EPTGSL Season Three
Code S
Group B Preview
ParalyzE, Cure, MyuNgSiK, INnoVation
Brackets and standings on Liquipedia
Group B:
A Dream of INnoVation
by Soularion
Group B is a test: A challenge of proving yourself for further trials in the Ro16 and onward. In attendance are a duo of Protoss alongside a duo of everyone's favorite race - terrans.
The group is going to be hard for all four players, but
INnoVation is likely most people's pick for first place. Many people expected the recent Widow Mine buff to be a helping hand in INnoVation's old parade pushing style, but it hasn't seemed to do much yet. He was overshadowed by fellow Acer Terran MMA in the ATC finals, getting beaten by MaNa and TLO while beating the ever-solid Snute. Even looking at his previous GSL results - he beat Ruin, Hurricane, Shine, Leenock and Squirtle, while losing to herO, Soulkey and Zest. That's exactly the line between being good and fairly poor, and what should be expected of every big-name Terran except Maru. Through foreign tournaments, he's gone 2-5 against Solar, 1-2 to Life, 2-3 to Jaedong and 0-3 to HerO. Everyone else? Beaten. Even online, which is the bane of most high-tier Code S contestants, he's looked like an absolute monster. The robot has come to Code S rejuvenated after a bad end to 2013. Hopefully, this time, he won't have Zest and Soulkey in his way.
MyuNgSiK, his unfortunate opponent, comes into this group far less hyped. Not only has he avoided pretty much every good result possible in PvT, but he's in the way of a very rare thing in the GSL - A TvT. MyuNgSiK is clearly an enormous underdog coming into this group, and it will take some of the best play he's ever shown to get him through. It's still tough to say how he'll do because, due to his unique phoenix-based style, he's still an X-factor. But, until his proves otherwise, that's all he is. He's just another fringe-Code S Protoss in a time filled with fringe-Code S Protosses. That's his challenge, getting an identity other than that guy who uses phoenixes every game, and this group is the perfect time to overcome it. He's facing the opportunity to help his team in the SPL finals, but in order to get that privilege (well, he might be picked over hitmaN either way), he'll need to show his team that he's more than just a unique style. He's a championship contender.ParalyzE is in an interesting position right now. He's a Code S Ro8er, something that few can claim in 2014 without other success, but he still doesn't seem like it. He's has no other results to keep the spotlight on him, never moving from the GSL and never being fielded by SKT in Proleague. The exact reason for this is unknown, but its reasonable to find difficulty in playing for such a stacked roster. To only increase his invisible nature, he hasn't played any PvTs recently. He does seem like a solid PvPer, however, and a victory against MyuNgSiK in the Ro32 last season bodes well for him here. Still, he can't rely on his seemingly crutch PvZ that carried him through to the Ro8 with wins over DRG and Life any longer. He has to face a terrifying new world of PvT, and it's tough to say if he's ready for it.He's played a lot against Cure, mainly in the insane Code A final qualifier that happened earlier this year. ParalyzE is 6-3 against the Jin Air Terran, but Cure's rapid improvement still poses a big problem for the ex-Afrotoss. However, despite all of his issues and unknown factors, his Round of Eight performance and standing on a team with multiple championship-level Protosses is not to be ignored. Make no mistake, ParalyzE is a favorite in this group, something that he hasn't truly been in the past. It's time to see if he can adapt to the new environment, or if he'll simply fall to the side like so many other Protosses have.
Cure is, to many, the player of these three not-as-well-knowns that has the most potential. He's a Jin Air Terran following in the footsteps of Maru who seems to be very talented at TvT. While this may help him against INnoVation, his largest problems are in TvP. Unlike Maru, who seems to be an ace in the matchup, annihilating almost all Protosses silly enough to challenge him, Cure has struggled heavily. That's not to say he's been without success, having won against Super and Creator in his IEM Shenzhen qualifier run, but his 0-2 loss to Rain soon after made sure that nothing had changed drastically. Still, he's been making surprising progress recently, and if he is to keep rising he'll need to get through this group as well. Last season, our hopes of seeing a Maru vs INnoVation TvT were dashed by Soulkey. This season, perhaps we could see the rematch everyone has been waiting for to live on in a battle of pupil vs tormented - Cure vs INnoVation. For Cure, this is an undertaking almost bigger than anything he's done so far in his career. Yet, if he wants to live up to the Terran terror himself, he will need to win here.Realistically, INnoVation will likely win. If ParalyzE was more known, I could say that he will win. But, the ex-Afrotoss hasn't played the matchup much recently. Giving INnoVation the benefit of the doubt, the remaining three-man-race is pretty damn close. Cure and ParalyzE have a budding rivalry that'll explode into intensity here, and will probably the centerpiece of the entire group. With Cure continuously cruising upwards (aside from his embarrassing loss against hitmaN that should, luckily, not effect this group..), it seems like this is just going to be another stepping stone for a great season. Not only for Cure, but for the entire Jin Air team. This is the first step. It all begins here, Cure. You best not fail.
ParalyzE > Cure
MyuNgSiK < INnoVation
ParalyzE < INnoVation
Cure > MyuNgSiK
Cure > ParalyzE
INnoVation and Cure advance.
