WCS Season Two
Premier League

Back to Toronto
Building more memories

Round of 16 Preview
16 players, 8 winners

The Biggest Stories
Things to keep an eye on

Finals Predictions

Brackets and standings on Liquipedia

SC2 returns to Toronto with 16 great players and a weekend full of action. We've seen a few surprises in Season 2 so far, and we could have a few more as we rush towards the finals this weekend. The last time we were here, Flash won his first SC2 title, that bonkers Life vs First game happened, and Meru interviewed a lot of people. Oh, and this happened too:



Even though some locals didn't quite showcase Canadian hospitality, our last visit only added to the growing legend of Toronto as an esports city. This is the 4th big tournament to be held here, following NASL Season 3, WCS Season 3 Finals 2013 and IEM Toronto. We've been impressed not only by the event but by the raucous crowd every single time, and there's no wonder why it's become North America's hottest destination for Starcraft. While both Canadians were eliminated in the Ro32, 11 strong foreigners and 5 popular Koreans remain to contend for the title of the world's best.

Oh, and we got Chobra back!

Group A: Needing an Upset
ForGG vs GunGFuBanDa | Bunny vs Hydra

Well, this is unfortunate. Two Korean contenders, one foreign hope, and one strong debutante get squeezed into a very difficult Group A. Each player may feel aggrieved considering they'd have each had a strong claim to the Ro8 in any other group, yet that's the draw of the hat for you. While it's not quite what you'd call a group of death, it's by far the strongest group of the round and a great way to kick off the weekend.

For the lazy analysts, Group A isn't a very prickly one to predict. There are two Korean flags in this group, and natural they should advance together. After all, ForGG and Hydra are both in the top 10 on Aligulac. However, it isn't quite as clearly cut as that. While ForGG advanced in first place in his group, his victories against Sen and TooDming weren't quite as clean as you'd expect. He's favored in just about every TvT he could ever play, yet he has dropped games (but not sets) against lesser foreigners in TvP. On the other hand, Hydra only placed second in what should have been a routine Ro32. After getting by Snute, Lilbow surprised everyone but himself by chopping down the Root Zerg. Since that evening, Hydra has been decapitating foreigners (45-15 in maps, 22-2 in sets) left and right, but one of his set defeats was a 4-3 to his first opponent Bunny in their recent m(EAT) Grinder showmatch—although it should be mentioned that Hydra did smash Bunny 5-1 in their earlier DingIT showmatch. Yes, these are all the holes that we can poke in their respective armors—and it isn't much at all—but it does still mean that they are far from unbeatable.

For their part, Bunny advanced in first place in a tough all-foreigner group while GunGFuBanDa showed his mettle in PvP. It was par for course for the Danish Terran, who we've come to expect great things from each season. The German Protoss continues the trend of first timers causing upsets in WCS Foreignland, and it looks like he's finally hit a patch of consistency since his big splash in Fragbite Masters Season 3. If they want to reach the Ro8, however, it's going to take a herculean effort and a little bit of luck to live another day.

Bunny first made a name for himself with his energetic TvZ, but he's dropped quite a bit in the matchup since mid-2014. TvT has always been his bane, and he hasn't upset a non-protoss Korean in an offline match since February 2015 (viOLet). GunGFuBanDa remains largely an unknown quantity, but we at least know he's good at PvP, a matchup he's not going to be able to use. Most of his upsets against Koreans have been in PvP, though he does own sets against viOLet, horror, and YoDa. They will have to beat at least one Korean to reach the Ro8, and it doesn't look good.

Predictions:

ForGG < GunGFuBanDa
Bunny < Hydra
GunGFuBanDa < Hydra
ForGG > Bunny
GunGFuBanDa < ForGG

Hydra and ForGG to advance to the Ro8.

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Group B: French Canada
Harstem vs Polt | FireCake vs MarineLorD

Just when his haters thought they'd finally get rid of him with the swarmhost patch, FireCake has continued to chug along. We're still not quite sure if he's legit, as he's probably the WCS player with the least games played since the patch, but he did romp to the Ro16 with wins vs MaSa and iaguz. The two talented terrans somehow found it difficult to break through one of the lowest APM zergs in the top flight, proving once and for all that FireCake does actually know what he's doing. Even without swarmhosts to choke his enemies to death, FireCake displayed an understanding of space, movement and positioning that was hard not to compliment. Being at the right place at the right time may involve a lot of luck, but the fiery Frenchman showed a patch would not be the end of his dreams.

With so few games on hand, he could have a few surprises in store for us yet. We still don't really know what his ZvP looks like as he's only played the matchup in qualifiers post patch, but he is at 50% on it for the period. Additionally, he's actually sub 50% in ZvT despite his success in the Ro32. However, 6 of his 7 losses have come against Happy—and everyone knows How happy likes to play—which could be a playstyle mismatch. His opponents could ween some insight from that; considering FireCake might play only ZvT in Group B, there's a chance he booms or busts spectacularly.

In contrast, Polt is about as safe a bet in WCS as you can find. He might not win the title every season (yeah, he's only won 3 so far), but he's bound to go far barring an unsightly mishap. The defending champion has lucked into a very doable one-Korean group unlike his countrymen, and anything short of advancement is going to be a disappointment for Captain America. Just like last season, he did experience a scare in the Ro32, losing against TLO in his initial match, proving he isn't unbeatable. But an indomitable spirit might be better than an invincible defense, and Polt only seems to grow stronger the more he's put into a deficit.


Ez group ez life

That's an important lesson that some of the more inconsistent progamers need to learn. While Harstem is a lovable character and an occasionally brilliant player, it seems that speedbumps jar him more than most. His drops in form come as often and as sudden as his leaps in quality. His relatively easy Ro32 could still be a sign that he's back to his best after his Season 1 absence, but it's hardly a confirmation of the #yearofHarstem.

On the flipside, MarineLorD has slowly climbed the European ladder since 2013, and this is actually his debut season. A close shave against Mystery and viOLet gave him his ticket to Toronto, but he now faces a better zerg and potentially a better protoss or the champion. This is the furthest the Frenchman has ever gotten in a Premier tournament, and his performance tonight will likely constitute what gets written about him for the seasons to come. No pressure, man.

Predictions:

Harstem < Polt
FireCake > MarineLorD
Polt < FireCake
Harstem > MarineLorD
Polt > Harstem

FireCake and Polt to advance to the Ro8.

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Group C: Foreigner Fistfight
Lilbow vs iAsonu | TLO vs iaguz

The third group of the WCS Ro16 has the distinction of being the only one lacking any Korean players, and as a result is the hardest one to call. No player here is without some valid claim to the Ro16, but advancement for any of them is a single step at the base of a mountain of excellent players. Out of the remaining players, none of TLO, iAsonu, Lilbow, and iaguz are expected to be particularly significant in this season’s WCS, and far greater challenges await the two that move on to the quarterfinals. That said, it would be improper for any of them to be ignored in a group of players that are approximately equals.

Although TLO commands respect from his lengthy and interesting career on Liquid, it’s regularly a surprise to see him reaching this stage of WCS. He never seems to be short on creativity—his Ro32 group this season included a fast gold base against Polt in horizontal spawns on Inferno Pools—but his elimination matches in WCS, such as those against Hydra, generally features an unusually poor set of games, which sells the idea that he’s playing badly. TLO struggled to reach the quarterfinals last season off the back of victories against less veteran players in XiGua and Serral, marking the first time since WCS’s very first season that he made the playoffs. Against players of a similar caliber, he could earn another spot this time around.

Unlike the Liquid Zerg, who has seen almost everything there is to see in Starcraft, iAsonu has just started taking his first real steps out of China. Although he is one of his country’s hottest players at the moment, the Invictus Zerg struggled through his first WCS at the start of 2014, dropping out in Challenger League to Arthur. With the format changes in 2015 favoring competition within individual countries, iAsonu broke his previous record last season by narrowly defeating XY, but he wasn’t able to improve to the level of ShoWTimE and Hydra, leaving him stuck back in Challenger. He crushed his Chinese companions in Courage, Jim, and TooDming to earn another title and a premier spot, but struggled past a WCS group with NXZ, Xenocider, and Harstem to finish in second place. iAsonu will have a much harder time in this group than his results in China might suggest. Unfortunately, the first match pits his weak ZvP against a historically strong PvZ player in Lilbow, when he'd almost certainly like to play in his favored matchup against TLO.

As a part of the complex and comparatively large European scene, a young Lilbow tried and failed to slowly make his way to the top. His first achievement was reaching Premier League in his first attempt at WCS, back in the beginning of 2014, but despite beating ForGG he found himself eliminated. This short run was followed by continuous attempts and failures at the hands of players like DeMusliM, KrasS, and ShoWTimE. While the latter loss ended up being justified and Lilbow defeated Hydra to reach the second group stage, his year-long drought in WCS brings his actual skill into question. His first match is in his favored matchup, and he has another opportunity to impress by reaching the playoffs, or one to disappoint again.

Stuchiu had a few words to say about iaguz, who rounds out this group.



Lilbow > iAsonu
TLO > iaguz
Lilbow > TLO
iAsonu < iaguz
TLO > iaguz

Lilbow and TLO to advance to the Ro8.

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Group D: The Comeback Kids
Ret vs StarDust | Jaedong vs Petraeus

The oldest player in his group, Liquid.Ret is set to make his first Ro8 appearance in Premier League in nearly two years. Despite having near five years of competitive experience, the Dutch veteran is widely considered the underdog of this group. Jaedong and Stardust are more accomplished, and even the up-and-coming Petraeus defeated Ret 3-1 in the Rotti Showmatches just a few weeks back. To be fair though, Ret has been playing some of his best SC since his peak year in 2012. Ret was also fortunate enough to be placed into a terran-less group; his two statistically strongest matchups are against zerg and protoss. Just last week, the Liquid Zerg defeated Bly, Snute, and Naniwa in BaseTradeTV’s “Hell It’s Aboot Time”. Also, don’t forget he defeated Mystery and viOLet in the Ro32—the former an unconventional Chinese Protoss and the latter a Korean staple. If he can take down a Korean zerg once, why not twice? At 29-years-old, Ret lacks the razor-sharp reflexes and multi-tasking that are characteristic of younger progamers. Instead, he relies on the solid fundamentals and strong macro play that has allowed him to remain competitive so late into his career. Ret is still competing at the highest levels because he doesn’t just roll with the popular builds that fall out of the meta within a week. No, he has an unshakable foundation that may just allow him to defeat all odds and advance to the next round. Here’s to another five years.

The second foreigner of Group D, mYi.Petraeus is a young Aussie Zerg still searching for his place in the professional scene. This WCS Ro16 placement marks Petraeus’ best career result to date. Unfortunately, his run might soon come to an end with two Korean juggernauts standing in his way. Petraeus has been a bit shaky since his Ro32 matches, losing to Tefel, Snute, and MaNa in the SC2SEA Global Allstars 2. He will have to bring his A-game and then some if he hopes to snatch a spot away from either Jaedong or StarDust. Petraeus is a talented youngster with a burgeoning career, but it seems he will have to wait at least one more season for his time to come.

Halfway through 2015 and WCS is the only premier tournament that both EG.Jaedong and StarDust have played in. Normally by this time of year, these two would already be swimming in WCS points after having attended half a dozen LAN events. For the first few months of 2015, travel needed to be scaled back due to Jaedong’s visa issues and StarDust’s decision to drop mYi and switch WCS regions. After much uncertainty. these issues have finally been resolved and both players seem to be settled in. Now barring any undisclosed injuries, expect Jaedong and StarDust to be at 100% for this weekend. Blizzcon is a little more than four months away, and these two need to start raking in some points if they hope to have another shot at the world title.

Die-hard Jaedong fans still boast that Jaedong has both the skills and drive needed to win his first ever WCS title. Last year, he developed a reputation for poor preparation when it came to WCS group stages, but the new weekender format should play into his mechanical strengths. His infamous JvZ is still as strong as ever, which means StarDust will be his primary concern. Just a few days ago, Jaedong lost to Stardust in the IEM Shenzhen AM qualifiers. They’ve developed a gripping rivalry that dates back to Dreamhack Summer 2013—a rivalry that will likely be continued in the winner’s match. This weekend is a chance for Jaedong to remind the world that he is still here and still one of the game’s most fearsome competitors. The fans have not forgotten. It’s time for the Tyrant to return.

Now teamless and playing in a new region. StarDust has experienced many changes in recent times. His playstyle, however, has remained the same. The former mYinsanity Protoss is still known for his aggressive and cheeky plays that will certainly keep the three zergs in his group on their toes. His opponents must be prepared to face anything from a cannon rush to mass voidrays. StarDust plays with clean and crisp execution, making his attacks difficult to stop even when they are first spotted way off on the horizon. A former WCS EU champion, StarDust knows what it takes to win and hungers to reach the top once more.

Predictions:

Ret < StarDust
Jaedong > Petraeus
StarDust < Jaedong
Ret > Petraeus
Ret < StarDust

Jaedong and StarDust to advance to the Ro8.

Will Polt Repeat Again??

Way back in 2013, Polt did the unthinkable by winning WCS America season 2 and 3. It was the first and only time a player had one back to back WCS seasons, and Captain America could be back to do it again. After doubts were cast about his quality last season due to a somewhat rocky start to the year, Polt hobbled to the title with nailbiters against ForGG, Bunny and Hydra. But isn't that the sign of a true champion? Stomping nerds is easy, but holding your nerves and conquering players who should be your equal, if not better, is what makes a legend. Polt is already one of the greatest players to ever play the game due to his success and his rousing story, but he could add another chapter to his tale this weekend. If he repeats last season's heroics, there's going to be a very strong argument for Polt as the greatest foreign tournament player of all time.

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The Foreigners Are Dwindling

After getting 5 foreigners into the Ro8 last season, the arrival of Jaedong and StarDust will likely mean 2 fewer representatives this season. viOLet was once again the only Korean to fall in the Ro32, but that was more or less expected. However, we could see an upset or two in the Ro16. Bunny is about as close as we have to a foreign hope, and he came agonizingly close to reaching the finals last season. Now, he has to unseat either ForGG or Hydra to reach the quarter finals. That's a tall task, but he would have had to face either of them eventually. In Group D, it's difficult to see either Ret or Petraeus toppling either Jaedong or StarDust. Both Koreans have always had a knack for vZ, but anything can happen in the pressure cooker of WCS. Neither player has shown convincing form as of late, and some good series planning by the two foreign zergs could get us another non-Korean in the quarter finals.

Might as well get a massage

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France: The Best Foreign Country?

Ever since Stephano's retirement, France has been searching for a savior. Now, it has three candidates: FireCake, MarineLorD and Lilbow. The protoss in particular has impressed, smashing Hydra to reach the Ro16 in first place. FireCake has made a case for himself as a consistent Ro8 contender, while MarineLorD's slow rise doesn't look like it's stopping yet. This means that France just might be the strongest foreign country in Starcraft right now. While they were known before as "Stephano, and everyone else", France now has a roster of players that would be favorites at tournaments like NationWars. With established stars and a conveyor belt of new talent, it looks like France is on its way to cementing its place as the Starcraft destination outside of Korea.

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The Chinese Hope, IA

Once upon a time, back when we hardly heard anything from the Chinese scene, the myth was that the middle kingdom was secretly the second best Starcraft country in the world. Yet, after two years of integration with the rest of the world, it looks like that myth has been soundly debunked. While country has ever been able to usurp Korea, much much more was expected from China. Last season, it was XiGua and MacSed that reached the Ro16 only to be ousted. This season, only iAsonu has managed to get this far. MacSed and XiGua were slain in Challenger, but their replacements hardly fared better. TooDming and Mystery were sent packing, while Jim continued his slide down the pecking order. Even the Taiwanese Sen and Has stumbled. Now it's up to IA to rescue the pride of a nation, and based on what we've seen so far... we don't exactly know what will happen.

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There's Gotta be a Meme Here Somewhere

For some reason, SC2 manufactures more memes per event than most of us can keep up with. With the king of memes Nathanias and the ever-quotable iNcontroL in attendance, there's bound to be more than a few memorable moments at Toronto. The fans have been dedicated in their pursuit of immortalizing the weirdest one liners and the worst possible screencaps, and these hilarious split seconds have become part of our game's history. Who are we going to put on a poster next? After all, lichter needs a new twitter profile pic. Is it going to be INcontroL again? I dunno, Kev.

lichter

It's been a really long time since we've had a really juicy finals rivalry, and WCS could finally give us that. Hydra and Polt are the best players in the tournament, and only ForGG stands near enough to be considered an equal. Jaedong and StarDust are both capable of playing a great series, but they haven't been at the top of their game all year. We're still hoping for Bunny to finally break the Korean monopoly, but he could not have been given a tougher Ro16 group. More than likely we'll get the same finals as Season 1, and hopefully it goes down to a 7th game once again.

Hydra 4 - 3 Polt

stuchiu

Comic book logic has yet to fail me. So there are two scenarios that can happen.

Either Polt will battle Stardust, Jaedong and Hydra in a gauntlet as he fights for the freedom of the foreigners and will go 0-2/0-3 before reverse sweeping them every series to only be killed by Hydra at the finish line.

Or he will meet his avengers Bunny/LilBow/Marinelord in the quarters-semi finals and will lose in a symbolic gesture that it is up to them to carry his shield and stop Red Skull Hydra. They then get smashed by Hydra.

Either way Hydra wins this WCS because evil always wins in the second act. Polt will then rise and save us from apocalypse in WCS Season 3.

Hydra 4 - 3 Avengers

banjoetheredskin

I really want to see a Polt-Hydra rematch, and I think they're the two best players in the tournament anyways. Hail Hydra.

Hydra 4 - 2 Polt

XXTN

JD returns from exile to cast off the current king of WCS and restore himself as Tyrant. Think Battle of Waterloo but with a reserved ending.

Jaedong 4 - 2 Polt

The_Templar

Although Polt looked a bit weaker in his Ro32 group, he's almost certainly Ro4 or better material again this season along with Hydra and ForGG. Stardust and Jaedong are pretty close as well, and I wouldn't be surprised to see both of them reach the semifinals, but neither of them are really capable of getting a finals at the moment. WCS will probably come down to a ForGG/Hydra vs Polt match in the Ro8 or Ro4. I know all the other writers except maybe Soularion are totally wrong, so:

ForGG 4 - 2 Hydra

Writers: lichter, XXTN, The_Templar.
Editors: lichter.
Graphics: Meru.
Photos: Helena Kristiansson, Blizzard
Stats: Aligulac