EPTGSL Season One
Code S
A Non-Title Bout
Ro16 Group D:
PartinG, Maru, MC, herO
Brackets and standings on Liquipedia
A Non-Title Bout
by CosmicSpiral
The most highly anticipated group in the Ro16, Group D stands apart with its combination of prestige and potential. Every player here has won a championship; none of them are has-beens looking for redemption. At least 2 of them are favored to reach the semifinals, while the other 2 are unsettling wildcards. The monotony of matchups is only a brief dampener on what promises to be an electric night.
MaruIf you want a wunderkind to win dual Starleagues and you can’t stand Zerg, Maru is your horse. Ever since his forgettable showings against SKT back in week 2 of PL, Maru has returned reenergized and sharper than even. He cut a warpath through the IEM Taipei qualifiers, steamrolled all NSSL opposition after being upset in the NSSL group stage, and he recovered his mojo in Proleague. If not for a distressing loss against Life at Taipei and an inherent weakness versus PartinG, he would be the favorite to claim both titles. That latter part will be the biggest hurdle if he wants to get out of this group. Currently Maru sits on a 5-12 game record with a 2-7 series record; after Maru snatched victory in a Leifeng Cup final, PartinG responded with 2 dropkicks in the GSL and Taipei group stages.
PartinGWith so many scattershot failures over the past few months, PartinG’s ego ought to be a bit deflated. While his indefatigable braggadocio has always existed separate of actual results (arguably, he would be a gimmicky BO Protoss without that facet of his personality), PartinG’s post-HSC momentum has been reduced to intermittent spurts and gasps. Every achievement he’s earned in a smaller tournament has been paired with failure in a larger, more prestigious arena: a Kung Fu Cup in exchange for NSSL, a close whiff at IEM Taipei to soften his ASL title, etc. The synchronicity is probably a coincidence, but will that be PartinG’s mindset going into this group? Luckily he got the most advantageous opening possible. Maru is quite the fearful beast in TvP but he has looked helpless against PartinG in their last 2 encounters. This is no big surprise considering PartinG has won 20 consecutive PvT games since December 16th. The Flash Wolves Protoss should give more thought to preparing for the mirror matchup, which has given him sporadic problems during that same time span.
MCOne of the more jubilant stories of this GSL has been the return of MC. When he initially returned to Korea, fans rightfully worried that he would be exposed as the king guppy in a small pond. MC’s continued relevance had been tied to excellent placements Europe, a region brimming with top-tier Korean talent but shallow when it came to lower-level competition; barring a rough Ro16 group, he was virtually guaranteed quarterfinal spots within such a system. Transferring to a new, stronger region could only be a risk. Fortunately for his supporters MC reignited the old fire in his Ro32 group, dispatching PenguiN and FanTaSy back to the Shadow Realm with ease. Coming out on top of an easy group guarantees nothing, but it holds promise. With enough time and practice, we might see the return of the Boss Toss.
herO[jOin]Rarely has a player felt so overrated and underrated at the same time. By all accounts herO should be a strong contender to advance. He is a stalwart presence in the Protoss hierarchy, only dropping out of sight for a short while during summer of last year; Less than 3 months ago he made a stunning comeback against Rain to take IEM San Jose, cementing himself as the most prolific winner on that circuit. Yet he has been the focal point of several catastrophic meltdowns, and there’s justified doubt concerning his chances. At this point his PvP woes are ludicrous. Not only has he lost 6 out of his last 7 series, he only played badly in 1 of them: coin flips are outperforming him. PvT is a less daunting hurdle, but still fraught with peril considering the opponent. With the way Maru dismantled him at IEM Taipei, herO will not be eager for a rematch.
Predictions:
PartinG > Maru
MC > herO
PartinG > MC
Maru > herO
Maru > MC
PartinG and Maru to advance. 
I guess I can try to listen to Twitch mobile like a radio on the way to school 
