EPT
+ Show Spoiler [SK Telecom T1 vs Estro] +
All interviews by Kim Kyung Hyun (jupiter@fomos.co.kr) of Fomos
Second set winer: UpMagic
Q: How do you feel about winning your first match of the season?
A: I thought I’d get win number one last time. I was much more confident preparing for that match than this one, and I got angry when I lost. But winning today makes me forget all about that (laughs).
Q: The last time you played against KT, you ended up losing a game you had nearly won.
A: Usually I don’t get angry over games, but I was really furious that time. It took me some time get a hold of myself. When I watched the game again later I saw that I had the upper hand, but while I was actually playing I thought that I was at a disadvantage. That lead to my poor decision making.
Q: Did you expect to win today?
A: Fantasy is a great player, so I said that it would be about even. Whoever was better and understood the map was going to win the game. I gained a sudden advantage early on, so I won.
Q: You did gain a sizeable lead with your first rush….
A: My two siege tanks weren’t in visual range of the barracks, so I decided to play aggressively and it worked out well. I don’t usually play like this during practice, but it was pretty effective today.
Q: How do you rate Estro this season?
A: I don’t really know right now. Still, I think we’ll be in the top six. We’re strong enough to be a mid-tier team. If I raise my expectations, the finals are in the picture as well. There’s still a lot of time left until then however, so I’ll make an evaluation after some more games.
Q: Have you raised your goals for this season?
A: I’d rather be a player who comes out and wins when the team really needs it, than a player who just racks up his win count. I’m more concerned about my win percentage. Also I’d like to take down other team’s aces in the ace match. I’d like to remedy the fact that we don’t have a solid option there.
Q: You managed to go 1-1 against two very strong teams.
A: We have a lot of early matches scheduled against strong teams. After week four we have a lot of matches against weaker teams, so the plan is to manage a 50% win rate until then. Even this week, our goal was to go 1-1. Actually, we thought KT would be the team we’d beat, but we ended up winning against SKT1 instead. We’re back at zero points (win-loss differential in individual sets), so we can start anew in week two.
Q: Classic won with bio-mech build…
A: I recommended it, but I didn’t really teach him anything. Our captain (Tester) personally coached him. I didn’t actually give him many bio-mech tips (laughs). He doesn’t even thank me for them, so why should I? (laughs) Honestly, even I don’t know much about bio-mech nowadays. I don’t use it much anymore, and I wanted to see a player win using the strategy. I wasn’t much help because I was busy preparing for my game with Fantasy, but I was hoping Classic would win with his bio-mech build.
Q: Any last words?
A: Congratulations to Classic on his first win, and to me for mine! Also, congrats to the team on our first win. I hope we win even more in the future so we can all be happy.
+ Show Spoiler [Source] +
Second set winner: Classic
Q: How do you feel about winning your first official match?
A: Ever since I was named to play today, I practiced non-stop. I’m so happy I won today!
Q: How much exactly did you practice?
A: I practiced about fourteen hours a day. I’d take a ten minute break after meals and then get back to practice. I prepared really hard for this match.
Q: You pulled off an interesting strategy.
A: I’m still lacking in skill. While I was practicing, my win-rate wasn’t that great. So I thought that rather than try and play straight up, I’d go for a planned strategy, and I thought this particular one was worth a shot. Originally I planned it as a one factory expansion build, but Tester suggested that I expand after barracks instead. We came up with the build order together.
Q: UpMagic says he didn’t help you that much…
A: He watched my games and helped me tweak the build order. It helped a lot. I didn’t really have a good understanding of the concept of bio-mech, and he taught me a lot in that department.
Q: You were fortunate not to get scouted early.
A: I admit the strategy can get messed up if you get scouted on the opponent’s first try. Luckily I got scouted very late, and I felt pretty good about it. Also, I scouted my opponent’s expansion early on, so I started the game comfortably.
Q: Did you anticipate recall use?
A: Through practice, I was prepared for recalls in the case I had contained Protoss to his natural and he refused to come out. I didn’t have enough SCVs this game, so I barely had enough money to build bunkers (laughs). I was afraid the first recall would break my defenses, but that wasn’t the case, and it lead to a win.
Q: If I remember correctly, you lost to Flash in your debut match.
A: My opponents were all great players, so I thought it would be hard to play them straight up. On the other hand I thought that they’re still just pro-gamers, like me, and that I could win if I played well enough. I ended up getting crushed by Flash. It made me practice harder, and I think it helped me.
Q: Any goals for this season?
A: Well, I think I’m lacking in skill. If I get to play more this season, I hope I can get around ten wins. I’d love to be the rookie of the year, but I’m still far from being good enough. I think if I can get ten wins and practice hard, it’s an attainable goal.
Q: Last words?
A: I’d like to thank my teammates Grape, Dear, and Flying for practicing with me for this match. Big thanks to you guys! Also, I’d like to thank UpMagic and Tester for their help. Tester kept watching me play and corrected my mistakes while giving me lots of advice. I’d like to say I’m very grateful to him.
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Fourth set winner: Hyvaa
Q: You had a lucky first win today.
A: Yup, especially lucky since Classic won his game ahead of me.
Q: You did a 12 hatchery expand and didn’t get attacked, what do you think about that?
A: We hadn’t scouted each other then. I thought he had gone for a gas first build, since six zerglings holding the ramp is standard for that kind of build. When I saw those six lings, I felt that the game was won. I hadn’t completely found out his build, but I had a rough idea.
Q: How did you feel after you won?
A: It was my first win, and the team’s first win as well. I was happy to taste victory for the first time in a while. And since SKT is considered a strong team, it was even sweeter.
Q: You had a lackluster loss in your first game of the season…
A: I actually prepared harder for that game compared to today’s game because it was the opening match of the season, and people considered me to be weak against protoss. That’s true now, but it used to be the matchup I had the most confidence in. Considering how much practice I put in, I was so disappointed and angry when I lost. I was thinking “I this really all I amount to?” Well, there’s no use regretting a loss in the past. The next time I face a protoss player, you’re not going to see that kind of performance.
Q: How do you predict this season is going to turn out?
A: I’m pretty relaxed coming into this season. A single season’s experience changes your mindset a lot. Last season I had the most losses, but there’s no guarantee that’s going to happen again. I’ll try hard to win more games. I have some personal ambition as well. They say that your third year as a progamer is your peak, and it’s that third year for me. Expect good things!
Q: You said you have ambitions, could you be more specific?
A: I lost a lot in the last PL season, but I won a lot of games as well. I’ll cut back on the losses this time around. Also, I’ve only been able to do well in the proleague so far, but I want to do well in individual leagues as well. Although I’ve been eliminated from the OSL, I’m still alive in the survivor tournament. My first goal is to do well there and make it to the MSL. If I get through, then I’m going to put all my strength into winning the MSL championship.
I have long term goals for the proleague. I have a lot of appearances and a lot of chances to win, so I’ll practice hard. Also, our team’s zergs were ranked ninth in the proleague last season. Action was impressive during our preparation for this season, and it makes me feel like I have some competition. I’ll have to work even harder now, and I want to do well together so that people couldn’t even imagine us as ninth place.
Q: Any last words?
A: A lot of people helped me practice for this match, and the one before it. Thank you to everyone who helped. You guys practiced with me so much, so if you guys need some help in return just send me a whisper on battle.net! I’ll help you just as much.
+ Show Spoiler [Source] +
+ Show Spoiler [ KT Rolster vs Woongjin Stars] +
All interviews by Kang Yeong Hoon (kangzuck@fomos.co.kr) of Fomos
First set winner: Luxury
Q: Two wins in a row, how do you feel?
A: It’s just two wins, so I don’t feel much. I want to hurry and build a longer streak. I think last season my style became exposed, so this season I want to focus on Proleague more than the individual leagues.
Q: You seem to be in good condition.
A: I was worried because I had a slight stomach ache before the game, but oddly enough I had an easy time concentrating after the game started, and things went well. I didn’t expect my opponent to go for a dropship first, but I got lucky and caught it with my scourge. If you cleanly kill the dropship in a dropship-first build, you simply can’t lose.
Q: And your team won too.
A: I think everyone on our team is our ‘ace,’ and it’s great that we’re all so even in skill. If we all had some weaknesses last season, I think everyone managed to fix theirs for this season.
Q: Anything you want to say?
A: Thanks to Sair and Barracks, and especially to ForGG for helping me practice.
+ Show Spoiler [Source] +
Third set winner: Hoejja
Q: How do you feel about your first win this season?
A: It was really difficult practicing for this match, so I was only halfway confident going into it. I’m really happy that I won. It’s a good start, and it makes me look forward to the rest of the season.
Q: What was so hard about practice?
A: I had a hard time taking control of the ridges. Tempest is good at breaking zerg positions, and he kept breaking through when we practiced. My win rate was not good.
Q: How was the game then?
A: I planned to make zerglings early on and attack, but the lack of probe scouting made me decide to wait just a little longer before attacking. I had a lucky attack and I thought that I could win once I destroyed his cannon.
Q: You’ve been included in the lineup very early on.
A: There are four zergs on our team, and they’re all good enough to be main players on any team. So I know that if I get a chance to play, I have to try and get a win. Also, I listened to a lot of advice from our coaches. I think if we can all win games in turn, it would be great for the team.
Q: The mood seems lighter on the KT team now.
A: It’s all thanks to ForGG. He has an A blood type personality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_types_in_Japanese_culture), but he acts like an AB type, so we can never stop laughing because of him. I think he’s conquered our team (laughs). Note: This is a reference to his nickname, a combination of conqueror and bug abuser.
Q: Any season goals, and parting words?
A: I have lofty goals this season at around twenty wins. I want to thank coach ZergBong who’s always helping me, and happy birthday to Kim Hyun of our Special Forces team!
+ Show Spoiler [Source] +
http://www.fomos.kr/board/board.php?mode=read&keyno=99839&db=interview&cate=001&page=1&field=&kwrd=
Fourth set winner: Flash
Q: How do you feel about winning consecutive games?
A: Well, two straight wins makes me feel like I’m keeping my momentum as the proleague win leader of last season. It’s a bit early, but I’d like to achieve the awesome record of having the most proleague wins three seasons in a row.
Q: How was today’s game?
A: My opponent played differently than I expected. I thought he would try an all-in attack, but his play ended up being ambiguous, neither this nor that. I won more easily than I expected.
Q: You weren’t stingy about building turrets.
A: Mutalisks are difficult to stop on Fighting Spirit, so it’s hard if you don’t build a lot of turrets. Mutalisks were a pain when I was practicing as well.
Q: How did you prepare for the match?
A: I’m almost always first place in our internal ranking matches, and my hands are loose and comfortable like when I was doing well. Considering my age, I want to start a new period of success that’s even greater than the one before.
Q: When do you think you were at your best in the past?
A: I think it was after I won the Bacchus Starleague and was ranked #1 for a few months.
Q: How do you think this season will go?
A: I’ve found out that the atmosphere in the team counts for a lot. Players on teams that are doing well in the Proleague tend to do well in individual leagues as well. I think our team atmosphere is good this season.
Q: Any specific goals?
A: Personally, I think fifty wins is very hard. Last season the winner’s league let me get around eighteen wins in a short period of time. This season I think the other teams will be better prepared to snipe me in the winner’s league. I’ll give it my best shot, but fifty four wins was so ridiculous that I still wonder how I managed it.
Q: You’re reached ninety proleague wins today, when do you think you’ll get to one hundred?
A: I’d like to get to a hundred within the first round. Of course there’s Jaedong who’s in first place right now, but I think I can get to a hundred wins faster than people expect. I want to close the gap so that at least in Proleague, I can prove that I’m the best.
Q: Anything you want to say?
A: Happy birthday to Kim Hyun on the Special Forces team! I want to get home soon so we can celebrate and have some cake!
+ Show Spoiler [Source] +
KT Rolster Manager Lee Ji Hoon
By Shim Hyun (lovesh73@fomos.co.kr) of Fomos
Q: How do you feel about two wins early on this season?
A: It’s just the beginning, so I don’t feel much. I don’t know how long it’s been since we’ve been alone at the top (laughs). I knew before the season began that every opponent would be difficult this time around, and I was worried about a tenacious Estro team as our first opponent. But in the end the lineups for our week one games were very favorable for us, and winning the opening day match helped us play our later games without as much pressure.
Q: It’s two wins, but they’re both against teams that placed below you last season.
A: Of course I considered that too. But it’s precisely because they were ranked below us that I called for our players to concentrate harder. Last season we started off with two wins, only to lose two straight games right after. Every team is stronger now, with a lot more focus. I’ve asked my players to keep trying harder to do their best against teams that are ranked below us. They shouldn’t underestimate them because of their ranking.
Q: Hoejja won in his first appearance, and despite his loss, Stats played well in his first game.
A: I thought a great deal about whether to send out Hoejja or Stats on Heartbreak Ridge. They are both playing well, but I ended up playing Hoejja who has a higher win rate. He played with great concentration like he did in practice. While Stats lost his game, I think he learned a lot and this will be a good experience for him. In the end I think it was a successful lineup decision.
Q: It looks like having race specific coaches is leading to some good results.
A: You’re right. It’s become easier to prepare for matches now. From lineup decisions to match preparation and practice, we have one coach taking care of each respective race. On that foundation, all the team members and coaches share strategies and build orders. We have regular meetings to try overcome our weaknesses, so I think our system will get even better with time.
Q: After the MBCGame Hero match, you’ll start to face teams who placed higher than you last season.
A: This is where it begins. That was our specific weakness last season, going 2-3, 1-4 against high ranked teams in bad losses. We have to get over that to stay in the top this season. I’ve tried to instill the right mindset in our players, and if we can keep our current pace up and prepare well, we should have some good results.
Q: What are your goals for the first round?
A: I’ve intentionally not set any specific goals. If you set round specific goals, you get too caught up in them and it becomes unnecessary pressure. This season, the goal is just to prepare well for the next match. Though personally, I would like to get over seven or eight wins per round. SKT went straight to the finals last year with 35 wins, so I think a similar record would be enough this year.
Q: Any final words?
A: It’s just the beginning of the season, so two wins, first place, all that stuff means absolute squat. What I want to keep though is the great momentum we have. Our players have been doing well, and we’ve created a great team atmosphere through winning. We can’t let our guard down if we want to keep that feeling in the air.
+ Show Spoiler [Source] +
