SBENU GSL
Season 3 Code A

Running Up That Hill
HerO vs Classic
soO vs Leenock
MMA vs YongHwa

Brackets and standings on Liquipedia

by Brindled and lichter

HerO vs Classic

Predictions




Just kidding.

Although still considered a volatile match up, PvP has come a long way from the Wings of Liberty days. If the game didn't have a total of 8 Gateways, it would be War of the Worlds (all of the Colossus). There are actually ways to read the ebb and flow of a PvP match nowadays! If you are too aggressive, you will die from build order loss. If you play too safe, you will die because your opponent got too far ahead or threw a curve ball at you (read: Oracles/DTs).

And that's before you factor in the players.

Classic really isn't that great at PvP. It's his worst match-up, even when in his top form. Looking at his matches in IEM Shenzhen, GSL, Proleague, S2SL, and his most recent performance in Monthly Minor Tournament #3, Classic's PvP is really quite spotty. He's won PvPs against some great players and lost against some not-so-great players. It will be really hard to tell how he will do in this set against HerO, who is even more random a PvP player than Classic.

HerO is not a player I would place in the same caliber as Classic. That being said, in addition to putting an end to all speculation of Liquid Bias™, HerO surprisingly always pulls something out of thin air in PvP; he is capable of beating good players at the match-up. If he can beat sOs with the same build in two ace matches, surely he can work some magic against Classic—HerO has always shown great skill at preparing for specific opponents. In the match-up most known for being a coin flip, HerO is the man we can count on to know the coin. He definitely has a chance.

Predictions
Like I said above, HerO is not the same caliber of player as Classic. He may show some cleverly prepared tricks up his sleeve, but ultimately will not prevail. Sorry.

HerO 1 – 3 Classic

soO vs Leenock

Well shit, soO won something again. Sure, Leifung Cup Monthly #3 is only classified as a minor tournament, but he blasted through Leenock, RagnaroK, herO, MyuNgSiK and Dream twice without dropping a single map. He took home $3,000 for his troubles and showed why he's still pretty good. herO is one of the finest PvZers on the planet while no one else can play TvZ quite like Dream. Yet he brushed them aside with his typical nonchalance.

Of course, that's just it with soO. One moment he's a world beater, climbing brackets like he climbs out of his teamhouse bunk with bedhead. The next minute he collapses after grabbing a 2-0 lead in the GSL Finals. At his best soO is one of the few players that truly understands how the zerg economy works, but at his worst he can be the most frustrating player to watch. His defeat at the hands of INnoVation seemed like the straw that finally broke his indomitable spirit as he struggled to remain relevant to start 2015, but once again soOsyphus is back up, rolling his lifeless body up the Korean tournament hill.

Standing in his way at the very first turn is Leenock, a GSL runner up like himself. Unlike soO, however, Leenock managed to win several foreign tournaments (MLG Providence immediately after his Code S defeat) to spare his career blushes. He has remained relevant longer than most players, and even managed to reach the Ro8 of SSL in season 1. Very few zergs have had the longevity of the Leenocktopus, though it's difficult to fathom what exactly keeps him competitive. Though he received his nickname due to his branching attacks, he isn't particularly strong at any matchup and currently does not have a truly distinct style of play. Curiously, he's recently been favoring brood lord infestor in late game ZvP, but results have been mixed.

In the mirror, soO has always been one of the most clever, He knows when to cheese and when to all in, and his defense is adequate when faced with aggression. In fact, he has won 11 straight ZvZs against RagnaroK, Solar, Rogue, B4, Check and Leenock since his 1-2 defeat against Life in SSL Season 2. Leenock, on the other hand, has only defeated one good zerg (ByuL) the entire year. It looks like, for now, soO rolls on.

Prediction:

The series lasts under an hour not counting breaks (because there will definitely be long breaks)

soO 3 - 1 Leenock

MMA vs YongHwa

Once upon a time this would have been an ace match in the GSTL finals. MMA was the prince of SlayerS—they even played him in a finals after banishing him to the bench; YongHwa was the king of all-kills and the original Code B-onjwa. After their GSTL heyday, both players experienced different fortunes. MMA went off to Europe, nabbed himself two titles, and returned to the BlizzCon finals stage. On the other hand YongHwa finally reached Code S, and did zilch with that opportunity. He's still finds himself in Code S sometimes, and has fared little better with each subsequent appearance.

That's a little harsh considering Code S is a dream that most players will never reach. But for YongHwa, anything short of fulfilling his long-mentioned potential is disappointment. Last season, he barely lost against eventual runner up ByuL in Code A. In season 1 he was ousted in the round of 32 by Dream, the new coolest Terran on the block. YongHwa remains an able protoss that favors midgame pressure and late game steamrolling, but he's had a torrid record in 2015. With a 15-25 record in PvT, he is about as handicapped as they come in the matchup. His inability to handle drops and harassment in multiple places often leads to ruin, and so far he's been unable to find a build that allows him to be safe while flexing his attacking strengths. Even though he does own a recent 2-0 win over MMA, the potential outlook isn't good.

That is until you notice MMA himself has been dismal in TvP this year. Since his double victory over Seed and Dear in GSL Season 1, he has only beaten 1 other Korean Protoss all year (Ruin). He has even lost to MaNa and NightEnD, of all people. MMA is no longer the mechanical monster of 2011, and he had to rely on his wit and grit to make the semi finals of Code S season 1 (which was his first Code S semi final since October 2011). His TvT and TvZ remain strong points, but he neither possesses the multitasking to tear Protoss apart nor the command to take flawless engagements. What he does have is years of experience, buttresses which he uses to outmaneuver and out-think his opponents. With his mechanical prowess waning, it's strange to think that MMA must now become more like his great rival Mvp.

Predictions:

YongHwa loses his mothership core in every single game before the 15 minute mark

MMA 3 - 1 YongHwa

Writers: Brindled, lichter.
Editors: lichter
Graphics: shiroiusagi.
Photo: GOMeXP.
Stats: Aligulac