[NASL GF] Hype it up

The Kratos and the Emperor - MC Meets BoxeR in the NASL Finals
Article by: Derek Staley, Banner by: Marc
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It is a storyline as old and cliché as they come. The grizzled vet against the brash up and comer; a legend attempting to take back his throne from the present-day champion; knowledge and experience on one side, cocksure skill and youth on the other. Fantasy will become reality in the first round of the NASL finals, as MC with face off with BoxeR in round 1. Fans will be treated to a player attempting to secure his immortal status in the world of Starcraft against one who has more than secured his own. Though BoxeR claimed the #2 seed with a stellar regular season, MC will surely be the favorite after advancing through the playoffs to take the #15 seed.


The Protoss President

Considered one of the pre-season favorites, MC struggled out of the gate. After suffering a walkover loss to BRAT_OK, subsequent losses to Ret and ACE left him in a very difficult position at 0-3. However, MC won his remaining matches to finish at 6-3 and earn a spot in the playoffs. The playoff bracket played directly into his hands, being matched up against two Protoss players in CrunCher and KiWiKaKi. Both players were easily dispatched, earning the GSL Champion a trip to the finals to play BoxeR.

Widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, MC’s accolades speak for themselves. 2 GSL championships, Dreamhack and Copenhagen Games titles, and several other top 3 finishes in the international scene have turned him into a superstar and potentially a legend in the making. MC promises to be even more confident than usual against BoxeR, facing off with a player who has not shown nearly the results in Starcraft II as he did in its predecessor. If one were to only look at Starcraft II statistics and ignore the name, Min Chul’s Terran opponent would likely not be considered a major threat.


The Bonjwa

But this isn’t a no-name Terran player. This is the first bonjwa. This is BoxeR. The same BoxeR who turned a game into a passion, a hobby into a career, and secured Starcraft’s place as a sport in Korea. The man who created SKT1 and mentored another bonjwa in iloveoov. The BoxeR who started SlayerS, winning back to back GSTL championships with a group of relative unknowns. And the player who changed the game by doing things like this and this (1:35). True, the Emperor has struggled as of late. After falling from Code S in March, he lost his first round matchup in Code A July to drop out of the GSL entirely. Still, if there is one player who can overcome the odds and find a way to win, it’s BoxeR

Claiming the #2 seed with a sole lost to Zenio and wins over players such as IdrA and Sen, BoxeR looked very impressive during the regular season. He showed an ability to win by utilizing a variety of different styles. While he would often opt to play standard macro games, his repertoire also includes very aggressive builds such as those showcased against IdrA. BoxeR will need to use everything in his extensive book of tricks if he hopes to be victorious against MC.

The Matchup

Both players have a tendency to be very aggressive in the early game, sometimes relying on borderline all-in tactics. MC and BoxeR’s builds are meticulously refined to the minutest of details, from perfect scouting paths and proxy locations to hitting the narrowest of timing windows. MC may decide to back off the aggression and play a macro oriented style due to BoxeR’s relatively weaker late game. BoxeR on the other hand may come up with specific builds based on MC’s play to attempt to exploit any early weaknesses and rely on the element of surprise. The Protoss player holds a 67% win rate against Terran in Korean events at 29-14, while his opponent comes in at 50% in TvP with a 5-5 mark.


The Event

The MC vs. BoxeR matchup is sure to be one of the most anticipated of the first round, if not the entire final bracket. American fans are sure to swarm BoxeR with picture and autograph requests as he attempts to rekindle the flame that made him a bonjwa, while MC tries to one day claim that title as well. When youth meets experience, the results are not always predictable and the games are not always close. But no matter what happens, the event itself will surely be a memorable one.

The Nicest Zerg v. The Korean Pokémon - Sheth meets Squirtle in the NASL.
Article by: Edward Chow, Banner by Fernando
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We’ve made it, it’s finally here, after nine grueling weeks of divisional play and the open tournament, and it has come down to the top 16. Today we are previewing two players who are not as well known, Sheth who is on the upswing, and Squirtle, a Korean who is quite solid, but not the most well-known

The Nicest Zerg

In 2010, one of the running jokes in the StarCraft 2 pro-community was that Sheth never showed up to a LAN event in which he said he would. Even into 2011, before the MLG season started up, community figures such as JP and iNcontroL would jokingly make bets as to whether Sheth would show up to an MLG event.

Make no mistake, Sheth is here, and he is here to stay. In April, Sheth put himself on the map, and showed that he was a force to be reckoned with after achieving Rank 1 status in the world on the ladder. He also put up a very respectable 17th and 14th place at MLG Dallas and Columbus respectively.

Lately, Sheth has made the trip to Korea after being granted a Code A spot, competing alongside his fellow teammates of FXO in both the GSTL, and the GSL. Sheth managed to win over ST_Tiger, but more importantly, he was able to defeat a very skilled HoSeoSan 2-0 in his first Code A match.

In the NASL, Sheth has been one of the most dominant players, losing only to KiWiKaKi and Fenix, two players who are also quite good in their own right. Sheth is often credited with inventing the Speedling-Expand build and employs a heavy Macro-style Zerg. So much so that is nickname is the Macro Zerg and that he has said on occasion that he feels bad when he cheeses.

Sheth’s record in the NASL is quite impressive defeating players such as GSL Runner Up: Rainbow, the great and very creatively solid player TLO, and MorroW, a former Terran turned Zerg player who is quite a fantastic player in his own right. It is going to be interesting to see what comes of these two players’ games.

The Korean Pokémon

Squirtle is perhaps most well-known for the jokes that Tastosis make with regards to his name as Pokémon. His accomplishments in the GSL arena have not been ones of high regard. However, he is the first player to all-kill an opposing team in a GSTL. In foreign tournaments, Squirtle earned a respectable 3rd place in the Intel Extreme Masters Finals behind Moon and his teammate Ace.

As a player, Squirtle is capable of executing a variety of strategies from cheesy proxy builds, to Void Ray openings, standard three-Gateway into expansions, all of which were successfully executed against players including Naniwa, NaDa.


The Match

Most people call a match based on one factor: is there a Korean. If so, the Korean will win no ifs ands or buts. And for years this has been the dominating principle, especially in Brood War, and to this day it still holds water; Koreans have taken top 3 at MLG Columbus, taken top 3 at IEM Season V World Championship, and taking first as well as top 3 in TL Opens. However, if the recent TeamLiquid StarLeague and the GomTV Korean v. The World are any indicators, foreigners are beginning to show that they can compete with the previously unrivaled Koreans.

Sheth v. Squirtle is one of the tougher matches to call, with Sheth not taking any top-3 finishes at a LAN event, and Squirtle taking 3rd at the IEM Season V Championships before dropping out of the GSL. That being said, Sheth has shown that he has the skill to topple very strong Korean players as demonstrated by his recent Code A 2-1 win over San, a player who has defeated NesTea, Boxer, White-Ra and Dimaga, players of elite caliber status. His travels to Korea, will no doubt give him a nice boost to his game play, and level of skill, that will serve him sell in the grand finals of the inaugural season of the North American StarLeague.

In May, Squirtle was eliminated from Code A. In his last twenty games, Squirtle has gone 10-10, going 3-7 in Korea, and 7-3 in the NASL. While Squirtle performed admirably in the NASL, it remains to be seen how he will do in a LAN setting such as that of the NASL grand finals.

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Article by Jacqueline Geller, Banner by Brooke


After nine weeks of division play, sixteen of the world's best SC2 players will travel to Ontario, CA, to compete for their share of a $100 000 prize pool. In the first round of the NASL Grand Finals, two experienced players will meet. The first is a young Korean living in America with an extensive RTS background and numerous impressive titles. The second is the oldest professional player with extensive SC experience and numerous impressive titles. As these two gaming legends meet, who will advance the victor?


The RTS Shark

Unlike the many NASL competitors who made the switch from Brood War to SC2, SeleCT is on of the few in the tournament who came to SC2 from other RTS games. This Korean RTS legend won the WCG twice for Dawn of War, and he has become an NA fan favorite since moving to the US and competing on the MLG circuit.

SeleCT was in Division 4 of the NASL and had to face incredible players like Ret, Ace and MC. Both Ace and SeleCT came out of the division play with 7-2 series win records, but SeleCT’s 4 match win advantage secured him a spot in the Grand Finals. Although Ret or SeleCT were favorites to make it out of the division with MC, it came as a surprise when both Ret and SeleCT made it out of Division 4 without MC. Select lost to Ret in Week 5 and to MC in Week 9 but maintained a consistent win rate throughout the division. With his experienced RTS mind paired with his aggressive, abusive and drop-heavy play style SeleCT has mastered the strategy and isn’t afraid of aggression and mind games. SeleCT often rushes vs Zerg, avoiding the dreaded TvZ late-game. He takes conventional Terran play and puts unique twists on it.


The Seasoned Vet

This Ukrainian Starcraft legend is one of the highest earning professional players outside of Korea and has an impressive wins under his belt including Homestory Cup II. In his thirties, White-Ra is the oldest professional player, but he has proven that he hasn’t lost his game in an industry full of young pups.

Despite his extensive SC experience and special tactics, White-Ra did not have an easy time in his division, and his guaranteed spot in the NASL Grand Finals was only secured in the last week of play thanks to a walkover from Ensnare. White-Ra’s first NASL week started off on the wrong foot with a forfeit loss from July due to scheduling problems when he made it to the finals of the Dreamhack Invitational. After his first loss, he came back strong to win 5 straight games in a row before losing to iNcontroL weeks 7. In week 8, White-Ra lost another match due to a walkover to MoMaN which could have cost him his chances at making the NASL Grand Finals. White-Ra is a solid player and is not afraid to use creative builds. A prime example of White-Ra’s creativity is his first NASL match vs. TT1, where dictated the game with warp prism play which is uncommon. He is named as the first player to use voidray rushes and uses an unconventional mix of units masterfully to win matches.

The Match Up

There is no significant match history between these players, and neither of these players have rivalries with anyone. These two players actually have much in common: White-Ra and SeleCT are well-manned, entertaining to watch and fan favorites. They are both solid players who add unique twists to conventional play. The games have the potential to be packed with excitement but as we all know, a highly anticipated game can disappoint. With no real underdog in this match-up, it could be anyone’s game but SeleCT seems like the player more likely to advance. The match should boast some creative play from the Protoss corner and aggressive play from the Terran corner. With SeleCT's abusive play, it is likely that after multiple drops and attacks, White-Ra will simply be unable to keep up.

Will White-Ra prove once again that you don’t have to be a fresh faced twenty-something to be at the top of your game? As an RTS legend and a SC legend clash, who will come out on top?

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Article by Alan LaFleur, Banner by Brooke

It is not everyday that we are treated to a ZvZ between two Zergs that understand the matchup so well. Zenio being the Korean is probably the 2nd best at the mirror matchup behind The God of ZvZ, Nestea. Sen has probably the best grasp of the mayhem that is ZvZ in the foreigner scene, even better than IdrA. None of us can really guess at what type of unit composition, build order, or any type of structure in play between these two great competitors. What we can expect though is pure, calculated mayhem.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

After beating one of the top Korean Zergs in week one, Sen propelled himself to a 2nd place finish, going 7-2 in the group with decisive wins over IdrA, MaNa, Socke, and Tyler. Sen has been known as one of the better foreign Zergs and consistently shows it in competition. According to the Teamliquid Progamer Database, Sen has an international elo of 2308 but the 2nd highest elo in ZvZ, second only to Nerchio who has a lot more games of ZvZ played. In the NASL, he has a 4-1 record against IdrA and Zenio, the two Zergs he has faced. Lately, Sen has been hot in his last ten games of ZvZ going 7-3 in competitions with losses coming to the God of War, July, at 2011 Dreamhack Summer. There is no doubt in my mind that Sen deserves to be in California for the NASL Finals and I would never be shocked if he made it far unless he has to play Strelok - he seems to have Sen’s number.

Zenio rebounded nicely after losing in week one to Sen only losing one more match and that was against Drewbie. After losing to Drewbie, the GSL Code S Zerg did not drop a single game until the playoff qualifiers where he lost one game to Dde. Zenio rode that winning streak to a top seed in the playoff qualifiers where in the Seed 11 Qualifier Finals he got to meet up with IdrA, his nemesis. If you are a fan of IdrA rage (who isn’t?) the series did not disappoint as Zenio took two quick games off of IdrA due to some sneaky play. At one point, IdrA told Zenio - the guy that has a dominating record against him - to earn the ‘GG’.

Zenio is probably the hottest player coming into the finals...and I’m not talking his hair here. He has won 7 matches in a row to get to this spot, but in order to win an NASL Season 1 Championship he will need to win 4 more against the best of the best in Starcraft 2.

THE HISTORY

When these two high level Zergs met in week one, viewers were treated to an awesome display of multitasking and decision making from one of the players. That player was Sen.

Sen is known for his decision making and multitasking. Lets go back to that week 1 against Zenio in game 2 on Crevasse. Sen snuck in a Spire during the micro-fest that is early game ZvZ. With the Mutalisks he was able to control the map, kill drones, but the most important thing was that he went after every overlord he could find halting the production for the Korean Zerg. That type of decision making is what won him that game because taking out the supply of Zenio allowed Sen to get drones and a large lead in the army count, and he never looked back.

There is no doubt that in the foreigner scene, Sen has the best understanding of ZvZ at the moment. The style of the FnaticMSI Zerg also tends to be the style that gives Zenio trouble. The decision making that he uses and just says, ‘I’m going to do this whether you like it or not’ gives Zenio trouble, especially if he isn’t ready for it. Couple that with the multitasking and you have a winning combination against the Korean Zerg. I believe Sen will take this match and will probably face Strelok. Although Sen’s ZvT is probably his worst matchup, he has a good record against Strelok.

Make sure to tune into the NASL Grand Finals on July 8th to see not only this matchup but the likes of Boxer, MC, Ret, Sheth, White-Ra, and many many more. Don’t miss a minute of the action!

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Article by: Alan LaFleur, Banner: Derrick


So what do we get when we have two former Warcraft 3 pros going against each other? You get one awesome Zerg versus Protoss between Moon and HasuObs! Moon is the number one prize-money earner in the game and is probably the best Night Elf player in the world. HasuObs was no slouch in WC3 either! He was the top prize-money earner in Germany. I can only see one result from a HasuObs versus Moon match in WC3 and Moon won it. Will HasuObs bring down the WC3 King or will Moon beat him once again?


The Night Elf Zerg

Moon from WeMadeFOX, finished first in his division with a 7-2 record. Along the way through the regular season he knocked off his former MeetYourMakers teammate and The King of Orcs, Grubby. He had wins versus the likes of Artosis, GSL runner up Rainbow, TLO, and KiWiKaKi.

The problem with Moon is that he seems to be a little inconsistent. This may be because of his background in WC3 and he just hasn’t found his style in Starcraft. However, over the past month or two he has been on a roll. Since the beginning of May he has been 9-4 in the NASL but that isn’t the amazing part of his play lately. Moon at 2011 Dreamhack Summer showed an aura of dominance taking out every Protoss he encountered as long their name wasn’t HuK.

If Moon can take the success of Dreamhack and build some momentum coming into the NASL Grand Finals, he could make a serious push for the championship and the money!

The Undead Protoss

Okay, the title for HasuObs is not the most flattering but he was considered a great Undead player in Warcraft. His being in the NASL Grand Finals is a sort of comeback. He finished off the season 5-4 after a good start of 4-1. He made it into the qualifier with Ace, Brat_OK, and Fenix. When Fenix no showed, he was put into the qualifier final against Ace. The series went 3 games but HasuObs prevailed with some great micro and patience.

Hopefully HasuObs will be able to rebound after a couple of disappointing LAN events at Dreamhack Summer and Homestory Cup III. At Dreamhack he did amazing in the group stage getting second to July. The playoffs were a different story though. He took an early exit getting 2-0’d by Bomber in the first round. He did fairly well against Zerg at Dreamhack except for the match against July, but he did devour the crunchy roll that is Sushi and he shut down Machine. At HSC3, he did not get out of the group stage even though he went 2-1. However he is playing a PvZ and that matchup looked pretty good at both of the LAN tournaments.


The Match

The general consensus of the pro Warcraft turned pro Starcraft crowd is that the late game is not their favorite, unless you are Cruncher and want that deathball so badly. However, I expect that both players will be aggressive. Moon will more than likely be the one to go all-in because that Protoss max army is a scary thing.

In the NASL, Moon went 6-1 against Protoss which included matches against Grubby, Artosis, and KiWiKaKi. However, in Korea it has been a different story, he can’t seem to beat a Protoss in the GSL.

Zerg was the 2nd best matchup for HasuObs in the NASL, going 4-3 with the only loss being again Ret. Outside of the NASL, PvZ has been his best matchup and is 6-4 in his last ten games. However, top level Zergs are giving him trouble so here is the question: Is Moon a top level Zerg? Before Dreamhack, I would have said he was below the top level of the JulyZerg, Nestea, Sen, IdrA but now I believe he is inching closer.

Whatever HasuObs and Moon we get at the finals the games are guaranteed to be amazing and close. Both players seem very confident in the matchup and should be an action packed series sense neither player is a passive player. So be sure to turn into the NASL Grand Finals on the July 8th to see the action take place, if you don’t watch you will miss amazing games. No one wants to miss amazing games!

When the list of participants for the NASL Open Tournament was finalized, very few looked to PuMa when picking a favorite. The list of signups included the entire TSL team, various other Koreans, and top level foreign players such as ThorZaIN, DIMAGA, and Lalush. PuMa was so under the radar that he wasn’t even included in the list of Notable Signups on Liquipedia. But after storming through the Open Bracket, he secured a spot in the finals and will be matched up with top seeded Ret. The Team Liquid player secured the top seed with an 8-1 record in a division that included players such as SeleCT, Ace, and MC.


A Surprising Winner

It isn’t particularly surprising that a current or former member of Team SCV Life claimed the 16th seed by winning the Open Tournament. What is surprising is which member that was. Clide, aLive, Rain, and Revival were participating and have all shown better results than PuMa in Korea. This wasn’t a victory that was secured by luck either. PuMa defeated DIMAGA, NightEnD, and Clide on his way to the final match in which he took down aLive 3:2.

It also seems unlikely that this will be a fluke occurrence for the Korean. There are a number of very strong players in Korea, such as DongRaeGu, who haven’t been able to qualify for Code A. PuMa displayed a similar strength in the GSTL against Prime, defeating BBoongBBoong, MarineKing, and Polt to give TSL the 4-1 victory. Additionally, he has defeated Lucky and sC in previous GSTL tournaments. With his recent success, PuMa may be a player on the brink of becoming a force to be reckoned with.


#1 With a Bullet

Coming off first round losses in TSL3 and both of his attempts in Code A, Ret was not considered a favorite to even take the top spot in his own division. But 3 months and a move back home from Korea later, Ret has shown that he is still a force in Starcraft II by claiming the overall #1 seed. His resurgence was reinforced by a 7th place finish at MLG Columbus, taking matches against ThorZaIN, SeleCT, MajOr, and HayprO.

The top seed was certainly not given to Ret. After dropping his opening matchup with ACE, 8 straight wins took him to an 8-1 record. In fact, only 2 total maps were dropped against a group of players that included MC, Stalife, and SeleCT among others. With the recent success of HuK, Ret has a chance to proclaim Team Liquid’s dominance among the foreigner teams with a run through the NASL Finals.

Uncharted Waters

Unlike most of the matchups in the finals, it is unlikely that Ret and PuMa will be familiar with each other’s play style. PuMa may look over the VODs from the regular season or other recent events such as MLG Columbus. Ret will have little recent information, most likely relying on the Open Bracket qualifier games and his opponent’s recent GSTL appearance to get an idea of his playstyle. There are multiple ways to approach an unfamiliar opponent. Some would say it is best to play standard and trust your mechanics as the better player, while others may attempt riskier strategies to catch their opponent off guard. Ret has shown himself to be an incredible macro player, and standard games would likely give him the best chance of victory. Ret holds a 61% winrate against Terran in international events at 41-26, while PuMa is 2-0 in his only appearances against Zerg in competition.


Grand Finale

Anticipation will be high as the inaugural season of NASL comes to a close and players compete for their share of $100,000. Players will need to manage the pressure and stress of playing a weekend-long tournament for such a large sum of money. Tune in July 8-10 or head over to nasl.tv for more information or to purchase tickets to watch the finals live in Ontario, California.