EPT![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/GSL/July11/genericheader.jpg)
GSL July Preview
by b_unnies, Fionn, and Waxangel
by b_unnies, Fionn, and Waxangel
Table of contents
brought to you by Snorlax
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GSL July on Liquipedia
Code-S Preview
Code-S Not-Power Rankings
Code-A Preview:
Progamers Pitch In
Our Deepest Thanks to GomTV
brought to you by Snorlax
GSL July on LiquipediaCode-S Preview
Code-S Not-Power Rankings
Code-A Preview:
Progamers Pitch In
Our Deepest Thanks to GomTV
It might have been a rough learning process, with one too many things learned by trial and error, but we can say for sure that GomTV has made an amazing amount of progress as we reach the halfway mark in their first yearlong tour.
The Code-S/A sifting mechanism, for all its faults, has more or less fulfilled its goal of keeping the very best players in the first division. Team League, after being toyed with as a series of one week tournaments, is finally the long lasting competition it deserves to be. And for all the costs and difficulties in involved, they are trying hard to make the 'G' truly stand for Global.
Even better things surely lie ahead, as we enter into the second half of the season.
The Code-S/A sifting mechanism, for all its faults, has more or less fulfilled its goal of keeping the very best players in the first division. Team League, after being toyed with as a series of one week tournaments, is finally the long lasting competition it deserves to be. And for all the costs and difficulties in involved, they are trying hard to make the 'G' truly stand for Global.
Even better things surely lie ahead, as we enter into the second half of the season.
![[image loading]](/staff/Hydro/GSL/CodeSPreviewandPredictionsHy.png)
by Fionn
Here we go again, Team Liquid. The Super Tournament is done and we're already ready to start GSL July. Thirty one players are ready for their chance at glory, and I know that all of you are excited to see your favorites duke it out. I would also like to welcome back all of you people who stopped watching the Super Tournament after it became GOMTvT and ask you not to leave us ever again.
There are many questions going into this season: Will MarineKing ever win a championship? Can MC make it past the first round? Will MVP and Nestea wear those mustard yellow McDonald uniforms? Can Polt prove that he is worthy of being called Optimus? Who will step up and who will choke? Will any super rookies walk the path of the Royal Road and win a title in their first Code S?
All of these questions and more will be answered in the next month, and we can only wonder what kind of new story lines this tournament will bring. Let's start by going through each group and having I, Fionn, your wonderful guide, make terrible predictions.
But hey, I did pick Polt to win the GSL, so maybe I'm on a hot streak of my own.
+ Show Spoiler +
Looking at this group, the first thing you notice is that The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is struck out from the group listing. Why is that, you might ask? That is because The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forfeited his spot in the tournament and is now looking for a new team to join after leaving TSL. Instead of having someone like MMA (who won MLG and made the Super Tournament Final) or DongRaeGu (won LG Cinema's Special League Final against sC) get the spot instead, it will be left vacant as a free victory for anyone who is paired against him in the group.
Seeing as he forfeited his spot in the tournament, gave us two less matches to enjoy, and wasted one of the most coveted things in progaming, I've decided to refer to this player as The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for the foreseeable future. Since Nestea gets to play The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in his first match, he gets an automatic win and will go 1-0 in his group to start out.
Then you have July and Tester in the second match. July, coming off a respectable 4th place finish at Dreamhack Summer, will be looking to win the tournament with which he shares a name. It wouldn't be any fun if July got eliminated on the first day of GSL July, would it? I think not.
Tester has a pretty good PvZ record at 75.00%, but I can't pick against July. This is his tournament. In BW, all three of his OSL victories came in tournaments that started in July. I can see him going really deep in this tournament. July will beat Tester and go 1-0 up in his group.
July's ZvZ is terrible, and Nestea's ZvZ is best in the world. Even with the tournament being GSL July, I don't see that being enough to beat the God of Zerg. Nestea will leave the group with a 2-0 record and waltz into the Round of 16.
Tester will then face The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but since he won't be there, Tester will get a free victory and go on to face July to see who makes it out of the group in the 2nd slot. I really like Tester and think he's a great player, but he lost to TheBest last tournament (you knew I was going to bring TheBest up some point this article) and that still hasn't left me. You also have to add in that he just left TSL, so how much is he really practicing? July will beat him for the second time in a day and get out of the group as well.
Seeing as he forfeited his spot in the tournament, gave us two less matches to enjoy, and wasted one of the most coveted things in progaming, I've decided to refer to this player as The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for the foreseeable future. Since Nestea gets to play The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in his first match, he gets an automatic win and will go 1-0 in his group to start out.
Then you have July and Tester in the second match. July, coming off a respectable 4th place finish at Dreamhack Summer, will be looking to win the tournament with which he shares a name. It wouldn't be any fun if July got eliminated on the first day of GSL July, would it? I think not.
Tester has a pretty good PvZ record at 75.00%, but I can't pick against July. This is his tournament. In BW, all three of his OSL victories came in tournaments that started in July. I can see him going really deep in this tournament. July will beat Tester and go 1-0 up in his group.
July's ZvZ is terrible, and Nestea's ZvZ is best in the world. Even with the tournament being GSL July, I don't see that being enough to beat the God of Zerg. Nestea will leave the group with a 2-0 record and waltz into the Round of 16.
Tester will then face The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but since he won't be there, Tester will get a free victory and go on to face July to see who makes it out of the group in the 2nd slot. I really like Tester and think he's a great player, but he lost to TheBest last tournament (you knew I was going to bring TheBest up some point this article) and that still hasn't left me. You also have to add in that he just left TSL, so how much is he really practicing? July will beat him for the second time in a day and get out of the group as well.
Group A Predictions
Nestea: 2-0
July: 2-1
Tester: 1-2
The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named: 0-2
Nestea: 2-0
July: 2-1
Tester: 1-2
The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named: 0-2
+ Show Spoiler +
This group has four solid players, but no one that pops out at you as someone who can win the tournament. Yes, Clide is always a favorite in Artosis' heart to win, but he still hasn't made it to the semifinals of the GSL. He's always good or advancing out of the group stages or first round, but he never gets further than that usually. Will this be his chance? To avoid meeting Nestea in the Ro16, Clide needs to advance in first. This group boils down to one thing: Get first place or you're going to have to play Nestea in the second round.
The first match will be anypro, the guy who looks like Homer Simpson, against our hero Clide. Clide has a below 50% record against protoss, but anypro also has a below 50% record against terran. Why did anypro pick Clide again? Anypro was really disappointing last tournament, getting knocked out in the first round by Jookto, so I don't have much faith in him against Clide in this match. Clide will win the first match and start the group going 1-0.
Violet versus Ensnare? Violet has a 1-4 record against terran while Ensnare has a 11-7 record against zerg, but we can't forget that Ensnare was a part of the worst series in GSL history, against Revival in the Super Tournament. Ensnare played so bad that series, that I believe he can't play any worse, so I'll trust him one last time. I predict he'll beat Violet and go on to face Clide in the Winners Final.
Clide's best match-up statistically is TvT, and Ensnare has a below 50% win rate in TvT. Clide also didn't participate in the worst game in the history of GSL, so I'm going to give him the win here as well. You can only believe in three things when watching a GSL tournament: Artosis will get nerd chills, Tasteless will make impromptu sex jokes, and Clide will make it out of the first round with a strong showing.
Violet and Anypro will be in the Loser's Round, with the loser having to go to the Up-and-Down matches to see who falls into Code A. Neither have amazing records in PvZ/ZvP, so it really is a toss-up. Anypro hasn't looked sharp, so I think he'll fall to the guy who has DongRaeGu to learn from. Homer Simpson will go 'D'oh!' and fall to the Up-and-Downs.
For the second seed in Group B, I believe it'll be a rematch between Violet and Ensnare. I picked Ensnare once over Violet, but I can't do it again. Ensnare's match with Revival has soured me on him, and he'll need to win my trust back this tournament. Also Violet is one of my favorite players in Brood War, so I have to go with the player with the same name as him.
The first match will be anypro, the guy who looks like Homer Simpson, against our hero Clide. Clide has a below 50% record against protoss, but anypro also has a below 50% record against terran. Why did anypro pick Clide again? Anypro was really disappointing last tournament, getting knocked out in the first round by Jookto, so I don't have much faith in him against Clide in this match. Clide will win the first match and start the group going 1-0.
Violet versus Ensnare? Violet has a 1-4 record against terran while Ensnare has a 11-7 record against zerg, but we can't forget that Ensnare was a part of the worst series in GSL history, against Revival in the Super Tournament. Ensnare played so bad that series, that I believe he can't play any worse, so I'll trust him one last time. I predict he'll beat Violet and go on to face Clide in the Winners Final.
Clide's best match-up statistically is TvT, and Ensnare has a below 50% win rate in TvT. Clide also didn't participate in the worst game in the history of GSL, so I'm going to give him the win here as well. You can only believe in three things when watching a GSL tournament: Artosis will get nerd chills, Tasteless will make impromptu sex jokes, and Clide will make it out of the first round with a strong showing.
Violet and Anypro will be in the Loser's Round, with the loser having to go to the Up-and-Down matches to see who falls into Code A. Neither have amazing records in PvZ/ZvP, so it really is a toss-up. Anypro hasn't looked sharp, so I think he'll fall to the guy who has DongRaeGu to learn from. Homer Simpson will go 'D'oh!' and fall to the Up-and-Downs.
For the second seed in Group B, I believe it'll be a rematch between Violet and Ensnare. I picked Ensnare once over Violet, but I can't do it again. Ensnare's match with Revival has soured me on him, and he'll need to win my trust back this tournament. Also Violet is one of my favorite players in Brood War, so I have to go with the player with the same name as him.
Group B Predictions
Clide: 2-0
Violet: 2-1
Ensnare: 1-2
anypro: 0-2
Clide: 2-0
Violet: 2-1
Ensnare: 1-2
anypro: 0-2
+ Show Spoiler +
We've waited for so long to see FruitDealer make his comeback, and I think this might be the tournament where he makes a run. His first match, against Super Tournament semifinalist TOP, will be tough, but his best match-up is against terran. TOP did beat Nestea last season, but you also can't forget he almost lost to Line, a guy who's still in Code A, in the quarterfinals. Let's go with the mini-upset and say FruitDealer takes the first game and goes 1-0 to start out with.
Next up, we have Virus and Genius. Neither have been having great results lately, but we all know how good Genius can be when he's on his game; but when he's off, he's really off and can get beat down by anyone. It's really tricky when picking Genius matches. He can either do really well or he can make you feel like an idiot for picking him to win. Neither Genius or Virus have a good record in TvP/PvT, so it's not that easy to choose. Just like Ensnare, Genius needs to win my trust back this tournament, so I'm going with Virus in this one.
In the Winner's Final, we would see FruitDealer versus Virus. This would be the best match for FruitDealer, seeing as he's great at ZvT while Virus is 4-5 all-time against zerg. If FruitDealer can beat TOP, he will take down Virus as well and leave the group with a 2-0 record. He's shown flashes of brilliance the past few tournaments, and I'm really hoping the Dealer of Fruit can show us more this tournament as well. Please don't make me sad by losing, FruitDealer. I believe in you!
Believe in him, TeamLiquid! He can do it! With him leaving TSL, this could be the last time we see him in the GSL since he wants to compete in more foreign tournaments, so let's hope for one last run.
In the Losers Round, we would get TOP and Genius. I really like Genius, but TOP would be my choice in this game. I can't see TOP, the semifinalist of the Super Tournament, getting knocked into Up-and-Down matches so soon. Genius hasn't been at his best lately, so I think he'll be the one falling into the battle to stay in Code S.
Finally, TOP versus Virus, it would be a no-brainer for me. TOP still has some of the nastiest TvT in the world and Virus is just average at the match-up. TOP will roll Virus and get second in the group right behind FruitDealer.
Next up, we have Virus and Genius. Neither have been having great results lately, but we all know how good Genius can be when he's on his game; but when he's off, he's really off and can get beat down by anyone. It's really tricky when picking Genius matches. He can either do really well or he can make you feel like an idiot for picking him to win. Neither Genius or Virus have a good record in TvP/PvT, so it's not that easy to choose. Just like Ensnare, Genius needs to win my trust back this tournament, so I'm going with Virus in this one.
In the Winner's Final, we would see FruitDealer versus Virus. This would be the best match for FruitDealer, seeing as he's great at ZvT while Virus is 4-5 all-time against zerg. If FruitDealer can beat TOP, he will take down Virus as well and leave the group with a 2-0 record. He's shown flashes of brilliance the past few tournaments, and I'm really hoping the Dealer of Fruit can show us more this tournament as well. Please don't make me sad by losing, FruitDealer. I believe in you!
Believe in him, TeamLiquid! He can do it! With him leaving TSL, this could be the last time we see him in the GSL since he wants to compete in more foreign tournaments, so let's hope for one last run.
In the Losers Round, we would get TOP and Genius. I really like Genius, but TOP would be my choice in this game. I can't see TOP, the semifinalist of the Super Tournament, getting knocked into Up-and-Down matches so soon. Genius hasn't been at his best lately, so I think he'll be the one falling into the battle to stay in Code S.
Finally, TOP versus Virus, it would be a no-brainer for me. TOP still has some of the nastiest TvT in the world and Virus is just average at the match-up. TOP will roll Virus and get second in the group right behind FruitDealer.
Group C Predictions
FruitDealer: 2-0
TOP: 2-1
Virus: 1-2
Genius: 0-2
FruitDealer: 2-0
TOP: 2-1
Virus: 1-2
Genius: 0-2
+ Show Spoiler +
One of Alicia, MarineKing and Losira will not be making it to the next round. Wow, this group is going to be hard. Of course there is also Coca, but no one actually thinks of him when they see this group. If he does make it out, though, he deserves a medal and a bodyguard for all the fanboys who will be flaming him for knocking out one of their favorite players.
In the first game, we have Losira against MarineKing. I have to ask, why did Losira pick MarineKing? Losira's worst match-up, by far, is ZvT. He's 13-21 in that match-up and that doesn't even count his 4-1 loss to MMA at MLG Columbus. On the other side, MarineKing comes in with a 24-11 record against zerg and has one of the best TvZ's in the entire world. Oh, and you can't forget that Polt, one of MarineKing's best friends, beat Losira last tournament and will be helping him for this game.
It wouldn't be a miracle for Losira to beat MarineKing, but I don't see it happening. MarineKing will want this tournament even more after Polt won the last one, and I don't think Losira has the ZvT to combat him. Maybe Losira lost a bet to Nestea and was forced to pick him? If he wanted a challenge, he's going to get it. Either way, it's going to be a great game.
Alicia vs. Coca. Coca actually is 4-1 versus protoss, but I can't give him the edge against Alicia. Coca is a really good player, but he's never been in Code S before and is in for a rude awakening playing against these three players. Again, wouldn't be overly shocked if Coca beat Alicia, but Alicia is the favorite in this game.
Winners Final would pit MarineKing against Alicia in a great match-up. MarineKing has lost to Alicia before in a Code S group, but MarineKing has improved his TvP since that game. He destroyed Ace and Squirtle in the Super Tournament and will be better than the last time they faced off. This is really a toss-up for me, and could go either way, but again, I have to go to the Polt Factor.
Last tournament, Alicia got demolished by Polt. Yes, Alicia was extremely nervous in that game, but MarineKing will get help from Polt for this match. He will know how Alicia plays and will be able to play against Alicia's aggressive style. I'm going with MarineKing in this one. His face after Polt won the Super Tournament told me that he isn't happy being second any longer and won't leave this tournament without a gold medal.
In the Losers Round, Coca would face Losira. Losira is absolutely amazing in ZvZ and has Nestea as a mentor. Coca is 0-3 all-time in ZvZ and doesn't have Nestea as a mentor. That's all I have to say. Losira moves on and Coca drops out into the Up-and-Down matches.
Finally, we would get Losira and Alicia. These two faced off in the last regular GSL tournament and Losira beat him twice. You can't count Alicia out, though, having beaten Losira and Nestea in the second GSTL when Slayers and Incredible Miracle played in the final. These two are very close in skill, and I have a really hard time picking the winner.
In the end, I'll have to give it to Losira. His wins against Alicia are more recent, and I think he's ready for anything after picking MarineKing with his first selection. He also has Nestea and MVP helping him the whole way, so his training partners couldn't be any better. I really wish MarineKing, Alicia and Losira could all advance, but that isn't possible. Oh well, at least we'll get some great matches from this group!
In the first game, we have Losira against MarineKing. I have to ask, why did Losira pick MarineKing? Losira's worst match-up, by far, is ZvT. He's 13-21 in that match-up and that doesn't even count his 4-1 loss to MMA at MLG Columbus. On the other side, MarineKing comes in with a 24-11 record against zerg and has one of the best TvZ's in the entire world. Oh, and you can't forget that Polt, one of MarineKing's best friends, beat Losira last tournament and will be helping him for this game.
It wouldn't be a miracle for Losira to beat MarineKing, but I don't see it happening. MarineKing will want this tournament even more after Polt won the last one, and I don't think Losira has the ZvT to combat him. Maybe Losira lost a bet to Nestea and was forced to pick him? If he wanted a challenge, he's going to get it. Either way, it's going to be a great game.
Alicia vs. Coca. Coca actually is 4-1 versus protoss, but I can't give him the edge against Alicia. Coca is a really good player, but he's never been in Code S before and is in for a rude awakening playing against these three players. Again, wouldn't be overly shocked if Coca beat Alicia, but Alicia is the favorite in this game.
Winners Final would pit MarineKing against Alicia in a great match-up. MarineKing has lost to Alicia before in a Code S group, but MarineKing has improved his TvP since that game. He destroyed Ace and Squirtle in the Super Tournament and will be better than the last time they faced off. This is really a toss-up for me, and could go either way, but again, I have to go to the Polt Factor.
Last tournament, Alicia got demolished by Polt. Yes, Alicia was extremely nervous in that game, but MarineKing will get help from Polt for this match. He will know how Alicia plays and will be able to play against Alicia's aggressive style. I'm going with MarineKing in this one. His face after Polt won the Super Tournament told me that he isn't happy being second any longer and won't leave this tournament without a gold medal.
In the Losers Round, Coca would face Losira. Losira is absolutely amazing in ZvZ and has Nestea as a mentor. Coca is 0-3 all-time in ZvZ and doesn't have Nestea as a mentor. That's all I have to say. Losira moves on and Coca drops out into the Up-and-Down matches.
Finally, we would get Losira and Alicia. These two faced off in the last regular GSL tournament and Losira beat him twice. You can't count Alicia out, though, having beaten Losira and Nestea in the second GSTL when Slayers and Incredible Miracle played in the final. These two are very close in skill, and I have a really hard time picking the winner.
In the end, I'll have to give it to Losira. His wins against Alicia are more recent, and I think he's ready for anything after picking MarineKing with his first selection. He also has Nestea and MVP helping him the whole way, so his training partners couldn't be any better. I really wish MarineKing, Alicia and Losira could all advance, but that isn't possible. Oh well, at least we'll get some great matches from this group!
Group D Predictions
MarineKing: 2-0
Losira: 2-1
Alicia: 1-2
Coca: 0-2
MarineKing: 2-0
Losira: 2-1
Alicia: 1-2
Coca: 0-2
+ Show Spoiler +
Following the trend of seeded players going crazy and picking great players to face in their group, sC has to go against MVP in the first match of Group E. Both players are usually great at TvT, but they're both coming off bad TvT losses in the Super Tournament. MVP lost 2-1 to Ganzi and SC lost 2-0 to Maka. Both of those losses occurred in the second round as well. Wow, these two have a lot in common!
MVP hasn't had a deep tournament run in a while, and sC's TvT versus Maka was worse than MVP's TvT against Ganzi, so I'm going to go with MVP in this game. MVP is like a roller coaster and this is a tournament where it feels like he'll be going up instead of down. sC does get props for being ballsy and taking on MVP in his first game of the tournament, though.
In the second game of the group, you have Zenio and Byun. Zenio's worst match-up is against terran. Guess what the whole group is except for him? Terran! This really sucks for Zenio and it's even worse because Byun, to the surprise of many, is actually really good against zerg. Zenio could pull off the win, but I'm going to go with Byun in this one; he's a really solid player and has a 64% win rate against zerg.
With that, the Winners Final would be MVP versus Byun. MVP is amazing at TvT and Byun is bad at TvT. Even at the selections of the Code S groups, Byun was distraught after seeing he was put in a group with two tough terrans. If Byun isn't showing confidence in this group against MVP and sC, neither will I. MVP will show us why he's a two time champion and get into the second round without a loss.
In the Losers Round, we would get Angry Zenio vs sC. sC has shown two straight great TvZ series against DongRaeGu and Nestea. Angry Zenio will more than likely lose here as well if he doesn't turn around his ZvT by the time these matches come around. Right now, I would have to give the edge to sC. Zenio is a really good player, but his ZvT needs to improve leaps and bounds to survive this group. I don't think it'll be enough and sC will knock him to the Up-and-Down matches.
Finally, Sad Byun will take on sC.sC has great TvT and Byun has below average TvT. sC's aggressive style will be too much for Byun, and sC will leave the group in the second position while Byun is eliminated from GSL July with a 1-2 record.
MVP hasn't had a deep tournament run in a while, and sC's TvT versus Maka was worse than MVP's TvT against Ganzi, so I'm going to go with MVP in this game. MVP is like a roller coaster and this is a tournament where it feels like he'll be going up instead of down. sC does get props for being ballsy and taking on MVP in his first game of the tournament, though.
In the second game of the group, you have Zenio and Byun. Zenio's worst match-up is against terran. Guess what the whole group is except for him? Terran! This really sucks for Zenio and it's even worse because Byun, to the surprise of many, is actually really good against zerg. Zenio could pull off the win, but I'm going to go with Byun in this one; he's a really solid player and has a 64% win rate against zerg.
With that, the Winners Final would be MVP versus Byun. MVP is amazing at TvT and Byun is bad at TvT. Even at the selections of the Code S groups, Byun was distraught after seeing he was put in a group with two tough terrans. If Byun isn't showing confidence in this group against MVP and sC, neither will I. MVP will show us why he's a two time champion and get into the second round without a loss.
In the Losers Round, we would get Angry Zenio vs sC. sC has shown two straight great TvZ series against DongRaeGu and Nestea. Angry Zenio will more than likely lose here as well if he doesn't turn around his ZvT by the time these matches come around. Right now, I would have to give the edge to sC. Zenio is a really good player, but his ZvT needs to improve leaps and bounds to survive this group. I don't think it'll be enough and sC will knock him to the Up-and-Down matches.
Finally, Sad Byun will take on sC.sC has great TvT and Byun has below average TvT. sC's aggressive style will be too much for Byun, and sC will leave the group in the second position while Byun is eliminated from GSL July with a 1-2 record.
Group E Predictions
MVP: 2-0
SC: 2-1
Byun: 1-2
Zenio: 0-2
MVP: 2-0
SC: 2-1
Byun: 1-2
Zenio: 0-2
+ Show Spoiler +
HongUn was at the Code S Selection Show with a book, ignoring most of the stuff going on and reading instead. He said that he saw Huk doing it at the selections before this one and thought it was a good idea. When it was Keen's turn to pick, he picked HongUn and said that if the two of them faced off, Keen would bring a book and do a ceremony with it after he beat him.
Now, onto the first match, we have the old guard versus the new. Nada, the man with the body of steel, against Keen, FireBatHero's Apprentice. Keen showed great TvT in the Super Tournament against The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but I don't think it'll be enough to beat the Tornado Terran. Nada is 8-1 in his last nine TvT's and I think it'll become 9-1 after this game. Expect a really good contest, but Nada will pull it out in the end.
SuperNova is amazing at TvP, with a record of 8-2, and HongUn isn't all that amazing in the match-up. He isn't bad by any means, but his blink stalker strategy has become too predictable and been exposed in the last few tournaments. HongUn will probably have some tricks up his sleeve, but I think SuperNova will take it pretty easily. This would also set up HongUn vs. Keen, so it has to happen.
In the Losers Round, you get the battle that Keen said he wanted at the group selections. While I think Keen, at the age of sixteen, is on his way up, I think HongUn, a mainstay in the GSL, is on his way down. HongUn has become too predictable with his strategies and will need to change it up to stay in the GSL. Keen has shown some great games in last month against Rain and MVP, and I think the trend will continue. I really hope for HongUn's sake that he is reading some books on how to beat terran in the next week before this group. If not, he's out and going to have to survive the Up-and-Down matches.
Nada is great at TvT and SuperNova is below average, and the last time we saw these two face, Nada showed he's superior in dominating fashion. Nada will continue to show he is the superior terran on oGs by beating SuperNova and leaving the group with a 2-0 record.
For the match to see who moves on in the second spot, we would see Keen vs. SuperNova. TvT is SuperNova's worst match-up, and Keen has shown that he knows how to play TvT really well. The only recent losses he has in the match-up were against MVP in the semifinals of Code A, so you really can't hold that against him. The guy is really young and will only get better, so I believe Commander Keen will get out of the group with a 2-1 record and a book under his arm.
Now, onto the first match, we have the old guard versus the new. Nada, the man with the body of steel, against Keen, FireBatHero's Apprentice. Keen showed great TvT in the Super Tournament against The-Player-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but I don't think it'll be enough to beat the Tornado Terran. Nada is 8-1 in his last nine TvT's and I think it'll become 9-1 after this game. Expect a really good contest, but Nada will pull it out in the end.
SuperNova is amazing at TvP, with a record of 8-2, and HongUn isn't all that amazing in the match-up. He isn't bad by any means, but his blink stalker strategy has become too predictable and been exposed in the last few tournaments. HongUn will probably have some tricks up his sleeve, but I think SuperNova will take it pretty easily. This would also set up HongUn vs. Keen, so it has to happen.
In the Losers Round, you get the battle that Keen said he wanted at the group selections. While I think Keen, at the age of sixteen, is on his way up, I think HongUn, a mainstay in the GSL, is on his way down. HongUn has become too predictable with his strategies and will need to change it up to stay in the GSL. Keen has shown some great games in last month against Rain and MVP, and I think the trend will continue. I really hope for HongUn's sake that he is reading some books on how to beat terran in the next week before this group. If not, he's out and going to have to survive the Up-and-Down matches.
Nada is great at TvT and SuperNova is below average, and the last time we saw these two face, Nada showed he's superior in dominating fashion. Nada will continue to show he is the superior terran on oGs by beating SuperNova and leaving the group with a 2-0 record.
For the match to see who moves on in the second spot, we would see Keen vs. SuperNova. TvT is SuperNova's worst match-up, and Keen has shown that he knows how to play TvT really well. The only recent losses he has in the match-up were against MVP in the semifinals of Code A, so you really can't hold that against him. The guy is really young and will only get better, so I believe Commander Keen will get out of the group with a 2-1 record and a book under his arm.
Group F Predictions
Nada: 2-0
Keen: 2-1
SuperNova: 1-2
HongUn: 0-2
Nada: 2-0
Keen: 2-1
SuperNova: 1-2
HongUn: 0-2
+ Show Spoiler +
Killer picked Polt. Why? Why would you do this, Killer? I know you said that you're a manly man and that picking the guy who has a perfect TvP record would make you look cool, but come on! Polt just won the Super Tournament in dominating fashion; especially against protoss, where he decimated Huk 2-0 and pulverized Alicia 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Killer isn't even that great against terran, with a below .500 record of 13 wins and 16 losses. Polt dared a protoss to pick him and Killer was man enough to do it, but I have to go with the defending champion in this one in his best match-up.
Alive against Huk. Huk is coming off a big win at Dreamhack Summer, beating the likes of July and Moon. Alive, on the other hand, boasts a 75% win rate against protoss and has gone 11-1 in his past twelve against toss. Don't fear though, Huk fans, most of those wins weren't in the GSL and none of those people Alive beat are in Code S. For that reason, I think Huk has a great chance to beat Alive. It'll be a tough game, but Huk hasn't played any better than his current form, and he's also the one who kept MMA down in Code A for this season. Riding a big title victory at Dreamhack, if Huk isn't too over-confident after huge accomplishment, he'll win this game.
In the Winners Final, we would get a rematch of last season with Polt and Huk. I love Huk, but Polt is a monster in the match-up. Huk has lots of strategies that he could pull off against Polt, but I think Optimus will know how to handle him. Hopefully Huk can keep it close or pull off the big upset, but I'm going with the Super Tournament champion on this one as well.
Killer versus Alive is a hard one to predict. Neither have shown amazing results lately, but they're both really solid. If I'm forced to pick one, I'll have to go with Killer. He's shown major confidence by picking Polt, so I think he'll be showing his best when this group rolls around. Wouldn't be surprised if Alive made it out of this group, but I think he'll be the one going down to the Up-and-Down matches.
This would leave us with Huk agianst Killer. PvP. Oh man, Huk's worst match-up! Luckily for Huk, Killer also hasn't shown that great of PvP, going 1-4 all-time in Korea with his only win coming against Ace in the first GSTL. In the end, I have to go with Huk. He's on fire at the second, and I think that win at DreamHack will help his GSL performance big time.
Alive against Huk. Huk is coming off a big win at Dreamhack Summer, beating the likes of July and Moon. Alive, on the other hand, boasts a 75% win rate against protoss and has gone 11-1 in his past twelve against toss. Don't fear though, Huk fans, most of those wins weren't in the GSL and none of those people Alive beat are in Code S. For that reason, I think Huk has a great chance to beat Alive. It'll be a tough game, but Huk hasn't played any better than his current form, and he's also the one who kept MMA down in Code A for this season. Riding a big title victory at Dreamhack, if Huk isn't too over-confident after huge accomplishment, he'll win this game.
In the Winners Final, we would get a rematch of last season with Polt and Huk. I love Huk, but Polt is a monster in the match-up. Huk has lots of strategies that he could pull off against Polt, but I think Optimus will know how to handle him. Hopefully Huk can keep it close or pull off the big upset, but I'm going with the Super Tournament champion on this one as well.
Killer versus Alive is a hard one to predict. Neither have shown amazing results lately, but they're both really solid. If I'm forced to pick one, I'll have to go with Killer. He's shown major confidence by picking Polt, so I think he'll be showing his best when this group rolls around. Wouldn't be surprised if Alive made it out of this group, but I think he'll be the one going down to the Up-and-Down matches.
This would leave us with Huk agianst Killer. PvP. Oh man, Huk's worst match-up! Luckily for Huk, Killer also hasn't shown that great of PvP, going 1-4 all-time in Korea with his only win coming against Ace in the first GSTL. In the end, I have to go with Huk. He's on fire at the second, and I think that win at DreamHack will help his GSL performance big time.
Group G Predictions
Polt: 2-0
Huk: 2-1
Killer: 1-2
Alive: 0-2
Polt: 2-0
Huk: 2-1
Killer: 1-2
Alive: 0-2
+ Show Spoiler +
Holy crap! We get to see Kyrix versus Inca in this group! AREN'T YOU EXCITED!? This could be the greatest match ever in GSL history! I am so excited! Inca is 0-8 all time against zerg! How could any match be more exciting than this one!? When these two titans, Inca and Kyrix meet, the world will shake at the power these two play with! Kyrix has a good PvZ record of 10-7, and since Inca has never won against a zerg ever in the history of the world, I'll go with The Mighty Kyrix in this one.
Oh, and we get Bomber versus MC. Yeah, these two are pretty okay, I guess. That MC guy won, what, two titles? Heh, he's not as amazing as Kyrix, but he's decent. Bomber? Yeah, I've heard of him. He won Code A by beating MVP in a best-of-seven, but so what? It's not like he's as amazing as Inca with his 0-8 record against zerg. Give me a break, you're telling me that this match is the one people are excited for? No way! Kyrix and Inca will be fifty times better! I guess I'll go with Bomber, seeing as he just beat MC at DreamHack, but I don't understand why you guys are so pumped for it. It's not like these two have the name power that Kyrix and Inca have.
Kyrix vs. Bomber in the Winners Final. The Mighty Kyrix is very mighty, but I have to go with Bomber in this one. After a grueling three hour game against Inca, The Mighty Kyrix won't have enough power to take on Bomber. He will lose, but it's not his fault. He'll be too worn out from his war against the Incredible Inca. Take your fluke win, Bomber. There's no way you could beat The Mighty Kyrix if he didn't have to go through Inca first.
In the match to send someone to the Up-and-Down matches, it would be MC and Inca. Inca is amazing at PvP, but he'll be too tired after his three hour game against The Mighty Kyrix and lose to the Boss Toss.
In the last match of the group stages, if everything goes as planned, it would be MC and The Mighty Kyrix. By this point, all the power Kyrix had flowing through his body would be gone after playing two grueling games, so MC would roll over him. The Mighty Kyrix will give it all he has and probably faint in the booth after using his remaining strength to defend MC's micro, but it won't be enough in the end. MC will win and move on, but we will only remember how glorious The Mighty Kyrix was in his battle against The Incredible Inca.
Oh, and we get Bomber versus MC. Yeah, these two are pretty okay, I guess. That MC guy won, what, two titles? Heh, he's not as amazing as Kyrix, but he's decent. Bomber? Yeah, I've heard of him. He won Code A by beating MVP in a best-of-seven, but so what? It's not like he's as amazing as Inca with his 0-8 record against zerg. Give me a break, you're telling me that this match is the one people are excited for? No way! Kyrix and Inca will be fifty times better! I guess I'll go with Bomber, seeing as he just beat MC at DreamHack, but I don't understand why you guys are so pumped for it. It's not like these two have the name power that Kyrix and Inca have.
Kyrix vs. Bomber in the Winners Final. The Mighty Kyrix is very mighty, but I have to go with Bomber in this one. After a grueling three hour game against Inca, The Mighty Kyrix won't have enough power to take on Bomber. He will lose, but it's not his fault. He'll be too worn out from his war against the Incredible Inca. Take your fluke win, Bomber. There's no way you could beat The Mighty Kyrix if he didn't have to go through Inca first.
In the match to send someone to the Up-and-Down matches, it would be MC and Inca. Inca is amazing at PvP, but he'll be too tired after his three hour game against The Mighty Kyrix and lose to the Boss Toss.
In the last match of the group stages, if everything goes as planned, it would be MC and The Mighty Kyrix. By this point, all the power Kyrix had flowing through his body would be gone after playing two grueling games, so MC would roll over him. The Mighty Kyrix will give it all he has and probably faint in the booth after using his remaining strength to defend MC's micro, but it won't be enough in the end. MC will win and move on, but we will only remember how glorious The Mighty Kyrix was in his battle against The Incredible Inca.
Group H Predictions
Bomber: 2-0
MC: 2-1
The Mighty Kyrix: 1-2
Inca: 0-2
Bomber: 2-0
MC: 2-1
The Mighty Kyrix: 1-2
Inca: 0-2
So those are my predictions and I'm sticking with them. I know that you guys have your own predictions on what's going to happen, so tell me what you think! Who do you think will get out of the Group of Death between MarineKing, Alicia and Losira? Do you think FruitDealer can make a career comeback? Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, Bomber vs. MC could be better than Kyrix vs. Inca? Let me know and get pumped for the action you're about to witness in the GSL!
![[image loading]](/staff/Hydro/GSL/backtotophydrofinal.png)
Fionn's next project is to write something under 1000 words
![[image loading]](/staff/Hydro/GSL/PartiallyAnnotatedCodeSRanki.png)
by b_unnies, Fionn, and Waxangel
We thought that it would be fun to rank all of the players in Code-S based on some totally arbitrary and completely undefined criteria. After creating three separate lists, we combined them into one final list. This is all in good fun, so please don't take the rankings too seriously!
Take a good look, you might not see them again.
31.
EnsnareI'm sorry Ensnare, but we are the sort of people who hold grudges. For participating in the worst game of the Super Tournament, we award you last place. On a related note, TheBest is auto-locked into last place for the next three seasons (should he qualify for Code-S).
30 .
CoCa29.
KyrixWith his coaching duties catching up to him, oGsTheWind has finally dropped out of GSL's top division. Now, the mantle of “clinging to Code-S like his life depends on it” passes on to Kyrix! Congratulations Kyrix, on your sixth consecutive Code-S season with a very narrow chance of winning.
28.
VirusClinging to the Code-S bottleneck
27.
Violet26.
HongUn25.
anyproKyrix evolved. These two have a deathgrip on their Code-S spots, and even make semi-deep runs now and then. But even then, we can't help but be unimpressed by the overall quality of their play. They have figured something out about Code-S that allows them to finish above what their skill would project, but we have little past credit to give them when they finish low. After early round knock-outs in the past two GSL tournaments, we felt comfortable dropping them to the lower ranks.
24.
KeenThe first player on the list that's going to make people say "wait, he's way better than that!" That's true; from what we've been able to see, he's probably a more skilled player than some of the guys above him.
But here's where we reiterate: This isn't an ordered list of players who I would have play for me in a Bo5 series if my life depended on it. It's a weirder list, complicated with stuff like past performance considerations, Code-S appearances, and all sorts of other things besides "skill."
I hope you guys enjoy Inca's ranking.
23.
ByunThe indolent quagmire of suffocating mediocrity
22.
aLive21.
Genius20.
FruitDealer19.
TricksterThese three got huge head starts in the SC II scene, but people have just about caught now. However, they're not being completely blown by... yet. Unless they put in a huge amount of work, this will probably be their last season of relevance before everyone else ends up miles ahead. Genius seems to be willing to keep trying, even joining the MVP team earlier this year after finding that playing from home wasn't cutting it.
On the other hand, FruitDealer and Trickster seem determined to walk the path of decline in the GSL by leaving the practice environment of the TSL team, though maybe it reflects their desires to focus on other pursuits in life.
18.
HuKIn our initial rankings before the dual DreamHack and HSC3 wins, we had him as low as the mid 20's, so obviously a boost was in order. Still, until he shows us he can progress in Code-S, he stays mired in the swamp.
17.
SuperNoVa16.
Zenio15.
Killer14.
ClideConsistently finishing mid-table in the GSL, and yet they never seem to be realistic contenders. The mechanics seem to be all there, but there's a strange lack of a killer instinct. Good players, but so far, only okay winners. These guys can be counted on to be team workhorses during the GSTL, but winning individual championships seems like a tall order.
Never doubt the heart of a champion
13.
July12.
NaDaWith July and Nada, it's never a question of talent. It's always going to be about desire, or however much is left after spending most of it on a decade of Brood War pro-gaming. With a total of nine major titles between them, these guys know what it takes to be a champion. They just might think it's not worth going back down that road again.
A Courtesy
11.
InCaOn the verge of generation change.
10.
TOPIt's been a great year for TOP so far, where everyone tournament he plays in he places higher while displaying even more improvement. The Super Tournament has been TOP's best showing yet, where he proved his chops as a legitimate championship contender. Look out for him this July.
9.
LosirALosira is a terrifying, smiling mechanics monster who's probably the best at making progamer opponents look like total newbs. Even so, we'd like to see him win some more series against top tier opposition before we bump him any higher. The MLG Columbus win against MC was very nice, but that's about all he has going against opponents of that caliber.
8.
AliciaEven though an Optimus-mode Polt made Alicia look uncharacteristically bad in the Super Tournament, Alicia is clearly a championship contender. We're not terribly concerned just yet that all of his GSL knockouts have been in deflating, lackluster shutout series, but if the trend continues this season we might have to start wondering if he has a tournament jinx.
7.
sCTo be honest, we're giving him a lot of credit just for his sick, sick TvZ (2-5 against Nestea and DRG, 4-0 against Losira). But with his rep amongst progamers being that his other matchups are just as fearsome, we're gonna give the LG Cinema Special Tournament silver medalist the benefit of the doubt here.
6.
BomberThe legend of Bomber (largely built on his 4-2 win over MVP) was recently set aback due to his 1-2 loss to Moon at DreamHack. Coming on the tale of a pretty simple 0-2 loss to Nestea in the Super Tournament, could TvZ be emerging as his weakness?
Nonetheless, no one below him really elicits the same degree of "OH S***, it's Bomber!" response when people are put up against him, so sixth place he is.
Confusing limbo between great and amazing
5.
MKPIt's tough to tell where MKP stands. Arguably, he's the most consistent GSL performer over the longest period of time. At the same time, how long can we put him amongst the most elite SC II players when he can't actually beat any of them in a series? Bomber, sC, and Alicia all seem poised to overtake MKP very soon, if they haven't already.
4.
PoltPolt's record should speak for itself. The only test remaining for Polt is to take on any of the two-time champions.
The businessman, entertainer, and the scholar
3.
MVPAfter an unfortunate early Super Tournament elimination exit, we have yet to see MVP play again. Still, we don't think one stops being the best Terran in the world in just three and a half weeks. With Polt being a major challenger for the Terran throne, this upcoming season should prove to be very interesting.
2.
MCWhen he's at his best, he IS the best player in the world. Failure to maintain 100% status has gotten him knocked out of recent tournaments, though with his skill, he still coasts to high finishes.
1.
NesTeaThe king is the king, until he is dethroned.
![[image loading]](/staff/Hydro/GSL/ProgamerspreviewcodeA.png)
by b_unnies
With Code-A being full of players who have a great deal of reputation, but few to none GSL games to judge them by, b_unnies decided to go out and ask other progamers what they thought of the match-ups this season. With their advice in hand, he came up with some interesting predictions for the Code-A Ro32.
IMReady vs Dream+ Show Spoiler +
Dream > Ready
Both are good players on the ladder. With MVP_Keen as his teacher, Dream does very well in practice matches. He has a nice TvP game, and his biggest strength is his medivac play.
Both are good players on the ladder. With MVP_Keen as his teacher, Dream does very well in practice matches. He has a nice TvP game, and his biggest strength is his medivac play.
Creator vs oGsLuvsic+ Show Spoiler +
oGsLuvsic > Creator
oGsLuvsic is one of the hidden online gosus on ladder, using a similar ZvP style to DongRaeGu. His usage of zerglings is very good and he is great at controlling roach and hydras. Luvsic could use another unit composition as well, since one of Creator's weakness is fighting against mutalisks. If Creator can't play more unpredictably than he has shown so far in GSL, Luvsic will win, considering that Z is doing well against P lately.
oGsLuvsic is one of the hidden online gosus on ladder, using a similar ZvP style to DongRaeGu. His usage of zerglings is very good and he is great at controlling roach and hydras. Luvsic could use another unit composition as well, since one of Creator's weakness is fighting against mutalisks. If Creator can't play more unpredictably than he has shown so far in GSL, Luvsic will win, considering that Z is doing well against P lately.
HopeTorture vs Leenock+ Show Spoiler +
HopeTorture < Leenock
Leenock's best matchup is ZvT, while his ZvP and ZvZ pales in comparison. He gets to practice against his teammate sC, which will have made his vsT even stronger. He should have a relatively easy win. HopeTorture's strength is mech, and in a matchup more likely to involve bionic usage, he is less likely to shine.
Leenock's best matchup is ZvT, while his ZvP and ZvZ pales in comparison. He gets to practice against his teammate sC, which will have made his vsT even stronger. He should have a relatively easy win. HopeTorture's strength is mech, and in a matchup more likely to involve bionic usage, he is less likely to shine.
Min vs Yoda+ Show Spoiler +
Yoda > Min
Min made some critical mistakes against MVP in their previous game (in Code-A). He is lacking in the ability to 'solve' in-game situations. Yoda is a newcomer, but he has a lot of experience on ladder. He tends to play a very defensive style of TvZ, and has enough skill to make him worth keeping an eye on in Code-A.
Min made some critical mistakes against MVP in their previous game (in Code-A). He is lacking in the ability to 'solve' in-game situations. Yoda is a newcomer, but he has a lot of experience on ladder. He tends to play a very defensive style of TvZ, and has enough skill to make him worth keeping an eye on in Code-A.
Check vs Choya+ Show Spoiler +
Choya > Check
Choya has a very 'stylish' PvZ, even singing songs during games, whereas Check is very predictable as he only does roach ZvP. Nevertheless both players are slumping and ZvP is one of Check's favored matchups. It should depend on how creatively Choya wants to play.
Choya has a very 'stylish' PvZ, even singing songs during games, whereas Check is very predictable as he only does roach ZvP. Nevertheless both players are slumping and ZvP is one of Check's favored matchups. It should depend on how creatively Choya wants to play.
Noblesse vs hero+ Show Spoiler +
Hero > Noblesse
Noblesse's best matchup is TvP and he has great dropship usage. However, one of Hero's strength is also using warp prisms. Hero is also great at using storms. Noblesse has very similar styles to scfou as they are good friends and they talk a lot. Scfou also has tons of trouble winning against HerO.
Noblesse's best matchup is TvP and he has great dropship usage. However, one of Hero's strength is also using warp prisms. Hero is also great at using storms. Noblesse has very similar styles to scfou as they are good friends and they talk a lot. Scfou also has tons of trouble winning against HerO.
Lyn vs Tassadar + Show Spoiler +
Tassadar > Lyn
Tassadar is currently the highest ranking protoss on ladder. His standard PvT style involves fast 2 forge into 6 gates archon+zealots. Since Lyn doesn't seem to practice too much, Tassadar should win the series.
Tassadar is currently the highest ranking protoss on ladder. His standard PvT style involves fast 2 forge into 6 gates archon+zealots. Since Lyn doesn't seem to practice too much, Tassadar should win the series.
Ryung vs GuMiho+ Show Spoiler +
Gumiho > Ryung
Gumiho is an amazing TvT player as well being a great mech user. Ryung's style involves marines and tanks, and might have a tough time dealing with Gumiho's mech. They have met once before in GSL Open Season 3, where Gumiho won 2:0. Gumiho has a wide arsenal of strategies such as timing rushes or using a mech style. Whereas Ryung plays very safe, and he isn’t likely to do any sort of timing attacks.
Gumiho is an amazing TvT player as well being a great mech user. Ryung's style involves marines and tanks, and might have a tough time dealing with Gumiho's mech. They have met once before in GSL Open Season 3, where Gumiho won 2:0. Gumiho has a wide arsenal of strategies such as timing rushes or using a mech style. Whereas Ryung plays very safe, and he isn’t likely to do any sort of timing attacks.
TheWinD vs Tails+ Show Spoiler +
Tails > TheWind
Tails is not a standard player, so you can't predict what he is going to do. TheWind is a playing coach and he has less time to practice, whereas Tails is a ladder beast. Although TheWind is a creative zerg player that uses nydus worms and queens well, Tails should know TheWind's style well from his many ladder wins against him.
Tails is not a standard player, so you can't predict what he is going to do. TheWind is a playing coach and he has less time to practice, whereas Tails is a ladder beast. Although TheWind is a creative zerg player that uses nydus worms and queens well, Tails should know TheWind's style well from his many ladder wins against him.
Vanvanth vs SocceR+ Show Spoiler +
Soccer > VanVanth
Although Soccer has to split his practice times between Warcraft 3 and Starcraft 2, VanVanth isn't a good player at defending or attacking with the Protoss staple of 4gate.
Although Soccer has to split his practice times between Warcraft 3 and Starcraft 2, VanVanth isn't a good player at defending or attacking with the Protoss staple of 4gate.
San vs Sheth+ Show Spoiler +
Sheth > San
Sheth has been practicing immensely with Korean protosses for his game against San, ones who are familiar with San's style and are trying to replicate it for him. San is an overall solid player who occasionally throws some all ins at you. It’s not the most easy to predict play style, but as long as Sheth scouts well he should be fine.
Sheth has been practicing immensely with Korean protosses for his game against San, ones who are familiar with San's style and are trying to replicate it for him. San is an overall solid player who occasionally throws some all ins at you. It’s not the most easy to predict play style, but as long as Sheth scouts well he should be fine.
MMA vs Puzzle+ Show Spoiler +
Puzzle > MMA
Everyone knows how good these players are, so it's hard to predict who will win. MMA produces good results and places high in almost all tournaments, but Puzzle has enough skill to stand up to him. Puzzle is a beast in practice games; MMA and Puzzle played a series of practice games because of Ryung some time ago, and Puzzle didn't lose a game. If MMA kept his old style the outcome will be the same, but he will probably have changed his style by now.
Everyone knows how good these players are, so it's hard to predict who will win. MMA produces good results and places high in almost all tournaments, but Puzzle has enough skill to stand up to him. Puzzle is a beast in practice games; MMA and Puzzle played a series of practice games because of Ryung some time ago, and Puzzle didn't lose a game. If MMA kept his old style the outcome will be the same, but he will probably have changed his style by now.
Hyperdub vs Happy+ Show Spoiler +
Happy > Hyperdub
Hyperdub has less practice time as a university student, whereas Happy is a ladder beast with a style similar to MKP's. Happy also gets to practice vs IMMVP, one of the best TvT players on the planet. Hyperdub has also lost to lesser Terrans in the GSL, so this looks difficult for him.
Hyperdub has less practice time as a university student, whereas Happy is a ladder beast with a style similar to MKP's. Happy also gets to practice vs IMMVP, one of the best TvT players on the planet. Hyperdub has also lost to lesser Terrans in the GSL, so this looks difficult for him.
YuGiOh vs Curious+ Show Spoiler +
Curious > Yugioh
Some say Curious has just as much skill as Nestea. He is currently the #1 ranked zerg on KR ladder. Yugioh hasn't played well lately, and he isn't at Curious' level. Even though Yugioh said he was confident at ZvZ, his recent games versus Violet were below expectations.
Some say Curious has just as much skill as Nestea. He is currently the #1 ranked zerg on KR ladder. Yugioh hasn't played well lately, and he isn't at Curious' level. Even though Yugioh said he was confident at ZvZ, his recent games versus Violet were below expectations.
Jinro vs IOvShinyStar+ Show Spoiler +
Jinro > ShinyStar
Shinystar hasn’t shown impressive play in ladder, however he has knocked out TheStC in the qualifiers who is known for his multitasking. ShinyStar also likes using proxy voids which is something Jinro should watch out for. However, Jinro’s strength lies in the lategame and he has a decent TvP.
Shinystar hasn’t shown impressive play in ladder, however he has knocked out TheStC in the qualifiers who is known for his multitasking. ShinyStar also likes using proxy voids which is something Jinro should watch out for. However, Jinro’s strength lies in the lategame and he has a decent TvP.
BoxeR vs asd+ Show Spoiler +
Boxer > asd
Although asd is a decent player, Boxer has a great TvT and SlayerS is full of Terrans he can practice against. However, asd does quite well in practice matches and he plays a very safe style which would help against Boxer’s creative and unpredictable style.
Although asd is a decent player, Boxer has a great TvT and SlayerS is full of Terrans he can practice against. However, asd does quite well in practice matches and he plays a very safe style which would help against Boxer’s creative and unpredictable style.
Thanks to
HwangSin for contributing his knowledge on all the players. Also thanks to Galaxy, 
NosLoki, Golden, 
컴박사홍흑형, GuMiho, HairyZenith, Jinro, FXOBoss, and ZeNEX Coach Yoon Hee Won.![[image loading]](/staff/Hydro/GSL/ThankYouGomTV.png)
by Waxangel
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/gomtvschedule.png)
Undeniable Beauty
Though GSL modeled itself after the time tested Korean Brood War leagues, it long overlooked one of the crucial elements to its predecessor's success; smart scheduling. By having only one or two match days a week, the Brood War leagues were able to present themselves to the fans as must see television. Unlike the GSL, you were actually expected to tune in for every installment and watch each and every match. And they made it worth it for the fans by always trying to tell an interesting story, always trying to paint a bigger picture that developed week after week.
On the other hand, the GSL matches were just too frequent, too fast paced for all but the most devoted fans to develop a deep connection with the league or the players. Think about some of the surprise semi-finalists in the past GSLs. TOP, sC, San, anypro, they all had remarkable runs to make it that far. Yet, there was only time to think about who a player really was and appreciate their story if they were a finalist, because the five day break between the semi-finals and the final was the only period where one could sit back, and think about what everything actually meant.
It's like Champions League football versus a tennis major like Wimbledon. Even the most casual sports fan can tune in for a RO16 Champions League game, read week's worth of media hype before and after, and try to talk about it with his buddies later on. Wimbledon? Most people tune in for the finals (maybe semi-finals if the bracket was right), show up to work the next day and say “Well, that Nadal is pretty good,” and forget tennis until the US Open.
With the GSTL's rebirth as a ten week league, GomTV has finally been able to change the GSL schedule so that it isn't crammed into two and a half weeks. For all my complaints about the Code-S bottlenec, or the number of awesome Code-B players who can't catch a break, this scheduling change makes everything worth it.
Come on, imagine if we had a week between rounds for the Super Tournament. Polt would have gotten waaaay more hype and respect than he did, because more people would be able to sit down and see his games instead of reading results and complaining about him knocking out their favorite player. TheBest? He would have had the time to earn true villain status, and have had people dying to see him play every week, just because they wanted to see him lose. A player like Line would get respect as an amazing up and coming Zerg player, instead of being thought of as just “that random Code-A guy who beat Jinro” by fans who were only a week behind in games.
All in all, it's going to allow us to appreciate GSL more. GSL is the premiere competition in Starcraft II, so it damn well deserves it. So thank you GomTV for making this change, and make sure to thank yourself as well.
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