of games O_oi Good for us fans. After a number of these previews, I'm wondering if they group the players so that there's definitely 4 players from different teams/races in each. It used to not be like that, and you'd get random stuff like 4 Terran groups. I like it better this way.
So, on to the players!
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/LastRomantic/OSCPlayers/viciousotter.jpg)
NaDa – I’ve come up with a theory recently: WeMade Fox is like the modern Green Bay Packers. TheRock is like Al Harris, Casy is like Ryan Grant, Silver is like Crosby, and Baby.. he’s like.. ah, to hell with my analogy. But I honestly do think NaDa is like Brett Favre. He holds virtually all the records possible – most wins, most OSL titles, tied for most MSL titles. Favre holds almost all available QB recs – most wins, most touchdown passes, most consecutive starting games. Also, both suffered the tragic loss of a father through a car accident, both relied on alcohol for awhile but then got off of it, both had a resurgence recently only to fall at the last mark.Anyways, enough of that theory. NaDa is the most accomplished BroodWar player ever. The other three in his group are… not. A year ago I’d bet on him to advance easily, but with the maps and with his occasional inconsistency [see his first game against Anytime in MSL] anything could happen. Plus, his practice time is distributed between OSC and preparing to face his protégé Mind, so he’s not as much of a favorite as under other, more favorable circumstances. Betting on him for 2-0 anyways.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/LastRomantic/OSCPlayers/sootrain.jpg)
SoO – Otherwise known as CreationToss, this long-time underachieving STX Protoss returns to OSC 6-1 over Zergs Hyuk, Cool[fou], and Bright. What’s with STX Tosses being good vs Z? It’s his best matchup, but they’re all sub-par – high 30s to low 40s. His defeat of Bright [who ousted Stork] and of Hyuk [who defeated rA] deserve some mention, but overall he’s a mediocre toss with no real merits to speak of, and the least worthy of all the players today.![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/LastRomantic/OSCPlayers/GoGowtf.jpg)
go.go – must be the ugliest progamer in the circuit. Sadly for aesthetes like myself, he’s a capable Terran, contributing solidly to the lackluster Sparkyz T lineup. Granted, he’s only played twenty-odd games, but a near 60 win percentage is nothing to scoff at. He’s second statwise out of the players assembled in this group, but I hope he loses 0-2 and dies a horrible death so I no longer have to see him on my screen.![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/LastRomantic/OSCPlayers/shark.jpg)
Shark - Hero’s resident sniper, competent in ZvZ and ZvT but rather shabby in ZvP. After 49 televised games, he’s 20-29, for around 40% winrate. A solid earlygame combined with a weak mid-to-late game means that as game time elapses, his chance of victory slowly slips to zero.He seems like a creative player though, since he was first to discover the larvae/overlord trick with mutalisk groups. Furthermore, his advance 6-1 over all three races – T1’s Zerg, Lake; Lecaf’s Terran, HiyA; STX’s other Protoss, Kal – bespeaks of improved play. He’s better looking than most progamers, so I sincerely hope he advances as group second.
NaDa looked atrocious here last time. On top of that, the map is Katrina. NaDa will have to bring his S-game to win here, no matter how bad SoO may be. He’s still the favorite, but not by very much; I would not be surprised at all to see Katrina rape the mighty NaDa as it has so many other Terrans. Fucking Katrina. Impeach Bush.
Sadly I have to go with go.go as the more likely winner here. A slightly Terran-favoring map [15-12] with a solid TvZer against a barely passable ZvTer? Go.go seems to hold all the cards. Shark’s got good mutalisks, and solid low unit count control, but anything past 12-14 minutes and go.go is the near-definite victor. No matter what happens, I take solace in the fact that Shark gets more ladies in a week than Go.go has or will in his entire life.
NaDa vs go.go here, as in my predictions, would really depend on who has a better sense of the map – how to use assimilators, how to make a good build based around them. In that case, I think NaDa has a massive advantage in the creativity department, so I’d go with him.
A decent ZvP map, and Shark has recently defeated Soo’s better teammate to advance – I think Shark has the slight edge here. Soo could have a good build prepared, though, and it is his best matchup [even if it’s under 50%]. I don’t expect a very good game, but if one player brings a fun build, the map might provide us with entertainment.
Final Game
?
<Blue Storm> ??
I really hope Blue Storm’s Z > T is enough for Shark to beat go.go here, if that draw occurs. It does give Shark’s muta an advantage. I just hope that advantage is sufficient for Shark to pull the W. I hate ugly players. Where’d all the pretty KTF guys go off to?
NaDa and Shark to advance as 1, 2. I’d really like to see NaDa back in OSL. I'd also like to see good games
Feedback always a pleasure^^;Love and Luck,
LR
Good times
