EPTRo16: Group C Preview
Countdown:
by peanuts
While the decline of Terran has become a big subject of debate lately, WCS AM Ro16 so far has a 100% Terran advancement rate. Yeah, there's only been one so far, but expect the rest of America's Terrans to stand tall as the season continues.
The first match of Group C features the explosive
Redbull.Bomber, who is competing in just his second WCS America campaign. When the Korean veteran left WCS KR for AM, there were heavy expectations for him to dominate the region. Unfortunately, Bomber fell short last season when he was eliminated by Alicia in the quarterfinals. This time, he has returned strong with a first place finish in the Ro32 and still remains a favorite to win the WCS AM title. However, his recent form has looked uncertain, as he lost to Dayshi in the quarterfinals of HSC and only finished 13-16th at MLG Anaheim. One positive note to take away from MLG, however, is that Bomber defeated five Zergs - including Leenock and Jaedong - on his journey through the open bracket. There are 2 Zergs in today’s group, so that practice will certainly pay off.That being said, Bomber’s TvZ style is very predictable: he loves to go for quick 3cc’s and launch his parade push until either player breaks. This greedy build makes Bomber very vulnerable in the early game, but if he can establish his third without taking too much damage, then he can be impossible to stop. While he should be favored against both Zergs in this group, the real obstacle for Bomber is going to be Polt. Bomber lost to the American hero in the Ro16 of the last WCS season, but both were able to advance in the end. They clashed once again at LSC, which Bomber narrowly lost 2-3 in arguably the best series of the tournament. This included a game on Alterzim in which Bomber built only marines and overwhelmed Polt with numbers alone. If these two should meet again, then we could be in for a treat - especially since Bomber is known for picking creative, old-school builds in TvT.
His first opponent will be the underdog
Zoo.TooDming. The Chinese Zerg finds himself in the Ro16 for the second time in a row, after a successful run in the Ro32. His strong performances in WCS AM combined with a decent performance in his first MLG (taking 21st-24th) have helped TooDming become one of the more well liked Chinese players in the region, and while he is rarely mentioned among championship contenders, he continues to improve season upon season. With solid placings in several online cups as of late, TooDming is proving that he can go toe to toe with some of the top players in the region. TooDming also stands as China’s last hope in WCS after XiGua’s elimination at the hands of PigBaby and the loss of Jim, Top, and Macsed in the Ro32. TooDming’s ZvT style can be best described as an aggressive one. Favoring early and midgame aggression, the Chinese Zerg aims to overrun his opponent with mass amounts of lings. In his set against Illusion, he overwhelmed the young American with a moving wall of 70+ Zerglings, microing his way into brilliant surrounds, swarming the entire army. Though the style works best against greedy play, TooD is also adept at throwing out a good cheese to handle a more conservative Terran. Again relying on his excellent micro, TooDming has a particularly deadly Ling-Baneling timing that can walk over any wall off that a Terran can throw together. He and Bomber actually make an interesting matchup, but the survivor of their slug-fest will have a greater challenge ahead in the Winner's Match.
Polt, America’s golden boy, should be that challenge. The CMStorm Terran is the undisputed king of WCS AM, with two gold medals, both coming from dominant 4-0 finals. With his trademark drop heavy style, Polt has continued to push his way into the top spots of almost every tournament that he’s played in this year. After a strong start in the final stretch of the IEM season, where he placed in the Ro8 at Sao Paulo, 2nd place at Cologne and Ro4 at Katowice, Polt went on to finish in the WCS AM Ro8 for S1. After a brief break from LANs when his season concluded, Polt burst back on with ferocity two weeks ago, as he took home 2nd place at MLG Anaheim, steamrolling his opposition until he finally hit Trap in the finals. Polt has also looked strong online with another Anoss Cup trophy over Bunny, while his impressive run through IEM Shenzen America qualifiers ensures he'll have more offline tournaments to attend soon. With his TvZ as tight as ever, and with a 5-2 record over Bomber this year, Polt is poised to advance to another WCS AM Ro8. Polt’s TvZ is his strongest matchup by a long shot. One look at any of his matches, and it’s easy to see why. Polt takes constant activity to a new level. At any given moment, he tends to be queuing up a drop, clearing creep and pumping out round after round of Marines. The constant harass continues well into the lategame, drawing his opponent’s army thin until it eventually can’t stand the brute force of a direct push in the center of the map. However, if Polt finds his drops being shutdown, he has no issue with sitting back and macroing. In TvT, the Five Star General favors the intuitive strategy of “Keep throwing things at them until they tap out”. With constant aggression from groups of Marines, as well as a slow push with tank lines, Polt simply withers away his opponent's army with exceptional micro.
His likely first victim will be
WayiSpider.Check, a man on a mission to prove that his decision to leave KeSPA was the right one. After a mediocre start in SC2, Check is finally starting to find some momentum. After switching to WCS AM this year, he finds himself in the Ro16 for the first time, having peaked at Ro48 in WCS KR Challenger. Lately, he’s been finding success in the TeSL, taking 5th-6th place last season and currently awaiting an opponent to play in the third place match for this season. In Season 3 of TeSL, the Wayi Zerg was able to take sets off of Sen and Daisy, and emerge victorious over Has and Ian. Unfortunately, Check finds himself at a statistical disadvantage. Historically, ZvT is his worst matchup, and a matchup that he gets little tournament practice in, having only played 8 ZvTs in events in the past 4 months. Overall thoughts and predictions:
Bomber is looking to continue to fight the law and put up results worthy of his play. After a Zerg killing streak, Bomber is sure to find a way to negate TooDming’s aggression. The true test of his championship credentials will be his likely meeting against Polt. The 2 time champion is on a roll, and all but the biggest of doubters will expect him to overwhelm Check. Polt has always been adept at TvT, and his winning record against Bomber gives him a distinct advantage. It will probably the two Koreans fighting in the Winner's Match, but I expect them both to advance nonetheless.
Bomber > TooDming
Polt > Check
Bomber < Polt
TooDming < Check
Bomber > Check
Polt and Bomber advance. 
