EPT
Full Steam Ahead
by hexhaven![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/bird_blue_16.png)
- thehexhavenWe’re looking at another action-packed week in Korea. One star league will wrap up, one is steadily nearing completion, and the youngest sibling of the trio will keep chugging along with the group stage. What’s more, summer is finally in full swing, so fire up the grill and enjoy some exciting matches with good food and ice cold drinks.
Ups and Downs, Ups and Downs
A few weeks ago we went over a trifecta of players who were all playing in both SSL and GSL. Turns out the fates weren’t kind to them, and none of them straddle two different leagues anymore. INnoVation secured his spot in the SSL finals by winning the pennant race, but he was unable to advance from the GSL ro16. In the finals he’ll be going up against Solar in his most favored match-up. Of course, the Splyce Zerg player is the defending champion, so it seems more than fair to see the two players duke it out this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Stats’s gamble seemd to just barely pay off. He’s going to play against Classic in the GSL playoffs, but he fell against Solar in the SSL post season. Thankfully his team mate TY is also in the GSL playoffs, having made good use of Stats’s last minute group change. The odd man out is ByuL, who was taken down by Solar in the SSL, and by GuMiho and Stats in the GSL. For now, his promising 2017 will have to take a breather until the next star leagues start up again.
Mirror Mirror On the Wall
The GSL playoffs will see a return to the days of GomTvT with two back-to-back Terran mirror matches. This will mean also that the other semifinal is a TvT, and that the other finalist will be a Terran. Fans of the race rejoice, others might opt to skip the first day of the playoffs entirely.
GuMiho will first face off against TY, and ByuN will be pitted against Maru. Even if you’re normally iffy watching the siege tank lines, the high caliber of the players should ensure enjoyable matches for the viewers. Curiously aLive is a name that’s missing, having built a bit of a reputation as a TvT sniper. Thankfully GuMiho will likely pick up the slack, and TY will need to replicate his IEM Katowice performance to stay in the tournament. If the Splyce Terran wants to meet his team mate in the finals, he better come prepared, because even if he manages to secure a win against GuMiho, he’ll be up against the winner of ByuN vs Maru. The two Terran powerhouses are brazenly eyeing the finals. ByuN will want to correct his lackluster start to the year, and let’s be honest, Maru wants to achieve the exact same thing.
On the other side of the bracket, Stats and Classic will face off against each other in a PvP. Stats still has the memory of the first season’s championship fresh on his mind, while Classic still seems to be almost criminally underrated. It’s been almost exactly two years since his last star league title. Granted, his year hasn’t been exactly stellar, but there’s still a very good chance we’ll see Classic instead of Stats in the semifinals. The two met in the Ro32, and Classic took the match with a comfortable 2-0 score. Stats has also been struggling in PvP this year. Then again, it’s PvP, so upsets are to be expected.
The winner of the mirror will go up against a Zerg player once the dust settles in the knife fight of soO vs Rogue. The Jin Air Zerg has traditionally lost his momentum upon reaching the quarterfinals. What’s worse, he’s going up against none other than soO. The Silver Medalist is looking at another possible finals, and at another possible chance at a title. Maybe now it’s finally his time. Maybe with a victory he’ll finally feel vindicated. Rogue will be in for the fight of his life.
The Newcomer
Changing gears, VSL also has a single group scheduled for this week. Lacking the history of the other two star leagues, VSL also has a bunch of names we don’t see quite as often. Group B has Hush, Hurricane, Pet and soO, and of course The Runner-Up stands out from among the rest. However, the group will be played the day after soO’s big GSL quarterfinal, so maybe the other three players might have a chance. What’s more likely is that soO will simply gobble up the others for breakfast, and the three will be left fighting over the second place. Nevertheless, it’ll be exciting to see how the new league develops further.
Weekly Schedule:
Wed - GSL Code S -
GuMiho vs TY, ByuN vs Maru
Thu- GSL Code S -
Stats vs Classic, 
Rogue vs soO
Fri - VSL - Group B:Hush / Hurricane / Pet / soO
Sat - SSL Premier Grand Finals -INnoVation vs Solar
Ups and Downs, Ups and Downs
A few weeks ago we went over a trifecta of players who were all playing in both SSL and GSL. Turns out the fates weren’t kind to them, and none of them straddle two different leagues anymore. INnoVation secured his spot in the SSL finals by winning the pennant race, but he was unable to advance from the GSL ro16. In the finals he’ll be going up against Solar in his most favored match-up. Of course, the Splyce Zerg player is the defending champion, so it seems more than fair to see the two players duke it out this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Stats’s gamble seemd to just barely pay off. He’s going to play against Classic in the GSL playoffs, but he fell against Solar in the SSL post season. Thankfully his team mate TY is also in the GSL playoffs, having made good use of Stats’s last minute group change. The odd man out is ByuL, who was taken down by Solar in the SSL, and by GuMiho and Stats in the GSL. For now, his promising 2017 will have to take a breather until the next star leagues start up again.
Mirror Mirror On the Wall
The GSL playoffs will see a return to the days of GomTvT with two back-to-back Terran mirror matches. This will mean also that the other semifinal is a TvT, and that the other finalist will be a Terran. Fans of the race rejoice, others might opt to skip the first day of the playoffs entirely.
GuMiho will first face off against TY, and ByuN will be pitted against Maru. Even if you’re normally iffy watching the siege tank lines, the high caliber of the players should ensure enjoyable matches for the viewers. Curiously aLive is a name that’s missing, having built a bit of a reputation as a TvT sniper. Thankfully GuMiho will likely pick up the slack, and TY will need to replicate his IEM Katowice performance to stay in the tournament. If the Splyce Terran wants to meet his team mate in the finals, he better come prepared, because even if he manages to secure a win against GuMiho, he’ll be up against the winner of ByuN vs Maru. The two Terran powerhouses are brazenly eyeing the finals. ByuN will want to correct his lackluster start to the year, and let’s be honest, Maru wants to achieve the exact same thing.
On the other side of the bracket, Stats and Classic will face off against each other in a PvP. Stats still has the memory of the first season’s championship fresh on his mind, while Classic still seems to be almost criminally underrated. It’s been almost exactly two years since his last star league title. Granted, his year hasn’t been exactly stellar, but there’s still a very good chance we’ll see Classic instead of Stats in the semifinals. The two met in the Ro32, and Classic took the match with a comfortable 2-0 score. Stats has also been struggling in PvP this year. Then again, it’s PvP, so upsets are to be expected.
The winner of the mirror will go up against a Zerg player once the dust settles in the knife fight of soO vs Rogue. The Jin Air Zerg has traditionally lost his momentum upon reaching the quarterfinals. What’s worse, he’s going up against none other than soO. The Silver Medalist is looking at another possible finals, and at another possible chance at a title. Maybe now it’s finally his time. Maybe with a victory he’ll finally feel vindicated. Rogue will be in for the fight of his life.
The Newcomer
Changing gears, VSL also has a single group scheduled for this week. Lacking the history of the other two star leagues, VSL also has a bunch of names we don’t see quite as often. Group B has Hush, Hurricane, Pet and soO, and of course The Runner-Up stands out from among the rest. However, the group will be played the day after soO’s big GSL quarterfinal, so maybe the other three players might have a chance. What’s more likely is that soO will simply gobble up the others for breakfast, and the three will be left fighting over the second place. Nevertheless, it’ll be exciting to see how the new league develops further.
Weekly Schedule:
Wed - GSL Code S -
GuMiho vs TY, ByuN vs MaruThu- GSL Code S -
Stats vs Classic, Rogue vs soOFri - VSL - Group B:
Hush / Hurricane / Pet / soOSat - SSL Premier Grand Finals -
INnoVation vs Solar
One Look Says it All
by mizenhauer - MizenhauerOne has never lost a GSL quarterfinal; the other has never won one despite repeated opportunities. One has been to eight premier event finals; the other has never advanced past the semifinals. If we went on accolades alone, it’s obvious who should advance when soO and Rogue enter the FreecUP studio next week. But to cite an old maxim, games games aren’t played on paper. As two of the most successful Zergs in the past three years prepare to face off, let's remember what should be a contested rivalry has actually been a tale of utter dominance.
To say that soO and Rogue have history is an understatement. They have played eleven times since their Starcraft 2 debuts. Considering they possess some of the best ZvZ in Korea one would expect the score to be close, but for whatever reason that hasn’t been the case. Rogue has won eight games, with soO only winning three and neither of their shared Bo3s. This is not the whole story, though, for their battles transcend simple wins and losses. One need only look to the closing moments of their match in Round 2 of Proleague 2016 to understand why.
The stare. From Rogue: gall, arrogance and disrespect. For soO, a tumult of anger, disappointment and humiliation. Rogue is known for his flair and confidence within the game and outside of it. This moment was utterly devoid of good-natured bravado. It was a boot pressed on the throat of a dying man, the slow bleed following a stab wound to the viscera. Rogue was planting a flag. From now until the end of Starcraft, soO was his. All the GSL final appearances in the world won't mean a thing when they play.
The quarterfinal between soO and Rogue happens to be the first ZvZ in the GSL knockout phase since Season 2 of 2015 (when Rogue lost 3-0 to Curious). During that time only five different Zergs have reached the elimination rounds, compared to eleven Terrans and eight Protoss. The results are equally slanted when it comes to the semifinals and finals. In fact, no Zerg has lifted the trophy since Season 1 of 2015. GSL has been a boneyard for Korean Zergs. Players like Dark and Solar who have posted excellent results elsewhere have failed to take the next step, while those who have made strides have ultimately fallen short
Despite differences in playstyle, character and accomplishments, Rogue and soO share a strong attitude of resilience. They have both stumbled on the same stage time and again—soO in the GSL finals, Rogue in Starleague quarterfinals—only to bounce back and return to those heights. 2016 was a challenging year for them but here they are in familiar territory. For soO, his sixth finals appearance is beginning to look like fate. He didn’t participate in SSL or VSL Season 1, but hasn’t lost a step following his run to the Season 1 finals earlier in the year. For Rogue, this is a declaration that he is once more among the elite. While he may be trending upwards, he still has a long way to go. The Korean scene right now is ultra-competitive, with no one able to separate themselves from the pack for long. Rogue has struggled to break into the upper echelon and will continue to.
History looms like a megalithic shadow, but it is not the sole determinant. The fourth match of the round of 8 is a ground upon which history could be made. It could be soO’s first loss prior to the finals in the GSL knockout stage. It could be Rogue's long awaited trip to a Starleague semifinal. Or it could be another defeat for Rogue. Only one Zerg will remain when all is said and done. Who will carry that mantle in search of Starcraft 2’s ultimate prize?
To say that soO and Rogue have history is an understatement. They have played eleven times since their Starcraft 2 debuts. Considering they possess some of the best ZvZ in Korea one would expect the score to be close, but for whatever reason that hasn’t been the case. Rogue has won eight games, with soO only winning three and neither of their shared Bo3s. This is not the whole story, though, for their battles transcend simple wins and losses. One need only look to the closing moments of their match in Round 2 of Proleague 2016 to understand why.
The stare. From Rogue: gall, arrogance and disrespect. For soO, a tumult of anger, disappointment and humiliation. Rogue is known for his flair and confidence within the game and outside of it. This moment was utterly devoid of good-natured bravado. It was a boot pressed on the throat of a dying man, the slow bleed following a stab wound to the viscera. Rogue was planting a flag. From now until the end of Starcraft, soO was his. All the GSL final appearances in the world won't mean a thing when they play.
The quarterfinal between soO and Rogue happens to be the first ZvZ in the GSL knockout phase since Season 2 of 2015 (when Rogue lost 3-0 to Curious). During that time only five different Zergs have reached the elimination rounds, compared to eleven Terrans and eight Protoss. The results are equally slanted when it comes to the semifinals and finals. In fact, no Zerg has lifted the trophy since Season 1 of 2015. GSL has been a boneyard for Korean Zergs. Players like Dark and Solar who have posted excellent results elsewhere have failed to take the next step, while those who have made strides have ultimately fallen short
Despite differences in playstyle, character and accomplishments, Rogue and soO share a strong attitude of resilience. They have both stumbled on the same stage time and again—soO in the GSL finals, Rogue in Starleague quarterfinals—only to bounce back and return to those heights. 2016 was a challenging year for them but here they are in familiar territory. For soO, his sixth finals appearance is beginning to look like fate. He didn’t participate in SSL or VSL Season 1, but hasn’t lost a step following his run to the Season 1 finals earlier in the year. For Rogue, this is a declaration that he is once more among the elite. While he may be trending upwards, he still has a long way to go. The Korean scene right now is ultra-competitive, with no one able to separate themselves from the pack for long. Rogue has struggled to break into the upper echelon and will continue to.
History looms like a megalithic shadow, but it is not the sole determinant. The fourth match of the round of 8 is a ground upon which history could be made. It could be soO’s first loss prior to the finals in the GSL knockout stage. It could be Rogue's long awaited trip to a Starleague semifinal. Or it could be another defeat for Rogue. Only one Zerg will remain when all is said and done. Who will carry that mantle in search of Starcraft 2’s ultimate prize?
![[image loading]](http://misc.team-aaa.com/perso_Soeil/actualite/Interview/Dessins/INnoVation.jpg)
Hmm 
