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Iron Squid Grand Finals Preview

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Fionn
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States23455 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-05-05 09:16:11
May 05 2012 09:04 GMT
#1
Waiting anxiously for the GSL semifinals, the elephants converging on the Spring Championship in Anaheim or the return of IPL? Well, if you are and need your Starcraft 2 fix, look no further than what possibly could be the most over-the-top, zany and ridiculous live tournament we've ever witnessed. What happens when you take four of the best players from Korea, send them to France, and have them compete at the largest theater in Paris in front of a sold out 2,500 fans?

You get the Iron Squid Grand Finals.

[image loading]


While the main casters on stage will be the premier duo in France, Pomf et Thud, the English viewers who either don't understand French or want an alternative, will be greeted with the casting of Apollo and TotalBiscuit. No, Iron Squid might have not taken up the headlines before this weekend or doesn't have the lineage of a MLG or GSL, but with $12,500 going to the winner, a guaranteed TvZ finals between two great players, and a ruckus crowd getting to see their favorite Korean players for the first time, this is a Grand Finals that is worth staying up for.

(T)Slayers_MMA vs. (T)FnaticRCaLive


In a rematch of last season's Code S quarterfinals, two players who are no strangers to winning foreign championships, MMA and Alive will be the opening act for the festivities. In their last encounter in a major event, Alive was able to get past Slayers' ace with a score of 3-1, but due to the fact that MMA was ill during those games, there is still some doubt if Alive can take him down on a big stage.

Unfortunately for the both of them, after being favored to get deep in this season's GSL, they both fell in the first round and have to fight through Code A to get back to their usual place in Code S. With the extra time off, both should be well rested and have been able to give it their all in preparing for these Grand Finals.

Recently in TvT, there is no question that Alive has been the stronger of the two. With his play style reminiscent of MVP's mech play when he was winning GSL title after GSL title, Alive has become known for his amazingly strong TvT and could be considered the best in the world at the match-up. His positioning is second to none, and he has a knack for even being able to throw in a cheese here or there to keep his opponent on his toes at all times.

But, if there is anyone in the world up to the task of combating someone who plays like MVP, it is MMA. Having beat MVP on multiple occasions at the GSL October finals at Blizzcon in Anaheim and the semifinals of the Blizzard Cup, MMA has shown that he has an array of builds to beat a player who likes to play mech in the long game. You might not always like the strategies he uses or how quickly the game ends, but MMA isn't afraid to proxy two barracks if he feels like you're playing too greedy.

In terms of international experience, even with Alive's recent win at IPL4, MMA still dwarfs him in accomplishments. As the only international triple crown winner in existence, having won a major title in North America, Europe, and Korea, MMA has been able to assert his dominance across the globe. Alive, on the other hand, before winning IPL4, was known for always having the potential to be a player who could win major titles, but was never able to get past his nerves and inconsistencies.

Now, with a North American title under his belt, he wants to continue his run of foreign success by adding a European championship as well. Expect some shenanigans from both sides and don't be too surprised if this match comes down to whether MMA can put Alive on tilt with some well executed early game strategies.

Prediction: Alive 3 - 1 MMA

(Z)IMNesTea vs. (Z)TSL.Symbol


So you have MMA, two-time GSL champion and winner of multiple foreign tournaments; Alive, the recent winner of the $50,000 IPL4 tournament, former Code S semifinalist and one of the mainstays in the GSL; and Nestea, the three-time GSL champion, one of the most respected players on the planet and the God of Zerg.

Then you have Symbol. Together, the three other players at the Iron Squid Grand Finals, have won a combined total of $460,270 in the tournaments they've competed in. They've won almost a half million dollars in their career and are all in the top fifteen prize winners all-time in Starcraft 2. Symbol, well, in his career, he has won a grand total of $900! And half of that was from winning the qualifier to even compete in this tournament!

It's no secret that Symbol is the surprise here. No one expected him to beat MarineKing, and I know most of you would rather be watching MarineKing vs. Nestea in a rematch of their GSL finals instead of a ZvZ with a guy you probably never heard of before reading this piece. Symbol got here by beating MarineKing with maybe not the most "honorable" tactics, but whenever you beat MarineKing, one of the best TvZ players in the world with a score of 3-0, no one should question your skill.

In terms of ZvZ, it's a whole different ball game. Symbol has been able to do well in ZvT, beating MarineKing to get to Paris and recently taking out sC in the first round of Code A, but going up against Nestea, a player who rarely loses ZvZ, is going to be another gigantic mountain to climb for this Cinderella story. When checking out his past ZvZ's, it isn't all that promising, being able to beat his teammate Revival a couple of times, but losing to players who we've never even seen in the GSL before.

But hey, if there was ever a match-up where an upset could occur, ZvZ might be it. Nestea, before getting third at IPL4, was never known for being a player who transferred his GSL skills to foreign events, noting that he had trouble sleeping at these events, and this could be a glimmer of a chance for our underdog. Symbol practices on the most Zerg heavy team in Korea, TSL, and has probably used every single one of his teammates to practice various builds he could use against the legendary Zerg player.

In the end, Symbol should lose. He's an amazing story to even get this far and has a bright future of being one of the best Zergs in the world, but this is ZvZ and this is Nestea. Being out of the GSL already, Nestea must not be the happiest camper in the world seeing his teammate MVP close to his 4th GSL title, and winning a hefty sum in France might lessen the frustration. Don't count out TSL's best Zerg, since he has been able to pull up major upsets before, but Nestea has to be the favorite to go onto the finals.

Prediction: Nestea 3 - 1 Symbol

[image loading]

The crowd lining up to enter the Le Grand Rex for the Grand Finals


Bonus: If you didn't know, each player in the Iron Squid tournament was given a theme done by In Uchronia. If you haven't heard them already, check them out!

MMA's Theme - The Whisper That Raised Their Souls
Alive's Theme - Quantum Dream
Nestea's Theme - Tangled Nightmare
Symbol's Theme - Freed From Sanity
Writerhttps://twitter.com/FionnOnFire
Chloroplaste
Profile Joined February 2011
France281 Posts
May 05 2012 09:07 GMT
#2
Why is this not in Headpage? TL sleeping?
scriptor
Profile Joined April 2011
Croatia68 Posts
May 05 2012 09:08 GMT
#3
beautiful venue
SINESTET
Asha
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United Kingdom38199 Posts
May 05 2012 09:09 GMT
#4
Very nice article Fionn =)

This is probably going to be one of the best one day events to date, certainly one of the highlights of the year imo.

It's sort of like a TSL, but with a huge finals.
Fionn
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States23455 Posts
May 05 2012 09:10 GMT
#5
On May 05 2012 18:07 Chloroplaste wrote:
Why is this not in Headpage? TL sleeping?


Wax is in Korea. It's a Friday night. Nothing was officially planned for Iron Squid, but I thought it was a pretty big deal, so I decided to write about it. Could be headlined or put on front page later, but since it's starting any time now, it would have been late if not put up now.

Writerhttps://twitter.com/FionnOnFire
Frankon
Profile Joined May 2010
3054 Posts
May 05 2012 09:10 GMT
#6
On May 05 2012 18:07 Chloroplaste wrote:
Why is this not in Headpage? TL sleeping?

Wax is in korea... Rest of the main site staff is sleeping (shame on them)
figq
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
12519 Posts
May 05 2012 09:10 GMT
#7
Shoutout to "In Uchronia" - and to the producers who decided this tournament deserves serious music composed for it.

Just amazing, some of their stuff brings tears to my eyes, so good. Hope they can be in the venue for the live event too.
If you stand next to my head, you can hear the ocean. - Day[9]
Daray
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
6006 Posts
May 05 2012 09:11 GMT
#8
Nestea theme is amazing... how can one lose with such a theme?! NESTEEEAAA!
Dodgin
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
Canada39254 Posts
May 05 2012 09:15 GMT
#9
On May 05 2012 18:09 Asha` wrote:
Very nice article Fionn =)

This is probably going to be one of the best one day events to date, certainly one of the highlights of the year imo.

It's sort of like a TSL, but with a huge finals.


Agreed I have really enjoyed following the tournament for the past few months, hopefully the finals delivers.
Lysanias
Profile Joined March 2011
Netherlands8351 Posts
May 05 2012 09:17 GMT
#10
Ty Foinn, looks great.
warzag
Profile Joined October 2011
France259 Posts
May 05 2012 09:20 GMT
#11
Nice preview ! thx !
cYaN
Profile Joined May 2004
Norway3322 Posts
May 05 2012 09:21 GMT
#12
Hmmm, every single time i've seen iron squid "live" under on air, it's been a back shortly thing. Don't think ive ever seen a game. Yes it's because im lazy and just randomly watch what's going on atm, but ....they really should learn a bit from dh also. Put some times on that poster. Filler content? especially if it's grand finals? It's really soured the whole tour for me, despite it sounding like a good thing.
MonkSEA
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
Australia1227 Posts
May 05 2012 09:22 GMT
#13
Are the themes downloadable anywhere? Like even if I have to pay. They're so fucking amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/user/sirmonkeh Zerg Live Casts and Commentary!
jazzyjazz
Profile Joined October 2010
941 Posts
May 05 2012 09:26 GMT
#14
Nice write-up! Thanks for the work =) I think this tournament deserves a bit more hype, 5 GSL titles between the 4 players, wow.
Eat emmmmmmmmmm
Acertos
Profile Joined February 2012
France852 Posts
May 05 2012 09:28 GMT
#15
This need to go in community news
StoRm_res
Profile Joined March 2011
Switzerland891 Posts
May 05 2012 09:30 GMT
#16
Gonna be awesome =)
Ace1123
Profile Joined September 2011
Philippines1187 Posts
May 05 2012 09:31 GMT
#17
just believe! MMA will beat alive!
ForGG, Mvp, MMA, MarineKing, BoxeR,
Chenz
Profile Joined November 2010
Sweden1197 Posts
May 05 2012 09:36 GMT
#18
Thanks for the write-up! This seems like it's going to be a great finals, and as usual I'll get no studying done
IronSquidTV
Profile Joined February 2012
France4 Posts
May 05 2012 09:38 GMT
#19
it's oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon :D
PoisedYeTi
Profile Joined November 2010
Australia167 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-05-05 10:15:20
May 05 2012 10:04 GMT
#20
Wow I wish i could be there.

Also the theme music is really well produced, i was suprised.

Will be tuning in and hope nestea takes it ^^
"Just read game like book" -WhiteRa
Hren
Profile Joined April 2011
Slovenia86 Posts
May 05 2012 10:25 GMT
#21
Holy shit, that crowd is amazing.
vanhio
Profile Joined November 2010
Niue1017 Posts
May 05 2012 10:27 GMT
#22
NESTEA !
Derez
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Netherlands6068 Posts
May 05 2012 10:48 GMT
#23
Spotlight for tournament justice please! Not many events with Koreans in Europe as it is .
aznball123
Profile Joined February 2012
2759 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-05-05 11:02:52
May 05 2012 11:02 GMT
#24
wow lol, so slow. didn't even know this was going on until people talked about it on MKP's stream. why no feature news? lol
Edit: 2,500 though? that's amazing... go french!!
Mmm, what to watch.
ChriS-X
Profile Joined June 2011
Malaysia1374 Posts
May 05 2012 15:23 GMT
#25
lol curse of fionn strikes again
Sroobz
Profile Joined December 2011
United States1377 Posts
May 05 2012 15:25 GMT
#26
I always disagree with everything this guy says haha
Flash---Taeja---Mvp---Byun---DRG
Aunvilgod
Profile Joined December 2011
2653 Posts
May 05 2012 15:27 GMT
#27
/Fionn predicting

ilovegroov | Blizzards mapmaker(s?) suck ass | #1 Protoss hater
Bagration
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
United States18282 Posts
May 05 2012 15:34 GMT
#28
Thank you for taking the time to do this. Much appreciated
Team Slayers, Axiom-Acer and Vile forever
kabar
Profile Joined November 2010
United States616 Posts
May 05 2012 15:35 GMT
#29
lovely writeup
Khonsou
Profile Joined September 2011
Dominican Republic275 Posts
May 06 2012 00:26 GMT
#30
Nice writeup.
A French living under the sun
Bayyne
Profile Joined January 2011
United States1967 Posts
May 06 2012 00:26 GMT
#31
Thanks for the write-up Fionn.
Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
Eshra
Profile Joined April 2011
France1009 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-05-06 00:36:14
May 06 2012 00:35 GMT
#32
Thanks a lot Fionn, really interesting to read. I just came back from the event, and it was really great out there. I heard the streams encountered a few issues, but they definitely put up a great show here in the theater.
below66
Profile Joined October 2009
United States1761 Posts
May 06 2012 00:53 GMT
#33
when are the VOD's for the finals out?, it's so hard not to get spoiled, im literally covering my eyes over the thread and hoping someone responds
Steveling
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Greece10806 Posts
May 06 2012 00:58 GMT
#34
As always Fionn wrong with the predictions, xPPP.
My dick has shrunk to the point where it looks like I have 3 balls.
Khonsou
Profile Joined September 2011
Dominican Republic275 Posts
May 06 2012 00:58 GMT
#35
They're, if you look the http://www.twitch.tv/ironsquid_vf/ there're vids.
Seriously, watch the hole event; although in French its pretty awesome.
A French living under the sun
ShiaoPi
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
TAIWAN NUMBAH WAN5956 Posts
May 06 2012 12:20 GMT
#36
Fionn going 0-2 in previews with style!
LiquidDota Staff@TW_ShiaoPi
TL+ Member
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