EPTSince nobody's stepped up - I shall take this opportunity to give my take on things.
Zed Research Inc. is pleased to present a level 1 research note exclusively for its clients at Team Liquid. ZRI has assigned a STRONG BUY rating to the STX Starcraft of Unbelievable Legend Pro-gaming team and is including the team in its Top 3 Recommended Picks. The following research report will detail the analysis that has gone into making this recommendation.
The STX Soul pro-gaming team possesses several unique competitive advantages over its peers in the same industry. These include an incomparably dominant team ace, a unique and eclectic set of key personnel, a truly strategic manager not afraid to think outside the box, and a secret weapon. As well, the theoretical underpinning of the proleague championship market dictates that STX's championship may well be nigh.
Ultimate Team Ace
When investors survey this industry to look for a team ace, many misguidedly focus on players like "Flash" or "Jaedong" - not realizing that the ultimate team ace actually resides on the STX Soul roster. This quiet and unassuming player is quite the hard worker and produces unparalleled results for his team. Consider the statistics from 09-10 Proleague R5, the most recent market data that is available.
Flash, the "ace" player for KT Lobster has provided 23% of his team's wins, maintaining a 46% win rate. This player indeed provides almost a quarter of his team's wins, and is rightfully considered an ace player for his team, although it must be noted that several players for other teams maintain a substantially higher win rate.
Jaedong, the "ace" player for Hwaseung Oz has provided 35% of his team's wins, while maintaining a 75% win rate. As the statistics indicate, Jaedong is even more of an "ace" player for his team than Flash is, when considering the most recent results.
However, STX Soul's ace player has provided 36% of his team's wins, while maintaining a 83% win rate. It's clear from such data that STX's ace player is the ultimate among ace players, and a core reason why STX Soul may win the proleague championship. And just who is this amazing player?
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Dbyxg.jpg)
That's right. Frozen is the uncontested best team ace in the industry - and he works exclusively for STX Soul (not for his former team, Samsung Khan, as indicated in our file photo), a competitive advantage no other team can match. Frozen may very well be the true spearhead that will lead his team to victory.
Unique Cast of Other Key Personnel
Not only does STX Soul exclusively possess the best team ace in the industry, the team also retains the services of players who have no equal. This basic report includes an overview of two of these key members of STX Soul, please upgrade your subscription to ZRI Platinum for the more detailed report covering all the principal members of STX.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VQJ8T.jpg)
Kal's impressive win collection in proleague R5 clearly indicates his superiority over more than 120 other active professional gamers. With only 43 active progamers scoring more wins than Kal, that places him at over 75th percentile among progamers - it's like a B+ on a report card, pretty good, eh? Something a mother would be proud of, unless she's Asian. But Kal's mother is Asian, isn't she? Uh-oh. Still, with Kal's results indicating his superiority over three quarters of his potential competition, it is anticipated that he will secure important wins in the coming playoffs.
Fun Fact: Kal's also known for his supremely self-satisfied smiles, surfacing on his face when he claims victory over his foes. Kal's also WAY taller than any other active progamer today, at 188cm, which provides an advantage no other player can replicate during group selections and other important events in a progamer's life. Thus, Kal is expected to be one of the major factors in STX's coming victory.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/o2mc5l.jpg)
Clam is a rather particular specimen in a family of freshwater mollusks. Clam has a shell made of two asymmetrically rounded halves which mirror each other, joined by a flexible ligament. While none of these attributes are particularly of interest to a pro-gaming team, clam's other ability truly provides a competitive advantage that no other team can match. When irritated by microscopic object trapped within its shell, clam can produce a valuable pearl by the depositing of multiple layers of calcium carbonate around the invading speck. Unfortunately, this process can take up to several years, during which Clam cannot be disturbed. However, whether or not Clam is currently in the process of producing a pearl is a competitive secret that ZRI researchers have not been able to dig out. Nonetheless, Clam is projected to be a major contributor to STX's eventual championship.
The Strategic Thinker
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/KhgdC.jpg)
While manager Kim Eun Dong has not shown any particular acumen in terms of personnel training and management, what sets this leader apart is his truly strategic, out-of-the-box decisions. No other manager in the industry has ever employed such innovative tactics or have blindsided their opponents so effectively as this man, and it is expected that he will also play a major role in leading STX Soul to victory. One of his startling strategies involved removing the team from the bench during competition, striking fear and bewilderment to their opponents, a truly game-changing decision. Analysts agree that this unique strategy allowed STX Soul to win two matches they otherwise would have lost, truly a credit to this man's genius. Another of his strategic moves was to form a temporary partnership with one of STX Soul's competitors to take down a mutual competitor to reduce the pressure that was building up on his team. By offering a small reward in the form of chicken to key Hwaseung Oz personnel, manager Kim was able to incentivize his competitors to crush STX Soul's key rival. STX Soul's manager is expected to continue to innovate in ways the industry has never seen, leading his team to a much-anticipated victory.
The Nuclear Option
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/boExJ.jpg)
STX Soul also uniquely possesses a strategic weapon that none of its competitors have access to, a weapon of such destruction it could be the industry's equivalent of an atomic bomb. Consider this quote from STX manager Kim Eun Dong: "It is very unlikely that Tossgirl will be able to play in our last game of the season against SKT." Many observers entirely misinterpret the true meaning of this menacing statement and treat it of no importance, but insiders understand the grave threat he makes to his competitors. Notice how the manager emphasizes the possibility of Tossgirl being activated for a match, while simultaneously indicating that the expected destruction if Tossgirl is put into play is too risky for use in a regular season game. By this subtle proclamation during an interview, the STX manager has not only declared that his strategic weapon is ready for use, but also his resolve to use it if necessary in the playoffs.
Efficient Market Hypothesis
This hypothesis states that all participants achieve average results over a long period of time. Given that there has been over 12 proleague championships so far with STX Soul winning none of them, EMH states that it is expected that STX Soul should have one championship to its name. Thus, STX Soul will bring balance to the markets when it achieves its anticipated victory in a few weeks.
Conclusion
This concludes the presentation of ZRI's analysis that indicates STX Soul may very well win the upcoming proleague championship. It is suggested that you contact your broker immediately to re-align your portfolio to take advantage of this upcoming shift in the industry.
* The principals of Zed Research Inc. may have taken positions aligned with or contrary to the investment recommendation made in this report, and take no responsibility for any losses accrued by following the suggestions outlined above.
In addition, this report contains such "forward-looking statements" as defined in the PSLR Act of 1995. Such statements in connection with any discussion of the future are identified by use of words such as "expect," "may," "anticipate," and other words or terms of similar meaning. Such statements are based on the author's expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to: the health and continued performance of key personnel, the changing strength of STX Soul's competitors, rule and regulation changes by the governing Kespa authority, natural disasters, plagues and other infectious diseases, the potential war between North and South Korea, alien invasions, the connection of Earth to various parallel universes and the resulting influx of parallel doppelgangers, and other unanticipated events.
In light of these assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, the events and results discussed in the forward-looking statements contained in this report might not actually occur. The author and ZRI disclaims any obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements for any reason, including as a result of new information or as events unfold.
