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[Code S] Ro8 Day 1 Preview - S1 2015

Forum Index > SC2 General
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[Code S] Ro8 Day 1 Preview - S1 2015

Text byTL.net ESPORTS
Graphics bylichter
March 4th, 2015 04:28 GMT
2015 GSL Season 1

GSL Season One
Code S



MMA vs TY
The Return of the Prodigal Son

Solar vs PartinG
I Get What I Like =/= I Like What I Get

Brackets and standings on Liquipedia

The Return of the Prodigal Son


by stuchiu

By the end of 2012, (T)MMA had hit rock bottom. He’d lost it all: his form, his team and his Code A spot. It was at that point MMA contemplated retirement and who could have blamed him? With his failures in-game and the turmoil affecting him within the teamhouse, there was very little motivation for MMA to continue playing. In many ways a retirement at that point was a smart choice, a safer choice. Any time spent as a pro-player in Korea, no matter how successful, is ultimately borrowed time. At the end of almost every pro-gamer’s life lies military service and among those that have taken the high road, only a handful returned to become successful full-time gamers.

It would have been a smart choice but it was not MMA’s choice. A retirement at that point was the same as surrendering the dream. MMA did not want his career to end in such a distraught way. So he joined Acer and moved to WCS EU. He decided to expand his horizons and see if he could recreate his early success. Perhaps he could reinvent himself as a top player again in another region.

If there is one thing you can take away from MMA’s career, it is that he is a fighter. MMA has thrown punches and taken hits for every scrap of success; his personal motto is “Better to shed blood today than tears tomorrow”. It is his work ethic, his dedication and his thirst for victory that sets MMA apart from other "great" players and makes him a champion. During that slump from the latter half of 2012 to the end of 2013, MMA thought about and played SC2 24/7. He played SC2, he ate SC2, he dreamed of SC2 and kept grinding.

And while he was no longer in Korea, the results of his practice showed. He won WCS Europe twice and qualified for both 2013 and 2014 Blizzcons, reaching second place in the latter. Now in 2015 he has finally returned to Korea, where he has made it to his first GSL quarterfinals since the beginning of 2012, nearly 3 years past his prime. For MMA, this is more than just one more step to the GSL Finals. It is a badge of honor, a testament to his hard work and dedication as he once more threatens to take SC2’s most prestigious title: the GSL Championship.

TY, Trapped in Perpetual Stasis

At the age of 20, (T)TY is one of the youngest players in the pro SC2 scene. Oddly enough, he is also technically one of its veterans as he has been playing professionally since he was 12 years old. Yet it wasn’t until 2010 that he had made an impact in the BW scene as good enough to play in the big leagues. TY had always played under crushing expectations. Players and fans alike believed he had the mechanics, builds, work ethic and time to become one of the greats. Yet it never came to pass. He had a few all-kills and qualified for OSL multiple times, often losing out in the group stages; once he fell to (T)Flash in the quarterfinals of the Korean Air OSL. He ended his career as a player who excelled in team leagues, but could never bring that same level to individual showings.

TY has been playing SC2 for three years and in many ways, his SC2 career has mirrored his BW career. His play is consistent as he usually contributes to his team’s victories and remains a key member of the roster. Even more than that, his play is fun to watch. He is a player that has wild strategies, aggressive tactics, multiple one-off builds, and excellent micro with strong macro to ground his play. This lethal combination makes him one of the most entertaining players to watch in team leagues. He uses both mech and bio, often paired with fast aggressive moves all across the map. He loves to abuse map design, putting tanks in very annoying yet secure locations. TY's aggregate skills are incredibly suited to the Proleague format, as a Bo1 every week gives him time to focus and come up with highly tailored answers to opponents.

Perhaps this is why his individual play suffers. In a Bo1, there is no adaptation to a surprise. If a strange build works the enemy dies or has to dig themselves out of a hole. In a Bo3 they can adapt and find holes in your play as the series goes on. TY is dangerous in a Bo1, but he's proven inflexible in longer formats. He can’t handle players that morph their play to counter his plans. Beyond that his series planning has been fairly lackluster and his mental fortitude is weak. For whatever reason he can’t seem to elevate his play like he sometimes does in Proleague.

Because of those reasons, TY has been stuck in perpetual stasis since 2010. Here is a player that has all the right combination of aspects to make a great player: great strategies, solid macro, excellent micro, a hard to deal with aggressive stance and a unique style of play. Others have ridden these qualities to stardom. But TY lacks the vision and drive to fix the problems getting in his way. He has been left as a station attendant. For the last 8 years he has watched other players surpass him by to win title after title, wondering if he will ever raise one above his head.

The time is now. For the first time in his entire SC2 career, TY has finally made it to the GSL quarterfinals. And while he still has many problems in his overarching series planning, his play has been hitting its stride. In the group stages he outpaced the competition with hyper-aggression; in the rare cases he couldn't overwhelm the opponent, he matched and reacted accordingly to their play. Were the latter instances aberrations or the start of an evolution in TY’s play? We only know this is TY’s best chance for a Korean title, one has he been searching for for his entire SC2 career. He cannot let it slip away now as he had so many times before.

Prediction:

For MMA, this is his celebrity return. In 2012 he left Korea with nothing but the ambition to once more become the final boss. Here in 2015, he is close to fulfilling that promise once more. For TY this is the chance to break the cycle. He can finally fulfill his potential and become more than just a team league contributor, to become a threat to take the title.

MMA 3-1 TY


I Get What I Like =/= I Like What I Get


by CosmicSpiral

Just as we started to double down on the ragging and second-guessing, (Z)Solar decided he had enough of our storyline. Schomus pocus, what were lack of confidence and Proleague failures but words gratuitously hurled into the TL ether for clicks? As it turns out, all he needed to reverse his trajectory was time. No matter how many hair tufts he cost FPL fans, eventually Solar would run into a worse Proleague opponent. And then we’d laugh at that poor fellow.

It’s been a long time since a player’s shortcomings in one area have had zero effect on his other ventures. While Solar haphazardly stumbled to and fro in the team league, he’s been the bee’s knees in GSL. Besides a lopsided loss to (T)INnoVation, which was completely expected before the group began, Solar has looked like the dream tantalizingly suggested back at Dreamhack Stockholm and MSI Beat IT: a solid, flexible Zerg who could fill the void once occupied by (Z)Soulkey.

Such a comparison is apt even if its promise is somewhat diminished. Back when Solar won his first major tournament, there was almost no stability within the Zerg race. The group was a hodgepodge of up-and-comers with a lack of results, established veterans going through unreliable phases, and decent performers getting one or two high placements. Internal ranks were as transient as autumn leaves in the wind; every new event would crown a future contender just by virtue of bracket finishes. He doesn't court danger as insanely as (Z)TRUE. He can’t defend as effortlessly as Soulkey. He doesn’t exploit flaws as ruthlessly as (Z)Life. He doesn't dare to experiment with the unknown as often as (Z)Dark. But one can’t claim he is meretricious. Solar wouldn't be here if his entire act was smoke and mirrors. His day will come again.

Butter in the Works

(P)PartinG seems to defy description these days. Is he a slightly foppish fellow who has embraced (P)MC-esque preening and posturing, becoming a true entertainer of the people? Does he remain a solid levelheaded contender who wishes to recapture the glory of his late 2012 run, where he was unquestionably a top 3 Protoss? How much has PartinG evolved past the haughty, good-humored savant who secretly yearned to prove himself at every opportunity? Or is he all these things at once?

Part of the problem lies in PartinG’s scatter-shot results. No man can be reduced to a single label, but consensus pigeonholing points to a dominant trait that defines a player. PartinG is consistent when it comes to winning tournaments over time, not consistent enough to be an established threat for every tournament; he is inconsistent when it comes to placements, not inconsistent enough for any result to be dismissed as a fluke. Unlike (T)TaeJa or MMA, he has no verified hunting ground which he can mine for results. Unlike MC or (T)Mvp, he hasn't radically changed the dynamic of any matchup in an ironclad way. He may have popularized the Soul Train back when Zergs played the waiting game, but he squeezed more out of it due to his excellent control. His templar-oriented playstyle in PvT was neither instantly adapted nor the first instance: it was preceded by (P)San and imitated by others in the early stages of HotS.

Such stress has undoubtedly played havoc on PartinG’s mentality. Throughout all the highs and lows of his career, PartinG has always struggled to reach the GSL finals. After his amazing strides in the early part of 2012 (which included a Ro4 finish), he has repeatedly ran into the quarterfinals like Wile E. Coyote into a painted brick wall. This is his 4th time he’s faced the challenge, and there’s a hint of desperation in the air. Reaching the height of his powers on StarTale didn't allow him to break the barrier; being on SKT T1 and entering his dream environment didn’t provide that extra spark. Facing someone who doesn't look completely settled, this should be PartinG’s night to shine. But after all those defeats in the past, can he really have unshakable confidence at the moment?

Prediction:

Instead of engaging wits, PartinG prefers to play tricks in PvZ. His tolerance for macro games extends as far as he can keep engagements bound to the surface; as shown several times in the preceding weeks, PartinG’s grasp of skytoss is shaky at best. He looks considerably more comfortable managing a ground army, where he can put his multitasking to good use with templar drops and errant zealot runbys. No matter which strategies PartinG elects to use, he will want to incite haywire scenarios that prevent Solar from getting comfortable. Stagnant games are not PartinG’s forte and it’s hard to bully an opponent when no one is daring enough to throw a punch. From this perspective Solar has a more lenient approach. He and PartinG have traded several series over the last six months, all of them featuring early aggression. If he’s watched PartinG’s games over the last two months, Solar will know he has some leeway. As long as he has mastery over lategame ZvP, all instruments in the toolbox gain additional deadliness.

Solar 3-2 PartinG

Writers: stuchiu, CosmicSpiral.
Editors: CosmicSpiral.
Graphics: lichter.
Photo: GOMeXP.
Stats: Aligulac
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TL+ Member
Gorlin
Profile Joined November 2010
United States2753 Posts
March 04 2015 04:35 GMT
#2
First time in quite a while that I'll be waking up super early to watch GSL, LET'S GO MMA!!!!!!!
Bagration
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
United States18282 Posts
March 04 2015 04:39 GMT
#3
GO MMA!
Team Slayers, Axiom-Acer and Vile forever
Die4Ever
Profile Joined August 2010
United States17656 Posts
March 04 2015 04:43 GMT
#4
MMA in the quarterfinals is fucking legendary, gogo MMA!
"Expert" mods4ever.com
Shellshock
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States97276 Posts
March 04 2015 04:46 GMT
#5
As much I don't want to I'm also picking MMA to advance. Solar over Parting please
Moderatorhttp://i.imgur.com/U4xwqmD.png
TL+ Member
Cricketer12
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
United States13972 Posts
March 04 2015 04:48 GMT
#6
agree with both hopefully parting wins though
Kaina + Drones Linkcro Summon Cupsie Yummy Way
KtJ
Profile Joined October 2014
United States3514 Posts
March 04 2015 04:53 GMT
#7
MMA fighting!
"I thought I destroyed my CC but it seemed like the only thing I destroyed was Idra's mentality."
Dragoonstorm7
Profile Joined December 2012
United States599 Posts
March 04 2015 04:55 GMT
#8
As much as I want PartinG to win, here he is again vs a capable zerg opponent at Ro8.
Ive seen this enough times now
I (sadly) agree completely with predictions.

Ill be cheering tho PartinG! Maybe this is the time you finally get back to Ro4!!
oblivion awaits- dark archon (aka best unit ever)
Mutt0nDante
Profile Joined September 2013
United States15 Posts
March 04 2015 05:01 GMT
#9
CHOO CHOO I believe in the Big Boy!!
choo-choo, PartinG all day! <3 || *TaeJa claps* || Life finds a way
Popkiller
Profile Blog Joined March 2012
3415 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-03-04 05:10:40
March 04 2015 05:10 GMT
#10
MMA is murdering fools in TvT these days, I agree 3-1

hell, 3-0
Incognoto
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
France10239 Posts
March 04 2015 05:16 GMT
#11
They're already playing the Ro8?

Parting didn't get as much time to prepare as MMA or TY did. o_o
maru lover forever
Yorkie
Profile Blog Joined December 2012
United States12612 Posts
March 04 2015 05:23 GMT
#12
I think MMA and Parting will win. For heart picks I guess MMA and Solar but I wouldn't mind if Parting wins
Hwang Kang Hooooooooooo. Follow mah boy Shellshock @Shellshock1122
Dodgin
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
Canada39254 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-03-04 05:38:26
March 04 2015 05:38 GMT
#13
MMA!

Parting!
FrostedMiniWheats
Profile Joined August 2010
United States30730 Posts
March 04 2015 05:44 GMT
#14
Agree with MMA score.

Think PartinG unfortunately takes the second series with a 3-2
NesTea | Mvp | MC | Leenock | Losira | Gumiho | DRG | Taeja | Jinro | Stephano | Thorzain | Sen | Idra |Polt | Bomber | Symbol | Squirtle | Fantasy | Jaedong | Maru | sOs | Seed | ByuN | ByuL | Neeb| Scarlett | Rogue | IM forever
OtherWorld
Profile Blog Joined October 2013
France17333 Posts
March 04 2015 05:53 GMT
#15
I'm scared, I actually agree with these predictions
Used Sigs - New Sigs - Cheap Sigs - Buy the Best Cheap Sig near You at www.cheapsigforsale.com
TT1
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada9997 Posts
March 04 2015 05:57 GMT
#16
3-0 ty
ab = tl(i) + tl(pc), the grand answer to every tl.net debate
GL999et1000
Profile Joined December 2012
France229 Posts
March 04 2015 06:22 GMT
#17
This is his 4th time he’s faced the challenge

If i am not mistaken this is the 7th Ro8 for Parting et his 6th against a zerg. 5 loss so far sadly. His shaky predictable PvZ is what will prevent him to win a GSL.
P: PartinG,Rain,sOs | T: Dream, Maru,Fantasy | Z: Life, SoO, Leenock | Micro for the win! | Warcraft 3 always in my heart !
HonorZ
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
France858 Posts
March 04 2015 06:54 GMT
#18
Good luck MMA ! Let's show 'em !
"If you don't drop sweat today you'll drop tears tomorrow"
Shuffleblade
Profile Joined February 2012
Sweden1903 Posts
March 04 2015 07:23 GMT
#19
TY and PartinG, they got what it takes to clear t´his hurdle. The question is can Solar mindgame the shit out of PartinG and can MMA turn on his beastmode. MMA is always good nowadays but only sometimes great.
Maru, Bomber, TY, Dear, Classic, DeParture and Rogue!
Vasoline73
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States7799 Posts
March 04 2015 07:26 GMT
#20
I would like to see Parting v either terran. I prefer TY because I am a Kespa and KT fan, but MMA will do as well. Parting fighting.
TriZ
Profile Joined September 2012
Belgium379 Posts
March 04 2015 07:34 GMT
#21
MMA should crush TY and Solar might eek out a win vs PartinG
kochanfe
Profile Joined July 2011
Micronesia1338 Posts
March 04 2015 09:04 GMT
#22
MMA 3-2 TY (only because he fucking 2-0ed INnoVation... )
Solar 3-2 PartinG
"The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long." - Lao Tzu
ejozl
Profile Joined October 2010
Denmark3343 Posts
March 04 2015 10:40 GMT
#23
As expected, MMA has always been a TvT beast!
SC2 Archon needs "Terrible, terrible damage" as one of it's quotes.
wstubzi
Profile Joined February 2015
New Zealand224 Posts
March 04 2015 19:36 GMT
#24
Of course MMA won he is the best TvT player in the world.
Orcasgt24
Profile Joined August 2011
Canada3238 Posts
March 05 2015 02:56 GMT
#25
Was the MMA beat down of TY that lopsided? I joined during game one of Solar Parting and Artosis said not to both watching that series unless you hate TY or love MMA.
In Hearthstone we pray to RNGesus. When Yogg-Saron hits the field, RNGod gets to work
Yakikorosu
Profile Joined March 2013
1203 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-03-05 03:10:56
March 05 2015 03:10 GMT
#26
On March 05 2015 11:56 Orcasgt24 wrote:
Was the MMA beat down of TY that lopsided? I joined during game one of Solar Parting and Artosis said not to both watching that series unless you hate TY or love MMA.


Yes it was quite possibly the most one-sided Ro8 Code S series I have ever seen. I'm sure if I go back far enough I can find others, but it's got to be at least top 5.
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