NesTea Fan Club

Highlights (just look at those fungals and transfuses!)

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=168725

'Detective' IMNesTea became the champion of Sony Ericsson StarCraft 2 Open Season 2 after beating 'King of Marines' BoxeRPrime with a score of 4:3.

Q. How does it feel to win the tournament?
A. I always imagined myself playing on a big stage. I would have been satisfied by just reaching the finals. I even imagined myself kissing that trophy once season 2 began, and I'm ecstatic that a fantasy became a reality.

Q. You started out the series 0:2.
A. I prepared thinking I wouldn't lose the first set. When I was cheese rushed, I thought to myself this would be a rough day. In the second set, I had a chance to play it out, but I wasn't able to perform under pressure. I had a lot of confidence on Scrap Station, so I was relieved to win on that map. My coach settled me down so I was able to play comfortably.

Q. You began by playing SC:BW, what did you think when you switched to SC2?
A. When I quit being a coach to play again, I didn't think of participating in tournaments. However, as I played more, I improved a lot so I thought I could do fairly well. The game doesn't require the highest APM, so I thought that fit me pretty well.

Q. What did you think of when playing the last set? How about right before you won?
A. I was expecting him to play the way he played out the first set with 2 barracks and scv support. I judged that if I didn't let him control my entrance, I could win, so when that attack came I thought it was possible for me to win.

Q. How are you going to spend the prize money?
A. I will put most of it into my savings. I'm going to give some for my mom to spend and buy her warm winter clothing. I will also treat my friends and teammates to delicious food, but most of it will go into savings.

Q. BoxeR said before the match that he will win purely on marines. How does it feel to have experienced that?
A. It is very strong. I practiced a similar scenario to the first set at least 200 times and was able to defend it well in practice. I guess the pressure of the first set got to me so I got dismantled.

Q. How do you evaluate your play in the finals?
A. I think I played with just 70% of my full ability. I'm disappointed that I didn't get to show everything I got, but I will show everyone in the next season.

Q. You've succeeded being a 30 year old progamer, what are your future plans?
A. There are many cases of players becoming worse as they age. I think the most important thing is self-conditioning. I believe that you can still do well if you are fit at an older age.

Q. You didn't make any hydralisks in the third set.
A. My original plan was to make hydraslisks and attack, but I thought I could still win without them. [note: a question that's not really related to anything... but I will translate nonetheless just noting I didn't plug this in lolol]

Q. What are your plans for season 3 and the 2011 seasons?
A. I will prepare just as well for season 3. I want to have this feeling again. In 2011, I want to show everyone my full capabilities. I want to enflame the passion of a 30 year old.

Q. You're well known as a 'detective zerg', how did you prepare for BoxeR's strategies?
A. I personally prefer powerful macro games. I think I got that nickname since so many players tried to play tricky strategies against me. I thought I could win if I just deflected the initial marine push. Everything went well in the seventh set.

Q. Any comments?
A. I want to thank my family for always supporting and trusting me. I also want to thank my dad who is looking down on me from above, I wish he could be here...[note: omg I almost cried while translating this] Thanks to my girlfriend, as well as friends, teammates and the coach. IMmvp helped me out a lot preparing for the finals. It would have been impossible to win without him. Team IM fighting!

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=223479

Nestea – ‘I will not be satisfied nor will I slack off.’

- Congratulations on your victory. Tell us how you feel.
I am really happy that I was able to become the first zerg to get two championships. The games pretty much went as I practiced so I felt really good about them.

- It seems like you won pretty easily.
In the 1st and 3rd set, I was debating whether or not I would attack. In the first set, I thought it (the attack) would be effective as a deterrent to his expansion, but it ended up working really well (**it finished the game). I think my opponent lost his footing after losing that first set.

- How did you prepare for the 1.3.3. patch?
When I played some games on it, I didn’t really notice the changes. I don’t think the changes were that big.

- The IM team is undefeated in the finals (other than in the GSTL).
Mvp is an amazing player. I can speak for myself as well as he, in that, we are both not very nervous when we get to the finals stage. I am a bit nervous for the round of 32, but as I advance, I usually get more and more comfortable. I think the finals went well because I was able to play as if I were playing in practice.

- You were able to take victory during a depressing time for most zergs. Are you pressured as the sole representative who has to lead the charge?
Yes, I am under a bit of pressure. However, because of that, I am able to practice and try even harder. If I didn’t have that, I think I would slack off more. I believe that helps me greatly.

- The gap between yours and MC’s prize winnings is only 500,000 won (~500 dollars).
You can see the prize winning rankings (for the GSL) on their homepage. And when I was rank 1, I thought to take it slowly, but MC came up and overtook my spot. I think because of that, I was able to put more effort into my play. I hope to hit 250,000,000 won this year (~250,000 dollars)

- If you get to the finals in the super tournament, who do you want to face?
I want to face either Mvp or MC in the finals.

- If you were to give some tips to other zergs?
I don’t have any particular tips to give, but I will say, you need get ready to lose a lot. After losing a whole bunch, you will figure it out.

- Any last comments?
After my first victory, it has been 6 months; I feel like that is a bit long. I will not be satisfied (**just because of this win) nor will I slack off. I still don’t think zergs are particularly that strong as a race. But my goal is to try my best to win once more. Seed helped me practice like it was his own finals. I was able to win because of that, so I am really thankful to him. I also want to say that I can always put out my best effort when my mother comes and cheers for me (like in the finals). So, I want to extend my thanks to my mother and brother. My girlfriend helped out a lot with the housework so I was able to practice without any worries. I want to say thanks and that I love her. Of course, I couldn’t have done this without the fans that cheered for me, so thank you. I will try my best to answer my fans by showing great games in the future. Finally, I want to thank IM’s sponsors GOOGIMS COMPANY and Coca-Cola for their support.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=249476

Thoughts on the win?
I’m extremely glad to be the first player to win 3 GSLs. The games went very smoothly, without many unexpected variables. When I was up 2-0, I felt like there was no way I would lose game 3, so I considered the score 3-0. I had primarily prepared for the 4th and 5th games, so at that point I felt a 4-0 victory was well within reach.

In game 2, you used overseers effectively to block your opponent’s production.
I had planned to use this strategy in game 5, but every time I went to attack in game 2 I was pushed back. I thought about it, and even if my opponent blocked my overseers he would still take damage, and plus if I won game 2 with overseers then I might never see game 5. So I felt like unleashing this cheese in game 2 would be the best choice. If I hadn’t used overseers, it would have been tough to secure the victory.

This was a teamkill game, and during the pre-finals interview LosirA sounded pretty confident.
I think he was trying to hype up the series, and that’s pretty qt. In practice, I knew this day would come, so I kept a couple strategies hidden.

With your third GSL win, you are now first in the GSL point rankings as well as total earnings. Which are you happiest about?
Being top in GSL points, because it means I can participate in more competitions.

How do you feel you are different from other zergs?
I don’t know either. I just hope to get some rest; I think I’m getting old, heh. Although if I don’t seize my opportunities right now, I don’t want to think about what my future will be like. If I don’t work very hard while at my peak, it’ll be tough to survive in this scene, so I’m continuing to put in extraordinary effort.
Although there are a lot of players who work extremely hard, I don’t think any work harder than me. I don’t travel anywhere for fun, and I really hope to get a break. My practice partners say my worker count is always higher than other zergs’, so I guess that would be a difference. This isn’t a secret so much as a habit.

In game 4, you used an extreme strategy to win the game.
Originally, if my opponent expanded in game 2, I would have played like this. This cheese was something I prepared beforehand. LosirA loves to take expansions stealthily, so this cheese was designed to attack that weakness. Even if my first wave didn’t take the game, I felt that using management like in game 2 could still net me the win.

And your reason for not using banelings?
Everyone has his own style, whether it’s banelings or roaches, and the winner is decided by who plays better. I already knew my opponent’s tactics, so that wasn’t much of a hindrance. Who uses which strategy doesn’t matter as much as who uses his strategy well.

Could you evaluate LosirA’s play briefly?
Today’s tactics were ones I hadn’t ever displayed before. It’s possible that because he was facing these for the first time, he didn’t respond well. Although LosirA’s play did leave me somewhat disappointed, he was no small challenge to beat.

What if other players start using the strategies you used today? [T/N This question translation credit to Telcontar]
There are builds which can beat them. I would be thankful if they did use it.

About how many new strategies did you prepare?
I couldn’t possibly use these except against an opponent of LosirA’s caliber. These were all tactics I had researched beforehand, but I was never able to use them. However, the only secret weapons I’ve saved are the ones I won with today.

Some worry that because of the dominance of the swarm, terran won’t be nerfed for some time.
I have three wins, so I really shouldn’t be talking about nerfing terran or anything like that; it’s kinda awkward. To be honest, ZvT is pretty tough, but it’s not impossible. We shouldn’t blindly call for terran nerfs before investigating and researching the matchup more.

There hasn’t yet been a player to win the GSL twice in a row.
As a progamer, the only possible goal is to become a champion. To become a champion, I work hard. I won’t look at what’s already happened, only at what is still to come.

The players MC and MVP who are competing with you for the title of #1 player are catching up fast.
As long as they don’t meet in the finals, I won’t let them catch up to me. I’ll eliminate them if they advance. Right now, I’m #1, so I shouldn’t have anything to fear. [T/N I think NesTea sounds a bit arrogant in my English translation – I apologize, because his tone sounds less arrogant in the Chinese and I couldn’t find a better translation]

A lot of players want you to pick them in the upcoming group selection.
I’ve read all the interviews where players say that, but I won’t pay much attention to it. I’ll pick who I want to, although I haven’t yet decided who. I’ll think about it after I go home today.

Anything else?
I want to thank Horror, TSL_RevivaL, and the other players who practiced with me. They all helped me train an incredible amount, especially Horror, who even came to my home to practice. These guys have worked so hard. LosirA got the silver medal, but he’ll definitely have more shots in the future, so I hope he’ll keep on training. Lastly, I’d like to thank IM’s sponsors. In the future, we’ll definitely achieve even greater things to repay your support!

‘I will create a career that no one else will be able to match.’
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=247503

- This will be your 3rd (GSL) finals. How do you feel?
This will be the second time around for code S. I believe this will make me the first consecutive finalist in code S, so I feel extremely happy. I am also glad that I will be given a chance to take my 3rd championship.

- Like you said, this makes you the first previous code S winner to be back in the finals. Also you are on a 14 win streak. How do you feel?
I don’t have much interest in keeping track of my match history so I did not know that. But I think I was able to get good results because I put forth my best effort in each and every game.

- It looked like you were basically playing around with your protoss opponent.
I have seen Hongun’s games in the past and this was the first time he got colossus so early in the game. Usually, I have seen him get those later in the game. Actually, I was only really prepared for his habitual strategies of taking an expansion, then either stargate, blink, or DTs.

- Who do you want to face in the finals?
Both players are great. LosirA has grown a lot as a player and Byun plays solid and patient game against zerg. I don’t really care who advances. If LosirA advances, it’s good because he is my teammate, and if Byun advances, it will be a more fun match so that will be good too.

- You have a chance now to take the first 3 time championship and the 200 million won (~$200,000) prize money title (This is for his cumulative winnings).
Rather than the prize money, I am more interested in collecting the title. I think prize money will come naturally as I pile on more and more titles. Until I retire, I want to create a career that no one will be able to match.

- You will be able to get a lot of things if you win this season.
Yes, this win will allow me to be in better standings for Blizzcon and the Blizzard Cup. Every finals is important but this one even more so. I have not been outside the country yet so I hope to take this opportunity to cement my status at doing so.

- Your team just got all-killed at the GSTL.
The players that went out for our team in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd matches did not have very much experience in broadcasted matches. We knew that they had a chance at losing. But we are pretty friendly with some of the guys on the other team so we weren’t that worried. I mean, as long as we take this chance to win the rest of the games, this one won’t matter.

- If LosirA advances, will that make it difficult for you guys to practice?
I think I will have to scare him a couple of times. I usually practice on my own so that’s not that big of a problem but I may have to call him over.

- Any last comments?
There are so many people who helped me out for today’s match. San, Trickster, Tandongho, MinSeOK, YoungHwa, Seed, and Ready are just some of the few who helped me. I want to thank everyone who helped me practice, and I will buy them all something tasty after I win this championship. I also want to thank our sponsors the Googims company and Coca Cola.

‘The only person that can put Bomber in his place is me.’
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=245405

- How does it feel to make the semifinals?
I am glad that my opponent played right into my predictions so that I could easily win. It played out perfectly. I thought that I could win with either a 3:0 or a 3:1 score. And I didn’t even practice for the 5th set map. I think my opponent got too wrapped up in mindgames.

- How did you start your mind games in the 1st set?
I wanted to show him that I only had 1 hatchery. Before the match, I deliberated whether or not I should use this tactic in the 1st set. But I knew if it worked, I could take a 3:0 victory. I had a scenario planned out beginning with set 1.

- Did you predict that your opponent would be aggressive in the 2nd set?
I knew that I could get into my opponent’s head because once again I didn’t take a front expansion.

- In the 3rd set, you did go for that expansion.
I knew that my opponent would start acknowledging the fact that I have relied mainly on roaches. I got my roach warren right after my spawning pool finished, and if he saw that, I knew he wouldn’t start building banelings, so then I switched over to pure zerglings to end the game. He did exactly as I thought he would.

- Your win rate in ZvZ is tremendous. You must be regretting your loss to Dimaga before.
Back then, I had never lost the matchup before so I didn’t think I needed to practice. But because of that loss, I have learned even more about the matchup and began to work harder at it.

- You will be facing a protoss next.
I want to face MC. Not in the round of 32, but in a much more grander stage like the semis or the finals. I think MC wants to face me as well. But I will say this, I have already figured MC out and am very confident in my chances.

- If you face MC, what do you think will be the score?
Depends on the maps, but I think I could win with a 3:1 score.

- You must be greedy for another championship.
During the open season I lost to MVP in the round of 4 (**T/N: Ok. Either he mistakenly refers to January season as open season here, or he is naming the wrong person.). Back then I was too overconfident. Now I am no longer overconfident and take each game seriously. If HongUn advances, it will just make things even easier for me.

- Your recent games show a very refined feel.
I have been practicing a lot. Of course, I lose a lot during practice. Back in the day, I used to have a 90% win rate, but now it has dropped to around 70% so I felt a bit uncomfortable. As for today, I feel like I did a good job planning out the sets and I knew my opponent would panic if I used these unusual strategies. It all worked out well for me in the end.

- Do you have the desire to put your ZvZ win rate (individual sets) up to 90%?
I want to. There are no balance problems in a mirror match. And I believe great players are ones who are very skilled in their own respective mirror matchups. Because the rock paper scissors battles can be very difficult mentally.

- If you advance to the finals?
I feel like LosirA or Bomber will be the one to advance. Since ZvZ will be more or less boring, I hope that Bomber can advance so that the game will be more entertaining.

- Then you will be facing off against the previous code A champion.
I feel like the only person left that can put Bomber in his place is me.

- Are you also looking to secure your position in the money rankings? (GSL)
I don’t want to lose to MC. I will not let up my 1st place any time soon.

- Your ambition going into the round of 4?
MC has a good chance of advancing, and so I will practice hard so I don’t fall prey to his ceremonies. But HongUn seemed to play a solid game against Zenio, so even if I have to face him, I feel like it can be a fun match.

- Any last comments?
CoCa got caught by the Cocosho curse. I want to thank her for that. I want to ask a favor of her for the round of 4 as well. I also want to thank Horror for helping me a lot. I feel like I was able to play well because of him. Thank you. IM Fighting!.

‘I am confident for the round of 8 no matter who I have to face.’
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=243174

- You made the round of 8 pretty easily.
I practiced really hard. I have fallen prey to Ensnare and San before (Code S season 2 Group stages). Back then, I didn’t practice as much, but for today, I practiced a lot because I didn’t have an answer for crevasse yet.

- In the 1st set, you showed off a zergling, infestor then later, broodlord composition.
I usually use the mutalisk/baneling combination, but that did not seem to solve the problem for crevasse. So when MinSeOk suggested the infestor build, I practiced with it and saw a pretty good win rate. I feel like the harder the maps are, the more accomplished I feel when I win on it.

- Do you have any tips (for that map)?
You have to pick your battles. Also, you must keep your infestors alive as long as possible and watch the minimap judiciously. If you get lazy about using your infestors, the terran will start dropping you everywhere. And if you get broken once, it is an uphill fight, so always stay on top of stopping the drops.

- Who do you want to face in the next round?
I wouldn’t say either of them are easy, but I am confident in myself that I can win. If it turns out to be ZvZ the maps won’t matter so it will be ok. If it is a ZvP, although Genius is good, I believe I can win.

- The GSL Oct. code S finals will be held at Blizzcon.
Personally, I want to be participating in both tournaments. It may be tough, but I do want to be in at least one of the two that will happen there. I am thirsty for more foreign tournaments. I am a bit loaded up with all the tournaments already in Korea, and I do not particularly want to participate in any online tournaments. But I do want to show great games in foreign (on-site) tournaments.

- If we can go back to the game for a second, what if because of your incredible infestor usage, they nerf zerg in the next patch?
If that is the case, David Kim watch out… (laugh) Just thinking about it makes me crazy already. Zergs can go a variety of methods to win. And it may work the first couple of times, but after you use it a whole bunch, it stops working. So in order to change my style a bit, I decided to use this strategy today.

- Your teammates have been playing so well that you have not gotten a chance to play in the GSTL.
Even at the teamhouse, my coach takes care of me very well. He tries to not put any added burdens on me because I am in the individual league right now. But if I wanted, I could go out any time. If my team ends up in a losing situation, I feel like maybe I will be sent out. MVP and I are always holding down the fort as the last resort option. We want to reduce the pressure on our teammates so we have taken that position. And our teammates tell us that helps them tremendously during their matches.

- Do you have any balance issues you would like to cry about today?
There are just so many strategies still to be explored. So I am not sure about the balance right now. I guess if you play well, you can win. And sometimes that happens to be difficult and sometimes it is easy, and the cycle seems to repeat over and over. I guess the best thing to do is to keep up with the trend by practicing hard.

- Any last comments?
I want to thank MinSeOk for the build he suggested. I also want to thank Happy, Yoda, and dreamertt for helping me practice. LosirA also researched builds with me so I want to thank him as well. I hope he can have a good result in his match today. Finally, I want to thank our sponsors the Googims company and Coca Cola.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=238289
NesTea - ‘There are no easy paths for zergs.’

- How do you feel getting to the round of 16 through a rather easy path?
I wanted to repay to July so it was a bit disappointing that I had to face him. But nevertheless, I did want to beat him. In my list of zergs that I wanted to beat, I have Fruitdealer, July, and Kyrix. I hope I get the chance to face Kyrix next time…(laugh).

- You only needed to win once to grab your spot so you must have been pretty relaxed.
I think it all worked out well without any pressure. And I had a strategy ready for whoever I had to face on crevasse so the first match didn’t matter to me. I thought about doing an 8 or 9 pool but then decided to drag out to the macro game to have some fun. .

- The builds you showed today were pretty fresh.
Sometimes ZvZ can make your head hurt. The build I used today was the safest build. I know overall I was behind July in terms of the build. But I had the confidence that I could win even from such a situation.

- Was this a build you have prepared for a while?
I had planned to use it against Cezzane in the Super Tournament round of 64 but I lost that game. But it was one that I had planned to use before.

- As you showed in your previous games, it seems like you use the spine crawler more often.
I don’t know if people are aware of this, but the spine crawler is pretty good. It is slow in the beginning of the game so that could be bad but it can be quite effective mid to late game. It is a way to get ahead when you feel like you produced more units (rather than drones) than your opponent.

- The start of the game felt like you were saving up something special. How do you feel about this season?
You never know because I am zerg. It is always uncomfortable when you are zerg… But since I am through for the next season, I will show some things that I prepared in my relaxed state.

- Let’s talk about your previous tournament for a second, you lost quite disappointingly. What was the reason?
I was panicked. I this might sound like an excuse, but in the house next door, there was a baby who kept crying all night, because of that I didn’t get a good sleep and stress built up. I was a mess going into the match. I don’t know how you can play a match in that state of mind.

- You must want to win again. Who do you think will be the toughest test?
I consider everyone a challenge, but I think terran players will be especially tough. I think MVP, sC, Marinking and TOP will especially tough, and of course, all the other players will not be taken lightly.

- You must want to have some revenge against TOP.
I wanted to pick TOP but he was a seeded player. If given the chance, I want to face him again.

- The race for the first 3rd championship must be fierce.
I want to do it first. When I see the round of 16 bracket, I will know whether or not if that is possible. I think maintaining my condition will be the most important.

- Any last comments?
I think my teammate Yoda likes a girl who works at the GOMTV stadium. I hope he can play hard for that person. (laugh). If he plays well, he will see her more often, and she may see him in a better light. I hope he can play well.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=228713
NesTea – ‘Queen activity is important in zerg play.
- Your thoughts on making the round of 16?
Bomber was the code A champion, so I wanted to keep my pride as the code S champion by winning. I feel content that I was able to win.

- It seems like you passed your toughest challenge.
I believe you have to think of your upcoming match as your toughest challenge every time in order to practice hard for them. Bomber was definitely tough. But I will not take my next match lightly and prepare hard for that as well. I do not think there are easy opponents.

- You showed off some bold droning and expansions in the 1st set.
I didn’t see any signs that my opponent would be moving out. I had burrow and was waiting but he didn’t come out. I had some units waiting around for an attack, but I was even thinking about not making those. When you do not mess with each other in the beginning, you get fun games like this one.

- You were able to finish off the game in the 2nd set with some great burrowed banelings.
I wanted to use burrowed banelings from the middle of the game, but I kept forgetting. I got a bit sleepy waiting for the game to begin. I had some moments in the game where I missed opportunities because I was a bit tired.

- Your next opponent will be either TOP or Choya.
I want to face Choya. I think if he isn’t nervous and plays like usual, we will have a fun match.

- Who do you want to face in the finals?
I want to face Marineking, but as a zerg player that always makes me nervous.

- What do you think about the phrase ‘I am the only zerg.’
I like hearing it. It makes me feel like a ‘lone wolf’. I think other zergs are good too but they just haven’t showed off their skills on broadcasted matches. I have been lucky to have done that. But no matter how well you play, you can always lose when you are zerg.

- What do you think about the new uniform?
I quickly looked at the forums on the community websites, and I heard that it reminded them of a hamburger place. I don’t exactly like bright colors personally, but I will wear it with thanks because of Googim’s sponsorship.

- Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion about ‘cheese rushing’, what do you think about it?
I think it is split between the player’s perspective vs. the fan’s perspective. As a player, you have to do what it takes to win. Of course, when I lose to it I get angry, but it is a strategy that is inevitable. And of course if someone used it constantly, as a fan I would lose interest because it isn’t as fun. In the end, it is a necessary evil. GSL has done a good job about trying to eliminate close distances on maps such as metalopolis so it isn’t that bad. When a zerg blocks a cheese rush perfectly, they are ahead, but it is just hard to block it perfectly.

- If you were to give an advice to zerg users?
“Pumping” is important. For most zerg users during the middle of the game, their queens are unused, and sometimes even for me, I look back and I have a queen with full mana. But when I am focused, I don’t have any queens with over 40 mana.

- Recently, people believe that roaches after the midgame lose their efficiency.
You can use roaches if you want to lose. Of course, there are no units you particularly have to use after the mid game. But I think they (roaches) are expensive and not worth the cost.

- Nada said that the changing of the guards can happen very quickly, what do you think?
I also think things can change very fast. The game itself is easier to learn than SCBW and I believe the competition will only get fiercer in the future. I believe you can quickly catch-up especially if you play terran. To me, I think LosirA plays terran better than zerg.

- Any last comments?
I think MVP will be a bit sad since he lost today. I hope he can cheer up because he can just play better next season. I want to thank my coach for always taking care of us. I also want to thank our sponsors the Googims company and Coca-cola.

NesTea – ‘I will show something cool next time.’
- Your thoughts on making the round of 32?
I was a bit worried because big names have been falling left and right. I practiced hard, but I don’t think I showed everything that I practiced so I am a bit disappointed.

- In the 2nd set, you were dealt with a reversal (**he lost after being in a good position).
I thought I had the game won. But I didn’t think that he would Nydus me. I practiced hard to show something interesting in the 2nd game so I am disappointed that I didn’t really get to show it. I will show it for my next zerg matchup.

- In the 3rd set, you blocked roach aggression with banelings.
Even in practice, I was only able to hold off roach rushes by the thinnest of margins. I knew that my tech as ahead so I thought I was in a good position. But I didn’t have that much confidence that I could hold the attack.

- Your next opponent is Bomber.
I played him a couple of times on the ladder and I think he plays well. I think Bomber may be the toughest opponent in my bracket. But I plan to get to the semifinals. As long as I beat Bomber, I feel like I can meet my goals.

- Do you have any desire to win in foreign tournaments?
I want to go so badly. I want to have a rematch with Dimaga. When GSL has a break, and there are foreign tournaments, I really want to participate. But for now, I guess it is ok for participate in these Korean leagues. The GSL has the best prize money.

- What do you think about the foreign online tournaments?
I don’t think I can do online. I don’t want to give any excuses, but I get really angry at the lag. Because of the lag, I don’t think I want to be in any online tournament in the future. It causes me a lot of stress without a lot of payoff.

- Any last comments?
Horror and True came to where I was to help me practice. I want to thank them. I hope that all of IM team will play well.

Nestea – As the ‘zerg president’ I will repeat as champion.

- Your thoughts on making the finals?
As the first zerg player to make 2 finals, I am really happy. When I first saw the brackets at the round of 16, I thought my path to the finals would be easy if I wouldn’t have to face sC. But I am happy that I was able to beat him and advance.

- Why do you find sC difficult to face?
I have faced him often on ladder and he was really good at cheese rushes. He isn’t someone who lets you alone to do what you want, so it becomes really hard to face him.

- How did you prepare for today’s match?
To be safe, I tried to use pool first builds rather than going hatch. I didn’t want to lose without a fight. However, that kind of safe play also had some downsides. I was safe but I lost in economy so when he stopped his aggression, I was basically in an unfavorable situation.

- When did you know you had the win in the last set?
In the last 1 minute of the game, I first thought that I had lost. But when I was able to get out infestors and his forces dwindled, then I saw that I could win.

- It seemed as if you were a bit less patient than usual.
Facing sC can do that to you. He is really good at playing mind games. He puts you in many situations where you feel that you are not able to do what you want, then you feel like the situation is getting worse and worse.

- How did you practice?
There was basically one day in between the games, so I didn’t get a lot of practice. But I was able to get some practice and studied builds together with Yoda, Happy, and MinseOk.

- How are you different from other zergs?
I don’t think I am that different. But I have been told by my practice partners that I usually notice things quicker and have more drones and most people so I am able to switch between techs more easily.

- You will be facing a protoss in the finals.
I think Inca is a really good player. I know I complained a lot previously about ZvP matchups when I faced Anypro, but in practice I was win rate against them were around 90%, so I have some confidence in the matchup. However, Inca’s style is so different that I don’t know what to expect. Since I have made it to the finals, I will try to ride my momentum and take the championship.

- Were the burrowed banelings something you specifically prepared for the 5th set?
Originally, I prepared to be really precise on where I would put them, but after being down in the game, my baneling placements were not very good.

- Your ambition going into the finals?
There is a lot of talk in the community who want a zerg to win this championship. As the ‘zerg president’ (**This nickname is similar to MC’s nickname in Korean just the first syllable changed to represent zerg), I will try my best to repeat my victory. I want to show that zergs can be powerful.

- Any last comments?
I want to thank Yoda, Happy, and MinseOK for helping me practice. Horror really wanted to see T-ara, so I am happy I could fulfill that promise. Additionally, I want to thank my coach. I hope that many fans will show up in Daegu to cheer us on. I saw that Cocoshoo was cheering on sC so I was really happy about that. I hope she cheers on Inca in the finals.

Official Hype Poster before GSL May Final

Another hype poster for GSL May Final

This artifact belongs to NesTea!

Yet another artifact belonging to NesTea!