[EWM] Week 1 Group A Preview

An active player outside the GSL, cOre pops up frequently in events such as the ESV Korean Weekly and the KSL. He recently qualified for the 2012 HOT6iX GSL Season 1, before falling 0-2 to the previously Code S oGsfOrGG in the Round of 48. Prime, with 6 players including cOre qualifying for Code A this season, is riding a surging wave of talent and, as the last season of GSTL taught us, is not to be overlooked.

While he hasn't been seen in the GSL for a few seasons, TheBest remains one of the most infamous players in the Korean scene, largely remembered for his aggressive early play, and questionable Banshee control. The FXO team has shown some remarkable improvements since their days as the fOu team, I believe there is something Choya has been slipping in his players' food. Leenock has been a dominating Zerg force in the past few months, and Oz has shown incredible matches in Code S. We most recently saw TheBest in FXO's opening match in the GSTL against CranK from Slayers, where he was unable to take the win. As a former Code S player, TheBest is looking to make the EWM his first stepping stone back into the top tier of Korean players.

oGsVINES is another player that, while not a current GSL competitor, should be a name most players are familiar with. Dominating the North American ladder, he currently sits #1, by quite a large margin. On top of that he recently appeared in the GSTL, as the lead player for oGs. Despite much ridicule from the casters, based on his partial match records, he managed to take 2 wins for oGs over ZeNEX's Line and JJUN. His last appearance in the GSL was in November, losing in the first round 0-2 to teammate SuperNoVa, who looked to be on a dominant streak in the GSL recently until he was struck down by Fionn's curse. VINES might not have the prettiest match history as far as the GSL goes, but outside he's proven to be a competitive player and should be a scary opponent.

While he did manage to qualify for the 2012 HOT6iX GSL Season 1, True is another player that has shown incredible recent results outside the GSL. He lost 2-1 in the Round of 48 to the current foreign hope in the GSL, GamaniaSen but has recently marched his way through the KSL events, with remarkable strength, taking second place in the 64-player KSL 2012 Grand Opening, with wins over players like Leenock, Line, Illusion, and more. True seems to always have his A-game in online events, and this should be no exception.

TSLShine
Shine is one of those players that we simply don't see much of. While he's competed in a few ESV Korean Weeklies, and we've seen him make it quite far in recent qualifiers such as hitting the finals of the 2012 HOT6iX GSL Season 1 Preliminaries, or falling to teammates in the first IronSquid Qualifier, there simply isn't much else to base his play on. With a training environment as tough as the TSL team, while not a tested force, Shine may prove to be quite a competitor.

Hack is a player on the StarTale roster that sees a large amount of play in Team Leagues. Whether this is a result of being a very strong practice player, or a reliable sniper is yet unclear. We last saw Hack in Code A of GSL August, where he was unfortunate enough to face MarineKingPrime in the first round. Since then, he's been quite close to qualifying several more times, only falling just short each time. Hack has proven himself a consistent player, but just how powerful is his peak performance?

MvPTAiLS
TAiLS is another player many might be surprised isn't in the GSL. TAiLS was able to qualify for Code A back in August, but was unable to make it past Taeja. Since then, he's shown some remarkable results. He made quite a name for himself stepping in as the anchor for MvP against Incredible Miracle in the last GSTL playoffs, taking down both MVP and NesTea to secure the victory for MvP, which would then lead to their GSTL Championship. Shortly thereafter he traveled to the UK for the IPL 4 Qualifiers at insomnia44, He took second in the event, losing to Stephano, who was already qualified for IPL 4. Having already proven that he can compete with the best of the best, will this be his ticket back into the GSL?

SlayerSCella
Holy Check! Cella playing in another event! With the recent ascension of BoxeR to the mantle of team coach, it would appear Cella has been able to play more often, starting to crop up in qualifiers, and showmatches all over the place. Will Cella be able to work his way past this incredibly talented group of players to make his way back into the booth he hasn't played in since Open Season 1?

ZeNEXSparta
Not much is known about the newer generation of ZeNEX players. We know Line parties pretty hard, and Cutter is an incredibly muscular destroyer of nerds, but Sparta has somehow managed to escape notice for the most part. He's seen small amounts of playing time in other online events, such as the KSL, and ESV Korean Weekly, but has never yet qualified for the GSL. Coming from a team notorious for plucking up players and transforming them into top tier contenders, could Sparta be the next ZeNEX player to rise to glory?

NsHSSage
One of the most recent victims of the Artosis Hype train, Sage has been described as the "Protoss Hope" and "The most brilliant player in the GSL". Having qualified for the GSL numerous times now, even making the semi-finals of Code A October, Sage has proven his skill as a player. However, he keeps getting knocked back down into the preliminaries at the hands of increasingly skilled opponents. Aiming for yet another foray into the GSL, can Sage finally prove Artosis right and make it past this brutal gauntlet?

ClassicPrime
Classic is another mostly unknown player that is hard to quantify. While not as new a face as some of the other players we see popping up, Classic is a name that has appeared only fleetingly in events so far. Perhaps he might be able to surprise us all and begin to mark 2012 as his breakout year.

FXOTear
Tear is one of those players I can't even begin to talk about. There is honestly nothing to base any conjectures around. I've witnessed a meager handful of his games from the KSL Individual Leagues, but aside from that he remains a variable shrouded in mystery that could perhaps be the next dark-horse Korean. Only time will tell what we might see from Tear.

oGsIllusion
Recently acquired from ZeNEX, Illusion has since been making a surprising number of appearances in online events. Having quite a few good showings in both the ESV Korean Weekly and the KSL events, Illusion seems to have something special that oGs recognized, and makes them want to put Illusion out into the spotlight as often as possible. While he was unable to make it past the most recent Code A Preliminaries, he's shown remarkably quick improvement, and with such a deep, strong Terran line-up on oGs he's sure to come prepared.

IMLosirA
Being a former Code S finalist, LosirA might be the favorite to take home this tournament and return to Code A. Ever since his 0-4 defeat at the hands of his teammate, 3 time GSL champion NesTea, LosirA has had a tough time in the GSL, falling out immediately in GSL August, and remaining on the cusp of Code S and the Up&Down matches. Failing to make it through his Up&Down group, he started 2012 in Code A, falling to oGsTheStC in the Round of 48. Looking to force his way back into the GSL, and regain his Code S title, LosirA won't be holding anything back in this tournament.

QxGSaSe
The lone foreigner in this quadrant of the bracket, SaSe has been relatively quiet in Korea for the past few months. He disappeared into the G-League in China and didn't attempt to qualify for the most recent season of GSL, which he will be attempting to rectify with his performance in the EWM. The former Warcraft 3 star, and contender for the title of "Best Foreign Protoss", SaSe has taken down players in the past of even Code S caliber. What will his condition be like after his long training period in the StarTale house? One thing's for sure, he'll be aiming to upset the entire bracket for the foreign community.

MvPDream
One of two 15 year old proteges on the MvP roster, Dream has already showcased some outstanding play in recent times. His most recent matches being an impressive 4-kill against Prime in the KSL, Dream is looking to be a part of the top-tier next generation gamers, alongside players like Leenock and RagnaroK. Falling just short of Code A, like a number of players in this tournament, Dream will be looking to set himself above the rest and break into the GSL at such a young age. I would recommend keeping an eye on this player regardless of his performance here in the EWM.

What is the EWM?
The EWM is a weekly online tournament with 64 players. The winners will each advance into an offline tournament, and the winner of that finals will receive the Code A seed. In 2012, the EWM is expected to provide 1 seed for every season of Code A in the GSL.

The 64 players will be chosen on a first-come, first-serve basis (following certain qualification tiers). To qualify, a player must be above 500 rating in Masters league on the Korean server. However, players that are part of a team, domestic or foreign, are eligible to particpate regardless of rank and are given first priority to particpate.

The format is best of 3 for every round, and the map order is Daybreak, Dual Sight, and Antiga Shipyard.

Whether you're looking to keep up with your favorite players outside the GSL, or keeping tabs on new recruits for your favorite team, the EWM is here to provide additional exciting content with an incredibly valuable prize on the line!

When is it?
The EWM will begin it's first week broadcast on TwitchTV starting on Monday, Feb 06 5:00pm GMT (GMT+00:00). Our week will begin broadcasting with the fabulous casting crew over at IMBAtv, and broadcast through the week. Be sure to tune in to as many matches as possible, there are sure to be a ton of amazing games!

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