• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 05:25
CEST 11:25
KST 18:25
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL16] Ro8 Preview Pt2: Blunt Impact4The Best Worst Final: sOs vs INnoVation11[ASL16] Ro8 Preview Pt1: Rematches10ZeroSpace - Xol Faction Reveal57WTL 2023 Winter - Code A Preview/Power Rank14
Community News
WTL 2023 Winter Tournaments32023 Code S Season 3 Ro16 Groups9New PTR Patch 5.0.12123ESL Open #193: herO, MaxPax, Clem win3ESL Masters Winter 2023 - Qualifiers + Schedule0
StarCraft 2
General
The Big List of Superpowers No SC2 at Asian Games? David Kim, Blizzard vets to work on new RTS New PTR Patch 5.0.12 New Map Pool Has 9 Maps
Tourneys
[AfreecaTV Pro Series] Cure vs soO PIG STY FESTIVAL 4.0! (20-24 September) [AfreecaTV Pro Series] Astrea vs GuMiho GdA-Night Tournament Tenacious Turtle Tussle (Americas/OCE/Asia)
Strategy
[G] YAKS LOTV: Yet Another hotKey Setup - zerg Simple Questions Simple Answers Practice Partner Thread Season 1 - 2018
Custom Maps
StarLance | Extension Mod – Multiplayer LotV
External Content
Mutation # 388 Resilient Rifts Mutation # 387 Train of Pain Mutation # 386 Dance Dance Evolution Mutation # 385 Knock Knock
Brood War
General
[ASL16] Ro8 Preview Pt2: Blunt Impact Gameplay wins / funny fails in twitch-clip format BGH auto balance -> http://bghmmr.com/ Little things you hate about Brood War? [ASL16] Ro16 Preview Pt2: Even Scales
Tourneys
New Worlds Star League [ASL16] Ro8 Day 3 The North America Pro League Golden Girl Tournament (Offline Peru)
Strategy
Why is ____ not used for (Matchup here)? Simple Questions, Simple Answers ZvP Retro Walls Hiding Defilers
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Path of Exile Cyberpunk 2077 Diablo IV FF7 remake for PS4 announced
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[Summer Split] LoL Esports General Discussion
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes International Nations Cup - Berlin 2023 HotS: WP and Funny Moments
Hearthstone
Is Hearthstone Gambling?
TL Mafia
TL Mafia: Generative Agents Showdown TL Mafia Community Thread Everybody smurfs for TTT mafia Quarterly Mafia 1 - part 2 QM Part 2 Vote Thread
Community
General
Russo-Ukrainian War Thread US Politics Mega-thread NASA and the Private Sector The Games Industry And ATVI Men's Fashion Thread
Fan Clubs
RotterdaM Fan Club The Stephano Fan Club Mvp Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece [Manga] Berserk Anime Discussion Thread Movie Discussion!
Sports
2023 - 2024 Football Thread 2023 NFL/CFB Season Formula 1 Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NBA General Discussion
World Cup 2022
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Thread
Tech Support
Cannot log into Liquipedia.net using tl.net accoun Spotify and SC II
TL Community
Gay StarCraft Players The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Baal's last 15 years, with …
WGT-Baal
Returning to Starcraft. Balance …
-_-
About parenting
Uldridge
EternaLEnVy Post DotA Tr…
EternaLEnVy
Darius the great Golden plates…
kfpnw
Three Volume VI
Mizenhauer
[Girl blog] These feelings do…
Garnet
ASL S16 English Commentarie…
namkraft
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1381 users

GSL Super Tournament #2: RO8 Preview (2022)

Forum Index > SC2 General
5 CommentsPost a Reply

GSL Super Tournament #2: RO8 Preview (2022)

Text byTL.net ESPORTS
December 4th, 2022 06:57 GMT

2022 GSL Super Tournament 2 - RO16 Day Three

by Wax

Start time: Monday, Dec 05 8:00am GMT (GMT+00:00)

It's a post-apocalyptic landscape in the Super Tournament quarterfinals—at least for Protoss players. All three Protoss contestants were wiped out in the RO16, including DreamHack: Atlanta champion herO who was felled by Bunny's vengeful hand.

With Terrans now outnumbering Zerg five to three in the quarterfinals, it seems like a prime setup for Maru to take the championship. But it may be an even better opportunity for Dark, who showed outstanding ZvT skills in the recent AfreecaTV Championship Cup. Or, perhaps, we'll see someone else seize this chance and come out as a surprise champion?

(Wiki)2022 GSL: Super Tournament 2
[image loading]


Round of 8 - Match #1: Maru vs ByuN

While Solar has traditionally held the role of 'unlucky Maru punching bag,' it's actually ByuN who suffered the most at Maru's hands in 2022. The two have faced off five times this year in major tournaments, and each time ByuN was forced to type out the final GG.

The most striking games between the two are the ones where ByuN seems to have a significant early/mid-game lead but suffers a comeback victory in the late-game. They really drive home how inevitable Maru wins in TvT feel, and make the 'if Maru is behind he's even; if Maru is even he's actually winning' jokes feel like they're not giving Maru enough credit. After one such game at TSL9, mics picked up ByuN lamenting how he should have won, while Maru responded that he had never been in any danger in the first place. Was that Maru making a sarcastic dig at his friend of 10+ years? Or was it the confidence of a player who knows he's levels above anyone else in the match-up? I'm guessing it was a bit of both.

Anyhow, we all know what the prediction for this match has to be. Whether Maru dominates all the way or overcomes a rough start, most fans will see his victory as a foregone conclusion. In his RO16 interview, ByuN did say he felt like he had improved and looked forward to testing himself against Maru. While I appreciate the optimism, it's not going to affect this prediction.

Prediction: Maru 3 - 1 ByuN

Round of 8 - Match #2: Solar vs GuMiho

The laws of StarCraft II physics say that Solar is drawn to Maru by an irresistible gravitational force, but he'll get a one-orbit reprieve as he goes up against GuMiho first in the round-of-8. Well, perhaps "reprieve" isn't the best way to describe it. Asked whether he would rather face GuMiho or SpeCial in the next round, Solar said he didn't want to face either due to their "dirty" way of playing.

While I prefer to call it "creative," I completely get the sentiment. The last time the two faced off in Code S (the RO10 of Season 3), GuMiho beat Solar 2-0 with consecutive Battlecruiser openers despite being known as THE Battlecruiser guy in the pro StarCraft II scene (sorry Nathanias!). It's one thing to be an unorthodox player—it's another thing entirely to succeed with an unorthodox style that everyone is expecting.

Still, I give Solar the overall edge in this match. Solar seems to have fully recovered from his summer slump and has returned to being one of the strongest macro Zergs in the non-Serral/Reynor/Dark division. He made a great run to the RO8 at DreamHack Atlanta, where it didn't seem like he was suffering from the big-match jitters that have plagued him in the past. He even pushed arch-nemesis Maru to game five in the RO8, though he did end up suffering a 2-3 defeat.

Solar also happened to beat GuMiho 2-1 in the group stage of DreamHack: Atlanta, and I think those games served as a decent overview of how this Super Tournament series will go. GuMiho managed to take one map with an unusual build order (a Thor-Hellbat timing), but was outmatched when he had to play standard bio-based macro in longer games. My prediction is that GuMiho's dirty/creative tricks will catch Solar off guard once or twice, but Solar will defend well enough to take three maps in the end.

Prediction: Solar 3 - 2 GuMiho

Round of 8 - Match #3: DongRaeGu vs Bunny

We still have more than a month to go until Lunar New Year, but it feels like we've been getting an advance preview of the Year of the Rabbit lately. Ten days after achieving a career-best second place finish at DreamHack: Atlanta, Bunny avenged his loss to herO in the finals by taking him out 3-0 in the first round of the Super Tournament. Bunny said that the win only made him feel more regretful about blowing his chance in Atlanta—well, I think he has a very realistic chance of making up for it with a Super Tournament championship.

He's certainly no one-trick-pony in TvP. His most impressive showing at DreamHack actually came in the semifinals, where he defeated the fearsome Serral 3-1. His TvT is very strong as well, in the same tier with all of the Terrans just below Maru. However, he has the shocking distinction of being the only Terran with a winning record against Maru in the last year (2-0 in series). Of course, Bunny would still be the underdog against Maru in the finals, but he's the only Terran player in non-military existence who makes you wonder 'maybe…'

But I shouldn't get too ahead of myself. DongRaeGu is a tough ZvT opponent, and he flexed his skills in the RO16 with a 3-0 dismissal of Ryung. We should all be well-acquainted with DRG's strengths and weaknesses by now—he's overpowering if allowed to play mid-game macro, but is much shakier in the very early and very late stages of the game. With Bunny being an aggressive player who enjoys using a wide range of strategies, I think this will be a typical early-game offense versus defense style of series.

I'm not sure how to rate DRG's early game defense at the moment. He did handle Ryung's proxy-Barracks and two-base all-in well in the RO16, but Ryung isn't exactly known for this micro at this phase of his career. When DRG had to face Maru back at DreamHack Atlanta, he suffered a very quick 0-3 after failing to hold off two-base all-ins and a Battlecruiser cheese. Since I rate Bunny's attacking ability as being closer to the Maru end of the spectrum, I'll give him the nod to advance.

Prediction: Bunny 3 - 1 DongRaeGu

Round of 8 - Match #4: Dark vs Cure

Year of the Bunny? How about an elephant in the room?

Dark's championship run in November's AfreecaTV Champions Cup signaled a return to top form for one of the best players in the game, with ShoWTimE, ByuN, Bunny, Clem, and Maru all falling in his path. Unfortunately, Dark's ability to travel overseas seems to be limited by his approaching military service, which presumably prevented him from playing at Atlanta. If he had been able to compete, all this hype around herO and Bunny may never have been sparked in the first place. Instead, we may have been celebrating the best player in the world and back-to-back DreamHack Masters champion Dark. Can Dark make up for that lost opportunity in the Super Tournament?

Things started off smoothly for Dark in the RO16, as he won the battle of build orders against soO and took a 3-1 victory in a ZvZ. While Dark's next match against Cure is a ZvT, I suspect it could be another contest of build orders as well. Cure's RO16 sweep of RagnaroK was largely thanks to his successful mind-games, guessing (some would say 'lucking') correctly with a CC-first into pool-first and later pulling off a Bunker-rush into containment on Stargazers. On the other hand, Dark is the top Zerg player who most strongly rejects Zerg's identity as the defensive faction, frequently looking to turn the tables on Protoss and Terran with early attacks. Dark's fondness for early Roach Warrens throws a wrench into the works for many Terrans, and Cure will surely be thinking long and hard about how to balance greed, safety, and aggression.

While I want to give Cure some credit for his convincing win against Code S runner-up RagnaroK, Dark's recent body of work in ZvT is just overwhelming in comparison. He's beaten nearly every top Terran player in a major tournament setting, and I'm afraid he's going to add Cure's name to that list.

Prediction: Dark 3 - 1 Cure




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


Facebook Twitter Reddit
TL+ Member
Charoisaur
Profile Joined August 2014
Germany15313 Posts
December 04 2022 10:49 GMT
#2
"Asked whether he would rather face GuMiho or Solar in the next round, Solar said he didn't want to face either due to their "dirty" way of playing."
I assume there's a typo there?
Many of the coolest moments in sc2 happen due to worker harassment
QOGQOG
Profile Joined July 2019
801 Posts
December 04 2022 15:18 GMT
#3
I won't complain about the likely Maru/Dark finals if they happen, but I'm rooting for Bunny here.

On December 04 2022 19:49 Charoisaur wrote:
"Asked whether he would rather face GuMiho or Solar in the next round, Solar said he didn't want to face either due to their "dirty" way of playing."
I assume there's a typo there?

I've read this several times and have no idea what you're referring to.
Charoisaur
Profile Joined August 2014
Germany15313 Posts
Last Edited: 2022-12-04 15:54:59
December 04 2022 15:54 GMT
#4
On December 05 2022 00:18 QOGQOG wrote:
I won't complain about the likely Maru/Dark finals if they happen, but I'm rooting for Bunny here.

Show nested quote +
On December 04 2022 19:49 Charoisaur wrote:
"Asked whether he would rather face GuMiho or Solar in the next round, Solar said he didn't want to face either due to their "dirty" way of playing."
I assume there's a typo there?

I've read this several times and have no idea what you're referring to.

Solar can't face Solar because he's Solar himself

already got corrected though
Many of the coolest moments in sc2 happen due to worker harassment
tigera6
Profile Joined March 2021
2540 Posts
December 04 2022 16:55 GMT
#5
On December 05 2022 00:54 Charoisaur wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 05 2022 00:18 QOGQOG wrote:
I won't complain about the likely Maru/Dark finals if they happen, but I'm rooting for Bunny here.

On December 04 2022 19:49 Charoisaur wrote:
"Asked whether he would rather face GuMiho or Solar in the next round, Solar said he didn't want to face either due to their "dirty" way of playing."
I assume there's a typo there?

I've read this several times and have no idea what you're referring to.

Solar can't face Solar because he's Solar himself

already got corrected though

Solar would prefer to face Solar than Maru though, especially with another nuke hit early today from Time.
yubo56
Profile Joined May 2014
611 Posts
December 04 2022 20:56 GMT
#6
But Dark just got 2-1'd by Time in the recent EPT KR cup. Doesn't bode too well, but probably hiding strats?
Jung Yoon Jong fighting, even after retirement! Feel better soon.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
ESL Open Cup
09:00
Asia Open Cup #194
WardiTV288
OGKoka 288
SteadfastSC136
CranKy Ducklings36
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Dark 359
OGKoka 288
ProTech159
Harstem 52
Forgg! 42
Ryung 42
StarCraft: Brood War
Sea 4405
Larva 625
Pusan 556
PianO 277
hero 201
Mong 167
Horang2 143
Zeus 132
Bisu 114
Light 112
[ Show more ]
sorry 108
ToSsGirL 100
BeSt 54
Rush 48
[sc1f]eonzerg 24
Bale 20
ajuk12(nOOB) 12
Purpose 11
Jumperer 7
Noble 6
Sexy 5
Dota 2
BananaSlamJamma970
XcaliburYe580
XaKoH 523
Fuzer 238
League of Legends
JimRising 546
Other Games
olofmeister3692
singsing2506
Stewie2K2358
Liquid`RaSZi777
ceh9728
shoxiejesuss518
WinterStarcraft476
Mew2King393
rGuardiaN204
HitmanStarcraft2150
kRYSTAL_103
Hui .62
KnowMe53
Organizations
StarCraft 2
Esl_sc2230
ESL.tv230
StarCraft: Brood War
StarcraftVOD3
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 16 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Adnapsc2 7
• Gussbus
• Laughngamez YouTube
• aXEnki
• Poblha
• intothetv
• Migwel
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamez Trovo
StarCraft: Brood War
• sscaitournament1
• STPLYoutube
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• BSLYoutube
League of Legends
• Ambition1922
• Stunt458
Upcoming Events
Afreeca Starleague
35m
Sharp vs Mini
ESL Open Cup
6h 35m
ESL Open Cup
13h 35m
AfreecaTV Pro Series
22h 35m
Cure vs soO
Afreeca Starleague
1d
EffOrt vs Action
WardiTV Korean Royale
1d 1h
Creator vs Solar
Creator vs DongRaeGu
Maru vs ByuN
Maru vs TBD
ByuN vs TBD
DongRaeGu vs NightMare
Solar vs NightMare
WardiTV Korean Royale
2 days
GuMiho vs Ryung
GuMiho vs Stats
herO vs RagnaroK
herO vs Dark
RagnaroK vs Cure
Stats vs Astrea
Ryung vs Astrea
Cure vs Dark
Kung Fu Cup
2 days
WardiTV Korean Royale
3 days
Classic vs ByuN
Scarlett vs Solar
Dark vs RagnaroK
Cure vs Ryung
GuMiho vs Astrea
Maru vs DongRaeGu
Creator vs NightMare
herO vs Stats
PassionCraft
3 days
[ Show More ]
World Team League
4 days
Korean StarCraft League
4 days
Grand Platypus Open
4 days
WardiTV Korean Royale
5 days
World Team League
5 days
Sniper's StarCraft League
5 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
WardiTV Korean Royale
6 days
World Team League
6 days
BSL
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL 10: 2023 Fall
PiG Sty Festival 4.0
Raven Court Inhouse League
IESF WEC 2023

Ongoing

FS Mania
BSL 25x25
ASL Season 16
GSL2023 S2
WardiTV Korean Royale S2
ESL Challenger League S46 NA
ESL Challenger League S46 AP
ESL Pro League Season 18
CCT Online Finals #3

Upcoming

BSL Season 17
Copa Latinoamericana Season 2
Bombastic 25th Anniversary LAN
ESL Winter
ESL Winter: Asia
ESL Winter: Americas
ESL Winter: Europe
2023 GSL S3: Code S
WTL 2023 Winter
Lion Lad's By Release
Low Elo Heroes
Calamity Stars
CS:GO Asia Championships 2023
FiReLEAGUE Global Finals
Thunderpick World Championship
Roobet Cup 2023
IEM Sydney 2023
BLAST Premier Fall AME Showdown
BLAST Premier Fall EU Showdown
ESL Challenger League S46 EU
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2023 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.