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Road to BlizzCon #11 - CMStorm_Polt - WCS 2014

Forum Index > SC2 General
57 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 3 Next All

Road to BlizzCon #11 - CMStorm_Polt - WCS 2014

Text bylichter
Graphics byMeru, shiroiusagi
October 28th, 2014 02:42 GMT

Photo Credit: MeruTerran
Korean FlagCM Storm

Polt

최성훈
Card Icon

Temperance

by lichter

It's a common dream to play the game you love and get paid for it, but when the rewards are few it's difficult to draw the line between addiction to a game and dedication to a craft. It's a grim career for many and the right choice for few because sacrifices have to be made in a sport of such blistering pace: everyone plays as fast as they can as hard as they can for as long as they can. Maybe you become a champion and earn 6 figures; maybe you become a forgettable squad player and earn a pittance. Perhaps you become league MVP and play televised matches each week; perhaps the camera passes you briefly as you sit on the bench as a B-teamer. You do this for 6, 8, 10 years, until your bones begin to ache. You play the game until you burn out or run out of time to do your military service—whichever comes first. Two years later you come back to society with few skills, little education, and a faint hope of finding something in eSports. At best you become a commentator or analyst; at worst, no one ever hears from you again as you distance yourself from your past life.

Card


Winrate

65% vs. Terran67% vs. Protoss65% vs. Zerg

Earnings

$57,954 USD in 2014

5625 WCS Points

Rank #4Red Bull Battlegrounds: Detroit - 750 PointsWCS AM Season 3 - 750 Points5 Tied - 500 Points
Liquidpedia Link

What's more, the first thing that goes is always an education; when one has to practice 8 hours each day just to be decent, there's little time for other serious commitments. Dropping out of highschool is denounced by almost every society to the point that more established professional sports have moved towards forcing youngsters to attend some form of higher education. Yet we hardly blinked when TY joined WeMade FOX at age 12 or when Maru won his first GSL game at age 13. They spent their teens learning builds instead of biology, maps instead of mathematics, timings instead of history. It's a young boy's dream, a young man's illusion, and an old man's nightmare.

"Studying is studying, games are games, they are separate so it doesn’t give me any added pressure. But I know that a lot of people recognize this fact and other students also cheer for me, so that becomes a great deal of strength for me. "By anyone's estimation, (T)Polt is an old man of Starcraft—he is the third oldest player at Blizzcon at 26—yet the game remains a dream come true. Unlike many of his peers, he started late, debuting as a pro in GSL Open Season 1 when he was already a 22 year old student of Seoul National University. He was studying "Animal Bio Technology" and English, and many believed that this would be a disadvantage against more "dedicated" youngsters. But Polt has never let it to hold him back. His relative maturity and foresight has allowed him to make the best of his progaming years without pawning his future.

As a member of Prime at the time of Wings of Liberty's launch, he was a part of the team's strong terran line along with Maka (of Maka Rax fame, and.. nothing else), MarineKing, and BitByBit. MKP became the team's headliner when he reached three GSL finals, but three defeats later, no one had claimed the title of OptimusPrime—a reference to the Transformers character given to the Prime champion. Many believed that MKP would eventually transform into a champion, but it was Polt that ascended to the Prime throne. He unexpectedly won the Super Tournament, a single elimination tournament with a huge first place prize. Though he admitted that he had to take a break from school in order to concentrate on his play, he emphasized that his tournament winnings would be invested into paying for his own tuition. Not even the bright lights and big checks could sway him from his priorities: earn enough, finish studying, become a scientist.

It was an astute goal that seemed attainable due to the discipline that he had exhibited in his day job, but everything changed once he decided to leave Prime for TSL in September 2011. He became the team's star along with PuMa, and his new found fame allowed him to attend foreign tournaments. His first was MLG Orlando where he finished 10th, and he spent the next year touring the world. He won ASUS ROG Winter in his first 2012 foreign tournament, while he attended 8 other off shore events. He had left behind his studies to have his year of wonder, and though he was only able to claim one title during this time, it gave him a new perspective that could have destabilized the future that he had laid out beforehand.

He had developed a taste for travel, and by the end of 2012 he had been on and off from school for over a year. Though he would eventually graduate, it appeared unlikely that he was going to give up the booth for a science lab. Then, as the calendar turned, Polt left TSL to move to the USA to study English. His time on The SCV Life had shown him the spectacle of foreign tournaments, and his interaction with fans in English had shown him the importance of connecting with ones fans. Instead of choosing the comfortable path in Korea, he decided to uproot his life, his studies and his career from its steady base for the uncertainty of life overseas. It was a bizarre career decision at a time when everyone wanted to be in Korea, and his Code S forfeiture looked like the end of his career near the top. But once again he proved to be smarter than us all when Blizzard announced the revamped WCS system at the start of April 2013. Just when it seemed like Polt was willingly throwing his life into chaos, things somehow fell into place.



Within a year, he had made the United States his home. He became the only player to win two WCS regional events in the same year, and he dominated headlines in his adoptive country. Without a championship contender to call their own, the union dubbed him Captain America for his exploits and his English degree. He was finally able to meld his studies with his career as he swept us off our feet with the remarkably improved command of his second language. No longer did he have to rely on a translator to interpret his thoughts; he spoke clearly and concisely directly to his audience. It was a year that was supposed to be one of upheaval and transition, yet it became the year when Polt perfected the double life that he often struggled to keep whole.



Though 2014 has not been as successful as the last year, it has been far from a disappointment. He remains one of the elites of WCS America, consistently reaching the final stages of the tournament. He scored his only gold of the year at Red Bull Detroit and placed second in IEM Cologne, MLG Anaheim, and Red Bull Atlanta. America's love affair with their Captain, and he engaged them like few Koreans ever have. He guest starred as a caster in WCS America—on his birthday, no less!—, charming us with his insight and charisma, and featured in a short CNN news segment. Unfortunately, it could be the last time we ever get to see him live in English if he decides to return to Korea. The impending WCS changes threaten to turn next year into one of turmoil for Koreans living abroad. Polt's penchant for finding stability, no matter the crisis, assures us that Captain America won't be repatriated any time soon—his Athlete's Visa certainly helps.

This philosophy of creating balance permeates the way he approaches the game. He is not a macro monster like Bomber, a micro machine like INnoVation, or a skillful savant like Taeja. He doesn't have the most creative build orders or the most unorthodox timing attacks. Instead he combines a competence in all the basic mechanical and strategic aspects of the game with a tactical genius that frolics in chaos. In a way he is similar to his former Prime pals Maru and MarineKing: they all prefer MMM in most of their matchups and attempt to tear their opponents to shreds with drops and runbys. However, unlike Maru, Polt often sticks to using conventional builds that don't rely on an element of surprise to succeed. And unlike MarineKing, Polt actually knows what to do when things don't go according to plan. He is the base trade virtuoso who shines in circumstances rarely encountered.

One of the best examples of Polt's cleverness in dire situations is his game against Rain from IEM Cologne. It didn't take long for the game to descend into madness, and for 20 minutes each player tried to eliminate the other. It looked like Rain had an unbeatable force despite having no mining, but Polt still had floating buildings and CCs. Realizing that his only hope of victory was to resume mining and build more units, he floated to the gold and walled off completely. Rain could not find a way to ram the doors down in time, and Polt eventually crawled his way to a win. It was a game that epitomized what Polt does best: win by staying composed and control unmapped situations with his speed of thought.

It's this ability to harmonize the disparate elements in front of him that makes Polt unique in a sport of rigid nearsightedness. Polt's career is a masterpiece, not because of his innumerable titles or his inimitable fame; he has served as a lesson to the many aspiring progamers that all-in isn't always the answer, and that results can be found with an ideology of moderation. He is the proof of concept of the student professional, of the academic competitor, and his is a rare success story in a myopic trade. He has shown us that balance is not about standing on stable ground; it is about building a bridge worth standing on. Polt has reached the pinnacle of the sport at Blizzcon while prospering in two lives. His story is a young boy's dream, a young man's hope, and an old man's fulfillment.




Polt: Play for the Base Race


Follow PoltTwitter Twitch Facebook



ClassicClassic
PoltPolt
lifeLife
ZestZest
MCMC
JaedongJaedong
BomberBomber
SanSan
TaejaTaeja
HyunHyun
StardustStardust
MMAMMA
herOherO
jjakjijjakji
INnoVationInnovation
soOsoO


Writer: lichterGraphics: shiroiusagi, MeruPhoto Credit: TeSPA, Red Bull, Silverfire, itsjustatank, Dreamhack, Blizzard, GHOSTCLAW, Helena Kristiansson, ESLEditor: CosmicSpiral
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AdministratorYOU MUST HEED MY INSTRUCTIONS TAKE OFF YOUR THIIIINGS
Koromon
Profile Joined May 2012
United States304 Posts
October 28 2014 02:52 GMT
#2
The final paragraph is quite epic/inspiring
Elyvilon
Profile Joined August 2008
United States13143 Posts
October 28 2014 02:55 GMT
#3
Blizzcon champion

(hopefully)
Liquipedia
Cricketer12
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
United States13974 Posts
October 28 2014 03:07 GMT
#4
oh man the last 5 are going to be amazing :D
Kaina + Drones Linkcro Summon Cupsie Yummy Way
vult
Profile Blog Joined February 2012
United States9400 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-10-28 03:42:16
October 28 2014 03:10 GMT
#5
WOOOO GO POLT!!!

For the glory of America!

Also this article was awesome, especially the end. <3
I used to play random, but for you I play very specifically.
Dodgin
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
Canada39254 Posts
October 28 2014 03:12 GMT
#6
Polt is so fucking awesome god damn i love polt
Mahanaim
Profile Joined December 2012
Korea (South)1002 Posts
October 28 2014 03:14 GMT
#7
Great article :D
Celebrating Starcraft since... a long time ago.
Noocta
Profile Joined June 2010
France12578 Posts
October 28 2014 03:19 GMT
#8
It doesn't matter if Polt win tournaments anymore, he already won at life itself.
He's a success story if I ever saw one. Forever a Polt fan. Been so since the beginning.
" I'm not gonna fight you. I'm gonna kick your ass ! "
RaiKageRyu
Profile Joined August 2009
Canada4773 Posts
October 28 2014 03:31 GMT
#9
Now this one has come out, I feel it is the best written one yet.
Someone call down the Thunder?
Pandain
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States12989 Posts
October 28 2014 03:39 GMT
#10
I hope they publish San next, because by far the most interesting stories are that of Innovation, Taeja, soO, and Zest
AxiomBlurr
Profile Blog Joined November 2012
786 Posts
October 28 2014 03:40 GMT
#11
Man Polt is soooo inspirational~~ He has what it takes in today's world of uncertainty (both in SC2 and in general) to make his dreams come true...Polt V Classic will be a great match...I predict Polt 3-2... Then he will face herO Hats off for the write up...Temperance is exactly correct. Love you Polt~~~
Snijjer
Profile Joined September 2011
United States989 Posts
October 28 2014 03:53 GMT
#12
Poltuuuu !!
geokilla
Profile Joined May 2011
Canada8230 Posts
October 28 2014 04:03 GMT
#13
Polt is easily my most inspirational SC2 athlete. He got the smarts with regards to his education, and he got skills in SC2. The way this man balanced his life is simply amazing. Dare I say it's more amazing than a NBA player for example?
GTPGlitch
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
5061 Posts
October 28 2014 04:07 GMT
#14
never forgive polt for trashtalking jinro and getting thrashed 2-0 in gsl~
Jo Byung Se #1 fan | CJ_Rush(reborn) fan | Liquid'Jinro(ret) fan | Liquid'Taeja fan | oGsTheSuperNada fan | Iris[gm](ret) fan |
lolskylar
Profile Joined January 2014
Canada2 Posts
October 28 2014 04:09 GMT
#15
Excellent write up! a lot of good writing in here.

"He doesn't have the most creative build orders or the most unorthodox timing attacks. Instead he combines a competence in all the basic mechanical and strategic aspects of the game with a tactical genius that frolics in chaos"

Go captain Polt! <3 from my family in Canada
*probe squuurk*
Rikudou
Profile Joined April 2014
Germany151 Posts
October 28 2014 04:26 GMT
#16
sorry american fans out there, but Classic will demolish him in the first round already :/
Is this real Life? No, it's StartaleLife!!!
astray71
Profile Joined February 2012
United States325 Posts
October 28 2014 04:37 GMT
#17
Polt's story is so awesome!
There is no victory without the blessing of god, and there is no god but Madlife.
Split.
Profile Joined September 2011
Switzerland234 Posts
October 28 2014 04:39 GMT
#18
Didn't plan on reading the whole article, then suddenly found myself at the end. Well written.
Dreamer.T
Profile Joined December 2009
United States3584 Posts
October 28 2014 04:46 GMT
#19
I can feel lichter's passion flowing in this article. I hope polt wins it all.
Forever the best, IMMvp <3
movac
Profile Joined February 2011
Canada494 Posts
October 28 2014 04:51 GMT
#20
nice article! good read. I'm guessing San is next. leaving the 4 beastly players TaeJa, Innovation, soO and Zest last. saving the best for the end.
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