GiGa internet
Kespa Cup S1 2015

KeSPA Cup: Power Rank
Battle for the Cup

Brackets and standings on Liquipedia

by TeamLiquid ESPORTS

"Who would you bet on in a best of 101 with your mortgage and 401k on the line?" Yeah we thought that might be a good thought experiment. "Who has looked the most impressive in the past X months," also crossed our minds. There are many different factors that enter our discussions (and yes, we do thoroughly discuss this) when we try to answer the question: "Who's better?" and we couldn't list down all of them if we tried. If it were up to lichter though, he'd probably just vote for who he finds more entertaining. However, thanks to our spreadsheet heavy, completely democratic, and reasonably systematic process that involves a lot of name calling and secret google doc editing, we're pretty confident someone will agree with us on this. Hopefully.

A few notes on the rankings:

• The Power Rank only takes players competing at Kespa Cup 2015 into account.
  
• The PR is not a ranking of everyone's chances to win this tournament. There's a lot of bracket luck involved, so think of it like this: the Power Rank is just our all-around answer to the question "who's better?"
  
• Power Rank does not suggest that a higher ranked player is better than a lower ranked player in a head to head. Rankings are based on the overall appraisal of a player.
  
• The power rank is a compromise between the opinions of several writers, ensuring that not even the writers are happy with the end result.
  
• TeamLiquid is not responsible for rage or rage related injuries suffered as a result of reading the Power Rank.

Alright, let's get it on!

#16: Dear

Recent Achievements: SSL S1 top eight, SSL S2 top 16
2015 in a Headline: "I’m not completely dead yet guys!"
Title Win Effect: Everyone checks to see if they’ve slipped through worm hole to 2013.



After suffering through a lengthy slump in 2014, Dear seems to have found some rhythm in the early months of 2015. He has occasionally shown flashes of his 2013 peak form, but Dear is nowhere near as dominant as he once was. This wildcard protoss reached the quarterfinals of SSL S1 and could have potentially gone further had he not drawn a red hot Life as his opponent. To follow up, Dear displayed yet another strong performance in the KeSPA Cup qualifiers by defeating the likes of Flash, Sora, and Rain. Then he was dumped out of his GSL PvP group. Now he must face a heavily favored CJ.herO in the first round. These two protoss heavyweights have dueled on three occasions in HotS, with herO winning two. However, Dear was able to defeat herO in their most recent meeting in the current Proleague season. Even if he manages to get past herO, Dear will likely meet PartinG in the next round. This may not bode well for the Samsung Galaxy Protoss, who recently lost two PvPs against Stats and PartinG to get eliminated from SSL S2. While few would pick Dear as a favorite to win this tournament, most believe he can still compete with the best of the best.

As much as fans want to write Dear off, he just refuses to quit. He hit the deck hard after being blindsided by Mousesports but still managed to get back on his feet. Dear is the type of player who pushes forward no matter what doubters think of him. His moments of brilliance have been few and far in between, but he could make a deep run in the KeSPA Cup if he can just string a few solid performances together. As of now, most fans will say it’s impossible, but there will always be a small voice in the back of their heads whispering, “you should never count him out”.

The esports world will always remember Dear as the man who walked the WCS royal road twice in 2013. While that certainly makes for a memorable legacy, Dear is capable of leaving behind a better one. Winning KeSPA Cup might not catapult him straight into the discussion for best protoss in the world—a title he briefly held two years ago—but it would at least get him into the picture. At times past, Dear has shown he can be the most dominant player at a tournament, sometimes seeming untouchable. But has that time come and gone? Will we ever catch another glimpse of the Dear who swept Soulkey in a WCS grand final, who defeated Maru and soO to win a GSL? When one becomes the best player in Korea, the spotlight can shine to the point that it blinds. Alas, that magnitude of attention overwhelmed Dear, and he was crushed beneath the weight of expectations. Only a select few, like Life or Zest, have embraced the challenge of being the best. Both KT players have qualified for KeSPA Cup, and so has Dear. He has proven he belongs amongst Korea’s elite once before, but now can Dear prove he belongs in the company of the greatest?

#15: Terminator

Recent Achievements: GSL S1 Ro16, S2SL S1 Ro16
2015 in a Headline: "I vaguely remember you cause of your ID."
Title Win Effect: "He gets to ask sOs to stop 2 gating him in practice."

For most of his career Terminator has been unremarkable. In 2013 and 2014 he failed to make a dent in GSL, often failing to qualify outright. However towards the end of 2014 and early 2015 we've seen a new and improved Terminator. This 2.0 version has managed to bag 9th-12th place in Hot6ix Cup, a GSL Ro16, and a S2SL Ro16 in late-2014 to 2015. And as he has improved as a player he has also started distinguishing himself through his gameplay.

It is remarkable to notice the effects that particular teams have on certain players. While KT and SKT T1 are more known for their solid and methodical macro players, you can clearly see the influence of Jin Air's craziness on all of its players. From sOs' crazy builds to Maru's proxy antics and Rogue's peculiar plays in strange situations, Terminator looked like the odd man out. He tended towards the same macro builds during the beginning, but before long, Jin Air's—and in particular sOs'— influence has started to show. Terminator still leans towards macro plays but he brings the Green Wings air force with him wherever he goes, from phoenix openings to void ray comps, but those aren't his signature. Terminator chose the carrier as his flagship unit to lead his golden armada in glorious victory over Dark in the GSL. Unfortunately the victory was short lived as Terminator wasn't able to get a grip of his PvT woes and ultimately lost to INnoVation.

This new Terminator now resembles his protoss teammates more. He has traded his consistent mediocrity for inconsistent brilliance. This season, his runs in both GSL and S2SL were stopped before they had started, failing to qualify or make it out of Challenger. However, Terminator partially redeemed himself by qualifying for KeSPA Cup, and it is his only chance in season 2 to show that his improvements were not temporary.

#14: MyuNgSiK

Recent Achievements: Advanced to GSL Ro16 first in his group, left Prime.
2015 in a Headline: "Later Prime, I need some new kicks."
Title Win Effect: The Apocalypse happens.



Who the hell is Kim Myung Sik to stand up to PartinG and proxy gate him two games in a row, and win the series after beating Dark? Who the hell is Kim Myung Sik to save Prime from eternal ignominy by winning the ace set in their last Proleague match and preventing a winless round? Who the hell is Kim Myung Sik to leave Prime for StarTale, the only team worse than Prime? Perhaps it was the allure of the fresh leather on Sbenu sneakers, the nagging catch of the alliterative slogan, and the promise to become even more the undisputed protoss ace on his team. Or maybe it was just for the shoes. Regardless, it seems like we must ponder more seriously the nature of this eccentric protoss. Gone are the days of the random Proleague appearance and an even more random triple stargate phoenix build or four immortal allin. Now he incorporates those into his arsenal along with his "standard" stalker-heavy and colossus-averse compositions.

MyuNgSiK's performances in GSL and Proleague are now impossible to ignore. He seems to have finally crossed the threshold of "always worth mentioning," even if it's more in anticipation of how long he'll stay on two bases or which buildings he'll proxy for his allin. His preposterous preferences in PvZ might not catch us off-guard anymore, but they might have received a boost in legitimacy with the shift in the meta after the swarm host patch. This will certainly work to his aid against Rogue, but beyond that he's drawn an extremely tough bracket, with the promise of either a streaking ByuL and respectable ZvP or his weakest matchup against the toughest opponent, Maru. But if there is anything to take away from MyuNgSiK's recent surge, it's that he is not to be underestimated. While at face value and in terms of strategic depth he is not the steady rock that Zest is or the ruthless killer that Stats is, MyuNgSiK is the essence of 2013 sOs with the soul of 2012 PartinG. It's an odd combination, but surprisingly potent in the right circumstances. If the Sbenu Protoss does his homework and sustains his reputation, he might make it farther than people expect.

#13: FanTaSy

Recent Achievements: Double Starleague qualification S1, IEM WC Ro8, GSL S2 Ro16
2015 in a Headline: "Leaving Kespa has greatly improved my skill, unlike Rain."
Title Win Effect: Everyone feels that feeling you get after watching a feel-good movie, like Air Bud or Cool Runnings

The SKT exodus of late 2014 was, without a doubt, one of the weirdest free-agent seasons we've ever seen. After being humbled by their eternal rivals KT Rolster in the Proleague Grand Finals, Rain, Soulkey, PartinG and FanTaSy all decided to bolt for foreign pastures. While the first three were established starters on the team and were considered some of the best players in Korea, FanTaSy had seen his stock plummet to the point where rounds passed without him ever leaving the bench. He had become a glorified cheerleader; though he struggled with his lowly place on the team, he remained the consummate professional. Then, when his contract expired, nobody blamed him for seeking a change of scenery. It wasn't out of greed; it was out of frustration.

Unlike Rain or Soulkey, his change has borne some good. After languishing in Code A during his time with SKT T1, his switch to Dead Pixels immediately met a rise in form. He qualified for both Starleague main events, and though he stumbled at the first hurdle in each, it was still more than he had accomplished in 2 years. When he then qualified for IEM WC, he was written off against Rain. Instead, FanTaSy tore him a new one with his deranged style of terran. His path was blocked off in a tough 2-3 loss against Trap, but his fans finally believed that he had arrived in SC2.

Unfortunately, it will take more than a few qualifications to finally be considered a good player. FanTaSy has shown flashes of brilliance and uncanny tenacity, but he has often been held back by his inability to steady his rocking ship. He continues to stockpile minerals for no reason and bash into brick walls, but he's one of those players that can pull moments of magic out of nowhere. His departure from KeSPA finally appears to have set him on an upward trajectory, but his ceiling will be determined by how much he can clean up his mistakes without completely sanitizing his rabid play. Nobody knows how high he'll reach before dropping back down, but everyone wants to believe he can do it.

#12: Soulkey

Recent achievements: IEM Taipei Ro4, Qualified for both Starleagues
2015 in a Headline: "Rebuilding the Iron Wall"
Title Win Effect: Axiom regrets dissolving their partnership with TCM... Okay probably not.

KeSPA is not for everyone. The strict regime which sometimes seems to border on torture has been known to make and break players in equal measure. Having a minute schedule and the stern, watchful eye of a full coaching staff on your back is often a benefit, but not always. The success many KeSPA players enjoy stems from the relinquishing of personal freedom and—as it appears—stylistic identity. KeSPA players, on the whole, do not possess the same diversity as non-KeSPA players do. But given the heights their stars have reached, it seems a small price to pay for a shot at the superstardom all players desire.

For Soulkey, it seems safe to say that the chief influence is his own mind and dedication. 2014 might have been a step down from his illustrious 2013, an anonymous leap year of no significant results, but 2015 has signaled the imminent return of the player that awed us in 2013. Now playing for TCM Gaming, Soulkey has established himself—not without setbacks on the way—as a zerg on the rise. Semifinals appearances at IEM Taipei and Fragbite Masters may not yet be something to write home about, but dual qualifications for GSL and S2SL alongside his run through the KeSPA Cup qualifiers (where he beat soO, sKyHigh and First among others) all add to the image of a Soulkey just now beginning to rise from the rubble of 2013's Iron Wall.

I'm going to say it upfront: if Soulkey wins this tournament, I'm going to eat my hat. The bracket format is far too punishing for a player of Soulkey's present weaknesses, but I would not be surprised to see him take games or even the series against PartinG. It's the little things.

#11: Losira

Recent Achievements: Top 4 at HSC X, 9-5 record in Proleague 2015, Qualification for S2SL Season 2
2015 in a Headline: "Resurrected by Choya"
Title Win Effect: stuchiu creates the Church of Choya and becomes unbearable

Out of all of Choya’s charges, it’s Losira whose improvement was most unexpected. The ex-Incredible Miracle star found the transition to HotS difficult; struggling to replicate his preferred ultralisk heavy style. Once known as a late game zerg extraordinaire (seriously, if you’ve somehow managed to miss out on his epic series against GuMiho, you owe it to yourself to catch up here), his curious decision to leave IM at the end of 2013 proved to be near-disastrous. His fall was dramatic, dropping instantly from Code S to the doldrums of Code B. He played a mere 85 maps of Starcraft 2 in the first half of 2014, mostly in online qualifiers, and we feared that we had seen the last of the zerg with the fastest hands in Starcraft.

His return to a stable team environment at MVP was viewed more as a curiosity than anything else—an opportunity to reminisce on his glorious resumé. However, behind the scenes, Losira began to move through the gears again—357 maps played in the second half of the year shows the vast difference that support, confidence and determined application can bring to results. His rebirth at HomeStory Cup X was a delight to watch; shedding the KangHo tag in favour of his original moniker, it really seemed that the old Losira was back. In 2015, he’s gone from strength to strength: successful qualification for an individual league in Korea for the first time in well over a year, while proving to be the anchor behind an ever improving MVP Proleague lineup.



In the Starcraft scene, we tend to put results above all else. We’re constantly judging, ranking, and reappraising. We care about statistics in Proleague; about runs in Code S and the S2SL; about who wins IEMs and Dreamhacks and Blizzcons. We care so much that sometimes, we lose track of what truly makes the game great—the characters that give colour to this vibrant scene. There are few players in the world—let alone the militaristic KeSPA regime—as expressive and open as Losira. We’re used to seeing a meek bow after wins; a thumbs up if a player’s truly letting off steam. Losira is different. From dancing his lings in Bomber’s face before giving the thumbs down to the entire StarTale bench in the GSTL, to the sheer joy he radiated after beating ByuL in Proleague Round 1, Losira has always showed that he loves the pantomime as well as the game. There may be better players than him competing this weekend, but there are few worth cheering for more than Losira.

#10: Dark

Recent Achievements: GSL S1 Ro16, S2SL S1 Ro16, IEM Katowice Ro4
2015 in a Headline: "Great in PL, disappointment in individual leagues—the new Flash?"
Title Win Effect: Valdes creates the Church of Dark.

Several years after BoxeR discovered him, Dark has finally started to show that he's more than just potential. He has gone from consistently failing to qualify for individual leagues to frequently making the Ro32 and now Ro16s in both GSL and S2SL. Not only that, he has now become a mainstay of Proleague, unexpectedly usurping INnoVation for the crown of SKT Ace. His list of victims in Proleague include: Flash, Maru, Rogue and sOs; and in individual leagues he has taken down: Trap, Classic, Flash, TY and MMA. His most impressive result was at IEM Katowice 2015, where he managed to defeat both Taeja and Maru back to back in dominating fashion.

However, as is often the case with many players, their ascent to the top is often littered with many bumps, pitfalls and hurdles. Despite often looking dominant and brilliant in the earlier rounds of individual leagues and tournaments, Dark increasingly falters the deeper a tournament goes. The Ro16 seems to be his new wall; however he has proved at IEM that he is capable of breaking through this wall occasionally. This KeSPA Cup represents one of those opportunities to better himself and make another deep run. However, Dark has one major Achilles heel right now: his ZvP, even before the swarm host patch, has been poor. He recently lost to both PartinG and MyuNgSiK in Code S Ro32, appearing weak to all ins and bad at taking gambles. It isn't clear how he should go about it, but perhaps it's about time he began incorporating early game aggression to give him the space to win games with his macro. If he can rustle up some ZvP wins when it counts, or if Dark manages to dodge ZvP altogether, he can definitely make it far.

#9: Rogue

Recent Achievements: 3-kill of CJ Entus, Ro8 GSL, Ro4 Gfinity
2015 in a Headline: "Cannon me again Classic, I dare you!" (Alternate Headline : "Does anyone know the Heimlich?")
Title Win Effect: Soularion from a year ago becomes an accidental prophet (and even more unbearable than if Maru won).

Very carefully, Rogue has risen to a surprisingly high level within Korea. His success has brought him to second place in Proleague wins (and holding a better win record than pretty much any high-level player), while remaining relevant in the various solo leagues. This is a feat no other zerg except Life has accomplished—and even then, Life's Proleague success has been dwarfed by both ByuL and Rogue. However, it seems that Rogue misses out on the extra bit of talent that breeds champions, seeming to fail when the pressure gets too heavy for him to handle. His recent 3-kill of CJ (even though Jin Air ended up losing the set) is very interesting in this regard. Sure, it was more preparation than simply being far better, but it was still an impressive run.. That got completely overshadowed by ByuL's reverse 3-kill.

In many ways, that one word captures Rogue's entire career—overshadowed. When 2015 Proleague began, Rogue was an unlikely backup man for Jin Air, but got completely overshadowed by Maru's stellar 7-3 record. Even in the recent round—where he went 5-0—he still can't seem to grab the headlines ahead of the terran prodigy, or ahead of players such as herO and Stats. What Rogue lacks is that moment. That moment where he can say that he fully embodies his potential. Being a routine ace, like ByuL. An all-kill, like Stats. A fierce run in GSL, like the one he almost achieved but barely fell short of against herO. A championship, like Life. That one loss to ByuL may have cost him his best chance at complete victory, and instead, he was overshadowed one more time, by a zerg who did largely the same thing he did but in a situation that made it far more noticeable.

Like so many others, Rogue's looking for a huge run here at the KeSPA Cup. With how the brackets have been drawn, it seems that Rogue is destined to be overshadowed, but the chance at vengeance is always there. Most interesting is the Ro8 match against either his teammate Maru, or the very zerg that crushed his hopes in Proleague, ByuL. It's certainly one of the bigger matches to watch over the weekend, and it gives Rogue one definite chance to step out of the darkness and into the light. To become the champion he's routinely fallen short of. But until then, it's hard to rate Rogue as anything more than middle-tier. Significantly better than the bottom-feeders, but still destined to be picked on by greater predators.

#8: Dream

Recent Achievements: 2nd at SSL S1
2015 in a Headline: "I beat Life in a Bo7."
Title Win effect: Takes trophy and rubs it in the face of every player that mocked him at SSL

Dream's entire career can be summed up as this: after having one mind blowing performance, he then spent the rest of the year in obscurity. In 2012, Rain gave up his spot in GSL to attend MLG. He then came back to fight Dream in Code A for a spot back into Code S. Instead he was summarily kicked out by Dream as Dream put on (what we thought) was a once in a life time performance as he completely dismantled and outplayed Rain in the macro game. Hopes were high to see how far the young player could go, but nothing came of it and he went dormant for the year. He then rose up to play Scarlett at the ATC Finals where he put on another once in a life time performance as he played one of the best games of the year on Red City against the Canadian Zerg. And then again Dream went dormant.

Until this year After joining SKT, Dream quickly made his way through S2SL, where he met Life in the semi-finals. Anyone who was anyone would have told you that Life was easily the out and out favorite. And then in one of the greatest series played in 2015 (and arguably all-time), Dream took on Life head to head and defeated the best player on the planet in a Bo7.

Yet going into S2SL Season 2 group nominations, it was clear what the other players thought of Dream. He had gotten lucky to get this far, his run to the finals was a fluke and he should feel grateful to even be counted among them. Here at KeSPA Cup and later in S2SL, it will be Dream's turn to provide a rebuttal. Has he truly awoken in 2015—his once-a-years finally becoming his everyday—or will history repeat itself as he is sent once more into obscurity?

#7: ByuL

Recent Achievements: Double Starleague qualification S2, Proleague R2 Finals MVP
2015 in a Headline: "I came in like a wrecking ByuL."
Title Win Effect: A wrecking ball crushes the building and ByuL rides out on it



So basically, ByuL is the reverse Solar. While the latter has floundered in Proleague, the former is in the argument for best zerg in the league. The Samsung man has balanced his team league struggles with some good runs in GSL and even titles at MSI Beat IT and DH Stockholm; the CJ Entus player has yet to taste any sort of individual league success apart from a silver in WCS AM 2013. Curiously, the two players even share a similar name: ByuL means star in Korean, and the sun is a star (unless you're stupid). It wouldn't be a surprise if it turns out these two players' fates are intertwined; they were both Samsung Khan B-teamers once upon a time, after all. If so, ByuL likely won't get far this KeSPA Cup after such a brawling performance in the R2 Finals.

Based on form alone, ByuL is behind only Life as Korea's best zerg. With Proleague giving us great games and elite matchups each week, it has become one of the best proving grounds for anyone hoping to break into the upper echelon of the swarm. While Dark and Losira have received the accolades for their impressive winstreaks, ByuL has plodded through opponents to put together one of the best records in Proleague. On the one hand, rating a player so highly purely out of team league success seems counter-intuitive. On the other hand, there aren't really any zergs apart from Life who have accomplished anything in Korea since soO's quadruple silvers. While that distinct lack of worthy contenders should temper the gravity of ByuL's ascent to the top, it's still quite an achievement to carry your team to a round title in the world's toughest team league.

Yet, even if he does continue to chop down his opponents in Proleague, ByuL will never be considered a great player until he can translate some of that success into an individual tournament title. That's why he can only rank above all the other aspirants and below the recent champions and finalists—at the end of the day, a trophy with your name on it matters more than a trophy with your team's. CJ Entus may be sweating at the prospect of ByuL taking this KeSPA Cup and following Solar's Proleague implosion, but for ByuL, it's a trade he must be willing to make.

#6: Stats

Recent Achievements: Best PL record in 2015 (14-3), NSSL Season 2 Round of 8
2015 in a Headline: "I am not in danger, Flash. I am the danger. "
Title Win Effect: The protoss race loses respectability faster than post-GSL May InCa

Obscured by the popularity and success of his more explosive counterparts, Stats has been largely ignored as a threat by the larger public. PartinG, Zest and herO have boatloads of effusive charm and exuberance to spare; even PartinG’s more self-aggrandizing moments are a relief simply because they present an alternative to the worst stereotypes of Korean demeanor. sOs’ shyness serves as a balance to his unhinged approach to the game. Rain has no need to be exciting in front of the cameras. His legacy can substitute for personal connection until he hangs up the mouse and keyboard. Meanwhile Stats is largely associated with PvZ dexterity and a face reverse-engineered from a banana cream pie prank. As a player, he is well-respected in the way one respects a veteran carpenter. He is not a bold “artist” or “innovator”, but he can do a bang-up job on any house as long as he knows the problem beforehand.

Attention to detail is crucial for preparation-based tournaments, and Stats seems to have acquired some mighty fine microscopes after he botched his chance at a NSSL final (he lost to the eventual winner Maru). So far his 2015 Proleague performance has been impeccable, recently sweeping SKT T1 in the playoffs. His S2SL S1 group went swimmingly as well, although Stats admits adapting a spray-and-pray approach when it comes to committing to fights. For the first time since September of last year he looks sharp. His PvT finally has that pristine shine and no matter how much Stats protests, his PvP victories don’t look like flukes either. Little do-gooder Stats, quietly honing his craft while his contemporaries ate up all the attention, is ready for his closeup.

#5: Zest

Recent Achievements: Advanced to 3SL Ro8 second in his group, IEM Katowice Champion
2015 in a headline: "The rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated."
Title Win Effect: Olli becomes unbearable; SackOfWetMice curses him from the depths of hell

As it turns out, losing to TANGTANG really was just a fluke for Zest. Despite some lackluster outings in Proleague, Zest shredded the IEM World Championship and expunged any doubts about his form. With highly adaptable and sturdy PvZ, Zest overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Hydra. The 3-2 win over INnoVation was not as close as it sounds, because Zest completely dominated in macro games and only faltered with his cheeses. The same can be said for his series against Bbyong. Then in the finals, Zest completely outclassed Trap in PvP. It's usually very difficult to label a player as "good" at PvP due to the nature of the matchup, but Zest is outstanding at finding his way into the mid-game, where his understanding and decision making rise above all others.

KeSPA Cup is once again loaded with great Protosses, but it happens that Zest won't be able to hit a PvP until the semifinals at the earliest. Instead, beyond his initial PvT, it looks like the road is paved with zergs. While Zest's flexibility and breadth of strategies in the matchup establish him as one of the most formidable, he can err on the side of greed, and his aggressive allins are quite stoppable. Nevertheless, like herO, his shortcomings are only exploitable by some of the best. Similarly, his PvT is all around excellent, but he is shaky against the most prolific attackers, both with early factory-based aggression and relentless mid-game bio assaults. Although FanTaSy's macro game and scv pulls are unquestionably outmatched by Zest, his penchant for effective early harassment could prove to be a problem for the KT Protoss, much like it was for even the defensive rock, Rain. However, Zest's quick recovery of form after his GSL slump shows no indication that he will feel threatened until at least the semifinals. From there, he'll have to fight as hard as ever to stay in the running for best protoss.

#4: herO

Recent Achievements: GSL S1 Ro4, IEM Katowice Ro8, Advanced second in his group to the 3SL Ro8.
2015 in a Headline: I beat 2 gate, plz stop 2 gating me D:
Title Win Effect: banjoe becomes unbearable.

Tragic heroes are defined not by their noble birth or remarkable achievements. Tragic heroes are, by design, instead defined by their tragic flaws. For our tragic herO, the main downfall is strategic selection. The bulk of herO's losses, particularly the important ones, stem from either a stubbornness to adjust to the situation or a predictability that is easily countered (and in some cases, both). From both perspectives, herO is just not a difficult player to outwit before the game starts. He has lost to proxy 2gates (and died trying), his greed in PvZ has been exposed, and his inflexible build selection per map has cost him too many times. While herO excels in nearly every aspect of macro play and is both fearsome and fearless when aggressive, he is too reluctant to deviate the slightest bit in order to account for the weaknesses his opponents might look to exploit.

Despite the cracks in herO's play, that's all they really are: cracks. The most dexterous of opponents, like Stats or Rogue, can navigate herO's road map and get right down into those cracks, able to dig at them and widen them enough to squeeze in a few wins. Even so, the CJ Protoss is a prolific winner. Although it's a vastly different dynamic, it does mean something that herO consistently reaches the latest stages of the death trap Korean qualifiers for nearly every tournament. Sure, he can be reluctant to vary his strategies within a series, on a map, or in a specific matchup, but he has the raw skill to do almost anything he wants and make it work. The only terran he has trouble beating is Maru, whose advantage stems from his own strengths more than herO's weaknesses, and Bbyong, who abused the s*** out of herO's repetitive tendencies. The only zerg he struggles with is Life, who adroitly punishes herO's greed. He has a more glaring problem with PvP at the highest level, but even that seems to have improved after his advancement from the quad-protoss group in 3SL. The bottom line, however, is that it's not a bad place to be if your two biggest obstacles the two best players in the world.

#3: PartinG

Recent Achievements: 2nd GSL S1 2015, Top 4 IEM Taipei
2015 in a Headline: "Greatest Protoss of 2015, suck it Zest!"
Title Win Effect: Kicks out Leenock for Top 15 All Time

PartinG has spent the last year as an entertainer. He is SC2's best interviewee, best trash talker, best ceremony maker and one of its biggest personalities today. Which makes it all the more amazing when you realize that he can back up his talk and his braggadocio with his in-game skill. He talks the talk and walks the walk. There is no other player in the world quite like him and he has become one of SC2's biggest and most beloved stars and one of the few Koreans that actively tries to engage the foreigner scene as much as he can.

Which may be why he is the first and only Korean player to have ever commented on the Greatest of All Time list at all. His exclusion was a shock not just to PartinG, and was one of the more controversial placings on the list. PartinG in a recent interview after getting past his GSL Ro32 group said this: "I asked myself if it was possible for him to hit the cannons from below, and then as the situation unraveled itself I found out that the distance actually worked out for him. If I had been able to force out a draw then I think an article could have been published where my unbelievable sense of game could have come to light so it was really disappointing."

For PartinG, being the one of the world's most loved players and one of its strongest players is no longer enough. It is more clear now than it ever was before that PartinG wants to be more. He wants to be the greatest not just now, not just of his race, but one of the greatest to have ever done it.

#2: Life

Recent Schievements: IEM Taipei #1, GSL Season 1 #1, SSL Season 1 Ro4
2015 in a Headline: "Dead friends enemies."
Title win Effect: Life acquires his eleventh title, tying Taeja for most championships in SC2 (and makes Zealously unbearable in the process)

What do Marineking, Flash, DRG, Mvp, Taeja, Leenock, Symbol, San and Creator and others have in common? They all at some point, in one way or another, competed directly with Life. Be it for championships, consensus ”greatest player”-titles or simply through oft-recurring face-offs across Korean Starcraft, or by directly interfering with Life's quest for never-ending glory.

Where are they now? Don't answer, the question is rhetorical; they are all gone. Retired, all but retired, or simply outmatched by a field of opponents rising to overtake them. Outmatched by the Zerg prodigy that in the end bested them all. Since Blizzcon, Life has been under attack from all sides. Since becoming World Champion, Life's day-to-day schedule has involved more televised games than that of almost any other player. He has suffered losses to ForGG, Maru, Dream, Rogue, Innovation and others amid a veritable sea of triumphs, and more often than not avenged those losses mere weeks later. soO and Soulkey may have their eyes set on their own past heights, but it is still Life that rules the Swarm in Korea. In this, he has no equal. In Korea, he has no rival that outshines him.

Life has always been at his very best in a pinch. There are countless examples from tournaments on multiple continents across three years and two different games of Life performing below his own standard when he isn't being pushed to the limit. When there is someone at his heels, chasing him, he runs faster. When someone pulls him down, he climbs higher. Life's career is a rollercoaster of falls and high rises, and when he remains unchallenged at the top for too long he becomes complacent and inevitably suffers as a consequence. KeSPA Cup comes at an opportune time, following a GSL championship that put Life past $400.000 in career winnings. With a new trophy to set his eyes on, Life doesn't have the time for contentment.

Fortunately, this tournament has gathered all of his potential adversaries. Maru, Dream, Stats, herO, Parting and Rogue – all of whom have pushed him to the brink recently. All of whom appear to be legitimate threats to Life's continued dominance in Korea. Contrary to what one might think, this is not detrimental to Life's chances, but conducive to a performance on the level that has awed us in the past. For Life, challenges are not challenges, and triumps are not triumphs. In a pinch, Life is the very best he can be.

With all his potential rivals gathered in one place, he could not have been dealt a better – and worse – hand.

#1: Maru

Recent achievements: IEM Taipei 2nd place, SSL Season 1 1st place, 4th best Proleague record (13-6)
2015 in a headline: Bashing my head into walls - now successfully!
Title Win Effect: Takes the lead against Life in their race for 2015 championships, CJ Entus buy ByuL a house

Without even taking his results into consideration, Maru is a remarkable player. From his debut as the youngest player to play a game of professional Starcraft to his much-delayed evolution into a championship-caliber player to the eye-catching features of his style and the abilities only he seems to possess, Maru is unique in many ways.

To a greater extent than any other player, I think, Maru is distinctly threatening. Like most Terrans originating on Prime, he shares a love for aggression. Not the kind of aggression that you would expect from players like herO or Taeja, which might be relentless and hard to stop but nonetheless at least sensible. With Maru, you know that an unrelenting wave of marines and marauders -- backed by medivacs that tear at you through incessant drops -- is coming. Rather aptly described as 'banging his head into a wall with the force of a sledgehammer', Maru employs a high-risk style that he makes work through peerless control and calm under pressure.

More so than his most dangerous opponent Life, Maru is an intimidating opponent because knowing how to stop him is not, in fact, half the battle. Save for Parting, no player seems to reliably push Maru into a defensive posture, and as a consequence the Jin Air Terran is allowed to attack, attack and attack until he has beaten the opposing player into a bloody pulp. Violent imagery, perhaps, but no less violent than the way in which Maru ekes out his victories. Granted, his playstyle has him walking a fine line on which he balances only because he has the form required to maintain efficiency in all aspects of his play, but putting him off-balance takes incredible play or extremely tailored builds. Even Life, although he beat Maru at IEM Taipei and fought evenly with Dream -- whose TvZ I would argue is better than Maru's -- struggles to keep up with Maru's pace, and as a result has dropped below Maru in this ranking.

Protoss players cower in fear as Maru drops them into oblivion and Zergs seek to regain their balance in a new ZvT environment where they no longer have the safety of the Swarm Host to lean against when facing mech. Fantasy and Dream are largely unproven in TvT, ensuring that there will be no competition from his own race. Maru is at the top of his game, prepared to take the championship. Fewer players than ever seem capable of stopping him.

Writers: lichter, Zealously, stuchiu, CosmicSpiral,
banjoetheredskin, Soularion, XXTN, Destructicon, munch, The_Templar
Graphics: shiroiusagi.
Photo: GOMeXP, kimbilly.
Editors: DarkLordOlli, lichter.