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France2061 Posts
March 19, 2010 -- 13:00 KST / 05:00 CET / 00:00 EST
After seven bloody weeks, the round-robin of the Winners League has finally come to a close. Without a doubt the most exciting round of Proleague, a brutal, no holds barred contest where all the usual rules of polite, civilized competition are thrown out of the booth, the Winners League separates the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, those willing to set foot in the jungle from those stuck in the cozy confines of their team houses.
Glued to their booth seats while their victims come and go, the leaders of the pack leave behind a beastlike scent -- the acrid smell of a predator marking his territory. But while the beast in the jungle kills just enough to feed itself, picking off the weakest members of the herd, the progamer knows no such limits -- to hell with one or two meals, he'll slaughter the entire fucking forest. Such a massacre, if successful, has been dubbed "all-kill" by the few biologists reckless enough to study the species. Only the hungriest succeed: eleven players have all-killed this season.
A year ago, CJ Entus and Hwaseung OZ led the pack. A gentleman's agreement between the two might have secured their position, but this is the Winners League, where gentlemen are eaten alive. The rest of the pack looked on bitterly, and jumped at the first sign of weakness.  Jaedong's poor form and EffOrt's slump marked them as an ideal prey -- both OZ and CJ were torn to pieces, with CJ barely securing a spot above Air Force ACE (the old and sickly members of the herd, all-killed even by cubs like  PuMa and BaBy). The four teams that emerged from the bloodbath this time around are KT Rolster, MBCGame HERO, STX SouL and Woongjin Stars.
STX SouL is the reputedly deep team of the league. Two solid top tier players, Calm and  Kal, carry out the heavy lifting. The mid-tier is made up of older warhorses like Hwasin and fresh faces like Shuttle, one of the breakout players of this Winners League. hero has slumped his way into the lower tier, where he joins average scrubs like FrOzen. Matchup specialist Modesty rounds out the team.
Woongjin Stars is spearheaded by two Zerg ruffians, ZerO and Kwanro, backed by the old dragon free. The team's breakout player this round is GuemChi, first all-killer of the Winners League. Stars' weakness resides in its lack of Terrans, or rather its lack of good Terrans. Instead, they have MVP and PianO.
The stakes are high -- the winning team will go on to face MBCGame Hero in the second playoff, for a chance to play in the final. Will Calm remind Kwanro of their little Avalon MSL final? Who will come out on top in the battle of the dragons? Will Shuttle and Guemchi go at each other's throats to see who actually deserves the hype? Will a Woongjin Terran create an upset -- after having been Hyuked, will STX be MVPed? Will Hwasin show Stars what a good Terran looks like? What if July comes out and eats a random Stars player?
In this match, MVP is like the ugly nerd who wasn't invited to the party but comes anyway. And since this isn't a teen coming-of-age flick but the motherfucking Winners League, the ugly nerd isn't getting the hot chick at the end. In other words, MVP ain't putting a dent in His Smugness. Yes, Kal got Hyuked. But Kal is 8-2 vs Terran, with wins against Light, HiyA and fantasy during this Winners League, so I really don't see him losing this. Sure, MVP may have a tricky build up his sleeve, but in his recent game vs fantasy Kal remained cool under pressure, deflected relentless harassment and hit fantasy in the metaphorical nads (DT drop then recall in the main). And this is PvT -- Protoss can always outcheese Terran. MVP is going to stand for Mauled Vs Protoss when Kal is through with this kid.
Roadrunner is good for TvP, but I don't see Stars risking another Terran against Kal. Kwanro is the logical choice, as he has a better chance than Zero of surviving the inevitable ZvZ sniping. This should be a close game, however I'll give Kwanro the edge due to Kal's shakiness against aggressive Zergs. Modesty, the ZvZ specialist, is sent out to deal with the Kwanroller. At this point it's clear that STX has been counting on his ZvZ rather than on Hwasin's TvZ to take down strong Zergs, which is a bit sad, but hey, this is the Winners League. No mercy for the elderly and the weak. Modesty has already beaten Kwanro, and since taking down top Zergs is his bread and butter, I think he can do it again.
After the ling fest, free comes out to abuse Modesty's excessive specialization and recapture some of that ol' dragon spirit. STX skips the Shuttle option and sends out Calm. Calm has taken his meds and keeps Clam at bay, a task made easier by the fact that he isn't going to ZvT. He proceeds to take down free and then goes up against the Stars ace, Zero. Now Zero is a cutie pie, but let's face it, his ZvZ is mediocre these days. Blame Luxury. Calm on the other hand is still one of the top ZvZers in the scene. The matchup is a clusterfuck, so obviously any prediction should be taken with a grain of salt, but the safest bet is to predict Calm taking it home for STX.
Of course, all bets are off if MVP does in fact beat Kal.
Where to watch:
http://tv.zeroboy.net/mystlord
http://tv.zeroboy.net/
http://ogn.ferron.pe
Thank you Mystlord and kentor!
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France2061 Posts
Hi all! Joining us for this short prematch interview are TL's prominent fanboys
Realpenguin and Carnivorous Sheep
Samsung Khan, SKT and Oz all failed to qualify for the playoffs. Are you surprised your teams made it into the final four of this years WL? What's the main reason for your teams success?
Realpenguin: Samsung Khan, SK Telecom T1, and Hwaseung Oz are all very strong teams, but their reason for success in regular Proleague is really their downfall in Winner's League. They all seem to rely on one or two main players to pick up wins and take it into an ace match where their main players can easily take the series. For example, Khan with Stork and Jangbi, SKT with Bisu and Fantasy, and Oz with Jaedong. One would think "oh yeah these guys have some top players they can allkill in Winner's League ezpz," but Winner's League forces them to play maps and matchups they are uncomfortable with. Not to mention, some unknown players can just practice solely on sniping a well-known player. I'm not surprised that the Woongjin Stars made it in the playoffs because they have a very versatile line of Zerg and Protoss players that can handle each matchup well. And of course they have their "average" Terran line just in case a weak vT player needs to be sniped.
Carnivorous Sheep :Not surprised at all to be honest. STX is an insanely strong team, and had a really good shot last season at winning the grand finals if it wasn’t for the fluke win/crappy scoring system (yeah, that’s what I’m attributing it to!) by Khan. STX is one of the few teams right now with two top players who’re both in form, and when either Kal or Calm drops a game, the other is always there to pick the team back up. Strong performances from Shuttle and ZvZ sniper Modesty also definitely contributed to the team’s success. Last season, STX constantly played newer players to give them experience, and now it’s starting to pay off, whereas a certain one-man team that had great success last WL isn’t doing so hot. While one S-class player can certainly carry the team, overall, depth is winning out.
What do you think of the coaches' decision to open the match with Kal and MVP respectively?
Realpenguin: STX Soul's decision to send out Kal is a good choice. Kal has always been known for being solid in all matchups, losing to only the best of the best (Flash, Jaedong, etc.), and they probably thought that he could handle anything the Stars sent out. On the other hand, sending MVP is also a good choice mostly because of the surprise factor, and that many just write him off as a bad player. Let's not forget that MVP also can pull off great aggressive play (which he used to take a game off Kal in his OSL group), so he may come in with a special build that Kal is very uncomfortable against.
Carnivorous Sheep :Kal is a great opener since he is a solid, nay, great player against anyone Woongjin could possibly send out. Despite losses to Jaedong, Kal has some of the best PvZ on the scene, and he’s not the top ranked Protoss at the moment for nothing. He should be a favorite against anyone on Woongjin.
I must confess, MVP is a baffling choice to me. I’m sure most people are familiar with “Woongjin Terrans.” Playing MVP means that out of Kwanro-Zero-free-Guemchi, probably the four strongest Woongjin players, one of them won’t get a chance to play. It’s like the Stars coach is just giving away set one. Well, if you insist, we’ll take your free win and move on.
Do you thinking a specific map will play a crucial role for the final outcome or do all sets have the same importance?
Realpenguin: It is hard to say that one specific map that will play a very crucial role, so instead take a look at the first three maps. Kal plays against MVP on a very balanced PvT map (Fighting Spirit), but when MVP wins against Kal, he is set up to play games on two relatively good Terran maps (Roadrunner and Neo Moon Glaive). This is great, because having a Stars Terran take at least 2 sets before the big Zerg and Protoss guns are sent out is a huge advantage. Judgment Day is unfortunately a tough map for TvP, so MVP will have a pretty hard time going for an allkill, but the possibility of MVP taking 2-3 sets is very high. After the initial maps are over with, the Stars' deep Zerg and Protoss line will be able to put up a great fight (that is, of course, if MVP doesn't allkill right off the bat, which can happen).
Carnivorous Sheep: Woongjin is certainly not a weak team, and I’m personally quite partial to their Zerg-duo. In a match between two strong teams, there’s a good chance that any one player can unexpectedly perform well. That said, because of the impossibility of predicting how good any particular player will fare, assuming they all perform at potential, I think the first game is going to be the deciding one. Unless MVP can somehow take Kal out of the picture right away, Woongjin is probably done for. Even if MVP wins, STX should still have the edge.
Make your predictions!
Realpenguin:This is a very hard match to predict because both teams are so deep and have so many different options. But MVP will take the first set for sure. After that, the second set on Roadrunner will play a big role in deciding the match. I think STX will send Calm in an attempt to take out MVP and get three good zerg maps in a row (Neo Moon Glaive, Judgment Day, and New Tornado). Neo Moon Glaive is very Terran-sided in TvZ, but I don't think the Stars will risk sending out a second Terran to take out Calm, should he somehow win. And of course, when MVP wins, he has some good Terran maps waiting for him. MVP or Calm will be the key to victory in this series. If either MVP or Calm fail to pick up an allkill, both sides will get to unleash their Zerg and Protoss lines and just play some quality Brood War. But of course, the Stars have much more variety in that regard; they have GuemChi, free[gm], ZerO, and Kwanro, while STX has Kal, Calm, an inconsistent Shuttle, and a slumping hero.
Either MVP will allkill these scrubs, or the Stars will edge out a nice 4-3 or 4-2 win with some good games. STX is going down.
Carnivorous Sheep:
STX SouL vs Woongjin Stars
Kal <Fighting Spirit>MVP
Kal<Roadrunner>GuemChi
Kal<Neo Moon Glaive>Kwanro
Calm<Judgment Day>Kwanro
Calm<New Tornado>ZerO
<Match Point>
<Fighting Spirit>
If MVP somehow wins the first one;
STX SouL vs Woongjin Stars
Kal<Fighting Spirit>MVP
Shuttle<Roadrunner>MVP
Shuttle<Neo Moon Glaive>Kwanro
Modesty<Judgment Day>Kwanro
Modesty<New Tornado>GuemChi
Calm<Match Point>GuemChi
Calm<Fighting Spirit>ZerO
Thank you for your time fellas! Any last words?
Realpenguin:Good luck STX and STX fans; you're going to need it. Oh, and I've got my "MVP BONJWA" images ready for his glorious allkill.
Carnivorous Sheep: STX is coming for the championship, baby! First WL, then grand finals! ^_^
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oh come on im a way bigger STX fanboy than sheep
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sheep you say
STX SouL vs Woongjin Stars
Kal<Fighting Spirit>(T)MVP
Kal<Roadrunner>(P)GuemChi
(P)Kal<Neo Moon Glaive>Kwanro
Calm<Judgment Day>(Z)Kwanro
Calm<New Tornado>(Z)ZerO
<Match Point>
<Fighting Spirit>
but really we both know it will be
STX SouL vs Woongjin Stars
Kal<Fighting Spirit>(T)MVP
July<Roadrunner>MVP
July<Neo Moon Glaive>Kwanro
July<Judgment Day>(Z)ZerO
July<New Tornado>Free
<Match Point>
<Fighting Spirit>
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This match looks like it will be pretty zerg-heavy, with lots of PvZ and ZvZ. Woongjin and STX are pretty evenly matched so it should be fun!
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I feel like I'm taking crazy pills, as it seems obvious to me that Stars will send Zero for set 2 after Kal beats MVP but no one else in this topic or the topic in the BW forum has predicted Zero in set 2.
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United States10328 Posts
wow what an awesome OP. I am so confused as to why Woongjin sent MVP, but... ok...
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Hungary11291 Posts
Impressive OP! I am rooting for the Woongjin upset, and I think MVP might have an ace up his sleeve for that set 1.
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Roffles
Pitcairn19291 Posts
Unimpressive shit talk. I expected more from Realpenguin and the Sheep.
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On March 20 2010 04:11 Roffles wrote:
Unimpressive shit talk. I expected more from Realpenguin and the Sheep.
i agree  uncharacteristically shitty shit talk~
<3 go STARSSS
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Baa?21242 Posts
On March 20 2010 04:11 Roffles wrote:
Unimpressive shit talk. I expected more from Realpenguin and the Sheep.
The shit talk would've been much shittier if it was against a team I didn't like =P
I'm down with Woongjin so yeah xD
But sorry, STX's still gonna mop the floor with you guys. STX fighting~!
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Well written OP-good way to get hyped up for WL playoffs.
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Please please please send July to snipe Free
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On March 20 2010 04:11 Roffles wrote:
Unimpressive shit talk. I expected more from Realpenguin and the Sheep.
Realpenguin's not much of a shit talker, he greatly prefers to pimp out Woongjin's players.
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holy fuck this OP is amazing
On March 20 2010 05:50 Jaksiel wrote:Show nested quote +On March 20 2010 04:11 Roffles wrote:
Unimpressive shit talk. I expected more from Realpenguin and the Sheep. Realpenguin's not much of a shit talker, he greatly prefers to pimp out Woongjin's players.
yeah, I'm too manner to do shit talking :3
+ Show Spoiler +unless it's against SKT fuck those guys
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Baa?21242 Posts
On March 20 2010 06:32 Realpenguin wrote:+ Show Spoiler +unless it's against SKT fuck those guys
Agreed~!
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lmao, Realpenguin predicted MVP > Kal! This guy is hilarious
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9070 Posts
On March 20 2010 06:57 Carnivorous Sheep wrote:Agreed~!
I like you both a lot, dont bash on SKT pls ^_^
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On March 20 2010 06:57 Carnivorous Sheep wrote:Agreed~!
Hey.... us SKT1 are MASTERS OF UNIVERSE. Don't talk to them and us (the fanboys) like that... you stewards...
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