The Code S RO16 closed out with matches from Group B, finalizing the bracket for the playoffs which will begin next week.
Dear built upon his solid run to the IEM Katowice RO8 by repeating the feat in GSL, topping Group B and earning a RO8 match against Maru for his troubles. Meanwhile, group favorite Dark limped through in second place.
Three-time GSL champion Maru looms large in the playoff bracket, but his lackluster performances suggest the first Code S title of the year could be anyone's for the taking. The quarterfinals will begin on March 27th with the upstart Bunny facing the brutal challenge of Dark in his first Code S RO8 match of his career, while Classic and Rogue will face off in a rematch of the IEM Katowice 2018 finals.
Man the bottom half of the bracket sure could get awkward. Maru vs Trap would be a team kill and Dear and TY practice with each other so much it may as well count as a team kill too. Maru vs TY the rematch from the last GSL finals. And then Trap vs Dear, the PvP most people don't want to see.
I feel like the bottom half of the bracket is really hard to predict, I think based on Maru vs Neeb in WESG he can absolutely take out Dear, but not sure about TY.
I feel like the bottom half of the bracket is really hard to predict, I think based on Maru vs Neeb in WESG he can absolutely take out Dear, but not sure about TY.
I think based on Dear winning 22 consecutive tournament games in PvT (including matches against every Terran in Ro8 and all offline), 1 match against Neeb doesn't mean anything for how Maru will do.
I feel like the bottom half of the bracket is really hard to predict, I think based on Maru vs Neeb in WESG he can absolutely take out Dear, but not sure about TY.
I think based on Dear winning 22 consecutive tournament games in PvT (including matches against every Terran in Ro8 and all offline), 1 match against Neeb doesn't mean anything for how Maru will do.
That is true. My Maru bias just kicked in there because lately I haven't seen any other Terran handle lategame TvP like he did. Either way it's going to be a great series.
I feel like the bottom half of the bracket is really hard to predict, I think based on Maru vs Neeb in WESG he can absolutely take out Dear, but not sure about TY.
I think based on Dear winning 22 consecutive tournament games in PvT (including matches against every Terran in Ro8 and all offline), 1 match against Neeb doesn't mean anything for how Maru will do.
Here's hoping for a repeat of last year when Classic had a way better TvP streak and Maru destroyed him.
I feel like the bottom half of the bracket is really hard to predict, I think based on Maru vs Neeb in WESG he can absolutely take out Dear, but not sure about TY.
I think based on Dear winning 22 consecutive tournament games in PvT (including matches against every Terran in Ro8 and all offline), 1 match against Neeb doesn't mean anything for how Maru will do.
Here's hoping for a repeat of last year when Classic had a way better TvP streak and Maru destroyed him.
Classic had a longer streak of matches (11 for Dear, Classic had 13) in a row he won in total, but Dear has gone way longer without dropping a map.
Here's hoping Dear manages to drag Maru into a halfway decent series, because lord knows all Maru's TvPs in GSL playoffs last year were unwatchable garbage.
I feel like the bottom half of the bracket is really hard to predict, I think based on Maru vs Neeb in WESG he can absolutely take out Dear, but not sure about TY.
I think based on Dear winning 22 consecutive tournament games in PvT (including matches against every Terran in Ro8 and all offline), 1 match against Neeb doesn't mean anything for how Maru will do.
Here's hoping for a repeat of last year when Classic had a way better TvP streak and Maru destroyed him.
Classic had a longer streak of matches (11 for Dear, Classic had 13) in a row he won in total, but Dear has gone way longer without dropping a map.
Here's hoping Dear manages to drag Maru into a halfway decent series, because lord knows all Maru's TvPs in GSL playoffs last year were unwatchable garbage.
Classic's streak had a much higher standard of players as well. Those 13 series included Maru three times (two of which were bo5), ByuN three times, Gumiho and TY once each. And those were literally the four best terrans at the time.
Out of Dear's 20 map streak only like four of them were against top TvPers (and Bunny depending on where you rate him).
Well this is a pretty sick bracket. Really hard to call who gets to the finals.
Gotta feel bad for Bunny though. Finally a Ro8 and you're pitted against the best ZvT. But funny matchup considering the stuff going on between them in the group nominations Would be the most baller thing ever for Bunny to take out Dark there.
Hope Maru vs Dear will bring us some good TvP like back in 2013. With Dear's form, I'd say he takes it 3-2 but never count out Maru in a preparation match.
Get ready for a Bunny vs Dear final, a man can dream, I really do think Dear will make the finals if he can beat Maru but realistically Dark should destroy Bunny
Maru is doomed he's going to have to go through Dear, Trap, and the winner of Rogue/Classic to continue his streak... Potentially 3 TvPs in a row. I wish the bracket was laid out differently.
I have the past broadcasts page of GSL bookmarked. Whenever I get a notifcation on my phone that GSL went life somewhere during my sleep, I'll see that when I wake up and remember to avoid teamliquid/reddit so that I get a spoilerfree experience. Its almost like watching it live, except that you get to skip all the commercials.
On March 24 2019 05:53 KingofdaHipHop wrote: Any chance that Maru vs Dear will be as good as it was in 2013?
Actually, this time around I think there's a very good chance. Dear is in form this season and is on a strong PvT streak while Maru seems to have descended from his god-tier from last year so things should be a bit more even.
On March 24 2019 05:53 KingofdaHipHop wrote: Any chance that Maru vs Dear will be as good as it was in 2013?
Actually, this time around I think there's a very good chance. Dear is in form this season and is on a strong PvT streak while Maru seems to have descended from his god-tier from last year so things should be a bit more even.
According to TY, Dear is the best PvT and Maru the best TvP so it should be a good match-up (his words, not mine). But he favors Dear.
On March 25 2019 07:35 brickrd wrote: anybody feeling like trap has a serious chance here at least to advance to the finals? he has 2-0ed maru and innovation in the past month.
i wouldn't favor him against a zerg, but i wouldn't count him out either - preparation and nerves count for a lot in a finals
If he faces Dear in the semis I wouldn't be so confident. Dear might have gotten rekt by herO but so has Trap and their most recent encounter ended up being a 2-0 for Dear.
On March 25 2019 08:43 Xamo wrote: Dear is 20-0 in offline PvT this year. He has not lost a single map. Pretty scary... I guess we are going to see a lot of proxies from Maru.
i dunno, i think Maru does whatever he thinks is the best play at the time - it's well known he isn't "afraid" when he proxies, if anything he's more confident than he should be
although i'm not a fan he has proven that he can absolutely incinerate anyone in a macro game when he shows up on fire. the fact that dear is the scariest opponent only makes for better starcraft imo
On March 25 2019 07:35 brickrd wrote: anybody feeling like trap has a serious chance here at least to advance to the finals? he has 2-0ed maru and innovation in the past month.
i wouldn't favor him against a zerg, but i wouldn't count him out either - preparation and nerves count for a lot in a finals
I think Bunny is the only player in the Ro8 who doesn't have a real serious chance of at least getting to the finals. Trap is the next biggest underdog out of the 8, but his side of the bracket looks nice for him in terms of eye test - a Terran when he's been dominating Terrans and then either another Terran or a Protoss with bad PvP. But whether Trap makes good on that remains to be seen, Terran or not he's gonna have his hands full with TY I think.
On March 25 2019 07:35 brickrd wrote: anybody feeling like trap has a serious chance here at least to advance to the finals? he has 2-0ed maru and innovation in the past month.
i wouldn't favor him against a zerg, but i wouldn't count him out either - preparation and nerves count for a lot in a finals
If he faces Dear in the semis I wouldn't be so confident. Dear might have gotten rekt by herO but so has Trap and their most recent encounter ended up being a 2-0 for Dear.
Fun fact, so far Dear has won every GSL where Trap made it to the Ro8 and they were in the same side of the bracket as well
EPT
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/GSL/2019/robracketgraphic.jpg)
Would be the most baller thing ever for Bunny to take out Dark there. 
