EPTGSL Season One
Code A
Group C Preview
Bbyong, Impact, DRG, Tassadar
Group D Preview
Paralyze, Cure, Yonghwa, Super
Brackets and standings on Liquipedia
Partial VODs on YouTube
Code A Season 2: Day 2
Tonight, we'll see if Bbyong (one of the three Terrans in the last season of Code S) and Cure can advance from their groups and bolster this season's Terran count even further.
Group C: Bbyong, Impact, DongRaeGu, Tassadar
Countdown:by CosmicSpiral
The roller-coaster of emotions never seems to end. Once again,
MVP.DongRaeGu offers his long-suffering fans both reason to hope and doubt. On one hand, his recently improved ZvZ earned him a spot in GSL Global Championship and a respectable record to end Proleague Round 2. On the other hand, he can't seem to stop dying in early game ZvT, while Protoss has become a serious problem for him at all stages of the game. This revolving wheel of weaknesses has been a staple since DRG’s glory days. While a lack of consistency prevents him from being a serious threat to the throne, it hasn’t stopped him from being a perennial Code S contender. He has seen 11 Code S appearances in the last 12 seasons and even at his lowest point, DRG was guaranteed to make top 8 in any foreign event he chose to attend. He should be considered the overall favorite to advance in first place in this group.
Meanwhile
CJ_Bbyong has grown to become more than a punching bag for spiteful TL.net writers. Before, it was easy to compare him with past Terrans that defined the bottom tier of Code S, forgetting that the distinction between Code A and Code S is paper-thin at times. Back when space humans choked up the GSL like weeds, it was easy to dismiss those who didn’t stand out like Mvp and Nada; today Terrans are a scarce commodity and someone like Bbyong is a hero by default. Fans of race diversity will be further heartened knowing he has been a bedrock for CJ during Proleague, going 5-1 during Round 2. Traditionally Bbyong’s stubborn will to survive has been frustrating for viewers who wanted to see their fan favorites go through. But for the second season in a row, Bbyong will be receiving cheers instead of jeers as fans now hope to see more than 3 Terrans competing in Code S.Speaking of fan favorites…guess who’s back? After four seasons of (kinda) terrorizing WCS America with his unique playstyle,
Tassadar has returned to remind his brethren that the 7 gate blink all-in is a helluva strategy. Despite being teamless and less notable than DRG or Bbyong, Tassadar adds an interesting wrinkle to this group. He is by nature an explosive player like hyvaa: you can guess that he won’t be going for a straight macro game and be right 80% of the time, but he’ll steamroll you regardless. The uncertainty he brings into a match gives him a fighting chance against anyone as long as he can keep them uncomfortable. Versus the somewhat shaky DRG and a relative newcomer in Impact, Tassadar may be able to clinch an unlikely trip to Code S. If he can pull it off, it would be a great job application for any team looking to strengthen its roster. Axiom_Impact's record in the GomTV studio is not the greatest. He suffered elimination at the hands of Fantasy and Hydra in WCS Season 3 Code A, and he struggled to perform for the Axiom-Acer alliance in the GSTL. However, he's shown he can play very well in other live settings. The Acer TeamStory Cup Season 2 playoffs are a big reason why StarCraft fans are familiar with Impact's name, as he scored an all-kill against Team Liquid to knock them out of the tournament. Additionally he had an impressive run in his qualifier bracket for the GSL Global Tournament, defeating MarineKing, Seed, and Sora. Impact's recent exploits suggest he could surprise us, but it's still a steep hill to climb to Code S. Still, one can never discount the possibility. After all, who could’ve predicted Zest’s trajectory last season?BByong > Impact
Tassadar < Dongraegu
BByong > Dongraegu
Tassadar < Impact
Impact < Dongraegu
Bbyong and Dongraegu advance
Group D: Paralyze, Cure, Yonghwa, Super
Countdown:by DarkHorse
Surrounded by groups containing Code S regulars and fan favorites, group D's players generally fly under the radar. The "Afrotoss"
SKT_ParalyzE was hardly seen after dropping out of last season's Code S in the Ro32. He has yet to play for SKT AT ALL in two rounds of Proleague, which, while not surprising given SKT's deep lineup of championship caliber players, does not speak particularly highly of ParalyzE. However, we have to remind ourselves about the incredible poise and determination ParalyzE showed to make it into the last season of Code S. Having finished 3rd in his group behind heavy favorites Squirtle and Life, ParalyzE was sent to the Wild Card bracket to fight for the EU-bound Jjakji's Code S spot. After defeating Trust and Gumiho, ParalyzE managed to fight his way through five rounds of a three player tiebreaker against Dream and Cure to advance to Code S. Though it's been over two months since that event, it's a reminder that we should not count out the Afrotoss.
Another player who was involved in last season's marathon, three-way tiebreaker is
JinAir_Cure. Unfortunately, he faced bitter defeat at the hands of ParalyzE, his first opponent in this group. Presently, the match seems to favor Cure slightly, as he has had more recent success than ParalyzE. He holds a 5-3 record in Proleague, with his most notable victory being a win over Super to clinch the Proleague Round 2 championship for Jin Air Green Wings. One can imagine that Cure still tastes some of the bitterness from the defeat he suffered in last season's Code A. There's no doubt that ParalyzE was the prime culprit in denying Cure's advancement to Code S, going 4-1 against the Jin Air Terran during the marathon session of tie-breakers. Cure is here to qualify for Code S, but revenge may be something that is also on his mind.
Speaking of a player who may be out for revenge,
MVP.Super is no doubt upset about his defeat at the hands of Cure in the Proleague Round 2 finals. While he faced an uphill battle, being sent out when his team was already down 3-0, he must be disappointed in losing to Cure after he had taken out the fearsome Maru in the previous game. Super has been quietly asserting himself as a top Protoss in Korea. He is one of MVP's two rotating ace players and boasts a 10-7 overall Proleague record. He has been especially good in ace matches, where he has defeated the likes of Soulkey, Flash and herO. Super is no stranger to defeating top players in high-pressure situations, and seems to be a favorite to advance out of this group. If he can avenge his team by taking out Cure along the way, then all the better.
The final player of the group stands outside of the triangle of revenge.
IM_YongHwa, the Artosis-cursed Protoss, has been constantly plagued by inconsistency. He enters this group amidst his latest downward trend. Once known as a teamleague star, YongHwa has put up a dismal 2-7 overall Proleague record which includes a 0-4 record in PvP. While he did manage to make Code S last season, he was sent immediately back to Code A with back to back losses to Life and Dear. Considering his recently weak PvP, facing Super in the opening match and then potentially ParalyzE in the loser's match is a recipe for a last place finish. YongHwa will have to pull out a stronger PvP than we have seen recently to have a chance at advancement here.Overall thoughts and prediction: This group seems fairly clear cut. I don't see ParalyzE or YongHwa being able to advance here. Super and Cure have both looked very solid in Proleague in stark contrast to their group opponents. Although ParalyzE could be playing well behind the scenes, I have to go with players that the public has actually seen play well in the past month.
ParalyzE < Cure
YongHwa < Super
Cure < Super
ParalyzE > YongHwa
Cure > ParalyzE
Super and Cure advance.
gogogo DRG <3
