SBENU GSL
Season 2 Code S Ro8

Familiarity Breeds Contempt
Rain vs Curious

Brackets and standings on Liquipedia

by munch

What I Deserve

In the five years since its emergence, the Starcraft 2 landscape in Korea has never been as hectic as this. Where previously the GSL had reigned supreme in the hearts of gamers everywhere, it now has to share top billing with the S2SL. For some, success in Proleague rules above all. In such a competitive era, it’s no wonder that the top players are measured on their ability to compete in all three simultaneously. Equally, it’s also no wonder that no one’s cracked that particular challenge. No GSL run for you Dream? You must be overrated. No S2SL playoffs for you herO? You can’t be the best protoss. No Proleague form for you Solar? You must be… well yes, you are slumping pretty hard right now to be honest.

That unyielding demand for a champion challenging on all fronts though may have unnecessarily narrowed our focus. While the terran and zerg hierarchies may be relatively certain for now, the protoss crown has been passed around like a hot potato throughout the year. At various points, Zest, Stats, herO, PartinG and Classic have all laid down their claims to the throne. But while his fellow sons of Aiur have been squabbling among themselves, Rain has quietly glided to his first Korean semifinal since early 2014. It’s strange that we’ve all seemingly dismissed the great macro protoss from the conversation. The PvT that he's shown so far this campaign has ranked amongst the very best we've seen, and his conquest of Maru is a statement in itself, given the Jin Air wunderkind's current form in the matchup. It may simply be the fact that, for better or for worse, players are judged nowadays on their failures rather than their successes, and with Rain bombing out twice in the Starleague qualifiers, combined with his departure from SKT’s Proleague lineup, he hasn't nailed down the 'consistency' that people are clamouring for.

However, it’s arguably that same factor which has given him his shot in the GSL. Time and again this year, players have proved that challenging on all three fronts is one step too far, whether simply due to burnout from the sheer number of demanding games in the daily grind, or from overexposure in the studio. Rain has sidestepped past that potential banana skin; more interestingly though, he’s done it while offering very little to his potential opponents left in the competition. He’s progressed to this stage purely off his vaunted PvT (albeit losing in the Winners’ Match to sOs in the Round of 16), and while there are no more terrans to conquer for him, it also means that potential opponents have far less material to prep from. Curious may know what Rain has historically favoured, but Rain has recently shorn his past reticence for cheese (take the deciding set against Maru in the quarterfinals, for instance). It’s strange indeed that the most predictable protoss of Starcraft 2 has become something of an unknown quantity, but the fact is that Rain has yet to play a single meaningful PvZ since the Swarm Host patch.

We’ve often described players as coming to a crossroads in their career, but this certainly feels true for Rain this season. In the past, Rain has seemed like a player who fails just when he reaches his prime. Crushed by Maru in the finals after a dominating run in the 2013 OSL; beaten down by Zest in the GSL last year just when Rain appeared unstoppable in Proleague. Zest usurped his spot as the king of macro last year, while 2015 has seen greater success for an array of more aggressive tosses. Before this season, Rain was slowly being left behind by the elite. Tonight is his chance to stake his claim for the Throne of Aiur.

Where I Belong

Last week’s GSL quarterfinals were certainly eye-raising, to say the least. While Rogue showed the poor decision making and subpar play that have unfortunately come to characterise his playoff appearances, Curious continued with the clinical ZvZ that’s brought him a 70% win rate in the matchup so far this year. The Gatekeeper is now in the top 4 of the GSL for the first time in over two years, showing some of the best form we’ve ever seen from him, and is now looking to push into uncharted territory. The dichotomy between his shaky start to his year and his results after reaching his final form is profound: Curious is 18-3 in offline games since April, and his loss to Reality in Proleague on Tuesday was his first series defeat of the current season. We've seen many cases of Curious hitting patches of good form, but not since his NesTea-esque unbeaten stomp through the 2011 November Code A have we seen him stringing results together with such ease.

It’s an unfortunate fact that players are rarely truly treasured when at their peak. We think of them as invincible; eternal teenagers trapped in time, weaving their magic week in, week out. We become so enamoured that quality becomes expected; that brilliance becomes the mundane, and it’s only when the mask slips, and irrevocable decline looms, that the yearning for the glory days kicks in. By then, it’s too late. Whether through injury, burnout, or the inexorable passage of time, few players have the chance to go out while they’re still truly competitive. It’s only natural, of course, for players to push themselves well beyond the natural envelope of their professional lifespan. You don’t become a progamer unless that desire to win burns deep inside, and it’s a feeling that’s all too difficult to ignore.

Curious’ decision this season is therefore a rare one indeed. For so long he’s been the epitome of consistent inconsistency; an unstoppable machine in Code A, but forever disappointing in Code S. Ever since his emergence in late 2011, storming through the GSTL for StarTale, and claiming the November Code A title for himself, big things had been expected from him; big things that have largely remained unattained. Now, long after what we thought was the peak of his career, he’s earned himself a golden opportunity to push past his traditional barriers for one last time to earn his first finals spot in Starcraft 2. While many of his contemporaries reach the tail end of their careers, Curious has found another detour before his own cul de sac. While it's undeniable that the clock is ticking for the Gatekeeper, it's equally undeniably that he's doing out on his own terms. This could be his one last blaze of glory before he packs away the mouse, or it could finally be his promotion to the elite. Whatever the case, we should be delighted to have this chance to watch a player at the very peak of his powers, and treasure him while he's still here.

Predictions

There are few players in SC2 with roles as defined as Rain and Curious. Rain is the dominant protoss that should have been, the quiet disappointment that impresses as much as he falters. Curious is line that cuts between the contenders and the pretenders. They have filled these roles for so long that a sudden change feels almost misplaced, however deserved.

Once again their roles suggest that Rain should be the overwhelming favourite. Logically speaking, everything points in his favour—from the slow, methodical playstyles favoured by both players, to their historical form, to the current difficulties that zergs are having with the late game in the absence of swarm host. We may have scoffed at each victory, each step past their familiar places, but both players have shown that they belong in this stage of Code S. Rain seems finally able to fulfill his destiny, but Curious' run has defied logic at many points this season. One of them will be in the finals: the man finally reaching our expectations, or the man that has exceeded them.

Rain 4 — 1 Curious

Writers: munch.
Editors: lichter
Graphics: shiroiusagi.
Photo: GOMeXP.
Stats: Aligulac