And we're back after another surprising, shocking, stunning, and quite frankly, jaw dropping blow out in the GSL Grand Finals where MVP, who after hearing I picked against him, got mad and beat down TOP in five games to win his third championship. To be fair, TOP did stop the streak of 4-0 finals and deliver one of the best TvT games in history in the first set of the series against MVP, but he clearly felt the nerves after losing the long first game and never looked the same.


Coming into the month of monsters and ghouls, the scariest thing in October might be the current racial balance in Code S. Zerg has only seven players but you could argue that from top to bottom, they are the seven best zerg players on the entire planet. Terran is coming in with twenty players and are only a few cycles away from having every spot being taken by a terran. Truly, though, the scariest thing in this tournament is the lack of protoss. With only five players, and the Protoss President slumping and down into Code B, they are on the brink of extinction in the GSL. Can Huk, HongUn, Killer, Puzzle and Genius carry the protoss flag and win their race its first championship since MC won five tournaments ago?

The finals might have not been close or successful at producing much excitement after the brilliant game one, but there is hope for the October finals. For the first time ever, the GSL will be flying out of Korea and coming to America with the Grand Finals occurring at Blizzcon! You could very well say this is the Super Bowl (for you Americans), Champions League Final (for you Europeans) or Really, Really Important Final (for the rest of you) of the GSL. Players have been talking about how they've wanted to get to the finals of this GSL ever since it got announced.

Not only will it be the biggest GSL final of all-time but an amazing opportunity for the league and game itself to grow at one of the biggest video game conventions in the world. I expect Mr. Chae and GOM to pull out all the stops to make this final a deserving spectacle (to K-Pop, or not to K-Pop, that is the question) and bring the GSL to the attention of thousands of new viewers.

These finals can't suck, right? The players want to make it to Southern California. They want to play in front of a gigantic crowd. They want to put their name in the history books. The finals won't be bad! They're going to be amazing! It'll at least go to the sixth game! On the biggest and brightest stage, two players will give us a final that is so action packed, well played, and dramatic that it will wipe away the past ten finals and make us believe that miracles can happen! Yeah! Get hyped! It's going to happen!


*sigh*


Now that I've stopped dreaming for a second, let's get down to business. Thirty two players. Twenty terrans licking their chops. Seven of the best zergs ready to die for the swarm. Five protosses trying to make a story book run to Anaheim. Two spots to California. One GSL champion trying to defend his title and be the first man to four titles. Zero doubt in my mind that the GSL October Grand Finals will either be the greatest Starcraft 2 final of all-time, or, well, a usual GSL final.





Fun Fact #1: The player picked first in the group selections has never beaten the champion who picked him.

Fun Fact #2: MVP just beat three GSL champions, a Dreamhack champion, a golden mouse winner, and a Code A champion without breaking a sweat.

Fun Fact #3: Out of every terran Ensnare has beaten, guess how many are still in Code S or A? Zero.

MVP, forgive me for doubting you against TOP and have fun pounding on poor Ensnare.

Prediction: MVP



Clide, the greatest player in the universe and the man with the sexiest sideburns in the galaxy, takes on the player who started the road to MC falling from Code S and into the depths known as Code A. Normally, I would pick Noblesse, who has been improving in every tournament and has been getting lot of praise from peers for his play, but then I remembered he's facing Clide.

Clide was angry that he didn't make his routine Ro16 exit, all killed MVP in GSTL, and will not be stopped until he makes it back to the Ro16 where he will underachieve once more, make Artosis cry, and get beaten.

Prediction: Clide



If my first predictions come true, we would be left with MVP versus Clide and Ensnare with Noblesse. Clide is amazing, and the greatest player ever, but MVP doesn't care and will beat him anyway. MVP is too much on a roll at the moment, and I can't see him losing in the group stages after man handling TOP in the final if his aching wrists don't bother him too much.

On the other side of the bracket, Noblesse vs. Ensnare. I can't pick Noblesse against Clide, but I sure as hell can pick him against Ensnare. I give credit to Ensnare for being a cockroach that has survived through countless bombs trying to knock him out of Code S and think he's pretty good player, but I believe it's finally his time to exit the building.

Group Predictions: MVP and Noblesse



This would lead to a rematch of Noblesse and Clide. For the second time, I think Clide's experience and playing his best match-up will be too much for the young Noblesse who gets knocked out in third place of the group stages for the second straight GSL.

Prediction: 1. MVP, 2. Clide, 3. Noblesse, 4. Ensnare

---

Ryung, the often forgotten son of Boxer next to the MLG champion MMA, Code A champion Ganzi, and countless Korean Weekly champion Taeja, has made a name for himself with his beastly TvT and touted by Artosis as one of the only terrans who might be able stand toe to toe with MVP in that match-up. MarineKing, on the other hand, has had shaky TvT lately and was beaten by Ryung's teammate, Ganzi, in the final of Code A. I'm not counting MarineKing out to pull the mini upset against Slayers best TvT man, but Ryung is poised for another deep run in the tournament.

Prediction: Ryung



Still scratching my head on why Puzzle picked one of the best TvP players in the world. Puzzle is an amazing new talent, has won Code A, and made it to the Ro16 last season before losing to group mate Ryung, but does he have enough to beat Bomber? Of course there is always a chance for Puzzle to have a secret strategy he has thought up to take Bomber down, but I can't bet against a guy with an 84% winning percentage against protoss.

Prediction: Bomber



Bomber has shown some sensational TvT in his runs in the GSL, but in the last two tournaments, he's been eliminated in the Ro8 and Ro16 by Byun (who is in Code A) and Keen (who, after looking at his group, might be fighting to stay out of Code A very soon) in surprising upsets. Bomber has shown he can take on the best TvT'ers in the world like MVP and come out the victor, but his recent GSL results worry me. Ryung has won his last GSL TvT's, and I think he'll edge out Bomber in one of the must-see games of the tournament.

In Puzzle vs. MarineKing, I have a clear vision of what will happen. MarineKing will go for tank, marine, banshee. Puzzle will put up an amazing struggle to hold. He will not hold. Puzzle will fall to the Up-and-Downs. The live report thread will then have to be shut down to the amount of people ranting about terran. You know it's going to happen, and I hope the mods are positioned at the ready for when it goes down.



Prediction: Bomber and MarineKing



If it comes down to this, I have to put my money on Bomber. Keen and Byun have both shown us you can take down Bomber, but the same can be said about MarineKing and him falling all the way down to Code A. Bomber hasn't failed to get out of the group stages in his first two GSL's and I don't see any difference this time around. MarineKing will stay in Code S but will have to wait another season to get second place in the finals.

Prediction: 1. Ryung, 2. Bomber, 3. MarineKing, 4. Puzzle

---

What is up with Keen's creepy stalker obsession with Nada? Ever since Nada embarrassed Keen with a cheeky, innovative reaper rush, Keen has been trying for months to get his revenge. In the GSTL, he got himself sent out against Nada and took him on to get his honor back. Keen put up a valiant effort, giving us one of the better TvT's in GSTL history, but had to tap out due to Nada beating him in the macro game.

Did this stop Keen from trying to get another shot at him? Nope, last GSL, after getting picked by Coca, Keen picked Nada's name and wanted to take him on for a third time. Luckily for Keen, Nada advanced out of the group in first and Keen came in second, beating Alicia and Coca, but not getting the redemption he sorely wants.

Keen, who actually got farther than Nada last tournament due to his upset of Bomber, got the opportunity to pick whomever he wanted. Instead of going for an easier choice, Keen, like last time, chose Nada and has set up their third game against each other. This all started due to Nada picking him, saying how much potential Keen (who is only sixteen) has and wanting a strong first match opponent. Now, after Nada picked Keen, there is no getting rid of him.

Nada tries to find a game on the ladder? Keen pops up.

Nada tries to go grocery shopping? Keen passes him the rice.

Nada wants to take a shower? Oh look, Keen is behind the shower curtain with a laptop.

Will this finally be the time Keen beats Nada? Will the most storied obessive stalker storyline in GSL history finally come to an end with Keen beating Nada?

Nah.

Nada will reaper rush him again, Keen will lose, and the story will continue.

Prediction: Nada



The three time GSL champion takes on the MLG Columbus champion with arguably the strongest TvZ in the world. While Nestea is truly a god in ZvZ and a master at ZvP, his ZvT has been shown to be quite ordinary when compared to his other match-ups in recent months. He's been beaten by TOP, MMA, and MVP by a score of 7-1 in the past three tournaments if you count the Arena of Legends. MMA defeated him last tournament with stunning play and put a look on the face of Nestea that we haven't seen the God of Zerg show before. He looked distraught and confused at finally losing a game after going the whole previous GSL before without dropping a map.

Don't get me wrong, Nestea is still a boss and a force to be reckoned with, but MMA has his number. Also MMA, in his two GSL singles tournaments (Super Tournament and August), has only been eliminated by Polt. Seeing as Polt is nowhere near this group, I think it's safe to say MMA will be safe for a while. Nestea has been practicing ZvT and it's the only match-up he needs to focus on this group, but the recent results between the two gives the edge to the Emperor's Son.

Prediction: MMA



Nada and MMA would be a great match. Nada, who is taking time off from school to focus solely on Starcraft 2, should be able to up his game and maybe get to the next level in his career. MMA, who usually is traveling to MLG or being the ace on the GSTL team, has nothing else on his plate but practice for this group. In the Super Tournament, where he made the finals, he had the GSTL going on, had just won MLG, and more than likely burnt out from how many things he had on his shoulders. Now, with only Blizzcon on his mind, he could be on his way back to Anaheim for the second time this year.

I love Nada's TvT, but I'm going with MMA on this one. His TvT is slightly overlooked because how amazing his TvZ is, but I think without GSTL and other commitments on his mind that he will emerge as the number one seed from his group for the second GSL in a row.

Oh, and then Keen versus Nestea. Keen started this group wanting Nada but could end up facing a very pissed off Nestea if he loses to MMA. Keen is a wonderful player, has loads of potential at the age of sixteen, and has the ability to get to a finals in 2012, but this is Nestea and he is not going to let himself get thrown into the Up-and-Downs. Hopefully for Keen, he will stay in Code S and be able to get himself put into a group with Nada for a fourth straight GSL.

Prediction: MMA and Nestea



This could have been our GSL May Grand Final if it wasn't for Inca.

*Shakes fist angrily at Inca*

Nada's worst match-up statistically is TvZ, but I would say all bets are off in this game. Both Nestea and Nada had disappointing tournaments last season, getting knocked in the round of sixteen, and neither want to go out in the group stages. Nada has taken time off school and that really could be edge in this match. We've seen Nada do amazing things already in the GSL while already in school, so if he puts all his attention into Starcraft (like Polt has in the summer), how far can he go? He's only made it to a semifinal and never gotten the chance to battle for a title.

In the end, I think it'll be very close, but giving the advantage to Nada. Nestea's last few ZvT's against top opponents haven't been the greatest, and I think Nada will be pushing himself to the absolute limit to try and make it to California.

Predictions: 1. MMA, 2. NaDa, 3. NesTea, 4. Keen

---

Huk should let Jinro pick for him every GSL group selection. Yeah, it wasn't the cleanest way or the least awkward way to pick Virus, but after a twelve hour ordeal (well, it felt like twelve hours) where a joke with Supernova went wrong, Jinro finally got his friend the person he wanted to face all along.

Virus isn't great at TvP and got eliminated last tournament in the round of sixteen against Genius. There is always the case where Virus will go for the 1-1-1 and Huk can't stop it, but Virus doesn't have the most impressive micro of all the terrans in the tournament. This is a game Huk should be favored to win and one of the best match-ups he could have hoped for in the first round.

Prediction: Huk



Can Zenio get a little respect? Always consistent. Always doing well in the group stages. He is Clide's long lost twin brother when it comes to his tournament performances. He was even picked last group selection to be the person most likely to win an upcoming GSL (still don't know if they were joking with him or not). I like asd, think he's a solid terran, but Zenio looks like someone who would punch me in the face if I picked against him here, so gotta go with him.

Prediction: Zenio



Could Huk have gotten a better group? Zenio's worst match-up, easily, is ZvP, and Huk has shown that he can do well against zerg lately. Former teammates in the oGs-TL house, they must know each other pretty well, so we'll more than likely see a good match between these two. Huk has gotten out of the last two group stages, and if flying around the world in thirty days doesn't make him majorly tired and discombobulated, he should get out of this one as well. This might be the best group Huk will ever get in GSL history so hopefully he can make the best of it.

If Ensnare gets knocked out this tournament, he needs an heir apparent terran to take his place as the guy everyone forgets is in Code S but stays in for the next year with no one knowing how he's surviving. I believe that Virus is that player to take up the mantle and become the new cockroach of the GSL. He has good macro, not amazing micro, but is solid enough to win at least one game every GSL and save himself from the Up-and-Downs. If Ensnare goes down, Virus, you must make him proud and keep hanging on.

Prediction: Huk and Virus



Virus might became the new Cockroach Terran if Ensnare finally exits stage left, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pick him over Zenio. Zenio, who I predicted against a few months ago in a group with MVP, Byun, and sC, came out of the group in first by taking down Byun and MVP. He's improved his ZvT leaps and bounds, and, like his soul brother Clide, will be making another trip back to his home in the round of sixteen.

Prediction: 1. HuK, 2. Zenio, 3. Supernova Virus, 4. asd

---

Group E - Losira Changes His Hair Color More Times Than Artosis Changes His Favorite Protoss Player

Here is a dramazation of HongUn and July before their match to start Group E.

July: Hey, HongUn, you ready for my baneling busts?

HongUn: Yeah, I'm ready for the banelings, but are you ready for my void rays?

July: I was born ready, kid. I'm going to eat your void rays alive and then snack on your probes for desert.

HongUn: Yeah? Yeah!? Well I'm gonna make a gigantic wall of pylons and forges. What you gonna do then, July? Yeah? WHAT NOW!?

July: ...Baneling bust your a**.

The result? HongUn, like promised, makes the Great Wall of HongUn to defeat July's baneling force. July goes mass mutas and kills HongUn precisely twenty seven seconds after the wall is completed.

THEN July baneling busts him to add insult to injury. HongUn, in anger, goes to read a book and prepare a new strategy against July for MLG Orlando.



Alright, I'm going to take this part of my the article to talk directly to you, Losira. Yes, I know you don't know much English or surf TeamLiquid, but I have a bone to pick with you. What's with the hair changes, man? You've had three different hair colors in the past three tournaments. You went from light brown, to summer blonde, and now have a dark autumn brown.

I can read your mind, Losira. You're changing your hair color to match the months. If you follow this trend, in two months, you'll be changing your hair to a winter white or silver. Please, I'm begging, do not do this. Pick one hair color. Stick with it. I don't want to see you have a bad dye job, have your hair turn purple, and lose all your fangirls. I'm watching your hair, Losira. 24/7. You get one more change and stick with it. Please don't make it blue.

Speaking of blue, another son of Boxer (how many sons can one Emperor have?), Ganzi just won Code A, beating MarineKing in a splendid seven game series and is now in Code S for the first time. He also has some of the sickest TvZ under the sun and has only lost to DongRaeGu in the past eight months. With MMA to train with (who will be practicing for Losira's teammate Nestea), Ganzi will have the best practice partner. Losira's ZvT has improved but it is still his worst match-up, and Ganzi, I believe, will make the count Slayers Terrans 2 and Incredible Miracle Zergs 0 in the October group phase with MMA and Ganzi both taking out two of the top zergs in the world.

Prediction: Ganzi



July and Ganzi should be a good one. July's ZvT is excellent, Ganzi's TvZ is excellent, and July even has a quarterfinal win over Ganzi's teammate, Ryung, from the last tournament. MMA's help, Ryung's knowledge from his clash with July from August, and Ganzi's understanding of the match-up should give him the edge in this battle with the God of War. Don't count out July, with it being Ganzi's first trip to Code S, but I like Ganzi's chances of topping the group.

On the other half of the bracket, we would see Losira against HongUn. Losira has a 70% winning percentage against protoss and has a claim to the title of best ZvP player in the world. HongUn is decent in the match-up, and he always seems to do better than expected, but if it comes down to these two, in this match-up, I have to go with Losira. Sorry protoss, I like you, but I fear another one might have to be battling to stay in Code S.

Prediction: Ganzi and Losira



Losira is the second best ZvZ player on the planet behind his teammate Nestea. It is July's worst match-up and been his achilles heel in many of the GSL tournaments up to this point. July is a player who always stays around in the Code S but usually takes two to three seasons off after making a run to the finals or semifinals. Don't worry, July fans, he's just in hibernation. He'll be making another finals in two months. I'm calling it right now.

Prediction: 1. GanZi, 2. LosirA, 3.July, 4. HongUn

---

Group F - A Happy Genius Wants To Leenock Jjakji Out

Protoss can do it! Genius, at the high PvT percentage of 50% has to take on Happy, a player who has lost his four TvP games, including a drumming by Puzzle in the second to last Code A semifinals. Genius, like Zenio and Clide, is the consistent protoss that always seems to get out of the group phases. His overall record isn't amazing, but he usually gets out of the group and then loses in the round of sixteen. Last tournament, he changed that by beating Virus at that stage and then going on to lose 3-1 to eventual finalist TOP in the quarterfinals.

Happy is a promising terran and gets to practice with MVP, but I'm picking the protoss (shocking!) in this one.

Prediction: Genius



Leenock, if you take away his loss against MarineKing in the Code A semifinals, has eleven straight wins. If you add the loss, he's still twelve and three in his last fifteen and has been terrorizing terrans. Jjakji isn't a slouch in the match-up, also with a winrate above 60%, but a lot of those wins have come against Code B players. He has beaten Losira recently, but again, Losira's ZvT is his worst match-up.

This will be close but I'm going to give it to Leenock. He's waited so long to get back into Code S, he has a new swagger about him and he's said he has lost the nerves that held him back in the past. He has tons of untapped potential and this would be a good time to start seeing it come to fruition.

Prediction: Leenock



Genius and Leenock both have sub .500 records against each others race. I enjoy Leenock's play and believe he is a future multiple GSL champion down the road but this is his first go around in Code S in a long time. Genius has been around since the beginning and has never fallen off. He knows how to get out of the group stage and surprise many by getting out of another group as the first place player.

Happy and Jjakji both have average TvT. Happy is in his second Code S season and Jjakji is in his first. They've never played each other and don't have that much experience in the GSL. Jjakji has been getting hyped up by a lot of people, is sixth in Korean ELO, and is the ace of his team. I picked Happy to win the Code A two seasons ago and he let me down. Thus, I'm picking Jjakji; it really is 50-50 to me. Both are young players with comparable TvT records. Flip a coin.

Prediction: Genius and Jjakji



Just like the first match, I'm going with the tiny ace of FXO for a second time. Jjakji has the talent, but I think he'll need another season or two before making his first big run to a semifinal. I'm going to trust that Leenock really has put his nerves behind him and will be able to get to the round of sixteen.

Also this means the viewers get less TvT. I can hear TeamLiquid cheering from here.

Prediction: 1. Genius, 2. Leenock, 3. Jjakji, 4. Happy

---

Polt, formerly Optimus, who was formerly Polt, is back to his old ID after leaving Prime to look for a new direction in his gaming career and is trying to get out of the group stages for the fourth straight Code S. Killer is another mainstay in Code S, the manliest man in the GSL, and always picks a tough opponent to put into the group. He's also lucky that Huk isn't in this group to knock him out again.

Killer is the only protoss to ever beat Polt in GSL history. That's the good news. The bad news, after beating Polt, the two faced off to see who would make it out of the group and Polt got his revenge. Now, Polt has chosen to face off against Killer once more and should be the strong favorite. Even without a team, I don't see any gigantic problems arising for the ex-Autobot. He didn't live in the Prime house to begin with, and I'm sure he'll have no problem finding suitable practice partners for the group with him leaving Prime on good terms.

Prediction: Polt



DongRaeGu failed to get into the Up-and-Down matches in the last GSL, but he went to the magical land called MLG and won his Code S spot there. We all know what DongRaeGu brings to the table by now and know he has top ZvT play. Taeja is also been getting a lot of praise lately for his constant wins in the Korean Weekly tournament and getting farther than DRG in the past Code A tournament.

I'm going to go for a bit of an upset here. Ganzi and MMA, Taeja's teammates, are also practicing for TvZ in their first game against elite zergs. Actually, you could very well say that the three Slayers terrans are facing the top three zergs in the world (Nestea, Losira and DongRaeGu) for their first games in the tournament. Did they plan for that to happen? Anyways, Thorzain showed us that DongRaeGu isn't completely unbeatable in the match-up and his week of practice with Slayers really showed in his builds.

Prediction: Taeja



Taeja and Polt, in terms of TvT, should be very close. Polt has taken his worst match-up and become pretty damn good at it, only losing to three TvT monsters in Bomber, MVP and TOP in the past three tournaments. Taeja recently beat Polt's former teammate MarineKing in the Up-and-Down matches to get into Code S and has an above average record in TvT. But, in the end, I'm going to go with the experience, the power of marauders (cue Artosis' "STOP MAKING MARAUDERS, POLT!") and the former GSL champion to top this very difficult group.

In the battle of pasta sauce and manly man, you would have Killer playing in his best match-up and DongRaeGu in his worst. Which sounds great for Killer before you realize DongRaeGu's worst match-up is still 10-4 with a 70% winning percentage. DongRaeGu was handpicked by Killer due to getting into Code S the "easy way" by going through the MLG system, but I believe DongRaeGu might be the one sending him down to the hard way to qualify for Code S. Sorry, protoss readers.

Prediction: Polt and DongRaeGu



Rematch of the first game. Who do I go with here? I think DongRaeGu is the better overall player at this point, but Taeja has the best practice partners in the world when it comes to facing DongRaeGu in Ganzi and MMA. I gave Taeja the win in the first match-up, but DongRaeGu will have probably seen Taeja's best SlayerS build in the first game and be able to out-duel him in their second face off.

Prediction: 1. Polt, 2. DongRaeGu, 3. Taeja, 4. Killer

---

Group H - This Article Is Already So Long, I Will Wrap This Group Up Quickly For Your Eyes And Sanity

Coca is bad at ZvT.

Prediction: TOP



Supernova crushed his Up-and-Down group and looked very good doing it. Alive sticks around Code S, sometimes makes it out of the group with solid play, and has decent TvT.

...I flipped a coin. Supernova wins.

Prediction: Supernova



TOP has already beaten Supernova before in the GSL, the better TvT between the two, and more female fans. This obviously means he cannot lose to his teammate.

For the second match, like I said before, Coca isn't the best at ZvT. Alive is very good at TvZ. Also I really like Alive's weird voice, so he must stay around for more group selections so I can hear it.

Prediction: TOP and Alive



I flipped the coin for a second time.

This time Alive wins. Congratulations, Alive.

Prediction: 1. TOP, 2. aLive, 3. SuperNoVa, 4. CoCa

There we go, dear readers. My long and hopefully slightly entertaining predictions for the last Code S of 2011. Who do you think is going to make it to California in October? Who do you think is going to get out of the groups? Am I crazy for picking MVP to beat Ensnare?

P.S: If this GSL final turns out badly, I am flying to Korea and demanding Mr. Chae to write a movie about the GSL that actually ends with a great final. It'll make millions.

I watch a lot of Code A, as those of you who follow the Live Report threads may have noticed. I've watched MKP crumble and cried as the Emperor fell. I've also seen the most unlikely events; bedrock players who you couldn't imagine losing their Code S spot slipping through the cracks that are the up and down matches and new heroes rising through preliminaries. This month, so many new faces, with unique builds for their races, will have a shot at living the same dream TaeJa has fulfilled.

I wrote that a few days prior to The BossToss being dragged out. How do I feel in retrospect? Not a whole lot different. MC might have died last night in the Code A round 1a but according to John the Translator this all started with MVP last month. I disagree. MVP might have been Casca in MC's Julius Caeser but it was Noblesse who left him bleeding down the path of his own destruction. Yeah. The 'Ro32, Ro64, took him more than six seasons to make Code S' Noblesse. One minute MC is looking unsteady, the next- boom up and down. We all know what happens when weakness is revealed. Losira, Check, Jjakji plunged greedily into the wan President and tossed him aside to requalify. MC played with a old build limp and took risks with a death wish. And death found him.

MC gone. Close your eyes and consider that. Open them now before you miss who isn't.

Protoss will not collapse at the faltering of one man. Look at who's left. Do they look weak? Code S may be pretty dismal without the mainstay two time GSL champ but it ain't over yet. I mean look at last months results. Huk (4-5). Genius (5-5). Puzzle (2-3). HongUn (2-3).
..
Okay so PvGom doesn't look too hot for this months GSL finals. Tough break. We all know what its like, Nestea can win one Final and be out the next. Maybe Huk will take it this month. If we sit here amidst the QQ and Legend of the Fallen then we're going to miss the Protoss Threat moving up through Code A.







I can't think of a more dangerous time for HerO to have entered Code A. It has become a gauntlet so stacked with top progamers that it will take more than just flawless mechanics and impeccable control to move through to the Up & Downs. It will take his x factor: Intelligence. Luckily, you may have noticed he plays hard but he plays smart. Brilliant at times. He has a reactive but solid style, one that can shift and adapt as the game changes or obstacles beset him. You can't underestimate this protoss power for a moment, or he'll have pounced on opportunity and certified an advantage. How did he get these skills? Well, he didn't make it through the KeSPA Courage Tournament at 17 by following builds or taking his chances with coinflips. He made it through on the strength of his speed, intelligence and unassailable macro to cement victory. He's taken games off DRG and SjoW repeatedly, and if he's lucky enough to find himself up against SeleCT again he will be anxious to repay his loss at MLG in the GSL.

After walking over GuineaPiguu in the preliminaries, he's looking strong both inside the GSL and out. With respectable results at DH, and facing a long-since-ripe viOlet first, I predict we'll see the same late game overload style HerO used to make it into Code A - not to mention destroy Idra at DH. HerO is proficient at timings and exploiting weaknesses but so far his preferred approach has been to take PvZ to the late game and punish opponents by out multitasking until their collapse. This is his first real shot at making it to the Ro8. If he proves himself by downing viOlet then he can take YuGiOh. Semifinalist Hero. That has a pretty good ring to it. It's too soon for Final Hero but we should expect great finishes out of him in the coming seasons.


This time coming from the GSTL powerhouse New Star Hoseo, Sage is a second example of just how dangerous a mind can be. His builds are new and his play style reflects his reliance on intelligence, scouting and immediate reactions, strangling his opponent through superior map control and harassment. The phoenixes in that picture? Kill counts: 13,4,3,6,5,5,6,2. Expect greatness from the air.

There are moments when several builds come together to revolutionize the way some people look at a matchup. That's what Sage precipitates; effectively translating the Bisu's staple of corsairs and zealots into their SC2 analogues. Sage has surprised his Zerg opponents with innovative and entertaining compositions and shown that he is a serious challenger to any opponent. While his PvZ is his unquestionable strength, neither Terran nor Protoss is safe from his cunning decision making, as Byun can attest.

Sage recently left him befuddled and second guessing after a devastating 2-0. In the same tournament Sage was victorious 2-1 over PuMa, defeating the loathed marine/tank/banshee all-in and showing with the sheer force of his awareness in the third game, that when Sage is on he is beyond reproach. His impeccable scouting and reaction time gives him the edge that Protoss currently needs to take games in TvP.

Sage will keep his opponent so busy with unorthodox yet solid play that they will be damn lucky to find a free moment to try and sneak something past him. Not that it would work even if they did. His biggest challenge will be PvP. Preliminary 2-1 victories to make it into Code A are my measure of how much he's improved. If he makes it past his first test, PvT against a competent but outside of the GSTL unknown yOda, then he will have to face Weekend the Jinro killer or Check (Up and Down, GSL August).

I'm not going to say who's the easier opponent. Check has issues with consistancy and Weekend is almost unknown and his only notable kill to date has been over Jinro (For which there can be no forgiveness). It is, bias aside, likely that Check will move on to be Sage's second match and it is difficult to predict which Check we will see in the Round of 16. Even though Sage has little experience by himself in the booth under the lights of Mok-Dong without his whole team in support, I can confidently say there will be a thrilling match in store. Sage is the must-watch player of this Code A as he is undoubtably going to provide highly entertaining games.




Tough break kid. You could should would have been in Code S already. The 12th match of Group C had MKP crushing in through to secure his privlidge of Code S. You can't blame him. TaeJa and MKP stomped through everything that wasn't Terran with a combined 6-2 score. JYPs return to Code A couldn't be helped. Surviving with the best record of the rejects, JYP returned to 2-0 JookTo in the Ro32. While the first game only highlighted the volatility and unforgivable mistakes Zerg can make by not scouting and losing a gas intensive army for little gains.


You could write off Game One as a fluke, bad control, hidden Protoss expansion and a bad base race. Then why does JYP again consolidate, isolate and destroy jookTo again in the very next match? JYP takes a pressure push and with the confidence and control expected from a contender for a S spot, he plows through jookTo's third and sensing weakness instantly switches on the shine.


Either way SaSe vs Fruitdealer falls, JYP is going to advance. It's been too many months since SaSe showed his poise against NaDa. Fruitdealer, the likelier possible opponent, hasn't had a winning streak against Protoss since Open Season 3. Look for Smart engagements, willingness to take risks and flawless macro to carry JYP to the round of 8 and back into the Up and Downs. He won't wow the crowd or cruise through opponents but JYP will deliver win after win until he reaches a staunch Terran opponent.




Or maybe Max just kills the lot of them and goes on to become the GSL November champion.