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HeRoMaRinE: The Climb - Road to BlizzCon 2018 (#11)

Forum Index > SC2 General
16 CommentsPost a Reply

HeRoMaRinE: The Climb - Road to BlizzCon 2018 (#11)

Text byTL.net ESPORTS
Graphics by3StrakGames
October 20th, 2018 16:52 GMT
Photo: André Hainke (via Blizzard)
HeRoMaRinE
Gabriel Segat
Mousesports

The Climb

by TheOneAboveU


Improvement and steady progress are some of the most satisfying developments to witness in yourself, but also in others. In 2018, we saw plenty in HeRoMaRinE, a player we whose growth we have witnessed not just as a pro-gamer, but as a person—he was, after all, a child when he was first introduced to us. Despite his early start and by now relatively tenured career, it took HeRoMaRinE a long time to finally make an international impact, despite achieving great results in the German local scene. He is already considered somewhat of a legend there: The youngest player ever to win a German championship, the first and only Terran to win it, and—eventually—the record-holder for most championships in EPS history—a record likely to last forever with the “Meisterschaft” being discontinued.

HeRoMaRinE, like many other young prodigies, came into contact with StarCraft II through an older sibling. What makes his case special, and what destined HeRoMaRinE for greatness in the eyes of many German fans, were his mentors. The young Terran was coached by old WarCraft 3 professional miou, his brother’s team mate at n!faculty, and the legendary Mondragon, perhaps most famous today for his guide to ZvP. They propelled him to Grandmaster status, resulting in his successful application to German powerhouse team mousesports, the team he still represents today, seven years later. Domestic success followed as soon as HeRoMaRinE was old enough to be allowed to play in ESL tournaments, despite academic obligations always maintaining highest priority for the young talent.

Hailed certainly as the best German Terran, but also a new European hope, HeRoMaRinE finished school in summer 2016, deciding to give a full time esports career a shot, a choice he had initially ruled out. That decision seemed to bear fruit quickly, at first: two months into his new career, he made his first big splash in the international scene, reaching the top 4 at WCS Summer, losing only to the eventual champion TRUE. HeRoMaRinE’s elimination of MarineLorD and SpeCial on the way to the semifinals certainly lent credibility to his bid to become the best foreign Terran—and it seemed only a matter of time.

Yet this one moment in the spotlight was to remain the only one for a long time. For the entirety of his first year as a full time player in 2017, HeRoMaRinE was stuck in the hell of EU Challenger, repeatedly falling to an onslaught of European Zergs in brackets including the likes of Serral, who would become a nemesis in the future. Hailed still as one of Europe’s Terran hopes, HeRoMaRinE dragged himself from one Challenger to another, only to be disappointed again and again. Doubts over his decision to go pro must certainly have plagued him at the time, nagging at his confidence. He continued on, though, despite the lack of results and visible improvement. This we can count as one of HeRoMaRinE’s great strengths: tenacity, and the necessary mindset to continue pursuing his goals.

Early in 2018, hope blossomed again. Fighting his way through the open bracket at WCS Leipzig on his home turf, HeRoMaRinE defeated Nerchio in the third group stage—an opponent he had not been able to overcome during his Challenger odyssey the year before. He was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Neeb, but reaching the bracket stage again showed the necessary improvement to build on. Trips to PyeongChang and Katowice were cut short, though at least HeRoMaRinE was able to breathe competitive air again. Gradual progress appeared to be back on the menu, as he was able to one-up his placement from Leipzig at Austin and finish in the top eight, falling to a rising Serral. Losing to the prodigy from Finland, whose origins are strikingly similar to his own, became a trend in 2018, as the German had the misfortune of meeting him several times in WCS competitions. Despite performing well against other top EU players, HeRoMaRinE could never even come close to making a dent in Serral’s armor. But even though beating Serral remained out of reach—it did for almost everyone—the Terran continued to rise through the ranks, finally securing a top four finish at a WCS event in Valencia. He again again ran into Serral there. Beating his sharpest rival for the position of best European Terran, uThermal, in a direct duel was probably the most striking success of HeRoMaRinE's Valencia campaign. Despite another hopeless series against the eventual champion of the tournament, he could finally take pride in his placement again.


Rank


#5
WCS Standings

WCS Points


2760

2018 Season Stats*


48–23 (67.61%) vs. Terran
52–26 (66.67%) vs. Protoss
46–45 (50.55%) vs. Zerg
*Via Aligulac.com. Matches between 2017-11-15 and 2018-10-16.


Over the year he had gradually improved his results one round at a time, collecting enough WCS points to nurture serious hopes of securing a ticket to BlizzCon for the first time. If the pattern was to repeat itself, maybe Montreal could provide him with the chance of competing for a title. Exemplifying how times had indeed changed, HeRoMaRinE eliminated TRUE in the third group stage, a late payback for the Summer Championship in 2016. In the Round of 16, he easily disposed of Semper in front of the Canadian’s home crowd, becoming one of only four players to advance into the Round of 8 three times in WCS alongside Nerchio, ShoWTimE and, of course, Serral.

With Serral at last placed on the other side of the bracket, the stars seemed to align on the 9th of September 2018 for HeRoMaRinE to reach a WCS final. His nemesis could not stop him early this time. In his way stood an unknown: a Terran from China, a region historically simple for European players to overcome, with SEA players often stuck in their own wacky, quite ineffective metagame. TIME had even struggled to defeat Has, and with HeRoMaRinE’s easy victory over Semper on the previous day, one felt he had every right to already have an eye on his semifinal encounter against either his rival uThermal or fellow youngster Reynor .

TIME destroyed HeRoMaRinE. Most predicted a clear 3-0 scoreline going into the match, but had TIME on the losing end. Instead he put on a TvT masterclass and wiped HeRoMaRinE from the tournament. TIME, with his Korean server TvT practice, proved to be far more capable than widely anticipated, confirming HeRoMaRinE’s worries prior to the series. The control—both, micro and controlling the game flow—HeRoMaRinE showed in his previous TvTs at the tournament—he had gone 9-0 in maps before the quarterfinal—was nonexistent against TIME. The Chinese Terran took the reins from minute one, leaving no room for HeRoMaRinE to take any sort of initiative or set his own accents. TIME was both faster and smarter as he took three maps in a row and made it look easy.

HeRoMaRinE's elimination at the hands of Neeb or Serral in previous tournaments were always put down to their brilliance rather than his shortcomings. In a way, there was no pressure in these matches. There was only one expected outcome, after all. Neeb and Serral are the most dominant WCS players, with more championships between them than HeRoMaRinE had made semifinals. But against TIME, for the first time in his WCS life, HeRoMaRinE had been favored to win a playoff match. Expectations were placed on him instead of his opponent, and he failed spectacularly. That day should have been a great triumph in his career. Instead, it became a testament to HeRoMaRinE’s position in the WCS food chain: somewhere in the muddy middle, among the throng of players not quite good enough to compete with the very elite, but still vulnerable enough to suffer losses to players further down the chain.

This is where he stands: HeRoMaRinE, a legend at home, but nowhere near that status anywhere else. Destined for greatness and success, but overshadowed by fellow young peers whose climb has been steeper and more rapid. He made an impact this season no doubt, but it is far from a lasting one, easily forgotten in the grand scheme of things, in the face of champions. HeRoMaRinE may be the best European Terran playing in WCS, but that title has always been a bit of a joke, a running gag, rather than a true achievement.

The 9th of September cast a shadow over HeRoMaRinE’s first appearance at BlizzCon. And yet simply attending BlizzCon, deemed impossible only a year ago, shows clear progress in the big picture. His failure at Montreal is an experience to learn from, but so are his impressive results in Austin and Valencia. That is important, because there is a lesson to be learned from every one of these—and HeRoMaRinE is not yet the finished article. Upsets and setbacks happen to all big names eventually, especially not yet accustomed to the pressure of expectations. In Anaheim, HeRoMaRinE will be far from a favorite, he will assume a more familiar underdog role. Unless HeRoMaRinE has acquired immense abilities since we last saw him, victory at BlizzCon seems like a pipe dream. But it will certainly be valuable experience to continue his development. And that may, eventually, lead him back here with stronger title aspirations.








Writer: TheOneAboveU
Editors: Olli
Photos: Carlton Beener, Blizzard, ESL, Leimmia, Bart Oerbekke, Helena Kristiansson
Graphics: 3StrakGames
Statistics: Aligulac
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TL+ Member
Zinger11111
Profile Joined July 2018
4 Posts
October 20 2018 18:12 GMT
#2
The race icon you have is protoss.. he is terran
Wyrd
Profile Joined May 2011
United States211 Posts
October 20 2018 21:38 GMT
#3
Rough—for HeRoMaRinE—that the tone of the article paints this tournament as a chance for him to improve, rather than take a big victory, but it is the truth and appreciate an honest article rather than wild and baseless speculation that “Maybe he can win it all!”

Great write-up
www.twitch.tv/wyrd5
Kurao
Profile Joined April 2018
215 Posts
October 20 2018 21:48 GMT
#4
It would be one of the more major upsets if he made it out of his group. He has 2 of the most accomplished Protosses in his group, and the foreigner just so happens to be Serral.

Let's hope the underdog's semi-placebo advantage will play well in his favor.
Kitai
Profile Joined June 2012
United States873 Posts
October 20 2018 21:54 GMT
#5
On October 21 2018 03:12 Zinger11111 wrote:
The race icon you have is protoss.. he is terran


He's gonna pull a Neeb and win the whole thing.
"You know, I don't care if soO got 100 second places in a row. Anyone who doesn't think that he's going to win blizzcon watching this series is a fool" - Artosis, Blizzcon 2014 soO vs TaeJa
IArako
Profile Joined June 2015
Germany195 Posts
October 20 2018 23:35 GMT
#6
If Gabe really shows up, i can actually see him advance along Serral.
I dont think its likely but he has taken maps off Zest multiple times already when his form wasnt as good as it is now.
Special Tactics
IshinShishi
Profile Joined April 2012
Japan6156 Posts
October 20 2018 23:47 GMT
#7
he got destroyed by TIME, I don't see him getting nowhere unfortunately.
So... what that make you? Good? You're not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie
yht9657
Profile Joined December 2016
1810 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-10-20 23:49:12
October 20 2018 23:48 GMT
#8
On October 21 2018 08:35 IArako wrote:
If Gabe really shows up, i can actually see him advance along Serral.
I dont think its likely but he has taken maps off Zest multiple times already when his form wasnt as good as it is now.

why are you even worrying about Zest when sOs is in the group?
Fango
Profile Joined July 2016
United Kingdom8987 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-10-21 00:13:21
October 21 2018 00:13 GMT
#9
On October 21 2018 08:47 IshinShishi wrote:
he got destroyed by TIME, I don't see him getting nowhere unfortunately.

If he advances here it will be 100% of his TvP and Zest and sOs are probably the best koreans he could have had.

It's just a shame out of every foreigner he got Serral.
Zest, sOs, PartinG, Dark, and Maru are the real champs. ROOT_herO is overrated. Snute, Serral, and Scarlett are the foreigner GOATs
TheOneAboveU
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
Germany3367 Posts
October 21 2018 06:52 GMT
#10
On October 21 2018 09:13 Fango wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 21 2018 08:47 IshinShishi wrote:
he got destroyed by TIME, I don't see him getting nowhere unfortunately.

If he advances here it will be 100% of his TvP and Zest and sOs are probably the best koreans he could have had.

It's just a shame out of every foreigner he got Serral.

Yeah, unfortunately it's tradition in WCS by now that he gets Serral in his group or bracket, Montreal being the exception from the rule.

I agree that on a very good day Gabe could totally make an upset happen, but the Koreans normally don't fuck around at BlizzCon, so... hope is all there is.
Moderatoralias TripleM | @TL_TripleM | Big Dark Energy!
hjpalpha
Profile Joined August 2017
Germany339 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-10-21 08:19:32
October 21 2018 08:19 GMT
#11
Good text, but in 2017 Gabe didnt want to play any WCS event. (His Team would have paid the travel costs etc.)
He only did take part in the challengers to get the ‘free money‘ for qualifying to these challengers. He said so several times on his stream last year.
In 2017 he ‘only‘ was a streamer. Afaik his contract with mouse was even changed for that in 2017.
LiquipediaSCV ready | SC2-Liquipedia Admin, reviewer and editor | Wax called me a Liquipedia wizard in one of his articles for 2019 WCS Standings
Poopi
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
France12875 Posts
October 21 2018 08:22 GMT
#12
If it was Lambo instead of Serral it would have been a free group because Zest is relatively easy and Lambo as well...
But no way he beats Serral so he has to hope sOs get eliminated so he can qualify by beating Zest only.
WriterMaru
Waxangel
Profile Blog Joined September 2002
United States33388 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-10-21 08:31:39
October 21 2018 08:31 GMT
#13
I feel like heromarine has been very careful about managing expectations all year, basically starting by saying he's more of a streamer than progamer. Obviously he'll be trying to get the best result possible, but just getting here seems like a win for him.
AdministratorHey HP can you redo everything youve ever done because i have a small complaint?
Elentos
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
55550 Posts
October 21 2018 08:32 GMT
#14
On October 21 2018 17:22 Poopi wrote:
If it was Lambo instead of Serral it would have been a free group because Zest is relatively easy and Lambo as well...
But no way he beats Serral so he has to hope sOs get eliminated so he can qualify by beating Zest only.

Zest is easy if you're Maru or if you play Zerg. Other than that he beats Terrans much better than Heromarine regularly.
Every 60 seconds in Africa, a minute passes.
Musicus
Profile Joined August 2011
Germany23576 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-10-21 08:43:50
October 21 2018 08:41 GMT
#15
On October 21 2018 17:31 Waxangel wrote:
I feel like heromarine has been very careful about managing expectations all year, basically starting by saying he's more of a streamer than progamer. Obviously he'll be trying to get the best result possible, but just getting here seems like a win for him.

Definitely. I never expected him to go this far in sc2. From how things were looking last year, I was sure he would be studying while streaming on the side at this point. I was pleasantly surprised when he signed up for WCS events outside of Germany.

So whatever happens at BlizzCon, it was a great year for Big Gabe.
Maru and Serral are probably top 5.
Poopi
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
France12875 Posts
October 21 2018 08:56 GMT
#16
On October 21 2018 17:32 Elentos wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 21 2018 17:22 Poopi wrote:
If it was Lambo instead of Serral it would have been a free group because Zest is relatively easy and Lambo as well...
But no way he beats Serral so he has to hope sOs get eliminated so he can qualify by beating Zest only.

Zest is easy if you're Maru or if you play Zerg. Other than that he beats Terrans much better than Heromarine regularly.

Yeah but you can prepare for him and beat him much more easily than sOs or Serral. Pretty sure he rather plays Zest than zergs or Maru/TY among koreans.
Zest beats good terrans online but also loses to fantasy / cure so it can happen, HeroMarine got a good sense of preparation.
WriterMaru
Fango
Profile Joined July 2016
United Kingdom8987 Posts
October 21 2018 14:10 GMT
#17
On October 21 2018 17:56 Poopi wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 21 2018 17:32 Elentos wrote:
On October 21 2018 17:22 Poopi wrote:
If it was Lambo instead of Serral it would have been a free group because Zest is relatively easy and Lambo as well...
But no way he beats Serral so he has to hope sOs get eliminated so he can qualify by beating Zest only.

Zest is easy if you're Maru or if you play Zerg. Other than that he beats Terrans much better than Heromarine regularly.

Zest beats good terrans online but also loses to fantasy / cure so it can happen, HeroMarine got a good sense of preparation.

While he has some random losses to FanTaSy and Cure, he's generally one of the best players in the matchup. Offline the only terran he's actually lost to this year is Maru.
Zest, sOs, PartinG, Dark, and Maru are the real champs. ROOT_herO is overrated. Snute, Serral, and Scarlett are the foreigner GOATs
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