[Interview] Winners of Code S Semifinals

IM_MVP

Q: You've returned to the Code S finals after 4 seasons.
A: I've been hearing “4 seasons” a lot, and it has been a long time. But it feels even longer. Now that I am back in the finals after such a long time, I will definitely seize victory.

Q: You did a proxy 2 rax in the first game. What was your reasoning?
A: I saw that Ryung had practiced this for his games against July. He practiced it but didn't end up using it in the games themselves. I remembered that he had prepared the strategy, and asked him if it would be okay if I used it, and he approved.

Q: In the second game, it felt like Zerg got choked out.
A: Metalopolis has two attack paths, so the player who attacks is put at a disadvantage. If you attack, you can be left open to counterattacks, so I chose to play this defensive strategy.

Q: Your ghost usage was impressive. Did you practice this?
A: In practice, I used ghosts when things started to go into the late game. I saw this pattern emerging in practice and decided to mix ghosts in.

Q: Why don't you use ghosts often?
A: In practice, there are a lot of cases where I am pushed to use them. You might start seeing a lot of big changes in builds. [T/N I guess he's saying there are a lot of situations in practice where using them is good, and more opportunities to use them in live games might start presenting themselves]

Q: You had won every game so far, but then encountered an all-in in the third game.
A: I thought that he might all-in, but I did not expect it at such a fast time. I didn't have time to prepare for the bust. I thought I could stop it, but it came really quickly and I lost in the blink of an eye.

Q: You won by the power of the Thor in the fourth game.
A: IMHappy uses this Thor strategy a lot. I remembered him saying it was good, so I thought I would try it once. It doesn't seem to be a bad strategy.

Q: Your opponent in the finals is OGSTop. Thoughts?
A: When I first started playing Starcraft 2, Top was a top player. When I was first learning to play, I learned a lot from watching him. When I couldn't grasp the game, watching his games was a big help. The games will be interesting.

Q: This is your fourth finals against a Terran.
A: Honestly, I don't especially like meeting Terrans in the finals. I always seem to advance to meet a Terran; usually I advance by beating players of the other races. I'd like to face a player of a different race in the finals. But since I've faced Terran 4 times in Best of 7 matches, I have some experience and this should turn out to be helpful.

Q: You have a jinx where if you advance through the Round of 32, you always win.
A: I think the jinx will continue this time. I feel good. It seems that the Round of 32 is always the most crucial thing.

Q: You have a chance to become the first Terran with 3 titles.
A: When Nestea won his third title, I was in America because of MLG. When I heard Nestea was the first to do so, my stomach hurt and I got envious. This time, I will definitely win my third title, and maybe MC will get jealous and have a stomachache. (laughs)

Q: Anything else you want to say?
A: I want to thank IMHorror, IMTrue, IMNestea, IMMinSeok, CheckPrime, ZenexLife, ZenexTanDongHo [T/N now DignitasTanDongHo], and MVPDongRaeGu for their help in practice. I would also like to thank my parents and my girlfriend for always cheering me on.

OGS_Top


Q: This is your first Code S finals. Thoughts?
A: I'm still not sure. But the last game was very difficult; I made a comeback win and so I'm really excited. I'll return to the team house very happy.

Q: You struggled against Polt's Bionic play.
A: It was strange, I kept losing fights that I thought I would win. I didn't know Bionic could be that strong. I learned a lot in the games today.

Q: You seemed to play defensively today. Was this a response to your opponent's style?
A: The maps today were good for defensive play, so I prepared a style that suited that. This also seemed to turn out well against Polt's aggressive style.

Q: You got revenge for the Super Tournament semifinals.
A: I tried to forget about it, but I couldn't. I got revenge for that, so I'm glad.

Q: You were up 2:0, but you didn't look comfortable.
A: I had the most confidence in my practice for the third set, so I thought I could win 3:0. But Polt made a lot of good movements, so I lost. After that I was in a poor position in the fourth game, so I kept thinking of the Super Tournament. But even though I was in a poor position, I just focused on turning things around and winning.

Q: In the finals, you will be matched against the winner of MVP vs July. Who would you rather face?
A: I'm confident against Zerg, so I'd like it if July advanced. But if MVP advances, this will be the first time we have met, so it won't be too bad. I feel confident against Terran too.

Q: This will be the first time a Terran on your team makes it to the finals.
A: I would like if the other Terrans see my performance and feel motivated. That way, everyone will work hard and some other Terrans will also make it to the finals. Before this season first started, Nada promised that we would meet in the finals. But Nada didn't advance to the finals, so it's somewhat regrettable.

Q: How will you prepare for the finals?
A: All the teams are on vacation, so practice will be difficult. But our team's Terrans are very good, so I will mainly practice with them.

Q: Anything else you'd like to say?
A: It's been a year since I first started playing. Until now I've struggled, but now I've gotten a chance. I don't want to let this chance pass me by, so I will practice diligently and definitely win the tournament.
I want to thank EGPuma, MVPKeen, TSLAlive, SlayersMMA, IMHappy, and all the players on my team for their help in practice. I would like to thank my parents, coach, and director for cheering me on, and Mom's Touch for their support.