EPT
The Weekly Preview
by TheOneAboveU![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/bird_blue_16.png)
- TL_TripleMAfter two relatively calm weeks in Korea’s StarCraft 2 scene, things are getting heated up again: The finish line in SSL Challenge is in sight and the race for the pole position isn’t over until the last second. SSL Premier is also nearing its’ climax with two post-season matches scheduled this week. We are going to find out who’ll be the chosen one to challenge the final boss: INnoVation.
But that’s not everything by far! We also have the second half of Code S’ Round of 16 in store. Who can join the other quarterfinalists in the battle for the championship? Additionally, VSL returns for its’ second season to complete the individual league triplet and provide opportunities to those, who were left for dead on the other two battlefields. Buckle up, because the calm before the storm is over!
Trench Run
We went into the last week with a trifecta of players, who had the opportunity to achieve a truly historic feat: A double star league victory. Probably the ultimate triumph in StarCraft 2. Witnessing one player on his journey towards this goal is epic enough, but we got even more than that: Last week we got to see two of the contenders in this race face elimination and the ruination of their dream—against each other. Stats and ByuL had lost their initial matches and were locked in a battle for survival. With both still in the race for a double star league championship the stakes were even higher than in the usual elimination matches. In the end, Stats kept his cool much better than ByuL, making this three-man competition a duel between him and INnoVation alone. At least until the Machine shockingly bombed out of his own Code S group on Friday, making Stats the last man running towards this particular goal.
Having arrived in the quarterfinals, Stats only needs to win three more matches to claim his second Code S title in a row—the same number of needed wins as in SSL Premier. Six victorious series is all it takes to gain ever-lasting fame. But every one of these matches is another difficult test of his worth, another potential heartbreaker. From now on, Stats must think from one match to the other, no exception, no distraction allowed. The next hurdle is going to be Solar, a deadly opponent with a great track record against Protoss players. Recently he didn’t exactly look brilliant when it came to deciding matches however, so the odds look favourable towards Stats.
Last weeks’ triumph might very well come back to haunt him though, because a certain Zerg player would still be standing between him and INnoVation in case of a victory over Solar: ByuL has experienced much more mentally shattering defeats in the past and has always come back from them. Ruining Stats’ historic run from the grave would be the sweetest act of vengeance possible.
Finish Line
The unstable nature of the competition in SSL already has resulted in some interesting and exciting upsets, so it's not exactly surprising that the race towards the first place got shaken up big time just before we reach the finish line. ROOT’s Protoss herO had established a good lead on the other competitors, but he hasn’t exactly dominated the field—he didn’t look invincible. And so the inevitable happened: A well prepared Dear overwhelmed herO and dropped a blue shell on him, creating an opportunity for all the other pursuers already chewing on the ROOT players' heels to catch up and transform the last lap in this race into a truly nerve-wrecking affair.
ByuN clawed his way past herO with his win over Ryung—who's still waiting for his first victory—and enters the last phase of the tournament in pole position. Behind them Classic, TY and Dear (all with a 2-2 match score) are waiting for any opportunity to strike and overtake the top duo in the last second. One thing is clear: Victories are a must this week for anyone, who wants to have a chance at being either directly promoted into SSL Premier, or have their shot at Fast Lane. Losses, meanwhile, can still prove deadly, because alongside poor Ryung there is one more spot leading right to elimination from the league—and coming back through the qualifiers is going to be extremely hard.
Welcome Back to Underdog Arena
Talking about possible upsets: VSL is back for another turn! After Impact’s surprising run to the championship in its’ inaugural season, VSL has established itself as the league for the underdogs. Many competitors, who’ve been eliminated from the other two leagues—or didn’t make it into them in the first place—could qualify for a spot in VSL Season 2, making this truly a place of opportunity for them. While the underdogs get enjoy some additional opportunities to rise up the challenge and shine, the stronger players in the tournament are still caught up in the other leagues. VSL adds to their filled up schedule even more, testing their endurance and forcing some tough decisions: Is it worth to reveal strategies here, when a tournament final is waiting for you just a few days later?
Revenge for Buenos Aires
Connoisseurs of the Terran vs Zerg match-up should mark Saturday in their calendars, as Maru must survive an onslaught by three elite Zerg players to reach the quarterfinals. The Jin Air Terran recently has had confidence inducing results against two of the opponents he’s about to face, as he repeatedly earned victories against soO (5:3 in maps since April) and Dark (3:2 in maps since April) in the GSLTV Race Wars.
His shattering defeat at the hands of ByuL in SSL Premier complicates the situation, however. ByuL’s play style proved highly effective against Maru, with constant counter attacks setting back the Terran economy and an iron defence deflecting any attempts of aggression. Could this serve as a blueprint for the Zerg-trio facing off against Maru now? Losira, soO and Dark all have different approaches from ByuL’s, but they will certainly have followed his method of dismantling Maru—and it’s not like this is anything revolutionary or new. It’s a well-known technique, flawlessly executed. These three Zergs are some of the most mechanically sound ones in the scene, perfectly able to match ByuL’s speed. Can they find the courage to adapt, or will they stay with their tried and tested recipes?
Maru must fix the holes in his play fast, because ByuL exposed them for the entire world to see. With this group being as starved for success as it is—Losira’s last title was over six years ago, Maru’s over two years, soO’s almost two years and Dark’s a bit over a year—everyone will look to exploit even the slightest weakness they can find.
Weekly Schedule:
Mon - SSL Premier - Solar vs Stats
Wed - Code S - Group C: herO vs Dear / Rogue vs ByuN
Thu - SSL Premier - Solar / Stats vs ByuL
Fri - VSL - Group A: Solar / Leenock / ByuN / Patience
Sat - Code S - Group D: soO vs Losira / Maru vs Dark
Sat - SSL Challenge - Classic vs Ryung / ByuN vs Dear / herO vs TY
But that’s not everything by far! We also have the second half of Code S’ Round of 16 in store. Who can join the other quarterfinalists in the battle for the championship? Additionally, VSL returns for its’ second season to complete the individual league triplet and provide opportunities to those, who were left for dead on the other two battlefields. Buckle up, because the calm before the storm is over!
Trench Run
We went into the last week with a trifecta of players, who had the opportunity to achieve a truly historic feat: A double star league victory. Probably the ultimate triumph in StarCraft 2. Witnessing one player on his journey towards this goal is epic enough, but we got even more than that: Last week we got to see two of the contenders in this race face elimination and the ruination of their dream—against each other. Stats and ByuL had lost their initial matches and were locked in a battle for survival. With both still in the race for a double star league championship the stakes were even higher than in the usual elimination matches. In the end, Stats kept his cool much better than ByuL, making this three-man competition a duel between him and INnoVation alone. At least until the Machine shockingly bombed out of his own Code S group on Friday, making Stats the last man running towards this particular goal.
Having arrived in the quarterfinals, Stats only needs to win three more matches to claim his second Code S title in a row—the same number of needed wins as in SSL Premier. Six victorious series is all it takes to gain ever-lasting fame. But every one of these matches is another difficult test of his worth, another potential heartbreaker. From now on, Stats must think from one match to the other, no exception, no distraction allowed. The next hurdle is going to be Solar, a deadly opponent with a great track record against Protoss players. Recently he didn’t exactly look brilliant when it came to deciding matches however, so the odds look favourable towards Stats.
Last weeks’ triumph might very well come back to haunt him though, because a certain Zerg player would still be standing between him and INnoVation in case of a victory over Solar: ByuL has experienced much more mentally shattering defeats in the past and has always come back from them. Ruining Stats’ historic run from the grave would be the sweetest act of vengeance possible.
Finish Line
The unstable nature of the competition in SSL already has resulted in some interesting and exciting upsets, so it's not exactly surprising that the race towards the first place got shaken up big time just before we reach the finish line. ROOT’s Protoss herO had established a good lead on the other competitors, but he hasn’t exactly dominated the field—he didn’t look invincible. And so the inevitable happened: A well prepared Dear overwhelmed herO and dropped a blue shell on him, creating an opportunity for all the other pursuers already chewing on the ROOT players' heels to catch up and transform the last lap in this race into a truly nerve-wrecking affair.
ByuN clawed his way past herO with his win over Ryung—who's still waiting for his first victory—and enters the last phase of the tournament in pole position. Behind them Classic, TY and Dear (all with a 2-2 match score) are waiting for any opportunity to strike and overtake the top duo in the last second. One thing is clear: Victories are a must this week for anyone, who wants to have a chance at being either directly promoted into SSL Premier, or have their shot at Fast Lane. Losses, meanwhile, can still prove deadly, because alongside poor Ryung there is one more spot leading right to elimination from the league—and coming back through the qualifiers is going to be extremely hard.
Welcome Back to Underdog Arena
Talking about possible upsets: VSL is back for another turn! After Impact’s surprising run to the championship in its’ inaugural season, VSL has established itself as the league for the underdogs. Many competitors, who’ve been eliminated from the other two leagues—or didn’t make it into them in the first place—could qualify for a spot in VSL Season 2, making this truly a place of opportunity for them. While the underdogs get enjoy some additional opportunities to rise up the challenge and shine, the stronger players in the tournament are still caught up in the other leagues. VSL adds to their filled up schedule even more, testing their endurance and forcing some tough decisions: Is it worth to reveal strategies here, when a tournament final is waiting for you just a few days later?
Revenge for Buenos Aires
Connoisseurs of the Terran vs Zerg match-up should mark Saturday in their calendars, as Maru must survive an onslaught by three elite Zerg players to reach the quarterfinals. The Jin Air Terran recently has had confidence inducing results against two of the opponents he’s about to face, as he repeatedly earned victories against soO (5:3 in maps since April) and Dark (3:2 in maps since April) in the GSLTV Race Wars.
His shattering defeat at the hands of ByuL in SSL Premier complicates the situation, however. ByuL’s play style proved highly effective against Maru, with constant counter attacks setting back the Terran economy and an iron defence deflecting any attempts of aggression. Could this serve as a blueprint for the Zerg-trio facing off against Maru now? Losira, soO and Dark all have different approaches from ByuL’s, but they will certainly have followed his method of dismantling Maru—and it’s not like this is anything revolutionary or new. It’s a well-known technique, flawlessly executed. These three Zergs are some of the most mechanically sound ones in the scene, perfectly able to match ByuL’s speed. Can they find the courage to adapt, or will they stay with their tried and tested recipes?
Maru must fix the holes in his play fast, because ByuL exposed them for the entire world to see. With this group being as starved for success as it is—Losira’s last title was over six years ago, Maru’s over two years, soO’s almost two years and Dark’s a bit over a year—everyone will look to exploit even the slightest weakness they can find.
Weekly Schedule:
Mon - SSL Premier - Solar vs Stats
Wed - Code S - Group C: herO vs Dear / Rogue vs ByuN
Thu - SSL Premier - Solar / Stats vs ByuL
Fri - VSL - Group A: Solar / Leenock / ByuN / Patience
Sat - Code S - Group D: soO vs Losira / Maru vs Dark
Sat - SSL Challenge - Classic vs Ryung / ByuN vs Dear / herO vs TY
SSL Premier
by hexhaven - thehexhavenA special treat this week is VSL’s second season starting up. The format heads into Ro16 straight away, and will finish in just over a month. The league is arguably still trying to find its place among the competitive Korean landscape, not quite having the prestige of its bigger brothers just yet. Nevertheless, it’s another offline league providing more games, and even more crucially it’s another chance for our favorite players to shine.
Impact was the famous underdog champion last season, and even with players like ByuN, INnoVation and Solar among the groups, there’s still a chance that the next VSL winner could be someone unexpected.
Solar
With a spot in the SSL Post Season and failing to advance from GSL Ro32, Solar remains as elusive as ever. It’s been hard to truly pinpoint the Zerg for years now, even more so after his first Korean title. He stands with Splyce now, a key part of the undoubtedly best foreign team the world has seen in years.
The slower pace of the SSL Premier Division suited him quite well, going 6-3 in matches to qualify for the Post Season. VSL, on the other hand, is very similar to Code S. Both seasons of Code S have seen him eliminated in the Ro32, and both times it was against Trap. In the first season of VSL he was taken down by Rogue and Classic in the group stage.
Even with these setbacks, he’s proven himself to be a capable player, but perhaps he’s now in a group of his peers. Players who, like Solar, are always possible contenders for the title, but who just as often simply don’t perform to the level of our expectations.
Leenock
What’s there left to say about Leenock? Nowadays he’s seen in Code S just as often as he’s not, and 2017 has been an especially rough year for the Zerg. His best result so far has been advancing from the Ro32 in the first season of GSL. He’s been extremely active in the online cups, but facing down players of lesser caliber just hasn’t prepared him for the big leagues. Leenock simply stands out in the group as the one player who’s most likely to fall to the others.
ByuN
The world absolutely loves to hate and hates to love ByuN. The One Man Army’s story is the stuff of legends. His rise to the top has been hailed as the second coming and derided as a one trick pony. Whatever the case, ByuN is still here to stay.
The Terran is facing one of the toughest weeks of his progaming career. Besides the VSL group stage, he’s also playing in Code S and SSL Challenge. For a player with his heart on his sleeve, success will put both his work ethic and mental fortitude to the test. Fortunately for ByuN, he’s world famous for his preparation and practice. It just remains to be seen if his nerves can handle it.
Patience
And the last, but not least, is Patience. The Protoss has been fluctuating between a midlister and a championship contender ever since the release of Legacy of the Void. As ever, it’s difficult to say where he stands at any given moment.
He was doing rather well in the SSL Premier Division until trounced by Solar, Maru and sOs. He made it to the Ro8 in the first season of VSL. On the other hand, he was knocked out of the GSL in the Ro32, and not even qualifying for Code S in the first season. His win rate for the year is an almost scarily exact 50 %. Perhaps with a bit of luck and a throwback to TakeTV’s studio in Krefeld, Germany, Patience has the chops to advance from his group. At the moment it’s unlikely, but we’re still waiting with bated breath.
Impact was the famous underdog champion last season, and even with players like ByuN, INnoVation and Solar among the groups, there’s still a chance that the next VSL winner could be someone unexpected.
Solar
With a spot in the SSL Post Season and failing to advance from GSL Ro32, Solar remains as elusive as ever. It’s been hard to truly pinpoint the Zerg for years now, even more so after his first Korean title. He stands with Splyce now, a key part of the undoubtedly best foreign team the world has seen in years.
The slower pace of the SSL Premier Division suited him quite well, going 6-3 in matches to qualify for the Post Season. VSL, on the other hand, is very similar to Code S. Both seasons of Code S have seen him eliminated in the Ro32, and both times it was against Trap. In the first season of VSL he was taken down by Rogue and Classic in the group stage.
Even with these setbacks, he’s proven himself to be a capable player, but perhaps he’s now in a group of his peers. Players who, like Solar, are always possible contenders for the title, but who just as often simply don’t perform to the level of our expectations.
Leenock
What’s there left to say about Leenock? Nowadays he’s seen in Code S just as often as he’s not, and 2017 has been an especially rough year for the Zerg. His best result so far has been advancing from the Ro32 in the first season of GSL. He’s been extremely active in the online cups, but facing down players of lesser caliber just hasn’t prepared him for the big leagues. Leenock simply stands out in the group as the one player who’s most likely to fall to the others.
ByuN
The world absolutely loves to hate and hates to love ByuN. The One Man Army’s story is the stuff of legends. His rise to the top has been hailed as the second coming and derided as a one trick pony. Whatever the case, ByuN is still here to stay.
The Terran is facing one of the toughest weeks of his progaming career. Besides the VSL group stage, he’s also playing in Code S and SSL Challenge. For a player with his heart on his sleeve, success will put both his work ethic and mental fortitude to the test. Fortunately for ByuN, he’s world famous for his preparation and practice. It just remains to be seen if his nerves can handle it.
Patience
And the last, but not least, is Patience. The Protoss has been fluctuating between a midlister and a championship contender ever since the release of Legacy of the Void. As ever, it’s difficult to say where he stands at any given moment.
He was doing rather well in the SSL Premier Division until trounced by Solar, Maru and sOs. He made it to the Ro8 in the first season of VSL. On the other hand, he was knocked out of the GSL in the Ro32, and not even qualifying for Code S in the first season. His win rate for the year is an almost scarily exact 50 %. Perhaps with a bit of luck and a throwback to TakeTV’s studio in Krefeld, Germany, Patience has the chops to advance from his group. At the moment it’s unlikely, but we’re still waiting with bated breath.
Play With an Idol
by mizenhauer - MizenhauerGG: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is GalacticGyre and I’m pleased to be your host for TLive’s newest project: Play With An Idol! Who hasn’t dreamed of a romantic 2v2 session with their idol crush? Well tonight we’re giving four players a chance to do just that with mine.”
*indistinguishable grumbling*
“Our guest today with be Twice’s dancing machine, Momo. Who wouldn’t want to play placements with this beauty? Our competitors will be the members of Group D: soO, Dark, Losira and Maru. They each have their own strengths, so we’ll be giving them a chance to make their case. Their fate won’t be in Momo’s hands alone, though. You, the fans, can help decide who emerges from this contest. Make sure to vote once all the players have spoken. Make sure your favorite is the one who gets to spend a few cozy hours with Momo.
With that said, let’s hear from the competitors. First up is last year’s Blizzcon runner-up, Dark.”
Dark: “Momo, I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m far and away the best choice. These four can’t hold a candle to me in the late game. None of them can control spell casters like I can. You won’t have to worry about a thing if we play together. My roach armies will easily carry us to victory. Plus, I’ve recently won a Starleague unlike these schlubs. You can’t trust a bunch of washed up has-beens, especially not that Kong. Choose me and we won’t just win, we’ll have a great time doing it. I plan on going to California again this year. Maybe you can come with me.”
GG: Woah! Sstrong words from the ex SKT Zerg. He’s not the only one with connections to that team, though. The next person to make their case will be last season’s finalist, soO.”
soO: “Dark says that you won’t have to worry about a thing if you play with him, but he’s no good against Zerg. Not only do I always beat him, but I’m the best around when it comes to ling/bane micro. On top of that, my mechanics can't be touched. They’ll be more than enough to pull us ahead if our opponents survive to the midgame. I may have lost in the finals last season, but I never lose before then. If you choose me, it will be an easy 5-0. After that, I know a great barbecue joint we can go to with the best black pork in Seoul.”
GG: The gloves are already coming off and these two aren’t even playing in their opening matches. Our third player is Losira, who was chosen second overall at group nominations. They say he’ll become a male model after his progaming career is over. Can Momo resist his rugged good looks?”
Losira: “Both of these guys are chumps. soO says he has the best mechanics, but no one plays faster than me. Dark said he’s the one who most recently won a Starleague. I was winning Code A when he was still a total scrub. soO may have picked me first, but I’m not intimidated by him one bit. The one thing soO has right is that Dark is no good against Zerg. He better hope we don’t run into each other, because there’s no way he’s getting a win off me. As for that Terran over there, I’ve been beating him since 2012. If you want to have a smoldering session, I’m the only real choice.”
GG: The audacity from our third Zerg! I just can’t get enough. There’s only one player left in Group D. It’s Maru. Could this prince be Momo’s knight in shining armor? Let’s hear from the Jin Air Terran himself!”
Maru: Zergs...they don’t know what they’re talking about. Dark thinks he’s hot stuff, but he’s just a flash in the pan. Losira says he’s experienced. The old man's halfway to retirement; he should be looking for a condo instead of puffing himself up. soO tells you he’ll take care of anything? If he plays a Protoss in the finals, he can’t even take care of himself. Terran is the best race in 2v2 and I’ve got the best control of any Terran. Not even ByuN can split, drop and defend like I do. If we end up in a sticky situation, no one can do more with less than me. I'm MacGyver with more nimble fingers. If you’re looking to be disappointed, go ahead, pick one of those three. If you want excitement, I’m your man.”
GG: Well there you have it, the competitors of Group D. Make sure to vote using the poll below and stay tuned in case TLive budgets us for another episode. Until then, this is GalacticGyre signing off!”
Image Credit: https://twitter.com/Monotonesoo
*indistinguishable grumbling*
“Our guest today with be Twice’s dancing machine, Momo. Who wouldn’t want to play placements with this beauty? Our competitors will be the members of Group D: soO, Dark, Losira and Maru. They each have their own strengths, so we’ll be giving them a chance to make their case. Their fate won’t be in Momo’s hands alone, though. You, the fans, can help decide who emerges from this contest. Make sure to vote once all the players have spoken. Make sure your favorite is the one who gets to spend a few cozy hours with Momo.
With that said, let’s hear from the competitors. First up is last year’s Blizzcon runner-up, Dark.”
Dark: “Momo, I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m far and away the best choice. These four can’t hold a candle to me in the late game. None of them can control spell casters like I can. You won’t have to worry about a thing if we play together. My roach armies will easily carry us to victory. Plus, I’ve recently won a Starleague unlike these schlubs. You can’t trust a bunch of washed up has-beens, especially not that Kong. Choose me and we won’t just win, we’ll have a great time doing it. I plan on going to California again this year. Maybe you can come with me.”
GG: Woah! Sstrong words from the ex SKT Zerg. He’s not the only one with connections to that team, though. The next person to make their case will be last season’s finalist, soO.”
soO: “Dark says that you won’t have to worry about a thing if you play with him, but he’s no good against Zerg. Not only do I always beat him, but I’m the best around when it comes to ling/bane micro. On top of that, my mechanics can't be touched. They’ll be more than enough to pull us ahead if our opponents survive to the midgame. I may have lost in the finals last season, but I never lose before then. If you choose me, it will be an easy 5-0. After that, I know a great barbecue joint we can go to with the best black pork in Seoul.”
GG: The gloves are already coming off and these two aren’t even playing in their opening matches. Our third player is Losira, who was chosen second overall at group nominations. They say he’ll become a male model after his progaming career is over. Can Momo resist his rugged good looks?”
Losira: “Both of these guys are chumps. soO says he has the best mechanics, but no one plays faster than me. Dark said he’s the one who most recently won a Starleague. I was winning Code A when he was still a total scrub. soO may have picked me first, but I’m not intimidated by him one bit. The one thing soO has right is that Dark is no good against Zerg. He better hope we don’t run into each other, because there’s no way he’s getting a win off me. As for that Terran over there, I’ve been beating him since 2012. If you want to have a smoldering session, I’m the only real choice.”
GG: The audacity from our third Zerg! I just can’t get enough. There’s only one player left in Group D. It’s Maru. Could this prince be Momo’s knight in shining armor? Let’s hear from the Jin Air Terran himself!”
Maru: Zergs...they don’t know what they’re talking about. Dark thinks he’s hot stuff, but he’s just a flash in the pan. Losira says he’s experienced. The old man's halfway to retirement; he should be looking for a condo instead of puffing himself up. soO tells you he’ll take care of anything? If he plays a Protoss in the finals, he can’t even take care of himself. Terran is the best race in 2v2 and I’ve got the best control of any Terran. Not even ByuN can split, drop and defend like I do. If we end up in a sticky situation, no one can do more with less than me. I'm MacGyver with more nimble fingers. If you’re looking to be disappointed, go ahead, pick one of those three. If you want excitement, I’m your man.”
GG: Well there you have it, the competitors of Group D. Make sure to vote using the poll below and stay tuned in case TLive budgets us for another episode. Until then, this is GalacticGyre signing off!”
Poll: Who do you want to play 2v2 with Momo?
soO (12)
44%
Maru (9)
33%
Dark (3)
11%
Losira (3)
11%
27 total votes
Maru (9)
Dark (3)
Losira (3)
27 total votes
Your vote: Who do you want to play 2v2 with Momo?
Image Credit: https://twitter.com/Monotonesoo
