SBENU SC2 Starleague 2015 Season 2

3SL Main Event
Group D
Stats vs Dear
PartinG vs herO

Brackets andLeenock gs on Liquipedia
Starcraft II Starleague

Thursday, Apr 30 10:00am GMT (GMT+00:00)
by lichter

While the wild west of PvP has settled down over the years, it remains the mirror with the most number of unpredictable variables. Protoss tech choices have become more forgiving in HotS, but the build order roulette wheel can still hit jackpot as often as it hits bankrupt. This array of choices and paths has led to most elite PvPers developing a style of their own, and each player in Group D belongs in that upper echelon of Aiur.

Unfortunately, talking about PvP can get a little dry. Defenders of the race insist that it's the best mirror, while many still remember the horrors of 2010-2011. All these players have had their individual styles analyzed thoroughly in past previews, and it's about time we took a more creative approach to understanding their play. The tactical nature of Starcraft 2 makes it an interesting analogue to football, and individual playstyles can be compared to different positions.

Stats: The Box to Box Midfielder

If there is one underappreciated protoss in Korea, it has to be Stats. Though he has yet to break into a significant grand finals, Stats has been stringing together impressive wins for years now. As a loyal servant of KT, Stats has been doing the dirty work for the team while carrying it on its back when necessary. While he has had a fairly quiet record for KT in Proleague, his all-kill of SKT T1 in the quarterfinals showed that he can be a man for the big occasions.

What makes Stats such a great protoss is his ability to do everything well. While he isn't the best at any one aspect, his average skill at the different facets of the game—defense, positioning, movement, control, trickery—nets out to be above even his illustrious opponents. It can be a thankless task when those around him dance in their stylish ways, but Stats' bullish no-nonsense approach can bulldoze the dandies that stand in his way. He just has to remember not to slip when it counts or overtly put his foot out on someone 45 seconds into the game.

Dear: The Ball Playing Centerback

If there is one position that results in moments of brilliance as often as moments of madness, it has to be the ball playing centerback. On the one hand, his powerful runs from deep can launch counterattacks without warning. On the other hand, his aggressiveness can leave him with no last line of defense. When his mind is open and his skills are at their peak, there are few players quite like Dear—unshakable at the back and constantly pressuring his opponents. Yet when he's distracted and overeager, he can run around like a headless chicken, susceptible even to a gust of wind.

Dear's fall from grace is well documented, but his rise back to decency has come with a lot of pessimism. While he has shown some good games on his way back to Code S, he's also floundered and baffled in Proleague. The genius of his double WCS victory in late 2013 seems to have deserted him, and all we're left with is a frustrating but talented player. David Luiz, is that you?

PartinG: The False Nine

While many players have bragged about their mastery of control, few have really displayed it quite as well as PartinG. Trying to beat him in a game of control is folly, as he's held unscouted 2gates against his own late gateway before (against Stats on Habitation Station). PartinG's false nine can weave his way in and out of trouble with the ball at his feet, and it takes more than just a bumrush tackle to take him out. However, the yoe Flash Wolves protoss isn't just about lavish moves; his quality in other areas—dropping deep to help defend, identifying lanes for darting runs—allows his control to propel him forward.

If PartinG has one weakness in PvP, it's that he has less experience than others in the very-late-game. His energetic approach to the midgame often results in games that end in under 25 minutes, and it's uncertain whether this mode of play is the most effective once both players have maxed out on power units that prioritize positioning and movement over micro. PartinG can dazzle more than anyone in the mirror, but he must ensure he doesn't trip on his own shoe laces.

herO: The Fox-in-the-Box

Make a mistake and herO will pounce on it. Though he doesn't have the brute force of a center forward or the nimbleness of the false nine, herO's fox-in-the-box is excellent at identifying the smallest holes and taking advantage of them. One game that highlights this is Zest vs herO from SHOUTcraft Invitiational Ro4 on Merry Go Round, where herO managed to chop down the wily Zest in a tight PvP. herO is the posterchild for the protoss that lives and dies by his instincts. Sometimes, he is able to take engagements that no other protoss can imagine; sometimes, he's just too lazy to scout and dies to a proxy. Positioning and timing are key attributes for the fox-in-the-box as he relies on his intuition more than his physical attributes.

While players like herO can take wins where others cannot, this type of player is vulnerable to equally clever players. Devious proxies often tackle these single-minded players into the ground, while feints can catch them offside. In order to advance, herO must remain vigilant in his scouting against Dear, patient against Stats' defense, and decisive against PartinG's micro.

Predictions:

1. The group will last 5 hours, longer than expected for a PvP group
   
2. Stats will win the group but no one will notice
   
3. Dear will play like a god in his game 1s, then play like a blockhead in the rest of each series
   
4. herO will be 2-gated at least twice
   
5. PartinG will mis-micro his army in a final battle but recover in time to win anyway
   
6. The casters will pretend like they really really like PvP
   
7. The LR Thread won't break 40 pages

Even though PvP is all about skill now (hi Oz!), there's still a large amount of unpredictability in the matchup. An entire group of PvP presents the most difficult thing to predict, then. While winrates and form can tell you a lot, the mirror relies on instinct and gut feeling over common sense in many situations. Sometimes you just have to dive left and hope for the best, or aim straight down the middle and pray your opponent doesn't spot the obvious. So, I'm not gonna bother explaining myself and just go with what my intestines tell me.

Stats > Dear
PartinG > herO
Stats > PartinG
Dear < herO
PartinG < herO

Stats and herO to advance.

Writers: lichter.
Graphics: shiroiusagi.
Editors: lichter.
Stats: Aligulac