GSL Season Two
Code S Finals

Brackets and standings on Liquipedia

by lichter

After six years of watching friends and teammates become champions, waiting in the sidelines to lift them up in celebration, Classic has finally earned his leading man status as the Code S Season 2 champion by defeating soO 4 - 2 in an exciting series.

His time on eSTRO as a number 1 draft pick in Brood War was never considered a success, and his transfer to STX similarly saw him fail to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon him. The switch to SC2 was supposed to be a lifeline for the talented former Terran, but once again his friends and teammates achieved greatness before him. Even after his switch to Protoss, his success in Proleague was just a footnote in the warpath that was INnoVation. The past two champions, Zest and Dear, had actually been unheralded players on a struggling eSTRO team, and it must have stoked a great fire within Classic to hear them bathed in applause and watch them glean at their reflections on their trophies.

But now, Classic knows exactly how it feels.



And yet, for some reason, it still feels like a footnote, this time to soO's ascendance to SC2's greatest Kong.

The story of the long suffering squad player finally succeeding has been played out more times than we can remember, and Classic's place as the third straight first-time Protoss champion has diluted whatever compelling narrative that could be spun from his finest day as a progamer. Yet that does not change the fact that this was a special moment for one of the most improved players since the release of Heart of the Swarm.

He played out the series brilliantly by winning 4 games to 2, with each of his wins looking dominant and untroubled. On King Sejong Station, Classic showed army movement and positioning that drew first blood after a failed proxy oracle. His ability to move around the map at the right place at the right time, pinpointing the best bases to assault and sacrificing a worthwhile number of units, allowed him to strangle soO like few Protosses have been able to manage. His killer instinct and positioning once again proved decisive on Frost, with his attack through the bridge forcing soO to defend poorly when he could have retreated. Only a missing observer gave soO a glint of hope, but a blink on top of swarm hosts wiped out the only advantage Zerg had. soO would delay until Brood Lords, but another incisive blink spelled his doom.

The series would be tied at 2 apiece after 4 games however, as soO fought back in both Games 2 and 4. Speedling runbys were crucial in both victories, as a wayward zealot opened the floodgates on Alterzim to constantly draw back Classic's pressuring army. This gave soO enough time to amass an ideal ultra-queen-infestor-corruptor army to counter Classic's stalkers, colossus and voidrays, and a poorly executed attack on creep meant Classic had no avenue for escape and no remax available. It was a different sort of speedling attack that changed the game in soO's favor on Habitation Station. Facing a potential 1-3 deficit, soO held off early zealot stalker pressure before punishing Classic's greedy attempt at taking the gold with a flush of lings. Destroying the nexus, soO forced Classic into desperate move outs hoping to equalize, but soO easily cleaned up whatever force his teammate had to offer. The SKT Protoss was still able to force a base trade that looked flatteringly close, but once mutas were out it was a mere matter of eliminating probes and sitting behind spine crawlers.

With everything square and down to a best of 3, Classic was not to be denied. A scrappy Game 5 on Overgrowth swung in his favor when soO failed to preserve his fourth base from stalkers, and the harassment would not stop from there. Classic's mostly blink stalker army was constantly moving left to right, and a warp prism was always able to find holes in soO's defenses. No base beyond the zerg's 3rd would stay alive for more than a few minutes and mutas never had the time to do significant damage to Classic. Mined out on 3 bases and left with nothing but drones, soO typed out a frustrated "gg" despite still being close in supply. It would not get any better for the SKT Zerg on Merry Go Round, as the neo-Chintoss ended the series and claimed his title in classic Protoss fashion: a 2-base 7 gate all in with phoenixes. Despite scouting it early, soO uncharacteristically under-reacted, rolling out the red carpet for his opponent to walk all the way towards his natural ramp. Forcefields were cast, hydras were lifted, and drones died. The series was over.

It was a striking variety of games as all 6 followed a different script. Classic may have relied mostly on stargate builds, but each game was different enough to perplex soO and keep him from reaching his usually dominant muta-corruptor mid game. It was a strong performance that left little in doubt: Classic was the best player of the season.



And yet, despite joining a pantheon shared by some of the game's greatest players, Classic may still find himself behind teammates Rain and PartinG on many people's lists of best Protosses, including that of Artosis and Tasteless. It seems that a GSL title may ensure riches and WCS points, but it no longer assures a continued rise to prominence. For every Maru, Zest, or Soulkey, we have seen our fair share of Snipers and Seeds. And though it was Classic that ended the evening a champion, it was soO who broke records and made history. The SKT Zerg may have lost his chance at redemption to his teammate, but soO has defeated a threat that looms beyond the celebration of Classic's victory: anonymity.

In the face of failure upon failure on the grandest of stages, soO has persevered. Where many other champions have fallen after triumph, the red ribbon Zerg has grown season upon season to prove his valor and his mettle. Though we teasingly call him our Kong, it is only in the hearts of the coldest of fans that he has yet to earn a place as the tragic hero. He has risen from the doldrums of Proleague specialists and Ro16 stalwarts; he has graduated from the gatekeepers and Lucky Ones; and he has found a place in SC2's lore to call his own.

In his Proleague MVP interview versus CJ Entus a day after losing his third straight GSL final, soO looked somber, perhaps distressed, and he answered his questions with surprising conciseness. During his game against GuMiho however, in his eyes you could see the conflagration in his soul. Though many feel that this latest defeat will finally soften his resolve, the real Iron Zerg still hungers to break his silver mold. Neither the ache of disappointment nor a place in history has yet to allay his ambition, and it is that determination that Classic must emulate. Forget double champions Zest or Dear, WCG/WCS champion PartinG, or OSL champion Rain. In an age of Protoss dominance, he must do more than just win a title or two to elevate himself above his peers. His struggle against a return to anonymity begins now. It's where he has come from, and it is where he refuses to return. He has changed his identity to get here, and he has pushed aside his more distinguished teammates to attain a glory once so distant. You have to believe that he is capable, and that his friendship with soO will be vital.

Classic may have won the title, but he still has much to learn from his old roommate. Classic has earned the right to be GSL champion, but soO has earned the right to be remembered as one of the game's greats.

Writers: lichter.
Graphics: GOM eXP.
Editor: lichter.