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[TSL] Round of 8 Preview

Forum Index > PokerStrategy.com TSL3 Forum
144 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next All

[TSL] Round of 8 Preview

Text byXxio
Graphics byKennigit
April 22nd, 2011 22:39 GMT
[image loading]
Saturday April 23rd 18:00 GMT (+00:00)
Sunday April 24th 18:00 GMT (+00:00)
(Wiki)TSL3

By Xxio and tree.hugger

The TSL feels like it just started. I remember so vividly when Thorzain crushed FruitDealer on Terminus, Kas overwhelmed Haypro like a storm, and Cruncher gave us a smile that will last forever. The days have gone by fast and here we are, at the quarterfinals.

The path has been as difficult as one can be, but the players that survived this far have written their own stories. Kas, through his polished build orders and gosu building placement is now a household name. Naniwa, relentless and persistent, has warmed even the iciest of nerd hearts. Safe and solid, Adelscott won against the toughest odds. Boxer showed us that legends never die.

The eight players who made it to the quarterfinals have cemented their names in the minds of fans and players. Perseverance, skill, and courage is what they will be remembered for. As it has been in past TSLs and as it will be in future ones.


[image loading] [image loading] oGsMC vs. Prae.ThorZaIN [image loading] [image loading]

[image loading]
[image loading]


Thorzain had better be as ready and prepared as humanly possible. His build orders and reactions should be so well practised that his hands flow across the keyboard without thought. But it's the mental, not the physical that will be decisive for him. MC has played in front of a roaring, live audience. He has defeated the most venerate names in Korea and strutted confidently to his prize. His mind is sharp and hard with no room left for nerves and distractions. I am worried that he will push Thorzain to his mental limit - attack, fake, juke and harrass, constantly, in each game until Thorzain cracks under the pressure. As Arrian attests in A Finale in Five, a best of five can be a rattling, crushing experience. Against MC, an unshakable veteran with the eyes of a hawk, it only takes one slip for everything to come tumbling down.

Prediction: The way Thorzain played Tyler was conservative but also predictable. As they have never been worth so much, I am not sure how much scrutiny Thorzain's builds have taken. If MC bothers to, he might find more than one hole. But if he underestimates Thorzain, if he enters these games unprepared, he will be hard-pressed to win by experience alone. That said, I do think that MC will be familiar with Thorzain's style, and that he will have the answer to it that Adelscott and Tyler did not. Thorzain is a great player but MC is on another level.

Liquibet Stat: MC: 6249 Thorzain: 1871



[image loading] [image loading] Empire.Kas vs. Mill.Adelscott [image loading] [image loading]

[image loading][image loading]


Kas and Adelscott are like two strong, stubborn bulls about to butt heads. To generalize, they both play a safe style with only a pinch of harassment. Macro, tweak, and react is how they win games. Because they play so similarly, the winner will be the one with the most refinement. Novelty and gimmicks will have no role in these matches. I expect long macro games with the winner being decided by who edges out the tightest macro and safest defense. If the games go as I expect, it will be a wearing experience for the players. In long, drawn-out games one misjudged cycle of units can be the difference between life and death. Everything counts – each detail under your control has to be refined, every action be with a purpose.

Adelscott defeated two top Terrans to make it to the quarterfinals. His series against Qxc went the distance and showed that he has the mettle of a champion. Kas, however, is a much different opponent. He is not overly aggressive, and is more than content to win by outmanoeuvring his opponent in both macro and micro.

Prediction: Adelscott won more than one of his games against MVP and Qxc by having a clutch defence and, like an avalanche, slowly building his advantage. I do not think Kas will be as eager to finish the fight as Adelscott's past opponents. From what I have seen, he is not prone to rash decision making and has terrifying macro. Kas will take it but it won't be easy.

Liquibet Stat: Kas: 4288 Adelscott: 3770



[image loading] [image loading] Dignitas.NaNiwa vs. coL.CrunCher [image loading] [image loading]

[image loading][image loading]


NaNiwa may have qualified for the TSL as a controversial figure, but those days are somewhat behind him. Instead, he has been largely surpassed in that category by the player he faces in the Round of 8. Since steaming through the third TLOpen as an unknown, CrunCher has steadily added to his tournament resumé, and is no longer the wild card he once was. In his TSL run so far, he has defeated two fan favorite zergs in Mondragon and IdrA in forum-rage inducing fashion. To many aggrieved fans of his victims, CrunCher has come to represent everything that is wrong with protoss. Sweet revenge would come in the form of a PvP loss here.

But perhaps it is a NaNiwa who deserves that distinction. While CrunCher is the consummate protoss troll, mixing cannon rushes and six gates with the turtle'n'max strategy, NaNiwa has long relied on good old fashioned brute force to win his games. Of course, like all top players he can mix it up, and surely will in this series, but if NaNiwa's serial destruction of his MLG Dallas opponents are any indication, the Swedish protoss loves nothing more than a quick and brutal stomping.

Prediction: PvP is a weird match-up to call. The player with the advantage is the player who is most comfortable with the many permutations and reads that are required. It'll be fun to see the phoenix/void ray dynamic we've seen on rare occasions. But most likely this PvP will be won in the trenches with three and four gate micro. On the basis of his MLG Dallas run, the advantage in that category should go to NaNiwa, 3-1.

Liquibet Stat: Naniwa: 7676 Cruncher: 772



[image loading] [image loading] mouz.HasuObs vs. SlayerS_BoxeR [image loading] [image loading]

[image loading][image loading]


BoxeR was widely predicted to be the most likely Korean to fall out of the TSL in the Round of 32, and the same was true in the Round of 16. But the Emperor of Starcraft does not relinquish his throne so easily, and edged two difficult opponents to make this Round of8 appearance. Perhaps it shouldn't be treated as a surprise; this is Boxer after all, but up against yet another strong player, the creeping feeling that his luck will turn is back.

That is what HasuObs is hoping. The second ex-WC3 protoss of BoxeR's campaign, HasuObs has proven himself with maybe the most difficult TSL run so far, defeating HuK and MorroW with just a game to spare. Indeed both of these players have advanced by the thinnest of margins each time. That experience will help both in another long series, which this promises to be. Both players should also be comfortable with the external factors related to the TSL by now and these should be less of an issue than they may have been previously.

Prediction: I've bet on BoxeR's opponents twice now, and I've gotten burned. I'm not going for the trifecta. I think Boxer should have more comfort with the playing conditions than he did previously, and I think he can defeat HasuObs, especially with the help of the TvP practice he put in for his Code A match-up. HasuObs is a strong player, as evidenced by his TSL match-list, but I think the emperor has had a charmed run through this TSL that will continue at least one more round.

Liquibet Stat: Boxer: 6388 HasuObs: 2048




Cheerfuls !

[image loading]
[image loading]
[image loading]
[image loading]
[image loading]
[image loading]





This TSL is sponsored by PokerStrategy.com, the world's largest poker school and community. With hundreds of Poker VODs and an assortment of learning material in 18 different languages, PokerStrategy.com offers the chance for aspiring Poker players to learn from a beginner to a professional level. Sign up using TL's referral link.

By signing up, you can also enter the TSL3 Raffle, where you can win a 5-night trip to South Korea for 2 people to watch StarCraft live in person and tour the oGs-Liquid house.

Discuss with other fans in the TSL3 Forum.
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KTY
Fuell
Profile Joined February 2011
Netherlands3111 Posts
April 22 2011 22:41 GMT
#2
nice :D
fOu/Zenith/NEX/WeRRa/SlayerS
julysun
Profile Joined January 2011
United States29 Posts
April 22 2011 22:42 GMT
#3
cant wait. nice write up
if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten
neobowman
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Canada3324 Posts
April 22 2011 22:42 GMT
#4
I believe that boxer will win. Boxa hwaiting! (Only thing is missing is beating Yellow with a triple bunker rush at the finals)
dekuschrub
Profile Joined May 2008
United States2069 Posts
April 22 2011 22:45 GMT
#5
i'm really hoping for naniwa to win/take the tourney. I'm not even a protoss fan, but that guy has some serious skills
Romano
Profile Joined June 2010
Germany60 Posts
April 22 2011 22:45 GMT
#6
Very nice , I like the cheerful of MC vs Thorzain and lol @ the one of Adelscott vs Kas xP
Antoine
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States7481 Posts
April 22 2011 22:48 GMT
#7
lol, love the cheerfuls
ModeratorFlash Sea Action Snow Midas | TheStC Ret Tyler MC | RIP 우정호
Fallen33
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
United States596 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-22 22:50:17
April 22 2011 22:48 GMT
#8
On April 23 2011 07:42 julysun wrote:
cant wait. nice write up



Oh yeah, what was your favorite part?



Also, soooo pumped for boxer's match. GET SOME BOXER!!
"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." - Napoleon Bonaparte ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Romano
Profile Joined June 2010
Germany60 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-23 08:55:27
April 22 2011 22:50 GMT
#9
you wrote "That said, I do think that MC will be familiar with Thorzain's style, and that he will have the answer to it that Adelscott and Tyler did not" But I guess you mean which Fruitdealer and Tyler didnt have!
VGhost
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States3613 Posts
April 22 2011 22:52 GMT
#10
The Emperor Protects. Brilliant!

Great read, looking forward to these matches.
#4427 || I am not going to scan a ferret.
radiumz0rz
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States253 Posts
April 22 2011 22:53 GMT
#11
I hope that Boxer's preparation for his Code A match was enough for this tvp. I am voting for Boxer but the bo5 will be a battle, not a landslide.
Berkeley '10
Broodlings
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
United States157 Posts
April 22 2011 22:53 GMT
#12
i'm loving these hype posters
There is no Karont3 icon???? what is this madness?
GameTime
Profile Joined May 2010
United States222 Posts
April 22 2011 22:58 GMT
#13
Can't wait for these matches, 3 of them are PvT which is my favorite match up at the moment :D
Only the winner deserves to win.
slip.
Profile Joined July 2010
United States50 Posts
April 22 2011 23:03 GMT
#14
Seriously, I thought boxer was gonna be out early. Hes the fucking manheroelegend of sc.
Routing for him or cruncher :D
smoke-->drink-->craft
Gleve
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States206 Posts
April 22 2011 23:05 GMT
#15
Haha! The CrunCher hype poster is hilarious. :D
♞
Magic_Mike
Profile Joined May 2010
United States542 Posts
April 22 2011 23:07 GMT
#16
Can't wait for the Hasu V. BoxeR. Going to be epic. Also you have BoxeR's flag as U.S.
mumming
Profile Joined June 2010
Faroe Islands256 Posts
April 22 2011 23:09 GMT
#17
The Cruncher one is really good xD
syraneko
Profile Joined March 2011
6 Posts
April 22 2011 23:11 GMT
#18
O__O seriousoily cruncher odds to beat naniwa

Liquibet Stat: Naniwa: 7676 Cruncher: 772

but is a pvp its a crazy match up so anything can happen
Maasl
Profile Joined February 2011
Germany13 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-22 23:22:49
April 22 2011 23:22 GMT
#19
On April 23 2011 08:07 Magic_Mike wrote:
Also you have BoxeR's flag as U.S.


To correct this: It means the U.S. is now a new part of Boxers empire.
Noocta
Profile Joined June 2010
France12578 Posts
April 22 2011 23:23 GMT
#20
Well.. gonna cheer for BoXeR since there's no more zerg here.
And hope Naniwa demolish cruncher. And by demolish, i mean completly scratch his neck. :<
" I'm not gonna fight you. I'm gonna kick your ass ! "
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