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Code S RO16 Preview: Stats, ByuN, PartinG, Maru

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Code S RO16 Preview: Stats, ByuN, PartinG, Maru

Text byTL.net ESPORTS
October 6th, 2020 22:01 GMT

2020 GSL Code S Season 3 - Round of 16

by Wax

After a lengthy break for the Chuseok holiday, Code S returns with more RO16 action. Half of the playoff bracket has been determined, and now it's time to see which players will claim the remaining four spots.

[image loading]

More info: GSL Code S Season 3 on Liquipedia


Group C Preview: Stats, ByuN, PartinG, Maru

Start time: Wednesday, Oct 07 9:30am GMT (GMT+00:00)

What's the state of Terran vs Protoss?

PvT has reached that dangerous place where some Protoss players are openly expressing their confidence in the match-up. Ten years of StarCraft II has taught us that progamers aren't exactly unbiased in their judgment of balance, and an assessment that a match-up is "even" often means it's leaning a certain way, while a match-up being "good" might be a warning sign that factional balance is getting out of wack.

Otherwise cheesy players like Patience and Zoun are starting to look suspiciously comfortable in macro PvT, which may lead one to believe that Photon Overcharge is a little too helpful in helping Protoss survive early/mid-game pushes, and that mid-game Disruptors shift the burden of execution a little bit too far toward the Terran side.

Or, maybe things are totally fine, as Aligulac.com's match-up stats suggest. Whatever the case, Group C is the closest thing we'll get to a one-day referendum on a match-up.

PartinG is one of the aforementioned confident Protoss players, and his decision to pick Maru over Dark during the group selections should tell you all you need to know about his opinion of his own PvT (or his PvZ, perhaps). PartinG is a true dual threat in PvT, able to steal games with cheesy builds (his proxy-Tempest against ByuN was one of the funkiest builds of the RO24), but also overpower opponents in macro games.

Stats is more one dimensional in comparison, but no less capable in PvT. Alongside Trap, he's one of the best "I'm gonna play a macro game; try and stop me" players in the match-up, and might be the best suited to defend against the inevitable early attacks from Group C's two Terrans.

ByuN could be the scariest early game Terran in this group. In a surprising show of bravado from a player just recently returned from military service, ByuN said he was as confident as anyone in his ability to prepare builds/strats for these GSL-style matches. Maybe it's not so audacious a claim, as while muscle-memory and hand-speed might rapidly decline during a break from StarCraft II, the overall know-how of planning for a GSL series probably sticks around for longer.

Indeed, ByuN used some simple but clever tricks in the RO24, like using an Engineering Bay block to force PartinG to build his Nexus at his third, and then abusing the lack of a defensive wall with a Hellion attack. On the other hand, ByuN did lose a macro game to the previously mentioned Patience in the same RO24 group, so I'm not optimistic about his chances should his opponents successfully drag the games out.

That's not the case for Maru, Maru who enters this match after having defeated top PvT player Trap 3-2 in the King of Battles RO16. On new map Oxide, he gave us a performance that resembled vintage 2018 Maru, turtling up and whittling Trap down with constant tactical Nukes and harassment in the late-game.

While I've always been wary about getting hyped for someone's GSL performance due to a non-GSL match, the KoB result did make me a little giddy. There was a little hint of that invincible 2018 Maru who could beat you at any stage of the game, where surviving early-game attacks simply meant you were delaying your death until later. On the other hand, Maru's overall 2020 record suggests that victory against Trap was just a blip, while his RO8 and RO16 eliminations in Code S 2020 are the norm. As with most fans of great StarCraft, I'm hoping this season is a turning point for Maru.

Stats' Last Ride?

2020 is turning into a year of weird last stands before military service. soO set the bar high in terms of awkwardness, saying Code S Season 2 would be his final tournament before finding out he actually had enough time to compete in Season 3. Not that it mattered, as he was eliminated in the RO24 both times. Dear kept things quiet, announcing his retirement after he had already played his last match.

As it turns out, it's really hard to go out in a blaze of glory! Classic might have been only guy who ever did it right. He announced his departure a year ahead of time, and then rode off into the sunset at BlizzCon after slaying Rogue with a brilliant Blink-DT strategy. And even that came close to never happening, if not for some last minute scrambling by Blizzard and KeSPA to get him permission to travel to Anaheim.

So, what of Stats? He's also set to begin his military service in the nebulous 'near future.' He said that the impending end actually motivated him last season, which helped power him to his first Code S finals appearance since 2018. Even if it ended in a lop-sided 1-4 defeat at the hands of Rogue, he would still have scored a solid 8/10 on the blaze of glory scale' had he enlisted for the military then and there.

But now, Stats is back for another season, which may or may not be his last. On one hand, it represents one last chance to make up for his loss to Rogue. On the other hand, the bar for redemption has been set ridiculously high: winning a Code S title.

Despite the devastating nature of Stats' defeat to Rogue, I still think he has a decent shot of winning the title this time around. The issue with Stats isn't so much his overall level as it is how lop-sided his match-ups are. He's an excellent, championship-tier PvT and PvP player, equal or perhaps even superior to Trap in those departments. On the other hand, his PvZ is lacking, below a 60% map win-rate in 2020. It's weird because Stats is still really good at getting things done with Oracles and Adepts thanks to his micro, but somehow it just doesn't snowball into a victory that often.

Fortunately for Stats, this group is all PvP and PvT. Even more fortunately for Stats, Rogue has condemned both himself and Dark to the group of death in Group D, where one of them might get eliminated early on. Looking at the big picture, the bracket might break in a way that Stats doesn't have to play either of Dark or Rogue all the way to the championship. Yes, I'm basically saying Stats is in the position of old-Trap, before Trap figured out PvZ.

Predictions

If not for the absurdity of Group D, we might have called Group C this season's group of death. Stats and Maru are ostensibly the favorites here, but PartinG and ByuN are both creative enough to upset either of them with well-planned strategies.

Stats > ByuN
PartinG > Maru
Stats > PartinG
Maru > ByuN
Maru > PartinG

Stats and Maru to advance.




Credits and acknowledgements

Writer: Wax
Images: AfreecaTV
Records and Statistics: Aligulac.com and Liquipedia

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TL+ Member
ZigguratOfUr
Profile Blog Joined April 2012
Iraq16955 Posts
Last Edited: 2020-10-06 22:18:24
October 06 2020 22:17 GMT
#2
Patience is a really strange case when it comes to discussing PvT balance, because no one really plays the same build 95 probes, mass expand, and then build dozens of blink DTs style like he does (maybe Zest sometimes, but even Zest doesn't commit as hard to playing like a Zerg). And yet it does seem to work wonders for him.

Incidentally is it confirmed that they're playing on the old maps until the end of the Ro16? It would be strange to swap out the maps mid-round.
deacon.frost
Profile Joined February 2013
Czech Republic12129 Posts
October 06 2020 22:24 GMT
#3
I don't know, man. Parting losing to Maru, that's a wild prediction!
I imagine France should be able to take this unless Lilbow is busy practicing for Starcraft III. | KadaverBB is my fairy ban mother.
Cricketer12
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
United States13988 Posts
October 06 2020 22:27 GMT
#4
I have never seen a group that was as impossible to predict as this one. I hope and bet on the Toss' but man I wouldn't be surprised to see double terran.
Chain 1 Arthalion Chain 2 Urgula Chain 3 Mululu Chain 4 Lukias
Russano
Profile Joined November 2010
United States432 Posts
Last Edited: 2020-10-07 00:10:41
October 07 2020 00:10 GMT
#5
I think theres even a reasonable case for this being the group of death. This one is very very hard to predict, anyone could take it and wouldn't be a shocker. I could see any player just flaming out and getting bopped, and I could also see that same player comfortably taking 2 match wins. I think Maru and one of the two protoss will get out.
AxiomBlurr
Profile Blog Joined November 2012
786 Posts
October 07 2020 00:47 GMT
#6
Heart: Byun and Parting

Head: Maru and Stats

Who is with me?
AzAlexZ
Profile Joined September 2016
Australia3303 Posts
Last Edited: 2020-10-07 01:18:15
October 07 2020 01:17 GMT
#7
Hoping for double Protoss but I had Maru and Stats as my liquibet, but PartinG could beat Maru and Byun

On October 07 2020 07:17 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
Patience is a really strange case when it comes to discussing PvT balance, because no one really plays the same build 95 probes, mass expand, and then build dozens of blink DTs style like he does (maybe Zest sometimes, but even Zest doesn't commit as hard to playing like a Zerg). And yet it does seem to work wonders for him.

Incidentally is it confirmed that they're playing on the old maps until the end of the Ro16? It would be strange to swap out the maps mid-round.

I am really confused but I'm assuming you meant PartinG
Faker is the GOAT!
mikedupp
Profile Joined May 2020
233 Posts
October 07 2020 01:24 GMT
#8
On October 07 2020 10:17 AzAlexZ wrote:
Hoping for double Protoss but I had Maru and Stats as my liquibet, but PartinG could beat Maru and Byun

Show nested quote +
On October 07 2020 07:17 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
Patience is a really strange case when it comes to discussing PvT balance, because no one really plays the same build 95 probes, mass expand, and then build dozens of blink DTs style like he does (maybe Zest sometimes, but even Zest doesn't commit as hard to playing like a Zerg). And yet it does seem to work wonders for him.

Incidentally is it confirmed that they're playing on the old maps until the end of the Ro16? It would be strange to swap out the maps mid-round.

I am really confused but I'm assuming you meant PartinG



He said 95 probes so that is NOT parting.
AzAlexZ
Profile Joined September 2016
Australia3303 Posts
October 07 2020 01:27 GMT
#9
On October 07 2020 10:24 mikedupp wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 07 2020 10:17 AzAlexZ wrote:
Hoping for double Protoss but I had Maru and Stats as my liquibet, but PartinG could beat Maru and Byun

On October 07 2020 07:17 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
Patience is a really strange case when it comes to discussing PvT balance, because no one really plays the same build 95 probes, mass expand, and then build dozens of blink DTs style like he does (maybe Zest sometimes, but even Zest doesn't commit as hard to playing like a Zerg). And yet it does seem to work wonders for him.

Incidentally is it confirmed that they're playing on the old maps until the end of the Ro16? It would be strange to swap out the maps mid-round.

I am really confused but I'm assuming you meant PartinG



He said 95 probes so that is NOT parting.

I guess I missed the part where the article mentioned Patience being a 'macro protoss' for some reason
Faker is the GOAT!
dbRic1203
Profile Joined July 2019
Germany2655 Posts
October 07 2020 04:01 GMT
#10
Parting didn t pick Maru over Dark, but over Trap, as Dark wasn t available anymore
MaxPax
Muraddin
Profile Joined November 2011
Slovakia10 Posts
October 07 2020 04:40 GMT
#11
Is Stats ok? Since he felt sick in KB qualifier he did not participate in any online tournament he usually did such as Olimo and ESL cups.
RKC
Profile Joined June 2012
2848 Posts
October 07 2020 06:01 GMT
#12
On October 07 2020 07:01 TL.net ESPORTS wrote:
So, what of Stats? He's also set to begin his military service in the nebulous 'near future.' He said that the impending end actually motivated him last season, which helped power him to his first Code S finals appearance since 2018. Even if it ended in a lop-sided 0-4 defeat at the hands of Rogue, he would still have scored a solid 8/10 on the blaze of glory scale' had he enlisted for the military then and there.


Troubling that the Zerg hive is not only content with tournament domination, but also fake news and historical revision...
gg no re thx
Rooster33959961
Profile Joined October 2020
1 Post
October 07 2020 07:32 GMT
#13
Correction: Stats lost 4-1 to Rogue in the finals of GSL season 2 (not that it didn't feel like a 4-0).
TheOneAboveU
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
Germany3367 Posts
Last Edited: 2020-10-07 07:40:26
October 07 2020 07:39 GMT
#14
On October 07 2020 13:40 Muraddin wrote:
Is Stats ok? Since he felt sick in KB qualifier he did not participate in any online tournament he usually did such as Olimo and ESL cups.

It seems Stats was at the hospital for some time recently due to a high fever (not COVID, fortunately), so he may have wanted to get whatever serious practice he can and not play online tournaments before GSL.
Moderatoralias TripleM | @TL_TripleM | Big Dark Energy!
Blargh
Profile Joined September 2010
United States2103 Posts
October 07 2020 09:18 GMT
#15
STACKED.

I feel bad for Byun for getting this group for his returning gift, but if he makes it out? That'd be so sick. I'd love to see him make an immediate comeback.
lolfail9001
Profile Joined August 2013
Russian Federation40190 Posts
Last Edited: 2020-10-07 09:59:23
October 07 2020 09:59 GMT
#16
wrong thread
DeMoN pulls off a Miracle and Flies to the Moon
Shuffleblade
Profile Joined February 2012
Sweden1903 Posts
Last Edited: 2020-10-07 12:21:08
October 07 2020 12:20 GMT
#17
Its crazy the reward for whoever gets out of this group gets to face one of the ones who move out from the group of death. Its like the two groups of death meats eachother in the RO16 is so stupid, making it out of group D is pretty much equal to reaching the RO8 coming from group A and B...
Maru, Bomber, TY, Dear, Classic, DeParture and Rogue!
Riner1212
Profile Joined November 2012
United States337 Posts
October 07 2020 17:58 GMT
#18
kinda wished both byun and maru got out of the group. sad for byun =(
Sjow "pretty ez life as protoss"
Elentos
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
55555 Posts
October 07 2020 18:02 GMT
#19
Don't spoil the results in the preview thread
Every 60 seconds in Africa, a minute passes.
dUTtrOACh
Profile Joined December 2010
Canada2339 Posts
October 08 2020 03:04 GMT
#20
Truly an epic group of Protoss and Terran players, and an intriguing blend of style clashes.
twitch.tv/duttroach
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