If you look at the line up for Blizzcon you have Champions of every stripe. Some have proved their mettle by winning their regional WCS event. Others have won a GSL. Some like Taeja have proven their worth through the international circuit multiple times over. Even Jaedong has his legacy from BW and his 2013 performance to prove why he belongs here. All but one.
jjakji stands alone. He has no legacy, no WCS victories, no premier titles this year. Even outside of the Blizzcon line-up, jjakji fits nowhere. He is an outcast, one whose career and play style are distinctly his own. Whose story is as much defined by its successes as it is its failures.
If there is one moment that encapsulates jjakji's identity, it is game 4 of his GSL finals against Leenock. In that game, both players had been slowly fighting across the map, and just as jjakji was finally able to push himself past the halfway mark, Leenock went for the base trade. With no choice, jjakji rushed forward only to realize that Leenock had baneling trapped the entire map. jjakji rushed forward anyway trying to use as many scans as possible before Leenock could kill his orbital commands. And once they were destroyed and all hope was lost, jjakji tried to do the impossible: he guessed where the mines were, moved a marine onto them and then blasted his own marine with his siege tanks to set off the mines.
In that impossible moment when all was lost, when there was no recourse left, jjakji pushed forward with an intense tenacity and creativity to find a way to win. When jjakji is playing his best, when he is in his element, that trait of his is what pushes jjakji forward to new heights. That essence of jjakji is what makes his games electrifying, whether he is playing Leenock in one of the greatest (if not the greatest) finals of all time, losing against Parting and changing the entire way we look at PvT, or showcasing his talents in amazing series against both Revival and Hyun earlier this year. In his career, jjakji has brought forward new and exciting ways to play the game whether it be nukes, ravens, neosteel frame bunker rushes or overlord sniping tricks. If jjakji is on his game, no one can produce games quite like him in victory or defeat.
And yet we can’t talk about jjakji without naming his failures. He was never able to capitalize on his form at the end of 2011 or after his Parting series, was never able to make a real dent into Code S for the rest of WoL. On top of that, his old team NSHS year by year, month by month, day by day, slowly degraded. But jjakji, just like his in-game mentality suggested, was either too stubborn or too loyal to quit. All of the great players--San, Sage, Seal and Freaky--had either retired or moved away.
It became a one man team, with jjakji desperate to hold the team together. Even in his few interviews back then, all jjakji talked about was holding the team together. To try and single-handedly carry them through team leagues and inspire them to do better by getting into Code S. But unlike SlayerS, there was no swan song. No YugiOh rampage to mark the passing of their team. NSHoseo quietly and calmly disbanded despite all of jjakji’s efforts.
And for the first time since playing SC2, jjakji found himself alone. And he played some of the best Starcraft of his life as he went all the way to 6th in WCS KR S3 2013. He found a new team in mYinsanity, found a new home in Europe and found a new love in Dayshi. And now here we are nearly a year later. And once again jjakji has hit a slump. And once again we find ourselves wondering what chance does jjakji have at all of even doing well at Blizzcon?
He is the odd man out. We have champions of all kinds of tournaments here. Players with undying ambition like Jaedong, a desperate will to vindicate themselves like MMA or Classic, indomitable wills to be the best in the world like INnoVation and Zest. And Jjakji is among them. He does not have the burning passion for glory. What he does have is that quiet fortitude and acceptance of someone who reached the top, fell down and rose back up again. Despite that, he is once more on the edge of the cliff.
Make no mistake, among the 16 players at Blizzcon, jjakji is considered one of the weakest there. His recent form has been among the worst, he has no championship, he has no legacy and he has little fanfare. And yet I can’t help but remember that intense base trade in game 4 of his GSL Finals. I can’t help but remember game 1 when he had hidden a base behind the mineral line so that Leenock wouldn’t scout it. I remember when he nearly pulled a reverse all-kill against FXO in GSTL in a Bo9. And I remember when, during his GSL Finals, no one expected him to win. And I remember when we thought he was done after NSHS finally disbanded before he made his 6th place GSL run. jjakji is at the edge of the cliff. He has no outs. He has no hope. And yet I can’t help but think this is when Jjakji shines the most.
Great read, makes you want to cheer for jjakji. I don't think the guy can advance more than one round though. He's got a tough bracket and is probably the weakest player with Jaedong based on recent results. But you never know...
I disagree that slayers had a swan song and NS hoseo didn't. Yugioh had a good run but then the team got all killed. NSHS managed to beat one of the strongest teams in the league in their last GSTL match.
Last year sOs didn't have a single title to his name and he managed to take the whole thing while most of the spectators had their eyes on the likes of Dear, Jaedong, Maru and INnoVation.
While jjakji seems unlikely to win it's never an impossibility. Good article. Would be great to see him pull an upset on his side of the bracket.
On October 26 2014 04:21 TC-14 wrote: Last year sOs didn't have a single title to his name and he managed to take the whole thing while most of the spectators had their eyes on the likes of Dear, Jaedong, Maru and INnoVation.
While jjakji seems unlikely to win it's never an impossibility. Good article. Would be great to see him pull an upset on his side of the bracket.
Inb4 jjakji 4-1's soO in the finals with 5 2raxes.
On October 26 2014 04:21 TC-14 wrote: Last year sOs didn't have a single title to his name and he managed to take the whole thing while most of the spectators had their eyes on the likes of Dear, Jaedong, Maru and INnoVation.
While jjakji seems unlikely to win it's never an impossibility. Good article. Would be great to see him pull an upset on his side of the bracket.
Inb4 jjakji 4-1's soO in the finals with 5 2raxes.
A bit unlikely considering they're in the same bracket
On October 26 2014 04:21 TC-14 wrote: Last year sOs didn't have a single title to his name and he managed to take the whole thing while most of the spectators had their eyes on the likes of Dear, Jaedong, Maru and INnoVation.
While jjakji seems unlikely to win it's never an impossibility. Good article. Would be great to see him pull an upset on his side of the bracket.
Given his side of the bracket (soO, Taeja, Zest, INno...) it wouldn't be an upset, it would be an upheaval.
I know it keeps recurring but MAN... This is the best article yet... Jjakji fo the win!! gogogo!!!
Excellent writing... next time you should write the best things of unpopular leaders of the world and publish a book on it... BESTSELLER all the way!!!
Jjakji was also one of the rare terran to keep getting top4/top8 finishes at the begining of the year when balance and map pool was so bad. That's when he won most of his WCS points.
Oddly enough his current "slump" came after the patches and map pool changes...
He's totally able to defeat San, should be a nice match to watch.
Now I just watched 2011 GSL final Jjakji vs Leenock and I can't wait to watch Jjakji at Blizzcon.. well written !! :D These hype writeup are really cool !
On October 26 2014 05:42 VHbb wrote: Now I just watched 2011 GSL final Jjakji vs Leenock and I can't wait to watch Jjakji at Blizzcon.. well written !! :D These hype writeup are really cool !
Ha ha same for me ! I had actually never cared to watch it and now I understand why some people called it the greatest finals of all time. So many cunning and clever moves, so entertaining games !
As many people believe in jjakji's chances of winning Blizzcon as people thought of his chances of winning the GSL. I don't think such a thing can happen twice.
On October 26 2014 07:55 ZigguratOfUr wrote: As many people believe in jjakji's chances of winning Blizzcon as people thought of his chances of winning the GSL. I don't think such a thing can happen twice.
On October 26 2014 07:55 ZigguratOfUr wrote: As many people believe in jjakji's chances of winning Blizzcon as people thought of his chances of winning the GSL. I don't think such a thing can happen twice.
wow his winrates are bonjwa level though, right? O_o like everything ~70% winrate? does this also count for online tournaments or just offline? if these winrates only include offline events, then i would eat a hat
OK I luv this terran...I really think he can beat San,,,San is straight up a grand high executor v P and v Z....but his weak spot is T, especially late game T...if jjakji can take it late game on even terms... 3-2... And if Life somehow beats Zest (super unlikely) then jjakji has a really great chance to advance deep.
Great write up....when I look at the players remaining my brain boggles....
On October 26 2014 07:55 ZigguratOfUr wrote: As many people believe in jjakji's chances of winning Blizzcon as people thought of his chances of winning the GSL. I don't think such a thing can happen twice.
I didn't think there was a better Artisis curse / Tasteless blessing clip than Maru 4-0 over Innovation. Man, that's just hilarious.
I used to be a big Jjakji fan but I haven't been keeping up with WCS Eu / Dreamhack so it feels like I haven't seen him play in forever, hopefully he gives some good games/goes on a run at Blizzcon as I'm definitely catching all the games.
Then again, every article makes me want to see everyone go on a tear too lol. So, now I'll just hoe for good games all around.
On October 26 2014 07:55 ZigguratOfUr wrote: As many people believe in jjakji's chances of winning Blizzcon as people thought of his chances of winning the GSL. I don't think such a thing can happen twice.
Jjakji wasn't guessing where the baneling mines were. He was floating a building with his army and seeing where it couldn't land to find where the mines were placed. No guesswork at all.
I don't know if that is a decent compliment to make. But every single time when I read a Blizzcon article, I want to jump on the bandwagon of the player. You guys rock. I never thought I would feel the written word having an impact on me - in a StarCraft environment. Seriously. You guys rock.
Edit: THANK YOU SO MUCH! Edit #2:
On October 26 2014 21:44 TheCzarOfAll wrote: Jjakji wasn't guessing where the baneling mines were. He was floating a building with his army and seeing where it couldn't land to find where the mines were placed. No guesswork at all.
The point is the creativity I think. You just proved that point once more.
On October 26 2014 10:02 Rikudou wrote: wow his winrates are bonjwa level though, right? O_o like everything ~70% winrate? does this also count for online tournaments or just offline? if these winrates only include offline events, then i would eat a hat
Yeah, I reacted to that as well. He's probably the one entering the tournament with the least hype, but his winrates are the best of the players yet. :O
I've been a terrible fan by waiting so long to post my undying love for jjakji in this thread (not sure if I should blame no passion or never ending travelling/ meetings). Everyone has counted him out and looking at the LP bracket contest, almost everyone expects him to go out first round. But I have faith. Jjakji will rise again and shock the world with how brilliant he is. Never count jj out. He is smart, and he is determined. He will be #1 again. Hopefully that happens at blizzcon.