EPTSBENU GSL
Season 2 Code S
herO of the New Era
herO, Patience, Dream, Flash
Brackets and standings on Liquipedia
herO of the New Era
by Destructicon
Group E is another group split into a nice dichotomy, featuring two Protosses and two Terrans. W have two red hot players right now going up against underdogs with something to prove. While a lot of the matchups look cut and dry at first glance, certain elements give Group E a volatile feel and upsets could abound.
CJ
herO is the most illustrious member of this group, boasting 3 IEM victories abroad as well as a KeSPA Cup on home soil. His year didn't get off to the best start as PartinG sought to eclipse Zest as the Protoss kingpin, taking silver in the most recent GSL as well as a Dreamhack Tour win; Zest answered the challenge with a victory at IEM Katowice. While Maru and Life had done enough to cement themselves as the best Terran and Zerg of the current era, the Protoss crown had yet to be decisively claimed. Up until KeSPA Cup, Zest and PartinG were running a 2 man show. However, it's now a deadlock that could be broken at any moment by a big performance. Yet before he can set his sights upon the throne of Aiur, herO needs to take this group. Overall herO is favored for obvious reasons. While his PvP remains his worst match-up, Patience isn't of the same caliber as the formidable KeSPA Protosses herO is used to challenging. Then there is his PvT, once considered his best matchup. It still sits at a frightening 63% win rate and Flash's stock has fallen to the point where herO could consider him a free win. Dream remains a highly dangerous foe with a very aggressive brand of TvP. If herO wants to earn his shot to challenge Zest and PartinG, he needs to maintain his guard versus Dream.Patience got a really hard group but when you're in his boat, every group looks hard. Easily the weakest player in the group, he has never acquired a reputation that would make opponents scared. During his time on PRIME he never gained any recognition and despite his better fortunes abroad (frequent Ro8 appearances, including a 3rd place finish at Dreamhack Winter), Patience didn't gain enough traction to become a major threat. His return to Korea has been the opposite of scintillating, as he always struggles against top Korean competitors after qualifying. If he prepares well and has a bit of luck he could make an upset as PvP and PvT victories are not beyond him. However, by all other standards he's just chum in the waters.
Dream looks red hot at the moment. He was last season's NSSL finalist and got there by defeating 
Life in arguably the best series of the year. He has continued to display great results by qualifying for Code S, defeating Stats 3-1 in KeSPA Cup and topping his S2SL group. While a recent loss to Life and dropping a map to HyuN might indicate an upcoming TvZ slump, he would still be favored to advance against most players. Here he gets a Protoss heavy group, which still works well to his advantage. Dream's biggest threat might come before he faces herO, as he has to play Flash. Despite being amazing in non-mirror matchups Dream has shown great weakness in TvT, with his winrate hovering at a measly 46%. It's funny to think that the second scariest player in the group could easily get knocked out if the matches turn out a certain way. Dream must pull out all the stops and shore up his TvT holes. If he does so, he ought to remain comfortable against Patience and herO.The man formerly known as God,
Flash, is the last piece in the puzzle. Despite starting 2015 in the most catastrophic way possible, Flash has worked overtime to turn his ship around. He qualified for both GSL and S2SL and despite losing to Leenock in the challenger round of S2SL, he broke through to Code S. He also had a good KeSPA Cup qualifier where he defeated many notable Terrans before being stopped by Dark, but not before taking a map. Despite all the joyous news Flash is still squinting at a championship run. He'll have to pray to a higher power for certain things to go his way. Yet he could still advance if the games fall out in a certain manner. Flash's TvT sits at a ridiculous 69% win rate, made all the scarier given who Flash faces on a regular basis. While his other matchups have yet to reach BW-esque heights, his TvT demands respect beyond a doubt. Additionally, Flash's chances increase considerably if Patience or Dream end up as his last opponent. This is all assuming Flash actually scouts and doesn't salvage his bunkers in TvP, or that Dream doesn't ferret out a lockstep approach to exploit.Prediction
If everything works out for him, herO advances in first place. Dream is favored to come out in second, but beware an upset as some of them are not outside the realm of possibility.
herO> PatienceDream < FlashherO > FlashPatience < DreamFlash < DreamherO and Dream advance!
