EPT![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/PreviewBanner2.png)
So it’s that time again, when GSL starts up another one of its main seasons and forces the world to sleep/wake up at the most awful of hours to religiously tune in to the best SC2 players in the planet compete. The Super Tournament was fun and all, but with so many big names falling early and the overall lack of hype and interesting matchups, I’m glad to see it return to the standard Code S/A format.
With a new season, we’re also getting a new format for the group stages, as GSL will now adopt a Winner vs. Winner/Loser vs. Loser format that any Brood War fan will be familiar with. This new format ensures that we will always see the same amount of matches for a group, and it will also potentially provide much more interesting and competitive matchups. It also makes it a bit more difficult for players to fall down or get promoted, so I fully expect Code S to flesh out completely over the next couple of seasons with the absolute best of the best.
So with the group drawings complete and the matches starting in a couple of days, I thought it would be a fun idea to put some of my thoughts into words in a similar format as some of the official TL articles, and write a bit of a preview for each group. I’m by no means a pro writer, nor will I ever claim to be, so take this article lightly as you will, and enjoy it for what it is! Thanks!! ^^
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![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/GroupA.png)
NesTeaJuly
Trickster
RainAaaah TSL_Rain, how I will not miss you. Don't get me wrong here, it's not like he's an awful player or anything, and I wish him the best of luck in the future, but him finally leaving Code S just seems like the right thing to happen, with the memories of his season 3 run finally able to rest in peace. And what better way to do it than to ensure that three old timers remain where they belong?
NesTea gets off easy first with the free win, and let's be honest here; whoever comes out of the other match isn't going to beat him, which puts the spotlight on Tester vs. July. This will be an interesting scenario where the winner of the first match doesn't really matter, as the loser will just get a free win over Rain and be back for the rematch after Nestea is done with his first victim of GSL July.
Overall I think most will agree that Tester hasn't exactly lived up to his expectations lately, and coming out of this group would be a good way to start on changing that. July's PvZ has been historically good, but he has been torn apart by top protosses before (last time by our very own Dreamhuk), so it's a tough call both ways. As much as I'd love to see Tester advance, his rocky past and reliance on his smooth build orders combined with July’s unpredictability and aggressive style make it so the likely outcome will be two zergs advancing from this first group. Once one of the most feared protosses in the world, Tester has looked worse and worse as seasons go on, and asking him to come off a group with two of the top 5 zergs in the world is an order a bit too tall for him to handle. Look on the bright side though, at least you won't have to go to the up & down anymore!
Matches:
+ Show Spoiler +
Advancing:
NesTea, JulyUp/Down:
Rain![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/GroupB.png)
anyproClideVioletEnsnare With a quick glance over this season’s groups, I would have to say that this is looking like the easiest one right now. The fan favourite Cliiiiiide has constantly rocked his groups in the Ro32, but his extremely shaky play afterwards just hasn't managed to convince me yet. Just as with most of the TSL team, Clide is a has-been powerhouse that, while still good, isn't coming in to GSL July as any sort of favourite, despite what tastosis would have you believe.
Meanwhile on the other corner, we have anypro, one of the most peculiar characters in the GSL. He has put up great results before, but he just lacks that superstar swagger, that je-ne-sais-quoi that makes you think he's going to win any map he spawns in. I would certainly not bet against him, but to admire his skill is a bit of a stretch. Either way, Clide's TvP against Killer last season looked miserable and piss-poor, and despite going out early in the super tourney, I expect anypro to take this matchup easily.
Ensnare can always put up some good games, but he has been fading lately as well, even more so than Clide. Managing to be one of the two Korean to not even qualify for the NASL playoffs, the oGs terran is going to need a little spark in his face-off against viOlet, who actually looked inspiring against Mvp in his code A match last season. It has been a while since that, but his amazing play that day is still what I remember, not him throwing away brood lords and units en masse on his way to a loss in that same game 3. Violet’s superior play coupled with Ensnare's struggles and the current ZvT state should lead to a win for the MVP zerg.
Now, I'll be honest here, when it comes to Clide vs. viOlet, I'm just going to flip a coin as I write this, as that seems to be a better guess than I could ever make about which Clide is going to show up for this matchup. Will it be the one with incredible multitasking and pressure that managed to take down even Nestea? Or the one that lost in some of the worst televised matches in SC2 to date against Killer last season? Heads or tails, for Clide's future, here we gooooo.......... Tails.
Matches:
+ Show Spoiler +
Advancing:
anypro, VioletUp/Down:
Ensnare![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/GroupC.png)
TOPFruitDealerVirusGeniusI'm sure Fruitdealer was happy to see Polt 4-0 his way to a super tourney win, finally relieving him of the burden of being the only one-time champion of the GSL. With that said, Fruitdealer hasn't made much of a case against his "one-and-done" label since that magical Cinderella story, and despite a better than usual showing at the last Code S, he managed to fall in yet another first round disappointment in the super tournament. To his dismay, the first opponent he'll have to face is none other than the terran who eliminated Nestea from the Super Tourney, and managed to be the only one that seemed to pose any sort of thread to Polt. In my opinion, TOP remains one of the most underrated pros out there, and I honestly can't bring myself to believe Fruitdealer will be any sort of trouble for him.
On the other side of the group lies Genius, one of the most consistent players in the GSL, and one of the few that has managed to participate in every single one of the open seasons and Code S tournaments. This steady giant was once considered the best protoss in the world, had a bit of a fall from grace, but now seems to be on the rise again. His gateway/templar PvT gives me nerd chills every time I see him perform it (and rage when I can't duplicate it on ladder), and I feel like he has the tools to make a long run this season. While being a skilled player, I don't believe that Virus has what it takes to beat Genius, and I feel like his game is a bit flat and shallow overall.
This group might not bring the audience it deserves, but it should certainly be a blast. Will Fruitdealer manage to once again fall from a tournament in the first round, or will this be the season he fully returns to form? Should I whip out the coin again for another TSL player...? I kid I kid!
Matches:
+ Show Spoiler +
Advancing:
Genius, TOPUp/Down:
FruitDealer![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/GroupD.png)
LosirAMarineKingCoCaAliciaWhile some will argue that group G has just as hard a lineup, Group D will most likely be the one containing the best eliminated player from the ro32. Sporting an all-star lineup of MarineKing, LoSirA and Alicia, you can't help but feel sorry for the up-and-coming CoCa, as it seems almost impossible that he'll be getting out of his group this time around.
Meanwhile, MarineKing vs. Losira is going to be a matchup for the ages. The fan favourite managed to let yet another perfect opportunity for a championship slip in the Super Tournament, and is now faced with another group of death in Code S; the guy just can't catch a break. Losira is the steady powerhouse he's always been since his Code A win, but the fact he struggled so much with MMA's aggressive multitasking style in the MLG makes me wonder why he chose MarineKing for his group. I feel like MarineKing's aggression and control might be a little much for Losira to handle, but needless to say, this match will be a must watch.
Look for the winner of that matchup to face the great protoss hope Alicia in the winner's final. Alicia was the protoss player to advance the farthest in the super tourney (only one in the ro16 even), and you can't blame him too much for falling to the ridiculous Poltimus freight train, who crushed his way to 100K and remains undefeated in TvP. His PvZ isn't the strongest, but it should be enough to take down CoCa, who despite showing good results lately, will more than likely get knocked out by the loser of MKP/ Losira.
If you asked me who I'd love to see get out, I would tell you Alicia and MKP. But with a gun to my head and my life on the line, I'd have to reluctantly say that it will be an early exit for my hero Alicia this tournament. The guy is good, but MKP is a man on a mission, and Losira's ZvP has looked too good lately. Here's to hoping that Alicia will someday no longer carry the clichéd label of the protoss of the future, but that day does not seem to be today.
Matches:
+ Show Spoiler +
Advancing:
MarineKing, LosirAUp/Down:
CoCa![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/GroupE.png)
sCMVPZenioByunRising from the ashes with a renewed confidence, Mvp couldn't have asked for a much better group this code S. With the lack of any protosses (the kryptonite to his superman), 2 more terrans and a weak ZvT'er, this is the perfect platform for Mvp to launch his comeback from. However, make no mistake; sC is by no means a walkover. This kid's confidence is borderline MC levels, and he just happens to carry the skills to back it up too. The fOu ace came oh so close to a GSL championship last season (lost by a hairline in the "true" finals), and there's no doubt that he's looking to make his mark now. This is going to be a must-watch TvT, and we'll see if Mvp can still bring the dominance he once had. This legend vs. challenger storyline is one of the most interesting ones developing in the Ro32.
On the other hand, we have Zenio, the man that has left us so early so often. It's unfortunate, but his streak of getting extremely hard groups continues this season. Let's face it, his ZvZ is sick, but Zenio's ZvT
leaves me wanting so much more; not exactly a good thing when you have sC and Mvp in your group. While I wouldn’t say Byun is in the level of the other terrans in this group when it comes to TvZ, he is certainly more than capable of taking out Zenio. Byun was one of the first to show us how good ghosts can be against Zerg, perhaps shining a light on a solution to the increasingly more popular infestor heavy style. Despite all this, there are still two clear favourites in this group, and in my opinion it’s just a matter of who finishes first and second. Time will tell I suppose.
Matches:
+ Show Spoiler +
Advancing:
MVP, sCUp/Down:
Zenio![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/GroupF.png)
NaDaKeenHongUnSuperNoVaAfter posting the most consistent results in Code S for the previous seasons and being 3 cheesy all-ins away from a finals appearance, is this finally NaDa’s turn to win it all? I wouldn’t get too far ahead of myself predicting that, but it’s always hard to bet against the Genius terran. Nobody knows how good NaDa can be focusing 100% of his time on practice, and I fully expect the results to be scary good. With more time on his hands now, NaDa should be coming into this GSL more prepared than ever.
Standing in his way is none other than one of MVP’s code S players, Keen. Arguably the best terran in his team, Keen hasn’t exactly shown anything amazing in particular in any of his games, but it has been enough to get the newcomer this far. He’ll certainly be no walkover for NaDa, but I don’t expect him to be any sort of trouble either.
In the other matchup, we have another pair of interesting characters. I have to admit, I thought HongUn would be long long gone from code S by this point, but he has somehow found a way to linger around in the top since the beginning of sc2. His games always seem to be miserable, he often goes for ill-fated all-ins and non-economical timings, and he honestly embodies what it is to be a mediocre player. This on its own makes me bet on SuperNova, but the fact that the oGs up-and-coming terran’s TvP is fantastic really solidifies this pick. Being a little biased, I’m hoping NaDa steam rolls his way past this group, but it’s actually not a farfetched guess, as neither SuperNova nor HongUn have anything resembling a great vT style either. NaDa fightin’!
Matches:
+ Show Spoiler +
Advancing:
NaDa, SuperNoVaUp/Down:
HongUn![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/GroupG.png)
KillerPoltHuKaLiveThe group of Dreamhuk! Coming fresh off his Dreamhack Summer win, HuK takes center stage in a surprisingly tough Group G. The Canadian foreign hope will have his hands full with two fantastic TvP players, and while Killer’s PvP isn’t MC level, HuK isn’t exactly InCa either. The first matchup of this group should be a complete stomping by Polt (I’m still waiting for the day when SangHo realizes that stalkers aren’t dragoons), leading us straight to HuK’s first challenge.
HuK has shown fantastic play against terran before, but I just don’t know this time. His Dreamhack run was phenomenal, but Code S is a different animal altogether. It kills me to say it, but I can’t see him taking games off aLive and Polt. The problem with HuK’s play is that he just has never seemed to bring his best in the GSL booth. I’m not sure if it’s a nerves issue or simply that his opponents have been ridiculously tough (really, go back and look, it’s sad), but he just hasn’t seemed to be able to get it done. It’s honestly quite sad to see a group like this yet again for him, but life isn’t always fair.
aLive seems to be the only TSL player that is breaking up the team’s long slump. He has shown extremely solid play in all matchups, and could be a force in this GSL. It will also be interesting to see exactly what kind of play Polt bring to the table this Code S. Poltimus looked unconscious in the super tournament, as he took out opponent after opponent on his way to yet another ridiculously one-sided GSL final. Now the proud winner of the highest prize money in a single tournament in the history of Starcraft 2, will Polt become the first back-to-back champion?
Now that Jinro has fallen to Code A, HuK remains as the last foreigner good enough to compete against the best Korea has to offer. Can he remain on top, or will Korea finally field 32 players in the best tournament in the world, further separating themselves from the rest of the world? Pray fellow TLers, that one of our very own can make it out. The opponents are ridiculous and the chances may be small, but there is always hope. C’mon HuK, go out there and prove me wrong, you can do it!
Matches:
+ Show Spoiler +
Advancing:
Polt, aLiveUp/Down:
Killer![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/GroupH.png)
InCaKyrixMCBomberoGsInCa. Yes, that InCa. The one that managed to magically make it to the finals TSL_Rain style, leaving everyone absolutely bewildered about how exactly he managed to do that after falling so effortlessly to NesTea. If one honestly looks back at last season, there is no way he should have even made it out of the Ro32, as that last game against Rain was just sad and depressing to watch unravel. But he did… and then he kept on going, eventually gaining himself a legion of anti-fans by attempting to (and succeeding to) cheese out NaDa in every single one of their matches. However, whether or not he deserved that spot is irrelevant now, as it certainly won’t help him avoid getting completely demolished in his group. His PvZ is quite poor and by far his worst matchup, and he’s going to have his hands more than full with kyrix’s hyper aggressive style of play.
I trust all of you have seen MC vs. Bomber in Dreamhack by now, but if you haven’t, please go back and do so. Now! Pretty sick stuff, and you can’t tell me MC isn’t coming into this group with one thing and one thing only in mind: revenge. It may be Bomber’s first time in Code S, but he’s already considered one of the best terrans in the world (some claim the best), and he’s already building up a bit of a rivalry with MC. Every time these two meet, the hype is off the charts, even if the games don’t always deliver (see: GSTL 3), and it’s easy to see why. These two powerhouses both have their set of weaknesses, but they constantly also display some of the best skill seen in sc2 to date.
Speaking of weaknesses, it’s unfortunate, but I’ve now lost count of how many times MC has lost to aggression builds due to his over-confidence early game. This happens especially often against terran, and it happened again against Bomber in Dreamhack. If MC is ever to remain consistent, he has to understand when he can and can’t take risks, and when he just has to play it safe depending on his read of the game. Bomber is one of the most dynamic players in the league right now, and if MC hopes to take first in this group, he’s going to have to be ready for absolutely anything. GSL certainly managed to save its best for last this time, and I’m already counting down the days before this grudge match.
Huge Hype!!
Matches:
+ Show Spoiler +
Advancing:
MC,BomberUp/Down:
InCa______________________________________________________________
![[image loading]](http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt357/Great_Gonzales/QuickTakes.png)
Group of Death: Group D
Why can't I be in this group?: Group B
Guaranteed Ro16:
NesTeaFavourite to win it:
NesTeaMost likely to disappoint:
InCaBracket Buster:
Genius Bye-Bye Code S:
EnsnareEasy Promotion:
MMAMy Sweetheart:
NaDa’s body- ffadicted
