GSL Season Three
Code A

Group H Preview
Trap, aLive, Bbyong, RorO

Group L Preview
Stork, Trust, YongHwa, FanTaSy

Brackets and standings on Liquipedia

by Cosmic Spiral

At this point in SC2 history MVP_aLive almost certainly qualifies as a relic of a bygone era. Once he was the prime example of how a ‘run-of-the-mill terran’ could earn respect, despite lacking any noteworthy traits outside of the game. No, I don’t mean peddling his modesty as a paradigm of good character. aLive made his bones by destroying dreams, by being the most sheepish version of Batman in the darkest timeline. He bumped MMA out of championship contention in the first season of GSL 2012, permanently broke Squirtle’s spirit at IPL4, handed Polt his exit ticket in WCS America Season 1, embarrassed Maru right after the latter won OSL, and committed all other sorts of heinous acts out of stoic duty. Unlike Sniper, aLive never played up his role as the latent evil genius. He didn’t want to piss you guys off. It just happened…a lot.




Considering the current state of Code S representation, we could use more ordinary terrans who can defy expectations. But is aLive in the proper shape to fight for that title anymore? The few games he’s played over the last couple of months suggest he might not be steady Code A material anymore. “Sparse” and “worrying” don’t begin to adequately cover it. He’s only played 3 TvZ series in 2014 and lost all of them, including a 0-3 rout at the hands of Suppy; 4 TvP series that netted a single win over JYP. He’s played TvT the most within that time span, going 12-11 in matches and 5-7 in series. The most notable opponent he’s beaten is MarineKing. There’s no question aLive is in serious trouble.

Meanwhile, CJ_Bbyong has rocketed from lackluster nobody to budding star. Only 8 months ago comparisons between Bbyong and Ensnare seemed apt. Both had a propensity to simply exist, doing well enough to maintain a spot in the GSL and nothing more. Neither seemed irreplaceable or particularly memorable in the grand scheme of things. But after a magnificent run through the IEM Sao Paulo qualifier (he would definitely like to forget what transpired during the main event), Bbyong has become a legitimately great player. Once reserved for garbage time (Bbyong’s record in 2013 Proleague was a cringe-worthy 7-15), he’s risen to CJ’s second option in Proleague. So far management’s faith has paid off handsomely: he is currently 20-11 with wins over everyone worth noting except soO. Currently he deserves to be called a top 3 terran and, if he makes it through, a dark horse for Code S.

Similarly Trap can’t be pigeonholed as a PvZ sniper anymore. While PvZ is the matchup everyone remembers for Trap’s flair, it’s PvT that secured his win at MLG Anaheim. Despite losing to Illusion early on, he finished the tournament with a 9-3 record that included a 2-1 victory over Keen and a 6-0 record against Polt. Combined with other showings, he is 13-4 in PvT through the last 2 months. These stats are undoubtedly inflated due to weak competition: Polt has been slipping for a while and Keen hasn’t looked like a strong threat for ages. Nevertheless it bodes well for Trap that his typical Achilles’ heel, PvP, is absent. Now that his PvT looks good enough to beat his terran challengers, Trap should be considered a favorite to get out.

Hey, what about that lovable scamp Samsung_RorO? If we know anything about stability, GSL champions generally have good odds of reaching Code S even if they’re out of their prime. Certainly RorO has been staying busy to make sure people remember him. As Samsung Galaxy’s ace he sports a 19-10 record in Proleague, the only player on the team over 2 wins with a positive record. RorO also ought to be feeling good over his new and improved ZvT. Last year his ZvT was like a crater in the dam, the one certain way a team could take him out. This year he ranks as one of the true monsters in the matchup: 24-5 with 1 loss in a BoX match. The only real threat to his Code S chances is Trap. By no means is RorO’s ZvP weak but it has been his undoing in the last couple of months. Protoss proved to be his bane last season when Classic and TAiLS tag-teamed him in the Code A qualifier; Welmu put the final nail in his coffin at Dreamhack Bucharest; his most frequent losses in Proleague are to top-level protosses. To advance for another shot, he will want to avoid Trap if possible.

Predictions:

We’ve seen nothing from aLive that suggests he is a major threat in this group. He routinely struggles against players worse than what he will face tonight, and even a second-place finish would be a minor miracle. Realistically Trap, Bbyong, and RorO will be fighting for the 2 spots.

Among those 3, Bbyong has shown the best games against elite competition. His recent record doesn’t look amazing until one realizes he’s fighting the likes of Parting, Soulkey, and Rain every week. RorO and Trap have been playing above expectations in the XvT matchup, but Bbyong’s rise has been steadier and proven in more circumstances. Trap’s PvZ remains a real threat against any good zerg while RorO’s ZvP only seems to produce wins against mediocre opponents. In a Bo3 results can be surprisingly variable but I would bet on Trap more often than not.

Trap > aLive
Bbyong > RorO
Bbyong > Trap
aLive < RorO
Trap > RorO

Bbyong and Trap advance

by CosmicSpiral

After 3 consecutive seasons in Code A, SKT_FanTaSy might be mildly perturbed if he missed out on Code S again. Unlike his teammates the Crown Prince was not itching for a new start in SC2. Prior to the switch, he had made the finals of 3 consecutive OSLs and made top 4 in 6 of them; he laid claim to 4 second-place finishes, gold in the 2010-2011 Bacchus OSL and a close 2-3 loss to Flash in the 2010 Bigfile MSL semifinals. If Flash’s star did not shine so brightly in Proleague, FanTaSy would be a lock for greatest terran during Brood War’s twilight. Instead, he finds himself a shade above gatekeeper status.

If there’s one thing FanTaSy has perfected in SC2, it’s keeping us on the edge of our seats for a breakout. Occasionally he shows us a suggestive spark, a moment that promises his nose hasn’t been completely erased by the grindstone. They manifest in the oddest places: a smooth qualifier run for the GSL Global Championship, a nice win against RorO in Proleague, qualifying time and time again into Code A. Normally these feats wouldn’t raise a single eyebrow. Every dog eventually has its day in the SC2 scene (depending on the person, we would have to make some serious concessions). But when it comes to legends, the perceived flame never fully dies out in the minds of fans. It doesn’t matter that he recently went 3-6 in Proleague or has only cracked 50%+ in one matchup. Someone with FanTaSy’s reputation and work ethic will always preserve that seed of hope because…it’s FanTaSy. He’s got to get good at some point right?

Similarly, Samsung_Stork is hedging his bets that hard work will overcome any qualms concerning the game. He is the last member of TaekBangLeeSsang who hasn’t found his SC2 role. While Jaedong transitioned into a globe-hopping cash machine, Flash became a team league aficionado, and Bisu jumped ship to return to his one true love, Stork just got stuck. Arguably Stork started off even worse than FanTaSy as the latter was at least palatable in multiple formats. Outside of the MvP Invitational, which was the ultimate stats-padding event for the newly introduced KeSPA players, Stork was largely regarded as a joke with no punch line. He couldn’t qualify for Code A, he couldn’t win in Proleague (and ended the 2012-2013 season with an 11 game losing streak), he couldn’t make one memorable run in an online qualifier. For a while people feared he would end up like Bisu, leaving due to poor results and personal disgruntlement with the game.

Over the last few months he’s taken baby steps towards becoming a well-rounded player. Stork showed incredible scrappiness at Homestory Cup IX and the last GSL season, going out biting and scratching like an enraged honey badger. Even his 4-3 record in Round 4 is commendable considering it includes victories over Maru, TY, and ByuL. Yet the biggest surprise may be how proficient he has become in PvP. Since February 10th Stork has quietly racked up a 20-8 record in the mirror matchup. He’s served as a reliable sniper in Proleague, only losing to sOs on a regular basis while taking out Rain, herO, and PartinG. Considering he can beat the best in the world in this matchup, Stork must be ecstatic over getting a group with 2 other protosses.

One of them is someone someone else liked before it became popular. Or at least that’s what a fan of CJ_Trust would say if he made it big. If you like rooting for the little guy, Trust is definitely a player you should look out for. Like the last person in the group, Trust’s main claim to fame is doing well in online events. Looking at his total record, he is unusually apt at taking out midlevel players outside of the booth. Trust frequently reaches the quarterfinals/semifinals of these qualifiers and can proudly boast that he hasn’t lost a PvT series going back to September 2013. Naturally the universe provides some karmic balance: he’s never gotten past the Ro48 in Code A and has never won a Proleague game (currently standing at 0-5). History suggests he will fail and fall back into the abyss; the competition suggests he might squeeze through if the stars align.

The saddest story of IM’s (alleged) disbanding may be the fate of IM_YongHwa. As far back as the ZOTAC Team Invitational, YongHwa was pegged as the rarest of prodigies. He appeared to have no weak matches, he could play a macro game with the best in the business, and was preternaturally clutch in team leagues. There was just one problem with the script. For some odd reason YongHwa could never transfer that brilliance to individual leagues, where he would regularly flop out of the GSL before the quarterfinals.

With the prospect of having to advertise himself at some point in the future, it would be helpful to secure Code S status. Luckily for YongHwa, he has become the master of navigating his way through Up-and-Down groups. He’s walked through said fire 4 straight times to reach Code S, regrettably having to repeat the process once he drops out. And despite how terrible his 3-10 Proleague league appears at first glance, most of those losses came against opponents superior to who he will face tonight. With no reliable ace player to anchor their lineup, ST-IM has unsuccessfully thrown him out against top players. More often than not YongHwa fails to deliver but there’s only so much you can expect from a perennial Ro32 player. Group L poses a less daunting challenge than getting mauled by herO and Maru every week.

Predictions:

Fortunately for all 4 players, this is one of the weakest groups in the entire tournament. It’s feasible for any combination to make it out depending on who shows up in good form. Trust is an underrated player but unproven in these situations. YongHwa steps up his game every once in a while yet will have to overcome distractions over his future. FanTaSy’s remarkable power to maintain a perfect 50% winrate in TvP is at best confusing. As it stands, the determining factors will probably be Stork’s strong PvP and YongHwa’s stubbornness when it comes to group stages

Stork > Trust
YongHwa < FanTaSy
Stork > FanTaSy
YongHwa < Trust
YongHwa > FanTaSy

Stork and YongHwa advance.

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