Stephano because he plays Zerg. If they played the same race, I'd like to think Naniwa, but it'd be really close.

Also, this isn't balance QQ, I'm just stating from a serious non-qq sense. Naniwa is playing statistically the weakest race based on the past year or so of the international and korean pro scenes. As someone mentioned before, that's up to you decide whether its relevant or not. I certainly think it is.

FLPinapplez

Sweden2 Posts

July 18 2012 10:14 GMT

#104

I think that if people have time to prepare Stephano loses, cause he is very predictable. And it is kinda stupid how you always know exactly how he is going to play and still people are not able to crush that. TT Naniwa is better imo..

Shadowmire

United States59 Posts

July 18 2012 10:15 GMT

#105

Stephano -- he has proven time and time again that he can and will beat any player in the world, and frankly his exhibitions of dominance completely outshine Naniwa. Mind you, I'm not biased against Naniwa; he is probably my second favorite Protoss player after MC, but I think it's absurd to use the GSL as a tool by which to measure whether or not a player is 'the best.' Maybe the best player in the world will never even play in the GSL, and frankly, he (or she!) doesn't have to.

I do hope Stephano spends more time in Korea than he has suggested, though.

P.S. Stephano is my favorite player, so assume bias if you want.

CruiseR

Poland4013 Posts

July 18 2012 10:18 GMT

#106

Stephano, not even close.

[Silverflame]

Germany640 Posts

July 18 2012 10:19 GMT

#107

Naniwa, because he has the potential to be on top for the long run. And to be on top of GSL is way harder as anything else.

Herro_Korea

310 Posts

July 18 2012 10:37 GMT

#108

Nerchio... ? : [

Reality_Seeker

Bulgaria18 Posts

July 18 2012 10:49 GMT

#109

Naniwa imo. Stephano's ZvZ isn't good compared to PvZ and probably rly good terran could take him out 2 so...

Kabras

Romania3508 Posts

July 18 2012 10:56 GMT

#110

Naniwa because GSL. Stephano chickened out when he got invited so no contest.

Artifice

United States523 Posts

July 18 2012 11:16 GMT

#111

Naniwa's been one map from a GSL semifinal, Stephano's been one plane ticket from entering a code A qualifier. I think the answer is obvious.

WArped

United Kingdom4845 Posts

July 18 2012 11:18 GMT

#112

As much as it pains me I would say NaNiwa, but you can't really say it's a fair comparison. Stephano is definitely better in long, 3 day+ length tournaments and I would give NaNiwa the edge purely because he is actually getting to the RO8 of Code S, which is insane.

zanga

659 Posts

July 18 2012 11:21 GMT

#113

Random ladder-style more luck-based 1-day tournament setting with no planning what-so-ever is very different from the heavily prepration based Code S.

I can't believe so many are unable to understand that.....

Hren

Slovenia86 Posts

July 18 2012 11:25 GMT

#114

It`s really hard to say, since Stephano seems to be way more consistent when there is no time to prepare, but on the other hand Nani did have amazing performance in the most prestigious tournament. For now I`m still leaning somewhat towards Steph.

dBdHellRider

Sweden63 Posts

July 18 2012 11:45 GMT

#115

NANIWA

or desRow

Vexin

Romania84 Posts

July 18 2012 11:50 GMT

#116

Naniwa was a beast when he came out and he's improved ten-fold since. I don't know whether he's the best right now but I don't see him stopping until he wins a GSL.

Dysatr

South Africa33 Posts

July 18 2012 11:56 GMT

#117

In the +-3 months that naniwa has been playing code s, he has played like 6-8 matches against code s players. and probably won like 65% of them. Which is great.

In that same time stephano has played more than 20 games against code s players, and have won probably the same % of games, mayb more (i'm to lazy to look.)

People say they don't think stephano can prepare for matches, but I think he can. Like he lost to 2 base immortal all ins at dreamhack (wich all zergs lost to, cause it was a new build), and then a few weeks later at nasl he absolutely destroys it in every game. Because he prepared the proper ways to deal with it. Same with MC - Mc beats him at red bull, at nasl stephano comes prepared and beats him.

Stephano's style of play is very solid and therefore he does not have to prepare so much for specific people as other players. He generally dictates a game and forces his oponents to come up with new and creative ways to beat him because if they don't he will win 90% of the time. Does this mean he can't prepare? No, I think it means he is more prepared than other people.

Naniwa is exactly the opposite. He wins buy creating new and effective ways to beat certain opponents. Thats why he deserves his code s spot, because of intellegent and creative enough to find solution.

So in my opinion stephano will destroy peoples ugly faces once he goes to korea and seriously maybe win gsl. but till then naniwa can call himself the best forgeiner, I doubt stepahno minds as long as he is making money.

Spoonska

United States4 Posts

July 18 2012 12:03 GMT

#118

I voted Naniwa because my personal opinion is GSL results stand out from the results of other tournaments. I fell like a poll like this one will be pretty lopsided though considering how people are today and Stephano just won a tournament on Sunday. People like to always go off the deep end the day or week after.

The Final Boss

United States1839 Posts

July 18 2012 12:25 GMT

#119

On July 18 2012 20:45 dBdHellRider wrote:
NANIWA

or desRow

lol seems about right

CrtBalorda

Slovenia704 Posts

July 18 2012 12:27 GMT

#120

I love how there are 2 pro player options.