KT vs Jin Air: Recap

by Destructicon


This first game started out relatively peacefully. TY had replaced Flash (who did not appear to have even come to the studio) as KT's go-to Terran, with Trap taking the threat of his notoriously preparation-savvy opponent head-on. Trap opened with a fast expand into a stargate and double oracle but was unable to deal damage. He was however able to scout most of TY's early moveouts ahead of time and felt confident enough in his security to take a 3rd. However, TY's deft maneuvers managed to pull Trap out of position as he hit the natural and the 3rd at the same time, killing both many SCV's and, more importantly, the 3rd itself. From there, TY took a 3rd of his own while keeping up the heat until it was enough to melt Trap in his shoes and turn the Jin Air Protoss into a green puddle.


The Mad Scientist of Proleague decided to open with a proxy stargate against TY, dealing tons of damage with his two oracles. Behind the pressure sOs double expanded, taking the free main and then his natural. TY scanned the natural of sOs and was lulled into a false sense of security upon seeing it just barely up and saturated when -- in fact -- sOs' economy was in fact kicking into high gear. Behind this deception sOs amassed a frightening colossus-based army. At some point, TY started to suspect that something was off when sOs kept killing scouts that were headed for his hidden base. But in either case, when TY finally discovered the base and tried to break it, sOs responded by recalling half his army to it. The match then turned into a veritable game of chicken as TY's army was capable of defeating either half sOs' army, but not both, making him unable to commit. When he finally decided to hit the natural with a desperate all-out push, sOs smartly sacked it only to buy time for his armies to link together and merge into an army easily powerful enough to destroy TY's pitiful force.


The potential masterclass in PvP started with sOs attempting to bait Zest into an ill-fated attack after sending a hallucinated oracle towards his base and going robo to counter Zest's blink. But Zest is no amateur, and he saw through the deception easily and used his pressure to expand, which in turn prompted sOs to abandon previous plans in order to also expand. The two macroed impassively for a long time, etablishing 3, and then 4 bases. Zest decided to transition into tempests (despite the cries about the unit's alleged uselessness), stalling with zealot and stalker runbys while he reached the critical mass necessary to take on sOs' composition head-on. sOs tried to respond with Void Rays and witty maneuvers, but he was never able to find the engagements he needed and lost the final clash.


Jin Air decided to stop Zest's momentum before it could outpace them and retaliated with their ace, Maru. The Marine Prince came out of the gates swinging, opening with an aggressive take on the 1/1/1 with the potential to transition into a standard macro game. He baited out a photon overcharge at Zest's natural with his initial marines while attempting to deal damage with banshees and widow mine drops. Zest remained calm and collected, deflecting the initial attacks very well while taking a 3rd. Had the game continued in that vein, Zest would have quickly outpaced Maru and brought KT to an important lead.

However, Maru found an opening with his follow-up tank siege of the natural gas, denying Zest half the base's income. Zest initially looked posed to counterattack across the map, but got cold feet as he reached Maru's natural. This indecision saw his initial macro advantage evaporate. Eventually Zest was able to clean up the small task force of Maru, but he found himself out of position to defend against the relentless flurry of drops that was to follow. From that point on, Maru systematically dropped Zest to death in the most Maru-esque way possible, crippling the Protoss economy while staying on pure bio. Zest attempted the kind of Hail Mary-DT attack that had saved many of his Protoss brethren in the past, but Maru was easily able to deflect it (though not without help from Zest's own positional mistakes) and continue to turn up the heat. The pressure grew until Zest couldn't take it anymore, and he desperately counter-attacked across the map with his last force and had to watch, helplessly, as it was torn to pieces


KT took the threat of Maru very seriously and responded with their own prodigy. The early game was uneventful save for a massive blue flame hellion runby attempted by Maru in the hopes of going into the mid game with a lead. Life didn't see it coming until the very last moment, but through a combination of Terran mistakes and trademark Life micro still cleaned up the attack with a mere 2-drone loss. From there, Maru transitioned into mech while Life responded with ling, ultra, viper and infestor. The mid game played out well for Maru as he maxed out and expanded to the center gold base as his 4th.

Life took a number excellent engagements, landing blinding clouds on several clumps of tanks and then smashing through them with ultralisks and lings. The terran prodigy was on the ropes for several minutes, desperately staving runbys and struggling to protect his outlying bases. Eventually, however, he was able to stabilize and push back the attack on his 4th that very nearly broke him. He then used his air superiority to stifle Life, sniping several [E/N: also known to Zerg fans as "far too many"] overlords and vipers and sending Life into the deep red. This maneuver bought Maru the time he need to expand once more and climb back in supply in order to match his opponent. The two would clash several more times, this time with Maru denying one of Life's mining bases and backing the Zerg into a corner. Maru caught out several infestors and smartly identified that Life wasn't going for the expected air transition, and thus chose to transition into banshees. The tech switch caught Life completely off-guard and, despite his army trading very well against Maru's, he ultimately had no answer for the banshees that were raining down hell upon him. Maru then seized the opportunity to destroy the last mining base of Life and seal his opponent's fate.


With everything on the line KT sent out the man that had all-killed the day before, Stats. Well aware of what was on the line, both players took to playing uncharacteristically conservative early and mid games. Maru even went as far as to scan Stats' main to check on any possible all-ins. Stats, meanwhile, took a 3rd and began preparing for the imminent onslaught. Maru, upon seeing the 3rd of Stats, attempted to snipe it in standard Maru fashion. When he was unable to do so, he backed off and settled for macroing on his own with a 3rd base, an armory and 2/2. After a few pokes it became apparent that all of Stats' stalkers were in his main, paranoiacally positioned to deflect possible drops. In response, Maru then loaded up several medivacs and attacked Stats from two sides, catching his army between his own forces, sniping the colossi with marauders and severely punishing Stats for dividing his army. Maru strategically retreated as to not get caught out by a possible counterattack, but with two colossi down the damage was already done and plentiful. Maru returned soon after with a much larger force and a complimentary fleet of vikings, making short work of Stats and ending KT's R2.

Kryptonite

by banjoetheredskin

CJ and Jin Air will meet in the playoffs for the fourth time since the format changes that came in with the 2014 season —more than any other two teams. Their fourth meeting may be crucial in determining seeding for the season playoffs, but it is also something else: the escalation of a building rivalry.

Jin Air and CJ first met in the fourth place match of the Round 3 playoffs in 2014. It was by far their most memorable meeting, and set the stage for what has gradually developed into rivalry that extends beyond just Proleague. Maru had just taken down herO[jOin] after he had accumulated two kills, bringing the series to its final set. CJ fans first groaned in discomfort at the prospect of Bbyong's largely unseen and most likely crazy TvT, but then dealt with the utter shock of seeing EffOrt sent out instead [E/N: As a CJ fan, I would like to use the term "really angry", instead]. Proleague's worst performing player at the time, it seemed like suicide. But EffOrt turned out to be a ZvT specialist, and in one of the best games of 2014 Proleague, defeated Maru's Nada-esque mech into bio build. CJ would make it all the way to the finals, where they ultimately lost to SKT.

They met again in the bronze match of the next round. Pre-empting the anticipated ZvT counter attempt by EffOrt, Jin Air sent out Rogue to thwart CJ's plans. With their first stratagem dodged, CJ's weakness to Jin Air was finally exposed: reliance on strategic preparation over depth and well-roundedness. Bunny came out and proved to be another pundit with outstanding TvZ, but Maru once again silenced the CJ player after two kills, then went on to take three for himself. Jin Air, unlike CJ the previous round, did not squander their opportunity and defeated SKT to win their second round that season.

CJ started off the 2015 season with an impressive second place finish after round robin play, while Jin Air looked rather disappointing with a fourth place finish. But when they had the opportunity to play CJ in the bronze match, we knew they would bring their A-game. Rogue secured two kills and Cure stopped ByuL at just one, so by the time herO could do damage control, Jin Air still had Maru at their disposal. Once again sealing CJ's fate, Maru suffocated herO with drop heavy play and propelled Jin Air back into the finals, where they eventually lost to SKT.

Their most recent meeting was in the round robin of Round 2, where Jin Air prevented CJ from sweeping the round 7-0 with a 3-0 sweep of their own. Like alcohol on a paper cut, CJ will have a stinging reminder of their recent shortcomings against Jin Air as they go into their second round finals since 2014, this time with the direct seed. This time, the winners will have no further hurdles to worry about, no additional preparation or planning waiting for them. This match is the first time, perhaps of many to come, where the two teams face with everything on the line.

On the surface, it seems like a close fight. Given how dominant both teams looked throughout the round robin, it very well could be. However, as history indicates, Jin Air might have CJ's number. But CJ have a history of being masters of the curveball, and with a bolstered roster there is no telling what plans they might have made, or what strategies will be their tools in the fight against Proleague's most diverse roster.

Coach Park's Hat...
The CJ Entus coach might be a magician. Sora's WCG run, Trust edging out MC, RagnaroK's resurrection, Bunny's TvZ marksmanship, EffOrt's mysterious ZvT virtuosity and superb GSL Ro32 performance, and sKyHigh's Hot6ix Cup run are all accredited to wizardly mentoring of Coach Park. In instances such as those, he pulls something truly remarkable out of his hat, something between a Vegas gimmick and a biblical miracle. But other times, he, or maybe his players, whom he ought to advise better if with their own volition, pull out the same damned rabbit. Not rarely, unfortunately, with one limb missing. For CJ, it's starting to get to the point where we can predict both when we're getting the rabbit and when we're in store for some sleight of hand.

... and the roster he pulls out of it
With the addition of RagnaroK, another Code S Zerg to bolster their lineup along with ByuL, CJ look to be in a better spot when it comes to the apparent weaknesses Jin Air (primarily Maru) have against Zerg. The key in CJ's lineup, though, really boils down to how many times Park will pull a rabbit out of the hat: a predictable player easy to counter. Although he managed to make Code S, RagnaroK probably won't have a chance to play. On CJ's depth chart he is probably still near the bottom alongside Bunny, Trust (whose near-miraculous victory against MC might have earned him the team's favor), and WCG expert Sora. Trust also made Code S, but he too was not impressive enough to make a convincing case for an appearance. Just don't be too surprised if one of them comes out to target someone like Cure or Maru.

Among the players we will likely see are an assortment of to some extent incomplete parts forming a functioning whole. While the Proleague format is much more forgiving of matchup-specific weaknesses, CJ will need to, like always, look to minimize that if they want a fair chance against Jin Air in the all-kill format. A hallmark of this is Hush, the PvP specialist who just can't seem to win a game outside the mirror. That's not to say that he's looked particularly bad in the other matchups, but he is probably not favored against many, if any Jin Air Zergs or Terrans who might play. And then there is sKyHigh. When he first started making a name for himself in the Hot6ix Cup, he was really damn good at TvT. Not long after, he impressed more with his TvP. Recently his recognition has been in mech play vs Zerg, comparable to, if not better than his teammate Bbyong. Factor in the swarm host patch, Bbyong and sKyHigh could both be potent against any Zerg Jin Air send out. As for Bbyong's other two matchups, uncertainty lingers. He tends to play extremely drop-heavy in TvP, often to a fault, but maintains a solid winrate overall. The same could be said for his primarily aggressive TvT, but compared to Jin Air's Terrans he might still have a tough time.

The real keys to a victory for CJ lie in their best-performing players herO and ByuL. Combined they are 22-10 this season, with all of their three ace matches having ended in victories. Clutch is a pretty ambiguous term and not usually a transferable quality from format to format, but CJ appear to have what it takes to win when it matters—except against Jin Air. herO's PvT is excellent, but his PvMaru is notably bad, and it's not unlikely he'll have to play Maru at some point in the match. herO's PvP has been on fire in Proleague recently, but has for a long time been his weakest matchup, and he lost his first PvP this round to none other than Jin Air's sOs. His PvZ is also fantastic, but Life has repeatedly exposed his weakness to early zergling aggression and counterattacks; additionally, his anti-swarm host play that was so feared is now irrelevant. As for ByuL, a penchant for counter-aggression and staunch anti-hellbat defense characterize some of the most fearsome ZvT. He was able to qualify for both individual leagues off the back of his beastly ZvT, against INnoVation no less, and respectable ZvP against YongHwa. Although he is clearly comfortable playing roach and hydra based styles, the swarm host change may discourage CJ from fielding ByuL against Protoss. His ZvZ has been good in Proleague as well, and he did beat Rogue in their last playoff meeting, but most likely won't be relevant unless there is a rematch.

Ryu Wonders of the World
As much as Park is lauded for scheduling bench warmers their 15 minutes of fame, Ryu Won deserves at least the same for the success he has had with both Jin Air and KT before that. Not only that, but he's polished a few gems of his own in Cure and Rogue. Consistent and formidable Code S presences to say the least, they aren't even the best players on Jin Air. In the cockpit are of course sOs and Maru, who went from outstanding to absurdly good under the Jin Air Coach's wing. In both individual leagues and Proleague, Jin Air players always seem to have brightly planned build orders and keen strategic selection, undoubtedly attributable to Ryu Won.

The Green Roster
Jin Air's depth this year is comparable to the behemoth lineup SKT boasted last year. It doesn't really matter who they send out first or who comes out for ace, because at least four of their players are strong enough to assume either role. Cure and sOs might currently appear a notch below Rogue and Maru, but they, like Rogue and Maru, are proficients in certain matchups and strategies and can function more as counter plays than streaky all-kill players if necessary. Cure has some of the best TvZ in the business, and that could very well negate ByuL's greatest utility. sOs always has something up his sleeve. His reputation for dirty tactics precedes him, but that never stops him from finding success with baffling builds. I imagine Ryu Won gave him a password generator with key phrases related to Protoss in the word bank. Every password is a new allin or opening for sOs to experiment with. "Cannon rush Blink Proxy nexus Triple stargate Phoenix." He never runs out of ideas and he will always be a threat to either assassinate a specific opponent or break out his wok and start cooking for the whole team. Rogue is a Savage player who is really starting to hit the CliMax of his career thus far. His only weakness is against the top Protosses, so it is likely Jin Air will try to find room for him to get damage after (if) they deal with herO. Rounding out the core is the SSL Champion Maru, at this moment probably the best Terran in the world. All that really needs to be said is that he can and most likely will beat anyone he needs to. Any hopes CJ have of toppling him will require extra preparation.

It's pretty unlikely we'll see Jin Air deviate from their reliable foursome, but if they do, Trap is the most likely candidate to get some shine. He earned a starting spot against KT, and even though he lost, has been performing well enough, particularly at IEM Katowice, to continue to be rotated in on occasion. Trap has a unique style that revolves heavily around aggression, especially with oracle-based openings. Such a tendency works well in Proleague, and it would not be surprising to see some of that from him. Terminator flashed some promise in the last season of individual leagues, but since then still hasn't been fielded in Proleague and has dropped out of both SSL and GSL, so as of right now it's probably unlikely we'll see him. Pigbaby and Symbol are both in a nebulous state of mediocrity, but maintain their reputation for quirkiness that could be an asset. It is important not to forget Pigbaby's clever strategies during his WCS America championship run, and certainly not Symbol's reverse all-kill against IM and LosirA in 2012 GSTL. Although they might currently be downgraded versions of themselves, it's impossible to say when the cobwebs might break down and the gears start turning again. Oh, and there's Adios. He can massage Maru's feet or something.

Starting Thoughts
Seeing herO this early is pretty unexpected. Cure seems like a normal choice from Jin Air, since his main weakness is TvP and he was more likely to play a Terran or Zerg instead. Perhaps CJ looked to counter Jin Air's starter right off the bat, and pull something new out of the hat. Although I'm a bit skeptical of the long term benefit of playing herO first, I'm beginning to wonder if it is an attempt to avoid the situation they have recently struggled with against Jin Air: down to just herO with both Maru and sOs remaining. CJ seem to be banking on Jin Air being willing to pull out Maru or sOs earlier than usual to take down herO, assuming he beats Cure. This opens the door for CJ to play a counter game against Maru and possibly also sOs if one of them beats herO, and theoretically they would then have the flexibility to drop a game versus Rogue or Trap before securing the fourth win. Jin Air, in return, must rely on Maru's and sOs' resilience to counters or snipes, and take for granted a Cure victory.

Predictions
banjoetheredskin: CJ 4 - 2 Jin Air
Zealously: CJ 4 - 1 Jin Air
History: herO[jOin] < sOs