I love Taeja so much, one of my very favourite players. He does suffer from MVP syndrome (totally f***ed wrists but somehow keeps winning anyway) though, I feel he'd have probably snuck another tournament or ten (he's just that good) if he hadn't had so many problems with his wrists.

TheDougler

Canada8312 Posts

October 29 2014 12:55 GMT

#44

This one gave me goose bumps. "The summer of his youth", a chillingly perfect way to phrase it. Well done. I'm looking forward to innovation and sOs' too (and whoever else. Zest?) but I just don't see how they can top this.

LightTemplar

Ireland481 Posts

October 29 2014 13:07 GMT

#45

Great write up, thank you so much.

Larkin

United Kingdom7161 Posts

October 29 2014 13:24 GMT

#46

So good

Boucot

France15997 Posts

October 29 2014 13:27 GMT

#47

What a great article !

Inflicted

Australia18228 Posts

October 29 2014 13:29 GMT

#48

#1 decision making

Ragnarork

France9034 Posts

October 29 2014 13:31 GMT

#49

Until reading this article, I never fully realized how insanely good Taeja was. He still was for me the really good Terran that entered rampage mode during the summer.

But... whoaw.

Side note: the fact I went through all the articles and that for 3/4 of those I ended the read with the wish to see the player I just read about winning Blizzcon just shows how important storylines are in esports IMO.
But now I don't know who to cheer for

Can't they just all hold the trophy once?

Tamagoshi

Brazil981 Posts

October 29 2014 13:50 GMT

#50

Great article, Taeja is a beast, even if he retires now, he will always be a legend of SC2

On October 29 2014 22:31 Ragnarork wrote:
Until reading this article, I never fully realized how insanely good Taeja was. He still was for me the really good Terran that entered rampage mode during the summer.

But... whoaw.

Side note: the fact I went through all the articles and that for 3/4 of those I ended the read with the wish to see the player I just read about winning Blizzcon just shows how important storylines are in esports IMO.
But now I don't know who to cheer for

Can't they just all hold the trophy once?

I like half of the players, but my mind and heart already decided. soO all the way!

Adept

United States472 Posts

October 29 2014 14:00 GMT

#51

Why do soO and Taeja have to face each other so early

MavivaM

1535 Posts

October 29 2014 14:34 GMT

#52

I became a fan of Taeja as well since I thought that there was something special about his playstyle even when Slayers was about to disband, for how faithful he was to the team when winning games that actually did not even matter that much on the rational scheme of things.
For a lack of better words I used to think of him as a free-form terran, but I think you spotlighted exactly what makes him great and particularly hard to play against in tournaments that last no more than few consecutive days.

Probably the only way to counter him is to study and craft ad personam builds like it could happen at Blizzcon... but... well, Taeja decided to postpone his retirement at least twice (or at least that's my take on it, more informed people could correct me) just for this occasion.
Allow me to quote myself from the first time he did look actually sure about his retirement, during HSC IX (which he won, btw):

On June 08 2014 23:28 MavivaM wrote:
(...) I think this time Taeja's speaking for real... but actually I'm not sad.
It looks like he's not slacking around before the retirement, but actually wants to give his 110% and end with a bang.

If I'd have to define Taeja in few words, I'd say "innate talent" and "enormous hunger for victory".
Slayers disbanding? He kept winning. Not that he was always training at their facility, iirc back at then he was already training by himself.
Alone and teamless? He kept on winning.
Playing in team leagues and your teammates are having troubles? He kept on winning basically as a one man team.
Wrist problems, terran's rise and fall through patches, huge tournaments with GSL players competing while he wasn't even on a team facility - one of those things that man believe are a fundamental asset for winning constantly?
He kept on fucking winning.

And that's why I believe that Taeja will win Blizzcon as well.
For other players this may be a huge hit or a stepping stone.
For Taeja, this is the reason why he kept playing when he could actually say "screw it, I got my money, let's take my deserved break before military service, make my hands rest and just hang around".
Time for your next and last trophy, Taeja.

Deleted User 3420

24492 Posts

October 29 2014 14:36 GMT

#53

Aweosome article. Taeja really is something else. Like others, though, I am disappointed he has to play soo round 1. Would have loved a soo vs taeja finals.

Shuffleblade

Sweden1903 Posts

October 29 2014 14:54 GMT

#54

Very nice article, I've always thought that I didn't understand Taejas play. It doesn't look like there is anything speciala about his play but for some reason he crushes. This explains it all very well, I guess I've had a hunch, a feeling that there is no one thing he does that makes Taeja great, its the ocean of things he can do and how he chooses what to do.

DongFeast420

United States20 Posts

October 29 2014 15:07 GMT

#55

On October 29 2014 21:55 TheDougler wrote:
This one gave me goose bumps. "The summer of his youth", a chillingly perfect way to phrase it. Well done. I'm looking forward to innovation and sOs' too (and whoever else. Zest?) but I just don't see how they can top this.

only soOjwa, Zest, and INnoVation left. $O$'s not invited to the party this time. I think that soO's article could definitely top this, he's got the coolest story of the year.

SFDuality

United States1318 Posts

October 29 2014 15:16 GMT

#56

Love the champagne bottle in the card. :D

I was one of the people who was confused and even dismayed when Liquid picked up Taeja instead of Ganzi. An unproven, untested kid instead of a solid veteran? A player who was perhaps #4 in SlayerS' Terran depth chart? Surely Nazgul's gone crazy! Boy, was I wrong. Hands down the greatest pickup in the history of SC2.

Man, I really hope Taeja wins this Blizzcon. More than anyone else, he deserves to go out with a bang.

Serinox

Germany5224 Posts

October 29 2014 15:52 GMT

#57

I still can't comprehend that TaeJa will retire. Him leaving will create such a big emptiness in SC2 for me

And if he really pulls through and wins Blizzcon I think we should put him above Mvp in the list of best SC2 players.

Thax

Belgium1060 Posts

October 29 2014 15:55 GMT

#58

Hoping for Taeja to take this. Would be a nice cap to one of the most impressive careers in SC2 history.

Ej_

47656 Posts

October 29 2014 16:07 GMT

#59

stuchiu is hands down the best writer

Nebulem

71 Posts

October 29 2014 17:01 GMT

#60

Innate talent is exactly what describes Taeja the best imo. Even above his great mechanics (micro especially), I'd say he probably understands and feels Sc2 better than almost anyone, and this is what allows him to identify the tiniest weaknesses of his opponent and take advantage of it (one of the previous article was actually comparing him with a shark that would be unrelentingly attract by the scent of blood). And this is why his playstyle seems so natural and spontaneous (and eventually beautiful to watch at).