ST_Bomber, MVP.Super, LG-IM_YongHwa, SKT_soO

by CosmicSpiral

What is there left to accomplish after winning a world championship? For ST_Bomber, it’s proving that the WCS Season 2 Finals was the beginning of something far greater. The former monkey on his back was put to sleep and he must focus on the next task: turning that championship into a closet of trophies. No doubt Bomber is eager to surpass his teammate Life in that department, so he should approach this group with a hint of caution. None of his three possible opponents are obvious contenders to reach the Round of 8 but all of them can beat Ro8 contenders on the right day. In particular Bomber should be careful to not take his recent TvP success for granted. He was fortunate to face Grubby and First in the WCS Final group stage as both of them have easy weaknesses to exploit: First flops at the sight of SCV all-ins, and Grubby loses to better players. However the two Protosses in this group are very good in the PvT match-up and will have had plenty of time to dissect Bomber’s strategies from WCS and OSL, especially given the release of replays.

Bomber’s first opponent in particular will be a handful to deal with. Despite mediocre results in the GSL, MVP.Super has been an untamable force in team leagues. He was the linchpin of MVP’s success during the first seasons of GSTL and ATC, going a combined 22-8 with wins over the likes of Squirtle, MMA, Hyun, Nerchio, ForGG, Leenock, and Hero. Such results don’t necessarily translate to the GSL but they are usually a harbinger of good things to come; a whole slew of famous players showed good performances in lower leagues before replicating them in premier tournaments. Fortunately for Super, he may get to skip any test of his mediocre PvZ. If he can defeat Bomber (and a 72% PvT winrate suggests it’s highly likely) and meet a Protoss in the winners match, he can move on without ever worrying about whether that 6:00 third base was truly safe in the first place.*

Speaking of promise, we’re still waiting for LG-IM_YongHwa to unleash the dogs of war. Despite once winning WCG Korea and placing well at handful of foreign tournaments, Yonghwa has yet to find that launching pad that makes him the next MC or Rain. Instead he has elected the slow, steady route of tiptoeing his way up the Code A hierarchy. While that rate of progression may indicate steady development that won’t burn out after one season, it must be rather frustrating for fans who were convinced that Yonghwa would rock the scene after that one big break. But instead of frustration, doubt should be the primary attitude towards his chances of advancing. Yonghwa is good enough to beat everyone in his group yet he rarely plays like it these days. Outside of IEM and one spectacular all-kill over Axiom-Acer, Yonghwa has alternated between looking solid and disturbingly weak. One day he makes Trap look totally incompetent in PvP with smooth control and great reads; the next day, he drops a series to Showtime (the Korean one) with very questionable decisions.

SKT_soO remains a headache to rate in terms of overall skill. Stylistically he is no different than your typical pro zerg, which makes it hard to tell whether he excels in any particular aspect. On the other hand he was good enough to make it to the OSL Ro16 last season and missed out on the Ro8 by the slimmest of margins. Just like the great dynasties of gatekeeper Terrans in the past, soO seems doomed to be the perpetual bridesmaid of his select group. Yet his chances may simply boil down to matchups. Starting his first match against a Protoss instead of Bomber is a disastrous proposition considering how bad soO currently looks in the matchup. He has only won 1 out of his last 5 ZvP matches and that victory was against Parting, someone who once reached JYPvT-levels of ineptitude in that department. All his losses share a common theme: soO routinely leaves himself vulnerable to standard MSC + 4 gate pressure off a gateway expand. Whether he is droning too heavily or forgoing roaches for other tech, soO plays for the late game to the expense of his survival. Yonghwa is not exactly a savant in PvZ right now but neither he nor Super need to be a genius in order to exploit this obvious tendency.

Predictions:

Bomber < Super
Yonghwa > soO
Yonghwa < Super
Bomber > soO
Bomber > Yonghwa

Super and Bomber advance.


*Guess the reference, win a prize!

Progamer Pokedex: By Popular Request

by monk


Bomber is Psyduck! Burdened with frequent headaches, Psyduck is often portrayed clumsy, dopey, and unpredictable. Because of this, Psyduck can often indirectly pass on its headaches to both its trainers and its fans. However, when agitated to the point where his headaches are bad enough, he unlocks extreme psychic potential, capable of defeating even the strongest of foes. The problem is that headaches cannot be intentionally inflicted upon Psyduck and they must be organically generated. So the real questions is, will Psyduck's headache activate?


Super is Gligar! Solely because Gligarman exists, a guy who dresses up as a Super Vampire.


Yonghwa is Lapras! Continuing with our theme that IM Protoss are shelled water types, Yonghwa gets the honorable distinction of being Lapras. With all around good and well-rounded stats, Yonghwa is a threat to any opponent. However, his strength comes when he's helping his friends. Always eager to please, Lapras often found lending a friend some help, usually with a ride on his back. But the time has come yet again for Lapras to show off his capable battling prowess, to prove that he's not just a glorified water bicycle.


soO is Pidgeotto! So your Pidgey evolved? Good for you. It's now actually kinda useful and quite capable in all aspects for the mid portions of the game. But are you really going to see him on a champion team ready to take on the elite four?