Why SlayerS will retake their GSTL crown

Upcoming Match: 2012 GSTL Season 2 - Finals SlayerS vs FXO July 28th, 2012

SlayerS fans, the time has come. Boxer's team has fought through thick and thin to get here, but none of that matters now. Right now, all that matters is the final match. It is time to retake the GSTL championship and secure the position of most successful SC2 team up to this point by taking a third finals before any team has taken even two. The MMA controversy has been intriguing to say the least, but what matters now is the GSTL and SlayerS knows it. MMA is the starting player for this Saturday and will bring the hurt to FXO and perhaps be fighting to redeem himself in The Emperor's eyes. With most likely the deepest lineup in the entire world, SlayerS is looking poised to take back their rightful GSTL thrones. Will they do it? I sure as hell think so. Do you?

What would teamliquid be without a thread about why Team Slayers will be the winner of this upcoming GSTL season? It would be a travesty, that's what it would be.

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Oh wait just one second. I just realized I've made a mistake. Team Slayers won't be the winners of GSTL Season 2. The winner will be the newly-formed and hungry team of SlayerS-EG.

That's right. EG, one of the biggest and most successful foreign teams out there has made a partnership with SlayerS for the upcoming team league. I'm surprised GOM even allowed for such a blatantly IMBA team to enter. Politics aside, this is the frightening result:

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Now if that new team logo wasn't enough to get GSTL participants shaking in their boots, there's more. Yes, there is also a new team lineup, supplemented by the powerhouse that is Team EG. First, let's start with old school SlayerS.

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SlayerSBoxeR
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This man, The Emperor, The Terran Hope, the One the Only, SlayerSBoxeR needs no introduction. If "nerd baller" ever entered Webster's Dictionary, underneath the term would simply be a picture of this man right here. Singlehandedly forging the majority of the starcraft scene through his inspiring micro based play, the original "bonjwa", the founder of the most successful broodwar team in history, SKT1, BoxeR is a man who truly deserves respect and credit from us all.

With this legend leading the way with immense experience at his disposal, the team will have no trouble taking this season's championship. Fortunately for the other teams, BoxeR's time as a player has been stopped for the time being due to increasingly painful arthritis. But before then, let me remind you that he has been in Code S countless times.

Key Points: Being The Emperor

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MMA

This is the heir to the throne. SlayerSMMA. He has the multitasking and TvZ of a god, and the TvT of a demi-god. Naturally, he is the team ace. Other than DRG, no other team Ace has proven himself the way that MMA has. Let's do a short recap. GSTL March. After turning from an embarassment to the league to GSTL finalists, team SlayerS has made a miraculous comeback. But in the finals they face team IM, the last season's champions. The series goes to 4-4, and the ace match goes to MMA vs MVP, who was on a 14 TvT winstreak and was considered the best player on the planet. No problem bro, MMA takes him out and wins the championship.

Very next GSTL season, team MVP has arisen as a dominating force with their monster ace, Dongraegu. MVP vs Slayers in the finals, the score yet again goes to 4-4. MMA vs DRG in the ace match. MMA comesback from a 40 supply deficit to win Slayers their 2nd consecutive championship.

With the best Team ace in the business, team SlayersEG can't lose this season.

Key Points: TvZ, TvT beast. Best Team Ace

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Ryung

Next comes Ryung. A GSL veteran, Ryung specializes in TvT but is also a monster in TvZ. Recently making it to Code S, this guy has always been a staple to the SlayerS lineup. With the ability to take down any terran or zerg in the world with his solid, patient play, Ryung is a fearsome team league player and will perhaps one day lose his hatred for MMA. On a related note, this guy will photoshop you to death.

Key Points: TvT Sniper

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Puzzle

SlayersPuzzle. If any player can be described by all-around solid play, it would be SlayersPuzzle. With amazing macro, micro, decision-making, no weak-matchup, and the fastest apm in the GSL, it's no surprise that he is referred to as "Bisu" by his teammates.

Although Puzzle is not the most consistent individual league player, he has made Code S Ro8 twice consecutively and has been a solid team league player for his entire career. For instance, he hasn't dropped a single GAME in the EG Masters Cup. Always able to take down a win or two when called out, Puzzle is just another reason why Slayers will win.

Key Points: Solid in every aspect

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Miya

This guy might be an unfamiliar face. He is SlayersMiya, a recently recruited zerg for team Slayers. Although he's very new to the scene, anybody who has watched the EG Masters Cup would know how much of a monster zerg he is. He's taken down players like aLive and Morrow and put Taeja to the brink of defeat. He's even recently qualified to Code A for next season.

He is simply an amazing player with strong macro, absurd creep spread, and a ton of potential. He will be looking to prove himself this GSTL season, and I don't think anybody can stop him.

Key Points: Strong ZvT, amazing creep spread

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Alicia

Here is the one and only SlayersAlicia. Don't be fooled by his username, this guy is as manly and frightening as they come. Once known as the "protoss hope" during the GomTvT, he took down MC on his way to reach the round of 8 in the GSL Super tournament. Although he used to be known for his PvT, he has become a player solid in all matchups. He qualified for MLG Spring Arena through the cuthroat Korean qualifier and will be striving to prove that he is still a force to be reckoned with, despite the recent slump. He will once again try to become the protoss hope.

Key Points: All-around strong player

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Brown

Now here's another Slayers Protoss, although he's not as old school as Alicia. This is SlayersBrown. He qualified for Code S three seasons ago, although he did recently fall out of the GSL. However, he showed us that he is a PvZ GOD. Cella has been quoted as saying that he simply does not lose to zergs, and that is evident by his series against Losira. His PvT is not the best in the business, but he will be a key player when it comes to sniping zergs.

Key Point: Zerg Sniper

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CoCa

SlayersCoca is back and raring to go. This Slayers zerg was once on fire. He got 2nd place at his first MLG and has gotten to the round of 4 twice in Code S. He was, at the time, unbeatable in ZvP, using bane drops and infestors to demolish his opponents. Even his weak ZvT was looking better and better with each season. Unfortunately, he made a mistake and BoxeR made sure to take that opportunity to instill high principles into his young protoges.

However, after what seemed like an eternity, Coca is back and has probably been hungry to play and prove himself once again as one of the top zergs in the world. I think we all hope, slayers fanboys or not, that Coca will return to the monstrous form he once was.

Key Points: Protoss Sniper, all-around solid player

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Clide

This is Clide, the greatest player of all time. Enough said.

Key Points: Greatest player of all time

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YuGiOh

Look, Slayers even has the King of Code A on their lineup. However, Yugioh will be looking to upgrade to King of Code S as he just recently took down MarineKingPrime 2-1 to advance directly into Code S. If you haven't yet, I suggest you watch that series right now. This player has been around for a long time and has shown a very slow but steady stage of improvement. Once barely Code A level, Yugioh has now become a mainstay in both Code S and the upper rounds of Code A. Don't let his shyness fool you, Yugioh is a top zerg in the making.

Key Points: Solid ZvT, ZvP

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Min

SlayerSMin, the original Slayers team zerg. He made it as far as round of 16 in the Super Tournament during his peak and has gone on a bit of a slump recently. His ZvZ is still something to fear, and he will definitely be striving to end his slump through some solid GSTL performances.

Key Points: Solid ZvZ

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SocceR

This is SlayerSSoccer, once known as Ven. He is a relatively recent recruit to the team and is an all-around solid protoss player who has made it through the brutal Code A qualifiers before. He, like a few others, will be looking to make it to the spotlight by proving himself during the team league.

Key Points: Solid PvT

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Crank

The last player on the Slayers line up is SlayersCrank. Don't be fooled by the order in which I mentioned these players. SlayersCrank is secretly the second best protoss on the team. Anybody who has watched his stream would know that his guy has potential, and lots of it. I personally saw him defeat Nestea, the dreamer of the universe, as if it was nothing. The team clearly has a lot of faith in Crank as he was almost always thrown into the lineup last GSTL and even served as their ace. You know someone is a beast when Team freaking Slayers throws them in as the ace player.

Key Points: All-around solid player

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Cella

Last but not least is SlayerSCella, the coach for the future winners of the GSTL. Once a Code S level zerg, Cella has become the official coach for Team Slayers. His coaching skills are famous, as he was chosen to coach the korean team in the GSL World Championship with Korea vs. The World. Although The World and Artosis put up a good fight, Cella's skills were too much in the end.

Now I'm not sure if you guys have noticed but SlayerS has the BIGGEST FREAKING LINEUP. They have strength in numbers AND depth. And now, Team EG has partnered up with SlayerS to make this post even longer. Let's start.

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PuMa

I'm sure everyone knows this guy, EGPuMa. Once a part of team TSL, PuMa joined team EG immediately after upsetting MC in the NASL finals. Ever since, he has won so many freaking foreign tournaments that his bankroll is insane. Although he's had trouble qualifying for GSL (let's face it, who doesn't?), PuMa has already proven himself as one of the best terrans in the world. At one point, he was even called the best player in the world. With no weak matchup, PuMa is clearly a staple force to be had in a team league.

Key Points: All-around solid, amazing micro

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JYP

This is EGJYP, also once a part of team TSL. A very good protoss player who is known for his amazing PvZ and bad PvT, he's actually become a player who is strong in both matchups. When Dongraegu FINALLY qualified for the GSL from Code B, everyone thought he would qualify right away for Code S and win it all. But then JYP happened. He took down DRG in the second round of Code A and destroyed liquibet scores everywhere. JYP is clearly another powerful addition to the already humongous Slayers lineup.

Key Points: Zerg sniper

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ThorZaIN

Recently leaving Mouz to join Team EG, Thorzain has always been on the brink of becoming the "Best foreigner in the world". He made an epic comeback in TSL3 to take down Naniwa and just recently won Dreamhack in Sweden. He is known as the "spoon-killer terran" for his ridiculously meticulous and patient play, but that is what makes him so scary. In a teamleague situation where players have to play game after game, elongating even hopeless games will exhaust your opponents for their next match. Not that Thorzain will be looking to do that because he is a beast in ALL matchups and will almost always take down at least 1 or 2 players if he is thrown into the ring.

Team Slayers absolutely loves this guy for the intelligent way he approaches the game, so his Swedish presence will also be a morale booster for the upcoming season.

Key Points: No weak matchup

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HuK

Finally, the last player on the SlayersEG lineup is none other than EGHuK, a protoss player who was undoubtedly the best foreigner in the world at his peak, HuK is the only foreigner to have been a mainstay in the GSL and has also won two MLG's. His sick forcefields and strong macro are known world-wide.

Plus, HuK has already proven himself as an amazing team league player by acting as oGs-TL's ace in their match against Prime. HuK made a miraculous hold against MarineKing's 1 base all-in with amazing forcefields and kept his cool even under the high pressure situation. With that in mind, HuK will definitely be a strong team league player at Team Slayers's disposal.

Key Points: No weak matchup, usually performs well under pressure

In conclusion, after reading all that, how can anybody doubt the fact that Team SlayerS will win this upcoming GSTL? This lineup is absolutely unprecedented and is full of the best players of every race for every matchup. With The Emperor at the helm and MMA and Cella at his side, I doubt any team can stand in the way of the enormous tidal wave of starcraft domination that is coming in their direction.

Why SlayerS will retake their GSTL crown

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