EPTThis is a new series where I contemplate various topics in a thousand words or less. This first article reflects on Supernova and his use of preparation
Preparation is a peculiar asset for most pro SC2 players. Among all of the skills a pro player can conceivably train in SC2, preparation is by far the most cumbersome for multiple reasons. It cannot be ground out in ladder games like mechanics, strategy, style or engagements. A player needs advanced notice before they play their opponent. Finally their opponent must have some kind of history.
Preparation is the X-factor. It adds an element of strategic depth to any match and allows generally weaker players time to find a way to beat a more skilled player. One of the few players who took it to an extreme was Supernova. By the time 2013 had rolled around, Supernova had left his prime. Despite nearly being the second player to ever get the Nestea award (10 consecutive Code S appearances), he ended up falling completely out of the GSL system and looked to be another soon-to-be retiree pushed out by the oncoming mass of Kespa transfers.
Instead Supernova did what he had always done. During his prime from 2011-2012, Supernova often played standard against mechanically weaker players and tried to just brute force them. But when faced with a player of equal or greater skill, he always fell back on extremely intricate and complex builds and compositions. During his 2013 run, Supernova busted out hellbat bio-pushes against both Z and P (pre transformation-servos removal), hellbat thor bio builds (an year before either Taeja or Flash used it), aggressive mech builds (before weapon and ship upgrades were made into just one set).
Yet what made Supernova such an interesting player was his domino like game play. Supernova's plans and strategies often revolved around making sure his first attack was successful as it created an opening for his second attack, which created an opening for the third and kept on going until the game ended. It was much like watching someone knock down the first domino and seeing the entire line fall into place.
The best example of this was his Code A match vs TY. For context TY was looking to be one of the best players in proleague. He was incredibly strong in multi-task, had unique aggressive builds and was Supernova's mechanical superior. This series was extraordinary because it is one of thew few series where a player had clearly planned out the entire match from the first second of game 1 to the last second of game 3.
In game 1, Supernova's early aggression was stopped. However he was still able to get in 16 scv kills with one uncloaked banshee (more than all 3 of TY's cloaked banshees in the same game). He ended up losing the game due to TY's bio play, but the most important part of Supernova's plan came into effect. He made TY fear his banshees.
In game 2, TY was afraid and tried to counter the banshee play with marines and a raven, while making a cc at the natural. Supernova anticipated this and had instead gone for a delayed two prong attack. First he drew TY into the main with a double widow mine dropped. This created an entire sequence of events that left TY completely and utterly flustered. Here is how Supernova played at the rest of this game:
- After the main drop, marines and a mine attacked the front to delay the building cc.
- Supernova then attacks with hellions at the front while sneaking marines/mine and medivac to the back to delay the cc again.
- By the time TY clears, Supernova has now gotten to double cloak banshee, he attacks the natural first.
- TY defends and expects another banshee to come into his main.
- The banshee does, but it also comes with 4 hellions as Supernova anticipated the mass marine response. He kills the marines and forces TY's army in the natural to come to defend.
- His 1st banshee comes back to kill the natural mineral line.
Supernova goes on to win the game. But most amazing of all is his anticipation of what TY does in game 3 (Which was KSS). For context, TY's favorite strategy on KSS was to abuse the shape of the natural and get early siege tanks to shell the natural mineral line. So the game starts off as TY goes for his standard raven, tank bio comp. The difference is that TY is now so wary of banshees he builds his second cc in the main and floats it down. Supernova takes map control and with it does the following:
- Supernova gets his natural up first and mining, abusing TY's fear.
- Supernova gets an early widow mine on the map.
- This scouts TY's eventual move out with the marine/tanks/raven.
- Supernova sieges his tanks to natural counter the position TY always takes, but only after TY has walked farther than half the map.
-At the same time he does a medivac drop and punishes TY for his moveout.
- Supernova ends the game with a triple pronged attack. 4 medivacs of bio to attack the left side of the main, 4 auto turrets to attack the right side of the main and siege tanks under the natural attacking the mineral line.
This is but one example among many where Supernova used preparation to defeat a player that should have been far out of his league. He is one of the few pro players to have ever taken preparation to such an extent and the difference between his play at a weekend lan and a preparation tournament was night and day.
Without that preparation, Supernova would still be a unique player with strange builds and compositions. But with preparation he could make incredible runs and challenge some of the best players of his day. And that is the legacy of Supernova. Up against some of the greatest players of his era, players that eclipsed him in skill, mechanics, strategy and micro, Supernova used intelligence and preparation to close that gap and win. Living proof that hard work, intelligence and preparation is sometimes all you need to fight against the best players and win.
