Acer.INnoVation, CJ_herO, MVP.DongRaeGu, FXO.GuMiho

by stuchiu

This season of Code S featurs a fairly even spread of star players among the Ro32 groups, but Group F has a case to be called the best in terms of sheer name value. We have to start with Acer.INnoVation, formerly the consensus best player in the world and now the subject of the biggest signing in the world. MVP.DongRaeGu has won numerous championships on multiple continents, and is still one of the most popular progamers despite a recent dip in form. FXO.GuMiho helps Group F cater to the hipster fans, having an unorthodox playstyle that frequently leads to very entertaining games. CJ_herO is the odd man out in terms fan support, but hey, KeSPA fans gotta have someone to cheer for, too.

Clearly, the main point of interest in this group is Acer.INnoVation. He's had a crazy year since KeSPA made their full switch to SC2, going from ladder hero to top eight GSL player within months, and then becoming the best player in the world in HotS. His dominance between April and July was so profound that many assumed that his reign would come to eclipse the likes Mvp, MC or Nestea. It is easier now in retrospect, after a disappointing WCS Season 2 campaign, to see some of the flaws that were apparent even during his months of dominance.

Innovation’s first flaw is that he plays his best in a matchup when that matchup is very one-dimensional. This is why his TvZ is still unstoppable now, as was his TvT before the Hellbat nerf: They allow INnoVation to simply overpower his opponents through sheer force of execution. Post-hellbat nerf, he was easily jumped by by Maru who threw a variety of confusing strategies his way. And even before the hellbat-nerf, INnoVation was felled by Bomber who outright denied the meta and refused to engage in a war of multi-tasking and speed.

His second flaw is his mentality. When INnoVation starts falling behind in a series, he seems to have a lot of trouble coming back. When Soulkey came back from a 0 - 3 deficit in the GSL finals to tie the series at 3 - 3, INnoVation completely fell apart in game seven as he sent half his army to die in a failed drop when he clearly knew mutalisks were present. After he was all-ined by Maru 3 times in the OSL semis, he was beaten like a drum even when he got his desired macro game in game four. After his close loss against Taeja in the group stages of the WCS Season Finals, he was easy pickings for Naniwa as Naniwa slaughtered Innovation’s almost suicidally sloppy attempts at aggression.

In a way, Innovation is the complete opposite of Mvp. Innovation can beat anyone in a fair macro game, Mvp can be beaten by anyone in a fair macro game. But when it comes to trickery, Innovation is led by the nose while Mvp is leading others by the nose. And when the going gets tough, Innovation falls apart while Mvp reaches another level of skill.

But even those two flaws are small ones. Besides those three collapses, INnoVation has consistently crushed his opponents. His TvT and TvP are not invincible, but still strong enough to match up evenly against the best players in the world. INnoVation may no longer be the sole superpower of the world, but he is still one of the strongest contenders for the throne.

CJ_herO is the latest team league star that can’t quite cut it in individual competition. Much like YongHwa before him, herO spent much of his singles career losing in Code B qualifiers while carrying his team in the proleague. Somehow, his skill in Proleague best of one's just hasn't carried over to the best of three format of the individual leagues.

The biggest problem for herO in this group is that his best matchups are PvP and PvZ. With two Terrans in this group, one that just beat him resoundingly in WCG and the other known for his unusual and aggressive style, herO will have to show something beyond what he has shown thus far in his Code A and U&D matches if he wants to make it out of this group.

Third in the group is MVP.DongRaeGu, a player who's never really been the same since he choked in two semi-finals in 2012. Falling to MC in the GSL and to Leenock in the GSTL cost him two opportunities to play at live finals in the city of Busan, a hometown so beloved to DongRaeGu that he chose his old neighborhood's name as his professional gaming ID. Though DRG still played good SC2 afterwards, he seemed broken in a fundamental way as he was never able to raise a trophy again.

Things became even worse for DRG once HotS arrived. His win rates plummeted and he went from one of the clutchest players on MVP to one of their most inconsistent. In a crucial game in the GSTL finals, he would bungle a 2-rax defense against Yoda after scouting it out.

But despite all the pain and suffering, DongRaeGu is (sort of) back. He's found a fraction of his old skill again, and he crushed his way through his U&D group while looking the best he has in perhaps a year. For his accomplishment, he will be the third recipient of the Nestea award, given to players who compete in ten consecutive Code S seasons. Certainly, DongRaeGu has shown that he has Nestea's consistency, clawing his way into the Ro32 even in his worst of times. But if he wants to have any chance of competing at Blizzcon this year, he's going to need show Nestea's championship class as well.

I like to call FXO.GuMiho the most interesting player in the world. Yes, there are entertainers like MC and Parting who can win over fans with their out of game personalities and antics. But if you want to see the most entertaining games, the ones that go down to the wire, games that redefine the word 'chaos,' Gumiho is the player to watch. Playing an incredibly aggressive, multi-tasking oriented style of play, Gumiho played some of the greatest games WoL had to offer.

Unfortunately, HotS has taken away from Gumiho's uniqueness. Back in WoL you had to make a conscious effort to focus on multi-tasking and hyper-aggression like Gumiho, but the introduction of afterburners, hellbats, and mines promoted that style as a default. With his once niche market being overrun by giants like INnoVation, it's not surprising that Gumiho has failed to distinguish himself yet in HotS.

However, while Gumiho has yet to reach the level he did in WoL, I have faith that he'll find a way to adapt his style to Terran's new weapons. SuperNoVa, another offense oriented player in WoL, was able to establish his own unique color among the many aggressive Terran styles in HotS. Gumiho is too creative and smart to be unable to do the same. I'm sure he will soon be showing us some of the most entertaining games HotS has to offer.

Overall Predictions:

Innovation > Hero
Gumiho > DRG
Innovation > Gumiho
DRG > Hero
Gumiho > DRG

Innovation and Gumiho advance.

Progamer Pokedex: By Popular Request

by monk


Innovation is Mewtwo! Conceived in lab by humans attempting to create the ultimate warrior, Mewtwo knew nothing but battling. With cold and calculating precision, he defeated every opponent who dared to stand in his way. In its heyday, he was king. With his special attack being sky high and his typing being frankly imbalanced, no Pokemon could stand a chance against this juggernaut.

Nintendo took notice, however, and hoping to create a more competitive game, introduced some mechanical changes in the next iteration of the Pokemon series. Dark and Steel types and actual ghost attacks were introduced, significantly neutering Mewtwo's dominant psychic type. Mewtwo's personal stats were also slashed, allowing some top tier Pokemon to make significant dents into the once invincible titan. To this date, Mewtwo still remains one of the most powerful Pokemon in the game, but 20+ legendaries to compete with, he'll have to work a lot harder.


herO is Pachirisu! When one looks at Pachirisu, the first thing that comes to mind must be, "What a completely original Pokemon". I have nothing more to say about this.


Dongraegu is Aerodactyl! In his time, Aerodactly was a monster, the guy at the top of the food chain. But then a cataclysmic event changed the landscape of the world, introducing a completely new environment. Aerodactyl actually went extinct for a while, unable to adapt to these harsh new conditions. Luckily for him, modern scientists have perfected the fossil resurrecting technique and Aerodactyl will have a second chance to rise to the top, this time in the modern world.


Gumiho is Teddiursa! At first I had Gumiho pegged down as Tentracruel, a Pokemon whose many tentacles allow it to control and micromanage many skirmishes around the battlefield. But then I thought, screw it. Gumibear is so obviously Teddiursa. Just because.