EPTGSL Season One
Code A
Group I Preview
TRUE, Choya, SuperNova, TY
Group J Preview
Pet, Stork, Squirtle, Action
Brackets and standings on Liquipedia
Partial VODs on YouTube
Code A Season 2: Day 5
For the second season in a row, GSL Code S faces entering the Ro32 with a record low Terran count. Last season, Maru, Bbyong, and SuperNoVa were the only Terrans to qualify for Korea's premier tournament. This season, with just four Code A groups left to play, only Maru, Bbyong, and INnoVation have earned qualification.
Anyone who wants Code S Season 2 to have a respectable Terran count should pay close attention to tonight's Group I. Featuring SuperNoVa and TY, it's the only two-Terran group in Code A. On top of that, they will face relatively easy opposition in TRUE and Choya, meaning there's a decent chance that both Terrans will advance. Even if things go poorly for our two Terrans, it seems highly unlikely that both of them will be eliminated... then again, did anyone think Flash would be eliminated on Wednesday night?
Group I: TRUE, Choya, SuperNova, TY
Countdown:by Waxangel
The hopes of Terran fans around the world rest in the hands of
KT_TY (yay!) and SuperNova (yay?).In Round 1 of Proleague,
TY almost fooled us into thinking he had actually realized his full potential by putting up an incredible 7-0 record. Alas, it was soon revealed to be just a temporary hot streak, one of many in his long and inconsistent career. TY was bought back down to earth in Round 2, recording a 4-3 record while failing to be particularly impactful in the playoffs. That said, a 4-3 record is nothing to scoff at, and TY is still a solid player who holds his own against plenty of other Code S competitors in Proleague. There's no question that he's been playing the best StarCraft out of all the players in this group as of late, and is the favorite to advance in first place.As for
SuperNova, he's one of the more perplexing players in Code A. Left teamless after the dissolution of Azubu, we've had very few chances to see him since he fell out of the Code S Ro32 back in early February (losses to Leenock and Trap). His record since then is not encouraging – 0-2 to Sleep and 1-2 to Petraeus in online qualifiers – but it's hard to draw conclusions from just two series. As a player who has always been known for his creative builds, it wouldn't be shocking to see SuperNoVa blindside his opponents and earn a return to Code S. Then again, it's also possible that he really has declined since we last saw him.Like it or not,
ChoyaPrime and 
JinAir_TRUE have taken on the role of villains as there's no way they advance without causing some Terran Tears. Actually, I suspect
Choya might not mind playing the part of the bad guy. His demeanor ever since fOu disbanded has been that of someone who has no f***s left to give. Most people would have second thoughts about un-retiring as a player a second time, but Choya had no such qualms when he joined Prime so he could have his last hurrah. Upon defeating Hurricane, one of his former fOu charges, in the Code A qualifiers, Choya's reaction was basically "deal with it," saying he wasn't especially sorry since he had housed and fed Hurricane for a few years. While I'm impressed that Choya made it into Code A, his dreadful Proleague performances (0-3 in Round 2) leave me doubtful about his chances of making it to Code S. Still, I kind of wish he would make it through, if only for the interview he would give after.
Finally, we have
TRUE, a player who Terran fans could almost forgive for breaking their hearts. Cheesy Zerg players are often the most hated players on the planet (hello, Shine), but TRUE's devotion to attacking things with banelings is so insane you're basically forced to respect him. Here, just watch this game and tell me you don't like TRUE. Like SuperNoVa, we've seen very little of TRUE since he fell out of the Code S Ro32 months ago, and he hasn't been particularly good in his limited Proleague outings. However, since he possesses such a weird and aggressive style of play, I wouldn't be surprised to see him knock people out before they know what hit them.
Predictions:
TRUE > Choya
TY > SuperNoVa
TY > TRUE in a really funny and entertaining series
SuperNoVa > Choya
TRUE > SuperNoVa in a really funny and entertaining series
TY and TRUE advance.
Group J: Pet, Stork, Squirtle, Action
Countdown:by Waxangel
Sorry, no Terrans in this group! Just Zergs and Protosses in a world that has mercifully trended away from swarm host turtling games.
It's been a long time coming, but the legendary
Samsung_Stork has quietly improved into a solid player in StarCraft 2. He was just one map win away from making it to Code S last season, barely losing to herO in the deciding game. He didn't carry a huge burden for Samsung in Proleague's Round 2, but he held his own with a 2-2 record. At the start Round 3, he was finally entrusted with ace match responsibilities for the first time in the season, and he came through by defeating CJ's herO. While Stork still looks shaky from time to time (losing to eins), I feel that he's passed that invisible and vague line into "Code S quality player" territory.His first opponent will be
ST_Pet, a largely unheralded player who came within one map win of making it to the Code S Ro16 last season. It's hard to tell if Pet simply got lucky last time around, or if there's more than meet the eye to the Startale Zerg. He employed a lot of all-ins to get as far as he did, which can be a sign of a flash-in-the-pan player. Yet, there are players like Shine and hyvaa who have made all-ins the basis for consistent, long-term success. We'll find out what kind of player Pet is tonight.The favorite to advance from the group seems to be
IM_Squirtle. While he was destroyed in the Ro16 of last Code S, that was only when he had to face two beastly PvP players in PartinG and Classic. In other matches, Squirtle has been doing just fine, going 2-2 in Proleague Round 2 while defeating players like Life and EffOrt to qualify for the GSL tournament. No, he's not Code S championship quality (yet), but he should be able to make it out of a Code A group.Last, but definitely not least, is KT's
Action. So far, KT Rolster have fielded him so infrequently in Proleague that he's been reduced to being a prop. Normally that would mean he's a player you could mostly disregard in the group, but his recent performances in qualifiers have been eyebrow-raising. By defeating the likes of Super, Hurricane, Soulkey, and Keen in qualifying for Code A and the Global Tournament, Action has proved he can beat Code S quality opposition behind closed doors. The question is whether or not he can repeat that feat in a live setting.Predictions and random fact:
Stork > Pet
Squirtle > Action
Stork > Squirtle
Pet > Action
Squirtle > Pet (random fact: Squirtle went 4-1 against Pet in the last season of Code S)
Stork and Squirtle advance.
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