EPT
Who are these guys? In any tournament, there will be first-timers. The OSL is a curious place for rookies. On one hand, a rookie has won one out of every four OSLs. These rookies (Boxer, Garimto, Nada, July, Anytime) became champion in their first ever major, going down the “royal road.” On the other hand, many rookies have wilted under the pressure of the OSL, not playing to their full ability. Will a royal roader emerge from the following four rookies? Or will they just show up to gain precious experience but nothing else?
Successful rookies are a great addition to any OSL. Look at the list of royal roaders above. They each brought with them fresh air that changed the StarCraft scene. Boxer revitalized Terran, with unpredictable strategy, micro, and dropships. Garimto introduced equally crazy strategy, using unseen build orders and hidden buildings. Nada changed the way players viewed their natural expansion, and introduced his “freestyle” way of playing. Even when it seemed that the game has been around too long for anything new, July (changed the ZvT paradigm for good) and Anytime (found an answer to FD Terran) come along and ushered in the winds of change.
Will any of the following rookies have a lasting impact on the SC scene? What they lack in experience, they make up with fearlessness in play and a willingness to try new things. So even if you’re not familiar with these names, don’t be surprised if a few of them make a lot of noise.
In order of qualification
Stay[Hyo]
P&C Curriors
Zerg
Best finish: None
How did he qualify?
Dual Tournament. Stay defeated TheMarine and GoRush to advance to the ODT Round 2. There, he went [L GoodFriend W GGPlay W GoodFriend], upsetting ex-teammate GoodFriend in the last game and earning his place in the OSL for the first time.
The veteran rookie. He’s been around for a while, starting out with Hanbit Soft. Eventually he parted with the team, even qualifying for the Dual Tourney while unaffiliated. Without a coach, practice partners or practice facilities, the odds were stacked against Stay, and he came just short of qualifying. But Stay did not give up. Instead he found his way into P&C and eventually, into the major leagues. He’s been playing as a pro for over two years now, with moments of success here and there. Now that he made it into the majors, he must do everything it takes to seize this hard-earned opportunity.
ShinHwa[Name]
Lecaf OZ
Zerg
Best finish: None
How did he qualify?
Extra Eight qualifiers. Shinhwa survived the offline qualifiers minefield to advance to Extra Eight groups. There he defeated Light[aLive] of POS and Cloud to make it to his first OSL ever.
The reborn rookie. About a year a FiFo article said, “Keep an eye out for Shinhwa.” Only one thing was in his way: big game nerves. In Korea, there are a many amateur masters who can play at the pro level, yet put them in front of a camera and crowd and they can’t block out the pressure. Shinhwa was one of these off-camera-only gosus, toiling away on a non-sponsored team. But all that changed when Lecaf stepped in and sponsored his team (and I mean sponsored - click here). Shinhwa seems to have gained a new sense of purpose. He tore through the offline qualifiers with an aggressive, attacking style of Zerg. Then, against Cloud, he saved his larvae, using them all at once as soon as his spire finished. Cloud scouted this, moved his infantry to his main and started investing in a lot of turrets. Except Shinhwa had morphed hydras instead of mutas – the larvae fake. It was GG when 10+ lurkers swarmed Cloud's nat. It's that kind of play that have people excited about Shinhwa. Maybe he is finally ready to live up to that article from a year ago.
Yellow[Name]
KOR
Zerg
Best finish: None
How did he qualify?
Extra Eight qualifiers. Yellow[Name] went through the offline qualifiers, then upset Xellos twice to advance to the OSL.
The unknown rookie. Yellow[Name] spent his first year of progaming gaining experience playing for KOR in the ProLeagues, steadily contributing in team play but not making much of a name for himself. He managed to qualify for both the Extra Eight qualifiers and MBC Game's minor league, the Survivor League, at the same time. But even in those qualifiers he went largely unnoticed, defeating unremarkable opposition. Then he burst upon the scene in the Extra Eight qualifiers, taking two games from Xellos to deny the Terran veteran and advance to the OSL. He did it in emphatic fashion, digging deep into the Zerg bag of tricks: held lurkers, Shinhwa’s spire feint, and countering Xellos’ SK Terran with lots (and lots) of plague. Just like that, people are wondering about this first-timer who has shown hints of brilliance. Can we expect more of it, in progaming’s biggest stage?
Child
Soul
Zerg
Best finish: None
How did he qualify?
Extra Eight qualifiers. Child defeated Free[gm] and Sync in the Dual Tournament Round 1 to advance to Round 2. There, despite good play, he went [W Xellos L IntoTheRainbow L Chojja] to fall just short of the OSL. But he was seeded for the Extra Eight qualifiers, and he promptly beat Siva (P&C) and Bifrost (KOR) to finally make it into the majors.
The prepared rookie. Of all the first time participants in this OSL, Child is the one with the most on his shoulders. He is the first Starleaguer from team Soul in more than a year (the last one was Jju – who has since changed teams). Soul has fallen far from its glory days, and life is tough without a proper sponsor. Which is why Child is playing with a sense of purpose. All throughout qualifiers, his play has been superb. He actually won a ZvT on Cultivation Period (ZvT is 2:11 on that map), defeating none other than Xellos. Like a father determined to feed his children, Child is playing for more than just himself. He comes into every game prepared and ready, and it shows. Child will not lose because he cannot afford to lose.
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