EPTTotally, Tenderly, Tragically
by CosmicSpiral
Up 3-2 with a deathlock on his protoss opponent, SKT.
soO was one blow away from becoming the champion of 2014 WCS Korea Season 1. Last season he had fallen short, losing to 
Dear 4-2 in a series where soO always looked one step behind. This time he had the match advantage and a contingency plan to boot. On Alterzim Stronghold, soO had built up the mutalisk/corruptor ball that defeated every protoss in his path; if KT.Zest figured out a way to circumvent that advantage he would face soO on Daedalus Point, notorious as a graveyard for Aiur. Zest was wise to it though and had built up a hidden force of upgraded phoenixes. He shadowed soO's superman punch and turned it into a guillotine maneuver that eventually choked out the SKT Zerg. With everything tied, the fate of the season rested on the plains of Daedalus, one of the most controversial maps in HotS history. soO entered with the inherent advantage of being zerg and decided to parlay it into a simple, effective strategy: a quick roach/hydra /corruptor max for an all-out attack. With his economy untroubled by Zest's conservative opener, soO was 70 supply ahead when he finally decided to roll out. Sadly, Zest had predicted the assault and prepared accordingly. Against all odds Zest held once more, and the tide of soO's hopes receded back into creep. Zest built his unstoppable army, pinned the despondent zerg, and claimed what would be the first title of an incredible 2014.
Just for Snakes and Funerals
It's difficult to ascertain whether the reputation of Kong is a curse or compliment. On the one hand, being second best means that one's better than all but a single person. Second place finishers in most sports are generally accorded with respect and rewards; this is even more valuable in a niche culture that holds winning and popularity above everything else. In the world of SC2, a perennial silver medalist can still rack up a trophy case that would make his teammates green with envy. On the other hand, people laugh at Kongs. They are the butt of jokes and memes in our world. For every sincere appreciation of
MarineKing's existence, there's a snide reminder that he never beat Mvp when it counted. The title of Kong is a memorial of one's death at the last hurdle. It is an ironic tombstone, a humorous eulogy, or an obituary placed adjacent to the funny pages. Hell, we even had a tournament in its memory. But Konghood can be greatly underrated, especially in the case of our SKT hero. Considering how the Korean scene had transformed from an intuitive system of clear hierarchies to an ultra-dense block of pure skill, it was a bonafide miracle that soO was on that podium at all. His initiation into the Kong line doubled as an incredible accomplishment that was unappreciated at the time. With 2 second-place finishes in successive GSLs, soO was the first player to reach consecutive GSL finals since
Mvp back in October 2011. But while Mvp had the benefit of being the greatest player helming the best race, soO was the only consistent representative of his people. Season 1 signaled the beginning of Soulkey's decline from GSL contender to GSL participant. Life, who soO edged out in the Ro4, would fall out of GSL entirely in 7 months. Despite having as many as 4 zergs in the quarterfinals at one point, only soO and Solar have reached the Ro8 more than once since Soulkey's last Ro4 appearance. Similar to Maru, soO showed remarkable stubbornness just by refusing to lose before the quarterfinals. But how long could he possibly hold out? The emotional swings of a tournament are stressful for any player, and soO was unfortunate enough to relive his greatest failure. For him protoss was manageable in every other scenario but the grand finals. No one would have been surprised if the double punch had utterly broken his spirit. Other runner-ups like
Squirtle and TOP receded into obscurity after a single failure. soO had every right to crumble, every right to return to a second-strong role on SKT.Instead, soO continued to fight. He continued to improve and he continued to win. Originally one of the most despised players in the scene, both for his tendencies to all-in and his identity as "another SKT Zerg", he slowly earned the respect of his peers and the audience. Our feelings for soO have transformed from disdain to tender pity, the type of compassion reserved for those who deserve better from the world. Some have even christened him the soOjwa for his unmistakable consistency. Today he has supplanted Soulkey as the best zerg in the world and the real Iron Zerg (if only for his mettle). His transformation from jester to king only needs a crowning achievement, something that's escaped his grasp on three separate occasions.
It is a small comfort that Zest will be the last protoss he faces in the GSL this season. The descendants from Aiur have been a thorn in soO's side from the beginning of his unprecedented streak. While he's handled all challengers he encountered on his way to the finals, he could never overcome them at the closing bell. Dear, Zest, and
Classic have all bested him in series ranging from moderately close to nail-biting, which could only ramp up his frustration in the matchup. This season, things promise to be different. His hypothetical challenger in the finals must be a terran, and soO knows he can prepare for the TvZ matchup better than almost anyone else. Just recently he slapped around Flash in the Ro16, making the IEM Toronto champion look like he belonged in a lower level. A ZvT final would do much to relieve the anxiety of possibly losing his 4th finals in a row. If he can simply complete the penultimate step, soO can enter the finals confident and assured. It's the Absence of God that Reassures Man
Since Zest’s coronation on April 5th, his fate and soO’s have tremendously diverged. soO went on to become the best zerg in the world and the unluckiest one, the Season 2 loss against Classic cementing the tragicomic farce of his career. Meanwhile Zest has triumphantly established himself as the best protoss in the world. Far from being unlucky, the KT star seems to stumble into success at every turn. In the short span of 7 months, he’s transformed from being a surprise Royal Roader to a darling of the Korean scene.
Zest is an odd mixture of intimidating and charismatic. Photos suggest he’s hooked up to a never-ending supply of Joker Venom. Zest is eternally caught in the middle of a laugh at all times, a quality that makes him seem like a blast to hang out with. You might not even notice that he can crush your head in-between his biceps like a cantaloupe. Yes, Zest has somehow sculpted his body like a Greek statue while sitting down for a living. Inevitably, a certain amount of envy and man crushes naturally spring up around him. All of this and we haven’t even discussed his actual gameplay. Zest’s PvP and PvZ are indomitable, maintaining 70% winrates in both over the last 2 months against the best competition in the world. He remains Soulkey’s bane with 7 consecutive victories stretching back to February. One week ago he took KeSPA Cup purely off PvP, beating great contemporaries like
herO[jOin] and sOs. Even Rain, the only protoss who had his number in 2014, fell to his overbearing might a week ago. His PvT is less impressive (particularly his inability to beat TaeJa), but Zest regularly comes through in most situations. The most surprising thing about Zest is how unimpressive he seems when you watch his games in isolation. He is not close to being the mechanical genius or the strategic mastermind we expect from a dominant player. In fact, Zest makes an awful lot of errors. He move-commands parts of his army at bad times, forgets to leave his zealots on hold position, get his army stuck in dangerous situations, mismicros his high templar. From an outsider’s standpoint Zest would appear to be a promising youth in need of serious discipline. More focused training and a steadier eye would take him a long way. With a little luck, Zest could even become a well-regarded player!
“How unimpressive he seems” is an apt phrase for his play, especially the last part. Zest’s genius is similar to the quality people praised in Flash during his Brood War dominance. While Flash excelled in mechanics and strategy, what separated him from the pack was his utter commitment to proper game management. Flash could never execute every trick and procedure perfectly in every situation; despite what our most fanatical LR regulars believe, he is only human. Yet most of the time, he succeeded because he was imperfectly doing the right thing at the right time. In the same vein, Zest distinguishes himself by being at the right place at the right time. His army control can be shockingly sloppy, but the principles behind the positioning and the movement are rock-solid. His build orders can be depressingly dull and repetitive (how many times have we seen his PvZ phoenix -> colossus build repeated ad nauseam?), and it doesn’t mean a hoot to him. Zest knows how to anticipate an opponent’s actions, the proper timings to ward off a poke and to challenge it, the proper ways to stifle pushes that would crush lesser protoss players. He'll rehash the phoenix -> colossus build 1000 times on the same map if it means he can shut down a certain set of options from his opponent. Conversely he'll break tradition on attempt 1001 when he can seize the easy win. That attitude makes him a frustrating enemy to play against, the equivalent of Rain with a hidden boot knife. With a big recent win, strategy, and all the confidence in the world, the Korean Ubermensch will be eager to remind soO that his hopes are just a pipe dream.
That's Not What is in the Script
In a way they're not that different. soO and Zest have proven they are the best players their races have to offer. They are well-rounded competitors that have reached heights few others have even attempted to imagine. They have risen from being footnotes on legendary teams to two of the most indelible players of Heart of the Swarm. They have drawn inspiration from the tragedies that they've faced, and their relentless ambition drives them to become the best that they can be.
All that really separates them is a single series, but the result produced an immeasurable gulf in terms of stature. Today Zest is a star, a highlighted name and a poster-worthy face, while soO's recent struggles have made him a wayside player in the eyes of many. Once again their paths will cross, each player on the way to the record books for different reasons. If Zest wins tonight's match he will reach his 5th finals of the year, putting him on track to tie Nestea for the 2nd most GSL wins of all time. It may even raise significant discussion that he is worthy of the Unspeakable Crown. A victory from soO would place him in the middle of a forked road: either he becomes the SC2 equivalent of Yellow or the long-suffering champion who finally earned his due. Regardless of the result, Zest vs soO will determine how we remember 2014. It's a script that has been written, and most indications point to a repeat for the sequel.
Zest 4 – soO 3
