The Crownless King

Going into this year, Nerchio was regarded as one of the best players in the world. He had unimaginable online form, he practiced harder and more often than most, and he possessed considerable experience. Going into BlizzCon, his situation largely remains the same. He has insane stats in his favor, he's played more games in Legacy than anyone else by a long shot, and he's still an intelligent player who rarely chokes. Nerchio should be the undisputed king of the foreign scene. He should be the favorite in almost every tournament he enters. Yet somehow, neither is a popular opinion.

Throughout 2016, Nerchio has been outshone as much as possible for a player of his caliber. In a bizarre mixture of misfortune and missed opportunities, he has never been the first to accomplish a noteworthy achievement. He failed to win the first WCS tournament of the year, failing early against Lilbow at Dreamhack Leipzig. He didn't take the first WCS Circuit Championship either, losing to Polt in the quarterfinals (who was in mysteriously stunning form at the time). He was one game away from being the first European to win a WCS Circuit Championship. Shit, he never came close to being the first foreigner to raise a Korean trophy.The crazy part is that these count more as disappointments than anything else—he has been a frontrunner for all of them. Whereas players such as Neeb and ShoWTimE have accomplished more on paper than Nerchio, their lows have been more significant; Neeb has a habit of choking during finals, and ShoWTimE has a habit of being upset including against HeRoMaRineE in DH Montreal. Nerchio lacks the flawed habits of his peers. Despite winning only one tournament throughout the year, Nerchio still holds the highest winrate of anyone outside of Korea. By that measure, he's king. By that measure, he should be a titan. A player everyone looks up to. A player universally feared.

Emphasis on "should". It's a word that can't help but evoke pain. Near misses, consistent almosts, and championship losses are among the greatest pains a pro gamer can face. It almost hurts more to be good yet fail than it would to be mediocre in the first place. Nerchio's struggle with this concept has stung him more than anyone else throughout Legacy of the Void. His consistency is unmatched; over a mind-shattering 1500 maps he holds a 73% winrate. Looking at only offline events moves that figure down to a meager 67%, still better than any of his peers. He has the stats of a player far more dominant than he's proven.

We've seen only a couple glimpses of what Nerchio could be. His WCS Spring run comes to mind, where he utterly dominated Polt and lost a tight set against ShoWTimE. His Dreamhack Valencia championship comes to mind as well—there, he defeated ShoWTimE in a close set before crushing MarineLorD (who had an impressive run of his own) with a 4-0 rout in the grand finals. This is how Nerchio should ideally be. Dominant, consistently showing superiority over anyone below his stature while maintaining a steady lead over his peers. He's an expert in engagements, with eyes for fights that would make even the best Koreans jealous. He's a smart macro player who excels at army management and consistently good decision-making. In short, a Korean in a foreigner's clothing.

Outside of those two tournaments Nerchio hasn't found his peak. But he is unique in that he doesn't rely on his peak to stand out: his 'average form' is on another level compared to his peers. During the entire course of the year, he has only three losses to non-Blizzcon players: Lilbow at Leipzig, Scarlett at Montreal, and Maru at KeSPA Cup. In a scene where players can wildly vary from month to month, Nerchio is stability incarnate. For every upstart that finds a moment in the spotlight, another gets crushed by Nerchio on the other side of the bracket. For all the talk about not reaching peaks it's important to remember what that means. Nerchio isn't some novice with 'potential' waiting to blossom into a top-tier player. On a mediocre day he is still good enough to make the semifinals on a regular basis. He's a championship class player with room to grow...which might hurt more. A deep run in a premier tournament isn't a stretch for Nerchio, and it doesn't signal the next evolution of his gameplay. What would represent a jump is the stuff of dreams: being the best player in the world on a consistent basis.

In previous years having faith in foreign champions was an act of folly. Stretching back to the days of NaNiwa and Stephano, they were always marred by one weakness. NaNiwa had the dedication and intensity, but his self-flagellating attitude often led to violent swings in form; Stephano was perhaps the most fortunate aberration the foreign scene ever had, but he seemed uninterested in pushing himself like the former. Scarlett's play is forever morphing: her peak is something to be chased and hounded and perhaps found once in a blue moon. We have a better idea of Snute at his best. In ZvP he often looks just as good, if not superior, than many of the best Koreans, while he hasn't matched that level in the other matchups. Neeb's peak is momentary: he seems to ignite himself when the stakes are greatest and only then. All of these players look as good as the very best under certain conditions. But Nerchio could be the first foreigner in ages who routinely looks like a top Korean.

Being close hurts. Knowing what could have been is often the greatest curse, and watching Neeb win KeSPA Cup might have been torture for Nerchio. He was one game away from moving onto the playoffs, one round from facing Neeb in the semifinals. There's a sense of bitterness knowing you could've been on that stage instead. Yet, there's a reason why pro gamers don't give up over failure. There's a reason why players such as Neeb, Snute, and Nerchio can fail in one tournament and show up unaffected to the next: they're all focused on the same thing. Now, more than ever, there is a distinct air of competition in the foreign scene. Everyone wants that throne. Everyone wants the trophy. Everyone wants that moment of sublime, miraculous satisfaction. Everyone wants to be the legend. Nerchio should be that king, a fact as demoralizing as it is comforting. Nerchio, more than anyone else in WCS, embodies the tournament-to-tournament consistency that the best Koreans share. He always shows up as one of the top contenders, regardless whether he is in top form that day. Every time Nerchio has lost this year, it has been a notable event; his wins in comparison are hardly worth recognizing. What Nerchio has accomplished so far isn't enough to satisfy his drive.

When the greatest players are pushed they rise above the circumstances. They absorb the energy of the match and gain strength when others would lose their composure. Whether it's Polt with cleverness or Scarlett with miraculous form or Snute with ridiculously stylistic play. At Blizzcon, we'll see Nerchio pushed as he faces off against the very best. He'll have to bleed and sweat for the smallest victories. We'll see him pushed to the very limits. But, what if Nerchio finds the inner fire that very few can reach? Blizzcon is the opportunity necessary for him to prove that he belongs along the very best. Blizzcon is the crown he's been chasing this entire year.