EPT
MarineKingPrime![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/cqE6p5m.jpg)
Source: This Is Game
Tell us how you feel about making it to Code S.
I am most happy about the fact that I get to start off the first HotS GSL from Code S and I am also happy that I was able to become one of the players in a small group of thirty two players. I am so proud of the fact that I was able to secure three straight victories for my final WoL GSL performance.
How did you prepare for your group?
I was really worried because I barely got to practice WoL but I wasn’t really all that worried since I had three Protoss opponents and Stephano. Mainly because I had confidence in my TvP.
So does that mean you were going to stick to the basics for your game against Stephano?
In my most recent head to head against Stephano, I lost. But I knew that he doesn’t change up his style of play so I figured I would be able to win as long as I dissected why I lost. It was also doable since it was a bo1.
Your style today was mostly hellion/bio and not the usual mech strategies that you usually do.
I’ve recently fallen into a losing streak with my mech build orders. I think I’ve reverted to my old ways where I can’t win with mech anymore (laughs). Ironically, my practice win ratio for mech was higher than my bio win ratio. My bio win ratio was somewhere around 50%. The build order I used today for TvP was specifically designed for Icarus because of the gold minerals. It was a play style that I had used quite often for Hots. So I transferred it over to WoL and I think it worked out well.
You’ve made it to Code S nine seasons in a row. The NesTea award is right in front of you.
Every time I fall down to Code A or the Up/Downs, luck always seems to follow me. Because of that, I think my chances of getting to Code S for next season is also pretty high. It’s going to be a real honor to receive the NesTea award since not a lot of players have earned it yet.
There is a saying that recipients of the NesTea award always fall down to Code B afterwards. What about you?
The originator of the NesTea award, NesTea hyung, and Mvp hyung are both really solid and consistent players so it is appalling that they fell victim to that jinx. But I still have a sense of pride that I won’t fall down to Code B. Because of that, I am going to be doing even more than my best.
Code S and MLG Winter Championships will both be HotS. Are the preparations coming along well?
Because patches keep coming out little by little I think it’s going to be important that I quickly adapt to the game. I think Terran has gotten so much better for HotS than WoL. I’m having much more fun practicing because the race has become more comfortable.
What do you think will hinder you from securing a spot for Code S for next season?
I have skills for the game somewhat so I think I can make a good result but there’s also KeSPA players and everyone is starting over from scratch so I can’t help but feel like the players who couldn’t make any results in WoL will all of a sudden step it up for HotS. I am most afraid about losing to players in HotS that I could always beat in WoL.
Anything else you would like to say?
There was no one on our team who had secured a Code S spot and so we had four players waiting in line to get there. I was able to luckily advance through first but everyone else that’s still behind me are doing really well in HotS. I really hope to start in Code S along with everyone else for next season. I wish YongHwa the best of luck at IEM since he had to give up his Up/Downs spot for it. I want to thank our sponsors Tt eSports and OCZ. Tt eSports developed a Prime keyboard. I tried it out and I think it’s a good keyboard. I hope a lot of people will take interest in it and use it.
EG.Stephano_RC![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/JpuoUph.jpg)
Source: This Is Game
You secured your Code S spot by advancing out of your group as second. How do you feel?
I am really happy. I didn’t prepare a lot for today’s games because I figured they were going to be easy but the games were more difficult than I had anticipated.
How did you prepare for your group?
I was very pleased with my group because I had three Protosses and one Terran and I didn’t have to play any ZvZs, my weakest match up. My ZvP skills are not what they used to be but it is still the match up that I was the most confident in so I figured that my group was fine.
How was your condition even though your games were scheduled for this morning?
I went to sleep early yesterday cause I knew that my games were scheduled for this morning so my condition was good.
It felt like you weren’t able to perform your best for game one.
I knew that MarineKing was a player who liked to use aggressive strategies. I knew that he likes to go for either a very economic build order or an aggressive all in so I prepared myself for the all in. I tried to attack him before he could pull it off but MarineKing went for an economic build order so I fell in game one.
The Korean commentators stated that you created defensive spine crawlers cause you were anticipating a four gate. Is this correct?
When I scouted him I saw the amount of stalkers he had and I also made sure with my overseer. I noticed that he kept on hindering me from scouting him so I played safely since I was anticipating some kind of four gate all in to come at me.
You had a really back and forth game for game six. When did you know that you had won?
I knew I had won when I took control of his archons with neural parasite and I killed his immortals with them. I also had two spires made so I already had upgrades for brood lords. My opponent went for an all in build so I knew that he wouldn’t be able to have any economic freedom even if he had gone for a quick transition because it was really difficult for Protosses to secure a fifth base on that map.
How are preparations for HotS coming along?
Honestly, I haven’t played a lot of HotS. Since I’m in the last group for IEM and IEM is commencing as HotS, I just plan on studying all the other groups matches ahead of me so I can understand the concept of the game. I am confident in myself because I am good at seeing other players’ talents or strategies and understand that I can do better than them. I think that I can make even better results when I take those strategies I observe and improve them.
What are your future plans?
I plan on attending IEM this week and then I plan on attending MLG after taking a short break at home after IEM. I also plan to attend the HotS launch party that’s being hosted at Blizzard Europe on the 12th.
Anything else you would like to say?
I want to thank the coaching staff and my teammates for taking care of me while I was at the team house. It wasn’t the happiest time of my life but I do appreciate all the care they gave me (laughs). I want to thank the fans who tuned in for the Up/Downs today and for cheering me on. Lastly, I want to thank our sponsors Raid Call, Monster, Hyper X, Razer, Astro, and Intel.
Interview by Khaldor
