Stork, JangBi: "Old and new united, we will march forward"
No matter what, the traditional two-headed monster of Samsung is the Protoss line of Stork-Jangbi. The two has been consistent throughout the years in both SPL and individual leagues, but both of them didn't play to their expectations in R1 this year. In R2, they turned it around. Now they can proudly say, "old soldiers never die!*"
*Ref: Gen. MacArthur
Q & A:
Q: The Two Protoss of Samsung won together.
Stork: Our team is finally in the upper ranks, I'm very happy about that.
Jangbi: I haven't been performing very well but regardless of that, our parent company gave us each a Galaxy Tab as a bonus. I felt like I must win my games in order to feel deserving of such a great bonus. So I practiced harder.
Q: You're doing well in both SPL and individual leagues.
Stork: Galaxy Tab is definitely the bomb. After its initial release, my long-term plan has been to buy one this week (Christmas week), but I managed to hold back from the temptation of the machine. Now, I will play with my new (and free) Galaxy Tab until I'm satisfied.
Q: Your PvZ strategies have been creative and unpredictable.
Stork: Nowadays, most PvZ features timing pushes with speed and attack +1 upgraded zealots. Using the same strategy means that the opponent would have practiced against it. I feel like I would lose that way, so I'm trying a lot of other strategies. Thankfully, those have been working for me, so I'm continuing to look for other strategies as well.
Q: Regrettably, this is only your 3rd win of the season.
Jangbi: Compared to last season, my results have been terrible. Maybe this is the typical job slump that comes to people with the same job for a long time. I have to overcome this with my own strength so I can exceed myself of the days when I used to be a finalist in individual leagues.
Q: You seem to be recovering bit by bit.
Jangbi: My performance in televised match is drastically different from that in a practice match. I seem to fall into a disadvantageous position too often in televised matches. Perhaps the runaway luck will come back home in 2011.
Q: As a recurring theme with Khan, the Protoss rookies are developing well this season.
Stork: Of course this is a good situation. Not only are Protoss rookies doing well, our Terran rookies have been exceeding expectations. I hope that the old-and-new balance will be maintained in the future so that the team can perform well together.
Q: Are you disappointed that you've been pushed off [T/N: in terms of entry priority or perception of skill] by the young Protoss rookies?
Jangbi: Not really, I'm happy that the rookies are doing well. I'm just disappointed that I'm not doing my part in the team, because if I did, we would be in the top spots right now.
Q: What's the secret to success in Round 2?
Stork: I don't know... stuff just works sometimes.
Jangbi: They gave us a 3-weeks notice on the Galaxy Tab. I think that motivated everyone in many ways.
Q: Amongst the TaekBangLeeSsang, you are the only survivor in OSL.
Stork: I know that this season is perhaps the best opportunity for me to win the title. I'm already planning to allocate a lot of time into OSL practice.
Q: On the other hand, you've been eliminated from both leagues.
Jangbi: I don't know how many years passed since the last time I missed both leagues at the same time. Being eliminated from MSL Survivor Tournament and OSL preliminaries probably affected my SPL performance as well.
Q: Do you have confidence that you can beat your next opponent, WeMade FOX?
Stork: I'm confident, but confidence alone does not guarantee a win. Preparation and practice are important factors too, and I'll make sure I'm ready to win by the match date.
Jangbi: I'm giving my 100% every game. The match vs. FOX is the last match in Round 2, so I hope that the team can close off Round 2 with a positive atmosphere.
Q: Any last words?
Stork: Again, my sincere thanks to our parent company for the Galaxy Tab. I will not disappoint you.
Jangbi: Happy new year everyone~
-----
great: "All the practice around Christmas time has paid off."
Great was great [T/N: yes that's my own pun, not a translation], as he acquired 2 wins in a day and stopped ACE's winning streak at 2. On top of the two wins, Great gained the confidence as an ace player in the team. Having won all his matches in MSL and SPL before and after the Christmas day, Great said that "practice paid off."
Q & A:
Q: Two wins in one day.
Great: It's been a while since I did it before. Lately, other Zerg players have been earning two wins in a day and I was just waiting for my opportunity to show them that I can do it too. Finally the opportunity came today, so I'm glad I was able to succeed in it.
Q: Your first opponent was a former teammate, Firebathero. Did you have mixed feelings about it?
Great: I want to meet someone I personally know in every match I play. When my opponent knows my style, I hide my intentions better and play more mind games.
Q: The first game ended quickly.
Great: Luck has been at my side today. I believed that just 'doing what I've been doing well' will bring me positive results.
Q: Did you bring your aggressive game because you predicted that Firebathero will focus on economy and late game?
Great: A couple viable builds stood out during practice. Playing standard and flowing into late game has its downsides in ZvT so I went for early aggression.
Q: Did you know that you'll play in the ace match in practice?
Great: I just practiced like the usual. Thanks to coach for putting her trust on me.
Q: Your usage of Spore Colonies in ZvZ is outstanding.
Great: The map was Grand Line SE so I practice mainly ZvZ and ZvT on it. The Spores were popularized by JiHyun in the past and it was popular within our team back then. It surprises me a bit that it's being noticed nowadays. Thanks to JiHyun (for the Spore-related gameplay).
Q: Why do you think the team had a resurgence in Round 2?
Great: I'm not a technology maniac, but I'm amazed with the Galaxy Tab. I think that's been the primary motivation. Moreover, our team has a couple of guys associated with the number '2' so maybe that's why we're doing well in Round 2? (laughs)
Q: How did you spend your Christmas day?
Great: I played in the MSL and advanced to the round of 16. So in all, I had fun by winning games on Christmas day.
Q: Next opponent will be WeMade Fox.
Great: My mindset is that we will win for sure because we're all giving it our best every game. Our team's finally in the upper echelons, and I think it will stay that way because Stork and Jangbi are doing well together with the rookies. Maybe we can even go up a step or two.
Q: Last words?
Great: Thanks to my practice partners. Hope everyone can close out the year with good health.
-----
Source: Daily E-Sports